Current Affairs 13th October 2020| Current Affairs News

By Ameena Ameena - Oct 14 2020

This post is also available in: हिन्दी (Hindi)

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

World Arthritis Day (WAD)

  • Since 1996, October 12 is observed as World Arthritis Day. Arthritis is inflammation of the joints which affects movement.
  • This year’sWorld Arthritis Day theme – “It’s in your hands, take action”

International Day for Disaster Reduction

  • The United Nations General Assembly has designated October 13th as theInternational Day for Disaster Risk Reduction to promote a global culture of disaster risk reduction.
  • It is an opportunity to acknowledge the progress being made toward reducing disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health in line with theSendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 adopted at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Japan in March 2015.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

Central govt employees can now get Rs 10,000 interest-free advance

  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the conference announced a one-time Rs 10,000 interest-free festival advance to all its officers and employees under the Special Festival Advance Scheme.
  • The scheme has been announced as part of plans to increase consumer spending to spur demand in the economy which has suffered a blow from the pandemic.
  • The festival advance was discontinued from 6th Pay Commission for central government employees. But as a one-time measure, an interest-free advance will be given to all officers and employees of the central government.

About the special festival advance

  • The Rs 10,000 advance will come as a pre-paid RuPay card, which can be availed and spent by March 31, 2021.
  • The Interest-free advance of Rs 10,000 will be recoverable in maximum 10 instalments
  • The government expects to disburse Rs 4,000 crore on this scheme. If given by state governments, another Rs 8000 crore is likely to be disbursed. Assuming 50% adoption by states the estimate is Rs 4,000 crore.
  • It is recommended to restore festival advance to govt employees for festivals up to 31st January 2021.
  • Additional consumer demand generated because of this scheme is expected to be Rs 8,000 crore.

Rajnath Singh Lays Foundation Stone For Nechiphu Tunnel In Arunachal Pradesh

  • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone for the strategically important Nechiphu tunnel at West Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh via video conferencing.
  • The 450m-long tunnel, which will bypass the existing road, will be D-shaped and comprise two lanes of 5m width each. Another 1.8 km-long tunnel is also being constructed on the BCT road and both will reduce the distance to the area bordering China by 10km.
  • Nechiphu tunnel will be crucial not only for the armed forces but also for the local civilian population in places like Bhalukpong and Tawang.
  • The Defence Minister also inaugurated 43 BRO-made bridges across 7 Border States of the country, including 7 in Arunachal and 4 in Sikkim.
  • Meanwhile, the defence minister also informed that the Centre is initiating all necessary steps to better road infra in the Northeast and the Border States across the nation.
About MoD
  • Defence Minister: Rajnath Singh
  • Constituency: Lucknow, Up
About Arunachal Pradesh
  • Capital: Itanagar
  • Governor: D. Mishra.
  • Chief minister: Pema Khandu

PM Modi to release autobiography of Dr. Balasaheb Vikhe Patil

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the autobiography of Balasaheb Vikhe Patil and rename Pravara Rural Education Society as ‘Loknete Dr. Balasaheb Vikhe Patil Pravara Rural Education Society’, through video conferencing in a programme.
  • Balasaheb Vikhe Patil served as Member of Lok Sabha for multiple terms. His autobiography is titled ‘Deh Vechwa Karani’ which means ‘dedicating one’s life for a noble cause’.
  • Patil is known for his path-breaking work in various fields, including agriculture and cooperatives.
  • Pravara Rural Education Society was established in 1964 at Loni in Ahmednagar district, with the aim to provide world class education to the rural masses and empower the girl child.
  • The Society is currently serving with the core mission of educational, social, economical, cultural, physical and psychological development of students.

