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New Delhi Current Affairs 2019


Table of Contents
New Delhi Current Affairs – January 2019 .................................................................................................................... 3
New Delhi Current Affairs – February 2019 ............................................................................................................... 12
New Delhi Current Affairs – March 2019 .................................................................................................................... 27
New Delhi Current Affairs – April 2019....................................................................................................................... 35
New Delhi Current Affairs – May 2019 ........................................................................................................................ 38
New Delhi Current Affairs – June 2019........................................................................................................................ 44
New Delhi Current Affairs – July 2019......................................................................................................................... 52
New Delhi Current Affairs – August 2019 ................................................................................................................... 63
New Delhi Current Affairs – September 2019............................................................................................................. 78
New Delhi Current Affairs – October 2019................................................................................................................ 104

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New Delhi Current Affairs – January 2019


Union Minister for HRD Shri Prakash Javadekar inaugurates 27th Edition of New Delhi World Book Fair
in Pragati Maidan with Sharjah as Guest of Honour
On 5th January 2019, the 27th edition of the New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF), which has the UAE‘s third
largest emirate Sharjah as its 2019 guest of honour,inaugurated in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The event will
conclude on 13th January.

Key Points:
i. To promote the idea of inclusive learning through a series of exhibitions of audio, silent, tactile and Braille
books, the Book Fair’s theme is “Books for Readers with Special Needs”.
ii. It is co-organised by the National Book Trust (NBT) and the India Trade Promotion Organisation
(ITPO).
iii. The nine-day-long fair, was inaugurated by Human Resource Development Minister Prakash
Javadekar and H.E. Sheikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Executive Chairman of the Department of
Government Relations, United Arab Emirates. Besides a NBT calendar was also launched during the first day of
the event based on the theme ‘Readers with Special Needs’.
iv. During the fair,International Disability Film Festival was organized for the First time where over 45
documentaries from 27 countries.
v.Secretary, Ministry of I&B Shri Amit Khare released seven books of Publications Division, Ministry of I&B
during the World Book Fair. The list of 7 books are

1. Bapu ke ashirwaad – The book contains original handwritten thoughts and messages of Mahatma
Gandhi and it is dedicated to the importance of thoughts and their possible impact in dealing with
every-day life’s tribulations.
2. 2500 years of Buddhism – The book gives an inclusive account of Buddhism in last 2500 years and its
foreward is written by India’s 2nd President Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. The book is also included in the
limited list of India Publication under “Bharat ek Parichay” Programme.
3. Portraits of Strenght – This books is about the hitherto unheard, unsung women from far flung parts
of India whose contribution has been hailed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in “Mann ki Baat”.
4. Hindi Swadesh mein aur Videsh Mein – The book is about the coming age of Hindi language and its
literature not just within the country but even beyond.
5. Rang Birangi Kahaniya – It is a quintessential children’s book.
6. Badal ki Sair – The book is a collection of short stories written for children in a manner to highlight the
lucid story telling style which was made popular by Munshi Premchand.
7. Aao Paryavaran Bachayen aur Dhra ko Swarg Bnayen – This book is a product of co-publishing
arrangement with the Sasta Sahitya Mandal and it is about saving the environment amidst the cross fire
of development.

GST Council’s 32nd Meeting Held In New Delhi Under The Chairmanship Of The Union Minister Of
Finance & Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley

On 10th January 2019, the GST Council’s 32nd Meeting held under the Chairmanship of the Union Minister of
Finance & Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley in New Delhi, took the following major decisions to give relief
to Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises MSME (including Small Traders)

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Major Decisions:

• Increase in Turnover Limit for the existing Composition Scheme: The limit of Annual Turnover in
the preceding Financial Year for availing Composition Scheme for Goods shall be increased to Rs 1.5
crore.
• Compliance Simplification: The compliance under Composition Scheme shall be simplified as now
they would need to file one Annual Return but Payment of Taxes would remain Quarterly.
• Higher Exemption Threshold Limit for Supplier of Goods: There would be two Threshold Limits for
exemption from Registration and Payment of GST for the suppliers of Goods i.e. Rs 40 lakhs and Rs 20
lakhs. The Threshold for Registration for Service Providers would continue to be Rs 20 lakhs and in
case of Special Category States at Rs 10 lakhs.
• Composition Scheme for Services: A Composition Scheme shall be made available for Suppliers of
Services (or Mixed Suppliers) with a Tax Rate of 6% (3% CGST +3% SGST) having an Annual Turnover
in the preceding Financial Year up to Rs 50 lakhs.
• Free Accounting and Billing Software shall be provided to Small Taxpayers by Goods and Services
tax network (GSTN).
• A seven Member Group of Ministers shall be constituted to examine the proposal of giving a
Composition Scheme to Boost the Residential Segment of the Real Estate Sector
• Revenue Mobilization for Natural Calamities: GST Council approved Levy of Cess on Intra-State
Supply of Goods and Services within the State of Kerala at a rate not exceeding 1% for a period not
exceeding 2 years.
About GST:
♦ Goods and Services tax is an indirect tax levied in India on the supply of goods and services.
♦ Implemented On: 1st july, 2017
♦ Finance Minister: Arun Jaitley.

National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) launched by Environment minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan in New
Delhi
On January 10, 2019, the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh
Vardhan launched a nationwide strategy, to tackle implementation of air pollution, under the National Clean
Air Programme (NCAP) in New Delhi.

About the NCAP:


i. It will be a mid-term, five-year action plan with 2019 as the first year.
ii. It will be launched in the 43 smart cities falling in the list of the 102 non-attainment cities, under the Smart
Cities program.
iii. Institutional Framework at Centre and State Level comprising of Apex Committee at the Ministry of
Environment Forest and Climate Change in the Centre and at Chief Secretary Level in the States are to be
constituted for implementation of the action plans of cities.
iv. Additionally, sectoral working groups, national level Project Monitoring Unit, Project Implementation Unit,
state level project monitoring unit, city level review committee under the Municipal Commissioner and DM
level Committee in the Districts are to be constituted under NCAP.
v. The respective ministries/institutions responsible for the institutionalization of NCAP are:

• Ministry of Road Transport and Highway, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy, Ministry of Heavy Industry, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ministry of
Agriculture, Ministry of Health, NITI Aayog, Central Pollution Control Board, experts from the industry,
academia, and civil society.

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About the targets and salient features of the NCAP:


Following states the national targets and the features of the NCAP as per suggestions available from the
international experiences and national studies. They are:

• national level target of 20%–30% reduction of PM2.5 and PM10 concentration


by 2024 taking 2017 as the base year for the comparison of concentration,
1 (Lowest) Chandigarh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal
2 Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Nagaland, Gujarat
3 Bihar, Telangana, Chhattisgarh,
4 Karnataka
5 Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Rajasthan
6 Madhya Pradesh, Orissa,
7 Himachal Pradesh
9 Punjab
15 Uttar Pradesh
17 (Highest) Maharashtra

• Selection of 102 non-attainment cities identified with respect to ‘Ambient Air Quality India’ report of
2011-15 and WHO report of 2014-2018.
• monitoring stations in the country including rural monitoring stations would be increased,
• technology support, emphasis on awareness and capacity building initiatives would be provided,
• setting up of certification agencies for monitoring equipment, source apportionment studies, emphasis
on enforcement, specific sectoral interventions etc. would be promoted.
102 cities chosen for the implementation of NCAP:
i.The states concerned with the implementation are 23 in number and following shows the details of respective
districts in an ascending order of number of districts allotted under the programme per state:

Background:
3% of the land, but contribute to 82% of GDP and responsible for 78% of Carbon dioxide emissions.

Minister Ravi Shankar Inaugurates NIC Command & Control Centre at National Informatics Centre
(NIC),NewDelhi
On January 10,2019,Ravi Shankar Prasad,Minister for Electronics & IT and
Law and Justice inaugurated NIC’s(National Informatics Centre) Command & Control Centre
(CCC) and Centre of Excellence in ArtificialIntelligence by NIC, it have stamina to transform societies in the
regime of transparency and efficient governance.

POINTS TO BE KNOWN:
i. As of now NIC has 4 National Data Centres and 30 Mini Data Centres across the country hosting over
10,000 e-Governance applications.
ii. NIC ‘S main motive is to bring updation in nationwide information and communication technology.
iii. NIC is also in the process of having a centralised monitoring of critical websites hosted on cloud. NIC is
proposing to provide users with a customized dashboard where they can monitor resources and availability of
their applications.

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Union Minister Harshvardhan launches special weather services for Kumbh Mela
On 14th January 2019, Union Minister of Science and Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment and Forests
and Climate Change, Dr Harshvardhan launched the special weather services for the benefit of people visiting
Prayagraj during Kumbh Mela at a function in New Delhi.

Key Points:
i. The service will provide information of the prevailing weather and forecasts for next 3 days
through four Automatic Weather stations (AWS) and a mobile van AWS that have been installed and
operationalized at different locations at Prayagraj.
ii. The observational sites are distributed in all four directions within 5-10 km radius.
iii. It will be helpful for the local and state authorities by providing the real-time location specific weather
information for efficient management of the entire event and also benefit the pilgrims by keeping them abreast
of the latest weather information.
iv. Besides a mobile application named “Kumbh Mela Weather Service” was also launched to inform about
the live weather information (temperature, humidity, rainfall and winds) and warnings if any for Prayagraj for
next 3 days as observed in all the AWS sites.

Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley and Union Minority Affairs Minister Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
inaugurated Hunar Haat exhibitions in New Delhi
On 13th January 2019, The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley and Union
Minister of Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi inaugurated the Hunar Haat Exhibition at State
Emporia Complex in New Delhi.
Key Points
i. The Hunar Haat exhibition will be organized from 12th January 2019 to 20th January 2019.
ii. Hunar Haat aim at “ Development with Dignity” of the artisans and craftsman from the minority community.
iii. Hunar Haat is important for the national and international branding of the heritage of master artisans.

First Annual Disarmament and International Security Affairs Fellowship Programme inaugurated in
Delhi
On 14th January 2019, the First Annual Disarmament and International Security Affairs Fellowship
Programme was organised by Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. The event will be concluded on
1st February 2019.
Key Points:
i. The event was inaugurated by the United Nations Under Secretary General and High Representative for
Disarmament, Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu, and Foreign Secretary, Shri Vijay Keshav Gokhale.
ii. The Fellowship Programme, which is being held at the Foreign Services Institute, New Delhi will be
attended by Young Diplomats from 27 countries.
iii. Multiple issues related to disarmament and international security such as global security environment,
weapons of mass destruction, certain conventional weapons, space security, maritime cooperation, security of
cyberspace, export controls, emerging technologies etc. will be covered in the programme.
iv. The aim of the programme is to equip participants with knowledge and perspectives on various issues
related to disarmament, non-proliferation, arms control and international security

Saksham 2019, annual event of PCRA, launched by Petroleum ministry in New Delhi
On January 16, 2019, the 2019 edition of ‘Saksham’, an annual high intensity one-month long people-centric
mega campaign of Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) under the aegis of Ministry of
Petroleum and Natural Gas was launched in New Delhi.

It was launched by Shri. Rajiv Bansal, Addl Secretary & Financial Adviser Ministry of Petroleum and Natural
Gas.
i. The following lists the various activities that took place in the launch of Saksham 2019:
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• release of a comic book developed by PCRA jointly with NCERT for the children on various tips and
day to day aspects of fuel conservation
• a short animation film for children covering domestic and transport sector was released,
• prizes for the ‘Saksham’ National Competition-2018 to the winners of Essay and Painting competitions
were distributed,
• oil companies and state govts. Were also awarded due to their contributions in the fields of fuel
conservation,
• publicity vans of PCRA, the fuel conservation messengers on wheels, equipped with audio, video and
print displays were also flagged off to spread the conservation awareness
ii. PCRA utilized the social media platforms for various customized campaigns through Facebook, twitter,
MyGov platform.

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) launches National Agricultural Higher Education Project
(NAHEP) in NewDelhi
On January 28, 2019,Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) launches National Agricultural Higher
Education Project (NAHEP) to attract talent and strengthen higher agricultural education in the country.It is
inaugurated at the fourth Convention of 2-day “Agrivision-2019” organized by Vidyarthi Kalyan Nyas in Pusa,
New Delhi.

Key points:
i. During this inauguration,Recommendation of 5th Dean Committee have been implemented in all the
Agricultural Universities.
ii. The ICAR has recently launched Rs 1100 crore ambitious National Agricultural Higher Education Project
(NAHEP) to attract talent and strengthen higher agricultural education in the country. This project is to be
funded by the World Bank and the Indian Government on a 50:50 basis.
iii. Rajendra Agriculture University has been upgraded as Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural
University to strengthen to bring green revolution in Eastern India including North East.
iv. At the same time,the Second Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) isvto be set up in Barhi,
Jharkhand after New Delhi, and another would be in Assam.
v. To enhance the participation of students in agricultural business,READY (Rural Entrepreneurship
Awareness Development Yojana) is provided to the UG students.

Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore launched National Youth Parliament Festival 2019 in New Delhi
on January 12, 2019,Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Col Rajyavardhan Rathore launched the National
Youth Parliament Festival 2019 at a function in New Delhi. The festival will continue till 24th of Feburary
2019.The theme of the festival is- “Be the Voice of New India” and “Find solutions and contribute to
policy”.

Reason for the Launch:


Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports propose to take the Youth Festival to every nook and corner of the country
and celebrate it as the “National Youth Parliament Festival”. Organising District Youth Parliaments and taking
the festival to the doorsteps of the youth would provide chance to youth of the country to participate and share
their about how to make a New India.
Process involved in National Youth Festival:
Youth in the age of 18-25 years are invited to participate in the District Youth Parliaments. The National Youth
Parliament Festival 2019 will be conducted at three levels:

• District Youth Parliament (DYP) at the district level. The participants for DYP would be selected
through two screening processes i.e. Digital and Walk-in screenings in Nodal Institution in each district.
• State Youth Parliament (SYP) at the State Level.

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• National Youth Parliament (NYP) at the National Level.


This programme is launched in accordance with National Youth Day.

10-day Indian Panorama Film Festival held in New Delhi


On January 13, 2019, the 10-day Indian Panorama Film Festival, that was inaugurated by Secretary, Ministry
of I&B, Shri Amit Khare, concluded at Siri Fort Auditorium II, in New Delhi. It commenced on January 4, 2019.

i. It was organized by: Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of I&B.


ii. The opening feature film of the festival was ‘Olu’, directed by Shri Shaji N Karun.
iii. The opening non-feature film of the festival was ‘Kharvas’, directed by Shri Aditya Suhas Jambhale.
iv. In this festival, 26 Feature Films and 21 Non-Feature Films were screened.
v. Additionally, all the films selected under the Indian Panorama section in the 49th International Film Festival
of India were screened during the Festival.

Delhi HC approved to release Movie ’72 Hours – Martyr Who Never Died’
On 20th January 2019, The Delhi High Court gave it nod to release the movie ’72 Hours – Martyr Who Never
died’,which is based on the life of the 1962 Sino-Indian
war hero Rifleman Jaswant Sing Rawat who was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for gallantry
during 1962 war.
Key Points
i. Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat was a Sino-Indian war hero who was serving as an Indian army soldier
in Garhwal Rifles.
ii. He was serving the 4th battalion during the battle of Nuranang of the Nort- East Frontier Agency in the war
of 1962, and now it’s in Arunachal Pradesh.
iii. He was honored by building a memorial by the Chinese people’s Liberation army and it was named as
Jaswant Garh.

Pariksha Pe Charcha 2.0 held in NewDelhi


On 29th January 2019,Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi discussed ways to handle the exam pressure in the
second edition of “Pariksha Pe Charcha 2.0” at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi.The Programme was
organized by Ministry of Human Resource Development(MHRD).

PM interacts with students, teachers and parents at “Pariksha Pe Charcha 2.0”


On 29th January 2019, Prime Minister interacted with students, teachers and parents and shared his personal
experiences with students and suggested means to handle exam stress.
Key Points
i. 2200 students, parents,teachers and college students from 24 states and Union Territories took part in the
event.
ii. Prime Minister, Narendra Modi answered the queries of Students, teachers and parents and motivated the
students with his personal experiences.
iii. A 10 minute cultural programme was also performed by the winners of the Kala Utsav Contest Winners,
their parents and teachers.
iv.Rini Bhattacharjee(differently abled student of class XI) from West Bengal enthralled the audience with her
performance on the keyboard with the help of her feet only.
v.For the first time, Indian students residing abroad from countries like Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Indonesia,
Russia, , Japan, Libya, Kenya, Malaysia, Oman, Tanzania, Thailand, UAE, Ghana, Liberia Nigeria, Iran, Nepal,
Doha, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore were connected to the programme live

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Agreement for Renukaji Multipurpose Dam Project signed by 6 states: Ministry of Water Resources
On January 11, 2019, 6 states, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and
Uttarakhand, in the presence of Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga
Rejuvenation, Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Shri Nitin Gadkari, signed an agreement
for Renukaji Multipurpose Dam Project in New Delhi.

i. Also a concession agreement was signed between U.P. Jal Nigam, NMCG and Prayagraj Water Pvt.
Ltd., for Namami Gange projects for the city of Prayagraj, under Hybrid Annuity Mode and One City One
Operator Concept.
Under Renukaji Dam Multipurpose Project:
i. 3 storage projects are proposed to be constructed on the river Yamuna and two of its tributaries – Tons and
Giri in the hilly regions of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh of Upper Yamuna Basin. These include:

• Lakhwar project on river Yamuna in Uttarakhand,


• Kishau on river Tons in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh and
• Renukaji on river Giri in Himachal Pradesh.
ii. Seen as National Projects since 2008, 90% funding of the cost of irrigation & drinking water component will
be provided by the Govt. of India as central assistance and the rest 10% would be borne by the beneficiary
states.
iii. The project will be executed by Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd. (HPPCL) and will generate 40
MW of power during peak flow.
iv. This project will meet the drinking water needs of Delhi and the stored water of Renukaji Dam will be used
by

• UP, Haryana & NCT of Delhi from Hathnikund Barrage,


• by NCT of Delhi from Wazirabad Barrage and
• by UP, Haryana and Rajasthan from Okhla Barrage.
v. The total cost of the project was estimated on Price Level 2015 is Rs. 4596.76 Crores out of which central
assistance consists of Rs. 3892.83 croreand remaining Rs. 432.54 crore will be provided by the basin States of
Haryana, UP/UK, HP, Rajasthan & NCT of Delhi.

4th Edition of Raisina Dialogue held in New Delhi


From 8th January to 10th January 2019, 4th Edition of Raisina Dialogue was organized by Ministry of External
Affairs in partnership with Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. The Theme of the Dialogue was “A
World Reorder: New Geometries; Fluid Partnerships; Uncertain Outcomes”.

Key Points
i. The Raisina Dialogue whose first edition was held in 2015 is India’s flagship annual geopolitical and
geostrategic conference.
ii. The Aim of the Discussion was to address the issues arising from ongoing global transitions and changes to
the world order triggered by unique leadership, innovative partnerships and new technologies.
iii. The Inaugural address was delivered by the Prime Minister of Norway H E Ms Erna Solberg in the
presence of India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj.
iv. More than 600 delegates from 93 countries of the world including influential political leaders, strategic
thinkers, policy practitioners, technology innovators and business representatives shared their Vision in the
Raisina Dialogue.

1st 2019 ‘National Consultation on Child Protection’ held in New Delhi under Secretary, MoW&CD
On January 8, 2019, First 2019 edition of the ‘National Consultation on Child Protection’ was held at India
Habitat Centre, New Delhi, under the Chairmanship of the Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child

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Development.
i. Following were the objectives of the meeting:

• To follow up on the exercise of monitoring of the CCIs by States/UTs,


• To deliberate upon various aspects of child protection and
• to take stock of the efforts made by States/UTs regarding improvements in the Child Care Institutions.

ii. Following were discussed:

• States have started background check of organizations running CCIs and police verification of staff of
CCIs,
• Andhra Pradesh government has started grading the Institutions,
iii. The next quarterly meeting would be held in May, 2019.

4th meeting of the Council for Trade Development and Promotion (CTDP) held in New Delhi
On January 10, 2019, the 4th meeting of the Council for Trade Development and Promotion (CTDP),
chaired by Union Minister for Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu, was held in New
Delhi.

Representatives of 10 states including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Punjab,
Nagaland, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh attended this meeting.
Objective:
To tap the global value and supply chain by promoting the export of services, organic agricultural produce
Key Points:
i. The following were discussed/ announced in the meeting:

• States/ UTs to formulate a state and product specific export strategy to improve logistics and
infrastructure in their region,
• Government of India formulated an Agricultural Export Policy, for the first time, to boost India’s
agricultural exports to USD 60 billion by 2022
• This includes integrating Indian farmers and their agricultural products with the global value chain to
double the India’s share in world agriculture exports,
• Ministry of Commerce and Industryin collaboration with the World Bank will extend conduct of
annual state level reform exercise to the district level, under the Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP)
to improve efficiency of government services delivered,
• Central Government in preparing a development plan for each and every district to fulfil the vision of
India’s GDP to USD 5 trillion in 2025,
• States/ UTs to make use of the Rs. 5000 crore allotted for 12 champion services sector,
• States/UTs to take full advantage of the Trade Infrastructure for Exports Scheme (TIES)to improve
export competitiveness.
About Council for Trade Development and Promotion:
♦ Chairperson: The Union Commerce & Industry Minister.
♦ Members: Ministers’ in-charge of Trade and Commerce in State Governments/ UTs.

2+2 Inter-Sessional meeting between India and US held in New Delhi


On 11th January 2019, the inaugural round of a 2+2 Inter-Sessional meeting between the United
States and India which focused on the progress of defence and foreign policy issues between the two countries
took place in New Delhi.
Key Points:
i. Shri Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (AMS), Ministry of External Affairs and Shri Shambhu S. Kumaran,
Joint Secretary (PIC), Ministry of Defence led the Indian delegation.
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ii. The U.S. delegation was led jointly by Ambassador Ms. Alice Wells, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of
State and Mr. Randall Schriver, Assistant Secretary of Defense.
iii. The meeting was a follow up on the decisions taken during the India-U.S. Ministerial 2+2 Dialogue, which
was held in New Delhi in September 2018.
iv. Views on regional developments as partners and stakeholders for a free, open, inclusive, peaceful and
prosperous Indo-Pacific were also exchanged by the two sides.

25th International conference and exhibition on terrestrial and satellite broadcasting, BES EXPO 2019
held in New Delhi
On 17th January 2019 inaugurated the 25th International conference and exhibition on terrestrial and
satellite broadcasting, BES EXPO 2019 was inaugurated by the Information and Broadcasting Secretary Amit
Khare and TRAI Chairman RS Sharma in New Delhi. The theme of the exhibition is “Next Gen Broadcasting in
the IT World”. The Exhibition was concluded on 19th January 2019.

Key points
i. More than 300 companies from 25 countries from around the world have displayed their product at the BES
EXPO 2019.
ii. The conference was organized for the 25th consecutive year and will be attended by more than 1000
delegates.
iii. BES EXPO 2019 was organized by Broadcast Engineering Society (India), endorsed by DRM U.K. and
supported by Prasar Bharati, ABU Malaysia, AES India, Ministry of Communications & IT and Society of
Broadcast Engineers, U.S.A.

Election Commission of India hosts International Conference on ‘Making our Elections Inclusive and
Accessible”
on 24 Jan 2019,The Chief Election Commissioner of India, Sunil Arora and Election Commissioner Shri
Ashok Lavasa inaugurated an International Conference on ‘Making our Elections Inclusive and Accessible “on
the occasion of 9th National Voters Day held ’in New Delhi.

i. This conference held with a motive to enhance transparency in the upcoming election.
ii.National Voters Day is observed on 25th January every year.
iii. Theme of 2019 voters day is ‘No Voter to be Left Behind’ and a magazine My Vote Matters,was launched
on the occasion.

Two day 3rd International stock taking conference on tiger conservation inaugurated in New Delhi
On 28th January 2019, 3rd stock taking conference on tiger conservation inaugurated in New Delhi. It will
discuss on the status of the Global tiger Recovery Programme (GTRD) by the thirteen tiger range countries
besides deliberation in combating wildlife trafficking.
Key Points
i. Union Minister for environment, Forest and climate change Dr.Harsh Vardhan is the chairman of the National
Tiger conservation Authority.
ii. The conference is hosted by the National Tiger conservation Authority, Ministry of Environment, Forest and
climate change in collaboration with Global Tiger Forum which is an international, intergovernmental
organization for conserving tiger.
iii. During St. Petersburg declaration in 2010, tiger range countries had resolved to double tiger numbers
across their range by 2022.
iv. The number of Tigers in India was 1411 in the year 2010,the number increased to 2226 in the year 2014.
Important Facts:
First stock taking conference on tiger conservation held in St. Petersburg, Russia(2010),
Second Stock taking Conference on tiger conservation held in India(2012).

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Important days
♦ World Tiger Day: July 29.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)Vishnu Hari Dalmia passed away


On January 16, 2019,Vishnu Hari Dalmia, one of the major leaders of the Ram Janmabhoomi protest along with
Ashok Singhal and Acharya Giriraj Kishore passed away in New Delhi. i. He also served as ‘Prabandh
Nyasi’ (managing trustee) of Sri Krishna Janmasthan Mathura

Former India hockey player Raghbir Bhola passes away in NewDelhi


On January 22, 2019, Former India hockey player Raghbir Singh Bhola,has passed away at the age of 92 in
Newdelhi.
He represented India in the 1956 Melbourne and 1960 Rome Olympics, winning a gold and silver medal.In
2000, he was honoured with the Arjuna Award for his achievements in hockey.

Jnanpith awardee, acclaimed author Krishna Sobti passes away at 93


On 25th January 2019,Demise of Hindi fiction writer and essayist,Jnanpith awardee as well, Krishna Sobti
passed away,in New Delhi at the age of 93.She was born on 18th February, 1925 in Gujarat Punjab, British India.

i.Her writings insinuate Punjabi, Urdu, and afterwards Rajasthani languages. Her works mainly
underscores the issues of female identity.
ii. Notable writings- Mitro Marajani, Daar se Bichuchuri, Surajmukhi Andhere Ke
iii. Notable Awards- Sahitya Akademi Award (1980) for her novel ‘Zindaginama‘ , Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
(1996) for her novel ‘Mitro Marajani’, Jnanpith Award (2017) for her contribution to Indian literature.

New Delhi Current Affairs – February 2019


Cabinet approved Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Corridor of RRTS
The Union Cabinet has approved the following proposal:

• Construction of Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) covering a distance of 15 kms. (68.03
km elevated and 14.12 km underground) at a total completion cost of Rs. 30,274 crores.
• Central financial assistance of 5,634 crores in the form of grant and sub-ordinate debt.
• Institutional arrangement and legal framework for the project.
• Conditions of sanction of the project.
Highlights

• The RRTS is a first-of-its-kind, rail-based, high-speed regional transit system to be implemented


in India.
• It will be the fastest, most comfortable and safest mode of commuter transport in the National Capital
Region (NCR).
• The project involves integration with other urban transport systems in an efficient and effective
manner which is possible only by adopting innovative methods of designing, technology and
institutional management.
• Implementation of the RRTS would provide much-needed additional public transport infrastructure
to National Capital Region to address issues of congestion, air-pollution and catalyse
balanced and sustainable regional development.
Zero Fatality Corridor is launched by Delhi Government to reduce Road Accidents
On 4th February 2019, Delhi Government launched ‘Zero Fatality Corridor’ project under its annual road
safety action plan to reduce the number of road accidents on the outer ring road stretch between Burari and
Bhalaswa Chowk.

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Key Points
i. As per Kailash Gahlot, Delhi’s Transport Minister, Delhi witnessed 1691 road accidents in Delhi and this
project is aimed at reducing deaths to near zero level on the Outer ring road stretch.
ii. As per a report, The 3 km proposed stretch witnessed 67 deaths due to road accidents in 2016 and 2017.
After scientific investigation of high number of accidents on this stretch, Zero Fatality Corridor was launched

India’s fastest train, Vande Bharat Express, flagged off by PM Narendra Modi
The semi-high-speed Train 18 or Vande Bharat Express was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on 15th February 2019, from the New Delhi railway station.

i. Vande Bharat Express will travel from Delhi to Varanasi in 9 hours and 45 minutes, with stoppage points
at Kanpur and Allahbad (now Prayagraj).
ii.It can run up to a maximum speed of 160 kmph.
iii.The train had been produced indigenously at the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai in 18 months.

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu, launched SWAYATT in New
Delhi
On 19th February 2019, Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation has
launched SWAYATT and GeM Start-up Runway in New Delhi.
Keypoints:
i.SWAYATT (Start-ups, Women and Youth Advantage Through eTransactions) is an initiative to bring
together the indian stakeholders to Government e-Marketplace (GeM), the national procurement portal.
ii.While, GeM Start-up Runway is an initiative of GeM in association with Start -up India. It will enable Start-
ups registered with Start-up India to access the public procurement market and sell innovative products and
services to government buyers.
iii.GeM Start-up Runway will address goals and objectives under United Nations Sustainable Development
Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster
innovation.
iv.The concept of SWAYATT and Start-up Runway was introduced by CEO GeM, Radha Chauhan.

Sopan 2019, Festival for young artists held in New Delhi


On February 1,2019,The 6-day long music and dance festival to encourage young artists to take up traditional
art took place in New Delhi.
i. It was Organised by Sahitya Kala Parishad and the New Delhi government, in partnership with New Delhi
Municipal Council (NDMC).

3-day fest on Gandhian philosophy held in New Delhi


The 3rd edition of the 3-day festival “Words in the Garden” based on the life and ideology of Mahatma
Gandhi was held at India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi.The festival was organized by the Sanatan
Sangeet Sanskriti and curated by renowned Hindi poet Ashok Vajpeyi.
i. This year’s title of the event was “Bapu Ki Dilli” as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth
anniversary and celebrated the life and ideology of Bapu the father of our nation through plays, recitals,
readings, discussions and more.
ii. It began with the screening of 1996 film “The Making of the Mahatma” directed by Shyam Benegal which
explores Gandhi’s participation in South Africa’s freedom struggle.
iii. The festival explored themes with contemporary relevance inspired by Bapu’s ideologies – ‘Significance of
non-violence today‘ and ‘Sustainable Living‘.

Surging Silk, Mega Event Held in New Delhi


On February 10,2019,Surging Silk, Mega Event by Ministry of Textiles and Central Silk Board was held in New
Delhi.

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About the event


i. The event was organized with a motive to highlight the growth of silk industry in India.
ii. In this event, Buniyaad Tasar Silk Reeling Machines distributed to women reelers from tribal areas, to
eradicate the age old practice of thigh reeling by end of March 2020.
iii. These machines developed by Central Silk Technological Research Institute in association with an
entrepreneur from Champa in Chhattisgarh will improve the quality and productivity of Tasar silk yarn.
iv. A mobile application e-cocoon was launched during this event to check the quality of silkworm seeds.
Static Gk:
India is the second largest producer of silk after China and the largest consumer of silk.

Centre released Publication on Climatic Actions in New Delhi


Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr Harsh Vardhan released a Publication on
climate actions in India titled “India – Spearheading Climate Solutions” in New Delhi. It refers to the vital
actions India has taken under multiple sectors to combat and adapt to climate change.
Key points
i. Major initiatives mentioned in the publications are National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), National
Adaptation Fund on Climate Change (NAFCC), Climate Change Action Programme (CCAP), State Action Plan on
Climate Change (SAPCC), International Solar Alliances (ISA), and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban
Transformation (AMRUT).
ii. The Government aims to generate 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022.
iii. Electric vehicles, smart cities and energy efficiency initiatives were also covered in the publication.
iv. Advancement from Bharat Stage-IV to BHARAT Stage-VI emission standards by April 2020 have been
undertaken to minimize the effect of climate change.

Smriti Irani laid the foundation stone of a Hastshilp Complex in New Delhi
Union Textiles Minister, Smriti Irani, laid foundation stone of Hastshilp Complex in New Delhi which is to be
built in a period of 18 months by NBCC (formerly known as National Buildings Construction Corporation
Ltd) and at a cost of Rs.113.56 crores.

i. She announced that it will be called “Deen Dayal Antarashtriya Hastshilp Bhawan” and awardee artisans
will be allocated space for marketing their products, on rotation basis, with a preference to Divyang (disabled)
artisans.
ii. It will have 23 shops meant for artisans, 1 showroom for artisans from SAARC countries, 1 kiosk, 5
galleriesand 1 conventional hall and will also have dormitory facilities for handicrafts artisans.

National War Memorial to the nation dedicated to the nation by PM Modi


Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation the National War Memorial(NWM) near India
Gate in New Delhi which commemorates the soldiers who participated and made the supreme sacrifice in
Peacekeeping Missions and Counter Insurgency Operations.

i. The complex includes a central obelisk, an eternal flame and six bronze murals depicting famous battles
fought by Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. Busts of the 21 awardees of Param Veer
Chakra have been installed at Param Yoddha Sthal.
ii. PM Modi lighted the eternal flame at the central obelisk in the war memorial complex.
iii. Spread over 40 acres, the outlay of the memorial is Rs 176 crore and its design was selected through a
global competition.
iv. It has been constructed by NCC (Nagarjuna Construction Company) Limited.
v. It comprises of four concentric circles, namely- the Amar Chakra, the Veerta Chakra, the Tyag Chakra and
the Rakshak Chakra, with names of 25,942 soldiers inscribed in gold leafing on the granite tablets.

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Overview of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2 day visit to India


On 25th January 2019, for the first time, South African President Mr Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa visited India
for 2 days along with his wife Tshepo Motsepe, 09 cabinet ministers, senior officials and a large business
delegation.He received Guard of honour.

Key Points

• India’s President Shri Ram Nath Kovind received the South African President at the Rashtrapati
Bhavan and also hosted a banquet in his honour.
• The Visit of south African President comes at a special time when India is celebrating the 150th birth
anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and south Africa is celebrating the 100th birth anniversary of Nelson
Mandela.
India, South Africa seal three-year strategic programme to boost defence partnership
On 25th January 2019, after the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South African President Cyril
Ramaphosa, India and South African sealed 3 year strategic partnership for 2019 to 2021 to boost
cooperation in the various key areas including defence and investments.
Key Points

• The three year strategic partnership will cover cooperation in the field of trade and investment, Defence
and security, the blue economy, tourism, IT and agriculture.
• India and South Africa recognized the importance of increased bilateral naval cooperation and closer
synergy in the context of IONS (Indian Ocean Naval Symposium) which is formed to ensure
unhindered passage for trade and prosperity of the Indian Ocean Region.0
• The participation of South African National Defence Force in the first Multinational India-Africa
Field Training Exercise (IAFTX) which will be held at Pune, Maharashtra in March, 2019 was
welcomed by the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
India-South Africa Business Forum held in New Delhi
On 25th January 2019, India-South Africa Business Forum was organized jointly by Indian Industry Chambers
CII, FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) and Assocham (The Associated Chambers
of Commerce and Industry in India) in New Delhi.

Key Points

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the India had risen to the 77th Place in the World bank’s ease of
doing Business ranking and on the way to become the fifth largest economy of the world.
• Narendra Modi also said that India has become one of the most attractive destination for Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) according to a report by UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development).
• South African President agreed to simplify and reform the south African visa regime.
• The Bilateral trade between India and South Africa has crossed $10 billion mark in 2017-2018 and
there is a good scope for increasing bilateral trade in the gems and jewellery sector.
Cyril Ramaphosa addressed First IBSA Gandhi-Mandela Memorial Freedom Lecture in New Delhi
On 25th January 2019, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the first IBSA (india, Brazil, South
Africa) Gandhi-Mandela Memorial Freedom Lecture in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New
Delhi.
Key Points

• South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa said that India and South Africa can work together to
eliminate poverty and discrimination on the basis of caste, race and religion.
• Cyril Ramaphosa also remembered the contribution of Mahatma Gandhi’s granddaughter Ela Gandhi
who played a leading role in the women’s movement in South Africa.

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Cyril Ramaphosa was the Chief Guest of the Republic Day Parade
The President of South Africa, Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa was the Chief Guest of 70th Republic Day celebrations of
India.

He was presented with a scroll bearing gandhian views on social sins by Housing and Urban Affairs
Minister Hardeep Singh Puri
House and Urban Affairs Minister, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri presented Cyril Ramaphosa with a scroll bearing
Gandhian views on the social sins.
Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi meet South African president
Former Prime Minister, Shri Manmohan Singh and Congress President, Rahul Gandhi met South African

President Cyril Ramaphosa in New Delhi to discuss the mutual interests.

Overview Of Official Visit Of Monaco’s Prince Albert II To India

Prince Albert II of Monaco made his first Official 2 days Visit to India along with a high level delegation on 4-5
February 2019 to review the bilateral relations between India and Monaco.

India-Monaco Business Forum held in New Delhi


On 4th February 2019, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu addressed
India-Monaco Business Forum which was hosted by New Delhi. It was marked by the presence of Monaco’s
head of state – Prince Albert II.

Key Points

• Forum was initiated to amplify the bilateral relations between the two countries on various service
sectors which can further groom the economic relations between India and Monaco.
• Sectors which were focused about are IT, tourism, medical value travel, transport and logistics,
accounting and finance, audio visual, legal communication, environment finance and education.
• There is an immense potential to enhance bilateral trade between India-Monaco. In 2017-2018, the
bilateral trade between India and Monaco was USD 3.01 million.
Monaco’s Prince Albert II met President and planted ‘Princess Grace Rose’ in Mughal Gardens
On 5th February 2019, The Prince of Monaco met President, Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhawan and
planted a Princess Grace Rose in Mughal Gardens in the memory of his late mother.
President, Ram Nath Kovind presented a book on Asiatic lion to the Prince Albert II along with the picture of
Prince’s visit to ‘Maitri’ which is a Research Centre of India in Antarctica.

Prince Albert II and Prime Minister, Narendra Modi hold talks on bilateral cooperation in the field of
environment, climate change and renewable energy
Prime Minister, Narendra Modi met the head of the state of Monaco, Prince Albert II on 5th February 2019 at
Hyderabad House, New Delhi to discuss ways to enhance bilateral trade and cooperation in the field of
environment, climate change and renewable energy.
External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj also met Prince Albert II and held talks to enhance cooperation key
areas including renewable energy, investment into India, smart cities.

Overview Of Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri 3-Day Visit To India

Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri, accompanied by senior government officials and a business
delegation, arrived in New Delhi on 17th February 2019 for a three-day India visit, during which he held
talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to enhance cooperation in key sectors such as economy, nuclear
technology and space.
i. He was invited by PM Modi on occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic
relations between the Argentine Republic and the Republic of India.
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ii. He was received at the airport by Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore.Before
reaching Delhi, he visited the Taj Mahal in Agra this morning.
iii. President Ram Nath Kovind met Mr. Macri on 18 February 2019 and hosted a banquet in his honour.
10 Agreements and MoUs signed during the visit
Argentina became the 72nd country to sign the Framework Agreement of the International Solar Alliance
(ISA).The agreement was signed by Argentina’s Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie in the presence of ISA’s
Director-General Upendra Tripathy.
i. 6 MoUs were exchanged between the two sides:

• MoU on Defence Cooperation.


• MoU on Tourism
• MoU on Collaboration and Cooperation between Prasar Bharati India and the Federal System of
Media and Public Contents Argentina.
• MoU on Pharmaceuticals between the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (Government
of India) and the National Administration of Drugs, Food and Medical Technology Argentina.
• MoU on Antarctic cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship,
Argentina andMinistry of Earth Sciences India.
• MoU in the field of civil nuclear between Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP),
India, and National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA), Argentina.
ii. 2 Work Plans were agreed upon in the field of Agriculture between the two sides.
iii. A joint declaration of intent on cooperation in the field of Information & Communications
Technology and Electronics was also exchanged.

India and Argentina to elevate multi-faceted cooperation to strategic partnership

• India and Argentina decided to elevate their multi-faceted cooperation to a strategic partnership with a
focus on key areas for the prosperity of both countries.
• Both sides expressed their satisfaction at the mutually beneficial cooperation and partnership and
agreed to further explore avenues of space collaboration, including in such areas as satellite
building and launch.
India and Argentina expedite signing of BIT, DTAA to boost investments

• India and Argentina Monday agreed to expedite signing of the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT)and
the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) between the countries to promote economic ties.
• They also agreed that there was immense potential to increase two-way services trade in tourism, films,
health care and information technology, among others.
Suresh Prabhu addressed India-Argentina Business Forum

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu,addressing the India-Argentina
Business Forum in New Delhi said that India wants to partner with Argentina in its efforts to become a USD 5
trillion economy by 2025.

i. The Commerce & Industry Ministry has identified 12 champion sectors to enhance the contribution of
services sector to USD 3 trillion and he urged Invest India to create special dispensation for Argentina.
ii. He said that both countries recognize need to upgrade bilateral trade and economic relations to a higher
level by utilizing the untapped potential available to both nations.

India and Argentina further cooperation in Nuclear Energy

• India and Argentina have agreed to boost cooperation in the nuclear energy sector with the signing of
a MoU between India’s Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP)and
Argentina’s National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA).

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• The two countries signed an Agreement on Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear
Energy in 2010which has led to progress in cooperation on the Fission Molly Project, the
molybdenum plant being built in Mumbai by the Argentine company INVAP, with a target for
completion in 2020.
Narendra Modi and Mauricio Macri hold bilateral talks condemning terrorism

• President Mauricio Macri, while addressing the joint press conference, paid his condolences to the 40
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel killed in the terror attack in Pulwama, South
Kashmir, on14th February 2019.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned terrorism, saying it was a threat to global peace and
stability while speaking at a joint press conference with Argentina’s President.
Other Highlights
President Mauricio Macri paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat, New Delhi, accompanied by his
wife Juliana Awada.

Overview Of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s First Visit To India

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence
of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, paid his first visit to India from 19-20 February 2019, at the invitation of
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and under the guidance of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

i. The visit followed the official visit of PM Modi to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in April 2016 at the invitation
of the custodian of the Two Holy Mosques His Majesty King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud.
ii. He was received at the Palam airport by the PM Modi and was accorded a ceremonial welcome
on 20thFebruary, 2019 at the Forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi. President Ram Nath
Kovind also hosted a banquet dinner in honour of him.
iii. PM Modi and Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz held delegation level talks at Hyderabad
House on 20thFebruary 20, 2019. The two sides re-affirmed their deep commitment to strengthen the
‘strategic partnership’ envisaged in the ‘Riyadh Declaration’ of February 2010.

Agreements and MoUs signed during the visit


i. Saudi Arabia signed the framework agreement of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and became
the 73rd country to join the India-led renewable energy organisation which now has a total of 122 members.
ii. Apart from this, the following 5 MoUs were signed:

• MoU on investing in the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund of India.


• MoU on cooperation in the field of Tourism between the Ministry of Tourism and the Saudi
Commission for Tourism and National Heritage.
• MoU on cooperation in the field of Housing.
• Framework cooperation programme between Invest India and Saudi Arabia General Investment
Authority (SAGIA).
• MoU for cooperation on Broadcasting between Prasar Bharati and Saudi Broadcasting Corporation
(SBC)for the exchange of audio-visual programme.
Indian cos, including TCS, Wipro, sign 15 pacts to invest in Saudi Arabia
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro, Carnival Cinemas and Glenmark, along with other
top Indiancompanies signed 15 agreements to invest in Saudi Arabia.

• 11 MoUs were signed to forge partnerships across strategic growth sectors, including energy and
water, technology, arts and entertainment, healthcare, trade and investment and 4 new
licences worth more than USD 28 million were handed out to Indian firms at the Saudi-India
Forum.

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• Licences were granted to AWJ Energy, SecurEyes, Carnival Cinemas and Red Sea Arabia
Company to establish operations in Saudi Arabia.
India and Saudi Arabia to hold security talks at NSA level

• India and Saudi Arabia decided to hold “joint naval exercises” and agreed to constitute a
‘Comprehensive Security Dialogue’ at the level of National Security Advisers (NSAs), and set up a
joint working group on counter-terrorism.
• Noting the potential and mutual benefit, the two sides agreed to cooperate and collaborate in joint
defence production of spare parts for naval and land systems, as well as supply chain development, in
line with ‘Make in India’ and ‘Vision 2030’.
• Expressing serious concerns at the misuse of cyberspace as a medium to promote subversive and
extremist ideologies, the countries welcomed the signing of MoU on Technical Cooperation in Cyber
Space and Combating Cyber Crime.
Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman talks of $100b investment, shares India’s concerns on terrorism

• Saudi Arabia has offered to share intelligence with India in fight against terrorism and called for
dismantling terror infrastructure and rejected any attempt to link this universal phenomenon to a
particular race, religion or culture.
• Saudi crown prince said that he sees investment opportunities worth USD 100 billion in various
sectors in India and that they have already invested USD 44 billion since the PM’s visit in 2016. He has
committed to invest USD 100 billion in sectors like energy, petrochemicals and manufacturing.
Release of 850 Indian prisoners and increase in the Haj Pilgrims quota

• Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, ordered the release of 850 Indian prisoners lodged in
jails in his country on the request of Prime Minister Narendra Modi
• He also announced the increase in quota for Indian Haj pilgrims from 1.75 lakh to 2 lakh at the request
of PM Modi.
• 2,340 Muslim women will go to Hajj this year, without mehram (companion) and without the lottery
system. This will be the third such increase in the last 5 years.
Sushma Swaraj met the Saudi crown prince
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and
discussed ways to add further momentum to the strategic ties between the two nations besides deepening
engagement in the areas of trade and investment.

