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Current Affairs 22 August 2019

India Signs 6 MoUs with Zambia to Strengthen Bilateral Ties

The President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu was on a three day visit to India at the invitation of President Shri Ram Nath Kovind from 20-22 August 2019.
The two countries signed 6 MoUs in key sectors such as mineral resources and defence to strengthen bilateral ties.

List of MoUs

Cooperation in the field of Geology and Mineral Resources
Cooperation in the field of Defence
Cooperation in the field of Arts & Culture
MoU between Foreign Service Institute of India and Zambian Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies
MoU on EVBAB Network Project
MoU between Election Commission of India and Electoral Commission of Zambia

J&K Government Constitutes 3 Committees To Devise Modalities for Functioning of UT of Jammu and Kashmir

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has constituted three separate committees for devising modalities for functioning of the proposed Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir besides dealing with financial matters and staff issues.

Committee I

Number of Members: 12
Head: Advisor to Governor K K Sharma.
Purpose: Take steps for transition from a state to the proposed Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and conduct of government business in the proposed UT.
Other Members: Financial Commissioners with the Governor, Finance Department and Health and Medical Education Department, Principal Secretaries of Home Department, Planning, Development and Monitoring Department, and Commissioner Secretaries of Public Works (roads and buildings) Department, Ladakh Affairs Department and Secretaries of General Administration Department (GAD), Higher Education Department, Revenue Department and Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.

Committee II

Number of Members: 5
Head: Financial Commissioner, Finance Department
Purpose: To deal with the financial matters related issues such as realisation and distribution of funds concerning proposed Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh
Other Members: Principal Secretary, Home Department, Commissioner Secretary, Power Development Department, Secretary, GAD and Secretary, Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.

Committee III

Number of Members: 6
Head: Principal Secretary, Home Department
Purpose: To deal with the staff related issues in the proposed UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Other Members: Commissioner Secretary, Ladakh Affairs Department, Secretary, General Administration Department, Secretary, Culture Department, Secretary, Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, and Representative of the Finance Department

Kiren Rijiju to head committee for Fit India Movement

A 28-member committee has been formed under the chairmanship of sports minister Kiren Rijiju that will advise the government on the “Fit India Movement”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the “Fit India Movement” on August 29. The Fit India Movement aims to encourage people to inculcate physical activity and sports in their everyday lives.
The committee comprises of government officials, members of Indian Olympic Association (IOA), national sports federations, private bodies and fitness promoter.

Government to launch e-commerce portal named Bharatcraft

MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced that Government is planning to launch an e-commerce portal named Bharat Craft for the benefit of MSME sector in India.
It would be on the lines of Alibaba and Amazon, will provide a platform for MSMEs to market and sell their products and in turn boost the sector.

RBI changes RTGS opening time from 8 AM to 7 AM

The Reserve Bank of India has further increased the timing for Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) Payment System by changing the Open for Business timing for RTGS from 8:00 AM to 7:00 AM.
At present, the RTGS system is available for customer transactions from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. Now it will be available from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. This timing will be applicable from August 26, 2019.
Recently in May 2019, RBI had extended the cutoff time for customers from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM.

RBI allows e-mandates on cards for recurring transactions upto Rs 2000

The Reserve Bank of India has allowed processing of e-mandate on cards for recurring transactions. The maximum permissible limit for a transaction under this provision is Rs 2,000/-.
This would be applicable on all types of cards – debit, credit and Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs), including wallets. These instructions would come into effect from September 1, 2019.
There would be a requirement of Additional Factor of Authentication (AFA) during the registration of e-mandate registration and for the first transaction. The remaining transactions would be automatic and simple without AFA.

India provides Rs 233 crore financial aid to Nepal for infrastructure projects

India has provided Rs 233 crore to the Nepal Government for various infrastructure projects. This includes roads and reconstruction of houses destroyed in the massive earthquake in 2015 which saw the death of over 9,000 people.
The decision was taken during the 5th meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Commission attended by the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The Nepal-India Joint Commission’s meetings are being held alternately in both countries. The last meeting was held in New Delhi in October 2016.

Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel Launches Book Titled ‘The Diary of Manu Gandhi’ by Tridip Suhrud

The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Culture and Tourism, Prahlad Singh Patel, inaugurated the book titled ‘The Diary of Manu Gandhi’.
The book is a record of Manu Gandhi’s (Mridula) life and times with M.K. Gandhi between 1943 and 1948. She was the grand niece of Mahatma Gandhi and stayed with Gandhiji till his assassination.
The book, originally in Gujarati, has been edited and translated by Dr Tridip Suhrud, a well known scholar engaged in understanding the Gandhian Intellectual tradition.
It has been published by National Archives of India in collaboration with Oxford University Press to commemorate the occasion of 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
The Diary of Manu Gandhi spans two volume with the first volume covering the period 1943-1944.

Akshay Kumar ranked 4th in Forbes’ highest-paid actors’ list; Top- Dwayne Johnson

Forbes has released the list of the world’s 10 highest-paid actors in 2019. Hollywood actor Dwayne Johnson (WWE’s Rock) has topped the list with an earning of $89.4 million.
Akshay Kumar is the sole Indian in the top 10 list and is ranked at 4th spot with an earning of $65 million.
Chris Hemsworth (popular as thor) is second in the list with $76.4 million and Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) is third in the list with earning of $66 million.

JNU Professor Meeta Narain Awarded the Pushkin Medal 2019

Professor Meeta Narain of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been conferred with the Pushkin Medal 2019 for her contribution to Russian studies abroad.
Pushkin medal is the highest honour given by the Russian government to scholars, of Russian language and literature, including both citizens as well as foreign nationals.
Narain has contributed towards re-writing of Russian studies textbooks for graduate students after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Her works are now being used in departments of Russian language studies at various universities of India, in many former Soviet nation institutes, Europe, the US and other countries.

Ajay Kumar Bhalla Appointed as New Home Secretary

The Appointments Committee of the cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the following appointments:
Ajay Kumar Bhalla has been appointed as the new Union Home Secretary.for fixed two-year tenure till August 2021. He is currently serving as an officer on special duty in the home ministry. He will replace Rajiv Gauba.
Rajiv Gauba, on the other hand, has been given the charge of Cabinet Secretary and also as Officer on Special Duty in the Cabinet Secretariat.
Ajay Kumar has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Defence, Ministry of Defence.
Brij Kumar Agarwal has been given charge as Secretary to the Lokpal in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India.
Subash Chandra has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence to replace Ajay Kumar.

Abdalla Hamdok takes charge as Prime Minister of Sudan

Abdalla Hamdok has taken the oath as the prime minister of Sudan. This comes a month after Sudan embarked on a three-year transition to civilian rule.
Hamdok was sworn in before Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, chairman of the newly-formed Sovereign Council, at the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum in presence of the chief justice.

Kiren Rijiju & Baichung Bhutia Inaugurates Delhi leg of Op-Blue Freedom

Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Kiren Rijiju and former India football captain Baichung Bhutia flagged off the Delhi leg of Op-Blue Freedom at SPM Swimming Pool Complex in New Delhi.
Op-Blue Freedom is a nation-wide Adaptive Scuba Diving Programme for people with disabilities and the able-bodied alike. It is a part of the parent project ‘Special Forces Adventures’.
Op-Blue Freedom is an initiative in which a group of armed forces veterans, train sports enthusiasts, both abled and disabled, in special forces skills like survival techniques, emergency first response skills, unarmed combat, endurance and fitness.
The dive sessions will be kept open from 22nd – 25th August from 9 am – 5 pm.
Recently, in July 2019, successful leg of ‘Op-Blue Freedom’ in Chandigarh was conducted.

The world is observing the first annual International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief on August 22, 2019.
The international day aims to honour the victims and survivors of evil acts on the basis of or in the name of religion or belief.
The day was adopted at the 73rd UN General Assembly on 28 May 2019 as proposed by Poland.

International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism: August 21

The International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism is observed on August 21 to honor the victims and survivors of terrorism.
The day was designated by United Nations General Assembly in 2017.

World Senior Citizen Day: August 21

The World Senior Citizen Day is observed worldwide on August 21 each year to raise awareness about issues affecting older people, such as deterioration with age and the abuse of the elderly and support, honor and show appreciation to seniors and to recognize their achievements.
The Day was first proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 14, 1990.

Daily Current Affairs – 22 August 2019