UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS
15th September 2017 1. International Day of Democracy: 15 September i. The International Day of Democracy is observed across the world on 15 September. The theme for the year 2017 is „Democracy and Conflict prevention‟. ii. This year's theme focuses on the critical need to strengthen democratic institutions to promote peace and stability. It is organized by the United Nations.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
2. Government Launches Wood is Good Campaign i. Environmental Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurated a two-day conference on “Sustainable landscapes and forest ecosystems: Theory to Practice”. ii. Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched the “Wood is Good” campaign on the occasion. Wood is a climate-friendly material, as it is a renewable resource, having zero carbon footprint.
3. India Launches „Operation Insaniyat‟ to Help Bangladesh i. India has started 'Operation Insaniyat' to provided assistance to Bangladesh in response to the humanitarian crisis being faced on account of the large influx of Rohingya refugees into that country from Myanmar. ii. The first tranche of India‟s relief aid for the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh arrived and was handed over by the Indian envoy Harsh Vardhan Sringla to the General Secretary of ruling Awami League, Obaidul Quader.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Sheikh Hasina is the PM of Bangladesh. Abdul Hamid is the President of Bangladesh.
4. Wholesale Inflation Hits Four-Month High of 3.24% in August i. Wholesale inflation rose to a four-month high of 3.24 per cent in August as prices of food articles, led by onions and vegetables, soared. Inflation based on the Wholesale Price Index was 1.88 per cent in July 2017 and 1.09 per cent in August 2016. ii. The last such high level of inflation was witnessed in April when the rate of price rise was 3.85 per cent.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Arun Jaitley is the current Finance Minister of India.
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5. Corporate Affairs Ministry & CBDT Signed MoU i. Corporate Affairs Ministry and Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has signed an MoU for automatic and regular exchange of information to curb the menace of shell companies, money laundering and black money in the country. ii. The MoU will enable sharing of specific information such as PAN number data in respect of corporates, Income Tax returns of corporates, financial statements filed with the Registrar by corporates, audit reports, and statements of financial transactions received from banks relating to corporates.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Sushil Chandra is the Chairman of CBDT. Arun Jaitley is the present Minister of Corporate Affairs.
6. HSBC Ties-up With Sa-Dhan i. Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) has entered into an agreement with microfinance industry association Sa-Dhan to develop digital ecosystem for India's unbanked segment. ii. The bank will provide technical expertise to train and educate microfinance consumers at the grassroots level and introduce digital banking to promote easier and time-efficient financial transaction among the so-called bottom-of-the- pyramid customer.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
HSBC Headquarters in London, United Kingdom. HSBC was established in 1865 to finance trade between Europe and Asia Douglas Flint is the Group Chairman of HSBC Holdings plc.
7. Google to Launch Mobile Payment Service in India i. Tech giant Google is announced to unveil a digital payment service in India that has been developed for the local market. In July, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) had stated that Google had completed the testing of its UPI payment service and was awaiting Reserve Bank of India‟s approval to launch its service in the country. ii. Google is looking at launching a payment service „Google Tez‟, which will include support for Unified Payments Interface (UPI) as well as mobile wallets like Paytm and MobiKwik.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
UPI allows consumers to transfer money from one bank to another using a virtual address. There is no need of account number, IFSC code or MMID to carry out the transfer.
8. Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Elected as Chair of the IOC Ethics Commissioni. Former United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was elected as Chair of Ethics Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for a four-year term. Ban succeeds Youssoupha Ndiaye of Senegal whose term has come to an end.
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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS ii. His appointment was proposed by the IOC Executive Board and was approved during the IOC Session in Lima with a 74-4 majority.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Ban Ki-moon was the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations. The president of IOC is Thomas Bach.
9. 74th Venice Film Festival Awards 2017 i. Guillermo del Toro‟s 'The Shape of Water' was awarded the Golden Lion at the 74th Venice Film Festival. The film, a romantic monster movie starring Sally Hawkins and Michael Shannon, premiered on the Lido on August 31, declared as the best movie. ii. It‟s also the first English-language movie to win Venice‟s top prize since Sofia Coppola‟s Somewhere in 2010.
List of Awards are as follows-
1. Golden Lion - Best Movie
The Shape of Water, directed by Guillermo del Toro
2. Grand Jury Prize
Foxtrot, directed by Samuel Maoz
3. Silver Lion - Best Director
Xavier Legrand (for Jusqu‟à la Garde)
4. Volpi Cup - Best Actress
Charlotte Rampling (for Hannah)
5. Volpi Cup - Best Actor
Kamel El Basha (for The Insult)
10. Goa to Host 36th National Games i. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) formally awarded to Goa the rights to host the 36th National Games. The announcement was made by the state sports minister Manohar Ajgaonkar. ii. Ajgaonkar stated that IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta, in a letter to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, had formally conferred the rights to the state to host the sporting event in November 2017.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
The National Games were formerly known as the Indian Olympic Games. The first Modern National Games on the lines of the Olympics were held in 1985 in New Delhi.
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11. India's First Foreign Coach for Women Boxers Resigns i. Indian women's boxing's first foreign coach, Stephane Cottalorda, has resigned after just one month of appointment, alleging delay in salary and other payments. ii. Cottalorda has claimed in his resignation letter that he hasn't been paid his salary for the first month in full and has also cited 'lack of professionalism' on part of Boxing Federation of India (BFI) as his reasons for not coming back to India.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Ajay Singh is the current President of BFI.
12. 'Unstoppable: My Life So Far' authored by Maria Sharapova i. The book titled 'Unstoppable: My Life So Far' authored by tennis star Maria Sharapova was unveiled. The book talks about Sharapova‟s rise from nowhere to tennis stardom, and the unending fight to stay on top. ii. The book tells how a seventeen-year-old Maria Sharapova became an overnight sensation by defeating the two-time defending champion Serena Williams to win the prestigious Wimbledon.
Important Takeaways from Above News
Maria Sharapova is a Russian professional tennis player. She is one of ten women, and the only Russian, to hold the career Grand Slam. According to Forbes, she has been named highest paid female athlete in the world for 11 consecutive years.
13. Frank Vincent, Veteran Actor Passes Away i. Frank Vincent, who played tough guys and mobsters in "The Sopranos" and a number of director Martin Scorsese movies, died at age 80. ii. In 2006, Vincent wrote the nonfiction book 'A Guy's Guide to Being a Man's Man'. "The Death Collector," was his debut movie.
16th September 2017
1. President Kovind launched nationwide campaign: "Swachhata Hi Sewa" i. President Ram Nath Kovind launched a nation-wide campaign Swachhata Hi Sewa from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. ii. He will administer nation-wide Swachhta Hi Seva pledge initiating parallel action in all the two lakh 50 thousand plus Gram Panchayats and cities in India. iii. The objective of the campaign is to mobilize people and reinforce the Jan Aandolan for sanitation to contribute to Mahatma Gandhi's dream of a Clean India.
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2. India Signs Loan Deal with Japan i. The Government of India signed a loan deal worth $76 million with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for a project to upgrade the environment management plan at Alang-Sosiya ship recycling yards. ii. The total cost of the project will be $ 111 million, out of which $76 million will be provided as a soft loan from JICA. The project will be executed by Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) and is likely to be completed by 2022.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Tokyo is the Capital of Japan. The Japanese Yen is the third most traded currency in the world. Shinzo Abe is the PM of Japan.
3. India‟s Forex Reserves Top $400 billion for the First Time i. According to the RBI Data, India‟s foreign-exchange reserves rose past $400 billion for the first time ever, strengthening policymakers‟ buffers ahead of an expected reduction in US stimulus. ii. The stockpile stood at $400.7 billion. With the Federal Reserve set to shrink its balance sheet—details of which could be announced recently, the holdings may help the rupee withstand any volatility even if global funds turn away from India‟s slowing economy.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Arun Jaitley is the current Finance Minister of India.
4. India's First Centre for Animal Law Set up at NALSAR i. India's first Centre for Animal Law has been established at the city-based NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad, Telangana. Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi inaugurated the centre. ii. HSI-India Managing Director N G Jayasimha has been appointed as the honorary director of the Centre. The Centre will create curriculum on animal welfare laws, including developing topics for research
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Maneka Gandhi is the Union Minister for Women and Child Development.
5. HDFC Bank is India‟s Top Brand: BrandZ Top 50 Report i. India‟s second largest private sector bank HDFC Bank topped the list of the country‟s top 50 brands according to a report released by marketing and advertising conglomerate WPP Plc and Kantar Millward Brown. The bank has retained the top slot for the fourth year in a row. Banks and telcos dominate the listing, WPP‟s BrandZ Top 50. ii. Airtel is at 2nd spot and State Bank of India is at 3rd. According to the report, consumption of packaged consumer goods fell 4.2% and 2.4% year on year in November and December 2016 respectively but recovered 0.6% in March this year and 3.9% in April.
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Important Takeaways from Above News-
Aditya Puri is the CEO of HDFC Bank. It headquarters in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
6. India‟s First Lithium-Ion Battery Unit in Gujarat i. Suzuki Motor will invest more than Rs 1,150 crore along with Japanese partners Toshiba and Denso to set up India's first lithium-ion battery facility in Gujarat. ii. The announcement by the parent of the country's largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki is a major boost to the government's ambitious vehicle electrification and Make in India initiatives. In the battery venture, Suzuki will hold half the stake, while Toshiba will own 40% and Denso the remaining 10%.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Osamu Suzuki is the chairman of Suzuki Motor.
