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NATIONAL NEWS ..................................... 3

INTERNATIONAL NEWS .......................... 49
BANKING AND ECONOMY ...................... 57
APPOINTMENTS .................................... 78
IMPORTANT DAYS ................................. 82
AWARDS ............................................... 87
SPORTS ................................................. 93
MISCELLANEOUS ................................. 102
QUESTIONS ......................................... 107
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NATIONAL NEWS
1. The 2nd edition of the Modi-Xi informal summit is being held in Mamallapuram, Tamil
Nadu.
• The first informal meet was held at Wuhan, China in 2018.
• India has relaxed its e-visa policy for Chinese nationals. Now, Chinese can apply for
an e-Tourist visa with a 5-year validity with multiple entries.
• Visa fee has been reduced across categories of e-Tourist visa.
• The existing e-conference visa, e-medical visa and 1-year multiple-entry e-business
visa will continue to be issued from online platform of Indian visas.

2. Intellectual property index 2019, developed by US chamber of commerce’s Global

Innovation Policy Center (GIPC), ranked India at 36th (from 44 position in 2018) out of
50 countries and USA at the top countries. (released in Feb 2019)
• It ranks countries based on 45 indicators that are critical to an innovation-led
economy supported by robust patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret
protection.
• India’s Strengths and Weaknesses: -

3. Social progress index 2019, developed by Social progress imperative, ranked India at
102 position out of 149 countries and Norway at the top position.
• India’s GDP PPP per capita is $6,899 (rank – 95).
• The index measures countries on 3 dimensions – Basic Human Needs, Foundation of
Well Being, Opportunity.
• Under these three dimensions, there are several components: -

4. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and IIT-Bombay are organizing the Global
Student Solar Assembly to commemorate 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
as well as to promote the Gandhian idea of sustainable living.
• India has committed to reduce its carbon intensity by 33-35% by the year 2030.
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5. Trade and development report 2019, developed by United Nations Conference on

Trade and Development, has predicted that the World GDP growth rate (forecasted) is
2.3% for 2019 against 3% of 2018.
• India’s GDP growth rate is 6% for 2019 against 7.4% in 2018.
• China with a 6.1% (6.6% in 2018) growth rate for 2019 reclaims the title of the
world's fastest growing economy by being ahead of India by just 0.1%.

6. SDG India Index 2019, developed by NITI Aayog and United Nations, is titled as the
“Localising SDGs Early Lessons From 2019”.
• The index bifurcates the states/UTs into three categories: - Aspirational, Performers
and Frontrunner to measure the progress of states in localising and implementing
Sustainable Development Goals.
• India is the sixth largest economy and remains a global engine of growth and is
projected to be the fastest growing major economy in 2019-20.

7. National eGovernance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of Electronics and IT and
National Law Institute University (NLIU), Bhopal have signed an MoU for implementing
the ‘Online Capacity Building Programme on Cyber Law, Crime Investigation and
Digital Forensics through NeGD Learning Management System (LMS)’.
• A Cyber Forensics Lab shall be setup in the premises of National Law University
(NLU) Delhi to provide an Online PG Diploma Course in Cyber Law, Crime
Investigation & Digital Forensics to 1000 officials.
• Under the Digital India Programme, NeGD and NLIU will offer this course through its
Learning Management System (LMS).

8. Raised Lines Foundation, a non-profit IIT-Delhi incubated start-up, has launched three
bilingual tactile books (braille), on the life of Mahatma Gandhi for the visually
challenged people.
• ‘Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi’, ‘About India’ and ‘Incredible India’ are
the three books.

9. Students in the Delhi-NCR region have created 2 Guinness Book world records for
environment protection on Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary.
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• First: - It is in the category of ‘environmental sustainability lessons to the largest

number of students at one place’ wherein close to 5,000 children participated.
• Second: - It is ‘the largest number of assembly and lighting of solar lamps’ in which
more than 5,000 students participated.

10. New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has launched three “Saksham Eco Mart” outlets
to phase out plastics and sell jute and cloth bags and to provide employment to women
as well.

11. Andhra Pradesh has launched the Village and Ward Secretariat system to ensure that
the government services reach the last mile citizen and to strengthen the Panchayati Raj
system in the state.
• Under the system, one Village Secretariat is going to be set up for every population
of 2,000, with each one having close to a dozen village officials (from different
departments like police, revenue, etc).
• Village Secretariats would act as a bridge between the government and the people
by providing over 500 types of services at their doorstep.
• Earlier, the AP govt (under N. Chandrababu Naidu) focussed on the e-governance
system and launched the e-Pragati platform in 2018 to bring many of the state
government’s services online, in partnership with EY Consultancy.

12. A 2-day “Regional Conference on Developing a Comprehensive Approach: Combating

Illicit Trafficking of Afghan Opiates and Drug Situation in the Northeast (NE)” was held
in Imphal, Manipur.
• Organizer: - UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Regional Office, South Asia.

13. Chhattisgarh has launched 5 new schemes namely: -

Mukhyamantri Suposhan Mukhyamantri Haat Bazaar Mukhyamantri Shahariya

Abhiyaan Clinic Yojana Slum Swasthya Yojana
Universal PDS (Public Distribution System) Scheme: - Mukhyamantri Ward
under the scheme, general category families (taxpayers Karyalaya
and non-taxpayers) are eligible for food grains.

14. Telangana has become a fully electrified state after providing electricity to over 5 lakh
15 thousand households under the Saubhagya Yojana.
• Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana “Saubhagya” was launched in 2017.

15. Delhi cabinet has approved to create the India’s first sports university in Delhi. It will
offer degrees to sportspersons at par with degrees in other courses at graduate,
postgraduate and doctoral level.
• The bill approved by the Cabinet will be sent to Lt Governor Anil Baijal. After that,
the bill will be tabled in the Delhi Assembly.
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16. Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Tanuvas) has launched a mobile
app — Blood4Pet — to bring reach out to pet blood donors for collecting blood for
curing dogs.

17. Odisha has launched the ‘Mo Sarkar’ initiative to ensure good governance and
transparency in the administration at the grassroots level.

18. Ministry of Railways’ Quality Council of India has conducted the Railway Cleanliness
Survey 2019 which ranks three railway stations of Rajasthan – Jaipur, Jodhpur, and
Durgapura – at the top position out of the total 720 railway stations.
• Andheri, Virar and Naigaon stations in Mumbai have topped in the category of
suburban stations out of the total 109 stations.
• North Western Railway followed by South East Central Railway and East Central
Railway are the top three railway zones.
• Faizabad station has shown improvement the most.
• Perungalathur (Chennai) is ranked at the bottom position in non-suburban category.
In suburban category, Rabindra Sadan (metro railway in Kolkata) is at the bottom.

19. Urjagiri – an awareness campaign – has been launched by Uttarakhand Chief Minister
Trivendra Singh Rawat to raise awareness among people to stop power theft and to
avoid power loss.

20. India and Syria have signed an MoU for up-grading the India-Syria Next Generation
Center for Excellence in Information and Technology in Damascus.
• Objective: - To upgrade the existing India-Syria Center for Excellence in Information
and Technology to the Next Generation Center for Excellence in Information and
Technology (NexGen-ISCEIT).
• The NexGen-ISCEIT will work to "Train the Trainers”. This initiative will help in rapid
expansion of IT Sector in Syria.

21. 3rd meeting of the Drone Innovators Network Summit 2019 is being organized in New
Delhi by World Economic Forum under the aegis of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
• India is one of the few countries to come out with drone regulations – Civil Aviation
Requirements (CAR), effective 1 December, 2018.
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22. According to the “2019 Southwest Monsoon Season Rainfall and IMD’s Long Range
Forecasts” by India Meteorological Department (IMD), Haryana has the highest
number of dry districts, 19 out of 21 (including three where rainfall was scanty).
• The driest state in India is Manipur with 56% deficiency and Haryana is the second
driest state with 42% deficiency.
• Quantitatively monsoon seasonal rainfall was 110% of its Long Period Average,
which is 88 cm.
• More than 52, 1/3rd of the dry districts, are in the high-output agriculture belt of
Punjab, Haryana and west Uttar Pradesh, including Delhi.

23. Peddapalli district of Telangana has topped in the Rural Swachhta Survey 2019 as the
cleanest district in India.
• Haryana’s Faridabad district improved the most in the list and moved to 2nd place
in 2019 from its previous rank of 71 in 2018. Haryana’s Rewari district is ranked 3rd
in the list.
• Tamil Nadu has been ranked at the 1st position from 11 position in 2018. Haryana
and Gujarat were ranked at second and third positions respectively.
• The survey was carried out in 17,200 villages of 690 districts.

24. 4th edition of KAZIND-2019 – a joint military exercise between India and Kazakhstan
has begun at Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.

25. PM Narendra Modi and PM of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth have jointly inaugurated the
phase 1 of Light Rail Transit metro express project (developed by L&T) and first
paperless E-Hospital (of ENT) in Mauritius through a video link.

26. Ministry of Tourism has launched an audio guide facility app “Audio Odigos” for 12
sites during the 3rd edition of Paryatan Parv-2019.
• An MoU was signed between the Ministry of Tourism and Resbird Technologies in
2018 to develop the app as a part of their Corporate social responsibility.
• Apart from this, the 26th MoU was signed under the ‘Adopt a Heritage, Apni
Dharohar Apni Pehchan’ scheme, which is a collaborative effort of the Ministry of
Tourism, Ministry of Culture, Archaeological Survey of India and state govt/UTs to
promote tourism.

27. Govt has launched the “PRAKASH” (Power Rail Koyla Availability through Supply
Harmony) portal to bring transparency as well as better coordination in coal supplies to
power plants.
• It was launched by Ministry of Power and the Ministry for Coal and Mines.
• The portal is developed by NTPC ltd, Central Electricity Authority (data sourcing),
Centre for Railway Information System and coal companies.
• It will provide reports on daily power plant status, periodic power plant status,
plant exception report and coal dispatch report.
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28. Andhra Pradesh govt has launched ‘YSR Vahana Mitra scheme’ to provide financial aid
of Rs 10,000 per annum to auto-rickshaw or taxicab drivers/owners.
• Rs 400 crore has been allocated for this scheme.

29. Rajasthan has become the first state in India to launch the Policy On Pneumoconiosis (a
disease or lungs due to inhalation of dust) for prevention and control of the disease.
• Under the scheme, People diagnosed with pneumoconiosis will be declared
permanently disabled.
• A standing committee under the chairmanship of Rajasthan’s chief secretary D B
Gupta has been created to periodically review progress of implementation of the
policy.
Entitlements - pension (1,250 per month). They will get Rs 4,000 every month as pension,
and their family will receive Rs 3,500 every month for five years or until their minor heirs
become self-dependent.
Rajasthan will also create a Pneumoconiosis Fund.

30. Ministry of Health and Family welfare has, in collaboration with WHO, re-designated
National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC) as the WHO Collaborating Centre
for Priority Medical Devices and Health Technology Policy.
• Aim - To assist in policy and strategy development in the provision and mobilization
of technical assistance to improve health outcomes.
• NHSRC and WHO’s country office have jointly developed a guidance document for
the Ministry of Health’s free diagnostics initiative to strengthen the agenda of
Universal access to affordable diagnostics.

31. “Trans Fat Free” logo of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been
released during the 8th International Chefs’ Conference of 2019, held in New Delhi to
strengthen the ‘Eat Right Movement’.
• ‘Chefs 4 Trans Fat Free’ slogan was also released to help achieve the govt’s target to
eliminate trans-fat by 2022 (quantitatively less than 2%); with the motto ‘India@75;
Freedom from Trans Fats’.
• The logo of the Green Purple initiative was also launched. This 6-month initiative
aims to teach the chefs on sustainable cooking (trans-fat free cooking) methods and
food safety legal requirements.
• FSSAI’s Hygiene Rating Scheme is an online rating system that aims to provide
ratings to the food places.
• WHO target to eliminate trans-fat is 2023.

32. Govt has formed a working group, headed by Guruprasad Mohapatra, to prepare the
new industrial policy that would aim to make India -a manufacturing hub.
• It is the 3rd industrial policy after 1956 and 1991. The process of formulating the
new industrial policy (replacing the existing Industrial Policy of 1991) was started by
DPIIT in 2017.
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• National Manufacturing Policy will be subsumed under this new policy.

• The committee will focus on to delineating the role for private sector in achieving
the national targets.

33. Ministry of Defence has increased the amount of the financial aid given to the Next of
Kin of all categories of battle casualty to Rs 8 lakhs from Rs 2 lakhs under Army Battle
Casualties Welfare Fund (ABCWF).
• The ABCWF was instituted in 2017 and was implemented retrospectively with effect
from April 2016 under the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare.
• At present, Rs 2 lakh is given to battle casualties in case of death/60% and above
disability.
• The previous Minister of Home Affairs, Rajnath Singh, had launched the “Bharat ke
Veer” web portal in 2017 to enable people to contribute towards family of martyrs.

34. NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) India have signed a letter of intent for establishing the Youth
Co:Lab in New Delhi.
• Purpose: - To train the youths of India in entrepreneurial skills by connecting with
govt, mentors, incubators and other investors.
• Phase-I of this programme focuses on six Sustainable Development Goals: -
SDG 5 (gender equality) SDG 6 (clean water and SDG 7 (Affordable and
sanitation) Clean Energy)
SDG 8 (Decent Work and SDG 12 (Responsible SDG 13 (Climate Action)
Economic Growth) Consumption and
Production)

35. 14th edition of the joint military training exercise between India and Mongolia –
“Nomadic Elephant-XIV” has started in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.

36. International Institute for Management Development (IMD) has conducted the first
ever “Smart City Index 2019” which ranks Hyderabad as the top Indian city with the
rank of 67.
• After Hyderabad, New Delhi is at rank 68, Mumbai is at 78 and Bengaluru is at 79.
• A total of 102 cities were assessed.
• IMD World Competitiveness Center’s Smart City Observatory, in partnership with,
Singapore University of Technology and Design has presented the report.
Top 5 cities (Rank-wise)
Singapore (Singapore)
Zurich (Switzerland)
Oslo (Norway)
Geneva (Switzerland)
Copenhagen (Denmark)
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37. 39th World Congress of Poets (WCP) was organized by the World Academy of Arts and
Culture (WAAC) at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology at Bhuvneshwar,
Odisha under the theme of “Compassion through Poetry”.
• The WCP was founded in 1969 at Manila, Philippines by the WAAC.

38. Vishnu Nandan is the only Indian to aboard the German research vessel Polarstern, en-
route on the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition to understand the impact of
climate change.
• Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany, MOSAiC, is leading this largest ever Arctic
expedition.
• A total of 300 scientists will be on board the vessel.

39. National Health Authority (NHA) has signed a Statement of Intent with Google for
strengthening the Ayushman Bharat- PM Jan Aarogya Yojana (PMJAY).
• Google would help provide training to NHA personnel to build their digital skills.

40. India and Bangladesh have signed various MoU during Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India: –
MoU
To establish a Coastal Surveillance system Withdrawal of 1.82 cusec of water from
Feni river for drinking water scheme for
Sabroom town, Tripura.

Renewal of Cultural Exchange program. MoU between University of Dhaka and

And for Cooperation in Youth Affairs. University of Hyderabad.
India and Bangladesh have signed the 3 -
bilateral development projects – Import of
LPG from Bangladesh;
Further decisions were: -
BBIN Vehicles motor agreement will be India is offering duty free access to
operationalized early to encourage other Bangladeshi goods (except alcohol and
partner countries of BBIN to join the tobacco) under the South Asian Free Trade
agreement. Agreement (SAFTA).
Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN)
Motor Vehicles Agreement signed in 2015

41. Global Firepower Index or Military Strength Ranking 2019 has been released by the
Global Firepower which ranks India at the 4th position globally with the Power Index
score of 0.1065 and India is ranked at the 1st position in South Asia.
• The index ranks a total of 137 countries based on each nation’s potential war-
making capability across land, sea and air with conventional weapons. Moldova is
the new country added in 2019 index.
• As per the Global Firepower, the top score in the power index is 0.0000, which is
“realistically unattainable”.
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• More than 55 individual factors of each nation were assessed.

• Top Ranker – USA (with 0.0615 score), followed by Russia.

42. India’s first e-waste clinic will be set up in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh in compliance with
the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
• Bhopal Municipal Corporation and Central Pollution Control Board have partnered
to set up the clinic.

43. India’s first plant to produce diesel from plastic waste has been inaugurated in
Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
• Mathura Municipal Corporation has built it on a public-private partnership (P-P-P)
model with Paterson Energy Private Limited.

44. 5th World Parliament of science, religion and philosophy 2019 was organized by the
MIT (Maharashtra Institute of Technology) World Peace University in Pune.
• Vishwa-Vigyan-Darshanik Award has been conferred upon Prof. Dr. Vishwanath D.
Karad.
• Philosopher Saint Shri Dnyaneshwara World Peace Prize was awarded to Dr. Karan
Singh.

45. Global Summit on ‘Spirituality for Unity, Peace and Prosperity’ was held in Mount Abu,
Rajasthan.

46. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in collaboration with AIIMS, has launched the
first ever e-Dantseva website and mobile app to provide oral health information and
also to give information on symptoms of dental/oral health problems and to suggest
ways to prevent/cure them through the ‘Symptom Checker’, embedded in it.
• The Braille booklet and Voice-Over on Oral Health Education was also released.
• The website has all the information about the National Oral Health Program and the
list of all the dental facility and colleges, information, education and communication
material.
• The first National Oral Health Care Program was launched by the Ministry of
Health, in collaboration with the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at
the AIIMS, in 1999.

47. India-Bangladesh Business forum meet was held in New Delhi.

• Start-up Bangladesh and Tech Mahindra; and Bangladesh Economic Zones
Authority and Adani Ports and Special Economic Zones signed 2 Government to
Business MoU.
• India and Bangladesh are members of the Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA),
SAARC Preferential Trade Agreement (SAPTA) and the Agreement on South Asian
Free Trade Area (SAFTA) which govern the trade tariffs.
• FDI in Bangladesh from India has more than doubled from $243.91 million in 2014 to
$570.11 million in December 2018.
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48. 10th edition of Indo-Maldives joint military exercise – Ekuverin 2019 – has begun at
Aundh Mil Station, Punse.

49. 33rd edition of the India Economic Summit was organized by the World Economic
Forum (WEF) in New Delhi.
• A 100 km electric vehicle corridor will be established in Punjab, which is part of a
sustainable pilot project with the WEF’s Moving India initiative.
• According to a report released by WEF and Ola Mobility Institute, India has the
potential to become the largest EV market in the world.

50. Ganga Aamantran initiative (a month long open-water rafting and kayaking expedition)
to raise awareness about the importance of Ganga has been launched by the Ministry of
Jal Shakti as part of National Mission for Clean Ganga’s initiative.
• It will cover a total of 2500 km, from Devprayag in Uttarakhand to Ganga Sagar in
West Bengal.
• Purpose: - This, first and largest campaign, aims to create awareness about River
Rejuvenation and Water Conservation on a large scale.
• Personnel from the tri-services of Indian Armed forces, members from CSIR – IITR
(Indian Institute of Toxicology Research) and National Disaster Response Force
(NDRF) will the initiative.
• Wildlife Institute of India will conduct the flora and fauna census of 2019, as part of
this initiative across 5 Ganga basins in UP, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Bihar and West
Bengal.
• The program will be headed by Paramvir Singh from Indian Air Force.

51. Draft of National Education Policy (prepared by the committee headed by Dr. K.
Kasturirangan) had proposed to set up a Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog (National Education
Commission), as the apex education body under the chairmanship of Prime Minister,
and vice-chairmanship of Minister of Human Resource Development.
• Purpose: - To increase public investment in education, technology and increase
focus on vocational and adult education, among others.
• Current News: - The centre is planning to drop the plan of setting up the commission
in the wake of opposition from state governments.

52. India Meteorological Department (IMD) will collaborate with meteorological agencies in
China and Pakistan to provide climate forecast services to countries in the Hindu-Kush-
Himalayan (HKH) region.
• A Regional Climate Centre would be set up as part of this collaboration. It will be
under the World Meteorological Organisation.
• HKH region spans Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Kyrgyzstan,
Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
• HKH region is considered the Third Pole as it is the world’s largest store of snow
and ice outside the polar region, and the source of 10 major rivers, and, therefore,
particularly sensitive to climate change.
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53. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in association with UNICEF has conducted the
first-ever comprehensive National Nutrition Survey.
• Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalance in an individual’s intake of
nutrients or energy. It is of two types:
o Undernutrition which includes stunting (low height for age), wasting (low
weight for height), underweight (low weight for age), etc.
o Overnutrition which includes obesity/overweight and other diet-related non-
communicable diseases.
• The survey recorded malnutrition that included micronutrient deficiencies and
details of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol
and kidney function in children and adolescents.
• Nearly 10% of children in the age group of 5-9 years and adolescents in the age
group of 10-19 years are pre-diabetic.
• The survey for the first time proved the coexistence of obesity and under nutrition.
• One in five children in the age group 5 to 9 years were stunted.
• Tamil Nadu and Goa had the highest number of adolescents who were obese or
overweight.
• Parameters of the Survey : - 50 indicators were aggregated to create six sub-
indicators — diet, malnutrition, iron deficiency, micronutrient deficiency, non-
communicable diseases and obesity to ranked all 30 states on each indicator and
sub-indicator.
• The indicators dealt with children in three age groups - 1-4, 5-9 and adolescents in
10-19.
• PARAMETERS of CNNS: -

54. Mukhya Mantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana has been launched in Uttar Pradesh to
empower the girl child by giving financial aid of Rs 15,000 at the birth of a girl child.

55. Ministry of Human Resource Organization has launched the Pradhan Mantri Innovative
Learning Programme named DHRUV for Science, Mathematics and Arts students to
enhance their skills.
• Named after the pole star (Dhruv Tara), this 14-day learning programme will target
60 students from 9 to 12 Class all over the country.
 14

• The program has been launched at ISRO head office in Bangalore and will conclude
in IIT-Delhi.

56. India has been ranked 68th (decline of 10 positions) out of the total 141 countries in the
Global Competitiveness Index 2019 released by World Economic Forum.
• India and Brazil (rank- 71) are the worst performing among the BRICS. While China
(Rank- 28), Russia (43) and South Africa (60) are ahead of them.
• Singapore is the most competitive country while Chad is the least competitive
country.
• The countries were assessed on 103 indicators divided in 12 pillars.

57. According to the Health system Strengthening Conditionality Report of states 2018-19
report released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Bihar, West Bengal,
Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, J&K and Uttarakhand are the worst performers
under the National Health Mission (NHM) scheme.
• Central govt will cut 20% of the funds to these worst performing states.
• The top performing states under the scheme were Punjab, Haryana, Kerala, Assam
and Dadar & Nagar Haveli.
• Under the NHM, at least 14 states/UT were penalized for not performing in various
health parameters.
• Mission Steering Group of NHM has decided to increase the performance-based
incentive/penalty from 10% to 20% of the NHM budget which means that 80% of the
resource would be assured for the state, while 20% of the resource would depend
on its performance.
• Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Sikkim could not meet the minimum
criteria of full immunisation of 75%, therefore there were not considered for
assessment.
• 7 parameters: - operationalisation of health and wellness centres, provisioning of
mental health services in districts covered under the NHM programme, screening of
30+ population for non-communicable diseases and grading of primary health
centres (both urban and rural), performance of district hospitals.
 15

58. Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has partnered with IIM-Bangalore
to launch a two-year fellowship programme called Mahatma Gandhi National
Fellowship (MGNF) programme’ to boost skill development at the district level.
• The programme is designed under Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for
Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP).
• Purpose: - To eliminate the non-availability of personnel for various programmes at
national, state and district levels.
• It has been launched on a pilot basis in 75 districts across Gujarat, Meghalaya,
Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

59. Government has launched the GEMINI device to provide disaster-related information
to fishermen (particularly) when they are 10 to 12 km away from the coast.
• GEMINI stands for Gagan Enabled Mariner’s Instrument for Navigation and
Information.
• GAGAN is a GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation service (effective since 2015) to
provide satellite-based navigation services in India through GSAT-8, GSAT-10 and
GSAT-15.
• The entire area from Australia to Africa is covered by GAGAN.

60. Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a commemorative stamp to honour Marshal of
Air Force late Arjan Singh during the 87th Airforce day.

61. 13th Conference of Central Council of Health and Family Welfare has been inaugurated
by the Union Health Minister Dr Harsha Vardhan where the steps to achieve the target
of health expenditure at 2.5% of GDP by 2025 (as set in the National Health Policy 2017)
were discussed.
• A new initiative SUMAN – Surakshit Matritva Aashwasam – was launched to end
the preventable maternal and new born deaths.
• Two new reports – National Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy Survey India (2015-
19) and Report on National Blindness & Visual Impairment Survey India 2015-19,
prepared with the support of AIIMS – were launched here.
SUMAN – Surakshit Matritva Aashwasam
Free medicines, check-up etc will be provided free of cost to pregnant women, mother and
infants to bring down the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR).
MMR in India has come down from 254 per 1 lakh live births in 2004-06 to 130 per 1 lakh live
births in 2014-16.
IMR has declined from 66 per 1,000 live births in 2001 and to 34 in 2016.

62. e-Vidyabharti (tele-education) and e-ArogyaBharti (Tele-Medicine) projects were

opened for all 54 African countries by Ministry of External Affairs on the 55th
anniversary of India’s flagship capacity building programme – “Indian Technical and
Economic Cooperation” (ITEC).
• The services will be delivered by Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd.
 16

• e-ITEC and ITEC executive (capacity building initiatives) were launched to provide
innovative courses for users and professionals.
• Run by the Indian government, ITEC is a bilateral assistance programme (launched
in 1964). It offers 12,000 scholarships to professionals across fields like Information
Technology, Agriculture etc.

63. India has pledged $22 million towards the Global Fund to fight against AIDS,
tuberculosis and malaria (GFTAM) during its Sixth Replenishment Conference held in
Lyon, France.
• $14.02 billion fund has been pledged for the next 3 years to save 16 million lives
and eliminate AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria by 2030.
• USA is the highest donor with $1.56 billion a year (33% of the total contribution)
followed by France with $1.29 billion donation.
• This is the largest amount ever raised for a multilateral health organization, and the
largest amount by the Global Fund.

64. Council for Advancement of People’s action and rural Technology (under the Ministry
of Rural Development) has launched the ‘SARAS Aajeevika Mela’ initiative under
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) in New
Delhi.
• Purpose: - To bring the rural women Self Help Groups under one platform and also
to help them understand the demands of urban customers.

65. World’s first species of eel-loach living in subterranean environments has been
discovered in Kozhikode district of Kerala.
• Researchers from the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies have named
it ‘Pangio bhujia’.
• Eel-loaches are generally found in fast flowing streams in South and South East Asia.

66. World Wide Fund for Nature India has conducted the annual Ganges river dolphin
census, in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department, along about
250-km-long riverine stretch between Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary and Narora
Ramsar site began in Bijnor, UP.
• It shows that the dolphin population in the Uttar Pradesh has increased to 36 in
2019 from 33 in 2018.

67. A website and a mobile application – Sahyatri – have been launched to help the railway
police in addressing the complaints of passengers from all over India and to integrate
the criminal database online.

68. According to the National Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy Survey report 2019
released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 11.8% of people aged above 50
and around 10.6% of the diabetic patients are at risk of losing their vision.
 17

• The survey conducted during 2015-2019 by the Rajendra Prasad Centre for
Ophthalmic Sciences, AIIMS, New Delhi, was done on more than 63,000 people aged
above 50 years in 21 districts.
• The highest prevalence of diabetes was observed in the 70-79 years age group at
13.2%.
• The prevalence of blindness among diabetics was found to be 2.1% and visual
impairment 13.7%.
• Prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in the 60-69 years age group was 18.6%, 70-79
years was 18.3% and among more than 80 years was 18.4% while a lower prevalence
of 14.3% was observed in the 50-59 years age group.

69. Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) and National Investment and Infrastructure Fund
(NIIF) have partnered to install smart electricity meters in all households across India.
• A joint venture called IntelliSmart Infrastructure Pvt Ltd has been formed by the
companies to operate the smart meter program.
• Till now, EESL has installed 6.25 lakh smart meters in India.

70. Henley Passport Index 2019 (Q4 update) ranks India at 82nd position (down from 81st
position in 2018) with a score of 59.
• Parameters:- It is based on the data of International Air Transport Association
(IATA).
• Japan and Singapore were ranked at the first position.

71. India has announced an additional Line of Credit of $236 million to Mongolia (in
addition to the previous $1 billion LoC) for construction of Mongolia’s first
petrochemical refinery (of 1.5 MMT capacity).
• Mongol refinery project is the largest project undertaken by India under LoC
programme.
 18

72. During the 5th National Council on India’s Nutrition Challenges, the Ministry of
Women and Child Development announced to develop a POSHAN atlas to map crops
and food grains grown all over the country.
• Purpose: - To promote regional cropping pattern and nutrition rich food in local
areas.
• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Deenadayal Research Institute will help in
developing the atlas.
• NITI Aayog will develop a new ranking to acknowledge Anganwadi workers and
ASHA workers of Poshan Abhiyan to help states rank districts based on health and
nutritional parameters.
• World Bank Global Nutrition Report, 2018, mentions that India spends around $10
billion annually on malnutrition in terms of lost productivity, illness and death.

73. Ministry of Home Affairs is planning to amend the draft of Arms (Amendment) Bill to
punish manufacturers and users of illegal arms.
• As per the new amendment, makers and users of “prohibited” arms would be
punished with life imprisonment.
• The government will ban the multiple gun licenses to individuals. Only 2 licensed
gun will be allowed to any individual.
• Section 25 (1AA) of Arms act 1959 will be amended to extend the punishment from
14 years to life imprisonment.
• Illegal import of guns and their sales have been categorized as “illicit trade” and the
dealers will be sent to jail up to 7 years.
• A sports person (shooting sports) can possess a third gun (0.22 calibre rifle only), if
they have been recognised in national or international events in the last two years
by the central government.

74. National Blindness and Visually Impaired Survey 2019 (surveying the period of 2015-
2018) has been released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in collaboration
with AIIMS-Rajendra Prasad Eye Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences.
• The report mentions that visual impairment has been reduced by 51.9% (2.55% in
2010) against the target of 25% set by WHO’s global action plan for the Universal
Eye Health (2014-19).
• The estimated blindness has come down to 0.36% from 1% in 2006-2007—since the
last survey. The survey was conducted in 24 states and UT.
• Prevalence of blindness has been reduced by around 47% since the last survey
(conducted in 2006-07) and the number of people suffering from blindness has
declined from 12 million in 2006-07 to 4.8 million in 2019.
• India is working on the WHO’s goal to reduce the blindness prevalence to 0.3% by
2020.
• In 2017, the definition of the definition of blindness was changed by India as “a
person, if unable to count fingers from a distance of 3 metres would be considered
“blind” as against the earlier estimation of 6 meters, adopted in 1976”.
 19

Prevalence of blindness
Above 80 11.6%
70-79 4.1%
60-69 1.6%
50-59 0.5%
Reason of blindness – For 66.2% cases was untreated cataract
92.9% blindness and 96.2% visual impairment cases were due to avoidable causes.
Prevalence of blindness in State and district
Lowest Highest
Thrissur district in Kerala Bijnor distirct in Uttar Pradesh
Thoubal district in Manipur

75. India has become a member of G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance on Technology
Governance.
• The organization works for promoting the ethical use of smart city technologies.
• Secretariat for the Alliance is the World Economic Forum (HQ- Switzerland).
• Partners of this Alliance: - presidents and host nations of the G20 in 2019 and 2020;
Japan and Saudi Arabia; Smart City Mission of India; Cities for All; Cities Today
Institute; Commonwealth Local Government Forum; Commonwealth Sustainable
Cities Network among others.

76. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affair has launched a mobile app – “mHariyali” and a
new website “Environment Protection in Government Colonies” to encourage people
to plant trees.
• The app allows automatic geotagging of plants.
• National Informatics Centre (NIC) has developed both app and website.

77. Forbes India Rich List 2019 has been released by Forbes India.
Rank Name
1 Mukesh Ambani
2 Gautam Adani
3 Hinduja brothers
4 Pallonji Mistry
5 Uday Kotak

78. Rajasthan has increased the unemployment allowance for transgenders to Rs 3,500
from Rs 3,000 per month under the Mukhyamantri Yuva Sambal Yojana (Berozgari
Bhatta scheme).

79. 2nd edition of India–Bangladesh Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) 2019 was held in
Northern Bay of Bengal.
• First edition of the India–Bangladesh CORPAT was held in 2018.
 20

80. India and USA conducted their joint military training exercise “Vajra Prahar” in Seattle,
USA.

81. India and Japan will hold their joint military exercise – Dharma Guardian 2019 – in
Mizoram.

82. Netherlands has been invited to participate in the 25th edition of the Technology
Summit (a bilateral platform) to held in New Delhi.
• The summit aims to integrate industries, government agencies and institutes from
India and other countries to interact with each other.
• Organizer: - Department of Science and Technology and Confederation of India
Industry.
• 'NEXUS' is the central theme of the summit to focus on how India and Netherlands
can Innovation through Co-creation.
• The bilateral trade between India and Netherlands was $6.28 billion during FY
2018-19 (April to September).
• Netherlands is the fourth largest trading partner of India after EU, UK, Germany and
Belgium.

83. Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) is celebrated to honour Sardar Valabhbhai
Patel on his 144th birth anniversary on October 31.
• Civil Service probationers attending the first foundation civil service course,
Aarambh.

84. India and Bangladesh will conduct their first ever bilateral Navy Exercise called “IN-BN”
at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

85. Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu has announced a line of credit of $41.6 million for
setting up a 18 MW Power Plant (in Moroni) to Comoros during the first-ever high-level
official visit from India to Comoros.
• India gifted medicines and equipment of $1 million, $1 million for transport
vehicles, $2 million for Interceptor Boats and 1000 MT of rice to Comoros.
• M Venkaiah Naidu has been awarded with ‘The Order of the Green Crescent’, the
highest Civilian Honour of Comoros.
• India and Comoros signed 6 MoU for cooperation in the field of: -
(i) Co-operation in the field of defence (ii) Cooperation in the field of Health and
Medicine
(iii) Exemption of visa for diplomatic and (iv) Cooperation in the field of Arts and
official passport holders Culture
(v) Protocol on Foreign Office Consultations (vi) e-VBAB Network Project

86. West Bengal has announced to set up the Kanyashree University (only for women) in
Nadia district and Kanyashree colleges across the state to empower girls.
 21

• Kanyashree scheme, (launched in 2013), aims to empower girl students by

incentivizing schooling of all teenage girls and delaying their marriages until the age
of 18, the legal age of marriage.
• The scheme has two components: Annual Scholarship of Rs. 500 (to the girls of class
8-12) and One time Grant of Rs. 25,000.

