DAILY GK -- SEPTEMBER 11 TO 20 2016

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11th september, 2016

Indo-US Economic Summit from September 13

i. The 2-day Indo-US Economic Summit will begin in New Delhi on September 13.
ii. Leaders from business, government and academia from both the countries will participate in the summit.

iii. They will deliberate on ways to enhance bilateral trade and investments between India and the US.

Bakytzhan Sagintayev appointed as the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan
i. Bakytzhan Sagintaev appointed as Prime minister of Kazakhstan by Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev on September 9,2016.
ii. Kazakhstan, a Central Asian country and former Soviet republic
Qatar National Bank soon to open branch in India

i. Qatar National Bank (QNB) has received approval from India's regulatory authorities to open a branch in the country and begin operations.

ii. The bank has its presence in more than 30 countries.

World’s 1st robotic eye operation performed in Britain

i. British surgeons have successfully performed the world’s first robotic operation inside the eye, potentially revolutionising the way such conditions are treated.
ii. The procedure was carried out at John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford.

Jamie Murray-Bruno Soares win US Open doubles title

i. Great Britain’s Jamie Murray and Brazil's Bruno Soares won their second Grand Slam doubles title, defeating Spaniards Pablo Carreño Busta and Guillermo García-López 6-2, 6-3.

ii. This was Murray’s 3rd doubles slam title of his career, and 2nd with Bruno Soares, with the pair winning the Australian Open earlier this year.

Vietnam wins 1st Paralympic gold with world record

i. Vietnam won its first-ever Paralympic gold medal after para weightlifter Le Van Cong lifted 183 kgs, to set a new world record at the event.

ii. Vietnam also ended its six-decade-long wait for an Olympic gold last month in Rio with a record-breaking performance by shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh in the 10-metre air pistol shooting event.

US Navy reveals interior of $4.4 bn Zumwalt destroyer

i. United states (US) Navy has demonstrated the interiors of Zumwalt destroyer. 

ii. The 186-metre-long ship is equipped with stealth features and a gun system that can launch 600 rocket-powered projectiles at targets more than 110 kilometres away.
iii. It is named after World War II hero Admiral Elmo Zumwalt.

Real Madrid secures 15th straight La Liga win

i. Real Madrid registered a 5-2 win over Osasuna in the La Liga, marking a 15th straight league win. 

ii. Thereby equalling their longest winning streak in Spain. Ronaldo

Yoga guru Ramdev sets up mega food park in Nagpur

i. Renowned Yog Guru and founder of Patanjali group Baba Ramdev has laid the foundation stone of his dream project Patanjali Mega Food and Herbal Park in Mihan area which is located at outskirts of Nagpur.

ii. He announced that Patanjali group will give soft loans to farmers in the area for producing various agro products.

Angelique Kerber wins US Open Tennis tournament

i. German professional tennis player Angelique Kerber won her first U.S. Open title and the second Grand Slam trophy of her breakthrough season. 

ii. The German defeated Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. 

12th september, 2016

Joint Indian-US army exercise ‘Yudh Abhyas 2016’ to begin in Uttarakhand

i. As part of the ongoing Indo-US defence cooperation, a joint military training exercise, ‘Yudh Abhyas 2016’ is set to be conducted in Uttarakhand from September 14 to 27. 

ii. The exercise in Chaubattia was being conducted by the headquarter Central Command. 

Cabinet Approves Formation and Functioning of GST Council

i. The Union Cabinet has approved the formation, process and functioning of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council.

ii. The primary function of the GST Council will be to decide the GST rate along with many other things.

iii. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will be heading the GST Council, which will comprise state finance ministers as well.

Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Awards presented

i. The five-day-long 22nd Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival concluded at the Rabindra Mandap auditorium with the presentation of the prestigious awards named after the legendary Odissi artists. Click here for more

Vidya Balan Brand Ambassador of Samajwadi Pension Yojana

i. Bollywood actress Vidya Balan appointed as brand ambassador of the ambitious Samajwadi Pension Yojana by Uttar Pradesh government.

ii. The actor who had earlier been associated with the "ghar-ghar shauchalya" campaign of the Union government will be seen campaigning about the scheme in the coming months.

ii. The main Objective of the scheme to encourage savings among people living below the poverty line and provide them financial assistance.

Filipino revenge drama wins best picture at the world’s oldest film festival

i. A revenge drama Ang Babaeng Humayo (The Woman Who Left) on 10 September 2016 won the Golden Lion for Best Film Award at the 73 Venice Film Festival.

ii. On the other hand, Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky and Mexican film director Amat Escalante shared Silver Lion for Best Direction for their respective films Paradise and The Untamed.

