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GK Tornado for
LIC Assistant Main 2019 Exam
Dear Aspirants,
This GK Tornado is a complete docket of important Banking Awareness & Current Affairs news and events that occurred in last 6
months (1st June 2019 – 10th December 2019). This file is important and relevant for all competitive exams like Banking, Insurance,
SSC and UPSC Exams.

News related to RBI

December

1. RBI Unveils Guidelines on Small Finance Banks: NEFT around the clock on all days including weekends
Note: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released and holidays from December 16, 2019. These
‘Guidelines for ‘on tap’ Licensing of Small Finance Banks transactions after the usual banking hours are set to be
(SFB) in the Private Sector’. The on-tap facility allows automated initiated using 'Straight Through Processing
RBI to accept applications and grant licence for banks (STP)' modes by the banks. The existing discipline for
throughout the year. Minimum paid-up voting equity crediting the beneficiary's account or returning the
capital/ net worth requirement shall be Rs.200 crore. transaction within 2 hours of settlement to the
For Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks (UCBs), aspiring originating bank will also continue.
to voluntarily transit into SFBs, initial requirement of net 4. RBI Imposes Rs 1.50 crore penalty on Corporation
worth shall be at Rs.100 crores that will have to be Bank:
increased to Rs.200 crores within 5 years from date of Note: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a
commencement of business. Payments Banks like monetary penalty of Rs. 1.50 crore on Corporation Bank
Paytm an IndiaPost and Fino can apply for conversion for non-compliance with certain provisions of directions.
into SFB after 5 years of operations, if they are The penalty has been imposed in the exercise of powers
otherwise eligible as per these guidelines. As of now, vested in the RBI under the provisions of Section 47 A
the RBI has issued licences to 10 SFBs. (1) (c) read with Section 46 (4) (i) and 51 (1) of the
2. RBI released fifth bi-monthly Monetary Policy review: Banking Regulation Act, 1949. This action is based on
The Reserve Bank of India on December 5, 2019, the deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not
released its fifth bi-monthly monetary policy statement intended to pronounce upon the validity of any
for the year 2019-20. In this RBI decided to keep key transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with
policy rate unchanged. its customers.
Key rates are as below: 5. Reserve Bank expressed concern over rising bad assets
Note: The repo rate under the liquidity adjustment from Mudra loans:
facility (LAF) left unchanged to 5.15%. The reverse repo Note: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has expressed
rate under the LAF stands same i.e. 4.90%. concern over rising bad loans from Pradhan Mantri
Current Policy Rates: MUDRA Yojana (PMMY). This scheme was announced by
Policy Repo Rate 5.15% Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2015, which
Reverse Repo Rate 4.90 % offers faster credit, with ticket sizes starting from
₹50,000 and going up to ₹10 lakh, to small businesses.
Marginal Standing Facility Rate 5.40%
According to RBI, the percentage of MUDRA loans were
Bank Rate 5.40%
at 2.52% in 2017-18, It has now raised to 2.89% in 2018-
3. NEFT transactions to be made 24×7 from 16th 19. It also says that the number of loans being sanctioned
December 2019: under the scheme has increased greatly.
Note: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that 6. RBI Enhances Scope of Non-Resident Rupee Accounts:
all bank customers will be able to transfer funds through
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Note: The RBI expanded the scope of Special Non- 10. RBI disclosed major wilful defaulter details under RTI
Resident Rupee Accounts (SNRR account) by permitting act 2005:
non-residents to open such accounts for rupee- Note: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has disclosed list of
denominated overseas borrowings, trade credit and 30 major wilful defaulters of India. The list was disclosed
trade invoicing for popularising cross-border transactions by RBI in response to Right to Information (RTI)
in the domestic currency. Any person resident outside application of the RTI act 2005, filed by Indian news
India, having a business interest in India, can open a non- website ‘The Wire’ in May 2019. 3 companies of fugitive
interest bearing Special Non-Resident Rupee Account diamond manufacturer & businessman Mehul Choksi,
(SNRR account) with a bank for bona fide transactions in were among the 30 major wilful defaulters. These 30
rupees. The restriction on the tenure of SNRR account, companies added up to over Rs 50,000 crores of total
which is currently 7 years, has also been removed. RBI outstanding advances. Some of the companies that has
has also modified norms regarding re-export of unsold been added to the list include Gitanjali Gems, Rotomac
rough diamonds from the special notified zone of Global, Zoom Developers, Deccan Chronicle Holdings,
Customs without export declaration form (EDF) Winsome Diamonds, REI Agro, Siddhi Vinayak Logistics
formality. and Kudos Chemie.
7. RBI excluded Vijaya Bank, Dena bank from 2nd schedule 11. RBI constitutes a three-member advisory committee for
of RBI Act, 1934: DHFL:
Note: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has excluded Vijaya Note: The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has set up a 3-
Bank and Dena Bank from the second schedule of the RBI member committee consisting of IDFC First Bank non-
Act, 1934 with effect from April 1, 2019, as they have executive chairman Rajiv Lall, ICICI Prudential Life
ceased to carry on banking business. Because, these Insurance chief executive NS Kannan and the mutual
public sector banks (PSBs) were merged into Bank of funds body AMFI (Association of Mutual Funds in India)
Baroda on April 1, 2019, hence, they were ceased to chief executive NS Venkatesh, before formally sending
operate as banking companies separately. It should be the case of the troubled deposit-taking housing finance
noted that those banks included in this schedule are company- Dewan Housing Finance Limited (DHFL) for
known as scheduled banks in India while banks not under bankruptcy proceedings. This committee will serve as
this schedule are called non-scheduled banks. advisor to the DHFL administrator.
8. RBI raises P2P lending limit five-fold: 12. RBI supersedes DHFL board to initiate insolvency
Note: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has taken a big step proceedings:
to promote the peer-2-peer (P2P) sector by increasing Note: The Reserve Bank of India superseded the board of
the total loan limit among such lenders from 10 lakh to debt-laden Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Limited
Rs. 50 lakhs. Presently, the aggregate limit is 10 lakh (DHFL) as it intends to shortly initiate the process of
rupees for all borrowers and lenders on all P2P platforms. resolution of the company under the insolvency and
Apart from this, a single borrower can only take up to a bankruptcy rules. The company is all set to become
maximum of Rs 50,000 from a lender on all NBFC (Non- India’s first financier to land up in bankruptcy courts. The
Banking Financial Company)-P2P platforms. central bank superseded the board “owing to governance
9. RBI revises framework on SAARC currency swap concerns and defaults by DHFL in meeting various
arrangement: payment obligations. R Subramaniakumar, ex-MD and
Note: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revised the CEO of Indian Overseas Bank has been appointed as the
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation administrator.
(SAARC) currency swap arrangement framework for a 13. RBI tightens norms for acquisition of financial assets by
period of November 14, 2019, to November 13, 2022. As ARCs from sponsors and lenders
per the new framework, RBI continues to offer a swap Note: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has tightened
arrangement within the overall corpus of USD 2 billion. norms for Asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) by
The drawal can be made in US Dollars, Euro or Indian barring them to bilaterally buy assets from banks
Rupee. There are certain concessions for swap drawal in /financial institutions (FIs) which is its sponsor, lender or
Indian Rupee. has subscribed to the fund raised by the ARC for its

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operations or an entity in the group to which the ARC in a transparent manner, on arm’s length basis and the
belongs. However, RBI allowed ARCs to participate in prices are set by market forces only.
auctions of the financial assets, that should be conducted

November

1. RBI Enhances Scope of Non-Resident Rupee Accounts: 3. RBI supersedes DHFL board to initiate insolvency
• To popularise cross-border transactions in Indian proceedings:
rupee, the Reserve Bank of India has enhanced the • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has superseded the
scope of 'Special Non-resident Rupee' (SNRR) board of Dewan Housing Finance Corporation
account. Limited (DHFL) as it "intends to shortly" initiate the
• It allows the persons residing outside India to open process of insolvency.
such accounts for purposes like external commercial • In January, a web portal accused the DHFL
borrowing and trade credit in Indian rupee. promoters of committing financial frauds by
• Any person resident outside India, having a business creating shell companies.
interest in India, can open a non-interest-bearing • A total of 32 Indian and foreign banks lent Rs 97,000
Special Non-Resident Rupee Account (SNRR crore to DHFL Group companies with many
account) with a bank for bona fide transactions in borrower companies having the same addresses,
rupees. directors, and auditors.
• The restriction on the tenure of SNRR account, • DHFL is the fourth-largest Indian housing finance
which is currently 7 years, has also been removed. company based on loans outstanding as of March.
• RBI has also modified norms regarding re-export of
unsold rough diamonds from the special notified 4. RBI imposes Rs 5 lakh fine on Oxigen Services
zone of Customs without export declaration form
(EDF) formality. • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a fine
2. Banks cannot charge on NEFT transactions from of Rs 5 lakh on prepaid payment instrument Oxigen
January 2020: Services.
• On the third anniversary of demonetisation, the • The move was taken in exercise of powers vested
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released a report titled under Section 30 of the Payment and Settlement
“Furthering Digital Payments”. Systems Act, 2007, for non-compliance of
• In the report with a view to promoting digital regulatory guidelines.
transactions RBI proposed that from January 2020, • The fine comes through a speaking order dated
banks can no longer charge savings bank account September 17, 2019.
holders for online transactions in the NEFT system. • Oxigen Services facilitates payment processing and
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has now mandated money transfer services.
banks to do this.
October

1. Rs 35 lakh penalty on Tamilnad Mercantile Bank: • Vreedhi Financial Services objective is to provide
• The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a penalty of credit and other services to micro-enterprises
Rs 35 lakh on Tamilnad Mercantile Bank for violating operating in tier two-three cities and small towns.
norms on fraud classification and notification. • It will address the gap between the addressable and
• The bank has been penalized for non-compliance viable credit in the micro-enterprises space which is
with certain provisions of directions issued by RBI on $123 billion as per the study conducted by the
fraud classification and reporting by commercial International Finance Corporation (IFC).
banks and select FIs directions 2016. 3. RBI approves merger of DCBs to form ‘Kerala Bank’:
2. NBFC licence for Vreedhi Financial Services: • The Reserve Bank of India approved the
• The RBI has given a non-banking finance company amalgamation of 13 district cooperative banks
licence to Vreedhi Financial Services (VFS). (DCBs) with the Kerala State Cooperative Bank to
form the proposed “Kerala Bank”.

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• Except the Malappuram District Cooperative Bank, • Respondents perceived an increase in the price
all district banks had approved the scheme of level over the last 1 year and a majority of them
amalgamation proposed by the State government at expect prices to rise further in the coming year.
their respective general body meetings. 5. Indiabulls Housing & Lakshmi Vilas Bank merger rejected
• RBI also insisted that the State government would by RBI:
have to consistently infuse additional capital and • The Reserve Bank of India has rejected the merger
also put in place a well-defined governance proposal of Indiabulls Housing Finance and Lakshmi
structure by amending the KSCS Act. Vilas Bank.
4. RBI released Consumer Confidence Survey (September • RBI has rejected the application for voluntary
2019): amalgamation of Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd.
• The Reserve Bank of India has released the data of and Indiabulls Commercial Credit Ltd. with the
the September 2019 round of its Consumer Lakshmi Vilas Bank Ltd.
Confidence Survey. • The merger was crucial for Lakshmi Vilas Bank as it
• The survey was conducted in 13 major cities: is now under the prompt corrective action
Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chennai, Delhi, framework of the RBI due to a high level of bad
Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, loans and insufficient capital.
Mumbai, Patna and Thiruvananthapuram. 6. RBI Consumer Confidence Survey, 2019 – According to RBI
Key Highlights: Consumer Confidence Survey, the consumer confidence
• Consumer confidence weakened in September with dipped to a six-year low.
both the current situation index and the future • The federal bank says that this is mainly due to
expectations index recording declines. decline in employment, income and discretionary
• Households’ sentiments on the general economic spending.
situation and the employment scenario declined. • The CSI – Current Situation Index fell to 89.4
They were less optimistic on their income over the whereas it was recorded as 95.7 in July. Previously
year ahead than in July 2019. the index hit its low in 2013, when it reached 88.

September

1. RBI placed restrictions on PMC Bank – The Reserve Bank • At present, the facility of payment of recurring
of India has imposed caps on withdrawals made by bills through BBPS is available only in five
customers of Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative segments i.e. direct to home (DTH), electricity,
Banks for 6 months. gas, water and telecom.
• The imposition was invoked by the central bank 3. Harsh Vardhan committee submitted its report to RBI
under Section 35 A of India’s Banking Regulation Governor - A panel set up by the central bank to suggest
act, 1949. measures to make the housing finance securitization
• PMC is spread across 6 states and has a network market more attractive has recommended that the
of 137 branches. National Housing Bank (NHB) set up an intermediary with
Section 35 A of India’s Banking Regulation act, 1949 51% government ownership.
• Section 35A of the Banking Regulation act provides Note:
powers to RBI to give directions to banks. • The Reserve Bank of India had constituted a
• It enables RBI with the power to take action in order Committee on the Development of Housing Finance
to prevent a banking company acting detrimental to Securitisation Market, on May 29, 2019, with Dr.
the interests of the depositors. Harsh Vardhan, Senior Advisor, Bain & Co. as the
2. RBI expands coverage of Bharat Bill Payment System – In Chairperson.
a consumer friendly initiative, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) 4. T.N. Manoharan committee submitted its report – A task
has expanded the scope and coverage of Bharat Bill force set up by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) submitted
Payment System (BBPS) to include all categories of billers its report on the development of a secondary market for
who raise recurring bills and payments (except prepaid corporate loans.
recharges) as eligible participants, on a voluntary basis.

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• The task force headed by Canara Bank chairman T.N. (iii) Non-cash withdrawal transactions from ATMs such as
Manoharan recommended setting up of a self- balance enquiry, cheque book request, payment of taxes and
regulatory body (SRB), which will oversee the funds transfer - which is part of ‘on-us’ transactions - shall
proposed secondary market. also not be part of the number of free ATM transactions.
Other recommendations of the Task Force include – Note: At the end of March 2019, the number of ATMs stood
• linking the pricing of all loans to an external at 2.22 lakh, down from 2.21 lakh in the previous year,
benchmark as the current Marginal Cost of Funds according to the RBI's latest report.
Based Lending Rate (MCLR) may not be comparable 7. RBI selected Daffodil Software Pvt Ltd for developing
across banks. mobile app for visually impaired – The Reserve Bank of
• recommended setting up of an online loan sales India (RBI) selected Daffodil Software Pvt Ltd to develop
platform to conduct auctions of secondary market a mobile phone-based application for visually impaired
loans. people to identify currency notes. It informed the
5. RBI orders banks to link lending rate to external interest Bombay High Court that an internet connection would
rate benchmark – The Reserve Bank of India has made not be required for its proposed mobile application.
mandatory for banks to link retail and MSME loans to 8. Deposit insurance in India covers 92% of accounts, 28%
external interest rate benchmarks. of banking deposits: RBI
• This new norm will be effective from 1st of • According to the Reserve Bank of India data, Deposit
October. Under this norm, banks have to link all insurance in India covers 92% of the total number of
of their new loan products, be it personal, accounts but only 28% of the total banking deposits.
housing or auto to an external benchmark rate. • At the current level, this insurance cover works out to
• Banks have been allowed to choose any 0.8 times of per capita income in 2018-19.
benchmark market interest rate published by the • RBI in its annual report said that - “With the current
Financial Benchmarks India Private Ltd (FBIL). limit of deposit insurance in India at Rs 1 lakh, the
• Banks can choose RBI’s repo rate, government of number of fully protected accounts stood at 200
crores at the of end-March 2019, which constituted
India’s three-month treasury bill yield published
92% of the total number of accounts, as against the
by the FBIL, government’s six-month treasury bill
international benchmark of 80%.
yield published by the FBIL or any other market • In terms of amount, the total insured deposits of Rs
interest rate published by the FBIL. 33.7 lakh crore as at end-March 2019 constituted
6. RBI has clarified that non-cash withdrawal transactions 28% of assessable deposits of Rs 120 lakh crore,
from ATMs such as balance enquiry cannot be part of against the international benchmark of 20% to 30%.
free transactions • In August last year, the government scrapped the
Key points – Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill
• Banks offers their savings account customers a which had argued a higher share of deposit insurance
certain number of free transactions at ATMs for depositors.
every month and beyond that they levy charges. Important points to note:
• The Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee
• Now, the Reserve Bank of India or RBI has
Corporation (DICGC) provides insurance cover to
clarified the list of transactions at ATMs for
deposits in all commercial banks.
which banks cannot charge their customers.
• Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation
Banks cannot charge for these ATM transactions: (DICGC) is a subsidiary of Reserve Bank of India.
(i) ATM transactions that fail due to technical reasons like • It was established on July 15, 1978 under Deposit
hardware, software, communication issues will not be Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation Act,
counted as valid ATM transactions for the customer. 1961, for the purpose of providing insurance of
(ii) Other ATM transactions that failed due to non-availability deposits and guaranteeing of credit facilities.
of currency notes, invalid PIN/validations, and other • DICGC insures all bank deposits, such as saving, fixed,
current, recurring deposits for up to the limit of Rs. 1
transaction declines directly attributable to the bank or
lakh of each deposit in a bank.
services provider will not be counted as valid transactions and
cannot be charged.

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August

1. RBI board accepts Jalan panel report, approves surplus additional factor authentication (AFA) validation
transfer of Rs 1.76 lakh cr to govt – Central board of the should be performed.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) accepted Bimal Jalan 5. NEFT to be available 24x7 from December 2019: RBI
committee's recommendations and approved a surplus • Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 07th August
transfer of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the government. announced that the National Electronic Funds
• The surplus comprises Rs 1,23,414 crore for Transfer (NEFT) systems would be available on a
2018-19 and Rs 52,637 crore of excess provisions 24x7 basis from December 2019.
identified as per the revised Economic Capital • At present, the NEFT payment system operated
Framework (ECF). by the Reserve Bank as a retail payment system
• The surplus transfer is 1.25 per cent of the GDP is available to customers from 8am to 7pm on all
(2018-19). working days of the week (except 2nd and 4th
Note: Saturdays, and all Sundays of the month).
• The central bank, in consultation with the 6. RBI to set up “Central Payment Fraud Registry”
government, had constituted a committee chaired by • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 07th August
former RBI governor Bimal Jalan to review the extant proposed to set up a central payment fraud
economic capital framework of the RBI. registry (CPFR), which will monitor digital
2. RBI says currency in circulation soars 17 per cent to Rs payment frauds in real-time.
21.1 lakh crore in FY19 – Despite the many an effort to • The move is expected to boost customer
shift to digital payments and usher in a digital payment confidence in the payments systems.
economy, the currency in circulation has jumped by a • At present, banks report all frauds in the system
hefty 17 percent to Rs 21.10 lakh crore as of March 2019, to the central fraud monitoring cell of the RBI.
the Reserve Bank says in its annual report for 2019. • According to an RBI report, instant payment
• The demand for the Rs 500 bill, which is the second systems such as immediate payment service
highest denomination after the Rs 2,000 note, has (IMPS) and unified payments interface (UPI) are
soared the highest and now accounts for over 51 expected to have annual growth of over 100%,
percent of the value of currency in circulation. while national electronic funds transfer (NEFT)
• The annual report notes a 59 percent increase in will witness 40% growth by 2021.
retail electronic payment transactions to 23.3 billion. • Besides, the number of digital transactions is
3. RBI announces modalities for 2 pc interest subvention expected to increase fourfold to ₹8,707 crore by
for fisheries farmers – The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) December 2021.
announced modalities for providing 2 per cent interest • The central fraud registry was proposed earlier
subsidy on short-term loans of up to Rs 2 lakh for farmers both in the Nandan Nilekani committee report
engaged in fisheries and animal husbandry through Kisan and RBI’s payments vision document 2019 to
Credit Card (KCC). 2021.
• With this interest subvention, such farmers will 7. RBI alltargetednk of China to offer regular banking
get short-term loan of up to Rs 2 lakh at a services in India
concessional rate of 7 per cent. The interest • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allowed Bank of
subsidy scheme is applicable for loans taken China to offer regular banking services in the
during 2018-19 and 2019-20. country.
4. RBI allows e-mandate for cards for recurring • Banks falling under this schedule have to adhere
transactions – The Reserve Bank of India has permitted to the norms of the RBI.
processing of e-mandate on credit and debit cards for 8. Atanu Chakraborty nominated on central board of RBI
recurring transactions (merchant payments). • The Union Government has nominated Atanu
• The maximum limit for such a transaction will be Chakraborty as a Director on the Central Board of
Rs 2,000. While processing the first transaction in Directors of Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
e-mandate-based recurring transaction series, • Currently, he is a Secretary in the Department of
Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.

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• Shri Rajiv Kumar (new Finance Secretary) is also a credit disbursement growth in the first half of
Director on the Central Board of Directors of 2019(January -June) was 7.3%, which is the
Reserve Bank of India. slowest rate of disbursement by banks in 5 years.
Note: 12. RBI Expands biller categories for Bharat Bill Payment
• The central board of directors is the main System
committee of the central bank. • On August 7, 2019, the Reserve Bank of India
• The RBI has four regional representations: North (RBI) has permitted all categories of billers
in New Delhi, South in Chennai, East in Kolkata (except prepaid recharges), who provide for
and West in Mumbai. recurring bill payments to participate in BBPS
• The headquarters of RBI is in Mumbai. (Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS)on a
• Current Governor of RBI is Shaktikanta Das voluntary basis.
9. Banks not to charge for failed transactions, balance • RBI also decided to offer ‘on tap’ authorization to
enquiry: RBI entities wishing to function as / provide
• Every month banks provide certain number of platforms for
free transactions at ATMs to their customers and • Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU)
exceeding which charges are imposed. • Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS)
According to the Reserve Bank of India, the following • White Label ATMs (WLAs).
transactions should not be counted as valid ATM transactions 13. RBI’s Task Force on Offshore Rupee Markets headed by
for the customer as the ‘free ATM transactions’: Usha Thorat recommends extension of onshore market
• Transactions failed at ATMs due to technical hours – The Task Force formed by the Reserve Bank of
reasons like hardware and software issues. India (RBI) on Offshore Rupee Markets headed by Usha
• Transactions failed due to non-availability of Thorat has recommended the extension of onshore
market hours to 9 am to 9 pm, from 9 am to 5 pm, to
currency in ATMs.
improve access of overseas users and allow Indian banks
• Use of ATMs for non-cash withdrawal
to freely offer prices to global clients around the clock.
transactions such as balance enquiry, cheque
14. HFCs will be treated as one category under NBFCs: RBI
book request, payment of taxes, funds transfer.
• On August 13, 2019, India’s central bank, the
10. RBI releases the final Regulatory Sandbox Framework
Reserve Bank of India(RBI) stated that, for
for Fintech Companies – On August 13, 2019, the Reserve
regulatory purposes, Housing Finance Companies
Bank of India (RBI) issued the final draft ‘enabling
(HFCs) will be treated as one of the categories of
framework for regulatory sandbox (RS)’, for the startups,
NBFCs (Non-Banking Financial Companies) & it
banks and financial institutions aims at enabling
will come under RBI’s supervision.
innovations in the financial technology space.
15. Residential Asset Price Monitoring Survey – RBI
• Criteria: RBI will launch the sandbox for
companies/banks that meet the criteria of the • Reserve Bank of India (RBI) survey has said that
housing has become less affordable over the last
minimum net worth of Rs.25 lakh and the
promoter/director of the entity should meet fit four years.
and proper framework. • According to the report, Mumbai remains the
• Regulatory Sandbox (RS): It refers to live testing least affordable city in India, while Bhubaneswar
of new products/services in a secure &controlled has the cheapest real estate among the 13 cities
that were studied by RBI.
regulatory environment, where the regulators
can allow certain regulatory relaxations for the • As per the findings of the survey, the median
limited purpose of the testing. loan-to-value (LTV) ratio moved from 67.7% to
69.6% between March 2015 and March 2019
• Background: The concept of Regulatory Sandbox
was proposed by a committee headed by showing that banks have become increasingly
risk tolerant.
Sudarshan Sen, former executive director of RBI.
11. Bank Retail loan growth slips to 5-year low in the first • The movement of median loan to income (LTI)
half of 2019 at 7.3 %: RBI ratio also confirms worsening housing
affordability as it moved from 3.0 in March 2015
• According to the latest monthly data of
RBI(Reserve Bank of India), the retail personal to 3.4 in March 2019.

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Note: banks/ housing finance companies (HFCs) across 13
• The Reserve Bank has been conducting a quarterly cities, viz., Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Bengaluru,
residential asset price monitoring survey (RAPMS) Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Jaipur, Chandigarh,
since July 2010 on housing loans disbursed by select Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Bhopal and Bhubaneswar.

July
1. B.P. Kanungo to run the monetary policy portfolio - RBI going through an exchange or any other
• Reserve Bank of India has assigned deputy intermediaries.
governor B.P. Kanungo to run the monetary 4. RBI liberalises ECB norms by relaxing end-use
policy portfolio and forecasting department. restrictions
After the exit of Viral Acharya, Kanungo has • Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has relaxed External
become the 6th member of the RBI’s Monetary Commercial Borrowing (ECB) norms for
Policy Committee. corporates, non-banking lenders by relaxing end-
• Now, all the three deputy governors N S use restrictions with regard to working capital,
Vishwanathan, B P Kanungo and M K Jain have general corporate purpose and repayment of
been made responsible for 12 departments each. rupee loans.
2. RBI fines Mobikwik & Hip Bar for violating norms – The • It also allows ECBs to raise with minimum
Reserve Bank of India has imposed a penalty on two average maturity period of 7 years for repayment
online payment solutions providers Mobikwik Systems of rupee loans availed domestically for capital
and Hip Bar for non compliance of regulatory guidelines. expenditure.
• Mobikwik Systems Private Limited has been About External Commercial Borrowing (ECB)
slapped a fine of Rs 15 lakh while Hip Bar Pvt Ltd • It is instrument used in India to facilitate Indian
faced a fine of Rs 10.85 lakh. companies to raise money outside the country in
3. RBI’s Working Group recommends extension of market foreign currency.
hours- An Internal Working Group of Reserve Bank of • It may be commercial loans which can be in form
India (RBI) on Comprehensive Review of Market Timings of bank loans, bonds, securitized instruments,
has suggested calibrated extension of Currency Market buyers’ and supplier’s credit availed from non-
(Foreign Exchange Market) hours, from 9 am to 9 pm for resident lenders with minimum average maturity
both Over the Counter (OTC) and Exchange Traded. At of 3 years.
present the markets close at 5 pm. • In India, ECBs availed of by residents are
Key Recommendations governed by Foreign Exchange Management Act
• Bond Market: On account of lack of demand (FEMA), 1999 along with Foreign Exchange
from participants group recommended that the Management (Borrowing or Lending in Foreign
government bond market timing can be retained Exchange) Regulations, 2000, as amended from
and the market be closed at 5 pm. time to time.
• Call Market: Its timings could be extended till 6 5. RBI fines Union Bank, SBI for flouting norms
pm. As Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) • The Reserve Bank of India has penalised State
system is operational till such time. Bank of India and Union Bank of India for
• G-Sec Trading: Currently there have been no violating certain regulatory guidelines.
requests from any market participants seeking • SBI was fined Rs 7 crore for non-compliance on
extension of market hours for G-sec trading. Income Recognition and Asset Classification
Note: norms, code of conduct for opening and
• Exchange Traded Derivatives (ETD) are traded via operating current accounts and reporting of data
central exchange with publicly visible prices i.e. on a on Central Repository of Information on Large
centralized exchange. Credits, and fraud risk management and
• Over the Counter (OTC) derivatives are for companies classification and reporting of frauds.
that are not listed on a formal exchange and traded • The central bank also imposed a Rs 10 lakh fine
between two parties (bilateral negotiation) without on Union Bank of India for non compliance with

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the directions on the cyber security framework in customers for resolution of complaints relating
banks. to certain services rendered by banks.
6. RBI panel for hike in collateral free lending, MUDRA loan • The scheme is introduced under Section 35 A of
limit to Rs 20 lakh – A committee constituted by the RBI the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 by RBI with
has recommended increase in the collateral free lending effect from 1995.
limit to Rs 20 lakh for MSMEs and self-help groups. Banking Ombudsman scheme
• The committee has also recommended revision • Banking Ombudsman is a person to whom the
of loan limit sanctioned under MUDRA (Micro customer can approach for redressal of their
Units Development and Refinance Agency) to Rs grievances. He is appointed by RBI to redress
20 lakh from Rs 10 lakh, Nitin Gadkari, Union customer complaints against certain deficiency in
Minister for MSMEs, said in a written reply to the banking services.
Lok Sabha. • All Scheduled Commercial Banks, Regional Rural
• In an another reply to the Lower House, he said, Banks and Scheduled Primary Co-operative Banks are
22.83 lakh Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises covered under the Banking Ombudsman Scheme,
(MSMEs) were registered on Udyog Aadhaar 2006.
Portal in the country during March, 2018 to • One can file a complaint before the Banking
March 2019. Ombudsman if the reply is not received from the
• The MSME ministry facilitates access to finance bank within a period of one month after the bank
through its schemes / programmes namely Prime concerned has received one's representation, or the
Minister's Employment Generation programme bank rejects the complaint, or if the complainant is
(PMEGP), Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro not satisfied with the reply given by the bank.
and Small Enterprises and Credit Linked Capital • The Banking Ombudsman does not charge any fee for
Subsidy Scheme. filing and resolving customers’ complaints.
7. Maharashtra tops in ATM frauds: RBI - According to the • The appellate authority for the Banking Ombudsman
data of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), accessed by the Scheme is the Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of
Times of India (TOI), Maharashtra registered the highest India.
number of Automated Teller Machine (ATM) frauds in 9. RBI to regulate housing finance companies– In the Union
India for the FY 2018-19. Budget 2019-20, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
• It was followed by Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and stated that India’s central bank, Reserve Bank of India
Karnataka. Amounts of less than Rs 1 lakh were (RBI) will now be given power to takes over as the
not considered for the data. regulator of Housing Finance Firms (HFFs) instead of NHB
• Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tripura were the (National Housing Bank).
only three states which did not report a single • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Act will be
incident. amended to give the RBI powers to regulate the
8. RBI opens third office of Banking Ombudsman in New HFC sector.
Delhi – The Reserve Bank said it has opened third office • NHB was part of the RBI till April this year when
of the Banking Ombudsman and Ombudsman for Digital the government decided to take it over.
Transactions (ODT) at its New Delhi office. 10. No charges on NEFT, RTGS money transfers from 1 July –
• RBI said the third office has been opened with a As per Second Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement for
view to meet the growing demand for resolution 2019-20, the Reserve Bank of India will stop imposing
under the two schemes. additional charges on Fund transfer through RTGS and
• With this, now there are 22 functional banking NEFT systems from 1st July, 2019.
ombudsman offices in the country. • National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) –
• These offices were established under Banking There is no limit – either minimum or maximum
Ombudsman Scheme, 2006 limit.
Note: • However, maximum amount per transaction is
• The Banking Ombudsman scheme is an limited to ₹ 50,000/- for cash-based remittances
expeditious and inexpensive forum for bank within India and also for remittances to Nepal

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under the Indo-Nepal Remittance Facility improve supervision and regulation, among other
Scheme. functions of central bank. This medium term strategy is
• RTGS - Real Time Gross Settlement System named as Utkarsh 2022.
(RTGS) Note:
• Maximum limit – No upper limit • An internal committee to identify issues that
• Minimum limit – Rs. 2 lakhs needed to be addressed over next 3 years was
11. Utkarsh 2022: finalized by RBI board – The Reserve Bank formed, which was anchored by Viral Acharya
of India (RBI) board has finalised Three Year Roadmap to outgoing Deputy Governor of RBI.

June

1. RBI: Payments related Data to be stored only in India – • The proposal is part of a report prepared by the
Reserve Bank of India recently clarified that all Payment eight-member RBI committee tasked with reviewing
System Operators (PSOs) shall store entire payment data the current framework for the MSME sector.
in systems located only in India. • The panel, headed by former Securities and Exchange
• It means that the data related to payments must Board of India chairman U K Sinha, submitted its
be stored in systems located only in India. report to the RBI.
2. RBI permits ARC to buy financial assets from Peers – The 4. RBI advises commercial banks to adopt Education Loan
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has permitted Asset Scheme – The Reserve Bank of India has advised all
Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) to acquire financial Scheduled Commercial Banks to adopt Education Loan
assets from peers i.e. other such entities. Scheme, formulated by Indian Banks Association.
• However, RBI, the apex banking regulator cleared Salient features of the Scheme includes:
that all such transactions have to be settled in • Loan upto Rs 10 lakh for study in India and upto
cash. Rs 20 lakh for study abroad.
• The ARCs have been allowed to acquire financial • Collateral free loans upto Rs 7.5 Lakh under the
assets from other ARCs, in the view of Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Education
amendment to the Securitisation and Loans (CGFSEL).
Reconstruction of Financial Assets and • No Margin for loan up to Rs 7.50 Lakh.
Enforcement of Securities Interest (SARFAESI) • Repayment period of 15 years.
Act, 2002. • One Year Moratorium for repayment after
3. UK Sinha panel on MSMEs suggests Rs 20 lakh collateral- completion of studies in all cases.
free loan under Mudra – A Reserve Bank of India (RBI) • Moratorium taking into account spells of
expert committee on micro, small and medium unemployment/under employment, say two or
enterprises (MSMEs) has recommended doubling the cap three times during the life cycle of the loan.
on collateral-free loans to Rs 20 lakh from the current Rs • Moratorium for the incubation period if the
10 lakh. This will be extended to borrowers falling under student wants to take up a start-up venture after
the Mudra scheme, self-help groups, and MSME. graduation.
Note: 5. RBI launches Complaint Management System – The
• Distressed asset fund: It also recommends the Complaint Management System (CMS) is a software
creation of a distressed asset fund of Rs 5,000 crore application launched by Reserve Bank of India on its
for small enterprises. website.
• It stated the Small Industries Development Bank of • It will be used for lodging complaints against
India (SIDBI), which is responsible for the banks and NBFCs with a view to improve
development of the MSME sector. customer experience in timely redressal of
• The government has notified a procurement policy grievances.
wherein PSUs (Public Sector Units)& government • Customers can lodge complaints against any
departments have to make 25 percent of their regulated entity on the platform. These
procurement from MSMEs through government e- complaints will be directed to the appropriate
marketplace (GeM) portal.

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office of the Ombudsman/Regional Office of the customers. It will be charged for the quarter
RBI. beginning July 1, 2019.
6. RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya resigns – Reserve 11. RBI issued Guidelines for Setting up of an FBAs for
Bank of India’s (RBI) Deputy Governor Viral Acharya has administering “Significant Benchmarks” – The Reserve
quit six months before the scheduled end of his term. He Bank of India (RBI) has issued a regulatory framework for
had joined RBI on January 23, 2017. setting up of financial benchmark administrator (FBA) for
RBI Deputy Governor - administering ‘significant benchmarks’ in the markets for
• BP Kanungo, N. S. Vishwanathan, and Mahesh financial instruments.
Kumar Jain are present RBI Deputy Governor. • FBAs: It will be incorporated in India as a
7. On June 24, 2019, the Reserve Bank of India Governor company that will maintain a minimum net
Shaktikanta Das has launched a Complaint Management worth of Rs 1crore at all times.
System (CMS) for lodging complaints against banks and Function of FBAs:
NBFCs (Non-Banking Financial Companies) on its website. • It ensures significant benchmark’ is designed to
8. CAD increased to $57.2 billion or 2.1% of the GDP in be an accurate and reliable representation of the
FY19 - On June 28, 2019, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) referenced (specified) financial instrument and
stated that India’s Current Account Deficit (CAD) data used for the administration based on an
increased to $57.2 billion or 2.1% of the Gross Domestic active market involving transactions then it
Product (GDP) in FY19 as against 1.8% of 2018 which submits the report to RBI.
stood at $48.7 billion. • The guidelines are based on the report by RBI’s
• It was the highest in 6 years on due to higher executive director P Vijaya Bhaskar.
trade deficit caused by high crude oil imports. 12. RBI has promoted Rabi N. Mishra as executive director
• The Centre has pegged fiscal deficit—the (ED).
difference between the government’s revenue • He was earlier holding the position of the
and expenditure—at 3.4% of the GDP for this Principal Chief General Manager at the central
fiscal year, the same as in 2018-19. bank’s Risk Management Department.
Note: 13. RBI conducted Financial Literacy Week
• Current account deficit (CAD) is one of the key • Financial Literacy Week 2019 observed from June
indicators of an economy’s health and measures 3-7, 2019.
the difference between the value of the goods • The theme of “Farmers” and how they benefit
and services a country imports and the value of by being a part of the formal banking system.
its exports. • Financial Literacy Week is an initiative of RBI to
9. RBI relaxes leverage ratio for banks – The Reserve Bank promote awareness of key topics every year
relaxed the leverage ratio (LR) to 4% for Domestic through a focused campaign.
Systemically Important Banks (DSIBs) and 3.5% for other 14. RBI releases report on ‘Benchmarking India’s Payment
banks. This has been done to help them boost their Systems’ – The report on 'Benchmarking India's Payment
lending activities. Systems’ which was released mentions that the country is
• The reduced leverage ratio will be effective from "strong" in areas like having necessary laws and cash in
the quarter commencing October 1, 2019. circulation per capita.
• The leverage ratio, as defined under Basel-III 15. RBI to infuse Rs 12,500 crore into the financial system
norms, is Tier-I capital as a percentage of the through bond purchase – The Reserve Bank of India will
bank’s exposures. infuse Rs 12,500 crore into the financial system through
10. RBI sets average base rate at 9.18% for NBFC-MFI bond purchases under the Open Market Operation
borrowers for the quarter beginning July 1, 2019 (OMO).
• On June 28, 2019, the Reserve Bank of India set • The RBI uses open market operations (OMO) for
an average base rate of 9.18% for Non-Banking injecting liquidity into the system through the
Financial Companies (NBFCs) and Micro Finance purchase of government bonds (G-Sec).
Institutions (MFIs) to be charged from their

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Ranking/Indexes

1. Global prosperity index 2019: • India has been ranked at 78th in the Global Bribery
• The first-ever Prosperity & Inclusion City Seal and Risk Index out of 178 countries.
Awards (PICSA) Index, released in the Basque • In South Asia, Pakistan and Afghanistan are the
Country capital of Bilbao in northern Spain. only countries where the bribery risk is “high”.
• Bangalore emerged as India’s highest-ranked city at • Except for Bhutan, which has a “low” risk of bribery
No. 83 in a new index of the world’s 113 cities in demands, the risk level of other countries in the
terms of economic and social inclusivity. region is “medium”. Bhutan, which has the lowest
• Delhi at 101 and Mumbai at 107 are the other risk score of 41, was placed ranked 52nd.
Indian cities to make at the index, • The five countries with the lowest bribery risk in
• with the top 20 awarded a PICSA Seal as the the world are New Zealand, Norway, Denmark,
world’s highest-ranked cities building inclusive Sweden and Finland.
prosperity. • The countries with the highest risk are Venezuela,
• Zurich in Switzerland topped the list while Austrian Yemen, North Korea, South Sudan and Somalia.
capital, Vienna in second place. Copenhagen,
Luxembourg and Helsinki complete the top five. 5. India Justice Report 2019: Maharashtra holds top, UP
2. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella tops Fortune's ranks bottom
Businessperson of the Year 2019 list • According to ‘India Justice Report 2019’,
• India-born Satya Nadella (Chief Executive Officer of Maharashtra is the top state in delivering justice to
Microsoft) has occupied the top spot in Fortune's its citizens followed by Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab
Businessperson of the Year 2019 list. and Haryana in the first-ever ranking of states on
• The list also includes Ajay Banga (Mastercard CEO) their capacity to deliver justice to citizens.
and Jayshree Ullal (Arista head). • The list of seven small states (population less than
• Fortune's annual Businessperson of the Year list one crore each) was topped by Goa, followed by
features 20 business leaders "who tackled Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh. In this classification,
audacious goals, overcame impossible odds, found Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are at the
creative solutions". bottom.
• Top five Fortune’s Businessperson of the Year 2019 • The ranking is part of the India Justice Report (IJR)
are here: 2019, an initiative of Tata Trusts in collaboration
1. Satya Nadella (CEO, Microsoft); with Centre for Social Justice, Common Cause,
2. Elizabeth Gaines (CEO, Fortescue Metals Group); Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, DAKSH,
3. Brian Niccol (CEO, Chipotle Mexican Grill) TISS- Prayas and Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy.
4. Margaret Keane (CEO, Synchrony Financial) 1. Singapore is the world's smartest city: IMD Smart City
5. Bjorn Gulden (CEO, Puma) Index
3. India ranks 59th on IMD World Talent Ranking Report • According to the IMD Smart City Index, Singapore is
• The International Institute of Management the smartest city in the world.
Development’s (IMD) World Talent Ranking (WTR) • The first edition of the IMD Smart City Index 2019
report for the year 2019 was released. ranks 102 cities worldwide.
• In the released report, India was ranked at 59th
• Zurich ranked second and Oslo is the third smartest
position, a slip by 6 places on a global annual list of
city in the world.
63 countries. The list was topped by Switzerland.
• The top 10 countries that followed Switzerland Indian cities in the index
were Denmark(2nd), Sweden(3rd), Austria(4th), • Indian city Hyderabad ranked 67 in the list, while the
Luxembourg (5th), Norway(6th), Iceland(7th), capital of India, New Delhi is the 68th smart city in the
Finland (8th), Netherlands (9th) and world.
Singapore(10th). • On the other hand, Mumbai is the 78th and Bengaluru
4. Bangladesh tops business bribery risk in South Asia is the 79th smart city in the world.
• According to the latest Global Bribery Risk Index, • The index is released by the IMD World
Bangladesh has been identified as the “country Competitiveness Center’s Smart City Observatory in
with the highest risk” in terms of bribery threats in partnership with Singapore University of Technology
South Asia.
and Design (SUTD).

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2. World Digital Competitiveness Rankings – India was ranked • In the Global Firepower's 2019 Military Strength
44th in the IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking. Ranking, the Indian military has been ranked as the
• In 2018, India was ranked at the 48th position. strongest military power in South Asia.
• Top 3 countries – (1) United States (2) Singapore (3) • While Pakistan has been ranked the second and
Sweden Bangladesh is ranked the third most powerful
• The report is published by the Swiss based military power in South Asia.
International Institute for Management • In the world ranking, the United States has topped
Development. the list, followed by Russia, and China.
The Index ranks the countries based on the following three • India has been ranked at 4th position in the world
factors: ranking.
• Knowledge: The capacity to understand and learn 6. India ranked at 34th position on world travel and tourism
new technologies. competitiveness index
• Technology: The competence to develop new • According to the World Economic Forum (WEF)
digital innovations. report, India has jumped 6 places to claim 34th
• Future readiness: The preparedness for the coming spot on world Travel & Tourism Competitiveness
developments. Index 2019.
3. NITI Aayog’s School Education Quality Index – Kerala has • The WEF report shows, over 1.5 crore international
topped the “School Education Quality Index” launched by tourists arrived in India while the share of travel
NITI Aayog. and tourism industry was 3.6 per cent and that of
• The School Education Quality Index assesses States industry employment was 5.1 per cent.
on the basis of learning outcomes, access, equity • Spain tops the ranking index followed by France
and infrastructure and facilities, using survey data, and Germany.
self-reported data from States and third-party • Other countries in the top 10 include Japan, the
verification. United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy,
Key points of the report Canada, and Switzerland.
• Uttar Pradesh was ranked at the bottom of the list. 7. India among top 10 nations in gold reserves –
• Chandigarh has topped the list of Union Territories. • India has surpassed the Netherlands to move into
• Tamil Nadu was the top performer in access and the list of top10 countries in terms of total gold
equity outcomes, while Karnataka led in learning reserves.
outcomes. Haryana had the best infrastructure and • According to the World Gold Council, India has gold
facilities. reserves totalling 618.2 tonnes, which is marginally
• Among smaller States, Manipur emerged as the higher than the Netherlands’ reserves of 612.5
best performer. tonnes.
4. Times Higher Education released “World University • According to the World Gold Council, the U.S. leads
Rankings 2020” – World University Rankings 2020, the country list with total gold reserves of 8,133.5
published by the United Kingdom (UK) based Times Higher tonnes followed by Germany with 3,366.8 tonnes.
Education (THE). • In terms of individual countries, India actually ranks
• The University of Oxford is the number one 9th since the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
university in the world for the fourth time in a row. occupies the third position after the U.S. and
• The California Institute of Technology stands at Germany.
the second place and the University of Cambridge 8. ‘Statue of Unity’, Mumbai’s Soho House among Time’s 100
fell to the third rank this year. greatest places in the world
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar and • The 597-ft tall ‘Statue of Unity’ in Gujarat and
Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore were Mumbai’s Soho House have been featured by the
ranked number 1 among the 56 Indian institutes on Time magazine in its second annual list of the 2019
the list of the best universities of the world. World’s greatest places, in a compilation of 100
5. Global Firepower Index: Indian military strongest in South new and newly “noteworthy destinations.
Asia • The ‘Statue of Unity’, the world’s tallest statue, is a
tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, independent

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India’s first home minister as well as deputy prime Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of
minister. India (ASSOCHAM) and Ernst & Young (EY).
• Soho House Mumbai is Asia’s first Soho House that 13. Akshay Kumar in 4th spot in Forbes highest paid actors list
puts a local spin on the “formula that has allowed 2019
Nick Jones’ members--only clubs to blossom across • Bollywood Actor Akshay Kumar has made it to the
the US and Europe”. 4th position on the Forbes magazine’s Worlds
9. India ranks 9th on “Global Happiness Survey” by Ipsos Highest-Paid Actors Of 2019 list.
• According to a “Global Happiness Survey” by Ipsos, • Akshay has raked in $65 million. Hollywood star
Indian has been ranked 9th on the happiness index Dwayne ‘Rock’ Johnson tops the Forbes list of the
among 28 global markets. 10 highest-paid actors.
• For India, there has been a six per cent drop (from 14. India slips to 7th largest economy in 2018
83 per cent in 2018 to 77 per cent in 2019). • According to the World Bank, India has been
• Australia and Canada at the top spot (at 86 per pushed to the 7th place in the global GDP rankings
cent) have emerged as the happiest nations of the in 2018.
world, While Russia (47 per cent) emerged at the • In 2017, India had emerged as the 6th largest
bottom of the heap, among the 28 markets. economy.
10. Delhi, Mumbai fall in EIU’s Global Liveability Index 2019 • The US remains the top economy with a GDP of
• Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability $20.5 trillion in 2018.
Index for 2019, released with both Delhi and • China was the 2nd largest economy with $13.6
Mumbai sliding down ranks. trillion, while Japan took the 3rd place with $5
• New Delhi dropped 6 places to 118, from 112 last trillion.
year and Mumbai also fell in this year’s index, by • India’s GDP was at $2.7 trillion in 2018, while UK
two places to 119, from 117 last year. and France were at $2.8 trillion.
• Vienna in Austria, Melbourne and Sydney in • India still remains the fastest-growing major
Australia make the top three cities. economy in the world.
• The survey ranks countries across indicators 15. London named the world’s best city for students -
including stability, healthcare, education, • London has named the world’s best city for
infrastructure, culture and environment. students for the 2nd consecutive year, beating
11. Mumbai at 45th spot and Delhi at 52nd in World Safe Tokyo and Melbourne that came 2nd and 3rd,
Cities Index 2019 respectively, on a new worldwide ranking.
• According to a report of Economist Intelligence • According to the rankings, India’s best student city
Unit, Mumbai has been ranked as the 45th safest is Bengaluru (81st), followed by Mumbai (85th),
city on the Safe Cities Index (SCI) 2019, while Delhi Delhi at 113th and Chennai at 115th, out of a total
stood at the 52nd position. of 120th cities in the list.
• Tokyo taking the top spot, while Singapore and • The QS Best Student Cities Ranking compiled by
Osaka came 2nd and 3rd in the list. global education consultancy QS Quacquarelli
12. Karnataka tops the State Rooftop Solar Attractiveness Symonds highlights each city’s performance across
Index – different categories.
• The State Rooftop Solar Attractiveness Index-SARAL 16. India is the 46th highest risk country in the world: Water
was launched during the Review Planning and Stress Index 2019
Monitoring (RPM) Meeting with States and State • According to the Water Stress Index 2019,
Power Utilities. formulated by London-based risk analytics firm
• Karnataka has topped the index which evaluates Verisk Maplecroft, India is the 46th highest risk
Indian states based on their attractiveness for country in the world.
rooftop development. • 11 out of India’s 20 largest cities face an ‘extreme
• SARAL has been designed collaboratively by the risk’ of water stress and 7 are in the ‘high risk’
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), category. Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad,
Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (SSEF), Nashik, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Indore are among
the cities facing ‘extreme risk’.

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• Chennai is the “tip of the iceberg” for India’s water- • India’s MPI value reduced from 0.283 in 2005-06 to
stressed cities. 0.123 in 2015-16.
17. Global Innovation Index 2019 – On July 24, 2019, Union • India has lifted 271 million people out of poverty
Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways, Piyush between 2006 and 2016, recording the fastest
Goyal launched the 12th Edition of the Global Innovation reductions in the multidimensional poverty index.
Index (GII) for the year 2019 in New Delhi. • India and Cambodia has reduced their MPI values the
• The theme of the 2019 GII is “Creating Healthy fastest among the 10 selected countries for which
Lives – The Future of Medical Innovation”. changes over time were analysed.
• Global Index is published annually by Cornell • Jharkhand has reduced the incidence of poverty at a
University, INSEAD (Institut Européen faster pace than other regions (reduced the incidence
d’Administration des Affaires) and the United of multidimensional poverty from 74.9% in 2005-06 to
Nations World Intellectual Property Organisation 46.5% in 2015-16).
(WIPO) and GII Knowledge Partners. • India (along with Ethiopia and Peru) significantly
• It ranked 129 economies based on 80 indicators, reduced deprivations in all 10 indicators, namely
ranging from intellectual property filing rates to nutrition, sanitation, child mortality, drinking water,
mobile-application creation, education spending years of schooling, electricity, school attendance,
and scientific and technical publications. housing, cooking fuel and assets.
• The headquarters of World Intellectual Property • MPI reduced from 640 million people (55.1%) in 2005-
Organisation (WIPO) is in Geneva, Switzerland. 2006 to 369 million people (27.9%) in 2015-16.
Ranking 19. Singapore tops Asia in Dell Global Women Entrepreneur
• India was ranked 52nd in 2019 with the score 36.58 out Cities Index 2019
of 100 from 57th position in 2018. • According to the latest “Women Entrepreneur
• Top 3 countries – Switzerland, Sweden and United Cities Index 2019”, sponsored by Dell and
States of America. conducted by London-based global information
18. Global Multidimensional Poverty Index - provider, IHS Markit, San Francisco Bay Area has
• The MPI provides a comprehensive and in-depth topped the list with 63.7 points followed by New
picture of global poverty – in all its dimensions – York (62.9 points) and London(3rd ).
and monitors progress towards Sustainable • Singapore tops in Asian city ranked at 21st position,
Development Goal (SDG) 1 – to end poverty in all while Indian cities Bengaluru (Karnataka) and Delhi
its forms. were ranked 43rd (7th in Asia) and 50th (10th in
• The global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) is Asia) respectively.
published by United Nation Development 20. Chandigarh best performing state in the field of education
Programme (UNDP) in the Performance Grading Index 2017-18
Key findings • Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD)
• Across 101 countries, 1.3 billion people—23.1 informed that in the Performance Grading Index
percent—are multidimensionally poor. 2017-18, Chandigarh was ranked best among States
• Two-thirds of multidimensionally poor people live and Union territories (UTs) in the field of education.
in middle-income countries. • The Index ranked the states on the basis of 5
• One in every three children (under the age of 10) parameters including learning outcomes and
and every second child below the age of 18 years is quality, access, infrastructure and facilities, equity
multidimensionally poor in the world. and governance process. 36 States/ UTs were
• About 34% of the world’s children and 17.5% adults ranked in the Index.
covered under MPI survey are multidimensionally • Other Rankings: Kerala was ranked second followed
poor. by Gujarat (3), Haryana (4), Tamil Nadu (5), Punjab
• One adult in six is multidimensionally poor (7), Rajasthan (8), Delhi(9).
compared with one child in three, hence children • Least Rankings: Arunachal Pradesh (36), Nagaland
are more prone to multidimensional poverty than (35) and Meghalaya (34) were the least performing
adults. states.
Indian Scenario

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• Literacy: Kerala had the highest literacy rate • Gujarat secured the second rank with a score of
followed by Lakshadweep and Mizoram. 71.5 out of 100, followed by Rajasthan and Madhya
21. Public Affairs Index 2018: Kerala Best Governed State, Bihar Pradesh.
Worst • The index ranks states based on the degree of
• Kerala is the best governed state in the country, reforms they have undertaken in agricultural
according to a survey released by a Bengaluru marketing.
think-tank, Public Affairs Centre. • AMFFRI has a score that can have minimum value
• As per the report, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, “0” implying no reforms and maximum value “100”
Karnataka and Gujarat are among the top five implying complete reforms in the selected areas.
states delivering good governance. 25. NITI Aayog’s Health Index 2019 - Kerala took the top spot
• Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh among larger states for overall performance on health
and Odisha ranked the lowest on the index, indicators in a NITI Aayog report, followed by Andhra
indicating higher social and economic inequalities. Pradesh and Maharashtra.
• Among smaller states – with the population less • Uttar Pradesh is the worst state in the index.
than two crore – Himachal Pradesh topped the list Key points
of states with good governance, followed by Goa, • Gujarat, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh stood at
Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura. fourth, fifth and sixth spots.
• Meghalaya performed the worst in this list. • The ranking was done under three categories --
Manipur, Nagaland, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir larger states, smaller states and Union territories
were the other poor performers. (UTs) -- to ensure comparison among similar
• This year’s index also measured how child-friendly entities.
each state is. Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and • In terms of annual incremental performance
Mizoram topped this index. among the larger states, Haryana, Rajasthan and
22. India ranked 86th in the Henley Passport Index 2019 Jharkhand are the top-three states.
• The Henley Passport Index 2019 have ranked the • Among the smaller states, Mizoram ranked first in
Indian passport on the 86th position with a overall performance, while Tripura and Manipur
mobility score of 58. were the top-two states in terms of incremental
• Japan and Singapore hold the top spot with a score performance.
of 189. • Among the UTs, Chandigarh ranked first in overall
• The index includes 199 passports and 227 travel performance, while Dadra and Nagar Haveli
destinations including micro-states and territories. improved the most.
23. Global Peace Index 2019: India Ranks 141 • Niti Aayog member Vinod Kumar Paul said the
• India’s ranked141 among 163 countries on the Union government should spend 2.5 per cent of
Global Peace Index 2019. gross domestic product on health.
• Iceland remains the most peaceful country and • Kerala and Tamil Nadu have already reached the
Afghanistan the least peaceful nation. 2030 SDG target for neonatal mortality rate (NMR),
• New Zealand has been ranked the second most which is 12 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births.
peaceful country. • The report has been prepared in collaboration with
• Portugal was ranked third, and Austria fourth and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with
Denmark was fifth most peaceful country in the technical assistance from the World Bank.
world. • The second round of the Health Index took into
• The report is prepared by Australian think tank account the period 2015-16 (base year) to 2017-18
Institute for Economics & Peace. (reference year).
24. Maharashtra ranks first in NITI Aayog’s AMFFR Index – 26. Global Gender Equality Index Released: India Ranks 95
Maharashtra achieves first rank in NITI Aayog launched • India ranked 95th out of 129 countries in a new
“Agricultural Marketing and Farmer Friendly Reforms Index index that measures global gender equality looking
(AMFFRI)”. at aspects such as poverty, health, education,
literacy, political representation and equality at the
workplace.

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• The list was topped by Denmark followed by • The index is compiled by Geneva-based World
Finland and Sweden. Economic Forum (WEF).
• Chad was placed at bottom most position (129th). 31. World Happiness Report 2019 – India is ranked 140th out
• The Index is developed by Equal Measures 2030, a of 156 nations.
partnership effort of regional and global • The World Happiness Report was released by
organisations. the Sustainable Development Solutions
• Indicators: It includes 51 indicators across 14 of 17 Network for the United Nations.
official Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). • For the second consecutive year, Finland
27. IIT Bombay has emerged the country’s best university: QS topped the list.
Rankings • Denmark ranked second followed by Norway.
• IIT Bombay has emerged the country’s best • Pakistan ranked 67th, Bhutan 95th, China 93rd,
university for the second consecutive year in the Bangladesh 125th, and Sri Lanka 130th while
2019 QS World University Ranking. South Sudan ranked last in the World
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was Happiness Report.
named the world’s best for a record eighth 32. Inclusive Internet Index 2019 – India has been ranked 47th.
consecutive year. • Sweden has topped the rankings followed by
• Twenty-three Indian institutes feature in the Singapore and the US.
sixteenth edition of the QS World University • The Inclusive Internet Index 2019 was prepared
Ranking in which IIT Bombay (152), IIT Delhi (182) by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) for
and Indian Institute of Science Bangalore (184) are Facebook.
ranked in the global top 200. • The ‘Inclusive Internet’ score was based on the
• The ranking is produced by global higher education scores of availability, affordability, relevance
consultancy Quacquarelli Symonds, QS ranks the and readiness categories.
world’s top 1,000 universities. 33. International IP index 2019
28. IMD World Competitiveness Rankings 2019 • India has jumped eight places to 36th position on
• India ranked at 43rd position in the most the International Intellectual Property (IP) Index.
competitive economy in the world. • The US, the UK, Sweden, France and Germany
• In 2018 India was ranked at 44th place. remained the top five economies on the
• Singapore has grabbed the top position. intellectual property index in 2019
• Hong Kong SAR is in second position and US has • In 2018, India was ranked at 44th position.
slipped to the third place in 2019. 34. Corruption Perception Index 2018
• The ranking is compiled by International Institute • India has improved its ranking by 3 points by
for Management Development (IMD). moving onto 78th position in the Corruption
29. India Ranks 140th In World Press Freedom Index – Perceptions Index 2018 published by Transparency
• India ranked 140th out of 180 countries in the International.
World Press Freedom Index 2019. • China and Pakistan, in a list of 180 countries, lagged
• Index is released by Reporters Without far behind than India at 87th and 117th position
Borders. respectively.
• The index is topped by Norway followed by 35. India ranks 54th in 'Bloomberg Innovation Index’ of 60
Finland and Sweden. economies
30. WEF Global Energy Transition Index – India rank 76th on a • India has grabbed the 54th spot among 60
global energy transition index. countries in the Bloomberg Innovation Index with a
• The report stated that India is amongst the score of 47.93 out of 100.
countries with high pollution levels and has a • South Korea has topped the Bloomberg Innovation
relatively high CO2 intensity in its energy Index for the sixth time in a row with a total score
system. of 87.38.
• Sweden remains on the top and is followed by • Germany ranked second, Finland stood on the third
Switzerland and Norway in the top three. spot.
36. Global Talent Competitive Index 2019:

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• India ranked at 80th positions on the Global Talent • Bill Gates debuted on Forbes’ first ever billionaire
Competitive Index (GTCI) 2019. list in 1987 with a net worth of $1.25 billion.
• The index is released by INSEAD business school in 40. World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Ranking, India ranked
partnership with Tata Communications and Adecco at 63rd:
Group. • World Bank has released Ease of Doing business
• Switzerland topped the index which is followed by Rankings which includes 190 countries.
Singapore and the US. • India has jumped 14 places and has been ranked at
• Last year in 2018, India was ranked at 81st position. 63rd.
37. Democracy Index 2019: The Economist Intelligence Unit • New Zealand and Somalia retained their 1st and
(EIU) has released the Democracy Index which ranks 167 190th spot respectively.
countries by 60 indicators across five broad categories. • From 2020, the World Bank has expanded its ease
• Top 3 countries in the list are – Norway, Iceland of doing business survey to 2 more cities:
and Sweden. Bengaluru and Kolkata in addition to Delhi and
• Australia and New Zealand are the only “full Mumbai that are currently surveyed.
democracies” in the entire Asia-Pacific region • The World Bank has decided to have four cities
• India was at the 41st place with a score of 7.23/10 from every country with a population above 100
and was placed in the flawed democracies million.
category. 41. IIT-Bombay again tops this year’s QS India University
Rankings 2020
38. Three Indian origin CEOs in the top 10 best performing • The latest 2 edition of Quacquarelli Symonds (QS)
CEOs of the world: India University Rankings 2020 released.
• Among the top 10 chief executives on the list, 3 • The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB)
spots have been occupied by the Indian-origin has again topped all Indian Institutes in the list with
CEOs.. in the Best-Performing CEOs in the World, an overall score of 88.5 followed by IISc- Indian
2019′ list compiled by the Harvard Business Review Institute of Science, Bangalore (ranked 2 with 84.7
(HBR). score) & Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
• Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen was ranked 6th, (IITD),which has improved a notch to rank 3 with
MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga ranked at 7th and 82.2 scores.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella ranked at 9th spot. 42. 2019 World Giving Index:
• The list also features India-born CEO of DBS Bank • India ranked 82 spots among the 128 countries
Piyush Gupta on the 89th spot. Apple CEO Tim surveyed in the World Giving Index (WGI).
Cook was ranked 62nd in the list. • The average figures for India over the past decade
• The 2019 list has 4 female CEOs in the top 50 of the show that 34 per cent people helped a stranger, 24
rankings. per cent donated money and 19 per cent
• The List features 100 CEOs which has been topped volunteered or donated their time.
by the American technology company NVIDIA’s CEO • According to the WGI, the USA stood at the top
Jensen Huang. followed Myanmar, New Zealand and Australia.
39. Bill Gates regains world’s richest person title: 43. India ranked 102 in Global Hunger Index 2019:
• Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates overtook Jeff Bezos • As per the 2019 Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2019,
to become the world’s richest person. India has has slipped from 95th ranks in 2010 to
• Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos lost the title to 102nd out of 117 qualifying countries, with a score
Bill Gates, after losing nearly $7 billion in stock of 30.3.
value leaving his net worth to $103.9 billion. • Seventeen countries, including Belarus, Ukraine,
• Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is currently worth Turkey, Cuba and Kuwait, shared the top rank with
$105.7 billion. GHI scores less than 5.
• Bezos ended Gates’ 24-year run as the richest man • There were only four countries in the alarming
in 2018 and became the first man on earth with a hunger category are Madagascar, Chad, Yemen and
net worth of $160 billion. the Central African Republic in the extremely
alarming hunger category.

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• The report warned that climate change was causing 44. Global Competitiveness Index be WEF; India Ranks at 68th:
alarming levels of hunger and making it more • World Economic Forum has released the Global
difficult to feed people in the world’s most Competitiveness Index report 2019.
vulnerable regions. • As per the WEF’s released report, India has moved
• The Global Hunger Index is a peer-reviewed annual down 10 places to rank 68th on an annual global
report, jointly published by Concern Worldwide competitiveness index which was topped by
and Welthungerhilfe. Singapore.
• The aim of the GHI is to trigger action to reduce • India is among the worst-performing BRICS nations
hunger around the world. along with Brazil which is ranked 71st this year.

Economy News
Key Highlights of Economic Survey 2018-19

The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey 2018-19 in the
Parliament on 04th July 2019.
economics provides insights to ‘nudge’ people
The Key Highlights of Economic Survey 2018-19 are as towards desirable behavior.
follows:
Using insights from behavioral economics to create an
• This is the first survey by the new chief economic
aspirational agenda for social change:
advisor Krishnamurthy V Subramanian.
• The theme of Economic Survey, 2018-19 is "Shifting • From ‘Beti Baco Beti Padhao’ to ‘BADLAV’ (Beti Aapki
Gears towards a $5 trillion Indian economy by Dhan Lakshmi Aur Vijay Lakshmi).
2024-25”. • From ‘Swachh Bharat’ to ‘Sundar Bharat’.
• Sustained real GDP growth rate of 8% needed for a • From ‘Give it up” for the LPG subsidy to ‘Think about
$5 trillion economy by 2024-25. the Subsidy’.
• “Virtuous Cycle” of savings, investment and exports • From ‘Tax evasion’ to ‘Tax compliance’.
catalyzed and supported by a favorable
demographic phase required for sustainable Nudge Theory
growth. • American economist Richard Thaler has won the 2017
Nobel Prize in economics for his contributions to
Key ingredients for a self-sustaining virtuous cycle: behavioural economics.
• Presenting data as a public good. • According to Nudge theory, people, rather than being
• Emphasizing legal reforms. forced, can be encouraged and influenced to pursue or
• Ensuring policy consistency. desist from certain actions through nudges.
• Encouraging behavior change using principles of • It does not talk about penalizing people if they do not
behavioral economics. behave in a particular manner, rather it encourages
• Nourishing MSMEs to create more jobs and them to make desirable decisions.
become more productive. • It believes that Humans are not-so-rational and often
• Reducing the cost of capital. need encouragement or intervention — a nudge — to
• Rationalizing the risk-return trade-off for get going and do what’s best for the country or society
investments. at large.
Behavioural Economics for Social Change Policies for MSME Growth
• The survey has drawn on Nobel Laureate Richard • The survey highlights the importance of
Thaler’s Behavioural Economics Theory to lay out intervention in the case of “Dwarfs”.
an “ambitious agenda" for behavior change that • Dwarfs are the firms with less than 100 workers
will bring in social change, which in turn, will help despite being more than 10 years old.
India transit to a $5 trillion economy by 2024-25. • They account for more than 50% of all organized
• Decisions by real people deviate from impractical firms in manufacturing by number.
robots theorized in classical economics. Behavioral

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• Contribution of dwarfs to employment is only 14% • Inflation contained at 3.4 per cent in 2018-19.
and to the productivity is a mere 8%. • Non-Performing Assets as percentage of Gross
• Large firms (more than 100 employees) account for Advances reduced to 10.1 per cent at end December
75% employment and close to 90% of productivity 2018 from 11.5 per cent at end March 2018.
despite accounting for about 15% by number. • Current account deficit manageable at 2.1 percent of
Minimum Wage System & Inclusive Growth GDP.
• Survey proposes a well-designed minimum wage • Fiscal deficit of Central Government declined from 3.5
system as a potent tool for protecting workers and percent of GDP in 2017-18 to 3.4 percent in 2018-19.
alleviating poverty. Fiscal Developments
• The survey supports rationalization of minimum wages • FY 2018-19 ended with fiscal deficit at 3.4 per cent of
as proposed under the Code on Wages Bill. Minimum GDP and debt to GDP ratio of 44.5 per cent
wages to all employments/workers. (Provisional).
Current Scenario: Sustainable Development and Climate Change
• India’s SDG Index Score ranges between 42 and 69 for
• Present minimum wage system in India has 1,915 States and between 57 and 68 for UTs:
minimum wages for various scheduled job categories • Kerala and Himachal Pradesh are the front runners with
across states. a score of 69 amongst states.
• 1 in every 3 wage worker in India is not protected by • Chandigarh and Puducherry are the front runners with
the minimum wage law. a score of 68 and 65 respectively among the UTs.
Setting a National Floor Level Minimum Wage:. • Namami Gange Mission launched as a key policy
• The Survey now suggests that the Central priority towards achieving the SDG 6, with a budget
Government should notify a national floor outlay of INR. 20,000 crore for the period 2015-2020.
minimum wage that can vary across five External Sector
geographical regions. • As per WTO, World trade growth slowed down to 3 per
Criteria for setting minimum wage: cent in 2018 from 4.6 per cent in 2017.
• The Survey suggests that the Code on Wages Bill • Top export items continue to be Petroleum products,
should consider fixing minimum wages based on precious stones, drug formulations, gold and other
either of two factors: (a) the skill category i.e. precious metals.
unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly skilled; • Top import items continue to be Crude petroleum,
and (b) the geographical region, or else both. pearl, precious, semi-precious stones and gold.
• For instance, Madhya Pradesh has notified • India’s main trading partners continue to be the US,
minimum wages based on just four skill levels of China, Hong Kong, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
unskilled, semiskilled, skilled and highly skilled Agriculture and Food Management
across occupations and regions. The state has just • Dairying as India is the largest producer of milk.
four basic minimum wages for the four skill • Fisheries sector, as India is the second largest producer.
categories." • 89% of groundwater extracted is used for irrigation.
Enabling Inclusive Growth through Affordable, Reliable and • Organic and natural farming techniques including Zero
Sustainable Energy Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) can improve both water
• India now stands at 4th in wind power, 5th in solar use efficiency and soil fertility.
power and 5th in renewable power installed capacity. About Zero Budget Natural Farming
• Market share of electric cars only 0.06% in India while it • Zero Budget Natural Farming, as the name implies,
is 2% in China and 39% in Norway. is a method of farming where the cost of growing
• Thermal power still plays a dominant role at 60% share. and harvesting plants is zero.
• This means that farmers need not purchase
State of the Economy in 2018-19:
fertilizers and pesticides in order to ensure the
• India still the fastest growing major economy in 2018-
healthy growth of crops.
19.
• It is, basically, a natural farming technique that
• Growth of GDP moderated to 6.8 per cent in 2018-19
uses biological pesticides instead of chemical-based
from 7.2 per cent in 2017-18.
fertilizers. Farmers use earthworms, cow dung,

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urine, plants, human excreta and such biological Services Sector
fertilizers for crop protection. It reduces farmers’ • Services sector (excluding construction) has a share of
investment. It also protects the soil from 54.3 per cent in India’s GVA and contributed more than
degradation. half of GVA growth in 2018-19.
• Zero budget natural farming requires only 10 per • Services share in employment is 34 per cent in 2017.
cent water and 10 per cent electricity than what is
required under chemical and organic farming. Social Infrastructure, Employment and Human Development
Industry and Infrastructure Government expenditure (Centre plus States) as a percentage of
• Overall Index of Eight Core Industries registered a GDP on
growth rate of 4.3 percent in 2018-19. • Health: increased to 1.5 per cent in 2018-19 from 1.2
• India’s ranking improved by 23 to 77th position in per cent in 2014-15.
2018 among 190 countries assessed by the World • Education: increased from 2.8 per cent to 3 per cent
Bank Doing Business (DB) Report, 2019. during this period.
• Total telephone connections in India touched
118.34 crore in 2018-19

December

1. NSIC & ARAMCO Asia signs MoU for development in 4. Jharkhand’s Mahuamilan station becomes country’s
Oil & Gas Sector: 5500th station to get free wifi facility
Note: A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has Note: Jharkhand’s Mahuamilan station which comes
been signed between National Small Industries under East Central Railway (ECZ) zone has become
Corporation (NSIC) and Suadi Aramco (Asia) for the 5500th station to get free wifi facility. The RailTel
development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Corporation of India Ltd. (RCIL), the digital arm of Indian
(MSME) Ecosystem in India in Oil & Gas Sector. The Railways, has thus provided free WiFi at 5,500 stations
MoU will pave a way for accredited Indian MSMEs to across country. RailTel is a ‘Miniratna’ enterprise that
carve out a space as vendors in Global space. focuses on providing broadband and VPN services.
2. United States shuts down WTO appeal court: 5. Foreign Exchange reserve touches a new high of
Note: The Appeal Court of the World Trade 451.08 billion USD
Organization that acts as trade dispute settlement body Note: According to the weekly data released by the
for the members was shut down by the United States Reserve Bank of India, the foreign exchange reserve
on December 9, 2019. The seven-member body that touched a new high of 451.08 billion USD. The foreign
was cut down to a 3-member body in 2018 is now exchange currency assets include the depreciation or
completely blocked by the United States. Without appreciation of the non-US currency like pound, Euro
WTO’s appellate body, the dispute settlement will and Yen as well. The increase is mainly due to the rise in
return to pre-1995 GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs foreign currency assets. The Gold reserves of India also
and Trade) status quo. declined by 148 million USD.
3. Alliance Air flags off Guwahati-Dimapur-Imphal flight 6. Artificial Intelligence introduced as a subject in CBSE
under UDAN-RCS schools
Note: Air India owned Alliance Air has flagged-off its Note: The Ministry of Human Resource and
first flight operations between Guwahati in Assam to Development has introduced Artificial Intelligence in
Dimapur (largest city of Nagaland) and Imphal (capital classes VIII, IX and X in CBSE schools. The study
of Manipur), under the Regional Connectivity Scheme – materials have already been provided to the schools
Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN). This direct 50- through official CBSE website. The CBSE has
minute-long flights connecting Guwahati-Dimapur- collaborated with several organization like Microsoft,
Imphal is under a Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), Intel, IBM and so on in order to create the module of
part of government’s Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) Artificial Intelligence.
programme. 7. CSIR, BHEL signs MoU to push ‘Make in India’ initiative

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Note: The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research 12. Aditya Birla Finance becomes first company to list
(CSIR) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding commercial papers on stock exchanges
(MoU) with Khadi and Village Industries Commission Note: Aditya Birla Finance Ltd (ABFL), the Non-Banking
(KVIC) on promotion of honey production Khadi outlets Financial Company (NBFC) arm of Aditya Birla Capital,
to also display CSIR products. MoU is signed to leverage has now become the first company to list its
expertise available in CSIR with effort of KVIC for commercial papers (CPs) on stock exchanges. The move
promotion of honey production as well as to enable comes after stock exchanges- the BSE (Bombay Stock
wider outreach of CSIR technologies and products. Exchange) and NSE (National Stock Exchange), came
8. Sarai Sewage Treatment Plant inaugurated in out with a framework for listing of commercial papers
Uttarakhand (CPs), in a bid to broaden investors’ participation in
Note: King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden such securities.
inaugurated Sarai Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in 13. Cabinet approves extension of norms for mandatory
Uttarakhand. The Swedish King and Queen are on a packaging in jute materials
five-day visit to India to strengthen bilateral ties.It is the Note: Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
first STP to be completed under Hybrid Annuity (HAM) has accorded its approval for mandatory packaging of
Based Public Private Partnership Model (PPPM). foodgrains and sugar in jute material for Jute Year
9. Cabinet approves Bharat Bond Exchange Traded Fund 2019-20. The scope of mandatory packaging norms
Note: The union cabinet has approved the launch of under Jute Packaging Material (JPM) Act, 1987 has been
Bharat Bond Exchange Traded Fund (BBETF) in order to retained by Union Government as per 2018. Cabinet
allow the investors to buy government debts. The fund decision mandates that 100% of food grains and 20% of
will allow easy and low-cost access with the smallest sugar shall be mandatorily packed in diversified jute
amount of Rs 1000. The BBETF at its initial stages will bags.
hold basket of bonds that are issued by the public 14. Authorised capital of Food Corporation of India
sector undertakings and other government organization increased to Rs.10000 crore
bonds. It will have a maturity period of 3 to 10 years Note: Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
and are permitted to be traded on stock exchanges. approved increasing authorized capital of Food
10. National Public Procurement Conclave held in New Corporation of India (FCI) from existing Rs.3,500 crore
Delhi to Rs.10,000 crore. CCEA was chaired by Prime Minister
Note: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Narendra Modi. FCI’s operations require maintaining
Goyal inaugurated the 3rd edition of National Public perpetual stock of foodgrains which needs to be funded
Procurement Conclave (NPPC) in New Delhi. The two- by government of India through equity or via long term
day conclave was organized by Government e- loan. Therefore, Centre government is providing equity
Marketplace (GeM) in association with Confederation to FCI for maintaining stocks.
of Indian Industry (CII). NPCC will be held from 5-6 15. Cabinet approves loan waiver of worth Rs.4 Cr against
December 2019. Sikkim Mining Corporation
11. Cabinet apprised of Indo-German strategic Note: Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
collaboration on Railways has approved waiver of repayment of loan and interest
Note: Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister thereon, of nearly worth Rs. 4 crore outstanding against
Narendra Modi was notified of Joint Declaration of Sikkim Mining Corporation (SMC) including interest
Intent (JDI) between India and Germany regarding accrued on total amount from 1 April 2019, till this
strategic cooperation on Railways projects. The Joint approval outstanding against SMC. CCEA is chaired by
Declaration of Intent was signed by Union Ministry of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Railways with Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and 16. Indian Railways sets up Institute of Financial
Energy of Federal Republic of Germany in November Management in Hyderabad
2019. Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) will provide a Note: The Indian Railway Institute of Financial
platform to Indian Railways to interact and share latest Management (IRIFM) has been set up in Hyderabad,
developments and knowledge in field of Railways. Telangana. This new entity is set up to impart

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professional training in management of railway Note: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed
finances. The project was conceived and constructed by $206 million loan agreement with Government of India
Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) at a cost of Rs 85 crore. (GoI) to develop water supply, sewerage infrastructure
IRIFM institution is based on a 14-acre campus at in 5 cities (Ambur,Tiruchirappalli, Tiruppur, Madurai
Moula-Ali, Secunderabad. and Vellore) of Tamil Nadu (TN) and also enhances
17. CBDT inaugurates Web Portal for exchange of capacities of urban local bodies (ULBs) for improved
information on Income Tax service delivery. It is the 2nd project loan for the ADB-
Note: Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has assisted $500 million multi-tranche financing for TN
inaugurated the Web Portal for Exchange of Urban Flagship Investment Program, granted in earlier
Information on Income Tax which will consolidate all September 2018, that will develop climate-resilient
relevant Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) water supply, sewerage, and drainage infrastructure in
related information at one place. This portal will help in at least 10 cities in Tamil Nadu.
convenient access by public, financial institutions as 21. CRISIL lowers India’s GDP growth rate estimate for FY
well as departmental officers at large. 20 to 5.1% from 6.3%
18. Government to launch first fixed income ETF of Note: The CRISIL formerly known as Credit Rating
bluechip PSUs Information Services of India Limited has lowered its
Note: Union Government will launch India’s first fixed estimate of India’s gross domestic product (GDP)
income Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) comprising debt growth rate to 5.1 % for the current financial year –
securities of large central public sector enterprises FY20 from an earlier estimate of 6.3 %. Growth in the
(PSUs) by mid-December 2019. It will comprise only second half of 2019-20 will go up to 5.5%, up from
4.75% in the first half. Crisil’s revision is the lowest
AAA-rated papers of the PSU companies. It is expected
since Japan’s brokerage company Nomura’s 4.7 %
to have a size of Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 20,000 crore. It
estimate, comes within days of the government
is expected to improve liquidity in corporate bond
figures showing the economic growth rate in the
market, smoothen borrowing plans of the participating
second quarter (July-September,2019) of the current
state-owned companies and enhance investor base. financial year came down to 4.5 %.
19. UKIBC launched Aerospace and Defence Industry 22. Fiscal deficit for April-Oct hit at 102.4%, crosses full-
Group year target-CGA
Note: In order to boost the bilateral cooperation in the Note: According to the data released by the Controller
field of aerospace and defence between India and UK General of Accounts (CGA), India’s fiscal deficit for
the United Kingdom India Business Council (UKIBC) April-October, 2019 hit at 102.4% of 2019-20 Budget
announced the establishment of Aerospace and Estimate (BE) as on October 31, 2019. The fiscal deficit
Defence Industry Group. The group will advance India’s or the gap between expenditure and revenue was at Rs
defence acquisition process and also foster long-term 7,20,445 crore. In comparison with 2018-19 (last year),
technology and hardware transfers. The Aerospace and the deficit is lower, as it was at 103.9 percent of 2018-
Defence Industry Group has been formed after 19 BE. In budget, government has estimated the fiscal
suggestions of the Defence and Security Organisation of deficit for the current financial year at Rs 7.03 lakh
UK defence solution centre. crore, aiming to restrict the deficit at 3.3 per cent of the
20. ADB approves $206 million loans to develop water gross domestic product (GDP).
supply, sewerage infrastructure in 5 cities of Tamil
Nadu
November

1. Government to launch first fixed income ETF of • It will comprise only AAA-rated papers of the PSU
bluechip PSUs: companies.
• Union Government will launch India’s first fixed • It is expected to have a size of Rs 15,000 crore to Rs
income Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) comprising 20,000 crore.
debt securities of large central public sector
enterprises (PSUs) by mid-December 2019.

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• It is expected to improve liquidity in corporate 5. AIIB to invest 100 million USD in solar and wind
bond market, smoothen borrowing plans of the projects in India:
participating state-owned companies and enhance • The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
investor base. which is headquartered at Beijing expects an
• Department of Investment and Public Asset investment of 100 million USD in India in a year.
Management (DIPAM) has appointed Edelweiss The foreign investment is to enter India through
Asset Management as the asset manager for this the bank in Wind and solar projects.
proposed debt ETF. • AIIB approves 500 million USD for MUTP 3
• The tax treatment of this debt ETF will be same as • On November 16, 2019, the bank approved a loan
that of debt mutual funds. of 500 million USD in three suburban rail
2. IRCTC Revenue doubles; 14% increase in profits infrastructure projects.
• The earnings from internet ticketing services of • The projects are being executed under MUTP-
IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Mumbai Urban Transport Project
Corporation) increased by 80.8% between the • The project curbs trespass deaths by including mid-
period April, 2019 and September, 2019. section trespasses. It is the first of its kind in the
• IRCTC is an exclusive e-ticketing partner of the country.
Indian Railways.
• This is the first time IRCTC is releasing its revenue 6. Indo-French collaboration: Largest FDI project of
after it entered the stock market in October, 14, Indian Railways:
2019. Also, the sector has earned huge success in • The Indian Railways and Alstom came together in
India’s path of Digitization. the intention of transforming the freight
3. GoI merges three Insurance PSUs: transportation of India.
• The GoI will merge 3 public Sector Insurance • In line with the collaboration, the MELPM-
Companies as announced in budget 2019-20. Madhepura Electric Locomotive Private Limited has
• The merger includes United India Insurance been established.
Limited, National Insurance Co Limited and Oriental • MELPM will now manufacture 800 electric
Insurance Company Limited. locomotives for freight services with the foreign
• The Budget 2019-2020 did not make provision of investment of 3.5 billion Euros.
funds for insurers and the Department of Financial 7. BHIM UPI goes global: Demonstrated at Singapore
Services. Therefore, the government institutions in FinTech Festival:
the financial sector are forced to seek As a first step towards internationalization, a global pilot
supplementary demands to fulfil their purposes. demo of BHIM UPI QR-based payments began on 13
The Budget allocated Rs 12,000 crore for this. November 2019 with a live transaction at merchant
• The General Insurance Companies have sought Rs terminal at the Singapore FinTech Festival 2019. The
500 crore to Rs 3000 crore each to avoid falling Indian contingent with participation of 43 companies
below solvency ratio. However, the three and start-ups was one of the largest at Singapore
companies that are to be merged are struggling to FinTech Festival 2019 being held between 11 and 15
maintain minimum solvency ratio of 1.5 November.
4. World Bank’s 300 million USD plan to Develop In May 2018 Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested
Kolkata: the launch of BHIM UPI QR code-based payments
• The World Bank has submitted a master plan to internationally after launching RuPay International card
develop logistics infrastructure of Kolkata and SBI’s UPI based remittance app in Singapore, as an
metropolitan area. The bank is to invest 300 million achievement for fintech cooperation between India and
USD in the project. The Government entities Singapore.
participating in the deal includes CII and the West
Bengal Industrial Development Corporation. 8. Central Electricity Authority Data: India’s Electricity
• The focus of the project is to be on construction of Demand fell to a 12-year low
rail, road, industrial parks. The aim of the project is
to improve competitiveness, increase employment. • According to the data released by the Central
• The Inland Water Transport World Bank Project, electricity Authority (CEA), the electricity demand of
Asian High way project, Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial the country fell by 13% in October 2019 as
Corridor are the current prominent infrastructural compared to October 2018. This is the lowest in 12
developments in the region years.

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• Sharp reduction in the industrialized states like sovereign wealth funds and pension funds will
Maharashtra and Gujarat indicating an economic contribute Rs 15,000 crore
slowdown is the major reason for the decline in • The fund is to be set up as Category II Alternate
demand. Investment Fund.
• Electricity demand of the country was 98 billion • The fund is to be registered with SEBI as an escrow
units in October 2019 as against 112 billion units in account.
October 2018.
• Power demand in Madhya Pradesh declined by 26%, 11. India withdraws from RCEP
Karnataka declined by 25%, Maharashtra declined
by 22%, Gujarat by 19%, Telangana by 16% and • On November 4, 2019, India decided against joining
Andhra Pradesh by 16%. Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
(RCEP) trade deal as India did not receive any
9. World’s first CNG port terminal to be built in Gujarat: credible assurance on market access and non-tariff
• Gujarat government has given its approval to a barriers. This paved way for the other 15-members
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) terminal facility at to go ahead and sign the deal keeping the door open
Bhavnagar port. This would be the world’s first CNG for India to join at later date.
port terminal. The approval for this was given by • Reasons of Withdrawal
Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board headed • Trade Deficit
by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. • India has trade deficit with at least 11 of 15 RCEP
• World’s first CNG port terminal countries. It has doubled in the last five years from
• The Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) had signed 54 billion USD in 2013-14 to 105 billion USD in 2018-
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UK- 19. Of this China alone accounts to 53 billion USD.
based Foresight Group to set up this port terminal at Signing the RCEP will widen trade deficit and will
Bhavnagar in the Vibrant Gujarat Summit held in empty foreign exchange reserve of India at a faster
January 2019. The existing port at Bhavnagar is rate.
administered by Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB). 12. ADB to give $451Mn for Chennai-Kanyakumari
• The terminal will be jointly built by Foresight Group Industrial Corridor power links
and Mumbai-based Padmanabh Mafatlal Group. • The Asian Development Bank will provide a $451
The consortium of company will invest Rs.1,900 million (appx. Rs.3,200 crore) loan to strengthen
crore out of which Rs.1,300 crore will be invested in power connectivity between southern and
1st phase and Rs.600 crore in 2nd phase. northern parts of Chennai-Kanyakumari Industrial
Corridor (CKIC) in Tamil Nadu.
10. Finance Minister: Rs 25,000 crore Fund for stuck • As per ADB, the Manila-headquartered multilateral
Housing Projects agency the total cost of the project is $653.5
million, of which the government will provide
• On November 7, 2019, Government of India $202.5 million.
announced the establishment of Rs 25,000 crore 13. IIT Delhi launches Global Alumni Endowment Fund
fund for home buyers whose money is stuck in
stalled projects. According to the Ministry of • Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has
Finance, there are over 1600 such projects formally launched its Global Alumni Endowment
comprising of 4.58 lakh housing units across the Fund with an initial commitment of Rs 250.crore
country. The “Special Window” will prioritize debt from nearly 20 corporate leaders and alumni of
financing in the Affordable and middle-income institution.
housing sector. • The Endowment Fund was launched by President
• Rs 10,000 crore is to be provided by GoI towards the Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 31
fund. Other firms like LIC and SBI along with October 2019.

October

1. SEBI new rule to impact foreign funds – The Securities and managed by an enterprise based under FATF jurisdiction
Exchange Board of India (SEBI) notified that only FPIs – can deal in Participatory Notes.
Foreign Portfolio Investors located in FATF countries or Note:

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• HR Khan Committee - The new rule is based on the • The ATITHI app will facilitate hassle-free and faster
HR Khan Committee’s recommendation. HR Khan clearance by Customs at the airports and enhance
Committee was formed by SEBI under the experience of international tourists and other
chairmanship of former deputy governor of RBI to visitors at the airports.
streamline FPI. 6. Moody’s cuts India’s GDP growth forecast to 5.8% for FY20
• Participatory Notes are financial instruments • US Rating agency, Moody has lowered the India
required by investors to invest in Indian stock GDP growth forecast for 2019-20 to 5.8% from
markets without being registered with SEBI. 6.2%.
2. Govt constituted Ajay Bhushan Pandey panel to check • It stated that the Indian economy is experiencing a
money laundering activities – On 07th October the pronounced slowdown partly due to long-lasting
government set up a high-level inter-ministerial committee factors.
chaired by the Ajay Bhushan Pandey (Revenue Secretary) 7. IMF cuts World and India growth rates
for better coordination among various departments and law • The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has
enforcement agencies to prevent money laundering downgrade the global growth in 2019 to 3%, the
activities. slowest since the global financial crisis.
3. S&P lowered India's growth forecast to 6.3% for 2019-20 - • India’s growth projections have also been
The S&P Global Ratings lowered India’s growth projection downgraded to 6.1% and 7.0% in 2019 and 2020
for 2019-20 to 6.3% from 7.1%. respectively, down by 1.2 percentage points and
4. CBDT launches Documentation Identification Number – 0.5 percentage points relative to April projection.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has launched a • The IMF projected the U.S. would grow at 2.4% and
computer-generated Document Identification Number 2.1% in 2019 and 2020 respectively. For China,
(DIN) to ensure greater transparency and accountability in growth was projected to grow at 6.1% and 5.8% in
tax administration. 2019 and 2020.
• Thus, from now onwards, every CBDT 8. Reliance MF renamed as “Nippon India Mutual Fund”
communication will have to have a documentation • Reliance Mutual Fund has been renamed as
identification number. “Nippon India Mutual Fund“.
5. Finance Minister launches two IT initiatives ICEDASH and • The organization was renamed following the
ATITHI purchase of 75% stake in Reliance Nippon Life Asset
• The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Management by Nippon Life Insurance.
unveiled two new IT Initiatives ‘ICEDASH’ and • Nippon India Mutual Fund has become the largest
‘ATITHI’ for improved monitoring and pace of foreign-owned Asset Management Company in
customs clearance of imported goods and India. Sundeep Sikka will continue to lead company
facilitating arriving international passengers. as the CEO.
• ICEDASH is an Ease of Doing Business monitoring
dashboard of the Indian Customs helping the public
see the daily Customs clearance times of import
cargo at various ports and airports.
September

1. Economic Advisory Council to PM reconstituted under About Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-
Bibek Debroy – Government of India has reconstituted PM –
Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) • Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister
under existing Chairman Bibek Debroy. (PMEAC) is a non-constitutional, non-permanent
• The reconstitution is for a period of two years, with and independent body constituted to give
effect from 26 September 2019. economic advice to the Prime Minister.
Note: 2. ADB cuts India growth forecast to 6.5% for 2019-20 – The
• Bibek Debroy is the Chairman of Economic Asian Development Bank has slashed its growth forecast for
Advisory Council to Prime Minister (PMEAC) as of India for fiscal year 2019-20 to 6.5% from 7%.
February 2018.

