Current Affairs August 8 2019

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INDIAN AFFAIRS

Parliament passed the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Amendment Bill, 2019
Parliament passed the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Amendment Bill, 2019 which amends the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971. The Act provides for the eviction of unauthorised occupants from public premises in certain cases. The Bill has strict provisions to evict illegal occupants from government property allotted to members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and government officials.
i.Background: The Bill was introduced by the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri, in Lok Sabha on July 8, 2019 and was passed by it on July 31, 2019. It was passed by Rajya Sabha on August 6, 2019.
ii.Definition: The Bill defines ‘residential accommodation occupation’ as the occupation of public premises by a person on the grant of a license for such an occupation.
iii.Provision for Residential accommodation: The license must be given for a fixed tenure, or for the period the person holds office. The occupation must be allowed under the rules made by the central, state or union territory government, or a statutory authority such as Parliament Secretariat, or a central government company, or premises belonging to a state government.
iv.Notice for eviction: It requires an estate officer (an officer of the central government) to issue a written notice to a person if he is in unauthorised occupation of a residential accommodation. The notice will require the person to show the cause- why an eviction order should not be made against him, within 3 working days. The written notice must be fixed to a conspicuous part of the accommodation, in a prescribed manner.
v.Order of eviction: After considering the cause shown, and making any other inquiries, the estate officer will make an order for eviction.  If the person fails to comply with the order, the estate officer may evict such person from the residential accommodation, and take possession of it.  For this purpose, the estate officer may also use such force as necessary.
vi.Payment of damages: If the person in unauthorised occupation of the residential accommodation challenges the eviction order passed by the estate officer in court, he will be required to pay damages for every month of such occupation.

Rajya Sabha passed the National Institute of Design (Amendment) Bill, 2019
On August 6, 2019, Rajya Sabha passed the National Institute of Design (Amendment) Bill, 2019 which seeks to declare the 4 National Institutes of Design (NID) in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Haryana as institutions of national importance. It amends the National Institute of Design Act, 2014.
i. Background: The Bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha by the Minister of Commerce and Industry Mr. Piyush Goyal on July 30, 2019. The National Institute of Design Act, 2014 declares the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, Gujarat as an institution of national importance.
ii. Present status: Currently, the 4 institutes in Andhra Pradesh (Amaravati), Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal), Assam (Jorhat) and Haryana (Kurukshetra) are registered as Societies under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. They do not have the power to grant degrees or diplomas. They will be given the power to grant degrees and diplomas only after being declared as institutions of national importance.

Centre unveils coastal zone management plan
The Environment Ministry unveiled the draft Environment and Social Management Framework(ESMF) funded by the World Bank (WB) for integrated coastal management. It lays out guidelines for the coastal states to adopt and approve and regulate infrastructure projects in the coastal zones before applying for clearance.
Key points
Assists
The coastal management plan seeks to assist Govt. of India in resource efficiency and resilience enhancement.
Documentations
The documents related to this project was prepared by Society for Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM) which is an Environment ministry affiliated body.
States with Coastal plans
Funded by the WB, three states namely Gujarat, Odisha and West Bengal have prepared the Integrated Coastal Management Plans (ICZM).
Four main components of the plan
National Coastal Zone Management Programme(NCZMP), ICZM- West Bengal, ICZM-Odisha and ICZM-Gujarat.
Proposed activities

• Mangrove afforestation, shelter beds, restoration of seagrass meadows, beach cleaning and development, creation of tourism infrastructure
• The following proposed activities are for Livelihood improvements. They are climate resilient and salinity resistant agriculture, water harvesting, infrastructure creation to support eco-tourism, small scale mariculture, seaweed cultivation, aquaponics (waste produced by farm fish used as nutrient supply for plant growth, thus purifying water).

Obstructions
The main cause of obstructions in the coastal management plan is due to inadequate planning. Recently on June 16 2019,The Bombay High Court cancelled the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) for ₹14000 crore coastal road project which was a part of Eastern Freeway connecting South Mumbai and Western suburbs.
About Ministry of Environment
♦ Founded-1985
♦ Headquarters- New Delhi.
♦ Minister responsible- Prakash Javadekar.

