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Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020  Recently, a new Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) (erstwhile Defence Procurement Procedure or DPP), 2020 was released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).  Key Points  About: The DAP contains policies and procedures for procurement and acquisition from the capital budget of the MoD in order to modernise the Armed Forces including the Coast Guard.  Background: The first Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) was promulgated in 2002.  A committee under the chairmanship of Director General (Acquisition) was constituted to review the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2016.  DPP 2016 was released replacing the DPP 2013 based on the recommendations of Dhirendra Singh committee.  It focussed on indigenously designed, developed and manufactured weapon systems.  It was facing several issues like lack of transparency (leading to Rafale Scam), inconvenient offset regulations etc.  Salient Features:  For Ease of Doing Business:  Time Bound Defence Procurement Process and Faster Decision Making: By setting up a Project Management Unit to support contract management and to streamline the Acquisition process.  Revised Offset Guidelines: Preference will be given to manufacture of complete defence products over components and various multipliers have been added to give incentivisation in discharge of offsets.  Further, there will be no offset clause in government-to-government, single vendor and Intergovernmental Agreements (IGA).  Offsets are a portion of a contracted price with a foreign supplier that must be re-invested in the Indian defence sector, or against which the government can purchase technology.  Multipliers are credit values earned on offset transactions. A multiplier of 3 means a foreign company can claim credits upto three times of its actual offset investment.  The offset policy for defence deals was adopted in 2005 for all defence capital imports above Rs. 300 crore under which the foreign vendor is required to invest at least 30% of the value of the contract in India.  Offset clause was hindering the transfer of technology, according to a recent CAG report.  Rationalization of Procedures for Trials and Testing: Scope of trials will be restricted to physical evaluation of core operational parameters.  To Develop India into Global Manufacturing Hub:  FDI in Defence Manufacturing: Provisions have been incorporated like a new category ‘Buy (Global – Manufacture in India)’, to encourage foreign companies to set up manufacturing through its subsidiary in India.  To promote Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives:  Reservation in Categories for Indian Vendors: Some categories like Buy (Indian Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured -IDDM), Production Agency in Design & Development etc. will be exclusively reserved for Indian Vendors and FDI of more than 49% is not allowed.  Ban on Import of Certain Items: With a view to promote domestic and indigenous industry, the MoD will notify a list of weapons/platforms banned for import.  Indigenisation of Imported Spares: Steps to promote manufacturing of parts in India have been taken. This includes establishment of co-production facilities through Intergovernmental Agreements (IGA) achieving ‘Import Substitution’ and reducing Life Cycle Cost.

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Sale of Loose Cigarettes and Beedis  The Maharashtra government has banned the sale of loose cigarettes and beedis, to reduce the consumption of tobacco and to comply with the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003.  Other States: Chhattisgarh had banned the sale of loose cigarettes in 2020.  Karnataka banned the sale of loose cigarettes, beedis and chewing tobacco in 2017.  Reasons for Ban:  The government’s aim is to make sure that users are able to see the mandated warnings on cigarette packaging.  Under COTPA, tobacco products need to be sold with graphic health warnings on their packaging and loose cigarettes do not comply with this rule.  Section 7 of the Act mentions, no person shall, directly or indirectly, produce, supply or distribute 6 cigarettes or any other tobacco products unless every package of cigarettes or any other tobacco products produced, supplied or distributed by him bears thereon, or on its label.  The Act also mentions that the warning should be specified on not less than one of the largest panels of the packet in which the cigarettes or any other tobacco products have been packed for distribution, sale and supply.  Pattern of Tobacco Use in India  According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2016-2017, which was a household survey conducted on over 74,000 people aged 15 years or more.  Maharashtra has the lowest prevalence of tobacco smoking in the country.  Over 91% of current smokers in the country believe that smoking causes serious illness.  Smoke Tobacco- 10.7% of all adults (99.5 million) in India smoke tobacco.  In either Form- 28.6% of all adults use tobacco either in smoke or smokeless form.  Average Monthly Expenditure: In India, for a daily cigarette smoker around Rs 1,100 and that for a daily beedi smoker is estimated to be around Rs 284.  Loose Tobacco Buyers: The survey also showed that 68% of smokers, 17% bidi smokers, and 50% of smokeless tobacco users in India purchase.  As per the Tobacco Free Union, over 1 million people die from tobacco-related diseases in India every year. ESG Funds Becoming Popular in India  The ESG funds are increasingly becoming popular in the mutual fund industry in India. Recently, ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund has come out with its ESG fund.  The first ESG mutual fund was launched by the State Bank of India - SBI Magnum Equity ESG Fund.  ESG Fund:  ESG is a combination of three words i.e. environment, social and governance.  It is a kind of mutual fund. Its investing is used synonymously with sustainable investing or socially responsible investing.  Typically, a mutual fund looks for a good stock of a company that has potential earnings, management quality, cash flows, the business it operates in, competition etc.  However, while selecting a stock for investment, the ESG fund shortlists companies that score high on environment, social responsibility and corporate governance, and then looks into financial factors.  Therefore, the key difference between the ESG funds and other funds is 'conscience' i.e the ESG fund focuses on companies with environment-friendly practices, ethical business practices and an employee-friendly record.  The fund is regulated by Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).  Reason for Popularity:

