04 October 2018

04 October 2018
-------------------------------
Current Affairs 04th October 2018: Daily GK Update
The General Awareness Section of Banking Exams covers numerous sections in it like
Banking Awareness, Static GK, and Current Affairs. But the most important thing
that you might have noticed is that both the Banking Awareness and Static Awareness
questions asked in the General Awareness Section are based on Current Affairs only.
The questions on Static and Banking Awareness are related to the countries, events
or anything that has been in news for a while. Here is the Daily GK Update to get
you acquainted with the top events that made the headlines today!!
National News
1. Important Cabinet Approvals: 03rd October 2018
i. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the
following set of approvals. The important Cabinet Approvals are given as follows-
ii. The Cabinet has approved-
1. Redevelopment of Railway Stations by IRSDC as Nodal Agency, through simplified
procedures and longer lease tenure.
Find The Complete Approvals Here
2. Cabinet Hikes MSP of Rabi Crops

i. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, CCEA, has increased the Minimum Support
Price (MSP) for all Rabi crops for the current financial year which will be
marketed in 2019-20 season. The MSP of wheat has been raised by 105 rupees per
quintal, Masur by 225 per quintal, and Gram by 220 per quintal.
ii. According to Union Minister Ravishankar Prasad, the decision is a step towards
doubling the farmers' income. The decision will give additional return to the
farmers of 62,635 crore rupees by way of increasing the MSP of notified crops to at
least 50 per cent return over cost of production.
3. National Khadi Festival 2018 Held in Mumbai

i. The National Khadi Festival 2018 is being organised by Khadi and Village
Industries Commission (KVIC) to promote Khadi products.
ii. The festival was inaugurated by Union Minister for Micro Small & Medium
Enterprises, Giriraj Singh in Mumbai on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti 2018. The
main objective of the festival is to promote the products of cottage industry and
create awareness regarding the art of states.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for RRB Clerk Mains Exam 2018-
Vinai Kumar Saxena is the present chairman of KVIC.

4. First Regional Conference on 'Women in Detention and Access to Justice' in
Shimla
i. The Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), Ministry of Home Affairs
is organising the First ever Regional Conference at Shimla on 'Women in Detention
and Access to Justice' in collaboration with the Prison Department, Himachal
Pradesh.
ii. The Conference was inaugurated by Shri Acharya Devvrat, the Governor of
Himachal Pradesh. Expected Outcome of the Conference will be to help in ensuring
better implementation of Prison Reform and Rehabilitation Program in order to
improve the conditions of Women Inmates and their Access to Justice.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-
The Supreme Court has constituted a three-member committee headed by its former
judge Justice Amitava Roy to look into the aspect of jail reforms.
5. India and ADB sign $ 150 Million Loan Agreement to support India’s First Global
Skills Park
i. Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $150 million
Loan Agreement in New Delhi to establish a Global Skills Park (GSP) in Madhya
Pradesh, the First Multi-Skills Park in India, to enhance the quality of Technical
and Vocational Education And Training (TVET) System in the State and create a more
skilled workforce.
ii. This Project will help improve the quality and relevance of the State’s TVET
programs and will help impart advanced job-ready skills training of international
standards that can meet the employment needs of the State’s emerging sectors.
The Asian Development Bank is a regional development Bank established in 1966.

Headquarters of ADB is in Manila, Philippines.
Takehiko Nakao is Present President of the Asian Development Bank.
6. NMCG Partnered with TSAF to Launch “Mission Gange”
i. National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has partnered with Tata Steel Adventure
Foundation (TSAF) to launch a month-long rafting expedition of a team of 40 members
which will be led by the first Indian woman to scale Mount Everest Ms. Bachendri
Pal.
ii. The expedition will start from Haridwar on October 5th 2018 traversing a
distance of around 1500 km encompassing 8 major towns. It will conclude in Patna in
Bihar.
7. Russian President Vladimir Putin In India On 2-Day Visit

i. Russian President Vladimir Putin reached New Delhi on a two-day visit to India.
He will attend the 19th India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit in New Delhi. During
the visit, President Putin will hold delegation level talks with Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.
ii. The Russian President will also address the India-Russia Business Summit and
will interact with a group of talented children.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NIACL Mains Exam 2018-
Russian Capital: Moscow, Currency: Ruble, President: Vladimir Putin.

Important Days
8. World Animal Day: 4 October
i. World Animal Day is celebrated at various parts of the world on 4th October to
raise the status of animals in order to improve welfare standards around the globe.
ii. World Animal Day was originated by Heinrich Zimmermann. He organized the first
World Animal Day on 24 March 1925 at the Sports Palace in Berlin, Germany.
Resignation
9. Chanda Kochhar Quits As CEO of ICICI Bank
i. Chanda Kochhar has quit as CEO of ICICI Bank with immediate effect. The private
lender has appointed Sandeep Bakhshi as managing director and chief executive
officer for five years, subject to regulatory approval.
ii. In June, a panel was set up under retired Supreme Court judge Justice
Srikrishna to probe allegations against Chanda Kochhar.
ICICI Bank stands for Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India.
Headquarters of ICICI Bank: Mumbai.
Business News
10. RBI Allows State-Owned Oil Companies To Borrow Long Term Working Capital
i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed state-owned oil companies to borrow
long-term working capital from overseas. RBI relaxed the policy on borrowing up to
10 billion US dollar from the overseas by the state-owned fuel retailers.
ii. Till now oil marketing companies including Indian Oil Corp, Bharat Petroleum
Corp Ltd and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd, were not allowed to raise External
Commercial Borrowing (ECB) for working capital needs on a long-term basis. Now, the
RBI has allowed them to raise ECB of minimum maturity of 3 or 5 years.
Urjit Patel- 24th Governor of RBI, Headquarters- Mumbai, Established on- 1st April
1935, in Kolkata.
Awards
11. Swachh Survekshan Grameen Awards 2018 Announced
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave awards to top Ranked State, District and State
with maximum citizen participation based on the National Swachh Survekshan Grameen
2018 commissioned by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
ii. Haryana was ranked as the best State while Satara District of Maharashtra was
ranked as the best district as per the ranking undertaken by Swachh Survekshan
Grameen 2018.
(A) Top 3 States-

1. Haryana,
2. Gujarat,
3. Maharashtra.
(B) Top 3 Districts-

1. Satara, Maharashtra,
2. Rewari, Haryana,
3. Pedapalli, Telangana.
Ranks and Reports

12. Mukesh Ambani Richest Indian For 11th Consecutive Year: Forbes
i. Reliance Industries’ Chairman Mukesh Ambani has emerged as the richest Indian
for the 11th consecutive year with a net worth of USD 47.3 billion, according to
Forbes magazine. Ambani is also the year’s biggest gainer, adding USD 9.3 billion
to his wealth amid the continuing success of his Reliance Jio broadband telco
service.
ii. As per the ‘Forbes India Rich List 2018’, Wipro Chairman Azim Premji has
retained the second spot; while ArcelorMittal Chairman and CEO Lakshmi Mittal moved
a place ahead to the third slot with a net worth of USD 18.3 billion.
Forbes- American Business Magazine, Founded in- 1917.

Headquarters- New York City, USA.
Sports News
13. 18-Year-Old Prithvi Shaw Youngest Indian To Score Century On Test Debut
i. Prithvi Shaw has become the youngest Indian to score a century on Test debut,
achieving the feat aged 18 years and 329 days against Windies in Rajkot, Gujarat.
Shaw broke the 59-year-old record set by AA Baig (20 years and 126 days).
ii. Shaw is only the second Indian after Sachin Tendulkar to score a Test ton
before turning 19. Prithvi Shaw captained India Under-19 to World Cup victory in
February 2018.
Read This GK Update In Hindi
03 October 2018
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Current Affairs 03rd October 2018: Daily GK Update
National News
1. PM Inaugurates 1st Assembly of International Solar Alliance
i. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, inaugurated the first Assembly of the
International Solar Alliance in New Delhi.
ii. The same event also marked the inauguration of the second IORA Renewable
Energy Ministerial Meeting, and the 2nd Global RE-Invest (Renewable Energy
Investors’ Meet and Expo). The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio
Guterres, was present on the occasion.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for RRB Clerk Mains Exam 2018-
The International Solar Alliance was launched jointly by Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande on the first day of the COP-21
summit at Paris in 2015.
2. Odisha Government Launches Own Food Security Scheme
i. Odisha government launched the State’s own food security scheme to cover the
poor people. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the scheme via video
conferencing at the State Secretariat in Bhubaneswar.
ii. As per the provisions of the scheme, 25 lakh poor people left out from the
benefits of the National Food Security Act, will get rice of 5 kg per month for one
rupee. The government will spend Rs 442 crore per year for implementation of the
scheme.
3. India And ADB Sign $240 Million Loan For Safe Drinking Water Service For West
Bengal
i. The government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed $240 million
loan for providing safe and sustainable drinking water to about 1.65 million people
in three districts of the state of West Bengal affected by arsenic, fluoride, and
salinity.
ii. The signatories to the West Bengal Drinking Water Sector Improvement Project
were Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary (Fund Bank and ADB), Department of
Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance; and Kenichi Yokoyama, Country Director of
ADB’s India Resident Mission.
The Asian Development Bank is a regional development Bank established in 1966.

Headquarters of ADB is in Manila, Philippines.
Takehiko Nakao is Present President of the Asian Development Bank.
4. Haryana’s MDU Declared Cleanest Government University By HRD Ministry
i. Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar announced the
“Swachh Campus rankings” under various categories. The rankings were decided on the
basis of a survey under the ‘Swachhta Hi Sewa’ campaign. “Swachh Campus rankings”
under various categories are listed below:
ii. Cleanest 'Government Universities':
1. Maharashi Dayanand University, Haryana.
2. Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar, Punjab.
3. Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), New Delhi.
iii. Cleanest Residential Campuses of 'Private Universities':

1. Symbiosis International University, Pune.
2. OP Jindal Global University in Sonipat.
3. KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research in Belagavi.
iv. Cleanest Technical Institutions':

1. Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham in Coimbatore.
2. IIT Guwahati.
3. Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University in Bhubhaneshwar.
Appointments
5. Justice Ranjan Gogoi Sworn-in As 46th Chief Justice of India
i. Justice Ranjan Gogoi has sworn-in as new Chief Justice of India. President Ram
Nath Kovind administered him the oath of office at a function in Rashtrapati
Bhawan.
ii. He is succeeding Justice Dipak Misra who retired as Chief Justice of India
recently. Justice Gogoi is the 46th Chief Justice of India. He will have a tenure
of a little over 13 months and will retire on November 17, 2019.
6. Barham Salih Elected As The New President of Iraq

i. Iraq's Parliament has elected a veteran Kurdish Politician Barham Salih as the
country's new President. He has named Shiite Adel Abdul Mahdi as Prime Minister of
the country. The move will pave the way to form a new government, nearly five
months after national elections.
ii. Patriotic Union of Kurdistan leader Salih won 220 votes out of the 273
lawmakers. He was among 20 candidates for the post, including one from the rival
Kurdistan Democratic Party.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for SBI Clerk Mains Exam 2018-
Iraq Capital- Baghdad, Currency- Iraqi dinar

Banking/Business News
7 SBI Reduces ATM Withdrawal Limit
i. State Bank of India has slashed the daily withdrawal limit on its classic debit
card from Rs 40,000 to Rs 20,000. There is no change in the daily withdrawal limits
on other cards. The new limit will be effective from October 31st 2018.
ii. The bank has been receiving many complaints regarding cloning and the decision
is taken to reduce the withdrawal limit on these cards to check fraudulent
transactions.
SBI Chairman- Rajnish Kumar, Headquarters- Mumbai.

8. SIDBI Launched National Level Entrepreneurship Awareness Campaign 'Udyam
Abhilasha'
i. On the occasion of Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Small Industries
Development Bank of India (SIDBI), had launched a National Level Entrepreneurship
Awareness Campaign, Udyam Abhilasha in 115 Aspirational Districts identified by
NITI Aayog in 28 States and reaching to around 15,000 youth.
ii. SIDBI will join to contribute to “the transformation mission” unleashed for
these districts.
Mohammad Mustafa is the present CMD of SIDBI.

SIDBI Headquarters in Lucknow.
SIDBI was set up on 2nd April 1990 under an Act of Indian Parliament.
9. Paytm Tops UPI Payments With Over 33% Market Share
i. Alibaba and SoftBank-backed Paytm registered over 137 million UPI transactions
in September, becoming the leading contributor to Unified Payments Interface (UPI)
payments with over 33% of the overall market share.
ii. One97 Communications Limited, that owns the brand Paytm, is enabling BHIM UPI
for offline payments and over five million offline merchants, out of its 9.5
million merchant-base, now accept Paytm UPI.
Paytm founder- Vijay Shekhar Sharma

Awards
10 Nobel Prize 2018: Nobel Prize in Chemistry Goes To Frances H. Arnold, George P.
Smith and Gregory P. Winter
i. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in
Chemistry 2018 with one half to Frances H. Arnold (USA)"for the directed evolution
of enzymes" and the other half jointly to George P. Smith (USA) and Sir Gregory P.
Winter (UK) "for the phage display of peptides and antibodies".
Joachim Frank, Richard Henderson, and Jacques Dubochet were awarded the Nobel Prize
in Chemistry in 2017 “for developing cryo-electron microscopy for the high-
resolution structure determination of biomolecules in solution”.
11. PM Modi And French President Received UNEP Champions Of The Earth Award
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was honoured with United Nations' highest
environmental award- UNEP Champions of the Earth, along with French President
Emmanuel Macron in New Delhi.
ii. The award was presented by UN SecrSecretary-Generalonio Guterres. The award was
announced on the sidelines of 73rd UN General Assembly in New York. P
The UNEP Champions of the Earth award is awarded to outstanding leaders from
government, civil society and the private sector whose actions have had a positive
impact on the environment.
Sports News
12. Manu Bhaker Named India’s Flag-Bearer At Youth Olympic Games
i. Teenage shooting star Manu Bhaker was named as the flag-bearer of the Indian
contingent for the 3rd Youth Olympic Games to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina
from October 6-18.
ii. Goa Olympic Association Secretary Gurudutta D Bhakta will be the Chef-de-
Mission of the contingent. announced that the 16-year-old Bhaker will lead the
Indian team in the opening ceremony.
Capital: Buenos Aires, Currency: Argentine peso.

Narinder Batra is the President of Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
13. ICC Releases Latest Version Of Duckworth-Lewis-Stern System
i. The International Cricket Council released the updated version of the Duckworth-
Lewis-Stern (DLS) System along with the new ICC Code of Conduct and ICC Playing
Conditions. These came into effect from 30 September, when the first ODI between
South Africa and Zimbabwe was played in Kimberley.
ii. This is the third version but second update of the DLS System since its
introduction into international cricket in 2014 and has been carried out following
a detailed ball-by-ball analysis of scoring patterns, including in the Powerplays,
in all limited overs internationals played during the previous four years.
Find The Complete Changes in ICC Code of Conduct Here
14. Australia's Mile Jedinak and Russia’s Igor Akinfeev Retires From International
Football
i. Australian midfielder Mile Jedinak announced his retirement from international
football, bringing the curtain down on a 79-cap career which included leading the
Socceroos at two World Cups.
ii. Russia goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev has also retired from international soccer
after leading the national side as captain to this year’s World Cup quarter-finals
on home soil. The 32-year-old earned 112 caps for his country since his debut in
2004 as an 18-year-old, according to the Russian Football Union.
02 October 2018
-------------------------------
Current Affairs 02nd October 2018: Daily GK Update
National News
1. United Nations Chief Antonio Guterres Arrives India On 4-Day Visit
i. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has arrived in New Delhi on a

four-day visit to India. He will participate in the Mahatma Gandhi International
Sanitation Convention at the Rashtrapati Bhawan Cultural Centre, in New Delhi.
ii. The event marked the launch of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th Birth Anniversary
celebrations as well as the 4th anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
iii. The UN Chief will also attend the joint inaugural ceremony of the First
Assembly of International Solar Alliance, 2nd RE-INVEST Conference and Energy
Ministers Meet of Indian Ocean Rim Association of States member countries.
Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

The UN Headquarters in New York, United States.
2. India & Uzbekistan Sign 17 Agreements & MoUs
i. Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at

Hyderabad House in New Delhi. The two sides took stock of the bilateral
relationship across several sectors during the delegation-level talks.
ii. 17 agreements and MoUs were signed in the field of law, tourism, military
education, agriculture, science and technology, commerce and industry,
pharmaceutical, national security and illicit trafficking besides others. Uzbek
President supported India's bid for permanent membership of UN Security Council.
Uzbekistan Capital: Tashkent, Currency: Uzbekistani som.

3. BCCI Brought Under RTI Act by Central Information Commission
i. The Central Information Commission (CIC) brought the Board of Control for
Cricket in India (BCCI) under the RTI (Right to Information) Act.
ii. The commission, which is the top appellate body in RTI matters, went through
the laws and orders of the Supreme Court, the Law Commission of India report,
submissions of the Central Public Information Officer in the Ministry of Youth
Affairs and Sports to come to a conclusion that the characteristics of the BCCI
fulfil the required conditions of Section 2(h) of the RTI Act.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NIACL Exam 2018-
BCCI President: Vinod Rai, Headquarters in: Mumbai.

Prof. Madabhushanam Sridhar Acharyulu is the Information Commissioner of Central
Information Commission.
Appointments
4. Rangachari Sridharan Appointed Chairperson of NFRA
i. The Centre has appointed former IAS officer Rangachari Sridharan as chairperson
of the National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA), an entity which will function
as an independent regulator for the auditing profession.
ii. The appointments committee of the cabinet also approved the appointment of
retired Indian Audit and Accounts Service officer of the 1980 batch, Prasenjit
Mukherjee as a full-time member in NFRA.
The decision to set up NFRA as an independent regulator for the auditing profession
is in line with the changes brought in by the Companies Act, 2013.
5. India-born Professor Gita Gopinath Named IMF Chief Economist
i. India-born Harvard University professor Gita Gopinath has been appointed as the
Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by IMF's Managing Director
Christine Lagarde.
ii. Ms Gopinath will succeed Maurice (Maury) Obstfeld. Ms Gopinath currently serves
as the John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and Economics at Harvard
University. The 46-year-old is also Economic Adviser to Kerala CM.
Managing Director of IMF- Christine Lagarde, Headquarters in- Washington DC, USA.
Defence News
6. Multi-National Maritime Exercise 'IBSAMAR-VI' Starts In South Africa
i. The sixth edition of IBSAMAR, a joint Multi-National Maritime Exercise between

the Indian, Brazilian and South African Navies, is being held at Simons Town, South
Africa.
ii. The last edition of IBSAMAR (IBSAMAR V) was conducted off Goa, from 19 – 26 Feb
16. The aim of the exercise is to undertake collective training for participating
navies, building interoperability and mutual understanding as well as sharing of
best practices.
Awards
7. Nobel Prize 2018: Nobel Prize in Physics Goes To Arthur Ashkin, Gerard Mourou
And Donna Strickland
i. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to Award the 2018 Nobel Prize
in Physics to Arthur Ashkin, Gérard Mourou and Donna Strickland "for groundbreaking
inventions in the field of laser physics".
Kip Thorne, Rainer Weiss, Barry Barish have won the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics.
National Affairs
1. PM Modi inaugurates Mahatma Gandhi Museum at Rajkot
The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Mahatma Gandhi museum at
Alfred High school in Rajkot, Gujarat.
This Museum captures every nuance of Bapu's philosophy and puts it in the context
of history, spread across 40 rooms on two floors.
The Prime Minister also unveiled a plaque to mark the inauguration of a public
housing project of 624 houses.
He witnessed the e-Gruh Pravesh of 240 beneficiary families.
The building has witnessed too many incidents in Mahatma Gandhi’s early life that
moulded not only him but the history of this country.
Now, these classrooms are retelling these tales using exhibits and digital
presentations.
2. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Delhi
Today, The United Nations Secretary-General ‘Antonio Guterres’ arrived in New Delhi
on a four-day visit to India.
He will participate in the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention at
the Rashtrapati Bhawan Cultural Centre in New Delhi.
The UN Chief will also attend the joint inaugural ceremony of the First Assembly of
International Solar Alliance, 2nd RE-INVEST Conference and Energy Ministers Meet of
Indian Ocean Rim Association of States member countries.
Both sides are expected to focus on a range of multilateral and regional issues and
explore ways to strengthen India's growing engagement with the UN.
3. Assam govt to launch Wage Compensation Scheme for Pregnant Women in tea gardens
Assam Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal has launched Wage Compensation Scheme for
Pregnant Women in tea gardens of the state in Guwahati.
The scheme will provide better health and nutrition supplements to the pregnant
women.
An amount of Rs. 12,000 (in 4 instalments) will be given to the pregnant woman so
that she could take care of herself and unborn baby without compromising the
livelihood of her family.
Over 60,000 women are likely to be benefited by the scheme.
4. Kolkata launches India’s first flood forecast system
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) with the support of the Asian Development
Bank has launched the country’s first flood forecasting and early-warning system.
It will provide real-time data on inundation, rainfall intensity, temperature, air
quality and other climate-related data
This is expected to help policy-makers make informed decisions during disasters.
5. India’s Largest war memorial of India will be built in Jharkhand
According to Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das, the state government is

constructing India's biggest war memorial.
Stories of the slain soldiers' bravery will be written in the war memorial which
will have a replica of the Kargil War so that the youth can understand their duties
towards the nation.
Jharkhand government has hiked compensation amount to the kin of the soldiers who
died while serving the country from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.
6. Narendra Modi inaugurates the conference on academic leadership on education for
a resurgence
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 'Conference on Academic Leadership on
Education for Resurgence' in Delhi.
The aim of this conference is to further strengthen the education system in the
country.
It widens the ambit of education from all round development of an individual to
make the youth agents of nation-building.
According to PM Modi, his government has set up Atal Tinkering labs to encourage
innovations and involve students in creating a New India.
Important Days
7. International Day of Older Persons is being observed today
The International Day of Older Persons is observed on 1st October every year to
raise awareness about issues affecting the elderly, such as senescence and elder
abuse.
It is also a day to appreciate the contributions that older people make to society.
The theme of the 2018 commemoration is "Celebrating Older Human Rights Champions".
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has conferred the "Vayoshreshtha Samman" on eminent
senior citizens and institutions in recognition of their services.
Appointments
8. Ajit Mohan appointed Facebook India MD
Ajit Mohan has been appointed as the Managing Director (MD) and Vice President of
the Facebook (its India wing).
Earlier, Mr Ajit has served as chief executive of Hotstar, a streaming platform
owned by Twenty-First Century Fox’s Star India arm, since April 2016.
9. Jayant Mammen Mathew elected president of INS
Jayant Mammen Mathew has been elected as the president of the prestigious Indian
Newspaper Society, an apex body of the country’s print media industry for the year
2018-19.
He succeeds Akila Urankar of Business Standard.
Mr Mathew is the Executive Editor of Malayala Manorama.
Obituaries
10. Veteran Harmonium player Pandit Tulsidas Borkar passes away
Renowned harmonium player Pandit Tulsidas Borkar(84-year) passed away in Mumbai.

Borkar was conferred the Padma Shri in 2016 for his contributions to Indian music.
He was also a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.
International Affairs
11. Canada agrees to join trade accord with US & Mexico
Canada and the United States reached a deal for Canada, USMCA (United States-
Mexico-Canada Agreement) to stay in a free trade pact with the U.S. and Mexico.
It replaces the 24-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
The agreement will strengthen the middle class, and create good, well-paying jobs
and new opportunities for the nearly half billion people who call North America
home.
Sports
12. Yuvraj Wadhwani lifts Asian Junior Squash title
Yuvraj Wadhwani has won the 25th Asian junior individual squash championship title
in Chennai.
He defeated Anas Ali Shah of Pakistan by 13-11, 11-5, 6-11, 12-10 in the final.
Yuvraj has become the second Indian (first Veer Chotrani in 2014) to win the Under-
13 title.
India came out of the championship with a gold, a silver and four bronze medals.
The bronze medals came in the other age categories through Kavya Bansal, Tiana
Parasrampuria, Sanya Vats and Tushar Shahani.
13. India clinch three medals at Archery World Cup
India has clinched three medals at the Archery World Cup Final in Samsun, Turkey.
Ace Indian Recurve archer Deepika Kumari won a bronze medal.
Deepika defeated Germany's Lisa Unruh in a shoot-off to bag her fifth medal in
seven appearances in the tournament.
This was India’s second bronze medal in the competition after Abhishek Verma had
bagged a bronze medal in men’s compound event.
Abhishek Verma had also won a silver in the mixed team event after teaming up with
Jyothi Surekha Wennem.
Lee Eun Gyeong (Korea)clinched the gold medal after defeating Turkey’s Yasemin
Anagoz 6-4.
----------------------------------------
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National Affairs
Nation pays homage to Father of Nation “Mahatma Gandhi” on his 149th birth
anniversary
The Nation pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his 149th birth anniversary. President
Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
offered floral tributes to Father of the Nation at Rajghat in New Delhi.
A Sarva Dharma Prarthana Sabha was organised at Rajghat on this occasion. The day
also marks the launch of 150th-anniversary celebrations of the Mahatma Gandhi.
Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention is also being organised at
Rashtrapati Bhavan to mark the occasion.
The UN General Assembly had on 17 June 2007 voted to establish 2nd October as the
International Day of Non-Violence.
Source: DD News
Justice Ranjan Gogoi sworn-in as the new Chief Justice of India
Justice Ranjan Gogoi sworn-in as the new Chief Justice of India.

