Important Weekly Current Affairs PDF Download (18th to 31st October 2020)

Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of 18th & 31st October 2020. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBI Clerk 2020 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

World Statistics Day

• The third World Statistics Day will be celebrated around the globe on 20 October 2020 with the theme “Connecting the world with data we can trust.”

World Osteoporosis Day

• World Osteoporosis Day is observed annually on October 20th, and launches a year-long campaign dedicated to raising global awareness of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease.

International Chefs Day

• Each year on October 20th, Worldchefs celebrates International Chefs Day. This year’s International Chefs Day campaign theme is Healthy Food for the Future!

Police Commemoration Day

• The Police Commemoration Day is observed every year on October 21 

Global Iodine Deficiency Disorders Prevention Day

• Global Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) Prevention Dayor World Iodine Deficiency Day is observed every year on 21st October.

International Stuttering Awareness Day

• International Stuttering Awareness Day is observed annually on October 22.This year’s theme is “Journey of Words – Resilience and Bouncing Back”.

World Snow Leopard’s Day

• October 23 is celebrated as World’s Snow Leopard Day every year to protect and conserve snow leopards and other wildlife of the Himalayas.

World Polio Day

• World Polio Day is celebrated on October 24th. World Polio Day was established by Rotary International to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, who led the first team to develop a vaccine against poliomyelitis.
• The theme for 2020 is “A win against polio is a win for global health.”

World Development Information Day

• The United Nations’ (UN) World Development Information Day is annually held on October 24 to draw attention of worldwide public opinion to development problems and the need to strengthen international cooperation to solve them

United Nations Day

• The United Nations officially came into existence on 24 October 1945. 24 October has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948.The year 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the United Nations and its founding Charter

International Day of Diplomats

• International Day of Diplomats is celebrated on 24 October every year. The first International Day of Diplomats was celebrated in Brasília on 24 October 2017

Vigilance Awareness Week

• The Central Vigilance Commission observes the Vigilance Awareness Week from 27^th October to 2^nd November, 2020. Theme 2020: Satark Bharat, Samriddh Bharat (Vigilant India, Prosperous India). 

World Day for Audiovisual Heritage

• The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage takes place every 27 October. This year the theme of the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage is “Your Window to the World“

Infantry Day celebrated across J&K, Ladakh UTs to mark landing of Indian Army in Srinagar in 1947

• Indian Army celebrates 27th October every year as the ‘Infantry Day’, as it was on this day that the 1st Battalion of the SIKH Regiment landed at Srinagar airbase

International Animation Day

• International Animation Day is marked every year on October 28. This day is marked to celebrate the art and techniques of animation.

Disarmament Week: 24-30 October

• Disarmament Week-24-30 October seeks to promote awareness and better understanding of disarmament issues and their cross-cutting importance.

International Internet Day

• International Internet Day is celebrated globally on October 29 every year since 2005.

World Psoriasis Day

• World Psoriasis Day, observed on October 29, shines a light on challenges faced by those suffering from psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The theme for World Psoriasis Day 2020 is “INFORMED”

Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day)

• National Unity Day or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas is observed on October 31 every year.
• The day was introduced in 2014 by the Government of India to mark the birth anniversary of Iron Man of India – Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

World Cities Day

• World Cities Day 2020 is the 7thglobal celebration since the day was launched on 31 October 2014 in Shanghai, China. The Theme of WCD 2020 is Valuing our communities and cities.

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United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs:

• Headquarters: New York, United States
• Head: High Representative for Disarmament : Izumi Nakamitsu

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

SC appoints former justice Lokur to monitor steps to prevent stubble burning

• The Supreme Court appointed former justice Madan B Lokur to monitor steps taken to prevent stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh amid rising levels of pollution in the national capital and adjoining regions.

Govt amends Panchayat law to set up District Development Councils in J&K, elections soon

• The Central government has amended Jammu and Kashmir’s Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, to establish District Development Councils (DDCs) in all districts in the union territory.

Prime Minister to inaugurate India Energy Forum 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the annual India Energy Forum by CERAWeek, which gathers energy leaders to further important dialogue on the nation’s new energy future.

NCDC to launch Ayushman Sahakar scheme to fund co-operative healthcare facilities

• Inspired by the successfully-run cooperative hospitals in Kerala, the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has come up with a scheme, Ayushman Sahakar, to involve co-operatives in creating healthcare infrastructure.

Gadkari to lay foundation stone for country’s first multi-modal logistic park in Assam

• Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will virtually lay the foundation stone for the first-ever multi-modal logistic park in Assam.
• The Rs 693.97 crore park will provide direct connectivity to air, road, rail and waterways to the people. It will be developed under the ambitious Bharatmala Pariyojana of the Government of India.

RPF launches ‘Meri Saheli’ initiative on AP Express

• Railway Protection Force (RPF), Visakhapatnam, started implementing ‘Meri Saheli’ initiative in AP Express (Visakhapatnam to New Delhi in order to provide proactive security to women passengers.

NITI Aayog to establish Frontier Technologies Cloud Innovation Centre with AWS

• NITI Aayog announced the establishment of a Frontier Technologies Cloud Innovation Centre, CIC with Amazon Web Services, AWS. It is the first of its kind in India.

CSIR-IHBT makes history by introducing asafoetida (Heeng) cultivation in Indian Himalayan region

• Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), Palampur, a historical shift in farming practices is in the offing with farmers of the remote Lahaul valley in Himachal Pradesh taking up cultivation of asafoetida (Heeng) to utilize vast expanses of waste land in the cold desert conditions of the region.

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launches AYUSHMAN SAHAKAR scheme

• Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched AYUSHMAN SAHAKAR scheme. The scheme is a unique way to assist cooperatives play an important role in creation of healthcare infrastructure in the country. AYUSHMAN SAHAKAR scheme has been formulated by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).

Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launches indigenous software solution for vessel traffic

• Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya e-launched an indigenous software solution for Vessel traffic services (VTS) and Vessels Traffic Monitoring Systems (VTMS).

Defence Minister releases new version of DRDO Procurement Manual 2020

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released a new version of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Procurement Manual 2020 (PM-2020). The previous Procurement Manual was modified in 2016.

Dr Harsh Vardhan Launches CuRED, CSIR Partnered Clinical Trials Website

• Union Health and Science and Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched CuRED, a website that gives comprehensive info about the numerous COVID-19 clinical trials that the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) is engaged in partnership with industry, other government departments and ministries.

Indian spends 3.5% of average daily income on food

• On an average an Indian spends 3.5% of his/ her daily income for a plate of food as compared to 0.6% by a New Yorker and an astonishing , according to the “Cost of a Plate of Food” report released by the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP).

Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (I/C) virtually launches “Life in Miniature” project

• Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (I/C) Shri Prahlad Singh Patel virtually launched the “Life in Miniature” project, a collaboration between the National Museum, New Delhi, Ministry of Culture, and Google Arts & culture.

ECI Sets Up Panel To Examine Expenditure Limit For Candidates

• The Election Commission has constituted a two-member committee to examine the issues concerning expenditure limit for a candidate considering increase in number of electors and rise in Cost Inflation Index and other factors.
• Former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Harish Kumar, who was a Director General, Investigation, and the EC’s Secretary General and Director General, Expenditure, Umesh Sinha will be the committee members.

CBSE introduces facial recognition systems for accessing digital documents

• Using the state of the art Facial Recognition System, CBSE will  enable students, to download their digital academic documents of class X and XII. This computer application matches human face from a digital image already stored in the database. The computer and the human interact to map the facial features.

Dept of Posts to release stamp on 75th anniversary of United Nations

• Department of Posts will be releasing a stamp in the presence of External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on the eve of 75th anniversary of the United Nations.

MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari launches India’s first-ever high quality Khadi Fabric Footwear

• Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises- MSME, Nitin Gadkari launched India’s first-ever high quality Khadi Fabric Footwear, designed by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) through Video Conference. These footwear are made of Khadi fabric like Silk, Cotton and Wool.

AYUSH Minister inaugurates Regional Raw Drug Repository at AIIA

• AYUSH Minister Shripad Yesso Naik inaugurated the Regional Raw Drug Repository at All India Institute of Ayurveda in New Delhi through a virtual function. This RRDR is the second in the series of repositories proposed by National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB).

PM Modi to inaugurate 3 projects including Kisan Suryodaya in Gujarat

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate three projects, including ‘Kisan Suryodaya Yojana’ for the farmers in Gujarat, via video conferencing. To provide day-time power supply for irrigation, the Gujarat Government under Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had recently announced the Kisan Suryodaya Yojana.

Indian Railways launches Freight Business Development Portal to boost freight business

• The Indian Railways launched a Freight Business Development Portal amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic to boost the freight business. The portal, which has been specially designed and developed on the principle of ‘Customer First’, shows the complete timetable of all goods trains, routes, distance from one station to another and freight fares.

Indo-Tibetan Border Police celebrates 59th Raising Day

• Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on Oct 24th celebrated its 59th Raising Day across the country.
• Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy took part in the Raising Day function organized in Greater Noida and took the salute at the Parade.

Income tax return filing deadline for FY20 extended till December 31

• The deadline for filing returns by individual taxpayers for FY 2019-20 has been extended by a month till December 31.
• For those taxpayers whose accounts need to be audited, the Income-Tax Return filing deadline has been extended by two months till January 31, 2021.

MoS for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan inaugurates philately exhibition on ‘India and the UN: A Postal History’

• On the occasion of the 75th UN Day, Minister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan inaugurated a philately exhibition on ‘India and the UN: A Postal History’. This was done during a virtual event organized by the UN in India.

