UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- SEPTEMBER 2018

01st September 2018 National News

1. Prime Minister Launches Post Payments Bank i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a payments bank of the Department of Posts that will take banking to the doorstep of every citizen through an unmatched network of post offices and almost 3 lakh postmen and „Grameen Dak Sewaks‟. ii. The India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) will be like any other banks but its operations will be on a smaller scale without involving any credit risk. It will carry out most banking operations like accepting deposits but won‟t advance loans or issue credit cards. iii. The payments bank will accept deposits of up to Rs 1 lakh, offer remittance services, mobile payments/transfers/purchases and other banking services like ATM/debit cards, net banking and third-party fund transfers. The IPPB would be available through 650 branches and 3,250 access points. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018- Suresh Kumar Sethi is the Managing Director & CEO of IPPB.

International News 2. AYUSH Minister Inaugurates 4th International Ayurveda Congress at Netherlands i. Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik inaugurated the Fourth International Ayurveda Congress (IAvC) at the Netherlands. ii. The congress would focus on promotion and propagation of Ayurveda in the Netherlands and its neighbouring countries of Europe. A special Seminar is also organized by the Indian Embassy titled “India- Netherlands collaboration in Healthcare, including Ayurveda”. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Netherlands Capital: Amsterdam, Currency: Euro and USD.

3. 4th BIMSTEC Summit Concludes i. The 4th BIMSTEC Summit has been successfully concluded in Kathmandu, the capital of . ii. The K.P. Sharma Oli presented draft Kathmandu declaration which was unanimously adopted by the all member states. iii. Key points of the Kathmandu Declaration: 1. The Kathmandu Declaration has underlined the importance of multidimensional connectivity as a key enabler to economic integration for the shared prosperity of the region. 2. The declaration also highlighted the importance of trade and investment as one of the major contributing factors for fostering economic and social development in the region. 3. The BIMSTEC leaders strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and stressed that there can be no justification whatsoever for any act of terrorism. 4. An MoU was also signed during concluding session of 4th BIMSTEC summit on the establishment of BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection to enhance energy cooperation among the member states. 5. Sri Lanka has become the new chair of the BIMSTEC.

Banking/Economy News 4. SBI Hikes Benchmark Lending Rate By 0.2% i. Home, auto and other loans would become costlier as the country‟s largest lender, State Bank of India, has increased its benchmark lending rate or MCLR by 0.2%, a development followed by other lenders. The new rates are effective with immediate effect.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- SEPTEMBER 2018 ii. SBI has increased the lending rate by 20 basis points across all tenors up to three years. Now SBI‟s overnight and one-month tenor marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR) stands at 8.1% as against 7.9%.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  SBI Chairman- Rajnish Kumar, Headquarters- Mumbai, Established on- 01st July 1955.

5. GDP Growth Soars To 8.2% In 1st Quarter Of Current Fiscal i. Indian economy grew by 8.2% in the first quarter (April-June) of the current fiscal, the highest in over two years. This announcement was made by Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley. The manufacturing sector grew by 13.5% which signals very good turnaround in the sector. ii. In a related development Reserve Bank of India stated Non-food credit growth in the system accelerated to 10.6% for July as compared to previous year, driven by loans to the services sector growing at the faster clip. iii. Credit to the services sector grew 23% for the reporting period, up from the year-ago period's 4.9%.

Appointments 6. Binoy Kumar Assumes Charge of Secretary in Steel Ministry i. Binoy Kumar has taken over as Secretary, Ministry of Steel, Government of India. He had been posted as Officer on Special Duty in the Ministry. ii. Prior to this, Binoy Kumar held the post of Special Secretary, Logistics, in the Department of Commerce.

Asian Games 2018 7. Amit Panghal Wins Gold In Boxing i. India's 22-year-old boxer Amit Panghal defeated 2016 Olympic champion Hasanboy Dusmatov (Uzbekistan) in the men's 49kg final to bag gold at the Asian Games 2018. ii. Amit was the only Indian boxer who made it to a final at the quadrennial event.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  The Host cities for Asian Games 2018 are Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia.  Bhin Bhin, Kaka, and Atung are the mascots of the 2018 Asian Games.

8. Pranab, Shibnath Wins India's 1st Ever Bridge Gold i. India's 60-year-old Pranab Bardhan and 56-year-old Shibnath Sarkar won the men's pair bridge event to bag the country's first-ever gold in bridge at the Asian Games. ii. The card game has been featured as a sport at the Asian Games for the first time, in the 2018 edition. China won silver in this event.

Obituaries 9. Jain Muni Tarun Sagar Passes Away i. Jain Muni Tarun Sagar passed away at the age of 51 in Delhi's Radhapuri Jain temple due to prolonged illness. ii. The monk, who was known for his lecture series 'Kadve Pravachan', was suffering from jaundice and other ailments.

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02nd and 3rd September 2018 National News 1. India, Nepal Sign MoU on Preliminary Survey Of Railway Line Between Raxaul & Kathmandu

i. India and Nepal have signed an MoU on Preliminary Engineering-cum-Traffic Survey on Broad Gauge Rail Line between Raxaul (Bihar) and Kathmandu. Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri and Nepal‟s Secretary of Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, Madhusudan Adhikari signed the MoU in Kathmandu. ii. India and Nepal had agreed in April 2018 to construct a new electrified rail line with India‟s financial support connecting the border city of Raxaul in India to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli is the current Prime Minister of Nepal.  Bidhya Devi Bhandari is the current and commander in chief of Nepalese Army.  The Nepalese Rupee is the currency of Nepal.

2. Bi-Annual Talks Between Indian and Bangladeshi Border Forces Begin in i. The bi-annual talks between Indian and Bangladeshi border forces have begun in New Delhi. Director General of Border Security Force (BSF) KK Sharma represented the Indian side while Director General of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Major General Md Shafeenul Islam led the Bangladeshi side in the talks. ii. This is the 47th DG-level conference between the two sides since it began in 1975.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Bangladesh PM- Sheikh Hasina, Capital- Dhaka, Currency- Bangladeshi Taka.

International News 3. President Ram Nath Kovind Embarks on 3-Nation Tour i. President Ram Nath Kovind embarked on an eight-day three-nation tour to Cyprus, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. He was accompanied by first lady Savita Kovind. ii. President Kovind will hold talks with the leaders of the three European countries to deepen ties, particularly in the economic sphere. He will hold talks with that President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Cyprus Capital: Nicosia, Currency: Euro.  Bulgaria Capital: Sofia, Currency: Bulgarian lev.  Czech Republic Capital: Prague, Currency: Czech koruna.

4. International Tourist Arrivals Hit Record High In 2017: UN Report i. International tourist arrivals hit record high in 2017 with India leading the growth in South Asian region. According to data from the UN‟s tourism organisation, a total of 1,323 million international tourist arrivals recorded in destinations around the world. The figure represents an 84 million increase over 2016, and a new record. ii. According to the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), positive results in South Asia were largely driven by the strong performance of India, the subregion‟s largest destination, which benefited from increasing demand from western source markets and simpler visa procedures. iii. In India, international tourists arrivals grew from 14.57 million in 2016 to 15.54 million in 2017. International tourism receipts for India grew from 22.42 billion dollars in 2016 to 27.36 billion dollars last year.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-

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 Zurab Pololikashvili is Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).  UNWTO‟s membership includes 158 countries, 6 Associate Members and over 500 Affiliate Members.  UNWTO Headquarters in Madrid, Spain.

5. 6th East Asia Summit And 15th India-ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting Held in Singapore i. Commerce & Industry Minister attended the 6th East Asia Summit- Economic Ministers‟ Meeting (EAS-EMM) and 15th India-ASEAN Economic Ministers‟ Meeting (AEM) in Singapore. Singapore is currently holding the Chair of ASEAN. ii. The 6th East-Asia Economic Ministers‟ Meeting was chaired by Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Trade and Industry, Singapore, and was attended by Economic Ministers from 10 ASEAN countries and their eight dialogue partners, Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the Russian Federation and the United States of America.

Appointments 6. Mark Read Appointed WPP CEO In Place of Martin Sorrell i. WPP Plc, the world‟s largest communication services group, announced the appointment of Mark Read as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Executive Director (ED) to the company‟s board with immediate effect. ii. He has replaced Martin Sorrell.

Asian Games 2018 7. Ikee Rikako Named 'Most Valuable Player' Of Asian Games i. Japanese swimmer Ikee Rikako has been named as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the recently- concluded 18th edition of the Asian Games. ii. The 18-year-old, who bagged six gold and two silver medals in the tournament, became the first female athlete to win the MVP title.

8. India Finishes With Biggest Ever Medal Tally of 69 i. The 18th Asian Games came to a close, with India achieving its best-ever medal haul of 69 and equaling its best gold medal haul of 15 after 67 years. In the final few medal events on the 14th day, India added four medals to its kitty, two Gold, a silver and a bronze. ii. Boxer Amit Panghal stunned the Olympic Champion Hasanboy Dusmatov in the men‟s 49 Kilogram category to win India‟s only boxing gold. Indian men‟s bridge team won bridge gold for India. The duo of Pranab Bardhan, Shibhnath Sarkar finished top of the table with 384 points.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  The Host cities for Asian Games 2018 are Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia.  Bhin Bhin, Kaka, and Atung are the mascots of the 2018 Asian Games.

04th September 2018 National News 1. India Along With 23 Other Nations Participates In Tsunami Mock Drill i. India along with 23 other nations participated in a major Indian ocean-wide tsunami mock drill which will involve evacuation of thousands of people from coastal areas in over half a dozen coastal states. ii. The exercise, known as 'IOWave18', is being organised by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic

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Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, which coordinated the setting up of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWMS) in the aftermath of December 2004 tsunami.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC), based out of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad, is an autonomous institution under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences.

2. September: National Nutrition Month Being Celebrated Across Country i. The National Nutrition Month (September) is being celebrated across the country to mark the fight against malnutrition. ii. During this month, various programmes have been organized by the Women and Child Development Ministry to spread broad awareness on the issues related to malnutrition like stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia and low birth weight in children. ii. The decision to celebrate September as the National Nutrition Month every year was taken during the second meeting of National Council on India‟s Nutrition Challenges under the Poshan Abhiyaan held in July 2018.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  With the aim to bring down stunting of children in the age group of 0-6 years from 38% to 25% by 2022, POSHAN Abhiyaan- the National Nutrition Mission was launched by PM Narendra Modi on March 8th this year in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan.

3. Rajasthan Government To Provide Free Mobile Phones To Women of BPL Families i. In a bid to boost Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship 'Digital India' campaign, Rajasthan government will soon distribute mobile phones to women under the Bhamashah Yojana. Focused on women who fall under the Below Poverty Line (BPL), the scheme aims to transfer financial and non-financial benefits of government schemes in a transparent manner. ii. The Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje-led government in Rajasthan stated that they are making efforts to launch new applications so that the poor can receive all benefits by simply pushing a button on their cell phones.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Rajasthan CM- Vasundhara Raje, - Kalyan Singh.

4. International Aviation Summit Held in New Delhi i. The International Aviation Summit began in New Delhi, India. The seminar has been jointly organised by the Airports Authority of India, Ministry of Civil Aviation and International Air Transport Association (IATA). ii. Union Minister for Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu announced that the Civil Aviation Ministry is coming up with Vision 2035 under which it plans to build 100 new airports across India in the next 10-15 years with an investment of USD 60 billion and address the major issues concerning aviation industry such as airport infrastructure, taxation and use of technology.

5. India To Have „One-Nation-One-Card‟ Policy For Transport Soon: NITI Aayog i. NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer Amitabh Kant announced that India will shortly unveil a One Nation-One Card policy for public transport that will entail connectivity between various modes of transport. The announcement was made at a function on Future Mobility Summit-2018 in New Delhi.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- SEPTEMBER 2018 ii. The road transportation segment alone contributes to around 4% of country‟s GDP with the segment still being heavily dependent on fossil fuels. The objective of the strategy is to plan for the citizens of India first, rather than focussing on vehicles alone, by providing sustainable mobility and accessibility.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RRB PO/Clerk Exam 2018-  NITI- National Institution for Transforming India.  NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman- Rajiv Kumar, CEO- Amitabh Kant.

International News 6. Ukraine Conducts Joint Military Exercises With NATO Nations: Rapid Trident i. Ukraine has launched annual joint military exercise named Rapid Trident with the United States and other NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) member countries. Its main goal is to practice countering armed aggression in conditions of the hybrid war. ii. It is being conducted week before Russia holds its biggest military exercise Vostok-2018 since the Cold War, in the eastern part of the country and with the participation of China and .

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Ukraine Capital: Kiev, Currency: Ukrainian hryvnia.

7. President 3 Nation Visit: India and Cyprus Sign Key Agreements In Various Fields i. India and Cyprus signed key agreements in various fields cementing bilateral ties after delegation-level talks between President Ram Nath Kovind and his Cyprus counterpart Nicos Anastasiades in Nicosia. Both countries also agreed to expand cooperation in the fields of IT, tourism, shipping and renewable energy. ii. One of MoUs was signed between Financial Intelligence Unit of India and Unit for Combating Money Laundering of Cyprus. Another MoU was signed for cooperation in the field of environment. Cyprus reaffirmed its support to India for its membership of the Nuclear Supplier's Group (NSG).

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Cyprus Capital: Nicosia, Currency: Euro.

Banking News 8. Banks With Over 10 Branches To Have Internal Ombudsman: RBI i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) asked all scheduled commercial banks with more than 10 branches to appoint an Internal Ombudsman (IO). The apex bank has, however, excluded regional rural banks (RRBs) from appointing IOs. ii. In order to further enhance the independence of the IO and also to strengthen the monitoring system over the functioning of the IO mechanism, the central bank stated that it has reviewed the arrangement in the form of „Internal Ombudsman Scheme, 2018‟.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Urjit Patel- 24th Governor of RBI, Headquarters- Mumbai, Established on- 1st April 1935, in Kolkata.

Sports News 9. Alastair Cook Announces International Retirement i. England‟s highest Test run-scorer Alastair Cook announced his retirement from International cricket after final Test against India. He has scored 12,254 runs and made 32 centuries in 160 Tests all England records.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- SEPTEMBER 2018 ii. He is sixth on the all-time list of Test run-scorers and has made a record 11,627 runs as an opener. He became the first Englishman to reach 10,000 Test runs in 2016. 10. Anjum, Apurvi Becomes 1st Set of Indian Shooters To Secure Quota Places For 2020 Olympics i. Anjum Moudgil and Apurvi Chandela have become the first set of Indian shooters to secure quota places for the 2020 Olympics. ii. Anjum finished second on the podium and won a silver in the women‟s 10m air rifle event of the International Shooting Sports Federation‟s (ISSF) World Championship in Changwon, South Korea. Apurvi finished fourth in the same event.

05th September 2018 National News 1. Manoj Sinha Inaugurates Conference On 'E-Mobility in ' i. A Conference on “E-Mobility in Indian Railways” organized by Ministry of Railways through Institution of Railways Electrical Engineers (IREE) in association with NITI Aayog concluded in New Delhi. ii. The one-day conference was inaugurated by the Minister of State of Communication (I/C) and Minister of State of Railways, Shri Manoj Sinha. It was a pre-cursor to the “Move: Global Mobility Summit” to be organized by NITI Aayog. 2. Government Approved Proposal To Increase Wages Of Artisans By Over 36% i. The Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) approved a proposal by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) to increase the wages of artisans by over 36%. ii. With this, the wages will be increased from Rs 5.50 per hank previously to Rs 7.50 per hank. This proposal for an increase in wages to Khadi spinners, along with payment of government subsidy Modified Market Development Assistance (MMDA), will be implemented.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Giriraj Singh is the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

3. Suresh Prabhu Launches Technology Initiatives For Coffee Stakeholders i. Minister for Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu launched Coffee Connect - India coffee field force app and Coffee KrishiTharanga - digital mobile extension services for coffee stakeholders at a function in New Delhi. ii. The mobile app Coffee Connect has been developed to ease the work of field functionaries and to improve the work efficiency. The Coffee KrishiTharanga services are aimed at providing customized information and services to increase productivity, profitability, and environmental sustainability. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  M.S. Boje Gowda is the present chairman of Coffee Board of India.  It headquarters in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

International News 4. International Day of Charity: 5 September i. The International Day of Charity is observed globally on September 5 with an aim to recognise the role of charity in alleviating human suffering within and among nations, as well as to recognise the efforts of charitable organisations and individuals such as Mother Teresa.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- SEPTEMBER 2018 ii. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 5 September as International Day of Charity on December 17, 2012. The day was first celebrated in the year 2013.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  The United Nations Secretary-General- Antonio Guterres, Headquarters- New York, the USA, Established in- 1945.

5. International Women Entrepreneurs Summit 2018 Held In Nepal i. The International Women Entrepreneurs Summit 2018 is being held in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Nanda Bahadur Pun inaugurated the summit. The theme of the 3-day event is “Equality begins with Economic Empowerment”. ii. The main objective of the summit is to bring together achievers, women business leaders, professionals, international service providers, resource organizations, experts, government representatives and other stakeholders.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  The event is organised by the South Asian Women Development Forum.  Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli is the current Prime Minister of Nepal.  Bidhya Devi Bhandari is the current President of Nepal and commander in chief of Nepalese Army.  The Nepalese Rupee is the currency of Nepal.

6. Indo-Kazakhstan Joint Exercise 'KAZIND 2018' To Be Held in Kazakhstan i. Indo-Kazakhstan Joint Army Exercise 'KAZIND' will be conducted between the Indian and Kazakhstan Army from 10 to 23 Sep 2018 in Otar region, Kazakhstan. This is the third joint military exercise between the two countries which have a history of extensive cooperation in the defence arena. ii. The aim of the exercise is to build and promote bilateral Army to Army relations and exchange skills and experiences between Kazakhstan Army and the Indian Army.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Kazakhstan Capital: Astana, Currency: Kazakhstani tenge.  The second edition of the exercise was held in India.