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting launched e-Rozgar Samachar to spread awareness about job opportunities
On August 8, 2019, Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting Shri Prakash Javadekar launched the e-version of Rozgar Samachar with a view to make aspirants aware of job opportunities in government sector including public sector enterprises. The journal has been priced at 75% of the cost of its print version and is available for an annual subscription fee of Rs. 400.Key Points:
i. It can be accessed through the website www.employmentnews.gov.in
ii. Employment News provides editorial content on socio-economic issues and career guidance that helps youth in broadening their horizons.
About Rozgar Samachar:
It is the corresponding version of Employment News (English). Employment News is the flagship weekly job journal from Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. It was launched in 1976. The journal is published in English(Employment News), Hindi (Rozgar Samachar) and Urdu (Rozgar Samachar) and has a circulation of over one lakh copies per week. It is available throughout India every Saturday.

UNIDO and NISE inked an agreement for skill development program
On August 7, 2019, The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) signed an agreement to initiate a skill development programme for different levels of beneficiaries in the solar thermal energy sector. It was signed by Mr René van Berkel, UNIDO Representative in India and Dr AK Tripathi, Director General of NISE in UNIDO Office.
Key Points:
i. Both entities will bring the best practices by developing specialized training material.
ii. Agreement is a part of the ongoing MNRE-GEF-UNIDO project implemented jointly by UNIDO.
iii. It will support capacity building and skill development of technical manpower in the Concentrated Solar Thermal Energy Technologies (CST) which will replace conventional fossil fuels.
About UNIDO:
♦ Headquarters: Vienna, Austria
♦ Director General: Li Yong
About NISE:
♦ Parent Organization: Ministry of New and Renewable (MNRE)

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.
About New Delhi
♦ Chief minister- Arvind Kejriwal
♦ Deputy Chief minister- Manish Sisodia
♦ Governor- Anil Baijal.
♦ Commissioner of Police- Amulya Patnaik

IIT Madras partners with NIOT for ocean wave electricity harnessing
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) have partnered together for developing turbines that can generate electricity by harnessing the ocean waves.
Key points
i. The research is headed by Abdus Samad of IIT Madras from Ocean Engineering department.
ii.  Work on producing electricity through wave energy has been going on since 1983 by department of Ocean Engineering at IIT Madras.
iii. The research work is published in the International Journal of Energy Research.
iv. This project is funded by the Ministry of Earth Sciences and currently work is going on for turbine chamber coupling.
About Ministers of Earth science
♦ The Ministry’s mandate is to look after Atmospheric Science, Ocean Science & Technology and Seismology in an integrated manner.
♦ Union minister responsible- Dr. Harsh Vardhan.
♦ Secretary- Dr. M. Rajeevan.
♦ Formed- 2006. 

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Papua New Guinea has the highest number of ‘living’ languages in the world, India ranks 4^th
According to Ethnologue, a directory of languages which lists 7,111 living languages (languages that are still being used and spoken by people) worldwide, Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea, Country in Oceania tops the list with 840 living languages, while India ranks 4^th position with 453.
Key points:
i. The other nations in the top 5 positions include Indonesia (2^nd ) with 710 living languages and Nigeria(3^rd with 524) and US (United States) came 5^th with 335.
ii.Report:  3,741 languages out of 7,111 living languages, have fewer than 1,000 speakers.
ii. Family with high languages but spoken by few: some language families are very diverse in nature and have several languages, but are spoken by only a small percentage of the population (Trans-New Guinea family has 478 languages but spoken by just 0.05% of the total language speakers).
iii. Family with highest percent of speakers: Indo-European family has 445 languages including Spanish, English, German, Punjabi and Bengali and has highest percentage of speakers with 46.31%.
iv. Threat: In 2016, United Nation’s Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) highlighted that 40% of estimated 6,700 languages spoken around world were in danger of disappearing.
vii. Decrement: since 1950, 228 languages have become extinct as per the UNESCO’s(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ) ‘Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger’.