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3. GSTN makes Aadhaar verification mandatory for new • The other countries in the list are - Italy (4th),
dealers from Jan 2020 – The Goods and Services Tax France (5th), Russia (6th), China (7th), Switzerland
Network has decided to make Aadhaar authentication or (8th) and Japan (9th) before India at the 10th spot.
physical verification mandatory for new dealers from 7. TN Manoharan committee recommends for creating a loan
January 2020. contract registry – The six-member task force headed by
• The announcement in this regard was made by Canara Bank chairman TN Manoharan submitted its report
Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi, to Governor of RBI Shaktikanta Das on September 3.
who heads the Group of Ministers of GST Network. • The Reserve Bank of India constituted the task
4. NIRVIK scheme: Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of force.
India (ECGC) has introduced ‘NIRVIK’ scheme to ease the • It has recommended for creating a loan contract
lending process and enhance loan availability for exporters. registry to remove information asymmetries
Note: between buyers and sellers.
• Under the new ‘NIRVIK’ scheme, which is also • The report also recommends setting up of an
called the Export Credit Insurance Scheme (ECIS), online loan sales platform to conduct auctions/sale
the insurance cover guaranteed will cover up to 90 process of secondary market loans.
percent of the principal and interest. 8. Modi launches Act Far East Policy for Russia; announces $1
• The insurance cover will include both pre and post- bn support – Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 'Act
shipment credit. The Export Credit Guarantee Far East' policy and asserted that India will walk shoulder-
Corporation of India (ECGC) currently provides to-shoulder with Russia in its development of the Far East.
credit guarantee of up to 60 percent loss. • Narendra Modi announced a $ one billion line of
5. Centre cuts Corporate Tax Rate for domestic investors – credit for the development of the resource-rich
Corporate Tax Rate has been cut to 22 per cent from 30 per region.
cent earlier. 9. ‘Ashok Leyland’s heavy-duty trucks becomes 1st to get BS-
• It is one of the lowest tax rates among the VI certification – Commercial vehicle major Ashok Leyland
Developed and Developing economies in South announced that its entire range of heavy duty trucks has
Asian and South-East Asia Regions for the been upgraded to meet BS-VI emission norms, which come
manufacturing units globally. into force from 1 April 2020.
Note: 10. FM sets up a task force to implement Rs 100 lakh crore
• Corporate Tax Rate after surcharge will now stand infrastructure projects –
at 25.17% for domestic companies (inclusive of all • Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had
cess and surcharges). announced the setting up of 6 member task force
• New domestic manufacturing companies to implement Rs 100 lakh crore over the next five
incorporated after October 1, 2019, will now be years in the infrastructure projects in the country.
required to pay income tax at 15%, which stands at • The task force would be headed by the department
17.01% including the surcharge and cess. of economic affairs (DEA) secretary and will have
6. India among top 10 nations in gold reserves – According to the CEO of a government think tank or his nominee
the World Gold Council, India ranked at the 10th positions as one of the members.
in terms of total gold reserves. 11. Ind-Ra cuts GDP growthforecast in FY20 to 6.7% - India
• India has surpassed the Netherlands to move into Ratings and Research has revised its projection of the
the list of top ten countries in terms of total gold India’s GDP growth in financial year 2019-20 to 6.7%. It has
reserves. reduced the GDP growth rate from 7.3% to 6.7%. It expects
• India with total gold reserves of 618.2 tonnes is GDP growth to recover to 7.4% in the second half of
marginally higher than the Netherlands’ reserves of financial year 2019-20.
612.5 tonnes. 12. Growth of eight core sectors slows to 2.1% in July 2019 –
• The U.S. topped the list with total gold reserves of According to official data released by Government, Growth
8,133.5 tonnes followed by Germany with 3,366.8 of eight core industries (Index of Eight Core Industries)
tonnes. dropped to 2.1% in July 2019. It was mainly due to
• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is ranked contraction in coal, crude oil, natural gas and refinery
third with a holding of 2,451.8 tonnes. products.

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13. CRISIL revises India’s GDP growth to 6.3% in fiscal 2020 – (PSBs), now public sector insurance companies -- National
Rating agency CRISIL has revised India’s fiscal year 2020 Insurance, Oriental Insurance and United India Insurance --
GDP growth forecast to 6.3%. CRISIL has lowered the GDP are going to be infused with funds worth Rs 12,000 crore to
growth forecast from 6.9% to 6.3%. The growth was revised boost their capital base and meet regulatory norms, sources
as the first-quarter growth rate of India reduced to a 25- said.
quarter low of 5%. • Last year's Budget announced plans to merge these
14. Centre to infuse Rs 12,000 crore in state general insurance three insurance companies, and thereafter list the
firms – Following the recapitalisation of public sector banks combined entity.
August

1. The Central Board of Direct Taxes has announced the • 4 out of 10 youth who received vocational training
creation of a five-member special cell “Startup Cell” for are out of the labour force.
startups. • Three fifth young skilled young women out of
• The “Startup Cell” will address the grievances of labour force.
the startups with relation to angel tax and other • The unemployment rate among freshly trained
tax-related issues. Startup entities can approach youth, who completed training during the previous
the cell for speedy resolution of their grievances. year, was even higher at 40%.
• The ‘startup cell’ will be headed by the member • The bulk of the training received by younger
(Income Tax and Computerisation) of the board. population were in the fields of IT, electronics,
Start-up Cell has been constituted by CBDT with the following mechanical sectors.
ex-officio members: • Coverage was another challenge, with just 1.8% of
• Member (Income Tax and Computerisation): Chairman the population getting formal training in 2017-18.
• Joint Secretary (tax policy and legislation-II): Member Note:
• Commissioner of I-T (ITA): Member • Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) is the
• Director (ITA-I): Member Secretary flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development &
• Under Secretary (ITA-I): Member Entrepreneurship (MSDE) implemented by National Skill
2. SEBI announces Rs 1 crore reward for insider trading Development Corporation.
informants – The Securities and Exchange Board of India • The objective of this Skill Certification Scheme is to
has announced a new mechanism to reward insider trading enable a large number of Indian youth to take up
informants to uncover insider trading cases. industry-relevant skill training that will help them in
• The reward would be 10 per cent of the money securing a better livelihood. Individuals with prior
collected, subject to a maximum amount of Rs 1 learning experience or skills will also be assessed and
crore. certified under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
• The above announcement is a part of the detailed 5. ANZ lowers India’s GDP growth in FY20 to 6.2% - According
set of rules for the new ‘Informant Mechanism’ to a recent report of Australia and New Zealand Banking
under Prohibition of Insider Trading Regulations Group (ANZ), India’s GDP (gross domestic product) growth
that has been approved by the SEBI board. expected to grow by 6.2 % in 2019 (FY-Fiscal Year 2020).
3. GST collections drop below Rs 1 lakh cr to Rs 98,202 cr in • It also downgraded its forecast for the year to
August – India's gross GST collections slipped below Rs 1 March 2021 to 6.5% from 7.1%.
lakh crore to Rs 98,202 crore in August, according to official 6. India’s GDP to grow at 6.2% in FY 2019-20: NCAER – As per
data released on Sunday.Gross revenue collections from the the National Council of Applied Economic Research
Goods and Services Tax (GST) in July stood at Rs 1.02 lakh (NCAER), an economic think-tank, India’s Gross Domestic
crore. Product (GDP) growth will be 6.2% in FY 2019-20, down
4. 33% of India’s skilled youth jobless: official survey from 6.8% in 2018-19.
• An analysis of the unit-level data from the Periodic 7. WTO likely to set up panel to decide on India’s sugar sops
Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2017-18, conducted by – Brazil, Australia and Guatemala have requested the World
the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), found Trade Organisation (WTO) to set up dispute panels to rule
that 33% of India’s skilled youth are jobless. on India’s sugar subsidies the second time round after India

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rejected the request at the last meeting of the Dispute Sitharaman(Finance Minister), to replace the Income Tax
Settlement Body (DSB) last month. Act with a new Direct Tax Code(DTC).
8. India to conduct 1st National Time Release Study for 12. MSCI added HDFC Life Insurance to its Global Standard
efficient trade flow – The Department of Revenue of the Index - MSCI Inc ( Morgan Stanley Capital International),
Ministry of Finance conducted India’s first national Time One of the world’s biggest index compilers, has added HDFC
Release Study (TRS) from August 1-7, 2019. Life Insurance Company Ltd. to its Global Standard Index
• It will be conducted on an annual basis, during the and removed Union Bank of India(UBI) from its India
same period every year hereafter. Smallcap Index.
• It is lead by the Central Board of Indirect Tax and • The changes in the MSCI Index will be implemented
Customs (CBIC). as of the closing hours of August 27, 2019.
• TRS: It is an internationally recognized tool 13. 448 entities withdrew over Rs 100 crore each, prompting
advocated by the World Customs Organization TDS levy – As many as 448 firms have withdrawn more than
(WCO) to measure the efficiency and effectiveness Rs 100 crore in cash cumulatively withdrawing Rs 5.56 lakh
of international trade flows. crore during fiscal 2017-18.
9. Sebi to relax norms to allow smart cities issue funds • Almost 2 lakh individuals and business entities
through 'Muni Bonds' – Capital market regulator Sebi is withdrew more than Rs 1 crore in cash from bank
planning to ease its norms for 'Muni Bonds' to help smart accounts in 2017-18, official data showed.
cities and other registered entities working in areas of city • These entities had cumulatively withdrawn over Rs
planning and urban development work, like municipalities, 11.31 lakh crore.
raise funds through issuance and listing of their debt • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget
securities. speech said "To discourage the practice of making
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) business payments in cash, I propose to levy TDS of
had issued its Issue and Listing of Debt Securities by 2 per cent on cash withdrawal exceeding Rs 1 crore
Municipalites (ILDM) Regulations nearly five years in a year from a bank account".
ago and since then seven municipalities have raised 14. Crisil cuts India’s GDP growth forecast to 6.9% for FY 2019-
nearly ₹1,400 crore by issuing their debt securities, 20 – Ratings agency CRISIL has cut its forecast for India’s
which are commonly known as 'Muni Bonds'. GDP growth by 20 basis points for FY 2019-20. It has
10. NSE, SGX get SEBI’s nod to operate jointly in GIFT City - The lowered India’s GDP growth to 6.9% from 7.1%.
National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Singapore Exchange 15. Union government has constituted a 12-member high-level
(SGX) received permission from the Securities and Exchange committee to revise and align the procedure of Defence
Board of India (SEBI) to operate jointly in Gujarat procurement with the aim of strengthening the ‘Make in
International Finance Tec (GIFT) City under the proposed India’ initiative. The panel will be headed by the Director-
programme ‘Connect’. General (Acquisitions).
• Nifty index, which is trading on SGX in Singapore, 16. Injeti Srinivas Committee - A high level steering committee
will be traded on a joint platform between the NSE on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) headed by Injeti
and SGX in GIFT City. Srinivas, Corporate Affairs Secretary has recommended to
11. Akhilesh Ranjan committee - On August 19,2019 a group make CSR expenditure tax-deductible and that non-
of experts panel headed by Central Board of Direct Taxes compliance of CSR norms be treated as a civil offence.
(CBDT) legislative member Akhilesh Ranjan who was • The committee also recommends companies may
appointed as the convener of the task force in November be exempted from constituting a CSR committee, if
2018 by the finance ministry, submitted a report to Nirmala its CSR prescribed amount below Rs 50 lakh.
July
2. IMF lowers India’s growth outlook for FY20 – The
1. ADB cuts India’s GDP growth rate from 7.2% to 7% for International Monetary Fund has lowered its annual growth
FY20 – Asian Development Bank lowered India’s GDP forecast for India from 7.3% to 7% in financial year 2019-20.
growth rate from 7.2% to 7% for the current fiscal year. 3. Cars24 gets RBI NBFC license to offer loans against used
• India is expected to grow by 7% in 2019 and 7.2% in cars
2020, slightly slower than projected in April, ADB • On July 26, 2019, CARS24, an online marketplace
said in its supplement to the Asian Development for buying and selling used cars has received a
Outlook 2019. license of a Non-banking Finance Company (NBFC)

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from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and will be in the GST rate on supply of goods and services which will
venturing into the consumer lending business as a be effective from August 1, 2019:
separate entity within the Cars24 group.
4. Parliament passed Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) • The GST rate on all Electric Vehicles (EVs) was
Bill, 2019 reduced from 12% to 5%.
• On July 8, 2019, Parliament passed Aadhaar and • The GST rate on charger or charging stations for
Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019 which allows EVs was reduced from 18% to 5%.
voluntary use of Aadhaar as proof of identity for • Hiring of electric buses (of carrying capacity of
users to open bank accounts and get a mobile more than 12 passengers) by local authorities was
phone connection. exempted from GST.
• Aadhaar is a 12 digit individual identification Note:
number issued by the Unique Identification • GST Council is the governing body of GST, chaired by
Authority of India on behalf of the Government of the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and
India. This number will serve as a proof of identity assisted by the finance ministers of all the states of
and address, anywhere in India. India.
Key Points: 8. India’s current account balance deficit shoots up to $68
• If private entities violate provisions on Aadhaar billion in 2018-19: IMF
data, they will be imposed Rs 1 crore penalty and a • According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF),
jail term. India’s current account (CA) balance deficit rose to $68
• The Bill provides the use of Aadhaar number for billion in 2018-19 from $49 billion in 2017-18.
KYC (Know Your Customer) authentication on 9. SIDBI introduced web-based application system for
voluntary basis under the Telegraph Act, 1885, and contribution from FFS
the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. • The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)
5. DCC imposes penalty of Rs.3050 crore on Airtel, Vodafone introduced a web-based application system for
Idea on recommendations by TRAI – The Digital contribution from the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS).
Communications Commission (DCC) , on recommendations The objective of the new web-based application system
by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), is to improve the turnaround time and increase
approved the penalty of Rs.3050 crore to be imposed on transparency.
Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea for not providing points of 10. Reliance Jio is India’s largest telecom company – Reliance
interconnection to Reliance as TRAI recommended Jio becomes the largest telecom company of India with
imposing a total penalty to those network operators for 331.3 million subscribers overtaking Vodafone Idea whose
allegedly denying interconnectivity to Reliance Jio in customer base stood at 320 million in the quarter ended
October 2016. June 30, 2019.
• The DCC, which is an apex decision-making body of • Airtel moved to the third position and the state-
the Department of Telecom (DoT), last month owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) stood
approved imposing a penalty. at the fourth position.
6. India will be the first recipient of AIIB local currency 11. Centre cuts interest on GPF by 10 bps – Finance Ministry
funding – India will be the first recipient of local currency has cut the rate of General provident fund (GPF) by 10 basis
financing by the Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank points from 8% to 7.9%.
(AIIB). The objective of local currency financing is to provide • During the year 2019-2020, accumulations at the
more options to borrowers. credit of subscribers to the GPF and other similar
• India is the second-largest shareholder of AIIB with funds shall carry interest at the rate of 7.9% with
a 7.5% stake. It has received about $2-billion effect from July 1, 2019 to 30th September 2019.
funding for various projects so far. 12. LIC offers Rs 1.25 trillion by 2024 for highway projects –
• China holds 20.06% and Russia holds 5.92%. Life Insurance Corporation of India has agreed to offer Rs
• Headquarters: Beijing, China 1.25 trillion Line of Credit by 2024, to fund highway
7. 36th Goods & Service Tax (GST) Council Meeting was held projects.
in New Delhi – The GST Council made the following changes • LIC has offered Rs 25,000 crore in a year and Rs
1.25 trilion in five years. The borrowings will be in

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the form of bonds to be issued by the National against most Gram-negative bacilli. It is also known
Highways Authority of India. as polymyxin E.
• The Line of Credit will be used to fund the 17. Subhash Chandra Garg panel submitted its report on
ambitious Bharatmala project. Virtual Currencies– Inter-Ministerial Committee on Virtual
13. Average Monthly Income per Agricultural Household has Currencies headed by finance secretary Subhash Chandra
estimated Rs. 6426: Agriculture ministry – On July 26, Garg has submitted its report to the government.
2019, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, • The committee set up by Centre has also proposed
Narendra Singh Tomar stated that the average monthly a draft bill ‘Banning of Cryptocurrency & Regulation
income per agricultural household from all sources is Rs. of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2019’.
6,426 in the country based on the Situation Assessment Note:
Survey of Agricultural Households conducted by National • All private cryptocurrencies, except any
Sample Survey Office (NSSO) during its 70th round (January cryptocurrency issued by the state, be banned in
2013-December 2013). India.
14. Kerala Govt. to set up Non-Resident Keralites Investment • It has also drafted a law, the ‘Banning of
company – Kerala Government decided to form a Non- Cryptocurrency & Regulation of Official Digital
Resident Keralites Investment company with 74% stake to Currency Bill, 2019’, which mandates a fine and
be held by expatriate (or expat) to channelize investments imprisonment of up to 10 years for offences.
from overseas Keralites for major infrastructure • Report submitted by group highlights positive
development in the state. aspect of distributed-ledger technology (DLT).
• Decision in this regard was taken at a cabinet • It suggested various applications for use of DLT in
meeting chaired by Kerela Chief Minister Pinarayi India, especially in financial services.
Vijayan. • DLT-based systems for instance can be used by
15. Promoters get 90 days to retake company after insolvency banks or other financial firms for processes like
proceedings begin: IBBI tracking of loan-issuance, fraud detection, claims
• The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) management in insurance, collateral management
has notified that the promoters and other as well as reconciliation systems in securities
stakeholders will be given 90 days after the market.
commencement of insolvency proceedings to re-
take control of the company through agreements 18. India’s first Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)
with creditors. dashboard launched - Union Ministry of Statistics and
• It was proposed under Section 230 of the Programme Implementation (MoSPI) launched India’s first
Companies Act 1956. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) dashboard in a bid to
• Limit of 1 year was specified for the liquidation effectively track country’s progress on Agenda 2030
from the date of commencement of insolvency adopted by UN.
proceeding. • It was launched on occasion of National Statistics
• Section 230 of the Companies Act 1956 allows for Day (on June 29) which marks birth anniversary of
promoters or any class of creditors of the company Prof. P C Mahalanobis.
to reach a compromise or arrangement with other • It is a unique, searchable platform, which provides
stakeholders of the company to take control of the data and insights on how India is progressing on
company. SDGs.
16. Health Ministry bans Colistin in Animal Food Industry – • SDG Dashboard is developed in partnership with
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has banned United Nation in India, Department for
manufacture, sale and distribution of antibiotic, Colistin as International Development (DFID) India and data
well as its formulations for food producing animals, poultry, intelligence firm Social Cops.
aqua farming and animal feed supplements. 19. Govt sets a target to raise health services expenditure to
• The ban is announced in a bid to preserve drug’s 2.5% of GDP by 2025 – Minister of Health and Family
efficacy in humans. Welfare, Harsh Vardhan stated that the Government sets
• Colistin is a valuable, last-resort antibiotic that target is to raise health services expenditure to 2.5 percent
saves lives in critical care units. It is effective

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of the country’s GDP (Gross domestic product) by 2025 due About ILO
to the increment of expenditure over the last 10 years. • The International Labour Organization is a United
20. The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog, Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social
think tank of the government, has proposed that only justice and promote decent work by setting
Electric Vehicles (EVs) should be sold after 2030. international labour standards.
• This is proposed in order to expand the scope of • It was founded on 29 October 1919 with Headquarters
the clean fuel technology beyond two and three- in Geneva, Switzerland.
wheelers. 22. Budget 2019: Rs 3.18 lakh crore allocated to the defence
• The panel headed by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant budget – An allocation of Rs 3.18 lakh crore was made in
had suggested earlier that only EV (three-wheelers the Union Budget to the defence sector for 2019-20 as
and two-wheelers) with an engine capacity of up to against last year's Rs 2.98 lakh crore.
150 cc should be sold from 2025 onwards. 23. Budget 2019: To help marginal cultivators government
21. India could lose the equivalent of 34 million jobs in 2030 proposes 10,000 FPOs – The government plans to form
due to global warming: ILO 10,000 farmer producer organisations (FPOs) in the next
• The International Labour Organisation (ILO) five years.
released its report ‘Working on a Warmer Planet: • This is expected to help small and marginal
The Impact of Heat Stress on Labour Productivity cultivators team up to get lower rates for inputs
and Decent Work. and sell produce at higher rates.
• According to the report, India will be the most 24. India’s turnover ratio fell by 60% in 10 years – World Bank
affected country due to global warming because of – As per the data of the World Bank for the year 2018, the
its large population. turnover ratio of Indian stock market fell significantly by
Key highlights of the report: 60% in the past 10 years.
• By 2030 the 2.2 per cent of total working hours • A turnover ratio of Indian stock market fell from
worldwide is projected to be lost every year, either 143 in 2008 to 58 in 2018.
because it is too hot to work or because workers have • It was the highest among the most leading markets
to work at a slower pace. of the world, except the United States (US) and
• The global productivity losses would be around 80 European Union (EU).
million full-time jobs (equivalent to an economic loss of 25. Tata Steel Kalinganagar included in WEF’s Global
US$ 2,400 billion). Lighthouse Network – Tata Steel Kalinganagar becomes
• The accumulated global financial loss due to heat stress the first and the only Indian manufacturing plant that has
is expected to reach USD 2,400 billion by 2030. been included in prestigious Lighthouse Network of the
• In agriculture – 60% of working hours will be lost due to World Economic Forum.
heat stress by 2030. • TSK in Odisha’s Jajpur district commissioned at May
• In construction – 19% of global working hours to be 2016.
lost. 26. Airtel completed the merger of Tata Tele’s consumer
Projections for India mobile business – Bharti Airtel Limited and Bharti Hexacom
• India is expected to lose an equivalent of 34 million jobs Limited announced the merger of the consumer mobile
as a result of global warming and heat stress by the businesses (CMB) of Tata Teleservices Limited (TTSL) and
year 2030. Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited (TTML) with the
• The country most affected by heat stress in India, which two Bharti Group companies.
lost 4.3 per cent of working hours in 1995 and is
projected to lose 8 per cent of working hours in 2030.
June

1. NPAs under PM Modi's Mudra scheme jumped 126% in • The NPAs of loans issued under the programme is
FY19, shows RTI – The Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) under increased by Rs 9,204.14 crore in FY 19 from Rs
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship scheme Pradhan 7,277.31 crore in March 2018 to Rs 16,481.45 crore
Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) saw a jump of 126% in just in March 2019.
one year.

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• This information was obtained as a response to an • The Council has decided to use Aadhaar as the identity
RTI filed by The Wire. and address proof required for registration for GST. No
2. 2,313 frauds reported in Mudra loan accounts – As many other documents will be required, and authentication
as 2,313 Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) accounts can be done using a one-time password.
with the public sector banks reported instances of fraud • The Council decided to extend the deadline for the
since the financial year 2016-17. filing of the annual return forms GSTR 9, 9A and 9C to
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in a August 30, 2019. The earlier deadline was June 30,
written reply to the Lok Sabha. 2019.
• As per information compiled from public sector • The council also approved the rollout of the single-
banks (PSBs), instances of alleged frauds reported return filing system for all by January 1, 2020.
during the last three years and the current year so • The council also approved imposing a penalty of up to
far is in 2,313 accounts. 10 per cent of the profiteered amount on entities for
• The highest number of frauds were reported from not passing on benefits of GST rate cuts to consumers,
Tamil Nadu (344), followed by Chandigarh (275) as against the current norm of levying a maximum fine
and Andhra Pradesh (241). of Rs 25,000.
3. Govt cuts interest rate on small savings schemes – The GoI • The Council also approved the rollout of an electronic
has reduced interest rates for small savings schemes by 10 invoicing system on a pilot basis from January 1, 2020,
basis points for the July-September quarter of the 2019-20 made it mandatory for GST-registered multiplexes to
financial year. issue e-tickets.
• Some schemes that will fetch lower interest rates • According to the proposal, entities with a turnover of
are Kisan Vikas Patra (7.6%), Public Provident Fund more than Rs 50 crore will be required to generate
(7.9%), Sukanya Samriddhi Account (8.4%). electronic invoices on a government portal for B2B
4. India’s Forex reserves rise to a record high of $426.42 sales.
billion – As per the data revealed by Reserve Bank of India 7. SEBI sets up panel for reviewing Margins on Derivatives –
(RBI), India’s foreign exchange (Forex) reserve rose to a life- The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the
time high of $426.42 billion (in week to 21 June 2019) after capital markets regulator has set up a panel, to review
it surged by $4.215 billion boosted by higher foreign current framework of margins in the futures and options
portfolio investments (FPI) and a stable rupee. (F&O) derivative segment.
5. Government to constitute working group for revision of • The working group set up by SEBI is headed by the
Wholesale Price Index – Central Government has National Stock Exchange (NSE) Clearing Ltd.
constituted Working Group for the revision of the current 8. EAC-PM releases a detailed analysis on robustness of
series of Wholesale Price Index (Base 2011-12). India’s GDP estimation methodology – The Economic
• It will be chaired by Prof. Ramesh Chand, Member, Advisory Council to the Prime Minister released a detailed
NITI Aayog. Office of Economic Adviser, note titled ‘GDP estimation in India- Perspectives and
Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Facts’.
Trade will be nodal office for Working Group. • The new methodology that uses 2011-12 as the
• It will process report / recommendation of this base year includes two major improvements,
Working Group for further necessary action. • a) Incorporation of MCA21 database, and
6. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chairs 35th GST • b) Incorporation of the Recommendations of
council meeting in Delhi System of National Accounts (SNA), 2008.
• The 35th Goods and Service Tax (GST) council 9. World Investment Report 2019: UNCTAD
meeting was held in New Delhi. • According to the World Investment Report 2019,
• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chaired Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows to India
the meeting for the first time after assuming the grew by 6% to USD 42 billion in 2018. India was
office. ranked among the top 20 host economies for FDI
Key points inflows in 2017-18.
• The Council extended the tenure of the anti- • The report is published by United Nation
profiteering authority by two years till November 2021. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
10. FDI in services sector up 37 per cent in 2018-19

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• Foreign direct investment (FDI) in services sector • The announcement was made by the Geological
grew 36.5 per cent to $9.15 billion in 2018-19, Survey of Bangladesh following extensive drilling over
according to the Department for Promotion of two months in the area.
Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). 14. DCC approves levy of penalty on Airtel, Vodafone Idea -
• The sector attracted FDI worth $6.7 billion in 2017- The Digital Communications Commission (DCC), the highest
18. decision-making body of Department of Telecom (DoT), has
• Services sector contributes over 60 per cent to the approved levying of penalty on Bharti Airtel Ltd. and
gross domestic product (GDP). Vodafone Idea Ltd. for denial of interconnection to Reliance
11. India accounts for 6.3% of global fish production: Fisheries Jio Infocomm Ltd. when the latter had entered market in
department 2016.
• According to the Fisheries Department, India is the • The telecom regulator while recommended a fine
second largest fish producing country in the world as it for Airtel and Vodafone amounting to ₹1,050 crore
accounts for 6.3 per cent of the global fish production. each.
• China is the largest producer of fish in the world. Digital Communications Commission
12. Electoral bond scheme – • DCC was formerly called ‘Telecom Commission’. It
• The central government had on January 29, 2018, is the top decision-making body in Department of
notified the electoral bond scheme. Telecommunications (DoT), under Union Ministry
• An Indian citizen or body incorporated in India will of Communications and Information Technology.
be eligible to purchase the bond. 15. CEA Krishnamurthy Subramanian appointed part-time
• Electoral bonds can be used for making a donation member in IBBI – Krishnamurthy Subramanian, Chief
only to the political parties registered under section Economic Adviser (CEA) and B. Sriram, former managing
29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Industrial
(43 of 1951) and which secured not less than one Development Bank of India (IDBI Bank) were appointed
per cent of the votes polled in the last general part-time members of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of
election to the House of the People or a Legislative India (IBBI).
Assembly. Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India
• These bonds will not carry the name of the payee. • IBBI, an insolvency regulatory agency was
• Authorised centre - It can be purchased only from established on 1 October 2016.
specified branches of State Bank of India. • The IBC 2016 established Insolvency and
• Denomination - Electoral bonds can be bought for Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI), to oversee
any value, in multiples of Rs 1,000, Rs 10,000, Rs 1 insolvency proceedings in India and to regulate
lakh, Rs 10 lakh or Rs 1 crore. entities registered under it.
• Validity - Electoral bonds will be valid for 15 16. ONGC overtakes India Oil Corp as Most Profitable PSU –
days from the date of purchase. The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) overtook India
13. Bangladesh's first iron ore mine discovered Oil Corporation (IOC) by regaining crown of being India’s
• For the first time in Bangladesh, iron ore mine has most profitable Public Sector Undertakings (PSU).
been discovered at Isabpur village in Dinajpur. • It is a state owned multinational oil and gas
company now headquartered in Vasant Kunj, Delhi.

Banking & Financial Awareness

December

1. ZestMoney joins hands with Xiaomi to launch ‘Mi Credit’ company, Xiaomi, to launch new loan service app
personal loan service in the Indian market called “MiCredit” in the Indian market.
• On December 7, 2019, ZestMoney, an AI (Artificial • Through this, customers can get an instant loan
Intelligence) -driven EMI(Equated Monthly ranging from Rs 7,000 – Rs 1,00,000.
Instalment) financing platform based in Bengaluru, 2. Loans worth over Rs10 lakh cr sanctioned under PMMY
Karnataka, has partnered with Chinese smartphone • The Union Government has informed that loans
worth over 10 lakh crore rupees have been

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sanctioned till 1st November this year under the • Airports of Mumbai & Delhi account for more than 50
Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, PMMY. % of departures to Thailand.
• As per the findings of the PMMY survey, around five • Bangkok (Thailand’s capital) has ranked No.1 in
crore persons were working in the establishments for Mastercard’s Global Destination Cities Index 2019 as
which MUDRA loans were availed between April 2015 the world’s best travel destination. Cardholders spent
to March 2018. more than 88% in Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and Krabi
• The survey reveals that these loans enabled cities.
beneficiaries to sustain the economic activities they 6. HDFC ERGO general insurance launches ‘my:health woman
were engaged in. suraksha policy’
3. Exim Bank provided $500 million Line of Credit to • HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company has
Bangladesh: launched “my:health Woman Suraksha policy”, a
• Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has provided comprehensive medical insurance scheme specially
$500 million (Rs 3561 crore) Line of Credit to designed for women.
Bangladesh for defence-related procurement in the • Under this scheme women aged 18–65 years are
neighbouring country. eligible for the policy & they offered a sum insured
• In this regard the Exim bank has entered into an ranging from Rs. 1 lakh to 1 crore.
agreement with Bangladesh’s Armed Forces Division • The policy is designed to provide financial support
(AFD) in April 11, 2019. during medical emergencies and sicknesses in
• The agreement became effective from November 7, women’s lives.
2019, and the utilisation period of the loan is 10 years 7. KVGB inks MoU with Canara HSBC OBC for bancassurance
from the date of signing the agreement. • On 2nd December 2019 the Karnataka Vikas Grameen
Bank (KVGB) has entered into an MoU with Canara
4. IEPFA inks MoU with Bank of Baroda (BoB) for investor HSBC OBC Life Insurance Company Ltd. for
awareness bancassurance business.
• The Investor Education & Protection Fund Authority • Under the MoU KVGB will market wide range
(IEPFA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding insurance products of the Canara HSBC through its
(MOU) with Bank of Baroda (BoB) to spread customer 636 branches in 9 districts of Karnataka.
awareness and investor education and reaching out 8. World Bank arm IFC to invest $ 200 million in Mahindra
to investors and stakeholders. finance
• As per the agreement, 9,456 BoB branches will • On December 2, 2019, The International Finance
exhibit IEPFA posters on investor protection & 3,115 Corporation (IFC) has anchored an investment round
ATMs (Automated Teller Machine) and Cash of $ 200 million in Mahindra & Mahindra Financial
Recyclers supported by self-service channels will Services Limited (MMFSL) with the objective to create
feature digital banners on IEPFA. a ‘pool’ specifically for financing micro, small and
• The IEPFA works under the Ministry of Corporate medium enterprises (MSMEs) in low income states.
Affairs. • In a regulatory filing, IFC has invested $ 75 million out
5. Mastercard joins hands with Thailand Tourism Authority of this in its account. The remaining $ 125 million is
(TAT) to tap more tourists from India being raised in parallel loans. At the same time,
• American multinational financial service corporation, Mahindra Finance has committed to invest $225
Mastercard on December 5, 2019 has partnered with million in this fund.
Thailand Tourism Authority (TAT) to tap more tourists • The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is a unit of
from India & enable digital payments for a more the World Bank Group.
experiential visit for them. 9. 78% account holders withdraw all their money from PMC
• As per Mastercard data, there is 20% increase in the Bank: Nirmala Sitharaman
amount of spends done by Indians via cashless • As per the Union Finance Minister (FM) Nirmala
transactions in Thailand & TAT witnessed a growth of Sitharaman, nearly 78% depositors of the scam-hit
nearly 25% in arrivals from India, taking the total to Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank
1.60 million in 2018-19. have been allowed to withdraw their entire deposits

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even though the ceiling of Rs 50,000 on withdrawal • Also account holders are allowed to withdraw up to Rs
continues. 1 lakh in case of medical emergency, marriage and
other serious situations.
November

1. SEBI slaps Rs 40.5 lakh fine on 7 firms for fraudulent • The special vehicle includes an ATM and a screen to
trading show videos of different banking schemes.
• The Security and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) • The mobile ATMs will go to the doorsteps of the
imposed a total fine of Rs 40.5 lakh on 7 companies farmers and make them aware of the banking
for indulging in fraudulent trading in the illiquid stock schemes and digital operating systems.
options segment on the BSE. • A bank official would be present in the van, who will
• The total fine levied on the firms, Rs 10.5 lakh was provide information regarding the digital operating
levied on Green Venture Securities Management Pvt systems and schemes.
Ltd while Morgan Financial Services, Niranjan
5. DHFL becomes 1st financial services firm to be taken to
Housing, Navrang Tradelinks, Niranjan Metallic, Nishu
NCLT
Leasing and Finance and Midpoint Tradelink faced a
fine of Rs 5 lakh each. • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has referred Dewan
Housing Finance Corp. Ltd (DHFL) to the National
• The reversal trades executed by the Notice were non-
genuine in nature and created an impression of Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for insolvency
proceedings, making it the first financial services
genuine trading volumes in respective contracts.
player to go NCLT for a possible debt resolution.
• DHFL has a debt of Rrs. 83,873 crore. As per the
2. BlackBuck joins hands with IDFC &Yes Bank to provide
statutory inspection of DHFL conducted by the
free FASTags to truckers
National Housing Bank, the DHFL showed a serious
• On November 28, 2019, India’s largest online trucking
deterioration in its finances.
platform, BlackBuck has partnered with leading
1. Muthoot Finance to acquire IDBI Mutual Fund for Rs
private sector banks IDFC Bank and Yes Bank to offer 215 crore
FASTags to truck fleet owners free of cost. • Muthoot Finance Ltd, the largest gold loan non-
• Under this partnership, truck owners can order banking finance company in the country, entered
FASTags on Blackbuck’s Boss app. into a definitive agreement to acquire IDBI Asset
• It will be given free at their doorstep till 31st Management Ltd and IDBI Mutual Fund Trustee
December 2019. Company Ltd.
3. SBI’s economic research team revised India’s GDP • Muthoot Finance will purchase 100 per cent equity
forecast to 5% for FY 2020: shares of IDBI Asset Management and IDBI MF
Trustee for a total consideration of Rs 215 crore.
• The economic research team from the State Bank of
• The transaction is expected to be completed by the
India (SBI) has revised India’s Gross Domestic Product
end of February 2020. The deal is subject to receipt
(GDP) to 5% from its earlier estimate of 6.1% for the
of approval from regulators including the Securities
Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20). and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
• This downgrade was due to global slowdown in the 2. Ujjivan Small Finance Bank launches Instant Digital
index of industrial production (IIP). Savings and Instant FD Account
• The SBI economic research team group has projected • Ujjivan Small Finance Bank (SFB) has launched an
the second quarter (July-September) GDP growth at instant digital savings account (SA) along with Fixed
4.2% in their report titled “EcoWrap”. It expects the Deposit (FD) and Privilege Savings Account to offer
growth rate to pick up in FY2021 to 6.2%. distinctive banking and digital services to its
customers.
4. Karnataka Gramin Bank initiates ‘mobile ATMs’ in rural • The Instant Digital SA account has the restriction of
Rs 1 lakh deposit & has the unlimited free
areas
transactions on the bank’s own ATM (automated
• The Karnataka Gramin Bank (KGB) has launched teller machine) and 6 free transactions for other
‘mobile ATMs’ in Kalaburagi, among several other bank ATMs per month.
districts in the Karnataka.

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• The Instant Fixed Deposit (FD) will fetch interest • This downgrade was due to global slowdown in the
rate ranging from 5.5% (7days to 29 days) & up to index of industrial production (IIP).
8.3% (799 days), the customers can invest in this • The SBI economic research team group has
account up to a maximum of Rs. 1 Lakh without a projected the second quarter (July-September) GDP
Savings Account. growth at 4.2% in their report titled “EcoWrap”. It
• The Privilege SA account comes with the eligibility expects the growth rate to pick up in FY2021 to
for a monthly salary of Rs. 30,000 or above /on 6.2%.
maintaining a Monthly Average Balance of Rs
25,000 / opening a Fixed Deposit of Rs. 10 Lakh. It 6. New rules framed under IBC for rescue of non-bank
provides a higher accidental insurance cover of Rs. lenders
2 Lakh. • The Government of India has issued fresh rules
3. Bajaj Allianz General Insurance launches ‘Farmitra’ under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) to
mobile app for farmers govern the rescue of non-bank lenders.
• The new rules are likely to help out distressed
• Bajaj Allianz General Insurance has launched a new shadow banks and housing financiers, which have
mobile app called ‘Farmitra’ to help the farmers been battling a liquidity crunch for a year.
needs and address their worries. • These entities will be covered by a special window
• It also resolves with relevant information, which under the bankruptcy code, which will be notified
they can use in optimizing their farming practices. from time to time.
• The app ‘Farmitra’ provides services for even those • Reserve Bank of India has been given the authority
who are not customers of Bajaj Allianz. to decide which companies will be taken up to a
4. Karnataka Gramin Bank initiates ‘mobile ATMs’ in bankruptcy tribunal under these rules.
rural areas • The bankruptcy tribunal will appoint an
administrator who will be nominated by the
• The Karnataka Gramin Bank (KGB) has launched regulator, will try to stitch together a turnaround
‘mobile ATMs’ in Kalaburagi, among several other plan. In case a turnaround of the financial
districts in the Karnataka. institution is not possible, the tribunal will gather
• The special vehicle includes an ATM and a screen to the views of the regulator before deciding to
show videos of different banking schemes. liquidate it.
• The mobile ATMs will go to the doorsteps of the 7. Exim Bank grants $30 million line of credit to Ghana
farmers and make them aware of the banking • The Export-Import (Exim) Bank has provided a USD
schemes and digital operating systems. 30 million (about Rs 210 crore) line of credit to
• A bank official would be present in the van, who Ghana for a potable water project in the country.
will provide information regarding the digital • Under the arrangement, financing of export of
operating systems and schemes. eligible goods, works and services from India would
5. SBI’s economic research team revised India’s FY20 be allowed subject to their being eligible for export
GDP forecast to 5% under the Foreign Trade Policy of India and whose
purchase may be agreed to be financed by the Exim
• The economic research team from the State Bank Bank.
of India (SBI) has revised India’s Gross Domestic • As per the agreement, the terminal utilisation time
Product (GDP) to 5% from its earlier estimate of is 60 months period after the scheduled completion
6.1% for the Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20). date of the project.

October

1. T.L. Alamelu committee - The Insurance Regulatory and 2. Axis Bank launches short-term online fixed deposits
Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has constituted a “Express FD” – Axis Bank has launched the ‘Express FD’, a
12-member working group (WG) chaired by T.L. Alamelu to digital fixed deposit (FD) product that allows a customer to
review the product structure of title insurance, which open an FD account in 3 minutes through the digital mode
covers any loss caused due to a defect in the ‘title’ of the without opening a savings account with the bank.
property arising out of third-party challenges.

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• A customer can open an Express FD account by 7. India Post launches mobile banking facility for savings
investing a minimum Rs 5,000 up to Rs 90,000, for a accounts
tenure of 6 to 12 months. • The Department of Post announced that it has
3. SBI becomes first Indian bank to have office in Australia’s launched mobile banking for its savings account
Victoria – The State Bank of India opened its Melbourne customers.
office and becoming the first Indian bank to have a branch • The facility will be available all the post office
in the Australian state of Victoria. savings account holders of the CBS (core banking
4. UCO Bank launches UCash, Digilocker and an App – UCO solutions) post offices.
Bank has launched three new digital products called, UCash, • The launch of the mobile banking facility comes
Digilocker and an app in Kolkata, West Bengal. almost a year after the Department of Post
5. Grant Thornton to investigate Rs 4,355-crore PMC Bank launched Internet banking facility for its savings
fraud – The government has roped in Grant Thornton to account holders.
carry out forensic investigations into the fraud hit Punjab 8. ICICI Bank launches new FD scheme “FD health”
and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank. • ICICI Bank has launched a fixed deposit scheme
• Grant Thornton LLP is the sixth largest U.S. called FD Health, that comes with an in-built critical
accounting and advisory organization. insurance policy.
Note: • The FD Health – Critical illness Cover will be
• The PMC Bank scam came into the limelight after a provided to only the primary holder of the FD
whistle-blower informed the RBI to look into the books account. Anyone in the age bracket of 18-50 years,
of the cooperative bank. gets this complimentary insurance cover for a year
• Acting swiftly, the RBI on September 23 placed PMC on 33 critical illnesses.
Bank under an administrator, suspended the • For the first year, free of cost insurance cover will
management, and placed curbs on deposit withdrawals. be provided which can be renewed later.
• The former Managing Director of the bank, Joy Thomas, • The new FD scheme from ICICI bank offers a
has been arrested by the Economic Offences Wing complimentary critical illness cover of Rs. 1 lakh
(EOW). from ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company on
• Thomas confessed that the loans granted by the bank opening an FD of Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 3 lakh for a
were not classified as non-performing assets (NPAs) in tenure of at least two years.
the bank’s books deliberately so as to avoid RBI • The critical illness cover will be available on
scrutiny. Cumulative FDs opened for a period of a minimum
• PMC Bank has given loans of Rs 6,500 crore, which of 2 years.
accounts for 73 per cent of the bank’s loan book of Rs 9. UCO Bank launches UCash, Digilocker and an App
8,880 crore. • UCO Bank has launched three new digital products
6. SBI Card launches contactless mobile phone payments called, UCash, Digilocker and an app in Kolkata,
facility: West Bengal. A new current account facility has
• SBI Card has launched ‘SBI Card Pay’, a feature also been launched by the bank.
which allows contactless payment using mobile • UCash enables customers to withdraw money from
phones at PoS terminals. ATMs through mobile banking without using a
• Using SBI Card Pay, customers can make debit card.
contactless payments at near field communication • Digilocker aims to eliminate the use of physical
(NFC) enabled point of sale terminals with just one documents and enables sharing of verified
tap of their mobiles, without using the physical electronic documents.
credit card or entering any PIN. • The third product, the new mobile app, integrates
• SBI Card Pay is a payment feature based on Host four existing apps of the bank – UCO Mbanking,
Card Emulation (HCE) technology for faster, UCO UPI, UCO Mpassbook and UCO Secure- in a
convenient and more secure card payments using single interface.
mobile phones.
September

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1. Airtel Payments Bank launches ‘Bharosa’ savings account – 5. IDBI Bank introduces repo-linked home and auto loans –
Airtel Payments Bank launched “Bharosa savings account” • IDBI Bank will introduce two Repo Linked Products
services, designed for deepening the financial inclusion in –Suvidha Plus Home Loan and Suvidha Plus Auto
the country. Loan from September 10.
• Bharosa savings account would offer Rs 5 lakh • The new Home Loan and Auto Loan products will
personal accident insurance on maintaining the be offered to new customers having good credit
balance of Rs 500 along with one debit transaction score and minimum income of Rs. 6 lakh per
per month. annum.
2. Preventive Vigilance portal: launched by PNB – Punjab • The Suvidha Plus Home Loan will be offered for up
National Bank launched a Preventive Vigilance (PV) portal to Rs. 75 Lakh with a tenor of up to 35 years. The
to facilitate its staff members to check procedural lapses as Suvidha Plus Auto loan will be offered for up to Rs.
well as promote good practices. 25 lakh covering the on-road price with a tenor of
• To promote vigilance awareness in the banking up to 7 years.
system, PNB introduced the first of its kind 6. ECL Finance and Central bank of India ink pact to co-lend
technology based solutions through Preventive to MSMEs – ECL Finance Ltd, a subsidiary of Edelweiss
Vigilance portal. Financial Services, and Central Bank of India have signed an
3. SBI launches mobile app YONO in the UK – State Bank of agreement for priority sector lending to Micro, Small and
India (SBI) has launched its digital banking app YONO in the Medium Enterprise (MSME’s) customers.
UK, marking its global launch. 7. Cabinet approves Rs 4,557 crore capital infusion into IDBI
• The app is unveiled by SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar Bank – The Cabinet has approved a capital infusion of Rs
in coordination with the UK India Business Council 4,557 crore into IDBI Bank.
(UKIBC) in London on 23rd September.
Note: • The capital infusion process will be done through
• In 2017, SBI launched the ‘YONO’ (You Only Need recapitalisation bonds under which The
One) app in India. government will infuse the capital into the bank
• It is an integrated digital banking platform to and the bank will buy the recapitalisation bonds
enable users to access a variety of financial and from the government on the same day.
other services such as taxi bookings, online 8. Standard Chartered Bank launches “DigiSmart” credit card
shopping, or medical bill payments. – Standard Chartered Bank, a British multinational banking
4. EPFO to credit 8.65% interest in over 6 crore accounts – and financial services company has launched a DigiSmart
Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) to pay credit card.
8.65% interest on the deposits of more than 6 crore • The primary focus of the Bank on the ever-growing
subscribers for the period of 2018-19. segment of millennials.

August

1. Government announces Mega Merger of Public Sector single bank, with business of Rs 17.95 lakh crore to
Banks – make India’s 2nd largest bank.
• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has • Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank are to be merged
announced a big consolidation of public sector to become the 4th largest public sector bank with
banks. business of Rs 15.2 lakh crore.
• Under the scheme of amalgamation, 10 public • Union Bank of India, Andhra Bank and Corporation
sector banks are to be merged into four banks. Bank are to be merged to become the 5th largest
• After the amalgamation, the total number of Public public sector bank with business of Rs 14.6 lakh
Sector Banks in the country will come down to 12 crore.
from 27 banks in 2017 • Indian Bank will be merged with Allahabad Bank to
The amalgamation of banks will be in the following manner: become the 7th largest public sector bank with
• Punjab National Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce business of Rs 8.08 lakh crore.
and United Bank of India to be merged into one • The government has also announced capital
infusion of over Rs 55,000 crore into public sector

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banks: PNB (Rs 16,000 crore), Union Bank of India • According to NPCI, in July, the transaction count of
(Rs 11,700 crore), Bank of Baroda (Rs 7000 crore), AePS stood at 220.18 million with transaction value
Indian Bank (Rs 2500 crore), Indian Overseas Bank ₹9,685.35 crore compared with a transaction count
(Rs 3800 crore), Central Bank (Rs 3300 crore), UCO of 194.33 million and a transaction value of
Bank (Rs 2100 crore), United Bank (Rs 1600 crore) ₹8,867.33 crore in June.
and Punjab and Sind Bank (Rs 750 crore). 7. Mastercard launches identity check express to secure
2. Canara Bank introduced OTP facility for ATM withdrawal – online transactions
Canara Bank has launched India’s first OTP facility for ATM • Mastercard announced the launch of Identity
withdrawals. This additional factor of authentication Check Express, a next-generation, mobile-first
protects from unauthorized ATM cash withdrawals for authentication solution that aims to redefine the e-
cardholders. commerce journey for Indian consumers.
• Now Canara Bank ATMs get safer and more • Mastercard Identity Check Express combines the
secured with OTP facility on cash withdrawals latest technology, including device intelligence and
above ₹10,000 in a day. behavioural biometrics, with the latest EMV 3-D
Secure and FIDO authentication standards to
3. CVC sets up 4-member Advisory Board for Banking Frauds deliver an uninterrupted mobile payment
– The Central Vigilance Commission has constituted a 4- experience.
member Advisory Board for Banking Frauds (ABBF). The 8. RBL Bank launches India’s first health-focused credit card
ABBF will be headed by former Vigilance Commissioner • Private sector bank, RBL Bank and digital
T.M. Bhasin. healthcare platform Practo have partnered to
• The panel will function as the 1st level of launch an industry-first co-branded health credit
examination of all large fraud cases. card. This credit card is powered by Mastercard.
• Lenders will refer all large fraud cases above Rs 50 • RBL Bank’s new credit card offers benefits like
crore to the board and on receipt of its online consultations with doctors and a free health
recommendation or advice, the bank concerned check-up.
would take further action in such matters. 9. SBI, Shanghai becomes first Indian bank to link up with
4. Bandhan Bank launches co-branded credit card with CNAPS
Standard Chartered – Bandhan Bank launched a co- • The State Bank of India’s (SBI) Shanghai branch is
branded credit card in association with Standard Chartered now connected to China’s National Advance
bank. This credit card would be offered to 40 lakh savings Payment System (CNAPS).
bank account holders across the 1,000 branches of Bandhan • SBI is the only Indian bank to have obtained the
Bank. license to do business in local currency and also
5. EnKash launches India’s first corporate credit card for inducted to the CNAPS by the People’s Bank of
SMEs China (PBOC).
• EnKash, a card focused Fin-tech startup, has • SBI Shanghai can also offer the real-time transfer of
launched the EnKash “Freedom Card”, India’s local funds within China by routing them through
FIRST Corporate Credit Card for SMEs / MSMEs and the PBOC.
Startups. • The CNAPS, launched in 2008 by People’s Bank of
• The Freedom Card would give SMEs and startups China (PBOC) provides real-time settlement
the freedom to avail credit facility for immediate services for all payments.
needs and to manage their liquidity. 10. India Post Payments Bank to be converted into SFB
6. AePS crosses 200 million transactions in July: NPCI • The postal department it has decided to convert
• National Payments Corporation of India has the India Post Payments Bank into a small finance
announced that Aadhaar enabled Payment System bank, enabling it to offer small loans to customers.
has crossed the milestone of over 200 million • This bank will provide micro credit at the doorsteps
transactions during July 2019. to individuals and SME’s. The postal department
• The transaction count of AePS stood at 220 million has also target the milestone of 1 crore accounts
in july 2019. for IPPB in 100 days.

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• India Post will partner with Common Service Centre
to provide a suite of citizen centric services such as 14. Deutsche Bank to set up 50 billion euro bad bank in
banking, remittance, insurance, DBT, bill and tax revamp – Deutsche Bank is planning to overhaul its trading
payments etc at post offices. operations by creating a so-called bad bank to hold tens of
11. NHB to provide Rs.10,000 cr liquidity infusion facility to billions of euros of non-core assets.
HFCs – The housing sector regulator National Housing Bank • Deutsche Bank AG is a German multinational
(NHB) opened a liquidity infusion facility of Rs.10000 crore investment bank.
for Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) to improve liquidity 15. SBI Life Insurance and Indian Bank signed a Bancassurance
in sector. The move is taken to unveil measures to boost agreement – , Indian Bank has signed a bancassurance
lending and accelerate growth. agreement with the leading private life insurer, SBI (State
Note: Bank of India)Life Insurance to provide SBI’s suite of
• National Housing Bank (NHB) was established in insurance products to its customers.
1988, under National Housing Bank Act, 1987. It is 16. Scheduled bank status is given to Jana Small Finance Bank
an All India Financial Institution (AIFI). - The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) gave the status to Jana
12. Standard Chartered to be first foreign bank to launch ops Small Finance Bank to operate as a Scheduled Bank.
at GIFT IFSC – UK-based Standard Chartered will be the first • Headquarters- Bengaluru.
foreign bank to launch operations at International Financial 17. Axis Bank and Aditya Birla Health Insurance signed
Services Centre (IFSC). bancassurance pact –
• Standard Chartered has received in-principle • The 3rd -largest of the private-sector lender, Axis
regulatory approvals to set up its IFSC Banking Unit Bank has signed a bancassurance agreement with
(IBU) in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT stand alone health insurer, Aditya Birla Health
City). Insurance Co Ltd (ABHICL) to provide Aditya Birla’s
suite of insurance products to its customers.
13. New insurance plan “Jeevan Amar” launched by LIC – LIC 18. Aditya Puri, CEO of HDFC bank, is the top-paid bank CEO in
has launched a new term-insurance plan called Jeevan FY19
Amar. • The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HDFC Bank
• It is a non-linked, without profit, pure protection Aditya Puri, who led the bank since its inception 25
plan, and is available for sale offline. years ago, is the highest-paid bank chief executive
• It offers the flexibility to choose from two death in India with a monthly basic salary of Rs 89 lakh in
benefit options – level sum assured and increasing FY19.
sum assured. 19. Denmark’s Jyske Bank unveiled world’s first negative
• The minimum sum assured under the plan is ₹25 interest rate home loan – Denmark’s third-largest bank,
lakh with no maximum limit. Jyske Bank has launched the world’s first negative interest
• People of ages 18-65 years are eligible. The rate mortgage – handing out loans to homeowners where
maximum maturity age is 80yrs offering policy the charge is minus 0.5% a year. It has begun offering
terms from 10 years to a maximum of 40 years. borrowers a 10-year deal at -0.5%.
• The insurance premium can be paid only once for a
limited premium paid regularly.
July

1. Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank to close operations – any other bank account and that the bank would
Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank Limited announced to restrict any further credits (add money) from July
close its business on account of "unanticipated 26, 2019.
developments" that made its economic model "unviable". • Aditya Birla Payments Bank is promoted by
• In less than 18 months after its commencement, Grasim Industries Limited and Vodafone Idea
Aditya Birla Payments Bank announced that it Limited with 51 and 49 per cent shareholdings
will shut down operations. respectively.
• The bank’s customers have been informed that • According to the filing, ABIPBL incurred a loss of
they can transfer the balance in their accounts to Rs 24 crore at the end of 2017-18.

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• Total deposits with Aditya Birla Idea Payments • For the first three years, 25 percent of branches
Bank stand at about Rs 20 crore. should be in unbanked rural areas.
2. India Post Payments Bank to be converted into Small • For the initial three years, prior approval will be
Finance Bank required for branch expansion.
• The postal department will convert the India Post • The small finance banks will be required to extend 75
Payments Bank into a small finance bank, percent of its Adjusted Net Bank Credit (ANBC) to the
enabling it to offer small loans to customers, with sectors eligible for classification as priority sector
an aim to open one crore accounts in the first lending (PSL) by the Reserve Bank.
100 days.
• India Post will partner with Common Service Payment Banks
Centre to provide a suite of citizen centric • Payments Bank cannot lend money to the people.
services such as banking, remittance, insurance, • Payments banks can’t accept fixed deposits (FDs),
DBT, bill and tax payments etc at post offices, the term deposits, recurring deposits (RDs) and any non-
statement said. resident Indian deposits.
Note: • Payment Banks will provide banking services to
• India Post Payments Bank headquarters is in New migrant labor workforce, low-income households,
Delhi. small businesses, other unorganized sector entities
• Suresh Sethi (MD & CEO) and other users.
• Payments banks can open small savings accounts and
Other Key guidelines and other conditions to set Small accept deposits of up to Rs.1 lakh per individual.
Finance Bank: • Payments banks can issue debit cards but they are
not eligible to provide credit card facilities.
• The small bank shall be registered as a public limited • Payments Banks are allowed to set up their own
company under the Companies Act, 2013. ATMs (automated teller machines).
• Capital requirement - The minimum paid-up capital 3. “Sahamati” introduced to Solve Fintech’s Data Problem
requirement for small banks is Rs. 100 crore. – Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani has introduced a
• Can provide basic banking activities – The small banks new platform “Sahamati” based on a new class of non-
accept deposits as well as can offer loan products. banking financial institutions called the account
Small banks can accept fixed deposits (FDs), term aggregator (NBFC-AA) model. This will work as consent
deposits, recurring deposits (RDs) and any non- brokers, which will take users permission to access their
resident Indian deposits. financial accounts, aggregate and organize all their
• Promoter's contribution: Promoter contribution financial information in one place.
would be at least 40 percent for the first five years. 4. NPCI ties up with JCB for global RuPay card – National
Excess shareholding should be brought down to 40 Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and JCB
percent by the end of the fifth year, to 30 percent by International have launched RuPay JCB Global Cards.
the end of 10th year and to 26 percent in 12 years • RuPay JCB Global Cards can be used at all point
from the date of commencement of business of sales terminals which accept RuPay cards and
• Foreign shareholding: The foreign shareholding in the terminals outside India which accept JCB.
small finance bank would be as per the Foreign Direct 5. Deposits in Jan Dhan Yojana accounts crosses Rs 1 lakh
Investment (FDI) policy. crore – Deposits in bank accounts opened under Jan
• They cannot set up subsidiaries to undertake non- Dhan scheme have crossed the Rs 1 lakh crore mark. As
banking financial services activities. per the latest finance ministry data, the total balance in
• The maximum loan size and investment limit over 36.06 crore Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
exposure to single/group borrowers/issuers would be accounts was at Rs 1,00,495.94 crore as on July 3.
restricted to 15 percent of total capital funds. • The PMJDY was launched on August 28, 2014,
• Loans and advances of up to Rs 25 lakhs, primarily to with an aim to provide universal access to
micro enterprises, should constitute at least 50 banking facilities to the people in the country.
percent of the loan portfolio. 6. ICICI Bank unveils digital platform InstaBIZ for MSMEs –

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• ICICI (Industrial Credit and Investment launched its AI (Artificial Intelligence) interactive assistant
Corporation of India) launched a new digital called “ABHi” at a function in Hyderabad, Telangana.
platform called ‘InstaBIZ’. 11. Repco MFI wins an award from NABARD for SHG linkage
• It targeted at micro, small and medium in TN for 2018-19 - Repco Micro Finance, a Non-Banking
enterprises (MSMEs) and self-employed Financial Company (NBFC)-Micro Finance Institution (MFI)
customers, enable them to undertake their promoted by Repco Bank, was awarded for outstanding
business banking transactions digitally and performance in terms of Self-Help Group (SHG) linkage in
instantly. Tamil Nadu for 2018-19 from National Bank for
• It is a new comprehensive digital platform for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
businesses enables MSMEs to experience the 12. PayPal opens third Global Technology Centre in
convenience of a range of services digitally Hyderabad – On July 23, 2019, an online payment
includes instant overdraft (OD) facility of up to solutions provider PayPal Holdings, Inc has opened a 3rd
Rs.15 lakh. Global Technology Centre at Western Aqua at Kondapur
7. HDFC Bank, CSC launch credit card for VLEs and small in Hyderabad, Telangana after Bengaluru and Chennai.
traders – HDFC Bank and Common Services Centres 13. YES Bank acquires 9.47% stake in Eveready Industries by
launched a co-branded ‘Small Business Money Back invoking pledged shares – YES Bank has acquired a 9.47
Credit Card’ for small traders and village-level % stake in dry cell battery maker, Eveready Industries
entrepreneurs (VLEs). India by invoking shares pledged by McLeod Russel.
• The credit card is specifically designed for VLEs 14. International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director
and VLE-sourced customers. It will give users Christine Lagarde was nominated as the president of the
easy access to credit for their day-to-day European Central Bank.
business expenses. About the European Central Bank
8. HDFC Bank terminated & delisted its GDRs from • European Central Bank was established on 1 June
Luxembourg Stock Exchange – HDFC Bank has 1998.
terminated and de-listed its 22 outstanding global • ECB headquarters is located in Ostend district,
depository receipts (GDRs) from the Luxembourg Stock Frankfurt, Germany.
Exchange. The action has been taken due to low trading • It is the central bank of 19 European Union (EU)
volume of GDRs. countries which have adopted Euro.
Note: 15. Punjab & Sind Bank sets up Cen-MARG – Punjab & Sind
• A global depositary receipt (GDR) is a bank Bank has set up a centralised hub “Centralised MSME &
certificate issued in more than one country for Retail Group”.
shares in a foreign company. The shares are held • It will process retail and MSME loans for the
by a foreign branch of an international bank. The better efficiency of branches in business
shares trade as domestic shares but are offered acquisition.
for sale globally through the various bank • The Cen-MARG has been envisioned to ensure
branches. qualitative improvement in credit appraisal,
9. ICICI Bank to buy stake in BSE subsidiary INX for Rs 31 improved turnaround time, uniform
crore – ICICI Bank said it has entered into an agreement documentation, and efficient monitoring.
with the BSE to buy stake in its subsidiary INX - located at 16. ‘Vasool So-Ft’ launched to digitize NPA recovery process
GIFT City Gujarat - for nearly Rs 31 crore. – Karnataka Bank Ltd has launched the web tool ‘Vasool
• India International Exchange (INX) - a wholly So-Ft’ (Vasool So-Fast) for digitalising the Non-Performing
owned subsidiary of the BSE - is India's first Asset recovery process of the bank.
international exchange at International Financial 17. ICICI Bank tied up with IndoStar Capital, a non-banking
Services Centre (IFSC) in GIFT City. financial company, for vehicle financing for small and
10. Andhra Bank rolls-out Al chatbot “ABHi” in Telangana – medium fleet owners to buy new and old commercial
A medium-sized public sector bank in India, Andhra Bank vehicles.
June

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1. Number of wilful defaulters has risen by 60% in five years - 5. Jammu and Kashmir Bank now under RTI, CVC guidelines –
On June 24, 2019, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman The Jammu and Kashmir Bank will now come under the
stated that the number of wilful defaulters in nationalized purview of Right to Information Act and Central Vigilance
banks has risen by 60% in five years to March 2019. Commission (CVC) guidelines as per the decisions taken by
Key points: the Board of Directors of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank to
• In PSBs (public sector banks), out of 9856 wilful ensure greater transparency and accountability.
defaulters, 960 accounts from Punjab National • J&K Bank Interim Chairman: R K Chibber
bank followed by Union Bank of India and Central • Headquarters: Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir
Bank Of India. 6. IndusInd Bank-Bharat Financial merger to be effective
• In Private sector banks, Axis Bank reported the from July 4
maximum number of defaulters. • IndusInd Bank and Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd
• As of March 2019, PSBs filed suits for recovery in (BFIL) said their merger will be effective from July
8,121 cases however it recovered about Rs.3.59- 4.
lakh crore over four fiscal years (FY16 to FY19). • National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved the
2. Motilal Oswal Asset Management Company a mutual fund merger of private sector lender IndusInd Bank with
company has launched WhatsApp transaction platform for Bharat Financial Inclusion (BFIL), a microfinance
new as well as existing investors. company.
3. State Bank of India (SBI) has organised a nationwide • Now Bharat Financial will become a subsidiary of
customer meet to understand their grievances and enhance IndusInd Bank.
services. Note:
4. Canara Bank updates rules for cash deposits of up to Rs • IndusInd Bank Headquarter: Mumbai, CEO: Romesh
50,000 – From July 1, Canara Bank customers can deposit Sobti.
cash of up to Rs 50,000 for free only thrice a month. • NCLT Headquarter: New Delhi.
• From the fourth transaction or for cash deposits of
over Rs 50,000, there will be a service charge of Rs
1 per thousand, with a minimum of Rs 50 and a
maximum of Rs 5,000 plus GST.
Banking & Financial terms

1. AEPS – Aadhar Enabled Payment System 23. DNS - Domain Name System
2. APBS – Aadhar Payment Bridge System 24. DEAF - Depositor Education and Awareness Fund
3. ATM – Automated Teller Machine 25. EFTPOS - Electronic funds transfer at point of sale
4. ALM - Asset Liability Management 26. EFT – Electronic Fund Transfer.
5. AIIB - Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank 27. FRBM - Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management
6. AMFI - Association of Mutual Funds in India 28. LGD - Loss Given Default
7. BIS - Bureau of Indian Standards 29. LTV- Loan To Value
8. BBPS – Bharat Bill Payment System 30. LRS - Liberalized Remittance Scheme
9. BCA -Baseline Credit Assessment 31. LCR - Liquidity Coverage Ratio
10. BHIM - Bharat Interface for Money 32. GNFV - Gross Negative Fair Value
11. BLRA: Bank Led Resolution Approach 33. SFTs: Securities financing transactions
12. CBL - Chest Balance Limit 34. HCE - Host Card Emulation
13. CMFRI - Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute 35. PFE - Potential Future Exposure
14. CBS – Core Banking System 36. IIP - Index of Industrial Production
15. CIDR - Central Identities Data Repository 37. IBBI - Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India
16. CTS – Cheque Truncation System 38. IFC - International Finance Corporation
17. CDR - Corporate Debt Restructuring 39. IDRBT - Institute for Development and Research in Banking
18. CASA – Current Account Saving Account Technology
19. CAD – Capital Account Deficit 40. Ind As - Indian Accounting Standards
20. CRA - Counterparty Risk Assessment 41. ICAAP - Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process
21. CRR – Cash Reserve Ratio 42. IFSC - Indian Financial System Code
22. ECS – Electronic Clearing Service 43. IMPS - Immediate Payment Service

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44. IMPS - Interbank Mobile Payment Service 80. SWIFT - Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial
45. MMID - Mobile Money Identifier Telecommunications
46. MPIN - Mobile Personal Identification Number 81. NHB – National Housing Bank
47. NPA – Non- Performing Assets 82. NGT - National Green Tribunal
48. NSFR - Net Stable Funding Ratio 83. DSIB – Domestically Systematically Important Bank
49. NPCI - National Payment Corporation of India 84. RWAs - Risk Weighted Assets
50. NFS – National Financial Switch
85. TCs - Trade credits
51. NSFR - Net Stable Funding Ratio
86. CSO - Central Statistics Office
52. NACH – National Automated Clearing House
53. NEFT – National Electronic Fund Transfer 87. ASSOCHAM - Associated Chambers of Commerce and
54. NFC - Near field communication Industry of India
55. NDTL – Net Demand and Time Liabilities. 88. WPI - Wholesale Price Index
56. NASSCOM - National Association of Software and Services 89. FTA - Free Trade Agreement
Companies 90. NHB - National Housing Bank
57. NIIF - National Investment and Infrastructure Fund 91. YONO - You only need one
58. OTC – Over the Counter 92. ARC - Asset Reconstruction Company
59. PIN – Personal Identification Number 93. D-SIBs - Domestic Systemically Important Banks
60. PAC - Personal Access Code 94. MFIs - Micro Finance Institutions
61. PCA - Prompt Corrective Action 95. FPIs - Foreign portfolio investors
62. PCR – Public Credit Registry 96. FVCIs - Foreign venture capital investors
63. PCR - Provisioning Coverage Ratio 97. PPF - Public Provident Fund
64. PSPs - Payment Support Providers 98. NSC - National Savings Certificate
65. TC-CCP - Third-Country Central Counterparty
99. CbC - Country-by-Country
66. TRR - Temporary Recognition Regime
100. WEF - World Economic Forum
67. TReDS - Trade Receivables Discounting System
101. MPI - Multidimensional Poverty Index
68. RTGS – Real Time Gross Settlement
102. UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
69. USSD - Unstructured Supplementary Services Data
103. UPI - Unified Payments Interface
70. UIDAI - Unique Identification Authority of India
71. VPA - Virtual Payment Address. 104. NPCI - National Payments Corporation of India
72. WMA - Ways and Means Advances 105. CII - Confederation of Indian Industry
73. TIEA - Tax Information and Exchange Agreement 106. NBCC - National Buildings Construction Corporation
74. NRETP - National Rural Economic Transformation Project 107. NSSO - National Sample Survey Office
75. IBC - Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 108. EMV - Europay, MasterCard, Visa.
76. GSP - Generalised System of Preferences 109. FATF - Financial Action Task Force
77. IFFCO - Indian Farmers Fertilizer Co-operative
78. PMJAY - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana
79. NBFC - Non-banking finance companies
Important Committees

1. Tapan Ray committee – The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has 7. Aruna Sundararajan Committee - – Union Telecom Minister
set up a working group to review the regulatory and Ravi Shankar Prasad had constituted a committee chaired
supervisory framework for core investment companies by Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan to spell out
(CICs). revival plans for Telecom sector.
2. Ramesh Chand (Member, NITI Aayog) committee – Central 4. P K Sinha (Cabinet Secretary) panel - Central Government
Government has constituted Working Group for the has formed a committee for coordination among the
revision of the current series of Wholesale Price Index (Base Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), the
2011-12). Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change
3. Devendra Fadnavis (CM of Maharashtra) - PM Narendra (MoEFCC) and the state governments after a tug of war
Modi has constituted a high-powered Committee of Chief between the two ministries. The panel formation will help
Ministers (CMs) for ‘Transformation of Indian Agriculture’. in speeding up hydrocarbon exploration-related clearances.

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5. Nandan Nilekani committee – To encourage digital 15. CPWD Constitutes 8-member Committee to Chart Out
payments, the committee has suggested a host of Design Policy - The Central Works Public Department
measures, including elimination of charges, round-the-clock (CPWD) has constituted an expert committee to formulate a
RTGS and NEFT facility, and duty-free import of point-of- design policy for building construction and infrastructure
sales machines. development.
6. V G Kannan committee - The Reserve Bank of India • The committee has been set up under the
constituted a six-member committee to review the ATM chairmanship of CPWD’s Additional Director
interchange fee structure with a “view to increase the ATM General M K Sharma.
deployment in the unbanked areas”. 16. Environment Ministry Constitutes Committee to
• The committee will be led by V G Kannan, Chief Implement National Clean Air Programme - The Union
Executive, Indian Banks Association. Environment Ministry has constituted a committee to
7. Anil Kakodkar & Sidharth Pradhan committee - to discuss implement the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP),
research-related synergies and tax issues for state-run oil which aims to reduce particulate matter (PM) pollution by
companies. The committee has recommended strategies to 20%-30% in at least 102 cities by 2024.
reduce import dependency. • The committee will be chaired by the Secretary,
8. TN Manoharan committee (Chairman Canara Bank)- on the Union Environment Ministry. It would be
Development of Secondary Market for Corporate Loans to headquartered in New Delhi.
come up with recommendations to increase the efficiencies 17. B V R Mohan Reddy committee - not to allow setting up of
of the debt market and aid in the resolution of stressed new Engineering colleges from 2020.
assets. Note:
9. Kasturirangan committee - Former ISRO chief Dr. • The Panel headed by IIT-Hyderabad chairman B V R
Kasturirangan led Committee submitted the draft National Mohan Reddy has suggested All India Council for
Educational Policy (NEP) to HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Technical Education (AICTE) not to allow setting up
Nishank in New Delhi. of new Engineering colleges from 2020.
10. Amitabh Kant (Niti Aayog CEO) committee - National 18. Nandan Nilekani committee - to boost digital payments
Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage, and enhance financial inclusion.
which is being set up to promote clean and sustainable 19. U.K. Sinha committee - to suggest long-term solutions for
mobility initiatives in the country. the economic and financial sustainability of the MSME
11. Suresh Mathur committee – to review the regulatory sector.
framework on microinsurance and recommend measures to 20. Committee headed by NITI Aayog member (health) - The
increase the demand for such products. Union government has constituted a high-power committee
12. Bimal Jalan Panel - to suggest how the central bank should headed by NITI Aayog member (health) to monitor the
handle its reserves and whether it can transfer its surplus to pricing of medicines and healthcare products.
the government. 21. Praveen Kutumbe committee - Insurance Regulatory
13. Anoop Satpathy Committee - Recommends Rs 9,750 Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has set up a panel
Monthly National Minimum Wage headed by Praveen Kutumbe, to identify domestically
Note: systematically important insurers (SIIs) and an augmented
• submitted its report on “Determining the regulatory framework is logically established in this regard.
Methodology for Fixation of the National Minimum 22. Akhilesh Ranjan Committee – for drafting New Direct Tax
Wage” to the Government. Legislation (Law)
• It recommended the fixation of need-based 23. Dr. Bibek Debroy (The Economic Advisory Council to the
National Minimum Wage (NMW) for India at Rs 375 Prime Minister) Committee - to assess key challenges and
per day or Rs 9,750 per month irrespective of suggest reforms in logistics development and associated
sectors, skills, occupations and rural-urban commerce.
locations for a family comprising of 3.6 24. Rajiv Kumar (NITI Aayog Vice Chairman) Committee – to
consumption units. look at selling of 149 small and marginal oil and gas fields of
• The Present NMW is Rs. 4,576. state-owned the Oil and Natural Gas Corporatio (ONGC) and
14. Sanjeev Sharma (income tax commissioner) Committee - Oil India Limited (OIL) to private and foreign companies to
to look into the matter of taxation related pain points and boost domestic output.
submit its final report and recommendations by mid-March.

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Agreement & Deals

December

1. Dell Technologies tie up with UNESCO to boost quality of • Investor Education & Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA
education: works under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs,
• Dell Technologies has partnered with UNESCO Mahatma 5. India-Bangladesh ties transcend strategic partnership
Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace (MGIEP) to • The ties between India and Bangladesh for transcend
enable school teachers to adopt technology in strategic partnership. The multidimensional relationship
classrooms by using ICT tools. between the two countries covers not only traditional
• The information and communication technology (ICT) areas like trade, commerce, security and border
tools have been developed by Dell Aarambh and management but also new areas such as IT, space and
FramerSpace platform. nuclear science among others.
• The partnership would enable achieving the UN • India is a committed development partner of Bangladesh
Sustainable Goal 4.7 towards education for building with a credit line worth 8 billion US dollars of which 80%
peaceful and sustainable societies and also UNESCO is earmarked for infrastructure and connectivity sector.
MGIEP in its mission of building social and emotional 6. BlackBuck partners with IDFC Bank, Yes Bank to offer free
learning, innovative digital pedagogies and empowering FASTags to truck Owners:
youth. • The Online trucking platform BlackBuck has partnered
2. MoU signed Between NSIC & ARAMCO Asia for with private lenders IDFC Bank and Yes Bank to provide
development in Oil & Gas Sectors FASTags to truck owners free of cost.
• A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been • Truck owners can order FASTags on BlackBuck’s Boss
signed between National Small Industries Corporation App, a digital services platform exclusively for truck fleet
(NSIC) and Suadi Aramco (Asia) for the development of owners, and it will be delivered at their doorstep free of
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) cost until December 31, 2019.
Ecosystem in India in Oil & Gas Sector. • The initiative is expected to help over 3 million trucks in
• The MoU will pave a way for accredited Indian MSMEs India become FASTag compliant.
to carve out space as vendors in Global space. 7. CPPIB to invest $600 million in National Investment and
3. NTPC signed Agreement with SBI for Rs. 5,000 crores: Infrastructure Fund:
• National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) has • The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF)
signed a term loan agreement of Rs. 5,000 crores with of India and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
State Bank of India (SBI). (CPPIB) have agreed for CPPIB to invest up to $600
• The loan facility has been extended at an interest rate million through the NIIF Master Fund.
linked to 3 Months MCLR of the bank and has a door to • The agreement includes a commitment of $150 million
door tenure of 15 years. The loan will be utilised to part in the NIIF Master Fund and co-investment rights of up
finance the capital expenditure of NTPC. to $450 million in future opportunities to invest
4. IEPFA signs MoU with Bank of Baroda (BOB) for Investor alongside the NIIF Master Fund.
Awareness • The NIIF Master Fund invests equity capital in core
• Investor Education & Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) infrastructure sectors in India, with a focus on
has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) transportation, energy and urban infrastructure.
with Bank of Baroda (BoB) to spread customer
awareness and investor education and reaching out to 8. Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank signs MoU for
investors and stakeholders. bancassurance:
• As per the agreement, 9,456 BoB branches will exhibit • Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) and Canara,
IEPFA posters on investor protection & 3,115 ATMs HSBC, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Life Insurance
(Automated Teller Machine) and Cash Recyclers Company Ltd. signed an MoU for bancassurance (for
supported by self-service channels will feature digital selling life insurance products through the branches of
banners on IEPFA. KVGB).

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• As per the pact, KVGB will market wide range insurance ticketing of National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC)
products of the Canara HSBC through its 636 branches in in New Delhi.
9 districts of Karnataka. • With this MoU, booking a ticket to visit NMIC will be a
9. ZestMoney partnered with Xiaomi to launch ‘Mi Credit’ click away as it will now be available on BookMyShow,
personal loan service in India: thus benefiting film lovers in India and abroad.
• Bengaluru based EMI financing platform, ZestMoney has • The MoU has been part of Museum outreach initiatives
partnered with Chinese smartphone company, Xiaomi, aimed at increasing footfalls to NMIC.
to launch new loan service app called “MiCredit” in the 11. Walmart India ties-up with HDFC to launch co-branded
Indian market. credit card for Best price stores
• Through this app customers can get an instant loan • In a first, Walmart India has partnered with HDFC Bank
ranging from Rs 7,000 – Rs 1,00,000. to launch a co-branded credit card.
• Application process for loans can be completed within 5 • The new co-branded credit card is available exclusively
minutes, and the repayment can be done over a period for members of Best Price Modern Wholesale B2B
from 3 months – 3 years in easy EMIs. (business to business) cash & carry Stores, owned and
10. National Museum of Indian Cinema signs MoU with Films operated by Walmart India .
Division and BookMyShow: • In this, the facility of free credit will be available for up
• Films Division of India and BookMyShow (BMS) signed a to 50 days without any interest.
memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for online

November

1. ADB, India sign $451 million loan to strengthen Power • The alliance to leverage U GRO Capital’s proprietary
Connectivity in Tamil Nadu technology platform ‘GRO-Xstream’ to provide in-
• Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) principle loan approval within 60 minutes.
has signed a $451 million loan for strengthening power • U GRO Capital, a BSE listed, technology-enabled small
connectivity between northern and southern parts of business lending platform entered into a loan co-
Chennai–Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC) which is origination.
part of East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC).
• ECEC is India’s first coastal economic corridor. 3. India-Uzbekistan sign pact on counter-terror cooperation
• It will help establish extra-high-voltage transmission link • India and Uzbekistan have signed a pact for further
between Coimbatore and Virudhunagar. It will meet strengthening of cooperation in the fields of counter-
increased power demand in CKIC by transfering terrorism and organised crime.
additional generation capacity of 9,000 megawatt (MW), • The agreement was signed by Union Home Minister Amit
including 6,000 MW from renewables by 2025. This will Shah and his Uzbekistan counterpart Pulat Bobojonov
help reliably evacuate power from these new power here to further increase cooperation between India and
plants in southern CKIC. Uzbekistan in diverse fields including counter-terrorism,
organized crime and human trafficking.
2. SBI & U-GRO signed loan co-origination agreement • The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest
• U-GRO Capital has signed an SME loan co-origination including bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation,
agreement with State Bank of India to facilitate broader capacity building and training for Uzbek security
credit outreach and faster disbursal. personnel in Indian institutions, border guarding and
disaster management.

October

as well as strengthen the implementation of government’s

1. NHA and Google tie up for Ayushman Bharat flagship health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat-
Implementation – The National Health Authority (NHA) has Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).
joined hands with international giant Google to collaborate

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2. Sports Ministry inks MoU with NBCC to develop National • Siemens has also inked a separate MoU with TERI for
Sports University at Imphal – State-owned construction collaboration on technologies to support the energy
firm NBCC (India) has signed a Memorandum of transition in India including sector-coupling.
Understanding (MoU) with Department of Sports under 6. GeM signs MoU with Indian Bank and Canara Bank for
Union Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS) to provide payment related service
Project Management Consultancy for development of • Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has signed MoU
National Sports University at Imphal, Manipur. The with Indian Bank and Canara Bank.
approximate cost of project would be Rs.400 crore. • The MoU will facilitate a cashless, paperless and
3. Indian & Bangladesh signed 7 agreements – The seven transparent payment system on the portal and
pacts and three projects that were signed and finalised would create an efficient procurement system for
during the visit of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh to government entities.
India. • Through this partnership, both the banks will be able
The key agreements signed between India & Bangladesh – to offer an array of services including transfer of
• Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on the use of funds through GeM Pool Accounts (GPA), advising of
Chattogram and Mongla Ports for Movement of Performance Bank Guarantees (e-PBG), Earnest
goods to and from India Money Deposit (EMD) and Payment Gateway to the
• withdrawal of 1.82 cusec of water from Feni river registered users on the portal.
by India for drinking water supply, scheme for 7. IOB launches health care plus insurance policy
Sabroom town, Tripura, India • Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) in association with
• MoU on providing Coastal Surveillance System - Universal Sompo General Insurance Co Ltd. has
Delhi to set up a coastal surveillance system radar launched upgraded health care plus insurance
in Bangladesh policy.
• Inauguration of BIPSDI – Bangladesh – India • It is a co-branded insurance scheme exclusively
Professional Skill Development Institute designed for IOB customers with a sum insured
• Inauguration of Vivekananda Bhaban, students starting from ₹50,000 and going up to ₹15 lakh.
hostel at Ramakrishna mission in Dhaka. • The policy issuance will be made on a real-time
4. Bank of Baroda signs MoU with Indian Army for basis at the IOB branches to its customers. Self,
customised services – Bank of Baroda (BoB) has signed a spouse, dependent children, dependent parents
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian can be covered under the policy.
Army under which the bank would offer customised 8. USD 165 mn loan agreement for Odisha’s Integrated
services along with a host of facilities to account holders. Irrigation Project
• The MoU includes handsome free personal • The Government of India, Government of Odisha
accident insurance cover, free air accident and the World Bank have signed a USD 165 million
insurance cover of Rs 15 lakh to Rs 50 lakh and an loan agreement.
overdraft facility up to three times of monthly net • The agreement is signed for Odisha’s Integrated
salary. Irrigation Project for Climate Resilient Agriculture.
5. Siemens signs MoUs with NTPC, TERI on decarbonisation, • The project will be implemented in rural areas
energy transition vulnerable to droughts and largely dependent on
rainfed agriculture.
• German multinational conglomerate company, • The $165 million loan from the International Bank
Siemens Limited has signed a Memorandum of for Reconstruction and Development (Member of
Understanding (MoU) with NTPC Limited to identify, World Bank Group), has a 6-year grace period, and
evaluate and set up reference use cases of hydrogen a maturity of 24 years.
sector-coupling for various upstream and 9. GeM and Federal Bank sign MoU for payment related
downstream applications. services
• The collaboration is aimed at developing innovative • The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) signed a
technologies, solutions and techniques to reduce memorandum of understanding (MoU) with
the dependence on Hydrocarbons in India. Federal Bank to offer a number of services
including transfer of funds through GeM Pool

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Accounts (GPA), advising of Performance Bank • Under the agreement, HCIN and KVB will disburse
Guarantees (e-PBG) and Earnest Money Deposit loans in a single amount to customers. With this
(EMD) to the registered users on the portal. partnership and by leveraging the lower cost of
• The MoU will facilitate a cashless, paperless and funds of KVB, Home Credit India will be able to
transparent payment system on the portal and reach out to a new segment of customer. Home
would create an efficient procurement system for Credit India has operations spread over 179 cities
government entities. across 20 States in India.
10. Grasim partenered with German’s MR to produce 13. Mastercard and MS Dhoni partner to build ‘Team
insulators Cashless India’:
• Grasim Industries Limited has signed a definitive • Mastercard, along with cricketer Mahendra Singh
agreement to form a joint venture company in Dhoni, launched a nationwide initiative ‘Team
India with Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen GmbH (MR) Cashless India’ to accelerate the acceptance and
of Germany. adoption of digital payments.
• The joint venture is for the manufacturing and sale • The initiative ‘Team Cashless India’ brings
of Composite Hollow Core Insulators to serve the consumers and merchants to the forefront of the
power transmission and distribution (T&D) industry digital payments dialogue.
globally. • The campaign encourages all Indians to nominate
• This joint venture will bring together Aditya Birla one or more merchants who currently do not
Insulators (a unit of Grasim) and Reinhausen Power accept digital payments.
Composites (a unit of MR). • Mastercard will work together with Confederation
• ABPCL will build a fully integrated CHCI plant at of All India Traders (CAIT), acquirer banks and
Halol, bringing the latest technology for Composite fintech companies to support nominated
Hollow Insulators from Europe. merchants to deploy digital payments acceptance
• It will serve the insulator requirements of Indian infrastructure.
and global OEMs in the power equipment industry. 14. ADB & India signs $190 million loan for projects in
11. AYUSH, Defence ministries ink MoU to provide Rajasthan:
traditional medicine services: • The Asian Development Bank and the Government
• The AYUSH ministry has signed an MoU with the of India has signed a $190 Million loan. The amount
Defence Ministry to provide traditional medicine will be used to upgrade 754 km of state highways
services at the armed forces’ hospitals and and major district roads (MDRs) to benefit about 26
dispensaries. million people in 14 districts of Rajasthan. For the
• Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Naik benefit of commuters and pedestrians, particularly
inaugurated an Ayurveda Palliative Care Unit at the women and children, the project provides for
Base Hospital in the Delhi Cantonment. constructing more than 200 bus stops, 70 km of
• Under the MoU, Ayurveda units will also be hard shoulder, and 2 km of raised sidewalk on
established at palliative care centres at the Army project roads.
Research and Referral Hospital, Air Force Hospital,
Hindon in Ghaziabad and five identified ex- 15. GeM signs MOU with Union Bank of India
servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) • Government e-Marketplace signed an MoU with
polyclinics in Delhi–NCR. Union Bank of India. As per the MoU, UBI will be
12. Home Credit India join hand with Karur Vysya Bank for able to offer an array of services including transfer
joint lending: of funds through GeM Pool Accounts, advising of
• Home Credit India (HCIN), a local arm of the Performance Bank Guarantees and Earnest Money
international consumer finance provider, has tied- Deposit to the registered users on the GeM portal.
up with Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) for joint lending • The MoU will facilitate a cashless, paperless and
using end-to-end automated processing which will transparent payment system on the portal and will
help the customer get real-time approval and create an efficient procurement system for
disbursement. government entities.

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16. NHA ties with Google to strengthen the digital presence of PMJAY and showcasing relevant
implementation of PMJAY content to the 50 crore entitled beneficiaries.
• National Health Authority signed a Statement of • Google will also help provide training and support to
Intent (SoI) with Google to collaborate and NHA personnel to build on digital skills. NHA is the
strengthen the implementation of Ayushman nodal agency for implementing Ayushman Bharat-
Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
• The two organizations will now work together to
increase process efficiencies in day-to-day
applications. Google will support NHA in improving

September

1. DRDO and CUJ sign MoU to set up Kalam Centre for 7. Niti Aayog, McKinsey to launch First Digital Capability
Science and Technology – Defence Research & Centre – National Institution for Transforming India (Niti
Development Organisation (DRDO), Ministry of Defence and Aayog) has selected McKinsey & Company to set up India’s
Central University of Jammu (CUJ) have entered into a first Digital Capability Centre (DCC).
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the 8. Gurugram Police ties up with tech giant Google – The
establishment of Kalam Centre for Science and Technology Gurugram traffic police have tied up with Google maps for
(KCST) at the university. real time traffic updates.
2. India, ADB sign $200-million loan agreement for upgrading 9. World Bank to sanction Rs 3,000 crore for food parks – The
rural roads in Maharashtra World Bank will provide Rs 3,000 crore assistance to finance
• India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed mini and mega food parks across India.
200-million dollar loan agreement for upgrading • The announcement was made by Union Minister of
rural roads in 34 districts of Maharashtra with the State for Food Processing Industries during the
objective of improving road safety and better 15th Indo-US Economic Summit held in New Delhi.
connecting rural areas with markets and services. 10. Gujarat Govt, Delaware State of America sign MoU for
3. Facebook bags digital content rights for ICC matches in sister state – Gujarat Government and the Delaware State
South Asia – The International Cricket Council has inked an of America signed Memorandum of Understanding(MoU)
agreement with Facebook, under which the social media for sister state. This is the first sister-state MoU signed by
platform will get exclusive digital content rights for select Gujarat with any state of America.
cricket matches in the Indian subcontinent including the 11. ESIC Signs an Agreement with SBI – Employees’ State
Women’s T20 World Cup 2020-22, Men’s T20 World Cup Insurance Corporation(ESIC) signed Memorandum of
2020-21 and the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. Agreement (MoA) with State Bank of India for direct
4. DSCI, MeitY and Google India join hands for ‘Digital transfer of benefits electronically into bank accounts of all
Payment Abhiyan – Nasscom’s Data Security Council of stakeholders.
India (DSCI) collaborated with the electronics and IT 12. IIT-Kharagpur and Amazon Web Services join hands to
ministry (MeitY) and Google India to launch a nationwide develop AI portal – IIT Kharagpur has collaborated with
awareness campaign ‘Digital Payment Abhiyan’. Amazon Web Services (AWS) to develop a National Artificial
5. ISRO, DRDO sign MoUs to provide technologies for Human Intelligence resource platform (NAIRP) to promote learning
Space Mission – The Indian Space Research Organisation and development in artificial intelligence (AI).
(ISRO) joined hands with Defence Research and 13. UNESCO & Rajasthan partners to promote the state’s
Development Organisation (DRDO) for the development of intangible cultural heritage – UNESCO and Rajasthan
human-centric systems for the Human Space Mission to government partners to promote music, art and craft forms,
demonstrate its human space flight capabilities. and other intangible cultural heritage of the state to spur
6. Skill India sign agreement with IBM for Train-the-Trainer socio-economic growth of several artist communities.
programme in AI – The Directorate General of Training • It is a partnership agreement to promote
(DGT), under the skill development and entrepreneurship community-based responsible tourism based on
ministry, has signed an agreement with IT major IBM to the rich intangible cultural heritage of Rajasthan.
carry out a nationwide Train-the-Trainer programme in • The project will be implemented in Jodhpur,
basic artificial intelligence. Barmer, Jaisalmer and Bikaner districts.

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Note: agreement, they will set up a 750 MW gas based power
• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and plant in Meghnahat near Dhaka.
Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the • The construction of the plant will be completed by
United Nations based in Paris, France. 2022.
14. Microsoft & CBSE partners to build AI learning for schools • Reliance Power has also signed an MoU with Petro
– Microsoft India and the Central Board of Secondary Bangla to set up 500 mmscfd (Million standard
Education have partnered to build AI learning for schools. cubic feet per day) LNG terminal at Kutubdia Island
• They will conduct capacity building programmes for near Chittagong in Bangladesh.
high school teachers with an aim to integrate 17. MeitY and Google signed a SoI to roll out “Build for Digital
cloud-powered technology in K12 teaching. India” – Google and the Ministry of Electronics and
15. Wipro bags $300-million deal from ICICI Bank – Wipro Information Technology have signed a statement of intent
Limited has bagged a strategic contract valued at $300 to roll-out ‘Build for Digital India‘.
million from the ICICI Bank. • It is a programme which will provide engineering
• Under the contract, Wipro will offer a students a platform to develop market-ready,
comprehensive suite of services to ICICI Bank for technology-based solutions that address key social
the next seven years, starting September 2019. problems.
16. Bangladesh partners with Reliance Power for gas-based • Under this program, the applicants will participate
power plant – The Bangladesh government has signed an in online and offline learning opportunities on key
agreement with Reliance Power of India. As per the technologies like machine learning, cloud and
android.

