Source: Click Here

• Russian medics who treated radiation victims after a military explosion in the Arctic had no protection and now fear they were irradiated themselves.


• Two of the medics in Arkhangelsk spoke to BBC Russian about the victims' evacuation, on condition of anonymity.


• Five nuclear engineers died on 8 August when an "isotope-fuel" engine blew up at the Nyonoksa test range, officials said. Six other people were injured.

Source: Click Here

• A Zimbabwean comedian has been found after being abducted and beaten by masked gunmen in the capital Harare, her relatives and colleagues say.


• Samantha Kureya, known by her stage name "Gonyeti", has been critical of the police and government in her skits.


• She was taken from her home, beaten and forced to drink sewage before being dumped, her colleague says.

Source: Click Here

• The President will likely want to hear from Prime Minister Modi on how he plans to reduce regional tensions, say U.S. officials.


• U.S. President Donald Trump plans to discuss Kashmir, the Indo-U.S. partnership, defence, human rights, counter-terrorism and trade with Prime Minister Modi this weekend at the G 7 summit in Biarritz.


• This information was conveyed to reporters on a briefing call by senior administration officials in the U.S.

Source: Click Here

• The move may further aggravate its ties with Japan, after the latter withdrew South Korea’s preferential trade status earlier last month.


• South Korea said it will scrap an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan, a decision that could further escalate a dispute over history and trade and undercut security cooperation on North Korea.


• With the decision not to extend the pact, the political and trade disputes between South Korea and Japan now extend into some of the most sensitive national security issues in the region.

Source: Click Here

• Nepal’s foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali announced for the SAARC(South Asian Association for Regional Corporation) foreign ministers informal meeting which is to be held in Nepal in September 2019.


• This meet is based on the sidelines of the 74th UN General Assembly (UNGA) session.


• After this, the 19th SAARC summit was to be hosted by Pakistan in 2016. But India(largest member in the SAARC forum) boycotted the summit alleging Pakistan’s involvement in the terror attack at a military base in Uri in Jammu & Kashmir that killed 19 Indian soldiers.

Source: Click Here

• The Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has moved the Supreme Court against the Centre, saying triple talaq has been made a non-bailable offence by which Muslim men can be imprisoned for three years even as desertion of a wife by a husband is not even considered an offence in India. At best, desertion is a ground for divorce.


• The three-year imprisonment prescribed under the new Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act of 2019, is both “disproportionate and excessive”, the Jamiat’s petition said.

Source: Click Here

• Nullification of Article 370 is an attempt to change the demography of Jammu and Kashmir, which is the only Muslim majority State in India, according to CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury.


• Mr. Yedhury was speaking at a press conference on Thursday, called to release a booklet prepared by his party to dispel what it claimed a “misinformation” campaign and “obfuscation” of facts by the government on Jammu and Kashmir.

Source: Click Here

• Gopal Singh Visharad, one of the appellants in the Ayodhya case, said Hindus have an “unfettered” right to worship at a site believed for centuries to be the birthplace of Lord Ram.


• Appearing before a Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, for Visharad, claimed there were affidavits from the Muslim side saying a temple was demolished to build the Babri mosque in the 16th century.


• Mr. Kumar said the faith of the Hindus survived despite the construction of the mosque at the Ramjanmabhoomi.

Source: Click Here

• 6.3 lakh pensioners will benefit following the retirement fund body’s decision.


• Providing relief to 6.3 lakh pensioners, retirement fund body Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has approved a proposal to restore commutation of pension, or advance part-withdrawal, under the Employees’ Pension Scheme.

Source: Click Here

• Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) stated that FASTags will become mandatory for all vehicles from December 2019, during the launch of the new website that gives data about highways construction, land acquisition, FASTags, etc.


• A total of 52.59 lakh FASTags have been issued till now. These are being issued through various channels such as Point-of-Sale (PoS) by 22 certified banks at NH toll plazas, bank branches, etc.

Source: Click Here

• RK Singh, the Union Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy (IC) and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship has launched the State Rooftop Solar Attractiveness Index 2019 (SARAL) at the Review Planning and Monitoring (RPM) Meeting with States and State Power Utilities in New Delhi.


• SARAL Index: As per the Index, Karnataka got the top spot with SARAL score of 78.8 as the best state for setting up a rooftop solar project followed by Telangana(72.2), Gujarat(67.9) and Andra Pradesh(66.1). Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) has been ranked last with a score of 14.4. All the first 4 got A++ grade.

Source: Click Here

• A reduction in the e-visa(electronic visa) fee was proposed by the tourism ministry with the aim of attracting more foreign travellers to the country.