7. IAF Completes Development Trials of Astra air-to-air Missile i. Final development trials of indigenous beyond visual range air-to-air missile Astra were successfully concluded into the Indian Air Force. The trials were conducted over the Bay of Bengal off Odisha coast at Chandipur, with the missile being test-fired from a Su-30 fighter aircraft. ii. The missile has been designed to be capable of engaging high-speed targets at short range, up to 20 km in tail-chase mode and long range, up to 80 km in head-on chase mode.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Nirmala Sitharaman is the newly appointed Defence Minister of India. S. Christopher is the Chief of DRDO
8. International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer: 16 September i. The International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is observed globally on 16 September every year. The theme for 2017 is 'Caring for all life under the sun'. ii. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol. As part of the anniversary celebrations, the Ozone Secretariat launched a communication campaign #OzoneHeroes ahead of World Ozone Day.
9. MPEDA Bags Rajbhasha Keerti Award i. The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) has been awarded National level Rajbhasha Keerti Award for the third consecutive year. MPEDA Chairman A Jayathilak received the award from President Ram Nath Kovind. ii. This award has been given to MPEDA for the best Implementation of Official language in the organization.
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Important Takeaways from Above News-
Vijaya Bank has bagged the first prize under the Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar (Region C) for the year 2016-17.
10. World's Oldest Person Dies at 117 i. The world's oldest person Violet Mosse-Brown from Jamaica has died at the age of 117. She was born on March 10, 1900, in Jamaica. ii. The prime minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, informed about Mosse-Brown's death. Brown had been given the honor in April 2017 when Italy's Emma Morano died, also at the age of 117. iii. With the death of Brown, Japanese 117-year-old Nabi Tajima is now the known oldest human on the planet.
Important takeaways from Above News-
Kingston is the Capital of Jamaica.
11. Salman Khan Honored with Global Diversity Award i. Bollywood star Salman Khan received a Global Diversity Award at Britain‟s House of Commons. ii. Salman received the award from Keith Vaz, British Parliament‟s longest-serving Asian MP.
Important takeaways From Above News-
The Global Diversity Award is given to people of immense stature in terms of what they have done for diversity in the world.
17th and 18th September 2017
1. Sushma Swaraj in New York to Attend UNGA Session i. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived in New York to represent India at the annual UN General Assembly,UNGA,session. ii. In the first move, Mrs. Swaraj would kick off her official engagement with a trilateral meeting of foreign ministers of India, US, and Japan to give momentum to their cooperation. India is among the 120 countries that have supported the reform efforts of the UN Secretary-General.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
India‟s Permanent Representative to the UN is Mr. Syed Akbaruddin.
2. Railways Cuts Down Sleeping Hours for Passengers i. According to a circular issued by the railway board, the passengers in the reserved coaches can only sleep between 10 pm and 6 am to allow others to sit in the seats for the rest of the time.
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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS ii. Until the circular was issued, the existing permissible time for sleeping was between 9 pm and 6 am. The new provision replaces paragraph 652 in the Indian Railways Commercial Manual, Volume I. This provision is applicable to all reserved coaches with sleeping accommodation.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Mr. Piyush Goyal is the Present Railways Minister of India.
3. Indigenous Artillery Gun Sets New World Record in Range i. An indigenous artillery gun, Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has set a new world record in range by hitting targets at a distance of 48 km. ii. During trial firings at Pokhran ranges, ATAGS registered the longest ever distance of 48.074 km, surpassing the maximum range of 35-40 km fired by any artillery gun system in this category.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
ATAGS is a 155mm, 52 calibers towed artillery gun being developed in mission mode by DRDO as a part of the Army‟s artillery modernization program.
4. Long-Endangered Snow Leopard Upgraded to 'Vulnerable' Status i. The elusive snow leopards, long considered an endangered species, has been upgraded to 'vulnerable'. But experts warned the new classification does not mean they are safe. ii. The animals still face serious challenges including poaching and loss of prey in their high Himalayan habitat. Using improved methods for counting cat numbers, experts now estimate there are about 4,000 snow leopards in the wild.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Snow leopards had been listed as endangered since 1972.
5. NASA‟s Cassini Spacecraft Ends 20-year Journey i. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration‟s (NASA) $3.9-billion Cassini spacecraft ended its 20-year- long ground-breaking journey with a fiery plunge into the Saturn‟s crushing atmosphere. ii. Operators deliberately made Cassini dive into the gas giant to ensure that the planet‟s moons remain pristine for future exploration. No spacecraft has ever ventured so close to the planet before.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Robert M. Lightfoot Jr. is NASA Acting Administrator. NASA was established in 1958.
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6. Russia, Iraq Restore Air Travel After 13-Year Freeze i. Russia and Iraq restored scheduled commercial airline services for the first time since 2004. This move has been hailed as a sign of stability returning to the war-torn country. ii. Russia suspended regular flights to Iraq in 2004 after the US-led invasion in 2003 plunged the Arab country into war.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Haider al-Abadi is the Prime Minister of Iraq. Baghdad is the capital of Iraq. Vladimir Putin is the President of Russia. Moscow is the Capital of Russia.
7. Amazon Ties up With Bank of Baroda To Offer Micro-Loans To Sellers i. Amazon has tied up with Bank of Baroda for the loans, which can go up to Rs. 25 lakh. ii. The Indian arm of the US e-commerce giant, Amazon plans to provide unsecured micro-loans, as low as 1 lakh, at interest rates as low as 10.45-11 percent at a short span of 3-5 days.
8. India, Japan sign Open Sky Agreement i. India and Japan today signed an agreement that will allow their airlines to operate the unlimited number of flights between the two countries. ii. The National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016, allows the government to enter into an 'open sky' air services agreement on a reciprocal basis with SAARC nations as well as countries beyond a 5,000-kilometre radius from New Delhi.
9. PM Modi inaugurates country's biggest dam, Sardar Sarovar Dam, Called 'Gujarat's Lifeline' i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched the Sardar Sarovar Dam - the world's second-biggest - on the river Narmada in Gujarat. ii. The 1.2-km-long dam, which is 163 meters deep, will irrigate over 18 lakh hectares in the state, the water from the Narmada will flow into over 9,000 villages through a canal network, Sardar Sarovar Nigam Limited (SSNL).
10. Only Marshal of IAF, hero of 1965, Arjan Singh Passed Away i. THE sole Marshal of the Indian Air Force, Arjan Singh, passed away at the Army‟s Research and Referral Hospital. He was 98 years old. ii. Arjan Singh had the honor of leading the fly-past of more than a hundred IAF aircraft over the Red Fort on India‟s first Independence Day, August 15, 1947. In 2002, on the occasion of Republic Day, he was granted the honorary rank of Marshal, the highest military rank attainable, which before him only two Army chiefs, K M Carriappa and Sam Manekshaw, had achieved.
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11. PV Sindhu wins gold! i. PV Sindhu becomes the first Indian to win the Korea Open Superseries with an outstanding win over Nozomi Okuhara in the much-talked-about women's singles final in Seoul. ii. Olympic silver medallist shuttler P V Sindhu beat world champion Nozomi Okuhara in a thrilling final to clinch the women's singles title at the Korea Open Super Series today.
12. Google Tez UPI-Based Digital Payments App Launched in India i. Google Tez has become the latest UPI-based payments app in the country. The new Google Tez app can be used to pay for movie tickets, utility bills, and make other transactions online. ii. Tez means fast in Hindi, which the company stated was one of the selling points of its new app. Google Tez is a standalone payments app, available on Android and iOS, and is powered by UPI, a payments protocol built by government-backed organization NPCI. The company has partnered with HDFC Bank, ICICI, and State Bank of India for backend processing.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Sundar Pichai is the Present CEO of Google. Alphabet Inc. is the Parent company of Google.
13. Airtel Payments Bank, First Payment Bank to Integrate UPI on its Digital Platform i. Sunil Mittal-driven Airtel Payments Bank integrated the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) on its digital platform, allowing customer choice and convenience to facilitate secure digital payments. ii. Airtel Payments Bank has become the first payments bank in India to integrate the UPI on its digital platform. In January 2017, Bharti Airtel launched Payments Bank in India to enable transactions on digital platforms.
Important Takeaways from Above News
Airtel Payments Bank is India's first Payment Bank.
14. 69th Emmy Awards: Complete List of Winners i. The 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were announced at the Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, California, U.S. The Handmaid's Tale became the first web television series to win the award for Outstanding Drama Series. ii. Westworld and Saturday Night Live were the most nominated programs, each with 22 nominations. Stephen Colbert was the Host of 69th Emmy Awards.
15. President's Medal for Former DIG D Roopa i. Former DIG D Roopa, who highlighted in a report alleged irregularities at the central jail in Karnataka, was conferred the President's Medal.
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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS ii. The award was presented to Roopa for her meritorious service by Governor Vajubhai Vala at a ceremony at Raj Bhavan in the presence of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Siddaramaiah is the CM of Karnataka. Vajubhai Vala is the Present Governor of Karnataka.
16. Iron Union 5: US and UAE Joint Military Exercise i. The US and UAE's ground forces had begun a joint military exercise in Abu Dhabi, as part of efforts to consolidate their bilateral relations and exchange training and military expertise. Code-named Iron Union 5, the drill is an extension of a series of Iron Claw exercises. ii. The exercise aims to upgrade and boost the readiness of the UAE's armed forces and to allow both armies to promote their international co-operation in joint military operations.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Abu Dhabi is the Capital of United Arab Emirates (UAE).
17. Peruvian President Appoints Mercedes Araoz Fernandez as New PM i. The President of Peru, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has appointed a former Economy Minister Mercedes Araoz Fernandez as new Prime Minister of Peru. ii. She served as an economy minister during part of the 2006-11 administration of President Alan Garcia. Araoz replaced Fernando Zavala, who lost the vote of confidence by lawmakers recently.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Lima is the Capital of Peru.
18. Y.C Modi Named NIA Chief, Rajni Kant Misra D-G of SSB i. Senior IPS officer Y.C Modi has been named the chief of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved Mr. Modi‟s appointment as Director General of the NIA. He will take over from Sharad Kumar after he completes his tenure on October 30. ii. Another senior IPS officer, Rajni Kant Misra, has been appointed Director General of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). Mr. Misra is at present the Additional Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF).