August

1. BSE and SUFI join hands to launch steel futures – The Steel International Settlement Agreements Resulting from
Users Federation of India has signed a MoU with the Mediation.
Bombay Stock Exchange to launch trading in steel futures. 5. UP Govt extends bilateral agreements with Netherlands
2. ADB to provide $200 Million loan for improving road till 2024 – The Uttar Pradesh government has extended
infrastructure in Maharashtra – Asian Development Bank bilateral agreements with Netherlands till 2024.
(ADB) has approved US $200 million loan for Road • The previously inked MoUs sought cooperation and
Infrastructure Improving project in Maharashtra’s 34 exchange of the knowledge and techniques in the fields
districts for better connecting rural areas with markets and of solid waste management, spatial planning, water
services. management including restoration of water bodies and
3. ADB signs USD 500 million loan agreement with Pakistan – mobility planning.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a USD 500- 6. OYO Hotels partners with ACKO General Insurance will
million loan agreement with cash-strapped Pakistan to launch complimentary insurance cover up to Rs.10 lakh for
support the country’s trade competitiveness and exports. guests
4. India signs UN Convention on International Settlement • On August 12, 2019, Budget hotel chain Oyo Hotels and
Agreements – India signed United Nations Convention on Homes have partnered with ACKO General Insurance to
International Settlement Agreements (UNISA) also known provide a complimentary insurance cover as part of the
as Singapore Convention on Mediation. booking price for guests at its hotels across India.
• It was signed by India’s High Commissioner to 7. Chennai City FC ties up with German company “uhlsport” –
Singapore Jawed Ashraf, representing Government I-League champion Chennai City FC has announced a
of India (GoI). strategic partnership with German sports goods supplier
• So far 46 countries have signed this international “uhlsport”.
treaty on settlement agreements. • The partnership aims to support a sustainable growth
About UN Convention on International Settlement Agreement of football education in India.
(UNISA) 8. UNIDO and NISE to partner for skill development program
• It is also known as Singapore Convention on Mediation. – The National Institute of Solar Energy and the United
In December 2018 UN General Assembly (UNGA) Nations Industrial Development Organization have signed
adopted The United Nations Convention on an agreement to initiate a skill development programme for

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different levels of beneficiaries in the solar thermal energy • The river Ganga’s water is being received by
sector. Bangladesh under the Ganga Water Sharing Treaty
• NISE and UNIDO will engage national and international 1996.
experts to bring the best practices by developing • Both the countries have also agreed to prepare a
specialized training material. framework for interim water-sharing agreement for
9. Rel Jio & Microsoft partners to offer cloud infrastructure 8 rivers including Feni, Gumti and Teesta.
for businesses – Reliance Jio and Microsoft announced a 11. Bangladesh signs uranium supply deal with Russia -
partnership to accelerate the digital transformation in India. Bangladesh signed a deal with Russia for the supply of
• Under this deal, Microsoft will bring in the Azure Cloud uranium for its 2400 MW Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant
on Jio Network and target the enterprise and business (RNPP).
users seeking a technological shift. • The deal was signed in Dhaka between the
10. India & Bangladesh to set up committee for optimum use Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and Russian
of water resources – India and Bangladesh have agreed to Nuclear Fuel Supply Company (TVEL).
set up a Joint Technical committee for optimum use of • Under this deal, Russia will supply the nuclear fuel
Ganges water. needed for the plant during its entire life cycle.
July

1. India, UK launch Innovating for Clean Air initiative in Development Bank (ADB) for power generation up-
Bengaluru – India and United Kingdom launched two-year gradation and distribution projects in the state.
joint initiative- Innovating for Clean Air (IfCA) n Bengaluru, 4. NTPC & BHEL ink pact to set up 800 MW TDP in Sipat,
capital of Karnataka. Chhattisgarh – On July 24, 2019, National Thermal Power
• It is aimed at providing unique air quality Corporation (NTPC) and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited
measurement system by integrating satellite and (BHEL) signed a pact, forming a joint venture (JV) company,
sensor data and support India’s transition to to set up an 800 MW Technology Demonstration Plant
Electric Vehicles (EVs). (TDP) at NTPC’s existing power plant in Sipat, Chhattisgarh.
2. President Ram Nath Kovind Visit to Benin – President Ram It will be the world’s most efficient and environment-
Nath Kovind visited Benin at Cardinal Bernadine de Cotonou friendly coal-fired power plant.
International Airport in Cotonou, the largest city in the 5. NITI Aayog and WhatsApp partners to promote women
West African country. entrepreneurs – A partnership between NITI Aayog and
• This is first visit by either a head of state or head of WhatsApp has been announced to support the growth of
government to three West African countries. the ecosystem to promote women entrepreneurs in India
Note: under the aegis of Women Entrepreneurship Platform
• Both countries showed commitment towards (WEP).
taking development partnership forward by signing • A coffee table book was launched by WhatsApp in
of country agreement for Benin to avail various New Delhi named “Gateway To A Billion
initiatives by India such as tele-medicine initiative– Opportunities” which is a collection of impactful
e-Arogyabharati and tele-education programme– e- stories from across India.
Vidyabharati. 6. WB govt will sign MoU with British Council to improve the
• India also extended free tele-education courses to spoken English skills - The technical education department
over 15,000 Beninese students and tele-medicine of West Bengal (WB) will sign an MoU (memorandum of
courses to 1,000 doctors and paramedics in Africa. understanding) with the British Council to improve the
Note: English- speaking skills of the students studying in
• Benin, a French-speaking West African nation Polytechnic Colleges in the state.
• Porto-Novo is the capital of Benin. 7. AIIB provides $100 million to L&T Finance arm for wind
• Franc is the currency of Benin. and solar infrastructure projects
3. Deputy CM of Tripura, Jishnu Dev Varma announces • The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will
projects worth Rs.1925 crore by ADB - Deputy Chief provide $100-million loan to L&T(Larsen & Toubro)
Minister of Tripura, Jishnu Dev Varma announced that Infrastructure Finance Company(LTIF) for wind and
Rs.1,925 crore worth of amount is sanctioned by the Asian solar infrastructure projects. This is the first time

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AIIB is extending loan to a non-banking finance • The Indian government had taken up the project
company(NBFC). under its Rakhine State Development Programme
8. Exim Bank signs Loan Pact worth $124 Mn For Infra, for $ 25M for a period of five years.
Health Projects In Papua New Guinea, Senegal Note:
• The Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has • Capital of Myanmar: Naypyitaw
signed a loan agreement of providing $124 million • Currency of Myanmar: Burmese Kyat.
(over Rs 850 crore) to Papua New Guinea and 13. Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti – The aim of Raksha Gyan
Senegal governments to finance infrastructure and Shakti is to inculcate Intellectual Property culture in Indian
health care projects. defence manufacturing ecosystem.
9. India extends $500,000 assistance to Gambia – During the • Defence Ministry has signed an MOU with the
President Ram Nath Kovind’s visit to Gambia, India has Intellectual Property Facilitation Cell and National
promised to extend an assistance of USD 500,000 to Research Development Corporation in connection
Gambia. to the mission Raksha Gyan Shakti.
• The assistance will contribute in supporting the skill • The MoU will bridge the capacity shortfall and
development and cottage industry projects in the provide a major fillip to the ongoing efforts of the
West African country. Defence Ministry towards promoting a culture of
• The two countries has also signed a MoU on Innovation and Intellectual Property Rights in the
Cooperation in the field of Traditional Systems of Defence industry.
Medicine and Homeopathy. 14. Union Ministry signs MoU with Ministries of Ayush,
Note: Defence and Railways – Union Health Ministry has signed
• President of: Adama Barrow an MoU with Ministries of Ayush, Defence and Railways to
• Capital: Banjul. strengthen the efforts towards a TB-Free India by 2025.
• The dalasi is the currency of the Gambia. • Around 28 lakh people contract the disease every
10. BCC signs MoU with BRICS chamber to promote trade – year in the country and four lakh people die every
The Bharat Chamber of Commerce and the BRICS Chamber year.
of Commerce and Industry, New Delhi, signed an MoU for 15. Sri Lanka signs agreement with India to upgrade railway
promoting trade and investments between the BRICS lines – Sri Lanka has signed an agreement with India to
countries and the eastern part of India. upgrade tracks in a key railway segment connecting the
Note: north and south at a cost of $ 91.26 million.
• BRICS Headquarters: Shanghai, China; President of • This is the first time in 100 years that the 130 km-
BRICS: K V Kamath. long-tracks, running from Maho town in the North
• Members of the BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China and Western Province to Omanthai in the Northern
South Africa. Province, are being upgraded.
11. Byju's replaces Oppo as Team India's official sponsor: BCCI • The contract agreement for concessional financing
• The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has was signed in Colombo between the Government
announced that Bengaluru-based education and of Sri Lanka and IRCON International Ltd (India).
learning app Byju’s, which is owned by Think and 16. India, Italy to set up fast-track mechanism – India and Italy
Learn Private Limited, has replaced Oppo India as have decided to set up a fast track mechanism to facilitate
the official Team India sponsor. investors and companies.
• The deal period will begin from 5 September, 2019 • The meeting was attended by Ambassador of Italy
until 31 March, 2022. to India, Lorenzo Angeloni and Secretary of
• Byju Raveendran, founder and chief executive of Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion,
Byju’s. Ramesh Abhishek.
12. India hands over pre-fabricated houses to Myanmar - India 17. OYO Hotels & Homes acquires co-working firm Innov8 –
handed over 250 pre-fabricated houses to Myanmar in • OYO Hotels & Homes has formally announced its
Maung Daw for use of displaced returnees from acquisition of co-working venture Innov8. OYO will
Bangladesh. operate the firm Innov8 as an independent brand,
and along-side its existing co-working operations.

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18. Israel Aerospace signs $50 million deal with Indian navy – 22. Hong Kong to provide over $9 million aid for Cyclone Fani
Israel Aerospace signs $50 million follow-up deal with victims - The Hong Kong government has approved over
Indian navy. $900,000 for relief and rehabilitation work in cyclone-hit
• Under the deal, Israel Aerospace Industries will Odisha that could benefit around 45,100 victims.
provide complementary missile systems to the • Cyclone Fani, an extremely severe cyclonic storm,
Indian navy and India’s MDL Shipyard. made a landfall in Odisha’s Puri in May 2019.
• The agreement also involves a range of 23. India sign Rs.200 crore deal with Russia to acquire Strum
maintenance and other services for sub-systems of Ataka – India has signed Rs.200 crore deal with Russia for
Israel Aerospace’s naval medium range surface-to- acquiring Strum Ataka anti-tank missile for its fleet of Mi-35
air missile. attack choppers of Indian Air Force (IAF).
19. Reliance Jio ties up with Facebook for ‘Digital Udaan’ – 24. MoU between India and Maldives in the Health Sector.
Reliance Jio ties up with Facebook for digital literacy 25. Cabinet approves India-Maldives MoU for passenger,
initiative ‘Digital Udaan’. The initiative will have audio-visual cargo services – The Union Cabinet has approved the pact
training in 10 regional languages. signed between India and Maldives to start passenger and
20. ISRO ties up with Russian agency to select, train Indian cargo services via sea route. The MoU will pave way for
astronauts – Indian Space Research Organisation has signed ferry services between Maldives and India.
a contract with Russia’s Glavkosmos for selection support, 26. SBI, NIIF in pact for funding infrastructure projects – The
medical examination and space training of Indian State Bank of India has signed a memorandum of
astronauts. understanding with National Investment and Infrastructure
• ISRO has planned to send two unmanned missions Fund to boost availability of capital for infrastructure
before the mission ‘Gaganyaan-1’. projects.
21. Govt ropes in IBM for a pilot study on using AI, weather 27. Airtel Payments Bank to sell Bharti AXA Life’s term
tech in agriculture – The Centre on 03rd July 2019 inked insurance – Airtel Payments Bank has partnered with Bharti
pact with IBM India for undertaking a pilot study to utilise AXA Life Insurance to offer a life term insurance plan.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and weather technology solutions • The product, Bharti AXA Life (Point of Sale) Saral
in agriculture in one district each in three states. Jeevan Bima Yojana, is a pure life term insurance
• The pilot study will be conducted for the Kharif plan which is aimed at the under insured and
crop season 2019 in three districts - Bhopal, Rajkot uninsured segments in India.
and Nanded - in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and
Maharashtra, respectively.

June
4. NTPC, PGCIL ink MoU to enter national electricity
1. First Resilient Kerala Program – The Government of Kerala distribution business – National Thermal Power
and the World Bank have signed the Loan Agreement of Corporation Limited and Power Grid Corporation of India
USD 250 million for the First Resilient Kerala Program. Limited have signed an agreement to set up National
• The New Program is part of ‘Rebuild Kerala Electricity Distribution Company Ltd.
Development Programme’ aimed at building a • NEDCL will be a joint venture company on 50:50
green and resilient Kerala. equity basis.
2. India signs USD 400M loan agreement with World Bank to • The main aim of the initiative is to enter the
eliminate TB by 2025– India has signed a loan agreement electricity distribution business on a pan India
worth 400 million dollar with the World Bank to help treat basis.
and eliminate Tuberculosis from the country. 5. India signs $250 million World Bank loan to develop
• The World Bank supported program will cover nine Rajasthan’s Roads and Highways.
States and it will support the government's 6. India & World Bank signed a loan agreement worth of
National Strategic Plan to end TB in India by 2025. $328 million for improving health services of Andhra
3. Max Bupa partners with MobiKwik for health insurance – Pradesh.
Max Bupa partners with fintech platform MobiKwik to 7. World Bank commits $31.58 mn loan for Uttarakhand
promote bite sized group health insurance products for Public Financial Management Strengthening Project
MobiKwik’s 107 million customers across the country.

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8. Tech Mahindra signed a contract with Airbus for cabin and Bangladesh and South Korea to make DD
cargo design engineering - Tech Mahindra, an information (Doordarshan) India available to viewers in the two
technology firm, entered into a multi-year contract with countries respectively.
Airbus for cabin and cargo design engineering. • Under this agreement, Bangladesh’s BTV World and
• The contract is aimed to capitalise on the South Korea’s KBS World will also be made
specialised skills and competencies in growing available on DD Free Dish, which has nearly 35
cabin engineering business over the next few years. million subscribers across the country.
9. Airbnb has invested $100mn in Indian hotel startup OYO - 15. India extends $15 Million assistance to Niger for holding
Airbnb has invested $100 million in hospitality chain AU summit – India has for the first time extended $15
• Oyo Hotels & Homes, making it the third successive Million financial support to Niger as a support for organising
strategic investor to buy a stake in the Gurgaon- African Union (AU) summit scheduled to be held in 7-8 July
based company. 2019 in Niamey (Capital of Niger).
• Airbnb, Inc. is an American online marketplace and • This will be the 1st time that Niger will be hosting
hospitality service brokerage company based in San an AU summit.
Francisco, California, United States. Members can • India is also establishing the Mahatma Gandhi
use the service to arrange or offer lodging, International Convention Centre (MGICC) in
primarily homestays, or tourism experiences. Niamey under grant assistance.
• As part of the deal, Oyo is also likely to list its • African Union (AU), international organization
properties on the San Francisco-headquartered established in 2002 by the nations of the former
company’s platform. Organization of African Unity (OAU).
10. India scraped $500 mn arms deal with Israel - India scraped • There are 54-member nations; the only African
$500 million arms deal with Israel for the purchase of Spike country that is not a member is Morocco.
anti-tank missiles from defence contractor Rafael Advanced • The AU's headquarters are at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Defense Systems. 16. India extended a financial aid of 1.6billion Nepalese Rupees
11. Maruti Suzuki inks partnership with BOB for dealer (NPR) to Nepal government for rebuilding earthquake-hit
financing - Automobile manufacturer in India, Maruti Suzuki houses in two district that were most hit.
signed ‘Preferred Financier’ MoU(Memorandum of 17. ICANN partners NASSCOM to develop tech, standards for
understanding) with public sector Bank, Bank of Baroda IoT devices – Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
(BOB) to improve credit for dealership inventory financing. Numbers (ICANN) and Indian IT industry body National
12. World Bank approves $147 Million Loan to the Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom)
Government of Jharkhand – The Government of India, the collaborated to develop identifier technology to manage
Government of Jharkhand and the World Bank signed a devices and infrastructure using internet.
$147 Million Loan Agreement. 18. Tamil Nadu gets $287 million World Bank Loan for
• Jharkhand will invest the amount to provide urban Healthcare Reform – The Centre, the Tamil Nadu
services such as water supply, sewerage, drainage Government and the World Bank have signed a $287-
and urban road. million loan agreement for the Tamil Nadu Health System
13. India & Portugal to set up National Maritime Heritage Reform Programme (TNHSRP).
Museum - India and Portugal will cooperate in setting up of 19. IndianOil, BPCL And HPCL Ink JV For Kandla-Gorakhpur LPG
a national maritime heritage museum at ancient Indian site Pipeline Project – IndianOil, Bharat Petroleum Corporation
of Lothal in Gujarat. (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) had signed
• Lothal (literally means the mound of dead) was one a joint venture in New Delhi for Kandla-Gorakhpur LPG
of port cities of Indus Valley Civilization (Harappan Pipeline Project.
Civilization). • They will be laying the world’s longest LPG pipeline
• The proposed maritime museum in Indian is likely from Kandla (Gujarat) to Gorakhpur (UP).
to come up on lines of similar museum at Lisbon, 20. Indian Railway Station Development Corporation (IRSDC)
which is administered by Portuguese Navy. entered a Tripartite Agreement with French Railways
14. DD India to be available in Bangladesh, South Korea (SNCF) & AFD, a French Agency which will finance up to
• The Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry said 7,00,000 EURO, through French National Railways (SNCF)-
that India has entered into agreements with Hubs and Connexions as a Technical Partner to IRSDC to

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support the Railway Station Development Program in India,
so there will be no financial liability on IRSDC or Indian
Railways.

Reports/Survey

December

1. UNDP Human Development Index (HDI) 2019: • UK and France ranked third and fourth contributing 8.4%
• The United Nations Development Programme released and 5.5% respectively.
the Human Development Index for 189 countries on
December 9, 2019. 4. Global Climate Risk Index 2020
• India was ranked 129 out of 189 countries on the 2019 • The international environmental think tank
Human Development Index (HDI) improving from the ‘Germanwatch’ has recently released the Global Climate
130th position in 2018. Risk Index 2019.
• HDI is part of the Human Development Report that is • The index analyses the extent to which countries and
published by the United Nations Development regions have been affected by the impacts of weather-
Programme (UNDP). related loss events (storms, floods, heat waves etc.)
• HDI emphasizes that people and their capabilities should • As per the report Japan to be the most vulnerable
be the ultimate criteria for assessing the development of country to climate change, followed by Philippines,
a country, not economic growth alone. Germany, Madagascar and India.
• Norway, Switzerland, Ireland occupied the top three • Globally India is the 5th most vulnerable country to
positions in that order in the Human Development Index climate change. India also recorded highest number of
2019. fatalities due to climate change and 2nd highest
2. India among top 10 countries with higher climate monetary losses from its impact in 2018.
performance 5. Delhi enters list of top 10 most popular destinations in the
world
• The 2019 Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) has • The National Capital has been witnessing soaring
been presented at the ongoing COP25 climate summit in popularity and wellness tourism across the world.
Madrid, Spain. • According to Euro Monitor International, Delhi currently
• For the first time, India has emerged among the top 10
ranks 11th in the list of world’s tops 100 destinations and
countries with higher climate performance.
is to gain 8th rank in 2019.
• India has been ranked at 9th spot in the index for its
• The ranking was released by the organization on
Climate Policy performance among 57 countries and the
European Union. December 3, 2019 under the title “Top 100 city
• However, the first three places of the ranking remain destination ranking”
unoccupied, Sweden (4th) and Denmark (5th).
6. Skymet Report: Kharif crop production to dip by 12%
3. SIPRI Report: Arms sales increased by 5% in 2018 • On December 3, 2019, a private weather monitoring
• As per the report published by the ‘Stockholm company, Skymet released a report on Kharif Crop
International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)’, arms outlook.
sales rose by 5% throughout the world in 2018. • According to the report, barring cotton the Kharif crops
• The report said that the turnover of 100 biggest arms are expected to witness a drop-in production by 4.5% to
manufacturers came to 420 billion USD. 12% as compared to 2018-19.
• Amongst arms manufacturers, US manufacturers • Several crops such as groundnut, soybean, cotton, tur
accounted for 59% of global weapon market. and urad were adversely affected all over the country
• Next to the US, Russia ranked second in arms production and especially in Maharashtra.
contributing 8.6% of the weapon market.

November

1. UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2019

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• The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) • The report says that the states of Madhya Pradesh and
has released ‘Emissions Gap Report-2019’ Uttar Pradesh topped the list of states for crimes against
• The report warns that the Earth’s average temperature children. There were over 19,000 cases in both the states.
may rise by 3.2 degrees Celsius by 2100. 5. NSO Survey on Household Health Expenditure
• Moreover, despite all scientific warnings and political • The National Statistical Office on November 23, 2019
commitments emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) released its survey on Household Social Consumption
couldn’t decrease globally. related to health.
• The report was released prior to United Nations • The survey was conducted between July 2017 and June
Climate Conference (COP-25) to be held in Spain from 2018. It was a part of the 75th round of National Sample
2 December 2019. Survey.
• It states that GHG emissions have increased by 1.5% • The main objective of the survey was to collect data on
since last decade and that carbon dioxide (CO2) expenditure on medicines, expenditure in
emissions have reached an all-time high figure of 55.3 hospitalization, investigation, expenditure, maternity,
gigatons. childbirth, etc.
• The data for the survey was collected from 1.13,823
2. India Corruption Survey 2019 households
• India Corruption Survey 2019 was carried out by Local 6. NSS releases report on disability
Circles, a social media firm and the Transparency • The National Statistical Office conducted survey of
International India. Persons with disabilities in the country between the
• As per the survey, Rajasthan and Bihar fared the worst in period July 2018 and December 2018.
country with 78% and 75% of respondents admitting to • The main objective of the survey is to estimate indicators
paying bribes, while Telangana topped the list in south of incidence and prevalence of disability, facilities
India. available to persons with disability, age at onset of
• As compared to 2018, India’s overall ranking in Corruption disability, arrangement of regular care giver, difficulties
Perception Index has risen 3 places to 78 out of 180 faced by the persons with disabilities, out of pocket
countries. expenses.
3. Global Diplomacy Index 2019 • The survey carried out in the year 2018 was the 76th
• The 2019 Global Diplomacy Index was released by round. It included all the disabilities that were included in
Sydney-based Lowy Institute. The index gives the latest The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
statistics and marking about how the world’s diplomatic 7. NSO report: Rural India yet to become Open Defecation Free
networks are expanding and, in certain cases, shrinking. • The NSO under Ministry of Statistics and Programme
The index ranked 61 countries across the world. Implementation conducted survey on drinking water,
• China now has more diplomatic posts across the world hygiene, sanitation and housing condition between the
than United States in 2019. China has overtaken United period July 2018 and December 2018.
States with 276 embassies and consulates worldwide, • According to the survey one fourth of the households had
which is 3 more than US (both countries have an equal no access to toilets.
number of embassies but China has 3 more consulates). • The main objective of this survey was to gather
This signifies a marker of its growing international clout information about sanitation along with housing facilities
and ambition. available to the households and micro environment
4. CRY Report on Crime against Children in India surrounding the houses.
• The Child Rights and You recently released a report “How • The survey is important as the GoI is currently working on
Vulnerable are Children in India to crime?” The report a set target of Drinking Water for all by 2024.
was based on the analysis of National Crime Records
Bureau for 2016-17.
October
2.
1. 300 mn Indians lifted above the poverty line in the last 14
years: NITI Aayog 3. India has the second-highest number of Internet users
• According to the NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, as after China –
many as 300 million Indians were lifted above the
poverty line between 2004 and 2018.

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• According to a report by Internet and Mobile 7. Global Nutrition Report, 2018 – The Global Nutrition
Association of India (IAMAI), India has the second- Report 2018, prepared by WHO, states that India is home to
highest number of internet users after China. 46.6 million stunted children out of 150.8 million stunted
• As per the report, India has 451 million monthly children all over the world.
active internet users at the end of the financial year The report also says that
2019. • Out of 50.5 million children who are wasted
globally, 25.5 million are in India.
4. Indian diaspora largest in the world at 17.5 million: UN • India is the third most obese nation in the world.
Report WHO states India as Diabetes capital with 69.2
• India was the leading country of origin of million suffering from diabetes.
international migrants in 2019 with a 17.5 million 8. Mumbai most preferred city for co-living in India: Knight
strong diaspora. Frank
• Migrants from Mexico constituted the second • According to the report of property consultant Knight
largest diaspora (11.8 million), followed by China Frank Mumbai ranks 5th among 20 cities in the Asia
(10.7 million). Pacific that can emerge as a co-living destination.
• In India, the highest number of international • Whereas, India capital city New Delhi ranked at 11th and
migrants came from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Bengaluru at 19th rank in the list, according to Knight
Nepal. Frank's report 'Insights on Co-living: An Asia-Pacific
• The International Migrant Stock 2019 was released Perspective.'
by the Population Division of the UN Department of • Beijing, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong are the top
Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). four cities in the list.
• The report provides the latest estimates of the 9. Earth has lost 53% of its Wildlife since 1970: WWF Report
number of international migrants by age, sex and • According to the first-ever global assessment of
origin for all countries and areas of the world. forest biodiversity, “Below the Canopy: Plotting
5. National Nutrition Survey – The Ministry of Health and Global Trends in Forest Wildlife Populations” by
Family Welfare organized first National Nutrition Survey. World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the number of
• The ministry took help from UNICEF to complete forest wildlife populations have declined on
the survey. average by 53% since 1970 due to Habitat loss and
• The survey was conducted between 2016 and degradation, over exploitation and Climate change.
2018. • The report has been produced in collaboration with
Key points – the Zoological Society of London (ZSL)& The UN
• Around 10% of children in the age group of 5 to 9 years Environment World Conservation Monitoring
and adolescents in the age group 10 to 19 years are pre Centre (UNEP-WCMC) co-led the analysis and
– diabetic. 5% of them were overweight and 5% modelling for this report.
suffered from blood pressure. 10. MSME Pulse Report: Gujarat tops –
• Tamil Nadu and Goa had the highest number of • According to TransUnion Credit Information Bureau
adolescents who were obese or overweight. (India) Limited (CIBIL) – Small Industries
6. Mukesh Ambani richest Indian with a net worth of Rs Development Bank of India’s (SIDBI) Micro, Small &
3,80,700 crore: Report Medium Enterprises (MSME) Pulse Report, Gujarat
• According to the latest IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich was ranked first in terms of performance and credit
List, Reliance Industries' Chairman Mukesh Ambani growth potential for MSME Corporate Lending in
has topped the list of richest Indians for the eighth India.
consecutive year, with a net worth of Rs 3,80,700 • It has maintained the top position since the past 4
crore. years. MSME corporate entities are borrowers with
• The second spot was retained by the London-based aggregate credit exposure of up to Rs 50 crore. The
SP Hinduja & family, with assets worth Rs 1,86,500 market size of this category is Rs 17.6 lakh crore as
crore which is followed by Wipro founder Azim of March 31, 2019.
Premji at the third place with a wealth of Rs
1,17,100 crore.

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• Gujarat was followed by Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, • Argentina is the only country that slipped from the
Karnataka and Delhi. Maharashtra, one among the high-income to upper-middle-income group.
most industrialized states, was ranked 9th. Classifications are determined:
11. “Tata” becomes India’s most valuable brand for 2019: • A country’s GNI per capita, which can change with
Brand Finance India 100 2019 report economic growth, inflation, exchange rates, and
• According to the London-based consultancy Brand population. Revisions to national accounts methods
Finance annual report , “Brand Finance India 100 and data can also influence GNI per capita.
2019”, “Tata” has become India’s most valuable 14. WHO has launched its first guidelines on self-care
brand for the second straight year in 2019 with the interventions for health –
brand value of $19.6 billion followed by LIC(Life • As per an estimate by 2035 the world will face a
Insurance Corporation) (2nd )with $7.3 billion and shortage of nearly 13 million healthcare workers.
Infosys (3rd )$6.5 billion. • Currently at least 400 million people worldwide
12. UN Report: Over 820 million people suffering from hunger lack access to the most essential health services.
– • The International Self Care Day (ISD) is observed
• A UN report has said, more than 821 million annually on July 24.
people suffered from hunger worldwide last year. 15. 75% of children with disabilities don't attend schools in
It is the third year in a row that the number has India: UNESCO - The 2019 "State of the Education Report
risen. for India: Children with Disabilities" took into account the
• The report named, ‘The State of Food Security and 2011 census, according to which there are 78,64,636
Nutrition in the World’, produced by the UN Food children with disability in India constituting 1.7 percent of
and Agriculture Organization and other UN the total child population.
agencies, including WHO, was released. Key points of the report -
• The report is part of tracking progress towards • India is home to 8 million children with disabilities.
Sustainable Development Goal to Zero Hunger, • Nearly 75% of 5 year olds who have certain disabilties,
which aims to end hunger, promote food security do not go to any educational institution.
and end all forms of malnutrition by 2030. • There are more than 78 lakh children aged under 19
Number of hungry people in the world in 2018: 821.6 lived with disabilities.
million (or 1 in 9 people) • Three-fourths of the children with disabilities at the age
• Asia: 513.9 million. of five years and one-fourth between 5-19 years do not
• Africa: 256.1million. go to any educational institution.
• Latin America and the Caribbean: 42.5 million. • SDG: The report is in sync with the Sustainable
13. India stays lower-middle-income nation while Sri Lanka Development Goal 4(SDG) which aims to ensure
gets richer: World Bank Report “inclusive and equitable quality education”.
• According to the World Bank’s classification of • The report was commissioned by UNESCO and was
countries by income levels, released on July 1, prepared by the Tata Institute of Social Science.
2019, India continues to be a lower-middle-income 16. World Food Programme (WFP) report on Food & Nutrition
country along with 46 others, while Sri Lanka has Security (FNS) – The report on Food & Nutrition Security
climbed to the upper-middle-income group for the (FNS) Analysis of India developed by UN (United Nations)
fiscal year (FY) 2020. World Food Programme in partnership with Ministry of
• India became a lower-middle-income nation from Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) stated
low-income in FY 2009. that 31.4% of Indian children under five years will still be
• Sri Lanka entered the lower-middle-income group stunted by 2022.
in FY 1999, from the low-income category and Key Highlights:
continued for over two decades, before moving to • The stunting in children under 5years of age is the
the upper-middle-income group this year. highest in Bihar (48%), Uttar Pradesh (46%),
• The World Bank classifies economies based on Jharkhand (45%), and Meghalaya (44%).
gross national income (GNI) per capita (current • Only one in five children in Kerala and Goa (20%
US$) calculated using what is called the Atlas each) are stunted.
method.

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• Reduction: Stunting in children in India under the • China, with 1.43 billion people in 2019, and India, with
age of five has reduced at a rate of about 1% per 1.37 billion, have long been the two most populous
year in the last decade. countries of the world,
• India must double its rate of progress to reach the World Population
target of 25% by 2022 set by the National Nutrition • The UN report 'The World Population Prospects 2019'
Mission. added that the world's population is expected to
About Stunting: increase by two billion people in the next 30 years --
• Stunting is the impaired growth and development from 7.7 billion currently to 9.7 billion in 2050.
that children experience from poor nutrition, Population Growing Older
repeated infection, and inadequate psychosocial • By 2050, one in six people in the world will be over age
stimulation. 65 (16 per cent), up from one in 11 in 2019 (9 per
17. WHO - E-2020 initiative: 2019 progress report – According cent).
to the World Health Organzation (WHO) - four countries • The number of persons aged 80 years or over is
from Asia — China, Iran, Malaysia and Timor-Leste — and projected to triple, from 143 million in 2019 to 426
one from Central America — El Salvador — reported no million in 2050.
indigenous cases of malaria in 2018. Average life expectancy
Note: • The report also projected people would survive longer
• Earlier in May 2019, the WHO declared Algeria and in the future, with global average life expectancy
Argentina as malaria-free. The last case of expected to reach 77.1 years in 2050 against 72.6 years
indigenous malaria was reported from Algeria in currently.
2013 and Argentina in 2010. • In 1990, the average life expectancy worldwide was
• Algeria became the second E-2020 country to 64.2 years.
achieve certification, after Paraguay was certified 20. At 9.8 GB per month, India has the highest data usage per
malaria-free by WHO last year. smartphone
18. Mercer’s 25th Annual Cost of Living Survey – • According to a new study by Swedish telecom
• Mumbai was considered as India’s most expensive equipment maker Ericsson, India has the highest
city. average data usage per smartphone, reaching 9.8 GB
• Costliest city in the world was Hong Kong for the per month at the end of 2018.
second consecutive year. • The report, released on 19th June, also forecasts that
• It was followed by Tokyo, Singapore and Seoul. this figure is likely to double to 18 GB per month per
• iLeast Expensive Cities: The world’s least expensive smartphone by 2024.
cities for expatriates were Tunis (209), Tashkent • The ‘Ericsson Mobility Report’ added that total
(208), and Karachi (207). smartphone subscriptions in the region is likely to
• Indian Cities: Mumbai fell 12 spots and was ranked reach 1.1 billion by 2024, growing at 11% CAGR.
67th position. • The total mobile broadband subscriptions in India are
• New Delhi stood at 118th place, Chennai was expected to grow from about 610 million in 2018 to
ranked 154th position, Bengaluru at 179th position 1.25 billion in 2024.
and Kolkata at 189th place. 21. Dell has emerged as the most trusted brand in India in
19. India to cross China's population by 2027: United Nations 2019: TRA
• As per a United Nations report, India is projected to • According to a report released by brand analytics
surpass China as the world's most populous country in firm TRA Research, “Dell” has emerged as the most
2027 and will have almost 1.64 billion inhabitants by trusted brand in India in 2019.
2050. • IC and Amazon are ranked on the third and fourth
Key highlights of the report spots and Apple iPhone emerged as India’s fifth
• India is expected to add nearly 273 million people most trusted brand.
between 2019 and 2050 and remain the most 22. Amazon top global brand: 100 Top BrandZ report
populated country through the end of the current • According to global market research agency Kantar
century. in its 2019’s ‘100 Top BrandZ Report’, US retail
giant Amazon has moved past hi-tech titans Apple

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and Google to become the world’s most valuable reported from Bihar (11,698), followed by Uttar
brand. Pradesh (8,990) and Maharashtra (7,743).
• The brand value of Amazon surged by 52 percent to • The incidents registered under the Scheduled Caste
$315 billion, hence jumping from third to first place Prevention of Atrocities Act saw an increase from
to replace Google. 5,082 incidents reported in 2016 to 5,775 in 2017.
23. Arunachal has highest 35% of India’s Graphite Deposits: • Incidents of crime related to Scheduled Tribes
GSI Report dipped from 844 in 2016 to 720 in 2017.
• The Geological Survey of India (GSI) in its report 26. Narendra Modi becomes most followed leader on
revealed that about 35 % of India’s total Graphite Instagram:
reserves are found in Arunachal Pradesh. This is the • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become the
highest found in the country. most-followed elected world leader on photo-
24. BPRD releases “Data on Police Organizations (DoPO sharing app Instagram.
2018)” • He is ahead of US President Donald Trump,
• Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G. Kishan Indonesian President Joko Widodo and former
Reddy has released the Bureau of Police Research president Barack Obama.
and Development’s flagship publication “Data on • With 30 million followers, PM Modi leads the list of
Police Organizations” (DoPO 2018) in New Delhi. world leaders on Instagram, with Joko Widodo
• There has been an increase of 19,686 Police coming in a close second with 25.6 million
personnel in the sanctioned strength of the State followers on the popular app.
Police and 16,051 in the strength of CAPFs • Barack Obama comes in third with 24.8 million
• There has been 20.95% increase in the strength of followers while, Donald Trump, trails behind with
Woman Police which brings the total percentage of 14.9 million followers.
women in the Indian Police to 8.73%. 27. Forbes India Rich List 2019
• The overall Police Population Ratio at the state • The US business magazine Forbes has released
level stood at 192.95 policemen per lakh “The Forbes India Rich List 2019” which has been
population. topped by Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh
• Police Stations have increased from 15579 to Ambani with net worth of $51.4 billion.
16422. This includes Cyber Police Stations whose • Industrialist Gautam Adani jumped 8 spots on the
number has risen from 84 to 120. list to become the 2nd richest Indian with net
• Electronic surveillance has improved with addition worth of $15.7 billion.
of 2,10,278 CCTV Cameras. • Hinduja Brothers, Pallonji Mistry and Uday Kotak
25. NCRB releases Crime in India Report 2017 are at 3rd, 4th and 5th position respectively with net
• National Crime Records Bureau has released the worth of $15.6 billion, $15 billion and $14.8 billion
annual “Crime in India Report 2017” after a delay 28. 2019 Global Report on Food Crises –
of 2 years. • The report is released by the Food and Agriculture
• 3.59 lakh cases of crime against women were Organization (FAO).
reported in the country. Uttar Pradesh topped the Key points –
list with 56,011 cases followed by Maharashtra • More than 113 million people across 53 countries
with 31,979 cases and West Bengal 30,002 in cases experienced “acute hunger” last year because of
of crime against women. wars and climate disasters, with Africa the worst-
• Majority of cases under crimes against women hit region.
were registered under ‘Cruelty by Husband or his • Yemen, the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Relatives’ (27.9%) followed by ‘Assault on Women Afghanistan and Syria were among the eight
with Intent to Outrage her Modesty’ (21.7%), nations accounting for two-thirds of the total
‘Kidnapping & Abduction of Women’ (20.5%) and number of people worldwide exposed to the risk of
‘Rape’ (7.0%). famine.
• The NCRB report also cited 58,880 incidents of • African Nations were “disproportionally” affected
rioting in 2017. Maximum incidents of rioting were as close to 72 million people on the continent
suffered acute hunger.

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About FAO – • Headquarters: Rome, Italy
• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a • Founded: 16 October 1945
specialized agency of the United Nations that leads
international efforts to defeat hunger.
Government Schemes
December
1. Draj Bridge for all-weather connectivity inaugurated in Note: The Union Government of India has launched the
Rajouri (J&K) fourth round of UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) to
Note: Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Girish Chandra enhance the connectivity to regional areas of the country.
Murmu, inaugurated all weather Draj Bridge in Rajouri, This phase is to focus on Hilly states, North East Region,
J&K. It is an important bridge for the military as well as for Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir and Islands.
socio-economic development of J&K’s Rajouri District as a 5. Bharatiya Poshan Anthem launched by Vice President M
whole. It is a 72-metre-long Multi Cell Box Type Load Class Venkaiah
70 bridge. Note: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu launched the
2. GoI Notified that only Aadhar authenticated bank ‘Bharatiya Poshan Anthem’ in New Delhi, which aims
accounts to get PM-Kisan payments towrads taking message of making India malnutrition free
Note: Union Government has notified that the fourth to all corners of country. While launching, Vice president
instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi hoped that the ‘poshan anthem’ will lead to a nutrition
(PM-KISAN) income support scheme due in December revolution to transform India into a malnutrition-free
2019 will be transferred only to Aadhar-authenticated country by 2022. The anthem was conceptualised by Union
bank accounts of more than 50 million beneficiaries. This Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) and
will be the first time since the launch of this scheme on 24 has been penned by noted lyricist Prasoon Joshi and sung
February 2019, that the government is insisting on by Shankar Mahadevan.
mandatory condition of Aadhar seeding. 6. Intensified Mission Indra Dhanush 2.0 begins
3. 100 days of Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana Note: Government has launched its flagship scheme
Note: The National programme driven by Tribal ‘Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0’ to focus on full
Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India immunization coverage of 272 districts spread over 27
(TRIFED), Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY), states and 652 blocks of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar among
completed 100 days under Ministry of Tribal Affairs on hard-to-reach and tribal populations. The Mission
December 7, 2019. The programme aims at empowering Indradhanush 2.0 will be carried out between December
the tribal community. 2019 and March 2020.
4. Fourth Phase of UDAN scheme launched

November

1. HRD Ministry launches Kartavya Portal: On the occasion of emphasized on linking agriculture and marketing food
70th Constitution Day also known as Samvidhan Divas processing technologies.
observed on 26 November 2019, Union Human Resource 3. CLAP: Credit-linked Subsidy Services Awas Portal launched
Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ by government
launched the kartavya.ugc.ac.in portal for holding monthly Note: Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep
essay competitions for students. The portal was launched as Singh Puri launched the Credit Link Subsidy Scheme (CLSS)
part of year-long ‘Nagrik Kartavya Paalan Abhiyan’ being Awas Portal (CLAP). Along with portal, the Union Ministry of
observed throughout the country. Housing and Urban Affairs (MHUA) also launched Global
2. Food Processing Scheme: 271 crores cleared by IMAC: Housing Technology Challenge (GHTC)-India to accomplish
Note: The Inter-Ministerial Approval Committee chaired by ‘Housing for All Mission’. MHUA also signed agreements
Minister of Food Processing Shri Harsimrat Kaur has with certain state governments for the construction of
sanctioned Rs 271 crores for the CEFPPC scheme LightHouse projects under GHTC-India.
(Creation/Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation 4. J&K achieves highest road length in country under PMGSY
Capacities) scheme. The focus was given to projects that in 2019

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Note: During the current fiscal year so far, the Jammu and Note: Assam Government has announced to launch
Kashmir has achieved the highest road length in country ‘Arundhati Swarna Yojana’ on 1 January 2020. Under this
under Centre’s rural roads’ programme of Pradhan Mantri scheme, state government will give each beneficiary bride
Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). It is a centrally-sponsored fixed amount to buy 10 grams (one tola) of gold during her
scheme under the Union Ministry of Rural Development. This marriage if the marriage is registered. Under this scheme,
significant accomplishment involves completion of around State government will not give the gold directly to
11,400 kilometres of different road projects covering 1,838 beneficiary bride but will provide Rs. 30,000 to purchase 10
habitations against the total sanctioned length of 19,700 gms of gold. The scheme will cost around Rs 800 crore
kilometres against sanctioned 2,214 habitations. annually on the state government exchequer.
5. Assam Government to launch Arundhati Swarna Yojana
October

1. Faceless e-Assessment scheme launched by the Income 3. YSR Vahana Mitra scheme launched by Andhra Pradesh
Tax Department – On 07th October, the Income-Tax state – The scheme was launched by the Chief Minister of
Department launched a faceless e-assessment scheme to Andhra Pradesh YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
eliminate interface between an assessing officer and a • The scheme will provide Rs.10,000 allowance
taxpayer. to self-employed drivers of the state.
• The scheme was launched by the Revenue About YSR Vahana Mitra Scheme
Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey in New Delhi. • Under the scheme an allowance of Rs.10000
• With the launch of the scheme, the Income Tax would be given every year to the beneficiaries.
Department begin with, 58,322 cases for the • It will provide Rs.50,000 to self-employed
faceless e-Assessment scheme. drivers in 5 years.
• The National e-Assessment Center (NeAC) will 4. ‘The Gandhian Challenge’ for school children - On the
facilitate the faceless e-assessment scheme occasion of 150th birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi,
across the country and benefit taxpayers. Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog’s Atal Tinkering
2. 'Farishtey Dilli Ke' scheme launched by the Delhi Labs (ATL) and UNICEF India, including Generation
Government – On 07th October Chief Minister of Delhi Unlimited, launched ‘The Gandhian Challenge’ for school
Arvind Kejriwal launched 'Farishtey Dilli Ke' scheme to children.
honour good samaritans who take accident victims to the • This innovation challenge provides a platform
hospital. for every child across India to ideate innovative
solutions for a sustainable India of their
dreams, using Gandhi’s principles.
September

1. Government launches UMMID initiative – To tackle the 2. Haryana launches two insurance schemes for traders – The
menace of genetic diseases in newborn babies. State government of Haryana has launched two insurance
• This initiative was launched by Minister of schemes for registered small and medium traders. Traders
Health and Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan registered under the Haryana Goods and Service Tax (HGST)
Key points – Act, 2017 would be covered under these schemes.
• UMMID stands for - The Unique Methods of (i) “Mukhyamantri Vyapari Samuhik Niji Durghatna
Management and treatment of Inherited Beema Yojana” – An insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh would
Disorders. be provided under this scheme.
• Aim - to tackle inherited genetic diseases of (ii) Mukhyamantri Vyapari Kshatipurti Beema Yojana –
newborn babies. An insurance cover ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh
National Inherited Diseases Administration (NIDAN) – The would be provided under this scheme.
NIDAN kendras are to be established under the UMMID 3. ‘Mukhya Mantri Dal Poshit Yojana’ launched in
initiative. These centres will provide counselling, prenatal Uttarakhand – ‘Mukhya Mantri Dal Poshit Yojana’ launched
testing / diagnosis and management in government hospitals of in
Uttarakhand. The scheme was launched by the Chief
the country.
Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat.

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• Aim - Yojana’ to provide state ration card Modi launched 'Kisan Maan-dhan Yojana' or PM-KMY in
holders two kilograms of two different varieties Ranchi, Jharkhand.
of pulses available at prices much lower than Key points of the scheme –
the market rate. • Minimum pension - Under this scheme, small
• Under the scheme State government will offer and marginal farmers, who have attained the
a subsidy of Rs.15 per kilogram on variety of age of 60, will get a minimum pension of Rs
pulses identified, including chana, malka and 3,000 per month.
masur. • Age limit - All small and marginal farmers, who
• Each eligible beneficiary and ration card are currently aged between 18 and 40 years,
holders in state will get 2 kgs of pulses at are eligible to avail the benefits.
subsidised rates every month under the • Outlay of the scheme - The scheme has an
scheme. outlay of Rs 10,774 crore for the next three
4. Assam Govt launches “Aponar Apon Ghar” scheme – The years.
Assam Government has launched a housing loan subsidy • Monthly contribution - The farmers will have
scheme “Aponar Apon Ghar”. to make a monthly contribution of Rs 55 to Rs
• The scheme was launched to provide financial 200, depending on their age of entry in the
assistance on purchase or construction of the pension fund till they reach the retirement
first house for a family. date.
• The subsidy of up to Rs 250000 will be (ii) Pradhan Mantri Laghu Vyaparik Mandhan Yojana' - For
provided for loan amounts from Rs 5,00,000 to small traders and shopkeepers -
Rs 40,00,000.
5. Scheme “Nirvik” to ease the lending process – Ministry of • Minimum pension - Under this scheme, small and
Commerce & Industry through Export Credit Guarantee marginal farmers, who have attained the age of 60, will
Corporation has introduced a new Export Credit Insurance get a minimum pension of Rs 3,000 per month.
Scheme called NIRVIK. • Age limit - All small and marginal farmers, who are
• Under the new scheme NIRVIK, up to 90 per currently aged between 18 and 40 years, are eligible to
cent of the principal amount and interest will avail the benefits.
be covered through insurance. • Government has earmarked Rs 750 crore for the
6. PM Narendra Modi launches National Animal Disease scheme in the Union Budget 2019-20.
Control Programme – Prime Minister Narendra Modi has • The benefit of the scheme will be available to all those
launched the National Animal Disease Control Programme businesses whose annual turnover under GST is less
in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura. than Rs 1.5 crore.
Key points – (iii) Ekalavya Model residential schools - The Prime Minister
• The programme aims at vaccinating over 500 laid the foundation stone of 462 Eklavya Model Residential
Million livestock including cattle, buffalo, Schools online in tribal areas.
sheep, goats and pigs against foot and mouth
• In this, 69 Eklavya schools are being opened in 13
disease.
districts of Jharkhand.
• The programme also aims at vaccinating 36
• Each school will have 480 tribal students. The students
million female bovine calves annually in its
will be trained in four different sports.
fight against Brucellosis disease.
8. Ayushman Bharat scheme completes one year of its launch
• The government will fund the programme for
– Ayushman Bharat - the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana
Rs 12,652 crore for a period of 5 years till 2024.
has completed one year of its launch on 23rd September
• The programme has two components; to
2019.
control the diseases by 2025 and eradication
• Indu Bhushan is the Chief Executive Officer
by 2030.
(CEO) of the Centre's ambitious Ayushman
7. PM Modi launched 3 schemes launched in Ranchi,
Bharat National Health Protection Mission
Jharkhand
(ABNHPM).
(i) 'Kisan Maan-dhan Yojana', pension scheme for
Note:
small and marginal farmers – Prime Minister Narendra

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• On 23rd September 2018, Prime Minister • Union Minister re-Launched the Credit Linked
Narendra Modi had launched the scheme from Capital Subsidy (CLCS) web portal during the 2-day
Ranchi, Jharkhand. workshop on ‘Credit Linked Capital Subsidy and
• The scheme is renamed as PM Jan Arogya Delayed Payment of MSMEs’ held at New Delhi.
Yojana. • During the course of workshop Memorandum of
• The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Understandings (MoUs) was also signed by office of
popularly known as Ayushman Bharat, looks to Development Commissioner (MSME), Ministry of
provide cashless hospitalisation for 1,354 MSME with 11 Nodal Banks.
procedures to 10 crore poor families for Rs 5 • It provides 15% subsidy for additional investment
lakh per family per year. up to Rrs.1cr. for technology upgradation by
• The Indian insurance regulator has partnered MSMEs in the specified 51 sub-sectors.
with the National Health Authority to study the • Now in relaunched scheme there is an additional
prime minister’s health insurance scheme 10% subsidy to SC-ST entrepreneurs while special
(Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana) and provisions have been made for 117 ‘aspirational’
suggest measures to streamline its districts, northeastern region and hill states.
implementation. 11. SATHI: IIT Kharagpur to assist academic institutes in
9. National Artificial Insemination Programme – Prime neighbouring region – Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT)
Minister Narendra Modi launched the National Artificial Kharagpur has been selected for setting up a Sophisticated
Insemination Programme at Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. Analytical and Technical Help Institute (SATHI), a
• Aim – To eradicate Foot and Mouth Disease Department of Science and Technology (DST) initiative of
(FMD) and Brucellosis in the livestock. Centre.
• The programme 100% funding from Central • Centre has allotted an amount of Rs.125 crore over
Government, of Rs.12,652 Crores for a period a period of financial years (starting from 2019-20)
of 5 years till 2024. for the purpose.
10. Govt. launches updated Credit linked Capital Subsidy • SATHI is a state-of-the-art, professionally managed
Scheme – Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium science and technology infrastructure facility. Its
Enterprises Nitin Gadkari launched the updated Credit primary objective will be to extend help to
linked Capital Subsidy Scheme (CLCSS) to allow micro, small academic institutes in neighbouring regions.
and medium enterprises (MSMEs) access to capital.
August

1. Punjab govt. launches ‘Mahatma Gandhi Sarbat Sehat •It incorporates Ayushman Bharat or Pradhan Mantri Jan
Bima Yojana’ health insurance scheme – State government Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), Centre’s health insurance
of Punjab launched a mega health insurance scheme title scheme for poor.
‘Mahatma Gandhi Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana’ (MGSSBY) for • By clubbing Centre’s Ayushman Bharat plan with its
poor by clubbing Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya MGSSBY, it is expected to benefit 46 lakh families
Yojana (PMJAY) plan with its own. covering 76% of state’s population.
• The PMJAY was unveiled in September 2018 by the Insurance Coverage: Like PMJAY, this Punjab government’s
Centre and kept on hold so far by Punjab scheme will also provide cashless health insurance cover of Rs.5
government. lakh/year.
• The scheme was launched by Punjab’s Chief
Minister Amarinder Singh to mark 75th birth 2. PM announces Jal Jeevan Mission Scheme for households
anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. – Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the
• With launch of this scheme, Punjab has become 1st government will launch a Jal Jeevan Mission to bring piped
state to offer medical insurance for such a large water to households.
proportion of its population. • The announcement was made during his 6th
About Mahatma Gandhi Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana Independence Day (August 15) address from Red
Fort.

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Concerned Authority: Under Department of Drinking Water and 6. Union HRD Minister to launch ‘Samagra Shiksha-Jal
Sanitation. Suraksha’ drive – Union HRD Minister will launch ‘Samagra
Objective: It seeks to converge with other Central and State Shiksha-Jal Suraksha’ to create awareness about Water
Government Schemes to achieve its objectives of sustainable Conservation among all school students in the country.
water supply management across India. • So that they can become competent, conscientious
3. Mukhyamantri Krishi Ashirwad Yojana – Vice President and committed water citizens of our nation.
launches Jharkhand government’s financial assistance Five Major Objectives of the scheme -
program for its farmers
• Under the Jharkhand state’s scheme, • To educate students learn about conservation of
Mukhyamantri Krishi Ashirwad Yojana launched by water.
Shri Venkaiah Naidu, farmers/ beneficiaries having • To sensitize students about the impact of scarcity
farmlands of less than 1 acre to 5 acres will be of water.
provided financial assistance of Rs5,000-25,000. • To empower students to learn to protect the
The launching ceremony was held in 23 districts natural sources of water.
apart from Ranchi. • To help every Student to save at least one litre of
• This scheme would benefit approximately 35 lakh water per day.
farmers and by september/october this year. The • To encourage Students towards judicious use and
outlay is Rs 3000 crore. minimum wastage of water at home and school
• This scheme is apart from the benefits that the level.
farmers are getting under Pratan Mantri Kisan Target under the drive -
yojana. • 1 Student – 1 Day – Save One Litre Water
4. SAMARTH Scheme: 16 states ink MoU with Textiles • 1 Student – 1 Year – Save 365 Litres Water
Ministry – 16 states out of 18 selected states have signed • 1 Student – 10 Years – Save 3650 Litres Water
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Union Ministry 7. One Nation, One Ration Card’ to be rolled out in India by
of Textiles for skilling about 4 lakh workers as part of June 1, 2020 – “One Nation One Ration Card” scheme to be
Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector (SAMARTH). rolled out in India from June 1, 2020.
• 16 states that have signed MoUs include Arunachal • To implement the scheme successfully, the centre
Pradesh, Kerala, Mizoram, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, has kick started inter state portability of ration card
Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Madhya pairing two states each.
Pradesh, Tripura, Karnataka,Manipur, Haryana, • The pairs are made between Telangana-Andhra
Meghalaya, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand. Jammu & Pradesh as well as Maharashtra-Gujarat.
Kashmir and Odisha earlier had agreed to be on • This means that beneficiaries living in Telangana
board, but did not sign MoU. and Andhra Pradesh can buy their quota of ration
Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector (SAMARTH) from the Public Distribution System (PDS), also
• It is skill development scheme of Union Ministry of called ration shops, in either of the states.
Textiles, covering the entire value chain of the 8. KVIC launches “Leather Mission” on World Tribal Day –
textile sector excluding Spinning & Weaving in The Khadi and Village Industry Commission has launched
organized Sector. It was approved by Cabinet “Leather Mission” on World Tribal Day.
Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in • Under this mission, the commission will give
December 2017. leather kits to the leather artisans across the
5. Government of Odisha launched Small Savings Incentive nation.
Scheme – Odisha government unveiled the ‘Odisha Small • World Tribal Day observed on 9th August every
Savings Incentive Scheme‘ for the calendar year 2019 under year.
the notation “AQ” series. The aim of the scheme is to stop • The 2019 theme is ‘Indigenous Languages’.
people from transacting with ‘suspicious’ non-banking
private financial institutions.

July

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Scheme Announced in Budget 2019-20

1. FAME II scheme – aims to encourage faster adoption of scheme to promote processing in the fishery
electric vehicles by right incentives and charging infra. sector.
Key points • The new scheme, Pradhan Mantri Matsya
• The Union cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), will be established
Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for under the Department of Fisheries for a robust
implementation of scheme titled 'Faster Adoption fisheries management framework.
and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India • She also announced the creation of a new ministry
Phase II (FAME India Phase II)' for promotion of for fisheries sector Ministry of Fisheries, Animal
Electric Mobility in the country. Husbandry and Dairying.
• Only advanced-battery-operated and registered e- • The new ministry was formed in order to promote
vehicles to be incentivized under FAME Scheme. the allied farm sector that has huge potential to
Financial Implications: help achieve the government's target of doubling
• Total fund requirement for this scheme is Rs. farmers' income by 2022.
10,000 crores over three years from 2019-20 to • The budget allocated for the newly carved out
2021-22. Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and
Note: Dairying is Rs 3,737 crore.
• This scheme is the expanded version of the present 5. Pradhan Mantri Karam Yogi Maandhan Scheme – Monthly
scheme titled 'FAME India1 which was launched on 1st Pension Scheme for Traders
April 2015, with total outlay of Rs. 895 crores. • The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri
2. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao – The Economic Survey 2019 has Narendra Modi has approved Rs.3000 monthly
proposed a change in the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) pension scheme for small retail traders and
scheme. shopkeepers after they attain the age of 60 years.
• The campaign, to be labelled BADLAV (Beti Aapki Dhan Key points of Scheme
Lakshmi Aur Vijay Lakshmi), will be used to represent • Under the scheme all small shopkeepers, retail
the change towards gender equality. traders and self-employed persons are assured a
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme: minimum of Rs.3,000 monthly pension after
• BBBP scheme was launched on 22 January 2015 by attaining 60 years of 60 years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi. • The new pension scheme that offers pension
• It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child coverage to the trading community will cover 3
Development, the Ministry of Health and Family crore small retail traders and shop keepers.
Welfare and the Ministry of Human Resource • Eligibility: All small shopkeepers, self-employed
Development. persons and retail traders aged between 18-40
• The budget of Rs 280 crore allocated to BBBP scheme in years and with Goods and Service Tax (GST)
the current financial year. turnover below Rs.1.5 crore can enrol for pension
3. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) – In the scheme.
Union Budget 2019-20, the allocation for the Pradhan 6. National Common Mobility Card – India’s first indigenously
Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), a maternity developed payment ecosystem for transport, based on
benefit programme, was Rs 2,500 crore. National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) standards,
Key points launched in March 2019.
• Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Madhya • This will enable people to pay multiple transport
Pradesh were the top three performing states charges across India.
under the maternity benefit programme 'Pradhan • This card runs on RuPay card and allows users to
Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana' (PMMVY). pay bus charges, parking charges, etc.
4. Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana: A new scheme to Note:
promote processing in the fishery sector. • National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI)
• While presenting Union Budget 2019-20, Finance developed One Nation One Card.
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a new

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• Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs ministry 11. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana – Under phase three of
formulates the concept of One Nation One Card. PM Gram Sadak Yojana, 1.25 lakh kms of road to be built in
7. One Nation, One Grid – for power availability to states at the next five years. Project cost estimated cost of nearly Rs
affordable rates. 80,200 crore.
8. MUDRA scheme – According to the Union Budget 2019-20, 12. ASPIRE scheme - Under ASPIRE to develop, 80 Livelihood
the overdraft of Rs. 5,000 to be allowed for every verified business incubators and 20 technology business incubators
women SHG member having a Jan Dhan Bank Account. to be set up in 2019-20
• One woman per SHG to be eligible for a loan up to ASPIRE Scheme -
Rs. 1 lakh under MUDRA Scheme. • The ASPIRE-A scheme runs under the Ministry of
Note: Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and aims to
• Prime Minister Modi had launched Pradhan Mantri promote innovation, rural industry and
Mudra Yojana (PMMY) in April 2015. entrepreneurship in India.
• The objective was to provide non-corporate and • This scheme was launched in March 2015.
non-agricultural small businesses with loans up to • Objective - To set up a network of technology
Rs 10 lakh, which are called Mudra loans. centres, incubation centres to accelerate
• Mudra loans are divided into three categories: entrepreneurship and also to promote start-ups for
Shishu (loans up to Rs 50,000), Kishor (loans innovation and entrepreneurship in rural and
between Rs. 50,001 and Rs. 5 lakh), and Tarun agriculture based industry with a fund of Rs. 200
(loans between Rs. 5,00,001 and Rs. 10 lakh). crores.
• Maximum loan amount under MUDRA scheme is – 13. MNREGA – According to the budget document, for the
Rs 10 lakh and the minimum loan amount is Rs. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
50,000. Programme (MNREGA) the budget was allocated to Rs
• MUDRA stands for - Micro Units Development & 60,000 crore for 2019-20.
Refinance Agency Ltd. 14. National Rural Livelihood Mission – In the Union Budget
9. Jal Jeevan Mission – Jal Shakti Mantralaya will work with 2019-20, this year, the allocation has been increased to Rs
states to ensure Har Ghar Jal for all rural houses by 2024, 9,024 crore.
under JalJeevan Mission. Note: Originally called as Aajeevika – National Rural
• To all rural households by 2024, water will be Livelihoods Mission, the programme was renamed as
supplied. Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood
10. Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan - Over 2 Mission (DAY-NRLM) in 2015.
crore Indian made digitally literate under PMGDISHA 15. Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) - Under PMAY
(Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan). Garmin, in the 2nd phase 1.95 crore houses are proposed to
• Under Digital India Programme would cover 6 crore be provide to eligible beneficiary with facilities like toilet
households in rural areas to make them digitally and LPG connection.
literate. • Urban, over 80 lakh houses have been sanctioned
• The Scheme is applicable only for rural areas of the under PMAY.
country. • The completion of houses that required 314 days in
Entry criteria 2015-16, it has now come down to 114 days since
• The beneficiary should be Digitally Illiterate 2017.
• Only one person per eligible household would be • The budget allocated for PMAY for 2019-20 fiscal is
considered for training Rs 19,000 crore.
• Age Group: 14 - 60 years

July

• This voluntary and contributory pension scheme is

1. Over 30 lakh persons enrolled under “PM Shram Yogi benefited for unorganized workers. Under this
Maandhan Scheme” - Under “Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi scheme assures the minimum monthly pension of
Maandhan Scheme”, total 30,85,205 persons have been
enrolled.

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3000 rupees to the beneficiaries after attaining the Guide to Student Induction Programme “Deeksharambh” in
age of 60 years. New Delhi.
2. Under PMKSNY, more than 7 crore 32 lakh farmer families • The guide to Student Induction Programme is to
received first two instalments of Rs 2000 each help new students adjust and feel comfortable in
• Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi the new environment, inculcate in them the ethos
Yojana (PMKSNY), more than 7 crores 32 lakh and culture of the institution, help them build
farmer families across India received the first and bonds with other students and faculty members,
second installments of Rs 2000 each amounting to and expose them to a sense of larger purpose and
14 thousand 646 crore rupees. self-exploration.
• The list was topped by Uttar Pradesh with over two 7. Internet Saathi’ programme to be expanded to Punjab,
crores twenty lakh farmer families followed by Odisha – Google India and Tata Trusts initiative is aimed at
Andhra Pradesh with 72 lakh and Maharastra 50 facilitating digital literacy among women in rural India
lakh farmers. named “Internet Saathi”. This initiative will be expanded to
3. HRD Ministry launches new UGC Scheme “Paramarsh” For villages in Punjab and Odisha.
Higher Education - On July 19, 2019, Ramesh Pokhriyal • This programme has now reached 2.6 lakh villages
‘Nishank’, Union Minister for Human Resource in 20 states. In Punjab, the programme will cover
Development (HRD) launched a Scheme called “Paramarsh” around 5,000 villages. In Odisha, it will cover over
of University Grants Commission (UGC) in New Delhi. 16,000 villages.
• This scheme aims at mentoring National 8. Bangla Abas Yojana - The West Bengal Government has
Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC) decided to construct 8 lakh 30 thousand houses under
accreditation aspirant institutions to develop Bangla Abas Yojana for the people belonging to
quality assurance in Higher Education. Economically Weaker Section.
• Under the scheme, the prime Mentoring • Under the scheme, the Rural Development
institutions will provide regular mentoring to Department has constructed more than 14 lakh
colleges to help achieve high-quality standards. For houses.
mentoring they will get the financial assistance & 9. Health Ministry launches Jan Jagrukta Abhiyaan in New
also the option of appointing an expert, who can be Delhi – Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
paid a fellowship amount of Rs 31,000 per month. (MoHFW) have launched a 3 day special campaign called
4. India to give scholarships to heirs of Muktijodhas – Jan Jagrukta Abhiyaan in New Delhi.
Government of India will provide 10,000 scholarships for 10. UDAN Scheme: 8 more air routes added – Civil Aviation
heirs of the liberation war fighters of Bangladesh called Ministry announced addition of 8 more air routes under
‘Muktijodhas’ over the next five years under the Nutan UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik), the regional air
India-Bangladesh Maitree Muktijodha Sontan Scholarship connectivity scheme. These air routes have become
Scheme. functional and started operations.
5. UKIERI Mobility Programme: Study in India – India and UK • With the addition of 8 new routes the total UDAN
have joined hands together for UKIERI Mobility Programme: routes that are now operational in country has
Study in India which will allow UK students to visit India for increased to 194.
higher studies. About UDAN
• The British Council of India and Universities UK • UDAN or Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik is a regional
International have joined hands together for the connectivity scheme (RCS). It was scheme on 21
launch of UKIERI Mobility Programme. October 2016 to stimulate regional air connectivity
• It aims to generate up to 200 opportunities for and make air travel affordable to masses.
undergraduate students at UK universities to visit • It aims to make flying affordable besides
India by March 2021. connecting underserved and unserved airports
• The programme will be funded by the UK and across India.
Indian governments as part of Phase 3 of the UK- 11. PENCIL Portal – Union Minister for Labour & Employment
India Education Research Initiative (UKEIRI). informed Lok Sabha that 361 Complaints of Child Labour
6. Union HRD Minister lauches “Deeksharambh” – Union have been resolved via PENCIL (Platform for Effective
Minister of Human Resource Development released UGC Enforcement for No Child Labour) Portal (pencil.gov.in).

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About PENCIL Portal 15. Kaushal Yuva Samwaad” – To commemorate World Youth
• It is a separate online portal Platform for Effective Skills Day (July 15) and celebrate the 4th Anniversary of the
Enforcement for No Child Labour (PENCIL) launched Skill India Mission, the Union Ministry of Skill Development
on 26 September 2017 to ensure effective and Entrepreneurship (MoSDE) launched ‘Kaushal Yuva
enforcement of provisions of Child Labour Act and Samwaad’ (A Youth Dialogue) in New Delhi.
smooth implementation of National Child Labour • It aimed at creating an open dialogue with youth
Project (NCLP) Scheme. across all skill training centres to hear their views,
12. YouTube Introduces ‘Learning Playlists’ for Educational ideas, opportunities, and recommendations help
Videos – YouTube is bringing a new education feature the Ministry of Skill Development scaling up
“Learning Playlists” with dedicated landing pages for existing programs and improve the overall
educational videos on topics like math, science, music and efficiency of the on-going projects.
language. 16. WCD implements a Scheme for Women in Difficult
• YouTube was investing $20 million to fund Circumstances called “Swadhar Greh”
resources for educational creators and • The Ministry of Women and Child
organisations through a Learning Fund initiative. Development(WCD), Government of India is
13. PM-LVMY Yojana launched by Labour ministry implementing the Swadhar Greh Scheme for the
• Pradhan Mantri Laghu Vyapari Maan-Dhan Yojana rehabilitation of women in difficult circumstances
(PM-LVMY) was launched by the Union labour and so that they could lead their life with dignity.
Employment ministry for retailers and small 17. Govt signs MoU with NATHEALTH to streamline delivery of
traders. services under PMJAY – National Health Authority (NHA)
• This scheme provides a minimum monthly pension implementing agency of Ayushman Bharat, Centre’s flagship
of Rs 3000/month to small shopkeepers, retail healthcare scheme has signed Memorandum of
traders, and the self-employed people after they understanding (MoU) with Healthcare Federation of India
attain 60years of age. (NATHEALTH) to streamline delivery of services under
• It is an extension of Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Ayushman Bharat.
Maan-dhan (PM-SYM). About Ayushman Bharat
Eligibility • Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection
• Self-employed people, small shopkeepers and Scheme (AB-NHPS) launched by PM Shri Narendra
retail traders aged between 18-40 years and with Modi on Independence Day 2018.
Goods and Service Tax (GST) turnover below Rs 1.5 • The scheme is renamed as PM Jan Arogya Yojana
crore can avail the scheme. • The aim of the scheme is to provide cashless
14. Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – On July 23,2019, Union hospitalisation for 1,354 procedures to 10 crore
Minister for Rural Development, Narendra Singh Tomar poor families for Rs 5 lakh per family per year.
stated that the ministry is implementing Deendayal • It covers both preventive and promotive health.
Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission 18. Meri Fasal Mera Byora’ portal for farmers launched by
(DAY-NRLM) across the country. Haryana – The Chief Minister of Haryana Government
• The aim of the schme is to organized the rural poor Manohar Lal Khattar has launched online portal named
women into Self Help Groups (SHGs), and “Meri Fasal Mera Byora” for farmers to directly avail crop
continuously supporting them to take economic related benefits of state government schemes after self -
activities till they come out of poverty and reach reporting their land and crop-related details.
an good-level of increase in income to improve 19. Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme – Government of India has
their quality of life. fixed the price at Rs.3,443 per gram for the new series of
Rashtriya Aajeevika Mission Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) opening July 8.
• It is a poverty alleviation scheme launched in 2011 • Union Finance Ministry recently announced that
as National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) and Centre in consultation with Reserve Bank of India
was succeeded by Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana in (RBI) has decided to allow a discount of Rs. 50 per
2016. gram from issue price to those investors who apply
online and payment which is made via digital
mode.

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Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 22. Jal Shakti Abhiyan – Union Jal Shakti Minister Shri Gajendra
• It was launched by Government of India in Singh Shekhawat recently launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan- a
November 2015 with the goal of reducing the campaign for water conservation and water security in 1592
demand for physical gold and shifting a part of stressed blocks in 256 districts.
domestic savings, used for purchase of gold, into • It is a collaborative effort of various Union
financial savings. Ministries and State Governments, being
• Under the SGB scheme, bonds are denominated in coordinated by Department of Drinking Water and
units of 1 gram of gold and multiples thereof. Sanitation (DDWS).
• Minimum Investment: in bonds is 1 gram and a 23. UP launches Dastak Campaign to eradicate AES & JE –
maximum limit of subscription of 500 Uttar Pradesh government has launched a massive
gram/person/fiscal year (April-March). campaign called ‘Dastak’ to eradicate deadly Acute
• Maximum Limit: of subscription is 4 kg for an Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and Japanese Encephalitis (JE)
individual and Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) and disease.
20 kg maximum subscription limit for trusts and 24. West Bengal introduces free crop insurance scheme
similar entities per fiscal (April-March). Bangla Shashya Bima for farmers
20. UGC approves a scheme “STRIDE” to boost research • On June 28, 2019, West Bengal Government
culture in India – University Grants Commission has launched a crop insurance scheme, Bangla Shashya
approved a ‘Scheme for Trans-disciplinary Research for Bima (BSB) for the 2019 ‘Kharif’ season to protect
India’s Developing Economy’ to boost research culture in farmers from losses due to natural disasters and
India. provide a steady income in case of unstable market
• STRIDE stands for Scheme for Trans-disciplinary prices.
Research for India’s Developing Economy. 25. ‘Go Tribal’ campaign launched – Go Tribal campaign, was
• launched by Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs and TRIFED
Key points (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of
• It will provide support to research projects that are India) in association with Amazon Global.
socially relevant, locally need-based, nationally • Amazon, an e-commerce giant company will
important and globally significant. market ‘Tribes India‘ collections under sections of
• An advisory Bhushan Patwardhan committee set ‘Tribes of India Heritage Collection.
up by UGC under chairmanship of Prof Bhushan • Objective is to create awareness and promote
Patwardhan, Vice Chairman, UGC will oversee tribal arts and crafts as well as help in socio-
entire scheme. economic welfare of more than 700 Indian tribes.
21. ‘One nation one ration card’ scheme from July 1, 2020 – TRIFED
‘One Nation One Ration Card’ scheme will be available • TRIFED is an organization that functions under the aegis
across the country from July 1, 2020. of Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs and is engaged in
• The scheme will allow portability of food security marketing development of tribal products including
benefits according to which the poor migrant tribal art and craft under the brand name of TRIBES
workers will be able to buy subsidised rice and INDIA.
wheat from any ration shop in the country as long
as their ration cards are linked to Aadhaar.
June

1. Union Cabinet approves extension of PM-KISAN scheme – Key points of the scheme
The government has extended the extension of Pradhan • Aim - to provide to provide income support to
Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) to all the farmers in all small and Marginal landholding farmer.
the country. • Objective - The main objective of the
• Earlier the benefit of the scheme was applicable to government to launch this scheme is the
farmers having two hectares of land. development of farmers by the provision of
• PM-KISAN scheme was launched in Uttar Pradesh’s financial assistance which can utilize by the
Gorakhpur on 24th February 2019.

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farmer to increase the crop production every • These e-governance initiatives will serve their
year. purpose of the betterment of tribal communities
Benefits of the Scheme across the nation.
• As per government norms, the farmers will get the 5. Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income
benefit of Direct Income support of Rs. 6,000 per year Augmentation (Kalia) scheme - Odisha government has
(500 Rs per month) allocated an additional Rs 3,234 crore for covering more
• This fund will be transferred directly into the bank farmers under the Kalia scheme during 2019-20.
accounts of beneficiary farmers through 3 equal • Under the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and
instalments of Rs. 2000 every four months into the Income Augmentation (Kalia) scheme, farmers get
Aadhar ceded bank accounts of eligible landholding Rs 5,000 financial assistance per crop.
SMFs families. • A farm household is entitled to get Rs 10,000 per
• 2 per cent interest subvention to farmers pursuing year for two crops (Kharif and Rabi),
animal husbandry and fisheries. 6. PM Modi hikes National Defence Fund scholarship
• All farmers severely affected by severe natural assistance – Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved
calamities will get 2% interest subvention who avail changes to the Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme for
loan through Kisan Credit Card and additional 3% wards of deceased defence personnel under the National
interest subvention upon timely repayment of crop Defence Fund.
loans. Key points:
Fund allocation • Scholarship Rate: The rates of scholarship have
• The government has allocated Rs 75,000 crore towards been increased from Rs.2000pm (per month) to
the scheme for financial year 2020. Rs.2500pm for boys and from Rs. 2250pm to
2. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana - The Union Cabinet Rs.3000pm for girls.
chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved • Scholarship Extended: The ambit of Prime
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana, a new Central Sector Minister’s Scholarship Scheme is now extended to
Scheme (CSS), to provide pension cover to farmers. include the wards of State Police officials who are
Key Features of Scheme or were martyred during terror or naxal attacks.
• It is voluntary and contributory pension scheme for The new scholarships quota for wards of state
all Small and Marginal Farmers (SMF) across the police officials will be 500 in one year.
country. • Nodal ministry - For the implementation of it the
• Eligibility: Entry age of 18 to 40 years with provision Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will be the nodal
of minimum fixed pension of Rs.3,000 on attaining Ministry.
the age of 60 years. About National Defence Fund
• Contribution: Beneficiary farmer of this scheme is • NDF was set up in 1962.
required to contribute Rs 100 per month at median • It was meant to take charge of voluntary donations
entry age of 29 years. (in cash and kind) received for promotion of
3. Government launches DBT Tribal web portal - Union national defence effort, and also to decide on their
Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched DBT Tribal web portal to utilisation.
streamline and expedite the process of releasing • National Defence Fund also accepts online
scholarship grants directly into bank accounts of beneficiary voluntary contributions.
students. • NDF is used for welfare of members of Armed
• The portal provide single common platform to Forces, Para Military forces and Railway Protection
states to upload data related to beneficiaries, raise Force, and their dependents.
queries and give feedback. • Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme’ (PMSS) is
4. E-Governance Initiatives for ST Welfare Schemes - Arjun implemented under NDF.
Munda, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs launched the “e- • The National Defence Fund is administered by an
governance initiatives for ST Welfare schemes” at a function executive committee that has the Prime Minister as
organized by Ministry of Tribal Affairs. the chairperson and the Defence, Finance and
Home Ministers as members.

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7. Cabinet approved new initiative to control FMD and • Similarly, the government has also increased ex-
Brucellosis - Union Cabinet has approved new initiative gratia payment to the next of kin of an official killed
(scheme) to control Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and on election duty to Rs 20 lakh from Rs 15 lakh.
Brucellosis to support the livestock rearing farmers and 9. Telangana enhances Rythu Bandhu scheme to Rs 5000 per
improve the health of animals. acre per season - The Telangana Government has issued a
• This initiative aims to fully control these diseases notification to extend the Rythu Bandhu scheme for 2019-
amongst livestock in the country in next five years 20, while enhancing the amount from Rs 4000 to Rs 5000.
and subsequently eradicate these diseases. About Scheme
• Cabinet has cleared a total outlay of Rs. 13,343 • The scheme aimed at providing income support to
crores for this scheme and entire cost will be now the agriculturists directly to back their crops.
borne by Central Government. • Now the scheme provides Initial Investment
8. ‘Aapki Beti’ scheme – Rajasthan government has increased support to agriculture and horticulture crops
the financial assistance given to school girls under the through a grant of Rs 5000 per acre per farmer
‘Aapki Beti’ scheme. each season towards purchase of inputs like seeds,
• Under the Aapki Beti scheme, girls living under the fertilisers, pesticides, labour and other filed
Below Poverty Line (BPL) and whose mother or operation.
father or both have died to get annual financial • The amount would be paid through electronic
assistance in the state. transfer to all the pattadars and title holders
• The amount has been increased to Rs 2,100 from through e-Kuber, the RBI payment platform.
Rs 1,100 for the girls studying in class 1 to 8 and • In 2018, scheme was launched by Telangana CM K
for the girls in class 9 to 12, the financial aid has Chandrasekar Rao.
been increased to Rs 2,500 from Rs 1,500.

Summits & Conference

December

1. International Seminar on Climate Smart Farming Note: The 2nd edition of Startup India Global Venture
Systems begins in New Delhi Capital Summit was held in Goa on 6-7 December 2019
Note: BIMSTEC countries’ ‘International Seminar on for Fund Managers and Limited Partners of Top Global
Climate Smart Farming Systems’ was held in New Delhi. Venture Capital (VC) Firms. The summit is being organized
The objective of this International Seminar is to have by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal
experience sharing to enable improvement of tropical Trade (DPIIT) under Union Ministry of Commerce and
smallholder farming systems for greater productivity and Industry, in partnership with Goa Government. Theme for
resilience to climate change through ecological Startup India Global Venture Capital Summit 2019 is-
approaches. ‘India Opportunity- Investing in tomorrow together’.
2. Switzerland to be the country partner of BioAsia 2020 5. NATO Summit 2019 in Watford, United Kingdom:
Note: Switzerland will be the country partner at the 17th Note: 2019 NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
edition of BioAsia2020 scheduled to be held from Summit was held in London, United Kingdom (UK). The
February 17-19, 2020 in Hyderabad, Telangana. The year 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the summit. It
theme of the summit is “Today For Tomorrow”. was attended by NATO leaders and chaired by NATO
Switzerland is making innovations in the world of medical Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. The purpose of the
healthcare and that many pharmaceutical companies summit was to make the heads of state and heads of
have emerged as the center of Switzerland. government of NATO member countries to evaluate and
3. 54th DGsP/IGsP Conference held in Pune provide strategic direction for Alliance activities.
Note: 54th DGsP/IGsP conference was held in Pune. Prime 6. 3rd edition of National Public Procurement Conclave
Minister Narendra Modi addressed the valedictory held in New Delhi
session of the Conference. President’s police medals were Note: It was inaugurated by the Commerce and Industry
also awarded to officers of the Intelligence Bureau for Minister Piyush Goyal. The conclave has been organized
their distinguished services. by Government e-Marketplace, GeM in association with
4. Goa to host 2nd edition of Startup India Global Venture Confederation of Indian Industry. GeM epitomizes the
Capital Summit 2019 speed, skill and scale which is essential in an e-

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marketplace platform. GeM rests on the three pillars of Awareness’, ‘Multi-Domain Awareness’, Ínteroperability’
openness, fairness and inclusiveness and is a symbol of a and ‘HADR’.
truly transparent e-marketplace. 8. Defence Minister addresses Armed Forces Flag Day-CSR
7. Pacific Air Chiefs’ Symposium 2019 held in Pearl Harbor: Conclave:
Note: Pacific Air Chiefs’ Symposium 2019 (PACS 2019) Note: Defence Minister addresses the Armed Forces Flag
was held at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. Chief Day-CSR Conclave in New Delhi. He has expressed
of the Air Staff of India participated in the conclave. The confidence that the corporate sector will contribute
theme for this year’s symposium is ‘A Collaborative generously to the welfare of ex-servicemen. He said
Approach to Regional Security’. The conference will bring common people had generously contributed to ‘Bharat Ke
together Air Chiefs from across the Indo-Pacific region Veer’ Fund for the bereaved families of soldiers who laid
who will provide perspectives on common challenges down their lives in the line of duty. ‘Bharat Ke Veer’ Fund
faced and on shared mutual interests while focusing on was established with the help of the corporate sector that
relevant topics like ‘Regional Security’, ‘Domain assisted the families of martyred Central Armed Police
Forces personnel.

November

1. 1st International Conference on “Landslides Risk between the three services.47th All India Police Science
Reduction and Resilience” held in New Delhi: Congress held in Lucknow
Note: Minister of State for Home Affairs, inaugurated the Note: The 47th All India Police Science Congress (AIPSC)
1st International Conference on “Landslides Risk was held in Lucknow. The event was inaugurated by
Reduction and Resilience” in New Delhi. The Conference Puducherry Lieutenant Governor and retired IPS officer
called for developing technology to anticipate disasters Kiran Bedi. Uttar Pradesh Police in association with the
like landslides and develop infrastructure to quickly Home Ministry and the Bureau of Police Research and
respond to minimise the damage. The landslides have Development has organised the event at the police
attracted global attention as they may cause huge havoc headquarters in Lucknow.
on communities, livestock, environment leading to huge 4. India to host SCO forum of Young Scientists and
loss of lives. This conference will go a long way in finding Innovators 2020
long term solutions to natural disasters. Note: India will host the Shanghai Cooperation
2. 8th Water Technology and Environment Control Organisation (SCO) Forum of Young Scientists and
Conference 2019 Innovators in 2020. The 5th Meeting of Shanghai
Note: Union Minister of Jal Shakti, represented India at Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Member States Heads of
the 8 WATEC (Water Technology and Environment Ministries and Departments of Science and Technology
Control) Conference 2019. The theme of the conference and Permanent Working Group on S&T Cooperation
is “Water Stewardship and Innovation–driving global concluded in Moscow, Russia.
leadership in the responsible planning management, and 5. NuGen Mobility Summit-2019 being held in Haryana
protection of water”. The conference held at David Note: Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and
Intercontinental in Tel Aviv, Israel. Shipping, Nitin Gadkari inaugurated NuGen Mobility
3. DEFCOM India 2019: Summit-2019 at International Center of Automotive
Note: The DEFCOM INDIA 2019 seminar was held at Technology (ICAT) in Manesar, Haryana. This three-day
Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi. The theme for the conference was held from 27 to 29 November 2019. The
seminar is, “Communications: A Decisive Catalyst for conference is the largest automotive technology event in
Jointness”. The seminar is devoted to the seminal theme country so far. The event is being organized by ICAT on
of leveraging communications for achieving jointness relevant topics of Alternate Fuel Systems and e-Mobility.
1. The 9th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Note: According to Minister of State for Youth and Sports
(RCEP) Intersessional Ministerial Meeting held in -- Kiren Rijiju, ‘Fit India’ mission office would be set up, with
Bangkok, Thailand. the help of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), to
Note: Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has represented promote the aforementioned goals.
India in the meeting. 4. The 2nd “India-China Informal Summit” held at
2. State Power Ministers’ Conference held in --- Gujarat. Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu.
Note: The 2-day conference discussed on policies related to Note:The first summit held in Wuhan in the wake of the
emerging technologies in sustainable and renewable energy Doklam crisis in April, 2018.
sector. 5. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting on ‘Ek
3. The 1st India Sports Summit 2019 held in -- New Delhi. Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ programme in -- Delhi.

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Note: Under the initiative, the government plans to hold Note: 10 ASEAN member countries: Indonesia, Thailand,
people-to-people exchange between states to enhance Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei,
knowledge about each-others culture. ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma), Laos. The theme of the
Bharat’ highlights India’s diversity and furthers national summit for this year is “Advancing Partnership for
unity. Sustainability”.
6. The first National Hindi Science writers conference 2019 16. The 6th parliamentary summit of G20 countries, held in ---
held in -- Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Tokyo, Japan.
Note: A dedicated website WWW.VIGYANLEKHAN.COM has Note: Lok sabha speaker Om Birla composed the Indian
been prepared for this event. Parliament delegation.
7. Union minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated a conference on - 17. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the11th BRICS
-- ‘One Nation One Tag – FASTag. Summit in -- Brasilia, Brazil.
Note: Under this system the same FASTag affixed on the Note: The theme of the Summit this year is “Economic
windscreen of a vehicle can be used to pay toll across all toll Growth for an Innovative Future”.
plazas in the country. 18. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurating 10th Asian
8. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the 41st DRDO Conference of Emergency Medicine in -- New Delhi.
Directors Conference in -- New Delhi. Note: The Government of India has made it mandatory for
9. Who will host the 91st Interpol General Assembly in 2022 -- all medical college hospitals to have full-fledged Emergency
- India. Departments by 2022 with an aim to improve trauma car
Note: All major decisions affecting general policy, the 19. National Capital Region -2041” conclave held in --- Delhi
resources needed for international cooperation, working Note: This conclave is organized by the National Capital
methods and finances are deliberated and discussed by Region Planning Board (NCRPB). The theme of the conclave
representatives. was “Planning for Tomorrow’s Greatest Capital Region”.
10. Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated the 11th Edition of Nuclear 20. 19th council of heads of government of the Shanghai
Energy Conclave 2019 in -- New Delhi. Cooperation Organisation 2020 will be held in – India.
Note: The theme of the Conclave: “Economics of Nuclear 21. The 27th Conference of Central and State Statistical
Power- Innovation towards Safer & Cost-Effective Organizations (COCSSO) held in -- Kolkata.
Technologies”. It was organized by India Energy Forum (IEF). Note: The theme of this conference was “Sustainable
A “Hall of Nuclear Energy” was opened to educate the Development Goals (SDGs)” which highlights the actions
students and the general public about the applications of taken by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme
nuclear energy, in Pragati Maidan in Delhi. Implementation (MoSPI) for a strong observing mechanism
11. The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit held in -- Baku, for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Azerbaijan. 22. India-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
Note: The Non-Alignment Movement was founded in 1961. Business Summit 2019 held in --- New Delhi.
India is a founding member of the NAM summit. 23. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Forum of Young
12. The first India-Bangladesh Stakeholders’ meet was held in - Scientists and Innovators in 2020 will be hosted by -- India
- Guwahati. 24. Global Bio-India Summit 2019 held in -- New Delhi.
Note: A 70-member delegation from Bangladesh is Note: It will bring academia, innovators, researchers, start-
participating in the meet, while a similar top-level team will ups, medium and large companies together on the same
represent the host nation. platform.
13. The Global Bio-India 2019 held for the first time in India -- 25. 8th International Conference on Agricultural Statistics will
New Delhi. be held in – India.
Note: A brochure of GlobalBio-India 2019 was also released Note: The conference will be held with the theme of
at the Curtain Raiser ceremony. ‘Statistics for Transformation of Agriculture to Achieve the
14. The 9th edition of Bangladesh-India Friendship Dialogue Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’.
will be held at -- Cox Bazar, Bangladesh. 26. The Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani
Note: The dialogue aims to draw from learning and addressed the 2nd edition of South Asia Safety Summit in -
experiences in these sectors between India and Bangladesh. New Delhi.
15. The 35th ASEAN Summit began in --- Bangkok, Thailand. Note: The summit was joined by over 100 organisations
from Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and India.

October
1. C40 Summit will be held in Copenhagen – The C40 Summit
is to take place in Copenhagen between 9th October and

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12th October, 2019. The aim of the summit is to show how 3. Kochi to host national health informatics meet in 2020 –
cities are delivering their strong commitments for healthier, The 20th National Health Informatics conference will be
sustainable, resilient and inclusive future. held in Kochi on February 7 and 8 next year.
2. Second edition of informal summit between India and • The conference will be jointly organised by the
China – Mamallpuram, Tamil Nadu Health Informatics and Information Management
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese Association (HIIMA), Kerala, and the Health Records
President Xi Jinping, who would be visiting Association of India (HERAI).
Mamallapuram for the second edition of the • The theme of the conference – Medrecon 2020 – is
informal summit between India and China. ‘Value of Data in Health Care Ecosystem’.
• The summit will be held from October 11-October 4. India Economic Summit was held in New Delhi.
12. Note:
Note: • The World Economic Forum is organizing India
• Mamallapuram is also known as Seven Pagodas or Economic Summit on October 3 – 4, 2019 in New
Mahabalipuram. Marco Polo and other Europeans Delhi.
named it Seven Pagodas • It is hosted in collaboration with CII –
Confederation of Indian Industry.
September

1. UN Climate Change Summit 2020 – Glasgow, UK 7. The 1st conference on military medicine for the Shanghai
• The COP26 meeting, under the auspices of the UN, Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states held in
will take place in Glasgow in December 2020. Delhi.
2. UN Climate Action Summit 2019 – New York 8. The 9th India-China Financial dialogue was held in New
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi represented India at Delhi.
the UN Climate Action Summit 2019 which was 9. First India-Caribbean Summit – 2019 was held in New York.
held on 23 September in New York. Note:
• Sweden's 16-year-old environmental activist Greta • Prime Minister Modi met the leaders of the
Thunberg shook world leaders with her speech at Caribbean Community on 25th September, 2019, in
the United Nations, accusing world leaders of New York.
failing to take action on climate change. • At the meeting, PM Modi announced 14 million
3. International Conference on Sindh held in London – The USD grant for community development projects in
World Sindhi Congress (WSC) hosted a 31st international the region. He also extended 150 million USD of
conference on Sindh in London. line of credit for renewable energy, solar and
4. 7th World Hindu Economic Forum (WHEF) 2019 held in climate change related projects.
Mumbai – 7th World Hindu Economic Forum (WHEF) 2019 10. SAARC Council of Ministers meeting – The SAARC Council
held in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The theme of (WHEF) 2019 of Ministers meeting was held on New York on 26th
“Prosperous Society: Stronger Society”. September 2019.
5. International conference ‘ANGAN’ organized in New Delhi • The 2020 SAARC Summit will take place in
- International conference ANGAN (Augmenting Nature by Islamabad, Pakistan.
Green Affordable New-habitat) for Energy Efficiency in the • The last and the 18th SAARC summit was held in
Building Sector is being organized by the Bureau of Energy Kathmandu, Nepal.
Efficiency in New Delhi. About SAARC
6. 24th World Energy Congress commence in Abu Dhabi, • SAARC is South Asian Association for Regional
UAE. Cooperation.
• The theme of this World Energy Congress is • The 8 member nations of the grouping are -
“Energy for Prosperity”. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives,
• It was held under the patronage of Sheikh Khalifa Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of UAE. • Headquarters of SAARC is in Kathmandu, Nepal.

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11. Fourth Indian Ocean Conference 2019 held in Male – • The 14th session of the Conference of Parties (COP)
Fourth Indian Ocean Conference 2019 was recently held in of UNCCD began at the India Mart and Expo, in
Male, capital of Maldives. Greater Noida.
• The two-day conference was held from 3-4 • The conference began on September 2 and will end
September 2019. on September 13, 2019.
• Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was Note:
one of the speakers at Indian Ocean Conference • The current Union Minister of Environment, Forest and
2019 event. Climate Change is Prakash Javadekar.
12. India’s first-ever helicopter summit held in Dehradun – 18. 4th General Assembly of A-WEB held at Bengaluru
Union Ministry of Civil Aviation organised country’s first • The Election Commission of India hosted the 4th
ever helicopter summit at Sahastradhara helidrome in General Assembly of Association of World Election
Dehradun, capital of Uttarakhand. The summit was based Bodies (A-WEB) at Bengaluru on 3rd September
on theme of expanding connectivity through helicopters. 2019.
13. Union Minister of Defence, Rajnath Singh co-chaired the • India will take over as A-WEB’s Chair for the 2019-
Japan–India Defence Ministerial Meeting with Defence 21 term.
Minister of Japan Takeshi lwaya in Tokyo, Japan. 19. 72nd Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-
14. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh addresses 8th Seoul East Asia held in New Delhi - Union Minister of Health and
Defense Defence Dialogue 2019 – Defence Minister Rajnath Family Welfare inaugurated the 72nd Session of the WHO
Singh delivered a keynote address at ‘Seoul Defence Regional Committee for South-East Asia held in New Delhi.
Dialogue 2019’ during his visit to South Korea. • The committee is the highest decision making and
• The theme of Defence Dialogue was- ‘Building governing body of WHO in the region.
Peace Together: Challenges and Vision’. Defence • Dr Harsh Vardhan was unanimously elected as
Minister is on a 3-day visit to Seoul. Chair of the 72nd Session of the WHO Regional
15. India hosts 6th India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue – Committee for South-East Asia.
India is hosting 6th India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue 20. National Conference on ‘India-Africa Partnership in a
(SED) in New Delhi. Changing Global Order: Priorities, Prospects and
• The three-day Dialogue was held from 7-9 Challenges’ held in New Delhi.
September 2019. • It was organized by Indian Council of World Affairs
• It was chaired by Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog Rajiv (ICWA).
Kumar and Chinese side will led by chairman, 21. India-New Development Bank Workshop held in New Delhi
National Development and Reforms Commission – A joint India- New Development Bank workshop was held
(NDRC). in New Delhi. The workshop was organized to enhance the
16. 20th India-Russia Summit talks conclude in Vladivostok NDB’s engagement with the India’s private and public
• The 20th India-Russia annual summit held in sector.
Vladivostok, Russia. Note:
• During the summit, India and Russia have signed 15 • The NDB is the first Multilateral Development Bank
agreements in several areas in the presence of established by developing countries and emerging
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Putin. economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
17. For the first time, India is hosting COP14 of UNCCD 22. Japan–India Defence Ministerial Meeting held in Tokyo,
• For the first time, India is hosting the Conference of Japan – Defence Minister Rajnath Singh co-chaired the
Parties (COP14) to the United Nations Convention Japan–India Defence Ministerial Meeting held in Tokyo,
to combat desertification (UNCCD). Japan.
• Japan’s delegation was represented by Defence
Minister of Japan Mr Takeshi lwaya.