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 Modern investors are re-evaluating traditional approaches, and look at the impact their investment has on the planet. Thus, investors have started incorporating ESG factors into investment practices.  The United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UN-PRI) (an international organization) works to promote the incorporation of environmental, social, and corporate governance factors into investment decision-making. States Planning to Bypass Central Legislation  Recently, many states are exploring the possibilities of passing legislation under Article 254(2) of the Constitution, to negate the enforcement of three Farm Acts passed by the Central government under Entry 33 of the Concurrent List.  Entry 33 of the Concurrent List mentions trade and commerce, production, supply and distribution of domestic and imported products of an industry; foodstuffs, including oilseeds and oils; cattle fodder; raw cotton and jute.  Key Points  The Article 254(2):  It enables a State government to pass a law, on any subject in the Concurrent List, which may contradict a Central law, provided it gets the President’s assent.  In 2014, the Rajasthan government took this Article 254 (2) route to make changes to the central labour laws — the Factories Act, the Industrial Disputes act, and the Contract Labour Act — which subsequently got the President’s assent.  However, the Parliament is not barred from enacting at any time any law with respect to the same matter including a law adding to, amending, varying or repealing the law so made by the Legislature of the State.  Background:  The three Farm Acts includes:  Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020  Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020  Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.  In short, the Acts aim to do away with government interference in agricultural trade by creating trading areas free of middlemen and government taxes outside the structure of Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs).  They also aim to remove restrictions on private stock holding of agricultural produce. EPFO’s New Facility on UMANG App  Recently, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has started a facility on the Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG) App which enables members of the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS) 1995 to apply online for Scheme Certificates.  EPS is a social security scheme that was launched in 1995 and is provided by EPFO.  It makes provisions for pensions for the employees in the organised sector aft er the retirement at the age of 58 years.  Key Points  Scheme Certificate:  It is issued to members who withdraw their Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) contribution but wish to retain their membership with EPFO, to avail pension benefits on the attainment of retirement age.  Members become eligible for pension only if they have been, cumulatively, a member of the EPS, 1995 for at least 10 years.  Upon joining a new job, Scheme Certificate ensures that previous pensionable service is added to pensionable service rendered with the new employer thereby, increasing the number of pension benefits.

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 Further, Scheme Certificate is also useful for family members to avail family pension, in case of the untimely death of the eligible member.  Requirements for Online Application:  For availing the service, an active Universal Account Number (UAN) and a mobile number registered with the EPFO is required.  Benefits:  The online application will help members avoid unnecessary hardship of physically applying for it, especially during pandemic times and will also eliminate unnecessary paperwork.  International Relations Crime in India 2019 Report: NCRB  The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has released the annual Crime in India 2019 report.  It reports an increase in crimes against Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the year 2019 as compared to the year 2018.  Key Points  Crimes against SCs and STs:  Crime against SCs have increased by over 7% and crimes against STs have increased by 26% in year 2019 compared to 2018.  Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of crimes against SCs in 2019, followed by Rajasthan and Bihar.  Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest number of cases against STs, followed by Rajasthan, and Odisha.  Categories: Crimes against SCs and STs include the following categories:  Atrocities committed by non-SC/ST members under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act), 1989 (POA Act)  Indian Penal Code  Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955: It prescribes punishment for the preaching and practice of Untouchability.  Lack of Data  According to the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), very few cases were being registered for specific discriminatory action against SCs and STs under the POA Act.  Such actions are registered mainly when accompanied by any of the IPC offences liek rape, murders etc.  Also, there is no data on total complaints received on crimes against the Scheduled Castes, the only data available is the number of cases registered.  Data on Other Crimes  Cognizable Crimes: An increase of 1.6% in registration of cognizable crimes in 2019 as compared to 2018 was recorded. Cognizable crimes comprise Indian Penal Code (IPC) ones and Special and Local Laws (SLL) crimes.  Cognisable offence means an offence in which a police officer has the authority to make an arrest without a warrant.  SLL are Acts that are framed by the state government for specific issues.  Crimes Against Women: Crime against women showed an increase of 7.3% in 2019 from 2018.  88 cases of crimes against women were recorded per day.  Majority of cases under crime against women under IPC were registered under cruelty by husband or his relatives (30.9%), followed by assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty, kidnapping & abduction of women and rape .  In the number of cases of rape of women belonging to SCs, Rajasthan topped the list, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