6th meeting of Mission Steering Group of National Health Mission was held in NewDelhi
On 2nd February 2019, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare chaired
the 6th meeting of the Mission Steering Group of the National Health Mission (NHM) in New Delhi.

Key Points:
i. The meeting highlighted that the centre is providing funds to all the 36 states/UTs to provide essential drugs
free of cost in public health facilities and to set up IT-backed systems for drug procurement and quality
assurance.
ii. Various agenda points of the meeting included enhancement of reach, outlay and facilities within
components of the NHM, Prevention and Control of Viral Hepatitis, Immunization, Comprehensive Primary
Health Care, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

2019 Asia LPG Summit organized by World LPG Association


On 5th of February, 2019, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for petroleum and natural gas,
inaugurated the 2019 Asia LPG summit in New Delhi.

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About the summit


i.This two-day event will focus on ‘LPG – Energy for Life.’
ii. India is the second largest consumer of liquified natural gas (LPG) in the world under the flagship ‘Ujjwala’
scheme, and in take of LPG in households is providing access to cleaner cooking fuel .

AYUSH Minister inaugurated Conference of State AYUSH Ministers in New Delhi


The Ministry of AYUSH organised Fourth Conference of State AYUSH and Health Ministers
conference in New Delhi.It was inaugurated by the Minister of State for AYUSH (Independent Charge) and
Health & Family Welfare Shripad Yesso Naik.It was organized by the major Indian oil marketing companies
(OMCs) Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum in collaboration with World LPG
Association(WLPGA).

About the Conference


i. The focus of the event was on “LPG – Energy for Life”.The programme is inaugurated to discuss about
National AYUSH Mission (MAM), Integration of AYUSH services in Ayushman Bharat, Medicinal Plants,
Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homeopathy educational Institutes, Quality Control of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani
and Homeopathy drugs, Drugs Central Sector Schemes and special programmes and projects.
ii. During this meeting, Shripad Yesso Naik stressed about India to develop bilateral cooperation with USA in
areas of Research, Capacity Training and scientific endeavors in the meeting to be held next month in New
Delhi

Parmanu Tech 2019 was held in New Delhi


Ministry of External Affairs and Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) organised Parmanu Tech 2019 in New
Delhito discuss the issues related to Nuclear Energy and Radiation Technologies.

Sectors discussed in the conference:


i.Health care – Discussions were held on the theme “Nuclear Medicine and Radiation therapy – Care to cure”.
ii.Food Preservation, Agricultural & Industrial Applications – Issues were discussed on the theme “From
farms to factories – Serving the National Cause”
iii.India’s capabilities in Nuclear Energy – “Security with environmental responsibility – the Onward March”

New Delhi hosted ‘Indian Ocean Rim Association’ meet


Indian Ocean Rim Association meet was organised in New Delhi in collaboration of Ministry of Home Affairs
with the Ministry of External Affairs and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) solely based on
Disaster Risk Management.
Key Points
i. IORA has set Disaster Risk Management its priority to enhance resilience in IORA countries according to its
‘2017-2021’ Action plan.
ii. This meet will manifest establishment of a DRM Core Group to take ahead the objective of the work plan.
iii. It will focus and strengthen cooperation in disaster response intervention and mobilization of relief material
to affected countries.

Govt inaugurates Workshop on global environment facility, UNDP Small Grants Programme (SGP) in
New Delhi
On 7th February 2019, Government of India along with Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
inaugurated a workshop on Global Environment Facility, UNDP Small Grants Programme (SGP) in New
Delhi.
UNDP has been supporting Ministry Of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in implementing Global
Environment Facility (GEF) and SGP since 1997.
Key Points
i. The programme has reduced 85000 MTs of CO2 emission through a range of alternative energy and energy
efficient technologies. It has resulted in enhancing the livelihoods of poor and marginalized communities.
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ii. The programme brought 110000 hectors of land in western ghats, Himalayan front and Arid and Semi-Arid
and regions under sustainable land resources management.
iii. SGP demonstrates that community action can maintain the fine balance between human needs and
environmental imperatives by enhancing peoples well-being and livelihoods.

BPRD to organize 2nd National Conference of Micro Missions of National Police Mission in New Delhi
On february 7,2019,Bureau of Police Research and Development, (BPRD) organized the 2nd National
Conference of Micro Missions of National Police Mission in New Delhi.
About the conference
i. This is a two day conference organized with a motive to discuss the issues of Skills and Competence at the
grass-root level, Attitudinal Changes in Police, Gender Sensitization, harnessing technology and Community
Policing.
ii. This conference was inaugurated by Former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir N. N.Vohra.
iii. National Police Mission Awards was given to 9 officers for their contribution in Micro Missions and
successful preparation of the implementable projects.

1st LAWASIA Human Rights conference 2019 was held in New Delhi
LAWASIA, in association with the Bar Association of India hosted its 1st LAWASIA Human Rights Conference
inNew Delhi with a motive to explore a broad range of human rights issues of relevance in the Asia Pacific
region.

About the Conference


i. This conference was inaugurated by vice President Shri. M. Venkaiah Naidu with the theme “State Power,
Business and Human Rights: Contemporary Challenges”.
ii. It provides opportunity for lawyers and associated professional members to exchange insights and expertise
on topics of significance.
iii. President of LAWASIA, Mr. Christopher Leong, President Bar Association of India, Dr. Lalit Bhasin, Vice
President, LAWASIA, Shri. Shyam Divan were present in the occasion.

Two day Conference on Unani Medicine for Public Health inaugurated at New Delhi
On February 11,2019,Dr. Najma Heptulla, Governor of Manipur, inaugurated the two-day National
Conferenceon Unani Medicine organized by the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM)
in New Delhi.

About the conference.


i. This conference was held as a part of 3rd Unani Day celebration .
ii. Theme of the conference was ‘Unani Medicine for Public Health’.
iii. Unani Day is observed annually on 11th February to mark the birth anniversary of Hakim Ajmal Khan.
Key Awards presented during the conference

• Best Research Paper Award – Dr. Arshiya Sultana and Dr. Noman Anwar
• Young Scientist Award – Dr. Jamal Akhtar and Dr. Nasreen Jahan
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Prof. Naeem Ahmad Khan and Prof. M A Jafri.

I&B Ministry organised first annual conference of its media units in New Delhi
On February 12,2019,The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting hosted the first annual conference of
media units in New Delhi with a motive to discuss on emerging areas of communication paradigm.
About the Conference
i. The opening session of the conference was chaired by Union Minister of State for Information and
Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

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ii. Its is a unique platform to discuss and strengthen the synergy between the media units in order to ensure
last mile delivery.

New Delhi hosted the 3rd Indo-German Environment Forum on 13th Feb
On 13th February 2019, bilateral meeting between India and Germany,3rd Indo-German Environment Forum
held in New Delhi. The outcomes of discussion made in Indo-German Working Group held in Delhi on
6th February 2019 taken up to higher alliance discussed in the forum.Theme of the forum is “Cleaner Air,
Greener Economy”.

Key Points
i.It was organized by the two environment ministries in cooperation with the Asia-Pacific Committee of
German Business and the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
ii.Two Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) were also exchanged on clean air and combatting air pollution and
on preparation of Reference /COINDS Documents for textile sector.
iii. Both the countries agreed to work together on developing reference document for Textile Sector, air, water
governance, Marine litter, waste to energy, bio-methanation, landfill sites, water quality management, training
and capacity building of local bodies and circular economy.

Real Estate Conference CREDAI YouthCon 2019 organized by CREDAI


Annual Youth Conclave of Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India
(CREDAI), CREDAI YouthCon 2019 was held at the Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi. It was
the 3rd edition of the YouthCon.Theme:NexGEN – Next Generation

i. Gautam Chatterjee, Maharashtra RERA Chief,said that the main objective of RERA (Real Estate
Regulatory Authority) is transparency with other objectives being projects to help builders overcome
difficulties and improve trust between builders and buyers.
ii. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the Chief Guest of CREDAI-YouthCon 2019.He announced that
about 1.5 crore houses have been built under PM Awas Yojna out of which 15 lakhs are built for poor people
in urban areas.

13th edition of International Oil & Gas Conference & Exhibition ‘PETROTECH-2019’ held in New Delhi
The 13th edition of PETROTECH-2019 was held at India Expo Mart in Greater Noida, New
Delhi from 10th to 12thFebruary 2019. It was organised by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. (ONGC) in
association with Federation of Indian Petroleum Industries under the aegis of the Ministry of Petroleum and
Natural Gas. The event was attended by energy Ministers from 18 countries, top industry executives, and
over 7000 delegates from 70countries to discuss the way forward for the energy sector.

Key Points

• PETROTECH is a biennial conference and exhibition for national and international experts in the oil &
gas industry to meet and exchange views and share knowledge, expertise, and experiences.
• PETROTECH-2019 is the 13th edition of the flagship event of the Indian hydrocarbon sector.
• The theme of PROTECH-2019 was “Shaping the New Energy World through Innovation &
Collaboration”.
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated PETROTECH-2019
The 3-day event was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 10th February 2019.
Key Points

• He acknowledged the need to move towards responsible pricing of oil and gas to balance the interest of
the consumer and producer, both and have a flexible and transparent oil & gas market to serve energy
needs in optimal manner.

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• He said that under the Ujjwala Scheme, 64 million (6.4 crore) households have been given LPG
connections in a period of 3 years.
Dealer Owned Dealer Operated (DODO) model for setting up CNG stations launched by Dharmendra
Pradhan
The Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launched the Dealer Owned Dealer
Operated (DODO) model for setting up CNG stations.
Key points

• According to the general guidelines of the scheme, the entire earmarked dealer plot shall be developed
exclusively for setting up of CNG station and allied commercial activities at the discretion of City Gas
Distribution activities.
• It will cover 87 Geographical areas serviced by 23 authorized entities.
• As number of CNG stations in the country increases, more than 10% CNG stations may be based on
DODO model.
Bid round III under Open Acreages Licensing Policy (OALP) launched by Dharmendra Pradhan
The Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launched the bid round III under Open
Acreages Licensing Policy (OALP) under which 23 blocks, covering over 31,000 sq. km of area will be available
for exploration.
Key Points

• He said that recently 55 blocks, spread across 10 sedimentary basins under maiden Bid Round were
awarded, after a gap of 6 years and 30 contract areas under the Discovered Small Field Policy Bid
Round-I. The Bid Rounds-II are underway and has seen an encouraging response from investors.
• OALP adopts all features of Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) – reduced royalty
rates, no Oil Cess, uniform licensing system, marketing and pricing freedom, Revenue Sharing Model,
Exploration rights on all retained area for full contract life etc.
MOU signed between EIL and Mongolia for Project Management Consultancy for oil refinery
Engineers India Ltd (EIL), a Public Sector Undertaking, under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and
the Government of Mongolia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the PROTECH-2019,
for Project Management Consultancy services for construction of an oil refinery plant in Mongolia by EIL.
Key Points

• Government of Mongolia is in process to set-up 5 MMTPA greenfield crude oil refinery


in Sainshandprovince, under Line of Credit (LoC) extended by Government of India.
• The MoU was signed by Altantsetseg Dashdavaa, Executive Director, Mongol Refinery State Owned
LLC and Mr R.K.Sabharwal, Director (Commercial), EIL in the presence of Shri Dharmendra Pradhan,
and the Mongolian minister.

New Delhi hosted ‘India US CEO Forum’ and ‘India US Commercial Dialogue’
On 14th February, 2019, India and the United States conducted the India-US CEO Forum and India-US
Commercial Dialogue in New Delhi. The meeting was chaired by Union Minister of Commerce and
Industry, Shri Suresh Prabhu.

Key points
i. Ramesh Abhishek (Secretary of Department for promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) and Kenneth
Juster (US Ambassador in India) represented the sides respectively for India and US.
ii. The forum marked the issues that affect business entities,identified areas for amalgamation for mutual
benefit of both the economies, and also decided to establish working groups on financial services, healthcare
and defense to accelerate trade and investment between the 2 countries.

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iii. The dialogue shared the repercussions of 2018 Dialogue work plan including standards, business climate
& investment and travel & tourism. Both the countries will also negotiate a trade package to boost bilateral
commerce.
iv.’Trade Winds’, an initiative has taken by the US Department of Commerce to bring in a lot of SMEs having
interest in India in May 2019.
v. Both the countries greeted the development on cooperation between the Indian National Physical
Laboratory (NPL) and the US.
vi.MoU signed between National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) of India and ANSI
National Accreditation Board (ANAB) of the United States for cooperation in matters related to accreditation.

5th India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Committee Meeting held in New Delhi


The 5th India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Committee(JCC) Meeting, co-chaired by External Affairs
Minister Sushma Swaraj and Foreign Affairs Minister of Bangladesh Dr Abdul Momen was held in New Delhi.

i. It was the first high-level visit from a Bangladesh since the victory of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s in the
parliamentary elections in December 2018. It was also the first visit of Dr. Abdul Momen to India as Foreign
Minister.
ii. Four MoUs were signed during this meeting:

• MoU between National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), Mussoorie and Ministry of Public
Administration (MOPA), Bangladesh on Training and Capacity building Programme for Bangladesh Civil
Servants.
• MoU between the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy
(AYUSH) and the Ministry of Health of Bangladesh on cooperation in the field of medicinal plants.
• MoU between Anti-Corruption Commission of Bangladesh and Central Bureau of Investigation of
India(CBI) for cooperation in the fight against graft.
• MoU between Hiranandani Group and Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority to facilitate
investments in the Indian Economic Zone in Mongla, Bangladesh.

World Sustainable Development Summit 2019 held at New Delhi


World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) 2019, the flagship event of ‘The Energy and Resources
Institute’ (TERI), was inaugurated by Vice President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
It saw the presence of more than 2000 delegates in the fields od sustainable development, energy and
environment sectors.

i. The theme of WSDS 2019 was ‘Attaining the 2030 Agenda: delivering on our promise’
ii. Frank Bainimarama, Prime Minister of Fiji, was honoured with the Sustainable Development Leadership
Award 2019 for his outstanding contributions towards sustainable development in Fiji.
iii. TERI will set up Resource Efficiency Cell to enable inter-ministerial and inter-departmental synergy in
promoting material resource efficiency in India.

Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated 58th Meeting of Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) in
New Delhi
On 15th February 2019, Union Minister of Mines, Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the 58th meetings of
Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) held at Pusa in New Delhi. CGPB is under the nodal
department of Geological Survey of India (GSI).
Key Points
i. During the session 20 mineral exploration reports worth Rs.79560 crore handed over to Odisha,
Rajasthan, Karnataka, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
ii. GSI declared the launch of its freely downloadable base line data (geological, geochemical and geophysical)
from their web portal from March 1, 2019.
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iii. For search of mineral deposits GSI launched 2nd round of multi – sensor National Aero-geophysical data
acquisition in 4 sectors within obvious Geological Potential (OGP) zones.
iv. Under National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping (NLSM) programme, 3.22 lakh Km shall be checked
for landslide susceptibility by March 2019. The total target is 4.27 lakh Km by 2020.
v. GSI in collaboration with Geoscience Australia is currently working in two transects under the “UNCOVER”
project to locate concealed mineral deposits.

Second National Conference on “Sustainable and Environment-friendly Industrial Production” held in


New Delhi
Second National Conference was organised on 15th February in New Delhi on “Sustainable and Environment-
friendly Industrial Production (SEIP) Project”. It was organised by Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change(MoEFCC) under Indo-German Development Cooperation.
There were 70 participants including representatives from 18 State Pollution Control Boards and 8 State
Industrial Departments-including representation from J&K, Tripura, Jharkhand, Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, etc.
About the conference
i. The conference was inaugurated by Shri A. K. Jain, Additional Secretary, MoEFCC. He suggested the concept
of Regional Replication Workshops which shall be carried out at various locations in involvement with state
local bodies, in the next phase of SEIP.
ii. It was organised for discussion of results, existing successful models and experiences so that they can be
further replicated and planned with state agencies, on an all -India basis.
iii. SEIP is joint programme by MoEFCCand GIZ– a German development agency.
iv. The project involved working directly with companies and advising them on environment friendly
production and wastewater management in 5 industrial areas in three states(Delhi, Uttarakhand and
Gujarat).

Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the One Health India Conference 2019 in New Delhi
Union Science & Technology Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, inaugurated the 2-day long One Health India
Conference 2019 in New Delhi. The purpose of the conference was to launch India‘s new One Health
Initiative – an inter sectoral approach to tackling the most urgent health threats in India as well as in low- and
middle-income countries across South and South East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

i. The main objective of the conference was to formulate a roadmap for the response, preparedness,
and management of current regional, national and global health challenges using a One Health collaborative
approach.
ii. It focused on identifying needs and opportunities and developing a strategy to address major human and
animal diseases of concern including Brucellosis, Tuberculosis, Anthrax, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR),
together with biosafety, biosecurity, burden of disease and inter-sectoral collaboration considerations.
iii. The conference was hosted by the following departments:

• The Department of Biotechnology (DBT)


• Ministry of Science and Technology
• Departments of Agriculture Research and Education (DARE)
• Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries (DAHDF)
• Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare
• the Departments of Health Research (DHR)
• Health & Family Welfare (DHFW)
• Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
iv. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,the Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals
(IAH&VB) of the Karnataka Veterinary and Animal Sciences University and The Pennsylvania State
University, USA will be collaborating with the partners of the One Health Initiative.

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Home Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the 5th IDA Meeting held in NewDelhi
Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, chaired the 5th Island Development Agency (IDA) meeting held in
NewDelhi to review the progress made towards the “Holistic development of islands” program.i. Bids for
private sector participation in 3 tourism-based projects have been invited by the Andaman and Nicobar
Administration, which include Eco-Tourism projects in Smith Island and Long Island and Tent City project
in Aves Island.
ii. In Lakshadweep, 3 projects have been identified, namely Tourism projects in the islands
of Kadmat, Minicoyand Suheli Cheriyakara. Environmental Clearance (EC), Coastal Regulation Zone
(CRZ)clearance and all other clearances required for these projects are being obtained.
iii. The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce, has issued a
notification extending tax incentives for investments made in manufacturing and service sector in islands
of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep which include:

• Central Capital Investment Incentive for access to credit (CCIIAC)


• Central Interest Incentive (CII)
• Central Comprehensive Insurance Incentive (CCII)
• Goods and Services Tax (GST) Reimbursement
• Income Tax (IT) Reimbursement
• Transport Incentive (TI)
• Employment incentive (EI)
iv. 7 Islands have been identified for Seaplane Operation:

• 4 islands in Andaman & Nicobar – Swaraj Dweep, Shaheed Dweep, Hutbay and Long.
• 3 islands in Lakshadweep – Kavaratti, Agatti and Minicoy.
CRZ clearance has been accorded for ‘Middle Strait Bridge’ on Andaman Trunk Road.
v. 10 Deep-Sea Modern Fishing Vessels are being procured by Lakshadweep Administration from Cochin
Shipyard Limited for sustainably utilizing the potential of Tuna Fish.
vi. Export of sea food and coconut products is also encouraged to generate more employment opportunities
in the islands.

National Conference on Logistics Policy held in New Delhi


The“National Conference on Logistics Policy: Context, Issues & The Way Forward”was held in New
Delhi from19th to 20th February, 2019.

i. Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu, addressed the first stakeholder
consultation on the draft logistics policy prepared by the Department of Logistics of the Ministry of
Commerce & Industry.
ii. He also launched the SAFAR Mobile App, on this occasion.About the app:

• It will help to gauge the actual issues faced by transporters on the road.
• It will track the incidence of a number of parameters faced by transporters and automatically record the
location of the issue.
• Transporters, truck drivers, and general public may use the app for reporting their logistics issues to
the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• The app is available in 8 languages.
iii. Special Secretary, Logistics, N. Sivasailam, said that the logistics business in the country is worth USD 160
billion and is growing at 7% – 8 % every year and the main objectives of the policy are to reduce logistics cost
from 14% to 10% of GDP, create additional 10-15 million jobs in the sector, become a single point for all
logistics & trade facilitation and reduce losses in agriculture to less than 5%, by facilitating agri-logistics in the
country.

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NITI Aayog co-hosted Conference on The Future of Indian Banking


“The Future of Indian Banking” conference was co-hosted by NITI Aayog along with the Foundation for
Economic Growth and Welfare (EGROW Foundation) on February 22, 2019 at the Civil Services Officers’
Institute (CSOI), New Delhi. Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, inaugurated the event.
i. It was aimed to increase and elevate the discourse on the banking sector in India, and help develop insights to
inform the continued evolution of the Indian banking sector for optimally supporting the growing credit needs
of the Indian economy.
ii. The progress made by the Indian banking system in the past 4 years that provided a strong foundation for a
long runway for expanding credit and supporting accelerating growth of India’s economy, was highlighted
by Dr. Rajiv Kumar, and he indicated that there was still a lot of work to be done in improving the financial
system and furthering reforms in the financial sector.
iii. Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) Krishnamurthy Subramanian suggested taking forward the P J Nayak
committee’s recommendations on governance reforms in Public Sector Banks (PSBs) and said that the risk in
the sector would persist until these reforms were institutionalised.
iv. He also advised diversification of business model by PSBs so that lenders were able to absorb any economic
shock.

PM Modi addressed the Global Business Summit in New Delhi


On 23rd February 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Global Business Summit in New
Delhi.

Key points
i. He announced that India would be made a 10 trillion-dollar economy- the third largest in the world.
ii. He highlighted the role of his government’s policies in establishing a high growth rate and controlling
inflation.
iii. The government would provide conducive environment for start-ups and promote renewable sources of
energy.
iv. He said that the government works towards the upliftment of all the sections of the society, and does not
discriminate on the basis of their economic profile, their caste, creed, language and religion.
v. He highlighted the role of the government in establishing the highest post-liberalisation growth rate
of 7.4 per cent and lowest inflation of less than 4.5 per cent.
vi. He said that 100 smart cities are being built across the country and also mentioned high speed trains and
their development and elimination of all unmanned railway crossings

New Delhi Current Affairs – March 2019


Thaawarchand Gehlot launched 2nd edition of Indian Sign Language Dictionary
On 27th February 2019, 2nd Edition of Indian Sign Language (ISL) Dictionary was launched by Minister of Social
Justice and Empowerment, Thaawarchand Gehlot in New Delhi.

Key Points
i. The Dictionary was developed by Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) and it
included 6 thousand words under different categories such as legal, academic, technical, medical and everyday
terms.
ii. The First edition of dictionary was launched in March, 2018.

Hardeep Puri launched the Indian Urban Observatory and Video wall at New Delhi
Minister of State (I/C) for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep S Puri, inaugurated .The state-of-the-art India
Urban Observatory and Video Wall at New Delhi.
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i. The India Urban Observatory will plug into the myriad sources of data from cities, both from real-time and
archival sources.
ii. It will help in getting up-to-date information on a meaningful set of indicators over various domains such as
transport, health, environment, water, finance and so on, which will further assist in developing best practices,
future strategies and policy interventions as and when required.
iii. The Video Wall, will showcase the insights gained from the Observatory and the various Missions/offices
with the idea to proactively engage with citizens/visitors in spreading awareness about the various initiatives
of the Ministry.

3rd edition of Namaste Thailand festival held in New Delhi


The 3rd edition of Namaste Thailand festival, organised by the Royal Thai Embassy with an aim to
strengthen bilateral ties and increase cultural exchange between India and Thailand, began at Select
Citywalk in New Delhi on 15th March 2019 and will conclude on 17th March 2019.

i. The festival will feature stage performances by Thai artistes including the much popular Thai folk-jazz
band Asia-7.
ii. It will feature a series of Thai craft activities including mulberry paper mini umbrella making, fan painting,
body paint, and button badge making along with the traditional Thai cuisines.

New Delhi, Islamabad agree to work together to operationalize Kartarpur corridor


India and Pakistan have agreed to work together to operationalise the Kartarpur corridor which makes it
easier for the Indian pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur in Pakistan.

i.The decision was made in the first meeting between Indian and Pakistani representatives held at Attari,
Punjab in which the Indian delegation was led by S C L Das, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs and
the Pakistani delegation was led by Dr. Mohammad Faisal, Director General for South Asia and South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
ii.The next meeting will be held in Wagah in the following month.’

Interaction of India with ambassadors and High Commissioners of European and Oceania Countries in
New Delhi
On 28th March 2019, an Interactive session was held between India and ambassadors & High
Commissioners of European and Oceania Countries in New Delhi. The aim of the interactive session was to
take economic ties with European and Oceania countries to a next level. Various trade negotiations were also
discussed in the session.
Key Points
i. Bilateral trade between India and Europe is of USD 130.1 Billion and import and export between the
countries has registered double digit growth.
ii. India is the fifth largest exporter for Australia and major exports from India to Australia include refined
Petroleum, Business services and Pharmaceutical.
iii. Companies from Oceania, have invested around 1034.2 million US Dollars in India market between April
2000 and December 2018.

Delhi government launches app ‘One Delhi’ to track bus, metro services
A commute-planning app “ONE Delhi” was launched by Kailash Gahlot, Transport Minister of Delhi to allow
users to plan their travel efficiently across government transport facilities.

i. “One Delhi” is an upgraded version of PoochhO, which was launched in 2014.It was developed by Delhi
Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS).
ii.The app offers facilities such as:

• Obtaining the estimated time of arrival for buses and metros.

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• Tracking the real-time location of buses and metros.


• Providing information about their fares.
• Providing the best route and mode of travel between two places.
• List of tourist spots in Delhi.
iii. It is available only on Google Play for the Android users.

Delhi sets up a high-level committee for introducing reforms in higher education


A 17-member high-level committee has been constituted by the Delhi government’s Dialogue and
Development Commission (DDC) to “reform higher education” in the city.
Key points:
i. The committee will be headed by Jasmine Shah, the vice-chairperson of Dialogue and Development
Commission (DDC).
ii. It will “recommend goals, metrics, policies, and actionable plans for reforming Delhi’s higher education
system within a year”.
iii. Nalanda 2.0 which is a non-profit policy think tank with a “mission of making India’s higher education
system world class” shall act as the knowledge partner to Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC).

Sourav Ganguly appointed as advisor of Delhi Capitals for IPL 2019


Former India captain Sourav Ganguly was appointed as the advisor of Delhi Capitals (formerly known as
Delhi Daredevils) for the upcoming edition of Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL), where he will work closely
with the team’s head coach Ricky Ponting.
i. With Captain Shreyas Iyer, Delhi Capitals will be facing Mumbai Indians on 24th March 2019 at the
Wankhede Stadium.
ii. Delhi Capitals has never won the IPL.

‘International Digital Health Symposium’ inaugurated by Anupriya Patel in New Delhi


Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Smt. Anupriya Patel, inaugurated the International Digital
Health Symposium and an exhibition on Digital Health as a part of the Symposium, at New Delhi, where
participant countries along with various Government Ministries, states and other stakeholders showcased key
innovations, implementation experiences and innovative Digital Health Interventions.
i. The Symposium provided a forum to learn from global leaders in the field of digital
health and innovation and was an opportunity for countries to showcase innovations and share experiences
of implementing digital health interventions for health systems strengthening and Universal Health
Coverage.
ii. Discussions on various themes were held including:

• Futuristic Health Systems


• Challenges in Health IT Sector
• Privacy and Security in the Digital Arena
• Aadhaar and National Health Stack
• Innovation Ecosystem, Start-ups and AI for Health
• Digital Health Innovations for transforming primary care
• Remote Monitoring/Wearables /IOT/Home based care
• National health information systems
• Financing Digital Health
• Public Health Surveillance Systems
• Enabling Environment for Public Private Partnerships in Digital Health
• Personalized Precision Medicine leading to possible policy interventions and clear outcomes
iii. It was live webcasted and the archived videos are also available on (http://www.gdhpindia.org/webcasting-
gallery.aspx/), the official website of ‘4th Summit of Global Digital Health Partnership and International
Digital Health Symposium’.
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DEPwD organized conference on Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme in New Delhi


Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD),Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment has organized a national conference on “Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme” at Dr.
Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi on 1st March, 2019.
Key points
i. The motive behind this conference is to lay impact on the need for creation of an inclusive society that accepts
and respects disabled persons without discrimination.
ii. The Programme Implementing Agencies (PIAs) will collaborate in the mission to empower disabled
persons.

PM Inaugurated Construction Technology India 2019 Expo-cum Conference in New Delhi


On 2nd March 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the two day Expo-cum Conference on
Construction Technology India 2019 (CTI-2019) in New Delhi.

Key Points
i. It will identify proven, innovative and globally established technologies such as researchers, startups,
developers, academia, etc. For use which will be in the Indian context.
ii. The event will provide a space for interaction among stakeholders that can open up new areas for
collaboration and will facilitate. The conversion of ideas into market-ready products which is ready to be
launched in the market place.
iii. The main beneficiary of the initiative is youth. Technologies which are proven during CTI-2019 will
further invited to design and build lighthouse projects.
iv. The project of one thousand housing unit will be built in 6 state that are Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh.
About Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
♦ Minister of state: Hardeep Singh Puri
‘April 2019 – March 2020’ announced as Construction –Technology year
On 2nd March 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared ‘April 2019–March 2020’ as Construction-
Technology year and the use of advanced technology to meet the increasing demand of housing in the country
caused by rapid urbanization got stressed.
Key Points
i. Government’s mission of provide brick house to every Indian by 2022 has sought the support from
the private sector for the fulfillment of the mission.
ii. The declaration was made during the inauguration of Construction Technology India 2019 Expo-cum-
conference held in New Delhi.
ii. The Global Housing Technology Challenge will be aimed at introducing best technologies that seek
to construct low cost houses in a shorter period of time.
iv. Tax laws will be modified which will be helpful for the middle class to buy a house GST will be reduced
from 8% to 1% on affordable houses.

Narendra Modi chaired the National Security Council in New Delhi


On 3rd March, 2019, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has chaired a meeting of the National Security Council in
New Delhi,which was followed by heightened tensions with Pakistan.
Key points
i. The National Security advisor, Ajit Doval has advised the prime minister on matters of national security
owing to the latest security scenario after Pulwana attack.
ii. National Security Council was established by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 1998, with Brajesh
Mishra as the first National Security Advisor (NSA).

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Dr. Mahesh Sharma Inaugurates ‘Azaadi Ke Diwane’ Museum at Red Fort Complex in Delhi
On 4th March 2019, ‘Azaadi Ke Diwane’ museum was inaugurated by the Minister of State for Culture
(Independent charge) and Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Mahesh Sharma at the Red Fort
Complex in Delhi. The museum has been dedicated to the freedom fighters of our country.

i. It has been constructed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and is the fifth museum to be dedicated
to freedom fighters.
ii. The other 4 are:

• Subhash Chandra Bose and INA museum


• Yaad-e-Jallian museum
• Museum on 1857- dedicated to the country’s first war of Independence.
• Drishyakala -dedicated to Indian Art
iii. The museum incorporates the latest technology such as sensors in a state-of-art environment.

Textiles Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated Refurbished Handloom Haat in New Delhi
The refurbished Handloom Haat was inaugurated by Textiles Minister Smriti Irani at Janpath, New Delhi.
The Haat aims to provide infrastructural support to handloom agencies so that they can enhance their sales of
handloom products and provide a platform to display a wide variety of handloom products that are produced
all over the country.

i. The task of refurbishing was adopted in 2018.


ii. She also inaugurated the following three projects of National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) at the
same event:

• VisionNXT– Trend Forecasting Initiative which will predict the market for various handloom products
according to trends, design and colours.
• Indian Textiles and Craft Repository which shall be supported by the DC Handlooms and the DC
Handicrafts, Ministry of Textiles.
• Design Innovation and Incubation which aims to support entrepreneurs, artisans, start-ups, NIFT
alumni and students.
iii. A booklet – World Handmade Textile Biennales was released by Smriti Irani.
iv. Also, regional incubators shall be constituted NIFT campuses of Mumbai, New Delhi and Bengaluru, in the
following fields:

1. Textile for Apparel, Home & spaces (Delhi)


2. Smart wearable systems (Bengaluru)
3. Fashion and Lifestyle accessories (Bengaluru)
4. Apparel including Athleisure and Activewear (Mumbai)

Inaugural Space Dialogue of India and Japan held in New Delhi


On 8th March 2019, The first ever Space Dialogue of India and Japan was held in New Delhi.It aimed at
providing a platform for both the countries to explore ways to enhance cooperation between the space agencies
of both the nations.
i. Indra Mani Pandey, Additional Secretary for Disarmament and International Security Affairs, Ministry of
External Affairs headed the Indian delegation while Kansuke Nagaoka, Deputy Assistant Minister, Foreign
Policy Bureau, and Shuzo Takada, Director General, National Space Policy Secretariat jointly led
the Japanese delegation.
ii. Topics discussed during the event were: collaboration between Japanese Exploration Space Agency (JAXA)
and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), global navigation satellite systems, space situational
awareness (SSA), norms related to space security, etc.

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Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue – 2019 organised in New Delhi


On 5th and 6th March 2019, the 2nd edition of Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) – 2019 was organised
in Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi. It focused on involving the global strategic community in reviewing India’s
opportunities and challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.

There are 5 new themes for this edition:


i. Practical solutions for achieving cohesion in the region through maritime connectivity
ii. Measures to attain and maintain a free-and-open Indo-Pacific
iii. Adopting a regional approach to the region’s transition from a ‘Brown’ to a ‘Blue’ economy
iv. Analysing opportunities and challenges arising from the maritime impact of ‘Industry 4.0’
v. How the twin conceptualisations of ‘SAGAR’ and ‘SAGARMALA’ might best be made mutually-reinforcing on a
regional level.
13 countries of the Indo-Pacific, namely Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, Indonesia, Israel, Japan,
Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America
participated in the event.
About Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD)
♦ It was started in 2018.
♦ It is a conference of the Indian Navy and is conducted by the National Maritime Foundation which acts as
the knowledge partner of Navy.
♦ It provides a chance to discuss issues related to the geopolitical developments that pertain to the maritime
domain of the Indo-Pacific.

The 34th edition of Aahar – the International Food and Hospitality Fair begins in New Delhi
The Five day long, 34th edition of Aahar- the International Food and Hospitality Fair which is organized
by India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) begins in New Delhi on 12th March 2019.

Key Points
i. Participants from China, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, Spain, USA and UK are
participating in the event.
ii. The Food fair features Food Products, Hospitality and decor solutions, confectionery items, Food beverages
equipment and machinery from more than 560 National and International Participants

IEMF’s First Workshop organized by NITI Aayog and USAID in New Delhi
The NITI Aayog and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) organized the first
workshop on development of the India Energy Modelling Forum (IEMF), envisaged as a pan-stakeholder
platform for debating ideas, scenario-planning & discussing the India’s energy future in New Delhi.
i. The two-day workshop, being held with the support of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL),
was organized under the Sustainable Growth Pillar of the India-U.S. Strategic Energy Partnership.
ii. The IEMF seeks to provide a platform for leading experts and policymakers to study important energy and
environmental issues and ensure induction of modelling and analysis in informed decision making process.
iii. The Forum aims to improve cooperation and coordination between modeling teams, the Government of
India, knowledge partners and think-tanks, build capacity of Indian institutions, and identify issues for joint
modelling activities and future areas of research.
iv. The workshop featured 8 expert sessions which saw discussions around the various aspects of setting up an
India-centric energy modelling platform.

International Workshop on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (IWDRI)2019 held in New Delhi


International Workshop on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (IWDRI), a two-day workshop organised by
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with United Nations Office for Disaster Risk
Reduction (UNISDR), and in partnership with the Global Commission on Adaptation, United Nations
Development Programme and the World Bank was held at New Delhi.

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i. The objectives of the workshop were to:


♦ Identify good practices of disaster risk management in key infrastructure sectors.
♦ Identify specific areas and pathways for collaborative research on DRI (Transport, Energy, Telecom and
Water).
♦ Discuss and co-create the broad contours of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) as well
as a notional roll-out plan for the next three years.
♦ Build a forum for members to work on areas of common interest and make specific commitments.
ii. Besides reducing infrastructure losses, disaster resilient infrastructure will also help achieve targets
pertaining to reduction in mortality, number of affected people and economic losses due to disasters.
iii. The first IWDRI was held in January 2018 and IWDRI 2019 built upon some of the ideas generated at the
IWDRI 2018 as a crucial milestone towards the establishment of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient
Infrastructure (CDRI).
iv. The CDRI is envisaged as a knowledge exchange and capacity development partnership and India had
announced the creation of a CDRI soon after the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction,
which was held in New Delhi in 2016.

Indo-Japan workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction held in New Delhi on 18th March
On 18th March 2019, Government of India and Government of Japan organized the 3rd Indo-Japan Workshop
on Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) in New Delhi. Additional Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, Dr. P. K.
Mishra inaugurated the workshop.i.The objective behind this meet was to enhance collaboration between
research institutes, cities and the private sector in the field of DRR.
ii.The workshop was attended by about 140 delegates from India and Japan including experts from premier
research institutes, city administers and specialized Disaster Management agencies.
ii. In September 2017, India and Japan signed Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) in the field of DRR

14th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa Project Partnerships held in New Delhi
On 19th March 2019, the three day 14th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa Project Partnerships
concluded in New Delhi. The Conclave will enhance the partnership between India and Africa in economic as
well as business terms.
Key Points
i. The event was organized by Ministry of Commerce and Industry in association with Exim Bank of India
and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
ii. It will help the Government in a range of cross-border project partnership where India-Africa partnership
assumed to be critically important for the global economy.
iii .The key areas identified for discussion during the Conclave revolve around two key themes which
are digital infrastructure and digital skills.
iv. In sept 2018, Ministry of External Affairs inked MoU with Telecommunications Consultants India Limited
(TCIL) to establish a pan- Africa e-Arogya Bharti Network Project to aid Africa’s journey towards achieving
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

FinTech Conclave commenced in New Delhi


On 25th March, NITI Aayog has organized a FinTech Conclave at Dr. Ambedkar International Center, New
Delhi. The Conclave was inaugurated by RBI Governor, Shaktikanta Das.

Key points
i. The motive of the conference was to shape India’s continued ascendancy in FinTech, build the narrative for
future procedure and policy efforts, and to deliberate steps for complete financial inclusion.
ii. The Conclave has attributed 300 representatives from the financial space including central ministries,
regulators, bankers, startups, service providers and entrepreneurs.

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iii.Discussions were held on the themes such as Digital Onboarding of Customers/Merchants for Financial
Inclusion, Building Financial Products for Millennial India, Emerging Areas of FinTech, Fast Tracking
Investments in FinTech Industry and Financial Inclusion of MSMEs.

34th GST Council meeting held in New Delhi


On 19th March 2019, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley chaired 34th meeting of the Goods and Services
Tax Council in New Delhi. It discussed the operational details for implementation of the recommendations
made by the 33rd meeting of the council.Key Points
i. The tax rate for under construction flats slashed to 5% and affordable homes to 1% without input tax
credit (ITC) by the GST Council. Currently 12% GST is levied with input tax credit on payments made for under
construction properties. It will be effective from April 1st.
ii. The council approved transition plan for new tax rates on residential properties. The developers of under
construction buildings may either opt to shift to the revised lower rates without input tax credit or stick on to
the previous rates.
iii. For housing projects launched after April 1st, the developers need to follow the new GST rates recommended
by the Council. As per the council the changes will boost the real estate selling and ensure the rate cut benefits
on to the middle class home buyers.

Delhi IGI Airport becomes the 12th busiest in the world as per ACI report
In accordance with the preliminary world airport traffic rankings for 2018 released by Airports Council
International (ACI), the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) of New Delhi has elevated 4 ranks to
reach at 12th spot in terms of busiest airport as compared to 2017’s 16 spot.

i. The list of world’s busiest airports by passenger traffic ranking has been topped by Hartsfield–Jackson
Atlanta International Airport (US) followed by Beijing Capital International Airport (China) and Dubai
International Airport (UAE).
ii. In 2018, India has followed US and China to become the world’s third-largest aviation market in terms of
passenger throughput.

IGI Airport awarded the best airport in 40 MPPA category


The Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, New Delhi was declared as the best airport in the category of
over “40 million passengers per annum (MPPA)” in Asia Pacific by Airports Council International
(ACI) in the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Programme for 2018.
i. It had maintained the position of World no. 2 from 2011 to 2013 and in 2014 went up to become the World
no. 1 in the 25-40 MMPA category and stayed at that position in 2015.
ii. It stood World No. 2 in the highest category of more than 40 MPPA in 2016 and in 2017, it was adjudged as
the best airport in the highest category of over 40 MPPA.

Delhi government school teacher Manu Gulati honoured with Martha Farrell Award 2019
On 28th March 2019, a Delhi government school teacher, Manu Gulati has been honoured with the Martha
Farrell award for Excellence in Women’s Empowerment 2019 in the Most Promising
Individual category with prize money of INR 1,50,000 for promoting gender quality and women’s
empowerment.

Key Points:
i. She collaborates with America India Foundation’s “Market Aligned Skills Training Program”, through
which she assists the training programs for beauticians, weavers, salesgirls, etc in Jalandhar in Punjab, Betul in
Madhya Pradesh and Baramullah in Kashmir.
ii. The Awards were first awarded in 2017 in the memory of Dr. Martha Farrell, a prominent activist for
gender equality and women’s empowerment.
iii. The Award is co-sponsored by Rizwan Adatia Foundation (RAF) and Participatory Research in Asia
(PRIA) and backed by Martha Farrell Foundation (MFF).
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DotBook: India’s first Braille laptop created by IIT-Delhi Scientists


Pukit Sapra, 26, from Delhi and Suman Muralikrishnan, 27, from Chennai, former students and researchers
at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi have created a laptop for visually-impaired called
“DotBook”.

i. Claimed to be the first in India, the laptop has an interface in form of dots or Braille instead of a visual one.
ii. Instead of a screen, the laptop displays embossed text in Braille through a touchpad and the users get to feel
everything a website has by touching the pad.
iii. It is built in Linux and comes with 4 GB internal storage which is expandable up to 64 GB and it can be
connected with mobile phones and other laptops to provide a visual display for sighted persons.
iii. They have launched two versions of the laptop, one with 20 cell version (Rs 40,000) and another 40-cell
version (Rs 60,000) — each referring to the number of characters displayed in one line.
iv. The 20-Cell Braille Variant has Perkins Keys while the 40-Cell Braille Variant with QWERTY keyboard

Veteran Hindi Newsreader Vinod Kashyap passes away at 88


Veteran Hindi Newsreader Vinod Kashyap passed away at the age of 88, owing to prolonged illness.
She worked at the All India Radio for around 30 years, starting her career in Radio as a drama artist. A prayer
meeting to offer condolences will be held in New Delhi.

Former Supreme Court judge Satya Brata Singh passed away at 75


Former Supreme Court judge Mr.Satya Brata Singh died at the age of 75 in New Delhi. His native was
Dhanbad,Jharkhand.
i. He was serving as Supreme Court judge from October 3, 2002 until August 8, 2009.

New Delhi Current Affairs – April 2019


To spread peace and brotherhood, a music and poetry festival titled ‘Jashn-e-Ittihaad’ was held in New
Delhi
On 6th April 2019, a music and poetry festival titled ‘Jashn-e-Ittihaad’ was held at the Jamia Milia Islamia
central university in New Delhi to spread awareness about unity amongst the youth.

Key Points:
i. The festival was organized by Delhi-based entertainment company Question Associates Pvt Ltd.
ii. In this event, people enjoyed the soulful Hindi and Urdu poetry, music and performances that made them
feel good as well as spread awareness about unity and integrity.
iii. Some great poets like Irshad Kamil and Waseem Barelvi participated in this festival.

Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Fauji’ Director, Colonel Raj Kapoor, Passes Away
On 10th April 2019,the Actor-cum-Director, Colonel Raj Kapoor,87, has passed away at a Hospital in Delhi due
to age-related issues. He directed Shah Rukh Khan’s television debut, Fauji. He produced many serials and
appeared in full-length and ad films.

i. He published a novel “When Shiva Smiles“a few years ago. He also had written an essay in Samar Khan’s
book titled “SRK – 25 Years of a Life“.
ii. He acted in the movie LahuKe Do Rang (1979).

4th Session of India-Ukraine working group on Trade and Economic Cooperation held in New Delhi
On 2nd April, 2019, India and Ukraine have discussed bilateral trade featuring the importance of exports and
imports between the 2 countries. The deliberation was part of the 4th Meeting of India-Ukraine Working
Group on Trade and Economic Cooperation (IU-WGTEC) held in New Delhi.

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Key points
i. Both the countries should share the mandatory requirement to be fulfilled at the time of exporting or
importing of any product to promote trade.
ii. Both the countries have agreed to cooperate in the fields of small and medium entrepreneurship, Leather,
Tobacco, Gems and Jewellery, Tea Sector, Industry, Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and Investment.
iii. The 5th meeting of the Working Group on Trade, Economic and Cooperation (IU-WGTEC) will be held in
Kyiv, Ukraine.

