Daily Current Affairs 29th August, 2019

Daily Current Affairs 29 August 2019 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

PM Modi launches ‘Fit India Movement’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a nation-wide ‘Fit India Movement’ at Indira Gandhi Stadium complex in the national capital.

• ‘Fit India movement’, was launched on the occasion of the National Sports Day — the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand, which aims to encourage people to inculcate physical activity and sports in their everyday lives.
• Advisory Committee for Fit India Movement hes been set up under the chairmanship of sports minister Kiren Rijiju.

Postal stamp by Dominican Republicto mark Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary

The Dominican Republic has released a postal stamp to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

India first in the world to launch facial biometric data based identity document

India has become the first country in the world to issue Biometric Seafarer Identity Document, BSID, capturing the facial biometric data of seafarers.

• The project was launched by handing over the new BSID cards to five Indian seafarers.
• The new facial biometric technology is a marked improvement over the two-finger or iris-based biometric data, with modern security features.

Cabinet approves 75 new medical colleges to be established by 2022

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar announced that the cabinet has approved 75 new medical colleges to be established in the country by the year 2022, which will create an additional 15,700 MBBS seats.

• He said that these institutes will be set up in under-served areas where there are no medical colleges.

HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal launches integrated web portal for school education ‘Shagun’

Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank launched a web portal ‘Shagun’ to provide all-inclusive information on school education including the results of students through a single platform.

• Shagun is a comprehensive initiative to improve the school education system by creating a junction for all online portals and websites relating to various activities of the Department of School Education and Literacy in the government of India and all States and Union Territories.
• The word Shagun is coined from two different words – ‘Shala’ meaning Schools and ‘Gunvatta’ meaning quality and this online junction of different websites and portals into a single platform will enhance the accessibility of information relating to schools and will ensure a holistic approach to transform education sector.

Cabinet nod to 100 pc FDI in coal mining, contract manufacturing

In major decisions to liberalise Foreign Domestic Investment (FDI) norms to boost investment, the Union Cabinet approved 100 per cent FDI in coal mining and contract manufacturing through automatic route.

• The meeting also liberalised sourcing norms concerning single-brand retail and allowed 26 per cent FDI in the digital media with government approval.

12th India Security Summit held in New Delhi

The 12th India Security Summit was held in New Delhi. The theme of the summit was “Towards New National Cyber Security Strategy”.

• Protection of critical national infrastructure, emerging cyber threats: incidents, challenges and response, are some of the issues which were discussed during the conference.

Delhi LG launches ‘QR Code Scheme’ on Himmat Plus app for women safety and security

Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal launched a ‘QR Code Scheme’ on the Himmat Plus app which can be used by cab or auto-rickshaw passengers to verify the identity of the driver and raise an alarm, if needed.

• Around 3,000 taxis and auto-rickshaws plying outside airports, railway stations and metro stations in the city have been registered under this scheme of the Delhi Police Transport Range and can be verified by scanning the QR code of the card pasted on the back of the headrest of the driver’s seat.

IIP sets up plant to turn plastic waste into diesel

Union Minister for Science and Technology, Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Trivendra Singh Rawat inaugurated a waste plastics to diesel plant in Dehradun.

• The plant has been set up in Indian Institute of Petroleum whose scientists will process waste plastics into fuel. It has the capacity to produce 800-litre diesel from one tonne of plastic.

Astra Rafael opens facility for defence communication system

A state-of-the-art, over 20,000 sq ft facility of an Indo-Israel joint venture to design, develop and manufacture tactical communication systems for Indian armed forces was inaugurated in Hyderabad, Telangana.

• With this, Astra Rafael Communication System (ARC), the JV, has positioned itself to become India’s first private sector firm to manufacture cutting-edge software defined radios in multiple variants.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Irdai sets up single point of contact for regulatory sandbox

Insurance regulator Irdai has set up a single point contact for its regulatory sandbox (RS) initiative, wherein financial technology firms can seek permission to experiment with innovative approaches for the growth of the sector. Regulatory sandbox (RS) usually refers to live testing of new products or services in a controlled/test regulatory environment for which regulators may (or may not) permit certain relaxations for the limited purpose of the testing.

