Current Affairs September 2020

Current Affairs 2020

Current Affairs September 2020 Table of Contents Awards and Honours 6 Economic Development 10 Geography, Environment, Biodiversity & Disaster Management 22 History, Art & Culture 27 Important Days & Events 29 International Affairs 39 Polity & Governance 48 Science & Technology 62 Society and Social Justice 70 Sports 80 Security 68 Miscellaneous 81

Awards and Honours 1. First Divyang sportsperson of country to get prestigious Adventure Award 2. Govt. enhanced prize money in Khel Ratna, Arjuna and Dronacharya awards 3. Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2020 4. S.R. Sarma assumed charge as Chief of Materiel of the Indian Navy 5. President Conferred National Awards on Teachers 6. Sir David Attenborough awarded Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 7. First ever AICTE-Visvesvaraya Best Teachers Award 8. National Highway Excellence Awards 9. In a first, woman pilot to join fighter crew of IAF’s Rafale fleet 10. Nobel winners to get $110,000 more as prize money increased 11. Historian-author Rana Safvi got Yamin Hazarika award 12. Jnanpith Award Presented To Renowned Malayalam Poet Akkitham 13. NCDC sanctioned ₹19444 crores in first instalment for MSP operations Economic Development 1. Karnataka CM flagged off Bengaluru to Solapur RORO train 2. India to receive development assistance loan worth ₹3,500 Cr from Japan 3. Coal India to invest over Rs 1.22 lakh cr on 500 projects by 2023-24 4. India endorses trustworthy, reliable supply chain in Indo-Pacific region 5. 27 integrated cold chain development projects under PM Kisan SAMPADA Yojana 6. Government expands the support to artisans manifold for making Agarbatti 7. Expert Committee report on Resolution Framework for Covid-19 related Stress 8. ADB & India Signed $500 Million Loan for Delhi-Meerut RRTS Corridor 9. Asset monetization of subsidiaries of Power Grid Corporation of India limited 10. 5 PSUs to join International Solar Alliance Coalition under Petroleum Ministry 11. South India’s first and country’s 2nd Kisan Rail 12. Finance Minister unveiled Doorstep Banking Services 13. First Indian company to cross $200 billion in market valuation 14. 76% of patents filed in India were by foreign companies 15. Ecological threat register 2020

Current Affairs 2020

16. RBI issued guidelines for appointment of CCO in banks 17. Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE-Atal New India Challenges programme for MSMEs 18. Government Launched Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana 19. Construction of LILO of Kishenganj-Darbhanga 400kV Transmission Line 20. Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor Project from Palwal to Sonipat 21. Development Council for Footwear and Leather Industry for 2 years 22. RBI issues draft Rupee interest rate derivatives 23. Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited get BIS Certification for all its products 24. IFSCA Committee submitted interim report on development of international retail business 25. Government announced increase in MSPs for six Rabi crops 26. IEA and NITI Aayog Report on Sustainable Recovery Post Covid-19 27. Railways target to complete 100% electrification of broad gauge routes by 2023 28. NHIDCL expedited DPR work on Shinkun La Tunnel 29. External debt increased almost 3% to $559 billion at March-end Geography, Environment, Biodiversity & Disaster Management 1. 600-acre Aarey land near national park earmarked as forest in Maharashtra 2. Researchers found Low ozone over Brahmaputra valley 3. First World Solar Technology Summit 4. August rainfall highest since 1926 5. Global Initiative to reduce Land Degradation and Coral Reef program 6. Kerala to have certified snake handlers 7. High-Level Task Force to improve air quality in NCR 8. India is home to largest number of Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros 9. Centre notified new standards for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles 10. Toxins in water killed more than 300 elephants in Botswana 11. Invisible killer threatens India’s sandalwood forests 12. Government allowed use of H-CNG as alternative fuel History, Art & Culture 1. Tribal Affairs Ministry tied-up with IIPA for setting up of National Institute of Tribal Research 2. Prime Minister inaugurated Patrika Gate in Jaipur 3. 125th Birth Anniversary of Kavi Samrat Viswanatha Satyanarayana 4. 16-member committee to study ancient Indian culture 5. Country’s ‘biggest’ film city in Gautam Buddh Nagar 6. Priceless artefacts damaged in Indian Museum renovation Important Days & Events 1. World Coconut Day 2020 2. Teachers Day 2020 3. International Day of Charity 2020 4. International Day of Clean Air for blue skies 2020 5. International Literacy Day 2020 6. International Day to Protect Education from Attack 2020 7. Himalayan Day 2020 8. World Suicide Prevention Day 2020 9. Hindi Diwas 2020 10. International Day of Democracy 2020

Current Affairs 2020

11. International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer 2020 12. World Patient Safety Day 2020 13. ITEC Day observed by High Commission of India in Dhaka 14. Same sex marriages not recognised by our laws, society and our values 15. Mahalaya festival 2020 16. International Day of Peace 2020 17. World Rhino Day 2020 18. Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar birth anniversary 19. 80th birth anniversary of Arati Saha 20. International Day of Sign Languages 2020 21. World Maritime Day 2020 22. Amit Shah inaugurated the "Destination North East-2020" Festival 23. International Day for Universal Access to Information 2020 24. World Tourism Day 2020 25. International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons 2020 26. International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste 2020 27. Google paid tribute to iconic actor, dancer Zohra Sehgal with a special doodle International Affairs 1. India withdrew from multilateral military exercise in Russia 2. Japan's PM Shinzo Abe resigned for health reasons 3. Defence Minister of India met Chinese counterpart in Moscow 4. India calls for boosting cooperation among BRICS countries to deal with terrorism 5. Germany joined Indo-Pacific club aimed at securing trade routes 6. G-20 countries reaffirm their commitment to ensure education continuity 7. Fire on tanker off Sri Lanka coast doused 8. India-China standoff in Ladakh 9. UNICEF to lead procurement and supply of COVID-19 vaccines 10. Delhi sent a signal to Beijing with public funeral for Tibetan soldier 11. Reciprocal supplies & services between armed forces of India and Japan 12. ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting 2020 13. India became member of UN’s ECOSOC body 14. Yoshihide Suga elected as new head of Japan's ruling party 15. India joined Djibouti Code of Conduct as Observer 16. Postage Stamp on India’s first Anti-Satellite Missile released 17. Singapore Convention on Mediation comes into force 18. Bacterial outbreak in Lanzhou city in China 19. Trump’s 1776 Commission to promote ‘patriotic education’ 20. International Convention of Road Traffic on 1st page of IDP 21. India and Maldives launched direct cargo ferry service to boost trade 22. Barbados wants to remove Queen Elizabeth II as head of state 23. Modi held virtual bilateral summit with Sri Lankan PM 24. Armenia and Azerbaijan clashes Polity & Governance 1. ‘Moplah rioters’ are not freedom fighters 2. Government suspended FCRA clearance of 4 Christian groups 3. Kashmiri, Dogri, Hindi added to Jammu and Kashmir official languages list 4. Reservation for Marathas in govt jobs & educational institutions in Maharashtra 5. ECI timelines for publicity of criminal antecedents of candidates