Govt launches toll-free number for postal complaints

i. The government today launched a toll-free number 1924 to register postal complaints. 

ii. It will initially be operational for 12 hours on working days and has been started in Hindi, Malayalam, and English. Notably, Department of Posts (DoP) is the 8th largest department in terms of the number of complaints.

Mandi, Sindhudurg Emerge Cleanest Districts In India

i. Mandi in Himachal Pradesh and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra have emerged the cleanest districts in India according to a report released in New Delhi by Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.

ii. Besides, the districts of Shimla (Himachal Pradesh), Nadia (West Bengal) and Satara (Maharashtra) feature at the top of the index.

HP, Singapore sign MoU for smart integrated township

i. Himachal Pradesh government has signed a preliminary Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Singapore government for developing a smart integrated township in Jathiadevi near Shimla airport.

ii. The MoU was signed between Himachal PradeshHousing and Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA) and Asian Pacific SingaporeEnterprise in the presence of Urban Development and Town and Country Planning and Housing minister Sudhir Sharma.

Army Green beat Neroca FC to win Durand Cup

i. Army Green on has won the 128th edition of Durand Cup football title. 

ii. Army Green defeated Neroca FC 6-5 via penalty shootouts. 

Pakistan appoints Wasim Bari as manager of national cricket team

i. Former Pakistan Test captain Wasim Bari has been appointed as the new manager of the national team for the coming ‘home’ series against the West Indies in the UAE.

ii. 68-year-old Bari, who played 81 Tests and 51 ODIs, has also served as chief selector and chief operating officer in the board.

Stan Wawrinka Beats Defending U.S. Open Champion Novak Djokovic

i. Stan Wawrinka defeated world number one Novak Djokovic to claim a 3rd Grand Slam title at the US Open tennis tournament.

ii. Wawrinka secured a 6-7 (1/7),  6-4, 7-5, 6-3 victory over Serbia's Djokovic. 

Centre inaugurates national fair in Bengaluru

i. Union Minister of State for Ayush (Independent Charge) Shri Shripad Yesso Naik and Union minister for Fertilisers and Chemicals and Parliamentary Affairs Shri Ananth Kumar inaugurated the National Fair on comprehensive Indian Medicine system (AROGYA) in Bengaluru.

ii. The two days BRICS Wellness Workshop and AROGYA fair is being organized by the Ministry of AYUSH, in collaboration with Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS). 

Centre issues fresh guidelines for flexi-fund for CSS

i. The government has issued fresh flexi-fund guidelines that will give more freedom to states in spending money under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) to meet local developmental requirements.

ii. Under the new norms, flexi-funds in each CSS has been increased from the current 10% to 25% for states and 30% for Union Territories.

Government approves agreement with Kenya for cooperation in National Housing Policy

i. Union Cabinet under the chairmanship of Prime Minister gave approval for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Kenya on cooperation in the field of National Housing Policy Development and Management (NHPDM). 

ii. The MoU was signed on 11th July, 2016 at Nairobi during the visit of the PM Modi to Kenya.

13th september, 2016

Union Cabinet Approvals

i. Cabinet approves Extradition Treaty between India and Afghanistan

ii. Cabinet approves Bilateral Technical Arrangement between India and Switzerland

iii. Cabinet approves extension of contract between India and the International Seabed Authority.

iv. Cabinet approves MoU between India and Kenya on cooperation in the field of National Housing Policy

v. India, South Africa in ICT cooperation pact Click here for more

Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa removed as Arunachal Pradesh governor

i. Governor of Arunachal Pradesh Jyoti Prasad  Rajkhowa was removed from the post  of Arunachal Pradesh Governor. 

ii. The V. Shanmuganathan, Governor of Meghalaya has been given the charge of Arunachal Pradesh by President Pranab Mukherjee .

Subramanian Swamy was awarded ‘Tamil Ratna’ in US

i. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has been honoured with ‘Tamil Ratna’ award by a body of Tamil diaspora in New York for fighting corruption and working for more transparency in the functioning of the government.

‘Bhattacharya, Kochhar among most powerful women outside US’
i. India’s top women bankers, SBI chief Arundhati Bhattacharya, ICICI head Chanda Kochhar and Axis Bank CEO Shikha Sharma, are among the 50 most powerful women based outside the US, according to a list by Fortune, which is topped by Banco Santander’s boss Ana Bot.
ii. Bhattacharya, 60 is ranked second on the list, while Kochhar comes in at the fifth spot and Sharma in the 19th position in Fortune’s ‘50 Most Powerful Women International’ list, which has ranked the women based outside the US.

CCEA approves proposal for initiation of 3rd phase of TEQIP

i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the proposal for initiation of the Third Phase of Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP). 

ii. The project will be implemented as a Central Sector Scheme with total project outlay of 3600 crore rupees.