President Ram Nath Kovind will administer him the oath of office at a function in
Rashtrapati Bhawan.
He will succeed Justice Dipak Misra.
Justice Gogoi will be the 46th Chief Justice of India. He will have a tenure of a
little over 13 months and will retire on November 17, 2019.
Source: DD News
31st All India Railways Chess tournament to begin in Tamil Nadu
The 31st All India Railways Chess tournament will begin at Trichy in Tamil Nadu.
The four-day tournament will be formally inaugurated by General Manager, Southern
Railway, SM Kulshreshta.
Winners of this tournament will represent the Railways in the National Chess
tournament which will be held next month.
Source: AIR
180 butterfly species found and recorded in Arunachal Pradesh
Around 180 species of butterflies were recorded in the three-day North East
Butterfly Meet that concluded at the Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve in
Arunachal Pradesh yesterday.
The important species include the 'Creteus Cyrina', 'Arhopala Oenea' and
'Chersonesia Intermedia'.
The meet provides a common platform for butterfly enthusiasts, wildlife researchers
and staff of the forest department to interact on butterfly diversity, distribution
and conservation, and also explore their rich diversity in the region.
Around 50 participants from different states participated in the event.
Source: AIR
Tata Starbucks appoints Navin Gurnaney as the new CEO
Tata Starbucks has announced Navin Gurnaney as its chief executive officer
effective January 1, 2019.
He will replace Sumitro Ghosh who will returns to the US parent company after a
three-year stint.
Tata Starbucks, a joint venture between Tata Group and Starbucks, posted its first
positive EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation)
after its sales growth nearly doubled during FY17-18.
Starbucks, which started operations in India in October 2012, recorded the fastest
store expansion in the company’s 45-year history in the initial few years and now
has 125 stores.
Source: The Economics Times
Arthur Ashkin, Gerard Mourou & Donna Strickland won Nobel Physics Prize
Three scientists won the Nobel Physics Prize, including the first woman in 55
years, for inventing optical lasers that have paved the way for advanced precision
instruments used in corrective eye surgery.
Arthur Ashkin of the United States won one half of the nine million Swedish kronor
(about USD 1.01 million or 870,000 euros) prize, while Gerard Mourou of France and
Donna Strickland of Canada shared the other half. Strickland is just the third
woman to win a Nobel Physics Prize since it was first awarded in 1901, while
Ashkin, 96, is the oldest person to win a Nobel, beating out American Leonid
Hurwicz who was 90 when he won the 2007 Economics Prize.
Ashkin was honoured for his invention of "optical tweezers" that grab particles,
atoms, viruses and other living cells with their laser beam fingers.
Source: DD News
Iraq names Barham Salih as new President

Iraq's parliament elected Barham Salih, a veteran Kurdish politician as the
country's new president, a step toward forming a new government nearly five months
after national elections.
State TV said Barham Salih, of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, won 220 votes out
of the 273 lawmakers who attended session.
The new president will have 15 days to task the nominee of the largest
parliamentary bloc with forming a new government.
Newly elected Iraqi President Barham Salih has named veteran Shi’ite politician
Adel Abdul Mahdi as prime minister-designate and tasked him with forming a new
government.
Source: DD News & Reuters
Lisa Borders to become first CEO of Time's Up
The Time's Up movement set up by Hollywood actresses to counter sexual harassment

in the workplace announced that it has appointed its first president and CEO,
previous WNBA leader Lisa Borders.
Borders, who stepped down as president of the Women's National Basketball
Association (WNBA) in order to take up the new post, was previously a senior
executive at The Coca-Cola Company and chaired The Coca-Cola Foundation.
Source: The Economics Times
Banking Affairs
State Bank of India reduces ATM withdrawal limit to Rs 20,000
State Bank of India has slashed the daily withdrawal limit on its classic debit
card from Rs 40,000 to Rs 20,000.
There is no change in the daily withdrawal limits on other cards.
The new limit will be effective from October 31st this year.
A senior bank official said that bank has been receiving many complaints regarding
cloning and the decision is taken to reduce the withdrawal limit on these cards to
check fraudulent transactions.
Source: AIR
Reserve Bank of India to infuse Rs. 36,000 crores into system through purchase of
govt bonds
The Reserve Bank announced that it will inject 36,000 crore rupees into the system
through purchase of government bonds in October to meet the festival season demand
for funds.
In a release, RBI said the decision to conduct purchase of Government securities
under OMOs was based on an assessment of the durable liquidity needs.
The auctions to purchase government bonds as part of the Open Market Operations
will be conducted in the second, third and fourth week of October.
Source: AIR
11. Gita Gopinath, the first woman Chief Economist at IMF
Gita Gopinath is the first woman to be appointed as head of IMF's research

department, which publishes one of the world's most-anticipated document - World
Economic Outlook.
She is also the second Indian after former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan to hold the
position.
Gopinath, who hails from Kerala's Kannur district, grew up in Mysore and went on to
study at Delhi's Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR).
Gita is also the co-director of the International Finance and Macroeconomics
program at the National Bureau of Economic Research. She is also a visiting scholar
at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and a member of the economic advisory panel
of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Source: Business Today
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Honors & Awards

1. Arnold, Smith, Winter win 2018 Nobel Chemistry Prize
Two American scientists (Frances Arnold & George Smith) and a British researcher
(Gregory Winter) have won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for evolution research.
Arnold (California Institute of Technology) was recognized for performing the
first-ever "directed evolution" of enzymes.
George P. Smith (University of Missouri, Columbia, USA) and Sir Gregory P. Winter
(MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK) for the phage display of
peptides and antibodies.
The scientists have been awarded for harnessing the principles of evolution to
develop proteins used to make everything from biofuels to pharmaceuticals.
The award is presented in Stockholm at an annual ceremony on 10th December, the
anniversary of Nobel's death.
Note:
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of
Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry.
It is one of the five Nobel Prizes awarded for outstanding contributions in
chemistry, physics, literature, peace, and physiology or medicine.
2. PM Modi receives UN's Champions of the Earth award
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres presented the United Nations highest

environmental honor award "Champions of the Earth" to Prime Minister Mr. Modi at a
special ceremony in New Delhi.
PM Narendra Modi was awarded the UN honor along with French President Emmanuel
Macron.
The two leaders were recognized in the Policy Leadership category "for their
pioneering work in championing the International Solar Alliance and promoting new
areas of levels of cooperation on environmental action".
PM Modi has been selected in the leadership category for his pioneering work in
championing the International Solar Alliance.
Mr. Modi recognizes that climate change poses a direct existential threat to the
world and also knows what needs to be done to avoid a catastrophe.
Note:
The United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) established Champions of

the Earth in 2005 as an annual awards programme to recognize outstanding
environmental leaders from the public and private sectors, and from civil society.
3. Swachh Survekshan Grameen awards 2018 announced
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the top-ranked State, District, and State
with maximum citizen participation based on the National Swachh Survekshan Grameen
2018 at Rashtrapati Bhawan Cultural Centre in New Delhi.
Haryana state was ranked as the best State while Satara District (Maharashtra) was
ranked as the best district as per the ranking undertaken by Swachh Survekshan
Grameen 2018.
The award commissioned by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
Important Dates
4. 4th October: World Animal Day
The World Animal Day is celebrated annually on 4th October to raise the status of
animals in order to improve welfare standards around the globe.
The World Animal Day was originated by Heinrich Zimmermann, organized the first
World Animal Day on 24 March 1925 at the Sports Palace in Berlin, Germany.
Obituaries
5. Legendary Chicago blues guitarist Otis Rush passes away
Legendary Chicago blues guitarist Otis Rush (84-year) passed away

Otis Rush won a Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Recording in 1999 for "Any Place
I'm Going."
Rush was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1984.
National Affairs
6. National Khadi Festival 2018 held in Mumbai
The National Khadi Festival 2018 is being organized by Khadi and Village Industries
Commission (KVIC) to promote Khadi products.
The main objective of the festival is to promote the products of cottage industry
and create awareness regarding the art of states.
It is also aimed at providing employment to weavers and workers who are involved in
the cottage industry.
7. Russian President Vladimir Putin reached New Delhi
Russian President Vladimir Putin reached New Delhi on a two-day visit to India.
During the visit, several agreements are expected to be signed after the talks
between PM Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind.
Mr. Putin will also address the India-Russia Business Summit and interact with a
group of talented children.
In May 2018, Mr. Modi had traveled to Russian coastal city of Sochi for an informal
summit with Mr Putin during which they discussed a range of crucial issues.
8. The union Cabinet hikes MSP of Rabi crops
According to Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, the Union Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs (CCEA) has increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all Rabi
crops for the current financial year.
The MSP of wheat has been raised by 105 rupees per quintal, Safflower by 845 rupees
per quintal, Barley by 30 rupees a quintal, Masur by 225 per quintal, Gram by 220
per quintal & rapeseed and mustard by 200 rupees per quintal.
The decision will give additional return to the farmers of 62,635 crore rupees by
way of increasing the MSP of notified crops to at least 50% return over cost of
production.
Note:
Minimum Support Price is the price at which government purchases crops from the
farmers, whatever may be the price for the crops. Minimum Support Price is an
important part of India's agricultural price policy.
The MSP helps to incentivize the framers and thus ensures adequate food grains
production in the country.
9. GST collection rises to Rs 94,442 crore in September
GST Revenue collection has gone up last month and shows an upward trend as compared
to August this year.
It has crossed Rs 94,000 crore compared to Rs. 93,690 crores in August this year.
The total gross GST revenue collected in September is Rs. 94,442 crores & Central
GST of Rs. 15,318 crores.
State GST is 21,061 crore rupees while Integrated GST is over Rs. 50 ,000 crore.
Sixty-seven lakh GSTR 3B Returns have been filed for the month of August so far.
10. RBI imposes the penalty on Federal Bank for non-compliance of certain
directions
The Reserve Bank has imposed a penalty of five crore rupees on Federal Bank for
non-compliance of certain RBI directions among other deficiencies.
According to RBI, Federal Bank had failed to report large borrower exposure for
assessment under risk-based supervision.
The bank had also failed to pay compensation to customers for the delay in
resolution of ATM related complaints.
Besides, the bank was also found lacking in following know your customer and anti-
money laundering norms.
11. SIDBI launches a national level entrepreneurship awareness campaign
Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has launched a six-days national
level entrepreneurship awareness campaign ‘Udyam Abhilasha’ in 115 aspirational
districts, identified by NITI Aayog in 28 States reaching to around 15,000 youth.
SIDBI will join to contribute to the transformation mission unleashed for the
districts.
It would create and strengthen cadre of more than 800 trainers to provide
entrepreneurship training to the aspiring youths, encouraging them to enter the
admired segment of entrepreneurs.
SIDBI is the principal financial institution for the promotion, financing and
development of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise sector.
SIDBI has partnered with Common service centres, e-Governance Services India
Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle, set up by the Ministry of Electronics and IT
for implementing the campaign.
12. India & the ADB sign USD 150 Million loan agreement to support India’s first
Global Skills Park
Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a USD 150 million
loan agreement in New Delhi to establish a Global Skills Park (GSP) in Madhya
Pradesh.
It will be the First Multi-Skills Park in India to enhance the quality of Technical
and Vocational Education And Training (TVET) System in the State and create a more
skilled workforce.
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Banking & Finance

1. Govt proposes to merge Dena Bank, Vijaya Bank & Bank of Baroda
The union government has announced its plan to merge three public sector banks
(PSBs) Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank, and Dena Bank to create the country’s third-
largest lender as part of efforts to revive credit and economic growth.
The merger will make the banks stronger and sustainable as well as increase their
lending ability.
The move follows top lender State Bank of India last year merging with itself five
of its subsidiary banks and taking over Bharatiya Mahila Bank.
Earlier, The union government has also moved to offload its majority stake in IDBI
Bank to Life Insurance Corporation of India.
2. PayU India gets RBI approval to operate its own NBFC
PayU India has received Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) approval to operate its own
non-banking financial company (NBFC).
It will help PayU promote inclusive growth in the country by catering to the
diverse financial needs of various segments of the society.
The approval from the central bank is subject to “certain pending RBI compliance”.
3. India & Malta sign three MoUs in the fields of Maritime Cooperation, Tourism and
Training
India and Malta have signed three MoUs in the fields of Maritime Cooperation,
Tourism and Training after delegation-level talks between Venkaiah Naidu (Vice
President) and Ms. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca (President of Malta).
Mr. Naidu is in Malta in the second phase of his visit to three European countries.
India is the main source of affordable generic drugs in the world and can cooperate
in Wellness and Ayurveda sectors.
4. PM Modi and Sheikh Hasina jointly flag off construction of Indo-Bangla pipeline
project
Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina (Prime Minister of
Bangladesh) has jointly flagged off the construction of India-Bangladesh Friendship
Product Pipeline Project through video conferencing.
The 130-kilometer pipeline will connect Siliguri (West Bengal- India) and
Parbatipur (Dinajpur district of Bangladesh).
The estimated project cost will be 346 crore rupees and it will be completed in 30-
month time.
The capacity of the pipeline will be 1 million metric tons per annum.
The six-kilometer Indian leg of the pipeline project will be implemented by the
Assam-based Numaligarh Refinery Limited and the remaining 124 kilometers of the
pipeline project will be implemented by Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation.
Note:
The project will replace the existing practice of sending diesel by rail covering
a distance of 510 kilometers.
5. Japan conducts the first submarine drill in disputed South China Sea
Japan has carried out its first submarine drill in the disputed South China Sea, a
move that could provoke Beijing which claims most of the disputed waters.
The anti-submarine drill was conducted in the region to improve strategic
techniques.
China claims most of the resource-rich South China Sea, despite competing claims
from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
6. India & Sri Lanka sign MoU for construction temp-controlled warehouse in
Dambulla
India and Sri Lanka have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for
construction of a 5000-metric ton temperature-controlled warehouse (for fruits and
vegetables) in Dambulla of Central Province.
The warehouse will be constructed with an Indian grant assistance of 30 crore Sri
Lankan rupees.
This initiative will benefit the farming community by reducing the wastage,
particularly in the peak season when there is surplus production.
Appointments
7. Moutaz Mousa Abdallah becomes Sudan’s new Prime Minister
Moutaz Mousa Abdallah (51-years) has become Sudan’s new Prime Minister.
A 21-member cabinet was sworn in at the presidential palace in Khartoum.
Earlier, he served as Minister of Irrigation and Electricity.
Mousa Abdallah is also holding the finance portfolio in a bid to revive the
country’s ailing economy.
8. Prashant Kumar takes charge as SBI CFO
Prashant Kumar has taken charge as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the State
Bank of India.
Earlier, CFO Anshula Kant has been promoted as Managing Director of SBI.
Prior to this appointment, Kumar was designated as Deputy Managing Director (HR) &
Corporate Development Officer of India's largest bank.
Anshula Kant is a science graduate and a Law graduate from Delhi University and
joined the Bank in the year 1983 as Probationary Officer.
Note:
A chief financial officer (CFO) is the senior executive responsible for managing
the financial actions of a company.
Obituaries
9. Wrestler Ganpatrao Andalkar passes away
Well-known wrestler Ganpatrao Andalkar (83-year) passed away at a private hospital

in Pune yesterday.
Former Olympian Andalkar (took part in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics) had bagged the
coveted "Hind Kesari" title in 1960.
He also went on to clinch Gold and Silver medals in two different weight categories
in the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games.
Andalkar was also a recipient of the Arjuna award in 1964 and the Maharashtra
government's 'Shiv Chhatrapati Award' in 1982 for his contribution to wrestling.
10. India’s first woman IAS officer passes away
India’s first woman IAS officer (after Independence) Anna Rajam Malhotra (91-year)
passed away in Mumbai.
Anna Rajam Malhotra joined civil services in 1951 and opted for the Madras cadre
under then Chief Minister C. Rajagopalachari.
She later married R.N. Malhotra, who served as Governor of the Reserve Bank of
India (from 1985 to 1990).
Note:
Malhotra born Anna Rajam George in Kerala’s Ernakulam district,she moved to Chennai
after her schooling in Kozhikode to pursue higher education at the University of
Madras.
Ms. Malhotra joined the civil services in 1951 and opted for the Madras cadre.
Sports
11. China Open Badminton tournament kicks off at Changzhou today
Today, The China Open Badminton tournament kicks off at Olympic Sports Center
Xincheng Gymnasium in Changzhou, Jiangsu, China.
Indian shuttlers will also figure in Men's, Women's and Mixed Doubles categories.
Ace Indian shuttlers PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal will be seen in action in the
Singles opening round.
Note:
The 2018 China Open is a badminton tournament which will take place at Olympic
Sports Center Xincheng Gymnasium in Changzhou, Jiangsu, China (18 to 23 September
2018).
It had a total prize of USD1,000,000.
This tournament is organized by Chinese Badminton Association and sanctioned by the
BWF.
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Science & Defence

1. ISRO successfully launches PSLV C 42 with two British earth observation
satellites
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched Polar Satellite
Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C 42 with two British earth observation satellites ‘NovaSAR’
and ‘S1-4’ from the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
The satellites were put into sun-synchronous orbit just over 17 minutes after lift-
off from the first launch pad.
With the successful launch of two British satellites on Sunday, the total number of
foreign satellites launched by India goes up to 239.
India has been sending foreign satellites belonging to international customers from
29 countries through PSLV.
Presently there is an order of 980 crore Rupees for this fiscal and next fiscal.
Important Dates
2. 16th September: International Day for Preservation of Ozone Layer
The International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is being observed
every year on 16th September for the preservation of the Ozone Layer.
The Ozone layer is a fragile shield of gas which protects the Earth from the
harmful ultraviolet radiation of the sun and thus helping preserve life on the
planet.
This year, the theme for the Day is ‘Keep Cool and Carry On: The Montreal
Protocol’.
Note:
The day marks the commemoration of the date of signing of the Montreal Protocol in
1987 on substances that deplete the Ozone layer.
The principal aim of Montreal Protocol is to protect the ozone layer by taking
measures to control total consumption of these chemicals.
Sports
3. MC Mary Kom clinches the gold medal at Silesian Open boxing in Poland
Indian five-time world boxing champion M C Mary Kom clinched her third gold medal
of the year in 48 kg category.
Mary Kom was up against Kazakhstan's Aigerim Kassanayeva and prevailed 5-0 with a
fine tactical performance.
Jyoti Gulia picked up the country's lone gold in 51 kg of the youth category of the
Silesian Open boxing Tournament for women in Gliwice, Poland.
Former world champion Sarita Devi signed off with a bronze medal in the senior
category.
In the junior competition, the Indian team produced a terrific performance to sign
off with 13 medals (six gold, six silver and a bronze).
4. Maldives defeats India to lift SAFF Cup
Maldives have lifted the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Cup 2018 in Dhaka,
Bangladesh.
The Maldives defeated India (defending champions) 2-1.
The win for the Maldives comes 10 years after their first SAFF Cup title in 2008.
Seven-time champions India had started as favorites in the summit clash. The Indian
team, comprising mostly under-23 players, was the only unbeaten side in the
tournament.
Note:
The South Asian Football Federation Championship (SAFF) Championship is the main
association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by
the South Asian Football Federation.
Seven teams (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka)
compete in the South Asian Football Federation Tournament (SAFE).
5. Ahmet Comert Tournament: India's 3 boxers clinch gold medals
Simranjit Kaur (64kg), Monika (48- kg) & Bhagyabati Kachari (81- kg) claimed gold
medals as Indian boxers notched up an impressive seven podium finishes at the Ahmet
Comert Tournament in Istanbul, Turkey.
Simranjit defeated Turkey’s Sema Caliskan to win the Gold.
Bhagyabati was declared the most scientific boxer of the tournament.
Monika beat Ayse Cagirer (Turkey) to win the gold medal.
6. Sakshi Malik settles for the silver medal at Medved Intl wrestling
Rio Olympics Bronze medalist Sakshi Malik settled for a Silver medal in 62 kg
category at the Medved International Wrestling tournament at Minsk, Belarus.
Sakshi lost to Hungary's Marianna Sastin, 2-6 to finish second best.
Pooja Dhanda bagged a Bronze medal in the 57 kg category.
7. Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge sets new marathon world record in Berlin
Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge (33-year) set a new marathon world record in the German
capital, Berlin clocked 2 hours 1 minute 39 second.
He broke the previous world record set in Berlin by fellow Kenyan Dennis Kimetto in
2014 by 1 minute and 18 seconds.
Kenyans Amos Kipruto finished second in 2:06:23 and Wilson Kipsang was third in
2:06:48.
For the women's race, Kenyan Gladys Cherono won in 2:18:11, followed by Ethiopians
Ruti Aga in 2:18:34 and Tirunesh Dibaba in 2:18:55.
8. National Insurance gets new CMD
Tajinder Mukherjee has been appointed as the new chairmen-cum-managing directors of

National Insurance Company Limited (NIC).
Earlier, she was the General Manager and Chief Underwriting Officer of New India
Assurance.
She took charge from 14th September.
Note:
National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) is a state-owned general insurance

company in India, headquartered at Kolkata.
Its portfolio consists of a multitude of general insurance policies, offered to a
wide arena of clients encompassing different sectors of the economy.
9. Writer Brij Katyal passes away
Veteran film writer Brij Katyal passed away at a hospice in suburban Bandra.
Mr. Katyal penned the story of Shashi Kapoor-Nanda hit ‘Jab Jab Phool Khile’.
Katyal also has writing credits to his name in many TV serials such as ‘Dillagi’,
‘Saans’ and ‘Pal Chhin’, both directed by Neena Gupta.
10. Noted Malayalam actor Captain Raju passes away
Noted Malayalam actor ‘Captain Raju’(68-year) passed away at his residence near
Palarivattom, Kochi.
Some of his popular movies include Nadodikattu, Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha and Pavam
Krooran.
He had also acted in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada movies.
Mr. Raju also directed two movies that include Itha Oru Snehagadha and Mr Pavanai
99.99.
11. World chefs' Congress on Oct 12-14 in Amritsar
The World Cultural Culinary Heritage Committee will hold the first edition of the
World Heritage Cuisine Summit and food festival at the Qila Gobindgarh in Amritsar
(12-14th October 2018).
The summit will celebrate traditional cuisine with live demonstrations, food
tasting, presentations, panel discussions, master classes by chefs from around the
world in the holy city.
It will focus on inculcating an appreciation for food culture and traditions, good
food habits and sustainable practices.
World chefs' congress hosted by the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations.
12. HM Rajnath Singh inaugurates pilot project of smart fencing along Indo-Pak
Border in Jammu
The Union Home Minister ‘Rajnath Singh’ has inaugurated the ‘pilot project’ of
smart fencing’ along the Indo-Pak International Border in Jammu.
The Union Home Minister also visited Command Control Centres’ and Border Out Posts’
along the Indo-Pak International Border in Jammu sector.
The ‘smart fencing’ features will virtually make it impossible for the terrorists
to breach it and infiltrate into the Indian Territory, have been installed at two
places along the International Border in Jammu.
13. Jaipur literature festival begins in Houston
The Jaipur Literature Festival (the world’s largest free literary gathering) has
begun in Houston at the Asia Society of Texas.
The festival started with a soulful music performance by Indian Sufi singer ‘Zila
Khan’.
The inaugural session also saw Congress leader and writer Shashi Tharoor discuss
his book “Why i am a Hindu” with writer Namita Gokhale.
14. Super Typhoon Mangkhut hits China's Guangdong province
Super Typhoon ‘Mangkhut’ slammed into China's southern Guangdong province.