7. Arif Alvi Elected Pakistan's New President i. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Arif-ur-Rehman Alvi was elected as the 13th President of Pakistan, the result data from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) confirmed. ii. A total of 430 votes were cast in the National Assembly and the Senate, with Alvi bagging 212 of them. President-elect Alvi will succeed outgoing President Mamnoon Hussain and assume office on September 9.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Pakistan Capital: Islamabad, Prime minister: Imran Khan, Currency: Pakistani rupee.

Banking News 8. HDFC ERGO Makes Cyber Insurance Personal With Launch of 'E@Secure' i. HDFC ERGO, India's third-largest non-life insurance provider in the private sector, announced the launch of 'E@Secure', a Cyber Insurance Policy for individuals. ii. This policy aims at providing comprehensive protection to individuals and their families against any cyber- attacks, cyber frauds or digital threats that could lead to a financial loss and or reputational loss.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- SEPTEMBER 2018 iii. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report 2016, there has been an increase in the incidence of Cyber Crimes by 6.3% in 2016 (12,317) over 2015 (11,592).

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  HDFC ERGO is a non-life insurance provider in the private sector.  It headquarters in Mumbai.

9. Sanctioned Rs 335 Crore to West Bengal in August: NABARD i. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned an amount of Rs 335 crore under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) to West Bengal. The fund, alloted in August, would be used for 158 minor irrigation projects and 23 flood protection projects. ii. The minor irrigation projects are expected to benefit 20,506 hectares, covering 3.09 lakh population in 699 villages of 22 districts, while the flood protection projects would address the problem of rapid bank erosion caused by rivers.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  NABARD Chairman- Harsh Kumar Bhanwala, Headquarters- Mumbai, Established on- 12 July 1982.

Sports News 10. RP Singh Announces Retirement From International Cricket i. Indian Pacer RP Singh announced his retirement from International Cricket, exactly 13 years after making his international debut. ii. The 32-year-old, who was a part of India's 2007 World T20-winning team, played 82 international matches and picked up over 100 wickets between 2005 and 2011.

06th September 2018 National News

1. PM Jan Dhan Yojana To Be Open-Ended Scheme With More Incentives i. The Government has decided to make the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) an open-ended scheme and added more incentives to encourage people to open bank accounts. The Finance Minister Arun Jaitley stated that the overdraft facility has been doubled from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 10,000 under the Yojana. ii. The age limit for availing overdraft facility under it has also been revised to 18 to 65 years from the earlier 18 to 60 years. The accidental insurance cover for new RuPay Cardholders has been raised from Rs. one lakh to Rs. two lakh.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  PMJDY was launched in August 2014.  The first phase of the PMJDY scheme focused on opening basic bank accounts and RuPay debit card with inbuilt accident insurance cover of Rs. one lakh.

2. Homosexuality Not A Crime In India Anymore: SC Abolishes Section 377 i. The Supreme Court abolished Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the 1862 law which criminalised homosexuality. ii. The Delhi High Court had decriminalised homosexuality in 2009, but the decision was overturned by the

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Supreme Court in 2013. According to Section 377, consensual sexual acts are also considered unnatural and are punishable.

3. India-US Hold Maiden 2+2 Talks In New Delhi i. India and the US held the first edition of the two-plus-two talks in New Delhi. The meeting was aimed at further strengthening bilateral defence and security collaboration as well as boosting their global strategic partnership, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. ii. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held talks with US Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo and Defence Secretary James Mattis. iii. Military Ties: According to US Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo, both sides should continue to ensure freedom of the seas and work towards peaceful resolutions of territorial and maritime disputes, seen as an oblique reference to China‟s expansionist behaviour in the South China Sea. iv. Nuclear Deal: A raft of other important issues like US sanctions on import of Iranian crude oil and India‟s plan to buy a batch of S-400 air defence missile systems from Russia were discussed. In May, the US withdrew from the landmark Iran nuclear deal and re-imposed the sanctions that had been suspended in return for curbs on Tehran‟s nuclear programme.

4. India-US 2+2 Dialogue: India-US Sign COMCASA i. India and US have signed the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) that will facilitate India to obtain critical defence technologies from the US, and access critical communication network to ensure interoperability among the US and the Indian armed forces.

5. Telangana Cabinet Passes Resolution to Dissolve Legislative Assembly i. The Telangana Cabinet passed a resolution calling for the dissolution of the Telangana Legislative Assembly. The state‟s Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had convened the meeting of his Council of Ministers to dissolve the Legislative Assembly and seek fresh elections six months ahead of schedule. ii. The CM submitted a one-line resolution of the cabinet dissolving the assembly to the state‟s Governor ESL Narasimhan immediately after the meeting.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Telangana CM- K Chandrasekhar Rao, Governor- ESL Narasimhan.

6. Home Minister Inaugurates Defence & Homeland Security Expo and Conference i. The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the 3-day Defence & Homeland Security Expo and Conference – 2018, organised by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in New Delhi. ii. The expo is being organised for the first time to make leading policy makers and luminaries from diverse defence segments take part with special focus on MSMEs in defence production and procurement.

International News 7. President 3-Nation Visit: India & Bulgaria Sign 5 MoUs i. India and Bulgaria sign five pacts on Investment, Tourism, Civil Nuclear Cooperation, science and technology cooperation and Establishment of Hindi Chair at Sofia University, after delegation-level talks between President Ramnath Kovind and his counterpart Rumen Radev. ii. The President also invited Bulgaria to become key partner in Defence and IT sectors under Make in India programme. A Programme of Cooperation is also signed to enhance scientific cooperation. Mr Kovind was in Bulgaria on the second leg of his 3-nation visit to Cyprus, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Bulgaria Capital: Sofia, Currency: Bulgarian lev.

Appointments 8. Dr Poonam Singh Nominated For 2nd Term As Regional Director WHO South-East Asia i. India retained the top WHO position in South-East Asia Region with Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh unanimously re-elected as Regional Director for another five-year term beginning February 2019. ii. Dr Singh is the first woman to have been elected to the position of Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia Region after an illustrious career in the Indian civil service, World Bank and WHO. 9. Indian Boxer Mary Kom Signed As Brand Ambassador By BSNL i. State-run telecom firm Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) roped in Indian boxer MC Mary Kom as its brand ambassador for two years. BSNL will run television commercials, print advertisements and tariff plan endorsement with Kom.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Director Anupam Shrivastava is the present Chairman and Managing Director of BSNL Obituaries 10. Gujarati Author and Journalist Bhagwati Kumar Sharma Passes Away i. Bhagwati Kumar Sharma, noted Gujarati language author and poet passed away in Surat at the age of 84 years. ii. Some of his novels include „Aarti ane Angara‟ published in 1957, „Man Nahi Mane‟ in 1962, „Rikta‟ in 1968, „Vyaktamadhya‟ in 1970, „Samaydvip‟ in 1974 and „Urdhvamool‟ in 1981.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Sharma wrote novels, short stories, poetry, essays and criticism and received Ranjitram Suvarna Chandraka in 1984 and Sahitya Academy award in 1988 for his novel „Assoryalok‟.

07th September 2018 National News

1. PM Inaugurates India's 1st Global Mobility Summit i. Prime Minister Modi inaugurated India's first Global Mobility summit 'MOVE' in New Delhi. Comprehensive discussions along 5 themes took place ranging from electrification and alternative fuels and reinventing public transport. The two-day meet of stakeholders has been organised by the NITI Aayog. ii. The summit deliberated on 5 themes, comprehensive: electrification & alternative fuels, reinventing public transport, goods transport & logistics and data analytics and mobility. The main focus of the summit is to make cities of India pollution free. 2. Launched 'AAPOORTI' App Of „Indian Railways e-Procurement System‟ i. Ministry of Railways & Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) organised a seminar on “Leveraging IT for Mobility” in New Delhi. ii. Minister of Railways & Coal, Shri Piyush Goyal graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Shri Goyal also launched a new app – “AAPOORTI‟ mobile App of „Indian Railways e-procurement system‟ (IREPS). iii. About Aapoorti (IREPS Mobile App) :

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- SEPTEMBER 2018

 This App provides information and data related to e-tendering and e-auction related activities of Indian Railways.  For e-tendering activities, users can see details related to tenders published, tenders closed, purchase orders placed.

3. 6th Edition of Bengaluru Space Expo Inaugurated i. The 6th edition of the biennial Bengaluru Space Expo was inaugurated by ISRO Chairman Dr.K Sivan in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The three-day event showcased industry participation in Indian space programme. ii. ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan addressed that the ISRO wants to offer manufacturing of PSLV and small satellite launch vehicles along with small satellites to private industries. iii. A sum of 10,400 crore rupees is earmarked for manufacturing of PSLV launch vehicle out of which 9000 crore rupees worth production will be given to private industries.

International News 4. 87th Izmir International Tradeshow Begins in Turkey i. India is the Partner Country in the 87th Izmir International tradeshow which begins in Turkey. In this tradeshow India will also be launching a mega business pavilion „Source India‟ hosting 75 Indian companies with the aim of tie-ups in order to increase India‟s exports to Turkey and other neighbouring countries. ii. The 87th Izmir International tradeshow will be held in Izmir, the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Turkey Capital- Ankara, Currency- Turkish lira, President- Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

5. India-Sri Lanka Joint Exercise SLINEX-2018 Begins in Sri Lanka i. Indian navy ships and aircraft have arrived in Sri Lanka to take part in the joint exercise SLINEX-2018 to be held with Sri Lankan navy at Trincomalee. ii. The exercise which was previously held biannually has been converted to an annual event from this year to enhance cooperation in the maritime domain and to further strengthen mutual trust and interoperability between the two navies.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Sri Lanka Capitals: Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Currency: Sri Lankan rupee, President: Maithripala Sirisena.

Economy News 6. Monetary Limit For Filing Cases In DRT Doubled To Rs 20 Lakh i. The government of India has doubled the monetary limit to 20 lakh rupees for filing loan recovery application in the Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRT) by banks and financial institutions. ii. As per the Finance Ministry, the move is aimed at helping reduce pendency of cases in DRTs. There are 39 DRTs in the country. To make the tribunals more effective and to facilitate fast disposal of debt recovery cases, the government has made several amendments in different laws, including the SARFAESI Act.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-

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 The Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Securities Interest Act, 2002 (also known as the SARFAESI Act) is an Indian law.  It allows banks and other financial institution to auction residential or commercial properties to recover loans. Sports News 7. ISSF World Championship: Saurabh Chaudhary Clinches Gold i. India‟s Saurabh Chaudhary continued his brilliant run of form as he clinched the 10 metres Air Pistol Junior gold at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Shooting World Championship in Changwon, South Korea. ii. The 16-year-old produced an impressive show in the final to clinch the gold with a new junior world record. Arjun Singh Cheema claimed bronze in the same event.

08th September 2018 National News 1. Bengaluru To Host Aero India In February 2019: Defence Ministry i. The next edition of Aero India will be held in Bengaluru, Karnataka from February 20 to 24, 2019, Defence Ministry announced. This five-day event will combine a major trade exhibition for the aerospace and defence industries with public air shows. ii. Yelahanka Air Force station in Bengaluru has hosted all the 11 editions of Aero India so far and has emerged as a premier air show in Asia. 2. Former RBI Governor Bimal Jalan To Head Panel To Select New CEA i. The Union Government has appointed former Reserve Bank of India governor Bimal Jalan as the head of the panel that has been tasked with selecting India‟s next chief economic advisor (CEA). ii. The panel will screen the applications received and conduct interviews. The move comes two months after the government sought applications for the post after previous CEA Arvind Subramanian resigned from office.

International News 3. International Literacy Day: 8 September i. International Literacy Day, celebrated annually on 8 September, is an opportunity for Governments, civil society and stakeholders to highlight improvements in world literacy rates, and reflect on the world's remaining literacy challenges. ii. This year‟s theme is „Literacy and skills development.‟

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  France's Audrey Azoulay- 11th DG of UNESCO, Headquarters- Paris, France.

4. 3-day World Hindu Congress Begins In Chicago i. The three-day World Hindu Congress has begun in Chicago, the USA. Over 2000 delegates from across the globe are participating in this mega event. ii. The theme of World Hindu Congress is 'think collectively, achieve valiantly'. 5. President 3-Nation Visit: India-Czech Republic Ink 5 Pacts

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- SEPTEMBER 2018 i. President Ram Nath Kovind was in the Czech Republic on the last leg of 3-nation Europe tour. He met Prime Minister Andrej Babis of Czech Republic. India and the Czech Republic signed five agreements as part of President Kovind's visit. ii. The 5 agreements are as follows: 1. Cooperation between Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, India, and the Czech Academy of Sciences, 2. A visa waiver agreement for diplomatic passport holders, 3. A work plan to support Indo-Czech projects in diverse areas of science and technology, with the Department of Science and Technology taking the lead from the Indian side; 4. Cooperation in laser technology between ELI Beamlines and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, and 5. Cooperation between the Haryana Agricultural University and the Czech University of Life Sciences.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Czech Republic Capital: Prague, Currency: Czech koruna.

Appointments 6. SBI Appoints Anshula Kant As Managing Director i. State Bank of India (SBI) has appointed Anshula Kant as Managing Director of the Bank. She has been appointed to the post for 2 years. ii. Prior this appointment, Kant was the bank's Deputy Managing Director. With this appointment, SBI now has four MDs - PK Gupta, DK Khara and Arijit Basu.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  SBI Chairman- Rajnish Kumar, Headquarters- Mumbai, Established on- 01st July 1955.

Sports News 7. ISSF World Championship: Hriday Hazarika Wins Gold in 10 m Air Rifle i. Indian shooter Hriday Hazarika notched up a gold medal in the 10 m air rifle junior men's event of the ISSF World Championships in South Korea. ii. The Indian team, comprising Hazarika, Divyansh Panwar and Arjun Babuta, finished fourth with a combined total of 1872.3. iii. The women's 10m air rifle team of Elavenil Valarivan, Shreya Agarwal and Manini Kaushik then produced a sensational performance to total 1880.7 for a gold with a world record to boot. 8. Luka Modric Wins 'UEFA Men's Player of The Year Award' i. Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has been named UEFA Men's Player of the Year for 2017/18. Modric beat off competition from former Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah. ii. The Croatian international received the trophy on stage in Monaco during the UEFA Champions League group stage draw. He was also named UEFA Champions League Midfielder of the Season.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid & Portugal) was the UEFA Men's Player of the Year for 2016/17.

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09th September 2018 National News 1. HRD Minister Inaugurates 4th World Summit on Accreditation: WOSA 2018 i. Union Minister for HRD Prakash Javadekar Inaugurates 4th World Summit on Accreditation (WOSA- 2018) at New Delhi. WOSA is a biennial Summit organised by NBA, which provides platform to stakeholders to share their knowledge and information on accreditation. ii. The Summit will facilitate the exchange of information on various challenges being faced during the transition between input-output based accreditation to outcome-based accreditation. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  The National Board of Accreditation (NBA) is an autonomous organisation under Ministry of Human Resource Development engaged in quality assurance of the programs offered by the professional and technical institutions in India through accreditation. 2. Ayushman Bharat Call Centre Inaugurated In Bengaluru i. Ayushman Bharat call centre was formally inaugurated in Bengaluru by CEO of Ayushman Bharat Dr. Indu Bhushan. This national call centre is operational since August 25. ii. The call centre functioning 24×7 in collaboration with Medi assistant is sharing info in English and Hindi initially and 9 more regional languages to be added later.

Economy News 3. Current Account Deficit Widens To 2.4% of GDP i. India‟s current account deficit (CAD) widened to a four-quarter-high at 2.4% of gross domestic product (GDP) in April-June period on the back of rising crude oil prices, from 1.9% of GDP in the January-March quarter of 2017-18, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). ii. Merchandise trade deficit expanded to $45.7 billion in the June quarter against $41.6 billion in the March quarter as crude oil prices zoomed past $75 per barrel. Net services exports, at $18.7 billion, were lower than in the preceding quarter ($20.2 billion) due to lower realization from IT services.

Appointments 4. Axis Bank Appoints HDFC‟s Amitabh Chaudhry as MD & CEO i. Axis Bank announced that Amitabh Chaudhry has been appointed as its managing director & CEO from January 1, 2019, for a period of three years. ii. Mr. Chaudhry, the MD & CEO of HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company at present, will take the charge at India‟s third largest private sector bank after incumbent Shikha Sharma steps down on December 31, 2018. Mr. Chaudhry, 54, has been associated with HDFC Life since January 2010.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Axis Bank Headquarters in Mumbai.  Shikha Sharma is the present CEO and Managing director of Axis Bank. Awards 5. 'Sarala Puraskar' For Poet Satrughna Pandav i. Noted Odia poet Satrughna Pandav will be honoured with the prestigious 'Sarala Puraskar' for his poetry collection 'Misra Dhrupad'.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- SEPTEMBER 2018 ii. The 'Sarala Puraskar', instituted by eminent Odia industrialist late Dr Bansidhar Panda and late Ila Panda in 1979 and awarded by the Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust(IMPaCT) will be presented to Pandav. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 5,00,000 and a citation.

Sports News 6. ISSF World Championship: Ankur Mittal Wins Double Trap Gold i. Ankur Mittal claimed the men‟s double trap gold medal in the ISSF World Championship for his career‟s biggest triumph, as the Indian shooting team continued its dominance in the premier tournament in Changwon, South Korea. ii. Ankur also won the team bronze in the event along with compatriots Md. Asab and Shardul Vihaan, their tally of 409 points putting them behind China‟s 410 and the gold-winning team Italy‟s tally of 411.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  South Korea Capital- Seoul, Currency: South Korean won.