August
1. 45th G7 Summit held in Biarritz, France – The 45th edition • It is an informal meeting between France, the
of the G7 Summit was held in Biarritz, France from 24-26th United States, the United Kingdom, Germany,
August 2019.

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Japan, Italy and Canada as well as the European • In this meeting, India was represented by
Union. Union Environment Minister Prakash
• India has been invited as a special guest in the Javadekar.
summit. PM Narendra Modi will address sessions 9. 5th BRICS Minister of Environment Meeting held in Sao
on environment, climate, oceans and digital Paulo, Brazil
transformation at the G7 Summit. • The Indian delegation was led by Union
Note: Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate
• The 46th G7 summit will be held in 2020 in the United Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar.
States. 10. Udaipur to host India’s Largest Education Brainstorm – The
2. 4th edition of Internet of Things (IoT) India Congress 2019 3rd edition of India’s largest education brainstorming event,
• The 4th edition of India’s largest confluence of digital the ScooNews Global Educators Fest (SGEF) will held in the
technology, the Internet of Things (IoT) India Congress city of lakes, Udaipur.
2019 held in Bengaluru, Karnataka. • The theme for fest is Education for
• Theme is - ‘Mainstreaming the Internet of Things’. Sustainability: Moving on from Conformity to
3. 2019 Indo Pacific Chiefs of Defence (CHOD) Conference Creativity’.
held in Bangkok, Thailand 11. 3rd International Electric Vehicle (EV) Conclave held in
• The theme for the conference is “Collaboration in a Manesar – The 3rd International Electric Vehicle Conclave
free and Open Indo – Pacific”. was inaugurated at the International Centre for Automotive
4. 7th ‘Community Radio Sammelan’ held in New Delhi Technology (ICAT) in Manesar, Haryana.
• The theme of this year’s Sammelan is ‘Community 12. 10th Mekong-Ganga Cooperation in Bangkok – External
Radio for SDGs’. Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended 10th Mekong-Ganga
5. First World Youth Conference held in New Delhi. Cooperation (MGC) in Thailand’s Bangkok.
• President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the first- 13. HRD Minister inaugurates Technology Expo at IIT Delhi –
ever World Youth Conference. Which was Human Resources Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal
organised by the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Nishank inaugurated Technology Expo at IIT Delhi to
Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable showcase the latest innovation in the field of science and
Development (MGIEP) at Vigyan Bhavan, Delhi. technology.
• The theme of the conference was ‘Vasudhaiva 14. Global Investors Summit 2019 will be held in Srinagar, J&K
Kutumbakam: Gandhi for the Contemporary World: • A 3-day Global Investors Summit 2019 starting
Celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of from October 12, 2019, will be held in Srinagar,
Mahatma Gandhi. Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) which will provide
6. CoP18 of CITES held in Geneva - The 18th Conference of the state an opportunity to showcase its
the Parties (CoP18) of Convention on International Trade in strengths, strategies, and potential.
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was 15. Foreign Ministers from South East Asia attend 52nd ASEAN
recently held in Geneva, Switzerland. summit – Foreign Ministers from South East Asia are
7. 12th India Security Summit held in New Delhi attending the 52nd ASEAN summit in Bangkok.
• The 12th India Security Summit was held in New • The annual meeting opened with a call from
Delhi. the host Thailand for deeper integration to
• The theme of the summit was “Towards New expand trade and bolster prosperity in the
National Cyber Security Strategy”. region amid rising global challenges.
8. 28th BASIC Ministerial meeting on Climate Change held in 16. 22nd National Conference on e-Governance - Shillong,
Brazil – BASIC countries (Brazil, South Africa, India and Meghalaya
China) held their 28th Ministerial meeting on Climate • The theme of the conference is ‘Digital India:
Change recently in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Success to Excellence’.
July

1. Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Ministerial meeting was • India’s Permanent Representative to the UN
held in Caracas, Venezuela Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin represented India in
the meeting.

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• The movement had 125 members and 25 observer Nepal on 28 July 2019. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister
countries. of Nepal KP Sharma Oli. Theme for Summit was:
• The headquarters of NAM is in Central Jakarta, Transforming Logistics Landscape.
Indonesia 11. G20 Summit 2019 – was held in Osaka, Japan from 28 – 29
2. BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting 2019 held in Rio De June 2019.
Janeiro, Brazil Highlights
• India was represented by Gen. (retd) VK Singh who
is the Union Minister of State for Road Transport • Prime Minister’s sherpa for the G20 summit Suresh
and Highways. Prabhu attended G20 Sherpa meeting at Osaka in
• BRICS member countries - Brazil, Russia, India, Japan.
China and South Africa • Sister City Partnership: LoI shared between
3. 44th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2020 Ahmedabad and Kobe – A Letter of Intent (LoI) was
• The city of Fuzhou (China) will host the 44th session exchanged between Ahmedabad and Japanese city
of the World Heritage Committee in 2020 of Kobe for a sister city partnership.
• In the event of 43rd session of the World Heritage • Osaka Track” - India, South Africa, and Indonesia
Committee meeting 2019 in Baku, Azerbaijan( June boycotted the “Osaka Track” on the “digital
30 to July 10,2019), the UNESCO(United Nations economy”.
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) • PM Modi outlined 5 I vision in G-20 meet at Osaka
announced that the Chinese city of Fuzhou will host to maximize digital technology for social benefit.
the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee • The 5 ‘I’s (5I Vision) are — Inclusiveness,
in 2020. Indigenisation, Innovation, Investment in
4. Lucknow to host DefExpo 2020 infrastructure & International cooperation.
• Lucknow will host the 11th biennial edition of • Over the next five years, India aims to become a 5
DefExpo from February 5 to 8, 2020. trillion dollar economy and setting up of 50,000
• The focus of the Expo will be on “Digital start-ups in 5 years was the goal.
transformation of defence”. • India is also planning to run its first bullet train
• The main theme of DefExpo India-2020 will be between Mumbai and Ahmedabad with Japan’s
“India: the emerging defence manufacturing hub” help.
5. The International Police Expo 2019 was held at Pragati Participants
Maidan in New Delhi. • Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France,
• Theme ‘Challenges to strengthen peace and Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico,
security’ Republic of Korea, Republic of South Africa, Russia,
6. The 19th Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States of
was held in London, UK. America and European Union.
• India External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar 12. Women Startup Summit - Kerala Startup Mission to host
attended the meeting. Women Startup Summit in Kochi on August 1
7. 14th conference of Parties to be hosted by India - India will 13. The 3rd edition of International Sunflower Seed and Oil
host the 14th conference of the parties from September 02 Conference (ISSOC) 2019 will be held in Mumbai
to 13, 2019 in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. • India will be hosting the 3rd edition of International
• Three crucial issues in this conference are Sunflower Seed and Oil Conference (ISSOC) 2019 in
desertification, land degradation and drought. Maharashtra, Mumbai (on July 19-20).
8. First Global Conference for Media Freedom was held in 14. G-7 Summit to be held in France in August 2019.
London. • India has received an invitation from France to
• The conference was co-hosted by the UK and attend the outreach Session at the G-7 Summit to
Canada. be held in France in August 2019. Prime Minister
9. The US India Strategic and Partnership Forum 2nd annual Narendra Modi has accepted an invitation from
leadership summit held in Washington, US. French President to attend the outreach session of
10. India-Nepal Logistics Summit organised in Kathmandu – the G7 Summit in Biarritz as a special invitee.
India-Nepal Logistics Summit was organised in Kathmandu,

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15. First ever IICTF to be held in India – The first ever India • It is a unique initiative for taking farmers, artisans &
International Cooperatives Trade Fair (IICTF) to be held in other members of cooperatives directly to the
New Delhi, India. global trade arena which will be held from 11th till
13th October 2019 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
June

1. G20 Finance Ministers’ Meeting – Fukuoka, Japan • Conflict Diamonds means rough diamonds used by
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will attend rebel movements or their allies to finance conflict
the two-day meeting of G-20 Finance Ministers and aimed at undermining legitimate governments.
central bank governors in Japan. • It is also described in United Nations Security
2. G20 Ministerial meeting on Trade and Digital Economy – Council (UNSC) Resolutions.
Tsukuba, Japan. 5. G-7 Summit 2019 will be held in France in August 2019.
• Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal Note:
represented the Indian delegation. • The 45th G7 summit will be held on August 25–27,
Note: 2019, in Biarritz, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France.
Japan will host the G20 summit for the first time in 2019 • G7 member countries – China, France, Germany,
• Japan is going to host this year G20 Summit in the Italy, Japan, UK, US.
city of Osaka. • The President of the European Commission has
• The G20 Osaka Summit will be held from June 28 to been a permanently welcome participant at all
29, 2019 in Japan. meetings and decision-making since 1981.
• The summit under Japanese presidency is cantered • The 44th G7 summit was held on 8–9 June 2018, in
around the theme "Human centered future La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada.
society". 6. 2nd Global Disability Summit - Buenos Aires, Argentina was
3. Saudi Arabia to host G20 Summit in 2020 held from 6th June to 8th June 2019.
Note: • India a delegation headed by Union Minister for
• Saudi Arabia (first G20 meeting in the Arab world) Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand
will host the G20 summit on 21-22 November 2020 Gehlot.
in its capital Riyadh. • ‘1st Global Disability Summit’ held at London, UK in
• Italy will host the G20 Summit in 2021. July 2018.
• India will host the G20 Summit in 2022 when the 7. 14th Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Summit was held
in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
country celebrates its 75th year of Independence.
8. Fifth meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog held
4. The Intersessional meeting of Kimberley Process (KP) was
in New Delhi.
held in Mumbai.
• The fifth meeting of the Governing Council of NITI
Note:
Aayog was held under the chairmanship of the
• India is one of the founder members of Kimberley
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
Process Certification Scheme.
9. World Food India to be held in New Delhi
• At present, KPCS has 55 members representing 82
• The second edition of World Food India to be held
countries including EU with 28 members.
from 1st to 4th November 2019 in New Delhi,
• The Kimberley Process is a joint initiative involving
which will position India as Food Processing
Government, international diamond industry and
Destination of the World.
civil society to stem the flow of Conflict Diamonds.
• The tagline of the event will be “Forging
Partnerships for Growth”.

Books & Author

1. Former Australian cricket umpire Simon Taufel released his 2. Note: Simon Taufel (retired in 2012) is a five-time ICC
book titled Finding The Gaps. Umpire of the Year (between 2004 and 2008) and part of

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ICC’s Elite Panel of Umpires.The Australian stood in his first his third book but the first fiction and it took Bhat about
One-Day International in 1999, and his first Test in 2000. 8 months to complete. The book is a story about two
3. A book titled “Hemant Karkare -A Daughter’s Memoir” by young people, Rahul, and Neha who follow their
his daughter Jui Karkare Navare. passion for coffee.
4. Note: The book portrays former Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) 11. Jal Shakti Minister releases short documentary film --
chief Hemant Karkare’s life as a father to Jui Karkare SHIKHAR SE PUKAR.
Navare. The book has been published by The Write Place. 12. ‘Hemant Karkare: A Daughters Memoir’, book written by --
18 security personnel lost their lives in the 26/11 terror Jui Karkare Navare.
attacks (11th anniversary). 13. Former cricket umpire and author of ‘Finding The Gaps’ is --
5. Mr. ‘Nishank’ also launched three books which are a Simon Taufel.
collection of stories for Children namely Kumbh, Garam 14. Book titled “150 Years of Celebrating the Mahatma the
Pahad and Dilli ki Bulbul (Sindhi edition). South African Legacy”, -- written by Fakir Hassen
6. Note: Books has been authored by a popular writer of Note: This book released on Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth
children’s books and travelogues Dr Anita Bhatnagar Jain anniversary.
(IAS-1985 batch). The three books are a collection of stories 15. Bill Gates’ Book titled “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The
for children and have brought out environmental issues and Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need” will be
topics like socio-cultural unity& cultural heritage in a very released -- June 2020.
simple and interesting manner. Note:
7. English author Tony Joseph has won the 12th ‘Shakti Bhatt 16. Book titled “India in a Warming world: Integrating Climate
First Book Prize’ for his book, --- Early Indians: The Story of Change and Development” will be published by –-Oxford
Our Ancestors and Where We Came From. University Press(OUP).
Note: The book tells the tale of the people of South Asia 17. Book titled “Mind Master: Winning Lessons from a
through research in six disciplines, including path-breaking Champion’s Life” - written by Viswanathan Anand.
new DNA evidence. The award was instituted in 2008 and it Note: The book is based on the experience he had in the
carries a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh along with a trophy. Last game of Chess.
year, the prize was awarded to Sujatha Gidla for her Ants 18. Book titled ‘Bridgital Nation’ – written by N
Among Elephants: An Untouchable Family And The Making Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons and Roopa
Of Modern India. Purushothaman Eminent industrialist.
8. Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu has released the Note: The book presents a powerful vision of the future
monograph, the Musical Excellence of Mridangam in where technology and human beings co-exist in a mutually
Chennai. beneficial ecosystem.
Note: The book was authored by mridangam maestro 19. “Ten Studies in Kashmir: History and Politics” - written by
and Padma Vibhushan awardee Umayalpuram K. Kashi Nath Pandit.
Sivaraman and former scientists T. Ramasami (former Note: A new book looks at the riveting history of Jammu
Secretary of the Department of Science and and Kashmir from the time of its political and geographic
Technology) and M.D. Naresh. consolidation to the abrogation of the state’s special status.
9. CJI Ranjan Gogoi releases Assamese version of book -- 20. Book titled “The Tech Whisperer” written by - Jaspreet
'Courts of India: Past to Present'. Bindra
Note: Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has 21. Book titled ‘Reset: Regaining India’s Economic Legacy’ -
inaugurated the Assamese version of the book Courts written by Subramanian Swamy (BJP MP)
of India: Past to Present' in Guwahati. The book has 22. ‘Professor Ayushman’ a comic book released by Ayush
captured the historical developments which took place Ministry in New Delhi
23. Book titled “Being Gandhi” authored by Paro Anand
in the history of the nation's courts.
24. Book titled “The Cousins Thackeray: Uddhav, Raj and the
10. Writer and columnist, Harish Bhat’s new novel was
Shadow of their Senas” written by the journalist Dhaval
launched in Mumbai -- An Extreme Love of Coffee.
Kulkarni
Note: The novel is published by Penguin Random House
India with the collaboration of Tata Starbucks. This is

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25. Book titled “Savarkar: Echoes from a forgotten past, 1883- • The book is co-authored with senior journalist Uday
1924″ written by Bengaluru-based historian Vikram Mahurkar.
Sampath 43. Book titled ‘Function of Data Sovereignty: The Pursuit of
26. Book titled ‘Fortune Turners: The Quartet That Spun India Supremacy’ authored by - Vinit Goenka
To Glory’ written by - Aditya Bhushan and Sachin Bajaj. 44. Book titled ‘Cricket World Cup: The Indian Challenge” –
Note: The book on India’s 4 spin legends: Bishan Singh Bedi, authored by - Ashis Ray
Erapalli Prasanna, Bhagwat Chandrashekhar and S. 45. Book titled - Politics of Jugaad: The Coalition Handbook -
Venkataraghavan. Journalist Saba Naqvi
27. Book titled ‘A Short History of Indian Railways’ written by 46. Book titled 'Darkness to light' - Former American
Rajendra B Aklekar professional basketball player, Lamar Odom.
28. Book titled ‘Big Billion Startup’: The Untold Flipkart Story - 47. Book titled "No Presents Please’ is authored by - Jayant
written by Mihir Dalal Kaikini
29. The Book titled ‘Kashmir’s untold story: Declassification’- 48. Book titled “Game Changer” autobiography of - Shahid
author of the book is Delhi- based filmmaker Iqbal Chand Afridi (Pakistan’s former Cricket team captain). The book is
Malhotra and defense analyst Maroof Raza. co-authored by Afridi and journalist Wajahat S Khan.
30. Book ‘Resurgent India’ – Book authored by former 49. Book titled “Indian Fiscal Federalism” authored by - Dr. Y.
Governor of Reserve Bank of India, Bimal Jalan V. Reddy, former Governor of RBI and Chairman of the 14th
31. The book, titled ‘Sridevi: Girl Woman Superstar’ authored Finance Commission of India (The Chairman of 15th Finance
by screenwriter Satyarth Nayak. Commission of India, N.K. Singh launched the book)
32. Vice President’s book titled “Listening, Learning & Leading” 50. Book titled ‘Saffron Swords’ authored by - Manoshi Sinha
released – Home Minister Amit Shah released a Vice Rawal
President M Venkaiah Naidu’s book titled “Listening, 51. Book titled “The Third Pillar - How Markets and the State
Learning & Leading”. leave the Community Behind” authored by –Raghuram
33. PM Modi releases book on former PM Chandra Shekhar – Rajan (Former Governor of RBI)
PM Narendra Modi releases book “Chandra Shekhar – The 52. Book titled ‘Every Vote Counts: The Story of India's
Last Icon of Ideological Politics” is written by Deputy Elections’ authored by - former Chief Election
Chairman in the Rajya Sabha, Harivansh and Ravi Dutt Commissioner Navin Chawla. Former Vice-President Hamid
Bajpai in New Delhi. Ansari launched the book.
34. Book ‘Who Stole My Job’ authored by Sunil Mishra 53. Book titled “India Positive” authored by - Chetan Bhagat
35. The coffee table book titled ‘Fire and Fury Corps – Saga of 54. Book titled ‘Simplicity & Wisdom’ authored by - Mr. Dinesh
Valour, Fortitude and Sacrifice’, was released by Northern Shahra
Army Commander Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh. 55. Book titled ‘ Khooni Vaisakhi’ authored by -- Nanak Singh
Note: This book showcases the courage and bravery of the (Jallianwala Bagh survivor)
Fire and Fury Warriors and portrays the rich heritage and Note: A poem on the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, ‘Khooni
ethos of the Indian Army. Vaisakhi’, by Punjabi writer Nanak Singh has now been
36. Book titled ‘Vivekadeepini’ – authored by Adi translated into English.
Shankaracharya • It was banned by the British in 1920. Singh was
37. Book titled “A Prime Minister to Remember,” – authored by present at Jallianwala Bagh on April 13, 1919, and
former Navy Chief Admiral Sushil Kumar was 22 years old at the time.
38. Book titled ‘The New Delhi Conspiracy’ – authored by 5. • A book containing English translation of the 100-
BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi year-old classic Punjabi poem about Jallianwala
39. Book titled ‘War over Words: Censorship in India, 1930- Bagh massacre, ‘Khooni Vaisakhi’ has been released
1960” authored by Devika Sethi in Abu Dhabi.
40. Book titled ‘Whispers of Time’ authored by Dr. Krishna • India’s Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri
Saksena commended the launch of the book.
41. Autobiography titled 'Lessons Life Taught Me, • It will be published by Harper Collins India in March
Unknowingly' - autobiography of veteran Bollywood actor to mark the centenary of the Jallianwala Bagh.
Anupam Kher 56. Book titled “Quality, Accreditation & Ranking” authored by -
42. Autobiography titled- ‘My Life, My Mission’ – Dr. H Chaturvedi
authobiography of Yoga guru Baba Ramdev 57. Book titled ‘Mann Ki Baat – A Social Revolution on Radio’

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58. Arun Jaitley releases book titled ‘Mann Ki Baat – A Social 61. Book titled 'We are Displaced' authored by - Malala
Revolution on Radio’ authored by - BlueKraft Digital Yousafzai
Foundation 62. A book titled ‘Changing India’ written by – Former PM
59. Book titled ‘Moving On, Moving Forward: A year in Office’ - Manmohan Singh
Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu
60. Book titled “Undaunted: Saving the Idea of India” authored
by - P Chidambaram (former Finance Minister)
Obituaries
December

1. Shelley Morrison: Former Hollywood actress passed away Note: The writer penned numerous stories for the original
at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Star Trek' TV series and developed one of its signature
Note: Morrison played Rosario Salazar, a maid from El characters, Spock. She wrote 1967's 'Journey to Babel',
Salvador, in the original run of 'Will & Grace' from 1999 to which introduced Spock's father Sarek and mother,
2006, becoming part of a cast that won a Screen Actors Amanda.
Guild award for best ensemble in a comedy series. 4. Braj Bihari Kumar: Chairman of Indian Council of Social
2. Former England fast bowler Bob Willis passed away after a Science Research (ICSSR) passed away.
short illness. Note: He was appointed as the chairman of the ICSSR in
Note: Bob Willis took 325 wickets in 90 Tests and 80 wickets May 2017.
in 64 ODIs in his career. He also captained England in 18 5. The inventor of Universal Product Code (UPC)/Barcode
Tests and 29 ODIs. George Joseph Laurer passed away.
3. DC Fontana: The first female writer for 'Star Trek' passed
away.
November

1. Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister & Bharatiya Janata Note: Sushil Kumar was Navy Chief from 1998-2001. He
Party (BJP) leader Kailash Joshi passed away. authored a book named "A Prime Minister to Remember-
Note: Mr. Joshi was called as the ‘saint of politics’, served Memories of a Military Chief" which highlighted the key
as the Madhya Pradesh 9th chief minister (from June 1977 defence-related decisions taken by late former Prime
to January 1978). He was MLA for eight terms and served as Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Kumar had credited
a member of both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha. Vajpayee for turning the strategic tactical loss into a
2. Tamil television and film actor Bala Singh passed away in a massive victory
private hospital in Chennai. 5. Australian writer and broadcaster Clive James passed away
Note: Bala Singh was known for playing villainous roles with at home in Cambridge.
much aplomb. He played notable characters in Kamal Note: Clive James moved to England in 1961 and rose to
Haasan's Indian, Ullaasam, Simmarasi, Dheena, Virumaandi, prominence as a literary critic and TV columnist. He went on
Saamy, Kannathil Muthamittal, Pudhupettai and many more to deliver wry commentary on international programming
films. Bala was last seen in the serial Aathira as Rajarajan in in such shows as Clive James On Television.
the year 2016 6. Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi has
3. Cartoonist Sudhir Dar passed away due to cardiac arrest in inaugurated the 47th All India Police Science Congress
Noida. (AIPSC) in Lucknow.
Note: Sudhir Dar began his career with The Statesman (in Note: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be the chief
1961), after which he moved to the Hindustan Times. Dar’s guest at the valedictory function tomorrow evening. During
cartoons were often political in nature, often taking direct 6 sessions of the event, police officers, academicians,
shots at the bureaucracy and the general corruption in researchers, judicial and scientific experts will present their
Indian politics papers.
4. Former Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sushil Kumar passed 7. Lokpal Chairman Justice (retired) Pinaki Chandra Ghose has
away in New Delhi. launched the new logo and motto for the apex anti-
corruption ombudsman Ma Gridhah Kasyasvidhanam.

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Note: Earlier, an open competition was conducted, inviting 14. Babasaheb Dhabekar: Senior Congress party leader &
entries for the logo and the motto. A total of 2,236 entries former Maharashtra minister passed away in Mumbai
for the logo and 4,705 entries for the motto were received. Note: Mr. Dhabekar was water resources minister when the
A logo designed by Prashant Mishra, a resident of Prayagraj Shiv Sena-BJP alliance government came to power for the
in Uttar Pradesh, was finally selected. first time in the 1990s.
8. world-renowned rock climber Brad Gobright fell to his 15. TN Seshan: Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)
death while climbing a sheer rock face in northern Mexico. Note: Mr Seshan (IAS Officer: 1955 batch) was appointed
Note: Witnesses said the men had finished climbing the CEC on 12th December 1990 during the P V Narasimha Rao
900-meter (2,300-foot) summit and were rappelling back led Congress government. He is widely credited for bringing
down when the accident occurred. US national Gobright in electoral reforms that changed the face of Indian
(31-years) and fellow American Aidan Jacobson (26-years) elections.
were climbing a route known as the Shining Path in the 16. Ramakant Gundecha: Padma Shri-awardee Dhrupad
northern state of Nuevo Leon. vocalist passed away.
9. Japan Former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone passed Note: He was awarded the Padma Shri for 2012 in the field
away. of Art – Indian Classical Music – Vocal along with his brother
Note: Nakasone also broke an unwritten rule on limiting the Umakant Gundecha. Dhrupad is a genre in Hindustani
annual defence budget to 1% of Gross National Product. In classical music from the Indian subcontinent and is related
1983, he became the first Japanese Premier to officially visit to the South Indian Carnatic tradition.
South Korea, mending fences with a country that Japan had 17. Sahitya Akademi awardee writer Nabaneeta Dev Sen
brutally colonized from 1910 to 1945. passed away.
10. Former judge of the Supreme Court and former Lokayukta Note: She was also the recipient of the Padma Shri in 2000.
of Karnataka Venkatachala passed away. She is the founder and president of the West Bengal
Note: Venkatachala was known for bringing to light the Women Writers’ Association.
existence of Karnataka’s autonomous anti-corruption wing 18. Kailash Joshi: Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister.
as the Lokayukta by conducting raids on public servants and Note: He was MLA for eight terms and also served as a
disclosing their names and particulars of seized assets. He member of both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha
was Lokayukta from July 3, 2001, to July 2, 2006. 19. Vashishth Narayan Singh: Famous Indian mathematician
11. Geetanjali Ramakrishna: Vetrean Telugu actress passed passed away.
away Note: The 77-year old had been suffering from
Note: She had an illustrious career spanning nearly six Schizophrenia for 40 years. Vashishth Narayan Singh was
decades by doing movies not just in Telugu, but also in famous for his extraordinary skills of calculation, challenged
other South Indian languages. Some of her popular works Einstein's theory of relativity.
include Seetharama Kalyanam, Deivathin Deivam, 20. Kshiti Goswami: former West Bengal Minister & The
Swapnangal, Parasmani, Gudachari 116 and Bobbili General Secretary of the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP).
Yuddham. Note: Goswami was PWD Minister in Jyoti Basu and
12. Gurudas Dasgupta: Veteran communist leader and trade Buddhadev Bhattacharjee’s cabinet in the Left Front
unionist passed away. Government in the State.
Note: Dasgupta became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 21. Veteran actor Shaukat Kaifi passed away.
1985. He was also elected to the Lok Sabha from Panskura Note: Kaifi’s husband was the celebrated Urdu poet and
and Ghatal constituencies of West Bengal in 2004 and 2009 film lyricist, Kaifi Azmi. Kaifi and Shaukat were leaders of
respectively. the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) and the
13. Krishnan Kumar Modi: Noted industrialist & Chairman of Progressive Writers Association (IWA).
Modi Enterprises passed away. 22. Famous Indian mathematician Vashishth Narayan Singh
Note: Mr. Modi served as the chairman of Modi passed away.
Enterprises, which includes companies like Godfrey Phillips, Note: Vashishth Narayan Singh was famous for his
Indofil Industries and Modicare. He was the eldest son of extraordinary skills of calculation, challenged Einstein's
late Rai Bahadur Gujarmal Modi (founder of the city of theory of relativity.
Modi Nagar).

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October

1. Ramu, Satyapriya Mohathero: The second highest 10. Dadu Chougule: wrestler and recipient of Major
Buddhist leader of Bangladesh and head of Sima Bihar Dhyanchand award passed away.
of Ramu, Satyapriya Mohathero passed away in Dhaka, Note:
Bangladesh. ➢ In 1973, Chougule had won the titles ‘Rustum-
2. Diahann Carroll: American actress, singer, and model. e-Hind’ and ‘Mahan Bharat Kesari’ in national-
3. Kadri Gopalnath: Legendary saxophonist and the level tournaments.
Padma Shri awardee. The Carnatic music maestro won 11. Marieke Vervoort: Belgian Paralympic athlete has
multiple awards in his illustrious career, including the ended her life at the age of 40 through euthanasia.
Kendra Sangeetha Nataka Academy Award and 12. Dilip Parikh: Former Gujarat Chief Minister (13th)
Karnataka Kalashree passed away. He was an industrialist and also served as
4. Sara Danius: She was the first female head of Nobel’s president of the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and
Literature Award Body. She also served as the first Industry.
female permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy 13. India’s oldest Yoga teacher Nanammal passed away at
between 2015 and 2018. 99 years.
5. Alexei Leonov: He was the legendary Soviet Note:
cosmonaut who became the first human to walk in • She had bagged 150 awards, 6 national-level
space 54 years ago. gold medals and Yoga Ratna award of the
6. Renowned painter Kalidas Karmakar passes away in Government of Karnataka in 2014.
Dhaka. • She was also conferred the Padma Shri in
7. Alicia Alonso: Cuban ballet dancer considered one of January 2019 for her efforts to make people
the greatest 20th Century ballerinas. In 1948, she lead a healthy life.
founded the Alicia Alonso Ballet Company in Cuba’s 14. First female UN refugee chief passed away-- Sadako
capital. Ogata
8. Mark Hurd: Former Co-Chief executive Officer (CEO) of 15. John Witherspoon passed away -- Actor and comedian
Oracle Note:
9. Writer and philosopher K.B. Siddaiah passed away. • He was best known best known for the hit
Note: He was one of the founder members of Dalitha Friday franchise and The Wayan Brothers.
Sangharsha Samithi (DSS) during the ’80s and co- 16. N. Venkatachala: Former judge of the Supreme Court
authored many songs to inspire the movement. and former Lokayukta of Karnataka
September

1. Viju Khote - Famous Bollywood actor Viju Khote passed 5. KPS Menon (junior) - Former Foreign Secretary
away at the age of 77 on 30th September. 6. Boman Rashid Kohinoor – co-owner of Mumbai's iconic
• He is known for his 'Kalia' role in the film 'Sholay'. eatery Britannia & Co.
2. Jacques Chirac - Former President Jacques Chirac who 7. S.K. Padmadevi - Veteran actor and multi-faceted artiste
dominated French politics for decades in roles ranging from 8. Shyam Ramsay – Bollywood’s famous horror film producer
mayor of Paris to the second-longest serving leader of the 9. Sanjib Kumar Datta – Film editor
nation passed away on 26th September. He was 86. 10. Sivaraman Cheriyanad - renowned writer of Kerala
3. Bhagat Ram Vats – A former senior correspondent 11. B.N. Yugandhar - Former bureaucrat and Secretary to the
(journalist) of the country's leading news agency 'Press PMO
Trust of India', passed away. Note: B.N. Yugandhar was the father of Microsoft’s present
• He had covered the first Lok Sabha election of the Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella.
country in April 1952. 12. Veeru Krishnan - Actor, Kathak Dancer
• He had also written a book called 'Foreign Intrigue 13. Ram Jethmalani - One of India’s finest lawyers and a former
Against India'. union minister has passed away.
4. Madhav Apte – Former Indian cricketer

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• Mr. Jethmalani had also served as the chairman of 16. Robert Mugabe - Zimbabwe’s former President Robert
the Bar Council of India. Mugabe passed away.
14. Abdul Qadir - Pakistan's master leg-spinner, passes away • He was the country’s first post-independence
• Abdul Qadir played cricket for Pakistan for 16 years leader and also considered as Zimbabwe’s founding
and took 236 wickets in 67 Test matches and 132 father.
wickets in 104 ODIs. 17. Kiran Nagarkar - Sahitya Akademi Award-winning writer
• He was known as 'Dancing Bowler' in the cricket • He began his career as an educationist, a journalist
world due to his interesting bowling action. and then later as a screenplay writer in the
15. Sukhdev Singh Libra - Veteran congress leader and former advertising industry.
MP. • His novel “Cuckold” (1997) won him the 2001
• He was the member of the 14th and 15th Lok Sahitya Akademi award.
Sabha.

August
1. Nimu Bhowmik - Veteran Bengali actor 8. Mohammed Zahur Hashmi – Veteran music composer
2. Arun Jaitley - Former Union finance minister and senior BJP Mohammed Zahur Hashmi, popularly known as Khayyam
leader Arun Jaitley passed away. He was a lawyer by passed away.
profession. 9. Niranjan Singh Tasneem - Eminent Punjabi writer and
• He held the portfolios of Finance Ministry, Sahitya Akademi winner
Corporate Affairs Ministry, Defence Ministry, and 10.Jagannath Mishra – Former Bihar Chief Minister
Minister of Information and Broadcasting. 11.Babulal Gaur – Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh
3. Kanchan Chaudhary – India’s first woman Director General 12.J Om Prakash – Veteran director
of Police (DGP), Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya passed 13.Rizia Rahman - Renowned Bangladeshi novelist
away. 14.Vidya Sinha – Veteran Bollywood actress
• She was a 1973 batch officer, made history in 2004 15.VB Chandrasekhar - Former Indian cricketer
when she was appointed as the DGP of 16.Damodar Ganesh Bapat - a noted social worker from
Uttarakhand. Chhattisgarh and Padma Shri award winner
• She was also the second woman IPS officer in the 17.Dayanidhi Nayak – Freedom fighter
country. 18.Kanti Bhatt – Veteran Gujarati journalist, author and
4. Noel Kelman – Naval war hero and Kirti Chakra awardee columnist
Commander Noel Kelman passed away. 19.Toni Morrison – Toni Morrison, the 1993 Nobel laureate in
• Commander Kelman was awarded the Kirti Chakra literature passed away.
for valour during the liberation of Goa in 1961. • She was the 1st African American woman to win
5. Navnitbhai Shah – Socialist leader and former MLA of the Nobel in literature.
Palghar Navnitbhai Shah passed away. 20.Anant Setalvad – Cricket commentator Anant Setalvad,
• He took part in the freedom struggle in 1942 at the who used to draw pictures of the game’s progress on
Gowalia Tank maidan in Mumbai. airwaves with his fine command of the English language,
6. Sushma Swaraj – Former External Affairs Minister Sushma from the mid 1960s through to the 1980s, passed away .
Swaraj passed away. 21.Malcolm Nash - Former cricketer
• She was the 1st full time woman external affairs • He was Glamorgan’s legendary left-arm bowler
minister of India. who took 993 first-class wickets in a 17-year career
• She was also the youngest cabinet minister at 25 between 1966 and 1983. He became famous after
when she joined the Haryana government in 1977 Garfield Sobers hit him for six sixes in an over.
and the first woman chief minister of Delhi. 22.Russi Taylor - Veteran actor Russi Taylor, who voiced
7. Neelum (Neelam) Sharma – Doordarshan News Anchor and Disney’s Minnie Mouse for more than 30 years,
Nari Shakti Award Winner 23. Rajalakshmi Parthasarathy – Former Padma Shri award
winner and educationist Rajalakshmi Parthasarathy passed
away.

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July
1. Sheila Dikshit – Three-time Delhi Chief Minister and senior 9. Fernando Corbató - American computer scientist, known
Congress leader Shiela Dixit passed away in New Delhi. for computer passwords
2. Subir Gokarn - Former RBI Deputy Governor and Noted 10. Yukiya Amano – Chief of International Atomic Energy
economist Subir Vithal Gokarn passed away. Agency. He was extensively involved in negotiations over
• He had the distinction of being the youngest RBI Iran’s nuclear program.
Governor at the time. 11. Attoor Ravi Varma - Renowned Malayalam poet, translator
3. Lt Gen Joginder Singh Gharaya - Retired Lt Gen Joginder 12. A. U. Celestine - Former India football goalkeeper from
Singh Gharaya, who was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra in Tamil Nadu A. U. Celestine passed away. He played for the
the 1971 Indo-Pak war and Kirti Chakra in the 1947 Tamil Nadu men’s team in the senior Nationals as a keeper
Hyderabad operations, passed away. in the 1965 and 69 National championships.
4. M. K. Seetharam Kulal - Veteran poet and lyricist and • He represented India in the Merdeka Cup in
former president of the Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy Malaysia in 1969.
5. Ram Chandra Paswan – Lok Janshakti Party MP from Bihar’s 13. Lee Iacocca - Automobile industry legend from USA
Samastipur Ram Chandra Paswan passed away. 14. BK Birla – Veteran industrialist, businessman and Indian
• He was the younger brother of Union minister and industry stalwart
LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan. • He wrote several books including an autobiography
6. S. Jaipal Reddy – Former Union Minister and senior titled ‘Svantah Sukhaya’.
Congress leader 15. Barun Haldar - veteran newsreader of All India Radio (AIR)
7. Donkupar Roy – Meghalaya Assembly Speaker and former 16. Rakesh Shukla - former leg-spinner of India
Meghalaya Chief Minister Donkupar Roy passed away. He 17. Sudershan Agarwal - former Uttarakhand Governor
was head of the United Democratic Party (UDP).
8. Mukesh Goud - Former Andhra Pradesh state Minister

June

1. Babu Narayanan – Malayalam director 9. Mohamed Morsy - Former Egyptian President

2. Abburi Chaya Devi – Telugu story writer and the Sahitya 10. Dinyar Contractor - Veteran comedian, film and theatre
Akademi award winner actor
3. Jharna Dhara Chowdhury – an Eminent Social Activist and 11. Girish Karnad - Noted actor, filmmaker and playwright
secretary of the Gandhi Ashram Trust in Jayag, Noakhali, 12. Crazy Mohan - Tamil writer, comedian and actor
Bangladesh passes away in Dhaka. 13. R V Janakiraman - Former Puducherry Chief Minister
4. Shyam Sundar Mitra – Former Bengal cricketer Shyam between 1996 and 2000
Sundar Mitra passes away . He was awarded the Karthick 14. Pazhavila Ramesan - Poet and lyricist
Bose Lifetime Achievement Award by Cricket Association of 15. Ruma Guha Thakurta - Actor-singer Ruma Guha Thakurta,
Bengal. who featured in films such as Jwar Bhata, Ganga and 36
5. Vijaya Nirmala – Veteran actor-filmmaker Chowringhee Lane.
6. Mohan Ranade – Veteran freedom fighter from Goa and
Padmashri winner
7. Mohammed Baji - Noted freedom fighter
8. Rajnath Singh Surya - Former BJP Rajya Sabha MP and
senior journalist
National Appointments

LIST OF CABINET MINISTERS & CONSTITUENCY 2019

Portfolio (Department) Minister Name Constituency

Prime Minister and Ministry of Personnel,
Narendra Modi Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Public Grievances and Pensions; Department of

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Atomic Energy; Department of Space; and All-
important policy issues; and All other portfolios
not allocated to any Minister.
Ministry of Home Affairs Amit Shah Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Ministry of Defence Rajnath Singh Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar -
Minister of Finance; and Minister of Corporate
Nirmala Sitharaman Karnataka, Rajya Sabha
Affairs
Minister of Road Transport and Highways; and
Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Nitin Jairam Gadkari Nagpur, Maharashtra
Enterprises.
Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers D.V. Sadananda Gowda Bangalore North, Karnataka
Minister of Health and Family Welfare; Minister
of Science and Technology; and Minister of Dr. Harsh Vardhan Chandni Chowk, Delhi
Earth Sciences
Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public
Ramvilas Paswan --
Distribution
Minister of Law and Justice; Minister of
Communications; and Minister of Electronics Ravi Shankar Prasad Patna Sahib, Bihar
and Information Technology
Ministry of Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Jharkhand, Rajya Sabha
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs; Minister of
Prahlad Joshi Dharwad, Karnataka
Coal; and Minister of Mines
Minister of Skill Development and
Mahendra Nath Pandey Chandauli. Uttar Pradesh
Entrepreneurship
Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public
Prakash Javadekar Maharashtra, Rajya Sabha
Enterprises
Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal Bathinda, Punjab
Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare;
Minister of Rural Development; and Minister of Narendra Singh Tomar Morena, Madhya Pradesh
Panchayati Raj.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda Khunti, Jharkhand
Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and
Giriraj Singh Begusarai, Bihar
Fisheries
Minister of Women and Child Development;
Smriti Zubin Irani Amethi, Uttar Pradesh
and Minister of Textiles
Minister of Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ Haridwar, Uttarakhand
Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot Madhya Pradesh, Rajya Sabha
Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change; and Minister of Information and Prakash Javadekar Maharashtra, Rajya Sabha
Broadcasting
Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas; and
Dharmendra Pradhan Madhya Pradesh, Rajya Sabha
Minister of Steel
Minister of Railways; and Minister of Commerce
Piyush Goyal Maharashtra, Rajya Sabha
and Industry
Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Shekhawat Jodhpur, Rajasthan

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New Appointments

December

1. The News Broadcasters Federation (NBF) has elected board of ICICI Bank and the member of the government
editor-in-chief of Republic TV as the President of its appointed board of Infrastructure Leasing and Financial
governing board -- Arnab Goswami. Services Ltd (IL&FS).
Note: The country’s largest association of over 78 news 3. Senior security advisor in the Union Home Ministry – K Vijay
channels, The body of 78 news channels in 14 languages, Kumar.
representing broadcasters from 25 states. Note: IPS officer K Vijay Kumar will “advise the ministry on
2. The National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE) new security-related matters of Union Territory of J&K and Left-
chairman-- Girish Chandra Chaturvedi. Wing Extremism (LWE) affected States.
Note: The appointment was approved by Securities and
Exchange Board of India (Sebi). Currently, he is on the

November

1. New Prime minister of Sri Lanka -- Mahinda Rajapaksa. Note: The CRL is a self-regulatory step for the micro-credit
Note: Mr. Rajapaksa was sworn in by President Gotabaya industry making diverse entities like banks, NBFC-MFIs and
Rajapksa (his younger brother). Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa NBFCs adhere to standards of customer protection.
served as two-term President from 2005 to 2015 and was 6. Speaker of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly --. Nana
barred from contesting Presidential elections because of Patole.
the two-term limit. Note: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Kisan Kathore
2. Chairman of the Zee Entertainment Enterprises' board has withdrew his nomination. Maharashtra BJP legislature party
resigned -- Subhash Chandra. leader Devendra Fadnavis was named Leader of Opposition
Note: Mr. Chandra will continue as a non-executive in the state Assembly.
director, which he founded in 1992. Subhash Chandra 7. Ursula von der Leyen took charge as the first female
resigns to comply with a rule mandating that Chairman President of the European Commission (EC).
can’t be related to MD & CEO. Zee board appoints six Note: Von der Leyen served in the federal government of
independent directors; all the appointments will have to be Germany (from 2005 to 2019) as the longest-serving Ms
approved by the shareholders. Leyen invited Prime Minister Modi to visit Brussels for the
3. The Chief minister (18th) of Maharashtra state -- Uddhav next India-EU Summit.
Thackeray. member of Angela Merkel's cabinet.
Note: Mr. Thackeray is the third Shiv Sena leader to hold 8. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) new President --
the post after Manohar Joshi (1995–1999) and Narayan Masatsugu Asakawa.
Rane (1 Feb- 17 Oct1999). Note: Currently, he is the Special Advisor to Japan’s Prime
4. Soma Roy Burman took charge as the new Controller Minister and Minister of Finance. Masatsugu Asakawa will
General of Accounts (CGA). succeed Takehiko Nakao. Mr. Asakawa will assume office as
Note: Soma Roy Burman (1986-batch Indian Civil Accounts ADB’s 10th President on 17th January 2020.
Service officer) is the 24th CGA and the 7th woman to hold 9. India’s first woman pilot of the Indian Navy -- Sub
this coveted position. CGA works under the Ministry of Lieutenant Shivangi.
Finance, Government of India. Note: Shivangi was inducted into the Indian Navy under the
5. H R Khan has been appointed as the first chairman of the Short Service Commission Pilot entry scheme. She was
steering committee of the Code for Responsible Lending commissioned into the Navy in June 2018.
(CRL) in micro-credit.

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10. Director-General of Ordnance Factories (DGOF) and ➢ The Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court -- Justice
chairman of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) -- Shri Hari Muhammad Raffiq.
Mohan. ➢ Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court -- Justice Dr
Note: He has made significant contributions in improving Ravi Ranjan.
the production of Armoured Fighting Vehicles like Ajeya ➢ Chief Justice of Tripura High Court -- Justice Akil
Tanks, MBT Arjun, Bridge Layer and Trawls Tanks. Abdulhamid Kureshi
11. Indian American business executive promoted as Alphabet 19. The new Ambassador to UAE -- Pavan Kapoor.
Inc. CEO -- Sundar Pichai 20. chairman of the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) --
Note: Sundar Pichai will replace Larry Page. Earlier, Google Aditya Mishra.
co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have announced 21. Speaker of Haryana Assembly -- Gian Chand Gupta.
that they are stepping down from the leadership role of the 22. Governor of Mizoram - P.S Sreedharan Pillai.
parent company Alphabet. Note: P.S Sreedharan Pillai replaced Governor of Assam
12. Pritivirajsing Roopun has been elected as new President of Jagdish Mukhi (additional charge- Mizoram).
Mauritius by parliament. 23. The two-day ‘BIMSTEC Conclave’ held in Visakhapatnam.
Note: He was the former arts and culture minister of Note: Union Minister of State for Shipping Mansukh L.
Mauritius. The motion for his election as new President was Mandaviya has inaugurated the two-day BIMSTEC (Bay of
presented by Prime Minister, Home Affairs and External Bengal initiative multi-sector technical and economic
Communications, Minister of Defence, Minister for cooperation) Conclave at Visakhapatnam.
Rodrigues, Outer Islands and Territorial Integrity. 24. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated two-day
13. New Ambassador of India to the Republic of Costa Rica -- mega global investors meet ‘Rising Himachal 2019’ at
Upender Singh Rawat. Dharamshala.
Note: Presently Mr Rawat is Ambassador of India to the Note: The event has been graced by the presence of top
Republic of Panama. Shri Anjani Kumar (IFS:2003) has been heads of Indian industry and business besides foreign
appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic delegations and Union minister and senior government
of Mali. officials.
14. The first Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh UT -- Radha 25. Re-elected President of UAE -- Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al
Krishna Mathur. Nahyan.
15. The first Lieutenant Governor of J&K - Girish Chandra Note: The UAE's Supreme Council of the Union has re-
Murmu. elected His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan as
16. Argentina’s new President: Alberto Fernandez. its President for a fourth five-year term.
Note: Fernandez, a 60-year-old law professor, got 47.36 per 26. Prime Minister of Mauritius -- Pravind Jugnauth.
cent votes crossing the threshold for outright victory. 27. Manmohan Singh has been nominated to the parliamentary
17. Prime Minister of Lebanon Saad Hariri has resigned from standing committee on finance.
the portfolio amid anti-government protests. Note: In August 2019, Manmohan Singh was elected
Note: He resigned bowing to one of the central demands of unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan.
anti-government demonstrators shortly after baton- 28. Additional charge of the Ministry of Heavy Industries and
wielding Hezbollah supporters rampaged through the main Public Enterprises --- Minister Prakash Javadekar.
protest camp in Beirut. Note: President Ram Nath Kovind has accepted the
18. The Government of India has appointment of new Chief resignation of the Union Council of Ministers Arvind Ganpat
Justices to the High Courts. Sawant (Shiv Sena MP).
Note: 29. Suranga Bawadi in Bijapur (Karnataka) has been selected
➢ Chief Justice of the Madras High Court -- Justice as the World Monument Watch List for 2020.
Amreshwar Pratap Sahi Note: Suranga Bawadi was selected under the category of
➢ Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court -- “Ancient Water System of the Deccan Plateau” along with
Justice AK Mittal 24 monuments across the world. It was built in the 16th
➢ Chief Justice of the Patna High Court ---- Justice century of Adil Shahi-I in Vijayapura.
Sanjay Karol.

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30. The new Chairman and Managing Director of India Tourism Note: Gotabaya is the younger brother of former President
Development Corporation (ITDC) - G Kamala Vardhana Mahinda Rajapksa (now Prime minister) and served as
Rao. defence secretary during the end of LTTE war.
Note: He has also served as the Secretary of Kerala Tourism 35. President of Gymnastics Federation of India -- Sudhir Mital.
in 2014-15. 36. FIFA’s Chief of global football development - Arsene
31. The new Chairman of Unilever -- Nils Andersen. Wenger.
Note: Nil Andersen replaced Marijn Dekkers. Unilever is a 37. Bangladesh High Commissioner to India -- Mohammad
British-Dutch transnational consumer goods company co- Imran.
headquartered in London, United Kingdom, and Rotterdam, Note: Currently, he is Bangladesh’s Ambassador to the
Netherlands. United Arab Emirates.
32. First woman Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh -- Nilam 38. Next ambassador of India to the Republic of Mali - Anjani
Sawhney. Kumar.
Note: She will replace Neerabh Kumar, who has been 39. First Indian to be elected to the position of General Vice
holding additional charge as the CS, following the sudden President (GVP), International Organisation Development
transfer of LV Subramanyam, a week ago. Association (IODA) -- Dr Vinaya Shetty
33. Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde sworn in as the 47th Chief
40. MD and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IndusInd Bank --
Justice of India.
Suman Kathpalia
Note: Justice SA Bobde succeeds Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.
41. Dhanlaxmi Bank’s managing director (MD) and chief
34. The new President of Sri Lanka -- Gotabaya Rajapakasa.
executive officer (CEO) T. Latha has resigned.
October

1. Surjit Bhalla: The executive director of the International 19. President Ram Nath Kovind appointed Chief Justices to 7
Monetary Fund for a period of three years. high courts –
2. Amrit Lugun: Ambassador of India to Greece. • New Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court -
3. Muktesh Kumar Pardeshi: High Commissioner of India to Lingappa Narayana Swamy
Niue. • New Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High
4. Sushil Chandra: MD & CEO of Oil India Limited. Court - Ravi Shankar Jha
5. J. P. S. Chawla: the new Controller General of Accounts • New Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court - Indrajit
(CGA). He will replace Girraj Prasad Gupta. Mohanty
6. Anup Kumar Singh: Director-General of NSG. • New Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court -
J.K. Maheshwari
7. Pankaj Kumar: CEO of UIDAI (Unique Identification
• New Chief Justice of Kerala High Court - S.
Authority of India)
Manikumar
8. Sourav Ganguly: New BCCI President
• New Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court - Arup K.
9. Rajnish Kumar (SBI chairman): new chairman of IBA.
Goswami
10. Manohar Lal Khattar sworn in as CM of Haryana for a
• New Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court - Ajai
second term. Lamba
11. Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde: 47th Chief Justice of India. 20. Vice-Chief of Air Force - Air Marshal HS Arora. He succeeds
12. G C Murmu: Lt Governors of J&K Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria
13. R K Mathur: Lt Governors of Ladakh. 21. New chief of PIB - Kuldeep Singh Dhatwalia has been
Note: Satya Pal Malik has been transferred and appointed as the new Director-General of the Press
appointed as Governor of Goa, succeeding Mridula Information Bureau (PIB). He becomes the 28th DG of the
Sinha PIB.
14. P S Sreedharan Pillai: the 15th governor of Mizoram • He succeeds incumbent Sitanshu Ranjan Kar.
succeeding Jagdish Mukhi. 22. New Lokpal of Punjab - Justice Vinod Kumar Sharma
18. New Chief of Indian Air Force (IAF) - Rakesh Kumar 23. New MD & CEO of Oil India Limited – Sushil Chandra
Bhadauria. He is the 26th Chief of the Air Force. Mishra
• He succeeds Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa. 24. Surjit Bhalla Appointed as Executive Director for India at
IMF - The government has appointed an eminent economist

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Surjit S Bhalla as the Executive Director for India on the 27. New MD & CEO of Punjab National Bank - SS Mallikarjuna
board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Rao. He will replace Sunil Mehta.
Note: Surjit S Bhalla succeeds former RBI deputy governor 28. New chief of South Western Air Command - Air Marshal S K
Subir Gokarn who died in the US on July 30 after a brief Ghotia
illness. 29. New administrator for PMC Bank – Jai Bhagwan Bhoria
25. President of Mumbai Cricket Association – Vijay Patil (son 30. International Egg Commission chief – Suresh Chitturi
of former Governor of Bihar Dr DY Patil) 31. Former Indian cricketer, Kapil Dev resigned as chairman of
26. New MD & CEO of Tata Communications - Amur Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) of BCCI.
Lakshminarayanan
September

1. Four new judges appointed as judge in the Supreme Court 9. Vineet Jain, Managing Director of Bennett, Coleman and
- Justice Krishna Murari, Justice S Ravindra Bhat, Justice V Company Limited (BCCL), has been elected as the Vice-
Ramasubramanian and Justice Hrishikesh appointed as Chairman of PTI.
judge in the Supreme Court. 10. New Chairman of Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) -
• With this, the number of judges in the court has Madhukar Kamath
increased to 34. 11. New chairman of the Association of Mutual Funds in India
2. Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee – Army Chief Gen. (AMFI) - Nilesh Shah
Bipin Rawat 12. New Deputy Managing Director (DMD) of IDBI Bank -
3. New chairman of Audit Bureau of Circulations – Madhukar Samuel Joseph Jebaraj
Kamat 13. India’s first female military diplomat – Wing Commander
4. First woman Lieutenant Colonel from Arunachal Pradesh – Anjali Singh
Army officer Ponung Doming became the first woman Note:
officer from Arunachal Pradesh state to be elevated to the • She has joined the Indian Embassy in Russia as
rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army. India’s first female military diplomat to be posted
5. Visa appoints PV Sindhu as brand ambassador - Payment in any of the Indian missions abroad.
technology company Visa announced that it has signed up • She has joined her new assignment as the Deputy
world badminton champion Pusarla Venkata Sindhu (PV Air Attache.
Sindhu) as its brand ambassador. 14. First Lokayukta of Andhra Pradesh - Justice P Lakshmana
6. Election Commission appoints Madhuri Dixit as goodwill Reddy
ambassador for Maharashtra Assembly polls. 15. First chancellor of Rai Sports University – The Haryana
7. Telangana Governor Tamilisai becomes the youngest Government has appointed cricket legend Kapil Dev as the
governor - Tamilisai Soundararajan who was sworn in as the first Chancellor of Sports University, Rai (Sonepat).
first woman governor of Telangana became the youngest 16. Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court – Justice Vikram Nath
state governor at the age of 58 among all the current 17. New Principal Secretary to PM Modi - Pramod Kumar
governors. Mishra
• She is the only governor who is under 60 years of 18. New Principal Advisor to PM Modi - Pradeep Kumar Sinha
age. 19. New Press Secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind - Ajay
• The second youngest governor is Acharya Devvrat, Kumar Singh
60, who is serving as the governor of Gujarat since 20. New MD of Microsoft India (R&D) - Rajiv Kumar
July this year. 21. First Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax of NeAC -
• She replaces E.S.L. Narasimhan. Krishna Mohan Prasad
8. Vijay Kumar Chopra elected PTI Chairman - Chief Editor of Note: Central Board of Direct Tax (CBDT) has newly set up
the Punjab Kesari Group of newspapers Vijay Kumar Chopra National e-Assessment Centre (NeAC) in Delhi.
has been elected as the Chairman of Press Trust of India 22. New Director General (DG) of BSF - Vivek Kumar Johri
(PTI). 23. Vice Chief of Army Staff - Lt. Gen. Mukund Naravane
• Vijay Kumar Chopra succeeds N Ravi, Publisher and 24. New Chairman of Association of World Election Bodies
former Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu. (AWEB) - Sunil Arora
August

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1. New Home Secretary - Ajay Kumar Bhalla (He replaces Rajiv assumed the charge of the chairman and managing director
Gauba) of Power Grid Corporation of India.
2. New Defence Secretary - Ajay Kumar (He replaces Sanjay 16. Giriraj Prasad Gupta appointed as new CGA – Giriraj Prasad
Mitra) Gupta, Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) officer, took over
3. New Cabinet Secretary - Rajiv Gauba (He replaces P.K. as the Controller General of Accounts (CGA).
Sinha) • He succeeds Anthony Lianzuala as the new
4. New Chairman of Coal India - Pramod Agarwal (He will Controller General of Accounts (CGA) under the
replace present chairman A K Jha who retires in January Finance Ministry.
2020) 17. IFSG appoints Justice A.K. Sikri as ombudsman – The Indian
5. P.K. Sinha appointed as “Officer on Special Duty” in the Federation of Sports Gaming (IFSG), country’s self-
office of the Prime Minister. regulatory industry body for the online fantasy sports
6. India’s 1st female flight commander - Wing Commander gaming sector, announced the appointment of Justice Arjan
Shalija Dhami Kumar Sikri as its ombudsman and ethics officer.
7. Chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes - Pramod • Justice A.K. Sikri will be responsible for
Chandra Mody investigating queries/complaints raised by the
8. First woman president of INSA – Chandrima Shaha became users of the online fantasy sports gaming
the 1st woman president of the Indian National Science platforms.
Academy. 18. Rakesh Asthana given additional charge of NCB – The
9. New MD-CEO of Vodafone Idea – Ravinder Takkar Appointments Committee on Cabinet has given the
10. Director of National Institute of Health and Family Welfare additional charge of the post of Director General Narcotics
- Harshad Pandurang Thakur has been appointed as the Control Bureau to Rakesh Asthana.
director of National Institute of Health and Family Welfare. • He is presently serving as the Director General of
11. P.T. Usha has been appointed as a member of the Asian Civil Aviation Security.
Athletics Association’s (AAA) Athletes Commission. This is 19. New DPIIT secretary – Guruprasad Mohapatra assumed
the 2nd time P.T. Usha has been appointed a member of charge as the secretary of the Department for Promotion of
the Asian Athletics Association’s Athletes Commission Industry and Internal Trade.
12. New President of Paytm - Madhur Deora 20. Secretary, Ministry of Textiles – Ravi Capoor, an Indian
13. New MD and CEO of Mindtree – Debashis Chatterjee Administrative Service (IAS) officer, assumed charge of the
14. Harshad Pandurang Thakur has been appointed as the office of Secretary, Ministry of Textiles in New Delhi.
director of National Institute of Health and Family Welfare.
15. New CMD of Power Grid Corporation – State-owned Power
Grid Corporation Director (Finance) Kandikuppa Sreekant

July

1. New Finance Secretary - Rajiv Kumar. He replaces Subhash 8. Vikas Swarup appointed as Secretary of Overseas Indian
Chandra Garg. Affairs
2. New Home Secretary - Ajay Kumar Bhalla 9. New Deputy Chief Minister of Goa - Chandrakant Kavlekar
3. New PAC Chairman - The leader of the Congress party in Lok 10. Kiran More (former India wicket keeper-batsman)
Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was appointed as the appointed USA cricket team’s interim coach
Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). 11. Vivek Kumar appointed as private secretary to Prime
4. New BSF Director General - V.K. Johri Minister Narendra Modi.
5. New chairman of the “Estimates Committee” - Girish Bapat 12. Joint Secretary to the President - Ajay Bhadoo
6. New Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the 13. Next Vice-Chief of Army Staff - M.M. Naravane
Indian Army - Lt Gen Paramjit Singh 14. New India’s table tennis coach - Dejan Papic (Canadian)
7. New MTNL Chief - Sunil Kumar 15. New Director of of Institute of Banking Personnel Selection
Note: He is currently Director (Human Resources and (IBPS) - B Harideesh Kumar
Enterprise Business) at MTNL and takes over from P K 16. N S Vishwanathan gets extension by one year as RBI deputy
Purwar who was recently appointed chairman and governor
managing Director of BSNL.

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17. New Chairman of Microfinance Institutions Network - 21. New Director-General of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) – K.
Manoj Kumar Nambiar Natarajan
18. New CMD of BSNL - P.K. Purwar • He has become the 23rd chief of India’s coastal
19. LinkedIn chooses Ashutosh Gupta as country manager for security force.
India 22. New CMD of BHEL - Nalin Shinghal
20. Additional director on Board of Directors (BOD) of Jammu 23. He will replace Atul Sobti.
and Kashmir Bank - AK Misra
June

9. Speaker of 17th Lok Sabha - Om Birla (MP from Kota,

1. New Governor of Manipur – Padmanabha Balakrishna Rajasthan)
Acharya sworn in as Governor of Manipur. 10. New executive director at RBI - Rabi N. Mishra
2. Amitabh Kant gets two-year extension as NITI Aayog CEO - 11. New Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court - Justice Dhirubhai
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Naranbhai Patel
the extension of Amitabh Kant’s tenure as the CEO of NITI 12. New interim Chief of J&K Bank - RK Chibber
Aayog beyond June 30, 2019 to June 30, 2021. 13. New acting Central Vigilance Commissioner - Sharad Kumar
3. New Chief of RAW - Samant Goel 14. New Chief of India Meteorological Department (IMD) -
4. New Chief of Intelligence Bureau - Arvind Kumar Mrutyunjay Mohapatra (Renowned scientist and cyclone
5. New director general of Indian Coast Guard – warning specialist)
Krishnaswamy Natarajan 15. Principal Secretary to PM Modi - Nripendra Mishra
6. New President of FIEO – Exporters body Federation of 16. New Chairman of Axis Bank - Rakesh Makhija
Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) has elected Sharad 17. New independent director of Ujjivan Small Finance Bank -
Kumar Saraf as its new president. Sachin Bansal
7. New MD of National Housing Bank - Sarada Kumar Hota 18. New National Security Adviser (NSA) - Ajit Doval
8. Justice Prasanta Kumar Saikia (Retired) was sworn in as the 19. New Advocate General of Chhattisgarh - Satish Chandra
Chairperson of the Lokayukta in Arunachal Pradesh. Verma

International Appointment

1. Next High Commissioner of India to Niue – Muktesh Kumar Note: Capital of Guinea Bissau: Bissau, Currency of Guinea
Pardeshi Bissau: West African CFA franc.
Note: Capital of Niue: Alofi; Currency: Niue dollar, New 9. National Security Adviser of US – Robert O’Brien
Zealand dollar. 10. ADB president Takehiko Nakao resigns - Asian
2. Next Ambassador of India to Greece - Amrit Lugun Development Bank (ADB) President Takehiko Nakao has
3. Christine Lagarde: Head of European Central Bank. announced his resignation. He became the president of ADB
4. Rafael Mariano Grossi: New Director-General of the on April 28, 2013.
International Atomic Energy Agency. Note: Headquarters of ADB: Manila, Philippines;
5. New President of Tunisia: Kais Saied. Founded:19 December 1966.
Note: The Independent law professor Kais Saied won 11. Head of Hodeidah mission – Lieutenant General (Retired)
against his rival, Nabil Karoui. He won Tunisia’s presidential Abhijit Guha as the head of the UN mission in Hodeidah,
Yemen
election with 73% of votes. The elections followed the
12. First female Chief of Royal Bank of Scotland - Alison Rose.
death of President Beji Caid Essebsi in July 2019.
She will replace Ross McEwan on November 1.
6. Prime Minister of Portugal: Antonio Costa.
13. Next Indian Ambassador to Norway - B Bala Bhaskar
7. Bulgaria's economist Kristalina Georgieva (66-year-old) has
14. Next High Commissioner of India to Lesotho - Jaideep
been elected the new head of the International Monetary
Sarkar
Fund (IMF).
15. Youngest-ever Prime Minister of Ukraine - Oleksiy
8. Next Indian Ambassador to Guinea Bissau - Godavarthi
Honcharuk
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16. President Donald Trump has nominated Indian American
Shireen Mathews as a judge of the US District Court for the
Southern District of California.

August

1. New India’s Ambassador to UAE - Pavan Kapoor 6. New CEO of HSBC – Noel Quinn has been appointed as the
2. New Prime Minister of Sudan - Abdalla Hamdok interim CEO of HSBC’s Global Commercial Banking unit.
3. New President of Nauru - Lionel Aingimea (Capital of 7. India’s next Ambassador to Republic of Congo – Ghotu
Nauru: Yaren; Currency of Nauru: Australian dollar) Ram Meena has been appointed as the next Ambassador of
4. Guatemala’s new president – Alejandro Giammattei India to the Republic of Congo.
5. New director of ICTP – Atish Dabholkar, a theoretical 8. Former SC judge Madan Lokur sworn in as Fiji’s SC judge -
physicist from India, has been appointed as the new On August 12, 2019, the President of Fiji Major.
director of Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical General(Retd) Jioji Konrote has appointed Justice Madan
Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy. Lokur from India as the new Supreme Court (SC) judge of
• He will succeed Fernando Quevedo, who has led Fiji.
the centre since 2009.
July

1. New Britain’s Home Secretary - Priti Patel has been 7. New chief of ICC committee - Ehsan Mani (Pakistan Cricket
appointed as Britain’s Home Secretary in the newly- Board’s chairman)
unveiled Boris Johnson Cabinet. 8. New Prime Minister of Greece - Kyriakos Mitsotakis
• She has become the Britain’s first Indian-origin 9. New head of European Central bank (ECB) – Christine
Home Secretary. Lagarde (MD of IMF)
2. New US Secretary of Defence - Mark Esper 10. Economist David Lipton appointed as IMF interim leader –
3. Anshula Kant appointed World Bank Group Managing International Monetary Fund (IMF) appointed American
Director and Chief Financial Officer economist David Lipton as its interim leader. He replaces
• She is currently a Managing Director of the State Christine Lagarde who was nominated to head the
Bank of India (SBI). European Central Bank.
• She will be the first woman CFO of the Bank. 11. New President of European Commission – Ursula von der
4. Supreme Court judge, Justice AK Sikri, has been appointed Leyen (German politician)
as an international judge of the Singapore International • She will replace Jean Claude Juncker.
Commercial court (SICC). • She has become the first woman to be elected to
5. New India’s Ambassador to Israel - Sanjeev Kumar Singla lead the EU’s executive arm.
6. India’s next Ambassador to Panama - Upender Singh Rawat

June

1. Shefali Juneja appointed India’s representative to ICAO – 3. Qu Dongyu becomes first Chinese to head FAO - Qu
Senior bureaucrat Shefali Juneja is appointed as India’s Dongyu becomes the first Chinese national to head the UN’s
representative in the council of International Civil Aviation Food and Agriculture Organization.
Organisation (ICAO), a United Nations body. • He will replace Brazil’s Jose Graziano da Silva.
• She will replace the senior IAS officer Alok Shekhar. 4. External Auditor for WHO - CAG Rajiv Mehrishi chosen
• Presently, Shefali Juneja is serving as the Joint External Auditor for WHO
Secretary in Ministry of Civil Aviation. 5. New PM of Thailand - Prayuth Chan-ocha
2. First female CEO of Warner Bros – WarnerMedia, part of 6. New Pakistan ISI Chief - Lt General Faiz Hameed
AT&T Inc, has appointed Ann Sarnoff as the chief executive 7. UN Deputy Executive Director - Anita Bhatia
officer of Warner Bros. • Indian-origin Anita Bhatia has been appointed as
• Ann Sarnoff has become the first female CEO of the Deputy Executive Director of the United
Warner Bros. She will be replacing Kevin Tsujihara. Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the

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Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) for
Resource Management, Sustainability and
Partnerships.

Honours & Awards

December

1. Greta Thunberg: Swedish teen activist awarded the 7. Jhilli Dalabehera: Odia women weightlifter receive the 27th
International Children’s Peace Prize 2019. Ekalabya Award for 2019.
Note: She has been awarded for her work in the struggle Note: Jhilli Dalabehera has brought laurels for both the
against climate change which has resonated with State and the country in several national and international
schoolchildren across the world. Cameroonian peace events.She has won two gold, three silver and a bronze
activist Divina Maloum (15-years) also received the medal in different International weightlifting events.
International Children's Peace Prize, awarded for her 8. The 28th Bihari Puraskar for 2018 for her novel
“peaceful struggle” against the Boko Haram jihadist group. ‘Swapnapash -- Manisha Kulshreshtha.
2. Satya Nadella has occupied the top spot in Fortune's Note: The award is presented annually to writers of
Businessperson of the Year 2019 list. Rajasthani origin by the KK Birla Foundation for their
Note: The list also includes Ajay Banga (Mastercard CEO) outstanding work in Hindi or Rajasthani published in the
and Jayshree Ullal (Arista head).Fortune's annual past 10 years. The award named after famous Hindi poet
Businessperson of the Year list features 20 business leaders Bihari (Bihari Lal Chaube), and carries a cash prize of Rs 2.5
"who tackled audacious goals, overcame impossible odds, lakh, a citation, and a plaque.
found creative solutions". 9. Neha Dixit: Indian journalist is one of several recipients of
3. Best Performance by an Actor Award at the Asia Pacific the 2019 International Press Freedom Awards.
Screen Awards -- Manoj Bajpayee Note: Ms. Dixit is a Delhi-based journalist who reports on
Note: He has been awarded for his role in Bhonsle. The politics, social justice and gender in South Asia. The award is
Hindi feature ‘Bhonsle’ narrates the story of a police presented by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a
constable (Bajpayee), who tries to fight the struggles of non-profit organization whose aim is to enable journalists
migrants and their battles with the local politicians. The to work without the fear of reprisal.
movie was directed by Devashish Makhija. 10. French film ‘Particles’ has won the coveted Golden Peacock
4. Chitahresh Natesan: Former Hockey player turned Award at the 50th International Film Festival of India (IFFI)
bodybuilder has been crowned Mr Universe 2019 in Goa.
Note: India secured the second position in the team Note: Particles is a 2019 French-Swiss co-produced drama
championship category at the same event. Chitahresh film directed by Blaise Harrison and produced by Estelle
Natesan (5 ft 7 inches tall) has become the first Indian to Fialon. The Golden Peacock Award carries a cash prize of Rs
win Mr Universe (Pro) 2019 in the 90kg category. 40 lakhs to be shared equally between the Director and the
5. Bangladesh’s Floating school project (in South Kanarchor) Producer, Trophy and the citation. The IFFI 2019 ‘Best
wins the Aga Khan Architecture Award for the The Arcadia Director Award’ was conferred to Lijo Jose Pellissery for his
Education Project. Malayalam film ‘Jallikattu’. The Best Director award carries
Note: The project involved the construction of a school in a Silver Peacock trophy, a citation and a cash prize worth Rs
an area which is underwater during the monsoon months. 15 lakh.
The architect (Saif Ul Haque) designed this school which 11. Akkitham Achuthan Namboodiri: Noted Malayalam poet
remains on the ground during the dry season and floats on has been declared the recipient of the 55th Jnanpith Award
water when the area is submerged in water during for the year 2019.
monsoon. The school also serves as a shelter, a daycare Note: His work includes Irupatham Noottandinte Ithihasam,
centre and a vocational training centre for the local people or the legend of the 20th century, which is considered to
6. Billboard’s 2019 Woman of the Year -- Singer Billie Eilish. have brought modernism into Malayalam poetry.
Note: Billie Eilish is the youngest artist ever to be named 12. Arun Jaitley: He was bestowed with the Economic Times
Billboard’s Woman of the Year. Pop star Taylor Swift will be (ET) Lifetime Achievement Award for Public Service 2019.
honoured at Billboard’s event, receiving the inaugural Note: The award was received by Arun Jaitley’s spouse
Woman of the Decade award. Eilish gets her crown during Sangeeta Jaitley.
the Billboard Women in Music event on 12th December this 13. Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra has been awarded the
year Danny Kaye Humanitarian Award from UNICEF at the
Snowflake Ball in New York.

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Note: Fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg (UNICEF's dedicating a Swiss commemorative coin to a living person.
first Goodwill Ambassador) handed over the award to the This year's commemorative Swiss coins included the 50th
actor. Priyanka Chopra has been associated with UNICEF for anniversary of the moon landings, the Furka Pass and the
the past 15 years as a Goodwill Ambassador. roe deer.
14. Bollywood actor fitness and wellness application has been 16. Aberdeen Police station: Ranks first in the best police
awarded Google Play’s Best Apps of 2019 in the ‘Personal station in the Country.
Growth’ category Shilpa Shetty App. Note: Balasinor police station in Gujarat secured the second
Note: Google has announced the winners of Google Play's rank while and Ajk Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh got the
Best of 2019 awards selecting the best across apps, games, 3rd position. The ranking of police stations came after
ebooks, movies, and audiobooks of the year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the DGPs
➢ Best App of 2019 - Ablo conference in 2015 in Kutch of Gujarat, had directed that
➢ Best Game of 2019 - Call of Duty: Mobile parameters should be laid down for grading police stations
➢ Google Play User's Choice 2019 Awards and assessing their performance based on feedback.
➢ App: Video Editor - Glitch Video Effects 17. Ripu Daman Bevli: He will be the Plogging Ambassador of
➢ Game: Call of Duty: Mobile India on 50th Fit India Plogging Run.
➢ Movie: Marvel Studios' Avengers Endgame Note: The minister also launched the nation-wide Plogging
➢ Ebook: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Ambassador Mission under which, Indians who have been
15. Roger Federer: The first living person in Switzerland to have running and cleaning their cities, towns or districts, will be
a coin minted in his honour. nominated as Plogging Ambassadors of their region. Fit
Note: Swiss mint has announced that it would honour India Plogging Run was launched on October 2 which is a
Roger Federer by releasing 20 Swiss francs (USD 20.06) unique way of picking up garbage while jogging and was
silver commemorative coin in January 2020. This would be added to the Fit India Movement as a unique way of
for the first time in its history of Swiss mint that it is combining cleanliness and fitness.

November

1. The 28th Vyas Samman for the year 2018 was conferred to award, Veedum Thadavum and Jaina Manushyan Kerala
Hindi writer Leeladhar Jagoori. Sahitya Akademi award and Marubhoomikal Undakunnath,
Note: The prestigious award was presented to him by Vayalar award.
renowned author Govind Mishra. Mr Jagoori has been 5. Neeraj Sharma: winner of the ‘Early Career Researcher of
chosen for the prestigious award for his poetry collection- the Year Award-2019’ (Physical Sciences).
Jitne Log Utne Prem. Note: The Award has been given by the Australian
2. Nawazuddin Siddiqui has been honored with the government for his work in lithium-ion batteries found in
prestigious Golden Dragon Award. electronic devices, electric vehicles and the grid.
Note: The Gangs of Wasseypur actor was presented the 6. Sudarsan Pattnaik has been chosen for the Italian Golden
award by counsel general of Wales, UK, Mick Antoniw, at an Sand Art Award 2019.
event in Cardiff. The actor has made a mark internationally Note: He will be felicitated during the International
with Netflix’s Sacred Games, Ritesh Batra’s Photograph and Scorrana Sand Nativity fete in Italy which will be held
BBC UK’s McMafia. between 13th and 18th November 2019.
3. Indian Film star Rajinikanth will be honoured with first 7. U.S. based-Indian author Madhuri Vijay’s debut novel, “The
“Icon of Golden Jubilee Award” at IFFI. Far Field” has won 2019 JCB prize for Literature.
Note: The IFFI will also confer with the Lifetime Note: She also received the Rs 25 lakh as the prize money, a
Achievement Award for a Foreign Artiste to French Actress sculpture by Delhi artist duo Thukral & Tagra entitled Mirror
Isabelle Huppert. The Icon of Golden Jubilee Award is a Melting.
special award constituted by the Government of India in the 8. Shripad Naik inaugurated the DRDO Igniter Complex at
year 2019. High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) in
4. Noted writer Anand has been selected for the 27th Pune.
Ezhuthachan Puraskaram. Note: HEMRL (a premier laboratory of DRDO) is primarily
Note: This award is given by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi engaged in developing rocket and gun propellants,
Award and the Government of Kerala. His one of the pyrotechnic devices, high-explosive systems and synthesis
famous Novel is Aalkoottam which portrays the unique of high-energy molecules.
crises that the nation had witnessed with a rare finesse. His
Govardhante Yatrakal had won the Kendra Sahitya Akademi

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9. Sara Damnjanovic has been crowned ‘Miss Asia Global published her memoir One Foot on the Ground: A Life Told
2019’ (5th Edition) at Gokulam Convention centre in Kochi, Through the Body.
Kerala. 16. Dr Debabhuson Borah: winner of Munin Barkotoki Literary
Note: Vietnam's Nguyen Thi Yen Trang was crowned 'Miss Award 2018 in Assam.
Asia', while Samiksha Singh (India) won the sub-title of 'Miss Note: He has been awarded for his book on literary
Beautiful Face'. Miss Asia Global aims to find the most criticism titled 'Nirbochon'. The award carries a cash prize of
beautiful and talented women from all over the globe. Rs 50,000 along with with a citation and a plaque. The
10. West Bengal based writer Abhisek Sarkar has won an award Munin Barkotoki Memorial Trust announced the annual
at Dhaka Lit-fest. Award instituted to encourage young and promising writers
Note: West Bengal-based writer Abhisek Sarkar and in Assamese.
Bangladeshi poet Rofiquzzaman Rony were given the 17. An Indian Ph.D. Scholar has won BRICS-Young Innovator
Gemcon Young Literature Award and Gemcon Young Poetry Prize -- Ravi Prakash.
Award. Abhisek and Rofiquzzaman won the awards for their Note: India won 1st prize of #BRICS -Young scientist forum's
manus, "Nishiddho" and "Dhoashar Tamate Rong," (YSF) conclave during 6-8 Nov 2019 in Brazil. The theme for
respectively. the 4th BRICS-YSF was “Cybersecurity and Bio-economy”.
11. The Raja Ram Mohan Roy award will be presented to 18. Tobacco Board got ‘Golden Leaf Award’ Tab Expo 2019 in
Rajasthan Patrika group chairman Gulab Kothari. the Netherlands.
Note: Mr Kothari was selected for the prestigious award by Note: The Tobacco Board of India was awarded the ‘Golden
the Press Council of India for his outstanding contribution in Leaf award 2019’ at the Tab Expo 2019 in Amsterdam,
the field of journalism. Netherlands.
12. TVS Motor Chairman Srinivasan conferred with Deming 19. Manoj Bajpayee starrer won two awards at Asian Film
award. Festival Barcelona -- Bhonsle.
Note: Venu Srinivasan (Chairman of TVS Motor Company Note: Manoj Bajpayee-starrer and critically acclaimed
and Sundaram Clayton) was conferred with the prestigious movie "Bhonsle" has won the ‘Best Screenplay’ and ‘Best
Deming Distinguished Service Award For Dissemination and Director’ awards at the ‘Asian Film Festival’ in Barcelona,
Promotion Overseas. Srinivasan becomes the first Spain.
industrialist from India to be bestowed this prestigious 20. Renowned Rabindra Sangeet exponent from Bangladesh
award for his contributions in the field of total quality Rezwana Choudhury Bannya has conferred the ICCR
management (TQM). distinguished alumni award in Dhaka.
13. Nawazuddin Siddiqui will be honoured with Lesley Ho Note: The award was given away by the Riva Ganguly Das
Asian Film Talent Award at the Singapore International Film (High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh) in a musical
Festival (SIFF). function organized by the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre
Note: He will be awarded for his Netflix's Emmy-nominated (IGCC).
original series Sacred Games. Earlier, Nawazuddin Siddiqui 21. Late actor Sridevi Sridevi & actor Rekha conferred with the
was honoured by the Golden Dragon Award at the Cardiff Akkineni Nageswara Rao National Award for 2018 and 2019
International Film Festival for his excellence in cinema in respectively.
the International market. Note: The award was presented by Chiranjeevi (Telugu
14. Wildlife biologist K. Ullas Karanth was awarded the Wildlife actor). The award is instituted by the Akkineni International
Conservation Society’s George Schaller Lifetime Award in Foundation and honours those who have made a lasting
Wildlife Conservation Science. impact on Indian cinema.
Note: K. Ullas Karanth has been awarded for his 22. Bajrang Punia has been conferred the Indian Personality of
contribution to the field of conservation. His research is the Year Award (Sports) at the Indo Arab Leaders Summit &
described as pioneering and groundbreaking with focus on Awards 2019.
the ecology of tigers, predator-prey population ecology, Note:World powerlifting champion Mahant Gaurav Sharma
sympatric predators and other large mammals, and was honoured with Visionary Leaders of the Year (Sports)
mitigation of human-wildlife conflicts.The award is award.Gaurav was conferred with the prestigious Mahatma
instituted by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), New Gandhi Leadership Award in London.
York. 23. Sir David Attenborough.: 2019 Indira Gandhi Peace Prize.
15. Writer, translator and film critic Shanta Gokhale has been Note: He will receive the award for his tireless work to
conferred with Tata Literature Live Lifetime Achievement preserve and protect biodiversity. This prestigious award
Award 2019. (named after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi) has
Note: Poet K Satchidanandan was named the Tata been accorded annually by Indira Gandhi Trust since 1986.
Literature Live! Poet Laureate for 2019. Recently, Gokhale

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24. Virat Kohli: Named People for the Ethical Treatment of an elephant used for rides at Amer Fort. People for the
Animals (PETA) India’s Person of the Year for 2019 for his Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is an American animal
animal advocacy efforts. rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia.
Note: Virat Kohli’s efforts to improve conditions for animals
include sending a letter to officials asking for the release of

October
Complete list of the winners of Nobel Prize 2019:

S.No. Field Winners Description

William G. Kaelin
(USA)

Physiology or Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe for their discoveries of how cells sense
1
Medicine (United Kingdom) and adapt to oxygen availability

Gregg L. Semenza
(USA)

James Peebles for theoretical discoveries in physical

(Canada) cosmology

Michel Mayor
2 Physics
(Switzerland)
for the discovery of an exoplanet
orbiting a solar-type star
Didier Queloz
(Switzerland)

John B.
Goodenough
(Germany)

M. Stanley for the development of lithium-ion

3 Chemistry
Whittingham batteries
(United Kingdom)

Akira Yoshino
(Japan)

for a narrative imagination that with

Olga Tokarczuk
Literature (2018) encyclopedic passion represents the
(Poland)
crossing of boundaries as a form of life
4

Peter Handke
Literature (2019) for an influential work that with
(Austria)
linguistic ingenuity has explored the

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periphery and the specificity of human
experience

Abiy Ahmed Ali for his efforts to achieve peace and

5 Peace
(Ethiopia) international cooperation

Abhijit Banerjee
(India)

Esther Duflo for their experimental approach to

6 Economics
(France) alleviating global poverty

Michael Kremer
(USA)

1. Swachhata ambassador award – President Ram Nath Kovind presented the most effective Swachchta Ambassador award to
Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
2. AzizbekAshurov wins 2019 – Human rights lawyer from Kyrgyzstan Azizbek Ashurov was awarded the 2019 UN High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) prestigious Nansen Award.
3. National Tourism Award – Odisha’s Tapan Kumar Mishra has been honoured with the National Tourism Award for the Category
of “Best Tourist Guide” for the year 2017-18 during celebration of the World Tourism Day.
• He is a freelance Tourist Guide approved by the Union Ministry of Tourism.
4. Golden Dragon Award for his works in Hindi cinema - Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
5. The Mohun Bagan Athletic Club has conferred life membership to Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee.
6. The Sakharov Prize to Uighur intellectual -- Ilham Tohti.
7. The Asian Academy Creative Awards – ‘Gully Boy’ & ‘Delhi Crime’.
8. People’s Icon Award 2019: Jennifer Aniston.
9. “Most Eminent Senior Citizen Award”: K Parasaran (former Attorney General of India).
10. Orchestra of the year award 2019: Philharmonic Orchestra
11. 2019 Booker Prize: Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo.
12. Golden Shoe as top scorer in European Leagues: Leo Messi
Note: Messi won the trophy for a 3rd straight year after scoring 36 goals, 3 more than his closest challenger, Kylian Mbappe of
Paris Saint-Germain.
13. Madhya Pradesh government’s National Kishore Kumar Samman for 2018-19 – Priyadarshan.
14. The 31st Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for the years 2017 and 2018: Chandi Prasad Bhatt.
15. Asia Environmental Enforcement Award by the United Nations Environment Programme -- Ramesh Pandey.
16. The Don’ Award -- Ashleigh Barty.
17. Russia’s highest honours, “The Order of Courage“-- Nick Hague (NASA astronaut).
18. People’s Choice Award at My Rode Reel film competition -- Spirit Of Kerala.

September
1. Pandit Jasraj becomes first Indian musician to have minor
planet named after him – The IAU – International

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Astronomical Union has named a minor planet between • She has also been recognised as the youngest ever
Mars and Jupiter after an Indian classical singer Pandit to win it. She is yet to be 35.
Jasraj. • President of India Ram Nath Kovind, presented
• The number given to Pandit Jasraj planet was Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes 2019, for
300128 which is a reverse order of his date of birth outstanding contributions in science and
28/01/30. technology at a function held at Vigyan Bhawan in
• He is the first Indian musician to receive this honor. New Delhi.
• The planet was discovered on November 11, 2006. • The awards were presented on the occasion of the
78th Foundation Day of Council of Scientific and
About IAU Industrial Research (CSIR).
• International Astronomical Union was founded in 1919. List of winners –
• The objective of the organization was to promote and • For Biological Sciences: Dr. Kayarat Sai Krishnan (Indian
safeguard astronomical science in every aspect. Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune); Dr.
• The headquarters of IAU is located in Paris, France. Soumen Basak (National Institute of Immunology, New
2. India’s Most Powerful Women in Media” – Kallie Puri has Delhi)
been awarded with “India’s Most Powerful Women in • For Chemical Sciences: · Dr. Raghavan B Sunoj (IIT,
Media” award at the famed Confluence Excellence Awards. Bombay); Dr. Tapas Kumar Maji (Jawaharlal Nehru
• She received the prestigious award at the British Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru)
Parliament. She is the Vice-Chairperson of the India • For Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences:
Today Group. Dr. Subimal Ghosh (IIT, Bombay)
3. MP Birla Memorial Award –Thanu Padmanabhan (62-year- • For Engineering Sciences: Manik Varma (Microsoft
old) a well-known Physicist and Cosmologist was conferred Research India, Bengaluru)
the prestigious M P Birla Memorial Award 2019 for his • For Mathematical Sciences: Dr. Dishant Mayur Bhai
contributions to the world of cosmology. Pancholi (Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai),
4. Punyabhushan Award – Eminent archaeologist Dr. G.B. Dr. Neena Gupta (Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata)
Deglurkar has been awarded with the prestigious • For Medical Sciences: Dr. Dheeraj Kumar (International
Punyabhushan Award. Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New
• The award was presented him for his long-standing Delhi), Dr. Mohammad Javed Ali (LV Prasad Eye
contribution to the field of Indian Archaeology Institute, Hyderabad)
through renowned Deccan College Post graduate & • For Physical Sciences: Dr. Aninda Sinha (IISc,
Research Institute. Bengaluru), Dr. Shankar Ghosh (TIFR, Mumbai)
5. Real Kashmir FC nominated for BAFTA Awards – A 9. 21st Century Icon Awards – Playback singer Sonu Nigam
documentary on Srinagar-based football club Real Kashmir has been honoured with the Magnificent Performing Arts
FC has nominated in the prestigious British Academy Film Award at the annual 21st Century Icon Awards in London.
and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards. 10. Vaccine Hero’ award – Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh
6. Cochin International Airport wins award for passenger Hasina has been conferred with prestigious ‘Vaccine Hero’
satisfaction – Airport Council International has recognised award of Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunisations
Cochin International Airport Limited as the best airport in (GAVI) in recognition of Bangladesh’s outstanding success in
terms of services offered to passengers. vaccination to immunise children.
7. Infosys Bags UN Global Climate Action Award – IT major 11. Right Livelihood Award 2019 – Swedish climate activist
Infosys has received the United Nations Global Climate Greta Thunberg has been named for Right Livelihood Award
Action Award in the ‘Climate Neutral Now’ category. 2019.
• The award will be presented to Infosys at the UN • Right Livelihood Award also known as ‘Alternative
Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Santiago, Nobel Prize’.
Chile (December 2019). List of winners –
8. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes 2019 – Kolkata-based • Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg– for
mathematician Neena Gupta has bagged the Shanti Swarup inspiring and amplifying political demands for
Bhatnagar award, the most prestigious award of the urgent climate action reflecting scientific facts
country for maths, this year.