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 Cybercrimes: Increased by 63.5% in 2019.  60.4% of cybercrime cases registered were for the motive of fraud followed by sexual exploitation. BrahMos Testing  BrahMos Land-Attack Cruise Missile (surface-to-surface) was successfully flight tested from the Integrated Test Range at Balasore in Odisha.  Key Points  It is a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organisation of India (DRDO) and the NPOM of Russia.  Brahmos is named on the rivers Brahmaputra (India) and Moskva (Russia).  It is a supersonic missile travelling at a speed of Mach 2.8 (nearly three times the speed of sound)  It is the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile.  It is a multiplatform i.e it can be launched from land, air, and sea and multi capability missile with pinpoint accuracy that works in both day and night irrespective of the weather conditions.  It is, therefore, used by all three forces, the Army, Navy and the Air Force.  It operates on the "Fire and Forget" principle i.e it does not require further guidance after launch.  It is the heaviest weapon to be deployed on Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft, with a weight of 2.5 tonnes.  Its range has been recently enhanced from 300 Km to 450-600 Km,  Increasing the missile’s range became possible after India’s induction into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in June 2016.  The missile features indigenous Booster and Airframe Section, along with many other indigenous sub-systems.  Advantages:  BrahMos has been deployed in Ladakh as well as the Eastern Sector in Arunachal Pradesh to tackle any threats in the ongoing standoff with China.  Enhanced use of indigenous technologies will give a boost to India’s AtmaNirbhar Bharat and Make in India Initiatives.  Increasing indigenous content in defence systems has also been a prime focus of Defence Acquisition Procedure, 2020 and draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020. Rajnath Singh launched Defence India Startup Challenge-4 to promote innovation in defence sector  RakshaMantriRajnath Singh launched the Defence India Startup Challenge-4 (DISC4), under the iDEX initiative, during an event in New Delhi.  The minister also launched the iDEX4Fauji initiative and Product Management Approach (PMA) guidelines for iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence).  All these initiatives are aimed at expanding the horizons of Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) ecosystem in the country. Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC) 4  Under this, eleven challenges from Armed forces, OFB&DPSUs are opened for prospective startups, innovators, MSMEs to provide their innovative ideas on technologies which find their application in the defence sector. The 11 challenges include:  Autonomous Underwater Swarm Drones  Predictive, Preventive & Prescriptive Machine Monitoring  Super Resolution for Improving Spatial Resolution  AI-based Satellite Image Analysis  Prediction and forecasting of atmospheric visibility  Computer Generated Targets for Virtual Training  Remote Real-Time In-Flight Health Monitoring of Aircrew

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 MF-TDMA based Wideband SATCOM Modem  Foliage Penetration Radar  Reduction of RCS of Naval Warships  Target Detection in Chaff Environment iDEX4Fauji  It is a first of its kind initiative, launched to support innovations identified by members of the Indian Armed Forces and will bolster frugal innovation ideas from soldiers/ field formations.  Product Management Approach  These guidelines are first of their kind intended to monitor product development milestones achieved by iDEX winners against the requirements set by the Services/ DPSUs/ OFB. iDEX initiative  The iDEX initiative of the Department of Defence Production was launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in April 2018.  Its main objective is to encourage and nurture innovations in the Indian Defence sector and create an ecosystem where Startups, MSMEs and individual innovators could interact easily with the Indian defence establishment and provide the latest technological innovations for specific challenges experienced in operational environments through co-development and co-production of innovative solutions. India successfully test fired Brahmos surface-to-surface cruise missile featuring indigenous booster  The Defence Research and Development (DRDO) successfully test-fired BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, with several indigenous features, from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Balasore in Odisha.  The successful trail of the BrahMos Land-Attack Cruise Missile (LACM) is a major step towards achieving “Atmanirbhar Bharat” pledge.  The surface-to-surface cruise missile had indigenous booster and airframe section as well as other made in India sub-systems. ThaawarchandGehlot e-launches ASIIM initiative to support 1000 Start-ups of SC Youth over next 4 Years  The Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri ThaawarchandGehlot launched an initiative called the “Ambedkar Social Innovation and Incubation Mission (ASIIM) through Video Conferencing in New Delhi.  The ASIIM initiative has been launched under the Venture Capital Fund for SCs to promote innovation and enterprise among SC students studying in higher educational institutions. What is ASIIM?  Under ASIIM, 1,000 SC youth would be identified in the next 4 years having start-up ideas through the Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) in various higher educational institutions.  They will be funded @ Rs. 30 lakhs in 3 years as equity funding so that they can translate their start- up ideas into commercial ventures.  Successful ventures would further qualify for venture funding of up to Rs. 5 Crore from the Venture Capital Fund for SCs. Venture Capital Fund for SCs  The Venture Capital Fund for SCs (VCF-SC) was launched by the Ministry of Social Justice in 2014-15 to develope entrepreneurship amongst the SC/Divyang youth and enable them to become ‘job- givers’.  The fund provides concessional finance to the entities of the SC entrepreneurs. South Eastern Railway launched ‘Operation My Saheli’ to ensure security of women passengers  The South Eastern Railway zone of the Indian Railways has launched the ‘Operation My Saheli’ initiative to boost the security of women passengers in trains.  Currently the Operation has been introduced as a pilo project in three trains since September 18. They are Howrah-YeshvantpurDuronto Special, Howrah-Ahmedabad Special and Howrah-Mumbai Special.