viii. Widely spoken languages globally: If only first-languages are considered, Chinese, Spanish, English, Hindi and Arabic are the most widely spoken languages globally, where these 5 account for over 40% .
ix. Suprise:  Across the Atlantic, widely English-speaking nation , America plays host to 430 languages. Meanwhile in Australia, 260 languages are spoken.
x. Number of Languages by Region: Among  regions, Asia (2303) & Africa (2140) registered for highest number of indigenous languages (over 70% of total),where Pacific region have (1322)languages  and Americas have(1058)languages.
International Year of Indigenous Languages:
The year 2019 is designated as United Nations’ International Year of Indigenous Languages with the aim to enhace  native tongues in 5 major areas which includes,

• Creation of favourable conditions for knowledge-sharing and dissemination
  of good practices with regards to indigenous languages.
•  Increasing understanding, reconciliation and international cooperation
• Integration of indigenous languages into standard setting
• Empowerment through capacity building.
• Growth and development via elaboration of new knowledge

Pakistan suspends bilateral trade with India 
On August 7, 2019, The Pakistan National Security Council (NSC), chaired by the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan decided to downgrade diplomatic ties with India and suspend bilateral trade, after India decided to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution. Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria will be sent back to India.
Key Points:
i. Pakistan also suspended the Samjhauta Express Train Service.
ii. The train service was started on July 22, 1976 under the Simla Agreement that settled the 1971 war between the two nations.
iii. It was also suspended in 2019 due to escalating tensions between the countries. But, the service was resumed later.
About Pakistan:
♦ Currency: Pakistani rupee
♦ Capital: Islamabad
♦ President: Arif Alvi

BANKING & FINANCE

ADB approved $200 mln to improve road infrastructure in 34 districts of Maharashtra
On August 8, 2019, Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $200 million loans for improving road infrastructure in 34 districts of Maharashtra to connect rural areas with markets and services. The total cost of the project is $296 million. The government will provide $96 million. ey Points:
i. The upgraded roads will boost links between local residents, productive agricultural land, and economic centers across the state.
ii. The project will work with the rural infrastructure agency, the Maharashtra Rural Road Development Association (MRRDA), to develop road safety, road asset management, contract management, and climate resilient design.
iii. The project will be completed by September 30, 2024.
About Maharashtra:
♦ Capital: Mumbai
♦ Chief Minister: Devendra Fadnavis
♦ Governor: C. Vidyasagar Rao
♦ National Parks: Chandoli National Park, Nawegaon National Park, Gugamal National Park, Pench National Park, Sanjay Gandhi (Borivilli) National Park, Tadoba National Park
♦ Wildlife Sanctuaries: Amba Barwa WLS, Bor WLS, Great Indian Bustard WLS,
Lonar WLS, Melghat WLS, Gangewadi New Great Indian Bustard WLS etc.
About ADB:
♦ Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Manila, Philippines
♦ President: Takehiko Nakao
♦ Founded: 19 December 1966
♦ Membership: 68 countries

SBI Life Insurance and Indian Bank signed a Bancassurance agreement
On August 7, 2019, One of the oldest public sector lenders, Indian Bank has signed a bancassurance agreement with the leading private life insurer, SBI (State Bank of India)Life Insurance to provide SBI’s suite of insurance products to its customers.
Key points:
i. SBI life insurance products will now be available in Indian Bank’s customers spread across its over 2,851 branches.
ii.  SBI Life’s extensive product portfolio comprises protection, savings, health, credit life, etc., insurances.
iii. To offer life insurance policies, SBI life joins with Indian Bank to ensure sales training, product support, and smooth operational processes.
iv. Through this tie-up, SBI life will deepen the penetration of its product offers and enable more customers across the country to access their risk solutions.
About Indian Bank:
♦ Headquarters: Chennai
♦ CEO: Padmaja Chunduru
♦ Founded: 15 August 1907
♦ Tagline: Your Tech-friendly bank
About SBI life insurance:
♦ Headquarters: Mumbai
♦ MD & CEO: Mr. Sanjeev Nautiyal

