Daily Current Affairs 24 August 2019: We have collected the latest current affairs for 24 August 2019 that are important for all competitive exams like Bank, SSC, IBPS, SBI exams. The GK current affairs will help you score more in these competitive exams. Improve your general knowledge with our daily online current affairs. You can also read the daily current affairs on our mobile app.

Current Affairs 24 August 2019

Former Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley passes away

PM Modi Honored with UAE’s Highest Civilian Award ‘Order of Zayed’

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi was honoured with the ‘Order of Zayed’, the UAE’s highest civilian award on August 24, 2019 in Abu Dhabi, UAE for his efforts to boost bilateral ties between the two countries. 
• PM Modi was in UAE on second leg of his three-nation visit beginning France, UAE and Bahrain respectively.
• Prime Minister also launched the RuPay card in Abu, Dhabi, UAE, With this, UAE has become first country in the Middle East to initiate the Indian indigenous system of electronic payment. 
• He released postage stamps on Mahatma Gandhi to commemorate his 150th birth anniversary.

Gujarat’s Statue of Unity & Soho House in Mumbai Features in Time’s List of World’s 100 Greatest Places in 2019

• The Statue of Unity in Gujarat and Soho House in Mumbai have been listed in Time magazine’s second annual list of the world’s 100 greatest places in the year 2019, featuring new and “newly noteworthy destinations to experience right now”.
• The places were selected across various categories including museums, parks, restaurants, and hotels and then each evaluated based on key factors, including quality, originality, sustainability, innovation and influence.
• The Statue of Unity, is the tallest statue in the world at a height of 182 metres, built as a tribute to the country’s first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
• Mumbai’s upscale Soho House is Asia’s first establishment of the hotel chain that exists across the United States and Europe and  situated in an 11-storey building that comprises a library, a movie theatre with 34 seats and a rooftop bar and swimming pool, overlooking the Arabian Sea. 

Gujarat ranked first in Composite Water Management Index 2.0

• NITI Aayog has prepared the second Round of Composite Water Management Index (CWMI 2.0) in which Gujarat is at the top. 
• Top State: CWMI 2.0 ranks various states for the reference year 2017-18 as against the base year 2016-17 (for first edition). Gujarat is at the top in the reference year (2017-18). Andhra Pradesh is on 2nd, Madhya Pradesh on 3rd, Goa on 4th, Karnataka on 5th and Tamil Nadu on 6th. In the last ranking also Gujarat was on top. 
• Top NE/Himalayan State and Last Rank: In North Eastern and Himalayan States, Himachal Pradesh has been ranked one. Delhi is at the last spot. 
• About CWMI: Composite Water Management Index was first launched in 2018 by NITI Aayog as a tool to instill the sense of cooperative and competitive federalism among the states. 

Government Declares Ocean Energy as Renewable Energy

• In an effort to boost to ocean energy in India, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has declared Ocean Energy as Renewable Energy.
• The Ministry has clarified all the stakeholders that energy produced using various forms of ocean energy such as tidal, wave, current, ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) among others shall be considered as renewable energy.
• These energy shall also be eligible for meeting the non-solar Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO).

Textile Minister Smriti Irani Launches Sustainable Fashion Project ‘SU.RE’

• The Union Minister for Textiles Smriti Zubin Irani inaugurated Project SU.RE, which stands for Sustainable Resolution, during Lakme Fashion Winter/Festive 2019 in Mumbai.
• Project SU.RE aims to move towards sustainable fashion that contributes to a clean environment to save the earth.
• It is the first ever project in India’s apparel industry that 16 biggest fashion brands of India will come together to set a sustainable pathway for the Indian Fashion Industry and is also a step towards responsible and smart business.

CVC setups Advisory Board for Banking Frauds (ABBF); Head- TM Bhasin

• Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, has reconstituted the Advisory Board on Bank, Commercial and Financial Frauds as ABBF. The four-membered board, ABBF will be headed by TM Bhasin, former CMD of Indian Bank.
• State-run banks will need to report all cases of large frauds to ABBF set up by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). ABBF will examine bank fraud over Rs 50 crore and recommend action. 
• Individual PSBs would refer all large fraud cases above Rs 50 crore to the board.

Bandhan Bank enters credit card business with standard Chartered tie-up

• Bandhan Bank has entered into the credit cards business in partnership with Standard Chartered Bank. Standard Chartered Bank will provide the back-end supports as well as the credit.
• Three variants of co-branded credit cards will be issued to the non-microcredit customers of Bandhan Bank. This is StanChart’s first co-branded card with another bank. 

7 of the world’s 10 worst-performing bank stocks are in India; Top- Yes Bank

• Data as per Bloomberg indicates that Seven of the 10 worst-performing bank stocks globally are from India as the country struggles due to an economic slowdown.
• Yes Bank is the top worst performing bank among these. It has a Total YTD returns: -69.60 percent.

The list of all banks are:
1. Yes Bank (India)
2. IDBI Bank (India)
3. Central Bank of India (India) 
4. Banco BBVA Argentina (Argentina)
5. Bank of India (India)
6. Grupo Financiero Galicia (Buenos Aires)
7. RBL Bank (India)
8. Unicaja Bank (Spain)
9. Indian Overseas Bank (India)
10. Corporation Bank (India)

Conservationist Vivek Menon Awarded Clark Bavin Award 2019

• Conservationist Vivek Menon, head of Wildlife Trust of India, has been awarded the prestigious Clark R Bavin Wildlife Law Enforcement Award for the year 2019 on August 20 in Geneva.
• Menon is the founder, trustee, executive director and CEO of the Delhi-based conservation non-profit Wildlife Trust of India.
• He was presented the award by Ivonne Higuero, the secretary general of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) during the ongoing 18th meeting of Conference of Parties to CITES in Geneva, Switzerland to be held from 17-28 August 2019.
• The Bavin award is instituted by the US based Animal Welfare Institute for wildlife law enforcement officers, law enforcement agencies, agency administrators, criminal investigators, forensic scientists, attorneys, informants, and others who have gone beyond the call of duty and demonstrated a commitment and dedication to combating wildlife crime.

Praneeth becomes first Indian male shuttler to win World Championships medal in 36 years

• B Sai Praneeth became the first Indian male shuttler in 36 years to secure a medal in the BWF World Championships. He won a Bronze Medal.
• Sai Praneeth lost 13-21, 8-21 to Japan’s Kento Momota in men’s singles semifinal of BWF World Championships. The event is being held at Basel, Switzerland.
• Prakash Padukone was the first Indian to win a men’s singles World Championships medal — a bronze — in the 1983 edition.

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Current Affairs in Shorts- 24 August 2019