00 Current Affairs Latest Updated

Latest Current Affairs Up to November 2019
Topics Contents
• Appointments / Resign
• Awards & Honors
• Books & Authors
• Important Committees
• Important Days
• Business & Economy
• International Current Affairs
• Meetings & Conference
• India National Current Affairs
• Persons in News
• Science & Technology
Current Affairs - Sep 2019
Month All Type All
132 Current Affairs were found in Period - September 1 - 10, 2019 for Type - All
Appointments
1. Former Pakistani Cricketer Misbah-ul-Haq has been appointed as head coach and chief selector of Pakistan's cricket team.
Waqar Younis will join as new bowling coach.
2. Government appointed Harish Chandra Mishra as Acting Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court (HC), succeeding Justice
Prashant Kumar who passed away recently.
3. Misc. Appointments (September 2019) -
1. Sanjiv Ranjan has been appointed as new Indian Ambassador to Ecuador.
2. Anil Chauhan took over as chief of eastern command of Indian Army.
3. Jaideep Sarkar has been appointed as Indian Ambassador to Kingdom of Lesotho.
4. Government appointed B. Bala Bhaskar as New Indian Ambassador to Kingdom of Norway.
5. International Cricket Council (ICC) appointed Jonathan Hall as its General Counsel and Company Secretary.
6. Govt. extended Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena's tenure for 3 years.
7. Microsoft appointed Rajiv Kumar as Managing Director(MD) of Microsoft India Research & Development (R&D) Private Ltd
(MIRPL).
4. Oleksiy Honcharuk has been appointed as new Prime Minister of Ukraine.
5. Press Trust of India (PTI), India’s premier news agency, appointed Vijay Kumar Chopra & Vineet Jain as its Chairman and Vice
Chairman respectively.
6. Vikram Nath has been appointed as Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court.
7. Vivek Kumar Johri appointed as Director General (DG) of BSF (Border Security Force).
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Awards
1. An Event Horizon Telescope Team consisting of 347 scientists who produced the world’s first image of a black hole were
felicitated with Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, known as “Oscars of science”. Award carries monetary prize of $3
million.
2. Industrial Awards (September 2019) -
1. Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) won the 2019 “IT Excellence Award” by Express India, for designing
the app SATARK. The app tracks and alerts during disasters based on dynamic risk knowledge in real time.
2. Vedanta Resources Chairman Anil Agarwal was conferred lifetime achievement award at 19th Annual Asian Achievers
Awards in London (UK), with Theme ‘Inclusivity’. Other Notable winners -
1. Vipul Vadera: Businessperson of the Year
2. Kush Kanodia: Entrepreneur of the Year
3. Harjit Singh Bhania: Sports Personality of the Year
4. Neeta Patel: Woman of the Year
3. Noted Odia poet Pradeep Dash selected for 40th edition of 2019 Sarala Puraskar award for his poetry work Charu Chibar O
Charjya. This award is foremost literary honour in Odisha, comprises of cash prize of Rs 5 lakh. Apart from Pradeep, Pandit
Harmohan Khuntia and Lalat Mohan Patnaik will also be honoured, with Ila Panda Sangeet Samman’ and Ila Panda Chitrakala
Samman respectively.
4. PM Narendra Modi will be honoured with Global Goalkeeper Award by US's Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for his work in the
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
5. Pharmaceutical company Cipla Chairman Yusuf Hamied has been inducted as an honorary fellow of Royal Society in UK, for his
service to the cause of science. Total 51 new Fellows and 10 foreign members were elected to Royal Society in 2019.
6. President’s secretariat announced recipients of Visitor’s award 2019.
1. These Awards were constituted in 2014 to create healthy competition among central universities, are provided under four
categories. Cash prize of Rs 2.5 Lakh is associated with the award.
2. Awardees -
1. Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences - Sibnath Deb (Pondicherry University)
2. Physical Sciences - Prof. Sanjay (Jawaharlal Nehru University Delhi)
3. Biological Sciences - Asad Ullah Khan (Aligarh Muslim University) AND Dr Partima (Jawaharlal Nehru University,
Delhi)
4. Technology Development - Shaon Ray Chaudhuri (Tripura University)
7. Vatican awarded Bangladesh’s Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus prestigious ‘Lamp of Peace of Saint Francis ‘ award for his
contribution towards establishing peace and harmony.
1. Muhammad Yunus was awarded Nobel Peace Prize (2008) for founding Grameen Bank and pioneering concepts of
microcredit and microfinance.
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Books
1. Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has published ‘Loktantra Ke Swar (Khand 2)’ and ‘The Republican Ethic (Volume 2), to
promote and disseminate selected speeches of President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind.
2. Author Vikram Sampath’s New book”Savarkar: Echoes from a forgotten past, 1883-1924" has been released.
3. Book ‘Fortune Turners: The Quartet That Spun India To Glory’, written by Aditya Bhushan and Sachin Bajaj has been released.
Its about India's 4 spin legends - Bishan Singh Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna, Bhagwat Chandrashekhar and S. Venkataraghavan.
4. Book “First They Erased Our Name: A Rohingya Speaks” by journalist Sophie Ansel (France) has been released in India.
5. Book “India’s Lost Frontier the Story of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan” written by Raghvendra Singh has been
released.
6. Coffee Table Book Glorious Diaspora- Pride of India on Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awardees has been released by Vice
President M. Venkaiah Naidu, brought out by Indian Diaspora Club.
7. New book, “Phoolpur: Indian Flowers, Their Myths, Traditions and Usage” written by Jhelum Biswas Bose has been released.
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Committees
1. Finance Ministry constituted a task force headed by Secretary of Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) Atanu Chakraborty for
drawing up National Infrastructure Pipeline of Rs 100 lakh crore ($1.4 trillion) from 2019-20 to 2024-25.
1. National Infrastructure Pipeline will include greenfield and brownfield projects costing above 100 crores. It enables robust
marketing of pipeline of projects requiring private investment through India Investment Grid and National Investment &
Infrastructure Fund (NIIF).
2. Government constituted a 3-member committee to oversee the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) into two union
territories and look into distribution of assets and liabilities of J&K between two UTs that will come into existence on October 31.
Committee will be chaired by Sanjay Mitra (former defence secretary).
3. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India has set up panel headed by NIACL CMD Atul Sahai, to review its
three-year old guidelines on trade credit insurance due to the changing market requirements.
1. Trade credit Insurance is a risk management product given to business entities by export credit agencies to protect them
from loss due to credit risks.
4. Panel headed by Harsh Vardhan, for development of housing finance securitisation market submitted its report to RBI. It was set
up in May 2019.
1. Panel suggested that National Housing Bank (NHB) should create an intermediary for standard-setting and market-making
for instruments. Intermediary could operate either directly through NHB, Indian Mortgage Guarantee Corporation (IMGC),
or RBI could set up a new organisation.
2. New entity will have 51% ownership by government through NHB initially. Government ownership would be reduced to 26%
over 5 years.
3. It will start with Rs 500 crore initial capital and would be allowed to invest in each pool it securitizes to extent of 5% of pool,
or 5% of its own capital base, whichever is lower.
4. Securitisation is needed to widen pool of resources available to Housing Finance Companies (HFCs). Except for top 5 HFCs,
which account for over 85% of loans, remaining HFCs are dependent on bank loans and refinancing from NHB. There are
over 90 HFCs registered with NHB.
5. Panel led by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will study proposal of Ministry of Health, Government of India(GoI) to ban
production and import of electronic cigarettes /electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), through an ordinance.
6. RBI taskforce on secondary market for corporate loans, headed by Canara Bank Chairman TN Manoharan submitted its report.
Recommendations Include -
1. Proposed to setting up of a Self-Regulatory Body for standardization of corporate loan documents.
2. Favoured to set up Central Loan Contract Registry and online loan sales platform, to conduct auctions and sale of secondary
market loans.
3. It called to ease regulations to enable foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) to directly purchase distressed loans from banks.
4. Proposes to allow wider participation of non-banking firms such as mutual funds, insurance companies, and pension funds
in trading securities, to develop secondary market.
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Days
1. Sep 1 to 7 - Observed as National Nutrition Week (NNW), to educate people about the importance of their health and well-being.
It was launched by Food and Nutrition Board in 1982. Govt. had earlier announced to observe September 2019 as Poshan Maah.
2. Sep 10 - World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD).
3. Sep 5 - National Teachers' Day in India. It commemorates Birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was first Vice
President and second President of India. On this occasion, President Ram Nath Kovind presented National Award to 46 Teachers
from across nation.
4. Sep 5 - UN International Day of Charity. It was declared in 2012 and commemorates anniversary of passing away of Mother
Teresa (on Sep 5, 1997).
5. Sep 8 is observed as UN International Literacy Day, proclaimned by UNESCO in 1966. 2019 theme is “Literacy and
Multilingualism”.
6. Uttarakhand Govt observed Sep 9 as Himalaya Day, being observed since 2010.
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Defence
1. 9th edition of joint naval exercise between India and Srilanka(SL) named SLINEX 2019 began at Visakhapatnam in Andhra
Pradesh.
2. Government approved procurement of 6 squadrons of indigenous Akash Air Defense missile for the Air Force at a cost of Rs
5,000 crores, taking number of Akash missile systems approved for Air Force to 15.
3. Indian Air Force (IAF) received 8 US-made Boeing Apache AH-64E fighter helicopters at Airforce Station in Pathankot
(Punjab). In September 2015, IAF had signed contract with Boeing for purchasing 22 AH-64E Apache helicopters. Boeing
delivered first 4 out of 22 helicopters in July 2019.
4. Indian Army team from Mahar Regiment summited Mount Leo Pargyil (6773M), third highest peak of Himachal Pradesh.
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Economy
1. Government approved a capital infusion of Rs 9,300 crore in Troubled IDBI Bank. Government (49% stake) will give Rs 4,557
crore, while 4,743 crore will be given by LIC (51% stake).
1. After LIC acquired controlling 51% stake in IDBI Bank in January 2019, RBI placed IDBI Bank in category of private sector
bank.
2. Memorandum of Agreement signed between Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) and State Bank of India (SBI), in
which, SBI would provide e-payment services directly to bank accounts of all ESIC beneficiaries and payees without any manual
intervention as an integrated and automated process.
3. According to Government Data, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into India grew by 28% to $16.33 billion in the first quarter
(Q1)- April-June 2019-20, compared to $12.75 billion in Same Quarter Last year. Singapore emerged largest source of FDI in India
during Q1 2019-20 with $5.33 billion investment, followed by Mauritius ($4.67 billion) and US ($1.45 billion).
4. Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $ 200 million loan to upgrade about 2,100 kilometers of rural roads to all-weather
standards in Maharashtra’s 34 districts for better connecting rural areas with markets and services.
5. Auto major Mahindra and Mahindra will acquire up to 55% stake in radio taxi firm Meru Cabs, by a fresh issue of shares worth
up to 103 crores.
6. Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) Regime between Switzerland and India began from September 1, 2019. Under this,
India will start receiving information on all financial accounts held by Indian residents in Switzerland, for 2018. It is highly
significant step in government’s fight against black money.
7. Credit rating agency India Ratings & Research (Ind-Ra) downgraded growth forecast for Non-Banking Financial Companies
(NBFC) to 10-12% from previous estimate of 15% due to slowdown in economic activity.
8. Government will invest 25000 crores in different areas of fisheries sector in next 5 years, to help accomplish goals of ambitious
Blue Revolution (Fisheries) project. Govt aims to double aquaculture productivity from 3 million to 6 million tonnes, and double
seafood exports in 5 years.
9. Govt. approved INR 12000 crores capital infusion in 3 state-run general insurance companies, to boost their capital base and
meet regulatory norms. Companies include National Insurance, Oriental Insurance and United India Insurance.
10. Gross GST revenue collected in August 2019 was 98202 crores ( CGST - 17733 crores, SGST - 24239crores, IGST - 48958crores
and Cess 7273 crores).
11. ICICI Bank become 1st bank in India to deploy industrial ‘robotic arms’ to count millions of notes in currency chests across
country, with 14 machines deployed in 12 cities that can count 6 million notes in a day.
12. IT Firm Wipro received strategic contract valued at $300 million from ICICI Bank, to offer comprehensive suite of services to
ICICI Bank for 7 years.
13. Income Tax Department announced that it will automatically issue PAN to all taxpayers who do not have a Permanent Account
Number and are using Aadhaar for filing income tax returns (ITR).
14. India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) launched Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS) Services, becoming single largest platform
in country for providing interoperable banking services to customers of any bank, including 34 crore Jan Dhan account holders.
1. AEPS enables anyone with a bank account linked to Aadhaar to carry out basic banking services, irrespective of bank they
hold their account with.
2. To avail these services, a customer with an Aadhaar linked account can authenticate his identity with fingerprint scan &
Aadhaar authentication to complete a transaction.
15. Indian GDP Growth Forecasts (September 2019) -
1. DBS bank (formerly Development Bank of Singapore) reduced India’s GDP to 6.2% from its previous forecast of 6.8%.
2. Rating agency CRISIL revised India’s fiscal year 2020 GDP growth forecast to 6.3%.
16. MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari launched updated Credit linked Capital Subsidy Scheme (CLCSS) to allow micro, small and
medium enterprises (MSMEs) to access capital, during workshop on ‘Credit Linked Capital Subsidy and Delayed Payment of
MSMEs’ held at New Delhi.
1. Credit linked Capital Subsidy Scheme provides 15% subsidy for additional investment up to Rrs.1cr. for technology
upgradation by MSMEs in the specified 51 sub-sectors. Now in relaunched scheme, there is an additional 10% subsidy to SC-
ST entrepreneurs while special provisions have been made for 117 ‘aspirational’ districts, northeastern region and hill states.
17. NBFC ECL Finance and Central Bank of India (CBI) signed agreement for priority sector lending to Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSME).
1. ECL Finance also tied up with State Bank of India for priority sector lending (PSL) to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
(MSME).
18. RBI asked banks to link all new floating-rate loans (home, auto loans & and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME)) to
external benchmark like repo rate from October 1, 2019. With this, benefit of the reduction in policy interest rates will reach
consumers relatively fast & all kinds of loans will get cheaper.
19. RBI barred Equitas Small Finance Bank (ESFB) from opening new, after ESFB missed deadline to list its shares on stock
exchanges. RBI also froze salary of ESFB’s MD and CEO Vasudevan PN.
1. As per RBI’s licensing conditions issued in November 2014, a small finance bank’s shares have to be mandatorily listed on
the stock exchanges within 3 years of touching a net worth of Rs 500 crores. 3-year period of ESFB lapsed on September 4,
2019.
20. RBI will develop a mobile phone-based application for visually impaired people to identify currency notes, along with Daffodil
Software Pvt Ltd.
21. Reliance Jio Infocom commercially launched its fiber-based wired broadband service called JioFiber, which offers a bundle of
services such as high-speed internet, landline phone and High Definition (HD) television. It offers minimum internet speed of 100
Mbps and goes upto 1 GBPS.
22. Standard Chartered Bank, a British multinational banking and financial services company launched a DigiSmart credit card, with
focus on ever-growing segment of millennials.
23. Steering Committee on Fintech related issues (headed by economic affairs secy Atanu Chakraborty) submitted its Final Report to
Finance MinisterNirmala Sitharaman.
1. Committee recommended that RBI may consider development of a cash-flow based financing for MSMEs, development of an
open-API MSME stack based on TReDS data validated by GSTN and a trusted e-invoice infrastructure designed around
TREDS-GSTN integration.
2. Committee recommends modernisation of land records by setting up a dedicated National Digital Land Records Mission
based on a common National Land Records Standards.
24. Telangana Govt. presented annual budget for 2019-20 of 146492 Crores. Expected revenue surplus is 6,564 crores and the fiscal
deficit is 27,749 crores.
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International
1. Co-living index 2019 titled Insights on Co-living – An Asia-Pacific Perspective across Asia-Pacific region was released by
London based consultancy agency Knight Frank.
1. Mumbai ranked at the 5th spot, New Delhi ranked at 11thspot and Bengaluru 19th.
2. Index was topped by Beijing (China), followed by Tokyo(Japan) and Shanghai(China).
2. 1st ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise (AUMX) between Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and US started in Thailand.
It will see participation of all 10 members of ASEAN (Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam) and US.
3. 76th Venice International Film Festival held at Venice Lido in Venice (Italy). It was 76th edition of the world’s oldest film festival.
Winners -
1. GOLDEN LION for Best Film to: ‘Joker’ directed by Todd Phillips
2. SILVER LION- Grand Jury Prize to: ‘An Officer and a Spy’ by Roman Polanski
3. SILVER LION- Award For Best Director to: Roy Andersson for ‘About Endlessness’
4. VOLPI CUP For Best Actress: Ariane Ascaride in ‘Gloria Mundi’ (a French domestic drama)
5. VOLPI CUP For Best Actor: Luca Marinelli in ‘Martin Eden’
4. Global Liveability Index by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) -
1. Delhi ranked at 118th placed, dropping 6 places from last year. Mumbai ranked 119th.
2. List topped by Vienna (Austria) for 2nd consecutive year. Russia’s St. Petersburg topped list among BRICS nations at 71st
spot.
3. Damascus (Syria) named least liveable city at 140th position.
4. Top 3 -
1. Vienna (Austria)
2. Melbourne (Australia)
3. Sydney(Australia)
5. According to Fitch Solutions Macro Research, India will overtake China as the largest importer of coking coal by 2025. India’s
coking coal consumption will grow at an annual average rate of 5.4% between 2019 and 2028, driven by an equally robust
expansion in steel production.
6. According to Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) 2019 released by World Economic Forum(WEF) -
1. India ranked at 34th spot, improvement by 6 places from 2017 report (40th rank).
2. Top 4 - Spain (1), France (2) Germany (3) Japan (4th)
3. Yemen ranked last in the index at 140th position.
7. According to World Gold Council -
1. India surpassed Netherlands to move into the list of top10 countries in terms of total gold reserves, with 618.2 tonnes gold
reserves.
2. U.S. leads with gold reserves of 8,133.5 tonnes followed by Germany with 3,366.8 tonnes.
8. As per Global Happiness Survey by market research firm Ipsos -
1. India is ranked 9th with 77% on happiness index among 28 global markets, with 6% drop from 83% in 2018.
2. Top 5 - Australia and Canada (1st), China, Great Britain, France, US
9. Bangladesh signed agreement with India's Reliance Power, to set up a 750 MW gas-based power plant in Meghnahat near Dhaka,
by 2022.
10. Gujarat Government and Delaware State of America signed sister state MoU, to promote co-operation in developmetal activities.
11. India announced humanitarian assistance of $1 million to help people in Bahamas affected by Hurricane Dorian, the extremely
powerful and destructive Category 5 hurricane.
1. Also, Typhoon Faxai has hit Japan Capital Tokyo, causing woinds upto 216 kilometres per hour.
12. India will contribute $22 million to Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) for the 6th replenishment cycle (2020-22),
with 10% jump from US$ 20 million contributed in 5th cycle. So far, India has contributed US$ 46.5 million.
13. Indonesia announced moving its current capital from Jakarta to sparsely populated East Kalimantan (on Borneo island).
Reasons for shifting Includes earlier capital Jakarta being densely populated and several aress of it being submersed into sea at a
slow pace. The relocatoion will cost approx $ 33 Billion.
14. Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX) and China's Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange (ZCE) signed MoU for co-operation
and exchange of information.
15. Russia will train four Indian astronauts for India’s ambitious manned mission to space, Gaganyaan. Under Gaganyaan Mission,
ISRO has outlined a road map to put a three-man crew in a low earth orbit for 5-7 days by December 2021.
16. US's Federal Trade Commission fined Google's YouTube with $170 million, to settle allegations of collecting personal
information about children.
17. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) conducted 2019 UNICEF South Asian Parliamentarian conference on Children Rights
Convention in Colombo (Sri Lanka), to celebrate 30th anniversary of the adoption of convention of the rights of children.
18. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released the first ever Digital Economy Report (DER)
titled “Digital Economy Report 2019 – Value Creation and Capture: Implications for developing countries”. DER was formerly
known as Information Economy Report.
1. Global Internet Protocol (IP) traffic has grown from about 100 gigabytes (GB) per day in 1992 to more than 45000 GB per
second in 2017. By 2022, global IP traffic is projected to reach 150,700 GB per second.
2. Estimates of size of digital economy range from 4.5% to 15.5% of the world’s GDP.
3. Regarding value added in information and communications technology (ICT) sector, US and China account for 40% of
world’s total.
4. India has largest share among developing countries in computer services industry. Also, India ranked fourth in terms of
growth in the share of the ICT sector’s value-added in GDP between 2010 and 2017.
5. In “Share of ICT services in total exports of services: Top 20 countries, 2017”, India ranked 2ndwhich is topped by Ireland.
6. Google has nearly 90% of market for Internet searches. Facebook accounts for two-thirds of global social media market.
7. Global value of e-commerce is estimated by UNCTAD to have reached $29 trillion in 2017, which is equivalent to 36% of
GDP.
8. 3 largest producers of telecommunication services are China, India and Brazil.
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Meetings
1. 72nd Session of WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia Held in New Delhi, with participation from 11 countries.
1. Government is observing September as “Poshan Maah” (Nutrition Month) to sensitize the public towards healthy lifetyle.
2. India will contribute USD 2,00,000 for WHO South-East Asia region's heath emergency fund meant for rapid response
towards both natural disasters and human-generated hazards.
3. WHO South-East Asia Region also resolved to eliminate measles and rubella by 2023.
2. 4th Indian Ocean Conference 2019 held in Male (Maldives), attended by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on India's
Behalf. Theme was: ‘Securing Indian Ocean Region: Traditional and Non-Traditional Challenges’.
3. Election Commission hosted 4th General Assembly of Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) at Bengaluru. India's Chief
Election Commissioner Sunil Arora took over as A-WEB’s Chair for 2019-21 term.
4. National Conference on ‘India-Africa Partnership in a Changing Global Order: Priorities, Prospects and Challenges’ held in New
Delhi. It was organized by Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA).
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National
1. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated South Asia’s first cross-border petroleum products pipeline from Motihari in India to
Amlekhgunj in Nepal through video conference. 69-km Motihari-Amlekhgunj pipeline, having a capacity of 2 million metric ton
per annum, will provide cleaner petroleum products at affordable cost to Nepal. Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli announced to reduce
price of petroleum products by 2 per litre.
2. Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Ministry launched a multilingual Mobile App called ‘CHC Farm Machinery’ for the farmers
during a conference on National Conference on Crop residue Management held in New Delhi. With help of the app, farmers can
now get affordable access to cutting-edge technology at their doorsteps.
3. Asia's first 5th Generation - Virtual Reality based Advanced Driver Training Simulator Centre launched at the Automobile
Association of Southern India Centre (AASI) in Chennai.
4. Auto Maker Ashok Leyland become 1st Indian original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to meet the Bharat Stage (BS ) VI
emission standards for all its heavy-duty trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 16.2 tonnes and above.
5. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs(CCEA) approved revision of price of ethanol (ethyl alcohol) for sugar season 2019-20
derived from various raw materials under Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme.
1. Ethanol from C type heavy molasses has been increased to Rs.43.75/litre from Rs.43.46/litre.
2. Ethanol from B type heavy molasses has been increased to Rs.54.27/litre from Rs.52.43/litre.
3. Ethanol price from sugarcane juice/sugar/sugar syrup are to be fixed at Rs.59.48/litre.
4. EBP availability programme is extended across india except Andaman Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands with effect from 1st
April 2019, sold by OMCs blended 10% with petrol.
6. Delhi Govt. will include Other Backward Class (OBC) and General category students in its ‘Jai Bheem Mukhyamantri Yojana’
which was initially meant for Scheduled Caste (SC) category students who were provided financial assistance of Rs 40000 (now
hiked to 100000) for coaching for various competitive exams.
7. Election Commission launched Electors Verification Programme (EVP) across nation, to authenticate voter details and ensure an
error-free electoral roll. It was launched at all levels including around 1 million polling stations by BLOs/EROs and will continue
till October 15, 2019.
1. Voters can authenticate details by logging on to NVSP portal (www.nvsp.in) or Voter Helpline App or Common Service
Centres. Details will be verified by block-level officers, by 36 CEOs at state headquarters level, by 740 district electoral
officers at district level and by BLOs and electoral registration officers in around one million polling stations.
8. General Conferences (Sep 1 - 10, 2019) -
1. 22nd edition of India International Seafood Show (IISS) hosted in Kochi (Kerala).
2. First National Conference on Cyber Crime Investigation and Cyber Forensics held at Central Bureau of Investigation HQ in
New Delhi.
3. Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport gets India’s tallest ATC tower (102 metres height) to enhance safety and
boost efficiency of air transport management services.
4. 3rd India-Australia Cyber Policy Dialogue 2019 held in New Delhi.
5. Cultural event ‘Namaste Pacific’ held in Neew Delhi, to showcase in India the culture of Pacific countries such as Australia,
New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.
6. 5th edition of Aqua Aquaria India 2019 held at Hitex International Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hyderabad (Telangana)
with theme “To take Blue Revolution to India’s hinterland”.
7. 22nd Session of United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) held in Geneva (Switzerland).
Indian delegation was headed by Shakuntala D. Gamlin, Secretary (DEPwD).
8. 4th South Asian Speakers’ summit on achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) held in Malé, Maldives.
9. Hisar, Haryana entered civil aviation map after launch of Spicejet air shuttle service between Hisar and Chandigarh.
10. 6th India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) Held in New Delhi. China delegation was led by He Lifeng, chairman of
National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
11. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) launched first ever ‘Terracotta Grinder’ at Sewapuri in Varanasi, Uttar
Preadesh. This machine will grind the wasted and broken pottery items for re-using in pottery-making.
12. National Youth Summit organized in New Delhi, organised by Youth Awakening Mission, a youth wing of Paavan Chintan
Dhara Charitable Trust, Ghaziabad.
13. International conference ANGAN (Augmenting Nature by Green Affordable New-habitat) focussed on Energy Efficiency in
Building Sector Held in New Delhi.
14. 68th Plenary session of North Eastern Council (NEC) held in Guwahati (Assam). During the session, Home Minister Amit
Shah asserted that Article 371, which provides special provisions for North Eastern states, will not be tampered with.
15. A fun zone, the first of its kind in India, has been set up by the Railways at the Visakhapatnam Railway Station, Andhra
Pradesh.
16. Joint India- New Development Bank workshop held in New Delhi. NDB is the first Multilateral Development Bank
established by developing countries and emerging economies - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
17. Ministry of Civil Aviation organised India’s first-ever helicopter summit in Dehradun.
9. Google and Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) launched ‘Build for Digital India’ programme for engineering students, to
enable engineering students to develop market-ready tech solutions that address key social problems.
10. Govt. announced that 2 new Union Territories- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will have a common high court. 108 Central
Laws would be applicable for UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. 164 state laws would be repealed and 166 state laws will
continue to be applicable.
11. HRD Ministry awarded Institute of Eminence status to 5 public institutions - IIT Madras IIT Kharagpur Delhi University Banaras
Hindu University University of Hyderabad. Each of these will sign MoU with HRD Ministry and will lay out its plan to achieve the
objective of becoming a world-class institution. Thwy will then be eligible for a grant of 1000 crores.
12. Harvest festival of odisha Nuakhai Juhar has been celebrated (appears one day after Ganesh Chathurthi).
13. Haryana govt waived interest and penalty of Rs 4,750 crore on crop loans taken from cooperative banks, Primary Agriculture
Cooperative Societies (PACS), District Cooperative Central Banks (DCCB), Land Mortgage Bank (LMB) and Haryana Land
Reforms and Development Bank. It will benefit around 10 lakh farmers of state.
14. Health ministry proposed legislation titled The Health Care Service Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of
Violence and Damage to Property) Bill 2019, To address issue of violence faced by doctors and the damages caused to clinical
establishments. It will provision jail term of upto 10 years.
15. IIT Delhi and IIT Kharagpur are selected by Department of Science and Technology (DST) to establish a shared science and
technology infrastructure facility named Sophisticated Analytical and Technical Help Institute (SATHI), with 125 Crores assistance
over 3 years.
1. Centre will provide services to meet demands of industry, start-ups and academia which will be accessible to them and to
manufacturing units and research & development labs.
16. IIT Kharagpur partnered with e-commerce giant Amazon’s subsidiary, Amazon Web Services (AWS) in developing National
Artificial Intelligence Resource Portal (NAIRP) to develop and promote Artificial Intelligence (AI) learning for all AI learners and
Practitioners.
17. India Meteorological Department(IMD) has released a report titled ‘Mid-Monsoon 2019 Lightning’, as a first of its kind report in
India about lighting incidents and lighting hotspots. In last 4 Months, Odisha had more lightning strikes than any other state,
followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka.
18. India has been declared free from H5N1 avian influenza (commonly known as bird flu) by OIE (Office International des
Epizooties)-World Organisation for Animal Health. H5N1 is non contagious but has a mortality rate of 60%, when infected.
19. India will explore deep sea region with the 'Samudrayaan' project, to be completed by 2021-22, under National Institute of
Ocean Technology (NIOT). It is part of INR 6000 crore 'Deep Ocean’ mission. Under this, 3 men will be sent into deep sea in a
submersible vehicle to a depth of about 6000 metres to carry out various deep underwater studies.
20. Indian Air Force is organising an ultra-marathon named as ‘Kargil to Kohima (K2K): Glory Run’ spanning over 4,500 km from
Kargil to Kohima. It commemorates 20 years of ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’ (named after successful Operation Vijay).
1. Kohima and Kargil are two forward most outposts of India in east and north where two of the most fierce battles of modern
India were fought in 1944 and 1999, respectively.
21. Kerala will set up India’s first International Women’s Trade Centre (iTC) in Kozhikode to boost women entrepreneurship and
secure gender parity, as an important Gender Park.
22. Microsoft and Central Board of Secondary Education partnered to build AI learning for schools, by conducting capacity building
programmes for high school teachers with an aim to integrate cloud-powered technology in teaching.
23. Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (IC), Prahlad Singh Patel flagged off Leh’s 1st ever Mobile Science Exhibition
(SCIENCE EXPLORER) of National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) for entire Ladakh Region.
1. National launch of 25 new Mobile Science Exhibition buses for Aspirational Districts of India was done, to create a scientific
awareness among rural children. Buses will travel to schools in Aspirational Districts through out year.
24. Minister of food processing industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurated first Mega Food Park of Telangana, promoted by Smart
Agro Food Park at Lakkampally village, Nizamabad.
25. National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed government to prepare a time-bound action plan within two months for protection of
Great Indian Bustard, in response to a plea that said 75% of birds have died due to collision with power lines in past 30 years.
26. Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan under Department of Youth Affairs will prepare Block Level Disaster Response Teams, in
collaboration with National Disaster Response Force. trained NYKS Youth Volunteers will work as DRTs and will be called as
‘NDRF- friends’.
27. Niti Aayog selected McKinsey & Company to set up India’s first Digital Capability Centre (DCC) in New Delhi. McKinsey &
Company supports 5 such centres globally- in Aachen, Chicago, Singapore, Venice and Beijing.
28. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated first Metro Coach in Mumbai under ‘Make in India’ initiative at Jio World Centre in Mumbai. He
also launched 19000 crore worth metro projects and laid foundation stone of 3 Metro lines to be operational from 2031.
1. Metro coach was made by Bharat Earth Movers in a record time of 75 days with design speed 90 kmph and operational
speed 80 kmph.
29. PM Narendra Modi will launch a new initiative in National disease management Programme for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)
and Brucellosis. Under this, Govt. will allocate 13500 crores to control livestock diseases.
30. Prakash Javadekar (Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) presented report card on 100 days of Government
Government, also releasing booklet ‘Jan Connect’ and inaugurates Exhibition on ‘Furthering India’s Development - 100 days of
Bold Initiatives & Decisive Actions’.
31. President Ram Nath Kovind presented award to Indian Railways as best ministry for implementation of Swachhata action plan
for 2018-19. Award for best Swachh iconic Place was given to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CST) Mumbai and Mata
Vaishno Devi Shrine (J & K).
1. 3 best stations as per Cleanliness Ranking Survey for 2018 - Jodhpur, Jaipur & Tirupati were also awarded.
2. Swachhta Pakhwada Award was given to Department of Defence.
32. Rajasthan government has launched a new health insurance scheme called Ayushman Bharat-Mahatma Gandhi Rajasthan
Swasthya Bima Yojna (AB-MGRSBY) by integrating Bhamashah Health Insurance Scheme(BSBY) of the State Government and
Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna of Central Government. Around 1.1 crore families will be covered under this
Health Scheme, with cover of 3 lakhs.
33. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) partnered with Rajasthan state government to
further enhance music, art and craft forms, and other intangible cultural heritage of the state. UNESCO with an NGO, Contact
Base will build a special tourist circuit in Jodhpur, Bikaner, Barmer and Jaisalmer for around three-and-a-half years, including 10
cultutal hubs.
34. Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu launched India’s longest electrified rail tunnel between Cherlopalli and Rapuru in Andhra
Prades, built at cost of Rs. 437 crore and has 44 trolley refuges and 14 cross-passages in a horseshoe design. New Australian
Tunneling Method (NATM) was used to construct it. Its total length is 6.3km.
35. West Bengal Assembly passed (Prevention of Lynching) Bill 2019, which aims to protect the constitutional rights of vulnerable
persons and prevent incidents of lynching. It provides three years of imprisonment and life imprisonment for the crime of assault
and injuring a victim.
36. Women and Child Development and Textiles Minister Smriti Irani notified that Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) increased by 13
points nationally since implementation of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) programme from 918 in 2014-15 to 931 in 2018-19.
Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh has registered a sharp improvement in SRB from 807 in 2014-15 to 1039 in 2018-19.
1. This varies from second Health Index Report released by NITI Aayog in June 2019 which showed decline in SRB in 12 out of
21 states between 2013-15 and 2014-16.
2. Reason for variance - Data compiled by ministry was drawn from the Health Management Information System (HMIS)
updated by Anganwadi and Asha workers, which considers home deliveries and births in government institutions only. It
lacks information from private hospitals.
37. World Bank(WB) approved funding Uttar Pradesh government's ‘pro-poor tourism’ (PPT) development projects with funding
worth more than $57 million.
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Persons
1. Obituaries (Sepetembr 2019) -
1. LaShawn Daniels - Grammy Winning US songwriter, known as Big Shiz.
2. Robert Mugabe - Zimbabwe's former President. He was country's first post-independence leader and also considered as
Zimbabwe's founding father. He served for 37 years.
3. Kiran Nagarkar - Sahitya Akademi Award-winning writer. He wrote in Marathi and English.
4. Kottakkal Chandrasekhara Warrier - Noted Kathakali maestro (Kerala).
5. Veeru Krishnan - Bollywood actor and Noted Kathak dancer.
6. Abdul Qadir - Pakistan’s Noted Cricketer (leg-spinner). He had taken total 368 wickets in his international career.
7. Ram Jethmalani - Former Union Minister and Senior Lawyer. He served as Minister of Law and Justice In office (1996).
8. Dilip Satpathy - Noted Odisha Journalist.
9. Heeralal Sharma - Rajasthan born freedom fighter.
10. Raja Sekar - Tamil Film Director, Actor and Cinematographer.
2. Persons Resigned / Retired (September 2019) -
1. Government accepted resignation of Anshula Kant as Managing Director (MD) of State Bank of India (SBI), after her
appointment as the MD and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of World Bank Group.
2. Indian women cricketer Mithali Raj announced her retirement from T20 Cricket.
3. Zimbabwe Cricketer Hamilton Masakadza announced his retirement from international cricket.
4. Cameroon footballer legend Samuel Eto announced retirement from all forms of football.
5. Madras HC Chief Justice Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani resigned from her post, after being transferred to Meghalaya HC.
6. Brazilian tennis player Diego Matos has been banned for lifetime because of match-fixing.
7. Chinese E-Commerce Firm Alibaba's Chairman Jack Ma announced his retirement from the post. Daniel Zhang, Alibaba's
CEO, will replace Jack Ma as Executive Chairman of group.
3. Visits from India (Sep 1 - 10, 2019) -
1. Minister of State (MoS) for Commerce and Industry Hardeep Singh Puri participated in 84th Thessaloniki International Fair
(TIF) in Greece.
2. 7th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) ministerial meeting of 10 members of ASEAN countries and
their six FTA (free trade agreement) partners held in Bangkok (Thailand). 7th East Asia Economic Ministers Summit and
16th ASEAN India Economic Ministers (AEM) meeting were also held. Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways,
Piyush Goyal represented India.
3. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Visited Japan and South Korea.
1. Two agreements were signed with South Korea to further defence educational exchanges and extend logistical support
to each other’s Navies.
2. He attended India-Japan Defence Ministerial meeting in Tokyo.
4. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Visited Russia -
1. He attended Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.
2. PM Modi while addressing Plenary Session of 5th EEF announced LoC worth $1 billion for the development of the Far
East region of Russia. This is first-ever region-specific LoC extended by India in a foreign country.
3. Collaboration aims to expand bilateral trade to $30 billion by 2025.
4. MOUs -
1. Joint Statement "Reaching New Heights of Cooperation through Trust and Partnership”.
2. Joint Strategy for Enhancement of India- Russia Trade and Investments.
3. Cooperation in production of spare parts for Russian/Soviet military equipment.
4. Cooperation in Audiovisual Co-production.
5. Cooperation in road transport and road industry.
6. Development of Maritime Communications between Port of Chennai, and Vladivostok.
7. Cooperation for combating customs violations in 2019-2022.
8. Cooperaton in use of Natural Gas for Transportation.
9. Cooperate in coking coal mining projects implementation in Russian Far East.
10. MOU between NOVATEK and PETRONET LNG Limited for development of downstream LNG Business and LNG
supplies.
11. Agreement on Cooperation between Joint-Stock Company Rosgeologia and Srei Infrastructure Finance Limited.
5. Minister of Railways and Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal attended 16th AEM-India Consultations in Bangkok
(Thailand). It was attended by Economic Ministers from 10 ASEAN Member States and India.
4. Visits to India (Sep 1 - 10, 2019) -
1. International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) Secretary General Jürgen Stock Visited India.
2. French president's diplomatic advisor Emmanuel Bonne Visited India.
3. Australian Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Senator, Matthew Canavan Visited India.
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Science
1. Indian Space Research Organisation announced that it lost contact with Moon lander "Vikram" which was scheduled to land on
the moon between 1.30 a.m. and 2.30 a.m. (IST) of Sep 06, 2019.
1. Further, roll out of rover "Pragyan" was scheduled between 5.30 a.m and 6.30 a.m.
2. Lander "Vikram" started its descent at about 1.38 a.m. from an altitude of 30 km at a velocity of 1,680 metres per second, but
lost its communication with the Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter when it was at an altitude of 2.1 Km from Moon's surface.
3. Although, Chandrayaan-2 orbiter continues to fly around the moon. Its mission life is of one year.
4. ISRO had launched Chandrayaan-2 (on July 22, 2019) India's heavy lift rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-
Mark III (GSLV Mk III). It comprised three segments: the Orbiter, lander 'Vikram' and rover 'Pragyan'.
5. ISRO Later spotted Vikram Lander on Lunar surface but no connection could be set up with it as yet.
Top
Sports
1. 2019 US Open Tennis Winners (New York City) -
1. Men's Singles - Rafael Nadal (Spain). He defeated Daniil Medvedev (Russia). It was 19th Grand Slam title for Nadal, and his
4th US Open.
2. Women's Singles - Bianca Andreescu (Canada). She defeated Serena Williams (US). It was her 1st Grand slam title.
3. Men's Doubles - Colombia's Juan Sebastián Cabal AND Robert Farah
4. Women's Doubles - Elise Mertens (Belgium) AND Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus)
5. Mixed Doubles - Bethanie Mattek-Sands (US) and Jamie Murray (UK)
6. Boys' Singles - Jonáš Forejtek (Czech Republic)
7. Girls' Singles - María Camila Osorio Serrano (Colombia)
8. India's Sumit Nagal and Prajnesh Gunneswaran participated in US Open 2019.
2. Ferrari Racer Charles Leclerc (Monaco) won Belgian F1 Grand Prix 2019 - -
1. Formula 1 Season 2019 -
1. Round Grand Prix Winner date

1 Australian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 17 March
2 Bahrain Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 31 March
3 Chinese Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 14 April
4 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 28 April

Round Grand Prix Winner date
5 Spanish Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 12 May
6 Monaco Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 26 May
7 Canadian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 9 June
8 French Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 23 June
9 Austrian Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch) 30 June
10 British Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 14 July
11 German Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch) 28 July
12 Hungarian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 4 August
13 Belgian Grand Prix Charles Leclerc (Monaco) 1 September
14 Italian Grand Prix 8 September
15 Singapore Grand Prix 22 September
16 Russian Grand Prix 29 September
17 Japanese Grand Prix 13 October
18 Mexican Grand Prix 27 October
19 United States Grand Prix 3 November
20 Brazilian Grand Prix 17 November
21 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 1 December
3. Ferrari Racer Charles Leclerc (Monaco) won Italian F1 Grand Prix 2019 -
14 Italian Grand Prix Charles Leclerc (Monaco) 8 September
15 Singapore Grand Prix 22 September

4. ISSF World Cup 2019 (4th Leg - Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)) (Rifle / Pistol) -
1. India Ranked at top. Indian Medalists -
1. Sl No Event Winners Medal
1 Mixed 10m air pistol Manu Bhaker & Saurabh Chaudhary Gold
2 Women’s 10m air rifle Elavenil Valarivan Gold
3 Men’s 10m Air Pistol Abhishek Verma Gold
4 Women’s 10m air pistol Yashaswini Singh Deswal Gold
5 Mixed 10M Air Rifle Apurvi Chandela & Deepak Kumar Gold
6 Men’s 50m rifle Sanjeev Rajput Silver
7 Mixed 10m air pistol Yashaswini Deswal & Abhishek Verma Silver
8 Men’s 10m Air Pistol Saurabh Chaudhary Bronze
9 Mixed 10m air pistol Anjum Moudgil & Divyansh Singh Panwar Bronze
2. In Previous 3 Legs of ISSF World Cup in New Delhi, Beijing and Munich, India had won 11 Gold and 2 Silver Medals.
3. India is at top with total 22 Medals - 3 in Leg 1 in New Delhi, 4 in Leg 2 in Bejing, 6 in Leg 3 in Munich and 9 in Leg 4
in Rio De Janeiro.
4. Location for Final is to be decided.
2. Medal Tally -
1. Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 India 16 4 2 22
2 China 8 13 15 36
3 United States 5 4 1 10
4 Russia 4 5 3 12
5 Hungary 4 1 1 6
5. India Red beat India Green to win Duleep Trophy Cricket title, at Bengaluru.
6. India Under-15 team Football team defeated Nepal to win SAFF (South Asian Football Federation) U-15 Championship 2019 in
Kalyani Stadium (West Bengal).
7. Misc. Sports Events (September 2019) -
1. 36th National Games will be held in Goa from October 20 – November 4, 2020. Hosting of games has been delayed several
times since las year.
2. Shotputter Tejinderpal Singh Toor won silver medal at athletic meet at Decin, Czech Republic.
3. For the 1st time, 25th Senior Women’s National Football Championship 2019 held in Pasighat (Arunachal Pradesh).
4. Nadubhagam Chundan, snake boat of Pallathuruthy Boat Club won 67th Nehru Trophy Boat race at Punnamada Lake in
Alappuzha in Kerala.
5. Indian swimmers Rujuta and Virdhawal Khade won 73rd Glenmark National senior aquatics championships 2019 in Bhopal
(MP), in Female and Male categories respectively.
6. Indian woman athlete Anupama Swain won bronze medal in World Martial Arts Mastership Jiu-Jitsu 2019 in Chungju
(South Korea). She has qualified for 2022 Asian Games.
7. Indian Cricketer Rohit Sharma launched Rohit 4 Rhinos campaign, in partnership with WWF India and Animal Planet. It
aims to build awareness for need to conserve Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros or Indian Rhino.
8. Asian Games gold medallist Jinson Johnson broke his own 1500m national record while winning a silver in ISTAF Berlin
event.
9. Afghanistan's Rashid Khan became youngest captain in test cricket (at age 20 years and 350 days).
10. Bangladesh Krida Shiksha Prothishtan (BKSP) defeated Nilmani English School (Manipur) to win U17 Girls Subroto Cup
International Football 2019 title in New Delhi.
11. Afghanistan Cricketer Mohammad Nabi announced his retirement from test cricket.
12. 8th edition of Ladakh Marathon held in Leh, as highest marathon in world, held at over 11,000 feet above sea level.
13. Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga become first T20I bowler to take 100 wickets.
14. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) won 93rd All-India MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tournament, defeating Punjab National
Bank (PNB).
15. Kenya's Brigid Kosgei completed fastest half-marathon ever ran by a woman as She won Great North Run in a time of 1 hour,
44 minutes and 28 seconds.
16. South Africa appointed Former Indian Cricketer Amol Muzumdar as interim batting coach for series against India.
Top
Read Important Ones