The typhoon made a landfall into the coast of Jiangmen city in Guangdong province,
packing winds up to 162 km per hour after leaving a trail of destruction in Hong
Kong.
Earlier, more than 400 flights at two airports in China's southernmost island
Province of Hainan were canceled and all coastal resorts and schools were closed.
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Banking & Finance

1. Govt proposes to merge Dena Bank, Vijaya Bank & Bank of Baroda
The union government has announced its plan to merge three public sector banks
(PSBs) Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank, and Dena Bank to create the country’s third-
largest lender as part of efforts to revive credit and economic growth.
The merger will make the banks stronger and sustainable as well as increase their
lending ability.
The move follows top lender State Bank of India last year merging with itself five
of its subsidiary banks and taking over Bharatiya Mahila Bank.
Earlier, The union government has also moved to offload its majority stake in IDBI
Bank to Life Insurance Corporation of India.
2. PayU India gets RBI approval to operate its own NBFC
PayU India has received Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) approval to operate its own
non-banking financial company (NBFC).
It will help PayU promote inclusive growth in the country by catering to the
diverse financial needs of various segments of the society.
The approval from the central bank is subject to “certain pending RBI compliance”.
3. India & Malta sign three MoUs in the fields of Maritime Cooperation, Tourism and
Training
India and Malta have signed three MoUs in the fields of Maritime Cooperation,
Tourism and Training after delegation-level talks between Venkaiah Naidu (Vice
President) and Ms. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca (President of Malta).
Mr. Naidu is in Malta in the second phase of his visit to three European countries.
India is the main source of affordable generic drugs in the world and can cooperate
in Wellness and Ayurveda sectors.
4. PM Modi and Sheikh Hasina jointly flag off construction of Indo-Bangla pipeline
project
Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina (Prime Minister of
Bangladesh) has jointly flagged off the construction of India-Bangladesh Friendship
Product Pipeline Project through video conferencing.
The 130-kilometer pipeline will connect Siliguri (West Bengal- India) and
Parbatipur (Dinajpur district of Bangladesh).
The estimated project cost will be 346 crore rupees and it will be completed in 30-
month time.
Assam-based Numaligarh Refinery Limited and the remaining 124 kilometers of the
pipeline project will be implemented by Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation.
Note:
The project will replace the existing practice of sending diesel by rail covering
a distance of 510 kilometers.
Japan has carried out its first submarine drill in the disputed South China Sea, a
move that could provoke Beijing which claims most of the disputed waters.
The anti-submarine drill was conducted in the region to improve strategic
techniques.
China claims most of the resource-rich South China Sea, despite competing claims
from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
6. India & Sri Lanka sign MoU for construction temp-controlled warehouse in
Dambulla
India and Sri Lanka have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for
construction of a 5000-metric ton temperature-controlled warehouse (for fruits and
vegetables) in Dambulla of Central Province.
The warehouse will be constructed with an Indian grant assistance of 30 crore Sri
Lankan rupees.
This initiative will benefit the farming community by reducing the wastage,
particularly in the peak season when there is surplus production.
Appointments
7. Moutaz Mousa Abdallah becomes Sudan’s new Prime Minister
Moutaz Mousa Abdallah (51-years) has become Sudan’s new Prime Minister.
A 21-member cabinet was sworn in at the presidential palace in Khartoum.
Earlier, he served as Minister of Irrigation and Electricity.
Mousa Abdallah is also holding the finance portfolio in a bid to revive the
country’s ailing economy.
8. Prashant Kumar takes charge as SBI CFO
Prashant Kumar has taken charge as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the State
Bank of India.
Earlier, CFO Anshula Kant has been promoted as Managing Director of SBI.
Prior to this appointment, Kumar was designated as Deputy Managing Director (HR) &
Corporate Development Officer of India's largest bank.
Anshula Kant is a science graduate and a Law graduate from Delhi University and
joined the Bank in the year 1983 as Probationary Officer.
Note:
A chief financial officer (CFO) is the senior executive responsible for managing
the financial actions of a company.
Obituaries
9. Wrestler Ganpatrao Andalkar passes away
Well-known wrestler Ganpatrao Andalkar (83-year) passed away at a private hospital

in Pune yesterday.
Former Olympian Andalkar (took part in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics) had bagged the
coveted "Hind Kesari" title in 1960.
He also went on to clinch Gold and Silver medals in two different weight categories
in the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games.
Andalkar was also a recipient of the Arjuna award in 1964 and the Maharashtra
government's 'Shiv Chhatrapati Award' in 1982 for his contribution to wrestling.
10. India’s first woman IAS officer passes away
India’s first woman IAS officer (after Independence) Anna Rajam Malhotra (91-year)
passed away in Mumbai.
Anna Rajam Malhotra joined civil services in 1951 and opted for the Madras cadre
under then Chief Minister C. Rajagopalachari.
She later married R.N. Malhotra, who served as Governor of the Reserve Bank of
India (from 1985 to 1990).
Note:
Malhotra born Anna Rajam George in Kerala’s Ernakulam district,she moved to Chennai
after her schooling in Kozhikode to pursue higher education at the University of
Madras.
Ms. Malhotra joined the civil services in 1951 and opted for the Madras cadre.
Sports
11. China Open Badminton tournament kicks off at Changzhou today
Today, The China Open Badminton tournament kicks off at Olympic Sports Center
Xincheng Gymnasium in Changzhou, Jiangsu, China.
Indian shuttlers will also figure in Men's, Women's and Mixed Doubles categories.
Ace Indian shuttlers PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal will be seen in action in the
Singles opening round.
Note:
The 2018 China Open is a badminton tournament which will take place at Olympic
Sports Center Xincheng Gymnasium in Changzhou, Jiangsu, China (18 to 23 September
2018).
It had a total prize of USD1,000,000.
This tournament is organized by Chinese Badminton Association and sanctioned by the
BWF.
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Important Dates
1. International Democracy Day being observed today
The International Day of Democracy is being observed across the world on 15th
September every year to raise awareness about the democratic system.
The theme of 2018 is ‘Democracy under Strain: Solutions for a Changing World’.
This year’s International Day of Democracy is an opportunity to look for ways to
invigorate democracy and seek answers to the systemic challenges it faces.
Note:
In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolved to observe 15th
September as the International Day of Democracy with the purpose of promoting and
upholding the principles of democracy.
2. 15th September: Engineer’s Day
Engineers’ Day is celebrated on 15th September every year in India commemorating

the birthday of one of the greatest engineers in India, Sir Mokshagundam
Visvesvarayya.
Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya was an Indian engineer, scholar, statesman and the Diwan
of Mysore from 1912 to 1918.
He is a recipient of the Indian’s highest honour, the Bharat Ratna (1955).
Obituaries
3. Agri-Economist Vijay Shankar Vyas passes away
Renowned agricultural economist Professor Vijay Shankar Vyas (87-years) passed away
after a brief illness.
He was the director of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, and the
Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Jaipur.
Vyas was a senior adviser in the World Bank’s agriculture and rural development
department.
He was also a member of the PM’s Economic Adviser Committee during the previous
Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh governments.
Banking & Finance
4. Federal Bank inks MoU with Infopark Kakkanad
Federal Bank has executed MoU (memorandum of understanding) with Infopark Kakkanad
for leasing space in their campus.
The Bank has already obtained in principle approval of the Reserve Bank of India
for the creation of a subsidiary company.
The proposed company will integrate and handle all the back-end operations of the
Bank.
This move towards having a distinct and exclusive outfit for back-end activities is
a stride is in line with the practice of progressive financial institutions.
National Affairs
5. Samsung opens world's largest mobile experience centre in Bengaluru
Samsung has now opened its biggest experience centre in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Earlier, the world's largest mobile phone-manufacturing factory has been launched
in Noida in July 2018,
Opera House (33,000 sq ft iconic building) has been given a facelift to showcase
Samsung's mobile devices and other consumer electronic products.
A customer will be able to enjoy VR experiences such as the 4D sway chair or the
Whiplash Pulsar 4D chair that makes 360 degrees three-dimensional movements.
6. India, Iran and Afghanistan hold a Tripartite meeting to consolidate cooperation
India, Iran and Afghanistan held their first tripartite meeting in Kabul,
Afghanistan.
The Indian delegation was led by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale while the Iranian
team was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Afghan deputy foreign minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai chaired the meeting.
The objective of the meeting is the implementation of the Chabahar port project and
a host of other issues including ways to deepen counter-terror cooperation were
discussed.
7. Rajasthan Sahitya Akademi's Mira Award to Sawai Singh Shekhawat
Poet and writer Sawai Singh Shekhawat will be honoured with Meera Puruskar by
Rajasthan Sahitya Academy for his contribution to Hindi literature.
Shekhawat was selected for the Meera award to his poetic works, 'Nij Kavi Dhatu
BAchai Maine.
8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches Swachhata Hi Sewa campaign
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the mega countrywide Swachhata Hi Sewa
campaign (fortnight campaign) through video conferencing and interact with a cross-
section of people from 18 locations across the country.
The objective of the campaign is to mobilise people and reinforce the public
movement for sanitation to contribute to Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of a Clean India.
The campaign will accelerate the momentum of Swachh Bharat in the run-up to its 4th
anniversary on 2nd of October.
Swachhata Gram Sabha's and Sharamdaan will be held in all two lakhs fifty thousand
gram panchayats and each gram panchayat will organise at least one Swachhata Nukkad
Natak.
The Swachhata Hi Sewa Campaign will Culminate with Mahatma Gandhi International
Sanitation Convention to be Held in New Delhi from 29th September to 2nd of
October.
Over 10 lakh registered doctors will hold the local swacchhta clinic and nine lakh
Asha workers will hold cleanness drive at primary health centres.
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National Affairs
1. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi launches National Scholarship Portal mobile app
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (Minority Affairs Minister) has launched the country's first
National Scholarship Portal Mobile app ((NSP Mobile App) in New Delhi.
This Portal will ensure a smooth, accessible and hassle-free scholarship system for
students belonging to poor and weaker sections.
All the scholarships are being directly transferred into bank accounts of the needy
students under Director Benefit Transfer mode, which has prevented duplication and
leakage.
This portal will prove beneficial for students and will help in strengthening a
transparent mechanism for the scholarships.
Three crore students belonging to poor and weaker sections of minorities have been
benefited from various scholarship programmes.
2. PM Modi attends Ashara Mubaraka event at Saifee Mosque in Indore
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has attended Ashara Mubaraka, the commemoration of the
martyrdom of Imam Hussain in Indore.
Prime Minister also meet the 53rd religious head of Dawoodi Bohra community Syedna
Mufaddal Saifuddin.
Dr Saifuddin is holding nine-day religious discourse at the Saifi Nagar mosque in
Indore.
Prime Minister also attend sermon to be delivered by the supreme spiritual leader
of Dawoodi Bohra community Dr Syedna in the city.
This is also the first time Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin is holding the sermons in
Indore.
Lakhs of members of Dawoodi Bohra community from across the world are attending the
sermons in Indore.
This is the first time the Prime Minister will meet Dr Syedna and attend the
sermons.
3. Centre approves over Rs. 150 crores additional drought relief to UP
In a meeting of High-Level Committee chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, The

Union Govt. has approved an additional assistance for Uttar Pradesh (Rs. 157.23
crore) and for Maharashtra (Rs. 60.76 crores).
The assistance has been approved from National Disaster Response Fund for Uttar
Pradesh affected by drought in rabi season during 2017-18 and for Maharashtra which
was hit by pest attack and cyclone last year.
4. Country's first Tribal Tourism Circuit launched in Chhattisgarh
The Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons has inaugurated the country's first tribal
circuit tourism project under the Swadesh Darshan scheme has been inaugurated at
Gangrel in Chhattisgarh.
It covers 13 sites in Chhattisgarh which are Jashpur, Kunkuri, Mainpat, Kamleshpur,
Maheshpur, Kurdar, Sarodadadar, Gangrel, Kondagaon, Nathiya Nawagaon, Jagdalpur,
Chitrakoot and Tirthgarh.
Swadesh Darshan scheme was launched in 2014 -15 and it is one of the flagship
schemes of the Ministry of Tourism, for development of thematic circuits in the
country in a planned and prioritised manner.
Under the tribal circuit theme of the scheme the Ministry has sanctioned 4 projects
to Nagaland, Telangana and Chhattisgarh for Rs. 380 crores.
The Ministry has sanctioned 74 projects worth six thousand crore rupees to states
and union territories.
Important Dates
5. Hindi day being celebrated across the country today
The National Hindi Divas is being observed on 14th September every year across the
country.
Today, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will present Rajbhasha Awards to chiefs of
various departments, Ministries and offices for their outstanding performances in
promoting the language.
The Rajbhasha awards were instituted by the Department of Official Language of Home
Ministry to recognize the excellent contribution of Ministries, Departments, and
Nationalized Banks in the field of Hindi.
Note:
In 1949, on this day the Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi written in Devanagari
script as the official language of the country.
6. Russia launches the biggest war games 'Vostok-2018' since the cold war
Russia has launched its biggest military exercise since the Cold War named "Vostok-
2018", involving about 300,000 service personnel, in eastern Siberia.
China is sending 3,200 troops to take part in "Vostok-2018", with many Chinese
armoured vehicles and aircraft. Mongolia is also sending some units.
The last Russian exercise of similar scale was in 1981, during the Cold War, but
Vostok-2018 involves more troops.
The week-long manoeuvres come at a time of heightened Nato-Russia tensions.
A key aim is to practise the rapid deployment of thousands of troops, as well as
aircraft and vehicles, from western Russia to eastern regions, across thousands of
miles.
7. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu to embark on the 3-nation visit to Serbia, Malta,
Romania
Today, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu will embark on a three-nation visit to Serbia,
Malta and Romania.
In the first leg of his visit, Mr Naidu will reach Serbia where he will meet the
leadership of that country.
Several MoUs including in the field of Agriculture and Tourism are expected to be
signed during Vice President's visit to these countries.
In the second leg of his visit, Mr Naidu will arrive in Malta (on 16th Sep), where
he will meet the country's leadership and discuss issues of mutual interest.
In the last leg of his visit (on 18th Sep), the Vice President will reach Romania.
8. Suresh Prabhu to take part in the G-20 meet in Argentina
The Union Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu will participate in G-20
trade and investment ministerial meeting at Mar del Plata in Argentina.
According to Mr Prabhu, Govt of India wants to ensure reforms in WTO but keep it as
an engine for global trade.
The meeting assumes significance as countries including the US has significantly
raised customs duties on products including steel and aluminium.
Note:
The G20 (founded in 1999) is an international forum for the governments and central
bank governors from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European
Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi
Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United
States.
The G20 aims to discuss policy pertaining to the promotion of international
financial stability.
Arts and Culture
9. Festival of Nuakhai being celebrated in Odisha today
Today, the festival of Nuakhai is being celebrated in Odisha.

The Nuakhai Juhar is a major ritual of the festival, during which greetings are
exchanged with friends, relatives and well-wishers.
During this harvest festival of western Odisha, new produce Nabannis offered to
preside deities.
Sports
10. Udhayveer Singh wins individual gold in jr. men's 25m pistol event in S Korea
Udhayveer Singh (16- years) has won an individual Gold Medal in Junior Men's 25-
metre pistol event in the World Shooting Championships in South Korea.
Udhayveer Singh shot a score of 587 in the individual competition to grab the Gold
ahead American Henry Leverett and Korean Lee Jaekyoon.
India is placed fourth in the medals tally with 9 Gold, 8 Silver and seven bronze
medals for a total of 24.
The tally is India's best performance in International Shooting Sports Federation's
showpiece.
Team India’s combined score of 1736 fetched them the team Gold for the country,
followed by China, which totalled 1730.
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National Appointments
1. HDFC Life elevates Vibha Padalkar as MD and CEO
HDFC Life has appointed ‘Vibha Padalkar’ as its new managing director (MD) and CEO
for a period of three years.
Currently, Vibha Padalkar is the executive director and chief financial officer of
HDFC Standard Life Insurance.
She is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).
The terms of appointment are subject to approval by the shareholders and the
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
Note:
HDFC Life (HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company) is a long-term life insurance
provider with its headquarters in Mumbai, offering individual and group insurance.
National Affairs
2. Assam govt to distribute over 1 lakh pump sets to double farmers’ income by 2022
According to Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, the state government will
distribute over 1 lakh pump sets to double the farmers’ income by 2022.
The pump sets will be distributed under NABARD’s Rural Infrastructure Development
Project.
60 thousand diesel sets, 11 thousand solar and 30 thousand electrical operated pump
set to be distributed and the necessary steps are being taken in this direction.
3. CCEA approves 25 per cent hike in ethanol price
According to the Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, The Cabinet Committee on

Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved over 25% hike in the price of ethanol produced
directly from sugarcane juice for blending in petrol.
The procurement price of ethanol derived from 100 % sugarcane juice to 59 rupees 13
paise per litre (current rate - 47 rupees 13 paise).
The price for ethanol produced from B-heavy molasses has been hiked to 52 rupees 43
paise a litre(current rate- 47 rupees 13 paise).
The ethanol produced from C- heavy molasses was reduced marginally to 43 rupees 46
paise (Current rate- 43 rupees 70 paise).
4. Haryana Signs MoU with Indian Oil for Ethanol plant
The Haryana government has signed a MoU (memorandum of understanding) with Indian
Oil Corporation (IOC) to set up an ethanol plant in Panipat with an outlay of over
Rs 900 crore.
The initiative with a proposed capacity of 100 kilolitres of ethanol per day will
manage crop residue and prevent straw burning before the upcoming paddy season.
The pact will be valid for one year.
5. Andhra Pradesh launches E-Rythu to boost cashless farm ecosystem
The Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has launched a mobile
platform, e-Rythu (e-farmer in Telugu) to enable small-scale farmers to market
their produce at reasonable prices.
The platform has been developed by global payments and technology company
Mastercard.
The objective of the ‘E-Rythu’ is to digitize agriculture marketplaces, payments,
workflows, and provide farmers with an easy and secure way to buy, sell & receive
payments for agricultural products.
Note:
The platform has been developed by Mastercard Labs for Financial Inclusion in
Nairobi, Kenya and customized for India used by the Labs team based at Pune.
6. Tamil Nadu govt bans e-cigarettes in state
The Tamil Nadu government has banned e-cigarettes in the state, it is a myth that
it is less harmful than Beedis and cigarettes.
The ban covers distribution, trade, display, marketing, advertisement, use, import
and possession of e-cigarettes.
According to the recent Global Adult Tobacco Survey showed that 20% of people in
Tamil Nadu (31% men and 9.8% women) use tobacco.
The national average of 28.6% including 42.4% men and 4.2% women.
Note:
The e-cigarette is a battery run an electronic device that tries to create the
feeling of tobacco smoking.
It works by heating a liquid to generate an aerosol that users inhale.
7. Retail inflation fell to 10-month low of 3.69 per cent in August
Retail inflation fell to a 10-month low of 3.69% in August on the back of easing
prices of fruits, vegetables and other food items.
The Consumer Price Index-based inflation was at 4.17 per cent in July.
According to the data of the Central Statistics Office, inflation in the food
basket fell significantly to 0.29 per cent in August as against 1.37 per cent in
the previous month.
Note:
Retail inflation means the increase in prices of certain products or commodities

compared to a base price.
8. Sushma Swaraj embarks on a two-day visit to Moscow
The union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj embarked on a two-day visit to
Moscow to hold the meeting of the 23rd India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission
on Technical and Economic Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC).
Mrs Swaraj will co-chair the meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian
Federation, Yuri Borisov.
IRIGC-TEC is a standing body which annually meets and reviews ongoing activities of
bilateral cooperation in the fields of bilateral trade and investment, science and
technology, culture and other issues of mutual interest.
9. Assam CM Sonowal inaugurates Indo-Bhutan Border Centre
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has inaugurated the Indo-Bhutan Border
Centre at Darranga in Assam's Baksa district to strengthen bilateral trade with the
neighbouring country.
The Centre has decided to construct 264 km of border roads touching four BTAD
districts of the state.
Honours & Awards
10. Manoj Jhalani selected for UNIATF Award
Shri Manoj Jhalani has been conferred with the prestigious UN Interagency Task
Force (UNIATF) Award for his outstanding contribution towards prevention and
control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and related Sustainable Development
Goals.
Mr Jhalani is the Additional Secretary & Mission Director (NHM), Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare.
It is in recognition of Government of India’s efforts made in the field of
prevention and control of Non-Communicable Diseases.
National Programme to control NCDs has been scaled up by more than eight times in
the past four years and covers all the 36 States/Union Territories now.
Note:
UNIATF award will be conferred during the forthcoming Third High-level meeting of
the UN General Assembly at the event organized by the Task Force to be held at New
York (on 27th September).
Sports
11. Sardar Singh announces retirement from international Hockey
Former India Hockey captain Sardar Singh (32-years) has announced his retirement
from international hockey after an illustrious career spanning 12 years.
He (usually plays the centre-half position) made over 350 international appearances
for India and captained the national team from 2008 to 2016.
He received the Arjuna award (in 2012) and Padma Shri (in 2015).
Note:
Sardara was born in Haryana's village Sant Nagar (Sirsa District).

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National Affairs
1. Piyush Goyal launches a web portal ‘Rail Sahyog’
The Union Railways Minister Shri Piyush Goyal launched a web portal
www.railsahyog.in.
The web portal will provide a platform for the Corporates and PSUs to contribute to
the creation of amenities at/near Railway Stations through Corporate Social
Responsibility funds.
This portal will not only be beneficial for passengers but also for a neighbourhood
of Railway vicinity.
2. First ever Bihar-Nepal bus service launched
The Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar flagged off the first bus service between
Bihar and Nepal
The service will link Bodh Gaya & Patna (in Bihar) to Kathmandu & Janakpur (in
Nepal).
The bus service was commissioned following an agreement between India and Nepal.
Bus services from Kathmandu to Bodhgaya will be started by the Government of Nepal
on the 13th of Sept.
3. India's first railway university starts operations in Vadodara
The National Rail and Transportation Institute (NRTI) has started operations this
week.
A total of 103 students formed the first batch of this unique institute.
This year it has started with two UG courses.
4. India-born student Rajalakshmi Nandakumar to get 2018 ‘Young Scholar’ award
An Indian-born women scholar in the US ‘Rajalakshmi Nandakumar’ has been chosen for
the 2018 ‘Young Scholar’ award for her work to help detect potentially life-
threatening health issues using smartphones.
She has been selected for the 2018 Marconi society Paul Baran Young Scholar award.
She has created a technology that turns an ordinary smartphone into an active sonar
system capable of detecting physiological activities.
5. NITI Aayog, Intel and TIFR collaborate for Model International Center for
Transformative AI
NITI Aayog, Intel, and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) are
collaborating to set up a Model International Center for Transformative Artificial
Intelligence (ICTAI) towards developing and deploying AI-led application-based
research projects.
The initiative is part of NITI Aayog’s National Strategy for Artificial
Intelligence discussion paper that focuses on establishing ICTAI through private
sector collaboration.
The objective of the center to experiment, discover and establish best practices in
the domains of ICTAI governance, fundamental research, physical infrastructure,
compute and service infrastructure needs, and talent acquisition.
The ICTAI will work towards developing and deploying artificial intelligence, based
research projects in critical domains such as healthcare, agriculture, smart cities
and mobility.
6. Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar announces sharp reduction in power tariff
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has announced a sharp reduction in
electricity tariff in the state.
Under the revised tariff, consumers using up to 50 units per month will pay 2
rupees per unit.
Those who use up to 200 units will pay 2.50 rupees per unit (earlier Rs. 4.69 per
unit) from next month.
Those consuming up to 500 units will pay 4.68 rupees per (earlier 5.55 rupees per
unit).
The subsidy will cost the state government 677 crore rupees per annum.
The reduced tariff would benefit 41 lakh and 53 thousand domestic consumers in
Haryana.
7. 1st regional workshop on RERA inaugurated by Hardeep Puri in Pune
The union Hardeep Singh Puri has inaugurated the first regional workshop on RERA
(Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act) in Pune.
It was launched in 2016 is aimed at consumer protection, by creating an online
system for information sharing in the real estate sector.
It allows states to set up the Regulatory Authority and the Appellate.
8. Apsara-U research reactor becomes operational at BARC
According to the Department of Atomic Energy, Apsara is now operational as 'Apsara-