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• Sahrawi human rights activist Aminatou Haidar- for • Uttarakhand state won the best film promotion
her steadfast nonviolent action, despite friendly state.
imprisonment and torture, in pursuit of justice and • Telangana won the best state in innovative use of
self-determination for people of Western Sahara IT category.
• Chinese women’s rights lawyer Guo Jianmei– for 17. SASTRA Ramanujan prize for 2019 – The SASTRA
her pioneering and persistent work in securing Ramanujan prize for 2019 will be awarded to Adam Harper.
women’s rights in China. • Mathematician Adam Harper is an Assistant
• Hutukara Yanomami Association (Brazil) and its Professor with the University of Warwick, England.
indigenous leader Davi Kopenawa– for their • The award was instituted in 2005 and awarded by
courageous determination to protect the forests SASTRA University on its campus near
and biodiversity of Amazon, and the lands and Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu.
culture of its indigenous peoples 18. Senior journalist and Ramon Magsaysay awardee, Ravish
12. Changemaker Award 2019 – Rajasthan’s Payal Jangid, aged Kumar has received the 1st Gauri Lankesh National Award
17, became the first Indian to receive the Changemaker for Journalism.
Award 2019 at the Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards 2019. 19. Gully Boy’ India’s official entry to Oscars 2020 – The Film
• The Award was presented by the Bill and Melinda Federation of India (FFI) has chosen ‘Gully Boy’ as India’s
Gates Foundation at a ceremony held in New York, official entry to the Oscars. “Gully Boy”, produced by Ritesh
United States. Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar and directed by Zoya Akhtar.
• She was awarded for her work towards the • Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt was in a lead role in
abolition of child marriage in her village and other film Gully Boy.
neighbouring areas. 20. IIFA Awards 2019 –
13. Global Goalkeeper Award – Prime Minister Narendra Modi • Best Film – Raazi
received the 2019 Global Goalkeeper Award. • Best Actor (Female) - Alia Bhatt (Raazi)
• He received the award for Swachh Bharat Mission • Best Actor (Male) - Ranveer Singh (Padmaavat)
from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. • Best Director - Sriram Raghavan (Andhadhun)
14. Dada Saheb Phalke award – Veteran Bollywood actor • Lifetime Achievement Award - Jagdeep Jaffery
Amitabh Bachchan has been selected for the 66th (actor & comedian)
Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2018. • 20 Years Best Actor (Female) - Deepika Padukone
• The Award is given by the Government of India for • Outstanding performance by a director in the last
Lifetime Contribution to Indian Cinema. 20 years - Rajkumar Hirani (Sanju)
• The first Dadasaheb Phalke award was given to • 20 Years Best Actor (Male) - Ranbir Kapoor
Devika Rani in 1969. • Best music in the last 20 years – Pritam
15. Documentary film Moti Bagh’ nominated for Oscars – A • Best film of the past 20 years - Kaho Na Pyaar Hai
documentary film 'Moti Bagh' has been nominated for the 21. Education Excellence Award 2019 – Super 30 founder and
Oscars which is based on the life struggle of farmer 'Vidya noted mathematician Anand Kumar has been felicitated in
Dutt Sharma'. the US with a prestigious Education Excellence Award 2019.
• He is a resident of Sanguda in Kaljikhal block of 22. Boston Film Festival – Bollywood actress Neena Gupta has
Pauri Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. won 2 awards at Indian International Film Festival of
• 'Moti Bagh' is directed by Nirmal Chander Boston.
Dandriyal. • The actress won the Best Actress award for
16. 2017-18 National Tourism Awards – National Tourism ‘Badhaai Ho‘ and her film ‘The Last Color‘ emerged
Awards for 2017-18 were presented by Vice President M. victorious in Best Feature Film category.
Venkaiah Naidu in New Delhi on 27 September 2019 on • ‘The Last Color’ was directed by chef Vikas Khanna.
occasion of World Tourism Day. The film deals with taboo surrounding widows in
• Andhra Pradesh state won the first prize for Best Vrindavan and Varanasi in India.
State for Comprehensive Development of Tourism. 23. Eminent Engineers Award – Vinod Kumar Yadav (Chairman
• Goa and Madhya Pradesh: Both states were of Railway Board)
announced as joint winners in Adventure Tourism • The Union Minister for Skill Development &
category. Entrepreneurship, Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey

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presented the award to Vinod Kumar Yadav for his 32. Odisha bags award for using IT in disaster management -
outstanding contributions in the field of Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) has
engineering. won the IT Excellence Award, 2019.
• The award was presented on 52nd Engineers’ Day. • The award was presented to the Odisha state for its
The theme of 52nd Engineers’ Day was innovative conception by using information
“Engineering for change”. technology in the field of disaster management.
24. Aga Khan Architecture Award – Arcadia Education Project • The "SATARK" (System for Assessing, Tracking and
which involves construction of floating school for Alerting Disaster Risk Information based on
marginalised children in South Kanarchor of Bangladesh, Dynamic Risk Knowledge) has been chosen for the
has been awarded the prestigious Aga Khan Architecture award,
Award 2019. 33. ‘Lamp of Peace of Saint Francis’ Award conferred on
25. Dr Kalam Smriti International Excellence Award – Muhammad Yunus – The Vatican has honoured Nobel
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received the Dr Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus with the ‘Lamp of Peace of
Kalam Smriti International Excellence Award 2019 in Dhaka. Saint Francis’ award.
26. 11th International Hrant Dink Award - Meghalaya-based • The award aims to honour those who work towards
rights activist Agnes Kharshiing, who survived an assault by promoting peace and harmony.
the coal mafia almost a year ago, received the 11th • Dr. Muhammad Yunus is known as the father of the
International Hrant Dink Award. microcredit concept.
• She received the award along with Turkish activist • He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for
against male violence, Nebahat Akkoc. founding the Grameen Bank and pioneering the
27. First Class Order of Zayed II – Navdeep Singh Suri, India’s concepts of microcredit and microfinance.
envoy to United Arab Emirates, has been honoured with the 34. Indian Railways wins Best Ministry for Implementation of
First Class Order of Zayed II award. Swachhata Action Plan for 2018-19 –On occasion of
28. Asia Pacific Golf Hall of Fame – Managing Director and Swachh Mahotsav 2019 held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi
Chairman of Hero MotoCorp, Pawan Munjal will be (on 6 September 2019).
inducted into the 2019 Asia Pacific Golf Hall of Fame. He will • President of India Ram Nath Kovind presented an
be inducted for his support to “Golf” in India and around award to Indian Railways as Best Ministries for
the world. Implementation of Swachhata Action Plan for 2018-
29. Knighthoods award - England cricket greats Geoffrey 19.
Boycott and Andrew Strauss have been honoured with • Best Swachh iconic Place award to Chhatrapati
“Knighthoods” by Theresa May in her resignation honours Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) Mumbai under
list. Swachh Bharat Mission initiative.
• Both the former cricketers have received the • The 3 best stations as per Cleanliness Ranking
honour for their services to sport after outstanding Survey for 2018 i.e. Jaipur, Jodhpur and Tirupati
careers for England. were also awarded.
30. Sarala Puraskar – Noted Odia writer Pradeep Dash will be Note:
conferred with the 40th edition of prestigious Sarala Swachhata Action Plan (SAP)?
Puraskar for his poetry work Charu Chibar O Charjya. • It is one of flagship initiatives of Prime Minister Naredra
31. “Oscars of science” awarded to Event Horizon Telescope Modi towards making Swachh Bharat everyone’s
Team – business.
• On 5th September the team from the Event • SAP was formally launched on 1 April 2017, with active
Horizon Telescope Collaboration project won the participation of 72 Ministries and Departments.
‘Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics’ an
• It has brought all Ministries and Departments under
award considered the ‘Oscars of Science’.
one umbrella and contributed towards achieving
• The team won a prize of $3 million for their work. Swachh Bharat by 2019.
• On April 10, 2019, the team had published the • Nodal agency: for SAP is Union Ministry of Drinking
image of black hole circled by a flame-orange halo Water and Sanitation.
of white-hot plasma on the Messier 87 (M87)
galaxy.

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35. Global Goalkeeper Awards – Prime Minister Narendra by this year as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his
Modi will be honoured with the prestigious ‘Global 150th birth anniversary.
Goalkeeper Award’. • As per the reports, till now 90 million toilets have been
Note: built to eliminate open defecation by October 2, 2019,
• He will be given this honour for his commitment and currently, 98 per cent of India's villages have rural
and leadership towards Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. sanitation coverage instead of 38 per cent four years
• The award will be presented by the Bill and ago.
Melinda Gates Foundation which is owned by 36. CSIR Young Scientist Award 2019 – Scientist John Mondal
Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda receives the CSIR Young Scientist Award 2019 in the field of
Gates. Chemical Sciences.
• According to this foundation, this award is to a Note
leader to show commitment towards working • Currently, he is working as a scientist at the CSIR-
effectively for the global goal in his country or Indian Institute of Chemical Technology in
globally. Hyderabad.
About Global Goalkeeper Awards • The CSIR Young Scientist Award given to those
• The Global Goalkeeper Awards are presented to leaders people who are under 35 years old. The award
and individuals for their efforts in achieving the carries a cash prize of ₹50,000 and a plaque.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in five 37. Best Swachh Iconic Place - Vaishno Devi shrine
categories. • Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Jammu and
• The categories are Progress, Changemaker, Campaign, Kashmir tops the list of the Best Swachh Iconic
Goalkeepers Voice and the Global Goalkeeper. place in the country in the ‘Swachh Iconic Places’.
About Swachh Bharat Abhiyan • The Shrine has been adjudged based on the overall
• Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is one of the ambitious improvement in sanitation.
projects that was introduced by PM Modi on Mahatma • The list is list released by the Ministry of Jal Shakti,
Gandhi’s birth anniversary 2nd October 2014. Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation on
• The ambitious mission aims at accelerating the efforts September 3.
to achieve universal sanitation coverage in the country
August

National Sports Awards 2019 - National Sports Awards are given every year to recognize and reward excellence in sports. The
awardees will receive their awards from the President of India at a specially organized function at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on 29th
August 2019.

• Para-athlete Deepa Malik and wrestler Bajrang Punia will be conferred with the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
Award.
• Khel Ratna is given for the spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a
period of four year.
• Arjuna Award is given for consistently outstanding performance for four years.
• Dronacharya Award for coaches is given for producing medal winners at prestigious International sports events.
• Dhyan Chand Award for lifetime contribution to sports development.

List of all winners

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
• Bajrang Punia – Wrestling
• Deepa Malik - Para Athletics

Dronacharya Award (regular category for coaches)

• Vimal Kumar – Badminton

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• Sandeep Gupta - Table tennis
• Mohinder Singh Dhillon – Athletics
Dronacharya Award (lifetime category)
• Sanjay Bhardwaj - cricket
• Rambir Singh Khokar - kabaddi
• Mezban Patel – hockey
Dhyan Chand Award
• Manoj Kumar (wrestling),
• C Lalremsanga (archery),
• Arup Basak (table tennis),
• Nitten Kirrtane (tennis) and
• Manuel Fredricks (hockey).
Arjuna Awards

Arjuna Award Sh. Tajinderpal Singh Toor Athletics

Arjuna Award Mohammed Anas Yahiya Athletics
Arjuna Award Sh. S. Bhaskaran Body Building
Arjuna Award Ms. Sonia Lather Boxing
Arjuna Award Sh. Ravindra Jadeja Cricket
Arjuna Award Sh. Chinglensana Singh Kangujam Hockey
Arjuna Award Sh. Ajay Thakur Kabaddi
Arjuna Award Sh. Gaurav Singh Gill Motor Sports
Arjuna Award Sh. Pramod Bhagat Para Sports (Badminton)
Arjuna Award Ms. Anjum Moudgil Shooting
Arjuna Award Sh. Harmeet Rajul Desai Table Tennis
Arjuna Award Ms. Pooja Dhanda Wrestling
Arjuna Award Sh. Fouaad Mirza Equestrian
Arjuna Award Sh. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu Football
Arjuna Award Ms. Poonam Yadav Cricket
Arjuna Award Ms. Swapna Barman Athletics
Arjuna Award Sh. Sundar Singh Gurjar Para Sports (Athletics)
Arjuna Award Sh. Bhamidipati Sai Praneeth Badminton
Arjuna Award Sh. Simran Singh Shergill Polo

66th National Film Awards

• Ayushmann Khurrana and Vicky Kaushal shared the Best Actor national film award and Uri Director Aditya Dhar won the
Best Director award.
• The 66th National Film awards were announced by Rahul Rawail, head of the Jury for feature films.
List of winners –

• Best Director: Aditya Dhar for Uri : The Surgical Strike

• Best Feature Film: Hellaro a Gujarati film directed by Abhishek Shah
• Best Actor: Ayushmann Khuranna for Andhadhun and Vicky Kaushal for Uri : The Surgical Strike
• Best Actress: Keerthy Suresh for Mahanati

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• Best Supporting Actor - Swanand Kirkire for Chumbhak
• Best supporting actress - Surekha Sikri for Badhaai Ho
• Best Action Direction: KGF Chapter I
• Best Choreography: Padmaavat for Goomar
• Best Film for National Integration - Ondalla Eradalla (Kannada)
• Best Popular Film: Badhaai Ho
• Best film on Environment issues - Paani
• Best Debut Film of a Director: Naal (Marathi)
• Best film on Social Issues: Padman
• Best Children's Film: Sarkari Hiriya Prathamika Shaale Kasaragod
• Special Jury Award: Award shared by Sruthi Hariharan, Joju George for Joseph, Savithri for Sudani From Nigeria,
Chandrachood Rai

Other Awards

1. King Hamad Order of the Renaissance – Prime Minister of 7. Pushkin Medal 2019 - JNU Professor Meeta Narain was
India Narendra Modi has been conferred King Hamad Order conferred the ‘Pushkin Medal – 2019’. This award is the
of the Renaissance by Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa bin highest honour given to an Indian scholar by the Russian
Salman Al Khalifa in Manama, capital of Bahrain. government.
• He was conferred this prestigious honour in Note: Pushkin Medal is given to a scholar of Russian
recognition of his efforts to strengthen bilateral language and literature for outstanding contribution to
relations with Bahrain. Russian studies abroad.
• PM Modi is the 1st Indian prime minister to visit 8. South Asian Spelling Bee competition 2019 – Navneeth
Bahrain. Murali, an Indian-American teenager from New Jersey, has
2. Order of Zayed - Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi won the 2019 South Asian Spelling Bee contest.
was honoured with prestigious ‘Order of Zayed’, United 9. Bharat Ratna Award 2019
Arab Emirates’ (UAE) highest civilian award. • President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, presented
Note: The award in name of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Bharat Ratna Awards to Nanaji Deshmukh
Nahyan, founding father of UAE. (posthumously), Bhupendra Kumar Hazarika
3. Eminent Engineer Award 2019 - Prabhakar Singh, Director (posthumously) and Pranab Mukherjee at
General, Central Public Works Department has been chosen Rashtrapati Bhavan.
for the ‘Eminent Engineer Award for the Year 2019’. • Nanaji Deshmukh, Bhupen Hazarika were conferred
Note: This award will be given by the Institution of the award posthumously.
Engineers (India) for his distinguished and exemplary • The Bharat Ratna has been conferred after a gap of
service in the field of Engineering and Technology. four years.
4. UEFA President’s Award – Former Manchester United • Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and
forward player Eric Cantona honoured with the award. founder of Banaras Hindu University Madan Mohan
5. SKOCH Governance Gold Award – Deendayal Antyodaya Malviya were given the award by the government
Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), in 2015.
has been conferred the prestigious SKOCH Governance Gold About Nanaji Deshmukh
Award. • Nanaji Deshmukh was born in 1916 in a Marathi
• It has been conferred the award for its initiative family in Parbhani, Maharashtra. As a child, he was
“Portal for Affordable Credit and Interest inspired by freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
Subvention Access (PAiSA)”. DAY-NULM is a • Nanaji established India's first Saraswati Sishu
flagship mission under the Ministry of Housing and Mandir at Gorakhpur in 1950.
Urban Affairs. • Nanaji Deshmukh had won in the 1977 Lok Sabha
6. Indian documentary film I’m Jeeja” has won the award at election from Balrampur.
the 14th edition of the ‘We Care Film Festival on Disability About Bhupen Hazarika
Issues’.

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• Bhupen Hazarika was born on September 8, honoured with the Vir Chakra, India's third-highest war time
1926 in Sadiya, Assam. gallantry medal.
• He was also one of the leading author-poets of Note:
Assam with more than 1,000 lyrics and several • From the Army, Sapper Prakash Jadhav of the
short stories, essays and travelogues to his Rashtriya Rifles posthumously awarded Kirti Chakra,
credit. the second highest peacetime gallantry award.
• Bhupen Hazarika, popularly known as the 'Bard • Squadron Leader Minty Agarwal, who played a key role
of Brahmaputra',. as flight controller during the aerial combat between
• In May 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi India and Pakistan on February 27, has been awarded
inaugurated India’s longest bridge (9.15 kms), Yudh Seva medal.
which runs over the Lohit river in Assam. Modi 14. Arun Lal awarded CAB’s Lifetime Achievement Award –
named the Dhola-Sadia bridge after Bhupen Former India cricketer Arun Lal conferred with Karthik Bose
Hazarika. Lifetime Achievement award of the Cricket Association of
About Pranab Mukherjee Bengal’s (CAB’s) in Kolkata.
• Pranab Mukherjee was born in Mirati in Birbhum • Former Bengal captain Raju Mukherjee was also
District of West Bengal on December 11, 1935 to considered for 2019 Lifetime Achievement but CAB
freedom fighters. eventually picked Lal.
• He served as the 13th President of India from 2012 until 15. Longest documentary “100 Years of Chrysostum” will
2017. receive Guinness Award – A biographical documentary
About Bharat Ratna “100 Years of Chrysostum” will receive Guinness Award in
• It is highest civilian award of Republic of India. It was the category of longest documentary.
instituted in 2 January 1954. • The “100 Years of Chrysostum” is based on the life
• First recipients of Bharat Ratna award (1954)- C. of Philipose Mar Chrysostum, scripted and directed
Rajagopalachari, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and C. V. by filmmaker Blessy.
Raman. • The 48-hour and 8 minutes documentary has
• Limits: Maximum of 3 nominees can be awarded per broken the record of the 21-hour Saudi Arabian
year. documentary “World of Snakes”.
10. Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be honoured with 16. Rajasthan bags award at World Education Summit 2019 –
“Order of Zayed” – The United Arab Emirates will honour Rajasthan wins the “best innovation and initiative
the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the “Order leadership award” for its achievements in higher education
of Zayed“, the highest civilian award of the country. in the World Education Summit-2019 held in New Delhi.
11. ISRO Chairman K. Sivan honoured with A.P.J. Abdul Kalam 17. Priyam Chatterjee becomes 1st Indian chef to win French
Award – Tamil Nadu government has awarded K. Sivan with honour – Priyam Chatterjee became the 1st Indian chef to
its Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Award. be awarded the ‘Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricoleto’
• K. Sivan is currently serving as the chairman of by the government of France to recognise his contribution
Indian Space Research Organisation. towards reinventing the gastronomic scene in India.
12. CCMB scientist K Thangaraj awarded JC Bose Fellowship – • Chatterjee is best known for revisiting the
Dr K Thangaraj, Chief Scientist at Council of Scientific & traditional dishes from his native state of West
Industrial Research (CSIR)– Centre for Cellular and Bengal and giving it a French twist.
Molecular Biology (CCMB) was awarded JC Bose Fellowship. 18. Lionel Messi Wins UEFA Goal of the Season Award 2018-19
• He was given this fellowship for his outstanding – Barcelona’s Lionel Messi has been awarded UEFA’s Goal
contributions in the field of population and medical of the Season award 2018-19 for his free-kick against
genomics. Liverpool.
• The JC Bose Fellowship is awarded to scientists in 19. ISRO announces Vikram Sarabhai Journalism Award 2019 -
recognition for their outstanding performance by As part of centenary year celebrations of Dr. Vikram
the Science and Engineering Research Board, Sarabhai, father of Indian space programme, ISRO institutes
Department of Science and Technology. two categories of awards in journalism.
13. Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman honoured with Vir Chakra • ISRO has announced its “Vikram Sarabhai
– Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, has been Journalism Award in Space Science, Technology

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and Research” to recognize and reward journalists • Raymundo Pujante Cayabyab (Philippines) is a musician
who have actively contributed towards the field of who has served in the music faculty of the University of
space science, applications, and research. the Philippines and has conducted free workshops for
20. BAFTA LA to honour Steve Coogan with Charlie Chaplin thousands of students all across the country.
Award - Actor Steve Coogan will be felicitated with the • Kim Jong-Ki (South Korea) is an activist working with
Charlie Chaplin Award by the British Academy’s Los Angeles violence and mental health issues in youth and a South
branch. He will receive the honour during the 2019 Korean agrarian movement leader who pioneered
Britannia Awards. wasteland cultivation, and strove to demonstrate
21. President Kovind honoured with the highest award of through his work that life as a farmer can be fulfilling
Republic of Guinea – President Ram Nath Kovind has been and productive.
awarded the National Order of Merit by the President of Note:
Guinea. • The Magsaysay award was started in 1957 and
• The award is bestowed for his exceptional celebrates the memory and leadership
contribution to the advancement of overall example of the former Philippine president
relations and development of mutual Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay.
cooperation between India and Guinea. • Ramon Magsaysay Award is regarded as the
Note: Asian version of the Nobel Prize.
• President of Guinea: Alpha Conde 25. Kapil Dev honoured with Bharat Gaurav Award – East
• Capital of Guinea: Conakry Bengal club awarded former Indian Cricket captain Kapil
• Currency of Guinea: Guinean franc Dev with its highest honour, Bharat Gaurav.
22. India’s transsexual woman Naaz Joshi was crowned Miss 26. 2019 Prem Bhatia Award – Veteran journalist and
World Diversity 2019. This event was held in Port Louis, consulting editor at India Today TV (television), Mr. Rajdeep
Mauritius. Sardesai was awarded the 2019 Prem Bhatia Award for his
23. Miss England 2019 - Bhasha Mukherjee, a 23-year-old Outstanding Political Reporting with a career spanning over
Indian origin doctor was crowned Miss England 2019. three decades.
24. Ramon Magsaysay award 2019 – Ravish Kumar has been 27. Ruhan Rajput honoured with ‘Entrepreneur of the Year
awarded the 2019 Ramon Magsaysay Award for “harnessing Award, 2019’ –
journalism to give voice to the voiceless”. • Ruhan Rajput, a renowned entrepreneur, co-
The other winners of the award are: founder and Director of Einfolge Technologies
Pvt Ltd was awarded the prestigious
• Ko Swe Win (Myanmar): He is a human rights defender Entrepreneur Award 2019 at New Delhi.
and the chief editor of Myanmar Now news agency. • Ruhan was acknowledged for his contributions
• Angkhana Neelapajit (Thailand) is human rights activist and achievements in the business industry.
and a leading human rights defender in Southern • His company, is one of the leading players in
Thailand. the knowledge process outsourcing (KPO)
industry.

July
1. Sachin Tendulkar 6th Indian to be inducted into ICC Hall of People’s Choice Award at a prestigious sand sculpting
Fame – International Cricket Council has inducted India’s festival in United States (US).
batting icon Sachin Tendulkar, South African pace legend • 2019 Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting
Allan Donald and two-times World Cup-winning Australian Festival was held in Boston.
woman cricketer Cathryn Fitzpatrick into the ICC’s Hall of 3. Mohun Bagan Ratna Award - Keshav Dutt, Prasun Banerjee
Fame. to be honoured with Mohun Bagan Ratna
• Other Indians on the list are Bishan Singh Bedi, 4. P T Usha nominated for IAAF Veteran Pin – Former
Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Anil Kumble, Rahul Olympic track and field athlete P T Usha has been
Dravid. nominated for the International Association of Athletics
2. Sudarsan Pattnaik wins People’s Choice Award in U.S. – Federations Veteran Pin for her ‘long and meritorious
Renowned Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has won service to the cause of World Athletics’.

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5. CSR Journal Excellence Awards – The 3rd Edition of the CSR • The movie was honoured with ‘Best Feature Film’,
Journal Excellence Awards honoured 6 firms for the best ‘Best Director’, ‘Best Actor’ and ‘Best Original
practices in Corporate Social Responsibility. The theme of Score’ awards.
the event was ‘India First’. • The movie was directed by Kaushik Ganguly.
The winners of the awards are: • Best Short Film’ award– Na Bole Wo Haram, a 20-
• YES Bank Ltd. won in the category “Health & minute film by debutant director Nitish Patan
Sanitation”. • Special Jury Award for Direction and Story– Walking
• Aditya Birla Capital Ltd. won in the category With the Wind, by Praveen Morchhale
“Sports”. About SAARC Film Festival
• Tata Power won in the category “Education & Skill • The 9th edition of SAARC film fest took place in
Training”. Colombo, Sri Lanka.
• ReNew Power won in the category “Women 12. Isha Kanth bags ICJ internship programme – Indian girl,
Empowerment & Child Welfare”. Isha Kanth is one of the two persons in the world to have
• Mahindra & Mahindra won in the category bagged an internship programme at the International Court
“Environment”. of Justice.
• Hindustan Zinc won in the category “Agriculture & • She has earlier worked in rural Bihar spreading
Rural Development”. awareness on the right to education and women
6. Miss Deaf World 2019 title – Vidisha Baliyan, a 21-year-old empowerment among children belonging to the
girl from Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar city, was crowned marginalised sections.
the Miss Deaf World 2019 title. 13. Shah Rukh Khan to be conferred with an Honorary
• The international beauty pageant was held in Doctorate by Melbourne’s La Trobe University
Mbombela, South Africa. • Shah Rukh Khan, the Bollywood actor, will be felicitated
• She is a former international tennis player who with an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Letters (honoris
represented India in the Deaflympics and also won causa) from Melbourne-based La Trobe University at
a silver medal. the 10th edition of Indian Film Festival of Melbourne
7. Pata Gold Award 2019 – Union Tourism Ministry’s (IFFM) at Bundoora, Australia.
Incredible India ‘Find the Incredible You’ campaign has won 14. IOC Sportsperson of the Year – Sharath Kamal was voted
PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) Gold Award 2019. the Sportsperson of the Year in the annual Indian Oil Sports
• It won the award in ‘Marketing – Primary Conclave.
Government Destination’ category. • Sharath Kamal is a professional table tennis player from
8. Indian Woman of Influence’ award – Eminent fashionista, Tamil Nadu, India.
social entrepreneur and philanthropist Priya Priyadarshini 15. Best Innovation Award’ - Northeast Frontier Railway has
Jain has been felicitated with the prestigious ‘Indian won the‘Best Innovation Award’ for unique strategy
Woman of Influence’ award at the House of Lords, the adopted to keep wild elephants away from train tracks.
United Kingdom Parliament, London. • The Plan Bee initiative of the Northeast Frontier
• Priyadarshini Jain for it also marked the grand Railway (NFR) has won the Best Innovation Award
launch of coffee table book on ’50 most influential in Indian Railways for the 2018-19 fiscal.
Indian women worldwide’ featuring her as one of • The initiative helps in preventing trains from hitting
the most prominent personalities from India. elephants crossing tracks.
9. 2019 Sangita Kalanidhi award – Noted Carnatic vocalist S. 16. Gully Boy’ wins NETPAC award in Bucheon film festival –
Sowmya won the 2019 Sangita Kalanidhi award of Music Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar’s directorial ‘Gully Boy’ has won the
Academy. Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC)
10. Tribute Actor award – Veteran actor Meryl Streep Award at the 23rd Bucheon International Fantastic Film
(American) will be honoured with Tribute Actor award at Festival (BIFAN) in South Korea.
2019 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). 17. 2019 Global Excellence Awards - The US-India Strategic
11. Nagarkirtan’ wins Best Feature Film’ at SAARC film fest – Partnership Forum has announced that Mastercard CEO and
Bengali film ‘Nagarkirtan’, has won 4 awards in SAARC film President Ajay Banga and Wipro Chairman Azim Premji will
festival. receive the 2019 Global Excellence Awards.

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18. NALCO to get President’s award for excellent CSR – • NALCO started a scheme “Aliali Jhia” in 2015 to
National Aluminium Company Limited has been selected for promote the education of Girls of BPL families.
President’s award for utilisation of Corporate Social NALCO is an Odisha based Navaratna Company.
Responsibility fund in social development.

June

5. Award for Malayalam film at 22nd Shanghai International

1. UK-India Awards 2019: Mark Tully gets Lifetime Film Festival – Veyil Marangal (Trees Under the Sun) have
Achievement Award – Veteran British journalist Sir Mark become the first Indian film to won ‘Outstanding Artistic
Tully was conferred with ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at Achievement’ award at the Shanghai International Film
UK-India Awards in London for his contributions to UK-India Festival. The film is directed by Bijukumar Damodaran.
relationship. 6. Indian woman crowned Miss Universe Australia – India
Other awards – born Priya Serrao has won the Miss Universe Australia title
• Start-up of the Year Award- Maanch, a new for 2019.
platform that matches up funders and receivers to 7. Kapil Sharma is the most viewed Stand-up Comedian in
accelerate global sustainable development India and Abroad – Comedian-actor Kapil Sharma has been
• Global Indian Icon of the Year– Kunal Nayyar, best acknowledged as the most viewed stand-up comedian in
known for his role as Rajesh Koothrappali on US India and abroad by the World book of Records London.
sitcom The Big Bang Theory
• Market Entrant of the Year category– Oyo, Indian 8. Maldives to confer its highest award ‘Nishan Izzuddin’ on
hospitality start-up PM Modi - Maldives will confer ‘Nishan Izzuddin’ award on
• Social Impact category– British Telecom (BT) Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is the highest award to
2. IIT Kanpur honours Gopichand with honorary doctorate – honour foreign nationals.
IIT Kanpur honours India’s chief national badminton coach 9. Miss India 2019 - Suman Rao from Rajasthan has won the
Pullela Gopichand with honorary doctorate on the occasion Femina Miss India World 2019 beauty pageant during a
of their 52nd convocation. star-studded ceremony at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Indoor
3. RedInk Award – The Tribune’s reporter wins the ‘Journalist Stadium in New Delhi.
of the Year’ RedInk Award. • Shivani Jadhav from Chhattisgarh clinched Femina
• Rachna Khaira of The Tribune has bagged the Miss Grand India 2019 title and Shreya Shanker
prestigious RedInk Award for ‘Journalist of the from Bihar won Miss India United Continents 2019
Year’. She won it for exposing the functioning of title during the grand finale of the beauty pageant.
the UIDAI and its Aadhaar data cache. 10. Ex-President Pratibha Patil awarded with Mexico’s Highest
• Two retired senior journalists Dinu Ranadive from Civilian Award - Former President Pratibha Patil was
the Maharashtra Times, and Sebastian D’Souza, bestowed on the highest civilian award of Mexico for
from the Mumbai Mirror, have jointly received the foreigners.
Lifetime Achievement Award for this year. 11. Chinese President Xi Jinping was conferred with highest
• The RedInk Awards for Excellence in Journalism are national award of Kyrgyzstan titled Manas Order of the First
conferred to encourage good quality reporting and Degree in Bishkek (capital of Kyrgyzstan).
analysis, fair play and high ethical standards in Note: Kyrgyzstan hosted19th Shanghai Cooperation
Indian journalism. Organisation (SCO) summit.
4. Indian engineer wins Innovation Award in UK – Nitesh 12. Indian engineer wins Innovation for Sustainable
Kumar Jangir, an Indian engineer has won the 2019 Development Award - An Indian engineer named Nitesh
Commonwealth Secretary General’s Innovation for Kumar Jangir won 2019 Commonwealth Secretary-General’s
Sustainable Development Award in the “People” category in Innovation for Sustainable Development Award in London,
London. United Kingdom (UK). He won the award in People
• Nitesh Kumar Jangir created Saans, a breathing category, for creating a low-cost breathing support device
support device to tackle avoidable deaths of called ‘Saans’ for premature babies.
premature babies from respiratory distress 13. Amitav Ghosh becomes first English writer to get 54th
syndrome. Jnanpith award - Renowned author Amitav Ghosh was

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awarded the 54th Jnanpith Award for his contribution to 19. 2019 Global Leadership Award - Google’s India-born CEO
the enrichment of Indian Literature in English. He was Sundar Pichai and Nasdaq president Adena Friedman have
conferred the award by former governor of West Bengal been chosen for the prestigious Global Leadership Awards
Gopalkrishna Gandhi. 2019.
14. Man Booker International Prize - An author from Oman, 20. Automobile major Mahindra won the Gold Award in South
Jokha Alharthi has won the prestigious Man Booker Africa for fairing on various indicators, including level of
International Prize for “Celestial Bodies”, the story of three satisfaction among its network of dealers and the manner
sisters of a desert country confronting its slave-owning past of allocation of vehicles to them.
and a complex modern world. 21. UN Sasakawa Award 2019: The United Nations Office for
15. Priyanka Chopra to be honoured with humanitarian award Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) conferred ‘Sasakawa
by UNICEF - Priyanka Chopra, a global UNICEF Goodwill Award 2019’ for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) to Pramod
Ambassador for Child Rights is going to be honoured with Kumar Mishra, Additional Principal Secretary to Prime
Danny Kaye Humanitarian Award by UNICEF at the UNICEF Minister of India.
SNOWFLAKE BALL. 22. Former US President Jimmy Carter receives Statesmanship
16. WHO award for Rajasthan Health Department - The World Award - Jimmy Carter, Ex-President of United States of
Health Organization has selected the Rajasthan America (USA) won the inaugural George H. W. Bush Award
government’s Medical & Health Department for its award for Statesmanship in recognition of his contributions to
this year in recognition of its achievements in the field of relations between U.S. and China.
tobacco control. 23. Teen Climate activist Greta Thunberg wins Amnesty prize -
• The department’s Additional Chief Secretary, Rohit The 16-year old climate activist, Greta Thunberg of Sweden
Kumar Singh has received the award at a function won Amnesty International’s ‘Ambassador of Conscience’
to mark World No Tobacco Day in New Delhi. Award 2019 for mobilising world public opinion global
• The Health Department of the State is the only warming.
government body in the country which will be 24. I&B Ministry institutes Antarashtriya Yoga Diwas Media
awarded for its tobacco-free initiatives. Samman - The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
17. J.C. Daniel Award - Malayalam Actor Sheela J.C. has won (I&B) has instituted a new award called Antarashtriya Yoga
the J.C. Daniel Award, the highest honour in Malayalam Diwas Media Samman (AYDMS) from year 2019 to
cinema. She is only the second woman to get it, after recognise contribution made by media in spreading
Aranmula Ponnamma in 2005. awareness about Yoga and for promotion and
18. Akshaya Patra wins BBC award - Akshaya Patra, a non- commemoration of International Yoga Day, held every year
profit organisation, has been awarded the BBC World on 21 June.
Service Global Champion Award. It runs one of the world’s
largest school meals project in India.

February

1. Oscar Awards 2019 announced: The 91st Academy Awards • Best Foreign Language – Roma (Alfonso Cuaron's
(Oscars) has been announced at the Dolby Theatre in Roma from Mexico has won Best Foreign language)
Hollywood, the USA. • Best Documentary Short film - Period. End of
Complete list of winners Sentence Rayka Zehtabchi and Melissa Berton
• Best Picture - Green Book, directed by - Peter Note:
Farrelly • India-based Period End of Sentence has won
• Best Actress in a Leading Role - Olivia Colman for Documentary Short at 91stOscars Academy
film - The Favourite Awards.
• Best Actor in a Leading Role - Rami Malek for film - • The film talks about the stigma of menstruation in
Bohemian Rhapsody India.
• Best Director - Alfonso Cuarón for Roma • It is directed by Rakya Zehtabchi.

National Affairs

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December
1. The Union Government has launched the Intensified address current and future challenges in the healthcare
Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 2.0 across the country. sector.22 new AIIMS soon to become fully operational, and
Note: The government's flagship scheme is aimed at 157 new Medical Colleges are at the development stage.
immunizing children under the age of 2 years and pregnant 8. The Mumbai Central station of Railways was conferred
women against eight vaccine-preventable diseases. The with the ‘Eat Right Station’ certification with four stars
Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) covers vaccines for rating by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, poliomyelitis, (FSSAI).
tuberculosis, measles, meningitis and Hepatitis B. Vaccines Note: The Mumbai Central Railway Station is the country’s
for Japanese encephalitis and Hemophilus influenzal are first “Eat Right Station”. The focus of the movement is on
also being provided in selected areas. The IMI 2.0 aims to improving the health and well-being of people by ensuring
achieve targets of full immunization coverage in 272 they eat healthily. ‘Eat Right India’ movement is built on
districts spread over 27 States between December 2019 and two broad pillars of ‘Eat Healthy’ and ‘Eat Safe’.
March 2020. 9. India’s first maritime museum coming up at Lothal,
2. India has become the first country to make the entire Gujarat.
process for pilgrims going on Haj completely digital. Note: Government of India (GoI) & Portugal has decided to
Note: This came after the minister signed the bilateral cooperate in the setting up of an India’s 1st National
agreement for the pilgrimage with the Saudi Haj Minister in Maritime Heritage Museum at Lothal in Gujarat. The
Jeddah. The Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, objective of the museum to boost the underwater or
Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. marine archaeology.
3. India-Sri Lanka joint exercise “MITRA SHAKTI” (7th edition) 10. India gifted a ‘Made in India’ Patrol Vessel to the Maldives
begins at Aundh Military Station Pune. National Defence Force (MNDF) -- KAAMIYAAB.
Note: It aims to build and promote positive relations Note: It will be net security provider in the region amid
between armies of both the countries focusing subunit level China’s increasing forays in the Indian Ocean Region.
training on counter insurgency and counter-terrorism Meanwhile, 2500 LED streetlights donated by India were
operations in the urban and rural environment. installed in Male recently. These streetlights save 80%
4. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has energy and will result in cost savings of approx. 8.35 lakh
revamped mobile number portability (MNP) rules, making MVR per year for Male city.
the entire process faster and simpler. 11. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has set-up a
Note: The TRAI has prescribed three working days timeline Space Technology Incubation Centre (S-TIC) at the National
for port out requests within a service area. Similarly, the Institute of Technology (NIT) Tiruchirappalli.
timeline of five working days has been prescribed for
Note: The centre will work with ISRO on the technical
requests for port out from one circle to another. The
problems at hand related to the future Space programmes
validity of the Unique Porting Code (UPC) has also been
brought down to four days instead of a fortnight earlier. and shall provide solutions. This S-TIC will cater to the
5. The Union Government has launched the 4th round of southern region of India, including Andhra Pradesh,
Regional Connectivity Scheme UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Karnataka, Kerala, Tamilnadu, Telangana, the Union
Nagrik). Territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry.
Note: The focus in this round will be North East Region, Hilly 12. A 3-day annual national conference of DGPs and IGPs held
States, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Islands. The Civil in Pune.
Aviation Ministry aims to operationalize one thousand Note: The conference is to be held at two venues - Indian
routes and more than 100 airports in the next five years. Institute of Science, Education and Research in Baner and
6. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has launched the the Centre for Police Research in Pashan.
Bharatiya Poshan Anthem.
13. The Union Minister Piyush Goyal has inaugurated the 3rd
Note: The anthem has been conceptualised by the Ministry
edition of National Public Procurement Conclave in New
of Women and Child Development. It has been written by
Delhi.
noted lyricist Prasoon Joshi and sung by Shankar
Note: The two-day conclave has been organized by
Mahadevan.
Government e-Marketplace (GeM) in association with
7. India and Sweden signed a Memorandum of Understanding
Confederation of Indian Industry. GeM rests on the three
(MoU) for India-Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre in
pillars of openness, fairness and inclusiveness and is a
New Delhi.
symbol of a truly transparent e-marketplace.
Note: The objective of the innovation Centre is to develop
14. India’s first Ganga centralized aqua lab at Wildlife Institute
an ecosystem of open innovation to which start-ups and the
of India (WII) Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
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Note: The aqua labs will be set up under the National exercise and will see the participation of around 260
Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG). Tributaries of river Ganga military personals
such as Gomti, Betwa, Kosi will be scientifically studied and 16. Election Commission Set to implement ‘Political Parties
their biological components will be preserved in the lab. Registration Tracking Management System’ from January
15. India-China joint training exercise ‘HAND-IN-HAND 2019’ 2020.
has begun at Umroi, Meghalaya. Note: The Election Commission of India has decided to
Note: The aim of the exercise is to practice joint planning implement the “Political Parties Registration Tracking
and conduct of counter-terrorist operations in semi-urban Management System” (PPRTMS) to help the applicants,
terrain. The theme of the exercise is ‘counter-terrorism applying for party registration, to track the progress of his
under United Nations mandate’. It is a 14-day-long training /her application. The new guidelines will be effective from 1
January 2020.

November

1. Census 2021(16th) will be conducted in two phases (House- ICGS. The last two FPVs namely ICGS Kamla Devi and ICGS
listing & Housing Census) during April to September 2020. Kanaklata Barua will be commissioned shortly, after
Note: The Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) has successful sea trials.
recommended an amount of Rs. 8754.23 crore for 6. The three-day Global Bio-India Summit 2019 held at
conducting Census 2021 in 16 languages. The reference Aerocity, New Delhi.
date for the census will be 1 March 2021. It will be 1st Note: It will be one of the largest biotechnology stakeholder
October 2020 for Snow-bound Jammu and Kashmir, some conglomerates held in India for the first time. It will bring
areas of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. academia, innovators, researchers, start-ups, medium and
2. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has large companies together on the same platform.
inaugurated an Agro-based Exhibition ‘Agro-Vision-2019’ in 7. As per Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2019 awards, top-
Nagpur. ranked state in the list is Tamil Nadu.
Note: Agro-Vision exhibition comprises of National Agri- Note: Top-ranked district is Peddapalli (Telangana)
Exhibition Workshop for farmers and seminars.Small 8. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation
entrepreneurs who are engaged in the production of (IRCTC) will operate and manage luxury train, Golden
Agricultural machinery and components will be displaying Chariot from March 2020.
their products at the stalls. Note: The Golden Chariot Train (commenced operations in
3. India’s two lakhs Gram Panchayats will be connected with 2008) travels through one of the famous tourists and
internet, broadband by March 2020. picturesque destinations of Karnataka, and Hamp (UNESCO
Note: The union Govt. has set a target to provide internet world heritage site). It has 18 coaches with 44 guest rooms
and broadband connectivity to two lakh Gram Panchayats having a capacity for 84 guests. The train promises to offer
by March 2019. BharatNet project is being implemented in world-class comfort, state-of-the-art amenities and
a phased manner to provide broadband and internet enhanced and unforgettable experience to passengers.
connectivity to all 2,50,000 Gram Panchayats in the country. 9. The two days Conference of Governors and Lieutenant
4. The Film Bazaar has been inaugurated by the Information Governors (50th) held in New Delhi.
and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar on the Note: The Conference discussed important thematic issues
sidelines of the golden jubilee edition of the International in various sessions. It includes tribal issues, reforms in
Film Festival of India. agriculture, Jal Jeevan Mission, new education policy for
Note: It has been organised by the National Film higher education and governance for ease of living.
Development Corporation. The Film Bazaar encourages 10. The 2019 NuGen Mobility Summit held at Manesar,
creative and financial collaboration between the South Haryana.
Asian and International film communities. Over the years, Note: The Theme of 2019 is “Smart & Green Mobility”. The
films such as Lunch Box, Margarita with A Straw, Chauthi objective of the summit is to share new ideas, learnings,
Koot, Qissa, Miss Lovely, Dum Lagake Haisha and Thithi global experiences, innovations and future technologies
have been through one or more programmes of the Bazaar. trends for the faster adoption, assimilation and
5. The Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) development of advanced Automotive Technologies for a
has delivered ‘ICGS Amrit Kaur’, third in the series of five smarter and greener future.
fast patrol vessels (FPV) to Indian Coast Guard. 11. Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
Note: ICGS Priyadarshini and ICGS Annie Besant are the first has released a short documentary film on Water
two FPV in the series which has already been delivered to Conservation named ‘SHIKHAR SE PUKAR’.

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Note: The film has been made to promote 'Jalshakti 18. The Indian Railways has decided to introduce an automatic
Abhiyan' and is based on the Journey of an IAS Officer train protection system in its entire network of 68,000 km
Ravindra Kumar. Mr Ravindra Kumar climbed Everest this route.
year to attract the attention of people from the top of the Note: As a pilot project, the system would be implemented
Everest on the serious issue of Water Conservation and on 650 route km of the golden quadrilateral corridor
stopping Water Pollution. It also picturizes the difficulties connecting the four metros - Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and
and challenges in climbing the highest peak in the world. Kolkata.
12. The world's biggest Islamic Congregation ‘Aalmi Tablighi 19. ISRO has launched India’s most sophisticated Earth
Ijtima’ held at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. observation satellite Cartosat-3 and 13 US nanosatellites
Note: More than one million people from 54 countries are from Sri harikota in Andhra Pradesh.
expected to attend the congregation which will continue till Note: The launch enhanced India's ability in high-resolution
25th November. It is a forum for delivering some important imaging and also reinforce India as a global launch
religious-spiritual messages to Muslims around the world. destination for small satellites using its workhorse rocket
The first Alami Tablighi Ijtima took place in Bhopal in 1944 Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. According to ISRO, the 1,625
and only 14 people attended it then. kg Cartosat-3 is an advanced agile satellite to obtain
13. Nitin Gadkari has released a booklet titled 'Convergence of panchromatic and multispectral imagery with an
National Highway improvement/construction with water operational life of five years.
conservation and groundwater recharge' at Agro Vision- 20. Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik has inaugurated
2019, Nagpur. a two-day seminar "DEFCOM INDIA 2019’ in New Delhi.
Note: The agriculture exhibition, Agro Vision show (4-Day) Note: The theme of ‘DEFCOM INDIA 2019’ is
highlight the scope where the Indian agricultural sector can ‘Communications: A Decisive Catalyst for Jointness’. The
achieve new height of success. The theme of the 11th seminar is devoted to the seminal theme of leveraging
Agrovision has been aptly chosen as "Smart Technologies communications for achieving jointness between the three
for Sustainable Development services.
14. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has inaugurated the two- 21. The Indian Navy will host military drill ‘Milan 2020’ in
day Air Force Commanders' Conference in New Delhi. March.
Note: Top commanders of the Indian Air Force (IAF)is Note: MILAN stands for ‘Multilateral Naval Exercise’. 41
participating in it. They will discuss the operational, nations from South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe
maintenance and administrative matters related to Air that share defence cooperation with India have been
Force. invited for the drill.
15. The US State Department cleared the sale of sophisticated 22. The Indian Railways has set up the Institute of Financial
naval guns worth USD 1 billion to India. Management (IRIFM) at Secunderabad, Telangana.
Note: The MK-45 guns will enhance India's naval Note: The institute was formally inaugurated by Vinod
capabilities, particularly in the Arabian Sea.The Gun System Kumar Yadav (Chairman, Railway Board.The new entity
will provide the capability to conduct anti-surface warfare (IRIFM) will impart professional training in the management
and anti-air defence missions while enhancing of railway finances). Rail Vikas Nigam Limited conceived and
interoperability with the U.S. and other allied forces. constructed the project, on a 14-acre campus at a cost of Rs
16. Oxford Dictionaries has named ‘climate emergency’ as 85 crore.
2019 Word of the Year. 23. The Centre for Water Resources Development and
Note: It also included ‘climate action’, ‘climate denial’, ‘eco- Management (CWRDM) has launched the Water 4 Change.
anxiety’, ‘extinction’ and ‘flight shame’. The word is Note: Under the project, six prominent institutions from the
selected because it shows the increase in usage since 2018. Netherlands will perform long-term research and field-level
Climate emergency defines as “a situation in which urgent action on urban water management systems along with
action is required to reduce or halt climate change. Indian scientists. The project will bring solutions for water
17. Hardeep Singh Puri has launched Credit-linked Subsidy problems in the cities of Kozhikode, Shimla, Bhuj and
Services Awas Portal (CLAP) in New Delhi. Bhopal. The CWRDM was established by the Government of
Note: The portal provides a transparent and robust real- Kerala to cater to the needs of research and development in
time web-based monitoring system for credit-linked Subsidy water management of the state.
Services (CLSS) beneficiaries. Using the portal, a beneficiary 24. Union Minister Piyush Goyal has inaugurated the 2019
can track his application status in real-time. The initiative Global Exhibition on Services (5th edition) in Bengaluru,
would also benefit other stakeholders to work in synergy to Karnataka.
release subsidy to beneficiaries on time. Note: The inaugural function was also attended by Chief
Minister of Karnataka B. S. Yediyurappa. GES is an annual
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Ministry of Commerce and Industry in association with Note: The theme of the symposium was “United to
Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) and Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis”. During the symposium, Dr.
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Harsh Vardhan signed a ‘Call to Action to eliminate
25. G Satheesh Reddy has been awarded honorary fellowship Lymphatic Filariasis by 2021’. The Lymphatic Filariasis is a
by Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) of United Kingdom disease caused by a human parasitic worm called
(UK). Wuchereria Bancrofti and spread by Culex Mosquitoes.
Note: He is the first Indian recipient of the prestigious 33. 5th Indo-German Inter-Governmental Consultations held in
award in more than 100 years. It is one of the world’s -- New Delhi.
highest distinctions for aerospace achievement awarded for Note: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German
only most exceptional contributions to the aerospace Chancellor Angela Merkel co-chaired the 5th Indo-German
profession. It is considered as equivalent to Nobel Prize in Inter-Governmental Consultations to strengthen the "very
the aerospace domain. close" relationship between the two countries. The two
26. The sixth Dornier aircraft squadron has been leaders also discuss bilateral issues including agriculture
commissioned at Naval Air Enclave- Porbandar on Gujarat economic partnership, trade and investment.
coast Indian Naval Air Squadron 314. 34. Telecom Regulatory Authority of Indian (TRAI) fixed phone
Note: This squadron will operate the Dornier aircraft, a call ring time at 30 seconds on mobiles and 60 seconds for
multi-role SRMR aircraft, with twin turboprop engine landline phones.
manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautical Limited, Kanpur. Note: The time duration of alert for an incoming voice call,
27. The Aditya Birla Finance Ltd (ABFL) became the first which is neither answered nor rejected by the called party,
company to list its commercial papers on the stock shall be thirty seconds for Cellular Mobile Telephone
exchanges. Service and sixty seconds for Basic Telephone Service.
Note: The value date of the commercial paper is November Telecom operators on their own were reducing incoming
28 and maturity date on February 7, 2020. call ring time to attract reverse calls from the subscriber of
28. Union Government has extended the date for making other networks.
FASTag mandatory for toll payments on National Highways 35. According to a new academic paper- written by Santosh
to 15th December 2019. Mehrotra and Jajati K Parida, The total employment during
Note: National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has 2011-12 and 2017-18 declined by - 9 million.
equipped all Fee Plazas with Electronic Toll Collection Note: It has been published by the Centre of Sustainable
System and to ease in availability of FASTag. It has also Employment at the Azim Premji University. The paper is
launched MyFASTag APP whereby all information regarding based on both the recent “Employment and
FASTag can be obtained. Unemployment” and “Unincorporated Non‐Agricultural
29. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a 400 Enterprise” survey data of the National Sample Survey
million-dollar Line of Credit of to Sri Lanka. (NSS).
Note: India gives priority to its relations with Sri Lanka 36. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi is collaborating
under its Neighbour hood First' Policy. with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to set
30. Hallmarking for Gold jewellery and artefacts will be up a space technology cell at the campus.
mandatory from 15th January 2021. Note: The cell will work for carrying out focused research
Note: More than 26 thousand jewellers have taken the projects in the space technology domain with specific
Bureau of Indian Standards, BIS (Hallmarking) registration deliverables. The IIT Delhi celebrating 50thConvocation on 2
till now. If anyone is found violating the set rules after 15th November where Dr. K Sivan, Chairman, ISRO will be the
January 2021, they may attract a fine of minimum one lakh chief guest.
rupees or five times the value of the items or a jail term of 37. Siemens Limited has signed a MoU with NTPC Limited to
one year. identify, evaluate and set up reference use cases of
31. As per Economist Intelligence Unit's 2019 Global hydrogen sector-coupling for various upstream and
Microscope on Financial Inclusion report: downstream applications.
Note: India placed among the top nations with the most Note: The collaboration is aimed at developing innovative
conducive environment for financial inclusion in terms of technologies, solutions and techniques to reduce the
allowing non-banks to issue e-money.The overall dependence on Hydrocarbons in India. Siemens has also
environment for financial inclusion has improved globally inked a separate MoU with TERI for collaboration on
with India, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay and Mexico have the technologies to support the energy transition in India
most favourable conditions for inclusive finance. including sector-coupling.
32. Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the National symposium to 38. AYUSH Ministry has Inaugurated National Research
eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis in New Delhi. Institute of Unani Medicine for Skin Disorders.

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Note: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for successfully achieved at the Science City, Kolkata (IISF-
AYUSH Shri Shripad Yesso Naik inaugurated National 2019)
Research Institute of Unani Medicine for Skin Disorders Note: Over 1,598 students has participated in the event.
(NRIUMSD) in Hyderabad. It is upgraded institutions from 46. Union Minister Prakash Javadekar has attended the 15th
the Central Research Institute of Unani Medicine (CRIUM). meeting of the Governing Council of South Asia Co-
39. German Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged to invest 1 operative Environment Programme (SACEP) in Dhaka.
billion euros over the next five years on environmentally Note: The SACEP is an inter-governmental organization
friendly urban mobility in India. which was established in 1982. Its member countries
Note: Merkel, whose visit to the country coincided with one Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal,
of the worst spells of air pollution in Delhi/NCR, also Pakistan and Sri Lanka aim to promote and support
emphasized on the need to replace diesel-run public protection, management and enhancement of the
transport with electric vehicles. Germany would also put in environment in the region.
200 million euros to reform the bus sector in Tamil Nadu. 47. Italian movie Despite the Fog is the opening movie at the
40. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 5th 50th edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI)
India International Science Festival (IISF) through video 2019.
conference. Note: The 100-minute film directed by Goran Paskaljevic
Note: The theme for this year’s festival is RISEN India - narrates the tale of a child whose parents drown while
Research, Innovation and Science Empowering the Nation. trying to migrate to Italy in a rubber boat. The 50th edition
41. The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled of IFFI witnessed the screening of over 200 best films from
two new IT Initiatives (ICEDASH and ATITHI) for improved 76 countries.
monitoring and pace of customs clearance of imported 48. Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development
goods. Sanjay Dhotre has launched the Shala Darpan Portal of
Note: ICEDASH is an Ease of Doing Business monitoring Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti.
dashboard of the Indian Customs helping the public see the Note: Shala Darpan provides an integrated platform to
daily Customs clearance times of import cargo at various meet the educational and administrative needs of all
ports and airports. The ATITHI app will facilitate hassle-free stakeholders-students, teachers and parents. This will
and faster clearance by Customs at the airports and integrate all Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas with a common
enhance the experience of international tourists and other standard which includes around 636 schools and 2.67
visitors at the airports. million students.
42. The first-ever containerized cargo movement via the Indo- 49. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has released
Bangladesh protocol route and Brahmaputra river will start the fifth edition of Wastelands Atlas - 2019.
from Haldia (West Bengal). Note: The Atlas, published jointly by Department of Land
Note: The vessel MV Maheshwari, carrying 53 containers of Resources and National Remote Sensing Centre, provides
petrochemicals, edible oil and beverage will take 12-15 days robust geospatial information on wasteland.
to reach the IWAI terminal at Pandu in Assam’s Guwahati. 50. India has decided not to be part of the Regional
National Waterway 2 (NW-2) is a section of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement in
Brahmaputra River having a length of 891 km between the the national interest.
Bangladesh border near Dhubri and Sadiya in Assam. Note: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced during his
43. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has launched a first speech at the RCEP Summit in Bangkok. The Regional
of its kind job helpline number (76260-76260) for the Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a proposed
unemployed youth of the state under Ghar Ghar Rozgar’ free trade agreement (FTA) between the ten member states
programme. of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Note: The objective of this helpline is to reach every house (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
in Punjab. In this process, a 110-seat call centre of Punjab the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and its six
Job Helpline has also been created for the data to be FTA partners (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia
prepared. and New Zealand).
44. The first-ever India-Uzbekistan joint military exercise 51. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the 10th
‘Dustlik-2019’ has begun at Chirchiq Training Area Asian Conference of Emergency Medicine in New Delhi.
nearTashkent. Note: Within Asia, EM was first recognized in Singapore in
Note: The exercise enabled the sharing of best practices 1984, followed by the Philippines, Turkey, South Korea,
and experiences between the Armed Forces of the two Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand and India.
countries and will lead to greater operational effectiveness. 52. The union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurated state
45. The Guinness World Records for the largest astrophysics of art railway station in Sultanpur Lodhi. Punjab.
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Note: The railway station modelled on Sikh architecture 59. The Golden Jubilee of International Film Festival of India
has been engineered to facilitate pilgrims visiting the holy (IFFI) 2019 will screen three films for differently abled.
city. The Minister also released a book on the life and Note: International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2019 will
teachings of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji to commemorate Guru have the screening of Accessible India Films. This is a
Sahab's 550th Prakash Purb. collaboration between IFFI, Saksham Bharat and UNESCO
53. The Eleventh edition of Bal Sangam has begun in New with the aim to promote the creation of inclusive spaces for
Delhi. the differently abled to access the joy of cinema through
Note: The four-day festival will showcase enthralling folk Audio Deion.This unique film section will witness the
and traditional performing arts and folk theatre dedicated screening of three films, two in Hindi - Lage Raho Munna
to children. As many as twelve States including Assam, Bhai and M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story and one in Konkani-
Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat are participating in Questao De Confusao in Konkani.
the event. 60. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
54. A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Supreme Court (MoSPI) has organized the 27th Conference of Central and
Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi paved the way for the State Statistical Organizations (COCSSO) in Kolkata.
construction of a Ram Temple at Ayodhya. Note: The theme of this year’s Conference “Sustainable
Note: It also directed the Centre to allot an alternative five- Development Goals (SDGs)”.
acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque at 61. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has
a prominent place in the holy town. launched its first all-electric experimental aircraft named--
55. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Integrated X-57 ‘Maxwell’.
check post of Kartarpur Corridor at Dera Baba Nanak in Note: The first delivery of the all-electric experimental
Punjab. aircraft was taken from Empirical Systems Aerospace
Note: Mr. Modi flagged off the first batch of over 500 Indian (ESAero) in California, United States (US). Due to current
pilgrims led by Akal Takhat Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh to battery limitations, Maxwell's design is envisioned for use in
Gurdwara Darbar Sahib through the corridor. The corridor short-haul flights as an air-taxi or commuter plane for a
connects ‘Dera Baba Nanak’ (in Gurdaspur district-India) to small number of passengers. 
the ‘Gurdwara Darbar Sahib’ (in Kartarpur in Narowal 62. The Union government of India has given approval for
district of Pakistan). The Kartarpur Gurudwara (Darbar setting up Four medical device parks.
Sahib Kartarpur) is situated on the banks of river ‘Ravi’, Note: The four parks will be set up in Andhra Pradesh,
considered to be the first gurdwara ever built. Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. These parks will provide
56. Indian Coast Guard conducted the Regional level Search the necessary infrastructure, where companies can easily
and Rescue Workshop and Exercise - 2019 (ReSAREX - plug and play. The project of Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone
2019). for creation of Common Facility Centre (CFC) for
Note: It conducted this exercise to check the preparedness Superconducting Magnetic Coil Testing and Research was
and response measures for search and rescue at sea in a given in-principle approval recently.
coordinated manner. The two days event organised by the 63. The 50th- edition of International Film Festival of India
Coast Guard District Headquarters - 11 (Goa) comprised of (IFFI) showcase Eight movies from Russia.
search and rescue workshop and tabletop exercise followed Note: 'Andrei Tarkovsky: A Cinema Prayer', is one of the
by search and rescue exercise at sea. movies to be featured among these Russian movies. The
57. India will be the host nation for the ‘No Money For Terror’ documentary by Tarkovsky is considered one of his
Conference to be held in 2020. masterpieces. It recounts the director's life and works told
Note: The ‘No Money For Terror’ conference is organised by by himself. In the film, he shares his memories, view of art
Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) of over 100 countries, and reflections on the destiny of the artist and the meaning
jointly known as the Egmont Group. of human existence.
58. The 25th Kolkata International Film Festival (eight-day) held 64. Newly discovered species of spider named after Sachin
at the Netaji Indoor Stadium Kolkata. Tendulkar.
Note: Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan inaugurated the Note: Mr. Dhruv Prajapati is a research scholar from the
festival at a glittering function at the Netaji Indoor Stadium Gujarat Ecological Education & Research (GEER)
in the city in presence of a galaxy of cine personalities and Foundation. One spider species was named after Indian
dignitaries of cultural and sports field. Noted film director cricketer Sachin Tendulkar as “Marengo Sachin Tendulkar”.
Mahesh Bhatt referred the contribution of Bengal’s Movies The other was named as “Indomarengo chavarapater” after
in the national perspective. 213 feature films and 152 short Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, who played a key role in
and documentary films from 76 countries will be screened creating awareness on education in the state of Kerala.
in 17 venues during the film extravaganza.

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65. The defence ministry is organizing Def-Connect to showcase Note: The committee has 10 principal members, including
the accomplishments of the Innovations for Defence Shashi Shekhar, a former secretary of Water Resources,
Excellence (iDEX) initiative in New Delhi. and A.B. Pandya, former chairman of the Central Ground
Note: The conference aims to bring together all Water Board. The NWP currently in force was drafted in
stakeholders of the iDEX ecosystem, Ministry of defence, 2012 and is the third such policy since 1987
iDEX selected startups, Partner Incubators, Defence 72. The Supreme Court has held that the office of the Chief
Innovation Organisation, Nodal agencies (Indian Army, Justice of India (CJI) is a public authority under the Right to
Navy, Airforce), Defence Research Information (RTI) Act 2005.
66. The 39th edition of India International Trade Fair (IITF- Note: The judgment in this regard was made by a five-judge
2019) started at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. constitution bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi on
Note: The theme for the 39th edition of the fair is ‘Ease of November 13, 2019.
Doing Business’ inspired by India’s unique achievement of 73. The first woman Assistant Naval Attache and second
rising to 63rd rank on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing woman defence personnel to be appointed for a diplomatic
Business Index from 142nd rank in the year 2014. Several assignment in Russia --- Gogoi
countries, including Australia, Iran, UK, and Vietnam will 74. The 6th World Congress on Rural and Agricultural Finance
participate in the 14-day IITF-2019. This year the status of was held in New Delhi.
‘Partner Country’ has been accorded to ‘The Islamic Note: It was jointly hosted by the Asia-Pacific Rural and
Republic of Afghanistan’ and ‘The Republic of Korea’ will be Agricultural Credit Association (APRACA), National Bank for
the ‘Focus Country’. Bihar and Jharkhand will be the focus Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and Ministry
states in this edition of the fair. of Agriculture, Government of India.
67. Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria has inaugurated the 58th 75. India-U.S. tri-services amphibious exercise Tiger Triumph
Indian Society of Aerospace Medicine (ISAM) Annual has begun at Vishakhapatnam.
Conference at Bengaluru. Note: The training events will enhance U.S.-India military-
Note: The objective of the conference to address to-military relations and hone individual and small-unit skills
contemporary issues and applications in the subject of in humanitarian assistance and disaster response. The
aerospace medicine. The theme for this year’s conference is exercise will include staff-planning events as well as field
‘Changing Paradigms in Aerospace Healthcare’. training that simulates moving a humanitarian
68. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will be the Chief Guest at assistance/disaster relief force from ship to shore.
the Republic Day Parade 2020. 76. CSIR- IMTECH, Chandigarh has signed a MoU with the
Note: The year 2018 was historic when leaders from the 10 Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay to promote
ASEAN nations – Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, collaborative research.
the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Note: The objective of this collaboration is to carry out state
Brunei – were the chief guests at Republic Day celebration. of the art research in areas of healthcare especially in
On 26th January 2020, India will celebrate its 71st Republic projects and missions where both the institutes can
Day. significantly complement each other.
69. India gets USD 43 million from Green Climate Fund to boost 77. Two-day Regional Conference on the theme: “Replication
climate resilience. of Good Governance Practices in Union Territories of J&K
Note: India kicked-off a USD 43 million project to boost and Ladakh” has begun in Jammu.
climate resilience in three coastal states in partnership with Note: The Conference is organized by the Department of
the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG),
project is funded by the Green Climate Fund, established Government of India in collaboration with the Government
within the framework of the United Nations Framework of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to assist 78. National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic
developing countries. Advancement (NISHTHA) was launched in Jammu and
70. Mangala Mani is the first woman scientist to spend 403 Kashmir.
days in Antarctica. Note: The event was attended by around 300 teachers, Key
Note: Mani was part of an expedition team that went to Resource Persons (KRPs) and Chief Education Officers, DIET
Bharati – India’s research station in Antarctica – in Principals and Educational Administrators. NISHTHA is a
November 2016. She was the only woman in the 23- National Mission aimed at improving learning outcomes at
member-team that went to the freezing continent this time. Elementary level through integrated Teacher Training
71. The Union Water Resources Ministry has set up a 79. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has a set up an Online
Committee to draft a new National Water Policy (NWP). Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (OCSAE) Prevention and
The Committee will be chaired by Mihir Shah. Investigation Unit at headquarter in New Delhi.

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Note: It has been set up to counter the growing menace of Note: The fuel would help provide year-round access to
child porn on the internet. The new specialized unit under snow-capped border regions and is part of India’s efforts to
the Special Crime Investigation Wing of the agency will speed up strategic road connectivity.
collect intelligence on those who are allegedly creating and 83. UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) has released a 28-
transmitting such material on the internet. page booklet called ‘From uttapam to sprouted dal
80. Smriti Irani Inaugurates Bharatiya Poshan Krishi Kosh parantha’.
(BPKK) to Tackle Malnutrition. Note: It explains that nutritious food prepared at less than
Note: The Poshan Atlas was inaugurated by Smriti Zubin 20 rupees will help in dealing with problems like
Irani along with Bill Gates in New Delhi. The Bharatiya underweight, obesity and Anaemia in children. The book
Poshan Krishi Kosh is a repository of diverse crops across gives a detailed break-up of protein, carbohydrate, fat, total
128 agro-climatic zones to help enable better nutritional fibre, iron, vitamin C and calcium content of the recipe.
outcomes. The Kosh aims to reduce malnutrition among 84. The Union Cabinet approved the establishment of the
women and children across the country, through a multi- National Institute for Sowa-Rigpa (NISR) in Leh.
sectoral results-based framework, including agriculture Note: The setting up of the National Institute of Sowa-Rigpa
81. President Ram Nath Kovind presented the prestigious (NISR) would provide an impetus for the revival of Sowa-
President's Colour to the Indian Naval Academy at Rigpa in the Indian Sub-continent. It will be an autonomous
Kannur,Kerala. organization under the Ministry of AYUSH.
Note: President's Colour is a visible symbol of excellence 85. RSS Chief Dr. Mohan Bhagwat has inaugurated the
and is earned through worthy contribution both during war International Principal’s Education Conference (IPEC) at
and peace. Nagpur.
82. Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOC) has launched a special Note: Noted mathematician Anand Kumar (Super 30
winter-grade diesel that remains unfrozen up to minus 33 founder) was honoured with Nachiketa Sarvottama Award
degree Celsius. on the occasion. Mr. Kumar dedicated this award to all the
teachers who are working for the upliftment of
underprivileged children.

October

1. Aarambh: The Centre’s first-ever common foundation 7. Union Minister Harsh Vardhan has launched the postal
course for the 2019 batch probationer civil servants at stamp under the ‘Corporate My Stamp’ scheme of
the Statue of Unity in Kevadia, Gujarat. India Posts.
Note: The theme this year is ‘How to achieve the goal 8. NITI Aayog with Institute for Competitiveness as the
of making India a 5 trillion Dollar economy. knowledge partner released the -- India Innovation
2. ‘Maharatna’ status has been granted by the Index (III) 2019.
Government to state-owned --- Hindustan Petroleum Note:
Corporation Limited & Power Grid Corporation of • Karnataka is the most innovative major state in
India Limited. India.
3. The Union Cabinet has approved the merger of loss- • Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Telangana, Haryana,
making telecom firms BSNL and MTNL Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat,
4. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare observed and Andhra Pradesh form the remaining top
the Vigilance Awareness Week -- 28th October to 2nd ten major states respectively.
November 2019. 9. National Highway No. 703AA renamed as -- Shri Guru
5. IIM Kozhikode and Mangalore Refineries and Nanak Dev Ji Marg.
Petrochemicals Ltd. have announced a special drive to Note: The road starting from Kapurthala connecting
support women entrepreneurs in the country -- “La Eve Goindwal Sahib and terminating near Taran Taran in
(meaning The Woman)” Punjab.
6. United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has 10. India’s longest Tunnel Chenani- Nashri on NH 44, in
launched a cinema advertisement campaign to raise Jammu and Kashmir will be named after --- Dr Shyama
awareness and take steps against hunger and Prasad Mukherjee (Bhartiya Jansangh Founder).
malnutrition in India -- Feed Our Future.

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11. Railways Minister Piyush Goyal flagged off ‘Sewa • Three railway stations of Rajasthan have been
Service’ trains -- 9. included in the list of top clean railway stations in
Note: The trains are – Delhi to Shamli, Bhubaneswar to the country.
Nayagarh town, Murkongselek to Dibrugarh, • In the Railway Cleanliness Survey conducted by the
Coimbatore to Palani, Coimbatore to Pollachi, Vadnagar Ministry of Railways, Jaipur Junction has come first,
to Mehsana, Asarya to Himmatnagar, Karur to Salem, Jodhpur railway station ranked second and
Yesvantpur to Tumkur. Durgapura railway station ranked at the third spot.
12. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences in • A total of 720 stations and were included in the
survey.
collaboration with the Union Health Ministry launched
• Since 2016, cleanliness survey is carried out by the
the 1st-ever website and mobile application on oral
Quality Council of India (QCI), an independent
health awareness – eDantSeva.
body.
13. Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid a
Key points of the report - Top 10 cleanest railway station -
four-day official visit to India –
The top ten railway stations include seven cities of
• On 03rd October, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister
Rajasthan.
Sheikh Hasina paid a four-day official visit to India.
• Jaipur (Rajasthan)
33rd India Economic Summit in New Delhi
• Jodhpur (Rajasthan)
• Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was invited as the
• Durgapura (Rajasthan)
Chief Guest at the 33rd edition of the India
• Jammu Tawi
Economic Summit which was held in New Delhi.
• Gandhinagar (Jaipur district)
• The summit was organized by the World Economic
• Suratgarh (Rajasthan)
Forum (WEF) in partnership with Confederation of
• Vijayawada
Indian Industry (CII).
• Udaipur (Rajasthan)
• The theme for the 2019 summit was ’Innovating for
• Ajmer (Rajasthan)
India: Strengthening South Asia, Impacting the
• Haridwar
World‘.
14. India’s first private train Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express Suburban stations - Suburban stations were included for
flagged off – Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi the first time in this survey.
Adityanath flagged off country’s first private train Delhi- • Andheri, Virar and Naigaon railway stations were
Lucknow Tejas Express started its maiden journey from the top three among 109 suburban stations.
Lucknow. Best railway zone
• It will be the first train of Indian Railways that will • The North Western Railway (NWR), headquartered
be entirely run by Indian Railway Catering and in Jaipur, has been ranked the best among the 17
Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). railway zones in the country.
• All passengers travelling by Delhi-Lucknow Tejas • South Eastern Railway ranked at second place was
Express will be provided free insurance of up to ₹25 and East Central Railway ranked at the third spot in
lakh by IRCTC. the list.
Note: 16. Prime Minister Narendra Modi declares India open
defecation-free – On the occasion of 150th birth
• In a first, IRCTC will offer a refund to travellers if the
anniversary of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi,
train gets delayed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared India as Open
• If the Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express delays for over an
Defecation Free (ODF).
hour, passengers will get a compensation of ₹100.
• On 02nd October, 'Swachh Bharat Divas' program
• For delay of two hours and more, the passengers will
was organized in Sabarmati, Ahmedabad where PM
receive ₹250.
Modi announced the country to be open
15. Jaipur topped the list of cleanest railway stations in
defecation free.
the country - ‘Swachh Rail, Swachh Bharat 2019
• During the event, the PM Modi released
• According to the ‘Swachh Rail, Swachh Bharat
commemorative Rs 150 coins on Mahatma
2019’ report, Jaipur topped the list of the cleanest
Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary.
railway station in India.

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• According to the PM Modi, under the massive, 21. Nation pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th
Swachh Bharat Mission India has built almost 11 birth anniversary on 02nd October 2019
crore toilets for about 60 crore people in just a • The Nation pays homage to the Father of the
period of 60 months. Nation, Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth
17. Titan MD Bhaskar Bhat retires - The Managing Director anniversary today i.e. 2nd October 2019.
(MD) of Titan company Bhaskar Bhat has retired after • The nation also remembers Former Prime Minister
33 years of service in the company on 30th September. Lal Bahadur Shastri on his 115th birth anniversary.
Note: C.K. Venkataraman appointed new MD of Titan - 22. India will shift to Bharat Stage Six (BS-VI) vehicular
C.K. Venkataraman has been appointed as the Managing emission norms from BS IV by April 2020 in order to
Director (MD) of Titan company with immediate effect from curb vehicular pollution. This announcement was made
October 1. by the Environment and Forest Minister Mr Prakash
18. CISF to set up permanent deployment at Baglihar Javadekar in New Delhi.
Hydro Electric Power plant – According to sources, the 23. Government launches eDant Seva – On October 7,
Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is all set to have 2019, the eDant Seva was launched by the Ministry of
a permanent deployment of more than 300 highly- Health and Family welfare. It is an initiative under the
trained personnel at Baglihar Hydro Electric Power National Oral Health Program.
plant in Jammu and Kashmir. 24. Ganga Aamantran initiative launched by Jal Shakti
Note: Minister – Ganga Aamantran is an initiative to connect
• Baglihar Dam also known as Baglihar Hydroelectric stakeholders of the Ganga river. It is the first effort of
Power Project, is a run-of-the-river power project National Mission for Clean Ganga.
on the Chenab River in the Ramban district of the 25. Govt. launches PRAKASH Portal – To bring better
Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. coordination for coal supplies among all stakeholders,
19. India’s largest ‘Charkha’ made of waste plastic PRAKASH portal was launched by Union Power Minister
inaugurated in Noida – Union Minister Smriti Irani (Independent charge) Raj Kumar Singh and Coal, Mines
inaugurated India’s largest ‘Charkha’ made of Waste and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi.
Plastic in Noida. • PRAKASH stands for - Power Rail Koyla Availability
Note: through Supply Harmony Portal
• This ‘charkha’ (spinning wheel) made of used 26. Sarbat Da Bhala Express: Union Ministers Piyush Goyal,
plastic waste was inaugurated the eve of Mahatma Harsh Vardhan and Harsimrat Kaur Badal flagged off
Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary. ‘Sarbat Da Bhala Express’ train at New Delhi railway
• The ‘charkha’, which symbolises Gandhi’s dream of station.
Swadeshi (self-sufficing and self-reliance), • The ‘New Delhi-Lohian Khas-New Delhi Intercity
measures 14ft, 20ft and 8ft and is made of 1,250 kg Express’ was recently renamed as ‘Sarbat da Bhala
of used plastic. Express’ by Indian Railways.
20. Amit Shah flags off Delhi-Katra Vande Bharat Express – • The renamed train will run from New Delhi to
Union Home Minister Amit Shah flagged off Delhi-Katra Lohian Khas via holy city Sultanpur Lodhi.
Vande Bharat Express from the New Delhi Railway 27. Kartarpur corridor: Former PM Manmohan Singh has
Station. accepted Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's
• This is the second Vande Bharat Express. The first invitation to join the inaugural event of Kartarpur
one runs in between Delhi and Varanasi. corridor.
Note:
• Vande Bharat Express, also known as Train 18, is an
Indian semi-high speed intercity electric multiple
unit.
• It was designed and built by Integral Coach Factory
Chennai under the Indian government's Make in
India initiative over a span of 18 months.
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• The Department of Posts has announced
1. First Indigenous Fuel Cell System launched on CSIR commencing of International Speed Post (EMS)
Foundation Day – The President of India Ramnath Kovind Service to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Ecuador,
unveiled the first Indigenous High-Temperature Fuel Cell Kazakhstan, Lithuania and North Macedonia.
System. 8. India’s 1st National Antimicrobial Resistance Hub set up in
• This system is developed by Council of Scientific Kolkata – India’s first National Antimicrobial Resistance Hub
and Industrial Research (CSIR) in partnership with was recently inaugurated in Kolkata. The Kolkata centre
Indian industries under India’s flagship program would be the hub for research on antibiotic resistance not
named “New Millennium Indian Technology only for the country but for the entire South Asia.
Leadership Initiative (NMITLI)” on the occasion of 9. India to fund 1000 PhD fellowships for ASEAN students at
CSIR Foundation Day in New Delhi. IITs – India has formally launched an initiative to fund 1000
Note: scholars from South East Asian countries to pursue PhD at
• The 77th foundation day of Council of Scientific and its 23 Indian Institutes of Technology.
Industrial Research (CSIR) was observed on 26th • It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of External
September 2019. Affairs and the Human Resource Development.
2. NTPC to build India’s biggest solar park in Gujarat – India’s • The scheme has an initial budget of Rs. 300 crore.
National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) plans 10. Ravi Shankar Prasad launches Maritime Communication
to set up a 5-gigawatt solar park in the western state of Services in India – Union Minister for Communications,
Gujarat, which would be the biggest in the country. Electronics & Information Technology and Law & Justice
Ravi Shankar Prasad has launched the Maritime
3. Telecom body approves Rs 8500 crore for mobile towers & Communication Services at Mumbai, Maharashtra.
optical fibres – The Digital Communication Commission, the • Nelco, India’s leading VSAT solutions provider is the
highest decision making body in the Department of Telecom first Indian company that will now provide quality
has approved multiple projects worth over Rs 8,500 crore. broadband services to the maritime sector.
• The projects aims to set up mobile towers and 11. Centre to set up 12,500 Ayush Health and Wellness
laying of optical fibre, with an aim to provide Centres – Union Government has set a target of setting up
improved connectivity. The commission also 12,500 Ayush Health and Wellness Centres across the
approved a special scheme to cover upto 12,000 country.
uncovered villages in aspirational districts. • Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and
4. Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank launches Homoeopathy Minister Shripad Yesso Naik
WAWE Summit 2019 – Human Resource Development announced this during the inauguration of a Unani
Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has launched Waste Medical Centre and Siddha Clinical Research Unit.
Management Accelerator for Aspiring Women 12. PM Modi inaugurates multi-modal terminal at Jharkhand’s
Entrepreneurs (WAWE) summit. Sahibganj – Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the
• It will be jointly organized by All India Council for second riverine multi modal terminal at Sahibgunj.
Technical Education (AICTE) and Institute of Waste Note:
Management (IIWM) at Jaipur. • This is the second of the three Multi Modal
5. India’s first central police university to come up in Greater Terminals being constructed on river Ganga under
Noida – The country’s first central police university will be Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP).
set up by the Union Home Ministry at the Yamuna • Earlier, in November 2018 the Prime Minister had
Expressway in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. inaugurated the MMT at Varanasi.
6. Google announces new AI research lab in India - Google • The MMTs are being built as part of the Jal Marg
has announced that it will open an artificial intelligence (AI) Vikas Project that aims to develop the stretch of
based research lab “Google Research India” in Bengaluru. River Ganga between Varanasi to Haldia.
• The Indian AI lab will be led by Dr. Manish Gupta, a
renowned computer scientist in the country. 13. 'TB Harega Desh Jeetega': A campaign to eliminate
7. India Post expands speed post service to 6 new foreign tuberculosis from India – 'TB Harega Desh Jeetega': Union
countries – India Post expanded speed post service to six Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan
new foreign destinations in Asia, Europe and South has launched a new ‘TB Harega Desh Jeetega Campaign’.
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• A National TB prevalence Survey was also launched Ministry has awarded the Institute of Eminence status to 5
by the minister. ‘TB Harega Desh Jeetega public institutions.
Campaign’ campaign has been launched with an • Each of the above university has to sign a MoU with
aim to eliminate tuberculosis from India. the HRD Ministry and will lay out its plan to achieve
the objective of becoming a world-class institution.
14. Govt constituted a Sanjay Mitra committee to look into The public institutions on the list will then be
assets, liabilities of J&K – The government has constituted eligible for a government grant of RS 1,000 crore.
a three-member committee to look into the distribution of The status was awarded to the following institutions:
assets and liabilities of Jammu and Kashmir between two • IIT Madras
successor Union territories. It will come into existence on • IIT Kharagpur
October 31. • Delhi University
• Former defence secretary Sanjay Mitra will be the • Banaras Hindu University
chairman of the committee. The other members • University of Hyderabad
are - retired IAS officer Arun Goyal and retired 18. GoI to spend 3.5 lakh crore rupees on Jal Jeevan Mission –
Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) officer Giriraj Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that the
Prasad Gupta. central government will spend 3.5 lakh crore rupees in the
Important point - next five years on ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ to deliver potable
• As per Section 84 of the Act, the assets and water at every household across the country.
liabilities of the existing state of Jammu and • Jal Jeevan Mission involves saving water and
Kashmir have to be apportioned between the delivering water at one’s doorstep.
Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and 19. Tourism Minister inaugurates first-ever architectural LED
Ladakh. illumination at Qutub Minar – Minister of State for Culture
15. PM Modi crosses 50 million followers, becomes third most and Tourism Prahalad Singh Patel inaugurated first-ever
followed leader – Prime Minister Narendra Modi has architectural LED illumination at the Qutub Minar.
crossed the mark of 50 million followers on his twitter • With the illumination, the architectural beauty of
account, becoming the third most followed world leader the 12th-century monument will display its historic
after Donald Trump and Barack Obama. majesty after sunset. Qutb Minar is a UNESCO
• PM Modi is the most followed Indian on Twitter, World Heritage Site is one of most visited historical
even ahead of Bollywood superstars like Salman site in Delhi.
Khan and Shahrukh Khan and Indian skipper Virat 20. Delhi’s IGI Airport Gets India’s Tallest ATC Tower – Delhi’s
Kohli. Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport gets India’s tallest
16. First greenfield industrial smart city opened in Aurangabad ATC tower to enhance the safety and boost the efficiency of
• On 7th September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi air transport management services.
inaugurated the Aurangabad Industrial City (Aurik) • The Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri
in Aurangabad. inaugurated the Delhi Air Traffic Service Complex,
• It is the first new smart industrial city in the country which is the tallest Air Traffic Control tower in India
and is spread over 10 thousand acres. It is part of with a height of 102 metres.
the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial corridor. • The tower aims to reduce the pressure on
• PM Modi also inaugurated the Auric Hall, a six- controllers and provide relief to flyers from delays.
storey building which will be both monitoring and The tower has over 45 workstations with better
administrative nerve centre for a smart city. operational area visibility. The tower has
• He also launched the Auric chatbot that will help multilayered security.
anyone get their problems addressed by the city 21. INX Media case: P Chidambaram sent to Tihar jail till
administration. September 19 - P Chidambaram has been sent to Tihar jail
• Developed in the backward Marathwada region of till September 19, 2019.
Maharashtra, this city is being described as the • The order was given by Rouse Avenue Court in
country's first greenfield industrial smart city. Delhi where the CBI's case against the former
17. HRD Ministry awarded Institute of Eminence status to 5 Finance Minister in relation to INX Media
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22. Ministry of culture rolls out 25 new mobile science 26. September month to be celebrated as 'Rashtriya Poshan
museums buses – Union Minister of State for Culture and Maah' – Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his latest Mann Ki
Tourism (Independent Charge), flagged off the first-ever Baat programme announced to celebrate September 2019
Mobile Science Exhibition buses for the entire Ladakh as a month of nutrition. The month of September will be
Region in Leh. celebrated as ‘Poshan Abhiyaan’ or 'Rashtriya Poshan Maah'
• The Minister simultaneously launched 25 new across India.
Mobile Science Exhibition buses for Aspirational • This year the theme is 'Complementary Feeding'.
Districts of India. About POSHAN Abhiyaan
23. First metro coach manufactured by Bharat Earth Movers • The POSHAN Abhiyaan, an overarching scheme for
inaugurated by PM Modi holistic nourishment, was launched by Prime
• On 07th September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Minister Narendra Modi in March 2018 at
inaugurated the first metro coach manufactured by Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan.
Bharat Earth Movers in Mumbai. • POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) is a
• Bharat Earth Movers (BEML) has built it in just 75 scheme of Ministry of Women and Child
days. Development.
• Prime Minister laid the foundation stones for three • POSHAN stands for - Prime Minister’s Overarching
Metro corridors worth over 19,000 crore rupees. Scheme for Holistic Nutrition.
• The three corridors, namely Gaimukh-Shivaji • The Abhiyaan targets to reduce stunting, under-
Chowk; Wadala-CST and Kalyan-Taloja are together nutrition, anaemia (among young children, women
expected to carry more than 40 lakh commuters and adolescent girls) and reduce low birth weight
daily. by 2%, 2%, 3% and 2% per annum respectively.
Note: • The target of the mission is to bring down stunting
• BEML (formerly known as Bharat Earth Movers among children in the age group 0-6 years from
Limited) is an Indian Public Sector Undertaking. Its 38.4% to 25% by 2022.
headquarters is located in Bengaluru. 27. Govt. to set up 12,500 AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres
24. IIT Delhi to establish shared research infrastructure 'SATHI' across country – Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced
– Indian Institute of Delhi (IIT Delhi) will set up a science and government’s target of setting up 12,500 AYUSH (Ayurveda,
technology infrastructure facility centre named Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy)
Sophisticated Analytical and Technical Help Institute Centres across India.
(SATHI). • Out of which government is trying to set up 4000
• The centre will be set up in the Sonepat campus such centres in 2019 itself. The announcement was
(Haryana) of IIT Delhi. made by PM Modi during giving away Yoga Awards
• The Department of Science and Technology (DST) to winners for Outstanding Contribution for
has selected Indian Institute of Delhi (IIT Delhi) for Promotion and Development of Yoga in New Delhi.
setting up 'SATHI' centre in the country. 28. Country's longest electrified rail tunnel inaugurated in
• The main objective of the centre would be is to Andhra Pradesh – Vice-President of India inaugurated the
provide professionally managed services under one country's longest electrified rail tunnel between Cherlopalli
roof to meet the demands of industry, start-ups and Rapuru and the electrified railway line between
and academia. Venkatachalam and Obulavaripalli in Andhra Pradesh. The
25. Income tax dept creates a world record with the filing of length of the rail tunnel is 6.6 kilometre.
49 lakh ITRs in one day – According to the Income Tax • The South-Central Railway (SCR) zone of the Indian
department, it has created a sort of world record by Railways has commissioned India’s longest
achieving a record Income Tax Return filing in a single day. electrified railway tunnel in Andhra Pradesh.
• While releasing the data on e-filing of ITRs, The • It is situated between Cherlopalli and Rapuru
Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said that the Railway stations in Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh.
IT department made history with an all-time high • The height of the tunnel (rail level to roof) is 6.5
record of 49 lakh 29 thousand ITRs filed in a single meters and the minimum height of the contact
day on August 31. wire is maintained at 5.2 meters.

