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 Weekly PDF

Current Affairs Weekly PDF – October 2020 2nd

Week (9-15)
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Cabinet approvals on October 7, 2020
On October 7, 2020, Union Cabinet met and congratulated its chair i.e. Prime Minister Narendra Modi for
completing 20 years as a democratically elected leader. The following are the decisions taken during the
meeting.
• Cabinet Approved to complete East -west Metro corridor project at cost of 8,575 cr
• Cabinet approved ‘Natural Gas Marketing Reforms’ to make natural gas price mechanism transparent
• Cabinet approves MoU between Zoological Survey of India and Canada’s iBOL
• Cabinet approves Ratification of 7 Persistent Organic Pollutants listed under Stockholm
• Central Govt approved MoC in the field of Cyber security between India and Japan
Read More Details Here: Cabinet approvals on October 7, 2020

Union Minister Smriti Irani Launches First-Ever Brand & Logo for Indian Cotton
Union Minister for Textiles, Smriti Zubin Irani launched First-Ever Brand & Logo for Indian Cotton
through virtual mode on occasion of World Cotton Day on October 7, 2020. India’s Premium Cotton is set
to be known as ‘Kasturi Cotton’ in World Cotton Trade. India produces 51% of the total organic cotton
production in the world. A Mobile Application “Cott-Ally” has been developed by Cotton Corporation of
India (CCI) to provide news about weather conditions, Crop situation and Farm practices.

SJVN Inked MoU with Govt. of India for year 2020-21 to Achieve 9680 Million Units of electricity
in FY21
SJVN Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Govt. of India (GoI) for the year 2020-
21 as per which the former has the target to achieve 9680 Million Units of electricity generation during
FY21 under “Excellent” category. It should be noted that SJVN has set a target of achieving installed
capacity of 5000 MW (Mega Watt) by 2023, 12000 MW by 2030 and 25000 MW by 2040.

Union Minister Harsh Vardhan, Yesso Naik Launches National Clinical Management Protocol
based on Ayurveda and Yoga
Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Harsh Vardhan, and Minister of State (MoS) (Independent
Charge) for AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha), Shripad Yesso Naik virtually released
the National Clinical Management Protocol (NCMP) based on Ayurveda and Yoga for management of
COVID-19. The protocol will contribute to mainstreaming of AYUSH for management of COVID-19.

PM Modi Launches ‘Jan Andolan’ Campaign for COVID-19 Appropriate Behaviour

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched ‘Jan Andolan’ (People’s Participation) campaign for following
COVID-19 Appropriate Behaviour. The awareness campaign will promote COVID-19 behaviour ahead of
the upcoming festive season and the reopening of the economy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the
citizens to “Wear Mask, Wash Hands, Follow Social Distance and Practice ‘Do Gaj Ki Doori’ (a distance of
two yards)”.

TN’s Guidance & WEF to Setup India’s & South Asia’s 1st Advanced Manufacturing Hub
Guidance, a nodal investment promotion and facilitation agency of Tamil Nadu (TN) has joined hands
with the World Economic Forum (WEF) in set up India’s and South Asia’s first advanced manufacturing

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hub (AMHUB) in Tamil Nadu. This collaboration is in line with the Tamil Nadu Electronics Hardware
Manufacturing Policy 2020.

Ramesh Pokhriyal “Nishank” Virtually Inaugurated Gyan Circle Ventures of IIIT Sri City, Andhra
Pradesh
Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Ministry of Education (MoE) virtually inaugurated the Gyan
Circle Ventures, a MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) funded Technology
Business Incubator (TBI) of Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Sri City (Chittoor), Andhra
Pradesh (AP) through Video Conference from New Delhi. Gyan Circle Ventures would function as a
Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs (TIDE 2.0) incubation centre.

Union Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot Inaugurates International Conference on Mental Health:

Looking Beyond COVID-19
Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Thaawarchand Gehlot virtually inaugurated the
“International Conference on Mental Health: Looking Beyond COVID-19”. The conference was organized
by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice &
Empowerment in association with University of Melbourne, Australia.

Coastal Security Exercise Sagar Kavach concluded; Reviewed by FOC-in-C Anil Kumar Chawla
A two days long half yearly Coastal Security Exercise “Sagar Kavach” was held on October 8-9, 2020, along
the coastal areas of Kerala, Karnataka and Lakshadweep to check Coastal Security mechanism and
validate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). It assesses the preparedness of security agencies to deal
with an asymmetric threat from sea.

PM Modi addressed Invest India conference in Canada virtually

Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually delivered the keynote address at the Invest India Conference in
Canada which aims to showcase opportunities to the business community in Canada for investing in India
in the agricultural, medical, educational and business front. It should be noted that India is proactively
monetizing assets across the sectors of Airports, Railways, Highways, Power Transmission lines, etc. Real
Estate Investment Trusts (REIT) & Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) have been fully enabled for
monetization of assets.

DST, IBM India Collaborate to promote STEM Career opportunities among Students
International Business Machines (IBM) India joined hands with the Department of Science and
Technology (DST) to expand the scope of two DST initiatives Vigyan Jyoti and Vigyan Prasar. The
initiatives aim to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) learning among
students, especially girl students to inspire them to pursue careers in STEM.

Goa Becomes India’s 1st ‘Har Ghar Jal’ State by Providing FHTCs to Every Rural Household
Goa has become the first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ state in the country under Central Governments Jal Jeevan Mission
(JJM) by providing 100% tap water connections in Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs)
covering 2.30 lakh households.

Delhi Cabinet Approved First-of-its-kind ‘Tree Transplantation Policy’ & World’s 2nd Smog
Tower at Connaught Place
Delhi has become the first state in the country to have the ‘Tree Transplantation Policy’ for the
preservation of trees which was approved by the state’s cabinet headed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
on October 9, 2020. This policy is a part of Delhi’s movement of “Yuddh, Pradushan Ke Viruddh” against

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the air pollution levels. The state cabinet also gave its nod for the installation of the second smog tower
in the world after China and 1st in Delhi worth Rs 20 crore at Connaught Place within 10 months.

PM Narendra Modi addresses RAISE 2020 – ‘Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020’; IBM
to setup CoE for AI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated & addressed RAISE 2020 – ‘Responsible AI for Social
Empowerment 2020’ – A 5-day Global AI (Artificial Intelligence) Summit which took place virtually from
October 5-9, 2020. The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) in partnership with
NITI Aayog organized the summit.

Coal Ministry Launched a Website to Promote R&D Activities in Coal Sector

During the 56th meeting of Standing Scientific Research Committee of the Ministry, Anil Jain, Secretary,
of Coal ministry launched a website (https://scienceandtech.cmpdi.co.in/) to disseminate and promote
Research and Development (R&D) activities in the coal sector. The website was developed by Central
Mines Planning & Design Institute Limited (CMPDI), R&D arm of Coal India Limited (CIL).