U' on Trombay campus of Maharashtra.
Apsara is the first research reactor in Asia that worked nearly five decades before
shutting down in 2009.
The reactor can also be used for research and production of radioisotopes for
medical application and would also be extensively used for research in nuclear
physics, material science and radiation shielding.
This development helped the Indian scientists and engineers to build complex
facilities for healthcare, science education and research.
Note:
Apsara is a light water swimming pool-type reactor with a maximum power output of
one megawatt thermal (MWT) and is utilized for various experiments, including
neutron activation analysis, radiation damage studies, forensic research, neutron
radiography, and shielding experiments.
9. INDO-US joint military exercise Yudh Abhyas 2018
The two-week long, joint military training Exercise ‘Yudh Abhyas 2018’ (14th
edition) is scheduled to be conducted in the foothills of Himalayas at Chaubattia
in Uttarakhand. (16 - 29 September 2018).
The joint exercise Yudh Abhyas 2018 will simulate a scenario where both nations
will work together in counter insurgency and counter terrorism environment in
mountainous terrain under United Nation charter.
It will witness participation of about 350 personnel of the US Army and similar
strength of the Indian Army.
The exercise curriculum is progressively planned where the participants are
initially made to get familiar with each other’s organizational structure, weapons,
equipment, confidence training and tactical drills.
10. Dubai to host India-UAE Partnership Summit
The Two-day 2nd India-UAE Partnership Summit (IUPS) will be held in Dubai (30th
from October).
The India-UAE Partnership Summit is being organised by the Business Leaders Forum
(BLF) in partnership with the consulate.
According to the Consul General of India in Dubai, Vipul, the second edition of the
IUPS is being organised by the BLF this year in partnership with the consulate.
Sports
11. Asiad gold medallist Amit Panghal nominated for Arjuna award
Indian boxer Amit Panghal (Asian Games gold medal-winner) has been nominated for
this year's Arjuna awards by the Boxing Federation of India.
Amit joined Sonia Lather and Gaurav Bidhuri in the list of boxing nominees for the
second highest sporting honour after the Khel Ratna.
Amit claimed the light flyweight (49kg) category gold after defeating reigning
Olympic champion Hasanboy Dusmatov of Uzbekistan in the Asiad final.
The National Sports Awards ceremony held on (every year on 29th August) to
commemorate the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, will be
organised on (25th September 2018).
The change in schedule was done because of the clash of dates with the Asian Games,
which concluded on September 2 in Jakarta.
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Appointment
1. Justice Om Prakash Mishra sworn in as new Chief Justice of Nepal
President of Nepal Vidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy
to Justice Om Prakash Mishra as new Chief Justice of Nepal.
He is the senior-most judge of Supreme Court after Justice Deepak Raj Joshee (the
name was rejected by the Parliamentary Hearing Committee).
He joined judicial service in 1981 as a section officer and became Additional
District Judge in 1985.
Note:
Justice Mishra is the resident of Raipur of Rupandehi district, holds a master's

degree in Comparative Law from Delhi University (1989).
2. Former RBI Governor Bimal Jalan to head panel to select new CEA
The Union Government has appointed former Reserve Bank of India governor Bimal
Jalan as the head of the panel that has been tasked with selecting India’s next
chief economic advisor (CEA).
The panel will screen the applications received and conduct interviews.
The move comes two months after the government sought applications for the post
after previous CEA Arvind Subramanian resigned from office.
Banking & Finance
3. IPPB ties up with FSS to create payments network for unorganized retail
The India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has partnered with the Financial Software and
Systems (FSS) to ensure that micro-merchants are able to accept payments over any
channel (online, unified payments interface (UPI), quick-response (QR) codes,
Aadhaar and IPPB accounts).
FSS will provide merchant management and settlement solutions including on-boarding
fee calculation, reconciliation and settlement.
‘FSS’ technology solutions are powering us towards achieving our objective to build
a less cash ecosystem by enabling last mile digital payment services.
FSS Payments-in-a-Box enables India Post Payments Bank to digitize every touch
point in customers’ financial lives to make payments using a range of channels and
instruments.
4. LIC launches a group insurance scheme for CDSL Demat account holders
Life Insurance Corporation of India has signed an agreement with Central Depository
Services (India) to provide group insurance coverage to all eligible Demat account
holders serviced through depository participants associated with it.
The facility will be available to demat account holders between the age of 18 years
and 59 years.
CDSL serves more than 15.85 million Demat accounts, which is 48% of the industry.
National Affairs
5. Arvind Kejriwal launches doorstep delivery of 40 public services in Delhi
The Delhi government has launched the doorstep delivery of 40 public services for
the people living in the national capital.
Under the scheme, 40 services, including certificates of marriage, caste, domicile,
income, births, deaths and duplicate RC among others, will be delivered.
Now, people will not have to waste their time standing in queues at government
offices.
They just need to call on 1076 and request for the service they want.
They need to pay Rs 50 and can get 40 services at their doorstep.
6. India launches new digital bridge with Africa
The External Affairs Ministry has signed an agreement with the Telecommunications
Consultants India Ltd. (TCIL) to establish a pan-African e-network between the two
nations.
This project will serve as a digital bridge between the two countries, External
Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said.
The Project (VidyaBharati and e-ArogyaBharati) is a clear effort by India to reach
out to Africa in the critical areas of education and health.
7. India, Bangladesh jointly inaugurate three projects
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina, and Chief
Ministers of West Bengal and Tripura jointly inaugurated three projects in
Bangladesh (via video conferencing).
Akhaura-Agartala rail connectivity will provide another link in the cross-border
connectivity between the two countries.
These include 500 MW additional power supply from India to Bangladesh, Akhaura -
Agartala Rail Link and Rehabilitation of the Kulaura-Shahbazpur section of
Bangladesh Railways.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, and Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, also
joined the video conference from Delhi and Dhaka respectively.
8. Two-day regional conference on good governance in Bhopal
The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DAR&PG), Government

of India in association with Madhya Pradesh Government has organized a two-day
Regional Conference on Good Governance with Focus on Aspirational Districts, in
Bhopal.
Delegates from 12 States & 2 UTs will participate in the Conference.
The themes include ICT Enabled Education, Agriculture, Public Service and Grievance
Management and Good Governance initiatives.
The DAR&PG has organized 28 Regional Conferences till date.
Science & Defence
9. INDO-MONGOLIA joint exercise Nomadic Elephant-2018
Indo-Mongolia joint exercise ‘Nomadic Elephant-2018’ commenced at Mongolian Armed

Forces (MAF) Five Hills Training Area, Ullanbaatar, Mongolia.
The 12 days long joint exercise will be conducted from (10 Sep to 21 Sep 2018).
Exercise Nomadic Elephant is an annual, bilateral exercise since 2006 which is
designed to strengthen the partnership between Indian Army and Mongolian Armed
Forces.
10. Alibaba's Jack Ma to hand chairman's role to CEO Daniel Zhang next year
Jack Ma will step down as executive chairman of e-commerce company Alibaba Group
Holding Ltd.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Daniel Zhang to succeed him at Asia’s most
valuable company.
Jack will remain on the board until Alibaba’s annual meeting of shareholders in
2020.
Note:
Jack Ma (former English teacher) started Alibaba.com in 1999 as a business-to-

business marketplace with 17 co-founders.
Honours & Awards
11. Aishwarya Rai receives Meryl Streep award for excellence
Actress Aishwarya Rai (44-years) has been honoured with the inaugural Meryl Streep
Award for Excellence at a function in USA.
WIFT India is part of WIFT International, a network which promotes professional
development and achievement for women in the film industry, video, and other
screen-based media.
12. 'Sarala Puraskar' for poet Satrughna Pandav
Noted Odia poet ‘Satrughna Pandav’ will be honoured with the prestigious 'Sarala
Puraskar' (39th edition) for his poetry collection 'Misra Dhrupad'.
The 'Sarala Puraskar' was instituted by eminent Odia industrialist late Dr
Bansidhar Panda and late Ila Panda in 1979 & awarded by the Indian Metals Public
Charitable Trust (IMPaCT).
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1. SIDBI launches Udyam Abhilasha
Small Industries Development Bank of India had launched a National Level

Entrepreneurship Awareness Campaign in 115 Aspirational Districts.
Related Information
It launches on the occasion of birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi which is

identified by NITI Aayog.
SIDBI has partnered with CSC e-Governance Services India Limited under the
Ministry of Electronics & IT, Govt. of India CT
Objectives of the missionary campaign include
To inspire rural youth in aspirational districts to be entrepreneurs by assisting

them to set up their own enterprise,
To impart training through digital medium across the country
To create business opportunities for CSC VLEs
To focus on women aspirants in these aspirational districts to encourage women
entrepreneurship and
To assist participants to become bankable and avail credit facility from banks to
set up their own enterprise.
About SIDBI
Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), is the Principal Financial

Institution for the Promotion, Financing, Development and Coordination of the
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector.
SIDBI meets the financial and developmental needs of the MSME sector with a Credit+
approach to make it strong, vibrant and globally competitive.
Topic-GS paper -2 – Governance
Source-PIB
2. Butterfly species recorded in Arunachal Pradesh
Around 180 species of butterflies were recorded in Seijosa area of Arunachal

Pradesh's East Kameng district.
Related Information
Important species of butterflies, including the 'Creteus Cyrina', 'Arhopala Oenea'

and 'Chersonesia Intermedia'.
The event organized by the Butterflies of Northeast India Group was held at the
Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve.
Pakke is an important biological hotspot and butterflies play a key role in
maintaining the biological richness of the region.
Topic-Gs paper -3 -Environment
Source –TOI
3. IBSAMAR-VI 6th edition
It is a joint Multi-National Maritime Exercise between the Indian, Brazilian and

South African Navies.
Related Information
It is being held at Simons Town, South Africa.

The last edition of IBSAMAR (IBSAMAR V) was conducted off Goa
The aim is to undertake collective training for participating navies, building
interoperability and mutual understanding among them.
Topic- GS paper 2- Defence
Source-PIB
4. Exercise Aviaindra-18 2nd edition
It is a biennial Air Force level exercise between the Indian and the Russian
Federation.
Related Information
The exercise which was conducted at Lipetsk, Russia.

It also focused on the briefing on Aerospace safety and anti-terrorist air
operations
The aim of the exercise was to formulate and validate the use of airpower in the
anti-terrorist operation in a bilateral scenario.
Topic- GS paper 2- Defence
Source-PIB
5. Gita Gopinath appointed IMF chief economist
Indian origin women economist Gita Gopinath is the second Indian appointed as the
Chief Economist of International Monetary Fund.
Related Information
First was Raghuram Rajan former RBI governor to hold the prestigious post.
Gopinath, 46, succeeds Maurice “Maury” Obstfeld.
Gopinath currently serves as the John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies
and Economics at Harvard University.
Gopinath is a US citizen and an overseas citizen of India.
About IMF
The International Monetary Fund is an international organization.

It’s headquartered in Washington.
The Managing Director and Chairman of the International Monetary Fund are noted
French lawyer and former politician, Christine Lagarde.
IMF working to foster global monetary cooperation secures financial stability.
It also facilitates international trade, promotes high employment and sustainable
economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.
Topic- GS paper 1- Women Empowerment
Source-PIB
6. Farm policy will be in sync with global rules: India to WTO
India has informed the World Trade Organization that its proposed national
agriculture export policy would be consistent with global trade rules.
Related Information
The policy aims to do away with restrictions such as minimum export prices or
outright bans.
It seeks to double India’s farm exports to more than $60 billion by 2022.
It will support the policy in which government promise to help the farmer in
doubling their income by 2022
India emphasis on the Green Box subsidies provided by WTO
Green box subsidies are non-distorting subsidies, permitted by the WTO.
India is ranked the ninth largest exporting nation, as per the latest WTO trade
data for 2015.
Its share in global exports of agriculture products increased to 2.2% in 2016 from
1% a few years earlier.
Types of subsidies provided by WTO
Green box
Green box is a type of subsidy must not distort trade, or at most cause minimal
distortion.
Amber box
Agriculture's amber box is used for all domestic support measures considered to
distort production and trade.
Blue box
Those subsidies which are not subject to the amber box reduction agreement because
they are direct payments under a production-limiting program.
About WTO
The World Trade Organization is an intergovernmental organization that regulates

international trade.
The WTO's current Director-General is Roberto Azevêdo.
Its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
Topic- GS paper 3- Economic Development
Source- Economics Times
7. Nobel Prize 2018

Nobel Prize 2018
To Whom
For
In Medicine
James Allison of the US and Tasuku Honjo of Japan
Cancer treatment inhibition of negative immune regulation.
In Physics
Arthur Ashkin (U.S.), Gerard Mourou (France) and Donna Strickland (Canada)
Optical lasers technique which is now used in corrective eye surgery.
Topic- GS paper 3- Science and Technology
Source- The Hindu
8. Justice Ranjan Gogoi Sworn as a new Chief Justice of India
Justice Ranjan Gogoi has been sworn-in as the 46th Chief Justice of India.
Related Information
President of India administered the oath of office at a function in Rashtrapati

Bhawan.
Justice Gogoi is the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court after Chief Justice
Deepak Misra
Justice Ranjan Gogoi has the tenure of a little over 13 months and will retire on
November 17, 2019.
About Justice Gogoi
Justice Gogoi joined the Bar in 1978 and practiced mainly in the Gauhati High
Court.
He was appointed as Permanent Judge of Gauhati High Court in February 2001.
He was transferred to Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2010 and later was appointed
as Chief Justice.
He was elevated as Judge of the Supreme Court in April 2012.
Topic- GS paper 2-Governance
Source- The Hindu
9. World Peace Monument Dome
World Peace Monument is the largest dome in the world.

Related Information
It is inaugurated on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Situated at the Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT)’s World Peace University
(MIT-WPU) campus at Loni Kalbhor.
About World Peace Monument
It is the brainchild of Dr. Vishwanath Karad founder-president of the MIT World

Peace University.
The rationale behind it is to symbolize the unity of the Indian identity through
its religions, ideologies, and literature.
The MIT-WPU has organized a four-day world parliament of science, religion, and
philosophy at this campus.
Topic- GS paper 1-Art and Culture
Source- The Hindu
RAS Study Notes

UPPSC Study Notes
BPSC Study Notes
1. Swachh Survekshan Grameen Awards 2018
National Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2018 commissioned by Ministry of Drinking Water

and Sanitation.
Related Information
Prime Minister gave awards to top Ranked State, District, and State.
Haryana was ranked as the best State while Satara District of Maharashtra was
ranked as the best district.
Uttar Pradesh was rewarded for maximum citizens’ participation.
This ranking was done based on a comprehensive set of parameters including surveys
of public places like schools, Anganwadis, PHCs, Haat/ Bazaars, Panchayat and
citizen’s perception of Swachhata.
The top-ranked States and Districts which received awards are as below:
Top 3 States: 1. Haryana, 2. Gujarat 3. Maharashtra
Top 3 Districts: 1. Satara, Maharashtra 2. Rewari, Haryana 3. Pedapalli, Telangana
States with maximum citizen participation: 1. Uttar Pradesh 2. Gujarat 3.
Maharashtra
Districts with maximum citizens’ participation: 1. Nashik, Maharashtra 2. Solapur,
Maharashtra 3. Chittorgarh, Rajasthan
Topic- GS paper 2- Governance
Source-PIB
2. 88 million-year-old isle and crater to be geo-parks
An ancient circular lake created by a meteorite strike in Maharashtra and a

hexagonal mosaic of basaltic rocks in an island off Udupi are poised to become
global geoparks.
Lonar Lake in Maharashtra and St. Mary’s Island and Malpe beach in coastal
Karnataka are the GSI’s candidates for UNESCO Global Geopark Network status.
The Geopark tag is akin to that of a ‘World Heritage Site’ for historical monuments
that can bring India’s famed geological features to the global stage.
Related Information
Lonar Lake
Lonar crater became a geo-heritage site in 1979 is the only world famous known
meteorite crater in basaltic rock.
It is a relatively young geologically, at just 50,000 years old.
A meteorite estimated to weigh two-million-tonnes slammed into the Earth, creating
a 1.83-km diameter crater where the lake formed.
St. Mary's Island
Mary’s Island declared a national geo-heritage site in 1975.

It is estimated to be an 88-million-year-old formation that goes back to a time
when Greater India broke away from Madagascar.
About GSI
Geological Survey of India (GSI), founded in 1851, is a Government of India
Ministry of Mines Organization,
Headquarter in Kolkata.
Topic- GS paper 1- Art and Culture
Source-PIB
3. Fall Armyworm: Nipping a problem in the bud
India has to effectively deal with this new insect pest that can devastate maize
and a host of other crops.
This pest has been seen in the Americas for several decades.
Fall Armyworm (FAW) scientifically known as Spodoptera frugiperda) has been
recently reported in Karnataka and also parts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil
Nadu, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.
It has been detected mainly in maize fields.
Related Information
About Fall Armyworm
The female moth lays eggs and the caterpillars hatching from these eat parts of the
host crop plants, before pupating and turning into new moths.
This highly-destructive and the invasive pest has been seen in the Americas for
several decades, but its prevalence outside was noted for the first time in West
Africa in early 2016.
According to the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center at Mexico also
known as CIMMYT damaged more than 1.5 million hectares of Africa’s maize crop.
Control measurement
An effective IPM strategy would need to incorporate host plant resistance (through
breeding), biological and cultural control.
The use of environmentally-safer chemical and biopesticides for crop protection.
Spraying of chemicals should be avoided unless the pest load has crossed economic
threshold levels.
The eggs laid by the moths are discernible to the naked eye. Farmers can be trained
to recognize and destroy the egg masses, so as to prevent the caterpillars from
emerging.
Source- Indian Express
4. World’s first Hyperloop passenger capsule unveiled
World’s first Hyperloop passenger capsule, having speed 1200 k/hr. was shown in
Spain presented by Hyperloop Transportation Technologies.
Related Information
Hyperloop is a technology that gained popularity after billionaire Elon Musk touted
it in 2013.
It is a first full-scale passenger capsule, offering the world a peek at the future
of travel.
It envisages moving passengers in capsules at speeds of more than 750 miles (1,200
kilometers) per hour through low-pressure tubes, in order to reduce friction.
The technology will be able to propel trains faster than existing methods.
Context to India
In February, Branson signed a preliminary agreement in Mumbai for a broad hyperloop

framework
It helps in mooted a Mumbai-Pune system that would shrink travel time to 25 minutes
and save about three hours.
Source- Economics times
5. The Goblin: Presumed to be the ninth planet of the Solar System
A newly discovered dwarf planet, nicknamed ‘The Goblin’ which is charting a lonely
orbit far beyond Pluto.
The Goblin estimated to be 10 times as massive as Earth and its provisional name.
Related Information
2015 TG387
The Goblin was 80 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun (1 AU is equal to the
distance between the Earth and the Sun).
At its closest, the Goblin is 65 AU from the Sun.
It orbits the Sun once in 40,000 years.
6. Indians to be hit by U.K. immigration plan
Under the new system, immigrants will be able to bring their immediate families
only if they are sponsored by employers.
Related Information
Britain will end “freedom of movement once and for all” which is a fundamental
principle of the European Union.
It will be more difficult for EU citizens and for non-EU citizen immigration is
clearly being treated as the most important issue in Brexit not trade or
investment.
The government introduced “swift system of e-gate visa checks for tourists and
visitors coming to the country for short- stay business trips from all low-risk
countries”.
Topic- GS paper 2- International relation
7. Nobel Prize 2018 in Chemistry
Frances H. Arnold, George P. Smith, and Sir Gregory P. Winter jointly won the Noble
prize in Chemistry.
Related Information
They awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2018 with one half to Frances H. Arnold
“for the directed evolution of enzymes”
The other half jointly to George P. Smith and Sir Gregory P. Winter” for the phage
display of peptides and antibodies.
Source- The Hindu
8. Jewel of Roman Empire’ faces danger
UNESCO declared Sabratha to be at risk in 2016, mainly due to damage caused by

armed groups.
Related Information
Perched on the edge of Libya’s Mediterranean coast, the ancient city of Sabratha
remains an awe-inspiring spectacle.
World heritage site is classified as “endangered” by UNESCO, its majestic
structures pockmarked by mortar and small arms fire.
UNESCO declared Sabratha to be at risk, along with four other Libyan sites on its
World Heritage list.
Topic- GS paper 1- Art and Culture
Source-PIB
9. Lagoon villas to come to Lakshadweep’s emeralds
NITI Aayog plans ‘eco-cottages’ and a film city to boost tourism in the island
territories
Related Information
The NITI Aayog, along with other stakeholders, including the Island Development
Agency (IDA) which is chaired by the Home Minister is conducting a technical
feasibility study for the project.
Lakshadweep has so much lagoon area to develop island lagoons Villas.
Topic- GS paper 3- Environment
Source- The Hindu
RAS Study Notes

UPPSC Study Notes
BPSC Study Notes
1. Pluto should be reclassified as a planet
In 2006, the International Astronomical Union, a global group of astronomy experts,

established a definition of a planet.
The definition agreed upon requires that an object meet three conditions to qualify
as a planet:
It must orbit the sun.
It must be massive enough that its gravity pulls it more or less into a spherical
shape.
It must clear the neighborhood around its orbit.
Why was Pluto not classified as a planet?
Since Neptune's gravity influences its neighboring planet Pluto, and Pluto shares
its orbit with frozen gases and objects in the Kuiper belt, that meant Pluto was
out of planet status.
New Expert Study
It argued that the third piece of that definition does not match historical usage
by scientists and should be revoked.
Moons such as Saturn's Titan and Jupiter's Europa have been routinely called
planets by planetary scientists since the time of Galileo.
It recommends classifying a planet based on if it is large enough that its gravity
allows it to become spherical in shape.
Related Information
The International Astronomical Union (IAU)
IAU is an international association of professional astronomers.

At the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in
astronomy.
Formed in 28th July, 1919.
Headquarters in Paris, France
It acts as the internationally recognized authority for assigning designations and
names to celestial bodies (stars, planets, asteroids, etc.) and any surface
features on them.
The IAU is a member of the International Council for Science (ICSU).
Its main objective is to promote and safeguard the science of astronomy in all its
aspects through international cooperation.
Topic-GS-3-Science and Technology
Source- Science Daily
2. ‘Pondicherry shark’ spotted near Kakinada
Related Information
Pondicherry Shark
Known as ‘Pala Sora’ in the local parlance.

It was once found throughout Indo-Pacific coastal waters from the Gulf of Oman to
New Guinea.
It is known to enter fresh water.
Protection:
1. Listed as an endangered species, under the provisions of the Wildlife
(Protection) Act, 1972.
2. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the
Pondicherry shark as Critically Endangered.
The Pondicherry Shark is on the verge of extinction.
The shark is among the 25 “most wanted lost” species that are the focus of Global
Wildlife Conservation’s “Search for Lost Species” initiative.
Topic-GS-Conservation related issues.
Source- The Hindu
3. Nepal backs out of BIMSTEC joint military exercise in Pune
The field training exercise will be conducted between September 10 and 16 at the
Foreign Training Node at Aundh in Pune.
Armies of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, and Nepal were
to participate in it.
NOTE
The withdrawal of the Nepal Army from the event is a first-of-its-kind in BIMSTEC
history.
Related information
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
(BIMSTEC)
BIMSTEC is an international organization of seven nations of South Asia and South

East Asia.
The BIMSTEC member states are:
Bangladesh
India
Myanmar
Sri Lanka
Thailand
Bhutan
Nepal
The permanent secretariat is in Dhaka.
Established on 6th June 1997.
NOTE-
Chairmanship – Sri Lanka, Since September 2018.
Topic-GS-3- Bilateral relations with other countries.
4. India joins the elite group of countries capable of Air-to-Air fuel transfer
The Air-to-Air refueling capability for Tejas is a force multiplier for the Indian
Air Force, giving the aircraft the potential to stay airborne for much longer
periods of time
Related Information
TEJAS
The HAL Tejas is an Indian single-seat, single-jet engine, multirole light fighter.
Designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics
Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy.
In 2003, the Light Combat Aircraft(LCA) was officially named "Tejas".
It provides high maneuverability.
It is the smallest and lightest in its class of contemporary supersonic combat
aircraft.
Topic-GS-3-Defence
Source- AIR
5. INDO-MONGOLIA joint exercise Nomadic Elephant-2018
Nomadic Elephant-2018, commenced at Mongolian Armed Forces (MAF) Five Hills

Training Area, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Related Information
Exercise Nomadic Elephant
Exercise Nomadic Elephant is an annual, bilateral exercise.

Since 2006.
For strengthening the partnership between Indian Army and Mongolian Armed Forces.
The Indian contingent is represented by a contingent of 17 PUNJAB Regiment.
While the Mongolian contingent is represented by Unit 084 of the Mongolian Armed
Forces.
Topic-GS-2-Security
Source-PIB
6. Government inaugurates First Regional Workshop on RERA
Related Information
The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016
RERA, 2016 is an Act of the Parliament of India.

It seeks to protect home-buyers.
It also helps boost investments in the real estate industry.
It acts as an adjudicating body for speedy dispute redressal.
The Central and state governments are liable to notify the Rules under the Act
within a statutory period of six months.
Topic-GS-3- Indian Economy
Source-PIB
7. India’s first 205-tonne dump truck by BEML launched in Mysuru
The country’s first 205T Electric Drive Rear Dump Truck (BH205-E).
It designed and developed at the Mysuru plant of Bharat Earth Movers Limited
(BEML), a PSU under the Ministry of Defence.
Related Information
BH205-E
BH205-E has been developed for large-scale mining operations.

