DAILY UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS: 23.10.2019 TO 25.10.2019

.12.2018 National Govt to launch “Indradhanush.2018 2” for covering low immunisation pockets on October 31  Union Health Ministry will launch the “Mission Indradhanush 2.0” on October 31, 2019 that will carry out massive immunization.11.2018 program in 271 districts across the nation and 652 blocks located in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. It will cover the areas identified as “low immunization pockets”.  Total vaccination program is dedicated for children up to 2 years of age and for all pregnant women. First “Global Bio-India 2019” Summit to be held in New Delhi  The first-ever Global Bio-India 2019 Summit will be held at New Delhi from 21 to 23 November, 2019.  It is for the first time that India will host a mega event for the biotech community to attract investments, showcase our indigenous strengths and more importantly fuel the hopes and aspirations of the indigenous talent pool. Indian Army to Conduct Exercise Sindhu Sudarshan in Rajasthan from 29 November  The Indian Army will be conducting the exercise codenamed „Sindhu Sudarshan‟ in the deserts of Rajasthan, from November 29 to December 4. Government hiked minimum support price of Rabi crops for 2020-21  The Union Cabinet has decided to hike Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Rabi crops for marketing season 2020-21.  MSP of wheat has been increased by 85 rupees per quintal to 1,925 rupees per quintal.  While MSP of Gram has been increased by 255 rupees, barley 85 rupees, mustard oil 225 rupees and sunflower 270 rupees per quintal.  The minimum support price (MSP) is an agricultural product price set by the government of India to purchase directly from the farmer. IAF fired 2 Brah Mos missiles at Trak Island in Andaman Nicobar  Two BrahMos surface to surface missiles were fired by Indian Air Force at Trak Island in the Andaman Nicobar group of islands.  The twin firings have been carried out as a part of the routine operational training.  The missile engaged the designated mock targets close to 300 Kilometers away. Government accorded 'Maharatna' status to Power Grid Corporation  Govt accorded 'Maharatna' status to Power Grid Corporation of India on its 30th Raising Day Celebrations. The status provides enhanced powers to the Power Grid board to facilitate the expansion of operations, both in domestic as well as global markets. Gandhinagar become first kerosene-free district of  Gandhinagar district of Gujarat has become the 1st Kerosene-free district of the state.  Home Minister has allotted 1000 LPG connections to the women beneficiaries of Gandhinagar district under the Ujjwala Yojana with the help of ONGC. INTERNATIONAL Amazon‟s male white bellbird is the world‟s loudest bird  The male white bellbird is the world‟s loudest bird which hits 125.4 decibels.  This study was published in the journal Current Biology.  This was recorded by Biologist Jeff Podos at Brazil in the mountains of the northern Amazon. President Kovind laid foundation stone for Sri Sathya Sai Sanathana Samskruti Project in Japan  President Ram Nath Kovind laid the foundation stone for Sri Sathya Sai Sanathana Samskruti Project at Sai no Sato, Kakegawa, Japan.  Sai no Sato will be developed as a temple on the lines of Akshardham and Swaminarayan Temple to promote Indian traditional culture. 1st India-Bangladesh Stakeholders‟ meet in Guwahati  The 1st India-Bangladesh Stakeholders‟ meet was held in Guwahati. Bangladesh was represented by Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi.