87. India will produce the 175 GW renewable power installed capacity (including 100 GW of
solar, 60 GW of wind, 10 GW of bio-power and 5 GW of small hydropower) by 2022,
according to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
• Recently, CRISIL ratings has released a report which mentions that India would lag
behind of its target of 175 GW of renewable energy by 42%.
• Presently, India has an installed capacity of 82.58 GW of power generation.

88. India has extended a line of credit of $30 million for rice cultivation to Sierra Leone as
part of the 6 agreements signed between them.
• India will establish a High Commission in Sierra Leone to enhance cooperation in
agriculture, food processing, Information Technology, infrastructure development
and capacity building.
• India has so far granted $217.5 million developmental assistance to Sierra Leone.
• India and Sierra Leone signed 6 MoU for cooperation in the field of: -
Cultural Exchange Programme for 2019- Establishment of a Joint Commission
2023
Protocol for Consultations between the MoU between the Ministry of Foreign
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Affairs and International Cooperation
Cooperation (Sierra Leone)
$30 million line of credit to Sierra Leone For Participation in the e-VBAB Network
Project (Technology upgradation Pan
African e-network Project (PAeNP)- Phase-I)

89. Minister for Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar, has launched the Yuva Sahakar-
Cooperative Enterprise Support and Innovation Scheme 2019 with an annual outlay of
Rs 100 crore at the first-ever India International Cooperatives Trade Fair, held in Delhi.
• Purpose: - To help cooperatives in the north-east region, cooperatives in aspirational
districts (as identified by NITI Aayog), and cooperatives with 100%
women/SC/ST/PwD members.
• The scheme is developed by National Cooperative Development Corporation
(NCDC).
• During the Trade Fair, 75 MoU were signed.
• India (the largest milk producer in the world) signed 3 Memorandum of Interest
with Sri Lanka for the supply of milk and milk products.
• Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu milk cooperative federation and Puducherry milk
cooperative federation also signed a separate agreement for milk supply.
 22

• India is expected to produce 175 billion litres of milk in 2019, twice of the
production of USA (which is the second-largest milk producer in the world).

90. India and China have designated 2020 as Year of India-China Cultural and People to
People Exchanges during the 2nd India-China Informal Summit (also called ‘Chennai
Connect) in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu.
• 2020 also marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of India-China relations.
• High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue mechanism will be set up between India
and China to reduce trade deficit (of $53 billion), enhance trade, services and
investments.
• A sister-state link between Tamil Nadu and Fujian province of China has been
established to study maritime connections between Mahabalipuram and Fujian.
• 3rd Informal Summit between India-China will be held in China (city not decided).
• Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

91. Ministry of Consumer Affairs has announced that the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
will rank all state capitals and 100 smart cities on the basis of quality of tap water to
prevent water borne diseases. At the district level rankings will also be done.
• BIS standards will be imposed mandatorily on drinking water to ensure quality in
water supply.
• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s data show that at least 10,738 deaths were
caused due to water-borne diseases over five years to 2017.
• ‘One Nation, One Standard’ is also being developed by BIS to bring clarity among
consumers, manufacturers.

92. HCL Technologies Chairman Shiv Nadar has topped the Edelgive Hurun India
Philanthropy List 2019 released by Hurun India for contributing Rs 826 crore during
FY19.
• Azim Premji (with Rs 453 crore contribution) and Mukesh Ambani (with Rs 402 crore)
hold 2nd and 3rd positions in the list.
• Addition Facts: - As per Companies Act 2013, it is mandatory for companies earning
a net profit of Rs 5 crore or Rs 1,000 crore turnover or Rs 500 crore net worth., to
devote 2% of their profit to CSR.

93. IIT-Madras has signed an agreement with ExxonMobil Research and Engineering
Company to jointly conduct research in energy and biofuels for 5-years.
• It is in line with the ‘National Biofuel Policy’ that aims to make India’s biofuel
industry into a $15.6 billion economy.
• India is the 3rd highest producer of agro-residues after China and Brazil with the
surplus potential of over 230 million tonnes per year.
• National Policy on Biofuels was approved in 2018, which categorizes the biofuels
into 3 categories which include:
• First Generation: bioethanol, biodiesel and “Advanced Biofuels”.
 23

• Second Generation:, ethanol, municipal solid waste to drop-in fuels.

• Third Generation: bio-CNG.

94. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has launched a
website and app named L2Pro India (Learn to Protect, Secure and Maximize Your
Innovation) on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).
• Purpose: - To help youth, innovators, entrepreneurs and small and medium
industries in better understanding the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).
• Developer: - Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM)- DPIIT along with
Qualcomm and National Law University, Delhi.
• Already, L2Pro has been successfully implemented in Germany, United Kingdom,
Italy and France.

95. 2nd phase of Local Treatment of Urban Sewage Streams for Healthy Reuse or LOTUS-
HR, initiated between India and Netherland, was launched at Barapullah drain in New
Delhi.
• LOTUS-HR (launched in 2017) is a water treatment lab to treat dirty water of
Barapullah Drain in Delhi before it deposits into Yamuna.
• Department of Biotechnology (under Ministry of Science and Technology),
Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research along with IIT-Delhi, The Energy
and Resources Institute (TERI) and National Environmental Engineering Research
Institute (NEERI) are partners in this project.

96. UNICEF has released the “The State of the World’s Children Report” 2019 which looks
into the issues of children, food and nutrition.
• Title of the report: - Children, food and nutrition Growing well in a changing world.
• Findings for World: - 149 million are still stunted, Globally, 1/3rd of children U-5 are
suffering from malnutrition.
• 50 million are affected by wasting. 40 million children U-5 are suffering from
overweight.
• Over 340 million children suffering from deficiencies of essential micronutrients
(vitamins and minerals).
• Only 2 out of 5 infants under 6 months are breast-fed which could save the lives of
820,000 children annually worldwide
• Japan has the lowest Infant Mortality Rate.
• India has the highest number of under-five deaths in 2018 with 882,000.
• Fast-food sales grew by 113% in India.

97. Andhra Pradesh has increased the financial assistance to Rs 13,500 per annum from the
earlier Rs 12,500 for the farmers under its YSR Rythu Bharosa - PM Kisan Samman
Yojana.
• The amount is payable in three instalments, with the State Government contributing
Rs 7,500 and the Centre Rs 6,000.
 24

• State Govt has allocated Rs 5,500 crore for the scheme and the number of
beneficiaries is initially put at roughly Rs 40 lakh.

98. According to the latest New World Wealth's 'The Wealthiest Cities Worldwide in 2019'
list, New York is the top wealthiest city in the world with 65 billionaires and $3 trillion
wealth.
• Tokyo is at the 2nd position with a total wealth of $2.5 trillion.
• Parameters: - private wealth held by all individuals living in each city.
• From India, Mumbai is the wealthiest city with a global rank of 12, followed by Delhi
at 22nd rank.
• Bangalore is at the 26th position while Hyderabad came last at 28. Delhi, Bengaluru
and Hyderabad were "expected to grow strongly over the next 10 years”.

99. Under the Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah/Nikah Yojana (launched in Madhya Pradesh),
the brides would get Rs 51,000 at the time of her marriage, if the groom’s house has a
toilet.
• Aim: - To ensure that toilets are constructed in every household in the state.

100. Facebook, in partnership with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, has initiated the 2nd
phase of its digital literacy program for tribal women called GOAL – Going Online as
Leaders. (1st Phase of the program was launched in March 2019)
• GOAL connects underprivileged young women from tribal areas with senior expert
mentors to learn digital and life skills.
• 5000 young women will be digitally mentored in the 2nd phase.

101. Global Hunger Index (GHI) has been released by Concern Worldwide and Welt
Hunger Hilfe, which mentions that India has been ranked at 102 position (95 position in
2018) out of 117 countries.
• Total 17 countries with 2019 GHI scores of less than 5 are not assigned individual
ranks, but rather are collectively ranked 1–17.
• Lowest rank: - Central African Republic at 117th rank.
• Parameters: - Four indicators – undernourishment, child wasting, wasting in U-5
children; child stunting, and U-5 child mortality.
Facts About India in this report: -
Child Wasting in India is extremely high at Just 9.6% of all children between 6-23
20.8% in 2018 rose from 16.5% in the 2008- months of age are fed a minimum
2012 period. acceptable diet.
India has improved in the U-5 mortality -
rate, prevalence of stunting among children
and prevalence of undernourishment owing
to inadequate food.
 25

102. Indian Air Force will conduct its joint military exercise –‘Shinyuu Maitri’– with
Japanese Air Force in West Bengal.

103. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Indian Veterinary Research
Institute (IVRI) have released two diagnostic kits developed under ‘Make in India’ to
control Swine and detect Antigen in cattle.
• The kits are called Blue tongue sandwich ELISA (sELISA) and Japanese Encephalitis
lgM ELISA.
• Bluetongue disease is a noncontagious, insect-borne, viral disease of ruminants,
mainly sheep and less frequently cattle, goats, buffalo, deer, dromedaries, and
antelope.

104. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched the Food Safety Mitra Scheme,
Eat Right Smart Jacket and Eat Right Jhola.
• The scheme is introduced by Food Safety and Security Authority of India.
• The scheme will lead to improved ease of doing business by creating a transparent
and organized ecosystem supporting food businesses wherein food businesses will
be able to get trained service providers at fair prices - lowering the costs of
compliance.
• A Food Safety Mitra (FSM) is an individual professional certified by FSSAI who will
ensure compliance related to FSS Act, Rules & Regulations in three forms- Digital
Mitra, Trainer Mitra and Hygiene Mitra.
• Eat Right Jhola is a reusable, washable and bio-degradable bag.
• Eat Right Smart Jacket for FSSAI staff to give an identity to them and ensure
transparent inspection.
 26

105. For the first time, 5th edition of World Coffee Conference and Expo 2020 will be held
in India in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• Theme: - ‘Sustainability Through Consumption’
• Organizer: - International Coffee Organization (ICO, London) and Ministry of
Commerce & Industry.
• This is a quadrennial event and its first four editions have been held in England,
Brazil, Guatemala, and Ethiopia.
• ICO is the main intergovernmental organization operating under United Nations
since its inception in 1963. The first International Coffee Agreement (ICA) entered
into force in 1962 for a period of five years, after which the ICO was established.

106. Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) has released the 10th edition of its World Giving
Index (WGI) 2019, which ranks India at the 82nd position among the 128 countries.
• Top Country: - USA (1)
• Bottom Countries: - China (126).
• The survey collected the data between 2009-2018.

107. World Bank has released the Women, Business and the Law (WBL) report which
measures the how the laws and regulations restrict women's economic opportunities
and suggest measures for gender equality.
• On the Women, Business And The Law Index Scores – Belgium, Denmark, France,
Latvia, Luxemburg and Sweden achieved the top rank with a perfect 100 score.
• India has 71.25 WBL Score.
• Saudi Arabia is at the bottom place in the index with 25.63 scores.

108. United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) have jointly
released the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2019 (APTIR) report which
examines the non-tariff measures (NTMs) of different countries.
• Theme of the report is “Navigating Non-tariff Measures towards Sustainable
Development”.
Findings: -
 27

• The report finds out that NTMs are now affecting around 58% of trade in Asia and
the Pacific.
• Average cost of these measures stands at 1.6% of GDP (roughly US $1.4 trillion
globally).
• Only 10% of the Asia and the Pacific countries have NTMs for countering the illegal,
unreported and unregulated fishing and illegal timber trade.
Suggestions: -
• The report suggests that trade costs of NTMs can be significantly reduced by moving
to paperless trade and cross-border electronic exchange of information.
• It can reduce costs by 25% on average in the region, leading to the savings of over US
$600 billion annually for both governments and traders.
About APTIR
APTIR is published annually and provides analysis of regional developments in trade in
goods and commercial services, as well as Foreign Direct Investment.
It also analyses the impacts of these recent changes in trade on countries’ abilities to
achieve the sustainable development goals.
• UNCTAD hosted the 5th Non-Tariff Measures week and Multi-Agency Support Team
(MAST) meeting in Geneva, Switzerland.

109. Chenani- Nashri tunnel (9.2 km long) will be renamed after Dr Shyama Prasad
Mukherjee, founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh.
• It is the longest tunnel in India.

110. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has released a commemorative postal stamp
of National Institute of Nutrition (headquartered in Hyderabad) during the Centenary
Celebrations of the institute.
• Theme of the celebrations is “Empowering the nation through nutrition”.
• The stamp was launched under the “Corporate My Stamp” scheme of India Posts,
which was launched in 2016 which allows a corporate entity or an individual to print
photo inside the postage stamp.
• A one-time award “ICMR-NIN-Centenary Award” was conferred upon the legendary
nutrition scientist, C Gopalan.

111. India has inducted American precision-guided Excalibur artillery ammunition and
indigenous Dhanush howitzer in its inventory.
• Dhanush howitzer is a 155 mm artillery gun.

112. According to the State of the World’s Children (SOWC) 2019 released by UNICEF,
nearly 80% Indian babies aged 6 to 23 months do not receive minimum dietary diversity.
As per SOWC, 61% of Indian children, Over 85% Indian children (5 to 9 years) and
adolescents and mothers consume dairy adolescents, and 75% mothers, consume
products at least once a week, only around pulses and dark green leafy vegetables at
40% children least once a week, according to SOWC.
 28

113. Global Tuberculosis Report 2019 has been released by WHO, which mentions that
India accounts for 26.9% of the global TB cases of 10 million in 2018 as against the 27%
in 2017.
• India (27%), China (9%), Indonesia (8%), the Philippines (6%), Pakistan (6%), Nigeria
(4%), Bangladesh (4%), and South Africa (3%) accounted for the almost 66% of the
burden.
• Globally in 2018, 51% of people with TB were tested for rifampicin resistance, up
from 41% in 2017.
Other details about India: -
In 2017, India had 27.4 lakh TB patients, India’s Target: - 2025 to eliminate TB.
which declined to 26.9 lakh in 2018, but of WHO’s Target: - 2030 to eliminate TB.
these, only about 21.5 lakh were reported. Annual rate of TB reduction: - 2% in India,
This indicates that the total TB incidence which is far lower than what is required to
rate in India has decreased by almost meet the 2025 target.
50,000 patients over the past 1 year.
Incidence per 1 lakh population decreased -
from 204 in 2017 to 199 in 2018.

114. 20th Livestock Census has been conducted by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal
Husbandry and Dairying) which mentions that the total Livestock population is 535.78
million (an increase of 4.6% as compared to the previous census of 2012).

115. Indian Air Force and Royal Air Force Oman are holding the 5th edition of their
bilateral Joint exercise named EX EASTERN BRIDGE-V in Masirah Island, Oman.
• For the first time, MiG-29 fighter aircraft will be participating in an International
Exercise outside India.
 29

116. NITI Aayog has released the first edition of the India Innovation Index 2019 which
has been topped by Karnataka (in larger states category), Delhi (in UTs) and Sikkim (in
hilly areas categories).
• Lowest rankers: - Jharkhand (in larger states category), Lakshadweep (in UTs) and
Meghalaya (in hilly areas).

117. Credit Suisse Research Institute has released the report ‘The CS Gender 3000 in
2019: The changing face of companies’ which ranks India at the 23rd position out of the
56 countries.
• Top ranker: - Italy and Singapore with 15% of female CEOs and 16% and 23% overall
Women in management respectively.
• Lowest ranker: - Turkey is at the lowest rank with 0% female CEO and 12% overall
Women in management.
About India: -
India’s female representation on boards is 15.2% in 2019 (increased by 4.3%) against
the global average of 20.6%.
India has been ranked at the third-lowest place in the Asia Pacific (APAC) in terms of
female CEO representation which is at 2%, as well as the second-lowest rank for
female CFO representation at 1%.
India has slightly improved in female representation in senior management from 6.9%
in 2016 to 8.5% in 2019. However, it holds the third-lowest spot in APAC, ahead of
South Korea (4%) and Japan (3%).

About ‘The CS Gender 3000 in 2019: The changing face of companies’

The report analyses the representation of female in top management positions in over
3,000 companies stretching across 56 countries and comprising 30,000 executive
positions.
In APAC, including Japan, the CS Gender 3000 dataset includes 1,280 companies from 14
jurisdictions.

118. Indian Army (AG/MP 5 & 6 – faction of Army responsible for maintaining records of
personnel) has launched the Officers Automated and Structured Information System
(OASIS) on the Army Data Network (ADN) to allow the officers to view their service
records, raise observations etc.
 30

119. Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has organized the first ever Asia Health 2019
in New Delhi. It has been chaired by Jitendra Singh (Minister of State for Development
of North Eastern Region (I/C)
• Focus of the conference: - Serving The World’s Fastest Growing Region - Through
Healthcare Convergence.

120. PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with the Ministry of Science
and Technology have conducted a survey called ‘University-Industry Linkage Index’
which mentions that India’s overall education sector has lagged in this index.
• State-wise: - Karnataka and Kerala have topped this index while West Bengal,
Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar are poor performers.
• Industry linkages are found moderate in India with an overall score of 4.7 in a scale
of 10.
• The survey stressed the need for reviving the Protection and Utilization of Public-
Funded Intellectual Property (PUPFIP) Bill, 2008 which later withdrawn from
Parliament.
• Parameters: - total 10 were assessed, including joint patents, industry consultations,
placements, role of industry in developing curriculum and pedagogy.
• Suggestion: - 10 sectors for improving industry linkage through capacity building,
research and development activity have been identified.

121. Kerala has become the first state in India to extend the benefits of the central
Maternity Benefit Act to employees in the private sector in the field of education.
• 26-week maternity leave with salary will be allowed to them.

122. India will host the 91st Interpol General Assembly in 2022.

123. India and Philippines signed 4 agreements for cooperation in the field of maritime
domain, security, tourism, science and technology and culture.
• Both nations also agreed to bolster defence and maritime security partnership.
• Philippine Coast Guard and the Indian Navy will share the white shipping
information between themselves.
• White shipping information refers to exchange of advance information on the
movement and identity of commercial non-military merchant vessels.

124. 2nd annual leadership summit of the US India Strategic and Partnership Forum
(USISPF) will be held in New Delhi.

125. 9th edition of the India-US Defence Technologies and Trade Initiative’s (DTTI) group
meeting will be conducted in New Delhi.
• DTTI is a flexible mechanism, devised to allow smooth defence engagement
between the two countries. It is not a treaty or law.
 31

• According to the Pentagon (US Department of Defense), bilateral defence trade

between the India and US is expected to reach $18 billion by year-end.

126. Ministry of Culture has launched an e-portal and a YouTube channel of Rashtriya
Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) during the ‘Digital Bharat-Digital
Sanskriti’ program held in New Delhi (headquarters of CCRT).
• ‘Dewas Ki Sanskritik Parampara’ book, written by Jeevan Singh Thakur and
published by CCRT, has also been released here.
• CCRT has started publishing books from the series “Untold Tales of India’s Cities”.
• CCRT operates under the aegis of Ministry of Culture.

127. Colonel Chewang Rinchen Setu/Bridge (named in honor of Col Chewang Rinchan)
has been inaugurated over Shyok River in Eastern Ladakh.
• The bridge, built by Project Himank of Border Roads Organization, is worth Rs 100
crore with a capacity of 70 tonnes.
• The bridge is India's highest altitude all-weather permanent bridge.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has opened the Siachen Glacier at 11,000 ft (world’s
highest battlefield) for tourism.

128. According to a study by CARE Ratings, Telangana is ranked at the 7th place in terms
of overall government’s capital expenditure (capex) on infrastructure during 2015-19.
• But, in terms of capex on irrigation, Telangana has topped the list.
• The top 10 States in the country accounted for 73% of the combined capex
undertaken by all States.
• During the 5 years except for FY18, the annual expenditure of states in absolute
terms has increased annually. In FY18, it declined by 2% over previous year.
• Together, the states have accounted for over 65% of the total capex in FY19.

129. India- Myanmar joint naval exercise ‘IMNEX-19’ was conducted at Visakhapatnam,
Andhra Pradesh.
• It will be conducted in two phases- Harbour and Sea.
 32

130. Goa and Software Technology Park of India have signed 2 MoU at the Vibrant Goa
Global Expo and Summit 2019 to create a start-up centre and IT park in the state.
• STPI is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Electronics and IT.
• 17 MoU have been signed by Goa govt during the summit.
• Goa Business School IT Summit was also inaugurated.

131. India has signed 8 MoU with Slovenia during the President Ram Nath Kovind’s visit
to Slovenia (in September).
MoU Agencies
Programme of Scientific and Ministry of Science & Technology of India and the Ministry of
Technological Cooperation for Education, Science and Sport of Slovenia
the period 2020-2022
MoU on Cooperation in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (India) and Ministry of
field of Sport Education, Science and Sport of Slovenia
Programme of Cooperation in Param Jit Mann, Ambassador of India to Slovenia and Ministry
the fields of Culture, Arts, of Education, Science and Sport (Slovenia)
Education, Sports and Mass
Media
Programme on Technical Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the Slovenian Institute for
Cooperation in the field of Standardization
Standardization
MoU between Invest India and -
SPIRIT Slovenia
2 MoU signed by IIT Kanpur -
with VGB and Space-SI
(Slovenia) for cleaning Ganga
Cooperation Agreement Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia and Associated
Chambers Of Commerce And Industry Of India (ASSOCHAM)

132. Sudarshan Chakra Vahini (a 2-day long) exercise of Indian Army has been conducted
at Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
• Artillery used: - Agni Missile, K-9 vajra and indigenously manufactured light
helicopter Rudra.

133. Minister of Finance, Nirmala Sitharaman, has announced to spend $1.4 trillion on
infrastructure by 2024 during the annual meeting of IMF and World Bank at Washington
DC.
• India is adopting Zero Budget Natural Farming model (developed by Subhash
Palekar) to promote the use of organic seeds and natural fertilizers by farmers.
• 2021 Annual Meeting of World bank and IMF will take place in Marrakech, Morocco.
• G24 (a grouping of some of the most influential developing countries in the World
Bank and IMF) were also present in this meeting.
 33

134. UN World Food Programme launched the global ad campaign on global hunger and
malnutrition called “Feed Our Future” displaying last year’s results about the hunger.
• The ad will be launched in partnership with UFO Moviez to engage and motivate
moviegoers to help create a world with Zero Hunger.

135. India and France will conduct the 5th edition of their joint military exercise ‘Shakti’ at
Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Bikaner, Rajasthan.

136. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had become the first defence minister to fly the
light combat aircraft Tejas (in September).

137. Government has formed a committee, to be headed by K Vijay Raghavan, for

resolving the differences between Ministry of Information and Technology and NITI
Aayog over the National Program on Artificial Intelligence framework.
• In May, NITI Aayog has also announced to create a 20 institutional centres for
transformational AI and a cloud computing platform called AIRAWAT.
• In 2018, NITI Aayog has released a discussion paper on National Strategy on
Artificial Intelligence themed as #AIForAll to highlight the govt’s role in leveraging
the AI framework in India.
• The focus is on sectors like agriculture, health and education where public
investment and lead would be necessary.

138. National Crime Records Bureau has released the data for crimes in India in 2017,
which mentions that: -
Category of Crime 2017 (% rise from 2016)
Total Cognizable Offences (including 61.2% Indian Penal Code 3.6%
crimes and 38.8% Special & Local Laws crimes)
Indian Penal Code crimes 2.9%
Special & Local Laws crimes 4.8%
Violent Crimes
Murder – declined by 5.9%
Kidnapping – increased by 9%
Crime Against Women Rate of Crime in 2017
Cruelty by Husband and his Relatives – 33.2%
Assault on Women with Intent to Outrage her Modesty – 27.3%
Kidnapping & Abduction of Women – 21%
Rape – 10.3%
Crime Against Children Rate of Crime in 2017
kidnapping & abduction – 42.0%
Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012
including child rape – 25.3%
Economic Offences 2015-2017 Rate of Crime in 2017
 34

All India 11.6%

[Crime Rate is calculated as Crime per one lakh of population]
Cyber Crime (All India) 1.7% (2017)

139. Railways will initiate a Rs 18000-crore project to increase the speed of trains up to
160 kmph on the busy Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Kolkata routes by upgrading
infrastructure (expected to be completed in 4 years).
• Ghana's Railway Development Ministry and Rail India Technical and Economic
Service (RITES) have signed an MoU for implementing the rail projects in Ghana.

140. INS Nilgiri, indigenously Stealth Frigate, has been commissioned into the Indian
Navy at the dockyard of the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai (in
September).
• It is the first of the seven Project-17A.
• Project 17 A frigate are a derivation of the Shivalik class stealth frigates with much
more advanced features.
• Largest dry dock named as the ‘The Aircraft Carrier Dock’ has also been
commissioned at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai.
• INS Khanderi, (2nd Scorpene-class submarine) was also commissioned.

141. QS India University Rankings 2020 has been topped by IIT-Bombay, followed by IISc
Bangalore at the 2nd position and IIT-Delhi at the 3rd position.
• Total 100 universities were assessed.
• Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar (IIT-BBS) has entered into the top 20 at
20th position.
• University of Calcutta and Jadavpur University are at the 11th and 12th positions and
have topped the state-run universities.
• In overall NIRF ranking, IIT-Madras has been ranked at the top position. The detailed
rankings are covered in April Spotlight.
 35

Academic
reputation
(30%) Internatio
Employer
-nal
reputation
students
(20%)
(2.5%)

Faculty/st- Internatio
udent -nal
ratio Parameters faculty
(20%) (2.5%)

Staff with Citations

a PhD per paper
(10%) Papers (5%)
per
faculty
(10%)

142. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has organized the
Startup Summit 2019 in New Delhi, where the Bharat Interface for Money – BHIM 2.0
version was launched.
• BHIM 2.0 supports additional languages such as Bhojpuri, Haryanvi and Konkani
apart from the existing 13 languages. BHIM app was developed by National
Payments Corporation of India in 2016.
• MeitY Startup Hub (MSH) was also launched to act as a national coordination,
facilitation and interconnected centre for all activities in the tech startup ecosystem.
• Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) is the nodal agency for the
implementation of MSH.
• STPI has signed 4 MoU with Intel India Pvt limited, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park,
Pontaq and IBM for promoting innovation in information and communications
technology.
• An Indian software products registry has also been launched to collate Indian
software product database and will act as a single window portal.
• Technology Incubation Development for Entrepreneurs 2.0 (TIDE 2.0) was also
launched here. TIDE scheme was launched in 2008 by MeitY to promote innovation
by nurturing startups.
• TIDE 2.0 aims to strengthening close to 2,000 technology startups and empowering
51 incubation centres across the country.

143. National Cyber Security Coordinator's office, along with Data Security Council of
India (DSCI) has launched TechSagar – an online portal of India’s technological
capability.
 36

• The portal has data of more than 4000 entities from industry, academia and research
across 25 technology areas to allow businesses and academia to collaborate,
connect and innovate, in future.
• TechSagar will act as a national repository of India’s cyber tech capabilities and will
provide timely insights about the tech infrastructure in India.

144. Minister of Panchayati Raj Narendra Singh Tomar has launched the ‘Gram
Manchitra’ app – a Geo Spatial based app for panchayats – which will help panchayats
to plan, develop and monitor developmental activities on real time basis.
• National Panchayat Awards 2019 was also conferred upon panchayats for best
performance to 240 Awards out of the 2.5 lakh panchayats.
The Awards were given in the 5 categories: -
Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Nanaji Deshmukh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram
Sashaktikaran Puraskar (DDUPSP): for Sabha Puraskar (NDRGGSP): for their
improving delivery of services and public outstanding contribution to the socio-
goods following nine thematic categories economic development by involving Gram
such as Sanitation, Disaster Management Sabhas.
etc.
Gram Panchayat Development Plan Child-friendly Gram Panchayat Award: This
(GPDP) Award: Introduced during the year award has been instituted during the year
2018, to the gram panchayat GPDPs who 2018-19 for best performing GPs/Village
have prepared their development plan Councils (one in each State/UT) for
according to the State/UT specific adopting child-friendly practices.
guidelines issued by Ministry of Panchayati
Raj [or adopted as such].
e-Panchayat Puraskar is given for bringing -
in efficiency, transparency and
accountability in their functioning.

145. Assam has approved two new policies– one on job and other on land.
 37

• Under the Job Policy, no government jobs will be given to persons having more than
two children after January 1, 2021 under the 'Population and Women
Empowerment Policy of Assam' regulation passed by Assam Cabinet in 2017.
• Under the Land Policy, landless indigenous people will get 3 bighas of land for
cultivation and half a bigha to construct their houses that can be sold after 15 years.

146. India is providing training on ‘Anti Money Laundering and Countering Financing of
Terrorism (AML-CFT)’ to the Nepalese officers at its Regional Centre of National
Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics (NACIN) in Bengaluru.
• The training is being imparted in 3 batches for training a total of 60 officers.
• NACIN is the apex institution for providing training on financial investigations and
anti-money laundering matters.
• It is being carried out under the Ministry of External Affairs’ Indian Technical and
Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme.
• Under ITEC (launched in 1964) and its sister programme SCAAP (Special
Commonwealth African Assistance Programme), 161 countries in Asia, Africa, East
Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean as well as Pacific and Small Island countries are
invited for bilateral training.

147. International workshop on Environmental Flows Assessment and Implementation

for India has been inaugurated by the Minister for Jal Shakti at Delhi.
• The exchange of Indian, European and International Experiences was brought
together by National Mission of Clean Ganga along with the Indo-German
Cooperation with its project “Support to Ganga Rejuvenation” (SGR).
• Minister for Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, has released the first version of
the Guidance Document on Environment flow assessment in India.

148. Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu will lead the Indian delegation at 18th Summit of
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
• Theme of the summit: - ‘Upholding the Bandung Principles to ensure concerted and
adequate response to the challenges of the contemporary world’.
• It is a set of 10 principles, formulated at the Asian-African Conference in 1955, to
promote world peace and cooperation.
• The theme promotes the forthcoming 65th anniversary of Bandung Principles in
2020 and the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Movement in 2021.
• NAM was founded in 1961 and has 120 members as of 2012.

149. Union Cabinet has decided to hike the minimum support price for Rabi crops for the
marketing season 2020-21.
• The highest increase has been recommended for lentils (increase of ₹325 to ₹4,800
a quintal) followed by safflower (increase of ₹ 270 to ₹5,215 a quintal) and gram (an
increase of ₹255 to ₹4,875).
 38

• MSP of rapeseed and mustard has been increased by ₹225 to ₹4,425. For both
wheat and barley, it has been increased by ₹85 to ₹1,925 and ₹1,525 per quintal,
respectively.
• MSP for wheat was raised from the existing ₹1,840 to ₹1,925, while for barley it was
increased from ₹1,440 to ₹1,525.

150. ISRO will launch 14 small spacecrafts on PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) C47,
C48 and C49 missions from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra
Pradesh.
• Japan’s iQPS, Luxembourg’s Kleos Space, Spire Global are launching the satellites on
PSLV.

151. According to India TB report 2019 (released by Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare), India achieved a total notification of 21.5 Lakh TB cases of which 25% was
from the private sector in 2018.
• Majority of the TB burden is among the working age group. The 89% of TB cases
come from the age group of 15-69 years. About 2/3 of the TB cases are Males.
• Uttar Pradesh, with 17% of population of the country, is the largest contributor to
the TB cases in with 20% of the total notifications (amounting to 4.2 Lakh cases).

152. Union Cabinet has approved the proposed MoU between India and St. Vincent &
the Grenadines on cooperation in the field of Traditional Systems of Medicine.
• The MoU was signed in September 2019.
• St. Vincent & the Grenadines has become the 79th country to sign the International
Solar Alliance (ISA).
• Republic of Haiti and Republic of Paraguay are the 77th and 78th signatories of ISA.
 39

• There are total 81 countries which have signed the ISA Framework and 59 countries
have ratified the ISA Framework Agreement.
• Activities mentioned in the MoU will boost the importance of AYUSH Systems of
Medicine in St. Vincent & the Grenadines.

153. Union Cabinet approved the MoU between India and Kuwait in the field of
accounting, finance and audit knowledge base for capacity building and strengthening
the accounting, financial and audit knowledge base in Kuwait.
• Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and Kuwait Accountants and
Auditors Association (KAAA) will work together to hold and conduct technical
events, seminars and conferences in Kuwait.
• Cabinet has also approved the administrative arrangement on cooperation in the
field of Railways between the Ministry of Railways and the Directorate General for
Mobility and Transport of the European Commission.

154. India’s position has marginally improved to 32nd position in the Melbourne Mercer
Global Pension Index (MMGPI) 2019 in terms of providing pension and retirement
benefits to citizens with a score of 45.8 as compared to last year’s (33rd position out of
34 countries with a score of 44.6).
• Total Countries – 37
Rank Top Ranker Bottom Ranker
Overall Netherlands (with 81.0 score) Thailand (with 39.4 score)

Sub- Index Wise Adequacy – Ireland (81.5) Adequacy – Thailand (35.8)

Sustainability – Denmark (82.0) Sustainability – Italy (19.0)
Integrity – Finland (92.3) Integrity – Philippines (34.7)
• Parameters: -

155. 19th Indo- Swedish Joint Commission for Economic, Industrial and Scientific
Cooperation (JCEC) in Stockholm, Sweden where electromobility, road safety, space
research, Ayurveda, naturopathy were identified as areas of mutual collaboration.
 40

• Commerce and Industry & Railways Minister, Piyush Goyal attended the commission
where he highlighted the potential of India and Sweden partnership under the MoU
in innovation, energy, healthcare, defence, Sustainable Urban Development and
railways.
• Goyal also proposed to set up an investment enclave for Swedish investors in India.

156. President Ram Nath Kovind attended the India-Philippines Business Conclave and
the 4th ASEAN-India Business Summit in Manila, Philippines.
• India aims to achieve the target of US$ 200 billion by 2022.
• President Kovind (1st president from India to visit Japan in 19 years) attended the
enthronement ceremony of the new Emperor of Japan – Naruhito to the
Chrysanthemum Throne.
• He also laid the foundation stone of Sri Sathya Sai Sanathana Samskruti Project– a
temple to be built – at Sai no Sato, Kakegawa in Japan to promote Indian culture.
• Indo-ASEAN trade has increased by 19% to reach $96.79 billion, which India aims to
increase to $200 billion by 2022.

157. Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and National Council of Educational
Research and Training (NCERT) have launched ‘Tamanna’ (Try And Measure Aptitude
And Natural Abilities) – an online aptitude test – for class 9 and 10 students to help
them make right career choices.

158. Odisha and World Bank have signed a loan agreement worth $165 million to
implement “Integrated Irrigation Project for Climate Resilient Agriculture” to improve
the irrigation facilities and climate resilience in agriculture.
• Focus Area: - The scheme will be implemented in rural areas vulnerable to droughts
and largely dependent on rainfed agriculture.
• Target Area: - The scheme will cover 1,28,000 hectares of land and 1,25,000
smallholder farmers.
• Objective: -The project aims to shift the focus of farmers from growing food grains,
especially paddy and wheat to cultivating more nutritious vegetation.