Ministry of Earth Sciences dedicates Flash Flood Guidance services for South Asian countries

• Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, M. Rajeevan dedicated Flash Flood Guidance services, first of its kind for South Asian countries namely India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Centre sets up high-level committee to commemorate Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur’s 400th birth anniversary

• The Centre set up a high-level committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to commemorate the 400th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur.

Mandaviya inaugurates direct entry facility at VOC port

• Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated direct port entry facility at VO Chidambaranar Port in Tuticorin, a move that will reduce logistics cost and boost ease of doing business.

Shri Arjun Munda launches two Centers of Excellence for tribal welfare in partnership with Art of Living

• Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Shri Arjun Munda launched two Centers of Excellence for Tribal Welfare in a collaboration between Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) and Art of Living (AoL) through video conference.

V Prez Venkaiah Naidu launches virtual festival of ‘Parampara Series 2020-National Festival of Music and Dance’

• Launching the virtual festival of ‘Parampara Series 2020-National Festival of Music and Dance’ organized by Natya Tarangini in partnership with the United Nations, the Vice President stated that music and dance make lives more fulfilling by rejuvenating and energising.

Microsoft, NSDC collaborate to empower 1 lakh women with digital skills

• Microsoft stated it has collaborated with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to impart digital skills to more than one lakh underserved women in India over the next ten months.

Centre forms panel to bring in reforms in urban planning education system

• The Union government has constituted a 14-member advisory committee for introducing reforms in urban planning education system in India. the panel is being formed considering the multiple challenges being faced in the cities and India’s commitment towards global agenda

Centre notifies new laws allowing any Indian citizen to buy land in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh

• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notified new land laws for the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh and omitted any precondition on the purchase of land in Jammu and Kashmir, as existed under Article 370 for the outsiders.

Wealth of Indian adults rises marginally amid covid outbreak: Credit Suisse

• Wealth per adult in India rose 6% to USD 17,420, despite covid-19 bringing economic activities across the nation to a standstill with gross domestic product (GDP) contracting 23.9% in the first quarter of the current fiscal, shows the Global Wealth Report 2020 by Credit Suisse. As per the report, wealth per adult in India stood higher at USD 17,299 as on 31 December 2019, from USD 14,569 in June 2019.

NITI Aayog, Rockefeller Foundation & Smart Power India Launch Electricity Access & Utility Benchmarking Report

• NITI Aayog, Ministry of Power, Rockefeller Foundation, and Smart Power India launched the ‘Electricity Access in India and Benchmarking Distribution Utilities’ report.
• ‘The report highlights the benefits of government-led schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana, which have been well received in rural as well as urban areas.’

Govt extends payment date for ‘Vivad se Vishwas’ scheme to March 31

• The government extended for the third time the deadline for making payment under the direct tax dispute settlement scheme ‘Vivad Se Vishwas’ by three months to March 31, 2021.

Cabinet approves Rs 10,000 crore project to improve dams in India

• The cabinet committee on economic affairs approved a Rs 10,211-crore project to improve the safety and performance of select dams across India.
• The dam rehabilitation and improvement project (DRIP)–phase II and phase III–is financially supported by the World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

PM Modi inaugurates ‘Arogya Van’ in Narmada district of Gujarat

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Gujarat, inaugurated four new tourist attractions near the Statue of Unity at Kevadiya in Narmada district
• The prime minister inaugurated Arogya Van, Ekta Mall, Children’s Nutrition Park and Sardar Patel Zoological Park/ Jungle Safari.

Indian Railways launches ‘Meri Saheli’ to provide safety to women passengers

• Indian Railways started another great initiative named “Meri Saheli” to provide more safety and security to women passengers during their entire journey.

Dr Harsh Vardhan launches DST initiative SERB – POWER for women scientists

• Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare launched a Scheme titled “SERB-POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Women in Exploratory Research)”, designed exclusively for women scientists, in a function on an e-platform.

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National Cooperative Development Corporation:

• Headquarters: New Delhi, India
• Sundeep Kumar Nayak, Managing Director

 MoRTH

• Minister for Road Transport & Highways andMSME: Nitin Jairam Gadkari
• Constituency: Nagpur, Maharashtra

Niti Aayog:

• Headquarters:New Delhi
• Narendra Modi, (Chairperson)
• Rajiv Kumar, (Vice Chairperson)
• Amitabh Kant, (CEO)

 Minister of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare:

• Narendra Singh Tomar, (Cabinet Minister)
• Constituency: Morena, Madhya Pradesh
• Parsottambhai Rupala, (Minister of State)

 Minister of Shipping

• Minister of State for Shipping and Union Minister of State for Chemical and Fertilizers: Mansukh Laxmanbhai Mandaviya
• Constituency: Gujarat

 MoD:

• Defence Minister: Rajnath Singh
• Constituency: Lucknow, Up

CSIR:

• Director General: Shekhar C. Mande
• Head quarters : Delhi

 Ministry of Science and Technology                       :

• Union minister of Science and Technology, Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Minister of Earth Sciences: Harsh Vardhan
• Constituency: Chandni Chowk
• World Food Programme:
• Headquarters: Rome, Italy
• Heads: David Beasley, Ertharin Cousin

MoC&T

• Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (I/C): Shri Prahlad Singh Patel
• Constituency: Damoh, Madhya Pradesh

ECI

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Chief Election Commissioner of India: Sunil Arora

CBSE:

• Headquarters location: Delhi
• Chairperson: Manoj Ahuja, IAS

Indian post:

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Pradipta Kumar Bisoi , Secretary
• Arundhaty Ghosh, Director General

 United Nations:

• Headquarters: New York, United States
• Founded: 24 October 1945
• Secretary general: António Guterres

Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises:

• Nitin Gadkari, Cabinet Minister
• Constituency:Nagpur
• Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Minister of State

Ministry of AYUSH:

• Shripad Naik, Minister of State (Independent charge)
• Constituency: North Goa

Gujarat:

• Capital: Gandhinagar
• Governor: Acharya Devvrat
• Chief minister: Vijay Rupani

Indian Railways:

• Headquarters: New Delhi, India
• Piyush Goyal (Minister of Railways)
• Vinod Kumar Yadav (Chairman, Railway Board)

ITBP

• Headquarters: New Delhi, India
• Founded: 24 October 1962
• Director General: S S Deswal

 CBDT

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Chairman:Pramod Chandra Mody

MoH&FW:

• Minister of Science and Technology, Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Minister of Earth Sciences: Harsh Vardhan
• Constituency: Chandni Chowk, New Delhi

MoTA

• Minister of Tribal Affairs: Arjun Munda
• Constituency: Khunti, Jharkhand

AoL

• Founder: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
• Founded: 1981
• Headquarters: Bengaluru

 Microsoft:

• CEO: Satya Nadella
• Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States

 NSDC:

• CEO: Manish Kumar
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• CFO: Prakash Sharma

Ministry of Home Affairs:

• Amit Shah, Minister of Home Affairs
• Constituency: Gujarat

 Credit Suisse:

• CEO: Thomas Gottstein
• Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL

Singapore Becomes First Country to Use Facial Recognition to Pay Taxes

• In Singapore, online government services can now be accessed by facial recognition — a world first.
• This technology is being rolled out to the city-state’s SingPass digital identity scheme, offering access to no less than 400 online services, including tax declarations and public housing applications.

India , Netherlands collaborate in e-health initiative

• India and the Netherlands discussed a joint thrust in e-health sector with the purpose of providing digital health facilities and security to Indians and helping the Netherlands accelerate the digital transformation of health.

Israel Embassy to have ‘Water Attache’ in India from January

• IsraelEmbassy in Delhi will have a separate ‘Water Attache‘ from January 2021 to help share their country’s best practices and technologies for advancements in India’s water management and agriculture sectors.

5th Joint Working Group Meeting On Coal Between India, Indonesia On Nov 5

• India will host 5th Joint Working Group (JWG) on coal with Indonesia and the meeting will be on November 5 through video conference.
• The meeting will be co-chaired from the Indian side by Vinod Kumar Tiwari, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal and by Dr Ir. Ridwan Djamaluddin, Director General of Mineral and Coal Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources from the Indonesian side.

Global trade likely to fall by 7 to 9% in 2020: UNCTAD

• The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development has stated that the value of global trade is set to fall by seven to nine per cent in 2020 from the previous year.

UNDP and EIF partner to develop initiatives for implementation of SDGs and sustainable finance

• The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the European Investment Fund (EIF) are joining forces to develop joint initiatives for sustainable finance and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

India and US to hold two plus two Ministerial Dialogue on Oct 27

• External Affairs Ministry stated the third India-US 22 Ministerial Dialogue to be held on 27th October will entail a comprehensive discussion on cross-cutting bilateral issues of mutual interest. India will be hosting the Dialogue in New Delhi.

FDI in India rises to over 358 billion during 2014-20: FM Nirmala Sitharaman

• The government has stated that total Foreign Direct Investment- FDI inflow grew by 55 per cent from 231.37 billion dollar in 2008 to 2014 to over 358 billion dollar in 2014 to 2020.

Andorra joins the IMF and becomes the organization’s 190th member

• Europe’s Andorra formally joined the International Monetary Fund, becoming the crisis lender’s 190th member state as the tourism and trade-dependent principality struggles with the coronavirus pandemic.

India gets chairmanship of International Labour Organisation’s governing body after a gap of 35 years

• India has assumed the chairmanship of the governing body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) after a gap of 35 years.
• Labour secretary Apurva Chandra has been elected as the chairperson of the governing body of the organisation for the period October 2020- June 2021.

NATO plans to set up new space center in Germany

• The NATO alliance is to build a headquarters for space operations at its airbase in Ramstein in Germany, to counter a rising Russian and Chinese threat.

Pakistan to remain in grey list of global terror financing watchdog- FATF till February 2021

• Pakistan will remain on the grey list of global terror financing watchdog, Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as it has not been able to fulfil six out of the 27 mandates to check terror funding. The decision was announced by the President of FATF Marcus Pleyer.

