Current Affairs September 2019: General Knowledge 2019 & Current Affairs for All Competitive Exams In India

Current Affairs September 2019: General Awareness Section can be the easiest and qualifying section in most competitive exams with the right focus. To bag a good score in these sections one must follow the current affairs for at least a few minutes on a daily basis. Current affairs are vastly diversified with topics from politics, finance, sports, etc and getting lost in this vastness might be confusing sometimes. It is essential for the candidates who are preparing for competitive exams to know what topics to focus on instead of wandering. GK can be divided into static and dynamic. Static GK will involve topics from Indian History, Geography, Indian Polity, Indian Economy, etc and these topics can be grasped by various general knowledge-based books. Dynamic GK, on the other hand, will be based on daily happenings around the world and following them regularly will aid in cracking the competitive exams. For dynamic GK, start by reading news from quality outlets. You can start right away by bookmarking this article.

Current Affairs April 2019 is specifically designed to provide you with the information on top happenings around the world to make sure your limited and precious time is well spent. Whether you are preparing for a written test or an interview of any competitive exam, you have come to the right place to enhance your GK knowledge.

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Current Affairs September 2019

Top Current Affairs for September 30, 2019

Government bans onion exports as prices remain high due to seasonal shortage

On 29th September 2019, the government banned exports of onions which is a common ingredient in cooking. The reason behind this is the price which remains high due to a seasonal shortage which has been worsened by flooding in several states.

Key Notes:
The Govt said that the exports will be prohibited with immediate effect.
In the month of June, India withdrew 10 per cent export incentives on onions after prices started to rise due to dwindling supplies from last year’s harvest and a delay in the planting of the summer-sown crop.
Excess of rainfall in the 2nd half of the monsoon season has led to crop damage in many states and stocks held by traders are insufficient to meet demand until the new crop arrives at the end of October.
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution aforementioned, “according to export below Minimum Export price to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are going to be at once stopped and strict action is going to be initiated against those that are found to be violating this call of the Central government.”
The govt has also imposed stock limits on onion traders to facilitate the release of stocks in the market and prevent hoarding by traders.
There is a stock limit of 100 quintals on retail traders and 500 quintals on wholesale traders imposed across the country on Sunday i.e, 29th September

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton wins Russian Grand Prix at Sochi

Mercedes earned a one-two in Sochi, where Lewis Hamilton rushed to victory to extend his drivers’ championship lead to 73 points

Russian Grand Prix presented an appropriately Chekhovian drama, exposing both strengths and faultlines at the very top of Formula One. With Lewis Hamilton’s win, there was a delight and in Ferrari’s defeat disorder. Hamilton and Mercedes issued a notice that, even when they are down, they are not out while Ferrari endured foment and failure in Sochi that reflects the knife-edged balancing act the team now face with their drivers.
The Russian Grand Prix at Sochi was included in the F1 calendar back in 2014 and since then it has been a regular track on the Formula one schedule.

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton is a British racer who races in Formula One(F-1) for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport. A 5-time F-1 World Champion, he is often considered the best driver of his generation and widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers in the history of the sport.

International Day for Universal Access to Information celebrated by UNESCO on September 28th

UNESCO celebrated International Day for Universal Access to Information which is observed annually on 28 September in more than 20 countries this year with a series of Open Talks that will showcase initiatives that improve people’s access to information. The talks will feature powerful testimonies from international public and community leaders, NGOs, journalists, policymakers and digital pioneers.

International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI), also known as Access to Information Day was observed on September 28th 2019, with the theme “Leaving No One Behind!”. This 4th annual observance which promotes the idea that every individual in the world has the right to seek and receive information.
IDUAI was first observed in 2016 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) after the adoption of 38 C/Resolution 57. This year, it was observed with a series of ‘Open Talks’ and the global level Open Talk event was held in Lima, Peru. IDUAI is also connected with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) Agenda 2030 with special reference to SGD 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 16 (Peace and Justice Strong Institutions).

International Day for Universal Access to Information
The IDUAI has particular relevance with Agenda 2030 with specific reference to:
SDG 2 on investment in rural infrastructure and technology development,
SDG 11 on positive economic, environmental and social links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas and
SDG 16 on initiatives to adopt and implement constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to information.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissions the 2nd Scorpene submarine Khanderi into the Navy in Mumbai

INS Khanderi, Scorpene-class submarine, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in Mumbai, after undergoing several sea trials for over two and a half years. The Indian military will be ready to face any security challenge, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said.
INS Khanderi
It is an indigenously-built 2nd Kalvari class diesel-electric submarine. There would be 4 more which are going to be commissioned in the coming years. In December 2017, the 1st INS Kalvari was commissioned.
Khanderi was built at Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) and underwent rigorous sea trials for over two and a half years.
This submarine has a technology which reduces noise under the sea. This submarine has the capability of firing six torpedoes and the max speed is 20 nautical miles/hour.
This requires a crew of 36, where the previous requirement was 60. This saves on oxygen and allows the vessel to stay underwater for longer periods.
The motto of INS Khanderi is ‘Akhand Abhedya Adrishya’ which implies unity of the crew and its stealth capabilities.
It is 67.5 metres long and 12.3 metres in height.
India has an aim to build a total of six Scorpene-class submarines in collaboration with France Technology from the Naval Group.