High-level discussions on “Fiscal Relations across levels of Government” by 15th Finance Commission
held in New Delhi
On 4th April 2019, a High-level discussion on “Fiscal Relations across levels of Government” was held
by 15th Finance Commission under the chairmanship of Shri N. K. Singh in New Delhi.
Key Points:
i. This discussion was organized in partnership with the World Bank, OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-
operation and Development), and ADB (Asian Development Bank).
ii. The Chairman discussed the four technical sessions in this meeting:

• Sub-national debt
• Transfer design incentives and fiscal equalization.
• Sub-national budget and Public financial management system
• Finances of third-tier of Government
iii. In April 2018, the Commission had held separate workshops with the OECD and in July 2018 with the
World Bank to discuss the initial thoughts and country experiences on the issues related to fiscal
federalism and inter-governmental transfers.
iv. But the present discussions were based on the work being done by the World Bank, OECD, and ADB for
the Commission and about the findings coming out of the research work and analysis done by their teams.

Biannual Army Commanders’ Conference began in New Delhi


On 8th April 2019, the biannual Army Commanders’ Conference began in New Delhi for the planning and
execution process of the Indian Army.

Key Points:
i. Some issues like the management of the extant security dynamics, mitigation of future security
threats were discussed in this conference.
ii. Other issues, such as development of infrastructure for improvement of capacity along the Northern
borders, review of strategic railway lines, optimization of a limited budget to ensure making up of critical
insufficiency in ammunition and welfare of troops also discussed.
iii. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivered her opening address at the conference and the Chief of
the Army Staff, Bipin Rawat, chaired the conference.

A two-day meeting of 21st ASEAN-India Senior Officials held in New Delhi


On 11th April 2019, the 21st ASEAN-India Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) was held at New Delhi to improve the
connectivity and strengthen the cooperation in the maritime sector between Indian and the ASEAN countries.
Key Points:
i. It was co-chaired by Smt. Vijay Thakur Singh, SOM Leader and Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs,
Govt of India and H.E. Mrs. Busaya Mathelin, SOM Leader and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Kingdom of Thailand.
ii. India welcomed Thailand for its role as Country Coordinator of the ASEAN-India dialogue partnership for
the period 2018-2021 and also praised Thailand for the Chairmanship of ASEAN for 2019.
iii. In this Meeting, the senior officials were decided to enhance the cooperation in Renewable Energy and hold
an ASEAN-India Conference on Renewable Energy in 2019. In this project, The Energy and Resources Institute

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(TERI) and ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) will be the co-partners.
iv.This partnership was implemented through the ‘Plan of Action (2016-20) to execute the ASEAN-India
Partnership for Peace, Progress and Shared Prosperity’.
The 4th Resilient Cities Asia-Pacific Congress 2019 started in New Delhi
On 15th April 2019, The 4th Resilient Cities Asia-Pacific Congress 2019 organised by the International
Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) and co-hosted by South Delhi Municipal
Corporation started in New Delhi. It was addressed by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu. It will conclude on
17th April 2019.

i. It offers a lot of innovative solutions that build resilience to climate change at the sub-national level.
ii. Local governments in the Asia Pacific region is the main target of the event.
iii.The RCAP 2019 is a platform for discussing the opportunities and mechanisms of executing the Nationally
Determined Contributions (NDCs).
iv. Representatives from UNEP, UNDP, UN-HABITAT, UNESCAP, UNISDR, UNIDO being joined in the event.
v. The themes of RCAP 2019 are:

• Integrated climate resilience planning to manage risks and vulnerabilities


• Good governance and resilience
• Nature based solutions to adaptation
• Climate knowledge brokering
• Opportunities for regional networking and collaboration
• Sustainable infrastructure development and green growth
• Urban nexus
• Financing mechanisms for Asian cities

First edition of Naval Commanders’ Conference of 2019 started in New Delhi


On 23rd April 2019, the first edition of Naval Commanders’ Conference held in New Delhi and will
continue till 25th April 2019. The Hon’ble Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed Naval
Commanders Conference on the opening day.

Key Points:
i. It is the apex forum within the Service for interaction between the Naval Commanders, Chief of the Naval
Staff, with the Commanders-in-Chief. They will review operational, material, logistics, HR, training and
administrative activities which were undertaken during the previous six months.
ii. The themes of ‘Functional Reorganization of Indian Navy towards enhancing Operational Efficiency’ and
‘Optimal Manning’ were the core of discussions in this conference.
iii. The conversations were planned on the adaptation of new capabilities, controlling technologies like ‘Big
Data Analytics’ and ‘Artificial Intelligence’ for solutions in the domains of naval combat.
iv. The forum is a platform for the naval leadership to discuss the various challenges in the maritime domain
and the strategies for responding to the evolving geo-strategic environment.

Debrief of Indian Navy coastal defence exercise “Sea Vigil” was chaired by Vice Admiral MS Pawar in
New Delhi
On 16th April, 2019, the debrief of the Indian Navy exercise termed as ‘Sea Vigil’ (held from January 22 to 23)
was conducted. The meeting was chaired by Vice Admiral MS Pawar, AVSM, VSM, the Deputy Chief of the Naval
Staff (DCNS). It was conducted at the Naval headquarters, New Delhi.
i. After the 26/11 Mumbai attack in 2008, Sea Vigil became the very 1st national-level coastal defence exercise
conducted by the Indian Navy. In this exercise, it involved naval stakeholders at the centre and all 13 coastal
states and union territories.

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ii. The meeting was conducted for the National Committee for Strengthening Maritime and Coastal Security
(NCSMCS).
iii. The coastal defence exercise was attended by high officials of the Navy, Indian Coast Guard, central
ministries, state governments, union territory administration and intelligence agencies.
iv. Between 26-29 November, 2008 conspired attack on India’s financial capital, Mumbai was mounted by the
Pakistan based Laskhar-e-Toiba terrorist group, when 10 terrorists from Laskhar-e-Toiba group set sail from
Karachi, used the Indian shoreline to land in Mumbai and launched attack on 26/11’s night.
v. The terrorists ability to land undetected in Mumbai was seen as a huge weakness in India’s coastal security
system, owing to which the Indian navy was designated responsible for overall maritime security, including
offshore and coastal security.
vi. Exercise Sea Vigil’s prime objective is to safeguard India’s 7516.6 km coastline and its exclusive economic
zone, thus helping in strengthening India’s Maritime and National security. Critical areas of evaluation in the
exercise included inter-agency coordination, information sharing and technical surveillance.
vii. The feedbacks and deliberations of the exercise will be presented in the next meeting of NCSMCS.

Paripooranand Painuli, Former Congress MP and freedom fighter passed away


Eminent Paripooranand Painuli, former Congress MP and freedom fighter passed away on 13th April,
2019, at his residence in the Vasant Vihar, Delhi at the age of 94.
Key points
i. Painuli was known for his participation in the Quit India Movement at 17 age and also led a non-violent

New Delhi Current Affairs – May 2019


Lt. Governor of Delhi inaugurated Sahara Hostel for ‘Veer Naris’
Anij Baijal, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi has inaugurated Sahara Hostel for ‘Naval Widows’ or ‘Veer
Naris’at Vasant Kunj in New Delhi. The objective is to provide rehabilitation of Naval Widows or Veer Naris
and their families at a time after the unfortunate demise of their husband who were serving Indian Navy.

Key Highlights
i. This is a unique project steered by the Indian Navy and has been built with the help of Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) partnership with National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC).
ii. The Hostel built over four floors and also has a common dining table and community hall.
iii. The widows who have completed a certain required period in government accommodation after the demise
of their husbands are eligible to apply for stay in the Sahara Hostel for 1 year. The extension in the hostel
beyond the 1 year period will be considered based on availability and merits of the case.

Indian Postal Department released Postage Stamp to commemorate 750th Birth Anniversary of Sri
Vedanta Desika
In order to commemorate the 750th birth anniversary of Sri Vedanta Desikan, Vice President, M. Venkaiah
Naiduunveiled a postage stamp in New Delhi on May 2, 2019. The stamp has been released by Indian postal
department.

i. The releasing of commemorative postage stamps inspire the younger generation to practice humanism, peace
and compassion propagated by the great saint and spiritual icon.
About Sri Vedanta Desika:
i. Born in 1268 CE, he was Sri Vaishnava philosopher and one of the most brilliant stalwarts of Sri Vaishnavism
in the post-Ramanuja period.
ii. He was an awardee of Vedanta Desika (supreme teacher of the conclusion of all knowledge).
iii. He also received titles such as ‘Kavitarkika-kesari’ and ‘Kavitarkika-simham’ (lion amongst poets); and
‘Ramanuja-daya-patram’.

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iv. The most essential feature of his philosophy is the ‘aspect of inclusion’ which means anyone, irrespective of
any caste or creed could join Sri Vaishnava fold.
v. The basis of his spiritual teachings was peace and humanity.

India’s fastest train ‘Vande Bharat Express’ completed 1 Lakh kilometers without missing single trip
India’s fastest train ‘Vande Bharat Express’ completed 1 Lakh kilometers without missing a single trip. It
was flagged off by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi under ‘Make In India’ Initiative, on February 15, 2019,
from New Delhi to Varanasi. This 16 coach train began its commercial run from February 17, 2019.
Key Points:
i. The indigenously-built high-speed train was manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai.
ii. This high-speed train is expected to replace Shatabdi Express trains soon.
iii. The train has facilities like high-speed onboard WiFi, GPS-based passenger information system, touch-free
bio-vacuum toilets, LED lighting, mobile charging points, and a climate control system which automatically
adjusts to the temperature.
About ‘Make In India’ Initiative:
‘Make in India’ is a flagship program formally launched by PM Narenda Modi on 25th September 2014. The
campaign was dedicated to Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya who was born on the same the date in 1916. The
logo of ‘Make In India’ consists of lion and Ashoka Chakra. 25 sectors are included under Make in India
campaign.

United Nation, not State under Article 12 as per the judgment of Delhi High Court
Delhi High court passed a judgment in Sanjaya Bahel v. Union of India & Others that United Nations
Organization (UNO) is not a State under Article 12 of the Indian Constitution. So it is not amenable to its
jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Indian Constitution.

About the case:


i. The decision was given by Justice Suresh Kumar Kait against a petition filed by a Sanjay Bahel, former UNO
employee who was found guilty of misconduct. He was then convicted by a US Federal Court and sentenced to
97 months of imprisonment and 2 years of mandatory probation. He was released and deported to India in May
2014. He claimed that due process was not followed in his case.
ii. Under Section 86 of Civil Procedure Code, 1908 which states that a foreign state may be sued in any court
with the consent of the Central government, he had written a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) for
the permission to initiate legal action against UNO in November 2018.
iii. MEA had stated that consent of Union Government was not required to initiate a legal suit against UNO
because as per Section 2 of Article II of the Schedule of Act, 1947, UNO enjoys immunity from every kind of legal
process except insofar as in any particular.
About Article 12 of the Constitution of India:
The term “State” denotes the union and state governments, the Parliament and state legislatures and all local or
other authorities within the territory of India or under the control of the Indian government.
About Article 226 of the Constitution of India:
It authorizes the high courts of India to issue orders or directions which includes writs in nature of habeas
corpus, prohibition, mandamus, certiorari, and quo warranto to any concerned person or authority, including
the government.

Justice DN Patel appointed as next Chief Justice of Delhi High Court


The central government has cleared the appointment of Justice DN Patel as the next Chief Justice of Delhi
High Court (HC). The Collegium in its resolution of March 2019, recommended judge of Jharkhand High Court,
DN Patel as chief justice of Delhi HC. At present, Rajendra Menon is a Chief Justice of Delhi High Court who is
going to retire in June 2019.

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i. Justice DN Patel has started his career from Gujarat High Court where he practiced the matters include Civil,
Criminal and Constitutional, Excise and Customs matters.
ii. He was also served as the Acting Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court four times between 2013 and
2018.

Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) and IIT-Delhi inked MoU to launch Centre of Excellence for Waste to
Wealth Technologies
Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India and Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT
Delhi) have inked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for setting up a Centre of Excellence for Waste to
Wealth Technologies in India as a commemoration of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on 2
October 2019.
i. The MoU has been signed by Principal Scientific Advisor to the Govt of India, Prof K. Vijay Raghavan and
Director, IIT Delhi, Prof V. Ramgopal Rao in New Delhi.
ii. The Centre will work towards the implementation of sustainable, scientific and technological solutions for
waste management by deploying available technologies for transformation of waste to wealth.
iii. The project has been approved under the recently constituted Prime Minister’s Science Technology and
Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).
iv. Apart from this, a waste to wealth programme management centre will also be set up at IIT Delhi.
About Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA):
i. Established in 1999, PSA is a “think-tank” and “action-tank” for science, technology and innovation activities.
ii. Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam was the first PSA from 1999—2001 and Dr. R. Chidambaram from 2001-2018.
iii. Current PSA is Professor K. Vijay Raghavan.

MoEFCC constituted a committee to implement National Clean Air Program


Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has constituted a committee to implement the
National Clean Air Program (NCAP). The objective is to reduce the PM (particulate matter) 2.5 and PM
10concentration by 20% to 30% in at least 102 cities by 2024. The committee will be headed by
the Secretary, Union Environment Ministry. The headquarters of the committee will be in New Delhi.
Key Highlights
i. The other members of the committee will be Joint Secretary (Thermal), Ministry of Power; Director General,
The Energy Resources Institute (TERI) and Professor Sachidananda Tripathi, IIT Kanpur.
ii. The 102 cities, across 23 states and Union Territories will be identified by the Central Pollution Control
Board (CBCB). The selection criteria will be based on their ambit air quality data between 2011 and 2015. The
NCAP is envisioned as a five-year action plan with 2019 as the first year. There would be a review every five
years.

India-US Bilateral Trade Meeting held in New Delhi


On May 6th, 2019, India-US Bilateral trade meeting was held in New Delhi. It was co-chaired by Suresh
Prabhu, Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Government of India and Mr Wilbur Ross,
Secretary of Commerce, USA.

Key Points:
i. An official release said both leaders appreciated the strong, robust and growing bilateral ties across the
spectrum of trade and commerce. Both the sides expressed satisfaction over the year 2018, with bilateral trade
in Goods and Services registering a growth of 12.6%.
ii. Both sides agreed to deepen economic cooperation and bilateral trade by ensuring greater cooperation
amongst stakeholders.
iii. They discussed various outstanding trade issues and agreed to engage regularly at various levels to resolve
outstanding trade issues by exploring suitable solutions which are mutually beneficial and promote economic
development and prosperity in both countries.

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India hosted a 2-day ministerial meeting of WTO in New Delhi to discuss issues facing the multi-lateral
trading system

• India hosted a 2-day (May 13-14, 2019)ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in New
Delhi in which ministers from 16 developing nations and 6 least developed nations had participated to
discuss major problems and challenges facing the multi-lateral trading system.
• The meeting laid emphasis on ways to constructively and collaboratively engage on issues (both
institutional and negotiating) in the WTO, before the 12th Ministerial Conference of the WTO which
would be held in Kazakhstan in June 2020
India hosted a 2-day (May 13-14, 2019)ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in New
Delhi in which ministers from 16 developing nations and 6 least developed nations had participated to
discuss major problems and challenges facing the multi-lateral trading system.

The Ministerial Meeting had commenced with a dinner hosted by the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry
and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu, in which Roberto Azevedo, the Director General of WTO, was also present.

Key Points:
i. Dr. Anup Wadhawan, Commerce Secretary, welcomed the senior dignitaries of the participating
delegations from the Developing and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
ii. During the ministerial meeting, the developing countries and the LDCs were notified to build
consensusregarding the WTO reforms, while conserving the credibility of the multilateral trading system
embodied in the WTO.
iii. The meeting laid emphasis on ways to constructively and collaboratively engage on issues (both
institutional and negotiating) in the WTO, before the 12th Ministerial Conference of the WTO which would
be held in Kazakhstan in June 2020.
iv. The participants of this 2-day Ministerial Meeting included:

• Six Least Developed Countries (LDCs): Malawi, Bangladesh, Central African Republic (CAR), Uganda,
Chad, Benin.
• Sixteen Developing Countries: Guatemala, Nigeria, China, Malaysia, Egypt, Indonesia, Kazakhstan , Brazil,
Barbados, Argentina, Turkey, Guyana, Jamaica, Oman, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
v. Many unilateral and counter measures have been taken by members and deadlocks have occurred in
important arenas of negotiations and appointments in the appellate body.
vi. The deadlocks mentioned above, had a negative impact and led to disrupt the dispute settlement
mechanism of the WTO, thus causing demands from different quarters to reform the WTO.
vii. The issues discussed in the 2-day meeting are as follows:

• To produce a solution to the ongoing deadlock in the Appellate Body.


• Challenges and key issues of priority for developing countries including LDCs in the reform agenda
• Rejuvenating the agendas on issues of critical importance for developing countries
• Ensuring efficient S&D (Special and Differential Treatment) for all developing countries including LDCs.
viii. Previously, on 19th March-20th March 2018, India had organised an Informal WTO Ministerial
Gathering in New Delhi, in which more than 50 Members comprising of both developed and developing
nations had participated. In that Gathering, the fact that was stressed upon was that there is a strong need to
conserve and enhance the credibility of the rules-based Multilateral Trading System as enshrined in the
WTO.

11th India Iran Joint Consular Committee Meeting (JCCM)


The 11th India Iran Joint Consular Committee Meeting (JCCM) held in New Delhi on May 14, 2019. Indian
delegation was led by Amit Narang, Joint Secretary in Consular, Passport and Visa (CPV) division and the Iran
delegation was led by Ali Asghar Mohammadi, Director General of Consular Affairs.

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Key Highlights
i. The purpose of this meeting is to review the status of ongoing cooperation in consular and visa related issues
and also to discuss the strategy to further expand people to people contacts and to promote friendly exchanges
between India and Iran.
ii. Both countries have discussed some important issues between India and Iran:

• Early conclusion of Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance on civil and commercial matters.
• To extend longer duration of e-Visa for each other nationals on reciprocity.
• Visa facilitation for greater people to people contacts etc.

India-Botswana Foreign Office Consultations held in New Delhi


The 3rd round of Foreign Office Consultations between India and Botswana was held in New Delhi on 15th
May, 2019. Indian delegation was led by Neena Malhotra, Joint Secretary (East and Southern Africa) and the
Botswana delegation led by Tapiwa Mongwa, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of International
Affairs and Cooperation.
Key Highlights
i. The purpose of the Foreign Office Consultation is to review bilateral relation which includes political,
economic, commercial, defence, consular and international cooperation related to United Nations.
ii. Botswana government had also decided to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
iii. The next round of Foreign Office Consultations will be held in Botswana on mutually agreed dates.

National Training Workshop of Master Trainers for 7th Economic Census was held in New Delhi
As a run-up to the 7th Edition of Economic Census (7th EC), its Master trainers (enumerators and supervisors)
were imparted training during the “National Training Workshop of Master Trainers” which was organized
by Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MoSPI) in New Delhi. The objective of the training
was to provide a thorough knowledge of key concepts, processes, digital platform and application to be used for
the enumeration in the field.
i. In the month of May and June, similar kind of exercise will be undertaken through 6000 State and District
level training workshops as the fieldwork for the 7th EC will commence in June 2019.
ii. The 7th Economic Census -2019 is being conducted by MoSPI in partnership with Common Service
Centres, CSC e-Governance Services India Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle under the Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology as the implementing agency.
About Economic Censuses (EC):

• It provides disaggregated information on various operational and structural aspects of all


establishments in the country.
• In 1976, the Government of India launched a scheme called Economic Census and Surveys.
• Initiated in 1977, the Second EC was carried out in 1980 followed by third in 1990, fourth in 1998, fifth
in 2005 and 6th in 2013.

5th Smart Cities India 2019 Expo inaugurated in New Delhi


On May 22, 2019, 5th Smart Cities India 2019 Expo including Transport India, Solar India, Buildings India and
Water India expos was inaugurated by Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban
Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

Key Points
i. The event was organized by India Trade Promotion Organization(ITPO) and Exhibitions India Group. It
initiated to strengthen ‘Smart Cities Mission’ through the display of various products and solutions relevant to
building smart cities in India.

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ii. A knowledge paper by the Knowledge Partner KPMG titled “IoT in Smart Cities” was released. IoT stands for
Internet of Things.
iii. The event also witnessed the launch of a whitepaper by Industry Partner Mazars Advisory. The
whitepaper ‘Synchronising a SMARTER India’ deals with the global smart cities market, the inception of the
Smart Cities Mission and its focus areas.
About Smart Cities Mission:
Smart Cities Mission was launched by the Government of India on June 25, 2015. The objective is to promote
sustainable and inclusive cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a
clean and sustainable environment and application of ‘Smart’ Solutions. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs,
Government of India is responsible for its implementation.

Mumbai tops the list of most vulnerable cities to cyberattacks in 2019


Recently, Quick Heal Security Labs in its report titled “The Annual Threat Report 2019” has disclosed that
Mumbai topped the list of 15-city which are more vulnerable to cyberattcks in 2019. The other two cities which
followed Mumbai are: Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Pune
i. The report has also revealed that Maharashtra, Delhi and West Bengal are the top three states which are
prone to cyber attacks.

Mint Globetrotter Index notifies that Dubai is costlier than Delhi


The Mint Globetrotter Index was prepared by Mint’s data partner Howindialives.com which is a database
and search engine for public data that took into account 25 essential spends in total, ranging from
multifarious categories, namely, accommodation, shopping, leisure, market and food and came up with
an index which would help general public to travel well-informed.
Key points:
i. For an easy comparison between different cities, the indices were benchmarked to a value of 100 for
Delhiand re-based accordingly.
ii. This means that, Zurich has an index value of 301 (this means that the 25 items cost 201% more of what
they cost in Delhi) Kathmandu has an index of 82 (the same items here cost 18% less than what they cost in
Delhi).
iii. The ‘others’ category in the Mint Globetrotter Index comprises of 7 cities across Africa, West Asia and
the Indian Ocean, among which, Victoria, the capital of Seychelles, is the most expensive with an index
value of 192 and a rank of 28.
iv. The cost profile of Lagos is very similar to that of India and ranks 5th on the index and is the cheapest in
the category.
v. Dubai is much more costlier than Delhi and ranks 24 on the overall cost index.
vi. Cape Town, the oldest city in South Africa ranked 16 on the overall index and is 47% costlier than Delhi.
vii. Amsterdam is the most expensive city on the index, whereas Bali is the 9th cheapest.

Renowned film historian, researcher, and director Vijaya Mulay passed away at the of 98 in South Delhi
Vijaya Mulay, a documentary filmmaker, film historian, writer, educationist, and researcher passed
away at the age of 98 in South Delhi. She was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

i. She was popularly known for her animation film Ek Anek Aur Ekta which won her National Film Award for
Best Educational Film.
ii.Several accolades received by her:

• Shantaram Award for Lifetime Achievement for documentaries at the Mumbai International Film
Festival.
• Vikram Sarabhai Life Time Achievement award for educational communication in 1999.
• National award for best writing on cinema for her work, From Rajahs and Yogis to Gandhi and Beyond:
Images of India in International Films of the Twentieth Century.

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New Delhi Current Affairs – June 2019


Shri Prahalad Singh Patel , Minister of State for Culture & Tourism inaugurate ‘Unknown masterpieces
of Himachal Folk Art’, exhibition in New Delhi
The Minister of State for Culture & Tourism, Shri Prahalad Singh Patel inaugurated exhibition "Unknown
Masterpieces of Himachal Folk Art”, at National Museum, New Delhi.
Key points:
i. The exhibition is organized by the National Museum, New Delhi and Home of Folk Art of Tribal,
Gurugram .
ii .More than 240 artifacts will be displayed. Out of this 230 objects belong to the personal lifetime collection
of Late K.C. Aryan.

Go Tribal campaign by Tribes India launched in New Delhi


On June 28, 2019, “Go Tribal Campaign” by Tribes India was launched by Minister of State for Tribal
Affairs, Smt. Renuka Singh in the presence of Shri R.C. Meena, Chairman, Tribal Cooperative Marketing
Development Federation of India (TRIFED), Shri Deepak Khandekar, Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and
Shri Pravir Krishna, Managing Director, TRIFED in New Delhi.
Key Points:
i. TRIFED organized this event to institutionalize collaborations and partnerships with different organizations
to promote tribal products.
ii. Tribes India in association with Amazon Global Marketing launched TRIBES India products globally through
Amazon platform.

Two-day Yoga Mahotsava celebrated in New Delhi

On June 1, 2019, As a Curtain Raiser for International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2019 which is celebrated on June 21,
a two-day Yoga Mahotsava was inaugurated by Shri Rajeev Kumar, Vice-Chairman of Niti Ayog at New
Delhi. The Yoga Mahotsav-2019 was organized by Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY) under
Ministry of AYUSH(Ayurvedic, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy). The theme of IDY 2019
in India is “Yoga for Heart”.

Key Points:
i. 2 Applications ‘Yoga Locator’ and ‘Bhuvan App’ related to IDY 2019 were launched by Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha,
Ministry of AYUSH.
ii. Yoga Locator is a map-based location app. It will enable yoga instructors to register themselves and reach
out to large number of people.
iii. Bhuvan App, designed in collaboration with ISRO(Indian Space Research Organization), provides geo time
location and documentation.
iv. Three special sessions were organized as a part of the event.

• Know about Yoga was organized for the Yoga enthusiasts. Historical, medical and educational
prospects of Yoga were discussed with the participants in detail.
• My self-experience in Yoga-A Motivational Journey , an exclusive session was organized by seeing
the participation of huge number of youngsters
• Celebrity Sessions– a specially scheduled session was a part of the event.
5 Cities shortlisted for IDY 2019:
Centre shortlisted 5 cities for IDY 2019 namely Delhi, Shimla, Mysore, Ahmedabad and Ranchi. Names of these
cities were sent to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to finalize the venue of the main function to be held on
June 21. This will be the first mega public event after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister for the second
consecutive term.

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About IDY:
The United Nations declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga in 2014. The first IDY was organized
at Rajpath in New Delhi on June 21, 2015 in which representatives of 191 countries participated. In 2016, the
main event was held in Chandigarh, in 2017 it was held in Lucknow and in 2018, it was held at Forest Research
Institute, Dehradun. 2019 Theme for IDY as per UN is “Climate Action”.

3rd edition of Namaste Thailand Festival 2019 concludes in New Delhi


A two day event of Namaste Thailand Film Festival 2019 concludes its third edition at Select Citywalk in New
Delhi. It was organized by Royal Thai Embassy with an aim to strengthen bilateral ties and increase cultural
exchange between India and Thailand. The festival was inaugurated by the Ambassador of Thailand to India,
H.E Chutintorn Gongsakdi.
Key highlights:
i. The 1st edition of Thai film festival was inaugurated in 2017 to celebrate the 70 years of Indo-Thai diplomatic
relations.
ii. The festival featured stage performances by Thai artistes including Thai folk-jazz band Asia-7.
iii. It featured a series of Thai craft activities including mulberry paper mini umbrella making, fan painting,
body paint, and button badge making along with the traditional Thai cuisines.

IMD issued ‘Red-colour’ warning for Delhi due to rise in temperature


On May 31, 2019, India Meteorological Department (IMD)issued ‘Red-colour’ warning for Delhi-NCR with
as the temperature had reached 46.8 degree Celsius, the highest since May 2013. It forecasted that the heat
waves in central and northwest central India including Rajasthan will continue to hit maximum temperatures
and they are expected to reach 50 degree Celsius.
Key Points:
i. The IMD has 4 color-coded messages which are green, yellow, amber and red. Green indicates normal
conditions whereas red symbolizes extreme weather situations. Amber indicates to be prepared and Yellow
indicates awareness on bad weather conditions.
ii. The maximum temperature of 49.6 degree Celsius was recorded in Sri Ganganagar, Western Rajasthan and
Prayagraj (Earlier-Allahabad) recorded 48.6° Celsius, the highest in 25 years.
iii. The MeT department has predicted that heat waves will severely hit over parts of the northwest, central and
adjoining east and peninsular India in the next 4-5 days. Temperatures in the southern peninsula will remain 2-
3 degrees above which is considered normal.

Free rides scheme for women’s in Delhi


Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal has announced free rides in Delhi metro and Delhi Transport
Corporation (DTC) for women to ensure safety and make transport with higher fare affordable. This project
will cost Rs 700 crores to the Delhi government. This subsidy is to be optional and planned to be implemented
in two or three months.

Justice Dhirubhai Naranbhai Patel sworn in as Chief Justice Of Delhi High Court
On 7th June 2019, Justice Dhirubhai Naranbhai Patel, sworn in as Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.His
oath of ceremony is administered by lieutenant governor of Delhi, Anil Baijal.
KeyPoints:
i. He Succeeded Justice Rajendra Menon, who retired after 2 decades of service.
ii. He was recommended by Supreme Court Collegium for the appointment as Chief Justice of the Delhi High
Court.
His working experience:
i. He enrolled as an advocate and practiced at the high court of Gujarat where he was appointed as a Special
Counsel of the state of Gujarat in other high courts and then elevated as an Additional Judge of the Gujarat High
Court on March 7, 2004
ii. After that he worked in Jharkhand High Court.
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6th round of India-China Bilateral Dialogue on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation held in New Delhi
On June 3, 2019, 6th India-China Bilateral Dialogue on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation was held
in New Delhi. The Indian delegation was led by Shri Indra Mani Pandey, Additional Secretary (Disarmament
& International Security Affairs) and the Chinese delegation was led by Ambassador Fu Cong, Director
General, Department of Arms Control of Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Key Points:
i. Both the countries exchanged their views on various issues of mutual interest related to disarmament, non-
proliferation and arms control.
ii. Ambassador Fu Cong invited the Indian delegation to Beijing for the next round of consultations which was
accepted by India.
iii. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit Beijing in September before the informal summit which will
be held between the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
iv. The first informal summit between Indian Prime Minister and Chinese President was held in April, 2018 at
Wuhan, China.

Health ministry chaired the meeting to review the status of Revised National Tuberculosis Control
Program (RNTCP) held in Delhi
On June 4, 2019 Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr.Harsh Vardhan held high level meeting to
review the status of Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) held in New Delhi.
Key points:
i. At the meeting the ministry directed all the officials to take necessary step as “Mission Mode” to
eliminate TB(Tuberculosis) .
ii. The mission includes all stakeholders to come together to made India free of tuberculosis by 2025.
iii. The ministry further suggested that innovative approaches should be taken to address TB.

About Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program


i. The Government of India (GoI) launched the National TB Programme in 1962
ii. The Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP), based on the internationally
recommended Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) strategy, was launched in 1997
iii. It expanded across the country by 2006.
iv. In 2007, GoI introduced the Programmatic Management of Drug Resistant TB (PMDT) to combat drug
resistance and achieved full geographical coverage by 2013.

Fifth meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog held in New Delhi

On June 15, 2019, The fifth meeting of the Governing Council of The National Institution for Transforming
India (NITI) Aayog was held under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at
Rashtrapati Bhawan Cultural Centre, New Delhi. It was attended by the Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, 26
Chief Ministers and the Lieutenant Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Union Ministers and special
invitees. This was the first governing council meeting under the new Modi government. The guiding principle of
Union Government is “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwaas”.

Agenda of the Meeting:


On the Agenda, the following items were mentioned:
i. Rain-Water Harvesting.
ii. Drought Situation and Relief Measures.
iii. Aspirational Districts Programme – Achievements And Challenges.
iv. Transforming Agriculture: Need For Structural Reforms With Special Emphasis On:

• Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act


• Essential Commodities Act (ECA)
v. Security Related Issues with Specific Focus On LWE Districts.
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Highlights of the Meeting:


i. The Prime Minister spoke on the common goal of achieving a New India by 2022.
ii. The goals set for the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi should be achieved by October 2, 2019 and he
insisted to begin the work to achieve the goals for 2022, the 75th anniversary of independence.
iii. Speaking about the newly created Jal Shakti Ministry, PM urged States to integrate their efforts towards
water conservation and management. The aim of the Government is to provide piped water to every rural
home by 2024 and called for effective steps to tackle drought. Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Gujarat and
Karnataka have adopted good practices in water conservation and rainwater harvesting. Some initiatives like

• The Jalyukt Shivarin Maharashtra made 11,000 villages drought free.


• Mukhya Mantri Jal Swavalamban Abhiyaan increased five feet in groundwater in 21 districts.
• Mission Kakatiya in Telangana irrigated 19 Lakh Acres.
• Sujalam Sufalam in Gujarat and artificial recharge scheme in Karnataka produced good results.
iv. Focus should be given to fisheries, animal husbandry, horticulture, fruits and vegetables in order to fulfill the
commitment to double incomes of farmers by 2022.
v. PM reaffirmed the commitment to combat Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and said that Naxal violence in
aspirational districts will be dealt firmly.
vi. The target to eliminate Tuberculosis (TB) by 2025 was mentioned and PM urged the States who have not
implemented Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PMJAY) under Ayushman Bharat to implement it at the
earliest.
vii. Core agenda items in the agri-economy included the need to review the implementation of the Agriculture
Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act and possible reform in the form of the Model APMC Act and explore
changes in the Essential Commodities Act (ECA). Emphasis was made in the need to undertake structural
reforms in agriculture including encouraging corporate investment, strengthening logistics and focusing on
food processing.
viii. The Council reviewed the implementation of the Aspirational Districts Programme through 49 key
performance indicators of human and social development.
ix. Focusing on the development of road and telecom infrastructure, PM said 11,000 km of roads were
constructed at a cost of Rs 18,000 crore of which 5,500 km of roads were completed. 2335 mobile towers were
installed and in next phase, 4072 towers costing Rs 11,000 Crore would be installed.
x. The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that total transfers under various headings between
2011-12 and 2014-15 amounted to Rs 20 lakh crore. In the last 4 years, those were increased to Rs 41 lakh
crore.
xi. Council decided to set up a high-powered committee on structural reforms in agriculture. It will consist of
state chief ministers and central ministers. They will prepare a blueprint for structural reforms in agriculture.

Goal to make India $5 trillion economy by 2024


Prime Minister said the goal to make India a five trillion dollar economy by 2024 can be achieved though it is
challenging. He urged the states to increase their economy by 2 to 2.5 times, which in turn would increase the
common man’s purchasing power. He called upon the Chief Ministers to study their State's export potential and
work on export promotion.

About the Governing Council of NITI Aayog


The Governing Council of NITI Aayog comprises the Prime Minister of India, Chief Ministers of all the States and
Union Territories with Legislatures and Lt. Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and four Union
Ministers as ex-officio members and three Union Ministers as Special Invitees.
Headquarters of Niti Aayog: New Delhi
Formation: January 1, 2015

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2nd Meeting of India-Italy Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism was held in New Delhi
On June 13, 2019, The 2nd Meeting of India-Italy Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter Terrorism was
held in New Delhi. It was co-chaired by Mr. Mahaveer Singhvi, Joint Secretary (Counter Terrorism), Ministry
of External Affairs and Mr Diego Brasioli, Principal Director for Security, Disarmament and non-Proliferation,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy.
Key Points:
i. They discussed the threats posed by terrorist entities globally and in their respective regions including cross
border terrorism and exchanged views on current counter-terrorism challenges including countering
radicalization, terror financing and misuse of internet for terrorist purposes.
ii. The threats arising from transnational crimes and money laundering were also discussed.
iii. They discussed the measures to deepen bilateral cooperation for countering terrorism and transnational
crimes through regular exchange of information, mutual capacity building efforts, sharing of best practices and
mutual legal assistance.
iv. The next meeting of the JWG will be held in Italy.

Second Edition of World Food India to be held in New Delhi from 1-4 November, 2019
On June 17, 2019, Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Smt Harsimrat Kaur Badal announced
that World Food India (WFI) 2019, a biennial event, will be held at Vigyan Bhawan and Rajpath Lawns in New
Delhi from 1-4 November, 2019. It will be the biggest gathering of all global and domestic stakeholders in
Food Processing Sector. This will be the second edition of WFI, first was held in 2017.
Key Points:
i. The tagline of the event will be “Forging Partnerships for Growth”.
ii. Meetings were organized to discuss the investment opportunities available in India in the Food processing
industry and to sensitize the gathering about the participation in WFI 2019.
iii. WFI 2019 will comprise of top level seminars, investment opportunities, exhibitions, high level Chief
Executive Officers (CEOs) roundtables, country sessions, B2B (business to business) and B2G (Business-to-
government) networking etc.
iv. The ministry targets to partner with at least 15 countries and participation from at least 80 countries.
v. Indian Food processing industry has grown and registered a growth of 11% which is twice the pace of global
industry.

20th Meeting of the FSDC chaired by Nirmala Sitharaman held in New Delhi
On Jue 20,2019 The 20th meeting on Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) was held in New
Delhi. This was chaired under the Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman.

Key points:
i. The meeting was also attended by Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur, RBI Governor Shaktikanta
Das, and Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg among others.
ii. Current global and domestic economic situation and financial stability issues including those concerning
Banking and Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) were reviewed in the meeting.
iii. Consultations held on the progress to set up the Financial Data Management Centre (FDMC) and Computer
Emergency Response Team (CERT) to strengthen cyber security services in the financial sector &Suggestions of
Financial Regulators for Union Budget 2019-20.

35th GST Council Meeting held in New Delhi

On June 21, 2019, the 35th Goods and Service Tax (GST) Council Meeting was held in New Delhi. It was
chaired by the Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman and it was her first
meeting after assuming the office. It was attended by the Union Minister of State for Finance & Corporate
Affairs Shri Anurag Thakur, Revenue Secretary Shri Ajay Bhushan Pandey, Finance Ministers of States & Union

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Territories, Senior officers of the Ministry of Finance and State Governments. 12 Agenda items were discussed
during the Council meeting.

Highlights of the Meeting


Introduction of Aadhaar-enabled GST Registration
In order to ease the current process of GST registration and reduce the paperwork involved, GST Council
introduced a new system for verification of taxpayers registering themselves under GST. Aadhaar number shall
be linked to the GSTIN while generation. No other documents are required and authentication will be done
using One Time Password (OTP).

NAA tenure extended by two years


Tenure of National Anti-profiteering Authority (NAA) was due to end by 30 November 2019. GST Council
extended this tenure by two years, in order to enable it to take up all the pending cases. The authority can take
up new cases in future due to rate cut issues, indicating that the GST Council has plans for further
rationalisation of GST rates.

10% penalty to apply for any delay in depositing profiteered amount


GST Council approved to levy 10% penalty for delay in depositing the profiteered amount by more than 30 days
against the current norm of levying a maximum fine of Rs 25,000. It will encourage timely compliance by the
taxpayer.

E-invoicing to start from January 2020


The Council decided to introduce electronic invoicing system in a phase-wise manner for B2B (Business to
Business) transactions from 1 January 2020. Using this system, no separate e-way bill will be required in case
of e-invoice. It will help to combat the menace of tax evasion.

E-ticketing made mandatory for multiplexes


Council approved the electronic ticketing system, for multiplexes, having multi-screens. This will help curb
cases of tax evasion and the use of black tickets that have been prevalent.

Rate cut decision on electric vehicles, chargers & leasing


The decision to cut GST rates for electric vehicles (to 5% from 12%) and electric chargers (to 12% from 18%)
were postponed to the next Council meeting. The matter was referred to the Fitment Committee for checking
the feasibility of the rate cut.

Solar power generating systems and wind turbines


The valuation rules for goods and services pertaining to solar power generating systems and wind turbines will
be placed before the next Fitment Committee. The suggestions made by this Committee will be placed before
the next GST Council meeting.

Rate cut for lottery put on hold


Group of Ministers (GoM) on Lottery submitted its report to the Council. After deliberations on the various
issues on rate of lottery, the Council recommended that certain issues relating to taxation (rates and
destination principle) would require legal opinion of Learned Attorney General.

GSTAT to be GST Appellate Tribunal


The GST council stated that Goods and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) will be the appellate
authority and will adjudicate on appeals arising from central and state tax authorities’ in-house dispute
resolution system. The states will decide the number of GSTAT required by them as a result of which there can
be two tribunals in a single state. It was decided to have a common State Bench for the States of Sikkim,
Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.

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For non-filing of GST returns, E-way bills to be blocked


The law stated that where the GST returns in GSTR-3B/ GSTR-4 is not filed for two consecutive tax periods, e-
way bill generation for such taxpayers would be disabled with effect from 21 August 2019, instead of the earlier
notified date of 21st June 2019.

Changes in laws and procedures

• The due date for filing GSTR-9, GSTR-9A, and GSTR-9C for the FY 2017-18 was extended by two months,
till 31 August 2019. The previous deadline was June 30, 2019.
• FORM GST ITC-04 relating to job work for the period July, 2017 to June, 2019 was extended till August
31, 2019.
• Last date for filing of intimation in FORM GST CMP-02 for availing the option of payment of tax under
notification No. 2/2019-Central Tax (Rate) dated 07.03.2019 was extended from 30.04.2019 to
31.07.2019
• Between July, 2019 and September, 2019, the new return system (FORM GST ANX-1 & FORM GST ANX-
2 only) will be made available for trial for taxpayers.
• From October, 2019 onwards, FORM GST ANX-1 was made compulsory.
• Large taxpayers having aggregate turnover of more than Rs. 5 crores in the previous year have to file
FORM GST ANX-1 on monthly basis whereas small taxpayers to file FORM GST ANX-1 for the quarter
October, 2019 to December, 2019 in January, 2020.
• For October and November, 2019, large taxpayers will continue to file FORM GSTR-3B on a monthly
basis and will file FORM GST RET-01 for December, 2019 in January, 2020.
• GST PMT-08. They will file their first FORM GST-RET-01 for the quarter October, 2019 to December,
2019 in January, 2020.
• From January, 2020 onwards, FORM GSTR-3B will be completely phased out.

7th India and Brunei Darussalam Foreign Office Consultations held in New Delhi
On June 24, 2019, The 7th Foreign Office Consultations between India and Brunei Darussalam was held
in New Delhi. The Indian side was led by Vijay Thakur Singh, Secretary(East) and Brunei side was led by Hajah
Siti Norishan Haji Abdul Ghafor, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brunei Government.
Key Points:
i. They reviewed bilateral relations between the 2 countries, including political, trade and investment, defence,
cultural & people to people contact and exchanged views on regional and multilateral issues.
ii. They agreed to explore cooperation in energy, health and pharmaceuticals, higher education and agricultural
sectors.
iii. The next round of Consultations will be held in Brunei on mutually agreed dates.

Meeting of Expert Working Group of Paris Pact Initiative of UNODC held in New Delhi
2 day Meeting of Expert Working Group on Paris Pact Initiative on Illicit Financial Flows deriving from
the trafficking of Opiates originating in Afghanistan was organised in New Delhi from June 27-28, 2019. It was
hosted by the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance with the support of United Nations Office on Drugs &
Crimes (UNODC). It was inaugurated by the Additional Secretary, Revenue Mr. Anil Kumar Jha.
Key Points:
i. The Meeting was attended by the representatives of the Member Countries of Paris Pact, Regional
Representatives of UNODC and Senior Officers of the Indian agencies like Directorate of Revenue Intelligence
(DRI), Directorate of Enforcement (ED) and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
ii. The experts from other countries and International Organisations shared their experiences/views.
iii. It featured on the technical assistance needs and new capabilities to increase understanding and disruption
of illicit financial flows.

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iv. It resulted to improve country’s effectiveness in Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of
Terrorism (AML/CFT) framework as per Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards with respect to illicit
financial flows linked to drug trafficking.
Paris Pact Initiative:
Paris Pact is a group of 58 countries and 23 International Organisations affected with drug trafficking of Afghan
Opiates. Under the ambit of UNODC, Paris Pact Initiative has addressed the issue of drug problem related to
opiates originating in Afghanistan, both at policy and implementation level.

ICG inaugurated its 4th Subordinate Officers Conclave 2019 in New Delhi
On June 6, 2019, a two-day 4th Subordinate Officers Conclave 2019 organized by Indian Coast Guard (ICG)
was inaugurated by Rajendra Singh, Director General (DG) of ICG at ICG Headquarters in New Delhi. It
focussed on accountability in job profile, improving lifestyle for healthy living and integrating evolving
technology in Coast Guard operations, especially towards strengthening search and rescue organisations
during cyclone and floods.

Key Points:
i. Among the armed forces, the subordinate officer's conclave is one of the unique initiatives. Here, the
suggestions and ideas of jawans are taken into consideration for running the force.
ii. DG Rajendra Singh conferred ‘Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak ’to Navik Vinod. The award was bestowed in
recognition of his exceptional courage, expert use of lifesaving techniques and selfless attitude displayed in
saving a precious life of a women drowning in to rough sea due to monsoonal weather conditions in pitch dark
hours near Gateway of India, Mumbai in 2018.
iii. On this occasion, A Coast Guard Benevolent Association App was launched. Through this app, the Coast
Guard Personnel can log on the site and apply for the required financial assistance online.