Month All Type All
Appointments
1. P Lakshmana Reddy appointed as first Lokayukta of Andhra Pradesh.
2. Andhra Pradesh (AP) government appointed P Lakshmana Reddy as state’s Lokayukta for five years.
3. Government appointed Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai as acting Chief Justice of Sikkim high court.
4. Government appointed RKS Bhadauria as New Chief of Indian Air Force (presently Vice Chief of IAF).
5. Govt appointed P.K .Mishra as Principal Secretary to Prime Minister and P.K. Sinha as Principal Advisor to Prime Minister.
6. Govt. approved appointment of four new judges to Supreme Court, taking strength of Judges in SC to 34 (highest ever so far).
Newly appointed SC judges - Krishna Murari, V. Ramasubramanian, S Ravindra Bhat, Hrishikesh Roy.
1. Supreme Court Judges strength was increased from 31 to 34 after enactment of Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Bill of
2019 into law.
2. Originally, Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act 1956 provided for a maximum number of 10 judges (excluding CJI). This
has been increased to current nunber after several phases of enhancements.
7. Haryana Government appointed cricket legend Kapil Dev as first Chancellor of Haryana's first Sports University in Rai
(Sonepat).
8. Karnataka Bank Chief Mahabaleshwara MS has been inducted to managing committee of Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).
9. US President Donald Trump named Robert C. O’Brien as new US National Security Adviser (NSA).
10. United Nations appointed former Indian Army Lieutenant General Abhijit Guha to lead UN mission in port city of Hodeida,
Yemen. Guha will also hold act as Chairman of Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) that is tasked with deploying forces
of the Yemeni warring parties in accordance with their agreement.
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Awards
1. Super 30 founder noted mathematician Anand Kumar has been felicitated in US with a prestigious Education Excellence Award
2019. Anand has been running highly innovative Super 30 programme for last 18 years. He mentors 30 students free off cost
through a year-long residential coaching for India’s premier engineering enrance exam IIT-JEE.
2. Arcadia Education Project in South Kanarchor of Bangladesh won prestigious Aga Khan Architecture Award 2019 in Kajan
(Russia). Project is about construction of a floating school in an area which is underwater during monsoon for welfare of
marginalised children.
3. Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina received Dr Kalam Smriti International Excellence Award 2019 in Dhaka, instituted in memory of
former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
4. Bollywood Film Gully Boy has been nominated for Oscar 2020 Awards in Best International Feature Film category, starring
Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt and Directed by Zoya Akhtar.
5. Home ministry announced a new honour named Sardar Patel National Unity Award to individuals and persons for promoting
national unity and integrity. Decoration will be in shape of lotus leaf, with length 6cms and breadth 2cms. The decoration which
will be made of fine silver and gold would be of thickness 4mm.
6. IIFA Cinema Awards 2019 -
1. Best Actor (Male): Ranveer Singh for Padmaava
2. Best Actor (Female): Alia Bhatt for Raazi
3. Best Film: Raazi
4. Best Director: Sriram Raghavan for Andhadhun
5. Best Story Award: AndhaDhun.
6. Best Supporting Actor (Female): Aditi Rao Hydari for Padmaavat
7. Best Supporting Actor (Male): Vicky Kaushal for Sanju
8. Best Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya for Dhadak
9. Best Playback Singer (Male): Arijit Singh for Ae Watan from Raazi
10. Best Debut Award (Female): Sara Ali Khan for Kedarnath
11. Best Debut Award (Male): Ishaan Khatter for Dhadak
12. 20 Years Best Actor (Female): Deepika Padukone
13. 20 Years Best Actor (Male): Ranbir Kapoor.
14. Best Playback Singer (Female): Harshdeep Kaur and Vibha Saraf for Dilbaro from Raazi
15. Best Music: Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety
16. Best music in the last 20 years: Pritam
17. Best film of the past 20 years: Kaho Na Pyaar Hai
18. Lifetime Achievement Award: Legendary actor and comedian Jagdeep Jaffery
7. IPS officer Chhaya Sharma who led investigation of the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape was selected for the 2019 Asia Society Game
Changers Award along with six others by Asia Society.
8. Indian actor Neena Gupta won 2 awards at Indian International Film Festival of Boston. She was named Best Actress award for
‘Badhaai Ho‘ and her film ‘The Last Color‘ emerged victorious in Best Feature Film category.
9. India’s ‘Yogi of the Racetrack’ won ‘Best Video’ award for the Asia & Pacific Region in the UNWTO Tourism Video Competition
2019. Its a short promotional film on Yoga, which was produced by Union Ministry of Tourism. It was announced during 23rd
session of UN World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) General Assembly 2019 in Saint Petersburg (Russia).
10. Meghalaya-based activist Agnes Kharshiing, who survived an assault by coal mafia almost a year ago, received 11th International
Hrant Dink Award. She received award along with Turkish activist against male violence, Nebahat Akkoc. The award
commemorates Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was killed in 2007.
11. Moti Bagh, a documentary based on an Uttarakhand farmer’s life has been nominated for Oscars 2020. It is directed by Nirmal
Chander, and is based on the life of a farmer called Vidyadutt.
12. Navdeep Singh Suri, India’s envoy to United Arab Emirates, has been honoured with the First Class Order of Zayed II award. He
was awarded by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his contribution to strengthening friendly relations.
13. Noted Indian photographer Raghu Rai chosen as first recipient of the inaugural “Academie des beaux-arts Photography Award –
William Klein” for 2019 and will be awarded in Palais de l’Institut de France, Paris, France on October 30.
1. Award is named in honour of William Klein, the American born French photographer and filmmaker. It carries monetary
prize of 1,20,000 euros.
14. Noted music director Usha Khanna has been awarded Maharashtra government’s Lata Mangeshkar Award 2019-20. The award
was instituted in 1993 and consists of Rs 5,00,000 cash.
15. Swedish Climate change activist Greta Thunberg won Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience Award. Amnesty
International recognised Swedish teenager Greta, and Fridays for Future Movement, for their work in bringing people’s attention
to problem of climate change.
16. UNESCO Conferred winners of Literacy Prizes 2019, on International Literacy Day - Sep 9, 2019. Winners -
1. UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize awards for mother-tongue literacy education and training, sponsored by South Korea
1. National Strategy for Multilingual Literacy programme of Algeria’s National Adult Literacy and Education Office.
2. Senegal’s Textile Fibres and Development Company (SODEFITEX) for its vocational training for farmers in southern
Senegal.
2. UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy (Supported by China)
1. Obras Escuela programme of Camacol Antioquia, Colombian construction industry’s professional organization.
2. BASAbali Wiki programme of Indonesia’s BASAbali group.
3. TELL ME - Theatre for Education and Literacy Learning of Migrants in Europe programme.
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Books
1. Book Rethinking Good Governance written by former Comptroller Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai has been released.
2. Book The Cousins Thackeray: Uddhav, Raj and the Shadow of their Senas written by journalist Dhaval Kulkarni has been
released.
3. Pictorial biography of PM Narendra Modi titled ‘Turbulence & Triumph: The Modi Years’ jointly authored by Rahul Agarwal and
Bharathi S Pradhan will release in October 2019.
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Committees
1. Government formed a Standing Committee for Information Technology comprising of 31 Members of Parliament (MP), with
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor as Chairperson of committee.
2. Govt. constituted a Company Law Committee for examining and making recommendations on various provisions and issues
pertaining to implementation of Companies Act 2013 and Limited Liability Partnership Act 2008, aimed at improving ease of
doing business. It is headed by Secretary in Ministry of Corporate Affairs (Currently Injeti Srinivas).
3. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) framed panel headed by Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan to
study issues related to non-personal data and suggest ways to regulate non-personal data.
4. RBI panel headed by RBI Deputy Governor mahesh kumar jain suggested creating an institution like the GST (Goods and
Services Tax ) Council to implement reforms in agricultural sector. It also made several other recommendations Including -
1. Banks are required to develop a management information system (MIS) to sanction loans against gold as collateral in core
banking solution (CBS) platform for better monitoring of end-use of funds.
2. Banks should increase credit supply for agricultural activities and give consumption loans to farmers up to Rs 1 lakh.
3. Without any intermediaries, limit of 3 lakh for waiving collateral security by the banks in case of tie-up arrangements should
be revisited to Rs 5 lakh under existing KCC (Kisan Credit Card ) norms.
5. SEBI has formed a committee headed by Ishaat Hussain to suggest possible measures and regulations in creating the ‘social stock
exchanges’. It will make recommendations for social stock exchanges within securities market domain in order to facilitate the
fund raisings by social enterprises and voluntary organizations.
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Days
1. Sep 12 - UN International Day for South South Cooperation.
2. Sep 14 is observed as Hindi Diwas. On the occasion, International Hindi Conference was organised by World Hindi Council in
New Delhi. It commemorates adoption of Hindi written in Devanagari script as one of the two official languages of the Republic of
India by Constituent Assembly of India, in 1949.
3. Sep 15 - Engineer's Day in India. It commemorates Mokshagundam Vishweshvaraya (popularly known as Sir MV). In 1955, he
was conferred India's highest honour, Bharat Ratna. 15 September is celebrated as Engineer's Day in India, Sri Lanka and
Tanzania in his memory.
1. He was chief engineer responsible for the construction of Krishna Raja Sagara dam in North-West suburb of Mysuru city and
chief engineer of flood protection system for city of Hyderabad.
2. Vinod Kumar Yadav, Railway Board Chairman was presented with Eminent Engineers Award on this occasion. Theme of
52ndEngineers’ Day was “Engineering for change”.
3. However, Telangana state celebrates Engineers day on July 11th on birthday of Ali Nawaz Jung Bahadur.
4. Sep 15 - International Day of Democracy. 2019 Theme is Participation.
5. Sep 16 - UN International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. 2019 Theme is 32 Years and Healing. It celebrates over
three decades of remarkable international cooperation to protect ozone layer and climate under Montreal Protocol. Montreal
Protocol has led to phase-out of 99 % of ozone-depleting chemicals.
6. Sep 17, 2019 is observed as first World Patient Safety Day by World Health Organisation (WHO). 2019 theme is Patient Safety: a
global health priority.
7. Sep 18 is observed as World Water Monitoring Day, established in 2003 by America's Clean Water Foundation (ACWF) as a
global educational outreach program. It is also observed as World Bamboo Day.
Top
Defence
1. 28th edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) between Indian Navy and Thailand Navy held at
Bangkok (Thailand).
2. Brief Stand-off occured between Indian and Chinese border troops near Pangong Tso lake in eastern Ladakh. The confrontation
began on northern bank of 134-km-long Pangong Tso, two-thirds (nearly 66%) of which is controlled by China as it extends into
Tibet.
1. Patrolling Indian troops were confronted by People’s Liberation Army (China) soldiers, who objected to their presence near
Pangong Tso. This led to a scuffle between two sides.
3. Contract for modernisation of Air Defence Complex Kashmir and Radar Fregat MAE on P-15 (Delhi Class) of ships signed
between India and JSC Rosoboronexport, Russian Federation.
4. DRDO executed first-ever successful arrested landing of Light Combat Aircraft(LCA) Tejas (Navy) at test facility in Goa, as a step
towards aircraft getting operational on aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
5. DRDO handed over 2nd indigenously developed AWACS (Airborne Early Warning and Control) aircraft, ‘Netra’ to the Indian Air
Force(IAF).
6. DRDO handed over a New-Generation Wargaming Software developed by New Delhi-based Institute for Systems Studies and
Analysis (ISSA) to Indian Navy. New-Gen Wargaming Software is aimed at creating an environment that would enable Maritime
Warfare Centres (MWCs) to train using latest technological and computing tools.
7. DRDO's Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) called ‘Rustom-2’ crashed during a trial in an agriculture field in Chitradurga district of
Karnataka.
8. DRDO's all-weather beyond-visual-range air-to-air Astra missile successfully tested from a Sukhoi Su-30MKI combat aircraft,
with range of over 70 kilometres.
9. Exercise codenamed ‘HimVijay’ will be carrid out by India in October 2019 in Arunachal Pradesh, close to borders with China.
Indian Armed Forces plan to deploy their latest American weapons systems such as M777 ultra-light howitzers and Chinook
heavy-lift helicopters.
10. First trilateral exercise of Singapore, Thailand and Indian Navies called SITMEX, commenced at Port Blair (Andaman and
Nicobar Islands).
11. India US Joint Army Exercise Yudh Abhyas - 2019 conducted at Joint Base Lewis Mc Chord, Washington (USA), as 15th edition
of joint exercise between India-USA.
12. Indian Air Force (IAF) inaugurated resurfaced runway at Vijaynagar Advance Landing Ground (ALG) in Changlang District in
Arunachal Pradesh, which will enable operations by military transport aircraft at the base near China border. This has also re-
established military transport aircraft connectivity at this Eastern most hamlet of India.
13. Indian Air Force (IAF) resurrected Air Force Station (AFS) Ambala-based Number 17 Squadron, also known as ‘Golden Arrows’,
which will operate 1st squadron of Rafale fighter jets. First batch of Rafale jets are scheduled to be formally handed over to
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 8 October in France and are set to arrive in India in May 2020.
14. Science & Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan launched National Centre for Clean Coal Research and Development (NCCCR&D)
at Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru.
1. NCCCR&D is a national consortium on clean coal research and development led by IISc, partnered by IIT- Kharagpur,
Madras, Guwahati, Bombay and Hyderabad.
2. Consortium will identify gaps in clean coal technology, as major problem being faced by Indian power plants is high level of
pollutants and low thermal efficiency.
15. Thailand and Indian Navies held 28th cycle of Indo-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (INDO-THAI CORPAT), at Phuket (Thailand).
Top
Economy
1. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman notified that 2% Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) on cash payments above Rs 1 crore made
through Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) will be exempted, from October 1, 2019. This is aimed to discourage
cash transactions and move towards a less-cash economy.
1. Government also gave 15 percentage points additional depreciation rate to commercial vehicles, taking it to 45 %, available
for vehicles bought between August 23 and March 31 in current financial year.
2. Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways, Piyush Goyal launched Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) in New Delhi,
developed on pattern of US Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) system. SIMS will provide advance information about
steel imports to Government and stake holders, to have effective policy interventions.
3. Airtel Payments Bank launched ‘Bharosa savings account’ Scheme -
1. It will enable customers to withdraw cash, check balance or access a mini statement of their account at over 6,50,000
Aadhaar-enabled payment system (AePS) enabled outlets across India.
2. It will let customers open a savings account with 500 minimum monthly balance. It offers 5 lakh personal accident insurance
on maintaining balance of 500.
4. Bank of Baroda (BoB) launched an agriculture digital platform called “Baroda Kisan” in Bardoli (Gujarat), to address various
needs of farmers. Earlier, BoB signed MoU with 6 firms namely Skymet Weather Services, Weather Risk Management Services,
BigHaat, Agrostar India, EM3 Agri Services and Poorti Agri Services to develop “Baroda Kisan”.
5. Central Board of Direct Tax(CBDT) has set up National e-Assessment Centre (NeAC) for electronically assessing the tax returns
which would reduce human interventions thereby reducing corruption. CBDT appointed Krishna Mohan Prasad as first Principal
Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (Pr.CCIT) of NeAC.
6. Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) will pay 8.65% interest (up from 8.55 %) on the deposits of more than 6 crore
subscribers for the period of 2018-19. Its first increase in interest rate of Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) in past two years.
7. Fiannce and corporate affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced several measures to boost economic growth. Rs 70,000
crore package for the exports and real estate sectors was announced, including setting up of a stressed asset fund.
1. Scheme for Remission of Duties or Taxes on Export Product (RoDTEP) will replace Merchandise Exports from India Scheme
(MEIS). It will come into effect from January 1, 2020. RODTEP will more than adequately incentivize exporters than existing
schemes put together. Revenue government will forego on scheme is projected at Rs 50,000 crores.
2. Fully electronic refund module (FORM GSAT RFD-01) for quick and automated refund of Input Tax Credits (ITC) in Goods
and Service Tax (GST) will monitor and speed up ITC refunds.
3. Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGC) will expand the scope of Export Credit Insurance Scheme (ECIS). It will offer
higher insurance cover to banks lending working capital for exports. This will enable reduction in overall cost of export credit
including interest rates, especially to MSMEs.
4. Revised Priority Sector Lending (PSL) norms for Export Credit will release an additional Rs. 36,000 crores to Rs 68,000
crores as export credit under priority sector.
5. A mega shopping festival similar to the world-famous Dubai Shopping Festival, will be conducted at 4 places in India in
March 2020 on themes of gems and jewellery, handicraft/yoga/tourism, textiles and leather.
6. FTA Utilisation Mission will be set up to work with Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) and export houses and
to utilise concessional tariffs in each FTA.
7. Goods and Services Tax Network stated that all new dealers will have to mandatorily make Aadhaar verification or physical
verification from January 1, 2020. This is aimed at checking malpractices in GST. Earlier, it was optional for the dealers.
8. An Online “Origin Management System” for exporters to enable them to obtain Certificates of Origin – CoO (under Rules of
Origin) will be launched by Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in collaboration with Exports Inspection Council
(EIC).
9. Housing -
1. External Commercial Borrowing guidelines will be relaxed to facilitate financing of home buyers who are eligible under
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in consultation with RBI.
2. Government servants contribute to a major component of demand for houses. This will encourage more government
servants to buy new houses.
3. Special Window to provide last mile funding for housing projects which are non- NPA (Non Performing Assets) and
non-National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) Projects and are Net worth positive in affordable and middle income
category to be set up. Objective is to focus on construction of unfinished units.
4. Stress fund of Rs 20,000 crore for real estate will provide last-mile funding for housing projects that are not in
bankruptcy court or already tagged as bad debt and will benefit nearly 8.5 lakh home buyers. 10000 crores to be
contributed by Govt.
8. Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitaraman Introduced Taxation Laws (Amendment) Ordinance 2019 in Goa, with
several amendments in Income-tax Act 1961 and Finance (No. 2) Act 2019.
1. As per a New provision Inserted in Income Tax act, any domestic company will have option to pay income-tax at the rate
of 22% from earlier 30% subject to condition that they will not avail any exemption/incentive. Effective tax rate will
be 25.17% inclusive of surcharge & cess. They are not required to pay Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT).
1. Total revenue foregone for reduction in corporate tax rate and other relief is estimated at 145000 crores.
2. Any new domestic company incorporated on or after October 1, 2019 making fresh investment in manufacturing was given
an option to pay income-tax at rate of 15% from earlier 25%.
1. It is available to companies which do not avail any exemption/incentive and commence production on or before March
31, 2023
2. The effective tax rate for these companies will be 17.01% inclusive of surcharge & cess.
3. They are not required to pay Minimum Alternate Tax.
3. In order to provide relief to companies which continue to avail exemptions/incentives, the rate of Minimum Alternate Tax
was reduced from existing 18.5% to 15%.
4. Enhanced surcharge introduced by Finance (No.2) Act 2019 will not apply on -
1. Capital gains arising on sale of equity share in a company / unit, in hands of an individual, Hindu Undivided Family
(HUF), Association of Persons (AOP), Body of Individuals (BOI) and Artificial Juridical Person (AJP).
2. It shall also not apply to capital gains arising on sale of any security including derivatives, in the hands of Foreign
Portfolio Investors (FPIs).
5. To provide relief to listed companies which have already made a public announcement of buy-back before July 5, 2019, tax
on buy-back of shares for such companies will not be charged
1. In July, government, as part of Budget, had announced a 20 % tax on share buyback by listed companies.
6. Scope of Corporate social responsibility (CSR) 2% fund has been expanded. It can be spent on incubators funded by Central
or State Government or any agency or PSU of Central or State Government, and make contributions to public funded
Universities, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Laboratories and Autonomous Bodies.
9. Global Payments Firm Visa and Indian payments Firm BillDesk partnered to roll out SI-Hub, a seamless and secure way to make
recurring payments using cards with a one-time enrollment.
10. Government stated that export of all varieties of onions shall be permitted only on Letter of Credit (LC) subject to minimum
export price (MEP) of US $ 850 per Metric Ton, aimed at curbing Onion exports amid price rise.
11. Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN) and Sa-Dhan along with FIDC (Finance Industry Development Council) jointly
launched ‘Code for Responsible Lending’ (CRL) for micro credit industry. Sa-Dhan is RBI recognised self-regulatory organisation
and industry association for microfinance industry.
1. In addition to CRL, a revised industry Code of Conduct (CoC) was also released for Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) that will
act as a binding set of principles for lending practices. One of pivotal guidelines in CRL mandates that only three microcredit
entities can lend to a client at same time. It also caps size of total lending to Rs.1 lakh per borrower.
2. A significant development in CRL adoption was signing up of Finance Industry Development Council (FIDC) which makes
CRL more inclusive in its coverage. FIDC is self-regulatory organisation for registered NBFCs.
12. Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways, Piyush Goyal informed about Export Credit Insurance Scheme (ECIS) called
Nirvik, which was announced recently by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as part of measures to boost exports.
1. To facilitate banks further, Ministry of Commerce & Industry has enhanced Insurance cover for Banks up to 90% for working
capital loans (from 60 % currently) and moderation in premium incidence for MSME sector. Enhanced cover will ensure that
Foreign and Rupee export credit interest rates will be below 4% and 8% respectively for exporters.
2. Scope of cover has been enlarged to cover not only principal outstanding but also for unpaid Interest. Cover percentage has
been enhanced to 90% from the present average of 60% for both Principal and Interest.
3. ECIS support shall be in force for 5-years and on conclusion, standard ECGC covers will be available for Banks with its
regular features.
4. For accounts with limits below Rs.80 crore the premium rates will be moderated to 0.60 per annum and for those exceeding
Rs.80 crore, it will be 0.72 per annum for the same enhanced cover.
13. Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways, Piyush Goyal launched Common Digital Platform for Issuance of electronic
Certificates of Origin (CoO), as a single access point for all exporters and all agencies concerned. Authorities of partner countries
will be able to verify authenticity of certificates from website.
14. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has rationalized merchant discount rate (MDR) on transactions with RuPay
debit cards, effective from 20 October 2019. MDR has been revised to 0.60 % on transactions above Rs 2000, with maximum of
150 per transaction. Currently, MDR of 0.90 % is charged on transactions above 2000, with maximum limit of 1000 per
transaction.
15. RBI and securities market regulator SEBI will jointly launch a framework that will freely enable exchange of borrower
information between banks and credit rating agencies (CRAs) in more accurate manner.
1. It will bridge gap between default rates divulged by rating agencies that differed from report by RBI’s Central Repository of
Information on Large Credits (CRILC), a borrower-level database focusing on systemically important credit exposures.
2. Divergence is due to banks’ reluctance to exchange on any data about delays in payment of principal/interest to CRAs. Also,
CRAs do not have access to CRILC.
3. RBI also revised guidelines on concurrent audit system, Following recommendations of committee headed by Y.H.Malegam.
It Includes that Concurrent auditors will be appointed for upto 3 years, as against earlier tenure of 5 years.
16. RBI directed banks and NBFCs to stop sharing pattern of consumer’s credit information held by credit information companies
(CICs) with analytics firms, IT companies, institutional agents and unregulated parties.
1. RBI states such data sharing actions are against Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act 2005 (CICRA). Data will be
provided by Banks & NBFCs to 4 consumer credit reporting agencies Equifax, Experian , TransUnion CIBIL and CRIF High
Mark and it will be confidential manner.
17. RBI expanded coverage of Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) to include all categories of billers who raise recurring bills and
payments (except prepaid recharges) as eligible participants, on a voluntary basis.
1. RBI now allows other recurring bill payments like school fees, insurance premiums, EMIs and municipal taxes, which can
also be paid through BBPS.
2. At present, payment of recurring bills through BBPS is available only in five segments - direct to home (DTH), electricity,
gas, water and telecom.
18. RBI framed new guidelines in licensing Small Finance Banks(SFB) under ‘On-tap’ regime, to bring more participants in finance
banking. As per the new guideline -
1. SFBs should have 200 crores minimum capital (doubled from 100 Crores), except for such small finance banks which are
converted from Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs). UCB’s should initially have at 100 crores, and should be enanced to 200
crores within 5 years. Proposed CAR is to be maintained at 15% (up from 9%).
2. On- tap licencing is a time-efficient feature that will allow eligible parties to obtain license on-demand basis and without the
need to wait. RBI allows license to the applicants throughout year.
3. SFBs will be listed within 3 years of reaching a net worth of Rs 500 crores.
4. Small private entities, payment banks, NBFCs, Micro Finance Institution(MFI) and cooperative banks to apply for SFB status
having run successfully for 5 years.
5. Only small private entities can apply for SFB and no large industrial and public sector entities will be allowed to become SFB.
Business groups, autonomous bodies, joint venture companies and promoters of universal banks will also not be allowed to
become SFB.
6. 10 SFBs were given licence initially in 2015. They were Ujjivan, Janalakshmi, ESAF, Equitas, Au Financiers, Capital Local
Area, Disha, RGVN, Suryoday and Utkarsh.
19. RBI has cut risk weight of consumer credit, including personal loans from 125 % to 100 %, enabling banks to give more loans for
purchasing various consumer products. This will reduce the cost of banks on personal loans, consumer loans and they can reduce
the interest rates for them. For all loans considered unsecured, till now there was a provision to keep a risk weight of at least 125
%.
20. RBI increased loan sanction limit for small exporters as priority sector lending (PSL) by banks to Rs 40 crore per borrower from
Rs 25 crore in order to boost credit to the export sector. Criteria of ‘units having a turnover of up to Rs 100 crore’ was removed.
21. RBI issued new order for banks and payment system operators regarding failed transactions of customers. Time period has been
fixed at 5 days for disposal of grievances and auto reversal of the amount on the failed transaction for the banks, termed as Turn
Around Time (TAT).
1. Banks will have to pay compensation to the customers if there is no settlement or reversal of the transaction within this time
period. This compensation will be as per Rs 100 per day after completion of the time period.
22. RBI stated that a bank’s exposure to a single NBFC (excluding gold loan companies) will be restricted to 20 % of that bank’s
eligible capital base. RBI had earlier spoken about harmonisation of single counterparty exposure limit for banks’ exposure to
single NBFCs with general single counterparty exposure limit.
1. Under revised guidelines on large exposure framework (LEF) effective from April 2019, a bank’s exposure to a single NBFC is
restricted to 15 % of its Tier I capital, while for entities in other sectors exposure limit is 20 % of Tier I capital of bank, which
can be extended to 25%.
23. Railways announced certain Freight incentives to give a boost to economy.
1. Busy season surcharge of 15 % on freight, which is levied between 1st of October to 30th June has been deferred.
2. 5 % Supplementary charges applicable on loading on mini and two-point rakes has also been waived off.
3. Discount of 25 % in haulage charge of containers has been given.
4. Railways also reduced fares for Humsafar class of luxury trains, to make them more affordable and comfortable. These trains
will now also have sleper class coaches to make travel more affordable.
24. State Bank of India will sell stake in its life insurance arm to meet minimum public shareholding norms. SBI will sell at least 3.5
% stake in SBI Life Insurance Company Ltd., with an option of oversubscription of 1 percent.
25. To boost foreign investment in infrastructure sector, Govt. waived off 3-year lock-in period for investments made by Non-
Resident Indians (NRI) in Infrastructure Debt Funds (IDFs).
1. To accelerate flow of long-term debt in infrastructure projects, amendments in tax laws were made to provide exemption
from income tax to infrastructure debt funds (IDFs) in 2011.
2. Also, Recently govt has planned to invest Rs 100 lakh crore in the infrastructure sector by 2024-2025, suggested by task
force headed by Atanu Chakraborty.
26. US based research firm Fidelity National Information Services (FIS)'s 6th Flavours of Fast report 2019 rated India’s Immediate
Payment Service (IMPS) as world’s best real-time payment service in comparison to similar facilities of 54 countries. It is rated
highest in FISh ‘Faster Payments Innovation Index 2019’ and received 5 star rating.
27. World Bank Group's International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Finance Industry Development Council (representative body
of asset and loan Financing NBFCs) signed MoU to train NBFCs in India on “Commercial Credit Reporting”. It wiill train NBFCs to
build their capacity to improve reporting and enquiring on Commercial Credit Information Data from Credit Bureaus.
Top
International
1. 44th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) held in Toronto (Canada).
1. Malayalam-Hindi film, Geetu Mohandas’s Moothon (The Elder One) premiered at 44th TIFF.
2. Winners -
Award Film Director
People’s Choice Award Jojo Rabbit Taika Waititi
People’s Choice Award: Documentary The Cave Feras Fayyad
People’s Choice Award: Midnight Madness The Platform Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia
Best International Short Film All Cats Are Grey in the Dark Lasse Linder
2. According to report in Lancet journal, India is ranked fourth in Global Malaria Cases in 2017, with 4% of cases worldwide behind
African countries Nigeria, DR Congo and Mozambique.
3. Alternative investment firm Blackstone Group (US based) will acquire 50% stake in Indiabulls Real Estate Ltd's office assets for
Rs 4,420 crore ($616 million).
1. Blackstone will buy Indian company's stake in their joint ventures - Indiabulls Properties Pvt. Ltd and Indiabulls Real Estate
Company Pvt. Ltd, Yashita Buildcon Ltd and Ashkit Properties Ltd.
2. Blackstone last year bought a 50% stake in two units of Indiabulls Real Estate.
4. China launched three satellites ( a resource satellite- ZY-1 02D and two small satellites), to help in disaster management, urban
construction and monitoring of polar regions and global climate change.
5. India become a member of Global Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Research and Development (R&D) Hub, which now has 16
member nations.
1. It was launched in May 2018 on sidelines of 71st session of the World Health Assembly. The hub supports global priority
setting and evidence-based decision-making on allocation of resources for antimicrobial resistance research and
development.
6. India launched initiative to fund 1000 scholars from South East Asian countries to pursue PhD at its 23 IITs, as joint initiative of
Ministry of External Affairs and Human Resource Development. It has budget of 300 crores.
7. International Energy Agency (IEA) stated that US became top oil exporter in world by overtaking Saudi Arabia and Russia. In
June 2019, crude exports grew above 3 million barrels per day (bpd) in US.
8. Kerala Govt and Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) jointly signed MoU with Maldives to strengthen cancer care in Maldives by
training doctors.
9. National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research (NITTTR) and Swiss power major ABB India signed MoU to set
up a digital simulation lab in Chandigarh, to impart better training quality for the large scale industralisation of the country.
10. New York-based media watchdog Committee to Protect Journalists released 10 Most Censored Countries list, that have high
press censorship -
1. List was topped by East African countryEritrea that had shut all media in 2001 and has only 1% of population in internet
penetration.
2. Top 5 - Eritrea, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Saudi Arabia, China.
11. South Korean tech Firm Samsung unveiled two apps namely “Good Vibes” a communication tool for deaf and blind people and
“Relumino” that helps visually impaired people to see the images clearer.
12. Sri Lanka unveiled a 356-metre-tall Lotus Tower in Colombo city, which is now South Asia’s tallest tower. The tower costs more
than $100 million, out of which 80% is funded by China under controversial Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
13. Thailand became first Asian nation to unveil plain cigarette packaging to reduce appeal of smoking, compliing with World Health
Organisation’s (WHO) guidelines.
14. Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2020 -
1. Indian Universities -
1. 11 Indian institutes fatured among top 500 in world, up from 5 last year. IIT Ropar is the new Indian entrant in the list.
2. No Indian institute featured among the top 300 educational institutes in world.
3. Top 5 Indian Universities in List - IISc Bengaluru (301 - 350), IIT Ropar (301 - 350), IIT Indore (351 - 400) IIT
Bombay and IIT Delhi (401 - 500)
2. Top 5 Global Universities -
1. University of Oxford (UK), ranked at top for 4th consecutive year.
2. California Institute of Technology (US)
3. University of Cambridge (UK)
4. Stanford University (US)
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
15. UN report revealed that India is leading country of origin of international migrants in 2019 with a 17.5 million diaspora. Report
said that number of migrants globally reached 27 Crores.
1. After India, Migrants from Mexico makes second largest diaspora (11.8 million), followed by China (10.7 million), Russia
(10.5 million), Syria (8.2 million), Bangladesh (7.8 million), Pakistan (6.3 million).
2. USA is hosting largest number of international migrants (51 million), followed by Saudi Arabia (13 million), Russia (12
million), England (10 million) and France (8 million).
16. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will translate and publish an anthology of writings
of Baba Guru Nanak Dev (founder of Sikhism) in world languages to commemorate his 550th birth anniversary.
17. Vietnam inaugurated Southeast Asia’s largest solar power farm which has capacity to produce 688 million kWh of electricity
annually, named Dau Tieng Solar Power Complex.
Top
Meetings
1. 12-day 14th Conference of Parties (COP14) to UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) held at India Expo Centre &
Mart, Greater Noida (UP). Theme of conference is Restore land, Sustain future.
1. India took over COP Presidency from China for upto 2021.
2. PM Narendra Modi has announced that the central government will spend 3.5 lakh crore rupees in the next five years on 'Jal
Jeevan Mission' to deliver potable water at every household across the country. He also raised India’s target for restoring
degraded land from its earlier target of 21 million hectares (MH) to 26 million hectares (MH) by 2030.
3. A Drought Toolbox was launched during the event, as one-stop shop for all actions on drought. It is a kind of knowledge
bank that may be used by vulnerable countries, such as India, to reduce drought risk and be better prepared and effectively
respond to it.
4. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar announced that India has set target to restore 50 lakh hectare of its degraded land
by 2030.
2. 1st Conference on Military Medicine for Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) held in New Delhi, as 1st military co-
operation event hosted by India under SCO Defence Co-operation Plan.
3. 4th World Energy Congress commenceed in Abu Dhabi (UAE Capital), to bring together international energy stakeholders. UAE
also hosted 8th Asian Ministerial Energy Roundtable (AMER8) alongside 24th World Energy Congress in Abu Dhabi India is co-
host along with UAE, represented by Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
4. UK won bid to host 26th Conference of the Parties, known as COP26, to be held in 2020.
1. 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP25, will held in Santiago de Chile (Chile) in December
2019.
Top
National
1. HRD Ministry announced a new PPP Scheme, National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT) for using technology for
better learning outcomes in Higher Education. Objective is to use Artificial Intelligence to make learning more personalised as per
requirements of learner.
1. MHRD would create a National NEAT platform that would provide one-stop access to these technological solutions. EdTech
companies would be responsible for developing solutions and manage registration of learners through NEAT portal.
2. Minister for Communications, Electronics & Information Technology and Law & Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad has launched the
maritime communication services at Mumbai. It will enable high-end support to personnel in sea by providing access to Voice,
Data and Video services while traveling on sailing vessels, cruise liners, ships in India, using satellite technology.
1. Nelco is first Indian company to provide quality broadband services to maritime sector.
2. December 2018, Government announced licenses for In-flight and Maritime Communications (IFMC) that allows voice and
internet services while flying over the Indian skies and sailing in Indian waters.
3. Shri Prasad also launched a web portal for reporting of stolen mobiles for tracing purposes, using International Mobile
Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers of a mobile phone device.
3. Anurag Kashyap Directed Gangs Of Wasseypur became only Indian film to feature in “The Guardian” list of 100 Best Films of
21st century, bagging 59th position.
4. Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu inaugurated 24 MW (Megawatt ) Dikshi Hydroelectric Project on Phudungto river at
Dikshi village in West Kameng district, as State’s first community-managed mini-hydro electric project and also first independent
power project of its kind in Northeast.
5. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) commissioned 1320 MegaWatt(MW) power project in Ib Thermal Power Station(ITPS)
in Odisha’s Jharsuguda district.
6. Cabinet Approvals (Sep 18, 2019) -
1. Approved Promulgation of Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale,
distribution, storage and advertisement) Ordinance 2019, which completely bans Electronic-cigarettes that are battery-
operated devices that produce aerosol by heating a solution containing nicotine, which is addictive substance in combustible
cigarettes.
2. Approved payment of Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days wages to over 11.52 Lakh eligible non-gazetted
railway employees (excluding RPF/RPSF personnel) for 2018-19. This will entail expenditure of 2024.40 crores to
exchequer.
7. Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal launched ‘Tatpar’ app, developed by Delhi Police, which is a one-stop destination for
access to over 50 citizen-centric services. It amalgamates all websites / mobile applications of Delhi Police into one.
8. Department of Posts commenced International Speed Post (EMS) Service to 6 New Nations - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil,
Ecuador, Kazakhstan, Lithuania and North Macedonia. Express Mail Service enables users to send documents / merchandise
faster and also enables tracking.
9. Directorate General of Training (DGT) signed agreement with Global IT major IBM, where IBM will carry out a nationwide
Train-the-Trainer program in Basic Artificial Intelligence Skills. IBM aims at training 10,000 faculty members from ITIs across
country and program will be executed over 1 year.
10. East Coast Railway under signed MOU with Government of Odisha for development of Bhubaneswar station as Multi-Model
Transport Hub. Under this, Bhubaneswar station will be redeveloped as Multi-modal transport hub, jointly by Railways and
Government of Odisha.
11. General Conferences (Sep 11 - 20, 2019) -
1. New luxurious Sri Lankan train Pulathisi Expressm produced under ‘Make in India’ project of Indian Railways has been
launched. Train was supplied under Line of Credit (LoC) by Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES),
manufactured by Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai.
2. Ministry of Home Affairs will set up world-class National Police University (NPU) in Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh), to
provide state-of-the-art learning and working environment for dissemination of education in policing science and related
areas.
3. White water Rafting Expedition christened ‘RUDRASHILA’ being undertaken by Kalidhar Battalion under Battle Axe
Division Flagged Off at Jaisalmer Military station (Rajasthan).
4. 15th Indo-US Economic Summit 2019 organized by Indo-American Chamber of Commerce- North India Council in New
Delhi. World Bank announced to provide Rs 3000 crores aid for food parks In Indiam, particularly in Northeast, and help
boost farmers' income.
5. Ministry of Jal Shakti will develop National Water Museum, To enhance awareness among public about dwindling water
resources and need for their conservation. An International Workshop on Water museum was held in New Delhi.
6. Madhya Pradesh government launched online service for those wanting to adopt a cow and provide sheds to them at
gaushalas (cow shelters) across State. People can adopt a cow for a minimum period of 15 days and can go on supporting it
till animal’s lifetime.
7. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) launched Plastic Waste Management Campaign, under
Swachhta Hi Sewa 2019 which began from 11 September.
8. Central Public Works Department organized National Seminar on “Emerging Trends in Public Architecture, in New Delhi.
9. 5th International Ramayan Festival organized by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) in New Delhi, Home Affairs
Minister Shah as Chief Guest.
10. Renovated Jayakar Bungalow, a classic heritage site situated inside National Film Archives of India (NFAI) in Pune,
Maharashtra has been inaugurated. Classified as a Grade I Heritage structure, it was built in 1945 with a distinct Tudor style
of architecture.
11. Defence PSU BEML and Wipro Infrastructure Engineering (WIN) signed an MoU to work together in areas of aerospace,
industrial automation, 3-D printing, artificial intelligence and hydraulic system engineering.
12. India’s first National Antimicrobial Resistance Hub inaugurated in Kolkata, as a hub for research on antibiotic resistance for
entire South Asia.
13. Traditional Neermahal Jal Utsav concluded in Tripura. Neermahal is a water palace built at the middle of Rudrasagar lake by
Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya in 1930.
14. Karnataka Govt. renamed Hyderabad-Karnataka region region as Kalyana Karnataka Region. It comprises six north-eastern
districts of Karnataka - Bidar, Kalaburagi, Koppal, Ballari, Yadgir and Raichur.
15. 16th Session of Joint Economic Commission (JEC) between India and Belgium Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU) held
in New Delhi.
16. First International Conference on Sustainability Education (ICSE) 2019 held at India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, organised
by Mobius Foundation in partnership with UNESCO New Delhi.
17. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh became first Defence Minister to fly indigenously-built fighter aircraft Tejas. Defence
Minister also approved starting work of writing history of India’s borders.
18. UK Returned antique 12th century Bronze Idol of Buddha that was stolen from Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI)
Nalanda site museum in 1961. Bronze statue of Buddha is documented as ‘Seated Buddha in Bhumisparsha Mudra’. It was
amongst 19 bronze statues that were stolen from ASI Museum at Nalanda in August 1961.
19. India commenced special training programme for Maldivian and Bangladeshi civil servants at Mussoorie in Uttarakhand,
under Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation programme.
12. Geographical Indication Registry of India approved Geographical Indication tag for delicious ‘Srivilliputtur palkova’, from
Virudhunagar district. It is prepared from high quality flavour of milk with sugar.
13. Government e Marketplace (GeM) and Government of Punjab signed MoUto set up a GeM Organizational Transformation Team
(GOTT)Project Management Unit (PMU) in state.
1. Punjab is first State to establish GOTT PMU for effectively utilising this transformational initiative towards efficient
procurement, enabling Punjab to transact 1700 crores as annual Gross Merchandize Value (GMV) on GeM platform in first
year and 3000 crores per annum over time.
14. Government signed an Allotment Agreement with West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited (WBPDCL) regarding
Deocha Pachami Dewanganj-Harinsingha coal block, with estimated reserves of 2102 Million Tonnes for generation of power.
15. HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launched several initiatives of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE),
including Facilitation through Margadarshan and Margadarshak, Model Curriculum for Diploma Courses, Waste Management
Accelerator for Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs (WAWE Summit 2019) and 360-degree Feedback of Faculty.
16. Haryana Government raised the income limit to Rs 1.8 lakh per annum in order to claim benefits under Ayushman Bharat-
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) scheme. Haryana government will bear cost for free treatment of families with
annual income up to Rs 1.8 lakh.
17. Haryana government launched two insurance schemes for registered small and medium traders -
1. Mukhyamantri Vyapari Samuhik Niji Durghatna Beema Yojana - Insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh would be provided.
2. Mukhyamantri Vyapari Kshatipurti Beema Yojana - Insurance cover between 5 - 25 lakh would be provided.
3. Premium under both schemes would be paid by State government.
18. Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur launched Mukhya Mantri Seva Sankalp Helpline ‘1100’ for speedy and time-bound
redressal of public grievances. Himachal Pradesh became 4th state to provide this facility, after Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and
Uttar Pradesh.
19. Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launched Leadership for Academicians Programme (LEAP)
2019 and Annual Refresher Programme in Teaching (ARPIT) 2019 under Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission on
Teachers and Teaching (PMMMNMTT).
1. To build managerial capabilities of higher education leaders, a National Initiative “Leadership for Academicians Programme
(LEAP)” was launched. LEAP is a 3 weeks leadership development training programme (2 weeks domestic and 1 week
foreign training) for second level academic functionaries in public funded higher education institutions. LEAP is being
implemented through 15 institutions.
2. HRD Ministry launched Annual Refresher Programme in Teaching (ARPIT) in November 2018, as a unique initiative for
professional development of 1.5 million higher education faculty using MOOCs platform SWAYAM. For implementing
ARPIT, 51 discipline-specific National Resource Centers (NRCs) are identified which are tasked to prepare online training
material.
20. IIT Bombay topped among Indian institutes in QS(Quacquarelli Symonds) Graduate Employability Rankings 2020, with band
ranking 111-120. IIT Bombay is followed by IIT Delhi (151-160) and IIT Madras (171-180). Birla Institute of Science and
Technology (BITS) Pilani for first time entered the Rankings (201-250 band ranking). List was topped overall by Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT), United States (US).
21. ISRO signed a set of MOUs with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for development of human centric
systems for the Human Space Mission to demonstrate its human space flight capabilities.
1. Some of critical technologies to be provided by DRDO to ISRO include space food, space crew health monitoring and
emergency survival kit, radiation measurement and protection, parachutes for safe recovery of crew module and others.
22. Indian Railways signed MOU with Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) for facilitation of green initiatives in Indian Railways,
aimed at mitigation of global warming and combating climate change.
23. India’s first of its kind survey to measure iodized salt coverage conducted by Nutrition International in collaboration with AIIMS
and Indian Coalition for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD) -
1. Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has topped the list of best performers in iodised salt coverage, followed by Nagaland and
Manipur.
2. TamilNadu was reported to be lowest iodised salt consuming state in country.
3. Gujarat is top salt producer, producing 71% of nation’s salt, followed by Rajasthan (17%) and Tamil Nadu(11%).
24. Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar chand Gehlot launched a Management Information System (MIS) under
Accessible India Campaign. MIS portal will bring nodal ministries and States / UTs on a single platform for monitoring progress in
each target of Accessible India Campaign (AIC). The portal is made fully accessible for Divyangjans.
1. Accessible India Campaign was launched on 3 December 2015, on occasion of International Day of People with Disabilities
(PwD), as a nation-wide campaign for achieving universal accessibility for PwDs.
25. Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Aswini Kumar Choubey, announced that government will set up a National
Genomic Grid, to advance cancer research and make treatment viable for people of different economic classes. It will be in line
with National Cancer Tissue Biobank (NCTB) set up at IIT Madras.
26. Ministry of Home Affairs notified new rules for NGOs receiving foreign funding, in which all staff members of NGOs receiving
foreign funds, will have to declare that they were not prosecuted or convicted for converting anyone from one faith to another.
1. Ministry also notifified a change in Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010 and Rules 2011 (FCRA), which states that
Any individual receiving a personal gift valued up to Rs 1 lakh need not inform government about it anymore (earlier
25000).
27. Ministry of skills development and entrepreneurship partnered with Tata Group to set up an Indian Institute of Skills (IIS) in
Mumbai. TISS will invest around 300 crores in the project. IIS will be developed on a public-private-partnership (PPP) model.
1. Fresh batch of newest central government services, Indian Skill Development Services(ISDS) also commenced their training
program at Administrative Training Institute (ATI) in Mysuru, Karnataka. These are first batch to join ISDS cadre from
Indian Engineering Service Examination conducted by UPSC.
28. National Green Tribunal (NGT) has set up a committee to formulate steps required to prevent illegal extraction of groundwater,
after a plea filed against depleting groundwater levels in nation and prevention of its illegal extraction.
29. ONGC signed MoU with Assam state government to invest more than Rs. 13,000 crore in the next 5 years to excavate over 220
oil and gas wells in Assam.
30. PM Narendra Modi launched National Animal Disease Control programme and Artificial Insemination Programme in Mathura
(UP).
1. NADC Programme aims at eradicating Foot and Mouth Disease and Brucellosis in livestock. It aims at vaccinating over 500
Million Livestock against Foot and Mouth Disease with 100 % funding from Central Government of 12652 crores till 2024.
2. PM also launched Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) 2019 campaign at Mathura, with special focus on ‘plastic waste awareness and
management’. It will be organized till October 2nd 2019, aiming to made India Open defecation free by 150th birth
anniversary of MK Gandhi.
1. 2019 Swachhata Hi Seva campaign will see mass awareness generation activities on plastic waste management
nationwide for plastic waste collection on 2nd October and recycling and effective disposal of collected plastic waste
from 3rd October to 27th October 2019.
31. PM Narendra Modi launched several developmental projects and schemes in Ranchi (Capital of Jharkhand)
1. He launched Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana. It shall secure lives of 5 Crore Small and Marginal Farmers by
providing a minimum pension of Rs 3000 per month, after attaining 60 years of age. Scheme has outlay of 10,774 Crores for
3 years (2019-2022).
2. He launched National Pension Scheme for Traders and The Self-Employed. It aims at providing a minimum assured pension
of Rs 3000, to small traders and self - employed after attaining the age of 60 Years. Around 3 Crore Small traders would be
benefitted from the scheme.
1. It is for traders with annual turnover not exceeding Rs 1.5 crores.
2. Enrollment is available through 3.50 lakh Common Service Center (CSCs) across country. People can also self-enroll
through portal www.maandhan.in/vyapari.
3. Should be within 18 to 40 years of age group. GSTIN is required only for those with turnover above Rs. 40 lakhs.
4. Central Government shall give 50 % share of the monthly contribution and remaining 50% contribution shall be made
by the beneficiary. Beneficiary is required to contribute as little as INR 100 per month at a median entry age of 29
years.
5. Estimated 3 crore Vyaparis are expected to be benefitted under this scheme.
3. He launched 462 Ekalavya Model Schools across the country in Tribal Dominated Areas. The schools would focus to provide
quality upper primary, secondary and senior secondary level education to ST Students in these areas.
4. He inaugurated Multi-Modal Transport Terminal at Sahibganj.
1. It is India’s second riverine Multi-Modal terminal (MMT), which will open up industries of Jharkhand and Bihar to
global market and provide Indo-Nepal cargo connectivity through waterways route.
2. This is second of the three Multi-Modal Terminals being constructed on river Ganga under Jal Marg Vikas Project.
32. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) reached one crore beneficiaries. PMMVY is a direct benefit transfer scheme
under which cash benefits are provided to pregnant women in their bank account directly to meet enhanced nutritional needs and
partially compensate for wage loss.
1. Under this, beneficiaries receive cash benefit of 5000 in three installments, was launched on 1st of January in 2017. Madhya
Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh are top States in implementation of the scheme. Odisha and Telangana are yet
to start its implementation.
33. Rajasthan government launched ‘Jan Soochna Portal’, a portal for quick access to information on government departments. This
public information portal has been developed with 23-24 types of information made available pertaining to 13 departments on a
single platform.
34. Report on 2nd edition of perception-based index of mobility of goods and efficiency, the Logistics Ease Across Different States
(LEADS) index -
1. List is topped by Gujarat, followed by Punjab and Andhra Pradesh, while among UTs, Chandigarh topped the list followed by
Delhi and Puducherry.
2. Index is developed by commerce and industry ministry along with the company Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd (Deloitte).
3. It aims To establish performance of logistics sector based on user and stakeholder perception.
35. Shondol dance, known as the royal dance performed by artists for King of Ladakh, has created history by entering into the
Guinness Book of World Records as largest Ladakhi dance. During annual Naropa Festival 2019, 408 women attired in traditional
dresses and beautiful headgears performed it, which broke previous record of 299 artists dance of Shondol in 2018 festival.
36. Survey of India (India’s National Survey and Mapping Organization under DST) will for first time rely on drones to map the
country. Objective is to provide good high-resolution foundation maps. Also, High-resolution maps will facilitate digitisation of
land titles in villages. It aims to procure about 300 drones for the purpose.
37. Tamilnadu Govt unveiled new ‘Tamil Nadu Electric Vehicle Policy 2019’ in state that would attract 50000 crores investment and
also create 1.5 lakh jobs. An EV park will also be created, with plug-and-play facilities. 50-100% exemption of road tax will be
made for all EVs till the end of 2022.
1. TANGEDCO will offer public-private partnership (PPP) model for charging port installations, which will be available in every
25 kms of highways.
2. To distinguish between the EV and other vehicles, EV numbers will be exhibited in yellow colour with a green background for
transport vehicle while for all other EVs, number will be exhibited in white on a green background.
38. Tata Power Renewable Energy commissioned a 150 MW solar capacity in Pokharan, Rajasthan. With this, TPREL's renewable
capacity rose to 2628 MW.
39. Telangana government declared 2020 as Year of Artificial Intelligence and will organize various activities related to AI
throughout the year.
40. UP Government repealed four-decade-old law that made the state exchequer pay income tax of state’s Ministers. With this,
the UP Ministers will now have to start paying their own income tax.
1. UP Ministers' Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Act 1981 was enacted when Vishwanath Pratap Singh was the chief
minister of Uttar Pradesh.
41. Uttarakhand Govt. launched a scheme called ‘Mukhya Mantri Dal Poshit Yojana’ to provide state ration card holders two
kilograms of two different varieties of pulses available at prices much lower than the market rate.
1. Under the scheme, State government will offer a subsidy of Rs.15 per kilogram on variety of pulses identified, including
chana, malka and masur. Each eligible beneficiary and ration card holders in state will get 2 kgs of pulses at subsidised rates
every month.
Top
Persons
1. Mayank Vaid became first Indian to complete Enduroman triathlon in record time. Enduroman triathlon is one of toughest
endurance competitions around world, that starts in London and ends in Paris. Mayank Vaid is first-ever Asian who completed the
challenge with a world record. He broke previous world record by a big margin of 2 hours 6 minutes.
2. USA's Sarah Thomas became first person to swim across the English Channel four times non-stop in a 54-hours, as an amazing
feat of endurance. She has survived breast cancer.
3. Visits from India (Sep 11 - 20, 2019) -
1. President Ram Nath Kovind Visited European Nations of Iceland, Switzerland and Slovenia.
1. Iceland -
1. India and Iceland signed 3 agreements in fields of fisheries collaboration, cultural cooperation and visa waiver for
holders of diplomatic and official passport.
2. Switzerland
1. India and Switzerland signed 3 agreements for Technical cooperation on climate change, Alliance in science and
technology AND Renewal of Hindi chair at the University of Lausanne.
3. Slovenia
1. Seven MoUs signed Between India and slovenia, about Cooperation in fields of River Rejuvenation (Clean Ganga
Mission), Culture, Investment, Science & Technology, Sports and Standards.
2. 63rd General Conference of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) held at Vienna (Austria). It was attended by K N
Vyas, Chairman, of Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary in Department of Atomic Energy, on India's Behalf.
1. Mr Vyas launched NCG Vishwam Cancer Care on sidelines of 63rd General conference of IAEA in Vienna. Through
this, National Cancer Grid (NCG) established by Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) has been made open to cancer hospitals
and other relevant institutes from foreign countries. Objective of NCG is to remove disparity in Cancer Care.
3. Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel, Dharmendra Pradhan Visited Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar. He participated
in 8th Asian Ministerial Energy Roundtable (AMER) at Abu Dhabi (UAE). India will host next (9th) Asian Ministerial Energy
Roundtable in 2021.
4. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Finland, Poland, Belgium. He also visited ASEAN Nations Indonesia and
Singapore.
5. Chief Minister(CM) of Tamil Nadu (TN) KPalaniswami visited United States(US), United Kingdom (UK) and United Arab
Emirates(UAE)
4. Visits to India (Sep 11 - 20, 2019) -
1. Prime Minister of St. Vincent and Grenadines Ralph Everard Gonsalves Visited India. Saint Vincent and Grenadines became
79th country to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA), an initiative by India aimed at combating the threats of climate
change and global warming.
2. Marcin Przydacz, deputy foreign minister of Poland visited India. He unveiled a memorial pillar in Valivade in Kolhapur
district of Maharashtra in memory of 5000 polish refugee families that settled in Valivade during World War II (WWII).
3. Phillip D. Murphy, Governor of State of New Jersey (US) visited India
Top
Science
1. Scientists from Biological science Survey of India (BSI) discovered 2 new species of ginger. Zingiber prenense has been
discovered from Peren district of Nagaland and Zingiber dimapurense was found within Dimapur in Nagaland.
2. Astronomers found water for first time in atmosphere of habitable exoplanet- K2-18b which orbits in its star’s “habitable zone”.
Upto 50% of atmosphere of K2-18b consists of water, which could support life. Scientists found unmistakable signature of water
vapour with concentrations between 0.1 and 50%.
1. K2-18b is 111 light-years away from earth. It is first known exoplanet to combine a rocky surface and an atmosphere with
water out of discovered 4000 plus exoplanets. K2-18b was initially discovered in December 2015 & spotted by NASA’s Kepler
spacecraft.
3. DRDO successfully flight tested indigenously developed low weight, fire and forget Man Portable Antitank Guided Missile
(MPATGM) in ranges of Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.
4. IIT Kharagpur Researchers developed a unique approach of generating electricity from drying clothes in natural ambiance. By
utilizing tiny channels, called nanochannels, in cellulose-based fabric network traditionally woven, electrical power generation has
been made possible by guided movement of saline water amidst a continuous evaporation, analogous to water transport across a
living plant.
5. IIT Madras researchers devised an eco-friendly method to degrade physically stable and chemically inert plastic fluoropolymer —
polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which is used in making Teflon.
6. Researchers from US's NANOGrav Physics Frontiers Center discovered is a rapidly-rotating pulsar, using National Science
Foundation’s (NSF) Green Bank Telescope (GBT). Its the most massive neutron star ever measured, called J0740+6620, and it’s
2.17 times as massive as our Sun. All its mass is jammed into a tiny sphere only about 30 km in diameter.
1. Neutron stars are made of ultra-dense matter. They’re tightly-compressed, and they’re the densest objects in the Universe
that are made of normal matter. Black holes are actually denser, but they’re not normal.
2. They’re so dense, in fact, that a sugar-cube of neutron star would weigh about a hundred million tons on Earth.
7. Researchers from Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and London’s Natural History Museum discovered a new species of giant
Chinese salamander is now considered to be the world’s largest amphibian.
1. As per journal, there are 3 distinct species of Chinese salamanders which are now considered as critically endangered
species. Apart from Andrias sligoli, other salamander species is named as Andrias davidianus while third is yet to be named.
8. Scientists from Canterbury Museum(England) discovered world’s oldest bird species’ fossils in Waipara, New zealand that lived
62 million years ago. It was a sea bird, and is named as Protodontopteryx.
9. University of Southern California (USC) scientists discovered new reptile species Cryo Drakon boreas from the Azhdarchid group
of pterosaurs, which is also called as “frozen dragon of the north”. These species with a wingspan of up to 10 mts and weight of
about 250kg were once, one among largest flying animals that lived 77 million years ago during Cretaceous period.
Top
Sports
1. England Former cricketers Geoffrey Boycott and Andrew Strauss have been honoured with “Knighthoods” by Former PM
Theresa May in her resignation honours list.
2. 10th Asia Pacific Youth Games 2019 held in Vladivostok (Russia). India won 16 gold, 13 silver and 5 bronze medals.
1. Indian swimming team finished as the overall winners with 8 gold, 5 silver and 1 bronze medal.
2. Badminton team won team Championship gold.
3. 2019 Zhengzhou Open Women's Tennis Title (China) -
1. Singles - Karolína Plíšková (Czech Republic)
2. Doubles - Nicole Melichar (US) AND Květa Peschke (Czech Republic)
4. 6th Track Asia Cup cycling competition 2019 held in New Delhi -
1. India topped tally with 10 gold, 8 silver and 7 bronze. India was followed by Uzbekistan and Malaysia.
5. Belgian International Badminton Title 2019 -
1. India's Lakshya Sen defeated second seed Victor Svendsen of Denmark and clinched the men’s singles title.
2. Winners -
3. Category Winner
Men’s Singles Lakshya Sen (India)
Women’s Singles Line Christophersen (Denmark)
Men’s Doubles Ben Lane & Sean Vendy (England)
Women’s Doubles Gabriela Stoeva & Stefani Stoeva (Bulgaria)
Mixed Doubles Ben Lane & Jessica Pugh (England)
6. Indian Billiards Player Pankaj Advani won his 22nd IBSF world title by wining IBSF World Billiards Championship 2019 in
Mandalay (Myanmar). He defeated Nay Thway Oo of Myanmar.
7. Indian Under 19 Cricket Team won ACC Under-19 Asia Cup 2019 by beating Bangladesh, in Sri Lanka.
8. Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) derecognised Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) for violating National Sports
Development Code of India, 2011.
1. Govt. letter addressed to Secretary-General of Paralympic Committee of India mentioned that a complaint was received
against PCI from Rao Inderjit Singh regarding his removal from President’s post of PCI. Therefore, an explanation was
sought from PCI. However, explanation was not found satisfactory and action was taken.
2. PCI earlier adopted a resolution that barred public servants from getting elected to its executive. Thereby, Rao Inderjit Singh
was removed as President.
9. Myanmar International Series Badminton 2019 (Myanmar's First International Badminton series) -
1. Men’s singles - Kaushal Dharmamer (India). He defeated Indonesia's Karono Karono.
2. Women’s singles - Sri Fatmawati (Indonesia)
3. Men’s doubles - Emanuel Randhy Febrito (Indonesia) & Ferdian Mahardika Ranialdy (Indonesia)
4. Women’s doubles - Liu Chiao-Yun (Chinese Taipei) & Wang Yu Qiao (Chinese Taipei)
10. Spain won its 2nd FIBA basketball World Cup title after defeating Argentina, in Beijing (China). Ricky Rubio (Spain) was named
Most Valuable Player of competition.
11. Vietnam Open 2019 Badminton Title Winners -
1. India's Sourabh Verma won Men's Singles Title, defeating Sun Fei Xiang of China.
2. Category Winner
Men’s Singles Sourabh Verma (India). He defeated Sun Fei Xiang of China.
Women’s Singles Zhang Yi Man (China)
Men’s Doubles Choi SolGyu & Seo Seung Jae (South Korea)
Women’s Doubles Della Destiara Haris & Rizki Amelia Pradipta (Indonesia)
Mixed Doubles Guo Xin Wa & Zhang Shu Xian (China)
Top
Read Important Ones

Month All Type All
Appointments
1. Army chief Bipin Rawat will be appointed as New chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC).
2. Bulgarian Economist Christina Georgieva has been appointed as new Chief of Washington, D.C. (US) based financing agency
International Monetary Fund (IMF).
3. Government reconstituted Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) for 2 years. Bibek Debroy and Ratan P.
Watal will continue to be Chairman and Member Secretary respectively of reconstituted EAC-PM. EAC-PM will have two Part-
Time Members. While Ashima Goel continues to be one, Sajjid Chinoy has been made another Part-time Member.
4. Govt. appointed C.K. Abdul Rehim as acting Chief Justice of Kerala High Court and Vineet Kothari has been appointed as acting
CJ of Madras High Court (HC).
5. Harjit Singh Arora appointed as new Indian Air Force (IAF) Vice Chief, succeeding Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria who will take
over as New Chief of Indian Air Force.
6. Madhukar Kamath (chairman emeritus of advertising firm DDB Mudra group) is elected as chairman of Audit Bureau of
Circulations (ABC) for 2019-2020.
7. Misc. Appointments (September 2019) -
1. Sanjiv Ranjan has been appointed as new Indian Ambassador to Ecuador.
2. Anil Chauhan took over as chief of eastern command of Indian Army.
3. Jaideep Sarkar has been appointed as Indian Ambassador to Kingdom of Lesotho.
4. Government appointed B. Bala Bhaskar as New Indian Ambassador to Kingdom of Norway.
5. International Cricket Council (ICC) appointed Jonathan Hall as its General Counsel and Company Secretary.
6. Govt. extended Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena's tenure for 3 years.
7. Microsoft appointed Rajiv Kumar as Managing Director(MD) of Microsoft India Research & Development (R&D) Private Ltd
(MIRPL).
8. Government appoined Sanjay Tyagi as Director General of Health Services (DGHS).
9. Former England Cricketer Andrew Strauss appointed as chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s cricket
committee.
10. Indian Air Forece's Anjali Singh became India’s first female military diplomat posted on an Indian mission abroad after
joining Indian Embassy in Russia as Deputy Air Attache.
11. Madhya Pradesh government appointed actor Govinda as brand ambassador of Madhya Pradesh to promote state’s
traditional and tourist places.
12. Alison Rose has been appointed as First Female Chief of Royal Bank of Scotland, One of Britain’s biggest banks.
13. IDBI Bank appointed Samuel Joseph Jebaraj as Deputy Managing Director (DMD) for 3 years.
14. Government appointed Anil Kumar Jain as Secretary in Ministry of Coal.
15. Government appointed Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas as New Ambassador of India to Republic of Guinea Bissau (West
Africa).
16. RBI approved re-appointment of Shyam Srinivasan as MD and CEO of Federal Bank for 1 year.
17. Rupa Gurunath appointed as first woman president of Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA).
18. India's Suresh Chitturi has been appointed as new Chief of International Egg Commission, being First asian to be appointed
for this post.
19. Election Commission appointed Sushil Kumar Lohani as new Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Odisha.
8. Nilesh Shah (MD of Kotak Mahindra Asset Management) has been appointed as Chairman of Association of Mutual Funds in
India (AMFI).
9. RBI superseded Board of Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank and appointed Jai Bhagwan Bhoria as Administrator of
bank. It is done by RBI after defaults surging in PMC Bank and some lumpy loans to real estate companies that made it difficult for
bank to meet its commitments.
1. RBI has also put restriction on amount of withdrawal allowed to depositors to 10000 (up from 1000 put earlier).
2. Directives of RBI shall remain in force for a 6 months.
10. Rajiva Sinha appointed as new chief secretary of West Bengal.
11. Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi recommended former Delhi HC Chief Justice Rajendra Menon as
next chairman of Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT).
Top
Awards
1. Physicist and Cosmologist Thanu Padmanabhan has been conferred M P Birla Memorial Award 2019 for his contributions to
cosmology. M P Birla Memorial Award award recognises excellence in space science, astrophysics, astronomy and related areas. It
comprises prize of INR 251000.
2. 40th Right Livelihood Awards 2019 (known as the ‘Alternative Nobel Prize’) have been announced. 2019 Awardees are -
1. Aminatou Haidar (Western Sahara) - Human rights defender.
2. Guo Jianmei (China) - Lawyer. Honored for her pioneering work in securing women’s rights in China.
3. Greta Thunberg (Sweden) - Climate activist. Honored for inspiring political demands for urgent climate action reflecting
scientific facts.
4. Davi Kopenawa / Hutukara Yanomami Association (Brazil).
3. 71st annual primetime Emmy Awards Winners, announced in Los Angeles (US)
Sl. No. Category Winner
1. OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES Game of Thrones (HBO)
2. OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES Fleabag (Amazon)
3. LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA Billy Porter, Pose
4. LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
5. LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY Bill Hader, Barry
6. LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag
7. SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
8. SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA Julia Garner, Ozark
9. SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
10. SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
4. A documentary on Srinagar-based football club Real Kashmir FC has nominated in British Academy Film and Television Arts
(BAFTA) Awards. Its director Greg Clark has picked up for ‘Director Factual’ category, while show will compete in ‘Single
Documentary’ category.
5. Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina conferred with ‘Vaccine Hero’ award of Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunisations
(GAVI) in recognition of Bangladesh’s outstanding success in vaccination to immunise children. She was conferred on sidelines of
74th session of UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City (US).
6. Bollywood Actor Amitabh Bachchan will be honoured with India’s highest award in cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke Award for year
2018.
1. It is India’s highest film honour, introduced by government in 1969. The award was founded to commemorate ‘father of
Indian cinema’, Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, popularly known as Dadasaheb Phalke. He directed Raja Harischandra (1913),
India’s first feature film.
2. Award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus), a shawl and a cash prize of Rs.10 Lakh.
7. Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam has been honoured with ‘Magnificent Performing Arts Award’ at 21st Century Icon Awards in
London(UK). These annual awards are brainchild of UK-based Indian-origin entrepreneurs Preeti Rana and Tarun Ghulati.
8. Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Awards 2019 (Milan, Italy) -
1. Award Winner Club
Men’s Player Lionel Messi (Argentina) Barcelona FC
Women’s Player Megan Rapinoe (America) Reign FC
Men’s coach JurgenKlopp (Germany) Liverpool FC
Women’s coach Jill Ellis (America) –
Men’s goalkeeper Alisson Becker (Brazil) Liverpool FC
Women’s goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal (Netherlands) Atlético Madrid Femenino
Puskás Award Daniel Zsori (Hungary) Fehérvár FC
9. Hollywood actor Tom Hanks will be honoured with coveted Cecil B DeMille Award at Golden Globe Awards on January 5, 2020.
It recognises an individual who has made a lasting impact on the film industry. Oprah Winfrey.
10. Indian IT Firm Infosys won United Nations (UN) Global Climate Action Award 2019 in the ‘Climate Neutral Now’ category for its
efforts to combat climate change. It will be given this award during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Santiago, Chile
in December 2019.
1. Through its carbon offset drive, Infosys implemented energy efficiency proceedings and transitioned to renewable energy for
all its electricity needs. Since 2008, It has decreased its per capita energy consumption by over 51 %.
11. Indian journalist Kallie Puri honoured with “India’s Most Powerful Women in Media” award, at Confluence Excellence Awards at
the British Parliament.
12. Indian writer (primarily Malayalam), V. J. James’s novel ‘Nireeswaran’ (Atheist) selected for the Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial
Literature Award 2019. It carries cash prize of Rs 1-lakh.
13. Industrial Awards (September 2019) -
1. Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) won the 2019 “IT Excellence Award” by Express India, for designing
the app SATARK. The app tracks and alerts during disasters based on dynamic risk knowledge in real time.
2. Vedanta Resources Chairman Anil Agarwal was conferred lifetime achievement award at 19th Annual Asian Achievers
Awards in London (UK), with Theme ‘Inclusivity’. Other Notable winners -
1. Vipul Vadera: Businessperson of the Year
2. Kush Kanodia: Entrepreneur of the Year
3. Harjit Singh Bhania: Sports Personality of the Year
4. Neeta Patel: Woman of the Year
3. Hero MotoCorp Chief Pawan Munjal inducted into 2019 Asia Pacific Golf Hall of Fame, for his support to “Golf” in India and
around world.
4. 5 Indian women police officers honoured by United Nations for their services in UN’s mission in South Sudan. Women
officers - Reena Yadav, Gopika Jahagirdar, Bharati Samantray, Ragini Kumari and Kamal Shekhawat.
5. National Geoscience Awards 2018 for outstanding contributions in the field of geosciences, mining and allied areas were
presented to 22 scientists from across country. Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines, Pralhad Joshi conferred
the awards.
6. Kerala tourism has won 3 PATA gold awards at Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) awards 2019 held in Astana
(Kazakhstan). Awards are given for an ethnic food restaurant run by women at Kumarakom(Kerala) under its Responsible
Tourism(RT) mission, for Kerala tourism campaign advertisement ‘ Come Out and Play’ and third was for its website
www.keralatourism.org.
7. Flipkart Co-founder Binny Bansal become youngest to be recognized as a distinguished alumnus by IIT Delhi, for his
contribution in entrepreneurship.
8. Cochin International Airport Limited selected as best airport in terms of services, based on a survey conducted by the Airport
Council International (ACI) in 5-15 million passenger-category airports in the Asia-Pacific region for 2018.
14. Mathematician frm University of Warwick (England), Adam Harper won SASTRA Ramanujan prize for 2019, which contains
cash prize of $10,000. It is given to people under the age of 32 working in area influenced by mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.
1. Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy (SASTRA) Ramanujan award was instituted in 2005 by SASTRA
University.
15. NDTV Journalist Ravish Kumar received the 1st Gauri Lankesh Memorial Award 2019 by Gauri Lankesh Memorial Trust
(founded in memory of journalist Gauri Lankesh). He is known for his anti-NDA Government approach, which is led by PM
Narendra Modi.
16. Noted Archaeologists G.B. Deglurkar was conferred with Punyabhushan Award for his long-standing contribution to the field of
Indian Archaeology. Award is announced every year by Punyabhushan Foundation on 23 March, to commemorate Indian
revolutionary martyrs Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru.
17. Noted Former Indian track and field athlete PT Usha presented with Veteran Pin by International Association of Athletics
Federation (IAAF), for her contribution to growth of sport. It was given by IAAF chief Sebastian Coe at 52nd IAAF Congress in
Doha (Qatar).
1. During event, Britain’s Sebastian Coe was re-elected as the chief of IAAF for his second term.
2. President of Athletics Federation of India, Adille Sumariwalla also re-elected as member of the Council of IAAF for 2nd four-
year term.
18. On the occasion of 77th Foundation day of CSIR on Sep 26, President Ram Nath Kovind presented Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar
Prizes 2019 to 12 Scientists -
1. Biological Sciences - Kayarat Sai Krishnan (IISER Pune), Soumen Basak (NII New Delhi)
2. Chemical Sciences - Raghavan B Sunoj (IIT, Bombay), Tapas Kumar Maji (JNCASUR Bengaluru)
3. Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences - Subimal Ghosh (IIT, Bombay)
4. Engineering Sciences - Manik Varma (Microsoft Research Bengaluru)
5. Mathematical Sciences - Dishant Mayur Bhai Pancholi (IMSC Chennai), Nina Gupta (ISI Kolkata)
6. Medical Sciences - Dheeraj Kumar (ICGEB New Delhi), Mohammad Javed Ali (LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad)
7. Physical Sciences - Aninda Sinha (IISc, Bengaluru), Shankar Ghosh (TIFR, Mumbai)
19. Pooja Desai from Gujarat named winner of Mrs India – Pride of the Nation 2019 (a beauty pageant for married women).
20. President Ram Nath Kovind presented President’s Colours to the Corps of Army Air Defence, on occasion of 25 years of Army Air
Defence College. President’s Colours is highest military honour for the armed forces bestowed in recognition of exceptional
services, both during war and in peace times.
21. Rajasthan became first state to be awarded for water conservation and efficient use practices by National Water Mission of
Government, under category 2 - Promotion of citizen and state action for water conservation, augmentation and preservation.
1. Use of micro-irrigation in Narmada Canal Project in Sanchore and in Tejpur Minor of Indira Gandhi Nahar Project stage-II
were declared winners.
22. Telugu Poet K Siva Reddy has beeen awarded Saraswati Samman award for his collection Pakkaki Ottigilite in 2018. Saraswati
Samman is considered highest recognition in field of Indian literature, with cash prize of INR 15 lakhs. It is instituted by the KK
Birla Foundation.
Top
Books
1. Book From Leeches to Slug Glue: 25 Explosive Ideas that Made (and Are Making) Modern Medicine authored by Roopa Pai has
been released.
2. Book Game of Votes: Visual Media Politics and Elections in Digital Era written by Farhat Basir Khan (Jamia Millia Islamia) has
been released.
3. Book India in the Persianate Age: 1000-1765 by US based author Richard M Eaton has been released.
4. Book Lal Bahadur Shastri: Politics and Beyond authored by Sandeep Shastri will soon be released.
5. Book Reset: Regaining India’s Economic Legacy written by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy has been released.
6. Book titled “Being Gandhi” written by Paro Anand has been released.
7. New Book Titled Loss written by author Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi has been released.
8. New book ‘Girl Power: Indian women who broke the rules‘ written by Neha J Hiranandani has been released.
9. New comic book series ‘Professor Ayushman’ created by National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) has been unveiled by Ayush
ministry. It will raise awareness in children about importance of medicinal plants and their usage.
Top
Days
1. Sep 21 is observed as UN International Day of Peace. 2019 theme is Climate Action for Peace. It was first observed in 1981.
1. Sep 21 is observed as World Alzheimer’s Day, first observed in 2012.
2. Sep 21 is also observed as International Coastal Cleanup Day, observed annually on third Saturday of September.
2. Sep 22 is observed as World Rhino Day, as an international ecological observance to raise awareness on protection of 5 existing
species of rhinoceros - white rhino, black rhino, Indian rhino, Javan rhino, and Sumatran rhino.
1. Sep 22 is also observed as World rose day, for welfare of cancer patients.
2. Sep 22, 2019 is also observed as Daughters' Day observed on 4th Sunday of September every year.
3. Sep 23 is observed as International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL), observed first in 2018. It aims to raise awareness of
importance of sign language in the full realization of the human rights of people who are deaf. 2019 theme is Sign Language
Rights for All.
1. Sep 23 is also observed as Saudi National Day, to commemorate name changing of what was previously known as Kingdom
of Nejd and Hejaz to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
4. Sep 25 - World Pharmacist Day, marked by FIP Council in 2009. 2019 theme is Safe and effective medicines for all.
1. Sep 25 is also declared by Indian Govt as Antyodaya Diwas, announced in 2014. It marks Birth anniversary of noted
philosopher Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay.
5. Sep 26 is observed as Foundation day of CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), created in 1942. On this occasion,
President Ram Nath Kovind unveiled first Indigenous High Temperature Fuel Cell System developed by CSIR under flagship
program “New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI)”.
1. 5.0 kW fuel cell system generates power in a green manner using methanol / bio-methane, with heat and water as bi-
products for further use; amounting to greater than 70% efficiency, which is not possible by other energy sources.
2. Fuel Cells are based on High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (HTPEM) Technology. It is most suitable for
distributed stationary power applications like small offices, commercial units, data centers etc.; where highly reliable power
is essential with simultaneous requirement for air-conditioning.
6. Sep 26 is observed as International Day for the total elimination of nuclear weapons.
1. Sep 26, 2019 is also observed as world maritime day, observed on Last Thursday of September. 2019 theme is “Empowering
Women in the Maritime Community”.
2. Sep 26 is also observed as World Environmental Health Day (WEHD). 2019 theme is Climate change challenges, time for
global Environmental Health to act in unison. It was declared by International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH)
in 2011.
7. Sep 27 - World Tourism Day, marked in 1970. 2019 Theme is Tourism and jobs: a better future for all. India is host nation for
Tourism Day 2019. On this Occasion, Govt. presented National Tourism Awards 2018 -
1. Total 76 awards were given under various categories.
2. Andhra Pradesh state won the first prize for Best State for Comprehensive Development of Tourism.
3. Goa and Madhya Pradesh were announced as joint winners in Adventure Tourism category.
4. Uttarakhand won best film promotion friendly state.
5. Telangana won best state in innovative use of IT category.
8. Sep 28 - International Day for the Universal Access to Information (commonly called Access to Information Day), being held
since 2016.
1. Sep 28 is also observed as World Rabies Day (Diesease caused by Dog Bites).
9. Sep 29 is observed as World Heart Day.
10. Sep 30 is observed as World Translation Day, marked by UN in 2017 to pay tribute to language professionals.
Top
Defence
1. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioned Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) ‘Varaha’ into service.
2. 23rd edition of trilateral Navy exercise of India, Japan and US named Malabar 2019 began at Sasebo (Japan).
3. BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missile featuring several major indigenous components has been successfully test fired for its full
range of 290-km. Jointly developed by India and Russia, BRAHMOS has been operationalised in all 3 services of Indian Armed
Forces.
4. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioned India’s second Scorpene-class attack submarine INS Khanderi, India’s first P-17
Shivalik-class frigate INS Nilgiri and the largest aircraft carrier drydock into Indian Navy.
1. INS Khanderi is 2nd attack submarine under Project 75, first being INS Kalvari. It is built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders in
Mumbai. India aims to build 6 Scorpene-class submarines under P-75 in collaboration with France. Other 4 ships - INS
Karanj, INS Vagir, INS Vagsheer and INS Vela.
2. INS ‘Nilgiri’ is 1st of Indian Navy's 7 new stealth frigates under Project -17A, a design derivative of the Shivalik class stealth
frigates with much more advanced stealth features and indigenous weapons and sensors. Its cost is over 45000 crores. 5
ships of Nilgiri-class (P-17A frigates) are named after famous hill ranges - Himgiri, Udaygiri, Dunagiri, Taragiri and
Vindhyagiri. Last frigate (7th) will be named Mahendragiri.
5. Government hiked family pension for govt. employee who dies within 7 years of service, now to be 50% of last pay drawn from
previous 30% for a period of 10 years.
6. Indian Army and Indian Air Force conducted exercise ‘Chang Thang’ in Eastern Ladakh bordering China, as first such exercise in
the region.
7. Joint Military Exercise MAITREE-2019 between India and Thailand Armies conducted at Foreign Training Node, Umroi
(Meghalaya). It is being held since 2006.
Top
Economy
1. 37th GST Council Meeting Held in Panaji (Goa) under Chairmanship of F inance & Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman. Key Recommendations Include -
1. Goods -
1. GST Council recommends lower 12% cess on 1,500 cc diesel, 1,200 cc petrol vehicles with capacity to carry up to 13
people..
2. Rate levied on cut and polished semi precious stones has been dropped from 3% to 0.25%. Jewellery exports to now
attract zero GST.
3. Reduction in GST rates -
Goods Original Rate Reduced rate (new)
Parts of Slide Fasteners 18% 12%
Marine Fuel 0.5% (FO) 18% 5%
Wet Grinders(consisting of stone as a grinder) 12% 5%
Dried tamarind & Plates and cups made up of leaves/ flowers/bark 5% Nil
Cut and polished semi- precious stones 3% 0.25%
Specified goods for petroleum operations undertaken under Hydrocarbon Exploration Licensing Policy (HELP) 5%
4. Exemptions from GST/ IGST -

