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Important Current Affairs 26th August 2019

NATIONAL:

Gujarat topped the CWMI 2.0 report in water management.

• Gujarat topped the second Round of Composite Water Management Index (CWMI 2.0). It was released by NITI Aayog in New Delhi. It measures the performance of states on a set of water indicators. The move comes at a time when various states across the country are facing a shortage in groundwater. The index assesses the performance of States on a comprehensive set of water indicators and reports relative performance in 2017-18 as well as trends from previous years (2015-16 & 2016-17).

Composite Water Management Index was released for the first time in 2018 to instill a sense of cooperative and competitive federalism among the states. It was the first attempt to create a pan-India set of metrics that measured different dimensions of water management and use across the lifecycle of water.

Report highlights:

♦ CWMI comprises of nine themes that include attention to groundwater and restoration of water bodies.

♦ It said that 80% of states that were assessed on the Index over the last three years have improved their water management scores.

♦ States that topped the CWMI are Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh.

♦ These states have further increased the scores over the last three years.

♦ States including Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and Bihar continue to be in the low-performing category.

♦ The report said that Puducherry has been declared as the top-ranked among the UTs. This is the first time the Union Territories (UTs) have submitted their data.

♦ Under the theme incremental change in the index, Haryana holds the number one position among general states and Uttarakhand amongst northeastern and Himalayan states.

CM Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated new regional office Norka Roots.

• Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the associate workplace of the Norka Roots at the underground station business building on the MG Road Metro Station, Kochi. This project aims to implement a lot of welfare schemes for the non-resident Keralites (NRK). The Chief Minister also inaugurated the primary business venture being started by a non-resident Keralite at the Edapally underground station.

Under the Santhwana scheme, Norka-Roots has already spent around Rs.25 crore in 2018. It provided financial support to NRKs returning to their native place.

Aim:

NORKA Roots has been established by Non-Resident Keralites' Affairs (NORKA). Norka’s theme to provide opportunities for the Keralites living abroad to involve with the govt. within the case of an emergency and conjointly helped to ascertain their own business within the State. The Kochi railroad line Rail Ltd (KMRL) and Norka Roots can be part of hands to produce investment opportunities to Non-Resident Keralites (NRK) in railroad line stations.

NORKA:

The Non-Resident Keralites Affairs NORKA was established in 1996. The department aimed at redressing the grievances of Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs). It also aims to strengthen the connection between the NRKs and the government. It will also address the NRKs drawback, safeguarding their rights and rehabilitating the returnees.

Prakash Javadekar inaugurates National Centre for Avian Ecotoxicology in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

• Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar inaugurated the National Centre for Avian Ecotoxicology at Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural Sciences ((SACON)  in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

The centre study the movement of chemical contaminants such as pesticides, heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls and drugs through the food chain.

The impacts on bird species.

The ministry funded an amount of Rs 4 crore to the centre for modernization and to handle the challenges posed by the continued entry of newer chemicals into the environment.

Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON)

Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) is a national centre for information, education and research in ornithology and natural history in India. It was inspired by and named in honour of Salim Ali, the leading pioneer of ornithology in India. It is an autonomous organisation established in 1990 as a public- NGO partnership between the MoEF&CC, and the Bombay Natural History Society(BNHS) under the Centre of Excellence Scheme and registered under the Indian Societies Registration Act. Its headquarters are at Anaikatti, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.

INTERNATIONAL:

Shri Narendra Modi launches RuPay card in UAE.

• Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi launched the RuPay card. The UAE the first country in the Middle East to initiate the Indian indigenous system of electronic payment. RuPay card scheme was launched in 2012 to fulfill the Reserve Bank of India’s vision to have a domestic, open and multilateral system of payments.

RuPay facilitates electronic payment at all Indian banks and financial institutions.

India launched the RuPay card in Singapore and Bhutan.

RuPay Card

RuPay card scheme was conceived and launched by National Payments Corporation of India . It was created to fulfil the Reserve Bank of India's vision to have a domestic, open and multilateral system of payments. RuPay facilitates electronic payment at all Indian banks and financial institutions.

AWARDS:

PM received highest civilian award in UAE and Bahrain.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded the King Hamad Order of the Renaissance by Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa on 24 August. The award recognizes his efforts to build a strong friendship and bilateral ties with the Gulf nation. Indian Prime Minister Modi is the first Prime Minister to visit Bahrain.