7. Naomi Osaka Beats Serena Williams To WIn U.S Open i. Naomi Osaka became the first Japanese woman to win a Grand Slam title after she registered an emphatic win over Serena Williams in the finals of the U.S Open. ii. Osaka got off to an aggressive start in the first set, breaking the six-time U.S Open champion twice.

10th September 2018 National News 1. India And France Signed Implementation Agreement on 'Mobilise Your City' i. India and France have signed an implementation agreement on 'Mobilise Your City' (MYC) in the presence of Minister of State (I/C), Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) Hardeep Singh Puri and Alexander Ziegler, Ambassador of France in India. ii. Mobilise Your City (MYC) is part of an international initiative which is supported by the French and the German Governments and was launched at 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) meeting.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  France Capital: Paris, Currency: Euro, CFP franc, President: Emmanuel Macron.

2. Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana To Cover Child Cancer Treatment i. The Union Government has announced that the treatment of childhood cancer will be covered under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. The information was shared by NITI Aayog member Vinod Kumar Paul, while speaking at a function in New Delh. ii. The child cancer will be treated under the Ayushman Bharat scheme and the rate in this regard has been fixed. According to the announcement made, 1.5 lakh health and wellness centres will be opened across India by 2022 under the scheme.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  J.P.Nadda is the present Minister of Health and Family Welfare.

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Economy News 3. RBI Notifies Amended Note Refund Rules

4. The Reserve Bank of India has released new guidelines through a gazette notification for all notes which were introduced post note ban, or notes which were introduced as part of the Mahatma Gandhi New Series. ii. The Reserve Bank of India (Note Refund) Rules earlier only specified currency notes of Rs 5, Rs 10, Rs 50, Rs 100, Rs 500, Rs 1,000, Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 denomination. The Rs 2000 and Rs 200 (issued in November 2016 and September 2017 respectively) could not be governed by the old rules due to their difference in size. iii. As per the new Reserve Bank of India (Note Refund) Amendment Rules, 2018, "the undivided area of the single largest piece of the note" for a damaged Rs 2000 note must be 88 square cm for a full refund, and 44 square cm for half refund. The Rs 2000 note is 109.56 square cm in dimension. For a damaged Rs 200 note, the criteria is 78 square cm for a full refund, and 39 square cm for half refund.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-

 Urjit Patel- 24th Governor of RBI, Headquarters- Mumbai, Established on- 1st April 1935, in Kolkata.

Resignations/Appointments 4. Alibaba‟s Jack Ma To Step Down In 2019 i. Jack Ma, the charismatic co-founder of China's largest e-commerce firm Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, will step down as chairman in exactly one year on Sept 10, 2019. ii. Current Alibaba Chief Executive Daniel Zhang will replace him as chairman, while Ma will complete his current term on Alibaba's board of directors following the company's annual general meeting in 2020.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Ma, who co-founded Alibaba in 1999, is one of China's richest people with a net worth of $36.6 billion, according to Forbes.

Awards 5. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Receives Meryl Streep Award for Excellence i. Actress Aishwarya Rai was honoured with the Meryl Streep Award for Excellence at the Women in Film and Television (WIFT) India Award. ii. The ceremony was established to honour the best female talent in Bollywood and Hollywood. WIFT India is part of WIFT International, a network which promotes professional development and achievement for women in the film industry, video, and other screen-based media.

Sports News 6. Novak Djokovic Wins Men‟s Title In US Open Tennis i. In the US Open Tennis, Novak Djokovic of Serbia won the Men‟s singles final. He defeated Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina in straight sets. It was Djokovic‟s 14th Grand Slam title and the third US Open title. ii. He is now just three Slams behind Rafael Nadal and six back from the record 20 held by Roger Federer.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Naomi Osaka has defeated Serena Williams to Win U.S Open 2018.

7. Triple Jumper Arpinder Singh, 1st Indian To Win Medal In IAAF Continental Cup i. Triple jumper Arpinder Singh has created history by becoming the first Indian to win a medal in the IAAF Continental Cup. At Ostrava in the Czech Republic, he clinched a bronze. ii. No Indian has ever won a medal in the Continental Cup which was known as the IAAF World Cup before 2010. iii. Reigning Olympic and world champion Christian Taylor of the United States took the gold with a jump of 17.59 metres.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Czech Republic Capital: Prague, Currency: Czech koruna.

8. India Blue Trounces India Red To Win Duleep Trophy i. India Blue thrashed defending champion India Red by an innings and 187 runs in the final to win the 57th Duleep Trophy at NPR College ground, in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. ii. Spinners Deepak Jagbir Hooda (5 for 56) and Saurabh Kumar (5 for 51) needed just 10.5 overs on the fourth day to bundle out India Red for 172 in the second innings. Himachal Pradesh batsman Nikhil Gangta was named the man of the match for his superb knock of 130.

9. US Open 2018 Concludes: Complete List of Winners i. The 2018 US Open was the 138th edition of tennis' US Open and the fourth and final Grand Slam event of the year. It was held on outdoor hard courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City. ii. Novak Djokovic of Serbia won in Men's category after defeating Juan Martin del Potro. Naomi Osaka of Japan has defeated Serena Williams to win the US Open title.

10. The Four Grand Slams Of 2018: Complete List of Winners i. The Grand Slam tournaments, also called majors, are the four most important annual tennis events. They offer the most ranking points, prize money, public and media attention, the greatest strength and size of the field, and a greater number of 'best of' sets for men. ii. The Grand Slam itinerary consists of the Australian Open in mid-January, the French Open in May and June, Wimbledon in July, and the US Open in August and September.

11th September 2018 National News 1. India, Bangladesh Jointly Inaugurate 3 Projects i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina, and Chief Ministers of West Bengal and Tripura Biplab Kumar Deb jointly inaugurated three projects in Bangladesh via video conferencing. These include: 1. 500 MW additional power supply from India to Bangladesh, 2. Akhaura – Agartala Rail Link, and 3. Rehabilitation of the Kulaura-Shahbazpur section of Bangladesh Railways.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- SEPTEMBER 2018 ii. Akhaura-Agartala rail project is about 12 km long of which 5.5 km would be laid in India while 6.5 km would be in Bangladesh. The total cost of the project would be about 960 crore rupees.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Bangladesh PM- Sheikh Hasina, Capital- Dhaka, Currency- Bangladeshi Taka.

2. India Joins Elite Group of Countries Capable Of Air-to-Air Fuel Transfer i. The first ever mid-air refuelling of the indigenously developed light combat aircraft Tejas was successfully carried out, placing India in an elite group of countries having air-to-air refuelling capacity for military planes. ii. The mid-air re-fuelling of wet contact trial for Light Combat Aircraft, LCA Tejas MK-1 was successfully carried out from an Indian Air Force base. The Air-to-Air refuelling capability for Tejas is a force multiplier for the Indian Air Force, giving the aircraft the potential to stay airborne for much longer periods of time.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Nirmala Sitharaman is the present Defence Minister of India.  Birender Singh Dhanoa is the present Chief of Air Staff of Indian Air Force.

3. Centre Sets Up Panel Of Secretaries To Look Into e-commerce Issues i. With concerns being raised on some proposals of the draft e-commerce policy, the government has set up a group of secretaries to look into the issues. The group will be chaired by the secretary in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). ii. The other members of the group include secretaries of the ministry of electronics and information technology and department of commerce.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Dr Vijay Pingale is the Private Secretary of Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.  DIPP was established in 1995. 4. 1st Regional Workshop On RERA Inaugurated by Hardeep Puri in Pune i. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated the first regional workshop on RERA (Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act) in Pune. ii. Mr Puri delivered the inaugural address at the “First Regional Workshop on RERA – a New Era of Transparency and Accountability in Real Estate – 2 years of implementation and way forward (Western Region)” in Pune. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Maharashtra is one of the first states to implement the provision of RERA.  It has also established the Real Estate Regulatory Authority of Maharashtra, which is popularly known as MahaRERA. 5. 1st Edition of BIMSTEC Military Exercise MILEX-18 Inaugurated in Pune i. BIMSTEC Military Exercise (MILEX-18), the first edition of Military Field Training Exercise for the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) nations, started at Aundh in Pune.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- SEPTEMBER 2018 ii. The aim of MILEX-18 is to practice the BIMSTEC Nations in planning and conduct of counter- terrorist operations. Participating countries are Armies of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand. Nepal is not taking part in MILEX-18.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  The BIMSTEC was formed in 1997 and it brings together Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand.  The grouping accounts for 22% of the global population.  Sri Lanka is the current chair of BIMSTEC.

6. NRTI, India's 1st Railway Varsity Starts Operations In Vadodara i. The first of its kind university in the country in the transport sector, the National Rail and Transportation Institute (NRTI), started operations. Currently, it is functioning out of the National Academy of Indian Railways, Vadodara. ii. Funded by the ministry of railways, with University of California, Berkeley and Cornell University as its international partners, the university started with two undergraduate courses - BSc Transportation Technology and BBA Transportation Managements- with 50 students each.

7. Forbes-Nominated Author Preeti Shenoy Pens New Book, 'The Rule Breakers' i. Best-selling author Preeti Shenoy announced the launch of her new book, 'The Rule Breakers'. The book claims to explore complex themes of women's equality, gender, and inclusion among others. ii. The novel set in the '90s is the story of Veda, who harbours big dreams, but finds herself trapped in an arranged marriage and realizes that her opinions in real life don't matter.

8. Health Ministry Implements HIV AIDS Act 2017 i. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has announced the implementation of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017. According to the law, every HIV infected or affected person below the age of 18 has the right to live in a shared household and enjoy its facilities. ii. The act criminalises any kind of discrimination against people suffering from AIDS in terms of treatment, employment and workplace. Those violating the act could be jailed for up to two years or fined up to Rs1 lakh or both.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  JP Nadda is the present Health and Family Welfare Minister of India.

International News 9. India-Mongolia Joint Exercise 'Nomadic Elephant 2018' Starts in Mongolia i. The 12 days long Indo-Mongolia joint exercise Nomadic Elephant-2018, commenced at Mongolian Armed Forces (MAF) Five Hills Training Area, , Mongolia with a brief opening ceremony. ii. Exercise Nomadic Elephant is an annual, bilateral exercise since 2006 which is designed to strengthen the partnership between the Indian Army and Mongolian Armed Forces.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Mongolia Capital: Ulaanbaatar, Currency: Mongolian togrog.

Appointments 10. Hima Das Appointed Sports Ambassador of Assam i. India‟s ace sprinter Hima Das was appointed as Sports Ambassador of Assam to inspire budding players of northeastern state to aim big and young generation to take up sports seriously. ii. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has earlier confirmed that Indian Athlete Hima Das will be named as the first sports ambassador of the state. The announcement came after Hima Das recently became the first Indian woman to win gold at IAAF World U-20 Athletics Championships.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Assam CM: Sarbananda Sonowal, Governor: Jagdish Mukhi.

11. Justice Om Prakash Mishra Sworn In As new Chief Justice Of Nepal i. Justice Om Prakash Mishra has been sworn in as new Chief Justice of Nepal. The President administered the oath of office and secrecy to Justice Mishra in Kathmandu. ii. Parliamentary Hearing Committee (PHC) unanimously endorsed his name for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Justice Mishra was appointed as a justice of the Supreme Court in 2014.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli is the current Prime Minister of Nepal.  Bidya Devi Bhandari is the current President of Nepal and commander in chief of Nepalese Army.  The Nepalese Rupee is the currency of Nepal.  Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal.

Banking News 12. IPPB Ties Up With FSS To Create Payments Network For Unorganized Retail i. In a move aimed at creating a payments acceptance network for unorganized retail including small merchants and Kirana stores where consumers can make payments, India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has partnered with Financial Software and Systems (FSS). ii. FSS a payments technology company to ensure that micro-merchants are able to accept payments over any channel – online, unified payments interface (UPI), quick-response (QR) codes, Aadhaar and IPPB accounts.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  IPPB has been incorporated as a public sector company under the Department of Posts with 100% government equity and is governed by the Reserve Bank of India.  Suresh Kumar Sethi is the Managing Director & CEO of IPPB.

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12th September 2018 National News 1. 1st Ever Bus Services Between Bihar And Nepal Flagged Off i. For the first time, bus services between Bihar and Nepal have started. The bus service was flagged off from Patna by the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. ii. Four buses will ply from Bodhgaya to Kathmandu. Similarly, four buses will ply from Patna to Janakpur. The Kathmandu bound bus will go via Patna, Raxaul and Beerganj. The Janakpur bound bus will go via Muzaffarpur and Sitamarhi.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli is the current Prime Minister of Nepal.  Bidya Devi Bhandari is the current President of Nepal and commander in chief of Nepalese Army.  The Nepalese Rupee is the currency of Nepal.  Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal.

2. NITI Aayog, Intel And TIFR To Set Up Model International Center For ICTAI i. NITI Aayog, Intel and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) are collaborating to set up a Model International Center for Transformative Artificial Intelligence (ICTAI). ii. The initiative is part of NITI Aayog‟s National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence discussion paper that focuses on establishing ICTAI through private sector collaboration. iii. The collaboration aims to bring together fundamental and applied research, innovation and technology development to solve important problems.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  NITI- National Institution for Transforming India.  NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman- Rajiv Kumar, CEO- Amitabh Kant.

3. Indo-US Joint Exercise 'Yudh Abhyas 2018' To Start in Uttarakhand i. As part of the ongoing Indo-US defence cooperation, a joint military training Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2018 is scheduled to be conducted in the foothills of at Chaubattia in Uttarakhand from 16 September to 29 September 2018. ii. This will be the 14th edition of the joint military exercise hosted alternately by both countries.

4. APSARA, Uranium Reactor Becomes Operational at BARC i. 'Apsara', the first research reactor in Asia became operational in Trombay campus of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in August 1956. After providing more than five decades of dedicated service to the researchers, the reactor was shut down in 2009. ii. Nearly sixty-two years after Apsara came into existence, a swimming pool type research reactor “Apsara- upgraded”, of higher capacity was born at Trombay. The reactor, made indigenously, uses plate type dispersion fuel elements made of Low Enriched Uranium (LEU).

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Mr Kamlesh Nilkanth Vyas is the present Director of BARC.  BARC Headquarters in Mumbai.

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5. Indian Railways Launches Web Portal 'Rail Sahyog' i. The Minister of Railways and Coal, Piyush Goyal launched a web portal 'www.railsahyog.in'. ii. The web portal will provide a platform for the Corporates and PSUs to contribute to the creation of amenities at/near Railway Stations through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Ashwani Lohani is the present Chairman of the Railway Board.

6. Haryana Signs MoU With Indian Oil For Ethanol Plant i. The Haryana government signed an MoU with (IOC) to set up an ethanol plant in Panipat with an outlay of over Rs 900 crore. ii. The initiative with a proposed capacity of 100 kilolitres of ethanol per day will manage crop residue and prevent straw burning before the upcoming paddy season. The pact will be valid for one year.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Haryana CM: Manohar Lal Khattar, Governor: Satyadeo Narain Arya.

7. 2-Day Regional Conference On Good Governance Begins In Bhopal i. The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DAR & PG), Government of India in association with Government of Madhya Pradesh is organizing a Regional Conference on Good Governance with Focus on Aspirational Districts, in Bhopal. ii. Delegates from 12 States and 2 UTs participated in the Conference. There were 5 Technical sessions in the 2- day conference. The themes include: ICT Enabled Education, Agriculture, Public Service and Grievance Management and Good Governance initiatives.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Madhya Pradesh CM: Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Governor: Anandiben Patel.

8. Important Cabinet Approvals: 12th September 2018 i. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the following set of approvals. The important Cabinet Approvals are given as follows- ii. The Cabinet has approved- 1.Transfer of land of M/s. Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers (RCF) to Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) 2. MoU between India and Brunei Darussalam on Cooperation in the operation of Telemetry Tracking and Telecommand station for satellite and launch vehicles, and for cooperation in the field of Space Research, Science and Applications.

9. Andhra Launches e-Rythu To Boost Cashless Farm Ecosystem i. The government of Andhra Pradesh launched a mobile platform, e-Rythu (e-farmer in Telugu) which will enable small-scale farmers to market their produce at reasonable prices. ii. e-Rythu was launched by chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The platform has been developed by Mastercard Labs for Financial Inclusion in Nairobi, Kenya, and has been customized for India use by the Labs team based at Pune.

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International News 10. Russia Launches Biggest War Games 'Vostok-2018' Since Cold War i. Russia has launched its biggest military exercise since the Cold War named "Vostok-2018", involving about 300,000 service personnel, in eastern Siberia. China is sending 3,200 troops to take part in "Vostok- 2018". ii. The last Russian exercise of similar scale was in 1981, during the Cold War, but Vostok-2018 involves more troops. A key aim is to practise the rapid deployment of thousands of troops, as well as aircraft and vehicles, from western Russia to eastern regions, across thousands of miles.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Russia Capital: Moscow, Currency: Russian ruble, President: Vladimir Putin.

Appointments 11. HDFC Life Elevates Vibha Padalkar As MD and CEO i. HDFC Life appointed Vibha Padalkar as its new managing director and CEO for a period of three years. The position had fallen vacant after Amitabh Chaudhry resigned to head Axis Bank. ii. The terms of appointment are subject to approval by the shareholders and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI). Prior to her elevation, Padalkar was the chief financial officer (CFO) and executive director at the insurer.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Padalkar was also conferred the „CFO-Woman of the year‟ award b the ICAI in 2011 and another for “Excellence in Financial Control, Compliance and Corporate Governance” in 2013.  HDFC Bank MD- Aditya Puri, Headquarters in: Mumbai.