Imports of specified defence goods not being manufactured indigenously (upto 2024).
Supply of goods and services to FIFA (International Federation of Association Football ) and other specified
persons for organizing the Under-17 Women’s Football World Cup 2020 in India.
Supply of goods and services to Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for specified projects in India.
5. Increase in GST rates -
Original
Goods Increased rate (new)
Rate
Goods falling under chapter 86 of tariff like railway wagons, coaches, rolling stock (without refund of accumulated
5% 12%
ITC-Indian Tariff Code)
28% + 12% compensation
Caffeinated Beverages 18%
cess
2. Services -
1. GST Rates Reduced on Hospitality Services - NIL (Under 1000), 12 % (1001 - 7500), 18 % (Above 7500)
2. BANGLA SHASYA BIMA crop insurance scheme of West Bengal Government has been exempted from GST.
3. Group insurance schemes for paramilitary forces under the Home Affairs ministry to be exempted from GST.
2. As per BrandZ Top 75 Most Valuable Indian Brands 2019 rankingreleased by WPP and Kantar Millward Brown -
1. HDFC Bank named Indias' most valuable brand for the sixth consecutive year with brand value of $ 22.70 billion. LIC 2nd
with brand value of Rs 1.43 lakh crore.
2. Top 5 -
Rank Brand Brand value (Rupees) Change in value
1 HDFC bank 1.61 Lakh Crore + 5%
2 LIC 1.43 Lakh Crore + 2%
3 TCS (Tata Consultancy Services) 1.29 Lakh Crore + 21%
4 Airtel 72,988 Crore -10%
5 SBI (State Bank of India) 59,640 crores + 7%
3. Competition Commission of India approved acquisition of 70 % stake in Saudi Basic Industries Corporation by Saudi Arabian Oil
Company for $69.1 billion. In India, SABIC is engaged in supply of petrochemical and agro-nutrients while Saudi Aramco supplies
crude oil, liquefied petroleum gas, base oil and petrochemical products.
1. In August 2019, Saudi Aramco has announced acquisition of 20% stake in oil to chemicals (OTC) business of Reliance
Industries, for around $15 billion.
4. Digital infrastructure provider Tata Communications partnered with Cisco for a secure, fully-managed, multi-channel, cloud-
based Cisco Webex Contact Center solution. It is an end-to-end managed solution and gives contact centre users a seamless user
experience across up to 150 countries on the back of Tata Communications’ global network, expanding the global reach of Cisco
Webex Contact Center.
5. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that to overcome slowdown and increase business activities, government has asked
banks not to declare stressed loans of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as Non Performing Assets (NPAs) until
March 31, 2020.
1. Public Sector Banks will organise ‘loan melas’ or “Shamiana meetings” in 400 districts, to provide loans to NBFCs and retail
borrowers, including homebuyers and farmers.
6. First Advance Estimates of production of major Kharif crops for 2019-20 released by Department of Agriculture, Cooperation
and Farmers Welfare
1. Foodgrains – 140.57 million tonnes.
Rice – 100.35 million tonnes.
Nutri / Coarse Cereals – 32.00 million tonnes.
Maize – 19.89 million tonnes.
Pulses – 8.23 million tonnes.
Tur – 3.54 million tonnes.
2. Oilseeds – 22.39 million tonnes
3. Cotton – 32.27 million bales (of 170 kg each)
4. Jute & Mesta - 9.96 million bales (of 180 kg each)
5. Sugarcane – 377.77 million tonnes
7. Government has approved the construction of 1.23 lakh houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban). With this, over
90 lakh houses have so far been sanctioned against the target of 1.12 crore by 2022 under PMAY (Urban).
8. IT Firm Wipro tied up with Febraban, an industry body representing the Brazil’s financial services industry. Wipro will develop
an online platform “Noomis” for the financial services industry in Brazil.
9. Indian GDP Growth Forecasts (September 2019) -
1. DBS bank (formerly Development Bank of Singapore) reduced India’s GDP to 6.2% from its previous forecast of 6.8%.
2. Rating agency CRISIL revised India’s fiscal year 2020 GDP growth forecast to 6.3%.
3. International Monetary Fund(IMF) reduced India's GDP growth rate to 7% from 7.3% earlier.
4. Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2019 updated India’s GDP growth to 6.5% from
7% for FY 2019-20, after growth slowed down to 5% in Q1 April–June FY 2019-20, which is six-year low in the first quarter.
5. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in its Trade and Development Report 2019 forecasted
India’s GDP growth rate at 6% in FY 2019-20, down from 7.4% in FY 2018-19.
10. Indian School of Business (ISB) Hyderabad ranked 7th globally and 1st in Asia in Forbes Best International 1-Year Business
Schools 2019 rankings. ISB participated in the ranking for the first time. Top institutes -
1. International Institute for Management Development (IMD) Lausanne, Switzerland
2. Insead Fontainebleau (France) & Singapore
3. Judge Business School Cambridge, United Kingdom
4. SDA Bocconi School of Management Milan, Italy
5. Said Business School Oxford, United Kingdom
11. Misc. Corporate News (September 209) -
1. Health Insurer Max Bupa signed bancassurance corporate agency agreement with Indian Bank, Under which bank will
distribute Insurer's products and services to its customers.
2. Repco Home Finance Ltd signed corporate agency agreement with SBI Life Insurance, to provide SBI Life’s range of
products to its customers.
3. Merchant platform Pine Labs partnered with Federal Bank, to offer EMIs for offline debit card transactions. Federal Bank
customers will be able to instantly avail loans on EMI at Pine Labs terminals.
4. Hyundai Motors signed agreement with Bank of Baroda to be preferred financier for its dealers and consumers.
5. Airtel Payments Bank partnered with HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company to offer unique Mosquito Diseases
Protection Policy (MDPP) to protect against 7 mosquito-borne diseases - Dengue, Malaria, Chikungunya, Japanese
Encephalitis, Kala-azar, Lymphatic Filariasis (Elephantiasis) and Zika virus. It will be offered to Airtel Payments Bank
customers at a nominal cost of Rs 99 per annum.
6. IDBI Bank and Life Insurance Corporation of India Credit Cards Services (LIC CSL) will launch co-branded credit card.
7. Life insurance provider Aegon Life Insurance signed Corporate Agency Agreement with Paytm, to offer life insurance
products.
8. Indian Army and Bank of Baroda signed to lay down basis of banking services to be provided by Bank of Baroda to personnel
of Indian Army.
9. Paisalo Digital (Formerly S.E Investments) signed its second co-origination of loan agreement with Bank of Maharashtra
(BoM), to necessitate joint contribution of credit flow by BoM and Paisalo. 1dst such agreement was signed by PAISALO with
SBI, to pay out 200,000 loan applications in 2019.
10. Telecom frim Bharti Airtel has tied up with Bharti AXA Life Insurance, to offer prepaid plan for its users along with
insurance protection plan. Airtel has launched a special prepaid plan of Rs 599, in which customers will get 2GB data per
day, unlimited calling and life insurance cover of Rs 4 lakh from Bharti AXA Life Insurance with validity of 84 days.
12. NSDL Payments Bank (subsidiary of National Securities Depository Ltd) will soon start operations, as 6th Active Payments Bank
in India.
1. Others are - Airtel Payments Bank, India Post Payments Bank, Fino Payments Bank, Jio Payments Bank and Paytm
Payments Bank.
2. NSDL was one of 11 applicants that received in-principle approval from RBI in August 2015 to set up payments banks.
13. Punjab National Bank launched a Preventive Vigilance (PV) portal to facilitate its staff members to check procedural lapses as
well as promote good practices, to promote vigilance awareness in banking system.
14. RBI barred Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank from doing any business for six months and capped depositor
withdrawals at Rs 1000 per day.
1. Defaults appear to have surged in the past six months amid tight economic conditions and some lumpy loans to real estate
companies that turned sour, making it difficult for bank to meet its commitments.
15. RBI has put Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) Framework against Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB), limiting business activities of LVB.
1. RBI has put LVB in PCA due to high NPA, insufficient capital to risk-weighted assets ratio (CRR) and Common Equity Tier 1
(CET1) negative RoA (Return on assets) for two consecutive years. Bank’s net NPA is 7.49%, capital adequacy ratio was at
7.72% and its RoA was -2.32% as on March 2019.
16. SEBI eased norms for buyback (repurchase) of shares by listed companies, especially those having subsidiaries in housing
finance and Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) segments .
1. Ministry of Corporate Affairs earlier permitted government companies carrying out non-banking finance and housing
finance activities to launch buybacks resulting in up to 6:1 debt to equity ratio post share repurchase.
2. Buyback offer cannot exceed 25% of aggregate paid-up capital and free reserves of company and an approval from the
shareholders is required through a special resolution in case the size exceeds 10%.
3. At present, post-buyback debt-to-equity ratio is up to 2:1, except for companies for which a higher ratio has been notified. If
debt to equity ratio exceeds 2:1 threshold, buybacks would be allowed after excluding subsidiaries that are NBFCs and HFCs.
4. Standalone debt to equity ratio of all such excluded subsidiaries should not exceed 6:1. Earlier, Sebi had proposed to keep
this threshold at 5:1.
17. SEBI imposed a penalty of over Rs 22 crore on Aurobindo Pharma and its promoters, for violating insider trading norms.
18. SEBI) eased its norms to allow smart cities to raise funds through ‘Muni Bonds‘. Entities in areas of city planning and urban
development work, including municipalities, special purpose vehicles (SPVs) under ‘Smart Cities Mission’ can also raise funds
through debt securities.
1. SEBI had issued its Issue and Listing of Debt Securities by Municipalities (ILDM) Regulations 5 years ago and since then 7
municipalities have raised nearly Rs 1,400 crore by issuing their debt securities, which are commonly known as ‘Muni
Bonds’.
2. Several Requirements have been withdrawn and Rules pertaining to creation of escrow accounts were eased.
3. SEBI allowed this route for other structures where a group of municipalities pools their resources together to jointly raise
funds through the issuance of bonds, generally known as Pooled Finance Development Funds (PFDF).
4. In case of private placements, minimum subscription amount per investor currently at Rs 25 lakh has been reduced to Rs 10
lakh, to align it with regulations for corporate bonds.
19. To contain price rise of onions, Government imposed stock limits on traders and banned exports. It asked State Governments to
take strict measures to prevent hoarding by traders including organising raids.
1. Stock limit of 100 quintal on retail traders and 500 quintals on wholesale traders has been imposed across country.
2. Earlier, Minimum Export Price of US$ 850 F.O.B. per metric ton was imposed on export of onions.
20. To improve risk management & ensure sufficient liquidity, SEBI tightened rules for mutual funds, in which it make it mandatory
forliquid schemes to hold at least 20 % in liquid assets such as cash and cash equivalents like treasury bills and repo on
government securities.
New guideline will come into force from April 1, 2020.
21. Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting has launched “Wipro Consumer Care–Ventures” startup venture fund to invest in startups in
the consumer brands space.
Top
International
1. As per IIFL (India Infoline Finance Limited) Wealth Hurun India Rich List 2019, Mukesh Ambani (Reliance chairman) named
richest person in India with a wealth of Rs 3.8 lakh crores, staying at top for 8th straight year. He is followed by London based SP
Hinduja and family (Rs 1.86 lakh crore), Wipro founder Azim Premji (Rs 1.17 lakh crore), ArcelorMittal CEO L N Mittal (Rs 1.07
lakh crore).
2. Australian capital Canberra became first Australian city to legalise, possessing and growing marijuana for personal use. People
aged 18 or above will be allowed to possess 50 grams of marijuana and grow two plants.
3. Bank of International Settlements (BIS) launched a dollar green bond fund enabling central banks around the world to invest
in “green bonds”. Aim is to let central banks incorporate environmental sustainability into reserve management without
destroying assets & reserves.
1. Bonds which have eligible for inclusion in fund should have a minimum rating of A- and adhere to the International Capital
Market Association’s (ICMA) Green Bond Principles or the Climate Bond Standard published by the Climate Bonds Initiative
(CBI).
2. Green Bond is a bond whose proceeds are used to fund environment-friendly projects. First entity to issue green bonds was
the World Bank, which began the practice in 2008.
4. China and Kiribati formally re-established their diplomatic relations, a few days after Kiribati called off its ties with Taiwan.
1. China and Kiribati were allies till 2003 but after that Kiribati established relations with Taiwan and recognised its country
status, leading China to break off its diplomatic ties with Pacific island nation.
2. China considers Taiwan its territory and opposes Taiwan building diplomatic relations with other nations.
5. China based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will invest in six projects with 1.09 billion U.S. dollars in countries of
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
6. China launched its first amphibious assault ship, which would enable ground forces to carry out attacks on enemy territory from
sea. It is first in Type 075 class of amphibious assault ship, which is also defined as a type of landing helicopter dock.
7. European Union’s top court ruled that Google does not have to apply “Right to be forgotten law” globally. This means that Google
has to remove data links to personal information only in its European version of search results and not elsewhere in world.
1. Court said there was no obligation for a search engine to carry out de – referencing on all versions of its search results.
2. Case was filed against google by a French watch dog CNIL demanding fine of 100,000 Euros for Google refusing to de – list
sensitive information globally. Demand was to remove satirical photo montage of a female politician and couple of articles
referring to public relations officers of Church of Scientology.
3. Right to be forgotten was laid down by the European Court in 2014. Court ruled that people can ask search engines like
Google to remove irrelevant information appearing under searches for their names.
8. Facebook announced that it will acquire CTRL – Labs, a tech company that makes wrist bands capable of reading minds. The
band can transmit electrical signals from brain into computers as digital input. Deal is worth 500 million to 1 billion USD.
9. Infosys topped among 17 Indian Companies listed in Forbes World’s best ‘regarded’ companies list 2019, ranked 3rd globally.
Top Companies -
1. Rank company
1 Visa
2 Ferrari
3 Infosys
4 Netflix
5 PayPal
6 Microsoft
2. Other Indian Companies in List - TCS (22nd), Tata Motors (31), Tata Steel (105), Larsen & Toubro (115), Mahindra &
Mahindra (117), HDFC (135), Bajaj Finserv (143), Piramal Enterprises (149), Steel Authority of India (153), HCL
Technologies (155), Hindalco Industries (157), Wipro (168), HDFC Bank (204)
10. International Institute for Management Development’s (IMD) World Digital Competitiveness Rankings (WDCR) 2019 -
1. India moved up by 4 places from 48th rank in 2018 to rank at 44th position in 2019. China was ranked 22nd, up from 30th
last year.
2. Top 5 - US (1), Singapore (2), Sweden (3), Denmark, Switzerland (5)
3. Evaluation was done based on 3 factors - knowledge, technology and future readiness.
11. Japan’s unmanned H-2B rocket lifted off with cargo vessel Kounotori8 also known as HTV 8 towards International Space Station
(ISS), considered as the world’s biggest transport spaceship. It intends to deliver about 5.3 tonnes of supplies to astronauts at ISS.
12. National Library of Israel unveiled an 80 – year old handwritten letter by M K Gandhi on day World War II broke out
(September 1, 1939). He had wished the Jewish people an era of peace in his letter. He addressed this letter to Bombay Zionist
Association that was struggling to turn support of Indian leaders in favor of movement to establish a home for Jews.
13. Nepal’s Central Bank (Nepal Rastra Bank) released 3 coins (100, 1000 and 2500 Nepali rupees) bearing Sikh symbol to
commemorate 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Book titled “Sikh Heritage of Nepal” was also launched.
14. Russia formally accepted 2015 Paris agreement on Climate Change. Russia will now allocate financial resources towards
developing countries for prevention of and adaptation to climate change.
1. Paris Agreement is an agreement within UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) that was signed in 2016.
2. It deals with greenhouse-gas-emissions (GHG) mitigation, adaptation, and finance.
15. Russia held its annual TSENTR 2019 International Command Exercise involving six other nations. Forces from China, India,
Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan joined Russia’s annual exercise.
16. Saudi Arabia will offer tourist visas for the first time, opening up conservative kingdom to holidayers as part of a push to diversify
its economy away from oil.
17. Taiwan has cut off its ties with Kiribati (Oceanic Nation), amid Taiwan’s tensions with China. China claims Taiwan to be its
territory and says that it has no right to having formal ties with any country.
18. Tripartite mechanism to monitor and assess repatriation process of displaced Rohingya people to Myanmar has been agreed
between Bangladesh, Myanmar and China. 7 lakh 50 thousand refugees entered Bangladesh from Myanmar after process of ethnic
cleansing was initiated in Myanmar in 2016 & 2017.
19. UAE astronaut Hazzaa al-Mansoori became first Arab to reach International Space Station (ISS), lifting off from Kazakhstan in a
Russian spacecraft. He was accompanied by Russia's Oleg Skripochka and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir.
20. World’s oldest travel company Thomas Cook announced bankruptcy, after failing to secure a bailout package from investors.
Collapse of this 178 year old British travel giant also left thousands of travelers stranded across Europe.
Top
Meetings
1. 64th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference 2019 held in Kampala (Uganda) with theme Adaption, engagement, and
evolution of parliaments in a rapidly changing Commonwealth. Indian delegation was led by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Top
National
1. 9 Day long flower festival of Telangana, Bathukamma began in Telangana’s Warangal district. It marks beginning of Sharath
Ruthu.
2. According to report burden of child and maternal malnutrition and trends in its indicators in the states of India: the Global
Burden of Disease Study 1990–2017 published in Lancet Child & Adolescent Health -
1. Two-thirds of children below 5 years deaths in 2017 are still attributable to malnutrition
2. However, deaths caused by malnutrition have shown a much smaller decrease to 68.2% in 2017 from 70.4% in 1991.
3. Andhra Pradesh government will impose a green tax besides banning single-use plastic, To keep a check on pollution by
industrial houses.
4. As a turning point in cultural historiography of ancient Sangam Age, Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department (TNAD) stated that
cultural deposits unearthed during excavations at Keeladi in Sivaganga district could be dated to period between 6th century BCE
and 1st century CE.
5. Assam Government launched Aponar Apon Ghar home loan subsidy scheme and Abhinandan – Education Loan Subsidy scheme.
1. Under Home loan scheme, subsidy up to 2 lakh 50 thousand rupees will be provided for loan amounts from five lakh to 40
lakh rupees.
6. Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) partnered with Cab Aggregator Ola, to extend PMJAY
benefits to its drivers. Eligible drivers and Ola employees will be able to avail benefits of programme and obtain an Ayushman
Bharat card at a minimal cost of Rs 30.
7. DRDO and Central University of Jammu signed MoU for establishment of Kalam Centre for Science and Technology (KCST) at
the university. It aims to facilitate multidisciplinary directed basic and applied research and technology development in
Computational System Security and Sensors.
8. Delhi Govt. led by CM Arvind Kejriwal announced a new scheme under which people residing as tenants in Delhi will be able to
avail power subsidy upto 200 units, named Mukhyamantri Kirayedar Bijli Meter Yojna'.
1. Delhi Govt has been announcing several schemes over past year which provide several basic services for free, including free
metro and DTC bus rides for females, free electricity upto 200 units, and now free electricity for tenants. This is being done
amid upcoming assembly elections in delhi.
9. Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (Ministry of Jal Shakti) launched 10 Year Rural Sanitation Strategy (2019-2029),
which focus on sustaining sanitation behavior change that has been achieved under Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBM-G).
1. Since launch of SBM-G in 2014, over 10 crore toilets have been built in rural areas and over 5.9 lakh villages, 699 districts,
and 35 States/UTs have declared themselves Open Defecation Free (ODF).
10. Department of Women & Child Development and Mission Shakti, Government of Odisha, in collaboration with United Nations
International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) unveiled a mascot named ‘Tikki Mausi’, to spread awareness about nutrition
of children and women.
1. Mascot has been named so in reference to second mother of a child. Tikki Mausi is gregarious character and is an empathetic
protagonist with extensive knowledge on all issues related to women and children.
11. Digital Communication Commission (Department of Telecom) approved multiple projects worth over Rs 8,500 crores, to provide
improved connectivity by setting up mobile towers and laying of optical fibre.
12. Election Commission announced polling schedule for Assembly elections in – Haryana and Maharashtra. Polling will be done on
October 21 and results to be announced on October 24.
1. Election Commission appointed Madhu Mahajan and B Murali Kumar as Special Expenditure Observers for forthcoming
Elections to Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra. Actress Madhuri Dixit has been appointed as a goodwill ambassador for
Maharashtra Assembly polls.
13. General conferences (Sep 21 - 30, 2019)
1. 6th India Water Week 2019 observed between September 24 -28, 2019 with theme Water Cooperation – Coping with 21st
Century Challenges
2. Kargil to Kohima (K2K) Ultra-Marathon- “Glory Run” flagged off by Indian Air Force from Kargil War Memorial, To
commemorate 20th year of Kargil Victory”. Kohima and Kargil are forward most outposts of India in East and in North
where two of fiercest battles were fought in 1944 and 1999 respectively. Distance over 4500 Km will be covered in 45 days.
3. 16th Global SME Business Summit 2019 held in New Delhi, organized by Ministry of MSME and Confederation of Indian
Industries (CII). 2019 theme is Making Indian MSMEs Globally Competitive. National Conclave on Enhancing Energy
Efficiency in MSME sector was also held in New Delhi.
4. 2nd edition of joint hackathon with Singapore, ‘Singapore India Hackathon 2019’ held at IIT Madras. It is first of its kind
joint International hackathon between India and any other country.
5. 9th India-China Financial dialogue held in New Delhi. Chinese delegation led by Zou Jiayi, Vice Minister of Finance of
China.
6. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched ‘TB Harega, Desh Jeetega’ campaign in New Delhi, aiming to reach out to
every tuberculosis (TB) patient. ‘National TB Prevalence Survey’ was also launched. India aims to become TB-free by 2025,
ahead of global target of 2030.
7. 21st session of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Health Organisation (WHO) Coordinating Committee of
Asia 2019 held in Panaji (Goa).
8. 5th edition of India International Science Festival (IISF) will be held in Kolkata in November 2019, with theme RISEN India
– Research, Innovation, and Science Empowering the Nation’.
9. National Conference on Agriculture for Rabi Campaign 2019 organized at NASC, Pusa in New Delhi.
10. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal launched “Champions Campaign” to fight dengue and urged citizens to become ‘champions’ and
encourage friends to check their homes for mosquito larvae. Earlier, he had launched 10Hafte 10Baje 10Minute campaign.
11. Bangladesh Government will allow 500 tons of Hilsa fish to be exported to India, lifting the ban on the same. Bangladesh
accounts to nearly 75% of world Hilsa production.
12. Delhi HC launched official mobile app named “Delhi High Court” for lawyers and litigants (person involved in a lawsuit).
13. Minister of State (MoS) in Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh launched Centralised
Public Grievances Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) reforms in Department of Posts. CPGRAMS 7.0 version
monitors grievances from public which can be accessed through www.pgportal.nic.in.
14. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated 150th birth anniversary celebrations of noted Ayurvedic physician Vaidyaratnam
P.S. Varier At Kottal in Kerala. He founded Kottakal Arya Vaidyasala in 1902 for manufacture and sale of Ayurvedic
medicines in India. He also established a Ayurvedic Patasala in 1917 that is now operating as an Ayurveda college.
15. Kerala Govt. launched Kerala edition of WING-Women Rise Together, an initiative by Startup India, Department for
Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) for capacity development of women entrepreneurs in country at 2nd
edition of Huddle Kerala 2019.
16. Andhra Pradesh government banned private practice by doctors working in government hospitals.
17. 6th ‘MASCRADE 2019’- Movement Against Smuggling and Counterfeit Trade scheduled’, an annual flagship FICCI held in
New Delhi. 2019 theme is ‘Containing Counterfeiting, Smuggling and Piracy: A Winning Strategy’.
18. World Sindhi Congress (WSC) hosted a 31st international conference on Sindh in London. It slammed Pakistan over its
failure to respect democratic rights and curbs on by country’s military.
19. Longest hindu festival of Nepal named as Bada Dashain formally began in Nepal.
20. 7th World Hindu Economic Forum (WHEF) 2019 held in Mumbai, with theme Prosperous Society: Stronger Society.
21. India hosted 2nd Lead Author Meeting of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group III Sixth
Assessment Report at New Delhi.
22. Midnapore railway station of West Bengal became 5000th railway station to be enabled with Wi-fi, under Railtel' Project
which began in 2016. Mumbai central was first railway station to get wifi implementation.
23. Pakistan invited former Indian PM Manmohan Singh for inauguration of Kartarpur corridor on November 9, 2019.
24. Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated Delhi-Meerut Package-3 connecting Dasna in Ghaziabad
to Hapur, the 22 kilometre-long stretch. Delhi-Meerut Expressway is 82 kilometre-long project connects Delhi with Meerut
in western UP, being implemented in four packages.
25. Indian Consulate in Dubai stated that Bureau of Immigration (BoI) will now accept PIO cards as valid travel document till 31
March 2020 along with valid foreign passport. Government had earlier advised all PIO card holders to convert their cards to
Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards by 30 September 2019.
14. Google announced to open an artificial intelligence (AI) based research lab “Google Research India“, in Bengaluru, to be led by
Manish Gupta.
15. Gujarat Government launched India’s 1st trading program called “Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)” in Surat, to combat
particulate air pollution.
1. ETS is a market-based system where government sets a cap on emissions and allows industries to buy and sell permits (in
kilograms) to stay below the cap.
2. Surat is chosen for implementaion of ETS as it is densely populated industrial center where textile and dye mills emit large
amounts of air pollution & it is equipped with Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems which can track mass of Particulate
Matter being released.
16. Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah launched 3 citizen centric services of Chandigarh Police, including Emergency Response
Support System (ERSS - Dial 112), ‘E-Beat Book’ System and the ‘E-Saathi App’.
1. ERSS project under Nirbhaya Fund, providing a single emergency number (112), preventing escalation of crime, especially
against women and children. ‘Dial 112’ emergency response service is an initiative to strengthen proactive community
policing that would end confusion amongst distress callers.
2. ‘E-Beat Book’ is a web and mobile based application which will ease collection, updation and analysis of the information
related to crime and criminals in a real time.
3. ‘E-Saathi’ App would help the general public, including senior citizens, to remain in touch with the police and also give
suggestions to facilitate participative community policing.
17. Home Minister Amit Shah laid foundation stone of new building of Registrar General of India (Janganana Bhawan/Census
Building) in New Delhi He also announced to conduct first-ever “digital census” in 2021 (16th census of India and 8th since Indian
independence).
1. INR 12000 crores will be spent on preparation of National Population Register (NPR) and census 2021. It will be a
transformation from paper census to digital census as mobile app will be used to collect data.
2. Home Minister also proposed single multipurpose identity card for citizens, with all utilities such as Aadhaar, driving license,
passport and bank accounts merged into one.
3. He also stated that National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) being set up to track any terror suspect and prevent terrorist
attacks with real time data, will start functioning by January 2020. NATGRID is a 3400 Crores project, as a robust
intelligence gathering mechanism related to banking, immigration, individual tax payers and travels. It was conceptualised
following 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
4. He also launched ‘Private Security Agency Licensing Portal’, to help private security agencies get licenses, amid need to
increase number of licensed private security.
18. Jammu and Kashmir become first state to distribute highest number of golden cards under Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri
Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), showing positive intent of People of Jammu and Kashmir towards government schemes.
1. Sep 23 also observed as 1st edition of Ayushman Bharat Diwas. Ayushman Bharat Yojana or Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya
Yojana (PMJAY) was launched from Ranchi on Sep 23, 2018.
19. Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and IIT Delhi signed MoU for cooperation in research, education and technology
developments in science and other disciplines. This collaboration will also facilitate access to each other’s libraries and central
research facilities. It will intensify joint research projects and other related academic activities.
20. Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath announced that name of Bhopal metro will be ‘Bhoj Metro’, after late king Raja Bhoj. It will be
built at a cost of about Rs 6,941.4 crore rupees. First phase of the metro project will be completed by 2023 with 2 corridors.
21. Minister of Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan launched two initiatives to tackle the menace of genetic diseases in
newborns - Unique Methods of Management and treatment of Inherited Disorders (UMMID) initiative National Inherited
Diseases Administration (NIDAN), Both supported by Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
1. Objective of UMMID is to make treatment of expensive genetic diseases in newborns within reach of all people. NIDAN
kendras are to be established under UMMID initiative. These will provide counselling and management in government
hospitals.
2. Another objective is to produce skilled technicians in Human genetics to screen pregnant women and newborn babies for
inherited genetic diseases.
22. Ministry for Civil Aviation directed setting up a mechanism to regularly monitor airfares in country, to enable monitoring of
airfares by Ministry of Civil Aviation and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
23. NASSCOM’s Data Security Council of India (DSCI) collaborated with Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) and Google India to
launch nationwide awareness campaign ‘Digital Payment Abhiyan’, launched by Communications and Electronics & IT Minister
Ravi Shankar Prasad at ‘Google for India’ event in New Delhi.
24. NITI Aayog released SEQI (School Education Quality Index), evaluating performance of States / UTs in school education (For
2016-17).
1. 18 of 20 large states improved in overall performance, with highest performance recorded in Kerala, followed by Rajasthan
and Karnataka. Uttar Pradesh ranked last in list of 20 large states.
2. Among small states - Manipur (1), Tripura (2) and Goa (3).
3. UTs - Chandigarh (1), Dadra and Nagar Haveli (2), Delhi (3).
25. NTPC will set up a 5-gigawatt solar park in Gujarat, as Biggest solar park in India. It will cost approx $3.5 billion and wll begin
operations by 2024.
26. Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare launched 2 mobile Apps – ‘CHC Farm Machinery and
Krishi Kisan App for Geo Tagging’.
1. Through CHC Farm Machinery App, farmers can select and order the required machinery at the rates feasible for them from
the Custom Hiring Centers located in the radius of 50 Kms.
2. Krishi Kisan App will provide farmers the information of best demonstration of high-yielding crops and seeds in their nearby
area. Any farmer with high quality of crops can utilise this to demonstrate best practices of cultivation to other farmers.
27. National eGovernance Division (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) and National Law Institute University
(NLIU) Bhopal signed MoU to implement an ‘Online Capacity Building Programme on Cyber Law, Crime Investigation and Digital
Forensics through NeGD Learning Management System (LMS)’.
28. Ponung Doming became first lady officer from Arunachal Pradesh in Indian army to be elevated to rank of Lieutenant colonel.
29. Railways Subsidary Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) launched its Initial Public Offer (IPO), with 645
crores value, as largest IPO issued by all subsidiaries of Indian Railways.
1. Investments can be made by 3 October. IRCTC will be listed on NSE and BSE on October 14.
2. Price band is between 315 to 320. Bid size is minimum 40 shares.
3. Government is going to launch 2,01,60,000 shares priced at Rs 10 under offer in the market. After this, Govt stake in IRCTC
will come down from 100 % to 87.4 %.
30. Railways and Department of Science & Technology partnered with IIT Kanpur for taking up a unique project on ‘Industry 4.0’ by
launching a Pilot Project for implementation at Modern Coach Factory, Raebareli.
1. ‘Industry 4.0’ commonly referred to as the fourth industrial revolution, is a name given to the current trend of automation,
interconnectivity and data exchange in manufacturing technologies to increase productivity.
2. Industry 4.0 is a complex Cyber-Physical Systems which synergizes production with digital technologies, the Internet of
Things, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data & Analytics, Machine Learning and Cloud Computing.
31. UIDAI announced that Non-resident Indians (NRIs) with valid Indian passport could apply for Aadhaar on arrival, without the
need to wait for 182-day period by scheduling a prior appointment.
32. Uttar Pradesh Govt. announced annual support of INR 6,000 to the victims of triple talaq till their rehabilitation and they will get
free legal aid.
33. Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu suggested several reforms in Supreme court including bifurcation of Supreme Court and
setting up of four Regional Benches, Expressing serious concern over delays in justice delivery. He Also suggested evolving
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that limit number of adjournments and timeframe for disposal of cases by courts.
Top
Persons
1. Noted Indian Classical Singer Pandit Jasraj will have a minor planet (2006 VP32 (number -300128), located between Mars and
Jupiter) named after him by IAU (International Astronomical Union), which was discovered 13 years ago by NASA. Pandit Jasraj
is first Indian artist to receive such an honour.
2. Obituaries (Sepetembr 2019) -
1. LaShawn Daniels - Grammy Winning US songwriter, known as Big Shiz.
2. Robert Mugabe - Zimbabwe's former President. He was country's first post-independence leader and also considered as
Zimbabwe's founding father. He served for 37 years.
3. Kiran Nagarkar - Sahitya Akademi Award-winning writer. He wrote in Marathi and English.
4. Kottakkal Chandrasekhara Warrier - Noted Kathakali maestro (Kerala).
5. Veeru Krishnan - Bollywood actor and Noted Kathak dancer.
6. Abdul Qadir - Pakistan’s Noted Cricketer (leg-spinner). He had taken total 368 wickets in his international career.
7. Ram Jethmalani - Former Union Minister and Senior Lawyer. He served as Minister of Law and Justice In office (1996).
8. Dilip Satpathy - Noted Odisha Journalist.
9. Heeralal Sharma - Rajasthan born freedom fighter.
10. Raja Sekar - Tamil Film Director, Actor and Cinematographer.
11. Robert Frank - Switzerland born Noted documentary Photographer.
12. Akilisi Pohiva - Noted Climate Change campaigner. He was also former PM of Oceanic nation Tonga.
13. Sivaraman Cheriyanad - Noted Malayalam Writer from Kerala.
14. Jusuf (B.J.) Habibie - Former Indonesian President, who permitted democratic reforms.
15. B.N. Yugandhar - Former bureaucrat and Secretary to PMO. He was father of Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella.
16. Sanjib Kumar Datta -Noted Film editor.
17. Edward Smith - Noted American historianm, Known for his writings on American Presidents.
18. Sathar - Noted Malayalam actor (Kerala).
19. Robert Skinner Boyd - Noted American Journalist (Pulitzer Prize winner).
20. S.K. Padmadevi- Noted Kannada actor.
21. Fernando Ricksen - Former Dutch (Netherlands') footballer.
22. Shyam Ramsay - Noted Bollywood producer.
23. Madhav Apte - Former India Cricketer and entrepreneur.
24. Venu Madhav - Noted Telugu actor.
25. Davo Karnicar - Slovenian Climber Who Was First Person to Ski Down Mount Everest.
26. Jacques René Chirac - Former French president. He was first leader to accept France’s role in the Holocaust (World War II
genocide).
27. J. Michael Mendel - American television producer & a four-time Emmy Award winner.
28. KPS Menon (junior) - Former Foreign Secretary of India. He was son of K P S Menon (Senior), who was first foreign
secretary of Independent India.
29. Viju Khote - Bollywood Actor, manly known for his role in Sholay as Kalia.
3. Persons Resigned / Retired (September 2019) -
1. Government accepted resignation of Anshula Kant as Managing Director (MD) of State Bank of India (SBI), after her
appointment as the MD and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of World Bank Group.
2. Indian women cricketer Mithali Raj announced her retirement from T20 Cricket.
3. Zimbabwe Cricketer Hamilton Masakadza announced his retirement from international cricket.
4. Cameroon footballer legend Samuel Eto announced retirement from all forms of football.
5. Madras HC Chief Justice Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani resigned from her post, after being transferred to Meghalaya HC.
6. Brazilian tennis player Diego Matos has been banned for lifetime because of match-fixing.
7. Chinese E-Commerce Firm Alibaba's Chairman Jack Ma announced his retirement from the post. Daniel Zhang, Alibaba's
CEO, will replace Jack Ma as Executive Chairman of group.
8. Asian Development Bank President Takehiko Nakao resigned, which will be effective from January 16, 2020.
9. Indian Cricketer Dinesh Mongia announced retirement from all formats of cricket.
10. Kim Ji Hyun (South Korea) resigned as India’s women’s singles badminton coach. She coached World Championship gold
medalist PV Sindhu.
11. England women cricketer Sarah Taylor announced retirement from international cricket.
4. Visits from India (Sep 21 - 30, 2019)
1. Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar Visited Russia, to attend First meeting of Heads of
Environment Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member Nations.
2. Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry Visited UAE, to attend 7th meeting of UAE-India High Level
Joint Task Force on Investments.
1. He also unveiled design of India pavilion at World Expo 2020 in Dubai, to take place for 6 months between 20th
October 2020 up to 10th April 2021.
3. Navy Chief Karambir Singh visited Bangladesh.
4. PM Narendra Modi Visited US -
1. He attended Howdy Modi event in Texas, which was attended by Over 50000 Indian-Americans. Notably, It was also
attended by US President Donald Trump.
2. PM Modi attended 74th session of United Nations General Assembly in New York City. 74th UNGA is presded by
Tijjani Muhammad-Bande (Nigeria).
3. UN Climate Change Summit 2019 was held in New York City. It was hosted/convened by UN Secretary-General
António Guterres. Theme of Climate Summit was Climate Action Summit 2019: A Race We Can Win. A Race We Must
Win.
4. PM Modi atended India- CARICOM ( Caribbean Community and Common Market) Meeting. India announced 14
million USD grant for community development projects in region. Another 150 million Line of Credit was annouced for
solar, renewable energy and climate- change related projects.
5. PM Modi attended India-Pacific Islands Developing States (PSIDS) Leaders’ Meeting in New york City.
1. PM Modi announced allocation of USD 12 million grant (USD 1 million to each PSIDS) towards implementation
of high impact developmental projects.
2. Another 150 million Line of Credit was annouced for solar, renewable energy and climate- change related
projects.
6. SAARC Council of Ministers meeting held on sidelines of 74th UNGA Session.
7. PM Narendra Modi gifted 1 Million USD ‘Gandhi Solar Park’ to UN in New York. The 50 kilowatt hour (kWh) roof-top
solar park has 193 solar panels—each representing a member of the multilateral body. Gandhi peace garden was also
inaugurated.
8. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded "Global Goalkeeper" award to PM Minister Narendra Modi for Swachh
Bharat Abhiyan launched by his government.
9. Rajasthan’s Payal Jangir became first Indian to receive Changemaker Award 2019 at Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards
2019 presented by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She hails from Hinsla village, Rajasthan and was awarded for
her work towards abolition of child marriage in her village and other neighboring areas.
10. A UN postage stamp of M K Gandhi was launched event titled Leadership Matters: Relevance of Gandhi in the
Contemporary World.
11. India and US will hold their first tri-services exercise code-named as ‘Tiger Triumph’ at Visakhapatnam and Kakinada
in Andhra Pradesh, in November 2019. This will 2nd time that India will deploy assets and manpower from its Army,
Navy and Air Force together for an exercise with a foreign country, after similar tri-service exercise ‘Indra wargames’
with Russia in 2017.
12. Members of Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) met at 74th UN General Assembly, to discuss
progress on steps taken to implement Christchurch Call to Action. It has been led by 4 founding companies - Microsoft,
Facebook, Youtube and Twitter.
13. PM Modi met CEOs of 17 global energy companies in Houston and signed MoU for Indian investment of $ 2.5-billion
LNG supply from US for four decades.
14. Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a big push to securing India’s energy interests when he met CEOs of 17 global
energy companies.
1. An MoU was signed between US natural gas company Tellurian and India’s Petronet LNG, under which Petronet
will invest $2.5 billion in Tellurian’s proposed Driftwood LNG export terminal, in exchange for rights to 5 million
metric tonnes of LNG per year for over 40 years.
15. PM Modi launched global Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) at UN Climate Action Summit in New
York. CDRI will support countries to build climate and disaster resilient infrastructure. Coalition’s secretariat,
supported by UNDRR and based in Delhi, will facilitate knowledge exchange, provide technical support and support
capacity building.
1. India will provide support of Rs 480 crore to CDRI to support research projects, setting up secretariat and
covering recurring expenditure between 2019-20 to 2023-24.
16. Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina conferred with ‘Vaccine Hero’ award 2019 in recognition of the country’s outstanding
success in vaccination, especially for her role in eliminating polio, cholera and various communicable diseases.
17. 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference (also known as COP25) will be held in Santiago (Chile) in December
2019.
5. Visits to India (Sep 21 - 30, 2019)
1. Deputy Prime Minister of Indonesia, Jurin Laksanawisit Visited India -
1. He launched Agri-Trade Supply Chain Alliance (ATSCHA) which will increase trade commodity supply between two
countries.
2. A MOU was signed to create an online platform for SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) from both countries.
3. Thailand and India signed agreements worth Rs 2,400 crore to boost trade ties.
2. President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga visited India -
1. 4 MOUs signed - Cultural Exchange Protocol from 2019-2023, Disaster Management and Disaster Risk Reduction,
Cooperation and Usage of Outer Space for peaceful and civilian purposes AND Comprehensive Work Plan for
cooperation in the field of Animal Health and Dairy.
2. India announced additional 236 million dollars Line of Credit for ongoing Petrochemical Refinery Project in Mongolia.
3. PM Narendra Modi and Mongolia President Khaltmaagiin Battulga jointly unveiled a statue of Lord Buddha and his
two disciples, installed at historic Gandan Tegchenling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia’s Capital) via
videoconferencing.
3. Governor of US State New Jersey Phil Murphy Visited India -
1. New Jersey and Gujarat signed ‘sister state agreement’ MoU for cooperation several areas.
Top
Science
1. According to UN report titled United in Science for 2019, average global temperature between 2015-2019 will be the hottest of
any five-year period on record. It is estimated to be 1.1 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial (1850-1900) times and 0.2 degrees
Celsius warmer than 2011-2015.
1. CO2 grew 2% in 2018 and reached a record high of 37 billion tonnes. Extent of Arctic summer sea ice declined at rate of 12%
per decade over past 40 years.
2. An unusual object originated outside our solar system has been spotted as 2nd Interstellar visitor to our solar system, named
2I/Borisov by International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center. It's anywhere between 1.2 and 10 miles in diameter.
3. Geologists from Utrecht University Netherlands discovered a new continent named “Greater Adria” in the mediterranean region
under Europe, after successful analysation of mountain ranges from Spain to Iran in detail for 10 years. The discovery is published
in ‘Gondwana Research’.
1. Greater Adria island is a piece of continental crust in the size of Greenland. It once separated from North Africa and plunged
into the Earth’s mantle under Southern Europe. Only remaining part of this continent is a strip that runs from Turin, Italy
via the Adriatic Sea in the Italian peninsula, hence the name “Greater Adria”.
2. Millions of years ago, Earth consisted just one massive chunk of land called Pangea, which fragmented into smaller portions,
giving rise to continents as they are now. During this , lost eighth continent Greater Adria slipped underneath what now
forms Southern Europe. It took Greater Adria 120 million years to be found by mankind.
4. ISRO initiated ‘Project NETRA’ (NETRA-Network for space object Tracking and Analysis), in-order to detect debris in space and
other hazards in Indian satellites which would act as a step for Space Situational Awareness(SSA).
1. NETRA is a network of observational tools which can track objects/debris in range 10cm - 3400km. NETRA’s goal is to
capture geosynchronous equatorial orbit(GEO) at 36,000 km where communication satellites operate.
5. NASA launched a miniature satellite (4 cm x 4 cm x 4 cm) called “RamanSat 2” made by a 17-year old New Delhi-based Indian
student Aabhaas Sikka. Satellite will measure radiation from sun and space to make space exploration safer for humans and
satellites.
6. New species of snake called Thackeray’s Cat Snake (scientific name Boiga thackeray) named after Tejas Thackeray, younger son
of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, has been found in Sahyadri tiger reserve in Koyna area of Satara district in Maharashtra
after 125 years.
7. Researchers discovered a new mineral named ‘Goldschmidt’ inside a diamond from a mine- Koffiefontein pipe in South Africa
run by De Beers. It is named goldschmidt in honor of Victor Moritz Goldschmidt, the founder of modern geochemistry.
1. It has high concentrations of niobium, potassium and rare earth elements lanthanum and cerium. Mineral was formed about
170 kilometers beneath Earth’s surface, at temperatures reaching 1200 C.
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Sports
1. International Cricket Council signed agreement with Facebook, under which Facebook will get exclusive digital content rights for
select cricket matches in Indian subcontinent including the Women’s T20 World Cup 2020-22, Men’s T20 World Cup 2020-21
and Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
2. 2019 Challenger de Buenos Aires Men's tennis tournament (Buenos Aires, Argentina) -
1. Singles - Sumit Nagal (India). He defeated Facundo Bagnis (Argentina).
2. Doubles - Argentina' Guido Andreozzi AND Andrés Molteni
3. 2019 China Open Badminton -
1. Men's Singles - Kento Momota (Japan )
2. Women's Singles - Carolina Marín (Spain)
3. Men's Doubles - Indonesia's Marcus Fernaldi Gideon AND Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo
4. Women's Doubles - China's Chen Qingchen AND Jia Yifan
5. Mixed Doubles - China's Zheng Siwei AND Huang Yaqiong
4. 2019 Korea Open Badminton -
1. Men's Singles - Kento Momota (Japan)
2. Women's Singles - He Bingjiao (China)
3. Men's Doubles - Indonesia' Fajar Alfian AND Muhammad Rian Ardianto
4. Women's Doubles - South Korea's Kim So-yeong AND Kong Hee-yong
5. Mixed Doubles - Thailand' Dechapol Puavaranukroh AND Sapsiree Taerattanachai
5. 2019 Moselle Open Men's Tennis Title (Metz, France) -
1. Singles - Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France)
2. Doubles - Robert Lindstedt (Sweden) AND Jan-Lennard Struff (Germany)
6. 2019 St. Petersburg Open Men's Tennis Title ( St. Petersburg, Russia)-
1. Singles - Daniil Medvedev (Russia)
2. Doubles - Divij Sharan (India) AND Igor Zelenay (Slovakia)
7. 2019 Toray Pan Pacific Open Women's Tennis Title (Osaka, Japan) -
1. Singles - Naomi Osaka (Japan)
2. Doubles - Chinese Taipei's Chan Hao-ching AND Latisha Chan
8. 2019 World Weightlifting Championships held in Pattaya (Thailand) -
1. 588 competitots from 97 nations participated.
2. Medals table (all medals - Big (Total result) and Small (Snatch and Clean & Jerk))
Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 China 29 14 10 53
2 North Korea 7 12 5 24
3 Georgia 5 0 2 7
4 Armenia 4 4 4 12
5 US 3 3 2 8
3. 7 Indian weightlifters participated, but India remained medal-less at the event.

9. 2019 Wuhan Open Women's Tennis (Wuhan, China)-
1. Singles - Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus). She defeated Alison Riske (US)
2. Doubles - Duan Yingying (China) AND Veronika Kudermetova (Russia)
10. 20th Asian Senior Men’s Volleyball Championship 2019 held in Tehran (Iran) -
1. Iran emerged champions by defeating Australia. Japan & South Korea bagged third and fourth place respectively. India was
ranked 8th.
11. Biennial AIBA World Boxing Championships 2019 held in Ekaterinburg Expo, Yekaterinburg (Russia)
1. Indian boxers won 2 medals, as Best Indian show in these championships. Amit Panghal lost to Olympic champion
Shokhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan and won silver in 52kg category. India’s Manish Kaushik defeated Andy Cruz Gomez from
Cuba in 63 kg category and won bronze medal. 2021 AIBA World Boxing Championships will be held for first time in New
Delhi (India).
2. Medal Tally -
1 Uzbekistan 3 1 1 5
2 Russia 3 0 1 4
3 Kazakhstan 1 1 4 6
4 Cuba 1 1 1 3
5 England 0 1 2 3
6 India 0 1 1 2
12. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel of Germany won Formula 1 (F1) Singapore Grand Prix 2019. He became first to win Singapore Grand
Prix 5 times -

15 Singapore Grand Prix Sebastian Vettel (Germany) 22 September
13. India won SAFF Under-18 football Championship by defeating Bangladesh in Kathmandu (Nepal), as India’s First SAFF U-18
trophy.
14. Indian Badminton Player Malvika Bansod won Maldives International Future Series, defeating Myanmar’s Thet Htar Thuzar.
Also, Vaibhav and Prakash Raj claimed men’s doubles title after beating Thailand’s Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Panitchaphon
Teeraratsakul.
15. Manipur women football team won 25th Senior Women’s National Football Championship 2019 at Pasighat (Arunachal
Pradesh), defeating Indian Railways.
16. Mercedes Racer Lewis Hamilton of UK won Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix 2019 -


16 Russian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 29 September
17. Ministry of Sports will set up 20 National Centres of Excellence (NCE) to groom athletes for 2024 Paris and 2028 Los Angeles
Olympics. National Centres of Excellence (NCE) scheme will have distinction of having a single scheme running in them for elite
athletes.
18. Misc. Sports Events (September 2019) -
1. 36th National Games will be held in Goa from October 20 – November 4, 2020. Hosting of games has been delayed several
times since las year.
2. Shotputter Tejinderpal Singh Toor won silver medal at athletic meet at Decin, Czech Republic.
3. For the 1st time, 25th Senior Women’s National Football Championship 2019 held in Pasighat (Arunachal Pradesh).
4. Nadubhagam Chundan, snake boat of Pallathuruthy Boat Club won 67th Nehru Trophy Boat race at Punnamada Lake in
Alappuzha in Kerala.
5. Indian swimmers Rujuta and Virdhawal Khade won 73rd Glenmark National senior aquatics championships 2019 in Bhopal
(MP), in Female and Male categories respectively.
6. Indian woman athlete Anupama Swain won bronze medal in World Martial Arts Mastership Jiu-Jitsu 2019 in Chungju
(South Korea). She has qualified for 2022 Asian Games.
7. Indian Cricketer Rohit Sharma launched Rohit 4 Rhinos campaign, in partnership with WWF India and Animal Planet. It
aims to build awareness for need to conserve Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros or Indian Rhino.
8. Asian Games gold medallist Jinson Johnson broke his own 1500m national record while winning a silver in ISTAF Berlin
event.
9. Afghanistan's Rashid Khan became youngest captain in test cricket (at age 20 years and 350 days).
10. Bangladesh Krida Shiksha Prothishtan (BKSP) defeated Nilmani English School (Manipur) to win U17 Girls Subroto Cup
International Football 2019 title in New Delhi.
11. Afghanistan Cricketer Mohammad Nabi announced his retirement from test cricket.
12. 8th edition of Ladakh Marathon held in Leh, as highest marathon in world, held at over 11,000 feet above sea level.
13. Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga become first T20I bowler to take 100 wickets.
14. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) won 93rd All-India MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tournament, defeating Punjab National
Bank (PNB).
15. Kenya's Brigid Kosgei completed fastest half-marathon ever ran by a woman as She won Great North Run in a time of 1 hour,
44 minutes and 28 seconds.
16. South Africa appointed Former Indian Cricketer Amol Muzumdar as interim batting coach for series against India.
17. Sports Ministry recommended names of 9 Female sportspersons for India's Civilian Honors Padma Awards 2020 -
1. Boxer Mary Kom became first female sportsperson to be recommended for Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest
civilian award. PV Sindhu’s name has been suggested for the Padma Bhushan Award.
2. Recommended for Padma Shri - - Harmanpreet Kaur (Cricket), Rani Rampal (Hockey), Manika Batra (TT), Suma
Shirur (Shooter) and mountaineer twin sisters Tashi and Nungshi Malik.
18. Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi was renamed as Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in the memory of former DDCA President
and Finance Minister.
19. 25th Edition of Asian Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Championships 2019 held at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Indian team
clinched 2 silver medals.
20. In International Billiards Snooker Federation (IBSF) World Under-16 Snooker Championship 2019 in Tyumen (Russia),
Ranveer Duggal from Chandigarh won bronze medal.
21. Belgian female tennis player Kim Clijsters (former World no. 1 and four-time Grand Slam Winner) announced her return to
professional tennis, seven years after her retirement.
22. Indonesian golfer Rory won Classic Golf and Country Club International Championship 2019 at Nuh city in Haryana. Indian
golfer Rashid Khan and Korea’s Byungjun Kim secured second position.
23. 1st edition of Western Asian Youth and Junior Chess Championships 2019 held in New Delhi. India won 125 medals and
stayed at top.
24. Meghalaya’s Hopewell Elias Higher Secondary School won 60th Under-17 Junior Boys Subroto Cup International Football
Tournament 2019 by beating Bangladesh Krida Shiksha Protisthan (BKSP).
25. Smiling panda, named Bing Dwen Dwen was revealed as the official mascot for Beijing Winter Olympics 2022. A walking
Chinese lantern Shuey Rhon Rhon was declared as the official mascot for Winter Paralympics 2022.
26. Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur announced that a cricket and sports academy will be set
up in Leh, Ladakh.
27. ICC banned Sri Lankan Cricketer Akila Dananjaya from bowling in international games for 1 year, after his bowling action
was found illegal.
28. American Golfer Nelly Korda won Ladies European Tour Title at Lacoste Ladies French Open. India’s Aditi Ashok was the
best Indian, finishing 26th.
29. Indian chess player Koneru Hampi won Fide World Grand Prix 2019 title in Skolkovo, Russia.
30. Indian team of Pankaj Advani and Aditya Mehta won “IBSF World Snooker” title, defeating Thailand in Mandalay
(Myanmar).
31. Indian wrestler Deepak Punia clinched top spot in rankings released by United World Wrestling (UWW) in 86 kg category.
32. Indian fencer CA Bhavani Devi won silver medal in women’s sabre individual category in 2019 Tournoi Satellite Fencing
competition at Ghent (Belgium).
33. Indian junior boys Raegan Albuquerque and Yashansh Malik paired with Netherlands' Lode Hulshof to win bronze medal at
the Serbia Junior and Cadet Table-Tennis Open 2019.
19. World Wrestling Championships 2019 held in Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan) -
1. Wrestlers from 101 nations participated. It was first qualification event for Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games and first
Senior World Championships in Kazakhstan.
2. Russia named champions in Men's Freestyle and Men's Greco-Roman Categories, while Japan named champions in
Women's freestyle.
3. Medal table -
1 Russia 9 5 5 19
3 Geordia 4 0 2 6
4 Japan 3 3 3 9
5 Azerbaijan 1 3 2 6
4. India ranked 17th with 5 Medals (1 Silver and 4 Bronze). Indian Medalists -
1. Silver -
1. Deepak Punia. He settled for silver after pulling out of 86kg final Deepak Punia due to Injury. He was to face
Hassan Yazdani of Iran in 86Kg Category.
2. Bronze -
1. Bajrang Punia won bronze, by defeating Mongolia’s Tulga Tumur Ochir in 65 kg.
2. Vinesh Phogat won bronze medal by defeating Maria Prevolaraki of Greece in 53 kg freestyle event.
3. Rahul Aware won bronze medal after defeating Tyler Lee Graff in 61kg category.
4. Ravi Kumar Dahiya won bronze by beating Iran's Reza Atrinagharchi in 57kg men's Freestyle.
Top
Read Important Ones

Current Affairs - Oct 2019
Month All Type All
148 Current Affairs were found in Period - October 1 - 10, 2019 for Type - All
Appointments
1. England Cricket Board appointed Chris Silverwood (UK) as new head coach, replacing Trevor Bayliss.
2. Goa-origin Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa won re-election of Prime Minister of Portugal.
3. Government appointed New Chief Justices to seven High Courts -
1. Lingappa Narayana Swamy - Himachal Pradesh High Court
2. Ravi ShankerJha - Punjab and Haryana High Court
3. Indrajit Mohanty - Rajasthan High Court
4. Arup K. Goswami - Sikkim High Court
5. Ajai Lamba - Gauhati High Court
6. J.K. Maheshwari - Andhra Pradesh High Court
7. S. Manikumar - Kerala High Court
4. Government appointed S S Mallikarjuna Rao as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Punjab National Bank.
5. Govt. appointed Economist Surjit S Bhalla as Executive Director for India on board of International Monetary Fund (IMF), for 3
years. He will succeed former RBI deputy governor Subir Gokarn as Executive Director for India at IMF who passed away recently.
6. Misc. Appointments (Oct 2019) -
1. Kuldeep Singh Dhatwalia appointed as Principal Director General of Press Information Bureau (principal spokesperson of
government).
2. Govt. appointed Pradipta Kumar Bisoi as Secretary in Department of Posts.
3. Govt. Approved assignment of additional charge of Secretary in Ministry of Panchayati Raj to Amarjeet Sinha (Secretary in
Department of Rural Development).
4. Government appointed PK Gupta as new CMD of PSU NBCC (National Buildings Construction Corporation).
5. Rajiva Sinha appointed as new chief secretary of West Bengal and Srikant Baldi appointed as Chief Secretary of Himachal
Pradesh.
6. Surendra Kumar Ghotia appointed as Chief (Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief) of South Western Air Command. He
succeeded Harjit Singh Arora, who was recently appointed as vice chief of Indian Air Force (IAF).
7. Tata Communications has named Amur S Lakshminarayanan as its MD and CEO.
8. Govt. appointed Amrit Lugun as New Ambassador of India to Greece.
9. Govt. appointed Muktesh Kumar Pardeshi as New Ambassador of to Niue (Oceanic Nation).
10. Vijay Patil elected as president of Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA).
11. Government appointed Anumula Gitesh Sarma as New Indian Ambassador to Australia.
12. Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) appointed Chairman of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Kallam Satish Reddy as its President
for 2019-21.
7. Sushil Chandra Mishra has been appointed as MD and CEO of Oil India Limited.
8. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) appointed Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio as its
goodwill ambassador for indigenous people.
9. Vinod Kumar Sharma has been appointed as new Lokpal by Punjab State government. Govt failed to amend Punjab Lokpal
Act1996, hence leaving the Chief Minister and Cabinet ministers out of Lokpal's ambit.
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Awards
1. British activist Caroline Criado Perez won Royal Society Science Book Prize 2019 (sponsored by Insight Investment) for her 2nd
book ‘Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men’. She received a cheque amounting £25,000.
2. England Cricketer Ben Stokes has been voted Professional Cricketers’ Association player of the year at PCA awards. Tom Banton
named PCA young player of the year and bowler Sophie Ecclestone collected women’s player of the summer award.
3. Human rights lawyer from Kyrgyzstan Azizbek Ashurov has been awarded 2019 UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
prestigious Nansen Award. It consists cash prize of USD 150,000 prize. UNHCR hailed Azizbek Ashurov for helping Kyrgyzstan
become the world’s first country to end statelessness, working through his organisation Ferghana Valley Lawyers Without Borders
(FVLWB).
4. Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Ramesh Pandey will be honored with 4th United Nations Asia Environmental Enforcement
Award 2019 by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), for combating trans-boundary environmental crime.
1. He introduced M-Stripes (Monitoring System for Tigers Intensive Protection & Ecological Status), a novel software-based
patrolling in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, UP on the recommendation of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to avoid
poaching.
5. Industrial Awards (Oct 2019) -
1. Kavitha Gopal became first female student of IIT Madras to receive President of India Prize, at 56th convocation of IIT
Madras.
2. International body of people of Indian origin Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) will honour 3 Indian-
Americans for their contribution in the health field as well as for promoting health awareness among the diaspora. It
Includes -
1. Rahul Shukla (CEO of S S White Technologies and Shukla Medical).
2. Hitesh Bhatt (CEO of Bhatt Foundation)
3. H R Shah, Chairman and CEO of TV Asia.
6. Short film from Kerala “Spirit Of Kerala” has won the People’s Choice Award at My Rode Reel film competition, touted as
‘world’s largest short film competition’.
7. University of Salford in Greater Manchester, England honored Indian playback singer Asha Bhosle with an honorary Doctorate of
Arts degree in recognition of her contribution to field of music.
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Books
1. Book Netherlands – Past, Present and Future written by Venu Rajamony (India’s Ambassador to Netherlands) has been
released.
2. Book The RSS: Roadmaps for 21st Century, written by Sunil Ambekar has been released.
3. Book titled The Tech Whisperer, written by Jaspreet Bindra has been released.
4. Book titled “Carpenters and Kings: Western Christianity and the Idea of India” written by Siddhartha Sarma has been released.
5. Book written by Fakir Hassen, titled 150 Years of Celebrating the Mahatma the South African Legacy launched in South Africa.
6. Former US First Lady Michelle Obama‘s second book titled “Becoming: A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice” will
release in Nov 2019.
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Committees
1. Government formed Inter-Ministerial Coordination Committee chaired by revenue secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey to check
money laundering activities. Objective is to facilitate coordination among the law enforcement agencies, intelligence agencies and
various regulators in matters relating to countering of terror financing and money laundering.
2. IRDAI constituted a working group chaired by T.L. Alamelu to review the product structure of title insurance, which covers any
loss caused due to a defect in ‘title’ of the property arising out of third-party challenges.
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Days
1. Oct 02 is Birth Anniverary of M K Gandhi and Former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri (2nd PM of India).
1. It was 150th Birth Anniversary of M K Gandhi. It is observed as UN International Day of Non-Violence, established in 2007.
2. Film Division in association with India Tourism organised a “Gandhi Film Festival” in Mumbai.
3. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and Doordarshan partnered to telecast TV
bilingual programme ‘Mahatma Lives‘ or ‘Bapu Zinda Hain’.
4. Rajasthan Government banned certain categories of Pan Masala and flavoured Tobacco products made of magnesium,
carbonate, nicotine and mineral oil. Rajasthan is the third state to impose this ban after Maharashtra and Bihar.
5. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and IIT Bombay organized Global Student Solar Assembly. India has
committed to reduce its carbon intensity by 33-35% by year 2030 as well as to install cumulative renewable energy capacity
of 175 GW (by 2022) and 450 GW (by 2030).
6. Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog’s Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) and UNICEF India launched ‘The Gandhian
Challenge’ for school children. It provides a platform for children across India to ideate innovative solutions for a sustainable
India of their dreams, using Gandhi’s principles. Winners of Gandhian Challenge will be awarded in New Delhi by NITI
Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission and UNICEF on the occasion of Children’s Day on 14 November 2019.
7. Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal released ‘Stations’ Cleanliness Survey Report’. Top 3 cleanest
railway stations are from Rajasthan - Jaipur (1), Jodhpur (2) and Durgapura (3). Out of Top 10, 6 are from Rajasthan.
1. North Western Railway followed by South East Central Railway and East Central Railway are top three zones.
8. Students from Delhi & NCR region created two world records - environmental sustainability lessons to the largest number
of students at one place AND largest number of assembly & lighting of Solar lamps'. Both records had over 5000
participants.
9. ‘Arogya Manthan’ event organised in New Delhi, to mark first year anniversary of Ayushman Bharat or PM-JAY (Pradhan
Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana). PM-JAY was launched on 23rd September 2018. New mobile application of Ayushman Bharat
and ‘Ayushman Bharat Start-Up Grand Challenge’ were also launched by PM Modi.
10. Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel launched 5 new schemes - Mukhyamantri Suposhan Abhiyaan, Mukhyamantri Haat
Bazaar Clinic Yojana, Mukhyamantri Shahariya Slum Swasthya Yojana, Universal PDS Scheme and Mukhyamantri Ward
Karyalaya.
1. Under Universal PDS (Public Distribution System) scheme, general category families are eligible for food grains.
Families with single member will be eligible for 10 kg of rice per month, a family of 2 members will get 20 kg of rice per
month and family of 3 and more than 3 members will get 35 kg of rice per month at a cost of Rs 10 per kg.
11. Palestine released a commemorative postage stamp on M K Gandhi, honouring his legacy and values.
12. Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani Inaugurated India’s Largest ‘Charkha’ made of Waste Plastic in Noida.
13. At the Safaigiri 2019 organized by India Today group, Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has been awarded “The most effective
Swachhata Ambassador”.
14. On the eve of M K Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary, PM Modi declared India Open Defecation Free. He sated that more than
110 million toilets have been built under swatch bharat abhiyaan since 2014.
15. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) have launched an Automated Real Time Performance Smart-
board for effective monitoring and measurement of key programmes of government. Digital Charkha art installation was also
launched, as an amalgamation of traditional design with a digital spin with wheel of Charkha being made up of interlinked
digital grids.
16. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik announced Mo Sarkar initiative, to ensure transparency in governance focusing fully on
common public. Govt. will work to ensure that people get their rights with help of 5T mantras - Technology, Transparency,
Teamwork, Transformation and Time
17. PM Narendra Modi released commemorative coin of Rs.150 denomination, at an event held at Sabarmati Ashram in
Ahmedabad (Gujarat)
2. Oct 1 is observed as UN International Day of Older Persons. 2019 Theme is The Journey to Age Equality. It was established by
UN in 1990.
1. Oct 1 is also observed as International Coffee Day, being observed since 2015.
2. Oct 1 is also observed as World Vegetarian Day, established by North American Vegetarian Society in 1977.
3. Oct 1 is also National day of China.
4. President Ram Nath Kovind will conferred ‘Vayoshreshtha Samman-2019’ on Eminent Senior Citizens & Institutions in
recognition of their services towards the cause of elderly persons.
3. Oct 10 is Observed as World Mental Health Day by World Health Organization. 2019 Theme is Suicide Prevention. It was first
celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health.
1. Oct 10, 2019 is also observed as World Sight Day. It is observed annually on second Thursday of October.
4. Oct 4 is observed as World Animal Day, an international day of action for animal rights and welfare.
5. Oct 5 is observed as World Teachers Day, marked by UNESCO since 1994. 2019 Theme is Young Teachers: The Future of the
Profession.
1. Note that National Teachers' Day in India is observed on Sep 5. It commemorates Birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli
Radhakrishnan, first Vice President and second President of India.
6. Oct 7, 2019 is observed as UN World Habitat Day (first Monday of October). 2019 Theme is Frontier Technologies as an
innovative tool to transform waste to wealth and global observance of World Habitat Day 2019 Held in Mexico.
7. Oct 8 is observed as Indian Air Force Day. 2019 is 87th observance of the day.
1. On this occasion, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh received first of the 36 Dassault Rafale fighter jets on behalf of India,
during his France Visit.
2. Oct 8 also marks Festival of Vijaydashmi. On this occasion, Mr. Rajnath Singh also pertormed Shastra Pujan of the Rafale
Jet. All 36 Rafale jets are to be received by India by 2022.
3. On this occasion, PM Narendra Modi released commemorative stamp to honour Marshal of Air Force late Arjan Singh.
4. Indian Air Force has released a promotional video on Balakot airstrike, which killed over 200 pakistani terrorists.
5. Also, Wildlife Week is observed across country every year between 2nd October and 8th October.
8. Oct 9 is observed as World Post Day. It marks establishment of Universal Postal Union in 1874 in Swiss Capital, Bern. It was
declared in 1969.
1. Also, Breast Cancer Awareness month is observed annually from October 1 till October 31 in order to raise awareness it.
9. World Cotton Day (WCD) organized by WTO in Geneva (Switzerland) during Oct 7 - 11, 2019, in collaboration with UN and
several agencies. World Cotton Day is being observed for the first time. Textiles Minister Smriti Irani participated on India's
Behalf.
1. During the event, India announced launch of second phase of Cotton Technical Assistance Programme (TAP) for Africa. In 5
year long second phase, programme will be introduced in 5 additional countries, namely Mali, Ghana, Togo, Zambia and
Tanzania. Cotton TAP programme will now cover 11 African countries.
2. India implemented a Technical Assistance Programme (TAP) for cotton in 6 African countries – Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad,
Malawi, Nigeria and Uganda from 2012 to 2018.
10. World Space Week (WSW) observed from 4 to 10 October globally.
11. World Space Week is observed between Oct 4 - 10 Annually. 2019 Theme is The Moon: Gateway to the stars. It was designated
by UN in 1999.
1. It marks oct 4, 1957, launch of first human – made earth satellite, Sputnik 1.
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Defence
1. 10th edition of Joint Military Exercise Ekuverin between Indian and Maldives Armies began in Pune (Maharashtra).
2. 14th edition of Indo – Mongolian joint military Exercise Nomadic Elephant began at Bakloh (Himachal Pradesh).
3. 4th Annual India - Kazakhstan Joint Army exercise KAZIND 2019 commenced at Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand.
4. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved enhancing monetary assistance to Next of Kin (NoK) of all categories of Battle
Casualty (BC) from Rs two lakh to Rs eight lakh. The amount will be granted under Army Battle Casualties Welfare Fund
(ABCWF).
5. Indian Army inducted small Spike anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) of Israel in order to meet the operational requirements till
DRDO develops indigenous man portable ATGM (MP-ATGM).
1. Procurement from Israel is done as currently there is nearly a 50% shortage of authorized holding of different types of
ATGMs.
2. Present ATGMs available with Army - Milan-2T and Konkurs , do not have night-fighting capabilities, which these Israeli
missiles are capable of.
6. Indian army began its first ever mountain combat exervise called Himvijay in Arunachal Pradesh, to be conducted in 2 phases.
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Economy
1. New India Assurance company signed inter-creditor agreements (ICAs) for debt exposure to debt instruments of Reliance Home
Finance and Dewan Housing Finance. This is first such instance of an insurance company entering into ICAs for debt resolution.
2. According to RBI Consumer Confidence Survey 2019, the consumer confidence has dipped to a six-year low, due to decline in
employment, income and discretionary spending. Current Situation Index fell to 89.4 whereas it was 95.7 in July 2019.
3. As per RBI data, India’s current account deficit (CAD) narrowed to $ 14.3 billion or 2% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) during
the first quarter (April – June) of 2019-20. CAD had fallen from $ 15.8 billion (2.3 % of GDP) in first quarter of 2018-19.
1. Net foreign direct investment was $ 13.9 billion in first quarter, up from $ 9.6 billion in same quarter of FY 2018-19.
4. Bajaj Finance overtook SBI in market value, becoming fifth most valued in country’s BFSI (Banking, Financial Services and
Insurance) domain. Market capitalisation of Bajaj finance stood at Rs 2.32 lakh crore as against SBI’s Rs 2.28 lakh crore.
5. Bengaluru-based fintech start-up Shubh Loans received Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) license from RBI, through its
subsidiary ‘Ekagrata ‘of its parent company Datasigns Technologies.
6. Bombay Stock Exchange Partnered with FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry), to promote MSMEs
and startups. A session was organised to promote Udyam Saathi and Udyam Sakhi initiatives to foster MSME sector.
7. Cabinet approved new process of strategic disinvestment to privatize selected Public Sector Units, with Department of
Investment and Public Asset Management as nodal agency.
1. In Budget 2019-20, divestment target was raised from 90,000 crore rupees to 1.05 lakh crore rupees.
2. DIPAM and NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) will jointly identify PSUs for strategic disinvestment.
Earlier, only NITI Aayog used to identify PSUs to be disinvested.
8. Competition Commission of India (CCI) given its approval under the 'green channel' route to acquisition of Essel Mutual Fund by
a Sachin Bansal-owned entity. This is first clearance under the 'green channel' route, a speedier approval mechanism put in place
by CCI.
9. Competition Commssion approved acquisition of shareholding in GMR Airports Limited by TRIL Urban Transport Private
Limited, Valkyrie Investment Pte. Ltd. and Solis Capital (Singapore) Limited. Proposed combination relates to acquisition of up to
55.2% equity stake in GAL collectively by TUTPL, Valkyrie and Solis.
10. Directorate General of Trade Remedies (Ministry of Commerce & Industry) launched an online system Applications for
Remedies in Trade for Indian Industry and other Stakeholders (ARTIS) for filing anti-dumping applications by domestic industry
for speedy resolution of dumping issues.
11. Documentation Identification Number (DIN) system of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) came into force. From now
onwards, every CBDT communication will have a documentation identification number, ensuring greater accountability and
transparency in tax administration.
12. GST revenue collected in September 2019 remained 91916 crores (CGST 16630 crore, SGST 22598 crore, IGST
45069 crore andCess 7620 crore). Revenue in September 2019 declined by 2.67% in comparison to revenue in September 2018.
13. ICICI Bank signed pact with CSC e-Governance Services India to extend its banking and other services to country’s rural regions.
ICICI Bank will engage more than 3 lakh CSCs working at last mile as banking correspondents.
14. India received details of accounts of Indians in Swiss banks, as first tranche of information shared by Switzerland with India
under AEOI (Automatic Exchange of Information) framework. Switzerland exchanged account details with 75 countries including
India.
1. To combat black money deposited in Swiss banks, India and Switzerland signed an agreement in December 2017 that
allowed automatic sharing of tax-related information from January 2018.
15. Indian GDP Growth Forecasts (Oct 2019) -
1. Standard & Poor (S&P) Global ratings reduced India’s growth to 6.3% from its previous estimation of 7.1% for 2019-2020.
2. RBI in its 4th Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Review reduced GDP Growth Foreacst for 2019-20 to 6.1 % (From 6.9%).
3. International rating agency Moody’s reduced India’s GDP growth forecast to 5.8% for FY20, from 6.2% earlier.
4. India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra), a part of Fitch group, lowered India's GDP Growth forecast for FY 2019-20 to 6.1%,
from 6.7 % earlier.
16. Indian car-maker Mahindra & Mahindra formed a Joint Venture with Ford Motor Company (FMC), after it bought a 51% stake in
Indian unit of Ford. M&M will now manage Ford’s Indian Operations. M&M acquired 51% equity share capital of Ardour
Automotive, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford in India. Equity value of transaction is approx 657 crores.
17. Infosys selected as main supplier to deliver Volvo Cars’ digital transformation services for its enterprise digital commercial
operations applications and products.
18. Japanese life insurer Nippon Life Insurance renamed Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management (RNAM) as Nippon India Mutual
Fund (NIMF) after acquiring 75 % stake in RNAM from Reliance Capital for around Rs 6,000 crores.
19. Ministry of Finance notified that interest rates of Post Office small savings schemes will remain unchanged for third quarter (Q3)
Oct - Dec FY 2019-20 -
1. Name Interest rate Compounding Frequency
Savings Account 4 Annually
1, 2, 3 year Post Office Time Deposit 6.9 Quarterly
5 Year Post Office Time Deposit 7.7 Quarterly
5 Year Post Office Recurring Deposits 7.2 Quarterly
5 Year Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS) 8.6 Quarterly
5 Year Post Office Monthly Income Scheme (MIS) 7.6 Monthly
5 Year National Savings Certificate (NSC) 7.9 Annually
Public Provident Fund (PPF) 7.9 Annually
Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) 7.6 Annually
Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme 8.4 Annually
20. Misc. Corporate News (Oct 2019) -