India’s sulfur dioxide emissions see first decline in 4 years

  • India’s sulfur dioxide emissions dropped in 2019, the first decline in four years for the world’s largest spewer of the pollutant responsible for human health risks and acid rain.
  • Emissions from India dropped 6% last year as the country consumed less coal, mirroring a similar decline in global emissions of the toxic gas, according to a new report from Greenpeace India and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. All three of the world’s top emitters — India, Russia and China — saw reductions in sulfur dioxide, according to the report which analyzed NASA satellite data.
  • The reduction in sulfur dioxide, which increases the risks of heart and lung diseases, is good news for Indian cities that have some of the world’s dirtiest air. Still, dangers remain as coal is set to dominate the nation’s energy mix for years to come.
  • India accounted for 21% of global SO2, mostly from coal-fired power plants that lack pollution-curbing equipment, the report stated. In contrast, China, the world’s biggest coal burner, saw SO2 emissions plummet 5% last year and 87% since 2011, thanks to strengthened emissions standards and increased use of scrubbers at power plants.
  • India’s environment ministry in 2015 set new standards for emissions of SO2, nitrogen oxides and mercury, asking power plants to comply in two years. The generators instead successfully lobbied to get the deadline pushed back until 2022, and are now seeking a further extension, citing lack of clarity on how the costs will be compensated.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL

Indian, Taiwanese think tanks join hands to foster cooperation in Indo-Pacific region 

  • The Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF), a leading think tank from Taiwan has signed a memorandum with India’s National Maritime Foundation (NMF) in order to foster cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region as part of Taiwan’s South bound policy.
  • The two groups will set up a joint task force to deepen bilateral dialogue. The memorandum’s aim is to conduct joint research and expand cooperation.
  • The goal of the TAEF is to promote comprehensive ties between Taiwan and the 10 ASEAN countries, six South Asian states, as well as Australia and New Zealand through cooperation and exchanges in three major fields – including think tanks, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and young leaders – to consolidate a sense of regional community in Asia and establish long-term cooperative partnerships.
About Taiwan
  • Capital: Taipei
  • President: Tsai Ing-wen
  • Currency: New Taiwan dollar

Seventh round of military level talks between India & China underway to de-escalate tension along LAC

  • In Ladakh region, the talk between India and China is underway to resolve the border issues on Line of Actual Control. The Commander level talks between both the countries began at the Chushul border personnel meeting point on Indian side.
  • The Military commanders are meeting for the seventh time to work out the measures to preserve the peace and tranquility at the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh region.
  • Fire and Fury GOC, Lt Gen Harinder Singh and his successor after a couple of days, Lt Gen PGK Menon are leading the Indian delegation.
  • Sources associated with the talks process said that for the first time, China also sent a senior level foreign ministry official in their delegation. During the sixth round of talks between commanders on September 21, a senior diplomat and East Asia region joint secretary Naveen Srivastava participated in Indian delegation.
  • The talks mainly focus on disengagement of forces from several friction points especially finger areas of Pangong Tso to ease the unprecedented tensions on the border between the two countries.
About China:
  • Capital: Beijing
  • President: Xi Jinping
  • Currency: Renminbi

India donates 1.8 million N95 masks to Philadelphia

  • India has donated 8 million N95 masks to Philadelphia, the largest city in the US state of Pennsylvania, to help in its fight against Covid-19, setting another example of a robust Indo-US partnership in the health sector.
  • The move comes after the Mayor of Philadelphia, Jim Kenney, made a request to India for supply of masks to be used by the city’s frontline workers.
  • “Philadelphia receives 1.8 million N95 masks from India to aid their fight against COVID-19,” India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu. “Another example of the robust India-US reliable partnership in the health sector!” he added.
  • On October 5, at the request of the city mayor, 1.8 million N95 masks were delivered to Philadelphia for use of frontline workers. Philadelphia is the sixth-most populous US city.
  • The move is also an indication of India’s capabilities in manufacturing personal protective equipment (PPE) not only for domestic use, but also exports, officials said.

