• Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has launched a water conservation scheme 'Jal Amrutha' in Bengaluru, which focusses on drought-proofing measures, including protection and rejuvenation of water bodies.

• The scheme was initiated by the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department at Dr. B R Ambedkar Bhavan in Bengaluru.

• The scheme plans to make people aware of the importance of conserving water and to prompt them to come up with ways to avoid wastage of water.

• The Government of Karnataka has decided to declare 2019 as the 'Year of Water'.

Important Points

Karnataka

Karnataka is the 2nd-largest drought-prone state in the country, after Rajasthan.

Capital - Bengaluru

Chief Minister - H.D Kumaraswamy

Governor - Vajubhai Vala

National Park

• Dandeli National Park
• Nagarhole National Park
• Bandipur National Park
• Bannerghatta National Park
• Anshi National Park

• Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath launched the State Government's flagship scheme 'Mukhyamantri Yuva Swabhiman Yojana'.

• This scheme guarantees 100 days of employment every year to urban youth from Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).

• Under the scheme, they will get Rs 4,000 stipend per month during 100 days of period. During this period, they would be given skill development training, so that they become independent.

• Only those youths will be eligible whose family's annual income is less than Rs 2 lakh and who are in the age group of 21-30 years.

Important Points

Madhya Pradesh

Capital - Bhopal

Chief Minister - Kamal Nath

Government - Anandiben Patel

National Park

• Pench National Park
• Panna National Park
• Madhav National Park
• Pench National Park
• Satpura National Park
• Van Vihar National Park

• Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has launched 'Mukhyamantri Parivar Samman Nidhi' under this scheme farmers and unorganized sector worker will be benefited.

• Main eligibility for this scheme is that farmer land should be upto five acres and workers salary should be less than Rs. 15,000 per month.

• The scheme would provide a sum of Rs. 6,000 yearly and each family has to nominate a member who will be provided with this amount.

• The scheme involves two categories of beneficiaries-in the age group of 18 to 40 years and in the age group of 40 to 60 years.

Important Points

Haryana

Capital - Chandigarh

Chief Minister - Manohar Lal Khattar

Governor - Satyadev Narayan Arya

National Park

• Kalesar National Park
• Sultanpur National Park

• Reserve Bank of India has constituted a task force which will be headed by its former deputy governor, Usha Thorat to examine issues related to offshore rupee markets and recommend policy measures.

• The task force will examine offshore rupee markets in depth and recommend appropriate policy measures that also factor in the requirement of ensuring the stability of the external value of the rupee.

• The motive behind this is to develop deep and liquid on-shore financial markets that will act as a price setter of the Rupee globally.

Important Points

RBI

Headquarters - Mumbai

Governor - Shaktikanta Das

• The National Book Trust (NBT) has appointed educationist and author Govind Prasad Sharma as its new Chairman replacing Baldeo Sharma.

• NBT, an autonomous organization under the Department of Higher Education.

• Mr. Sharma was born in 1939 and he has served as the Principal of Government P.G. College, Madhya Pradesh and as the Director of Madhya Pradesh Hindi Granth Academi.

• He is the author of more than six academic books and several research papers.

• NITI Aoyog's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and Adobe signed a statement of Intent (SOI) to collectively drive the charter of developing creative skills and spreading digital literacy across all Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) in India.

• 100 schools will be adopted by Adobe under the ATL initiative and will be implementing its Digital Disha Program in ATLs, under which free licenses of Adobe spark premium shall be offered to ATLs.

• The Adobe Digital Disha Programme, launched in 2018, is aimed at driving synergies in creative thinking and technology-based learning.

• ATL is based on the philosophy to identify and nurture innovation in young students across India.

• AIM is the Government of India's flagship initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in India.

• Ministry of External Affairs has appointed Pranay Kumar Verma as India's Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

• Pranay Kumar Verma is a 1994 cadre Indian Foreign Services Officer.

• He is presently working as the Joint Secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Important Points

Vietnam

Capital - Hanoi

Currency - Vietnamese Dong

Prime Minister - Nguyen Xuan Phuc

• The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a loan agreement of USD 926 million to operationalize two lines of the Mumbai Metro Rail System.

• It is the single largest infrastructure project loan in ADB history.

• The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will implement the project and will be operational by the end of 2022, an estimated two million passengers a day will use the two new lines and will travel in improved safety and comfort.

Important Points

ADB

Headquarters - Mandaluyong, Philippines

President - Takehiko Nakao

• India and Brunei signed an agreement for the exchange information and Assistance in Collection with respect to taxes in order to curb tax evasion and tax avoidance in New Delhi.

• This agreement will facilitate both countries to exchange information, including banking and ownership information for tax purposes and will also avail mutual assistance in collection of tax revenue claims.

• The agreement was signed by Pramod Chandra Mody, Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes, and Dato Paduka Haji Sidek Ali, Brunei's High Commissioner to India.

Important Points

Brunei

Capital - Bandar Seri Begawan

Currecncy - Brunei dollar

Prime Minister - Hassanal Bolkiah

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