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 India is the second-.12.2018largest trading partner of Bangladesh. Global Health Security Index.2018 2019: India ranks low at 57  According to GHSI 2019 report by WHO, world is unprepared for outbreaks of major infectious diseases, with Asian.11.2018 countries facing significant risks, Thailand & South Korea were among the best-performing countries in Asia, while India was at 57th rank. ECONOMY Vreedhi Financial Services received an NBFC licence from RBI  Vreedhi Financial Services (VFS) has secured a non-banking finance company licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).  The objective of the licence is to provide credit and other services to micro-enterprises operating in tier two-three cities and small towns. World Bank Report: India takes Huge Strides in improving Ease of Doing Business  As per the World Bank‟s latest Doing Business Report 2020 (DBR), India has recorded 63rd rank (rank of 77 in 2019) among 190 countries assessed by the World Bank.  New Zealand has topped the 2020 index, followed by Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Denmark and South Korea. IRDAI imposed a penalty of Rs 1.01 crore on Cholamandalam MS GIC  The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has imposed penalties of Rs 1.01 crore on Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Ltd  The insurer was penalised for violations observed during an inspection. ITC launched the world's most expensive chocolate priced at Rs 4.3 lakh/kg  Diversified group „ITC‟ launched the world's most expensive chocolate priced at approximately Rs 4.3 lakh per kilogram under its Fabelle brand. Government announced merger of BSNL and MTNL  Government has given in-principle approval of merger of BSNL & MTNL and approved the proposal for revival of BSNL and MTNL by administrative allotment of spectrum for 4G services, debt restructuring by raising of bonds with sovereign guarantee, reducing employee costs, monetization of assets. Fitch Ratings cuts India‟s GDP growth rate for FY20 to 5.5%  Fitch Ratings has revised the GDP growth rate prediction for India for FY20 to 5.5% from its earlier prediction of 6.6%.  For FY21 (2020-2021)- 6.2% and, For FY22 (2021-2022)- 6.7%  World Bank Inks USD 165 Million Loan Agreement with India to Support Climate Resilient Agriculture for Small holder Farmers in Odisha  The Government of India along with the state government of Odisha has signed USD 165 million loan agreement with the World Bank to Support Climate Resilient Agriculture for 125,000 Small holder Farmers in Odisha.  The project aims to support smallholder farmers strengthen the resilience of their production systems as well as diversify and improve the marketing of their produce, for increased income. PERSON IN NEWS Government has made the following appointments:  CEO of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)– Pankaj Kumar  Chairman of Staff Selection Commission (SSC)– Braj Raj Sharma  Chairman of Airports Authority of India (AAI): Arvind Singh (IAS)  Chairman of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI): Sukhbir Singh Sandhu (IAS)  Chairman & Managing Director, National Small Industries Corporation Ltd: Vijayendra (IAS). Deepika Padukone and PV Sindhu Roped in as Brand Ambassador for PM Modi‟s Bharat Ki Laxmi Initiative

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 Actor Deepika Padukone.12.2018 and ace shuttler PV Sindhu has been named as the ambassadors for „Bharat Ki Laxmi‟ .2018initiative announced by Prime Minister .  Bharat Ki Laxmi movement is a campaign launched to honour Indian women who have made a mark with their achievements.11.2018 in various fields for public good. Irdai set up panel to evaluate application under Regulatory Sandbox; Head- S Sadagopan  The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has set up an eight- member committee to evaluate applications filed under the Regulatory Sandbox approach to promote innovative ideas to foster growth in insurance sector. G C Murmu, R K Mathur appointed lieutenant governor of J&K and Ladakh respectively  Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir– Girish Chandra Murmu  Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh– Radha Krishna Mathur SPORTS AND GAME Praveen won gold in Wushu World Championship; 1st Indian male to win  Praveen Kumar of India defeated Russel Diaz of Philippines in the 48kg category to win a Gold medal in Wushu World Championships in Shanghai.  He is the first Indian man to win a wushu World Championships gold. In 2017 PoojaKadian became the first Indian to be crowned world champion. Abhishek Nayar retired from all forms of  Veteran Mumbai all-rounder Abhishek Nayar has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. China to host the inaugural edition of expanded 24-team Club World Cup 2021  According to Gianni Infantino (FIFA president), China will host the inaugural edition of the expanded 24-team Club World Cup.  Qatar will host the competition this year and in 2020. appointed Andrew McDonald as new head coach  (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals have appointed Australian coach Andrew Barry McDonald (38-year) as new head coach for three years. AWARDS AND HONOURS YES Bank won the DigiDhan Mission Digital Payments Award  YES Bank won the DigiDhan Mission Digital Payments Award 2018-19 for the Overall Performance in Digital Payments. Union Minister of Communication, Electronics & IT, and Law & Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad presented the award at the MeitY Startup Summit 2019 held in Delhi.  The award recognized the bank‟s leadership in the Digital Payment space that was backed by robust innovation and technology frameworks. Mohun Bagan conferred life membership to Abhijit Banerjee  The Mohun Bagan Athletic Club has conferred life membership to Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee.  Nedumangad won the 2019 Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sashaktikaran Puraskar award Kerala‟s Nedumangad block panchayat won the prestigious DeenDayalUpadhyay Panchayat SashaktikaranPuraskar for 2019.  The award recognized the good work provided by the panchayats at different levels, including the of services and sanitation. JaspritBumrah, Mandhana win Wisden India Almanack „Cricketer of the Year‟ award  Indian cricketer Jasprit Bumrah and Batswoman Smriti Mandhana are the two Indian names among the five winners of the Wisden India Almanack Cricketer of the Year award.  The other three winners are: Pakistan‟s Fakhar Zaman, Sri Lanka‟s Dimuth Karunaratne and Afghanistan Rashid Khan.  Wisden India Hall of Fame– Stalwarts Gundappa Viswanath and Lala Amarnath