ICG co-hosts 12th ReCAAP ISC capacity building workshop in New Delhi
Indian Coast Guard (ICG) co-hosted the 12th Capacity Building workshop in cooperation with the Regional
Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in
Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre (ISC) in New Delhi. It began on June 19, 2019 and will conclude
on June 20, 2019. It is organized to deepen knowledge on issues related to piracy and armed robbery.

Key Points:
i. It was inaugurated by Additional Director General, Indian Coast Guard V SR Murthy along with Mr Masafumi
Kuroki, Executive Director of ReCAAP.
ii. 31 International delegates from 19 countries participated in the workshop. Along with this, officials from
national stakeholders like major ports, state maritime boards, state marine police, Directorate General of
Shipping and Indian National Ship-Owners Association also participated in the event.
About ReCAAP:
The ReCAAP is the first regional Government-to-Government agreement to deal with piracy and armed robbery
at sea in Asia. Currently, 20 countries are members of ReCAAP. India played an active role in the setting up and
functioning of ReCAAP ISC along with Japan and Singapore. Union Government has designated ICG as the focal
point within India for ReCAAP. India has also hosted this workshop in November 2011 at Goa and December
2017 at New Delhi.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal addressed meeting of Board of Trade & Council
A joint meeting of the Board of Trade and the Council for Development and Promotion, organized by the
Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) was held
in New Delhi.

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Key points:
i. Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and Railways has asked the industry and
export bodies to stop depending on subsidies and grants from the Central Government and make the
industry more competitive and self-reliant.
ii. This is the first meeting after Piyush Goyal became the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry following
Suresh Prabhu.
iii. The meeting was attended by many ministries such as Textiles, MSME Agriculture, Information
Technology, NITI Aayog and other Ministries of government.

New Delhi Current Affairs – July 2019


HRD Ministry launches new UGC Scheme “Paramarsh” For Higher Education
On July 19, 2019, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Union Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD)
launched a Scheme called “Paramarsh” of University Grants Commission (UGC) in New Delhi.
i. About Paramarsh
Aim: This scheme aims at mentoring National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC) accreditation
aspirant institutions to develop quality assurance in Higher Education.
Mentorship: Under the scheme, the prime Mentoring institutions will provide regular mentoring to colleges to
help achieve high-quality standards. For mentoring they will get the financial assistance & also the option of
appointing an expert, who can be paid a fellowship amount of Rs 31,000 per month.
Hub & Spoke model: The Scheme will be implemented through a “Hub & Spoke” model where mentor
institution -called ‘Hub’ has the responsibility of guiding mentee institution (through secondary branches
‘Spoke’) for self-improvement.
Target: For mentoring, the scheme targets 1000 Higher Education Institutions.
Benefits:
i. The scheme enhances the overall quality of the mentee institutions and enhances its profile as a result of
improved quality of research, teaching and learning methodologies.
ii. It will help in providing quality education to the 3.6 crore students who enrolled in Indian Higher Education
system.
iii. The mentor institution will also get NAAC accreditation.
Feature: It will also facilitate the sharing of knowledge, information, and opportunities for research
collaboration and faculty development in Mentee Institutions.

Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, launched commemoration of
four years of Digital India initiative
Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad launched a commemoration of 4 years
of Digital India initiative in an event at New Delhi. The Digital India initiative was launched on July 1, 2015.The
minister also electronically launched the SAMEER Centre for Electromagnetic Environmental Effects in
Visakhapatnam, Wi-Fi enabled Campus Networks at Osmania University, Hyderabad and at North-Eastern Hill
University, Shillong and a special issue of Yojana on Citizen Centric e-Services.

UIDAI started its first Aadhaar Seva Kendra in Delhi and Vijayawada
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has operationalized its first “Aadhaar Seva Kendra”
(ASKs) in Delhi and Vijayawada on a pilot basis. UIDAI has a plan to set up 114 such centres by the end of 2019
covering 53 Indian cities. The estimated cost of the project is between Rs 300-400 crore. These centers are
similar to the concept of Passport Seva Kendras.

Features of ASK:
i. It is owned by UIDAI.
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ii. It will facilitate enrolment, updation and other activities through online appointment management system,
which allow people to book a slot as per their convenience.
iii. ASK centres are addition to thousands of centers that are currently being run by post offices and banks and
even in government premises (offering similar Aadhaar services).
iv. Delhi Centre – Located at Akshardham metro station premises, it has a capacity to handle 1,000
enrolment/updation requests a day. It is equipped with 16 workstations and will be operational 6 days a week
including weekends. It will be closed only on Tuesday and public holidays.
v. Vijayawada Centre – The capacity in Vijayawada centre is 500 enrolment/updation requests a day

DBT 2.0 of Fertilizer Subsidy launched by D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Union Minister for Chemicals
On July 10, 2019, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Shri D.V. Sadananda Gowda launched
the Phase-II of the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of Fertilizer Subsidy in New Delhi in the presence of
Minister of State for Shipping (IC) and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Shri Mansukh L. Mandaviya, Secretary,
Fertilizers, Shri Chhabilendra Roul and Additional Secretary, Fertilizers, Shri Dharam Pal.

Key Points:
i. Initiatives: 3 new technology initiatives DBT Dashboards, PoS (Point-of-Sale) 3.0 Software and Desktop PoS
Version will help to transfer over Rs 70,000-crore fertiliser subsidy directly to farmers’ bank accounts.
ii. Implementation: To look into the implementation of DBT exclusively, a Project Monitoring Cell was set
up. 24 State Coordinators were appointed across all States to monitor the on-going DBT activities.
iii. DBT 1.0 : Phase-I of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system in fertilizer subsidy pan-India in Fertilizers was
implemented with effect from March 2018. It anticipated the release of 100% subsidy on various fertilizer
grades to the fertilizer companies on the basis of actual sales made by the retailer to the beneficiaries.
About DBT:
It is an attempt to change the mechanism of transferring subsidies launched by Government of India on 1
January 2013. Central Plan Scheme Monitoring System (CPSMS) implemented by the Office of the Controller
General of Accounts acts as the common platform for routing DBT.

Govt launches “Kaushal Yuva Samwaad” to interact with youth and get their perspective on skill
development

On July 15, 2019, To commemorate World Youth Skills Day (July 15) and celebrate the 4th Anniversary of
the Skill India Mission, the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MoSDE)
launched ‘Kaushal Yuva Samwaad’ (A Youth Dialogue) in New Delhi.

Key points:
i.About Kaushal Yuva Samwaad:

• Aim: It aimed at creating an open dialogue with youth across all skill training centres to hear their
views, ideas, opportunities, and recommendations help the Ministry of Skill Development scaling up
existing programs and improve the overall efficiency of the on-going projects.
• Features: The platform discusses potential issues and solutions from the candidates’ perspective. It
also gives MoSDE perspective to match aspirations of youth with offerings of Skill India.
• Participating Centres: It was organized across all Skill India training centres, namely, Pradhan Mantri
Kaushal Kendras, Industrial Training Institutes, Polytechnics, and other fee-based training centres
across the country.
• Kaushal Pakhwada: The ministry also launched a 15-day campaign from July 16, under which sessions
and workshops will be conducted across the country to aspire young trainees under the Skill India
Mission.
ii. Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman was the chief guest of the launching event.
Many ministers including Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ramesh Pokhriyal, Mahendra Nath Pandey were also attended
the event.
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iii. Partakers: The event saw the introduction of 48-member contingent that will be representing India at
WorldSkills International Competition, to be held from August 22 – 28 in Kazan, Russia.
iv. Launch: The event also witnessed the launch of vocational education program, “Degree Apprenticeship
Programin” designed by Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Ministry of Human
Resources & Development (MHRD).

Special Public awareness campaign on vector-borne diseases launched in Delhi


On July 17,2019 Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched a 3-day public
awareness campaign named “Jagrukta Abhiyaan” in New Delhi to sensitize and mobilize the people on
measures about prevention and control of Vector-Borne Diseases (VBDs) like Malaria, Dengue, and
Chikungunya.

Key points:
i. Aim: The campaign aimed at making the community a partner for checking vector(mosquito) breeding across
Delhi.
ii. Participants: It is the people’s movement in Delhi by the involvement of people’s representatives, officers
from Government of India & Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Corporations(NDMC), Delhi Municipal Council,
Railways and Cantonment Board and other stakeholders.
iii. Strategy: Totally 286 ward-wise teams (in all 272 municipal wards and 14 locations of NDMC) have been
constituted having 20-25 as their members including officers of the municipal corporations along with officers
from central government and government of Delhi.
iv. Awareness: As a part of the exercise, teams visit residential areas, schools, hospitals and markets in Delhi
and sensitize people on prevention and control of such diseases.
v. 1st meet: This is the first time that the centre, state and local bodies converge in their efforts to mobilize the
community for a public health activity.

Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express to be first train operated by private players


Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express, one of the most-awaited trains on the route announced in 2016, is set to be the
first train to be operated by private players. At present, it is parked at the Anandnagar Railway
Stationin Uttar Pradesh. It will be handed over to private players after an open bidding process for
operationalization.

Key Points:
i. Despite protests from Railway unions, the Indian Railways is going ahead with its 100-day agenda of handing
over operations of 2 trains to the private sector.
ii. The custody of the trains will be transferred to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation
(IRCTC), which will pay for it, including their lease charges to the financing arm, Indian Railway Finance
Corporation (IRFC). IRCTC will finalise the proposal by July 10, 2019 and submit it to the Railway Board.
iii. The Delhi-Lucknow route is served by 53 trains. It does not have a Rajdhani & Swarn Shatabdi, that has the
highest demand on this route.

Deeksharambh, a UGC Guide to Student Induction Programme released by HRD


On July 19, 2019, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Union Minister of Human Resource Development (HRD) has
released a UGC(University Grants Commission) Guide to Student Induction Programme called
“Deeksharambh” in New Delhi.
Key points:
About Deeksharambh:
i. The guide: It helps new students adjust and feel comfortable in the new environment at higher education
institutions & inculcate in them the ethos and culture of the institution. It also helps them build bonds with
other students and faculty members and expose them to a sense of larger purpose and self-exploration.
ii. Motive: It empowers aspirant learners to face competitive world with confidence, open new life leading to

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character building based on universal human values such as truth, righteous conduct, non-violence, etc.
iii. Feature: It engages with the new students as soon as they come into the institution before regular classes
start. It helps to learn about the institutional policies, processes, practices, culture, and values, and their mentor
groups are formed.

5th International Police Expo for the year 2019 held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi
5th Edition of International Police Expo for the year 2019 was held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on July 19-
20, 2019 with the theme “Challenges to Strengthen Peace and Security”. It was organized by Nexgen
Exhibitions.

Key Points:
i. The Expo focused on things related to police forces, their welfare and fitness and showcased the latest
equipment required for safety and protection of society.
ii. It showcased advanced firearms, combat or armoured vehicles and a plethora of disruptive technologies in
cyber security, drones, homeland security, and safety & rescue.
iii. More than 25 countries participated in the expo.
iv. More than 100 companies from Singapore, Israel, South Korea, Taiwan, China, United Kingdom, United
States, Malaysia, Germany, Australia, Poland and other nations displayed the best and advanced technologies.

Architectural illumination of historic Safdarjung Tomb in Delhi inaugurated by Culture Minister


On July 20, 2019, Culture Minister, Prahlad Singh Patel has inaugurated the architectural illumination of the
historic Safdarjung Tomb in New Delhi.Key points:
i. To highlight the architecture of the 17th Century monument, arches and minarets & a total of 213
technologically advanced LED lights have been used. The consumption of LED (light-emitting diode) lights 62%
less electricity as compared to conventional light fixtures.
ii. Archaeological Survey of India has taken up the project to illuminate the important monuments of national
capital to highlight the archaeological magnificence of historical monuments.
iii. The illumination that aims to enhance the tourist experience showcase the monuments during Delhi’s late
evenings.

New Vande Bharat express completes Delhi-Katra trial run


On July 23, 2019, The trial run of India’s fastest second Vande Bharat Express (also known as Train
18) on New Delhi to Katra( Jammu and Kashmir) route was successfully conducted by Indian Railways’
Northern Railway zone.

Key points:
i. Vande Bharat: The train designed and manufactured by Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, run at a
speed of 160 km per hour & it reduces travel time between Delhi-Katra from 12 hours to 8 hours.

ii. Modern features: Unlike the first Vande Bharat Express (flagged off by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi
on 15 February 2019 from New Delhi to Varanasi) was criticized for lack of sufficient pantry space, the new
upgraded train has been provided with more space to store meals for passengers.
iii. It has also been equipped with GPS (Global Positioning System) based audio-visual passenger information
system, onboard hotspot Wi-Fi, bio-vacuum toilets and other technical improvements based on passenger
feedback.
iv. The Delhi-Katra express will have three stops include Ambala, Ludhiana, and Jammu.
v. The 2nd high-speed train will also help devotees who visit Vaishno Devi temple Shrine.

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Delhi Police signs pact with SECI to implement Rooftop Solar Energy Systems
On July 3, 2019, The Delhi police signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Solar Energy
Corporation of India (SECI), a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
(MNRE), to set up rooftop solar energy systems in over 200 of its buildings in Delhi.
Key Points:
i. SECI will support the implementation of grid-connected rooftop solar photovoltaic systems on the
establishment of the Delhi police.
ii. Rooftop Solar Systems of total capacity of 3-4 Megawatt (MW) will be implemented across various Delhi
Police buildings.
iii. The project will utilize vacant roofs of the buildings to harness solar energy which will reduce the electricity
bill payments of the Delhi Police.

Delhi Govt celebrates 15-day “Happiness Utsav” in all its schools


On July 17, 2019, To celebrate the completion of a year of introduction of its happiness curriculum, Delhi
Government launched a 15-day “Happiness Utsav” across all its 1,031 schools.

Key Highlights:
During the event, The first 50 minutes of each school day, all students schools taking part in various activities
like ‘nataks’ (dramas), poetry recitation and exhibitions. The festival will conclude on July 31, 2019.
e-challan system, e-payment gateway for Delhi Traffic Police
On July 19, 2019, New e-challan system and the e-payment gateway for the use of Delhi Traffic Police
launched by Amulya Patnaik, Delhi Police Commissioner in New Delhi. With this launch, traffic violators can
now pay fine from anywhere online.
Key points:
i. The new e-challan system launched with 1,000 hand-held devices & are equipped with active GPS( Global
Positioning System) where the challenging officer and the violator, both can be logged and tracked to a
particular geo-location. Further, the camera violation app is also connected to the e-challan system, so that the
data is updated regularly.
ii. The e-payment gateway will help the Delhi citizens with the flexibility to securely log in at their convenience
and settle the pending violation notices with proof of payment.
iii.The system is developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) with key inputs from Delhi Police.
iv. The new system is likely to result in improved prosecution and better road safety standards in Delhi.

RBI board has finalized a three- year roadmap ‘Utkarsh 2022’ to improve regulation & supervision
India’s central bank, Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has finalized a three-year road map for medium-term
objective named “Utkarsh 2022” for strengthening regulation, supervision of the central bank in a meeting in
New Delhi.
Key points:
i. The roadmap to be achieved in the next three years is in line with the global central bank’s plan.
ii. The strategy is that the central bank’s proactive role to avoid any other IL&FS (Infrastructure Leasing &
Financial Services) debt default issue in the future.

iii. An internal committee of RBI was formed under former Deputy Governor Viral Acharya, to identify issues
that needed to be addressed over the next three years.
iv. The board also approved the RBI’s budget for the July 2019—June 2020 period in a meeting.

RBI’s Central Board of Directors’ 577th meeting held in New Delhi


On July 8, 2019, The 577th meeting of the Central Board of Directors of Reserve Bank of India(RBI) was
held at New Delhi. Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman, addressed the
Directors of Central Board.

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Key points:
i. Current economic situation, global and domestic challenges and various areas of operations of the RBI & the
importance of coordination between the Central Government and RBI were reviewed in the meeting.
ii. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey, Secretary (Investment and Public
Asset Management) Atanu Chakraborty and Chief Economic Advisor Dr. Krishnamurthy Subramanian have also
attended the meeting.
iii. The Board finalized the 3-year Medium-Term Strategy document which covers the Mission and Vision
Statement of the Reserve Bank.

India signs MoU with Myanmar on defense co-operation in New Delhi


On July 29,2019, India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Myanmar on defence co-
operation in New Delhi after the 2 sides(Minister of State for Defence, Shripad Yesso Naik and Commander-in-
Chief of Defence Services of Myanmar, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing) held talks on issues including
reviewing joint exercises and training provided to Myanmar Defence Services in India, strengthening maritime
security through joint surveillance and developing new infrastructure. Key points:
i. Myanmar is a key support of India’s Act East Policy towards prioritizing relations with its East Asian
neighbors.
ii. The two countries in the past co-operated more closely on matters of security. Myanmar’s army has joined
forces with the Indian army on several occasions to eliminate anti-India insurgent groups targeting India’s
northeast from bases inside Myanmar.
iii. The troops of India & Myanmar jointly launched an assault on Arakan Army, (an insurgent group) which
threatened an important connectivity project between the two sides.

36th GST Council Meeting Held in New Delhi

On July 27, 2019, the 36th Goods & Service Tax (GST) Council Meeting was held in New Delhi Via Video
Conference under the chairmanship of Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman.
It was attended by Union Minister of State for Finance & Corporate Affairs Shri Anurag Thakur, Revenue
Secretary Shri Ajay Bhushan Pandey and other senior officials of the Ministry of Finance.

Key Points:

i. The GST Council made the following changes in the GST rate on supply of goods and services which will be
effective from August 1, 2019:

• The GST rate on all Electric Vehicles (EVs) was reduced from 12% to 5%.
• The GST rate on charger or charging stations for EVs was reduced from 18% to 5%.
• Hiring of electric buses (of carrying capacity of more than 12 passengers) by local authorities was
exempted from GST.
ii. Following changes were made in the GST Law:

• The last date for filing of intimation in FORM GST CMP-02, for availing the option of payment of tax
under notification No. 2/2019-Central Tax (Rate) dated 07.03.2019 (by exclusive supplier of services)
was extended from July 31, 2019 to September 30, 2019.
• The last date for furnishing statement containing the details of the self-assessed tax in FORM GST CMP-
08 for the quarter April, 2019 to June, 2019 (by taxpayers under composition scheme) was extended
from July 31, 2019 to August 31, 2019.

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About GST Council:


It is the governing body of GST, chaired by the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and assisted by the
finance ministers of all the states of India. It is an apex member committee to modify, reconcile or to procure
any law or regulation based on the context of goods and services tax in India and is responsible for any revision
or enactment of rule or any rate changes of the goods and services in India.

First Ever IICTF to be held in New Delhi from October 11-13, 2019
The first ever India International Cooperatives Trade Fair (IICTF) will be held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi
from October 11-13, 2019. It is a unique initiative for taking farmers, artisans and other members of
cooperatives directly to the international trade arena.

Key Points:
i. The event is organized by National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) with the support of
Network for the Development of Agricultural Cooperatives in Asia and the Pacific (NEDAC), three Ministries,
four State Governments and several apex levels Indian cooperative organizations.
ii. The event is aimed to promote cooperatives to trade within India and abroad to enhance rural and farm
prosperity.

India – ASEAN Troika Trade Ministers’ Meeting held in New Delhi


On July 9, 2019, India – Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Troika Trade Ministers’
Meetingwas held in New Delhi for informal consultation on the ongoing Regional Comprehensive Economic
Partnership (RCEP). Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways, Piyush Goyal, Acting Minister of
Commerce of Thailand, Ms. Chutima Bunyapraphasara, Minister of Trade of Indonesia, Enggartiasto Lukita,
Secretary-General, ASEAN, Lim Jock Hoi and Trade Negotiating Committee (TNC) Chair of RCEP, Iman
Pambagyo attended the meeting.
Key Points:
i. India emphasized on adherence to the RCEP guiding principles in order to balance high ambition on goods
tariff reduction with addressing of sensitives in bilateral pairings between India and China through temporary
and permanent deviations/ exclusions.
ii. China had demanded that India should eliminate duties on more than 90% of the items from the country, as
it is willing to do in case of the ASEAN, Japan, and South Korea. But India has tentatively offered to eliminate
duties on 74% of items from China as part of the RCEP deal.
iii. It also highlighted to stress on the possible mechanism to address persistent and wide imbalances in trade.

The 2nd edition of India-Russia Strategic Economic Dialogue 2019 held in New Delhi
The 2nd India-Russia Strategic Economic Dialogue (IRSED) 2019 was held in New Delhi. It aims at bilateral
cooperation between two countries in various fields. It was chaired by Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairman of India’s
think tank, National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog, and Russia’s Deputy Minister of Economic
Development, Timur Maksimov.

Key points:
i. Areas of cooperation: It includes

• Development of transport infrastructure and technologies


• Development of agriculture and agro-Processing sector.
• Small and Medium business support
• Digital Transformation and Frontier Technologies
• Cooperation in Trade, Banking, Finance, and Industry
• Tourism & Connectivity.
ii. Participation: The 2nd dialogue saw participation of government officials, business leaders and experts & it
included parallel roundtables which discussed areas of cooperation and concrete roadmaps for future
negotiations across outlined six-core areas.
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iii. First meeting: The 1st IRSED was held in St. Petersburg between November 25-26, 2018.
iv. IRSED: It was formed after the MoU (memorandum of understanding) was signed between the two
countries during the 19th edition of Annual India-Russia Bilateral Summit, which was held on October 5, 2018,
in New Delhi.

5th India-EU High Level Dialogue on Migration and Mobility held in New Delhi
On July 11, 2019, The 5th India-EU High Level Dialogue on Migration and Mobility (HLDMM) was held
in New Delhi between India and the European Union (EU). It was co-chaired by Mr. Sanjiv Arora, Secretary
(Consular, Passport & Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs) and Ms. Paraskevi Michou, Director General [Migration
and Home Affairs], European Commission. It was also attended by Heads of Mission and other representatives
of the Diplomatic Missions of EU Member States who were invited as Observers for the first time.

Key Points:
i. They discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest in the context of migration & mobility along the
India-EU corridor and reaffirmed that migration and mobility are important dimensions of the strategic
partnership.
ii. On 10 July, 2019, the co-chairs addressed the Opening Session of an India-EU Seminar on Sharing of Good
Practices on Migration Governance in New Delhi under the Technical Support Project for undertaking
collaborative activities in the framework of the Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility [CAMM] between
India and the European Union and its Member States. It was signed on March 29, 2016.

11th edition of Mekong Ganga Cooperation meet 2019 held in New Delhi
On July 9, 2019, The 11th Mekong Ganga Cooperation Senior Officials’ Meeting (MGC SOM) 2019 was held
in New Delhi to review progress in several areas of cooperation.
Key points:
i. Participants: It was attended by senior officials from all six MGC member states(India, Thailand, Myanmar,
Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam) was co-chaired by Vijay Thakur Singh, Secretary East, and Doan Phuong Lan,
Deputy Director General, Department of Economic Affairs in Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnam.
ii. Analysis: Review was held on the progress made since the 9th MGC ministerial meeting 2018 in the areas of
cooperation include tourism and culture, education, science and technology, traditional medicine and health,
agriculture and allied sectors, water resources management, transportation and communication, and small and
medium enterprises.
iii. Action Plan: Discussion held on draft MGC Plan of Action (2019-22) for adoption in the 10th MGC
ministerial meeting which will be held in Bangkok on August 1, 2019.
iv. Work done: Under the MGC Quick Impact Project Scheme (QIPS), a total of 24 projects have been
completed at a cost of $1.2 million including 15 projects in Cambodia and 9 in Vietnam. At present, one project
in Cambodia and 3 projects in Lao PDR (Lao People’s Democratic Republic) are under implementation.
v.Other initiatives: MGC Asian Traditional Textile Museum (MGC ATM) in Siem Reap, Cambodia and the
Common Archival Resource Centre (CERC) at Nalanda University, Rajgir is the other initiative made by MGC.
About Mekong Ganga Cooperation:
♦ Launched in 2000 at Vientiane, Lao PDR.
♦ Both the Ganga and the Mekong are civilizational rivers, and the MGC initiative aims to facilitate closer
contacts among the people inhabiting these two major river basins.

High-level talks to boost space cooperation were held between India & Russia in New Delhi
On July 11, 2019, High-level talks between India and Russia were held in New Delhi to boost the bilateral
cooperation to the next level in the field of space, including assistance in India’s maiden human space flight
mission ‘Gaganyaan’. The Indian delegation was led by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Russian
delegation was led by Dmitry Rogozin, Director General of Russia’s space agency Roscosmos (Roscosmos State
Corporation for Space Activities).

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Key Points:
i. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman and Department of Space Secretary K Sivan and the
Director of the Human Space Flight Programme were present at the meeting and from the Russian side, Senior
representatives of Roscosmos, Glavcosmos, Energia and Energomash were present.
ii. The meeting was held a few days after Glavcosmos signed an agreement with ISRO to train Indian astronauts
for the Gaganyaan mission, which will carry Indian astronaut to space in 2022, to coincide with India’s
75th anniversary of Independence.
iii. Discussions were held on cooperation in futuristic technologies including new space systems, rocket
engines, propellants and propulsion systems, spacecraft and launch vehicle technology and the details
regarding cooperation for the Gaganyaan Mission.
iv. India’s strategic partner, Russia promised all assistance for India’s Human Space Flight Mission- Gaganyaan.

8th meeting of India-Uzbekistan Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism held in New Delhi
On July 16, 2019, 8th meeting of India-Uzbekistan Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism was held
in New Delhi. It was co-chaired by Mr. Mahaveer Singhvi, Joint Secretary (Counter Terrorism), Ministry of
External Affairs and Ambassador Farhod Azriev of Uzbekistan.

Key Points:
i. The Joint Working Group assessed the threats posed by terrorist groups in their respective regions including
cross border terrorism and worldwide.
ii. They exchanged views on current counter-terrorism challenges prevailing in the countries.
iii. They pondered upon the measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the sphere of counter terrorism
through information sharing, mutual capacity building and sharing of best practices and also discussed on the
cooperation in multilateral fora including United Nations (UN), Shanghai Cooperation Organisation- Regional
Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS) and Eurasian Group (EAG).
iv. The next meeting of the Joint Working Group is scheduled to be held in Uzbekistan.

New Delhi’s Connaught Place is the 9th most expensive office location in the world
According to the report titled, “Global Prime Office Occupancy Costs survey” (annual report) by CBRE, an
American real estate consulting firm, New Delhi’s Connaught Place (CP) was the 9th most expensive office
location in the world with an annual rent of nearly $144 per sq ft. 6 of the world’s 10 most expensive office
markets were from Asia.

Key Points:
i. First Rank: For the second year, Hong Kong’s Central district retained the top spot as the world’s most
expensive market for prime office rents. The prime occupancy costs was valued at $322 per sq.ft. per annum.
ii. Other Ranks: London’s West End was ranked 2nd, followed by Hong Kong’s Kowloon, New York’s Midtown
Manhattan and Beijing’s Finance Street.
iii. Indian cities: Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and Nariman Point- Central Business District (CBD)
were ranked at 27th and 40th positions respectively.

Delhi among cheapest cities to relocate: Moving Price Index 2019


According to the study named “Moving Price Index 2019” conducted by relocation experts
from Movinga(German online platform-based moving company), Delhi is among the world’s cheapest cities to
move to. Delhi was ranked 85th in terms of individual relocation & 84th rank in family relocation on the
Index, a study of 85 cities that takes a number of parameters into account as a foundation for its findings,
including transportation, food and drink, phone bills, rent cost (temporary and permanent), storage fees and
internet connection.

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Key points:
i. San Francisco was ranked as the most expensive city in the world to relocate to as an individual and as a
Family.
ii. The index ranked from most expensive to least expensive based on the total costs incurred over the first
three months for an individual to settle into a new city.
iii. Moving to delhi could cost for individual location is $1735, for family relocation $4232 & for individual by
expensive type include phone bills($2),rent at temporary home($392),rent at permanent residence($182) and
for internet connection it is $4.
Here’s the rank of cities for individual relocation:

Rank City Country


1st San Francisco United State($13,531)
2nd New York United States($12,041)
3rd Geneva Switzerland($11,694)
85th Delhi India($1735)
Here’s the rank of cities for family relocation:

Rank City Country


1st San Francisco United State($24,004)
2nd Boston United State($20,738)
3rd Geneva Switzerland($20,165)
84th Delhi India($4232)

UNESCO releases State of the Education Report for India 2019 in New Delhi

On July 3, 2019, The first 2019 report of “State of the Education Report for India 2019: Children with
Disabilities” has released by the UNESCO(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) at
an event in New Delhi. The Report, which will be an annual publication, highlights accomplishments and
challenges with regards to the right to education of children with disabilities (CWDs).
Key points:
i. Formulation: The report was commissioned by UNESCO and was prepared by the Tata Institute of Social
Science provides comprehensive and detailed information on the current state of education of CWDs.
ii. SDG: The report is in sync with the Sustainable Development Goal 4(SDG) which aims to ensure “inclusive
and equitable quality education”.
ii.Findings: India is home to eight million children with disabilities and there are more than 78 lakh children
aged under 19 lived with disabilities. At present three-fourths of 5-year old children and one-fourths of kids
aged between 5 and 19 with disabilities in India are out of school.
iii. Fail to attain literacy: Only 61% of CWDs were attending an educational institution, about 12% had
dropped out, while 27% had never been to school at all.
iv. Girls Vs Boys: There are fewer girls with disabilities in school than boys. But the differences remain among
various types of disabilities.
v. Out of school: Although various schemes and programs have brought children with disabilities into schools,
around 75% of 5 year-olds with disabilities are not in school and 20% of children with visual and hearing
impairments had never been in school.
vi. RTE Act 2009: Massively expand the use of information technology for the education of children with
disabilities, and amend the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 to better align with the Rights of Persons With
Disabilities Act ,2016 by including specific concerns of education of children with disabilities, are among the ten
recommendations of the report .

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NASSCOM & NSDC launches “World Skills India”-International Cloud Computing Challenge 2019
Information technology (IT) and IT-enabled services (ITeS) NASSCOM( National Association of Software and
Services Companies) and Not-for-profit public limited company, NSDC (National Skill Development
Corporation) has organized “World Skills India”- International Cloud Computing Challenge 2019 from July
(1st – 6th ) 2019 at NASSCOM Campus,New Delhi.
Key highlights:
i. Aim: The initiative is aimed at recognizing the best practices from the world in the areas of cloud computing.
The challenge was initiated in the presence of the minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Dr.
Mahendra Nath Pandey.
ii. Participants: Under the aegis of NASSCOM & NSDC, India along with nine other countries include New
Zealand, Belgium, Japan, China, South Korea, Russia, Oman and Ireland are participated in the competition.
iii. The finalists will be further taking part in the 45th World Skills Competition in Kazan, Russia which
scheduled in August 2019.
iv. Status: As per NASSCOM, in the Asia-Pacific region, India stands second only to China, as the largest and
fastest-growing cloud services market.
v. WorldSkills India: This initiative launched in 2011 by NSDC and it seeks to provide a platform to the youth,
along with industries and educators to compete, experience, learn and develop key professional skill sets
required for Industry 4.0.
vi. Cloud computing: It is the delivery of different services through the Internet. The services fall into three
categories include Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service
(SaaS).

India conducted 1st ever simulated space war exercise,” IndSpaceEx” in New Delhi
The three armed forces of India (Army, Navy, and Air Force) conducted 1st ever simulated space warfare
exercise called “IndSpaceEx” on July 25, 26, 2019. It was started in New Delhi. The 2-day exercise aims to
assess requisite space and counter-space capabilities that are needed by India. It will also help India to better
grasp strategic challenges in space that need to be handled.
Key points:
i. IndSpaceEx: Participants from DRDO(Defence Research and Development Organisation), academia and think
tanks took part in it. It helps to assess capabilities India needs to ensure that it can protect its space assets. It
will also help to better understand possible challenges in space warfare and a major threat to India’s national
security interest.
ii. Collaboration: The forces working in collaboration with the Defence Space research agency which has been
created to provide new capabilities to the defence forces in space warfare.
iii. Background: This initiative comes after India successfully tested an anti-satellite (A-Sat) missile under
‘Mission Shakti’ and initiated raising of a new tri-service Defence Space Agency.

India to host ISSF World Cup from March 15 to 26, 2020 in New Delhi
On July 15, 2019, International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) approved India’s application to host
the ISSF World Cup stages. ISSF World Cup in rifle/pistol/shotgun events to be held at the Dr. Karni Singh
Range, Tughlakabad, New Delhi from March 15 to 26, 2020.
Key Points:
i. The dates for the event were approved by the ISSF Executive Committee.
ii. It will be preceded by the Shotgun World Cup in Nicosia, Cyprus, from March 4 to 13, 2020.
iii. The World Cup in rifle, pistol and shotgun, a test event for the Olympics, will be held in Tokyo, Japan from
April 15 to 27, 2020, followed by the World Cup in rifle and pistol in Munich, Germany, from June 2 to 9, 2020
iv. The combined World Cup for all three events will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from June 22 to July 3, 2020.

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Rakesh Shukla, former leg-spinner of India passed away in Delhi


Former leg-spinner of India, Rakesh Shukla passed away in Delhi at the age of 71. He had represented Delhi and
Bihar in First-Class cricket and earned his Test cap against Sri Lanka in 1982. He hailed from Kanpur, Uttar
Pradesh.

i. He played 121 first-class matches, claimed 295 wickets and aggregated 3798 runs.
ii. He made his debut in 1969 and retired in the 1985-86 season.

Sudershan Agarwal, former Uttarakhand Governor passed away in New Delhi


On July 3, 2019, Former Uttarakhand Governor Sudershan Agarwal passed away in New Delhi at the age of
88. He was born in Ludhiana, Punjab.

i. He served as the second Governor of Uttarakhand between 2003 and 2007 during which he also
established a Him Jyoti School in the Sahastradhara.
ii. He was appointed as Governor of Sikkim in 2007.
ii. He had also been the Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha from 1981 to 1993.
iii. He served as a Member of the National Human Rights Commission for three years.

Former 3 time Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit passed away in New Delhi


On July 20, 2019, Former 3 time chief minister of Delhi from Congress Sheila Dikshit passed away at Fortis
Escorts Heart Institute, Okhla in New Delhi due to cardiac arrest. She was 81 years old.

Key Points:
i. Born on March 31, 1938 in Kapurthala, Punjab, she had served as the president of Delhi Congress, chief
minister of Delhi for 15 years from 1998-2013 and the governor of Kerala.
ii. She became a Member of Parliament (MP) for the first time from Kannauj Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh in
1984.
iii. She was appointed as the president of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee in 2019 and contested in the 2019
Lok Sabha election against Bharatiya Janata Party’s Manoj Tiwari from the North-East Delhi parliamentary seat.
iv. The longest-serving chief minister of Delhi was the recipient of 2010 Dara Shikoh award by Indo-Iran
Society and Delhi Women of the Decade Achievers Award 2013 by All Ladies League for Outstanding Public
Service

LJP MP Ramchandra Paswan passed away in New Delhi


On July 21, 2019, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) Member of Parliament from Bihar’s Samastipur Ramchandra
Paswan, aged 57, passed away at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi after a brief illness. He was the
younger brother of Union minister and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan.
i. He was first elected in 1999 and was a four-time MP.
ii. He was born on January 1, 1962 in Khagaria, Bihar.

New Delhi Current Affairs – August 2019


Air Force specification-cum-publicity Pavilion inaugurated by Ramesh Pokhriyal “Nishank”
The Union Minister for Human Resource Development (MHRD) Mr Ramesh pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, inaugurated
the Indian Airforce Facilitation-cum-Publicity Pavilion in National Bal Bhawan, New Delhi to motivate students
to join Indian Air Force.
Other officials in the inaugural function
i. Minister of State (MoS) for HRD Shri Sanjay Dhotre.
ii. Air Chief Marshal Shri BS Dhanoa.
iii. Secretary of Department of School Education & Literacy, Smt Rina Ray
iv. Joint secretary, MHRD – R.C. Meena
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Facilitation-cum-Publicity Pavilion
i. The setup comprises of a flying simulator, a self-interactive career information kiosk( a counter, newsstand
etc), a selfie point in G suite( cloud computing, collaboration and productivity tool) and mannequins.
ii. The pavilion has running videos related to IAF exercise/ operations, aircraft models of Indian Air Force,
digital flexes etc.
Mobile gaming app launched
“Indian Air Force: Cut Above” official Mobile gaming application was launched by Air Chief Marshal Shri B.S.
Dhanoa. The app features facilities like experiencing first-hand roles of IAF air warrior and also to apply and
appear for recruitment from the mobile phone itself.

2 day exhibition on DAE Technologies inaugurated in New Delhi


A two-day exhibition on DAE spinoff Technologies for non-power applications organised by the Department of
Atomic Energy (DAE), was inaugurated by Shri Rakesh Gupta, chairman of UPSC (Union Public Service
Commision) at New MotiBagh recreation club, New Delhi.

Key points
i. The technologies covered by BARC(Bhabha Atomic Research Centre), Raja Ramanna centre for advanced
technology, Indore and other units of DAE were exhibited.
ii. Equipment exhibited: the equipment of agriculture, water, health and environment were kept for display.
In health, there were 3 segments exhibited. They are I. Development of Radio Pharmaceuticals, ii. Production &
distribution and finally its implementation for diagnosis and therapeutic application.
iii. The rural technologies were made available for the rural youth through ‘AKRUTI’ (Advanced Rural
Technology Implementation Initiative) programme.
iv. In the environment category, Nisargruna plant was kept for display which is a bio methanization plant.
v. Members present: The exhibition was viewed by secretary of DAE, Dr. K.N Vyas. Former secretaries of DAE,
Dr. Anil Kakodkar, Dr M.R. Srinivasan were also present.

Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launches 2nd Edition of Swaccha Survakshan Grameen for
2019
On August 14, 2019, Jal Shakti Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched the 2nd Edition of Swaccha
Survakshan Grameen, India’s largest sanitation survey, for 2019 in New Delhi.
Key Points:
i. Objective: To engage rural communities in improvement of the sanitation status of their districts and states
through the intensive campaign and to accelerate the momentum of Swachhta Abhiyan.
ii. Description: Under the Swachh Survekshan Grameen, districts and states will be ranked on data collected
from citizen feedback, direct observation, and service-level progress.
iii. Coverage: The 45-day long survey will take place in 18 thousand villages of 698 districts.
About Ministry of Jal Shakti:
♦ Founded: 31 May 2019
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi
♦ Constituency of Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat: Jodhpur, Rajasthan

Indian President launches plantation drive in New Delhi as part of Van Mahotsav celebrations
On August 20, 2019, the President of India, Shri Ram NathKovind planted Maulsari sapling in the Rashtrapati
Bhavan Estate(New Delhi) and launched a plantation drive. It was done as part of the ‘Van Mahotsav’
celebrations.

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Key points
i. The President’s Secretariat will be planting 3,252 trees and 2,962 shrubs for the next few weeks in the
President’s Estate which is spread over 330 acres, as part of this Van Mahotsav drive. Many Ornamental and
fruit trees will be planted in the upcoming weeks.
About Van Mahotsav
Van Mahotsav is an annual tree planting movement in India which began in the year 1950.

Prahlad Singh Patel launches integrated NOAPS for National Monuments Authority in New Delhi
On August 27, 2019, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, the Minister of State for Culture & Tourism (Independent
Charge)has launched an integrated NOC -No Objection Certificate online Application Processing System
(NOAPS )for National Monuments Authority (NMA) in New Delhi.

Key points:
i. 6 new States will be part of this Integrated Online Application Portal with 517 urban Local Bodies Count. The
list of States and Urban Local Bodies are as follows,
Madhya Pradesh (378) , Andhra Pradesh (110) , Haryana (15) , Punjab (10), Jharkhand (3) , Telangana (1)
ii. This will help to automate the process of grant of NO Objection Certificate(NOC) for construction-related
work in the prohibited and regulated area of ASI(Archaeological Survey of India) protected monuments.
iii. This system was available only in 5 urban local bodies of Delhi and 1 urban local body of Mumbai earlier.
iv. The Portal has integrated with the Mobile App of ‘Smarac’ of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO),
through which the applicant traverses his plot and the geo-coordinates of his plot along with the images to be
uploaded into the NIC portal along with the proximity and the approval status.
v. National Monuments Authority (NMA):
It is under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India(GoI) has been set up as per provisions of The Ancient
Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains AMASR (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010, which was
enacted in March 2010.

Paddy stubble burning declined by 41% in 2018 over 2016 level in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and
Delhi-NCR
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Director General & Secretary of the Department of Agricultural
Research & Education (DARE) under the Ministry of Agriculture , Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra highlighted that
the paddy stubble burning declined by 41% in 2018 over 2016 level in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and
Delhi-NCR. It was reduced with the help of a Rs 1,151.80 crore (2018-19 to 2019-20) Central Sector Scheme
(CSS) on ‘Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue’.

Key Points:
i. In 2017, it was reduced by 15%.
ii. More than 4,500 villages in Punjab and Haryana were declared as zero stubble burning villages in 2018.
iii. The CSS is implemented by ICAR through 60 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) of Punjab (22), Haryana (14),
Delhi (1) and UP (23).
iv. Within 1 year of its implementation utilizing an amount of Rs 500 crore, the happy seeder/zero tillage
technology was adopted in 8 lakh hectares of land in the north-western India.
v. In 2018-19, the funds amounting to Rs 269.38 crores, Rs 137.84 crores and Rs 148.60 crore were released to
the Governments of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, respectively.
vi. In 2019-20, funds amounting to Rs 273.80 crore, Rs 192.06 crore and Rs 105.29 crore are released so far to
Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, respectively.
vii. Crop residue burning in north-west India contributes to air pollution, health hazards, disruption of
transportation, school closures and soil degradation.

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About ICAR:
♦ Motto: Agrisearch with a human touch
♦ Established: 16 July,1929
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi

Delhi Public Library’s mobile library bus service launched


Mobile Library Buses procured under CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) assistance from Airport
Authority of India (AAI) by Delhi Public Library (DPL), was launched by the Union Minister of state for culture
and tourism-Shri Prahlad Singh Patel in New Delhi. DPL is functioning under the administrative control of the
Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
i. It was launched under the “Ghar-GharDastakGharGharPustak” scheme of DPL that provide books to
citizens of Delhi especially residents of slums, resettlement colonies, and rural areas.
ii. Other important members present on the occasion were Shri Avtar Singh, North Delhi Municipal Corporation
mayor,.Dr. Ramsharan Gaur, chairman of Delhi Library Board & Director general of Delhi Public Library,
Dr.Lokesh Sharma

Free electricity up to 200 units in Delhi: CM Arvind Kejriwal


The Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced free electricity to
those consuming up to 200 units a month with effect from August 1, 2019.
i. Consumption of electricity between 201-400 units will get a 50% subsidy.
ii. For consuming 250 units of electricity, people will have to pay Rs 252, for 300 units- Rs 526 and for 400
units- Rs 1075.
iii. The allocation to subsidy will approximately remain the same from Rs 1800 crore to Rs 2000 crore.

Delhi government to offer free ride for women on government buses from Oct 29, 2019
On August 15, 2019, Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal in his independence day speech at Chhatrasal
Stadium, New Delhi, announced to offer free travel for women in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), and
cluster buses starting October 29, 2019. It will be available in both AC (Air Conditioner) and non-AC buses.

Delhi cabinet approves free ride to women in buses from 29 October 2019
On August 29,2019, Transport Minister of Delhi Kailash Gehlot stated that the Delhi Cabinet has approved free
travel for women in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses and cluster buses from October 29,2019.
Key points:
i. In the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, it was decided that women will be able to
enjoy a free ride in the national capital from the day of Bhai Dooj, a festival celebrated by Hindus of the Indian
subcontinent on october 29,2019.
ii. Female employees of the city government, local bodies and undertakings will not be entitled for transport
allowance (TA) if they pick free ride in DTC and cluster buses.
iii. A single journey pass will be issued by the conductor for the woman to travel with DTC and cluster buses.
The women who want to pay for their journey can buy tickets.
iv. The Delhi assembly also approved an additional grant of Rs. 479 crore for the transport sector, including the
amount given as subsidy for free travel for women in DTC buses. Of this, Rs. 140 crore was included for the free
transportation of women in buses & Rs. 150 crore as subsidy for free travel in the Delhi metro.
v. There are around 38 lakh passengers traveling daily in DTC buses, while about 12 lakh passengers use
cluster buses, of this 30 % are women passengers.
vi. The government also asked DTC as well as DIMTS (Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System) to
strengthen their ticket checking mechanisms so that the facility is not misused.

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Campaign to tackle Dengue and Chikungunya launched by Delhi CM


A 10 week Special campaign to tackle Dengue and Chikungunya was launched by the Chief Minister of Delhi
Shri Arvind Kejriwal on August 28, 2019 in New Delhi. The campaign titled “10 Weeks, 10 AM 10 minute
every Sunday, War against Dengue” (“10 Hafte, 10 Baje, 10 Minute – Har Ravivar, dengue par war”), will be
rolled out in 1st September 2019, where people were asked to spend 10 minutes at 10 am on every Sunday to
check for mosquito breeding spots.
Key points
i. There has been a decline in the mosquito Borne disease since 2015, as only 75 cases have been reported so
far in 2019 compared to 15,867 cases in 2015 resulting in 80% decline rate in 4 years.
ii. Special awareness programs and mohalla clinics (primary health centre in Delhi) were also set up as a
preventive measure.

