19 September 2019 - Daily Current Affairs
1. Donald Trump appoints Robert O’Brien as new US National Security Adviser
- US President Donald Trump has appointed Robert O’Brien as the National Security Adviser (NSA) of the United States of America.
- Robert O’Brien will be replacing John Bolton who was fired by President Trump last week.
- Currently, Robert C O’Brien serving as the special presidential envoy for Hostage Affairs at the State Department.
- NSA serves as the chief in-house advisor to the President of the United States on national security issues.
- National Security Advisor (NSA) is a senior aide in the Executive Office of the President, based at the West Wing of the White House.
- The National Security Advisor is appointed by the President and does not require confirmation by the Senate.
Honour & Award
2. Jagdeep Jaffery received IIFA Lifetime Achievement award 2019
- Veteran actor Jagdeep (80-years) has been given the prestigious Lifetime Achievement honour at International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards-2019 (20th edition) ceremony in Mumbai for his contribution in the field of cinema.
- Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed Jafri (known as Jagdeep) is an Indian film actor and comedian who has appeared in more than 400 films.
- He played Soorma Bhopali in Sholay (1975), Machchar in Purana Mandir (1984), Salman Khan's dad in Andaz Apna Apna (1994) and directed the movie Soorma Bhopali, with his character as the protagonist.
- Ranveer Singh walked away with the best actor trophy for Padmaavat, Alia Bhatt won the best actress for her role in Raazi.
- The International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA Awards) are a set of awards presented annually by the International Indian Film Academy to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in Bollywood.
- The 1st IIFA Utsavam was held on 24 – 25th January 2016 at the Gachibowli Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad, India.
| S. No. | Categories | Names |
| 1. | Best film | Raazi |
| 2. | Best Actor (Male) | Ranveer Singh (Padmaavat) |
| 3. | Best Actor (Female) | Alia Bhatt (Raazi) |
| 4. | Best Director | Sriram Raghavan (Andhadhun) |
| 5. | Best Actor (In Supporting Role: Female) | Aditi Rao Hydari (Padmaavat) |
| 6. | Best Actor (In Supporting Role: Male) | Vicky Kaushal for (Sanju) |
3. Prasar Bharati funded documentary ‘Moti Bagh’ nominated for Oscars
- Short movie ‘Moti Bagh’ has been nominated for Oscars.
- The film made with the financial assistance from Prasar Bharati is about the life of an 82- years old farmer from Uttarakhand, Vidyadutt Sharma.
- Mr Sharma lives in Saanguda village of Kaljikhal block of Pauri district in Uttarakhand.
- It has been directed by a three-time national award winner Nirmal Chandra Dandariyal.
- It is the first film from Uttarakhand which will be showcased on a prestigious global platform like Oscars.
- The 92nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), will honour the best films of 2019 on 9th February 2020 in Los Angeles.
Science & Defence
4. Rajnath Singh flies on LCA Tejas in Bengaluru
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh (68-years) flew in the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas at HAL (Hindustan Aeronautical Limited) airport in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
- Tejas is a twin-seater, single-engine, delta wing, multi-role light fighter designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA).
- Tejas is produced by Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force.
- The latest test for the Indian Navy variant of Tejas is also being extensively tested in Bengaluru and Goa.
International Affairs
5. Sri Lanka unveils South Asia’s Tallest Tower in Colombo
- Sri Lanka has unveiled South Asia’s tallest tower called ‘Lotus Tower’ in Colombo.
- The Lotus Tower (17-storey) is spread over an area of 30,600 sq. metres, with a height of 350-metre and overall cost, is above USD 100 million.
- The Lotus Tower will function as a TV tower, a hotel, a shopping mall and a conference centre.
Note:
- In 2012, Sri Lanka and China signed the Lotus Tower agreement to build the tower, with China National Electronics Import and Export Corporation being the general contractor.
Source: Times of India
Banking & Finance
6. Airtel Payments Bank launches ‘Bharosa’ savings account
- Airtel Payments Bank has launched ‘Bharosa’ savings account services, designed for deepening the financial inclusion in the country.
- Bharosa savings account would offer Rs 5 lakh personal accident insurance on maintaining the balance of Rs 500 along with one debit transaction per month.
- Customers would also be eligible for cashback, if they decided to receive government subsidies in their Bharosa account or if they made cash deposits in it.
- Bharosa savings account customers can also withdraw cash, check their balance or access a mini statement of their account at over 6,50,000 AePS (Aadhaar-enabled payment system) enabled outlets across India
- Airtel Payments Bank offers digital banking services through a network of 5,00,000 neighbourhood banking points spread across the country.