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

1. Union HRD Minister launches Integrated Online junction • The committee was set up after the Union HRD
‘Shagun’ – Union Human Resource Development Minister Ministry directed UGC to immediately constitute a
launched one of the world’s largest Integrated Online high-level committee to inquire into the matter.
Junction for School Education ‘Shagun’ in New Delhi. • The special committee will be headed by Chairman
• Shagun is coined from two different words- ‘Shala’ DP Singh and assisted by UGC Joint Secretary
meaning Schools and ‘Gunvatta’ meaning Quality. (Private Universities) Surender Singh. The HRD
Note: Ministry has directed the committee to complete
• School Education Shagun is an over-arching its enquiry within three weeks.
initiative to improve the school education system 5. Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) has set up a waste plastic
by creating a junction for all online portals and to diesel plant in Dehradun (capital of Uttarakhand) as a
websites relating to various activities of the step towards ensuring freedom from plastic.
Department of School Education and Literacy in the 6. India Launches World’s First Ever Facial BSID – India has
Government of India and all States and Union become the first country in the world to issue Biometric
Territories. Seafarer Identity Document (BSID), capturing the facial
2. Prime Minister launches Fit India Movement – On the biometric data of seafarers.
occasion of National Sports Day (29th August), Prime • The new facial biometric technology is a marked
Minister Narendra Modi has launched the Fit India improvement over the two-finger or iris-based bio-
Movement at the Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex in New metric data, with modern security features.
Delhi. • It will make the identification of the SID holder
• During the event, PM appealed to the nation to join more reliable and efficient while protecting their
this fitness movement and make a ‘Fitter & Better dignity and privacy.
India’. • BSID project has been taken up in collaboration
• The nation-wide Fit India Movement aims to with the Centre for Development of Advanced
motivate every Indian to incorporate simple, easy Computing (CDAC).
ways of staying fit in their everyday life. 7. Govt Launched mobile app “Janaushadhi Sugam” – Union
• The National Sports Day in India is celebrated on 29 Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers launched a mobile
August, on the birth anniversary of hockey legend application “Janaushadhi Sugam”.
Major Dhyan Chand. • This app will enable people to search for
3. The Union Environment Ministry releases Rs 47,436 cr for Janaushadhi generic medicines and the stores at
green activities – The Union Environment Ministry has the tip of their fingers.
transferred Rs 47,436 crore to 27 States for afforestation. 8. Project SURE - Union Minister for Textiles Smriti Zubin Irani
The amount has been released from the Compensatory launched Project SURE, a move towards sustainable fashion
Afforestation Fund. at Lakmé Fashion Winter/Festive 2019 held in Mumbai,
• The corpus will be utilised for compensatory Maharashtra.
afforestation, wildlife management, forest fire • The project aims to move towards sustainable
prevention, work related to soil and moisture fashion that contributes to a clean environment.
conservation in forests, voluntary relocation of About SURE project
villages from protected areas etc. • SURE stands for ‘Sustainable Resolution’. It is first
holistic effort by the apparel industry towards
4. UGC constitutes 5-member committee to inquire into sale gradually introducing a broader framework for
of fake degrees by universities – The UGC has set up a five- establishing critical sustainability goals for the
member committee to look into the allegations of sale of industry.
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9. National Digital Library of India launched by HRD Ministry 15. “Op-Blue Freedom” flag off in Delhi – Sports Minister Kiren
– Human Resource Development Ministry has launched the Rijiju and former India football captain Baichung Bhutia
National Digital Library of India project to develop a flagged off Op-Blue Freedom in Delhi.
framework of virtual repository of learning resources with a • This is an initiative in which a group of armed
single-window search facility. forces veterans train sports enthusiasts in survival
• It has been launched under the National Mission on training and self-defence.
Education through Information and Communication Note:
Technology, NMEICT. • Op-Blue Freedom is a nation-wide adaptive scuba
10. Union Minister Prakash Javadekar inaugurates National diving programme for people with disabilities as
Centre for Avian Ecotoxicology – Union Environment, well as the able-bodied. It comes under the parent
Forest and Climate Change Minister Prakash Javadekar has project “Special Forces Adventures”.
inaugurated the National Centre for Avian Ecotoxicology at
Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural Sciences 16. Union HRD Minister launches NISHTHA – Union HRD
(SACON) in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Minister launched the training programme NISHTHA,
(National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic
11. Ocean Energy gets renewable energy Status – Union Advancement) to improve Learning Outcomes at the
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has Elementary level across the country. This is the largest
approved proposal to declare ocean energy as Renewable teachers’ training programme of its kind in the world.
Energy. • NISHTHA to build capacities of 42 Lakh government
• It has clarified to all stakeholders that energy teachers across the country.
produced using various forms of ocean energy such • The basic objective of this massive training
as tidal, wave and ocean thermal energy programme ‘NISHTHA’ is to motivate and equip
conversion (OTEC) will be considered as Renewable teachers to encourage and foster critical thinking in
Energy. students.
• The decision will give boost to ocean energy in the
country. It will make ocean energy eligible for 17. Amazon’s largest campus in the world inaugurated in
meeting the non-solar Renewable Purchase Hyderabad – Amazon has opened its largest campus in the
Obligations (RPO). world in Hyderabad.
12. Indian Railways to prohibit single-use plastic from October • The campus covers 1.8 million square feet and can
2 – In a move to curb use of plastics, Union Ministry of accommodate 15,000 workers.
Railways has directed all regional offices to ensure • This is Amazon’s first owned-building outside of the
complete removal of single-use plastics from all railways US and is also its largest tech base outside the
stations effective from 2 October 2019. Seattle headquarters, which has about 155,000
13. Minority Affairs Ministry Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to contract employees.
inaugurate “Hunar Haat” – Union Minority Affairs Minister 18. India to launch e-commerce portal “Bharatcraft” for
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Chief Minister of Rajasthan MSME’s – Union Government is planning to launch an e-
Ashok Gehlot will inaugurate this “Hunar Haat” at Jawahar commerce portal named “Bharatcraft” for MSME’s.
Kala Kendra in Jaipur. • The portal is based on other e-commerce portals
• “Hunar Haat” has proved to be an effective like ‘Alibaba’ and ‘Amazon’.
programme to provide employment and • The portal will provide a platform for MSMEs to
employment opportunities to master artisans. market and sell their products and in turn boost the
14. Harsh Vardhan inaugurates FSSAI’s National Food sector. As per the MSME Union Minister, the
Laboratory – Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan Bharatcraft portal has a huge potential to generate
inaugurated FSSAI’s National Food Laboratory (NFL) in revenue worth ₹10 lakh crore in next 2-3 years.
Ghaziabad on the occasion of 13th anniversary of the Food 19. India Celebrates 73rd Independence Day on August 15,
Safety and Standards Act, 2006. This national lab is a result 2019 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute at Raj
of a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP), the first-of-its-kind in Ghat and addressed the following points in his speech:
the food laboratory sector. • One nation, one constitution spirit has become a
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• There is a ‘huge’ scope for improvement in the in association with Tata Educational and Development Trust
tourism sector and everyone should visit at least 15 (TEDT).
tourist destinations within India by 2022. 25. Defence Minister of India, Shri Rajnath Singh has approved
• India can become a 5 trillion dollar economy in the the formation of 12-member high-level committee, headed
next 5 years. by the Director-General (Acquisitions), Apurva Chandra, to
• Government to invest Rs 100 lakh cr in revise and align the procedure of Defence procurement
infrastructure building. with the aim of strengthening the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
• Jal Jeevan Mission to ensure safe drinking water to 26. Prasar Bharati will introduce 2 awards namely ‘Neelum
all households was announced. Government will Sharma Tejaswini award’ & ‘Achyutananda Sahoo Award’
spend Rs 3.5 lakh crore for it. in honor of Neelum Sharma
• Implementation of GST achieved One Nation, One • On August 20, 2019, India’s largest public
Tax. India achieved One Nation, One Grid in the broadcasting agency, Prasar Bharti’s Chairman A
energy sector. PM gave a motto to boost digital Suryapakash stated that the agency will introduce 2
payment- ‘Yes to digital payment, No to cash’. awards namely ‘Neelum Sharma Tejaswini award’
• A transfer of about Rs. 90,000 crores to farmers’ & ‘Achyutananda Sahoo Award’ in memory of
bank accounts is in progress to those who are Doordarshan(DD) News Former anchor, Neelum
beneficiaries of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. Sharma who passed away due to cancer on August
• 1.5 lakh wellness centers will be created at villages. 17, 2019.
20. Hardeep Puri launches Swachh Survekshan 2020 – The 27. Lucknow’s iconic Hazratganj Chauraha renamed as Atal
Minister of State (Independent charge) for housing and Chowk
urban affairs Shri Hardeep SinghPuri launched the fifth • Famous ‘Hazratganj Chauraha’ of Lucknow, Uttar
edition of annual cleanliness survey, Swachh Survekshan Pradesh has been renamed as ‘Atal Chowk’ in
2020 (SS 2020) which is to be conducted from January 2020. memory of former Prime Minister of India, Late
21. Jal Shakti Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the occasion of his first
launched the 2nd Edition of Swaccha Survakshan Grameen, death anniversary on August 16, 2019.
India’s largest sanitation survey, for 2019 in New Delhi. • He was a five-time Member of Parliament (MP)
22. Govt. to launch new app ‘Uber for tractors’ to aid farmers from Lucknow.
– The agricultural Ministry and the centre decided to launch • A memorial named “Atal Smriti Upvan” will also be
a farm equipment rental app to aid farmers in accessing built on his name.
cutting- edge technology at affordable prices. 28. Punjab CM dedicates 3rd phase of ‘Jung-E-Azadi’ memorial
• Farmers can book and hire agricultural equipment to victims of Jallianwala Bagh massacre
and use them on rent basis. Through this initiative, • On the occasion of 73rd Independence Day, Chief
small farmers will be able to make use of tools Minister of Punjab Amarinder Singh dedicated 3rd
equipped with technology that are expensive to phase of ‘Jung-E-Azadi’ memorial to people who
own. were killed in Jallianwala Bagh massacre and
• The name ‘Uber for tractors’ was kept by the govt. unsung heroes who were incarcerated in Andaman
keeping in mind the popular app ‘Uber’. Just like Cellular jail during freedom struggle.
uber connects to cabs, this ‘uber for tractors’ will About ‘Jung-E-Azadi’ Memorial
reach the grassroot level people and farmers. • It is a memorial and museum being built in
23. CORAS (Commandos For Railway Security), a special Kartarpur, near Jalandhar city of Punjab. It is built
railway unit for the Indian railways and a new in memory of sacrifices and contribution made by
establishment manual for the Railway Protection Force(RPF) community of Punjabi’s in Indian independence
was launched by union Railway Minister Shri Piyush Goyal movement.
at a function in New Delhi railway station. 29. Sadbhavna Diwas: Birth anniversary of late Rajiv Gandhi
24. Indian Institute of Skills (IIS) will be set up in Mumbai in celebrated – Every year 20 August is celebrated as
association with the Tata Trust – Dr. Mahendra Nath Sadbhavana Diwas or Communal Harmony Day to
Pandey, Minister for Skill Development and commemorate birth anniversary of late Rajiv Gandhi,
Entrepreneurship (MSDE) stated that world-class Indian former Prime Minister of India.
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• On this observance, close family members and ambitious second lunar mission of India is named
senior Congress party members pay homage to his 'Vikram'.
memory and legacy by laying down wreaths and • Vikram Sarabhai was born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat
garlands on Veer Bhoomi, where he was cremated. on 12th August, 1919.
• 20 August 2019 marks 75th birth anniversary of 35. PM to be the chairman of the Inter-State Council – The
Rajiv Gandhi. Inter-State Council has been reconstituted with Prime
30. INTELIGHTS: India’s 1st 3-D Smart Traffic Signal launched Minister as its chairman and 6 Union ministers and all chief
in Mohali – Mohali traffic police in Punjab have launched ministers as its members.
India’s first wireless 3-D Smart Traffic Signal System called • Home Minister Amit Shah will chair the standing
Intelights. committee of the Inter-State Council.
• It proposes a Intelligent Traffic Timer Control to • The Inter-State Council is mandated to investigate
regulate traffic signals with smart bird’s eye view and advise on disputes between states. It is also
using wireless sensor system. It has been installed tasked with giving recommendations on any such
at traffic crossing near the Airport Road in Mohali dispute and recommendations for the better
on a pilot project basis. coordination of policy and action.
• 3-D Smart Traffic Signal ‘Intelights’ designed by the • The Union ministers who will be members of the
students of Chitkara University. reconstituted council are Amit Shah (Home),
31. 2nd UDAY Express to run between Visakhapatnam, Nirmala Sitharaman (Finance), Rajnath Singh
Vijayawada – Indian Railways’ 2nd UDAY (Utkrisht Double (Defence), Narendra Singh Tomar (Minister of
Decker Air Conditioned Yatri) Express will run between Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Rural
Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada to cater to busy route in Development and Panchayati Raj).
East Coast Railway zone (ECoR), one of 18 railway zones of 36. Prime Minister has announced the creation of the post of
Indian Railways. Chief of Defence Staff
• The 1st double-decker UDAY Express started • The Chief of Defence Staff will be above the
service between Coimbatore and Bangalore in June three Service Chiefs.
2018. Another Uday Express is proposed between • The CDS is meant to be a single-point military
Bangalore City and Chennai Central. advisor to the government who will coordinate
32. GI Tag accorded to three new products – Geographical long-term planning, procurements, training
Indications Registry under Department for Promotion of and logistics of the three services.
Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has accorded • The CDS will also act as the military advisor to
Geographical Indication (GI) tag to – the Prime Minister on nuclear issues.
• Tirur betel leaf from Kerala, • The need for a CDS was first recommended by
• Tawlhlohpuan fabric and Mizo Puanchei the Kargil Review Committee after the 1999
shawl/textile from Mizoram. conflict with Pakistan, but it was not
33. All CAPF personnel will now retire at a uniform age of 60 implemented.
years: Govt – As per a recent order issued by Union Home • CDS could replace the system of the Chairman
Ministry, all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) personnel of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC), who
will now retire at a uniform age of 60 years instead of 57 takes all central decisions of the services and
years for certain rank of officials. presents it to the government.
• All these forces come under ambit of Union Home • The senior-most service chief is the chairman
Ministry. COSC. Currently, it is the IAF chief, Air Chief
34. 100th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai celebrated Marshal BS Dhanoa, who is retiring in end-
on 12th August, 2019 across the country. September.
• He is known as the father of India’s Space 37. India contributes $1 million to UN fund – India has
Programme. contributed $1 million to the UN Special Purpose Trust Fund
• He is also founder of Indian Space Research for the Resident Coordinator System. The Special Purpose
Organization (ISRO). Trust Fund (SPTF) is a specific fund housed within the UN
• Keeping in mind the contribution of him in India’s Secretariat.
space programme the lander of Chandrayaan-2, the

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38. PM inaugurates Dynamic Facade Lighting in Parliament • Traffic violations would now attract a penalty
House – Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated of Rs 500 in place of Rs 100 earlier.
Dynamic Facade Lighting of Parliament House Estate in • Over speeding – Rs. 1000 for LMV (Light Motor
presence of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, and Union Vehicle) and 2000 for Medium Passenger
Ministers including Hardeep Puri and Jitendra Singh. Vehicle
• Work of dynamic facade lighting was initiated • Drunken Driving – Rs. 10,000
on 20 July 2019 by Central Public Works • Seat Belt violation – Rs. 1000 in place of Rs.
Department (CPWD) and completed in just 22 100.
days. • Also, the guardian/owner will be deemed guilty
39. Headgear becomes mandatory for children above 4 years – in case of road offence by juveniles, while
Central government has made “Headgear” mandatory for registration of the vehicle will be cancelled - As
children above 4 years while travelling on a motorcycle. The per the new provisions, "guardian/owner shall
safety measures for the children travelling on motorcycles be deemed to be guilty and there will be a
have been included in the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act penalty of Rs 25,000 with three years
2019. imprisonment and cancellation of registration
• Making the protective headgear mandatory for of the Motor Vehicle".
children, Central government has replaced 41. Doordarshan produced a patriotic song “Watan” – Union
Section 129 of the principal Act. Information and Broadcasting Minister has released a
40. President approves Motor Vehicles Amendment Act, 2019 patriotic song “Watan” to mark the occasion of
– President has approved the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Independence Day, 2019.
Act, 2019. The bill amends the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. • The song is sung by singer Javed Ali, penned by
• The act aims to make Indian roads safer, lyricist Alok Shrivastav and musically composed
reduce corruption and use technology to by Dushyant. The patriotic song is produced by
overhaul the country’s transportation system. Doordarshan.
Some main features of the act are: 42. The Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting has
• The Bill proposes a scheme to allow cashless launched the e-version of Rozgar Samachar.
treatment of victims in a road accident during • It has been launched with a view to make
the golden hour. aspirants aware of job opportunities in
• The golden hour is defined as the time period government sector including public sector
of up to one hour following a traumatic injury, enterprises.
during which the likelihood of preventing death • It will also provide information and guidance
through prompt medical care is the highest. about admission and career opportunities in
• The Bill proposes to increase the minimum various streams through career-oriented
compensation for hit and run cases. In case of articles by experts.
the death, the compensation has been raised 43. A two-day International Conference titled ‘Journey of
from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 2,00,000, and in case of Teacher Education: Local to Global’ was inaugurated by
grievous injury it will be from Rs. 12500 to Rs. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Union Minister of Human
50,000. Resource Development (HRD) in New Delhi.
• Under the law, Rs 10,000 fine would be levied • The two-day event is organized by National Council
for not giving way to emergency vehicles such of Teacher Education (NCTE) as part of silver jubilee
as ambulances. (25 years) celebration of its establishment in 1995.
• Driving without license- will now charge Rs 44. “Operation Number Plate” Launched by RPF – Railway
5000 in place of Rs. 500. Protection Force (RPF) of Indian Railways launched a Special
• Driving without insurance will be punishable Drive with a Code Name “Operation Number Plate” to
with Rs 2,000 fine. identify and verify all vehicles parked in Railway premises,
• While driving without helmets will attract Rs circulating area, parking and even in the ‘No Parking’ areas
1,000 penalty and three-month suspension of for a longer duration.
licence. 45. Air India became the 1st Indian airline to fly over the North
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46. Centre launches Swachh Nagar app – Swachh Nagar app • Article 35A, which was incorporated in the
was launched by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Constitution by a 1954 Presidential Order, gives
Ministry. special rights and privileges to the citizens of
• An app that will allow users to have waste — Jammu and Kashmir.
solid, wet or construction and demolition How does this change the current situation in Jammu and
(C&D) — collected by their urban local bodies Kashmir?
along with a new protocol on wastewater • Any citizen of the country will be able to buy property
treatment that would become a part of in Jammu and Kashmir.
cleanliness rankings of cities. • J&K will no longer have a separate flag.
47. BIS to set up Pashmina testing centre in Leh – Bureau of • J&K will no longer have dual citizenship.
Indian Standards (BIS) in collaboration with Ladakh • J&K will no longer be a separate state but a union
Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) will work territory with assembly.
together to promote the pashmina products at the high- • Ladakh is declared a separate union territory (UT).
level market for the proper value of this fine product of • The term of the Legislative Assembly will be 5 years
pashmina (Lena-Ladakhi). instead of 6 years.
• Ladakh region and parts of Himachal and
• The special status of Jammu and Kashmir is scrapped
Kashmir have world-class Pashmina
• Laws like RTI and CAG will also apply here.
production.
• Now, any citizen of the country can get a job in Jammu
48. 1st Central Institute of Chemical Engineering & Technology
and Kashmir.
to be set up in Gujarat – India’s first Central Institute of
• After the removal of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir
Chemical Engineering and Technology (CICET) will be set up
do not get any exclusive rights.
in Gujarat to give boost to the chemical industry.
• It will come up either at Ahmedabad or Surat.
51. India contributed 5 million USD to the UN Palestine refugee
• It was announced by Union Minister of State
agency and called for ensuring sustained financial support
(MoS) for Chemical and Fertilizers Sadananda
for the organisation’s work.
Gowda.
• The amount was hand over to the United
49. KABIL set up to ensure supply of critical Minerals to Indian
Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for
market – A joint venture company Khanij Bidesh India
Palestinian Refugees.
limited has been set up with the participation of 3 Central
• The headquarter of UNRWA is in Amman,
Public Sector Enterprises. These CPSEs are National
Jordan.
Aluminium Company Limited, Hindustan Copper Limited
52. NITI Aayog to launch the 4th Edition of WTI Awards – The
and Mineral Exploration Company limited.
NITI Aayog will launch the 4th Edition of Women
Transforming India (WTI) Awards. The WTI Awards is being
50. Art – 370 and Art -35-A revoked from J&K by GOI – The
organized in collaboration with the United Nations to
Union government has revoked Article 370 of the Indian
recognize women entrepreneurs from across India.
Constitution, which grants special status to the state of
• This year’s theme is ‘Women and
Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) in the Union of India.
Entrepreneurship’, in continuation of the
Key points –
theme for WTI Awards 2018. WhatsApp has
• It has decided that Jammu and Kashmir would
collaborated with NITI Aayog for WTI Awards
be turned into a Union Territory with a
2019 and will be providing support amounting
legislature, and the Ladakh division would be
to US$100,000 to the award winners.
made a separate Union Territory (without
53. Environment minister Prakash Javadekar launches website
legislature).
for COP14 – Union Environment minister launched a
What is Article 370 & 35A?
website ‘unccdcop14india.gov.in, which contains all the
• Article 370 of the Constitution grants special
information related to COP14 .
status to Jammu and Kashmir, while Article 35A
Note: The 14th Session of the Conference of the Parties to
empowers the state legislature to define the
the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
state’s “permanent residents” and their special
(COP14), will take place on 2-13 September 2019 at Greater
rights and privileges.
Noida, India.

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54. President Kovind inaugurates exhibitions on M. Gandhi platform was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in
and Khadi in Gambia – President Ram Nath Kovind New Delhi.
inaugurated exhibitions on Mahatma Gandhi and Khadi at • The scheme has been launched by the government
the “Ebunjan Theatre” in the Gambia to commemorate the to monitor the grievances in government schemes
150th birth anniversary of the Mahatma Gandhi. and projects.
55. Lalit Kala Akademi celebrates 65th Foundation Day – Lalit • It is an innovative project in e-governance initiative
Kala Akademi celebrated its 65th Foundation Day on August and good governance.
5th, 2019. • It uniquely bundles 3 latest technologies– (1) Digital
• The event was inaugurated by Culture and data management, (2) Video-conferencing and (3)
Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel. Geo-spatial technology.
• Uttam Pacharne is the Chairman of Lalit Kala • 3-Tier System: Platform offers unique combination
Akademi. in Cooperative Federalism as it brings Prime
56. 30th Interaction through PRAGATI Platform Chaired By Minister Office (PMO), Union Government
Prime Minister Narendra Modi – The 30th Pro-Active Secretaries, and Chief Secretaries of States all on
Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI) one stage.
July

1. Gujarat tops in solar rooftop installations – Gujarat has 4. Vande Bharat Express completes trial run from New Delhi
emerged as the state with the most rooftop solar panels to Katra – The Northern Railway zone of Indian Railway
installed. successfully conducted trial run of Vande Bharat Express,
• According to data tabled in Rajya Sabha, Gujarat known to be India’s fastest train.
has an installed rooftop solar power capacity of • The trial run was conducted from New Delhi to
261.97MW, against 1,700.54MW for all of India. Katra small town in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Gujarat is followed by Maharashtra (198.52MW) • It is also known as Train 18. It can run at a speed of
and Tamil Nadu (151.62MW) in terms of installed 160 -180 km per hour.
rooftop capacity. • It is designed and developed by Chennai-based
2. Govt to Install Solar projects of 40,000 MW by 2022 – The Railways Production unit Integral Coach Factory.
government has set a target for the installation of Rooftop 5. All India Tiger Estimation Report 2018 released – As per
Solar projects of 40,000 MegaWatt by 2022 in the country. the All India Tiger Estimation Report 2018 India has 2,967
• The projects include installation of solar panels on tigers, a third more than in 2014.
the rooftop of houses. It is estimated that 1.5 • The Tiger census made public on occasion of Global
million units per MegaWatt per year are generated Tiger Day (29 July) by Prime Minister Narendra
from solar rooftop plants. Modi.
3. Reliance become highest-ranked Indian firm on Fortune • Top 5 Performing States: Madhya Pradesh saw
Global 500 list – Reliance Industries has jumped 42 places highest number at 526, followed by Karnataka
to become the highest-ranking Indian firm on the Fortune (524), Uttarakhand (442), Maharashtra (312) and
Global 500 list. Tamil Nadu (264).
• Reliance Industries (RIL) ranked at 106 spots. • States that saw Decline in Tiger Population:
• IOC ranked at (117). Chhattisgarh and Mizoram. While all other States
• ONGC has moved up 37 places to 160th rank on the saw a Positive increase.
global list, while SBI lost 20 places to 236th rank. • Highest Number of Tigers: found in Pench Tiger
Tata Motors slipped 33 places to 265th position. Reserve in Madhya Pradesh.
BPCL rose 39 places to rank 275th spot, while • Maximum Improvement in Tiger Population since
Rajesh Exports slipped 90 places to rank 495th. 2014: recoded in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in
• Top 3 companies - Walmart of US, Chinese state- Tamil Nadu.
owned oil and gas company Sinopec Group, Dutch 6. India is home to 1,256 species of orchid: survey –
company Royal Dutch Shell was ranked third According to the first comprehensive census of orchids of
followed by China National Petroleum and State India titled ‘Orchids of India: A Pictorial Guide’, India is
Grid. home to 1,256 species of orchid.

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• The census containing photographs of 775 species central government has approved a sum of Rs 206.8 crore
is published recently by the Botanical Survey of for a Central Sector Scheme called ‘Implementation of
India (BSI) was unveiled in early July 2019 Union Agriculture Export Policy’, which aims at double farmers’
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate income by the year 2022.
Change (MoEFCC). 12. India’s first ‘Garbage Cafe’ for Ragpickers – The municipal
• In the light of importance of orchids in floriculture, officials of Chhattisgarh have launched a unique garbage
this publication by BSI, which has photographs of cafe scheme in Ambikapur of Surguja district which has
60% of all species, is 1st authentic inventory and become India’s first ‘Garbage Cafe’ for Ragpickers.
thus will be useful for researchers, growers, nature • The ragpickers and the homeless will collect plastic
lovers and people with different backgrounds. waste, and in return, the municipal corporation will
7. Amit Shah to chair panel on sexual harassment at offer them food. The fund allocated for this scheme
workplace – On July 24, 2019, the Union Government has is Rs. 5.5 lakh.
reconstituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) to examine
frameworks for dealing with matters of sexual harassment 13. Under Bharat Net, more than 1.28 Lakh Gram Panchayats
of women at the workplace with Home Minister Amit Shah. linked with optical fibre
• The other members of the new panel include • Union Panchayat Raj Minister Narendra Singh
Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Tomar informed that under Bharat Net
Irani and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and programme, more than 1.28 Lakh Gram Panchayats
Human Resource Development Minister, Ramesh were linked with optical fibre.
Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’. • The programme has uploaded the photographic
8. E-postal ballot registered 60.14% turnout in 2019 Lok evidence of the works taken up by them and
Sabha elections - Using the Electronically Transmitted assistance given to beneficiaries.
Postal Ballot System (ETPBS), out of the 18,02,646 service About Bharat Net Programme:
electors, 10,84,266 e-postal ballots were received indicating • It is also known as Bharat Broadband Network
60.14% turnout in Lok Sabha elections 2019. Only 4% was Limited.
registered in 2014. • It is a telecom infrastructure provider, set up by the
9. IEA praised PMUY for providing free cooking gas Government of India under the Department of
connection to poor - The International Energy Agency (IEA) Telecommunications for the establishment,
Executive Director Fatih Biro praised Pradhan Mantri management, and operation of the National Optic
Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) for providing free cooking gas Fibre Network to provide a minimum of 100 Mbit/s
connection to poor. broadband connectivity to all 250,000 Gram
Note: Panchayats in the country, to improve
• The International Energy Agency (IAE) is a Paris- telecommunications in India and reach the
based autonomous intergovernmental campaign goal of Digital India.
organization. 14. Cabinet approves to 2,880MW hydel project in Dibang –
PMUY: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affair gave the
• It was launched by the Prime Minister Narendra approval to the 2,880 megawatts Dibang hydropower
Modi on May 1, 2016, in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. project in Arunachal Pradesh, approving a Rs 1,600 crore
• It aims to safeguard the health of women and pre-investment and clearance expenditure for the Rs
children by providing free cooking gas- Liquefied 28,080.35 crore strategic project.
Petroleum Gas (LPG) connection to poor families. • The Dibang river is a tributary river of the
Brahmaputra that originated and flows through the
10. Amit Shah will head ministerial panel on Air India sale - On Mishmi Hills & northeast India from the state of
July 18, 2019, Union Government reconstituted the Group Arunachal Pradesh.
of Ministers (GoM) called the Air India Specific Alternative 15. Infosys launches Cyber Defence Center in Romania –
Mechanism (AISAM) on Air India disinvestment. The group Infosys announced the launch of its state-of-the-art Cyber
is headed by Home minister Amit Shah. Defence Center in Bucharest, Romania.
11. Central Govt approves Rs 206.8 crore for Implementation
of Agriculture Export Policy Scheme - On July 18, 2019, the

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• The Defence Center is an expansion of services • The Atal Community Innovation Centre initiative
delivered through the Infosys Digital Innovation has been launched under Atal Innovation Mission
Center. (AIM), a flagship initiative of NITI Aayog.
• The Romanian leu is the currency of Romania. • NITI Aayog is tasked upon to open innovation
• Bucharest is the capital of Romania. Centres in all Gram Panchayats of country to
16. Panel to prevent extinction of Great Indian Bustard and promote local innovation.
the Lesser Florican – The Supreme Court of India has 21. 5,645 electric buses sanctioned for 65 cities: NITI Aayog
constituted a high powered committee to urgently frame • According to NITI (National Institution for
and implement an emergency response plan for the Transforming India) Aayog an Inter-Ministerial
protection of two Indian birds- Great Indian Bustard and the Panel has sanctioned 5645 electric buses for
Lesser Florican. operations in 65 cities and for inter-city operations
• The 3 member panel constitutes Dr Deepak Apte, to 8 state transport undertakings.
Dr Asad R Rahmani and Dr Dhananjai Mohan. • The announcement in this regard was made by NITI
17. All lanes at toll plazas to be ‘FASTag lanes’ from 1st Dec – Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant.
Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) • The move will give huge impetus to automobile
has decided to declare all lanes in all toll fee plazas on sector, clean up cities & drive Make in India
National Highways across country as dedicated ‘FASTag intiative.
lanes‘ from 1 December 2019. • Niti Aayog has also proposed that all two-wheelers
FASTag below capacity of 150cc sold in country after March
• It is an electronic toll connection device which is 31, 2025, should be electric only while three-
installed in vehicle (mostly attached to windscreen) wheelers sold in country after March 31, 2023
to help drivers to drive through toll plazas without should be electric ones.
having to stop. 22. Phase-II DBT in fertilizer subsidy launched – Union Minister
• FASTag uses radio frequency identification (RFID) for Chemicals and Fertilizers D.V. Sadananda Gowda has
technology to enable direct toll payments while launched the Phase-II of the Direct Benefit Transfer of
vehicle is moving. The toll fare is deducted directly Fertilizer Subsidy.
from prepaid of saving bank account linked to • DBT in fertilizer subsidy is a step in the direction of
FASTag. bringing ease of living in the lives of farmers
18. Iwai Ship Carrying Bhutanese Cargo flagged off from through use of modern technology and plugging
Assam to Bangladesh - In a first ever movement of its kind, leakages, pilferages and black marketing.
IWAI (Inland Waterways Authority of India) ship carrying 23. Agri-Business Incubation Centre set up in Chhattisgarh –
Bhutanese cargo was flagged off from Dhubri in Assam to Union Agriculture Ministry has set up an Agri Business
Narayanganj in Bangladesh over Brahmaputra River and the Incubation Centre in Chhattisgarh.
Indo Bangladesh Protocol Route. • The centre has been set up by Agriculture Ministry
• This is for the 1st time ever, an Indian waterway is in Indira Gandhi Agriculture University of Raipur,
being used for transport of cargo between two Chhattisgarh.
countries, using India for transit. Note:
• Agri Business Incubation Centre is set up under
19. National Data Quality Forum: launched by ICMR – Indian National Agriculture Development Scheme-
Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR’s) National Institute for RAFTAAR (Remunerative Approaches for
Medical Statistics have launched National Data Quality Agriculture and Allied sector Rejuvenation).
Forum (NDQF) to improve quality of health and • It is established to focus on innovations, skill
demographic data in India. building and entrepreneurs development in
20. Atal Community Innovation Centre launched in New Delhi agriculture and allied sectors.
– Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra 24. Defence minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Mozambique –
Pradhan launched Atal Community Innovation Centre in Defence Minister of India Rajnath Singh visited
New Delhi. It aims to encourage spirit of innovation at Mozambique from july 28-30 2019.This is the first official
community level. visit of Rajnath Singh as a Defence Minister to the African
Note:

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country as well as it is the first time ever a defence minister • KGS-1 (220 MW) in an indigenous Pressurised
of India has visited Mozambique. Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) fuelled by domestic
• Mozambique Capital- Maputo fuel which started commercial operation on
• Mozambique Currency- Metical November 16, 2000.
25. DD News received “Champions of Empathy Award” for 31. 7th Economic Census begins from Tripura –The
spreading awareness about hepatitis – DD News Government of India begins the 7th Economic Census from
(Doordarshan), has been awarded with “Champions of Tripura. Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Empathy Award” for spreading awareness about hepatitis. Implementation (MoSPI) will conduct the census. It will be
• Mayank Agrawal, Director General of DD News has conducted after a gap of 5 years.
received the Award from Lok Sabha Speaker Om • The fieldwork is expected to be completed by
Birla. December and the results at the national level is
expected to be available by March 2020
26. World Tiger Day 2019 observed on July 29 – Prime Minister Previous Economic Censuses
Narendra Modi released the results of the 4th cycle of All • Six Economic Censuses, (EC) have been conducted
India Tiger Estimation 2018, at Lok Kalyan Marg in New by the Union Ministry of Statistics and Program
Delhi. Implementation. till date.
• According to the Survey, the count of tigers in India • The first Economic Census was undertaken in 1977.
rose to 2967 in 2018. India has achieved its 2022 • The Second EC was carried out in 1980 followed by
target of doubling tiger population four years the Third EC in 1990.
before the deadline. • The fourth edition took place in 1998 while the fifth
27. India becomes second- growing gas market fastest– India EC was held in 2005.
has become the second-fastest growing natural gas market • The Sixth edition of Economic Census was
globally with $30 billion for production, import and conducted in 2013.
distribution infrastructure. 32. Cabinet approves merger of NIMH with ICMR-NIOH –
• China is the fastest growing natural gas market. Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
28. “Operation Thirst” launched by RPF – RPF launched has approved to dissolve National Institute of Miners’
“Operation Thirst” to crack down selling of unauthorised Health (NIMH), an autonomous Institute under Union
Packaged Drinking Water in the railway premises. Ministry of Mines (MoM) and merge it with ICMR-NIOH
29. 12 Indian beaches in the race to crest the ‘Blue Flag’ (Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of
challenge – The Union Environment Ministry has selected Occupational Health), Ahmedabad, under Union Ministry of
12 beaches in India to vie for a ‘Blue Flag’ certification, an Health & Family Welfare (MoH&FW) with all assets and
international recognition conferred on beaches that meet liabilities.
certain criteria of cleanliness and environmental propriety. 33. Government waives duty on products imported for
• These beaches are at Shivrajpur (Gujarat), Bhogave nuclear plants – The government has waived off basic
(Maharashtra), Ghoghla (Diu), Miramar (Goa), customs duty (BCD) on products imported for nuclear
Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka), Kappad plants.
(Kerala), Eden (Puducherry), Mahabalipuram (Tamil • “All goods for use in generation of nuclear power”
Nadu), Rushikonda (Andhra Pradesh), Golden and “all forms of uranium ores and concentrates
(Odisha), and Radhanagar (Andaman & Nicobar for generation of nuclear power” will now have to
Islands). pay no basic customs duty.
• The Blue Flag Programme for beaches and marinas 34. Scientists from IIT Hyderabad developed an eco-friendly
is run by the international, non-governmental, non- solar cell using kumkum dye- DSSC – Scientists from the
profit organisation FEE (the Foundation for Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad developed
Environmental Education). low-cost, environment-friendly solar cells named Dye-
30. Kaiga Atomic Energy station sets a World record – Kaiga sensitised solar cell (DSSC) by employing an off-the-shelf
Atomic Energy station (Karnataka) sets a World Record in dye used to make kumkum or vermilion.
continuous operation of 962 days by Unit-1 of Kaiga 35. Govt sets 100% Digitization target of all Waqf properties in
Generating Station (KGS-1) among nuclear power plants of 100 days – On July 29,2019, Union Minister of Minority
all technologies. Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi stated that the Centre

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government has set a target to achieve “100% Digitization 40. First printing press heritage gallery opened by Railway’s –
of Waqf properties across country in its 1st 100 days” at The Western Railway General Stores Depot (GSD) has
the National Conference of State and Union Territories become the first in Indian Railways to opened a heritage
Waqf Boards organized by the Central Waqf Council, held in gallery of the printing and allied machines used in the
New Delhi. Western Railway Printing Press since (1948) at Mahalaxmi
• GIS/GPS: Geographic Information System (GIS)/ in Mumbai.
Global Positioning System(GPS) mapping are being 41. Uttarakhand was named among best performing states in
used on a war footing with the help of IIT Roorkee ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ scheme – Uttarakhand has been
and the Aligarh Muslim University to achieve the adjudged as one of the country’s five best performing states
target. under the National Programme Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
• This is the 1st time the Government providing 100 (BBBP) scheme aimed at addressing declining child sex ratio
% funding to develop various educational and and issues of women empowerment.
developmental programs on waqf land under 42. Jaipur walled city now a world heritage site – The walled
Pradhanmantri Jan Vikas Karykram (PMJVK). city of Jaipur, known globally as Pink City, has finally
36. Under Khelo India Scheme Over 2000 sporting talents become a Unesco world heritage site.
identified – A total number of 2437 sporting talents have • It is India’s first planned city founded by Sawai Jai
been identified under the Khelo India Scheme. Sports Singh II in 1727, and is only the second Indian city
Minister Kiren Rijiju informed. to feature on the prestigious list.
• Under the scheme, the government provides • With this, India now has overall 38 World Heritage
financial assistance of about Rs 5,00,000 per sites.
annum for a period of 8 years. Note:
37. Govt to increase coal production to one billion tone by • In 2017, old Ahmedabad was India’s first city to win
2022-23 – The government has plan to increase the total the ‘heritage city’ tag.
production of coal in the country to 1 billion tone by 2022- • In 2018, sites in Mumbai the Victorian and Art Deco
23. Ensembles straddling two heritage precincts of Fort
• Coal minister said that the gap between demand and Marine Drive, were chosen as world heritage
and supply of coal cannot be bridged completely as sites.
there is insufficient domestic availability of coking 43. Unmanned Level Crossings in all Broad-Gauge Network
coal. removed – Union Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal
informed that all Unmanned Level Crossings (ULCs) in all
38. Cabinet approves setting up of NMC – The Union Cabinet Broad-Gauge (BG) Network were removed on January 31,
has approved National Medical Commission Bill, 2019. The 2019.
bill provides for setting up of a National Medical 44. Six Indian metros are hotspots of air pollutant nitrogen
Commission in place of Medical Council of India and repeal oxide: Greenpeace
the Indian Medical Council Act 1956. • An analysis by environmental NGO Greenpeace
• The features of the bill include, the Common final India said that as per satellite data, transport and
year MBBS Exams will be know as National Exit Test industrial clusters are giving rise to the country's
(NEXT) which would serve as Licentiate Exam, for worst Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) hotspots like Delhi,
entrance to Post Graduate medical course and as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and
screening test of foreign medical graduates. Hyderabad which have high vehicular population
39. Culture Minister inaugurates architectural illumination of and diesel consumption.
Safdarjung Tomb – Culture Minister has inaugurated the • Coal consumption and industrial clusters like
architectural illumination of the historic Safdarjung Tomb in Sonbhadra-Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar
New Delhi. Pradesh, Korba in Chattisgarh, Talcher in Odisha,
• A total of 213 technologically advanced LED lights Chandrapur in Maharashtra, Mundra in Gujarat and
have been used to highlight the 17th century Durgapur in West Bengal were equally polluting
monument. The consumption of LED lights is when it comes to NOx emissions.
approximately 62 percent less than conventional • The data was collected between February 2018 and
light fixtures. May 2019.

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45. Coffee Table Book launched to commemorate 50 years of • TSK in Odisha’s Jajpur district is the first and the
partnership with UNWFP – ‘The Coffee Table Book – 50 only Indian manufacturing plant to be included in
years of Partnership for Change’ was launched by Union the WEF’s Lighthouse Network.
Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Narendra 52. PM Modi pays tribute to Shyama Prasad Mukherjee on his
Singh Tomar. birth anniversary – Prime Minister Narendra Modi today
• The book was launched to commemorate five paid tributes to BJP icon and the founder of Bharatiya Jana
decades (50 years) of partnership between Union Sangh, Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee on his birth
Ministry and agency towards addressing food and anniversary.
nutritional security in India. • Dr Mukherjee was born on the 6th of July, 1901 in
UN World Food Programme Kolkata.
• It was founded in 1961. 53. India to get the first e-Vehicle Charging Highway by March
• It was formally established by Food and Agriculture 2020 –
Organization (FAO) and United Nations General • India's first highway corridors with charging
Assembly (UNGA) in 1963. It is headquartered in stations for electric vehicles are expected to come
Rome, Italy. up along the Delhi-Jaipur and Delhi-Agra highways
46. Operation Milap: 333 missing children rescued in 7 months by 2020.
– Under Operation Milap of Delhi Police, Delhi Police Crime 54. Longest electrified railway tunnel in India commissioned –
Branch has rescued 333 missing children from the city and The South Central Railway has commissioned the longest
handed them over to their families in different parts of electrified tunnel of India.
country. • The tunnel which is between Cherlopalli and
47. UIDAI operationalizes 1st Aadhaar Seva Kendra in Delhi Rapuru stations is 6.6 km long, is built at a total
and Vijayawada – The Unique Identification Authority of cost of ₹460 crore.
India (UIDAI) has operationalized 1st ‘Aadhaar Seva Kendra’ • It is situated between Cherlopalli and Rapuru
(ASKs) in Delhi and Vijayawada. Railway stations in Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh.
• The new centres are functioning on a pilot basis About South Central Railway
and have set in motion UIDAI’s ambitious plan to • It is one of the 18 zones of Indian Railways.
set up 114 such centers by the end of 2019. • The jurisdiction of the zone is spread over the states of
48. Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express to be first train operated by Maharashtra, Telangana, and some portions of Madhya
private players – Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express, one of the Pradesh.
most-awaited trains on the route announced in 2016, is set • It has three divisions under its administration, which
to be the first train to be operated by private players. At include Nanded, Secunderabad, Hyderabad.
present, it is parked at the Anandnagar Railway Station in 55. Indian Railways to install CCTV cameras in over 7,000 train
Uttar Pradesh coaches – According to the GoI, the Indian Railways has set
a target to install CCTV cameras in more than 7,000 coaches
49. PM Narendra Modi unveils statue of Lal Bahadur Shastri – of mainline passenger trains by March 2021.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled statue of former 56. Army Chief releases Kargil Tribute Song – Army Chief
PM of India Lal Bahadur Shastri at Varanasi airport on 06th General Bipin Rawat has released a Kargil Tribute Song to
July 2019. honour, salute and pay homage to the Kargil martyrs and
50. India’s first Design Development Centre launched in war veterans.
Gujarat – India’s first Design Development Center • The song has been composed by eminent Hindi
‘Fashionova’ was launched in the Textile city Surat. lyricist Sammer Anjaan and sung by Shatadru Kabir.
• The centre will promote the city in the field of the • The song was released as part of the celebration of
fashion design sector. the 20th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas to be
51. Tata Steel Kalinganagar has been included in World celebrated on 26th of July.
Economic Forum’s Global Lighthouse Network.

June

1. All panchayats to have Broadband Connectivity by March Electronics and Information Technology in a written reply in
2020: Govt – Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister Lok Sabha informed Parliament that all gram panchayats

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will be provided high speed broadband connections under 7. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) chaired
BharatNet project by March 2020. by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended service of
• Phase II of project is under implementation, and a Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha for a further period
total of 2 lakh GPs (gram panchayats) are targeted of three months.
to be completed by March 2020. 8. PM Modi reconstitutes NITI Aayog – Prime Minister
BharatNet Narendra Modi approved the reconstitution of government
• The project seeks to provide affordable last mile of India’s policy think tank NITI Aayog (or National
high speed broadband connectivity to 2.5 lakh Institution for Transforming India).
gram panchayats across the country. • Chairperson– Prime Minister Narendra Modi
• Nodal Ministry: for implementation of project is • Vice-Chairperson– Dr. Rajiv Kumar
Ministry of Communication. • Amitabh Kant gets two-year extension as Niti Aayog
2. India to train 1,000 civil servants of Maldives over next 5 CEO.
years – India’s leading civil services training institution, Note:
National Center for Good Governance (NCGG) signed a • It was established on 1 January 2015 by replacing
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Maldives Civil 65 years legacy of Planning Commission (PC).
Services Commission for capacity building (training) of 1,000 9. India’s Forest cover up by 1%- Environment Minister –
civil servants of Maldives over next five years. Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister for Environment
• This agreement was signed during Prime Minister informed the Lok Sabha that India’s forest cover has
Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Male (Maldives increased by 1% in last one year period and over 24.39% of
capital). India’s geographical area now constitutes of green cover.
3. Five-year vision plan EQUIP finalised and released by HRD 10. Mumbai Metro Railway Corporation to dig 170m long
Ministry – The Department of Higher Education of HRD tunnel under Mumbai's Mithi river –
Ministry has finalized and released a five year vision plan • Mumbai Metro Railway Corporation plans to dig a
named Education Quality Upgradation and Inclusion 170m long tunnel under Mumbai's Mithi river as a
Programme. part of Mumbai's Metro Line 3. This will be India's
4. Japan gifts Manipur a peace museum – Japan gifts Manipur second largest underwater project.
a “Peace Museum” which is built on the memories of one of • The first tunnel was built for the Kolkata metro.
the fiercest battles of the Second World War. 11. India’s first Blockchain District to come up in Hyderabad,
• The inauguration of the Imphal Peace Museum at Telangana – The Telangana government is going to set up
Red Hill, about 20 km southwest of Manipur’s the country’s first ‘Blockchain district’ to create an
capital Imphal, marked the 75th anniversary of the ecosystem for all the start-ups and institutes working in the
Battle of Imphal. space.
5. 35000 km of highways to be built by 2022 under • The State signed an agreement with Tech Mahindra
Bharatmala – last year to set up the Blockchain district.
• Under the 'Bharatmala Project', construction or • It proposed 25 per cent subsidy on lease rentals up
upgradation of about 35,000 kilometres of national to ₹5 lakh per annum for the first 3 years of
highways is to be undertaken by 2022. operations.
6. Statue of Unity enters prestigious 2019 World Architecture 12. National Film Heritage Mission Project reviewed by
News Awards – World’s tallest idol Statue of Unity has Prakash Javadekar - Minister of Information and
entered prestigious World Architecture News Awards 2019 Broadcasting (I&B) Forest and Climate Change, Prakash
in the mixed-use category. Javadekar reviewed the National Film Heritage Mission
• The statue is surrounded by Narmada river. (NFHM) during a visit to the National Film Archive of India
• The Statue of Unity is built in dedication to Iron (NFAI), Pune, Maharashtra.
Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who served as the 13. The United States (US) Secretary of State, Michael R.
first home minister of independent India. Pompeo visited India on 25-27 June 2019.
• The height of Statue of Unity is 182 metre. 14. Aparna Kumar becomes the first civil servant & IPS Officer
• The Statue of Unity was built by Padma Bhushan to conquer the ‘Seven Summits’ challenge - Uttar Pradesh
recipient sculptor Ram V Sutar. cadre IPS officer and DIG (Deputy Inspector General of
Police) in Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Aparna Kumar

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has scaled Mount Denali (the highest peak in Northern Technology Management Agencies (ATMA) at the
America stands at 20,310 feet) in Alaska, USA (United States district level in the country for dissemination of
of America). technologies among the farming community.
• She is the first civil servant and IPS (Indian Police 18. Government schools to introduce Self Defence Training for
Service) officer to achieve the feat of completing ‘7 girls under Samagra Shiksha - Integrated Scheme for School
Summits’ challenge. Education ‘Samagra Shiksha’ was launched by the
15. GST day - July 1 celebrated as Goods and Services Tax day. Department of School Education and Literacy which comes
• New GST return system: Sahaj and Sugam returns under the Ministry of Human Resource Development,
for small taxpayers are proposed by the Finance effective from the academic year 2018-19. The activity of
ministry. Self Defence training for girls comes under Samagra
• The Central or State Government which sanctions Shiksha.
refund disburses all four major heads of refunds 19. National Freight Index (NFI) - In order to bring transparency
namely CGST, SGST, IGST, and Cess. in the road-freight marketplace, an Indian technology
• Threshold limit for goods: Threshold Limit of Rs 40 company based in Gurgaon, Rivigo which owns 3,000 trucks
Lacs is offered of suppliers of goods as per the 5,000 drivers launched the National Freight Index (NFI)
choice of States. which will provide unrestricted access of live freight rates
• Composition Scheme for Services: Composition for different lanes and vehicles across the country. Logistics
Scheme for small service providers up to annual account for nearly 14% of India’s GDP.
turnover of Rs 50 lacs with a tax rate of 6%. 20. Govt. reduces the rate of ESI Contribution from 6.5% to 4%
• E-invoicing system: Electronic invoicing system in a - The government has reduced the total rate of contribution
phase-wise manner for B2B (Business to Business) made by workers and employers towards the Employees’
transactions is proposed to be introduced. State Insurance (ESI) scheme from 6.5% to 4% for the first
• GSTAT: GST Appellate Tribunals are being time in over two decades.
established at various State Headquarters and area • At present, nearly 4.75% of a worker’s monthly
benches also. salary goes towards ESI as the employer’s
16. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union finance & Corporate Affairs contribution and 1.75% of the income is the
minister, among ‘100 Most Influential in UK-India employee’s share at present.
Relations: Celebrating Women’ list - On June 24, 2019, To 21. Delhi metro becomes India’s 1st Project to receive power
mark ‘India Day’ in the Houses of Parliament in London, from waste-to-energy – The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation
United Kingdom (UK), Sajid Javid, Home Secretary of UK, (DMRC) has become the first ever project in the country to
released the ‘100 most Influential in UK-India Relations: receive power generated from a waste-to-energy plant.
Celebrating Women’ list. • It has started receiving 2 MW power from a 12 MW
• Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister of India, capacity waste-to-energy plant set up in Ghazipur.
Nirmala Sitharaman, was one among the 100 most 22. Centre sets target to provide Clean Drinking Water to all
influential women driving the UK-India relationship by 2024 – Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
forward. said that the Central government has set a target of
17. Central Government move to set up Krishi Vigyan Kendras providing clean drinking water to all by 2024.
to double farmers’ income by 2022 – The Minister of • It includes increasing coverage of piped water to
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar households from current 18 to 100% by 2024.
announced that central Government has decided to use • In states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal,
digital technology in rural India to double farmers’ income Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha, the coverage
by the year 2022. of clean drinking water is less than five percent.
• For this, the Government has set up 713 Krishi • It is only in Sikkim that 99% of households get
Vigyan Kendras (KVK) and 684 Agricultural tapped water.

State Affairs

December

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1. Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has inaugurated the technologies and products relating to the food industry
Multi-Media Exhibition at World War II museum in which people are not aware of, and the show will serve as
Kisama. the bridge to connect with one another. It will also be an
Note: For the first time in the history of Hornbill festival, opportunity for these majors to source products not
Bureau of Outreach & Communication, Ministry of available anywhere else and to introduce their products
Information & Broadcasting is organising a Multi-Media to the region
Exhibition commemorating the 150th Birth Anniversary of 5. Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has inaugurated
Mahatma Gandhi. Avantee mega Food Park in Dewas. Madhya Pradesh.
2. A three-day Bharatnatyam dance festival with live Note: This first food park of central India is spread over
Carnatic music ensemble held at Chhayanaut auditorium, 51 acres and has been constructed at a cost of about 150
Rongarpon. crore rupees. About 5 thousand local people will get
Note: It has been Organized by Kolpotoru, artistes employment from this Mega Food Park. Processing of
Shudha Srimoyee Das, Shammy Akter and Zuairiyah Mouli soyabean, gram, wheat and other grains and vegetables
will be presenting their solo recitals respectively on will be done in the park. Warehouses will also be opened
December 2, 3 and 4. Musicians are coming all the way in Indore, Ujjain, Dhar and Agar in the next phases.
from Bangalore, India for this festival. These dancers have 6. Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik has launched e-
performed in various dance festivals in Bangladesh, India learning mobile app ‘Madhu’ for school students.
and abroad. Note: It is an e-learning mobile phone application which
3. The Union government and Asian Development Bank will help school students to understand their subjects in a
(ADB) have signed the 206-million-dollar loan agreement better and most efficient way. Through this app, the
to develop water supply and sewerage infrastructure in 5 students will be able to access the video explanation of
cities of Tamil Nadu. the topics they were taught in their classroom. The app is
Note: The project will target four cities namely Ambur, named after ‘Utkal Gourab’ Madhusudan Das, developed
Tiruchirappalli, Tiruppur, Vellore, and Madurai for by Ganjam district administration.
developing sewage collection and treatment and 7. The Startup India Global Venture Capital Summit-2019
drainage systems. It will also strengthen the capacities of (2nd edition) held in Goa.
Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) for improved service Note: The theme for Startup India Global Venture Capital
delivery.The project will improve the lives of the urban Summit 2019 ‘India Opportunity: Investing in tomorrow
people in the State by providing universal access to water together’. The event will be organized by the Department
supply and sanitation. for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), in
4. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has partnership with Government of Goa. The key objectives
inaugurated the first-ever North East Food Show at Polo of the Summit are to show India’s opportunity in the
Grounds, Shillong. sectors of E-Mobility, FinTech, MedTech, Enterprise
Note: The food show will provide a strong platform and Software, EdTech, Genomics and Lifesciences.
network to different stakeholders. There are different

November

1. President Ram Nath Kovind laid the foundation stone to 3. The Centre and Asian Development Bank (ADB) has
the memorial being built in memory of the Paika signed an agreement to extend 91 million US dollar loan
rebellion. to modernize the Vijayanagara Channel Irrigation
Note: A 200-year-old armed revolt in 1817 against the Systems.
British East India Company in Odisha. The proposed Note: It prepares river basin management plans in the
project will come up at the foothills of Barunei hills in Krishna river basin. It will help improve irrigation water
Khurda district, Odisha use efficiency and contribute to improving sustainable
2. The Assam Govt. has released the new Land Policy 2019. water security in Karnataka. The investment programme
Note: The Land Policy has been prepared by the Revenue will help Karnataka’s water agencies better draw up and
and Disaster Management Department after 30 years. roll out effective river basin management plans.
(last prepared in 1989). According to Mr. Sonowal, the 4. A three-day Global Buddhist Congregation has begun at
state government has given a lot of emphasis in preparing Nagsenvan in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
the Policy to safeguard the interest of the indigenous Note: Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama has delivered
people. two lectures in the Congregation. Buddhist monks and

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followers of the religion from across the globe arrived will be given through a budgetary provision and 2,145
here to attend this Congregation crores under the State Disaster Response Fund. Farmers
5. Jitendra Singh inaugurates ‘Destination North East’ will get assistance in the range of 4,000 rupees to 13,000
Festival in Varanasi. rupees
Note: All 8 North-East states have been presented at the 11. The Madhya Pradesh Govt has announced that sports
event along with their handicrafts, handloom, organic persons of the state will get 5% reservation in
products and cultural troupes. The visitors will have live government jobs.
experiences of the artisans and artists from the NE states Note: The Minister also announced that children from all
working on their looms and crafts, performing their songs CBSE, government and private schools would be involved
and dances in the open stage during the day. in the Under 16 state-level Olympics. At present, the
6. The Assam Government will start Arundhati gold scheme competition is being organized for children above 16
by January 2020 for the registered newly married years of age. It includes 10 sports (hockey, basketball,
couples. football, volleyball, kabaddi, kho-kho, athletics, wrestling,
Note: Under the scheme, an amount of 30 thousand badminton and table tennis).
rupees will be given to the bride to purchase gold. 12. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has inaugurated
According to Assam Finance minister Himanta Biswa the 8th National Tribal Craft Mela at State Tribal
Sarma, the scheme is aimed to promote marriage Museum Complex in Bhubaneswar.
registrations and prevent under-age marriages in the Note: As a part of Odisha Government’s ‘5Ts’ initiative,
state. The annual income of the bride and her father 45 Supplementary Readers prepared in 21 Tribal
should not be more than 5 lakh rupees per year to get languages were released simultaneously by CM Patnaik.
the benefit. The objective of the National Tribal Craft Mela is to
7. The Kerala Government has decided to ban the preserve, promote and popularize traditional tribal art
manufacture, sale and storage of one-time-use plastic and crafts.
items from 1st of January 2019. 13. Uttar Pradesh, Etawah Lion Safari opened for public
Note: Plastic carry bags, plastic sheets, cooling films, without the lion segment.
plastic plates, cups, thermocol and Styrofoam-based Note: The Safari has been inaugurated by the Uttar
items and others will be covered under the ban. A fine of Pradesh Forest Minister Dara Singh Chauhan. It is spread
10,000 rupees will be slapped on manufacturers, in 350 hectares of land and has been developed as an
wholesalers and small traders who defy the ban. If the educative tourist destination for children as well as
ban is violated for the second time, the fine will be youths.It is one of the biggest safari parks in Asia, spread
25,000 rupees. over an area of 350 hectares (860 acres).
8. Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has inaugurated 14. The Uttar Pradesh government will set up state's first
the week-long Manipur Sangai Festival 2019 at Hapta vulture conservation and breeding centre in farenda
Kangjeibung, Imphal. area of Maharajganj district.
Note: During the festival, cultural programmes, Note: The new centre will be set up on the lines of Jatayu
traditional games, folk dance and classical music will be Conservation Centre at Pinjore in Haryana (first in the
performed by different communities of the State as well country). It would be set up in association with Bombay
as from other States. The festival will conclude on the Natural History Society, a wildlife research organization.
30th of this month. 15. The Chhattisgarh state is set to have Guru Ghasidas
9. Uttar Pradesh Health & Family Welfare Minister Jai National Park in Kotiya district as its fourth ‘tiger
Pratap Singh has launched a massive immunisation reserve’.
campaign against the filariasis or Filaria. Note: At present there are three tiger reserves in state:
Note: Under this campaign, more than 65 thousand ➢ Achanakmar Tiger Reserve in Bilaspur.
teams of health workers will distribute medicines to ➢ Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve in Gariaband,
around 6.5 crore people till 10 December. This year, ➢ Indravati Tiger Reserve in Bijapur district.
state’s 19 districts have been divided in double drug and 16. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved the
triple-drug categories in which they will be provided DEC 2nd tranche of USD 150 million for West Bengal.
tablet, Albendazole and ivermectin. Note: The board of ADB approved a loan of USD 300
10. Gujarat Govt. has announced a relief package 3,795 crore million to continue a comprehensive series of fiscal
rupees for farmers who suffered crop loss due to reforms in West Bengal to revive the financial health of
unseasonal rains. public sector enterprises.
Note: The relief package will help more than 56 lakh 17. Assam Government has prohibited manufacture and sale
farmers across the state. According to Deputy Chief of gutkha, pan masala or any others chewing material in
Minister Nitin Patel, total package (1,641 crore rupees) the state.

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Note: According to Food Safety commissioner, terminal at Bhavnagar port. Proposed CNG terminal will
manufacture, storage, sale, display and transportation of have an annual capacity of 1.5 metric tonnes.
any products containing tobacco or nicotine are banned 26. As per Maharashtra Governor’s Bhagat Singh Koshyari
in the state for one year. recommendation, President Ram Nath Kovind signed a
18. Shipping Ministry gave approval for the development of proclamation imposing President’s rule in Maharashtra.
Loktak Inland Waterways improvement project in Note: The state legislative assembly has been kept under
Manipur. suspended animation. In India, the president's rule is the
Note: The estimated cost of the project is over 25 crore suspension of state government and imposition of direct
rupees. The Loktak Lake is the largest fresh-water lake in central government rule in a state.
Northeast located at Moirang in Manipur. 27. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has launched an
19. According to the Election Commission, Jharkhand online registration portal to facilitate setting up of new
assembly polls will be held in five phases between 30th MSME units.
November to 20 December. Note: Mr. Rupani approved the first online application
Note: As per the Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, through the portal and issued a certificate through an e-
the polls to 81-member assembly will be held on mail to a woman entrepreneur.
November 30, December 7, 12, 16 and 20. The counting 28. The Supreme Court upheld the disqualification of
of votes will take place on 23rd December. Jharkhand was Congress-JD (S) MLA who had resigned this year 17
formed in the year 2000 by dividing Bihar into two-state. MLAs.
20. The National Tribal festival (15-day Aadi Mahotsav) held Note: Now, the Supreme Court allowed them to contest
in New Delhi. the election. The speaker of legislative assembly Ramesh
Note: The theme of the festival is a celebration of the Kumar had disqualified 17 rebel MLAs before the
spirit of tribal culture, craft, cuisine and commerce. confidence motion of the HD Kumaraswamy government
21. The French Development Agency (AFD) and Assam govt. in the assembly. Kumaraswamy's government resigned
have signed an agreement for supporting Phase II of after failing to get a trust vote in the assembly.
Assam Project for Forest and Biodiversity Conservation 29. The Haryana government has decided to bring more
(APFBC). crops under its ‘Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojna (BBY)’
Note: The total budget for the second phase is Rs 500 scheme.
crore. The project was launched in response to the Note: The decision was taken at a BBY’s review meeting
threats posed by deforestation, poaching and over- which was presided by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar
dependence of local communities on forest resources. Lal Khattar. Under BBY scheme, farmers get compensated
22. The Indian Railways has installed two ‘Health ATMs’ at for selling their crop at a price lower than that fixed by
the Charbagh railway station in Lucknow. the government
Note: The kiosks, promoted by YOLO Health ATM, 30. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh visited Arunachal
provide 16 health check-ups for Rs 50-100. There are two Pradesh to attend the Maitree Diwas celebrations (11th
types of check-ups a 9-minute one that costs Rs 100, and edition) at Tawang.
a 6-minute one that costs Rs 50. Note: Maitree Diwas (Civil-Military Friendship) will be
23. Sanskrit lovers from 17th countries are attended the celebrated for two days at Gyalwa Tsangyang Gyatso High
three-day mega event in New Delhi. Altitude Stadium Tawang. Mr. Rajnath Singh will also
Note: According to Minister of State for External Affairs inaugurate Sisseri River Bridge and National Highway-52
V.Muraleedharan, Sanskrit continues to be prevalent in in East Siang District.
the society as it is used by the people across the country. 31. Haryana Government has constituted an Economic
24. Cyclone Bulbul claims at least ten lives and affected 2.73 Advisory Council (EAC) for five years to promote
lakh families as it hit the coastal districts of West Bengal. industries in the state.
Note: The cyclone has also damaged hundreds of houses. Note: The Economic Advisory Council will comprise
Nearly two lakh people have been moved to relief camps membership-based advisory panel and will be headed by
set up in nine places of the state. Hundreds of uprooted the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. This council
trees have blocked thoroughfares in Kolkata and its fringe would be constituted for 5 years, in which the
areas. government members would remain as permanent
25. Gujarat Govt. has given approval to the world’s first CNG members of the council, while the members of the
terminal at Bhavnagar port. private sector would serve a term of 2 years.
Note: The joint venture of United Kingdom-based 32. The Uttar Pradesh government has launched a dedicated
Foresight Group and Mumbai-based Padmanabh Mafatlal web portal and a mobile application for sugarcane
Group will invest 1,900 crore rupees to set up a CNG farmers of the state -- e-Ganna App.

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Note: The web portal and e-Ganna App will help in Replicable Practices and Innovations in Gujarat. The
eradicating cane mafia and middleman and strengthen objective of the SAANS campaign to reduce child
cane development societies. The portal and the App will mortality due to pneumonia, which contributes to around
ensure transparency in the process of getting slips and 15% of deaths annually of children under the age of five.
facilitate sugarcane supply by farmers to mills and check 39. Union Minister for Rural Development Narendra Singh
irregularities. Tomar has inaugurated the SARAS India International
33. The Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Trade Fair in New Delhi.
Rights has launched a mobile app ‘Sishu Suraksha App’. Note: More than seven crore women have joined Self-
Note: The purpose of the app is to empower citizens to Help Groups so far and the Ministry is making all efforts
take moral responsibility for protecting future to take this number to 10 crores.
generations. The app can be used by anyone in the state 40. The Government of India and the Asian Development
to lodge a complaint which will be directly registered at Bank (ADB) has signed a loan amount USD 91 million
Commission. under Karnataka Integrated and Sustainable Water
34. Andhra Pradesh has launched the ‘Nadu-Nedu’ scheme Resources Management Investment Program (IWRM).
to introduce English medium from classes 1 to 6th. Note: The project will help to modernize the Vijayanagara
Note: The Union government also planning to introduce Channel irrigation systems, prepare river basin
another scheme called ‘Amma Vodi’ in January 2020 to management plans in the Krishna river basin that will
give incentives to others who send their children to help improve irrigation water use efficiency and
school and continue their education till class 12. In the contribute to improving sustainable water security in
first phase, the ‘Nadu-Nedu’ programme will be Karnataka.
implemented in 15,715 schools. It will cover all schools in 41. India's biggest cinematic event, the 50th International
three years under a budget of Rs 12,000 crores. Film Festival of India (IFFI) has begun in Panaji, Goa.
35. Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa has Note: Rajinikanth has been conferred with the Special
inaugurated the Bengaluru Tech Summit at Bengaluru Icon of Golden Jubilee award for his outstanding
Place. contribution to Indian cinema. French actor Isabelle
Note: More than 3500 delegates, 12,000 visitors and 200 Huppert honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
speakers are participating in this Summit. 250 Exhibitors Russia is the partner country of the IFFI 2019.
will showcase their services, products, and technologies 42. Directorate of School Education (DSEJ), Jammu has
to visitors. The summit is expected to be attended by launched a special enrollment drive under the banner
global tech leaders, investors, industry captains, research 'Aao School Chalein' for increasing the enrollment in
heads, policymakers and startups from India and 20 government schools.
foreign countries. Note: As per the Directorate of School Education, the
36. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has inaugurated North special enrollment drive would be conducted across all
India's first sugar mill in Gorakhpur (Pipraich area). the villages and catchment areas of the government
Note: North India's first sugar mill will produce ethanol schools, under the supervision of chief education officers
direct from sugarcane.Ethanol is naturally produced by of all the districts of Jammu Division. The prime focus of
the fermentation of sugars by yeasts or via petrochemical the drive is on the strengthening of pre-schooling of
processes and is commonly consumed as a popular children in the age group of 3 to 5 years.
recreational drug. 43. Assam Govt. has approved Arundhati scheme to provide
37. The two tea varieties of Darjeeling (green tea and white 1 Tola Gold to Brides free of cost.
tea) have been registered as a geographical indication Note: This scheme to give 1 tola Gold (11.66 grams) to
(GI) products in the country. brides parents belonging to the economically weaker
Note: These two varieties of Darjeeling tea have been sections of the society, whose annual income is below Rs
registered under Geographical Indications of Goods 5 lakh. The objective of the scheme to reduce child
(Registration and Protection) Act 1999 (effective from marriage under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act that
October 2019). This will “strengthen the protection of the a girl in India can’t get married before the age of 18 and a
intellectual property rights of the Darjeeling tea” which is boy cant get married before 21 years of age
considered as “niche and luxury” products in the country 44. Uttarakhand govt. has launched a project to connect 500
and abroad. secondary schools to virtual classrooms.
38. Union Minister Harsh Vardhan has launched ‘SAANS’ Note: The schools in the state facing a shortage of
campaign to reduce child mortality due to pneumonia in teachers will benefit from the new technology. Virtual
Gujarat. classes are attended through video conferences where
Note: Mr. Vardhan launched the campaign while students can meet the teacher on a real-time basis and
inaugurating the 6th National Summit on Good, ask questions. An estimated 1.90 lakh students of 500

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government-run secondary schools in the state will of investment, employment in the state, education and
benefit from the project skill development and promotion of Haryanvi culture and
45. Haryana Government has decided to create a dedicated welfare of Haryanvi diaspora.
new department namely Department of Foreign 46. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has
Cooperation. inaugurated the newly established Munderwa Sugar Mill
Note: The department has been created in order to in Basti district.
streamline and provide focus to various initiatives taken Note: Munderwa mill will have a capacity of 5000 Tons of
by the state government for the promotion of Cane per Day and generate 27 Mega Watt of power. It
investment, employment for youth and welfare of Non- will be the third inauguration of sugar mills in the state in
Resident Indians.The new department will deal in the just three weeks (Ramala in Baghpat and Pipraich in
formulation of country-wise strategies for the promotion Gorakhpur).

October

1. India’s first e-waste clinic to be set up in Bhopal – The nutrition and development in every
Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Central household.
Pollution Control Board (CPCB) have joined hands to set 5. No govt. jobs in Assam for people with more than
up the country’s first e-waste clinic in Bhopal, Madhya two children:
Pradesh. The State Cabinet of Assam has decided to
• “Electronic waste will be collected door-to- make government jobs out of bounds for people
door or could be deposited directly at the with more than 2 children. The policy will come
clinic in exchange for a fee. into effect from January 1, 2021.
2. PMJAY – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana – The Cabinet also adopted a new land policy
that will make the landless indigenous people
According to data available with the Union Health
eligible for 3 bighas (43,200 sq. ft.) of land for
Ministry, in its first year, the Pradhan Mantri Jan
farming and half a bigha for constructing a
Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), the tertiary care arm of house.
Ayushman Bharat, has funded the treatment of The beneficiary will be able to sell the given
90,000 cancer patients through 1.8 lakh hospital land only after 15 years of use.
admissions. 6. First Robot Chef Restaurant opens in Odisha:
• Tamil Nadu, with 40,056 cases, tops the state Odisha’s smart city Bhubaneswar gets it 1st
where the most cancer patients availed Robo Chef Restaurant in Odisha.
treatment under PMJAY, followed by Kerala The Robot Restaurant opened at the
(22,000), Madhya Pradesh (19,455), Infocity DLF tower of Bhubaneswar claims to be
Chhattisgarh (15,997) and Gujarat (14,380). the first restaurant in Eastern India where two
3. Meghalaya govt. signed agreement with Dalmia indigenously developed robots, ‘Champa’ and
‘Chameli’ are engaged.
Cement to turn plastic waste into Fuel – The
The robots are developed at a Jaipur-based
Meghalaya state government signed an agreement
startup using SLAM technology, and It
with Dalmia Cement a cement company, to make the automatically navigates like humans, follows the
state plastic-free by 2022. routes and instructions.
4. Odisha govt. & UNICEF launched ‘Tikki Mausi’ 7. Madhya Pradesh CM inaugurates “Magnificent Madhya
mascot – The Department of Women & Child Pradesh Conference”:
Development and Mission Shakti, Government of Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Kamal
Odisha, in collaboration with United Nations Nath formally inaugurated the 2-day Magnificent
International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Madhya Pradesh Conference in Indore.
unveiled a mascot named ‘Tikki Mausi’. The event showcasing various opportunities
• Aim - to spread awareness about nutrition of that exist in the state in variegated sectors,
children and women. including food processing, pharmaceuticals,
textile and garment, warehousing and logistics, IT
• The mascot- ‘Tikki Mausi’ aims to change the
&ESDM, urban development and renewable
behaviour of common people and make
energy.
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Chief Minister Kamal Nath also inaugurated 9. Shirui Lily Festival inaugurated in Manipur
the Global Trade Exhibition at the Brilliant • Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for
Convention Centre, Indore. Tourism and Culture Prahlad Singh Patel
8. Tamil Nadu constitutes two panels over water disputes inaugurated Shirui Lily Festival, 2019 at Shirui
with Kerala: Vangayan Ground of Ukhrul in Manipur.
• The Tamil Nadu government constituted two • Mr Patel along with State Chief Minister N. Biren
committees to deal over water disputes with Singh also inaugurated the Strength of Unity
Kerala relating to the Parambikulam-Aliyar Statue as a mark of opening the third edition of
Project (PAP) and the Pandiyar-Punnampuzha the four-day state festival.
project. • This joint efforts of the State Government and
• Secretary of Tamil Nadu’s Public Works Central Government can only promote tourism
Department (PWD) K. Manivasan would lead and culture of a region to the level of people’s
both the committees constituted by the State expectation.
government. Cauvery Technical Committee
chairperson R. Subramanian is also part of both
the panels
September
Intelligence‘ to run pilot projects in
1. J&K becomes first state to issue highest number of Telangana.
golden cards under Ayushman Bharat scheme – Jammu • Telangana was 1st State to sign up with NITI
and Kashmir became the first state in the country to issue Aayog when they prepared ‘AI for All’
the highest number of golden cards under Ayushman document.
Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). • IIT- Khargapur is also coming up with its
• Over 11 lakh golden cards have been regional centre in Hyderabad to train
generated within the first 90 days of the students in AI in partnership with State
launch of the scheme with 60% of families government.
having at least one golden card which is 3. Madhya Pradesh government appointed film star
highest in the country. Govinda as brand ambassador to promote the state’s
About Ayushman Bharat scheme traditions and tourist places.
• The Ayushman Bharat Scheme introduced by 4. Hyderabad-Karnataka Region Renamed ‘Kalyana
the Government of India provides medical Karnataka’ – Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa
coverage of up to ₹ 5 lakh per family per announced that the Hyderabad-Karnataka region has
year. been renamed as ‘Kalyana Karnataka’ and a separate
• The scheme will cover 10 crore vulnerable secretariat would be established for its development.
families, with approximately 50 crore • Hyderabad Karnataka region comprising six
beneficiaries. north-eastern districts of the State — Bidar,
• It was launched on 23rd September 2018 by Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal and
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ballari.
Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi. 5. Dikshi Hydroelectric Project – Arunachal Pradesh Chief
2. Telangana government declares 2020 as Artificial Minister Pema Khandu dedicated the Dikshi Hydroelectric
Intelligence year – The state government of Telangana Project to the people of the state.
has decided to declare 2020 as Year of Artificial • The 24 Mega Watt Hydroelectric Project has
Intelligence. been installed at Dikshi Village in West
• The state government will be running Kameng District.
multiple programs, meetings and activities • It is a Run of the River project constructed on
such as hackathons, master classes and other the river Phudung by Devi Energies Private
activities. Limited.
• The state government has signed up with 6. U.P. government announces Rs 6,000 annual aid for
NITI Aayog (National Institution for triple talaq victims
Transforming India), which has come out • Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath
with ‘National Strategy for Artificial has today announced that the state

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government will provide financial assistance • The announcement was done at the Google
of six thousand rupees to the triple divorce for India event which took place in New
victims and the women left by the husband. Delhi on 19th September.
• The CM said that the government will 12. Assembly polls in Maharashtra, Haryana to be held on
arrange for a free trial of women suffering Oct 21 – According to the Chief Election Commissioner
from triple talaq. Sunil Arora, the legislative Assemblies election of
7. Now CM- ministers will fill their income tax in UP – Yogi Maharashtra and Haryana will go to the polls on October
Adityanath Government of Uttar Pradesh has ended the 21. While votes will be counted on 24 October.
38-year-old system of paying income tax of the salaries of • In Maharashtra, the Legislative Assemblies
the Chief Minister and ministers from the government elections to be held for 288 seats and 90
treasury. seats in Haryana.
• Now Chief Minister and Ministers will have • In the last Legislative Assemblies elections,
to pay their own income tax burdening the BJP won 47 out of 90 seats in Haryana, while
exchequer for the last 40 years. in Maharashtra BJP emerged as the largest
8. Kerala to open the country's first women's global trade party by winning 122 out of 288 seats.
centre – Taking a major initiative towards promoting 13. Mukhya Mantri Seva Sankalp Helpline ‘1100’ launched
women entrepreneurship, Kerala state government has in Himachal Pradesh - Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister
decided to set up the country's first International Jai Ram Thakur has launched Mukhya Mantri Seva
Women's Business Center (IWTC) in Kozhikode. Sankalp Helpline ‘1100’ (Chief Minister’s Service
9. Maharashtra to set up Swachh Bharat World University Resolution Helpline) for speedy and time-bound redressal
• The State Government of Maharashtra has of public grievances using modern technology.
decided to set up ‘Swachh Bharat World • So far, this facility is available in
University’ in Wardha to mark Mahatma Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar
Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary. Pradesh.
• The University will focus on research studies 14. Kerala to set up India’s first iWTC in Kozhikode – Kerala
in sanitation, cleanliness and environment. will set up India’s first international women’s trade centre
• The State has formed a seven-member (iWTC), in consonance with the United Nations
committee headed by the Minister of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Kozhikode.
Education Vinod Tawde. The committee will • The first phase of iWTC, being executed
conduct a study on the requirements of the under the gender park’s “Vision 2020”, is
University. scheduled to be completed by 2021.
10. IIT Guwahati & Numaligarh refinery partners to set up 15. Rajasthan launches ‘Jan Soochna Portal’ – The state
Centre of Excellence – Indian Institute of Technology government of Rajasthan launched ‘Jan Soochna Portal’,
Guwahati has joined hands with Numaligarh Refinery a portal for quick access to information on government
Limited (NRL) for setting up the “NRL-Centre of departments. The portal was launched by Rajasthan’s
Excellence (CoE) for Sustainable Materials”. This is a first Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
of its kind academic-industrial collaborative venture. 16. Madhya Pradesh government offers cows for adoption
Note: online – The state government of Madhya Pradesh is
• The Numaligarh Refinery is located at launched an online service for those wanting to adopt a
Morangi, Golaghat district, Assam. cow and provide sheds to them at gaushalas (cow
• It is a joint venture between Bharat shelters) across the State.
Petroleum, Oil India and Govt of Assam. • People can adopt a cow for a minimum
11. Google ties up with BSNL; launches free public Wi-Fi in period of 15 days and can go on supporting it
villages in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar till animal’s lifetime. This initiative is part of
• Google has announced the partnership with Madhya Pradesh government’s ‘Project
BSNL which would help its expansion of high- Gaushala’.
speed public WiFi to villages in Gujarat, 17. Maharashtra to have drone service for emergency
Maharashtra and Bihar. medicine and critical care – The Maharashtra
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essential medicines and medical aid to remote areas in through Forest Development Corporation of
case of flood or other emergency situations. Maharashtra Limited (FDCM. Ltd.), Nagpur.
• For this service, the Government of Note:
Maharashtra has done a partnership with The Gorewada International Zoo is likely to be one of the
the Zipline. Zipline is an automated logistics largest captive Zoo Safari in India with over 1914 Hectares
company based in California. of land adjoining the Gorewada Lake.
18. Unani Medical Centre to be inaugurated at Safdarjung 22. India’s first 'Garbage Cafe' will be opened in
Hospital, New Delhi – Union Minister of State Chhattisgarh - The Ambikapur municipal corporation of
(Independent Charge) for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik will Chhattisgarh will open India’s first 'Garbage Cafe'.
be inaugurating Unani Medical Centre at New OPD • This cafe offers a full-fledged meal to a person
Building in Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi who collects 1 kg of plastic waste and a
19. Indian Institute of Skills (IIS) to opened in Mumbai, substantial breakfast to those who collect 500
Maharashtra. grams.
• Objective - To provide skill training in highly- • This initiative was to ensure that the homeless
specialised areas to students who want to rag pickers, who collect plastic waste to earn
pursue technical education after completing some money, had a hearty meal.
Class X and XII and also to make them • The municipal corporation will provide food to
employable and industry ready for New India the poor and homeless in exchange for plastic
and global market. waste.
20. Garvi Gujarat: 2nd state bhawan of Gujarat inaugurated 23. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) launched
by PM Modi first ever ‘Terracotta Grinder’ at Sewapuri in Varanasi,
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Uttar Pradesh. This machine will grind the wasted and
‘Garvi Gujarat’, the second state bhawan of the broken pottery items for re-using in pottery-making.
Gujarat government in the national capital New 24. Haryana govt waives off interest & penalty of Rs 4,750 cr
Delhi. on crop loans – Haryana government has announced Rs
• This is the ‘first eco-friendly’ state Bhawan in 4,750 crore interest and penalty waiver on crop loans.
national capital. • The waive off is for farmers who had borrowed
21. Gorewada International Zoo opened in Nagpur – Union from Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies,
Minister Prakash Javadekar has announced the approval District Cooperative Central Banks and Land
of the new ‘Gorewada International Zoo’ in Nagpur Mortgage Bank. The step will benefit around 10
district of Maharashtra. lakh farmers in the state.
• The Zoo will have attractions like Bio Park, Indian 25. UDAN regional connectivity scheme launched in
Safari, African Safari, Night Safari, Research, Haryana from Hisar – Hisar, Haryana has entered into the
Education and Training, facilities for tourists, etc. civil aviation map after the launch of the air shuttle
• The task of construction of Indian Safari and service between Hisar and Chandigarh.
ancillary activities, Water Reservoir and • SpiceJet has started the air shuttle service
Gorewada Reserve has been given to FDCM Ltd. between Hisar and Chandigarh under the Ude
with Government Grants. Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) Regional
• The Government of Maharashtra has accorded Connectivity Service scheme.
permission for establishing the International Zoo,

August

1. Most awaited “Assam’s National Register of Citizens the state of Assam as per order of the Supreme Court of
List” released – State coordinator of the National Register India in 2013. The NRC took five years and Rs 1,220 crore
of Citizens, Prateek Hajela has released the most awaited before getting published.
Assam’s final National Register of Citizens list. The list has Important findings of the NRC:
been made accessible online and at all NRC seva kendras
in the state. The process of NRC Update was started in

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• From the 3.29 crore applicants, a total of 3.11 adjudged as one of the 10 best police stations in India in
crore people have been found eligible for the annual ranking for the year 2018.
inclusion in final NRC list. • The certificate of excellence and a trophy
• 19.06 lakh people have been excluded from the awarded by the Union Home Ministry were
final NRC list. handed over to Tarava police inspector Dulamani
• Those excluded from the final NRC list will have Bhoi by Odisha DGP R.P. Sharma.
120 days to approach the Foreigners’ Tribunals. If
a person is dissatisfied with the tribunal’s 7. Tamil Nadu’s Panchamirtham prasadam granted GI tag –
decision, he/she can appeal against it. The famous Palani panchamirtham, given as ‘prasadam’
• Foreigners tribunals is a place where bona fide at Murugan temple in Palani, Tamil Nadu has been
citizens, whose names do not figure in the final granted Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
NRC, can approach to challenge their exclusion. • This is first temple ‘prasadam’ from Tamil Nadu
• To accommodate excluded people, detention that has been bestowed with coveted GI tag.
camps have been set up across the state of • It takes total number of such indigenous
Assam. products from Tamil Nadu that have been
• The NRC list is the biggest exercise India has accorded GI tag to 29.
undertaken to expel illegal immigrants residing
illegally in India. The updation process of NRC 8. Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel announces formation
was carried out under The Citizenship Act, 1955, of Lemru Elephant Reserve
and according to the rules framed in the Assam • On August 15, 2019, Chief Minister of
Accord. Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel announced the
2. Special Tiger Force” for Corbett Reserve to be set up by formation of ‘Lemru Elephant Reserve’ (LER) in
Uttarakhand – The Uttarakhand government has decided the state, over an area of 450 square kilometres.
to form a Special Tiger Force for Corbett Tiger Reserve. • It will minimize human-elephant conflict and
The STPF will serve as a second layer of protection for destruction of property, with the provision of a
tigers at the Corbett Tiger Reserve. permanent habitat for the wild tuskers.
3. Meghalaya launches ‘Walk to Work’ campaign – Chief 9. Manipur Govt launches “School Fagadaba” scheme to
Minister of Meghalaya launched the ‘Walk to Work’ improve infrastructure of government schools
campaign in the state. The campaign is a part of Fit India • Chief Minister (CM) of Manipur, N Biren Singh
Movement which has been launched in the country by has launched “School Fagadaba” (Make
the Prime Minister. education better) scheme with the aim to
4. Tamil Nadu govt announces trifucation of Vellore district improve the infrastructure, quality education and
– Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K Palaniswami overall improvement of government schools.
announced that Vellore district of state would be 10. RACE: Rajasthan’s New Higher Education Model – State
trifurcated into Vellore, Ranipet and Tirupattur districts. government of Rajasthan has launched a new higher
• Vellore will be headquarters of these 2 new education model titled- Resource Assistance for Colleges
districts. With creation of two more districts the with Excellence or RACE, for distribution of faculties and
total number of districts in state would become movable assets among government colleges at district
37. level so as to rationalise availability of resources.
5. Maharashtra: 1st state to adopt digital fingerprint and 11. AP launches ‘Village Volunteers System’ - Chief Minister
iris scanning system – Maharashtra became first state in of Andhra Pradesh YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched his
the country to adopt an Automated Multi-modal government’s flagship programme called ‘Village
Biometric Identification System (AMBIS) i.e. digital Volunteers System’ aimed at providing government
fingerprint and iris scanning system to help police services at doorsteps of people.
investigations. 12. West Bengal launches awareness campaign ‘Save Green,
• This system will soon be replicated by police Stay Clean’ – The West Bengal Government has launched
forces of other states in the country. an awareness campaign ‘Save Green, Stay Clean’ for
6. Odisha police station in top 10 in India – Tarava police preserving the greenery and keeping the environment
station in the Subarnapur district of Odisha has been clean.

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13. One Nation One Ration Card scheme launched on pilot 18. UP govt creates world record by planting over 22 cr
basis in 4 States – One Nation-One Ration Card scheme saplings in one day on 77th anniversary of the Quit India
launched on a pilot basis in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Movement - To mark the 77th anniversary of Quit India
Maharashtra and Gujarat. movement, Uttar Pradesh(UP) chief minister(CM) Yogi
• Families who have food security cards can buy Adityanath has launched the mega greenery plantation
subsidized rice and wheat from any ration shop drive called “Vriksharopan Mahakumbh”, which now sets
in these states. Their ration cards should be a world record by planting over 22 crore saplings in a day.
linked with Aadhar Number to avail this service. 19. India’s first underwater train will be launched in Kolkata
14. Centre has approved the project to link Kosi & Mechi – Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal announced that
rivers – The Centre has approved a Kosi-Mechi river India’s first underwater train project is set to launch in
interlining project in Bihar. Kolkata, West Bengal under the Hooghly river. It is a 16-
• Estimated cost of the project is Rs 4,900 crore. kilometer long Kolkata Metro project.
• The project will provide irrigation for over 2.14 20. 9 year old Manipuri girl, Valentina Devi made Manipur’s
lakh hectares of command areas spread across green ambassador - Elangbam Valentina Devi, a 9-year-
the districts of Araria, Kishanganj, Purnia and old girl from Manipur was made the ambassador of ‘Chief
Katihar in north Bihar. Minister’s Green Manipur Mission’, after a video of her
• This is India’s 2nd major river linking project after crying over felled trees went viral on social media.
Ken-Betwa of Madhya Pradesh. 21. Rajasthan becomes the first state in the country to
15. Odisha approves conservation plan of lakes “Chilika and implement biofuel policy – Deputy Chief Minister of
Ansupa” – The Odisha Wetland Authority has approved Rajasthan state Government, Sachin Pilot stated that
implementation of an integrated management plan of Rajasthan is the 1st state in the country that released
lakes “Chilika and Ansupa”. biofuel rules-2019 (after the notification of the Centre on
• The Chilika lake is India’s largest brackish water April 30, 2019) with the vision to promote the use of
lagoon and Ansupa is the Odisha’s largest biofuels.
freshwater lake. 22. Gogabeel, an ox-bow lake in Bihar declared as the
16. Kerala Govt to Set up Country's First-ever Elephant state’s first ‘Community Reserve’ – Gogabeel, an ox-bow
Rehabilitation Centre – The Kerala government would set lake (measures 88 hectares ) in Katihar district of Bihar
up a first-of-its-kind elephant rehabilitation centre here has been declared as state’s 1st ‘Community Reserve’.
at an outlay of Rs 105 crore, to take care of jumbos, • Gogabeel, which is the 15th Protected Area (PA)
which were either orphaned or abandoned. in Bihar, is formed from the flow of the rivers
• Kottoor, an ecotourism village situated nearly 35 Mahananda and Kankhar in the north and the
km from here, would soon host the country's Ganga in the south and east.
first-ever elephant rehabilitation centre. 23. A rare tea variety of eastern Assam’s Dikom Tea Estate
17. Manipur tops the rank in breastfeeding report released named “Golden Butterfly tea” created a record of being
by health minister – Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister of sold at Rs.75,000 per kg at the Guwahati Tea Auction
Health and Family welfare released a report on Centre (GTAC), Assam.
Breastfeeding in New Delhi where states were ranked 24. Karnataka categorises Nicotine as “class A poison” – The
based on Breastfeeding and Infant and Young Child Karnataka government has amended the Karnataka
Feeding Practices in the country. Poisons (Possession and Sale) Rules 2015 and notified
• The ranking was topped by Manipur. Nictoine as “Class A poison”.
• The worst performing states were Uttar Pradesh, • The step has been taken to strengthen
Rajasthan and Bihar. enforcement of the ban on production and sale
• The national capital Delhi is also one among the of electronic cigarettes.
worst-performing states.

July

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1. Uttarakhand holds 1st Himalayan conclave – Conclave of 6. Haryana cabinet permitted to set up Sports University at
Himalayan States was held on at Mussoorie in Rai –, The Cabinet of Haryana under the chairmanship of
Uttarakhand to discuss priorities of Indian Himalayan chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar approved the setting
Region (IHR) in 15th Finance Commission (XV FC). up of Haryana Sports University at Rai, Sonepat.
• The conclave was initiated by government of 7. Meghalaya becomes 1st state to ensure water
Uttarakhand with Integrated Mountain Initiative conservation – Meghalaya became the first state in India
(IMI) as its knowledge partner. The chief guest of to ensure the conservation of water and have own water
conclave was Union Finance Minister Nirmala policy following a nod given by the State Cabinet.
Sitharaman. • The draft policy was approved by the State
2. Odisha renews effort to revive Gharial population – Cabinet in a meeting chaired by Meghalaya Chief
Odisha has renewed its effort to revive population of Minister Conrad K. Sangma.
gharials in their natural habitat by releasing 5 reptiles, • It is historic for Meghalaya as the state has
fitted with radio transmitters, into Satkosia gorge of become the first state in the country to have a
Mahanadi which is the southernmost limit of gharials’ State Water Policy.
home range in India. 8. India’s first dragon blood-oozing tree – Researchers
• Satkosia Tiger Reserve is a tiger reserve located discover Dracaena cambodiana, a dragon tree species in
in the Angul district of Odisha. the Dongka Sarpo area of West Karbi Anglong district in
3. Western Railways first printing press heritage gallery Assam.
opened at Mahalaxmi, Mumbai • This is for the first time that a dragon tree
• Western Railways (WR) opened its first printing species has been reported from India. Dragon
press heritage gallery named Western Railway tree species whose sap turns bright red after
Mahalaxmi General Stores Depot (GSD) at coming in contact with air.
Mahalaxmi in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It was 9. Odisha gets GI tag for its sweet version of Rasagola –
inaugurated by V P Pathak, Member (Materials The Registrar of Geographical Indications(GI), Chennai
Management) of the Railway Board. has awarded a GI certificate registering the sweetmeat as
4. Tamil Nadu to be the first state to manufacture electric ”Odisha Rasagola” to the state of Odisha which will be
cars: Minister valid till Feb 22, 2028.
• M C Sampath, minister for industries stated that • In 2017, West Bengal had secured the GI tag for
South Korean multinational automotive ”Banglar Rosogolla” after a tug of war with
manufacturer Hyundai plans to launch its electric Odisha since 2015 over the origin of the sweet.
car for India and the global market from Chennai 10. B S Yeddyurappa sworn in as Chief Minister of Karnataka
facility will help make Tamil Nadu the first state - State BJP President B.S. Yediyurappa (76) took oath as
in India to manufacture electric cars. 31st Chief Minister of Karnataka by Governor Vajubhai
5. Uttar Pradesh becomes No.1 in implementation of Vala.
Pradhanamntri Suraksha Beema Yojna in the country - 11. MP gets its 1st international flight with Air India’s
The State Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) has become Indore-Dubai service – Indore, the commercial capital of
number one in implementation of ambitious central Madhya Pradesh recently made it to international
government scheme Pradhanamntri Suraksha Beema aviation map with national carrier Air India launching its
Yojna. flight service to Dubai from MP Airport.
• Totally 1.95 crores people have been given • Air India Flight AI903 took wings from Indore’s
insurance cover under the scheme till 31 march Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar International Airport with
2019 in the state. 150 passengers on. This was the 1st international
About Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Beema Yojana: commercial flight from Madhya Pradesh.
• It is a government-backed Life insurance scheme 12. Andhra Pradesh first state to reserve 75% private jobs
launched on 9 May 2015. for locals – Andhra Pradesh has become the first state in
• It is available to people between 18 and 50 years the country to reserve jobs for locals. The Andhra
of age with bank accounts get an accidental Pradesh Assembly passed the Andhra Pradesh
insurance cover of rupees 2 lakh by paying an Employment of Local Candidates in Industries/Factories
annual premium of 330 rupees. Act, 2019.

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13. Nepal invited as a partner country for Gita Jayanti the launch of drone-delivery project called
Mahotsav 2019 – Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal ‘Medicine from the Sky’.
Khattar has invited Nepal to be the partner country for • The Telangana government, World Economic
this year’s ‘Gita Jayanti Mahotsav 2019’ scheduled to be Forum and Health Net Global signed an
held at Kurukshetra. agreement for project to be supervised and
• He extended the invitation to Ambassador of managed by leaders in field of medicine,
Nepal to India Nilamber Acharya. technology and research.
14. Chengalpet, Tenkasi to be new districts in Tamil Nadu – 20. Six Sigma Institute of Mountain Medicines and High-
The number of districts in Tamil Nadu will go up to 35 as Altitude Rescue to be set up at Uttarakhand - Asia’s 1st
the government announced its decision to carve out Six Sigma Institute of Mountain Medicines and High-
Tenkasi district from Tirunelveli district and Chengalpet Altitude Rescue to be established at Rudraprayag district
district from Kancheepuram district will become the 34th in Uttarakhand.
and 35th districts of Tamil Nadu. 21. Tamil yeoman: now Tamil Nadu’s State Butterfly –
15. Rajghat coal plant to be turned into solar park – The Butterfly species Tamil yeoman (Cirrochroa thais) has
Delhi government has announced that the Rajghat been officially declared as state butterfly of Tamil Nadu.
thermal power plant will be officially shut and turned into • Scientific Name: Cirrochroa thais
a solar park. A 5,000 KW of solar power will be produced • It is also known as Tamizh Maravan
at the 45 acre plant site. 22. Kaziranga National Park: Special Rhino Protection Force
• The coal-based plant, whose current units were deployed – An 82-member Special Rhino Protection Force
commissioned in 1989, has been lying in a which is trained to combat poachers and understand
shutdown mode from 2014. animal behaviour was recently deployed in Kaziranga
16. TN celebrates ‘Hospital Day’ on July 30, 2019 - On July National Park (KNP).
30, 2019, Government hospitals in Tamil Nadu (TN) • About Kaziranga National park is located in
celebrated its first ‘Hospital Day’ on the commemoration Golaghat and Nagaon districts of Assam.
of the birth anniversary Muthulakshmi Reddy. • In 1968 it was given National Park status and in
• She was one of India’s prominent successful 1985 it was declared UNESCO World Heritage
woman doctors in the early 20th century and Site (WHS) for its unique natural environment.
TN’s first woman legislator. 23. Meghalaya fined Rs 100 cr for illegal coal mining – The
17. Maharashtra Govt. raises Financial Aid for Martyrs’ Kin Supreme Court directed the Meghalaya government to
to Rs.1 crore – The Maharashtra government has deposit the Rs 100 crore fine imposed on it by the NGT
approved an increase in financial assistance given to for failing to curb illegal coal mining with the Central
families of martyred and disabled soldiers hailing from Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
state who lay down their life in the line of duty. • The National Green Tribunal had fined the
• The approved four-time increase in Meghalaya government on January 4.
compensation from Rs 25 lakh to Rs.1 crore for 24. Damanganga-Pinjal project to meet water needs of
Kin of martyred soldiers will be implemented Mumbai till 2060 – On June 28, 2019, The Chief Minister
from January 1, 2019. of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis announced that
18. J&K District Administration Udhampur launched helpline Damanganga-Pinjal project will meet the water needs of
“Jeene Do” – Under the Centrally sponsored Beti Bachao Mumbai till 2060.
Beti Padhao scheme, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) District 25. The Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel has
Administration Udhampur launched a helpline, “Jeene inaugurated the ‘Jan Choupal’ program in Raipur,
Do” with an objective to improve sex ratio and deal with Chhattisgarh for holding public meetings once every week
defaulters of Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic to discuss the issues of the people.
Techniques (PCPNDT) Act 1994. 26. Operation Khumaar launched in J&K - In a major step
19. Telangana Government and WEF to launch Drone aimed towards making ‘drugs-free panchayats’, district
Delivery Project – administration Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir (J&k)
• The State Government of Telangana and World launched an anti Drug Campaign called “Operation
Economic Forum’s (WEF) Centre for Fourth Khumaar” in all 312 Panchayats of the district.
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27. Twenty-three persons are feared dead as the Tiware dam
in Ratnagiri in Maharashtra’s Konkan region breached
following incessant rains.
June

1. Yogi Adityanath unveils 7-feet statue of Lord Rama in Geographical Indication (GI) tag, which is likely to
Ayodhya further boost its sale in other parts of the
• Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath country and abroad.
unveiled a 7 -feet wooden statue of Lord Rama in • The Controller General of Patents, Designs and
Ayodhya. Trade Marks has granted the GI tag for
2. India gets its first dinosaur museum and fossil park in Kolhapuris to four districts of Maharashtra —
Gujarat – Gujarat is now home to India’s first dinosaur Kolhapur, Solapur, Sangli and Satara — along
museum and Fossil Park at Raiyoli village, which is located with four in Karnataka — Dharwad, Belgaum,
near Balasinor town of Mahisagar district. Bagalkot and Bijapur.
• Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani recently 11. Himachal Pradesh makes GPS device mandatory for
inaugurated the park. trekkers
3. India’s first solar-powered cruise boat launched in • The Himachal Pradesh (HP) government has
Kerala state - Aditya, India's first solar ferry, is a solar- made it compulsory for trekkers to carry a GPS
powered ferry operating between Vaikkom and (Global Positioning System) device to tackle any
Thavanakkadavu in the Indian state of Kerala. exigency.
4. Gujarat police to use laser guns to crack down on over- About Himanchal Pradesh
speeding - The Gujarat government has decided to equip • Himachal Pradesh state formed on 25 January
the traffic police with 'laser guns' for detection of over- 1971 and became 18th state of the Indian Union.
speeding by vehicles. • It is bounded by Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) state
5. Nandankanan National Park is situated in Odisha. to the north, China’s Tibet Autonomous Region
6. The state government of Goa recently approved an (TAR) to east, Uttarakhand to southeast, Haryana
amendment to Factories Act 1948 which will allow to its south, and Punjab to west.
deployment of women in night shifts (from 7pm to 6 am) 12. Assam govt to set up Skill University at Darrang district –
in industries. Assam government will set up a Skill University at the
7. Telangana hosts 32nd ISTA Congress – Telangana is cost of 850 crore rupees at Darrang district.
hosting the triennial International Seed Testing • This will be perhaps the first skill university of the
Association (ISTA) Congress in Hyderabad. ISTA congress country with a capacity of 10 thousand seats.
is being held for the first time in Asia. 13. Assam govt hikes parental income limit under fee
8. Unique Flood Hazard Atlas: Odisha – Odisha has come waiver scheme - Assam government has waived
out with a unique flood hazard atlas aided by satellite admission fees for students taking admission up to Post
imagery, which is expected to help the coastal state Graduate level whose parental income is less than 2 lakh
manage floods more efficiently. The atlas was released by rupees per year.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the State-level • All provincialized government colleges and 5
Natural Calamity Meeting. universities are incorporated under the scheme.
• Base Period: Atlas is compiled on basis of historic 14. Unemployed Graduates to get up to Rs 3,500 in
flood inundation captured via satellite imagery Rajasthan – Unemployed youth having graduation or
over 18 years period from year 2001 to 2018. equivalent degree will be given unemployment allowance
9. Bihar Government bans Tree-Felling – The Bihar by Rajasthan government.
Government recently announced ban on felling of trees in • Male applicants will get Rs 3,000/month, while
different cities of Bihar, citing increasing pollution as well the women and differently-abled will get Rs
as a fatal heatwave in the state as reason for the ban. 3,500/month under Chief Minister Yuva Sambal
10. Namma Kolhapuri chappal gets GI boost Yojana from February this year.
• Maharashtra's extremely popular footwear
industry, renowned for its handcrafted leather
Kolhapuri chappal has been given the

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• The applicants must be natives of Rajasthan and
the amount will be given for two years or until
they get employed.