1. Axis Bank launched ‘Express FD’, a digital fixed deposit (FD) product that allows a customer to open an FD account in three
minutes through digital mode without opening a savings account. It offers attractive interest rates, zero issuance fees and no
penalty on pre-mature withdrawal of up to 25% of amount. Amont can be between 5000 - 90000, for tenure between 6 to 12
months.
2. Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur launched Pragati Rath of HDFC bank, which will provide financial and digital
literacy to people during a month-long initiative.
3. UCO Bank launched digital products called UCash, Digilocker and an app. UCash allows Customers to withdraw money from
ATMs without using debit card. Digilocker will enable sharing of verified electronic documents without use of physical
documents. Mobile app comes as integration of 4 existing apps – UCO Mbanking, UCO UPI, UCO Mpassbook and UCO
Secure.
4. U GRO Capital (formerly known as Chokhani securities) signed its first co-origination of loan agreement with Bank of
Baroda, to necessitate joint contribution of credit flow with competitive rate of interest, to empower SMEs by using U GRO
Capital’s co-lending platform ‘GRO-Xstream’.
5. Government e-Marketplace (GeM) signed MoU with Union Bank of India (UBI). It will facilitate a cashless, paperless and
transparent payment system on portal and will create an efficient procurement system for government entities.
21. PSU Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) and National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) partnered to formulate
an electricity distribution plan to install smart electricity meters in all households. Joint venture called IntelliSmart Infrastructure
Pvt Ltd (IntelliSmart) will execute, finance and operate smart meter program.
22. RBI 4th Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Review -
1. RBI reduced repo rate by 25 basis points (bps), to 5.15% (from 5.40%).
2. Reverse repo rate stands revised to 4.90%.
3. Marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and Bank Rate revised to 5.40%.
4. RBI has also reduced GDP growth projection for 2019-20 from 6.9% to 6.1%.
5. Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) Stands at 18.75 % and CRR (Cash Reserve Ratio) Stands at 4 %.
6. RBI Monetary Policy committee comprises six members -
1. 3 RBI officials (Term 3 years) - Shaktikanta Das (RBI Governor and MPC Chairperson), Bibhu Prasad Kanungo (RBI
Deputy Governor), Michael Debabrata Patra (RBI Officer Nominated by Govt)
2. 3 external members nominated by Government (term 4 years) - Ravindra H. Dholakia, Chetan Ghate, Pami Dua.
3. Current mandate of committee is to maintain 4% annual inflation until 31 March 2021 with an upper tolerance of 6%
and a lower tolerance of 2%.
23. RBI approved Kerala Government's Proposal of formation of Kerala Bank, by merging 13 District Co-operative Banks (DCBs)
with Kerala State Co-operative Bank. Kerala Bank will be largest banking network in state.
24. RBI rejected proposed of merger between Indiabulls Housing Finance and Lakshmi Vilas bank.
1. Earlier, Competition Commission of India had approved the merger in June 2019.
2. Reason is not stated by RBI. It is speculated that RBI rejected merger because of LVB's high NPA and negative return on
assets recently.
3. Due to performance-related concerns, RBI had put Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) under Prompt Corrective Action (PCA)
framework.
25. Rate of interest on House Building Advance has been reduced from existing 8.5% to 7.9% for 1 year, irrespective of loan amount.
1. Scheme of HBA to Central Government Employees is aimed as a welfare measure to Government employees to construct
houses of their own, applicable to employees who have rendered 05 years of continuous service.
26. SBI opened its Melbourne office, becoming first Indian bank to have a branch in Australian state of Victoria.
27. SEBI notified that only FPIs (Foreign Portfolio Investors) located in FATF countries or managed by an enterprise based under
FATF jurisdiction can deal in Participatory Notes.
1. P-Notes are financial instruments required by investors to invest in Indian stock markets without being registered with
SEBI.
2. It is based on recommendaton made by HR Khan Committee.
3. The step will majorly affect funds from Mauritius and Cayman Islands. They are not FATF members and a major portion, 15
to 20% of FPI comes from these countries.
Top
International
1. 1st International Institute for Management Development’s (IMD’s) Smart Cities Index 2019 -
1. Top 5 - Singapore, Zurich (Switzerland), Oslo (Norway), Geneva (Switzerland), Copenhagen (Denmark)
2. Top Indian Cities - Hyderabad (67th), New Delhi (68th), Mumbai (78th) and Bengaluru (79th).
2. 4th Edition of report titled e-Conomy SEA report 2019:Powering Southeast Asia’s $100 billion Internet economy jointly released
by Google, Singapore investment company Temasek and American consultancy Bain & Company.
1. Southeast Asia’s internet economy is on course to reach US$100bn in 2019, a 39% increase from $72bn in 2018. It is
expected to be $300bn by 2025.
2. Indonesia’s internet economy is the largest in region, at $40 billion in 2019, and expected to be $133 billion by 2025.
Vietnam’s internet economy is forecast to reach $12 billion in 2019 and up to $43 billion in 2025.
3. During National day parade of China on Oct 1, China unveiled DF-41 intercontinental-range ballistic missile, touted to be most
powerful missile internationally. DF-41 has range of up to 9,320 miles (15,000 kilometres), and is capable of carrying 10
independently targeted nuclear warheads and could hit US in 30 minutes.
4. Ecuador will withdraw from 14-nation Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) from 1 January 2020, amid
internal fiscal problems. Ecuador is attempting to increase its production of crude oil in a bid to raise more income. Ecuador
several times had not compiled with output quota fixed by OPEC.
1. Ecuador joined OPEC in 1973 had earlier withdrawn in 1992. However, it rejoined in 2007. Earlier other small former OPEC
members have also left the organisation for fiscal reasons such as Indonesia suspended membership in 2016.
5. Fulpati festival celebrated in Nepal with gaiety and religious fervour, observed on seventh day of Dashain festival.
6. Global Firepower Index (GFP) Report 2019, comparing War Making Strength of Nations -
1. India has beeen ranked 4th with PowerIndex (PwrIndx) score of 0.1065 and in South Asia.
2. Top 5 - US, Russia, China, India, France
3. Cash-Strapped Pakistan Ranked 15th and Bangladesh 45th.
7. Houston Tamil Studies Chair (HTSC) made $2 million pledge to University of Houston to establish an endowment supporting
the study of Tamil heritage. HTSC was founded in 2018 to establish Tamil studies chair at Houston University and provide a forum
for growing population of over 250,000 Tamil-Americans.
8. India Meteorological Department (IMD) collaborated with related agencies in China and Pakistan and other nations, to provide
climate forecast services to countries in Hindu-Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region. These countries have agreed to establish regional
climate centre that will provide forecasting services and climate analyses.
1. Hindu-Kush-Himalayan region is considered the Third Pole, as It contains vast cryospheric zones and is also the world’s
largest store of snow and ice outside the polar region. It spans Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Kyrgyzstan,
Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
9. India won a decades-old legal dispute with Pakistan over funds belonging to 7th Nizam of Hyderabad at UK Court. High Court of
England and Wales ruled in favour of India and Nizam's descendants and dismissed Pakistan's claims in a legal battle involving
£35 million.
1. Nizam VII, Mir Osman Ali Khan, last ruler of Hyderabad had transferred a sum of 1 million pounds for safe-keeping to
Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Habib Ibrahim Rahimtoola, in 1948. Money was transferred from
state of Hyderabad’s bank account to Rahimtoola’s account in UK’s National Westminster Bank. The amount, which has now
grown in value to 35 million pounds or Rs 306 crore, continues to remain in UK bank.
2. Descendants of Nizam VII- Mukarram Jah (Titular Nizam VIII) and his younger brother Muffakham Jah claimed the
amount, however, Pakistan disputed their claim.
3. Pakistan claimed the money to be the payment for supplying weapons to Hyderabad.
10. Japan's SoftBank Group and Indian hotel startup Oyo jointly acquired 80% stake in Japanese rental apartment operator MDI,
costing over $100 million.
11. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO) re-designated the
National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC), as WHO Collaborating Centre for Priority Medical Devices and Health
Technology Policy.
1. NHSRC is mandated to assist in policy and strategy development in provision and mobilization of technical assistance to
states. It is also mandated to provide capacity building for Health Ministry.
12. MoU signed between India and Syria to upgrade existing India-Syria Center for Excellence in Information and Technology (IT) to
the Next Generation Center for Excellence in Information and Technology (NexGen-ISCEIT) situated in Damascus. It will work on
concept of “Train the Trainers” and will help in rapid expansion of IT Sector in Syria.
13. Russia honoured NASA astronaut Nick Hague with one of its highest honours, “The Order of Courage“. Nick Hague survived an
aborted space launch with Russian cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin when their Soyuz rocket failed minutes after blast-off from
Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in October 2018.
14. Singapore became first country to ban ads for unhealthy sugary drinks, to combat rising diabetes rates. It requested SSB (sugar-
sweetened beverages) manufacturers to formulate drinks with less sugar content.
15. Typhoon Mitag hit South Korea and Japan with heavy rain and strong winds, causing large scale damage.
16. US imposed tariffs on 7.5 billion USD worth European exports. They were mainly on Airbus production sites like France,
Germany, Spain and UK.
1. Problem dates back to 2004, when EU authorities said Boeing received 19 billion USD in unfair way from state and federal
governments. The US also filed similar complaints over European subsidies to Airbus.
17. US tested an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, which traveled 6,750 km across Pacific Ocean to the
Kwajalein Atoll in Marshall Islands. Missile is armed with 170 kilo tons of TNT.
18. US unemployment rate fell to 50 year low of 3.5%, down from 3.7% earlier. Reason is economical development and over 1.3 lakh
jobs added in September 2019.
19. World Bank (WB) released a report titled “World Development Report (WDR) 2020: Trading for Development in the Age of
Global Value Chains”. Report states that Global value chains (GVCs) can help developing economies to enhance growth.
20. World Health Organisation (WHO) launched its first report on vision, which states that nearly 2.2 billion people live with vision
impairment or blindness globally, in which over one billion cases could have been prevented or have yet to be addressed.
21. World Trade Organisation (WTO) reduced global trade growth forecast to 1.2% for 2019 from 2.6% growth forecast made in April
2019 due to trade tensions and sluggish global economy. It is weakest level in a decade. Global trade growth forecast for 2020 was
reduced to 2.7% from 3%.
1. In August 2019, India’s exports dropped by 6.05% to USD 26.13 billion and Imports declined by 13.45% to USD 39.58
billion. The trade deficit stood at USD 13.45 billion.
Top
Meetings
1. World Economic Forum organized 33rd India Economic Summit in New Delhi, in collaboration with Confederation of Indian
Industry. Theme is Innovating India: Strengthening South Asia, Impacting the World.
1. During the summit, 10th India Social Entrepreneur of Year Award 2019 was given to Shanti Raghavan & Dipesh Sutariya of
EnAble India.
Top
National
1. Andhra Pradesh CM Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched first of its kind Village Secretariat system at Karapa village near
Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. It has set up village and ward secretariats which act as a bridge between the government and the
people by rendering over 500 types of services at their doorstep.
1. YSR Rythu Bharosa scheme will also be implemented from October 15, 2019 under which Rs 15,000 per annum will be given
to families of farmers in state.
2. Under ‘YSR Vahan Mitra’ scheme, auto-rickshaw and cab owners will be provided Rs 10,000 per annum as financial
assistance.
2. As first such initiative, IRCTC will compensate passengers of new Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express in case of delay in train schedule.
INR 100 will be paid for delay delay of over an hour and 250 for delay of more than 2 hours. This is in addition to the 25-lakh free
insurance to be given to passengers of the train.
3. As per report 2019 Southwest Monsoon Season Rainfall and IMD’s Long Range Forecasts by IMD (India Meteorological
Department) -
1. Haryana had highest number of dry districts, 19 out of 21, including three where rainfall was very less.
2. Haryana was 2nd most rain deficit state after Manipur (rain deficit of 56%).
4. Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India launched Youth Co:Lab
which aims at accelerating social entrepreneurship and innovation in young India. Young entrepreneurs and innovators will get a
chance to connect with governments, mentors, incubators and investors, who will help equip them with entrepreneurial skills.
1. First phase of Youth Co:Lab will focus on six SDGs: SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 7
(Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 12 (Sustainable Consumption and
Production) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
2. Co-created in 2017 by UNDP and the Citi Foundation, and operational in 25 countries across the Asia Pacific region, the
Youth Co:Lab initiative aims to create an enabling ecosystem to promote youth leadership, innovation, and social
entrepreneurship.
5. Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) partnered to set up country’s first e-waste
clinic in Bhopal.
6. Cabinet Approvals (Oct 9, 2019) -
1. Approved releasing additional instalment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees and Dearness
Relief (DR) to pensioners w.e.f. 01.07.2019 representing an increase of 5% over the existing rate of 12% of Basic pay/Pension.
2. Approved Inclusion of 5300 DP families of Jammu & Kashmir-1947 who initially opted to move outside J & K but later
settled there, in Rehabilitation Package approved by Cabinet on 30.11.2016 for Displaced Families PoJK and Chhamb under
the PM’s Development Package 2015 for Jammu & Kashmir.
3. Approved relaxation of mandatory requirement of Aadhaar Seeded data as a pre-condition for release of funds to the
beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri KisanSamman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme, which provides support of Rs 6,000 per year
to landholding families.
1. Under this, after 1st August 2019, release of Installments to beneficiaries is to be made only on basis of Aadhaar seeded
database. Farmers in Assam, Meghalaya and J&K, where there has not been enough Aadhaar penetration, have been
exempted from this requirement till 31.3.2020.
2. However, it is been possible to get 100% Aadhaar seeding for release of funds before prescribed time. Since farmers are
in dire need of money to take care of various farming activities, mandatory requirement of Aadhaar seeding for release
of benefits after 1st August 2019 has been relaxed till 30th November 2019.
4. Approved MoUs between India and Foreign Broadcasters in field of Radio and Television. This will help Public broadcaster
in exploring new visions, New Strategies to address demands of new technologies and stiff competition, Media liberalization
and Globalization.
5. Approved doubling honorarium for ten lakh ASHA workers from existing 1000 rupees to 2000 rupees per month.
Government will also open 40,000 wellness centres in 2019 under Ayushman Bharat Scheme.
7. Consumer Affairs Ministry launched mobile app named ‘Consumer App’ to help consumers across the country to register their
grievances online and provide suggestions on several consumer-related issues. Complaint would be forwarded to respective
consumer platform. Ministry claims that complaints will be redressed within 20 - 60 days.
8. Delhi Cabinet approved bill to set up a new State Sports University, to offer UG, PG and doctorate degrees in hockey, football and
cricket.
9. General Conferences (Oct 1 - 10, 2019) -
1. 2-day national workshop ‘Arogya Manthan’ held in New Delhi, organised by National Health Authority (NHA) to mark the
first anniversary of Ayushman Bharat (AB)- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), which was launched on
September 23, 2018 at Ranchi, Jharkhand by PM Narendra Modi.
2. 9th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Intersessional Ministerial meeting will be held in Bangkok in
Thailand in November 2019. India will be represented by Commerce Minister Piysuh Goyal.
3. 11th DefExpo will be held for first time in Lucknow between in February 2020, as biennial exhibition of Indian Defense
industry's capabilities and its export potential.
4. Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC) 2019 Inaugurated in Goa, conducted by Naval War College. Theme is “Common Maritime
Priorities in IOR and need for Regional Maritime Strategy”.
5. PM Narendra Modi and Mauritian PM Pravind Jugnauth jointly inaugurated two landmark projects in Mauritius via video
conferencing. These projects are Phase-1 of Metro Express service and a new ENT Hospital.
6. Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated luxurious Vande Bharat Express - that will run between Delhi and Katra station in
Jammu and Kashmir. The train is second of its kind. The first such train was launched between Delhi and Varanasi. With
speeds upto 160 KMPH, It is fastest train in India.
1. Also, Train Sarbat Da Bhala Express has been flagged off train at New Delhi, earlier known as ‘New Delhi-Lohian
Khas-New Delhi Intercity Express’ . Request to rename the train was made by Minister of Food Processing Industries
Harsimrat Kaur Badal on occasion of 550th Parkash Purb.
2. Also, UP CM Yogi Adityanath flagged off country’s first private train Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express. It will be first train
of Indian Railways that will be entirely run by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
1. All passengers travelling by Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express will be provided free insurance of up to 25 lakh by
IRCTC.
2. Also, As first such initiative, IRCTC will compensate passengers of new Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express in case of
delay in train schedule. INR 100 will be paid for delay delay of over an hour and 250 for delay of more than 2
hours.
7. Uttar Pradesh (UP) government started a campaign against illegal Bangladeshi migrants, asking state police to run a special
movement to identify Bangladeshi citizens.
8. Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan showcased Bullet Resistant Jackets made
under ‘Make in India’ initiative., made using standard (IS 17051: 2018) set by Bureau of India Standard (BIS). Jackets are
light weight weighing between 5 kilograms to 10 kilograms andf prices range between 70000 - 80000.
9. 5th World Parliament of Science, Religion and Philosophy 2019 held in Pune (MH) with theme of ‘Role of Science, Religion
and Philosophy for World Peace and well-being of Mankind’.
10. North East Handloom and Handicraft Exhibition held in Aizawl (Mizoram), attended by Home Minister Amit Shah.
11. Drone Innovators Network Summit-2019 held in New Delhi, organized by World Economic Forum(WEF) and Ministry of
Civil Aviation.
12. As part of Indian Navy Overseas Deployment, four indigenously built ships of Indian Navy’s First Training Squadron, Tir,
Sujata and Shardul and Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarathi arrived at Mombasa Kenya.
13. Minister of Health Harsh Vardhan launched ‘Trans Fat Free’ logo of FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) at
8th International Chefs’ Conference in New Delhi. Food Facilities that do not have industrial trans-fat over 0.2g per 100g of
food, are eligible to display the logo.
1. Trans Fat is worst type of fats with known health risks. Industrial trans fats are made by adding hydrogen to liquid
vegetable oils so as to make them more solid, and to increase shelf life of foods.
14. 39th World Congress of Poets (WCP) 2019 at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University, Bhubaneswar,
Odisha. Theme was Compassion through Poetry. It was held for third time in India, after 1986 and 2007. It was held in 3
languages English, Spanish and Chinese.
15. Global Conference on ‘Spirituality for Unity, Peace and Prosperity’ organized by Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya
Vishwa Vidyalaya at Mount Abu (Rajasthan).
16. 50th (Golden Jubilee edition) of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2019 will be held in Goa in November 2019, with
Russia as partner country. Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2019 winner Amitabh Bachchan will be honoured on the occasion.
17. 1st Government-operated Day-Care cum Recreation Centre for senior citizens inaugurated in Leh.
18. Jal Shakti Ministry launched Ganga Aamantran Abhiyan, a unique open-water rafting and kayaking expedition on Ganga
River to create awareness on Ganga rejuvenation and water conservation. It will be held between October 10 to November
11, 2019. Expedition will start from Devprayag and end at Ganga Sagar, covering whole stretch of 2500 Km of Ganga River.
19. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar inaugurated e-Vidyabharti (tele-education) and e-ArogyaBharti (Tele-Medicine)
projects for all the 54 African countries in New Delhi on 55th anniversary of Indian Technical and Economic
Cooperation(ITEC).
10. Government launched GEMINI (Gagan Enabled Mariner’s Instrument for Navigation and Information) device that will
provide information related to disaster warning. It is designed for fishermen about disasters when they are 10 to 12 km away from
coast.
1. GAGAN is GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation. Satellites GSAT – 8 and GSAT – 10 have GAGAN payloads.
11. Government of Goa replaced traditional ‘dial 100’ with new integrated emergency number ‘dial 112’ for police, fire and medical
emergencies.
12. Govt. Launched PRAKASH (Power Rail Koyla Availability through Supply Harmony) portal, developed by NTPC, aiming to bring
better coordination for coal supplies among all stakeholders (Ministry of Power, Ministry of Coal, Coal India, Railways and power
utilities). This is an important step in ensuring adequate availability and optimum utilization of coal at thermal power plants.
1. Present mechanism to review coal supply situation consists of an inter-ministerial group, which does weekly review of coal
supply situation as well as railway logistics. It faced several data integrity issues .
2. For ease of analyis, Portal gives graphical representation of reports with details shown on map of India.
3. At present, portal will make available four reports - Daily Power Plant Status, Plant Exception Report, Coal Dispatch Report
and Periodic Power Plant Status.
13. Govt. approved setting up Tripura's first-ever SEZ at Sabroom, with estimated investment of 1550 Crores and will create approx
12000 jobs.
14. Govt. gave green nod for developing a commercial airport in Kutch, Gujarat, entailing an investment of about Rs 1400 crores. It
will be developed by Mundra International Airport Pvt Ltd. Proposal is to develop existing airstrip in Mundra into a full-fledged
commercial airport.
15. Govt. inaugurated National e-Assessment Scheme (NeAS) in New Delhi, which along with National e-Assessment Centre (NeAC)
would benefit Income Tax department in imparting efficiency in assessment process and would have no physical interface between
taxpayers and tax officers.
1. Faceless assessment of IT returns is a completely electronic communication between tax officials and taxpayers.
2. CBDT has set up National e-Assessment Centre (NeAC) for electronically assessing the tax returns which would reduce
human interventions thereby reducing corruption. CBDT appointed Krishna Mohan Prasad as first Principal Chief
Commissioner of Income Tax (Pr.CCIT) of NeAC.
16. HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launched Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Programme- ‘DHRUV’ from ISRO HQ
at Bengaluru, which aims to allow talented students to realize their full potential and contribute to society.
1. It will identify and encourage talented children to enrich their skills and knowledge.
2. 60 students have been selected in the first batch, to go through programme of around 14 days' duration. Every student to be
called ‘DHRUV TARA’. It will cover two areas i.e. Science and Performing Arts, with 30 students from each area.
17. Health & Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan launched The WHO India Country Cooperation Strategy 2019–2023: A Time
of Transition, as a strategic roadmap for WHO to work with Government towards achieving its health sector goals.
1. 4 areas identified for strategic cooperation of WHO with country - Accelerate progress on UHC, Promote health and wellness
by addressing determinants of health, Protect population better against health emergencies and enhance India’s global
leadership in health.
18. Health System Strengthening Conditionality Report of States 2018-19 released by Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare (MOHFW). 14 states / UTs were penalised under National Health Mission (NHM) for their worst performances on various
health parameters in 2018-19.
1. Penalised states will lose funds from the central government due to their poor performance.
2. Top 5 - Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Haryana, Assam, Kerala and Punjab.
3. Worst states - 14 states and UTs with Bihar, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram were the worst
performing states. 3 hilly states Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand received penalty due to non-
fulfilment of conditionality. Among the 8 North-Eastern (NE) states, 4 did not meet the eligibility criteria. But Assam,
Tripura and Manipur earned incentives.
19. Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan launched eDantseva website and mobile application, the first ever national
digital platform on oral health information and knowledge dissemination.
20. ITC partnered with Andhra Pradesh Government to develop a chilli value chain and improve quality of chilli output. An
integrated Agri Extension Platform for chilli farmers has been conceptualized.
21. India ranked 68th in annual Global Competitiveness Index 2019 compiled by World Economic Forum -
1. The Forum has mapped 141 countries using 103 indicators. India had dropped 10 places.
2. Top 5 - Singapore (1), US (2), Hong Kong (3), Netherlands (4), Switzerland (5th).
3. Asia Pacific was the most competitive region, followed by Europe and North America.
22. India’s new monsoon model, called the Monsoon Mission Coupled Forecast Model (CFS), failed to forecast excess rainfall
received during August-September 2019. It was deployed by IMD under National Monsoon Mission. In 2019, India recorded its
highest monsoon rain in 25 years.
1. CFS is a dynamical model, also called Climate Forecast Model (CFS). It has been developed based on a climate model
developed by National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), U.S. and has been implemented on Prithvi High
Performance Computers (HPC) at Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune.
23. Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik gave assent to a bill for establishing a National Law University in Jammu and
Kashmir. It will bring J& K at par with other states where national law universities have been established.
24. Ministry for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) notified changes in Apprenticeship Rules (1992) as
Apprenticeship (Amendment) Rules 2019, to increase skilled manpower in country, and raise minimum stipend payable to trade
apprentices. Minimum stipend payable to trade apprentices will be on qualification based and would range from 5000 - 9000 per
month.
25. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare organized 1st National Nutrition Survey, between 2016 and 2018. wityh help from
UNICEF. For the first time ministry measured malnutrition that included micro nutrient deficiencies.
1. Around 10% of children in age group of 5 to 9 years and adolescents in age group 10 to 19 years are pre – diabetic. 5% of
them were overweight and 5% suffered from blood pressure. The survey for the first time proved the coexistence of obesity
and under nutrition.
2. One in five children in the age group 5 to 9 years were stunted.
3. Tamil Nadu and Goa had the highest number of adolescents who were obese or overweight.
26. Ministry of Science and Technology launched new crackers called Eco – friendly crackers, that can help reduce particulate
emissions by 30% by producing same level of light and sound, developed by CSIR. Regular crackers release Barium Nitrate the
main pollutant. It is now replaced with Potassium Nitrate.
27. Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Indian Institute of Management Bangalore will launch a new
2-year program called ‘Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship’ (RGNF), to train young and dynamic individuals. It will be launched
on a pilot basis in Gujarat, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
28. Ministry of Tourism launches Audio Guide facility App called ‘Audio Odigos’ for 12 sites of India (including Iconic Sites), during
ongoing celebrations of nationwide 3rd ‘Paryatan Parv 2019’.
1. With Audio Odigos, tourists will be able to enjoy more enriching experience and take back historical insights of Indian
culture and heritage. It is outcome of MoU signed by Tourism Ministry with Resbird Technologies in 2018.
2. 12 sites where Audio Guide facility Audio Odigos can be used -
1. Rajasthan- Amer Fort
2. Delhi- Chandni Chowk, Red Fort, Purana Quila and Humayun’s tomb
3. Uttar Pradesh- Fatehpur Sikri and Taj Mahal
4. Gujarat- Somnath and Dholavira
5. Madhya Pradesh- Khajuraho
6. Tamilnadu- Mahabalipuram
7. Bihar- Mahabodhi Temple
29. National Health Authority (NHA) partnered with Google to collaborate in implementation of government’s flagship health
insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). Google will support NHA in strengthening
PM-JAY’s online presence and showcasing relevant content to beneficiaries.
30. PSU NBCC (India) signed MoU with Department of Sports to provide Project Management Consultancy for development of
National Sports University at Imphal (Manipur). Foundation of National Sports University was laid down by PM Narendra Modi
in March 2018. It is presently functional from its temporary campus at Khuman Lampak Sports Complex of Imphal.
31. Peddapalli district of Telangana became first in 2019 rural Swachhta survey to become cleanest district in India. Most improved
district was Haryana’s Faridabad, which moved to 2nd place in 2019 from previous rank of 71 in 2018. Haryana’s Rewari ranks
3rd.
1. Tamil Nadu topped list of large states, with Haryana and Gujarat 2nd and 3rd respectively.
2. Survey was carried out in 17,000 villages of 690 districts.
32. Rajasthan became first state to launch a policy on Pneumoconiosis , titled Pneumoconiosis Detection, Prevention, Control and
Rehabilitation. in January 2015, it had became first state to notify Pneumoconiosis as an epidemic. Pneumoconiosis is a disease of
the lungs due to inhalation of dust, characterized by inflammation, coughing, and fibrosis.
1. People with pneumoconiosis will be declared permanently disabled, and benefits under PWD Act 1995, will be accrued to
them.
2. They are entitled to receive a pension up to Rs 1,250 per month and Family pension of 3500 per month will be provided to
legal heir for 5 years or till child becomes self dependent.
3. Rs 4 lakh (up from Rs 2 lakh) will be given as one time assistance after certification from Pneumoconiosis Board.
4. 4000 per month or 50% of prescribed minimum wages of unskilled workers, whichever is higher during the lifetime of the
worker.
5. Financial assistance for education: One time education assistance for children Rs 25,000. Maximum-2 children only.
6. Funeral assistance of 10000 to dependants to perform the last rites of the victim. 1 lakh to nominee/legal heir of deceased
victim.
33. SUMAN (Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan) scheme launched during conference of Central Council of Health and Family Welfare in
New Delhi.
1. Scheme provides free medicines for pregnant women and bring down Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Infant Mortality
Rate (IMR).
2. Mother up to 6 months after delivery and sick new born will be able to avail free health care.
34. Telangana police taken up a high tech initiative to integrate their police patrol systems with passenger cabs, To provide safety to
passengers, especially women. It is 1st such initiative in country. This is being done using police’s ‘Hawkeye’ app that is connected
to every taxi aggregator app that provides a cab service facility.
35. To boost Electric Vehicles, Ministry of Power and New & Renewable Energy approved amendments in Electric Vehicle Charging
Guidelines and Specifications, to supersede earlier guidelines issued by Ministry of Power in Dec 2018.
1. Phase-wise installation of appropriate network of Charging Infrastructure throughout country has been envisaged, ensuring
that at least one Charging Station should be available in a grid of 3 Km X 3 Km in cities and 1 Charging Station at every 25
Km on both sides of highways.
2. To address concerns in inter-city travel and long range and heavy duty EVs it has been provided that Fast Charging Station
for long range and heavy duty EVs shall be installed at every 100 Kms.
3. It has been provided that the domestic charging shall be akin to domestic consumption of electricity and shall be charged as
such. However, in case of Public Charging Stations, it has been provided that tariff for the supply of electricity to PCS shall be
determined by the appropriate commission.
36. Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat launched an awareness campaign “Urjagiri” which aims at stopping power theft and
saving.
Top
Persons
1. Indian-origin Arjun Bansal and Ankiti Bose named in Fortune’s 2019 “40 Under 40 List”. Arjun is Vice President of Artificial
Intelligence (AI) Software and AI Lab at US tech company Intel. Ankiti is CEO of fashion platform Zilingo.
2. Obituaries (Oct 2019) -
1. Jose Jose - Noted Mexican singer.
2. Jessye Norman - Noted American opera star, also won 4 Grammy awards.
3. H L Trivedi - Noted kidney transplant surgeon and Padma Shri Awardee.
4. Farook Khan - Noted Indian-origin journalist in South Africa. He started Miss India South Africa Pageant.
5. Krishna Gopalkrishna Kadekodi - Noted philatelist and coin collector.
6. M Gopal Gowda - Noted Kudmi Konkani folk artist.
7. Eric Pleskow - Noted American-Austrian film producer and Hollywood Tycoon.
8. Satyapriya Mohathero - 2nd highest Buddhist leader of Bangladesh and head of Sima Bihar of Ramu.
9. Diahann Carroll - Noted Americn Actress.
10. Colathur Gopalan - Noted Indian nutritionist. He was responsible for initiating nutrition research in independent India.
11. Peter Edward Ginger Baker - Noted English drummer, co-founder of rock band “Cream”.
12. Andrés Gimeno Tolaguera - Noted Spanish tennis player. He won French Open in 1972.
13. Kadri Gopalnath - Noted saxophonist and Padma Shri awardee.
14. Dominic Jala - Archbishop of Shillong and Apostolic Administrator of Roman Catholic Diocese of Nongstoin, India.
15. Sara Danius - Noted Swiss author and first female head of Swedish Nobel literature award body.
16. Alexei Leonov - Noted Russian astronaut. On 18 March 1965, he became first human to conduct a spacewalk, exiting capsule
during Voskhod 2 mission for 12 minutes and 9 seconds.
3. Persons Resigned / Retired (Oct 2019) -
1. Kapil Dev resigned as chairman of Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC).
2. Italian footballer Claudio Marchisio announced his retirement from football.
3. Rajat Monga resigned as senior group president of Yes Bank.
4. German footballer Bastian Schweinsteiger announced his retirement.
5. FIFA banned former chief of Salvadorean Football Association Reynaldo Vasquez for life & and imposed 475,000-euro fine
after a corruption investigation.
6. American competition swimmer and 2-time Olympic gold medalist Conor James Dwyer announced his retirement after
being handed 20-month doping ban for having testosterone in form of pellets, surgically inserted into his body.
4. Visits from India (Oct 1 - 10, 2019) -
1. Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel visited Mongolia.
1. He attended commissioning infrastructure facilities constructed to support 1.5 MMT (million metric tonnes) oil
refinery project in Mongolia. It is largest project under India's Lines of Credit (LoC) programme. It is Mongolia’s first
petrochemical refinery.
2. Indian LoC of USD 236 million was announced to Mongolia from its previous committed value of US$ 1 billion. This
project will meet 3/4th of oil requirement of Mongolia.
3. Construction of petrochemical refinery will be completed by 2022, to be built near Sainshand in the southern
Dornogovi province.
2. Defence minister Rajnath Singh visited France. He received first of the 36 Dassault Rafale aircrafts. On this occasion, Mr.
Rajnath Singh also pertormed Shastra Pujan of the Rafale Jet. All 36 Rafale jets are to be received by India by 2022.
3. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Visited US. He firmly defended India's right to buy S-400 missile weapon system
from Russia despite threat of sanctions from US.
5. Visits to India (Oct 1 - 10, 2019) -
1. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Visited India.
1. 7 MOUs Signed, Including -
1. India and Bangladesh signed MoU to set up a coastal surveillance radar system in Bangladesh to harness bilateral
defence cooperation and to build a closer maritime security partnership between the two countries.
2. Standard Operating Procedure on use of Chattogram and Mongola ports.
3. Withdrawal of 1.82 cusec of water from Feni river for drinking water scheme for Sabroom town, Tripura.
4. Implementation of Line of Credit committed committed by India to Bangladesh
5. Renewal of Cultural Exchange program – Cooperation in Youth Affairs.
6. MoU between University of Dhaka and University of Hyderabad.
7. Cultural Exchange Programme- Renewal
8. MoU on Co-operation in Youth Affairs
2. Inaugurated 3 bilateral development partnership projects -
1. Import of Bulk LPG from Bangladesh
2. Inauguration of Vivekananda Bhaban (students hostel) at Ramakrishna Mission, Dhaka
3. Inauguration of Bangladesh-India Professional Skill Development Institute (BIPSDI) at the Institution of
Diploma Engineers Bangladesh (IDEB), Khulna
3. She also attended 33rd India Economic Summit of World Economic Forum in Delhi.
4. She attended India - Bangladesh Business Forum in New Delhi. 2 Government to Business (G2B) MoUs were signed
between Start up Bangladesh and Tech Mahindra and Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority and Adani Ports and
SEZs.
2. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance of Singapore, Heng Swee Keat Visited India.
Top
Science
1. 300 scientists from across globe began MOSAIC expedition, as largest Arctic expedition ever, being conducted Alfred Wegner
Institute of Germany. MOSAIC is Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for Study of Arctic Climate. Among the scientists, Vishnu
Nandan from Kerala is only Indian.
2. A new antibiotic has been discovered in a tropical rainforest in Mexico, with its unique properties making it attractive for use in
agriculture. Known as phazolicin, it was recently isolated deep in tropical forests of Los Tuxtlas, Mexico. It is expected to be able to
strike against several types of bacteria.
3. Archaeologists in Israel unveiled remains of a 5,000-year-old city believed to be the biggest in the region from the Bronze Age.
The site known as “En Esur” included fortifications, a ritual temple, and a cemetery. An even earlier settlement, believed to be
7,000 years old, was discovered beneath the city.
4. As a first, Researchers in USA captured images of formation of viruses from particles, with mechanism of particles self
assembling to form a parasite. This will help to find new treatment approaches for viral diseases. The study shows that viruses can
derive themselves from any particle. However, they require specific strata like that nucleic acid. Researchers are still puzzled about
the nucleus assembly.
5. Chandrayaan2’s Orbiter payload CLASS detected charged particles on moon, observing intensity variations in its first passage
through Moon’s orbit.
1. CLASS is able to detect direct signatures of elements present in the lunar soil. It was also found by the CLASS that best
observation occurred when the Sun provides a rich source of x-rays to illuminate the lunar surface.
2. CLASS stands for Chandrayaan-2 Large Area Soft X-ray Spectrometer. It helps to study Moon's X-ray Fluorescence (XRF)
spectra to find out presence of major elements such as Sodium, Silicon, Magnesium, Calcium, Aluminium, Titanium and
Iron. This technique will identify these elements by measuring the characteristic X-rays they emit when excited by the Sun's
rays.
6. China laundhed Gaofen-10 Earth Imaging satellite into space, onboard Long March 4C rocket.
7. First satellite-servicing spacecraft named “MEV-1” (Mission Extension Vehicle-1) launched by Russia, onboard Proton rocket. It
was developed by Northrop Grumman (US) for its subsidiary Space Logistics LLC, in partnership with NASA.
1. It will attempt first-ever docking between two spacecraft near geostationary orbit (nearly 36,000 kilometers over equator).
2. It will link up with 18-year-old Intelsat communications satellite in early 2020.
3. Once docked with satellite, it will take over propulsion for Intelsat 901 satellite, which is running low on fuel. It will extend
its useful life by 5 years.
8. India’s 1st plant to produce diesel from plastic waste in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh has been launched. It will process 6
tons of plastic to make diesel, in a day.
9. NASA received its first all-electric experimental aircraft X-57, from Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero). X-57's Mod II vehicle
features replacement of traditional combustion engines on a baseline Tecnam P2006T aircraft, with electric cruise motors.
10. Research led by University of California (US) discovered 20 new moons orbiting Saturn, increasing its tally of moons to 82. It
surpassed the number of moons orbiting Jupiter planet which stands at 79. They were discovered using Subaru telescope atop
Mauna Kea in Hawaii (US) and were about five kilometers in diameter.
11. Researchers at Shiv Nadar University (Greater Noida) discovered two strains of 'plastic-eating' bacteria from wetlands of Greater
Noida. It may lead to eco-friendly alternative clean-up methods for plastic waste. The discovered bacterial strains have potential to
decompose polystyrene -- a key component in Single-Use Plastic (SUP) items.
1. Bacterial species namely Exiguobacterium sibiricum strain DR11 and Exiguobacterium undae strain DR14 were isolated from
the wetlands adjoining the university.
12. Researchers found an undiscovered dried-up river during the geophysical survey in Kaushambi and Prayagraj region in Uttar
Pradesh. This river was a link between Ganga and Yamuna rivers.
1. A remnant (Palaeochannel) of an inactive river shows was found about 26 km south of the current Ganga-Yamuna
confluence at Prayagraj. It was about 4 km wide and 45km long river.
13. Scientists from Vermont University (US) developed strongest silver ever – 42% stronger than the previous world record. It was
made by mixing trace amount of copper into silver, that transformed two types of inherent nanoscale defects into a powerful
internal structure. It also helps in maintaining its electrical conductivity.
Top
Sports
1. 2019 China Open Tennis -
1. Men's Singles - Dominic Thiem (Austria), defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece)
2. Women's Singles - Naomi Osaka (Japan), defeated Ashleigh Barty (Australia)
3. Men's Doubles - Croatia Ivan Dodig AND Slovakia Filip Polášek
4. Women's Doubles - Sofia Kenin (US) AND Bethanie Mattek-Sands (US)
2. 2019 Japan Open Men's Tennis -
1. Singles - Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
2. Doubles - France's Nicolas Mahut AND Édouard Roger-Vasselin
3. 2019 World Athletics Championships (Doha, Qatar) -
1. 1972 Atheletes from 209 Nations Participated.
2. 27 Indian atheletes participated. India could not win a medal at the events. India had three finalists - Mixed 4x400m relay,
men’s 3000m steeplechase (Avinash Sable) and women’s javelin throw (Annu Rani). India was ranked 58th and India’s
Avinash Sable qualified for Tokyo Olympics in men’s 3000m steeplechase event.
3. Medal Table -

2 Kenya 5 2 4 11
3 Jamaica 3 5 4 12
4 China 3 3 3 9
5 Ethiopia 2 5 1 8
4. Misc. Sports News (Oct 2019) -

1. 10th Asian Age Group Swimming Championships held in Bengaluru. India finished with medal tally of 64 medals (20 gold,
24 silver and 20 bronze).
2. Indian Female chess player Koneru Humpy ranked world number 3 in 2019 rankings by Fédération Internationale des
Échecs (FIDE).
3. Australian Female cricketer Alyssa Healy created world record for highest individual score in women’s T20I, scoring 148
runs off 61 balls. Also, Harmanpreet Kaur became 1st Indian to play 100 T20 International matches.
4. FIFA banned Eugenio Figueredo, former president of South American Football Confederation CONMEBOL, due to bribery
charges.
5. Army's Abdul Quadir Khan won Silver Medal at 53rd Asian Body Building and Physique Sports Championship held at Batam
(Indonesia).
6. For first time, a floating basketball court brought to India in Arabian Sea near Mumbai (Maharashtra). It has been brought
for the National Basketball Association (NBA) game 2019, which features the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers, in First
week of October 4 & 5 2019.
7. Austria’s Christine Wolf won Hero Women’s Indian Open Golf Title at Gurugram, Haryana.
8. Surender Singh of India created three world records at World Powerlifting Championships in Berlin, Germany. Also, Three-
time World Champion Mukesh Singh won yet another gold.
9. FIBA (International Basketball Federation) stated that India will host Tokyo Olympic Games 3×3 basketball qualifying
tournament in March 2020 with a total participation of 40 teams (20 male and 20 female teams).
10. Dutee Chand broke her own 100-meter national record with a time of 11.22 seconds, during National Open Athletics
Championships in Ranchi.
Top
Read Important Ones
Month All Type All
Appointments
1. Anoop Kumar Mendiratta has been appointed as the Law Secretary (Secretary, Legal Affairs) in Law Ministry. He has become has
become first sitting judge to be appointed as Law Secretary. He is presently District and Sessions Judge, North-East District,
Karkardooma Courts, Delhi.
2. European Council appointed Christine Lagarde (France) as president of European Central Bank (ECB), based in
Frankfurt (Germany). She earlier served as Chairman of International Monetary fund (IMF).
3. Former Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly has been chosen to be appointed as New President of Cricke administrator body BCCI.
Jay Shah and Arun Singh Dhumal will be new Secretary and Treasurer respectively.
4. Govt. appointed Anup Kumar Singh as new Director-General of National Security Guard (NSG), also known as ‘black cats
commando’ force.
1. NSG was raised in 1984 following Operation Blue Star, assassination of Indira Gandhi and Akshardham Temple attack. It
counters terrorists and hijack-like incidents with a view to protect states against internal disturbances.
5. J.P.S. Chawla appointed as new Controller General of Accounts in Department of Expenditure (Ministry of Finance).
6. Kais Saied is elected as new President of Tunisia (North Africa).
7. Outgoing Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi recommended SC Judge SA Bobde as New Chief Justice of India (47th).
8. SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar has been appointed as chairman of banking industry Body Indian Banks Association for 2019-20.
9. Sajjan Jindal (CMD of JSW Steel) has been appointed as Vice-Chairman of World Steel Association (Worldsteel), for 1 year.
Association also elected YU Yong as Chairman.
10. Sudhakar Shukla has been appointed as Whole Time Member of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI). IBBI
chairperson is M. S. Sahoo and it has 10 members.
Top
Awards
1. 2019 Booker Prize has been awarded jointly to Margaret Atwood (Canada) for The Testaments and Bernardine Evaristo (UK) for
Girl, Woman, Other. This was first time the prize was shared since 1992, despite a rule change banning joint winners.
1. Evaristo is first black woman to win this award since its creation in 1969.
2. Judging panel was chaired by Peter Florence, who declared the joint winners despite the ban on announcing joint winners.
3. Earlier, the prize was called Booker–McConnell Prize (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019).
4. British Indian novelist Salman Rushdie’s tragicomic ‘Quichotte’ was also among six finalist books, being 5th shortlisting of
Salman Rushdie. In 1981, he had won the award for “Midnight’s Children”.
5. Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for best original novel in English language and published in UK.
2. 4 Indian sites chosen for UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, announced in Penang (Malaysia).
1. In this year’s awards, 16 projects from 5 countries – India, Bhutan, China, New Zealand and Australia have been recognized.
2. Indian sites with Awards -
1. Award of Distinction - Vikram Sarabhai Library, Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad.
2. Award of Merit - Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue (Mumbai) , Our Lady of Glory Church (Mumbai)
3. Honorable Mention - Flora Fountain (Mumbai).
3. Award of Excellence - Historic Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts, Hong Kong.
3. Argentinian Footballer Leonel Messi won Golden Shoe for 2018-19 season, for being the top scorer in the European leagues with
36 goals. This is his 6 th Golden Shoe award.
4. Australian Female tennis player Ashleigh Barty has been awarded Australian sport’s highest individual honour, ‘The Don’, at
annual Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Barty was the first Australian to win French Open in 46 years.
5. Environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt has been awarded Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for 2017 and 2018 for
his services in promoting and preserving national integration in country.
1. It was on 31 October 1984, when former PM Indira Gandhi was killed. The award has been institited by Indian National
Congress in her memory.
2. In 1964, Chandi Prasad Bhatt founded Dasholi Gram Swarajya Sangh (DGSS) in Gopeshwar (Uttarakhand). It later became a
mother organisation to Chipko Movement. He has earlier been awarded Ramon Magsaysay Award (in 1982) for community
leadership, followed by Padma Bhushan (2005) and has also been a recipient of Gandhi Peace Prize.
3. Award consists of a citation and Rs.10 lakh in cash.
6. Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra named orchestra of the year 2019 Gramophone Awards. The group is the first Asian
orchestra to win the award. This category is the only one of classical music magazine’s awards open to public vote. This award is
often likened to Oscars for classical music world.
7. Nobel Prizes 2019 -
1. 2019 Winners -
Trade Winners Description
1.
Physiology
William G. Kaelin (US), Peter J. Ratcliffe
or for discoveries of how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability
(UK), Gregg L. Semenza (US)
Medicine
James Peebles (Canada), Michel Mayor One half to James Peebles (Canada) for theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology and other
Physics (Switzerland) and Didier Queloz half jointly to Michel Mayor (Switzerland) and Didier Queloz (Switzerland) for discovery of an
(Switzerland) exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star
John B. Goodenough (Germany), M. Stanley
Chemistry Whittingham (British American) and Akira for the development of lithium-ion batteries
Yoshino (Japan)
for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular
Abiy Ahmed Ali (Ethiopia Serving
Peace for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring
Prime Minister)
Eritrea
Abhijit Banerjee (Indian-American),
Economic for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty. Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo are
Esther Duflo (French-American), Michael
Sciences Husband-wife Duo.
Kremer (US)
2018 - Olga Tokarczuk (Poland) - for a narrative imagination that with

2018 - Olga Tokarczuk (Poland) encyclopedic passion represents the crossing of boundaries as a form of life.
Literature
2019 - Peter Handke (Austria) 2019 - Peter Handke (Austria) - for an influential work that with linguistic
ingenuity has explored the periphery and the specificity of human experience
2. Facts About Nobel prizes -

1. In 2018, it was for first time in 70 years of Nobel Prizes, that no Literature Prize was given. It was announced by
Swedish Academy after a sexual assault scandal. It was postponed to 2019.
2. Background -
1. Will of Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel established five Nobel prizes in 1895 - Chemistry, Literature, Peace,
Physics, and Physiology or Medicine, first awarded in 1901.
2. In 1968, Sweden's central bank Sveriges Riksbank established the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences
in Memory of Alfred Nobel, which, although not being a Nobel Prize, has become informally known as Nobel
Prize in Economics.
3. Physiology or Medicine -
1. Granted by Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute awards.
2. 12 women have been awarded Medicine Prize so far.
3. Youngest - Canada's Frederick G. Banting (32 years age), awarded in 1923 for discovery of insulin.
4. Physics -
1. Granted by Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
2. 3 women have been awarded Physics Prize so far.
3. Youngest - Australian-British physicist Lawrence Bragg (25 years age), awarded in 1915 together with his father.
4. India's C. V. Raman was awarded Physics Nobel in 1930, For his work on scattering of light and for discovery of
effect named after him.
5. Chemistry -
1. Granted by Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
2. 5 women have been awarded the Chemistry Prize so far.
3. 1 person, Frederick Sanger, has been awarded the Chemistry Prize twice, in 1958 and in 1980.
4. Youngest - France's Frédéric Joliot (35 years age), awarded in 1935.
6. Peace -
1. Granted by Norwegian Nobel Committee.
2. 17 women have been awarded Nobel Peace Prize so far.
3. Peace Prize Laureate Le Duc Tho (Vietnamese) declined his Nobel Peace Prize in 1973. He was awarded jointly
with US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, for negotiating Vietnam peace accord.
4. Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan is youngest to win Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, at the age of 17.
5. 2 Indian Person have been given Nobel Peaze Prize so far. Mother Teresa (1979), Kailash Satyarthi (2014).
7. Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences
1. Granted by Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
2. 2 woman has been awarded Prize in Economic Sciences so far, Elinor Ostrom in 2009 and Esther Duflo in 2019.
3. Youngest - Frances Esther Duflo (46 years age), awarded in 2019.
4. India's Amartya Sen was guven Economic studies Nobel in 1998. For his contributions to welfare economics.
8. Literature -
1. Granted by Swedish Academy.
2. 15 women have been awarded Literature Prize so far.
3. Youngest - UK's Rudyard Kipling (41 years age), known for Jungle Book.
4. Rabindranath Tagore, Only Indian to receive Nobel Literature Prize so far (in 1913). He is also first Indian Nobel
Laureate.
9. Indian Nobel Laureates -
1. Rabindranath Tagore in 1913 (Literature)
2. C.V. Raman in 1930 (Physics)
3. Mother Teresa in 1979 (Peace)
4. Amartya Sen in 1998 (Economic Studies)
5. Kailash Satyarthi in 2014 (Peace)
10. Indian Origin Nobel Laureates -
1. Har Gobind Khorana (US) - In 1968 for Physiology / Medicine.
2. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (US) - In 1983 for Physics.
3. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (UK/US) - In 2009 for Chemistry.
4. Abhijit Banerjee (US) - In 2019 for Economics.
8. Noted director Priyadarshan has been conferred Madhya Pradesh government’s National Kishore Kumar Samman for 2018-19.
Priyadarshan has made several noted Malayalam and Hindi films. National Kishore Kumar Award has been instituted in memory
of eminent playback singer Kishore Kumar. It carries a citation and a cash prize of Rs.2 lakh.
9. Vice President Venkaiyah Naidu presented “Most Eminent Senior Citizen Award” to scholar, legal luminary and former Attorney
General of India K Parasaran. He was awarded Padma Bhushan in 2003 and Padma Vibhushan in 2011.
Top
Books
1. Book The Great Game in the Buddhist Himalayas: India and China’s Quest for Strategic Dominance, written by Phunchok
Stobdan has been released.
2. Microsoft Founder Bill Gates’ new book titled “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs
We Need” will be released in June 2020.
3. New Book Titled The Daughter from a Wishing Tree, written by Sudha Murthy has been released.
4. New Book authored by Chess legend Viswanathan Anand titled Mind Master: Winning Lessons from a Champion's Life, has ben
released.
5. New book titled “India in a Warming World: Integrating Climate Change and Development” will release soon, featuring articles
by climate experts including Sunita Narain, Anil Agarwal, Dr Friederike Otto & Shibani Ghosh, edited by Navroz K Dubash.
6. PM Narendra Modi unveiled book “Bridgital Nation”, written by N Chandrasekaran and Roopa Purushottam.
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Committees
1. IRDAI constituted 9-member panel headed by TR Alamelu to look into regulations on Reinsurance, Foreign Reinsurance
Branches and Lloyd’s India regulations.
2. Tamil Nadu government constituted two committees to deal over water disputes with Kerala relating to Parambikulam-Aliyar
Project (PAP) and Pandiyar-Punnampuzha project. Tamil Nadu’s PWD secretary K. Manivasan would lead both committees.
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Days
1. National Postal Week being celebrated in India Between October 9 - 15, 2019, to create awareness about the role and
contributions of postal sector in social and economic development.
2. Oct 11 is observed as UN International Day of Girl Child, Being observed since 2012. 2019 Theme is GirlForce: Unscripted and
Unstoppable.
3. Oct 12 is observed as World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD). 2019 Theme is “Protect Birds: Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution”.
1. It is being observed since 2006. Since 2018, WMBD is celebrated twice a year, on the Second Saturday in May and in
October. In 2019, it is observed on May 11 and Oct 12.
2. Oct 12 is also observed as World Arthritis Day.
3. Also, On Oct 12, Google honored Bengali poetess and activist Kamini Roy with a Doodle. It is her 155th birth anniversary.
Kamini Roy was the first woman who received a graduation degree in pre-independence India.
4. Oct 13 is observed as International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR), marked by UN in 1989. 2019 Theme is Reduce
disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services.
5. Oct 14 is observed as World Standards Day.
1. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) notified that it will rank all state capitals and 100 smart cities in Water Quality Rankings
for quality tap water to prevent water borne diseases. The ranking will begin in the coming 3 months.
6. Oct 15 is Birth Anniversary of Former (11th) President of India A P J Abdul Kalam. He was a noted Aerospace Scientist, also
known as Missile Man of India. He was also a recepient of Bharat Ratna Award, Highest honor in India.
1. In 2010, United Nations declared Shri Kalam's Birth Anniversary, 15 October as World Students' Day.
2. India built its first indigenous satellite launch vehicle SLV-3 under Dr. Kalam's direction.
3. Oct 15 is also observed as World Mathematics Day.
4. Oct 15 is observed as White Cane Safety Day in US, to celebrate achievements of people who are blind or visually impaired.
7. Oct 15 is observed as UN International Day of Rural Women, marked by UN in 2007. 2019 Theme is Rural Women and Girls
Building Climate Resilience.
8. Oct 16 as observed as World Food Day, commemorating creation of UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1945. 2019
Theme is Our Actions are our Future Healthy Diets for a Zero Hunger World.
1. On this occasion, Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan launched Food Safety Mitra Scheme, Eat Right Jacket
and Eat Right Jhola. FSSAI, through Food Safety Mitra scheme plans to engage motivated individuals with the food safety
ecosystem at ground level. Food Safety Mitra (FSM) scheme aims strengthening and scaling up ‘Eat Right India’ movement.
2. Oct 16 also marks as World Anesthesia Day, commemorating first successful demonstration of ether anesthesia on October
16, 1846.
9. Oct 17 is UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP). 2019 Theme is Acting together to Empower Children, their
families and Communities to End Poverty. It is being observed since 1987.
1. Oct 17 is also observed as World trauma day.
10. Oct 20 is observed as World Statistics Day, being observed since 2010, declared by UN Statistical Commission. It is celebrated
once in 5 years.
1. India celebrates Statistics Day on 29th June, on birthday of legendry statistician Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis.
2. 51 African countries that jointly celebrate African Statistics Day annually on 18 November.
3. Next World Statistics Day is to be celebrated on October 20, 2020.
1. Note that It is not being observed in 2019. It has just been noted down for the purpose of knowledge.
4. Oct 20 is also known as World Osteoporosis Day.
Top
Defence
1. 10th Indian and Maldives Armies Joint Military Exercise called ‘Ekuverin’ held at Aundh Military Station in Pune, Maharashtra.
Word ‘Ekuverin’ means ‘Friends’ in Dhivehi language.
2. 1st Edition of India - Bangladesh Bilateral Navy Exercise held in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh). Before the exercise, 2nd
edition of Indian Navy (IN) and the Bangladesh Navy (BN) Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) was held in northern part of Bay of
Bengal.
3. 2nd Annual Joint Military Exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN-2019 between India and Japan began at counter Insurgency and
Jungle Warfare School, Vairengte (Mizoram).
4. 2nd edition of Defense of Andaman and Nicobar Islands 2019 (Danx-19), a large joint exercise was conducted by ANC (Andaman
and Nicobar Command).
5. 2nd edition of Indian Navy(IN) Bangladesh Navy(BN) Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) held in Northern Bay of Bengal.
6. 4th edition of joint Indo-Kazakhstan military exercise KAZIND-2019 concluded at Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand).
7. DRDO signed 30 licensing agreement for Transfer of Technology with 16 Indian companies, to cater requirements of forces
deployed in inhospitable terrain and hostile weather conditions.
8. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved admission of girl children in Sainik schools across country, from next academic
session (2021-22). Pilot project was started by Ministry of Defence for admission of girl children in Sainik School Chhingchhip in
Mizoram two years ago.
9. India and Japan Joint Air Force exercise called ‘Shinyuu Maitri’ began at Air Force Station, Arjan Singh in Panagarh town, West
Bengal.
10. India will set up solar and wind projects on fallow lands along the international border with Pakistan.
1. India has target of 175 GW of clean energy by 2022. Current solar capacity is 82580 MW.
2. 30 km by 20 km wide parcel of land is identified along border in Kutch district of Gujarat to implement the project. Proposed
energy power parks will generate 2,000 MW of energy each.
11. Indian Army has begun to digitize its official records under its new programme called “OASIS”-Officers Automated Structures
Information System. When the officer retires, whole data will migrate from Oasis to Retired Officers Digital Records Archive
(RODRA), which holds pension details of officers.
12. Indian army inducted US made precision-guided Excalibur artillery ammunition and indigenous Dhanush howitzer, To boost its
firepower. Precision-guided Excalibur is capable of hitting targets within 50 kilometre, made by American company Raytheon.
13. Joint 2 week long India - US Army exercise Vajra Prahar 2019 began in Seattle (US).
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Economy
1. Asian Development Bank signed $190 million loan with India to upgrade 754 kilometres of state highways and major district
roads (MDRs) in 14 districts of Rajasthan.
2. Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance launched i-SERV, a first-of-its-kind video calling service within life insurance industry, to enhance
customer experience.
3. Bank of Baroda subsidiary Baroda Asset Management India will merge its mutual fund business with BNP Paribas Asset
Management India, a subsidiary of BNP Paribas Asset Management Asia (BNPP AM). The deal has no cash consideration.
4. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) launched a revamped programme to attract investments into India and
strengthen Make in India through manufacture and other operations under bond scheme, of Customs Act, 1962.
1. The Section enables conduct of manufacture and other operations in a customs bonded warehouse.
2. The Scheme has been modernized with clear procedures, simplified compliance requirements ICT-based documentation and
account keeping, by issue of Manufacture and Other Operations in Warehouse Regulations 2019.
3. CBIC collaborated with Invest India to launch a dedicated microsite for providing information and promoting the scheme
and for facilitation of investors. It can be accessed at https://www.investindia.gov.in/bonded-manufacturing
5. Competition Commission of India approved Kora Master Fund LP investment of upto 10 per cent ($75 million) in Edelweiss
Securities Ltd.Kora, a foreign portfolio investor, proposes to invest $75 million in Edelweiss Securities and Edelweiss Global
Investment Advisory (EGIA) subsidiaries.
6. Credit Information Bureau of India Limited (CIBIL) launched a new feature called CIBIL Alert through which customers can get
real-time notifications about key changes in their CIBIL Score and Report.
7. Credit Saison India, domestic subsidiary of Japanese financial Firm Credit Saison, received a licence from the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI ) to set up a non-banking financial company(NBFC) in Bengaluru.
8. Govt. has set up a panel to suggest measures to augment GST revenue collection, which dropped to 19-month low in September
to Rs 91,916 crores, reflecting the slowdown in the economy.
9. RBI imposed monetary penalty of Rs 12.88 lakh on Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) issuer Balancehero India Private Limited
for non-compliance of regulatory guidelines. Toyota Financial Services India Limited (TFSIN) has also faced Rs 5 lakh penalty for
non-compliance.
10. RBI introduced a new reporting system for all co-operative banks, called Central Information System for Banking Infrastructure
(CISBI). Co-op Banks will submit their information related to their presence points in a single proforma online.
1. Bank Branch Statistics Division (BBSD) in Department of Statistics and Information Management (DSIM) of RBI will be
nodal unit for CISBI.
2. CISBI has replaced existing system of email-based reporting at branches, which was inefficient.
3. It has been done after collapse of Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank, following uncovering of 4000 crores fraud.
11. RBI issued guidelines on 'on tap' authorisation of payment systems, including minimum net worth criteria, to encourage
competition.
1. For entities desirous to provide platforms for Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU), Min Net worth is 100 crores.
2. In case of TReDS (Trade Receivables Discounting System), the minimum paid up equity capital should be Rs 25 crores.
TReDS scheme is to facilitate financing of invoices and bills of MSMEs drawn on corporate buyers by way of discounting by
financiers.
3. Minimum net worth for entities desirous of entering the WLA (White Label ATM) segement should be Rs 100 crore. White
Label ATMs are set up by non-bank entities.
12. Reliance Industries (RIL) became first Indian company to hit market capitalisation of Rs 9 lakh crores. IT giant TCS is second
with market-cap of Rs 7.66 lakh crores. It was earlier second company to reach Rs 8 lakh crore mark, after Reliance.
13. Telecom operator Bharti Airtel signed pact with AMPSolar Evolution to acquire 26 % stake in solar power firm, for Rs 8.4 crores.
14. To promote digital payments, government asked banks / payment system providers to not impose charges, or merchant discount
rate (MDR), on customers and merchants on digital payments made to establishments with turnover in excess of Rs 50 crores.
This will be applicable from November 2019. This was announced in budget 2019-20 by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Top
International
1. 2019 Global Hunger Index (GHI), jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe, score calculated by
International Food Policy Research Institute -
1. India ranks 102nd out of 117 qualifying countries, with a score of 30.3. India was ranked 103rd last year. Increase in
prevalence of wasting (low weight for height) among children with score under 5 contributing the most of poor performance.
India’s child wasting is extremely high at 20.8%
2. 17 countries, including Belarus, Ukraine, Turkey, Cuba and Kuwait, shared the top rank with GHI scores less than 5.
3. There are 4 countries in alarming hunger category - Chad, Madagascar, Yemen, and Zambia. Central African Republic is only
nation in extremely alarming hunger category.
4. Neighbors - Nepal (73), Bangladesh (88), Pakistan (94), Sri Lanka (66), China (25).
2. According to Edelgive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2019, Top 3 Indian philanthropists -
1. Rank Name Firm Contribution
1 Shiv Nadar HCL Technologies Rs 826 crore
2 Azim Premji Wipro Rs 453 crore
3 Mukesh Ambani Reliance Industries Rs 402 crore
3. After Attending 2nd Informal India- China summit in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu (called Chennai Connect), Chinese President
XI Jinping also visited Nepal. China-Nepal signed agreement for developing 70-km rail link to be constructed as a part of China’s
Belt and Road initiative. The link will connect Kathmandu (Nepal capital) with Gyiron in Tibet.
4. Air India became first airline in the world to use a Taxibot on a A320 aircraft with passengers on board. Taxibot is a robot-used
aircraft tractor for taxiing an aircraft from parking bay to runway and vice versa.
5. As per The CS Gender 3000 in 2019: The changing face of companies reort by Credit Suisse Research Institute (CSRI) -
1. India Ranks 23rd in terms of female representation on boards, increasing 4.3 % over past five years to 15.2% in 2019. This is
significantly below global average of 20.6%.
2. Report analyzes gender mix of the executive teams of over 3,000 companies stretching across 56 countries.
3. With 15% of female CEOs, Singapore and Italy rank highest in terms of female CEO representation globally, followed by
Thailand (9%) and Philippines (8%).
6. As per Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2019 by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the
Pacific (ESCAP) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) -
1. While applied tariffs in the Asia-Pacific region have halved over past two decades, number of non-tariff measures (NTMs) -
policy regulations other than tariffs affecting international trade - has risen significantly. NTMs are now affecting around 58
percent of trade in Asia and Pacific.
7. As per Hurun Global Unicorn List 2019 -
1. With 21 unicorns (Billion Dollar Startups), India emerged as 3rd largest ecosystems for more successful start ups, behind
China (206) and US (203). List has 494 unicorns globally.
2. Top Indian Startups - One97 Communications (USD 10 billion), Ola (USD 6 billion), Byjus (USD 6 billion), and OYO Rooms
(USD 5 billion).
3. Beijing (China) is city with most unicorns (82), ahead of San Francisco (US) with 55.
8. Chile Govt. declared a state of emergency in Santiago (Capital of Chile), following severe violence. Protestors clashed with riot
police in several parts of Santiago.
9. Financial Action Task Force (FATF) decided to keep Pakistan on its ‘Grey List’ till February 2020., to take extra strict measures
to eliminate terror funding and money laundering. Pakistan was added to FATF's ‘grey list’ in June 2018. It was decided during
FATF meeting on Money Laundering in Paris. Pakistan had earlier been included in the ‘grey list’ from 2012 to 2015.
10. Global Payments Firm PayPal partnered with Synchrony Financial to launch a credit card for users of its subsisdiary Venmo.
Venmo users can transfer funds to others via mobile app, both sender and receiver living in U.S.
11. India became member of Group of 20 (G20) Global Smart Cities Alliance on Technology Governance which works towards
advancing the responsible and ethical use of smart city technologies.
12. India handed over 2nd pair of Mi-24V helicopters to Afghanistan, boosting capability of the Afghan forces. These are
replacement for 4 attack helicopters previously gifted by India to Afghanistan in 2015 and 2016.
13. India officially condemned Turkey’s unilateral military offensive in north-east Syria.
1. India called upon Turkey to exercise restraint and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria.
2. 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, code-named by Turkey as Operation Peace Spring is an ongoing military
operation conducted by Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) and Turkish-allied opposition Syrian National Army (SNA) against
areas under Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (NES) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
3. US withdrew its troops from northeast Syria, where US had been supporting its Kurdish allies.
14. India ranked 82nd among 128 countries surveyed by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), in World Giving Index -
1. USA stood at the top followed Myanmar, New Zealand and Australia. Others in top ten are Ireland, Canada, UK, Sri Lanka
and Indonesia.
2. India is behind Nepal (53) and Pakistan (69).
3. At the bottom are Yemen, Greece and China.
15. International Monetary Fund (IMF) World Economic Outlook 2019 Report -
1. Global growth was 3.6 % in 2018 and is forecast at 3 % for 2019, lowest level since 2008–09. Global Growth is projected to
pick up to 3.4 % in 2020.
2. India’s GDP growth will be 6.1% in 2019 and will go up to 7% in 2020. China will grow at 6.1 % in 2019 and 5.8 % in 2020.
3. Cash-Strapped Pakistan will lag at 3.3 % in 2019 and 2.4 % in 2020.
4. As per world Bank, India halved its poverty rate since the 1990s and achieved a seven plus growth rate over the last 15 years.
India's rapidly growing economy needs investment in infrastructure, an estimated 8.8 percent of GDP or USD 343 billion a
year until 2030.
16. Italy approved a new tax on digital companies, as part of its 2020 draft budget. The levy, due to be introduced from next year,
will oblige Tech companies to pay 3% levy on internet transactions. It is expected to yield about 600 million euros ($662 million) a
year.
17. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia allowed women to serve in armed forces, as a part of series of measures aimed towards women
empowerment and increasing rights of women.
18. Mumbai is 12th richest city in the world with a total wealth of $960 billion, according to a report by New World Health.
1. Delhi is on 22nd position, Bangalore 26th and Hyderabad 28th.
2. New York City (NYC) topped the list with a total wealth of $3.0 trillion, with 65 billionaires and 3,80,000 millionaires.
3. Tokyo is 2nd with total wealth $2.5 trillion.
19. Sri Lanka has been removed from ‘Grey List’ of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) following the new measures taken by the
country on financial security. ‘Grey List’ identified by FATF refers to a jurisdiction with strategic Anti-Money Laundering and
Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) deficiencies. It was announced during FATF plenary concluded in Paris,
France.
1. During the same meet, FATF decided to keep Pakistan on its ‘Grey List’ till February 2020, to take extra strict measures to
eliminate terror funding and money laundering. Pakistan was added to FATF's ‘grey list’ in June 2018. Pakistan had earlier
been included in the ‘grey list’ from 2012 to 2015.
20. Switzerland Glaciers have lost 10 % of their volume in past 5 years, as per Cryospheric commission at Swiss Academy of Sciences.
In last 12 months Switzerland has lost 2% of total glacier volume despite of increased snowing.
21. Typhoon Hagibis struck Japan, causing lage scale damages. It had winds upto 260 KMPH. “Hagibis” means “speed” in the
Philippine language Tagalog.
22. UN General Assembly today elected 14 States to UN Human Rights Council, responsible for promoting and protecting all human
rights.
1. Assembly elected Armenia, Brazil, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Libya, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Namibia, Netherlands,
Poland, South Korea, Sudan and Venezuela. All 14 members will serve three-year terms beginning January 2020.
2. UNHCR has total 47 Member Nations.
23. UN called its member states to pay their outstanding dues, amid facing severe financial crisis.
1. Out of 193 members, 129 had paid their regular budget. The regular budget for the UN for a year is 5.4 billion USD, apart
from peace keeping budget of 6.3 billion USD.
2. India paid its regular contributions of 230 million USD in January 2019.
3. US funding covers 22% of UN regular budget, more than any other nation. US owes over 1 Billion USD to UN as of now.
24. United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced establishment of world's first graduate-level, research-based Artificial Intelligence (AI)
university, named as Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) after Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al
Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. University campus will be in Masdar City.
25. United Kingdom will issue a commemorative coin to mark the 150th birth anniversary of M K Gandhi, announced at 21st Edition
annual GG2 Leadership Awards ceremony 2019 in London.
26. United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) released The State of the World’s Children annual report -
1. A third of world’s children under five years of age, which is around 700 million, have nutrition problems. 50 million are
affected by wasting. Wasting is chronic thinness of the body which is mainly due to poverty.
2. Japan has least Infant Mortality Rate.
27. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) become first UN organization to hold and make transactions in cryptocurrency.
UNICEF established UNICEF Cryptocurrency Fund, making UNICEF able to receive, hold as well as disburse donations via
cryptocurrencies. UNICEF will be funding open source technology that aims to benefit children and young people globally.
28. World Bank South Asia Economic Focus 2019 Report, titled Exports Wanted.
1. About India -
1. Projected GDP growth of India in FY 2019-20 is 6%. Report says growth rate of India will improve to 6.9% in 2021 and
7.2% in 2022.
2. Earlier, Indian GDP Growth Rate was 8.2 % in 2016-17, 7.2 % in 2017-18 and 6.8 % in 2018-19.
3. Current Account Deficit of India widened from 1.8% in last year to 2.1% this year 80% of the causes of economic
slowdown.
4. In India, domestic demand has slipped, with private consumption growing 3.1 % in last quarter from 7.3 % a year ago,
while manufacturing growth plummeted to below 1 % in second quarter of 2019 compared to over 10 % a year ago.
2. South Asia -
1. Report says that Bangladesh and Nepal are growing faster than India. However, it assured that India is still a fast-
growing economy, despite being hit relatively harder by recent global economic slowdown.
2. South Asia remains fastest growing region in the world, despite estimation of growth in South Asia to fall to 5.9 % This
year. Growth rate of South Asia was 7.7% in 2016-17, 7.2% in 2017-18 and 6.9% in 2018-19.
3. In Bangladesh, GDP growth is estimated at 8.1 % in 2019, up from 7.9 per cent in 2018. It is fastest in the region.
Pakistan is to be slowes at 2.4 %.
29. World Trade Organization approved US' imposition of tariffs on 7.5 billion USD worth European exports. They were mainly on
Airbus production sites like France, Germany, Spain and UK.
1. Problem dates back to 2004, when EU authorities said Boeing received 19 billion USD in unfair way from state and federal
governments. The US also filed similar complaints over European subsidies to Airbus.
2. US also imposed sanctions on Turkey over its invasion into Northeast Syria, the areas that are held by Kurdish allies of the
US.
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Meetings
1. 11th Nuclear Energy Conclave held in New Delhi with Theme Economics of Nuclear Power- Innovation towards Safer & Cost
Effective Technologies.
2. 2019 Annual Meetings of World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Held in Washington DC (US).
1. India was represented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. She also attended G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank
Governors Meet, BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meet in Washington D.C.
2. Global Finance Ministers agreed to double a key pool of money that IMF can use to aid distressed countries, doubling to 500
billion dollars a temporary fund provided by 40 of IMF's 189 members.
3. Also, Finance Ministers have again put off giving more votes to major emerging economies. IMF has been working to
restructure its voting shares to give more weight to growing economies like China, India and Brazil.
3. 7th edition of C40 world mayors Summit 2019 held at Copenhagen (Denmark), with aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
improve climate resilience.
1. Kolkata received “6th C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards 2019 ” for city’s green mobility. It is among 7 winners
announced by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
2. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal attended the event.
4. Bengaluru will host 5th edition of the World Coffee Conference (WCC), in September 2020. Earlier editions were held in the UK,
Brazil, Guatemala and Ethiopia.
5. Chinese President Xi Jinping Visited India, for 2nd informal summit with India. The meet was held at ancient town of
Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu), called Chennai-Connect.
1. As the summit was informal, no MOUs were signed. Talks were about enhancing bilateral trade and relations. Kashmir issue
was not discussed.
2. 1st Informal Summit was held in Wuhan (China) in April 2018.
3. PM Modi accepted Chinese President's Invitation to have 3rd Indo-China informal summit in China in 2020.
4. India announced significant relaxations in its e-visa policy or rules for Chinese nationals. Decision to offer multiple-entry 5-
year visas is offered for a much longer duration than offered till now and meets a long-standing demand from China.
6. First India International Cooperatives Trade Fair (IICTF) held at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, to promote exports of key
agriculture commodities and products leading to enhanced rural and farm prosperity. As per Agriculture Export Policy (AEP)
2018, Cooperative sector has big role to play in doubling agriculture exports from present $30 billion to $60 billion by 2022.
1. National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) formulated Yuva Sahakar Cooperative Enterprise Support and
Innovation Scheme 2019 was launched during the event, with outlay of 100 crores.
7. Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan attended G20 Okayama Health Ministers’ Meeting in Okayama City, Japan.
8. India Mobile Congress 2019, the largest mobile technology event in South Asia, organized in New Delhi.
9. India will host 91st Interpol General Assembly in 2022, announced during 88th Interpol General Assembly in Santiago (Chile).
10. Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (IC) Prahlad Singh Patel participated in BRICS Culture Ministers’ meeting held in
Curitiba (Brazil).
11. RCEP ( Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) meeting Held in Bangkok, Thailand. Trade ministers of 16 nations met
and discussed on economic affairs in region. However, due to India’s tough stand on market access, e – commerce and investment
the grouping will meet once again. RCEP includes 10 members of ASEAN and 6 Asia Pacific countries - includes Australia, India,
China, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.
Top
National
1. 9.2-kilometer-long Chenani-Nashri tunnel will be renamed after Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.
1. Chenani-Nashri tunnel, inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi in 2017 and is also known as Patnitop tunnel. It is the longest
tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir and is located on National Highway (NH) 44.
2. Tunnel provides all- weather route to commuters travelling from Jammu and Udhampur to Ramban, Banihal and Srinagar.
3. Besides being India’s longest road tunnel, it is also India’s first tunnel with a fully integrated tunnel control system.
2. According to new draft rules from DoPT (Department of Personnel and Training), terms and perks of CICs (Chief Information
Commissioner) and ICs (Information Commissioner) are to be fixed as that of Cabinet Secretary and Secretary to GoI level.
1. CIC and IC currently hold tenure of 5 years and their perks are similar to that of the Chief Election Commissioners as defined
in Right to Information Act, 2005.
2. They are likely to be downgraded in the “Table of Precedence”. Their positions are to be several notches down the CAG and
Chairman, UPSC. They are likely to be reached to position 23 as occupied by the Secretary to GoI.
3. Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy launched flagship ‘Rythu Bharosa’ scheme, which provides a cash incentive to farmers -
1. YSR Rythu Bharosa replaces previous TDP government’s ‘Annadata Sukhibhava’ scheme. Under Rythu Bharosa, land holder
farmers owning up to five acres will be provided with an annual benefit of Rs 13500.
2. Landless cultivators or tenant farmers from SC, ST, BC and minority groups are also eligible for the incentive. It includes
annual benefit of 6000 per family provided by Centre under PM KISAN Yojana.
3. YSRCP government earlier promised INR 50000 in 4 annual instalments of 12500 each, the amount was increased to Rs
13,500 to be paid for five years, bringing total to 67500.
4. Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched YSR Kanti Velugu Scheme 2019, on the occasion of World Sight Day on
Oct 10, 2019. Under this, natives of Andhra can screen their eyes free of cost and spectacles will also be provided. It is a part of Fit
India Movement.
5. As per India Innovation Index (III) 2019 released by NITI Aayog -
1. Karnataka is Most Innovative State among Major States. Others In Top 5 - Tamil Nadu (2), Maharashtra (3), Telangana (3)
and Haryana (5)
2. Among 17 major states, Chattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand are at bottom of the index with Jharkhand finishing last.
3. Among North-Eastern & Hill States - Sikkim (1), Himachal Pradesh (2) and Uttarakhand (3).
4. Among Union Territories/ small States - Delhi (1), Chandigarh (2) and Goa (3).
5. Index is based on seven pillars which include 5 enablers and 2 performance indicators.
6. As per study by CARE Ratings, Uttar Pradesh topped among states in terms of overall expenditure incurred on capital
outlay/asset creation (capex) during 2015-2019.
1. However, Telangana topped in terms of capital expenditure on Irrigation. It ranked seventh in overall capex expenditure.
2. Top 5 in Terms of overall capex - Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Bihar, Gujarat.
3. Top 10 States accounted for 73 % of the combined capex undertaken by all States.
7. Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) released a census report of livestock population for 2019. data revealed
that livestock population in India has grown by 4.6% from 512 million in 2012 to about 536 million in 2019. Population of cows
increased 18% over previous census (conducted in 2014).
8. Facebook is undertaking an initiative to help tribal girls in India become village-level digital young leaders for their communities.
Facebook announced 2nd phase of its ‘GOAL’ programme, which will mentor 5,000 young women in India’s tribal dominated
districts.
1. Launched in March 2019, Going Online as Leaders (GOAL) connects underprivileged young women from tribal areas with
senior expert mentors in the areas of business, fashion and arts to learn digital and life skills.
9. Forbes India Rich List 2019 -
1. Top 5 -
1. Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani held top spot for 12th consecutive year with net worth of $51.4 billion.
2. Gautam Adani - $15.7 billion.
3. Hinduja brothers - $15.6 billion.
4. Pallonji Mistry - $15 billion.
5. Uday Kotak - $14.8 billion
2. Wipro founder Azim Premji who gave to charity a substantial portion of his fortune in March 2019, saw his net worth plunge
to $7.2 billion from $21 billion last year. He ranked at 17th, compared to 2nd last year.
1. 10th edition of Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav-National Cultural Festival organized by Ministry of Culture under ‘Ek Bharat,
Shreshtha Bharat’ campaign in Madhya Pradesh.
2. 3rd India Energy Forum by CERAWeek held in New Delhi. During the event, Indian Railways announced to become a net-
zero carbon emitter by 2030.
1. Railways also launched 10 ‘Sewa Service’ trains, in a bid to improve last-mile connectivity.
3. 1st India Sports Summit 2019 held in New Delhi, titled Fitness: $10 Billion Opportunity. Minister of State for Youth and
Sports Kiren Rijiju announced that a ‘Fit India’ mission office would be set up, to promote aforementioned goals.
4. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal launched initiative called ‘Farishte Dilli Ke’, under which citizens who take accident victims to the
hospital will be felicitated with INR 2000 and a certificate.
5. First National Hindi Science writers conference held at Dr. Shakuntala Mishra National rehabilitation university in
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
6. Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey announced to set up 14 Authorized World Skills
India Training Centres across 9 cities. Cities – Chandigarh, New Delhi, Chennai, Trivandrum, Indore, Pune, Mumbai,
Hyderabad, and Shillong. Centres will offer certification courses of 9 months to 36 months duration on graphic design
technology, 3D digital game and print media technology.
7. Conference on One Nation One FASTag held in New Delhi.
8. 6th Replenishment Conference of Global Fund to fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria (GFTAM) held in Lyon,
France.
9. Odisha’s smart city Bhubaneswar got it 1st Robo Chef Restaurant, in Bubaneswar, claiming to be the first restaurant in
Eastern India where two indigenously developed robots, ‘Champa’ and ‘Chameli’ are engaged.
10. National Health Authority and CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) organized Asia Health Conference 2019 in New Delhi.
11. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) developed two
diagnostic kits under Make in India initiative. The kits are called Blue tongue sandwich ELISA (sELISA) and Japanese
Encephalitis lgM ELISA.
12. Jaffna International Airport (JIA) in Sri Lanka received its inaugural flight from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Jaffna Airport was
redeveloped at Rs 1,950 million (Sri Lankan rupee) of which India funded Rs 300 million (Sri Lankan rupee).
13. IIT Guwahati partnered with Japan’s Kyoto Institute of Technology (KIT), to organize an international symposium on
Advances in Sustainable Polymers (ASP-19).
14. Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched Van Dhan Internship Programme, organized by TRIFED (Tribal cooperative marketing
Development Federation of India). It will train interns and interns will help tribal population in becoming self reliant and
entrepreneurs.
15. Indian Army's Northern Command held Sangam Youth Festival at Bhadarwah (Jammu and Kashmir), in collaboration with
Jammu University, to spread message of peace, prosperity, communal harmony and national integration.
16. 2nd edition of Indo-French Knowledge Summit held at University of Lyon in France.
17. Minister of state for Culture & Tourism (IC) Prahalad Singh inaugurated CCRT e-portal and YouTube Channel, during
Digital Bharat – Digital Sanskriti program organised by Rashtriya Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (Ministry of
Culture) at New Delhi.
18. HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ inaugurated 5 new Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs), one National
Navodaya Leadership Institute and laid foundation stone of 9 new JNVs in New Delhi.
19. 129th death anniversary of mystic bard Fakir Lalon Shah observed in Bangladesh. Lalon is believed to be born in 1774 though
no written records exist. It is said that Lalon was born Hindu but he was raised by a Muslim family after he was abandoned
by his own family when he got infected with small pox. A festival of Baul songs named Indo Bangla Baul Music Festival was
also held alongside.
20. 24th Busan International Film Festival Held in Busan (South Korea).
11. Hardeep S Puri, Minister of State(I/c) for Housing & Urban Affairs launched mobile app mHariyali, aimed at encouraging
Public engagement in planting trees and other such Green drives. App provides for automatic geo-tagging of plants.
12. Home Ministry proposed an amendment to convict makers and users of illegal arms. According to the amendment, the makers of
“prohibited” arms and those carrying such arms will be prisoned for life. The bill will be introduced in winter session of
parliament.
1. Arms Act 1959 act was legislated to consolidate and amend laws related to arms and ammunition. It replaced Arms Act 1878.
2. Arms Act 1878 stipulated that no Indian shall be allowed to bear arms prior to proper permit. No such rules were imposed to
British living in India. Act was seen as a major humiliation for India.
13. IIT Madras signed a 5-year joint research agreement with ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company (EMRE), the
research and engineering arm of ExxonMobil Corporation, for research in biofuels, data analytics, gas conversion and transport,
and finding low-emission solutions.
14. Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Council got abolished, as per Section 57 of J&K Reorganisation Bill 2019. With this, J&K state has
now been reduced to Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, w.e.f November 2019.
1. 36-member Legislative Council functioned as Upper House for 87-member J&K Legislative Assembly.
2. Tenure of current 22 Members of Legislative Council (MLCs) has come to an end. J&K Governor will be replaced by the
Lieutenant-Governors (LGs) of 2 UTs.
15. Karnataka, Kerala and Gujarat topped in University-Industry Linkages (UILs) in a research report conducted by the PHD
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI). Analysis was conducted on the basis of 10 parameters.
16. Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai launched a Government Railway Police’s website “railways.delhipolice.gov.in”
and mobile application “Sahyatri”. Sahyatri app will help railway passengers find out jurisdiction of a police station and details of
GRP officials by geo-tagging with Google Maps.
17. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released a commemorative postal stamp of Hyderabad based National Institute of
Nutrition, under “Corporate My Stamp” scheme of India Posts, launched in 2016. Under this, a corporate entity or an individual
can get their photo printed inside postage stamp at a price of 12 lakh rupees.
18. Punjab got most of its over 2800 polluting brick kilns switched to a new technology, cutting emissions by over 70 %. In new kilns,
bricks to be baked are arranged in a zigzag pattern, allowing hot air to cover a longer path, unlike in traditional kilns, where bricks
are arranged in straight lines.
1. As air takes zigzag path, it improves heat transfer to the bricks, thus making the operation more efficient.
19. Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari announced road starting from Kapurthala, connecting Gobindwal Sahib
and terminating near Taran Tarana in Punjab as new National Highway, NH- 703AA and named it as ‘Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji
Marg’, after first Sikh guru.
20. Shirui Lily Festival 2019 held at Shirui Vangayan Ground of Ukhrul in Manipur.
21. Supreme Court’s 5 Judge Constitutional bench (led by CJI Ranjan Gogoi) reserved its judgement on the Ayodhya-Babri Masjid
land dispute case after an interminable hearing that lasted for over 40 days. SC heard arguments of all the three litigants - Ram
Lalla, Nirmohi Akhara and Sunni Waqf Board and Muslim parties.
1. This is second-longest hearing in the history of Supreme Court after the landmark Kesavananda Bharati v State of Kerala
case in which hearings lasted for 68 days.
2. Ayodhya administrator had imposed Section 144 in Ayodhya district that will last till December 10. Section 144 prohibits any
assembly of four or more persons.
3. CJI Ranjan Gogoi is set to retire on November 17, 2019. If the judgement on the case is not delivered before the CJI’s
retirement, then the entire case would have to be heard afresh with a new judge replacing Justice Gogoi.
22. Uttar Pradesh government will organise India’s first performance of world-famous KHON Ramlila, a masked form of Ramlila art
of Thailand in collaboration with Thai government. KHON Ramlila of Thailand is included in the list of UNESCO’s Intangible
cultural heritage and it’s a form of masked dance depicting the scenes of Ramlila.
23. West Bengal government is setting up Kanyashree University in Nadia district and Kanyashree colleges across state, to empower
girls. Kanyashree scheme was started by state government in 2013.
1. In 2017, Kanyashree scheme won first prize in UN award and the state government was awarded by UN for Public Service for
its Kanyashree scheme.
2. So far the scheme has been allocated a budget of Rs 7,000 crore and has empowered over 60 lakh girl students.
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Persons
1. Indian nun Mariam Thresia from Kerala and four other nuns were declared Saints by Pope Francis, at the Vatican City. Mariam
Thresia founded Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family in Thrissur in May 1914.
2. Kiran Uniyal has created Individual Guinness World Records for “The most full contact knee strikes in three minutes (one leg)
(female), 263 strikes” & “The most full contact knee strikes alternate legs in one minute(female),120 strikes”. She is wife of a
serving Colonel of Indian Army.
1. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu Visited Comoros (Indian Ocean) and Sierra Leone (West Africa).
1. Comoros -
1. 6 MOUs were signed, Including co-operation in Defence, Health and Medicine, Arts and Culture and MOU on e-
VidyaBharti.
2. It also includes an agreement for Exemption for Visas for diplomatic passpost holders.
3. India also extended Line of Credit of over 60 million USD to Comoros. 41.6 million USD will be for 18 MW Power
Plant in Moroni and another 20 million US Dollars for procurement of High-Speed Interceptor Boats.
4. Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu has been awarded Comoros' highest civilian honour 'The Order of the Green
Crescent'.
2. Sierra Leone -
1. 6 MOUs were signed, for co-operation in cultural exchange programme and various fields.
2. India approved establishment of a Joint commission in Sierra Leone.
3. India extended a credit line of 30 million US Dollars for irrigation development in Sierra Leone.
2. Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan attended G20 Okayama Health Ministers’ Meeting in Okayama City,
Japan.
1. The Netherlands' King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima Visited India.
1. India and Netherlands launched second phase of the Local Treatment of Urban Sewage Streams for Healthy Reuse
Plant (LOTUS-HR), in new Delhi.
2. 25th DST - CII India-Netherlands Technology Summit Held in New Delhi.
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Science
1. For the first time, ISRO will test surface landing of Reusable Launch Vehicle Program launched in 2016. It aims to cut down the
launch cost by reusing the spacecraft. RLV will function as a space shuttle that will carry a payload to space and glide back to the
earth. Landing of the RLV is to be tested at Challakere in Chitradurga district in Karnataka.
2. Kerala Researchers discovered new species of eel-loach named ‘Pangio bhujia’ in Kozhikode district of state. It is unique species
of miniature well-dwelling subterranean fish. It is the first species of eel-loach in the world that has been discovered to be living in
subterranean environments.
3. NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch performed first ever all women spacewalk when they ventured outside
International Space Station (ISS). Christina Koch had already carried out four spacewalks but it was the first such mission for
Jessica Meir, who became the 15th woman to walk in space. They spent seven hours outside ISS replacing a failed power control
unit.
4. NASA launched Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) space weather satellite. Ionospheric is layer of the earth’s atmosphere
that contains a high concentration of ions and free electrons and is able to reflect radio waves. It will study the dynamic zone in an
atmosphere where terrestrial weather from below meets space weather from above for 2 years.
5. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Observed 1st Confirmed Interstellar Comet comet 2I/Borisov. Hubble revealed a central
concentration of dust around nucleus. Comet 2I/Borisov is 2nd interstellar object known to have passed through solar system. In
2017, the first identified interstellar visitor, an object officially named 'Oumuamua, swung within 24 million miles of Sun before
racing out of solar system.
6. Reesearchers spotted fastest ant in world, the Saharan silver ant (Cataglyphis bombycina), which can cover 855 millimetres
(33.66 inches) per second. It has stride rate of 47 per second, 10 times that os Usain Bolt. It can travel 108 times its body length
per second.
7. Researchers from India and UK created a robot named Pepe which encourages children to wash their hands, presented at 28TH
IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication held in New Delhi, on Global Handwashing Day
2019 (October 15).
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Sports
1. 2019 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships (Ulan-Ude, Russia) -
1. 224 Competitors from 57 nations participated.
2. Medal Table -
1 Russia 3 1 2 6
2 China 1 3 1 5
3 Turkey 1 2 0 3
5 Chinese Taipei 1 0 1 2
3. India ranked 9th with 4 Medals (1 Silver and 3 Bronze). Indian Medalists -
1. Manju Rani (Silver) - Light flyweight
2. Mary Kom (Bronze) - Flyweight
3. Jamuna Boro (Bronze) - Bantamweight
4. Lovlina Borgohain (Bronze) - Welterweight
2. 2019 Shanghai Masters Men's Tennis Title -
1. Singles - Daniil Medvedev (Russia), Defeated Alexander Zverev (Germany)
2. Doubles - Croatia Mate Pavić / Brazil Bruno Soares
3. 49th World Artistic Gymnastics Championships 2019 held in Stuttgart (Germany), held annually in non-Olympic years.
1. 548 competitors from 92 nations participated in the event. Indian team consisted of 6 members, without winning a medal.
2. 2021 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships (50th Edition) will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark.
3. Simone Biles (US) won record-extending 15th World Gymnastics Championship title, becoming event’s most decorated
woman.
4. Medal Tally -

