1. All CAPF personnel to retire at 60 now

• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has fixed the retirement age for all Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel at 60 years.
• All personnel in the Central Industrial Security Force and the Assam Rifles retire at 60. However, in the other four forces—Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema Bal—those from the ranks of constable to commandant retire at 57 while those above them retire at 60.
• The home ministry directive comes in the wake of a January order of the Delhi High Court where it had called the policy of different age of superannuation as “discriminatory and unconstitutional”, and said it created two classes in the uniformed forces.

2. Pakistan, India spar over using water as a weapon in Kashmir dispute

• Accusing India of waging "fifth-generation warfare", Pakistan said New Delhi had failed to inform it about the release of water from a dam that could cause flooding across the border.
• India, however, rejected the claim saying that under the terms of a water treaty between the two nations it had informed Pakistan about the release of excess water late on Monday when it crossed a certain threshold.
• Relations between the neighbours, already hostile, have been further strained over India's decision this month to revoke the special status of its portion of the Kashmir region that both countries claim. Pakistan reacted with fury, cutting transport and trade links and expelling India's ambassador in retaliation.

Foot Notes:

1. High Commissioner of India to Pakistan: Ajay Bisaria

3. MoU between India and Maldives

• During the Prime Minister of India's visit to the Maldives in June 2019, India signed MoU to provide training and Capacity Building Programme for Maldivian civil servants. Maldives Civil Service Commission signed with India's National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) with the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances. The aim to emphasize India's Neighbourhood First policy.
• India is now providing its full support to the Maldives in realizing its socio-economic development and strengthening of democratic and independent institutions.
• The training program was operationalised after the discussions between the senior officials of the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) and the Maldives Civil Service Commission.

Foot Notes:
About Maldives

1. Capital: Malé
2. Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa
3. President: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih

4. Sadbhavana Diwas observed on 20 August

• Sadbhavana Diwas is celebrated on 20 August every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. This year will be the 75th Birth Anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi.
• On this day national integration, peace, love, affection and communal harmony among all Indians are encouraged. Shri Rajiv Gandhi was born on August 20, 1944, in Bombay. Mr Rajiv Gandhi youngest Prime Minister of India.
• He was the youngest Prime Minister of the country. He became Prime Minister at the age of 40. Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime Minister. He served from 1984-89.

Foot Notes:
About Rajiv Gandhi

• Born: 20 August 1944, Bombay Presidency
• Assassinated: 21 May 1991, Sriperumbudur
• Spouse: Sonia Gandhi
• Awards: Bharat Ratna, Indira Gandhi Prize

5. State Bank of India aims to eliminate debit cards

• State Bank of India bank debit cards from the banking system as the bank plans to promote more digital payment solutions and eliminate the plastic cards.The debit cards by customers of SBI which services a fifth of the population.
• Around 90 crore debit cards in the country as against 3 crore credit cards, and pointed out to digital solutions like its own 'Yono' platform as the key for achieving a debit card-less country.Kumar said through the Yono platform, one can withdraw cash at automated teller machines or pay for purchases at a merchant establishment without having a card at all.
• In the next five years, there will be a limited need to have any plastic cards in your pocket, Kumar said, pointing out that virtual coupons is the future.
• The QR code is also a very inexpensive way of ensuring payments.

Foot Notes:
About State Bank of India

1. Chairperson: Rajnish Kumar
2. Headquarters: Mumbai
3. Founded: 1 July 1955

6. Former PM Manmohan Singh Elected Unopposed To Rajya Sabha From Rajasthan

• Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh got elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan after the opposition BJP failed to field a candidate against him. The bypoll was necessitated by the death of BJP parliamentarian Madan Lal Saini.
• Mr Singh was declared elected unopposed after the deadline for the withdrawal of nominations for the bypoll ended at 3 pm today. Mr Singh was a member of Rajya Sabha from Assam since 1991 until his term ended in June. The Congress did not have the strength to get him reelected from Assam, and there was no vacancy left elsewhere.
• The Congress, which had won the assembly polls last year, has the support of its 100 MLAs, 12 independents and six MLAs of Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party-- enough to get the party veteran through to the Rajya Sabha.

Foot Notes:
About Manmohan Singh

1. Born: 26 September 1932
2. Spouse: Gursharan Kaur
3. Party: Indian National Congress
4. Previous offices: Minister of Finance of India (2012–2012)

About Rajasthan

1. Chief minister: Ashok Gehlot
2. Capital: Jaipur

About Rajya Sabha

1. The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India.
2. Chairperson: Venkaiah Naidu
3. Seats: 245 (233 Elected + 12 Nominated)
4. Leader of the House: Thawar Chand Gehlot, BJP; since 11 June 2019
5. Next election: April 2020
6. Founded: 3 April 1952

7. The Karnataka government notified Nictoine as "Class A poison".

•  The Karnataka government has amended the Karnataka Poisons (Possession and Sale) Rules 2015 and notified Nictoine as "Class A poison". The step has been taken to strengthen enforcement of the ban on production and sale of electronic cigarettes.
• The notification has also ordered the suspension of all kinds of promotion of e-cigarettes, including online promotion. This will curb the illegal sale, smuggling of nicotine cartridges and e-cigarettes.
• Class A poison are "Highly toxic chemicals", which even in very small quantities as gas or vapour in the air are dangerous to life (such as cyanogen, hydrocyanic acid, nitrogen peroxide, and phosgene).

Foot Notes:
About Karnataka

1. Chief minister: B. S. Yediyurappa
2. Capital: Bengaluru
3. Governor: Vajubhai Vala

8. Iceland unveils memorial plaque for lost glacier

• Iceland unveiled a plaque to its Okjokull ice sheet on Sunday, the first of the country’s hundreds of glaciers to melt away due to climate change.
• Scientists see the shrinking of glaciers as one of many warning signs that the earth’s climate is lurching toward dangerous tipping points.
• A ceremony to unveil the plaque was attended by scientists and locals at the glacier in west-central Iceland, which in 2014 no longer fulfilled the criteria to be classified as a glacier after melting throughout the 20th century.

9. Russia says US missile test 'escalation of military tensions'

• Russia said on August 20, 2019 that the United States was escalating military tensions by testing a medium-range cruise missile weeks after tearing up a pact with Russia. The tested missile was not nuclear equipped.
• Russia said that the United States was ramping up military tensions by testing a medium-range cruise missile weeks after tearing up a pact with Russia. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, the US has obviously taken a course towards escalation of military tensions.
• Earlier, the US Defence Department has announced that the test of a medium-range ground-launched cruise missile from the US Navy controlled San Nicolas Island off the coast of Los Angeles, California. The Pentagon said in a statement that the test missile exited its ground mobile launcher and accurately hit its target after more than 500 kilometres of flight.

Foot Notes:
About Russia

1. Capital: Moscow
2. Currency: Russian ruble
3. President: Vladimir Putin

10. PM Narendra Modi to receive 'Order of Zayed' during three-day visit to UAE, Bahrain from August 23

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a three-day official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain from August 23, the Ministry of External Affairs said. During the visit, PM Modi will receive the 'Order of Zayed', the highest civil decoration of the UAE, which was conferred to him in April 2019 in recognition of his distinguished leadership that gave a big boost to bilateral relations between the two countries.
• "The award in the name of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE, acquires special significance as it was awarded to Prime Minister Modi in the year of the birth centenary of Sheikh Zayed," the MEA statement said.
• PM Modi will hold a meeting with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss bilateral, regional and international matters of mutual interest.

Foot Notes:
About UAE

1. Capital: Abu Dhabi
2. Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham
3. Prime minister:Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum