Appointment
1. Ajay Kumar Bhalla appointed as new Home Secretary
The Union government has appointed senior IAS (Indian Administrative Service officer) Ajay Kumar Bhalla (1984 batch - Assam Meghalaya cadre) as new Home Secretary.
He succeeds Mr Rajiv Gauba who will move out as Cabinet Secretary.
Current, Mr Bhalla is serving as Officer on Special Duty in Home Ministry.
Note:
Home Secretary is the administrative head of the Ministry of Home Affairs and is the principal adviser to the Home Minister on all matters of policy and administration within the Home Ministry.
As a Secretary to Government of India, the Home Secretary ranks 23rd on Indian Order of Precedence.
Important Days
2. 23rd August: International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
United Nations “International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition” is being observed every year on 23rd August.
The day designated by UNESCO to memorialize the transatlantic slave trade.
Source: UN.Org
National Affairs
3. PM Narendra Modi holds talks with French President Emmanuel Macron
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron to expand cooperation in areas of counter-terrorism and security.
The two leaders first held a one-on-one meeting which was followed by the delegation-level talks at Chateau de Chantilly, about 50 km north of Paris.
Both leaders reviewed the entire gamut of the dynamic and multi-faceted bilateral relations during their more than 90-minute long one-on-one meeting.
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi was accorded a red-carpet welcome on his arrival in Paris, France.
As India has been extended a special invitation for the G7 summit, Mr.Modi will attend the summit held at Biarritz France.
The 45th G7 summit will be held on 24–26 August 2019, in Biarritz, France.
Source: AIR News
4. Assam to appoint a third party agency to study tea industry problems
According to Assam’s Industry and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, The Assam Government has decided to appoint a third-party agency to study the problems of the tea industry.
The third-party agency would find out the reasons behind why Assam tea is not able to compete in the international market.
The proposed, agency could be a management institute or any other top agency. He said the industry had to move away from Crush-Tear-Curl (CTC) style tea and venture into teas like green and yellow tea.
The Assam Government would also set up a sub-committee to look into various problems of the tea industry.
The Assam is known as one of the highest and quality Tea producing state of the world.
Source: AIR News
5. Govt. to make FASTag mandatory for all vehicles from Dec 2019
According to Union Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, FASTags will become mandatory for all vehicles from December 2019.
FASTag enabled vehicles can cruise through the dedicated FASTag lane without stopping at toll plazas on National Highways.
According to Mr Gadkari over 52 lakh FASTags have been issued till date.
FASTags are being issued by 22 certified banks through various channels such as Point-of-Sale at NH toll plazas and selected bank branches.
Note:
FASTag is an electronic toll collection system in India, operated by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
Source: Live Mint
6. Kiren Rijiju to head a committee for ‘Fit India Movement’
A 28-member committee headed by Sports Minister, Kiren Rijiju has been formed to advise the government on the “Fit India Movement”.
The committee comprises of government officials, members of Indian Olympic Association (IOA), national sports federations, private bodies and fitness promoter.
The objective of the Fit India Movement is to encourage people to inculcate physical activity and sports in their everyday lives.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the “Fit India Movement” on 29th August 2019.
Source: News 18
7. Shripad Yesso Naik inaugurates National Conference on Varmam Science in Chennai
The Union Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik has inaugurated the two-day National Conference on Varmam Science, a part of the Siddha system of medicine in Chennai.
All Indian traditional medical systems are being promoted by the Centre to ensure holistic health care.
The National Health Policy unveiled by the Centre in March 2017 gives importance to all the Indian systems of medicine.
He informed that the Union Ministries of Labour, Defence and Railways have been asked to have AYUSH units in the clinics being run by them.
Note:
'Varmam' is a constituent of the Siddha system of medicine, that also doubles up as a martial art.
8. 5th UIDAI Aadhaar Seva Kendra becomes operational in Hisar, Haryana
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) fifth stand-alone ‘Aadhaar Seva Kendra’ has become operational on dry run basis at Hisar in Haryana.
Till now, five Aadhaar Seva Kendras are operational and two more will be operative by next week.
Out of these five Kendras, two are in Delhi, while one is at Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh and remaining one at Agra in Uttar Pradesh.
This is part of the UIDAI’s plan to open 114 such centres in 53 cities across the country for providing hassle-free Aadhaar enrolment and services to the people with prior appointment.
These Kendras will function along with other 35 thousand Aadhaar Kendras currently being run in banks, post offices and other designated State Government offices.
These Aadhaar Seva Kendras have a capacity to handle up to one thousand enrolments and requests per day and will be open for six days a week from 9:30 A.M. to 6 P.M (closed on Tuesdays and public holidays.).