US, EU launch new bilateral dialogue on China

• The United States and European Union (local time) have launched a new bilateral dialogue between the European External Action Service and the US Department of State on China.

Bangladesh govt orders ‘no mask, no service’ policy

• The Bangladesh government has decided that no service will be provided to people who don’t wear mask. It decided that all offices must install notice boards saying ‘no mask, no service’ in order to control the spread of COVID 19 virus in the country

Third India-US 2 plus 2 Ministerial Dialogue underway in New Delhi

• The Third India-UStwo plus two Ministerial Dialogue is underway at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. From the Indian side, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar are leading the delegation.

India Post, US Postal Service sign agreement for electronic exchange of customs data

• Department of Posts and United States Postal Service, USPS have entered into an agreement for electronic exchange of customs data related to postal shipments exchanged between the two countries.

Japan to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050

• Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has stated that the country will achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050.

India, U.S sign five agreements including ‘Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement’

• India and the U.S inked a landmark defence agreement that will allow sharing of high-end military technology, classified satellite data, and critical information between the two countries.

The World’s Longest Immersed Tunnel Will Connect Germany and Denmark — and Make Trips So Much Shorter

• After 10 years of planning, the construction of the world’s longest immersed tunnel has officially begun. The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel that will connect Denmark and Germany, is scheduled to be officially opened by 2029. It’s one of Europe’s largest ongoing infrastructure projects, with a budget of more than US$8 billion.

India, UK to set up bilateral Sustainable Finance Forum

• India and the United Kingdom agreed to establish a bilateral Sustainable Finance Forum to drive forward deeper cooperation on sustainable finance.

European Commission, ICSSR sign new implementing arrangement to enhance scientific cooperation

• The European Commission and the Indian Council of Social Science Research signed a new implementing arrangement to enhance scientific cooperation. In a statement, the EU stated it encourages top Indian social scientists to join temporary research teams in Europe funded by the European Research Council (ERC).

Panna (India), Fuvahmulah and Addu Atoll (Maldives) join UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves

• UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme included Panna in India and Fuvahmulah and Addu Atoll in the Maldives, to UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
• For India it is the twelfth entry, whereas for Maldives second and third after Baa Atoll.

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Singapore

• Capital: Singapore City
• Currency: Singapore dollar

 Netherlands:

• Capital: Amsterdam
• Currency: Euro

Israel

• Capital: Jerusalem
• Currency: Israeli Shekel
• Prime minister: Benjamin Netanyahu

Indonesia:

• President: Joko Widodo
• Capital: Jakarta
• Currency: Indonesian rupiah

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development:

• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Head: Mukhisa Kituyi

 United Nations Development Programme:

• Headquarters: New York, United States
• Head: Achim Steiner

Foreign Direct Investment:

• A foreign direct investment (FDI) is an investment made by a firm or individual in one country into business interests located in another country. Generally, FDI takes place when an investor establishes foreign business operations or acquires foreign business assets in a foreign company.

Andorra

• Capital: Andorra la Vella
• Currency: Euro

 IMF

• Managing Director: Kristalina Georgieva
• Chief Economist: Gita Gopinath
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C. U.S

 ILO

• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Head: Guy Ryder

NATO

• Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
• Chairman of the NATO Military Committee: Air Chief Marshal Stuart Peach

 FATF:

• Headquarters: Paris, France
• President: Marcus Pleyer

 European Union:

• President of the Commission: Ursula von der Leyen
• Capital: Brussels

 China:

• Capital: Beijing
• President: Xi Jinping
• Currency: Renminbi

Bangladesh

• Capital: Dhaka
• Currency: Bangladeshi taka

Japan:

• Capital: Tokyo
• Currency: Japanese yen
• Prime minister: Yoshihide Suga

 USA:

• President: Donald Trump
• Capital: Washington, D.C.

United Kingdom:

• Capital: London
• Prime Minister: Boris Johnson

 European Commission:

• The European Commission (EC) is the executive branch of the European Union, responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the EU treaties and managing the day-to-day business of the EU.
• Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium

Indian Council of Social Science Research:

• Location: New Delhi
• Chairman:Prof. Bhushan Patwardhan

UNESCO

• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Head: Audrey Azoulay
• Founded: 16 November 1945

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE

Canara HSBC OBC Life Insurance launches Invest 4G plan with multiple saving options, protection cover

• Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance has launched a new Unit Linked insurance plan (Ulip) titled ‘Invest 4G’.

Fino Payments Bank to add 300 more points at BPCL outlets in TN

• Fino Payments Bank is planning to add another 300 points at BPCL outlets to its existing 1,075 in Tamil Nadu, to help truck drivers to get fleet cards recharged by paying equivalent cash, without any hassles.

SEBI constitutes committee for market data sharing

• SEBI has constituted a Market Data Advisory Committee (MDAC) – a Standing Committee – The committee is headed by Madhabi Puri Buch, Whole Time Member, SEBI and has CEOs of stock exchanges and depositories, representatives of various stakeholders and senior officials of SEBI as members.

Paytm to introduce co-branded credit cards in India

• Paytm announced that it will be partnering with various card issuers to introduce co-branded credit cards for consumers. The company is aiming to issue two million cards in the next 12–18 months.

Indian Bank launches credit scheme for start-ups in pact with IITMIC

• Public sector lender Indian Bank has introduced an initiative for funding start-ups, ‘IND Spring Board’, in collaboration with the IIT-Madras Incubation Cell (IITMIC).

Bank of Baroda ties up with Toyota Kirloskar Motor

• Bank of Baroda (BoB) has entered into a tie-up with Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), whereby the bank will be one of the preferred financiers for the entire range of vehicles sold by the latter

IRDAI sets up panel to examine need for standard cyber liability insurance product

• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has set up a panel to explore possibility of a basic standard product structure to provide insurance cover for individuals and establishments to manage their cyber risks. The panel, headed by P Umesh, Consultant-Liability Insurance.

Reserve Bank bars payment system operators from launching new QR codes

• The Reserve Bank barred Payment System Operators (PSOs) from launching any new proprietary QR code for payment transactions. Currently, there are two interoperable QR codes — UPI QR and Bharat QR.

NBFCs approach RBI for inclusion as beneficiaries to on-tap TLTRO

• Non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) have written to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to include them as beneficiaries for availing funds under on tap targeted long-term repo operations (TLTRO)
• To ensure comfortable liquidity conditions in the system, the RBI on October 9 announced to conduct on tap TLTRO worth Rs 1 lakh crore. The on tap TLTRO scheme will remain operational from October 22, 2020 till March

RBI revises norms for housing finance firms

• Home financiers must have at least 60% of all their assets in housing finance by 31 March 2024, with individual loans making up at least 50% of all assets, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) stated.

CSB Bank partners with IIFL Finance for gold loan origination

• Private-sector lender CSB Bank, formerly Catholic Syrian Bank, has entered into a partnership with non-banking finance company, IIFL Finance (IIFL) for sourcing and managing retail gold loan 

SVC Bank launches rewards programme

• SVC Bank (SVC Co-operative Bank) stated it has tied up with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) for a rewards programme.

SBI raises Rs 5,000 crore by issuing Basel-III compliant bonds

• The State Bank of India (SBI) stated it has raised Rs 5,000 crore by issuing Basel-III compliant bonds. The debentures qualifying as tier II capital of the bank of face value of Rs 10 lakh each, at par, bearing a coupon of 5.83 per cent aggregating to Rs 5,000 crore were allotted to bond subscribers on October 26, 2020, it stated.

BharatPe launches digital gold on its platform

• BharatPe, a leading merchant payment network, has announced the launch of digital gold on its platform. The launch of this new category of fintech product is in line with the company’s commitment to offer the entire gamut of financial products to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

SBI raises USD 1 billion untied loan with JBIC, other lenders

• The State Bank of India signed a loan agreement amounting to up to one billion US Dollars with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, a company statement stated. The loan is intended to promote the smooth flow of funds for the whole range of business operations of Japanese automobile manufacturers in India.

SBI ties up with global education platform edX

• State Bank of India (SBI) has entered into a strategic partnership with global non-profit education platform edX, where the bank will offer its Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) on the platform from November onwards.

India extends $1 bn credit line to Central Asian countries for priority projects

• India extended a $1-billion line of credit to Central Asian countries for priority projects in connectivity, energy, IT and health care, with the move being perceived as part of New Delhi’s efforts to boost its role as a transparent development partner.

IndusInd Bank first bank to go live on RBI’s ‘Account Aggregator Framework’

• IndusInd Bank has gone live as a ‘Financial Information Provider’ (FIP) under the new ‘Account Aggregator Framework’ of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), making it the first bank in the country to do so.

Remittances to India to fall by 9% to $76 billion in 2020 due to COVID-19: World Bank

• TheWorld Bank  stated remittances to India would fall this year by nine per cent to $76 billion due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and global economic recession.
• India followed by China, Mexico, the Philippines, and Egypt continue to be the top five countries in 2020 to receive foreign remittances. 

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Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance

• Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana
• MD & CEO: Anuj Mathur

Fino Payment Bank

• Headquarters: Mumbai
• MD & CEO: Rishi Gupta

SEBI:

• Founded: 12 April 1992
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Chairperson:Ajay Tyagi

 Paytm:

• CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma
• Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

Indian Bank:

• Headquarters: Chennai
• CEO: Padmaja Chunduru
• Tagline :Your Own Bank, Banking That’s Twice As Good

 Bank Of Baroda:

• Headquarters: Vadodara, Gujarat, India
• Chairman: Hasmukh Adhia
• MD & CEO: Sanjiv Chadha

 IRDAI

• Headquarters: Hyderabad
• Chairperson: Subhash Chandra Khuntia

 RBI

• Governor: Shaktikanta Das
• Deputy Governors: BP Kanungo, MK Jain, MD Patra and Rajeshwar Rao.
• Headquarters: Mumbai

CSB Bank

• CEO: C.VR. Rajendran
• Headquarters: Thrissur

IIFL Finance

• CEO: Nirmal Jain
• Headquarters:Mumbai

 SVC Bank:

• Founded: 1906
• Founder: Late Rao bahadur shripad subbarao talmaki (1868-1948)
• Headquarters: Mumbai, India

 NPCI:

• Founded:2008
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• (Non-Exe Chairman): Biswamohan Mahapatra
• (MD & CEO): Dilip Asbe

SBI:

• Chairperson: Rajnish Kumar
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Founded: 1 July 1955

 Edx:

• Founded: May 2012
• Headquarters: United States
• Created by: Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University

IndusInd Bank

• CEO: Sumant Kathpalia
• Headquarters: Pune

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Tech Mahindra signs agreement to form joint venture with Sumitomo Corp

• IT company Tech Mahindra has signed an agreement with Japan-based Sumitomo Corporation for setting up a joint venture to provide engineering service to the automotive sector, a company official stated. Both the companies will hold an equal stake in the joint venture.

Nokia picked by NASA to build first cellular network on the Moon

• Nokia Oyj has been chosen by NASA to build the first ever cellular network on the
• The partnership will create a path toward sustainable human presence on the lunar surface, and will result in the first LTE/4G communications system in space. 

Microsoft, Elon Musk’s SpaceX tie up to woo space customers

• Microsoft Corp is partnering with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk-led SpaceX and others as it expands its cloud-computing platform into space, the software giant stated.

Nippon Life Invests in World Bank Sustainable Development Bonds and Highlights Support for Nutrition

• The World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, IBRD, Aaa/AAA) issued a 15-year AU$150 million Sustainable Development Bond, while for the first time, highlighting the importance of good nutrition to build human capital. Nippon Life Insurance Company was the sole investor in this transaction.

ACKO Partners With Finserv MARKETS To Offer Car And Bike Insurance

• India’s first and fastest-growing wholly digital general insurance provider, ACKO has partnered with Finserv MARKETS, a leading fintech aggregator, for offering two and four-wheeler insurance policies.

BPCL ties up with Fino Payments Bank for recharging truck drivers’ fleet cards

• The association between BPCL and Fino Payments Bank, the drivers would now be able to get the fleet cards recharged by paying equivalent cash at the bank’s point.

In India’s biggest property deal, RMZ to sell $2bn of offices to Brookfield

• Brookfield Asset Management will buy an Indian developer’s commercial properties for $2 billion, the biggest real estate deal in the South Asian nation.

Mastercard Partners with Atlantis to Expand Digital First Program in India

• Mastercard is partnering with Atlantis, a financial technology company headquartered in Singapore, to provide users with a technology solution that will enable them to enjoy a best-in-class digital banking experience. Mastercard in partnership with Atlantis announced the expansion of the Digital First Program in India.

HAL, Tech Mahindra sign Rs 400 cr contract for ‘Project Parivartan’

• Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) stated the company signed a contract worth Rs 400 crore with Tech Mahindra for implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) to support its project Parivartan. “Project Parivartan is a comprehensive business transformation exercise initiated by HAL through technology enhancement and centralised ERP.

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Tech Mahindra:

• CEO: C. P. Gurnani
• Headquarters: Pune

 Nokia

• CEO: Pekka Lundmark
• Headquarters: Espoo, Finland

spaceX:

• CEO: Elon Musk
• Headquarters: Hawthorne, California, United States

 Nippon Life Insurance company:

• CEO: Hiroshi Shimizu
• Headquarters: Osaka, Osaka, Japan

World Bank:

• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
• President: David Malpass

BPCL:

• CEO: D. Rajkumar
• Headquarters: Mumbai

 Fino Payments Bank:

• Headquarters: Mumbai
• CEO: Rishi Gupta

Mastercard:

• CEO: Ajaypal Singh Banga
• Headquarters: New York, United States

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited:

• Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka
• Chairman & MD: R Madhavan

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

”My Town My Pride” campaign will be for urban areas on the lines of ”Back to Village” in J-K

• Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha announced that the government is coming up with a movement called ”My Town My Pride” from October 19 to provide governance at the doorsteps in urban areas on the pattern of the ”Back to Village” programme.

Nagaland Minister for Health & Family Welfare launches handbook on “TB Harega, Desh Jeetega”

• Nagaland Minister for Health and Family Welfare , Mr. S. Pangnyu Phom  launched  a handbook on “TB Harega, Desh Jeetega” .
• The government’s commitment to end Tuberculosis by 2025 in the country.

Telangana Dharani portal to safeguard ownership of immovable property

• Dharani project, the Telangana government’s online facility for enlistment of non-agricultural properties, has been conceptualised as a comprehensive system for safeguarding ownership and streamlining transactions related to immovable properties in the state.

Kati Bihu Celebrated In Assam

• Locals in Bongaigaon celebrated the Kati Bihu festival in Assam.
• Kati Bihu marks an important day for the Assamese people as they celebrate it by lighting up their homes and agricultural fields. People perform cultural dances and organise feasts.

West Bengal Government Launches Campaign To Curb Elephant Deaths Due To Electrocution

• West Bengal government launched a campaign in areas adjoining elephant habitats in the northern part of the state. This campaign has been launched to prevent electrocution deaths of elephants.

Asan Conservation Reserve becomes Uttarakhand’s first Ramsar site

• Asan Conservation Reserve has become Uttarakhand’s first Ramsar site, making it a ‘Wetland of International Importance’, announced the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The Reserve is located on the banks of Yamuna river near Dehradun district in Garhwal region of the Himalayan state.

ITBP launches cycling expedition from its Pegong base in Sikkim

• The Eleventh Battalion Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) launched a cycling expedition from its Pegong base in Sikkim to border villages of the state. Total 218 Kilometers will be covered by the ITBP team in the course of 20 days in difficult terrains.

GOI, ADB inks 177 million dollar loan pact to upgrade 450 kms of state highways & major district roads in Maharashtra

• Asian Development Bank, ADB and Government of India signed a 177-million dollar loan to upgrade 450 kilometres of state highways and major district roads in Maharashtra.

Alstom partners with APSSDC for skill development

• Alstom has started training of the first batch of young diploma engineers, in collaboration with Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) in Sri City.

Surat now has India’ longest BRTS network

• Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani e-launched projects worth more than Rs 200 crorein The BRTS corridor from Kumbharia to Kadodora was opened.

Govt partners with FICCI for Make-in-Odisha 2020

• Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has been selected as the national industry partner for the third edition of ‘Make in Odisha’ conclave, the flagship industrial summit of Odisha Government that showcases the State as an industrial power house and a preferred investment destination in the country.

Meghalaya CM launches ‘micro ATM’ service in rural areas

• Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma launched the ‘micro ATM’ service in rural areas of the state. He distributed the handheld devices, through which money could be withdrawn, to banking correspondent agents (BCA).

AP govt launches YSR Bima scheme

• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched YSR Bima scheme.
• The scheme will benefit 1.41 crore families by providing insurance cover. The State government will be paying 510 crore every year as a premium for the scheme.

Uttarakhand CM Rawat Launches Integrated Model Agricultural Village Scheme

• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat inaugurated Integrated Model Agricultural Village scheme (Ekikrit Adarsh Krishi Gram Yojana) in the state in partnership with NABARD.

Tamil Nadu govt implements Smart Black Board scheme in 80,000 govt schools

• Tamil Nadu government is implementing the Smart Black Board scheme in 80,000 government schools to ensure better teaching environment

Assam CM lays foundation stone of Agar International Trade Centre at Dabidubi

• Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stone of Assam Agar International Trade Centre at Dabidubi, Golaghat.

SIFCO begins construction of integrated food processing units in Sikkim

• In a boost to organic farming and food production in Sikkim, IFFCO’s organic joint venture, Sikkim IFFCO Organics Ltd. or SIFCO, has initiated construction of two integrated food processing units at Rangpo, East Sikkim. The project would be completed by October 2021 at a cost of around 50 crore rupees.

Maharashtra’s Women & Child welfare dept launches initiative to fulfill nutritional requirements of lactating mothers & children

• Maharashtra’s Women and Child welfare department has launched a new initiative called ‘ TARANG SUPOSHIT MAHARASHTRACHA’ which is based on the interactive voice response system to fulfill the nutritional requirements of lactating mothers and children in the state.

Karnataka govt gives nod to switch implementing agency for Bhagyalakshmi scheme

• The Karnataka cabinet granted approval to implement the Bhagyalakshmi scheme, which provides financial security to girl child of BPL families, through Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana of the postal department instead of LIC.

Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi Palaniswami lays foundation for nine industrial projects worth Rs 10,000 cr

• Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami laid the foundation for nine new industrial projects with an investment of Rs 10,062 crore and to provide employment opportunities for around 8,666 people.

India’s First Sand Dune Park To Come Up In Goa With The Support Of World Bank

• Goa, the beach state is all set to have India’s first sand dune park.
• The World Bank accepted the proposal of the Biodiversity Board of the state and has sanctioned a sum of Rs 3 crore for the project. Sand dunes are geological deposits formed by the action of wind.

Ladakh LG launches 100-day campaign to provide potable water supply in schools, anganwadi centres

• In Kargil, Ladakh Lieutenant Governor, R K Mathur launched a 100 day campaign to provide assured potable water supply to schools and anganwadi centres. He also inaugurated drinking water quality testing labs for the general public under the Jal Jeevan Mission’s (JJM) Har Ghar Jal project.