CM inaugurates week-long Onam celebrations in state

i. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has inaugurated the Onam celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram.

ii. The inaugural ceremony also witnessed the state government honouring noted playback singer P Jayachandran, who has completed 50 years in the field of music. 

Cabinet approves establishment of Higher Education Financing Agency

i. The Cabinet has approved the creation of the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA), taking a step closer to developing high quality infrastructure in premier educational institutions.

ii. The HEFA would be formed as a SPV within a PSU Bank or Government-owned-NBFC (Promoter). 

Wadhwa Group ties-up with Snapdeal

i. Realty player Wadhwa Group has tied-up with e-commerce platform Sanpdeal to make its properties accessible to customers online.

ii. With this tie-up, the Wadhwa Group has stepped into the e-commerce space, and is now showcasing their project. 

Chinappa rises to 10th in PSA rankings

i. In Women’s Ranking Indian squash player Joshna Chinappa rose  to 10th while Deepika Pallikal remained  at 19th in the latest Professional Squash Association (PSA) rankings.

ii. In the men’s rankings, Saurav Ghosal dropped to 21st from his previous perch of 17th. Mahesh Mangaonkar gained a position to be on 60th, while Vikram Malhotra remained 73rd.

Deepa Malik becomes first Indian woman to win medal at Paralympics

i. India’s Deepa Malik created history by becoming the first ever woman from the country to win a medal at the Paralympics.

ii. With the win, she confirmed India’s third medal from the Rio Paralympics. She will receive a cash award of Rs 4 crore under Haryana Sports Scheme for winning the silver medal.

World’s longest bullet train network established in China

i. World’s longest bullet train network length of 2000kms established by China Railway. Construction of the line started in December 2012

ii. The line has 9 stations and trains run at a speed of up to 300 kph.

iii. China is conducting feasibility study to build the bullet train track between Chennai and New Delhi.

14th september, 2016

Hindi Divas being celebrated throughout country today

i. Hindi Divas is being celebrated throughout the country today.

ii. Hindi Divas is celebrated on 14th September every year, because on this day in 1949, the Constituent Assembly of the country adopted the Hindi language as the official language of the Republic of India.

3rd BRICS Urbanisation Forum Meet begins in Vishakhapatnam today
i. In Andhra Pradesh, the 3rd BRICS Urbanisation Forum Meet begins in the Visakhapatnam today.
ii. The meet will be inaugurated by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in the presence of Union Minister of Urban Development, M. Venkaiah Naidu and other dignitaries. 

105-yr-old Kunwar Bai made 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' mascot
i. 105-year-old Kunwar Bai, who was felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for building toilet by selling off her goats, has been chosen as the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ mascot.
ii. Prime Minister Modi will felicitate Kunwar Bai at a function in the national capital to mark `Swachhta Diwas' on September 17.

Devendra Jhajharia wins second gold, breaks world record at Rio Paralympics 2016

i. Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia became the first Indian to clinch two gold medals at the Paralympics after he broke his own world record to clinch the top honours at the Rio Games.

ii. The 36-year-old is currently ranked third in the world.

Aleksander Ceferin named new UEFA president
i. Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) elected Aleksander Ceferin to succeed Michel Platini as president today.
ii. The 48-year-old succeeds former France international Michel Platini, who resigned after being banned from all football activity last year.

SBI, PNB, Paytm to issue e-toll tags for vehicles
i. State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, IDFC Bank, and digital wallet Paytm will start issuing electronic tags to vehicles for toll collection.ii. This would help increase the number of automatic pass-throughs at toll plazas to 50% in two years.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to be awarded by Jewish rights group

i. Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will be honoured with a humanitarian award by a prominent Jewish human rights organisation for promoting human dignity, interfaith relations and tolerance among people.

ii. The Art of Living founder will be conferred with Simon Wiesenthal Centre’s highest honour ‘the Simon Wiesenthal Humanitarian Laureate’ at a ceremony in New Delhi on September 21.  

Andhra Pradesh becomes second state to achieve 100% electrification

i. Andhra Pradesh has become the second state in the country after Gujarat to achieve 100% electrification of households.

ii. JM Financials published the report based on a national -level survey on electrification in various states.

Raman Singh launches 'Start Up Chhattisgarh' project
i. In line with the Centre's 'Start Up India' initiative, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has launched the 'Start Up Chhattisgarh' programme to encourage entrepreneurs in the state.
ii. The government also announced the setting up of a dedicated startup centre.
HP to Acquire Samsung Printer Business for $1.05 Billion

i. HP Inc. agreed to buy Samsung Electronics Co.’s printer business for $1.05 billion, a deal designed to bolster the Silicon Valley company’s offerings in the market for high-volume devices that handle printing and copying for office workgroups.

ii. The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected to close within 12 months, the companies said on Monday. 