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 The project has been executed under the framework of the ‘Nirbhaya Fund’. Indian Coast Guard Commissioned ICGS ‘KanaklataBarua’ FPV in Kolkata  The Indian Coast Guard Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) ICGS ‘KanaklataBarua’ was commissioned at the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd in Kolkata.  JiweshNandan, additional secretary, Ministry of Defence commissioned the CGS KanaklataBarua through video conferencing.  The ICGS KanaklataBarua is the fifth and final ship in the series of five FPVs built by GRSE, for the Indian Coast Guard. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat presented Swachh Bharat Awards 2020  The Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Rattan Lal Kataria virtually conferred the Swachh Bharat 2020 Awards to the best performing States/UTs, districts, blocks, GPs in various categories.  The Ministry of Jal Shakti is observing the Swachh Bharat Diwas, 2020 on 2nd October to mark six years of the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM).  The Swachh Bharat 2020 Awards were conferred under three categories which are:  SwachhSundarSamudayikShauchalaya (SSSS) campaign  SamudayikShauchalayaAbhiyan (SSA)  Gandagi Se Mukt (GMB) campaign SwachhSundarSamudayikShauchalaya (SSSS) campaign  Best State – Gujarat  Best District – Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu  Best Block – Khachrod, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh  Best Gram Panchayat – Chinnaur, (Salem) SamudayikShauchalayaAbhiyan (SSA)  Best State – Uttar Pradesh (GKRA) and Gujarat (Non-GKRA) [GaribKalyanRojgarAbhiyaan (GKRA)]  Best District – Prayagraj (GKRA) and Bareilly (Non-GKRA)  Best Gram Panchayat – Borigaon, Bongaigaon, Assam Gandagi Se Mukt (GMB) campaign  Best State – Telangana and Haryana  Best District – Moga, Punjab PM Modi inaugurated RAISE 2020, a Mega Virtual Summit on Artificial Intelligence  Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated RAISE 2020, a Mega Virtual Summit on Artificial Intelligence (AI).  RAISE (Responsible AI for Social Empowerment) 2020 Summit has been organized by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and NITI Aayog.  RAISE 2020 is a platform where delegates and experts in research, policy and innovation on Artificial Intelligence will join from across the globe to exchange ideas and chart a course for using AI for social transformation, inclusion and empowerment in areas like Healthcare, Agriculture, Education and Smart Mobility, among other sectors. Puducherry airport become AAI’s first 100% solar-powered airport  The Puducherry airport has become the first airport of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) which is entirely solar-powered.  The 500KWp ground-mounted solar power plant was commissioned. The approx cost of the plant is Rs 2.8 crore.  With becoming absolutely power-neutral, the Puducherry airport will be able to meet its entire power requirement through the solar power plant. Union Minister Harsh Vardhan digitally inaugurated Super Speciality Block dedicated to COVID at Motilal Nehru Medical College, Prayagraj