Current Affairs 2020

6. Harivansh Narayan Singh re-elected as Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman 7. National Commission for Homoeopathy Bill 2020 8. Draft Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020 9. Aircraft Amendment Bill 2020 passed by Rajya Sabh 10. Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda Bill 2020 11. Lok Sabha passed bill to cut salaries of MPs by 30 percent 12. Lok Sabha passed the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 13. Same sex marriages not recognised by our laws, society and our values 14. Amendment of Companies Act to promote ease of doing business 15. Lok Sabha passed taxation bill to provide reliefs for taxpayers 16. Rajya Sabha passed Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (2nd Amendment) Bill 17. BAC holds meeting to discuss legislative business 18. Rajya Sabha passed two contentious agriculture bills 19. Lok Sabha passed the Foreign Contribution Amendment Bill, 2020 20. AYUSH Ministry signed MoU with MoWCD for Controlling Malnutrition 21. Election Commission of India organized International Webinar 22. Lok Sabha passed Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill, 2020 23. Rajya Sabha passed Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020 24. Parliament nod to two bills related to Indian medicine council and Homeopathy central council 25. Eight Rajya Sabha MPs were suspended for unruly behaviour 26. Lok Sabha passed the Social Security Code, 2020 27. Rajya Sabha passed IIIT Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020 28. Rajya Sabha passed Rashtriya Raksha University Bill 2020 29. Lok Sabha passed Industrial Relations Code Bill, 2020 30. Lok Sabha passed several bills including National Forensic Science University Bill 2020 31. Lok Sabha passed Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020 32. Parliament passed Bilateral Netting of Qualified Financial Contracts Bill, 2020 33. MoRTH notified amendments in Central Motor Vehicle Rules Science & Technology 1. Railways developed remote-controlled medical trolley ‘MEDBOT’ 2. CSIR-CMERI developed the World’s Largest Solar Tree 3. RRI Scientists found a new way for quantum state estimation 4. Robot Rakshak can remotely communicate between doctor and patient 5. EESL to procure 250 Electric Vehicles from TATA & Hyundai 6. Two black holes merged billions of years ago 7. Chandrayaan-3 launch likely in early 2021 8. Machine learning solution can make exploring geo-resources simpler 9. India successfully tested indigenous hypersonic technology 10. DIAL launched country's first Covid-19 testing facility at an airport 11. SCTIMST developed a device for the prevention of Deep Vein Thrombosis 12. Scientists discovered phosphine in Venus atmosphere 13. Sun entered a new Solar Cycle 14. NIMHANS develops new Indian Brain Templates 15. Delhi Metro develops indigenous signalling technology 16. India’s first CRISPR Covid-19 test approved for use in India 17. ‘Kritagya’ Hackathon by National Agricultural Higher Education Project of ICAR 18. DRDO successfully test-fired Laser-Guided Anti Tank Missile 19. Railway rolled out User Depot Module to completely digitize its supply chain

Current Affairs 2020

Security 1. Keel laid for the third stealth frigate of Project 17A 2. Rafale Fighter Aircraft formally inducted in Indian Air Force 3. India successful conducted flight test of ABHYAS 4. Passage Exercise between Australian, Indian Navy underway in East Indian Ocean 5. Defence Procurement Procedure 2020 Society and Social Justice 1. Union Cabinet approved ‘Mission Karamyogi’ 2. National Training Academy for Rural Self Employment Training Institutes in Bengaluru 3. Data for Accidental Deaths & Suicides released by NCRB 4. 42,480 farmers and daily wagers committed suicide in 2019 5. 3rd Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2020 6. 3rd phase of 'Back to Village' programme in J&K 7. At 96.2% Kerala toped literacy rate chart 8. Centre sanctioned Y-plus category security to Kangana Ranaut 9. Odisha villagers set to get mobile signal for first time 10. Multidimensional Poverty Index to rank states/UTs 11. Child Mortality Rate in India has declined substantially 12. Govt launcheed e-Gopala mobile app 13. 50% of children completed Class X in vernacular 14. Extension of PM Garib Kalyan Package Insurance Scheme 15. Rajya Sabha passed two contentious agriculture bills 16. Lok Sabha passed the Foreign Contribution Amendment Bill, 2020 17. AYUSH Ministry signed MoU with MoWCD for Controlling Malnutrition 18. Election Commission of India organized International Webinar 19. PM eased SDRF cap to help states fight the pandemic 20. 40% of toilets in government schools non-existent, unused 21. Rules relaxed for divorced daughters to receive Family Pension 22. MoSPI released ‘Health in India’ report 23. Committed to raise health expenditure to 2.5% of GDP 24. Toll-free Tele-counselling Number for Children Affected during COVID-19 Sports 1. Ronaldo became second male player to score 100 international goals 2. Promotion of Kho Kho and Kabaddi Miscellaneous 1. Trial run on new river route connecting Bangladesh with Tripura starts 2. Change in way Mathematics being taught in schools currently 3. MoRTH moved ahead with Orientation and Training Programme of iRAD App 4. Government approved ₹971 crore Munger-Bhagalpur NH road in Bihar 5. RCF started its Methanol Plant at Trombay Unit 6. Mahatma Gandhi criticized people for polluting rivers 100 years ago 7. PM to dedicate historic Kosi Rail Mahasetu to nation 8. New All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Darbhanga 9. Cargo plane crashed at Aden Adde International Airport 10. Arrested Delhi journalist Rajeev Sharma was passing info to the Chinese 11. The legacy of INS Viraat on its final journey 12. Age-Appropriate Fitness Protocols; Calls for regular exercise to stay fit and healthy