UP Govt to establish anti-human trafficking Police Stations in each and every district

• Uttar Pradesh Government has decided to establish anti-human trafficking Police Stations in each and every district in a major step towards the security of women and children.

PPL tournament to be played in Indore to free city from single use plastic

• On the lines of IPL cricket, a unique Plastic Premier League (PPL) tournament is being played in Indore, Madhya Pradesh to free the city from single use plastic.

AP Govt to resume State formation day fete from Nov 1

• Six years after the State bifurcation, Andhra Pradesh Government will officially resume celebrations of Andhra Pradesh State Formation Day on November 1.

J&K: LG R K Mathur flags off Ultimate Ladakh Cycling Challenge

• In Leh, Ladakh Lieutenant Governor R. K. Mathur flagged off Ultimate Ladakh Cycling Challenge. At an altitude of over 17 thousand feet this is one of the toughest cycling challenges in the world.

Young Advocates Welfare Fund launched in Tamil Nadu

• In Tamil Nadu, the Young Advocates Welfare Fund has been launched. It provides a monthly financial assistance of three thousand rupees each for two years to the lawyers who just come out of law colleges.

Kerala becomes first state in the country to fix floor price for vegetables, rates to be effective from Nov 1

• Kerala has become the first state in the country to set floor prices of 16 varieties of vegetables, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan informed. He said that the scheme would come into effect from November 01, 2020.

Telangana CM launches revamped Dharani portal to end corruption during land registration

• Telangana government launched the Dharani portal, a first of its kind in the country, for storing digitised land records and registration of properties.

Odisha CM Patnaik launches web portals for student scholarships, inter-caste marriage incentives

• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched two web portals – Integrated Odisha State Scholarship Portal to help eligible students of the state avail scholarship avail benefits in a seamless and transparent manner, and Sumangal Portal, to help people avail inter-caste marriage incentives.

Kabartal Wetland (Bihar) and Asan Conservation Reserve designated as New Ramsar Sites

• Kabartal, a freshwater marsh of North Bihar and Asan Barrage in Doon Valley of Uttarakhand were designated as Ramsar Sites.With these two sites, the network of Indian Ramsar Sites becomes the largest in South Asia. 

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J&K

• Capitals: Jammu (Winter), Srinagar (Summer)
• Governor: Manoj Sinha

Nagaland

• Capital: Kohima
• Governor: RN Ravi
• Chief minister: Neiphiu Rio

 Telangana:

• Capital: Hyderabad
• Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan
• Chief minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao

Assam

• Capital: Dispur
• Chief minister: Sarbananda Sonowal
• Governor: Jagdish Mukhi

West Bengal

• Governor: Jagdeep Dhankhar
• Capital: Kolkata
• Chief Minister: Mamta Banerjee

Uttarakhand:

• Governor: Baby Rani Maurya
• Capitals: Dehradun (Winter), Gairsain (Summer)
• Chief Minister: Trivendra Singh Rawat

ITBP:

• Headquarters: New Delhi, India
• S S Deswal, Director General of ITBP

Sikkim:

• Capital: Gangtok
• Governor: Ganga Prasad
• Chief minister: Prem Singh Tamang

 ADB:

• Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Philippines
• President: Masatsugu Asakawa

Maharashtra:

• Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
• Capital: Mumbai
• Chief minister: Uddhav Thackeray

Andhra Pradesh:

• Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan
• Chief minister: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy
• Capital(s): Visakhapatnam (executive), Amaravati (legislative),Kurnool (judicial)

FICCI

• Headquarters location: New Delhi
• President: Sangeetha Reddy

Odisha

• Capital: Bhubaneswar
• Governor: Ganeshi Lal
• Chief minister: Naveen Patnaik

 Meghalaya

• Capital: Shillong
• Governor: Satya Pal Malik
• Chief minister: Conrad Sangma

Tamil Nadu

• Capital: Chennai
• Chief minister: Edappadi K. Palaniswami
• Governor: Banwarilal Purohit

 Karnataka

• Capital: Bengaluru
• Governor: Vajubhai Vala
• Chief minister: B. S. Yediyurappa

Goa

• Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
• Capital: Panaji
• Chief minister: Pramod Sawant

 Ladakh:

• Lieutenant Governor, R K Mathur
• Capital: Leh, Kargil

Uttar Pradesh:

• Governor: Anandiben Patel
• Capital: Lucknow
• Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath

Madhya Pradesh:

• Capital: Bhopal
• Governor: Anandiben Patel(additional charge)
• Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Bihar

• Governor: Phagu Chauhan
• Chief minister: Nitish Kumar
• Capital: Patna

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU

Tata Motors partners with HDFC Bank for financing of passenger vehicles

• Tata Motors has parterned with HDFC Bank for financing of its passenger vehicles.
• Through the partnership, the company has introduced two new schemes — ‘Gradual Step Up Scheme’ and ‘TML Flexi Drive Scheme’ 

CRPF collaborates with IIT Delhi, DRDO, JATC to augment R&D capabilities

• The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the country’s largest para-military force deployed for the internal security of the nation, has collaborated with IIT Delhi, Defence Research and Development Organisation, and Joint Advanced Technology Centre (JATC) — DRDO and IIT Delhi joint initiative — to augment its Research and Development capabilities. 

BSE joins hands with Telangana govt to help MSMEs raise equity funds

• Major stock exchange BSE has joined hands with the Telangana government, along with GlobalLinker, to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) raise equity funds.

Bank of Baroda inks pact with Mahindra & Mahindra for tractor finance

• To push agriculture finance, state-owned Bank of Baroda (BoB) stated it has entered into a pact with Mahindra and Mahindra for tractor finance business.

PM Modi approves MoU for ICAI to help stregthen Papua New Guinea’s financial and audit knowledge base

• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a Memorandum of Understanding between the Institute of Chartered Accounts of India (ICAI) and the Certified Practising Accountants, Papua New Guinea (CPA PNG) to work together in capacity building and strengthening the Accounting, Financial and Audit Knowledge base in Papua New Guinea.

Cabinet Gives Nod To MoU Signed Between India, Nigeria On Space Cooperation

• The Union Cabinet on October 21 gave a go-ahead to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and Nigeria on cooperation in space exploration for peaceful purposes.

BSE inks MoU with ICCI to support SMEs, start-ups in listing

• Stock exchange BSE has signed an agreement with Inventivepreneur Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ICCI) to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups, and promote their listing on the exchange.

IIT Kanpur and ASI sign MoU with Italian institutes for restoration of monuments

• The Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K) and the Archaeological Survey of India have signed an agreement with two institutions from Italy, seeking restoration and protection of historical monuments.

Punjab Inks MOU With Game To Support Msmes, In Partnership With Omidyar Network India

• Punjab Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME). 

STATIC GK:

Tata Motors

• CEO: Guenter Butschek
• Founded: 1945, Mumbai

CRPF

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Director General: Dr. A.P.Maheshwari

 BSE

• Location: Mumbai, India
• Vikramajit Sen (Chairman); Ashishkumar Chauhan (MD & CEO)

Indian Chartered Accountants (CA):

• President: Atul Kumar Gupta
• Head Quarters: New Delhi

 Nigeria:

• President: Muhammadu Buhari
• Capital: Abuja
• Currency: Nigerian naira

ASI

• Director General: V. Vidyavathi
• Headquarters: New Delhi

Punjab

• Capital: Chandigarh
• Governor: V. P. Singh Badnore
• Chief minister: Amarinder Singh

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPS AND PORTALS

FSSAI’s new food safety compliance platform to become operational across India from November

• Food regulator FSSAI stated its Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS) will become operational in the entire country from November 1.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launches ‘Mo Bidyut’ portal, app

• Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched an electricity consumer service portal “Mo Bidyut” and its mobile app to provide efficient, time-bound and transparent online service to the people of the State.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launches ‘e-Dharti Geo portal’

• Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has launched the ‘e-Dharti Geo Portal’ that will integrate legacy drawings such as maps and lease plans in the management information system and make it geographic information system (GIS)-enabled, a statement stated.

Delhi CM Kejriwal to launch ‘Green Delhi’ mobile app to check air pollution

• Amid deteriorating air quality in the national capital, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will launch “Green Delhi” mobile application, which will enable people to register complaints about violation of anti-pollution norms.

Army launches indigenous messaging application similar to WhatsApp, names it SAI

• Indian Army has developed and launched a secure messaging application named the “Secure Application for the Internet (SAI)” that supports an end-to-end secure voice, text and video calling services for Android platform over internet, the Ministry of Defence stated

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 FSSAI

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Chairperson: Rita Teaotia
• Chief Executive Officer: Shri Arun Singhal

Odisha

• Capital: Bhubaneswar
• Governor: Ganeshi Lal
• Chief minister: Naveen Patnaik

MoHUA:

• Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs and Civil Aviation: Hardeep Singh Puri
• Constituency: Amristar

Delhi:

• Chief minister: Arvind Kejriwal
• Governor: Anil Baijal

Indian Army:

• Chief of Defence Staff (CDS): General Bipin Rawat
• Chief of the Army Staff (COAS):General Manoj Mukund Naravane

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

Rohan Jaitley elected unopposed president of Delhi and District Cricket Association

• Rohan Jaitley, the 31-year-old son for of former finance minister late Arun Jaitley, has been elected unopposed as the new president of Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). Rohan is slated to remain in the post till June 30, 2021.

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern wins second term in landslide election victory

• Jacinda Ardern has won a second term as New Zealand’s Prime Minister after her success at handling the country’s coronavirus outbreak helped secure a landslide victory.

HDFC Bank board appoints Sashidhar Jagdishan as its MD & CEO

• The board of directors of HDFC Bank approved appointment of Sashidhar Jagdishan (Sashi) as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of bank for three-year term from October 27, 2020. The Reserve Bank of India has already approved Jagdishan’s appointment.