National Affairs
7. Union Minister Gehlot launches MIS portal under Accessible India Campaign
- The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (under Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment) has developed a Management Information (MIS) for stakeholders of Accessible India campaign.
- Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot launched the MIS portal in New Delhi.
- The MIS portal will bring all the nodal ministries and States and Union Territories on a single platform for monitoring the progress being made against each target of Accessible India Campaign.
- The portal will be useful in maintaining all the function on a digital platform and capture data on a real-time basis.
8. ISRO, DRDO join hands for Gaganyaan project
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has inked an MoU with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for development of human-centric systems and technologies for the Human Space Mission Gaganyaan.
- ISRO is on course to its target of sending Indian astronauts to space by 2022 under the ‘Gaganyaan’ project, which entails an investment of Rs. 10,000 crores.
- On the other hand, DRDO is committed to providing all necessary support including customized technological capabilities to ISRO for the human space flight within the stringent timelines.
9. Jal Shakti Ministry mulls to develop National Water Museum
- Jal Shakti Ministry has taken an initiative to develop National Water Museum to raise awareness among people on the conservation of the natural resource.
- According to an official release, the Ministry is also organising two-day International Workshop from today which will be attended by experts from India and abroad.
- The outcome of the workshop will be a blueprint for establishing the proposed National Water Museum under the aegis of Jal Shakti Ministry.
- During the workshop, possible broad composition, the content of the museum including highlighting importance of water and its current state in different regions of the country, possible solutions, traditional and modern water management practices and localised success stories are proposed to be discussed.
10. Mongolian Prez arriving in New Delhi on a five-day state visit
- President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga has arrived in New Delhi on a five-day state visit.
- Mr. Battulga has been accompanied by a high-level official and business delegation.
- The visiting dignitary will meet President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- He will also review ongoing cooperation in fields of infrastructure, energy, disaster management, defence, security, culture and capacity building.
- Mr Battulga will also participate in an India-Mongolia Business Forum in New Delhi.
- During his stay, the Mongolian President will visit Agra, Bodh Gaya and Bengaluru.
11. India Post expands speed post service to six new countries
- India Post expanded speed post service to six new foreign destinations in Asia, Europe and South America.
- The Department of Posts has announced commencing of International Speed Post (EMS) Service to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Ecuador, Kazakhstan, Lithuania and North Macedonia.
- Express Mail Service (EMS) is a premium service that enables its users to send documents and merchandise faster and with the added facility of being able to track the movement of the item on the internet.
- This facility is expected to augment people to people contact with these countries and foster trade as EMS is a popular channel for small and medium enterprises.
- The EMS service to these countries will henceforth be available at major Post offices across India.
12. Delhi Police launches app 'Tatpar' for citizens
- Anil Baijal (Delhi Lieutenant Governor) has launched a newly integrated one-touch mobile app ‘Tatpar’ for citizens.
- to provide safety and a convenient online mode on a 24x7 basis to its citizen
- ‘Tatpar’ app (developed by the Delhi Police) is a one-stop destination for access to over 50 citizen-centric services.
- With the help of this app, people can navigate to their nearest police station, traffic pit and prepaid taxi booth.
- The app amalgamates all the websites and mobile applications of the Delhi Police.
- 'Tatpar' app is another step from Delhi Police to provide its services to the citizens of Delhi in a convenient online mode on 24x7 basis.
Sports
13. Bing Dwen Dwen & Shuey Rhon Rhon revealed as 2022 Beijing mascots
- A smiling panda (Bing Dwen Dwen) and walking Chinese lantern (Shuey Rhon Rhon) were revealed as the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games.
- The mascots were revealed at a ceremony at the Shougang Ice Hockey Arena in Beijing, China.
- In Mandarin, “bing” means ice and “dwen dwen” means robust and lively.
- The panda is wearing a suit which resembles ice.
- The black and white bear has a “heart of gold and a love of all things winter sports.
- The newly launched Olympic mascot resembles an astronaut, embracing new technologies for a future with infinite possibilities.
- The 2022 Winter Olympics is an international winter multi-sport event that is scheduled to take place from 4 to 20 February 2022, in Beijing China.
14. Vinesh Phogat becomes first Indian wrestler to qualify for 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- India's star wrestler Vinesh Phogat qualified for the 2020 Olympics after beating fancied American Sarah Hildebrandt in the World Championships in Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan.
- She scored an impressive 8-2 win over the world championship silver medalist to secure her place at the Tokyo Games.
- Vinesh will wrestle in the bronze-medal bout against Maria Prevolaraki of Greece.
- Earlier, she had stormed to a 5-0 win over Ukraine's Yuliya Khalvadzhy in the first round of repechage in the 53kg category to remain in contention for an Olympic quota and a bronze medal.