FATF’s Asia Pacific Group keeps Pakistan on ‘enhanced follow-up list’ for slow progress against terror financing

  • In a major setback to Pakistan, the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF’s) Asia Pacific Group (APG) on Money Laundering has reprimanded the South-Asian country for its slow progress on the technical recommendations of the FATF to fight terror financing.
  • Earlier, Pakistan had requested for its ratings pertaining to targeted financial sanctions on terrorism and terrorist financing to be revised.
  • The APG stated that the insufficient progress made by the country fails to justify a re-rating.
  • The APG stated, Pakistan will remain in the enhanced follow-up list and will have to continue to report back to the APG on progress to strengthen its implementation of comprehensive Anti-money Laundering and Terrorist Financing measures.
About financial Action Task Force:
  • Headquarters: Paris, France
  • President: Marcus Pleyer

In a world first, iodine sanitisers to hit Indian market soon

  • The world’s first iodine-based sanitisers, which are stated to be more effective and long-lasting than alcohol-based hand cleansers, will be launched in India.
  • Moreover, India would be the manufacturing hub for supplying the iodine sanitiser, which will be named as I2Cure, to other parts of the world, stated Anil Kejriwal, Global President of the Singapore-based biotechnology firm I2Pure, which holds the patents for this molecular iodine-based product.
  • I2 in the name stands for molecular iodine, the active ingredient in the product. Though the disinfectant properties of iodine was known for decades, American scientist Jack Kessler tremendously improved upon it through years of research.
  • More importantly, while medical iodine products like povidone contain only 5 to 10 parts per million (ppm) iodine, iodine contained in the iodine sanitiser is close to 1,500 ppm, he stated.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE

Axis Bank collaborates with Google Pay, Visa to launch a new ACE Credit card

  • Axis Bank announced the launch of its ACE Credit Card in India in collaboration with Google Pay and Visa.
  • The card meant to help with digital payments. From application to issuance, with the entire user journey for the credit card application will be done digitally.
  • For essential use cases, including mobile recharges and bill payments made via Google Pay, users can earn a cashback of 5 per cent. The company is also offering 4 per cent-5 per cent cashback for expenses on food ordering, online grocery delivery, cab rides for transactions made on partner merchant platforms such as Swiggy, Zomato, BigBasket, Grofers and Ola.
  • There is also an unlimited 2 per cent cashback on other transactions (terms and conditions applied).
  • The tokenization feature enabled in partnership with Visa will allow Google Pay users to use their ACE Credit Card to make payments through a secure digital token attached to their phone without having to physically share their card details
  • A joining fee of499 which is applicable from the second year of use will be waived for all users who apply for the card in 2020. In 2021, joining fee will be reversed if spends exceed Rs.10,000 within 45 days of issuance, the bank said. The annual fee of Rs.499 will also be waived off if for users who reach Rs.2 lakh spends in the year.
About Axis Bank
  • CEO: Amitabh Chaudhry
  • Headquarters: Mumbai

ADB, India Sign $270 Million Loan to Improve Urban Services in 64 Madhya Pradesh Small Cities

  • The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India have signed a $270 million loan to develop water supply and integrated storm water and sewage management infrastructure and strengthen capacities of urban local bodies for improved service delivery in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
  • This is an additional financing to scale up the scope of the ongoing Madhya Pradesh Urban Services Improvement Project, which was approved in 2017 with a $275 million loan. It will expand the outcome of the current project by covering additional , benefiting 185,000 households that consist of about 1.3 million people.
  • Through this project, ADB will continue innovative approaches and good practices of the ongoing project including universal coverage with 100% household metering, full operation and maintenance cost recovery, and reducing nonrevenue water.
  • The project will receive support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, specifically for the integration of Citywide Inclusive Sanitation principles into the planning, design, implementation, operation, and maintenance of the sanitation subprojects.
About ADB
  • Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Philippines
  • President: Masatsugu Asakawa

Exim Bank extends $400 mn soft loan to Maldives for connectivity project

  • The Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) on behalf of the Government of India has extended a Line of Credit (LoC) of USD 400 million for undertaking Greater Male’s connectivity project in
  • The loan agreement was inked in Male between Exim Bank General Manager Nirmit Ved and Maldives’ Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer.
  • The soft loans to Maldives have funded connectivity, water, sewerage projects, Addu Development Project, an international cricket stadium, Gulhifalhu port, Hanimaadhoo airport and road construction work.
  • LoCs or soft loans are concessional loans that are offered at cheap rates.
About EXIM Bank
  • CEO: David Rasquinha
  • Founded: 1 January 1982
  • Headquarters: Mumbai
About Maldives
  • Capital: Malé
  • Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa
  • President: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih

ADB approves 300 million US dollar loan to finance water supply, sanitation infrastructure in Rajasthan

  • India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a 300 million US dollar loan to finance inclusive and sustainable water supply and sanitation infrastructure and services in 14 secondary towns of the state of Rajasthan.
  • The signatories to the Rajasthan Secondary Towns Development Sector Project were Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Takeo Konishi, Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission.
  • Through the project, water supply systems in at least eight project towns are expected to improve by 2027, benefiting more than five lakh 70 thousand people. Citywide sanitation systems will benefit about seven lakh 20 thousand people in at least 14 secondary towns.