7th meeting of India Bangladesh home minister level talks held at Delhi
On august 08, 2019 The 7th Home Minister Level Talks (HMLT) meeting between Indian Home Minister Amit
Shah and his Bangladesh counterpart Asaduzzaman was held in New Delhi.
Key points
Discussions
Issues related to bilateral security co-operation, illicit movement of undocumented persons across the border,
support for safe and speedy repatriation of Myanmar citizens who are displaced and sheltered in Bangladesh
for which India has provided humanitarian assistance since 2017 were discussed.

Two-day International Conference on Teacher Education by NCTE held in New Delhi


On August 17, 2019, A 2 day International Conference titled “Journey of Teacher Education: Local to
Global” was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Human Resource Development Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal
‘Nishank’in New Delhi. It was organized by the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) as a part of
the silver jubilee celebration of its establishment in 1995 (August 17).

Key Points:
i. Ministry of Human Resource Development will launch the world’s biggest project for teacher training
named NISHTHA (National Initiative on School Teachers Head Holistic Advancement) on August 22, 2019.
ii. 40 renowned experts from India and abroad deliberated on the areas like the present scenario of teacher
education in the Indian context; innovations in teaching practices; integration of information and
communications technology in teaching; inclusive education in teaching-learning environment; and
internationalization of teacher education.
About NCTE:
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi
♦ Chairperson: Dr. Satbir Bedi, IAS

India holds 9th Session of India-Kenya Joint Trade Committee in New Delhi
The two day 9th session of India-Kenya Joint Trade Committee (JTC) was held on 19th – 20th August 2019
in New Delhi.

Delegations:
Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways, PiyushGoyal led the Indian delegation, whereas the
Kenyan delegation was led by Peter Munya, Minister of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives, Government of the
Republic of Kenya.

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Bilateral trade review:


Both sides reviewed the trends in bilateral trade since the last session of the India-Kenya JTC, which was held in
August 2018 in Nairobi, Kenya and also the progress in cooperation in the power sector, renewable energy,
petroleum and natural gas, civil aviation and agricultural research was also reviewed.

Top items exported from India: Petroleum products, drug formulations, biological and industrial machinery
for dairy, paper, paper board and products, plastic raw materials, two and three-wheelers, iron and steel,
manmade yarn, fabrics made-ups, books, publications and printing, electric machinery and equipment.

Top items imported to india: Inorganic chemicals, pulses, coffee, drug formulations, biologicals, copper and
products made of copper, wood products, aluminium, products of aluminium, tea and finished leather. Both
sides stressed the need to enhance trade relations and also to diversify the trade basket.

Future investment opportunities in trade:


The proposal on investment from Indian side was welcomed by Kenya and are to explore the investment
opportunities in the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) of Kenya and to explore investment-related laws and
regulations and exchange of business missions.

Trade in the field of housing:


The 2nd meeting of India-Kenya Joint Technical Committee (JTC) on Housing, held in Nairobi on 30th May 2019
was recalled.
i.Decisions taken: Discussions on the sidelines of the 1st UN-HABITAT Assembly was done and agreement to
expand cooperation in the field of housing through capacity building of Kenyan officials was made.
ii.Conference to be held: A Conference on Housing in India and exploring partnership between Kenya
Institute of Housing and Building Technology (KIHBT) and Building Materials and Technology Promotion
Council (BMTPC), India is to be held in the future.
iii.MoU expanded: MoU(Memorandum of Understanding) between the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs,
the Government of the Republic of Kenya on cooperation in the field of National Housing Policy Development
and Management signed on 11th July 2016 was expanded.
iv.Reason for expansion: To strengthen cooperation in the areas of sustainable urban development including
smart cities, water and waste management and urban mobility. Further, Kenya had also requested for technical
assistance to support the implementation of Kenyan urban and affordable housing programmes.

Other sectors to be explored in future: Manufacturing, agriculture, agro-processing, floriculture, aquaculture,


Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) and products such as base metals & articles thereof, textiles
& textile articles, vegetables and horticultural products, plastics & rubber, chemical products and machinery &
mechanical appliances.

About the UN-HABITAT


♦ The first session of the UN-Habitat Assembly was held from 27-31 May 2019, at the headquarters of UN-
Habitat in Nairobi, kenya with the theme “Innovation for Better Quality of Life in Cities and Communities”.
♦ The sub-theme for the meeting was ‘Accelerated Implementation of the New Urban Agenda towards
Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals’.

About Kenya
♦ Capital- Nairobi.
♦ Currency- Kenyan Shilling.
♦ Official languages- Swahili, English.
♦ President- Uhuru Kenyatta(4th president).

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National Conference of Tourism Ministers organised by the tourism ministry in New Delhi
On August 20,2019, The one-day National Conference of Tourism Ministers organised by the Union Ministry of
Tourism was held in New Delhi. It was inaugurated by Shri Prahlad Singh Patel,Union Minister of State for
Tourism & Culture (Independent Charge).

Key points
i. State Tourism Ministers of 19 States, Secretaries of Tourism and other senior officials attended the
conference.
ii. Three new Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) and five new Letters of Intent (LoIs) to the prospective
‘Monument Mitras’(private sector companies, public sector companies and individuals that adopt tourist sites
become monument mitras) were handed over.
iii. Presentations were given by State Governments of Kerala and Sikkim showcasing their best practices in the
tourism sector.

Discussions made:
The target of Prime Minister’s dream of doubling the tourists, both foreign and domestic over the next five
years were discussed. The other discussions were

• Developing a One Stop Solution on tourism related services through a web based application and a
Grievance Redressal Mechanism through Twitter and Tourist-Helpline.
• Adoption of Adventure Tourism and Bed & Breakfast / Homestay Scheme Guidelines by
States/UTs(Union Territories).
• Status of projects sanctioned under the Swadesh Darshan& PRASHAD Schemes
• Implementation of Public Financial Management System (PFMS).
• To increase the number of tourists in India.
• States were asked to organize surveys to understand foreign tourists’ perception on India.
Launch of Incredible India portal:
i. Hindi version of the new Incredible India portal was launched.
ii. it was further announced that the Arabic, Chinese and Spanish versions of the new Incredible India website
would be launched next month.

About First incredible India portal:


The first new Incredible India website was launched on 14th June 2018. Since its launch, the website has
attracted 85,84,928 total visitors including 65,31,722 Unique Visitors as on 31st July, 2019.
Certification portal: Incredible India Tourist Facilitator Certification (IITFC) portal was launched in the
conference. It is a digital initiative for the citizens of India to be part of the Tourism Industry. It is an online
programme where one can learn about tourism at their own time, space, path and pace. Successful program
completion will certify the learner as Tourist Facilitator of Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.

About tourism ministry


♦ Formed – 1967.
♦ Headquarters- New Delhi.
♦ Constituency of Prahlad Singh Patel- Madhya Pradesh.

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina & Tennis Legend Sania Mirza will co-chair WEF’s India Economic Summit
2019 to be held in New Delhi
The World Economic Forum (WEF) in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) will
organize 2-day India Economic Summit 2019 scheduled to be held in New Delhi from October 3 – 4, 2019
with the aim of promoting strong collaboration between South Asia and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian
Nations ) nations. The theme of the event will be ‘Innovating for India: Strengthening South Asia, Impacting
the World’.

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Key points:
i. Key leaders: Sheikh Hasina (Prime Minister of Bangladesh), Sania Mirza (Sportsperson and UN –United
Nations Women Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia), Heng Swee Keat (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister
for Finance of Singapore), Shobana Kamineni (Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise), and
Shailendra Singh (Managing Director, Sequoia Capital India) will be the co-chairs for the Summit.
ii. Thematic pillars: The meet will resolve strategic issues of regional significance through 4 thematic pillars,
which include the new geopolitical reality and new social, ecological and technological systems.
iii. Focus: The meet facilitates dialogue on policy tools, business models, industry standards, norms and
guidelines for promoting the dynamism of India to meet its growth potential & accelerates the adoption of
4th Industrial Revolution technologies.
iv. Participants: Top leaders from government(Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Smriti Irani, Dharmendra Pradhan,
and Hardeep Singh Puri, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, NITI
Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar and NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant), Industry leaders (Rahul Bajaj, Sanjiv
Bajaj, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Arundhati Bhattacharya, Adi Godrej, Ajay Singh, Sunil Mittal and Nandan
Nilekani)are expected to attend the meet.
About WEF:
♦ Formation: January 1971
♦ Headquarters: Cologny, Geneva, Switzerland
♦ Founder: Klaus Schwab
♦ Motto: Committed to improving the state of the world

High-Level Meeting (HLM) between Indian and Srilankan coast guard held
On August 20, 2019, A High-Level Meeting (HLM) was held between India and Srilanka at the Indian Coast
Guard (ICG) headquarters in New Delhi. The Indian delegation was led by Director General, Indian Coast
Guard K Natarajan, and the Srilankan delegation was held by Rear Admiral Samantha Wimalathunge.
Key points
i. The meeting was held as part of the MoU(Memorandum of Understanding) signed between the two sides in
establishing a collaborative relationship to combat illegal activities at sea like smuggling and developing
regional cooperation.
ii. An official visit to India is paid by a 4-member delegation of Sri Lanka Coast Guard, led by Wimalathunge
from August 19-23, 2019.
Various discussions held: The discussions held were regarding,

• Continued capacity building of Sri Lanka Coast Guard by Indian Coast Guard.
• Training of Sri Lanka Coast Guard personnel.
• Mutual cooperation in multilateral forums on safety and security.
Important enabler for collaboration: The apprehension of 2 fishing boats by Sri Lanka involved in drug
trafficking based on the information exchange undertaken by ICG that invoked the MoU was recognised as an
important enabler for pursuing further collaborative response to emerging situations at sea.
About ICG
♦ Motto- “We protect”.
♦ Founded- 18 August 1978.
♦ Act- Coast Guard Act, 1978.

First World Youth Conference on Kindness inaugurated by Indian President


On August 23, 2019, the President of India, Shri Ram NathKovind inaugurated the first World Youth Conference
on kindness at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The president addressed the event celebrating the 150th birth
anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on the theme ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: Gandhi for the Contemporary World’.

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Key points:
i. Aim: To impart empathy, compassion, mindfulness and critical enquiry to inspire, empower and enable youth
to transform building a long-lasting peace in their communities and finding pathways to achieve Sustainable
Development Goals(SDG).
ii. Blue dot: 10th edition of UNESCO’s Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable
Development (MGIEP) flagship programme ‘the Blue Dot’. It focuses on MGIEP social and emotional learning.
iii. More than 1000 Youth leaders from 27 countries participated in the event.
The conference was organised by UNESCO(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation)
Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development, Ministry of Human Resource
Development, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’.
About UNESCO MGIEP:
♦ It is a category 1 research institute that focuses on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
It was launched by former UNESCO Director General Ms. Irina Bokova and former President of India Shri
Pranab Mukherjee.
♦ Launched – 2012.

12th India Security Summit held in New Delhi


The 12th edition of India security summit organised by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of
India (ASSOCHAM) was held in New Delhi. The theme for the year 2019 is “Towards New National Cyber
Security Strategy”.

Key points
i. The Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Shri G. Kishan Reddy,
Jitendra Singh, MoS for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region and Minister of State for Prime
Minister’s Office; Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy and Department of
Space, Ms Neeta Verma Director General of National Informatics Centre(NIC), were present in the event.
ii. To tackle cybercrimes in India which ranks third largest in the world, the Union Home Ministry had also
launched scheme ‘Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)’.
iii. “Cyber Swachhta Kendra” which is a part of the Government of India’s Digital India initiative under the
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) were mentioned in the event.

7th Community Radio Sammelan for 2019 held in New Delhi


On August 27, 2019, The 7th Community Radio Sammelan for the year 2019 was inaugurated by Shri Amit
Khare, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting at Dr. BR Ambedkar Bhawan, New Delhi in the
presence of the representatives of all operational Community Radio Stations across India along with senior
officials of Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. It was held from August 27-29, 2019 and was organized
by Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. The theme of this year’s Sammelan is ‘Community Radio for
SDGs’ (Sustainable Development Goals).

i. Other initiatives: The minister inaugurated a poster exhibition of Community Radio Stations. A short film on
the step by step process for setting up of Community Radio Station was also launched on the occasion.
ii. Plenary sessions: The plenary sessions on “The SDG Journey – leaving no one behind” was chaired by
Shri Rakesh Ranjan, Senior Consultant, Niti Aayog, and a session on “Community Radio: Issues, Ideas and
Experiences” was chaired by Ms. Esther Kar, Former Director General, Press Information Bureau. This session
focussed on content management, research, production, broadcasting and dissemination of content through
social media.

Shri Prakash Javadekar presented National Awards for Community Radio for 2018 and 2019
Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Minister of Information and Broadcasting Shri
Prakash Javadekar presented the National Awards for Community Radio for 2018 and 2019. He also
released the booklet “Jan Connect: Clear Intentions, Decisive Actions” on key decisions taken by the

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Government in the first 75 days of its second tenure. The booklet has been brought out by Bureau of Outreach
and Communication, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.

The Awards for the years 2018 and 2019 were given in the following five categories:

• Thematic
• Community Engagement
• Promoting Local Culture
• Most Creative/Innovative
• Sustainability Category
List of Awardees

Thematic Category

2018 2019

First prize Radio Namaskar, Odisha Friends Radio, Tripura

Programme: Ama Khadya Programme: Health


and Women

Second prize Radio Sharda, Jammu & Kashmir Salaam Namaste, Uttar
Pradesh
Programme: Wangegvoor
Programme: Salaam
Shakti

Third prize Radio MGIRI, Maharashtra i. Waqt Ki Awaaz, Uttar


Pradesh
Programme: Unch Majha Zoka
Programme:
Chaukanni
Chaardiwari

ii. Alfaz-e-Mewat,
Haryana

Programme: Kanoon Ki
Baat

Community Engagement Category

2018 2019

First prize Radio Madhuban, Rajasthan Radio Namaskar,


Odisha
Programme: Nanhe Sitare
Programme: Ama Priya
Pakhala

Second prize Kisan Radio, Uttar Pradesh Pant Nagar Janvani,


Uttarakhand

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Programme: Chalo Gaon Ki Aur Programme: Ye Kahan


Aa Gaye Hum

Third prize Radio Pragya, Uttar Pradesh KRDA Community Ente


Radio, Kerala
Programme: Ladies First
Programme: Sneha
Sena

Promoting Local Culture Category

2018 2019

First prize Pant Nagar Janvani, Uttarakhand Radio Madhubhan,


Rajasthan
Programme: Anchal Ki Surabhi
Programme: Gaon Ri
Baten

Second prize Radio Sharda, Jammu & Kashmir Radio Yerlavani,


Maharashtra
Programme: Peindh Te Purran
Local Cultural
Programme

Third prize Radio Madhuban, Rajasthan Radio Media Village,


Kerala
Programme: Opno Samaj
Programme: Nattu
Nanma

Most Creative/Innovative Category

2018 2019

First prize Sanjha Radio, Haryana Radio Sarang,


Karnataka
Programme: Sports Ki Baat Sanjha Radio Ke Sath,
Programme:
Antarabelaku

Second prize Radio Media Village, Kerala Samudayik Rudi No


Radio, Gujarat
Programme: Sukritham
Programme: Vasant
Panchami

Third prize i. Radio Pragya, Uttar Pradesh KSR Community Radio,


Tamil Nadu
Programme: Master Mind
Programme: Mattram
ii. Radio Namaskar, Odisha

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Programme: Sishu Hasile Duniya Hasiba

Sustainability Category

2018 2019

First prize Radio Mattoli, Kerala Sanjha Radio, Haryana

Second prize Sanjha Radio, Haryana Radio Media Village,


Kerala

DoT allocates two additional dedicated frequencies for running Community Radio – 89.6 and 90.0 MHz
Shri Amit Khare, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting informed that Department of
Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications has agreed to dedicate 2 additional frequencies
viz. 89.6and 90.0 MHz for running Community Radio Stations. Recent hike in advertisement rates for print and
electronic media, the advertisement rates for Community Radio will be revised by the Bureau of Outreach and
Communication within 2 months.

• Community Radio Cell will be set up in the Ministry for grievance redressal and collating actionable
suggestions received from stakeholders.
• Media and Communication Plan of all Ministries of the Government must include Community Radio to
leverage their deeper ground level penetration.
• Compendium of all the programmes running on Community Radio Stations all across the country
released by Union Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar will be distributed to all District Collectors to
sensitize them for utilization of Communication Radio in their local communication endeavours.
• National Sammelan will be held annually, along with Regional Sammelans which be held in different
corners in India.
About Ministry of Information & Broadcasting:
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi
♦ Constituency of Shri Prakash Javadekar: Rajya Sabha- Madhya Pradesh

1st India-Ghana Foreign Office Consultations held in New Delhi


On August 28, 2019, The first ever India-Ghana Foreign Office Consultations was held in New Delhi. The
Indian delegation was led by Shri. T.S Tirumurti, Secretary (Economic Relations) while the Ghanaian delegation
was led by Mr. Charles Owiredu, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.

Key Points:
i. Both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and looked at new areas for cooperation. Views
were also exchanged on regional and multilateral issues.
ii. They agreed to enhance cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, development partnership, dèfence
& security, health & pharmaceutical sector, capacity building & training and people to people contacts.
iii. Satisfaction was expressed by both sides on the regular high political level exchanges, including the
successful visits of Honorable President of India to Ghana in June 2016 and Honorable President of Ghana to
India in March 2018 to attend the Founding Conference of International Solar Alliance (ISA).

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Court infrastructure facilities topped by Delhi and Kerala, based on the report by independent legal
think tank Vidhi Centre
According to a recent survey conducted by Vidhi centre for for Legal Policy in its report titled “Building Better
Courts (Surveying the Infrastructure of India’s District Courts)”, Delhi (90%) and Kerala (84%) became the
top-performing states in court infrastructure facility whereas Bihar (26%) and Manipur (29%) have the
poorest infrastructure in lower judiciary.
i. Based on 9 parameters formulated by Vidhi Centre for legal policy, 665 district courts across 29 states and 9
union territories were surveyed on the physical and digital aspects of the court infrastructure

• The nine parameters are getting there, navigation, waiting areas, hygiene, barrier-free access, case
display, security, amenities and website.
Other top performing and poor performing states
i. Nagaland, West Bengal, and Jharkhand were the lower ranking states in infrastructure but better than Bihar
and Manipur.
ii. The higher-ranking states other than Delhi and Kerala are Meghalaya, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.
Survey results
i. If a court complex had three-phase like ramps, tactile pavements and designated washrooms, they are
considered to be a full-service court complex. Only 39% of states in India had the full-service court complexes.
ii. 81% (539 out of 665) of court complexes are accessible where public transport and 80% (532) complexes
have parking.
iii. The largest number of court complexes inaccessible by public transport where Gujarat Sikkim and Tripura.
iv. According to the National Court Management Systems (NCMS) committee which was set up in 2012, a guide
map or reception Centre along with the facilitation centre and document filing Centre should be set up at the
entrance of the complex but there are only 20% district courts having guide maps and 45% having help desk.
v. Goa, Jharkhand, UP and Mizoram had least number of functional washrooms in their court complexes
Security survey
Only 11% Court complexes had baggage scanning facility, 71% had fire extinguishers and only 48% had
emergency exit signs

IIT-D start-up bags 10th NCPEDP-Mphasis Universal Design Award 2019


On August 20, 2019, Ankita Gulati, founder of TouchVision which is an Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi
(IIT-D) incubated startup, won the 10th edition of NCPEDP-Mphasis Universal Design Award 2019. The
award was presented by Rama Devi, sitting Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
Key points:
i. The award was given for developing a multisensory kit for the visually impaired people which was developed
at Assistive Technologies Lab of IIT-Delhi. She has received the award under category ‘B’ (for Working
Professionals).
About the multi-sensory kit: The device explains about the content in a picture when a visually impaired
person touches it.
About NCPEDP
♦ NCPEDP stands for National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People.
♦ Founder- Sonia Gandhi.
♦ Established- 1996.

Dr. Jitendra Singh presents Smart Policing Awards at the Homeland Security 2019 conference in New
Delhi
On August 23, 2019, The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Development of
North Eastern Region, Jitendra Singh has presented 35 Smart Policing Awards, instituted
by FICCI(Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) at Homeland Security 2019 Conference,
in New Delhi. He also released a compendium on ‘Best Practices in Policing’ during the event.

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Key points:
i. The 35 awards were given to the officers for working in the areas of anti-insurgency, child safety, community
policing, crime investigation & prosecution, cybercrime management, emergency response, human trafficking,
road safety & traffic management, smart police station, surveillance & monitoring, training & capacity building,
women safety and other police initiatives.
ii. He also stated that the central Government has taken many initiatives for the benefit of security forces & will
be committed to make policing more effective specially with regard to laws related to women and drug
trafficking.
About FICCI:
♦ Formation: 1927
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi
♦ President: Sandip Somany

India’s first clinical ecotoxicology facility inaugurated at AIIMS, Delhi


On August 9, 2019, India’s first-of-its-kind clinical ecotoxicology facility was inaugurated at the All India
Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. It will investigate the increasing number of diseases resulting
from exposure to environmental toxins contaminating water, food, and air. It will provide diagnostic and
research services to all the clinical departments dealing with diseases due to ecotoxicity.

About New Delhi:


♦ Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal
♦ Lt Governor: Anil Baijal

“Op-Blue Freedom” flagged off by KirenRijiju and BaichungBhutia


Op-Blue Freedom’ a first of its kind in Asia, a nation-wide adaptive scuba diving programme for people with
disabilities as well as for able-bodied persons. It was launched by sports minister (independent charge) Kiren
Rijiju and former Indian football team captain Baichung Bhutia at Talkatora garden, New Delhi.

Key points
Aim: To train adventure enthusiasts in special forces skills like survival techniques, emergency first response
skills, unarmed combat, endurance, and fitness by a group of armed forces veterans.
About sports ministry:
Headquarters- New Delhi.
Constituency of Kiren Rijiju- West Arunachal Pradesh.
The Ministry was set up as the Department of Sports at the time of organization of 1982 Asian Games in New
Delhi.

Feroz Shah Kotla Cricket Ground in Delhi is set to be renamed as Arun Jaitley Stadium
The governing body of Cricket activities in the Delhi state, the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA)
has decided to rename the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi as Arun Jaitley Stadium in the memory of the
cricket body’s former president who passed away on August 24, 2019. He served as the president of the DDCA
from 1999 to 2013.

Key points:
i. The rechristening will take place on September12, 2019, at a function, which will be held at the Jawaharlal
Nehru Stadium and will be graced by the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju.
ii. Jaitley, the former Minister of Finance is credited with renovating the Kotla ground into a modern facility
with increased capacity to accommodate more fans and also world-class dressing rooms.

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Former external affairs minister and BJP stalwart, Sushma Swaraj passed away
The senior BJP(Bharatiya Janata Party) leader and India’s former external affairs minister(EAM) Sushma
Swaraj passed away in All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi due to a massive heart
attack. She was 67.

i. Born on 14 February 1952 in Ambala Cantt town of Haryana, Sushma started her political life with the Akhil
Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the RSS’(Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) student wing, and later joined the BJP.
ii. She was the external affairs minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet from 26 May 2014 to 30
May, 2019, only the 2nd woman in the role after Indira Gandhi.
iii. Swaraj was known for her active presence on social media, often replying to calls and messages of distress
from Indians abroad.
iv. The BJP stalwart, Sushma got her credit such as being country’s youngest-ever Cabinet Minister(at the age of
25 in 1977), first woman Chief Minister of Delhi(13 October, 1998 to 3 December, 1998).
v. Swaraj, a law graduate who practiced in the Supreme Court(SC), was served as a seven-time MP(Member of
Parliament) and as MLA(Member of the Legislative Assembly) for three terms. In the 2014 Indian general
election, Sushma won from the Vidisha constituency in Madhya Pradesh for a second term (MP), retaining her
seat by a margin of over 400,000 votes.
vi. In 1996, She was the Information and Broadcasting (I&B)Minister in the 13-day Atal Bihari Vajpayee
government & she also contested against the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Bellary, Karnataka in the
1999 Lok Sabha polls.
vii. She served as the Minister of Information and Broadcasting from 30 September 2000 – 29 January 2003 in
Atal Bihari Vajpayee govt. Then from 29 January 2003 – 22 May 2004, she served as the Minister of Health and
Family Welfare. She also served as the Leader of the Opposition in the 15th Lok Sabha 21 December 2009 – 26
May 2014. From 26 May 2014 – 7 January 2016, she was the Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs. Then her last
post was as the well-respected Minister of External Affairs 26 May 2014 – 30 May 2019 in Narendra Modi govt.

Former finance minister Arun Jaitly passed away at the age of 66


On August 24,2019, former Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley passed away at the age of 66 due to health
related ailments at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi where he underwent treatment
several weeks after suffering from breathlessness and restlessness.

Key points
i. Lawyer by profession, Arun Jaitley, who was born on 28 December 1952, was a member of the political
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and held various portfolios during the Government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and
Shri Narendra Modi government’s first term. They were

• Additional Solicitor General (1989-1990)


• Finance (2014-2019)
• Defence (2014-2017)
• Corporate Affairs (2014-2019)
• Law and Justice (2003-2004)
• information and broadcasting (1999-2000 and 2014-2016)
• Department of disinvestment (1999)
• Minister of shipping (2001)
• Leader of opposition,rajyasabha(2009-2014).
ii. He directly contested and lost his first parliamentary election in 2014 from Amritsar constituency of Punjab.
iii. Being a finance minister under Modi’s first government, ArunJaitley stepped down from contesting in the
2019 loksabha election citing health issues.
iv. He also served as a member of the Board of Governors of Asian Development Bank(ADB).

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Initiative & Reforms:


He introduced many key reforms and initiatives like establishment of the monetary policy committee and
demonetising high value notes in November 2016, liberalisation of foreign direct investment framework and
abolition of Foreign Investment Promotion Board(FIPB) which is now replaced as Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI), and implementation of the Goods and Service Tax(GST).

Treatments underwent:
i. Jaitly who served as Finance Minister(FM) from 2014-2019 underwent a renal transplant in 2018 May, and
his post as FM was replaced by the then railway minister Piyush Goyal in his absence.
ii. He returned back to office on August 2018.
iii. Previously he had also undergone bariatric surgery in 2014.

New Delhi Current Affairs – September 2019


CGHS Bhawan inaugurated in Sector 13 of R K Puram in New Delhi
On September 1, 2019, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the state-
of-the-art Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) Bhawan in Sector 13 of R K Puram in New Delhi in
the presence of Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi, Member of Parliament, New Delhi, Smt. Preeti Sudan, Secretary (Health),
Shri Sanjeeva Kumar, Spl. Secretary (Health), Dr Atul Prakash, Director (CGHS), Dr Sanjay Jain, Addl Director-
HQ (CGHS) along with other senior officers from the Ministry and CGHS. It is the Headquarters of CGHS and has
the administrative section, the CGHS Card section, and a state-of-the-art modern and well equipped Wellness
Centre.
Key Points:
i. Present status: CGHS services, started in 1954 from Government of India Market in Delhi, was expanded to
only 25 cities till 2014. In the last 5 years (Till 2019), the Modi government has extended it to 71 cities.
ii.Aim: CGHS services should be made available in 100 cities by 2022. Under Ayushman Bharat, 150000
Health and Wellness Centres are planned to come up by 2022.
iii. Annual Health Check-up: The Minister unveiled a new scheme of Annual Health Check-up of CGHS
beneficiaries who are pensioners of the age of 75 years and above.
About Ministry of Health and Family Welfare:
♦ Formed: 1976
♦ Constituency of Dr Harsh Vardhan: Chandni Chowk, New Delhi

“Garvi Gujarat Bhavan” inaugurated by PM Modi in New Delhi


On September 2, 2019 the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the “Garvi Gujarat Bhavan” at
Akbar Road in New Delhi. The building was built by the Gujarat government at a cost of Rs 131 crore which
will serve as a home for Gujarati people in Delhi and the old Gujarat Bhavan at Chanakyapuri, Delhi will also
continue to function.

Key points
i. Members present: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister(Gujarat) Nitin Patel and other
officials were present during the event.
ii. Building features: It is built on an area of 20,325 sq.mts with 7066 square mts grant from the central
government and has 19 suits rooms, 59 regular rooms, a restaurant, a public dining hall, a business centre, a
souvenir shop, a multi-purpose hall etc, all with modern and traditional architecture blend.
iii.Gujarat’s development: The efforts by Gujarat government toward development was appreciated by the
Prime Minister and assured the state’s piped drinking water facility at every household would be accomplished
by 2024.

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Union HRD Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launched various initiatives of AICTE in New
Delhi
On September 18, 2019, Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal
‘Nishank’ launched various initiatives of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in New Delhi.

Key Points:

• Initiatives: The initiatives are Facilitation through Margadarshan and Margadarshak, Model
Curriculum for Diploma Courses, Waste Management Accelerator for Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs
(WAWE Summit 2019) and 360-degree Feedback of Faculty.
• Margadarshan initiative: Under this scheme, institutions having good accreditation record/ highly
performing institutions are provided funding upto Rs. 50 lakhs per institution over a period of three
years in instalments for carrying out various activities. For FY 2019-20, amount of Rs 6.45 crore is
sanctioned to 26 institutions.
• Margdarshak initiative: Under this scheme, mentor teachers or Margdarshaks are identified and they
will guide the mentee institutions to get accreditation by National Board of Accreditation (NBA). Their
tenure will be initially for 6 months but extendable on year on year basis.
• 360-degree Feedback of Faculty: AICTE 7th Pay Regulation defines the process of collecting the 360-
degree Feedback Data that will be submitted by the education institutes.
• WAWE Summit 2019: The WAWE Summit will be held in November-December 2019 which will be
jointly organized by the AICTE and Institute of Waste Management (IIWM) at Jaipur, Rajasthan. Theme
will be ‘Make your own bag’. It will be the largest gathering of young women students to promote
entrepreneurship in waste management.
About AICTE:
♦ Formed: November 1945
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi
♦ Chairman: Dr. Anil Sahasrabudhe

Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched Ayushman Bharat Pakhwara ahead of first anniversary of
AB-PMJAY in Delhi
On September 15, 2019, the Union health & family welfare minister Shri Harsh Vardhan launched Ayushman
Bharat Pakhwara, a fortnight-long awareness about the Ayushman Bharat scheme and other initiatives like
Poshan Abhiyaan and Swachhta Abhiyaan in New Delhi, to focus on promotive and curative aspects of
healthcare, nutrition, yoga, and healthy lifestyle. It is observed from September 15-30, 2019 celebrating one-
year launch of Ayushman Bharat- the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) on September 23, 2019.
Key points
i. Achievements: About 21000 health and wellness centres have been established so far and over 47 lakh
people have benefited from the scheme in the first year.
ii. Future targets: 1.5 Lakh Health Centres are to be set up by 2022 under the Ayushman Bharat scheme which
provides Rs 5lakh per year under the insurance cover.
iii. Workshop: To mark one year of the PM-JAY, the National Health Authority will be organizing a 2-day
national workshop, Arogya Manthan, on September 30th and October 1st, 2019
Union Minister Harsh Vardhan launched ‘UMMID’ initiative for new born babies and inaugurated
NIDAN kendras in New Delhi
On September 23, 2019 the union minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, Health and Family Welfare
Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched ‘UMMID’ (Unique Methods of Management and treatment of Inherited Disorders)
initiative designed on the concept of “prevention is better than cure” to make efforts to tackle genetic diseases
inherited by new born babies, in New Delhi. He also inaugurated ‘NIDAN’ (National Inherited Diseases
Administration) Kendras, under the aegis of Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and
Technology.

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Key points
i. UMMID aim: The aim of UMMID is

• To establish NIDAN kendras for testing, diagnosis and treatment of genetic disease with
multidisciplinary care especially in govt. Hospitals as a part of first phase.
• Producing skilled clinicians in Human Genetics and
• Screening of pregnant women and the newborn for genetic disease in aspirational districts.
ii. UMMID initiative will work under the National Health Policy, 2017 that aims to shift focus from “sick-care” to
“wellness”. This initiative will be taken to other countries in its next phases.
iii. Initially 5 NIDAN kendras have been established for providing clinical care.
iv. Genetics training: Madras Medical Mission- Chennai; Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical
Sciences (SGPGIMS) Lucknow; The Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) , Hyderabad; All
India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi; Maulana Azad Medical College(MAMC) New Delhi;
National Institute of Immunohaematology(NIIH) Mumbai and Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore have
been supported to provide training in Biochemical Genetics, Cytogenetics, Molecular Genetics, and Clinical
Genetics to the clinicians of government hospitals. Screening of 10,000 pregnant women and 5000 new born
babies per year will be done in the following 7 aspirational districts.
Aspirational districts:
No. Institute Aspirational district State name
1 SGPGIMS, Lucknow Sharawasti Uttar Pradesh
2 NIIH, Mumbai Nandurbar Maharashtra
3 CMC, Vellore Washim Maharashtra
4 CDFD, Hyderabad Yadgir Karnataka
5 LHMC, New Delhi Mewat Haryana
6 AIIMS, New Delhi Haridwar Uttarakhand
7 MAMC, New Delhi Ranchi/Bokaro Jharkhand
Initial 5 NIDAN kendras:

No. NIDAN kendra


1 Lady Hardinge Medical College(LHMC), Delhi.
2 Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences(NIMS), Hyderabad, Telangana.
3 AIIMS, Jodhpur.
4 Army Hospital Research Camp,Referral Delhi
5 Nil RatanSircar(NRS) Medical College and hospital, Kolkata

About union health ministry:


Founded- 1976.
Headquarters- New Delhi.
Minister of State (MoS)- Ashwini Kumar Choubey (constituency- Buxar, Bihar)

3 day 5th International Ramayana Festival organised by ICCR held in New Delhi
3 day long 5th International Ramayana Festival was inaugurated in New Delhi on September 17, 2019 by
Union minister of home affairs Shri Amit Shah. The festival is organised by Indian Council for Cultural
Relations(ICCR) to promote Indian culture and its values and will be held until September 19, 2019. 17
countries have participated in the festival which is organised 5th time in a row.
Key points
i. The festival will be conducted in Lucknow between September 20-22 and in Pune on September 21, 2019.
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Secretary-General of INTERPOL, Mr. Jurgen Stock, called on Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah, in
New Delhi
On August 31, 2019, International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) Secretary General, Mr. Jürgen
Stock, called on Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah, in New Delhi. He assured the best support of INTERPOL
for the fight against terror.

Key Points:
i. The proposal was made to host the INTERPOL General Assembly in New Delhi in the year 2022, as part of
celebrations of the 75th Anniversary of Indian Independence.
ii. India expressed its willingness to be a Regional Hub of INTERPOL Global Academy by extending assistance &
infrastructural support.
About INTERPOL:
♦ Motto: Connecting police for a safer world
♦ Established: 1923 (As International Criminal Police Commission)
♦ Renamed as INTERPOL: 1956
♦ Headquarters: Lyon, France

Cultural event ‘Namaste pacific’ organised in Delhi


On August 27, 2019, cultural event ‘Namaste Pacific’ was organised in Delhi jointly by the high commissions of
Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji to showcase pacific region cultures in India.
Key points
i. Para-athlete Deepa Malik (Shot Put player) and future Secretary (East) of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
from October 1, 2019 Vijay Thakur Singh were the guest of honours at the event.
ii. During the event, the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and Pollinate energy based in Australia, Nepal and
India was also showcased.

DST selects IIT-Delhi & IIT Kharagpur to establish shared science and technology infrastructure facility
SATHI
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and IIT Kharagpur have been selected by the Department of
Science and Technology (DST) to establish a shared science and technology infrastructure facility
named Sophisticated Analytical and Technical Help Institute (SATHI).
Key Points:
i. DST will provide Rs 125 Crore over a period of 3 years, starting from 2019-20, to set up SATHI.
ii. The centre will provide professionally managed services to meet the demands of industry, start-ups and
academia which will be accessible to them and to manufacturing units and research & development labs.
iii. IIT Kharagpur will treat the SATHI Centre as its Social Scientific Responsibility (SSR) programme.
iv. The centre will be set up in the Sonepat campus (Haryana) of IIT Delhi.
v. SATHI Centre will run the clock in a year.

Special training program for Maldivian civil servants to be run from September 16 – 28, 2019 at
Mussoorie and New Delhi
India will conduct a two-week special training programme (STP) for 32-member delegation (70% of
delegates are women officials) of Maldivian Civil Servants at the Mussoorie (Uttarakhand) and New
Delhi from 16 – 28 September 2019.
Key points:
i. The training drive is a part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on ‘Training and Capacity Building
Programme’ between India’s National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) and Maldives Civil Service
Commission (CSC) signed by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi during his visit to Male ,Maldives in June
2019.During the visit PM also emphasised India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and affirmed India’s support to
the Indian Ocean archipelago for socio-economic development and boosting of democratic and independent
organization.

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ii. Under the MoU, 10 training programmes will be conducted from September 2019 to December 2020.
iii. The inaugural event would be chaired by K. V. Eapen, Secretary DARPG (Department of Administrative
Reforms and Public Grievance), Fatimath Amira, Member Civil Services Commission and V. Srinivas, Additional
Secretary DARPG.
Cabinet of Delhi included OBC, general category students in ‘Jai Bheem Mukhyamantri Yojana’
On September 4, 2019, The cabinet of Delhi decided to include Other Backward Class (OBC) and General
category students in its ‘Jai Bheem Mukhyamantri Yojana’ which was initially meant for the Scheduled Caste
(SC) category students who were provided financial assistance of Rs 40,000.
Key Points:
i. It hiked the financial assistance from Rs 40,000 to Rs 1 lakh for coaching for various competitive exams.
ii. A civil service aspirant will be provided Rs 1 lakh financial assistance for 12-month coaching and Rs 50,000
will be given for coaching for the entrance examination for other professional courses like MBA (Master of
Business Administration), CLAT (Common Law Admission Test), etc.
iii. 11-month coaching will be provided with the financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh for the entrance examination
for professional courses for students with science stream like engineering, NDA (National Defence Academy)
and CDS (Combined Defence Service).
iv. Delhi students belonging to SC, ST (Scheduled Tribe), OBC and EWS (Economically Weaker section)
categories with total family income less than Rs 8 lakh per annum will be eligible for the scheme.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal launched a new mobile app named “Tatpar” for accessing over 50
citizen-centric services
On September 18, 2019, The Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has launched a new mobile app
called ‘Tatpar’ developed by various units of Delhi Police over the last three years . people will be able to do
more than 50 works of their need through this app with a single touch.The app was designed by the IT ministry
along with the National e-Governance Division, the app amalgamates all the websites and mobile applications
of Delhi Police.

Key points:
i. The application required to be separately installed by the specific user and to access the web-based service
delivery portals, the correct URL (Uniform Resource Locator)was required to be remembered by them.
ii. By visiting this app, people can navigate to their nearest police station, traffic pit and prepaid taxi booth &
can also get complete contact details of the concerned Station House Officer (SHO) of a police station.
iii. Along with this, a charm SOS (save our souls) button has also been given in this one touch app. If a person
presses the SOS button, he is able to call the Emergency Contact Number of his choice or reach the Police
Control Room at 100 number with one touch.
iv. Delhi Police Commissioner Amnulya Patnaik and other senior government and police officials were present
at the launching event.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal launched ‘champions campaign’ against dengue


On September 19, 2019, The Chief Minister of Delhi, Mr. Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
launched “champions campaign” in the fight against dengue.
i. Earlier, he had also launched 10Hafte 10Baje 10Minute campaign. He had urged the Delhi residents to give
10 minutes every Sunday from September 1- November 15, 2019, to check the surroundings to prevent the
breeding of dengue-carrier mosquitoes.

CM of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal launched Mukhyamantri Kirayedar Bijli Meter Yojana


On September 25, 2019, Chief Minister (CM) of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal notified the launch of Mukhyamantri
Kirayedar Bijli Meter Yojana under which tenants residing in Delhi will be able to avail power subsidy. They
will get a separate power meter.
Key Points:
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i. Through this new scheme, tenants will get a prepaid meter using 2 documents – rent agreement or rent
receipt and current address proof. They will have to deposit security money of Rs 3,000.
ii. The meters will be delivered to their respective houses by calling the helpline numbers of power distribution
companies – 19122 for BSES (Bombay Suburban Electric Supply) Yamuna, 19123 for BSES Rajdhani and 19124
for Tata Power.
iii. Under the existing power subsidy scheme in Delhi, public are not required to pay bills for the electricity
consumption of up to 200 units and 50% subsidy is given on bills for power consumption between 201 units
and 400 units.

MoS for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy launched street crime patrol van ‘prakhar’ and emergency
response number ‘112’
On September 25, 2019, the Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri G Kishan Reddy, flagged off “Prakhar”
street crime patrol vans in New Delhi in order to control crimes in the city and also launched single emergency
helpline number 112 for immediate assistance. The main call centre has been set up at Shalimar Bagh in New
Delhi for this purpose.
Key points
i. About helpline no: Emergency Response Support System no 112 (ERSS-112) will be a common helpline no.
for all emergency services to approach police, ambulance, fire brigade, and others. A person can avail help
either through a dial or through the mobile app. In a smartphone device, a panic call can be created by pressing
the power button thrice to activate a panic call to Emergency Response Centre (ERC) whereby the person’s
location will be identified by the police in the Police Control Room(PCR). Distress calls could also be made
through social media, email, Short Message Service(SMS), etc.
ii. Prakhar vans: For now, a total of 15 Prakhar vans (Scorpio Sport Utility Vehicle(SUV)) will conduct
patrolling at vulnerable spots to control crime in Delhi. This Prakhar crime control patrol was made under the
‘Safe City Project’ to curb street crime.
iii. Over the years the crime rate in Delhi has reduced by 20%. By this, Delhi has become the 19th state to have
adopted ERSS-112.

Delhi HC chief D.N Patel launched ‘Delhi High Court’ app for lawyers and litigants
On September 26, 2019 the DelhiHigh Court(HC) has launched official mobile app named “Delhi High Court”
for lawyers and litigants (person involved in a lawsuit). The app was launched by its Chief Justice(CJ)
DhirubhaiNaranbhai Patel.

Key points
i. App use: The app provides details about case status, display board, cause list and access to other important
links of the website of HC. Under the ‘Advocate Login’ section in the app, a lawyer can keep and manage
personal case diary online. The ‘important links’ section allows information access of CJ, sitting judges, their
roster, judgments, case history etc.

ii. Features: The app can also be accessed by a guest user, thus allowing the litigants to apply for entry pass
issuance to visit the HC. Advocates registered with the high court’s e-filing software will also be able to apply
for the e-inspection and online gate pass. The HC’s cause list and calendar will also be available in the app.
iii. Availability: The app is currently available for Android devices in Google Play Store and soon would be
made available for Iphone devices in its App store.

Niti Aayog selected McKinsey & Company to set up India’s first Digital Capability Centre in New Delhi
National Institution for Transforming India (Niti Aayog) has selected McKinsey & Company to set up
India’s first Digital Capability Centre (DCC) in New Delhi. McKinsey & Company supports 5 such centres
globally- in Aachen, Chicago, Singapore, Venice and Beijing.

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Key Points:
i. The government will act as a facilitator to bring together industry, academia, and research on one platform by
forming DCC.
ii. DCC is a unique digital manufacturing learning centre offering company leaders and their workforces hands-
on experience and workshops in next-generation technology.
About McKinsey & Company:
♦ Founded: 1926
♦ Headquarters: New York City, US

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan held meeting with Australian Minister for Resources and
Northern Australia Senator, Matthew Canavan in New Delhi
On August 28, 2019, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan held a meeting with
Australian Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Senator, Matthew Canavan in New Delhi. They
agreed to work towards strengthening the energy pillar of bilateral engagement.

Key Points:
i. Both ministers discussed the importance of energy and resources in India-Australia bilateral relationship and
to enhance cooperation in the area of coking coal.
ii. They agreed to expand the scope of cooperation on a wider range of energy resources.
iii. India is the largest importer of Australian metallurgical coal

Amit Shah meets his Singaporean counterpart in New Delhi, discusses bilateral issues
On August 31, 2019, The Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah met his Singaporean counterpart K
Shanmugam in New Delhi and they discussed bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.

Key points:
i. The two sides agreed to step up cooperation in dealing with trans-national organized crime, including drug
trafficking and economic offenses.
ii. Shah noted that the two countries relations are based on shared values and approaches, economic
opportunities and convergence of interest on key challenges. Shanmugam highlighted the importance of
Singapore’s strategic partnership with India & also invited Shah to visit ingapore.
iii. Both sides also exchanged views and concerns on the challenges of terrorism and extremism & agreed to
strengthen the current bilateral institutional mechanisms on security issues.