Vineet Nayyar resigns as Executive Vice-Chairman of IL&FS Group

• Vineet Nayyar has resigned as Executive Vice-Chairman of IL&FS Group citing medical reasons.

Parle Agro’s B-Fizz ropes Priyanka Chopra Jonas as brand ambassador

• Parle Agro’s bold new drink, B-Fizz gets a befitting brand ambassador in global icon and superstar Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

LG signs Lewis Hamilton as ambassador of LG Signature

• LG Electronics has named Lewis Hamilton a global ambassador for its home solutions brand, LG Signature.

Home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla’s tenure extended till Aug 22, 2021

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the extension in service of Ajay Kumar Bhalla as Home Secretary beyond the date of his superannuation i.e. November 30, 2020, up to August 22, 2021.

Vega ropes in Rohit Sharma as brand ambassador

• Beauty accessories brand, Vega has announced the signing of Rohit Sharma as its brand ambassador.

NHPC designates Rajendra Prasad Goyal as CFO

• State-owned hydropower giant NHPC stated its Director (Finance) Rajendra Prasad Goyal has been designated as its chief financial officer (CFO) with effect from October 1, 2020.

Sushil Kumar Singhal accredited as next High Commissioner of India to Solomon Islands

• Sushil Kumar Singhal, a 2000-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, has been concurrently accredited as the next High Commissioner of India to the Solomon Islands.

Indian diplomat Dr Neena Malhotra appointed as next Ambassador to Republic of San Marino

• Indian diplomat Dr Neena Malhotra has been concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of San Marino.

Ghanshyam Jha appointed Chairman of J&K Water Resources Regulatory Authority

• The Government of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory has appointed Ghanshyam Jha as Chairperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Water Resources Regulatory Authority.

Saad Hariri renamed as Lebanon PM a year after stepping down

• Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun designated Sunni Muslim politician Saad al-Hariri as prime minister after his resignation amid mass-protests last year.

Lt. General N K Sahoo takes charge as of DG, Dental Services & Colonel Commandant of ADC

• Lieutenant General Nanda Kishore Sahoo has taken the charge as of Director General, Dental Services and Colonel Commandant of Army Dental Corps.

Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports appoints Bimal Julka as Chairman

• (FIFS), India’s first and only self-regulatory industry body for fantasy sports, announced the appointment of Bimal Julka as its Chairman.

Indian-origin Wavel Ramkalawan is elected Seychelles President

• Indian-origin Wavel Ramkalawan was elected as the Seychelles President. Since 1977 this is the first time, the opposition candidate has won elections in Seychelles.

Guinea President Alpha Condé wins controversial third term

• Alpha Conde won Guinea’s disputed presidential poll, setting the stage for a controversial third term. He had won 59.49 percent of the votes.

Luis Arce Wins Bolivian Presidential Election With 55% of Votes

• Luis Alberto Arce Catacora has been elected as Bolivia’s president, winning with 55 percent of the votes. His main opponent, centrist former President Carlos Mesa, received only 31.5 percent.

CSIR-CDRI Scientist Dr Saman Habib elected as fellow of Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi

• Saman Habib, Chief Scientist and Professor (CSIR) in Molecular Biology Division,CSIR-CDRI, Lucknow brought the laurels to the Institute again through her outstanding work for understanding the malaria parasite. She is elected as fellow of Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi.

Justice BL Bhat to continue as officiating NCLAT Chairperson till Dec 31

• Justice Bhat was appointed Acting Chairperson after the first Chairperson, Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya, demitted office in March this year. 

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IL&FS Group:

• CEO: Arun K. Saha
• Headquarters: Mumbai

LG Electronics:

• Chairman: Kwang-Mo Koo
• Vice Chairman and CEO: Jo Seong-Jin
• Head quarters : South Korea

NHPC:

• Headquarters: Faridabad, Haryana
• Chairman & MD :Abhay Kumar Singh

San Marino

• Capital: San Marino
• Currency: Euro
• Continent: Europe

Lebanon

• Capital: Beirut
• Currency: Lebanese pound

 Seychelles

• Capital: Victoria
• Currency: Seychellois rupee

 Guinea

• Capital: Conakry
• President: Alpha Condé
• Currency: Guinean franc

Bolivia

• Capitals: La Paz, Sucre
• Currency: Boliviano

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONORS

Aishwarya Sridhar becomes first Indian woman to win at Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards

• Aishwarya Sridhar’s photo titled ‘Lights of Passion’ has won the ‘Highly Commended’ award at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2020. The 23-year-old has become the first Indian to win the coveted award.

Billboard Music Awards: Post Malone and Billie Eilish win big, Jonas Brothers rake in 3 wins. Complete winners list

• Top Hot 100 song: “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus
• Top Billboard 200 album: Billie Eilish, “When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”
• Top artist: Post Malone
• Top new artist: Billie Eilish
• Top female artist: Billie Eilish
• Top male artist: Post Malone
• Top social artist: BTS

Sana Hazari, founder of The Social Corporate, wins Young Achievers Award 2020

• Sana Hazari, who founded – The Social Corporate (TSC) – a new-age Digital platform that partners with SMEs, NGOs, Impact Funds, and Social Enterprises (both for-profit and non-profit) across India, Nigeria and Ghana to offer Consultancy & Staffing Solutions.

Indian American Anika Chebrolu wins America’s Young Scientist Challenge

• Anika Chebrolu, a 14-year-old Indian American student from Frisco, Texas, has won the 2020 3M Young Scientist Challenge for a discovery that may help combat the spread of COVID-19. She won a prize of $25,000 for her discovery.

ISA Confers the Very First ISA Solar Awards at Third Assembly

• For the first time since the inception of the framework agreement of ISA, solar awards were conferred on countries and institutions working for solar.
• Bharat Ratna M. Visvesvaraya to the representatives of the countries of Japan, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
• The awards went to Japan for the Asia Pacific region and the Netherlands for Europe and other regions.

Rakayet Ul Karim Rakim of Bangladesh Wins the Greenstorm International Nature Photography Contest

• Rakayet Ul Karim Rakim, a native of Chittagong, Bangladesh, has won the 12th edition of the Greenstorm International Nature Photography Contest conducted in association with UNEP in connection with the World Environment Day.

Managing Director of TRIFED Pravir Krishna bags CEO of the year and visionary leadership award

• Managing Director of TRIFED Pravir Krishna (IAS) has been awarded CEO of the Year and Visionary Leadership Award in the virtual edition of National Awards for Excellence in PSU for Investment in Start-UPS.

Managing Director of TRIFED Pravir Krishna bags CEO of the year and visionary leadership award

• Managing Director of TRIFED Pravir Krishna (IAS) has been awarded CEO of the Year and Visionary Leadership Award in the virtual edition of National Awards for Excellence in PSU for Investment in Start-UPS.

Dr Jajini Varghese, Indian-origin oncoplastic surgeon honored Outstanding Young Person 2020

• Dr Jajini Varghese, a UK-based Indian-origin plastic surgeon, has been named an ‘Outstanding Young Person of the World 2020’ by a non-profit NGO for her “incredible” scientific contributions to diagnosing and treating breast cancer.

India-assisted Mangdechhu hydroelectric project in Bhutan wins award

• India-assisted Mangdechhu hydroelectric project in Bhutan has been awarded the prestigious Brunel Medal for excellence in civil engineering by the UK-based Institute of Civil Engineers.

Young Bangladeshi boy wins special prize in Global Art Competition conducted by ICCR

• A six year old Bangladeshi boy Anzar Mustaeen Ali won a special prize of USD 1000 for his artwork in the global art competition organised by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR).

Om Puri posthumously awarded Lifetime Achievement Award at IIFFB

• Late actor Om Puri was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the third India International Film Festival of Boston (IIFFB) this year.

‘Gully Boy’ wins Best Original Music at 14th Asian Film Awards

• The 14th edition ofAsian Film Awards (“AFA14”) was organized by the Asian Film Awards Academy (“AFAA”).
• Indian Movie Gully Boy received the award for the Best Original Score at the event. in Gully Boy, Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt played leading roles.

STATIC GK:

New Zealand

• Capital: Wellington
• Currency: New Zealand dollar

 HDFC

• CEO: Aditya Puri
• Headquarters: Mumbai

 ISA

• Headquarter: Gurugram, Haryana
• Leader: Upendra Tripathy

Bhutan

• Capital: Thimphu
• Prime minister: Lotay Tshering
• Currency: Bhutanese ngultrum

 ICCR:

• President: Vinay Sahasrabuddhe
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Director General: Shri Dineshk Patnaik

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS

First SCO Startup Forum to be launched on October 27

• The first-ever SCO Startup Forum will be launched on 27th October 2020 ahead of the SCO trade ministers meeting on 28th October.
• The forum will lay the foundation for multilateral cooperation and engagement among the SCO Member States to develop and hone their startup ecosystems, collectively

Shri Kiren Rijiju addresses Y20 Global Summit

• Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports ShriKirenRijiju represented India in the Y20 Global Summit, aimed at exchanging ideas and dialogues between nations to empower the youth across the world.The host country for the Y20 Summit this year was Saudi Arabia.
• The theme of the Summit is ‘Government – Youth dialogue on post-COVID-19 opportunities’.

9th Session Of India-Oman Joint Commission Held

• The ninth session of the India-Oman Joint Commission was held virtually.
• The meet was co-chaired by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Hardeep Singh Puri, and Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion of the Sultanate of Oman, Qais bin Mohammed.

Finance Minister holds 4th review meeting on CAPEX of Central Public Sector Enterprises

• Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman held a video conference with secretaries of the Ministries of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Coal, along with the chairman cum managing directors of 14 Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSE) belonging to these ministries, to review the capital expenditure (CAPEX) in this financial year.