159. For the first time, the Global Bio-India summit will be hosted by India (in New Delhi).
• Organizer: - Department of Biotechnology (DBT under science and technology
ministry) and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC – a
subsidiary of DBT).
• Focus: - To attract investment in the field of biotechnology in India.

160. India, Nepal and Bhutan are in the process of signing the MoU to create a landscape
oriented transboundary wildlife conservation park ‘peace park’.
• The project was initiated by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
(MoEF&CC).
 41

• There is already one trans-boundary Protected Area in India and Bhutan, which
includes the Manas landscape of Assam, and the new tripartite park will be an
extension of this.
• It will protect the migratory wildlife species in the region, especially elephants.
• Manas National Park of Assam is located near Manas River – a major tributary of
Brahmaputra river. The park is famous for its wild water buffaloes and is also a
project tiger reserve, elephant reserve.

161. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has excavated a maritime center (dated around
2,000 years ago) near the banks of Swarnamukhi river in Andhra Pradesh.
• Swarnamukhi is a river in Andhra Pradesh. Kalyani Dam was constructed across its
tributary Kalyani river.

162. 29th ministerial meeting of the BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India, China) countries on
Climate Change at Beijing, China.
• The meeting was chaired by H.E. Mr. LI Ganjie, Minister of Ecology and Environment
of China.
• India will host the 30th BASIC Ministerial Meeting.
• Developed countries were requested to fulfil their climate finance commitments of
providing $100 billion annually by 2020 for developing countries.
• Here, the ministers discussed about the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss
and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts (Loss and Damage
Mechanism).
o Warsaw Mechanism was established at COP19 (November 2013) in Warsaw,
Poland to address loss and damage associated with impacts of climate
change.
• Basic group was formed in 2009 to fight climate change.
• Palestine is the chair of the Group of 77 (G-77) for the year 2019. G-77 was
established in 1964 by the “Joint Declaration of the Seventy-Seven Developing
Countries” issued at the 1st session of UN Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD) in Geneva.

163. Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan has visited Sakhalin-I
oil consortium during his visit to Japan and Russia.
• Sakhalin-I oil consortium is an offshore oil production sharing consortium between
ExxonMobil, Sakhalin Oil & Gas Development Co. Ltd., ONGC Videsh Ltd (20% stake),
Sakhalin morneftegas-Shelf and RN-Astra on Sakhalin island in the Russian Far East.
• According to the data of World Steel Association 2019, India is the 2nd largest
producer of crude steel in 2018 with 106.5 million tonnes production after China
which produced 928.3 million tonnes.
• In terms of consumption,
 42

• The National Steel Policy 2017, aims to increase per capita steel consumption to 160
Kgs by 2030-31.
o To be net exporter of steel by 2025-26.
o To build a globally competitive industry with a crude steel capacity of 300 MT
by 2030-31.

164. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has launched a social service initiative called 'Odisha
Mo Parivar' (Odisha, my family) to protect environment, encourage blood donation and
the welfare of Odias in distress.
• The initiative will help Odia people who are stranded in other states or foreign
countries.
• Arup Patnaik has been appointed as the convener of this initiative.

165. Gandhinagar district of Gujarat has become the first Kerosene-free district of
Gujarat.
• Home Minister Amit Shah has distributed 1,000 LPG connections to the women of
Gandhinagar district under the PM Ujjwala Yojana.
• He also laid the foundation stones of several development projects under the
Gandhinagar Smart City Yojana.

166. First-ever 3-day Ladakh Literature Festival has begun at Leh Palace to highlight the
cultural heritage of Ladakh. It is expected to be continued as an annual event.
• On the occasion, a book titled Leh Khar Gis Khang Zigs authored by Gen Thupstan
Paldan was released.

167. Kalidhar Battalion (under Ministry of Defence) has participated in the white water
Rafting Expedition called 'RUDRASHILA' at Jaisalmer Military station to commemorate
its 75th Raising Day.
• Kalidhar Battalion has also undertaken 'RUDRASHILA' from Jodhpur Military Station.
 43

168. City Montessori School of Lucknow has entered into the Guinness World Record for
becoming the 'world's largest school' in terms of strength of students (55,547 students
in 2019-20).
• School’s founder – Jagdish Gandhi.

169. Odisha, in association with UNICEF and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA),
has launched the Strategic Action Plan (SAP) to eliminate child marriages from the state
by 2030.
• The state SAP will be implemented between 2019 and 2024.

170. Monsoon of 2019 in India witnessed a neutral Pacific – neither El Nino nor La Nina,
a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and a positive Equatorial Indian Ocean Oscillation
(EQUINOO).
• El Niño and La Niña are opposite phases of what is known as the El Niño-Southern
Oscillation (ENSO) cycle.
• El Nino –It is a phenomenon in the equatorial Pacific which causes dry season (deficit
rain in India). In El Nino, temperature rises above a threshold of 0.5 degree Celsius.
• Li Nina – It is a phenomenon which causes heavy rains in some parts of the world
whereas in some parts it causes deficit rains. In India, La Nina causes better than
normal monsoon.
• Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) – Positive IOD warms up the western basin of the Indian
Ocean to create a low pressure which causes storms and heavy rains in the South
and South east Asia.
• EQUINOO – Positive EQUINOO helps in North East Monsoon by causing heavy rains.

171. Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) has undertaken the IndiGen
Genome project in April 2019 to conduct genome sequencing of Indians to examine the
cause of genetic diseases and measures to prevent them.
• Till now, CSIR has conducted a Whole Genome Sequencing of around 1,008 Indians
from different populations across country.
• Implementing Agencies of this project are CSIR-Institute of Genomics and
Integrative Biology (New Delhi) and CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology
(Hyderabad).

172. Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri has announced that 50%
of the Smart Cities Mission will be completed by December 2019.
 44

• The ministry is considering to launch the AMRUT 2.0 and Smart Cities Mission 2.0 in
2020.
• AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) was launched in
2015 by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to rejuvenate 500 cities.
• Smart Cities Mission 2.0 was launched in 2015 by Housing and Urban Affairs
Ministry to cover 100 cities.

173. India and US have signed a joint statement of intent during the 9th meeting India-US
Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI), held in New Delhi, to develop a range
of warfighting technology and systems.
• Both the nations agreed to co-develop three specific projects in the near-term (6
months), two in the mid-term and two in the long-term.
• India-US will jointly work for Aircraft carrier technology cooperation (ACTC) apart
from the above projects.

174. Supreme Court has ordered in favour of Delhi govt for increasing the minimum
wages of workers to ₹14,842 per month against the national level of ₹4,628 per month.
• The policy will benefit 55 lakh workers’.

175. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh would represent India at the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation (SCO) heads of state meeting in Uzbekistan to be held in November.
• India and Uzbekistan will conduct their first-ever joint army Exercise Dustlik-2019 at
Chirchiq training area of Uzbekistan.
• The exercise would focus on insurgency and counter terrorism operations in a
mountainous, rural and urban scenario as per the UN mandate.

176. PM Narendra Modi has shown a special interest towards Karnataka's "Sakala"
system and is also considering to use it at the national level.
• About Karnataka's "Sakala" system – The programme, governed by the Karnataka
Sakala Services (Amendment) Act, 2014 (originally enacted in 2011), provides 1,033
govt services to citizens on time through innovation.
• The Sakala system empowers citizens to exercise their right to service.
• After clearing 200 million applications filed under Sakala during the last seven years,
the state govt aims to take it to the next level with its “paperless, faceless” tech
initiatives.
 45

• The state govt will strengthen Seva Sindhu — the online avatar of Sakala by adding
features like e-sign, digi-locker and other tech interfaces and also by increasing the
number of services from 301 to 500 on this online platform.

177. 15th edition of the FT ranking of Masters in Management (MiM) programmes has
been released by Financial Times.
• Parameters: - The ranking has 17 criteria heavily based on salary (an alumni gets).
• Total – 111 schools participated, out of which top 100 were ranked.
• Top Ranker – University of St Gallen business school (Switzerland) for its MA in
Strategy and International Management course.
• Top Indian Ranker – Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (GLOBAL RANK – 17th)
for its Post Graduate Programme in Management.
• Followed by IIM-Ahmedabad at 21st position and IIM-Bangalore at 44th position.

178. Odisha has signed a Letter of Understanding with UNICEF to get the technical
assistance for its “drink from tap mission”.
• The mission aims to provide clean drinking water from taps on a 24X7 basis.

179. Andhra Pradesh will become the first state in India to bring port-related services
under the ambit of Ease of Doing Business by launching the SMARTPORT initiative.
• SMARTPORT is an online platform under the Public Service Delivery Guarantee Act
to establish a corruption-free environment in port-related services.

180. India and Saudi Arabia have signed a total of 12 agreements during the Future
Investment Initiative (also known as the ‘Davos in the Desert’) held in Riyadh, Saudi.
• Theme of the event is “What is Next for Global Business."
• A letter of Intent was also signed between Small and Marginal Enterprises General
Authority (Monshaat) of Saudi Arabia and Atal Innovation Mission of NITI Aayog.
MoU: -
• Agreement on Strategic Partnership Council that will be chaired by Modi on the
Indian side and by King Salman for Saudi.
• India is the fourth nation to sign the agreement for establishing the strategic council
with Saudi Arabia after UK, France and China.
• MoU in the field of illicit trafficking and smuggling of narcotic drugs, chemical
precursors, psychotropic substances.
• MoU in the field of military defence, industries and technology, civil aviation, small
and medium enterprises, stock exchanges, petroleum and payment corporations,
medical products regulations.
• RuPay Launched: - After UAE and Bahrain, Saudi Arabia will be the 3rd country in the
Gulf region where India’s Rupay card will be operationalised.
• 2 MoU in energy sector: - first between Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd and
Saudi Aramco to set up a second fuel reserve facility at Padur in Karnataka.
 46

o Second is between West Asia unit of Indian Oil Corp. Ltd and Saudi Arabia’s’
Al Jeri company for setting up fuel stations in the kingdom.
• Saudi Aramco, along with UAE’s ADNOC oil company, signed a deal with state-run
companies in India for a 50% stake in the west coast refinery.
• India imports 80% of its oil consumption, out of which 18% is sourced from Saudi
Arabia.

181. Natural farming technique has been adopted by over 2,000 panchayats in Himachal
Pradesh under the state scheme of Prakritik Kheti Khushal Kisan Yojana.
• A target of training 50,000 farmers has been fixed for 2019 while as many as 20,579
farmers have been trained out of which 15,391 have started practicing natural
farming in their fields.
• The scheme was launched in 2018 to promote 'Zero budget Natural Farming' in the
state.

182. Ministry of health and family welfare has recently proposed to notify or include all
medical devices under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, to regulate them as per the
provisions of that Act and the Medical Devices Rules, 2017.
• According to the draft notification, devices intended for use on human beings or
animals should be treated as drugs with effect from 1 December 2019.
• A task force on medical devices (formed in 2015) has recommended to create a
Medical Device Regulatory Act which will treat medical devices distinctly from drugs
and a separate chapter for medical devices should be made in the existing Drugs and
Cosmetics Act.
• Currently, over 10,000 medical devices are sold in the country, but only 33
categories of such devices are regulated.

183. India will open the milk bank to facilitate breastfeeding for 70% of the infants by
2025. The Target will subsequently be increased to 100%.
• The milk bank model will be based on Brazil’s model.
• Minister for State for Health and Family Welfare, Ashwini Kumar Choubey has
attended the BRICS Health Minister’s Conference 2019 in Brazil.
 47

184. 15th edition of G20 summit 2020 will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• India was scheduled to host the 16th G20 summit in 2021 and Italy in 2022. But
Prime Minister Narendra Modi requested Italy to host the 2021 summit and allow
India to host it in 2022, on the occasion of the 75th year of India's independence.

185. Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Military Industries (GAMI) and India’s
Department of Defence Production from India signed an MoU for collaboration in
military acquisition, industries, research, development and technology.
• India and Saudi already have an operational Joint Defence Coordination Committee
(JDCC) mechanism.
• India and Saudi Arabia have decided to hold their first ever joint naval exercise in
March 2020 (name and venue of the exercise is undisclosed).
• In April 2019, Saudi Aramco and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) had
formed a joint venture with Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation
and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation to hold 50 per cent stake in Ratnagiri
Refinery and Petrochemicals (RRPCL).

186. Budget carrier IndiGo has become a member of International Air Transport
Association (IATA).
• IATA represents around 290 airlines across the world, comprising 82% of global air
traffic.
• SpiceJet became the first Indian low-cost carrier to take membership of the IATA in
March 2019.
• IATA HQ –– Montreal, Canada; IATA Director General and CEO–– Alexandre de Juniac

187. International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIITH) has developed

first ever Indian Brain Atlas to study age-related effects on brain.
• A brain atlas is a brain map or a template which becomes the 'standard' against
which brain abnormalities can be measured.
• The atlas found that the average brain size of an Indian was smaller in height, width
and volume in comparison to people of the Caucasian and eastern races.
• Implication: - The standard MRI scans were based on the model (developed by
Montreal Neurological Institute in Canada, and the International Consortium for
Brain Mapping) which was based on Caucasian brains.
• The study was published in the journal Neuroscience India.

188. Tamil Nadu has become the first state in India to enact a law – Agricultural Produce
and Livestock Contract Farming and Services (Promotion and Facilitation) Act – for
contract farming.
• Purpose: - To protect farmers in the events of major price fluctuations.
• Mechanism: - Farmers will be paid a predetermined price arrived at the time of
signing agreements with buyers.
 48

• Meaning of Contract Farming: - It refers to various formal and informal agreements

between producers and processors or buyers.

189. 2nd Assembly of International Solar Alliance (ISA) was held in New Delhi.
• Eritrea and St. Kittis and Nevis have signed the ISA Framework Agreement
increasing the total number of Signatory Countries to 83.
• President of ISA is Shri R.K. Singh who is also the current Minister of Power, New &
Renewable Energy and Skill Development Entrepreneurship.
• ISA sent country missions to eight countries over the course of 2019 – to Benin, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Togo, and Uganda
• ISA HQ – Gurugram, Haryana.

190. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has organized the National Symposium (a
common platform for holding discussion and debate) on the theme of ‘United to
Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis’ (LF) in New Delhi. LF is a Vector Borne Disease.
• Organizer: - National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme
• “Call to Action to eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis by 2021” was signed by the
Minister of Health and Family Welfare - Dr Harsh Vardhan.
• WHO had launched the Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) in
2000.
• In 2018, India launched the Accelerate Plan for Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis to
eliminate LF.

191. Ministry for Health and Family Welfare has released the 14th edition of National
Health Profile 2019, which has been prepared by the Central Bureau of Health
Intelligence. It was first published in 2005.
The report mentions that: -
• Life Expectancy has increased to 68.7 years in 2012-16 (females’ is 70.2 and males’
is 67.4 years) from 49.7 years in 1970-75.
• Highest population Density was witnessed in Delhi (11,320 people per sq.km) while
lowest population Density was reported in Arunachal Pradesh (17 people per
sq.km).
• Infant Mortality Rate declined to 33 per 1000 live births in 2016 (37 in rural and 23
in urban).
• Total Fertility Rate recorded at 2.3 in 2016 (increased to 2.5 in rural and 1.8 in
urban).
• Declining birth rate, death rate and natural growth rate – In 2017, birth rate was
20.2 per 1000 population, death rate was 6.3, natural growth rate was 13.9.
• Non-communicable Diseases – 6.51 crore people were diagnosed. 4.75% were
diagnosed with diabetes, 0.3% with cardiovascular disease, 6.19% with hyper
tension and 0.26% with common cancers.
• Sex Ratio – improved from 933 in 2001 to 943 in 2011. Highest sex ration was
recorded in Kerala (1,084) and lowest was in Chandigarh (690).
 49

192. All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), under Ministry of AYUSH, signed an MoU the
Frankfurter Innovationszentrum Biotechnologie GmbH - FiZ company of Germany during
the “German/Indian knowledge exchange regarding current developments in the health
care sector”.
• Purpose: - To increase research in the field of genomics and incorporate latest
technologies like AI and machine learning with Ayurvedic principles for the wider
reach to the masses.

193. India and Netherlands will jointly conduct an exhibition titled ‘India & the
Netherlands in the Age of Rembrandt’, in commemoration of the 350th death
anniversary of Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (a Dutch painter).
• The exhibition is the first collaboration between the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai and the Rijksmuseum - The museum of the
Netherlands, Amsterdam.
• Venu Rajamony (Indian Ambassador to the Netherlands) has written the ‘India and
the Netherlands, Past, Present and Future’ book.
• Recently, Netherlands Queen Máxima, the King, Willem-Alexander were on a visit to
India.

194. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is planning to declare Rangdum monastery in

Kargil district, Union Territory Ladakh as the monument of National Importance.
Note: - ASI will take decision after public comments closes in two months.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. Typhoon Mitag is expected to hit Taiwan and is categorized by Taiwan’s weather bureau
as the second-strongest typhoon level.

2. China unveiled the DF-41 intercontinental-range ballistic missile– most powerful missile
in the world.
• DF-41 has a range of up to 9,320 miles (15,000 kilometres), more than any missile on
Earth.
• China has the world's largest standing army and the world's third-largest air force.

3. C40 Summit will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark in October where the ‘Clean Air
Cities Declaration’ (a set of short and long-term commitments towards cleaning the air)
will be launched.
• C40 Summit is a network of the world’s megacities committed to addressing climate
change. CEO of the C40 Summit is Mark Watts.

4. Ecuador will withdraw from Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
from January 1, 2020 because of its fiscal problems.
 50

• However, it will continue to support efforts to stabilise the world oil market. It is one
of the smallest members of the OPEC.
• Currently, the group has 14 members.
• It reached a $4.2 billion deal with the International Monetary Fund in February
2019 which allowed it to receive an immediate disbursement of $652 million and
opened the door for an additional $6 billion in loans.
• OPEC, Russia and other producers have cut output by 1.2 million bpd since Jan. 1.
The alliance, known as OPEC+, in July renewed the pact until March 2020.

5. USA successfully tested an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile

(ICBM) from its Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, across the Pacific Ocean to the
Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
• ICBM is the first US missile fitted with Multiple Independent Reentry Vehicles
(MIRVs), enabling it to carry up to three different warheads that can strike
independent targets.

6. Empirical Systems Aerospace (California) has handed over the completely electric
experimental aircraft X-57 Mod II codenamed as “Maxwell” to NASA Armstrong Flight
Research Center.
• It is NASA’s first completely electric experimental aircraft.

7. China has launched the new Gaofen-10 satellite on a March-4C rocket (developed by
the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology) from its Taiyuan Satellite Launch
Center.
• Gaofen-10 satellite will help in urban planning, road network design, land survey,
crop yield estimation as well as disaster relief.
• It was the 314th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series.

8. International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center, France has announced the
discovery of the 20 new moons orbiting Saturn have been discovered by the team led by
Scott S. Sheppard (from University of California).
• The total number of moons of Saturn has been increased to 82, surpassing Jupiter
which has 79 moons.
• Out of these, 3 moons are prograde moons (moving in the same direction of the
planet) and 17 are retrograde moons (moving in the opposite direction of the
planet).

9. 9th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Intersessional Ministerial

meeting will be held in Bangkok, Thailand.
• The 3rd Leaders’ Summit will be held in November in Bangkok when RCEP’s
conclusion will be announced.
 51

10. First of its kind Robotic Mission Extension Vehicle-1 (MEV-1) has been launched on the
Russian Proton rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
• It is a commercial satellite-servicing spacecraft to assist ageing spacecrafts.
• It was built by Virginia-based company Northrop Grumman.
• It has been launched along with the Eutelsat 5 West B communications satellite.
• It has a lifespan of 15 years.

11. Singapore is planning to impose a ban on the ads of beverage with high sugar content.
• If the ban is implemented, Singapore will become the first country in the world to
do so.

12. World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched its first ever world report on vision
which mentions that nearly 2.2 billion people live with vision impairment or blindness
worldwide.
• Out of this, over 1 billion cases could have been prevented or have yet to be
addressed.
• 65 million people are blind or have impaired sight even when their vision could by
corrected with a cataract operation, and over 800 million people lack access to a pair
of glasses.
• India’s National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) 2016-17, has extended
cataract surgery to 6.5 million people, achieving a rate of over 6,000 per million
population.

13. UNICEF has now become the first UN organization to hold and make transactions in
cryptocurrency and it created a UNICEF Cryptocurrency Fund.
• Ethereum Foundation will be first organization to be contributing to UNICEF in form
of donations to three grantees of UNICEF Innovation Fund.

14. United Kingdom announced that it will issue a commemorative coin to mark the 150th
birthday anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
• The announcement was made at the annual GG2 Leadership Awards ceremony
2019 in London.
• GG2 power list 2019 (ranking of the UK's 101 most powerful Asians) places Sajid
Javid on the first place followed by Priti Patel, and Gina Miller on 2nd and 3rd
position respectively.

15. NASA has launched the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) space weather satellite
from an aircraft of Northrop Grumman.
• ICON mission is a part of NASA’s Explorer Program.
• Purpose: - It will study the Earth’s ionosphere to detect dynamic zones.
 52

16. C40 World Mayors Summit 2019 held at Copenhagen, Denmark.

• Kolkata Govt has received the 6th C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards
2019 in the green mobility category.
• Theme for Summit: - ‘The Future We Want’.
• Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has announced to form a special task force for
implementing ‘Clean Air Cities Declaration’ signed at the summit.

17. The latest paper of the Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO) titled ‘Earth Catastrophes And
Their Impact On The Carbon Cycle’ show that the anthropogenic (man-made) carbon
emissions are 40-100 times greater than those from all volcanic emissions.
• Earth’s total carbon content is around 1.85 billion gigatons, according to current
estimates.
• Two-tenths of 1% of Earth’s total carbon is above the surface.
• Volcanoes and other “magmatically active" or volcanic regions release around 280-
360 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere and oceans.
• While 400 of the 1,500 volcanoes active are emitting CO2, another 670 could be
producing diffused emissions.
• Humans release approx. 10 gigatonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere every year.
• DCO is an international collaboration of more than 1,200 scientists from 55
countries (launched in 2009).
• The study was published in journal Elements.

18. 6-day plenary meeting of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was held under the
presidency of China.
• FATF’s president is Xiangmin Liu.
• The president conducts all plenary session of FATF.

19. Typhoon Hagibis and Typhoon Faxai has hit Japan.

20. UAE established the first research-based Artificial Intelligence university (at the
graduate-level) in the world.
• The university is named after the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Crown
Prince of Abu Dhabi) as the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence
(MBZUAI).
 53

21. USA’s House of Representatives has passed a bill ‘Hong Kong Human Rights and
Democracy Act’ that aims to defend human civil rights in the semi-autonomous
territory.
• The proposed law would end the Hong Kong-US special trading status unless the
State Department certifies annually that city authorities are respecting human rights
and the rule of law.

22. State-owned China Sam Group has leased the Tulagi Island in Solomon Islands for 75
years.
• China and Solomon have signed an agreement which also includes construction of a
refinery on the island and the development of the special economic zone.

23. Italy will impose a 3% web tax from 2020 on large-scale digital companies for engaging
in internet transactions.
• Reason: - The web giants including Google collecting large profits despite paying
little in tax.

24. United Nations General Assembly has added 14 new member states to Human Rights
Council.
• Armenia, Brazil, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Libya, Marshall Islands, Mauritania,
Namibia, Netherlands, Poland, Republic of Korea, Sudan and Venezuela have been
appointed for three-year period.
• UN- Human Rights Council was established in 2008. The Council comprises 47
elected Member States.

25. FATF has retained Pakistan on its Grey List and gave a 4-month ultimatum till Feb 2020,
to Pakistan to curb terror-funding during its plenary session in Paris.
• Sri Lanka has been removed from the grey list of FATF under its on-going global anti-
money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) compliance
process.

26. Nasa astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir have created history by completing the
first ever all-female spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS).
• For Koch, this is the 4th spacewalk.
 54

27. Chile has refused to host Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) forum and COP25
of UN Climate Change Conference in Santiago due to political unrest. New venue are
being looked at.

28. 3rd edition of G20 Okayama Health Ministers’ Meeting is held under the Presidency of
Japan in Okayama City, Japan.
• Key Focus: - (i) Achievement of Universal Health Coverage (ii) Response to
population aging (iii) Management of health risks and (iv) health security
management including Anti-Microbial Resistance and its containment.

29. World’s oldest known natural pearl (carbon-dated 5800 B.C. to 5600 B.C.) has been
discovered at a Neolithic site at Marawah Island in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

30. Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity (GFSEC) is being held in Tokyo, Japan.
• Mr. Kajiyama Hiroshi (Minister of Economy, Trade and Industryof Japan) has chaired
the GFSEC ministerial meet. 2019 chair for GFSEC is Japan.
• GFSEC was established in 2016.

31. China is developing a huge cosmic ray observation station – “Large High-Altitude Air
Shower Observatory” (LHAASO) at 4,400 meters above sea level in Daocheng, to carry
out detailed study about the cosmic rays.
• The project, expected to be completed by 2020, is being carried out in participation
from Australia and Thailand and other countries.
• 12 telescopes will be erected to conduct high-precision measurement of cosmic rays
with the highest energy.

32. Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) was
established by CAMLR Convention in 1982 (secretariat is in Hobart, Tasmania) with the
objective of conserving Antarctic marine life.
• CCAMLR has 26 members.
• Currently, the organization is discussing the proposal to create a massive ocean
sanctuary in east Antarctica which will protect around 1.55 million sq.km of area in
the ocean in the 2-week meeting in Hobart, Australia.

33. Switzerland's glaciers have lost 1/10th of their volume in the past five years alone
(highest till now).
• 20 Swiss glaciers have recorded high melt rates, according to the annual study on
their state, published by the Cryospheric Commission at the Swiss Academy of
Sciences.
• Due to the climate change, the volume of melting was equivalent to the country's
total annual consumption of drinking water during two weeks of intense heat at the
end of June and again in late July.
 55

• A recent study by glaciologists at the ETH Zurich technical university warned that
more than 90% of some 4,000 glaciers throughout the Alps could disappear by the
end of this century if greenhouse gas emissions are not controlled.

34. Singapore has passed the Protection From Online Falsehoods And Manipulation Act
2019 to curb the circulation of fake news.

35. ASEAN Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi has declared Vietnam to be the Chair of ASEAN
in 2020.
• 2019 president of ASEAN – Thailand and the theme of its ASEAN Chairmanship is
“Advancing Partnership for Sustainability”.
• 2018 president of ASEAN – Singapore.

36. First Global Health Security Index 2019 has been developed by Johns Hopkins Center
for Health Security, Nuclear Threat Initiative and Economist Intelligence Unit.
• Parameters: - 34 indicators and 85 sub-indicators divided into 6 categories.
• The index measures the preparedness of countries in the event of infectious disease
outbreaks.
• The average overall GHS Index score is 40.2 out of 100 while high-income countries
report an average score of 51.9.
• Total – 195 countries
• Top country – USA (with a score of 83.5 overall) followed by UK and Netherlands
• India’s rank – 57th with a score of 46.5
• The countries were divided into 3 categories – Most prepare, More prepared, Least
prepared. India falls into the More prepared category.

37. Cyclone Kyarr was the first Super Cyclone to have formed in the Arabian Sea in last 12
years which is moving towards Oman.
• According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), a second cyclone – Maha is
brewing in the Arabian Sea. (Lakshadweep is expected to receive heavy rainfall)
 56

38. Natural History Museum has named a tiny, blind, wingless and nameless beetle
(scientific name-Nelloptodes gretae) after Greta Thunberg.
• The honey-coloured insect, measuring less than 1 millimetre, was discovered in the
Kenyan capital Nairobi in the 1960s.

39. Nepal’s mountaineer Nirmal Purja has become the speediest person in the world to
climb 14 highest peaks (above 8,000 meters) in just 7 months.
• Before him, Italy’s Reinhold Messner had become the first person to climb these 14
peaks in 1986.

40. Copernicus (initiated in 2014) is the European Union's Earth observation programme
coordinated and managed by the European Commission in partnership with the
European Space Agency (ESA).
• Copernicus has two components – ESA’s sentinels and missions from other space
agencies, called Contributing Missions.
• ESA is developing a series of next-generation Earth observation missions, on behalf
of the joint ESA/European Commission initiative GMES (Global Monitoring for
Environment and Security).
• Sentinel, which will study the Earth’s monitor Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Land
conditions, aims to replace the current older Earth observation missions which have
reached retirement.
• Total 5 Sentinel missions have been launched so far. Sentinel 1 is the first mission
launched in 2014 while Sentinel 5P was launched in 2017.
• Current News: - According to the data received from the Sentinel 3, five times as
many wildfires in August 2019 (79,000) compared to August 2018.
• 49% of fires were detected in Asia, followed by South America at 28%.
 57

41. Sri Lanka and UN Environment Programme (UNEP) have developed the Colombo
Declaration on Sustainable Nitrogen Management, to be adopted by member nations,
to halve nitrogen waste by 2030.
• The world grapples with the menace of air pollution which kills 7 million people
prematurely every year.
• More than 30 countries endorsed UN plans for a campaign on sustainable nitrogen
management called “Nitrogen for Life”, which is a result of the Sustainable Nitrogen
Management Resolution (adopted during the 4th session of the UN Environment
Assembly held at the UNEP headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya).
• Colombo Declaration has been prepared with the technical support of the
International Nitrogen Management System, a joint activity of the UNEP and the
International Nitrogen Initiative supported by the Global Environment Facility.

BANKING AND ECONOMY

1. According to the RBI’s report on State Finances Report 2019-20, states’ gross fiscal
deficit (GFD) has remained within the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management
Act (FRBM) threshold of 3% of GDP during 2017-18 and 2018-19.
• For 2019-20, States have budgeted a consolidated GFD of 2.6% of GDP, the report
said.
• However, outstanding debt of States have risen over the last five years to 25% of
GDP.
• The combined GFD of the States (excluding Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana in 2015-
16 and 2016-17) averaged 2.5% of GDP in the recent five-year period, which was in
striking range of the recommendation of the FRBM Review Committee.

2. Paytm and Aegon Life Insurance have signed a corporate agency agreement to sell
insurance through Paytm to strengthen its digital presence.

3. SEBI has relaxed norms for ‘Muni Bonds’ issuance to help smart cities and entities
working for urban development to allow them raise funds through debt securities.
• SEBI has allowed a larger number of entities including special purpose vehicles set
up under the central government’s ambitious ‘Smart Cities Mission’ to raise debt by
issuing Muni bonds.
• SEBI has allowed Pooled Finance Development Funds to use this route for raising
funds. [These funds are entities where a group of municipalities pool their resources
together to jointly raise funds through issuance of bonds].
• SEBI has removed the requirements like appointment of a monitoring agency, filing
of viability certificate or Detailed Project Appraisal Report, setting up of a separate
project implementation cell, maintenance of 100% asset cover with specification of
resources and mandatory backing of state or central government.
 58

• Apart from this, SEBI has also eased rules for the creation of escrow accounts and
removed with obligation of appointing a monitoring agency and establishing a
separate project implementation cell.
• Also, the existing regulations allow issuance of only revenue bonds with a minimum
tenure of three years and maximum five years, if it is a public issue. This clause has
been dropped.

4. SEBI has approved the changes in the Buyback Regulations of SEBI as well as the
Companies Act to implement the rules recommended by Primary Market Advisory
Committee (PMAC) in May [covered in May spotlight].
New Changes announced are: -
• The buyback offer cannot exceed 25% of the aggregate paid-up capital and free
reserves of the company, but shareholders’ approval is required through a special
resolution in case the size exceeds 10%.
• A buyback is permitted only if the ratio of the aggregate of secured and unsecured
debts owed by the company after the buyback is not more than twice the paid-up
capital and free reserves, unless a higher debt-to-equity ratio is specified under the
Companies Act.
• SEBI’s PMAC had also suggested that regulated subsidiaries with AAA ratings should
be excluded for computing the debt-to-equity ratio on consolidated basis.
• The financial statements would be considered on both standalone and consolidated
basis to determine the maximum permissible buyback size and other related
requirements, under the new rules.

5. Morgan Stanley has cut India’s GDP growth rate for FY20 to 6.2% and for FY21 to 7.1%.
• Global Growth rate has been revised to 3% for 2019 and 3.2% for 2020.

6. Ford is closing its independent operations in India and will operate only through the
joint venture (value – ₹1,925 crore) formed with Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M).
• M&M will hold 51% stake in it and handle operational management.

7. Axis Bank has launched digital fixed-deposit (FD) product – ‘Express FD’ – which can be
opened in 3 minutes through the digital route by investing up to Rs 5,000-90,000, for a
tenure of 6 to 12 months without even opening a savings account.
 59

8. Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has signed the 300th advance pricing agreement
(APA) pertaining to United Kingdom- 2 Unilateral and 1 Bilateral APA.
• During the FY20, the total number of APAs signed has gone up to 29 (27 unilateral
and 2 bilateral APAs).
• An APA is a contract, usually for multiple years, between a taxpayer and at least one
tax authority specifying the pricing method that the taxpayer will apply to its related-
company transactions.

9. For the first time, Bajaj Finance Ltd has overtaken State Bank of India in market
capitalization with a m-cap value of Rs 2.32 lakh crore while it was Rs 2.28 lakh crore for
SBI.

10. World Trade Organisation (WTO) has reduced the global trade growth forecast to 1.2%
for 2019 (from earlier forecast of 2.6% made in April 2019) due to global trade tensions.
• For 2020, the global trade growth forecast has been reduced to 2.7% from 3%.
• The estimated growth rate for world trade in 2019 is placed within a range of 0.5%
to 1.6%.
• The range of likely values is wider for 2020, ranging from 1.7% to 3.7%, if the trade
tension eases.

11. Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), under the Ministry of Commerce &
Industry, launched an online system ‘Applications for Remedies in Trade for Indian
Industry and other Stakeholders’ (ARTIS) for filing anti-dumping applications by the
domestic industry for speedy resolution of dumping issues.
• These duties are trade remedy measures, provided under an agreement of the
World Trade Organisation to its member countries to provide a level playing field to
domestic industry in case of dumping of goods, significant increase in imports and
subsidised imports.
 60

12. Bank of Baroda and Indian Army have signed an MoU to provide new and better
banking experience for both serving and retired personnel of Indian Army.
• MoU includes free personal accident insurance cover, free air accident insurance
cover of Rs 15 lakh to Rs 50 lakh and an overdraft facility up to three times of
monthly net salary.

13. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India has formed a working group,
headed by T L Alamelu, to revisit the structure of title insurance and recommend
measures to increase demand for the product.
• The promoter/developers are obliged to obtain the title policy under the Real Estate
(Regulation and Development) Act, 2016.
• Title insurance refers to an insurance of indemnity provided to developers and the
subsequent home owners of the property against losses and risks related to defects
in the title of the property.