Arts & Culture

September

1. Festival of Fulpati being celebrated in Nepal – The jointly unveiled a statue of Lord Buddha and his two
festival of Fulpati is being celebrated with gaiety and disciples, installed at historic Gandan Tegchenling
religious fervour in Nepal. Monastery in Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia’s Capital) via
• Fulpati is observed on the seventh day of videoconferencing from Delhi.
Dashain festival. 6. UNESCO to publish Guru Nanak Dev’s writing in world
2. Bathukamma-2019: Flower Festival languages – United Nations Educational, Scientific and
• Bathukamma, the flower festival of Telangana Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has decided to translate
was celebrated in state’s Warangal district. and publish an anthology of writings of Baba Guru Nanak
• The nine-day long festival of flowers was Dev, the founder of Sikhism (and also 1st of 10 Sikh Guru)
celebrated from 29 September to 6 October in world languages to commemorate 550th birth
2019. anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
• Bathukamma marks the beginning of Sharath • The year 2019 mark 550th birth anniversary of
Ruthu and it is widely celebrated by young girls Guru Nanak Dev.
and women. 7. Nuakhai Juhar: Odisha’s harvest festival celebrated –
• The ‘Bathukammas’ are basically the cone Nuakhai Juhar, a harvest festival welcoming the newly
shaped flower stack, at street corners and harvest crop of the season was celebrated in Odisha.
temples in the city. • It is one of the most ancient festivals celebrated
3. Bangladesh lifts ban on Hilsa export to India – in Odisha to welcome new crop of the season. It
Bangladesh Government will allow 500 tons of Hilsa fish is an important social festival of Western Odisha
to be exported to India prior to the eve of Durga Pooja. and is an agricultural festival.
• Bangladesh accounts to nearly 75% of world Hilsa 8. Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul lock and Kandangi saree gets GI
production. tag – The Geographical Indications Registry (GIR) in
• The government of Bangladesh had imposed ban Chennai has accorded coveted Geographical Indication
on its export to India due to its over – (GI) tag to Dindigul lock and Kandangi saree from Tamil
exploitation. Nadu. This takes total number of such indigenous
4. Ladakhi Shondol dance enters Guinness book of world products that have been accorded GI tag from Tamil
record – Ladakhi Shondol dance has created history by Nadu to 31.
breaking into Guinness book of world records as the 9. ‘Namaste Pacific’ Cultural Event held in New Delhi – A
largest Ladakhi dance. cultural event called ‘Namaste Pacific’ to showcase in
• The Shondol dance was gracefully performed by India the culture of Pacific countries such as Australia,
about 408 women artists in traditional dresses New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji was held in New
on the occasion of the Annual Naropa Festival. Delhi.
• Shondol dance also known as the ‘royal dance of • The event was jointly organized by High
Ladakh’ Commissions of Australia, New Zealand, Papua
5. PM Modi, Mongolian President jointly Unveils statue of New Guinea, and Fiji.
Lord Buddha – Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
President of Mongolia H.E. Mr Khaltmaagiin Battulga,

August

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1. President inaugurates underground Bunker Museum at celebrated for health, wealth, prosperity and
Raj Bhavan in Mumbai productivity.
• President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated 3. National Tribal Festival ‘Aadi Mahotsav’ organised at
underground ‘Bunker Museum‘ at the Raj Bhavan Leh-Ladakh – In a bid to give a fillip to tribal economy in
(official residence of the Governor of Ladakh, Aadi Mahotsav or National Tribal Festival will be
Maharashtra) in state capital Mumbai. organised at Polo Ground, Leh-Ladakh.
• The bunker was discovered by Maharashtra • It is a 9 day festival that will start from 17 August
Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao last year, along till 25 August 2019.
with two identical cannons, atop foothills of Raj 4. Virasat-e-Khalsa set to enter Asia Book of Records –
Bhavan, which is situated at the tip of south Virasat-e-Khalsa museum located in Anandpur Sahib
Mumbai. town in Punjab is set to find a place in Asia Book of
2. 17 August: Parsi New Year Navroz celebrated – Parsi Records for becoming most visited museum in Asian sub-
New Year, also known as Navroz or Jamshedi Navroz, is continent on a single day. Museum witnessed a record
celebrated every year on August 17 to mark the footfall of 20,569 visitors on a single day on 20 March
beginning of the new Iranian calendar. 2019.
• In Persian, Nav means new and Roz means day
and together translating to ‘new day’. It is

July

1. Pakistan opens historic Hindu temple in Punjab – • Kerala Tourism organized a 5-day annual
Pakistan has opened a 1,000 year old Hindu temple in Nishagandhi Monsoon Ragas Music Fest 2019 in
eastern city Sialkot for worship for the first time since Kanakakkunnu, Thiruvananthapuram. It was held
partition on the demand of the local Hindu community. from July 20-24, 2019. It was inaugurated by the
• The Shawala Teja Singh temple, located in city’s Governor of Kerala, P Sathasivam at Nishagandhi
congested Dhaarowal locality, some 100 km from Auditorium in Kanakakkunnu
Lahore, is more than 1,000 years old, according 6. SAARC Film Festival 2019 held at the National Film
to the book ‘History of Sialkot’ by the late Rashid Corporation Cinema Hall, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Niaz. • The 9th Edition of South Asian Association for
2. Prakash Javadekar inaugurates 10th Jagran Film Festival Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Film Festival for
– Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting the year 2019 was held at the National Film
inaugurated the 10th Jagran Film Festival in an event held Corporation Cinema Hall, Colombo, Sri Lanka
at Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi. from July 2-7, 2019.
3. IFFI’s Golden Jubilee Edition to be celebrated in Goa – 7. Saudi Arabia adopts Digital India, equality of women in
The Golden Jubilee Edition of International Film Festival Haj 2019 women in Haj 2019 – Indian Haj mission in the
of India, will be held from 20th Nov till 28th November Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has adopted digital technology
2019 in Panaji, Goa. to reach out to a large number of pilgrims as part of
• President of Oscar Academy John Bailey and Digital India initiative of Government of India.
other eminent cinematographers and producers 8. Jagannath Rath Yatra - Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra held in
have been invited for the event. Russia will be Puri, Odisha.
IFFI partner in this edition. • The Rath Yatra marks the journey of Lord
4. Baba Guru Nanak University Foundation stone laid in Jagannath along with his siblings Lord Balabhadra
Pakistan – Pakistan Punjab’s chief minister laid the and Devi Subhadra from Jagannath temple to
foundation stone of Baba Guru Nanak University at Gundicha temple. This journey covers a distance
Nanakana Sahib. of around 17 km in Puri.
• The University was dedicated to Guru Nanak Dev 9. Chamliyal mela 2019 was held in Jammu and Kashmir.
at his birth place. This university would be spread 10. Sindhu Darshan Utsav 2019 - The 23rd edition of Sindhu
over 10 acres. Darshan Utsav 2019 was held at Sindhu Ghat Shey in Leh
5. Nishagandhi Monsoon Ragas Music Fest Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir.

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11. Bonalu festival was held in Telangana - The annual 19. Baikho Festival - Rabha tribal Hindu women participate in
Bonalu festival kicked off at the Jagadamba temple in a tug of war during Baikho festival at Pantan village,
historic Golconda Fort, Telangana. Bonalu is the “state Guwahati, Assam.
festival” of Telangana. 20. Amasebailu in Kundapura Taluk of Udupi district has
12. Mela Kheer Bhawani celebrated in J&K become Karnataka’s first solar-powered Gram
• The annual festival of Kheer Bhawani Mela Panchayat.
celebrated by Kashmiri Pandit devotees at 21. Meghalaya CM launches Aroma Mission – Meghalaya
famous Ragnya Devi temple in Jammu and Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma launched the Aroma
Kashmir’s (J&K) Ganderbal district. Mission and also inaugurated the Processing Unit of
13. ASI declares Chaukhandi Stupa as Monument of Essential Oil at Byrwa village in Ri Bhoi District.
National importance – According to a notification issued 22. Maharashtra has become the first Indian state to
by Union Ministry of Culture, Chaukhandi Stupa, an provide digitally-signed land record receipts (also known
ancient Buddhist site located in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh as 7/12 receipts).
(UP) has been declared as ‘protected area of national • The 7/12 receipt is the most important
importance’ by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). document which establishes the ownership of
Note: the land, and is primarily used by farmers while
• The Stupa is known as ‘Chaukhandi’ because of applying for loans
its four-armed plan. 23. Nearly after four decades, Bamboo rice has shown up in
14. Elephanta Festival of Art and Culture– The Elephanta Odisha. The state of Odisha had last witnessed Bamboo
Festival of art and culture commenced at the iconic rice in 1979. The Forest Authorities of Chandaka-
Gateway of India in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary in Cuttack district have
• Elephanta Caves is currently maintained by the opened up the gates for the forest dwellers to collect the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and are also Bamboo rice.
a UNESCO World Heritage Site 24. New Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute of
15. Tripura to host 10th National Science Film Festival of Archaeology Inaugurated – Prime Minister Narendra
India in 2020 Modi has inaugurated the new Pandit Deendayal
• The 10th National Science Film Festival of India Upadhyaya Institute of Archaeology at Greater Noida in
(NSFFI) will be organised in Tripura on January Uttar Pradesh.
and February 2020. 25. Ugadi/Yugadi - Ugadi festival celebrated in Karnataka,
• The film festival is being held with the objective Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
of highlighting science, technology, innovation, 26. Gudi Padwa - Gudi Padwa is celebrated in the state of
energy, environment, agriculture and traditional Maharashtra.
knowledge in a simple way. 27. Baisakhi - Baisakhi is the Punjabi New Year celebrated in
16. People celebrate Bhandara festival, the great turmeric the month of April by performing their folk dance,
festival of Maharashtra – The Bhandara festival takes Bhangra and Gidda and feasting.
place on Somvati Amavasya- a new moon day at 28. Puthandu - Puthandu is the Tamil New Year celebrated in
Khandoba Temple in Maharashtra. the month of April by preparing Manga Pachadi a
• During the festival, devotees use the golden traditional food to ring in their new year.
powder to worship the deity Lord Khandoba, 29. Bohag Bihu - Bohag Bihu is the Assamese New year
widely known as a descendant of the sun, and to celebrated by performing the folk dance Bihu and a grand
celebrate his victory over the demons Mani and buffet.
Malla. 30. Pohela Boishakh - Pohela Boishakh is the Bengali New
17. Culture Minister Prahalad Singh Patel has inaugurated the Year celebrated with making many sweetmeats.
exhibition titled ‘Unknown’ Masterpieces of Himachal 31. Bestu Varas - Bestu Varas is celebrated in Gujarat on the
Folk Art’ at National Museum in New Delhi. day after Deepavali. Marwaris in Rajasthan also celebrate
18. Namaste Thailand Film Festival held in Delhi. Namaste their new year during Deepavali.
Thailand Film Festival is an annual festival organised to 32. Vishu - Vishu is the Malayali New Year celebrated in the
bridge the gap between Indian and Thai cultures. state of Kerala in the month of April.

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33. Losoong - Losoong is the Sikkimese New Year and falls in 36. Ghumot to be declared Goa’s heritage musical
December at the end of harvesting. It is celebrated by instrument – The Art and Culture Minister of Goa, Govind
performing Chham dance. Gaude has announced that Ghumot, an indigenous
34. Navreh - Navreh is the Kashmiri New Year celebrated in earthen drum will soon be notified as a heritage
the Hindu month of Chaitra. instrument of Goa. .
35. Prayagraj Kumbha Mela 2019 makes it to the Guinness 37. ‘Festival of India’ Begins in Kathmandu - A month-long
World Records – The Prayagraj Kumbh Mela 2019 has ‘Festival of India’ began in Kathmandu, Nepal, to
made into Guinness World Records in the following three familiarise the new generation of the country about the
sectors: similarities between the two countries.
• Largest traffic and crowd management plan. 38. Foundation stone laid for Hastshilp complex in New
• Biggest painting exercise of public sites under Delhi – The Union Minister for Textiles, Smriti Zubin Irani
paint my city scheme. laid the foundation stone of a Hastshilp Complex in New
• Biggest sanitation and waste disposal Delhi. The complex would be named after Deendayal
mechanism. Upadhyaya as Deen Dayal Antarashtriya Hastshilp
Bhawan.

International Affairs

December

1. Minister of State for Human Resource Development Mr 4. Saudi Arabia has taken over the G20 Presidency from
Sanjay Dhotre has inaugurated the India Pavilion at Japan.
International Book Fair in Guadalajara, Mexico. Note: It is the first Arab nation to assume the G20
Note: This fair is the biggest book fair in the Spanish- presidency. The Saudi G20 presidency is committed to
speaking world. India is the ‘Guest of Honour Country’ in continuing the work from Osaka and promoting
this book fair and it becomes the first Asian country to multilateral consensus." The G20 presidency (Saudi Arabia
participate as ‘Guest of Honour' in the Fair. has taken over from Japan) will host world leaders for a
2. UN Climate Change Conference (known as COP25) held in global summit in its capital on 21-22 November in 2020.
the Spanish capital Madrid. 8. The Global Migration Film Festival (GMFF) was organized
Note: COP 25 is an important conference as countries in Dhaka.
prepare to move from the pre-2020 period under the Note: The day-long festival screened 15 films on the
Kyoto Protocol to the post-2020 period under the Paris theme of migration and its various aspects. The short films
Agreement. India's approach will be guided by principles and documentaries shown during the festival were
and provisions of UNFCCC and Paris Agreement selected through a global competition for which 600
particularly the principles of Equity and Common But entries were received. The GMFF started in 2016 and this
Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capability year it is being organized across many cities in the world
(CBDR-RC). India has been leading the world in its pursuit between 28 November to 18 December.
of enhanced solar energy capacity through International 9. Israeli student’s made satellite launched from ISRO’s
Solar Alliance (ISA). Sriharikota launch site -- ‘Duchifat-3’
3. The leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Note: The “Duchifat-3”, “Duchifat-3” is a satellite jointly
(NATO) mark the 70th birthday of the organization in built by Herzliya Science Center and Sha’ar HaNegev High
London. School students of Israel. It is a remote sensing satellite
Note: The summit includes receptions at Buckingham through which students from all schools across the country
Palace and Downing Street plus a working session at a golf will be able to experiment and carry through Earth
resort in outer London. The twenty -nine members alliance observation. Duchifat-3 weigheing 2.3 kg is a photo
is the world's biggest military alliance. satellite to be used for ecological research of Earth from
space.

November
1. The researchers of the University of Gothenburg in Note: Science journal, The Lancet, reports that it has been
Sweden have developed Diarrhea vaccine. proved safe and effective in an early-stage clinical trial in

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Bangladesh. The report said that 80 to 100 per cent of the 8. Russia's newest nuclear submarine was successfully test-
children aged two to five years and 50 to 80 per cent of fired a Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile from White
infants aged six to eleven months, selected for the study Sea off Russia.
responded to all key immunity generating components of Note: The Knyaz Vladimir, or Prince Vladimir, fired the
the vaccine. missile from underwater that landed on target on the
2. There is no vaccine yet for use for children and vaccine Kamchatka peninsula in far eastern Russia.
development for Diarrhea is a World Health Organization 9. The biennial Commonwealth Law Ministers’ Conference
Bangladesh’s State minister of cultural affairs KM Khalid held in Colombo, Sri Lanka 2019.
has inaugurated the Ocean Dance Festival 2019 in Cox Note: The Union Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar
Bazar of Bangladesh. Prasad is representing India at the conference. The theme
Note: Ocean Dance Festival is the largest international of the event: “Equal Access to Justice and the Rule of Law”.
dance festival of Bangladesh in which more than 200 Purpose of the event: It seeks to address challenges faced
dancers, choreographers and scholars from 15 countries by millions of people seeking to resolve legal problems or
are participating. The theme of this year's festival is disputes.
'Bridging the distance' or Durotter Shetubandhan. The 10. Sudan’s first-ever satellite for conducting research in
festival is being organised by the Nrityajog which is the military, economic and space technology has been
Bangladesh wing of World Dance Alliance (WDA). launched by China.
3. Maldives’ former president Abdulla Yameen has been 11. Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep
found guilty of money laundering and sentenced to five Singh Puri has inaugurated a new Guru Nanak Chair at
years in prison. University of Birmingham.
Note: The five-judge bench of the criminal court Note: Mr. Puri also announced the new Chair to mark the
unanimously concurred that Yameen is guilty on the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak, during his visit to
charge of laundering state funds for personal gain. He was Birmingham where he delivered an Annual Lecture on the
accused of over 1 million dollars deposit in his bank Contemporary Relevance of Guru Nanak's Teachings.
account by a company that was used to channel resort 12. The Ministry of Tourism has participated in the three-day-
acquisition fees. long World Travel Market (WTM) in London, UK.
4. Pakistan's Supreme Court General Qamar Javed Bajwa Note: The theme for India Pavilion at WTM 2019 is
granted a six-month conditional extension to Army chief. ‘Incredible India - Find Incredible India’. This year, the
Note: Current Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army Mr. 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the
Bajwa (since 29 November 2016) continue as the Army Statue of Unity are also being promoted and publicized in
chief for another six months. The Chief of Army Staff is the India Pavilion at WTM 2019.
appointed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan and final 13. Defence minister Rajnath Singh has co-chaired the 19th
confirmation by the President of Pakistan. India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military
5. India will set up 12 hi-tech parks at a cost of USD 193 and Military-Technical Cooperation in Moscow.
million in Bangladesh. 14. The US- Bangladesh Navy exercise 'Cooperation Afloat
Note: According to High Commissioner of India to Readiness and Training (CARAT)- 2019' started in
Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das, these hi-tech parks will Chattogram
provide training to 30,000 youth of Bangladesh as skilled IT Note: CARAT is one of the U.S. Navy’s longest continually
professionals. running exercise in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
6. The 35th ASEAN Summit held in Bangkok, Thailand. Assistant chief of naval staff (operations) Bangladesh Navy
Note:Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan -O-Cha rear admiral M Makbul Hossain was present as the chief
inaugurated this summit at IMPACT convention complex. guest in the opening ceremony.
The theme of the summit is 'Advancing Partnership for 15. According to US Citizenship and Immigration Services
sustainability'. (USCIS), The US has announced the increase of H-1B work
7. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh represented India at a visa application fee by 10 US Dollars.
meeting of the council of heads of government (CHG) of Note: The non-refundable fee will support the new
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Tashkent. electronic registration system to make the H-1B cap
Note: The SCO is an influential regional security grouping selection process more efficient. Petitioners seeking to file
which is seen as a counterweight to NATO. Shanghai H-1B cap-subject petitions will first have to electronically
Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a Eurasian political, register with the USCIS during a designated registration
economic and military organisation, which was founded in period.
Shanghai by the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, 16. Iran and Russia inaugurated a new phase of construction
Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan in the year 2001. for a second reactor at Iran's sole nuclear power plant in
Bushehr.

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Note: The reactor is one of two officially under Note: It is the first such high-level meeting of the eight-
construction since 2017 at the Bushehr site. The landmark member grouping to be organised by New Delhi after its
2015 nuclear deal Iran signed with six major powers, admission into the grouping in 2017.
including Russia, placed restrictions on the sort of nuclear 22. The 6th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-
reactor Tehran could develop and its production of nuclear Plus) held in Bangkok, Thailand.
fuel. Note: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh along with 17 other
17. Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan visited the Defence Ministers of ADMM-Plus countries are attending
United Arab Emirates (UAE) to attend the inaugural the meeting.
Ministerial session of Abu Dhabi International Petroleum 23. As per latest Global Bribery Risk Index, Bangladesh has
Exhibition and Conference. been identified as the “country with the highest risk” in
Note: The Minister is scheduled to meet his UAE terms of bribery threats in South Asia.
counterpart Minister of Energy and Industry, Suhail Note: India has been ranked at 78th in the Global Bribery
Mohamed Faraj Al Mazrouei. Both the countries will Risk Index out of 178 countries. In South Asia, Pakistan and
discuss issues of bilateral hydrocarbon as well as steel Afghanistan are the only countries where the bribery risk is
sector engagements. “high”. The five countries with the lowest bribery risk in
18. BRICS trade ministers meeting has been started in Brasilia. the world are New Zealand, Norway, Denmark, Sweden
Note: MoU on trade and investment promotion between and Finland.
agencies of all the 5 BRICS countries will be signed after 24. Pakistan has become the 1st country to introduce the new
the meeting. Commerce minister Piyush Goyal is leading vaccine to combat typhoid.
the Indian delegation. Note: Pakistan has become the first country in the world
19. The fifth edition of Global Exhibition on Services (GES)- to introduce World Health Organisation-recommended
2019 will be held at Bengaluru. typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) in its national
Note: The Global Exhibition on Services is an annual event immunisation program. It will initially be used during a
which aims to engage industry and governments across two-week immunisation campaign starting from 18 to 30th
the world and to promote greater exchange of trade in November in the urban areas of Sindh.
services between India and the rest of the world. GES 2019 25. 1st Indo-Qatari joint Naval Exercise Za’ir-Al-Bahr (Roar of
is an attempt towards escalating the Indian services bar in the Sea) held in Doha.
the global arena, encompassing participation from 100 Note: The Bilateral Maritime Exercise Za’ir-Al-Bahr (Roar of
countries and hosting sector-specific knowledge sessions. the Sea) between the Indian Navy and Qatari Emiri Naval
India is looking to attract investments and partnerships in Forces has been started in Doha to enhance
strategic areas like aviation and space programme, interoperability between the two navies. From the Indian
infrastructure, and telecom projects. side, Indian Navy Guided Missile Stealth Frigate INS
20. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the 11th BRICS Trikand and Patrol Aircraft P8-I are participating in the
Summit in Brasilia. exercise.
Note: BRICS Business Forum will enhance the business 26. As per World Talent Ranking (WTR), for the year 201, India
collaborations between BRICS countries and deepen the was ranked at 59th position.
relations with the New Development Bank.The theme of Note: In the released report, India was ranked at 59th
the Summit this year is "Economic Growth for an position, a slip by 6 places on a global annual list of 63
Innovative Future”. countries. The top 10 countries that followed Switzerland
21. India will host 19th SCO Heads of Government Council in (1st) were Denmark (2nd), Sweden (3rd), Austria (4th),
2020. Luxembourg (5th), Norway(6th), Iceland (7th), Finland
(8th), Netherlands (9th) and Singapore (10th).
October
2. Palestine has released a commemorative postage stamp
1. Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio named UNESCO on Mahatma Gandhi, honouring his legacy and values, to
Goodwill Ambassador – The Director-General of mark the 150th birth anniversary of the world leader.
UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has named Mexican actress 3. PM Modi inaugurates Metro Service and ENT hospital in
Yalitza Aparicio as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Mauritius – The Indian Government has granted $275
Indigenous Peoples. million for the Metro Express project and a grant of $14
Note: She is the first indigenous Mexican woman to be so million for the new Hospital Project.
recognized by the US Academy Awards 4. Typhoon ‘Mitag’ hits Northern Taiwan
5. Mahatma Gandhi’s 80-year-old Letter wishing Jews ‘Era
of Peace’ Unveiled – The National Library of Israel

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unveiled an 80 – year old handwritten letter by Mahatma •Nizam VII, Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last ruler of
Gandhiji on the day World War II broke out. He had Hyderabad had transferred a sum of 1 million pounds
wished the Jewish people an era of peace in his letter. for safe-keeping to Pakistan’s High Commissioner to
• The letter was written by Gandhiji on the the United Kingdom, Habib Ibrahim Rahimtoola, in
occasion of Jewish new year, that is, on 1948.
September 1, 1939. • The money was transferred from the state of
6. World Space Week: 4-10 October: Important Facts – Hyderabad’s bank account to Rahimtoola’s account in
World Space Week is the largest space event on the UK’s National Westminster Bank.
Earth. More than 80 countries are participating • The amount, which has now grown in value to 35
commemorating the week this year million pounds or Rs 306 crore, continues to remain
• This year Theme: The Moon: Gateway to the in the UK bank.
stars. 9. Ecuador to withdraw from OPEC in January 2020 –
Ecuador has announced to withdraw its membership
7. FATF report on money laundering: The Asia – Pacific from Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
Group of FATF (Financial Action Task Force) slammed (OPEC) from 1 January 2020.
Pakistan as the later failed to take actions against terror • Ecuador joined OPEC in 1973 had earlier
groups. withdrawn from the bloc in 1992. However, it
• On 5th October, 2019, the group published rejoined the organization in 2007.
report on Money Laundering and terror financing About OPEC –
in Pakistan. • The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting
8. Nizam Funds case: India wins £35m worth case at UK Countries (OPEC) is a permanent
court – India has won a decades-old legal dispute over intergovernmental organization of 14 oil-
funds belonging to the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad at the UK exporting developing nations that coordinates
Court. and unifies the petroleum policies of its Member
• The High Court of England and Wales, in a Countries.
landmark judgement on October 2, 2019, ruled in • It was founded on 14 September 1960 in
favour of India and the Nizam's descendants and Baghdad by the first five members.
dismissed Pakistan's claims in a legal battle • OPEC headquartered is in Vienna, Austria.
involving £35m.
• The judgement was delivered by Justice Marcus
Smith. The court ruled that those claiming in
right of Nizam VII- his grandsons and India were
now entitled to the Nizam Funds.
Background –
September

1. Hazzaa al-Mansoori becomes first Arab to reach the company decided to close the business with
International Space Station - Hazzaa al-Mansoori has immediate effect.
created history to become the first Arab to reach the • The company was founded in 1841 by Thomas
International Space Station (ISS). Cook. Earlier it served domestic travellers in
• He was a former military pilot who was selected Britain, later it started taking foreign trips.
for the UAE's new human spaceflight program in 3. Thailand 1st in Asia to roll out plain cigarette packaging
2018. – Thailand became the first country in Asia to introduce
2. British travel giant Thomas Cook collapses – Britain's rolled out plain cigarette packaging which aims to reduce
178-year-old travel company Thomas Cook declared itself the appeal of smoking.
bankrupt. • Keeping a uniform typeface below graphic
• Thomas Cook, one of the world's leading travel depictions of cigarette-related illnesses will make
companies, said after the private investment and the products less attractive to buyers
the government could not get bailout package,

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4. PM Modi Inaugurates Gandhi Solar Park at UN 11. Howdy Modi event held in Houston, Texas – Prime
Headquarters – Prime Minister Narendra Modi Minister Narendra Modi played host to United States
inaugurated a 50 kilowatt ‘Gandhi Solar Park’ at the UN President Donald Trump at NRG Stadium in Houston,
headquarters in New York. Texas, for an Indian-American rally dubbed the ‘Howdy
• Prime Minister Modi also inaugurated a Gandhi Modi: Shared Dreams, Bright Futures’. The mega ‘Howdy,
Peace Garden at the State University of New York Modi’ gala event saw around 50,000 Indian-Americans in
Campus at Old Westbury in Long Island. attendance.
• The world leaders also launched UN postage 12. India-Nepal petroleum products pipeline inaugurated –
stamp on Mahatma Gandhi, commemorating his Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepal counterpart
150th birth anniversary. KP Sharma Oli jointly inaugurated South Asia’s first cross-
5. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to offer tourist visas for the border petroleum products pipeline from Motihari (in
first time – The kingdom of Saudi Arabia will offer tourist Bihar) in India to Amlekhgunj in Nepal.
visas for the first time as part of a push to diversify its • It is a first-ever cross-border petroleum products
economy away from oil. pipeline in the South Asia region.
6. St. Vincent and Grenadines, 79th country to join India- 13. Hurricane Dorian: India has announced an immediate
led ISA – Saint Vincent and Grenadines became the 79th humanitarian assistance of $1 million to help people in
country to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA). The Bahamas affected by Hurricane Dorian.
• ISA is an initiative by India aimed at combating 14. India joins Global AMR R&D hub as a new member –
the threats of climate change and global India has joined Global Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
warming. Research and Development (R&D) hub as a new member.
• The International Solar Alliance is a group of 121 • AMR refers to a microbe’s ability to resist the
solar resource-rich countries with headquarters effects of drugs and medication that once could
in Gurugram, India successfully treat the microbe.
7. UNWTO selects India as host country to celebrate World • The announcement in this regard was made by
Tourism Day 2019 – India has been selected as the host Department of Biotechnology, Union Ministry of
country for celebration of World Tourism Day 2019 by Science & Technology in New Delhi.
United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). • The Global AMR R&D hub was launched in May
Note: 2018 on the sidelines of 71st session of World
• This is for the very first time that India will host Health Assembly (WHA), following a call from
the day in its National Capital, New Delhi. G20 leaders in 2017.
• The World Tourism Day which observed globally • Global AMR R&D Secretariat: It is established in
on 27 September every year. Berlin, Germany.
• World Tourism Organization headquarters is in 15. WHO South-East Asia Region to eliminate measles &
Madrid, Spain. rubella by 2023 – World Health Organisation South-East
8. Sri Lanka unveils South Asia’s tallest tower – Sri Lanka Asia Region have resolved to eliminate measles and
unveiled South Asia’s tallest tower, costing over $100 rubella by 2023.
million, 80% of which has been funded by China under • The resolution to eliminate the highly infectious
the controversial Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). childhood killer diseases “measles and rubella”
• The 350-metre-tall 17-storey Lotus Tower, was taken at the 72nd session of the WHO
located in the heart of Colombo city. Regional Committee for South-East Asia in Delhi.
9. Vietnam opens Southeast Asia’s largest solar power 16. US Federal Trade Commission fines YouTube with $170
farm – Vietnam has inaugurated Southeast Asia’s largest million – The US’s Federal Trade Commission has fined
solar power farm which has the capacity to produce 688 Google’s YouTube with $170 million. YouTube will have to
million kWh of electricity annually. pay $170 million to settle allegations of collecting
10. Typhoon Faxai hits Tokyo, Japan – Typhoon Faxai has hit personal information about children.
Tokyo, Japan. There were winds of up to 210km/h • YouTube has been accused of tracking viewers of
(130mph). Faxai is one of the strongest typhoons to hit children’s channels using cookies without
the Japanese capital in a decade. parental consent.

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• YouTube also used those cookies to deliver • India stands firm to its long-standing partnership
million of dollars in targeted advertisements to with Global Fund and its commitment to
those viewers. eliminate AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
17. India to contribute $22 mn to GFTAM for 2020-22 – India 18. Indonesia to move capital from Jakarta to East
has announced contribution of $22 million to Global Fund Kalimantan – Indonesia’s president announced that the
for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFTAM) for 6th Replenishment country’s capital will move from overcrowded, sinking
Cycle (for year 2020-22). This is an increase of 10% over and polluted Jakarta to a site in sparsely populated East
the amount contributed by India in 5th cycle. Kalimantan province on Borneo island.

August

1. Narendra Modi launches RuPay card in UAE – Prime • Pakistan has been blacklisted for non-compliance
Minister of India Narendra Modi has launched the RuPay and non-enforcement of safeguards against
card, making the UAE the first country in the Middle East terror financing and money laundering.
to initiate the Indian indigenous system of electronic About Asia Pacific Group (APG)
payment. • It is Financial Action Task Force (FATF)-style
Note: regional body for Asia-Pacific region to develop
• RuPay card scheme was launched in 2012 to policies to combat money laundering and terror
fulfill the Reserve Bank of India’s vision to have a financing. It is inter-governmental organisation
domestic, open and multilateral system of founded in 1997 in Bangkok, Thailand.
payments. 5. Saudi Arabia: Travel abroad restriction on women lifted
• RuPay facilitates electronic payment at all Indian – In a landmark reform, Saudi Arabia has allowed women
banks and financial institutions. India has already above 21 years of age to receive passports (issue or
launched the RuPay card in Singapore and renew) and travel abroad without permission from a
Bhutan. male guardian.
2. Johnson & Johnson asked to pay $572 mn for Opioid 6. Highlights: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to
addiction crisis – Johnson & Johnson has been ordered to Bhutan
pay $572 million for Opioid addiction crisis in US. • Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a two-day
Oklahoma court has accused J&J for its role in fostering visit to neighbouring country Bhutan.
the state’s opioid addiction crisis. • Prime Minister of Bhutan - Lotay Tshering
• The money will be used to provide care for Key points –
addicts, families and communities ravaged by the Sapling planted at Bhutan’s historic Simtoka Dzong
crisis. • PM Modi planted a Cypress tree sapling at historic
3. Discovery, WWF tie up to preserve Sundarbans – Simtoka Dzong in Thimpu in presence of his
Discovery India and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) India Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering.
have partnered with the Forest Directorate, the • Simtoka Dzong is one of the oldest fortresses in
government of West Bengal and local communities to Himalayan nation.
preserve Sundarbans. • Simtoka Dzong functions as a monastic and
• This move is to protect the Sundarbans, the administrative centre.
mangrove forest, the habitat of Bengal tigers, to 720 MW Mangdechhu hydroelectric power plant
reduce the tiger-human conflict. inaugurated
• The move is also a part of a global movement
• This hydroelectric plant is touted as a Bhutan-India
“Project CAT -Conserving Acres for Tigers” which
friendship project.
aimed at building healthy habitats for Tigers.
• It is a 720MW run-of-river power plant built on
4. FATF Asia-Pacific Group blacklists Pakistan – Pakistan has
Mangdechhu River in Trongsa Dzongkhag district of
been placed on the blacklist of the Financial Action Task
central Bhutan. It was developed by Mangdechhu
Force’s Asia Pacific Group.
Hydroelectric Project Authority (MHPA).
• MHPA was jointly constituted by Indian and
Bhutanese governments.

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RuPay Card launched 10. U.S. labels China a ‘currency manipulator’ – The United
• PM Modi launched RuPay Card in Bhutan by making a States has officially labeled China a “currency
purchase at Simtokha Dzong, one of the oldest manipulator”. The US has accused China of using yuan to
dzongs in Bhutan. gain “unfair competitive advantage” in trade.
• India announced that an additional $100 million will • The US took the action as Beijing has allowed its
be available to Bhutan under SAARC currency swap yuan to fall below the politically sensitive level of
framework to meet foreign exchange requirement. “seven” to the U.S. dollar for the first time in 11
Key agreements signed between India & Bhutan years.
• MoU between Bhutan’s Department of Information 11. Iceland commemorates 1st glacier “Okjokull” lost to
Technology and Telecom (DITT) and Indian Space climate change – Iceland commemorated the loss of 1st
Research Organisation (ISRO) on establishment of glacier “Okjokull”, lost due to climate change. A bronze
SATCOM Networkfor utilization of South Asia Satellite plaque was unveiled by Iceland in a ceremony which was
(also known as GSAT-9). attended by scientists and locals at the glacier in west-
Note: central Iceland.
• Capital of Bhutan is Thimphu • The plaque bears the inscription “A letter to the
• Currency of Bhutan is Ngultrum. future”.
7. India suspends Thar Link Express – India suspended 12. Hiroshima Day 2019 observed on August 6 - Hiroshima
weekly Jodhpur-Munabao Thar Link Express amid the Day was observed on August 6, 2019. It marks the
ongoing tension with Pakistan over the Kashmir issue. anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and
• This move comes days after India cancelled Nagasaki, Japan by the United States (US) in 1945.
Samjhauta Express from its side after Pakistan • During World War II, an American B-29 bomber
had announced suspension of all train services to had dropped the first atomic bomb nicknamed
India. ‘Little Boy’ on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.
8. Kajin Sara Lake set to be world’s highest lake – Newly • Three days later i.e on August 9, 1945, a second
discovered Kajin Sara lake in Nepal is likely to set a new atomic bomb “Fat Man” was dropped on the city
record of being the world’s highest lake. of Nagasaki.
• It is located at Singarkharka area of Chame rural • 2019 marks the 74th anniversary of the
municipality in Manang district of Nepal. disastrous event.
• Current world’s highest lake: It is Tilicho Lake, 13. Papua New Guinea has the highest number of ‘living’
situated at an altitude of 4,919 metres in Nepal. languages in the world, India ranks 4th
9. Microsoft’s Bill Gates regains the spot of the second • According to Ethnologue, a directory of
richest person in the world in Bloomberg Billionaire languages which lists 7,111 living languages
Index (languages that are still being used and spoken
• The co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates with $106 by people) worldwide, Pacific island nation of
Billion, became the second richest person in the Papua New Guinea, Country in Oceania tops the
world again, by surpassing Europe’s richest list with 840 living languages, while India ranks
person Bernard Arnault, French luxury good 4th position with 453.
(Louis Vuitton Moét Hennessy) tycoon, as per • The other nations in the top 5 positions include
Bloomberg Billionaire Index. Indonesia (2nd ) with 710 living languages and
• Jeff Bezos of Amazon still holds his no.1 spot as Nigeria(3rd with 524) and US (United States)
the world’s richest person. came 5th with 335.
July

1. Boris Johnson announced as Britain’s next prime denial of a mining lease to a company called Tethyan
minister - Boris Johnson replaces Theresa May as Britain’s Copper Company for Reko Diq project in 2011. This
next Prime Minister. penalty on cash-strapped Pakistan is one of the biggest in
2. International arbitration court imposes $5 billion its history.
penalty Pakistan – International Arbitration Court has 3. Australia-India finalize a new veterinary health protocol
imposed over $5 billion penalty on Pakistan for unlawful - Australia and India recently finalized a new veterinary

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health protocol for the export of Australian breeder infamous Chernobyl plant. It is a 108-meter high dome
sheep to India which weighs 36,000 tonnes.
4. World Hindu Economic Forum launches its Nepal 11. Motihari-Amlekhgunj Oil Pipeline ready for commercial
Chapter in Kathmandu – World Hindu Economic Forum operation – The landmark Motihari-Amlekhgunj
(WHEF) has launched its Nepal Chapter which was Petroleum Products Pipeline between India and Nepal is
inaugurated by Nepal’s Minister of State for Health and now completed and is ready for commercial operation.
Population Dr. Surendra Kumar Yadav in Nepal’s Capital • The testing transfer of the pipeline was
of Kathmandu. successfully completed by Indian Oil Corporation
• It has been founded by Swami Vigyananand. (IOC) and Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC). As part of
5. France to impose green tax on plane tickets from 2020 – trial, diesel was released from Motihari which
France will impose green tax up to €18 on plane tickets reached Amlekhgunj.
from 2020. The move aims to fund less-polluting • The prestigious project is the 1st oil pipeline in
transportation projects. Nepal, 1st transnational petroleum pipeline from
6. Gafa Tax: France to levy 3% tax on Internet giants – The India as well as 1st South Asian oil pipeline
French parliament approved a law dubbed as Gafa Tax corridor.
(an acronym for Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon), 12. Sri Lanka eliminates measles – Sri Lanka has become fifth
the legislation will impose a 3% levy on sales generated in country in the World Health Organisation (WHO)
the country by non-tax paying online giants. Southeast Asia region to eliminate measles.
7. Palau becomes 76th nation to join International Solar • The other countries in the region which have
Alliance – Palau, an archipelago of more than 500 islands achieved this feat are Bhutan, Maldives, DPR
in Oceania, has become 76th signatory country to join the Korea and Timor-Leste.
International Solar Alliance (ISA). 13. Tropical Storm Barry hits Louisiana in US. - In the United
About International Solar Alliance States, Tropical Storm Barry has devastated Louisiana.
• ISA is a group of 121 solar resource-rich nations. President Donald Trump has declared a state of
It was jointly launched by India and France on emergency in Louisiana.
November 2015 on side lines of COP21 UN 14. U.S. sets $5 bn fine for Facebook – U.S.’s Federal Trade
Climate Change Conference held at Paris. Commission have approved a $5 billion penalty to be
• It is headquartered at campus of National levied on Facebook. The penalty have been approved to
Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) in Gurugram, settle a probe into the social network’s privacy and data
India. protection lapses.
8. WHO declares Ebola outbreak in DRC as a Global Health 15. Plastic-like Jute material developed in Bangladesh –
Emergency – World Health Organization (WHO) has Scientists in Bangladesh have developed a method to
declared deadly Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of convert Jute fibre into low cost bio-degradable cellulose
Congo (DRC) as ‘Public Health Emergency of International sheets named “Sonali”.
Concern’. This announcement comes after Ebola virus • The Eco-friendly jute poly bags made up of Sonali
spread to a city of 2 million people. can be used in garments and food packaging
• Kinshasa is the capital of Democratic Republic of work and they are not harmful for human health.
Congo. 16. The UK’s new £50 pound note features codebreaker
• Congolese franc is the currency of Democratic Alan Turing - According to the Bank of England, Alan
Republic of Congo.. Turing, a crack code-breaker and visionary mathematician
9. Jordan has unveiled its 1st Underwater Military Museum who set the foundations for artificial intelligence (AI) will
on the bed of Red Sea off the coast of Aqaba. feature on Britain’s new £50 banknote.
Red Sea - It is a narrow strip of water inlet of Indian • The new note is expected to enter circulation by
Ocean. It extends southeastward from Suez in Egypt, to the end of 2021.
Bab el-Mandeb Strait (it connects Red Sea to Gulf of 17. Padma Shri awardee Raghu Ram receives FRCS of
Aden). Thailand
10. Ukraine inaugurates world’s largest Metal Dome – • Popular breast surgeon and Padma Shri awardee
Ukraine has inaugurated the world’s largest movable P.Raghu Ram has been conferred the Honorary
metal dome encasing the destroyed reactor at the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons
(FRCS) of Thailand at the 44th annual congress of

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the Royal College in Pattaya themed “ASEAN Director of Kingston Holdings and Chairman of Sharjah
collaboration in value-based surgery”. Industry Business Group.
18. Ukraine inaugurates gigantic dome worth $1.7 billion 25. World’s largest burn and plastic surgery institute
over destroyed Chernobyl reactor inaugurated in Dhaka, Bangladesh – The world’s largest
• Ukraine and its European partners have burn and plastic surgery institute named Sheikh Hasina
inaugurated the world’s largest new metal dome National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute started its
encasing the destroyed reactor at the infamous functioning in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Chernobyl nuclear power station. 26. Sri Lanka inaugurates first model village built with
Note: Indian assistance – The first model village built with
• Ukraine: Capital: Kyiv or Kiev Indian assistance under the Model Villages Program was
• Currency: Ukrainian hryvnia inaugurated at Ranidugama in Gampaha in Sri Lanka.
19. European Union fines chipmaker Qualcomm $271 27. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
million – European Union has fined US based chipmaker confirmed that Iran had exceeded a limit of 300 kilograms
Qualcomm $271 million, accusing it of “predatory on its enriched uranium reserves set by a 2015 nuclear
pricing” to drive a competitor out of the market. deal/Iran deal.
20. 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee – The About Iran Deal
43rd session of the World Heritage Committee was held • It is also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan
in Baku, Azerbaijan from 30 June to 10 July 2019. of Action (JCPOA) or Iran Nuclear deal.
21. Italy’s Prosecco hills enters UNESCO World Heritage list • It was signed on July 14, 2015 in Vienna, Austria
– Italy’s hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, which is between - Iran, P5+1 namely- France, United
home to world-famous sparkling wine Prosecco, were Kingdom, China, Russia, and the US (P5) plus
added by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific Germany.
and Cultural Organization) to World Heritage list. • International Atomic Energy Agency
• It has now become Italy’s 55th World Heritage headquarters is in - Vienna, Austria.
site. 28. Japan resumes commercial whaling – Japan has resumed
22. Australia’s Budj Bim Cultural Landscape included in commercial whaling after a period of 31 years, but will
UNESCO’s WHS – Australian Aboriginal site ‘Budj Bim stay within country’s exclusive economic waters.
Cultural Landscape’ in south-west Victoria has been
added to UNESCOS’s World Heritage List. International Whaling Commission
• It is the 20th site in Australia to make it to WHS • It is an international body set up under
list. International Convention for Regulation of
23. Iraq’s Babylon listed as UNESCO’s World Heritage Site – Whaling (ICRW), which was signed in 1946 in
UNESCO's World Heritage Committee has voted to list the Washington, D.C., United States (US).
sprawling Mesopotamian metropolis of Babylon as a • ICRW governs scientific, commercial, and
World Heritage Site after three decades of lobbying aboriginal subsistence whaling practices of 59
efforts by Iraq. member nations.
• Since 1983 Iraq had been trying to have Babylon • IWC Headquarters: Impington, England.
site recognised by UNESCO. 29. New Zealand bans Single-Use Plastic shopping bags –
24. Sharjah issues its first Golden card visa to an Indian Lalu New Zealand has officially banned single-use plastic
Samuel, Chairman of Kingston Holdings – The General shopping bags with effect from 1 July 2019.
Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs of Sharjah
has granted the first golden card visa to an Indian expat
businessman, Lalu Samuel, Chairman and Managing
June

1. ‘goAML’ launched by UAE - The United Arab Emirates • It is the new anti-money laundering platform was
(UAE) has become 1st country in Gulf to launch new anti- launched by UAE’s Financial Intelligence Unit
money laundering platform called ‘goAML’ (Anti-Money (FIU) and is developed by United Nations Office
Laundering).

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on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to curb organised for the first time since the African nation gained
crimes. independence from France nearly 60 years ago.
2. Saudi Arabia becomes 1st Arab country to get full FATF • Mohamed Ould Ghazouani elected as the
membership – Saudi Arabia has become 1st Arab country president of Mauritania
to be granted full membership of Financial Action Task • Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of
Force (FATF) following FATF’s Annual General Meeting Mauritania, is a country in Northwest Africa.
held in Orlando, Florida in United States (US). • Capital of Mauritania is Nouakchott.
About FATF – 10. U.S. Senate passes provision to give India NATO ally-like
• The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an status – The U.S. Senate has passed a legislative provision
intergovernmental organization that designs and National Defense Authorisation Act for India.
promotes policies and standards to combat About NATO
financial crime. • The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
• The FATF was created in 1989 on the initiative of Formed in 1949 with the signing of the
the G7 to develop policies to combat money Washington Treaty, NATO is a security alliance of
• FATF headquartered in Paris, France. 29 countries from North America and Europe.
3. India-assisted IT- Biotechnology Park inaugurated in • NATO headquarters is in Brussels, Belgium.
Cote d’Ivoire – Mahatma Gandhi Information Technology 11. BIMSTEC Day- 2019 celebrated in Dhaka, Bangladesh
and Biotechnology Park (MGIT-BP) built with India’s • The BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-
assistance was recently inaugurated at Grand-Bassam in Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation)
Cote d’Ivoire. member countries consisting of Bangladesh,
• Côte d'Ivoire is a West African country India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, and
• Yamoussoukro is the capital of Côte d'Ivoire. Bhutan celebrated the BIMSTEC Day- 2019 in
• Currency - franc Dhaka, Bangladesh.
4. The world’s smallest baby ever to survive, weighing a • BIMSTEC: Secretariat: Dhaka, Bangladesh
mere 245 grams was born in San Diego, California. 12. Russia extends ban on EU Food Imports until end of
5. Indonesia's Mount Sinabung spews huge column of ash 2020 – Russian President Vladimir Putin recently signed a
during latest eruption – Mount Sinabung in North decree for extending Moscow’s embargo on food
Sumatra, Indonesia, sent a huge plume of thick ash 7km products being imported from the European Union (EU)
high into the sky during an eruption on 9 Jun to the end of 2020.
6. UAE launches 'Golden Card' scheme to woo wealthy 13. Imports from Pakistan to India decline by 92% in March
investors, exceptional talents – The United Arab 2019 - Imports from Pakistan to India have declined by
Emirates launched a permanent residency scheme to woo 92% amounting to USD 2.84 Million in March 2019 after
wealthy individuals and exceptional talents, a move that imposition of 200% customs duties on all products.
could attract more Indian professionals and businessmen 14. UAE Cabinet adopts ‘National Strategy for Wellbeing
to the Gulf nation. 2031’ – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Cabinet adopted
• The "Golden Card" programme unveiled by UAE a National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031 during its meeting
Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al- at Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi (UAE Capital).
Maktoum is open to investors and "exceptional 15. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev elected Kazakhstan president
talents" such as doctors, engineers, scientists, 16. SriLankan Airlines: World’s Most Punctual Airline –
students and artists. SriLankan Airlines, the National Carrier of island nation
7. IMF approves $6 billion loan for cash-strapped Pakistan has been named the ‘World’s Most Punctual Airline’ for
– The IMF has approved a USD 6 billion loan over a period second consecutive time.
of 3 years for cash strapped Pakistan. 17. Russia launches 1st Arctic train service – Russia has
8. Pakistan secures $3 billion bailout from Qatar – Cash- launched first Arctic train service running from St.
strapped Pakistan has secured a financial assistance in Petersburg station headed to Norway
form of a bailout package of $3 billion from oil-rich Qatar. 18. Italy’s Volcano Mount Etna erupts on Island of Sicily –
9. Mauritania holds election for 1st time in 60yrs – Europe’s Highest Volcano Mount Etna, in southern Italy
Mauritania, a country in Northwest Africa went to polls erupted with burst into life, spews ash, fire, and spitting
molten lava high into sky.

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19. 16th Asia Media Summit held in Siem Reap province in 11” from a mobile launch platform in Yellow Sea off
Cambodia. Shandong province (China) for the first time.
• The 15th Asia Media Summit (AMS-2018) was • With this China became 3rd nation following the
hosted by India. U.S. and Russia to successfully demonstrate
20. China launches Space Rocket from Yellow Sea for 1st ability to launch satellites into orbit from a
time - China launched a space rocket named “Long March floating platform.

Sports

December

1. Gurpreet Singh & Sunil Kumar clinched gold medals at the final. This is the second consecutive title win for
the senior national wrestling championships in Jalandhar. Karnataka. Karnataka rode on skipper Manish Pandey’s
Note: Gurpreet defeated Sajan Bhanwal by a 3-1 margin, 60 runs (45-ball) to post a total of 180/5 in 20 overs.
in the 77-kilogram category. Sunil also managed an easy 6. Steve Smith has become the fastest cricketer to score
win over Punjab's Prabhal. The Railway's grappler used all 7,000 Test runs.
his experience to crush the Punjab wrestler 5-1 in the 87 Note: Australian Steve Smith had gone past legendary
kg final. Don Bradman's 73-year-old record to become the fastest
2. Vinesh Phogat & Sakshi Malik registered convincing wins batsman to score 7000 runs in just 126 innings. He has a
in the finals to claim gold medals at the Senior Wrestling mountain to climb to reach Ricky Ponting, who amassed
National Championships in Jalandhar. 13,378 runs in his 168 Tests.India’s Virender Sehwag is
Note: Phogat beat Haryana’s Anju 7-3 in the 55kg the third fastest in 134 innings.
category.Olympic bronze medallist Malik defeated 7. British racing driver Lewis Hamilton has won the Abu
Radhika (Haryana) 4-2 in the 62kg category.In the 68kg Dhabi Grand Prix held in Abu Dhabi UAE.
category, Haryana wrestler Anita Sheoran stunned Note: He has claimed his 84th career victory and 11th in
Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Divya Kakran. 21 races of this year.Max Verstappen of Red Bull finished
3. Priyam Garg will lead defending champions India in next 2nd in the race while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished 3rd
year's Under-19 ICC Cricket World Cup (13th edition) to in the race.The 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (formally
be held in South Africa. known as the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand
Note: India (defending champions) are placed in Group Prix 2019) was a Formula One motor race held at the Yas
'A' with first-time qualifier Japan, New Zealand and Sri Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Lanka. Sixteen teams will be taking part in the 8. New Zealand cricket team has been awarded the
tournament, split into four groups of four. The top two Christopher Martin-Jenkins Spirit of Cricket award.
teams from each group will qualify for the Super League Note: The team has been awarded for its exemplary show
stage, with the bottom two teams in each group of sportsmanship during the final match of the ICC World
progressing to the Plate League. Cup at Lord’s in July 2019, which it lost under
4. 13th South Asian Games open in a glittering ceremony controversial circumstances. Martin-Jenkins was the
held in Kathmandu, Nepal. former MCC president and BBC Test Match Special
Note: Over 2700 athletes from seven South Asian commentator.
Countries participated in the march past. For 10 days 9. Virat Kohli regained the top spot in the International
biggest sporting event of South Asia, 2715 athletes (India Cricket Council's (ICC) Test rankings in batting.
- 487 athletes) compete for 1119 medals including 319 Note: Australian Steve Smith (923 points) slipped a rung
Gold in 26 game categories. The closing ceremony will be in the latest list issued in Dubai.Among the bowlers,
held on 10th December. Jasprit Bumrah is the highest-placed Indian at the fifth
5. Karnataka won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2019-20. position. West Indies captain Jason Holder has
Note: Karnataka lifted the Syed Mushtaq Trophy 2019-20 consolidated his position at the top of the all-rounders'
(Cricket) after a thrilling one-run win over Tamil Nadu in list.

November

1. Rafael Nadal has clinched 6th Davis Cup title for Spain. Note: Nadal (33-year) defeated Shapovalov 6-3, 7-6 (9-7)
to clinch Spain’s 2-0 win against Canada. It was the

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Spanish team's first Davis Cup title since 2011 and their 8. Deepika Kumari has won gold medal in the women's
sixth Davis Cup title overall. In 2019, Nadal won the individual recurve event of the 21st Asian Championships
French Open and the US Open, made the Australian Open in Bangkok.
final and reached the Wimbledon semi-final. Note: Deepika defeated Ankita 6-0 in the one-sided final.
2. India's Lakshya Sen has won the Scottish Open men's Earlier, the duo had secured an individual Olympic quota
singles title in Glasgow. for the country by storming into the semi-finals of the
Note: Lakshya Sen defeated Ygor Coelho 18-21, 21-18, event.
21-19 to seal his fourth title in three months. Within a 9. Justice Mukundakam Sharma committee: Sports
month, Lakshya won his first BWF Super 100 title at the Ministry has constituted a 13-member expert committee
Dutch Open, with the second one coming soon after, at to review the Draft National Sports Code.
the SaarLorLux Open in Germany Note: Former sports persons Gagan Narang, Bhaichung
3. India concluded its campaign at the Under-15 Asian Bhutia, Anju Bobby George and national badminton
Championships with 28 medals (13 gold, 14 silver and a coach Pulella Gopichand are part of the panel. The panel
bronze). has been formed to suggest measures to make the Sports
Note: For the first time, India finished on top of the team Code acceptable to all the stakeholders.It will try to strike
rankings in freestyle category with 225 points as all 10 a balance between the autonomy of National Sports
wrestlers finished on the podium. Kazakhstan finished Federations vis-a-vis need for transparency and
second while Japan was third. autonomy.
4. Sangram Dahiya and Varsha Varman clinched double 10. C. Mary Kom: included in a 10-member athlete
trap titles, winning gold at the 63rd National Shotgun ambassadors’ group by the International Olympic
Shooting Championship in New Delhi. Committee (IOC).
Note: In the men's category, Sangram shot 142 out of 150 Note: The group will represent boxers in the build-up to
targets to clinch the gold medal. Former world champion next year’s Tokyo Olympics (Tokyo Olympic 2020). C.
Ankur Mittal has won Silver and Prithvi Singh Chahal Mary Kom will represent the Asian bloc in boxing's
bronze. athlete ambassadors’ group.
5. Eliud Kipchoge & Dalilah Muhammad has won the World 11. Pooja Gehlot: silver medal in 53kg at UWW Under-23
Athlete of the Year awards. World Championships in Budapest.
Note: Kipchoge claimed the prize in Monaco after making Note: Pooja lost 0-2 to Okuno in the summit clash. She
history last month when he ran the marathon distance of had entered the finals after beating Turkey's Zeynep
42.195 kilometres (26.219 miles) in 1hr 59min 40.2sec. Yetgil in the semifinals of the tournament.
American Muhammad won her award after a magnificent 12. South Africa defeated England in the final to win the
year that saw her set a world record of 52.20 seconds at Rugby World Cup.
the US Trials in Iowa in July breaking a record that had Note: South Africa beat England 32-12 in the world cup
stood since 2003. final in Japan.
6. India won the bid to host 2023 Men's Hockey World Cup. 13. Lakshya Sen has won the SaarLorLux Open badminton
Note: Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar and Biju tournament at Saarbrücken in Germany.
Patnaik Hockey Stadium Stadium in Rourkela to be the Note: He defeated Weng Hong Yang of China in an
venues for the tournament. Bhubaneswar has hosted exciting final last night.
some big international sporting events, including the 14. Novak Djokovic won the fifth Paris Masters title for 2019
2017 Asian Athletics Championships, 2017 FIH Hockey by defeating Denis Shapovalov in the final.
World League Final, FIH Men's Series Finals in 2019. Note: Djokovic will lose top spot in the rankings to Nadal
7. Abhishek Verma & Jyothi Surekha Vennam claimed the next week,but could still equal Pete Sampras' record by
gold in compound mixed pair event at the 21st Asian finishing a sixth year as the world's best player.
Archery Championships, in Bangkok. 15. Finnish racing driver Valtteri Bottas has won the Formula
Note: The Indians defeated Chinese Taipei opponents Yi- One, United States Grand Prix 2019.
Hsuan Chen and Chieh-Luh Chen 158-151 in the final Note: Lewis Hamilton was on second, Max Verstappen on
clash. India picked up seven medals including one gold, third, Charles Leclerc on fourth and Alexander Albon on
two silver and four bronze meddles in the event. The fifth.
Indian archers participated in the tournament as neutral 16. India B has won the 2019–20 Deodhar Trophy (47th
athletes under the World Archery flag due to the edition) at JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi.
suspension of the national federation Archery Association Note: Deodhar Trophy was contested between three
of India (AAI). teams (India-A, India -B and India-C) selected by the
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

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17. Serbian professional tennis player Novak Djokovic eased Note: Shafali Verma’s 73 runs (49-ball) in the first T20
to a record-extending fifth Paris Masters title. International against West Indies surpassing Sachin
Note: He defeated Canadian youngster Denis Shapovalov Tendulkar’s 30-year-old record. Shafali achieved the feat
6-3, 6-4 in the final. surpassing batting legend Tendulkar, who had notched up
18. Deepak Kumar: won the men's 10m air rifle bronze his maiden Test fifty at 16 years and 214 days.
medal at the 14th Asian shooting Championships in Doha. 27. The 1st South Asian country to call match-fixing a crime -
Note: India has already secured nine Tokyo quotas in rifle - Sri Lanka.
and pistol and lies behind China who has 25 quotas and Note: Sri Lanka has become the first South Asian nation
Korea's 12 in the Asian region, besides the host-country to criminalize several offenses related to match-fixing. Sri
Japan, in terms of quotas won. Lanka parliament passed all three readings of a bill
19. Manu Bhaker: He won gold medal in women’s 10m air labeled "Prevention of Offences Related to Sports".
pistol event at Doha, Qatar. 28. Punjab will host the Kabaddi World Cup 2019.
Note: She put up a dominant showing, shooting 584 in Note: The tournament will be dedicated to the 550th
qualification and 244.3 in the final to take gold.Vivaan birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev ji (1 to 9 December)
Kapoor & Manisha Keer also won the Gold medal in junior Nine teams -- India, USA, Australia, England, Sri Lanka,
trap mixed event at the Asian Shooting Championships Kenya, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Canada -- are
2019. expected to take part in the tournament.
20. Rohit Sharma has become the first Indian man and 29. Indian sprinter Dutee Chand has been named in the TIME
second in world cricket to complete 100 T-20 100 list of the most influential persons in the world.
Internationals. Note: The list, an initiative of TIME magazine, highlights
Note: He reached the milestone when he led the team in 100 rising stars who are shaping the future of business,
the second match against Bangladesh at the Saurashtra entertainment, sports, politics, health, science, activism,
Cricket Association Stadium. Shoaib Malik with 111 etc.
games from Pakistan is the only player to have played 30. England has qualified for the UEFA Euro 2020 football
more than 100 T20 Internationals. tournament.
21. India will host the 2023 Men's Hockey World Cup from Note: Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 99th international goal
13th to 29th January. as Portugal secured its place at the Euro 2020 finals.
Note: The decisions were made during FIH's Executive Portugal are the defending champions, having won the
Board Meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland. 2016 edition. For the first time, the video assistant
22. Two-time Olympic champion Nicola Adams will retire referee (VAR) system will be used at the UEFA European
because of fears about her sight. Championship.
Note: Nicola Adams became the first-ever women's 31. Greek tennis player Stefanos Tsitsipas.has won the ATP
Olympic boxing champion at London 2012. Adams Finals in London.
successfully defended her title in the 2016 Rio Olympic Note: It is Tsitsipas's third title of the season and comes a
Games. year after he was crowned champion at the Next Gen ATP
23. Kento Momota: China Open 2019 winner. Finals in Milan. Tsitsipas had qualified for the finals after
Note: Japan's Kento Momota (world number -1) defeated defeating six-time champion Roger Federer in the semi-
Taiwan's Tien-chen (world number-2) to retain his Fuzhou finals.
China Open Badminton title.Chinese player Chen Yufei 32. Indian women have clinched five gold, while men bagged
successfully defended the women's title with a victory two silver at Asian Youth Boxing Championship in
over Japan's Nozomi Okuhara. Chen Yufei beat Okuhara Mongolia.
21-9, 21-12, 21-18. Note: All five women finalists, Naorem Chanu (51kg),
24. Saurabh Chaudhary has won silver medal in Men's 10m Vinka (64kg) Sanamacha Chanu (75kg), Poonam (54kg)
air pistol event at Asian Championship. and Sushma (81kg) won Gold for the country in a
25. India's Javelin thrower Sundar Singh Gurjar has won a phenomenal sweep.
gold medal in the men's F46 javelin throw event at World 33. Harmeet Desai has won men’s singles Gold medal at
Para Athletics Championships in Dubai. International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Challenge
Note: Gurjar came up with his season's best effort of Indonesia Open 2019 Table Tennis tournament.
61.22m to claim the top spot. While Yogesh Kathuniya 34. Korean teenager Joohyung Kim has won the 2019
added a silver for India in men's discus throw F56 event Panasonic Open India held at Gurgaon, Haryana.
with a best throw of 42.05m yesterday. Note: India’s Shiv Kapur and Chikkarangappa S finished
26. Shafali Verma (15-years- and 285 days) has become the tied second. With this win, the Joohyung Kim has become
youngest Indian Cricketer to score a half- century in the second-youngest winner on the Asian Tour.
International Cricket.

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35. David Villa: Spanish striker has announced his retirement Note: The Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc
from football. clashed in the race due to which Verstappen was able to
Note: David Villa retired from the national team with 59 take the lead and ultimately win the race. Pierre Gasly
goals in 98 matches, making him Spain's all-time top (France) was on the second position and was the first
goalscorer as well as the country's top scorer in the podium position for him while Lewis Hamilton remained
World Cup, with nine goals. on the third.
36. India-Pakistan Davis Cup tie shifted to Kazakhstan capital 38. Manu Bhaker has become the second Indian shooter to
Nur-Sultan from Islamabad. win a gold medal Women's 10m Air Pistol at the ISS
Note: The Devis Cup tie was scheduled to be held in World Cup 2019.
September but was pushed to 29-30 November after Note: Serbia's Zorana Arunovic won the silver with 241.9,
India expressed concerns about the safety of their while Quian Wang of China bagged the bronze with
players. 221.8. Manu Bhaker shot 244.7 to win the gold medal at
37. Belgian-Dutch racing driver Max Verstappen (with Red World Cup Finals.
Bull) has won the Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix 2019.

October

1. Harmanpreet Kaur has become the 1st Indian to play 100 Note: Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel (Germany) and
T20 International matches. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton (Britain) were ranked at
2. Japan Open title 2019 -- Novak Djokovic. the 2nd and 3rd places respectively.
Note: He defeated Millman with a score of 6-3, 6-2 14. Zimbabwe and Nepal were re-admitted as ICC members.
and secured a 76th career singles tournament win. Note: Zimbabwe will now be able to take up their
3. Austria’s Christine Wolf has won the Hero Women’s place in the ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup in
Indian Open at Gurugram, Haryana. January and the ICC Super League later in 2020.
4. Japan’s Naomi Osaka has won the China Open held in 15. The Indian football team won the 3rd Edition of the SAFF
Beijing, China. U-15 Women’s Championships 2019 at Changlimithang
5. Simone Biles has won the 15th World Gymnastics Stadium in Thimpu, Bhutan.
Championship title in Stuttgart, Germany. 16. Yashasvi Jaiswal (17-year) has become the youngest
6. German World Cup champion Bastian Schweinsteiger has cricketer in the world to score a double century in One
announced his retirement from soccer. Day cricket.
7. India’s M C Mary Kom has won the bronze medal in the 17. England all-rounder Jennifer Louise Gunn has announced
51kg event of World Women’s Boxing Championships in her retirement from international cricket.
Russia. 18. Great Britain won the 9th edition of the Sultan of Johor
8. Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge becomes 1st athlete to run sub 2- Cup 2019.
hour marathon. Note: Great Britain defeated India in the finals by 2-1
9. Indian shuttler clinched his maiden BWF World Tour title in the
in the Netherlands-- Lakshya Sen. 19. Kuhoo Garg and Dhruv Rawat won the badminton mixed
10. Manju Rani settled for silver medal in World Women’s doubles title at the Egypt International 2019 in Cairo,
Boxing Championships (in the 48-kilogram category) in Egypt.
Russia. 20. Indian cyclist Ronaldo Singh bagged a gold medal in the
11. Priyanshu Rajawat wins men’s singles title at Bahrain men’s junior Keirin event at the Asian Track Cycling
International Series. Championships in South Korea.
12. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has changed the 21. Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma smashed the Don
super-over rule for all its major events Bradman’s (former Australia cricketer)record of highest
Note:As per new rule, in case of a super over tie, average in Test cricket on home soil.
there will be a repeated super over until one team Note: He broke record by scoring an average of
has more runs than the other. 99.84. Bradman, the legendary Australia cricketer
13. Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas won the 2019 Japanese Grand had an average of 98.22.
Prix.

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22. Riya Bhatia has won the ITF women’s tennis tournament 36. India’s Prithvi Sekhar wins gold in World Deaf Tennis
in Lagos, Nigeria. Championship.
Note: She defeated Slovenian player Nastja Kolar of Note: The 2nd Edition of World Deaf Tennis
Slovenia 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 in the summit clash of the ITF Championships 2019 was held in Antalya, Turkey.
women’s tennis tournament. 37. The Indian cricket team will play its first-ever Day-Night
23. India’s 65th Grandmaster: Raunak Sadhwani. Test match against -- Bangladesh.
24. Canadian player Denis Shapovalov has won the
Stockholm Open title 2019. 38. China Open (tennis) - Japan’s Naomi Osaka has won the
25. Bengal Warriors wins 7th season of Vivo Pro Kabaddi China Open held in Beijing, China. She defeated world
League 2019. number one Ashleigh Barty in the final.
Note: Bengal Warriors won their first title by 39. Hero Women’s Indian Open (Golf) - Austria’s Christine
defeating Dabang Delhi by 39-34 at the EKA Arena by Wolf has won the Hero Women’s Indian Open at
TransStadia in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Gurugram, Haryana.
40. Japan Open (Tennis) – Novak Djokovic defeated
26. The logo for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games unveiled at a
Australia’s John Millman in the finals to win the Japan
ceremony in the French capital.
Open title.
Note: The circular design with Paris 2024 in the art
41. Ravindra Jadeja becomes second fastest Indian to 200
deco style which was in vogue in 1924 when Paris last
wickets in Test cricket –
hosted the Games, also incorporates the lips and
• Ravindra Jadeja became the fastest left-arm
outline of Marianne, the personification of the bowler to reach the milestone.
French Republic since the revolution in 1789. • He became the second Indian bowler to take the
27. Para-athlete Anandan Gunasekaran has won 2 gold fastest 200 wickets in Test cricket.
medals at the 7th CISM World Military Games in Wuhan, • He achieved the feat when he dismissed
China. centurion Dean Elgar (160) during South Africa's
28. Graeme Smith (Former South Africa skipper) has been first innings on the third day, in reply to India's
elected an Honorary Life Member of the Marylebone 502 for 7 declared.
Cricket Club (MCC). 42. Professional Cricketers’ Association player of the year –
29. 1st Indian man to win a gold medal at the Wushu World England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been voted
Championships-- Praveen Kumar. Professional Cricketers’ Association player of the year at
30. Mumbai all-rounder has announced his retirement from the Professional Cricketers’ Association awards.
all forms of cricket -- Abhishek Nayar. • All-rounder Stokes played a starring role in
31. Karnataka has won the 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Trophy. England’s maiden World Cup win before
43. Annu Rani becomes 1st Indian to qualify for women's
Note: Karnataka won their 4th Vijay Hazare Trophy title
javelin throw final – India's top female javelin thrower
with a dominant display against Tamil Nadu.
player Annu Rani made it to the finals of the World
32. Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana won Wisden India
Athletics Championship. She is the first Indian woman to
Almanack Cricketer of the Year award.
reach the finals of this event.
Note: The other 3 winners are Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan), 44. India gets its first-ever floating basketball court in
Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka) and Rashid Khan Mumbai – The National Basketball Association installed
(Afghanistan).The Zozo Championship 2019 tournament India's first-ever floating basketball court in Mumbai.
title was clinched by -- Tiger Woods. • The basketball court set up in the Arabian Sea
33. Mercedes’ driver won the Mexican Grand Prix 2019 -- near the Bandra-Worli Sealink.
Lewis Hamilton. • India’s first NBA Game to be held in October
34. Indian men’s doubles pair has won the silver medal in • The first NBA game is scheduled to host from
the men’s doubles event at French Open -- Chirag Shetty October 4 to October 5 in in the SVP Stadium at
and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy. Dome, NSCI, in Mumbai.
35. Indian boxer clinched gold medals in Olympic Test Event 45. India won the under-19 Asia Cup for the 7th time – The
for Boxing in Tokyo, Japan -- Shiva Thapa and Pooja Rani. Indian U-19 cricket team has won the Asia Cup for the
second time in a row.

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• Team India defeated Bangladesh by 5 runs in a 47. India’s N. Wilson Singh and Satish Kumar Prahapati won
thrilling final in Colombo, Sri Lanka. the gold medal in the 10m platform synchronised diving
Note: event at the Asian Age Group Championships held in
• India has won the Under-19 Asia Cup title for the Bengaluru.
seventh time. 48. Jamaican sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won gold
• Earlier India won this title in 1989, 2003, 2012, medal in 100m race of 2019 IAAF World Championships
2013-14, 2016, 2018. held in Doha.
46. Maj Abdul Quadir Khan of the Corps of Signals has won 49. Indian fencer Bhavani Devi wins the silver medal in the
the Silver medal at the 53rd Asian Body Building and women’s sabre individual event at the Tournoi satellite
Physique Sports Championship held at Batam, Indonesia. competition in Belgium.
50. Mercedes Lewis Hamilton won 2019 Russia F1 Grand
Prix.
September

1. India lift SAFF U-18 Championship title for first time • Best Women’s Player: Megan Rapinoe of Reign
• India won the SAFF Under-18 football FC & United States
Championship by defeating Bangladesh by 2-1 in 7. World Wrestling Championships: India’s bags 5 medals
final held in Kathmandu, Nepal. This is India’s • The World Wrestling Championships held in Nur-
maiden SAFF U-18 trophy. Sultan, Kazakhstan.
2. IAAF Council: Adille Sumariwalla re-elected as its • Rahul Aware bagged a bronze medal in men’s
member – The President of Athletics Federation of India 61kg category.
(AFI), Adille Sumariwallam has been re-elected as • Deepak Punia won silver in men’s 86 kg freestyle.
member of Council of International Association of • Deepak Punia by winning silver has become only
Athletics Federations (IAAF). His election is for a second 5th Indian to reach the final at senior World
four-year term. Championships.
International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) • Bajrang Punia won a bronze medal
• It is the international governing body for sport of 8. Sumit Nagal wins title at ATP Challenger Tournament –
athletics. Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal has won the men’s
• It was established on 17 July 1912 in Stockholm, singles title at the ATP Challenger Tournament held in
Sweden. It is headquartered in Monaco. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• Membership: 215 member federations 9. Advani-Mehta pair wins “IBSF World Snooker” title –
3. PT Usha honoured with IAAF Veteran Pin – Former The Indian team of Pankaj Advani and Aditya Mehta to
athlete and Olympian PT Usha, known as 'Payyoli win the “IBSF World Snooker” title.
Express', has been awarded the prestigious International • India defeated Thailand in the team event to
Athletics Federation (IAAF) Veteran Pin Award. emerge World champions in the IBSF World
• IAAF chief Sebastian Coe presented her the snooker team event held in Mandalay, Myanmar.
Veteran Pin during the 52nd IAAF Congress at 10. Manipur wins Senior Women’s National Football
Doha. Championship – Manipur defeated Railways by 1-0 to win
4. Singapore Grand Prix Formula – Four-time world the Senior Women’s National Football Championship held
champion Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel in Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh.
5. Rupa Gurunath was appointed as the first woman • This was Manipur’s 20th National title.
president of Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) at the 11. Skolkova Fides Grand Prix title 2019 – Indian chess
87th Annual General Meeting of TNCA in Chennai, grandmaster, Koneru Hampi of Gudivada ( Andhra
TamilNadu. Pradesh) has clinched Fide World Grand Prix 2019 title.
6. FIFA Football Awards 2019 – The Best FIFA Football 12. Indian shuttler Malvika Bansod has won the Maldives
Awards 2019 were presented at La Scala opera house in International Future Series held in Maldives.
Milan, Italy. 13. Amit Panghal becomes first Indian male boxer to win
• Best Men’s Player: Lionel Messi of Barcelona & silver at World Boxing Championship – Amit Panghal
Argentina settled for the silver medal at World Boxing

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Championships after he lost to Uzbekistan’s Shakhobidin been appointed as the chairman of the England and
Zoirov 3-2 in the 52kg category final. Wales Cricket Board’s cricket committee.
• He became the first Indian male pugilist to win a 25. Megan Schutt becomes the first woman to claim two
silver in World Championships at Ekaterinburg in white ball hat-trick – Australian fast bowler Megan
Russia. Schutt scripted history by becoming the first woman to
14. The International Cricket Council has banned Sri Lankan claim two hat-tricks in white-ball cricket.
off-spinner Akila Dananjaya from bowling in international • The right-arm medium-pacer claimed an ODI hat-
matches for 1 year. trick to become the first Australian woman to
15. India slip to 104th spot in latest FIFA ranking – The achieve the feat.
Indian football team slipped a place to 104th position in • She became the first Australian women to claim
the latest FIFA rankings released. a hat-trick in ODIs. Schutt had claimed her first
16. Anurag Thakur announces cricket and sports academy hat-trick in a T20 game against India.
for Leh – Union Minister of State for Finance and 26. Athlete Hima Das named brand ambassador of Gatorade
Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur announced that a cricket by PepsiCo – PepsiCo India has roped in India’s star
and sports academy will be set up in Ladakh. athlete Hima Das as the brand ambassador for its sports
17. Vinesh Phogat wins bronze medal in Wrestling World drink brand Gatorade.
Championships – Vinesh Phogat won the bronze medal at • With this the 19-year old Hima Das joins ace
the Wrestling World Championships held in Nur-Sultan, shuttler PV Sindhu (since 2017) and javelin
Kazakhstan. thrower Neeraj Chopra (since 2018) as the
• She defeated Maria Prevolaraki of Greece in the brand’s ambassadors in country.
53 kg freestyle event. 27. Sports Ministry derecognises Paralympic Committee of
18. Dinesh Mongia announces retirement forms all form of India – Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS)
cricket – Former Indian Cricket all-rounder Dinesh Mongia derecognised the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) for
announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. violating National Sports Development Code of India,
19. Basketball World Cup – Spain defeated Argentina by 95- 2011.
75 to win the Basketball World Cup held in Beijing, China. 28. Diego Matos banned for a lifetime for match-fixing –
The next world cup will be held in 2023 in Japan, Diego Matos of Brazil was banned for life from
Indonesia and the Philippines. professional tennis for being found guilty of match-fixing.
• Spain became the fifth country to win the World 29. Feroz Shah Kotla stadium renamed after Arun Jaitley –
Cup 2 times. Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi will now be known as
20. India’s Kaushal Dharmamer wins Myanmar International Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Series – Indian shuttler Kaushal Dharmamer has won the • The stadium was renamed on 12 September
Myanmar International Series. He defeated Indonesia’s 2019 in the memory of former Finance Minister
Karono Karono by 18-21, 21-14, 21-11 in the finals. of the country and stalwart BJP leader Arun
21. Lakshya Sen wins Belgian International Badminton title – Jaitley.
Indian Badminton star, Lakshya Sen has won the Belgian 30. Sarah Thomas became the first person to swim across
International badminton title. the Channel four times – American Sarah Thomas, 37,
22. Sourabh Verma clinches Vietnam Open Super 100 title – became the first person to swim across the Channel four
Sourabh Verma has won the Vietnam Open Super 100 times non-stop in a 54-hour feat of endurance.
title held at the Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. • A woman who was treated for breast cancer a
23. Pankaj Advani became world champion for 22nd time – year ago has become the first person to swim
Pankaj Advani has become the world champion for the across the English Channel four times non-stop.
22nd time. 31. Vinesh Phogat becomes first Indian wrestler to qualify
• The 34-year-old Advani has won the title of IBSF for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – Indian women wrestler
World Billiards Championship for the fourth Vinesh Phogat has qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
consecutive time. This is his fifth world title in Vinesh managed to get an Olympic ticket in the 53 kg
the last 6 years in the short format of billiards. category.
• She has become the first Indian woman wrestler
24. Andrew Strauss becomes chairman of ECB’s cricket to make it to the 2020 Olympics.
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• Vinesh Phogat achieved this feat by defeating • Bianca Andreescu becomes the first Canadian
Sarah Hildebrandt of America in the repechage singles player to win a Grand Slam event.
rounder of the World Wrestling Championship. • She defeated Serena Williams 6-3, 7-5 in her first
Note: Grand Slam title.
• With the victory, Andreescu also jumps into the
• The International Olympic Committee (IOC. has top 10 in the WTA rankings.
selected Tokyo, Japan, to host the Summer • The 19-year-old teen is also the first woman to
Olympics in 2020. The games are planned to be win the trophy in her tournament debut in the
held from 24 July to 9 August 2020 in Tokyo. US Open era.
• The 2024 Summer Olympics will be held in Paris, 36. India Red clinch Duleep Trophy title
France. • India Red defeated India Green by an innings and
• The 2028 Summer Olympics will be held in Los 38 runs to clinch the Duleep Trophy title.
Angeles, California. 37. Malinga creates history by taking 4 wickets in 4 balls for
the second time in Int'l cricket
32. Zimbabwe captain Hamilton Masakadza retires from • Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga has taken
international cricket – The captain of Zimbabwe cricket four wickets in 4 balls for the second time in his
team Hamilton Masakadza retires from International international career.
cricket on 21st September. • The 36-year-old took his second double hat-trick
• He broke a T20I record in his final international by dismissing New Zealand’s Colin Munro,
game against Afghanistan in the ongoing tri- Hamish Rutherford, Colin de Grandhomme and
series also involving Bangladesh. Ross Taylor in the third T20I.
33. Deepak Punia claims world number 1 spot in 86 kg – • Earlier, he took four wickets in 4 consecutive
Wrestler Deepak Poonia became the world's number one balls against South Africa in the 2007 World Cup.
wrestler in the 86kg category in the latest rankings 38. Steve Smith becomes 2nd Australian to score 500 in
released by the international federation United World Ashes series
Wrestling (UWW). • On 5th September in the current Ashes series,
34. US Open men's singles title 2019 Steve Smith scored his third double century
• Winner - Rafael Nadal (Spain) against England.
• Runner-up - DomDaniil Medvedev (Russia) • With this, he became the second Australian after
Note: Allan Border to score 500 and more runs in the
• Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal has clinched his consecutive Ashes series in England. Smith
fourth US Open title at the Arthur Ash Stadium in scored 508 runs in the Ashes series in England
New York. which was held in 2015.
• With this win, Nadal won the second Grand Slam • Allan Border is the first Australian batsman who
this year. He also won the men's singles French scored 500 plus runs consecutively in the Ashes
Open title 2019 in England.
19th Grand Slam singles title - • Border scored more than 500 runs in 1981 and
• In the men's US Open 2019 final which lasted nearly 1985.
five hours, Nadal defeated Medvedev 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4- 39. Italian Grand Prix - Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has won the
6, 6-4 to win his 19th Grand Slam singles title. Italian Grand Prix.
• With this, Nadal is now just a step away from 40. Bianca Andreescu of Canada becomes 1st teen US Open
Switzerland's Roger Federer record of winning the semi-finalist
most Grand Slam title. • The 19-year-old Canadian, Bianca Andreescu
• Federer, who was out of the quarterfinals of the US became the first teen to enter in the semi-finals
Open 2019, has recorded 20 Grand Slams title in his of US Open tournament.
name. • Bianca Andreescu becomes the first teenager to
35. Bianca Andreescu wins U.S. Open women’s singles title reach the US Open semi-finals since Caroline
2019 Wozniacki in 2009.
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• Afghanistan leg spinner Rashid Khan created a bronze medal in the recently concluded World Martial
another record in his name. He has become the Arts Mastership Jiu-Jitsu 2019.
youngest Test Captain in the world at the age 20 • The event was held in Chungju, South Korea.
years 350 days. Now she qualified for 2022 Asian Games. she was
• Rashid Khan achieved this feat when the the only Indian to participate in the
Afghanistan team started playing against championship.
Bangladesh. • Jiu-Jitsu is a form of martial art and combat sport
• Rashid Khan won his first toss as a Test captain and it puts the entire focus on grappling with
and decided to bat first. particular emphasis on ground fighting.
• Before Rashid Khan, the record of captaining the 47. Virat Kohli becomes India's most successful Test skipper
Test team at the youngest was the name of • Virat Kohli surpassed Mahendra Singh Dhoni to
Tatenda Taibu of Zimbabwe. become India's most successful Test captain.
• He first captained against Sri Lanka in 2004. His • Virat achieved this feat by winning 28 matches
age at that time was 20 years 358 days. for India from 48 games.
42. Mithali Raj retires from T20Is • It came after the Indian team recorded its 28th
• Indian women cricketer Mithali Raj announced win under Kohli's leadership in the second and
her retirement from the T20 International final test against the West Indies at Kingston.
Cricket. • MS Dhoni in his captaincy won a total of 27
Note: matches from 60 Test matches.
• She leads team India in 32 T20 International • Sourav Ganguly with 21 wins and Mohammad
matches. Azharuddin with 14 wins are third and fourth in
• Three times she has also captained team India in the list of successful Indian Test skippers.
the ICC Women's World Twenty20. • Former South African captain Graeme Smith
• She was the first captain of the Indian women's remains the most successful skipper in the world
Twenty20 team in 2006, played a total of 89 with 53 Test wins, followed by ex-Australia
International Twenty20 matches and scored captain Ricky Ponting, who recorded 48 Test wins
2364 runs. in his captaincy tenure.
• She is the highest run-scorer in this format. 48. India beat Nepal 7-0 to lift SAFF Under-15 title
• She is also the first Indian woman to reach the • India defeated Nepal with 7-0 to lift the SAFF
landmark of 2000 T20I runs. Under-15 title at Kalyanai, West Bengal,
• She hails from Jodhpur, Rajasthan. • With this win, India wins the title for a record
43. Rishabh Pant became fastest Indian wicket-keeper to third time after previous wins in 2013 and 2017.
claim 50 dismissals in Test cricket • India is now the most successful team in the
• Rishabh Pant became fastest Indian wicket- tournament's history.
keeper to claim 50 dismissals in Test cricket. 49. Yashaswini Deswal wins gold at ISSF World Cup
• He broke previous record held by MS Dhoni for • Indian shooter Yashaswini Singh Deswal won
India. gold in the women’s 10meter Air Pistol event at
• Pant claimed his 50th test wicket in his 11th test the ISSF World Cup at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
during India vs West Indies. 50. Jasprit Bumrah becomes 3rd Indian to register hat trick
• MS Dhoni had taken 15 tests to get to 50 Test in Test cricket
dismissals. • Indian pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah has become
44. Qatar will host the FIFA World Cup in 2022. the third Indian to register a hat-trick in Test
• Qatar will be the first Arab country to host the cricket. He took 3 wickets in 3 successive balls in
World Cup. the 2nd test against West Indies, held in
45. Zimbabwe captain Hamilton Masakadza has announced Kingston, Jamaica. He dismissed Darren Bravo,
to retire from international cricket. Shamarh Brooks and Roston Chase to claim the
46. Anupama Swain wins bronze in World Martial Arts hat trick.
Mastership – Indian woman athlete Anupama Swain won • This was the third test hat-trick by an Indian
bowler after Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan.

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51. Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei completed the fastest half- 54. Belgian Grand Prix – Charles Leclerc of Ferrari won the
marathon ever ran by a woman. Belgian Grand Prix after defeating Lewis Hamilton by less
52. Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary won the gold than a second.
medal in mixed 10m air pistol at the ISSF World Cup in Rio 55. New head coach appointed of Pakistan Cricket team -
de Janeiro. Former captain Misbah-ul-Haq has been appointed as
53. Shot putter Tejinderpal Singh Toor won a silver medal head coach and chief selector of Pakistan’s cricket team.
during an athletic meet at Decin in the Czech Republic. Note: Waqar Younis appointed as the team’s new
bowling coach.

August

1. Goa to host 36th National Games. • S Aswatha Narayana won the gold medal in
• The 36th National Games to be held in Goa from water technology, Pranav Nutalapati won a silver
October 20 to November 4, 2020. medal in web technologies, Sanjoy Pramanik and
• Goa was earlier supposed to host the 36th Shweta Ratanpura won one bronze medal each
edition of the National Games in November last in Jewellery and graphic design technology.
year. 7. British Grand Prix – Spain motorcycle racer, Alex Rins of
2. Virgil van Dijk, Lucy Bronze win UEFA Award – Liverpool the Team SUZUKI ECSTAR has won the British Grand Prix.
Football player Virgil van Dijk has won UEFA’s Player of 8. Vikram Rathour appointed as Team India’s batting coach
the Year award. – Former Indian opener Vikram Rathour appointed as
3. Abhishek Verma and Elavenil Valarivan won the gold team India’s new batting coach. He will replace Sanjay
medal in shooting Worldcup – Abhishek Verma won the Bangar.
gold medal and Saurabh Chaudhary won the bronze • While Bharath Arun and R. Sridhar were retained
medal, in a dominant display by Indian shooters in the as bowling and fielding coaches.
men’s 10m air pistol event. 9. Durand Cup - Gokulam Kerala FC won the 129th Durand
• While Elavenil Valarivan opened India’s account Cup, defeating Mohun Bagan 2-1 at the Salt Lake Stadium
with a gold in the women’s 10m air rifle event of in Kolkata.
the World Cup at Rio de Janeiro. 10. PV Sindhu becomes first Indian to win World
4. West Indies fast bowler Cecil Wright retires at 85 – West Championships gold – Ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu has
Indies pacer Cecil Wright has announced his retirement won the World Championships title defeating Japan’s
from all forms of cricket at the ripe old age of 85. Nozomi Okuhara in the final at Basel, Switzerland.
• Wright made his first-class debut for Jamaica • Sindhu defeated her Japanese opponent Nozomi
against a Barbados side which had legends Wes Okuhara to 21-7, 21-7.
Hall and Sir Garfield Sobers. • This was Sindhu’s third straight World
• The 85-year-old claims to have played over two Championships final.
million games taking over 7,000 wickets in • With this victory, the 24-year-old shuttler has
professional cricket. become the first Indian to book a gold medal at
5. Ajantha Mendis announces retirement from Cricket – the World Championships.
Ajantha Mendis, the mystery spinner from Sri Lanka, has 11. Paytm retains title sponsorship of Indian cricket for 5
announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. years – The Board of Control for Cricket in India has
• Mendis played 19 Tests, 87 One-Day announced that mobile payments and e-commerce
Internationals and 39 T20Is for Sri Lanka, taking company “Paytm” has retained the title sponsorship
70 Test wickets, 152 ODI wickets and 66 T20I rights. Paytm has retained the title sponsorship rights for
wickets. all cricket matches, domestic and international, played in
6. Worldskills Kazan competition in Russia – Indian team India for 5 years.
created history by winning one gold, one silver and two 12. B.N.S. Reddy beats Bruce Barrios of the U.S. in the men’s
bronze medals at the world’s biggest international singles final to win the gold medal at the World Police
vocational skill competition, 45th WorldSkills Kazan 2019, and Fire Games.
Russia.