2 Russia 3 3 3 9
3 Great Britain 2 1 1 4
4 Turkey 1 1 0 2
Belgium 1 0 0 1
5 Brazil 1 0 0 1
Philippines 1 0 0 1
4. As per Brand Finance Nation Brands 2019 annual report by Brand Finance -
1. India ranked 7th, up from from 9th rank in 2018, with 18.7% growth in brand value to $2562 bn.
2. Top 5 -
1. Rank Nation Brand value
1 USA $27,751 bn
2 China $19,486 bn
3 Germany $4,855 bn
4 Japan $4,533 bn
5 United Kingdom (UK) $3,851 bn
7 India $2,562 bn
5. Asian Junior Boxing Championships 2019 held in Fujairah (UAE) -

1. India won 21 Medals (6 Gold, 9 Silver and 6 Bronze). India won most number of medals but was second behind Uzbekistan
in Tally, which had total 20 Medals and 8 Gold.
2. Indian Gold Medalists - Vishvanath Suresh, Bishwamitra Chongtham, Kalpana, Preeti Dahiya, Tashbir Kaur Sandhu, Alfiya
Tarannum Pathan.
6. Bahrain International Series Badminton 2019 at Isa Town (Bahrain) -
1. Indian Player Priyanshu Rajawat won men’s singles title, beating Jason Anthony Ho-Shue from Canada.
2. Indian mixed double pair of Juhi Dewangan and Venkat Gaurav Prasad also finished at the top.
7. Dutch Open Badminton 2019 (Almere, The Netherlands) Winners -
1. Men's Singles - Lakshya Sen (India). He defeated Yusuke Onodera of Japan. It is his 1st BWF World Tour title.
2. Women's Singles - Wang Zhiyi (China)
3. Men's Doubles - Russia's Vladimir Ivanov AND Ivan Sozonov
4. Women's Doubles - Bulgaria's Gabriela Stoeva AND Stefani Stoeva
5. Mixed Doubles - The Netherlands' Robin Tabeling AND Selena Piek
8. Great Britain won Sultan of Johor Cup hockey tournament 2019 held at Johor Bahru in Malaysia, beating India.
9. India Women's Football team beat Bangladesh to win the SAFF U-15 Women’s Championship title, hosted in Thimpu (Bhutan).
10. International Cricket Council (ICC) changed rules of Super Over and ruled that Super over will be repeated till a winnr emerges.
The controversial boundary count rule has been scrapped. In final match of the Cricket World Cup 2019, England was declared
winner against New Zealand with a boundary count in super over.
11. Mercedes' Racer Valtteri Viktor Bottas (Finland) Won Japanese Grand Prix 2019 -

17 Japanese Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 13 October
12. World Youth Chess Championship 2019 held in Mumbai.

1. India won 7 medals and stayed at top of tally. It Includes 1 gold, 3 silver, and 3 bronze medals. Russia ranked 2nd with 5
medals.
2. Indian Medalists -
Player Event Medal
Praggnanandhaa R Open U18 Gold
Agrawal Vantika Girls U18 Silver
Srihari L R Open U14 Silver
Deshmukh Divya Girls U14 Silver
Ghosh Aronyak Open U16 Bronze
Sreeshwan Maralakshikari Open U14 Bronze
Ravi Rakshitta Girls U14 Bronze
13. Zimbabwe and Nepal are re-admitted as International Cricket Council members. Zimbabwe will now be able to take up their
place in the ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup in 2020. Zimbabwe Cricket was suspended in July 2019 and Nepal was banned in
2016 for “governmental interference”.
Top
Read Important Ones

Month All Type All
Appointments
1. Actor Ayushmann Khurrana has been appointed by UNICEF and Ministry of Women and Child Development as ambassador to
raise awareness against sexual abuse of children.
2. Actress Deepika Padukone and Badminton Player PV Sindhu named as ambassadors for PM Narendra Modi’s new initiative
called ‘Bharat Ki Laxmi’ movement, aiming to bring commendable work done by women to light ahead of the Diwali festival.
3. Alberto Fernandez won Argentina's presidential elections, with country facing severe economic crisis.
4. BJP's Manohar Lal Khattar sworn in as Chief Minister of Haryana for second straight term. Dushyant Chautala as been
appointed as deputy CM.
5. Datta Padsalgikar has been appointed as Deputy National Security Advisor (NSA). He is Former Mumbai Police Commissioner
and Maharashtra DGP.
6. Dineshwar Sharma has been appointed as administrator of UT of Lakshadweep.
7. Filipe Jacinto Nyusi has been re-elected as President of Mozambique (East Africa).
8. Govt. appointed Pankaj Kumar as New chief executive officer (CEO) of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). Other
Notable appointments approved by appointments committee -
1. Braj Raj Sharma - Chairman of Staff Selection Commission.
2. Sanjeev Nandan Sahai - Secretary in Ministry of Power.
3. Pramod Kumar Das - Secretary in Ministry of Minority Affairs.
4. Ashok Malik has been appointed policy advisor in Ministry of External Affairs in rank of additional secretary.
9. Govt. appointed Sukhbir Singh Sandhu as Chairman of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
10. Incumbent Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal party retained power in Canadian general election 2019 with a
narrow margin.
11. Joko Widodo has been re-elected as President of Indonesia, for his 2nd successive term.
12. Manoj Jain has been appointed by Govt as CMD of GAIL, India's biggest natural gas company. Also,
1. Arvind Singh has been appointed as chairman of Airports Authority of India
2. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu will head National Highways Authority of India.
3. Pramod Kumar Tiwari has been appointed as Director General of the Bureau of Indian Standards.
4. Vijayendra has bee appointed as new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of National Small Industries Corporation
(NSIC).
13. Misc. Appointments (Oct 2019) -
1. Kuldeep Singh Dhatwalia appointed as Principal Director General of Press Information Bureau (principal spokesperson of
government).
2. Govt. appointed Pradipta Kumar Bisoi as Secretary in Department of Posts.
3. Govt. Approved assignment of additional charge of Secretary in Ministry of Panchayati Raj to Amarjeet Sinha (Secretary in
Department of Rural Development).
4. Government appointed PK Gupta as new CMD of PSU NBCC (National Buildings Construction Corporation).
5. Rajiva Sinha appointed as new chief secretary of West Bengal and Srikant Baldi appointed as Chief Secretary of Himachal
Pradesh.
6. Surendra Kumar Ghotia appointed as Chief (Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief) of South Western Air Command. He
succeeded Harjit Singh Arora, who was recently appointed as vice chief of Indian Air Force (IAF).
7. Tata Communications has named Amur S Lakshminarayanan as its MD and CEO.
8. Govt. appointed Amrit Lugun as New Ambassador of India to Greece.
9. Govt. appointed Muktesh Kumar Pardeshi as New Ambassador of to Niue (Oceanic Nation).
10. Vijay Patil elected as president of Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA).
11. Government appointed Anumula Gitesh Sarma as New Indian Ambassador to Australia.
12. Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) appointed Chairman of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Kallam Satish Reddy as its President
for 2019-21.
13. Pradeep Kumar appointed as Member (Signal & Telecom) in Railway Board and P.C. Sharma has taken over as Member
(Material Management) in Railway Board.
14. Kishan Dan Dewal has been appointed as New Indian Ambassador to Georgia.
15. American multinational financial Firm CITI Group appointed Peter Babej as CEO of its Asia-Pacific region.
16. Upender Singh Rawat has been appointed as New Indian Ambassador to Republic of Nicaragua (Central America).
17. Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas has been appointed as New Indian Ambassador to Republic of Cape Verde.
18. Arun Kumar Sahu has been appointed as New Indian ambassador to Grenada.
19. Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas has been appointed as India's New Ambassador to Gambia.
20. Birender Singh Yadav is appointed as New Indian Ambassador to Iraq.
21. Muktesh Kumar Pardeshi appointed as New Indian Ambassador to Small Oceanic Nation Samoa.
22. Indian-American interventional gastroenterologist Amit Sachdev is among 15 people appointed to 2019-2020 Class of White
House Fellows. Amit Sachdev has been placed at Department of Health and Human Services.
23. Govt, Approved charge of Secretary, Department of Expenditure to Atanu Chakraborty. He is also Secretary in Department of
Economic Affairs.
14. New Governors appointed -
1. Satya Pal Malik - Goa
2. P.S. Sreedharan Pillai - Mizoram
3. Girish Chandra Murmu - Lieutenant Governor of UT of Jammu-Kashmir
4. Radha Krishna Mathur - Lieutenant Governor of UT of Ladakh
15. Rafael Mariano Grossi of Argentina has been elected as the new Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency,
succeeding Yukiya Amano of Japan.
16. Sophie Wilmes has been chosen as Belgium's new prime minister. She is the first female head of government of Belgium.
Top
Awards
1. 28th Vyas Samman for 2018 has been conferred on Noted Hindi writer Leeladhar Jagoori.
1. It was anounced in March 2019. Award is given by KK Birla Foundation for his collection of poems “Jitne Log Utne Prem”.
2. Vyas Samman started in 1991, and carries an amount of 4 lakh.
2. Bollywood Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has been honoured with Golden Dragon Award at Cardiff International Film Festival (UK)
for excellence in cinema in global arena.
3. European Union (EU) Parliament awarded ‘Sakharov Prize for Human Rights’ to Uighur intellectual Ilham Tohti, who has been
jailed and sentenced to life imprisonment in China for “separatism”. European Parliament also urged China to immediately release
Ilham Tohti as well as called for the respect of minority rights in China.
1. Sakharov PrizeIt is awarded by the European Union (EU) Parliament annually for free speech, constituted in memory of
Soviet physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov.
4. Industrial Awards (Oct 2019) -
1. Kavitha Gopal became first female student of IIT Madras to receive President of India Prize, at 56th convocation of IIT
Madras.
2. International body of people of Indian origin Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) will honour 3 Indian-
Americans for their contribution in the health field as well as for promoting health awareness among the diaspora. It
Includes -
1. Rahul Shukla (CEO of S S White Technologies and Shukla Medical).
2. Hitesh Bhatt (CEO of Bhatt Foundation)
3. H R Shah, Chairman and CEO of TV Asia.
3. Former IIT Madras Director MS Ananth conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the TiECON Chennai 2019.
4. IT Firm Tata Consultancy Services named as overall most outstanding company in India’s IT services sector in Asiamoney
2019 outstanding company's poll.
5. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) awarded 46 biomedical scientists from different institutes across the country for
excellence in biomedical research. 39 awards for 2017 and 2018 were presented to 46 scientists.
6. Bollywood Movie Gully Boy', starring Ranveer Singh won best film from India award in regional finals at Asian Academy
Creative Awards 2019. Gully boy is also India's official entry to 92nd Oscar Awards 2020.
7. Promoters of Marg ERP, which provides inventory and accounting software to over one million active users including to
2,50,000 MSMEs, has bagged Udyog Rattan Award from Government.
5. Jewish U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg won 2019 Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture, comprising 1
Million USD Cash Prize. It is given by Berggruen Institute, an independent think tank which develops ideas to shape political and
social institutions.
6. Mohun Bagan Athletic Club has conferred life membership to 2019 Nobel laureate Indian-American Abhijit Banerjee.
1. In 1911, Mohun Bagan became first Indian club to win the Indian Football Association (IFA) Shield beating the East
Yorkshire Regiment of British Army in final.
7. New Delhi based Gandhi Mandela Foundation has constituted India’s first International Award, The Gandhi Mandela Award. It
will honor exemplary work of Heads of Governments and other distinguished persons/organizations around world. Awardees will
be selected by a jury of eminent personalities.
8. President Ram Nath Kovind presented First ever National Corporate Social Responsibility Awards in New Delhi, as highest
recognition given by Government in domain of CSR. The awards were instituted in 2017 by Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA).
1. In 2019 edition, 19 companies from a total of 528 entries have been selected for awards.
2. Categories -
1. Recongnition to a company based on total eligible CSR Spend (Up to 4 awards, and up to 4 honourable mentions).
2. Corporate Awards in CSR in Challenging Circumstances (Up to 5 awards, and up to 5 honourable mentions).
3. Recognition to a company to be given based on contribution to National Priority Schemes (NPS) (Up to 11 Awards, and
up to 11 honourable mentions).
Top
Books
1. Bengali writer Nabaneeta Dev Sen's last novel of her Naxal trilogy has been translated into English as 'The Parrot Green Saree',
by Tutun Mukherjee. In Bengali, novel was titled 'Phoenix'.
2. Book Ten Studies in Kashmir: History and Politics, written by educationist and Padma Shri recipient K N Pandit has been
released.
3. Book The True Meaning of Yoga, written by noted philosopher Atman in Ravi (AiR) has been released.
4. Final book by late Noted British economist Anthony Atkinson, titled Measuring Poverty around the World has been released.
5. New Book Dark Fear, Eerie Cities: New Hindi Cinema in Neoliberal India, written by Sarunas Paunksnis has been released.
6. New Book Suncatcher by Booker Prize–nominated author Romesh Gunesekera shall be released soon.
7. New Book The Unquiet River: A Biography of the Brahmaputra by Arupjyoti Saikia shall be released soon.
Top
Committees
1. Government formed a committee to resolve differences between Niti Aayog and Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) over who
will implement its ambitious artificial intelligence mission. Committee will be headed by principal scientific advisor K
VijayRaghavan.
2. Government has set up a Committee of Secretaries (CoS) under Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, To understand the stress and
devise the strategy to eliminate financial burden in the telecom sector.
3. High-Level Advisory Group headed by economist Surjit S. Bhalla submitted its report and favoured India signing free trade
agreements (FTA) with trade partners.
1. Report supports government's resolve to go ahead with negotiations for proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic
Partnership (RCEP).
2. Panel was assigned asked to assess global environment and make recommendations for boosting India's share in global
merchandise and services trade, managing pressing bilateral trade relations, and mainstreaming new age policymaking.
4. Insurance regulator IRDAI has set up a committee to evaluate applications filed under the Regulatory Sandbox approach to
promote innovative ideas to foster growth in insurance sector. Panel will be headed by IIIT Bangalore Director S Sadagopan.
1. Regulatory Sandbox (RS) refers to live testing of new products or services in a controlled environment for which regulators
may permit certain relaxations for limited purpose of testing.
Top
Days
1. Oct 21 is observed as Police Commemoration Day in India, in memory of the policemen killed at Hot Springs in North Eastern
Ladakh by Chinese troops on this date in 1959.
1. Till October to November of 1959, Indian Police personnel were responsible for defending 2,500 mile long border of India
with then Tibet.
2. Oct 21 also observed as World Iodine Deficiency Day.
3. Oct 21, 2019 also marks 76th anniversary of Azad Hind Movement, commemorated at Red Fort, Delhi. Azad Hind Movement
was established in Singapore in 1943 on Oct 21, conceptualized by Netaji Subhsh Chandra Bose.
2. Oct 22 is observed as International Stuttering Awareness Day, marked in 1998.
3. Oct 23 - International Snow Leopard Day.
1. On this day, Government of India launched its first national protocol to assess the population of this elusive and endangered
species in India. It will contribute to the global ‘Population Assessment of the World’s Snow Leopard’s (PAWS) initiative.
4. Oct 24 is observed as -
1. United Nations Day. It marks enactment of UN Charter on this day in 1945. 2019 theme is Our Planet. Our Future.
2. International Day of Diplomats, celebrated since 2017.
3. World Development Information Day, established by UNGA in 1972.
4. WHO World Polio Day.
5. Oct 25, 2019 is observed as Ayurveda day, being observed since 2016.
1. Ministry of AYUSH, in 2016 decided to celebrate Ayurveda Day every year on day of Dhanvantari Jayanti (Dhanteras).
2. On this occasion, Ministry of Ayush distributes “National Dhanwantari Ayurveda Award”, comprising of cash reward of 5
lakhs.
6. Oct 27 is observed as World Day for Audiovisual Heritage. 2019 theme is Engage the Past Through Sound and Images. It was
marked by UNESCO in 2005.
1. Oct 27 is also Birth Anniversary of K R Narayanan, 10th President of India.
7. Oct 28 is observed as International Animation Day (IAD), proclaimed in 2002.
8. Oct 29 is observed as Internet Day. In 2005, it was decided to propose to UN the designation of October 29 as World-wide Day of
the Information Society, which resulted in Internet Day being celebrated on that day.
9. Oct 31 is Observed as UN World Cities Day, proclaimed in 2013. 2019 Theme is changing the world: Innovations and better life
for future generation.
10. Oct 31 is observed as National Unity Day (Rashtriya Ekta Diwas).
1. It was introduced by Government in 2014, marking Birth Anniversary of Legendary Leader and 1st Home Minsiter and
Deputy PM of India, Shri Sardar Valabh Bhai Patel.
2. On this occasion in 2018, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's memorial in Gujarat's Narmada
district. Called the Statue of Unity, the bronze sculpture is the world's tallest statue measuring 600 feet (182m). It has
overtook China's Spring Temple Buddha (153m) and USA's Statue of Liberty (93m). It was constructed in 33 months at
2,989 crores.
3. Like every year “Run for Unity” campaign was organized on this occasion.
4. Oct 31 is also Death Anniversary of Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. She was killed on this day in 1984.
5. Oct 31 is observed as World Thrift / Savings Day. In India it is observed on 30th october.
6. Oct 24 - 31 is observed annually as Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week, initiated in 2012.
11. United Nations Disarmament Week is observed annually betweene Oct 24 - 30.
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Defence
1. 2nd India Myanmar Naval Exercise called IMNEX-2019 held at Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).
2. DRDO began manufacturing of hypersonic missiles, that are five times faster than speed of sound. This technology increases the
survival against modern ballistic missile defence system.
1. Indian Air Force also test fired surface-to-surface cruise missile BrahMos from Trek Islands in Car Nicobar Islands, with its
range of 300 KM.
3. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved issuance of two Open General Export Licences (OGELs) for export of certain parts
&components and intra-company transferof technology to select countries. It will give a boost to defence exports and enhance ease
of doing business.
1. Countries allowed under OGELs - Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, UK, USA, Canada, Italy,
Poland and Mexico. Export of items to a ‘Special Economic Zone’ is not permitted.
2. OGEL is a one-time export licence to be granted to a company for a specific period (two years initially).
4. Indian and Oman Air Force Joint exercise named EX EASTERN BRIDGE-V held at Air Force Base Masirah (Oman).
5. Indo-French joint exercise ‘Shakti 2019’ began at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Bikaner (Rajasthan).
6. War Exercise by Sudarshan Chakra Vahini of Indian Army, named Sindhu Sudarshan, held at Jaisalmer field firing range in
Rajasthan.
Top
Economy
1. Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved Proposal from Korea based carmakers Hyundai Motor Company and Kia
Motors Corp to acquire a stake in ANI Technologies – the parent firm of ride-hailing platform Ola and Ola Electric Mobility
(OEM). The investment amounts to US$300 million.
2. Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved acquisition of 4.15% stake in Aditya Birla Capital Limited (ABCL) by Jomei
Investments Limited (JIL). JIL is wholly-owned by Advent International GPE IX Limited Partnership, a fund managed by Advent
International Corporation.
3. Competition Commission of India approved Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company) acquiring minority stake in Hero
Future Energies Global Ltd. (HFE UK), and Hero Future Energies Private Ltd (HFE India).
1. Stake will be acquired by way of subscription to equity shares in HFE UK and non-voting compulsorily convertible
preference shares in HFE India.
2. This transaction was approved through ‘green channel,’ a much quicker route for clearing certain categories of mergers and
acquisitions, that was introduced by CCI recently.
4. ICICI Bank exited GST Network, selling its entire 10 % stake to 13 state governments. Stake sale is for aggregate cash
consideration of 1 crore.
1. ICICI Bank exited GSTN following government's decision to make GST Network into a public sector entity.
2. As per the decision, Centre will own a 50 % stake in GST Network and remainder will be held by the states on a pro-rata
basis.
5. India signed US$165 loan agreement with World Bank for implementation of Odisha integrated irrigation project for climate
resilient agriculture. It aims to support small farmers to strengthen resilience of their production system and improve market
linkage for their produce.
6. India's domestic payments platform-Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has hit landmark of one billion Transactions, 3 years after
its launch in April 2016. It also crossed 100 million users, making it the fastest adoption of any payments system anywhere in
world.
1. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which operates UPI platform, aims to take network global by enabling
acceptance of UPI in Singapore and UAE.
7. Indian GDP Growth Forecasts (Oct 2019) -
1. Standard & Poor (S&P) Global ratings reduced India’s growth to 6.3% from its previous estimation of 7.1% for 2019-2020.
2. RBI in its 4th Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Review reduced GDP Growth Foreacst for 2019-20 to 6.1 % (From 6.9%).
3. International rating agency Moody’s reduced India’s GDP growth forecast to 5.8% for FY20, from 6.2% earlier.
4. India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra), a part of Fitch group, lowered India's GDP Growth forecast for FY 2019-20 to 6.1%,
from 6.7 % earlier.
5. Fitch Ratings slashed India's GDP growth forecast in current fiscal to 5.5 %. down from 6.6 % projection earlier.
8. Indian Railways decided to allow carriage of goods of e-commerce Firm Amazon on a pilot basis for three months, to be ferried
during non-peak hours (11 AM to 4 PM).
1. Carrying of e-commerce consignment ofAmazon in EMU services commenced from Sealdah to Dankuni in EMU local
(suburban services) managed by Eastern Railways. 7 MT of consignment per day has been allowed to be carried.
9. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India imposed penalties of Rs 1.01 crore on Cholamandalam MS GIC.
1. Penalty of 1 crore is for violation of Clause that specifies that no commission shall be payable to any intermediary on
acceptance of a ported policy.
2. Other penalty of 1 lakh is for motor insurance and was for violating outsourcing guidelines by agreeing to payment terms not
in interests of insurer.
10. Joint venture between Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and Ebix received approval from IRDAI. The venture, branded as BSE-
Ebix Broking Insurance Broking Pvt. Ltd., will enable distribution outlets, wealth management advisors, Points of Sale (POS) to
sell life and non-life insurance product.
11. Mahindra Two Wheelers Europe, a subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra, will acquire 100 % ownership of Peugeot Motocycles
(PMTC). Brand's presence in Europe will be fortified, with PMTC's headquarters continuing to be based at Mandeure (France).
12. Misc. Corporate News (Oct 2019) -
1. Axis Bank launched ‘Express FD’, a digital fixed deposit (FD) product that allows a customer to open an FD account in three
minutes through digital mode without opening a savings account. It offers attractive interest rates, zero issuance fees and no
penalty on pre-mature withdrawal of up to 25% of amount. Amont can be between 5000 - 90000, for tenure between 6 to 12
months.
2. Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur launched Pragati Rath of HDFC bank, which will provide financial and digital
literacy to people during a month-long initiative.
3. UCO Bank launched digital products called UCash, Digilocker and an app. UCash allows Customers to withdraw money from
ATMs without using debit card. Digilocker will enable sharing of verified electronic documents without use of physical
documents. Mobile app comes as integration of 4 existing apps – UCO Mbanking, UCO UPI, UCO Mpassbook and UCO
Secure.
4. U GRO Capital (formerly known as Chokhani securities) signed its first co-origination of loan agreement with Bank of
Baroda, to necessitate joint contribution of credit flow with competitive rate of interest, to empower SMEs by using U GRO
Capital’s co-lending platform ‘GRO-Xstream’.
5. Government e-Marketplace (GeM) signed MoU with Union Bank of India (UBI). It will facilitate a cashless, paperless and
transparent payment system on portal and will create an efficient procurement system for government entities.
6. ICICI Bank launched a new Fixed deposit (FD) scheme called “FD health” which provides investors a complimentary critical
illness cover on 33 critical illnesses for customers the age bracket of 18-50 years.
7. LIC launched Indian life insurance industry’s first joint mass media campaign with the slogan ‘Sabse Pehle Life Insurance’. It
will encourage Indian households to opt for adequate life insurance cover as fundamental necessity in their lives.
8. Payment services Firm Mastercard along with cricketer M S Dhoni launched a nationwide initiative to increase the
acceptance and adoption of digital payments among merchants.
9. Home Credit India tied-up with Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) for joint lending using end-to-end automated processing which will
help customer get real-time approval and disbursement.
10. SBI Card launched 'SBI Card Pay', a payment feature based on Host Card Emulation (HCE) technology for faster, convenient
and more secure card payments using mobile phones.
11. Government e-Marketplace (GeM) signed MoU with Federal Bank to offer a number of services including transfer of funds
through GeM Pool Accounts (GPA), advising of Performance Bank Guarantees (e-PBG) and Earnest Money Deposit (EMD)
to registered users.
12. Aditya Birla Finance Limited partnered with Indian Dental Association (IDA) to launch an easy EMI facility for patients
going for dental treatments.
13. Indian Overseas Bank launched healthcare insurance policy through online platform in association with Universal Sompo
General Insurance Company.
14. Kotak Mahindra Bank launched its first overseas branch at Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). With this, Kotak
can now accept offshore deposits and offer advisory services to clients based outside UAE.
15. United Bank of India and Srei Equipment Finance Limited partnered to offer loans to MSMEs and retail customers under a
co-lending arrangement.
13. Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) will now be eligible to apply for National Pension System (NPS) at par with Non Resident
Indians (NRIs), after a permission by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
1. Now, any Indian citizen, resident or non-resident and OCIs are eligible to join NPS till age of 65 years.
2. Till now, subscribers under National Pension System (NPS) and Atal Pension Yojana (APY) have crossed 3.18 crores.
3. NPS was notified for government employees joining service on or after 1 January 2004. It was extended to all citizens from
May 2009, to corporates in December 2011 and to Non-Resident Indians (NRI) in October 2015. It now has over 66 Lakh
govt and over 19 lakh private employees.
4. In 2019, tax exemption limit under section 10(12A) of IT Act, for lump sum withdrawal rom NPS account on exit/maturity
was increased from 40% to 60%. Moreover, remaining 40% of corpus is already tax-exempt as it is mandatorily utilised for
annuity purchase.
14. RBI imposed 1 crore penalty on Bandhan Bank for non-compliance with promoter holding norms. Bandhan bank failed to bring
down shareholding of its “non-operative financial holding company” to 40 % of its paid-up equity capital within 3 years of
commencement of business.
1. RBI also imposed a penalty of 35 lakh on Tamilnad Mercantile Bank for violating norms on frauds classification and
notification.
15. Researchers from US's Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed a new technology to capture carbon dioxide from
a stream of air, virtually at any concentration level. It may pave way for new strategies to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas
levels.
1. Most methods of removing CO2 from gas required higher concentrations of CO2. The new method could take out gas even
when it was present in very low concentrations.
2. Device is a specialized battery with a stack of electrodes that absorbs carbon dioxide from the air passing over its surface as it
was being charged up, and then released the gas as it was being discharged.
16. Tata Motors approved equity infusion of 6,500 crore from its promoter Tata Sons Pvt. Ltd, along with raising 3500 crores via
external commercial borrowing. Tata Motors total debt stands at around 50,000 crores.
17. Vijaya Bank museum has been inaugurated in Bengaluru, at Vijaya Tower, headquarters of erstwhile Vijaya Bank. Vijaya bank
was merged with Bank of Baroda in April 2019.
18. Vreedhi Financial Services (VFS) secured a non banking finance company licence from Reserve Bank of India, enabling it to offer
credit and other services to micro enterprises operating in tier two three cities and small towns.
19. World Bank stated that it will continue with USD 6 billion annual lending target for India to support infrastructure development
and alleviate poverty. As of now, 97 projects are being currently executed in India with loan assistance from World Bank, with
commitment of USD 24 billion.
Top
International
1. Australian Airline Qantas completed first non-stop commercial flight from New York to Sydney, as world's Biggest duration
nonj-stop Commercial flight. It took 19 hours and 16 minutes to complete.
2. 11th Edition of Mercer Global Pension Index 2019 (37 Nations) -
1. India improved its ranking to 32nd position, up from 33rd last year.
2. Top 3 - Netherlands (1), Denmark (2), Australia (3)
3. 14 start-ups have been selected for 2019 SEED awards, granted to organisations working on sustainable development.
1. Award highlights contribution of green and social enterprises to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
2. SEED was founded by UN Environment Programme (UN Environment), UN Development Programme (UNDP) and
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in
Johannesburg.
3. 5 Indian Staruips have won the awards under various categories - Aikya Organics, Stonesoup, Aarohana Ecosocial
Development, Ecozen Solutions and Farmers Fresh Zone.
4. 2000-year-old street has been unearthed by reseacrhers in Jerusalem (Israel), believed to have built by Pontius Pilate and was
uncovered for first time since the city was sacked by the Romans in 70AD.
1. It was an ancient walkway which was used by pilgrims as their way to worship at the Temple Mount in the ‘City of David’ in
Jerusalem.
2. Archaeologists revealed over 100 coins trapped beneath paving stones. The discovery of coins pointed out that these are
dated between 17 CE to 31 CE that means the work of street construction was completed during the time that Pontius Pilate
governed Judea.
3. The street links to most important places in Jerusalem – the Temple Mount and Siloam Pool.
4. Pontius Pilate was known as the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea. He is best known as a person who presided
over Trial of Jesus and ordered his crucifixion.
5. 3 Indian-origin chief executive officers (CEOs) featured in Top 10 names in The Best-Performing CEOs in World 2019 list
compiled by Harvard Business Review (HBR), featuring 100 CEOs.
1. List is topped by American technology company NVIDIA’s CEO Jensen Huang.
2. Indian CEOs in List - Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen (6th), MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga (7th) and Microsoft chief Satya
Nadella (9th). List also features India-born CEO of DBS Bank Piyush Gupta on 89th spot.
6. A Chinese company signed an agreement to lease Tulagi island in the Solomon Islands, a day after Beijing recruited the Pacific
nation as its latest ally in strategically important region.
7. A MOU has been drafted by India, Nepal and Bhutan to create a trans-boundary wildlife conservation park, which will include
bio-diversity rich landscapes. Unlike other parks that are species oriented, this peace park will be landscape oriented.
1. Such a kind already exists in Manas park region (Assam). However, only a part of the trans-boundary protected area in India
and Bhutan is being conserved based on the landscape.
2. In new peace park, the entire park will have its conservation protocols completely based on landscape.
8. According to Economist Intelligence Unit's 2019 Global Microscope on Financial Inclusion report -
1. Only four countries - Colombia, India, Jamaica and Uruguay - scored perfectly across all four parameters. These Nations
thus have most favourable conditions for inclusive finance.
9. Airline IndiGo became member of International Air Transport Association (IATA) which represents around 290 airlines across
world.
1. In March 2019, SpiceJet became first Indian low-cost carrier to take membership of IATA. Indian full-service carriers Vistara
and Air India are members of IATA too.
10. As per KPMG Report -
1. Amazon, Apple and Alibaba are top 3 Disruptive companies.
2. Disruptors' list complements the fact that tech industry leaders ranked e-commerce platforms first and social networking
second as the most disruptive business models over next 3 years.
11. As per President of International Court of Justice, Pakistan violated its obligations under Vienna Convention in Kulbhushan
Jadhav case. ICJ found that Pakistan had violated its obligations under Article 36 of Vienna Convention and appropriate remedies
were due in the case.
1. ICJ ruled then that Pakistan must review death sentence awarded to Jadhav and grant him consular access.
12. BRICS Nations' New Development Bank (NDB) approved 2 projects worth USD 800 million in Brazil and India, bringing Bank’s
portfolio to 44 projects with loans of USD 12.4 billion.
1. Projects Include 500 Million USD Fundo Clima – Brazil National Climate Fund Project and India's 300 Million USD
Renewable Energy Sector Development Project. Indian Part will be given to REC Limited to support Government’s
increasing investment in renewable energy sector.
13. China is constructing a huge cosmic ray observation station in Sichuan province, equivalent to 200 soccer fields, located 4,400
meters above sea level. Rocks from Ice Age were blasted for the construction.
1. Three underground pools will hold the detectors. The detectors collect high energy photons generated by remote celestial
bodies.
2. The observatory is named as “Large High-Altitude Air Shower Observatory” (LHAASO).
3. The main objective of the observatory is to study the origin of cosmic rays, their acceleration and transmission mechanism.
14. China will launch test flights for the next two space rockets in its Smart Dragon series meant for commercial use in 2020 and
2021.
1. Solid-propellant Smart Dragon-2, weighing about 60 tonnes and with a total length of 21 meters, will be capable of sending
500 kg payloads into orbit at an altitude of 500 km (310 miles).
15. Cyclone 'Kyarr' intensified to become first Super Cyclonic storm in Arabian Sea in last 12 years after Cyclone Gonu ravaged Oman
coast in 2007. It is likely to continue its movement west-northwestwards towards Oman coast during next five days.
16. Dubai hosted 2019 First Global DXB Challenge, a large gathering for creative young minds in the fields of robotics and artificial
intelligence. Theme is Ocean Opportunities.
17. Global Health Security Index 2019 by Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security and
Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). It is the first comprehensive assessment of epidemic and pandemic threats globally.
1. India ranks 57th on Overall list, out of 195 Nations.
2. Bottom 5 - Marshall Islands (191), São Tomé and Príncipe (192), North Korea (193), Somalia (194), Equatorial Guinea (195).
3. Top 5 - US (1), UK (2), Netherlands (3), Ausralia (4), Canada (5).
4. Neighbours - Sri Lanka (120), Bangladesh (113), Pakistan (105), Nepal (111), China (51).
18. Grasim Industries signed agreement to form a joint venture company in India with Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen GmbH (MR) of
Germany, for manufacturing and sale of Composite Hollow Core Insulators to serve power transmission and distribution (T&D)
industry globally.
19. In response to India's Complaint against Pakistan for its refusal to let PM Modi's plane use Pakistan airspace to Saudi Arabia,
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) said that Flights carrying national leaders are considered as "state aircraft" and
are not subject to ICAO provisions.
1. India approached world body ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) after Pakistan denied permission for PM
Modi to use its air space. PM Modi is to visit Saudi Arabia to attend the Future Investment Initiative.
2. In September 2019, Pakistan rejected India’s plea to allow PM Modi’s flight to use its air space. It had also refused to allow
President Ram Nath Kovind to use its airspace in the same month for his visit to Iceland.
20. India ranked 63rd in World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business ranking 2019, up from 77th rank last year.
1. India was ranked 142 in 2014 report. It improved to 130 in 2015 and 100th in 2016. It further improved to 77th in 2017 and
now ranked 63rd in 2018 report, released in Oct 2019. In 2015, India had set a goal to join top 50 economies on ease of doing
business ranking by 2020.
2. India for the third time in a row was among the top 10 performers on the list. The other top 10 performers - Saudi Arabia at
rank 62, Togo in African continent at rank 97, Jordan (75), Tajikistan, Pakistan 108, Kuwait (83), China (31) and Nigeria
(131).
3. Top 5 - New Zealand (1), Singapore (2), Hong Kong (3), Denmark (3), South Korea (5).
4. Bottom 5 - Somalia (190), Eritrea (189), Venezuela (188), Yemen (187), Libya (186).
5. Neighbours - Bangladesh (168), Pakistan (108), Nepal (94), Sri Lanka (99).
21. India signed Agreement with Pakistan for the operationalization of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor.
1. To celebrate 550th Birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak, Indian Government passed a resolution in November 2018 for the
construction of Kartarpur Sahib Corridor. The 4.2 km corridor connects the Dera Baba Nanak in the Indian side with the
Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan.
2. Travel is Visa free and pilgrims have to carry a valid passport alone. Persons of Indian origin are required to carry OCI card.
3. Pilgrims have to return on the same day.
4. Prevailing issue is that csh-strapped Pakistan will levy 20 USD as service charge per pilgrim per visit. India had consistently
urged Pakistan not to levy charges.
22. India's Adani Group partnered with San Francisco (USA) based Digital Realty, for joint work in data centre, co-location and
interconnection solutions. This will boost Adani Group's foray into data centre domain.
1. Two companies will evaluate operation of data centres and data centre parks jointly, and will also cultivate undersea cable
provider communities of interest across India.
23. Master in Management Rankings 2019 by Financial Times -
1. IIM Calcutta ranked 17th globally. It Replaced IIM Ahmedabad as India's Best.
2. Other Indian Institutes in Top 50 - IIM Ahmedabad (21), IIM Bangalore (44).
3. Top 3 - University of St. Gallen (Switzerland) (1), HEC Paris (France) (2), London Business School (UK) (3).
24. Mukesh Ambani led-Reliance Industries became world’s sixth-largest energy entity in terms of market capitalization, overtaking
British oil major BP Plc. RIL achieved this after hitting market cap of $130.76 billion. Saudi Aramco is world’s largest energy
entity, that pumps about 10% of the world’s crude.
25. Oldest known natural pearl in the world has been discovered by Abu Dhabi archaeologists working at a Neolithic site on
Marawah Island. Dubbed ‘Abu Dhabi Pearl’, it was found in layers that have been radiocarbon dated to 5,800-5,600 BCE, during
the Neolithic period.
26. Pakistan released a new coin in order to commemorate the 550th anniversary of Sikhism Founder Baba Guru Nanak. The coin
worth Pakistan Rupees 50 will be available at Kartarpur Sahib along with a postal stamp worth PKR 8 to travelling pilgrims.
Earlier, Nepal had issued a coin to commemorate 550th anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak.
1. Also, Air India painted Sikh religious symbol ‘Ik Onkar’ on tail of one of its aircraft, to mark 550th birth anniversary of Baba
Guru Nanak.
27. Singapore-based AirCarbon Pte Ltd Launched global blockchain-based carbon exchange called AirCarbon Exchange, offering a
marketplace for airlines and other corporate buyers to trade securitised carbon emissions.
1. It will provide a ready supply of credits, also called EEUs (eligible emission units), for those in transportation industry to
acquire CO2 offsets for compliance and voluntary purposes when list of compliant units is approved.
2. Carbon credits will be securitised into tokens using blockchain technology, making them tradable. Each tradable token will
be backed by one equivalent tonne of carbon credits.
3. New exchange is a collaboration venture with the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (Seas), and supported by
Enterprise Singapore.
28. Social Network Twitter banned all political advertising worldwide, saying that the reach of such messages “should be earned, not
bought”.
29. South American Nation Chile cancelled hosting two major international summits, including a UN climate change conference, due
to anti-government protests in country.
1. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit was planned for November and United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change (COP25) was planned between 2 to 13 December 2019. But, Chile has pulled out hosting for both events.
30. Swiss financial Group Credit Suisse released 10th edition of its annual Global Wealth Report -
1. It tracks both growth and distribution of wealth, in terms of numbers of rich, and status of inequality globally.
2. 47 million people who are just 0.9% of world’s adult population, owned $158.3 trillion, which is 44% of world’s total wealth.
3. At the other end, 2.88 billion people who account for 57% of world’s adult population, owned $6.3 trillion, which is 1.8% of
world’s wealth
4. China overtook US in 2019 to become ‘country with most people in top 10% of global wealth distribution’.
5. India -
1. India’s total household wealth grew by 5.2% in dollar terms in the period. Net wealth per adult grew at 3.3%, sharply
slower than average 11% growth rate reported in 20 years to 2019.
2. Non-financial assets of Indian households grew by 6.9% in 2018-19, outpacing 1.4% growth in financial assets.
3. Report estimates wealth per Indian adult at $14,569. However, wealth distribution is very uneven in India with few
wealthy holding huge chunks. India accounts for 2% of the world’s millionaires.
31. UN Member Nations endorsed a proposed road map for action on nitrogen challenges called Colombo (Sri Lanka) Declaration on
Sustainable Nitrogen Management.
1. Aim is to halve nitrogen waste by 2030. Declaration was developed with technical support from International Nitrogen
Management System (INMS), joint activity of UNEP and Internationals Nitrogen Initiative.
2. Reducing reactive nitrogen will help to reduce Eutrophic zones that are affecting fishing and tourism.
3. Reactive Nitrogen means nitrogen compounds like nitrogen oxides, nitrous oxide, ammonia, etc, Most of them are result of
intensive farming and misuse of fertilizers.
32. US House of Representatives officially recognized mass extermination of Armenians by Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1917
as genocide.
1. Members of the house also backed a new legislation that proposes sanctions on Turkey for its recent military offensive in
northern Syria.
2. These two resolutions will now be sent to US Senate,which is controlled by the Republicans.
3. Democrats have majority in US House of Representatives.
33. United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) launched its cinema ad campaign ‘Feed Our Future’ against hunger and
malnutrition in India, in collaboration with in-cinema advertising platform UFO Moviez and SAWA -the Global Cinema
Advertising Association.
1. This is for second time WFP has launched this campaign in India to raise awareness on hunger and malnutrition, a reality
facing millions of people around the world.
34. World Health Organization (WHO) released Global Tuberculosis (TB) Report 2019 -
1. India reported most, 27 % of global TB Cases, followed by China (9 %), Indonesia (8 %) and Pakistan (6 %).
2. India plans to end TB By 2025, 5 years ahead of Global UN SDG Target of 2030.
Top
Meetings
1. 18th NAM (Non Aligned Movement) summit held in Baku (Azerbaijan). On India's Behalf, It was attended by Vice President
Venkaiah Naidu.
1. NAM is a forum of 120 developing world states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After
United Nations, it is largest grouping of Nations.
2. Theme was Upholding the Bandung Principles to ensure concerted and adequate response to the challenges of the
contemporary world.
2. 2nd assembly of International Solar Alliance (ISA) hosted by India in New Delhi.
1. ISA offers concrete solutions to reduce cost of solar installations in developing countries.
2. Assembly was be co-chaired by French Deputy Minister Brune Porison.
3. Prior to this meet, 81 countries of 121 members had signed Framework Agreement of ISA. Of these, 58 have ratified it.
4. During the meet, Two New Countries- Eritrea and St. Kittis and Nevis Signed ISA Framework Agreement, Taking Signatory
count to 83.
3. Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar participated in 29th ministerial meeting of BASIC
(Brazil, South Africa, India, China) countries on Climate Change at Beijing (China).
1. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro also announced that Indian and Chinese Citizens will not required Visa to visit Brazil.
Top
National
1. 2019 Haryana Legislative Assembly elections (90 seats) -
1. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remained Largest party, winning 40 seats and getting 36.5 % votes.
2. Indian National Congress 2nd with 31 seats, Jannayak Janta Party got 10 seats.
3. BJP Will remain in power, after forming alliance with some independent elected MLAS.
2. 2019 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections (288 seats) -
1. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remained Largest party, winning 105 seats and getting 25.7 % votes.
2. Shiv Sena 2nd with 56 seats, Nationalist Congress Party got 54 and Indian National Congress got 44 seats.
3. BJP-Shiv Sena will remain in power.
3. Andhra Pradesh will bring port-related services also under Ease of Doing Business ambit through a new online platform called
SMARTPORT. SMARTPORT will be covered under Public Service Delivery Guarantee Act and tracked through a single-desk portal
to bring in transparency and establish a corruption-free environment.
4. Archaeological Survey of India discovered that present-day state of Andhra Pradesh had a maritime center near banks of
Swarnamukhi river around 2,000 years ago.
1. Excavations Began in Dec 2018 at state’s Gottiprolu. Sizes of bricks were common in Satavahana/Ikshvaku period of Krishna
valley.
2. Team also unearthed four armed sculptures of Lord Vishnu, belonging to Pallava period according to the analysis of
headgear and drapery.
5. Assam Cabinet approved a legislation that rules no Government jobs will be provided to persons with more than 2 children after
1 January 2021.
1. Earlier In September 2017, Assam government passed “Population and Women Empowerment Policy of Assam”. Under this,
job candidates with two children alone would be eligible for government employment and existing government staff were to
strictly follow two children norms.
6. Bali Jatra, one of biggest trade fairs of Odisha, will be held in November 2019, for 8 days.
1. It is held in Cuttack at Gadagadia Ghata of the Mahanadi river, to mark the day when ancient Sadhabas would set sail to
distant lands of Bali, as well as Java, Sumatra, Borneo, and Sri Lanka for trade and cultural expansion.
7. Cabinet Approvals (Oct 23, 2019) -
1. General Approvals -
1. Approved Regulations for recognizing ownership or mortgage / transfer rights to residents of Unauthorized Colonies
(UCs) in Delhi.
1. It will benefit more than 40 lakh residents of unauthorized colonies spread over around 175 sq kms, as
development / redevelopmentcan now take place in these colonies resulting in a clean, secure and healthy living
environment.
2. In coming winter session of Parliament, Government will introduce a Bill for recognizing General Power of
Attorney (GPA), Will, Agreement to Sell, Purchase and possession documents, which will be a one-time relaxation
for this purpose for the residents of UCs.
2. Approved proposal for revival of ill PSUs BSNL and MTNL by approving several terms -
1. Administrative allotment of spectrum for 4G services to BSNL and MTNL so as to enable these PSUs to provide
broadband and other data services. It be funded by Government by capital infusion of Rs 20140 Crores, with
additional GST amount of 3674 Crores to this spectrum also to be borne by Government.
1. By using this spectrum allotment, BSNL and MTNL will be able to deliver 4G services, compete in the
market and provide high speed data using their vast network including in rural areas.
2. BSNL and MTNL will also raise long-term bonds of Rs 15,000 Cr for which sovereign guarantee will be provided
by Government.
3. BSNL and MTNL will also offer Voluntary Retirement to their employees, aged 50 years and above through
attractive Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS). Ex-gratia component of VRS will require 17169 Crores, to be
borne by Government.
4. BSNL and MTNL will be merged into one entity.
3. Approved Cadre review of Group “A” General Duty (Executive) Cadre and Non-GD cadre of Indo- Tibetan Border
Police (ITBP).
1. Creation of two new Commands (Western Command at Chandigarh and Eastern Command at Guwahati) to be
headed by Additional Director General & assisted by Inspector General.
2. Proposal is for creation of 60 posts in Group ‘A’ Executive General duty Cadre and 02 posts in Group ‘A’ Non-GD
cadre at various levels. Creation of proposed posts in Cadre Review of Group ’A’ posts in ITBP will enhance its
supervisory and administrative capabilities.
3. In total, apprpoval is made for creation of over 3000 new posts in ITBP.
2. CCEA Approvals -
1. Approved increase in Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for all mandated Rabi Crops of 2019-20 to be marketed in Rabi
Marketing Season (RMS) 2020-21, in line with principle of fixing MSPs at a level of at least 1.5 times of the all India
weighted average cost of production (CoP), which was announced in Budget 2018-19.
1. Highest increase in MSP has been recommended for lentil (Rs. 325 per quintal) followed by safflower (Rs. 270
per quintal) and gram (Rs. 255 per quintal).
2. MSP of Rapeseed & Mustard has been increased by Rs. 225 per quintal. For both wheat and barley, the MSP has
been increased by Rs. 85 per quintal.
2. Approved Review of Guidelines for Granting Authorization to market Transportation Fuels, as a major reform of
guidelines for marketing of petrol and diesel. Existing policy for granting authorization to market transportation fuels
had not undergone any changes since 2002. Features -
1. Entities seeking authorisation would need to have a minimum net worth of Rs.250 crores, down from current
requirement of 2000 crores.
2. Non – Oil Companies can also invest in the retail sector.
3. Entities seeking market authorisation for petrol and diesel are allowed to apply for retail and bulk authorisation
separately or both.
4. Companies are been given flexibility in setting up a Joint Venture or Subsidiary for market authorisation.
5. In addition to conventional fuels, authorized entities are required to install facilities for marketing at least one
new generation alternate fuel, like CNG, LNG, biofuels, electric charging, etc. at their outlets within 3 years of
operationalization.
6. CCTV facilities will be set up at all retail outlets.
7. Authorised entities are required to set up minimum 5% oftotal retail outlets in the notified remote areas within 5
years of grant of authorisation.
8. An individual may be allowed to obtain dealership of more than one marketing company in case of open
dealerships of PSU OMCs but at different sites.
3. MOUs -
1. St. Vincent & the Grenadines - Traditional Systems of Medicine.
2. USA - Science and Technology.
3. Approved administrative arrangement on Cooperation in field of Railways between Ministry of Railways and
Directorate General for Mobility and Transport of the European Commission to strengthen future technical exchanges
and cooperation.
4. Kuwait - Capacity building and strengthening accounting, financial and audit knowledge base in Kuwait.
8. Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) launched an
online aptitude test dubbed as ‘Tamanna’ (Try And Measure Aptitude And Natural Abilities), to help students make right career
choices, for students of Classes 9 and 10.
1. It aims to help students of Class 9 and Class 10 make a better choice of subjects, and eventually help them in making an
informed decision while choosing subjects in Class 11 and 12.
9. Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) has conducted Whole Genome Sequencing of over 1000 Indians from different
populations across country, to generate data on genetic diseases, Called IndiGen Genome project. Its outcomes will assist in
efficient diagnosis of rare genetic diseases.
10. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated Col. Chewang Rinchen Setu (Bridge) in Ladakh, named in honor of Colonel
Chewang Rinchan who was one of highly decorated officers in Indian Army, Including Maha Vir Chakara (1952). Col. Chewang
Rinchen Setu has been constructed at an altitude of 14,650 feet in forward area of Ladakh region.
1. It is also India's Highest Altitude All-weather Permanent Bridge, at 14650 feet across Shyok river.
2. Defence Minister also stated that Siachen Glacier, world’s highest battlefield, is now open for tourists and Tourism.
1. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launched a social service initiative called ‘Odisha-Mo Parivar’ (Odisha, my family), aimed at
encouraging environment protection, blood donation and welfare of Odias in distress.
2. Home Minister Amit Shah declared Gandhinagar as first district in Gujarat to become kerosene-free.
3. 38th edition of Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) 2019 inaugurated in UAE. Mexico is Guest of Honour at 38th edition
of SIBF. Theme is ‘Open Books Open Minds’.
4. Govt. launched first ever common foundation course called the “Aarambh” for civil servants at Statue of Unity, Gujarat.
5. India and South American nation Ecuador signed Protocol for Completion of Joint Feasibility Study (JFS) between two
countries, in line with the government’s efforts to expand its trade presence in the region.
6. Southern Railway launched Rail Dhandora app, to view commercial circulars, pertaining to ticketing, catering and other
amenities like freight and parcel bookings.
7. India and US signed a joint Statement of Intent (SoI) to co-develop a range of cutting-edge warfighting technologies. It was
signed during 9th meeting of India US Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) 2019 held in New Delhi.
8. 5th International Conference on Road Tech (Sustainable Roads and Highways) held in New Delhi.
9. DEFCOM 2019 wlll be held in November 2019 at Manekshaw Centre (New Delhi), with theme Communications as a
Decisive Catalyst for Jointness.
1. DEFCOM is a landmark symposium for collaboration between Indian armed forces, academia and industry, research
and development organisations, and the Industry on aspects pertaining to Information and Communications
Technology (ICT).
10. Indian Railways has run its first Buddhist Circuit train covering sites related to Gautam Buddha in India and Nepal.
Destinations Included Lumbini (where Buddha was born), Bodhgaya (where Buddha gained enlightenment), Sarnath (where
Buddha gave his first sermon), Kushinagar (where Buddha attained nirvana).
11. International workshop on Environmental Flows Assessment and Implementation for India Held In New Delhi.
12. Making a foray into the personal digital healthcare domain, Facebook unveiled a "Preventive Health" tool that connects
people to health resources and sends checkup reminders. It is Launched first in US.
13. Ahead of assembly elections, Delhi Government agreed to implement Central scheme Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi
(PM-KISAN) that promises small and marginal eligible farmers an income support of Rs.6,000 a year in three instalments.
Earlier, West Bengal and Delhi Governments had refused to implement it.
14. National Cyber Security Cooardinator’s office in partnership with Data Security Council of India (DSCI) launched a platform
called ‘TechSagar’. It is a platform to discover consolidated and comprehensive repository of India’s cyber technological
capabilities through a portal.
15. 1st India-Bangladesh Stakeholders’ meet held in Guwahati (Assam). Bangladesh was represented by Commerce Minister
Tipu Munshi.
16. Vibrant Goa - Global Expo & Summit 2019 Held in Goa. During the event, DRDO signed 30 licensing agreement for Transfer
of Technology with 16 Indian companies.
17. Minister of Panchayati Raj Narendra Singh Tomar conferred National Panchayat Awards 2019 in New Delhi. He also
launched a Spatial Planning Application called ‘Gram Manchitra’ which is a Geo Spatial based decision support system for
panchayats.
18. Andhra Pradesh government launched project to provide a drinking water connection to every household in state by 2022,
for at least the next 30 years. Project aims to provide 1418.49 million litres of water daily to about 110 urban local bodies in
the state. Project cost is 46,675 in first phase and 9200 crore in the second phase. Loan of Rs 2,500 from Asian Development
Bank will kick-start the project.
19. Tourism Department of Arunachal Pradesh organized Tawang festival, to promote the tourist attractions and traditional
values.
20. Delhi Police flagged off 30 ‘PRAKHAR’ vans, as special vehicles to curb street crimes.
21. 48th Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair (IHGF) organized by Ministry of Textiles began in Greater Noida (UP).
12. Government accorded ‘Maharatna’ status to PSUs Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Power Grid
Corporation.
1. It will impart greater operational and financial autonomy thus enhancing powers to their Boards to take financial decisions.
2. Boards of Maharatna PSU can make equity investments to undertake financial joint ventures (JV) and wholly owned
subsidiaries and undertake mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in India as well as abroad. This is subjected to ceiling of 15% of
net worth of concerned CPSE, limited to INR 5000 crore in one project.
3. All Maharatna PSUs so far are -
1. National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)
2. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)
3. Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL)
4. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)
5. Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL)
6. Coal India Limited (CIL)
7. Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL)
8. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL)
9. Power Grid Corporation Of India Limited (POWERGRID)
10. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL)
13. Health and Family Welfare Minister released 14th National Health Profile (NHP) 2019, prepared by the Central Bureau of Health
Intelligence -
1. Life Expectancy in India increased from 49.7 years in 1970-75 to 68.7 years in 2012-16.
2. Life Expectancy of females is 70.2 years and males is 67.4 years.
3. Highest population Density was reported in Delhi with 11,320 people per square km and the lowest population Density was
reported in Arunachal Pradesh with 17 people per square km.
4. Infant Mortality Rate declined considerably to 33 per 1000 live births in 2016. It is now 37 in rural and 23 in urban areas.
5. India in 2017 registered a birth rate of 20.2 per 1000 population, death rate of 63 and natural growth rate was 13.9 per 1000
population.
14. Home Ministry released Bureau of Police Research and Development’s flagship publication “Data on Police Organizations”
(DoPO 2018) in New Delhi.
1. There has been increase of 19,686 Police personnel in sanctioned strength of State Police and 16,051 in strength of CAPFs.
2. There has been 20.95% increase in strength of Woman Police, taking percentage of women in Indian Police to 8.73%.
3. Overall Police Population Ratio at state level stood at 192.95 policemen per lakh population.
15. IIM Kozhikode and Mangalore Refineries and Petrochemicals announced a special drive Labelled as “La Eve (meaning The
Woman)” to support women entrepreneurs in country. MRPL would provide seed fund assistance from the start funding initiative
under start-up India Program.
16. IIT Delhi will announce its Endowment Fund on October 31, 2019 ahead of its Golden Jubilee Convocation ceremony on
November 2. Institute has set its target as 1 billion USD.
1. Endowment funds are big source of income for top global universities. Endowment funds of Harvard and Stanford are over
39 billion USD and 27 billion USD respectively. Endowment Fund is an investment fund established by an organization.
17. Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh Became New Union Territories, w.e.f Oct 31, 2019.
1. J&K's status as a state has also ended. It was announced in the Rajya Sabha, on August 5, to divide Jammu and Kashmir into
two union territories. Highlights of Bill that was passed for the same effect (Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill 2019 )
1. The historical bill was Introduced in Rajya Sabha by Home Minister Amit Shah. Bill provides for reorganisation of the
state of Jammu and Kashmir into Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh.
2. The bill repeals Article 370, which as a temporary arrangement and gives autonomous status to state of Jammu and
Kashmir.
3. Bill reorganises state of Jammu and Kashmir into Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir with a legislature and Union
Territory of Ladakh without a legislature.
1. UT of Ladakh will comprise Kargil and Leh districts, and UT of Jammu and Kashmir will comprise the remaining
territories of the existing Jammu and Kashmir.
4. UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will be administered by Lieutenant Governors, appointed by President.
5. Bill provides for a Legislative Assembly for the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, with total number of seats in Assembly
being 107. Of these, 24 seats will remain vacant on account of certain areas of Jammu and Kashmir being under
occupation of Pakistan.
1. Lieutenant Governor may nominate two members to the Legislative Assembly to give representation to women, if
they are not adequately represented.
6. Assembly will have a term of five years, and the Lieutenant Governor must summon the Assembly at least once in six
months. Legislative Assembly may make laws for any part of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir as per any matter in the
Concurrent List applicable to Union Territories. Further, Parliament will have power to make laws in relation to any
matter for the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
7. High Court of Jammu and Kashmir will be the common High Court for the Union Territories of Ladakh, and Jammu
and Kashmir. UT of Jammu and Kashmir will have an Advocate General to provide legal advice to the government of
UT.
8. Schedule lists 106 central laws that will be made applicable to UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. These include
Aadhaar Act, 2016, the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and the Right to Education Act, 2009.
9. Further, it repeals 153 state laws of Jammu and Kashmir. In addition, 166 state laws will remain in force, and seven
laws will be applicable with amendments. These amendments include lifting of prohibitions on lease of land to persons
who are not permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir.
2. Girish Chandra Murmu is appointed as Lieutenant Governor of UT of Jammu-Kashmir Radha Krishna Mathur is appointed
as Lieutenant Governor of UT of Ladakh.
3. Number of states in the country is 28 now and number of union territories increased to 9.
4. Government plans to make Ladakh the first Indian union territory (UT) to run completely on renewable energy.
5. Govt. announced that Bamboo Technology Parks would be set up in the two new Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and
Ladakh. The Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre (CBTC) under NEC will implement the project.
6. Realizing importance of Indian Himalayan region and recognizing need to study its ecology, Minister for Environment,
Forest and Climate Change Minister Prakash Javadekar approved proposal of setting-up of a New Regional Centre of the GB
Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment & Development at Ladakh.
7. Government employees of UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh will now get their salaries and other benefits as per the 7th
Pay Commission.
18. Ladakh administration organized first-ever Ladakh Literature festival. It will now be held annually.
19. Lucknow-based City Montessori School (CMS) won Guinness World Record for becoming the ‘world’s largest school’ in terms of
strength of students, with 18 branches and approximately 56,000 students.
20. MOU has been signed between All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) under Ministry of AYUSH and Frankfurter
Innovationszentrum Biotechnologie GmbH (FiZ). Aim is research in field of genomics and develop evidence-based guidelines
supported with latest technologies.
21. Madhya Pradesh-based Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication (MCNUJC) and UNICEF
signed agreement to jointly work in area of child rights.
22. Minister for Electronics & Information Technology, Communications and Law & Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad launched MeitY
Startup Hub (MSH), a platform to connect startup ecosystem. It was inaugurated during MeitY Startup Summit 2019 in New
Delhi. It is aimed to be a social media platform for all stakeholders of startup ecosystem.
23. Minister of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY) Ravi Shankar Prasad unveiled BHIM 2.0, an upgraded version of
NPCI developed UPI app.
1. He launched it during MeitY Startup Summit 2019 in New Delhi. MeitY Startup Hub (MSH) was also launched, as a platform
to connect startup ecosystem.
2. Other initiatives include Indian Software Product Registry and selected Incubation Centres under Technology Incubation
Development for Entrepreneurs 2.0 (TIDE 2.0).
1. TIDE 2.0 is aimed at strengthening nearly 2000 technology based startups in areas of national concern by taking
advantage of emerging technologies as well as empowering 51 incubation centers across country.
3. BHIM was launched in December 2016. BHIM 2.0 has added a bunch of new functionalities including -
1. Increased transaction limit, an option of applying for IPOs, linking multiple bank accounts, offers from merchants, a
donation gateway and three additional regional languages are new additions.
2. 3 additional languages- Konkani, Haryanvi and Bhojpuri, over and above existing 13.
3. Increased transaction limits for high value transactions- increasing the existing cap of Rs. 20,000 and now up to Rs.
1,00,000 from verified merchants.
4. During the event, Fintech Firm BharatPe won DigiDhan Mission Fin-tech Award 2018-2019 for 'Innovation in Digital
Payments through Emerging Technology'.
24. Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homoeopathy) and Ministry of Defence
signed MoU for integration of AYUSH under health establishments of Directorate General of Armed Forces Medical Services
(DGAFMS), to provide traditional medicine services at the armed forces’ hospitals and dispensaries.
25. Ministry of Railways and Indian School of Business (ISB) signed MoU for a strategic partnership. It covers several aspects
including executive education programs, developing research opportunities, developing case studies and pedagogical materials,
and creating of a future-ready leadership pool for Indian Railways.
26. Ministry of Science and Technology issued Guidelines for the Evaluation of Nano pharmaceuticals in India, as a crucial step for
providing predictable regulatory pathways and transparency for nano pharmaceuticals in India.
1. Impact of nano material waste disposal on environment should be declared.
2. It makes it compulsory for pharma companies to present data on how plasma, off-target tissue and disease sites are affected
by repeated dosing.
3. It provides guidelines for animal toxicology data. It allows toxicology studies to be performed only on rodent species and
dogs.
4. Guidelines have been provided for information on the ingredients, physio chemical characterization data on nano
pharmaceuticals, waste disposals, nano carriers, stability studies and analytical method validations.
27. Mokgweetsi Masisi has been elected as New President of Botswana (Southern Africa).
28. Most advanced electronic interlocking system has been mounted on Grand Cord Route (GCR) by Indian Railways, to increase
speed of trains and reduce travel time between Delhi and Howrah from present 17-19 hours to 12 hours.
1. Indian railways replaced 65 years old obsolete mechanical signalling system at Tundla station in Uttar Pradesh with most
advanced and secure electronic interlocking system.
2. It will increase train handling capacity of Tundla Junction to 250 trains per day from 200 trains currently. Trains outside
Tundla will have to stop for a relatively short time and schedule of trains will be improved.
3. Grand Chord is a part of Howrah-Gaya-Delhi line and Howrah-Allahabad-Mumbai line. This route connects Sitarampur
(West Bengal) and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Junction, Uttar Pradesh.
29. Nagaland government launched an ex-gratia scheme for students studying outside Nagaland, called ‘Nagaland Government Ex-
gratia Scheme for Students Studying outside Nagaland’ (NGESSO). It will provide 5 lakh as one-time payment to families of
students in case of unfortunate death of any student while studying outside state.
30. National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) released figures of criminal records registered in India during year 2017-18 -
1. As per report, 50 lakh cases of cognizable crime were registered across country.
2. Total number of crime against women are 3,59,849 cases while Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 56,011 cases.
31. Odisha Govt signed Letter of Understanding (LoU) on "drink from tap mission" with the United Nations Children's Fund
(UNICEF), To provide quality drinking water to every urban household in the state. UNICEF will provide cooperation to Odisha
for implementation of "drink from tap" program.
32. Odisha government as allocated INR 3208 crores under Augmentation of Basic Amenities and Development of Heritage and
Architecture (ABADHA) scheme in 3 years to transform Puri into a world heritage city.
33. Odisha's Department of Women and Child Development and Mission Shakti launched a state Strategic Action Plan (SAP) with
the support of UNICEF & UNFPA, aiming to end child marriages in Odisha by 2030.
1. Oct 29 is also observed as Odisha Disaster Preparedness Day and National Day for Disaster Reduction. It commemorates
destruction brought by Super Cyclone 1999. Theme of 2019 is Empowering Community for Disaster Resilience.
34. On occasion of Deepawali, UP Govt Organized event for lighting 4 lakh earthen lamps along banks of Sarayu river, in Ayodhya.
The event has entered Guinness World Records for its scale.
35. On recommendation of Election Commission, Ministry of Law and Justice amended Conduct of Election Rules 1961, to now allow
senior citizens and person with disabilities (PwD) in absentee voter list. The absentee voter refers to a vote cast by someone who is
unable to go to polling station.
1. Disabled and people aged over 80 years can now cast their vote through postal ballot. Currently voting through postal ballot
is available to Indian armed forces and to those assigned poll duties.
36. President Ram Nath Kovind addressed commemoration of Golden Jubilee (50th anniversary) of Vishwa Shanti Stupa in Rajgir
(Bihar).
37. President Ram Nath Kovind approved Tamil Nadu Agricultural Produce and Livestock Contract Farming and Services
(Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2019. It makes Tamil Nadu first Indian state to enact a law on contract farming. Aim is to set a
policy framework and institutional mechanism on agricultural produce and livestock contract farming.
38. President Ram Nath Kovind launched Endowment Fund of Indian Institute Technology Delhi. Institute has set its target as 1
billion USD.
1. Endowment funds are big source of income for top global universities. Endowment funds of Harvard and Stanford are over
39 billion USD and 27 billion USD respectively. Endowment Fund is an investment fund established by an organization.
39. QS India University Rankings 2019 -
1. Top 10 -
1. IIT Bombay
2. IISC Bengaluru
3. IIT Madras
4. IIT Delhi
5. IIT Kharagpur
6. IIT Kanpur
7. University of Hyderabad
8. University of Delhi
9. IIT Roorkee
10. IIT Guwahati
2. This is 2nd India specific ranking of India's higher education institutions from Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the global higher
education think tank behind QS World University Rankings.
40. UP CM Yogi Adityanath announced scrapping traditional number '100' for immediate police assistance, launching '112' as an
integrated emergency number for police, medical and fire emergencies in state.
1. The '112' helpline number is an integration of police (100), fire (101) and women (1090) helpline numbers.
2. Till now, 20 states and Union territories have adopted a single emergency helpline number '112'.
41. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath launched government’s flagship scheme 'Mukhya Mantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana'. It will
provide a fund worth Rs 15000 to every family where a girl child is born. The amount will be released to the family in a phased
manner.
1. Kanya Sumangala scheme aims to make sure that parents will take proper care of the girl child, in order to get benefits undet
the scheme.
2. Funds will be released in various installments, when the girl child completes various milestones such as birth, vaccination,
admission to Class 1, 5, 9 and graduation.
42. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu unveiled a 15-point reform charter, to enable effective functioning of Parliament and State
Legislatures. Key Points Include -
1. Pre and post Legislative Impact should be assessed.
2. Functioning of Department related Standing Committees of Parliament should be ensured through longer tenures instead of
reconstitution every year as at present. Recommendations to committee should be based on academic backgrounds.
3. Minimum number of sittings for both Parliament and State Legislatures per year should be approximately prescribed.
4. Political parties should take responsibility be enforcing a code of conduct.
5. Rules should be framed that take automatic effect against erring members in case of interruptions and disruptions.
6. Political parties should ensure at least 50% attendance of the members of legislatures everyday to address issues of lack of
quorum.
7. Secretariats of legislatures should publish regular reports on attendance of members during proceedings.
8. Functioning of anti-defection law and whip system should be reviewed.
43. Week Long 3rd edition of Guwahati International Film Festival has beeen inaugurated. Iran is focus country in this edition.
44. West Bengal government decided to abolish no-detention policy and re-introduce pass-fail system in classes 5 and 8. Students
will have to take exams for promotion from these classes to 6 and 9.
45. World Bank included Kolkata and Bengaluru, besides Delhi and Mumbai, for preparing ease of doing business report to provide a
holistic picture of business environment of India.
1. Report ranks 190 nations based on ten parameters, which includes ease of starting a business, construction permits, getting
electricity, getting credit, paying taxes, trade across borders, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency.
Top
Persons
1. Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitaraman released a commemorative coin on Paramahansa Yogananda to mark
his 125th birth anniversary. Paramahansa Yogananda was an Indian monk, guru and yogi who introduced millions of teachings of
meditation and Kriya Yoga through his organization Self-Realization Fellowship.
2. Nepalese man Nirmal Purja shattered previous mountaineering record for successfully climbing world's 14 highest peaks,
completing it in 189 days. 8027 meter High Mount Shishapangma in China was last of 14 peaks that are more than 8000 meters.
Previous record for climbing 14 peaks was seven years, 10 months and six days,. set by South Korean climber Kim Chang-ho in
2013.
3. Obituaries (Oct 2019) -
1. Jose Jose - Noted Mexican singer.
2. Jessye Norman - Noted American opera star, also won 4 Grammy awards.
3. H L Trivedi - Noted kidney transplant surgeon and Padma Shri Awardee.
4. Farook Khan - Noted Indian-origin journalist in South Africa. He started Miss India South Africa Pageant.
5. Krishna Gopalkrishna Kadekodi - Noted philatelist and coin collector.
6. M Gopal Gowda - Noted Kudmi Konkani folk artist.
7. Eric Pleskow - Noted American-Austrian film producer and Hollywood Tycoon.
8. Satyapriya Mohathero - 2nd highest Buddhist leader of Bangladesh and head of Sima Bihar of Ramu.
9. Diahann Carroll - Noted Americn Actress.
10. Colathur Gopalan - Noted Indian nutritionist. He was responsible for initiating nutrition research in independent India.
11. Peter Edward Ginger Baker - Noted English drummer, co-founder of rock band “Cream”.
12. Andrés Gimeno Tolaguera - Noted Spanish tennis player. He won French Open in 1972.
13. Kadri Gopalnath - Noted saxophonist and Padma Shri awardee.
14. Dominic Jala - Archbishop of Shillong and Apostolic Administrator of Roman Catholic Diocese of Nongstoin, India.
15. Sara Danius - Noted Swiss author and first female head of Swedish Nobel literature award body.
16. Alexei Leonov - Noted Russian astronaut. On 18 March 1965, he became first human to conduct a spacewalk, exiting capsule
during Voskhod 2 mission for 12 minutes and 9 seconds.
17. Alicia Alonso - Noted Cuban Ballet Artist and choreographer.
18. KB Siddhaiah - Noted Kannada writer.
19. Kalidas Karmakar - Noted painter from Bangladesh.
20. Mark Hurd - Co-CEO of US Based Tech firm Oracle.
21. Dadu Chougule - Noted Maharashtra Wrestling legend, also recipient of Major Dhyanchand award.
22. T.P. Radhamani - Malayalam and Telugu Actress.
23. Marieke Vervoort, Belgian Paralympic athlete ended her life through euthanasia (practice of intentionally ending a life to
relieve suffering).
24. Dilip Ramanbhai Parikh - Former Chief Minister of Gujarat.
25. K R Wadhwaney - Noted sports journalist.
26. C Raghavachari - Noted journalist.
27. N Venkatachala - Former Supreme Court judge and Karnataka Loykayukta.
28. Sadako Ogata - Japanese diplomat and first female to be appointed as UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
29. John Witherspoon - Noted American Actor.
30. Nanammal Padma Shri awardee & India’s oldest Yoga teacher.
31. Gurudas Dasgupta - Noted Indian politician and leader of Communist Party of India. He was known Trade Unionist.
32. Taro Chatung - Veteran Arunachal Pradesh journalist.
33. Geetanjali Ramakrishna - Noted Telugu actress.
4. Persons Resigned / Retired (Oct 2019) -
1. Kapil Dev resigned as chairman of Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC).
2. Italian footballer Claudio Marchisio announced his retirement from football.
3. Rajat Monga resigned as senior group president of Yes Bank.
4. German footballer Bastian Schweinsteiger announced his retirement.
5. FIFA banned former chief of Salvadorean Football Association Reynaldo Vasquez for life & and imposed 475,000-euro fine
after a corruption investigation.
6. American competition swimmer and 2-time Olympic gold medalist Conor James Dwyer announced his retirement after
being handed 20-month doping ban for having testosterone in form of pellets, surgically inserted into his body.
7. England Female Cricketer Jennifer Louise Gunn announced retirement from international cricket.
8. Chinese badminton player Li Xuerui announced her retirement. She reached a career high of no. 1 in women's singles for 124
weeks.
9. Cricketer Abhishek Nayar announced retirement from all forms of Cricket.
10. Lebanon’s prime minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation, amid porests due to corrpution charges.
5. USA president Donald Trump announced that Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died in a raid
conducted by US special forces in north western Syria. Baghdadi repportedly killed himself by detonating a suicide vest.
1. Minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan attended meet in in Reunion Islands (French territory), along with
Leaders from France and Vanilla Islands – consisting of Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles. The met aims at
exploring economic and development partnership.
2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Visited Saudi Arabia -
1. He attended Plenary Session of 3rd Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh.
2. 12 MOUs were signed. Which Include -
1. Strategic Partnership Council Agreement.
1. It is significant, as Saudi Arabia is only 4th nation with whom India shares such an inter-governmental
mechanism, which is headed by the Prime Minister. Other Nations are Russia, Germany and Japan.
2. Cooperation in Field of Civil Aviation, medical products regulations, Renewable Energy, Security, Combating
illicit trafficking and smuggling of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and chemical precursors.
3. Military acquisition, industries, research, development and technology.
4. Letter of Intent between Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monshaat) of Saudi Arabia and Atal
Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, of India.
5. MoU between Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL) and Saudi Aramco.
6. MoU for Cooperation between National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul)
7. MoU between National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Saudi Payments, To launch Indian Payments
service Rupay in Saudi Arabia.
3. Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan Visited Japan and Russia.
1. In Tokyo (Japan), He attended Global Forum on Steel excess Capacity.
4. Commerce and Industry & Railways Minister Piyush Goyal Visited Sweden, for attending 19th Indo – Swedish Joint
Commission for Economic, Industrial and Scientific Cooperation. He also Visited Switzerland.
5. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Tashkent (Uzbekistan), to attend meeting of Council of Heads of Government (CHG)
of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
6. President Ram Nath Kovind Visited Philippines and Japan -
1. Philippines -
1. He attended 4th ASEAN - India Business Summit in Manila.
2. 4 Agreements were signed in fields of Maritime Security,Tourism, Science and Technology and Culture.
3. He unveiled first M K Gandhi monument in Philippines, as a bronze bust at Miriam College, Quezon City.
2. Japan -
1. Attended Enthronement Ceremony of Emperor Naruhito of Japan, who completed his ascension to the
Chrysanthemum Throne after his father's abdication earlier this year.
2. Laid foundation stone for Sri Sathya Sai Sanathana Samskruti Project at Sai no Sato, Kakegawa.
7. Minister of States for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Chaube attended conference of Health Ministers of BRICS
countries at Curitiba in Brazil.
1. Govt has set a target of ensuring at least 70 % infants to have access to breast milk by 2025, to be increased to 100 %.
India has taken inspiration from Brazil's success in the field of human milk bank decided to adopt a similar model in
creating a wide network of human milk banks.
1. PM Narendra Modi met JP Morgan International Council in New Delhi. After 2007, this was the first time that the
International Council met in India.
2. 28-member delegation from European Union Visited India to assess situation in Kashmir, after revoking of Article 370. The
delegation stated that Situation is normal in State and India's move has been in right direction.
3. World Bank President David Malpass visited India.
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Science
1. Britain's Natural History Museum named a tiny, blind and wingless beetle after climate activist Greta Thunberg. The honey-
coloured insect, measuring less than one millimeter, was discovered in Kenyan capital Nairobi in 1960s. It was earlier known as
Nelloptodes gretae.
2. French Scientists found new stable compound of Plutonium unexpectedly, while trying to create plutonium dioxide nano
particles using different precursors. Plutonium at its pentavalent state showed a peculiar behavior, which scientists learnt that is
because it was stable. Scientists thus confirmed that Plutonium exhibited stability properties at its pentavalent state.
1. Unstable radioactive dangerous plutonium that is predominantly used in nuclear applications are tricky to transport, store
and dispose. This new development may aid in handling and transportation of the element.
3. IIT Hyderabad and School of Architecture Bhubaneswar researchers developed bio-bricks from agricultural waste, serving dual
purposes of development of eco-friendly sustainable material and waste management.
1. Bricks are made from agro-waste like wheat straw, paddy straw, sugarcane bagasse and cotton plant. Bio-bricks are more
sustainable than clay bricks.
2. The bricks also provide good insulation to heat and sound and help in maintaining humidity of buildings and make house
more suitable for hot-humid climates.
4. IIT Kharagpur graduate Debayan Saha has invented a device called “PM 2.5”, which when fitted near the silencer pipe in vehicles
will curb air pollution. The technology developed by uses a combination of electric energy and wave energy to influence the
pollutants like PM 2.5 such that they act like a magnet attracting other particulate pollutants from the ambient atmosphere to get
attached to it.
5. NASA reported that ozone hole near south pole is in its smallest size since it was discovered. In 2006, the hole was 10.3 million
square miles. It has now been reduced to 3.6 million square miles. Scientists say that the hole is smaller than it was found in 1985.
Ozone hole reaches its peak in September and October and disappears by late December.
1. Ozone layer shields life from harmful solar radiation, which was harmed by man-made chlorine compounds. This led to
thinning of Ozone layer in the Southern Hemisphere.
2. International Montreal Protocol was framed in 1987, banning chlorine compounds in refrigerators and aerosols.
3. Now, the reason for reducinng of Ozone layer is mainly due to global warming, more than because of reduction in usage of
chlorine compounds. This is a good news in terms of Ozone hole reduction, but bad in terms of rising global temparature.
6. Operation of a land-based prototype of the Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) submarines has been successfully carried out. AIP
has a force multiplier effect on lethality of a diesel electric submarine as it enhances submerged endurance of the boat several
folds.
1. Fuel cell-based AIP has merits in performance compared to other technologies. DRDO programme to build a fuel cell-based
AIP system for Indian Naval submarines has crossed several milestones in technology maturity.
7. Researchers at Stanford University (US) developed a new catalyst that helps to turn carbon dioxide from cars into fuels like
propane or natural gas.
1. Catalysts induce chemical reactions without being used up. In new research, scientists combined ruthenium and iron oxide
nano particles to form new catalyst. This arrangement activates hydrocarbon formation from Carbon-Dioxide.
2. Earlier methods only produced simplest hydrocarbon methane from effluents of vehicles. This method produces propane
and other higher hydro carbons including natural gas. Also, earlier methods involved two steps processes - reduce carbon
dioxide to carbon monoxide and combine carbon monoxide and hydrogen to form hydrocarbons.
8. Researchers developed a new dielectric capacitor- a device that stores energy like a battery, taking inspiration from a French
pastry. The croissant is made by folding multiple layers of dough. Researchers found that by pressing and folding a polymer film
capacitor, they were able to store 30 times more energy than the best-performing commercially available dielectric capacitor.
1. It may pave way for efficient, low-cost, and environmentally-friendly electric energy storage systems for wind and solar
sources.
2. Study noted that dielectric capacitors generally have ultrahigh power density making them suitable for technologies such as
motor drives, and space vehicle power systems.
9. Researchers found that call of male white bellbird (Procnias albus) is loudest bird call recorded in the world, that can reach 125
decibels, almost as loud as a very loud rock concert, and more than 9 decibels higher than the loudest recorded call of the
screaming piha (Lipaugus vociferans), which held previous record of being the world’s loudest bird.
10. Researchers from Indian Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIIT-H) created the first-ever ‘Indian brain atlas’(IBA),
in collaboration with Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technolog. Study revealed that Indian brain, on an
average, is smaller in height, width and volume when compared to Western and other Eastern populations.
11. Scientists at John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (US), have developed Lithium-Ion batteries that can operate under
extreme conditions like submersion, ballistic impact, cutting and heat.
1. Lithium-Ion batteries are commonly used in every household item, but are susceptible to catastrophic fire and explosion.
2. Scientists used water-in-salt and water-in-bisalt electrolytes in batteries. These electrolytes were incorporated in a polymer
matrix to reduce water activity and elevate energy capabilities of the battery. This gives the batteries higher energies to
withstand heat and pressure.
12. Scientists discovered six new lizard species of Dravidogecko family in the Western Ghats. Dravidogecko is a small size lizard
found in wet forests in mid-to-high elevations. This is seen as a significant development as only one species of the genus was
known so far.
1. Species have been named as Dravidogecko Septentrionalis, D Janakiae (after botanist Janaki Ammal from Kerala), D
Tholpalli, D Meghamalaiensis, D Douglasadamsi (after British author and satirist Douglas Noel Adams) and D Smithi (in
honour of British herpetologist Malcolm Arthur Smith).
13. US and Australian Scientists discovered ‘the footprints a monstrous galaxy’ being called as ‘Cosmic Yeti’ in early universe. The
discovery provides new insights into the first growing steps of some of biggest galaxies in universe. It was forming new stars at a
rate that was over 100 times faster than in Milky Way.
Top
Sports
1. 15th World Wushu Championships 2019 (Shanghai, China)
1. Medal Table -
1 China 14 1 1 16
2 Iran 9 2 1 12
3 Hong Kong 5 4 1 10
4 Indonesia 3 0 1 4
5 Macau 2 5 5 12
2. India Ranked 10th with 4 Medals (1 Gold, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze). Indian Medalists -
1. Gold - Praveen Kumar (Men's 48 KG)
2. Silver - Y. Sanathoi Devi (Women's 52 KG) and Poonam (Women's 75 KG)
3. Bronze - Vikrant Baliyan (Men's 60 KG)
2. 2019 Denmark Open Badminton Title (Odense, Denmark) -
2. Women's Singles - Tai Tzu-ying (Chinese Taipei)
4. Women's Doubles - South Korea's Baek Ha-na AND Jung Kyung-eun
5. Mixed Doubles - Indonesia's Praveen Jordan AND Melati Daeva Oktavianti
3. 2019 Erste Bank Open Men's Tennis (Vienna, Austria) -
1. Singles - Dominic Thiem (Austria)
2. Doubles - Rajeev Ram (US) AND Joe Salisbury (UK)
4. 2019 European Open Men's Tennis Title (Antwerp, Belgium) -
1. Singles - Andy Murray (UK). He defeated Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland)
2. Doubles - Germany's Kevin Krawietz AND Andreas Mies defeated Rajeev Ram (US) / Joe Salisbury (UK)
5. 2019 French Open Badminton (Paris) -
1. Men's Singles - Chen Long (China)
2. Women's Singles - An Se-young (South Korea)
3. Men's Doubles - Indonesia's Marcus Fernaldi Gideon AND Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo. They defeated Indian duo of
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.
4. Women's Doubles - South Korea's Lee So-hee AND Shin Seung-chan
5. Mixed Doubles - Indonesia's Praveen Jordan AND Melati Daeva Oktavianti
6. 2019 Stockholm Open Men's Tennis Title (Sweden) -
1. Singles - Denis Shapovalov (Canada)
2. Doubles - Henri Kontinen (Finland) AND Édouard Roger-Vasselin (France)
7. 2019 Swiss Indoors Men's Tennis (Basel, Switzerland) -
1. Singles - Roger Federer (Switzerland). It is his 10th Swiss Open Title and Career Title No. 103.
2. Doubles - Jean-Julien Rojer (Netherlands) AND Horia Tecău (Romania)
8. 7th CISM World Military Games held in Wuhan (China).
1. Medal Table -