Max Life Insurance introduces ‘Speed Dial – your partner for life’ initiative to provide better policy servicing needs to customers
On August 6,2019, A leading life insurance company in India, Max Life Insurance Co Ltd on its 4^th protection day (4 months since it announced to dedicate the 6th of every month as ‘Protection Day’) has launched a  customer-friendly initiative called “Speed Dial – your partner for life” with the aim to provide a quick and easy resolution of policy servicing needs to customers by allocating a partner(relationship manager) from the day of purchase of a policy.
Key points:
i. Speed Dial – your partner for life: Under it, Customers will be given direct contact details of their dedicated relationship manager(called Partner for Life), who will provide a one-stop solution on call for the queries  raised by customers & also educate them on the company’s digital service solutions and new products offerings if inquired.
ii. Advantage: This initiative will help customer to save time by directly contacting their partner without going through interactive voice responses which is generally time-consuming.
iii.Score: The Company’s validation of its claims registered a ratio of 98.74 percent & ‘Speed Dial’ initiative will further promote customers policy journey through dedicated relationship managers on call.
iv. Background: On May 6, 2019, Max Life has notified that it will commemorate the 6th day of each month as ‘Protection Day to raise awareness on financial protection.
About Max Life Insurance:
♦ Founded: 2000
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi
♦ MD& CEO: Prashant Tripathy

Indian Bank & Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance inked a pact to offer life insurance products
Indian Bank, a public sector bank, signed a pact with Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance Company (ABSLI), a private sector insurer, to offer life insurance products to the customers of Indian Bank. It was signed by the Indian Bank Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Padmaja Chunduru and ABSLI MD and CEO, Ajay Srinivasan.
i. With this, around 2,900 branches of Indian bank will offer a diverse range of life insurance policies to its customers.
About Indian Bank:
♦ Headquarters: Chennai
♦ Tag Line: Your Own Bank
♦ Formed:  August 15, 1907
About ABSLI:
♦ Subsidiary: Aditya Birla Capital Ltd (ABCL)
♦ Chairman: Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla

NSE, SGX get SEBI’s nod to operate jointly in GIFT City
On August 6, 2019, The National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Singapore Exchange (SGX) received permission from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to operate jointly in Gujarat International Finance Tec (GIFT) City under the proposed programme ‘Connect’. Nifty index, which is trading on SGX in Singapore, will be traded on a joint platform between the NSE and SGX in GIFT City.
Key Points:
i. The Connect model will enable SGX and NSE International Financial Service Centre (IFSC) members to access Nifty products in GIFT.
ii. The objective is to create a larger pool of liquidity comprising international and home market participants.
iii. NSE IFSC-SGX Connect will be operational before December 31, 2020.
About NSE:
♦ Headquarters: Mumbai
♦ Founded: 1992
♦ MD & CEO: Vikram Limaye
About SGX:
♦ Founded: December 1, 1999
♦ CEO: Loh Boon Chye

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

American tennis player Serena Williams tops the Forbes magazine’s highest paid women in sports list 2019
23-time Grand Slam singles winner and American tennis superstar Serena Williams tops the highest-paid women sports list 2019 for the4th straight year released by Forbes magazine with earnings $29.2million.
i. This calculation is based on Prize money, salary, bonus, endorsement between June 1 2018 and June 1 2019.Key points
i. Japan’s Naomi Osaka who is currently standing second in the list with earnings of $24.3 million, became the fourth woman to earn more than $20million after Serana Williams, Russia’s Maria Sharapova and China’s Li Na.
ii. She achieved this feat after defeating Serena Williams in the 2018 US Open finals.
iii. The other players in the top spot are Angelique Kerber with $11.8 million followed by 2019 Wimbledon Champion Simona Halep with earnings $10.2 million.
iv. US (United States) footballer Alex Morgan becomes the highest paid athlete from a different sport category with ranking 12th and earning of $5.8 million.
v. Indian badminton player PV Sindhu and Thai golfer Ariya Jutanugarn were the non-tennis players in the top 15 rankings.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