It is powered by Tier-II emission complaint modular common rail electronic engine
with 2300HP.
The AC drive system has been engineered to provide exceptional haul road
performance with reduced maintenance.
The truck weighs 335 tonnes.
It is easily maneuverable with power-steering and short turning radius.
It has an ergonomically designed dashboard and a tiltable telescopic steering
wheel.
Topic-GS-3-Indigenization of technology
Source- The Hindu
8. Union Women and Child Development Maneka see animals in the wrong role
Maneka Gandhi has locked horns with the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI),
accusing it of being lax in enforcement of rules that specify how wild animals can
be depicted in films and television programmes.
Related Information
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act is an Act of the Parliament of India.

Enacted in 1960.
To prevent the infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering on animals.
Also, to amend the laws relating to the prevention of cruelty to animals.
The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI)
AWBI headquartered at Ballabhgarh in Haryana state.

Established in 1962, under The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act,1960.
It is a statutory advisory body.
It advises the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
It was previously based at Chennai.
Topic-GS-3-Statutory bodies
Source- The Hindu
9. International Whaling Commission
Related Information
The International Whaling Commission (IWC)
IWC is an international body.

Founded in 2nd December 1946.
The headquarters of the IWC is in Impington, near Cambridge, England.
The IWC is the decision making the body of the International Convention for the
Regulation of Whaling.
It is the body that regulates whaling and ultimately decides what happens to
whales.
Topic-GS-2-Important international institutions, agencies
Source- Business Standard
10. Heritage tag for 2 irrigation facilities in Telangana.
The highest decision making the body of International Commission on Irrigation and
Drainage (ICID), at Saskatoon in Canada, has accepted Telangana government’s
nomination of Sadarmatt anicut and Pedda Cheruvu in the ICID Register of Heritage
Irrigation Structures.
Related Information
Sadarmatt anicut
The anicut, which is the English word for Telugu’s ana-katta, meaning a rainfall
bund.
It was built by Nawab Ikbal-ud-Dowla who bore the title of Vicar-ul-Umrah Bahadur
in 1891-92.
It is across river Godavari in Nirmal district.
Constructed in 1891-92.
Sadarmatt bund is 437.4 m long on its left flank and 23.8 m on its right flank.
Pedda Cheruvu
The Pedda Cheruvu (big tank in Telugu).

Located on the outskirts of Kamareddy district is spread over an area of 618 acres.
It was built in 1897.
During the rule of Mir Mahaboob Ali Khan, the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad State.
It has a 1.8-km-long tank bund and 145-meter weir and three sluices.
The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID)
ICID, established in 1950.

It is a leading scientific, technical, international not-for-profit, non-
governmental organization.
ICID is a professional network of experts from across the world in the field of
irrigation, drainage, and flood management.
The main mission is to promote ‘Sustainable agriculture water management’.
For achieving ‘Water secure world free of poverty and hunger through sustainable
rural development’.
Topic-GS-1-Indian physical geography
Source- The Hindu
Click here for Daily UPSC Current Affairs

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Monthly Current Affairs Compilation
Important Study notes and Materials for UPSC and State PCS Exams
Gist of Yojana Monthly Compilation
1. India and Bangladesh launched railway, power projects
Key Projects:
1. 5-kilometer railway link between Akhaura in Bangladesh and Agartala in Tripura.
The project was agreed in 2010 and is expected to be operational in the next two
years.
It will aim to boost trade and connectivity between Bangladesh and the landlocked
northeast.
It will also reduce the travel time and distance between Kolkata and Agartala.
2. Rebuilding the Kulaura-Shahbazpur section of Bangladesh Railways.
It is seen as part of a trans-Asian railway project that seeks to connect South

Asia to Southeast Asia.
3. 500MW additional power supply from India to Bangladesh.
Through the existing Bheramara-Baharampur interconnection.

Bangladesh will reach 1.016GW of electricity supply from India.
Topic-GS-3-Infrastructure and Investment
Source- The Hindu
2. Apsara – U Reactor Becomes Operational at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay
Related information
Apsara
It is the first and the oldest research reactor in Asia.

Apsara is a highly versatile swimming pool-type of the reactor.
Became operational in Trombay campus of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre(BARC) in
August 1956.
It was shut down in 2009 for a revamp.
It is being recommissioned after 9 yrs.
The research reactor's earlier French made enriched fuel has been replaced with an
Indian made enriched fuel.
It is now operational as 'Apsara-U'(upgraded).
This reactor will increase indigenous production or radio-isotopes for medical
application by about 50 %.
It would also be exclusively used for research in nuclear physics, material science
and radiation shielding.
Topic-GS-3-Indigenization of technology
Source-PIB
3. Kartarpur Sahib pilgrim corridor
Related Information
Kartarpur Sahib
It is in Kartarpur Sahib, now in Pakistan, Narowal district.

The gurdwara at Kartarpur stands at the site of the final resting place of the
first Sikh Guru.
It is just across the border from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district.
It stands on the bank of the Ravi.
About 120 km northeast of Lahore.
It was here that Guru Nanak assembled a Sikh community.
He lived for 18 years there until his death in 1539.
Topic-GS-2-Bilateral Relations
Source- AIR
4. INDO-US joint military exercise Yudh Abhyas 2018
Related Information
Exercise Yudh Abhyas
Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2018 is scheduled to be conducted in the foothills of the

Himalayas.
At Chaubattia in Uttarakhand.
From 16 September to 29 September 2018.
This will be the 14th edition of the joint military exercise.
It is hosted alternately by both countries.
Yudh Abhyas series started in 2004.
Topic-GS-3-Defence
Source-PIB
5. Government launches a web portal “Rail Sahyog”
Related Information
Rail Sahyog
It will provide a platform for the Corporates & PSUs to contribute to the creation
of amenities at/near Railway Stations through Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR)
funds.
The companies desirous of contributing can register their requests on the portal.
Based on the principle of first come first serve, the requests will be shortlisted.
The selected ones will be intimated to deposit the funds with Railways agencies
like RITES, RAILTEL and so on.
The activities identified to be funded through CSR include:
The construction of toilets in circulating areas of all stations with the provision
of low-cost sanitary pad vending machine.
The incinerator will be added in female toilets and a condom vending machine in
male toilets.
Providing free wifi at stations.
Provision of benches at station platforms as a facility for senior citizens and
disabled.
The installation of bottle crushing machines.
Separate dustbins for both wet and dry garbage.
Topic-GS-3-Infrastructure- Railways
Source-PIB
6. Historians oppose Monuments Bill
Related Information
The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment) Bill, 2017
The Bill amends the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR)
Act, 1958.
The bill allows the government to take up infrastructure projects within prohibited
areas around protected monuments.
The Act, which originally instituted conservation measures and banned construction
activities near protected monuments, is now sought to be amended so that public
works could be allowed within the 100 m prohibited zone.
It empowers the central government to allow public works based on the
recommendation of National Monuments Authority (NMA).
Topic-GS-2-Governments interventions in various sectors
Source-The Hindu
7. ‘SLINEX-2018’ joint exercise between navies of India and Sri Lanka
Related Information
SLINEX
It is a bilateral naval exercise between India and Sri Lanka

SLINEX which was previously held once in two years.
It is scheduled to be held as an annual event from this year onwards.
The first ever SLINEX exercise took place in 2005.
Topic-GS-3-Defence
Source- AIR
8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi calls on people to be a part of the ‘Swachhata Hi

Seva Movement
Related information
Swachhta Hi Seva Campaign
It is a nationwide sanitation campaign.

Launched on 15th September 2017.
At Iswarganj village in Kanpur.
The aim of the Swachh Bharat Mission is to achieve a clean and open defecation free
India by October 2, 2019.
The objectives are:
Generating demand for toilets leading to their construction and sustained use by
all household members
Promoting better hygiene behavior amongst the population
Improving cleanliness by initiating solid and liquid waste management projects.
Coordinated by Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
Topic-GS-2-Issues relating to health
Source-PIB
9. An exoplanet discovered 145 light years away
An exoplanet twice as big as the Earth, Wolf 503b, was discovered with the help of
NASA's Kepler Space Telescope.
Related Information
Wolf 503b
Exoplanet Wolf 503b is 145 light years away from Earth.

In the constellation of Virgo.
Being 10 times closer than Mercury is to its star.
The planet orbits its star, Wolf 503, once every 6 days.
Exoplanet
Exoplanets are the celestial bodies orbiting stars other than our Sun.
Their small size makes them difficult to detect from Earth.
They are hidden by the bright glare of the stars they orbit.
The nearest exoplanet is Proxima Centauri b.
Topic-Awareness in the Space
Source- Firstpost
10. Health Ministry issues a notification for bringing the HIV/AIDS Act, 2017 in
force
Key Features:
The provisions of the Act address HIV-related discrimination.

Strengthen the existing programme by bringing in legal accountability.
Establish formal mechanisms for inquiring into complaints and redressing
grievances.
It seeks to prevent and control the spread of HIV and AIDS.
The requirement for HIV testing as a pre-requisite for obtaining employment or
accessing health care or education is also prohibited.
Every HIV infected or affected person below the age of 18 years has the right to
reside in a shared household and enjoy the facilities of the household.
It also prohibits any individual from publishing information or advocating feelings
of hatred against HIV positive persons and those living with them.
A person between the age of 12 to 18 years who has maturity in understanding HIV or
AIDS shall be competent to act as a guardian of another sibling below 18 years of
age.
Every person in the care and custody of the state shall have the right to HIV
prevention, testing, treatment and counseling services.
Related Information
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome

(HIV/AIDS)
HIV/AIDS is an infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

The late symptoms of infection are referred to as acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome (AIDS).
HIV is spread primarily by unprotected sex (including anal and oral sex),
contaminated blood transfusions, hypodermic needles, and from mother to child
during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding.
Topic-GS-2-Issues relating to Health
Source- The Hindu
11. NITI Aayog, Intel and TIFR collaborate to set up a Model International Center
for Transformative AI (ICTAI)
Related Information
Model International Center for Transformative AI (ICTAI)
This initiative is part of NITI Aayog’s ‘National Strategy for Artificial

Intelligence’
It is based in Bengaluru.
It aims to conduct advanced research to incubate AI-led solutions in three
important areas:
Healthcare
Agriculture
Smart mobility
By bringing together the expertise of Intel and TIFR.
Topic-GS-3-Infrastructure
Source-PIB
12. 39th Session of Human Rights Council
The 39th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council(UNHRC) will be held on
10–28 September 2018, at the Palais des Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland.
Related information
United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)
Its mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world.
It has 47 members.
The headquarters of UNHRC is in Geneva, Switzerland.
It was established by the UN General Assembly on March 15, 2006.
Topic-GS-3-Important international institutions and agencies

1. Cabinet Committee clears new procurement policy.
Related Information
"Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan" (PM-AASHA)
The new Umbrella Scheme PM-AASHA consists of three sub-schemes:

Price Support Scheme (PSS)
Physical procurement of pulses, oilseeds, and Copra will be done by Central Nodal
Agencies.
In addition to NAFED, Food Cooperation of India (FCI) will take up PSS operations
in states /districts.
Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS)
To cover all oilseeds for which MSP is notified.
Direct payment of the difference between the MSP and the selling/modal price will
be made.
All payment will be done directly into the registered bank account of the farmer.
The pilot of Private Procurement & Stockist Scheme(PPSS)-
For oilseeds, states have the option to roll out Private Procurement Stockist
Scheme (PPSS) on the pilot basis in selected district/APMC(s) of the district.
The pilot district/selected APMC(s) of the district will cover one or more crop of
oilseeds for which MSP is notified.
It is aimed at ensuring remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce as
announced in the Union Budget for 2018.
Topic-GS-3-Issues relating to direct and indirect farm subsidies.
Source- The Hindu
2. India’s health report reads worse

Key findings:
Indians have registered a 50% increase in the prevalence of ischemic heart disease
and stroke over the period from 1990 to 2016.
The number of diabetes cases climbing from 26 million to 65 million.
Being overweight was found to be a major risk factor for diabetes doubled in every
State of India from 1990 to 2016.
In the same period, the number of people ailing from chronic obstructive lung
disease went up from 28 million to 55 million.
The State-wise disease burden:
Punjab has been ranked at the top for the burden of ischemic heart disease and
diabetes, followed by Tamil Nadu.
West Bengal topped with the largest number of stroke cases followed by Odisha.
Kerala was ranked at the top for the burden of cancer, followed by Assam.
Related Information
‘India State-level Disease Burden Initiative’ report
The report is a joint initiative of:

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
The Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI)
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)
In collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Source- The Hindu
3. UN gets access to Rakhine for the first time since Aug. 2017.
Related Information
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHRC)
It is a United Nations programme.

Formed in 14th December 1950.
It mandates to protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless
people, and assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or
resettlement to a third country.
UNHCR was created in 1950, during the aftermath of World War II.
Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland.
It is a member of the United Nations Development Group.
The UNHCR has won two Nobel Peace Prizes, once in 1954 and again in 1981.
Topic-GS-2-Important institutions and agencies
Source- The Hindu
4. Hunger reached 'alarming' ten-year high in 2017: UN
According to the latest edition of the UN's annual multi-agency flagship report on
the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World:
People went hungry in 2017 than at any time in the previous decade as food
deprivation on the rise due to conflict and climate change.
The number of undernourished globally increased to 821 million in 2017.
It means that one in every nine people does not have enough to eat.
The number of undernourished people has increased from 777 million to 821 million
over the last two years.
The report emphasizes that climate variability and extremes are already undermining
food production in some regions.
If action to mitigate disaster risk reduction and preparedness is not taken, the
situation will only get worse.
Source- AIR
5. India among nations with ‘no or little enforcement’ against foreign bribery:
Report.
India is among four countries with “no or little enforcement” mechanism to check
foreign bribery, according to a report released by anti-corruption organisation
Transparency International.
2018 edition of the ‘Exporting Corruption Report’.
India was among 16 countries targeted by alleged bribery.

China, Hong Kong, India and Singapore, all with 2 percent or more of world exports
are not parties to the OECD (Anti-Bribery) Convention.
They are classified for the first time and all fall into the lowest level (little
or no enforcement).
The Indian government does not publish statistics on its foreign bribery
enforcement and does not disclose such statistics on request.
Inadequacies in the implementation of the Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) Treaty.
Related Information
Transparency International (TI)
TI is an international non-governmental organization.

Headquarters in Berlin, Germany.
Founded in 1993.
Its nonprofit purpose is to take action to combat global corruption and prevent
criminal activities arising from corruption.
It publishes, for example, the Global Corruption Barometer and the Corruption
Perceptions Index.
Mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT)
A mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) is an agreement between two or more

countries for the purpose of gathering and exchanging information in an effort to
enforce public or criminal laws.
OECD Anti-Bribery Convention
The OECD Anti-Bribery Convention was adopted in 1997.

To address the supply side of international corruption.
There are now 44 parties to the convention.
36 of the members of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
Development).
India is not a member.
Topic-GS-3- International agencies
6. Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd. (TCIL) signed an agreement with the

MEA for the implementation of e-VBAB (e-VidyaBharati and e-AarogyaBharati) Network
Project
Related Information
e-VidyaBharati (tele-education) and e-AarogyaBharati (tele-medicine).

E-VBAB Network Project is primarily a technological upgrade and extension of the
Pan-African e-Network Project.
It was implemented in 48 partner countries across Africa from 2009 till 2017.
e-VidyaBharati is for tele-education and e-AarogyaBharati is for tele-medicine.
The platform will link, through a web-based technology, various educational
institutions, and hospitals in India and the participating African countries.
A Data Centre and Disaster Recovery Centre will be established in India.
Topic-GS-2-Bilateral relations
Source- Business line
7. India’s First Missile Tracking Ship VC-11184 All Set For Trials
Related information
VC11184
VC11184 is the designation of a missile tracking ocean surveillance ship.

Being constructed by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) for Indian Navy.
The purpose of the ship is to support the development of India's strategic weapons
and the Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme.
The ship will be fitted with a primary X band and a secondary S-band active
electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.
It has a long open deck with ample space for installing multiple missile tracking
antennas.
It will have a crew complement of 300 personnel and will carry a single helicopter.
Topic-GS-3-Science and Technology
Source- The Hindu

1. Country's first Tribal Tourism Circuit to be launched in Chhattisgarh
The country's first tribal circuit tourism project under the Swadesh Darshan scheme
will be inaugurated at Gangrel in Chhattisgarh.
The project covers 13 sites in Chhattisgarh which are Jashpur, Kunkuri, Mainpat,
Kamleshpur, Maheshpur, Kurdar, Sarodadadar, Gangrel, Kondagaon, Nathiya Nawagaon,
Jagdalpur, Chitrakoot and Tirthgarh.
Related Information
Swadesh Darshan scheme was launched in 2014 -15 and it is one of the flagship
schemes of the Ministry of Tourism, for development of thematic circuits in the
country in a planned and prioritized manner.
Under the tribal circuit theme of the scheme, the Ministry has sanctioned 4
projects to Nagaland, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh for Rs. 380 crore.
Major components sanctioned in the tribal circuit theme include eco log huts, craft
haats, souvenir shops or kiosk, tourist reception, and facilitation centers etc.
Topic- GS-2- Government Schemes
Source- AIR
2. India’s first missile tracking ship is readying for sea trials

Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) is gearing up to undertake sea trials of India’s
first missile tracking ship.
The keel of the ship, which was laid on June 30, 2014, is being built for the
National Technical Research Organisation, the technical intelligence agency working
directly under the supervision of the PMO and the National Security Adviser.
Considered a “topmost secret project”, a lot of confidentiality is being maintained
in executing the project costing about ₹750 crore.
It will be named after its induction into the Indian Navy. For now, it is simply
referred as VC 11184.
300-strong crew
The ship was built inside the covered dry dock.

It has the capacity to carry 300-strong crew with hi-tech gadgets and communication
equipment, powered by two diesel engines, and a large deck capable of the
helicopter landing.
Topic- GS-3- Defence
Source- The Hindu
3. Centre provides ₹ 440 cr to National Dairy Development Board (NDDB)
Agriculture Minister provided over ₹ 440 crore cheque to the NDDB from the Dairy
Processing and Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF), marking the formal launch of
the fund set up to provide soft loans to modernize and raise the capacity of dairy
cooperatives.
NABARD has set up the DIDF with a corpus of ₹ 8,004 crores to bring more dairy
farmers into organized milk marketing through cooperatives.
The fund is implemented through the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and
National Cooperative Development Corporation(NCDC).
The DIDF is aimed to create at additional milk processing capacity of 126 lakh
liter per day, milk drying capacity of 210 million tonnes (MT) per day and milk
chilling capacity of 140 lakh liter per day.
India is the largest milk producer in the world with an estimated production of
176.35 MT.
The vision 2022 document has pegged the country’s milk production at 254.5 MT.
Topic- GS-2-Government policies and interventions for development in various
sectors
Source- The Hindu Business Line
4. INMAS develops India’s first indigenous anti-nuclear medical kit
Scientists at a central research institute claim to have developed India’s first

indigenous medical kit that may ensure protection from serious injuries and faster
healing of wounds resulting from nuclear warfare or radioactive leakage.
Developed in India for the first time, it’s a potent alternative to similar kits
that were till now being procured from strategically advanced nations such as the
US and Russia at much higher prices.
The contents include an advanced form of Prussian blue tablets, highly effective in
incorporating Radio-Cesium (Cs-137) and Radio Thallium, among the most feared
radioisotopes in nuclear bombs that destroy human body cells.
The tablet provides 100 percent absorption from the gut and other portals of entry
to the human body.
The kit has been developed for the armed, paramilitary and police forces only as
they are the first ones likely to get exposed to radiation -- be it during nuclear,
chemical and biomedical (NCB) warfare or a rescue operation after a nuclear
accident.
The kit also has an Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) injection that traps
uranium in the guts and blood of victims during a nuclear accident or warfare.
The kit also has Ca-EDTA Respiratory Fluid, which is the inhalation formula for
chelation, or grabbing, of heavy metals and radioactive elements deposited in lungs
through inhalation at nuclear accident sites.
Related Information
Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (INMAS)
It is a laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Located in New Delhi, it is involved in Nuclear medicine research and responding to
nuclear accidents and explosions.
Topic- GS-3- Science and Technology
Source- The Hindu Business Line
5. National Health Mission Director Manoj Jhalani bags prestigious UN award
National Health Mission Director Manoj Jhalani has been conferred the prestigious
UN Interagency Task Force Award for his outstanding contribution towards the
prevention and control of non-communicable diseases.
Related Information
United Nations Interagency Task Force (UNIATF)
The United Nations Interagency Task Force (UNIATF) on the Prevention and Control of
NCDs coordinates the activities of relevant UN organizations and other inter-
governmental organizations to support governments to meet high-level commitments to
respond to NCD epidemics worldwide.
The commitments were made by Heads of State and Government in the 2011 Political
Declaration on NCDs.
The task force was established by the UN Secretary-General in June 2013 and placed
under the leadership of WHO.
Topic-GS-2-Important International institutions
Source- Business Standards
6. Nuakhai Festival
The festival of Nuakhai is celebrated in Odisha.

During this harvest festival of western Odisha, new produce Nabannis offered to
presiding deities.
After offering the Nabann, people relish different types of delicacies prepared
from the newly harvested crop.
The Nuakhai Juhar is a major ritual of the festival, during which greetings are
exchanged with friends, relatives and well-wishers.
Topic- GS-1-Art and Culture
Source- AIR

1. Power Ministry launches the ambitious program on energy efficiency in Chillers.
The Chiller Star Labelling Program has been formulated by Bureau of Energy
Efficiency (BEE).
The program envisages providing star rating in terms of its energy performance.
Initially, the program is launched on the voluntary basis and will be valid upto
31st December 2020.
Chillers are used extensively for space conditioning of buildings and for
industrial process cooling applications.
Chillers, being energy intensive system, contribute more than 40 percent of the
total energy consumption in commercial buildings.
Then 500 million units of electricity would be saved in 2019 along with Green House
Gases (GHG) reduction of 0.5 million-ton equivalent of CO2. It is also anticipated
to save more than 4 Billion units of electricity in the year 2030 with a CO2
emission reduction of 3.5 million ton through this program.
Related Information
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency
BEE is under the Ministry of Power.

Formed on 1st March 2002.
Constituted by Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
Topic-GS-2-Government interventions in various sectors.
Source-PIB
2. EAM Sushma Swaraj to co-chair the 23rd meeting of IRIGC-TEC with Russian Dy PM
in Moscow.
Related Information
Inter-Governmental Commission on Technical and Economic Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC)
IRIGC-TEC is a standing body.

It meets annually.
It does activities of bilateral cooperation in the fields of bilateral trade and
investment, science and technology, culture and other issues of mutual interest.
Topic-GS-2-Bilateral relations
Source- AIR
3. National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) releases HIV Estimations 2017
The HIV Estimations 2017 is the 14th round in the series of HIV Estimations under
National AIDS Control Programme (NACP).
Key Highlights:
Overall, the impact of the programme has been significant with more than 80%
decline in estimated new infection from the peak of the epidemic in 1995.
As per UNAIDS 2018 report, the global average for the decline in new infections and
AIDS-related deaths from peak has been 47% and 51% respectively.
As per the report, in 2017, India had around 21.40 lakh people living with HIV
(PLHIV) with the adult prevalence of 0.22%.
Around 87.58 thousand new HIV infections and 69.11 thousand AIDS-related deaths
happened in 2017 while around 22,675 mothers needed Antiretroviral Therapy (ART)
for prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV.
Related Information
The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO):
NACO established in 1992.

Under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
It is the nodal organization for the formulation of policy and implementation of
programs for prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in India.
NOTE-
NACO undertakes HIV estimations biennially.

In collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) - National
Institute of Medical Statistics (NIMS).
The first round of HIV estimation in India was done in 1998.
While the last round was done in 2015.
Topic-GS-2-Government interventions in various sectors.
Source- AIR
4. Government moves to stabilize the rupee
Key measures to be taken into consideration:
FPIs’ investment in a single corporate entity cannot exceed 20% of its corporate
bond portfolio will be reviewed.
The condition that FPIs cannot invest more than 50% of an issue of corporate bonds.
The government has exempted all masala bonds issues until March 31, 2019, from
withholding tax.
It has also said it will remove restrictions on Indian banks on market-making for
such bonds and on underwriting them.
The government will also review the mandatory hedging condition for infrastructure
loans borrowed under the external commercial borrowing (ECB) route.
Manufacturing companies borrowing up to $50 million through ECBs will be able to do
so only for a one-year term as against the three-year term allowed earlier.
NOTE-
Masala bonds are rupee-denominated instruments issued abroad by Indian borrowers.