1 China 133 64 42 239
2 Russia 51 53 57 161
3 Brazil 21 31 36 88
4 France 13 20 24 57
5 Poland 11 15 34 60
2. India ranked 11th with 8 Medals (5 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze).

9. Bangladesh Cricketer Shakib Al Hasan has been suspended for two years by International Cricket Council (ICC) for not reporting
a corrupt approach. Shakib has been handed a full ban for a year and a 12-month suspended sentence.
10. Bengal Warriors won 7th season of Vivo Pro Kabaddi League 2019, as their first title, defeating Dabang Delhi.
11. China has been given Hosting rights by FIFA, for revamped version of Club Football World Cup, having 24 teams. It will be held
in June and July 2021.
1. The decision was made despite China’s suppression of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, and the internment of more
than one million Uighur Muslims in state of Xinjiang. The same is being criticized globally.
12. Former South African Cricketer Graeme Smith has been elected an Honorary Life Member of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in
England.
13. India won 7 Medals at Olympic Test Event for Boxing .
1. Gold - Shiva Thapa and Pooja Rani.
2. Silver - Ashish.
3. Bronze - Nikhat Zareen, Simranjeet Kaur, Sumit Sangwan and Vahlimpuia.
14. India's Kuhoo Garg and Dhruv Rawat won badminton mixed doubles title at Egypt International 2019 in Cairo, Egypt. They
defeated India's Utkarsh Arora and Karishma Wadkar.
15. India's Prithvi Sekhar won men’s final of World Deaf tennis championship in Antalya, Turkey. He defetaed Jaroslav Smedek of
Czech Republic in Final.
16. India's Riya Bhatia won ITF women’s tennis tournament in Lagos (Nigeria), defeating Nastja Kolar of Slovenia.
17. Indian Cricketer Jasprit Bumrah and Female Cricketer Smriti Mandhana won Wisden India Almanack Cricketer of the Year
award. Other winners are Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman, Sri Lanka’s Dimuth Karunaratne, and Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan.
1. Cricket Country: The Untold History of the First All India Team by Prashant Kidambi was adjudged the Wisden India Book
of the Year.
18. Indian cyclist Ronaldo Singh won gold medal in men's junior Keirin event at Asian Track Cycling Championships at Incheon in
South Korea. James Singh won bronze in same event. India also secured 2 bronze medals in men's and women's Jr. sprint team.
19. International Cricket Council (ICC) anounced that 2020 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup will be held in South Africa in Jan -
Feb 2020.
20. Karnataka won 2019–20 Vijay Hazare Domestic Cricket Title, defeating Tamil Nadu. It is karnataka's 4th title of the Vijay Hazare
Trophy.
21. Mercedes' British Racer Lewis Hamilton Won Mexican Grand Prix 2019 -
1.
18 Mexican Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 27 October

22. Misc. Sports News (Oct 2019) -

1. 10th Asian Age Group Swimming Championships held in Bengaluru. India finished with medal tally of 64 medals (20 gold,
24 silver and 20 bronze).
2. Indian Female chess player Koneru Humpy ranked world number 3 in 2019 rankings by Fédération Internationale des
Échecs (FIDE).
3. Australian Female cricketer Alyssa Healy created world record for highest individual score in women’s T20I, scoring 148
runs off 61 balls. Also, Harmanpreet Kaur became 1st Indian to play 100 T20 International matches.
4. FIFA banned Eugenio Figueredo, former president of South American Football Confederation CONMEBOL, due to bribery
charges.
5. Army's Abdul Quadir Khan won Silver Medal at 53rd Asian Body Building and Physique Sports Championship held at Batam
(Indonesia).
6. For first time, a floating basketball court brought to India in Arabian Sea near Mumbai (Maharashtra). It has been brought
for the National Basketball Association (NBA) game 2019, which features the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers, in First
week of October 4 & 5 2019.
7. Austria’s Christine Wolf won Hero Women’s Indian Open Golf Title at Gurugram, Haryana.
8. Surender Singh of India created three world records at World Powerlifting Championships in Berlin, Germany. Also, Three-
time World Champion Mukesh Singh won yet another gold.
9. FIBA (International Basketball Federation) stated that India will host Tokyo Olympic Games 3×3 basketball qualifying
tournament in March 2020 with a total participation of 40 teams (20 male and 20 female teams).
10. Dutee Chand broke her own 100-meter national record with a time of 11.22 seconds, during National Open Athletics
Championships in Ranchi.
11. Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge has become 1st athlete to run sub 2-hour marathon, busting mythical 2-hour barrier for marathon
on a specially prepared course in a huge Vienna park (Austria). He finished marathon in 1 hr 59 min 40.2 sec and became the
first ever to run a marathon in under 2 hours.
12. Kenya’s female runner Brigid Jepscheschir Kosgei has set a new world record in the 2019 Chicago Marathon held in Chicago
(US). Kosgei completed in 2 hours 14 minutes and 4 seconds, better than Earlier record of Paula Radcliffe with 2 hours 15
minutes and 25 seconds.
13. Sports Ministry decided to provide access to four of its sporting infrastructure, free of cost to federations and athletes from
November 2019. It is aimed at making sporting infrastructure accessible to all sports persons. 1st phase will see stadiums in
the capital, including Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (JLN), Indira Gandhi Stadium (IG), Major Dhyanchand National Stadium
and Karni Singh Shooting Range.
14. 17-year-old Yashasvi Jaiswal became youngest cricketer in world to score a double century in One Day cricket, playing in
Vijay Hazare season against Jharkhand.
15. Raunak Sadhwani will be 65th Indian Grand Master (Chess) at age of 13 years.
16. Cricketer Rohit Sharma has created new record in test cricket, gdetting past Australian great Don Bradman. The record is
about test average of 99.84 on home soil, which is higher than Don Bradman’s average of 98.22 on home soil in test cricket.
17. Logo for Paris 2024 Olympic Games has been unveiled, in the art deco style which was trending in 1924 when Paris last
hosted Olympics. The Logo also incorporates lips and outline of Marianne, the personification of the French Republic since
the revolution in 1789.
18. Sprinter Dutee Chand named Sportsperson of the Year in 2nd edition of the Vogue Women of the Year awards.
19. Minerva Punjab FC has been renamed as Punjab Football Club, as per an agreement with Round Glass Sports Private Ltd.
20. Indian Boxer and Six-time world champion M C Mary Kom has been included in a 10-strong athlete ambassadors group to
represent boxers in the build-up to 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games by the IOC’s Task Force for the sport.
21. American Golfer Tiger Woods secured a record-equalling 82nd PGA Tour crown, winning Zozo Championship in Japan.
Top
Read Important Ones
Current Affairs >> November 2019
12/10/2019 Current Affairs - December 1 - 10, 2017
Current Affairs - Nov 2019
Month All Type All
139 Current Affairs were found in Period - November 1 - 10, 2019 for Type - All
Appointments
1. Akil Abdulhamid Kureshi appointed as chief justice of Tripura High Court.
2. Central government appointed new Chief Justices in 3 High Courts -
1. Madras - A P Sahi
2. Madhya Pradesh - A K Mittal
3. Patna - Sanjay Karol
3. Government Appoined Aditya Mishra as chairman of the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI). LPAI maintains facilities for
cross-border movement of passengers / goods at designated points along international borders.
4. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth has been re-elected as Prime Minister of Mauritius, for his 2nd 5 year term.
5. Sumant Kathpalia has been appointed as Chief of private sector Bank IndusInd Bank.
6. UAE's Supreme Council of Union re-elected Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan as UAE President for his fourth five-year term.
7. Vinaya Shetty became first Indian to be elected as General Vice President of International Organisation Development Association
(IODA).
Top
Awards
1. 2019 Mother Teresa Memorial Awards for Social Justice (MTMA) have been conferred, established by Harmony Foundation and
is endorsed by Missionaries of Charities. 2019 theme is ‘Combating Contemporary Forms of Slavery’. 2019 Awardees -
1. Kailash Satyarthi, India - Fighting child labour and trafficking in India and Southeast Asia.
2. Robert Bilheimer, United States - For using his skills as a filmmaker to raise awareness about modern forms of slavery.
3. Junior Nzita Nsuami - For leading an international campaign through United Nations (UN) against use of child soldiers in
war.
4. Ajeet Singh: For his efforts in creating the first red-light area in India free of commercial sexual exploitation of children.
5. Alezandra Russell - For helping neglected and ignored young boys in red-light districts of Thailand.
6. Hasina Kharbhih - For rescuing and empowering over 72,000 vulnerable victims from fate of human trafficking.
7. Rob Williams - For persistently protecting and supporting children in armed conflicts in some of the world’s most hostile
regions.
8. Priti Patkar and Prerana - For trying to abolish intergenerational prostitution.
9. Four Associations also received awards - Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting (DAFOH)– USA, Free A Girl, JEEVIKA
(Jeeta Vimukti Karnataka), Office for Rescue of Yazidis.
2. 5th Edition of ‘Miss Asia Global Title 2019’ organized in Kochi (Kerala).
1. Sara Damnjanovic from Serbia won Title given to winner from Asian region. Nguyen Thi Yen Trang from Vietnam was
awarded the Miss Asia title given to winner from rest of world.
2. Next ‘Miss Asia Global Title 2020’ will be held in Malaysia.
3. A documentary on Real Kashmir Football Club won British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTA) and Scotland
Awards, in Glasgow, Scotland.
file:///E:/LinkingSky/Docs/Bank/CA/Current Affairs - December 1 - 10, 2017.html 1/16

1. Documentary narrates journey of former Rangers ace David Robertson as the coach of Real Kashmir FC. The film won in
'Single Documentary' category.
4. Author Madhuri Vijay won JCB Prize for Literature 2019 for her debut novel ‘The Far Field’.
1. JCB Prize for LiteratureIt is an annual Indian literary award founded in 2018.
2. Award consists of cash prize of Rs.25 lakh (US$38400), funded by English construction manufacturing group JCB.
3. Madhuri Vijay is also a recipient of Henfield Prize and the Pushcart Prize.
5. Four Indian authors are shortlisted for $25,000 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2018. Writers are -
1. Jayant Kaikini for No Presents Please (translated from Kannada by Tejaswini Niranjana)
2. Manu Joseph for Miss Laila Armed And Dangerous
3. Neel Mukherjee for A State Of Freedom
4. Sujit Saraf for Harilal & Sons.
5. 8th year of DSC Prize have shortlisted 88 entries for the final prize. 2 Pakistani Authors are also named - Mohsin Hamid for
Exit West and Kamila Shamsie for Home Fire.
6. In a first, Government has constituted a special award titled ‘Icon of Golden Jubilee of IFFI’, which will be conferred upon Noted
Actor Shri S Rajinikanth.
1. Also, Noted French actor Isabelle Anne Madeleine Huppert will be conferred with Lifetime Achievement Award at the
Golden Jubilee (50th) edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2019.
2. 50th IFFI is to be held in Goa during November 20 - 28, 2019.
7. Indian Origin Neeraj Sharma from University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia), has won ‘Early Career Researcher of the
Year (Physical Sciences)‘. It was given for his work in lithium-ion batteries found in electronic devices, electric vehicles and the
grid.
8. Italian journalist Paolo Borrometi won 2019 Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism.
9. Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) has been recognised as world's top public business accelerator by UBI Global, the Stockholm-
based intelligence company. It was announced at World Incubation Summit for Best Programmes in Doha (Qatar).
10. NASSCOM Foundation and software firm Mphasis announced winners of 11th edition of NASSCOM Social Innovation Forum
(NSIF) awards -
1. In 2019, 7 organisations are declared winners who will receive INR 10 lakh each as catalytic grants and a 12-month Support
to Scale industry mentorship from experts, worth more than Rs.20 lakh. Winners -
1. Meraki Foundation (Education)
2. Inali Foundation - For Accessibility for developing an ‘affordable’ myoelectric prosthetic arm.
3. PadCare Labs Pvt. Ltd - For Healthcare for developing ‘Sanicure’, a smokeless sanitary napkin disposal system.
4. MHS City Lab - won Financial Inclusion award for ‘NEEV’ digital tool for affordable low-income housing.
5. Watsan Envirotech Pvt. Ltd - Environment award.
6. NotOnMap (NoM) - for Other Social issues for creating livelihood for culturally hidden communities
7. Bombay Bijlee
11. Noted Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has been selected for Italian Golden Sand Art Award 2019, to be honoured during the
International Scorrana Sand Nativity in Italy in November 2019.
12. Noted writer Anand has been announced winner of Ezhuthachan award 2019, highest literary award given by Kerala government.
It carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh and a citation.
13. Press Council of India (PCI) announced 2019’s winners of National Awards for Excellence in Journalism. Awards will be
presented on the occasion of National Press Day on 16 November.
1. Raja Ram Mohan Roy National Award for Excellence in Journalism given to Rajasthan Patrika group chairman Gulab
Kothari. For Raja Ram Mohan Roy award for excellence in journalism, cash prize is worth 1 Lakh. Other Categories Winners
rceve cash prize of 50000.
2. Other Winners -
1. Gender Based Reporting - Anuradha Mascarenhas (Indian Express) and Ruby Sarkar of Deshbandhu.
2. Rural Journalism - Sanjay Saini (Dainik Bhaskar) and Raj Chengappa (India Today)
3. Developmental Reporting - Shiva Swarup Awasthi (Dainik Jagran) and Anu Abrahim (Matrubhumi)
4. Financial Reporting - Sandeep Singh (Indian Express) and Krishn Kaushik
5. Photo Journalism (Single News Picture) - P G Unnikrishnan and Akhil E S
6. Photo Journalism (Photo Feature) - Sipra Das

7. Sports Reporting - Saurabh Duggal (Hindustan Times)

14. Tata Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award 2019 has been conferred on writer and film critic Shanta Gokhale. She
received Sangeet Natak Academy Award in 2015.
15. Venu Srinivasan, Chairman of TVS Motor Company and Sundaram Clayton, has been conferred with Deming ‘Distinguished
Service Award For Dissemination and Promotion Overseas’, in Tokyo (Japan). He became first Indian industrialist to be bestowed
with this award, named as top award in world in Total Quality Management (TQM).
16. West Bengal-based writer Abhishek Sarkar and Bangladeshi poet Rofiquzzaman Rony were given Gemcon Young Literature
Award and Gemcon Young Poetry Award at At 9th edition of Dhaka Literature festival (Bangladesh). Abhishek and Rofiquzzaman
won for their manuscripts, “Nishiddho” and “Dhoashar Tamate Rong,” respectively.
17. Wildlife biologist K. Ullas Karanth has been awarded Wildlife Conservation Society’s George Schaller Lifetime Award in Wildlife
Conservation Science. He is the first recipient of this award.
1. Award is instituted by New York based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), named after WCS’s Dr. George Schaller,
considered to be one of the greatest wildlife scientists and conservationists globally.
18. Winners of Infosys Prize 2019 announced by Infosys Science Foundation (ISF)
1. Engineering & Computer Sciences - Sunita Sarawagi, for her research in data mining, machine learning and natural language
processing.
2. Humanities - Manu V. Devadevan, for his original and wide-ranging work on pre-modern South India.
3. Life Sciences - Manjula Reddy, for her groundbreaking discoveries concerning the structure of cell walls in bacteria
4. Mathematical Sciences - Siddhartha Mishra, for his outstanding contributions to Applied Mathematics.
5. Physical Sciences - Mugesh, for his seminal work in chemical synthesis of small molecules and nanomaterials for biomedical
applications.
6. Social Science - Anand Pandian, for his imaginative work on ethics, selfhood and the creative process.
7. Infosys Prize is an annual award given by the Infosys Science Foundation, being conferred since 2008. Prize includes prize
money of $100,000 (around 70 lakh Indian Rupees) and prize purse is given tax free.
Top
Books
1. Book Accidental Magic written by Author Keshava Guha has been released.
2. Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi released Assamese version of the book 'Courts of India: Past to Present'.
Top
Committees
1. Committee has been formed under Atul Karwal to implement Home Ministry'd directive to enable around 7 lakh CAPF jawans
should get to spend at least 100 days annual holidays.
Top
Days
1. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare observed Vigilance Awareness Week from 28th October to 2nd November 2019, with
theme Integrity- a way of life.
2. Nov 01 is formation day of States of Chhattisgarh (in 2000), Kerala (in 1956), Madhya Pradesh (in 1956), Haryana (in 1966),
Karnataka (in 1956), Punjab (in 1956), Tamil Nadu (in 1956).
1. For the first time since its formation in 1956, Tamil Nadu state government celebrated 'Tamil Nadu Day' on November 1,
2019.
2. Chhattisgarh Govt on State Formation day on Nov 01, launched new industrial policy of state for 2019-2024, titled 'Gadhbo
Nava Chhattisgarh -
1. It aims at encouraging food and horticulture processing sectors along with industries based on new technologies such
as robotics and artificial intelligence.
2. Chhattisgarh came into existence on November 1, 2000, after a bifurcation of Madhya Pradesh.
3. Nov 06 is International Day for preventing environmental exploitation during war and armed conflict, marked by UN in 2001.
4. Nov 1 - World Vegan Day. It was established in 1994 by Louise Wallis, then Chair of Vegan Society in UK.

5. Nov 10 is observed as World Science Day for Peace and Development, proclaimed by UNESCO in 2001 and celebrated since
2002.
1. 2019 Theme is ‘Open science, leaving no one behind’.
6. Nov 2 is Observed as UN International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.
7. Nov 5 is observed as UN World Tsunami Awareness Day, marked by United Nations in 2015.
8. Nov 7 is observed as National Cancer Awareness Day in India.
9. Nov 8 is observed as International Day of Radiology.
10. Nov 9 is observed as National Legal Services Day In India, to commemorate enactment of Indian Legal Services Authorities Act
1987. On 11 October 1987, the Legal Services Authorities Act 1987 was enacted. It took effect on 9 November 1995.
11. Nov 9 is statehood day of Uttarakhand.
1. On 9 November 2000, Uttarakhand became 27th state of India, being carved from Himalayan districts of Uttar Pradesh.
Top
Defence
1. 1st ever India-Uzbekistan joint military exercise Dustlik-2019 began at near Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
1. India and Uzbekistan also signed MoU for enhancing bilateral cooperation in fields of Military Medicine and Military
Education between Armed Forces. MoUs were signed during visit by Defence Minister of India Rajnath Singh to Tashkent
(Uzbekistan capital).
2. He Visited to attend meeting of Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
3. During the meet, it was decided that next meeting of Council of Heads of Government in 2020 is to be conducted in India.
2. Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) delivered ICGS Annie Besant, second in series of five Fast Patrol Vessel
(FPV) to Indian Coast Guard.
3. India Indonesia Navies held bilateral naval exercise ‘Samudra Shakti’ in Bay of Bengal, as 2nd edition of this exercise.
4. Indian Coast Guard (ICG) conducted ‘Regional Level Search and Rescue Workshop and Exercise 2019’: ReSAREX- 19 off Goa
coast.
Top
Economy
1. World’s largest index compiler, Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) added 8 stocks and deleted 6 from India index.
1. Additions include Berger Paints, DLF, HDFC AMC, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company, Indraprastha Gas, Info Edge,
SBI Life, Siemens India.
2. Deleted Stocks included BHEL, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Indiabulls Housing Finance, L&T Finance, Vodafone Idea and
Yes Bank.
2. As per RBI report titled "Furthering Digital Payments", RBI has asked banks not to charge for NEFT Transactions, From January
2020. It has been done to promote digital transactions.
3. Asian Development Bank approved $451 million loan to strengthen power connectivity between the southern and northern parts
of the Chennai-Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC) in Tamil Nadu. The total cost of the project is $653.5 million. Cstimated
completion is by end of 2024.
4. Bajaj Allianz General Insurance launched a new mobile app called 'Farmitra', to assist farmers in optimizing their farming
practices.
5. China Based Tencent Holdings acquired minority stake in Indian online insurance aggregator Policybazaar.com, valuing it at $1.5
billion.
6. Gross GST revenue collected in October 2019 stood at 95,380 crores (CGST - 17582 crore, SGST - 23,674 crore, IGST - 46517
crore, and Cess 7607 crores.
7. IRDAI barred Reliance Health Insurance Co (RHICL) from selling new health insurance policies, amid poor financial status of
RHICL.
8. RBI Panel on regulatory and supervisory framework for Core Investment Companies (CICs) has recommended tighter norms to
cut leverage by CICs and improve governance as well as regulatory supervision.
1. CIC is a non-banking finance company (NBFC) that holds equity shares in group companies, not less than 90 % of its net
assets, and not less 60 % of its net assets as equity shares in group companies.

2. Panel is headed by Tapan Ray. It recommended that number of layers of CICs be restricted to two and that any CIC within a
group shall not make an investment through more than a total of two layers of CICs, including itself.
9. RBI Stated that Liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) norms for non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) will take effect on 1
December 2020, extending its previous date of 1 April 2020.
1. In May 2019, RBI Had issued Draft Guideines titled Liquidity Risk Management Framework for NBFCs and Core
Investment Companies (CICs), to help NBFCs deal with severe liquidity problems and to prevent re-occurrence of IL&FS
type of debt crisis.
2. LCR, which refers to share of high quality liquid assets to be set aside to meet short-term obligations, will be introduced in
stages.
3. In its final guidelines, RBI said NBFCs with assets of 10000 crore and above will have to maintain a minimum of 50% of LCR
as high quality liquid assets (HQLA), while those with assets of 5000-10,000 crore will have to maintain 30% LCR. In both
cases, LCR will be progressively increased to 100% by December 2024.
4. Draft guidelines had earlier proposed that all non-banks will have to initially maintain60% LCR from April 2020. The
changes are in line with suggestions from NBFC sector, which had sought relaxations in LCR norms.
10. RBI increased household income limits for borrowers of Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) and microfinance
institutions (MFIs) from 1 lakh to 1.25 lakh rupees in rural areas, and from 1.6 lakh to 2 lakh for urban / semi-urban areas.
1. RBI also increased loan disbursal limit to 75000 for 1st cycle (from 60000), and 1.25 lakh for successive cycles (from 1 lakh).
11. Ratings Agency Fitch raised India's fiscal deficit forecast to 3.6 % of GDP for this fiscal year, from 3.4 % previously, due to weak
revenue collections resulting from sluggish economic growth. Govt aims to contain fiscal deficit within 3.3 % for current fiscal.
12. Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of State (I/C) for Labour and Employment launched 3 Apps - UAN REGISTRATION, E-
INSPECTION AND DIGI LOCKER, developed by Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO), at EPFO's 67th Foundation
Day.
1. Online UAN generation - Now workers can obtain Universal Account Number (UAN) directly on EPFO website which
enrolls them for PF, Pension and Life Insurance benefits and a worker need not depend on his employer for UAN.
2. EPS Pensioner’s PPO (Pension Payment Order) in DigiLocker website/Application - EPFO integrates with DigiLocker of
NeGD to create depository of electronic PPOs which is accessible to individual pensioners. This is a move towards paperless
system and ease of living for pensioners.
3. e-Inspection Form would be available in user login of employers not filing ECR which enables employer to inform either
closure of business or unpaid dues with proposal for payment.
13. With addition of over 1300 startups this year so far, India continues to be 3rd largest startup ecosystem in world, as per IT
industry body Nasscom. Number of tech startups in India has grown to 8,900-9,300. Report is titled Indian Tech Start-up
Ecosystem: Leading Tech in 20s.
1. India also witnessed addition of 7 Unicorns this year, taking total tally to 24 It is 3rd highest number of Unicorns (companies
with valuation of over $1 billion) in a single country.
Top
International
1. 2nd Women, Peace and Security Index 2019 Report by Georgetown University’s Institute for Women, Peace and Security
(GIWPS) -
1. Indian ranked 133 out of 167 countries, based on three indicators – inclusion, justice and security.
2. Norway ranked at top, followed by Switzerland, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.
3. Least safe Nations for women - Yemen (167), Afghanistan (166), Syria (165), Pakistan (164), South Sudan (163), and Iraq
(162).
2. 66 cities globally were designated by UNESCO as Creative Cities, Including Hyderabad and Mumbai from India. Cities are named
creative based on their mission to place creativity and creative economy at the core of their urban development.
1. They were announced on World Cities Day on Oct 31.
2. Mumbai was selected based on cinema and Hyderbad was selected based on Gastronomy.
3. Previously, 3 Indian cities were recognized as members of UCCN -
1. Jaipur-Crafts and Folk Arts (2015)
2. Varanasi-Creative city of Music (2015)
3. Chennai-Creative city of Music (2017)
3. As per International Monetary Fund, South American Nation Guyana is expected to experience fastest economic growth among
all nations, with 86% growth next year after expanding 4.4% this year. The growth will be driven by Exxon Mobil Corp.’s discovery
of oil in Guyana recently.
1. Currently, Guyana doesn’t produce any crude, though its neighbor Venezuela holds the world’s largest reserves.
2. Guyana’s First Oil Could Start Flowing as This Year While Guyana’s $4 billion annual gross domestic product, will expand to
about $15 billion by 2024.
4. As per Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)'s Economic Outlook for Southeast Asia report -
1. This year title of report is “Reponding to Environmental Hazards in Cities”.
2. India’s gross domestic product (GDP) could grow 6.6% in 2020-24, lower than its 2013-17 average of 7.4%.
3. OECD predicted South Asian regional GDP growth of 5.7% over 2020-24, down from 6.7% in 2013-17.
4. Among ASEAN countries, Vietnam and Philippines will remain as growth leaders.
5. As per UNCTAD Report, India gained about $755 million in additional exports, mainly of chemicals, metals and ore, to US in the
first half of 2019 due to the trade diversion effects of US-China Trade war. Study puts trade diversion effects of US-China tariff war
for first half of 2019 at about $21 billion, with net trade losses of about $14 billion.
6. Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a 300 million dollar loan for a power transmission lines project in Bangladesh.
7. British Broadcasting Corporation announced list of ‘100 Novels That Shaped Our World’.
1. Noted Indian authors R K Narayan ( Swami and Friends), Arundhati Roy (The God of small things), Salman Rushdie (The
Moor’s Last Sigh), Vikram Seth (A Suitable Boy) and S. Naipaul (A House for Mr Biswas) have featured in the list.
8. China approved a drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, the first new medicine with the potential to treat the cognitive
disorder in 17 years. The seaweed-based drug, called Oligomannate, can be used for the treatment of mild to moderate
Alzheimer's.
9. China launched 5G telecom network service in about 50 cities, with three major state-run telecom companies (China Unicom,
China Telecom and China Mobile).
1. 5G is most advanced next-generation technology that provides faster download speeds. In 5G, Internet works 100 times
faster than 4G.
2. China has also reportedly launched research and development work for 6G mobile networks.
10. Export-Import (Exim) Bank of India provided a USD 30 million line of credit to Ghana for potable water project in the country.
At least 75 % of contract price shall be supplied by seller from India.
11. Freedom House 's Freedom on the Net (FoTN) report 2019, titled ‘Crisis of Social Media’ -
1. China has been named world’s worst abuser of internet freedom for fourth consecutive year and Pakistan was declared as
'not free’ in terms of internet freedom status for ninth consecutive year.
2. India was given an overall score of 55 in the report and the internet freedom status in the country was reported to be ‘partly
free’.
3. Report assessed 65 countries and 33 among them showed an overall decline in internet freedom since June 2018. Country
that recorded the biggest improvement in its internet freedom score in 2019 is Ethiopia.
4. Iceland was recorded as world’s best protector of internet freedom, as it had no cases registered against users for online
expression.
12. French Development Agency (AFD) and Assam Government signed a 50 million euro (Rs 400 crore) project agreement for
supporting Phase II of Assam Project for Forest and Biodiversity Conservation (APFBC).
1. Total budget of second phase is Rs 500 crore out of which the State government will contribute Rs 100 crore.
2. The project aims to restore Assam’s forest ecosystems and preserve their biodiversity.
13. German Firm Siemens signed 2 MoU with India's NTPC and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) for decarbonisation. It
aims to reduce industrial and commercial carbon footprint and bringing down the dependence on hydrocarbons in India.
14. India decided against joining Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade deal as India did not receive any
credible assurance on market access and non-tariff barriers. This paved way for other 15-members to go ahead and sign the deal
keeping the door open for India to join later. Reasons Include -
1. India's trade deficit 15 RCEP countries has doubled in last five years from 54 billion USD in 2013-14 to 105 billion USD in
2018-19. Of this, China alone accounts to 53 billion USD. Signing RCEP will widen trade deficit and will empty foreign
exchange reserve of India at a faster rate.
2. Australia and New Zealand are searching free access to market their diary products. Similarly, Indonesia and Vietnam are
looking for places to dump their less quality rubber. India being largest market, dumping such less expensive goods will

affect domestic goods of India.

3. RCEP deal favors China, which is looking for greater access (as an alternate) to Indian market with the trade war with US.
India by not signing RCEP deal has refused to be a willing dumping ground of China’s trade imperialism.
15. Indian IT Firm Tech Mahindra acquired 100% stake in US based Born Group, through its wholly owned subsidiary Tech
Mahindra (Singapore). Deal has Enterprise value of USD 95 million.
16. Indian Online marketplace ShopClues has been acquired Singapore-based ecommerce platform Qoo10 in an all-stock deal,
valuing ShopClues at $70-100 million. ShopClues at its peak was valued at $1.1 billion in late 2015.
17. Iran announced that it will start injecting uranium gas into 1044 centrifuges, in a phased manner, beginning from Fordow
nuclear facility.
1. Iran had shut down Fordow nuclear plant in 2018, accepting condition to stop all kinds of Uranium enrichment, under Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran, USA, France, UK, Germany, China and EU. Iran has now started
reversing its commitments.
2. Fordow Nuclear Facility is an underground Iranian uranium enrichment centre located 32 km of city of Qom, disclosed to
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in September 2009.
3. Iran stated in its earlier declaration that the purpose of Fordow Nuclear Facility was to the production of UF6 enriched up to
5 per cent of U-235. In January 2012, IAEA found that Iran had started producing uranium enriched up to 20 %.
18. Kalapani Area became issue of contention between India and Nepal after Nepal government raised objections to its inclusion in
India's new political map. India had released its new political map depicting newly created UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and
Ladakh.The new map of India shows
1. Map shows Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as a part of newly created Union Territories. While three districts of PoK-
Muzaffarabad, Mirpur and Punch are depicted as a part of the J&K Union Territory, Gilgit-Baltistan is shown as a part of
Ladakh.
2. Kalapani is a disputed territory between India and Nepal. While Nepal claims it to be a part of its Darchula district, the
region is administered in India as a part of Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand.
3. Kalapani is located at an altitude of 3600m on the Kailash Manasarovar route. It borders Uttarakhand in India and
Sudurpashchim Pradesh in Nepal.
19. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Integrated Check Post (ICP) of Kartarpur Corridor at Dera Baba Nanak, Gurdaspur in Punjab.
First Jatha of Sikh pilgrims also entered Pakistan through Kartarpur Corridor, with over 500 Indian pilgrims.
1. To celebrate historic occasion of 550th Birth Anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Devji in 2019, India signed an agreement with
Pakistan on in October 2019, on the modalities and formal framework for operationalisation of Kartarpur Sahib Corridor.
2. It would facilitate Indian Piligrims to visit Gurudwara Kartapur Sahib in Pakistan. Kartarpur corridor connects Dera Baba
Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur, Punjab in India to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Narowal, Pakistan.
3. Kartarpur Gurdwara is known as the the final resting place of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikh faith.
4. It is located on the banks of river Ravi and is just over 4 km from Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab.
20. Starting September 2020, public schools in Italy will have to incorporate 33 hours of climate-related lessons into their annual
curriculum. Italy has become first country to make climate change education mandatory in public schools.
21. Sudan's first-ever satellite, SRSS-1, has been launched by China. The remote-sensing satellite will conduct research in economic,
military and space technology. The satellite was launched along with other Chinese satellites including Gaofen 7, Xiaoxiang-1 08,
Whampoa 1.
22. US gave formal notice of intention to withdraw from Paris Climate Change Agreement, which takes 12 months to take effect.
1. In June 2017, US President Donald Trump announced that U.S. would cease participation in 2015 Paris Agreement on
climate change mitigation.
2. As per Article 28 of Paris Agreement, a country cannot give notice of withdrawal from agreement before 3 years of its start
date in relevant country, which was on November 4, 2016 in case of US.
3. Earliest possible effective withdrawal date by US cannot be before November 4, 2020.
23. US- Bangladesh Navy exercise dubbed as ‘Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) – 2019’ held in Chattogram in
Bangladesh.
Top
Meetings

1. 10th meeting of Heads of Authorities of Member States of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on dealing with prevention
and elimination of Emergency Situations held in New Delhi.
2. 19th Indian Ocean Rim Association Council of Ministers meeting held in Abu Dhabi (UAE). UAE will hold the IORA
chairmanship for 2019-21, assisted by vice-chair Bangladesh.
1. IORA is a 22 member grouping. Minister of State in External Affairs Ministry, V Muraleedharan attended the meet on India's
Behalf.
2. During the event, Maldives became latest IORA member.
3. 35th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits Held in Bangkok (Thailand) -
1. ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is a 10 member Grouping. Members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia,
Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam. 2019 Theme is Advancing Partnership for
sustainability.
2. PM Narendra Modi Visited Thailand to attend 16th ASEAN-India Summit, 14th East Asia Summit and RCEP (Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership) Meetings.
3. India has decided not to join Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement over India's concerns not
being addressed in the deal. PM Modi stated that present form of RCEP Agreement does not fully reflect basic spirt and
agreed guiding principles of RCEP. In such a situation, it is not possible for India to join RCEP Agreement.
4. PM Modi attended Sawasdee PM Modi event in Bangkok. He also released a commemorative coin marking 550th birth
anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and also released Thai translation of Tamil classic Tirukkural.
4. 5th India International Science Festival began in Kolkata, with Theme RISEN India – Research, Innovation, and Science
Empowering Nation.
1. Vigyanika event was also held during IISF 2019, to showcase science communication efforts and concepts through an
interesting mix of media. Vigyanika is coordinated by CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Information
Resources (CSIR-NISCAIR), Vigyan Prasar, and Vigyan Bharati.
2. During IISF 2019, Guinness World Records for largest astrophysics lesson (45 minutes) and assembly of spectroscopes was
successfully achieved by students at Science City, Kolkata.
5. 6th Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit of G20 countries held in Tokyo (Japan), attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on
India's Behalf.
6. Biennial Commonwealth Law Ministers’ Conference held in Colombo (Sri Lanka), with Theme Equal Access to Justice and the
Rule of Law. India was represented by Union Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad.
7. First ever BIMSTEC Ports’ Conclave Held 'at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
1. 3 MoUs signed between Ranong Port (Port Authority of Thailand) and Port Trusts of Chennai, Vishakhapatnam and Kolkata
during Conclave. These will enhance economic partnership by cutting down sea travel time between India and Thailand
from 15 to 7 days.
2. Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is International Organization
involving a group of countries in South Asia and South East Asia namely, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand,
Bhutan and Nepal.
8. Minister for Environment, Forest and climate change & Information and Broadcasting (I&B), Prakash Javadekar participated in
15th governing council meeting (GCM) of the South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme 2019 (SACEP) in Dhaka
(Bangladesh).
1. SACEP is an inter-governmental organization established in 1982, with members - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,
Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
9. Shanghai Cooperation Organization Joint Exercise on Urban Earthquake Search & Rescue (SCOJtEx-2019) has been inaugurated
in New Delhi, hosted by National Disaster Response Force.
1. All 8 SCO member countries participated, with aim to rehearse disaster response mechanism and share knowledge.
Members are - China, India, Kazakhastan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
10. Spain Capital Madrid will host United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP25) in December 2019, after
Chile decided to pull out from hosting the event due to the ongoing national unrest against Government of Chile.
1. Chile had also cancelled hosting Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit was planned for November 2019.
Top
National

1. India Justice Report 2019 released by Tata Trusts -

1. Report states that None of 29 states scored above 60 % on its justice delivery system across four key pillars - police, judiciary,
prisons and legal aid. Report ranked 18 large and mid-sized and seven small states.
2. Maharashtra topped list of 18 large / mid-sized states (population over 1 crore), followed by Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and
Haryana.
3. List of seven small states is topped by Goa, followed by Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh.
4. Country has about 18,200 judges with about 23 % sanctioned posts Lying vacant. Only Sikkim's High Court has judge
vacancy of below 20 %. 22 % posts are vacant in police and 33-38.5 % in prisons.
5. Women are poorly represented across Justice system as they account for 7 % of Police, 10 % of prison staff and 26.5 % of all
judges in high courts and subordinate courts.
2. As an awaited move to make export of Khadi, exclusively categorized from general league of textile products, ministry of
commerce and industries has allocated separate HS code for Khadi.
1. Earlier, Khadi did not have its exclusive HS code. As a result, data regarding export of this signature fabric used to come as a
normal fabric under textile head.
2. HS Stands for Harmonized System it is a six digit identification code, developed by WCO (World Customs Organization).
Custom officers use HS Code to clear every commodity that enters or crosses any international border.
3. As first such initiative, Punjab Government launched a unique Job Helpline for the unemployed job seekers of the state, as part
of ‘Ghar Ghar Rozgar’ programme.
1. India's unemployment rate rose to 3 year high of 8.48 % in October 2019, as per data by Centre for Monitoring Indian
Economy (CMIE). Uunemployment rate is highest since August 2016 (9.59 %).
4. As part of Government’s ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ initiative, Odisha is tagged with Maharashtra to organize different
programmes to promote art, culture and tourism of their respective states. It will strengthen ties between two states.
5. Cabinet Approvals (Nov 06, 2019) -
1. MOUs -
1. Paraguay - Tourism
2. Brazil - Health & Medicine. Also approved protocol amending Convention between India and Brazil for the avoidance
of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.
3. Switzerland - Technical Cooperation in Climate Change and Environment.
4. Guinea - Renewable Energy.
5. Maldives - Training and Capacity-Building Programme for Maldivian Judicial Officers in India.
6. Approved MoUs signed between India and German Agency in field of Occupational Diseases, Re-habilitation and
vocational training.
7. Approved MoU with Bangladesh on withdrawal of 1.82 cusec of water from Feni River by India, for drinking water
supply scheme for Sabroom town in Tripura.
1. Approved Cadre Review of Posts & Telegraphs Building Works Service, Group ‘A’. Number of Duty posts was fixed as
105. This would strengthen the cadre structure. This will reduce the existing stagnation of P&T BWS officers. There will
be no fresh recruitment into the Cadre.
1. Posts & Telegraphs Building Works Service (P&T BWS), Group A, was constituted in 1990 and comprises 3 wings
- Civil, Electrical and Architecture. It caters to Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Department of
Posts (DoP).
2. Formation of BSNL had affected the functions as well as cadre strength of the service with absorption of various
officers in BSNL.
2. Approved establishment of Rs 25,000 crore fund for home buyers whose money is stuck in stalled projects. There are
over 1600 such projects comprising of 4.58 lakh housing units across country.
1. 10000 crores will be provided by Government. Other firms like LIC and SBI along with sovereign wealth funds
and pension funds will contribute Rs 15,000 crores.
2. Fund is to be set up as Category II Alternate Investment Fund, to be registered with SEBI as an escrow account.
3. In September 2019, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced that a special window for affordable
and middle-income housing will be created. This will provide last mile funding for stressed housing projects.

6. Chhattisgarh Govt on State Formation day on Nov 01, launched new industrial policy of state for 2019-2024, titled 'Gadhbo Nava
Chhattisgarh -
1. It aims at encouraging food and horticulture processing sectors along with industries based on new technologies such as
robotics and artificial intelligence.
2. Chhattisgarh came into existence on November 1, 2000, after a bifurcation of Madhya Pradesh.
7. Council of Scientific Industrial Research (CSIR)’s National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) launched
IndAIR (Indian Air quality studies Interactive Repository), as India’s first interactive online repository to make air quality research
available to everyone. This includes all major legislation in the country dating back to 1905.
8. Directorate General of Training (DGT) launched Skill sBuild platform in collaboration with IBM. As part of this, a two-year
advanced diploma in IT, networking and cloud computing, co-created and designed by IBM, will be offered at Industrial Training
Institutes (ITIs) & National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs).
1. The platform will be extended to train ITI & NSTI faculty on building skills in Artificial Intelligence (AI).
2. The digital platform will provide a personal assessment of the cognitive capabilities and personality via MyInnerGenius to
the students.
9. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India released draft regulations Titled food Safety and Standards (Safe Food and
Healthy Diets for School Children) Regulations, 2019.
1. It Proposes complete ban on sale of soft drinks, potato wafers and other junk foods within 50 meters of school campus. Also
the advertisements of these junk foods were banned.
10. General Conferences (Nov 1 - 10, 2019) -
1. India's Ministry of Tourism participated in World Travel Market (WTM) in London (UK), led by Secretary of Union Ministry
of Tourism Shri Yogendra Tripathi.
2. International Conference on Soil and Water Resources Management for Climate Smart Agriculture and Global Food and
Livelihood Security held in New Delhi.
3. 9th edition of Bangladesh-India Friendship Dialogue held at Cox Bazar in Bangladesh.
4. Himachal Pradesh government Held Rising Himachal Global Investors’ Meet 2019 in Dharamshala. Bollywood actress Yami
Gautam had been appointed as brand ambassador for the meet.
5. Inaugural conclave on “National Capital Region -2041” Held in New Delhi, organized by the National Capital Region
Planning Board (NCRPB). with theme Planning for Tomorrow’s Greatest Capital Region.
6. 7th India-US Economic and Financial partnership dialogue held in New Delhi. It was attended by Steven Mnuchin, U.S.
Secretary of the Treasury.
7. ShaalaDarpan porta E-Governance school automation and management system for NavodayaVidyalayaSamiti (NVS) has
been launched.
8. Indian Railways installed two ‘Health ATMs’ at the Charbagh railway station in Lucknow, promoted by YOLO Health ATM. It
provides 16 health check-ups for Rs 50-100.
9. National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) organized ‘Ganga Utsav’ in New Delhi to mark the 11th anniversary of Ganga
being declared as national river.
10. First ever containerised cargo movement via Indo-Bangladesh protocol route and Brahmaputra river sailed from West
Bengal's Haldia, towards Pandu in Assam's Guwahati.
11. Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu unveiled ‘Red Atlas Action Plan Map’ atlas and the ‘Coastal Flood Warning System App
(CFLOWS-Chennai)’ for flood mitigation in Chennai.
12. India’s first-ever Arts Exposition for Artists blessed with Down Syndrome, Autism, Mental Retardation, Seizure Disorder and
Dyslexia Held in New Delhi, titled "eCAPA 2019 - Art from the Heart".
13. Kerala Govt. organized 3rd edition of Global Ayurveda Summit 2019 in Kochi.
14. 21st North East Book Fair held in Guwahati, Assam.
15. Bihar Government banned vehicles older than 15 years to tackle increasing air pollution in state.
16. Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) introduced its nanotechnology-based product range by introducing
Nano Nitrogen, Nano Zinc, Nano Copper for on-field trials in Gujarat.
17. Defense Research Development Organization (DRDO) Igniter Complex has been inaugurated at High Energy Materials
Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune. It will design, process, evaluate ignition systems for any kind of DRDO projects.
18. 2nd ‘No Money for Terror’ 2019 conference held in Melbourne (Australia). Minister of State for Home Affairs, G.Kishan
Reddy attended te meet on India's Behalf. India will host next ‘No Money For Terror’ Conference in 2020.

19. 10th Asian Conference of Emergency Medicine held in New Delhi.

11. Government issued New Map of Country, updated after formation of 2 New UTs - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
1. UT of Ladakh consists of two districts of Kargil and Leh. The rest of former State of Jammu and Kashmir is in new UT of
Jammu and Kashmir.
2. In 1947, Jammu and Kashmir had 14 districts, which increased to 28 districts by 2019.
3. The new Map Shows Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) as territory of UT of J & K and Gilgit - Baltistan as Terriroty of UT of
Ladakh. POK and Gilgit - Baltistan are both illegally captured by Pakistan.
4. Aksai Chin, a large 37244 SqKM Area has been shown as part of UT of Ladakh. It was captured by China 1962.
5. The New map of Both UTs -

12. Govt announced 300 % hike of ex-gratia payment for fatal coal mines accidents, increasing amount to 15 lakh from 5 lakhs.
13. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi is collaborating with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to set up a space
technology cell, to carry out focused research projects in space technology domain with specific deliverables.
14. India’s first-ever global Mega-Science exhibition, ‘Vigyan Samagam’, began at Science City in Kolkata, Bringing world’s major
Mega Science projects together.
1. Vigyan Samagam will be in Kolkata till December 31, 2019.
2. After Kolkata, Vigyan Samagam will commence its final leg in New Delhi. It will be put up at the National Science Centre
from 21st January, 2020 and will close on 20th March, 2020.
3. Thereafter it will remain as a permanent exhibition at New Delhi and will be taken care-off by NCSM.
15. Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) held title for world’s most polluted city in latest edition of Guinness World Records 2020, released
annually by publisher Penguin Random House. This year, about 80 record breaking achievements by Indians made it to the book.
16. Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) declined by eight points in one year as per the bulletin on MMR released by Registrar General
of India.
1. MMR declined from 130 per lakh live births in 2014-16 to 122 per lakh live births in 2015-17.
17. Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled two new IT initiatives – ICEDASH and ATITHI –
1. ICEDASH is an Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) monitoring dashboard of the Indian Customs helping public see the daily
Customs clearance times of import cargo at various ports and airports.
2. With ATITHI, CBIC has introduced an easy to use mobile app for international travelers to file the Customs declaration in
advance. Passengers can use this app to file declaration of dutiable items and currency with the Indian Customs even before
boarding flight to India.
18. Ministry of Culture restructured Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) Society -
1. PM Narendra Modi is the new chairman of the society, with Defense Minister Rajnath Singh as Vice-Chairman.
2. Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Jairam Ramesh and Karan Singh have been removed from the society.

3. Total strength of NMML has been trimmed from 34 to 28, with induction of 14 new names.
19. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will launc Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 2.0 in December 2019, To achieve
target of full immunization.
1. So far, Mission Indradhanush and related programmes have successfully reached out to and vaccinated 3.39 crore children
and 87.2 Lakh pregnant women.
20. Ministry of Steel issued Steel Scrap Recycling Policy -
1. Steel is most conducive for circular economy as it can be used, reused and recycled infinitely. While iron ore remains primary
source of steel making, used steel in form of Scrap is secondary raw material for steel industry.
2. New steel scrap recycling policy aims to increase domestic steel scrap production by 7 Millon Tonnes, which will eliminate
need to import 7 MT of steel scrap annually, which costs around 24500 crores INR. Current domestic supply of scrap is 25
MT.
3. National Steel Policy 2017 (NSP-2017) aims to create 300 Million TPA Steel production capacity by 2030, with contribution
of 35-40% from EAF/IF route.
1. Scrap is main raw material for secondary sector but primary sector also uses Scrap in charge mix of BOF steel to tune of
15%. Demand of steel scrap has increased considerably in the past globally from 367 mt in 2000 to 589 mt in 2017..
2. When production of steel rises to 250 MT, as envisaged in National Steel Policy, then requirement of scrap shall rise to
70-80 MT.
4. This shall also contribute in adopting principle of 6Rs - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover, Redesign and Remanufacture.
5. Scrap recyclig policy proposes creating suitable infrastructure for increasing scrap production and has potential to create 3
lakh jobs by 2030.
21. Ministry of Women and Child Development will set up anti-human trafficking units in all districts with help of Nirbhaya Fund.
Women help desks will also be set up in all police stations across country using Nirbhaya Fund. Nirbhaya Fund was announced in
2013 to support initiatives towards safety of women, with corpus of 1000 Crores INR.
22. Nagpur will have India’s first four-level transit intersection on a stretch of Nagpur Metro, with proposal to build a flyover
between railway track and metro has been cleared by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). It will have cost of 573 crores.
23. Odisha government partnered with organisation co-founded by Nobel laureates - Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, to maximise
the impact of anti-poverty programmes across a wide range of sectors in state. It is part of state govt's 5Ts initiative (Teamwork,
Technology, Transparency, Time leading to Transformation).
24. Odisha government signed agreements with Tata Strive and Tech Mahindra to add new dimensions in skilling and employability
of youth. It is aimed at imparting life skills to students of all 49 government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in state.
25. President Ram Nath Kovind has gave his assent to 'Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organized Crime Bill', which has been
controversial due to stricter rules -
1. Investigating agencies can record phone calls and present them in court as evidence. There is a provision for 5 years of jail or
life imprisonment in cases of involvement or planning any of wide range of crimes included in Law.
2. Controversial aspects -
1. Provision of recording phone calls by investigating agencies and presenting it to court as evidence is an infringement of
the fundamental right of privacy, as per Article 21.
2. The provision of presenting statement taken from the accused in police custody as evidence is a violation of the
fundamental rights of the accused, as per Article 20.
3. A person accused of any crime cannot be compelled to be a witness against himself under, as per Article 20 (3).
26. Punjab Cabinet passed a resolution to institute Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Award for Promotion of Peace and Interfaith
Understanding, in commemoration of 550th Prakash Purb of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. It would carry a citation and a cash prize of
11 lakh rupees.
27. Railways launched 3 applications to strengthen its IT-enabled services which will help ensure proper monitoring of projects.
Applications are - namely CRS Sanction Management System, Rail-road crossing GAD approval system and TMS for construction
aim.
28. Special Protection Group (SPG) security cover provided to Gandhi family members has been withdrawn. Gandhi family will now
be provided with Z plus security cover, to be protected by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
29. Supreme Court Bench Headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi delivered crucial verdict on Ram Janmabhoomi Babri Masjid land
dispute case -
1. Hindus get disputed Ayodhya Land to build Ram Mandir and Muslims get alternate land of 5 acres to build the mosque.