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 The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh inaugurated the Super Speciality Block (SSB) at Motilal Nehru Medical College, Prayagraj via video conferencing.  The Super Speciality Block (SSB) is a 220-bedded facility, dedicated as a COVID Hospital (DCH) to the nation.  It has been built with an investment of Rs 150 crores under the Pradhan MantriSwasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).  Apart from this, the Union Health Minister also digitally inaugurated first high throughput COBAS 6800 machine.  It is the first such machine in Uttar Pradesh, installed by ICMR.  The COBAS 6800 is a fully automated, high end machine for performing real time PCR testing for COVID-19 to provide quality, high-volume testing with a high throughput of around 1200 samples in 24 hours. DRDO successfully flight tested ‘Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedo’ (SMART) Off Odisha Coast  The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully flight tested the Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART) from Wheeler Island off the coast of Odisha.  SMART is a missile assisted release of lightweight Anti-Submarine Torpedo System for anti- submarine warfare (ASW) operations for far beyond torpedo range.  The technologies required for SMART have been developed by a number of DRDO laboratories, including DRDL, RCI Hyderabad, ADRDE Agra, NSTL Visakhapatnam. Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2020 come into force  As per the Ministry of Home Affairs, the amended Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act came into force.  The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2020 amends the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010.  The FCRA Act regulates the acceptance and utilization of foreign contribution by individuals, associations and companies. Foreign contribution is the donation or transfer of any currency, security or article (of beyond a specified value) by a foreign source.  FCRA Act was first enacted in 1976, and was amended in 2010.  Key changes made in the act includes amending the following sections:  Section 3 – to expand the list of persons who are prohibited from receiving foreign contribution, by adding “public servant” as defined in Section 21 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 to this list.  Section 7 – to prohibit persons authorized under FCRA to receive foreign contributions from transferring such foreign contributions to any person.  Section 8 -to decrease the cap on administrative expenses, of any NGO receiving foreign funding, to 20% from the existing 50%  Section 11 – to add a provision, giving Power to Central Government to prohibit a foreign contribution recipient from utilizing/receiving its funds.  Section 17 – requiring the recipient of foreign contribution to receive such amount only in an account designated as “FCRA Account” opened in a branch of the State Bank of India at New Delhi.  Section 13 – to give the Government the power to suspend the registration certificate (which means that foreign contribution cannot be received/ utilised) of a person for up to 360 days (which currently is 180 days)  Introduces a new provision in FCRA, making it mandatory for office-bearers of NGOs, who applies for a permission or registration under FCRA (or its renewal) for furnishing of Aadhaar numbers. Prime Minister Modi dedicates to the Nation the Atal Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh  The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation Atal Tunnel.  Atal Tunnel is world’s longest highway tunnel above 10,000 feet from the Mean Sea Level (MSL). Plot-1441, Opp. IOCL Petrol Pump, CRP Square, Bhubaneswar-751015 Ph. :8093556677, 9040456677, Web :www.vanik.org, E-mail : [email protected] 8

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 The tunnel has been named after former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.  Atal tunnel has been built, by the Border Roads Organization (BRO), under the Rohtang Pass in the eastern PirPanjal range of the Himalayas on the Leh-Manali Highway in Himachal Pradesh.  The total length of the tunnel is 9.02 km, and at an elevation of 3,100 metres (10,171 ft).  The overall cost of completion of the project is around Rs. 3200 crore. India successfully test-fired new version of nuclear-capable Shaurya Missile from Odisha coast  The DRDO successfully test-fired a new version of the Shaurya surface-to-surface nuclear-capable ballistic missile at Balasore, off the coast of Odisha.  The new version of the nuclear-capable missile can strike targets at a range of around 800 kms.  The missile would be lighter and easier to operate in comparison with the existing missile. Interest Rates on Small Savings Schemes Unchanged for the Third Quarter 2020-21 (Oct-Dec)  The government has kept the interest rates on small savings schemes unchanged for the third quarter (Q3) October-December quarter of the financial year 2020-21 amid moderating bank deposit rates.  Interest rates for small savings schemes are notified by the Finance Ministry on a quarterly basis. NABARD launched refinance scheme for WASH programme, earmarks Rs 800 Crore for FY’21  The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has announced a special refinance facility for the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme to promote sustainable and healthy lifestyle in rural areas.  Under this, NABARD has earmarked an amount of Rs 800 crore for the financial year 2020-21.  It will provide concessional refinance to all eligible financial institutions, including commercial banks, regional rural banks and cooperative banks. CBDT Extended Deadline for filing ITR for assessment year 2019-20 to November 30  The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has once again extended the last date for filing income tax returns (ITR) for assessment year 2019-20, (financial year 2018-19).  The new deadline is 30 November 2020. Earlier the last date for filing the ITR of the year concerned was September 30.  This is the fourth time that the deadline is being extended for AY 2019-20 due to the difficulties being faced by the Covid-19 pandemic.  It was first revised till June 30, then July 31, then September 30 and now till November 30.  It must also be noted that the deadline for filing ITR for assessment year 2020-21 (which is financial year 2019-20), is also November 30. RBI set WMA Limit for Govt at Rs 1, 25,000 crore for the second half of FY21  The Reserve Bank of India has set the limits for Ways and Means Advances (WMA) for the second half of the financial year 2020-21 (October 2020 to March 2021) for Central Government at Rs. 1, 25,000 crore.  The Reserve Bank will trigger fresh floatation of market loans when the Government of India utilizes 75% of the WMA limit.  The interest rate on WMA/overdraft will be:  WMA: Repo Rate  Overdraft: Two percent above the Repo Rate BSE inked pact with Yes Bank to empower SMEs  India’s leading stock exchange BSE has signed a pact with private sector lender Yes Bank to empower the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) listed on the platform.  As per the pact, both BSE and Yes Bank will work to empower the SME segment through awareness and knowledge-sharing programmes.  They will conduct knowledge events for SMEs, export promotion of SME scale companies, in addition to providing banking and financial solutions