Galo Tribe and its Ancestry

The Galo tribe is among the most populous tribes of Arunachal Pradesh spread around West Siang, Lepa Rada, and Lower Siang districts of the state. They are also spread across the southwestern side of East Siang district, the southeastern side of Upper Subansiri district, Itanagar, Lower Dibang Valley, and Changlang districts. They trace their lineage to a primeval ancestor, named Abo Tani, and use Galo and Tani language for communication.

The Galos was listed as a Schedule tribe in 1950. They have a very interesting way of tracing their ancestry. They prefix the second syllable of a father’s name to the name of the son. The son, in turn, passes on the suffix in his name to his son. The Galo tribe is classified into 22 clans. These clans are further divided into several sub-clans. For example, the Memo clan of Galos has 9 sub-clan namely Angu, Bagra, Doji, Kamnyi, Karson, Naho, Ngomdir, Rasa and Yorsi.

Points to Recall

The Scheduled Tribes are officially designated groups of historically disadvantaged tribes in India. The term ‘Scheduled tribes’ is defined in Article 366(25) of the constitution. Article 342 specifies the grounds for a tribe to be specified as a scheduled tribe. The President can include/exclude a tribe in the list of scheduled tribes by public notification.

West Bengal’s Midnapore becomes 5000th Wi-Fi enabled railway station; RailTel providing Wi-Fi facility RailWire

Midnapore is a district located in the state of West Bengal.
It has become the 5000th city to have a Wi-Fi enabled railway station.
The Wi-Fi services on the railway station are being provided by a mini-Ratna Public Sector Undertaking called Rail-Tel, which was established in the year 2000. It has a pan India optic fiber network. It has covered 5000 stations in a period of just 44 months which in itself is a big achievement.
Rail-Tel provides these services in collaboration with Google. Google had joined in this initiative as it was in line with Google Station, the ambitious public Wi-Fi initiative of Google. Rail Tel has also planned to collaborate with Tata Trust to provide Wi-Fi access at B, C, D and E category railway stations.

Fun Fact:
Mumbai Central Station was the first railway station to get Wi-Fi access.

NMCG holds a special session on ‘Rejuvenation of the River Ganga’ during India Water Week 2019 in New Delhi

A special session on the Rejuvenation of River Ganga – from planning to action was held during the India Water Week by the National Ganga River Basin Authority.
The session laid emphasis on the ecological and economic importance of river Ganga and its basin.
The government has approved the development of sewage treatment plants through Hybrid-Annuity based Public-Private-Partnership mode. The government will be funding the development, operation, and maintenance of the plant completely for the first 15 years.

The other activities being carried out by NMCG are as follows:
They have a plan to integrate existing STPs in towns such as Kanpur, Prayagraj, Mathura, Patna, Kolkata, Howrah-Bally-Kamarhati-Baranagar-Bhagalpur Farrukhabad, Mirzapur, Ghazipur, Agra, Bareilly, Burdwan, Durgapur and Asansol by using the Hybrid Annuity Model.
Since the conservation of Wetlands is an important component of the Namami Gange Programme, a special drive has been initiated by the NMCG Wildlife Institute of India to clean the inlet and outlet of the wetlands.

Pandit Jasraj becomes the first artist to have a planet named after him

A minor planet between Mars and Jupiter has been named by the International Astronomical Union(IAU) after an Indian classical singer “Pandit Jasraj”. He is the 1st Indian musician to receive this honour. The planet was discovered on November 11, 2006.

Key Points:
The International Astronomical Union was founded in the year 1919, with the objective of promoting and safeguarding astronomical science in every aspect.
The IAU named minor planet 2006 VP32 (number -300128) as ‘Pandit jasraj.’
Pandit Jasraj is also a Padma Vibhushan recipient and has become the 1st Indian musician to join the galaxy of immortal composers like Beethoven, Mozart and Tenor Luciano Pavarotti.
Once these minor planet discoveries are confirmed, they are given a permanent number by IAU’s Minor Planet Centre.
‘Panditjasraj’ planet can be seen on the IAU’s official website with the number 300128, it is the birth date of him in reverse order (28/01/30).

What are ‘minor planets’?

An asteroid is known as a minor planet. This was discovered by the “Catalina sky survey” from the telescopes based in Arizona.
As of September 2019, there are 5,41,131 numbered planets and 7,97,078 unobserved planets.
The first minor planet discovered was Ceres found in 1801, it is also known as a dwarf planet.

Top Current Affairs for September 11 & 12, 2019

Sports ministry recommends Mary Kom Padma Vibhushan and PV Sindhu for Padma Bhushan

Mary Kom has been recommended for the Padma Vibhushan Award, India’s second-highest civilian award.
PV Sindhu’s name has been suggested for the Padma Bhushan Award.
The Sports Ministry has also named seven other female athletes for the Padma awards, making the awards women-dominated this time.

Water discovered on a potentially habitable super-Earth!

Scientists have found water in the atmosphere of a potentially habitable super-Earth. The exoplanet, named K2-18b, is twice the size and eight times the mass of Earth.
It is the first planet outside the solar system in the habitable zone of its star. The exoplanet also lies within the habitable zone of its star, which means it will have the right temperature for liquid water to exist on the surface of the planet and potentially support life.
The discovery was published in a paper in a scientific journal, Nature Astronomy on September 11, 2019, by researchers from University College London (UCL).