PM Modi Launches Physical Distribution of Property Cards Under the SVAMITVA Scheme
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a physical distribution of property cards, a legal document of
owning their houses under the Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with Improvised Technology in
Village Areas (SVAMITVA) scheme over a virtual platform. This will support to make rural India self-
sufficient. The SVAMITVA is a central government scheme that aims to provide an integrated property
validation solution for rural India.

Rajnath Singh Virtually Inaugurates 44 bridges Built by BRO & LaysFoundation Stone for
Nechiphu Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh
Rajnath Singh, Union Defence Minister virtually inaugurated 44 bridges, built by Border Roads
Organisation (BRO) across 7 States/UTs (Union Territories) in border areas. Most of these bridges are in
strategically important areas and will help armed forces to ensure quick movement of troops and
weapons. He also laid the Foundation Stone for 450 meters long, ‘Nechiphu Tunnel’, a bi-lane tunnel, on
the road to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. Nechiphu Tunnel is the important tunnel that will ensure all
weather connectivity across Nechiphu Pass.

Kerala becomes First State in India to go Digital in Public Education

The state of Kerala has become the First State in India to make the public education sector completely
digital. It has been implemented at a cost of INR 42.36 Crores, out of which KIIFB has contributed INR
34.75 crores. All the classrooms have been converted into high-tech classrooms and have been
implemented as part of the Public Education Rejuvenation Mission.

C-DAC & NSM Host Institutes signed a MoU to Establish Supercomputing Infrastructure in
Premier Institutions Across India
The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) With the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) Host Institutes to establish supercomputing
infrastructure with assembly and manufacturing in India.

Kerala Govt Sets Up ‘Kerala Karshaka Kshemanidhi Board’, 1st of its Kind Welfare Board for
Upliftment of Farmers
Kerala Government has formed ‘Kerala Karshaka Kshemanidhi Board’ (Kerala Farmers Welfare Fund
Board) – a Board for upliftment of Farmers in the State. It is the first time in India that a Welfare Fund
Board has been formed for upliftment of farmers. The State Cabinet has appointed Dr. P. Rajendran as
Chairman of Kerala Farmers Welfare Fund Board.

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NITI Aayog Announced Governing Structure of India Energy Modelling Forum (IEMF)
NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog and United States Agency for International
Development (USAID) jointly launched the India Energy Modelling Forum (IEMF) under the US–India
Strategic Energy Partnership (SEP). For its constitution, on October 8, 2020 NITI Aayog announced its
governing structure. IEMF aims to engage Indian researchers, knowledge partners, think tanks and
national and international government agencies and departments for long-term energy planning. Prayas
Group, Pune (Maharashtra) will be the first convener of the steering committee.

Nirmala Sitharaman Announced Rs 73,000 cr Stimulus to Boost Consumer Spending amid

COVID-19 slowdown
Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman announced measures of Rs 73,000
crore to stimulate consumer spending before the end of this Financial Year (FY21) to fight the COVID-19
lockdown induced slowdown, during a press conference in New Delhi.
Read More Details Here: Nirmala Sitharaman Announced Rs 73,000 cr Stimulus to Boost Consumer
Spending amid COVID-19 slowdown

President Ram Nath Kovind gives Assent to Disturbed Areas (Amendment) Bill in Gujarat
President Ram Nath Kovind has given Assent to the Gujarat Disturbed Area (Amendment) Bill, 2019. The
Act will prohibit transfer of Assets (Immovable Property) in disturbed areas and protects tenants from
vacating the properties. The Act prohibits sale of property by members of one religious community to
those from another community in areas declared as “Disturbed Areas”. The main aim of the act is to stop
polarisation and to check attempts to cause “Demographic Imbalance”. The act provides for the formation
of a “monitoring and advisory committee” to keep check on demographic structure in disturbed areas.

TRIFED, IIT Kanpur and Chhattisgarh MFP Federation E-Launch “Tech for Tribals” Initiative
Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), Indian Institute of Technology
(IIT) Kanpur & Chhattisgarh MFP (Minor Forest Produce) Federation virtually launched “Tech for
Tribals” Initiative. The initiative aims for holistic development of Tribals with focus on Entrepreneurship
development, soft skills, Information Technology (IT) and Business Development.

Atal Innovation Mission, CGI India sign SOI to boost innovation in Schools
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) with CGI India to promote
innovation in schools. CGI India will adopt 100 schools with Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) in Bengaluru,
Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai to promote and train students. The opportunity will provide the
students hands-on experience using STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) tools.

PM Modi Released Rs.100 Coin to Honour Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the new coin of Rs.100 denominations to honour the legacy of
Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia on the occasion of her birth centenary over a virtual event. She was born on
12th October 1919. Prahlad Singh Patel, Union Minister of Culture and the family members of Vijayaraje
Scindia participated in the event. She served as a member of parliament from 1957 to 1967. She served
as the vice president of BJP till 1998. She penned her autobiography “The last Maharani of Gwalior” with
the support of author Manohar Malgonkar.

Joint Anti-Terrorist Exercise ‘Suraksha Kavach’ held between Army and Maharashtra Police
A joint anti-terrorist exercise “Suraksha Kawach (security shield)” between Indian Army and
Maharashtra Police at Lullanagar Pune (Maharashtra) was organized by Agnibaaz Division (41 Artillery
Division) of Southern Command of the Indian Army, along with equipment display. It was carried out
taking all safety norms of COVID-19.

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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
COVID-19 to push 150 Million People into Extreme Poverty: World Bank
According to the Biennial report ‘Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2020: Reversals of Fortune’ released by
the World Bank Group around 150 Million People will be pushed into Extreme Poverty by the end of 2021
due to COVID-19. This is the first rise in Extreme Poverty Percentage in 20 years. The pandemic is
expected to push 88 Million-115 Million people into extreme poverty in 2020.

Overview of EAM Jaishankar’s visit to Tokyo, Japan

External Affairs Minister (EAM), S. Jaishankar visited Tokyo, Japan for a two-day visit from October 6-7,
2020. On October 6, 2020, EAM S. Jaishankar participated in the Second QUAD (Quadrilateral Security
Dialogue) held between India, Australia, Japan & United States of America (USA) in Tokyo, Japan.
Read More Details Here: Overview of EAM Jaishankar’s visit to Tokyo, Japan

16-year-old Aava Murto becomes Finland’s PM post for 1 day

As part of the United Nations International Day of Girl Child (11th October, 2020), 16-year old Aava Murto
assumed the post of Finland’s Prime Minister for one day on 7th October, 2020 to raise awareness about
gender equality. It was done as part of the “Girls Takeover” Program. The Prime Minister of Finland is
Sanna Marin, Capital city is Helsinki and Currency is Euro respectively.