14. S&P Global ratings has reduced India’s GDP growth to 6.3% from 7.1% for 2019-2020.
• For 2020-21, it is 7%.

15. RBI has cut its repo rate by 25 bps to 5.15% (taking the total to 135 bps cut this year)
and maintained the accommodative stance.
• Reverse repo rate was reduced to 4.9%.
• Bank Rate and Marginal Standing Facility rate is 5.4%.
• RBI has cut GDP growth projection for FY20 to 6.1% (5.3% in Q2:2019-20) against
the 6.9% earlier forecast. For 2020-21, the GDP forecast for Q1 is 7.2%.
• RBI has allowed domestic banks to freely offer foreign exchange prices to NRIs at all
times, out of their Indian books.
• RBI has decided to create a separate category of NBFC, that is, Non-Banking
Financial Company-Micro Finance Institution (NBFC-MFI).
• RBI has raised its near-term inflation forecast to 3.4% for the Q2 of the fiscal year
started April, while projecting the headline number to continue to stay below its
medium-term target of 4%.
• CPI inflation projection is revised slightly upwards to 3.4 per cent for Q2:2019-20,
while projections are retained at 3.5-3.7 per cent for H2:2019-20 and 3.6 per cent
for Q1:2020-21, with risks evenly balanced.
• For better fund management by banks for NEFT payments, the RBI has decided to
extend the collateralised liquidity support, which is currently available till 7.45 pm
on NEFT working days, round the clock.

16. Govt received Rs 13,500 crore from Bharat-22 exchange traded fund around 27 times of
the its size.
• Proceeds from the ETF will help the government meet its disinvestment target of
₹1.05 lakh crore for the current financial year.
• Only SBI, Indian Bank and Bank of Baroda figure in the Bharat-22 index.
 61

17. Bank of Baroda have signed an agreement with NBFC Paisalo Digital Limited for
expanding its micro lending portfolio, especially focussing on women self-help groups.

18. UCO Bank’s has launched 3 new digital products – UCash, Digilocker and an app (which
is an integration of UCO Mbanking, UCO UPI, UCO Mpassbook and UCO Secure apps in a
single platform).
• UCash enables the customers to withdraw cash from ATMs through mobile banking
services without using debit card.
• Digilocker enables the sharing of verified electronic documents.
• Apart from this, a new current account facility has also been launched by the bank
because of which Tax Deducted at Source certificate can be downloaded online.
• UCO Bank MD and CEO: - A K Goel.

19. Union Cabinet has approved the new strategic disinvestment policy to speed up the
process of privatisation of selected PSUs.
• Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) under Ministry
of Finance, has been made the nodal department for the strategic stake sale.
• Earlier, only NITI Aayog used to identify PSUs but now DIPAM and NITI Aayog will
jointly identify PSUs for strategic disinvestment.
• Government aims to raise up to Rs 1.05 lakh crore from disinvestment proceeds to
fulfil its fiscal deficit target of 3.3%.
Govt aims to sell: -
Its entire 53.29% stake in Bharat Petroleum 63.75% stake in Shipping Corporation of
Corp Ltd India
30% in Concor 100% in North Eastern Electric Power
Corporation Limited
75% in Tehri Hydro Development -
Corporation Limited

20. ICICI Bank and Common Service Centre e-Governance Services India Limited have
partnered to expand its reach to villages and remote towns.
• Under this agreement, CSCs will act as the bank’s correspondents in remote areas.

21. U GRO Capital (technology-enabled lender) has signed its first co-origination agreement
with Bank of Baroda to enhance credit to SMEs by using co-lending technology platform
of U GRO Capital – ‘GRO-Xstream’.

22. Nippon Life Insurance (Japan) has renamed Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management
(RNAM) as Nippon India Mutual Fund (NIMF) after it acquired 75% stake in RNAM for
around Rs 6,000 crore.
• It has become the sole promoter of the mutual fund.
 62

23. SEBI has mandated that only Foreign Portfolio Investors located in or managed by an
enterprise based under Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) jurisdiction can engage in
Participatory Notes (P-notes) on the recommendation of HR Khan Committee.
• P-notes are the financial instruments required to invest in Indian stock markets
without being registered with SEBI.
• Implication: - It will majorly affect the FPI from Mauritius and Cayman Islands as
they are not FATF members and 15 to 20% of FPI come from these countries.

24. Govt has formed an 19-member Inter-Ministerial Coordination Committee (IMCC),

headed by Ajay Bhushan Pandey, to check money laundering activities under the
Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
• It will ensure operational cooperation among the government, law enforcement
agencies, the Financial Intelligence Unit-India and the regulators or supervisors.
• The committee would also work on development and implementing policies on anti-
money laundering and countering the terror-financing.

25. SEBI has released a circular for the mutual fund investors prohibiting them from
investing in the unlisted debt instruments including commercial papers (CPs), other
than Government securities, Other money market instruments, and Derivative products
such as Interest rate swaps.
• SEBI has announced certain limits on mutual fund investors: -
Limits on Mutual fund schemes
Mutual fund schemes may invest in SEBI also restricted exposure to unrated
unlisted Non-Convertible Debentures debt to just 5% of the net assets of a
(NCDs) provided they have a simple scheme. At present a 25% exposure to
structure. Existing exposure (15%) to such such securities is allowed.
NCDs needs to be brought down to 10% of
the scheme’s portfolio by 30 June 2020.
Sector level exposure limits
In terms of sector exposure, SEBI has An additional exposure of 5% of the net
brought down the limit from 25% to 20% assets of the scheme has been allowed for
and the additional limit for HFCs from 15% investments in securitized debt
to 10% instruments based on retail housing loan
portfolio and/or affordable housing loan
portfolio
However, the overall exposure in HFCs -
shall not exceed the sector exposure limit
of 20% of the net assets of the scheme
Group level exposure limits
The investments by debt mutual fund schemes in debt and money market instruments
of group companies of both the sponsor and the asset management company shall not
exceed 10% of the net assets of the scheme. Such investment limit may be extended to
15% of the net assets of the scheme with the prior approval of the Board of Trustees.
 63

26. e-Conomy SEA report released by Google, Temasek and Bain & Company mentions that
internet economy in Southeast Asia is set to touch $100 billion for the first time in 2019.
• Indonesia and Vietnam were leading the six countries, with their average annual
internet growth rate exceeding 40% since 2015.
• In Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Philippines, the internet economies grew
between 20-30% annually.
• Indonesia’s internet economy is the largest in the region and estimated to reach $40
billion in 2019, and will cross $130 billion mark by 2025.
• While Vietnam’s internet economy is forecast to reach $12 billion in 2019 and up to
$43 billion in 2025.
• The value of online transactions in areas from internet retail to car hailing should
reach $300 billion by 2025.
• Reason: - Increase in the number of new online users from 260 million in 2015 to
360 million in 2019.

27. Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd has dropped its £29.6 billion ($36.4 billion) bid
acquiring for London Stock Exchange Group Plc (LSE) because of a resistance from the
UK company and stakeholders.
• LSE can now freely pursue its $27 billion acquiring Refinitiv.

28. The Union Cabinet has allowed 5% increase in the Dearness Allowance and Dearness
Relief to all central government employees and pensioners over the current 12% on the
recommendations 7th Pay commission (new rate –17%).
• Reason: - To compensate the price rise.

29. RBI has approved the setting up of the Kerala Bank by merging 13 District Co-operative
Banks with Kerala State Co-operative Bank.
• The proposed Kerala Bank will be the largest banking network in the state.

30. World Bank has released the report titled “World Development Report 2020: Trading
for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains”.
• Global value chains (GVC) can help the developing economies to enhance growth as
the GVCs account for nearly 50% of trade worldwide.
 64

• European single market (along with China, India, and the Soviet Union) created a
huge new product and labour markets, which increased the scope of GVCs.
• Firms in Ethiopia in GVC are more than twice as productive as similar firms that
participate in standard trade.
• The report gave an overview of which nations can follow to attract GVC investments.

31. RBI has rejected the proposal of merger of Indiabulls Housing Finance and Lakshmi
Vilas bank.

32. Government e-Marketplace has signed an MoU with Union Bank of India to offer
various services including transfer of funds through GeM Pool Accounts, advising of
Performance Bank Guarantees and Earnest Money Deposit.
• It will also facilitate cashless, paperless and transparent payment system on GeM
portal and will create an efficient procurement system for government entities.

33. Moody’s Investor Service has reduced India’s GDP growth rate for the FY20 to 5.8%
from 6.2% earlier.
• Growth will pick up to 6.6% in 2020-21 and to around 7% over the medium term.
• In 2018, the growth was 6.8%. For FY21, the growth rate is forecasted at 6.6%.
• Central government fiscal deficit is estimated to be 3.7% of the GDP in FY20.

34. Ind-Ra has cut India’s GDP growth projections to 6.1% from 6.7% earlier for FY20.
• Fiscal deficit could increase to 3.6% of GDP in 2019-20.

35. RBI has imposed a penalty of Rs 12.88 lakh on Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) issuer
Balancehero India Private Limited for non-compliance of regulatory guidelines under
Section 30 of Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
• Toyota Financial Services India Limited has also been penalized with Rs 5 lakh for
non-compliance with directions of RBI on ‘Monitoring of Frauds in NBFCs’ under the
Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.

36. Credit Saison India (subsidiary of Japanese Credit Saison company) has received licence
from RBI to set up an NBFC in Bengaluru.
• In India, it operates under its registered name – Kisetsu Saison Finance India.

37. RBI has released a new reporting system – Central Information System for Banking
Infrastructure (CISBI) for all co-operative banks.
• Under CISBI, co-op banks will submit information related to the
opening/closing/conversion of branches, non-administratively independent offices
(extension counters, satellite offices), and ATMs in a single proforma online.
• Bank Branch Statistics Division (BBSD) in the Department of Statistics and
Information Management (DSIM), RBI will act as the nodal agency for CISBI.
 65

• The information relating to opening, closure, merger, shifting and conversion of bank
branches/offices should be submitted immediately (in any case not later than 1
week).

38. Brand Finance Nation Brands 2019 report has been released by Brand Finance.
• Average nation brand value growth among developing economies at 13.9%
compared to only 0.4% for developed economies in 2019 ranking.
• On the Brand Strength Index (BSI), Singapore has emerged as the world’s strongest
nation brand with 90.5 score out of 100.

39. World Bank has released the “South Asia Economic Focus, 2019” report, which
mentions that India’s GDP will grow at 6% in 2019; 6.9% in 2021 and 7.2% in 2022.
• Title of the report:- ‘South Asia Economic Focus, Making (De)Centralization Work’.
Estimates for India
In 2018, India’s growth rate was 6.8%.
India’s private consumption growth rate is 3.1% in 2019 as against 7.3% last year.
Growth rate in agricultural and service sector was 2.9% and 7.5% respectively.
Current Account Deficit of India expanded to 2.1% in 2019 as against the 1.8% in 2018.
Data for India

Estimates for South Asia

Growth Rate – 5.9% in 2019; as against the 6.6% in 2018
 66

40. Asian Development Bank and India have signed a $190 million loan to upgrade the
roads and highways of Rajasthan.

41. India has a target of more than doubling the share of natural gas in its energy base to
15% by 2030.
• India is investing over $60 billion in developing natural supply and distribution
infrastructure.
• At present, natural gas forms 6.2% of all energy consumption in the country.

42. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has formed a 9-
member panel, headed by TR Alamelu, to review and suggest amendments to the
Reinsurance, Foreign Reinsurance Branches and Lloyd’s India regulations.
• The panel will review the applicability of certain provisions of the Insurance Act,
1938 on investments.
• Apart from this, it would also look into calculation of economic capital and related
disclosures, applicability of corporate governance guidelines and appointment of key
management persons.

43. Total SA of France (world’s second largest liquefied natural gas) has decided to buy
37.4% stake in Adani Gas.

44. RBI has imposed a penalty of ₹1 crore on Lakshmi Vilas Bank for non-compliance with
RBI’s directives on income recognition and asset classification norms.
• Syndicate Bank has been penalized with ₹75 lakh for non-compliance with directions
on frauds classification and disbursement of home loans.

45. RBI has merged the various departments of supervision under one Department of
supervision and similarly the various departments of regulation have been merged
under one unified Department of Regulation.
Department of Supervision Department of Regulation
All supervisory departments — department All regulatory departments — department
of banking supervision, department of co- of banking regulation, department of co-
operative banking supervision, and operative banking regulation, and
department of non-banking supervision are department of non-banking regulation are
being merged. It will be operational w.e.f. being merged. It will be operational w.e.f.
st
1 Nov. 1st Nov.
To strengthen its oversight of commercial banks, urban co-operative banks (UCBs) and
NBFCs.

46. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has launched a programme to attract
investments in India and strengthen Make in India through manufacture and other
operations under bond scheme, of Customs Act, 1962.
• This section of the act enables conduct of manufacture and other operations in a
customs bonded warehouse.
 67

• Manufacture and Other Operations in Warehouse Regulations 2019 allows clear

and transparent procedures, simplified compliance requirements under this new
scheme.
• The jurisdictional Commissioner of Customs will act as a single point of approval to
set up and oversee the operations of such units.
Other Minute Details: -
The unit can import goods under a customs A single digital account has been
duty deferment program. The duties are prescribed for ease of doing business and
fully remitted if the processed goods are easy compliance.
exported. There will be no interest liability.
The scheme will also enable efficient CBIC has partnered with Invest India to
capacity utilization, as there is no limit on launch a dedicated microsite for providing
quantum of clearances that can be information and promoting the scheme and
exported or cleared to the domestic for facilitation of investors.
market.

47. International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released the October edition of its ‘World
Economic Outlook’.
• Title of the Report: - Global Manufacturing Downturn, Rising Trade Barriers,
October 2019.
• World GDP growth at 3% is the lowest since 2008-09, US-China trade tensions will
cumulatively reduce the level of global GDP by 0.8% by 2020.
• US, euro area, China, and Japan together account for close to half of global GDP.
• India’s GDP growth rate: -
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
6.1% 7%` 7.4% 7.4% 7.4% 7.3%

Revision of GDP growth rate for India

 68

• IMF’s suggestions for India given in this report:

The monetary policy and broad-based structural reforms should be used to
address cyclical weakness and strengthen confidence.
India should rationalize its subsidy-spending and enhance its tax-base
measures.
Public sector’s role in the financial system needs to be reduced while
strengthening the governance of public sector banks and the efficiency of
their credit allocation.
India should bring reforms into hiring and dismissal regulations to incentivise
job creation. Land reforms should be enhanced to expedite infrastructure
development.

48. Mastercard and its brand ambassador MS Dhoni have launched the “Team Cashless
India” initiative to boost digital payments in India.
• Mastercard, in partnership with the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT),
acquirer banks and finance technology companies will help merchants to deploy
digital payments acceptance infrastructure.

49. RBI has issued guidelines for ‘on-tap authorization’ on payment systems under which
RBI has fixed the minimum net worth of the companies for getting the on-tap
authorisation.
Category of Payment Service Operator Minimum Net Worth Threshold
Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit Rs.100 cr Net worth (to be maintained at all
(BBPOU) times)
Trade Receivables Discounting System • Minimum paid up equity capital – Rs. 25
(TReDS) cr
• Non-promoters, to have shareholding up
to 10 per cent of equity capital
White Label ATMs (WLAs) Rs.100 cr Net worth (to be maintained at all
times)
• In January 2019, RBI has released the policy paper on Authorisation of New Retail
Payment Systems.

Note: - The detailed implication of ‘on-tap authorization’ is covered in the Finance

Monthly Current Affairs.
 69

50. IL&FS has sold its 51% stake in wind power special purpose vehicles to Orix Corporation
of Japan for Rs 4,800 crore.
• Now, the entire debt of around Rs 3,700 crore (in the seven Special Purpose Vehicles
of IL&FS) will be held by Orix.

51. Larsen & Toubro Infotech Ltd. has decided to acquire the Powerupcloud Technologies
Pvt. Ltd. (cloud consulting company headquartered in Bengaluru) at an enterprise value
of $15 million.

52. Insurance Australia Group (IAG) will sell its 26% stake in SBI General Insurance to
Napean Opportunities LLP (an affiliate of Premji lnvest and Warburg Pincus Group).
• SBI General Insurance is a joint venture between SBI and IAG with 70% and 26%
shareholding respectively.

53. According to the e-commerce policy of India, DPIIT (in 2016) prohibited FDI in the B2C e-
commerce, that is multi brand retail through inventory based model.
• Ministry of Commerce has issued the guidelines under the e-commerce policy that
multi brand retail will not be allowed in India by foreign companies and people
indulging in predatory pricing will be punished.

54. Hurun Research Institute has released the first edition of the Hurun Global Unicorn List
2019, which ranks India at the 3rd spot (with 21 unicorn startups), preceded by China at
1st position (with 206 startups) and USA at 2nd spot (with 203 startups).
• Total 494 startups in 25 countries and 118 cities were assessed in this ranking of the
world’s billion-dollar tech ‘start-ups’ founded in the 2000s which are not yet listed
on a public exchange.
• The total average worth of all these startups would be $3.4 billion on a 7 years
average, and $1.7 trillion in total.
• US and China together accounted for over 80% of the world’s unicorns. Europe has
35 unicorns where United Kingdom has 13 unicorns (at 4th position).
• City-wise: - Beijing is the world’s unicorn capital with 82, followed by San Francisco
with 55.
• Region-wise: - Silicon Valley has the highest unicorn startups at 102 or 21% of the
world’s unicorns.

55. Reliance Industries Ltd. has first Indian firm to cross Rs 9 lakh crore market
capitalisation.
• TCS’s market capitalisation is Rs 7.66 lakh crore.

56. Central Board of Direct Taxes has issued a circular mentioning that Banks or system
providers will not charge Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) from customers and
merchants for making digital payments to companies with more than Rs 50 crore
turnover from November 1.
 70

• To this effect, amendments have been made in the income tax act as well as in the
Payment and Settlement Systems Act 2007.
• RBI and banks would absorb the cost of transactions involved in waiving off the
MDR.

57. IRDAI has issued new norms to curb life insurance mis-selling and increase transparency
(to be complied by Insurance companies by December 1, 2019).
IRDAI has directed insurers to mandatorily The policy holders enrolled under IRDAI
issue benefit illustrations based on two (Micro Insurance) Regulations, 2015,
different assumed rates of return (4% and Guidelines on Point of Sales (POS) - Life
8% for each policy) as per a prescribed Insurance Products, 2016 and IRDAI
format to policy holders. (Insurance services by Common Service
Centres) Regulations, 2019 as amended
from time to time, are exempted from this
benefit.
Display all terms and conditions on the Life insurers must show the projected rate
main screen in case of digital sales (instead of return in their traditional insurance
of hidden behind hyerplinks). policy products (non-linked) as well as unit-
linked insurance plan's benefit
illustrations.
Any illustration which becomes misleading In case of online selling, insurers must send
following any material change of an email, describing the illustrations,
circumstances shall be discontinued immediately after the purchase of the
forthwith. product.

58. Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance has launched first-of-its-kind video calling service ‘i-SERV’
within the life insurance industry to provide quality services to its customers.
• i-SERV is available in English and 5 Indian languages – Hindi, Bengali, Assamese,
Tamil and Gujarati.

59. PayPal and Synchrony have partnered to launch the Venmo’s first co-branded credit
card (to be launched in 2020). Venmo is the fully-owned subsidiary of PayPal.
• These companies' have extended agreement for 15-year.

60. According to a study by the Credit Suisse, total wealth in India has increased to $12.6
trillion in 2019 (between 2000 and 2019), which makes India the fifth largest economy
globally in terms of the number of ultra-high net-worth individuals.
• India’s wealth is now growing at annual average of 12% and the wealth per adult is
estimated at $14,569 in mid-2019.
• Personal Wealth in India is dominated by property and other real assets.
• India’s total household wealth grew by 5.2% in dollar terms while the Net wealth per
adult grew at 3.3%, slower than the average 11% growth rate reported in the last 20
years.
 71

• India has 8.27 lakh adults in the top 1% of global wealth holders – 1.6% share of the
global pool.
• 78% of the adult population has wealth below $10,000, while 1.8% of adults has a
net worth of more than $100,000.
• India is expected to add $4.4 trillion in just five years, reflecting an increase of 43%.
• US, China, and Europe contributed the most towards global wealth growth with USD
3.8 trillion, USD 1.9 trillion and USD 1.1 trillion respectively.
• During the past year, Global wealth grew by 2.6% to USD 360 trillion and wealth per
adult reached a new record high of USD 70,850, 1.2% above the level of mid-2018
with Switzerland topping the biggest gains in wealth per adult this year.
• India has made a contribution of $625 billion (nearly 7% of total) to the global
wealth

61. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved a plan of over Rs 70,000
crore for reviving BSNL and MTNL by merging the two state-run telecom operators and
introducing a voluntary retirement scheme.
• A group of ministers will be formed to help implement the revival plan.

62. According to ICRA Ratings, NBFCs and Housing Finance Companies have raised ₹2.36 tn
through securitization route between Oct 2018 and Sep 2019.
• The public sector banks have been mandated to disburse funding of ₹1 trillion under
the Partial Credit Guarantee scheme (PCG) by February 2020, which may increase
the size of the securitization market in excess of ₹2 trillion for FY20.
• Under PCG scheme, the guarantee is offered by Govt to PSBs for purchasing high-
rated pooled assets from NBFCs/HFCs.
• The scheme is applicable for the transactions involving transfer of Assets through
Direct Assignment.
 72

63. According to the UN’s World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) World
Intellectual Property Indicators 2019 report, China recorded 1.54 million patent
applications which accounted for nearly half of global patent filings in 2018.
• China’s share increased from 11.6% from 2017.
• USA was the second on the list with 600,000 patent applications, declined by 1.6%.
• Globally, 3.3 million patent applications were filed, 14.3 million trademark
applications, and 1.3 million industrial design applications, with Asia accounting for
more than 2/3rd.
About India: -
• India is ranked at the 7th spot in terms of patent registration, witnessing a growth of
7.5% in India.
• India ranked at 3rd position in terms of trademark registration, recorded 20.9%
growth.
• India recorded 13.6% growth in industrial designs.

64. SoftBank (HQ- Tokyo, Japan) has decided to acquire WeWork (American real estate
company).
• About $1.7 billion will be paid to WeWork’s outgoing CEO Adam Neumann.

65. According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s data, USA was the top trading
partner of India in FY19 followed by China.
• For the first time, India’s trade deficit with China has reached $53 billion in FY19
while the total trade was $87 billion.

66. India has raised the import duty on Malaysian refined palm oil from 45% to 50% for six
months to curb imports and boost local refining.
• India’s palm oil trade from Malaysia
• India is the world's biggest edible oil importer. Palm oil accounts for 2/3rd of India's
vegetable oil imports.
• India also imports soyoil from Argentina and Brazil and sunflower oil from Ukraine
and Russia.

67. Grasim (owned by Aditya Birla group) has decided to form a joint venture named as
Aditya Birla Power Composites with Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen (MR- German
company) for manufacturing and selling composite hollow core insulators (CHCI).
• MR will hold 49% stake and 51% stake will be held by Grasim.

68. According to the Global Banking Annual Review 2019 by the McKinsey and Co, Indian
banking sector revenue growth has reduced from 22% (2002-07) to 10.3% (2010-18).
• 'Return on Tangible Equity' has fallen from 17.7% in 2013 to 2.3% in 2018.
• Suggestions of the report: - machine-learning models can improve predictive
accuracy in identifying the riskiest customers by 35%.
 73

• It suggest to adopt the zero-based budgeting that includes outsourcing compliance,

which would be less expensive than yearly internal staff increases.
• Globally, 50% of the banks are not strong enough to survive the downturn.
• Nearly 60% banks globally are not generating the cost of capital/trading below book
and growth in volumes and also witnessed lower return on equity against the cost of
equity over the 2009-2019 period.

69. World Bank has released its ‘Doing Business 2020’ report which ranks India at 63rd
position (14 places above the 2019 ranking at 77) with a score of 71.0 out of the total
190 countries.
• Top Country: - New Zealand (86.8 score)
• Bottom Country: - Somalia (20.0 score)
• India’s improvement: - India has shown the most improvement in this index along
with other 10 countries such as China (global rank 31).
• While there has been substantial progress, India still lags in areas such as enforcing
contracts (163rd) and registering property (154th).
• Also, India now ranks 68th globally on ease of Importing and exporting.
• Doing Business 2020 shows that effectiveness of trading across borders also varies
significantly from economy to economy.
 74

70. Aditya Birla Finance Ltd. has partnered with Indian Dental Association to offer loans
(on EMI) to dental patients for their treatment.
• The partnership was announced during the 11th World Dental Show 2019 held in
Mumbai.

71. Government e-marketplace has signed MoU with the Federal Bank to offer various
services such as GeM pool accounts, earnest money deposit and advising of
performance bank guarantees to the users of this portal.
• GeM is also working with Banks, TReDs, and SIDBI to provide bill discounting and
financing of working capital.

72. Vreedhi Financial Services has received the NBFC licence from RBI to offer credit and
other services to micro enterprises operating in tier two three cities and small towns.

73. Union Cabinet has approved a new policy to allow non-oil companies to open retail
outlets for fuel under which the non-oil companies can also invest in the retail sector,
regardless of whether they have prior investments in the oil and gas sector.
• Minimum Net Worth of the entities seeking authorisation is ₹250 crore against the
current requirement of ₹2,000 crore of prior investments in the sector.

74. Department of Public Enterprises, under the Ministry of Heavy Industry and Public
Enterprises, has accorded the status of “MAHARATNA” to Hindustan Petroleum and
Power Grid Corporation.
• CMD of Hindustan Petroleum: - Shri Mukesh Kumar Surana
• CMD of Power Grid Corporation: - Shri K Sreekant

75. Fitch Ratings has downgraded India’s GDP forecast to 5.5% from the earlier 6.6% for
FY20.
• GDP forecasts – For 2020-21 : - 6.2%
• For 2021-22 : - 6.7%
• Total new lending will amount to only 6.6% of GDP in the fiscal year 2019-2020,
down from 9.5% in the 2018.

76. India is in talks with UAE and Singapore for launching Unified Payments Interface (UPI),
these countries on a trial basis on the recommendations of Nandan Nilekani-led
committee on deepening of digital payments.
• Nilekani committee has recommended to expand UPI, RuPay etc. in other countries.

77. World Bank will now include Kolkata and Bengaluru, besides Delhi and Mumbai, for
preparing ease of doing business report to provide a comprehensive picture of business
environment of India.

78. New Development Bank (NDB) has approved two projects worth US $800 million to
Brazil and India.
 75

• US $500 million will be given to Brazil for its Fundo Clima Fund (established under
the Ministry of Environment in 2010 to respond to the National Policy on Climate
Change).
• US $300 million will be given to India for Renewable Energy Sector Development
Project.
• NDB was established by BRICS to mobilize resources for infrastructure and
sustainable development projects.

79. lnsurance Regulatory and Development Authority of lndia (lRDAl) has set up an 8-
member committee, headed by S Sadagopan, to evaluate applications filed under the
Regulatory Sandbox (RS) approach.
• RS was adopted by IRDAI to promote innovative ideas to foster growth in insurance
sector.

80. A high-level advisory group (HLAG) on trade and policy, headed by Surjit S Bhalla, was
formed in 2018 by Ministry of Commerce and Industry. It has recommended the
following statements: -
It has recommended simpler regulatory and tax framework for overseas investment
funds, allowing individual investment from abroad in Indian debt and capital markets,
and state-specific policies to facilitate FDI in agro-processing.
It recommended to form a single ministry for the regulation of medical devices across
the value chain, an independent authority on pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, a
simpler medical visa regime and health insurance portability of social security
entitlements across countries.
It has recommended to make Invest India, the centralised authority for issuing
licences which will then become answerable to a set of ministers.
The report suggested ways to double India’s exports to $1 trillion by 2025 from $500
billion in 2018.
It has also proposed enhancing the capital base of the EXIM Bank by Rs 20,000 crore
by 2022 and that of the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation by Rs 350 crore.
It suggested to set up an apex trade promotion organisation as a separate entity to
replace the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, India Trade Promotion Organisation
and the Trade Promotion Council of India.
India should reduce its cost of capital. India’s median real policy rate (nominal repo
rate - inflation) of 30 countries in August 2019 (excluding Argentina, Mexico and
Turkey) was minus 0.7%, with India having the highest rate at 2.2%

81. Indian Overseas Bank has launched a co-branded healthcare insurance policy in
association with Universal Sompo General Insurance Company Ltd. through online
platform.
• The policy offers a sum insured from ₹50,000 to ₹15 lakh.
• MD and CEO of Indian Overseas Bank –– Karnam Sekar
 76

• Chairman of Universal Sompo General Insurance –– O N Singh

82. 7 Mining and Metals Companies have partnered with World Economic Forum for
responsible sourcing under the Mining and Metals Blockchain Initiative to experiment,
design and deploy blockchain solutions.
• The initiative will explore the building of a blockchain platform to address
transparency issues, the track and tracing of materials, the reporting of carbon
emissions or to increase efficiency.
• 7 companies –– Antofagasta Minerals, Eurasian Resources Group Sàrl, Glencore,
Klöckner & Co, Minsur SA, Tata Steel Limited, Anglo American/De Beers (Tracr) have
partnered with WEF.

83. Baroda Mutual Funds and BNP Paribas Mutual Funds have announced to merge their
mutual fund businesses.

84. ABB (Swiss company) has bought a 67% stake in Shanghai Chargedot New Energy
Technology Co. Ltd (a Chinese electric vehicle charging company).
• CEO of ABB –– Peter Voser.

85. Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd’s bid for investments in a gas block in Mozambique is being
considered by govt for approval.

86. Government has set up a committee of secretaries, to be headed by Rajiv Gauba, to

resolve the financial stress in the telecom sector.
• The panel will look into issues such as deferment of spectrum auction for two years
and reduction in spectrum usage charges, and take a relook at the Universal Service
Obligation Fund (USOF) charges.
• Besides this, the definition of the Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) for telecom sector
has also been changed by Supreme Court.
• According to the new definition, the AGR includes revenue from all sources
(including core and non-core sources).

87. Bombay Stock Exchange has got approval from IRDAI to start insurance broking
business in partnership with Ebix (US based company) through their joint venture
named as ‘BSE-Ebix Broking Insurance Broking’.
• They will sell life and non-life insurance products among other functions.
 77

• BSE is Asia’s oldest stock exchange.

88. Microsoft will invest $200 million in Ola’s parent, ANI Technologies Pvt. Ltd to acquire
4.5% stake to connect vehicles products and deep-tech capabilities.
• The project between Microsoft and Ola began in 2017.

89. The Best-Performing CEOs in the World, 2019 list has been compiled by Harvard
Business Review featuring 100 CEOs.
Top 3 CEO

Global Rank Name Company

1 Jensen Huang NVIDIA
2 Marc Benioff Salesforce.com
3 François-Henri Pinault Kering
Top 3 Indian CEO
6 Shantanu Narayen Adobe
7 Ajay Banga Mastercard
9 Satya Nadella Microsoft

90. Bandhan bank has been fined with 1 crore by RBI for failing to meet its promoter
holding norms under section 22 of the Banking Regulation Act 1949.
• The bank had to reduce the shareholding of its Bandhan Financial Holdings company,
in the bank to 40% within three years of commencement of business of the bank.

91. Digital Realty and Adani Group have signed an MoU to develop and operate data
centres in India.
• Under the partnership, they will jointly develop and operate data centers and
cultivate undersea cable provider communities of interest across the country.

92. AirCarbon Pte (Singapore based company) has launched the world’s 1st blockchain
enabled carbon trading exchange (likely to be operational by 2020).
• It will allow airlines and other corporate buyers to buy and sell tokens backed by
carbon offset credits approved by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

93. Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has allowed Overseas
Citizens of India to apply for National Pension System (NPS) just like Non Resident
Indians till age of 65 years.
• OCI can invest as per the provisions of the PFRDA Act and the accumulated saving
will be repatriable, subject to Foreign Exchange Management Act guidelines.

94. According to a KPMG report ‘Disruptive Companies and Business Models’, Amazon,
Apple and Alibaba have topped the list disruptive companies.
 78

• Globally, more than 740 technology industry business leaders were assessed in this
report.
• Global e-commerce spending is expected to increase from USD 3.5 Tn in 2019 to
USD 6.5 Tn in 2023.
• Top technology innovation visionaries according to the report are Sundar Pichai (at
1st rank), Elon Musk (at 2nd rank).

APPOINTMENTS
1. Supreme Court has recommended the name of Delhi High Court Chief Justice Rajendra
Menon as Chairman of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT).

2. Pakistan has appointed Munir Akram as the country’s permanent representative to the
United Nations.

3. Jai Bhagwan Bhoria has been appointed as the new administrator of Punjab and
Maharashtra Co-operative Bank (PMC) by RBI.
• RBI has also imposed restrictions on PMC because of its over ₹6,500 crore exposure
– four times the regulatory cap or a whopping 73% of its entire assets of ₹8,880
crore into the bankrupt HDIL.

4. Surjit S. Bhalla has been appointed as the Executive Director for India at the
International Monetary Fund for a period of 3 years.

5. Kuldeep Singh Dhatwalia has been appointed as the new principal director general of
the Press Information Bureau (PIB).
• Dhatwalia has also been appointed as the principal spokesperson of the
government.
• Ira Joshi has been given the additional charge of the principal DG of the Directorate
of Publications Division under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
• Satyendra Prakash, DG of the Outreach and Communication of the PIB, will hold the
additional charge of the Press Registrar of RNI (Registrar of Newspapers for India).

6. Charles Michel (former PM of Belgium) has been appointed as the president of

European Council.
• The current president – Donald Tusk– will retire by October 31.
 79

7. PK Gupta has been appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director of National
Buildings Construction Corporation Limited (NBCC).

8. SS Mallikarjuna Rao (current CEO of Allahabad Bank) has been appointed as the MD
and CEO of Punjab National Bank, replacing Sunil Mehta.

9. Abhishek Singh has been appointed as the CEO of MyGov India.

• MyGov website (developed by the National Informatics Centre) was launched in
2014 to bring government and common man closer by creating an interface for
exchange of ideas and views for the social and economic transformation of India.

10. Amur S Lakshminarayanan has been appointed as the MD and CEO of Tata
communications.

11. Sushil Chandra Mishra has been appointed as the new Chairman and Managing
Director of the Oil India Limited.

12. Yalitza Aparicio (Mexican actress) has been appointed as the goodwill ambassador for
indigenous people of UNESCO.

13. Rohit Gupta has been appointed as the chairman of Advertising Standards Council of
India (ASCI).

14. Nissan Motors has appointed Makoto Uchida as its new CEO and Ashwani Gupta as
Chief Operating Officer.

15. Kallam Satish Reddy has been appointed as the President of the Indian Pharmaceutical
Alliance (IPA) for 2019-2021.
• He is the Chairman of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Limited.

16. Vikas Varma has been promoted as the Chief Operating Officer of Mastercard India.

17. Jasprit Bumrah has been appointed as a brand ambassador of Cultsport (sportswear
brand).

18. Kais Saied has been elected as the new President of Tunisia.

19. Indra Nooyi (Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo) has become the first independent female
director of International Cricket Council (ICC).
• ICC Chairman: - Shashank Manohar.
• ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2021 will be held in New Zealand.