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WEEKLY UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR WEEK 40/52(29 SEPT-05 OCT 2020)

 The Bank will also offer customised services and products to the listed SME members of the platform and advisory solutions to EXIM potential listed SMEs. RBI approved appointment of CoD to run Dhanlaxmi Bank till appointment of CEO  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved a three-member interim committee of directors (CoD), to run the private sector lender, DhanlaxmiBank, in the capacity of the Managing Director & CEO till a new MD & CEO takes charge  This decision was taken after the shareholders voted out the bank’s MD and CEO Sunil Gurbaxani.  The committee of directors (CoD) has G SubramoniaIyer as its Chairman, while G Rajagopalan Nair and P K Vijayakumar are its other two members.  However, RBI has approved this interim arrangement for only four months, within which the bank will have to complete the process of identification and appointment of a new Managing Director & CEO. Winners of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes 2020  The Union Science and Technology minister Dr Harsh Vardhan announced the 2020 Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize on the occasion of the Foundation Day of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).  The award is given for outstanding Indian work in the field of science and technology.  The award is named after the founder Director of CSIR India, the late Dr (Sir) Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar.  The award is presented in following 7 disciplines: Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Medical Sciences and Physical Sciences.  In 2020, the Prize has been bestowed upon 14 people. Kerala Tourism bagged prestigious PATA Grand Award 2020 in Marketing  The Kerala Tourism has bagged the prestigious PATA Grand Award 2020 in marketing category for its internationally-acclaimed ‘Human by Nature’ campaign.  Apart from this, the Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka, has won the prestigious PATA Gold Award for its Marketing Campaign (State and city – Global), Script Your Adventure 2019  PATA Grand Award 2020 were presented in 3 categories: Marketing, Sustainability and Human Capital Development. Rights activists from Belarus, Nicaragua, the US and Iran selected for Right Livelihood Awards 2020  NasrinSotoudeh of Iran, Bryan Stevenson of the United States (US), Lottie Cunningham Wren of Nicaragua and Ales Bialiatski of Belarus, have won the Right Livelihood Award 2020.  The Right Livelihood Award is an international award, also known as the Alternative Nobel Prize.  The Award was established in 1980 by German-Swedish philanthropist Jakob von Uexkull to “honour and support those who offer practical and exemplary contribution in such fields as environmental protection, human rights, sustainable development, health, education, which are not included in Nobel Prize list.  Each winner will receive a cash prize of one million Swedish kronor (approximately $110,000) during a virtual Award Presentation on December 3, 2020. Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice jointly won Nobel For Medicine 2020 “for the discovery of Hepatitis C virus”  The Nobel Assembly at KarolinskaInstitutet announced the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.  The award has been jointly conferred upon Harvey J Alter and Charles M Rice of America, and British scientist Michael Houghton for the discovery of the Hepatitis C virus.  The trio made decisive contribution to the fight against blood-borne hepatitis, a major global health problem that causes cirrhosis and liver cancer in people around the world.