OXFAM & DFI’s CRI Index 2020: India ranked 129; Norway topped
India has been ranked 129 out of 158 countries in the Third Edition of Commitment to Reducing
Inequality (CRI) Index or CRI Index 2020 released by Oxfam and Development Finance International
(DFI). According to the report, India has spent only 4 percent of its budget on health during the Pandemic,
which is the Fourth Lowest in the world. Nigeria, Bahrain and India are among the World’s worst
performing countries in tackling inequality during the pandemic.
CRI Index 2020 Overall Ranking:
Country CRI Ranking
India 129
Norway 1
Denmark 2
Germany 3

School Closure due to COVID-19 may cost Around USD 420 Billion Loss to India: World Bank
According to the World Bank Report titled “Beaten or Broken? Informality and COVID-19 in South Asia”
the closure of schools due to COVID-19 pandemic in India will cause a loss of between USD 420 Billion &
USD 600 Billion in Country’s Future Earnings, in addition to learning losses. The report has been jointly
prepared by the joint product of Office of Chief Economist for the South Asia Region (SARCE) and
Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment (MTI) Global Practice.

UN-IGNME Launched 1st Report on Stillbirths; Stillbirth Rate Declined by 35% Since 2000
For the first time a report on stillbirths titled “A Neglected Tragedy: The Global Burden of Stillbirths” has
been released by UN Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN-IGME) which was co-created
by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Bank and the
United Nations (UN) Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division.
Read More Details Here: UN-IGNME Launched 1st Report on Stillbirths; Stillbirth Rate Declined by 35%
Since 2000

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India, Japan & Five Eyes Alliance demand access to end-to-end encrypted chats from tech
companies
Members of the Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance (United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada,
Australia, and New Zealand.) Along with India, Japan has asked Big Tech Companies to find a solution for
Law Enforcement Agencies to access end-to-end encrypted chats. The Countries highlighted that
encryption has become a tool for terrorists and child traffickers, and poses risk to thousands of innocent
lives. India, Japan are not members of the Intelligence Alliance.

India’s NMF & Taiwan’s TAEF inked MoU to Foster Cooperation in Indo-Pacific Region
India’s National Maritime Foundation (NMF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
Taiwan’s Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF) to foster cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region as
part of Taiwan’s South bound policy. NMF Director General Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan (Retd) and
TAEF Chairman Dr. Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao presided over the signing via videoconferencing.

India, Mexico hold 5th India-Mexico Bilateral High-Level Group on Trade, Investment and
Cooperation
The 5th Meeting of India-Mexico Bilateral High Level Group on Trade, Investment and Cooperation
(BHLG) took place virtually on 9th October, 2020. Following were the MoUs signed during the meet: (i)
MoU was signed between the Electronics & Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) of India
and the Mexican Chamber of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technologies (CANIETI).
(ii) MoU was signed between Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and
Mexican Business Council of Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (COMCE) for promotion of
development of business relations between India and Mexico.

Climate Change to Blame for Doubling Disaster: The Human Cost of Disasters: An Overview of
the Last 20 years (2000-2019) – Report of UNDRR
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) published the report titled “The human
cost of disasters: an overview of the last 20 years (2000-2019)” which states that climate change is the
major cause for the doubling of natural disaster in the past 20 years (2000- 2019). The report was
released to mark the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction on 13th October 2020.

World Economic Forum shifts Annual Meeting 2021 from Davos to Lucerne
World Economic Forum (WEF) has changed the venue of the Annual Meeting 2021 from Davos to
Lucerne-Burgenstock, Switzerland. The meeting will be held between May 18 - 21, 2021 on the theme
“The Great Reset”, in both physical and digital modes. The changes have been made due to the Pandemic.

ASEAN-India Track 1.5 Dialogue focuses on cyber security during COVID-19 pandemic
The 2nd Edition of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-India Track 1.5 Dialogue took place
virtually. The summit was organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in partnership with the
External Affairs Ministry (EAM). The summit held discussions on cooperation safety in the virtual and
cyber area during the pandemic.

Sixth Session of India-Norway Joint Commission Meeting held virtually

The 6th session of India-Norway Joint Commission was held virtually where Indian delegation was led
by Union Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Norwegian
delegation was led by Ms. Ine Marie Eriksen Soreide, Foreign Minister of Norway. Both sides showed their
satisfaction on Dialogue on Trade and Investment (DTI) which accelerated participation of Norwegian
companies in the flagship programmes of India.

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India ranks 58th in the List of Arton Capital’s Passport Index 2020; New Zealand tops the Index
According to Arton Capital’s Passport Index 2020, India has been ranked 58th in the list of World’s Most
Powerful Passports. New Zealand topped the list & Afghanistan placed at bottom.
Rank (Based on Access to Number
Country of Destinations)
India (52 Destinations) 58
New Zealand (129 Destinations) 1
Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Ireland, Japan,
South Korea, Australia (128 Destinations) 2
Sweden, Belgium, France, Finland, Italy, Spain (127
Destinations) 3
Afghanistan, Iraq (31 Destinations) 75 (Bottom of the rankings)

Debt Crisis has increased in Developing Countries due to Pandemic: World Bank
According to International Debt Statistics 2021 released by the World Bank Group, COVID-19 has
deepened the Debt Crisis in Developing Countries. The International Debt Statistics 2021 has been
prepared by the Debt Statistics Team of Development Data Group (DECDG) at the World Bank. The Top
10 Borrowers with largest end-2019 External Debt Stock are Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia,
Mexico, Russia, Thailand, Turkey and South Africa. According to the report, the total External Debt Stocks
of India in 2019 was USD 560,035 Billion.

BANKING & FINANCE

NABARD inks 3 MoUs with SBI to extend credit support for various projects
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has inked three Memoranda of
Understanding (MoU) with State Bank of India (SBI) to extend credit support for various NABARD
projects in Gujarat.

Highlights of Bi- Monthly Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) 2020-21: October 2020
The 6-member 25th Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was held
from October 7-9, 2020 which was headed by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das.
• In a First, RBI to Buy State Government Bonds; Rs 20,000 crore-OMO auction next week
• RBI broadens co-origination model for PSL to “Co-Lending Model”, all NBFCs collaborate with banks
• RBI allows 24×7 x 365 availability of RTGS system from December
• RBI Revised Limit for Risk Weight to Rs 7.5 cr to Rs 5 Cr
Read More Details Here: Highlights of Bi- Monthly Monetary Policy Committee 2020-21: October 2020

Exim Bank Supported USD 310 mn LoC to Republic of Zimbabwe for Repowering of Hwange
Thermal Power Station
Export-Import (EXIM) bank of India on behalf of the Government of India supported Line of Credit (LoC)
of USD 310 million to the Republic of Zimbabwe to finance repowering of Hwange Thermal Power Station.

Exim Bank Extends 400 Million USD LoC to Maldives for Greater Malé Connectivity Project
The Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of India has extended a 400 million USD (around Rs.2933 crore) line of
credit (LoC) to the Republic of Maldives for the Greater Malé connectivity project. The LoC was signed by
Nirmit Ved, The General Manager of Exim Bank and Ibrahim Ameer, Finance Minister, Government of
Republic of Maldives in Malé, Maldives. On behalf of the Government of India EXIM Bank has extended 3
LoCs of value 1240 million USD (around Rs. 9094 crore) to the government of Republic of Maldives.