Anoop K Sharma new CMD of Shipping Corporation

i. Anoop Kumar Sharma has taken charge of the post of CMD, Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) with effect from September 12, 2016 for a period of three years.

ii. As the country’s premier shipping line, the SCI owns and operates around one-third of the Indian tonnage, and has operating interests in practically all areas of the shipping business, servicing both national and international trades.

Freecharge partners with Axis Bank, launches UPI payment

i. Digital payment platform FreeCharge in partnership with Axis Bank has launched Unified Payments Interface (UPI) that allows instant transactions from a smartphone using a virtual payment address (VPA).

ii. Customers will be able to create a virtual address on the Freecharge Android app and link it to their bank account to register on the UPI platform. 

PayU acquires Citrus Pay for $130 million

i. Global online payment service provider PayU has acquired Indian payments technology player, Citrus Pay, for $130 million.

ii. Citrus Pay's managing director Amrish Rau will take charge of the merged entity, and as chief executive of PayU in India.

Mumbai-based writer wins FON South Asia Short Story Award
i. Writer Meghna Pant will be honoured with Kumaon Literary Festival's FON (Fellows of Nature) South AsiaShort Story Award in Nature writing in October for her short story "People of the Sun." 

15th september, 2016

Nawazuddin appointed brand ambassador of UP farmers' scheme

i. The Uttar Pradesh govt has appointed Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the brand ambassador of its flagship programme 'Samajwadi Kisan Beema Yojana'.

ii. The scheme provides for cashless treatment upto Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs one lakh for organ transplant.

Jim Yong Kim heads for second term as World Bank president
i. Jim Yong Kim is heading for another five-year term as president of the World Bank.
ii. Kim, 56, has focused the World bank on programs to reduce extreme poverty.
iii. Kim's first term ends on June 30, 2017.

India Declares itself Free from Avian Influenza (H5N1)

i. The Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers welfare has declared India free from Avian Influenza (H5N1) from 5th September, 2016.

ii. India had notified outbreak of Avian Influenza (H5N1) on 09 May 2016 at Humnabad, Bidar district, Karnataka.
Priyanka Chopra among world's 10 highest paid TV actresses: Forbes

i. Bollywood queen Priyanka Chopra is in the top 10 in Forbes magazine's annual list of best-paid television actresses.

ii. Colombian-American actress Sofia Vergara topped the rich list for the fifth time in a row.

iii. Priyanka ranked 8th on Forbes' world's highest-paid actresses with an earning of $10 million.

US sign 38 billion dollars deal with Israel

i. The United States has signed a 38 billion dollars deal with Israel to provide the country with military assistance over a 10-year period.
ii. The deal is the largest such agreement the US has ever had with any country. 

Hiroshi Nakagawa takes over as Chairman of Isuzu Motors India
i. Japanese automobile maker Isuzu today announced top-level changes in its Indian operations with Hiroshi Nakagawa taking over as the Chairman of Isuzu Motors India (IMI) with immediate effect.
ii. Hiroyasu Miura, the former Chairman of IMI will take over as the Chairman & Managing Director of Isuzu Engineering Business Centre India Pvt Ltd (IEBCI) with immediate effect.

Gionee signs MoU with Haryana govt for investment of Rs 500 cr

i. Gionee mobile phones would now be manufactured in Haryana as the company today signed an MoU with the state government to set up its phone manufacturing hub with an initial investment of Rs 500 crore which, later on, would be increased to Rs 1,500 crore. 

Axis Bank, BHU team up for banking courses

i. Private sector Axis Bank has tied up with Banaras Hindu University (BHU) to offer specialised banking courses.
ii. The bank along with the Faculty of Commerce at BHU will develop the design and curriculum of courses, besides deciding on e-learning modules, structure and courseware.

Ewan McGregor to receive Humanitarian award

i. Actor Ewan McGregor will receive the Britannia Humanitarian Award at the British Academy Britannia Awards in California next month.

Uttarakhand governor releases book by author Nagrath

i. Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul has released a book titled 'Shanti ki Talaash mein Zindagi' written in Hindi by Haridwar-based author and journalist Radhika Nagrath. 

Narayana Murthy named Director of RCI, DRDO

i. BHVS Narayana Murthy, an expert in Avionics has been appointed as Director, Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), Hyderabad.

Vice President Ansari to represent India at NAM Summit

i. Vice-President Hamid Ansari will be representing India at the upcoming 17th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to be held at Margarita Island in Venezuela from September 17-18.

ii. India is one of the founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement and India hosted the 7th NAM Summit in 1983 in New Delhi.
iii. The last NAM Summit was hosted by Iran in 2012.