Current Affairs 2020

13. Shivangi Singh set to become India’s first woman fighter pilot to fly Rafale 14. Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2020 15. Government inaugurated Indian Agricultural Research Institute’s Assam campus 16. Multi-stakeholder body to monitor net neutrality norms

Awards and Honours First Divyang sportsperson of country to get prestigious Adventure Award Para-swimmer of Madhya Pradesh Satyendra Singh Lohia is the first Divyanga Indian sportsperson of the country, who has been awarded today with the Tenzing Norgay Adventure Award.

He is also the first Asian Divyang swimmer to cross the 42-kilometer Catalina Channel in the US in just 11 hours 34 minutes. He was also conferred with the Best Sportsperson National Award by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on World Divyanga Day. He has also been awarded the highest sports award of Madhya Pradesh as well as many other national and international honours.

Govt. enhanced prize money in Khel Ratna, Arjuna and Dronacharya awards Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju announced the enhancement on the occasion of the National Sports Day. The prize money for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award has been increased to 25 lakh rupees from the previous amount of 7.5 lakh rupees. Arjuna Award has been enhanced to 15 lakh rupees from 5 lakh. The Dhronacharya (Lifetime) awardees, who were earlier given 5 lakh rupees will now be given 15 lakh rupees as cash prize, while Dhronacharya (Regular) will be given 10 lakh instead of 5 lakh rupees per awardee. The prize money for the Sports Awards was last reviewed in 2008.

Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2020 The ‘Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2020’ has been conferred to Air Force Sports Control Board for the outstanding contribution in helping sportsperson to excel in their respective disciplines and implement robust sports welfare measures. Air Force Sports Control Board (AFSCB) is the apex body for planning and conduct of sports activities within the IAF and at Inter-Services level. It has been the constant endeavour of AFSCB to improve standards of IAF teams and to guide them in career progression as sportsmen in IAF.

The award is for sustained efforts towards encouragement and promotion of sports in the country and IAF in particular.

Current Affairs 2020

S.R. Sarma assumed charge as Chief of Materiel of the Indian Navy S.R. Sarma, AVSM, VSM has assumed charge as the Chief of Materiel, of the Indian Navy on September 1. He is a post- graduate in Computer Science and Engineering from IISc, Bengaluru and a distinguished alumni of Naval Higher Command Course. As a Principal Staff Officer and the senior most Technical Officer in the Indian Navy, the Admiral would be in charge of all aspects related to selection, induction and maintenance of all types of equipment and weapon systems for ships and submarines.

Creation of major marine and technical infrastructure and all logistics management functions of the Indian Navy would also fall within the purview of the Admiral.

President Conferred National Awards on Teachers The President of India has conferred National Awards on 47 teachers from across the country in the first ever award ceremony held virtually today (September 5, 2020) on the occasion of Teachers’ Day. The President in his speech congratulated the winners of the award and appreciated the steps taken by the teachers in order to improve school education qualitatively.

He observed that about 40 percent of the winners of the National Awards were women and appreciated the role women have played as educators. This occasion also gives an opportunity to pay respect to our teachers for their commitment and supreme contribution in the lives of pupil. It is the foundation stone for any school as teachers are the true nation builders who are instrumental in building the character and knowledge of the children.

Sir David Attenborough awarded Indira Gandhi Peace Prize Former Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh has conferred the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize on British broadcaster David Attenborough at a virtual event. Congress President Sonia Gandhi was also present during the online award function.

The award is conferred by Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust each year on the late Prime Minister's birth anniversary. The award is given to individuals or organisations in recognition of creative efforts toward promoting international peace, development, ensuring that scientific discoveries are used for the larger good of humanity, and enlarging the scope of freedom. The prize carries a cash award of 25 Lakh and a citation. It was first awarded in 1986.

David Attenborough is an English broadcaster and natural historian. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Natural History Unit, the nine natural history documentary series forming the Life collection that together constitute a comprehensive survey of animal and plant life on Earth.

Current Affairs 2020

First ever AICTE-Visvesvaraya Best Teachers Award The first-ever AICTE Visvesvarya Best Teacher Awards 2020 were presented by Union Minister of Education, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ to 12 faculty members of AICTE approved institutes on the occasion of Engineers Day. The Awards has been introduced for the first time to identify extraordinary teachers and recognize their excellence, best practice and innovativeness in field of higher technical education at national level for Degree and Diploma institutions.

This scheme is aimed to recognize the meritorious faculties on the Engineer's Day every year at National level and, encourage them to update themselves to the ever changing needs of higher education at global level and thereby becoming an effective contributor towards the society. The evaluation parameters were predefined with focus on research, 360-degree feedback, contribution to student development and resolution of societal problems. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is the statutory body and a national-level council for technical education, under Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education.

It was established in 1945 first as an advisory body and later on in 1987 given statutory status by an Act of Parliament.

National Highway Excellence Awards Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has invited proposals for the National Highways Excellence Awards for the year 2020. The awards were instituted in the year 2018. The awards are given every year in seven categories –

1. Excellence in Project Management 2. Excellence in Operation and Maintenance 3. Green Highway 4. Innovation 5. Excellence in Highway Safety 6. Excellence in Toll Management 7. Outstanding Work in Challenging Conditions

The aim is to recognise companies which are performing exceptionally well in the construction, operations, maintenance and tolling stages of highway development as well as in the arena of road safety.