The advantage of these bonds is that any depreciation in the rupee will not affect
the borrower.
Presently there is no compulsion on borrowers to hedge infrastructure loans.
Topic-GS-2-Government interventions in various sectors
Source- The Hindu
5. Super Typhoon ‘Mangkhut’
It is blasting the northern coast of the Philippines with strong winds and heavy
rain.
Related Information
Typhoon Mangkhut
The world's strongest tropical storm.

It is a Type 5 storm.
It has winds of 200km/h (125 mph) and gusts reaching up to 330km/h.
Topic-GS-1- Disaster
Source- The Hindu
6. The Great Indian Bustard’s last sigh
The Great Indian Bustard or Indian bustard is a bustard found on the Indian
subcontinent.
A large bird with a horizontal body and long bare legs, giving it an ostrich-like
appearance.
The bird is among the heaviest of the flying birds.
The bird is found in Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat
states of India.
Protection:
It is protected under Wildlife Protection Act 1972 of India.
Critically Endangered under IUCN.
Topic-GS-3-Conservation
Source- Livemint
7. Rajasthan's forest minister inaugurates state's first lion safari
Rajasthan’s first lion safari was inaugurated at Nahargarh Biological Park.
Related Information
Nahargarh Biological Park
It is in the vicinity of Nahargarh Fort.

The park is located on the Delhi-Jaipur National Highway, nearly 12 kilometers from
Jaipur.
Located in the Aravalli foothills, it offers a panoramic view of the landscape.
Topic-GS-Conservation
8. Dairy Processing & Infrastructure Development Fund.
Related Information
Dairy Processing & Infrastructure Development Fund.
The Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying, and Fisheries (DADF).

It will be implemented from 2017-18 to 2028-29.
In addition to this, many skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers will get
employment, directly and indirectly.
The National Dairy Development Board
The National Dairy Development Board is an institution of national importance set

up by an Act of Parliament of India.
The main office is in Anand, Gujarat with regional offices throughout the country.
Formed on 16th July 1965.
Topic-GS-2- Government interventions in various sectors.
Source-PIB

1. PSLV-C42 Mission
ISRO's PSLV in its 44th flight put into orbit two UK earth observation satellites
in a textbook launch.
Both the satellites together weighed about 889 kg, and the commercial launch was
carried out under an arrangement Surrey Satellite Technologies Limited (SSTL) and
ISRO’s commercial arm Antrix Corporation Limited.
NovaSAR is an S-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite intended for forest
mapping, land use and ice cover monitoring and disaster monitoring while S-14 is a
high-resolution Optical Earth Observation Satellite, used for surveying resources,
environment monitoring, urban management and for the disaster monitoring.
Related Info
The PSLV-C42 was only the third launch of PSLV after the rare failure it
encountered in August last year due to problems in the heat shield.
PSLV is a Medium-lift launch vehicle.
It was developed to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing(IRS) satellites
into sun-synchronous orbits, a service that was, until the advent of the PSLV in
1993, commercially available only from Russia.
PSLV can also launch small size satellites into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO).
Topic-GS-3-Science and technology
Source-Times of India
2. Matru Vandana Saptah
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) recently marked the anniversary of the
launch of the scheme as Matru Vandana Saptah.
During this week, the States/UTs focused on IEC activities, pendencies under
various parameters and escalating daily entry rate of applications.
National level achievement of the scheme post a year’s implementation on grounds is
48.11 Lakhs of women enrollment under the scheme till September.
Himachal Pradesh has been rated as the best-performing state in the country in
implementing the PMMVY.
About PMMVY:
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), previously Indira Gandhi Matritva
Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY), is a maternity benefits program run by the government of
India.
It was introduced in 2010 and is implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child
Development.
It is a conditional cash transfer scheme for pregnant and lactating women of 19
years of age or above for the first live birth.
It provides a partial wage compensation to women for wage-loss during childbirth
and childcare.
In 2013, the scheme was brought under the National Food Security Act, 2013 to
implement the provision of cash maternity benefit of ₹6,000 stated in the Act.
Topic-GS-2-Welfare initiative
Source-PIB
3. MPATGM (Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile)
India’s Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has conducted the
first successful test firing of a new indigenously designed and developed man-
portable anti-tank guided missile (MPATGM).
The first successful test firing was followed by another MPATGM test launch on
September 16, which also took place at the Ahmednagar test range.
The MPATGM is a third-generation anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), which has been
under development by DRDO in partnership with Indian defense contractor VEM
Technologies Ltd.
Fitted with a high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead, the MPATGM reportedly boasts
a top attack capability and has a maximum engagement range of about 2.5 km.
Topic- GS-3-Science & technology
Source-The Diplomat
4. Global State of Democracy Index
The IDEA released its report The Global State of Democracy Index.
The report records a significant dip in India’s record on civil liberties, personal
integrity, and security, freedom of association, media integrity, gender equality.
India and Sri Lanka have maintained relatively high scores in representative
governments.
At the country level, Afghanistan and Nepal have seen the most improvement in
ensuring fundamental rights in the Asian region.
South Asia shows a steady improvement on the yardstick that measures gender
equality with Nepal standing out.
About GSoDI:
In 2017, International IDEA launched the first Global State of Democracy report.
The report provides evidence-based analysis and data on the global and regional
state of democracy.
Through six different chapters, the report also zooms in on challenges to
democracy:
(a) Migration
(b) Inequality
(c) Political parties
(d) Representation
(e) Money in politics
(f) Democratic backsliding
The Global State of Democracy Index (GSoD) looks at the trends in democratization
from 1975 to 2017.
Topic-GS-2- Important aspects of governance
Source- The Indian Express
5. EyeROV TUNA
India's first underwater robotic drone was launched and handed over to the Naval
Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) of DRDO.
About the drone:
It can send real-time videos of ships and other underwater structures to help with
their repair and maintenance.
It can be e-controlled using a laptop or a joystick.
The robotic drone can be navigated up to a depth of 50 meters to take real-time HD
video images to examine ship hulls or undersea cables or bridge moorings,
eliminating the need for costlier and riskier manual inspection by divers.
The development of the product of EyeROV was largely supported by Kerala Startup
Mission (KSUM) through various schemes.
Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL)
The Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory or NPOL is a laboratory of the

Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO).
NPOL is responsible for the Research & Development of sonar systems, technologies
for underwater surveillance, the study of the ocean environment and underwater
materials.
Topic- GS-3-Developing new technology.
Source- Times of India

6. Rajnath Singh to inaugurate smart border fence.
Government to inaugurate two pilot projects of "smart" border fencing built under
the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) programme.
The two projects, each covering a 5.5 km-border stretch along the International
Border in Jammu.
It is set to get a first-of-a-kind high-tech surveillance system that will create
an invisible electronic barrier on land, water and even in air and underground.
It will help the Border Security Force (BSF) detect and foil infiltration bids in
the most difficult terrains.
Related Information
Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) programme.
After the Pathankot attack, the government planned to stop infiltration on 2900
kilometers western border with Pakistan under the name Comprehensive Integrated
Border Management System (CIBMS).
Key features:
CIBMS involves deployment of a range of state-of-the-art surveillance technologies
Thermal Imagers.
Infra-red and laser-based intruder alarms that form an invisible land fence.
Aerostats for aerial surveillance.
Unattended ground sensors that can help detect intrusion bids through tunnels,
radars, sonar systems to secure riverine borders.
Fiber-optic sensors and a command and control system that shall receive data from
all surveillance device in real time.
Topic-GS-3-Defence and security
Source- Economic Times
Japan's Maritime Self-Defence Force carried out a "practical" anti-submarine drill,

including an exercise to spot enemy submarines with sonar devices.
Submarine Kuroshio joined three Japanese warships in waters just southwest of the
China-controlled Scarborough Shoal.
Related information
Scarborough Shoal
Scarborough Shoal forms a triangle-shaped chain of reefs and rocks.

It is a disputed territory claimed by the People's Republic of China, the Republic
of China (Taiwan), and the Philippines.
It formerly was administered by the Philippines, however, due to the 2012
Scarborough Shoal standoff, where China sent warships to invade the shoal, the
administration of the shoal was taken by the People's Republic of China.
Topic-GS-3-Security
8. India's only wetland cat is under multiple threats
Related Information
Fishing Cat
The fishing cat is a symbolic species of floodplains, deltas and coastal wetlands
of South and Southeast Asia.
They have a patchy distribution from Sind in Pakistan to Cambodia.
In India, it is largely restricted to the floodplains of Ganga, Yamuna,
Brahmaputra, Sundarbans Delta and smaller coastal wetlands along the Bay of Bengal
formed by Mahanadi, Godavari and Krishna rivers.
Conservation efforts
In 2012, the West Bengal government officially declared the Fishing Cat as the
State Animal.
The Fishing Cat was recently downlisted to “Vulnerable” from “Endangered” in the
IUCN Red List.
Topic-GS-3-Conservation efforts
Source – Down to earth
9. India's first exclusive dog park comes up in Hyderabad
Hyderabad is set to get country’s first exclusive dog park.

The park, which is spread over in 1.3 acres, has been developed by the Greater
Hyderabad Municipal Corporation at cost of Rs. 1.1 crore.
The park will offer dog training and exercise equipment, splash pool, two lawns, an
amphitheater, loo, cafe a walking track, off-leash areas for dogs.
Topic- GS-3- Environment
Source- Financial Express

1. HDI report finds inequality high in India, higher in Pakistan and Bangladesh
The latest human development index (HDI) report released by the United Nations
Development Programme shows India’s inequality-adjusted HDI (IHDI) at 0.468 or a
26.8% drop from its unadjusted HDI of 0.640.
On both indices (the higher the better), India is ahead of Bangladesh and Pakistan.
India climbed one spot to 130 among 189 countries.
Top ranking
Norway
Switzerland
Australia
Ireland
Germany
While Niger, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Chad and Burundi have the
lowest scores in the HDI's measurement of national achievements in health,
education and income.
Related Information
The Human Development Index (HDI)
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic (composite index) of:

Life expectancy
Education
Per capita income indicators
The HDI was developed by Indian economist Amartya Sen and Pakistani economist
Mahbub ul Haq which was further used to measure the country's development by the
United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
The 2010 Human Development Report introduced an Inequality-adjusted Human
Development Index (IHDI).
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
UNDP is the United Nations' global development network.

The UNDP was founded on 22nd November 1965.
With the merging of the Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance (EPTA) and the
Special Fund.
Headquartered in New York City.
It provides expert advice, training and grants support to developing countries,
with increasing emphasis on assistance to the least developed countries.
The organization operates in 177 countries, where it works with local governments
to meet development challenges and develop local capacity.
Topic-GS-2-Social sector
Source – Indian Express
2. Child death below 5 declined faster in India: UN.
The reports have been released by the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child
Mortality Estimation (UNIGME).
UNIGME is a combination of Unicef, the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN
Population Division and the World Bank Group.
It says that the death of children below the age of five continues to steadily
reduce in India, declining from nearly 22 percent in 2012 to 18 percent in 2017,
which is now for the first time below the one million marks.
Key Highlights:
The under-five mortality rate of India at 39 per 1000 now equals that of the world,
highlighting the much faster decline by India in the last five years as compared to
the global decline.
According to the report, the gender gap in child survival has reduced almost four-
fold in the last five years, with under-five mortality of girl child now being 2.5
percent higher, compared to nearly 10 percent in 2012.
An estimated 6.3 million children under 15 years of age died in 2017 and the vast
majority of these deaths, 5.4 million occurred in the first five years of life.
Globally in 2017, half of all deaths under five years of age took place in sub-
Saharan Africa and another 30 percent in Southern Asia.
In sub-Saharan Africa, one in 13 children died before their fifth birthday.
In high-income countries, that number was one in 185.
In 2017, 2.5 million newborns died in their first month. A baby born in sub-Saharan
Africa or in Southern Asia was nine times more likely to die in the first month
than a baby born in a high-income country.
The most children under five die due to preventable or treatable causes such as
complications during birth, pneumonia, diarrhea, neonatal sepsis and malaria.
Under-five mortality rates among children in rural areas are, on average, 50
percent higher than among children in urban areas.
3. Mt Everest Friendship Exercise
The second edition of Nepal-China joint military exercise - Mt Everest Friendship

Exercise-2018 also called as Sagarmatha Friendship-2018, took place in China’s
southwestern Sichuan province.
It will focus on combating terror and disaster management training.
This joint exercise is aimed at promoting military relations and enhance
interoperability between armies of Nepal and China.
NOTE
Sagarmatha is the Nepali name for Mt Everest, which stands in between both the
countries.
The first exercise was held in April 2017, at Maharajgunj in Kathmandu (capital of
Nepal).
Topic-GS-3-Defence and Security
Source- The Hindu
4. Asia Pacific Policy Group says Pakistan action against terror funding not
satisfactory
Related Information
Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering(APG)
The APG is the FATF-style regional body for the Asia-Pacific region.
It is an inter-governmental (international) organization.
Founded in 1997 in Bangkok, Thailand.
The APG consists of 41 member jurisdictions and a number of observer jurisdictions
and international/regional observer organizations.
The APG has two Co-Chairs: one permanent and one two-year term rotating Co-Chair.
The APG secretariat is located in Sydney, Australia.
NOTE-
The permanent Co-Chair is Australia.

The current rotating Co-Chair is Bangladesh.
Topic-GS-2-Important international institutions
Source- The Hindu
5. The US ranks near the bottom on the commitment to the development
Related Information
Commitment to Development Index (CDI)
It is an index which ranks 27 of the world's richest countries on their dedication

to policies that benefit people living in the poorer nations.
It is an annual report.
Published by the Washington-based Center for Global Development (CGD).
Top Countries:
Sweden
Denmark
Germany and Finland
The US remained in the 23rd spot out of 27 rich countries in the survey.
Only Poland, Greece, South Korea, and Japan were rated lower than the US.
Topic-GS-2- Important agencies
6. One manual scavenging death every five days: Official data
One person has died every five days, on an average, while cleaning sewers and
septic tanks across the country, according to numbers collated by the National
Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK).
The data, which is based mostly on newspaper reports and numbers supplied by a few
state governments.
It is the first such official attempt to account for the deaths of sewer and septic
tank cleaners.
Key Highlights:
According to NCSK, 123 people employed in hazardous forms of manual scavenging lost
their lives while at work since January 2017.
The last one week alone has seen a total of six deaths in the National Capital
Region.
There are no numbers available on those employed in sewer and septic tank cleaning.
All previous and ongoing exercises at compiling data have been restricted to
accounting for those removing human excreta from dry latrines, open drains, and
single pit toilets in villages.
In the reported instances are high in:
Haryana
Uttar Pradesh
Delhi
Gujarat
The NCSK data shows Maharashtra as having had just two deaths in this period.
As per NCSK data, the Rs 10 lakh compensation that is mandated under the law in
case of manual scavenging deaths, has been paid in only 70 of the 123 cases.
Related Information
National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK)
NCSK was constituted on 12th August 1994.

It is a statutory body.
Under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
The Chairperson and Members of the Commission undertake extensive touring of the
country to study the socio-economic and living conditions of Safai Karamcharis and
their dependents.
During their visits, the members of the Commission interact with the Safai
Karamcharis- both individually as well as through their representative
associations.
The grievances of the Safai Karamcharis are then taken up by the Commission with
the concerned local civil and police authorities.
Based on its findings, the Commission gives its recommendations for rehabilitation
and liberation of Safai Karamcharis from the scourge of manual scavenging to the
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment from time to time as well as in its
Annual Reports.
Topic-GS-1-Social Empowerment
7. Government initiates consolidation – amalgamated entity to be India’s third

largest bank
Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank, and Dena Bank may consider amalgamation.
It will be the first-ever three-way bank amalgamation process commences.
With a combined business of Rs. 14.82 lakh crore, it will become India’s Third
Largest Bank.
Topic-GS-3-Indian Economy
8. PM Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina to jointly flag off
construction of Indo-Bangla pipeline project
Related information
Indo-Bangla pipeline project
The 130-kilometer pipeline will connect Siliguri in West Bengal in India and
Parbatipur in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh.
The estimated will be completed in 30 months time.
Assam-based Numaligarh Refinery Limited.
The remaining 124 kilometers of the pipeline project will be implemented by
Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation.
The project will replace the existing practice of sending diesel by rail covering a
distance of 510 kilometers.
Topic-GS- 3-Infrastructure
Source- AIR

11 September 2018
-------------------------------
Current Affairs 11th September 2018: Daily GK Update
National News
1. India, Bangladesh Jointly Inaugurate 3 Projects
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina, and
Chief Ministers of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee and Tripura Biplab Kumar Deb jointly
inaugurated three projects in Bangladesh via video conferencing. These include:
1. 500 MW additional power supply from India to Bangladesh,
2. Akhaura – Agartala Rail Link, and
3. Rehabilitation of the Kulaura-Shahbazpur section of Bangladesh Railways.
ii. Akhaura-Agartala rail project is about 12 km long of which 5.5 km would be laid
in
India while 6.5 km would be in Bangladesh. The total cost of the project would be
about 960 crore rupees.
Bangladesh PM- Sheikh Hasina, Capital- Dhaka, Currency- Bangladeshi Taka.

2. India Joins Elite Group of Countries Capable Of Air-to-Air Fuel Transfer
i. The first ever mid-air refuelling of the indigenously developed light combat
aircraft Tejas was successfully carried out, placing India in an elite group of
countries having air-to-air refuelling capacity for military planes.
ii. The mid-air re-fuelling of wet contact trial for Light Combat Aircraft, LCA
Tejas MK-1 was successfully carried out from an Indian Air Force base. The Air-to-
Air refuelling capability for Tejas is a force multiplier for the Indian Air Force,
giving the aircraft the potential to stay airborne for much longer periods of time.
Nirmala Sitharaman is the present Defence Minister of India.

Birender Singh Dhanoa is the present Chief of Air Staff of Indian Air Force.
3. Centre Sets Up Panel Of Secretaries To Look Into e-commerce Issues
i. With concerns being raised on some proposals of the draft e-commerce policy, the
government has set up a group of secretaries to look into the issues. The group
will be chaired by the secretary in the Department of Industrial Policy and
Promotion (DIPP).
ii. The other members of the group include secretaries of the ministry of
electronics and information technology and department of commerce.
Dr Vijay Pingale is the Private Secretary of Department of Industrial Policy and

Promotion.
DIPP was established in 1995.
4. 1st Regional Workshop On RERA Inaugurated by Hardeep Puri in Pune
i. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep
Singh Puri inaugurated the first regional workshop on RERA (Real Estate (Regulation
and Development) Act) in Pune.
ii. Mr Puri delivered the inaugural address at the “First Regional Workshop on RERA
– a New Era of Transparency and Accountability in Real Estate – 2 years of
implementation and way forward (Western Region)” in Pune.
Maharashtra is one of the first states to implement the provision of RERA.

It has also established the Real Estate Regulatory Authority of Maharashtra, which
is popularly known as MahaRERA.
5. 1st Edition of BIMSTEC Military Exercise MILEX-18 Inaugurated in Pune
i. BIMSTEC Military Exercise (MILEX-18), the first edition of Military Field

Training Exercise for the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and
Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) nations, started at Aundh in Pune.
ii. The aim of MILEX-18 is to practice the BIMSTEC Nations in planning and conduct
of counter-terrorist operations. Participating countries are Armies of India,
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand. Nepal is not taking part in
MILEX-18.
The BIMSTEC was formed in 1997 and it brings together Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,
Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand.
The grouping accounts for 22% of the global population.
Sri Lanka is the current chair of BIMSTEC.
6. NRTI, India's 1st Railway Varsity Starts Operations In Vadodara
i. The first of its kind university in the country in the transport sector, the
National Rail and Transportation Institute (NRTI), started operations. Currently,
it is functioning out of the National Academy of Indian Railways, Vadodara.
ii. Funded by the ministry of railways, with University of California, Berkeley and
Cornell University as its international partners, the university started with two
undergraduate courses - BSc Transportation Technology and BBA Transportation
Managements- with 50 students each.
7. Forbes-Nominated Author Preeti Shenoy Pens New Book, 'The Rule Breakers'
i. Best-selling author Preeti Shenoy announced the launch of her new book, 'The
Rule Breakers'. The book claims to explore complex themes of women's equality,
gender, and inclusion among others.
ii. The novel set in the '90s is the story of Veda, who harbours big dreams, but
finds herself trapped in an arranged marriage and realizes that her opinions in
real life don't matter.
8. Health Ministry Implements HIV AIDS Act 2017
i. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has announced the implementation of
the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
(AIDS) (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017. According to the law, every HIV infected
or affected person below the age of 18 has the right to live in a shared household
and enjoy its facilities.
ii. The act criminalises any kind of discrimination against people suffering from
AIDS in terms of treatment, employment and workplace. Those violating the act could
be jailed for up to two years or fined up to Rs1 lakh or both.
JP Nadda is the present Health and Family Welfare Minister of India.

International News
9. India-Mongolia Joint Exercise 'Nomadic Elephant 2018' Starts in Mongolia
i. The 12 days long Indo-Mongolia joint exercise Nomadic Elephant-2018, commenced

at Mongolian Armed Forces (MAF) Five Hills Training Area, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
with a brief opening ceremony.
ii. Exercise Nomadic Elephant is an annual, bilateral exercise since 2006 which is
designed to strengthen the partnership between the Indian Army and Mongolian Armed
Forces.
Mongolia Capital: Ulaanbaatar, Currency: Mongolian togrog.

Appointments
10. Hima Das Appointed Sports Ambassador of Assam
i. India’s ace sprinter Hima Das was appointed as Sports Ambassador of Assam to
inspire budding players of northeastern state to aim big and young generation to
take up sports seriously.
ii. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has earlier confirmed that Indian
Athlete Hima Das will be named as the first sports ambassador of the state. The
announcement came after Hima Das recently became the first Indian woman to win gold
at IAAF World U-20 Athletics Championships.
Assam CM: Sarbananda Sonowal, Governor: Jagdish Mukhi.

11. Justice Om Prakash Mishra Sworn In As new Chief Justice Of Nepal
i. Justice Om Prakash Mishra has been sworn in as new Chief Justice of Nepal. The
President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy to
Justice Mishra in Kathmandu.
ii. Parliamentary Hearing Committee (PHC) unanimously endorsed his name for Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court. Justice Mishra was appointed as a justice of the
Supreme Court in 2014.
Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli is the current Prime Minister of Nepal.

Bidya Devi Bhandari is the current President of Nepal and commander in chief of
Nepalese Army.
The Nepalese Rupee is the currency of Nepal.
Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal.
Banking News
12. IPPB Ties Up With FSS To Create Payments Network For Unorganized Retail
i. In a move aimed at creating a payments acceptance network for unorganized retail

including small merchants and Kirana stores where consumers can make payments,
India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has partnered with Financial Software and Systems
(FSS).
ii. FSS a payments technology company to ensure that micro-merchants are able to
accept payments over any channel – online, unified payments interface (UPI), quick-
response (QR) codes, Aadhaar and IPPB accounts.
IPPB has been incorporated as a public sector company under the Department of Posts
with 100% government equity and is governed by the Reserve Bank of India.
Suresh Kumar Sethi is the Managing Director & CEO of IPPB.
11 September 2018
-------------------------------
National News
1. India, Bangladesh Jointly Inaugurate 3 Projects
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina, and
Chief Ministers of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee and Tripura Biplab Kumar Deb jointly
inaugurated three projects in Bangladesh via video conferencing. These include:
1. 500 MW additional power supply from India to Bangladesh,
2. Akhaura – Agartala Rail Link, and
3. Rehabilitation of the Kulaura-Shahbazpur section of Bangladesh Railways.
ii. Akhaura-Agartala rail project is about 12 km long of which 5.5 km would be laid
in
India while 6.5 km would be in Bangladesh. The total cost of the project would be
about 960 crore rupees.
Bangladesh PM- Sheikh Hasina, Capital- Dhaka, Currency- Bangladeshi Taka.

2. India Joins Elite Group of Countries Capable Of Air-to-Air Fuel Transfer
i. The first ever mid-air refuelling of the indigenously developed light combat
aircraft Tejas was successfully carried out, placing India in an elite group of
countries having air-to-air refuelling capacity for military planes.
ii. The mid-air re-fuelling of wet contact trial for Light Combat Aircraft, LCA
Tejas MK-1 was successfully carried out from an Indian Air Force base. The Air-to-
Air refuelling capability for Tejas is a force multiplier for the Indian Air Force,
giving the aircraft the potential to stay airborne for much longer periods of time.