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Mr. Modi will hold the post till his superannuation, i.e. May 31, 2021. Mr. Misra has been appointed Director General of the SSB till the date of his superannuation, i.e. August 31, 2019. Mr. Modi is at present special director in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
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19. Iceland's PM Bjarni Benediktsson Resigns i. Prime Minister of Iceland Mr. Bjarni Benediktsson has resigned from the post. He lost his nine-month-old, center- right coalition after one party quit. ii. The President of Iceland, Gudni Th. Johannesson accepted the resignation of the PM. Benediktsson took office in January 2017, uniting his Independence Party, the Reform Party, and the centrists.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Iceland is a wind-lashed island near the Arctic Circle with a population of 320,000.
20. Infosys Senior VP Sanjay Rajagopalan Quits i. Infosys Senior Vice President Sanjay Rajagopalan has resigned from his post. The decision has come a month after Vishal Sikka stepped down as the company's MD and CEO. ii. He was employed with Infosys from August 2014 to September 2017.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Nandan Nilekani has been recently appointed as the New Chairman of Infosys. Infosys is country's no. 2 software services exporter.
21. „Father of nephrology in India‟ Dr KS Chugh dies of cancer at 85 i. Dr. KS Chugh, the “father of nephrology in India”, breathed his last at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh. He was 85. ii. He was a recipient of several national and international awards, including the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award, in 2000.
19th September 2017 1. International Yoga Festival Starts in Kashmir i. Jammu and Kashmir governor N N Vohra inaugurated the second International Yoga Festival and International Yoga Sports Championship 2017. ii. The festival is being organized by the Yoga Society of Kashmir at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre. About 300 participants from various parts of India, Vietnam, Taiwan, Canada, Bulgaria, USA, and Nepal are participating in the festival.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
The first International Yoga Festival was held in Uttarakhand.
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2. Rajnath Singh Launches Intelligence Wing of SSB and WARB App i. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has launched first Intelligence Wing of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Welfare & Rehabilitation Board (WARB) App in New Delhi authorized to Protect the shared borders of India with Nepal and Bhutan. ii. The intelligence wing will gather actionable information in a bid to enhance operational efficiency. WARB app comprises features to facilitate retired CAPFs and Assam Rifles personnel to get their grievances redressed, seek skill development and other relevant and important information.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Rajni Kant Misra is the Director General of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
3. 13th Inter-Governmental Commission Meeting in Kazakhstan i. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan is in Astana, Kazakhstan to co-chair the 13th Meeting of Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC) with Kazakhstan. ii. Mr. Kanat Bozumbayev, Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan will co-chair the meeting from Kazakhstan side. The IGC meeting aims to follow up on the agenda set between India and Kazakhstan during the two visits of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Kazakhstan.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Astana is the Capital of Kazakhstan. Nursultan Nazarbayev is the President of Kazakhstan.
4. First ever National Conference on 'Mission Mode to address Under-Nutrition' held in New Delhi i. The Ministry of Women and Child Development holds the first ever National Conference in New Delhi on Mission Mode to address Under-Nutrition in the country. This conference is being organized keeping in mind the goal of “Malnutrition Free India-2022”. ii. The National Conference, first of its kind, aims at bringing convergence at District/Block levels of the three key Departments (Health & Family Welfare, ICDS/Social Welfare and Drinking Water and Sanitation).
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Maneka Gandhi is the Minister of Women and Child Development.
5. Tripura, First State to Set Up Family Welfare Committees i. Tripura has become the first state in the country to set up family welfare district committees to examine the complaints of women against their husbands and in-laws and find an amicable solution.
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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS ii. Tripura High Court is the first high court among 24 high courts of the country that has constituted the family welfare district committees. The new system would be valid for the next six months and after that National Legal Services Authority (NLSA) would submit a report of its performance to the apex court, on the basis of which a new course of action would be decided.
Important Takeaways from Above News
Manik Sarkar is the Present CM of Tripura. Tathagata Roy is the Governor of Tripura.
6. S S Rajamouli Receives ANR award i. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu felicitated film-maker S S Rajamouli with the prestigious ANR National Award for his contribution to the Telugu film industry. ii. S S Rajamouli has Directed the blockbuster fantasy drama movie Bahubali that has shattered all the records on Box Office.
7. SEBI Allows Realty, Infra Trusts to Issue Bonds i. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) allowed Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) to raise capital by issuing debt securities. ii. The move will help attract investors to the capital-starved property sector. In addition to allowing bond issuances, SEBI also introduced the concept of strategic investor for REITs, similar to InvITs.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
InvITs and REITs are vehicles that allow investors to take exposure to an income-generating infrastructure project or real estate property.
8. Ola Ties Up With Karnataka Tourism Dept i. In line with United Nations‟ theme for this year‟s World Tourism Day, cab aggregator Ola kicked off a tourism campaign in the state. ii. The campaign is being carried out in association with Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation to promote and raise awareness about responsible tourism named “GhoomoResponsibly”.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Headquarter of Ola is in Bangalore, Karnataka. CEO of Ola is Bhavish Aggarwal.
9. IDF and US Army Inaugurated First Permanent American Base in Israel i. The US Army and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) inaugurated a permanent base In Israel. This is the first time that a permanent American base has been opened in the Middle Eastern country.
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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS ii. The base represents the long-standing partnership, the strategic commitment between the armies and the militaries of the United States of America and Israel.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Reuven Rivlin is the Present President of Israel.
10. M&M enters into strategic alliance with Ford i. Mahindra & Mahindra has entered into a strategic alliance with US car major Ford Motor Company to explore cooperation in the sphere of products, technologies, and distribution. ii. The joint statement issued by the company stated that teams from both companies will collaborate and work together for a period of up to three years.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Pawan Goenka is the Managing Director of Mahindra and Mahindra.
11. Cyclist Mark Beaumont Breaks the World Record i. Mark Beaumont has broken the world record for cycling around the world - by 44 days. The 34-year-old, from Perthshire, arrived in Paris one day ahead of schedule having cycled the 18,000-mile route in 79 days. ii. He set a new world record of 194 days in 2008. Since then it has been broken by other riders, with the previous record set at 123 days. He was on his bike for more than 16 hours a day and only slept for five hours each night.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
During the trip, Mark was also awarded the Guinness World Records title for the most miles cycled in a month, from Paris to Perth in Australia, verified at 7,031 miles (11,315km).
12. Asian Indoor Games: Purnima Wins Gold in Pentathlon i. India won its first athletics gold, through Purnima Hembram in women‟s pentathlon, in the fifth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games at Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. ii. India also got two silvers, through Sanjivani Jadhav in women‟s 3000m and Tejinder Singh Toor in men‟s shot put, and a bronze through Kerala‟s V. Neena in women‟s long jump.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
The fourth Asian Indoor Games were held in Incheon, South Korea. Ashgabat is the capital of Turkmenistan.
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13. Lewis Hamilton Wins Singapore Grand Prix i. Mercedes‟ Lewis Hamilton won the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, in Singapore. Hamilton‟s rival Sebastian Vettel withdrew in the middle of the race due to his damaged Ferrari car. ii. He was followed by Red Bull‟s Daniel Ricciardo in the 2nd position and Mercedes‟ Valtteri Bottas in the 3rd.
20th September 2017 1. India to Conduct the First „BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise- 2017‟ i. The First „BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise- 2017‟ (BIMSTEC DMEx-2017) will be conducted by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) as the lead agency from October 10-13, 2017 in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR. ii. This Exercise will be a platform for sharing Best Practices on all aspects of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), strengthening regional response and coordination for Disaster Management among the BIMSTEC member countries.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Delegates from all seven nations of the „Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation‟ (BIMSTEC) grouping will be present. BIMSTEC - namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand 17th BIMSTEC Senior Officials Meeting was held in Kathmandu, Nepal in February 2017.
2. Cabinet Approves Merger of 17 Govt Presses into 5 Units i. The Union Cabinet has given its approval for rationalization/merger and modernization of 17 Government of India Presses (GIPs)/Units into 5 Government of India Presses (GIPs) at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Minto Road, and Mayapuri, New Delhi; Nashik, Maharashtra and Temple Street, Kolkata, West Bengal. ii. These 5 Presses will be redeveloped and modernized by monetization of their surplus land. Modernisation of the Presses will enable them to undertake important confidential, urgent and multi-color printing work of the Central Government Offices all over the country.
3. World's Biggest Wealth Fund Hits $1 Trillion Value For First Time i. Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the largest in the world, reached the value of $1 trillion for the first time. This amount equals nearly $189,000 (157,000 euros) for each of the 5.3 million people living in Norway. ii. The fund mainly invests not only in stocks but also in bonds and real estate. With stakes in nearly 9,000 companies, it owns 1.3 percent of the world's market capitalization, and 2.3 percent in Europe.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Oslo is the Capital of Norway. The Currency of Norway is Norwegian krone.
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4. Akshay Kumar Appointed Uttarakhand Swachh Bharat Mission Brand Ambassador i. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat announced the appointment of actor Akshay Kumar as the brand ambassador of the Swachh Bharat Mission in the state. ii. Akshay was also appointed as the brand ambassador for the cleanliness campaign in Uttar Pradesh in August 2017 and his film "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha" was made tax-free in the state.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Dehradun is the Capital of Uttarakhand. Krishan Kant Paul is the Governor of Uttarakhand.
5. Three Indians Among World's '100 Greatest Living Business Minds' i. Three Indian entrepreneurial legends, Ratan Tata, Lakshmi Mittal and Vinod Khosla have been included in Forbes‟s special list of the world‟s „100 Greatest Living Business Minds. ii. Some of the notable honorees alongside Blank are- Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Ted Turner, Rupert Murdoch, Donald Trump and more.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Forbes magazine was founded 100 years ago on September 17, 1917, by B.C. Forbes.