18th meeting of SCO Prosecutors General held via videolink

• India participated in 18th meeting of Prosecutors General of SCOvia video conference. Representing India, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta attended the meeting.India will host the next meeting of Prosecutors General in 2021.

6th India International Science Festival to be held in Virtual format from 22nd to 25th December, 2020

• The 6th edition of India International Science Festival (IISF) 2020 will be held from 22ndto 25th December, 2020.
• This was announced by The Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan. The fifth IISF was held in Kolkata.

14th session of Food and Agri Week 2020 held

• Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare , Food Processing Industries and Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Narendra Singh Tomar, virtually inaugurated the 14th session of the India – International Food and Agri Week 2020. The Food & Agri week is being organised from 16 Oct to 22 Oct 2020.

Indian Parliamentary Delegation led by LS Speaker to attend VIth BRICS Parliamentary Forum

• The VIth BRICS Parliamentary Forum will be held in Virtual format on 27 October, 2020. The meeting will be chaired by the HE Vyachaslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

AIM Launches India–Australia Circular Economy Hackathon(I-ACE), with Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)

• AIM (Atal Innovation Mission), in association with CSIRO, is organizing a two-day hackathon on circular economy, ‘India–Australia Circular Economy Hackathon (I-ACE)’, on 7 and 8 December. 

Women Startup Summit 2020 gain key focus in KSUM initiative

• As Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) began its six-day programme that aims to boost female presence in entrepreneurial ventures, the October 31 ‘Women Startup Summit 2020’ gained key focus as a culminating event providing tips for success in businesses.

Piyush Goyal launches First-ever SCO Startup Forum ahead of SCO trade ministers meeting

• Commerce and Industries minister Piyush Goyal launched first-ever SCO Startup Forum ahead of the SCO trade ministers meeting to be held virtually.

India hosts 19th Meeting of SCO Ministers of Foreign Economy & Foreign Trade

• India hosted the 19th Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Ministers of Foreign Economy and Foreign Trade.

STATIC GK

 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation:

• Headquarters: Beijing, China
• Secretary General: Vladimir Norov

 MoYA&S

• Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Minister of State in the Ministry of Minority Affairs of India: ShriKirenRijiju
• Constituency: Arunachal West

 Oman:

• Capital: Muscat
• Currency: Omani rial

MoA&FW

• Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare , Food Processing Industries and Rural Development and Panchayati Raj: Narendra Singh Tomar
• Constituency: Morena, Madhya Pradesh

Australia

• Capital: Canberra
• Currency: Australian dollar

Niti Aayog

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Chairperson: Narendra Modi

Kerala:

• Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
• Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan
• Chief minister: Pinarayi Vijayan

Ministry of Commerce and Industry:

• Piyush Goyal, Cabinet Minister
• Constituency: Maharashtra
• Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State
• Som Parkash, Minister of State

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING

India Fourth Most Powerful Country In Asia: Asia Power Index 2020

• India has become the fourth most powerful country in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the Sydney-based Lowy Institute’s Asia Power Index for 2020, which ranks 26 nations and territories.
• India was on the fourth spot in the index after Japan. However, the economic growth potential India lost during a pandemic gave an advantage to China.
• Although the US obtained the top position as the most powerful country influencing the Asia-Pacific.
• Russia, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia round out the top 10.

India Ranks Second in Inflow of Migrants to OECD Countries, China Retains Top Spot

• India ranked second in terms of the “total” inflow of new migrants to OECD countries during the year 2018 as well as in the number of Indians obtaining citizenship of these countries, a report by OECD revealed.
• Notably, China continued to retain the top position as the largest source country, India overtook Romania to emerge as the second-largest source country.

UP Emerges As The Top Destination For Domestic Tourists In 2019, Secures Third Position In Attracting Foreign Tourists

• Uttar Pradesh has emerged at the top position for attracting the highest number of domestic tourists in 2019.
• The Indian Tourism Statistics (ITS), 2020, has announced that as many as 53.6 crore domestic tourists visited Uttar Pradesh in 2019 which was much higher as compared to 2018 when the state had got the second position after Tamil Nadu.

India recorded highest air pollution exposure globally in 2019

• India recorded the highest air pollution exposure annual average PM 2.5 concentration exposure in the world last year(2019), according to the State of Global Air 2020 (SOGA 2020) report. India was followed by Nepal, Niger, Qatar and Nigeria in high PM 2.5 exposures.

Himachal Pradesh: Mandi district bags top position for implementation of PMGSY

• Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district has bagged top position among 30 districts of the country in successful implementation of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). Himachal Pradesh has also secured second position at the national level for construction of roads under PMGSY.

NTPC ranks first among Indian PSUs in Forbes’ ‘World’s Best Employer 2020’

• State-run power company NTPC stated it has featured on the top on the list of Indian PSUs under the ‘World’s Best Employer 2020’, published by Forbes.

Haryana tops Anemia Mukt Bharat Index in country

• Haryana State has the best Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) Index with 46.7 among 29 states in the country.
• The Anemia Mukt Bharat, an initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and UNICEF, has been launched to reduce the prevalence of Anemia all over India.

India ranks 131 out of 138 in global mobile internet speed ranking: Ookla

• India has ranked 131 out of 138 in global mobile internet speed rankings in September 2020, according to Ookla Speedtest Global Index.

Samsung Beats Amazon, IBM to Top Forbes List of World’s Best Employers

• Korean tech major Samsung has become the best employer in the world this year, according to the rankings by US business magazine Forbes. From India, HCL Technologiesis top industry in the list. It is placed at 30th rank globally. In Banking sector, HDFC Bank is top from India. It is at 176th rank.

UP govt secures first rank in disbursing loans under PM Swanidhi Scheme

• Uttar Pradesh government has secured the first rank in central government’s one of the most ambitious schemes – the PM Atmanirbhar Nidhi Scheme (SVANidhi Scheme) by approving the highest number of loans under the scheme in the country

DBS named Asia’s Safest Bank for 12th consecutive year

• DBS Bank announced that it has been named the ‘Safest Bank in Asia’ for the 12th consecutive year by New York-based trade publication Global Finance.
• DBS’ rankings as the fourth-safest commercial bank in the world and 14th safest bank globally remain unchanged from 2019 and 2018.

STATIC GK:

OECD

• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Secretary-General: José Ángel Gurría

Himachal Pradesh:

• Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya
• Capitals: Shimla (Summer), Dharamshala (Winter)
• Chief minister: Jai Ram Thakur

NTPC:

• Founded: 1975
• Headquarters: New Delhi, India

Haryana

• Capital: Chandigarh
• Governor: Satyadev Narayan Arya
• Chief minister: Manohar Lal Khattar

UNICEF

• Headquarters: New York, United States
• Head: Henrietta H. Fore

DBS bank:

• CEO: Piyush Gupta
• Headquarters: Singapore

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Science-Society-Setu webinar series initiated to strengthen S&T capacity of NGOs & Communities

• DST Secretary Ashutosh Sharma underlined the need to create knowledge that is relevant for different sections of our society at the Science-Society-Setu for AatmaNirbharBharat (S34ANB), a web clinic series by Science for Equity Empowerment and Development SEED Division, Department of Science and Technology (DST).

CSIR-CMERI develops Sustainable Municipal Solid Waste Processing Facility

• Decentralised Waste Management technology developed by CSIR-CMERI can result in drastic reduction of expenditure related to Transportation Logistics and can help reductions in CO2emissions, by reducing fossil fuel usage.

IIIT Hyderabad and NMDA Develop Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) Primer to Mitigate Earthquake Risks

• International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIITH) and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) have developed a Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) Primer for better insight into structural safety in the wake of earthquake risks.

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Successfully Touches Asteroid

• In a historic event that unfolded nearly 321 million kilometers away from the Earth, a Nasa spacecraft successfully touched the surface of an asteroid to collect pristine samples to return to the Earth. The OsirisRex mission performed a first-of-its-kind Touch and Go (TAG) manoeuvre to blast nitrogen to gather regolith (dust and minerals) from the surface of asteroid Bennu.

IIT Kharagpur’s ‘COVIRAP’ – Novel Technology of COVID-19 Test Gets ICMR Certification

• ‘COVIRAP,’ the diagnostic technology developed by IIT Kharagpur researchers, has been successfully validated for its efficacy in COVID-19 detection by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

IIT in Partnership with TCS Sets New Trends in India’s Advanced Manufacturing Sector

• IIT Kharagpur has developed novel Industry 4.0 technology for remotely controlled factory operations and real-time quality correction during industrial production, jointly with TCS to set a new trend in India’s advanced manufacturing sector.

NASA’s SOFIA Discovers Water On Sunlit Surface Of Moon

• Two new studies published in Nature Astronomy suggest there could be much more water than previously thought, including ice stored in permanently shadowed “cold traps” at lunar polar regions. 

Isro to launch earth observation, nine commercial satellites in November

• The Indian Space Research Organisation will launch an Indian earth observation satellite and nine commercial satellites. This will be the first launch of 2020 from India’s only spaceport in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle in its 51st mission, will launch EOS-01 as a primary satellite along with nine international customer satellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

MIT scientists design face mask that can inactivate coronavirus using heat

• Scientists at MIT have designed a novel face mask that can not only filter out the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, but also inactivate it using heat.

