Dear Aspirants,
General awareness section is the most important part of every competitive exam, it can help you score well in the exam if you are updated with all the current news. Banking Awareness, Static GK and the current news are the parts that make the GA section complete. It is important to know what is happening in and outside of India. GK updates are incorporated with the important news that made the headlines today. It is the complete bag of the important news that held all day long. One should have complete knowledge about the banking terms, current affairs news, etc. So, here is the GK update of 21st August to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.
State News
1. Chief minister of Punjab launched “Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana”
i. The chief minister of Punjab has launched a universal health insurance scheme “Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana “ benefiting nearly 46 lakh families. With this scheme, covering 76% of the state’s population.
ii. Punjab has become the first state in the country to offer medical insurance cover to the maximum number of its people. The scheme would entitle beneficiaries to avail annual cashless treatment up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year, including pre-existing diseases.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:
- Chief Minister of Punjab : Amarinder Singh; Governor of Punjab: VP Singh Badnore.
Agreement
2. Wipro partners with IISc on robotics and 5G
i. Wipro announced a strategic partnership with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to conduct advanced applied research in autonomous systems, robotics and 5G.
ii. Wipro IISc Research and Innovation Network (WIRIN), a hybrid industry-academia collaboration unit, which will drive idea discovery, research and innovation in technology and product design.
iii. (WIRIN) will focus on the research and development of cutting-edge technologies in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Visual Computing, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Vehicle-to-everything communication (V2X).
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Mains:
- Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Wipro: Abidali Z. Neemuchwala.
3. SMVDU, NISE sign MoU to achieve national solar mission
i. Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), Jammu and National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work jointly to achieve the objective of National Solar Mission through training programmes. The MoU, which will be valid till 5 years.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Main:
-
International Solar Alliance is an alliance of more than 121 countries, most of them being sunshine countries.
- Headquarters of International Solar Alliance: Gurugram, Haryana.
Awards
4. Indian-American teen wins South Asian Spelling Bee competition 2019
i. Navneeth Murali, an Indian-American teenager from New Jersey, has won the 2019 South Asian Spelling Bee contest. The prize money for this contest is USD 3,000.
ii. The South Asian Spelling Bee (SASB) is an annual spelling bee platform in the US for children of South Asian descent. The competition is open to any student at or below the age of 14, who has at least one parent or grandparent who is of South Asian descent, or whose lineage can be traced to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and/or Sri Lanka.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:
- President of USA: Donald Trump; Capital of the USA: Washington, DC.
Defence
5. DRDO transfer design of Mobile Metallic Ramp to Indian Army
i. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) handed over the design of Mobile Metallic Ramp (MMR) to the Indian Army at a ceremony held at DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi.
(MMR) load-bearing capacity of 70 metric ton.
ii. The MMR has been designed and developed by DRDO’s premier research laboratory Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES) on the requirements projected by Army for reducing the Strategic Mobility time of mobilizing Armoured Fighting Vehicles.
iii. The ramp will provide the strategic mobility for Armoured and Mechanized units and formations of the Army. It is portable, modular in design, which can be easily assembled or disassembled.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:
- Union Minister of Defence: Raj Nath Singh.
- Chairman of DRDO: Dr G Satheesh Reddy.
Science and Technology
6. IIT-Delhi start-up wins NCPEDP-Mphasis Universal Design Award 2019
i. IIT-Delhi, Ankita Gulati was awarded the NCPEDP-Mphasis Universal Design Award 2019 for developing a multisensory kit named TouchVision.
ii. IIT-Delhi-incubated start-up working on the design and development of inclusive learning resources for visually impaired people.
TouchVision aims at digital inclusion for 253 million persons with visual impairment globally.
Sports
7. Sreesanth’s Life Ban on cricket reduced to 7 Years
i. Former India paceman Shanthakumaran Sreesanth’s life ban has been reduced to 7 years. This order was passed by BCCI Ombudsman, Justice (Retd.) DK Jain. The Ban will end in 2020.
ii. The BCCI banned Sreesanth for life in September 2013, along with his Rajasthan Royals teammates Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, for indulging in alleged spot-fixing in the IPL.
8. Para swimmer Satendra Singh Lohia crosses America’s Catalina Channel
i. Indian Para Swimmer Satendra Singh Lohia has become the first Asian swimmer to cross the Catalina Channel of America. Satendra holds the Asian record of crossing both the English and Catalina channels.
ii. Satendra led the Indian Para Relay team along with 5 teammates and crossed the Catalina Channel and covered the distance of 42km in 11 hours 34 minutes.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:
- Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports: Kiren Rijiju.
Obituaries
9. Former Madhya Pradesh CM Babulal Gaur passes away
i. Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Babulal Gaur passed away. He served as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh from August 2004 to November 2005 and represented Govindpura Assembly seat for 10 times.
Miscellaneous
10. 2nd Uday Express to run between Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada
i. Indian Railway’s 2nd double-decker Uday (Utkrisht Double-Decker Air Conditioned Yatri) Express will run between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada. The train would consist of 9 double-decker coaches and 2 power cars.
ii. The trains are primarily allocated to routes with heavy passenger traffic. They are equipped with WiFi facility, have striking interiors, cushioned seating, and display screens.
Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:
- Union Railway Minister: Piyush Goyal.