6. India Appoints Ajay Bisaria New High Commissioner to Pakistan i. India‟s ambassador to Pakistan Gautam Bambawale will now head the Indian mission in China, while envoy to Poland Ajay Bisaria will replace him in Islamabad. ii. The reshuffle was necessitated by appointment of India's ambassador to China Vijay Gokhale as Secretary (Economic Relations) in MEA. Gokhale played the lead role in defusing the Doklam crisis with Beijing.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
The capital of China is Beijing. President of China is Xi Jinping.
7. Tata Steel, Thyssenkrupp Sign MoU for European Steel JV i. Tata Steel and Thyssenkrupp of Germany have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in a deal that is poised to create one of Europe's largest steel companies. The two partners have been in merger talks for more than a year. ii. They will form a 50:50 joint venture to create a powerful No. 2 in the European steel market. The merger will lead to substantial cost savings for both steel players.
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Important Takeaways from Above News
Natarajan Chandrasekaran is the Chairman of Tata Steel. Dr. Heinrich Hiesinger is the CEO of Thyssenkrupp.
8. BCCI Nominates MS Dhoni for Padma Bhushan Award i. The Indian cricket board, BCCI has nominated Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the country's third highest civilian award - the Padma Bhushan, for his contribution to the game. ii. A senior BCCI official confirmed that the Board has only sent one name for the Padma awards this year and it was a unanimous decision to nominate India's most successful captain.
Important Takeaways from above News-
Dhoni is already a recipient of the prestigious Arjuna, Rajeev Gandhi Khel Ratna, and the Padma Shri award.
21st September 2017
1. Cabinet Approves Revamped Khelo India Program i. The Union Cabinet has approved the revamped Khelo India program at a cost of Rs.1,756 crore for the period 2017- 18 to 2019-20. ii. The Programme aims at mainstreaming sport as a tool for individual development, community development, economic development and national development. iii. Important features of the Program include:
1. An unprecedented Pan Indian Sports Scholarship scheme, which would cover 1,000 most talented young athletes. 2. Each athlete selected under the scheme shall receive an annual scholarship worth Rs. 5.00 lakh for 8 consecutive years. 3. This is the first time ever that a long-term athlete development pathway would be made available to gifted and talented youngsters to excel in competitive sports. 4. The Program aims to promote 20 universities across the country as hubs of sporting excellence, which would enable talented sportspersons to pursue the dual pathway of education and competitive sports. 5. The Programme would cover about 200 million children in the age group of 10-18 under a massive national physical fitness drive.
2. WHO Grants $175,000 for 'Vulnerable Population' of Bangladesh i. The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first tranche of emergency funding of $175,000 to provide life-saving healthcare to the "vulnerable population" in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar. ii. The WHO South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund (SEARHEF) grant will support 20 mobile medical teams to provide essential services for at least two months.
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Important Takeaways from Above News-
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is the newly appointed Director-General of World Health Organization. WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
3. World Trade to Grow at Higher 3.6% in 2017: WTO i. World trade in goods is estimated to grow at a higher 3.6 percent in 2017 compared to 1.6 percent increase in 2016, according to revised estimates circulated by the World Trade Organisation. ii. Growth in global trade was earlier projected at 2.4 percent in 2017 by the WTO, which attributed the improved outlook to a resurgence of Asian trade flows. This was mainly due to intra-regional shipments picking up and a recovery in import demand in North America.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Roberto Azevêdo is the sixth Director-General of the WTO.
4. World‟s Fastest Commercial Bullet Train in China i. China restored the maximum speed of bullet trains on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway line to 350 kilometers per hour, making it the fastest commercially run train, six years after it reduced the speed due to a fatal accident. ii. The speed was reduced to 300 kilometers per hour following the deadly accident in July 2011 that killed 40 people.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
China has the world‟s longest high-speed rail network of over 22,000 kilometers, about 60 percent of the world‟s total.
5. 50 Nations Ink UN Nuclear Ban Treaty i. Fifty countries have signed a treaty to ban nuclear weapons, a pact that the world‟s nuclear powers spurned but supporters hailed as a historic agreement nonetheless. ii. More than 120 countries approved the new nuclear weapons ban treaty in July 2017 over opposition from nuclear- armed countries and their allies, who boycotted negotiations.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
The United Nations is Headquartered in New York, United States. Irina Bokova is the Present Director-General of UNESCO.
6. Peer-to-peer Lending Platforms to be Treated as NBFCs] i. After a year or more of due-diligence, the RBI has notified that peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms need to be regulated and treated on par with non-banking financial companies (NBFCs).
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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS ii. The final regulatory framework for P2P lenders is still awaited. Few important P2P lending platforms in India are LenDen Club, Faircent, Qbera, Lendbox, Rupaiya Exchange and Monexo.
7. Fino Payments Bank Launches Mobile Banking App i. Fino Payments Bank has launched its mobile banking app called BPay. Fino aims to make banking easy for millions of underbanked people in India. The upgraded BPay app is available on Android at present. ii. An interesting feature of the mobile app is that it allows customers to seamlessly access wallet as well as savings account, with a single login and interface.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Rishi Gupta is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Fino the Paytech. FINO PayTech is headquartered in Mumbai.
8. B Sambamurthy Appointed as NPCI Interim Chairman i. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has appointed B Sambamurthy as interim Chairman of the board. He will replace M Balachandran, who was Non-Executive Chairman of NPCI. ii. Sambamurthy was formerly Director and CEO of the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT) and Chairman and Managing Director of Corporation Bank prior to that.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
NPCI is the umbrella organization for all retail payment systems in the country B Sambamurthy has been the nominee director from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on the board of NPCI since December 5, 2013.
9. India replaces China as Top Retail Destination in 2017 i. India has replaced China as the top retail destination in 2017 as part of the global retail development index. The change in ranking was an outcome of four factors including increased consumer spending beyond essentials, rising mobile and internet penetration, favorable foreign investment climate and bold action on cashless transaction and GST. ii. In addition to the bigger retailers and brands, the mid-size brands from across the world are also looking to cash on the relaxed retail policy in India.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Arun Jaitley is the Cabinet Minister of Finance.
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10. Zannah Mustapha Wins UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award i. A Nigerian, Zannah Mustapha has won the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) 2017 Nansen Refugees Award. He is the Director of Future Prowess Islamic Foundation School. Mr. Mustapha is the first Nigerian recipient of the award. ii. Mr. Mustapha was chosen as the winner of the award for his humanitarian work in championing the rights of children.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was created in 1950. In 1954, UNHCR won the Nobel Peace Prize for its groundbreaking work in Europe. Filippo Grandi is the 11th United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
11. Official Slogan and Emblem of FIFA Women‟s World Cup France 2019 launched i. The official emblem and slogan for FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019 were unveiled in Paris, France. The emblem features the competition trophy wrapped in blue and white, with eight shards of light around football at the top of the trophy symbolizing the eighth edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup. ii. The slogan of the tournament "Dare To Shine" reflects the development of football, especially women's football.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Gianni Infantino is the President of FIFA. The 2019 edition of FIFA Women's World Cup will take place from June 7 to July 7, 2019.
12. Asian Indoor Games: Chitra, Lakshmanan Win Gold i. Asian champions G. Lakshmanan and P. U. Chitra won gold medals in the athletics events of the fifth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. ii. Tamil Nadu‟s Lakshmanan won the men‟s 3000m while Kerala‟s Chitra, who was not cleared by the national body Athletics Federation of India for the recent World Championships in London despite making the cut, took the women‟s 1500m title.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Ashgabat is the Capital of Turkmenistan.
22nd September 2017
1. PM Modi 2-Day Visit to Varanasi i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on the two-day visit to his Lok Sabha constituency, Varanasi. In the Visit, he flagged off remotely Varanasi-Vadodara country‟s third Mahamana Express.
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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS ii. The Projects worth over Rs. 1000 crore are being inaugurated. PM also inaugurated Jal Shavbahan and Jal Ambulance. He has also inaugurated Utkarsh Bank, it specialises in micro-finance to extend assistance to self-help groups.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Yogi Adityanath is the present CM of UP. Ram Naik is the present Governor of UP.
2. First Scorpene Submarine INS Kalvari Delivered to Navy i. The first of the Scorpene class submarines, INS Kalvari, was delivered to the Indian Navy by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL). The submarine will soon be commissioned into the Indian Navy. ii. The delivery of a submarine means that its trials are over and the Navy has accepted the boat. Commissioning is a ceremony that officially makes it part of the Navy's fleet.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Sunil Lanba is the Present CNS of Indian Navy.
3. Himachal Pradesh, First State to Launch Electric Bus Service in India i. The Himachal Pradesh government on launched first-of-its-kind electric bus service in the 51km-long stretch road between Manali and Rohtang Pass. The bus service was flagged off by State Transport Minister GS Bali. ii. With this initiative, the state has become the first in the world to ply electric buses at an altitude of 13 thousand feet.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
The main objective behind the initiative is to curb carbon emission which is resulting in melting of glaciers in the Himalayas.
4. „Newton‟ India‟s Official Entry For Oscars 2018 i. „Newton‟ will be India‟s official entry for the Best Foreign Film category at the Oscars 2018, according to the Film Federation of India. ii. The movie directed by Amit Masurkar, starring Rajkummar Rao, tells the story of a polling officer Newton Kumar who is bent on conducting free and fair elections in the conflict-ridden jungles of Chhattisgarh.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
This year‟s Oscars will be held on March 4, 2018, in Los Angeles.
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5. Textiles Minister Smriti Irani Inaugurates 'VASTRA' Fair i. Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje inaugurated the 6th edition of the four-day international textile and apparel fair, 'VASTRA' in Jaipur. ii. FDI in textiles industry has tripled in 2016-17. Mudra Yojna has benefited the weaver's community and their incomes have shown a tremendous increase within 60 days from the date of loan availed. Skill development has also enhanced the quality of placements in the textile industry.