Paytm Payment Gateway launches same-day bank settlement

  • Paytm, announced the launch of same-day settlement facility for fund transfers on its payment gateway service.
  • “This will help business partners settle money transfers anytime in their bank account on the same day of receiving payment, without waiting for the next day,” it stated.
  • The feature can be accessed from Paytm Merchant Dashboard or Paytm for Business app. The minimum amount that can be transferred is 50, and the maximum amount is Rs.2 lakh in a single transfer request.
About Paytm:
  • CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma
  • Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Microsoft collaborates with AICTE to upskill students, educators in next-gen tech

  • Microsoft announced that it has partnered with the Government of India’s All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to provide online course modules to students across the country.
  • The tech giant will offer courses to help “learners and educators with future-ready skills.” It will offer over 1,500 course modules to students and educators free of cost through AICTE’s e-learning portal, ELIS.
  • The tech giant has also integrated its learning resource centre, Microsoft Learn, with the ELIS platform “to provide access to personalised learning paths and resources for students, covering a broad range of technologies including AI, IoT, data science and cloud computing, among others.”
  • Educators can also access relevant online learning resources and instructor-led training material through the Microsoft Learn for Educators platform available through the collaboration. Eligible educators and faculty members can access Microsoft’s ‘ready-to-teach’ curriculum and teaching materials and can get industry-recognised Microsoft certifications.
About Microsoft:
  • CEO: Satya Nadella
  • Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

UP CM Yogi Adityanath To Launch Mission Shakti For Women

  • The Yogi Adityanath government will dedicate the upcoming Navratri festival to women’s safety, dignity and empowerment by launching ‘Mission Shakti’ .
  • The initiative will begin in ‘Shardiya Navratri’ on Oct 17th and will continue for the next six months till the ‘Chaitra Navratri’ in April.
  • The various programmes will be organised from the Gram Panchayats to industrial units, school campuses to government offices, from the Durga Puja pandals to Ramlilas to reaffirm the faith and resolve towards the women power.
About UP
  • Governor: Anandiben Patel
  • Capital: Lucknow
  • Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU

NIT Tiruchirappalli signs MoU with C-DAC Pune for installing state of art super computer

  • National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune for installing a state of the art super computer in the process of becoming part of the National Super Computing Mission of the Government of India.
  • A total of 10 Centrally Funded Institutions have been inducted into NSM including IISc, Bangalore and seven IITs in addition to NIT, Trichy. The objective of the NSM is to empower technology institutions with high-performance computing capabilities that can be used for solving socially relevant, computationally intensive problems.
  • NIT Director Dr Mini Shaji Thomas said that the super Computing facility worth 17 crore rupees will be made available to neighbouring educational institutions, as mandated and in line with NEP-2020.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE

Reserve Bank of India reallocates portfolios of deputy governors

  • Reserve Bank of India has reallocated portfolios of deputy governors, with the department of regulation entrusted to the newly-appointed M Rajeshwar Rao.
  • Mr Rao was executive director of the Reserve Bank before being elevated to the post of deputy governor..Besides the department of regulation, Mr Rao will look after the departments of communication, enforcement legalities among others.
  • Mr Rao was appointed to the post vacated by NS Vishwanathan, who stepped down three months ahead of his extended tenure on health grounds.
  • RBI also announced portfolios of the four deputy governors effective from October 12, consequent upon the appointment of Mr Rao as deputy governor.
  • Deputy Governor MD Patra will continue to look after the monetary policy department.
  • His other portfolios, include department of economic and policy research, deposit insurance and credit guarantee corporation, financial markets operations department, and financial markets regulation department.
  • Deputy Governor MK Jain will look after central security cell, corporate strategy and budget department, consumer education and protection department, department of supervision, and human resource management department, among others.
  • Deputy Governor BP Kanungo will oversee coordination, currency management, external investments and operations, department of government and banks accounts, IT, payment and settlement systems, foreign exchange department, internal debt management department, Right of Information (RIA) Division, and secretary’s department.