Birender Singh Dhanoa is the present Chief of Air Staff of Indian Air Force.
3. Centre Sets Up Panel Of Secretaries To Look Into e-commerce Issues
i. With concerns being raised on some proposals of the draft e-commerce policy, the
government has set up a group of secretaries to look into the issues. The group
will be chaired by the secretary in the Department of Industrial Policy and
Promotion (DIPP).
ii. The other members of the group include secretaries of the ministry of
electronics and information technology and department of commerce.
Dr Vijay Pingale is the Private Secretary of Department of Industrial Policy and

Promotion.
DIPP was established in 1995.
4. 1st Regional Workshop On RERA Inaugurated by Hardeep Puri in Pune
i. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep
Singh Puri inaugurated the first regional workshop on RERA (Real Estate (Regulation
and Development) Act) in Pune.
ii. Mr Puri delivered the inaugural address at the “First Regional Workshop on RERA
– a New Era of Transparency and Accountability in Real Estate – 2 years of
implementation and way forward (Western Region)” in Pune.
Maharashtra is one of the first states to implement the provision of RERA.

It has also established the Real Estate Regulatory Authority of Maharashtra, which
is popularly known as MahaRERA.
5. 1st Edition of BIMSTEC Military Exercise MILEX-18 Inaugurated in Pune
i. BIMSTEC Military Exercise (MILEX-18), the first edition of Military Field

Training Exercise for the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and
Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) nations, started at Aundh in Pune.
ii. The aim of MILEX-18 is to practice the BIMSTEC Nations in planning and conduct
of counter-terrorist operations. Participating countries are Armies of India,
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand. Nepal is not taking part in
MILEX-18.
The BIMSTEC was formed in 1997 and it brings together Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,
Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand.
The grouping accounts for 22% of the global population.
Sri Lanka is the current chair of BIMSTEC.
6. NRTI, India's 1st Railway Varsity Starts Operations In Vadodara
i. The first of its kind university in the country in the transport sector, the
National Rail and Transportation Institute (NRTI), started operations. Currently,
it is functioning out of the National Academy of Indian Railways, Vadodara.
ii. Funded by the ministry of railways, with University of California, Berkeley and
Cornell University as its international partners, the university started with two
undergraduate courses - BSc Transportation Technology and BBA Transportation
Managements- with 50 students each.
7. Forbes-Nominated Author Preeti Shenoy Pens New Book, 'The Rule Breakers'
i. Best-selling author Preeti Shenoy announced the launch of her new book, 'The
Rule Breakers'. The book claims to explore complex themes of women's equality,
gender, and inclusion among others.
ii. The novel set in the '90s is the story of Veda, who harbours big dreams, but
finds herself trapped in an arranged marriage and realizes that her opinions in
real life don't matter.
8. Health Ministry Implements HIV AIDS Act 2017
i. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has announced the implementation of
the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
(AIDS) (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017. According to the law, every HIV infected
or affected person below the age of 18 has the right to live in a shared household
and enjoy its facilities.
ii. The act criminalises any kind of discrimination against people suffering from
AIDS in terms of treatment, employment and workplace. Those violating the act could
be jailed for up to two years or fined up to Rs1 lakh or both.
JP Nadda is the present Health and Family Welfare Minister of India.

International News
9. India-Mongolia Joint Exercise 'Nomadic Elephant 2018' Starts in Mongolia
i. The 12 days long Indo-Mongolia joint exercise Nomadic Elephant-2018, commenced

at Mongolian Armed Forces (MAF) Five Hills Training Area, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
with a brief opening ceremony.
ii. Exercise Nomadic Elephant is an annual, bilateral exercise since 2006 which is
designed to strengthen the partnership between the Indian Army and Mongolian Armed
Forces.
Mongolia Capital: Ulaanbaatar, Currency: Mongolian togrog.

Appointments
10. Hima Das Appointed Sports Ambassador of Assam
i. India’s ace sprinter Hima Das was appointed as Sports Ambassador of Assam to
inspire budding players of northeastern state to aim big and young generation to
take up sports seriously.
ii. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has earlier confirmed that Indian
Athlete Hima Das will be named as the first sports ambassador of the state. The
announcement came after Hima Das recently became the first Indian woman to win gold
at IAAF World U-20 Athletics Championships.
Assam CM: Sarbananda Sonowal, Governor: Jagdish Mukhi.

11. Justice Om Prakash Mishra Sworn In As new Chief Justice Of Nepal
i. Justice Om Prakash Mishra has been sworn in as new Chief Justice of Nepal. The
President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy to
Justice Mishra in Kathmandu.
ii. Parliamentary Hearing Committee (PHC) unanimously endorsed his name for Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court. Justice Mishra was appointed as a justice of the
Supreme Court in 2014.

Nepalese Army.
Banking News
12. IPPB Ties Up With FSS To Create Payments Network For Unorganized Retail
i. In a move aimed at creating a payments acceptance network for unorganized retail

including small merchants and Kirana stores where consumers can make payments,
India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has partnered with Financial Software and Systems
(FSS).
ii. FSS a payments technology company to ensure that micro-merchants are able to
accept payments over any channel – online, unified payments interface (UPI), quick-
response (QR) codes, Aadhaar and IPPB accounts.
IPPB has been incorporated as a public sector company under the Department of Posts
with 100% government equity and is governed by the Reserve Bank of India.
Suresh Kumar Sethi is the Managing Director & CEO of IPPB.
12 September 2018
-------------------------------
National News
1. 1st Ever Bus Services Between Bihar And Nepal Flagged Off
i. For the first time, bus services between Bihar and Nepal have started. The bus
service was flagged off from Patna by the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
ii. Four buses will ply from Bodhgaya to Kathmandu. Similarly, four buses will ply
from Patna to Janakpur. The Kathmandu bound bus will go via Patna, Raxaul and
Beerganj. The Janakpur bound bus will go via Muzaffarpur and Sitamarhi.

Nepalese Army.
2. NITI Aayog, Intel And TIFR To Set Up Model International Center For ICTAI
i. NITI Aayog, Intel and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) are
collaborating to set up a Model International Center for Transformative Artificial
Intelligence (ICTAI).
ii. The initiative is part of NITI Aayog’s National Strategy for Artificial
Intelligence discussion paper that focuses on establishing ICTAI through private
sector collaboration.
iii. The collaboration aims to bring together fundamental and applied research,
innovation and technology development to solve important problems.
NITI- National Institution for Transforming India.

NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman- Rajiv Kumar, CEO- Amitabh Kant.
3. Indo-US Joint Exercise 'Yudh Abhyas 2018' To Start in Uttarakhand
i. As part of the ongoing Indo-US defence cooperation, a joint military training

Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2018 is scheduled to be conducted in the foothills of
Himalayas at Chaubattia in Uttarakhand from 16 September to 29 September 2018.
ii. This will be the 14th edition of the joint military exercise hosted alternately
by both countries.
4. APSARA, Uranium Reactor Becomes Operational at BARC
i. 'Apsara', the first research reactor in Asia became operational in Trombay

campus of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in August 1956. After providing more than
five decades of dedicated service to the researchers, the reactor was shut down in
2009.
ii. Nearly sixty-two years after Apsara came into existence, a swimming pool type
research reactor “Apsara-upgraded”, of higher capacity was born at Trombay. The
reactor, made indigenously, uses plate type dispersion fuel elements made of Low
Enriched Uranium (LEU).
Mr Kamlesh Nilkanth Vyas is the present Director of BARC.

BARC Headquarters in Mumbai.
5. Indian Railways Launches Web Portal 'Rail Sahyog'
i. The Minister of Railways and Coal, Piyush Goyal launched a web portal
'www.railsahyog.in'.
ii. The web portal will provide a platform for the Corporates and PSUs to
contribute to the creation of amenities at/near Railway Stations through Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR) funds.
Ashwani Lohani is the present Chairman of the Railway Board.

6. Haryana Signs MoU With Indian Oil For Ethanol Plant
i. The Haryana government signed an MoU with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to set up
an ethanol plant in Panipat with an outlay of over Rs 900 crore.
ii. The initiative with a proposed capacity of 100 kilolitres of ethanol per day
will manage crop residue and prevent straw burning before the upcoming paddy
season. The pact will be valid for one year.
Haryana CM: Manohar Lal Khattar, Governor: Satyadeo Narain Arya.

7. 2-Day Regional Conference On Good Governance Begins In Bhopal
i. The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DAR & PG),
Government of India in association with Government of Madhya Pradesh is organizing
a Regional Conference on Good Governance with Focus on Aspirational Districts, in
Bhopal.
ii. Delegates from 12 States and 2 UTs participated in the Conference. There were 5
Technical sessions in the 2-day conference. The themes include: ICT Enabled
Education, Agriculture, Public Service and Grievance Management and Good Governance
initiatives.
Madhya Pradesh CM: Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Governor: Anandiben Patel.

8. Important Cabinet Approvals: 12th September 2018
i. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the
following set of approvals. The important Cabinet Approvals are given as follows-
ii. The Cabinet has approved-
1.Transfer of land of M/s. Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers (RCF) to Mumbai
Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA)
2. MoU between India and Brunei Darussalam on Cooperation in the operation of
Telemetry Tracking and Telecommand station for satellite and launch vehicles, and
for cooperation in the field of Space Research, Science and Applications.
Find The Complete Agreements Here
9. Andhra Launches e-Rythu To Boost Cashless Farm Ecosystem
i. The government of Andhra Pradesh launched a mobile platform, e-Rythu (e-farmer

in Telugu) which will enable small-scale farmers to market their produce at
reasonable prices.
ii. e-Rythu was launched by chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The platform has
been developed by Mastercard Labs for Financial Inclusion in Nairobi, Kenya, and
has been customized for India use by the Labs team based at Pune.
International News
10. Russia Launches Biggest War Games 'Vostok-2018' Since Cold War
i. Russia has launched its biggest military exercise since the Cold War named
"Vostok-2018", involving about 300,000 service personnel, in eastern Siberia. China
is sending 3,200 troops to take part in "Vostok-2018".
ii. The last Russian exercise of similar scale was in 1981, during the Cold War,
but Vostok-2018 involves more troops. A key aim is to practise the rapid deployment
of thousands of troops, as well as aircraft and vehicles, from western Russia to
eastern regions, across thousands of miles.
Russia Capital: Moscow, Currency: Russian ruble, President: Vladimir Putin.

Appointments
11. HDFC Life Elevates Vibha Padalkar As MD and CEO
i. HDFC Life appointed Vibha Padalkar as its new managing director and CEO for a
period of three years. The position had fallen vacant after Amitabh Chaudhry
resigned to head Axis Bank.
ii. The terms of appointment are subject to approval by the shareholders and the
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI). Prior to her
elevation, Padalkar was the chief financial officer (CFO) and executive director at
the insurer.
Padalkar was also conferred the ‘CFO-Woman of the year’ award b the ICAI in 2011
and another for “Excellence in Financial Control, Compliance and Corporate
Governance” in 2013.
HDFC Bank MD- Aditya Puri, Headquarters in: Mumbai.
13 September 2018
-------------------------------
National News
1. Cabinet Approves New Umbrella Scheme 'Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan
Abhiyan'
i. The Union Cabinet approved new Umbrella Scheme 'Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay
Sanrakshan Abhiyan, PM-AASHA.
ii. The Scheme is aimed at ensuring remunerative prices to the farmers for their
produce as announced in the Union Budget for 2018 the announcement was made by the
Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh in New Delhi. The Cabinet has decided to
give additional government guarantee of Rs.16,550 crore making it Rs. 45,550 crore
in total.
iii. The new Umbrella Scheme includes the mechanism of ensuring remunerative prices
to the farmers and is comprised of:
1. Price Support Scheme (PSS),
2. Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS), and
3. Pilot of Private Procurement and Stockist Scheme (PPPS).
2. PM Modi Announces Launch Of ‘Swachhata Hi Seva Movement’
i. To mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi announced the launch of 'Swachhata Hi Seva Movement'.
ii. The mission, which also celebrates the fourth anniversary of the Swaccha Bharat
Mission will take place across the length and breadth of the country and will
continue till Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary on October 2.
3. BSNL, Unlimit Ink Partnership For IoT/M2M Services In India
i. Unlimit, end-to-end IoT service provider in India announced its partnership with
State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to offer comprehensive Internet of
Things (IoT) solutions and services to the enterprise customers across India.
ii. The partnership between Unlimit and BSNL will leverage seamless wireless
network footprint pan India to provide its solutions and services across
industries. T
Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS RRB Mains 2018-

BSNL was incorporated on 15th September 2000.
Headquarters of BSNL is in New Delhi.
Anupam Shrivastava is the Chairman & Managing Director and Director of BSNL.
4. Government Approves 100% Electrification Of Railways By 2021-22
i. The Union cabinet approved a proposal for the complete electrification of Indian
Railways by 2021-22, reducing dependence on imported fossil fuel and saving revenue
for the national carrier.
ii. The move will cost the government Rs12,134 crore. The announcement was made by
the Railways Minister, Mr Piyush Goyal.
Piyush Goyal is the present Cabinet Minister of Indian Railways.

Indian Railways is one of the largest rail networks in the world with 67,368km of
tracks and 22,550 trains that carry 22.24 million passengers and 3.04 million
tonnes of freight every day.
International News
5. Sushma Swaraj embarks on a two-day visit to Moscow
i. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj left for a two-day visit to Moscow,
Russia. During this visit, she will attend the meeting of 23rd India-Russia Inter-
Governmental Commission on Technical and Economic Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC).
ii. It will be co-chaired by Swaraj and Yuri Borisov, Deputy Prime Minister of the
Russian Federation. IRIGC-TEC is a standing body which annually meets and reviews
ongoing activities of bilateral cooperation in the fields of investment, bilateral
trade and, science and technology, culture and other issues of mutual interest.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018:
IRIGC-TEC: India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Technical and Economic

Cooperation
Russian Capital: Moscow, Currency: Ruble, President: Vladimir Putin
IRIGC-TEC last meeting: December 2017, Delhi.
6. Hunger Reached ‘Alarming’ 10-year high in 2017: UN Report
i. As per a UN report on the ‘state of food security and nutrition in the world’,
the number of undernourished globally increased to 821 million in 2017, which means
that one in every nine people, does not have enough to eat.
ii. It was published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International
Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Food Programme (WFP), UN Children's
Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The increase is mostly due
to three drivers across the world:
1. the intensification of conflict,
2. an economic downturn, and
3. the effects of climate change.

7. India, Iran and Afghanistan Hold Tripartite Meeting To Consolidate Cooperation
i. India, Iran and Afghanistan held their first tripartite meeting in Kabul,
Afghanistan during which implementation of the Chabahar port project and a host of
other issues including ways to deepen counter-terror cooperation were discussed.
ii. The Indian delegation was led by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale while the
Iranian team was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Afghan deputy
foreign minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai chaired the meeting.
Iran Capital: Tehran, Currency: Iranian rial.

Afghanistan Capital: Kabul, Currency: Afghan afghani.
Business News
8. Samsung Opens World's Largest Mobile Experience Centre In Bengaluru
i. After launching the world's largest mobile phone-manufacturing factory in Noida

in July 2018, Samsung has now opened its biggest experience centre in Bengaluru,
Karnataka.
ii. Opera House, the 33,000 sq ft iconic building in the city’s central business
district, has been given a facelift to showcase Samsung's mobile devices and other
consumer electronic products. It has a service centre for phones and is equipped
with high-speed public Wi-Fi.
Samsung Headquarters in: Seoul, South Korea, Founder: Lee Byung-chul.

Awards
9. 1st Ever Secondary Steel Sector Awards For Contribution To National Economy
i. Ministry of Steel gave away Secondary Steel sector awards, for the first time,
to 26 mini steel companies in recognition of their contribution to the national
economy.
ii. The awards were given by Union Minister of Steel, Chaudhary Birender Singh, at
a function in New Delhi. Twelve companies were awarded Gold Certificates and 14
Silver Certificates for their performance during 2016-17.
Here is the complete List of Winners of Secondary Steel Sector Awards
India is the 3rd largest steel producer in the world.

Steel contributes to over 2% to India’s GDP and creates a virtuous cycle of
employment generation throughout the economy.
Chaudhary Birender Singh is the Present Steel Minister of India.
Obituaries
10. Agri-economist & Padma Bhushan laureate Vijay Shankar Vyas passes away
i. Renowned agricultural economist and former PM's Economic Advisory Committee

member Professor Vijay Shankar Vyas died after a brief illness. He was 87. He was
the director of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, and the
Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Jaipur.
ii. Vyas was a senior adviser in the World Bank’s agriculture and rural development
department. He was also a member of the PM’s Economic Adviser Committee.
14 September 2018
-------------------------------
National News
1. Minister For Minority Affairs Launched 'National Scholarship Portal Mobile App'
i. Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi launched the country's
first "National Scholarship Portal Mobile App" (NSP Mobile App) in New Delhi.
ii. This "National Scholarship Portal Mobile App" will ensure a smooth, accessible
and hassle-free scholarship system for students from poor and weaker sections.
2. Country’s 1st Tribal Tourism Circuit Launched in Chhattisgarh
i. Union minister K J Alphons, the Minister of State for Tourism, inaugurated the
country's first tribal circuit project connecting 13 tourism sites in Chhattisgarh.
This project was sanctioned by the Ministry of Tourism in February 2016 for Rs.
99.21 Crores.
ii. The project was implemented under the Tourism Ministry's Swadesh Darshan scheme
launched in 2014-15 for development of thematic circuits in the country in a
planned and prioritized manner.
Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh: Raman Singh.

Governor of Chhattisgarh: Anandiben Patel.
3. Hindi Diwas: 14 September
i. Hindi Divas is celebrated on 14 September because, on this day in 1949, the

Constituent Assembly of India had adopted Hindi written in Devanagari script as the
official language of the Republic of India.
ii. Under the Article 343 of the Indian Constitution, on 26 January 1950, Hindi,
written in Devanagari script was adopted as the official language.
The first Hindi day was celebrated on- 14th September 1953
4. India Approves MOU on Joint Blockchain Research with BRICS Members
i. The Union Cabinet of India has approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on

the collaborative research of distributed ledger technology (DLT). The research
will be jointly conducted by the Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) and one
bank from each BRICS member states.
ii. The MoU was initially proposed at the 10th International BRICS Summit held in
Johannesburg in July, the main focus of which was cooperation in economic
development in the face of the fourth industrial revolution.
Venue of BRICS Summit 2019 - Brazil

Exim Bank Headquarters in: Mumbai, Founded in: 1982, CEO- Shri Yaduvendra Mathur.
5. National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) Releases HIV Estimations 2017
i. The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) released the report HIV
Estimations 2017. The HIV Estimations 2017 is the 14th round in the series of HIV
Estimations under National AIDS Control Programme (NACP).
ii. NACO undertakes HIV estimations biennially in collaboration with the Indian
Council of Medical Research (ICMR) - National Institute of Medical Statistics
(NIMS).
iii. As per the report, Maharashtra has the highest number of people living with
HIV in India. Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka were on second and third place,
respectively.
iv. The first round of HIV estimation in India was done in 1998, while the last
round was done in 2015. As per the report, in 2017, India had around 21.40 lakh
people living with HIV (PLHIV) with the adult prevalence of 0.22%.
International News
6. 23rd Meeting of India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission Held In Moscow
i. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj led the Indian delegation at the 23rd
meeting of India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission (IRIGC-TEC) to discuss the
expansion of Russia-India relationship across all sectors.
ii. The meeting was chaired by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Russian
Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov.
IRIGC-TEC: India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Technical and Economic

Cooperation
Russian Capital: Moscow, Currency: Ruble, President: Vladimir Putin
IRIGC-TEC last meeting: December 2017, Delhi
7. Global Climate Action Summit: Indian Cities, States Step Up Climate Action Plans
i. The Global Climate Action Summit 2018 was held at San Francisco, California,
United States. Over 4000 businesses, cities, states and civil society delegates
attended the summit and showed their commitments to achieve the goals set by the
Paris Agreement.
ii. The co-chairs of the Summit, Governor of California Edmund G. Brown Jr. and
UN’s Special Envoy for Climate Action Michael R Bloomberg, unveiled a new report
demonstrating how cities, states, and businesses can help the US in achieving its
2025 emissions reduction target.
iii. As per Maharashtra Principal Secretary for Financial Reforms, Sujata Saunik,
six more states would adopt heat action plans. In 2018, based on guidance provided
by the central government, 13 states and over 30 cities adopted or are developing
Heat Action Plans. These 13 states are Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat,
Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu,
Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.
8. Venkaiah Naidu Embarks on 3-Nation Visit to Serbia, Malta, And Romania
i. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu embarks on a three-nation visit to Serbia, Malta

and Romania. During the seven-day visit, Mr Naidu will first reach Serbia where he
will meet the leadership of that country.
ii. In the second leg of his visit, Mr Naidu will arrive in Malta, where he will
meet the country’s leadership and discuss issues of mutual interest. In the last
leg of his visit, the Vice President will reach Romania.
Serbia Capital: Belgrade, Currency: Serbian dinar.

Malta Capital: Valletta, Currency: Euro.
Romania Capital: Buchares, Currency: Romanian leu.
9. G-20 Trade And Investment Ministerial Meeting Held in Argentina
i. Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu participated in G-20 trade and
investment ministerial meeting at Mar del Plata in Argentina. Issues including
increasing protectionism challenges to promote global commerce and the new
industrial revolution were discussed at the meeting.
ii. The members of the G20 include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China,
France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia,
Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and the
European Union.
Argentina Capital: Buenos Aires, Currency: Argentine peso.

Economy News
10. Index Of Industrial Production Grows At 6.6% In July
i. According to the data released by Central Statistics Office (CSO), Index of

Industrial production (IIP) grew at 6.6% in July on the back of good performance
by the manufacturing sector and higher offtake of capital goods and consumer
durables.
ii. The IIP growth for June was also revised downwards to 6.8% from the provisional
estimate of 7% released in July. The IIP growth in April-July period was 5.4%
compared to 1.7% year ago.
iii. The Index of Industrial production growth in different Sectors:
1. Manufacturing sector (Weightage: 77.6): recorded 7% growth.
2. Electricity sector (Weightage: 7.9%): recorded 6.7% growth.
3. Mining (Weightage: 14.3%): recorded 3.7% growth.
4. Consumer durables sector: recorded an impressive growth of 14.4% as against dip
of 2.4% in July 2017.
5. Capital goods production: grew by 3% as against the decline of 1.1% in July
2017.
Arun Jaitley is the present Finance Minister of India.

Appointments
11. Justice Ranjan Gogoi Appointed Next Chief Justice Of India
i. The President of India has appointed Justice Ranjan Gogoi as the next Chief
Justice of India. He will assume the office of Chief Justice on 3rd October 2018
after the retirement of the current Chief Justice, Justice Dipak Misra.
ii. Mr Gogoi is the 46th Chief Justice of India. Justice Gogoi was enrolled as an
advocate in 1978. He practised in the Gauhati High Court on constitutional,
taxation and company matters.
Justice Harilal Jekisundas Kania was the first Chief Justice of Independent India.
Sports News
12. ISSF World Championship: Udhayveer Singh Wins Gold In Junior Men’s 25m Pistol
Event
i. Sixteen-year-old Udhayveer Singh has won an individual Gold Medal in Junior

Men’s 25- metre pistol event in the World Shooting Championships in South Korea. He
also spearheaded India to the team Gold.
ii. The bronze medal went to Team Korea, which shot a score of 1721. India is
placed fourth in the medals tally with 9 Gold, 8 Silver and seven bronze medals for
a total of 24.
South Korea Capital- Seoul, Currency: South Korean won.

15 September 2018
-------------------------------
National News
1. Engineer's Day: 15 September
i. Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya's birthday is celebrated on 15 September as Engineer's

Day. Fondly referred to as Sir MV, M Visvesvaraya was a world-renowned civil
engineer who was a master of irrigation design. He was also referred to as the
father of engineers by many.
ii. The bridge, among M Visvesvaraya's most notable projects, is a representation
of the Krishna Raja Sagara Lake and dam (in Karnataka). In 1924, Sir MV designed
the Krishna Raja Sagara Lake and dam, the largest reservoir in India at the time,
and oversaw the construction of the project. The dam is known to have provided
drinking water for several cities.
Find The Complete Article Here
2. Festival of Nuakhai being celebrated in Odisha
i. The festival of Nuakhai is being celebrated in Odisha. During this harvest

festival of western Odisha, new produce Nabannis offered to presiding deities.
After offering the Nabann, people relish different types of delicacies prepared
from the newly harvested crop.
ii. The Nuakhai Juhar is a major ritual of the festival, during which greetings are
exchanged with friends, relatives, and well-wishers.
Chief Minister of Odisha: Naveen Patnaik

Governor of Odisha: Professor Ganeshi Lal
3. PM Launches Swachhata Hi Seva Movement
i. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, launched the ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ Movement, to
boost nationwide public participation in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, and catalyse
the fulfilment of Bapu’s dream of a Clean India.
ii. The Swachhata Hi Seva movement aims at generating greater public participation
towards Swachhta. It is being organized in the run-up to the fourth anniversary of
the Swachh Bharat Mission, on October 2nd, 2018, which will also mark the
commencement of the 150th year celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi.
International News
4. Vice President 3 Nation-Visit: India, Serbia Signed Agreements on Various
Fields
i. India and Serbia signed agreements on cooperation in plant protection and plant
quarantine and on-air services, following the talks between Vice President Venkaiah
Naidu and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
ii. The two sides also agreed to expand their bilateral cooperation, especially in
the areas of economic and cultural relations and join hands to fight terrorism.
India and Serbia are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of
diplomatic relations between them.
Serbia Capital: Belgrade, Currency: Serbian dinar.