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 Wisden India Book.12.2018 of the Year– “Cricket Country: The Untold History of the First All India Team” by Prashant.2018 Kidambi. IlhamTohti Won European Parliament‟s Sakharov Prize 2019  The European Parliament.11.2018 has awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Uighur economist, Ilham Tohti.  Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, commonly known as Sakharov Prize, is European Parliament‟s top human rights prize. IIT Bombay top QS India University Rankings 2020  Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) has released the QS India University Rankings 2020 and has been topped by IIT Bombay.  Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore is ranked second, IIT Delhi is ranked third, IIT Madras is 4th and IIT Kharagpur is fifth. IMPORTANT DAY AND DATE  Ayurveda Day:25 October  United Nations Day: 24 October  World Polio Day : 24 October  International Snow Leopard Day: October 23 Snow Leopard is found in 12 countries. They are India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Mongolia, Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. ONELINER  No govt. jobs in Assam for people with more than two children  The government has appointed Tuhin Kanta Pandey as secretary of the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM).  Graeme Smith has been elected as MCC Honorary Life Member.  Vijaya Bank Museum inaugurated in Bengaluru.  The AYUSH ministry has signed an MoU with the Defence Ministry to provide traditional medicine services at the armed forces‟ hospitals and dispensaries.  The Ministry of External Affairs notified that Godavarthi VenkataSrinivas (IFS:1993), presently Ambassador of India to the Republic of Senegal, has been concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Cabo Verde.  The logo for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games unveiled at a ceremony in the French capital.  7th season of Vivo Pro League 2019, won their first title by defeating Dabang Delhi by 39-34 at the EKA Arena by Trans Stadia in , Gujarat.  Intense cyclonic storm, 'Kyarr' brews over Arabian Sea, moves towards Oman Kyarr -The cyclone formed over the east-central Arabian Sea is likely to gain strength and become a severe cyclonic storm. The cyclone will continue moving west-north westwards towards Oman coast over the next five days away from the Indian coast.  Amazon founder & CEO Jeff Bezos has lost the title as the world's richest man, paving the way for Bill Gates to grab the top spot. Bezos ended Gates' 24-year run as the richest man in 2018 and became the 1st man on earth with a net worth of $160 billion.  President Kovind attend Japan's Emperor Naruhito's enthronement ceremony.  As per CSRI‟s (Credit Suisse Research Institute) Global Wealth Report (10th edition), the global wealth has risen by USD 9 trillion to USD 360 trillion in 2019.  An Indian historian, educationist and Padma Shri recipient, Kashi Nath Pandit‟s new book entitled “Ten Studies in Kashmir: History and Politics”, published by Academic Foundation.

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