Indian-origin Srikant Datar named Dean of Harvard Business School

  • Srikant Datar, the Arthur Lowes Dickinson Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, will become the School’s next dean, Harvard University President Larry Bacow announced.
  • India born Datar is the 11th Dean in the prestigious Harvard Business School’s 112-year history and will take charge on January 1, 2021.
  • He succeeds Nitin Nohria, who last November announced his plans to conclude his deanship in end June this year after ten years of service, but agreed to continue through this December in view of the COVID19 pandemic.
  • A chartered accountant and a gold medallist from IIM Ahmedabad, Datar holds two master’s degrees in Statistics (1983) and economics (1984) and a doctorate in business (1985)–all from Stanford University. Datar received his bachelor’s degree, with distinction, from the University of Bombay in 1973. He had joined the HBS faculty in 1996.
  • Professor Datar, who has served since 2015 as faculty chair of the Harvard Innovation Labs, or i-Lab, is currently a member of the Board of Governors of IIM Calcutta. He previously served on the boards of IIM Ahmedabad, HCL Technologies and KPIT Technologies. Datar is also part of the governing body of S P Jain Institute of Management and Research.

ICICI Securities appoints Subhash Kelkar as Chief Technology & Digital Officer

  • ICICI Securities has appointed Subhash Kelkar as Chief Technology and Digital Officer after the superannuation of Yagnesh Parikh who continue to be associated with the brokerage house in an advisory capacity.
  • Subhash comes with three decades of experience in technology and services industry in strategic and leadership roles across multiple geographies like USA, Europe, Japan and New Zealand. In his last role he was the CTO at CMS Info Systems.
About Icici Securities:
  • Headquarters: Mumbai
  • Founded: 1995

SVYM and GRAAM founder appointed to SEBI committee

  • Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has inducted Balasubramaniam, founder and chairman of GRAAM, Mysuru, as a member of the Technical Group on Social Stock Exchange (SSE). The committee has been formed to develop guidelines for setting up the Social Stock Exchange in India.
  • The committee will develop a framework for on-boarding non-profit organisations and non-profit enterprises as well as prescribe disclosure requirements on financials and governments. The group will also prescribe disclosure requirements relating to performance and highlight the aspects related to social impact and social audit. Dr. Balasubramaniam’s membership is with effect from October 7.
  • The committee is chaired by Harsh Kumar Bhanwala, former chairman, NABARD. The decision for setting up the technical group was taken following the recommendation of the working group on SSE. Earlier, the working group, chaired by Ishaat Hussain, had submitted its report on June 1, a release from GRAAM stated here.
About SEBI:
  • Headquarters: Mumbai
  • Chairperson: Ajay Tyagi

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONORS

American economists awarded Nobel Prize in economics for work on auction theory

  • The 2020 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences has been awarded to Stanford University economists Paul R. Milgrom and Robert B. Wilson for work on commercial auctions.
  • The economists were commended for their “improvements to auction theory and invention of new auction formats”.
  • Last year’s winners of the prize were MIT professors Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo and Harvard economist Michael Kremer for “their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.”