SBI’s MD Dinesh Kumar Khara got an extension by 2 years after a review of his performance
On August 8, 2019, The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, Government of India has extended the tenure of State Bank of India(SBI) Managing Director (MD)Dinesh Kumar Khara by another 2 years with effect from August 9, 2019, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.Key points:
i. He was appointed Managing Director of State Bank of India (SBI) for a period of three years on August 10, 2016. He holds a Board level position in supervising the businesses of SBI’s nonbanking subsidiaries, which are engaged in diverse financial activities such as Asset Management, Life Insurance, General Insurance, Custodial Services, Primary Dealership,.etc.
ii. In 1984, he joined SBI as Probationary Officer (PO) and has over 33 years of experience in all sides of Commercial banking such as Retail Credit, deposit mobilization, international banking operations, branch management, etc.
iii. Khara has worked in SBI’s Chicago office and was associated with the overseas acquisition of Indian Ocean International Bank Mauritius (now SBI Mauritius) during his stint in Overseas Expansion wing of International Banking Group. He also worked as the MD & CEO of SBI Funds Management Pvt. Limited (SBIMF).
About SBI:
♦ Headquarter: Mumbai
♦ Chairman: Shri Rajnish Kumar
♦ Tagline: With you all the way, Pure banking nothing else, The nation’s bank on us.

5 members from RS elected unopposed to office of profit panel of the parliamentary joint committee
On August 8, 2019, Five Rajya Sabha members including Mahesh Poddar (BJP), K Keshava Rao (TRS), Vijayasai Reddy (YSRCP), Dola Sen (TMC) and Sasmit Patra (BJD) have been elected unopposed to the parliamentary joint committee on office of profit. The chairman of the committee is yet to be nominated. while Rakesh Sinha , BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) MP(member of parliament)has been nominated as a member of the Press Council of India(PCI)by Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu.

Key points:
i. About JPC: This has 10 Lok Sabha Members & 5 members will be from Rajya Sabha and total member of JPC will be 15.
ii. Sonal Mansingh (Indian classical dancer-(nominated) has been elected unopposed to the Central Advisory Committee(CAC) for the National Cadet Corps(NCC), while Congress MP M V Rajeev Gowda made it to National Institute of Mental Health and Nero-Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru &JDU MP Kahkashan Perween (JDU) has been nominated to the Haj Committee of India.
About Joint Committee on Offices of Profit:
i. It  is constituted in pursuance of a Government motion adopted by Lok Sabha and concurred in by Rajya Sabha for the duration of each Lok Sabha.
ii.  It examines the composition of the various committees and bodies constituted by the Union and State Governments and recommends and reports whether the persons holding these offices should be disqualified from being elected as MPs or not.

ENVIRONMENT

Wild elephant population census as per 2017,released
Union environment ministry released the wild elephant population census, which is taken once in every five years by India state of Forest report has estimated that there are totally 29,964 elephants in the country as per the 2017 census which is a bit high compared to the 2012 elephant census having 29,576 elephants.
Key points
i. Southern part of India accounts for 14,612 elephants while the north east is estimated with 10,139 elephants.
ii. Kerala has witnessed a marginal drop in the elephant count as there are only 5706 elephants compared to 6177 elephants in the 2012 census even though there was a record high of 190 wild cats(tigers) against 136 in the recent wild cat census.
State rankings
With over 6049 elephants, Karnataka ranks first in the state-wise category and is followed by Kerala.