• As of the proposed plan, a new 5-year visa plan was announced, and also the e-visa fee will be offered with the option of short-term as well as long-term tourist e-visa plan.


• The announcement was made by Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel (Minister of State- independent charge), at the State Tourism Ministers’ conference held on august 20, 2019 in New Delhi.

Source: Click Here

• Union Human Resource Development Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launched the National Mission to improve Learning Outcomes at the Elementary level National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) at Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi in the presence of Smt Rina Ray, Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy and other senior officers from MHRD (Ministry of Human Resource Development), all States and Union Territories (UTs), Senior Policy Makers and Heads of Institutions.


• About NISHTHA: It is the largest teachers’ training programme of its kind in the world with an aim to motivate and equip teachers to encourage and foster critical thinking in students. Teachers will get awareness and develop their skills on various aspects related to Learning Outcomes, Competency Based Learning and Testing, Learner-centered Pedagogy, School Safety and Security, Personal-social qualities, Inclusive Education.

Source: Click Here

• The UGC NET December 2019 examination (Computer Based Test) will be held from December 2 to December 6 this year and its result will be declared on December 31, 2019.


• The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the schedule of examinations to be conducted by the agency from December 2019 to June 2020 on its official website.


• The application process for UGC NET December 2019 examination will begin on September 9 and will continue until October 9, 2019. The admit card for UGC NET December 2019 examination can be downloaded by the candidates from November 9.

Source: Click Here

• The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) will declare the results of Class 12 supplementary examinations, August 23.


• After the results are declared, students can check their results online on mahresult.nic.in to know their scores.


• A total of 1,28,914 students took the exam in Maharashtra, out of which nearly 35,000 students were from Mumbai.


• The exams were held in July for students who could not clear the regular examinations conducted in February or who missed them for any reason.


• The initiative was started by the education department to ensure that students do not miss an entire academic year if they fail to clear their exams.

Source: Click Here

• The country’s largest private sector lender HDFC Bank remains bullish on its cards business and said it has not witnessed a slowdown in consumption.


• “In consumer finance, we are seeing robust growth in all sectors. We expect to grow further with the festival season,” said Parag Rao, Country Head - Payments Business, Marketing, HDFC Bank, pointing out that some segments have shown a slowdown but it is cyclical and not systemic.

Source: Click Here

• ICICI Bank plans to grow its retail loan disbursement by 30 per cent in Karnataka during 2019-20, according to Anup Bagchi, Executive Director of the bank.


• Addressing presspersons in Mangaluru, Bagchi said retail consumer loans have witnessed significant growth in Karnataka over the last few years.

Source: Click Here

• A chunk of the bank’s Rs 29,000 crore stressed book, pertains to four or five accounts. Resolution on these, if delayed, can weigh on its already weak capital base.


• It was a nerve-wracking week for investors of YES Bank. The stock fell by an eye-watering 26 per cent this week, as irregularities and unauthorised transactions at CG Power and Industrial Solution, came to light.

Source: Click Here

• Ajinkya Rahane’s 18th half-century anchored India’s revival to 203 for six on the opening day of the first Test against the West Indies at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.


• Reduced to 25 for three by opening bowlers Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel after they were put in to bat, Rahane underlined his immense value to a star-studded team with a gritty top score of 81 that helped lift the tourists to a more competitive position by the end of a rain-interrupted day.

Source: Click Here

• Serena Williams will begin her quest for a seventh US Open title and record-tying 24th Grand Slam crown against long-time rival Maria Sharapova in the US Open women’s singles draw unveiled.


• Serena has dominated the Russian star in their head-to-head, winning 19 and losing just two. Sharapova advanced by walkover against Serena in the fourth round at Roland Garros last year.

Source: Click Here

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), Government of India(GoI) has made Ajay Kumar ,a 1985 batch IAS (Indian Administrative Service)officer of Kerala cadre as the new Defence Secretary but without 2 years’ tenure.


• He will replace Sanjay Mitra (a 1982 batch West Bengal-cadre IAS officer)whose term ends on August 23, 2019.

Source: Click Here

• Russia on April 22 launched an unmanned rocket carrying a life-size humanoid robot that will spend 10 days learning to assist astronauts on the International Space Station.


• Named Fedor, short for Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research, the robot is the first ever sent up by Russia.

Source: Click Here

• Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Culture and Tourism has launched the book called‘the Diary of Manu Gandhi’(1943-44) at a function in the auditorium of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi.


• Manu Gandhi (Mridula) was a grand niece of Mahatma Gandhi, daughter of his Nephew Jaisukhlal Amritlal Gandhi, and stayed with Gandhiji till his assassination.


• The 1st volume of the diary is a record of her life and times with M.K. Gandhi between 1943 and 1944.