21st August 2019 Current Affairs
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Govt panel recommends corporate tax cut to 25% for all companies
- A government panel has recommended cutting the corporate tax rate to 25% from 30% for all companies & scrapping surcharges on tax payments.
- India has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world with annual sales of up to Rs 400 crore.
Note:
About India
President: Ram Nath Kovind
Prime minister: Narendra Modi
Defence talks between India and China held in Beijing
- The 9th Annual Defence and Security Dialogue between India and China held in Beijing.
- It held between the two defence delegations headed by defence secretary Sanjay Mitra and China’s deputy chief of Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission.
Note:
About China
Currency: Renminbi
President: Xi Jinping
Para Swimmer Satendra Singh Crosses Catalina Channel
- An Indian para-swimming team comprising Gwalior resident Satendra Singh scripted history by crossing the Catalina Channel in the US.
- Satendra Singh, who has already crossed the English Channel in the past, has become the first Asian swimmer to have crossed both English and Catalina channel successfully.
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About U.S
Speaker: Nancy Pelosi
Capital: Washington, D.C.
Wipro, IISc to jointly innovate in robotics, 5G
- Wipro tied-up with the IISc for advanced research & innovation in autonomous systems, robotics & 5G.
- It will focus on R & D in artificial intelligence, machine learning, visual computing, human-computer interaction and vehicle-to-everything communication.
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About Wipro
CEO: Abidali Neemuchwala
Founder: M.H. Hasham Premji
Former Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has been made an honorary life member of MCC
- Former Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson has been elected as an Honorary Life Member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), custodians of the game’s laws.
- The club made the announcement on Sunday, at Lord’s, during the second Ashes Test between Australia and England which ended in a draw.
Note:
About Australia
Capital: Canberra
Currency: Australian dollar
Prasar Bharati will introduce 2 awards namely ‘Neelum Sharma Tejaswini award’ & ‘Achyutananda Sahoo Award’ in honor of Neelum Sharma
- India’s largest public broadcasting agency, Prasar Bharti’s Chairman A Suryaprakash introduces 2 awards namely ‘Neelum Sharma Tejaswini award’ & ‘Achyutananda Sahoo Award’.
Note:
About Prasar Bharati
CEO: Shashi Shekhar Vempati
Headquarters: New Delhi
Sadbhavana Divas or Harmony Day observed on 20th August celebrating the 75th birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi
- Every year on August 20, Sadbhavana Diwas(harmony day) is celebrated commemorating the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister(PM) Rajiv Gandhi.
- This day is observed to encourage the national integration, peace, affection and communal harmony among the Indian people of all religions.
Astronomers discovered a 2nd planet called ‘B Pictoris c ‘ for Beta Pictoris star
- Astronomers at the Institute for Planetary sciences and Astrophysics, Grenoble, France (IPAG) have discovered a 2nd planet called ‘B Pictoris c’.
- It is roughly around 3,000 times more massive than Earth.
- It orbits Beta Pictoris star, which is about nearly twice the mass of Sun and lies about 63 light years away from Earth.
Note:
About Sun
Surface temperature: 5,778 K
Distance to Earth: 149.6 million km
IIT Hyderabad researchers develop sensor device to detect heart diseases
- Researchers at IIT Hyderabad are collaborating with research institutions across the world to develop a device to detect heart diseases with high speed, sensitivity and reliability.
- The device can also be extended to the detection of other diseases.
Note:
About Hyderabad
State: Telangana
Established: 1591
Former Madhya Pradesh CM Babulal Gaur passes away
- Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and senior BJP leader, Babulal Gaur passed away in Bhopal.
- He was 89.
- He served as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister between 2004 and 2005 and represented Govindpura Assembly seat for 10 times.
Note:
About Madhya Pradesh
Capital: Bhopal
Districts: 52
Governor: Lalji Tandon
The second Uday Express between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada to be launched
- In order to cater to the busy route in the East Coast Railway zone, The Indian Railways’ second luxury double-decker Uday(Utkrisht Double-decker Air-conditioned Yatri) Express is to be run between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.
- This was announced on August 19, 2019.
Note:
About Andhra Pradesh
Chief minister: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy
Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan
Karnataka Government categorised Nicotine as “class A poison”
- The Government of Karnataka amended the Karnataka Poisons (Possession and Sale) Rules 2015 and notified Nicotine as “Class A poison” in order to strengthen the enforcement of the ban on production and sale of electronic cigarettes.
- The new rules are called the Karnataka Poisons (Possession and Sale) Rules, 2019.
Note:
About Karnataka
Chief minister: B. S. Yediyurappa
Capital: Bengaluru
Discovery, WWF tie up to preserve Sundarbans
- Discovery & WWF India have partnered with Govt of West Bengal to help save the world’s only mangrove tiger habitat.
- Project CAT will solve several issues faced in the region.
Note:
About West Bengal
Capital: Kolkata
Chief minister: Mamata Banerjee
Coast Guards of India & Sri Lanka agree to strengthen co-operation in addressing maritime issues
- Indian & Sri Lankan Coast Guards agreed to strengthen co-operation in addressing a spectrum of maritime issues concerning safety & security.
- They agreed to continue the capacity building of Sri Lankan Coast Guard &mutual co-operation in multilateral forums.
Note:
About Sri Lanka
Capitals: Colombo
Currency: Sri Lankan rupee