20. World Steel Association has appointed Sajjan Jindal (CMD of JSW Steel) as Vice-
Chairman for one year.
 80

• YU Yong has been elected as its Chairman.

• TV Narendran and Lakshmi Mittal have been appointed as its members.

21. Rajnish Kumar (Chairman of SBI) has been appointed as the Chairman of Indian Bank
Association.

22. Pankaj Kumar has been appointed as the CEO of the Unique Identification Authority of
India (UIDAI) by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
• Braj Raj Sharma has been appointed as the chairman of the Staff Selection
Commission.

23. Deepika Padukone and PV Sindhu have been appointed as the ambassadors for new
initiative of PM Narendra Modi called ‘Bharat Ki Laxmi’.
• The initiative was launched to highlight the achievements of women.

24. Actor Ayushman Khurrana has been appointed by UNICEF and Ministry of Women and
Child Development to raise awareness about the sexual abuse against children.
• Khurrana has recently shot an awareness video about the Prevention of Children
from Sexual Abuse (POCSO) Act.

25. Sourav Ganguly has been elected as the 39th President of Board of Control for Cricket in
India.

26. Sunil Kumar has been appointed as the chairman and managing director of the MTNL
(Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited).
• Pravin Kumar Purwar is the CMD of BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited).

27. Stan Deal has been appointed as the president and CEO of the commercial airplanes
division of the Boeing Co.
• Ted Colbert – as president and CEO of Boeing Global Services
• Vishwa Uddanwadiker – interim chief information officer and senior vice president
of the information technology and data analytics division of the company.

28. Sukhbir Sandhu has appointed as the Chairman of National Highway Authority of India
(NHAI).
• Arvind Singh has been appointed as the Chairman of Airports Authority of India.

29. Girish Chandra Murmu has been appointed as the first Lt Governor of the Union
Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
• He will be administered the oath of office by J&K High Court's Chief Justice Gita
Mittal in Srinagar.
• Radha Krishna Mathur has been appointed as the first Lt Governor of the Union
Territory of Ladakh.
 81

• Satya Pal Malik (Previous Governor of J&K) would be sworn in as 18th Goa Governor
replacing the first woman governor of Goa – Mridula Sinha.
• P S Sreedharan Pillai is the new 15th Mizoram governor.

30. Pramod Kumar Tiwari has been appointed as the director general of the Bureau of
Indian Standards (BIS under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public
Distribution).

31. Vijayendra will be chairman & managing director of National Small Industries
Corporation Ltd.

32. Ganji Kamala V Rao has been appointed the chairman and managing director of India
Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) Ltd.

33. K Sanjay Murthy has been appointed as the CEO and managing director of Delhi
Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (under the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry).

34. Keshav Kumar Pathak has been appointed as MD of National Highways &
Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (under the Ministry of Road Transport
and Highways).

35. B Srinivas has been named as the managing director of National Horticulture Board
(under the department of agriculture, cooperation and farmers welfare).

36. Filipe Nyusi (from Frelimo party) has been elected as president of Mozambique.

37. Sophie Wilmes has been appointed as the first female Prime Minister of Belgium (of
caretaker govt) replacing former PM Charles Michel.

38. Dineshwar Sharma has been appointed as the new administrator of Lakshadweep.

39. Justice SA Bobde has been appointed as the 47th Chief Justice of India by President Ram
Nath Kovind with effect from Nov 18, 2019 till 2021.
• Article 124 in The Constitution Of India 1949 permits the President of India to
appoint judges of Supreme Court and High Court in consultation with the judges.

40. Amit Sachdev (Indian-American interventional gastroenterologist) has been conferred

the White House Fellowship for 2019-2020 class by the President’s Commission on
White House Fellows.
• A total of 15 professionals have been selected in for this year’s fellowship.
• Benefits of the fellowship: - It provides an opportunity to professionals from diverse
backgrounds two engage in public service for 1 year by serving in various roles in the
Govt.
 82

• The fellowship was created in 1964 by US President Lyndon B. Johnson.

41. Rafael Mariano Grossi has been elected as the new Director General of the
International Atomic Energy Agency.

IMPORTANT DAYS
1. 94th Raising Day of the Military Nursing Service is celebrated on October 01.
• MNS is the only all woman corps in the Armed forces.

2. International Day of Non-Violence is observed on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma

Gandhi by UN.
• UN issued a commemorative stamp on the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhi.
• Lal Bahadur Shastri, the 2nd Prime Minister of India, was also born on Oct 2.

EVENTS IN INDIA ON 150TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF GANDHI

• Rashtriya Swachch Bharat Diwas was observed on 2nd October.

• India’s largest ‘charkha’ (1,650-kg spinning wheel) made of used plastic waste was
inaugurated in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
• Ministry of Tourism organized the nationwide “Paryatan Parv 2019" to propagate
the message of ‘Dekho Apna Desh’, and also to spread the message of ‘Tourism for
All’.
• Digital Exhibition on Mahatma Gandhi titled “Digital Gandhi Gyan-Vigyan” was also
organized by Ministry of Science & Technology, in collaboration with, M/s Vizara
Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
• A special commemorative Rs 150 coin was also launched.
• India has set the target to completely eliminate single-use plastics by 2022.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that India is now open defecation-free, with
an access of over 60 crore people to toilets by building over 11 crore toilets.
• Indian Embassy in Paris partnered with French postal service company La Poste to
release the commemorative stamp.
• Several countries, including Uzbekistan, Turkey, Palestine and Monaco, are releasing
commemorative postage stamps to mark the day.

3. 3rd annual World Investor Week is a global campaign observed by the International
Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) to promote the investor education and
protection during September 30-October 6, 2019.
• key message of the week is online investing, digital assets and Initial Coin Offerings,
as well as re-emphasizing the basics of investing.
 83

4. World Space Week is observed from October 4-10 by the UN to commemorate the
launch of the first artificial satellite, Sputnik I on October 4, 1957 and October 10 when
the UN declaration for peaceful uses of outer Space came into force in 1967.
• Theme for 2019: - “The Moon: Gateway to the Stars”, celebrating the 50th
anniversary of humankind’s first step on the Moon on 20 July 1969.

5. First World Cotton Day is observed on October 7 in Geneva by the WTO in collaboration
with UN– Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development (UNCTD), International Trade Center and International Cotton
Advisory Committee.
• Cotton-4 countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali) applied in the United
Nations General Assembly for official recognition of a World Cotton Day.
• India is the world's largest producers and consumers of cotton.
• India will cover five more African countries namely Mali, Ghana, Togo, Zambia and
Tanzania in the phase -II of its cotton technical assistance programme (TAP) for the
region.
• India implemented a technical assistance programme (TAP) for cotton in six African
countries, namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Malawi, Nigeria and Uganda, from
2012 to 2018.

6. October is observed as the ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Month’ across the world every
year by WHO.
• In 2018, there were an estimated 2.1 million new cases of breast cancer and 627 000
deaths from breast cancer worldwide, according to the International Agency for
Research on Cancer.
• Cancer is among the most common causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide,
with an estimated 14 million new cases and 8 million deaths in 2012, projected to
rise by at least 70% by 2030.

7. World Mental Health Day is observed on 10 October every year by UN.

• 2019 focus is on suicide prevention.
• Every 40 seconds, someone loses their life to suicide and to raise awareness about
this, the campaign “40 seconds of action” has been launched.
• According to the WHO, more than 800,000 people commit suicide in a year, making
it the principal cause of death among people 15-29 years old.
• Around 2.3 lakh deaths were caused due to suicide in 2016, according to the Global
Burden of Disease Study (1990 to 2016), published in the Lancet Public Health
journal in 2018.
• Chennai has organized the first-of-its-kind ‘Mad Pride 2019’ parade on World
Mental Health Day.

8. International Day of Girl Child is observed on October 11 by United Nations.

• Theme: - Girl force: Unscripted and unstoppable
 84

9. Indian Department of Posts is celebrating National Postal week from 9-15th October,
2019.

10. World Sight Day is observed on every second Thursday of October.

• Theme: - “Vision First”.
• International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) observes this day to
promote VISION 2020: The Right to Sight, which is a joint initiative with WHO to
eliminate avoidable blindness.
• Andhra Pradesh has launched YSR Kanti Velugu Scheme 2019 on world sight day
under which the citizen of the state can test their eyes for free of cost and free
spectacles will be provided.
• The scheme will be conducted in six phases over a period of three years.

11. World Migratory Bird Day for 2019 is observed on May 11 and October 12.
• It falls on the second Saturday in May and October.
• Theme for 2019 – “Protect Birds: Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution!”

12. International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) is observed on October 13 by UN.
• Theme: - “Reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic
services”.
• United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction has launched the Sendai Framework in
2015 to promote the best practices in reducing disaster risks and losses.
• Signed in Sendai, Japan, the Sendai Framework (2015-2030) is the successor of
Hyogo Framework for action (2005-2015).
• India’s 58.6% of land is prone to earthquakes while almost a 12% of it is prone to
floods and river erosion, and 68% of the cultivable land is prone to drought and 15%
of land is prone to landslide.

13. World Students' Day is observed on October 15 on the birthday of 11th president of
India APJ Abdul Kalam.

14. International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is observed on October 17 by the UN.
• Theme: Acting together to Empower Children, their families and Communities to End
Poverty.
• According to UN, approx. 783 million people are living below international poverty
line i.e., is 1.90 USD per day.

15. World Statistics Day is observed on October 20 by UN.

• India observed the National Statistics Day on June 29 in commemoration of
Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis.
 85

16. World Iodine Deficiency Day, also known as Global Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD)
Prevention Day, is observed on October 21.
• The deficiency of Iodine in the body can lead to a condition called Hypothyroidism.
• Findings of National family health survey-4 (NFHS,2015-16) shows that 93% of
households are using iodized salt as compare to 73% in NFHS-3(2005-06).
• In 1962, National Goitre Control Programme (NGCP) was launched which was
renamed as National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme (NIDDCP) in
1992 to ensure inclusion of wide spectrum of Iodine Deficiency Disorders.

17. International Snow Leopard Day is observed on October 23 by the world.

• Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change has launched a national-level
protocol – Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) – to estimate the
population of snow leopards in the India during the 4th steering committee meeting
of Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP) held in New
Delhi.
• The protocol will be applicable on to these 12 countries which have already pledged
to protect at least 23 snow leopard landscapes by 2020.
• According to Worldwide fund for Nature - India, the population of snow leopards is
estimated to be in the range of 400-500 for India.

18. UN Day is observed on October 24 to mark the ratification of UN Charter in 1945.

• UN has launched “UN75: 2020 and Beyond-Shaping our future together” for
completing 75 years of its existence in 2020.
• Theme: - Our Planet, Our Future.

19. World Environment Day’s (observed on June 5) host country is China for the 2019.
• Every World Environment Day has a different host country, where the official
celebrations take place.
• The day was first celebrated in 1974.

20. World Polio Day is observed on October 24 by the UN.

• Theme: - Stories of Progress: Past and present.
• Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) began in 1988 by World Health
Organization.
• According to the GPEI, India was announced polio-free in 2014 , along with the rest
of the South-East Asia Region.
• WHO has announced that the wild poliovirus type 3 (WPV3) has been eradicated
worldwide, following the eradication of smallpox and wild poliovirus type 2.

21. 58th Raising Day of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) was observed on October 24.
• ITBP was raised in 1962 under the CRPF Act. However, in 1992, parliament enacted
the ITBPF Act and the rules there under were framed in 1994.
 86

• Central government has approved to create over 3,000 new posts, and two new
operational commands for the ITBP to guard the Line of Actual Control with China.
• Two new commands – eastern and western – will be based in Guwahati and
Chandigarh respectively.
• These will be headed by Additional Director General (ADG)-rank officers and will
guard borders starting from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh.

22. Vigilance Awareness Week is being observed by Central Vigilance Commission from
28th October to 2nd November.
• Theme: - Integrity – a way of life.

23. 4th Ayurveda day is observed by Ministry of AYUSH on October 25 on the occasion of
Dhanvantari Jayanti (Dhanvantari is a Hindu god who cures diseases).
• “National Dhanwantari Ayurveda Award” will be awarded by Ministry of AYUSH on
National Ayurveda Day.

24. Odisha Disaster Preparedness Day and National Day for Disaster Reduction is observed
every year on 29 October to commemorate destruction brought by Super Cyclone in
Odisha in 1999 and to prepare ourselves for future disasters.
• Theme of Odisha Disaster Preparedness Day for 2019 :- ‘Empowering Community for
Disaster Resilience’.
Note: - Theme of the day is only available in Gktoday. It was not available in any newspaper.

25. World Cities Day is observed on October 31 by UN.

• The general theme is Better City, Better Life. Every year, the sub-theme keeps on
changing.
• Sub-Theme for 2019: - Changing the world: Innovations and better life for future
generations.
• The main event will be hosted by Ekaterinburg, Russia (organised by UN-Habitat, the
Shanghai People’s Govt and Ekaterinburg).
• Hyderabad has been designed as the UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy and
Mumbai has been designated as Creative City of Films on the World Cities Day.
• Chennai and Varanasi are UNESCO cities of music while Jaipur is the City of Crafts
and Folk Arts.
Extra Facts: -
• Habitat Conference: - Held in Quito (Ecuador) in 2016, this conference had set up
the New Urban Agenda as standards for building and maintaining the cities. It is
officially known as UN Conference on Housing and sustainable Urban Development.
• The Habitat conferences take place once in every 20 years. The habitat I was
organized in Vancouver in 1976, Habitat II in Istanbul in 1996 and Habitat III in Quito
in 2016.
• Over half the world’s population now live in cities, with the number expected to
double by 2050.
 87

AWARDS
1. Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awards the Nobel Prize in six categories – Physics,
Chemistry, Physiology, Peace, Economic Sciences and Literature.

Category Awardees Reason

Nobel Prize in Physiology or
Medicine 2019
Nobel prize for Physics 2019
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
2019
Nobel Prize in Literature
100th Nobel Prize for peace
Nobel Prize in Economic
Sciences 2019
William G. Kaelin Jr, Sir
Peter J. Ratcliffe and Gregg
L. Semenza
Michel Mayor and Didier
Queloz (Swiss Scientists)
and James Peebles
(Canadian-American
physicist)
John B Goodenough, M
Stanley Whittingham and
Akira Yoshino
For 2018- Olga Tokarczuk
For 2019- Peter Handke
Abhiy Ahmed Ali (Present
Prime Minister of Ethiopia)
Abhijit Banerjee, Esther
Duflo, and Michael Kremer
for their discoveries of how
cells sense and adapt to
oxygen availability.
James Peebles has been
awarded for his theoretical
discoveries in physical
cosmology.
Michel Mayor and Didier
Queloz have been awarded
for discovering an exo-
planet, orbiting a solar type
star.
for developing the lithium-
ion batteries
In 2018, the Nobel prize of
literature category was
postponed due to a scandal.
to honour his initiatives to
resolve border conflict with
Eritrea
For their approach to
alleviating global poverty

Books of Abhijit Banerjee (He is the author of 5 books)

Books Co-Authors
Good Economics for Hard Times (2019) Esther Duflo
Poor Economics (2011) Esther Duflo
Handbook of Field Experiments Vol 1 and 2 Esther Duflo
(2017)
Making Aid Work (2007) -
Volatility and Growth (2005) Philippe Aghion
 88

2. President Ram Nath Kovind has conferred the Vayoshreshtha Samman-2019 on the
eminent senior citizens and institutions in recognition of their services towards the
cause of the elderly persons.
• Vayoshreshtha awards are instituted by the Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment as part of the celebration of the International Day of Older Persons
on 1st October.
• 2019 Theme of the Day is : - "The Journey to Age Equality".
• Winners: -
Lifetime Achievement Award Shri Chhajuram Sharma
Centenarian Award Shri Ishwarchandra Chintamani
Best State in implementing the Tamil Nadu
Maintenance and Welfare of parents and
Senior Citizens Act, 2007, and providing
services and facilities to Senior Citizens
Best Public Sector Organisation in Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation
promoting the wellbeing and welfare of of India
Senior Citizens
Best Institution for Research in the field of Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic
Ageing Sciences, New Delhi
[The award is given is many categories. Only the important one have been taken here]

3. Caroline Criado Perez (Writer) has won the prestigious Royal Society Science Books
Prize for her book “Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for
Men”, sponsored by Insight Investment.

4. India's Kallie Puri has been awarded with "India's Most Powerful Women in Media"
award at the Confluence Excellence Awards at the British Parliament.
• She is the Vice-Chairperson of the India Today Group.

5. Shanti Raghavan and Dipesh Sutariya, founders of EnAble India were awarded with the
10th Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award, 2019 for promoting employment, skilling,
and entrepreneurship of the persons with disabilities (PwDs).
• The award, jointly established by Jubilant Bhartia Foundation and Schwab
Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship in 2010, recognizes promising social
entrepreneurs who implement sustainable solutions.

6. Kyrgyz human rights lawyer Azizbek Ashurov has won the UNHCR Nansen Refugee
Award 2019 for his efforts to rehabilitate the Soviet refugees and gain Kyrgyz
nationality.
• The award, instituted in 1954 by UNHCR, is given to individuals doing welfare work
for resettlement of refugees or displaced people.
 89

• The award celebrates the legacy of Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian scientist, polar
explorer, diplomat and first High Commissioner for Refugees for the League of
Nations.

7. Swachchta Ambassador award has been awarded to Sachin Tendulkar during the 5th
edition of India Today Safaigiri Summit held in New Delhi.

8. Greta Thunberg and Divina Maloum (Cameroon’s peace campaigner) will be honoured
with the 15th International Children’s Peace Prize 2019 by the KidsRights Foundation
on World Children’s Day on November 20.
• The award is given annually to a child who fights for children’s rights.

9. ‘Spirit of Kerala’, directed by Arun Joseph, has won the People’s Choice award at the
My Rode Reel film competition.
• The competition is considered as the ‘world’s largest short film competition’.

10. Arjun Bansal (aged 35) and Ankiti Bose (aged 27) have appeared into the Fortune’s
2019 “40 Under 40 List”.
• Arjun is the vice-president of Intel’s artificial intelligence software and AI lab, and
Ankiti is the co-founder of Zilingo.

11. Ramesh Pandey will be awarded the ‘Asia Environmental Enforcement Award’ 2019 by
the United Nations Environment Programme at the United Nations Conference Centre
in Bangkok.
• The award recognises the achievements of individuals and public organisations in
Asia to combat transboundary environmental crime.
• Pandey had introduced M-Stripes (Monitoring System for Tigers Intensive Protection
& Ecological Status), a novel software-based patrolling in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (in
Uttar Pradesh) on the recommendation of National Tiger Conservation Authority.
• Dudhwa Tiger Reserve comprises the Dudhwa National Park, Kishanpur Wildlife
Sanctuary and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary.

12. Leeladhar Jagudi has been honoured with the Vyas Samman 2018 by KK Birla
Foundation for his collection of poems “Jitne Log Utne Prem”.

13. 4th annual Carnot Prize has been awarded to Piyush Goyal by University of
Pennsylvania distinguished contributions to energy policy in January 2019.

14. Abdul Aziz Muhamat has been awarded with the 2019 Martin Ennals Award in
recognition of his services towards defending human rights.
• In order to honour Martin Ennals, former Secretary-General of Amnesty
International, the Martin Ennals Award is chosen by ten leading human rights
organizations.
 90

15. President Ram Nath Kovind has presented prestigious President’s Colours to the Army
Aviation Corps in Nashik, Maharashtra.
• In recognition of the meritorious services rendered by Army Aviation Corps the
President Colours are presented.

16. Asha Bhosle has been awarded with an honorary Doctorate of Arts degree University of
Salford in England in recognition of her contribution to the field of music and her role in
inspiring future generations to participate in the arts and media.

17. Russia has awarded Nick Hague (NASA astronaut), with one of its highest honours, the
Order of Courage.
• He survived an aborted space launch last year.

18. 13th edition of the PII-ICRC annual awards for best article and best photograph on a
humanitarian subject, have been announced.
• The awards are jointly organised by the Press Institute of India (PII) and the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) New Delhi Regional Delegation.
• In 2019, the theme of the awards was ‘Impact of Climate Change on Humanitarian
Issues’.
• Awardees in article category: - Urvashi Sarkar, Disha Shetty, Anup Sharma.
• Awardees in photography category: - G. Sivaprasad, Rinku Raj, Bibin Xavier.
• Special awards for best article: - Jency Samuel
• Special awards for best photographer: - Prashant K.

19. Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), has awarded three Indian-
Americans with the ‘Health Council Award 2019’ among others during the GOPIO health
summit in New Jersey, USA.
• Purpose of the summit is to improve the health of Indian diaspora people across the
world.
Category Awardees
Firm Sabinsa Corporation
Reason: - for its contributions in the health
supplements sector.
Individual Rahul Shukla, Hitesh Bhatt, H R Shah

20. Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration has been awarded to Chandi Prasad
Bhatt (Chipko Movement Founder) for the years 2017 and 2018.
• Reason: - for promoting national integration in the country.

21. Margaret Atwood for her ‘The Testament’ and Bernardine Evaristo for her ‘Girl,
Woman, Other’ have won the Booker Prize 2019.
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• Atwood and Evaristo become the first authors to jointly win the Booker Prize since
1992.
• Evaristo has become the first black woman to win this award.

22. Leonel Messi (captain of Barcelona Football Club) has won the Golden Shoe for the
2018/19 season award for the sixth time, for scoring the highest goals at 36 in European
leagues.
• The award, also known as the "Bota de Oro", is given by European Sports Media to
the player who has scored the most goals across Europe's top leagues.

23. Philharmonic Orchestra (Hong Kong) has been named as the Orchestra of The Year at
the Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2019 because of their recording of Wagner’s
Ring cycle.
• Recording of the Year award was given to French pianist Bertrand Chamayou for his
disc of Saint-Saëns piano concertos.
• Another pianist, Vikingur Ólafsson, was honoured with the Artist of the Year title.

24. Winners of the 24th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), one of the most important
film festivals in Asia, held annually in Busan, South Korea: -
Category Winner
New Currents Award Rom by Tran Thang Huy – Veitnam
NETPAC Award Moving On by Yoon Danbi – Korea
Asian Filmmaker of the Year Kore-eda Hirokazu (Japanese film director)
Indian Awardees
Face of Asia Award Bhumi Pednekar
Asian Star Award Tannishtha Chatterjee for her directorial debut
Roam Rome Mein
Kim Ji-seok Award Pradip Kurbah for his film Iewduh (first Indian
film to bag this award)

25. Vice President Venkaiyah Naidu has given the “Most Eminent Senior Citizen Award” to
Shri K Parasaran (former Attorney General of India).

26. 20th edition of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation has
been awarded to 4 Indian sites among other recipients: -
Category Sites
Award of Distinction Vikram Sarabhai Library, IIM-Ahmedabad
Award of Merit Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue and Our Lady
of Glory Church in Mumbai
Honourable Mention Flora Fountain, Mumbai
Award of Excellence Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts,
Hong Kong.
 92

• A total of 16 projects from 5 countries (India, Bhutan, China, New Zealand and
Australia) have been recognized by international jury of conservation experts.

27. Students of Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Engineering have won two Marconi Society’s
Celestini Programme awards for their apps – Rakshak (women safety app) and
VisionAir (app to combat air pollution).
• Marconi Society’s Celestini Programme awards, named after Guglielmo Marconi
(inventor of radio), honours the people who contributed immensely towards science
and humanity.
• According to the WHO’s Global Ambient Air Quality Database, India has 14 of the 15
most polluted cities in the world.
• Celestini Programme India, in partnership with IIT-Delhi, select universities with
promising engineering undergraduates and provide them with support and
mentorship to help tap their potential.

28. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (USA) has won the $1 million Berggruen Prize 2019 for
philosophy and culture.
• Reason: - For her pioneering legal work for gender equality and her support for the
rule of law.

29. The first-of-its-kind DigiDhan Mission Fintech Award 2018-2019 were awarded during
the MeitY Startup Summit 2019 held in Delhi.
Awardees
Category Winner
For Innovation Innovation in Digital BharatPe (Co-founder and CEO – Ashneer
Payments through Emerging Technology Grover)
Innovation in Digital Payments through ePayLater
Lending
Overall Performance in Digital Payments YES Bank

30. Ilham Tohti has been awarded with the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought (highest
human rights prize of European Union) for protecting the rights of Uighur minority
people in China.
• In 2014, the Tohti was sentenced to life imprisonment for separatism-related
charges.
• Tohti has also received the Council of Europe's Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize.

31. Thakur Anup Singh (CMD of Marg ERP Limited) has won the ‘Udyog Rattan Award’ from
‘Institute of Economic Studies’ for promoting the use of technology in MSMEs.
 93

32. Jasprit Bumrah (Bowler) and Smriti Mandhana (batswoman) won the 7th edition of
Wisden India Almanack Cricketer of the Year award.
• Total 5 people won this award. Other awardees are –– Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan),
Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka), and Rashid Khan (Afghanistan).
• 2019 and 2020 annual cricket publication also features Mayank Agarwal.
• Cricketers Gundappa Viswanath and Lala Amarnath were inducted into the Wisden
India Hall of Fame.
• ‘Cricket Country: The Untold History of the First All India Team’ by Prashant Kidambi
was accorded as the ‘Wisden India Book of the Year’.

33. First ever National CSR Awards have been instituted by Ministry of Corporate Affairs to
recognize corporate initiatives in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in
partnership with the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA – think-tank of the
ministry).
• Total 19 companies have been awarded with 2019 National CSR Award and 19
companies have found honourable mentions.
• The award is given in 3 categories – “Corporate Award for Excellence in CSR”,
“Contribution of CSR in Challenging Circumstances” and “Contribution of CSR in
National Priority Areas”.
• Power Grid Corporation Ltd has received the Corporate Award for Excellence in CSR
under the sub-category of CSR expenditure above 100 crore and it is the only
company which spent more than Rs 100 crore for CSR.

34. UN has presented SEED awards for Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Development to

organizations working towards achieving sustainable development goals (SDG).
• SEED was founded by UN Environment Programme, UN Development Program and
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at the World Summit on SDG,
Johannesburg in 2002.
• Aikya Organics (India) has won SEED Low Carbon Awards 2019 among other global
winners.

SPORTS
1. 17th edition of IAAF World Athletics Championship 2019 has concluded in Doha, Qatar.
• IAAF World Athletics Championship 2021 will be held in Eugene, USA.
• IAAF World Athletics Championship 2023 will be held in Budapest, Hungary.
• India has been ranked at 58th position.
 94

• Joao Vieira (aged 43) has become the oldest person to win a medal (silver) in the
men’s 50km race. Japan’s Yusuke Suzuki won the gold medal in it.
• Allyson Felix (American track and field athlete) has broken the record of highest gold
medals by winning 13 gold medals, two more than Usain Bolt’s record.
• Dalilah Muhammad has broken her own world record by winning the women’s
400m hurdles in 52.16 seconds (her previous record was 52.20 sec).
• US team (Wilbert London, Courtney Okolo, Allyson Felix and Michael Cherry) set the
world record by finishing the 4X400 meters mixed relay in 3:9:04 seconds.
• Annu Rani has become the first Indian woman javelin thrower to enter the final at
the Worlds.

2. BWF Rankings 2019 latest: -

• Parupalli Kashyap has risen to 25th place from 30th position.
• Sai Praneeth rank- 12, Sameer Verma rank- 17 are the other Indians in Top 20.

3. Denmark's Mads Pedersen wins the men's road race at the 2019 Road World
Championships in Yorkshire, England.
• He has become the first Danish winner of the event.

4. World Youth championship will be held in Mumbai and World Junior and Girls U20
Chess Championship 2019 will be held in New Delhi.

5. Aryna Sabalenka has won women’s singles title in the 6th edition of WTA Wuhan Open
2019 held in Wuhan, China.
• Duan Yingying and Veronika Kudermetova won the women’s doubles title.

6. Indonesia has won the BWF World junior mixed team badminton championships 2019
held in Kazan, Russia.
• India has been ranked at 12th position.

7. Austria's Christine Wolf has won the 13th edition of the Hero Indian Women’s Open
(golf) held in Gurugram, Haryana.
 95

8. Alyssa Healy (Australia) has set a world record for scoring highest runs of 148 off 61
balls in women’s T20I against Sri Lanka at the North Sydney Oval, Australia.

9. FIDE or World Chess Federation’s latest ranking 2019: -

Women’s Ranking
Rank Player
1 Hou Yifan (Chinese)
2 Ju Wenjun (Chinese)
3 Koneru Humpy (India)
Men’s ranking
Rank 1 Magnus Carlsen
Rank 9 Viswanathan Anand
Junior’s Ranking
Rank 1 China’s Yi Wei (Boys) and Jiner Zhu (Girls)

10. A floating basketball court, first of its kind in India, has been launched in the Arabian
Sea in Mumbai.
• It has been brought for the National Basketball Association (NBA) game, which has
the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers playing two pre-season games in Mumbai
(for the first time in India).

11. Maj Abdul Quadir Khan (Indian Army Corps of Signals) has won the silver medal in the
53rd Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship 2019 held in Batam,
Indonesia.
• It is his maiden title.

12. India has won Women’s T20 series against South Africa held in Surat.
• Deepti Sharma became the first Indian to bowl three maidens overs in a T20I match.
• Harmanpreet Kaur has become the first Indian cricketer to appear in 100 T20Is
during this match. She has also surpassed men cricketers Rohit Sharma and MS
Dhoni (both have played only 98 T20Is till now) in the T20I appearances.
• She has also become the 2nd woman to score 2000 runs in T20I after Mithali Raj.
• Shefali Varma (aged 15) has become the youngest woman cricketer to play a T20I.

13. Marc Marquez won his sixth MotoGP World title by winning the Thailand Grand Prix.

14. Naomi Osaka and Dominic Thiem won the women’s and men’s singles at the 2019
China Open.

15. 49th edition of World Artistic Gymnastics Championships 2019 was held in Stuttgart,
Germany.
• Organizer: - International Gymnastics Federation and German Gymnastics
Federation.
 96

• 50th edition of World Artistic Gymnastics Championships 2021 will be held in

Copenhagen, Denmark.
• Simone Biles has won 5 golds at the championship, taking her total medal tally to 25
career world championship medals (which includes 19 golds), highest for any
gymnast, male or female.
• Winner: USA (Gold-5, total-8)
• Runner up: Russia (Gold-3, total-9)

16. Australian women’s cricket team has made the world record for most consecutive wins
in ODI matches by winning their 18th match against Sri Lanka in the tri-match ODI series
held in Australia.
• They have broken their own record of 17 consecutive wins achieved between 1997
and 1999.

17. Manju Rani, who won a silver medal, has become the first Indian woman boxer of 18
years to enter in the finals of AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 2019 held in
Ulan-Ude, Russia.
• M C Mary Kom, Jamuna Boro, Lovlina Borgohain won 3 bronze medals for India.

18. India won 7 medals (1 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze medals) at the World Youth Chess
Championship held in Mumbai.
• Gold Winner: - R Praggnanandhaa
• Silver Winners: - Vantika Agrawal, Srihari L R, Divya Deshmukh
• Bronze Winners: - Aronyak Ghosh, Sreeshwan Maralakshikari, Rakshitta Ravi

19. Valtteri Bottas has won the Japanese Grand Prix 2019.

20. Daniil Medvedev has won the Shanghai Masters (tennis) held in Shanghai, China.

21. P.U. Chitra has won the women's 800m title in the 59th National Open athletics
championships held in Chhattisgarh.
• Dutee Chand has won gold in 200m.

22. Niki K Poonacha and Sowjanya Bavisetti has won the men's and women's categories
respectively in the 25th Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship 2019 held in New
Delhi.
• U-18 Girls Winner: - Rashmikaa Bhamidipatty
• U-18 Boys Winner: - Madhwin Kamath

23. BWF Bahrain International Series 2019 winners: -

Men’s Singles Priyanshu Rajawat (India)
Women’s Singles Sri Fatmawati
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24. 18th edition of UEFA Euro 2020 (football tournament) will be held in 12 cities across
countries in Europe in 2020.

25. 9th YONEX Dutch Open 2019 held in Almere, Netherlands winners: -
Men’s Singles Lakshay Sen (his career’s 1st world title)
Women’s Singles Wang Zhiyi (China)
Men Doubles Vladimir Ivanov & Ivan Sozonov
Women Doubles Gabriela Stoeva & Stefani Stoeva
Mixed Doubles Robin Tabeling & Selena Piek

26. Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei has set a new world record by winning the elite women’s group at
the Chicago Marathon in 2:14:4 seconds.
• Earlier, the record was set by Paula Radcliffe at 2:15:25s in 2003.

27. ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings 2019 released:

Top batsman Top bowler All Rounder Best Team
1. Virat Kohli 1. Jaspreet Bumrah 1. Shakib Al Hasan 1. England
2. Rohit Sharma 2. Trent Bolt 2. Ben Stokes 2. India
3. Babar Azam 3. Kagiso Rabada 3. Mohammad Nabi 3. New Zealand

28. ICC Men’s Test rankings has been released: -

Top Batsman Top Bowler Top All-Rounder Top Team
1. Steve Smith 1. Pat Cummins 1. Jason Holder 1. India
17. Rohit Sharma 10. Ravichandran 2. Ravindra Jadeja 2. New Zealand
Ashwin 5. Ravichandran
12. Ravindra Jadeja Ashwin
• Virat Kohli has been ranked at 2nd spot, after Steve Smith, in the batsman category
in the latest ICC Test rankings.
• Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are at 4th and 9th spots respectively.
• In bowlers ranking, Ravichandran Ashwin has been ranked at 7th positon. Jasprit
Bumrah is still at 3rd place.
• All Rounders: - Ravindra Jadeja is at 2nd place and Ravichandran Ashwin is at 5th.
Note: - Number 1 positions are unchanged.
29. ICC women’s ODI rankings has been released: -
• ODI Team Ranking: - 1. Australia, 2. India, 3. England.
 98

• ICC women T20I ranking team: - Australia, England, New Zealand, West Indies, India
(top 5 spots respectively).

30. India have 21 medals (including six gold and nine silver) at the ASBC Asian Junior
Championships 2019 held in Fujairah, UAE.
• India came second in the overall medal tally after Uzbekistan, which had 8 gold
medals.
• Gold medals: - Vishvanath Suresh (46kg), Bishwamitra Chongtham (48kg), Kalpana
(46kg), Preeti Dahiya (60kg), Tanshbir Kaur Sandhu (80kg) and Alfiya Tarannum
Pathan (+80kg).

31. 2020 Asia Track Cycling Championships held in Incheon, South Korea winners: -
• Individual medals: - Ronaldo Singh (Gold) and James Singh (bronze).
• Besides, Indian men's and women's junior sprint team won two bronze medals.
• India won 5 medals here.
• 2019 Asia Track Cycling Championships was held in Jakarta, Indonesia.