6. Britain and Saudi Arabia Sign Military Cooperation Deal i. Saudi Arabia and Britain signed a framework deal for military cooperation. The agreement came after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed security ties with visiting British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. ii. The agreement comes as Britain seeks to explore lucrative trade deals outside Europe, including energy-rich Gulf monarchies, after voting to leave the European Union.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Riyadh is the Capital of Saudi Arabia.
7. Uber Stripped of its Licence to Operate in London i. London's transport regulator stripped Uber of its licence to operate, affecting over 40,000 drivers in a huge blow to the taxi app. ii. The final day of Uber's licence will be on September 30. In London, Uber has faced criticism from unions, lawmakers and traditional black cab drivers over working conditions.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Dara Khosrowshahi is the present CEO of UBER.
8. Yesteryear actor Shakila Passes Away i. Yesteryear Bollywood actor Shakila, known for her work in films like Aar Paar and CID, died after a heart attack. ii. She was 82. She was famous after the song “Baabuji dheere chalna...”.
9. Legendary Boxer, Jake LaMotta Passes Away i. Jake LaMotta, former boxing champion whose life of violence in and out of the ring was portrayed in the movie "Raging Bull," passed away. ii. He was in his 90s and died of complications of pneumonia. Fighting mostly as a middleweight and known as the "Raging Bull" and "Bronx Bull".
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23rd September 2017 1. Dharmendra Pradhan to host first LPG Panchayat in Gandhinagar i. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan will inaugurate one of the ambitious programmes of the Centre, LPG Panchayat, aimed at encouraging rural communities to turn to clean fuel. ii. The First LPG Panchayat will be held in Gandhinagar, where Pradhan will preside over the interaction between women using LPG under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana (PMUY) and the companies. iii. According to data shared by the oil marketing companies, so far three crore connections have been allotted under the PMUY against the target of five crore by 2019.
2. SBI launches Indian bond index series in London i. State Bank of India (SBI) has launched the FTSE SBI Bond Index series in partnership with global index provider FTSE 100, which will give tools to investors from India, the UK and globally to analyse India‟s government bond market, and drive growth in this market. ii. This index, launched in collaboration with the London Stock Exchange, will ensure that international investors have an international benchmark that is transparent, that is well governed and that is something they can easily rely on.
3. Samsung‟s Bixby Voice now works in India i. Bixby takes some initial setting up, requiring users to input their voice, reading commands and sentences and trying out a few tasks. ii. Bixby is meant to do additional and on-phone tasks which Samsung hopes will make getting things done faster and easier. Bixby Voice can be triggered by saying “Hi Bixby” to a sleeping device also.
4. Dr. Harshvardhan Launches Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Vigyan Gram Sankul Pariyojana i. Dr. Harshvardhan launched “Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay Vigyan Gram Sankul Pariyojana” which will experiment and endeavour to formulate and implement appropriate S&T Interventions for Sustainable Development through cluster approach in Uttarakhand. ii. Department of Science and Technology is implementing several initiatives for upliftment and economic development of rural areas in the country.
Important takeaways from Above News-
Dr. Harsh Vardhan is the incumbent minister at Ministry of Science & Technology, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Ministry of Earth Sciences.
5. Govt Launches Campaign to Sensitise Women About Cancer i. Minister of State Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel launched a nationwide health campaign to sensitise women about the early screening and the preventive care for cancer.
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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS ii. Themed 'Nurturing the Nurturer', the campaign was launched by FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) in partnership with the Apollo Hospitals group.
6. Balraj Joshi Appointed as New NHPC Chairman i. Balraj Joshi was appointed the chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) of NHPC Ltd, the country‟s premier hydropower utility. Joshi is at present director (technical) in the organisation. ii. According to another order, P. Alli Rani has been appointed the CMD of Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) Ltd. She is at present director (finance) in Container Corporation of India Limited. Rani has been appointed to the post for a period of five years.
7. Dabur India Ties Up with Amazon for Ayurveda Marketplace i. Dabur India has tied up with e-commerce major Amazon for an online Ayurveda marketplace which will house all ayurvedic brands and products of the country. ii. The company will also offer consumers an insight into various ayurvedic medicines for treating a variety of ailments. The exclusive Ayurveda e-marketplace has been hosted by Amazon India and the content is developed by Dabur India.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Jeff Bezos was the Founder of Amazon. Amazon is an e-commerce company based in the USA.
8. SBI Tops Trust and Popularity Charts i. State Bank of India (SBI) is India‟s most trusted and most popular bank according to a survey conducted by Brand Finance, a business valuation and strategic consultancy headquartered in London. ii. On the trust charts, SBI is followed by HDFC Bank and Central Bank of India whereas, on the popularity charts, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank take the second and third spots respectively.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Recently, SBI had slashed interest rate on savings account deposits by 50 basis points to 3.5 per on balance of Rs 1 crore and below. Its is Headquartered in Mumbai.
9. India Gets its First High Horsepower Locomotive from France i. India has received its first High Horsepower Locomotive with the bodyshell of 12000 HP loco from Alstom France at Kolkata port. This first-of-its-kind high-power electric locomotive will be used to haul freight trains at twice the existing speed by 2018. ii. This is the first major FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) project in the rail sector. The first such locomotive is estimated to cost about Rs 30 crore. The Indian Railways is currently using 6,000HP locomotives for freight services. The locomotive will run at a speed of up to 120 km/h.
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Important Takeaways from Above News-
Shri Piyush Goyal is the Present Railway Minister of India.
10. West Bengal Gets $300 Million ADB Loan i. Multilateral funding agency ADB has sanctioned a USD 300 million loan facility for carrying forward fiscal reforms in West Bengal. The board of Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a loan of USD 300 million to continue a comprehensive series of fiscal reforms in West Bengal. ii. West Bengal, for the first time in 2012 had received a USD 400 million from ADB, its first policy-based lending with an aim to create a fiscal space necessary to sustain higher public investment in the eastern India.
Important Takeaways from Above News
ADB headquarters in Manila, Philippines. Takehiko Nakao is the President of ADB.
11. First Indian team for FIFA U-17 World Cup announced i. The first ever Indian squad to participate in the FIFA World Cup, U-17 World Cup Squad has been announced. ii. The 21 players who will participate in the World Cup Squad include Dheeraj Singh, Prabhsukhan Gill, Sunny Dhaliwal Boris Singh, Jitendra Singh, Anwar Ali, Sanjeev Stalin and Hendry Antony.
12. World's Richest Woman Liliane Bettencourt Passes Away i. Liliane Bettencourt, the heir to the French L‟Oreal hairspray empire and the world‟s wealthiest woman, has died aged 94. She was from France. ii. Bettencourt, whose net worth was estimated at about €33bn (£29bn) this year, was the face of one of France‟s biggest cosmetics conglomerates and had once captured the public‟s imagination as the nation‟s poor little rich girl.
24th and 25th September 2017
1. Union Minister launches Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayat in Gujarat i. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan has launched Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayat at Mota Ishanpur village in Gandhinagar district of Gujarat. ii. About 100 such beneficiaries- most of them women have participated in this LPG Panchayat. Mr Pradhan also inaugurated the Skill Development Institute at Adalaj near Ahmedabad as part of National Skill Development Mission.
Must Important Takeaways from Above News-
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was launched by Hon‟ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 1st May 2016 in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh.
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Under the PMUY, 5 Cr LPG connections will be provided to BPL families with a support of Rs.1600 per connection in the next 3 years. Mr Vijay Rupani is present Chief Minister of Gujarat. The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is a one-of-its-kind, Public Private Partnership ( PPP ) model in India, under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship ( MSDE ).
2. Angela Merkel Wins 4th Term as Chancellor of Germany i. Angela Merkel won a fourth term as chancellor in Germany elections that lifted the far-right party Alternative for Germany into parliament for the first time since the immediate aftermath World War II. ii. Merkel‟s Christian Democrat-led bloc took 32.5% to defeat Martin Schulz‟s Social Democrats, whose 20% is its worst result since the war, the exit polls for national broadcasters ARD and ZDF showed.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Berlin is the Capital of Germany. Euro is the Currency of Germany.
3. China's Hui Ka Yan Becomes Asia's Richest Man i. Hui Ka Yan, the chairman of big China real estate developer China Evergrande Group, has become Asia‟s richest man according to the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List. ii. Among mainland Chinese, Hui‟s estimated fortune of $42.2 billion puts him ahead of Tencent Holdings Chairman Ma Huateng ($39.1 billion), Alibaba Group Chairman Jack Ma ($38.9 billion), and Wanda Group Chairman Wang Jianlin ($30.4 billion). Ma Huateng currently ranks second in Asia and Jack Ma third.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Forbes magazine was founded 100 years ago on September 17, 1917, by B.C. Forbes.
4. Andhra CM Naidu Declares 2017 as e-Pragati Year i. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu declared the year of 2017 as e-Pragati year. The flagship program will help the government to make real-time governance. ii. The Chief Minister also inaugurated the Andhra Pradesh Sports Policy 2017.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Shri E.S Lakshmi Narasimhan is the Present Governor of Andhra Pradesh.
5. President Ram Nath Kovind‟s First Foreign Trip will be to Africa i. President Ram Nath Kovind will make his first foreign trip as head of state to the strategically-significant African continent in the first week of October. The President will visit to Ethiopia and Djibouti.
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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS ii. Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia is the seat of African Union, had hosted the first India-Africa summit outside India in 2012. There are more than 540 Indian firms in Ethiopia.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Indian ambassador to Ethiopia and Djibouti is Anurag Srivastava.
6. India, US, Afghanistan Join Hands for 1st Trade Show in Delhi i. For the first time, India, US and Afghanistan will hold a joint trade and investment show in Delhi, as New Delhi steps up to its role of being a bigger development partner to Afghanistan. ii. The trade event, sponsored by the US and hosted by India, will be inaugurated by Afghan CEO Dr Abdullah.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Kabul is the capital of Afghanistan.
