Daily Current Affairs 21st August, 2019

Daily Current Affairs 21 August 2019 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

Zambian President arrives in New Delhi

President of Zambia Edgar Chagwa Lungu arrived in New Delhi on a three-day visit to India. Mr Lungu will meet President Ram Nath Kovind and will hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

2nd Uday Express to run between Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada

Indian Railway’s 2nd double-decker Uday (Utkrisht Double-Decker Air Conditioned Yatri) Express will run between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada. The train would consist of 9 double-decker coaches and 2 power cars.

• The trains are primarily allocated to routes with heavy passenger traffic. They are equipped with WiFi facility, have striking interiors, cushioned seating, and display screens.
• The first service was launched on June 10th, 2018 between Coimbatore Junction and Bangalore.

Punjab launches ‘Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojna’ dedicated to Rajiv Gandhi

Paying tribute to former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi on his 75th birth anniversary, Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh launched his government’s flagship universal health insurance scheme ‘Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana’, benefitting nearly 46 lakh families in the state.

• On this occasion, e-cards were handed over to the first 11 beneficiaries to kick off the scheme, which would entitle beneficiaries to avail annual cashless treatment up to ₹5 lakh per family per year, including pre-existing diseases, was aimed at ensuring the best possible treatment to the beneficiaries free of cost.

Maharashtra Transport Minister launches live tracking system for MSRTC buses

Maharashtra Transport Minister Diwakar Raote launched a tracking system for MSRTC buses which will allow people to have real-time information about their commute.

• The minister said, GPS machines are being installed in all the buses. At present, it is ready on Mumbai-Nashik route for all Shivneri buses, the premium brand of MSRTC.

Assam: First humanoid robot ‘Palki’ serves up delicacies at Guwahati eatery

The humanoid robot Palki unveiled at the Guwahati’s Uruka restaurant, a women-run eatery, recently has been a hit with patrons, especially the younger generation who enjoy the novelty of being served by her.

• Robot Palki has been designed by S N Farid, the husband of the restaurant’s owner Karishma Begum.

Prasar Bharati to soon introduce two awards – Neelum Sharma Tejaswini award & Achyutananda Sahoo Award

Prasar Bharti Chairman A Suryapakash has announced that Prasar Bharati would soon be introducing two awards – the Neelum Sharma Tejaswini award and the Achyutananda Sahoo Award.

• Neelum Sharma launched and presented a number of path breaking shows, a few among them being Badi Charcha and Tejaswini.

DRDO hands over design of mobile metallic ramp to Army

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) handed over the design of Mobile Metallic Ramp (MMR) to the Indian Army.

• With a load-bearing capacity of 70 metric ton (MT), MMR has been designed and developed by DRDO’s premier research laboratory — Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES) – based on requirements projected by Army for reducing mobility time for mobilising armoured vehicles.

SPORTS

Sreesanth’s life-ban reduced to seven years

Indian pacer S Sreesanth’s life-time ban has been reduced to seven years by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Now, Sreesanth’s ban on playing will end on September 13 next year.

• Sreesanth has already been facing a ban from almost a period of six years now, which bars him from playing cricket or participating in any event, with which the BCCI is directly or indirectly associated.
• Sreesanth was banned by the BCCI for a lifetime in August 2013 along with his Rajasthan Royals teammates Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan for indulging in alleged spot-fixing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) that year.

Madhya Pradesh para swimmer Satendra Singh Lohia crosses America’s Catalina Channel

Divyang Satendra Singh Lohia from Madhya Pradesh has become the first Asian swimmer to cross the Catalina Channel of America. Satendra holds the Asian record of crossing both the English and Catalina channels.

Spirited IOCL beat Army XI 5-0 to clinch Bangalore Cup hockey

The Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) beat Army XI 5-0 to lift the Dolo-650 Bangalore Cup All India Hockey Tournament 2019 held in Begaluru, Karnataka.

Cincinnati Masters: Daniil Medvedev and Madison Keys triumph in respective finals

Russia’s Daniil Medvedev and American Madison Keys recorded straight-set victories to win the men’s and women’s Cincinnati Masters titles in Ohio.

• Medvedev, who defeated world number one Novak Djokovic in the semi-final, beat Belgium’s David Goffin 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 to win his first ATP Masters 1,000 title.
• Keys, 24, beat two-time Grand Slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-5 7-6 (7-5) to win a second title of the season.

AWARDS

Indian-American teen wins South Asian Spelling Bee

Navneeth Murali, an Indian-American teenager from New Jersey won the 2019 South Asian Spelling Bee, after correctly spelling the word “flipe” to earn the national title and $3,000 grand prize.

IIT Delhi Startup’s Multisensory Kit wins National Disability Award

Ms Ankita Gulati, founder of TouchVision, an IIT Delhi incubated startup working on the design and development of inclusive learning resources for visually impaired people has won the NCPEDP-Mphasis Universal Design Award 2019, which is given away every year to those who have been doing exemplary work towards the cause of accessibility and thus ensuring a life of equality and dignity for people with disabilities.

OBITUARIES

Former MP CM Babulal Gaur passes away at 89

Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Babulal Gaur has passed away. He was 89. Gaur served as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh from August 2004 to November 2005.

• Gaur was admitted to hospital on August 7 in a critical condition after his blood pressure dropped. He was later put on ventilator after his medical condition deteriorated.

‘Robin Hood of Rae Bareli’, Five-Time MLA Akhilesh Singh passes away

Five-time MLA and the “Robin Hood of Rae Bareli” Akhilesh Singh has passed away after a prolonged illness.

• A local strongman, who had the image of Robin Hood, Akhilesh Singh was known for his bold statements.

Sahitya Akademi winner Professor Niranjan Singh Tasneem passes away

Sahitya Akademi award winner and an eminent Punjab writer, Professor Niranjan Singh Tasneem passed away. He was 91

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Mosquito Day

World Mosquito Day, observed annually on 20 August, is a commemoration of British doctor Sir Ronald Ross’s discovery in 1897 that female mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans.Ross is responsible for the annual observance, having declared shortly after his discovery that the day should be known as World Mosquito Day in the future.

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