32. Raunak Sadhwani (aged 13) has become the India’s 65th Grand Master.

33. Marc Marquez has won the Motul Grand Prix of Japan held in Motegi, Japan.
34. Andy Murray has won the European Open (tennis) 2019 held at Antwerp, Belgium.
• Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies won the men’s doubles title.
 99

35. Danielle Kang has won the Buick LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) Shanghai.

36. Jelena Ostapenko has won the WTA Luxembourg Open 2019.

37. Great Britain has won the 9th edition of Sultan of Johor Cup 2019 (U-21 men’s field
hockey tournament) held in Johor Bahru in Malaysia.
• India was the runner up.

38. Wang Hao has won the 2019 FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss held in Douglas, Isle of Man.
• Harika Dronavalli (Indian chess player) has won the ‘best women’s player’ prize.

39. Bengal Warriors have won the 7th season of Pro Kabaddi League held at Eka Arena By
Transstadia, Ahmedabad.

40. DANISA Denmark Open 2019 (in Badminton), held in Odense V, Denmark, winners: -
Category Winner
Men’s Singles Kento Momota
Women’s Singles TAI Tzu Ying

41. Official logo of the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympics, to be held in Paris, has been
released.

42. Dronavalli Harika’s (chess player) has won the women’s top prize of $10,000 along with
Dinara Saduakassova of Kazakhstan for performing well in the FIDE Chess.com Grand
Swiss held at Douglas, Isle of Man.
• Her rank is: -

43. Praveen Kumar has become the first Indian man to win a gold medal in men’s Sanda
event of 15th World Wushu (Chinese Kungfu) Championships held in Shanghai, China.
• Poonam (75kg) and Sanathoi Devi (52kg) secured silver medals.
• Vikrant Baliyan won bronze in men’s 60kg category.
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• World Wushu Championships are organised by the International Wushu Federation

in every two years.
• In 2017, Pooja Kadian became the first Indian to be crowned world champion in
wushu in 75 kg sanda event.

44. Official mascot for Tokyo 2020 Olympics is named as MIRAITOWA.

45. China will host first expanded edition of FIFA Club World Cup in 2021.
• The competition, which currently features seven teams -- the winner from each
confederation's major continental tournament -- will be expanded to 24 teams for
the first time.
• 2022 FIFA World Cup will be held in Qatar.

46. FIFA Rankings : -

Men’s (as of October 2019) Women’s (as of September 2019)
Rank 1 – Belgium Rank 1 – USA
India’s Rank – 106 India’s Rank – 58

47. Tiger Woods has won 82nd title of his career by winning Zozo Championship 2019 (PGA
tour of golf) in Chiba, Japan.
• Woods has now become equivalent to Samuel Jackson Snead (an American
professional golfer) who had won the 82 PGA titles, highest till date.

48. YONEX French Open 2019 Super 750 (badminton tour organized by BWF) has concluded
in Paris, France.
Men’s Singles Chen Long
Women’s Singles An Se Young

49. Lewis Hamilton has won the Mexican Grand Prix 2019.

50. Papua New Guinea will participate in the men’s ICC T20 world cup to be held in
Australia in 2020.
• It is their first World Cup in any format in cricket.

51. ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2020 will be held in South Africa.

52. Prithvi Sekhar has won the men’s singles at the 2nd edition of World Deaf tennis
championship in Antalya, Turkey.
• Women’s Singles: - Miyu Kita (Japan)
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53. Hero Indian Super League (ISL) is India’s top football championship which was started in
2014.
• Recently, All India Football Federation (AIFF) has declared to consider ISL as the top-
tier football league in India by replacing I-League football championship.
• Now, ISL champions can play in the AFC Champions League and the I-League
champions would take a place in the AFC Cup. [AFC –– Asian Football Confederation]
• Bangalore Football Club was the winner of 2018-19 ISL season. 2019-20 ISL season
will conclude in March 2020.

54. Roger Federer has won the Basel Open/Swiss Indoors (ATP tennis tournament) held at
Basel, Switzerland.
• It is his 10th title in Basel itself.

55. CIB PSA Women’s World squash championship is being held in Cairo, Egypt.

56. Minna Atherton (Australian swimmer) has set a new short course World record in the
100m backstroke at the International Swimming League by becoming the first woman
to dip below 55 seconds at 54.89 sec.
• Previously, the record was held by Katinka Hosszu (Hungarian) at 55.03 sec.

57. Latest ATP Rankings as of Oct 29, 2019: -

Rank Player
1 Novak Djokovic
2 Rafael Nadal
3 Roger Federer
9 (quickly jumped from 11 position) Matteo Berrettini
129 (up from 135) Sumit Nagal (Indian)

58. U23 Senior World Wrestling Championships is being organized by the United World
Wrestling (UWW) at the Budapest, Hungary. [Information: - It will conclude on Nov 3]

59. 4th CISM World Winter Games will be hosted by Berchtesgaden & Ruhpolding
(Germany) 2021. The winter games are conducted once in 4 years.
• 7th CISM Military World Games (Summer) has been concluded in Wuhan, China.
• The games are organized by International Military Sports Council (CISM).
Total Medals
Countries Gold Silver Bronze Total
China (Rank - 1) 133 64 42 239
India 6 1 3 10
• Anandan Gunasekaran (para-athlete) won 3 gold medals in Track and Field event.
• Shivpal Singh has also won gold in Men's Javelin Throw in Track and Field event.
• Virender won gold in disabled men’s Shotput.
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• Aneesh Kumar Surendran Pillai has also won gold in men’s shotput.

60. Dominic Thiem has won the Erste Bank Open/Vienna Open (men’s tennis ATP tour)
held in Vienna, Austria.
• R. Ram and J. Salisbury won doubles title.

61. Indian cricket team will play its first- ever Day/Night Test match against Bangladesh
next month in Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

62. The 2022 Winter Olympics will be held in Beijing, China.

63. Bengal Warriors (first time) has won the season 7 of Pro Kabbadi League 2019.

64. Teimour Radjabov (from Azerbaijan) has won the FIDE Chess World Cup 2019 held at
Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.

65. BWF World junior badminton championships (Under-19) was held at Kazan, Russia.
Winners:
Men’s Singles Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Thailand)
Women’s Singles Riko Gunji (Japan)
Men’s Doubles Leo Rolly Carnando & Daniel Marthin
(Indonesia)
Women’s Doubles Lin Fang Ling & Zhou Xin Ru (China)
Mixed Doubles Feng Yan Zhe & Lin Fang Ling (China)

66. Novak Djokovic (Serbia) has won the men’s singles at the Rakuten Japan Open 2019.
• Men’s Doubles: Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin (France).

67. World Junior Chess Championship 2019 was held in New Delhi, India. Winners:
• Boys: Evgeny Shtembuliak (Ukraine)
• Girls: Polina Shuvalova (Russia)

68. Nour El Sherbini (Egypt) has for the 4th time won the World Women’s PSA
championship held in Cairo, Egypt.
• Men’s PSA World Championship will end on November 15 in Cairo.

MISCELLANEOUS
1. “Lal Bahadur Shastri: Politics and Beyond” book has been written by Sandeep Shastri in
commemoration of 113th birth anniversary on October 2, 2019.

2. Venu Rajamony has written the book titled “India and the Netherlands, Past, Present
and Future”.
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3. “The Tech Whisperer” book has been written by Jaspreet Bindra.

4. ‘The RSS: Roadmaps for the 21st Century’ book has been written by Sunil Ambekar.

5. '150 Years of Celebrating the Mahatma – the South African Legacy'' is authored
by Fakir Hassen.

6. Remains of a 5,000-year-old city (believed to be the largest site from the Bronze Age)
have been excavated in Israel.
• The site is known as “En Esur”.
• An earlier settlement, believed to be 7,000 years old, has also been discovered
beneath this city.

7. Michelle Obama has released her 2nd book titled “Becoming: A Guided Journal for
Discovering Your Voice”.

8. “Carpenters and Kings: Western Christianity and the Idea of India” book has been
written by Siddhartha Sarma.

9. Andres Gimeno Tolaguera, (Spanish tennis player) passed away.

• In 1972, he became the oldest male player, at the age of 34, to win the French
Open.

10. “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We
Need” book has been written by Bill Gates.

11. Alexei Leonov (Russian), first astronaut to walk in space in 1965, has died.

12. “The Great Game in the Buddhist Himalayas: India and China’s Quest for Strategic
Dominance” book has been written by Phunchok Stobdan.

13. World's fastest ant, which can travel 108 times of its own body length per second, has
been discovered in the Sahara.
• The Saharan silver ant, Cataglyphis bombycina, can reach 0.855 meters per second,
according to Harald Wolf (professor of University of Ulm, Germany) and his
colleague.
• The study will be published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
14. ‘India in a Warming World: Integrating Climate Change and Development’ book (a
collection of articles on climate change) has been edited by Navroz K. Dubash.

15. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope team, led by David Jewitt of the University of
California, has witnessed the first (confirmed) interstellar comet – 2I/Borisov.
 104

• This is the 2nd interstellar comet which is active while the first one – Oumuamua –
which was discovered in 2017, was a rock.
• It is 260 million miles away from Earth.

16. The Daughter from a Wishing Tree book has been written by Sudha Murthy.

17. Viswanathan Anand has written the 'Mind Master: Winning Lessons from a
Champion's Life' book (published by Hachette India).

18. ‘Bridgital Nation: Solving Technology’s People Problem’ book has been co-authored by
N. Chandrasekaran (chairman of Tata Sons) and Roopa Purushothaman.

19. Dadu Chougule (Indian Wrestler) has passed away.

20. Dark Fear, Eerie Cities book has been written Šarūnas Paunksnis.

21. White Bellbirds are the world’s loudest bird according to a study (co-authored by Jeff
Podos of the University of Massachusetts) published in the journal Current Biology.

22. Marieke Vervoort (Belgian Paralympic athlete) has ended her life by using euthanasia.
• Euthanasia is the practise of legally killing oneself to relieve pain. Passive Euthanasia
is illegal in India.

23. Ten Studies in Kashmir: History and Politics book has been written by Kashi Nath
Pandit’s and published by Indian Council of Social Science Research.
• The book contains the details about Kashmir since 1947 till date.

24. “Measuring Poverty Around the World” book has been written by Anthony Barnes
Atkinson also known as Tony Atkinson, who passed away in 2007.
• The book, which suggests new measures to eliminate poverty, has been completed
by his colleagues John Micklewright and Andrea Brandolini.

25. A new study discovered a massive galaxy (formed around early universe) which was
hidden in the cosmic dust for several years. The signal took 12.5 bn years to reach Earth.
• Lead Author – Christina Williams.
• Published in – Astrophysical Journal.

26. Bibek Debroy has translated two Sanskrit books – Markendya Purana and The Bhagavad
Gita.
• He has also written the book "Sarama and her Children".
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27. The True Meaning of Yoga book has been written by AiR (Atman or the Soul in Ravi).

28. C Raghavachari (Veteran Journalist) has passed away.

• Raghavachari was editor of ''Visalaandhra'' (Indian Telugu newspaper) for over 30
years from 1972.

29. Veteran Sport journalist and author K R Wadhwaney has passed away.
• Wadhwaney has authored 31 books on various aspects of sports.
• Some of his most famous books are M.S. Dhoni: A Child of Destiny (2017), Cricket
War Plus Shooting, Cricket Murky Under World, Indian Cricket Controversies etc.

30. According to a study published in the Astrophysical Journal (lead author of Christina
Williams), the footprints a monstrous galaxy being called as ‘Cosmic Yeti’ galaxy have
been discovered by scientists (of US and Australia) in early universe.
• The footprints, which were never seen before, have been discovered by using the
Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA).
• The light from this galaxy has taken 12.5 billion years to reach Earth.
• The new galaxy was forming new stars at a rate over 100 times faster than Milky
Way.

31. Emperor Penguin (Antarctica’s most iconic species) has been listed as ‘near threatened’
in the Red List of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
• IUCN HQ- Gland, Switzerland.

32. The Unquiet River: A Biography of the Brahmaputra book has been written by
Arupjyoti Saikia.

33. Romesh Gunesekera's new novel Suncatcher will be published by Bloomsbury.

34. Veteran Journalist Taro Chatung from Arunachal Pradesh has passed away.
• He is also called as the "Father of the electronic media" of Arunachal Pradesh.

35. According to a study published in journal Nature Communications, in India, 36 million

people would face annual flooding by 2050 and 44 million by 2100 if carbon emissions
continue to rise.
• Nearly 21 million — and not 2.8 million — are expected to be living below the High
Tide Line (the farthest to which the sea reaches into the land at high tide).
• The study employed a new software called CoastalDEM.
 106

• Globally nearly 110 million people live on land below the current high tide lines and
250 million on land below annual flood levels, in contrast with SRTM-based
estimates of 28 million and 65 million respectively.

36. Sadako Ogata, the only Japanese and first woman head of the UN Refugee Agency
during 1991 to 2000, has passed away.
• She is also the author of the book – “The Turbulent Decade, confronting the refugee
crises of the 1990s”.

37. Nabaneeta Dev Sen's last novel of her Bengali Naxal trilogy “Phoenix” has been
translated and published under the title of ‘The Parrot Green Saree’.
• The previous two books of this trilogy are "I, Anupam'' and "In a Foreign Land, By
Chance''.
• The book has been translated by Tutun Mukherjee.
 107

QUESTIONS
Q.1) Where is the 2nd edition of the Q.6) Which company has signed the
Modi-Xi informal summit being held? corporate agency agreement with Paytm
[A] Kerala to sell insurance through Paytm?
[B] Tamil Nadu [A] Life Insurance Corporation of India
[C] Maharashtra [B] Max Life Insurance Co. Ltd.
[D] Gujarat [C] Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance Co. Ltd.
[E] Delhi [D] Exide Life Insurance Co. Ltd.
[E] Aegon Life Insurance
Q.2) Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy is organizing the Global Student Q.7) Who has been appointed as the new
Solar Assembly, in association with ___? administrator of Punjab and Maharashtra
[A] IIT-Madras Co-operative Bank by RBI?
[B] IIT-Kharagpur [A] Jai Bhagwan Bhoria
[C] IIT-Delhi [B] Kishtwar Badoria
[D] IIT-Bombay [C] Rama Krishnamurthy
[E] IIT-Ropar [D] Payal Gagan
[E] Mohak Duggal
Q.3) Which country is expected to be hit
by Typhoon Mitag? Q.8) What is the theme of the
[A] Japan International Translation Day 2019?
[B] Bahamas [A] Translation and Indigenous Languages
[C] Fiji [B] The Journey to Age Equality
[D] Taiwan [C] Language and Pluralism
[E] Guatemala [D] Multilingualism and Indigenous
Culture
Q.4) How much is the government [E] Promote Indigenous Languages
planning to borrow during the Oct 2019-
Mar 2020 period? Q.9) Who has become the first Indian
[A] ₹2.68 lakh crore woman javelin thrower to enter the final
[B] ₹3.18 lakh crore at the World Athletic Championship?
[C] ₹4.78 lakh crore [A] Ashwini Ponappa
[D] ₹1.28 lakh crore [B] Pooja Danda
[E] ₹3.08 lakh crore [C] Dutee Chand
[D] Annu Rani
Q.5) What is the states’ gross fiscal deficit [E] Rani Rampal
according to the RBI’s report on State
Finances Report 2019-20? Q.10) Who is the writer of the Lal Bahadur
[A] 1.2% Shastri: Politics and Beyond book?
[B] 2.2% [A] Sandeep Shastri
[C] 3.3% [B] Ravi Shastri
[D] 4.1% [C] Veena Shastri
[E] 2.6% [D] Mehak Shastri
[E] Gopal Shastri
 109

Q.11) What is India’s rank in the [D] China

Intellectual property index 2019? [E] USA
[A] 10th
[B] 86th Q.16) What is the GDP projection for India
[C] 57th for FY20 by Morgan Stanley?
[D] 23rd [A] 6.2%
[E] 36th [B] 7%
[C] 5.9%
Q.12) What is India’s rank in the Social [D] 6.7%
progress index 2019? [E] 7.5%
[A] 102
[B] 141 Q.17) Which bank has launched the digital
[C] 90 fixed-deposit (FD) product – ‘Express FD’?
[D] 182 [A] HDFC Bank
[E] 200 [B] IDBI Bank
[C] HSBC Bank
Q.13) With which university has National [D] UCO Bank
eGovernance Division partnered for the [E] Axis Bank
implementing the ‘Online Capacity
Building Programme on Cyber Law, Crime Q.18) Which company has overtaken SBI
Investigation and Digital Forensics in terms of market capitalization?
through NeGD Learning Management [A] Bajaj Finance Ltd
System’? [B] HDFC Bank
[A] IIT-Delhi [C] Airtel Payments Bank
[B] National Law University, Delhi [D] Paytm
[C] National Law Institute University, [E] Ujjavan Small Banking Finance Ltd.
Bhopal
[D] IP University, Gujarat Q.19) World Trade Organisation has
[E] IIM, Kolkata reduced the global trade growth forecast
to ___ from ____ for 2019 due to global
Q.14) When was the Street Lighting trade tensions?
National Programme launched? [A] 1.2% from 2.6%
[A] 2013 [B] 2.1% from 3.1%
[B] 2015 [C] 1.7% from 2.3%
[C] 2018 [D] 2.4% from 3%
[D] 2019 [E] 3.2% from 3.7%
[E] 2016
Q.20) Recently, Directorate General of
Q.15) Which country has unveiled the DF- Trade Remedies under the Ministry of
41 intercontinental-range ballistic missile– Commerce & Industry, launched an online
most powerful missile in the world? system ARTIS for filing anti-dumping
[A] Russia applications by the domestic industry for
[B] Belgium speedy resolution of dumping issues.
[C] India What does ‘R’ stand for?
 110

[A] Remedy Park and Govind Wildlife

[B] Redressal Sanctuary located?
[C] Remedies [A] Uttarakhand
[D] Resolve [B] Uttar Pradesh
[E] Remove [C] Maharashtra
[D] Andhra Pradesh
Q.21) Who has been appointed as [E] Madhya Pradesh
the Executive Director for India at the
International Monetary Fund? Q.26) Where is the Neora Valley National
[A] Surjit S. Bhalla Park located?
[B] K Kasturiranjan [A] West Bengal
[C] Urjit Patel [B] Tamil Nadu
[D] Ramgopal Krishnan [C] Maharashtra
[E] Krishnamurty Venugopal [D] Delhi
[E] Uttar Pradesh
Q.22) Who has been appointed as
the president of European Council? Q.27) With which company has Ford
[A] Robert O’Brien formed a joint venture to operate in
[B] John Klinn India?
[C] Michael Stowe [A] Nissan Motor Co
[D] Charles Michel [B] Maruti Suzuki
[E] Nick Warsaw [C] Ashok Leyland
[D] Tata Motors
Q.23) Recently, Caroline Criado Perez has [E] Mahindra and Mahindra
won the prestigious Royal Society Science
Books Prize for which book? Q.28) Who has been appointed as the
[A] Do it like a Woman new principal director general of the Press
[B] No one ever changed the world by Information Bureau?
being nice [A] Kuldeep Singh Dhatwalia
[C] Celestial Bodies [B] Karambir Singh Dhatwalia
[D] Born a Crime [C] Kunal Singh Dhatwalia
[E] Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in [D] Kishtwar Singh Dhatwalia
a World Designed for Men [E] Krishna Singh Dhatwalia

Q.24) Who has won women’s singles title Q.29) Who has been awarded with the
in the 6th edition of WTA Wuhan Open? India's Most Powerful Women in Media
[A] Aryna Sabalenka award?
[B] Duan Yingying [A] Kallie Puri
[C] Veronika Kudermetova [B] Barkha Dutt
[D] Venu Rajamony [C] Gauri Lankesh
[E] Karsten Warholm [D] Ramana Phore
[E] Srishti Jain
Q.25) Where is the Askot Wildlife
Sanctuary, Valley of Flowers National
 111

Q.30) Who is the author of India and the [D] MADKAZ

Netherlands, Past, Present and Future [E] NAVINDKaz
book? s
[A] Venu Rajamony Q.35) Which country has announced its
[B] Vishal Makhija exit from the OPEC group?
[C] Mehul Grewal [A] Ecuador
[D] Gopal Verma [B] Algeria
[E] Ganesh Sehgal [C] Kuwait
[D] Libya
[E] Nigeria
Q.31) Which state has launched the
Urjagiri – an awareness campaign to raise Q.36) What is the new GDP growth rate
awareness among people to stop power for India for FY20, as forecasted by S&P
theft and to avoid power loss? Global ratings?
[A] Kerala [A] 6.1%
[B] Tamil Nadu [B] 5.7%
[C] Odisha [C] 6.3%
[D] Uttarakhand [D] 6.9%
[E] Assam [E] 5.2%

Q.32) Which state has the highest number Q.37) What is the new repo rate?
of dry districts according to the “2019 [A] 5.15%
Southwest Monsoon Season Rainfall and [B] 5.01%
IMD’s Long Range Forecasts” by IMD? [C] 4.90%
[A] Uttar Pradesh [D] 5.43%
[B] Rajasthan [E] 5.77%
[C] Maharashtra
[D] Karnataka Q.38) Who has been appointed as the MD
[E] Haryana and CEO of Tata communications?
[A] Amur S Lakshminarayanan
Q.33) Which state has topped the Rural [B] Vijay Goel
Swachhta survey 2019? [C] Mahesh Goenka
[A] Arunachal Pradesh [D] Rajesh Nishank
[B] Sikkim [E] Anupriya Goel
[C] Kerala
[D] Gujarat Q.39) Who has been awarded with the
[E] Tamil Nadu UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award 2019?
[A] Aaid Farhim
Q.34) What is the name of the joint [B] Johnny Pacino
military exercise between India and [C] Haadhir Munir
Kazakhstan? [D] Azizbek Ashurov
[A] KAZEx [E] Robert De Pacy
[B] ExIndKAZ
[C] KAZIND
 112

Q.40) What is the ranking of Koneru [E] London

Humpy in FIDE’s latest rankings?
[A] 1 Q.45) What is India’s rank in the Global
[B] 2 Firepower Index 2019?
[C] 3 [A] 1
[D] 4 [B] 2
[E] 5 [C] 11
[D] 4
Q.41) Who has been appointed as the [E] 5
head of the working group formed by govt
for formulating the new industrial policy? Q.46) What is the name of the an audio
[A] T N Bhasin guide facility app launched by Ministry of
[B] Injeti Srinivas Tourism for 12 sites during the 3rd edition
[C] Prakash Judeja of Paryatan Parv-2019?
[D] R K Singh [A] Audio Odigos
[E] Guruprasad Mohapatra [B] Audio Plenary
[C] Audio Itinerary
Q.42) What is the name of the Indo- [D] Audio transit
Mongolian joint military exercise? [E] Audio expedition
[A] Yudh Abhiyas
[B] Surya Kiran Q.47) What is the name of the portal
[C] Konkon launched by the govt to bring
[D] Varun transparency as well as better
[E] Nomadic Elephant coordination in coal supplies to power
plants?
Q.43) Ministry of Defence has increased [A] Ujala
the amount of the financial aid given to [B] Vidyut
the Next of Kin of all categories of battle [C] Pragati
casualty to ___ from Rs 2 lakhs under [D] Vishwa
Army Battle Casualties Welfare Fund? [E] Prakash
[A] Rs 8 Lakh
[B] Rs 3 Lakh Q.48) Which state has launched the
[C] Rs 4 Lakh Vahana Mitra scheme for providing
[D] Rs 7 Lakh financial aid of Rs 10,000 per annum to
[E] Rs 6 Lakh auto-rickshaw or taxicab drivers/owners?
[A] Telangana
Q.44) Which city has topped the first ever [B] Maharashtra
“Smart City Index 2019” conducted by the [C] Andhra Pradesh
International Institute for Management [D] Kerala
Development? [E] Odisha
[A] Dublin
[B] Singapore Q.49) Which is the first state in India to
[C] Hyderabad launch the Policy On Pneumoconiosis?
[D] Mumbai [A] Madhya Pradesh
 113

[B] Andhra Pradesh Q.54) Which bank has collaborated with

[C] Arunachal Pradesh the Common Service Centre e-
[D] Mizoram Governance Services India Limited to
[E] Rajasthan expand its reach in rural India?
[A] HDFC Bank
Q.50) By which year, is India planning to [B] ICICI Bank
launch eliminate or bring down the trans- [C] UCO Bank
fat to less than 2%? [D] Standard Chartered Bank
[A] 2021 [E] State Bank of India
[B] 2022
[C] 2023 Q.55) Who has been appointed as the
[D] 2024 new Chairman and Managing Director of
[E] 2025 the Oil India Limited?
[A] Sushil Chandra Mishra
Q.51) NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation [B] Atanu Chakrobarty
Mission and United Nations Development [C] Mahesh Grewal
Programme India have signed a letter of [D] Surjit S Bhalla
intent for establishing the ___ centre to [E] Rajendra Menon
train the youths of India in
entrepreneurial skills? Q.56) When is the world space week
[A] Youth Co:Lab observed?
[B] E-STEP [A] October 1-6
[C] W2forward [B] October 4-10
[D] Skill Youth [C] October 7-13
[E] Innov Mill [D] October 19-24
[E] October 21-26
Q.52) Which country has recently tested
an unarmed Minuteman III Q.57) Who has been awarded with the
intercontinental ballistic missile? 15th International Children’s Peace Prize
[A] Russia 2019?
[B] China [A] Greta Thunberg
[C] Sri Lanka [B] Jennifer Banister
[D] Nauru [C] Divina Maloum
[E] USA [D] Both A and B
[E] Both A and C
Q.53) Who is the MD and CEO of UCO
Bank? Q.58) Who has been ranked as the top
[A] A K Goel batsman in the MRF Tyres International
[B] Mukesh Bhasin Cricket Council Men’s ODI Player Rankings
[C] Ravneet Gill 2019?
[D] Mayur Awasthy [A] Virat Kohli
[E] Aruna Sigma [B] Rohit Sharma
[C] Babar Azam
[D] Jaspreet Bumrah
 114

[E] Shakib Al Hasan [E] Uttar Pradesh

Q.59) Who has won the silver medal in the Q.64) Where has the 5th edition of the
53rd Asian Bodybuilding and Physique World Parliament of Science, Religion and
Sports Championship 2019? Philosophy 2019 been inaugurated?
[A] Maj Abdul Quadir Khan [A] West Bengal
[B] Sangram Chougule [B] Tripura
[C] Murli Kumar [C] Meghalaya
[D] Rajendran Mani [D] Maharashtra
[E] Ankur Sharma [E] Haryana

Q.60) Where has the India’s first floating Q.65) Which country has recently
basketball court been inaugurated? launched the Gaofen-10 satellite?
[A] Kolkata [A] China
[B] Mumbai [B] Russia
[C] Bengaluru [C] Israel
[D] Vishakhapatnam [D] France
[E] Surat [E] England

Q.61) Who has been selected from India Q.66) What is the codename of NASA’s
to board the German research vessel first completely electric experimental
Polarstern onboard the Study of Arctic aircraft?
Climate expedition? [A] Copper
[A] Vishnu Nandan [B] Getwell
[B] Mahesh Kumar [C] Barley
[C] Krishna Chander [D] Maxwell
[D] Mahesh Panwar [E] Cooper
[E] Manu Bhagel
Q.67) Who has been appointed as
Q.62) Where will the first India’s first e- the goodwill ambassador of UNESCO for
waste clinic to be set up? indigenous peoples?
[A] Uttar Pradesh [A] Yalitza Aparicio
[B] Maharashtra [B] Scarlett Johansson
[C] Madhya Pradesh [C] Natalie Portman
[D] Gujarat [D] Emma Stone
[E] West Bengal [E] Gal Gadot

Q.63) Where has India's first plastic to Q.68) When is the World Cotton Day
diesel conversion plant been observed?
inaugurated? [A] December 2
[A] Uttarakhand [B] October 7
[B] Assam [C] November 12
[C] Tripura [D] August 18
[D] Kerala [E] September 19
 115

[A] 5
Q.69) In which field are William G. Kaelin [B] 9
Jr, Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe and Gregg L. [C] 6
Semenza awarded the Nobel Prize 2019? [D] 3
[A] Literature [E] 12
[B] Mathematics
[C] Physiology Q.74) What is India’s rank in the Global
[D] Chemistry Competitiveness Index 2019?
[E] Psychology [A] 56
[B] 71
Q.70) Who is the author of 150 Years of [C] 68
Celebrating the Mahatma – the South [D] 49
African Legacy? [E] 89
[A] Fakir Hassen
[B] Ravish Kumar Q.75) Which state has become the first
[C] Rajdeep Sardesai one in India to integrate its police patrol
[D] Sagarika Ghose systems with passenger cabs to provide
[E] Shekhar Gupta safety to passengers?
[A] Andhra Pradesh
Q.71) With which countries has India [B] Meghalaya
partnered to provide climate forecast [C] Delhi
services to countries in the Hindu-Kush- [D] Maharashtra
Himalayan region? [E] Telangana
[A] Afghanistan and Bangladesh
[B] Tajikistan and Uzbekistan Q.76) Which state has launched the
[C] Myanmar and Nepal Mukhya Mantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana?
[D] Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia [A] Andhra Pradesh
[E] Pakistan and China [B] Gujarat
[C] Madhya Pradesh
Q.72) What is the percentage of children [D] Rajasthan
being breastfed in rural areas, according [E] Uttar Pradesh
to the Comprehensive National Nutrition
Survey 2019? Q.77) What is the name of the Pradhan
[A] 55% Mantri Innovative Learning Programme
[B] 85% launched for Science, Mathematics and
[C] 73% Arts students to enhance their skills?
[D] 91% [A] Parikshit
[E] 66% [B] Saksham
[C] Sufalam
Q.73) Which schedule of the constitution [D] Dhruv
describes about the special provisions for [E] Prayag
tribal areas in parts or the whole of four
North-Eastern States – Assam, Meghalaya, Q.78) Which planet in the solar system
Mizoram and Tripura? has the highest number of moons?
 116

[A] Saturn Q.83) Which movie has been awarded

[B] Jupiter with the People’s Choice award at the My
[C] Venus Rode Reel film competition?
[D] Neptune [A] Spirit of Kerala
[E] Uranium [B] That Day After Everyday
[C] Black Mirror
Q.79) Who heads the Inter-Ministerial [D] Tubelight Ke Chand
Coordination Committee formed by govt [E] Migration
to check money laundering activities
under the Prevention of Money Q.84) Who among the following has not
Laundering Act, 2002? been awarded with the 2019 Nobel Prize
[A] Akshay Srivastav in Chemistry?
[B] Atanu Chakraborty [A] Akira Yoshino
[C] Ajay Bhushan Pandey [B] M Stanley Whittingham
[D] Rajiv Kumar [C] George Smith
[E] Ritesh Chauhan [D] John B Goodenough
[E] None of them
Q.80) Which country’s internet economy
is the largest, according to the e-Conomy Q.85) Who has been awarded with the 4th
SEA report released by Google, Temasek annual Carnot Prize by the University of
and Bain & Company? Pennsylvania?
[A] Vietnam [A] Piyush Goyal
[B] Thailand [B] Frances Arnold
[C] Malaysia [C] Gregory Winter
[D] Indonesia [D] Arthur Ashkin
[E] Philippines [E] Tasuku Honjo

Q.81) Who has been appointed as the Q.86) Which country will host the 3×3
new Chief Executive Officer of Nissan basketball qualifying tournament for
Motors? Tokyo Olympics in March 2020?
[A] Makoto Uchida [A] China
[B] Cai Yingwen [B] Japan
[C] Li Guangyao [C] India
[D] Wu Zuodong [D] Russia
[E] Gu Weijun [E] Thailand

Q.82) Which month is observed as Breast Q.87) What is Rohit Sharma’s rank in the
Cancer Awareness Month? batsmen category in the ICC’s latest test
[A] August rankings?
[B] September [A] 12
[C] October [B] 17
[D] November [C] 9
[E] December [D] 7
[E] 5

Q.88) What is the name of Michelle
Obama’s second book (released recently)?
[A] Becoming: A Guided Journal for
Discovering Your Voice
[B] First They Erased Our Name: A
Rohingya Speaks
[C] The splendid and The vile
[D] Celestial Bodies
[E] A Thousand Splendid Suns
Q.89) Who has been awarded with the
2019 Martin Ennals Award?
[A] Abdul Aziz Muhamat
[B] Greta Thundberg
[C] Juan Manuel Santos
[D] Malala Yousafzai
[E] Nadia Murad
Q.90) Who has been awarded with the
Vyas Samman for the year 2018 by KK
Birla Foundation?
[A] Nilotpal Mrinal
[B] Satya Vyas
[C] Divya Prakash Dubey
[D] Leeladhar Jagudi
[E] Gaurav Solanki
Q.91) What is the total amount of
contribution received by Global Fund to
fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and
malaria during its Sixth Replenishment
Conference?
[A] $14.02 billion
[B] $21.03 billion
[C] $31.17 billion
[D] $28.19 billion
[E] $27.22 billion
Q.92) What is the name of the initiative
launched by Council for Advancement of
People’s action and rural Technology
under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana to
117
bring the rural women Self Help Groups
under one platform?
[A] SARAL Aajeevika Mela
[B] SEVA Aajeevika Mela
[C] SARAS Aajeevika Mela
[D] SUMAN Aajeevika Mela
[E] SUGANDH Aajeevika Mela
Q.93) Where has the World’s first species
of eel-loach living in subterranean
environments been discovered?
[A] Maharashtra
[B] Kerala
[C] Punjab
[D] Arunachal Pradesh
[E] Assam
Q.94) Which organization has started the
dolphin census on the Ganges river?
[A] Indian Environmental Society
[B] Centre for Media Studies
[C] Centre For Environmental Studies
[D] World Wide Fund for Nature India
[E] C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre
Q.95) What is the name of the app
launched to help the railway police in
addressing the complaints of passengers
across India and integrate the criminal
database online?
[A] Sah-bhuj
[B] Sahbhagi
[C] Sahyatri
[D] Samiksha
[E] Sambhavana
Q.96) ‘Aarogyasri’ is the health program of
which state?
[A] Kerala
[B] Andhra Pradesh
[C] Odisha
[D] Telangana
[E] Maharashtra
 118