13th September 2018 National News 1. Cabinet Approves New Umbrella Scheme 'Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan' i. The Union Cabinet approved new Umbrella Scheme 'Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan, PM-AASHA. ii. The Scheme is aimed at ensuring remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce as announced in the Union Budget for 2018 the announcement was made by the Agriculture Minister Mohan Singh in New Delhi. The Cabinet has decided to give additional government guarantee of Rs.16,550 crore making it Rs. 45,550 crore in total. iii. The new Umbrella Scheme includes the mechanism of ensuring remunerative prices to the farmers and is comprised of: 1. Price Support Scheme (PSS), 2. Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS), and 3. Pilot of Private Procurement and Stockist Scheme (PPPS).

2. PM Modi Announces Launch Of „Swachhata Hi Seva Movement‟ i. To mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of 'Swachhata Hi Seva Movement'. ii. The mission, which also celebrates the fourth anniversary of the Swaccha Bharat Mission will take place across the length and breadth of the country and will continue till Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary on October 2.

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3. BSNL, Unlimit Ink Partnership For IoT/M2M Services In India i. Unlimit, end-to-end IoT service provider in India announced its partnership with State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to offer comprehensive Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and services to the enterprise customers across India. ii. The partnership between Unlimit and BSNL will leverage seamless wireless network footprint pan India to provide its solutions and services across industries. T

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS RRB Mains 2018-  BSNL was incorporated on 15th September 2000.  Headquarters of BSNL is in New Delhi.  Anupam Shrivastava is the Chairman & Managing Director and Director of BSNL.

4. Government Approves 100% Electrification Of Railways By 2021-22 i. The Union cabinet approved a proposal for the complete electrification of Indian Railways by 2021-22, reducing dependence on imported fossil fuel and saving revenue for the national carrier. ii. The move will cost the government Rs12,134 crore. The announcement was made by the Railways Minister, Mr Piyush Goyal.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Piyush Goyal is the present Cabinet Minister of Indian Railways.  Indian Railways is one of the largest rail networks in the world with 67,368km of tracks and 22,550 trains that carry 22.24 million passengers and 3.04 million tonnes of freight every day.

International News 5. Sushma Swaraj embarks on a two-day visit to Moscow i. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj left for a two-day visit to Moscow, Russia. During this visit, she will attend the meeting of 23rd India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Technical and Economic Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC). ii. It will be co-chaired by Swaraj and Yuri Borisov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. IRIGC- TEC is a standing body which annually meets and reviews ongoing activities of bilateral cooperation in the fields of investment, bilateral trade and, science and technology, culture and other issues of mutual interest.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018:  IRIGC-TEC: India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Technical and Economic Cooperation  Russian Capital: Moscow, Currency: Ruble, President: Vladimir Putin  IRIGC-TEC last meeting: December 2017, Delhi.

6. Hunger Reached „Alarming‟ 10-year high in 2017: UN Report i. As per a UN report on the „state of food security and nutrition in the world‟, the number of undernourished globally increased to 821 million in 2017, which means that one in every nine people, does not have enough to eat. ii. It was published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Food Programme (WFP), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The increase is mostly due to three drivers across the world: 1. the intensification of conflict, 2. an economic downturn, and

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3. the effects of climate change.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations.  The UN Headquarters in New York, United States. 7. India, Iran and Afghanistan Hold Tripartite Meeting To Consolidate Cooperation i. India, Iran and Afghanistan held their first tripartite meeting in Kabul, Afghanistan during which implementation of the Chabahar port project and a host of other issues including ways to deepen counter-terror cooperation were discussed. ii. The Indian delegation was led by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale while the Iranian team was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Afghan deputy foreign minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai chaired the meeting.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Iran Capital: Tehran, Currency: Iranian rial.  Afghanistan Capital: Kabul, Currency: Afghan afghani.

Business News 8. Samsung Opens World's Largest Mobile Experience Centre In Bengaluru i. After launching the world's largest mobile phone-manufacturing factory in Noida in July 2018, Samsung has now opened its biggest experience centre in Bengaluru, Karnataka. ii. Opera House, the 33,000 sq ft iconic building in the city‟s central business district, has been given a facelift to showcase Samsung's mobile devices and other consumer electronic products. It has a service centre for phones and is equipped with high-speed public Wi-Fi.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Samsung Headquarters in: Seoul, South Korea, Founder: Lee Byung-chul.

Awards 9. 1st Ever Secondary Steel Sector Awards For Contribution To National Economy i. Ministry of Steel gave away Secondary Steel sector awards, for the first time, to 26 mini steel companies in recognition of their contribution to the national economy. ii. The awards were given by Union Minister of Steel, Chaudhary Birender Singh, at a function in New Delhi. Twelve companies were awarded Gold Certificates and 14 Silver Certificates for their performance during 2016-17.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  India is the 3rd largest steel producer in the world.  Steel contributes to over 2% to India‟s GDP and creates a virtuous cycle of employment generation throughout the economy.  Chaudhary Birender Singh is the Present Steel Minister of India.

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Obituaries 10. Agri-economist & laureate Vijay Shankar Vyas passes away i. Renowned agricultural economist and former PM's Economic Advisory Committee member Professor Vijay Shankar Vyas died after a brief illness. He was 87. He was the director of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Jaipur. ii. Vyas was a senior adviser in the World Bank‟s agriculture and rural development department. He was also a member of the PM‟s Economic Adviser Committee.

14th September 2018 National News 1. Minister For Minority Affairs Launched 'National Scholarship Portal Mobile App' i. Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi launched the country's first "National Scholarship Portal Mobile App" (NSP Mobile App) in New Delhi. ii. This "National Scholarship Portal Mobile App" will ensure a smooth, accessible and hassle-free scholarship system for students from poor and weaker sections.

2. Country‟s 1st Tribal Tourism Circuit Launched in Chhattisgarh i. Union minister K J Alphons, the Minister of State for Tourism, inaugurated the country's first tribal circuit project connecting 13 tourism sites in Chhattisgarh. This project was sanctioned by the Ministry of Tourism in February 2016 for Rs. 99.21 Crores. ii. The project was implemented under the Tourism Ministry's Swadesh Darshan scheme launched in 2014-15 for development of thematic circuits in the country in a planned and prioritized manner.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh: Raman Singh.  Governor of Chhattisgarh: Anandiben Patel.

3. Hindi Diwas: 14 September i. Hindi Divas is celebrated on 14 September because, on this day in 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India had adopted Hindi written in Devanagari script as the official language of the Republic of India. ii. Under the Article 343 of the Indian Constitution, on 26 January 1950, Hindi, written in Devanagari script was adopted as the official language.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  The first Hindi day was celebrated on- 14th September 1953

4. India Approves MOU on Joint Blockchain Research with BRICS Members i. The Union Cabinet of India has approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the collaborative research of distributed ledger technology (DLT). The research will be jointly conducted by the Export- Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) and one bank from each BRICS member states. ii. The MoU was initially proposed at the 10th International BRICS Summit held in Johannesburg in July, the main focus of which was cooperation in economic development in the face of the fourth industrial revolution.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Venue of BRICS Summit 2019 - Brazil  Exim Bank Headquarters in: Mumbai, Founded in: 1982, CEO- Shri Yaduvendra Mathur.

5. National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) Releases HIV Estimations 2017 i. The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) released the report HIV Estimations 2017. The HIV Estimations 2017 is the 14th round in the series of HIV Estimations under National AIDS Control Programme (NACP). ii. Maharashtra has the highest number of people living with HIV in India. Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka were on second and third place, respectively. iii. NACO undertakes HIV estimations biennially in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) - National Institute of Medical Statistics (NIMS). iv. The first round of HIV estimation in India was done in 1998, while the last round was done in 2015. As per the report, in 2017, India had around 21.40 lakh people living with HIV (PLHIV) with the adult prevalence of 0.22%.

International News 6. 23rd Meeting of India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission Held In Moscow i. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj led the Indian delegation at the 23rd meeting of India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission (IRIGC-TEC) to discuss the expansion of Russia-India relationship across all sectors. ii. The meeting was chaired by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  IRIGC-TEC: India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Technical and Economic Cooperation  Russian Capital: Moscow, Currency: Ruble, President: Vladimir Putin  IRIGC-TEC last meeting: December 2017, Delhi

7. Global Climate Action Summit: Indian Cities, States Step Up Climate Action Plans i. The Global Climate Action Summit 2018 was held at San Francisco, California, United States. Over 4000 businesses, cities, states and civil society delegates attended the summit and showed their commitments to achieve the goals set by the Paris Agreement. ii. The co-chairs of the Summit, Governor of California Edmund G. Brown Jr. and UN‟s Special Envoy for Climate Action Michael R Bloomberg, unveiled a new report demonstrating how cities, states, and businesses can help the US in achieving its 2025 emissions reduction target. iii. As per Maharashtra Principal Secretary for Financial Reforms, Sujata Saunik, six more states would adopt heat action plans. In 2018, based on guidance provided by the central government, 13 states and over 30 cities adopted or are developing Heat Action Plans. These 13 states are Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.

8. Venkaiah Naidu Embarks on 3-Nation Visit to Serbia, Malta, And Romania i. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu embarks on a three-nation visit to Serbia, Malta and Romania. During the seven-day visit, Mr Naidu will first reach Serbia where he will meet the leadership of that country.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- SEPTEMBER 2018 ii. In the second leg of his visit, Mr Naidu will arrive in Malta, where he will meet the country‟s leadership and discuss issues of mutual interest. In the last leg of his visit, the Vice President will reach Romania.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Serbia Capital: Belgrade, Currency: Serbian dinar.  Malta Capital: Valletta, Currency: Euro.  Romania Capital: Buchares, Currency: Romanian leu.

9. G-20 Trade And Investment Ministerial Meeting Held in Argentina i. Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu participated in G-20 trade and investment ministerial meeting at Mar del Plata in Argentina. Issues including increasing protectionism challenges to promote global commerce and the new industrial revolution were discussed at the meeting. ii. The members of the G20 include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Argentina Capital: Buenos Aires, Currency: Argentine peso.

Economy News 10. Index Of Industrial Production Grows At 6.6% In July i. According to the data released by Central Statistics Office (CSO), Index of Industrial production (IIP) grew at 6.6% in July on the back of good performance by the manufacturing sector and higher offtake of capital goods and consumer durables. ii. The IIP growth for June was also revised downwards to 6.8% from the provisional estimate of 7% released in July. The IIP growth in April-July period was 5.4% compared to 1.7% year ago. iii. The Index of Industrial production growth in different Sectors: 1. Manufacturing sector (Weightage: 77.6): recorded 7% growth. 2. Electricity sector (Weightage: 7.9%): recorded 6.7% growth. 3. Mining (Weightage: 14.3%): recorded 3.7% growth. 4. Consumer durables sector: recorded an impressive growth of 14.4% as against dip of 2.4% in July 2017. 5. Capital goods production: grew by 3% as against the decline of 1.1% in July 2017.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Arun Jaitley is the present Finance Minister of India.

Appointments 11. Justice Ranjan Gogoi Appointed Next Chief Justice Of India i. The President of India has appointed Justice Ranjan Gogoi as the next Chief Justice of India. He will assume the office of Chief Justice on 3rd October 2018 after the retirement of the current Chief Justice, Justice Dipak Misra. ii. Mr Gogoi is the 46th Chief Justice of India. Justice Gogoi was enrolled as an advocate in 1978. He practised in the Gauhati High Court on constitutional, taxation and company matters.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Justice Harilal Jekisundas Kania was the first Chief Justice of Independent India.

Sports News 12. ISSF World Championship: Udhayveer Singh Wins Gold In Junior Men‟s 25m Pistol Event i. Sixteen-year-old Udhayveer Singh has won an individual Gold Medal in Junior Men‟s 25- metre pistol event in the World Shooting Championships in South Korea. He also spearheaded India to the team Gold. ii. The bronze medal went to Team Korea, which shot a score of 1721. India is placed fourth in the medals tally with 9 Gold, 8 Silver and seven bronze medals for a total of 24.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  South Korea Capital- Seoul, Currency: South Korean won.

15th September 2018 National News 1. Engineer's Day: 15 September i. Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya's birthday is celebrated on 15 September as Engineer's Day. Fondly referred to as Sir MV, M Visvesvaraya was a world-renowned civil engineer who was a master of irrigation design. He was also referred to as the father of engineers by many. ii. The bridge, among M Visvesvaraya's most notable projects, is a representation of the Raja Sagara Lake and dam (in Karnataka). In 1924, Sir MV designed the Krishna Raja Sagara Lake and dam, the largest reservoir in India at the time, and oversaw the construction of the project. The dam is known to have provided drinking water for several cities.

2. Festival of Nuakhai being celebrated in Odisha i. The festival of Nuakhai is being celebrated in Odisha. During this harvest festival of western Odisha, new produce Nabannis offered to presiding deities. After offering the Nabann, people relish different types of delicacies prepared from the newly harvested crop. ii. The Nuakhai Juhar is a major ritual of the festival, during which greetings are exchanged with friends, relatives, and well-wishers.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Chief Minister of Odisha: Naveen Patnaik  Governor of Odisha: Professor Ganeshi Lal

3. PM Launches Swachhata Hi Seva Movement i. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, launched the „Swachhata Hi Seva‟ Movement, to boost nationwide public participation in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, and catalyse the fulfilment of Bapu‟s dream of a Clean India. ii. The Swachhata Hi Seva movement aims at generating greater public participation towards Swachhta. It is being organized in the run-up to the fourth anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission, on October 2nd, 2018, which will also mark the commencement of the 150th year celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi.

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International News 4. Vice President 3 Nation-Visit: India, Serbia Signed Agreements on Various Fields i. India and Serbia signed agreements on cooperation in plant protection and plant quarantine and on-air services, following the talks between Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. ii. The two sides also agreed to expand their bilateral cooperation, especially in the areas of economic and cultural relations and join hands to fight terrorism. India and Serbia are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between them.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Serbia Capital: Belgrade, Currency: Serbian dinar.

5. International Day of Democracy: 15 September i. The International Day of Democracy is observed globally on 15th September. It provides an opportunity to review the state of democracy in the world. The theme for IDD is 'Democracy under Strain: Solutions for a Changing World'. ii. The Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly through a resolution in 2007 to strengthen national programmes devoted to the promotion and consolidation of democracy. The day was observed for the first time in 2008.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations.  The UN Headquarters in New York, United States.

Economy News 6. Wholesale inflation drops to four-month low of 4.53% in August i. Inflation based on wholesale prices eased to a four-month low of 4.53% in August on softening of prices of food articles, especially vegetables. The Wholesale Price Index-based inflation stood at 5.09% in July and 3.24% in August last year. ii. Data released by the commerce and industry ministry showed a 4.04% decline inflation in food articles in August compared with a 2.16% fall in July. The wholesale price index is an index that measures and tracks the changes in the price of goods in the stages before the retail level.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  CPI: Consumer Price Index  WPI: Wholesale Price Index

7. Government Announces Measures To Check Rising Current Account Deficit i. The government has announced an array of steps to check the rising Current Account Deficit (CAD), and the fall in rupee. ii. The government has decided on a number of steps to contain CAD, which widened to 2.4% of the GDP in the first quarter of 2018-19. iii. The steps to be taken by the government to attract dollar inflows into the country include:

 Reviewing of mandatory hedging condition for infrastructure loans.

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 To permit manufacturing sector entities to avail of External Commercial Borrowing (ECBs) up to $50 million with minimum maturity of one year, instead of the earlier limit of three years.  Removing restrictions with respect to FPI exposure limit of 20 per cent in corporate bond portfolio to a single corporate group or company or entity and 50 per cent of any issue of corporate bond.  Removal of withholding tax on rupee-denominated bonds known as Masala bonds issued till March 2019.  Removing restrictions on Indian banks, market making in masala bonds, including restrictions on underwriting of masala bonds.  Relaxation for Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) and curbs on non-essential imports.

8. RBI to Buy G-Secs in Open Market i. The Reserve Bank to purchase government securities (G-secs) worth Rs 10,000 crore on September 19, a move aimed at inducing liquidity in the system. The purchase of the government securities will be done through Open Market Operations (OMO). ii. When the RBI thinks there is excess liquidity in the market, it resorts to the sale of securities, thereby decreasing the rupee liquidity. Similarly, when the liquidity conditions are tight, it may buy securities from the market, thereby increasing liquidity in the market.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Urjit Patel- 24th Governor of RBI, Headquarters- Mumbai, Established on- 1st April 1935, in Kolkata.

9. RBI Released India's Foreign Trade: August 2018 i. India‟s overall exports (Merchandise and Services combined) in April-August 2018-19 (as per the RBI Press Release) are estimated to be USD 221.83 Billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 20.70% over the same period last year. ii. Overall imports in April-August 2018-19 are estimated to be USD 269.54 Billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 21.01% over the same period last year.

Awards 10. Union Minister of Textiles Presents „Shilp Guru‟ & National Award to Master Craft Persons i. Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Zubin Irani presented „Shilp Guru‟ and National Award to Master craft persons at a function held at Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh. Eight „Shilp guru‟ and 25 National awards were presented for the year 2016. ii. Shilp Guru‟ is the highest award in the Handicraft sector in India. The handicraft export has witnessed a year-on-year growth and in the last four years, handicraft items worth Rs. 1 lakh 26 thousand crores had been exported from India. Sports News 11. Former Indian Hockey Captain Sardar Singh Announces Retirement i. Sardar Singh has announced his retirement from international hockey. He made the decision after a disappointing Asian Games where India failed to defend their title and had to settle for a Bronze medal. ii. The 32-year old player made his senior debut for India against Pakistan in 2006, and since then played over 350 international matches, captaining the team for eight years.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Sardar Singh has received the Arjuna Award in 2012 and Padma Shri in 2015.

16th and 17th September 2018 National News 1. Indigenously Developed Weapon System „MPATGM‟ Successfully Flight Tested i. Indigenously developed weapon system Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM), was successfully flight tested for the second time from the Ahmednagar range, Maharashtra. All the mission objectives have been met. ii. The two missions have been successfully flight tested for different ranges including the maximum range capability.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Nirmala Sitharaman is the present Defence Minister of India.

