Daily Current Affairs of 20th September 2019

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a 7-day visit to United States tonight.
• During this visit, Mr. Modi will be in Houston and New York and address the United Nations General Assembly on 27th September.
• He will address Indian community on  22nd of  this month and US President Donald Trump will also be there. 
• On 24th September, India will organize an event to commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in the UN. 
• Mr. Modi will be joined by heads of some countries including President of South Korea, Prime Ministers of  Singapore, New Zealand, Bangladesh and Jamaica as well as the UN Secretary General.
• During the visit, Mr. Modi will also be honoured with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Global Goalkeeper's Award for his leadership in field of sanitation through Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
• Pakistan once again faced a major embarrassment over its stand on Jammu and Kashmir. 
• Pakistan attempts at pushing through a resolution in United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) against India with regards to alleged human rights violation in Kashmir fell flat as it did not get support of even one country.  
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga today jointly unveiled a statue of Lord Buddha at Gandan Monastery in Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia's capital) through video-conferencing in New Delhi. 
• Gandan Tegchenling Monastery is a prominent centre of Mongolian Buddhists and a treasure house of valuable Buddhist heritage. 
• Note : The Mongolian President arrived in New Delhi yesterday on a five-day state visit to India. 

• Kerala High Court has held that Right to access Internet is part of the fundamental right to education and right to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution.
• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy directed that private practice by government doctors be banned and they be financially compensated in lieu of the loss incurred. 
• The decision was based on the recommendations of an expert committee on healthcare headed by Dr Sujatha Rao. 
• Government's direct benefit transfer scheme Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) has achieved a significant milestone by crossing one crore beneficiaries. 
• Under this scheme, cash benefits are provided to pregnant women in their bank account directly to meet enhanced nutritional needs and partially compensate for wage loss. 
• The scheme, under which the beneficiaries receive a cash benefit of five thousand rupees in three installments, was launched on 1st of January in 2017.
• Important Note : Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Rajasthan are the top 5 States and Union Territories in the country in implementation of the scheme. 
• Union Ministry of Home Affairs has announced to set up world-class National Police University (NPU) in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. 
• The proposed multi-disciplinary university will provide dynamic, state-of-the-art learning and working environment for advancement and dissemination of education and research in policing science and related areas.

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today proposed to reduce corporate tax rates for domestic companies and new manufacturing companies ahead of the 37th GST Council Meeting. 
• She added domestic companies would have option to pay income tax at 22% if they don't avail any exemptions or incentives from financial year 2020. 
• The Jammu and Kashmir government has postponed the J&K Investor Summit to next year. 
• The government, in consultation with the Centre, decided to reschedule the summit so as to give the Industries and Commerce Department reasonable time to make necessary preparations for the summit. 
• Earlier, the summit was scheduled to be held from October 12-14, 2019.
• Nasscom’s Data Security Council of India (DSCI) has collaborated with Union Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) and Google India to launch nationwide awareness campaign ‘Digital Payment Abhiyan’.
• This campaign aims at increasing awareness about cashless payment, educate end-users on the benefits of making digital payments, online financial security and urge them to adopt security and safety best practices.
• It is pan-India campaign crafted in seven languages — Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali and Marathi.
• The India Post has expanded speed post service to 6 new foreign destinations namely Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Ecuador, Kazakhstan, Lithuania and North Macedonia. 
• The Express Mail Service (EMS) to these 6 countries will henceforth be available at major post offices across India.
• India Post currently provides speed post service to nearly 100 countries.

• The ICC has suspended Sri Lanka spinner Akila Dananjaya from bowling in international cricket for 12 months because of an illegal action. 
• The 25-year-old was reported after Sri Lanka's first Test against New Zealand in Galle in August. 
• A day after Vinesh Phogat became the 1st Indian wrestler to qualify for 2020 Olympics, CWG 2018 gold medallist Bajrang Punia and Ravi Dahiya qualified for Olympics after winning their respective quarter-finals in World Wrestling Championships.