In a first, woman pilot to join fighter crew of IAF’s Rafale fleet The most modern and newest fighter squadron of the Indian Air force has included a woman fighter pilot to be part of the team which will raise the first full Rafale Fighters’ 17 Squadron at Ambala. Sub Lieutenant (SLt) Kumudini Tyagi and SLt Riti Singh would, in effect, be the first set of women airborne tacticians in India who would operate from the deck of warships.

Earlier, entry of women was restricted to the fixed wing aircraft that took off and landed ashore. Air force broke the glass ceiling by inducting three women officers Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh into the fighter stream in July 2016.

Current Affairs 2020

In 2018, flying officer Avani Chaturvedi became the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo by flying a MiG-21 bison in her first solo flight. At present total of 1,875 women officers are serving in the IAF of which 10 are fighter pilots and 18 serve as the women navigators.

Nobel winners to get $110,000 more as prize money increased The prestigious Nobel prizes Winners will receive an extra 1 million crowns ($110,000) this year. Dynamite inventor Alfred Nobel left around 31 million crowns - about 1.8 billion crowns in today's money according to the Foundation - to fund the prizes, which have been awarded since 1901.

The prize amount has varied over time, starting at 150,000 crowns and reaching 1 million crowns in 1981. The value rose sharply in the 1980s and 1990s, jumping to 9 million crowns in 2000 and 10 million a year later. But the global credit crunch of 2008-9 hit the Foundation's investments. The prize money was cut to 8 million crowns in 2012 only to rise again to 9 million in 2017.

The Nobel Foundation is a private institution founded in 1900 to manage the finances and administration of the Nobel Prizes. The Foundation is based on the last will of Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite. It is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.

Historian-author Rana Safvi got Yamin Hazarika award Historian-author Rana Safvi has been conferred an award instituted in memory of Yamin Hazarika, the first woman from the Northeast to join the central police service. She published several books on culture, history, and monuments of India, which was chosen for her "contribution to the syncretic culture of India". The award is given every year by a collective of women professionals since 2015. Previous winners are author Indrani Raimedhi, athlete Tayabun Nisha, actor Moloya Goswami, environmental activist Purnima Devi Barman and social activist Hasina Kharbhih.

Hailing from Assam, Yamin Hazarika was selected for the NCT of Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli Police service (DANIPS) in 1977. She held the post of assistant commissioner of Police in Chanakyapuri (Delhi) and went on to become deputy commissioner of police (Crime against Women Cell) in the national capital. In 1998, she was posted in Bosnia as part of the UN peacekeeping force. But she succumbed to cancer at the age of 43 in 1999.

Jnanpith Award Presented To Renowned Malayalam Poet Akkitham

Current Affairs 2020

Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri, a renowned Malayalam poet was conferred the Jnanpith award, the country's highest literary award at a special function held at his house at Kumaranallur, near Palakkad.

Jnanpith Award is given by Bharatiya Jnanpith, a literary and research organization based in Delhi. It is given annually to an author for their "outstanding contribution towards literature". It is bestowed only on Indian writers writing in Indian languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India and English.

There are no posthumous conferral. Also only works published during the preceding twenty years is considered for the award. The award consists of cash prize is ₹11 lakh and a Bronze replica of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge and wisdom.

NCDC sanctioned ₹19444 crores in first instalment for MSP operations National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has sanctioned as first instalment, funds amounting to Rs 19444 crores to the states of Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Telangana for Kharif paddy procurement under Minimum Support Price (MSP) operations.

National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) is the apex financing organization of Union Agriculture Ministry. It was established by an Act of Parliament in 1963 as a statutory Corporation under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. The objectives of NCDC are planning and promoting programmes for production, processing, marketing, storage, export and import of agricultural produce, livestock etc. on cooperative principles.

Economic Development Karnataka CM flagged off Bengaluru to Solapur RORO train Chief Minister of Karnataka has flagged off the maiden roll-on roll-off (RORO) train from Bengaluru to Solapur through a videoconference. The maiden 'Roll On Roll Off' (RORO) train between Bengaluru and Solapur in Maharashtra consists of open flat wagon on which trucks with goods are loaded.

It will be operated by the South Western Railway (SWR). The train will take 17 hours to reach its final destination which is at a distance of about 682 kms. The train will run via Dharmavaram, Guntakal, Raichur and Wadi to reach Bale near Solapur in Maharashtra.

As many as 42 trucks with goods can be carried at time in this train. The RORO service reduces accidents on the road, improves safety, saves fuel, and foreign exchange. It ensures faster transport of essential goods, perishables, food items and smaller cargo.

Current Affairs 2020

While it facilitates the large-scale movement of goods and reduces pollution, the cost of transport is lesser than transport by road.

India to receive development assistance loan worth ₹3,500 Cr from Japan Japan has committed an official Development Assistance loan of 3 thousand 500 crore rupees for the COVID-19 Crisis Emergency Response Support. The Notes were exchanged between the Additional Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs Dr C.S. Mohapatra and Ambassador of Japan to India Suzuki Satoshi for a Health sector programme loan to fight the COVID-19 crisis. Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA is a governmental agency that coordinates Official Development Assistance for the Government of Japan. This programme loan aims to support India’s efforts in fighting COVID-19 and to prepare the health system to manage future epidemics.

India and Japan have had a long and fruitful history of bilateral development cooperation since 1958. The recent step further consolidates and strengthens the Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan.

Coal India to invest over Rs 1.22 lakh cr on 500 projects by 2023-24 Coal India Ltd (CIL) has decided to invest over 1.22 lakh crore rupees on development of nearly 500 projects related to coal evacuation, infrastructure, project development, exploration and clean coal technologies in the country. The investment aims at making India self-reliant in terms of coal and achieve the production target of 1 billion tonnes by 2023-2024.

The national miner, CIL, will be investing around 14,200 crore rupees over the next 3 to 4 years, in two phases for its 49 First Mile Connectivity projects.