Source: AIR News
Books & Author
9. Culture Minister launches the book ' The Diary of Manu Gandhi'
Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel has launched the book - ‘The Diary of Manu Gandhi’ at a function in New Delhi.
The book has been brought out by National Archives of India, on the occasion of 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in collaboration with Oxford University Press.
The first volume covers the period 1943-1944.
The Diary of Manu Gandhi (Grandniece of Mahatma Gandhi) originally in Gujarati has been edited and translated by Dr Tridip Suhrud, a well-known scholar engaged in understanding the Gandhian Intellectual tradition.
Source: Live Mint
Honour & Award
10. Guinness Award for Blessy’s documentary film on Mar Chrysostom
The biopic titled ‘100 years of Chrysostom’ by eminent filmmaker Blessy has entered the Guinness Book of World Records for being the longest documentary with a duration of 48 hours and 8 minutes.
The documentary ‘100 years of Chrysostom’ is an about 102-year-old longest-serving bishop in India named Dr. Philipose Mar Chrysostom Mar Thoma Valiya Metropolitan.
Dr. Chrysostom is Emeritus Metropolitan of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church in Kerala.
Note:
Dr. Chrysostom was born on April 27, 1918, at Eraviperoor in Pathanamthitta, Kerala and was consecrated in May 1952.
This documentary has broken the earlier record held by a documentary from Saudi Arabia named ‘World of Snakes,’ which was 21 hours long.
Banking & Finance
11. SEBI announces a reward of Rs 1 crore to insider trading informants
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has announced a reward of up to one crore rupees for informants willing to provide credible information regarding insider trading cases.
This will be a part of the detailed set of rules for the new 'Informant Mechanism' under the Prohibition of Insider Trading Regulations that was approved by the SEBI board.
The norms also propose a possible amnesty or settlement for minor wrongdoings in return for cooperation in the probe.
SEBI will establish an Office of Informant Protection, which will be responsible for the receipt, registration and processing of the disclosure form and also for ascertaining its authenticity.
Other major decisions include relaxation in 'Muni Bonds' to enable smart city developers and municipalities to raise funds through issuance and listing of their debt securities.
Source: AIR News
12. CBDT: Small startups with turnover up to Rs 25Cr to get promised tax holiday
According to the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), small start-ups with turnover up to 25 crore rupees will continue to get the promised tax holiday as specified in the section of the Income Tax Act.
The Act provides a deduction for 100 per cent of the income of an eligible start-up for 3 years out of 7 years from the year of its incorporation.
According to the Finance Ministry, the CBDT also clarified that all the start-ups recognised by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade-DPIIT which fulfilled the conditions specified in the DPIIT notification did not automatically become eligible for deduction.
Source: PIB
13. RBI changes RTGS system opening time from 8 AM to 7 AM
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has increased the timing for Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) Payment System by changing the Open for Business timing for RTGS from 8:00 AM to 7:00 AM.
At present, the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) System is available for customer transactions from 0800 hours to 1800 hours and for inter-bank transactions from 0800 hours to 1945 hours.
This timing will be applicable from August 26, 2019.
Currently, the NEFT, a retail payment system, is available for customers from 8 am to 7 pm on all working days except second and fourth Saturdays of a month.
The NEFT system is used for fund transfers of up to Rs 2 lakh, and RTGS for those above this threshold.
Sports
14. Constable Monali Jadhav wins 3 medals at World Police Games
Constable Monali Jadhav from Maharashtra won three medals, including two golds, at World Police and Fire Games International Championship held in Chengdu, China.
Jadhav is attached to the Jalamb police station in Buldhana district of Maharashtra.
Representing the Indian police force, Jadhav also made a new record with a score of 716 out of 720 points in the game.
She won the gold in target and field archery while settled for a bronze medal in the '3D Archery'.
She had previously secured a ninth position at the World Championships in Shanghai held in May.
Maharashtra Director General of Police Subodh Jaiswal has congratulated Jadhav on her achievement
Source: AIR News
15. Vikram Rathour to replace Sanjay Bangar as India's new batting coach
former Indian cricketer Vikram Rathour (50-years) will replace Sanjay Bangar as India's new batting coach.
Bharath Arun and R. Sridhar were retained as bowling and fielding coaches.
The senior national selection committee headed by MSK Prasad recommended three names each for all the support staff positions.
Know about Vikram Rathour
Mr. Rathour has played six Tests and seven ODIs in 1996 without much success but was a domestic heavyweight for Punjab.
Till2016, he was a senior national selector under Sandeep Patil's chairmanship.
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