‘72nd Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia’ held in New Delhi
On September 2, 2019 Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW) Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurated
the ‘72nd Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia’ in New Delhi and was also unanimously
elected as the chair of the 72nd Session of the WHO(World Health Organisation) Regional Committee for
South-East Asia.This is the second time that India is hosting this session and the previous one was also hosted
by India in New Delhi.

During the Ministerial meeting regarding ‘Emergency Preparedness’ 2nd day of ‘72nd Session of the WHO
Regional Committee for South-East Asia’,India confirmed its support by providing 200,000 US dollars towards
implementation of the preparedness stream under the South East Asia Health Emergency Response Fund
(SEARHEF).Health Ministers of the South-East Asia Region of WHO also signed the Delhi Declaration on
Emergency Preparedness.

Key points
i. Members present: During the inaugural function, 8 health ministers from the 11 countries of the WHO South
East Asia Region (SEAR), SmtPreeti Sudan, Health and Family Welfare(HFW)Secretary, DrPoonamKhetrapal
Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region were present.

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ii. Address by Harsh Vardhan:

• PoshanMaah: The month of September is observing as “PoshanMaah” (Nutrition Month) addressing


malnutrition problems and improve healthy eating and move towards ‘Malnutrition-Free India’.
• Eat Right India: With the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) adoption of ‘food
system approach’, the citizens are committed to the people’s movement called the “Eat Right India”
movement with the tagline “SahiBhojan. BehtarJeevan” which means ‘Right diet leads to better quality
of life’.
• Fit India movement: The health minister credited Indian Cricketer ViratKohli in helping to launch the
Fit India Movement on National Sports Day(August 29) that would encourage people to include physical
activity and sports as a routine in their life.
• Road to universal healthcare: The health minister targeted Ayushman Bharat’s universal health care
by 2022 with the help of two components with the first one being the establishment of 1.5lakh health
and wellness centre and the second being health protection cover to 100 million poor and vulnerable
families for secondary and tertiary care.
• Key features of PMJAY: Ayushman Bharat which is also known as Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya
Yojana(PMJAY) provides health cover of upto Rs.5 lakh per family with 17,000 hospitals enlisted under
the scheme. The scheme met with 4.1million beneficiaries saving Rs.120billion on health expenditure.
• Mission Indradhanush: Plans to increase immunisation coverage to 90% with Indhradhanush mission
were charted out. The mission was launched in 2014 to achieve and sustain the immunisation coverage
by 2020.
About MoHFW:
Founded-1976.
Headquarters- New Delhi.
Minister of State(MoS) –Faggan Singh Kulaste(constituency- Mandla, Madhya Pradesh).
Harsh Vardhan constituency- ChandniChowk, Delhi.

3rd India-Australia Cyber Dialogue for the year 2019 held in New Delhi
On September 4, 2019, 3rd India-Australia Cyber Policy Dialogue for the year 2019 was held in New
Delhi. Shri Upender Singh Rawat, Joint Secretary in charge of e-Governance, Information Technology and
Cyber Diplomacy at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs led the Indian delegation and Australian delegation
was led by the Ambassador for Cyber Affairs Dr. Tobias Feakin.
Key Points:
• The Indian delegation included representatives from National Security Council System (NSCS), Ministry
of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Department of
Tele-communication (DoT), Computer Emergency Response Team – India (CERT-In) and National
Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC). Australian delegation included
representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Department of Home Affairs, the
Australian Signals Directorate’s (ASD) Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), and Australian Federal
Police (AFP).
• Discussions were made on the current and emerging cyber security issues including emerging
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) technologies, national approaches to cyber security
policy and legislation, international issues including the respective views on the United Nations Group
of Governmental Experts and Open Ended Working Group, critical technologies, and cooperation to
address cybercrime.
• Both countries assured to implement the United Nations Group of Governmental Experts (UNGGE)
reports of the 2013 and 2015 on the application of international law, in particular the United Nations
(UN) Charter, agreed norms of responsible state behavior, confidence building measures and capacity
building.

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• They agreed to work towards the establishment of a Joint Working Group on Cyber Security
Cooperation and to commence negotiations for a Framework Agreement on Cyber Cooperation.
• They agreed to share information on Internet of Things (IoT) security standards and best practices.
• They agreed to enhance practical cyber security policy cooperation through reciprocal expert
exchanges on the information of policy development, on telecommunications, legislative developments,
and engagement with the private sector.
About Australia:
♦ Capital: Canberra
♦ Currency: Australian dollar

“National Conference on India-Africa Partnership in a Changing Global Order” addressed by vice


president
On September 4, 2019 the Vice President of India Shri Venkaiah Naidu addressed the valedictory session of
the national conference on 2019 ‘India-Africa Partnership in a Changing Global Order–Priorities, Prospects and
Challenges’ in New Delhi organised by Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA).

Key addresses
i. World communities were called to root out terrorism and also for enlargement and democratization of the
United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
ii. Trade partnership of Africa: Bilateral trade investment of Africa in the year 2017-18 was USD 62.66
billion, where India was the fourth largest investor in Africa with cumulative investments USD 54 billion. India
had also signed the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) to make Africa the largest trade
area in the world.
iii. Publications: During the conference Shri Naidu, released two books on Indian Council of World Affairs
(ICWA) named “Shakti Ki Manyata- Samyukta Rashtra Suraksha Parishad” written by Dilip Sinha and
“Bharat Aur European Sangh: Ek Antarangik Drishtikon” by Bhaswati Mukherjee.
iv. Initiatives by India: In-order to strengthen the Indo-African relationship various initiatives like the 2004
Techno-Economic Approach for Africa-India Movement-9 (TEAM-9) initiative, Focus Africa Programme and
India Africa Forums Summit were started. The no. 9 of TEAM-9 denotes India and its relationship with 8 west
African countries.
v. Africa agenda 2063: Africa’s 2063 Agenda adopted in January 2015 to strengthen its economy just like
India’s aspiration to become $5 trillion economy by 2024-25 were discussed.

Indian contribution to Africa:


India has provided 189 LOCs (Lines of Credit) to 42 African countries with total worth $11 billion. It is 42% of
the total amount of LOCs offered by India through EXIM(Export-Import) Bank.

Members present:

• Mr. Alem Tsehaye Woldemariam- Ambassador of the Republic of Etria and Dean of African Groups of
Heads of Mission.
• Dr. T.C.A. Raghavan- Director General(DG) of ICWA.
• Dr. Nivedita Ray- Director (Research) of ICWA and other members from ICWA.
About ICWA:
Founded- 1943.
Headquarters- New Delhi.
Founder President- Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru.
Ex-officio President- Venkaiah Naidu.
Vice-President- S Jaishankar (Minister of External Affairs).

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First National Conference on Cyber Crime Investigation and Cyber Forensics held in New Delhi
The Director of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Rishi Kumar Shukla inaugurated the first National
Conference on Cyber Crime Investigation and Cyber Forensics in New Delhi at the CBI headquarters. It was
a 2-day conference held on September 4-5, 2019.

Key Points:
i. It included one of the mandates of CBI which notifies to investigate crimes with inter-state & international
ramifications.
ii. It aimed to create a platform and bring together investigators, lawyers, forensic experts and academia to
discuss challenges related to cybercrime and ways to find solutions.
About CBI:
♦ Parent Crime Branch: Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
♦ Motto: Industry, Impartiality, Integrity

President inaugurates 2-day National Youth Summit 2019 in New Delhi


On September 7, 2019, The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind has inaugurated the National Youth
Summit 2019 held in New Delhi. It was organized by Youth Awakening Mission (a wing of Paavan Chintan
Dhara Charitable Trust, Ghaziabad).

Key points:
i. The 2-day summit was concluded at the ALT Center in Rajnagar, Ghaziabad on 8 September 2019. Defense
Minister Rajnath Singh was involved in this.
ii. Paavan Chintan Dhara Charitable Trust devoted to the promotion and publicity of functional spirituality,
service to the nation and knowledge of India, was founded on February 17, 2010, by Shriguru Pawan Ji. The
organization has contributed in the sectors of education, personality development, environment, social
equality,etc in the past 9 years.
iii. Youth Awakening Mission (YAM) is the important project of this trust, whose aim is to inculcate confidence,
will power, knowledge, and develop skills, logic, values, leadership qualities and patriotism among the youth
between the ages of 18-40 years in India. Under it, youth are given training. The youth is also given a duty
under the Rishikulshala project whose slogan is “Educate India Rebuild Nation”.

6th India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue 2019 held in New Delhi


Three day organised 6th India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue(SED) was held in New Delhi from
September 7-9, 2019 between India and China.

Delegation:

• The Indian delegation was led by Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman(VC) of National Institution of
Transforming India Aayog(NITI).
• The delegation from China was led by Mr. He Lifeng, chairman of National Development and Reform
Commission (NDRC)
Meeting:

• The dialogue was held among Joint Working Groups (JWG) on Infrastructure, Energy, High-Tech,
Resource Conservation, Pharmaceuticals and Policy coordination.
• Senior representatives of policy making, industry and other fields participated in the dialogue.
Background of SED:
i. SED formation: Formation of SED was planned by both the Indian and Chinese sides during the Indian visit
of the then Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao in December 2010.
ii. SED structure: Niti Aayog and NDRC conducts the dialogue each year alternatively in both the capital of
India and China.

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iii. First SED: The first SED dialogue was hosted by China at its capital in Beijing on 26 November 2011 and the
second SED dialogue was conducted by India in Delhi on 26 November 2012.

Appointees:
Both sides appointed 6 Standing JWG along with co-chairs to address all the economic and commercial issues
across various fields of infrastructure, pharma, resources etc.

Previous SED:

• The 5th edition of the SED was held in Beijing on April 14 2018, with the Indian delegation led by Dr.
Rajiv Kumar, VC of NITI aayog.
• Event encounters: A special JWG on pharmaceuticals was framed by the Indian side to address market
access and related issues under the SED umbrella. Since then JWG on Pharmaceuticals was constituted
after which the first meeting of “Working Group on Pharmaceuticals” was conducted in May 2019 by
the Department of Pharmaceutical in Beijing, China.
About NITI aayog:
♦ Formed- 1 January 2015.
♦ Headquarters- New Delhi.
♦ Chairperson- Narendra Modi.
♦ Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Amitabh Kant.
Recently in June 2019, Amitabh Kant was given extension of 2 years till june 30, 2021 as its CEO.

2019 National conference on crop residue management held in New Delhi


On September 8, 2019, the National Conference on crop residue management organised by govt. of India n
collaboration with ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) was held in New Delhi with nearly 1000
farmers participating in the conference. Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Narendra Singh
Tomar addressed the event.
Key point
i. States participated: Farmers from 4 states such as Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh & Delhi participated in
the event.
ii. Honours: 20 farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh were felicitated for their contribution in crop
management and also for promoting the in-situ crop residue management.
iii. “CHC Farm Machinery” app: The Minister of State(MoS) for agriculture and farmer’s welfare,
Shri Parshottam Rupala launched the “CHC Farm Machinery” app for the farmers to connect them with
Custom Hiring Service Centres located within 50km radius. The Custom Hiring Centres(CHC) app is available
for android devices and could be downloaded from the Google Play store.
About agriculture ministry:
Founded- 1947.
Headquarters- New Delhi.
Parshottam Rupala constituency- Gujarat.
MoS- Kailash Choudhary(constituency- Barmer, Rajasthan)
NarendhrasinghTomar constituency- Morena, Madhya Pradesh.
Secretary-Kahan Singh Pannu.

The first meeting of the Apex Committee for DefExpo 2020 held in New Delhi
On September 9, 2019, The first meeting of the Apex Committee for DefExpo 2020 was held in New Delhi. It
was chaired by the Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh and it was also attended by Chief Minister of Uttar
Pradesh Shri Yogi Adityanath. 11th edition of DefExpo will be held for the first time in Lucknow, Uttar
Pradesh from February 05 – 08, 2020 with the theme ‘Digital Transformation of Defence’.

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Key Points:
i. DefExpo India 2020 Brochure was released during the meeting.
ii. An MoU was signed between the officials of the Ministry of Defence and Uttar Pradesh Government
highlighting the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders.
iii. Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Shripad Naik, Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral
Karambir Singh, Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar, Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Subhash Chandra,
Secretary (Defence Finance) Smt Gargi Kaul, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D (research & development)
and Chairman, DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organization) Dr. G Satheesh Reddy and other
senior officials of Ministry of Defence (MoD), Chief Secretary of Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited – the nodal agency of the event had participated in the meeting.
About DefExpo 2020:
DefExpo is an exhibition conducted under the aegis of Ministry of Defence. It will showcase India’s Defence
manufacturing capabilities & world’s top defence manufacturing companies. It will highlight the logo
depicting ‘India – The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub

1st military conference for SCO member states held in New Delhi from sep12-13 2019
The first conference on military medicine for Shanghai Cooperation Organization(SCO) member countries
was organised in New Delhi from September 12-13, 2019 by the Indian Armed Forces under the aegis of
Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS). The aim of the conference was to share the best medicinal
practice and render medical support in military field and to overcome common challenges involved. Sri Lanka
and Nepal are the dialogue partners of this first military cooperation event hosted by India, under “SCO Defence
Cooperation Plan 2019-2020”, after India became SCO member state in 2017.

Key points
i. This conference had participation of senior military medical practitioners of SCO member countries after
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s invite to Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) of SCO countries.
ii. Events: Demonstration of the Rapid Action Medical Team was exhibited and also visit to the Army Research
and Referral Hospital was organised. The defence people will be trained in handling situations during disaster
management and improve patient safety.
About SCO:
♦ Headquarters-Beijing, China.
♦ Members- China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan.
♦ Secretary General- Vladimir Norov.
♦ Formation- 15 June 2001

COP 14 of UNCCD held at the India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida, Delhi

The 12-day, 14th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Convention to
Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was held at the India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida, Delhi NCR,
India from September 2-13, 2019 under the theme “Investing in Land, Unlocking Opportunities”. It was for
the first time, India had hosted the conference.

i. It washosted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) of India and presided by
Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate.
ii. It was jointly inaugurated by Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, India,
and Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary, UNCCD.
iii. Aim: The objective of the COP 14, accompanied with fourteenth meeting of the Committee on Science and
Technology (CST 14) and eighteenth meeting of Committee to Review the Implementation of the Convention
(CRIC 18), was to discuss on various issues of land such as sustainable land management, reversing land
degradation, mitigating drought, halting desertification, addressing sand and dust storms, linkages with gender,
tenure, etc. and guide the Convention as global and national circumstances needs change.

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iv. Logo: The logo of the COP 14 was launched by Mr. Prakash Javedkar, Minister of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change during World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) 2019 (Theme- “Let’s Grow the Future
Together”) celebrations on June 17, 2019 in New Delhi.
v. Participants: Nearly 9,000 participants from all over the world had participated in the event.
Delegates from 197 countries comprising of scientists and representatives of national and local governments,
global business leaders, Non governmental organizations, gender-based organisations, youth groups,
journalists, and faith and community groups had participated in the conference.
vi. COP14 hosted ‘thematic days’ that focused on the different areas of work of the Convention.

Core Agenda
Reversing land degradation and its outcomes while accelerating positive achievements for people and for
ecosystems with a view to deliver on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was the core agenda of the UNCCD
COP14.

Highlights of the official conference agenda

• People first: The health and well-being of 3.2 billion people was given importance.
• Security and Stability: Importance was given to the security and stability of natural resources.
• Turning plans into action: Evaluations were made on the drought initiatives to improve their
preparedness, management and response to drought.
• Enhancing resilience:Evaluations were made on the initiatives to transform and accelerate the
recovery of nature.
• Science at the service of nature:Evaluations were made on improvements that can be made to
provide better and actionable information for decision-makers and increase performance of the
resources on land.
• Pulling together on a global scale:Commitments and actions at large scales to support the resilience
of the environment and livelihoods were dealt.
• High level segment: Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi inaugurated the High Level Segment
(HLS) of UNCCD COP14 on September 9, 2019 in the presence of heads of the UN and other
international organizations, leaders of states and ministers from many countries.
Special events and the Rio Conventions Pavilion

• The side events featured case studies, actions or new knowledge that is related to the issues under
consideration at the Conference.
• The Rio Conventions Pavilion also took part at COP14, hosting “thematic days” that focused on the
different areas of work of the Convention and synergies among the Rio Conventions on climate change,
biodiversity and desertification.
• The events included a Youth Forum, a Gender Caucus, a Science Day, a Sand and Dust Storms Day, a
Business Day, a Local and Regional Governments Day, the GEF (Global Environment Facility) Day, the
Land for Life Day and a Drought Day.
India pledges to restore 50 lakh hectares of degraded land by 2030
With the provisions of New Delhi Declaration which was adopted at COP 14 UNCCD, India pledged to convert
degraded land of nearly 50 lakh hectares to fertile land in the next 10 years i.e by 2030.

India takes over COP Presidency from China for the next two years till 2021

• Shri Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change was elected as the
COP President for the next two years.
• India took over the COP Presidency from China for the next two years till 2021.
• India is one among the selected few countries to have hosted the COP of all three Rio conventions on
climate change, biodiversity and land.

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Second day of COP14 seized deliberations on Science & Technology

• On the second day of the COP14 to UNCCD under the theme “Restore land, Sustain future”, a Committee
meeting on Science & Technology with a focus on adoption of the COP 14 agenda and organization of
work was held.
• Items resulting from the work programme of the Science-Policy Interface for the biennium 2018-19
were discussed.
• 18th Meeting of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC) and key
discussions such as “Climate Co-Benefits of Programmes to Combat Land Degradation” were organized.
Shri CK Mishra, Secretary (MoEF&CC) chairs Open-Dialogue session on inclusion of activities of civil
society organizations

• The 4th day of COP14 was observed as “Science Day”. Shri CK Mishra, Secretary,(MoEF&CC) chaired an
Open-Dialogue session on inclusion of activities of civil society organizations within the official
programme of work of the Conference of the Parties (COP) at the UNCCD COP 14.
• To address migration driven by land degradation, 14 African countries launched the Initiative of
Sustainability, Stability and Security (3S) which aims at restoring land and creating green jobs for
migrants and vulnerable groups.
5th Day of COP14 reflected upon the importance of organic agriculture in combating land degradation

• The fifth day of the COP14 to UNCCD discussed on important matters concerning how to reverse land
degradation.
• The UNCCD, the World Future Council (WFC) and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movements (IFOAM – Organics International) pointed out the importance of agroecology and organic
agriculture in India.
• The India Pavilion discussed on Renewable Energy in India – towards sustainable energy transition &
combating Desertification- conducted by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
• The Rio Conventions Pavilion held a technical session on mapping of Sand and Dust Storms (SDS).
• An interactive session was also held by Committee of the Whole (COW): A working group set up
by COPto facilitate discussions on issues concerning land management.
Local and Regional Governments Day observed on Day 6 of the COP14

• “Local and Regional Governments Day” was observed on day 6 of COP 14 providing a platform for key
stakeholders to interact with global peers on matters concerning land degradation.
• Network for Certification and Conservation of Forest (NCCF) hosted a side event Panel Discussion on
“Certification of Natural Resources to Combat Desertification and Restoring Landscapes”.
• The global Youth Caucus on Desertification and Land convened its first official gathering in conjunction
with the UNCCD COP14.
Union Environment Minister holds bilateral meeting with China on Day 7 of COP14

• The Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change , Shri Prakash Javadekar held a bilateral
meeting with China. Both countries discussed in length and explored opportunities for bilateral
cooperation in the area of combating desertification within the framework of UNCCD.
• Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary UNCCD; Mr. L I Bijian, Minister of Chinese Embassy in India; Mr.
Ohn Win Union Minister, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation of Myanmar
and Mr. Zhang Jianlong National Forestry and Grassland Administration, China, were amongst other
dignitaries present during the discussion.
3 animal species in India are extinct due to desertification

• Researchers at UNCCD COP 14 informed that 3 species of animals – the Indian cheetah, pink-headed
duck, and the Great Indian Bustardhave become extinct due to desertification in India and many more
are on the verge of becoming extinct.
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• The specimens have been reduced to less than 150.


• There is a database of more than 5.6 million specimens, collected from all over India and from the
neighbouring countries before independence.
• India also has a growing crisis of land degradation. More than 30% of its land area has been degraded
through deforestation, over-cultivation, soil erosion and depletion of wetlands.
Launch of UNCCD Drought toolbox
On the 10th day of UNCCD COP 14 under the theme of Drought, the UNCCD Drought toolbox was launched. It
is a sort of knowledge bank which contains tools that strengthen the ability of countries to anticipate and
prepare for drought effectively and mitigate their impacts.

• India Pavilion witnessed a panel discussion by the International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) on Agriscapes. Mr. Deepak Kumar Sinha, IGF, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change and Dr VivekSaxena, Country Representative, IUCN India were among the panelists of the
session.
• Important sessions on issues related to Land Degradation Neutrality, Sustainable Development Goals
etc. were also conducted.
PM Modi addresses COP 14 to UNCCD
On September 9, 2019, The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, inaugurated the High-Level Segment
Meeting of the COP14 to UNCCD in the presence of Mr.Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the
Grenadines; Ms. Amina Jane Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General United Nations; Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw,
Executive Secretary, UNCCD; Shri Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change
(MoEF&CC); Shri Babul Supriyo, MoS, MoEF&CC and other dignitaries.

• India would raise its ambition of the total area that would be restored from its land degradation status,
from 21 million hectares to 26 million hectaresbetween 2019 and 2030.
• India faces a severe problem of land degradation, or soil becoming unfit for cultivation. About 29% or
about 96.4 million hectares is considered degraded.
• India has a proposal to setup a global technical support institute for the member countries of the
UNCCD for their capacity building and support regarding the Land Degradation Neutrality Target
Setting Program.
• Prime Minister Modi exhorted UNCCD to include A Global Water Action Agenda which is central to the
Land Degradation Neutrality strategy and condemned the use of single-use plastic.
• PM Modi took India’s remote sensing and space technology to the world stage by mentioning it at the
COP14 to UNCCD.
Statistics on land

• India lost 31%, or 5.65 million hectares (mha), of grassland area in a decade. The total area under
grasslands reduced to 12.3 mha from 18 mha between 2005 and 2015.
• Grasslands in the Aravalli range in Rajasthan underwent severe degradation. Other states where land
has been severely destroyed include Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujaratand Uttar Pradesh.
• India lost around 19% of its common lands. The area under common lands decreased to 73.02 mha
from around 90.5 mha between 2005 and 2015.
• Around 4.74 mha of grazing land was diverted as agricultural land.
• 29.11 mha of common land was diverted for croplands in the decade.
• Area under cropland saw nearly an 18% increase to 134.5 mha from 113.6 mha.
• Productivity of at least 26 mha of land has decreased and of this, close to 0.8 mha was grazing land and
5.9 mha common lands.
Launch of biggest tribal movement at ‘COP 14 UNCCD: TRIFED-GIZ’
Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Shri Arjun Munda launched the biggest Tribal movement to promote tribal
enterprise through Bamboonomics for combating desertification and climate change at “The Indian Perspective
through Bamboonomics” session at ‘COP 14 UNCCD: TRIFED-GIZ’ organized at Greater Noida Expo.
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Delhi Declaration adopted to combat land degradation


i. The outcome of the COP 14 of UNCCD was the ‘New Delhi Declaration’, which lays down measures to
combat desertification was released.
ii. It forms the future course of action.
iii. Delhi Declaration is an ambitious statement of global action by each country on how to achieve Land
Degradation Neutrality.
iv. A call was made for synergy between all three Rio Conventions- UNCCD, United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
v. In Delhi Declaration, the parties expressed support for new initiatives aiming to improve human health and
well-being, the health of ecosystems and to advance peace and security.
vi. In an unprecedented global campaign to save productive land, country parties have agreed to make the
Sustainable Development Goal target of achieving land degradation neutrality by 2030 a national target for
action.
vii. The 12 main points in the Delhi Declaration highlighted the following:
• Promoting projects to prevent land degradation at local, national and regional levels.
• Promote projects to prevent drought and erosion, and to make barren land cultivable.
• Plan to prevent drought, so that land degradation can be prevented.
• Creating green jobs by promoting technology and investment in collaboration with all stakeholders.
• Need to work towards preventing land degradation taking forward Paris Agreement.
• Implementing UN Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) program on behalf of all countries.
• To further programs initiated by African countries to prevent land degradation .
• Peace Forest Initiative benefits accepted. Appeal to work together to prevent land from becoming
barren.
• Appeal to make local governments more accountable to prevent land degradation and make right to
land transparent.
• To make local governments more accountable for maintaining natural resources and ecosystem.
• COP-14 member countries appreciate India’s efforts.
• PM Modi’s efforts to achieve the major goal of land restoration and increase south-south cooperation
were praised.
About UNCCD
UNCCD was adopted in Paris on 17 June 1994 and was ratified by 196 countries & European Union. India
ratified the UNCCD Convention on 17th December 1996. This convention can be called as “Mother convention”
of the other two Rio Conventions that emerged as a major outcome of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit viz. United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD). UNCCD is located in Bonn, Germany.

15th Indo-US Economic Summit 2019 under the aegis of Indo-American Chamber of Commerce- North
India Council (IACC-NIC) held in New Delhi
On September 13, 2019, 15th Indo-US (United States) Economic Summit 2019 organized by the Indo-
American Chamber of Commerce- North India Council (IACC- NIC) held in Hotel Hyatt Regency, New Delhi.
Defence minister Shri Rajnath Singh was the chief guest of the summit.
World Bank to provide Rs 3,000 crore aid for food parks
Minister of State in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Rameswar Teli stated that the World Bank has
approved to sanction Rs 3,000 crore to grant mini and mega food parks across India, particularly in
Northeast so that processing of grains produced by farmers is done optimally, and help promote farmers’
income.
i. He also suggested India Inc to set up food processing units in India in which the element of subsidies go to an
extent of 75 %.
ii. In a bid to boost the food processing sector, the budget outlay will be increased to Rs 3,000 crore a year
from Rs 1,400 crore.

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iii. Nitin Puri, Yes Bank Senior President (Global Head Food and Agri Strategic Advisory and Research),
Jagmohan Singh, Frick India Managing Director and Mark Wallace , US(United States) Embassy official were
present at the summit.
First International Conference on Sustainability Education 2019 held at the India Habitat Centre in New
Delhi
The first of its kind International Conference on Sustainability Education (ICSE) 2019 was held at the India
Habitat Centre in New Delhi on September 9-10, 2019. It was jointly organised by Mobius Foundation, the
Climate Reality Project, India in partnership with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) New Delhi office.

Key Points:
i. It was attended by Dr Ram Boojh, Director Programmes, Former UNESCO and Environment Programme
Specialist; Pradip Burman, Chairman, Mobius Foundation among others.
ii. Conference looked into the ways to address the challenges of sustainable education, climate change
education and environmental education in the current course curriculum.
iii. The other partners of the conference were Centre for Environment Education (CEE) and Young Reporters
for the Environment (YRE).

Launch of Asia’s first environment school- WESc


i. Asia’s first environment school named World Environment School, Coorg (WESc) was launched on the
occasion. It is set up in Coorg, Karnataka.
ii. It will be operational from 2021 for grade 6 to 12 students and educate the next generation of
environmental leaders.
iii. It will create a nurturing environment, in which young people can unleash and realise their potential in
making a positive contribution to society and the nation.

About UNESCO:
♦ Headquarters: Paris, France
♦ Director General: Audrey Azoulay

16th Session of the Joint Economic Commission 2019 between India and BLEU held in New Delhi
On September 17, 2019, The 16th Session of the Joint Economic Commission (JEC) 2019 between India &
Belgium -Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU) was held in New Delhi with the aim to improve bilateral
economic and trade relations between the two countries

Key points:
i. The importance of JEC between India and BLEU was reiterated & both sides negotiate cooperation on a wide
range of issues of mutual interest, such as, transportation and logistics, renewable energy, aerospace and
satellites, audio and visual industry, agro and food processing industry, life sciences, ICT(Information and
communications technology), traditional medicine, Ayurveda and yoga, and tourism .
ii. The Session was co-chaired by Commerce Secretary ,Anup Wadhawan and Ms. Sylvie Lucas, Secretary
General of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg & was attended by various officials of
External Affairs Ministry, New & Renewable Energy, Information and Broadcasting and railways.
iii. JEC: This Sessions were established based on the agreement signed in 1990 in New Delhi. It organized every
other year in capital cities of the three countries alternatively and are the main vehicle for discussing economic
and commercial issues between India & BLEU.
iv. Trade report: The bilateral trade between India-Luxembourg was $ 161.98 million in 2018-19 & $ 17.2
billion between India-Belgium in 2018-19.
v. BLEU: It is an economic union between Belgium and Luxembourg, was created by a treaty, signed on 25 July
1921, despite a referendum against such a proposal, between Belgium and Luxembourg, and came into effect
upon ratification by the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies on 22 December 1922.

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Union minister Nitin Gadkari and Shri RK Singh inaugurated National Conclave on Energy Efficiency in
MSME sector in New Delhi

On September 23, 2019 The Union Minister for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and Road
Transport & Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari and Shri RK Singh, Union Minister of State for Power and New &
Renewable Energy (IC) and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship jointly inaugurated the 2-day long National
Conclave on Energy Efficiency in MSME sector in New Delhi. The conclave was organised by the Bureau of
Energy Efficiency (BEE). The ministers also inaugurated Exhibition on Energy Efficient Technologies for MSME
sector.

Launch of Knowledge Management Portal “SIDHIEE”:


The ministers launched Knowledge Management Portal “SIDHIEE” under BEE’s MSME Programme along with
Energy Conservation Guidelines for MSMEs. The portal contains information for MSMEs inclusive of 50 video
tutorials for energy efficient technologies.

MoU signed:
A Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) was signed between Shri Surendra Nath Tripathi, Development
Commissioner of MSME and Shri Abhay Bakre, Director General,Bureau of Energy Efficiency on enhancement
of energy security in MSMEs.
i. The MoU will enhance cooperation in the field of energy mapping of MSMEs on pan India, development of
appropriate schemes etc.

Key points
i. The event saw participation from entrepreneurs, Industry Associations, technology and service providers,
sectoral energy experts and senior officials from the Government.
ii. The industrial energy demand in India has doubled in the last 5 years and is further expected to expand by
over 3 times between 2012 and 2040.
iii. The upcoming New Tariff Policy proposing DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) method for transfer of power
subsidies would incentivize consumers’ energy saving.

iv. The base of Indian MSME is considered one of the largest in the world after China. This MSME sector also
holds good strength in manufacturing services with well established value added supply chain.
v. BEE: so far BEE has implemented 50 energy efficient technologies on a pilot project basis and conducted
nationwide awareness and capacity building workshops/training programs including support to 40 MSME
units as per International Standards Organization(ISO)- 50001 standard.
About MSME:
Founded- 2006.
Headquarters- New Delhi.
Minister of State(MoS)-Pratap Chandra Sarangi (constituency- Balasore, Odisha).
About BEE
Founded- 1 March 2002.
Headquarters- New Delhi.
Agency responsible- Ministry of Power.

16th Global SME Business Summit for 2019 held in New Delhi
The 16th Global SME (Small and Medium Enterprises) Business Summit for 2019 was held in New
Delhi under the theme “Making Indian MSMEs Globally Competitive” on September 24-25, 2019. The
summit organized by Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and Confederation of Indian
Industries (CII) was inaugurated by union minister for MSME and Road Transport & Highways Mr Nitin
Gadkari in the presence of Arun Kumar Panda, Secretary, MSME and others.

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Key Points:
i. It was attended by more than 500 delegates from over 15 countries.
ii. The target of the government is to increase MSME’s share of 29% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to 50% in
the next 5 years and raise its export contribution from 49% to 60%.
iii. Rooftop solar plants will be provided to MSMEs with support from KfW, a German state-owned
development bank and government is engaged in talks with Asian Development Bank (ADB), KfW and World
Bank for their credit line.
iv. A new E-Commerce website ‘Bharat Mart’ will be launched to enable MSMEs to sell their products in the
domestic and international markets.
v. Workshops on Trade through E-Commerce Digitization, Country Sessions, Regional Sessions and B2B
(business-to-business) meetings were also held.
About CII:
♦ Founded: 1895
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi

6th edition of MASCRADE for 2019 held in New Delhi

The 6th edition of International Conference Movement Against Smuggling and Counterfeit
Trade (MASCRADE) for 2019 was held at the Hyatt Regency, New Delhi on September 26-27, 2019 under the
theme “Containing Counterfeiting, Smuggling and Piracy: A Winning Strategy”. This annual flagship event
was organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry’s (FICCI) Committee Against
Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy (CASCADE).

Key Points:
i. Release of report: A detailed report titled – Invisible Enemy – Impact of Smuggling on Indian Economy
and Employment 2019 was released. The study was commissioned by FICCI CASCADE and conducted by
Thought Arbitrage Research Institute (TARI) for the first time in India.

ii. Findings of the report: It pointed out that

• Smuggling of goods in 5 sectors namely textiles, ready-made garments, cigarettes, machinery & parts
and consumer electronics prevented the addition of over 16 lakh jobs in India in 2017-18 and Indian
economy lost Rs 1.17 trillion.
• Of 16 lakh jobs, over 5 lakh jobs addition was directly impacted because of smuggling and over 11 lakh
jobs were lost because of backward linkage and multiplier effects of these industries.
• Smuggling and output loss to the domestic readymade garments industry increased to Rs 5,509 crore in
2017-18 from Rs 3,780 crore in 2015-16.
• Trade in smuggling, contraband, counterfeit and pirated goods has increased steadily in the last few
years and stood at 3% of global trade.
iii. Honour: During the event, the Best Performing Officers who have contributed to combat illegal activities
were felicitated.
iv. Members present: Mr Nityanand Rai, Hon’ble Minister of State, Home Affairs, Government of India; Mr
Anurag Singh Thakur, Hon’ble Minister of State, Finance and Corporate Affairs, Government of India; Mr Anil
Rajput, Chairman, FICCI CASCADE; Mr. P. K Das, Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC)
and others were present.

About FICCI:
♦ Established: 1927
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi

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Manoj Mukund Naravane Takes Charge As VC Of Army Staff


On September 1, 2019 Lieutenant General Manoj Mukund Naravane took over as the new Vice chief of Army
staff (VCOAS) replacing Lieutenant General Devraj Anbu who was superannuated on August 31, 2019.

Key points
i. Awards: Naravane has been awarded Param Vishisht Seva Medal (2019), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (2017),
Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal (2015) for his services.
ii. Naravane is expected to succeed Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat who is se to retire by the end of
December.
About Indian Army(IA):
♦ Founded- 1 April 1895.
♦ Headquarters- New Delhi.
♦ Commander-in-Chief- President Ram NathKovind.
♦ Motto- “Service Before Self”.

Lt Gen Anil Chauhan Takes Charge As Eastern Army Commander


On September 1, 2019 Lt General Anil Chauhan took over as Eastern Army commander replacing
ManojMukundNaravane who took over as vice chief of the army staff(VCOAS).
Anil Chauhan was given a traditional Guard of Honour at Fort William, Kolkata and he took charge with a
wreath laying ceremony at Eastern Command War memorial at Kolkata’s fort William paying tribute to the
fallen soldiers.
Key points
i. Prior to joining as Eastern army commander, Anil Chauhan served as the Director-General of Military
Operations(DGMO) in New Delhi.

Vinai Kumar Saxena, chief of KVIC gets 3 year extension


With effect from September 5, 2019, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) chairman Vinai
Kumar Saxena was given an extension of another 3 years.

Key points
i. He was first appointed as the chairman of KVIC in October 2015 and introduced many innovative schemes
like the ‘Honey Mission'(2017 in New Delhi) after the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Sweet Revolution’
in 2016, ‘Kumhaar Sashaktikaran Scheme’ and also the artisan development centre.
ii. Achievements made: 33,000 New Model Charkhas, 6000 modern looms and 400 new Khadi institutions
were created that generated 15,000 direct jobs with 1.15 lakh Bee-Boxes distribution.

About KVIC:
Founded- 1956.
Headquarters- Mumbai.
Act-Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956.

Former Delhi HC judge Sunil Gaur appointed as Chairperson of PMLA Appellate Tribunal
Former High Court Justice Sunil Gaur, who became famous after he denied protection from arrest to former
finance minister P Chidambaram, considered as the ‘kingpin’ of the INX media case 48 hours before his
retirement, was appointed as the new chairman of the Appellate Tribunal for Prevention of Money Laundering
(PMLA) Act.

Thaawarchand Gehlot launches MIS portal under Accessible India Campaign in New Delhi
On September 18, 2019,TheUnion Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Thaawarchand Gehlot has
launched a Management Information System (MIS)developed by the Department of Empowerment of
Persons with Disabilities for stakeholders of Accessible India Campaign (AIC) in New Delhi.

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Key points:
i. MIS: The aim of the portal is to bring all nodal ministries, states and the Union Territories (UT) on a common
platform to monitor the progress made against each target under Accessible India Campaign.
ii. Accessibility: The portal will be fully accessible for persons with disabilities, help maintain all the function
on digital platform and capture data on a real-time basis.The accessibility feature in monitoring of places will
be more efficient when there is a provision of uploading pictures.
iii. Accessible India Campaign:On December 3, 2015 (International Day of People with Disabilities), Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has launched the Accessible India Campaign / Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan.It was
launched to serve the differently-able community of the country and create an accessible physical environment
that benefits everyone, not just persons with disabilities.

Agri minister Narendra Singh Tomar launches CHC Farm Machinery and Krishi Kisan App in New Delhi
On September 24, 2019, the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar
launched 2 mobile apps named CHC Farm Machinery and Krishi Kisan App for geotagging purposes in New
Delhi for easy access of technical agricultural equipments at farmers’ doorstep.
Key points
i. CHC Farm Machinery App: Narendra Singh Tomar launched the CHC Farm Machinery App for the farmers to
connect with the Custom Hiring Centers(CHC) located within 50 km radius. So far, more than 40,000 custom
hiring service centers have been registered on this mobile app with over 1,20,000 agricultural machineries &
equipment rented. This app is already available to the custom service provides for registration and uploading
purposes.
ii. Krishi Kisan App: Through this app, farmer will be provided with information about high-yielding crops
and seeds in their nearby area. It helps in geo-tagging and geo-fencing of crop and also gives weather forecast
messages to farmers. Both the apps are available in the Google Play Store for android devices.
iii. CHC/ Farm Machinery banks: Hi tech hubs, CHC and farm machinery banks are established under various
schemes like Sub –Mission on Agricultural Mechanization, RashtriyaKrishiVikasYojana and Crop Residue
Management Schemes of the Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers Welfare(DAC&FW) under
Agriculture and Farmers welfare ministry. These hubs provide farm equipment on a rental basis.
About agriculture ministry:
♦ Founded- 1947.
♦ Headquarters- New Delhi.
♦ Narendra Singh Tomar constituency- Morena, Madhya Pradesh.
♦ His other ministries- Ministry of rural development, Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

Home minister Amit Shah launches private security agency licensing portal in New Delhi
On September 25, 2019, the Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah launched ‘Private Security Agency
Licensing Portal’ in New Delhi in order to help in reducing formalities in getting a license to the private
security agencies. Information such as no. of licensed agencies will also be available in the portal in order to
prevent fraudulent activities. This portal will be regulated under the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act,
2005.
Key points
i. This portal will also help people in cross-checking police verification of all security guard and will be made
available in languages like Hindi, Gujarati, Telugu and Tamil within 3 months. Currently, Gujarat has highest
number of agencies (2249), followed by Maharashtra 1309.

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President Ram NathKovind launched First Indigenous High Temperature Fuel Cell System by CSIR
under NMITLI in Delhi

On September 26, 2019, the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, launched first Indigenous High
Temperature Fuel Cell System developed by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) under
flagship programme named “New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI)”. This system
was launched in partnership with Indian industries on the 78th foundation day of CSIR in New Delhi. A book
titled “Bhatnagar Laureates 1958-2018” was also released during the function.

Key points
i. About the system: The 5.0 kW fuel cell system generates power using methanol/bio-methane in an
ecofriendly way with heat and water as its bi-products. This amounts to an efficiency of more than 70%.
ii. Partnerships: This system was developed in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model among three CSIR
labs- CSIR National Chemical Laboratory( NCL)Pune, CSIR National Physical Laboratory (NPL) New Delhi and
CSIR-Central ElectroChemical Research Institute (CECRI) Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu and two Indian industries-
Thermax Limited, Pune and Reliance Industries Limited, Mumbai (both from Maharashtra).
iii. Fuel cell development: The development of the fuel cells are based on High-Temperature Proton Exchange
Membrane (HTPEM) Technology which suits distributed stationary power applications such as for small
offices, commercial units, data centers, etc. It is expected to replace Diesel Generating (DG) sets thus reducing
India’s dependence on crude oil and would also enhance the use of green and alternate fuels.

About CSIR:
Established- 26 September 1942.
Director General(DG)-Shekhar C. Mande.

Western Air Command Commanders’ conference 2019 held in New Delhi


A two-day long Western Air Command, Commanders’ Conference 2019 was held on September 5-6, 2019
in New Delhi. Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa was the chief guest of the Conference.
Key points:
i. Participants: Air Officers Commanding or Station Commanders of all Air Force Stations under Western Air
Command participated in the conference.
ii. Discussion: The Conference witnessed the discussions on critical analysis of operational preparedness and
training including measures to promote high utility of combat assets.

iii. Addressing the Commanders, BS Dhanoa asked IAF (Indian Air Force ) personnel to upkeep high level of
operational orientation and preparedness to ensure the ground defense of the airbases against the backdrop of
the existing security environment.
About IAF:
♦ Founded: 8 October 1932
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi
♦ Motto: Touch the sky with glory

India to achieve $26 billion defence industry target by 2025


On september 18, 2019, The Defence Minister of India Mr Rajnath Singh at the 2nd annual session of the
Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) for 2019 in New Delhi addressed that India will achieve $26
billion defence industry target by 2025.
Key Points:
i. It is predicted that there will be an investment of $10 billion and it will create 2.3 million employment
opportunities.

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ii. Simplified procedures for defence exports has resulted in exports to Rs 10 thousand 745 Crore in 2018-19
and a target of $5 Billion for exports has been set till 2024.
iii. There are plans to develop 5 Defence Specific Artificial Intelligence products by 2024.
iv. The current size of the Indian economy is around $2.7 trillion and the aim is to make $5 trillion by 2024 and
$10 trillion by 2030

DRDO presents war gaming software to the Indian Navy at ISSA Delhi
On September 16, 2019, the Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) handed over New-
Generation Wargaming Software to the Indian Navy with the aim of enabling Maritime Warfare
Centres (MWCs) and train using the latest technologies. The software was handed over by DRDO chairman and
defence secretary G. Satheesh Reddy to G Ashok Kumar, the Vice Chief of Naval Staff at the Institute for Systems
Studies and Analysis (ISSA), Delhi. The software is developed by DRDO’s laboratory- ISSA, Delhi in
collaboration with MWC of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
Key points
Software: It enables global wargaming scenarios and also enables exercises to be conducted between
geographically-dispersed locations over a Wide Area Network(WAN).

After repeated postponement, now the 36th National Games to be held in Goa from October 20 –
November 4, 2020
On August 31, 2019, The Indian Olympic Association(IOA), a body responsible for selecting athletes to
represent India at the international athletic meets stated that the much-delayed 36th National Games will be
held in Goa from October 20 – November 4, 2020. The IOA fixed the date after meeting with the Goa delegation
in New Delhi.

Key points:
i. Top officials from IOA and Goa Sports Minister Babu Ajgaonkar, Sports Secretary J Ashok Kumar, VM
Prabhudesai were present in the meeting.
ii. IOA has awarded the hosting the 36th edition of the National Games in November 2019 to Goa. But the state
later set aside dates for the event from March 30 – April 14, 2019, then the state government expressed its
inability to host the Games during that period owing to the general elections.
iii. In April 2019, the IOA had asked Goa to pay a fine of 10 crore rupees for repeatedly postponing the national
game. After this, the Government of Goa had assured no further delay in organizing the Games.
About IOA:
♦ Formation: 1927
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi
♦ President: Narinder Dhruv Batra

Bangladesh Krida Shiksha Prothishtan (BKSP) successfully lifts U17 Girls Subroto Cup International
Football 2019 title held in New Delhi
Bangladesh Krida Shiksha Prothishtan (BKSP) has successfully retained the 60th edition of the Under 17
Girls Subroto Cup International Football 2019 title by defeating Neelamani English School, Manipur with 4-
0 scores in the final held in Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi. BKSP won this title for the 3rd time in a row –
2017, 2018 and 2019.

Key points:
i. Aklima Akhtar scored her second goal of the match & Shirina Akhtar and Sapna Rani scored one each for the
winning BKSP to win the final to BKSP.
ii. The prize money of the tournament was Rs.4,00,000 and the runner up (Neelamani English School )won
Rs.2,50,000.

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iii. Individual Award winners:


Best Coach: Jaya Chakma, BKSP (Bangladesh)
Best goalkeeper: Surudhani Kisku, BKSP (Bangladesh)
Best Player: Afeida Khandaker, BKSP (Bangladesh)
Most Contributing School for Football: Nilmani English School (Manipur)
Fair play Award: Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Mumbai.
About Subroto cup:
♦ It is one of the famous inter-school football tournament in India, named after the Indian Air Force (IAF) Air
Marshal Subroto Mukerjee.It is conducted by IAF, with Union Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. It started in
1960 and has been conducted every year annually.