First Mile Connectivity is the transportation of coal from pitheads to dispatch points. Computer- aided loading technology of coal is being developed to replace the existing methodology of transportation via road. Coal India has also identified 15 greenfield projects which will be operated under the Mine Developer and Operator (MDO) model. Overall nearly 34,600 crore rupees will be invested through this route. Coal India also announced measures for relaxations and exemptions for greater participation of its stakeholders. The experience criteria has been brought down from 65 % to 50 % for mining tenders, while work experience criteria are relaxed by 50 % in turnkey contracts.

India endorses trustworthy, reliable supply chain in Indo-Pacific region India wholeheartedly endorses the broad concept of working towards ensuring a trustworthy, dependable, and reliable supply chain in the Indo-Pacific region. The ministerial-level meeting on Supply Chains was attended by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment and Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry.

Current Affairs 2020

They underscored the necessity and potential to enhance the resiliency of supply chains in the Indo-Pacific region. Recognizing the pressing need for regional cooperation on supply chain resilience in the Indo- Pacific, the Ministers shared their intention to work toward the launch of a new initiative to achieve the objective through cooperation. The details of the new initiative slated for launch later this year will be worked out by senior officials. The ministers also invited other like-minded countries in the region to participate in the initiative.

27 integrated cold chain development projects under PM Kisan SAMPADA Yojana The Government of India has given its nod to 27 projects under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana for development of integrated cold chains and value addition infrastructure in the country. The new integrated cold chain projects will generate direct and indirect employment for over 16,000 people and benefit nearly 2,57,000 farmers. These 27 new projects will leverage a total investment of Rs 743 crore for the creation of cold chain facilities for the food processing sector across various states including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

Under the Central Sector Scheme of Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure, the Ministry provides financial assistance in the form of grant-in-aid at the rate of 35 % for general areas and the rate of 50 % for North-Eastern States, Himalayan States, ITDP Areas, and Islands for storage and transport infrastructure. The assistance at 50 % and 75 % respectively are also given for value addition and processing infrastructure subject to a maximum grant-in-aid of 10 crores per project for setting up integrated cold chain projects, including irradiation facility from the farm gate to the consumer.

Government expands the support to artisans manifold for making Agarbatti Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), further expanded the reach and support to Artisans, involved in Agarbatti making, and to the Agarbatti Industry, by issuing new guidelines on 4th September, 2020. Salient features of guidelines are:

 Setting up 10 clusters with proper marketing linkages under SFURTI (Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries) scheme of the Ministry of MSME at a total cost of about Rs. 50 Crs, to benefit about 5000 artisans.  2 Centres of Excellence including one at Kannauj to be set up to develop machine making and promote product innovations  400 Automatic Agarbatti making machines as against 200 earlier, and additional 500 Pedal operated Machines will be given to ‘Self Help Groups (SHGs)’ and individuals through 20 pilot projects, across the country with proper marketing and raw material supply tie ups.

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 The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), one of the statutory organizations, under the M/o MSME, will implement the program.

Expert Committee report on Resolution Framework for Covid-19 related Stress The Reserve Bank of India announced the constitution of an Expert Committee under the chairmanship of Shri K.V. Kamath to make recommendations on the required financial parameters to be factored in the resolution plans under the ‘Resolution Framework for Covid19- related Stress’ along with sector specific benchmark ranges for such parameters.

RBI specified five financial ratios and sector-specific thresholds for resolution of COVID-19- related stressed assets in 26 sectors, including auto components, aviation and tourism. The circular issued by the Reserve Bank for resolution of the stressed assets is based on the recommendations of the K.V. Kamath Committee, which submitted its report on 4th of September. The 26 sectors specified by the RBI include automobiles, power, tourism, cement, chemicals, gems and jewellery, logistics, mining, manufacturing, real estate, and shipping among others.

Five financial metrics need to be taken into account while deciding on a recast plan:

 Total outstanding liabilities/ adjusted tangible net worth,  Total debt/Ebitda,  Current ratio,  Debt service coverage ratio, and  Average debt service coverage ratio. For each of these parameters, RBI has prescribed either a floor or a ceiling. The committee sets 180 days to implement the plan and makes an inter creditor agreement (ICA) mandatory. The tenure of a loan may be extended by a maximum of two years, with or without a moratorium, the panel has said. The resolution process shall be treated as invoked once lenders representing 75% by value and 60% by number agree to invoke the same.

ADB & India Signed $500 Million Loan for Delhi-Meerut RRTS Corridor The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $500 million loan, the first tranche of a total $1 billion facility, to build a modern, high-speed 82-kilometer Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor that will improve regional connectivity and mobility in India’s national capital region (NCR). It will improve regional connectivity and mobility in India’s national capital region (NCR). The first tranche loan will support construction of the first of three priority rail corridors planned under the NCR Regional Plan 2021 to connect Delhi to other cities in adjoining states.

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.

Asset monetization of subsidiaries of Power Grid Corporation of India limited

Current Affairs 2020

The Cabinet Committee has approved monetisation of assets of POWERGRID, a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under Ministry of Power, through Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT) model.

This is the first time any PSU in Power Sector will undertake asset recycling by monetising its assets through Infrastructure Investment Trust model and using the proceeds to fund the new and under-construction capital projects. This approval would help POWERGRID to monetise in the first lot, assets with gross block value of more than 7000 crore. These assets, which are mainly High Voltage Transmission lines and substations, are held by POWERGRID in form of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs). POWERGRID, a public limited company under the administrative control of the Ministry of Power, Government of India, started its commercial operation in the year 1992-93 and is today, a Maharatna company, engaged in the business of power transmission.

5 PSUs to join International Solar Alliance Coalition under Petroleum Ministry Five Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) under the Petroleum Ministry will be joining the International Solar Alliance Coalition for Sustainable Climate Action (ISA-CSCA) as the Corporate Partners. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and GAIL (India) Limited will be contributing to ISA’s Corpus Fund. This was announced by Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan during his inaugural Speech at the First World Solar Technology Summit organized by ISA.