7th Justice Ministers’ Meeting of SCO Member States to be hosted by Ravi Shankar Prasad on Oct 16

  • The Seventh Meeting of Ministers of Justice of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States will be hosted by Union Minister of Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad on 16th October. In this connection, Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law and  Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta will also host the Second Meeting of the Experts Working Group on 13th and 14th of October. Both the meetings shall be conducted through Video Conferencing mode.
  • The Experts Working Group will discuss and share their experiences, best practices and the novel steps taken by them for creating conducive environment for promoting resolution of disputes and other related activities including legal services and forensic activities.
  • In the Seventh Meeting of the Ministers of Justice of the SCO, Member States shall further deliberate on areas of cooperation, creating favourable conditions for resolving disputes and implementation of the Action Plan of the Working Groups of Experts on Forensic Activities and Legal Services. A Joint Statement following the results of the Seventh Session of the Ministers of Justice of the SCO Member States will also be signed.
  • The Ministers of Justice and senior officials and experts from the Ministries of Law and  Justice of India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will be participating in the Meeting.
About Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO):
  • The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, or Shanghai Pact, is a Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance, the creation of which was announced on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai, China by the leaders
  • Headquarters: Beijing, China

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE

DRDO fires Nirbhay cruise missile into sea

  • The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) launched the 800-km range Nirbhay cruise missile from Odisha’s test facility into the Bay of Bengal.
  • But the missile developed a snag and the trial was aborted 8 minutes later.
  • Nirbhay is a subsonic missile, flying at a speed of 0.7 Mach, with sea-skimming and terrain-hugging capability that helps the missile stay under enemy radar to avoid detection.
About DRDO
  • Founded: 1958
  • Headquarters: DRDO Bhavan, New Delhi
  • Chairman: G Satheesh Reddy

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING

India Ranks 129th  in Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) Index

  • India, which is ranked 129 out of 158 countries in the Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) Index by Oxfam, spent just 4 per cent of its budget on health going into the pandemic — fourth lowest in the world.
  • India has fared poorly in protecting labour rights and has slipped to rank 151 among 158
  • India also slipped from rank 141 to 151 with weak labour rights and high incidence of vulnerable employment.
  • In terms of its public services, it ranked 141.
  • India, Nepal and Sri Lanka are all in the bottom 10, and Bangladesh is 16th from the bottom of Oxfam’s CRI 2020 list.
  • The list is topped by Norway.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

New perennial woody herb species spotted in Kerala

  • A team of researchers have reported a new species of perennial woody herb of the genus Lepidagathis from the northern laterite plateaus of Kasaragod district in the State.
  • Since this rare plant was spotted in the neighbourhood of the Ananthapura lake temple, it has been named ‘Lepidagathis ananthapuramensis’ after the famed temple dedicated to Ananthapadmanabha.
  • The plant was spotted during field explorations in the region, V.S. Anil Kumar stated. With its discovery, the number of species of the genus Lepidagathis (family Acanthaceae) found in India has risen to 34. “Plants of this species are locally called ‘Paramullu’. As far as we know, Lepidagathis ananthapuramensis is endemic to the region,” he stated.
  • To date, eight species of the genus Lepidagathis and three varieties have been reported from Kerala, of which four are endemic to the Western Ghats.
  • Lepidagathis ananthapuramensis is closely related to Lepidagathis keralensis reported from Madayippura in Kannur district. Detailed studies have established the former as a hitherto undescribed species, he stated.
  • An erect woody herb that grows to a height of 50-100 cm, Lepidagathis ananthapuramensis is characterised by a hairy and branched stem, thick and woody rootstock, hairy leaf veins, and flowers clustered on one side of the inflorescence.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS

NBA finals 2020: Los Angeles Lakers beat Miami Heat to clinch title

  • The Los Angeles Lakers captured a record-tying 17th NBA Championship with a 106-93 victory over the Miami Heat.
  • This also their first since 2010, after late Kobe Bryant’s fifth and final title a decade ago.
  • LeBron James of the Lakers’ was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the fourth time in his career