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13. Para swimmer Satendra Singh Lohia crosses America’s become the 1st Concussion Substitute player in the
Catalina Channel history of International cricket.
• Indian Para Swimmer Satendra Singh Lohia has • A Concussion Replacement Request is the
become the first Asian swimmer to cross the notification made to the ICC Match Referee
Catalina Channel of America. in accordance with the process set out by
• Satendra holds the Asian record of crossing both ICC.
the English and Catalina channels. • The Team Medical Representative is the
14. Komalika Bari becomes recurve cadet at the World individual designated for the assessment of
Archery Youth Championships – India’s Komalika Bari any head or neck injury sustained by a
became recurve cadet world champion at the World player.
Archery Youth Championships in Madrid, Spain. She • A Concussion Replacement is a player who
defeated higher-ranked Sonoda Waka of Japan 7-3 in the takes the place of a player who has been
final. replaced for the remainder of the match.
15. India won Bronze in World Archery Youth • The player will be selected from the list of
Championships – The Indian team of Sukhbeer Singh, nominated players provided by that team
Sangampreet Singh Bisla and Tushar Phadtare clinched a whose player was injured and will take a full
bronze medal in the junior compound men’s team event part in the match.
in the World Archery Youth Championships in Madrid, Note:
Spain. • In Ashes Series 2019, Steve Smith was ruled out of
16. Maharashtra launches Mission Shakti sports initiative – the last day of the 2nd Ashes Test match at Lord’s
• Film Actor Aamir Khan launched Mission due to concussion. Marnus Labuschagne replaced
Shakti, a Maharashtra government’s Smith on the last day of the Lord’s Test.
initiative to train athletes from tribal areas 20. Hima Das, Mohammad Anas win gold in Athleticky
for international sports events such as Mitink Reiter event - Indian sprinters Hima Das and
Olympics. Mohammad Anas have won a gold medal and Nirmal Tom
• It will help Maharashtra government to hunt clinched a bronze medal in 300m races at the Athleticky
for talented athletes in remote areas of Mitink Reiter event.
Chandrapur and Gadchiroli. • The event was held in Czech Republic. While
• At the launch event Aamir Khan felicitated a Hima won the gold in women’s category and
team of tribal mountaineers who had Mohammad Anas and Nirmal Tom claimed
recently scaled Mount Everest as part of the yellow and bronze medal in men’s
‘Mission Shaurya’. category.
Mission Shakti 21. India wins U-12 Asian Tennis Team championship – India
have won the gold medal at the Under 12 Asian Tennis
• It aims to groom tribal student for an Olympic medal Team championship held in Kazakhstan. India defeated
by 2024. Chinese Taipei in the summit clash to win the title.
• The mission is directed towards 6 sporting disciplines 22. India wins T20 Physical Disability World Cricket Series –
namely- archery, shooting, volleyball, swimming, India has won the inaugural T20 Physical Disability World
weightlifting and gymnastics. Cricket Series 2019 held in England.
17. Former Chelsea footballer Ashley Cole announces • India defeated England by 36 runs in the
retirement – Former Chelsea, Arsenal and England finals to win the title.
football player Ashley Cole aged 38, announced his • The 6-nation tournament was organized by
retirement from football. the England and Wales Cricket Board.
18. Mitchell Johnson becomes MCC Honourary Life member 23. Indian cyclists win gold at World Junior Track Cycling
– Former Australian pace bowler Mitchell Johnson has Championships – Indian cyclists team have won the gold
been elected as an Honorary Life Member of the medal in the Team Sprint event at World Junior Track
Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). Cycling Championships held in Frankfurt, Germany.
19. Labuschagne becomes 1st Concussion Substitute cricket • Indian team comprised of Esow Alben,
player – Australian player Marnus Labuschagne has Ronaldo Singh and Rojit Singh.

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• This is India’s first ever gold medal in a global Jutanugarn ($5.3 million) rounding out the top 15
cycling competition. of Forbes list of best-paid female athletes.
• The Indian team defeated Australian team in 31. Liverpool beats Chelsea to win UEFA Super Cup –
the finals to win the gold medal. Liverpool defeated Chelsea in the finals to win UEFA
24. In the 300m races held at the Athleticky Mitink Reiter Super Cup held in Istanbul. The match ended in draw with
Event 2019 in the Czech Republic, Indian sprinters Hima score 2-2 following the extra time.
Das and Mohammad Anas won gold in the women’s and 32. Simone Biles makes history with a “triple-double” twist
men’s category respectively. – Simone Biles makes history with a never-before-seen
• It was the sixth gold in European races by “triple-double” floor exercise landing.
Hima Das since July 2, 2019. • She performed the landing featuring “two
25. Russell Domingo appointed as the head coach of flips and three twists” in U.S. Gymnastics
Bangladesh, replacing Steve Rhodes (English cricket coach Championships held in Kansas City.
and former cricketer) by the Bangladesh Cricket Board 33. Wesley Sneijder announces retirement from Football –
(BCB). The Netherlands’ most-capped player Wesley Sneijder
26. NZ’s Tim Southee equals India’s Sachin Tendulkar’s announced his retirement from football.
record 34. Aishwarya Pissay wins FIM Bajas World Cup – Aishwarya
• New Zealand’s fast bowler Tim Southee now Pissay made history by becoming the first Indian to win a
equaled former Indian cricketer Sachin world title in motorsports as she won the FIM World Cup
Tendulkar’s record tally of sixes in Test in women’s category after the final round of the
cricket, on the first day of the Test match championship in Varpalota, Hungary.
between Srilanka and New-Zealand that was • The event was conducted by the
held at Galle, Srilanka. International Motorcycling Federation, the
• Both Tendulkar and Southee have made 69 governing body for motorcycle racing in the
sixes in the Test cricket. world.
27. Mumbai to host 2019 World Youth chess meet - The • The headquarters of International
2019 World Youth chess championship is to be held in Motorcycling Federation is in Mies,
Mumbai from October 1-13, at the Renaissance Hotel in Switzerland.
Powai, Mumbai 35. Women’s Cricket at Birmingham CWG – Cricket will
28. Ravi Shastri appointed as Head Coach of Indian Cricket come back to the Commonwealth Games (CWG) roster
Team – Former all-rounder Ravi Shastri has been for the 1st time since 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, with the
appointed as the head coach of Indian cricket team for inclusion of women’s T20 for the 2022 edition in
another two years. Birmingham.
29. Deepak Punia wins Junior World Championship title – • It will take place from July 27 to August 7,
Deepak Punia won the gold medal at the Junior World 2022, with 8 international teams playing
Championships held in Talinn, Estonia. cricket. This decision was taken by
• He defeated Russia’s Alik Shebzukov to win Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and
the 86 kg junior freestyle title. the International Cricket Council (ICC).
30. Serena Williams tops Forbes list of best-paid female 36. Dutch Hero Wesley Sneijder announces retirement from
athletes – Football.
• Serena Williams topped the List of Highest-Paid 37. Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu wins Rogers Cup
Female Athletes 2019 published by Forbes. 2019 – Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu wins Rogers
• She has topped the annual list for a 4th Cup tennis tournament 2019 held in Toronto, Canada.
consecutive year with estimated total earnings of • She was the first Canadian to win the event
$29.2 million. in 50 years. Serena Williams was the runner-
• Japan’s Naomi Osaka was 2nd on the list with up in the final.
earnings of ($24.3 million). 38. Sourabh Verma wins Hyderabad Open – Indian
• Indian badminton player P.V. Sindhu came in tied Badminton star Sourabh Verma clinched the Men’s
for 13th ($5.5 million), with Thai golfer Ariya Singles title in the Hyderabad Open.

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• He beat Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew in a 52- • The policy sets out a testosterone limit for
minute final clash. Sourabh Verma belongs transgender and gender-diverse players who
to Madhya Pradesh. want to play for state and national women’s
39. Chennai Lions beat Dabang Delhi to win UTT – Chennai teams.
Lions wins the Ultimate Table Tennis league. They 44. World Archery suspends AAI for violating guidelines –
defeated Dabang Delhi in the finals by 8-1. Chennai Lions The World Archery (WA) has suspended the Archery
collected the winner’s share of Rs. 75 lakh while Delhi Association of India for violating its guidelines.
settled for Rs. 50 lakh. • The AAI violated the WA’s guidelines by
electing two parallel bodies.
40. Rafael Nadal wins Montreal Masters title – Rafael Nadal • As per the suspension order, the last event in
wins in Montreal to win 35th Masters crown. He defeated which the Indian archers can participate
Russian Daniil Medvedev by 6-3, 6-0. under the Indian flag is the World Archery
• With the win, he also extended his record Youth Championships to be held in Madrid.
haul of Masters 1000 titles. 45. Diego forlan announces retirement from professional
41. Bajrang Punia wins gold at Tbilisi Grand Prix – Bajrang football – Legendary Uruguay striker Diego Forlan has
Punia wins gold at Tbilisi Grand Prix held in Tbilisi, announced his retirement from professional football.
Georgia. • He had won the Golden Ball award after
• He defeated Iran’s Peiman Bibyani by 2-0 in being adjudged the best player of the 2010
the 65 kg final of the men’s freestyle FIFA World Cup.
competition. 46. Amla retires from international cricket – South African
• It was the 4th gold of the season for the batsman Hashim Amla has retired from all formats of
Asian Games champion. international cricket.
42. BCCI has agreed to come under NADA ambit – The Board • Amla played 124 Tests, 181 ODIs and 44
of Control For Cricket In India has agreed to come under T20Is between his 15-year-long cricketing
the ambit of the National Anti-Doping Agency. career.
• This decision makes Indian Cricket’s • Scoring more than 18,000 runs, including 55
governing body a sports federation as per centuries and 88 other scores in excess of 50
government norms. As a result, all cricketers 47. 1st woman to win 4,000km cycling race – German cancer
will now be tested by NADA. researcher Fiona Kolbinger won the mixed annual
About NADA 4,000km(2,485 miles) cycling Transcontinental Race from
• The National Anti-Doping Agency is the Burgas in Bulgaria to Brest in France.
national organisation responsible for • Kolbinger becomes the 1st woman to win
promoting, coordinating, and monitoring the one of the world’s toughest cycling races in
doping control program in sports in all its her first ultra-distance event.
forms in India. 48. Sally Pearson announces retirement from Track and field
• It was established as registered society – Australia’s reigning world-champion hurdler Sally
under Societies Registration Act of 1890 in Pearson announced her surprise retirement due to injury.
2005 with mandate for dope free sports in 49. Nick Kyrgios beats Daniil Medvedev to win 6th ATP title –
India. Australia’s Nick Kyrgios kept his composure and captured
43. Cricket Australia unveils new transgender inclusive the ATP Washington Open title, defeating Russia’s 10th-
policy – The Cricket Australia has announced new ranked Daniil Medvedev.
transgender inclusive policy. This policy will enable 50. Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, aged
transgender players to play the game of cricket at the 37, has announced retirement from all forms of cricket.
highest levels. 51. Ravichandran Ashwin named “PCA Player of the Month
• The decision aligns in accordance with the – Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been
International Cricket Council’s (ICC’s) gender named as Professional Cricketers Association’s Player of
recognition policy and gender diversity the month of July 2019.
guidelines. • He has been named for his consistent
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as he hit 197 runs and picked up 23 wickets 2019 starting from September 24, 2019, to October 2,
from just 3 matches for Nottinghamshire. 2019, will give the country’s swimming enthusiasts an
52. South African bowler Dale Steyn retires from Test opportunity to witness the aquatic event.
cricket. 58. Steve Smith becomes second fastest to score 25 test
53. Vinesh wins gold in 53kg at Poland Open Wrestling centuries overtaking Virat Kohli – Former Australian
Tournament. captain Steve Smith has overthrown Indian Skipper Virat
54. 1st Indian doubles pair to win Super 500 title – India’s Kohli to become the second-fastest batsman to score 25
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty scripted a test centuries during the second innings of the first Ashes
history to win the men’s doubles final of the Thailand test match against England.
Open badminton championship in Bangkok. • The chart is topped by Australian cricketer,
• This is the first-ever Indian men’s Sir Don Bradman.
combination to win a BWF Super 500 title. • Smith recorded this feat in his 119th innings
55. Hungarian Grand Prix – Formula One Mercedes driver whereas Sir Don Bradman achieved this feat
Lewis Hamilton winner. in just 68 innings.
56. Birmingham Commonwealth Games: Organisers firm on 59. Lionel Messi suspended from Argentina for 3 months –
shooting exclusion - Commonwealth Games chief Louise Soccer body CONMEBOL suspended Lionel Messi from
Martin said shooting will not be part of the 2022 edition international matches for three months because of
in Birmingham. accusations of corruption he made at the latest Copa
• Commonwealth Game 2022 scheduled to be America.
held in Birmingham, England. • The South American body also fined the
57. Bangalore will host the 10th AASF Asian Age Group superstar in USD 50,000 for his comments
Championships 2019 for the 1st time – For the first time, after Argentina’s 2-1 win against Chile in the
Bangalore(Karnataka) will host the 10th AASF (Asia third-place playoff of the tournament.
Swimming Federation) Asian Age Group Championships

July

1. ICC World Cup title 2019 – • Novak Djokovic (Serbian) won his fifth
• England lifted the ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy Wimbledon title after defeating Swiss tennis ace
2019 at the Lord’s cricket stadium in London. Roger Federer.
• England defeated New Zealand with more • This is Djokovic’s 16th Grand Slam and 5th
number of boundaries in the Super Over thriller Wimbledon title. He is now level with Bjorn Borg
in the grand finale of ICC Cricket World Cup as a five-time Wimbledon winner.
Trophy 2019. • Mixed Doubles –
Note: Winner - Dodig (Croatia) and L. Chan (Taiwan)
• Player of the tournament: Kane Williamson (New Runner up - R. Lindstedt (Sweden) and J.
Zealand). Ostapenko (Latvia)
• Player of the Match Award: Ben Stokes (England). • Women’s Doubles
• Highest run scorer of the tournament: Rohit Sharma Winner - S W. Hsieh (Taiwan) and B. Strycova
(India). (Czech Republic)
• Highest wicket taker of the tournament: Mitchell Runner up - G. Dabrowski (Canada) and Y. Xu
Starc (Australia). (China)
Note: • Men’s Doubles
• The 13th edition of ICC Cricket World Cup will be held Winner - Juan Sebastian Cabal (Colombia) and
in India from February 9 to March 26, 2023. Robert Farah (Colombia)
2. Wimbledon 2019 – Runner up - Nicolas Mahut (France) and Edouard
• Simona Halep (Romanian) beats Serena Williams Roger Vasselin (France)
to win first Wimbledon title. 3. Ellyse Perry becomes first cricketer to reach 1000 runs,
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became the first cricketer of either gender to reach the 9. India will host ISSF World Cup 2020 – International
rare milestone of scoring 1000 runs and taking 100 Shooting Sport Federation approved India’s application to
wickets in the T20 format. host the ISSF World Cup stages.
4. ‘Robot umpires’ debut in U.S. baseball league – The • World Cup will be held in New Delhi from March
Independent Atlantic League became the first American 15 to 26 ,2020.
professional baseball league to let a computer call balls • The last edition of ISSF World Cup was held in
and strikes. Munich, Germany.
• The umpires have the ability to override the 10. Khelo India Youth Games 2020 to be held in Guwahati –
computer, which considers a pitch a strike when The 3rd edition of Khelo India Youth Games 2020 will be
the ball bounces and then crosses the zone. held in Guwahati.
5. Indian weightlifter Ajay Singh created a new • Khelo India programme’s inaugural edition was
Commonwealth record in the clean and jerk category en held in New Delhi in 2018.
route to a gold medal at the Commonwealth • The 2nd edition of ‘Khelo India Youth Games’
Championships held in Apia, Samoa. was held in 2019 in Pune, Maharashtra.
6. Sunil Chhetri named AIFF Player of the Year for a record • In the second edition of Khelo India Youth Games
6th time (2nd edition), Maharashtra topped with 228
medals (85 gold, 62 silver and 81 bronze).
• Sunil Chhetri was named as the AIFF Men's • Haryana was second with total 178 medals (62
Footballer of the Year for a record-extending gold, 56 silver and 60 bronze) while Delhi was
sixth time. third with total 136 medals (48 gold, 37 silver
• Sunil Chhetri has already won Player of the and 51 bronze) for a total of 136 medals.
Year award in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 11. Mary Kom wins gold in President’s Cup – Six times World
2017 Champion MC Mary Kom (36) claimed gold medal at 23rd
• India midfielder Abdul Samad was named President’s Cup held in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia. She
the AIFF Emerging Men's Player of the Year. defeated April Franks of Australia with 5-0
Note: 12. German Grand Prix – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen
• Ashalata Devi (Maipur) was named the AIFF 13. Chandigarh gets BCCI affiliation – Chandigarh received
Women's Footballer of the Year 2018-19 – affiliation from the Board of Control for Cricket in
• Manipur's Dangmei Grace was announced as the India(BCCI) after nearly four decades.
emerging player of the year in the women's category. • After getting BCCI affiliation, Chandigarh Cricket
Note: Association-Punjab had recently decided to
• AIFF Player of Year has been awarded by All merge with Union Territory Cricket Association,
India Football Federation since 1992. thus paving way for the Union Territory to be
• It is an annual association football award recognised as a separate entity.
presented to best footballer in India. 14. ICC launched the World Test Championship – The WTC
7. FIFA rankings: India drops two places to 103 – On 25th will see the top nine Test teams in the world – Australia,
July 2019, Federation Internationale de Football Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South
Association(FIFA) has released its ranking for the year Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.
2019. Belgium leads the overall FIFA rankings, followed • Compete in 71 Test matches across 27 series,
by Brazil, France, England, and Uruguay. played over two years.
• Indian football team slipped two places to 103rd • The top 2 teams at the end will compete in the
in the recent FIFA rankings with 1214 ranking ICC World Test Championship Final in the UK in
points. June 2021.
8. Nuwan Kulasekara, Sri Lanka pacer retires from 15. ICC suspends Zimbabwe Cricket - International Cricket
international cricket - Sri Lanka pacer, Kulasekara Council has suspended Zimbabwe for failing to ensure
Mudiyanselage Dinesh Nuwan Kulasekara aged 37 there is no government interference in its running of the
announced retirement from international cricket. He hails sport.
from Nittambuwa, Sri Lanka. • ICC funding has been withdrawn and the country
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Zimbabwe’s Test status was suspended by the • Women (Elite): Manpreet Kaur has won silver
ICC in June 2004. medal in 76kg event.
16. North Korea wins Intercontinental Cup title – North • Junior: R. Arockiya Alish has won silver medal in
Korea wins the 2nd edition of Intercontinental Cup 76kg event.
football tournament. North Korea beats Tajikistan in the 25. Tamil Nadu girl wins gold medal in World Deaf title –
finals held in Ahmedabad. Tamil Nadu girl Jerlin Anika has won the gold medal in the
17. British Grand Prix - Lewis Hamilton World Deaf Youth Badminton Championships held in
18. Mexico wins CONCACAF Gold Cup final - Mexico Taipei. 15-year-old Anika bagged four medals in the
defeated USA to claim their eighth CONCACAF Gold Cup championship, including the gold, two silver and one
title. Jonathan Dos Santos scored the winning goal in 73rd bronze.
min for Mexico in the thrilling final. 26. In Table Tennis, Indian pair G. Sathiyan and Anthony
19. Vinesh Phogat wins gold at Yasar Dogu International in Amalraj won the bronze at the World Tour Platinum
Istanbul. Australian Open. They defeat Korean pair of Jeoung
• Phogat beat her Russian opponent Ekaterina Youngsik and Lee Sangsu.
Poleshchuk in the final match to bag the gold 27. Boxer Vijender Singh wins 11th consecutive pro bout –
medal. He defeated Mike Snider on his debut in the US
20. 2019 Croatia Grand Chess Tour title - Magnus Carlsen professional circuit at Newark in the US.
won the 2019 Croatia Grand Chess Tour title. 28. M. Sreeshankar has won the long jump gold at the
21. 21st Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship held in Tatyana Kolpakova International athletics. The
Cuttack, Odisha. tournament was held in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan).
• India women defeated Singapore to clinch their 29. Amir Khan (British professional) wins WBC international
first-ever Commonwealth Table Tennis title welterweight title. He defeated Australian Billy Dib in the
• India men pipped England 3-2 in the final in fourth round of his bout in the inaugural Super Boxing
Cuttack League held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
22. Hima Das wins gold in “Tabor Athletics” - Star Indian 30. Vijayveer wins his 3rd gold at ISSF Junior Shooting World
sprinter Hima Das clinched gold in a 200m race in 23.25 Cup – Vijayveer Sidhu picked up his third gold medal of
seconds creditable timing in the Tabor Athletics Meet in the ongoing ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany,
Czech Republic. combining with Rajkanwar Singh Sandhu and Adarsh
23. Commonwealth Senior Weightlifting Championships – 4 Singh to clinch the men’s 25m pistol.
gold medals for India 31. Anish Bhanwala claims gold medal in ISSF Junior World
• Mirabai Chanu wins gold in the senior women’s Cup - Shooter Anish Bhanwala claimed gold in 25m rapid
49 kg event. fire pistol competition to continue India’s dominance in
• Jhilli Dalabehra wins gold in the senior women’s the tournament in Suhl, Germany.
45 kg event. 32. Sarabjot Singh wins gold medal in ISSF Junior World Cup
• Soroikhaibam Bindyarani Devi wins gold while tournament in Suhl, Germany.
Matsa Santoshi wins the silver medal in the 33. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has launched the All India
senior women’s 55kg event. Football Federation’s Golden Baby Leagues handbook
• Rishikanta Singh grabbed the gold in the senior 2019-20.
men’s 55kg event. 34. Collin Morikawa wins the US PGA title – American Collin
24. Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships – India Morikawa has won the US PGA title at the Barracuda
have won 4 gold medals in Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship. This was his 1st win in the US PGA title.
Championships held in Apia, Samoa. The Indian medallists 35. Former France and Manchester United defender Patrice
are: Evra has announced his retirement.
• Men (Elite and junior): Achinta Sheuli has won 2 36. Hima Das returns to 400m run, grabs 5th gold - Indian
gold medals in 73kg event. sprinter Hima Das extended her sensational run by
• Junior: Gulam Navi has won gold medal in 67kg claiming her fifth gold of the month as she returned to
event. her pet 400m competition with a season-best time of
• Junior and youth: L. Sadananda Singh has won 52.09 seconds in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. She is
Bronze & Gold medals in 73kg event. fondly called the ‘Dhing Express’.

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37. BCCI approves Indian Cricketers Association - The BCCI • Hungarian teenager Milak won the final in
has approved the Indian Cricketers Association (ICA). The 1:50.73, breaking the previous record of 1:51.51,
ICA is not affiliated to Federation of International set by Phelps in 2009.
Cricketers’ Association (FICA) and is only open to former 47. Nikoloz Basilashvili wins the German Tennis
men and women cricketers. Championships. He defeated Andrey Rublev to
• Former India cricketers Kapil Dev, Ajit Agarkar successfully defend his title at the German Tennis
and Shantha Rangaswamy are the directors at Championships.
ICA. • With the win, he has become first player to win
38. First Indian boxer to win gold at President’s Cup - Shiva the event in successive years since Roger Federer
Thapa became India’s first gold-medallist at the in 2004-2005.
President’s Cup boxing tournament after getting a 48. Dressel breaks the Phelps record in 100m butterfly
walkover in the finals in Astana, Kazakhstan. stroke – American star Caeleb Dressel destroyed Michael
39. Ravinder Malik clinches Mr South Asia title - Indian Phelps’s World record in the 100 metres butterfly at the
bodybuilder Ravinder Kumar Malik has clinched Mr. World Aquatics Championships 2019 in Gwangju (South
South Asia title. He has crowned the overall champion at Korea).
12th South Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports • Caeleb Dressel take 49.50 seconds in the semi-
Championship in Kathmandu. final event and breaking the old record of 49.82
40. Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi wins Indonesia Open - Japan’s seconds set by Michael Phelps.
Akane Yamaguchi wins Indonesia Open BWF Tour Super 49. Egan Bernal claims Colombia’s 1st Tour de France title –
1000 tournament held in Jakarta, Indonesia. She defeated Egan Bernal became the 1st Colombian to win the Tour
India’s P.V. Sindhu. de France which finished in Paris, France. He beat the
41. WBA welterweight title - Filipino legend Manny defending champion Geraint Thomas of Britain by 1
Pacquiao claimed the WBA welterweight minute 11 seconds.
championship after scoring a split-decision win 50. Dalilah Muhammad shatters 400m hurdles World record
against Keith Thurman. – Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad shattered one of
42. Shane Lowry wins British Open - Irishman Shane Lowry the longest standing records in women’s athletics with a
wins British Open to claim his first major golfing title at superb display to clinch victory in the 400m hurdles at US
Royal Portrush. Championships.
43. John Isner wins Hall of Fame Tennis Championships - 51. Sniper Frontier Competition: 2019 – A 9 member Indian
American tennis player John Isner wins Hall of Fame Army team has left for Belarus to compete in the Sniper
Tennis Championships title in Newport, Rhode Island. Frontier Competition as part of the International Army
44. Adam Peaty breaks 57 seconds barrier & 100m Games scheduled on 03 Aug to 17 Aug 2019.
breaststroke world record – The Britain swimmer Adam 52. 2020 Tokyo Olympics will feature Table Tennis Mixed
Peaty has break the world record in the men’s 100 metre Doubles event - For the first time in the Olympic Games’
breaststroke at the World Championships in Gwangju, history, Table Tennis Mixed Doubles event added in a
South Korea. He smashed the previous record of 57.10 new Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games.
seconds. 53. Prithvi Shaw suspended by BCCI for doping violation –
45. Abhay, Tanvi win Bengal Open squash titles – Abhay Prithvi Shaw has been suspended by Board of Control for
Singh of Tamil Nadu and Tanvi Khanna clinched the men’s Cricket in India for 8 months for a doping violation. Shaw
and women’s titles respectively in the sixth Bengal Open was charged with the commission of an Anti-Doping Rule
squash tournament. Violation (ADRV) under the BCCI Anti-Doping Rules.
• Earlier under-15 category witnessed a thrilling 54. FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 – The U.S. women's
battle between fifth seeded Tamil Nadu girl national soccer team defeated the Netherlands 2-0 in the
Shameena Riaz upsetting top seed Soniya Bajaj 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup final.
from Maharashtra. • Host country - France
46. Kristof Milak breaks the Phelps record in 200m butterfly • USA secured its fourth Women’s World Cup title
stroke – Kristof Milak shattered Michael Phelps’ long- (1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019), now winning twice
standing world record in the 200 metres butterfly at the as many Women’s World Cup tournaments as
World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju. any other nation.

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• USA's Jill Ellis became the first coach to win two at the age of 35 after a 10-year spell with German giants
FIFA Women's World Cup titles. Bayern Munich.
55. Brazil beats Peru in the final to lift the Copa America 2019 64. Austrian Grand Prix 2019 - Max Verstappen (Red Bull’s)
title 65. Toran Yadav, a para-athlete wins 3 medals at 4th World
56. Rahul Dravid appointed as Head of Cricket at NCA by Wealth Yoga Championship 2019 - Toran Yadav(19), a
BCCI – The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) specially-abled boy from Khatti village in Chhattisgarh
appointed the former Indian captain Rahul Dravid as clinched 3 medals for India at 4th World Yoga Festival and
Head of Cricket at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). Championship 2019, held at Bulgaria, Sofia.
57. IOA President Narinder Batra elected to IOC – Narinder 66. Hima Das (Indian athletes) have won 4 gold medals in the
Batra, President of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) was Kutno Athletics Meet held in Poland.
elected as a member of International Olympic Committee 67. Vinesh Phogat & Divya Kakran won gold; Pooja Dhanda
(IOC) in Lausanne, Switzerland. won silver at the Wrestling Grand Prix 2019 of Spain.
58. Indian Pro Boxer Wins WBC Asia Title - Indian pro boxer 68. Elavenil Valarivan clinched silver medal in shooting in
Vaibhav Yadav has become the WBC Asia Silver women’s 10m Air Rifle event at the 30th Summer
Welterweight Champion. He defeated Thailand’s Universiade Games 2019 held in Napoli, Italy.
Fahpetch Singmanassak in the title bout held in Pattaya, 69. World Youth Cup 2019 was held in Umag, Croatia – A 10-
Thailand. year old Karate girl, Arinjeeta Dey (Barasat, West Bengal)
59. India loses to Pakistan in the IBSF Snooker World Cup has won a silver medal in the under 12 age category in
finals – The Indian team lost to Pakistan in the final of the the World Youth Cup 2019 which was held in Umag,
IBSF Snooker World Cup in Doha. India lost the summit Croatia.
clash by 1-3. Pankaj Advani and Laxman Rawat 70. 34th Sailing Championship inaugurated in Telangana -
represented the Indian team in the world cup. The 34th edition of Hyderabad Sailing Week National
60. Ambati Rayudu retires from international cricket - Indian Ranking Multi-Class Championship 2019 was inaugurated
batsman Ambati Rayudu has announced his retirement by Governor of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, ESL
from international cricket. Narasimhan in Hyderabad, Telangana.
61. Dutee Chand wins gold in Summer University Games - 71. Veer Chotrani won Asian U-19 champion in Squash -
Dutee Chand from Odisha has won the gold medal in the Veer Chotrani became third Indian after he won 26th
women’s 100 metre sprint at the 30th Summer University Asian junior Individual squash championship 2019 in the
Games in Naples, Italy. U-19 category at Macau, China. It was organized by
62. Magnus Carlsen won the 2019 Croatia Grand Chess Tour Macau Squash Association.
title
63. Arjen Robben announces retirement from football –
Arjen Robben has announced his retirement from football
June

1. ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 – •Rohit scored his fifth century of the World Cup
• The 12th edition was hosted by England and against Sri Lanka.
Wales from 30 May to 14 July 2019. • He scored rest four centuries against South
• Total number of Matches played – 48 Africa, Pakistan, England and Bangladesh.
• Winner of ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 – • Rohit Sharma broke the record of former Sri
Australia Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara who scored
• It is the fifth time that the Cricket World Cup is four centuries in the 2015 World Cup in Australia.
being held in England and Wales, following the • Rohit also equalled Sachin Tendulkar in the total
1975, 1979, 1983 and 1999 World Cups. number of World Cup hundreds. Both the Indians
2. Rohit Sharma sets world record of maximum hundreds have six hundred to their names.
in single World Cup 3. Afghanistan batsman Ikram Ali Khil breaks Sachin
• Indian batsman Rohit Sharma became the first Tendulkar's long-Standing World Cup record –
batsman in the world to score five hundred in a • Afghanistan batsman Ikram Ali Khil broke Sachin
single World Cup. Tendulkar's long-standing record to become the

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youngest player to register a 80+ score in the 10. Shooting game has been excluded from 2022
World Cup history. Commonwealth Games.
• Ikram Ali Khil, at the age of 18 years and 278 • The 2022 Commonwealth Games will be held in
days scored 86 runs in Afghanistan's last league Birmingham, England from 27 July to 7 August
match against West Indies. 2022.
• Tendulkar's had scored 81 runs at the age of 18 11. Men’s Asian Snooker Championship - Pankaj Advani has
years and 318 days in a World Cup match against clinched the 35th men’s Asian Snooker Championship
Zimbabwe in 1992. held in Doha.
4. Rashid Khan becomes most expensive bowler in World 12. Bronze medal for India at Asian Artistic Gymnastic
Cup history Championship - India’s gymnast Pranati Nayak has won a
• Afghanistan leg spinner Rashid Khan recorded bronze medal in the vault event at the Senior Asian
the worst bowling figures in an ICC World Cup Artistic Championships. The championship was held in
Match after conceding 110 runs in 9 overs Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
against England. 13. Fernando Torres retires from football - The spanish
• Previous record of conceding 105 runs in 12 footballer Fernando Torres who was a part of 2010 World
overs was held by New Zealand’s Martin Cup Winning Team of Spain has announced his
Snedden. retirement from football.
5. Virat Kohli becomes the fastest cricketer to score 20,000 14. Indian women’s hockey team defeats Japan in FIH Series
international runs Finals – The Indian women’s hockey team have won the
• Virat Kohli becomes the fastest cricketer to score FIH Series Finals after defeating Japan. The team rose to a
20,000 international runs. victory with a score of 3-1. The series was held in Japan.
• He took just 417 innings to reach the milestone • The best player title was clinched by Rani
and advanced the time taken by legends such as Rampal.
Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara. 15. France Grand Prix 2019 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes
• The India captain reached the milestone when he Driver)
reached the score of 37 in India’s 6th match in 16. Marcus Trescothick to retire from professional cricket -
World Cup tournament against West Indies. Former England batsman Marcus Trescothick is to retire
6. IOC opens new headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland - from professional cricket. Trescothick, 43, played 76 Tests
The International Olympic Committee has formally for England between 2000 and 2006 and scored 5,825
opened new headquarters in Switzerland exactly 125 runs at an average of 43.79.
years after the Olympic Games were revived. 17. Hima bags gold in Poznan Athletics Grand Prix – Hima
7. IOC lifts sanctions imposed on India to host Das, the under-20 World champion has won the gold
international sporting events medal in women’s 200m in the Poznan Athletics Grand
• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) lifted Prix. Poznan Athletics Grand Prix is taking place in
the sanctions imposed on India to host Poznan, Poland.
international sporting events. 18. India proposes to host 2023 IOC session – India has
• The sanctions were imposed on India when proposed to host 2023 International Olympic Committee
Pakistani shooters were not issued visas for the (IOC) session in Mumbai, which is expected to choose
ISSF World Cup held in Delhi in February 2019. host city for 2030 Winter Olympics.
8. Summer Olympics 2020 Venue – Tokyo, Japan - Japan • Earlier, India has hosted the 86th IOC Session in
will be the host nation of the 2020 Summer Olympics in 1983 in New Delhi.
Tokyo from 24 July to 9 August 2020. 19. Italy to host 2026 Winter Olympics
9. Bronze for India in the 58th Ostrava Golden Spike • The Italian city Milan was named as host of 2026
Athletics meet - Annu Rani won the women’s javelin Winter Olympics.
bronze in the 58th Ostrava Golden Spike athletics meet, 20. Coca-Cola and Chinese Dairy firm sign Olympic
an IAAF World Challenge event. Sponsorship – Coca-Cola and Chinese dairy firm Mengniu
• Annu Rani is a Javelin thrower from Uttar have signed a multi-year global Olympic deal to become
Pradesh. joint sponsors (beverages and dairy) of Olympic Games
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21. India women’s Rugby team record 1st-ever International 29. Gary Woodland won the 119th US Open Golf title after
win – Indian Women’s Rugby team claimed their 1st ever defeating two-time defending champion Brook Koepka.
international women’s 15s victory after beating 30. FIFA latest Rankings: India remains static at 101 - The
Singapore in the Asian Women Rugby Championship Indian football team remained static at 101st place in the
Division 1 in Manila, Philippines. FIFA rankings.
22. 10th Halle Open 2019 title - Roger Federer (37) of • Belgium continued to top overall world rankings,
Switzerland defeated David Goffin (Belgium) to win the followed by France, Brazil, England, and Portugal.
27th edition of the Halle Open 2019. 31. Peter Gilchrist wins Pacific International Billiards
23. Odisha to host the 21st Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship - Peter Gilchrist defeated India’s Sourav
Championship 2019. Kothari in final.
24. Girish Koushik of Karnataka became India’s 63rd 32. Yuvraj Singh announces retirement from International
Grandmaster. Cricket - Yuvraj Singh announced retirement from
25. Indian women’s Rugby team scripted history in Manila - international cricket.
The 26-member squad of Indian women’s Rugby team • The 37-year-old cricketer announced his decision
created a historic first international 15s rugby match win in Mumbai.
at Southern Plains Sports Field in Manila, Philippines. • Yuvraj played 40 Tests, 304 ODIs and 58 T20Is for
26. French Open Tennis 2019 – The 2019 French Open was India.
the 123rd edition of a Grand Slam tennis tournament. It • He put together 1900 runs in the longest format,
was held from 26 May to 9 June 2019, at Stade Roland and 8701 in the one-dayers, the format in which
Garros in Paris, France. he enjoyed the most success.
List of Winners 33. Kohli is the sole Indian in the list of top-paid athletes –
• Men’s single title - Spain’s Rafael Nadal defeated Virat Kohli, ranked 100th, remains the sole Indian in the
Dominic Thiem of Austria. Forbes list of world’s highest-paid athletes with estimated
Note: With this win Rafael Nadal won the French annual earnings of $25 million.
Open title for 12th time and 18th overall Grand • The list is topped by Barcelona and Argentina
Slam title. football superstar Lionel Messi.
• Women’s Singles title – Ashleigh Barty of • Top 5 athletes in the list are - Lionel Messi,
Australia defeated Marketa Vondrousova of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Canelo Alvarez
Czech Republic in final. (Mexican professional boxer) and Roger Federer.
• She won the1st Women’s Singles title at French 34. Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes won Formula One Canadian
Open tennis 2019. Grand Prix 2019.
• Women’s Doubles title - Hungary’s Tímea Babos 35. Sunil Chhetri became the most capped India player by
& France’s Kristina Mladenovic defeated Zheng surpassing Bhaichung Bhutia’s 107 international matches.
Saisai & Duan Yingying of China in final. 36. IAAF to rebrand as World Athletics - World athletics’
• Mixed Doubles title - Chinese Taipei’s Latisha governing body, the International Association of Athletics
Chan & Ivan Dodi goof Croatia defeated Gabriela Federations (IAAF) will re-brand itself as World Athletics.
Dabrowski of Canada & Mate Pavić of Croatia in The rebranding would be operational from October 2019.
final. 37. Facebook launched its first interactive Game Show in
27. Joshna Chinappa wins record 17th National Title in India - The Social networking giant Facebook launched its
Squash – Joshna Chinappa made a record for the most first interactive game show, titled “Confetti” in India on 4
number of national titles after beating her Tamil Nadu June 2019. The launch announcement was made on
state-mate Sunayna Kuruvilla. sidelines of Facebook’s Social Entertainment Summit held
28. FIH Men’s Series Finals, India defeated South Africa by 5 in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
goals.

Science & Defense

Military Exercise

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November

1. Indian Navy to host multi-nation military drill in Note: The union Govt. also notified that HNLC’s
March -- Milan 2020. activities are detrimental to the sovereignty and
Note: 41 nations from South Asia, Southeast Asia, integrity of India.
Africa and Europe that share defence cooperation 10. Pakistan successfully test fires Shaheen-1 surface-
with India have been invited for the drill. to-surface ballistic missile:
2. The union Govt. has extended to ban on Assam- Note: The test come days after India conducted the
based NDFB by another ---5 years. first night trial of Agni-II surface-to-surface medium
3. Mine Counter Measure Exercise-first time between – range nuclear-capable missile having strike range of
India & Japan. 2,000 km.
Note: This is first time an explosive ordance disposal 11. A three-day naval exercise is being conducted
and mine counter measure was held by Indian and between the Indian and Qatar Naval Forces -- Za’ir-
Japanese forces. Al-Bahr (Roar of the Sea).
4. United States of America (USA) approved Foreign Note: The aim of the exercise is to enhance
Military Sale to India interoperability between the naval forces.
Note: The principal contractor in this India-US 12. Indian Army conducts Sindhu Sudarshan exercise in --
defence deal will be BAE Systems Land and Barmer, Rajasthan.
Armaments, Minneapolis, Minnesota with gun Note:The annual exercise will test the operational
manufacturing in Louisville, Kentucky. readiness and maneuver warfare capability of Indian
5. Lieutenant Shivangi: 1st woman pilot of Indian Navy Army’s 21 Corps, one of the service’s three so-called
to join Naval operations. Strike Corps.
Note: She will join after naval operations on 13. India conducted its first night trial of AGNI II missile
completion of operational training at the Southern successfully: It is the first night trial being tested by
Naval Command in Kochi, Kerala the country. The nuclear capable missile was tested
6. The Defense Research and Defense Organization has at the Abdul Kalam Island of Odisha Coast.
allowed free access to its -- 450 patents. 14. Defence Minister inaugurates Sisseri River Bridge in
Note: The organization intends to provide a boost to East Siang:The bridge will play an important role in
domestic industries, especially startups and the the overall development of the area and will
strategic sector that has a network of 50 national immensely contributes to the socio-economic
laboratories that are involved in research and development of the region.
development 15. Ministry of Defence showcases the innovations of
7. Prithvi-2 missile successfully test fired: iDEX initiative: The main objective of the event is to
Note: India successfully test-fired two rounds of its showcase the accomplishments of iDEX-Innovations
indigenously developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-II for Defence Exellence.
missile at night as part of a user trial by Indian 16. IAF launches multiplayer version of ‘Indian Air Force
Army.These test were conducted from a mobile – A Cut Above’ game
launcher from Launch Complex-3 of Chandipur Note: The game is a combat simulator that lets the
Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Balasore district of players choose from an array of IAF’s fighter aircraft,
Odisha. These were second night trials of Prithvi-II such as Tejas, Rafale Mirage-2000, Su-30 among
missile. others.
8. DRDO to double ASTRA’s range: Astra (Sanskrit word 17. First Tri-services amphibious exercise between
for weapon) is an all-weather air-to-air missile India and US: India and US are to jointly conduct
developed completely by DRDO. Currently, ASTRA is Tiger TRIUMP. It is to be conducted in Visakhapatnam
capable of engaging targets upto a distance of 110 and Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. It includes field
km. training and events that simulate humanitarian
9. The central government has banned Meghalaya- assistance in disaster times.The event will also hold
based insurgent group ‘Hynniewtrep National simulations in moving disaster relief forces from ship
Liberation Council’ (HNLC). to shore.

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18. India- Indonesian Joint Naval exercise: Samudra (or Chittagong City) in Bangladesh. The CARAT is a
Shakti yearly exercise conducted between the navies of
Note: This year is the second edition of India, Bangladesh and United States in the Bay of Bengal.
Indonesia Bilateral Naval Exercise. The inaugural The first edition of exercise was held in 2011.
edition of exercise was held at the port of Surabaya, 22. Shanghai Cooperation Organization Joint Exercise:
Indonesia in November 2018. SCOJtEx-2019
19. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) conducted the ‘Regional Note: Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated
Level Search and Rescue Workshop and Exercise the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Joint Exercise
2019’: ReSAREX- 19. on Urban Earthquake Search and Rescue- ‘SCOJtEx-
Note: The two-day event was organised by Coast 2019’ in New Delhi.
Guard District Headquarters-11 (Goa) to test 23. India Uzbekistan joint Military Exercise: Dustlik 2019
efficiency and preparedness of ICG. Note: The Defence Minister Shri Raj Nath Singh
20. DRDO’s Igniter Complex inaugurated in Pune: The during his 3 day visit met the Indian contingent
main purpose of the laboratory is to design, process, participating in the joint exercise.
evaluate ignition systems for any kind of DRDO 24. Brahmos missile is considered as one of the fastest
projects. supersonic missiles. Philippines army is acquiring
21. US-Bangladesh Navy exercise: CARAT- 2019 Indian-manufactured weapon in order to strengthen
Note: The biggest US- Bangladesh Navy exercise its coastal defences. In 2018, Indian PM Modi signed
dubbed as ‘Cooperation Afloat Readiness and 4 bilateral agreements during his visit to Philippines,
Training (CARAT) – 2019’ is being held in Chattogram and acquiring Brahmos is one among them.

October

1. Nomadic Elephant 2019 – joint military exercise between (US) named “Malabar 2019” exercise was held at Sasebo,
India and Mongolia. Japan.
• The exercise will be conducted from 05 Oct 19 to 5. Exercise ‘Chang Thang’ - The Indian Army conducted a
18 Oct 19 at Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh. massive rare exercise ‘Chang Thang’ in Eastern Ladakh
2. ‘Him Vijay’ 2019 – Indian Army’s first and biggest bordering China.
mountain combat exercise “Him Vijay” for the year 2019 6. “SITMEX” - A maiden trilateral exercise SITMEX, involving
begun at Arunachal Pradesh. Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), Royal Thailand Navy
3. KAZIND -2019: joint military exercise between India and (RTN) and Indian Navy (IN) conducted at Port Blair.
Kazakhistan held at Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand. 7. Maitree 2019 – joint military exercise between India and
4. Malabar 2019 – The 23rd edition of the trilateral Thailand held at Node, Umroi, Meghalaya.
maritime exercise of India, Japan and the United States

September

1. ‘SLINEX 2019’ - the bilateral maritime exercise between (East), Zapad (West), TSENTR (Centre) and Kavkas
India and Sri Lanka held at Visakhapatnam (Andhra (South).
Pradesh). 3. AUMX: 1st ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise
2. EX TSENTR 2019: India, Pakistan forces to be part of • The first ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise (AUMX)
military exercise in Russia between regional bloc- Association of Southeast
• Armies of India, Pakistan will take part in this Asian Nations (ASEAN) and United States kicked
year’s military exercise TSENTR 2019 that will be off at the Sattahip Naval Base in Thailand.
conducted by Russia from September 9 to 23, 4. Exercise “Yudh Abhyas 2019” - joint military exercise
2019. between India & US.
Note: • This exercise is being conducted at Joint Base
• Russia holds major military exercise every year at Lewis Mc Chord, Washington, USA from 05-18
one of its four military Commands i.e Vostok September 2019.
July

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1. Garuda-VI: Joint Air Exercise between Indian Air Force (IAF) and French Air Force at Mont de Marsan in France.
2. ISALEX19 - The first edition of the joint security exercise of International Security Alliance (ISA), ISALEX19 held in Abu Dhabi, UAE
(United Arab Emirates).

June 2019

1. Kharga Prahar - The “Kharga Prahar”, a major training • The 26th Edition of Singapore India Maritime
exercise conducted by the Indian Army in Punjab from 27 Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX)-19 has commenced in
May 2019 concluded on 4 June 2019. the South China Sea.
• The Indian Army’s II Corps, based in Ambala is • In addition to IN Ships Kolkata and Shakti, Long
known as Kharga Corps. It has been stationed at Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft P8I participated in
Ambala since 1985. the exercise.
2. SIMBEX-19 Naval Exercise – Naval exercise between India 3. Exercise Pacific Vanguard 2019 - US, Japan, South Korea,
& Singapore. Australia hold 1st Naval Drills in Western Pacific in Guam.

Science & Technology

December

1. NVIDIA announces world’s largest GPU-accelerated Days in Gurgaon Microsoft Education Days 2019 brought
cloud-based supercomputer together more than 700 school leaders, educators,
Note: NVIDIA has announced a new kind of GPU- students and Microsoft partners to deliberate on the
accelerated supercomputer in the cloud on Microsoft future of learning.
Azure. It enables customers to rent an AI supercomputer 3. ISRO transfer space-grade Li-Ion cell technology to BHEL
on-demand from their desk and match the capabilities of Note: ISRO has transferred its indigenous technology to
large-scale on-premises supercomputers. produce space-grade Li-Ion cells to Bharat Heavy
2. Microsoft rolls out the K12 Education Transformation Electricals Limited (BHEL). BHEL can also produce and sell
Framework in India: Li-Ion cells for meeting other national/commercial
Note: Microsoft rolled out its K12 Education applications by suitably modifying the space-grade cell
Transformation Framework more widely to schools across which can lead to cost reduction.
India at the second edition of the Microsoft Education

September

1. India International Science Festival to be held in Kolkata – The 5th edition of India International Science Festival (IISF) will be
held in Kolkata from November 5-8. IISF is the largest science festival in the world.
2. The theme for this year’s festival is ‘RISEN India – Research, Innovation, and Science Empowering the Nation’.
3. National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) will launch ‘Samudrayaan project by 2021-22 to explore the deep sea region.
• It is pilot project of Union Ministry of Earth Sciences as part the Rs 6000 crore ‘Deep Ocean’ mission for deep ocean
mining of rare minerals.

August

5. Intel launches first artificial intelligence chip Springhill • The name of the chip is Nervana NNP-I or
• Intel Corp launched its latest processor, it’s first Springhill and it is based on a 10 nanometre Ice
using artificial intelligence (AI), designed for large Lake processor that will allow it to cope with high
computing centres. workloads using minimal amounts of energy.
• The chip developed at its development facility in 6. NASA honours Rolling Stones by naming rock on Mars –
Haifa, Israel. NASA announced that it has named rock on Mars in
honour of the iconic English band, The Rolling Stones.

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• The space agency revealing that the “Rolling • With this, India has become the first country to
Stones Rock” was a stone that was sent rolling compile such list that will provide guidance to
after NASA’s InSight lander touched down on the government for deciding kind of diagnostic tests
Mars’ surface. that different healthcare facilities in villages and
7. Russia sends its first humanoid robot Fedor into space – remote areas require.
Russia launched an unmanned rocket carrying a life-size 14. PRETOMANID: US FDA approves new drug for drug-
humanoid robot named Fedor, (Final Experimental resistant TB – United States (US) Food and Drug
Demonstration Object Research). Administration (FDA) has approved new drug-Pretomanid
• Fedor will spend 10 days learning to assist for treating drug-resistant strain of Tuberculosis (TB).
astronauts on the International Space Station. • Pretomanid is novel compound developed by
8. Cerebras Systems reveals “world’s largest computer New York-based non-profit organisation TB
chip” – Artificial intelligence(AI) company Cerebras Alliance. It is used alongside two other antibiotics
Systems has unveiled the world’s largest single silicon- (bedaquiline and linezolid) to treat extremely
based processor named Cerebras Wafer Scale drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis.
Engine(WSE). 15. ROTAVAC Vaccine to be expand to entire country –
9. Akademik Lomonosov: Russia launches world’s first Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has decided
floating nuclear reactor – Russia launched world’s first to expand Rotavirus vaccine to the entire country from
floating nuclear reactor called Akademik Lomonosov, September 2019. It will provide Rotavirus vaccine to
sending it on epic journey across the Arctic. every child across all 36 states/UTs by September, 2019.
10. IIT-Madras researchers develop industrial and field 16. A team of researchers at Indian Institute of Technology,
robot ‘GraspMan’ – IIT Madras researchers have develop Guwahati (IIT-G) has developed portable diagnostic
a multi-modal robot with Industrial and field applications device to detect bacteria without cell culture or
called ‘GraspMan’ . microbiological assays.
• GraspMan consists a pair of graspers, which 17. China successfully launched a new rocket for commercial
provide morphological adaptation, enabling it to use named Smart Dragon-1.
conform to the geometry of the object being 18. NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)
grasped. mission has discovered GJ 357 d, a super-Earth planet
• This allows the grasper to hold objects securely located 31 light years away from our own solar system.
and manipulate it much like the human hand. • About GJ 357 d
11. Meghdoot app launched to assist farmers – The • It is super-Earth planet discovered in early 2019
Ministries of Earth Sciences and Agriculture have by NASA’s TESS. It is located GJ 357 planetary
launched a mobile application that will provide location, system which has diminutive M-type dwarf sun,
and crop and livestock-specific weather-based agro about one-third the size of our own sun and
advisories to farmers in local languages. harbour in three planets including GJ 357 d.
• The app has been named Meghdoot and can be 19. NASA PUNCH Mission - NASA's ‘Polarimeter to Unify the
downloaded from Google Play Store and App Corona and Heliosphere’ (PUNCH) mission is focused on
Store. understanding the transition of particles from the outer
12. ICMR launches India Hypertension Control Initiative – In corona of the Sun to the solar wind that fills the
India, one in four adults has high blood pressure. interplanetary space.
• To deal with the problem, Indian Council of • NASA has selected Texas-based Southwest
Medical Research (ICMR), in collaboration with Research Institute to lead its PUNCH mission
World Health Organization and Ministry of which will image the Sun.
Health and Family Welfare, has decided to • Dipankar Banerjee, solar physicist from Indian
expand its India Hypertension Control Initiative Institute of Astrophysics is also a Co-Investigator
(IHCI) across the country. of the PUNCH mission.
13. ICMR finalizes India’s first National Essential Diagnostics 20. ISRO sets up Space Situational Awareness Control
List – Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has Centre in Bengaluru – Indian Space Research
finalized India’s first National Essential Diagnostics List Organisation (ISRO) laid foundation stone for Space
(NEDL). Situational Awareness Control Centre in Bengaluru,
Karnataka to protect Indian satellites from space debris.

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• It will facilitate intensified activities foreseen for new attraction to space enthusiasts, was set up at
Space Situational Awareness & Management Hyderabad in Telangana in association with Indian Space
(SSAM), in view of the increasing debris Research Organisation (ISRO).
population and operational space assets. 23. IIT-KGP develops Hydro-Thermal Carbonization
21. IMMUVAC , VPM1002: India’s 1st large-scale trial of two technology for Waste Management – IIT-KGP (Indian
new TB vaccines launched – Indian Council of Medical Institute of Technology Kharagpur) researchers develop
Research (ICMR) launched India’s first large-scale trial for new technology- Hydro Thermal Carbonization (HTC) for
two new tuberculosis (TB) vaccines named IMMUVAC and solid waste management.
VPM1002 • This Hydro Thermal Carbonization Technology
22. First Ever Space Museum of India Inaugurated at can convert municipal solid waste to biofuel, soil
Hyderabad – The first space museum of India opening amendment and absorbents.

July

1. Chandrayaan 2 mission –India’s second moon mission • The first spacecraft, Chandrayaan-1, launched in
launched 2008 and orbited the moon without landing on it.
• On July 22, 2019, India’s 2nd moon mission (after The new mission will attempt to do what the first
Chandrayaan-1, 2008) was successfully launched could not.
by Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle - 2. Cabinet approves ISRO Technical Liaison Unit at Moscow
GSLV-MkIII-M1 from Second Launch Pad at Satish – Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra
Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota in Andhra Modi has approved setting up of Indian Space Research
Pradesh. Organisation (ISRO) Technical Liaison Unit (ITLU) at
• India became the fourth country after Russia, the Moscow, Russia.
US and China to pull off a soft landing on the 3. NASA’s discover TOI 270 - NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet
moon. Survey Satellite (TESS) recently discovered new dwarf
• It is the world’s first mission to Moon’s South star and planetary system named as TOI 270. It is located
Pole. about 73 light years away from Earth, and in the
• ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan. constellation Pictor.
Key points 4. Centre plans to combat vehicle theft with Microdot
• Chandrayaan-2 is India's second mission to the moon. Patches – Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
• It comprises a fully indigenous Orbiter, Lander (MoRTH) has issued a Draft Notification GSR 521(E) that
(Vikram) and Rover (Pragyan). seeks to amend Central Motor Vehicle Rules and allows
• The Rover Pragyan is housed inside Vikram lander. motor vehicles and their parts, components, assemblies,
• The mission objective of Chandrayaan-2 is to develop sub-assemblies to be affixed with Microdot Patches.
and demonstrate the key technologies for end-to-end • Application: Use of this technology will help
lunar mission capability, including soft-landing and check theft of vehicles and also use of fake spare
roving on the lunar surface. parts.
• Besides being India’s 2nd mission to the moon it is 5. NASA to send “first woman and next man” on Moon in
1st-ever mission to be spearheaded by two women. 2024 – U.S. space agency NASA prepares to send “first
woman and next man” on Moon as part of its ambitious
• Chandrayaan-2 is led by Muthayya Vanitha and Ritu
Artemis programme in 2024.
Karidhal, the project director and mission director,
respectively. • NASA has marked the 50th anniversary of the
historic first Moon landing.
• ‘Bahubali’ is the nicknamed of Geosynchronous
6. U.S. celebrates 50 years of the Apollo 11 mission – U.S.
Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mk-III.
celebrates the Apollo 11 mission’s 50th year anniversary.
• Chandrayaan-2 will be the first spacecraft to land
July 20, 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11
near the South Pole of the moon and the landing will
mission.
be attempted on September 7, 2019.
Note:
• It is an Rs 978-crore project.
• On July 20, 1969, 600 million people watched
with anxious excitement as Neil A. Armstrong

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and Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. and and Michael 11. JATAN: special software for Digitization of
Collins took their first steps on the moon's Archaeological Museum – The Minister of State (I/c) of
surface. Culture and Tourism, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel informed
• The mission, dubbed Apollo 11, was the climax of Lok Sabha about JATAN: Virtual Museum software. JATAN
the Apollo program, which pushed human has been developed by Human Centres Design and
spaceflight forward faster than ever before. Computing Group, C-DAC, Pune, Maharashtra.
7. CARE4U app: for elderly people developed by IIT About JATAN
Kharagpur team – To help geriatric care, students of IIT • JATAN is used for creating digital collections in
Kharagpur have developed an application called CARE4U various museums and digital archival tools that
that connect the caregiver to the elderly person. It will are used in background for managing National
inform the caregiver when elderly person falls down with Portal and Digital Repository for Indian
exact location. Museums.
8. ISRO to launch India’s 1st solar mission Aditya-L1 in the 12. NASA’s Dragonfly to look for Origins, Signs of Life in
first half of 2020 - On July 23, 2019, The Indian Space Titan – National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that it will (NASA) recently announced its plan to launch Dragonfly
launch its first solar mission Aditya-L1 in the first half of drone helicopter to Saturn’s largest moon Titan in search
2020. It will be the first dedicated scientific mission to of building blocks of life.
study Sun’s corona. • Titan. Dragonfly will launch be launched in 2026
9. India’s first space tech park to come up in and will arrive at its destination in 2034.
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 13. NASA successfully tests launch-abort system for moon-
10. First-ever image of quantum entanglement “Bell mission capsule – The National Aeronautics and Space
entanglement” unveiled by the physicists of Glasgow Administration (NASA) successfully conducted the test of
University a launch-abort system for the Orion capsule designed to
• A team of physicists from the University of take United States (US) astronauts to the Moon.
Glasgow has taken a photo of a strong form of • It took place at the Cape Canaveral Air Force
quantum entanglement called Bell Station in Florida, US. It was launched by a mini-
entanglement. It has captured visual evidence of rocket, a repurposed first stage of an
an elusive phenomenon which a baffled Albert intercontinental ballistic missile.
Einstein once called “spooky action at a
distance”.
June

1. Indian Railways conducting trials of Tri-Netra technology cryptocurrency called Libra. This Facebook owned
– Union Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal during cryptocurrency Libra will be launched by social media
Question Hour informed Rajya Sabha members that giant in 2020.
Indian Railways is conducting TRI-NETRA (Terrain Imaging 5. NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope to Retire in 2020 – After
for Drivers Infrared, Enhanced, Optical & Radar Assisted) nearly 16 years of exploring the cosmos in infrared light,
technology for detecting obstructions on tracks. NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope will be switched off
2. NASA’s Mars Rover detects High Levels of Methane – permanently on Jan. 30, 2020.
The Curiosity Rover of National Aeronautics and Space • Spitzer is a small but transformational
Administration (NASA), an independent federal agency of observatory.
United States has found the largest amount of methane • It captures infrared light, which is often emitted
ever measured during its mission on Red Planet (Mars). by “warm” objects that aren’t quite hot enough
3. India gets new C-ATFM System – India now has a state- to radiate visible light.
of-the-art Central Command Centre for Air Traffic Flow 6. ISRO opens its laboratories for Indian school students -
Management (C-ATFM) in New Delhi, which will optimise The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has, for
utilisation of resources such as airspace and aircraft at the first time, opened its laboratories for Indian school
the capacity-constrained Indian airports. students to undergo two-week training from this year.
4. Facebook’s Cryptocurrency ‘Libra’ - Facebook has
officially announced the details of its new global

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• The training module has been devised as part of • Tech Bee is a HCL’s early career programme in
its new Young Scientists Programme, or Yuva which company provides students an
Vigyanik Karyakram, YUVIKA. opportunity to start early and become financially
7. HCL to roll out “Tech Bee” programme - HCL independent and trendsetters.
Technologies is all set to roll out “Tech Bee” programme, • Enrolled students are paid stipend of Rs 10,000
a company initiative under which it trains and hires per month.
students who have completed XII standard, across several
states.
Defense News
December/ November
1. Indian Navy to host multi-nation military drill in 8. DRDO to double ASTRA’s range: Astra (Sanskrit word
March -- Milan 2020. for weapon) is an all-weather air-to-air missile
Note: 41 nations from South Asia, Southeast Asia, developed completely by DRDO. Currently, ASTRA is
Africa and Europe that share defence cooperation capable of engaging targets upto a distance of 110
with India have been invited for the drill. km.
2. The union Govt. has extended to ban on Assam- 9. The central government has banned Meghalaya-
based NDFB by another ---5 years. based insurgent group ‘Hynniewtrep National
3. Mine Counter Measure Exercise-first time between – Liberation Council’ (HNLC).
India & Japan. Note: The union Govt. also notified that HNLC’s
Note: This is first time an explosive ordance disposal activities are detrimental to the sovereignty and
and mine counter measure was held by Indian and integrity of India.
Japanese forces. 10. Pakistan successfully test fires Shaheen-1 surface-
4. United States of America (USA) approved Foreign to-surface ballistic missile:
Military Sale to India Note: The test come days after India conducted the
Note: The principal contractor in this India-US first night trial of Agni-II surface-to-surface medium
defence deal will be BAE Systems Land and range nuclear-capable missile having strike range of
Armaments, Minneapolis, Minnesota with gun 2,000 km.
manufacturing in Louisville, Kentucky. 11. A three-day naval exercise is being conducted
5. Lieutenant Shivangi: 1st woman pilot of Indian Navy between the Indian and Qatar Naval Forces -- Za’ir-
to join Naval operations. Al-Bahr (Roar of the Sea).
Note: She will join after naval operations on Note: The aim of the exercise is to enhance
completion of operational training at the Southern interoperability between the naval forces.
Naval Command in Kochi, Kerala 12. Indian Army conducts Sindhu Sudarshan exercise in --
6. The Defense Research and Defense Organization has Barmer, Rajasthan.
allowed free access to its -- 450 patents. Note:The annual exercise will test the operational
Note: The organization intends to provide a boost to readiness and maneuver warfare capability of Indian
domestic industries, especially startups and the Army’s 21 Corps, one of the service’s three so-called
strategic sector that has a network of 50 national Strike Corps.
laboratories that are involved in research and 13. India conducted its first night trial of AGNI II missile
development successfully: It is the first night trial being tested by
7. Prithvi-2 missile successfully test fired: the country. The nuclear capable missile was tested
Note: India successfully test-fired two rounds of its at the Abdul Kalam Island of Odisha Coast.
indigenously developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-II 14. Defence Minister inaugurates Sisseri River Bridge in
missile at night as part of a user trial by Indian East Siang:The bridge will play an important role in
Army.These test were conducted from a mobile the overall development of the area and will
launcher from Launch Complex-3 of Chandipur immensely contributes to the socio-economic
Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Balasore district of development of the region.
Odisha. These were second night trials of Prithvi-II 15. Ministry of Defence showcases the innovations of
missile. iDEX initiative: The main objective of the event is to

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showcase the accomplishments of iDEX-Innovations 20. DRDO’s Igniter Complex inaugurated in Pune: The
for Defence Exellence. main purpose of the laboratory is to design, process,
16. IAF launches multiplayer version of ‘Indian Air Force evaluate ignition systems for any kind of DRDO
– A Cut Above’ game projects.
Note: The game is a combat simulator that lets the 21. US-Bangladesh Navy exercise: CARAT- 2019
players choose from an array of IAF’s fighter aircraft, Note: The biggest US- Bangladesh Navy exercise
such as Tejas, Rafale Mirage-2000, Su-30 among dubbed as ‘Cooperation Afloat Readiness and
others. Training (CARAT) – 2019’ is being held in Chattogram
17. First Tri-services amphibious exercise between (or Chittagong City) in Bangladesh. The CARAT is a
India and US: India and US are to jointly conduct yearly exercise conducted between the navies of
Tiger TRIUMP. It is to be conducted in Visakhapatnam Bangladesh and United States in the Bay of Bengal.
and Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. It includes field The first edition of exercise was held in 2011.
training and events that simulate humanitarian 22. Shanghai Cooperation Organization Joint Exercise:
assistance in disaster times.The event will also hold SCOJtEx-2019
simulations in moving disaster relief forces from ship Note: Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated
to shore. the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Joint Exercise
18. India- Indonesian Joint Naval exercise: Samudra on Urban Earthquake Search and Rescue- ‘SCOJtEx-
Shakti 2019’ in New Delhi.
Note: This year is the second edition of India, 23. India Uzbekistan joint Military Exercise: Dustlik 2019
Indonesia Bilateral Naval Exercise. The inaugural Note: The Defence Minister Shri Raj Nath Singh
edition of exercise was held at the port of Surabaya, during his 3 day visit met the Indian contingent
Indonesia in November 2018. participating in the joint exercise.
19. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) conducted the ‘Regional 24. Brahmos missile is considered as one of the fastest
Level Search and Rescue Workshop and Exercise supersonic missiles. Philippines army is acquiring
2019’: ReSAREX- 19. Indian-manufactured weapon in order to strengthen
Note: The two-day event was organised by Coast its coastal defences. In 2018, Indian PM Modi signed
Guard District Headquarters-11 (Goa) to test 4 bilateral agreements during his visit to Philippines,
efficiency and preparedness of ICG. and acquiring Brahmos is one among them.

October

1. The Indo – Mongolian joint military training, Exercise (14th 5. Two-day long manoeuvres by Sudarshan Chakra Vahini of
edition) -- Nomadic Elephant-XIV. Indian Army Started held at – Jaisalmer.
Note: Nomadic Elephant-XIV is aimed at training troops Note: In this war exercise, the army is going to exhibit
in counter insurgency & counter-terrorism operations its strength regarding Agni Missile and artillery
under United Nations mandate. 6. The India-Myanmar Naval Exercise is being organized in
2. The first-ever India-Uzbekistan joint military exercise at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh -- IMNEX-2019.
Uzbekistan –- Dustlik-2019. 7. Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) has conducted the
3. The bilateral between the armies of India and France at 2nd edition of Defence of Andaman & Nicobar Islands 2019
Rajasthan -- ‘Exercise SHAKTI’. -- DANX-19.
Note: It will be conducted from 31st October to 13th 8. Indian Air Force (IAF) kickstarted its bilateral joint exercise
November 2019 at Foreign Training Node in Mahajan with Royal Air Force Oman (RAFO)-- EX EASTERN BRIDGE-V.
Field Firing Ranges. 9. Indian Air Force and Japanese Air Self Defence Force
4. The Indian Army (IA) will conduct exercise Sindhu (JASDF) carrying out a joint military air force exercise named
Sudarshan in 2019 in the deserts of Rajasthan. -- Shinyuu Maitri.
Note: The aim of this exercise is to evaluate the Note: The focus of the exercise will be to undertake
capability of the defence services in an integrated air- Joint Mobility and Tactical interoperability among the
land battle. two forces.

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10. The 10th edition of the joint military exercise between India 14. China launched Dongfeng-41 (DF-41) intercontinental-
and the US-- Vajra Prahar 2019. range ballistic missile – The missile is touted to be the most
Note: ‘Vajra Prahar’ is a Special Forces joint training powerful missile on the planet. It was launched during the
exercise conducted alternately in India and the US. Last National Day parade, as China observed its 70th anniversary
year, the exercise had taken place in Jaipur. of Communist rule.
11. The 2nd joint military exercise to promote military • DF-41 has a range of up to 9,320 miles (15,000
cooperation between India and Japan held in Mizoram-- kilometres), more than any missile on Earth.
15. Japan Launches “World’s Biggest Transport Space-Ship” for
‘Dharma Guardian-2019’
Space Station – Japan launched an unmanned H-2B rocket
Note: Indian Army and Japanese Ground Self Defence
towards the International Space Station. The H-2B rocket
Forces (JGSDF) comprising 25 soldiers each will
lifted off with cargo vessel Kounotori8, Mitsubishi Heavy
participate in the exercise with an aim to share Industries.
experience gained during various Counter-Terrorism 16. India successfully test-fired a land-attack version of
Operations in respective Countries. BrahMos supersonic missile from Chandipur coast in
12. The 2nd edition of Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) of the Odisha’s Balasore district. DRDO conducted the test-fire
navies of India and Bangladesh held at -- Northern Bay of successfully.
Bengal. • The missile, with a strike range of 290km.
13. Rajnath Singh creates history, becomes first Defence 17. US military test fires Minuteman III ballistic missile – US
Minister to fly Rafale jet – Union Defence Minister Rajnath tested an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic
Singh created history by becoming the first defence missile. The missile was launched from the California base.
minister to fly sortie in Rafale fighter jet from Dassault • The missile travelled 6,750 km across Pacific Ocean
Aviation Mérignac facility in France. to the Kwajalein Atoll in Marshall Islands.
• The Defence Minister received the first of the 36
Rafale fighter jets on behalf of the Indian Air Force
(IAF) at Merignac in France.

September

1. China launches its first Amphibious Assault Ship – China Battalion under the aegis of Battle Axe Division was
has launched its first amphibious assault ship in Shanghai. Flagged Off at Jaisalmer Military station.
This ship would enable ground forces to carry out attacks • The expedition christened ‘Rudrashila’ has been
on enemy territory from sea. organised to commemorate the 75th Raising day
2. INS Khanderi submarine commissioned into Indian Navy of the Kalidhar Battalion.
– Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on September 5. ICGS ‘Varaha’ commissioned – Defense Minister Rajnath
28, 2019 commissioned the INS Khanderi, the second Singh has formally commissioned the Indian Coast Guard
indigenously built Scorpene class submarine, into the offshore patrol vessel ‘Varaha’ at the Chennai Port Trust.
Indian Navy. 6. DRDO hands over second ‘Netra’ (AEWC) aircraft to IAF
• INS Khanderi is fully automated and has been – The Defence Research Development Organization
built at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (DRDO) has handed over the second airborne warning
in Mumbai plane, Netra, to the Indian Air Force. The Netra, an
3. Rajnath Singh becomes 1st Defence Minister to fly in Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEWC) aircraft.
LCA Tejas – Defence Minister Rajnath Singh becomes the 7. India successfully test-fires air-to-air missile Astra – India
first defence minister to fly in the indigenously-built light has successfully test-fired air-to-air missile Astra from
combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas. Sukhoi-30 MKI. The indigenously developed missile was
• He flew in the Tejas fighter aircraft from the HAL tested off the coast of Odisha on September 17, 2019.
airport in Bengaluru. • Astra missile is India’s first indigenous air-to-air
4. White Water Rafting Expedition ‘Rudrashila’ Flagged off and beyond visual range missile.
at Jaisalmer – The White water Rafting Expedition • The missile can engage targets of different
christened ‘RUDRASHILA’ being undertaken by Kalidhar ranges and altitudes

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• Astra missile has a strike range of over 70 km. It • Indian Air Force Chief BS Dhanoa and Wing
can fly towards its target at a speed of over 5,555 Commander Abhinandan took off in MiG-21
km per hour. trainer from the Pathankot Airbase in Punjab and
8. Shaheen VIII: joint bilateral aerial exercise between flew for 30 minutes.
Pakistan and China held in China’s Hotan City. 12. Amazon India launches Military Veterans Employment
9. As part of Indian Navy’s Overseas Deployment to South programme – Amazon India has launched a Military
East Asia and Western Pacific, two Indian Navy warships, Veterans Employment programme in country.
INS Sahyadri and INS Kiltan arrived at Laem Chabang, • This initiative of e-commerce giant will create
Bangkok for a port call from 31 August to 3 September employment opportunities for military veterans
2019. The port call is a demonstration of India’s warm as well as their spouses across company’s sort
ties with Thailand. centres, delivery centres and fulfilment centres
10. Pakistan test-fires nuclear-capable ballistic missile in India.
Ghaznavi – Pakistan successfully conducted night training • For this, Amazon India has partnered with office
launch of hypersonic surface-to-surface ballistic missile of Director-General of Resettlement (DGR),
Hatf-III Ghaznavi from Sonmiani test range in Balochistan. 13. IAF inducts 8 Apache AH-64E attack helicopters – The
11. Abhinandan Varthaman flies with IAF Chief BS Dhanoa Indian Air Force has inducted 8 Apache AH-64E attack
on his last sortie – Wing Commander Abhinandan helicopters at the Pathankot Air Force station to enhance
Varthaman, the recipient of Vir Chakra, flew with IAF its combat capabilities.
Chief BS Dhanoa on his last sortie aboard MiG-21 fighter The Apache AH-64E helicopters are made by US
aircraft on September 2, 2019. company Boeing and will give a major boots to
combat capabilities of Indian Air Force.
August

1. IAF’s Shalija Dhami becomes first female flight Organisation (SCO), to be held from tentatively scheduled
commander – Indian Air Force’s Wing Commander Shalija period of September 10-21 at Orenburg, Russia.
Dhami has become the first female officer in the country • SCO members – China, Russia, Kazakhstan,
to become Flight Commander of a flying unit. Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, and
2. Iran unveils new missile defence system “Bavar-373” – Pakistan.
Iran unveiled its new home-grown air defence system 6. Iran unveils three new precision-guided missiles – Iran
called Bavar-373 during a ceremony held on Iran’s unveiled 3 precision-guided missiles. The new line-up of
‘National Defence Industry Day’. air-to-air missiles named the “Yasin”, “Balaban” and a
• Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has ordered to new series of the “Ghaem” were developed jointly by the
add Bavar-373 to country’s missile defence ministry and Sa Iran, also known as Iran Electronics
network. Industries.
3. Astra Rafael Communication System inaugurated in Note:
Hyderabad – An Indo-Israel joint venture’s “Astra Rafael • Yasin: It is smart, guided missile with folding wings
Communication System” was inaugurated in Hyderabad. that can be fired from a range of 50 kilometres of its
• The Joint Venture between Astra Microwave and target from manned or unmanned aircraft.
Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has • Balaban: It is guided by GPS and sensors. It is also
become India’s first private sector firm to equipped with folding wings and could be mounted
manufacture cutting-edge software defined under aircraft.
radios in multiple variants. • Ghaem: It is heat-seeking missile capable of hitting
4. The Indian Navy is to host naval exercise MILAN in target within 50 centimetres of a target.
March 2020 in Vizag – The Indian Navy is to host the 7. QRSAM: successfully test-fired by DRDO – Defence
multilateral naval exercise named ‘MILAN‘ at Research Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully
Visakhapatnam for the year 2020 in the month of March. conducted two back-to-back flight tests of its state of the
5. SCO exercise “Tsentr (centre) 2019” to be participated art Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missiles (QRSAM) from
by India with Pakistan, China - India and Pakistan will be Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur in Odisha.
participating in the upcoming major military exercise
“Tsentr (centre) 2019” under the Shanghai Cooperation

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8. Indian Army in partnership with EESL employs e-cars to Station to review the prevalent situation in the
combat pollution – Indian Army in partnership with region.
Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) has launched 10. Falcon 9 rocket launched by SpaceX carrying AMOS-17
ecological initiative of employing E Cars for use of its satellite of Israel - The US (United States) carrier rocket
officials in New Delhi. Under this ecological initiative, first Falcon 9 carried Israel’s satellite AMOS-17 off the pad in
lot of 10 e-Cars was flagged off by Indian Army. Florida, America. This is SpaceX’s 25th reflight of an orbit
• Now, Indian Army is planning to further increase class rocket and also this booster’s third flight.
number of E Cars in Delhi to ensure economy, 11. INS Tarkash participates in 14th Edition of KONKAN-19
efficiency and minimal emissions. Bilateral Exercise between the Indian Navy and Royal
9. Indian Army launches ‘Mission Reach Out’ in Jammu – Navy of Britain - The Indian Navy’s stealth frigate, INS
Indian Army has launched Mission Reach Out in Jammu to Tarkash, participated in the 14th Edition of KONKAN-19
ensure basic essential services and necessities are series of annual bilateral exercises between Indian Navy
available in region after the abrogation of Article 370 and Royal Navy of Britain off the South Coast of the
provisions and reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir. United Kingdom (UK).
• In this regard, high level “Mission Reach Out” 12. DRDO transfers design of Mobile Metallic Ramp (MMR)
conference was held in the Nagrota Military to Indian Army – Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) transferred the design of Mobile
Metallic Ramp (MMR) to Indian Army.

July

1. Rs.1500 crore deal signed by India and Russia to acquire Maitri Mission-2 from Southern Naval Command in Kochi.
Russia’s R-27 INS Sagardhwani is an oceanographic research vessel of
• India signed a contract with Russia for the the Defence Research and Development Organisation
acquisition of R-27air-to-air missile which gives (DRDO).
the additional capability to target enemy aircraft • Sagar Maitri is a unique initiative of the DRDO to
at long Ranges. promote closer cooperation in socio-economic
• These missiles are to be equipped on the Su- aspects as well as greater scientific interaction,
30MKI combat aircraft of the Indian Air Force especially in ocean research among Indian Ocean
(IAF) Rim (IOR) countries.
• R-27 missile - It is a medium-to-long-range air-to- 5. Indian Navy Ship LCU L-56, the sixth of the Landing Craft
air missile developed by Russia for its MIG and Utility (LCU) MK IV class ships, was commissioned into the
Sukhoi fighter jets. Indian Navy.
2. Indian Army successfully conducts Summer User Trials of 6. Israel and the US successfully tested Arrow-3 Anti-
Nag Missile – Indian Army has successfully conducted Ballistic Missile System - On July 28, 2019, Israel’s Prime
summer user trials of NAG, 3rd Generation Anti-Tank Minister and Minister of Defense Benjamin Netanyahu
Guided Missile (ATGM). The test was carried out at informed that Israel and the United States (US)
Pokhran Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan. successfully conducted tests of the advanced anti-ballistic
Note: missile system “Arrow-3″.
• NAG missile Developed by: Defence Research and 7. Russia launched Soyuz Carrier Rocket with 33 satellites –
Development Organisation (DRDO), a government Russia successfully launched Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket
agency responsible for military’s research and with a hydrometeorological satellite and 32 small
development. satellites.
• Range: Minimum-500 metres and Maximum- 4 8. China has gifted warship ‘P625’ to Sri Lanka. It will be
kilometres mainly used for offshore patrol, environment monitoring
3. India and Russia bilateral co-operation to the next level in and anti-piracy combats.
the field of space, including assistance in India’s maiden
human space flight mission ‘Gaganyaan’. 9. AH-64E Apache Guardian Attack helicopters arrived
4. INS Sagardhwani embarks on mission Sagar Maitri – INS India – The 1st batch of Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian
Sagardhwani embarked on a two-month-long Sagar

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Attack helicopters arrived at Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) 13. China launches first private rocket capable of carrying
Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. satellites – “Interstellar Glory Space Technology” also
• The 1st batch consists of 4 out of 22 choppers known as iSpace successfully launched the china’s first
ordered by India from United States. commercial rocket.
10. Project Sampark: Defence Minister inaugurates Ujh and • The 20 m (66-foot) rocket designed by iSpace
Basantar Bridges in J&K – Union Minister of Defence named Hyperbola-1 reached an altitude of 300
Rajnath Singh inaugurated 1 km long Ujh bridge in Kathua kilometres (186 miles). The rocket is capable of
district and 617.40 m long Basantar bridge in Samba carrying satellites into orbit.
district of Jammu & Kashmir. 14. Iran test-launched Shahab-3, a Medium-Range Ballistic
• Both of these bridges have been constructed by Missile inside its borders.
Border Roads Organisation (BRO) under 69 missile defence system despite repeated warnings from
RCC/13 BRTF of Project Sampark. US against the purchase.
11. Bhabha Kavach: India’s 1st Lightest, Indigenous Bullet 15. Indian Naval Ship Tarkash arrives in Morocco – Indian
Proof Jacket gets MHA nod Naval Ship Tarkash arrived at Tangier, Morocco. The visit
• Indigenously produced lightweight bullet proof is part of an ongoing Overseas Deployment by the Indian
jacket Bhabha Kavach was launched at Navy to the Mediterranean Sea, Africa and Europe.
International Police Expo 2019 held at Pragati 16. India has successfully tested the vertical steep dive
Maidan, New Delhi. The jacket which is a major version of the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile.
breakthrough for Paramilitary Forces and Indian • Made in India ‘Brahmos Aerospace’ is also ready
armed forces got nod from Union Ministry of with a longer 500 km range version of the
Home Affairs (MHA). Brahmos missile that can be fired from Sukhoi 30
• India’s Lightest Bullet Proof Jacket ‘Bhabha fighter jets.
Kavach’ by was launched at the International • BrahMos Aerospace is a joint venture company
Police Expo 2019. owned by the governments of India and Russia
• It is powered with nano technology from Bhabha and its missiles are produced in India.
Atomic Research Centre (BARC). 17. Operation Sudarshan: launched by BSF to fortify border
12. Japan’s Hayabusa2 Probe makes 2nd touchdown on with Pakistan – Border Security Force (BSF) has launched
asteroid Ryugu – Japan’s Hayabusa2 probe has made a a massive exercise, code named as Sudarshan, to fortify
perfect touchdown on a distant asteroid named Ryugu, Anti-Infiltration Grid along Pakistan border in Punjab and
some 300 million kilometres from Earth. It collected Jammu.
samples from beneath surface in an unprecedented
mission that could shed light on origins of solar system.
June

• The 20th anniversary of "Operation Vijay" will be

1. Indian Army releases special tribute video to celebrated with the theme 'Remember, Rejoice
commemorate 20 years of ‘Operation Vijay’ - To and Renew'.
commemorate the 20th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas, 2. Operation Bandar' was IAF's code name for Balakot
the Indian army has released a special Kargil Tribute airstrike –
Song’ to honor, salute and pay homage to the Kargil • According to the senior defence sources, in order
martyrs and the war veterans who sacrificed and fought to maintain secrecy and ensure that the plans
for the country. don't leak out, the Balakot operations were given
• The song titled ‘Tujhe Bhulega Na Tera the codename Operation Bandar,".
Hindustan’ has been written by renowned • On February 26, 12 Mirages having taken off
Bollywood lyricist Sameer. from multiple air bases crossed over into the
• The nation will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Pakistani air space and carried out missile attacks
Kargil Vijay Diwas on 26 July 2019. on Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Balakot
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• The attacks carried out by the Indian Air Force, 7. Govt. to set up Defence Space Research Agency – The
pilots had dropped five Spice 2000 bombs. Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) of the Central
3. NASA's First Astrobee Robot Bumble Starts Flying in Government of India headed by Prime Minister Narendra
Space Modi has cleared setting up of new agency called Defence
• NASA's First Astrobee Robot Bumble Starts Flying Space Research Agency (DSRO).
in Space. • The DSRO has been entrusted with task of
• NASA has revealed its first cube-shaped creating space warfare weapon systems and
'Astrobee' robot, called Bumble, flew under its technologies.
own power in space for the first time on June 14. • The agency would be providing the research and
4. IAF inks Rs 300 crore deal to procure SPICE 2000 bombs development support to the Defence Space
from Israel – Indian Air Force (IAF) signed Rs.300 crore Agency (DSA) which comprises members of the
deal with Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, an three services.
Israeli defence firm to procure a batch of SPICE 2000 • The Defence Space Agency is being set up in
guided bombs. Bengaluru under an Air Vice Marshal-rank officer
• The SPICE stands for Smart, Precise Impact and and will gradually take over the space-related
Cost-Effective. capabilities of the three forces.
• It is guidance and maneuvering kit manufactured 8. The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Flight Lieutenant Mohana
by Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. Singh became first ever woman pilot to fly by day on
5. Operation Sankalp - Indian Navy launched ‘Operation Hawk advanced jet aircraft.
Sankalp’ in Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman to reassure 9. ICG co-hosts 12th ReCAAP ISC capacity building
safe passage of Indian flagged vessels transiting through workshop – Indian Coast Guard (ICG) co-hosts 12th
area. This deployment is in the wake of following recent Capacity Building workshop with Regional Cooperation
maritime incidents in region. Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery
• Indian Naval Ships, INS Chennai (Kolkata-class against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre
stealth guided missile destroyers) and INS (ISC) in New Delhi.
Sunayna (Saryu-class patrol vessel) have been Note:
deployed in region to undertake maritime • The ReCAAP is the first regional Government-to-
security operations. Government agreement to deal with piracy and
6. Operation Sunrise - The armies of India and Myanmar armed robbery at sea in Asia.
carried out a 3-week-long coordinated operation in their • Presently 20 countries are members of ReCAAP.
respective border areas called ‘Operation Sunrise 2’ to • India played an active role in the setting up and
bust terror camps. functioning of ReCAAPISC along with Japan and
• The operation was targeted at militant groups Singapore.
operating in Manipur, Nagaland and Assam. This
was the 2nd edition of Operation Sunrise.

Important Days

December
01 Dec World AIDS Day
02 Dec World Computer Literacy Day, International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
03 Dec International Day of People with Disability or World Disability Day
04 Dec Indian Navy Day
07 Dec International Civil Aviation Day, Indian Armed Force Flag Day
09 Dec The International Anticorruption Day
10 Dec World Human Rights Day, International Children's Day of Broadcasting
11 Dec International Mountain Day, UNICEF Day

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14 Dec National Energy Conservation Day (India)
16 Dec Vijay Diwas
18 Dec International Migrants Day, National Minority Rights Day
23 Dec National Farmer’s Day or Kisan Diwas
25 Dec Good Governance day

November

01 Nov World Vegan Day

2nd Nov The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists

5th Nov World Tsunami Awareness Day (WTAD)

06 Nov International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed
Conflict

07 Nov National Cancer Awareness Day

10 Nov World Science day for Peace and Development, Public Transport Day
11 Nov National Education Day
12 Nov World Pneumonia Day, Public Service Broadcasting Day
13 Nov World Kindness Day
14 Nov Children’s Day (India), World Diabetes Day
17 Nov
International Students Day, Gurunanak Dev's Birth Anniversary, National eplilepsy day
19 Nov World Toilet Day, International Men’s Day, National Integration Day
20 Nov Universal Children’s Day
26 Nov National Law Day or National constitution Day
30 Nov National Flag Day

October

1. October 1 - International Day of Older Persons (2019 8. October 8 – Air Force Day
Theme: The Journey to Age Equality) 9. October 9 - World Postal Day or World Post Office Day
2. October 1 - International Coffee Day 10. October 10 - World Mental Health Day
3. October 1 - World Vegetarian Day 11. October 11 - International Girl Child Day
4. October 2 - International Day of Non – Violence 12. October 13 - World Calamity Control Day
5. October 5 – World Teachers Day (2019 Theme: Young 13. October 14 - World Standards Day
Teachers: The Future of the Profession) 14. October 15 - World Students’ Day
6. October 7: World Habitat Day (2019 Theme: Frontier 15. October 16 - World Food Day
Technologies as an innovative tool to transform waste 16. October 17 - International Poverty Eradication Day
to wealth) 17. October 24 - United Nations Day
7. October 7 - World Cotton Day 18. October 31 - Rashtriya Ekta Diwas or National Unity Day
September

1. September 05 - International Day of Charity 2. September 08 - International Literacy Day (Theme -

Literacy and Multilingualism)

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3. September 14: Hindi Diwas 7. September 22: Rose Day (Welfare of cancer patients)
4. September 15: Engineers’ Day; International Day of 8. September 23: International Day of Sign Languages
Democracy 9. September 26: Day of the Deaf; World Contraception Day
5. September 16: World Ozone Day; International Day for 10. September 27: World Tourism Day; World Maritime Day
Preservation 11. September 29: World Heart Day
6. September 21: Alzheimer’s Day; Day for Peace & Non- 12. September 30: International Translation Day
violence (UN)
August

1. 1 August - Yorkshire Day 15. 16 August- Bennington Battle Day

2. 6 August - Hiroshima Day 16. 17 August - Indonesian Independence Day
3. 7th August – National Handloom Day 17. 19 August - World Photography Day
4. 9 August - Quit India Movement Day (The 77th 18. 19 August – World Humanitarian Day
anniversary of the August Kranti Din or Quit India 19. 20 August - World Mosquito Day
Movement was observed on 9th August 2019) 20. 20 August- Sadbhavna Divas
5. 9 August - Nagasaki Day 21. 20 August - Indian Akshay Urja Day
6. 9 August – Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 22. 22 August - International Day Commemorating the
7. 10 August - World Biofuel Day (Theme for year 2019: Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief
Production of Bio-diesel from Used Cooking Oil) 23. 23 August - International Day for the Remembrance of
8. 12 August - International Youth Day (theme the Slave Trade and its Abolition
“Transforming education) 24. 23 August - European Day of Remembrance for Victims of
9. 13 August - International Lefthanders Day Stalinism and Nazism
10. 14th August- Youm-e-Azadi (Pakistan Independence Day) 25. 26 August - Women's Equality Day
11. 15 August- National Day of mourning (Bangladesh) 26. 29 August - National Sports Day
12. 15 August - Independence Day (India) 27. 30 August - Small Industry Day
13. 15 August (UK) - Victory over Japan Day 28. 31 August - Hari Merdeka (Malaysia National Day)
14. 15 August - Day of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary

July

• 1 July - Doctor's Day • 24 July – Aaykar Diwas (The Central Board of Direct Taxes
• 1 July – GST Day (Goods & Services Tax DAY) (CBDT) celebrating the 159th Income Tax Day
• 1 July - National Gingersnap Day (AaykarDiwas) on 24th July)
• 2 July - World UFO Day • 26 July - Kargil Vijay Diwas (Kargil Victory Day) – (This year
• 2 July - National Anisette Day 20th anniversary of Kargil Diwas is celebrated).
• 6 July - World Zoonoses Day • 28 July - National Parent's Day
• 11 July - World Population Day • 28 July - World Nature Conservation Day
• 15 July - World Youth Skills Day • 28 July - World Hepatitis Day (The theme for 2019 is
• 17 July - World Day for International Justice “Invest in eliminating hepatitis”)
• 18 July - International Nelson Mandela Day • 29 July - International Tiger Day
• 23 July - National Broadcasting day • 30 July - World Day Against Trafficking

June
• 1 June: World Milk Day (2019 theme - “Drink Milk: Today • 4 June: International Day of Innocent Children Victims of
& Everyday) Aggression
• 1 June: Global Day of Parents • 5 June: World Environment Day (2019 Theme - Beat Air
• 2 June: International Sex Workers Day Pollution)
• 2 June: Telangana Formation Day • 7 June: World Food Safety Day
• 3 June: World Bicycle Day • 8 June: World Brain Tumour Day

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• 8 June: World Oceans Day • 21 June: World Music Day
• 12 June: World Day Against Child Labour • 21 June: World Hydrography Day
• 14 June: World Blood Donor Day (Theme 2019 - "Blood • 21 June: International Yoga Day (Theme 2019 - Yoga for
donation and universal access to safe blood transfusion") Climate Action)
• 15 June: World Wind Day • 23 June: International Olympic Day
• 15 June: World Elder Abuse Awareness Day • 23 June: United Nations Public Service Day
• 3rd Sunday of June: World Father’s Day • 23 June: International Widow's Day
• 16 June: Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev • 26 June: International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit
• 17 June: World Day to Combat Desertification and Trafficking
Drought (International) • 26 June: International Day in Support of Victims of
• 18 June: Autistic Pride Day Torture
• 18 June: International Picnic Day • 27 June – (Theme for 2019 is - Micro, Small and Medium
• 19 June: World Sickle Cell Awareness Day sized Enterprises Day)
• 19 June: World Sauntering Day • 29 June - Statistics Day (Theme for year 2019: Sustainable
• 20 June: World Refugee Day (Theme for 2019: Step With Development Goals)
Refugees — Take A Step on World Refugee Day) • 30 June: Asteroid Day

----------------------All the Best-------------------------

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