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Axis bank Launches ACE Credit Card in Collaboration with Google pay & Visa
Axis Bank Limited in collaboration with Google Pay and Visa launched its ACE Credit Card in India. The
card is designed to increase participation of users in the digital economy. It also aims to bring a seamless,
digital experience to users from application to issuance.

HDFC Bank and Apollo Hospitals Partners to Launch the HealthyLifeProgramme, a 1st of its kind
Initiative of India
HDFC Bank and Apollo Hospitals partnered to launch The HealthyLifeProgramme, a holistic healthcare
solution which makes healthy living accessible and affordable on Apollo’s digital platform, Apollo 24/7.
It is a first-of-its-kind initiative in India. It is exclusively created for HDFC Bank customers who will get
round the clock access to the emergency Apollo Doctor at free of cost on Apollo 24/7. It was launched
digitally by Aditya Puri, Managing Director of HDFC Bank.

Digital payments increased in 5 years to 3,434.56 cr in FY20; RBI to Adopt NGTA for Managing
Forex, Gold Reserves
In accordance with the latest data of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), between 2015-16 and 2019-20, digital
payments increased at a compounded annual growth rate of 55.1% from 593.61 crore in FY2015-16 to
3,434.56 crore in FY19-20.
Read More Details Here: Digital payments increased in 5 years to 3,434.56 cr in FY20; RBI to Adopt NGTA
for Managing Forex, Gold Reserves

EarlySalary in Collaboration with NPCI Launched ‘Salary Card’, a Zero-Touch Digital card
Powered by RuPay
EarlySalary in collaboration with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) launched ‘Salary Card’,
a Zero-Touch Digital card. The Salary Card credit solution is powered by Rupay. It provides instant access
for salaried professionals, allowing them to make purchases instantly across merchants in India. Vivifi
India Finance Private Limited (Vivifi) has launched FlexPay, which offers credit on Unified Payments
Interface (UPI).

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

India’s GDP to Contract by 9.6% in FY 21: World Bank
As per World Bank’s latest South Asia Economic Focus forecasts, India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
is expected to contract by 9.6% (-9.6%) in FY21. On the other hand, it expects a 5.4% rebound in FY22.
Regional growth (South Asia) is expected to contract by 7.7% in 2020, after topping 6% annually in the
past five years, and rebound to 4.5% in 2021.

Zurich International Signed Concession Agreement with UP Government for Jewar Airport
The Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) and the Zurich Airport International AG (ZAIA) signed a 40-year
concession agreement which grants licence to Zurich Airport for designing, building and operating the
Noida International Airport (NIA) (also known as Jewar Airport) at Jewar, outskirts of Delhi. The
concession agreement was signed with the Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), a
special purpose vehicle incorporated by Zurich Airport for this project.

Amazon India in Partnership with IRCTC launches Online Reserved Train Ticket Bookings
Amazon India has partnered with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to offer
their customers the facility to book train tickets on amazon. Amazon.in has waived the service and
payment gateway transaction charges for the introductory period.

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WTO Upgraded its World Merchandise Trade Forecast at 9.2% in 2020 from 12.9%
World Trade Organization (WTO) lowered its projection on the volume of world merchandise trade in
2020 to 9.2% as compared to 12.9% fall in April 2020. This is due to the strong trade performances in
June-July, 2020 due to easing of lockdowns in many parts of the world. For 2021, WTO forecasts a 7.2%
world trade increase, far below the April estimate of 21.3% growth (Between 21% to 24%) and pre-
pandemic level.

Microsoft, AICTE Collaborate to Skill Students, Educators in Next-Generation Technology

Microsoft has partnered with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to empower students,
educators in Next-Generation Technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT),
Data Science and Cloud Computing.

Mastercard Partners with Signzy for Global Rollout of Video KYC

In order to rollout Signzy’s video-based KYC (Know Your Customer) solution to its banking customers
globally, Mastercard has entered into partnership with Signzy, a leading RegTech startup. The customers
of Mastercard, with this partnership will benefit from a 100% paperless, remote and secure on boarding
solution for end-users.

BBNL and TCIL Selects Hughes India to provide High-Speed Satellite Connectivity to 5,000
Remote Gram Panchayats
Hughes Communications India Private Limited (Hughes India) has been selected by Bharat Broadband
Nigam Limited (BBNL) and Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd. (TCIL) to provide high-speed
satellite connectivity to 5,000 remote gram panchayats in 15 states and UTs of India including Ladakh,
Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram & Tripura among others by August 2021.

IMF Projected India’s GDP to contract 10.3% from 4.5% in FY21

International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO-October 2020), titled “A
Long and Difficult Ascent” projected India’s gross domestic product (GDP) to contract 10.3% (i.e.-10.3 %)
in comparison to June forecast of 4.5% amid COVID19. On global front, the economy growth is
downgraded to -4.4% as compared to 5.2% projected earlier. On the other hand, for FY21-22 Indian
economy is expecting a rebound of 8.8% growth rate higher than the 6% forecast earlier.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

American Poet Louise Glück Won 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature
Mats Malm, Permanent Secretary of the Swedish Academy announced the Nobel Prize in Literature 2020
to Louise Glück, American Poet and essayist “for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty
makes individual existence universal”. In past, she has won Pulitzer Prize for her poetry book, The Wild
Iris (1992).

UN’s World Food Programme Won 2020 Nobel Peace Prize

Berit Reiss-Andersen, Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the Nobel Peace Prize 2020
to the United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP) for its efforts to fight hunger, for its
contribution to improving peace conditions in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in
efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.

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Britain’s Prince William & Sir David Attenborough Launched “The Earthshot Prize”, an
Environmental Award to Support Climate Change
Britain’s Prince William, Duke of Cambridge along with Broadcaster and Naturalist Sir David
Attenborough launched the Earthshot Prize, a new environmental prize with an aim to encourage change
and support to repair the planet in the next 10 years (2030). The Earthshot prize comprises 5 prizes of 1
million pounds (around Rs.9.5 crores) awarded each year for the next 10 years.

India’s Eight Beaches get International Blue Flag Certification

Eight Beaches of India have been awarded “BLUE FLAG” certification by Denmark based Foundation for
Environmental Education (FEE). India became the First Country to be awarded the Coveted International
Blue Flag certification for 8 beaches in one attempt. It was selected by an International Jury consisting of
eminent members from United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations World Tourism
Organization (UNWTO), FEE & International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Read More Details Here: India’s Eight Beaches get International Blue Flag Certification

Paul R. Milgrom and Robert B. Wilson Won 2020 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for their Work
on Auction Theory
Professor Göran K. Hansson, Secretary General of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the
Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences or Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred
Nobel 2020 jointly to 2 American economists namely, Paul R. Milgrom and Robert B. Wilson for
“improvements to auction theory and inventions of new auction formats”.