2. New Website For '15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2019' Inaugurated i. External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj, along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the website for the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2019, www.pbdindia.gov.in. ii. Guests at the PBD 2019: 1. Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth will be the Chief Guest. 2. Member of Parliament of Norway Himanshu Gulati will be the Special Guest. 3. Member of Parliament of New Zealand Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi will be the Guest of Honor.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  The convention 15th PBD 2019 will be held at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh from January 21 to 23, 2019.

3. Bengal Scheme to Combat Human Trafficking: Swayangsiddha i. In an attempt to combat human trafficking, the West Bengal government has rolled out a scheme, Swayangsiddha, in different districts of the State. Swayangsiddha, which means self-reliance, will be executed by the West Bengal Police. ii. The scheme aims to empower young boys and girls to make informed choices so that they are less vulnerable to trafficking and child marriage. As the per the NCRB data, West Bengal has highest recorded case of trafficking among the States.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  West Bengal CM: Mamta Bannerjee, Governor: Keshari Nath Tripathi.

4. India Gets Its 1st Ever Dedicated Dog Park in Hyderabad i. For the first time in India, dog owners will have a dedicated dog park to visit. Set up in Hyderabad, the park is spread across an area of 1.3 acres. ii. The park houses dog training equipment, play equipment, splash pool, fountain, areas for exercise, amphitheatre, lawns, separate kennels for small and big dogs and a dedicated dog clinic.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  The man behind the development of dog park is an IAS officer Harichandana, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Zonal Commissioner.

5. India Ranks 3rd On Family-Owned Business List: CSRI Report i. India ranks third globally in terms of number of family-owned businesses with 111 companies having a total market capitalisation of $839 billion. India closely follows China with 159 firms and the US with 121 firms,according to the „Credit Suisse Family 1000 in 2018‟ study, published by the Credit Suisse Research Institute (CSRI). ii. As per the report, in terms of number of family-owned businesses within the non-Japan Asian region, the list is dominated by China, India and Hong Kong. These three jurisdictions together account for around 65% of the non-Japan Asian section of CSRI‟s database.

6. Cisco Signs Agreements With NITI Aayog and BSNL i. Cisco, a U.S.-based firm, that makes networking telecommunications equipment, has signed two agreements with the NITI Aayog and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to speed up its Country Digital Acceleration programme in India. ii. The current set of investments will focus on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship through the Atal Innovation Mission .

7. Rajnath Singh Inaugurates 2 CIBMS Pilot Projects In Jammu i. Union Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh inaugurated two Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) pilot projects along the India-Pakistan border in Jammu region. ii. The pilot project includes two 5.5 kilometre-stretches in Jammu, the performance of which will be monitored, and based on the feedback improvements will be made for the rest of the system.

International News 8. Nepal And China Conducts 2nd JME 'Sagarmatha Friendship-2018' i. The second edition of Nepal-China joint military exercise (JME) named Mt Everest Friendship Exercise-2018 (Sagarmatha Friendship-2018) commenced in China‟s southwestern Sichuan province. ii. The 12 day long joint exercise will focus on combating terror and disaster management trainings. Sagarmatha is the Nepali name for Mt Everest, which stands in between both the countries.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  The first Sagarmatha Friendship exercise was held in April 2017 at Nepal Army‟s Para Training School in Maharajgunj in Kathmandu (capital of Nepal).  Nepal Capital- Kathmandu, President: Bidya Devi Bnadari.  China President: Xi Jinping, Capital: Beijing, Currency: renminbi.

9. Jaipur Literature Festival Begins in Houston i. The Jaipur Literature Festival began in Houston at the Asia Society of Texas. The festival, touted as the world‟s largest free literary gathering, started with a soulful music performance by Indian Sufi singer Zila Khan.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- SEPTEMBER 2018 ii. The inaugural session also saw Congress leader and writer Shashi Tharoor discuss his book “Why i am a Hindu” with writer Namita Gokhale.

10. International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer: 16 September i. International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer was observed on 16th September throughout the world. ii. The theme for International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer 2018 was 'Keep Cool and Carry On: The Montreal Protocol'.

Banking/Business News 11. PayU India Gets RBI Approval To Operate Its Own NBFC i. PayU India has received Reserve Bank of India‟s (RBI) approval to operate its own non-banking financial company (NBFC). ii. The move will help PayU promote inclusive growth in the country by catering to the diverse financial needs of various segments of the society. The approval from the central bank is subject to “certain pending RBI compliance”.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  PayU India is a digital payments firm owned by South Africa‟s Naspers Ltd.  PayU India managing director Jitendra Gupta.

12. Time Magazine Acquired By Salesforce Founders For $190 million i. Salesforce.com Inc. founder Marc Benioff and his wife Lynne agreed to acquire Time magazine from Meredith Corp. for $190 million in cash, joining Jeff Bezos among tech billionaires buying venerable print publications. ii. The move thrusts the brash 53-year-old entrepreneur, who helped lead the shift of software to an on-demand model, into a new role: media baron. TIME magazine publisher Time Inc was sold to Meredith for $1.8 billion in January 2018.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Time was founded in 1923.

13. Infosys Acquires Finnish Company 'Fluido' For Rs 545 crore i. Infosys has acquired Finnish company Fluido, a top consulting partner of Salesforce, for 65 million euros (about Rs 545 crore). This is Infosys‟s second acquisition under CEO Salil Parekh. ii. Recently, it had acquired US digital creative and consumer insight agency WongDoody for $75 million.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Infosys CEO: Salil Parekh, Headquarters: Bengaluru.

14. Federal Bank Inks MOU With Infopark Kakkanad i. Federal Bank, which is in the process of formation of a wholly owned subsidiary company, has executed MOU with Infopark Kakkanad for leasing space in their campus.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- SEPTEMBER 2018 ii. The Bank has already obtained in principle approval of the Reserve Bank of India for the creation of a subsidiary company. The proposed company will integrate and handle all the back-end operations of the Bank.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Shyam Srinivasan is the Managing Director & CEO of Federal Bank.  It Headquarters in Aluva, .

15. NABARD Approves Rs 65,635 crore Loan For 93 Irrigation Projects i. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has approved Rs 65,634.93 crore loan so far to 93 prioritised irrigation projects under the government's flagship scheme Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY). ii. The NABARD is funding the central and state share of 99 prioritised irrigation projects under the PMKSY through long term irrigation fund (LTIF). It is mandated to provide Rs 70,000 crore loan to these projects to be completed by 2019.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  NABARD Chairman- Harsh Kumar Bhanwala, Headquarters- Mumbai, Established on- 12 July 1982.

Sci-Tech News 16. NASA Launches Satellite To Track Decreasing Polar Ice i. NASA launched its Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite-2, known as ICESat-2, which will use an extremely precise laser to collect measurement data to track the Earth's shrinking polar ice from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. ii. The laser, known as ATLAS (Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System), splits into six beams and fires 10,000 pulses per second to collect very precise measurements for scientists to analyze.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the executive branch of the Federal government of the United States responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research.  It was founded on 1958.  Jim Bridenstine is the present Administrator of NASA.

17. ISRO Launched 2 British Earth Observation Satellites Onboard PSLV-C42 i. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched PSLV C 42 with two British earth observation satellites NovaSAR and S1-4 in precision from the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. ii. The satellites were put into sun-synchronous orbit just over 17 minutes after liftoff from the first launch pad.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Chairman of ISRO: Dr. K Sivan.  Headquarters of ISRO- Bengaluru, Karnataka.  PSLV stands for Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.

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Awards 18. PNB Wins Hindi Implementation Award i. State-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) bagged the "Rajbhasha Kirti" award for outstanding performance in implementing the Official Language Policy during 2017-18. The award was given on the occasion of Hindi Diwas (14th September). ii. The award, under the category of 'Nationalised Banks and Financial Institutions in Region A', was presented by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu to PNB Chief Executive and MD Sunil Mehta.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Sunil Mehta is the CEO of Punjab National Bank.  It headquarters in New Delhi. Appointments 19. SBI Appoints Prashant Kumar As CFO i. State Bank of India announced that Prashant Kumar has taken charge as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Bank. Before Kumar, Anshula Kant, who has been promoted as Managing Director of SBI, was the CFO. ii. Prior to this appointment, Kumar was designated as Deputy Managing Director (HR) & Corporate Development Officer of India's largest bank.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  SBI Chairman- Rajnish Kumar, Headquarters- Mumbai, Established on- 01st July 1955.

20. Moutaz Mousa Abdallah Becomes Sudan‟s New PM i. Moutaz Mousa Abdallah has become Sudan‟s new Prime Minister. A 21-member cabinet was sworn in at the presidential palace in Khartoum. Mousa Abdallah is also holding the finance portfolio. ii. Sudan has been grappling with an acute foreign exchange shortage and inflation above 65% for several months.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-

 Omar al-Bashir is the present President of Sudan.  Sudan Capital: Khartoum, Currency: Sudanese pound.

Sports News 21. MC Mary Kom Wins Gold at Silesian Open Boxing In Poland i. Indian five-time world boxing champion M C Mary Kom clinched her third gold medal of the year in 48 kg category, while Jyoti Gulia picked up the country‟s lone gold in 51 kg of the youth category of the Silesian Open boxing Tournament for women in Gliwice, Poland. ii. In the youth competition, Jyoti, a former world champion and India‟s only boxer to have qualified for Youth Olympic Games in Argentina, out-classed Poland‟s Tatiana Pluta.

22. Maldives Defeats India to Lift SAFF Cup i. Maldives have lifted the 2018 South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Cup. In the final at the Bangabandhu Stadium in Dhaka, they defeated defending champions India 2-1. The win for Maldives comes 10 years after their first SAFF Cup title in 2008.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- SEPTEMBER 2018 ii. Seven-time champions India had started as favourites in the summit clash. The Indian team, comprising mostly under-23 players, was the only unbeaten side in the tournament.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Maldives Capital: Male, Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa.

23. Kenya's Kipchoge Smashes Marathon World Record In Berlin i. Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge set a new marathon world record in Berlin (Germany), smashing the previous best as he clocked 2 hours 1 minute 39 second. ii. The 33-year-old Olympic champion, took 1 minute 17 second off the previous best set four years ago by Dennis Kimetto.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Kenya's capital: Nairobi, Currency: Kenyan shilling.  Germany Capital: Berlin, Currency: Euro.

24. Indian Boxers Win 3 Gold Medals In Ahmet Comert Tournament in Turkey i. (64kg), Monika (48kg) and Bhagyabati Kachari (81kg) claimed gold medals as Indian boxers notched up an impressive seven podium finishes at the Ahmet Comert Tournament in Istanbul, Turkey. ii. Simranjit, a former national medallist, defeated Turkey‟s Sema Caliskan to win the Gold. Bhagyabati was declared the most scientific boxer of the tournament.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Turkey Capital- Ankara, Currency- Turkish lira, President- Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Obituaries 25. Former Union minister Satya Prakash Malviya Passes Away i. Former Union petroleum minister Satya Prakash Malaviya passed away in Delhi. He was 84. Mr. Malaviya was suffering from prostate cancer. ii. Mr. Malaviya had served as the petroleum minister in the cabinet headed by former Prime Minister . He also served as environment minister in the Uttar Pradesh cabinet.

18th September 2018 National News 1. India‟s 1st „Smart Fence‟ Pilot Project Inaugurated By Rajnath Singh i. India‟s first „smart fence‟ pilot project was inaugurated by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh along the Indo-Pak border at the BSF Headquarters in Ploura, Jammu. Smart fencing uses a number of devices for surveillance, communication and data storage. ii. The pilot project entails deploying laser-activated fences and technology-enabled barriers to plug vulnerable gaps along frontiers.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RRB PO Exam 2018-  General Bipin Rawat is the Present Chief of Army Staff of Indian Army.

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2. India-Morocco Tourism Bilateral Meeting Held in New Delhi i. A bilateral meeting on Tourism Cooperation between India and Morocco led by the Minister of Tourism, Air Transport, Handicraft and Social Economy, Kingdom of Morocco, Mohamed Sajid and the Minister of State for Tourism (IC), Government of India, K. J. Alphons, held in New Delhi. ii. During this meeting both the Ministers agreed to enhance the tourism cooperation between India & Morocco and to work towards increasing tourist arrivals between both countries. iii. This meeting was followed by signing of an agreement of cooperation between the India Tourism Development Corporation and La Societe Marocaine D‟Ingenierie Touristique, also known as Moroccan Agency for Tourism development (SMIT).

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Morocco Capital: Rabat, Currency: Moroccan dirham.

3. Delhi, Seoul Sign MoU To Tackle Air Pollution i. The Delhi government signed an MoU with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to work closely in the fields of environment, tourism, wastewater and solid waste management, infrastructure and public health. ii. The MoU on the 'Friendship and Cooperation Agreement' was signed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Seoul mayor Park Won-Soon in Seoul.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Seoul is the capital of South Korea.  Korean won is the currency of South Korea.

4. DAC Approves Procurement of Equipment Worth Rs 9,100 Crores i. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Raksha Mantri Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman accorded approval for the procurement of equipment for the Defence Forces valued at over Rs 9,100 crores. ii. The DAC approved procurement of two Regiments of Akash Missile Systems under 'Buy (Indian)' category from M/s BDL.

5. Piyush Goyal Inaugurates 1st Ever India Tourism Mart 2018 i. The Union Minister for Railways and Coal, Piyush Goyal inaugurated the „first ever‟ India Tourism Mart (ITM 2018) in the presence of Union Tourism Minister, K J Alphons and the Tourism Minister of Morocco, Mr. Mohamed Sajid, in New Delhi. ii. The India Tourism Mart is being organized by the Ministry of Tourism in partnership with the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) and with support of State /UT Governments.

Awards 6. INSV Tarini Crew Bestowed With Tenzing Norgay Award i. All-women crew of INSV Tarini has bagged the prestigious Tenzing Norgay National Adventure award for beating the odds in water with their enduring skills and sailing across the world for eight long months. ii. The award is the highest national recognition for outstanding achievements in the field of adventure on land, sea and air.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  The INSV Tarini team, led by Lt. Commander Vartika Joshi, is comprised Lieutenant P. Swathi, Lieutenant Pratibha Jamwal (Air Traffic Control specialists), Lieutenant Vijaya Devi, Sub Lieutenant Payal Gupta (both Education officers) and Lieutenant B Aishwarya, a naval architect.

7. Kerala Tourism Wins 2 PATA Gold Awards i. Kerala Tourism has won two prestigious gold awards of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) for its innovative marketing campaigns. The awards were presented at a glittering function in Langkawi, Malaysia during PATA Travel Mart 2018. ii. Kerala Tourism got the first gold for its „Yalla Kerala‟ travel advertisement print media campaign in the Gulf countries. The second gold award came for an innovative poster Kerala Tourism had developed for the third edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB), the biggest contemporary art show in South Asia.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Kerala CM: Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor: P Sathasivam.

8. Emmy Awards 2018 Announced: Complete List of Winners i. The 70th annual primetime Emmy honors handed out at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Michael Che and Colin Jost hosted the show. ii. Here is the complete list of Winners of EMMY AWARDS 2018:

Banking/Economy News 9. Centre Proposes To Merge Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank i. The government has proposed amalgamation of Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank, and Dena Bank to create India‟s 3rd largest globally competitive Bank. ii. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced that the amalgamation will increase the banking operations and no employee will face any service condition adverse to present conditions. The government had announced in the budget that consolidation of banks was also in the agenda of the government.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Bank of Baroda Headquarters in Vadodara.  Vijaya Bank Headquarters in Bengaluru.  Dena Bank Headquarters in Mumbai.

10. No Withholding Tax On Interest Payment Of Masala Bonds i. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) announced that no withholding tax will apply on interest payments made by an Indian company or a business trust to a non-resident in respect of offshore rupee- denominated bonds issued between September 17, 2018 and March 31, 2019. ii. The move is expected to incentivise foreign exchange inflows into India through low-cost offshore rupee- denominated bonds, popularly referred to as masala bonds.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Sushil Chandra is the chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes.

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Sports News 11. Japan Open 2018: Complete List of Winners i. The 2018 Japan Open, officially DAIHATSU YONEX Japan Open 2018, is a badminton tournament which took place at Musashino Forest Sports Plaza in Tokyo, Japan and had a total prize of $700,000. ii. In men's singles category, Kento Momota of Japan had defeated Khosit Phetpradab to win the title. In Women‟s Singles, Carolina Marin of Spain has defeated Nozomi Okuhara to win the title.

Obituaries 12. Former Odisha Minister Dolagobinda Pradhan Passes Away i. Noted freedom fighter and former Odisha Minister Dolagobinda Pradhan passed away in Bhubaneswar. He was 93. ii. A follower of Mahatma Gandhi, he took part in the Quit India Movement in 1942 and got imprisoned by the then British government for 3 years and two months.

19th September 2018 National News 1. Important Cabinet Approvals: 19th September 2018 i. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the following set of approvals. The important Cabinet Approvals are given as follows- ii. The Cabinet has approved-

1. Equity infusion of RCF in Talcher Fertilizers Ltd.: approved the proposal of the Department of Fertilizers for equity investment of Rs.1033.54 crore of the total project cost for setting up a Coal Gasification based fertilizer project in Talcher Fertilizer Ltd. (TFL) by Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Limited (RCF).

2. Cabinet Approves Ordinance Making Triple Talaq A Punishable Offence i. The Union Cabinet has approved an ordinance making triple talaq a punishable offence. The Supreme Court had in a verdict in August last year declared it illegal and unconstitutional. ii. It was cleared by the Lok Sabha but was stuck in the . Though the ordinance has been cleared, for now, it must be placed before the Parliament and the bill would still need to be passed.