DRDO successfully test-fires indigenously-developed Anti-Tank Guided Missile system

An indigenously-developed Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) system was successfully test-fired on September 11 by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
The test was conducted at Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. The Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) is based on the fire-and-forget system.
DRDO has developed this missile in partnership with Bharat Dynamics Limited.

9/11: 18th anniversary of America’s worst terrorist attack

11 September 2019 marks the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks on the World Trade Centre.
It is one of the worst terrorist attacks on American soil.
On same date in 2001, four-passenger airliners were hijacked by militants and two of the planes were crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Centre.

Government forms 3-member panel to oversee bifurcation of J&K

Central government has formed a three-member panel to oversee the implementation of bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.
The 3-member advisory committee will be headed by former defence secretary Sanjay Mitra and its members include retired IAS officer Arun Goyal and retired Indian Civil Accounts Service officer Giriraj Prasad.

UK to extend post-study work visas for foreign students to two years, Indian students to benefit

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced re-introduction of the two-year post-study work visa for international students.
The aim behind re-introducing this scheme is to boost numbers of overseas students after Brexit.
After the introduction of this scheme, Indian students will be allowed to stay in the UK for two years after graduating.

Dr Pramod Kumar Mishra appointed Principal Secretary to PM Modi

Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Dr. P.K. Mishra as Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with effect from 11 September 2019.
He was currently functioning as Additional Principal Secretary to PM Modi.
He was also recently conferred with United Nations SASAKAWA Award 2019, the most prestigious international award in disaster management.

PK Sinha appointed Principal Advisor to PM Modi

Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of P.K. Sinha as Principal Advisor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with effect from 11 September 2019.
He is currently functioning as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
He is a 1977 Batch IAS officer from Uttar Pradesh (UP) Cadre. During his career in IAS, he has served with distinction in many capacities both at the level of Central Government as well as in Uttar Pradesh Government.

Top Current Affairs for September 10, 2019

Jack Ma to step down as Chairman of Alibaba

Alibaba Chairman Jack Ma will step down from his position on September 10, 2019. Daniel Zhang, Alibaba’s CEO, will replace Jack Ma as Executive Chairman of the group.
Jack Ma, had co-founded Alibaba in 1999 and under his leadership, the company grew up to become one of Asia’s most valuable listed company.
The current market capitalization of Alibaba is around $460 billion.

PM Modi inaugurates first cross-border pipeline in South Asia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the India-Nepal cross-border petroleum pipeline along with Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli through video conference on September 10, 2019.
The India-Nepal cross-border petroleum pipeline is South Asia’s first cross-border pipeline. The PMO called the project a symbol of India’s close relations with Nepal.
The oil pipeline will connect Motihari in India and Amlekhgunj in Nepal. The oil pipeline project was first proposed in 1996.

CHC Farm Machinery Mobile App launched for farmers

Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Parshottam Rupala launched a multilingual Mobile App called ‘CHC Farm Machinery’ for the farmers during a conference on National Conference on Crop residue Management held in New Delhi. Minster also sought ideas from farmers to ensure zero burning in all villages and also thanked farmers for bringing down incidents of stubble burning.
With the help of the app, farmers can now get affordable access to cutting-edge technology at their doorsteps.
CHC Farm Machinery will connect farmers with Custom Hiring Service Centers (CHC) in their area. It will allow farmers to avail custom hiring services of CHCs located in a radius of 50 km. It can be downloaded on any android phone from Google Play Store.

IPPB rolls out of Aadhaar-enabled payment services

IPPB has now become the single largest platform in the country for providing interoperable banking services to the customers
To avail these services, a customer with an Aadhaar linked account can simply authenticate his/her identity with a fingerprint scan.
With AePS services, any person with a bank account linked to Aadhaar can perform basic banking services such as cash withdrawals and balance enquiry irrespective of the bank they hold their account with.

Top Current Affairs for September 7 & 8, 2019

SLINEX 2019 a Joint Naval Exercise conducted between India and Sri Lanka

A bilateral maritime exercise ‘SLINEX 2019’, started between India and Sri Lanka on 7 September 2019 and will go on till September 14th.
Sri Lankan Navy has sent two offshore patrol vessels SLNS Sindurala and SLNS Suranimala to India to participate in seventh annual Joint Indo-Lanka Maritime Fleet Exercise- SLINEX 2019.
Exercise signifies the desire of both countries to enhance co-operation and to further strengthen mutual trust and interoperability between two navies.

Telangana’s first food park inaugurated in Nizamabad district

Telangana’s first food park was inaugurated by Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal at Lakkampally village in Nandipet Mandal of Nizamabad district.
It has been set up on 78 acres of land. It is estimated to provide direct and indirect employment opportunities to 50,000 youth and benefit one lakh farmers.
The objective behind setting up this park is to create modern infrastructure facilities for food processing along the value chain from farm to market through cluster-based approach with strong forward.