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SPORTS

Mary Kom & Lovlina Borgohain selected for upcoming women’s world boxing championships 2019
Boxers MC Mary Kom, a six-time world champion, and Lovlina Borgohain, World and Asian bronze-medallist, are selected for the upcoming Women’s World Boxing Championships 2019 which are scheduled to be held from October 3- 13, 2019 in Bolshoy Sochi, Russia.i. The 36-year-old Mary Kom has been selected in the 51kg category and Lovlina Borgohain will be competing in the 69kg category.

South African spinner Colin Ackermann becomes the 1^st player in T20 cricket history to claim a 7-wicket haul
Colin Ackermann(28), a  South African cricketer who plays for Leicestershire Foxes has set the new T20(Twenty20) world record with he took seven wickets for just 18 runs (7-18) to victory by 55 runs against the Birmingham Bears in 2019 Vitality Blast held in Grace Road, England, and Wales. He surpassed the previous T20 best of (6-5), taken by Malaysian bowler, Arul Suppiah for Somerset against  Glamorgan in 2011.
Key points:
i. Set a target of 190, Birmingham Bears( Warwickshire County Cricket Club)  were bowled out for 134 as Ackermann took the wickets of Michael Burgess, Sam Hain, Will Rhodes, Liam Banks, Alex Thomson, Henry Brookes, and Jeetan Patel.
About South Africa:
♦ Capital: Cape Town(Legislative), Pretoria, Bloemfontein
♦ Currency: South African rand
♦ President: Cyril Ramaphosa

Diego Forlan- former Uruguay captain announces retirement from football
40-year-old former Uruguay captain and Manchester United’s English Premier League winner Diego Forlan officially announced his retirement from professional football. Key points
i. He won the 2011 Copa America competition in which his father and grandfather had also won during their times.
ii. Before moving to Manchester United in 2002, he played for Argentina’s Independiente which was his senior career/professional career in football.
iii. He had also played for Old Trafford and Atletico Madrid. He won the Europa League 2010 for Atletico Madrid.
iv. He scored a total of 36 goals in 112matches for his country(Uruguay) and was awarded the Golden Ball in 2010 World Cup.

OBITUARY

Harley Race, better known as “King of The Ring” passed away
Born on April 11, 1943, in Missouri, America, Eight-time National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) world heavyweight champion, Harley Race died at the age of 76 due to lung cancer. He hailed from the USA. Key points
i. Known as King of the Ring, Harley wrote his autobiography named “King of the Ring: The Harley Race Story” in 2004.
ii. He also had other nicknames such as Handsome, Mad dog, greatest wrestler on God’sGreen Earth etc.
iii. His wrestling career came to an end after he met with a car accident in 1961.
iv. He was inducted into the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) hall of fame, NWA hall of fame and Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Former Governor of Reserve Bank of India, Bimal Jalan’s new Book ‘Resurgent India’ launched
On August 6, 2019, Former Governor of Reserve Bank of India, Bimal Jalan’s new Book ‘Resurgent India’ launched in New Delhi. The book talks about key priorities that can be implemented by the new government in the national interest, irrespective of the political agenda of the party that comes to power. The book has been published by Harper Collins. It is a sequel to Bimal Jalan’s book Emerging India (2012). Key points:
i. During the launch, the author stated that the government should borrow only the long-term funds from the overseas market, and it shouldn’t exceed more than 1.5 percent of GDP (Gross domestic product) under any circumstances.
ii. He also stated that the panel to review the Economic Capital Framework was not finalized because of new finance secretary, Rajiv Kumar was appointed by the RBI (Reserve Bank of India) as a new member of the 6 member committee, which was formed on December 26, 2018. The panel has also got an extension beyond the three-month term.
iii. Background: The government has already announced that it would start raising a part of its gross borrowing from external markets in foreign currencies.