7. India Third in Nuclear Power Installations: Study i. India is third in the world in the number of nuclear reactors being installed, at six, while China is leading at 20, the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2017. ii. The number of nuclear reactor units under construction is, however, declining globally for the fourth year in a row, from 68 reactors at the end of 2013 to 53 by mid-2017.
8. 7th ASEM Economic Minister‟s Meeting Held in South Korea i. The 7th ASEM (Asia–Europe Meeting) Economic Ministers‟ Meeting was held in Seoul, South Korea. Theme for this year‟s meeting was „Innovative Partnership for Inclusive Prosperity‟. ii. The meeting was conducted under the Chairmanship of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea. 51 member countries signed a Joint Statement on Supporting the Multilateral Trade System.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Commerce Minister Mr. Suresh Prabhu represented India. ASEM was established in 1996.
9. DRUZBA 2017, Pak-Russia Joint Military Drill Started i. The joint exercise DRUZBA 2017 between special forces of Pakistan and Russia Armies started in Minralney Vody, Russia. ii. Pakistan and Russia are holding two-week long joint military drill focusing on counter-terrorism operations to enhance military ties between the two countries.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
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Moscow is the Capital of Russia. Islamabad is the Capital of Pakistan.
10. C.N.R. Rao Chosen for International Honour for Materials Research i. Eminent scientist, Professor C.N.R Rao, has become the first Asian to be chosen for the prestigious Von Hippel Award for his immense contribution in materials research. ii. The award is the US-based Materials Research Society‟s (MRS) highest honour. Mr Rao is the Bharat Ratna awardee. The award will be presented in Boston on November 29, during an MRS meeting.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Susan Trolier-McKinstry is the President of MRS.
11. Sports Ministry Recommends P.V. Sindhu for Padma Bhushan i. Olympic silver medallist shuttler P.V. Sindhu has been recommended for the prestigious Padma Bhushan, country‟s third highest civilian award, by the Sports Ministry. ii. She is two-time bronze medallist at World Championship. In March 2015, Sindhu was awarded India‟s fourth highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
PV Sindhu has recently become the first Indian to win the Korea Open Superseries.
12. Rajkummar Rao Bags GQ Actor of the Year Award i. Rajkummar Rao was awarded the GQ Actor of the Year Award, in Mumbai. GQ (Gentlemen‟s Quarterly) magazine conducted the GQ Men of the Year Awards for 2017, in Mumbai. ii. Woman of the Year award was won by Anushka Sharma.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
„Newton‟ will be India‟s official entry for the Best Foreign Film category at the Oscars 2018.
13. Rajiv Mehrishi Took Oath as New CAG i. Former home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi took over as the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. Mehrishi succeeded Shashi Kant Sharma. ii. President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mehrishi (62) at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. Mehrishi will have a tenure of about three years.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
V.Narhari Rao was the first CAG of India, post Independence.(1948-1954)
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14. Masala Bonds to be Treated as ECB: RBI i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that Masala bonds will be treated as External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) from 3rd October 2017 thereby freeing up more investments by FPIs. ii. Masala bonds are rupee-denominated overseas bonds. Currently, the limit for investment by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) in corporate bonds is Rs 2,44,323 crore.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
The 24th Governor of RBI is Mr.Urjit Patel.
15. The Shershah of Kargil- The biography of Captain Vikram Batra Unveiled i. Kargil war hero Captain Vikram Batra was martyred at the tender age of 24. The biography of Captain Vikram Batra "The Shershah of Kargil" has been written by 21-year-old Deepak Surana. ii. Though books on Captain Batra have been written before, according to Deepak this is the first book that is based entirely on primary sources. Important Takeaways from Above News-
General Bipin Rawat is the 27th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army.
16. ICC Launches Anti-Corruption Probe into Sri Lanka Cricket i. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has launched an anti-corruption investigation in Sri Lanka. The ICC‟s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) officers had recently visited the country as part of the probe. ii. The ICC Anti-Corruption Unit works to uphold integrity in cricket and this includes conducting investigations where there are reasonable grounds to do so.
17. MC Mary Kom, First Indian to be AIBA Representative at IOC Athletes‟ Forum i. Five-time world champion and Olympic bronze-medallist M C Mary Kom has become the first Indian to be picked as the International Boxing Association‟s (AIBA) representative for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes‟ Forum. ii. The event, however, overlaps with the Asian Championship in Vietnam, which is scheduled from November 2 to 12.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Headquarters of AIBA is in Lausanne, Switzerland. Thomas Bach is the president of International Olympic Committee.
18. India Becomes World No. 1 in Both ODIs and Tests i. India beat Australia by 5 wickets in the third ODI played between the two sides at Indore. The victory helped them to pip South Africa to claim the no. 1 spot in the ICC ODI rankings.
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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS ii. This now means that India is now at the top of both the Test and ODI rankings. This was India‟s ninth consecutive ODI win while it is Australia 11ts successive defeat away from home.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Top three teams in ODI are 1. India, 2. South Africa, and 3. Australia.
19. India bags 4 more Medals at 5th Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games in Turkmenistan i. In the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games at Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, India bagged four medals. Sajan Prakash of India finished second with the silver medal in the Men's 100-metre butterfly event. Divya Gurling Shilwant and Pratiksha Chandrakant Parhar bagged a bronze each in women's Alysh classic in 70 kg and 75 kg categories in the Belt Wrestling Discipline. ii. Wrestler Keduovilie Zumu from Nagaland won the bronze medal in the 90 kg category of Kazakh Kuresh style belt wrestling. India is at 11th spot in the medals tally with 5 gold, 7 silver and 7 bronze.
26th September 2017 1. PM Modi Launched 'Saubhagya Scheme' i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana or „Saubhagya‟, to supply 24/7 electricity supply to poor households. ii. The government stated that states will be required to complete the household electrification by March 31, 2019. The total outlay for the Saubhagya scheme will be Rs 16,320 crore.
2. PM Narendra Modi forms Economic Advisory Council i. PM Narendra Modi reconstituted the Economic Advisory Council (EAC) to guide him on economic issues and appointed economist Bibek Debroy as its chairman. Debroy is a member of government think tank Niti Aayog. ii. The council has been defunct since former RBI governor C Rangarajan resigned as its chairman. The four other part- time EAC members are Surjit Bhalla, Rathin Roy, Ashima Goyal and Ratan Watal.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Rajiv Kumar is the Present Vice-Chairman of NITI Ayog. NITI stands for National Institution for Transforming India.
3. Odisha Government Launched „Sampurna Yojana‟ i. Odisha Government launched „Sampurna (Sishu Abond Matru Mrityuhara Purna Nirakaran Abhijan) Yojna‟ scheme for pregnant women, in Odisha. Under the scheme, Odisha government will provide Rs.1,000 as transport cost for pregnant women to travel to the hospital.
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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS ii. The main objective of this scheme is to reduce the death ratio of the newborn child and mother mortality rate. Around 7853 villages will be covered from 30 districts of Odisha, under this scheme. Important Takeaways from Above News-
Governor of Odisha is Senayangba Chubatoshi Jamir. Chief Minister of Odisha is Naveen Patnaik.
4. New Underground Water Treatment Plant in Agartala i. In Tripura, a new underground water treatment plant has been commissioned at Sadhutilla in the southern part of Agartala. The plant has fulfilled the need for drinking water free from iron and other contamination. ii. The plant has started functioning with the supply of quality treated water initially to 565 households through the pipeline. It has the treatment capacity of 4 point 8 million litres per day.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
The speciality of the plant is that it would be treating water at higher standards with minimizing turbidity and iron in the water. The built-up cost of this water treatment plant was Rs. 4 crore 99 lakh. It has been funded jointly by the Asian Development Bank with 70% share of assistance and the Union Government with 30 % share of assistance.
5. TRIFED Organised National Workshop on Minimum Support Price for Minor Forest Produce i. Minister of Tribal Affairs Shri Jual Oram inaugurated the National Workshop organized by TRIFED on “Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Minor Forest Produces (MFP) scheme – Taking it to the next level for a Fair and Equitable Deal to the Tribals”. ii. TRIFED has also signed MoU with Amazon for the marketing of tribal handicrafts scaled-up for the empowerment of tribals.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) came into existence in August 1987 and got registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act 1984.
6. ISRO‟s Mars Orbiter Mission Completes 3 Years in Orbit i. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) stated that its Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) which has completed three years in its Martian orbit is in good health and continues to work as expected. On the occasion of completion of three years in its Martian orbit released MOM second-year science data from September 24, 2014, to September 23, 2016. ii. The 450-crore rupees MOM mission aims at studying the Martian surface and mineral composition. It will also scan its atmosphere for methane which is an indicator of life on Mars.
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Important Takeaways from Above News-
ISRO had launched the spacecraft on its nine-month-long odyssey on a homegrown PSLV rocket from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on November 5, 2013. AS Kiran Kumar is the Present Chairman of ISRO.
7. All About the "Power for All - Saubhagya Scheme" i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched - Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana „Saubhagya‟ to provide electricity connections to over 4 crore families in rural and urban areas by December 2018. ii. In India, four crore out of 25 crore families do not have power connection even after 70 years of independence. India will achieve the target of power for all by December 2018, while all villages will be electrified by the end of 2017.
Here are things you must know about the Saubhagya Scheme:-
The Saubhagya scheme basically means Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana, It aims to provide access to electricity to all families in India, The Saubhagya scheme will provide free electricity connection to poor families of India, The total outlay for Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana is pegged at Rs 16,320 crore, The Centre will provide largely funds for the scheme to all States/UTs, Saubhagya Yojana will give access to electricity to all „willing‟ households in India.
8. Karnataka Government Launches Vision-2025 Project i. The Karnataka Government Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has launched 'Vision-2025' project across the state. It aimed at evolving a draft policy for the development of the state in next seven years by seeking the opinion of the public. ii. Under the project, the government would seek public opinion on how they want their dream state to be in the next seven years. The CM has also launched the website 'www.navakarnataka2025.in'.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Shri Vajubhai Vala is the Present Governor of Karnataka.