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WEEKLY UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR WEEK 40/52(29 SEPT-05 OCT 2020)

India signed USD 90 million defence deal with US to buy spares for C-130J Super Hercules aircraft  India and the United States have entered into a defence deal worth $90-million, wherein US would provide equipment, spare parts and logistical support for India’s fleet of C-130J Super Hercules cargo aircraft.  The deal will further strengthen India-US strategic relations and advance political stability, peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.  As per the deal, the US will repair the C-130J Super Hercules to India, as well as supply spare part and ground support.  India has also ordered an AN/ALR-56M advanced radar warning system, 10 lightweight night vision binoculars, 10 night vision glasses, GPS and electronic warfare to the US. US committed USD 1.9 mn to India to support informal sector workers amid COVID-19  The United States has announced a financial aid of USD 1.9 million for India to support vulnerable populations like informal sector workers whose livelihoods have been disrupted due to COVID-19.  The fund will be extended by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), to support efforts to rebuild local economies and improve the livelihoods of Indians who have been hit hardest by this pandemic. Second India- Bangladesh Bilateral Navy Exercise Bongosagar Began in Bay of Bengal  The second edition of Indian Navy (IN) – Bangladesh Navy (BN) Bilateral Exercise Bongosagar commenced in Northern Bay of Bengal.  The Exercise Bongosagar, is aimed at developing inter-operability and joint operational skills between both the navies through conduct of a wide spectrum of maritime exercises and operations. Indo-French to launch constellation of maritime surveillance satellites to trace illegal oil spillage in IOR  India and France have collaborated to jointly launch the constellation of maritime surveillance satellites for the Indian Ocean Region, to trace illegal spillage of oil by ships.  The satellite will be the first space-based system in the world capable of tracking ships continuously.

WEEKLY OBJECTIVE MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS ON CURRENT AFFAIRS: FOR WEEK 40/52 – 29 September – 5 October (2020)

1. Who has topped the Hurun India Rich List 2020? A) Shiv Nadar B) Hinduja brothers C) Mukesh Ambani D) Azim Premji 2. SEBI has eased the norms for REITs and InvITs to raise equity capital through the institutional placement route, by bringing down the minimum time gap to ______, instead of previous duration of 6 months? A) 3 months B) 2 months C) 1 month D) 2 weeks 3. Which day was observed as the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste? A) 27 September B) 29 September C) 28 September D) 26 September 4. Syeda Anwara Taimur who has passed away recently was the former Chief Minister of which state? A) Andhra Pradesh B) Himachal Pradesh

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WEEKLY UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR WEEK 40/52(29 SEPT-05 OCT 2020)

C) Odisha D) Assam 5. The “Ganga Avalokan” is a museum based on River Ganga. It has recently been inaugurated in which city? A) Patna B) Varanasi C) Haridwar D) Rishikesh 6. Who among the following has been honored with the SDG Special Humanitarian Action Award by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)? A) Virat Kohli B) Sonu Sood C) Amitabh Bachchan D) Akshay Kumar 7. The International Translation Day is held annually on______A) 30 September B) 29 September C) 28 September D) 27 September 8. Which state is set to launch the web portal named “Dharani” for integrated land record management? A) Punjab B) Bihar C) Telangana D) Rajasthan 9. Who has been appointed as the new chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)? A) P D Vaghela B) H Pradeep Rao C) Nitin Kumar Kohli D) Sunil K. Gupta 10. What was the profession of Abhilash (born as Om Prakash), who has passed away recently? A) Theater Artist B) Choreographer C) Filmmaker D) Songwriter 11. Who is the author of the book ‘A bouquet of flowers’ ? A) Shailendra Kumar Mishra B) Abhay Karandikar C) Krishna Saksena D) Sanjeev Banzal 12. India recently held the virtual Bilateral Summit with which country, during which both sides agreed for the establishment of ‘Green Strategic Partnership’? A) Germany B) Denmark C) Finland D) Norway 13. Who has been felicitated with the ”Gansamradni Lata Mangeshkar” award for 2020-21? A) Usha Mangeshkar B) Anuradha Paudwal

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C) Bappi Lahiri D) Kumar Sanu 14. G S Amur who has passed away recently was a renowned ______A) Economist B) Sportsman C) Journalist D) Author 15. The book named ‘Rowing down the Ganges’ has been co-published by the National Mission for Clean Ganga and______A) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change B) Wildlife Institute of India C) WWF-India D) Wildlife Trust of India 16. Which of the following ministries has recently launched the DISC-4 Challenge for the startups, innovators and MSMEs? A) Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship B) Ministry of Human Resource Development C) Ministry of Sports D) Ministry of Defence 17. What is the limit of Ways and Means Advances (WMA) set by RBI for the second half of the financial year 2020-21 for Central Government? A) Rs. 1,00,000 crore B) Rs. 1,50,000 crore C) Rs. 1,25,000 crore D) Rs. 1,75,000 crore 18. The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes for 2020 has been bestowed upon 14 people. The annual award is given for outstanding work in which field? A) Sports B) Science & Technology C) Arts & Television D) Literature 19. Which Indian state has won the PATA Grand Award 2020 for its Tourism Campaign? A) Kerala B) Uttar Pradesh C) Maharashtra D) Gujarat 20. The Indian think tank NITI Aayog has signed Statement of Intent (SoI) with which country recently for ‘decarbonization and energy transition agenda’? A) Singapore B) The Netherlands C) Denmark D) Bangladesh 21. DRDO conducted successful test flight of its BrahMos supersonic cruise missile recently. It is a ______type of missile A) surface-to-air B) air-to-surface C) surface-to-surface D) air-to-air 22. The BSE has joined hands with which bank to empower the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) listed on the platform?