The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is an alliance of 121 countries initiated by India, most of them being sunshine countries, which lie either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. The primary objective of the alliance is to work for efficient exploitation of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

South India’s first and country’s 2nd Kisan Rail Agriculture minister has flagged off the inaugural run of Anantapur – New Delhi Kisan Rail through video link. On 7th August, the first Kisan Rail was flagged off between Devlali in Maharashtra and Danapur in Bihar as a weekly service, which was later made bi-weekly due to increasing demand. Now the 2nd Kisan Rail will benefit farmers of the states coming en route.

Introduction of Kisan Rail is conceptualized to provide priority to the farming sector and facilitate transportation of perishable agricultural products to various market places across the country. India’s second and South India’s first Kisan Train commenced its inaugural run from Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh to Adarsh Nagar in New Delhi. Anantapur is fast becoming the Fruit Bowl of Andhra Pradesh. South India’s 1st Kisan Rail train service between Anantapur - New Delhi will cover a distance of 2150 kms in 40 hours.

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Finance Minister unveiled Doorstep Banking Services Union Finance Minister has inaugurated Doorstep Banking Services by Public Sector Banks (PSBs) to provide the convenience of banking services to the customers at their doorsteps. As part of the EASE Reforms, Doorstep Banking Services is envisaged to provide convenience of banking services to the customers at their doorstep through the universal touch points of Call Centre, Web Portal or Mobile App. Customers can also track their service request through these channels. The services shall be rendered by the Doorstep Banking Agents deployed by the selected Service Providers at 100 centres across the country.

The services can be availed by customers of Public Sector Banks at nominal charges. EASE Banking Reforms Index A common reform agenda for PSBs, EASE Agenda is aimed at institutionalizing clean and smart banking. It was launched in January 2018. PSBs have shown a healthy trajectory in their performance over four quarters since the launch of EASE 2.0 Reforms Agenda.

Bank of Baroda, State Bank of India, and erstwhile Oriental Bank of Commerce were felicitated for being the top three in the ‘Top Performing Banks’ category according to the EASE 2.0 Index Results. Bank of Maharashtra, Central Bank of India and erstwhile Corporation Bank were awarded in the ‘Top Improvers’ category basis EASE 2.0 Index.

First Indian company to cross $200 billion in market valuation Indian multinational conglomerate company Reliance Industries Limited became the first listed Indian firm to cross $200 billion in market capitalisation or m-cap. Market capitalization refers to how much a company is worth as determined by the stock market. It is defined as the total market value of all outstanding shares.

Asia's richest man, Mukesh Ambani is turning his focus toward retail after successfully building India's top telecom network by customers in less than four years, hoping to take a dominant position as India's huge consumer market comes of age. Reliance Retail, with close to 12,000 stores selling a wide range of products, acquired rival Future Group's retail arm last month.

76% of patents filed in India were by foreign companies Nearly 8 out of every 10 patent applications filed in India in more than a decade have been by foreigners residing abroad. A majority are by foreign firms, even as the number of Indian applications is slowly increasing.

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More than 5.1 lakh patent applications were filed in the country between 2005-2006 and 2017- 18 according to the data compiled by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) as part of the latest Science & Technology Indicators (STI 2019-20) released last month.

And, an analysis of the data shows that more than 76% of these applications were filed by "foreigners resident abroad", as the government classifies them and the rest were by "Indians." Among the patents filed by foreigners, most are individuals or companies from the US, Japan and Germany, accounting for more than 45% of the patents in the said period, while the UK, France, Switzerland, Russia, Netherlands and Italy also had hundreds of applications filed. With nearly 1.4 lakh applications, patents filed by those from the US alone accounted for more than 27% of total applications filed in the said period.

Ecological threat register 2020 According to IEP’s first ecological threat register, as the climate crisis and rapid population growth drive an increase in migration with “huge impacts” for both the developing and developed worlds, more than 1 billion people face being displaced by 2050. The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), a thinktank that produces annual global terrorism and peace indexes, said 1.2 billion people lived in 31 countries that are not sufficiently resilient to withstand ecological threats. 19 countries facing the highest number of threats, including water and food shortages and greater exposure to natural disasters, are also among the world’s 40 least peaceful countries.

Out of 157 countries’ assessed, 141 countries faced at least one ecological threat by 2050, with sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa the regions facing the largest number. Some countries, such as India and China, are most threatened by water scarcity, it concluded, while others such as Pakistan, Iran, Kenya, Mozambique and Madagascar face a combination of threats and a growing incapacity to deal with them. It judged Pakistan to be the country with the largest number of people at risk of mass migration, followed by Ethiopia and Iran. 16 countries including Sweden, Norway, Ireland, and Iceland, faced no threat.

The world had 60% less fresh water available than it did 50 years ago, while demand for food was predicted to rise by 50% by 2050 and natural disasters were only likely to increase in frequency because of the climate crisis.

RBI issued guidelines for appointment of CCO in banks Reserve Bank of India has issued guidelines for appointment of Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) in banks to ensure uniform approach with regard to compliance and risk management culture across the banking industry. The CCO must be appointed for a minimum fixed period of three years. The person should be a senior executive of the bank, preferably in the rank of a general manager or an equivalent position or he could also be recruited from outside.

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There shall not be any responsibility which brings elements of conflict of interest, especially the role relating to business. He must not be a member of any committee which brings his/her role in conflict with responsibility as member of the committee, including any committee dealing with purchases/sanctions. No vigilance case or adverse observation from the RBI should be pending against the candidate identified for appointment as the CCO. Selection of the candidate for the post of the CCO should be done on the basis of a well-defined selection process and recommendations made by the senior executive-level selection committee constituted by the board for the purpose.

Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE-Atal New India Challenges programme for MSMEs The Centre has launched the Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE-Atal New India Challenges programme to support MSMEs and start-ups for making India innovative, resilient, tech-driven, and research and development (R&D)-oriented. The programme will be driven by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), four ministries— Ministry of Defence; Ministry of Food Processing Industries; Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs—and associated industries to facilitate innovative solutions to sectoral problems. The Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE–ANIC programme will support deserving applied research– based innovations by providing funding support of up to Rs 50 lakh for speedy development of the proposed technology solution and/or product.

The Niti Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), in collaboration with ISRO and four ministries, will focus on challenges in 15 sectors through the programme. The AIM is a flagship initiative of the Niti Aayog to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the country, based on detailed study and deliberations on innovation and entrepreneurial needs of India in the years ahead.

Government Launched Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana Prime Minister Modi has launched the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana with an estimated investment of ₹20,050 crores for the sustainable development of the fisheries sector in three-four years. It is being launched in 21 States of the country with an investment of Rs 20,000 Crores which would be spent in the next 4-5 Years.

The scheme provides for new infrastructure, modern equipment and access to new markets to the fish producers, along with increased opportunities for through farming as well as other means. This is the first time after independence, that such a major scheme has been launched in the country for the fisheries sector. The goal is also to double fish exports in the coming 3-4 years. This will create millions of new employment opportunities only in the fisheries sector.

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It also aims at enhancing fish production by an additional 70 lakh tonne by 2024-25.

Construction of LILO of Kishenganj-Darbhanga 400kV Transmission Line Union Minister R. K. Singh has laid foundation stone for construction of LILO of Kishenganj- Darbhanga 400kV Transmission Line at Saharsa in Bihar through a virtual event. The execution agency for the ₹ 100 crore worth project is POWERGRID Ltd., a central PSU under Ministry of Power. The execution agency for the ₹ 100 crore worth project is POWERGRID Ltd., a central PSU under Ministry of Power. On completion of the Kishenganj-Darbhanga 400kV Transmission Line project, Power scenario of the Saharsa district including Supaul, Khagaria and Begusarai districts shall improve.

Saharsa is located in extreme Northern Part of Bihar and is a flood prone area due to inflow of water from Nepal. The substation is the part of an electrical supply system which transmits the high voltage from the generating substations to the local distribution networks. In LILo (Line In Line Out) Substation, a long distribution line is brought in and brought out from newly created substation as shown below. This scheme is bit expensive because of the need of an extra layout. But it is more secure.

Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor Project from Palwal to Sonipat The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval to the Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor Project from Palwal to Sonipat via Sohna-Manesar-Kharkhauda. This Rail Line will start from Palwal and end at existing Harsana Kalan station (On Delhi-Ambala section). This will also give connectivity enroute to existing Patli Station (On Delhi-Rewari line), Sultanpur station (On Garhi Harsaru-Farukhnagar Line) and Asaudha Station (On Delhi Rohtak Line). The project will be implemented by Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (HRIDC), a Joint Venture company set up by Ministry of Railways with Government of Haryana.

The project will have joint participation of Ministry of Railways, Government of Haryana and private stakeholders. The project is likely to be completed 5 years. The districts of Palwal, Nuh, Gurugram, Jhajjar and Sonipat districts of Haryana will be benefitted through this rail line. This will facilitate diversion of traffic not meant for Delhi and will help in developing multimodal logistics hubs in Haryana State sub-region of NCR.

Development Council for Footwear and Leather Industry for 2 years According to a release by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has issued a notification, constituting the Development Council for Footwear and Leather Industry (DCFLI).

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The Development Council for Footwear and Leather Industry has been established for the formulation and implementation of promotional and developmental measures for the growth of labour intensive footwear and leather sectors in India.

R K Gupta will chair DCFLI for 2 years. 24 other members have also been nominated. To boost domestic production and encourage exports, the Developmental Council is envisaged to play a very proactive role in preparing a futuristic vision for the development, designing, and manufacturing of high-quality world-class footwear and leather products in India.

RBI issues draft Rupee interest rate derivatives Reserve Bank of India has proposed allowing foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) to undertake exchange-traded rupee interest rate derivatives transactions subject to an overall ceiling of Rs 5,000 crore.

Interest Rate Derivatives (IRDs) are contracts whose value is derived from one or more interest rates, prices of interest rate instruments, or interest rate indices. The proposed directions are aimed at encouraging higher non-resident participation, enhance the role of domestic market makers in the offshore market, improve transparency, and achieve better regulatory oversight, according to the central bank.

Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited get BIS Certification for all its products Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited (HOCL), a PSU under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has been granted Bureau of Indian Standards - BIS certification for all its products. HOCL has been a pioneer in the manufacturing of Chemicals since its inception and quality is its motto since then. The company is supporting and implementing the Make in India initiative of Government of India in one or other way.

HOCL, a leader in chemical industry has manufacturing unit at Kochi in Kerala. It provides basic organic chemicals essential for vital industries like Drugs and pharmaceuticals, resins and laminates, dyes and dyes intermediates, rubber chemicals, paints, pesticides and Textile industry etc. HOCL was incorporated in 1960 as the first endeavour to indigenize manufacture of basic chemical. HOCL is also an ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified Organisation.

IFSCA Committee submitted interim report on development of international retail business The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) Expert Committee on international retail business development in the IFSC has submitted its interim report to the Chairperson of the IFSCA.

The interim report covers a number of suggestions aimed at swift and efficient development of international retail businesses in the IFSC, and focuses mainly on the banking vertical.

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The Expert Committee has been constituted by the IFSCA with an aim to suggest how to develop international retail business in International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). The committee suggests that the IFSC can aim at:

 Becoming a gateway to India growth story for international investors and business  Providing Indian diaspora and individuals from Asia and Africa with a comprehensive range of financial services from the IFSC.  Serving domestic residents availing liberalized remittance scheme. The Government of India had constituted the IFSCA with Shri I Srinivas as its Chairperson earlier this year to develop and regulate the financial services market in the IFSC in India. Apart from channelizing India's offshore business to the IFSC located at GIFT City and making it the gateway for India centric international financial services, the objective is to make it a global hub for international financial services on the lines of London, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Dubai.