9. ADB Lowers India Growth Forecast for this Fiscal i. Asian Development Bank (ADB) has downgraded India‟s growth projection to 7 percent for the current fiscal while lowering its forecast for the next financial year as well. ii. India‟s GDP growth is downgraded to 7 percent in the financial year 2017-18, a 0.4 percentage point drop from the April forecast. In the financial year 2018-19, the forecast is adjusted down to 7.4 percent, from 7.6 percent, according to the Asian Development Outlook 2017 update.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
ADB headquarters in Manila, Philippines.
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Takehiko Nakao is the President of ADB.
10. BDL Signs Contract for Supply of MRSAM to Indian Army i. Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) has signed a contract with Research Centre Imarat (RCI) for the supply of Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (MRSAM) to Indian Army. ii. The contract was signed to facilitate production, deliveries and product support of MRSAM system for the Indian Army.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
V. Udaya Bhaskar is the Present CMD of BDL. BDL is headquartered in Hyderabad, Telangana.
11. Shashi Shankar appointed CMD of ONGC i. Shashi Shankar was appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of India's biggest oil and gas producer ONGC. ii. Shankar, at present director (technical and field services), ONGC, will take over the charge as CMD from October 1. He will replace Dinesh K Sarraf. Mr Shankar will have a nearly four-year term until March 2021.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
ONGC stands for Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited.
12. Two Indians on Fortune's List of 'Most Powerful Women in International Business' i. Two Indian women have featured on Fortune's list of Most Powerful Women in business outside the US. Managing Director and CEO of ICICI Bank Chanda Kochhar was ranked fifth and Managing Director and CEO of Axis Bank Shikha Sharma was ranked at 21. ii. Group Executive Chairman of Spain's Banco Santander Ana Botín topped the list. The 50 global businesswomen represent 17 countries and many industries. iii. Top three Most Powerful Women in business in the List are-
1. Ana Botin (Spain)
2. Emma Walmsley (UK)
3. Isabelle Kocher (France).
13. SBI Launches Chatbot to Help Customers in Banking Activities i. Artificial intelligence banking platform Payjo has launched an AI-powered chat assistant for State Bank of India to addresses customer enquiries.
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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS ii. The chat assistant, known as SBI Intelligent Assistant, or SIA, will help customers with everyday banking tasks just like a bank representative
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Arundhati Bhattacharya is currently the Chairman of the State Bank of India. Headquarter of SBI is in Mumbai. Founder and CEO of Payjo Srinivas Njay.
14. SBI Eases Minimum Balance Rules On Savings Accounts i. State Bank of India lowered the Minimum Average Monthly Balance (MAB) requirement in a savings account to Rs 3,000 from Rs 5,000 and also revised downwards penalties for not maintaining such a balance. ii. The public sector lender also decided to exempt pensioners, beneficiaries of social benefits from government and minors from the requirement of minimum balance in the savings account.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Arundhati Bhattacharya is currently the Chairman of the State Bank of India. Headquarter of SBI is in Mumbai.
15. ICC Announces Major Changes in Cricket Rules i. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced several changes to the existing template of how the sport of cricket is played. All the new rules will be implemented from September 28. The new rules incorporate bat thickness, player conduct, DRS, run outs and catches. ii. Here are the major excerpts from the release:
1. The restriction on the length and width of bats remain unchanged but the thickness of the edges can‟t be more than 40mm and the overall depth can be 67 mm at the most.
2. In a new playing condition pertaining to players‟ conduct, a player can now be sent off the field for the rest of the match for any serious misconduct, meaning it will apply to Level 4 offences while the Level 1 to 3 offences will continue to be dealt with under the ICC Code of Conduct.
3. The above changes will be applicable across all formats, as will be a change in the DRS rules by which a review will now not be lost in case of a decision that remains unchanged, solely as the result of an „umpire‟s call‟. The DRS will now also be allowed to be used in T20Is.
4. An important change with respect to run outs is that if a batsman is running or diving towards the crease with forward momentum, and has grounded his/her bat behind the popping crease but subsequently has lost contact with the ground at the time of the wickets being put down, the batsman will not be run out.
5. For boundary catches, airborne fielders making their first contact with the ball will need to have taken off from within the boundary, otherwise, a boundary will be scored. Also, a batsman can now be out caught, stumped or run out even if the ball bounces off the helmet worn by a fielder or wicket-keeper. Unique ias academy, 1st Street Gandhipuram, Coimbatore 9884267599 Page 35
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16. Lakshmanan Wins 5,000m gold in Athletics Nationals i. Reigning Asian champion Govindan Lakshmanan of Services cruised to victory in the men‟s 5000-metre race on the opening day of the 57th National Open Athletics Championships at the Nehru Stadium in Chennai. ii. Lakshmanan has recently won gold in the 3,000m event at the Asian Indoor Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
In the 5000m women‟s race, L Surya won Gold.
27th September 2017
1. World Tourism Day: 27 September i. The World Tourism Day is celebrated across the world on 27th of September. Its purpose is to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value. The theme for World Tourism Day 2017 is 'Sustainable Tourism – a Tool for Development'. ii. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the United Nations agency is responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
On 22 December 2015, during its 70th session, the United Nations General Assembly designated 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.
2. Kandla Port Renamed as Deendayal Port i. The Kandla Port, one of the top 12 major ports in the country, has been renamed as Deendayal Port in the name of Hindutva icon Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay. ii. Kandla Port, located on the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat, is one of the twelve major ports in the country
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Kandla Port is the largest port of India by volume of cargo handled.
3. Bilal Dar from Srinagar becomes an ambassador for Swachhata Hi Seva i. Bilal Dar, a young boy from Srinagar has become the brand ambassador for Srinagar Municipal Corporation. Dar has been contributing to the „Swachhta Abhiyan‟ since the age of 12. ii. 'Swachhta Hi Sewa‟ campaign has turned out to be monetarily beneficial for residents and scrap buyers/dealers, besides helping in enhancing preventive measures against vector-borne diseases.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Swachhata Hi Seva, Cleanliness is Service, from 15th September 2017 to Gandhi Jayanti on 2nd October 2017.
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4. ‟Incredible India‟ Campaign Launched in Cairo i. India launched a campaign to woo Egyptian travellers and make them aware of magnificent holiday options in the country. ii. The month-long "Incredible India!" campaign has been organised by the Embassy of India in Cairo.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Cairo is the capital and largest city of Egypt. Sherif Ismail Mohamed is an Egyptian engineer who has been Prime Minister of Egypt since 2015.
5. RIL World‟s 3rd Largest Energy Firm: Platts Rankings i. Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) is the world‟s third-biggest energy company behind Russian gas firm Gazprom and German utility E.ON, according to Platts Top 250 Global Energy Company Rankings. ii. State-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) climbed to 7th position in the 2017 ranking, up from 14th rank in 2016. Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) was placed at 11th position in 2017 as against 20th in 2016. iii. Coal India Ltd, the world‟s largest coal producer, was the only Indian firm to have slipped in the ranking - 45 in 2017.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Russia‟s Gazprom snagged the number 1 spot, ending US oil and gas giant ExxonMobil‟s 12-year reign at the top of the list.
6. Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour (PENCIL) Portal Launched i. The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh launched the Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour (PENCIL) Portal at the National Conference on Child Labour organised by the Ministry of Labour and Employment. ii. The PENCIL is an electronic platform that aims at involving Centre, State, District, Governments, civil society and the general public in achieving the target of child labour free society. Shri Rajnath Singh also launched the Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the enforcement of legal framework against child labour.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment (I/C) is Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar. Shri Kailash Satyarthi, Nobel Peace Laureate and Child Right Activist was the Guest of Honour on the occasion.
7. Angola Swears in its First New President After 38 Years i. Angola swore in Joao Lourenco as the country's President, making him the first new President of the country in 38 years. This comes after the previous president, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, announced his retirement and chose Lourenco as his successor.
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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS ii. Lourenco, who had served as Angola's Defence Minister earlier, vowed to attract more foreign investment.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Angolan kwanza is the Currency of Angolia. Luanda is the capital city of Angolia.
8. CISF Security at Mumbai Airport Rated Best in World i. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) security at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) in Mumbai has been recognised as the best service in this domain by a global quality rating agency. ii. The latest initiative of doing away with the tagging and stamping of hand baggage, handling increasing passenger footfalls smoothly, and feeling of being safe and secure by passengers, etc, were taken into account while deciding the award.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
The CISF has been providing security coverage to the CSIA, the second busiest and hypersensitive airport in India, since August 21, 2002. In July, a WQC survey adjudged CISF security cover at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport as best. O.P. Singh is the Director General of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
9. WEF‟s Global Competitiveness Rankings: India Ranks 40th, Switzerland Tops i. India remains the most competitive country in South Asia, appearing at No. 40 in the global competitiveness ranking of 137 countries by the World Economic Forum (WEF). The ranking is one lower than last year. ii. According to WEF, India‟s score is its highest ever according to the current methodology, which ranked Switzerland as the world‟s most competitive economy. India ranks 3rd among BRICS nations. iii. The world‟s top three competitive economies are-
1. Switzerland, 2. The United States of America, 3. Singapore.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
China (27th) and Russia (38th) outshine India among the BRICS group of large emerging markets.
10. Maharashtra Govt Signs MoU with South Korea i. The Maharashtra government has signed a MoU with South Korea for increased co-operation in infrastructure projects like development of smart cities, roads, airports and metros on the first day of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis‟ visit to that country.
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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS ii. This MoU is to help with implementation strategy, legal systems, policies, technologies and information in infrastructure development. Fadnavis embarked on a three-day tour to South Korea and Singapore.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Shri Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao is the present governor of Maharashtra.