2. Verdict came after 9 years of Allahabad High Court Judgement, wherein, it divided land among three parties - Ram Lalla,
Sunni Waqf Board and Nirmohi Akhara.
3. Supreme Court scrapped the high court ruling by giving complete disputed land to Hindus and rejecting claim of Waqf Board
and Nirmohi akhara.
4. Judgement has been primarily made on the basis of observations made by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which
depicts that Babri Masjid was not built on vacant land and this land was not of Islamic origin.
5. Government has to frame Temple formation trust within 3 months.
6. Ayodhya Verdict is Unanimous and all 5 judges are in favour.
7. Timeline of Ayodhya Land Dispute -
1. 1885 - First Suit filed by Mahanth Raghubar Das to construct Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
2. 1949 - Idols of Lord Ram found in side Babri Masjid.
3. 5 other suits were filed both by Hindu and Muslim religious organizations, Between 1950 and 1990.
4. 1992 - Babri Masjid was demolished by dozens of right-wing activists.
5. 2010 - Allahabad High Court pronounced a judgement that divided disputed land among Nirmohi Akhara, Sunni Waqf
Board and Ram Lalla.
30. Union Minister of State (IC) for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik inaugurated National Research Institute of Unani Medicine for Skin
Disorders (NRIUMSD), upgraded from Central Research Institute of Unani Medicine (CRIUM) at Hyderabad.
31. University of Michigan (US) will expand genetic testing in India in partnership with AIIMS Delhi and Kasturba Medical College
in Manipal. A 2.3 million US dollar grant from the National Institute of Health over five years will help the University of Michigan
and Indian geneticists identify and confirm genetic changes that are basis of developmental disorders.
32. Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Bulbul-Matmo struck Vietnam and Indian states of West Bengal and Bangladesh, bringing storm
surge, heavy rains, and flash floods.
33. Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Maha affetcted States of Gujarat and Maharashtra.
34. Wastelands Atlas 2019 estimated spatial extent of wastelands in India to tune of 55.76 million hectares or 16.96 % of
geographical area, for year 2015-16. This is less as compared to 56.60 million hectares (17.21 % ) in 2008-09. Unprecedented
pressure on land beyond its carrying capacity is resulting in degradation of lands in country.
Top
Persons
1. Swedish Climate activist Greta Thunberg Greta rejected an environmental prize worth 500000 Swedish kronor (£40,000). She
was declared winner of Nordic Council’s environmental award for 2019.
1. Nordic Council was formed in 1952. It has 87 representatives from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden as well
as from autonomous areas of Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland Islands.
2. Visits From India (Nov 1 - 10, 2019) -
1. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Russia to attend India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and
Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) in Moscow.
1. India and Russia will hold 11th edition of bilateral military exercise Indra-2019 in December 2019.
2. PM Narendra Modi Visited Thailand to attend 35th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits Held in Bangkok -
1. ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is a 10 member Grouping. Members are Brunei, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam. 2019 Theme is Advancing
Partnership for sustainability.
2. PM Narendra Modi Visited Thailand to attend 16th ASEAN-India Summit, 14th East Asia Summit and RCEP (Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership) Meetings.
3. India has decided not to join Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement over India's concerns
not being addressed in the deal. PM Modi stated that present form of RCEP Agreement does not fully reflect basic spirt
and agreed guiding principles of RCEP. In such a situation, it is not possible for India to join RCEP Agreement.
4. PM Modi attended Sawasdee PM Modi event in Bangkok. He also released a commemorative coin marking 550th birth
anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and also released Thai translation of Tamil classic Tirukkural.
3. Visits to India (Nov 1 - 10, 2019) -
1. Damien O’ Connor, Agriculture Minister of New Zealand visited India.
2. German Chancellor Angela Merkel Visited India -
1. She Attended 5th Indo-German Inter-Governmental Consultations in New Delhi.

2. 8th meeting of the Indo – German Energy Forum also held in New Delhi.
3. 7 Joint Intent of Declaration and 17 MOUs signed during the visit -
1. Implementing Arrangement for Exchange of Personnel between ISRO and German Aerospace Centre.
2. JDI on Cooperation in Civil Aviation, International Smart Cities Network Skills Development and Vocational
Education and Training, Start-ups, Establishment of Bilateral Cooperation Project regarding Agricultural Market
Development.
3. JDI between Siemens India and MSDE and German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development on
Skills for Sustainable Growth
4. Statement of Intent on key elements of Indo-German Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement.
5. MoU in -
1. Occupational Diseases, Re-habilitation and vocational training of Insured Persons & workers with
disabilities,
2. Inland, Coastal and Maritime Technology.
3. Establishment of an Academic Collaboration in Ayurveda, Yoga and Meditation.
4. MoU between National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management MANAGE and the German
Agricultural Academy DEULA in city of Nienburg on collaboration in agricultural technical and professional
training.
5. MOU between All India Football Federation (AIFF) and DeutscherFußball-Bund e.V (DFB).
6. GermanY will spend 1 billion euros ($1.12 billion) on green urban mobility projects conceived under new
German-Indian partnership.
3. Vladimir I Zemskov, Deputy Chief of Russian Naval Staff Visited India for 4th Indian - Russia Navy (RuFN) Staff Talks in
New Delhi.
Top
Science
1. A new frog species named Polypedates bengalensis has been found in West Bengal, also known as Brown Blotched Bengal Tree
Frog.
2. Chandrayaan 2 detected Argon 40 in lunar Exosphere. Argon 40 is one of the isotopes of noble gas Argon, and is an important
constituent of lunar exosphere.
1. It originates from the radioactive disintegration of Potassium-40 beneath the moon’s surface, is released during moon
quakes.
2. CHACE-2 (Chandra’s Atomspheric Composition Explorer 2) payload in Chandrayaan 2 orbiter is a neutral mass
spectrometer, has detected Argon 40.
3. Potassium 40 is a radioactive isotope of Potassium. It has a long shelf life of 1.25×109 years. It is a rare example of an isotope
that undergoes beta decay.
3. Dhruv Prajapati, A researcher at Gujarat Ecological Education and Research (GEER) Foundation named a newly discovered
spider species after Noted Cricketer Sacin Tendulkar. It is named Marengo sachintendulkar and Another one is named after saaint
Kuriakose Elias Chavara who was a crusader in creating awareness about education in Kerala.
4. IIT Madras launched India’s first indigenously designed standing wheelchair, in collaboration with Phoenix Medical Systems. It
enables a differently-abled person requiring a wheelchair to shift from sitting to standing position, independently and in a
controlled manner.
5. Researchers at medical-device and health care giant Abbott discovered a new strain of human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV—
the first to be identified in 19 years. The new strain, called HIV-1 group M subtype L, is extremely rare.
Top
Sports
1. 2019 Fuzhou China Open Badminton Title -
2. Women's Singles - Chen Yufei (China)

4. Women's Doubles - Japan's Yuki Fukushima AND Sayaka Hirota
5. Mixed Doubles - China's Wang Yilü AND Huang Dongping
6. India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won bronze at the event.
2. 2019 Paris Masters Men's Tennis -
1. Singles - Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
2. Doubles - France's Pierre-Hugues Herbert AND Nicolas Mahut
3. 2019 Rugby World Cup (9th Editon), Hosted by Japan -
1. 20 Nations Participated in the Event.
2. South Africa won the title, defeating England in The final. New Zealand were ranked 3rd.
3. It was 3rd Rugby world cup title for South Africa.
4. 3rd Under 23 World Wrestling Champinships 2019 Held in Budapest (Hungary) -
1. Champions - Russia (Freestyle), Iran (Greco-Roman), Japan (Women)
2. Medal Table -

1 Japan 8 4 4 16
2 Iran 6 1 5 12
3 Russia 3 5 7 15
4 Georgia 2 4 2 8
5 China 2 2 1 5
3. With 2 Silver Medals, India was ranked 14th.

1. Ravinder won silver in 61 Kg Men's Freesyle and Pooja Gehlot won silver in women's freestyle 53 KG event.
4. 4th edition of U23 world wrestling championships will be held in Tampere (Finland).
5. India's Lakshya Sen has won SaarLorLux Open badminton tournament at Saarbrücken in Germany, defeating Sen Weng Hong
Yang of China.
6. India's Maisnam Meiraba Luwang won boys' singles U-19 title at Korea Junior Open Badminton International Challenge 2019 in
Miryang. Sathish Kumar Karunakaran claimed bronze in same category.
7. International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced that India will host 2023 Men's Hockey World Cup in January 2023. Also,
Spain and the Netherlands have been named as co-hosts of 2022 Women's World Cup.
8. Mercedes' Finnish Racer Valtteri Bottas won US Grand Prix 2019 -
1. With this, Lewis Hamilton (UK) won his 6th F1 world championship, only behind Michael Schumacher in all time list.
1.


19 United States Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 3 November
Top
Read Important Ones

Month All Type All
Appointments
1. Arsène Wenger (France) has been appointed by Football Governing Body FIFA as new Chief of Global Football Development.
2. Delhi HC Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal has been appointed as a Judicial Member in Competition Commission of India, for 5
years.
3. Former Competition Commission of India chairman Sudhir Mital and Shantikumar Singh are elected as president and general
secretary respectively, of Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI).
4. Gotabaya Rajapaksa won Sri Lankan presidential elections. He will be New president of Sri lanka, Relacing Maithripala Sirisena.
5. Indian Philanthropist and Businesswoman Nita Ambani has been named Honorary Trustee of New York City’s The Metropolitan
Museum of Art, the largest U.S. art museum. She is first Indian Trustee in 150 year old museum, that draws millions of visitors
annually to see art spanning 5,000 years from around world.
6. India’s Sarita Devi has been elected among 5 members of AIBA (International Boxing Association) Athletes Commission.
7. Jeanine Áñez Chávez declared herself interim President of Bolivia after recent resignation of Evo Morales as President of Bolivia.
8. Justice Ravi Ranjan has been appointed as Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court.
9. Mohammad Imran has been appointed as new High Commissioner (Ambassador) of Bangladesh to India.
10. Muhammad Raffiq has been apppointed as New Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court.
11. Nilam Sawhney has been appointed as Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh, becoming first woman Chief Secretary of Andhra
Pradesh.
Top
Awards
1. Actors Sridevi and Rekha have been conferred with Akkineni Nageswara Rao National Award for 2018 and 2019 respectively,
instituted by Akkineni International Foundation to honor those who have made a lasting impact on Indian cinema.
2. American-Italian actor Robert De Niro has been named winner of SAG-AFTRA's highest honor: the SAG Life Achievement
Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment. It given annually to actor who fosters "finest ideals of the acting
profession."
3. Asia Society announced 2019 Asia Game Changers awards. 2019 marks first time that all of the honorees are women. Winners
are -
1. Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE) - President of Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF)
2. Sana Mir (Pakistani Cricketer)
3. Faiza Saeed (American Businesswoman)
4. Chhaya Sharma - Indian IPS officer Who Led Nirbhaya Murder Case
5. Jane Jie Sun (Chinese businesswoman)
6. Kung Fu Nuns - For empowering young girls and dismantling gender stereotypes
4. Croatia Footballer Luka Modric has been awarded 2019 Golden Foot award, given to players who stand out for their athletic
achievements. The award is only given to active players of at least 28 years of age, and can only be won once.
file:///E:/LinkingSky/government-exams/Preparation/Current-Affairs/Quizzes/partial_pdfs/Current Affairs - December 1 - 10, 2017.html 1/17

1. Out of 10 Nominees, winner is selected by an online public poll. Winner leaves a permanent mould of his footprints on "The
Champions Promenade", on seafront of the Principality of Monaco.
5. Indian movie Bhonsle won awards at Asian Film Festival Barcelona (Spain). It won 2 awards in ‘Best Screenplay’ and ‘Best
Director’ categories at the festival. The film is directed by Devashish Makhija.
6. On the occasion of World Toilet Day (Nov 19), Govt conferred Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2019 awards to top ranked states /
UTs and districts in various categories. Ranking -
1. Top 3 States – Tamil Nadu, Haryana, 3) Gujarat
2. Top 3 Districts – Peddapalli (Telangana), Faridabad (Haryana), Rewari (Haryana)
3. State with maximum citizen participation – Uttar Pradesh
7. President Ram Nath Kovind awarded President’s Colour to Indian Naval Academy (INA). President’s Colour is the highest
honour that is bestowed upon a military unit. 2019 also marks 50th year of establishment of Naval Academy.
Top
Books
1. Book An Extreme Love of Coffee written by Harish Bhat has been released.
2. Book From Shanties to School written by Manimala Roy has been released. It explores literacy among migrant children after
1991 reforms.
3. Book Savarkar: Echoes from a Forgotten Past, 1883–1924 written by Rajya Sabha Member Vikram Sampath has been released.
4. Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu released a monograph, 'Musical Excellence of Mridangam', authored by mridangam maestro
and Padma Vibhushan awardee Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman and T. Ramasami and M.D. Naresh.
Top
Committees
1. Company Law Committee headed by Injeti Srinivas (Secretary in Ministry of Corporate Affairs) submitted its report to Ministry
of Corporate Affairs. It was tasked to decriminalise provisions of Companies Act 2013 and find other measures to provide further
Ease of Living for corporates. Committee proposed amendments in 46 penal provisions, so as to remove / reduce penalties.
2. Water Resources Ministry formed a committee to draft a new National Water Policy (NWP). It will be chaired by Mihir Shah, a
former Planning Commission member and a water expert.
Top
Days
1. Nov 12 is observed as World Pneumonia Day, marked in 2009. 2019 Theme is Healthy Lungs for all.
2. Nov 12, 2019 is observed as 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism Founder Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji, named as Prakash Parv.
1. Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born on the full moon day of Kartik month or Kartik Poornima in 1469.
2. On this occasion, Book The First Sikh: The Life and Legacy of Guru Nanak authored by Nikki-Guninder Kaur Singh has
been released.
3. Govt also launched 3 books on teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji - ‘Guru Nanak Bani’, ‘Nanak Bani’, and ‘Sakhian Guru Nanak
Dev’.
4. Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) organized three-day ‘Takhat Darshan Yatra’ for Sikh youths from various
countries.
5. As a first, Punjab and Haryana MLAs came together for a special assembly session in Chandigarh, to mark 550th birth
anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. MLAs from both states sat together for an assembly session for first time since 1966,
when Haryana was carved out of Punjab.
6. Shooting player Avneet Sidhu has been honoured with Guru Nanak Dev Ji Achievers Award.
3. Nov 13 is observed World Kindness Day, introduced in 1998 by World Kindness Movement, a coalition of nations' kindness
NGOs.
4. Nov 14 is observed as Children's Day in India. It commemorates Birth Anniversary of India's First Prime Minister Jawaharlal
Nehru.
1. On this occasion, Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) launched a mobile app called ‘Sishu
Suraksha’, an e-complaint box for child right violations. It will enable users from all over Assam to lodge complaints about

violation of child rights.

2. Also, West Bengal Govt. observed ‘Rosogolla Dibas’ on 14 November 2019 to mark granting of Geographical Indication (GoI)
tag of ‘Banglar Rosogolla’ or Bengal’s Rasgulla to the state on this day in 2017.
5. Nov 14 is observed as World Diabetes Day, with theme Family and Diabetes. It was proclaimed in in 1991.
6. Nov 15 is statehood day of Jharkhand. It was created on 15 November 2000, carved out of Bihar.
7. Nov 16 is observed as UN International Day of Tolerance.
1. In 1995, to mark UN Year for Tolerance and 125th anniversary of birth of M K Gandhi, UNESCO created a prize for
promotion of tolerance and non-violence, called UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-
Violence. It is awarded every 2 years on International Day for Tolerance, 16 November.
2. In 2018, Manon Barbeau (President and Founder of Wapikoni Mobile (Canada)), and Kenyan NGO Coexist Initiative were
laureates of UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence. Next award will be announced
in 2020.
3. Nov 16 is also observed as National Press Day in India.
4. Nov 16 is observed as World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.
8. Nov 17 is observed as National Epilepsy Day, a brain related disease.
9. Nov 19 is Birth Anniversary of Former (3rd) Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Her Birthday is observed as National Integration day
in India.
1. Earlier in 2019, Environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt was awarded Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for 2017
and 2018 for his services in promoting and preserving national integration in country.
2. David Attenborough, Noted British renowned naturalist, has been conferred with Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace,
Disarmament and Development 2019 for his efforts towards awakening humankind to need to preserve and protect planet’s
biodiversity.
3. Note that Indira Gandhi Birth anniversary (Nov 19) is observed as National Integration Day. While, Sardar Shri Vallabh Bhai
Patel's Birth Anniversary (Oct 31) is observed as National Unity Day (Observed since 2014).
10. Nov 19 is observed as International Men's Day, Being observed since 1992.
1. Nov 19 is also observed as Women's Entrepreneurship Day (WED), marked in 2014.
2. Nov 19 is also observed as World Toilet Day, marked by UN in 2013. 2019 Theme is Leaving No One Behind.
1. On the occasion of World Toilet Day, Govt conferred Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2019 awards to top ranked states /
UTs and districts in various categories. Ranking -
Top 3 States – Tamil Nadu, Haryana, 3) Gujarat
Top 3 Districts – Peddapalli (Telangana), Faridabad (Haryana), Rewari (Haryana)
State with maximum citizen participation – Uttar Pradesh
3. Nov 19 is also observed as World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse.
11. Nov 20 is observed as UN World Children's Day, established in 1954.
1. Nov 20 is also observed as Africa Industrialization Day. 2019 Theme is Positioning African Industry to Supply the AfCFTA
Market.
12. November 11 is celebrated as National Education Day in India, to commemorate birth anniversary of Maulana Abdul Azad, the
first Education Minister of India. He is accredited for establishment of several premier institutes of country. It is being celebrated
since 2008.
13. November 12 is observed as Public Service Broadcasting in India. It commemorates visit of M K Gandhi to studio of All India
Radio in Delhi in 1947.
14. November 18 is observed as Naturopathy Day, by Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH)
Ministry. It was first observed in 2018.
Top
Defence
1. DRDO successfully carried First night-time 'arrested landing' of naval variant of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas at a facility in
Goa.
1. DRDO also conducted its first night trial of AGNI II missile successfully, with strike range 2000 km. It can carry payload of
1,000 kg and launch a weight of 17 tonnes.

2. DRDO will increase range of ASTRA air-to-air missiles, under its Ballistic Missile Defence programme. Currently, ASTRA is
capable of engaging targets upto a distance of 110 km, planning to increase it to 160 km.
3. Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd delivered to Indian Coast Guard ICGS 'Amrit Kaur', the third in a series of five
'Fast Patrol Vessels' (FPV). Earlier in Nov 2019, GRSE had delivered ICGS 'Annie Besant' to Coast Guard.
Top
Economy
1. Competition Commission of India Approvals -
1. Approved merger of BNP Paribas (BNPP) Mutual Fund and Baroda (BOB) Mutual Fund. It proposes to amalgamate BOB
Asset Management Company (AMC) into BNPP AMC and BNPP Trustee Company (TC) into BOB TC.
2. Approved investment in Ecom Express Private Limited (Ecom) by CDC Group plc. CDC is a Development Finance
Institution, owned by DFID, UK Government, which provides capital to private sector entrepreneurs in developing countries.
3. Approved acquisition of shareholdings in Mumbai International Airport Limited by Adani Properties from Bid Services
Division (Mauritius) Limited and ACSA Global Limited. It relates to acquisition of 23.5 % equity stake of MIAL by APPL
from BSDA and ACSA.
4. Approved secondary acquisition in Delhivery Private Limited (DPL) by SVF Doorbell (Cayman) Ltd. (SVFD). After this,
SVFD will hold up approx 25.72% of DPL.
5. Approved acquisition of the ‘Plates & Coils Mill Division’ of Welspun Corp by Laptev Finance.
6. Approved acquisition of 4.94% shareholding in Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) by Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) and
acquisition of 0.24% shareholding in TMC by SMC. TMC and SMC are both Japan based.
7. Approved Amazon's proposed Rs 1,500 crore deal to acquire 49 % stake in Future Coupons Ltd (FCL), a Future Retail
promoter group company.
8. Approved acquisition of 37.40% stake and joint control of Adani Gas Limited by Total Holdings SAS. Total Holdings, is
parent company of the Total group entities worldwide.
9. Mitsubishi-Hitachi Metals Machinery will acquire Siemens’ 49 % stake in Primetals Technologies. Following closing, MHMM
will assume sole control of Primetals Technologies.
2. According to National Council of Applied Economic Research, Business Confidence of India dipped to lowest in six years. It fell
by 15% between the period July and October 2019.
3. According to data by Central electricity Authority (CEA), electricity demand fell by 13% in October 2019 as compared to October
2018, lowest in 12 years. Its mainly due to economic slowdown. India's Elecricity demad was 98 billion units in October 2019 as
against 112 billion units in October 2018.
4. Beijing Based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) approved investment of $575 million in suburban railways and
renewable energy sector. It will extend a long-term project loan to Mumbai Urban Transport Corporation for $500 while the rest
$75 million will be invested in Tata Cleantech Capital.
1. AIIB expects investment of 100 million USD in India in a year, in Wind and solar projects.
5. Government launched Bharatiya Poshan Krishi Kosh with aim of reducing malnutrition, launched by WCD Minister Smriti Irani
along with Bill Gates. It is a repository of diverse crops across 128 agro-climatic zones to help enable better nutritional outcomes.
1. Ministry of Women and Child Development has collaborated with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for this project.
6. Government removed price restriction on locally produced oil and natural gas, to increase investment in oil and gas sector.
1. As per New Exploration Licensing Policy, producers cannot charge gas from deep sea below government-prescribed ceiling.
Govt had fixed this ceiling at 8.43 USD per mmBTU. The ceiling is to be removed now.
2. Gas producers were critical about this low pricing that affected investment adversely. Though, prices seem increasing at
initial period, it will get reduced in long term as more investors compete.
3. Kelkar Panel had suggested to increase ceiling gradually and remove it completely to increase investment.
7. Government will merge 3 public Sector Insurance Companies as announced in budget 2019-20. The merger includes United
India Insurance Limited, National Insurance Co Limited and Oriental Insurance Company Limited.
1. Budget 2019-2020 did not make provision of funds for insurers and Department of Financial Services.
2. Therefore, government institutions in financial sector are forced to seek supplementary demands to fulfil their purposes.
Budget allocated Rs 12,000 crore for this.
3. General Insurance Companies have sought Rs 500 crore to Rs 3000 crore each to avoid falling below solvency ratio.
4. 3 companies that are to be merged are struggling to maintain minimum solvency ratio of 1.5, as mandated by IRDAI.
1. Solvency ratio is calculated by dividing company’s tax net operating income by its total debt obligation.
8. India signed a $91 million loan agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB) to modernize Vijayanagara Channel irrigation
systems and prepare river basin management plans in the Krishna river basin that will help improve irrigation water use efficiency
and contribute to improving sustainable water security in Karnataka.
9. Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) notified new rules known as Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Insolvency and Liquidation
Proceedings of Financial Service Providers and Application to Adjudicating Authority) Rules 2019.
1. It provides framework for insolvency and liquidation proceedings of systemically important Financial Service Providers
(FSPs) other than banks.
2. Rule is applicable to FSPs under section 227 of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code(IBC) for insolvency and liquidation
proceedings.
3. Now Non-Banking Financial Companies -NBFCs with assets worth at least Rs 500 crores can be taken for debt resolution
& liquidation proceedings under the provisions of the IBC 2016, by being referred to National Company Law Tribunal. It
might refer to troubled companies like DHFL (Dewan Housing Finance Limited) and Altico Capital.
10. NCDEX (National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange) launched return based agricultural futures index named NCDEX
AGRIDEX, in partnership with NSE Indices Limited. AGRIDEX tracks and replicates the performance of the ten most liquid
commodities traded on the NCDEX’s platform.
11. RBI withdrawn certain exemptions granted to housing finance companies (HFCs), putting them on a par with NBFCs -
1. HFCs are currently exempt from provisions of Chapter IIIB of RBI Act 1934. This exemption has been withdrawn now. RBI
can now order winding up of a HFC on being satisfied that it is unable to pay its debt.
2. RBI can now inspect any HFC to verify completeness of any statement furnished to RBI.
3. Another exemption taken away is with regard to maintenance of a reserve fund. Mortgage lenders will have to create a
reserve fund and transfer at least 20% of its net profit every year before any dividend is declared.
4. Also, Earlier, Finance Act 2019 had amended National Housing Bank Act 1987, conferring certain powers for regulation of
HFCs to RBI.
12. SBI Ecowrap report has cut GDP growth forecast to 5% for FY 2019-20 from earlier projection of 6%. Second quarter GDP
growth rate is likely to slip to 4.2%. Report predicts that growth rate will pick up pace in 2020-21 to 6.2%.
13. e-commerce Firm Amazon introduced ‘Project Zero’ in India, To block selling of counterfeit goods on its platform. It introduces
additional proactive mechanisms to identify, block and remove counterfeits.
Top
International
1. 2019 IMD World Talent Ranking released by International Institute for Management Development -
1. India Ranked 59th, slipping from last year's ranking of 53.
2. Top 5 - Switzerland (1st), Denmark (2nd), Sweden (3rd), Austria (4th), Luxembourg (5th). US Ranked 12th. Singapore
ranked 10th and best in Asia.
3. BRICS - Brazil (61), China (42nd), Russia (47th) and South Africa (50th).
2. 2019 Trace Bribery Risk Matrix report by TRACE International -
1. It is a global business bribery risk assessment tool that measures business bribery risk in 200 countries /territories.
2. Top 5 Risky - Somalia, South Sudan, North Korea, Yemen and Venezuela.
3. Lowest Bribery Risk - New Zealand, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland.
4. India ranked 78th, better than China. Other countries with same score as India (48) - Azerbaijan, Ghana, Bahamas, Panama,
Samoa and Thailand.
5. Bangladesh is highest risk country in terms of bribery in South Asia, ranked 178.
3. As per 2019 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange report -
1. India remained largest source of foreign students to the US for the 10th consecutive year, sending approx 2 lakh students to
US annually. Total number of international students in US are over 1 Million.
4. Assam Govt signed MoU with Malaysia India Business Council (MIBC) to improve two-way trade and investment between India
and Malaysia.
5. Brown to Green Report by Climate ransparency -
1. It analyzes climate actions taken by G20 Nations, based on 80 Indicators.
2. Report states that 80 % of Global Greenhouse Gas emissions are from G20 Nations.
3. Extreme weather events led to around 16,000 deaths and economic losses of $142 billion in G20 nations on average every
year during 1998-2017.
4. Among G20, India is only nation close to 1.5 Degree Celsius Temperature rise Target, which shows good efforts put in by
India.
1. Target is to contain Temperature rise by 2030 limited to under 1.5 Degree celsius.
2. However, India reported maximum deaths among G20 Nations due to extreme weather events, while US reported
maximum economic losses among all nations in G20.
5. India is currently investing most in renewable energy while Brazil and Germany are only G20 countries with long-term
renewable strategies. Brazil leads with 82.5% renewables, while Saudi Arabia, South Korea and South Africa lag behind with
shares of only 0-5%.
6. Coal is to be phased out in OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Nations by 2030 and globally
by 2040.
6. European Investment Bank announced to stop funding fossil fuel (oil and coal) projects by end of 2021.
1. Since 2013, European Union through EIB has funded 13.4 billion Euros for fossil fuel projects.
2. EIB’s new policy demands that the energy projects applying for funding must prove that they can produce 1 Kilo watt hour of
energy emitting less than 250 grams of carbon dioxide. New rules are not applicable to gas-based energy projects.
3. EU aims to become first carbon-neutral continent by 2050.
7. India granted visa-on-arrival facility to the citizens of United Arab Emirates (UAE), to enhance people to people contacts and
trade relations. This facility for UAE nationals will be available for a period of up to 60 days with double entry for tourism,
business, medical purposes and conference.
1. Japan and South Korea are other two countries whose citizens are offered visa-on-arrival facility by India.
2. India has announced a set of new exemptions for foreigners seeking medical treatment in India. Under new visa exemptions,
foreigners seeking medical treatment in India will not have to get their primary visa converted in a medical visa, applicable
for foreigners obtaining indoor treatment up to 180 days. However, diseases requiring organ transplant shall be permitted
only on a Medical Visa.
8. India started a USD 43 million project to boost climate resilience in three coastal states in partnership with United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP). Project is funded by Green Climate Fund, established within United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to assist developing countries.
1. 6 year project will build climate-resilient livelihoods for 1.7 million people in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha and
will offset 3.5 million tonnes of carbon in 30 years.
2. It will also restore 15,000 hectares of coral reefs, mangroves, salt marshes and sea marshes.
9. Industry body FICCI signed MOU with Singapore Fintech Association (SFA) to boost cooperation for development of financial
technology industry in India. MoU was signed during the Fourth edition of Singapore Fintech Festival.
1. During the 4th Singapore Fintech Festival, a global pilot demo of BHIM UPI QR-based payments was done, As a first step
towards BHIM UPI internationalization. This is first time that BHIM app has gone international.
10. Iran discovered a new oilfield with 53 billion barrels of crude oil in Khuzestan province. New oil field is 2400 square kilometres
(925 square miles), with deposit some 80 metres (260 feet) deep. It could also become Iran’s second-largest field after one in
Ahvaz containing 65 billion barrels.
1. Iran currently has about proven crude oil reserves of 155.6 billion barrels and this new oil filed discovery would add about
34% to its total reserves.
11. Lancet Countdown Report 2019 highlights -
1. If global warming is not controlled, world will become 4 degree hotter in 71 years. It will cause severe health issues to people
of all ages.
2. Agriculture related -
1. Average production of major crops like maize and rice has been declined in India by 2 % since 1960s.
2. Production of four key crops, wheat, maize, rice and soyabean has been declined globally by 6%, 7.4%, 3.2% and 3.1%
respectively.
3. Agricultural losses due to rise in temperature will further increase if concrete steps will not be taken.
3. Pollution related -
1. Dangerous level of outdoor fine particulate air pollution (PM 2.5) was the reason of over 5 Lakh premature deaths in
India in 2016.

2. In India, coal contributed to over 97,400 deaths while coal based energy supply increased 11% in India.
12. Microsoft's India-Origin CEO Satya Nadella topped Fortune's Businessperson of Year 2019 list.
1. Others in top 5 - Elizabeth Ganes (Fortescue Metals), Brian Niccol (Chipotle Mexican Grill), Margaret Keane (Synchrony
Financial), Bjorn Gulden (Puma)
2. List also Includes India's Ajay Banga (Mastercard) and Jayshree Ullal (Arista)
13. New Zealand tightened foreign investment rules in strategic assets. Foreign investors hoping to buy strategic assets will now have
to convince government that it is in the national interest, giving government the power to reject overseas investments in sensitive
areas.
14. Pakistan became first country to introduce World Health Organization (WHO) recommended typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV)
into its routine immunization program. It is the first typhoid vaccine that can be given to children as young as 6 months of age and
confers longer term protection against typhoid. Pakistan is suffering amid ongoing outbreak of a drug-resistant strain of typhoid.
15. Pakistan will Amend Its Army Act, to Allow Kulbhushan Jadhav to Appeal in Civilian Court as Per International Court of Justice
Ruling. Pakistan’s Army Act bars individuals being tried in military courts from appealing in civilian courts. However a special
amendment will be made for Kulbhushan Jadhav.
1. Kulbhushan Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court under on charges of espionage and terrorism.
International Court of Justice has put a stay on the death sentence in its ruling in July 2019.
16. Paris based International Energy Agency recently released its report on World Energy Outlook.
1. It projected that installed solar power in world will increase by 3142 GW by 2040. Currently, world uses 495 GW of installed
solar power.
2. Oil demand will slow down after 2025 and world will transit towards electric vehicles. Energy demand in world is growing at
2% per year.
3. 3 climate scenarios projected by report for future -
1. Current Policy Scenario - World will continue to function with old regulations with energy demand rising at 1.3% yearly
by 2040.
2. New Policy Scenario - energy demand will increase by 1% per year.
3. Sustainable Policy Scenario is most ambitious of all the scenarios. Under this, global temperature rise is to be
contained within 1.5 degree Celsius by 2030.
17. Suranga Bawadi in Bijapur, Karnataka has been included in World Monument Watch List for 2020, under category of “Ancient
Water System of Deccan Plateau”, by New York-based NGO World Monuments Fund. Suranga Bawadi was selected along with 24
monuments globally.
1. It is one of integral parts of ancient Karez system of supplying water through subterranean tunnels. It is now set to get
funding for restoration. It was built in 16th century of Adil Shahi-I in Vijayapura.
18. US Space Agency NASA showcased an early version of its first all-electric experimental aircraft, the X-57 "Maxwell", Adapted
from a Italian-made Tecnam P2006T twin-engine propeller plane.
19. United Nation Children's Fund (UNICEF) released report on pneumonia disease -
1. Over 8 lakh children died due to pneumonia in world in 2018. India was second after African country Nigeria in the death of
children below five years of age from this disease. It killed 1,27,000 children in India last year.
2. Pneumonia is cause of 15 % of total cases of deaths among children under five years of age.
3. India's Ministry for Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) launched SAANS: ‘Social Awareness and Action to Neutralise
Pneumonia Successfully’ campaign to reduce child mortality due to pneumonia.
20. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) released a booklet named ‘From Uttapam to Sprouted Dal Parantha’ based on
findings of the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey 2016-18.
1. It stated that 35% of children under five are stunted, 17% are wasted and 33% are underweight.
2. It suggests that there are various nutritious food options that cost less than Rs. 20 to tackle obesity, underweight and
anaemia.
21. World Bank submitted a master plan to develop logistics infrastructure of Kolkata metropolitan area, aiming to invest 300
million USD. Entities participating in deal are CII and West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation.
22. World Trade Organization rejected several claims of India against US on steel duties. India had earlier complained in WTO that
US States is breaching international trade rules in 14 areas.
1. In 2012, India filed first complaint against US at the WTO, for US imposing tariffs on nearly 300% imports that included
steel, carbon-quality steel, etc.

2. Later in 2014, WTO ruled that duties imposed by US were a breach of global trade rules. When US failed to comply the
ruling, India took it to the WTO again. WTO had set a Dispute Settlement Body to sort out the issue.
3. The Body has now rejected several charges filed by India against US duties.
Top
Meetings
1. 2nd edition of South Asia Safety Summit held in New Delhi, orgnaised by Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) and
Facebook.
2. 6th tri-annual World Congress on Rural and Agricultural Finance (WCRAF) held in New Delhi. Theme is Critical Input to
achieve Inclusive and Sustainable Development.
3. 6th World Congress on Rural and Agriculture Finance jointly organised by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
(NABARD) and Asia - Pacific Rural Agricultural and Credit Association (APRACA) in New Delhi.
4. 8th International Conference on Agricultural Statistics (ICAS-VIII) held in New Delhi. India is hosting this conference for first
time, with theme Statistics for Transformation of Agriculture to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Microsoft
co-founder Bill Gates is Chief Guest of the conference.
5. During 14th East Asia Summit in Bangkok (Thailand), Indian PM Narendra Modi had poposed Info-Pacific Initiative for a safe
and secure maritime. To take this forward, India will organize a Indo-Pacific Conclave in Chennai in 2020.
6. India hosted World Customs Organization (WCO) Asia Pacific Regional Contact Points (RCP) meet in Puducherry, held for
fourth time in India.
7. India-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Business Summit 2019 Held in New Delhi, with theme Today,
Tomorrow, Together.
8. International Union for Conservation of Nature organized 7th Regional Conservation Forum in Islamabad (Pakistan). Secretary
of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (C K Mishra) visited on India's Behalf.
9. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Visited Brazil for attending 11th BRICS summit Helcd in Brasília (Brazil). 2019 Theme is
Economic Growth for an Innovative Future.
1. PM Modi proposed holding first meeting of BRICS Water Ministers in India.
2. During 11th BRICS Meet, 9th BRICS Trade Ministers Meet was also held in Brasilia, attended by Minister of Commerce and
Industry Piyush Goyal.
3. Earlier, India’s Ravi Prakash won BRICS-Young Innovator Prize at 4th BRICS -Young Scientist Forum Conclave held in
Brazil. He won first prize carrying $25,000 for inventing an affordable indigenous milk chilling unit for smaller and marginal
rural dairy farmers.
4. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro accepted PM Narendra Modi’s invitation to be Chief Guest at India’s Republic Day
celebrations in 26 January 2020.
5. BRICS Grouping comprises of 5 major economies namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The member
countries of BRICS grouping hold 42% of world’s population, 17% of world trade and 23% of world GDP.
10. Thailand hosted 6th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM)- Plus in Bangkok. ASEAN and its 8 partner - India, China,
Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Russia and US attended the meet. India was represented by Defence Minister
Rajnath Singh.
Top
National
1. Misc. Supreme Court Rulings -
1. Supreme Court held that office of the Chief Justice of India is a public authority under Right to Information Act. Also,
Transparency doesn’t undermine judicial independence. Supreme Court upheld Delhi HC judgment which ruled that office
of Chief Justice comes under purview of RTI.
2. Supreme Court dismissed all review petitions filed against its previous judgement on Rafale deal.
3. Supreme Court referred review petitions against its previous judgement on Sabarimala issue to a larger 7-judge bench.
Supreme Court, ruled out a stay on its September 28, 2018 judgement, which allowed entry of women of all ages into the
Sabarimala temple.
2. 25th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) 2019 Organized with Germany as Focus Country of this year.

3. 4 day long International Lavi fair organised in Rampur district of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. This 400 years old tradition dates
back to when Raja Kehari Singh of Rampur Bushahr state signed a treaty to promote trade with Tibet. This fair has remained an
important trade fair between India and Tibet.
4. 4th edition of India International Cherry Blossom Festival 2019 celebrated in Shillong (Meghalaya). It celebrates unique autumn
flowering of Himalayan Cherry Blossoms with several cultural events.
5. Indian Railways aigned Procurement cum Maintenance Agreement with Madhepura Electric Locomotive Pvt. Ltd. (MELPL), a
joint venture of Indian Railways and French Firm Alstom.
1. As part of largest Foreign Direct Investment project of Indian Railways, Railways and Alstom partnered in 2015 to transform
heavy freight transportation landscape of India. An agreement worth 3.5 billion Euro was signed to manufacture 800 electric
locomotives for freight service and its associated maintenance.
2. Factory has been set up in Madhepura, Bihar with capacity to manufacture 120 locomotives per year.
3. The project will allow faster and safer movement of heavier freight trains. It will haul 6000T trains at maximum speed of 100
kmph.
6. Ministry of Corporate Affairs inaugurated Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) Help Line number —
1800114667. It aims to facilitate investors with smooth information flow.
7. After gap of 3-years, National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) released 2016 data about frmer suicides in India. It stated that
Maharashtra tops in number of Farmer suicides, followed by Karnataka.
8. Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched ‘Nadu-Nedu’ programme which seeks to transform government schools
into vibrant and competitive institutions. It has budget of 12000 crores and in first year, 3500 crores will be spent for development
of infrastructure. English medium will be introduced in Classes 1 to 6.
1. Andhra government will introduce Amma Vodi scheme in January 2020, where govt will incentivize mothers to send their
children to school.
9. As an initiative to check child marriage, Assam Govt approved Arundhati scheme to provide 1 Tola Gold to Brides free of cost, to
brides belonging to economically weaker families. As per law, girl cant be married before age of 18 and a boy before 21 years.
10. CSIR - National Geophysical Research Institute released the Geochemical Baseline Atlas of India for environment management
purpose. It aims to document concentration and distribution of the chemical elements in the soils of India. It consists of 45 maps
of metals, oxides and elements present in top and bottom soils across India.
1. Atlas traces elements from top soil i.e top 25 cm depth and bottom soil at 100 cm depth from 2006 to 2011.
11. CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH) Chandigarh signed MoU with IIT Bombay to promote collaborative research,
in line with MHRD's 2018 circular paving way for all IITs to sign MoUs with National Research Laboratories affiliated to CSIR to
start new collaborations.
1. Approved extension/renewal of the extant Pharmaceuticals Purchase Policy (PPP) with the same terms and conditions
while adding one additional product namely, Alcoholic Hand Disinfectant (AHD) to the existing list of 103 medicines
till the final closure/strategic disinvestment of Pharma CPSUs.
2. Approved adoption of Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) programme by Indian Patent Office (IPO), to initially
commence between Japan Patent Office (JPO) and Indian Patent Office on pilot basis for 3 years. Under this, Indian
Patent Office may receive patent applications in certain specified technical fields.
3. Approved establishment of National Institute for Sowa-Rigpa in Leh as an autonomous organization under the
Ministry of AYUSH and to create post of Director in Pay Level -14 to oversee its implementation.
1. Sowa-Rigpa is a Traditional Medical system of the Himalayan belt in India.
2. Objective is to bring valid and useful synergy between Traditional Wisdom of Sowa-Rigpa and modern science,
tools and technology.
4. Approved proposal approved under Rule 12 of Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules 1961, to remove
difficulty in giving effect to the provisions of Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019 with regard to section 3 of the
Act.
5. Approved introducing Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill 2019 in order to replace the Ordinance.
1. To generate employment and boost economy, Taxation Laws (Amendment) Ordinance 2019 was issued in
September 2019. . The ordinance will now be replaced, while looking to amend Income-tax Act 1961 (IT Act) or
Finance Act.

2. Salient features of amendments made by Ordinance -

1. New provision was inserted in IT Act, enabling an existing domestic company to opt to pay tax at 22% plus
surcharge at 10% and cess at 4%, if it does not claim any incentive/deduction. Effective tax rate for these
companies comes to 25.17%. They would also not be subjected to Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT).
2. To attract investment in manufacturing, another provision was inserted to IT Act - to provide that a
domestic manufacturing company set up after 1st October, 2019 and which commences manufacturing by
31st March 2023, may opt to pay tax at 15% plus surcharge at 10% and cess at 4% if it does not claim any
incentive/deduction. Effective rate of tax comes to 17.16% for these companies, also not subjected to MAT.
3. Company which does not opt for concessional tax regime and avails tax exemption/incentive shall continue
to pay tax at pre-amended rate. Also, to provide relief to companies which continue to avail
exemptions/incentive, rate of MAT was reduced from existing 18.5% to 15%.
4. Further, it was also provided that the enhanced surcharge will not apply to capital gains income of FPIs
arising out of transfer of any security including derivatives, having concessional tax regime.
6. Approved enactment of Recycling of Ships Bill 2019 and accession to Hong Kong International Convention for Safe and
Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships 2009.
1. It restricts and prohibits use or installation of hazardous material, which applies irrespective of whether a ship is
meant for recycling or not. Ship recycling facilities are also required to be authorized.
7. Approved proposals for Mitigating financial stress being faced by the Telecom Services Sector -
1. Department of Telecommunication will allow Telecom Companies to defer payment of spectrum auction
instalments due for 2020-21 & 2021-22, either for one or both years. Interest as stipulated while auctioning, will
however be charged so that NPV is protected.
8. Approved withdrawing International Financial Services Centres Authority 2019 Bill, which was introduced in Rajya
Sabha on 12th February 2019. It was approved to introduce International Financial Services Centres Authority Bill
2019 in Lok Sabha current session of Parliament.
1. Cabinet in February 2019 approved establishment of a unified authority for regulating all financial services
through the introduction of International Financial Services Centres Authority Bill 2019 in Parliament.
2. Lok Sabha Secretariat has now conveyed that this is a Finance Bill under Article 117(1) of Constitution and it
should be introduced in Lok Sabha accordingly with recommendation of President under Article 117(1) and
274(1). So, the same is being withdrawn and will be fresh introduced in Lok Sabha.
9. Approved introduction of Industrial Relations Code 2019 in Parliament. Benefits Include -
Setting up of two-member tribunal (in place of one), introducing a concept that some of the important cases will
be adjudicated jointly and rest by a single member resulting speedier disposal of cases.
Vesting of powers with government officers for adjudication of disputes involving penalty as fines thereby
lessening the burden on tribunal.
Draft code has been prepared after amalgamating, simplifying and rationalizing relevant provisions of -
1. Trade Unions Act, 1926
2. Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946
3. Industrial Disputes Act, 1947
10. Approved introducing National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised
Colonies) Bill 2019. This will help in allowing registration of properties and provide certain relief to the residents in
Unauthorised Colonies (DCs) of Delhi from Registration Charges and Stamp Duty.
1. Nearly 40 lakh people reside in Unauthorised Colonies located on private or public land in Delhi.
2. Properties in these colonies are not registered by registration Authorities and thereby residents do not have any
title documents in respect of such properties and Banks do not extend any credit facilities in respect of said
properties.
3. Keeping in view socio-economic conditions of residents of these unauthorised colonies, it is necessitated to
recognise and confer rights of ownership or transfer or mortgage to residents of such colonies, which is
envisioned in proposed Bill.
2. MOUs -
1. Finland - Tourism.
2. Comoros - Health and Medicine.
3. CCEA Approvals -

1. Approved Initiatives to revive Construction Sector, Following proposals put by NITI Aayog with respect to arbitrations
by / against Government Entities -
1. Government Entities will decide to initiate proceedings for setting aside of arbitral award, and any appeals, with
opinion of a Law Officer - Attorney-General / Solicitor-General / Additional Solicitor-General.
2. Where a Government Entity has challenged an arbitral award, resultant of which amount of arbitral award has
not been paid, 75% of such award will be paid by Government Entity to contractor.
3. These approved measures would help in ensuring that remedies of challenge/appeal are resorted to in a prudent
and judicious manner, and in furthering the objective of infusion of liquidity into the construction sector.
2. Approved amendments proposed in Toll Operate Transfer (TOT) Model by NHAI.
1. Public funded National Highway projects which have toll revenue generation history of 1 year, shall be monetized
through TOT Model. Around 75 operational NH projects have been identified for potential monetization using the
TOT Model, and bundled into 10 separate bids to attract economics of scale for the private sector.
2. This would ensure a wider set of assets for Monetization and providing a more attractive model for investors.
3. NHAI has already monetized one bundle of projects under TOT Model, generating revenue of 9681 crores for
government.
3. Approved strategic disinvestment in select CPSEs -
1. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) -
1. Strategic disinvestment of Government shareholding of 53.29% in BPCL.
2. Strategic disinvestment of BPCL's shareholding of 61.65% in NRL along with transfer of management
control to a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) operating in Oil and Gas Sector.
2. Shipping Corporation of India Ltd. (SCI)
1. Strategic disinvestment of Government shareholding of 63.75%.
3. Container Corporation of India Ltd. (CONCOR)
1. Strategic disinvestment of Government shareholding of 30.8% (out of 54 8% equity held by Government).
4. Tehri Hydro Development Corporation India Limited (THDCIL)
1. Strategic disinvestment of Government shareholding of 74.23% in THDCIL to NTPC.
5. North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO)
1. Strategic disinvestment of Government shareholding of 100% in NEEPCO, to NTPC.
13. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has set up an On-line Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (OCSAE)
Prevention/Investigation Unit at New Delhi under its Special Crime Zone to tackle the menace of child porn on the internet.
14. Darjeeling green and white teas, whose price varies from Rs 3,000 -Rs 10,000 per kg, have received Geographical Indication (GI)
tag for domestic market. It means that any teas sold as Darjeeling white and green teas in the domestic market without GI will not
be considered authentic teas. Darjeeling black tea is already registered as GI.
1. Green Tea is made from same tea leaves. However, it does not undergo the process of withering and oxidation. Though
Green Tea originated in China, it is spread all over Asia.
2. White Tea is known as most delicate tea varieties, because it is minimally processed. The leaves are harvested before the
leaves open completely.
15. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated Sisseri River Bridge at Lower Dibang Valley in East Siang District of Arunachal
Pradesh. It is a 200-metre long bridge between Jonai-Pasighat-Ranaghat-Roing road and would cut down the travel time from
Pasighat to Roing by about 5 hours. It provides connectivity to Tinsukia via Dhola-Sadia bridge and will also provide connectivity
between Dibang Valley and Siang.
16. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under Ministry of Commerce and Industry has set up a
Development Council for Bicycle, for period of 2 years. It will stimulate value chain and fuel accelerated demand growth of Make-
in-India.
17. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar stated that government has withdrawn draft of the amendment of Forest Act 1927, to
remove any misgivings about taking away rights of the tribals and forest dwellers.
18. Festival ‘Bali Yatra’ inaugurated in Cuttack (Odisha), at bank of Mahanadi River. It is an annual festival to mark day when
ancient mariners from Odisha would set sail to distant land of Bali, Sumatra, Java (Jawa) in Indonesia, Borneo and Sri Lanka, for
expansion of trade and Culture.

1. Ministry of Defence organized “Def Connect” event in New Delhi, to showcase the accomplishments of iDEX-Innovations for
Defence Exellence.
2. 2nd Summit of World Religious Leaders began in Baku, Azerbaijan.
3. Indo French Chamber of Commerce & Industry (IFCCI) organized ‘Indo-French Investment Conclave’ in Goa.
4. Ministry of AYUSH organized International Conference on Yoga Mysuru (Karnataka) with theme ‘Yoga for Heart Care’.
5. In Jammu, Directorate of School Education (DSEJ) launched a special enrollment drive under the banner 'Aao School
Chalein' for increasing enrollment in government schools.
1. Centre also held regional conference on theme- ‘Replication of Good Governance Practices in Union Territories of
Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh’ in Jammu.
6. 2nd Joint India-China Capacity Building Programme for Afghan Diplomats held in New Delhi.
7. First buyer seller meet on horticulture and agriculture produce for Arunachal Pradesh held in Itanagar. Buyers from 7
countries participated - Nepal, Bhutan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Oman, UAE and Greece.
1. 11th Maitree Diwas event was also in Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh).
8. 1st edition of Dhaka Global Dialogue held in Dhaka (Bangladesh), jointly organised by New Delhi based Observer Research
Foundation (ORF) and Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS).
9. 7th edition of North East Festival held at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) in New Delhi.
10. 2019 World Conference on Access to Medical Products : Achieving the SDGs 2030 held in New Delhi.
11. 2nd India ASEAN InnoTech Summit held in Davao (Philippines).
12. 27th Conference of Central and State Statistical Organizations (COCSSO) held in Kolkata (West Bengal).
13. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath inaugurated North India's first sugar mill which will produce ethanol direct from
sugarcane, in Pipraich area of Gorakhpur.
14. National Agro Chemical Congress conducted in New Delhi by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, first of its kind.
It is to be conducted once in three years.
15. First ever Sanskrit Bharati Vishwa Sammelan or Sanskrit World Conference organised in New Delhi.
16. National Disaster Response Force is to establish a specialized unit for heritage structures, in every battalion of NDRF.
17. 12th Urban Mobility India Conference and Expo 2019 held in Uttar Pradesh’s capital Lucknow with theme Accessible and
liveable Cities.
18. India's first memorial for elephants, which died in harness or as victims of human brutalities, has been opened on Agra-
Mathura highway in Uttar Pradesh.
19. Andhra Pradesh Govt. launched 'Rythu Mitra', an exclusive mobile application to serve the needs of farmers of Siddipet.
20. 11th edition of Bal Sangam festival organised by National School of Drama (NSD) in New Delhi.
20. Government approved setting up four medical device parks to provide world-class products at an affordable price for treatment.
The four parks will be set up in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
21. Government banned Meghalaya-based insurgent group ‘Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council’ (HNLC), for its increased
activities of violence and other insurgent acts. It was banned under sub-section (1) of section 3 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention)
Act (UAPA) 1967.
22. Government will set up FACT Check Module to identify incidences of fake news on social media and digital platforms and take
corrective action. It will be set up under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It will work on the four principles of find,
assess, create and target (FACT).
23. Gujarat Government approved developing world’s first CNG port terminal at Bhavnagar,with 1900 crores investment from Joint
Venture of UK based Foresight group and Mumbai based Padmanabh Mafatlal group. It will have annual capacity of 6 million
matric tone, which will increased total handling capacity of the port to 9 million matric tones.
24. Haryana government will bring more crops under its ‘Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojna (BBY)’ scheme for vegetable growers. Under it,
farmers get compensated for selling their crop at a price lower than that fixed by government. It was launched in January 2018
and included potato, onion, tomato and cauliflower. More crops to be included are Carrots, peas, kinnow, guava, capsicum and
brinjal.
25. Haryana government will create a new Department of 'Foreign Cooperation', to focus on initiatives for promotion of investment,
youth employment and welfare of Non-Resident Indians.
26. India registered 26.9 % reduction in Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) since 2013, according to Sample Registration System
Bulletin 2016.
1. Ratio declined from 167 in 2011-2013 to 130 in 2014-2016 and to 122 in 2015-17.

2. Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have met sustainable development goals target of 70 per 100000 MMR, while Andhra
Pradesh and Telangana are close.
27. Indian Oil Corporation launched special winter grade diesel that will remain unfrozen even at -33 degree Celsius, to help provide
continuous and year-round access to snow-covered regions, specially Ladakh. It meets BIS specification of BS-VI gradeIt was
produced and certified at Panipat Refinery.
28. Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) signed MoU) with Karnataka State Tourism Development
Corporation (KSTDC) to market and operate the Golden Chariot Train. KSTDC will soon hand over reins of the train to IRCTC.
29. Jammu and Kashmir Government will set up committee that will declare Dal Lake as an Eco-sensitive Zone, based on the study
conducted by the DCI-Dredging Corporation of India. Encroachments and pollution has shrunk the lake from its original size of 22
square kilometers to about 10 square kilo meters.
30. Kolkata installed first of its kind high-end Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) Machines in India for
quick detection of diseases such as dengue, tuberculosis (TB) and swine flu. Objective is to give accurate DNA report on blood tests
in order to ascertain exact cause of illness.
31. Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan released BIS’s (Bureau of Indian Standards) Water
Quality Report 2019. Mumbai ranked at top, followed by Hyderabad (Telangana), Bhubaneswar,Odisha (3rd ). Delhi’s water
quality is worst.
32. Ministry of Statistics and Programme implementation will not release Consumer Expenditure Survey due to quality issues. Next
Consumer Expenditure Survey is to be conducted in 2020-21 and 2021-22.
1. According to National Statistical Office (NSO), there was significant increase in divergence in consumption pattern and
change in data as compared to other administrative data sources like goods and services.
2. Ministry is also looking ways to change the base year of the survey to 2017-18, which is currently 2011-12.
3. Survey is conducted in quinquennial intervals (5 Years). Previously it survey was conducted in 2011-12. It provides data on
household Monthly Per Capita Consumer Expenditure (MPCE).
33. NITI Aayog released a report on “Health Systems for a New India: Building Blocks-Potential Pathways to reforms”, as a
framework to build a rigid health system for India.
1. Report identified 4 focus areas - deliver on unfinished public health agenda, change health financing from out of pocket
expenditures into large insurers, integrate health services with digitization and empower citizens on becoming better health
buyers.
2. Report Recommended practices of Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust of Karnataka. It went on to enroll hospitals from
neighboring states and succeeded its implementation in state and now targeting entire 6.4 crore population.
3. It suggests to extend the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, the cashless insurance scheme to cover entire country.
4. Health spending in India is about 1.4 % of GDP. Only about 20 % of population comes under health insurance.
34. National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) has been launched in UT of Jammu and
Kashmir. It is was earlier launched across country by HRD Ministry in August 2019.
1. It aims at improving learning outcomes at Elementary level through integrated Teacher Trainings, targeting capacity
building of 42 lakh participants.
35. Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat launched a project that will connect 500 secondary schools to virtual classrooms, to
make up for shortage of teachers. Around 1.90 Lakh students to get benefited with the programme.
36. Uttarakhand Cabinet approved formation of an integrated safety scheme under the high-intensity earthquake minimization
program to deal with natural calamities in state. Budget of 500 crore will be approved for a period of five years to deal with natural
calamities in Uttarakhand.
37. Winter Session of Parliament 2019-20 Began Today, to have 20 sittings between November 18 and December 13, 2019.
1. It is 250th Session of the Rajya Sabha.
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Persons
1. Cricketer Virat Kohli is named People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India’s ‘Person of the Year for 2019’ for his
animal advocacy efforts.
2. Indian Sprinter Dutee Chand has been named in TIME 100 Next list, highlighting 100 rising stars who are shaping future in
various fields.

3. To commemorate Former Chief Election Commissioner T N Seshan who passed away recently, Election Commission of India will
establish and fund a Visiting chair on interdisciplinary approach to Electoral Studies in Centre for Curriculum Development at
India international institute of Democracy and Election Management( IIIDEM ), New Delhi from 2020-2025. It will be mentored
by N Former CEC Gopalaswami.
4. Visits from India (Nov 11 - 20, 2019) -
1. India attended 8th session of International Treaty of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) at Rome,
Italy. Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar attended the session representing India. Treaty is in harmony with Convention
on Biological Diversity, negotiated through FAO.
2. Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated a new Guru Nanak Chair at the University of
Birmingham to enable research around teachings of the founder of Sikh religion, to mark 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru
Nanak.
3. Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan attended Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and
Conference (ADIPEC). The India Pavilion has been set up by 9 Indian Oil & Gas companies.
4. 2nd edition of annual Paris Peace Forum held in Paris (France). India was represented by External Affairs Minister S.
Jaishankar.
5. Visits to India (Nov 11 - 20, 2019) -
1. UK's Prince Charles (Prince of Wales) visited India.
2. Foreign Minister of Bhutan, T. Dorji visited India.
3. Uzbekistan Minister of Internal Affairs, Pulat Bobojonov Visited India.
4. Microsoft Co-Founcder Bill Gates Visited India.
1. Government launched Bharatiya Poshan Krishi Kosh with aim of reducing malnutrition, launched by WCD Minister
Smriti Irani along with Bill Gates. It is a repository of diverse crops across 128 agro-climatic zones to help enable better
nutritional outcomes.
1. Ministry of Women and Child Development has collaborated with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for this
project.
2. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare signed memorandum of cooperation (MoC) with Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation (BMGF) for technical support.
3. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) signed declaration of intent with National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases (NIAD) of National Institutes of Health, USA and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
4. 8th International Conference on Agricultural Statistics (ICAS-VIII) held in New Delhi. India is hosting this conference
for first time, with theme Statistics for Transformation of Agriculture to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs). Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is Chief Guest of the conference.
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Science
1. IIT Guwahati researchers developed a paper-based sensor that can make an assessment of the freshness of milk instantaneously,
by invasion and presence of microbes in milk.
1. It detects quantity of ALP (Alkaline Phosphate) in milk to determine its freshness and quality. ALP is a metalloprotein found
in raw milk samples, and is an important bio marker in quality control in milk. ALP compounds are destroyed during
pasteurization. Therefore, detecting ALP compounds can help in detecting inadequate pasteurization in milk.
2. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Hayabusa 2 probe started its year long journey back to earth from its mission of
collecting samples from an asteroid called Ryugu, about 300 million kilometres from Earth. It first touched down on the asteroid
Ryugu in February 2019 with a mission to collect samples that could provide clues to the origin of solar system as well as life on
Earth.
3. NASA’s NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer) telescope detected a sudden spike of X Rays, was caused by a
massive thermo nuclear flash on surface of a pulsar.
1. A Pulsar is a neutron star whose compact core is left behind when a massive star runs out of fuel. It later collapses under its
own weight and explodes. A Pulsar spins rapidly and becomes a host to several X-Ray emitting hotspot.
4. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) renamed a distant space rock Ultima Thule, to Arrokoth. It is the
farthest cosmic body ever visited by a spacecraft. Arrokoth or “sky” is a name of Native American Powhatan language following a
significant backlash over old name’s Nazi connotations. The name portrait the co-operation with Powhatan Tribal elders.
5. Scientists spotted a new species of signal fish, the first one of genus recorded in Indian waters. It has been named 'Pteropsaron
indicum'. Discovered species is the world’s largest signal fish. They flap their long fins as a sign of dominating their territory and
attracting their mate.It is because of these characteristics they are called signal fish.
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Sports
1. 14th Asian Shooting Championships 2019 Held in Doha (Qatar)
1. It acts as Asian qualifying tournament for 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
2. Medal Table -
1.
1 China 20 20 5 45
2 South Korea 8 6 7 21
3 North Korea 6 2 3 11
4 India 5 10 11 26
5 Kuwait 3 3 2 8
3. India Ranked 7th with 26 Medals (5 Gold , 10 Silver and 11 Bronze). Medalists -
1. Gold -
1. 25 m standard pistol team - Udhayveer Sidhu, Vijayveer Sidhu, Gurpreet Singh
2. Skeet - Angad Vir Singh Bajwa
3. 10 m air pistol (Women) - Manu Bhaker
4. 50 m rifle prone team (Women) - Anjum Moudgil, Kajal Saini, Tejaswini Sawant
5. 10 m air pistol team (Mixed) - Abhishek Verma, Manu Bhaker
2. Individual Silver -
1. 10 m air pistol - Saurabh Chaudhary
2. 25 m center fire pistol - Gurpreet Singh
3. 25 m standard pistol - Udhayveer Sidhu
4. 50 m pistol - Gaurav Rana
5. Skeet - Mairaj Ahmad Khan
6. Notably, 10 m air pistol team Mixxed Silver won by Saurabh Chaudhary and Yashaswini Singh Deswal.
3. Individual Bronze -
1. 50 m pistol - Arjun Singh Cheema
2. 10 m air rifle - Deepak Kumar
3. 50 m rifle 3 positions - Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar
2. 2019 ATP Finals Men's tennis (London, United Kingdom) -
1. It was season-ending event for highest-ranked singles players and doubles teams on 2019 ATP Tour.
2. Singles - Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece). He defeated Dominic Thiem (Austria).
3. Doubles - France's Pierre-Hugues Herbert AND Nicolas Mahut
3. 2019 Fed Cup, 57th edition of Women's Tennis tournament between national teams -
1. French team comprising Kristina Mladenovic and Caroline Garcia defeated Australian duo of Ashleigh Barty and Samantha
Stosur in Final, to win France's third Fed Cup title.
2. Final was held in Perth (Australia).
4. 2019 World Para Athletics Championships (Dubai, UAE) -
1. 1403 Athletes from 118 Nations participated.
2. Top 5 -

1 China 25 23 11 59
2 Brazil 14 9 16 39
3 Great Britain 13 9 6 28


5 Ukraine 11 8 8 27
3. India Ranked 24th, with 9 Medals (2 Gold, 2 Silver, 5 Bronze). Indian Medalists -
1. Gold -
1. Sandeep Chaudhary - Men's Javelin Throw F44. He has also set new world record of 65.80 metre.
2. Sundar Singh Gurjar - Men's Javelin Throw F46.
2. Silver -
1. Sumit Antil - Javelin thrower (F64).
2. Sharad Kumar - High jump (T63).
3. Bronze -
1. Vinay Kumar Lal (men's 400m T44)
2. Yogesh Kathuniya (men's discus throw F56)
3. Mariyappan Thangavelu (men's high jump T63)
4. Nishad Kumar (men's high jump T47)
5. Ajeet Singh (men's javelin F46)
5. Assam Olympic Association (AOA) launched new programme- ‘Grassroot Olympic – Mission Talent Hunt’ to identify and groom
sports talent.
1. Assam will also host Khelo India Youth Games during January 10-22, 2020.
6. Brazil won FIFA U-17 Football World Cup 2019, as 4th Title for Brazil. Brazil defeated Mexico in Final.
1. It was hosted by Brazil, with particpation from 24 Nations.
2. Top scorer was Netherlands's Sontje Hansen and Best player title was given to Gabriel Veron (Brazil).
7. India's Harmeet Desai won men’s singles title at International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Challenge Indonesia Open 2019
Table Tennis tournament at Batam (Indonesia). He defeated India's Amalraj Anthony.
8. Indian women won clinched 5 gold and men won 2 silver at Asian Youth Boxing Championship in Mongolia.
1. Women medalists included Naorem Chanu, Vinka, Sanamacha Chanu, Poonam and Sushma.
2. Men silver medalists included Selay Soy and Ankit Narwal.
3. India won total 12 medals, with 7 Gold and 5 Bronze.
9. Red Bull's Belgian-Dutch Racer Max Verstappen won Brazil Grand Prix 2019 -
1. Earlier, Lewis Hamilton (UK) had won his 6th F1 world championship by winning 2019 F1 Season, only behind Michael
Schumacher in all time list.
1.