3. PM Modi, Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina Jointly Launched Indo-Bangla Pipeline Project i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina jointly launched the construction of India-Bangladesh Friendship Product Pipeline Project through video conferencing. The project will go a long way in strengthening the Indo-Bangla ties. ii. India-Bangladesh Friendship Product Pipeline Project:

 The 130-kilometre pipeline will connect Siliguri in West Bengal in India and Parbatipur in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh.  The capacity of the pipeline will be 1 million metric tons per annum.  The estimated project cost will be Rs 346 crore and it will be completed in 30 months time.  This will be the first such pipeline through which refined diesel will be supplied to Parbatipur depot from Numaligarh of Assam in India.

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4. Union Home Secretary Launches „e-Sahaj‟ Portal For Grant Of Security Clearance i. The Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba launched an online „e-Sahaj‟ portal for grant of Security Clearance. The portal will facilitate an applicant to submit application online and also to view the status of his application from time to time. ii. With the introduction of online portal, the process has become standardized, resulting in a process which will be faster, transparent and easy to monitor.

5. India Signs Financing Loan Agreement With World Bank For UKWDP i. A Loan Agreement for IBRD Credit of US$74 million equivalent for the Uttrakhand Workforce Development Project (UKWDP) was signed between India and the World Bank. ii. The Project objective is to improve the quality and relevance of training at priority Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and to increase the number of labor-market-relevant workers through short-term training in Uttrakhand. iii. The Project has three components: 1. Improving the quality and relevance of ITI Training; 2. Increasing the number of skilled workers certified under National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQE) - Compliant Short Term Training; and 3. Policy and Institutional Development and Project Management.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RRB PO Mains Exam 2018-  Sameer Kumar Khare is the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Finance.  President of the World Bank- Jim Yong Kim.  Headquarters of World Bank- Washington, DC.

6. PM Inaugurates Key Development Projects In Varanasi i. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the Foundation Stone for several important development projects, at a public gathering in Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. ii. Among the projects inaugurated are the Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) for Puraani Kashi; and an Atal Incubation Centre at BHU. iii. Among the projects for which the Foundation Stone was laid is the Regional Ophthalmology Centre at BHU. The cumulative value of all projects which were inaugurated, or for which foundation stone was laid is over Rs. 550 crore.

International News 7. India, Sri Lanka Inks MoU For Construction Of 5000-MT Temperature Controlled Warehouse i. India and Sri Lanka signed an MoU for construction of a 5000-metric ton temperature controlled warehouse in Dambulla, Sri Lanka. The warehouse will be constructed with an Indian grant assistance of 30 crore Sri Lankan rupees. ii. The project envisages construction of a 5000-metric ton temperature controlled warehouse for fruits and vegetables to minimize its post-harvest losses.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Sri Lanka Capitals- Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, President- Maithripala Sirisena.

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8. Germany Launches World's 1st Hydrogen-Powered Train i. Germany has rolled out the world‟s first hydrogen-powered train, signalling the start of a push to challenge the might of polluting diesel trains with costlier but more eco-friendly technology. ii. The two Coradia iLint trains were built by French train-maker firm Alstom. It started operating on a 100 km (62-mile) route between Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervoerde and Buxtehude in northern Germany.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Germany Capital: Berlin, Currency: Euro, Chancellor: Angela Merkel.

9. Bangladesh Cabinet Clears Deal With India for Port Usage i. Bangladesh's Cabinet has approved a draft agreement with India to enable New Delhi to use the Chittagong and Mongla ports for the movement of goods to and from northeast India. ii. According to the cabinet Secretary Shafiul Alam, the agreement will be effective for five years with a provision of automatic renewal for another five years.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Bangladesh PM- Sheikh Hasina, Capital- Dhaka, Currency- Bangladeshi Taka.

Appointments 10. Tajinder Mukherjee Takes Over As CMD of NICL i. Tajinder Mukherjee has taken over as the Chairman and Managing Director of National Insurance Company Limited (NICL). Prior to joining NIC, she was posted as General Manager and Chief Underwriting Officer of New India Assurance. ii. She has over 33 years of experience in the insurance industry having joined as a Direct Recruit Officer 1983 batch in United India Insurance Company.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Exam 2018-  NICL Headquarters in Kolkata, West Bengal.

11. Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma Signed As Ambassadors of Skill India Campaign i. Actors Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma have been signed on to promote and endorse the Skill India Mission, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ii. The actors through their film are saluting India‟s entrepreneurs and skilled workforce, especially homegrown artisans, craftspeople and weavers.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  is the present Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

Awards 12. Dr Raghupati Singhania Conferred With Civilian Honour of Mexico i. Chairman and MD, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd., Dr Raghupati Singhania has been conferred with 'Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle', the highest honour accorded to non-nationals by the Government of Mexico.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- SEPTEMBER 2018 ii. Melba Pria, Ambassador of Mexico to India presented the award to Dr Singhania on behalf of the President of Mexico on the eve of 128th National Day of Mexico.

Banking/Business News 13. SEBI Approves New KYC Norms For FPIs, Revised Settlement Mechanism i. Markets regulator SEBI approved a slew of proposals, including a revised framework for the settlement of cases and new KYC norms for foreign portfolio investors. ii. The watchdog has approved a proposal to allow foreign investors to trade in commodity derivatives market, except for sensitive commodities, as well as common application form for the registration of FPIs in the domestic market. iii. The board has given its nod for amending delisting regulations. Further, inter-operability of clearing houses for commodities and new methodology to calculate the total expenses ratio for fund managers have been cleared. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  SEBI- Securities and Exchange Board of India.  SEBI Chairman- Ajay Tyagi, Headquarters- Mumbai.

14. Provision Of Penalties Incorporated For States, Insurance Companies for Delay in Settlement of Claims i. The government has incorporated provision of penalties for States and Insurance Companies for the delay in settlement of insurance claims under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). According to the new guidelines, the farmers will be paid 12% interest by insurance companies for the delay in settlement claims beyond two months of prescribed cut-off date. ii. State Governments will have to pay 12% interest for the delay in the release of the State share of subsidy beyond three months of prescribed cut-off date submission of requisition by insurance companies.

15. Vodafone Idea Board Approves Merger With Aditya Birla Telecom i. The Board of Directors of Vodafone Idea Limited, India's largest telecom operator, approved the merger of the Vodafone Idea Limited with the Aditya Birla Telecom Limited (ABTL), the parent company of Idea Cellular. The merger was approved under the relevant provisions of the Companies Act, 2013. ii. The merger is now subjected to approval of the National Company Law Tribunal. The Aditya Birla Telecom Ltd holds 11.15% stake in telecom infrastructure firm Indus Towers Ltd.

Sports News 16. Hangzhou to Host 2022 Asian Para Games i. The Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) confirmed that Hangzhou in China will host the fourth edition of Asian Para Games in 2022. ii. The confirmation came following a visit to Hangzhou in July by APC President Majid Rashed and CEO Tarek Souei.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  The Third Asian Para Games- 2018 will be played in Jakarta, Indonesia

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17. Lewis Hamilton Wins Singapore Grand Prix 2018 i. Lewis Hamilton won the Singapore Grand Prix at Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore. Mercedes‟ Lewis Hamilton won the 1st position. He was followed by Red Bull‟s Max Verstappen in the 2nd spot. ii. Ferrari‟s Sebastian Vettel finished in the 3rd place. With this victory, Lewis Hamilton has increased his chances of winning this year‟s Formula One World Championship.

Obituaries 18. Independent India‟s 1st Woman IAS Officer Passes Away i. India‟s first woman IAS officer after Independence, Anna Rajam Malhotra, who served in the Madras State under then Chief Minister C. Rajagopalachari and at the Central government, died in Mumbai. ii. She was 91. Ms. Malhotra joined the civil services in 1951 and opted for the Madras cadre.

20th September 2018 National News 1. Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani Visits India: Important Highlights i. Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani was recently in India for visit. During a day-long visit, he reviewed and positively assessed the progress of the multi-faceted bilateral strategic partnership. ii. Important Highlights of the Bilateral Meeting Held in New Delhi 1. Both leaders (Narendra Modi and Ashraf Ghani) expressed determination to strengthen connectivity, including through Chabahar port and Air-Freight Corridor. 2. Expressed satisfaction at the increase in bilateral trade that has crossed the one billion dollar mark. 3. Mr Modi reiterated India‟s support to an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled peace and reconciliation process. 4. Mr Modi also raised concern over abducted Indian nationals in Afghanistan with Mr Ghani during their meeting. 5. The Afghan President has assured that efforts are being made to ensure the safe release of the Indian nationals.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Exam 2018-  Afghanistan Capital: Kabul, Currency: Afghan afghani.

2. India And Morocco Sign Air Services Agreement i. India and Morocco signed the revised Air Services Agreement between the two countries enabling greater connectivity through a modernized agreement. ii. The two sides cleared the legal and technical difficulties and agreed to a modern new text for the Air Services Agreement. Thereafter, both sides took approval for the agreed text of the Air Services Agreement from the respective governments.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Morocco Capital: Rabat, Currency: Moroccan dirham.

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3. ISRO Technology Incubation Centre Inaugurated at NIT Agartala i. Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb inaugurated ISRO‟s first Space Technology Incubation Centre(STIC) at the National Institute of Technology Agartala via remote from Bengaluru. ii. The Centre was launched at the first edition of „Spacetronics‟ organised by the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA).

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Chairman of ISRO: Dr. K Sivan.  Headquarters of ISRO- Bengaluru, Karnataka.

4. MoU Signed for Establishing Mahatma Gandhi Convention Centre in Niger i. India and Niger signed an MoU for the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi International Convention Centre (MGICC) in Niamey, Niger with the Indian government's grant assistance. ii. The agreement was signed by Secretary (Economic Relations), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) T.S. Tirumurti and Ambassador of Republic of Niger in India Ali Illiassou, in the presence of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Minister and Special Adviser to the President of Republic of Niger, Saidil Moctar Mohamed.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RRB PO Mains Exam 2018-  Niger Capital: Niamey, Currency: West African CFA franc.

International News 5. Vice President 3-Nation Visit: India, Romania Agree To Intensify Cooperation At UN i. India and Romania have agreed to intensify cooperation at the United Nations and other multilateral fora in order to address global challenges. ii. It was issued in a statement after one to one talks between Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and President of Romania, Mr. Klaus Werner Lohannis in Bucharest.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RRB PO Mains Exam 2018-  Romania Capital: Bucharest, Currency: Romanian leu.

Schemes and Committees 6. Interest Rates On PPF, NSC, Other Small Savings Schemes Raised i. The government has raised interest rates on Small Savings Schemes (SSS), including National Savings Certificate (NSC) and Public Provident Fund (PPF) by up to 0.4% for the October-December quarter, in line with rising deposit rates in the banks. ii. Interest rates for small savings schemes are notified on a quarterly basis.

7. ESIC Approves Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna For Cash Relief To Unemployed Insured Persons i. The Employees‟ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has approved a new scheme- Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna for Insured Persons covered under the Employees‟ State Insurance Act. ii. The decision was taken at the ESIC board meeting chaired by the Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar in New Delhi.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- SEPTEMBER 2018 iii. The ESIC also approved the proposal for increasing the funeral expenses from existing 10 thousand rupees to 15 thousand rupees being paid on the death of Insured Person.

Banking News 8. India Post Payments Bank, Bajaj Allianz Join Hands „To Provide Insurance To All‟ i. State-owned India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) and Private Life Insurer Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co Ltd (BALIC) entered into a strategic partnership to provide life insurance solutions, especially at the doorstep of every household in the country. ii. This partnership will leverage IPPB‟s last mile reach for building awareness about life insurance. Both the companies came together, to formally sign the Corporate Agency Agreement.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  IPPB has begun operations with 650 branches and 3,250 access points across the country.  IPPB CEO- Suresh Sethi.

Appointments 9. Government Appoints New MD & CEOs At 10 PSBs: Here Is All You Need To Know i. The government of India cleared the appointment of Chief Executive Officers and Managing Directors (CEOs and MDs) at 10 Public Sector Banks (PSBs). ii. Here is the list of people appointed as MD and CEO at various PSBs:

1. Padmaja Chundru - Indian Bank.

2. Mrutyunjay Mahapatra - Syndicate Bank.

3. Pallav Mohapatra - Central Bank of India.

4. Packirisamy - Andhra Bank.

5. Karnam Sekar - Dena Bank.

NOTE: All of the above people are currently deputy MDs at SBI.

6. SS Mallikarajuna Rao - Allahabad Bank - He is currently the ED of Syndicate Bank.

7. AS Rajeev - Bank of Maharashtra - He is currently the ED of Indian Bank.

8. Atul Kumar Goel - UCO Bank - He is currently the ED at Union Bank of India.

9. S Harisankar - Punjab & Sind Bank. He is currently the Executive Director of Allahabad Bank.

10. Ashok Kumar Pradhan - United Bank of India - He is currently the ED of United Bank of India.

10. Top Scientist KN Vyas Appointed Atomic Energy Commission Chief i. Renowned scientist Kamlesh Nilkanth Vyas has been appointed the secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy and chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. Mr Vyas, who is at present Director of

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Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), has been appointed in place of Shekhar Basu. ii. Mr Basu was appointed to the post in October 2015 and his tenure was to end in September 2016.

Awards 11. National Sports Awards 2018 Announced: Complete List of Winners i. National Sports Awards are given every year to recognize and reward excellence in sports. ii. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award is given for the spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of four year.

21st September 2018

National News

1. World Bank Approves Country Partnership Framework for India i. World Bank Board has endorsed an ambitious five-year Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for India, which aligns with New Delhi's objectives of high, sustainable and inclusive growth. The framework is expected to bring between 25 and 30 billion US Dollars in financial support to India. ii. The move is aimed at supporting India's transition to a higher middle-income country by addressing some of its key development priorities such as resource efficient and inclusive growth, job creation and building its human capital.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RRB PO Mains Exam 2018-  The President of the World Bank is Jim Yong Kim.  The World Bank Headquarters in Washington, D.C., United States.

2. Health Ministry Partners With Dell And Tata Trusts i. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, exchanged the MoUs with the Tata Trusts and Dell to provide a technological platform for nation wide prevention, control, screening and management program of Non- Communicable Diseases (NCDs). ii. Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare released the user manual for NCD application under Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC) IT Solutions. iii. Aimed at bringing healthcare technology transformation in Comprehensive Primary Health Care NCD program under Ayushman Bharat, the Health Ministry is working with Dell as a technology partner and the Tata Trusts as deployment partner.

3. India Contributes 1 Million to UN's Ambitious Solar Project i. India has contributed one million US dollars for the installation of solar panels on the roof of the imposing UN building at the world body's headquarters in New York. The contribution will help reduce carbon footprint and promote sustainable energy. ii. According to India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, India is the first responder to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' call for climate action.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RRB PO Mains Exam 2018-  Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

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 The UN Headquarters in New York, United States.

4. MHA Signs MoU with ISRO To Set Up An Integrated Control Room for Emergency Response i. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Department of Space signed an MoU for setting up of an state-of-the-art Integrated Control Room for Emergency Response (ICR-ER) in Ministry of Home Affairs. ii. ISRO will render its technical expertise for setting up of proposed ICR-ER whereas the project will be executed under overall supervision of MHA.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  ISRO Chairman: Dr. K Sivan, Headquarters in- Bengaluru, Karnataka.

5. DRDO Successfully Flight Tested Tactical Missile „Prahar‟ i. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight tested the indigenously developed surface-to-surface tactical missile „Prahar‟, from Launch Complex-III, ITR, Balasore, Odisha. ii. Range stations and electro-optical systems tracked the missile throughout its flight. „Prahar‟ is a contemporary weapon system capable of carrying multiple types of warheads and neutralizing a wide variety of targets.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  DRDO Headquarters in: New Delhi, Founded in: 1958.  Dr G Satheesh Reddy is the present Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

6. PM Modi Laid Foundation Stone For World-Class Convention Centre In Delhi i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC) in Dwarka, New Delhi. The facilities provided at the centre will be on par with the best in the world in size and quality. ii. It will rank among the top 10 in the world and the biggest indoor exhibition space in India. The project is planned over an area of 221.37 acres in Sector 25, Dwarka, at an estimated cost of Rs 25,703 crore.

International News 7. Vice President 3-Nation Visit to Serbia, Malta and Romania: Complete Highlights i. The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu was on an official Visit to Serbia, Malta and Romania and returned after a successful official visit. The visit was characterised by extremely cordial discussions with Heads of Governments, PMs and other senior political leaders. ii. Some key outcomes: 1. Support for India‟s aspiration to be on UNSC and for taking forward UN reforms. 2. Endorsement of India‟s stand on terror and support for early adoption of United Nation‟s Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.

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8. International Day of Peace: 21 September i. Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. ii. The theme for International Day of Peace 2018 is “The Right to Peace - The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70”. The theme celebrates the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations.  The UN Headquarters in New York, United States. Awards 9. Anushka Sharma Receives Smita Patil Award i. Union Transport Minister felicitated Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma during the 34th anniversary of Priyadarshni Academy Global Award, in Mumbai. She received the Smita Patil award for best actor.