INS Sahyadri & Kora were Declared as Best Ships in Fleet Award Function 2020
Indian Navy Ship (INS) Sahyadri and INS Kora were awarded the Best Ship trophies among the Capital
Ships and Corvettes & similar classes of ships respectively. The awards were presented at the Fleet Award
Function (FAF) 2020 organised by the Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam to mark the successful performance
of the Operational Cycle of the Eastern Fleet. The FAF is organised every year to mark the resilience and
perseverance of Indian Navy personnels appointed onboard ships of Poorvi Beda or Sword Arm of
Eastern Naval Command (ENC).

Mukesh Ambani tops Forbes India Rich List 2020

Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries topped the Forbes India Rich List 2020 and remains
the wealthiest Indian for the 13th year in a row. Gautam Adani, Chairman of Adani Group came second,
and Shiv Nadar, Chairman of HCL Technologies came third in the list. Cyrus Poonawalla, Chairman of
Poonawalla Group which includes Serum Institute of India entered the Top 10 list at Rank 6.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

R.K. Chhibber, CMD of J&K Bank Gets Another 6 Months Extension: RBI
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended the term of Rajesh Kumar (R.K.) Chhibber as Chairman and
Managing Director (CMD) of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Bank for another 6 months, effective from October
10, 2020 or till the appointment of Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), whichever
is earlier. Prior to this, he got an extension of 3 months with effect from July 10, 2020.

Kyrgyzstan’s Parliament Elected Sadyr Zhaparov as Acting PM After the Resignation of Former
PM Kubatbek Boronov
Parliament of Kyrgyzstan (also known as Jogorku Kenesh) appointed Sadyr Zhaparov, as the Acting Prime
Minister (PM) of Kyrgyzstan. He was appointed following the resignation of the former PM Kubatbek

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Boronov amid post-election vote rigging protests. The capital and currency of Kyrgyzstan are Bishkek &
Kyrgyzstani Som respectively.

Government Appoints M Rajeshwar Rao as the New Deputy Governor of RBI

Government of India appointed M Rajeshwar Rao as the new 4th deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) responsible for Financial regulations. He will succeed NS Vishwanathan, the former 4th
Deputy Governor of RBI, who resigned in March 2020 before the completion of his term (June 2020). M
Rajeshwar Rao is currently serving as the executive director of RBI.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II Appointed Bishr al-Khasawneh as PM; Succeeds Omar al Razzaz
Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein, King of Jordan appointed Bishr al-Khasawneh, policy advisor to the king, as
new Prime Minister of the country and also instructed him to form a new government. His appointment
comes after King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Omar al Razzaz.

MA Ganapathy IPS appointed as the Director General of BCAS

Appointments Committee of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the
appointment of MA Ganapathy IPS as the New Director General (DG) of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security
(BCAS), under the ministry of Civil Aviation. He will hold the position till the 29th February 2024, the
date of his retirement or until further order. He succeeds Rakesh Asthana, who was appointed as DG of
Border Security Force (BSF) in August 2020.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal Gets Additional Charge of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food
and Public Distribution
Ram Nath Kovind, President of India, as advised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has assigned Union
Minister Piyush Goyal with additional charge of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public
Distribution following the death of Ram Vilas Paswan. Piyush Goyal is currently serving as the Cabinet
Minister of Railways and Commerce and Industry.

Chetan Anand, CWG Shuttle Medalist appointed as the Brand Ambassador of India’s first
Badminton Brand, ‘Transform’
Chetan Anand, Indian Badminton player and Commonwealth Games (CWG) medallist was appointed as
the brand ambassador of ‘Transform’, India’s first home-grown badminton brand which was virtually
launched on 7th October 2020.

Bhuvan Bam named Myntra’s First Digital Brand Ambassador

Youtuber Bhuvan Bam has been named as Fashion e-commerce platform Myntra’s First Digital Brand
Ambassador. He has been appointed to strengthen Myntra’s Digital presence ahead of the Festive Season.
The collaboration will create content to ensure that Myntra’s features go beyond traditional forms of
communication.

Nilesh Shah, MD of Kotak AMC is Re-Elected as the Chairman of AMFI

Nilesh Shah, the Managing Director (MD) of Kotak Mutual Fund was re-elected as the Chairman of the
Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI). He will hold the office of chairman till the conclusion of the
next Annual General Meeting (AGM) and he will also continue as the chairman of the AMFI Financial
Literacy Committee. Saurabh Nanavati, CEO of Invesco Mutual Fund was re-elected as the vice chairman
of AMFI.

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Government sets up Panel of Secretaries under Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba to Streamline
Telecom Spectrum Allocation
Central Government has formulated a panel of secretaries under cabinet secretary ‘Rajiv Gauba’ to
streamline telecom spectrum allocation process and examine the possibility of making the auction of
spectrum an annual calendar event. The panel comprises the secretaries of home, defence, railways,
telecom, Information and Broadcasting (I&B) and department of space.

AICTE Constituted a Committee Headed by M.S Ananth to Prepare the Professional Engineers Bill
Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ Union Minister of Education informed K. Somaprasad, Member of Parliament
(MP) in Rajya Sabha, that All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has constituted a Committee
to Prepare the Professional Engineers Bill. The committee is chaired by M.S. Ananth, Former Director of
Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M).

Olympic Champion Constantina Dita Named Brand Ambassador for World Athletics Half
Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020
The World Athletics named Constantina Dita, Romanian long-distance runner and the Champion of 2008
Beijing Olympics as the brand ambassador of World Athletics Half Marathon Championships 2020 which
will be held on 17th October 2020 at Gdynia, Poland. She won the 2004 Chicago Marathon and came
second in the 2005 Chicago Marathon (major City Marathons).

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

CCI Approves Acquisition of CG Power and Adani Green Energy Ten Ltd’s Solar Energy
Generation Assets
On October 14, 2020 The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has given approval to the following
acquisitions, (i) The acquisition of more than 50% equity share capital of CG Power and Industrial
Solutions Limited (CG Power) by Tube Investments of India Limited (TIIL). (ii) The acquisition of solar
energy generation assets of Adani Green Energy Ten Limited (AGE10L) by Adani Green Energy Twenty-
Three Ltd (AGE23L).

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

India Successfully Test Fired 1st Anti-Radiation Missile ‘Rudram’ from Sukhoi-30 Fighter Aircraft
India successfully test-fired its first indigenous anti-radiation missile, Rudram 1, a New Generation Anti-
Radiation Missile (NGARM) integrated on Su-30MKI fighter aircraft of Indian Air Force. It was Developed
by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), this air-to-surface missile was tested at the
interim test range Balasore, off the coast of Odisha in the Bay of Bengal. It has been designed for
suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD).

GSFC launches indigenous Calcium Nitrate and boronated Calcium Nitrate

Gujarat State Fertilizers and Chemicals India Ltd (GSFC) launched an Indigenous variety of Calcium
Nitrate and Boronated Calcium Nitrate. Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Mansukh
Mandaviya launched the products virtually. Calcium Nitrate is a water-soluble fertilizer in agriculture,
and also in wastewater treatment. The indigenous variety will provide a cheaper alternative to the farmer
community in India.