19 United States Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 3 November
20 Brazilian Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch) 17 November
10. Sri Lanka became first South Asian nation to criminalise several offences related to match-fixing, after Sri Lankan parliament
passed of a bill related to it labelled as “Prevention of Offences Related to Sports”. It covers all sports. Punishment includes jail
term up to 10 years and fines.
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Read Important Ones

Month All Type All
Appointments
1. Former RBI deputy governor H R Khan has been appointed as first chairman of steering committee panel on Code for
Responsible Lending (CRL) in Micro-Credit. Code for Responsible Lending (CRL) is a self-regulatory step for micro-credit
industry making diverse entities such as banks, NBFC-MFI, adhere to standards of customer protection.
1. CRL was launched in September 2019 by Micro-finance Institutions Network (MFIN) and Sa-Dhan, an RBI-recognised
association of microfinance institutions (MFIs).
2. In Maharashtra, Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress formed government, with Uddhav Thackeray as 18th Chief Minister of State.
1. Earlier, Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government had collapsed. Fadnavis had announced his resignation after NCP's Deputy
CM Ajit Pawar withdrew his support.
3. Kerala Govt. appointed P S Rajan as CEO of Kerala Bank, formed by amalgamation of 13 district cooperative banks (DCB) in the
state. Official launch of the same will be held on December 6.
4. Mahinda Rajapaksa has been appointed as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, for his 3rd Term. Few Days earlier, Gotabaya Rajapaksa
was elected as president of Sri Lanka.
5. Misc. Appointments (November 2019) -
1. Pavan kapoor has been appointed as India's New Ambassador to United Arab Emirates.
2. Manoj Pande appointed as Member (Staff) in Railway Board.
3. Anup Banerji appointed as Director General, Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS).
4. Election Commission appointed B Murali Kumar as Special Expenditure Observer for forthcoming Elections to Assembly of
Jharkhand.
5. Anjani Kumar is appointed as New Ambassador of India to Mali.
6. Sanjay Gupta is appointed by Google as India's Country Manager.
7. British-Dutch transnational consumer goods company Unilever named Nils Andersen as its new Chairman.
8. PSU India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) appointed G Kamala Vardhana Rao as new Chairman and Managing
Director.
9. Karabi Gogoi became first woman officer from Indian Navy to be posted as a Defence Attache at an Indian mission abroad,
after she was posted as Assistant Naval Attache at Indian embassy in Moscow (Russia).
10. Ms. Padmaja is appointed as New India Ambassador to Kingdom of Tonga (Oceania).
11. Tamil Nadu government appointed R Rajagopal as Chief information commissioner (CIC) of state.
12. Chinese sprinter Su Bingtian is appointed to Athletes Commission of World Athletics, formerly known as International
Association of Athletics Federations.
13. Tata Sons Group's Tata Comunications appointed Amur Swaminathan Lakshminarayanan as MD and CEO.
14. Indian Overseas Bank appointed Bhuwan Chandra as its Chief Financial Officer.
6. Outgoing Army Chief Bipin Rawat will be appointed as first Chief of Defence Staff on a 2 year term, a four star position being
created as part of a defence management overhaul. The post is created to improve coordinaton among three services. Age limit for
the post will be 64 years.
7. Suman Billa (Kerala) is appointed as the director, technical cooperation and silk road development at DI level of United Nations
World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

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Awards
1. 13th Asia Pacific Screen Awards awarded in Brisbane (Australia), considered Asia Pacific’s highest accolade -
1. Best Feature Film: ‘Parasite’, directed by South Korea’s Bong Joon-Ho
2. Best Actress - Max Eigenmann in ‘Verdict’
3. Best Actor - Manoj Bajpayee in ‘Bhonsle’
2. 2019 International Film Festival of India Held in Goa, as 50th edition of IFFI.
1. In this edition, Russia is country of focus with eight Russian language films screened.
2. Opening Film was Despite the Fog (Italy) and Closing Film was Marghe and Her Mother (Italy).
3. Awards (International Jury headed by American Cinematographer John Bailey) -
1. Best Film (Golden Peacock Award) - Particles (French-Swiss) by Blaise Harrison
2. Best Director - Lijo Jose Pellissery for Jallikattu (Malayalam)
3. Best Debut Film of a Director - Amin Sidi Boumediene for Abou Leila AND Marius Olteanu for Monsters
4. Best Actor (Male): Seu Jorge for Marighella (Brazil)
5. Best Actor (Female): Usha Jadhav for Mai Ghat : Crime No 103/2015
6. Lifetime Achievement Award - Isabelle Hupert (France)
7. ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Medal - Riccardo Salvetti for Rwanda Movie
8. Special Jury Award : Pema Tseden for Balloon
9. Special Mention Jury Award - Hellaro by Abhishek Shah
10. Special mention under ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi medal - Bahattar Hoorain
11. Government constituted a special award titled ‘Icon of Golden Jubilee of IFFI’, which was conferred upon Noted Actor
S Rajinikanth.
3. American Actress Jennifer Aniston received People's Icon Award at 2019 People's Choice Awards, as 2nd recipient of the title.
First winner was Melissa McCarthy.
4. Floating school project in Bangladesh won Aga Khan Architecture Award.
1. Large part of bangladesh landscape remains submerged under water during monsoon.
2. Razia Alam wanted to build a school for children which is spacious, modern and healthy for learning. She contacted noted
architect of Bangladesh Saif Ul Haque to design the school.
3. It is a floating school named ‘The Arcadia Education Project’, in South Kanarchor of Bangladesh.
4. It is an amphibious school built with local material and expertise near the capital city Dhaka. It remains on ground during
dry season and floats on water when the area is submerged in water during monsoon.
5. Indian Journalist Neha Dixit has been honoured with International Press Freedom Award 2019 for her groundbreaking and bold
reporting. The award has been given by Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
1. Apart from Neha, other awardees are Patricia Mello (Brazil), Lucia Ubau and Miguel Mora of Nicaragua and Maxence
Mubyazi (Tanzania).
6. Indian news channel NDTV has been awarded International Press Institute India award for excellence in journalism by India
chapter of the Vienna-based International Press Institute, for its ‘expose of the conspiracy to scuttle’ the Kathua rape and murder
case probe. Award was instituted by IPI India in 2003.
7. Industrial Awards (November 2019) -
1. US Govt. presented Award for Corporate Excellence to Pepsico India for its efforts to save more than 17 billions of litres of
water through community water programs and positively impacting thousands of community members.
2. Singer S.P. Balasubrahmanyam has been selected for the Chetana Silver Jubilee National Award. It carries cash prize of one
lakh. Also, Sound Engineer Resul Pookutty won National Audio Excellence Award instituted in memory of Fr. Paul
Alengattukaran, founder of Chetana Sound Studio.
3. Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) India unit RBS India announced winners of 9th RBS Earth Heroes Awards (REHA) -
1. Bholu Abrar Khan of Bharatpur (Rajasthan): Green Warrior
2. Dimbeshwar Das of Assam: Green Warrior
3. Ela Foundation (Pune): Earth Guardian
4. Aishwarya Maheshwari (Uttar Pradesh): Save the Species
5. Sathish (Tamil Nadu): Save the Species

6. Jalal Ud Din Baba (Jammu & Kashmir): Inspire

7. Pramila Bisoyi (Odisha): Lifetime Achievement
4. Indian Industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla (Chairman of Aditya Birla Group) received UAE Government backed ABLF
Global Asian Award.
5. Indian chamber of food and agriculture conferred ‘global agriculture award’ on Tamil Nadu for its excellence in agriculture
sector.
6. Indian content broadcast app JioTV has been conferred award for IPTV Innovation at World Communication Awards 2019
in London.
7. Haryana in UK Association conferred Haryana Gaurav Award on World Championship Silver medallist and Arjuna awardee
Amit Panghal and International Sports Curator Sunil Yash Kalra.
8. Tobacco Board of India has been awarded Golden Leaf Award in Most Impressive Public Service Initiative category for 2019,
for its efforts to initiate various sustainability (green) initiatives in Flue-Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco cultivation in India. It
was announced at Tab Expo 2019 event in Amsterdam (The Netherlands).
9. Noted Rabindra Sangeet exponent from Bangladesh Rezwana Choudhury Bannya has been conferred ICCR distinguished
alumni award in Dhaka, given away by High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das.
10. J&K Grameen Bank ranked first from among 56 RRBs across country in terms of achievement of Rupay Card transaction
targets (POS and eCOM). As per National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), It achieved 94.95% target for POS/ eCOM
transactions.
11. Uttar Pradesh Police awarded third prize in emergency response category during an international call centre event organised
by the Dubai Police. First prize won by Singapore Police and second by Sharjah Police.
12. NTPC has been bestowed with the ‘Golden Peacock Award for Sustainability’ 2019, during the 19th International Conference
on Corporate Governance & Sustainability held in London (U.K).
13. Suresh Krishna, former Confederation of Indian Industry received India’s First ‘Quality Ratna’ award by CII Institute of
Quality.
14. American-Italian filmmaker Martin Scorsese selected by 31st Palm Springs International Film Festival as the recipient of
Sonny Bono Visionary Award for the film ‘The Irishman’. Film is based on a book titled, ‘I Heard You Paint Houses’.
8. Malayalam poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboodiri has been chosen as the recipient of 55th Jnanpith Award, as 6th Malayalam
writer to be conferred with this prestigious honour.
1. Jnanpith Award was instituted in 1961, as India's highest literary honour. It contains cash prize of INR 11 Lakh.
9. Noted writer from Rajasthan, Manisha Kulshreshtha has been awarded 28th Bihari Puraskar for 2018 for her novel
‘Swapnapash’. Award is presented by KK Birla Foundation and is for writers of Rajasthani origin. It cash prize of 2.5 lakh.
1. Bihari Puraskar is one of the literary awards instituted by K K Birla Foundation in 1991.
2. Awards Institited by K K Birla Foundation in 1991 -
1. Saraswati Samman - For literary work in any Indian language
2. Vyas Samman - For prose/poetry work in Hindi
3. Bihari Puraskar - For prose/poetry work in Hindi/Rajasthani, only authors from Rajasthan are eligible
4. Shankar Puraskar - For a work in Hindi concerning Indian philosophy, culture and/or art.
5. Vachaspati Puraskar - For any work in Sanskrit.
6. G.D. Birla Award for Scientific Research
10. Odia women weightlifter Jhilli Dalabehera will receive 27th Ekalabya Award for 2019, given by Indian Metals Public Charitable
Trust (IMPaCT). It comprises cash prize of Rs 5 lakh.
11. Singer Billie Eilish will be honoured as Billboard's 2019 Woman of the Year. Pop star Taylor Swift will also be honoured at
Billboard's event, receiving inaugural Woman of the Decade award. Eilish is the youngest artist ever to be named Billboard's
Woman of the Year.
12. Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg has been awarded international children's peace prize awarded by Dutch KidsRight
organisation, for her work in struggle against climate change which has resonated with schoolchildren across world.
1. Cameroonian peace activist Divina Maloum was also honored with International Children’s Peace Prize 2019.
13. UK's Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) London conferred Honorary Fellowship of Society for 2019 to DRDO Chairman G
Satheesh Reddy.
1. Reddy is first Indian recipient of this prestigious award in over 100 years, bestowed in recognition of Reddy’s pioneering
technological contributions over past three decades.

2. It is considered as equivalent to the Nobel Prize in the aerospace domain, being awarded since 1917.
14. Wheelchair-bound Hridayeshwar Singh Bhati has been selected for National Award for Empowerment of Person with Disabilities
2019 under category- Outstanding Creative Child (Male)-2019, declared by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE).
1. He became youngest patent holder and also youngest differently-abled patent holder in world. He achieved this feat for
inventing six-player circular chess at the age of nine in 2013.
2. He also created 12 and 60 players’ circular chess and also got the patent for it.
15. World Athletics Awards 2019 (in Monaco, Europe) -
1. Male Athlete of the year - Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya. He won a highly competitive London marathon in April for the fourth
time and also became first man to run a marathon in less than two hours.
2. Female Male Athlete of year - Muhammad Dalilah of US.
3. Other Awards -
Name Award
Selemon Barega (Ethiopia) Male Rising Star
Yaroslava Mahuchikh (Ukraine) Female Rising Star
Vikki Orvice (United Kingdom-UK) President’s Award
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Books
1. RN Kao: Gentleman Spymaster, Book on legendary Spymaster late RN Kao written by Nitin Anant Gokhale has been released.
2. Authored by Anita Bhatnagar Jain, 3 books which are a collection of stories for children namely - Kumbh, Garam Pahad and Dilli
ki Bulbul (Sindhi edition) have been launched by HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’.
3. Book titled “Hemant Karkare -A Daughter’s Memoir”, written by Jui Navare has been released. Former Anti-Terrorism
Squad(ATS) chief Hemant Karkare was martyred during 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008.
4. Book ‘Finding the gaps – Transferable Skills to be the best you can be’, written by Former Australian Cricket Umpire Simon
Taufel has been released.
5. Former Governor of RBI Raghuram Govind Rajan's new Book The Third Pillar: How Markets and the State Leave the
Community Behind, has been released.
6. Late Pakistani writer Intizar husain’s Urdu novel, ‘Tazkirah’ will be translated into English as ‘The Chronicle’.
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Committees
1. Govt. appointed Rajat Bhargava as head of a high-level committee to suggest necessary policy initiatives for attracting more
investments into the Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemical Investment Regions (PCPIR) in the country.
1. PCPIR Policy was put in place in 2007 and This is first time that govt is seeking to amend it.
2. Ministry for Youth Affairs and Sports formed a 13-member expert committee chaired by Retired SC Judge Mukundakam Sharma
to review the draft of National Code for Good Governance in Sports 2017. It will overlook comments received from Indian Olympic
Association (IOA) and other national sports federations.
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Days
1. Nov 19 - 25 is observed as Qaumi Ekta Week In india, to foster spirit of Communal Harmony -
1. November 19 - National Integration Day (Birth Anniversary of Indira Gandhi)
2. November 20 - Welfare of Minorities Day
3. November 21 - Linguistic Harmony Day.
4. November 22 - Weaker Sections Day
5. November 23 - Cultural Unity Day
6. November 24 - Women’s Day.
7. November 25 - Conservation Day.
2. Nov 21 is World Fisheries Day.

1. Andhra Pradesh Government launched YSR Matsyakara Bharosa scheme, extending benefits of the scheme to fishermen.
Under new scheme, assistance to fishermen will be enhanced to Rs 10,000 from the earlier Rs 4,000 for the annual fishing
ban period between April 15 and June 14.
2. Nov 21 is also observed as World Television Day, proclamied by UN in December 1996.
3. Nov 21, 2019 is also observed as World Philosophy Day, observed globally on third Thursday of November every year. It was
introduced in 2002 by UNESCO.
3. Nov 24 is ‘Martyrdom Day’ of 9th Guru of Sikhs, Guru Teg Bahadur. He was martyred on November 24, 1675.
1. Nov 24, 2019 is also observed as 71st Raising Day of National Cadet Corps (NCC), world's largest uniformed youth
organization.
4. Nov 25 is Marked as UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. 2019 Theme is Orange the World:
Generation Equality Stands Against Rape.
1. Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with UN Women launched UNiTE campaign to spread awareness about violence
against women. The 16 day campaign will continue till International Day of Human Rights on December 10.
5. Nov 26 is observed as Constitution Day in India (Samvidhan Divas). It commemorates adoption of the Constitution of India on
26 November 1949 by Indian Constituent Assembly. However, the Indian Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950.
1. Government declared observing 26 November as Constitution Day in 2015, as 2015 represented 125th birth anniversary of
Ambedkar, who had chaired the drafting committee of Constituent Assembly.
2. Previously, Nov 26 was celebrated as National Law Day.
3. On this occasion, HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launched Kartavya Portal, with URL kartavya.ugc.ac.in, as part
of year long Nagrik Kartavya Paalan Abhiyan being observe. It will be used primarily for holding monthly essay
competitions for students as well as other activities like quizzes, debates, poster making etc.
4. On this occasion, President Ram Nath Kovind launched a web portal of National Youth Parliament Scheme. He also released
commemorative coins and a special stamp of Rs 250 on the occasion of Constitution Day. Through NYPS Portal, India’s all
recognized educational organizations will be eligible to take in the National Youth Parliament Scheme.
6. Nov 26 is observed as National Milk Day In India, to commemorate birth snniversary of Dr. Verghese Kurien, father of India’s
White Revolution.
1. First National Milk Day was celebrated on 26 November 2014, marked by Indian Dairy Association (IDA).
2. Dr. Kurien is also famous for his ‘Operation Flood’, world’s largest agricultural development program. He established 30
institutions which are run by various farmers and workers and played a key role in establishment and success of Amul brand.
3. India is 2nd largest Milk producer in world, after US.
7. Nov 29 is observed as UN International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
8. Nov 30 is observed as Organ Donation Day in India, with 2019 being 10th edition of the same.
9. UNESCO World Heritage Week observed between November 19 - 25 annually.
Top
Defence
1. 14th edition of annual military exercise Between India and Nepal, SURYA KIRAN-XIV commenced at Salijhandi, Rupendehi
district of Nepal.
2. 1st India-US joint tri-services Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise named 'Tiger Triumph' held at
Visakhapatnam. Exercise was aimed at developing interoperability for conducting HADR operations.
3. 1st bilateral Mine Countermeasure Exercise (MINEX) exercise between Indian and Japanese Navies conducted at Kochi (Kerala).
4. Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved Capital Procurement of over 22800
crores. It Includes
1. Indigenous development of 'Thermal Imaging Night Sights' for Assault Rifles to enhance night fighting capabilities.
2. Revalidated Necessity for procurement of additional Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) India aircraft, to be
indigenously developed.
3. Procurement of Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance (LRMR) Anti-Submarine Warfare P8I aircraft for Indian Navy.
4. Procurement of Twin Engine Heavy Helicopters (TEHH) for Indian Coast Guard.
5. India test-fired indigenously developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile at night, with strike range of 350 km. It is India’s first
missile indigenously developed by DRDO under Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP). First night testfire of
Prithvi-2 was conducted in February 2018.
6. Indian Army commemorated Poonch Link-up Day on Nov 23, as pay tribute to martyred soldiers defending Poonch during
conflict in 1948. The event was conducted to mark Operation Easy that was aimed to defend the Poonch district from the invading
Pakistan.
7. Indian Navy commissioned its sixth Dornier aircraft squadron in Porbandar (Gujarat), to boost coastal security near sea border
with Pakistan. New Indian Naval Air Squadron 314, called Raptors, will operate with four newly-inducted, next generation Dornier
aircraft.
8. Indian Navy test-fired BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, from Navy’s stealth destroyer INS Kochi. BRAHMOS Supersonic
Cruise Missile has been jointly developed by India and Russia and in service Indian Navy since 2005, as world’s fastest cruise
missile and has strike-range of 290 km.
1. Indian Army also successfully test fired newly acquired Spike long- range Anti-Tank Missiles in Madhya Pradesh. Spike anti-
tank missiles is a 4th generation missile which can engage any target with precision at ranges up to 4 km, developed by
Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
9. Joint India Qatar naval exercise Za’ir-Al-Bahr (Roar of the Sea) conducted in Doha (Qatar).
10. National Investigation Agency (NIA) hosted first-ever counter-terrorism (CT) exercise for the Quad countries (United States
(US), India, Australia, and Japan) in New Delhi.
11. Singapore and India Joint air force military training exercise held at Kalaikunda Air Force Station in West Bengal.
12. US approved Foreign Military Sale to India of 13 MK45 5 inch/62 caliber (MOD 4) Naval guns and related equipment, for approx
$1 billion.
1. MK-45 Gun System will provide India Navy lethal capability to conduct anti-surface warfare and anti-air defence missions. It
will be used by India as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defense.
Top
Economy
1. 3 regional rural Govt owned banks in UP - Baroda Uttar Pradesh Grameen Bank, Kashi Gomti Samyut Gramin Bank and
Purvanchal Bank will be amalgamated on April 1, 2020 into a single regional rural bank which will be called Baroda UP Bank, with
headquarters at Gorakhpur.
2. Asian Development Bank approved second tranche of USD 150 million for West Bengal to boost capital investment and
infrastructure in state. It is a policy based programme loan of USD 300 million by ADB for West Bengal Development Finance
Program, approved in September 2017.
3. Consumer Affairs Ministry announced that Hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts will be made mandatory across country
from January 15, 2021 to ensure purity of Gold. It makes it compulsory for all the jewellers to register with the Bureau of Indian
Standards (BIS) and sell only hallmarked gold jewellery and artefacts. Gold hallmarking voluntary at present. One year period will
be provided for implementation.
4. Global rating agency Moody’s stated India's fiscal deficit to be 3.7 % of GDP, as against Govt's target of 3.3 %. For all States put
together, it is estimated to be 3 %.
5. Government will launch India’s first fixed income Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) comprising debt securities of large PSUs in
December 2019. It will comprise only AAA-rated papers of the PSU companies, expected to have size of 15000 to 20 000 crores.
1. It is expected to improve liquidity in corporate bond market, smoothen borrowing plans of PSUs and enhance investor base.
2. It will be first large fund in India that will allow retail investors to invest in fixed income product comprising a basket of
securities, without need to study individual bond issues.
3. Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) has appointed Edelweiss Asset Management as asset
manager for proposed debt ETF.
4. It will provide safe investment option and high liquidity. It will also help in deepening corporate bond market and will allow
PSUs to borrow from market.
5. As these ETF units will be listed on exchanges, it will provide new options to investors to own securities of government-
owned PSUs along with facility of overnight liquidity.
6. Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (MoS- IC) for Housing and Urban Affairs launched Credit-linked Subsidy Services(CLSS)
portal named “CLAP” (CLSS Awas Portal), with URL https://pmayuclap.gov.in/. It aims to address grievance of beneficiaries in
an organised manner.
1. A Memorandum of Agreement(MoA) was signed between MoHUA and state govt of 6 states for light house projects(LHP)
under Global Housing Technology Challenge. States - Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Uttar
Pradesh.
2. For LHPs, Ministry has introduced a technology innovation grant as an additional grant of 2.0 lakh per house, in addition to
existing share of Rs 1.5 lakh per house under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U).
7. India signed $451 million loan agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB) to strengthen power connectivity between
southern and northern parts of Chennai–Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC), which is part of the East Coast Economic
Corridor (ECEC), in Tamil Nadu.
8. Indian GDP Growth Forecasts (November 2019) -
1. Moody's Investors Service has cut India's economic growth forecast for current year to 5.6% from 5.8% estimated earlier.
1. It expects economic activity to pick up in 2020 and 2021 to 6.6% and 6.7% respectively, but pace to remain lower than
in recent past.
2. Few Days Earlier, Moody's Investors Service had cut India's ratings outlook to "negative" from "stable", citing
increasing risks that India will grow at a slower pace than in the past.
3. However, Moody's retained India's foreign and local currency ratings at 'Baa2'.
2. Japanese Firm Nomura has cut its GDP forecast for India to 4.9 % for FY 2019-20 year 5.7 % earlier, saying India economy is
going through a "deeper trough" and even a sub-par recovery is at least a year away.
3. National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) pegged India’s GDP growth for 2019-20 at 4.9 %.
4. Fitch group firm India Ratings and Research lowered India's GDP growth forecast to 5.6 %, as 4th revision for this year.
9. Markets regulator SEBI asked listed companies to report any loan default within 24 hours of any failure to repay principal or
interest amount to banks or financial institutions. As per SEBI, Such disclosure shall be made promptly, but not later than 24
hours from the 30th day of such default. It is aimed at addressing the gaps in the availability of information to investors.
10. Microfinance institution CreditAccess Grameen (CAGL) acquired Chennai-based Madura Micro Finance (MMFL) in a two-step
process for Rs 876 crores. In first leg, CAGL will acquire up to 76.2 % stake in MMFL and in 2nd stage, remaining stake of MMFL
shall be merged into CAGL.
11. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation's National Statistical Office (NSO) released estimates of Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) for 2nd quarter (July-September) Q2 of 2019-20 -
1. GDP growth rate came down to 6 year low of 4.5% in Q2 of FY 2019-20 financial year, triggered by huge slowdown in
manufacturing sector.
1. GDP at Constant (2011-12) Prices in Q2 of 2019-20 is estimated at 35.99 lakh crores, as against 34.43 lakh crore in Q2
of 2018-19, showing growth rate of 4.5 %.
2. Quarterly GVA at Basic Price at Constant (2011-12) Prices for Q2 of 2019-20 also shown slow growth rate of 4.3 % over
corresponding quarter of previous year.
2. Earlier, India's GDP growth was 5 % in Q1 of FY 2019-20, 5.8 % in Q4 of FY 2018-19, 6.6 % in Q3, after strong growth of 7.1%
in Q2 and 8.2% in Q1 of FY 2018-19. GDP Growth Rate of FY 2018-19 was 6.8 %.
12. Misc. Corporate Events (November 2019) -
1. Government e-Marketplace (GeM) signed MoU with Indian Bank and Canara Bank, facilitate a cashless, paperless and
transparent payment system on the portal and would create an efficient procurement system for government entities.
2. Tripura Gramin Bank in collaboration with Stock Holdings Corporation of India launched an e-Stamp Counter at Agartala.
With e-Stamp facilities in banks, all of government revenue gets transferred only in government fund, increasing
transparency.
3. MSTC Ltd signed agreement with Allahabad Bank for development of a dedicated e-Auction platform, directly linked with
the Indian Banking Association’s portal (https://ibapi.net) for sale of non-performing assets (NPAs) through SARFAESI
(Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Securities Interest) Act.
4. Ujjivan Small Finance Bank launched Digital Savings Account along with Fixed Deposit and Privilege Savings Account to
offer digital services to its customers. Amount upto 1 Lakh cab be deposited. The limit will be lifted after getting full KYC
done.
5. RBI issued new compensation guidelines for banks to raise variable portion of remuneration to at least half of the total for
their CEOs and full-time Directors.
1. RBI stated that if variable pay is up to 200 % of fixed pay, at least 50 % of it should be non-cash. However, if variable
pay is more than 200 % of fixed pay then, 67 % of it should be paid through non-cash ways.
6. India's Sun Pharma partnered with AstraZeneca UK Ltd to introduce certain novel ready-to-use infusion oncology products
in China.

7. Indian Bank signed MOU with Muthoot Microfinance to serve micro, small and medium enterprises.
8. Karnataka Gramin Bank (KGB) launched ‘mobile ATMs’ in several districts of Karnataka, to further financial inclusion
efforts.
9. Ministry of Environment granted clearance to Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) to set up a Rs 766-crore 2G ethanol plant in
Haryana’s Panipat district.
10. PNB Housing Finance raised INR 2500 crores from Life Insurance Corporation of India in 10-year bonds, as PNB Housing's
second fund raising in bonds this fiscal.
11. Gujarat Govt. launched online registration portal to facilitate setting up of new MSME units. It will enable quick approval
and certificate issuiance, to set up new MSME unit in state.
12. Uttar Pradesh government launched a dedicated web portal and a mobile application named e-Ganna, for sugarcane farmers.
It will ensure transparency in process of issuing cane supply slips to farmers by mills.
13. Ride hailing Firm Ola and tech firm Microsoft inked a partnership to measure real-time street air quality index in Delhi.
14. Subsidiary of NBFC Sundaram Finance Ltd - Sundaram BNP Paribas Home Finance - has been renamed to Sundaram Home
Finance.
15. IIM Indore signed MoU with Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) Mussoorie, to exchange
faculty members for various training programmes.
16. MSME Lender U GRO Capital signed a loan co-origination partnership with State Bank of India (SBI) to offer credit at
competitive rate of interest.
17. Commercial vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland signed MoU with ICICI Bank to offer customised financial solutions to
customers.
18. SBI Card Tied up with airline Vistara to offer co-branded credit cards.
19. Online trucking platform BlackBuck partnered with private lenders IDFC Bank and Yes Bank to provide FASTags to truck
owners free of cost. Truck owners can order FASTags on BlackBuck's Boss App, to be doorstep delivered for free until
December 31, 2019.+
20. Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare) ordered winding up Adarsh Credit
Cooperative Society Ltd (Ahmedabad). ASSC Ltd has been found to indulge in misusing funds of depositors for personal
gains.
21. COCO By DHFL General Insurance launched its first retail health indemnity insurance product COCOCure, as a new-age
health insurance product.
13. Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries became First indian Company to hit Rs 10 lakh crore mark in market capitalisation.
Second most valuable Indian Firm is Tata Consultancy Services, with market cap approx 7.81 lakh crores.
14. Muthoot Finance acquired IDBI Asset Management Ltd and IDBI Mutual Fund Trustee Company Ltd, for 215 crores.
15. NBFC Aditya Birla Finance Ltd became first company to list its commercial papers (CPs) on stock exchanges. Listing of
commercial papers is expected to lead to an efficient transmission of information regarding corporate borrowings and liquidity
positions to market participants.
1. A Commercial paper is an unsecured money market instrument, issued in form of promissory notes that enables highly rated
corporate borrowers to diversify their sources of short-term borrowings.
16. RBI enhanced scope of ‘Special Non-resident Rupee’ (SNRR) by allowing persons residing outside India to open such accounts
for purposes Including External commercial borrowing, Trade credit and Trade (Export/ Import) Invoicing in domestic currency.
1. It is done to popularise cross-border transactions in Indian rupee (INR).
2. Other reasons include export/ import invoicing and business related transactions outside International Financial Service
Centre, all in domestic currency of INR.
17. RBI excluded Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank from 2nd schedule of RBI Act 1934 with effect from April 1, 2019, since they have
ceased to carry on banking business with effect from April 1, 2019. Both banks were merged into Bank of Baroda.
18. RBI expressed concern over rising bad loans from Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY). Announced by Govt in April 2015,
PMMY offers business credit within 50000 - 10 lakh, to small businesses. Percentage of NPA under MUDRA loans has risen from
2.52% in 2017-18 to 2.89% in 2018-19.
19. RBI has put in place a revised framework on currency swap arrangement for SAARC countries for 2019-2022. It came into
operation in November 2012 with an intention to provide a backstop line of funding for short-term foreign exchange liquidity
requirements or balance of payment crises till longer-term arrangements are made.

1. Under framework for 2019-22, RBI will continue to offer a swap arrangement within overall corpus of USD 2 billion.
Drawals can be made in USD, euro or Indian rupee. Framework provides certain concessions for swap drawals in Indian
rupee.
20. RBI imposed penalty of INR 1.50 crore on Corporation Bank for non-compliance with certain provisions of directions issued by
RBI.
21. RBI superseded board of debt-laden Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Limited (DHFL), to initiate process of resolution of
company under the insolvency and bankruptcy rules. The company is all set to become India’s first financier to land up in
bankruptcy courts.
1. It comes after Govt empowered RBI to refer stressed NBFCs and HFCs having assets worth at least Rs 500 crore to
insolvency court.
2. R Subramaniakumar has been appointed as the administrator.
3. DHFL owes close to Rs 1 lakh crore to its debtors.
22. SEBI banned Karvy Stock Broking Ltd (KSBL) over client defaults worth Rs 2,000 crores, after National Stock Exchange (NSE)
found that Karvy had allegedly sold client stocks pledged with it through associated entities.
23. SEBI issued rules for exchanged-traded debt funds and index funds. It comes ahead of proposed issue of first debt ETF, to be
managed by Edelweiss Asset Management and will cater to borrowing needs of PSUs. As per SEBI Guidelines -
1. Index created for debt ETF must have minimum 8 companies with no single issuer having more than 15% weight.
2. Any new debt ETF to be launched should replicate index completely. If this is not feasible due to non-availability of securities
issued by index constituents, ETF would be allowed to invest in other debt issues with a deviation of plus or minus 10%.
3. Duration of debt ETF / index fund should not deviate more than 5% from duration of index. If credit rating of an issuance
falls below investment grade, rebalancing by debt ETF must be done within 5 days.
Top
International
1. 2019 Global Diplomacy Index released by Sydney-based Lowy Institute, with statistics and marking about how world’s
diplomatic networks are expanding (61 countries) -
1. China now has more diplomatic posts with 276 embassies and consulates worldwide, overtaking US by 3. Both have equal
number of embassies but China has 3 more consulates.
2. US still remains most popular place for countries to maintain embassies and consulates.
3. After China and US, next three spots are occupied by France, Japan, and Russia.
4. India is ranked 12th with 123 embassies / high commissions and 54 consulates globally.
5. Taiwan saw biggest drop in diplomatic posts, down from 22 embassies in 2016 to 15 in 2019. China opened new embassies in
Gambia, Burkina Faso, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, São Tomé and Príncipe which were all former diplomatic friends of
Taipei.
2. As per International organisation for migration's Global Migration Report 2020 -
1. India continues to be largest country of origin of international migrants with a 17.5 million-strong diaspora across world, and
it received the highest remittance of $78.6 billion from Indians living abroad. In terms of Migrants, India is followed by
Mexico (11.8 million) and China (10.7 million).
2. Number of international migrants in 2019 is now 270 million and top destination remains US, with 5 crore migrants.
3. Top remittance recipients are India ($78.6 billion), China ($67.4 billion) and Mexico ($35.7 billion).
4. US remained top remittance-sending country ($68.0 billion) followed by UAE ($44.4 billion) and Saudi Arabia ($36.1
billion).
5. Syria is top refugee-originating country with over 6 million, followed by Afghanistan (2.5 million).
3. As per QS World University Rankings Asia 2020 -
1. Among Indian Universities, IIT Bombay ranked as top performer, with 34th rank in overall list, followed by IIT Delhi(43rd)
and IIT Madras (50th). 96 Indian universities including 20 new entries were ranked in List.
2. List was topped by National University of Singapore Singapore for second consecutive year, Followed by Nanyang
Technological University Singapore and University of Hong Kong.
4. Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM), Under Government of Kerala launched “Water 4
Change”. Under this project, 6 prominent institutions from Netherlands will perform a long-term research and field level action on
urban water management systems along with Indian scientists.
5. European Union declared a climate emergency, as a symbolic move aimed at increasing pressure on incoming European
Commission to take a stronger stance on climate change. It comes ahead of UN COP25 climate summit to be held in December in
Madrid (Spain). Resolution call on EU to cut emissions by 55 % by 2030 to become climate neutral by 2050.
6. First-ever Prosperity & Inclusion City Seal and Awards (PICSA) Index 2019, released by Basque institutions & D&L Partners in
Bilbao (Spain) -
1. Bengaluru topped among Indian cities, ranked 83rd globally. Delhi ranked 101st and Mumbai 107th.
2. Top 5 - Zurich (Switzerland), Vienna (Austria), Copenhagen (Denmark), Luxembourg, Helsinki (Finland).
7. Global Payments Tech Firm PayPal acquired america firm Honey Science Corp. for about $4 billion, as its largest-ever
acquisition.
8. Government will expand 3S programme-Smart Safety Surveillance of WHO in India, to make sure vaccines distributed under
universal immunization programme are safe and also to optimize post-marketing surveillance of priority drugs.
1. 3S Programme was introduced by World Health Organization in India considering limited safety data on vaccines in country.
2. Under 3S, India is currently evaluating rotavirus vaccines.
9. India's Reliance Industries became world's sixth-largest oil company after overtaking BP Plc, with market capitalisation of $133
billion. Mukesh Ambani's net worth has touched $56 billion, making him Asia's richest person above Alibaba Group's Jack Ma.
RIL's market cap has increased by 35 % in 2019.
10. Indian IT services firm Tech Mahindra signed an agreement with Business Finland for research and development in 5G and 6G
technology. Tech Mahindra will set up an innovation lab in Finland to foster growth and innovation.
11. Japan Based Nomura Global Market Research report 2019 Nomura’s Food Vulnerability Index -
1. Report is about 50 countries, most vulnerable to food price surge. India ranked 44th in list.
2. NFVI has three components - country's GDP per person, share of food in household consumption, and net food imports.
3. Nomura reported 3 potential triggers for rise in food prices - weather related shocks, higher oil prices and sharp depreciation
in value of USD.
12. Japan and South Korea agreed to hold formal talks soon, taking a step towards improving relations strained by decades of
acrimony over their wartime past and exacerbated by a simmering trade dispute.
13. Last surviving Sumatran Rhino in Malaysia, Iman, has passed away. Making Sumatran rhino extinct in Malaysia. Sumatran
Rhinos are smallest of the five extant rhino species in world. Other species include Black Rhinos, White Rhinos, Greater on-horned
Rhinos and Javan Rhinos.
1. Now only 80 Sumatran Rhinos left in world, all in Indonesia in Borneo and Sumatra Island.
14. OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) trimmed its 2020 global economic growth forecast to 2.9 %
in current financial year, a decline of 0.1 percentage points from previous forecast. In 2021, OECD predicted 3.0 % global Growth.
15. Oxford Dictionaries named “climate emergency” as its 2019 Word of the Year, amid increase in its usage since 2018.
16. Sydney (Australia) based Institute for Economics and Peace(IEP) released 7th edition of annual report 2019 Global Terrorism
Index: Measuring the impact of terrorism -
1. India ranked at 7th place, in list of countries most affected by terrorism in 2018.
2. Afghanistan was most affected Nation. Iraq and Nigeria are at 2nd and 3rd place in terms of being affected by terrorism.
17. UK India Business Council (UKIBC) announced establishment of Aerospace and Defence Industry Group to boost bilateral
cooperation. Eerlier, a MoU was signed between UK and India on ‘Defence Technology Industrial Capability Cooperation’.
Aerospace and Defence Industry Group will contribute towards India’s defence modernization.
18. US Based Tech Firm NVIDIA announced a new kind of GPU-accelerated supercomputer in the cloud on Microsoft Azure. NDv2
supercomputer is designed to handle demanding AI and high-performance computing applications, using up to 800 NVIDIA V100
Tensor Core GPUs interconnected on a single Mellanox InfiniBand backend network, making it world's largest GPU-accelerated
cloud-based supercomputer.
1. It enables customers to rent an AI supercomputer on-demand from their desk, and match the capabilities of large-scale on-
premises supercomputers. NDv2 is available in preview. (ANI)
19. US President Donald Trump signed a bill supporting protesters in Hong Kong, highlighting restrictions on violation of human
rights. It bans export of crowd control devices (tear gas etc) to Hong Kong Police. China had objected prior to Trump’s signature
on this bill.
1. There has been protests across Hong Kong against a controversial extradition bill brought in February 2019, that says if a
person from Hong Kong commits or performs a crime in China, he will be prosecuted not in Hong Kong but in China.
2. Youth of Hong Kong led by Joshua Wang started protesting against the bill and took to the streets to protest against China.

20. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched the India chapter of its new initiative, Accelerator Lab in New Delhi.
It is aimed at addressing some of most pressing issues facing India, including air pollution, through innovation. UNDP also
partnered with NITI Aayog ‘s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM).
21. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report titled “Emissions Gap Report 2019” -
1. Report states that it is required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7.6% each year between 2020 and 2030 to limit
temperature rise by 2030 to 1.5°C, as per Paris Agreement. Despite commitments under Paris Agreement, temperatures are
still expected to rise by 3.2°C.
2. India, China, Mexico, Russia and Turkey are projected to meet their targets with current policies. India, Russia and Turkey
are expected to ‘over perform’ their targets by around 15%.
India made 3 promises at 21st Conference of Parties meeting in Paris, France in December 2015. They were - to lower
emission intensity of GDP, to create more forests to absorb 2.5 billion to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 and 40% of installed
capacity for electricity generation based on non-fossil fuels.
3. In 2018, 55.3 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent of greenhouse gases (GHG) were emitted globally. In 2017, emission was 54
gigatonnes. Main reason for increase in CO2 emissions was burning of fossil fuels.
4. To stay under 2°C, by 2030, emissions would need to be 25% lower than in 2018. For 1.5°C-consistent pathway, reduction
needs to be 55%(32 gigatonnes) below 2018 levels.
5. Report was released prior to UN Climate Conference (COP-25) to be held in Spain from 2 December 2019.
6. Report suggests that, With renewable energy, emission reduction can achieve a target of 12.1 gigatonnes (GT) by 2050. Also,
electrification of transport can also help reduce carbon emission up to 72% by 2050.
22. World Health Organization published its study about physical activity of adolescents aged between 11 and 17 years.
1. India was ranked 8th, reporting low level of physical activity. In India, overall insufficient physical activity in 2001 was
76.6% and has now decreased to 73.9% in 2016.
2. Bangladesh had lowest prevalence of insufficient physical activity among boys, girls, and both genders combined (63%, 69%
and 66%, respectively).
Top
Meetings
1. 39th India International Trade Fair(IITF) organized in New Delhi, with theme Ease of Doing Business.
1. This year, status of Partner Country is accorded to Afghanistan and South Korea is Focus Country'. Bihar and Jharkhand are
focus states.
2. 40th United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) General Conference Held at its HQ in Paris
(France).
1. HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ attended the meet on India's Behalf.
2. Pakistan's Shafqat Mahmood elected as the president of UNESCO’s Education Commission.
3. 1st Global Framework of Professional Teaching Standards was launched, by Education International (EI) and UNESCO.
3. 5th Meeting of SCO Member States’ Heads of Ministries and Departments of Science and Technology(S&T) and Permanent
Working Group on S&T Cooperation held in Moscow (Russia).
1. India will host Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) forum of Young Scientists and Innovators in 2020.
2. India will also host Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of SCO Member States in 2020.
4. 5th edition of Global Exhibition on Services (GES) 2019 from at Bengaluru (Karnataka), as an annual event aimed at promoting
greater exchange of trade in services between India and world.
5. 5th edition of India-Europe 29 Business Forum held at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra in New Delhi. Europe 29 region stretches from
Switzerland in west to Turkey in east and Norway in the north to Cyprus in the south.
6. 8th edition of ‘International Tourism Mart’ organized at Imphal (capital of Manipur), organised annually in North Eastern region
by Ministry of Tourism. 2019 theme is Sustainable Tourism an engine for Economic Growth and Employment.
7. External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar attended G20 foreign ministers meeting 2019 in Japanese city of Nagoya.
8. Global Bio-India 2019, one of the largest biotechnology stakeholders meet held for the first time in India at New Delhi.
9. Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat represented India at WATEC (Water Technology and Environment Control)
Conference held in Israel.
1. Israel is considered as expert in water management. It treats and reuses 80% of its sewage water for agriculture.
10. Plenary meeting of Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) hosted by India in New Delhi.

1. It is held annually to make sure that the trade of diamonds is conflict free.
2. KPCS outlines rules that govern the trade of diamonds. It is not an organization. It simply relies on contributions of the
participants, industries, governments, civil society observers.
11. World Wind Energy Association (WWEA) organized 18th World Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition (WWEC 2019) in Rio
de Janeiro (Brazil).
Top
National
1. ‘DEFCOM INDIA 2019’ based on theme “Communications: A Decisive Catalyst for Jointness” held at Manekshaw Centre
in New Delhi. DEFCOM is flagship event in area of military communication for achieving jointness between three services.
2. 3rd Military Literature Festival organized in Chandigarh.
3. Uttar Pradesh Government launched campaign against Filaria, as India aims to eradicate Filaria completely by 2021. As per
WHO, Filaria is the second-largest disease that makes people handicapped on a large scale.
4. UP's modern railway coach factory established new dimensions in field of modernity, by beginning using humanoid robot
'Sona 1.5', a full-service robot made in India which can be used to transport documents from one place to another.
5. India for Humanity-Jaipur Foot event organised at US Capitol building to commemorate 150th birth anniversary of M K
Gandhi, jointly by Indian Embassy and Jaipur Foot USA.
6. Aalmi Tablighi Ijtima, world's biggest Islamic Congregation began in Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh). It is a forum for delivering
some important religious-spiritual messages to Muslims around world.
7. 4-day North East festival held in Varanasi (UP), to offer an opportunity for fusion of two rich cultures of Ganga and
Brahmaputra, represented by Varanasi and North East respectively.
8. Fifth Dialogue of NITI Aayog and Development Research Centre (DRC) of State Council of China, held in Wuhan (China).
Indian delegation was led by Dr Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog.
9. 47th All India Police Science Congress held in Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), organized by Bureau of Police Research and
Development (BPR&D).
10. 11th edition of Agrovision exhibition 2019 held in Nagpur (Maharashtra).
11. 2 day conference of governors held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
12. PM Narendra Modi launched Fit India School grading system in schools across country, for grading in 3 categories. Schools
that achieve this ranking will also be able to use Fit India logo and flag. Schools can declare themselves as fit by visiting the
Fit India portal and the rankings will be assigned after survey.
13. Atal innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog in association with UNICEF and MyGov announced top 30 winners of the
Gandhian Challenge, which was organized to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
1. Gandhian challenge sought innovative solutions based on Gandhian principles for new world challenges such as global
warming, increasing violence and intolerance etc.
14. Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat released a short documentary film on Water Conservation named
'SHIKHAR SE PUKAR'. It is based on Journey of an IAS Officer Ravindra Kumar, who climbed Everest this year to attract
attention of people from top of Everest on serious issue of Water Conservation.
15. 1st International Conference on “Landslide Risk Reduction and Resilience" held in New Delhi.
16. 19th Session of India-Finland Joint Commission held in New Delhi.
17. Ocean Dance Festival 2019 held in Cox Bazar of Bangladesh, as largest international dance festival of Bangladesh. 2019
theme is 'Bridging the distance.
18. Indore-based Devi Ahilya University became Madhya Pradesh's first varsity to be accorded A-plus grade by National
Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
19. DRDO Industry Synergy Summit 2019 held at Hyderabad (Telangana).
20. As a tribute to one of most decorated soldiers of Indian Army Late Naib Subedar Chuni Lal, an Army Goodwill Park was
dedicated at his native village Bhara in Doda, Jammu and Kashmir.
21. Indian Steel Association organised 2nd Edition of “ISA – Steel Conclave 2019” in New Delhi.
22. International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) organized NuGen Mobility Summit 2019 in Gurugram (Haryana).
23. Etawah Lion Safari, formally known as Etawah Safari Park opened for public in Uttar Pradesh, without lion segment. It has
at least 18 lions roam in the premises.
24. 8th National Tribal Craft Mela held at Odisha State Tribal Museum Complex in Bhubaneswar.
25. Agra (UP) hosted first-ever Global Taj International Film Festival.
26. First Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, MoEF&CC & Centre for Media Studies (CMS) VATAVARAN-
2019 Short Film Competition and Festival on held in New Delhi.
2. 2019 edition of Manipur Sangai Festival organised in Imphal, named after State animal, Sangai, the brow-antlered deer found
only in Manipur. It is being observed since 2010.
3. Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) signed MoUs with JawaharLal Nehru University (JNU)
and Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) for cooperation in field of Research & Development and Training in Ayurveda &
Traditional Medicine.
4. As per 76th round of National Sample Survey (NSS) carried out during July 2018 to December 2018 -
1. Overall percentage of persons with disability in the population was 2.2% in the country
2. It was 2.2% - with 2.3% in rural and 2% in urban areas.
3. Among males, prevalence of disability was 2.4%, while it was 1.9% among females.
5. As per Ministry of Tourism Data on foreign tourist visits to India in 2018 -
1. Rank Nation (Max foreign tourist arrivals to India) States with highest foreign tourist visit
1 Bangladesh Tamil Nadu.
2 United States(US). Maharashtra.
3 United Kingdom(UK). Uttar Pradesh.
4 Sri Lanka Delhi.
5 Canada Rajasthan.
6. As per NGO Child Relief and You (CRY)'s report on crimes against children -
1. Crimes against children rose by 20% which is higher than overall number of crimes that rose by 3.6%.
2. Uttar Pradesh(UP) and Madhya Pradesh(MP) topped the list for overall crimes in India.
3. CRY analysis was based on data of National Crime Records Bureau(NCRB) for 2016-2017, which was released after a gap of 2
years.
7. Assam Govt. released state's new Land Policy 2019, prepared by Revenue and Disaster Management Department after 30 years.
It was last prepared in 1989.
1. Approved Fifteenth Finance Commission to submit first report for first fiscal year 2020-21 and to extend tenure of
Fifteenth FC to provide for presentation of final report covering FYs 2021-22 to 2025-26 by 30th October, 2020.
1. Extension will enable it to examine various comparable estimates for financial projections in view of reforms and
the new realities to finalise its recommendations for 2020-2026.
2. 15th FC was constituted in November 2017, to give recommendations for devolution of taxes and other fiscal
matters for 5 years, commencing 1 April 2020.
3. Commission's chairman is N. K. Singh, with members being Ajay Narayan Jha, Ashok Lahiri and Anoop Singh.
Commission also has a part-time member in Ramesh Chand. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das also earlier served as
a member.
2. Approved allotment of 1800 sqm of Airports Authority of India's(AAI's) land to Andhra Pradesh Education and
Welfare Infrastructure Development Corporation(APEWIDC) for 15 years at a nominal rate of license fee of Re. 1 per
annum, for construction of Ceremonial Lounge at Tirupati Airport.
2. MOUs -
1. Approved Agreement on establishment of Strategic Partnership Council between India and Saudi Arabia.
2. Approved MoUs with Saudi Arabia in field of combating illicit trafficking and smuggling of Narcotic Drugs,
Psychotropic Substances and Chemical Precursors.
3. Myanmar - Prevention of Trafficking in Persons.
4. Approved Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) and Protocol with Chile for elimination of double taxation
and the prevention of fiscal evasion and avoidance with respect to taxes on income.
3. CCEA -
1. Approved mandatory packaging of foodgrains and sugar in jute material for Jute Year 2019-20. The decision mandates
that 100% of food grains and 20% of sugar shall be mandatorily packed in diversified jute bags, to impetus to
diversification of jute industry. Nearly 4 lakh workers are dependent for their livelihood on the jute sectors.

2. Approved waiver of repayment of loan of 54 lakh and interest amounting to 370 lakh (totalling 424 lakh), against
Sikkim Mining Corporation. Further accumulation of interest on principal loan will get extinguished and liquidation
process of Corporation will get completed.
1. Sikkim Mining Corporation (SMC) was established in 1960, and has been incurring losses every year since its
inception. On the basis of report of a consultant & 107th Report of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Assembly
of Sikkim, State and Central Governments took decision to close it down.
3. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved increasing authorized capital of Food Corporation of India
(FCI) from 3500 to 10000 crores. With this, additional equity capital can be infused in Food Corporation of India (FCI)
through Budget for funding foodgrains stock, perpetually held by FCI.
9. Central Information Commission prresented its annual report for 2018-19. In 2018-19, over 13.70 lakh applications were
received by Central Public Authorities of commission, 11% more than previous year. Only 4.7% were processed by commission,
down from 5.13% in previous year.
1. Central Information Commission was set up under Right to Information Act in 2005. There are 10 Information
Commissioners and one Chief Information Commissioner (Currently Sudhir Bhargava).
10. Chairman of Lokpal, Pinaki Chandra Ghose launched logo of Lokpal in New Delhi. Motto of Lokpal “मा गध
ृ ः क यि व नम ्” (Do
not be greedy for anyone’s wealth) was also adopted. Logo design is made by Prashant Mishra (Prayagraj).
1. Design -
11. Chhattisgarh Government declared Guru Ghasidas National Park (GGNP) as Tiger Reserve, located in the Koriya district in
Chhattisgarh and as 4th Tiger reserve in state. State Govt. also took some other notable decisions -
1. Decided to constitute the State Folk Art Council to preserve and nurture the traditional art forms and artists. It would collect
literature folk arts, ensure registration of all kinds of folk art groups and provide musical instruments and other materials
required by them.
2. Approved amendment to State Panchayati Act 1993 to enable presence of a person with a disability in all Panchayats across
state without a representative and also provisional requirement to contest in Panchayat elections has been moved. State
cabinet also scrapped mandatory provision of passing Class V for contesting elections for post of ‘panch’ and Class VII for
posts of ‘sarpanch’.
3. State Cabinet also approved setting up of two new Universities in the state, one of the universities is for Horticulture and
Forestry and will be named after M K Gandhi and another will be named after former state Congress president late Nand
Kumar Patel in Raigarh district.
12. Delhi Assembly along with Lok Sabha hosted a 3 day Commonwealth Youth Parliament, with Participation from 24
Commonwealth countries.It is first time an Indian Legislature hosted Commonwealth Youth Parliament.
13. Govt extended ban on Assam-based Bodo insurgent group National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) citing that the
terrorist outfit has continued to indulge its involvement in violent activities. NDFB was declared an outlawed outfit in 1990s, the
ban has been extended every five years since then.
1. NDFB was formed in 1986 to obtain a sovereign Boroland for the Bodo people. Since then NDFB has been engaging in
unlawful and violent activities.
2. Govt also extended ban on Assam-based insurgent outfit United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) for 5 years for continuing
subversive activities.
14. Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) Researchers stated that an affliction called avian botulism had killed off thousands of
birds around Rajashan’s Sambhar Lake.
15. India’s largest electricity trading platform, Indian Energy Exchange will launch India’s first natural gas exchange by March 2020,
seeking to tap increasing demand for cleanest fossil fuel.
1. India seeks to increase share of natural gas in its energy mix to 15 % by 2030 from current 6 %, drawing interest from global
majors.
2. Exchange will help bring down price of natural gas through competitive trade.
16. Kalaburagi Airport in Karnataka began operations under UDAN-RCS Scheme of Govt, with its first flight to Kempegowda
International Airport Bengaluru. It is developed at cost of 176 crores.
1. Ministry of Civil Aviation undertook development of Kalaburagi airport, to enable direct connectivity to North Karnataka.

2. So far, 230 routes and 42 airports are operationalized under UDAN. UDAN aims to connect all States / UTs with around 700
routes.
17. Madhya Pradesh government announced 5% reservation to national and international medallists sportspersons in state
government jobs. It was announced during Regional Olympic Games at Kampoo sports complex in Gwalior.
18. Ministry of Shipping (MoS) approved development of Loktak Inland Waterways Project in Manipur, under Central Sector
Scheme (CSS) at estimated cost of Rs.25.58 crore. Loktak Lake is largest freshwater lake in Northeast.
19. Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship announced opening of online registrations for IndiaSkills 2020, a biennial
competition to scout talent from country.
1. IndiaSkills 2020 provides a platform for skilled and talented Indian youngsters to showcase their abilities at regional and
national level competitions in over 50 skills. Regional legs of competitions are organized across four zones, culminating at
national competition in Delhi.
2. Winners of IndiaSkills will represent India at WorldSkills International Competition to be held in China in 2021.
3. Interested candidates can register online- www.worldskillsindia.co.in. The age limit for the competition is for youth born on
or after 1 January 1999.
4. Earlier, 22 winners of Indiaskills 2018 represented India at WorldSkills International 2019 (WSK), held in Kazan, Russia.
India won one gold, one silver, two bronze and 15 Medallions of Excellence and ranked 13th among 63 countries.
20. Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) signed MoU with Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), to
assist women entrepreneurs engaged in organic farming. It will help women entrepreneurs get connected with Government
financial schemes and also meet compliances needed for being competitive in global market.
1. NIFTEM (National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management) will also organize National organic
festival of women entrepreneurs.
21. National Statistical Office(NSO) under Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released Quarterly Bulletin for
period January- March 2019.
1. Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in Current Weekly Status for all ages is estimated as 36% in urban areas during
January-March 2019 as compared to 35.6% during April- June 2018.
2. Unemployment Rate (UR) in current weekly status in urban areas for all ages has been estimated as 9.3% during January-
March 2019 as compared to 9.8% during April- June 2018.
3. For Males - UR is 8.7% during January-March 2019 as compared to 9% during April- June 2018.
4. For Females - UR is 11.6% during January-March 2019 as compared to 12.8% during April- June 2018.
22. On occasion of 70th constitution day on Nov 26, President Ram Nath Kovind launched a web portal of National Youth
Parliament Scheme.
1. Through NYPS Portal, India’s educational organizations will be eligible to take in National Youth Parliament Scheme.
Students taking part in programme will be given ‘certificate of participation’ and each head of the institution and teacher-in-
charge will be given a ‘certificate of appreciation’ through web-portal.
23. Researchers from IIT Kharagpur discovered archaeological evidence of a 3,000-year-old Iron Age settlement at Karim Shahi in
Gujarat and also a historic to medieval settlement at Vigakot near Thar Desert (1500-900 years old), also from Gujarat.
1. Soon after fall of the 5200-3300-year-old Indus Valley civilization, which is mainly attributed to declining monsoon and
major droughts, the Iron Age civilization came into being sometime around 3000-2500 years ago.
24. Software Firm Microsoft launched its “K-12 Education Transformation Framework” to facilitate comprehensive digital
transformation of schools in India. It has been adopted by education leaders in over 50 countries to help plan their learning
strategies.
1. It comprises four pillars — leadership and policy, modern teaching and learning, intelligent environments and technology
blueprint.
25. Survey of India Included Amaravati as capital of Andhra Pradesh (AP), in Official political Map of India. Amaravati was missing
from map released by Govt. earlier, and showed Hyderabad as common capital of Telangana & Andhra Pradesh.
1. AP was bifurcated in 2014 and it was initially decided that Hyderabad would serve as the common administrative capital for
10 years.
26. T-Hub, a Telangana government initiative for startups, launched a fintech accelerator program and National Payments
Corporation of India's (NPCI) txnnxt hub, an innovation lab.
1. Fintech accelerator program,presented by DST as per its NIDHI (National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing
Innovations) acceleration scheme,would be carried out by T-Hub and NPCI to bring in scale-up opportunities for fintech

startups with products and services for the digital payments sector.
27. To conserve endangered vulture population, Uttar Pradesh government will set up the state's first vulture conservation and
breeding center in farenda area of Maharajganj district.
1. There has been a sharp decline in the population of vultures in country, coming down from 40 million to 19,000 in a span of
over three decades.
2. States' first vulture conservation and breeding centre of its kind will be set up on lines of Jatayu Conservation Breeding
Centre at Pinjore in Haryana, which is also first in India.
28. To ensure corrupt-free administration, Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched 14400, a citizen helpline number
meant to enable people to complain about graft in government departments. Complaints will be addressed within 15 - 30 days.
29. Uttar Pradesh Draft Religious Freedom Bill 2019 recommended 7 years Jail term for forced conversion cases.
30. Winter Session of Parliament 2019 -
1. It is 250th session of Rajya Sabha.
2. Statements made by Govt -
1. Census 2021 will be conducted in two phases - House-listing & Housing Census during April to September, 2020 and
Population Enumeration during February 09-28, 2021. Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) recommended amount
of 8754 crores for conducting Census 2021 in 16 languages.
2. National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) counter terrorism Programme will begin by December 31, 2020. It will connect
databases of core security agencies of India, proposed after Mumbai terror attacks in 2008.
3. During current fiscal year so far, Jammu and Kashmir has achieved the highest road length in country under Centre’s
rural roads’ programme of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). It involves completion of around 11,400
kilometres of different road projects, against sanctioned length of 19,700 kilometres.
4. Indian Railway Institute of Financial Management (IRIFM) has been set up in Hyderabad, Telangana. It aims to set up
to impart professional training in management of railway finances, constructed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL).
5. As per health ministry, Gujarat is best performer in terms of no. of hospital admissions under PMJAY (PM Jan Arogya
Yojana), also called Ayushman Bharat. UP, Bihar are worst performers.
Top
Persons
1. Obituaries (November 2019) -
1. Champak Jain - Noted Bollywood Producer.
2. Krishan Kumar Modi - Noted Indian businessman and President of Modi Enterprises.
3. Girija Keer - Noted Marathi writer.
4. Yvette Lundy - Noted French Resistance and a Nazi concentration camp survivor.
5. Ernest J. Gaines - Noted American Author.
6. Nabaneeta Dev Sen - Noted Sahitya Academy Awardee writer.
7. Tazeen Ahmad - Noted British journalist and broadcaster.
8. Ramakant Gundecha - Noted Dhrupad maestro.
9. Tirunellai Narayana Iyer Seshan - Former Chief Election Commissioner of India.
10. Vashishtha Narayan Singh - Noted Mathematician. He is said to have challenged Einstein's theory of relativity.
11. Azad Yusuf - Noted Singer, known as Cochin Azad. He was famous for his renditions of Mohammed Rafi songs.
12. Anthony Longford Mann - Australian cricketer.
13. Sultan bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan - Brother of UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
14. Shaukat Kaifi - Noted Actress and Shabana Azmi's mother.
15. Nilkanth Khadilkar - Noted Senior Journalist.
16. Kailash Joshi - Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister.
17. Bala Singh -Tamil actor.
18. Sushil Kumar - Former Indian Navy Chief.
19. Sudhir Dar - Noted cartoonist.
20. Clive James - Noted Australian writer.
21. Brad Gobright - Noted American Rock climber. He died by falling during a rock climbing practice in Mexico.
22. Yasuhiro Nakasone - former Prime Minister of Japan.
2. Persons Retired / Resigned (November 2019) -

1. T. Latha resigned as MD and CEO of Dhanlaxmi Bank.
2. Anil Ambani resigned as director of bankrupt Reliance Communications.
3. Ireland Female Cricketer Amy Kenealy announced her retirement from international cricket.
4. Noted British Boxer and Two-time Olympic boxing champion Nicola Adams announced her retirement.
5. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis resigned from his post, after no party gained single handed majority in Recent
Maharashtra elections and BJP refused to form coalition government with Shiv Sena, amid demands made by Shiv sena.
President's rule has been enacted in state as no party was able to form goverment.
6. Evo Morales resigned as President of Bolivia (South America), amid protests against his government.
7. Arvind Sawant resigned as Union Minister of heavy industries and public enterprises. Govt gave the additional charge of
Ministry of Heavy industries and public enterprises to Prakash Javadekar (He is also Minister of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change).
8. Spanish footballer David Villa announced retirement from Football.
9. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) banned bowler Shahadat Hussain for five years, due to a fight with a teammate during a
match.
10. Home Ministry cancelled Indian citizenship of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MLA Ramesh Chennamaneni for
concealing facts about his foreign tours. He is alleged to have secretly taken German citizenship and not informed about it.
11. Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa's 3 year extension has been cancelled by Supreme Court of Pakistan. Pakistan Govt
had earlier extended General Bajwa's term for 3 years.
12. Ireland Cricketer Tim James Murtagh announced retirement from International Cricket.
3. Visits from India (Nov 21-30, 2019) -
1. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Singapore to attend 4th edition of annual India-Singapore Defence Ministers’
Dialogue 2019.
4. Visits to India (Nov 21-30, 2019) -
1. Uzbekistan Minister of Internal Affairs, Pulat Bobojonov visited India.
2. Newly elected President of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa Visited India.
1. India announced financial assistance of $450 million to Sri Lanka including $50 million to fight terrorism.
3. Tony Abbott, Former Prime Minister of Australia Visited India.
4. All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) signed MOU with Western Sydney University (Australia), to promote collaboration in
research and developing guidelines for integrating Ayurveda principles with modern medicine.
1. It was signed during visit of Minister for Education of Australia, Dan Tehan to India. He also attended 5th Australia-
India Ministerial Dialogue on Education Cooperation.
5. 1st meeting of India-Japan Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue (2+2) held in New Delhi. India was represdnted by
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. Japan was represented by Foreign Affairs
Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Minister of Defence Taro Kono.
6. Mozambique Minister of Defence Atanasio Salvador M’Tumukeis visited India.
Top
Science
1. Government is planning to set up a new rocket launch pad near Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu. At present, ISRO has two
launch pads at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDCC) in Sriharikotta, Andhra Pradesh.
2. A new species of snake named Trachischium apteii found in Tally Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh. Trachischium
apteii commonly called ‘Slender Snakes’ is a non-venomous burrowing snake well known for its heat-sensing system. It was named
in honour of Deepak Apte noted marine Biologist and Director of BNHS (Bombay Natural History Society).
3. Chinese scientists discovered a stellar black hole in our galaxy Milky Way, using China’s Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber
Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST). It has a mass 70 times that of the sun, crushing earlier belief of scientists that black hole with
mass more than 20 times that of sun cant exist in our galaxy.
1. Black holes form when a star runs out of fuel and collapses on itself, creating a strong gravitational pull that prevents
anything — even light — from escaping. In the process, those stars lose much of their mass, producing black holes that reflect
their diminished size.
2. Newly discovered black hole is named LB-1 by researchers, and is located 15,000 light-years from earth.
3. LAMOST enables researchers to detect black holes by first tracking stars that are orbiting something invisible to more than
the naked eye, such as a black hole.
4. IIT Jodhpur Researchers developed a catalytic converter for cars using Rajasthani clay which can be cheaper and more effective
in reducing pollution. A catalytic converter is a device which is fitted to a vehicle’s exhaust to reduce the pollutants coming from it.
1. It was developed by extracting Iron-Nickel-Cobalt nanoparticles from Rajasthani clay.
2. Catalytic converters currently in use have expensive rare earth elements - Palladium and Cerium.
5. ISRO launched 14 satellites with Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C47 (PSLV-C47) placing in orbit India's earth observation
satellite Cartosat-3 and 13 nano-satellites for US. It was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota (Andhra
Pradesh).
1. Cartosat-3 will be used for large-scale urban planning and to monitor coastal land, rural resources and infrastructure
development. It will last for five years and weighs 1,625kg. It can pick a 25-cm object from its orbital perch about 509 km
away, making it one of sharpest earth-imagers. Last of the Cartosat-2 Series satellite weighed 710 kg and it was launched by
PSLV-C40 last January 2018.
2. Twelve US nano-satellites called FLOCK-4P will be used for earth observation and another called MESHBED is a
communication test bed.
3. With this latest American business order, ISRO has so far launched 310 foreign satellites.
6. Researchers found an aquatic environment on Earth with complete absence of any form of life, terming it most non-habitable
place on planet. Findings revealed that any form of microbial life was absent in the hot, saline, hyperacid ponds of Dallol
Geothermal Field in Ethiopia.
1. It is one of the most torrid environments on planet with daily temperatures in winter exceeding over 45 degrees Celsius.
2. Earlier it was believed that certain microorganisms can develop in this multi-extreme environment but now they have
presented this place as an example of limits of conditions that can support life.
3. Wider area of Dallol is known as one of the driest and hottest places on planet Earth. It is also one of the lowest land points,
lying 125 m or 410 ft below mean sea level (MSL).
7. Researchers of University of Gothenburg in Sweden developed a potential Diarrhea vaccine candidate, named as ‘ETVAX’,
proved safe and effective in an early-stage clinical trial in Bangladesh.
1. Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) bacteria are primary cause of diarrhea. At present there is no ETEC vaccine available for use
in children in the ETEC high-risk areas.
8. Scientists at Hyderabad based CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) demonstrated role of a protein
Secretagogin (SCGN) in increasing insulin action in obesity-induced diabetes.
1. Currently, processes regulating insulin synthesis, secretion, signalling and maturation in diabetes were not completely
understood by scientists.
2. Secretagog is a protein that in humans is encoded by SCGN gene. The encoded protein is a secreted calcium-binding protein
which is found in cytoplasm. Findings show that SCGN would soon become a diagnostic marker, and one should check its
potential in diabetes management.
3. As per findings SCGN is insulin-binding protein with therapeutic potential against diabetes. SCGN binds to insulin and
protects it from various stresses, increases its stability as well as adds to its action.
Top
Sports
1. 21st Asian Archery Championships 2019 held in Bangkok (Thailand) -
1. Medal Table -
1.
1 South Korea 9 2 2 13
2 India 1 2 4 7
China 0 2 1 3
3
Chinese Taipei 0 2 1 3
2. Gold - India's Abhishek Verma AND Jyothi Surekha Vennam (compound Mixed team).
3. Silver -

1. Compound Men's Team (Mohan Bhardwaj, Rajat Chauhan, Abhishek Verma)

2. Compound Women's Team (Priya Gurjar, Muskan Kirar, Jyothi Surekha Vennam)
4. Bronze -
1. Atanu Das - Recurve Men's Individual
2. Recurve Men's Team (Atanu Das, Tarundeep Rai, Jayanta Talukdar).
3. Recurve Women's Team (Ankita Bhakat, Deepika Kumari, Bombayla Devi Laishram)
4. Recurve Mixed Team (Atanu Das, Deepika Kumari)
2. As per year-end FIFA World Ranking 2019 -
1. India ranked 108th in the list.
2. Top 5 - Belgium (1), France (2), Brazil (3), England (4), Uruguay (5)
3. ISSF World Cup Final 2019 (Putian, China) -
1. India Ranked at top. Indian Medalists -
1. Sl No Event Winners Medal
1 Men's 10 metre air rifle Divyansh Singh Panwar Gold
2 Women's 10 metre air rifle Elavenil Valarivan Gold
3 Women's 10 metre air pistol Manu Bhaker Gold
4 Mixed team 10 metre air pistol Manu Bhaker (Ind) /Artem Chernousov (Russia) Gold
5 Mixed team 10 metre air rifle Snjezana Pejcic (Croatia) /Divyansh Singh Panwar (IND) Gold
6 Mixed team 10 metre air pistol Anna Korakaki (Greece) /Saurabh Chaudhary (IND) Silver
7 Mixed team 10 metre air rifle Apurvi Chandela (IND) / Zhang Changhong (China) Silver
8 Mixed team 10 metre air pistol Zorana Arunovic (Serbia) /Shahzar Rizvi (IND) Bronze
2. In Previous 4 Legs of ISSF World Cup in New Delhi, Beijing, Munich and Rio, India had won 16 Gold, 4 Silver and 2
Bronze Medals.
3. After Final, India is at top with total 30 Medals - 3 in Leg 1 in New Delhi, 4 in Leg 2 in Bejing, 6 in Leg 3 in
Munich, 9 in Leg 4 in Rio De Janeiro and 8 in Final in Putian.
2. Medal Tally -

1 India 21 6 3 30
2 China 11 15 18 44
4 Russia 5 6 5 16
5 Italy 5 2 7 14
3. Notably, Manu Bhaker broke junior world record with her total score of 244.7. She also became second Indian to win gold in
10m Air Pistol at the ISSF World Cup, after Heena Sidhu.
4. Also, 3 Indian shooters finished as No.1 in year-end World rankings and will receive International Shooting Sports
Federation's (ISSF) 'The Golden Target' award. Divyansh Singh Panwar and Elavenil Valarivan topped men's and women's
10m air rifle categories respectively, while Saurabh Chaudhary ended as No. 1 in men's 10m air pistol event.
4. International Hockey federation announced that Odisha's Bhubaneswar and Rourkela cities will host 2023 Men's Hockey World
Cup, After hosting the World Cup in 2018.
5. Misc. Sports Events (November 2019) -
1. Indian Women Cricket Team defeated Sri Lanka to win Women’s Emerging Asia Cup 2019, hosted in Sri Lanka.
2. Official emblem of FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2020 has been unveiled. The tournament is to be held in India. Also,
Thomas Dennerby is appointed as as Indian Head Coach for the event.
3. 35th National Junior Athletics Championships 2019 held in Guntur (Andhra Pradesh).
4. India's Deepak Chahar has set record for Best bowling figures in T20 Intrnational Cricket by picking 6 wickets for 7 runs
against Bangladesh. He went past Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka)'s record of 6 wickets/8 runs.
5. 63rd National Shotgun Shooting Championships held in New Delhi.
6. South Korea’s Kim Joo Hyung won Panasonic Open Golf 2019 held in Gurugram (Haryana). India’s Shiv Kapur finished tied
runner-up with S. Chikkarangappa.
7. Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia has been conferred the Indian Personality of the Year Award (Sports) at the Indo Arab
Leaders Summit & Awards 2019 in Dubai. Powerlifting champion Mahant Gaurav Sharma was honoured with Visionary
Leaders of the Year (Sports) award.

8. Bhubaneswar (Odisha) will host India's home matches during 2020 Hockey Pro League, as announced by International
Hockey Federation. It will be played between 11th of January and 28th of June in 2020.
9. Indian Hockey player-turned bodybuilder Chitahresh Natesan, also known as ‘Indian Monster’, became first Indian to win
‘Mr. Universe (Pro) 2019’ in 90kg category at 11th World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship(WBPF) in South
Korea.
10. India won its first-ever pink ball test match played against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
11. Serbia will stage its first-ever World Athletics Series, with its capital, Belgrade being named host of 2022 World Athletics
Indoor Championships. Chinese city of Yangzhou is named as host of 2022 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships.
12. India won 28 medals at Under-15 Asian wrestling Championships at Taichung (China), including 13 gold, 14 silver and a
bronze.
13. Indian Professional boxer Vijender Singh defeated Ghana’s former Commonwealth champion Charles Adamu to claim his
12th successive win.
14. World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) committee recommended a four-year global sports ban on Russia, including hosting
and participating in major international sports events. It wont affect russia hosting European Championship Football
(UEFA) in 2020.
15. Australian Cricketer Steve Smith became fastest to score 7,000 runs in Test cricket, going past late English cricketer Wally
Hammond.
6. Scottish Open Badminton 2019 -
1. Men's Singles - Lakshya Sen (India). He defeated Brazil's Ygor Coelho.
2. Womne's Singles - Qi Xuefei (France)
3. Men's doubles - Scotland's Alexander Dunn AND Adam Hall
4. Women's doubles - Denmark's Amalie Magelund AND Freja Ravn
7. Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal led Spain to win its sixth Davis Cup title 2019, by defeating Denis Shapovalov of Canada.
1. 2019 Davis Cup is 108th edition of Davis Cup, a tournament between national teams in men's tennis.
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Latest Current Affairs Up to November 2019

Month All Type All

1. Round Grand Prix Winner date

2 Bahrain Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 31 March

3 Chinese Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 14 April

4 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 28 April

5 Spanish Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 12 May

6 Monaco Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 26 May

7 Canadian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 9 June

8 French Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 23 June

9 Austrian Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch) 30 June

10 British Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 14 July

11 German Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch) 28 July

12 Hungarian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 4 August

13 Belgian Grand Prix Charles Leclerc (Monaco) 1 September

14 Italian Grand Prix 8 September

15 Singapore Grand Prix 22 September

16 Russian Grand Prix 29 September

17 Japanese Grand Prix 13 October

18 Mexican Grand Prix 27 October

19 United States Grand Prix 3 November

20 Brazilian Grand Prix 17 November

21 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 1 December

1. Round Grand Prix Winner date

1 Australian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 17 March

2 Bahrain Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 31 March

3 Chinese Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 14 April

4 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 28 April

5 Spanish Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 12 May

6 Monaco Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 26 May

7 Canadian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 9 June

8 French Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 23 June

9 Austrian Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch) 30 June

10 British Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 14 July

11 German Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch) 28 July

12 Hungarian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 4 August

13 Belgian Grand Prix Charles Leclerc (Monaco) 1 September

14 Italian Grand Prix Charles Leclerc (Monaco) 8 September

15 Singapore Grand Prix 22 September

16 Russian Grand Prix 29 September

17 Japanese Grand Prix 13 October

18 Mexican Grand Prix 27 October

19 United States Grand Prix 3 November

20 Brazilian Grand Prix 17 November

21 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 1 December

1. Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total

Read Important Ones

Month All Type All

Read Important Ones

Month All Type All

4. Exemptions from GST/ IGST -

3. 7 Indian weightlifters participated, but India remained medal-less at the event.

1. Round Grand Prix Winner date

1 Australian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 17 March

2 Bahrain Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 31 March

3 Chinese Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 14 April

4 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 28 April

5 Spanish Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 12 May

6 Monaco Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 26 May