Q.97) What is the rate of prevalence of [E] None of the Above

diabetes in the people above 50 years of
age? Q.102) Which of the following statement
[A] 12.3% is true about the POSHAN atlas, proposed
[B] 11.8% by the Ministry of Women and Child
[C] 9.3% Development?
[D] 14.4% [A] It will map the nutrition status of
[E] 21% children
[B] It will map the infant mortality rate in
Q.98) With which company has National India
Investment and Infrastructure Fund [C] It will locate the loopholes in the
formed the joint venture – IntelliSmart implementation of the National Nutrition
Infrastructure Pvt Ltd – to install smart Mission
electricity meters in all households across [D] It will map crops and food grains
India? grown all over the country
[A] Energy Efficiency Services Ltd [E] It will figure out the ways for 100%
[B] National Thermal Power Corp immunization across the nation
[C] Power Grid Corp of India
[D] Tata Power Q.103) How many people live with vision
[E] Central Electricity Authority impairment or blindness worldwide,
according to the first ever world report on
Q.99) What is India’s rank in the Henley vision released by WHO?
Passport Index 2019 (Q4 update)? [A] 3.1 billion
[A] 91 [B] 4.2 billion
[B] 82 [C] 5.1 billion
[C] 57 [D] 2.2 billion
[D] 64 [E] 6.2 billion
[E] 74
Q.104) Which of the following UN
Q.100) How much line of credit has India organization has become the first one to
announced for Mongolia to build its receive donations in cryptocurrency?
petrochemical refinery? [A] Food and Agriculture Organization
[A] $236 million [B] International Civil Aviation
[B] $374 million Organization
[C] $115 million [C] International Monetary Fund
[D] $421 million [D] UNICEF
[E] $478 million [E] World Health Organization

Q.101) Which of the following exercise Q.105) With which bank has Government
does India not conduct with France? e-Marketplace signed an MoU to offer
[A] Varun various services including transfer of
[B] Garuda funds through GeM Pool Accounts?
[C] Sahastra [A] IDBI Bank
[D] Shakti [B] Union Bank of India
 119

[C] Syndicate Bank

[D] UCO bank Q.111) According to the National
[E] Allahabad Bank Blindness and Visually Impaired Survey
2019, prevalence of blindness has been
Q.106) What is the new GDP growth reduced by ____?
projection for India for FY20 by Moody’s? [A] 50%
[A] 5.8% [B] 34%
[B] 6.1% [C] 47%
[C] 5.3% [D] 25%
[D] 6.7% [E] 71%
[E] 5.9%
Q.112) Which country has recently joined
Q.107) What is the fiscal deficit projection the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance on
for India for FY20 by Ind-Ra? Technology Governance?
[A] 3.6% [A] Brazil
[B] 2.7% [B] Kazakhstan
[C] 3.3% [C] Italy
[D] 3.4% [D] India
[E] 3.9% [E] Russia

Q.108) Who has been appointed as the Q.113) What is the name of the app
President of the Indian Pharmaceutical launched by Ministry of Housing and
Alliance? Urban Affair to encourage people to plant
[A] Kallam Satish Reddy trees and to allow automatic geotagging
[B] Subhash Garg of plants?
[C] Surest Mehta [A] Paryavaran
[D] Seema Duggal [B] mHariyali
[E] Keshav Bhargava [C] Haribeej
[D] Jaivik
Q.109) What is the theme of the World [E] Pradushan Mukt
Sight Day?
[A] Vision First Q.114) Who has been ranked first in the
[B] Vision For All Forbes India Rich List 2019?
[C] Vision Empowerment [A] Gautam Adani
[D] Vision Safety [B] Hinduja brothers
[E] Vision is Future [C] Mukesh Ambani
[D] Pallonji Mistry
Q.110) Who has been awarded with the [E] Uday Kotak
100th Nobel Prize for peace?
[A] Abhiy Ahmed Ali Q.115) Which state has launched the YSR
[B] Nadia Murad Kanti Velugu Scheme 2019 to allow free
[C] Denis Mukwege eye test and spectacles by citizens?
[D] Greta Thunberg [A] Telangana
[E] Juan Manuel Santos [B] Andhra Pradesh
 120

[C] Kerala [E] Ram Nath Kovind

[D] Karnataka
[E] Odisha Q.121) When was Kanyashree scheme
launched by West Bengal?
Q.116) Vajra Prahar is the bilateral [A] 2007
exercise between India and ___? [B] 2013
[A] Sri Lanka [C] 2015
[B] Bangladesh [D] 2019
[C] Russia [E] 2018
[D] Australia
[E] USA Q.122) Under the ‘Yuva Sahakar’ –
Cooperative Enterprise Support and
Q.117) What is the name of the joint Innovation Scheme, National Cooperative
military exercise between India and Development Corporation had proposed
Japan? to create a ‘Cooperative Start-up and
[A] Shakti Innovation Fund’ of ______?
[B] Garuda [A] Rs 500 crore
[C] Varun [B] Rs 1000 crore
[D] Konkar [C] Rs 1200 crore
[E] Dharma Guardian [D] Rs 1500 crore
[E] Rs 2000 crore
Q.118) Which country has been invited by
India for the 25th edition of the Q.123) Recently, NASA launched the ICON
Technology Summit? space weather satellite from an aircraft of
[A] Germany Northrop Grumman. What does ‘I’ stand
[B] Italy for?
[C] England [A] Intellight
[D] France [B] Integrated
[E] Netherland [C] Ionospheric
[D] ionosfera
Q.119) When was the ‘Ek Bharat [E] Ionodisc
Shreshtha Bharat’ program launched?
[A] 2019 Q.124) Which state has won the 6th C40
[B] 2018 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards in
[C] 2017 the green mobility category?
[D] 2016 [A] Tamil Nadu
[E] 2015 [B] West Bengal
[C] Maharashtra
Q.120) Who has been awarded with The [D] Madhya Pradesh
Order of the Green Crescent? [E] Odisha
[A] Narendra Modi
[B] Nirmala Sitharaman Q.125) What is the theme of the First
[C] Piyush Goyal Global DXB Challenge 2019?
[D] Venkaiah Naidu [A] AI and the World
 121

[B] Technology for Climate Q.130) Who has become the first woman
[C] Climate Change and Robotics boxer to enter into the finals of AIBA
[D] Digital Technology for Oceans Women’s World Boxing Championships
[E] Ocean Opportunities 2019 at 18 years of age?
[A] Manju Rani
Q.126) Recently, RBI has released a new [B] Lovlina Borgohain
reporting system for all co-operative [C] Jamuna Boro
banks so that they can submit submit [D] Vantika Agrawal
information related to the [E] Srihari L R
opening/closing/conversion of branches
etc. What is the name of the system? Q.131) Where was Culture Ministers’
[A] NAVic meeting held?
[B] CMBBS [A] South Africa
[C] CISBI [B] China
[D] CDVSY [C] Russia
[E] CPPB [D] Brazil
[E] India
Q.127) What is India’s rank in the Brand
Finance Nation Brands 2019 report? Q.132) When was Pradhan Mantri Kaushal
[A] 4 Vikas Yojana launched?
[B] 5 [A] 2011
[C] 7 [B] 2013
[D] 9 [C] 2015
[E] 10 [D] 2017
[E] 2019
Q.128) What is the GDP growth forecast
for 2019 for India by World Bank, Q.133) How much line of credit has been
according to its South Asia Economic extended by India to Sierra Leone rice
Focus 2019? cultivation?
[A] 6.0% [A] $30 million
[B] 6.3% [B] $50 million
[C] 5.8% [C] $70 million
[D] 6.2% [D] $25 million
[E] 5.3% [E] $40 million

Q.129) When is the International Day of Q.134) Who is the President of FATF?
Disaster Risk Reduction observed? [A] Xiangmin Liu
[A] October 10 [B] Francis Macron
[B] October 13 [C] David Krigyos
[C] October 27 [D] Michell Douglass
[D] October 21 [E] Martin Houghton
[E] October 15
 122

Q.135) For which state’s road [E] Stephen T. Asma

development has Asian Development
Bank granted a $190 million loan to India? Q.140) Where are the Galathea National
[A] Meghalaya Park and the Campbell Bay National Park
[B] Mizoram located?
[C] Tripura [A] Tamil Nadu
[D] Madhya Pradesh [B] Lakshdweep Island
[E] Rajasthan [C] Andaman and Nicobar
[D] Kerala
Q.136) Who has become the first person [E] Odisha
to run a marathon in less than 2 hours at
the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Austria? Q.141) Which city has topped in the 'The
[A] Eliud Kipchoge Wealthiest Cities Worldwide in 2019' list?
[B] Michel Rapinoe [A] Zagreb
[C] Franc Partan [B] Copenhagen
[D] Dutee Chand [C] Hague
[E] Hima Das [D] New York
[E] London
Q.137) Who has won the Shanghai
Masters (tennis)? Q.142) Which of the following airline has
[A] Daniil Medvedev become the world’s first airline to use
[B] Rafael Nadal Taxibot on A320 aircraft with passengers
[C] Dominic Thiem on-board?
[D] Sumit Nagal [A] Boeing
[E] Novak Djokovic [B] Emirates Airline
[C] Qatar Airways
Q.138) Who among the following has won [D] Air China
men’s singles title at the 25th Fenesta [E] Air India
Open National Tennis Championship
2019? Q.143) Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah/Nikah
[A] Niki K Poonacha Yojana is the scheme of which state?
[B] Mahesh Bhupathi [A] Gujarat
[C] Rohan Bopanna [B] Maharashtra
[D] Ramesh Krishnan [C] Madhya Pradesh
[E] Sumit Nagal [D] Andhra Pradesh
[E] Karnataka
Q.139) Who is the writer of “The Great
Game in the Buddhist Himalayas: India Q.144) GOAL – Going Online as Leaders is
and China’s Quest for Strategic the digital literacy program of _____?
Dominance” book? [A] Amazon
[A] Phunchok Stobdan [B] Flipkart
[B] Bhikkhu Analayo [C] Google
[C] Ajahn Amaro [D] Facebook
[D] Allan Bennett [E] Microsoft
 123

[D] October 18
Q.145) What is India’s rank in the Global [E] October 16
Hunger Index 2019?
[A] 102 Q.150) Who has won the BWF Bahrain
[B] 115 International Series 2019?
[C] 85 [A] Priyanshu Rajawat
[D] 192 [B] Lakshay Sen
[E] 147 [C] Sumit Nagal
[D] Niki Poonacha
Q.146) What is the name of the joint [E] Rohan Bopanna
military exercise between Indian and
Japanese Air Forces? Q.151) According to the Global
[A] Shinyuu Maitri Tuberculosis Report 2019, India accounts
[B] Shakti Peeth for the ____ burden of TB?
[C] Surya Kiran [A] 27%
[D] Sunrise [B] 9%
[E] Saksham [C] 16%
[D] 12%
Q.147) Recently, Indian Council of [E] 10%
Agricultural Research and Indian
Veterinary Research Institute have Q.152) Which state (in larger states
launched two kits – sELISA and lgM ELISA, category) has topped in the NITI Aayog’s
for controlling and detecting the ____ first ever India Innovation Index 2019?
disease? [A] Tamil Nadu
[A] Bluetongue [B] Punjab
[B] Anthrax [C] Gujarat
[C] Foot and mouth disease [D] Maharashtra
[D] Leptospirosis [E] Karnataka
[E] Rinder pest
Q.153) What is India’s rank in the ‘The CS
Q.148) What is GDP growth projection for Gender 3000 in 2019: The changing face
India for 2019-20 by IMF’s World of companies’?
Economic Outlook-October update? [A] 71
[A] 4.9% [B] 54
[B] 6.1% [C] 41
[C] 6.9% [D] 32
[D] 5.1% [E] 23
[E] 6.7%
Q.154) Indo Bangla Baul Music Festival is
Q.149) When is World Food Day celebrated in commemoration of which
observed? saint?
[A] October 30 [A] Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi
[B] October 27 [B] Nizamuddin Auliya
[C] October 23 [C] Jamali Kamboh
 124

[D] Kashf ul Mahjoob [C] Germany

[E] Fakir Lalon Shah [D] England
[E] Spain
Q.155) With which country does India
conduct the EX EASTERN BRIDGE-V Q.160) Which company is buying the 51%
bilateral exercise? stake in IL&FS wind power assets?
[A] Saudi Arabia [A] Total SA
[B] Iran [B] BNP Paribas
[C] Tanzania [C] BP
[D] Uruguay [D] Orix Corporation
[E] Oman [E] Vinci S. A.

Q.156) How many dolphins are detected Q.161) Which company will sell its 26%
in the Annual Ganges river dolphin stake in SBI General Insurance to Napean
census? Opportunities LLP (an affiliate of Premji
[A] 69 lnvest and Warburg Pincus Group)?
[B] 36 [A] BHP Group Limited
[C] 43 [B] Westpac Insurance
[D] 55 [C] ANZ Banking Group
[E] 72 [D] Santos Limited
[E] Insurance Australia Group
Q.157) Recently, Indian Army has
launched the OASIS to allow the officers Q.162) Which country has topped in the
to view their service records, raise Hurun Global Unicorn List 2019?
observations etc. What does ‘A’ stand for? [A] UK
[A] Army [B] USA
[B] Automated [C] China
[C] Arbitrary [D] France
[D] Arsenal [E] Canada
[E] Artillery
Q.163) Which bank has recently partnered
Q.158) Where was the first ever Asia with Home Credit India to lend personal
Health 2019 held? loans?
[A] Mumbai [A] HDFC Bank
[B] Bangalore [B] ICICI Bank
[C] Chandigarh [C] State Bank of India
[D] Chennai [D] Bank of Baroda
[E] Delhi [E] Karur Vysya Bank

Q.159) Which country is planning to Q.164) Who has been appointed as the
impose a 3% web tax on big digital Chairman of World Steel Association?
companies? [A] Sajjan Jindal
[A] France [B] YU Yong
[B] Italy [C] Samuel Joseph Jebaraj
 125

[D] Kim Ji-Hyun [D] Oceania

[E] Kristalina Georgieva [E] South America

Q.165) Which organization has won the Q.170) Who is the editor of ‘India in a
Kayakalp award 2019 in category A? Warming World: Integrating Climate
[A] AIIMS, Delhi Change and Development’ book?
[B] Shri Vinoba Bhave Civil Hospital [A] Kulbhushan Singh
[C] Apollo Hospital [B] Vikram Seth
[D] Postgraduate Institute of Medical [C] Devika Kapadia
Education and Research [D] Navroz K. Dubash
[E] Safdarjung Hospital [E] Anamika Kumar

Q.166) Which orchestra has been Q.171) Which state has topped in the
awarded with the Orchestra of The Year at University-Industry Linkage Index 2019?
the Gramophone Classical Music Awards [A] Arunachal Pradesh
2019? [B] Assam
[A] Vienna Philharmonic [C] Meghalaya
[B] Berlin Philharmonic [D] Gujarat
[C] London Symphony Orchestra [E] Karnataka
[D] LA Philharmonic
[E] Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra Q.172) Where is the 11th Nuclear Energy
conclave being held?
Q.167) Who has won the Asian Filmmaker [A] Gujarat
of the Year award at the 24th Busan [B] Arunachal Pradesh
International Film Festival? [C] Meghalaya
[A] Tran Thang Huy [D] Odisha
[B] Kim Jeong-keun [E] New Delhi
[C] Kore-eda Hirokazu
[D] Kim Dukjoon Q.173) Where will the 91st Interpol
[E] Yoon Danbi General Assembly be held in 2022?
[A] India
Q.168) Who has won the men’s singles at [B] China
the HCL-SRFI India squash tour? [C] Switzerland
[A] Ivan Yuen [D] Netherland
[B] Mohamed Elshorbagy [E] England
[C] Karim Abdel Gawad
[D] Diego Elias Q.174) What is the name of robot being
[E] Miguel Rodriguez developed by India and UK to promote
handwash?
Q.169) In which region is the World's [A] Pepe
fastest ant discovered? [B] Washie
[A] Saharan [C] Peppy
[B] Central America [D] Soapy
[C] Europe [E] Whizzy
 126

[E] 1
Q.175) How many countries have recently
joined the UN- Human Rights Council? Q.180) Who is the author of The Daughter
[A] 10 from a Wishing Tree?
[B] 7 [A] Sudha Murthy
[C] 14 [B] Sushil Krishna
[D] 21 [C] Keshav Parikh
[E] 11 [D] Madan Kishtwar
[E] Prakhar Khaitan
Q.176) Recently, NASA astronauts
have created history by completing the Q.181) Who heads the committee
first ever all-female spacewalk outside the formed by govt to resolve the
International Space Station. Name the differences between Ministry of
astronauts? Information and Technology and NITI
[A] Christina Koch
Aayog over the National Program on
[B] Jessica Meir
[C] Rubina Welter Artificial Intelligence framework?
[D] Both A and B [A] K Vijay Raghavan
[E] Both A and C [B] Malay Kant
[C] Vishwajeet Chattejee
Q.177) Who has been appointed as the [D] Debjyoti Das
Chairman of Indian Bank Association? [E] Aruna Singh
[A] Rajnish Kumar
[B] Aditya Puri
Q.182) What is the rate of economic
[C] Rana Kapoor
[D] Romesh Sobti offences in India, according to the
[E] Ravneet Gill report ‘crimes in India in 2017’
released by National Crime Records
Q.178) How many medals have been won Bureau?
by India at the ASBC Asian Junior [A] 10.6%
Championships 2019? [B] 9.6%
[A] 12 [C] 21.6%
[B] 10
[D] 11.6%
[C] 8
[D] 21 [E] 31.6%
[E] 31
Q.183) Which of the following is the
Q.179) How many gold medals has India first stealth frigate out of seven
won at the 2020 Asia Track Cycling frigates, to be developed
Championships? indigenously under the Project-17A?
[A] 2 [A] INS Kalveri
[B] 10
[B] INS Khanderi
[C] 6
[D] 5 [C] INS Surya

[D] INS Nilgiri
[E] INS Sagardhwani
Q.184) Which institute has topped in
the QS India University Rankings
2020?
[A] IIT-Madras
[B] IIT-Delhi
[C] IIT-Bhubaneshwar
[D] IIT-Ropar
[E] IIT-Kharagpur
Q.185) Recently, a team led by R
Chaitanya has discovered 6 new
species of the 'Dravidogecko' family
whereas only 1 species was known
prior to this discovery. Where have
the new species been discovered?
[A] Himalayas
[B] Western Ghats
[C] Eastern Ghats
[D] Indo-Burma region
[E] Sundaland
Q.186) Recently, Ministry of
Electronics and Information
Technology has launched the
Technology Incubation Development
for Entrepreneurs 2.0 (TIDE) to
strengthening close to 2,000
technology startups and empowering
51 incubation centres across the
country. When was the TIDE scheme
launched?
[A] 2019
[B] 2018
[C] 2008
[D] 2011
[E] 2010
127
Q.187) What is the name of the new
portal launched by National Cyber
Security Coordinator's office, along
with Data Security Council of India to
act as a national repository of India’s
cyber tech capabilities?
[A] TechGiant
[B] GigaNet
[C] Get2Tech
[D] TechSagar
[E] TechInc
Q.188) Which state has recently
prohibited the citizens with more
than 2 children from acquiring
government jobs?
[A] Arunachal Pradesh
[B] Meghalaya
[C] Mizoram
[D] Assam
[E] Nagaland
Q.189) Which country’s officers are
being trained on ‘Anti Money
Laundering and Countering Financing
of Terrorism’ at the National
Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes
and Narcotics under the Indian
Technical and Economic Cooperation
Programme?
[A] Bangladesh
[B] Nepal
[C] Bhutan
[D] Myanmar
[E] Philippines
Q.190) Which country is India’s top
trading partner in FY19, according to
 128

the Ministry of Commerce and Q.194) Who has been appointed as

Industry’s data? the CEO of Unique Identification
[A] Israel Authority of India?
[B] China [A] Pankaj Kumar
[C] Russia [B] Mohd Naqvi
[D] USA [C] Rajeev Grewal
[E] Argentine [D] Payal Jindal
[E] Aayushi Gupta
Q.191) Aditya Birla Power
Composites is the joint venture Q.195) Who among the following has
between Grasim and ____? been appointed as the brand
[A] BP ambassador of Bharat Ki Lakshmi?
[B] MR [A] Katrina Kaif
[C] Lloyds [B] Deepika Padukone
[D] Barclays [C] PV Sindhu
[E] BT [D] Both A and B
[E] Both B and C
Q.192) According to the Global
Banking Annual Review 2019 by the Q.196) Recently, the Marconi
McKinsey and Co, Indian banking Society’s Celestini Programme
sector revenue growth has reduced awards has been conferred upon the
from 22% (2002-07) to ____ (2010- students of _____ for developing the
18)? Rakshak and VisionAir apps?
[A] 10.3% [A] Delhi University
[B] 20.8% [B] IIT-Bangalore
[C] 17.9% [C] Bharati Vidyapeeth College of
[D] 5.13% Engineering
[E] 9.31% [D] Jadavpur University
[E] University of Hyderabad
Q.193) What is India’s rank in the
‘Doing Business 2020’ released by Q.197) Who has won the 2019 FIDE
World Bank? Chess.com Grand Swiss?
[A] 77 [A] Koneru humpy
[B] 90 [B] Magnus Carlsen
[C] 63 [C] Vishwanathan Anand
[D] 57 [D] Wang Hao
[E] 41 [E] None of the Above
 129

Q.198) Who has won the men’s help panchayats to plan, develop and
singles at the Danisa Denmark Open monitor developmental activities on real
2019? time basis?
[A] Gram Manchitra
[A] Kento Momota
[B] Gram Naksha
[B] Viktor Axelsen [C] Gram Nirikshan
[C] Jan O Jorgensen [D] Gram Paryavalokan
[D] Wang Yihan [E] Gram Survekshan
[E] Chen Long
Q.203) Where will the 18th Summit of
Q.199) Which is the world’s loudest Non-Aligned Movement take place?
bird according to a study published in [A] Ankara, Turkey
[B] Baku, Azerbaijan
the journal Current Biology?
[C] Jerusalem, Israel
[A] White Bellbirds [D] Cairo, Egypt
[B] Gran Canaria Blue [E] Abu Dhabi, UAE
[C] Callaeas cinereus
[D] Pica asirensis Q.204) Which state recorded the highest
[E] Sitta insularis burden of TB in 2018, according to the
India TB report 2019?
Q.200) Where are the Ramgarh dam, [A] Mizoram
[B] Madhya Pradesh
wildlife sanctuary and lake located?
[C] Rajasthan
[A] Arunachal Pradesh [D] Bihar
[B] Gujarat [E] Uttar Pradesh
[C] Rajasthan
[D] Madhya Pradesh Q.205) Which country is building the Large
[E] Uttar Pradesh High-Altitude Air Shower Observatory
(LHAASO) to carry out detailed study
Q.201) With which country has India about the cosmic rays?
recently approved the Agreement on [A] France
Science and Technology Cooperation [B] Germany
which will include exchanges of scientific [C] Australia
& technical information and experts, [D] Thailand
training of scientists and technical [E] Chin
experts?
[A] France Q.206) Where is the secretariat of
[B] Russia Commission for the Conservation of
[C] China Antarctic Marine Living Resources
[D] USA located?
[E] Japan [A] Tasmania
[B] Morocco
Q.202) What is the name of the app [C] Ghana
launched by Ministry of Panchayati Raj to [D] Tunisia
 130

[E] Nambia Q.211) Who has been appointed as the

President of Board of Control for Cricket
Q.207) Which country has recently passed in India?
the Protection From Online Falsehoods [A] Sourav Ganguly
And Manipulation Act? [B] Anil Kumble
[A] Indonesia [C] Rahul Dravid
[B] Vietnam [D] Sachin Tendulkar
[C] Malaysia [E] Sunil Gavaskar
[D] Singapore
[E] Timor-Leste Q.212) Who has been appointed as the
chairman and managing director of the
Q.208) Which company has partnered MTNL?
with Indian Dental Association to offer [A] Suresh Ganguly
loans (on EMI) to dental patients for their [B] Sumanta Sen
treatment? [C] Suresh Parikar
[A] Aditya Birla Finance Ltd [D] Sunil Kumar
[B] Max Life Insurance Co. Ltd. [E] Sumedh Pawar
[C] TATA AIA Life Insurance Co. Ltd.
[D] Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co. Ltd. Q.213) When is the International Snow
[E] PNB MetLife India Insurance Co. Ltd. Leopard Day observed?
[A] October 12
Q.209) What is the minimum net worth [B] October 17
threshold of the entities seeking [C] October 23
authorization to open retail outlets for [D] October 20
selling oil? [E] October 23
[A] Rs 500 crore
[B] Rs 250 crore Q.214) Who is the first Indian man to win
[C] Rs 350 crore a gold medal in men’s Sanda event of 15th
[D] Rs 400 crore World Wushu?
[E] Rs 150 crore [A] Praveen Kumar
[B] Sourav Gurjar
Q.210) Which actor has been appointed [C] Pawan Kumar
by UNICEF and Ministry of Women and [D] Milton Reid
Child Development to spread awareness [E] Vijay Choudhary
about sexual abuse against children and
POCSO act? Q.215) Who among the following has won
[A] Vidya Balan the top prize in female category at the
[B] Ayushman Khurana FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss?
[C] Priyanka Chopra [A] Dronavalli Harika
[D] Amitabh Bachchan [B] Dinara Saduakassova
[E] Akshay Kumar [C] Koneru Humpy
[D] Both A and B
[E] Both B and C
 131

Q.216) Marieke Vervoort related to which [A] St. Vincent & the Grenadines
sport? [B] Nauru
[A] Badminton [C] Philippines
[B] Athletics [D] Maldives
[C] Gymnastics [E] Myanmar
[D] Archery
[E] Cricket Q.222) With which country has India
signed an MoU for capacity building and
Q.217) Who is the writer of Ten Studies in strengthening the accounting, financial
Kashmir: History and Politics book? and audit knowledge base in that
[A] Kashi Nath Pandit country?
[B] Prakash Trivedi [A] Saudi Arabia
[C] Vikram Seth [B] UAE
[D] Anamika Tripathi [C] Iraq
[E] Devika Khanna [D] Vietnam
[E] Kuwait
Q.218) Who is the writer of Measuring
Poverty Around the World book? Q.223) What is India’s rank in the
[A] Anthony Barnes Atkinson Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
[B] John Micklewright 2019?
[C] Andrea Brandolini [A] 110
[D] Both A and B [B] 161
[E] Both B and C [C] 78
[D] 32
Q.219) Who has won the Berggruen Prize [E] 49
2019 for her pioneering legal work for
gender equality and her support for the Q.224) In which city was the first India-
rule of law? Bangladesh stakeholders' meeting held?
[A] Ruth Bader Ginsburg [A] Mysore
[B] Nia Tony [B] Chennai
[C] Greta Thunberg [C] Delhi
[D] Malaika Vaz [D] Guwahati
[E] Bertie Gregory [E] Lucknow

Q.220) Which country has hosted the Q.225) In which country has the President
global events of World Environment Day? Ram Nath Kovind laid the foundation
[A] Pakistan stone of Sri Sathya Sai Sanathana
[B] China Samskruti Project– a temple to be built –
[C] Russia to promote Indian culture?
[D] Kazakhstan [A] Myanmar
[E] India [B] Sri Lanka
Q.221) Which country has become the [C] Bhutan
79th member to join the International [D] Bangladesh
Solar Alliance? [E] Japan
 132

[C] Tamil Nadu

Q.226) What is the name of the new [D] Kerala
online aptitude test launched by CBSE and [E] Odisha
NCERT for class 9 and 10 students to help
them make right career choices? Q.231) Which of the following company
[A] Nishtha has recently received the designation of
[B] Diksha ‘Maharatna’?
[C] Tamanna [A] Hindustan Petroleum
[D] Vikram [B] Power Grid Corporation
[E] Kaushal [C] Container Corporation of India Limited
[D] Both A and B
Q.227) Which state has signed the loan [E] Both B and C
agreement with the World Bank to
implement “Integrated Irrigation Project Q.232) What is the new GDP growth rate
for Climate Resilient Agriculture” in the for FY20 for India, according to Fitch
state? Ratings?
[A] Kerala [A] 5.5%
[B] Karnataka [B] 5.7%
[C] Tamil Nadu [C] 6%
[D] Maharashtra [D] 6.1%
[E] Odisha [E] 5.9%

Q.228) Where will the Global Bio-India Q.233) Who has been appointed as the
summit 2019 take place? Chairman of National Highway Authority
[A] France of India?
[B] India [A] Sukhbir Sandhu
[C] Canada [B] Talveer Singh
[D] Argentine [C] Arvind Singh
[E] US [D] Manav Ghosn
[E] Priyal Khattar
Q.229) India is developing a landscape
oriented transboundary wildlife Q.234) When is the World Polio Day
conservation park ‘peace park’, in observed?
association with which country(s)? [A] October 11
[A] Japan [B] October 24
[B] Bhutan [C] October 27
[C] Nepal [D] October 14
[D] Both A and B [E] October 20
[E] Both B and C
Q.235) Which company has won the
Q.230) In which state is the Swarnamukhi DigiDhan Mission Fintech Award 2018-
river located? 2019 for overall performance in digital
[A] Telangana payments?
[B] Andhra Pradesh [A] Paytm
 133

[B] ePayLater [D] Penna

[C] BharatPe [E] Bhima
[D] Axis Bank
[E] Yes Bank
Q.241) Which state has launched the
Q.236) Who has won the Sakharov Prize Strategic Action Plan to eliminate child
for Freedom of Thought 2019 for marriages from the state by 2030 in
protecting the rights of Uighur minority association with UNICEF and United
people in China? Nations Population Fund?
[A] Riva Mathur [A] Maharashtra
[B] John Muir [B] Uttar Pradesh
[C] Ilham Tohti [C] Bihar
[D] Rachel Carson [D] Rajasthan
[E] Edward Abbey [E] Odisha

Q.237) Which one is the official mascot of Q.242) Which of the following statement
Tokyo 2020 Olympics? is true about the Indian Ocean Dipole
[A] Miraitowa effect?
[B] Borobi [A] It warms up the western basin of the
[C] Clyde Indian Ocean to create a low pressure
[D] Scottie which causes storms and heavy rains
[E] Karak [B] It is a phenomenon in the equatorial
Pacific which causes dry season (deficit
Q.238) What is India’s men’s team rain in India)
position in the FIFA ranking? [C] It is a phenomenon which causes
[A] 99 heavy rains in India
[B] 111 [D] It helps in North East Monsoon by
[C] 85 causing heavy rains
[D] 57 [E] All of the Above
[E] 106
Q.243) Which of the following agency(s)
Q.239) Who has written the True Meaning is implementing the IndiGen Genome
of Yoga book? project?
[A] Ajahn Amaro [A] National Brain Research Centre
[B] Nyanatiloka [B] Centre for DNA Fingerprinting &
[C] Bhante Sujato Diagnostics
[D] AiR [C] Institute of Stem Cell Biology and
[E] Sylvia Boorstein Regenerative Medicine
[D] National Centre for Cell Science
Q.240) On which river is the Srisailam [E] Council of Scientific and Industrial
Dam constructed? Research
[A] Godawari
[B] Krishna Q.244) When did India become a part of
[C] Kaveri the Missile Technology Control Regime?
 134

[A] 2016 Q.249) What is India’s rank in the first

[B] 2015 ever Global Health Security Index 2019?
[C] 2017 [A] 147
[D] 2018 [B] 82
[E] 2014 [C] 155
[D] 91
Q.245) When was the AMRUT scheme [E] 57
launched by Ministry of Housing and
Urban Affairs? Q.250) Which of the following BRICS
[A] 2011 country has received $300 million loan
[B] 2009 from New Development Bank for its
[C] 2016 Renewable Energy Sector Development
[D] 2019 Project?
[E] 2015 [A] Brazil
[B] Russia
Q.246) Which state has recently increased [C] India
the minimum wages of workers to [D] China
₹14,842 per month against the national [E] South Africa
level of ₹4,628 per month?
[A] Madhya Pradesh Q.251) Which of the following is not a
[B] Maharashtra recommendation of high-level advisory
[C] Delhi group on trade and policy, headed by
[D] West Bengal Surjit S Bhalla?
[E] Assam [A] Set up a simpler regulatory and tax
framework for overseas investment
Q.247) What is the name of the first ever funds to facilitate FDI in agro-processing
joint army exercise to be held between [B] Form a single ministry for the
India and Uzbekistan? regulation of medical devices across the
[A] Dustlik value chain
[B] Armenia [C] Make Invest India as the centralized
[C] Sampriti authority for issuing licences which will
[D] Vinbax then become answerable to a set of
[E] Nagah ministers
[D] Enhance the capital base of the EXIM
Q.248) Sakala is the service delivery Bank by Rs 20,000 crore by 2022
system of which state? (Recently, PM [E] None of the Above
Modi praised it for disseminating govt
services to citizens efficiently.) Q.252) Which bank has launched a co-
[A] Telangana branded healthcare insurance policy in
[B] Nagaland association with Universal Sompo General
[C] Arunachal Pradesh Insurance Company Ltd.?
[D] Kerala [A] UCO Bank
[E] Karnataka [B] Indian Overseas Bank
[C] Bandhan Bank
 135

[D] HDFC Bank [C] 3

[E] Axis Bank [D] 4
[E] 5
Q.253) What is the name of the book
written by Nobel Prize winners Abhijit Q.258) Where is the U23 Senior World
Banerjee and Esther Duflo? Wrestling Championships being
[A] Postcapitalism: A Guide to Our Future organized?
[B] Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to [A] Austria
Lead [B] Bulgaria
[C] Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist [C] Poland
Explores the Hidden Side of Everything [D] Hungary
[D] The Upside of Inequality: How Good [E] Romania
Intentions Undermine the Middle Class
[E] Good Economics for Hard Times Q.259) Who among the following has
created a world record 100m backstroke
Q.254) With which mutual fund is the at the International Swimming League by
BNP Paribas Mutual Funds merging? becoming the first woman to dip below 55
[A] ICICI Prudential Equity & Debt Fund seconds at 54.89 sec?
[B] Axis Bluechip Fund [A] Katie Ledecky
[C] Baroda Mutual Funds [B] Sarah Sjöström
[D] HDFC Small Cap Fund [C] Leisel Jones
[E] L&T Midcap Fund [D] Rebecca Soni
[E] Minna Atherton
Q.255) Which batswoman has won the
Wisden India Almanack Cricketer of the Q.260) Which two countries have
Year award? discovered the footprints a monstrous
[A] Smriti Mandhana galaxy being called as ‘Cosmic Yeti’ galaxy
[B] Ellyse Perry in early universe?
[C] Suzie Bates [A] USA
[D] Meg Lanning [B] Australia
[E] Mithali Raj [C] Canada
[D] Both A and B
Q.256) Who has won the men’s singles [E] Both B and C
2nd edition of World Deaf tennis
championship 2019? Q.261) Which Indian institute has topped
[A] Prithvi Sekhar in the 15th edition of the FT ranking of
[B] Vishnu Vardhan Masters in Management programmes?
[C] Mahesh Bhupathi [A] IIM-Bangalore
[D] Somdev Devvraman [B] IIM-Kota
[E] Rohan Bopanna [C] IIM-Chennai
[D] IIM-Calcutta
Q.257) What is Rafael Nadal’s ATP rank? [E] IIM-Ahmedabad
[A] 1
[B] 2
 136