India Blue wins 2016-2017 Duleep Trophy tournament
i. Gautam Gambhir-led India Blue has won the inaugural day/night Duleep Trophy Cricket tournament held in Greater Noida.
ii. In the final, India Blue defeated India Red, captained by Yuvraj Singh, by a massive 355 runs.
iii. Ravinder Jadeja, who bagged 5 wickets in the second innings, finished the game with a 10-wicket haul.
iv. Cheteshwar Pujara was named the Player of the Match.

India wins 6 medals on opening day of Track Asia Cup
i. Indian cyclists put up a commendable show on the opening day of the Track Asia Cup 2016, bagging 6 medals, including three gold and two silver and one bronze.
ii. The medal winners for India include Deborah Herold, Kezia Vargheese, Alena Reji, Rajkumari Devi, Nayana Rajesh and Anu Chutia.

16th september, 2016

Government notifies GST Council
i. The Government has formally notified the GST Council, which will decide on the tax rate, exempted goods under the new taxation regime.
ii. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will chair the GST council.
iii. The first meeting of the GST Council will be held on September 22-23.

Nadia Murad named UN Goodwill Ambassador
i. Nadia Murad, a former ISIS captive, has been named the UN’s new Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking.
ii. Nadia Murad, 23, a member of the Yazidi community was kidnapped by Islamic State (ISIS) forces when they raided her village over two years ago.

Naropa Festival begins in Ladakh

i. The Naropa festival, which is held every 12 years, began today at the 17th century Hemis Monastery in Ladakh.

ii. The main events at the week-long Naropa festival, a celebration of the 1,000th birth anniversary of Saint Naropa.

Atul Kumar Goel takes charges as ED in UBI

i. Atul Kumar Goel, General Manager, Allahabad Bank, has taken charge as Executive Director in Union Bank of India.
ii. The Central Government appointed Goel though a notification dated September 15.
iii. The appointment is for a period of three years.

Indian-American physician to receive National Humanities Medal

i. Indian-American physician-author Abraham Verghese, whose work has emphasised empathy in medicine, has been selected for the prestigious 2015 National Humanities Medal, the White House has announced.

ii. US President Barack Obama would confer the honour upon Verghese, along with 11 others, and the recipients of 2015 National Medal of Arts at ceremony on September 21.

Uber partners NSDC, Maruti to skill 1 million by 2018

i. Transportation app Uber has launched a new initiative in partnership with Maruti Suzuki and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) for creating livelihood opportunities for one million people by 2018.

ii. Uber Technologies Inc. is an American multinational online transportation network company headquartered in San Francisco, California. 

Vijaya Bank gets award

i. Vijaya Bank has bagged the second prize under Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar (Region C) for the year 2015-16.
ii. The prize was accepted by Kishore Sansi, Managing Director & CEO Vijaya Bank, from President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

iii. Vijaya Bank is a fastest growing Public Sector Bank with its Corporate Office in Bangalore, Karnataka, India.

Ahmedabad to host African Development Bank meet next year

i. India will host the Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group in May next year.  

ii. To be held at Mahatma Gandhi Convention Centre, Ahmedabad on May 22-26.

Award for KVGB insurance effort

i. Dharwad-headquartered Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank has bagged four awards for inclusive insurance for 2016 from Skoch Group.

ii. The bank, which operates in nine districts of Karnataka covering 57 taluks, has brought 28 lakh people under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojna, PM Suraksha Bima Yojna and PM Jan Dhan Yojna.

Reliance Communications-Aircel merger approved

i. Reliance Communications (RCom) board has approved the company’s merger with Aircel, in one of the biggest deals in the telecom space in recent times. 

ii. The company will be managed by an independent professional team under the supervision of the Board.

Two India-Born MIT Scientists Win Prestigious US Awards

i. Two Indo-American scientists from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have been conferred with prestigious awards for their path-breaking inventions.

ii. Nasik-born Ramesh Raskar, an imaging scientist and inventor at MIT, has been awarded the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize 2016.

iii. Dinesh Bharadia, the researcher at MIT, won the Paul Baran Young Scholar Award of the US-based Marconi Society. 

17th september, 2016

Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma conferred with Arjuna Award

i. Sports Minister Vijay Goel conferred Arjuna Awards on cricketers Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane at a function in New Delhi.

ii. Sharma was given the award for 2015 and Rahane for 2016.

All India Radio Launches Balochi Website, Mobile App

i. All India Radio (AIR) has been launched a website and mobile app for its Balochi service to reach people who speak this language across the globe.

ii. The move to start an AIR web service comes in the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech in which he had brought up the issue of Pakistani atrocities on people of Balochistan and PoK. 

India Signs MoU With Sri Lanka To Support Fishermen And Farmers

i. India and Sri Lanka Signed MoU to support livelihood of the fishing and farming communities by providing them equipment worth USD 2 million in the country’s southern Hambantota district.

ii. The agreement was signed by Y K Sinha, High Commissioner of India and W M M R Adikari, Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development in the presence of Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development.