Anil Agarwal honoured with a lifetime achievement award at Annual Asian Achievers Awards

Anil Agarwal, Chairman of Vedanta Resources was bestowed with a lifetime achievement award at prestigious Annual Asian Achievers Awards in London, UK.
The theme for 19th Annual Achievers Awards was ‘Inclusivity’. As inclusivity is about being inclusive of everyone, therefore, this year’s candidates included LGBT community also. Novelist Jeffrey Archer helped raise GBP 150,000 for India-based charity group Yuva Unstoppable in an auction at the awards night.
Asian Achievers Awards are hosted by Asian Business Publications Ltd (ABPL). ABPL are publishers of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar. It acknowledges outstanding work done by individuals fin any professions and businesses within the Asian and UK’s Asian community.

Special Task Force set up by Centre for drawing up National Infrastructure Pipeline

A special task force has been set up by the Central government for drawing up a roadmap for ‘National Infrastructure Pipeline’ (NIP) of Rs.100 lakh crore from the financial year 2019-20 to 2024-25. Economic Affairs Secretary Atanu Chakraborty will head the Task Force .
The objective behind setting up this task force is to identify technically feasible and economically viable infrastructure projects that can be initiated during the current fiscal year.
It will submit its report by 31 October for the fiscal year 2019-20 and on indicative pipeline for fiscal years 2021-25 by 31 December 2019.

Indigenously-built coach for Mumbai metro launched by PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched an indigenously-built metro which would be used by upcoming Mumbai metro network.
The coach has been built by Bharat Earth Movers (BEML), Bengaluru.
Mumbai Metro project shows that that financial capital is catching up with National Capital after decades in modern public transport and is pumping in more than Rs.1.2 lakh crore to build 14 metro corridors stretching 337-km over next decade.

28th Indo–Thai CORPAT begins in Thailand

The 28th edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) between Indian Navy (IN) and Royal Thai Navy (RTN) is being conducted from 5th September to 15th September 2019.
His Majesty’s Thailand Ship (HTMS) Kraburi and Indian Naval (IN) Ship Kesari along with Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both the navies are participating in this CORPAT.
It is poised to further enhance strong bilateral ties and maritime cooperation between both countries.

‘Loktantra Ke Swar’ (Hindi): Books on President’s speeches released

M. Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India, released the Books on President’s speeches titled ‘Loktantra Ke Swar (Khand 2)’ in Hindi and ‘The Republican Ethic (Volume 2)’ in English in an event organized at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra in New Delhi.
95 speeches delivered by President of India Ram Nath Kovind during his 2nd year in the office starting July 2018 to July 2019 have been compiled in the second edition of books.
The speeches of President represent vision, aspirations and ethos of the country and also represent contours of a New India.

Kargil to Kohima 4,500 km ultra-marathon to mark 20 years of ‘Vijay Diwas’: IAF

The Indian Air Force is organising an ultra-marathon named as ‘Kargil to Kohima (K2K): Glory Run’ spanning over 4,500 km from Kargil to Kohima to commemorate 20 years of ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’ (named after successful Operation Vijay). Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa in a ceremony held at Vayu Bhavan in New Delhi flagged off the Marathon.
The aim behind this marathon would be to promote awareness for the safety of pedestrians and recently launched ‘Fit India Movement’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with paying tribute to Bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifices.
Squadron Leader Suresh Razdan, a Su-30 aircraft pilot is leading the expedition.

54th International Literacy Day observed on 8th September 2019

The International Literacy Day (ILD) is being observed every year across the world on 8 September to emphasize the importance of literacy to individuals, society and communities.
The International Literacy Day (ILD) was officially proclaimed by UNESCO in its 14th Session in November 1966. Since then, it is celebrated annually by member countries of UNESCO.
ILD 2019 theme announced by UNESCO was “Literacy and Multilingualism”. It seeks to highlight the importance of embracing linguistic diversity in education and literacy development as it is central to addressing persisting literacy challenges and to achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

Top Current Affairs for September 6, 2019

Former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe passes away

1. Robert Mugabe, former Zimbabwe President passed away at the age of 95 on September 6, 2019.
2. Robert Mugabe had ruled Zimbabwe for almost four decades before he was ousted from power in a military coup two years ago.
3. He is known as Founding Father of Zimbabwe.

Book on Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awardees “Glorious Diaspora – Pride of India” released

1. Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu released a coffee table book “Glorious Diaspora – Pride of India” at New Delhi.
2. The book contains the brief profiles of recipients of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards (PBSA) from 2003 to 2019.
3. Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards (PBSA) was first launched in 2003. It is the highest honour conferred upon by the Indian Government to overseas Indian.

Leh’s 1st ever Mobile Science Exhibition flagged off

1. SCIENCE EXPLORER – Leh’s 1st ever Mobile Science Exhibition was flagged off by Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent charge), Prahlad Singh Patel.
2. NCSM jointly with Department of Science &Technology (DST), Government of India simultaneously carried out the National launch of 25 new Mobile Science Exhibition buses for Aspirational Districts of India with an aim to create scientific awareness among the rural children.
3. MSE is the largest and longest-running outreach programme of the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM).