5. International Day of Democracy: 15 September
i. The International Day of Democracy is observed globally on 15th September. It

provides an opportunity to review the state of democracy in the world. The theme
for IDD is 'Democracy under Strain: Solutions for a Changing World'.
ii. The Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly through a resolution in 2007
to strengthen national programmes devoted to the promotion and consolidation of
democracy. The day was observed for the first time in 2008.

Economy News
6. Wholesale inflation drops to four-month low of 4.53% in August
i. Inflation based on wholesale prices eased to a four-month low of 4.53% in August

on softening of prices of food articles, especially vegetables. The Wholesale Price
Index-based inflation stood at 5.09% in July and 3.24% in August last year.
ii. Data released by the commerce and industry ministry showed a 4.04% decline
inflation in food articles in August compared with a 2.16% fall in July. The
wholesale price index is an index that measures and tracks the changes in the price
of goods in the stages before the retail level.
CPI: Consumer Price Index

WPI: Wholesale Price Index
7. Government Announces Measures To Check Rising Current Account Deficit
i. The government has announced an array of steps to check the rising Current
Account Deficit (CAD), and the fall in rupee.
ii. The government has decided on a number of steps to contain CAD, which widened
to
2.4% of the GDP in the first quarter of 2018-19.
iii. The steps to be taken by the government to attract dollar inflows into the
country include:
Reviewing of mandatory hedging condition for infrastructure loans.

To permit manufacturing sector entities to avail of External Commercial Borrowing
(ECBs) up to $50 million with minimum maturity of one year, instead of the earlier
limit of three years.
Removing restrictions with respect to FPI exposure limit of 20 per cent in
corporate bond portfolio to a single corporate group or company or entity and 50
per cent of any issue of corporate bond.
Removal of withholding tax on rupee-denominated bonds known as Masala bonds issued
till March 2019.
Removing restrictions on Indian banks, market making in masala bonds, including
restrictions on underwriting of masala bonds.
Relaxation for Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) and curbs on non-essential
imports.
8. RBI to Buy G-Secs in Open Market
i. The Reserve Bank to purchase government securities (G-secs) worth Rs 10,000

crore on September 19, a move aimed at inducing liquidity in the system. The
purchase of the government securities will be done through Open Market Operations
(OMO).
ii. When the RBI thinks there is excess liquidity in the market, it resorts to the
sale of securities, thereby decreasing the rupee liquidity. Similarly, when the
liquidity conditions are tight, it may buy securities from the market, thereby
increasing liquidity in the market.
Urjit Patel- 24th Governor of RBI, Headquarters- Mumbai, Established on- 1st April
1935, in Kolkata.
9. RBI Released India's Foreign Trade: August 2018
i. India’s overall exports (Merchandise and Services combined) in April-August

2018-19 (as per the RBI Press Release) are estimated to be USD 221.83 Billion,
exhibiting a positive growth of 20.70% over the same period last year.
ii. Overall imports in April-August 2018-19 are estimated to be USD 269.54 Billion,
exhibiting a positive growth of 21.01% over the same period last year.
Find Complete Details Here
Awards
10. Union Minister of Textiles Presents ‘Shilp Guru’ & National Award to Master
Craft Persons
i. Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Zubin Irani presented ‘Shilp Guru’ and
National Award to Master craft persons at a function held at Raipur, the capital of
Chhattisgarh. Eight ‘Shilp guru’ and 25 National awards were presented for the year
2016.
ii. Shilp Guru’ is the highest award in the Handicraft sector in India. The
handicraft export has witnessed a year-on-year growth and in the last four years,
handicraft items worth Rs. 1 lakh 26 thousand crores had been exported from India.
Sports News
11. Former Indian Hockey Captain Sardar Singh Announces Retirement
i. Sardar Singh has announced his retirement from international hockey. He made the
decision after a disappointing Asian Games where India failed to defend their title
and had to settle for a Bronze medal.
ii. The 32-year old player made his senior debut for India against Pakistan in
2006, and since then played over 350 international matches, captaining the team for
eight years.
Sardar Singh has received the Arjuna Award in 2012 and Padma Shri in 2015.
16 September 2018
-------------------------------
NASA Launches Satellite To Track Decreasing Polar Ice
NASA launched its Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite-2, known as ICESat-2,
which will use an extremely precise laser to collect measurement data to track the
Earth's shrinking polar ice from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
The laser, known as ATLAS (Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System), splits
into six beams and fires 10,000 pulses per second to collect very precise
measurements for scientists to analyze. The ATLAS will focus on two areas: changes
to the earth's ice sheet and sea ice thickness change.
Source- DD News
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency

of the executive branch of the Federal government of the United States responsible
for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research.
It was founded on 1958.
Jim Bridenstine is the present Administrator of NASA.
16 September 2018
-------------------------------
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer: 16 September
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer was observed on 16th
September throughout the world. The theme for International Day for the
Preservation of the Ozone Layer 2018 was 'Keep Cool and Carry On: The Montreal
Protocol'. This day aims to create awareness on issues related to climate change
and ozone depletion.
Source- The United Nations
16 September 2018
-------------------------------
MC Mary Kom Wins Gold at Silesian Open Boxing In Poland
Indian five-time world boxing champion M C Mary Kom clinched her third gold medal
of the year in 48 kg category, while Jyoti Gulia picked up the country’s lone gold
in 51 kg of the youth category of the Silesian Open boxing Tournament for women in
Gliwice, Poland.
In the youth competition, Jyoti, a former world champion and India’s only boxer to
have qualified for Youth Olympic Games in Argentina, out-classed Poland’s Tatiana
Pluta. Former world champion Sarita Devi, however, signed off with a bronze medal
in the senior category. In the junior competition, the Indian team produced a
terrific performance to sign off with 13 medals six gold, six silver and a bronze.
Source- DD News
16 September 2018
-------------------------------
Maldives Defeats India to Lift SAFF Cup
Maldives have lifted the 2018 South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Cup. In the
final at the Bangabandhu Stadium in Dhaka, they defeated defending champions India
2-1. At half-time, the winners led One-nil. The win for Maldives comes 10 years
after their first SAFF Cup title in 2008.
Seven-time champions India had started as favourites in the summit clash. The
Indian team, comprising mostly under-23 players, was the only unbeaten side in the
tournament.
Source- Air World Service
Maldives Capital: Male, Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa.

17 September 2018
-------------------------------
Current Affairs 16th and 17th September 2018: Daily GK Update
National News
1. Indigenously Developed Weapon System ‘MPATGM’ Successfully Flight Tested
i. Indigenously developed weapon system Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile
(MPATGM), was successfully flight tested for the second time from the Ahmednagar
range, Maharashtra. All the mission objectives have been met.
ii. The two missions have been successfully flight tested for different ranges
including the maximum range capability.

2. New Website For '15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2019' Inaugurated
i. External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj, along with Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the website for the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya
Divas 2019, www.pbdindia.gov.in.
ii. Guests at the PBD 2019:
1. Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth will be the Chief Guest.
2. Member of Parliament of Norway Himanshu Gulati will be the Special Guest.
3. Member of Parliament of New Zealand Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi will be the Guest of
Honor.
The convention 15th PBD 2019 will be held at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh from January
21 to 23, 2019.
3. Bengal Scheme to Combat Human Trafficking: Swayangsiddha
i. In an attempt to combat human trafficking, the West Bengal government has rolled
out a scheme, Swayangsiddha, in different districts of the State. Swayangsiddha,
which means self-reliance, will be executed by the West Bengal Police.
ii. The scheme aims to empower young boys and girls to make informed choices so
that they are less vulnerable to trafficking and child marriage. As the per the
NCRB data, West Bengal has highest recorded case of trafficking among the States.
West Bengal CM: Mamta Bannerjee, Governor: Keshari Nath Tripathi.

4. India Gets Its 1st Ever Dedicated Dog Park in Hyderabad
i. For the first time in India, dog owners will have a dedicated dog park to visit.
Set up in Hyderabad, the park is spread across an area of 1.3 acres.
ii. The park houses dog training equipment, play equipment, splash pool, fountain,
areas for exercise, amphitheatre, lawns, separate kennels for small and big dogs
and a dedicated dog clinic.
The man behind the development of dog park is an IAS officer Harichandana, Greater
Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Zonal Commissioner.
5. India Ranks 3rd On Family-Owned Business List: CSRI Report
i. India ranks third globally in terms of number of family-owned businesses with
111 companies having a total market capitalisation of $839 billion. India closely
follows China with 159 firms and the US with 121 firms,according to the ‘Credit
Suisse Family 1000 in 2018’ study, published by the Credit Suisse Research
Institute (CSRI).
ii. As per the report, in terms of number of family-owned businesses within the
non-Japan Asian region, the list is dominated by China, India and Hong Kong. These
three jurisdictions together account for around 65% of the non-Japan Asian section
of CSRI’s database.
6. Cisco Signs Agreements With NITI Aayog and BSNL

i. Cisco, a U.S.-based firm, that makes networking telecommunications equipment,
has signed two agreements with the NITI Aayog and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited
(BSNL) to speed up its Country Digital Acceleration programme in India.
ii. The current set of investments will focus on fostering innovation and
entrepreneurship through the Atal Innovation Mission .
7. Rajnath Singh Inaugurates 2 CIBMS Pilot Projects In Jammu

i. Union Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh inaugurated two Comprehensive
Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) pilot projects along the India-Pakistan
border in Jammu region.
ii. The pilot project includes two 5.5 kilometre-stretches in Jammu, the
performance of which will be monitored, and based on the feedback improvements will
be made for the rest of the system.
International News
8. Nepal And China Conducts 2nd JME 'Sagarmatha Friendship-2018'
i. The second edition of Nepal-China joint military exercise (JME) named Mt Everest
Friendship Exercise-2018 (Sagarmatha Friendship-2018) commenced in China’s
southwestern Sichuan province.
ii. The 12 day long joint exercise will focus on combating terror and disaster
management trainings. Sagarmatha is the Nepali name for Mt Everest, which stands in
between both the countries.
The first Sagarmatha Friendship exercise was held in April 2017 at Nepal Army’s
Para Training School in Maharajgunj in Kathmandu (capital of Nepal).
Nepal Capital- Kathmandu, President: Bidya Devi Bnadari.
China President: Xi Jinping, Capital: Beijing, Currency: renminbi.
9. Jaipur Literature Festival Begins in Houston
i. The Jaipur Literature Festival began in Houston at the Asia Society of Texas.
The festival, touted as the world’s largest free literary gathering, started with a
soulful music performance by Indian Sufi singer Zila Khan.
ii. The inaugural session also saw Congress leader and writer Shashi Tharoor
discuss his book “Why i am a Hindu” with writer Namita Gokhale.
10. International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer: 16 September
i. International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer was observed on 16th
September throughout the world.
ii. The theme for International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer 2018
was 'Keep Cool and Carry On: The Montreal Protocol'.
Banking/Business News
11. PayU India Gets RBI Approval To Operate Its Own NBFC
i. PayU India has received Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) approval to operate its
own non-banking financial company (NBFC).
ii. The move will help PayU promote inclusive growth in the country by catering to
the diverse financial needs of various segments of the society. The approval from
the central bank is subject to “certain pending RBI compliance”.
PayU India is a digital payments firm owned by South Africa’s Naspers Ltd.
PayU India managing director Jitendra Gupta.
12. Time Magazine Acquired By Salesforce Founders For $190 million
i. Salesforce.com Inc. founder Marc Benioff and his wife Lynne agreed to acquire
Time magazine from Meredith Corp. for $190 million in cash, joining Jeff Bezos
among tech billionaires buying venerable print publications.
ii. The move thrusts the brash 53-year-old entrepreneur, who helped lead the shift
of software to an on-demand model, into a new role: media baron. TIME magazine
publisher Time Inc was sold to Meredith for $1.8 billion in January 2018.
Time was founded in 1923.

13. Infosys Acquires Finnish Company 'Fluido' For Rs 545 crore
i. Infosys has acquired Finnish company Fluido, a top consulting partner of
Salesforce, for 65 million euros (about Rs 545 crore). This is Infosys’s second
acquisition under CEO Salil Parekh.
ii. Recently, it had acquired US digital creative and consumer insight agency
WongDoody for $75 million.
Infosys CEO: Salil Parekh, Headquarters: Bengaluru.

14. Federal Bank Inks MOU With Infopark Kakkanad
i. Federal Bank, which is in the process of formation of a wholly owned subsidiary
company, has executed MOU with Infopark Kakkanad for leasing space in their campus.
ii. The Bank has already obtained in principle approval of the Reserve Bank of
India for the creation of a subsidiary company. The proposed company will integrate
and handle all the back-end operations of the Bank.
Shyam Srinivasan is the Managing Director & CEO of Federal Bank.

It Headquarters in Aluva, Kerala.
15. NABARD Approves Rs 65,635 crore Loan For 93 Irrigation Projects
i. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has approved Rs
65,634.93 crore loan so far to 93 prioritised irrigation projects under the
government's flagship scheme Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY).
ii. The NABARD is funding the central and state share of 99 prioritised irrigation
projects under the PMKSY through long term irrigation fund (LTIF). It is mandated
to provide Rs 70,000 crore loan to these projects to be completed by 2019.
NABARD Chairman- Harsh Kumar Bhanwala, Headquarters- Mumbai, Established on- 12

July 1982.
Sci-Tech News
16. NASA Launches Satellite To Track Decreasing Polar Ice
i. NASA launched its Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite-2, known as ICESat-2,
which will use an extremely precise laser to collect measurement data to track the
Earth's shrinking polar ice from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
ii. The laser, known as ATLAS (Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System), splits
into six beams and fires 10,000 pulses per second to collect very precise
measurements for scientists to analyze.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency

of the executive branch of the Federal government of the United States responsible
for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research.
It was founded on 1958.
Jim Bridenstine is the present Administrator of NASA.
17. ISRO Launched 2 British Earth Observation Satellites Onboard PSLV-C42
i. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched PSLV C 42 with
two British earth observation satellites NovaSAR and S1-4 in precision from the
Sathish Dhawan Space Centre Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
ii. The satellites were put into sun-synchronous orbit just over 17 minutes after
liftoff from the first launch pad.
Chairman of ISRO: Dr. K Sivan.

Headquarters of ISRO- Bengaluru, Karnataka.
PSLV stands for Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.
Awards
18. PNB Wins Hindi Implementation Award
i. State-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) bagged the "Rajbhasha Kirti" award for
outstanding performance in implementing the Official Language Policy during 2017-
18. The award was given on the occasion of Hindi Diwas (14th September).
ii. The award, under the category of 'Nationalised Banks and Financial Institutions
in Region A', was presented by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu to PNB Chief
Executive and MD Sunil Mehta.
Sunil Mehta is the CEO of Punjab National Bank.

It headquarters in New Delhi.
Appointments
19. SBI Appoints Prashant Kumar As CFO
i. State Bank of India announced that Prashant Kumar has taken charge as the Chief
Financial Officer (CFO) of the Bank. Before Kumar, Anshula Kant, who has been
promoted as Managing Director of SBI, was the CFO.
ii. Prior to this appointment, Kumar was designated as Deputy Managing Director
(HR) & Corporate Development Officer of India's largest bank.
SBI Chairman- Rajnish Kumar, Headquarters- Mumbai, Established on- 01st July 1955.
20. Moutaz Mousa Abdallah Becomes Sudan’s New PM
i. Moutaz Mousa Abdallah has become Sudan’s new Prime Minister. A 21-member cabinet
was sworn in at the presidential palace in Khartoum. Mousa Abdallah is also holding
the finance portfolio.
ii. Sudan has been grappling with an acute foreign exchange shortage and inflation
above 65% for several months.
Omar al-Bashir is the present President of Sudan.

Sudan Capital: Khartoum, Currency: Sudanese pound.
Sports News
21. MC Mary Kom Wins Gold at Silesian Open Boxing In Poland
i. Indian five-time world boxing champion M C Mary Kom clinched her third gold
medal of the year in 48 kg category, while Jyoti Gulia picked up the country’s lone
gold in 51 kg of the youth category of the Silesian Open boxing Tournament for
women in Gliwice, Poland.
ii. In the youth competition, Jyoti, a former world champion and India’s only boxer
to have qualified for Youth Olympic Games in Argentina, out-classed Poland’s
Tatiana Pluta.
22. Maldives Defeats India to Lift SAFF Cup

i. Maldives have lifted the 2018 South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Cup. In the
final at the Bangabandhu Stadium in Dhaka, they defeated defending champions India
2-1. The win for Maldives comes 10 years after their first SAFF Cup title in 2008.
ii. Seven-time champions India had started as favourites in the summit clash. The
Indian team, comprising mostly under-23 players, was the only unbeaten side in the
tournament.
Maldives Capital: Male, Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa.

23. Kenya's Kipchoge Smashes Marathon World Record In Berlin
i. Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge set a new marathon world record in Berlin (Germany),
smashing the previous best as he clocked 2 hours 1 minute 39 second.
ii. The 33-year-old Olympic champion, took 1 minute 17 second off the previous best
set four years ago by Dennis Kimetto.
Kenya's capital: Nairobi, Currency: Kenyan shilling.

Germany Capital: Berlin, Currency: Euro.
24. Indian Boxers Win 3 Gold Medals In Ahmet Comert Tournament in Turkey
i. Simranjit Kaur (64kg), Monika (48kg) and Bhagyabati Kachari (81kg) claimed gold
medals as Indian boxers notched up an impressive seven podium finishes at the Ahmet
Comert Tournament in Istanbul, Turkey.
ii. Simranjit, a former national medallist, defeated Turkey’s Sema Caliskan to win
the Gold. Bhagyabati was declared the most scientific boxer of the tournament.
Turkey Capital- Ankara, Currency- Turkish lira, President- Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Obituaries
25. Former Union minister Satya Prakash Malviya Passes Away
i. Former Union petroleum minister Satya Prakash Malaviya passed away in Delhi. He
was 84. Mr. Malaviya was suffering from prostate cancer.
ii. Mr. Malaviya had served as the petroleum minister in the cabinet headed by
former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar. He also served as environment minister in
the Uttar Pradesh cabinet.
18 September 2018
-------------------------------
National News
1. India’s 1st ‘Smart Fence’ Pilot Project Inaugurated By Rajnath Singh
i. India’s first ‘smart fence’ pilot project was inaugurated by Union Home Minister
Rajnath Singh along the Indo-Pak border at the BSF Headquarters in Ploura, Jammu.
Smart fencing uses a number of devices for surveillance, communication and data
storage.
ii. The pilot project entails deploying laser-activated fences and technology-
enabled barriers to plug vulnerable gaps along frontiers.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for RRB PO Exam 2018-
General Bipin Rawat is the Present Chief of Army Staff of Indian Army.
2. India-Morocco Tourism Bilateral Meeting Held in New Delhi
i. A bilateral meeting on Tourism Cooperation between India and Morocco led by the
Minister of Tourism, Air Transport, Handicraft and Social Economy, Kingdom of
Morocco, Mohamed Sajid and the Minister of State for Tourism (IC), Government of
India, K. J. Alphons, held in New Delhi.
ii. During this meeting both the Ministers agreed to enhance the tourism
cooperation between India & Morocco and to work towards increasing tourist arrivals
between both countries.
iii. This meeting was followed by signing of an agreement of cooperation between
the India Tourism Development Corporation and La Societe Marocaine D’Ingenierie
Touristique, also known as Moroccan Agency for Tourism development (SMIT).
Morocco Capital: Rabat, Currency: Moroccan dirham.

3. Delhi, Seoul Sign MoU To Tackle Air Pollution
i. The Delhi government signed an MoU with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to
work closely in the fields of environment, tourism, wastewater and solid waste
management, infrastructure and public health.
ii. The MoU on the 'Friendship and Cooperation Agreement' was signed by Delhi Chief
Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Seoul mayor Park Won-Soon in Seoul.
Seoul is the capital of South Korea.

Korean won is the currency of South Korea.
4. DAC Approves Procurement of Equipment Worth Rs 9,100 Crores
i. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Raksha Mantri Smt. Nirmala
Sitharaman accorded approval for the procurement of equipment for the Defence
Forces valued at over Rs 9,100 crores.
ii. The DAC approved procurement of two Regiments of Akash Missile Systems under
'Buy (Indian)' category from M/s BDL.
5. Piyush Goyal Inaugurates 1st Ever India Tourism Mart 2018

i. The Union Minister for Railways and Coal, Piyush Goyal inaugurated the ‘first
ever’ India Tourism Mart (ITM 2018) in the presence of Union Tourism Minister, K J
Alphons and the Tourism Minister of Morocco, Mr. Mohamed Sajid, in New Delhi.
ii. The India Tourism Mart is being organized by the Ministry of Tourism in
partnership with the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality
(FAITH) and with support of State /UT Governments.
Awards
6. INSV Tarini Crew Bestowed With Tenzing Norgay Award
i. All-women crew of INSV Tarini has bagged the prestigious Tenzing Norgay National
Adventure award for beating the odds in water with their enduring skills and
sailing across the world for eight long months.
ii. The award is the highest national recognition for outstanding achievements in
the field of adventure on land, sea and air.
The INSV Tarini team, led by Lt. Commander Vartika Joshi, is comprised Lieutenant
P. Swathi, Lieutenant Pratibha Jamwal (Air Traffic Control specialists), Lieutenant
Vijaya Devi, Sub Lieutenant Payal Gupta (both Education officers) and Lieutenant B
Aishwarya, a naval architect.
7. Kerala Tourism Wins 2 PATA Gold Awards
i. Kerala Tourism has won two prestigious gold awards of the Pacific Asia Travel
Association (PATA) for its innovative marketing campaigns. The awards were
presented at a glittering function in Langkawi, Malaysia during PATA Travel Mart
2018.
ii. Kerala Tourism got the first gold for its ‘Yalla Kerala’ travel advertisement
print media campaign in the Gulf countries. The second gold award came for an
innovative poster Kerala Tourism had developed for the third edition of the Kochi-
Muziris Biennale (KMB), the biggest contemporary art show in South Asia.
Kerala CM: Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor: P Sathasivam.

8. Emmy Awards 2018 Announced: Complete List of Winners
i. The 70th annual primetime Emmy honors handed out at the Microsoft Theater in Los
Angeles. Michael Che and Colin Jost hosted the show.
ii. Here is the complete list of Winners of EMMY AWARDS 2018:
Click Here
Banking/Economy News
9. Centre Proposes To Merge Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank
i. The government has proposed amalgamation of Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank, and
Dena Bank to create India’s 3rd largest globally competitive Bank.
ii. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced that the amalgamation will increase the
banking operations and no employee will face any service condition adverse to
present conditions. The government had announced in the budget that consolidation
of banks was also in the agenda of the government.
Bank of Baroda Headquarters in Vadodara.

Vijaya Bank Headquarters in Bengaluru.
Dena Bank Headquarters in Mumbai.
10. No Withholding Tax On Interest Payment Of Masala Bonds
i. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) announced that no withholding tax will
apply on interest payments made by an Indian company or a business trust to a non-
resident in respect of offshore rupee-denominated bonds issued between September
17, 2018 and March 31, 2019.
ii. The move is expected to incentivise foreign exchange inflows into India through
low-cost offshore rupee-denominated bonds, popularly referred to as masala bonds.
Sushil Chandra is the chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes.

Sports News
11. Japan Open 2018: Complete List of Winners
i. The 2018 Japan Open, officially DAIHATSU YONEX Japan Open 2018, is a badminton
tournament which took place at Musashino Forest Sports Plaza in Tokyo, Japan and
had a total prize of $700,000.
ii. In men's singles category, Kento Momota of Japan had defeated Khosit
Phetpradab to win the title. In Women’s Singles, Carolina Marin of Spain has
defeated Nozomi Okuhara to win the title.
Find The Complete List of Winners Here
Obituaries
12. Former Odisha Minister Dolagobinda Pradhan Passes Away
i. Noted freedom fighter and former Odisha Minister Dolagobinda Pradhan passed away
in Bhubaneswar. He was 93.
ii. A follower of Mahatma Gandhi, he took part in the Quit India Movement in 1942
and got imprisoned by the then British government for 3 years and two months.

04 October 2018

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Paytm founder- Vijay Shekhar Sharma

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i. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has arrived in New Delhi on a

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Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

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BCCI President: Vinod Rai, Headquarters in: Mumbai.

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