SPORTS

25th Senior Women’s National Football Championship to be held in Arunachal Pradesh

The 25th Senior Women’s National Football Championship will be held in Arunachal Pradesh for the first time from September 10 to 24 next month.

• The tournament will be held in the oldest town of the state Pasighat in East Siang District. A total of 30 teams from across the country, representing various States, Union Territories and Indian Railways will participate in the tournament.

DDCA names Atul Wassan as chairman of senior selection committee

Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) appointed Atul Wassan as the chairman of the senior selection committee while Mayank Tehlan was named as the chairman of the junior selection committee for the season of 2019-20.

Ajantha Mendis retires from international cricket

Sri Lanka spinner Ajantha Mendis has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. The 34-year-old made his Test debut in 2008 and played 19 Tests matches claiming 70 wickets in the format.

West Indies fast bowler Cecil Wright retires at 85

At an age where players retire from Test cricket in their 20s and early 30s, West Indies’ Cecil Wright has finally announced his retirement from all forms of cricket at the ripe old age of 85.

APPOINTMENTS

Pramod Agarwal to succeed Coal India chairman AK Jha

Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has selected Pramod Agarwal as the next chairman of Coal India. He is a 1991 batch IAS from Madhya Pradesh cadre. He will take over after the present chairman A K Jha who will retire in January 2020.

Lionel Aingimea becomes the new President of Nauru

Former human rights lawyer Lionel Aingimea won the presidential election of the pacific nation Nauru by defeating his rival David Adeang by 12-6 votes. He is now the 15th President of Nauru succeeding the outgoing President Baron Waqa.

AWARDS

Robot manufacturer ‘Avishkaar’ wins NASSCOM Design4India Award

Tweak, a revolutionary new robotics kit, designed by Avishkaar has won NASSCOM Design4India Award in the category – Digital Ergonomic Product at the recently concluded Design Summit held in Bengaluru on 22-23 August.

• Aimed at a younger age group (5+ and up), Tweak provides a jumpstart to robotics for kids. It is simple in appearance, to make it less intimidating to kids, but at the same time powerful enough to function like an automated robot.

Indian documentary ‘I’m Jeeja’ wins top award at ‘We Care Film Fest’

Indian documentary film I’m Jeeja beat several international films to bag the top award in the ‘Under 30 minute’ category at the 14th edition of the ‘We Care Film Festival on Disability Issues’.

• The festival, touted to be one-of-its-kind international travelling film festival on disabilities, awarded a total of 10 films from nine countries.
• I’m Jeeja, directed by Swati Chakraborty tells the story of disability activist Jeeja Ghosh who suffers from cerebral palsy. Through her story, the film attempts to explore the lives and battles of people living with the disability.

Taylor Swift secures highest-paid female singer spot with $185 million: Forbes

Singer Taylor Swift is the highest-paid entertainer in the world after earning $185 million pretax in the last year, according to a list of music’s highest-paid women published by Forbes.

• Beyonce took the second spot with $81 million, and Rihanna took third with $62 million. Forbes used data from June 2018 to June 2019.

OBITUARIES

2-time Palghar MLA Navnitbhai Shah passes away aged 96

Socialist leader and former MLA from Maharashtra’s Palghar Navnitbhai Shah passed away on Monday aged 96 following prolonged illness. Shah was involved in the freedom struggle in 1942 at Mumbai’s Gowalia Tank maidan and was an active member of Rashtra Seva Dal between 1943-1949.

Congress MLA from Mukerian Rajnish Kumar Babbi passes away

Congress MLA from Mukerian Assembly seat in Punjab, Rajnish Kumar Babbi, passed away following a prolonged illness.

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Sports Day

The National Sports Day in India is celebrated on 29 August, on the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. This day marks the birthday of Major Dhyan Chand Singh, the hockey player who won gold medals in Olympics for India in the years 1928, 1932 and 1936. He scored over 400 goals in his career, from 1926 to 1948.

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