Ujjivan bags award for inclusive insurance

i. Ujjivan Financial Services Ltd, a microfinance institution, has won the Platinum Award for Inclusive Insurance at the SKOCH Insurance Awards 2016.

Paytm to power IRCTC’s payment gateway

i. Mobile payment and commerce platform Paytm has tied up with the country’s largest rail ticketing platform IRCTC to enable digital payments for travellers. 

ii. The Paytm Wallet is already accepted on the IRCTC platform and is in addition to the native integration of Paytm’s payment gateway to the IRCTC application

Telangana signs MoU to help Goa in IT development

i. The Telangana government has been signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Goa government to help the latter in information technology (IT) development.

ii. Through this MoU, Telangana will help the Goa government in formulating relevant policies.

HAL gets membership of APAQG with voting rights

i. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited on Friday has been conferred the prestigious membership of the Asia-Pacific Aerospace Quality Group (APAQG)under the category 'Full Member with voting rights'.

ii. This makes India the seventh nation to join the APAQG under the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG).

V K Sharma gets additional charge as LIC chairman

i. V K Sharma, who is currently one of the two managing directors at Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), has taken additional charge as Chairman, LIC of India.ii. Sharma joined LIC in the year 1981 as a Direct Recruit Officer.

Former Italian PM Carlo Azeglio Ciampi dies

i. Former Italian president, prime minister and central bank governor Carlo Azeglio Ciampi has died at the age of 95.

US playwright Edward Albee dies aged 88

i. Legendary playwright Edward Albee, widely considered one of the greats of his generation, has died at the age of 88. 

ii. A three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, he was arguably America's greatest living playwright after the deaths of Arthur Miller and August Wilson in 2005.

18th september, 2016

Punjab National Bank appointed Virat Kohli as its new brand ambassador

i. State-owned Punjab National Bank has roped in Indian test skipper Virat Kohli as brand ambassador to improve its image which has taken a hit due to rising bad loans. 

ii. Since its inception in 1895,  PNB has been people's bank serving millions of customers throughout India.

 Abhishek Bachchan Holds a Guinness World Record

i. Abhishek Bachchan might be the most underrated actor of the industry, but  one didn't know that he's actually hold a Guinness World Record .

ii. Jr Bachchan holds the record for 'Most Public Appearances made by a Film Star in 12 Hours.' In fact, he beat Hollywood actor Will Smith who had made three public appearances in 2 hours during the promotions of his film I, Robot in 2004.

'Sunrise', Parched' scripts archived at Oscar library

i. The scripts of Adil Hussain-starrers "Sunrise" and "Parched" have been archived at the library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

ii. He also shared a copy of the letter from Margaret Herrick Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

 China successfully launches Tiangong-2 space lab

i. China, launched its second experimental space station.The Tiangong 2 was carried into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on the edge of the Gobi Desert in northern China. 

ii. Tiangong-2 is a precursor to a multi-module station that China will be assembling later this decade.It is a Chinese space laboratory and part of the Project 921-2 space station program.China's first space station

 Indian-Origin Peer Wins ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ In UK

i. Lord Narendra Babubhai Patel ,a 78-year-old Indian-origin British obstetrician and member of the UK Parliament was honored the 'Lifetime Achievement Award'during the Asian Achievers Awards for his work in the medical profession and public life in Britain over the years.

 Guided missile destroyer 'Mormugao' launched in Mumbai

i. The vessel has been built by government-run Mazgaon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) and belongs to the Visakhapatnam class of ships being constructed under Project 15B.

ii. The Guided Missile Destroyer ship of Project 15B was launched by chief guest Reena Lanba, wife of Admiral Sunil Lanba, the Chief of Naval Staff. 

 World Bank will invest nearly 1,000 crore rupees in Assam

i. World Bank will invest nearly 1,000 crore rupees in Assam for the betterment of the inland waterways.

ii. The central government has also assured to re-construct jetty for which 100 percent assistance will be given by the Centre

 Prabhu launches cleanliness drive at railway premises

i. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on 17-Sep-2016 launched the 'Swachhta Saptah' as part of the Swachh Rail Swachh Bharat Mission from New Delhi Railway Station.

ii. After launching the cleanliness drive Suresh Prabhu said In order to create massive awareness on sanitation and cleanliness at railway premises and make hygiene a habit amongst the travelling public. 

ISRO, Katrina, Juhi Chawla will get Priyadarshini Global Awards

i. Bengaluru-based Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Bollywood actors Katrina Kaif and Juhi Chawla are among recipients of the Priyadarshini Global Awards 2016 which will be presented on September 19.

ii. Other recipients of the awards, instituted by a socio-cultural and educational organisation Priyadarshini Academy, in various fields are from Israel, Switzerland and UK. 