Q.262) Which state has signed a Letter of [D] Michel Clinton

Understanding with UNICEF to get the [E] Reinhold Messner
technical assistance for its “drink from tap
mission”? Q.267) Who heads the committee of
[A] Maharashtra secretaries set up by govt to resolve the
[B] Odisha financial stress in the telecom sector?
[C] Telangana [A] Amit Agarwal
[D] Andhra Pradesh [B] Rajiv Gauba
[E] Assam [C] Amitabh Kant
[D] Rakesh Sundaranjan
Q.263) Which state is set to become the [E] P K Chaudhary
first in India to bring port-related services
under the ambit of Ease of Doing Business Q.268) Who is the CEO of NVIDIA?
by launching the SMARTPORT initiative? [A] Jensen Huang
[A] Gujarat [B] Marc Benioff
[B] Andhra Pradesh [C] François-Henri Pinault
[C] Telangana [D] Yong Chu
[D] West Bengal [E] Qu Dongyu
[E] Karnataka
Q.269) Which Indian CEO is at the highest
Q.264) How many MoU did India sign with position in the Best-Performing CEOs in
Saudi Arabia during Future Investment the World 2019 list compiled by Harvard
Initiative held in Riyadh? Business Review?
[A] 10 [A] Satya Nadella
[B] 8 [B] Sundar Pichai
[C] 21 [C] Indra Nooyi
[D] 12 [D] Shantanu Narayen
[E] 6 [E] Ajay Banga

Q.265) Prakritik Kheti Khushal Kisan Q.270) Recently, Bombay Stock Exchange
Yojana is the scheme of which state? has got approval from IRDAI to start
[A] Himachal Pradesh insurance broking business in partnership
[B] Uttarakhand with _____?
[C] Arunachal Pradesh [A] Charles Schwab
[D] Chhattisgarh [B] JPMorgan Chase
[E] West Bengal [C] The Vanguard Group
[D] Fidelity
Q.266) Who has become the speediest [E] Ebix
person in the world to climb 14 highest
peaks (above 8,000 meters) in just 7 Q.271) With which company has Adani
months? Group signed an MoU to develop and
[A] Nirmal Purja operate data centres in India?
[B] Keshav Nanda [A] Adobe
[C] Robert Clive [B] Microsoft
 137

[C] Intel [A] 10

[D] Digital Realty [B] 12
[E] Vision [C] 21
[D] 41
Q.272) Who has been appointed as the [E] 20
47th Chief Justice of India?
[A] Madan Lokur Q.277) Who has won the Erste Bank
[B] A S Bopanna Open/Vienna Open 2019?
[C] Kurian Joseph [A] Rafael Nadal
[D] N V Ramana [B] Novak Djokovic
[E] S A Bodbe [C] Dominic Thiem
[D] Sumit Nagal
Q.273) Who has been appointed as the [E] Andre Agassi
new Director General of the International
Atomic Energy Agency? Q.278) Which animal (from Antarctica)
[A] Tim Cook has recently been listed as ‘near
[B] Lisa Su threatened’ in the Red List of
[C] Rafael Mariano Grossi International Union for Conservation of
[D] Rich Lesser Nature?
[E] Doug Parker [A] Emperor Penguin
[B] Macaroni Penguin
Q.274) Which of the following is not a [C] Leopard Seal
category under the National CSR Awards? [D] Krill
[A] Corporate Award for Excellence in CSR [E] Fanfin Angler
[B] Contribution of CSR in Challenging
Circumstances Q.279) Who has written The Unquiet
[C] Contribution of CSR in National Priority River: A Biography of the Brahmaputra
Areas book?
[D] Contribution of CSR towards Women [A] Arupjyoti Saikia
Empowerment [B] Romesh Gunesekera's
[E] None of the Above [C] Vikram Seth
[D] Ruskin Bond
Q.275) Which Indian company has [E] Robert Evans
received the SEED Low Carbon Awards
2019 by UN? Q.280) Who among the following is
[A] Aikya Organics referred to as the "Father of the electronic
[B] Agenus media" of Arunachal Pradesh? (He passed
[C] Bajaj Allianz General Insurance away recently)
[D] HCL Technologies [A] Taro Chatung
[E] IMS Group [B] Tomo Riba
[C] Mukut Mithi
Q.276) How many medals has India won [D] Dorjee Khandu
at the 7th CISM Military World Games [E] Nabam Tuki
held in China?
 138

Q.281) Where will the 15th G20

summit 2020 be held? Q.285) Which of the following state
[A] UAE has become the first state in India to
[B] Saudi Arabia enact a law – Agricultural Produce
[C] Kuwait and Livestock Contract Farming and
[D] Qatar Services (Promotion and Facilitation)
[E] Azerbaijan Act – for contract farming?
[A] Maharashtra
Q.282) With which country’s General [B] Tamil Nadu
Authority of Military Industries has [C] Gujarat
India’s Department of Defence [D] Madhya Pradesh
Production signed an MoU for [E] Assam
collaboration in military acquisition,
industries, research, development Q.286) What is the total number of
and technology? signatory countries of International
[A] UAE Solar Alliance?
[B] Bahrain [A] 81
[C] Myanmar [B] 83
[D] Philippines [C] 57
[E] Saudi Arabia [D] 79
[E] 121
Q.283) Which of the following
budget carrier has been appointed as Q.287) By which year has the
the member of International Air Ministry of Health and Family
Transport Association? Welfare pledged to eliminate
[A] SpiceJet the Lymphatic Filariasis?
[B] IndiGo [A] 2024
[C] Air India [B] 2022
[D] GoAir [C] 2021
[E] JetConnect [D] 2023
[E] 2025
Q.284) Which institute has developed
the first ever Indian Brain Atlas to Q.288) Which company has launched
study age-related effects on brain? the world’s 1st blockchain enabled
[A] IIIT-Hyderabad carbon trading exchange?
[B] IIT-Bangalore [A] DBS Group Holdings
[C] IIT-Mysore [B] Jardine Matheson Holdings
[D] IIT-Chennai [C] United Overseas Bank
[E] IIT-Bombay [D] Wilmar International
 139

[E] AirCarbon Pte Drug Situation in the Northeast

organized?
Q.289) When is the World Cities Day? [A] Arunachal Pradesh
[B] Manipur
[A] October 31
[C] Mizoram
[B] October 21 [D] Meghalaya
[C] October 15 [E] Tripura
[D] October 23
[E] October28 Q.294) Which of the following railway
station has not topped in the Railway
Q.290) Who has won the Rakuten Cleanliness Survey 2019?
Japan Open 2019? [A] Jaipur
[B] Durgapura
[A] Dominic Thiem
[C] Jodhpur
[B] Novak Djokovic [D] Faizabad
[C] Nicolas Mahut [E] None of the Above
[D] Rafael Nadal
[E] Roger Federer Q.295) Mukhyamantri Suposhan Abhiyaan
is the scheme of which state?
Q.291) Which state has launched three [A] Tamil Nadu
“Saksham Eco Mart” outlets to sell jute [B] Kerala
and cloth bags and to provide [C] Maharashtra
employment to women as well? [D] Rajasthan
[A] Maharashtra [E] Chhattisgarh
[B] Kerala
[C] Meghalaya Q.296) When was Pradhan Mantri Sahaj
[D] Mizoram Bijli Har Ghar Yojana “Saubhagya”
[E] Delhi launched?
[A] 2011
Q.292) Which state has launched the [B] 2019
Village and Ward Secretariat system to [C] 2017
ensure that the government services [D] 2015
reach the last mile citizen? [E] 2018
[A] Telangana
[B] Andhra Pradesh Q.297) Where will the C40 Summit be
[C] Karnataka held?
[D] Kerala [A] Copenhagen
[E] Odisha [B] Zagreb
[C] Athens
Q.293) Where was the Regional [D] Stockholm
Conference on Developing a [E] Kiev
Comprehensive Approach: Combating
Illicit Trafficking of Afghan Opiates and Q.298) With which bank has the Indian
Army signed an MoU to provide new and
 140

better banking experience for both [A] Indonesia

serving and retired personnel of Indian [B] Thailand
Army? [C] India
[A] HSBC Bank [D] China
[B] SBI [E] Russia
[C] Punjab National Bank
[D] Allahabad Bank Q.304) Who has won the 13th edition of
[E] Bank of Baroda the Hero Indian Women’s Open 2019?
[A] Christine Wolf
Q.299) Who has been appointed as the [B] Park Inbee
MD and CEO of Punjab National Bank? [C] Korda Nelly
[A] SS Mallikarjuna Rao [D] Sung Hyun Park
[B] Ravneet Gill [E] Jin-Young Ko
[C] Rana Kapoor
[D] Shikha Sharma Q.305) Who is the writer of The Tech
[E] Sandeep Bakshi Whisperer?
[A] Jaspreet Bindra
Q.300) Who has been appointed as the [B] Abhindra Ghosal
CEO of MyGov website? [C] Priyal Gupta
[A] Kunal Kumar [D] Krishna Vattal
[B] Shekhar Dutt [E] Priya Sanghvi
[C] Abhishek Singh
[D] Pranab Khemu Q.306) With which institute has the
[E] Pranab Sehgal Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to
launch the e-Dantseva website and mobile
Q.301) Where has India’s largest ‘charkha’ app?
been inaugurated? [A] Dental Council of India
[A] Meghalaya [B] University of Kerala
[B] Mizoram [C] All India Institute of Medical Sciences
[C] Arunachal Pradesh [D] Pharmacy Council of India
[D] Maharashtra [E] Pasteur Institute of India
[E] Uttar Pradesh
Q.307) With which country does India
Q.302) What is the rank of PV Sindhu in hold the Ekuverin exercise?
the latest BWF Ranking 2019? [A] Maldives
[A] 5 [B] Mongolia
[B] 6 [C] Malaysia
[C] 3 [D] Malta
[D] 2 [E] Madagascar
[E] 4
Q.308) With which company has the
Q.303) Which country has won the BWF Start-up Bangladesh signed a Government
World junior mixed team badminton to Business MoU?
championships 2019? [A] AngelPrime
 141

[B] Tata Consultancy Group [E] 99.7

[C] HCL Technology
[D] Infosys Q.313) According to the new circular of
[E] Tech Mahindra SEBI on mutual funds, the existing
exposure of 15% to unlisted Non-
Q.309) What is the name of the open Convertible Debentures needs to be
water rafting and kayaking expedition on brought down to ___ of the scheme’s
Ganga river, launched by Ministry of Jal portfolio by 30 June 2020?
Shakti to raise awareness about the [A] 12%
importance of Ganga? [B] 10%
[A] Ganga Sangam [C] 5%
[B] Ganga Samgrashakti [D] 8%
[C] Ganga Amrut [E] 9%
[D] Ganga Aamantran
[E] Ganga Mukti Q.314) Who has been appointed as the
head of the working group formed by
Q.310) In which two countries has India Insurance Regulatory and Development
installed smart LED streetlights as part of Authority of India to review the product
the neighbourhood first policy to create a structure of title insurance?
new energy security architecture for these [A] T L Alamelu
countries? [B] Harish Chander
[A] Sri Lanka and Afghanistan [C] Mahesh Bhatia
[B] Afghanistan and Bahrain [D] Brijesh Kamang
[C] Nepal and Bhutan [E] Tulsi Das
[D] Maldives and Bangladesh
[E] Myanmar and Sri Lanka Q.315) When is World Habitat Day
observed?
Q.311) With which bank has the U GRO [A] October 7
Capital signed its first co-origination [B] October 17
agreement? [C] October 15
[A] Bank of Maharashtra [D] October 23
[B] Bank of Baroda [E] October 11
[C] Indian Bank
[D] ICICI Bank Q.316) Who among the following has not
[E] Axis Bank been awarded with the Nobel prize 2019
for Physics?
Q.312) What is level of the Current [A] Michel Mayor
Situation Index (a part of the RBI’s [B] Didier Queloz
Consumer Confidence Survey 2019) in [C] James Peebles
September? [D] James P Allison
[A] 89.4 [E] None of the Above
[B] 95.7
[C] 67.3 Q.317) What is Sumit Nagal’s rank in the
[D] 91.0 ATP men’s singles rankings?
 142

[A] 112 disaster-related information to fishermen

[B] 127 (particularly) when they are 10 to 12 km
[C] 121 away from the coast?
[D] 134 [A] Gagan
[E] 129 [B] Narang
[C] Sanjivni
Q.318) Where will the IAAF World [D] Gemini
Athletics Championship 2021 be held? [E] Tarang
[A] USA
[B] Hungary Q.323) What is the name of the new
[C] Canada initiative launched by Ministry of Health
[D] Australia and Family Welfare to end the
[E] Belgium preventable maternal and new born
deaths?
Q.319) Who has become the youngest [A] Mamata
player to take a T20I hat-trick? [B] Suraksha
[A] Mohammad Sharif [C] Suman
[B] Mohammad Hasnain [D] Kusum
[C] SR Tendulkar [E] Matritava
[D] Zahid Fazal
[E] Ata-ur-Rehman Q.324) For how many African nations has
the Ministry of External Affairs opened e-
Q.320) What is India’s position in the IAAF Vidyabharti (tele-education) and e-
World Athletics Championship 2019? ArogyaBharti (Tele-Medicine) projects?
[A] 43 [A] 44
[B] 58 [B] 48
[C] 69 [C] 54
[D] 71 [D] 53
[E] 84 [E] 61

Q.321) With which institute has Ministry Q.325) Where will the 3rd Leaders’
of Skill Development and Summit of Regional Comprehensive
Entrepreneurship partnered to launch the Economic Partnership be held?
Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship [A] Thailand
programme to boost skill development at [B] Japan
the district level? [C] China
[A] IIT-Delhi [D] Australia
[B] IIM Bangalore [E] India
[C] IISc Bangalore
[D] IIM Ahmedabad Q.326) What is the new revised rate of the
[E] IIM Kota Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief
to all central government employees and
Q.322) What is the name of the new pensioners?
device launched by govt to provide [A] 15%
 143

[B] 12% Q.331) Who has been awarded with the

[C] 5% Order of Courage, one of its highest
[D] 11% honours of Russia?
[E] 17% [A] Nick Hague
[B] Frank B. McDonald
Q.327) According to the “World [C] Noel Hinners
Development Report 2020: Trading for [D] Shannon Lucid
Development in the Age of Global Value [E] John M. Grunsfeld
Chains” report of World Bank, Global
value chains account for nearly ___ of Q.332) Who has won the maximum
trade worldwide? number of medals in the world gymnastics
[A] 45 championships?
[B] 50 [A] Svetlana Khorkina
[C] 60 [B] Gina Gogean
[D] 65 [C] Simone Biles
[E] 75 [D] Larisa Latynina
[E] Nellie Kim
Q.328) How many District Co-operative
Banks are being merged with Kerala State Q.333) Which country has been ranked
Co-operative Bank to form the Kerala first in the ICC ODI women’s ranking?
Bank? [A] India
[A] 12 [B] England
[B] 8 [C] New Zealand
[C] 5 [D] Australia
[D] 10 [E] West Indies
[E] 13
Q.334) Who has been ranked as the best
Q.329) When is the World Mental Health batswoman in the ICC T20I women’s
Day observed? ranking?
[A] 10 October [A] Suzie Bates
[B] 10 September [B] Mithali Raj
[C] 10 November [C] Alyssa Haley
[D] 10 June [D] Stafanie Taylor
[E] 10 August [E] Beth Mooney

Q.330) Who has been awarded with the Q.335) Who is the author of the book
Nobel Prize in Literature for the year Carpenters and Kings: Western
2019? Christianity and the Idea of India?
[A] Olga Tokarczuk [A] Siddhartha Sarma
[B] Peter Handke [B] Barkha Bisht
[C] T M Edison [C] Harsh Vardhan
[D] Henrik Eliot [D] Harivansh Rai
[E] Brien Thomas [E] Mukul Jaiswal
 144

Q.336) What is the annual outlay of Yuva [C] Assam

Sahakar-Cooperative Enterprise Support [D] Arunachal Pradesh
and Innovation Scheme 2019 launched by [E] Delhi
the Ministry for Agriculture Narendra
Singh Tomar? Q.341) With which country has India
[A] Rs 500 crore jointly launched the Local Treatment of
[B] Rs 200 crore Urban Sewage Streams for Healthy Reuse
[C] Rs 100 crore or LOTUS-HR?
[D] Rs 1000 crore [A] France
[E] Rs 800 crore [B] Switzerland
[C] Denmark
Q.337) Who has topped the Edelgive [D] Netherland
Hurun India Philanthropy List 2019? [E] Australia
[A] Shiv Nadar
[B] Ratan Tata Q.342) According to the “The State of the
[C] Mukesh Ambani World’s Children Report” 2019 released
[D] Azim Premji by UNICEF, ____ children are still stunted?
[E] Satya Nadella [A] 149 million
[B] 238 million
Q.338) With which institute has [C] 321 million
ExxonMobil Research and Engineering [D] 440 million
Company signed an agreement to jointly [E] 147 million
conduct research in energy and biofuels
for 5-years? Q.343) What is the new financial
[A] IIT-Delhi assistance to be given to farmers under
[B] IIT-Kolkata the YSR Rythu Bharosa scheme?
[C] IIT-Kharagpur [A] Rs 11,100 per annum
[D] IIT-Ropar [B] Rs 13,500 per annum
[E] IIT-Madras [C] Rs 10,120 per annum
[D] Rs 9,500 per annum
Q.339) What is the name of the app on [E] Rs 15,500 per annu
Intellectual Property Rights launched by
Department for Promotion of Industry Q.344) Who heads 9-member panel
and Internal Trade? formed by IRDAI to suggest amendments
[A] IPR2Pro to the Reinsurance, Foreign Reinsurance
[B] GO:IP Branches and Lloyd’s India regulations?
[C] L2Pro India [A] TR Alamelu
[D] MaxIP [B] P K Sinha
[E] IPRsAvy [C] Raj Khattar
[D] Bala Krishanan
Q.340) Where did the ‘One Nation One [E] Aruna Sundaranjana
Tag – FASTag’ conference take place?
[A] West Bengal Q.345) Which company has decided to
[B] Maharashtra buy 37.4% stake in Adani Gas?
 145

[A] BP [B] Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue

[B] Nobel Oil Group [C] Our Lady of Glory Church
[C] Total SA of France [D] Flora Fountain
[D] Sonangol Group [E] Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and
[E] Madagascar Oil Arts

Q.346) Who has been appointed as the Q.351) Where will the 5th edition of
President of Tunisia? World Coffee Conference and Expo
[A] Paul Kaba 2020 be held?
[B] Pierre Nkurunziza [A] Karnataka
[C] Joseph Ngute
[B] Tamil Nadu
[D] Jorge Carlos Fonseca
[E] Kais Saied [C] Meghalaya
[D] Arunachal Pradesh
Q.347) When is World Standards Day [E] Punjab
observed?
[A] October 14 Q.352) What is India’s rank in the
[B] October 15 World Giving Index 2019?
[C] October 13 [A] 53
[D] October 12
[B] 61
[E] October 11
[C] 72
Q.348) Who among the following has won [D] 82
the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences [E] 100
2019?
[A] Abhijit Banerjee Q.353) What is India’s score in the
[B] N K Singh Women, Business and the Law 2019?
[C] R Subramanian [A] 81.96
[D] Gopalnath Krishnan
[B] 63.11
[E] K Kasturiranjan
[C] 71.25
Q.349) Who has won the Booker Prize [D] 56.11
2019? [E] 87.90
[A] Margaret Atwood
[B] Bernardine Evaristo Q.354) On whose name is the
[C] Michel Kremer Chenani- Nashri tunnel being
[D] Both A and B renamed?
[E] Both A and C
[A] Lala Lajpat Rai
Q.350) Which of the following site has [B] Rajendra Prasad
won the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for [C] APJ Abdul Kalam
Cultural Heritage Conservation in the [D] Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
Award of Excellence category? [E] Mahatma Gandhi
[A] Vikram Sarabhai Library
 146

Q.355) What is the population of Q.359) Which company has launched

cattle, according to the 20th livestock the “Team Cashless India” initiative
census? to boost digital payments in India?
[A] 192.49 million [A] Visa
[B] 112.12 million [B] Rupay
[C] 242.12 million [C] UPI
[D] 145.90 million [D] Bharat Pe
[E] 555.71 million [E] Mastercard

Q.356) Which ministry has launched Q.360) What is the new minimum net
the Van Dhan Internship Program? worth threshold for Bharat Bill
[A] Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Payment Operating Unit under the
Fisheries and Diary new on-tap authorization guidelines
[B] Ministry of Environment, Forest of RBI?
and Climate Change [A] Rs 100 crore
[C] Ministry of Skill Development and [B] Rs 75 crore
Entrepreneurship [C] Rs 25 crore
[D] Ministry of Tribal Affairs [D] Rs 200 crore
[E] Ministry of Social Justice and [E] Rs 500 crore
Empowerment
Q.361) Who has been appointed as
Q.357) Which country has launched the first independent female director
the first ever AI university in the of International Cricket Council?
world? [A] Inderjit Singh
[A] USA [B] Narinder Batra
[B] England [C] Indra Nooyi
[C] France [D] Nalin Batra
[D] UAE [E] JPS Chawla
[E] China
Q.362) When is the International Day
Q.358) Which country has recently for the Eradication of Poverty
leased the Tulagi Island in Solomon observed?
Island? [A] August 12
[A] Russia [B] September 27
[B] Japan [C] October 17
[C] Taiwan [D] November 11
[D] China [E] December 14
[E] Philippines
 147

Q.363) Who has won the Golden Q.367) Where has the Colonel
Shoe for the 2018/19 season award? Chewang Rinchen Setu/Bridge been
[A] Cristiano Ronaldo inaugurated?
[B] Lionel Messi [A] J&K
[C] Fabio Fognini [B] Ladakh
[D] Zinedine Zidane [C] Meghalaya
[E] Luka Modrić [D] Assam
[E] Arunachal Pradesh
Q.364) Archaeological Survey of India
is planning to declare Rangdum Q.368) What is the name of the joint
monastery as the monument of naval exercise between India and
National Importance. Where is the Myanmar?
monastery located? [A] Raksha Setu
[A] J&K [B] EXINMY
[B] Ladakh [C] Konkan
[C] Uttarakhand [D] IMNEX
[D] Nagaland [E] MALIN
[E] Arunachal Pradesh
Q.369) Which state’s govt has spent
Q.365) What is the percentage of the most in irrigation during 2015-19,
Indian babies aged 6 to 23 months according to the Care Ratings’ new
not receiving the minimum dietary study?
diversity according to the State of the [A] Andhra Pradesh
World’s Children 2019? [B] Karnataka
[A] 60% [C] Orissa
[B] 80% [D] Telangana
[C] 70% [E] Maharashtra
[D] 50%
[E] 55% Q.370) Where will the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation summit be
Q.366) Who has written the ‘Dewas held?
Ki Sanskritik Parampara’ book? [A] Chile
[A] Jeevan Singh Thakur [B] Peru
[B] Rashi Jangir [C] Canada
[C] Vimal Thakur [D] Argentine
[D] Suresh Priyal [E] Brazil
[E] Hemant Ghosh
Q.371) Under which country’s
presidency will the G20 Okayama
 148

Health Ministers’ Meeting be Award” 2019 by Vice President

conducted? Venkaiyah Naidu?
[A] Japan [A] Prashant Mohanty
[B] India [B] Prakash Kishtwar
[C] China [C] Piyush Mohan
[D] USA [D] K Parasaran
[E] England [E] Pramod Chauhan

Q.372) Which company has launched Q.376) Who has won the European
the first-of-its-kind video calling Open 2019?
service ‘i-SERV’ within the life [A] Rafael Nadal
insurance industry? [B] Andre Agassi
[A] Life Insurance Corporation of [C] Ivan Lendl
India [D] Andy Murray
[B] Max Life Insurance Co. Ltd. [E] Dominic Thiem
[C] Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance
[D] Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance Co. Q.377) Which country has won the
Ltd. Sultan of Johor Cup 2019?
[E] SBI Life Insurance Co. Ltd. [A] India
[B] Malaysia
Q.373) With which company has [C] Qatar
Synchrony partnered to launch the [D] Britain
Venmo’s first co-branded credit card? [E] Spain
[A] PayPal
[B] Google Pay Q.378) Who among the following are
[C] Amazon Pay the editors of the ‘Bridgital Nation:
[D] Lazy Pay Solving Technology’s People Problem’
[E] Paytm (collection of articles on climate
change)?
Q.374) When is World Statistics Day [A] N. Chandrasekaran
observed? [B] Roopa Purushothaman
[A] October 11 [C] Mehul Prakash
[B] October 20 [D] Both A and B
[C] October 1 [E] Both A and C
[D] October 29
[E] October 31 Q.379) Bali Jatra is the biggest and
annual festival (trade fairs) of which
Q.375) Who has been awarded with state?
the “Most Eminent Senior Citizen [A] Telangana
 149

[B] Odisha [A] Sudarshan Chakra Vahini

[C] Andhra Pradesh [B] Varun
[D] Kerala [C] Bahubal
[D] Yudh Abhyas
[E] Karnataka
[E] Ekuverin

Q.380) How many Indians are Q.384) What is the name of the global ad,
estimated to be either osteoporotic to be launched by WHO, on global hunger
with less than T-score 2.5 or have a and malnutrition?
low bone mass with T-Score ranging [A] Make a Hunger Free World
between 1 to 2.5? [B] Create a New World
[A] 20 million [C] Fight the Poverty
[D] Zero Hunger
[B] 10 million
[E] Feed Our Future
[C] 40 million
[D] 50 million Q.385) With which country does India
[E] 25 million conduct bilateral exercise Shakti?
[A] Sri Lanka
Q.381) Which state has signed 2 MoU [B] New Zealand
with the Software Technology Park of [C] Myanmar
India to establish have signed 2 MoU a [D] Australia
start-up centre and IT park in the state? [E] France
[A] Maharashtra
[B] Goa Q.386) Where is Global Forum on Steel
[C] Punjab Excess Capacity being held?
[D] Haryana [A] China
[E] Delhi [B] Japan
[C] Russia
Q.382) With which country has India [D] Brazil
signed 8 MoU regarding the Programme [E] Argentine
of Scientific and Technological
Cooperation for the period 2020-2022, for Q.387) When was the Pradhan Mantri
cleaning Ganga among other things during National Dialysis Programme launched?
President Ram Nath Kovind’s visit to the [A] 2010
nation? [B] 2013
[A] Guinea [C] 2016
[B] Gambia [D] 2017
[C] Brunei [E] 2018
[D] Slovenia
[E] Nigeria Q.388) Which country has discovered the
World’s oldest known natural pearl at a
Q.383) Which of the following exercise is Neolithic site at Marawah Island?
being conducted by Indian Army (for 2 [A] Saudi Arabia
days) at Jaisalmer, Rajasthan? [B] UAE
 150

[C] Iraq [A] September 12

[D] Bolivia [B] October 21
[E] Estonia [C] August 22
[D] July 24
Q.389) According to a study by the Credit [E] November 28
Suisse, total wealth in India has increased
to _____ in 2019? Q.394) Recently, sportsperson Dadu
[A] $12.6 trillion Chougule has passed away. With which
[B] $21.6 trillion sport was he related to?
[C] $37.6 trillion [A] Wrestling
[D] $45.6 trillion [B] Boxing
[E] $19.6 trillion [C] Gymnastics
[D] Hockey
Q.390) Which country has registered the [E] Chess
highest patent application in 2018,
according to the World Intellectual Q.395) Who has written the Dark Fear,
Property Indicators 2019? Eerie Cities book?
[A] China [A] Šarūnas Paunksnis
[B] India [B] Peter Hawk
[C] USA [C] Harold Pinter
[D] Japan [D] William Dawk
[E] Russia [E] Lara Manchester

Q.391) How much amount has been Q.396) Where was the 29th ministerial
raised by NBFC and HFC during 2018-19 meeting of the BASIC group held?
through securitization route, according to [A] Russia
ICRA Ratings? [B] South Africa
[A] ₹2.36 tn [C] China
[B] ₹1.0 tn [D] India
[C] ₹3.33 tn [E] Brazil
[D] ₹7.06 tn
[E] ₹5.92 tn Q.397) Which country is the world’s
largest crude steel producer, according to
Q.392) When is World Iodine Deficiency the data of World Steel Association 2019?
Day observed? [A] India
[A] October 11 [B] China
[B] October 19 [C] Russia
[C] October 21 [D] Japan
[D] October 18 [E] USA
[E] October 5
Q.398) Which of the following district has
Q.393) When is the 61st edition of been declared as the first Kerosene-free
National Police Commemoration Day district of Gujarat?
observed? [A] Amreli
 151

[B] Bhavnagar Q.403) What is the name of the first super

[C] Chhota Udaipur cyclone developed in Arabian Sea?
[D] Dang [A] Kyarr
[E] Gandhinagar [B] Maha
[C] Fani
Q.399) Recently, City Montessori School [D] Phailin
has entered into the Guinness World [E] Ockhi
Record for becoming the 'world's largest
school' in terms of strength of students. Q.404) Which cities has been included by
Where is the school located? World Bank in computing its ease of doing
[A] Uttar Pradesh business report?
[B] Gujarat [A] Surat
[C] West Bengal [B] Kolkata
[D] Maharashtra [C] Bangalore
[E] Mizoram [D] Both A and B
[E] Both B and C
Q.400) What is the theme of the DEFCOM
2019? Q.405) Who among the following has
[A] Communications as a Decisive Catalyst been appointed as the 1st governor of
for Jointness Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir?
[B] Digital transformation of Defence [A] Girish Chandra Murmu
[C] Leveraging Communication in Defence [B] Radha Krishna Mathur
[D] ICT for Improved Communication in [C] Satya Pal Malik
Defence [D] P S Sreedharan Pillai
[E] None of the Above [E] Vijayendra

Q.401) Which country has been chosen as Q.406) Who has been appointed as the
the chair of ASEAN for 2020? director general of the Bureau of Indian
[A] Vietnam Standards?
[B] Philippines [A] Pramod Kumar Tiwari
[C] Malaysia [B] K Sanjay Murthy
[D] China [C] Ganji Kamala V Rao
[E] Thailand [D] Keshav Kumar Pathak
[E] B Srinivas
Q.402) By which year does the Colombo
Declaration on Sustainable Nitrogen Q.407) Which golfer has secured his
Management aim to halve nitrogen career’s 82nd title by winning the Zozo
waste? Championship 2019?
[A] 2025 [A] Rory Mcllroy
[B] 2030 [B] Brooks Koepka
[C] 2024 [C] Tiger Woods
[D] 2035 [D] Justin Rose
[E] 2050 [E] Dustin Johnson
 152

Q.408) Who has won the men’s singles at [B] Solomon Island
the YONEX French Open 2019 Super 750 [C] Nauru
(badminton tour)? [D] Poland
[A] Chen Long [E] Cuba
[B] Srikanth Kidambi
[C] Nick Krygios Q.410) With which field was C
[D] John McEnroe Raghavachari related to?
[E] Pete Samprass [A] Journalism
[B] Literature
Q.409) Which country has, for the first [C] Athletics
time, been selected for men’s ICC T20 [D] Music
world cup? [E] Dancing
[A] Papua New Guinea

1 B 51 A 101 C 151 A 201 D 251 E 301 E 351 A 401 A

2 D 52 E 102 D 152 E 202 A 252 B 302 B 352 D 402 B
3 D 53 A 103 D 153 E 203 B 253 E 303 A 353 C 403 A
4 A 54 B 104 D 154 E 204 E 254 C 304 A 354 D 404 E
5 E 55 A 105 B 155 E 205 E 255 A 305 A 355 A 405 A
6 E 56 B 106 A 156 B 206 A 256 A 306 C 356 D 406 A
7 A 57 E 107 A 157 B 207 D 257 B 307 A 357 D 407 C
8 A 58 A 108 A 158 E 208 A 258 D 308 E 358 D 408 A
9 D 59 A 109 A 159 B 209 B 259 E 309 D 359 E 409 A
10 A 60 B 110 A 160 D 210 B 260 D 310 D 360 A 410 A
11 E 61 A 111 C 161 E 211 A 261 D 311 B 361 C
12 A 62 C 112 D 162 C 212 D 262 B 312 A 362 C
13 C 63 E 113 B 163 E 213 E 263 B 313 B 363 B
14 B 64 D 114 C 164 B 214 A 264 D 314 A 364 B
15 D 65 A 115 B 165 A 215 D 265 A 315 A 365 B
16 A 66 D 116 E 166 E 216 B 266 A 316 D 366 A
17 E 67 A 117 E 167 C 217 A 267 B 317 E 367 B
18 A 68 B 118 E 168 A 218 A 268 A 318 A 368 D
19 A 69 C 119 E 169 A 219 A 269 D 319 B 369 D
20 C 70 A 120 D 170 D 220 B 270 E 320 B 370 A
21 A 71 E 121 B 171 E 221 A 271 D 321 B 371 A
22 D 72 B 122 B 172 E 222 E 272 E 322 D 372 C
23 E 73 C 123 C 173 A 223 D 273 C 323 C 373 A
24 A 74 C 124 B 174 A 224 D 274 D 324 C 374 B
 153

25 A 75 E 125 E 175 C 225 E 275 A 325 A 375 D

26 A 76 E 126 C 176 D 226 C 276 A 326 E 376 D
27 E 77 D 127 C 177 A 227 E 277 C 327 B 377 D
28 A 78 A 128 A 178 D 228 B 278 A 328 E 378 D
29 A 79 C 129 B 179 E 229 E 279 A 329 A 379 B
30 A 80 D 130 A 180 A 230 B 280 A 330 B 380 D
31 D 81 A 131 D 181 A 231 D 281 B 331 A 381 B
32 E 82 C 132 C 182 D 232 A 282 E 332 C 382 D
33 E 83 A 133 A 183 D 233 A 283 B 333 D 383 A
34 C 84 C 134 A 184 C 234 B 284 A 334 A 384 E
35 A 85 A 135 E 185 B 235 E 285 B 335 A 385 E
36 C 86 C 136 A 186 C 236 C 286 B 336 C 386 B
37 A 87 B 137 A 187 D 237 A 287 C 337 A 387 C
38 A 88 A 138 A 188 D 238 E 288 E 338 E 388 B
39 D 89 A 139 A 189 B 239 D 289 A 339 C 389 A
40 C 90 D 140 C 190 D 240 B 290 B 340 E 390 A
41 E 91 A 141 D 191 B 241 E 291 E 341 D 391 A
42 E 92 C 142 E 192 A 242 A 292 B 342 A 392 C
43 A 93 B 143 C 193 C 243 E 293 B 343 B 393 B
44 B 94 D 144 D 194 A 244 A 294 D 344 A 394 A
45 D 95 C 145 A 195 E 245 E 295 E 345 C 395 A
46 A 96 B 146 A 196 C 246 C 296 C 346 E 396 C
47 E 97 B 147 A 197 D 247 A 297 A 347 A 397 B
48 C 98 A 148 B 198 A 248 E 298 E 348 A 398 E
49 E 99 B 149 E 199 A 249 E 299 A 349 D 399 A
50 B 100 A 150 A 200 C 250 C 300 C 350 E 400 A
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