NATIONAL NEWS

Rajya Sabha passes Consumer Protection Bill

• The Bill seeks to strengthen the rights of consumers and provides a mechanism for redressal of complaints regarding defects in goods and deficiency in services.
• The Rajya Sabha passed the Consumer Protection Bill, 2019 that provides for the establishment of authorities for the timely and effective administration and settlement of consumer disputes.
• The Bill, which has already been passed by the Lok Sabha, seeks to strengthen the rights of consumers and provides a mechanism for redressal of complaints regarding defects in goods and deficiency in services.

FACTS

Minister of Food and Consumer affairs-Ram Vilas Paswan

IIT partners with NIOT to harness electricity from ocean waves

• Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) are developing turbines that can harness the power of ocean waves to generate electricity

Odisha police station in top 10 in country

• The Tarava police station in the Subarnapur district of Odisha has been adjudged as one of the 10 best police stations in the country in the annual ranking for the year 2018.
• The certificate of excellence and a trophy awarded by the Union Home Ministry were handed over to Tarava police inspector Dulamani Bhoi by Odisha DGP R.P. Sharma.

FACTS

Chief Minister of Odisha-Naveen Patnaik

 Governor of Odisha-Ganeshi Lal

 India observes 77th anniversary of Quit India movement

• Every year 8 August is celebrated in India as August Kranti Din, in which tribute is paid to revolutionaries who sacrificed their lives in freedom struggle against rule. Also teachings given by Father of the Nation (Bapu), Mahatma Gandhi are remembered.
• 8 August 2019 is being observed as 77th anniversary of August Kranti Din, which is considered as one of important milestones in history of freedom struggle of our country.

NIDO and NISE to partner for skill development program

• National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), an autonomous institution of Ministry of New and Renewable (MNRE) signed an agreement with United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to initiate a skill development programme for different levels of beneficiaries in solar thermal energy sector.

FINANCE AND ECONOMIC

RBI to set up “Central Payment Fraud Registry”

• The Reserve Bank of India has decided to set up a “Central Payment Fraud Registry”. The registry will track frauds in the payment systems. Under this registry, payment system participants will be provided access to it for near-real time fraud monitoring. The aggregated fraud data will be published to educate customers on emerging risks.
• Currently, banks report all banking frauds to the Central Fraud Monitoring Cell of the Reserve Bank of India.

NEFT to be available 24x7 from December 2019: RBI

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) today announced that the National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) systems would be available on a 24x7 basis from December 2019.
• At present, the NEFT payment system operated by the Reserve Bank as a retail payment system is available to customers from 8am to 7pm on all working days of the week (except 2nd and 4th Saturdays, and all Sundays of the month).
• So, this is a positive step from the central bank to boost digital banking transactions as mentioned in the Payment System Vision 2021 document.

APPOINTMENT

Kandikuppa Sreekant becomes Power Grid CMD

• Kandikuppa Sreekant assumed the charge of the Chairman and Managing Director of Power Grid Corporation of India on Monday.
• According to a statement as per the Ministry of Power order, the tenure of Kandikuppa Sreekant will be till December 31, 2023, the date of his superannuation, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
• Prior to taking up this assignment, he was serving as the director (finance) of Power Grid. 

 Diego Forlan announces retirement from professional football

• Uruguay forward player Diego Forlan announced retirement from professional football.
• The 40-year-old played for the likes of Manchester United, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, and Villarreal.
• Forlan made 112 appearances for Uruguay and scored 36 goals. He also helped his side to win the Copa America title in 2011. He claimed the Golden Ball at the 2010 World Cup as his side finished fourth.

 OBITUARY

          Wrestling legend Harley Race passes away at 76

• Harley Leland Race passed away due to complications from lung cancer.
• His career as an active wrestler career spanned four decades, beginning in 1960, and included tenures in many major promotions.
• Race performed with the American Wrestling Association in the 1960s, the National Wrestling alliance through the 1970s, the WWE in the late 1980s and World Championship Wrestling in the 1990s.

      Veteran filmmaker J Om Prakash passes away

• Veteran producer-director J Om Prakash, maternal grandfather of Hrithik Roshan, passed away this morning. Born on January 24, 1927, he was of 93 years of age.