DAILY CA 11th & 12th OCT

  • Indian Foreign Service Day-9th oct
  • World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD)- 10th oct
  • World Day Against the Death Penalty-10th oct
  • International Day of the Girl Child- 11st oct
  • Coal Ministry launches website for research endeavors in coal sector
  • Narendra Modi launches physical distribution of property cards under SWAMITVA scheme
  • PM Modi releases Rs 100 commemorative coin in honour of Vijaya Raje Scindia
  • All eight beaches recommended by Govt gets coveted International Blueflag Certification: Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar
  • Nirmala Sitharaman announces major schemes to boost demand in country by Rs 73,000 Cr
  • RBI to discontinue system-based automatic caution-listing of exporters
  • ACC extends tenure of 3 Executive Directors of PSU banks
  • RBI expects real GDP to fall by 9.5%
  • BharatPe Launches Brand Campaign With Record 11 Cricket Stars As Brand Ambassadors
  • Amazon Pay, Uber collaborate to push digital payments in India
  • Goa Govt Ties Up With India Post To Get Farmers Enrolled In PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme
  • Kerala introduces high-tech digital classrooms in all its public schools
  • 14 investors sign MoUs with Tamil Nadu govt to invest over Rs 10,055 Cr in various industrial projects
  • Amit Banerjee is appointed as the New Director (Rail and Metro Business) at BEML
  • Chaitanya Venkateswaran, 18-year-old Indian girl, becomes British High Commissioner for a day
  • The Khalistan Conspiracy: A Former R&aw Officer Unravels The Path To 1984 by G.B.S.Sidhu
  • Nanosafe Solutions launch anti-fungal water storage container “AqCure”
  • Advanced version of Sayabot launched
  • Trial run of India’s first hydrogen fuel cell car successfully conducted by CSIR, KPIT
  • North Korea unveils ‘monster’ new intercontinental ballistic missile at parade
  • Indian Navy Ships Sahyadri and Kora adjudged as Best Ships in FAF 2020
  • India to be third-largest economy in world by 2050
  • French Open Tennis 2020
  • India’s Nihal Sarin wins Junior Speed Chess Championship
  • Hamilton wins Eiffel GP to equal Schumacher’s F1 win record
  • Renowned Indian-origin South African human rights lawyer Priscilla Jana passes away
  • Philanthropist Savithri Vaithi passes away at 92
  • Former Indian football captain Carlton Chapman passes away

DAILY CA 13th OCT

  • World Arthritis Day (WAD)- 12th oct
  • International Day for Disaster Reduction- 13th oct
  • Central govt employees can now get Rs 10,000 interest-free advance
  • Rajnath Singh Lays Foundation Stone For Nechiphu Tunnel In Arunachal Pradesh
  • PM Modi to release autobiography of Dr. Balasaheb Vikhe Patil
  • India’s sulfur dioxide emissions see first decline in 4 years
  • Indian, Taiwanese think tanks join hands to foster cooperation in Indo-Pacific region
  • Seventh round of military level talks between India & China underway to de-escalate tension along LAC
  • India donates 1.8 million N95 masks to Philadelphia
  • FATF’s Asia Pacific Group keeps Pakistan on ‘enhanced follow-up list’ for slow progress against terror financing
  • In a world first, iodine sanitisers to hit Indian market soon
  • Axis Bank collaborates with Google Pay, Visa to launch a new ACE Credit card
  • ADB, India Sign $270 Million Loan to Improve Urban Services in 64 Madhya Pradesh Small Cities
  • Exim Bank extends $400 mn soft loan to Maldives for connectivity project
  • ADB approves 300 million US dollar loan to finance water supply, sanitation infrastructure in Rajasthan
  • Paytm Payment Gateway launches same-day bank settlement
  • Microsoft collaborates with AICTE to upskill students, educators in next-gen tech
  • UP CM Yogi Adityanath To Launch Mission Shakti For Women
  • NIT Tiruchirappalli signs MoU with C-DAC Pune for installing state of art super computer
  • Reserve Bank of India reallocates portfolios of deputy governors
  • Indian-origin Srikant Datar named Dean of Harvard Business School
  • ICICI Securities appoints Subhash Kelkar as Chief Technology & Digital Officer
  • SVYM and GRAAM founder appointed to SEBI committee
  • American economists awarded Nobel Prize in economics for work on auction theory
  • 7th Justice Ministers’ Meeting of SCO Member States to be hosted by Ravi Shankar Prasad on Oct 16
  • DRDO fires Nirbhay cruise missile into sea
  • India Ranks 129th in Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) Index
  • New perennial woody herb species spotted in Kerala
  • NBA finals 2020: Los Angeles Lakers beat Miami Heat to clinch title

Click Here to Attend 13th October 2020 Current Quiz

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