DRDO Launches Nirbhay Cruise Missile; Aborts Mission due to Technical Snag
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) launched the Nirbhay Cruise Missile from
Odisha’s test facility, the mission was aborted due to technical snag. Nirbhay is India’s first indigenously

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developed Cruise Missile and has been developed by Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL). The two-stage
Missile is powered by a solid rocket booster in the first stage & Turbofan, Turbojet in the second stage.

India Meteorological Department Launches Impact-Based Cyclone Warning System

India Meteorological Department (IMD) launched a dynamic, impact-based cyclone warning system to
reduce economic losses and damage to property caused by the cyclones that hit Indian coast annually.
The system has been commissioned from this cyclone season (October-December). The announcement
of the launch was made by Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director- General (DG) of IMD on October 6, 2020
while giving presentation on ‘Chasing the Cyclones’, organised as part of World Space Week (October 4-
10) celebrations by the Indian Society of Remote Sensing (ISRS)’s Delhi chapter.

NASA to Launch Nano Satellite, ‘India Sat’ Developed by 3 Tamil Nadu Students into Sub-orbit
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has chosen ‘India Sat’, an indigenous
experimental satellite developed by 3 students from Tamil Nadu namely, M. Adnaan of Thanthonrimalai,
M. Kesavan of Nagampalli and V. Arun of Thennilai for launch in suborbital space in June, next on NASA’s
sounding rocket 7.

ENVIRONMENT
Scientists Found New & Rare Perennial Woody Herb “Lepidagathis ananthapuramensis” in
Kasaragod, Kerala
A team of researchers discovered a new species of perennial woody herb in the northern laterite plateaus
in Kasaragod, Kerala. The new species “Lepidagathis ananthapuramensis” is named after the temple
Ananthapura lake temple dedicated to Ananthapadmanabha, since it was found in its neighbourhood. The
article on the discovery is published in Phytotaxa, a journal on plant taxonomy.

Added 544 species to India’s Diversity in 2019: Animal Discoveries 2019 & Plant Discoveries
2019 of ZSI & BSI Launched by Babul Supriyo
The Scientists have discovered around 544 new species from India during 2019, the list of these new
discoveries were released as two books, Animal Discoveries 2019 and Plant Discoveries 2019 by the
Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and the Botanical Survey of India (BSI). The ZSI and BSI have been
releasing these books since 2007 and the 2019 list marks the 13th edition of this collection. The Animal
discovery 2019 has listed 364 species as new to science and 116 species as first data from India. Plant
Discoveries 2019 has listed 180 new plant species which includes seed-bearing plants, ferns, fungi, algae
and various species of microbes and 73 new data are found from India

SPORTS
French Open 2020 – Overview
The 124th Edition of French Open (also known as Roland Garros) took place at the Roland Garros
Stadium, Paris, France from 27th September – 11th October, 2020. Note: French Open is a Clay Court
Tennis Tournament.
French Open 2020 Winners:
Category Winner Runner-up
Men’s Singles Rafael Nadal (Spain) Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
Women’s
Singles Iga Swiatek (Poland) Sofia Kenin (USA)

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Kevin Krawietz (Germany), Andreas Mies Mate Pavic (Croatia), Bruno Soares
Men’s Doubles (Germany) (Brazil)
Women’s Timea Babos (Hungary), Kristina Mladenovic Alexa Guarachi (Chile), Desirae
Doubles (France) Krawczyk (USA)
Read More Details Here: French Open 2020 – Overview

Lewis Hamilton wins 2020 Eifel Grand Prix; Equals Schumacher’s record of 91 GP victories
Mercedes Driver Lewis Hamilton (Britain) won the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix held at Nurburgring, Germany.
With this win, Lewis Hamilton equalled Michael Schumacher’s All-time record of 91 Grand prix victories.

Polish Footballer Robert Lewandowski named as UEFA Men’s Player of the Year for 2019/2020
Robert Lewandowski (Poland) who represents the club Bayern Munich has been named as the UEFA
(Union of European Football Associations) Men’s Player of the Year 2020. He finished ahead of Kevin De
Bruyne (Manchester City) & Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich). It is an association football award given to
footballers playing for men’s football clubs in Europe. It is given for performances in both club and
national team competitions.

AIFF announces ‘Indian Football – Forward Together’ as its new motto

All India Football Federation (AIFF) – the apex body for Football in India has announced the launch of a
new motto – ‘Indian Football. Forward Together’. The motto reflects the core values of the organization
– passion, respect, leadership, teamwork, integrity, professionalism and inclusivity.

Odisha, IRFU sign agreement to sponsor Indian National Rugby Team for 3 years
The State Government of Odisha signed an Agreement with Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU) to
sponsor the Indian National Rugby Team for a period of 3 years (till 2023). The agreement was signed at
the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. It was signed by R Vineel Krishna, Director of Sports & Youth
Services Department, Odisha and Maneck Unwala, President of IRFU.

Nihal Sarin emerges winner in Chess.com’s 2020 Junior Speed Online Championship
Sixteen-Year Old Indian Chess Player Nihal Sarin emerged winner in Chess.com’s 2020 Junior Speed
Online Chess Championship. He defeated Russia’s Alexey Sarana in the final. With this win, Sarin will
qualify for the 2020 Speed Chess Championship Final which will feature the world’s best players. Nihal
Sarin hails from Thrissur, Kerala.

OBITUARY
Mario Molina, The Only Mexican Scientist to Win Nobel Prize in Chemistry Passed Away at 77
Mario José Molina, the only Mexican scientist to receive the Nobel Prize, passed away at the age of 77 in
his native Mexico City, Mexico. He shared the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Frank Sherwood
Rowland of the United States (US) and Paul Crutzen of the Netherlands for their 1970 research on the
damage to Ozone layer. He was born on 19th March 1943 in Mexico City, Mexico. He also received the
Presidential Medal of Freedom from Former American President Barack Obama on 8th August 2013.

Ashwani Kumar, Former CBI Director & Former Governor of Manipur and Nagaland Passed
Away at 69
Ashwani Kumar, the former Director of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and former governor of
Manipur and Nagaland committed suicide and was found dead in his residence in Shimla. He was born
on 15th November 1950 in Nahan, Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh. He was currently serving as the vice
chancellor of a Private university in Shimla.

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Justice KK Usha, 1st Woman Chief Justice of Kerala High Court from Bar Passed away at 81
Justice KK Usha, the former Chief Justice (C.J.) of Kerala High Cour t(HC) passed away at the age of 81 in
a private hospital at Kochi, Kerala due to cardiac arrest. She was the first woman to be directly elevated
to the High Court bench from the bar and become Chief Justice. She was born on 3rd July 1939 in Thrissur,
Kerala.

Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan Passed
Away at 74
Ram Vilas Paswan, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (elected from the
Hajipur constituency of Bihar) passed away at the age of 74 in a hospital at New Delhi due to heart
ailments. He was born on 5th July 1946 at Khagaria, Eastern Bihar. He was the leader of the Lok Janshakti
Party (LJP) and a stalwart of socialist movements. He was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in
1977 with highest margin as a member of Janata Party and he held the Guinness record for winning his
constituency, Hajipur, with the highest margin for many years.

Veteran Marathi Actor and Producer Avinash Kharshikar Passed Away at 68

Producer and Veteran Marathi Actor Avinash Kharshikar, known for his sense of humour passed away
due to heart attack at the age of 68 in a private hospital at Thane, Maharashtra. Avinash Kharshikar
started his career in Marathi film industry in 1978.

Anantkumar Surendraray Dave, Ex-Gujarat HC Acting Chief Justice Passed Away at 62

Anantkumar Surendraray Dave, Former acting Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court passed away at the
age of 62 at a private hospital in Ahmedabad after prolonged illness. He was born on December 5, 1957,
in a tribal village in Panchmahal district. He also served as an Additional Judge of the Gujarat High Court,
before his appointment as a permanent Judge.

Carlton Chapman, Former Indian Football Captain passed away at 49

Carlton Chapman, former Indian football team captain passed away at the age of 49 at Bengaluru,
Karnataka due to heart attack. He was born on 13th April 1971 in Bengaluru, Karnataka. He is India’s
leading midfielder played from 1995 to 2001. He was the captain of the Indian team when India won the
South Asian Football Federation Gold Cup in 1997.

Veteran Film-maker B. Vijaya Reddy Passed Away

Veteran film-maker B. Vijaya Reddy, known as Vijay in the Kannada film industry passed away due to
cardiac arrest in a private hospital in Chennai, Tamil Nadu at the age of 84. He was born on 15th July 1936
in Tadepalligudem, West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.

Charlie Moore, 400m Hurdles Olympic Champion passed away at 91

American Athlete Charlie Moore, 1952 Olympic 400 metre(m) Hurdles Champion passed away due to
pancreatic cancer at the age of 91. He was born in August 1929 in Pennsylvania, United States of America
(USA). Charlie Moore won the gold in the 1952 Helsinki Olympic 400m Hurdles in 50.8 seconds and tied
his Olympic record he set in the quarterfinals.

Vinod Singh, Minister of Bihar Passed Away

Vinod Kumar Singh, Bihar Minister for Backward and Extremely Backward Classes Welfare passed away
in Medanta Hospital in Delhi, following a brain haemorrhage. He was around the age of 50. He was a BJP
(Bharatiya Janata Party) MLA (Members of the Legislative Assembly) from Pranpur Assembly
constituency of Katihar district in northeast Bihar.

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C. M. Chang, Nagaland Minister and Former Lok Sabha MP Passed Away

Chongshen Mongkosungkum (C.M.) Chang, Nagaland’s Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change
and Justice & Law passed away at the age of 78 in Naga Hospital Authority in Kohima. He was a member
of Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP). He was also a former Lok Sabha MP (Member of
Parliament). He was born on April 1, 1942, in Noksen Village, Tuensang district in Nagaland.

Veteran Kannada Music Composer Rajan Passed Away at 85

Veteran Kannada Music Composer Rajan of the popular Rajan – Nagendra duo passed away at the age of
85 in his residence at Bengaluru, Karnataka. He was born in 1933, in Mysuru, Karnataka. The Rajan-
Nagendra Duo won the Kannada State Awards for Best Music Director for Eradu Kanasu (1973-1974)
and Parasangada Gendethimma (1978-1979).

Renowned Kuchipudi Dancer Padma Shri Shobha Naidu Passed Away at 64

Renowned Kuchipudi dancer Padma Shri Shobha Naidu passed away at the age of 64 in a private hospital
Hyderabad, Telangana. She was a disciple of the legendary guru Vempati Chinna Satyam. She was the
Principal for Kuchipudi Art Academy, Hyderabad. She was born at Anakapalli in Visakhapatnam district
in 1956.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

GBS Sidhu authored “The Khalistan Conspiracy: A Former R&AW Officer Unravels the Path to
1984”
GBS Sidhu, a former special secretary of Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), India’s external
intelligence agency authored a book titled “The Khalistan Conspiracy: A Former R&AW Officer Unravels
the Path to 1984” that portrays the first person accounts on the facts and the roles of senior politicians in
the creation and sustenance of Khalistan movement. The book published by HarperCollins will be
released on 24th October 2020.

PM Modi Released the Autobiography of Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, Former Union Minister &
Renamed Pravara Rural Education Society after Balasaheb Vikhe Patil
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, released “Deh Vechwa Karani” (dedicating one’s life for a noble cause)
the autobiography of former Union Minister, Balasaheb Vikhe Patil and renamed the Pravara Rural
Education Society as Loknete Dr. Balasaheb Vikhe Patil Pravara Rural Education Society over a virtual
platform. The book was published by Rajhans Prakashan. He received the Padma Bhushan for Social
Works in 2010.

IMPORTANT DAYS
Indian Air Force Day Observed on October 8 2020
The Indian Air Force (IAF) day is held annually on October 8 as on this date the Air Force in India was
officially raised in 1932 as the supporting force of the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom (UK). The
year 2020 marked its 88th anniversary.

World Sight Day 2020: October 8

World Sight Day is observed annually on the second Thursday of October, this year (2020) it falls on
October 8. The day aims to create awareness globally about blindness and vision impairment. Globally,
IAPB has a leadership role in preparing the annual World Sight Day. Theme of World Sight Day 2020–
‘Hope in Sight’.

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World Post Day – Observed on 9th October, 2020

The World Post Day is observed annually on 9th October. It aims to bring awareness about the role of
Post in the lives of people, business and its contribution to global social and economic development. It is
observed to celebrate the anniversary of establishment of Universal Postal Union (UPU) in 1874 in Bern,
Switzerland. It was declared as World Post Day by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Congress in Tokyo,
Japan in 1969.

National Postal Week to be Observed from October 9-15, 2020

National Postal Week will be observed in India from October 9-15, 2020. During the National Postal Week
awareness is observed to generate awareness about the role and activities of India Post among public
and media at National level. Department of Posts, Ministry of Communication, Government of India is
observing the National Postal Week.
Read More Details Here: National Postal Week to be Observed from October 9-15, 2020

World Egg Day 2020: October 9

World Egg Day is observed annually on the 2nd Friday of October, this year (2020) the day falls on
October 9. The day aims to raise awareness of the benefits of eggs and their importance in human
nutrition. The day was established by the International Egg Commission (IEC) in 1996 in a conference
held at Vienna.

World Mental Health Day 2020: October 10

World Mental Health is observed annually on October 10 to raise awareness about mental health issues
globally and mobilize efforts in support of mental health. The theme for World Mental Health Day 2020,
as per the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) is “Mental Health for All: Greater Investment –
Greater Access”. As per the recent report of the World Health Organisation (WHO), India is the most
depressed country in the world.

