DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: APRIL 18th, 19th 2019

Dear Aspirants,

Daily Current Affairs (April 18th, 19th 2019) like many other sections is inevitable and this also helps to score in the Banking awareness, Static GK and Financial Awareness sections. Remember, Banking Awareness and Static Awareness Questions are asked from the General Awareness section. This will also help you to ride your preparations for the forthcoming exams.

NATIONAL

Suspension of LoC Trade between J&K and PoJK:

• Ministry of Home Affairs has issued orders to suspend the LoC trade in Jammu & Kashmir. This action has been taken as the Government of India has been receiving reports that the Cross LoC trade routes are being misused by the Pakistan based elements for funnelling illegal weapons, narcotics and fake currency etc.
• The trade is allowed through two Trade Facilitation Centres located at Salamabad, Uri, District Baramulla and Chakkan-da-Bagh, District Poonch. The trade takes place four days a week. The Trade is based on Barter system and zero duty basis.

INTERNATIONAL

Indian Navy warships to take part in Chinese fleet review:

• Two Indian Navy ships will participate in an international maritime parade off the coast of Qingdao in China next week, marking the 70^th anniversary of founding of the Chinese Navy.
• Indian Navy ships – INS Kolkata and INS Shakti will arrive in Qingdao to participate in the International Fleet Review (IFR), Navy Spokesperson Capt D K Sharma said.

BANKING & BUSINESS

CPSEs to get 12 months to sell non-core assets, failure may restrict budgetary allocations:

• State-run companies will have 12 months to monetise non-core assets identified by a ministerial panel headed by the finance minister, failing which the finance ministry may restrict budgetary allocations to the CPSEs.
• The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) has issued the guidelines for monetisation of non-core assets of CPSEs and immovable enemy properties, following a Cabinet decision in February.

RBI proposes to allow fintech start-ups to test regulatory sandbox:

• The central bank has released draft ‘Enabling Framework for Regulatory Sandbox’, proposed that fintech start-ups could set up regulatory sandbox or live-testing of innovative products and services in segments such as retail payments, money transfer, artificial intelligence and data analytics in the financial sector.
• The concept of Regulatory Sandbox (RS) was proposed by a committee headed by RBI Executive Director Sudarshan Sen.

RANKING/REPORTS BY VARIOUS ORGANISATIONS

Lawyers Menaka Guruswamy, Arundhati Katju In Time’s 100 Most Influential:

• The TIME magazine in its list of 100 most influential people of 2019 has included two Indian women lawyers – Menaka Guruswamy (9^th) and Arundhati Katju (9^th), who spearheaded the legal challenge to strike down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.
• They contested that people risked arrest for publicly identifying themselves as part of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) community.
• The list also includes Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani (13^th) in Business Man Category.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

IESA appoints Jitendra Chaddah (JC) as its new Chairman:

• India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA), the premier industry body representing the Indian Electronic System Design & Manufacturing (ESDM) industry has announced its New Executive Council (EC) for the year 2019-20 with Jitendra Chaddah (JC), Senior Director – Operations and Strategic Relations, Intel taking over as the Chairman.
• He succeeds Anil Kumar Muniswamy.

Gagandeep Kang is first Indian women in 359 years to join Royal Society:

• The Royal Society of London has announced a list of 51 eminent scientists elected to its fellowship in the year 2019.
• Among these are Gagandeep Kang, who is now with the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad. Dr. Kang is the first Indian woman to be elected to the Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).

EC appoints Special Observer for West Bengal:

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) has appointed Bihar’s former Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ajay V. Nayak as a special observer for West Bengal.

Mali’s PM Maiga, government resign over Ogossagou massacre:

• The Mali PM Maiga resigned after criticism over the handling of the rising violence in the country and Ogossagou massacre that resulted in the deaths of 160 people on March 2019. Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga‘s Government came to power in December 31, 2017.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Book on Jallianwala Bagh poem Khooni Vaisakhi released in UAE:

• India’s Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri has commended the launch of a book containing English translation of the Punjabi poem, Khooni Vaisakhi, saying the100-year old classic ballad about the Jallianwala Bagh massacre is now reaching a global audience.

SPORTS

International Hockey Federation imposes fine on Pakistan:

• The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has imposed a hefty fine of one lakh seventy-six thousand Euros (170,000 Euros) on Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) for not honouring the Pro League commitments.
• The FIH has given the Pakistan sports body time until 20th June to pay the fine or else the penalty would be doubled.
• PHF was fined for not sending the national team for the Pro League matches in Argentina, Australia and New Zealand.

IMPORTANT EVENTS OF THE DAY

World Heritage Day -18^th April:

• World Heritage Day is also known as International Day for Monuments and Sites is an annual event celebrated on 18th April with an aim to emphasize the importance of safeguarding various sites around the world that have achieved world heritage status.
• Theme of the World Heritage Day 2019 is “Rural Landscapes”.

World Liver Day: April 19^th

• World Liver Day 2019 is observed on April 19. Liver is one of the most important organs in the digestive system. This day is observed to understand importance of liver in human body and how liver ailments can be treated.

OBITUARY

Peru’s ex-president Garcia kills himself to avoid arrest in Odebrecht probe:

• Garcia, a towering and charismatic figure who played a central role in Peruvian politics for more than three decades, died in a hospital at age 69 after shooting himself at his house in Lima when police arrived with a warrant for his arrest.

Scotland all-rounder Con de Lange dies at 38:

• Scotland all-rounder, Con de Lange, who had been diagnosed with a brain tumour, died at the age of 38.
• South Africa-born played 21 internationals for Scotland, made his debut in T20 international in June 2015 against Ireland.