22nd September 2018 Banking News 1. Yes Bank Slapped With Rs 38 Crore In GST Fines i. Midsized private sector lender Yes Bank has paid Rs 38 crore in fines to the GST department for alleged violations in domestic remittances. Over Rs. 32 crore has been paid to the GST department, while Rs 6 crore has been paid in service tax which has been replaced by GST. ii. The issue relates to remittances by migrants from urban pockets to their homes in rural areas. The tax department feels the bank has violated norms and underpaid the tax, while the bank feels the opposite.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Exam 2018-  Yes bank Headquarter- Mumbai, CEO- Rana Kapoor

2. IRDAI Raised Minimum Driver Insurance Cover To INR 15 Lakh i. Insurance regulator IRDAI has raised the minimum insurance cover for owner-driver to Rs. 15 lakh for a premium of Rs. 750 per annum, a move to provide some succour to road accident victims. ii. Currently, the capital sum insured (CSI) under this section for motorised two-wheelers and private cars/commercial vehicles is Rs. 1 lakh and Rs. 2 lakh, respectively. The owner-drivers also have the option of a cover over and above Rs. 15 lakh on payment of additional premium.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Exam 2018-  IRDAI- Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority  IRDAI Chairman- Subhash Chandra Khuntia

Miscellaneous 3. „Village Rockstars‟ Is India‟s Official Entry To Oscars 2019 i. Rima Das‟ National Award-winning feature Village Rockstars has been chosen to represent India in the Best Foreign Language category at the 91st Academy Awards next year, the Film Federation of India (FFI) announced.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- SEPTEMBER 2018 ii. The announcement was made by SV Rajendra Singh Babu, Chairman, Selection Committee for Oscar Award, FFI. The film had its world premiere at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and has toured more than 70 prestigious international and national film festivals.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Exam 2018- Hindi film Newton was India‟s official submission to the Oscars last year.

Sports News 4. India to Host The Women‟s Boxing World C'ships i. The Women‟s Boxing World Championships, to be hosted by India after more than a decade, will be held from November 15-24, 2018, in New Delhi. The teams will have to be in the national capital by November 13, with the competition starting two days later. ii. The marquee tournament was last held in India in 2006 and remains the best for the country in terms of performance. India had topped the medal tally with four gold, three silver and one bronze medal.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Exam 2018-  Men‟s World Championship 2019- Sochi (Russia)  India will host the Men‟s World Championship for the first time in 2021

5. India Shine On Day 1 Of Track Asia Cup Cycling i. India won 3 Gold, 3Silver and a Bronze on the opening day of the 5th Track Asia Cup Cycling in New Delhi. Mayuri Lute won the country's first Gold in the Women's Junior 500 metres race. Another Gold came after the Indian men's junior team performed as expected in the team sprint event, by defeating Kazakhstan. ii.The tournament at the Indoor Stadium is being organised by the Cycling Federation of India and has attracted participation from 12 countries.

6. India Won Silver in Asian Team Snooker Championship i. India settled for the silver medal after losing to Pakistan 2-3 in the final of the Asian Team Snooker Championship. Pankaj Advani and Malkeet Singh represented India while Babar Masih and Mohammad Asif were from the Pakistani side.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Exam 2018-  The Championship took place in Doha(Qatar)

Obituaries 7. Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang Has Passed Away i. Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang died aged 61 at a military hospital in the capital Hanoi following a period of illness. ii. Quang was appointed the president, a largely ceremonial role, in April 2016, and served alongside Vietnam's de facto leader Communist Party Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Before that, he served as minister of public security.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Exam 2018-  Vietnam Capital- Hanoi, Currency-Vietnamese Dong

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23rd and 24th September 2018 National News 1. PM Modi launches world‟s largest healthcare scheme i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana from Ranchi, Jharkhand. Under this scheme, over 10 crore families will be provided health assurance worth five lakh rupees each, every year. ii. This is the world‟s largest government-funded healthcare program targeting more than 50 crore beneficiaries. The scheme will provide cashless and paperless access to services for the beneficiary at the point of service.

International News 2. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih Won Presidential Election In Maldives i. Opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won the Maldives' presidential election, a surprise defeat for President Abdulla Yameen. Results released by the Elections Commission showed Solih had secured 58.3% of the popular vote. ii. The poll is being closely watched by regional rivals India and China, who are jostling to influence Indian Ocean nations. The European Union and the United States, meanwhile, have threatened sanctions if the vote is not free and fair.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS RRB PO/Clerk Mains 2018- Maldives Capital- Male, Currency-Rufiyaa

Banking News 3.BRICS Bank Approves $525-mn Loan For Infra Projects In MP i. The BRICS' New Development Bank has approved a $525-million loan for infrastructure projects in India. The loan will be used by the Indian government for on-lending to the Madhya Pradesh government for rehabilitating major district roads with a total length of about 2,000 km. ii. The loan aims to improve connectivity of the rural interior with the national and state highways.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO 2018-  BRICS bank CEO -K V Kamath, Headquarter- Shanghai, China

Economy News 4. Fitch raises India growth forecast to 7.8% this fiscal i. Global research agency Fitch has raised India‟s growth forecast for the current fiscal to 7.8 per cent from the earlier 7.4 per cent. However, forecast for the next two fiscal, 2019-20 and 2020-21, have been shaved by 20 basis points (100 basis points means 1 per cent) to 7.3 per cent. ii. Fitch‟s latest projection for the current fiscal is higher than what is estimated by the Reserve Bank of India and even the Government. While the RBI‟s estimate is 7.4 per cent, the Government feels that it could be 7.5 per cent. However, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut its projection to 7.3 per cent from 7.4 per cent. India Ratings too lowered its growth projection by 20 bps to 7.2 per cent.

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Agreements 5. BSNL Signs Deal With SoftBank, NTT to Roll Out 5G In India i. State-run telecom firm BSNL has inked a pact with Japan‟s Softbank and NTT Communications to roll out 5G and internet of things (IoT) technology in India. BSNL will look at collaborating with Softbank for its satellite constellation which will have around 900 satellites. ii. was launched in India after seven years the technology was available in other foreign markets and 4G services after four years‟ lag but according to BSNL CMD Anupam Shrivastava 5G will be launched in India in 2020 as soon the standards are freezed by ITU.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS RRB PO/Clerk Mains 2018-  SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son  NTT Comm. CEO Tetsuya Shoji

States in News 6. PM Modi inaugurates new airport in Odisha's Jharsuguda i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated a new airport at Jharsuguda, which will attract investors to the mineral-rich area. ii. The Jharsuguda Airport has been developed by the Airports Authority of India in collaboration with Odisha government at an estimated cost of Rs 210 crore, with Rs 75 crore contribution from the state. The airport has been developed under the Centre's UDAN scheme.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS RRB PO/Clerk Mains 2018-  Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu is the currently serving as the Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation.  UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) is a Regional Connectivity Scheme.  Naveen Patnaik is the current Chief Minister of Odisha.

7. PM Modi Inaugurated Sikkim's First Airport In Pakyong i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Pakyong Airport in Sikkim on September 24, nine years after the foundation stone was laid. The airport is the hilly state's first and only airport. Currently, the nearest airport for the people of Sikkim is 124 kilometre (km) away in Bagdogra, West Bengal. ii. The airport is spread over 201 acres. The foundation stone for the greenfield airport was laid in Pakyong in 2009, which is around 33 km from Gangtok, the state capital. The airport is located around 60 km from the Indo-China border. It is constructed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The project cost Rs 553 crore.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian bank PO 2018-  Sikkim's CM- Pawan Kumar Chamling, Governor- Ganga Prasad

8.AP, Odisha & MP Bag Award Under Amrut i. Andhra Pradesh has topped the charts among States in terms of “Ease of Living Index” rankings launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). It was followed by Odisha and Madhya Pradesh. ii. The three States were awarded the three best performing States under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) at the National Dissemination Workshop on Ease of Living Index, 2018.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO 2018-  It was decided in June 2017 to rank 116 cities based on the liveability parameters.  The MoHUA released the first ever „Ease of Living Index‟ covering 111 Indian cities on 13 August 2018.  Present CM of AP- N. Chandrababu Naidu, Governor- E. S. L. Narasimhan

Science and Technology News 9. India Successfully Test Fires Prithvi Defence Vehicle i. India successfully conducted an interceptor missile test off the Odisha coast, achieving a major milestone in developing a two-layer Ballistic Missile Defence system. According to Defence sources, the interceptor was launched from Abdul Kalam Island of the Integrated Test Range (ITR). ii. This Prithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV) mission is for engaging the targets in theexo-atmosphere region at an altitude above 50 kilometres of the earth's atmosphere. Both the PDV interceptor and the target missile were engaged successfully.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian bank PO 2018- DRDO Chairman- Dr G Satheesh Reddy

Sports News 10. Sinisuka Ginting and Carolina Marin Won China Open i. In Badminton, Indonesia's Anthony Sinisuka Ginting beat Japan's Kento Momota to take the Men's singles China Open title in Changzhou. Spain's Carolina Marin beat China's Chen Yufei to take the women's singles title. The 3rd seed, Momota who took the Japan Open title on home ground last week, was beaten by world number 13th Ginting. ii. Ginting last beat Momota at the Asian Games in Jakarta last month. Top Indian shuttlers P.V.Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth lost their quarter-final matches earlier, drawing curtains to India's campaign at the China Open.

Obituaries 11. Former BCCI President Biswanath Dutt Passes Away i. Former BCCI president Biswanath Dutt, best known in the Indian cricket fraternity as Jagmohan Dalmiya‟s mentor, passed away aged 92 after suffering from acute lung infection. Dutt was the BCCI president in 1989 after a six-year stint as the vice-president of the parent body from 1982-88. ii. He is survived by his daughter and son Subrata Dutta, who is the senior vice-president of All India Football Federation. Having served IFA in different capacities in his tenure from 1963-1975, Dutt began his career in cricket administration as CAB(Cricket Association of Bengal) secretary in 1977 and became president in 1982.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO 2018-  Rahul Johri is the Chief Executive Officer of BCCI.  CK Khanna is the present interim president of the BCCI.

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12. Renowned filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi passes away i. Renowned filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi passed away in Mumbai. She was 64. Lajmi, a director, producer and screenwriter, was known for working on real subjects. She was known for her women-oriented films like "Rudaali", "Daman", "Darmiyaan". ii. Lajmi's last movie as a director was "Chingaari" in 2006, based on a novel "The Prostitute and the Postman" by , who was her partner. Meanwhile, condolence messages are pouring in from the Bollywood world grieving the demise of Lajmi.

25th September 2018 Economy News 1. Government Recorded More Than Rs. 12,000 crore business on GeM i. The National Mission on Government e Marketplace (GeM), was launched by the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Suresh Prabhu, on 5th of September 2018. This was followed by the launch of the Mission in 19 States and Union Territories. GeM has recorded till date more than 8 lakh transactions worth over Rs.12,239 crore. ii. The Government of India decided to launch a six week long National Mission on GeM from 6th Sept. to 17th Oct 2018 in order to increase awareness, accelerate the use of GeM and to further augment the proven benefits of procurement through GeM for all government departments and organisations.

Schemes And Committees News 2. Supreme Court Constitutes Committee To Look Into Jail Reforms i. The Supreme Court constituted a three-member committee headed by its former judge Justice Amitava Roy to look into the aspect of jail reforms across the country and suggest measures to deal with them. A bench headed by Justice M B Lokur said the panel will look into the issues including over-crowding in prisons. ii. The Supreme court on August 27 had reserved its order on the issue of constituting a committee to deal with issues pertaining to jails and suggest reforms for prisons across the country. The committee will also look into the various issues concerning women prisoners.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Current Chief Justice of India (CJI)- Dipak Mishra, Next CJI- Ranjan Gogoi

Business News 3. FDI in Telecom Sector Jumped Five Times In Three Years i. FDI in the telecom sector has jumped nearly five times in the last three years – from USD 1.3 Billion in 2015- 16 to USD 6.2 Billion in 2017-18. According to Union Minister of Communications Shri Manoj Sinha, the draft National Digital Communications Policy, 2018 aims to attract investment of USD 100 billion or about Rs.6.5 lakh crore in the Digital Communications Sector. ii. India has also announced plans to launch commercial 5G networks by the year 2020 and this provides a big opportunity for investing in the newer emerging technologies like 5G, AI, IoT, Data analytics etc. Shri Sinha also released a publication titled “Telecom Sector Growth & FDI: A Way Ahead”.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Exam 2018-  Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman- Ram Sewak Sharma  TRAI headquarters- New Delhi, Establishment year- 1997

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Science and Technology News 4. Dr. Harsh Vardhan Inaugurated Air Pollution Control Device ''WAYU'' in Delhi i. Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences and Environment, Forest and Climate change, Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurated air pollution control device WAYU(Wind Augmentation PurifYing Unit) for traffic junctions at ITO intersection and Mukarba Chowk in Delhi. ii.WAYU is developed by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) as a part of Technology Development Project being funded by Department of Science and Technology. This device can purify the air in an area of 500 square meters. 54 more such devices will be installed by 15th October in Delhi

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Exam 2018-  Prime Minister of India is the chairman of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.  CSIR-NEERI Director- Dr Raksh Kumar

Appointments 5. Google appoints Keith Enright as its Chief Privacy Officer i. Technology giant Google has appointed its privacy lawyer, Keith Enright, as Chief Privacy Officer as the company proposed policies for potential federal regulation of data. In his new role, Enright will be in charge of crafting Google's strategy on privacy issues. Before Google, Enright worked as the Chief Privacy Officer at Macy's and was also a senior consultant at IBM.

Sports News 6. Croatia's Luka Modric Won FIFA's Best Player Of The Year Award i. Luka Modric broke a decade of award dominance by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi after being crowned world footballer of the year by FIFA. Modric beat out Liverpool's Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah and Ronaldo. ii. Modric was voted FIFA's best player in the 2017-18 season after winning the Champions League for a fourth time in five seasons with Real Madrid and leading Croatia to its first World Cup final where it lost to France. Messi and Ronaldo were the only winners of world soccer's main individual award from FIFA in various guises since 2008, both winning five titles each.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Exam 2018-  FIFA Headquarter - Zürich, Switzerland, President - Gianni Infantino.

Miscellaneous News 7. Nepal to become world's first country to double its tiger population i. Nepal is set to become the first country in the world to double its tiger population as part of the World Wildlife Foundation's (WWF) 'Tx2' programme which aims to double the number of tigers all over the world. ii. The announced on September 23, 2018, on the occasion of National Conservation Day, that there are now an estimated 235 wild tigers in the nation, nearly double the number (235) from around 121 in 2009. The earlier tiger survey in 2013 had estimated the tiger population in the nation to be around 198.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for RRB PO/Clerk Mains Exam 2018-  The WWF had launched its ambitious TX2 programme at the St Petersburg Tiger Summit in 2010.  The programme aims to double the world tiger population by 2022.

26th September 2018 National News 1. Vice president M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated Smart City Expo India-2018 i. Vice president M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated Smart City Expo India-2018 in Jaipur. He stressed the need for water harvesting. According to the Vice President, Smart Vision, Smart execution and smart Implementation are essential to develop smart cities and no city can become smart without the participation of the public. ii. The object of this three days long expo is to have discussions among different experts and groups to utilize benefits of new technology, town planning, capacity management, challenges before socio-economic development and development of networking in the Smart City sector. Near about 6000 delegates from MNC's of different countries, researchers, CEO's of different Smart cities, Mayors and corporates are participating in the expo.

2. Cabinet approves National Digital Communications Policy i. The cabinet has approved the new telecom policy, now named National Digital Communications Policy (NDCP) 2018, which aims to attract USD 100 billion investment and create 4 million jobs in the sector by 2022. According to the draft of the policy, NDCP is focused on increasing high-speed broadband penetration, with use of modern technologies like 5G and optical fibres across the country at affordable rates. ii. The draft promised to rationalise levies such as spectrum charges to rejuvenate debt-ridden telecom sector, the proposed new telecom policy seeks to provide broadband access to all with 50 megabit per second speed, 5G services and create 40 lakh new jobs by 2022.

3.Aadhaar Linking Must For PAN and Filing Income Tax Returns i. The Supreme Court declared the Centre's flagship Aadhaar scheme as Constitutionally valid. The Supreme Court ruled that linking the Aadhaar card to PAN card is mandatory and is needed for filing income tax returns. The apex court, however, said Aadhaar is not mandatory for opening bank accounts and linking with existing accounts. ii. The Supreme Court also struck down Section 57 of the Aadhaar Act that allowed private companies to avail Aadhaar data. Calling the section unconstitutional, the court asserted that private companies cannot insist on having Aadhaar number of customers. Aadhaar authentication records cannot be stored beyond six months, striking down the current rule of five years.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Chairman, UIDAI- J. Satyanarayana  CEO, UIDAI- Dr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey

4. Supreme Court Allows Live Streaming Of Cases of Constitutional importance i. The Supreme Court agreed to live-streaming and video recording of court proceedings, saying “sunlight is the best disinfectant”. The Supreme Court allowed live streaming of cases of Constitutional importance that take place in the Court of the Chief Justice of India.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- SEPTEMBER 2018 ii. The bench said that they want to implement the concept of 'open court' in a bid to decongest the court. As per the court the public had a "right to know" what happens inside the courtroom. The decision came on the back of a clutch of petitions filed by senior lawyer Indira Jaisingh, law student Snehil Tripathi and NGO Centre For Accountability and Systemic Change.

