IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF SEPTEMPER 18^th , 2019

              IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF SEPTEMBER 18^th, 2019

1.     External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will embark on a 3-day official visit to Finland tomorrow. 

a.      This will be his maiden visit to Finland after assuming charge as External Affairs Minister.

b.      During the visit, the Minister will have detailed discussions with Foreign Minister of Finland, Pekka Haavisto, on a broad spectrum of bilateral relations. 

c.      He will call on the President and the Prime Minister of Finland.

d.      The External Affairs Minister will also unveil the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Finland. 

2.     The Indonesian Parliament has raised the minimum age at which women can marry from 16 to 19 in a bid to curb child marriages. 

a.      Previously parents could ask religious courts or officials to authorise the marriages of girls aged below 16. 

b.      Note : One in four girls in Indonesia is married before they turn 18, according to Indonesia's Statistics Agency and UNICEF.

3.     Sri Lanka today unveiled South Asia's tallest tower, the Lotus Tower, in the capital Colombo. 

a.      Constructed in the shape of a 356-metre lotus, the tower has been built at a cost of $104.3 million, 80% of which has been funded by the Chinese government.

4.     Russia is holding its annual Center-2019 International Command Exercise involving 6 other nations from 16 to 21 September 2019. 

a.      Center-2019 is an annual strategic and operational military exercises which aren’t aimed at any third-party country rather focus on counterterrorist operations and is purely defensive in nature.

5.     The Union Cabinet has banned the production, manufacturing, import, export, distribution and advertisement of e-cigarettes after considering their impact on the youth. 

a.      First-time offenders would face a prison term of up to one year and a fine of ₹1 lakh, while repeat offenders would face jail terms of up to three years, with a penalty of up to ₹5 lakh.

b.      Note : E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that produce an aerosol by heating a solution containing nicotine which is the addictive substance in combustible cigarettes.

6.     The 5th International Ramayan Festival organized by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) is being held from 17-19 September 2019 in New Delhi. 

a.      The maiden day of festival was presided by Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah as Chief Guest.

7.     Indian Bank today announced that the board has given its in-principle approval for the merger of Allahabad Bank with itself.

a.      It also cleared the proposed infusion of capital by the government up to Rs 5,000 crore in the bank by way of preferential issue of shares.

b.      After the amalgamation, the combined entity will have over 6,100 branches across the country and overseas presence in 3 countries.

8.     Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal today announced taht the government is going to shut down state-owned trading companies such as State Trading Corporation (STC), Project and Equipment Corporation (PEC) and MMTC (Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation) one by one. 

9.     In a bid to boost domestic manufacturing, the government has removed 5 per cent custom duty imposed on import of open cell TV panel, which are used in the manufacturing of LED TVs. 

a.      The move would also help to reduce the price of TV panel by around three per cent.

10.Indian Air Force (IAF) has successfully flight-tested air-to-air missile Astra off the coast of Odisha. 

a.      The missile was launched from a Sukhoi Su-30 MKI combat aircraft as a part of User trials.

11.The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has signed MoUs with  Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to develop human-centric systems for India's first manned space mission Gaganyaan. 

a.      DRDO will provide critical technologies including space food, survival kits for the crew, radiation protection equipment, among others.

12.The Maharashtra government announced that it will tie-up with US firm Zipline to use autonomous delivery drones to deliver emergency medicines and critical care across the state. 

a.      The initiative will be supported through a grant from Serum Institute of India (SII). 

13.Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will fly in the indigenously-built Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas in Bengaluru tomorrow. 

a.      Tejas, designed and developed by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Aeronautical Development Agency, is a four-and-half generation single-engine multirole light fighter jet.  the Indian Air Force is likely to purchase 83 LCA Tejas for about ₹45,000 crore.

14.'Moti Bagh', a documentary film based on the struggle of a farmer named Vidyadutt living in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal region, has been selected as an entry to Oscars 2019.  

a.      The film was directed by : Nirmal Chander Dandriyal.

15.Breast cancer survivor Sarah Thomas (37) has become the 1st person to swim English Channel 4 times non-stop.

16.Vinesh Phogat has become the 1st Indian wrestler to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after defeating American wrestler Sarah Hildebrandt in the World Championships. 

a.      Vinesh will wrestle in the bronze-medal bout against Maria Prevolaraki of Greece tomorrow.

b.      The 25-year-old has qualified for the Olympics in the 53-kg category.

17.All-rounder Dinesh Mongia has announced retirement from all forms of cricket, 12 years after playing his last international match. 

a.      The 42-year-old represented India in 57 ODIs from 2001 to 2007 and was also part of India's first-ever T20I. 

b.      Mongia last represented his domestic side Punjab in 2007 before joining the now-defunct Indian Cricket League.

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF SEPTEMPER 17^th , 2019

              IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF SEPTEMBER 17^th, 2019

1.     The 16th round of Foreign Office Consultations between India and Iran was held in Tehran (Iran's capital) today.

a.      Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale led the Indian delegation. 

b.      Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Seyyed Abbas Araghchi led the Iranian side.

c.      During the consultations, the two sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation, ongoing connectivity and infrastructure development projects, including the development of Shahid Behesthi Port, Chabahar and full operationalization of the Chabahar Agreement between India, Iran and Afghanistan.

d.      Note : The next round of Foreign Office Consultations will be held in New Delhi on mutually convenient dates.