IoE status awarded to IIT-Madras, IIT-Kharagpur, DU, BHU and University of Hyderabad by HRD ministry

1. IIT Madras, Banaras Hindu University, IIT Kharagpur, University of Delhi and the University of Hyderabad have been awarded Institutions of Eminence status by HRD ministry.
2. Institutions of Eminence scheme has been launched in order to implement the commitment of Union Government to empower Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) and to help them become world-class teaching and research institutions, as announced by Union Finance Minister Late Arun Jaitely in his budget.
3. Under the scheme 10 public and 10 private institutions are to be identified to emerge as world-class Teaching and Research Institutions.

Somnath Temple declared ‘cleanest temple’ under Swach Bharat Mission

1. Somnath temple in Gujarat has been declared the cleanest temple in the country under the Union government’s Swachh Bharat Mission.
2. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani collected the award today at New Delhi

Top Current Affairs for September 5, 2019

RBI mandates Banks to adopt Repo-linked Interest Rates to make home loan and auto loan cheaper

1. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) mandates all the banks to link new floating-rate Personal, Retail, Housing, Auto and MSMEs loans to External Benchmark based Rate like Repo Rate from October 1, 2019, onwards.
2. With this move, the RBI aims to ensure faster transmission of Policy rate cuts to loan borrowers. The RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) recently in its bi-monthly policy review reduced the policy Repo Rate to 5.40 per cent.
3. This was the fourth rate cut in a row by the RBI.

India to provide 1 billion USD for the development of the Russian Far East

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the 5th Eastern Economic Forum at Vladivostok, Russia as its Chief Guest at the special invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
2. While speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum, the Prime Minister made a landmark announcement. The Prime Minister announced that India would be giving 1 billion dollar worth ‘Line of Credit’ for the development of the Far East.
3. This is the first time that India would be given a line of credit to an area of another country.

New Delhi hosts the 1st National Conference on Cyber Crime Investigation

1. CBI Director Rishi Kumar Shukla inaugurated the 1st National Conference on Cyber Crime Investigation on 4th September 2019.
2. The two-day conference covers one of the mandates of CBI which is to investigate crimes with inter-state and international ramifications.
3. Around 50 officers includingADGPs, SPs and DGPs dealing with cybercrime, officials and academia are participating in Conference.

IIT Kharagpur to set up sophisticated Analytical and Technical Help Institute (SATHI) to assist academic institutes in the neighbouring region

1. Centre has selected IIT Kharagpur to set up sophisticated Analytical and Technical Help Institute (SATHI) a Department of Science and Technology (DST) initiative of the centre to assist academic institutes in the neighbouring region.
2. Centre has allotted an amount of Rs.125 crore over a period of financial years (starting from 2019-20) for the same.
3. As per the Department of Science and Technology mandate, the SATHI Centre will run 24×7 round the year and would aim towards becoming a national centre of excellence, catering to the scientific need of the country.

Food Ministry puts a blanket ban on single-use plastic products from 15 Sept

1. Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution has announced a blanket ban on all types of single-use plastic products in various departments of Ministry and all its Public Sector Units (PSUs) including Food Corporation of India (FCI) starting from 15 September 2019.
2. The department has distributed cloth bags to employees to reduce the consumption of single-use plastics.

Top Current Affairs for September 4, 2019

Qatar to host FIFA World Cup 2022

• FIFA world cup 2022 will be hosted by the Gulf emirate and preparations are in full swing.
• The official logo of Qatar 2022 FIFA world cup has been unveiled in the capital Doha recently. Qatar celebrated the release of the 2022 world cup logo by displaying in its public space in Doha and cities around the world.
• The football World Cup will begin on November 21, 2022. The final will be played on Qatar’s National Day that is December 18, 2022.

Infusion of capital by Government in IDBI Bank approved by Union Cabinet

• The Union Cabinet has approved infusion of capital worth Rs 4,557 crore by the central government in IDBI Bank. 
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the Union Cabinet. 
• The decision to infuse capital in IDBI Bank is expected to help in completing the process of IDBI Bank’s turnaround and enable its return to profitability. 

Odisha celebrates Nuakhai Juhar harvest festival

• Nuakhai Juhar s one of the most ancient festivals celebrated in Odisha to welcome new crop of the season. It is an important social festival of Western Odisha and is an agricultural festival.
• It is celebrated on Panchami Tithi of the month of Bhadraba and is also known as Nuakhai Parab or Nuakahi Bhetghat.
• Farmers offer the 1st produce from their lands to Goddess Samaleswari, the famous mother goddess of Sambalpur district of Odisha and then consume it personally.

India to contribute $22 million Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFTAM) 

• India has announced a contribution of $22 million to GFTAM for 2020-22.
• India stands firm to its long-standing partnership with Global Fund and its commitment to eliminate AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
• With an investment of nearly $2 billion so far, Global Fund support has made a significant contribution in attaining India’s targets related to HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria reduction as well as escalating country’s fight against these three diseases.

Ashok Leyland’s first to get BS-VI certification for its Heavy-duty trucks 

• Ashok Leyland has become 1st Indian original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to meet BS-VI emission norms across its entire range of heavy-duty trucks (gross vehicle weight of 16.2. tonne and above).
• It has received compliance certificates from the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).
• Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI)  is an autonomous body affiliated to Union Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.