International News 5. UN Declared Nelson Mandela Decade Of Peace 2019-2028 i. Unanimously adopting a political declaration at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, nearly 100 Heads of State and Government, Ministers, Member States and representatives of civil society committed to redoubling efforts to build a just, peaceful, prosperous, inclusive and fair world, as they paid tribute to the late South African President‟s (1994-99) celebrated qualities and service to humanity. ii. Recognizing the period from 2019 to 2028 as the Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace, the Declaration saluted Mr Mandela for his humility, forgiveness and compassion, acknowledging as well his contribution to the struggle for democracy and the promotion of a culture of peace throughout the world.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RRB PO/ Clerk Mains 2018-  Nelson Mandela International Day- July 18  UN Headquarters- New York, US

Banking News 6. Finance Ministry Launched Mobile App “Jan Dhan Darshak" i. Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance and National Informatics Centre (NIC) have jointly developed a mobile app called Jan Dhan Darshak as a part of financial inclusion (FI) initiative. This app will act as a guide for the common people in locating a financial service touch point at a given location in the country. ii. While over 5 lakh FI touch points (Bank branches, ATMs, Post Offices) have been mapped on this App, approx. 1.35 lakh Bank Mitras would be on-boarded by 01.12.2018. Phone number of bank branches are available in the app, with the facility of call button for integrated dialling.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO 2018-  The NIC was established in 1976.  Present Director General of NIC- Neeta Verma

Science and Technology News 7. Japan Landed Rovers On Asteroid In Historic Mission i. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) landed a pair of rovers on an asteroid, marking the world's first moving, robotic observation of an asteroid surface. The two rovers Hayabusa2 managed to land on the asteroid are expected to take advantage of the low gravity and jump around the surface, reaching heights of up to 15 meters. ii. The small compact MINERVA-II1(MIcro Nano Experimental Robot Vehicle for Asteroid, the second generation) rovers separated from the Hayabusa2 spacecraft. The MINERVA-II 1 consists of two rovers, Rover- 1A and Rover-1B. The Hayabusa2 probe was launched in December 2014 to explore the surface of the asteroid known as Ryugu. If all goes well, the Hayabusa2 will return to earth with soil and rock samples in 2020,

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Defence News 8. DAC approves procurement of one thousand engines for T-72 tanks i. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved procurement of 1,000 engines for fitment in T-72 tanks of the Army at an approximate cost of over 2,300 crore rupees. According to the Defence Ministry, the engines will enhance mobility, agility and acceleration of T-72 tanks making them more versatile and effective in the battlefield. ii. Post-transfer of technology, most of these engines will be manufactured by Ordnance Factories Board. The DAC has also approved several amendments to Defence Procurement Procedure 2016, the manual governing the defence procurements.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  DAC was set up in 2001.  DAC Chairperson- Union Defence Minister (Current Chairperson- Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman)

Ranks and Reports News 9. Finland Topped In „Human Capital‟ Score, India Ranked 158th i. India ranks 158th in the world for its investments in education and health care, according to the first-ever scientific study ranking countries for their levels of human capital. The nation is placed behind Sudan (ranked 157th) and ahead of Namibia (ranked 159th) in the list. ii. The study, published in journal The Lancet, says that India is ranked at 158 out of 195 countries, an improvement from its position of 162 in 1990. The U.S. is ranked 27th, while China is at 44th and Pakistan at 164th.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO 2018-  Finland topped the list, followed by Iceland and Denmark.

10.Mukesh Ambani Toped Barclays Hurun Rich List For 7th Time In A Row i. Billionaire Mukesh Ambani, chairman of India‟s second-most valued firm „Reliance Industries‟, has topped the „Barclays Hurun India Rich List 2018‟ for the seventh consecutive year, with the total net worth of INR 371,000 crore. Barclays Hurun India Rich List 2018, a compilation of the individuals in India having a net worth of INR 1,000 crore or more, featured 831 Indians compared to 617 last year. ii. Mr Ambani is followed by London-based S.P. Hinduja, with the net worth of INR 1,59,000 crore; and L.N. Mittal, with a net worth of INR 1,14,500 crore. , with the wealth of INR 96,100 crore, is fourth in the list. The cumulative wealth of the 831 individuals featured in the list stood at $719 billion, amounting to a quarter of India‟s GDP of $2,848 billion.

27th September 2018 National News 1. Adultery No Longer A Criminal Offence, SC Strikes Down Section 497 of IPC i. A five-judge Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra scrapped the pre-Independence provision of adultery in the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which treats a married woman as a commodity owned by her husband. Section 497 (adultery) gives a husband the exclusive right to prosecute his wife's lover. If found guilty, the adulterer faces five years behind bars.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- SEPTEMBER 2018 ii. A similar right is not conferred on a wife to prosecute the woman with whom her husband has committed adultery. Secondly, the provision does not confer any right on the wife to prosecute her husband for adultery.

2. Important Cabinet Approvals: 26th September 2018 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the following set of approvals. The important Cabinet Approvals are given as follows- The Cabinet has approved- 1. MoU between India and Uzbekistan on Mutual Cooperation in Combating Illicit Trafficking in Narcotics, Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Precursors, 2. MoU between India and Uzbekistan on Cooperation in the Sphere of Law & Justice,ccess to all with 50 megabit per second speed, 5G services and create 40 lakh new jobs by 2022.

3. India And Morocco Signed MoU to Enhance Cooperation In MSME Sector i. India and Morocco signed an MoU for deepening cooperation between MSME sectors of the two countries in Rabat, Morocco. ii. Ms. Alka Arora, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of MSME, held bilateral meetings with Mr. Othman El Ferdaous, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Trade and Digital Economy and with other related Departments for enhancing cooperation in MSME Sector.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Exam 2018-  Morocco Currency- Moroccan dirham, Capital- Rabat PM- Saadeddine Othmani.

4. India and Oman Agree to Enhance Bilateral Cooperation i. Sayyid Badr Saud Harib Al Busaidi, the Minister Responsible for Defence Affairs, Sultanate of Oman, is on an official visit to India at the invitation of Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman. The Omani Minister met with Raksha Mantri in South Block. ii. The three wings of the Armed Forces hold staff talks and advanced joint exercises with each other. Several enabling agreements and Memoranda of Understanding have been signed between the two countries pertaining to defence related issues.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Exam 2018-  Oman Capital- Muscat Currency- Omani rial

5. IAF Successfully Test Fires Air-To-Air Astra Missile i. The Indian Air Force successfully test fired the indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile Astra from a Su-30 aircraft. The missile, tested at the Kalaikunda Air Force Station, “successfully engaged a manoeuvring target with high precision.” ii. In the series of trials held till date, Astra has been launched in the complete Su-30 flight envelope. The flight test assumes significance as it was part of the series of final pre-induction trials.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Exam 2018-  Current Air Chief Marshal- Birender Singh Dhanoa

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International News 6. Argentina Gets Biggest Loan in IMF's History At $57 billion i. Argentina has received $57.1 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the biggest loan package ever from the global body aimed at boosting the country's struggling economy. ii. The loan, $15 billion of which has already been received by Argentina, will be disbursed over the next three years. Argentina had originally secured a $50-billion loan in June this year.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for SBI PO/Clerk Exam 2018-  Managing Director of IMF- Christine Lagarde, Headquarters in- Washington DC, USA.

7. World Tourism Day: 27 September i. World Tourism Day is observed every year globally on 27th September. It is a unique opportunity to raise awareness on the potential contribution of digital technologies to sustainable tourism development. ii. “Tourism and the Digital Transformation” is the theme of this year‟s World Tourism Day (WTD). Hungary is the host country for this year's WTD.

Awards 8. PM Modi Got UN‟s Highest Environmental Honour i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been awarded with the UN‟s highest environmental honour, also given to five other individuals and organisations, for his leadership of the International Solar Alliance and pledge to eliminate single use plastic by 2022. Cochin International Airport was given the award for its leadership in the use of sustainable energy. ii. Six of the world‟s most outstanding environmental changemakers have been recognised with the Champions of the Earth Award. French President Emmanuel Macron and Mr. Modi have been jointly recognised in the Policy Leadership category for their pioneering work in championing the International Solar Alliance.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  International Solar Alliance Headquarters- Gurugram, India.  ISA Founded in- Paris, November 2015.

Ranks And Reports 9. IISc Bengaluru Tops India in Global List Of Best Institutes i. No Indian institution figures in the top 250 of the Times Higher Education‟s (THE) world university rankings 2019, though the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, has retained its position as the highest-ranked centre in the country, while the Indian Institute of Technology-Indore has risen to the highest position behind it. ii. The rankings show Oxford continues to hold the first place, Cambridge second, and Stanford third. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology rose one place to number four. In India, number of Indian institutions in the rankings increased from 42 last year to 49, making it the fifth best-represented nation.

Banking News 10. RBI Eases Cash Reserve Rules To Ease Liquidity i. The Reserve Bank of India allowed banks to dip further into statutory cash reserves in a bid to ease a liquidity squeeze afflicting the nation‟s money markets. The move by the central bank follows concerns over tight liquidity conditions and banks‟ unwillingness to lend to NBFCs.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- SEPTEMBER 2018 ii. As per the RBI, banks could 'carve out' up to 15% of holdings under the statutory liquidity reserves to meet their liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) requirements as compared to 13% now.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Urjit Patel- 24th Governor of RBI, Headquarters- Mumbai, Established on- 1st April 1935, in Kolkata.

28th September 2018 National News 1. Ravi Shankar Prasad Launched Centre of Excellence for Data Analytics and DigiVaarta i. National Informatics Centre (NIC) and National Informatics Centre Services Incorporated (NICSI) have jointly set up a Centre of Excellence for data analytics to support Government departments to unlock the hidden potential of the data that they are generating as part of the governance processes and use it to improve the overall governance. ii. Launch of Centre of Excellence for Data Analytics (CEDA) was done by the Union Minister of Electronics & Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad, as part of Workshop on Data Analytics in Government.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RRB Clerk Exam 2018-  National Informatics Centre (NIC) was established in 1976.  NIC Headquarters in New Delhi.  Ms. Neeta Verma is the Director General of NIC.  National Informatics Centre Services Inc. (NICSI) was established in 1995.  NICSI Headquarters in New Delhi.

2. Tourism Minister Launches Incredible India Mobile App i. The Union Minister for Tourism (IC), Mr. K.J. Alphons launched the „Incredible India Mobile App‟ and the “Incredible India Tourist Facilitators Certification” programme. ii. The Minister announced that India will be the host country for official World Tourism Day celebrations for the UNWTO, in 2019. The theme for the World Tourism Day 2018 being “Tourism & Digital Transformation”.

3. India And UN Signed A Five-Year Sustainable Development Framework i. CEO NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant and United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, Yuri Afanasiev, signed the Government of India-United Nations Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF) for 2018-2022, at a special signing ceremony. The NITI Aayog is the national counterpart for the UN in India for the operationalization of the UNSDF. ii. The government of India-United Nations Sustainable Development Framework (SDF) 2018- 2022 outlines the work of UN agencies in India, to support the achievement of key development outcomes that have been identified in consultation with the government and are aligned to the national priorities.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Exam 2018-  The Prime Minister is the Ex-officio chairman of NITI Aayog.  Present Vice Chairmen of NITI Aayog- Rajiv Kumar.

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4. PM Modi Inaugurated Parakram Parv Exhibition In Jodhpur i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Parakram Parv exhibition at the military station in Jodhpur to mark the second anniversary of the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army across the LoC. ii. On September 29, 2016, the Indian Army carried out surgical strikes on seven terrorist launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) as a response to an attack on its base in Uri. Konark Corps is organizing this three days exhibition on Indian Army‟s Combat Capability.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RRB Clerk Mains Exam 2018-  Nirmala Sitharaman is the present Defence Minister of India.  Rajasthan Chief Minister: Vasundhara Raje, Governor- Kalyan Singh.

5. 2 MoU‟s Signed Between India and Uzbekistan i. A meeting between Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology, Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad and the Minister for Development of Information Technologies and Communications, Uzbekistan Mr Shuhrat Sadikov was held in New Delhi for strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries in ICT sector. ii. Subsequently, in presence of both the Ministers Two Memorandum of Understandings (MoU‟s) were signed: - a) Agreement between National Informatics Centre (NIC), India and e-Government System development centre of the Ministry for Development of Information Technologies and Communications of Uzbekistan for strengthening e-Governance cooperation. b) Declaration of Intent between CDAC, India and Tashkent University of Information Technologies, Uzbekistan for cooperation in the area of capacity building in ICT sector.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018- Uzbekistan Capital: Tashkent, Currency: Uzbekistani som.

6. Government Forms Lokpal Search Committee i. The government has set up an eight-member Lokpal Search Committee under the Chairmanship of former Supreme Court Judge, Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai. Prasar Bharati Chairman A Surya Prakash, former SBI Chief Arundhati Bhattacharya and Justice Sukha Ram Singh Yadav among others will be members of the panel. ii. An official order issued by Ministry of Personnel stated that the panel will recommend the names for the Chairperson and Members of the Lokpal to the Lokpal Selection Committee.

International News 7. High-Level Meeting on Tuberculosis At 73rd Session Of UNGA Held In New York i. J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare addressed at the „High Level Meeting on Tuberculosis at 73rd session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at New York‟. ii. He stated that India has shown personal commitment to tackle TB head-on as India plans to eliminate TB by 2025, five years ahead of the SDG target of 2030, by launching the TB Free India Campaign.

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8. World Rabies Day: 28 September i. World Rabies Day is celebrated on 28 September. It is celebrated annually to raise awareness about rabies prevention and to highlight progress in defeating this horrifying disease. ii. 28 September also marks the anniversary of Louis Pasteur's death, the French chemist and microbiologist, who developed the first rabies vaccine.

Awards 9. Tourism Minister K J Alphons Presents National Tourism Awards 2016-17 i. Tourism Minister K J Alphons presented National Tourism Awards 2016-17 in New Delhi. Andhra Pradesh bagged the first prize in state category for comprehensive development of tourism. ii. The state got the prize for promoting Andhra Pradesh Tourism as a global tourism brand. Kerala bagged the second prize for comprehensive development of tourism. The Tourism sector has generated 14.62 million jobs in the country in the last four years.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RRB PO Mains Exam 2018-  Andhra Pradesh Capital- Amravati, Chief Minister- N Chandrababu Naidu.

Sports News 10. 8th Asian Yoga Sports Championship Begins In Thiruvananthapuram i. The 8th Asian Yoga Sports Championship organised by Asian Yoga Federation has begun in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will formally inaugurate the event. ii. Nearly 450 participants representing 12 Asian countries showcasing their yoga skills will take part in the four-day event. Yogaratna Awards will be given away to foreign delegates who were instrumental in popularising yoga in their respective countries.

29th September 2018 National News 1. NITI Aayog And Oracle Sign SoI To Pilot Drug Supply-Chain i. In order to fight the growing problem of counterfeit drugs in India, NITI Aayog and Oracle signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to pilot a real drug supply-chain using blockchain distributed ledger and Internet of Things (IoT) software. Apollo Hospitals and Strides Pharma Sciences will partner in this effort. ii. This agreement with Oracle and NITI Aayog's partnership with Apollo Hospitals and Strides Pharma, will help ensure that Indian drug manufacturers and healthcare experts have access to a standards-based, modern technology platform – blockchain and IoT, to help eliminate fake drug distribution.

2. Locate Public Toilets on Google Maps with LooReview Campaign i. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, under the aegis of Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban (SBM – U), has partnered with Google to launch the Loo Review campaign to encourage all local guides in India to rate and review public toilets on Google Maps. ii. This campaign is part of a feature which allows all citizens to locate public toilets in their cities on Google Maps, Search and the Assistant and also provide feedback on the same. 500+ cities in India with more than 30,000 toilets with the name of “SBM Toilet” are currently live on Google Maps.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  Open Defecation Free States/UTs till date-24.  Swachh Bharat Mission launched on - 2nd October 2014.

3. India's 1st Corn Festival Starts in Madhya Pradesh i. In Madhya Pradesh, the first corn festival of the country is being held in Chhindwara. The festival is one of a kind international event. ii. Madhya Pradesh is one of the largest corn producing states in India, with Chhindwara being the highest corn producing district.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RRB PO Mains Exam 2018-  Madhya Pradesh CM: Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Governor: Anandiben Patel.

4. PM Inaugurates Conference On Academic Leadership on Education for Resurgence i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Conference on Academic Leadership on Education for Resurgence in New Delhi in which the Vice-Chancellors, Directors from more than 350 universities participated. ii. The theme of the conference is to deliberate on challenges facing the Indian education system and to work out a plan for a paradigm shift both in terms of achieving academic outcomes and also in the regulation of education. The conference was also addressed HRD minister Prakash Javadekar.

5. Indian Railways, Google Arts Launch „Rail Heritage Digitisation Project‟ i. Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal launched the „Rail Heritage Digitisation Project‟ of Indian Railways in collaboration with Google Arts and Culture Association. ii. The first-of-its-kind project aims to showcase India‟s rail heritage to the national and international audience in an online story-telling platform. It is the largest cultural heritage digitisation project not only in India but possibly in the entire Asia Pacific Region.

Important Days 6. World Heart Day: 29th September i. World Heart Day takes place on 29th September every year and is the World Heart Federation„s and the world‟s biggest platform for raising awareness about cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke. ii. It was launched in 2000 by the World Heart Federation as an annual event.

Appointments 7. Vikram Misri Appointed India's Next Ambassador to China i. Ambassador of India to Myanmar, Vikram Misri has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to China, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  China Capital: Beijing, Currency: Renminbi, President: Xi Jinping.

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Banking News 8. RBI Bars Bandhan Bank From Opening New Branches i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) barred Bandhan Bank from opening new branches and also ordered freezing of the bank's CEO salary over failure to stick to shareholding rules. ii. The Bank was not able to bring down the shareholding of Non-Operative Financial Holding Company (NOFHC) to 40% as required under the licensing condition, general permission to open new branches stands withdrawn.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-  As per the bank's website, it has 937 branches in parts of the country. The Bandhan, a MFI, was given conditional approval by the RBI for setting up universal bank in April 2014.  The bank operational in 2015. Headquartered in Kolkata, Bandhan, which started as a micro-finance company in 2001, received banking licence by Reserve Bank of India in 2014. Sports News 9. India Defeats Bangladesh To Win 7th Asia Cup Title i. India has defeated Bangladesh to win the Unimoni Asia Cup Title 2018. This was the second successive Asia Cup final where India took on Bangladesh. In 2016, India had decimated Bangladesh in the final (of the Asia Cup T20). ii. Overall, this was India's seventh Asia Cup triumph. Liton Das was the Player Of The Match and Shikhar Dhawan was declared as the Player Of The Series.

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