Order of Zayed:

Modi also received the Order of Zayed, UAE's highest civilian award, by Abu Dhabi crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The award recognized his vital role in building the strategic relationship between the two countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was honoured during his 3-day visit to United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain. The visit aimed to hold extensive talks with top leaders of the two countries on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest. The visit strengthens India's connect with the six-nation powerful Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Several alternative Muslim nations honored PM Modi with their high civilian award namely:

♦ Rule of Nishan Izzuddeen of Maldives in June 2019

♦ Grand Collar of the State of Palestine in February 2018

♦ Emeer  Amanullah Khan Award of Afghanistan in June 2016

♦ King Abdulaziz Sash Award of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in April 2016

Shri Prabhakar Singh to be awarded the 2019 Eminent Engineer Award.

• Institution of Engineers (India) (IEI)has chosen Shri Prabhakar Singh, Director General of Central Public Works Department (CPWD) for the prestigious Eminent Engineer Award for the Year 2019. The award recognizes his distinguished and exemplary service in the field of Engineering and Technology. He will be awarded on the Engineers Day on September 15, 2019, in New Delhi.

Shri Prabhakar Singh:

Mr.Singh is a B.Tech with Honours in Mechanical Engineering from IIT-Kharagpur. He is a post-graduate MBAfrom Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon. He has played a vital role in transforming the Premier Engineering Organisation of the Central Government. He has dedicated his Service to the Nation as an Eminent Technocrat.

Institution of Engineers (India) (IEI):

IEI was formed in September 1920 and is headquartered in Kolkata. It is the National organization for Indian engineers. IEI is the world's largest multi-disciplinary engineering professional society in the engineering and technology world.

SPORTS:

Lt Gen Puri became first serving Lt Gen to complete 1,200 km Paris Brest Paris circuit.

• Lieutenant General Anil Puri completed France's oldest cycling event, 1,200km Paris-Brest-Paris circuit. He became the first serving Lieutenant General-rank officer of the Indian Army.

Lt Gen Puri, the 56-year-old officer completed the event by cycling non-stop for 90 hours. 367 participants represented India. Around 80 successfully completed the trek. Six army personnel secured berths at the event for having completed at least one 1,000-km non-stop cycling event during their respective careers.

1,200- km Paris-Brest-Paris circuit:

Rambouillet hosted the 1,200- km Paris-Brest-Paris circuit 2019 event. The event was started in 1931. Over 31,125 riders have managed to complete Paris- Brest-Paris Randonneur since then.

PV Sindhu won gold at the 2019 BWF World Championships.

• Indian badminton and World number five PV Sindhu won gold at the BWF World Championships 2019.She became the first-ever Indian badminton player to win a gold medal at the event. PV Sindhu defeated world number four Nozomi Okuhara of Japan and secured 21-7, 21-7. This is her fifth medal at the world championships. With this, she has become only the fourth singles player ever to have a full set of world championship medals.

In the previous editions of the World Championships, she secured:

♦ Bronze in 2013

♦ Bronze in 2014

♦ Silver in 2017

♦ Silver in 2018

♦ Gold in 2019

BWF World Championships 2019:

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships was held from 19 to 25 August in Basel, Switzerland. It is the 25th edition of the championship. 45 countries participated in the badminton tournament.

Result:

Men's singles: Kento Momota (Japan)

Women's singles: P. V. Sindhu (India)

Men's doubles: Mohammad Ahsan, Hendra Setiawan (Indonesia)

Women's doubles: Mayu Matsumoto, Wakana Nagahara (Japan)

Mixed doubles: Zheng Siwei, Huang Yaqiong (China).

Indian team won 2 Gold medal in World Archery Youth Championship 2019.

• Indian junior (U-21) compound mixed team of Markoo Raginee and Sukhbeer Singh picked up the first gold for India.

They defeated Switzerland rivals Andrea Vallario and Janine Hunsperger with 152-147 scores at the World Archery Youth Championships 2019.

The event is organized by the World Archery Federation in Madrid, Spain from 19 -25 August 2019.

17-year-old Komalika Bari got 2nd Gold medal in the final of recurve cadet class Defeated by Japan’s Sonoda Waka with 7-3 scores.

The Indian team of Sukhbir Singh, Sangampreet Singh Bisla and Tushar Phadtare won the junior compound men’s team bronze medal by beating Colombia’s Jagdeep Teji Singh Mejia, Gomez Zuluga Felipe and Toro Vasquez Manuel got 234-231scores.

The Indians scored 60 out of 60 points in the final round. The Colombian team managed only 56 points.

World Archery Federation

Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland

First Vice-president: Mario Scarzella

President: Ugur Erdener.

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