World Day Against the Death Penalty 2020 – October 10

World Day Against the Death Penalty is annually observed across the globe on 10th October. The 10th
October 2020 marks the 18th World Day Against the Death Penalty which is dedicated to the rights to
effective legal representative of the individuals facing death penalty. The first World Day Against the
Death Penalty by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty was observed in 2003. The World Day
Against the Death Penalty 2020 focuses on the ‘Access to counsel – A matter of life or death’.

World Migratory Bird Day 2020: October 10

World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is celebrated bi-annually on the second Saturday in May and in
October. WMBD 2020, in October falls on October 10. The UN (United Nations) led awareness-raising
campaign highlights the need to conserve the migratory birds and their habitats, as they face threats. The
day also aims to spotlights their ecological importance and calls for their global conservation through
international cooperation. Theme of World Migratory Bird Day 2020- “Birds Connect Our World”.
Read More Details Here: World Migratory Bird Day 2020: October 10

International Day of the Girl Child 2020: October 11

The United Nations (UN) International Day of the Girl Child is observed annually on October 11 to
recognize the rights of the girls and to promote their empowerment and the fulfilment of their human
rights. The day also highlights the need to address the challenges faced by them around the world. Theme
of International Day of the Girl Child 2020– “My Voice, Our Equal Future”. The year 2020 commemorates
the 25 years of adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

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World Arthritis Day 2020 – October 12

World Arthritis Day (WAD) is annually observed across the globe on 12th October to create awareness
about rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) and to share information and support the RMDs
patients and their caregivers. The first World Arthritis day was observed on 12th October 1996. The
theme of 2020 World Arthritis Day (WAD) is “It’s in Your Hands, Take Action”. World Arthritis Day (WAD)
was established by Arthritis and Rheumatism International (ARI) in 1996.

World Obesity Day 2020 – Moved from 11th October to 4th March
The World Obesity Day was annually celebrated on 11th October till 2019. The day was relaunched as
the new Unified World Obesity Day on 4th March 2020. The World Obesity day aims to create and raise
awareness, encourage advocacy and improve policies on obesity. The first World Obesity Day was
observed on 11th October 2015. The theme of World Obesity Day 2020 – 4th March 2020 was “The Roots
of Obesity Run Deep”. The World Obesity Federation established World Obesity Day on 11th October
2015.

International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2020 – October 13

The United Nations (UN) ‘s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction or International Day for
Disaster Reduction (IDDR) is annually observed across the globe on 13th October to promote a global
risk awareness and disaster reduction. The first International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction was
observed in 1989. The theme of International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2020 is “it’s all about
governance” which is associated with the Target E of Sendai Framework.

World Standards Day 2020: October 14

World Standards Day or International Standards day is annually celebrated on October 14 by the
members of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Theme of World Standards
Day 2020– “Protecting the planet with standards”. World Standards Day 2020 poster competition
Winner- Jyoti Bisht from India.

International E-Waste Day observed on 14th October 2020

The Third International E-Waste Day was observed on 14th October, 2020. The day is observed to raise
awareness about e-waste recycling and encourage consumers to recycle e-waste. It aims to sensitise the
youth on E-waste. It is annually observed on 14th October. International E-Waste Day has been observed
since 2018 by WEEE (Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment) Forum. International E-Waste Day 2020
Theme -Education.

STATE NEWS
Meghalaya Govt Partners with Israel to Set up One of a Kind ‘Centre of Excellence’ on high-value
vegetables
To improve and promote the livelihoods of farmers, the Meghalaya government entered into partnership
with Israel to establish a one of a kind Centre of Excellence on high value vegetables in the state.

Uttarakhand CM Launches Mukhya Mantri Saur Swarojgar Yojana

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat launched the Mukhya Mantri Saur Swarojgar Yojana
at the Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Auditorium in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. The scheme is aimed at
promoting self-employment of the youth and promoting the production of Green Energy.

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AP CM Launched Rs 650 crore Jagananna Vidya Kanuka Scheme to Provide Free Kits to Govt
School Students
To combat child labour and help poor parents choose the education for their children, YS Jagan Mohan
Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh has launched Rs 650 crore Jagananna Vidya Kanuka scheme at
Punadipadu ZP High School Krishna District. Under the scheme free kits will be provided to 42.32 lakh
government school students from Class 1 to 10.

Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal Launches “Swa-nirbhar Naari:Atmanirbhar Asom”

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched “Swa-nirbhar Naari: Atmanirbhar Asom” for
empowering the economically disadvantaged women in the State. The scheme is expected to create more
than 3.72 Lakh Sustainable Individual Assets and 822 Community Assets. It will benefit around 4 Lakh
Families. It will be implemented in convergence with several schemes of Assam state government
departments and missions such as Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission, Agriculture & Horticulture,
Fishery, Environment & Forest, Handloom & Textiles, Sericulture, Veterinary & Animal Husbandry.

MCGM, Google Collaborate to Mark Containment Zones in Mumbai on Google Maps

The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) (also known as Brihanmumbai Municipal
Corporation (BMC)) has collaborated with Google to mark Containment Zones in Mumbai on Google
Maps. The Containment areas will be shaded in Grey on Google Maps.

For the 1st time in India, Goa Govt ties up with India Posts to Enroll 11,000 Farmers in PM Kisan
Samman Nidhi scheme
Goa state government has tied up with India Posts to enroll 11,000 farmers in the Pradhan Mantri (PM)
Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. Through this tie up the postman will be utilized to benefit farmers. This is
India’s 1st such initiative and a unique drive.

Edappadi K. Palaniswami, CM of Tamil Nadu Signs 14 MoUs Worth Rs 10,055 Crore

Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Chief Minister(CM) of TamilNadu signed 14 Memorandums of Understanding
(MoUs) worth Rs 10,055 crore in investments, that is expected to generate employment opportunities
for about 7,000 people.
Read More Details Here: Edappadi K. Palaniswami, CM of Tamil Nadu Signs 14 MoUs Worth Rs 10,055
Crore

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Launches a State-of-the-Art Mobile Water Testing Laboratory Van
To address the pressing need of testing water at the doorstep, Manohar Lal, Chief Minister (CM) of
Haryana launched a state-of-the-art Mobile Water Testing Laboratory Van, an innovative solution for
Water testing of the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED). He also launched ‘Swachhta
Pakhwada’ in Panchkula.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik Virtually Launched 1st of its kind mission ‘Sujal- Drink from Tap’ to
Ensure Quality Drinking Water
Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik launched the “Sujal- Drink from Tap mission”, an initiative to
enable a 24-hour supply of quality drinking water to all the urban areas of Odisha. Odisha is set to become
the first state to provide piped water connection to all urban areas of the state by March 2022. The Drink
from Tap mission was launched in Salia Sahi, Bhubaneswar and Masanichandi, Puri.

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