Vaishno Devi shrine announced as country’s ‘Best Swachh Iconic Place’

• Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine of Jammu and Kashmir was named as India’s ‘Best Swachh Iconic Place’. 
• The Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine has been adjudged on the basis of overall improvement in sanitation brought about by board due to several initiatives taken n last few years to ensure the cleanliness of the entire shrine area.
• President Ram Nath Kovind will be bestowing the award to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) on September 6, 2019, during the ‘Swachh Mahotsav’.

CEC Sunil Arora takes charge as AWEB Chairman

• Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora assumed Chairmanship of Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) for the term 2019-21.
• AWEB is a multilateral platform for election management bodies from across the world to share best electoral practices. India has taken over the AWEB Chair from Romania for a two year period.
• An AWEB Centre would be set up at India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) in New Delhi for documentation, research and training and for sharing best practices.

Top Current Affairs for September 3, 2019

RBI mandates Banks to adopt Repo-linked Interest Rates to make home loan and auto loan cheaper

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) mandates all the banks to link new floating-rate Personal, Retail, Housing, Auto and MSMEs loans to External Benchmark based Rate like Repo Rate from October 1, 2019, onwards. 
• With this move, the RBI aims to ensure faster transmission of Policy rate cuts to loan borrowers. The RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) recently in its bi-monthly policy review reduced the policy Repo Rate to 5.40 per cent. 
• This was the fourth rate cut in a row by the RBI.

India to provide 1 billion USD for the development of the Russian Far East

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the 5th Eastern Economic Forum at Vladivostok, Russia as its Chief Guest at the special invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 
• While speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum, the Prime Minister made a landmark announcement. The Prime Minister announced that India would be giving 1 billion dollar worth ‘Line of Credit’ for the development of the Far East. 
• This is the first time that India would be given a line of credit to an area of another country. 

New Delhi hosts the 1st National Conference on Cyber Crime Investigation 

• CBI Director Rishi Kumar Shukla inaugurated the 1st National Conference on Cyber Crime Investigation on 4th September 2019.
• The two-day conference covers one of the mandates of CBI which is to investigate crimes with inter-state and international ramifications.
• Around 50 officers includingADGPs, SPs and DGPs dealing with cybercrime, officials and academia are participating in Conference.

IIT Kharagpur to set up sophisticated Analytical and Technical Help Institute (SATHI) to assist academic institutes in the neighbouring region

• Centre has selected IIT Kharagpur to set up sophisticated Analytical and Technical Help Institute (SATHI) a Department of Science and Technology (DST) initiative of the centre to assist academic institutes in neighbouring region.
• Centre has allotted an amount of Rs.125 crore over a period of financial years (starting from 2019-20) for the same.
• As per the Department of Science and Technology mandate, the SATHI Centre will run 24×7 round the year and would aim towards becoming a national centre of excellence, catering to the scientific need of the country.

Food Ministry puts a blanket ban on single-use plastic products from 15 Sept

• Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution has announced a blanket ban on all types of single-use plastic products in various departments of Ministry and all its Public Sector Units (PSUs) including Food Corporation of India (FCI) starting from 15 September 2019.
• the department has distributed cloth bags to employees to reduce the consumption of single-use plastics.

Top Current Affairs for September 3, 2019

Qatar to host FIFA World Cup 2022

• FIFA world cup 2022 will be hosted by the Gulf emirate and preparations are in full swing.
• The official logo of Qatar 2022 FIFA world cup has been unveiled in the capital Doha recently. Qatar celebrated the release of the 2022 world cup logo by displaying in its public space in Doha and cities around the world.
• The football World Cup will begin on November 21, 2022. The final will be played on Qatar’s National Day that is December 18, 2022.

Infusion of capital by Government in IDBI Bank approved by Union Cabinet

• The Union Cabinet has approved infusion of capital worth Rs 4,557 crore by the central government in IDBI Bank. 
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the Union Cabinet. 
• The decision to infuse capital in IDBI Bank is expected to help in completing the process of IDBI Bank’s turnaround and enable its return to profitability. 

Odisha celebrates Nuakhai Juhar harvest festival

• Nuakhai Juhar s one of the most ancient festivals celebrated in Odisha to welcome new crop of the season. It is an important social festival of Western Odisha and is an agricultural festival.
• It is celebrated on Panchami Tithi of the month of Bhadraba and is also known as Nuakhai Parab or Nuakahi Bhetghat.
• Farmers offer the 1st produce from their lands to Goddess Samaleswari, the famous mother goddess of Sambalpur district of Odisha and then consume it personally.

India to contribute $22 million Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFTAM) 

• India has announced a contribution of $22 million to Global Fund to o GFTAM for 2020-22.
• India stands firm to its long-standing partnership with Global Fund and its commitment to eliminate AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
• With an investment of nearly $2 billion so far, Global Fund support has made a significant contribution in attaining India’s targets related to HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria reduction as well as escalating country’s fight against these three diseases.

Ashok Leyland’s first to get BS-VI certification for its Heavy-duty trucks 

• Ashok Leyland has become 1st Indian original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to meet BS-VI emission norms across its entire range of heavy-duty trucks (gross vehicle weight of 16.2. tonne and above).
• It has received compliance certificates from the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).
• Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI)  is an autonomous body affiliated to Union Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.