India tops medal tally in 6th Track Asia Cup cycling in New Delhi from sep 9-11
Three-day event of the 6th Track Asia Cup cycling competition 2019 hosted by Cycling Federation of India (CFI)
from Sep 9-11, 2019 was held in New Delhi at Indira Gandhi Indoor (IGI) Sports Complex. The list
was topped by India with 10 gold, 8 silver and 7 bronze, totaling 25 medals in the event. India was followed by
Uzbekistan and Malaysia in the second and third places respectively.
Key points
i. Record created: India’s Ronaldo Laitonjam created new Asian record in men’s junior 200m time trial
event in 10.065 seconds breaking the record of China’s Liu Qi who clocked it in 10.149 seconds in 2018.
Ronaldo secured 4 gold medals in this meet.
ii. The Track Asia Cup cycling which serves as a qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, had 34 participants
from India.
Winners

Rank Country gold Silver Bronze Total


1 India 10 8 7 25
2 Uzbekistan 4 3 0 7
3 Malaysia 4 1 0 5

Well known lawyer and former Union minister Ram Jethmalani passed away
Ram Jethmalani, Senior lawyer, and a former union law minister has passed away at his home in Delhi after
suffering from prolonged illness. He was 95.
i. Jethmalani was born on 14 September 1923 in Shikarpur, Sindh in the Sindh division of the then Bombay
Presidency, now part of Pakistan. The partition led him to move to Mumbai. He earned an LL.B.( Bachelor of
Law) degree from Bombay University with a first-class first at the young age of 17.
ii. He had worked as union law minister and in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of Atal
Bihari Vajpayee in 1998 and then again in October 1999

B R Vats, former PTI correspondent who covered 1st LS polls passed away at the age of 97 in New Delhi
On September 19, 2019 Bhagat Ram Vats (BR Vats), who was a former senior correspondent of Press Trust of
India (PTI) passed away at the age of 97 due to head injury in New Delhi. He was well known for covering the
1st Lok Sabha polls and had also travelled with the then Prime Minister (PM) Jawaharlal Nehru (1st PM) for 14
years covering his political activities, especially the election tours in 1952, 1957 and 1962.
Key points:
i. Vats was given lifelong Russian press accreditation for reporting from the erstwhile Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics (USSR) nearly half a decade.
ii. He also authored a book named ‘Foreign Intrigue Against India that portrays partition of India and its
neighbours.
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Book titled “India’s Lost Frontier the Story of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan” written by
veteran civil servant Raghvendra Singh released
A book named “India’s Lost Frontier the Story of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan” written
by veteran civil servant Raghvendra Singh, who was the then Director General (DG) of the National Archives
of India (NAI) has been released. It is published by Rupa Publications, New Delhi.

i. The book presents the history of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which was earlier known as the North-
West Frontier Province (NWFP).
ii. It reveals how the Congress leadership in 1947 surrendered India’s claim on the “tactically important”
province though there was resistance from Mahatma Gandhi and other political leaders.

Venkaiah Naidu will release books ‘Loktantra Ke Swar (Khand 2)’ & ‘The Republican Ethic (Volume 2)’
on selected speeches of President
The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu will release 2nd edition of ‘Loktantra Ke Swar (Khand
2)’ and ‘The Republican Ethic (Volume 2)’ on September 6, 2019, at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra in New Delhi.
It will be released with the aim to promote and diffuse selected speeches of President Ram Nath Kovind,
President of India.

Key points:
i. Directorate of Publications Division under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has published the
book.
ii. The books are a collection of 95 of his selected speeches delivered by the President in the second year of his
office from July 2018 – July 2019.
iii. They have been divided in 8 sections, viz ‘Addressing the Nation’, ‘Windows to the World’, ‘Educating India:
Equipping India’, ‘Dharma of Public Service’, ‘Honouring our Sentinels’, ‘Spirit of the Constitution and Law’,
‘Acknowledging Excellence’ and ‘Mahatma Gandhi: Moral Exemplar, Guiding Light’.To mark the 150th Birth
Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, a separate section on President’s speech related to Gandhian world-view has
also been covered.
iv. Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Minister of Information and
Broadcasting & Thaawarchand Gehlot, Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment would be the Guests of
Honour on the occasion.
v.The first edition of the books was released Shri Venkaiah Naidu on 8 Dec 2018 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

A Coffee Table Book called ‘Glorious Diaspora- Pride of India’ on Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awardees
was released by Venkaiah Naidu in New Delhi
On September 5, 2019, The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has released a coffee table book
entitled ‘Glorious Diaspora- Pride of India’ on Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awardees in New Delhi.

Key points:
i. The book covers the complete profiles of overseas Indians (politicians, business leaders, scientists,
economists )who received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards (PBSA) from the year 2003 – 2019 in various
sectors. It has been brought out by Indian Diaspora Club.
ii. About Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (Overseas Indian Award): It is the highest honour constituted by
the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Government of India in conjunction with the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
(Non-Resident Indian Day), to honour exceptional and meritorious contribution in their chosen profession.
It was first launched in the year 2003. January 9 was chosen every year as the day to observe Pravasi Bharatiya
Divas (PBD) since it was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest Pravasi, returned to India from
South Africa, led India’s freedom struggle and changed the lives of Indians.

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Venkaiah Naidu releases the book ‘Rethinking Good Governance’ authored by the former CAG Vinod Rai
in New Delhi
On September 13, 2019, The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has released the book
entitled ‘Rethinking Good Governance’ penned by former Comptroller Auditor General (CAG), Vinod Rai in
New Delhi. The book has been published by Rupa Publications.

Key points:
i. While addressing the launching event, the vice president expressed worrisome over the high pendency of
cases for over 25 years in various courts in India & also called for the extension of Supreme Court (SC),
increasing the retirement age of High Court judges, the establishment of more benches in different parts in
India. There is also a need to improve the management of court and infrastructure facilities.
ii. As suggested by the Law Commission, he stated the need for expansion of the Supreme Court (SC) into a
Constitution Bench at Delhi and Cassation benches in 4 regions ( Delhi, Chennai or Hyderabad, Kolkata, and
Mumbai).
iii. He also pointed out 3 main functions of legislatures (legislative, deliberative accountability) & asked
political leaders to adopt a code of conduct for their legislators and contribute to policymaking through
informed decisions and choose candidates carefully based upon their capacity, calibre, and good conduct.

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu released ‘Himalayan Odyssey’ book by MP Veerendra Kumar in New
Delhi
On September 19, 2019, the Vice President of India Shri Venkaiah Naidu released the book in New Delhi
named ‘Himalayan Odyssey’ written by Member of Parliament (MP) Veerendra Kumar. The book is an
English translation of the Kendra Sahitya Akademi and Kerala Sahitya Akademi award-winning Malayalam
original ‘Haimavathabhuvil’ by Veerendra Kumar, who is also the Chief Managing Director(CMD) of
Mathrubhumi.

Key point:
Other Awards: The other awards for this book are MoorthideviPuraskar, Dr. ShivramKaranth award, Vayalar
award and Amrita KeerthiPuraskaram

‘Professor Ayushman’ comic book released by Ayush Ministry in New Delhi


On September 24, 2019, a new comic book series ‘Professor Ayushman’ conceived by the National Medicinal
Plants Board (NMPB) was unveiled by the Ayush ministry in New Delhi. This book will raise awareness in
children about the importance of medicinal plants and their usage.

Key points
i. This book is available for free and could be bought by schools approaching NMPB.
ii. During the event, the Ayush minister Shripad Yesso Naik announced the target set to operationalise 4,200
AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) under Ayushman Bharat(AB) scheme during 2019-20.

President inaugurates 6th India Water Week 2019 in New Delhi

On September 24, 2019, The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind has inaugurated 6th India Water
Week 2019 in New Delhi with theme “Water cooperation: Coping with 21st Century Challenges”. The
event was addressed by Union Minister for Jal Shakti Shri Gajendra Singh Sekhawat. Water Resources Ministers
of various States & many reputed National and International Organizations, Research Institutes, Educational
Institutions and NGOs (Non-governmental organizations) have participated in the Inaugural Function event.
About 1500 delegates from India & abroad were attended the event. Japan and European Union have been
associated as partner countries for this mega event.

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Govt initiatives to tackle issues related to water:


To combat the problems related to water our govt has already started many initiatives like:
i. Jal Jeevan Mission initiative of Government, that envisages offering clean drinking water to all households in
India.
ii. India has strengthen the internation cooperation with 14 countries like Israel, Canada, Japan, Germany and
the UK (United Kingdom) for optimal utilization of water.
iii. Jal Shakti ministry initiated Jal Shakti Abhiyan, a campaign for water conservation and water security. It is
focusing on 256 water-stressed districts and 1,592 water-stressed blocks.
iv. Water week: Since 2012, the Jal Shakti ministry has been organizing India Water Week as an international
event to primarily focus on water-related issues

About Ministry of Jal Shakti:


Founded: 31 May 2019
Headquarters: New Delhi

New Delhi Current Affairs – October 2019


Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal officially launched an initiative called ‘Farishte Dilli Ke’
On October 7, 2019, The Chief Minister (CM) of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) officially
launched an initiative called ‘Farishte Dilli Ke’ (Angel of Delhi, in English) under which citizens who take
accident victims to the hospital are felicitated. Entire costs of treatment for all road accident victims will be
borne by the Delhi government. It was initially launched in February 2017 on pilot basis.

Key Points:
i. Rs 2,000 and a certificate is provided to a good Samaritan for taking the accident victims to a hospital.
ii. The minister also honoured people who had helped other fellow citizens in need.
iii. The private hospitals are required to display boards within its premises to inform that they offer free
treatment to medico-legal victims of road accidents, acid attack and burn injuries.

CM Arvind Kejriwal agrees to implement Central scheme PM-KISAN in Delhi


On October 21, 2019, The Government of Delhi headed by the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam
Aadmi Party (AAP) has agreed to implement the Central scheme Pradhan Mantri , Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-
KISAN) in Delhi. Earlier, West Bengal and Delhi Governments had refused to implement the scheme in
respective states. At present, the Delhi Government has sent names of 11,000 farmers for availing the benefits.
About PM-KISAN:
It is a Central Sector scheme (CSS) launched in February 2019 with 100% funding from Central government.
Under the scheme, the Centre is crediting an income support of Rs.6,000 per year in three equal instalments
directly into the bank accounts of farmers.

SARAS Aajeevika Mela 2019 begins in New Delhi


The Sale of Articles of Rural Artisan Society (SARAS) Aajeevika Mela 2019 is underway at India Gate Lawns
in New Delhi. It had begun on October 10 and will conclude on October 23, 2019. The mela is an initiative by
the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Ministry of Rural
Development (MoRD) and was inaugurated by Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.
Key Points:
i. Aim: To bring the rural women Self Help Groups (SHGs) formed with the support of DAY-NRLM, under one
platform which will help to show-case their skills, sell products and help them build linkages with bulk buyers.
ii. Organisers: It is organized by the marketing arm of MoRD, Council for Advancement of People’s Action and
Rural Technology (CAPART).

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iii. Participants: In over 200 stalls, 500 rural SHG craftswomen from 29 States and Union Territories (UTs) will
display a different range of products.
iv. The attraction of the Mela is the tamarind value chain from Jharkhand.
v. The concept of Aajeevika India Food court at the mela was pioneered by Kudumbashree, the state poverty
eradication Mission of Kerala.
About DAY-NRLM:
DAY-NRLM aims to create efficient and effective institutional platforms for the rural poor to increase household
income. Originally called as Aajeevika – National Rural Livelihoods Mission which was launched by the Ministry
of Rural Development (MoRD) in June 2011, the programme was renamed as Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana –
National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) in 2015.

PM Modi chaired a meeting on ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ programme in New Delhi

On October 12 ,2019 the Prime Minister(PM) of India Shri Narendra Modi chaired the meeting on ‘Ek Bharat
Shreshtha Bharat’ programme in New Delhi. The programme aims at enhancing interaction between people of
different cultures from all the states and Union Territories(UT).Key points
Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat

• It is a personal initiative of PM Modi, highlighting India’s cultural diversity in unity and also aims to
develop perspective on important issues and help in celebrating the nation’s regional culture.
• The programme was first announced during the RashtriyaEkta Divas on October 31, 2015 on the 140th
birth anniversary of Sardarvallabhaipatel, the first deputy prime minister of India who worked for the
nation’s unity.
• Initiative on Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat was announced by the then finance minister Shri ArunJaitley
during the 2016-17 budget speech.
10th ‘Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav’ under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat inaugurated
The 10th edition of the Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM) aka National Cultural Festival under the Ek
Bharat Shreshtha Bharat was inaugurated on October 14, 2019, in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh (MP) by the MP
governor Shri Lalji Tandon in presence of Culture and Tourism minister Prahlad Singh Patel. The festival is
organised for the second time in MP by culture ministry and will be held until October 21, 2019. The theme of
the fest is “Mati Ke Lal”.

• Places of RSM celebration: In Madhya Pradesh, the festival will be conducted in cities of Jabalpur
during 14 – 15 October 2019, Sagar from 16 – 17th October, 19 and Rewa from 20 – 21st October 2019.
• Previous editions: The First Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav was held in November-2015. A total of 9
editions have been held so far, 2 each in Delhi and 2 in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, RSM North East,
Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
• Artists in the festival: Renowned Indian artists like Suresh Wadkar, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt etc
were invited to perform in the main stage. All facets of Indian culture will be showcased during the fest.
• Members present during inauguration: Shri Faggan Singh Kulaste, The Union Minister of State for
Steel;ShriLakhanGhanghoria, Minister for Social welfare and Tribal Affairs of MP govt; Member of
Parliament ( Lok Sabha) Jabalpur, Shri Rakesh Singh; Member of Parliament ( Rajya Sabha), Shri
VivekTankha; Mayor of Jablapur, Dr Swati Godbole; Secretary Ministry of Culture , Shri ArunGoel; Joint
Secretary, Ministry of Culture, SmtAmita Prasad Sarbhai and All 7 Directors of Zonal Culture Centres
were present during the inauguration of the ceremony.
India Ministerial Dialogue at 3rd India Energy Forum by CERAWeek held in New Delhi

The 3rd India Energy Forum by CERAWeek (Cambridge Energy Research Associates) was conducted in New
Delhi from 13-15 October 2019. The Summit, served as a platform to examine the fundamental challenges and
opportunities to provide sustainable, secure and affordable energy choices to the nation. Various ministers held
key speeches during the forum. Some of them are as follows,

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Key topics:

• Renewable energy production: The share of renewable power in electricity has gone up, to 22% in
2019 from the previous share of 10% in 2014-15.
• India investments: By 2023, India is likely to make 58-billion-dollar investment in the exploration
and production sector and is also to invest 60 billion dollars by 2024 which is also underway to
expand the gas infrastructure, thus making a massive investment of US$118 billion in oil and gas
exploration.
• Petroleum products: Inclusion of petroleum products under the GST (Goods and Service Tax) regime,
was also appealed to the Union Finance Minister(FM) Nirmala Sitharaman, and would have natural gas
and aviation turbine fuel under the GST regime initially.
• Ethanol blend: The government aims to achieve 10% of the blending percentage of ethanol (ethyl
alcohol) in petrol by 2022, thus will boost farm economy. Moreover, the ethanol blend percentage also
rose from 0.67% in 2012-13 to close to 6% in 2019. 95% households now have access to LPG (Liquified
Petroleum Gas)
• Electrification: Indian railways has set target to have 100% electrification done by 2023 and also
plans to become “net zero” emitter of carbon by 2030.It also plans to source 10% of its electricity needs
through renewable energy sources by 2020.
• Coal usage: Coal would play a major role in the Indian energy sector for the next 20-30 years.First of its
kind coal gasification technology would be used with setting up of fertilizer plant in Odisha. Per capita
coal consumption in India is 1/10th of that in the United States(US).
• Energy production: The Indian government has planned to set up 450GW (GigaWatt) of renewable
energy by 2030 and is also preparing to produce low-carbon energy. India is one of the fastest power
producing nations, where india was once a power deficit country and improved to power surplus
country with various govt initiatives like Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana –
“Saubhagya”,Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) etc.
• Energy security: The government is committed in providing energy security to the investors. Tax
incidence has also been lowered to make investor friendly environment.
Members present:

• Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel,Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of
Railways and Commerce & Industry, Shri Pralhad Joshi, Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary
Affairs, Shri Raj Kumar Singh, Minister of State(MoS- independent charge) of Power and New &
Renewable Energy and Minister of State, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Nirmala Sitharaman,
Minister of finance and Corporate affairs and various other officials participated in the event.
About India Energy Forum:
The Forum is perhaps the only Indian Organisation which represents energy sector as a whole and serves as
an independent advocate of the industry promoting practical solutions to problems affecting project
development and finance in India.
Established- October 2001.
Location- New Delhi.

3rd Edition of India Mobile Congress 2019 held in Aerocity, New Delhi

3rd Edition of India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2019 was held in Aerocity, New Delhi from October 14 -16, 2019
under the theme “Imagine: a new Connected world; Intelligent. Immersive. Inventive”. It was organised by
the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India and Cellular Operators Association of
India (COAI). IMC is the largest digital technology forum in South Asia.

Key Points:
i.The 3 day event was inaugurated by the Telecom Secretary Mr Anshu Prakash.
ii.COAI represents Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio.
iii.IMC won “The Knowledge Hub” award at the Exhibition Excellence Awards 2019.

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Tejas Networks launched world’s largest disaggregated packet-optical switch named TJ1600S/I
Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister for Communications, Electronics & Information Technology and Law &
Justice unveiled the world’s largest disaggregated multi-terabit packet-optical switch optimized for 5G, cloud
and broadband networks named TJ1600S/I manufactured by Tejas Networks in the presence of Shri Anshu
Prakash, Chairman of Digital Communications Commission (DCC) and Secretary (T), Department of
Telecommunications (DoT).
i. It is used for interconnecting hyperscale data centers and to build multi-terabit backbone networks.
ii. It is the latest addition to Tejas’s TJ1600 series of carrier-class products for optical aggregation, metro and
core networks.
iii. It can handle up to 48 terabits of data traffic while optimizing shelf space and power consumption.

Awards
Mavenir, the industry’s only end-to-end cloud-native 4G and 5G network software provider for
communications service providers (CSPs) was presented with 2 awards at the event namely
i. Most Innovative Network Transformation Initiative award 2019 for its virtualized Pre-Integrated Network
Services.
ii. Most Innovative Approach to Network Security award 2019 for its Security and Fraud Management Suite.

About Tejas Network:


MD & CEO: Sanjay Nayak

About Mavenir:
Founded: 2017
Headquarters: Richardson, Texas, US
President & CEO: Pardeep Kohli

A 2-day national workshop ‘Arogya Manthan’ held in New Delhi

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurated a 2-day national
workshop ‘Arogya Manthan’ in New Delhi which was held on September 30- October 1, 2019. It was
organised by the National Health Authority (NHA) to mark the first anniversary of Ayushman Bharat (AB)-
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), which was launched on September 23, 2018 at Ranchi, Jharkhand
by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Key Points:

• The names of 111 hospitals found involved in corruption and fraud were put up on NHA’s website as
part of the government’s “Name and Shame” initiative to create deterrence among healthcare
establishments.
• The hospitals that have done exemplary work will be rewarded through a ‘Name and Fame’ approach.
• Releases: Dr Harsh Vardhan also released an Annual Report of the NHA and a document on ‘Best
Practices and Innovation’.
• MoU: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NHA and Employees’ State Insurance
Corporation (ESIC) hospitals was exchanged on the occasion.
• Honour: Mr Ashit Kumar Modi, producer of Tarak Mehta ka Ulta Chasma was honoured for highlighting
PMJAY in one of its episodes.
• Other members: Mr Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare (HFW), Dr Vinod K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming
India) , Ms. Preeti Sudan, Secretary (HFW) and Shri Indu Bhushan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), NHA
and other members were present.
Valedictory function of Arogya Manthan
The Prime Minister of India, Mr Narendra Modi presided over the valedictory function of Arogya Manthan.

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Key Points:
i. Following initiatives were launched:

• A new Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana – Ayushman Bharat programme mobile application for
the Ayushman Bharat, the world’s largest health insurance scheme aimed at securing the health of over
10.70 Crore Poor families in the country.
• The Ayushman Bharat Start-Up Grand Challenge – It is launched in partnership with Startup India as
a call to action for the Indian start-up community to generate cutting-edge solutions for supporting the
NHA towards more effective implementation of AB-PMJAY.
• A commemorative stamp.
ii. He visited the exhibition on PM-JAY which showcased the journey of the scheme over the past one year.
iii. Award: Jammu and Kashmir was awarded the Best Learning and Sharing Space Award 2019 as it had
covered 60% of the beneficiary families, with regard to golden card generation, in less than the first six months
of its implementation.
iv. Nearly 50,000 poor were benefited through the scheme in last 1 year.
v. 31 beneficiaries from different states met the Prime Minister to explain the success of the scheme.
vi. Over 20,700 Health & Wellness Centers (HWCs) have become operational across the country under
Ayushman Bharat.

About NHA:
 It is the successor of National Health Agency.
 It is the apex body responsible for implementing ‘Ayushman Bharat (AB)- PMJAY.

About AB- PMJAY:


It is a centrally sponsored scheme of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in India. It aims at making
interventions in primary, secondary and tertiary care systems, covering both preventive and promotive health,
to address healthcare holistically by providing coverage up to 5 lakh rupees per family per year

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan inaugurated National Symposium to eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis, in
New Delhi
On October 30, 2019 the Union minister of Health & Family Welfare(HWF), Science and technology and earth
sciences, Shri Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the National symposium under the theme “United to Eliminate
Lymphatic Filariasis”, in-order to eliminate the disease, in New Delhi. During the event, Shri Vardhan also
signed ‘Call to Action to eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis by 2021’ with the govt’s commitment to eliminate
Lymphatic Filariasis from 2021.
Key Points:
i.Lymphatic Filariasis comes under Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) which kills 1.5 billion people globally.
The health ministry is committed to eliminating two of the NTDs which are Lymphatic Filariasis (Hathipaon)
and Leishmaniases (Kala-Azar).

ii.Triple Drug Therapy: India is also about to use Triple Drug Therapy of ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine and
albendazole(IDA) drugs in a phased manner from November 2019. This triple drug therapy is also
recommended by World Health Organisation(WHO) to globally eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis. Various states in
India have benefitted with IDA medicines.
iii.Global program: The WHO launched Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) in 2000
where India adopted twin pillar strategy like prevention through mass drug administration(MDA) and
providing Morbidity Management and Disability Prevention (MMDP). India also launched Accelerated Plan for
Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis (APELF) in 2018 to eliminate the disease.
iv.Members present: Ms. Preeti Sudan, Secretary of the health & welfare ministry and other delegates were
present in the event and have also signed the ‘Call to Action to eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis by 2021’. Also
present at the event were Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurvedic, Yoga and
Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy), senior officers of, ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research),
NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog and United Nations(UN) Organisations.

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About health ministry:


Formed- 1976.
Headquarters- New Delhi.
Minister of State(MoS)- Ashwini Kumar Choubey.
About Lymphatic Filariasis:
LF disease is caused mainly by Wuchereria Bancrofti, a human parasitic worm and spread by Culex
mosquitoes.
The infection is usually acquired in childhood, causing hidden damage to the lymphatic system.

2nd Assembly of International Solar Alliance for 2019 held in New Delhi
The 2nd Assembly of International Solar Alliance (ISA) was held in New Delhi on October 30-31, 2019. It was
hosted by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). Mr R.K. Singh, Minister for New and Renewable
Energy and Power was the President of the ISA Assembly and Ms Brune Poirson, Minister of State for the
Ecological and Inclusive Transition Govt. of France, was the Co-President of the Assembly.
Key Points:
i.The coordination and consultation meetings on different aspects of ISA programmes and initiatives were held
on October 30, 2019 and the Assembly met on October 31, 2019.
ii.Ministerial delegations of 29 countries attended the summit.
iii.2 countries, Eritrea and St. Kitts & Nevis signed the ISA framework agreement taking the total number of
signatories to 83.
iv.The Government of India has allotted 5 acres of land to the ISA in National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE)
campus, Gurugram and has released a sum of Rs. 160 crore, i.e. US$ 26 million up to the year 2012-22. It will
release additional Rs. 15 crore, i.e. US$ 2.1 million in the year 2020-21.
About ISA:
ISA is an Indian initiative that was launched on 30 November 2015 in Paris, France on the side-lines of the
Conference of Parties (COP)- 21. It is headquartered at Gurugram, Haryana.

Vice president Venkaiah Naidu unveiled 15 point charter for parliamentary reforms in New Delhi
On October 30 2019, the Vice President of India Shri Venkaiah Naidu, unveiled a 15-point charter during
the “Arun Jaitely Memorial Lecture on Strengthening of Parliamentary Institutions in the Country” in Delhi
University in New Delhi, in-order to create reforms in parliament for its effective functioning. The charter was
mainly created citing poor attendance in legislatures and quality of debate in the parliament. The parties are
entitled to ensure at-least 50% of attendance of their legislators.
Key highlights of charter:
Some of the features of the new charter are as follows,
Parties should undergo pre and post-legislative impact assessments, which also includes a whip system (A whip
is an official of a political party whose task is to ensure party discipline in a legislature).
Increase in women’s representation in Legislatures.
Establishment of special courts for criminal cases against legislators.
Reviewing the anti-defection law etc.
Flaws in the “first past the post” (FPTP) system where many candidates win with less than 50% voter support
base are to be taken as the key concern of the parliamentary issues and will be rectified soon with alternatives.
About Parliament of India:
It is the supreme legislative body of India and consists of 2 houses, the Rajya Sabha (upper house) and Lok
Sabha (lower house).
Founded- 26, January 1950.
Chairman of Rajya Sabha- Venkaiah Naidu.
Speaker of Lok Sabha- Om Birla.

Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey inaugurated National e-Assessment Scheme of Income Tax
department in New Delhi
On October 7, 2019, the Revenue Secretary Shri Ajay Bhushan Pandey who is also the Chief Executive
Officer(CEO) of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) inaugurated National e-Assessment
Scheme (NeAS) in New Delhi. This e-Assessment scheme along with the National e-Assessment Centre (NeAC),
would benefit the Income Tax(IT) department in imparting efficiency, transparency, accountability in the
assessment process and would have no physical interface between taxpayers and tax officers. Section 143(3A)
& (3B) of the IT Act empowered notification of E-assessment scheme.
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First phase: The IT department has selected 58,322 cases for scrutiny under the notified faceless e-Assessment
Scheme 2019 and the e-notices that have been served before 30 September 2019 for the cases of assessment
year 2018-19.

The taxpayers were asked to check their registered e-filing accounts/ email ids and were requested to furnish
reply within 15 days.

Members present: Central Board of Direct Taxes(CBDT) Chairman Shri P.C. Mody and its members Shri P.K.
Das, Shri Akhilesh Ranjan and Shri Prabhash Shankar and other officials were present in the event.

National e-Assessment Centre (NeAC):

• This centre will look after the e-Assessment scheme for the income tax payers.
• Principal Chief Commissioner: Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Krishna Mohan Prasad who is the
first Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax(Pr.CCIT) of NeAC,will head the NeAC in Delhi.
• Cases for assessment will be assigned for 8 regional centres, that are New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai,
Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and will comprise of assessment unit, review unit,
technical unit and verification unit. Each of these Regional e- Assessment Centres(ReAC) will be headed
by Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (CCIT).
• The setting up of NeAC will pave way for reduction of taxpayer grievances in line with Prime Minister’s
vision of ‘Digital India’ and also will promote ease of doing business.
Faceless e-Assessment:

• Faceless assessment of IT returns through completely electronic communication between tax officials
and taxpayers were notified by the government. It is an initiative of the Central Board of Direct
Taxes(CBDT).
• Through the faceless e-Assessment, all taxpayers will receive notices via registered emails and on
registered accounts on the web portal www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in with real time alert by
SMS(Short Message Service) on their registered mobile number, specifying the issues for which their
cases have been selected for scrutiny. Notice replies can be prepared at taxpayers’ own residence or
office.
• Faceless assessment benefits: Some of the benefits of the faceless e-assessment scheme are team
based assessment with dynamic jurisdiction, tax payers’ ease of compliance, improved assessment
quality and monitoring, quality management etc.

Dr Harsh Vardhan launched FSSAI’s ‘Trans-Fat Free’ logo in New Delhi


On October 4,2019, the union health & family welfare minister shri Harsh Vardhan launched “Trans Fat Free”
logo of Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) during the 8th International Chefs’ Conference of
2019 (ICC VIII) held in New Delhi. The logo was launched to boost the ‘Eat Right Movement’ of FSSAI.
Key points
i. Slogan released: Shri Harsh Vardhan also released a slogan ‘Chefs 4 Trans Fat Free’ at the event, in which
more than 1000 chefs pledged to use trans-fat free oils in their recipes and also work together to help achieve
govt’s plan to eliminate trans-fat by 2022 having the motto ‘India@75; Freedom from Trans Fats’.

ii. A trans-fat free brochure, trans-fat free manifesto for chefs was released. The health minister also distributed
pins to five chefs as an acknowledgement for them adopting trans-fat free recipes and felicitated 10 bakeries
for using trans-fat free oils.
iii. Green purple initiative logo: Harsh Vardhan launched the Green Purple initiative logo which aims to
qualify the chefs on food safety legal requirements and sustainable cooking methods, for promoting trans-fat
free cooking. It is a 6-month program that will include key areas of trans-fat free cooking, using less sodium,
and hygienic, seasonal, eco-friendly, less energy consuming cooking methods.
iv. Hygiene rating and right place to eat scheme: During the event, a session on FSSAI’s Hygiene Rating and
Right Place to Eat Scheme was held. The Right Place to Eat Scheme is an online rating system that aims to make
consumers informed about the food choices while eating out. Another session to reduce salt/sodium content in
Indian diets was also held.

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Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched ‘Ganga Aamantran’ Abhiyan in New Delhi
On October 7, 2019 the Union minister of Jal Shakthi Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched ‘Ganga
Aamantran’ abhiyan, a month long open-water rafting and kayaking expedition in New Delhi. The expedition
which begins from October 10- November 11 2019, will cover an area of 25,000kms from Devprayag in
Uttarakhand to Ganga Sagar in West Bengal.
Key points
• It is the first of its kind effort by National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG) to raft across the entire
stretch of the river.It is also the longest ever social campaign undertaken through an adventure sporting
activity in spreading the message of river rejuvenation and water conservation on a massive scale.
• States included: The expedition will encompass 5 Ganga basin states. They are Uttarakhand, Uttar
Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal.
• The expedition will be led by Wing Commander Paramvir Singh from Indian Air Force,the only person
to have swum the entire length of Ganga from Devprayag to Gangasagar in 2015. He also holds 13
World, 3 Asian and 7 National Records.
• Armed forces team: A 9-member team of swimmers and rafters from Indian Armed Forces, were led
by open-water swimmer Wing Commander Paramvir Singh was launched in New Delhi and this team
would take up the campaign and organise mass cleaning drives, student interaction etc. The members
from the Armed Forces Wives Welfare Association will also be participating in the expedition all along
the Ganga basin.

Health minister Harsh Vardhan launched WHO India Country Cooperation Strategy 2019–2023 in New
Delhi
On October 9, 2019 the Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare(MOHFW) DrHarsh Vardhan launched
‘The WHO India Country Cooperation Strategy 2019–2023: A Time of Transition’ in New Delhi. This
Country Cooperation Strategy(CCS) paves the way for World Health Organisation(WHO) to work with the
Indian govt. in achieving the goals of health sector.
Key points
i. Strategic cooperation areas: 4 areas for strategic cooperation were identified. They are accelerating
Universal Health Care(UHC), promoting health and wellness, protecting the population against health
emergencies and enhancing the nation’s leadership in health.
ii. India CCS: It lies in line with the adopted WHO 13th general programme of work and its ‘triple billion’
targets, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and WHO South-East Asia Region’s (SEAR) eight Flagship
Priorities.It works on the United Nations(UN) Sustainable Development Framework for 2018–2022.
iii. Members present: Health secretary Preeti Sudan, DrHenkBekedam, WHO Representative to India, Ms.
Payden,Deputy WHO Representative to India, Mr. Alok Kumar- Director of NITI Aayog and other officials were
present during the event.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan launches Food Safety Mitra Scheme, Eat Right Smart Jacket & Eat Right Jhola in New
Delhi
On October 16, 2019 (World Food Day), Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh
Vardhan launched Food Safety Mitra (FSM) Scheme, Eat Right Smart Jacket and Eat Right Jhola in New Delhi.
Key Points:
i. FSM Scheme: It is introduced by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). It engages
motivated individuals with food safety ecosystem at ground level. A FSM is an individual professional certified
by FSSAI who assists in compliances related to Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, Rules & Regulations with 3
avatars- Digital Mitra, Trainer Mitra and Hygiene Mitra. The assistance of the Network of Professionals of Food
and Nutrition in India (NetPro.FAN) can also be sought. Its details can be accessed through the
website https://fssai.gov.in/mitra/ .
ii. Eat Right Smart Jacket: It is embedded with an RFID (radio frequency identification devices) tag and QR
(Quick Response) code and gives an identity to FSSAI staff to ensure transparent inspection. It is also linked to
software to capture entry of inspection staff into premise for monitoring.
iii. Eat Right Jhola: It is a reusable, washable and biodegradable bag.

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Health minister Harsh Vardhan launches SUMAN scheme for pregnant women at 13th CCCHFW in New
Delhi

On October 10, 2019 the union health and family welfare minister Shri Harsh Vardhan launched Surakshit
Matritva Aashwasan(SUMAN) scheme during the 13th Conference of Central Council of Health and Family
Welfare(CCCHFW) in New Delhi, to provide free maternity healthcare benefits. Website for SUMAN and
grievance redressal portal was also launched during the event.
Key points
i. Scheme aim: The aim of this scheme is to bring down mortality in infants and maternal mortality in the
country.
ii. Eligible beneficiaries: The beneficiaries eligible for the scheme are pregnant women, mothers upto 6
months after delivery, and all sick newborns.
iii. Free services: Under the scheme the beneficiaries can avail following free services. They are
• At-least 4 ante natal (during pregnancy) check-ups which includes one checkup during the 1st
trimester,
• At least one checkup under Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA), Iron Folic Acid
supplementation, Tetanus diphtheria injection.
• Components of comprehensive ANC (Amniocentesis) package diagnostic tests during pregnancy and six
home-based newborn care visits.
• Beneficiaries can avail zero access to identification and complications management during and after
pregnancy inclusive of free transport service from home to health institutions. They will have zero
expense delivery and C-section(caesarean section) facility in emergency cases at public health facilities.
• Referral services: Under this scheme, there will also be assured referral services in reaching the health
facility within 1hour in case of emergency with drop back from institution to home after due
discharge(48hours).
iv. Quality care definition by WHO: The World Health Organisation(WHO) defines the quality of care for
mothers and newborns as “the extent to which the provided healthcare services improve patient health
outcomes”.
v. Govt. data: As per the data by the government’s think tank NITI(National Institution for Transforming India)
Aayog, the maternal mortality rate has reduced from 254 per 1Lakh births in 2004-06 to 130 in 2014-16. The
mortality rate in infants also came down by 34 per 1000 birth from the previous 66. The aim is to get it in line
with the Sustainable Development Goal(SDG) of 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030.

About CCHFW:
It is an advisory body under Article 263 of the Constitution to advise the Department of Health (DoH), health
and family welfare ministry on formulating health policies.
The first CCHFW meeting was held in 1998.
All Central Council meetings held from the year 1988 up to 2010, were digitized by health & family welfare
ministry in collaboration with the WHO Country Office for India.

Indian Railways launched 09 ‘Sewa Service’ trains with Delhi-Shamli passenger train; inaugurated by
ministers of railway, petroleum and health in New Delhi
On October 15, 2019 the Indian Railways(IR) launched 09 ‘Sewa Service’ Trains to connect the unconnected
smaller towns around major cities. Sewa service trains were launched by the Minister of railways and
commerce & industry, Shri Piyush Goyal along with Minister for Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW), science &
technology and earth sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Minister of petroleum & natural gas and steel, Shri
Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister of State(Mos) for Railways Shri Suresh Channabasappa Angadi from New
Delhi by inaugurating Delhi-Shamli passenger train.

Key points
i. All these trains will run on “Hub and Spoke” model, thus making the passengers to use these trains to reach
“hub” to avail onward journey.
ii. Recently the IR also launched a website and mobile app named ‘Sahyatri’ that would allow passengers to
register complaints online.
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Health minister Shri Harsh Vardhan launched postal stamp of Hyderabad’s National Institute of
Nutrition (NIN) in New Delhi
On October 16, 2019, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW) Shri Harsh Vardhan released
postal stamp of Hyderabad(Telangana) city-based ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) to commemorate
its centenary celebration. It is also the oldest institute of ICMR. The stamp was released in New Delhi at the
Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR). The theme for the NIN centenary year was ‘Empowering the
nation through nutrition’.ICMR-NIN-Centenary Award
The ‘ICMR-NIN-Centenary Award’, a onetime instituted award to commemorate NIN’s centenary was
conferred posthumously to C. Gopalan, nutrition scientist who passed away recently at the age of 101 on
October 3, 2019.
Key points
i. Stamps: 5000 stamps each with a face value of ₹5 have been printed, whereas India Posts would print 1000
stamps additionally for online sale at e-post office, display and sale them at philately (collection and study of
postage stamps) exhibitions. This postal stamp was brought out under the ‘Corporate My Stamp’ scheme of
India Posts.
ii. Stamp feature: the stamps would feature customized themes with centenary logo printed on them.
iii. Members present:BalramBhragava, Secretary of the Department of Health Research & Director General,
ICMR; R Hemaltha, Director of NIN and other officials took part in the event.
About NIN:
The Institute was founded in 1918 by Sir Robert McCarrison.
It was initially called the Beri-Beri Enquiry Unit.
It was originally a single room laboratory at the Pasteur Institute, Coonoor, Tamil Nadu and later moved to
Hyderabad in 1958 and in 1969 was renamed the National Institute of Nutrition.

EAM minister S Jaishankar inaugurated e-Vidyabharti, e-ArogyaBharti for African countries in New
Delhi
On October 7, 2019 the External Affairs Minister(EAM) Shri Subrahmanyam Jaishankar inaugurated e-
Vidyabharti (tele-education) and e-ArogyaBharti(Tele-Medicine) projects for all the 54 African countries in
New Delhi on the 55th anniversary of Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation(ITEC) which is India’s
flagship capacity building programme.
Key points
i. Other initiatives launched: Capacity building initiatives like e-ITEC and ITEC executive were launched to
meet the demand for innovative courses for users and professionals.
ii. The projects will enhance access to Indian education and offer medical expertise to African students and
doctors respectively.
iii. Members present: Shri Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State(MoS) for defence; V.Muraleedharan, MoS for
external affairs; Economic Trade secretary TS Tirumurti and other officials were present during the event.
About ITEC:
 It is a bilateral assistance programme run by the Indian government. It offers 12,000 scholarships to
professionals across fields like Information Technology(IT), Agriculture etc.
 Over 200,000 government officials and professionals from 160 partner countries have been trained under
ITEC.
 Launched- 15 September 1964.
Mr Prahlad Singh inaugurates CCRT e-portal and YouTube Channel at the event “ Digital Bharat Digital
Sanskriti” in New Delhi
On October 21, 2019, Union Minister of State (MoS) for Culture & Tourism (Independent Charge) Mr Prahlad
Singh inaugurated CCRT e-portal and YouTube Channel with support from Routes 2 Routes, during the
event “Digital Bharat – Digital Sanskriti” at the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) Head
Quarter located at Dwarka, New Delhi. The event was organised by Rashtriya Centre for Cultural Resources
and Training under the Ministry of Culture.

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Key Points:
i. He released a book titled “Dewas Ki Sanskritik Parampara” written by Shri Jeevan Singh Thakur,
published in the series “Untold Tales of India’s Cities” by CCRT.
ii. A brief presentation of the film ‘Rahas’, produced by CCRT based on Rasalila in Chhattisgarh and directed by
Shri Sunil Shukla was showcased.
About CCRT:
Established: 1979
Director: Rishi Kumar Vashist

Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurates 11th Nuclear Energy Conclave for 2019 in New Delhi
On October 18, 2019, The Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Minister of
State (MoS) Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and
Space, Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated the 11th Edition of Nuclear Energy Conclave 2019 in New Delhi. It
was held under the theme “Economics of Nuclear Power- Innovation towards Safer & Cost Effective
Technologies”. It was organized by India Energy Forum (IEF).
Key Points:
i. A nuclear plant is being set up in the Gorakhpur of Haryana.
ii. A “Hall of Nuclear Energy” was opened in Pragati Maidan in Delhi with a view to educate the students and the
general public about the applications of nuclear energy,
iii. The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) is working towards the implementation of flagship programmes of
the Government, with Tata Memorial Centre being the first to shift to cashless transactions.
iv. 3 technical sessions on the themes “Growth of Nuclear Power for Meeting Base Load Demands-
Opportunities & Challenges for Manufacturing Industry” chaired by Shri AK Balasubrahmanian, Director
(Tech.), Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), “Use of Nuclear Energy in Healthcare and
Municipal Waste Treatment” chaired by Shri G Nageswara Rao, Chairman, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board
(AERB) and “Emerging Technologies for Economy and Enhanced Safety viz, Small & Medium Size reactors,
Passive Safety features, Molten Salt Reactors” chaired by Dr A K Bhaduri, Director, Indira Gandhi Centre for
Atomic Research (IGCAR) were also held.
v. Other members present: Secretary, DAE and Chairman, AEC, Dr K N Vyas; Former Chairman, Atomic Energy
Commission (AEC), Dr Anil Kakodkar; Member, AEC, Dr RB Grover; Chairman, Nuclear Energy Group, India
Energy Forum and Chancellor Homi Bhabha National Institute, Dr. Srikumar Banerjee; President, India Energy
Forum (IEF) and Former Secretary, Ministry of Power, Government of India Shri Anil Razdan; the Convenor,
Nuclear, IEF and Former Executive Director, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) Shri SM Mahajan and
others.
Overview of the first India International Cooperative Trade Fair (IICTF) 2019 held in New Delhi
3 days long first India International CooperativeTrade Fair (IICTF) 2019 was held at Pragati Maidan in New
Delhi from October 11-13, 2019. The fair was organised by National Cooperative Development Corporation
(NCDC), in association with Bangkok (Thailand) based Network for the Development of Agricultural
Cooperatives (NEDAC), and the ministries of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, External Affairs, Commerce &
Industry.The IICTF was conducted with the aim of doubling farmers’ income by promoting cooperative-to-
cooperative trade within India & abroad as 94% of farmers in India are members of at-least one cooperative
institution.
75 MoU and 9 sessions
• At the last day of IICTF75 Memorandum of Understandings(MoU) were signed. 9 Thematic sessions
related to cooperative business were held on Globalization of Cooperative Trade, Cooperative Banking
and Financial Inclusion, Empowerment of Youth and Women through Cooperatives, Agro-processing
Ecosystem through Cooperatives, Agri-Tech and Climate Smart Agriculture through cooperatives,
Cooperatives as Cost-Effective and Efficient Service providers, Big Data and Cyber Security in
Cooperative Sector, Dairy Cooperative Opportunities for Value Addition and Trade and Farm
Mechanisation and Inputs Supply- Role of Cooperatives on all the three days of the fair.

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Rs 100 crore Yuva Sahakar scheme launched for cooperatives

• Union Agriculture minister shri Narendra Singh Tomar, launched Yuva Sahakar-Cooperative
Enterprise Support and Innovation Scheme 2019 with an annual outlay of Rs 100 crore.
• Aim:This scheme which is in line with programmes like Start-up India and Stand-up India, is aimed at
promoting young entrepreneurs and also aims especially at cooperatives in the north-east region,
cooperatives in NITI(National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog’s aspirational districts, and
cooperatives with 100% SC/ST(Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe) and person with disabilities.
India and SriLanka sign MoI on milk products

• At the inauguration of IICTF, India, the largest milk producer in the world signed a total of 3
Memorandum of Interest (MoI) with Sri Lanka(SL) for the supply of milk and milk products.
• Separate pact with SL: A separate pact was signed with SL by The Tamil Nadu milk cooperative
federation which owns ‘Aavin’ brand, Puducherry milk cooperative federation which owns ‘PonLait’
brand and fertiliser company Indian Potash Ltd for milk supply.
• During the meet, it was also announced that India is expected to produce 175 billion litres of milk this
year which would be twice the production of United States(US), which is the second-largest milk
producer in the world.
Participation in the (IICTF)

• Nationally and internationally, more than 120 Indian cooperatives and 20 organizations from Centre /
State / UTs and 35countries from six continents participated in IICTF. International organisations from
Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bhutan, Brazil, China, Fiji, Germany, Iran, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kenya,
Malaysia, Mauritius, Nepal, Russia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, US, United Kingdom, United Arab
Emirates(UAE) and Vietnam showcased their products.
• During the fair inaugural, SahakarBharati, the single largest organisation focusing to enlighten the
masses about the benefit of cooperative movement showcased and launched ‘Simplydesi’ brand.
Focus areas of IICTF:

• The key focus areas of the IICTF were agriculture, commodities, processing, packaging, Information
Technology(IT), handloom, handicrafts, textile etc.
• IICTF also focuses to promote exports of Indian cooperative produce and is packed with exhibitions,
Business to business (B2B)/Customer to customer(C2C) meetings, conferences, cultural programmes
etc.
Piyush Goyal addressed the closing ceremony

• During the closing ceremony of the fair, Commerce & Industry and Railway minister Shri PiyushGoyal,
addressed the gathering. It was on October 13th, Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel, popularly known as
Sardar Patel, laid the foundation of the cooperative movement.
Agriculture Exports Policy 2018

• According to the report on Agriculture Exports Policy 2018, The cooperative sector is expected to
increase the agriculture exports from the present US $30 billion+ to US$ 60 billion+ by 2022.
• Other reports: Currently 1 billion people globally are members of a cooperative with more than 12%
of humanity being part of any of the 3 million cooperatives in the world. Financial cooperatives serve
13% of the world population. Agricultural cooperatives produce 50% of global agriculture output.