STATIC GK

 Department of Science and Technology

• Minister of State Dr. Harsh Vardhan is head of the department
• Ashutosh Sharma is its present secretary.
• Headquarters: New Delhi

Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute:

• The Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (also known as CSIR-CMERI Durgapur or CMERI Durgapur) is a public engineering research and development institution in Durgapur, West Bengal, India.
• Director: Prof. Harish Hirani
• Director General: Shekhar C. Mande

NDMA:

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Agency executive: Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

TCS:

• CEO: Rajesh Gopinathan
• Headquarters: Mumbai

NASA

• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
• Administrator:Jim Bridenstine

ISRO:

• Headquarters:Bangalore, Karnataka, India
• Chairman:Kailasavadivoo Sivan

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE

India Conducts Successful Night Trial of Nuclear-Capable Prithvi-2 Missile From Odisha Test Range

• A night trial of the indigenously developed nuclear-capable missile Prithvi-2 was successfully conducted as part of a user trial by the Army from a test range in integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, Odisha. 

BrahMos missile test-fired from destroyer INS Chennai in Arabian Sea

• India successfully test fired the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from the indigenously-built stealth destroyer INS Chennai, with the weapon hitting a pre-designated target in the Arabian Sea.
• The 290-km range missile an Indo-Russian joint venture  has land, air and naval variants.

Indian Navy – Sri Lanka Navy Maritime Exercise SLINEX-20 off Trincomalee

• The Eighth Edition of annual Indian Navy (IN) – Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) bilateral maritime exercise SLINEX-20 is scheduled off Trincomalee, Sri Lanka from 19 to 21 October 2020.

ADTL To Build, Run Rs.753 cr. MiG-29 Simulator Centre For IAF

• (ADTL) stated it has signed the first of two-phase defense contracts, together worth 753 crores, with the Ministry of Defence and Russia’s RAC MiG.

India invites Australia to join Malabar naval exercises in snub to China

• The Centre announced that Australia will join the high-level Malabar naval exercises.
• The annual drill, which India, Japan and the United States participated in, will now include the complete “quad” or quadrilateral coalition.

SANT Missile successfully testfired from Odisha coast

• India has successfully test fired the Stand-off Anti-tank (SANT) Missile off the coast of Odisha.
• The Missile is being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and will have both Lock-on After Launch and Lock-on Before Launch capability. 

Indigenous stealth corvette INS Kavaratti commissioned into Navy

• Chief of Army Staff General M M Naravane commissioned the Anti-Submarine Warfare stealth corvette, INS Kavaratti, into the Indian Navy.

Indian Navy operationalises first batch of 3 women pilots at Kochi, ready to fly Dornier aircraft

• The Indian Navy has operationalized its first batch of women pilots on Dornier Aircraft by the Southern Naval Command (SNC) at Kochi.
• Lieutenant Divya Sharma (from Malviya Nagar, New Delhi), Lieutenant Shubhangi Swaroop (from Tilhar, Uttar Pradesh) and Lieutenant Shivangi (from Muzaffarpur, Bihar) are the three women pilots of the first batch.

Indian Navy Missile Corvette INS Prabal launches anti-ship missile

• The Indian Navy shared a video showing an anti-ship missile (AShM) launched by its Missile Corvette  INS Prabal landing home on with deadly accuracy at maximum range and sinking the target ship.

Indian Navy successfully test fires missile INS  Kora as part of military drill in Bay of Bengal

• The Indian Navy successfully test fired its anti-ship missile (AshM) in the Bay of Bengal from its Guided Missile Corvette INS Kora and hit the target at max range with “precise accuracy”.

STATIC GK

DRDO

• Founded: 1958
• Headquarters: DRDO Bhavan, New Delhi
• Chairman: G Satheesh Kumar Reddy

 Sri Lanka

• Capitals: Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
• Currency: Sri Lankan rupee
• President: Gotabaya Rajapaksa

Russia:

• Capital: Moscow
• President: Vladimir Putin
• Currency: Russian ruble
• Prime minister: Mikhail Mishustin

Australia

• Prime minister: Scott Morrison
• Capital: Canberra
• Currency: Australian dollar

 Indian Navy

• Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS): Admiral Karambir Singh
• Founded: 26 January 1950
• Headquarters: Integrated Defence Headquarters, New Delhi

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Shashi Tharoor announces new book ‘The Battle Of Belonging: On Nationalism, Patriotism, And What It Means To Be Indian’

• Shashi Tharoor, who just released the book ‘Tharoorosaurus’ announced that his next book will be out in November. Titled ‘The Battle Of Belonging: On Nationalism, Patriotism, And What It Means To Be Indian’, the book is about nationalism, patriotism, citizenship, belonging and what they really mean.

PORTRAITS OF POWER: Half a Century of Being at Ringside NK Singh’s new book traces origin and growth of the PMO

• Veteran economist and bureaucrat N K Singh in his just released autobiography‘PORTRAITS OF POWER: Half a Century of Being at Ringside’ recalls Singh’s various stints over the decades- starting from 1964 when he joined the IAS, serving at highest echelons of the government of India before taking a politicalplunge with a Rajya Sabha term. He is currently the Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission.

Night of the Restless Spirits: Stories from 1984 by Sarbpreet Singh

• Author Sarbpreet Singh shares how the 1984 massacre impacted his life and how this collection of stories came to be. Night of the Restless Spirits is a collection of heart-rending short stories that attempt to capture the 1984 massacre in all its complexity and contradictions. 

World’s first scientoon book “Bye Bye Corona”on Coronavirus released by UP Governor

• World’s first scientoon book entitled “Bye Bye Corona”, written by ‘scientoonist’ Dr Pradeep Srivastava, former Senior Principal Scientist at CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), Lucknow,  was released at a function held at Raj Bhawan, Lucknow, by Anandi Ben, Governor, Uttar Pradesh.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS

Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul retires from all forms of cricket at the age of 36

• Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul announced his retirement from all formats of cricket, bringing an end to a glorious international career which lasted nearly 13 years.

Andrey Rublev wins St. Petersburg Open 2020

• Russian third seed Andrey Rublev won his fourth ATP Tour title of the year when he beat Croatia’s Borna Coric 7-6(5) 6-4 to lift the St Petersburg Open trophy.

Sheikh Russel Championship: Elavenil wins gold, Shahu Mane bags silver

• World number one Elavenil Valarivan of India won gold and Shahu Tushar Mane bagged a silver at the 2020 Sheikh Russel International Air Rifle Championship organised by Bangladesh Shooting Sport Federation (BSSF). 

Nozomi Okuhara clinches Women’s Singles title at Denmark Open

• In Badminton, former World Champion Nozomi Okuhara clinched the Denmark Open title beating three-time world champion Carolina Marin in women’s singles.

Kokrak claims first-ever PGA Tour win at CJ Cup

• American Jason Kokrak won his first-ever PGA Tour victory at the CJ Cup in Las Vegas, Nevada, clinching his maiden title on the 233rd try.Four-time PGA Tour winner Xander Schauffele, who finished second.

Lewis Hamilton wins Portuguese GP to break Michael Schumacher’s F1 record

• Lewis Hamilton to take a commanding victory in the Portuguese Grand Prix and break Formula 1’s all-time win record. Hamilton dominated to take his 92nd career Grand Prix victory. 

Alexander Zverev wins title in Cologne for 2nd week in a row

• Alexander Zverev made it back-to-back ATP Tour titles when he beat Diego Schwartzman in the final of the Cologne Championship. It’s Zverev’s 13th title overall.

Sabalenka beats sick Azarenka to win Ostrava Open

• Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus won the Ostrava Open WTA tournament after beating her visibly struggling compatriot Victoria Azarenka

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY

Veteran artiste Pradip Ghosh passes away

• Noted Bengali elocutionist Pradip Ghosh passed away. He was 78.He was a prominent recitor and renowned vocal artist. 

Renowned carnatic vocalist Narayanaswamy passes away

• Renowned carnatic vocalist PS Narayanaswamy (87), one of the thespians in carnatic music in the country, passed away.

Eminent economist Dr. Jayanta Madhab passes away at 91

• A renowned economist, Jayanta Madhab passed away at the age of 91.
• Served as the economic advisor (2003-2009) to the Government of Assam during the tenure of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.

First woman IAF officer Wing Commander Vijayalakshmi Ramanan passes away at 96

• The first woman officer of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Wing Commander Vijayalakshmi Ramanan, passed away at the age of 96

Singer and actor Zero Babu passes away

• Playback singer, music director and actor K J Mohammed Babu, popularly known as ‘Zero’ Babu passed away. He was 80.

Telangana’s first Home Minister Nayini Narsimha Reddy passes away at 86

• Senior TRS leader and the first Home Minister of Telangana Nayini Narsimha Reddy passed away at the age of 86.

Billavara Association ex-president Jaya C Suvarna passes away

• Former president of Billawara Association Mumbai and former chairman of Bharat Co-operative Bank (Mumbai) Limited Jaya C Suvarna passed away. He was 74.

Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee passes away at 78

• Samsung Electronics chairman, Lee Kun-hee has passed away. He was 78.

Veteran Gujarati Singer Mahesh Kanodia passes away

• Veteran Gujarati film musician, singer and former Lok Sabha MP from Patan constituency Mahesh Kanodia has passed away following prolonged illness.

Legendary Gujarati Actor Naresh Kanodia Passes Away Due to COVID-19 at 77

• Veteran Gujarati actor and ex-BJP MLA Naresh Kanodia passed away at the age of 77 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat due to coronavirus.

Daniel Menaker, award-winning author and editor, Passes away

• Daniel Menaker, an award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction and a longtime editor at The New Yorker and Random House ,has died at age 79. He was also known for the O Henry Award-winning title story of his collection The Old Left.

Former Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel passes away at 92

• Keshubhai Patel died after prolonged illness, family sources stated. Patel (92) was the state chief minister in 1995 and again during 1998-2001. Narendra Modi had succeeded him as Gujarat chief minister.

Former Turkish PM and veteran politician Mesut Yilmaz passes away at 72

• Mesut Yilmaz, a former Turkish prime minister, and veteran politician who served as premier three times during a tumultuous political era in his country, passed away at age 72.

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