Vaishno Devi shrine announced as country’s ‘Best Swachh Iconic Place’

• Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine of Jammu and Kashmir was named as India’s ‘Best Swachh Iconic Place’. 
• The Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine has been adjudged on the basis of overall improvement in sanitation brought about by board due to several initiatives taken n last few years to ensure cleanliness of the entire shrine area.
• President Ram Nath Kovind will be bestowing the award to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) on September 6, 2019, during the ‘Swachh Mahotsav’.

CEC Sunil Arora takes charge as AWEB Chairman

• Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora assumed Chairmanship of Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) for the term 2019-21.
• AWEB is a multilateral platform for election management bodies from across the world to share best electoral practices. India has taken over the AWEB Chair from Romania for a two year period.
• An AWEB Centre would be set up at India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) in New Delhi for documentation, research and training and for sharing best practices.

Top Current Affairs for September 3, 2019

Eight Apache Combat Helicopters Inducted InTo IAF: Everything You Need To Know

• Eight Boeing AH-64 Apache combat helicopters were inducted into the Indian Air Force on September 3, 2019. 
• Apache AH-64E is one of the world’s most advanced attack helicopters with multi-role combat capabilities. The helicopter is flown by the US Army. 
• The induction of the US-made Apache helicopters will provide a major boost to IAF’s combat capabilities.

Virat Kohli Becomes The Most Successful Test Captain Overseas

• Virat Kohli has become India’s most successful test captain after the Indian team won the match against West Indies by 257 runs in Jamaica.  
• It was India’s 28th win in 48 Tests, led by Virat Kohli. He has surpassed Mahendra Singh Dhoni, led by India in 27 of 60 Test matches. 
• India has lost only 10 Test matches under the captaincy of Virat Kohli.

Mithali Raj Retires From T20 Internationals

• Mithali Raj has retired from T20 Internationals. The former India T20 captain announced that she wanted to focus on the 2021 ODI World Cup.
•  Mithali Raj was the first Indian cricketer to reach the landmark of 2000 T20I runs.
• Mithali Raj had also captained the Indian side when India played its first-ever women’s T20 International in Derby in 2006.

Rs 4,750 cr Of Interest, Penalty On Crop Loans Waived Off By Haryana Government

• The Haryana Government has announced a waiver of Rs. 4750 crore on interest and penalty on crop loans. 
• Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar announced that this waiver will benefit about 10 Lakh farmers of the Haryana. 
• The move will benefit those farmers who have borrowed from District Cooperative Central Banks, Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS), Development Bank and Land Mortgage Bank of Haryana.

KVIC Launched ‘Terracotta Grinder’

• A unique project was launched by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) in Varanasi. This machine is called ‘Terracotta Grinder’ that will grind the wasted and broken pottery items for re-using in pottery-making.
• According to an estimate, the cost of one tractor trolley of clay is Rs 2,600 in the Varanasi area. The potter will make a saving of at least Rs 520.
•  KVIC Chairman also distributed 200 Electric Potter Wheels and other pottery machines among the villagers.

New Delhi Hosts The 72nd Session Of WHO Regional Committee of South-East Asia

• Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health, inaugurated the 72nd session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for South-East Asia in New Delhi.
• The last session of the WHO Regional Committee was also held in Indian.
• At the meeting, the member nations will have a discussion about the strengthening of emergency preparedness capacities, cervical cancer, eliminating measles as well as addressing the high burden of tuberculosis (TB).

Mega UN Summit To Combat Desertification Started At Greater Noida

• The 14th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP 14) started on 2nd September 2019.
• Ministers and representatives of governments, intergovernmental and non-government organizations, scientists, women and youth from197 parties are attending this summit.
• UNCCD is an international agreement on good land stewardship (carefully and responsibly conducting, supervising or managing).

Month Of September Designated As ‘Rashtriya Poshan Maah’

• Union Government is celebrating the entire month of September as “Rashtriya Poshan Maah” (National Nutrition Month) to emphasise the need for healthy nutrition
• This initiative is aimed at sensitising the public on healthy eating, addressing twin issues of malnutrition and undernutrition and obesity in some sections and also intensifying existing nationwide campaign for ‘malnutrition-India‘.
• POSHAN stands for Prime Minister’s Overreaching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment. The POSHAN Abhiyaan is a mission with a vision to address malnutrition with a systematic approach by 2022.

Click Here For & Current Affairs Quiz For September 3, 2019

Top Current Affairs for September 2, 2019

China-Japan to launch a special police unit to patrol isles in the East China Sea?

• In order to patrol disputed isles in the East China Sea, Japan will launch a special police unit equipped with submachine guns and helicopters.
• Japan is planning to deploy the special police unit near the tiny islands by early next year.  
• Japan and China have a bitter relationship since 2012 when Tokyo “nationalised” some of the islets. 

Bangladesh signs deal with Reliance Power to buy electricity for 22 years

• Bangladesh has signed an agreement to buy 718 megawatts of electricity from India’s Reliance Power over the next 22 years.
• Reliance plans to invest about $1 billion to set up a local plant by 2022 to provide the electricity. The plant will be built at Meghnaghat in Narayanganj, over 20 km southeast of the capital Dhaka
• The combined-cycle power plant will be fueled by gas and regasification liquefied natural gas and be fully owned by Reliance.