PM Modi chaired a meeting on ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ programme in New Delhi

On October 12 ,2019 the Prime Minister(PM) of India Shri Narendra Modi chaired the meeting on ‘Ek Bharat
Shreshtha Bharat’ programme in New Delhi. The programme aims at enhancing interaction between people of
different cultures from all the states and Union Territories(UT).Key points
Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat

• It is a personal initiative of PM Modi, highlighting India’s cultural diversity in unity and also aims to
develop perspective on important issues and help in celebrating the nation’s regional culture.
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• The programme was first announced during the RashtriyaEkta Divas on October 31, 2015 on the 140th
birth anniversary of Sardarvallabhaipatel, the first deputy prime minister of India who worked for the
nation’s unity.
• Initiative on Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat was announced by the then finance minister Shri ArunJaitley
during the 2016-17 budget speech.
10th ‘Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav’ under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat inaugurated
The 10th edition of the Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM) aka National Cultural Festival under the Ek
Bharat Shreshtha Bharat was inaugurated on October 14, 2019, in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh (MP) by the MP
governor Shri Lalji Tandon in presence of Culture and Tourism minister Prahlad Singh Patel. The festival is
organised for the second time in MP by culture ministry and will be held until October 21, 2019. The theme of
the fest is “Mati Ke Lal”.

• Places of RSM celebration: In Madhya Pradesh, the festival will be conducted in cities of Jabalpur
during 14 – 15 October 2019, Sagar from 16 – 17th October, 19 and Rewa from 20 – 21st October 2019.
• Previous editions: The First Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav was held in November-2015. A total of 9
editions have been held so far, 2 each in Delhi and 2 in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, RSM North East,
Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
• Artists in the festival: Renowned Indian artists like Suresh Wadkar, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt etc
were invited to perform in the main stage. All facets of Indian culture will be showcased during the fest.
• Members present during inauguration: Shri Faggan Singh Kulaste, The Union Minister of State for
Steel;ShriLakhanGhanghoria, Minister for Social welfare and Tribal Affairs of MP govt; Member of
Parliament ( Lok Sabha) Jabalpur, Shri Rakesh Singh; Member of Parliament ( Rajya Sabha), Shri
VivekTankha; Mayor of Jablapur, Dr Swati Godbole; Secretary Ministry of Culture , Shri ArunGoel; Joint
Secretary, Ministry of Culture, SmtAmita Prasad Sarbhai and All 7 Directors of Zonal Culture Centres
were present during the inauguration of the ceremony.

India Ministerial Dialogue at 3rd India Energy Forum by CERAWeek held in New Delhi

The 3rd India Energy Forum by CERAWeek (Cambridge Energy Research Associates) was conducted in New
Delhi from 13-15 October 2019. The Summit, served as a platform to examine the fundamental challenges and
opportunities to provide sustainable, secure and affordable energy choices to the nation. Various ministers held
key speeches during the forum. Some of them are as follows,

Key topics:

• Renewable energy production: The share of renewable power in electricity has gone up, to 22% in
2019 from the previous share of 10% in 2014-15.
• India investments: By 2023, India is likely to make 58-billion-dollar investment in the exploration
and production sector and is also to invest 60 billion dollars by 2024 which is also underway to
expand the gas infrastructure, thus making a massive investment of US$118 billion in oil and gas
exploration.
• Petroleum products: Inclusion of petroleum products under the GST (Goods and Service Tax) regime,
was also appealed to the Union Finance Minister(FM) Nirmala Sitharaman, and would have natural gas
and aviation turbine fuel under the GST regime initially.
• Ethanol blend: The government aims to achieve 10% of the blending percentage of ethanol (ethyl
alcohol) in petrol by 2022, thus will boost farm economy. Moreover, the ethanol blend percentage also
rose from 0.67% in 2012-13 to close to 6% in 2019. 95% households now have access to LPG (Liquified
Petroleum Gas)
• Electrification: Indian railways has set target to have 100% electrification done by 2023 and also
plans to become “net zero” emitter of carbon by 2030.It also plans to source 10% of its electricity needs
through renewable energy sources by 2020.
• Coal usage: Coal would play a major role in the Indian energy sector for the next 20-30 years.First of its
kind coal gasification technology would be used with setting up of fertilizer plant in Odisha. Per capita
coal consumption in India is 1/10th of that in the United States(US).

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• Energy production: The Indian government has planned to set up 450GW (GigaWatt) of renewable
energy by 2030 and is also preparing to produce low-carbon energy. India is one of the fastest power
producing nations, where india was once a power deficit country and improved to power surplus
country with various govt initiatives like Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana –
“Saubhagya”,Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) etc.
• Energy security: The government is committed in providing energy security to the investors. Tax
incidence has also been lowered to make investor friendly environment.
Members present:

• Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel,Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of
Railways and Commerce & Industry, Shri Pralhad Joshi, Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary
Affairs, Shri Raj Kumar Singh, Minister of State(MoS- independent charge) of Power and New &
Renewable Energy and Minister of State, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Nirmala Sitharaman,
Minister of finance and Corporate affairs and various other officials participated in the event.
About India Energy Forum:
The Forum is perhaps the only Indian Organisation which represents energy sector as a whole and serves as
an independent advocate of the industry promoting practical solutions to problems affecting project
development and finance in India.
Established- October 2001.
Location- New Delhi.

A 2-day national workshop ‘Arogya Manthan’ held in New Delhi

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurated a 2-day national
workshop ‘Arogya Manthan’ in New Delhi which was held on September 30- October 1, 2019. It was
organised by the National Health Authority (NHA) to mark the first anniversary of Ayushman Bharat (AB)-
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), which was launched on September 23, 2018 at Ranchi, Jharkhand
by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Key Points:

• The names of 111 hospitals found involved in corruption and fraud were put up on NHA’s website as
part of the government’s “Name and Shame” initiative to create deterrence among healthcare
establishments.
• The hospitals that have done exemplary work will be rewarded through a ‘Name and Fame’ approach.
• Releases: Dr Harsh Vardhan also released an Annual Report of the NHA and a document on ‘Best
Practices and Innovation’.
• MoU: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NHA and Employees’ State Insurance
Corporation (ESIC) hospitals was exchanged on the occasion.
• Honour: Mr Ashit Kumar Modi, producer of Tarak Mehta ka Ulta Chasma was honoured for highlighting
PMJAY in one of its episodes.
• Other members: Mr Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare (HFW), Dr Vinod K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming
India) , Ms. Preeti Sudan, Secretary (HFW) and Shri Indu Bhushan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), NHA
and other members were present.
Valedictory function of Arogya Manthan
The Prime Minister of India, Mr Narendra Modi presided over the valedictory function of Arogya Manthan.

Key Points:
i. Following initiatives were launched:

• A new Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana – Ayushman Bharat programme mobile application for
the Ayushman Bharat, the world’s largest health insurance scheme aimed at securing the health of over
10.70 Crore Poor families in the country.

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• The Ayushman Bharat Start-Up Grand Challenge – It is launched in partnership with Startup India as
a call to action for the Indian start-up community to generate cutting-edge solutions for supporting the
NHA towards more effective implementation of AB-PMJAY.
• A commemorative stamp.
ii. He visited the exhibition on PM-JAY which showcased the journey of the scheme over the past one year.
iii. Award: Jammu and Kashmir was awarded the Best Learning and Sharing Space Award 2019 as it had
covered 60% of the beneficiary families, with regard to golden card generation, in less than the first six months
of its implementation.
iv. Nearly 50,000 poor were benefited through the scheme in last 1 year.
v. 31 beneficiaries from different states met the Prime Minister to explain the success of the scheme.
vi. Over 20,700 Health & Wellness Centers (HWCs) have become operational across the country under
Ayushman Bharat.

About NHA:
 It is the successor of National Health Agency.
 It is the apex body responsible for implementing ‘Ayushman Bharat (AB)- PMJAY.

About AB- PMJAY:


It is a centrally sponsored scheme of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in India. It aims at making
interventions in primary, secondary and tertiary care systems, covering both preventive and promotive health,
to address healthcare holistically by providing coverage up to 5 lakh rupees per family per year.

NeGD & MeitY signed MoU with Bhopals’s NLIU in New Delhi on implementation of cyber law
programmes

On September 30, 2019 the National eGovernance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MeitY) & The National Law Institute University (NLIU), Bhopal together have signed a
Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) in New Delhi for implementation of ‘Online Capacity Building
Programme on Cyber Law, Crime Investigation and Digital Forensics through NeGD Learning Management
System (LMS)’.

Key points
i. Programme goal: The goal of this programme is to enable Police officers, state cyber cells, Law Enforcement
Agencies(LEA), prosecutors and judicial officers to acquire adequate skills in dealing with cyber forensics cases
as per the Indian Cyber Law, as there has been an increased rate of cybercrimes in recent years posing major
challenge for the LEA.
ii. Programme& Collaboration: The programme is an initiative providing 9-month online PG (Post Graduate)
Diploma Courses in Cyber law, Crime Investigation & Digital Forensics to officials through Learning
Management System (LMS) by NeGD, under the Digital India Programme in collaboration with NLIU Bhopal. On
successful completion of the course, candidates will be awarded the PG Diploma Certificate.
iii. Course enforcement: A cyber forensic lab is to be set up at Delhi’s National Law University (NLU) for
course facilitation. In the near future, other law schools/ universities like Bangalore’s National Law School of
India University (NLSIU), Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (Patiala), etc. will also provide the
programme, where the law schools will be providing necessary expertise and content for virtual classes and e-
content development.
iv. Members present: The MoU was signed in presence of Shri Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary of MeitY, Shri
Ranbir Singh Vice Chancellor of National Law University (VC-NLU) Delhi and Shri Paramjit S. Jaswal, VC of Rajiv
Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL, Patiala).

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AYUSH and Defence ministry signed MoU for traditional medicine services in New Delhi
On October 21, 2019 Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH(Ayurvedic, Yoga and Naturopathy,
Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) and Defence Shri Shripad Yesso Naik signed a Memorandum of
Understanding(MoU) between the ministry of AYUSH and Defence to provide health services of AYUSH
under the health establishments of Directorate General of Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS). The MoU
was signed during the inauguration of Ayurveda Palliative Care Unit at Palliative Care Centre, base Hospital in
New Delhi.
Key points
i. Ayurveda Units will also be established at Palliative Care Centre, Army Research and Referral Hospital, Air
Force Hospital, Hindon,Uttar Pradesh and 5 identified Ex- servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) Poly
clinics in Delhi under the MoU.
ii. Members present: Secretary of AYUSH shri Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Director General(DG) of Armed Forces
Medical Services Ltd.(AFMS) General BipinPuri and other officials were present during the event.

AIIA signs MoU with Frankfurter innovationszentrum biotechnologie GmbH, Germany in New Delhi
On October 31, 2019, All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) under Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga &
Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homoeopathy) has signed an MoU (Memorandum of
understanding) with Frankfurter Innovationszentrum Biotechnologie GmbH (FiZ), Germany in New Delhi
to research in the field of genomics & develop norms supported with new-age technologies like Artificial
Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).
Key points:
i.The MoU has been signed by Prof. Tanuja Nesari Director AIIA and Dr Christian Garbe, Managing Director of
Frankfurter Innovationszentrum Biotechnologie GmbH (FiZ) & was agreed by Dr Garbe with Vaidya Rajesh
Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, during September 2019 on the event “German/Indian knowledge
exchange regarding current developments in the health care sector”.

President of India, Shri Ram NathKovind presented 2019 Swachchta Ambassador award to Sachin
Tendulkar in New Delhi at the 5th India Today Safaigiri Summit
On October 2, 2019, on the occasion of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the president of India Shri
Ram Nath Kovind presented 2019 Swachchta Ambassador award to former Indian cricketer Shri Sachin
Tendulkar during the 5th edition of India Today Safaigiri Summit held in New Delhi.

Key points
i. While the United Nations(UN) had set sustainable development goals(SDG) to be achieved by 2030, India
would be achieving it 11 years ahead of the schedule.
About Safaigiri Awards:
It is an initiative of the India Today Group.
The awards are given to felicitate individuals and organisations leading the change in cleanliness.
A total of 16 awards were given in the category Corporate trailblazer, community mobiliser, garbage guru, tech
icon, toilet titan, river-cleaning initiative, water warrior, best sanitation app, cleanest religious place, cleanest
city, cleanest school district, most effective swachhata ambassador, waste wealth creators, cleanest railway
station, best sanitation skill training institution and cleanest village.

Drone Innovators Network Summit-2019 by WEF held in New Delhi


On October 1, 2019 Drone Innovators Network Summit-2019 focusing on the governance of drones was held
in New Delhi. The summit was organized by the World Economic Forum(WEF) under the aegis of the Ministry
of Civil Aviation. Minister of State(MoS-Independent charge) for Civil Aviation, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri
addressed the event.

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Key points:
NPNT: Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) for drones were issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in
December 2018. These regulations were needed to comply with the No Permission, No Take-off (NPNT)
software programme to comply with the requirements on the Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) in order
to get DigiSky platform’s permission to operate drones in India.

‘India Sports Summit – Fitness: $10 Billion Opportunity’ held in New Delhi
On October 10, 2019, The ‘India Sports Summit- Fitness: $10 Billion Opportunity’ was inaugurated by the
Union Minister for Sports & Youth Affairs Mr Kiren Rijiju in New Delhi. It was organised by the Confederation
of Indian Industry (CII), Union Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS), Sportscom, and Sportskeeda.

Key Points:
i. The first India Sports Summit 2019 was also inaugurated at this event.
ii. Aim: To achieve the objective of ‘Sports and Industry’ through various initiatives.
iii. Honours: Indian shooter Heena Sidhu, Khelo India athletes Esow Alben (cycling) and Esha Singh (Shooting)
were felicitated for their achievements.
iv. ‘Fit India’ mission office will be established with the help of the CII to achieve the goals.
v. India is striving to get Kabaddi a place in the Olympics in 2024.
vi. Other members present: Sanjay Gupta, Chairman of the CII Sports Committee; Radheyshyam Julaniya,
Sports secretary; Narinder Batra, President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOC); Parth Jindal, Managing
Director of JSW Sports and former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag.

Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad unveiled new initiatives in the first MeitY Start-up Summit 2019 in
New Delhi

On October 21, 2019 the Union minister of law & justice, communications, electronics & Information
Technology(IT), Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad unveiled new initiatives by the Ministry of Electronics &
Information (MeitY) in the first MeitY Start-up Summit 2019 held in New Delhi.The summit is seen as a step
forward to bring all key stakeholders and startups under one roof. Some of the important events in the summit
are as follows

Initiatives launched:

BHIM 2.0 with new functionalities:


BHIM 2.0 (Bharat Interface for Money 2.0) with additional functionalities were launched during the summit.
They are as follows

• Additional languages: BHIM 2.0 apart from the existing 13 languages, now supports additional
languages namely Konkani, Bhojpuri and Haryanvi.
• ‘Donation’ gateway, increased transaction limits for high value transactions, linking multiple bank
accounts, offers from merchants, option of applying in IPO, gifting money are the other features
Hub portal:
MeitYStartup Hub(MSH) portal was launched in the summit. The portal is a collaborative platform for
technology incubation centres, Centres of Excellence (CoEs), mentors, Venture Capitals(VCs) supporting tech
startup ecosystem.

Software technology parks of India (STPI), an organisation under MeitY, works on the implementation of MSH
in the country. The STPI has also signed 4 Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with Intel India Pvt limited,
IIM(Indian Institute of Management) Calcutta Innovation Park, Pontaq and IBM for hub promotion.
Indian software products registry:
Indian software products registry, was launched. It acts as a single window portal to collate(collect and
combine) Indian software product database.

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Digital achievements made so far:


The law minister discussed about the advancement and achievement made by MeitY. They are as follows
• Indian flagship programmes namely Make in India, Digital India, Startup India created/are creating
achievements in digital technology.JAM(Jan DhanYojana, Aadhaar and Mobile number) Trinity also
paved the way for digital inclusion with 1.24 billion aadhar cards, 1.2 billion mobile phones.
• 1.25 Lakh Gram Panchayats have been connected by optical fibre. Currently 1 Lakh digital villages are
connected with wifi and CSCs(Common Service centres).
• TIDE scheme: The Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs(TIDE) had made
remarkable achievements in promoting startups and has now emerged as TIDE 2.0.
• Awards given: Shri Prasad awarded selected fintechs and Banks that promoted digital landscape in the
nation and also awarded outstanding women tech entrepreneurs.

About BHIM app:


Bhim app is a payment app, with UPI(Unified Payments Interface)
Developer- National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
Launched- December 2016.
It is named after BhimraoRamjiAmbedkar (BR Ambedkar).

USISPF summit 2019 held in New Delhi


On October 21, 2019 the members of the US (United States) India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) under
the delegation of its chairman Mr. John Chambers, called on Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in New Delhi
for the USISPF summit 2019. This meet was part of US-India’s combined partnership in fields of economic
growth, entrepreneurship, employment-creation, and innovation.
Key points
i. Shri Modi ensured the govt.s target of ease of living with India’s unique strength of three D’s. They
are Democracy, Demography and Dimaag(Brain). Ease of Doing Business like reduction of corporate tax and
labour reforms were also discussed.
ii. The delegation also expressed its faith in PM’s vision of the country in the next 5 years which would define
the next 25 years of the world.
iii. Union petroleum &steel minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of railways and commerce and
industry Shri PiyushGoyal and various other officials were present during the summit.
iv. Shri Dharmendra Pradhan also invited US(United States) businesses to deploy technology, capital and new
business models and participate in India’s biofuel revolution. From less than 1% ethanol blending in 2015,
India has increased the EBP(Ethanol Blending Programme) to 6% in 2019. Crude oil import from US, inclusive
of Liquified Natural Gas(LNG) 2018-19 stood at over 7 billion dollars.
About USISPF:
It is a non-profit organization, with the key focus on strengthening India-US bilateral and strategic
partnership in fields of economic growth, entrepreneurship, employment-creation, and innovation.
USISPF India president and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Dr. MukeshAghi.
Managing Director(MD), India- NiveditaMehra.

New Delhi to Host 1st edition of “Global Bio-India 2019” Summit from 21st – 23rd November
On October 24, 2019 the Union Minister of Science & Technology(ST), Earth Sciences(ES) and Health & Family
Welfare(H&FW), Shri Harsh Vardhan at a curtain-raiser in New Delhi, announced for the 1st edition of “Global
Bio-India 2019” Summit which is to be held from November 21-23, 2019 in New Delhi, the host state of the
summit. The Global Bio-India 2019 summit is one of the largest biotechnology stakeholders’ conglomerates
(gathering together into a compact mass).
Nano-pharmaceuticals guidelines released
Shri Harsh Vardhan released “Guidelines for Evaluation of Nano pharmaceuticals in India” for safe and efficient
assessment of novel nano-formulations. These guidelines would also regulate nanopharmaceuticals in India.
These guidelines will contribute to the mission on “Affordable Health Care for All”.

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Key points:
i.Summit organisers: The summit is organised by Department of Biotechnology(DBT) of the science and
technology ministry along with its Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
ii. During the curtain raiser, GlobalBio-India2019 brochure was also released in presence of secretary of DBT,
Dr.Renu Swarup and other officials.

5th edition of International conference on ROADTECH 2019 (sustainable roads and highways) held in
New Delhi
On October 31, 2019, The 5th edition of International Conference on ROADTECH 2019 with agenda
“Sustainable Roads and Highways-Smart Use of Available Resources for Green and Sustainable Roads”,
organized by ASSOCHAM India (Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India ), was held in Hotel
Shangri, New Delhi. Union Minister of State for Road Transport Vijay Kumar Singh addressed the meeting.
Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways was its Chief Guest.
Key points:
i.The aim of this conference is to pool suggestions & solutions from all stakeholders and to cooperate between
the road infrastructure stakeholders and the Government to bring about the transformation that the nation
needs.
ii.The central Government has planned to improve the field of infrastructure in the future than the work done
in the last 5 years.
iii.The conference concluded by deciding to focus on the infrastructure sector to fight the economic slowdown.

13th Conference of Central Council of Health and Family Welfare for 2019 held in New Delhi

On October 10, 2019, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurated
the 13th Conference of Central Council of Health and Family Welfare (CCHWF) for 2019 in New Delhi.

Key Points:

• Objective: To build a consensus on National wealth priorities.


• NHP goal: The goal of healthcare spending of the National Health Policy (NHP) 2017 is to reach 2.5% of
GDP (Gross Domestic Product) by 2025. So, the minister requested the Health Ministers from States/
Union Territories (UTs) to increase healthcare spending to a minimum 8% of their State budget.
• pillars of healthcare: The conference was conducted on the 4 pillars of health care namely Universal
Health Coverage (UHC), Mission mode interventions, Quality and accessible affordable healthcare
services and Adequate Infrastructure.
• SUMAN: A new initiative – ‘Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN)’ for Zero Preventable Maternal
and Newborn Deaths, its website and the grievance redressal portal was launched on the occasion.
• Reports: A Report on National Diabetes & Diabetic Retinopathy Survey India 2015-19 and Report on
National Blindness & Visual Impairment Survey India 2015-19 prepared with the support of All India
Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi was launched as the day marked the World Sight day.
• Other initiatives: The minister unveiled two info-leaflets on Suicide Prevention to mark the World
Mental Health Day; Guidelines on Drugs and Diagnostic Service Initiative; Guidelines for Biomedical
Equipment Management & Maintenance Program; and the Guidelines for Peritoneal Dialysis under
Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Program.
• Advisory body: The Council of Health and Family Welfare is an apex advisory body for all matters
concerning Health and Family Welfare. Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare is the Chairperson,
Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare is the Vice-Chairperson, it also consists of members from
different areas.
• Other members: Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State (MoS) (HFW), Dr V K Paul, Member
(Health), Niti Aayog, Ms. Preeti Sudan, Secretary (HFW), Dr Sanjay Tyagi, DGHS ( Directorate General of
Health Services), MoHFW; and Health Ministers from 13 states, Health Secretaries from various States
and senior officers of MoHFW, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), NITI Aayog (National
Institution for Transforming India) and representatives from various Development Partners were
present.

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Road Transport & Highways minister Shri Nitin Gadkari inaugurated conference on ‘One Nation One
Tag – FASTag’ in New Delhi

On October 14, 2019 the union minister of Road Transport & Highways and Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises, Shri Nitin Gadkari inaugurated conference on ‘One Nation One Tag – FASTag’ in New Delhi for
rolling out usage of unified electronic system in the country.

MoUs signed:

• Several states/authorities signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with Indian Highways


Management Corp Ltd (IHMCL) for FASTag integration in the state, as toll collection will be
mandatorily done through FASTags effective from December 31, 2019 onwards.
• IHMCL and Goods & Services Tax Network (GSTN) signed MoU on E-way bill system integration with
FASTtag, to overcome track and trace mechanism for GST E-Way Bill (EWB) System whereby the
revenue authorities can track whether goods travel to the specified destination, vehicle tracking by
transporter through SMS (Short Message Service) alerts, revenue leakage at toll plazas and also to
improve monitoring. This system will become mandatory with effect from April 2020 onwards.
FASTag mobile app & NHAI wallet:

• My FASTag mobile App was developed by IHMCL and NHAI for the FASTag customers. The App links
bank account of neutral FASTag to bank account of customer’s choice.
• NHAI Prepaid Wallet was also launched during the occasion, giving customers an alternative choice of
not linking their FASTag to their bank accounts.
• Other features of App: UPI(Unified Payments Interface) recharge of bank specific FASTag. With
this facility, more than 80% of FASTag issued can be recharged; single portal for customer login page
for issuer banks; Search feature to find nearby Point-of-Sale(PoS) location by various banks and IHMCL;
List of Operational Toll Plazas under NETC programme, and Customer Support Toll-Free numbers.
Key points

i, Toll collections: The toll collection at national highways is done through Radio Frequency Identification
(RFID) technology based FASTags. But in-case of state highways, toll collection is done manually or by any
other means of tags, thus leading to road user inconvenience. To overcome this, the ministry preferred the use
of FASTags for easy movement of transport.

• 6 Million FASTags were issued so far, with overall cumulative ETC collection of over Rs 12,850 Crore
since inception. As of September, total cumulative number of successful ETC transactions carried out is
over 5540.67 lakhs.
ii. Sheme guideline circulation: To promote FASTag usage in Sate/ City Toll Plaza, scheme guidelines were
circulated in all states by Indian Highways Management Corp Ltd (IHMCL).

• The scheme cut shorts the turnaround time in state, thus allowing to be part of the FASTag solution
architecture. The architecture supports approx. 6 million tags with approximately daily 10 lakh
transactions.
• IHMCL assistance: 50% of the financial assistance is provided by IHMCL at the capital
expenditure(CAPEX) cost of installation of Electronic Toll Collection(ETC) on both lanes, costing about
Rs 20 lakh and also bears ETC programme management fee.
iii. Members present: The Minister of State(MoS) for Road Transport and Highways Shri Vijay Kumar Singh
and other ministers and officials were present during the occasion

About Fastag:

• FASTag is an electronic toll collection system in India, operated by the National Highway Authority of
India (NHAI). It uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to make toll payments directly
from the prepaid or savings account linked to it or directly to toll owner.
• The system was initially set up as a pilot project in 2014 between Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

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• FASTags will be affixed on the windscreen of a vehicle and can be used to pay toll across all toll plazas in
the country. Cashback of 2.5% is also provided for FY(Fiscal Year)2019-20 as part of FASTag
promotion.
• FASTag issuance: National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) functions as the central clearing
house for FASTag while 23 public and private sector banks are issuing FASTag currently.
• Usage areas: FASTags are made acceptable at 490 National Highways toll plazas and selected 39+ State
highways toll plazas.

1st edition of CII’s Asia Health- 2019 conference held in New Delhi
The 1st edition of Asia Health-2019 conference with the theme Serving the World’s Fastest Growing Region
through Healthcare Convergence, organized jointly by the National Health Authority and CII (Confederation
of Indian Industry) held in New Delhi from 16 – 19 October 2019 with the aim to bring multiple stakeholders
together to discuss the future of Health.
Key points:
i. The conference included all the events and initiatives of the Healthcare Department comprising CII 12th
Medical Technology Summit, CII Ayurveda Conclave, CII 16th Health Summit, CII Health Tech, CII Public Health
Conference, CII 13th Health Insurance Summit and CII National Pharmaceuticals Conclave.
ii.The event saw the release of two studies- the 1st on India as a Health Tech Hub which documents data
related to present Health Technology ecosystems in India &2nd was an Executive Summary on Ayushmaan 2.0
– Future forward – a proposal that is currently being worked upon by the CII National Committee on Health
Insurance.
Dr Jitendra Singh chairs the Asia Health- 2019 conference
On October 17, 2019, Dr. Jitendra Singh,the Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C),
Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space has chaired the Asia
Health-2019 conference in New Delhi .
Key points:
i. The event saw the appreciation of Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana ,a unique and
successful health insurance scheme launched in 2018 by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi .More than 50 lakh
people have benefited from this scheme.
ii. India is a younger nation as 70 % of its population is below 40 years of age will achieve central
government’s vision of making India a 5 trillion economy by the year 2024.
iii. With the theme for 2019-20 as ‘Competitiveness of India Inc – India@75: Forging Ahead’, CII will focus on 5
priority areas (employment generation, rural-urban connect, energy security, environmental sustainability and
governance) which would make India to stay on a better growth track.

2019 Army commanders’ conference held in New Delhi


The 2019 biannual event of the Army Commanders conference was held in New Delhi from October 14-18
2019. Defence minister Rajnath Singh addressed the army officers. During the conference procurement of slow-
moving Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for the Indian Army(IA) was decided. More than 40 companies
showcased military equipment during the event.
Indian Army launched “OASIS”
The Indian Army launched a new program called OASIS (Officers Automated Structures Information System).
The purpose of this programme is to digitize the official records of the army officers. The IAs intranet will be
hosting the software. Previously the records were preserved manually at the Manpower Planning
Directorate(MPD) in New Delhi.

• The records would be digitized within 5-6 months. To prevent fraudulent activities, OASIS will also bear
photographs of dependents of the army officers.
• Once the army officer retires, the data in the OASIS will automatically be transferred to the Retired
Officers Digital Records Archive (RODRA) which holds pension details of officers. The programme also
lets the officers to check salary slips and other details instantly.

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National Blindness and Visually Impaired Survey 2019 released by health minister Harsh Vardhan in
New Delhi
On October 10, 2019 Union health minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan released the National Blindness and Visually
Impaired Survey 2019 at 13th Conference of Central Council of Health and Family Welfare in New Delhi
marking the occasion of World Sight Day. The survey was conducted from 2015-2019 by the health ministry in
collaboration with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)- RP (Rajendra Prasad) Eye Centre for
Ophthalmic Sciences across 24 states and Union Territories(UT). Around 1.11 lakh people were tested during
the survey.
Reports:
i. Visual impairments reduced: Visual impairment in India has been reduced by about 52%. This reduction
percentage surpassed the World Health Organisation’s global action plan for the Universal Eye Health (2014-
19) target of 25%, according to the National Blindness Visually Impaired Survey (2015- 2019).
ii. Blindness prevalence: Prevalence of blindness in India came down by around 47% since the last survey
which was conducted in 2006-2007. The number of people suffering from blindness has reduced from 12
million in 2006-07 to 4.8 million in 2019. Also, the Indian government is working on the target of achieving the
WHO’s goal of blindness prevalence to 0.3 percent by 2020.
iii. Blindness definition: India changed it’s over the four-decade-old definition of blindness in 2017, to bring it
in line with the WHO criteria. The new definition is that a person, if unable to count fingers from a distance of
three metres would be considered “blind” as against the earlier stipulation of six metres, adopted in 1976.
iv.RAAB-6: A Rapid Assessment Avoidable of Blindness (RAAB-6) methodology was used to conduct the
survey.
It is a common method for detecting the blindness prevalence in people above 50 years of age.

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan released the first National Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy Survey
report in New Delhi
On October 10, 2019 Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan released the report on the first National
Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy Survey (2015-2019), at the 13th Conference of Central Council of Health
and Family Welfare, in New Delhi. The report was released in observance of World Sight Day. Diabetes and
diabetic retinopathy are now emerging as a significant non-communicable disease and they also lead to ocular
morbidity(eye diseases which include both visually impairing and non-visual impairing conditions).

Key points :
i.Survey report on DR: The survey has revealed that Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) in India is 16.9% and the
prevalence of Sight-Threatening DR (STDR) is 3.6%. Mild retinopathy prevalence is 11.8%.

• DR was prevalent in the diabetic population aged up to 50 years.


• Among males, DR was prevalent among 17% of males and 16.7% of females.

ii.Survey on Diabetes prevalence: The prevalence of Known Diabetes (KD) is 8.0% while diabetes prevalence
in the surveyed population is recorded at 11.8%. The highest prevalence of diabetes (13.2%) was observed in
the age group between 70 and 79. The urban prevalence of diabetes ranges between 10.9%-14.2% and the
rural prevalence ranges from 3.0%-7.8% among the population aged 20 years above.
iii. WHO estimation: According to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) estimation in 2014, the global
prevalence of diabetes among adults over 18 years of age was 8.5 percent in 2014. In India, there are 72.96
million diabetic cases.
iv.IDF estimation: According to the International Diabetes Federation(IDF) report of 2017, the diabetes
estimation is to rise to 629 million by 2045 from the current 425 million people with diabetes globally.
v.The union health ministry in collaboration with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-RP
(Rajendra Prasad) Eye Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences conducted this massive survey that covered 21 districts.
The survey was conducted on 63,000 people aged 50 years and above.

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Health minister Harsh Vardhan, felicitated 2018-19 Kayakalp awards in New Delhi
On October 11, 2019, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW) felicitated the
2019 Kayakalp awards in New Delhi during the national felicitation ceremony of Kayakalp awardees (2018-19).
All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi won the first prize of Rs 3 crores under the
government’s Kayakalp scheme for 2018-19 in central government hospitals ‘A’ category.Jawaharlal Institute
of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry was the runner up and was awarded Rs
1.5 cores. The Kayakalp award is felicitated to public health facilities in terms of hygiene and cleanliness.

Key points
i. B category: In terms of B category hospitals, Shri VinobaBhave Civil Hospital (VBCH), Silvassa of Dadra and
Nagar Haveli, won first prize-winning Rs 2 crore, where AIIMS Bhubaneswar won Rs 1 crore as a runner up.
ii. Commendation awards:

• In the ‘A’ category, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh
and Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi won the Commendation Award of Rs. 50 Lakh each.
• Similarly in ‘B’ category, North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences
(NEIGRIHMS), Shillong, Meghalaya, Lokpriya GopinathBordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health
(LGBRIMH,) Tezpur, Assam, and AIIMS Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh each won ₹Rs 50 lakh as
Commendation Award.
iii. Coffee table book: Dr Harsh Vardhan and Minister of State(MoS) for health & Family Welfare(HFW)
released the Kayakalp Coffee Table book which documents the success journeys of the award-winning health
facilities.
iv. District Hospitals, Primary Healthcare Centers (PHC) and Community Health Centers(CHC) were felicitated
awards, wherein 29 hospitals won the 1st prize, 14 were awarded 2nd prize and 2 hospitals won 3rd prize. 11
private health facilities were also awarded during the event.
v. Members present: Smt. Preeti Sudan, Secretary (Health) and Dr. Brijendra Kumar Rao, Chairman of National
Accreditation Board for Hospitals (NABH), and other representatives were present at the event.

About Kayakalp award:


Instituted: 15th May 2015 as part of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan(Clean India Mission)
Parameters: The parameters in which the award is facilitated are Hospital/Facility Upkeep, Sanitation and
hygiene, waste management,infection control,support services and hygiene promotion.
The number of facilities under Kayakalp rose from 750 health facilities in 2015-16 to more than 26,000
facilities in 2018-19.

Vice President Shri Venkaiah Naidu presented ‘Most Eminent Senior Citizen Award’ to former Attorney
General, Shri K. Parasaran in New Delhi
On October 20, 2019, the Vice President of India Shri Venkaiah Naidu presented the ‘Most Eminent Senior
Citizen Award’ for the year 2019 to Shri K. Parasaran (92), former Attorney General of India in New Delhi on
the occasion of Elder’s Day celebration organized by Age Care India (organisation for the welfare of elders).

Key points
i. Shri Parasaran is referred to as Pitamaha of the Indian law council bar. He was awarded the Padma
Bhushan in the year 2003 and Padma Vibhushan in the year 2011.
ii. Members present: Former Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Shri NarinderNathVohra, the President of Age
Care India, Dr. Kartikeyan and other officials were present on the occasion.

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Fintech firm BharatPe receives DigiDhan mission fin-tech award 2018-19 in New Delhi
On October 23, 2019, India’s largest merchant financial technology(fin-tech) company, BharatPe has received
the DigiDhan Mission Fin-tech Award 2018-2019 for ‘Innovation in Digital Payments through Emerging
Technology’ at the MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) Start-up Summit 2019 held
in New Delhi. The award was given by Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Communication, Electronics & IT
(Information Technology) and Law & Justice.
Key points:
i. BharatPay built a network of 2 million merchants in its first year of launch. This company provides merchant
with the facility of free UPI (Unified Payments Interface) payment through QR (Quick Response) code.
Traditionally, access to financial institutions in this segment was limited.
ii. The company’s vision is to make financial inclusion in India a reality.
About BharatPe:
Headquarters: New Delhi
Co-founder, and CEO: Ashneer Grover

Consumer Affairs Minister, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan launched ‘Consumer App’ in New Delhi for
redressing consumer grievances
On October 1, 2019, the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Shri Ram Vilas
Paswan launched a ‘Consumer App’ in New Delhi in order to redress public grievances and provide valuable
solutions on consumer-related issues. The app, which strengthens ‘digital India’ objectives, provides a one-stop
solution to the consumer grievances via mobile devices.

Key points
i. Resolution: The grievances will be resolved in a time-bound manner within 20 days. It takes
2months/60days to resolve a grievance in case of eliciting feedback from companies or further enquiries. The
consumer can proceed to consumer fora, in case a grievance isn’t resolved for more than 60 days. Before
closing the complaint, the consumer will be informed about it, and if he/she is dissatisfied, the complaint will
be referred further to the concerned department.
ii. Status monitoring: The status of the complaint will be monitored by the ministry on a daily basis whereas it
will also be monitored on a weekly basis by the minister himself. A registered consumer will be informed via
SMS(Short Message Service) or e-mail regarding the complaint and could also be tracked by him/her.
iii. App features: A consumer can sign up with an OTP (one-time password) and create a user ID and password
for its usage. The app has a built-in feature of tracking the lodged grievances. Other various important links to
get information pertaining to 42 sectors are also made available in the app which can be used in Hindi and
English. The app is available in android and IoS platforms and could be downloaded from Google Play Store and
Apple Store respectively.

Tourism Ministry launches “Audio Odigos” app for 12 sites of India during “Paryatan Parv 2019” in New
Delhi

On October 3, 2019, on the 3rd edition of “Paryatan Parv 2019″, the tourism ministry secretary
Shri YogendraTripathiin New Delhi, launched an audio guide facility app “Audio Odigos” for 12 sites of India
inclusive of iconic sites, for benefiting tourists. A Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) for
Delhi’s GolGumbad (15th-century domed tomb from the Lodi dynasty period) with the Government of Delhi
and Resbird Technologies were signed in developing the tourism amenities in presence of Director
General(DG) of Archaeological Survey of India(ASI) Smt. Usha Sharma.

• The app has been developed on the lines of MoU signed between the Ministry of Tourism and Resbird
Technologies in 2018 under which they have developed the audio guide app as a part of their CSR
(Corporate social responsibility).
Key points

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• 12 sites: The 12 sites for which the Audio Odigos can be used are Amer Fort in Rajasthan,
ChandniChowk, Red Fort, PuranaQuila, Humayun’s tomb in Delhi, FatehpurSikri, Taj Mahal in Uttar
Pradesh, Somnath and Dholavira, Gujarat, Khajuraho in Madhya pradesh, Mahabalipuram in Tamilnadu
and Mahabodhi Temple in Bihar.
• Audio Adigo features: Through this app which offers govt.of India’s verified content, the users could
experience historical insights of India’s cultural heritage. It has an inbuilt map, for navigation purposes.
The app which is available in all android and iOS(i-Operating System), has audio features that could be
chosen in preferred languages.
• Under the tourism ministry’s ‘Adopt a Heritage, Apni Dharohar Apni Pehchan’ scheme,which is a
collaborative effort among the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture and ASI, the 26th MoU was
signed during the event. This scheme aims to promote tourism amongst all stakeholders for active
participation in promoting tourism.
• Previously, 42 Letters of Intent (LoI) have been issued to 38 agencies for a total of 106 sites and 25
MoUs have been signed with 12 agencies for 23 sites and two technological interventions under the
project across India.

Union Ministers RK Singh and Shri Pralhad Joshi jointly launched PRAKASH portal in New Delhi for coal
supply transparency

On October 3, 2019 Shri Raj Kumar Singh, the Minister of State(MoS) for Power and New & Renewable Energy
(IC) and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Shri Pralhad Joshi, the Union Minister for Coal, Mines and
Parliamentary Affairs, jointly launched a portal named “PRAKASH” (Power Rail Koyla Availability through
Supply Harmony) in New Delhi. This portal was launched in bringing transparency as well as better
coordination in coal supplies to power plants. The link for the portal is https://mapp.ntpc.co.in/prakash .

Key points

• PRAKASH portal: The portal is developed byNTPC ltd (formerly National Thermal Power Corporation
Ltd) and data sources from Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Centre for Railway Information System
(CRIS) and coal companies. The portal also provides a graphical representation of reports.
• Portal reports: The portal provides reports on daily power plant status, periodic power plant status,
plant exception report and coal dispatch report.
• Monitoring areas: The portal is designed in mapping and monitoring coal supplies in areas like Coal
Stock at supply end (mines), coal quantities/ rakes planned,coal quantity in transit and coal availability
at power generating station.
• Stakeholders benefits: By this portal, the coal companies can track the coal requirements, power
stations and Indian Railways can place the rakes as per actual coal available and the concerned
ministries can know about the coal availability in various regions.
• Current mechanism: currently the concerned ministries conduct meetings review coal supply
situation which wasn’t efficient as it has scattered information, untimely data availability etc.

Health ministry launches eDantseva website and mobile application in New Delhi

The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare , Dr Harsh Vardhan, has launched the eDantseva
website and mobile application in New Delhi with the aim to provide oral health information collected from
authentic scientific resources. He also released the Braille booklet and Voice over on Oral Health Education for
the visually impaired individuals to access information, along with the oral health posters for pregnant women
and children.
Key points:
i. eDantseva: This portal has the information about the National Oral Health Program & the list of all the dental
facility and colleges, Information, Education and Communication (IEC) material and a special feature called
‘Symptom Checker’, which gives information on symptoms of dental/oral health problems, ways to prevent
these, treatment solution, and also directs the user to find their nearest available dental facility.

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ii. Partnership: The Health Ministry launched the first National Oral Health Program(NHOP) on a pilot basis in
collaboration with the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the All India Institute of Medical
Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi in1999. The program was implemented in one district in five states across the
country.
iii. Background: In 2014, Drs. An expert group was constituted for Oral Health run by Jagdish Prasad, Director
General Health Services and the National Oral Health Program was initiated in its present form. The Center for
Dental Education and Research (CDER), AIIMS, New Delhi serves as the National Center of Excellence for the
implementation of NOHP.
iv. Partakers: Dignitaries including Smt. Preeti Sudan, Secretary (Health) and Prof. Randeep Guleria, Director,
AIIMS New Delhi, Dr O P Kharbanda were present at the function.

India, US sign SoI to develop a range of warfighting technologies and systems during DTTI 2019 in New
Delhi

On October 24, 2019, India and the United States (US) signed a joint Statement of Intent (SoI) to co-develop a
range of cutting-edge warfighting technologies and systems for their militaries like virtual augmented reality
(VAR), air-launched unmanned airborne systems (UAS), networked operations, brand new weapon and light-
weight ammo (ammunition) designs. It was signed during the 9th meeting of the India US Defence
Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) 2019 held in New Delhi.
Key Points:
i.The US Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Mr Ellen M Lord and India’s Secretary for
Defence Protection, Mr Subhash Chandra co-chaired the meeting.
ii.Both nations will co-develop 3 specific projects in the near-term (6 months), 2 in the mid-term and 2 in the
long-term.
iii. The first of the three “near-term” projects is an “air-launched, small UAS”, which is a drone swarm; The
second one is the “lightweight small arms technology” project and the third is in the field of “intelligence,
surveillance, targeting and reconnaissance (ISTAR), a command and control software.
iv.Among the mid-term projects, the first is “Sea Link Advanced Analysis” which relates to maritime domain
awareness and the second is “virtual augmented mixed reality for aircraft maintenance (VAMRAM).
v.Among the long-term projects, the first is the co-development of “terrain-shaping obstacles” and second
project is the “counter UAS rocket artillery and mortar” (CU-RAM).
vi.Both nations will also work on Aircraft carrier technology cooperation (ACTC).

PM unveiled a book titled “Bridgital Nation” written by Shri N Chandrasekaran and Ms. Roopa
Purushottam in New Delhi
On October 20, 2019, the Prime Minister (PM) of India, Shri Narendra Modi unveiled a book titled “Bridgital
Nation” in New Delhi, where the first copy of the book was presented to Shri Ratan Tata. The book is written
by Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons and Ms. Roopa Purushothaman, chief economist &
head of policy advocacy of Tata Sons.

Key points
i. About the book: The cutting edge digital tools that can act as a bridge between aspirations and achievements
is the main focus of the book and hence the term ‘bridgital’. It helps in achieving ‘SabkaSaath, SabkaVikas’.
About Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas:
Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas means everybody’s company will help in everybody’s growth. It was the vision
created by the Modi govt in 2014. In May 2019, he coined new slogan namely “sabka sath, sabka vikas, aur ab
sabka vishwas (together with all, development for all, and now trust of all)”.

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