2.     The 38th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) will be organized from 30th of October to 9th of November this year, where authors, publishers, intellectuals and artists worldwide will bring their experiences and expertise to this prominent event and partake in a vibrant cultural programme.

a.      UNESCO has named Sharjah as the World Book Capital City for the year 2019 in recognition of the city’s continuous efforts in promoting books and literacy.

b.      Aligning itself with the title of the World Book Capital, the SIBF will be organized under the theme 'Open Books, Open Minds'.

3.     The maiden Trilateral Naval exercise involving Indian Navy (IN), Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and Royal Thailand Navy (RTN) commenced at Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 

a.      The 5-day exercise will be held from 16 to 20 September 2019.

b.      The main aim of this exercise is to bolster maritime inter-relationships amongst India, Thailand and Singapore as well as to contribute significantly towards enhancing the overall maritime security in the region.

4.     Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has launched Mukhya Mantri Seva Sankalp Helpline (Chief Minister’s Service Resolution Helpline) number ‘1100’ for speedy and time-bound redressal of public grievances using modern technology. 

a)     By calling this helpline common citizens of state will be able to resolve their complaints and problems.

b)    Note : With the launch of Mukhya Mantri Seva Sankalp Helpline Himachal Pradesh has now become 4th state in country to provide this facility. So far this facility is available in Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

5.     The Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Amendment Bill, 2019 which was passed by the Parliament during the last Budget Session has come into effect.

a.      This bill will facilitate smooth and speedy eviction of unauthorized occupants from Government residential accommodations and ensure retrieval of these residential accommodations from unauthorized occupants.

b.      This is expected to further increase availability of government residential accommodations for eligible persons and reduce the waiting period.

c.      As per the Amendment Act, the Estate officer will issue short Show cause notice of three days before eviction of the unauthorized occupant from Government accommodation.

6.     In a consumer friendly initiative, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has expanded the scope and coverage of Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) to include all categories of billers who raise recurring bills and payments (except prepaid recharges) as eligible participants, on a voluntary basis.

7.     India's first private train Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express will be flagged-off from Lucknow by Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath on October 4. 

a.      Note : It will be the first train of Indian Railways that will be entirely run by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).

8.     The Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) handed over a New-Generation Wargaming Software developed by New Delhi-based Institute for Systems Studies and Analysis (ISSA) to the Indian Navy.

a.      This software is aimed at creating an environment that would enable Maritime Warfare Centres (MWCs) to train using latest technological and computing tools.

9.     Veteran Malayalam actor Sathaar (67) passed away today.

a.      Sathaar made his acting debut with Malayalam film 'Anavaranam' in 1976.

10.India and Slovenia today sign 8 agreements and MoUs in various fields. They are :

a.      Programme of Scientific and Technological Cooperation between the Ministry of Science and Technology of India and the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of Slovenia for the period 2020-2022

b.      MoU on Cooperation in the field of Sport between the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of India and the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of Slovenia

c.      Programme of Cooperation in the fields of Culture, Arts, Education, Sports and Mass Media

d.      Programme of Cooperation between the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the Slovenian Institute for Standardization (SIST) on Technical Cooperation in the field of Standardization

e.      MoU between Invest India and SPIRIT Slovenia

f.        Memorandum of Understanding between IIT Kanpur (for cGanga / India) and VGB (Slovenia)

g.      Memorandum of Understanding between IIT Kanpur (for cGanga / India) and Space-SI (Slovenia)

h.      Cooperation Agreement between Chamber Of Commerce And Industry Of Slovenia (CCIS) and the Associated Chambers Of Commerce And Industry Of India (ASSOCHAM)

11.Indian Actress Neena Gupta won Best Actress Award at the India International Film Festival of Boston for the film 'The Last Color'. 

a.      The film which is directed by chef Vikas Khanna also won the award in the Best Feature Film category. 

12.Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's will honour Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Swachh Bharat Mission, a sanitation initiative that improved access to toilets.

a.      Mr Modi will receive its annual Goalkeepers Global Goals Award for providing 500 million people in India safer sanitation. 

b.      Mr Modi will be in the United States next week to receive the foundation's award.

13.Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was conferred the Dr Kalam Smriti International Excellence Award 2019 in Dhaka today. 

a.      The award has been instituted in the memory of former Indian President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

14.Political journalist Ajay Kumar Singh has been appointed as the Press Secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind. 

a.      Ajay is going to replace Ashok Malik whose term ended in July 2019. 

15.The Indian Air Force (IAF) appointed Wing Commander Anjali Singh as India's first woman defence attaché at an Indian mission abroad.