India to launch ‘Samudrayaan’ project for deep ocean mining for rare minerals

• The ‘Samudrayaan’ project is in line with the ISRO’s ambitious ‘Gaganyaan’ mission of sending an astronaut to space by 2022 and is undertaken by the NIOT, Chennai, 
• The indigenously developed vehicle is capable of crawling on the sea bed at a depth of six-kilometre for 72 hours.
• The ‘Samudrayaan’ is a part of the Ministry of Earth Sciences’ pilot project for deep ocean mining for rare minerals.

PM Modi to be awarded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been conferred with yet another award, this time it’s by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for the PM’s ambitious pet project, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
• Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, or the Clean India Mission, was one of the first few ambitious projects that PM Modi launched in his first term at the Centre in 2014. The project was launched as an ode to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary.
• Billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates own the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Rishabh Pant set a new record of being the fastest Indian wicket-keeper to claim 50 dismissals in Test cricket.

• Rishabh Panth has set a record of being the fastest Indian wicket-keeper to claim 50 dismissals in Test cricket.
• The young wicket-keeper batsman claimed his 50th victim in his 11th Test while Dhoni had taken 15 Tests to touch the milestone. 
• Pant took an easy catch to dismiss West Indies’ Kraigg Brathwaite off an Ishant Sharma delivery in the second innings of the hosts in the second Test. 

‘Build for Digital India’ programme launched by MeitY and Google for engineering students

• Union Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) with Google has launched ‘Build for Digital India’ programme for engineering students.
• The objective of this programme is to offer a platform to engineering students for developing market-ready, technology-based solutions that address key social problems.
• This initiative will motivate college students across India to innovate and will also produce some good technology solutions for some major social challenges of India.

Indonesia to move the capital from Jakarta to Borneo Island

• Indonesia President Joko Widodo has announced to move its current capital from Jakarta (on the island of Java) to the sparsely populated East Kalimantan (on Borneo Island). 
• The reason behind the shift is that Indonesia’s current capital, Jakarta, is home to more than 10 million people. It climate-threatened megacity as it has some of the world’s worst air pollution and traffic congestion. Poor urban planning has left 40% of the city below sea level.
• Kalimantan is almost four times bigger that Jakarta, but accounts for less than a tenth of the gross domestic production (GDP). It is also much more central in Indonesia’s archipelago of 17,000 islands.

Click Here For & Current Affairs Quiz For September 2, 2019

Top Current Affairs for September 1, 2019

Abhishek Verma bags Gold in men’s 10m air pistol gold at ISSF World Cup

• Abhishek Verma, Asian Games medallist, won gold in the men’s 10 m air pistol event of ISSF World Cup at Rio De Janeiro. 
• Teen sensation Saurabh Chaudhary claimed a bronze. 
• Abhishek shot 244.2 in the eight-man final while Saurabh shot 221.9.

‘Namaste Pacific’ Cultural gala hosted by New Zealand high commission at New Delhi

• Namaste Pacific, a cultural event was organized at the New Zealand High Commission, Chanakyapuri in New Delhi and was jointly hosted by the High Commissions of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji  
• In the event, traditional masks and artefacts from Papua New Guinea and Pacific Green furniture and other products from Fiji were displayed. 
• Apart from this,  solar lanterns from Barefoot College in Rajasthan and International Solar Alliance and Pollinate Energy based in India, Nepal, and Australia and were also put in the display. 

IPS officer Aparna Kumar becomes the first IPS officer to bag Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award.

• Aparna Kumar a 2002 batch IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh Cadre became the first IPS officer to be conferred with Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award.
• Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award is considered at par with Arjuna award and is the highest national award for adventure sports in India.
• Other winners were – Land Adventure category: Late Dipankar Ghosh and Manikandan K. Water Adventure category: Prabhat Raju Koli Air Adventure: Rameshwar Jang.

CBFC releases its New logo and certificate identity.

• Prasoon Joshi, chairperson of the Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC) unveiled the new logo of Central Board of Film Certification at an event on Saturday. Along with the logo, 
• The new certificate identity of the board was also revealed.
• The event was hosted in Mumbai and  Minister of Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar was the chief guest of the event. 

Mumbai and New Delhi rank 45 and 52 in safe city Index 2019

• According to Safe city Index report released by the Economist Intelligence Unit Mumbai and New Delhi are among the top 100 safest cities in the world.
• 60 countries worldwide across five continents were evaluated in the Safe Cities Index (SCI) 2019 on the basis of digital, infrastructure, health and personal security.
• Tokyo bagged the first spot in the index.

PK Sinha designated as OSD in Prime Ministers Office

• PK Sinha , Former cabinet Secretary has been designated as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD)in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). 
• Pradeep Kumar Sinha is the 31st cabinet Secretary of India. Before this appointment, he served as the Power Secretary of India.
• He will replace Nripendra Misra who is the Principal Secretary of PMO.

Dindigul lock and Kandangi saree of Tamil Nadu gets GI tag

• Chennai’s Geographical Indications Registry (GIR)  has granted coveted Geographical Indication (GI) tag to Dindigul lock and Kandangi saree from Tamil Nadu.
• With this, the total number of indigenous products that have been accorded GI tag from Tamil Nadu becomes 31.

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