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WEEKLY UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR WEEK 40/52(29 SEPT-05 OCT 2020)

A) Punjab National Bank B) SBI C) HDFC Bank D) Yes Bank 23. Who has been appointed as the Director General of the National Security Guard (NSG)? A) Surjeet Singh Deswal B) Subhash Chandra Khuntia C) Yogesh Chander Modi D) Arvind Saxena 24. Name the newly appointed Chairperson of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Governing Council? A) Shekhar Kapur B) Naseeruddin Shah C) A. R. Rahman D) Mani Ratnam 25. RBI will trigger fresh floatation of market loans when the Government of India utilizes _____% of the WMA limit A) 60% B) 80% C) 75% D) 55% 26. The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2020 has come into force wef 29 September 2020. It has amended which Act? A) Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1990 B) Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1994 C) Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2000 D) Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 27. Name the actress who has topped the Forbes’ Highest-Paid Actresses 2020 list? A) Nicole Kidman B) Meryl Streep C) Sofia Vergara D) Angelina Jolie View answer 28. Pradeep Maharathy who has passed away due to COVID-19 was the former minister of which state? A) Odisha B) Assam C) Telangana D) Maharashtra 29. When is the World Teachers’ Day observed? A) 3 October B) 4 October C) 5 October D) 2 October 30. Visnu Shivaraj Pandian has recently claimed a gold medal for India in which sports? A) Chess B) Shooting C) Boxing D) Weightlifting 31. Who is the author of the book Coffee Table Book on “Discovering the Heritage of Assam”, which was recently released by DoNER Minister Dr Jitendra Singh

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WEEKLY UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR WEEK 40/52(29 SEPT-05 OCT 2020)

A) Padmapani Bora B) Dipankar Dutta C) Purnendu Kant D) Alka Soni 32. Haji Hussain Ansari has passed away. He was serving as Minority Welfare minister of which state? A) Assam B) Punjab C) Haryana D) Jharkhand 33. What was the profession of Mishti Mukherjee, who has died at the age of 27 due to kidney failure? A) Sportwomen B) Actress C) Journalist D) Singer 34. As per the amended FCRA Act 2020, the cap on administrative expenses, of any NGO receiving foreign funding, has been reduced to ______percent from the existing 50% A) 40% B) 30% C) 20% D) 10% 35. What is the theme of the International Teachers Day 2020? A) Young Teachers: The Future of the Profession B) Teachers: Leading in crisis, reimagining the future C) The right to education means the right to a qualified teacher D) Teaching in Crisis, Empowering Teachers 36. What is the interest rate on Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS) for quarter three of 2020-21? A) 7.1% B) 6.6% C) 7.4% D) 6.0% 37. Who has recently been sworn in as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the SBI? A) Charanjit Singh Attra B) Prashant Kumar C) C Venkat Nageshwar D) J Swaminathan 38. DRDO successfully carried the test flight of Laser Guided Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM). It has been developed by Armament R&D Establishment (ARDE), a DRDO lab headquartered at______A) Pune B) New Delhi C) Hyderabad D) Kolkata 39. How much amount has been earmarked by NABARD for the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme, under its refinance facility for the 2020-21? A) Rs 400 crore B) Rs 600 crore C) Rs 500 crore D) Rs 800 crore 40. The interest rate on National Savings Certificates (NSC) for third quarter of 2020-21 is unchanged. What is the rate? A) 7.1%

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WEEKLY UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR WEEK 40/52(29 SEPT-05 OCT 2020)

B) 5.5% C) 6.8% D) 6.2%

ANSWER KEYS

1 C 21 C 2 B 22 D 3 D 23 A 4 D 24 A 5 C 25 C 6 B 26 D 7 A 27 C 8 C 28 A 9 A 29 C 10 D 30 B 11 C 31 A 12 B 32 D 13 A 33 B 14 D 34 C 15 B 35 B 16 D 36 C 17 C 37 A 18 B 38 A 19 A 39 D 20 B 40 C

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