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF SEPTEMPER 16^th , 2019

              IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF SEPTEMBER 16^th, 2019

1.     The United Nation's International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer (International Ozone Day) is being observed today.

a.      The ozone layer, a fragile shield of gas, protects the Earth from the harmful portion of the rays of the sun, thus helping preserve life on the planet. 

b.      2019 Ozone Day theme : 32 years and healing

2.     (16th September) is International Red Panda Day (IRPD). 

a.      Red panda is a mammal slightly larger than a domestic cat and feeds on the bamboo.

b.      The commemoration of the International Red Panda Day is a way to promote and encourage people save these adorable beings as they are being listed under endangered species.

3.     President Ram Nath Kovind reached Slovenia's capital Ljubljana today after concluding his visit to Iceland and Switzerland. 

a.      During this visit, he will hold talks with his Slovenian counterpart Borut Pahor. 

b.      President will also be present during the delegation level talks and signing of agreements between the two countries. 

c.      During his two-days visit, the President will also take part in the India-Slovenia business event and grace a reception to be hosted by the Indian community.

d.      Important Note : This is the 1st ever visit by any Indian President to Slovenia after it gained Independence in 1991. 

4.     Chief of Indian Coast Guard General Krishnaswamy Natarajan is on a 4 day visit to Dhaka.

a.      During the visit, DG Coast Guard will be calling on the Home Minister, Chief of Naval Staff, Director General of Bangladesh Coast Guard among others.

b.      The visit will strengthen defence cooperation particularly in the field of maritime domain. 

c.      It will also strengthen the close and fraternal ties existing between the Coast Guards of the two countries.

5.     US President Donald Trump will join PM Narendra Modi to address 50,000 Indian-Americans at the 'Howdy, Modi' event in Houston on September 22. 

a.      The two leaders addressing the event is historic and unprecedented," Indian envoy to the US Harsh Shringla said.

6.     In Tripura, the 3 day long traditional Neermahal Jal Utsav concluded today with eye catching boat race and swimming competitions at Rudrasagar lake.

a.      Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb flagged off the boat race. 

b.      Note : Neermahal is a water palace built at the middle of Rudrasagar lake by Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya in 1930 as his summer resort being inspired by Mughal style of architecture.

7.     Children's week will be observed in In Uttar Pradesh at all angan wadi centres across the state from today under the nutrition month campaign. 

a.      Poshan Abhiyaan is a mission with the vision to address malnutrition in children, adolescent girls and pregnant ladies. 

8.     The renovated Jayakar Bungalow, a classic heritage site situated inside the premises of National Film Archives of India (NFAI) in Pune, Maharashtra was inaugurated by Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting.

9.     India's autonomous public service broadcaster Doordarshan is celebrating its 60 years.

a.      The public broadcaster started its journey in the year 1959 from Delhi. 

b.      Over the years, Doordarshan has grown into a network operating 34 satellite channels, besides providing free-to-air DTH service having 104 in its bookings. 

c.      Doordarshan has served people as a major source of information, education and entertainment since years. 

d.      Director General, Doordarshan, Prasar Bharati : Supriya Sahu 

10.Telangana State Assembly today unanimously passed a resolution against proposed Uranium mining in Nallamala forest area. 

a.      The state Government has proposed the resolution following an assurance by Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao yesterday to the Congress members.

b.      The Assembly urged the Central Government to withdraw proposal of Uranium mining in Nallamala Forest Area in view of the possible threat to the habitation and biodiversity in and around Nallamala due to mining besides public fears of air and water pollution due to Uranium mining.

11.The amalgamated entity of United Bank of India, Punjab National Bank and Oriental Bank of Commerce will come into effect from 1st April 2020.

a.      Important Note : The merged entity will be the second-largest public sector bank in the country after the State Bank of India (SBI).

12.American space agency NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has won the Outstanding Interactive Program award at the 71st Creative Arts Emmys for its multimedia coverage of SpaceX's Demonstration Mission 1 last March.  

13.NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is expected to reveal new information once it flies over landing site of Chandrayaan-2's Vikram lander tomorrow. 

a.      The LRO is also likely to release images that it takes of the lander.

14.Film editor Sanjib Kumar Datta (54) passed away.

a.      Datta has edited more than 80 films and is known for his work in 'Iqbal', among others.

15.Former Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kodela Siva Prasada Rao today committed suicide at his residence in Hyderabad. 

a.      He was accused of "stealing" furniture worth nearly ₹1 crore from the Assembly and diverting it to his personal offices and residence in Guntur.

16.Justice P Lakshmana Reddy, a retired judge of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh High Court was sworn-in as the 1st Lokayukta of Andhra Pradesh. 

a.      His oath to office was administered by the state Governor Biswabhusan Hairchandan at a function held in Vijayawada. 

17.Indian billiards and snooker player Pankaj Advani has increased his tally of world titles to 22 by winning a 4th straight final in the 150-up format at the IBSF World Billiards Championship in Mandalay in Myanmar. 

18.Indian shuttler Kaushal Dharmamer clinched the Myanmar International Series by defeating Indonesia's Karono Karono in Men's singles final in Yangon.

19.Spain defeated Argentina  to win the Basketball World Cup in Beijing.

a.      This is their 1st title in 13 years.