 Odisha government to organise two-day national conference on labour

i. Odisha government, labour minister Prafulla Mallick at a press meet on Saturday announced that the state government in association with International Labour Organisation (ILO) will organize a two-day long national conference on labour in the city from September 20.

19th september, 2016

Malaysian envoy releases translated book on Sai Baba

i. The Consul General of Malaysia in India Eldeen Husaini Muhammad Hashim has released the translated version of 'Sai Charitra Granth', a book on the life of Sai Baba.
ii. The book is translated into Malay by a social outfit called 'I love Sai'.

Rio Paralympics 2016 Concluded

i. The 15th Rio 2016 Paralympic Games 2016 (7-18 September) is over now and this time, we have witnessed some of the world record-breaking performances by the athletes.

ii. The 2020 Summer Paralympics, the 16th edition of the international multi-sports event, will be held in Tokyo, Japan, from 25 August to 6 September 2020. Click here for more

Malayalam critic M Leelavathi bags Mohanan Suvarna Mudra Award

i. Eminent Malayalam critic and academician Dr M Leelavathi has been chosen for the prestigious N Mohanan Suvarna Mudra Award 2016, instituted in memory of well-known short story writer N Mohanan.
ii. The honour comprises a gold medal of one sovereign.

West Bengal to confer Bangabibhushan award to Lata Mangeshkar

i. To honour her contributions to Bengali songs, West Bengal government will confer this year's 'Bangabibhushan' to legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar.

ii. Banga Bibhushan is a title instituted by the West Bengal Government to honour the services of personalities in various fields.
17th NAM summit held at Venezuela

i. 17th NAM summit held in Venezuela and Vice President Hamid Ansari held talks with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on a host of issues of mutual interest.

ii. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro touted the latest meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), a large Cold War-era bloc, as one that would be remembered for centuries to come.

Alka Sirohi appointed UPSC chairman

i. Former IAS officer Alka Sirohi has been appointed as chairman of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). 

ii. President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed Sirohi to perform the duties of the post of the chairman, UPSC, with effect from September 21, an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training.

Emmy Awards 2016

i. 68th Emmy Awards, television's biggest award ceremony, was held in Los Angeles on September 18. 'Game of Thrones' won the best Drama Series award.

ii. Tatiana Maslany won the best actress award for Orphan Black, Rami Malek won the best actor for Mr. Robot. Click here for more..
Federal Bank launches Federal Skill Academy at Coimbatore

i. Federal Bank has launched its second FederalSkill Academy at Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu  as part of its CSR initiatives.

ii. The first one being inaugurated last year at Ernakulam.

Charkhi Dadri is state’s 22nd district

i. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today announced Charkhi Dadri as 22nd district of Haryana.
ii. At present, Charkhi Dadri is part of Bhiwani, the state’s largest district carved out on December 22, 1972.
‘Selfie with toilet’ to boost Swachh Bharat in Ludhiana

i. To make the Swachh Bharat Mission successful and encourage people to use clean toilets, the Ludhiana district administration has started a ‘Selfie with my Shauchalya’ campaign.
ii. Under the initiative, beneficiaries of toilets provided by the Punjab government and Bharti Foundation had been urged to click a selfie with their toilets.
Govt to expand DBT to 147 schemes by next March

i. The Government plans to double the number of schemes under DBT to 147 by March and has launched pilots for paying subsidy on food, kerosene and fertiliser directly via bank accounts of beneficiaries. 

ii. Benefits and subsidies in as many as 74 schemes of 17 government departments and ministries were paid directly to beneficiaries under DBT.
iii. The Government planned to extend DBT to 147 schemes by March 2017.

World's largest ship lift begins trial run in China

i. The trial operation of a world's largest permanent ship lift designed by Chinese and German engineers on China's Three Gorges Dam began.

ii. The ship lift, is the largest and most sophisticated in the world, according to Three Gorges Corp, a state-owned company responsible for the construction of the project.

Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to get humanitarian award

i. Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been honored as the 2016 humanitarian of the year by students and faculty at the Harvard Foundation.

ii. Suu Kyi gained international prominence as the General Secretary of the newly formed National League for Democracy in Myanmar in 1990.
iii. She became one of the world’s most well-known political prisoners during her 15 years of house arrest for participating in protests against the government.

Lt Gen Surinder Singh Takes Charge Of Western Command

i. Lt Gen Surinder Singh today took over as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command.
ii. He is the successor of Lt Gen KJ Singh who retired on July 31,2016.

iii. Prior to this, he was on attachment to the Deputy Chief of Army Staff’s Branch at the Army Headquarters in New Delhi after having completed his tenure as the GOC, 33 Corps at Siliguri in August.