Book ‘Oru Manidhan Oru Iyakkam Kalaignar Mu. Karunanidhi’ released
On August 6, 2019, The book titled ‘Oru Manidhan Oru Iyakkam Kalaignar Mu. Karunanidhi’ in Tamil language which depicts the life and work of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (Dravidian Progressive Conference) (DMK) leader Late M Karunanidhi , the former Tamil Nadu chief minister, was launched by K Veeramani, President of Dravidar Kazhagam in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.i. The book is published by Frontline, a publication of The Hindu group. Frontline is commemorating 35 years in journalism.
ii. The book includes all the articles published in the special issue – ‘A Man and a Movement,’ which was brought out in August 2018, as a tribute to M Karunanidhi after his demise.
iii. It was launched one day before the first death anniversary of Late M Karunanidhi.

IMPORTANT DAYS

India observes 77th anniversary of Quit India movement on August 8, 2019
The 77th anniversary of Quit India Movement, also known as August Kranti Andolan, was celebrated across India on 8 August 2019. The Quit India movement aimed to help India attain complete independence, a historic milestone in the Indian freedom struggle, had begun on 8 August 1942 under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. India gained independence 5 years after the movement. Key points:
i. Vice President M.Venkaiah Naidu was addressing a gathering in New Delhi after Gandhian, Dr. Shobana Radhakrishna delivered Gandhi Katha (a narrative on the clarion call given by Mahatma Gandhi to the British to Quit India)He also stated that the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi are eternally relevant. Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the valuable contribution of the freedom fighters and highlighted the significance of August Kranti in the long-drawn struggle.
ii. Background: After the failure of Cripps Mission (British government’s attempt to secure full Indian cooperation and support for their efforts in World War II), On August 8, 1942, Mahatma Gandhi launched a mass protest demanding what he called “an orderly British withdrawal” from India. Gandhiji gave a slogan of ‘Do or Die’ delivered at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Mumbai. Almost the entire Indian National Congress leadership was sent to jail without trial within hours after Gandhiji’s speech.
iii. Supporter: American President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only supporter of India, was constantly pressurizing the British Prime minister (PM)Winston Churchill to agree on some of the demands Indians made, but Britishers denied every call and averted everything till the war was over. Only then Gandhiji was imprisoned at Aga Khan Palace in Pune and almost all leaders were arrested.

STATE NEWS

MoU between Uttar Pradesh and Netherlands extended
The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government has extended the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Netherlands for another 5 years till 2024, that was signed in 2016 on various fields.
Key points
The MoU was signed by Netherlands ambassador to India, Marten vand den Berg and indian officials in presence of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

MoU signed

• Corporation and exchange of knowledge and techniques in the fields of solid waste management.
• Spatial planning.
• Water management including restoration of water bodies and mobility planning.
• Cooperation in the field of transport management, energy efficiency, sewerage and effluent treatment, agriculture, dairy, and horticulture.
• Development of smart cities in UP, cultural heritage and cycle track infrastructure development in various cities of the state.

About Uttar Pradesh
♦ Governor- Anandiben Patel
♦ National parks- Dhudhwa National park
♦ Wildlife sanctuary (WLS)- Bakhira WLS, Chandraprabha WLS,  Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Bird WLS, Mahavir Swami WLS.

IT Minister of TN, Dr M Manikandan dropped from TN state cabinet 
On August 7, 2019, The Chief Minister (CM) of Tamil Nadu (TN) Edappadi K Palaniswami dropped Information Technology (IT) Minister Dr M. Manikandan from the state cabinet in the wake of Manikandan’s public criticism of his cabinet colleague Udumalai Radhakrishnan, who is also the head of the state-run Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV. With this, the strength of the CM’s ministry came down to 31.
i. Governor of Tamil Nadu, Banwarilal Purohit accepted the CM’s recommendation to drop Manikandan from the Council of Ministers.
ii. The portfolio of IT was re-allocated to R B Udhayakumar, Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management, TN.
About Tamil Nadu:
♦ Capital: Chennai
♦ National Parks: Guindy National Park, Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) National Park, Mudumalai National Park, Mukurthi National Park
♦ Wildlife Sanctuaries: Cauvery North WLS, Chitrangudi Bird WLS, Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) WLS, Kanyakumari WLS, Pulicat Lake WLS, Sakkarakottai WLS etc.

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