1. World Photography Day observed on 19 August

• World Photography Day is an annual, worldwide celebration of the art, craft, science, and history of photography. World Photography Day signifies about the photography event in the world.
• Early 19th century, photography has become an ever-increasing medium of personal expression and appreciation for countless people around the world..
• World Photo Day originates from the invention of the Daguerreotype, a photographic process developed by Frenchmen Louis Daguerre and Joseph Nicephore Niepce in 1837.World Photo Day hosted its first global online gallery. There are 270 photographers shared their pictures and people from over 100 countries visited the website.

2. SERB’s new scheme called “Supra” will fund cutting-edge research

• In a bid to promote research in cutting edge areas of science, the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) plans to launch a new scheme called “Supra” (Scientific and Useful Profound Research Advancement) to fund scientists.
• The scheme has designed as a part of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s100-day transformative ideas.The aim of this scheme is to fund new scientific and engineering breakthroughs with global impact.
• This will promote new areas of study, novel scientific concepts, new products, and technologies. It will also attract high-quality research proposals consisting of new hypotheses or challenge present ones and provide innovative solutions.

Foot Notes:
About SERB

1. Headquarters: New Delhi
2. Secretary: Prof Sandeep Verma

3. Paytm promoted CFO Madhur Deora as its President

• Indian largest digital wallet company, Paytm has promoted its CFO(chief financial officer) Madhu Deora as President of the company.
• He joined the paytm in October 2016 and prior to this, he has served as Managing Director (MD)in Citigroup’s investment banking business in New York, London, and Mumbai.He will now be tasked with several businesses in the consumer services segment to oversee their growth and financials.
• On May 3, 2019, Bhushan Patil quits as a  president of Paytm.

Foot Notes:
About Paytm:

1. Founded: 2010
2. Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh
3. CEO: Renu Satti
4. Founder : Vijay Shekhar Sharma

4. Ladakh seeks tribal area status

• Leaders of Ladakh have appealed to the Centre to declare the region a tribal-area status under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The move comes as the people are concerned to protect their land, culture, and identity after the abrogation of article 370 and the announcement of Ladakh as a Union Territory.
• The Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution provides provisions for the administration of tribal areas in four north-eastern states namely Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Mizoram. The schedule includes Articles 244(2) and 275(1). It provides for the administration of tribal areas in the states after setting up the autonomous district and regional councils.
• The states are provided with special provisions in terms of governance, powers of the president and the governor, type of local bodies, alternate judicial mechanisms, financial powers, etc.

5. Manipur Govt launches School Fagadaba scheme

• Chief Minister (CM) of Manipur, N Biren Singh launched “School Fagadaba” (Make education better) scheme.
• The main aim of the scheme is to improve the infrastructure, quality education and overall improvement of government schools.The regular attendance of teachers, biometric devices would be installed in every Government school in the state.The teachers posted in these schools stay at the place of their posting for at least 3 years.
• The 60 Assembly constituencies in the state selected under the 1st phase of the scheme.The state also set a target to increase enrollment of students from 26,000 at present to around 44,000 in the next academic session.The additional infrastructures like a modern school campus, sufficient school furniture, outdoor gymnasium, separate toilets for boys and girls, drinking water facilities will be provided to these schools as per the Right to Education (RTE) norms.

Foot Notes:

1. Capital: Imphal
2. Governor: Padmanabha Acharya
3. Chief minister: N. Biren Singh

6. Lucknows iconic Hazratganj Chauraha renamed as Atal Chowk

• Lucknow's famous Hazratganj Chauraha renamed as "Atal Chowk" It is named in the memory of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.The first death anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Hazratganj Chowk renamed after him as "Atal Chowk" from August 16.
• He was a five-time Member of Parliament (MP) from Lucknow. A memorial named “Atal Smriti Upvan” be built on his name.The Mayor of the city prepared a draft for developing a memorial for Atal Smriti Upvan.

7. Former Bihar CM Jagannath Mishra passes away at 82

• Jagannath Mishra, former Bihar chief minister and JD(U) i.e.,Janata Dal (United) leader passed away after battling cancer on August 19,2019. He was undergoing treatment in New Delhi and breathed his last there.
• Born on 24 June 1937, Mishra served as the chief minister of the state thrice. He was the last Congress chief minister of the state as well as a cabinet minister at the centre.

8. Veteran Odisha based journalist and columnist Ranjit Guru passed away

• Senior journalist & editor of Odia daily Sambad, Ranjit Guru passed away following a brief illness in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. He was 61.
• After completing post-graduation and M Phil degree, Ranjit started his career in journalism as correspondent of Sambalpur for the language daily Sambad & with over 30 years long career, he promoted to the rank of the editor.
• He got his credit by highlighting important issues through his writings and columns.He was also associated with popular newspapers of Anandabazar Patrika and The Asian Age.

9. NS Tasneem- Sahitya Akademi winner passed away at 91

• Eminent Punjabi writer and Sahitya Akademi (1999) award winner Professor Niranjan Singh Tasneem passed away at his residence in Ludhiana, Punjab due to old age ailments on August 17,2019. He is survived by wife, two daughters and a son.
• Born in Amritsar on May 1,1929, Tasneem served as a professor in Satish Chander Dhawan(SCD) government college in Ludhiana and was also a research fellow at Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh in 1998-1999.
• His first Punjabi novel was ‘Parchawein’. He wrote in Urdu initially before switching to English and Punjabi.His last Punjabi novel was ‘Talaash Hoyi Sadeevi’(year 2000) and his last published work was ‘Sahitkaari Atey Sahitik Paripekh’(2014).

10. PM signs 10 MoUs during his second visit to Bhutan

• During his second visit to Bhutan PM Narendra Modi, he held talks with his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering to further expand the bilateral partnership across several sectors.
• The leaders of the two countries signed 10 MoUs in fields like new energy, education, space research, aviation, IT, power and education. The talks also aimed to further improve economic and cultural ties between the two countries.
• PM Modi also inaugurated the Mangdechhu hydroelectric power plant which was built on the Mangdechhu River in Trongsa Dzongkhag district of central Bhutan. PM Modi launched the RuPay Card in Bhutan to enhance the countries relationship in digital payments, and trade and tourism. The leaders unveiled an e-plaque on the interconnection between India’s National Knowledge Network and Bhutan’s Druk Research and Education Network. It marked India as the major partner in the development of Bhutan as India actively cooperates in Bhutan’s five-year plans.

Foot Notes:

1. Capital and largest city: Thimphu
2. Official languages: Dzongkha
3. King: Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck
4. Prime Minister: Lotay Tshering