Monika Kapil Mohta appointed Ambassador to Sweden

i. Ms. Monika Kapil Mohta, presently Additional Secretary in the Ministry, has  appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Sweden.

Indian-Origin South African Is Head Of Global Blood Service
i. An Indian-origin South African has become the first person from the African continent to head a global organisation of medicine professionals working for the safety of blood transfusion worldwide.
ii. Ravi Reddy, currently the Chief Operations Officer of the South African National Blood Service (SANBS), will head the International Society for Blood Transfusion (ISBT), headquartered in Amsterdam.

China and Russia conduct naval exercises Joint Sea-2016 to improve security
i. The Chinese and Russian navies have concluded Joint Sea-2016, eight days of naval exercises, in the South China Sea.
ii. The Joint Sea-2016 was launched as a sign of growing cooperation between their armed forces against the backdrop of regional territorial disputes.

20th september, 2016

India successfully test-fires surface-to-air missile

i. India has successfully test-fired its new, long-range surface-to-air missile jointly developed with Israel from a defence base off Odisha coast. 

ii. The missile was launched from a mobile launcher at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur.

Punjabi version of PM Narendra Modi's website launched
i. People can now visit the PM Modi's website in the Punjabi language at the URL www.pmindia.gov.in/pa.
ii. The website which was initially started in English and Hindi, is now accessible in nine regional languages - Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Tamil, Telugu and Punjabi.
Param-Ishan supercomputer unveiled at IIT Guwahati

i. HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar has unveiled the ‘Param-Ishan’ supercomputer at IIT Guwahati. 

ii. The high-performance “Param-Ishan” has computing speed of 250 teraFLOPS and capacity of 300 tera bites (TB).
Railways to launch Yatri Mitra for differently-abled

i. The Ministry of Railways has announced the launch of ‘Yatri Mitra Seva’, through Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to provide wheelchair-cum-porter services for the differently-abled, elderly and ailing passengers at major railway stations.

Vladimir Putin's Big Win

i. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party won a huge victory in the country’s parliamentary election.

ii. Putin’s party had won 54% of the vote in elections for the Duma, the lower house of parliament.

China, Russia conducted joint naval exercises Joint Sea-2016

i. Chinese and Russian naval forces began joint naval exercises in the South China Sea.

ii. The 8-day exercises would highlight marine corps units in “live-fire drills, sea crossing and island landing operations and island defense.

First Indian music-dance festival starts in Australia

i. The 10-week long festival “Confluence: Festival of India” was inaugurated by Union Tourism and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma in Sydney, Australia. 

India's GDP to grow by 8% over next few yrs: S&P

i. Standard & Poor's (S&P) Global Ratings has forecasted a "relatively high quality and steroid-free" GDP growth of 8% for India over the next few years.

ii. This would be backed by a broadening consumption base.

Vijaya Bank rolls out 3 new apps

i. Vijaya Bank has launched 3 innovative information technology products.

ii. The new IT products, according to Kishore Sansi, Managing Director and CEO of Vijaya Bank, are: VPAYQWIK, Vijaya *99# and V-eConnect+.

ADB approves $631 million loan for Vizag-Chennai industrial corridor
i. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $ 631 million loan to develop the proposed Vishakhapatnam- Chennai industrial corridor, the first such along a coastline in India.
ii. Part of the larger East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC) that will extend 2,500 km from Kolkata in West Bengal and Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, the government expects the project to bring manufacturing and export industries to India's east coast.

New ED for Syndicate Bank
i. SS Mallikarjuna Rao has taken charge as executive director of Syndicate Bank. Prior to joining the bank, Rao was General Manager and CFO of Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC), looking after alternate delivery channels, marketing and publicity. 

Facebook appoints Anand Chandrasekaran for its Messenger app

i. Facebook has roped in former chief product officer at Snapdeal, Anand Chandrasekaran, for a strategic role for its Messenger app.

ii. Chandrasekaran, who served as the senior director of mobile and search products at Yahoo between 2011 and 2014.

Jubilant FoodWorks CEO Ajay Kaul resigns

i. Ajay Kaul has resigned as the Chief Executive Officer of Jubilant FoodWorks Limited. 

ii. However, Kaul will continue in his current role till March 2017.

BSE ties up with Twitter to provide live stock updates

i. Investors can now track BSE updates real-time on Twitter by following the official Bombay Stock Exchange account. 

ii. The investors can now get live updates of BSE Sensex levels, stock prices and opening and closing figures of Sensex companies.

Deaf shooter Priyesha Deshmukh wins bronze in World Championship

i. Deaf Indian shooter Priyesha Deshmukh won the bronze medal in her first-ever international competition at the first World Deaf Shooting Championships held in Kazan, Russia.

ii. She won bronze in the 10m air rifle category and it was her maiden international participation.