11. Shri Ram Vilas Paswan Launched “Electronic Negotiable Warehouse Receipt (e-NWR) System” i. Shri Ram Vilas Paswan, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution launched the Web Portal of Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) & “Electronic Negotiable Warehouse Receipt (e- NWR) System” in New Delhi. ii. e-NWRs have no chances of any tempering, mutilation, fudging, loss or damage and with no possibility of any multiple financing. These initiatives would revolutionise the marketing of agricultural commodities and help farmers realize better price for their produce which will be a step towards doubling the farmers‟ income by 2022 as well as Digital India mission.
12. Minister of Communication Shri Manoj Sinha Launched First Ever India Mobile Congress 2017 i. The Minister of Communication Shri Manoj Sinha launched DoT‟s first ever Mobile, Internet and Technology event in India – India Mobile Congress 2017 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. ii. Led by Department of Telecom as the nodal ministry, the India Mobile Congress is being organised by Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). The largest and first ever event also has the support of the other ministries like the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Skill Development and Entrepreneurship amongst others.
13. IDBI Bank Launches „Project Nishchay‟ for Turnaround i. IDBI Bank has launched „Project Nishchay‟ in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to accelerate its turnaround program and improve financial performance. ii. The project will be led by senior management at IDBI Bank along with BCG. BCG will assist the bank to identify areas for cost containment and revenue maximization leading to sustainable growth and profitability of the Bank.
Important Takeaways from Above News
Managing Director and CEO of IDBI Bank is Mahesh Kumar Jain. IDBI Bank Headquarters in Mumbai.
14. INS Tarasa Commissioned into Indian Navy i. INS Tarasa, a Water Jet Fast Attack Craft intended for extended coastal and offshore surveillance and patrolling, was commissioned into the Indian Navy. Western Naval Command chief Vice Admiral Girish Luthra has commissioned the vessel. The vessel has been built in Kolkata.
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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS ii. It is the fourth and last of the Water Jet FACs built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, Kolkata. The first two, INS Tarmugli and INS Tihayu were commissioned in 2016 and are based in Vishakhapatnam. The third, INS Tillanchang, was commissioned in March 2017 and is based in Karwar.
Important Takeaways from Above News
Sunil Lanba is the Present CNS of Indian Navy. INS Tarasa is 50 metres long, powered by three waterjets which give it speed of over 35 knots (65 kmph), and is armed with a 30mm main gun and several light, medium and heavy machine guns. It is commanded by Lt Commander Praveen Kumar.
15. Former World‟s Heaviest Woman Eman Abd El Aty Dies i. Eman Ahmed, the world‟s heaviest woman who made news when she arrived in Mumbai earlier this year for a weight-loss surgery, passed away in Abu Dhabi. ii. She had lost more than 300kg (660lb) of her 500kg but had died from complications from other health conditions.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Eman Ahmed Abd El Aty was an Egyptian woman.
28th September 2017 1. World Rabies Day: 28th September i. World Rabies Day is celebrated annually to raise awareness about rabies prevention. This day also marks the anniversary of Louis Pasteur's death, the French chemist and microbiologist, who developed the first rabies vaccine. ii. The 2017 World Rabies Day theme is 'Rabies: Zero by 30'.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
WRD is organised by WHO. WHO‟s Constitution came into force on 7 April 1948, a date which is now celebrated every year as World Health Day. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is the Director-General of WHO.
2. World Maritime Day: 28 September i. The World Maritime Day is celebrated across the world on 28 September. The theme for 2017 World Maritime Day is ‘Connecting Ships, Ports and People’. ii. It aims to do so by focusing on helping International Maritime Organization (IMO) member states to develop and implement maritime strategies to invest in a joined-up, interagency approach.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
In 1948, an international conference in Geneva adopted a convention formally establishing IMO.
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The body was originally named Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) but the name was changed in 1982 to IMO.
3. Important Cabinet Approvals- 27th September 2017 i. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given the following set of approvals. The full list of Cabinet Approvals is given as follows. ii. The Cabinet has approved-
1. Enhancement of age of superannuation of doctors other than Central Health Service (CHS) doctors to 65 years,
2. Signing of (i) Inter-bank Local Currency Credit Line Agreement and (ii) Cooperation Memorandum relating to Credit Ratings by EXIM Bank under BRICS Interbank Cooperation mechanism,
3. Agreement on “Cooperation in the field of Information, Communication and Media” between India and Ethiopia,
4. MoU between India and Belarus in the oil and gas sector,
5. Bilateral MoU between India and Afghanistan on Technical Cooperation on Police Training and Development.
4. ADB to Increase Annual Lending to India to $4 billion i. The Asian Development Bank will increase its annual lending to India to a maximum of $4 billion between 2018 and 2022 to help fasten inclusive economic transformation towards upper middle-income status. ii. The proposal was endorsed at new ADB Country Partnership Strategy for 2018- 2022. The new lending programme, which includes private sector operations, is much higher than the average $2.65 billion a year in loans extended during 2012 and 2016.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
ADB headquarters in Manila, Philippines. Takehiko Nakao is the President of ADB.
5. Russia, US Partner to Build 1st Ever Space Station Near Moon i. Russian and US space agencies, Roscosmos and NASA, have agreed to jointly build a "deep space gateway", the first-ever astronaut-tended space station around the Moon. ii. The gateway would help prepare for manned missions to deep space destinations including Mars. NASA and Roscosmos are two of the major partners in the $100-billion Earth-orbiting International Space Station (ISS).
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Robert M. Lightfoot Jr. is NASA Acting Administrator. NASA was established in 1958. NASA stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
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6. Twitter Announces Test Project Allowing Tweets to be Expanded From 140 to 280 Characters i. Twitter has announced a test project allowing tweets to be expanded to 280 characters, double the existing limit in the latest effort to boost flagging growth at the social network. It aims to address a major cause of frustration for many users. ii. Twitter, which became a public company in 2013, has never reported a profit even though it has built a loyal base of celebrities, journalists and political figures.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Twitter is based in San Francisco. Jack Dorsey is the chief executive officer of Twitter.
7. IBBI Registered National E-Governance Services Ltd as Information Utility i. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) registered National E-Governance Services Limited (NeSL) as an Information Utility (IU) under the IBBI (Information Utilities) Regulations, 2017. With this NeSL has become the first IU registered by the IBBI and the registration is valid for five years from the date of registration. ii. Information Utility stores financial information that helps to establish defaults as well as verify claims expeditiously and facilitates completion of transactions under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code in a time-bound manner.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Dr M. S. Sahoo is the chairperson if IBBI. Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India was set up on 1st October 2016 under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (Code).
8. Two US Lawmakers Introduce Legislation in House of Rep. to Support India‟s Permanent Membership to UNSC i. In the United States, two influential Democratic lawmakers have introduced a legislation in the House of Representative to support India‟s permanent membership to the UN Security Council. ii. Introduced by Congressman Ami Bera and Congressman Frank Pallone, the resolution would put the House officially on record in support of India‟s bid. Ami Bera, Vice Ranking Member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and longest-serving Indian-American in Congress stated that securing a permanent spot for India on the UN Security Council would strengthen democracy around the world.
9. BHU Appoints its First Woman Chief Proctor i. The Banaras Hindu University has appointed Professor Royana Singh as its Chief Proctor. She will be the first woman to hold the post, as per an official of the 101-year-old central University. ii. Mrs Singh is a professor in the Anatomy department of the Institute of Medical Sciences. She takes charge after O.N Singh resigned from the post of Chief Proctor taking “moral responsibility” for the incident of lathi charge on students who were protesting against the victim-blaming of a colleague who was molested in the campus.
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Important Takeaways from Above News-
Mrs Singh is also the chairman of the Women's Grievance Cell of the BHU. Girish Chandra Tripathi is the Present Vice-Chancellor of BHU. The Founder of BHU is Madan Mohan Malaviya.
10. ICICI Bank Launches „Cashback‟ Home Loans i. India‟s largest private sector lender, ICICI Bank announced a new home loan scheme that offers borrowers the benefit of 1% cashback on every EMI, for the entire tenure of the loan. The offer will be valid for home loans with a minimum tenure of 15 years and the maximum tenure of 30 years. ii. Customers can choose to adjust the cashback against principal outstanding of their home loan. The cashback will start to accrue from the first EMI itself. It will first get credited to the customer after completion of the 36th EMI.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
CEO of ICICI Bank is Chanda Kochhar. Headquarter of ICICI is in Mumbai.
11. Syndicate Bank Cuts Savings Account Interest Rate by 0.5% i. Public sector Syndicate Bank has cut savings account interest rate by 0.50 percent to 3.50 percent for deposits up to Rs 25 lakh. The bank has revised rate of interest on savings bank deposits with effect from October 10 to 3.50 percent from 4 percent existing rate. ii. For the deposits above Rs 25 lakh, the interest rate is unchanged at 4 percent.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Syndicate Bank was established in 1925 in Udupi, Karnataka. Mr Melwyn Rego is the Managing Director & CEO of Syndicate Bank. It Headquarters in Manipal, Karnataka.
12. India to host South Asian boxing Championship in Guwahati i. India will host the South Asian Boxing Championship for the first time in Guwahati from December 6 to 10. Boxing Federation of India (BFI) after its executive committee meeting, stated that the country will also host the „India International Open tournament‟ in New Delhi in the third week of January 2018. ii. RK Sacheti has been unanimously elected as the new Executive Director of the federation. For the first time, it will initiate a grading system as well on the lines of AIBA‟s star rating qualifications for coaches, referee judges.
Important Takeaways from Above News-
Guwahati is the largest city of Assam and Northeastern India.
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LGB International Airport -Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, also known as Guwahati International Airport and formerly as 'Borjhar Airport' also situated in Guwahati.
13. Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner Passes Away i. Playboy magazine founder and sexual revolution symbol Hugh Hefner has passed away. He was 91. He died at his home of natural causes. ii. He founded the magazine in 1953. Hefner built a brand that defined the sexual culture of the second half of the 20th century.
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