Government announced increase in MSPs for six Rabi crops Union Government has announced increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for all mandated Rabi crops. The decision was taken in the meeting of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs held under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The MSP of six Rabi crops including Wheat, Chana, Masoor, Mustard, Jowar and Safflower has been hiked in the range of 50 to 300 rupees. The MSP of wheat has been increased by 50 rupees and now stands at one thousand 975 rupees per quintal whereas the MSP for Masoor has been hiked by 300 rupees. MSP for Mustard and Chana has been increased by 225 rupees. Increase in Jowar's MSP is by 75 rupees while for Safflower the hike is by 112 rupees per quintal.

The hike is in consonance with the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission's report reflects the current government’s commitment towards Minimum Support Price and procurement of agri products in the country.

IEA and NITI Aayog Report on Sustainable Recovery Post Covid-19 Against the backdrop of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, International Energy Agency (IEA), in collaboration with NITI Aayog, presented a ‘Special Report on Sustainable Recovery’ on 18 September 2020. Part of IEA’s flagship World Energy Outlook series, the report proposes a number of actions that could be taken over the next three years to revitalize economies and boost employment while making energy systems cleaner and more resilient.

According to report, Post the 2008–09 financial crisis, green measures accounted for around 16% of the total stimulus measures. To recover from the pandemic, we must be even more ambitious and decisive towards clean investments. The report mentions key sectors for creating jobs: electricity, transportation, buildings, industry and sustainable biofuels and innovations.

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Railways target to complete 100% electrification of broad gauge routes by 2023 Railway Minister Piyush Goyal in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha stated that Indian Railways planned for 100 per cent electrification of its broad gauge routes by 2023. The Minister informed that around 63 per cent broad gauge lines have already been electrified out of a total 63,631 route kilometers as on 1st of April this year.

A total of 23,765 route kilometre lines are yet to be electrified in the country. Several steps have been taken to expedite electrification of railway lines in the country and they include, award of Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracts, better project monitoring mechanism etc.

NHIDCL expedited DPR work on Shinkun La Tunnel To augment border infrastructure, the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) has expedited making detailed project report for the world''s longest high-altitude Shinkun La Tunnel.

The tunnel (13.5 Km long) is proposed to be built on the border between Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh. Once it is complete, the Manali-Kargil highway will remain open throughout the year. The tunnel will provide all-weather road connectivity between Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir in Zanskar valley. With the construction of the tunnel, inhabitants of around 15-odd villages of Zanskar Valley in Jammu and Kashmir will be relieved since the valley remains cut off due to heavy snowfall during the winter.

External debt increased almost 3% to $559 billion at March-end India’s total external debt increased by 2.8% to $558.5 billion at the end of March mainly on account of a rise in commercial borrowings,. External debt was $543 billion a year earlier.

The ratio of foreign currency reserves to external debt stood at 85.5% as at end-March, compared to 76% in 2019 March. External debt as a ratio to GDP rose marginally to 20.6%, from 19.8 %, ‘India’s External Debt: A Status Report: 2019-2020’ showed. Sovereign debt shrank 3% to $100.9 billion. This decrease was primarily due to a fall in FII investment in G-Secs — the second-largest constituent — by 23.3% to $21.6 billion, from $28.3 billion in 2019.

Loans from multilateral and bilateral sources under external assistance — the largest constituent of sovereign debt — grew 4.9% to $87.2 billion. Non-sovereign debt, on the other hand, rose 4.2% to $457.7 billion mainly due to an increase in commercial borrowings — the largest constituent — by 6.7% to $220.3 billion. Outstanding NRI deposits — the second-largest constituent — at $130.6 billion was almost equal to the level a year earlier. Non-financial corporations accounted for 42% of total debt.

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Geography, Environment, Biodiversity & Disaster Management 600-acre Aarey land near national park earmarked as forest in Maharashtra The Maharashtra government has decided to reserve 600-acre Aarey land near the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in suburban Mumbai as a forest and conserve the same. The Aarey Milk Colony, spread over 3,162 acres, was established in 1949 as a centre for processing and marketing milk for Mumbai and adjoining areas. Over the last 70 years, this sprawling green area has been steadily eaten away at its edges – and 1,282 acres were acquired by the state for projects such as Film City. Once located on the edge of the city, it is now part of the sprawling western suburb known as Goregaon. The land falls under the eco-sensitive zone of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

Now the Maharashtra CM announced that he planned to earmark the Aarey forest land as a reserve forest. However, of the 1,800-plus acres of open space available, only 600 acres will be earmarked as forest. Under Section 4 of The Indian Forest Act, 1927, the state government can “constitute any land a reserved forest” by issuing a notification in the Official Gazette. Under the law, the government must also appoint a Forest Settlement Officer (FSO) “to determine the rights alleged to exist in favour of any person in or over any land comprised within such limits or in or over any forest-produce, and to deal with the same”.

Researchers found Low ozone over Brahmaputra valley Researchers have found that the concentration of near surface ozone in this region in the Northeast corner of India is low compared to the other urban locations in India. Tropospheric, or ground-level ozone, is created by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). It usually increases when pollutants emitted by cars, power plants, industrial boilers, refineries, chemical plants, and other sources chemically react in the presence of sunlight, impacting human health.

Scientists at the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital have evaluated the near surface ozone in the Brahmaputra River Valley (BRV) and found relatively low concentration of Ozone over Guwahati compared to the other urban locations in India.

The examination of nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone concentrations in this study suggested that this site is well influenced by local sources such as adjacent major national highway. During the daylight hours, the site is in or nearly in a photo-stationary state, indicating a low impact of organic species on the ozone concentrations.

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First World Solar Technology Summit The first World Solar Technology Summit (WSTS) is being organized by the International Solar Alliance (ISA) on 8th September, 2020. The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), as the convenor of ISA Global Leadership Task Force on Innovation, is working with ISA in organizing the summit.

More than 26000 participants from 149 countries have registered to join the virtual Summit which is expected to bring the spotlight on accelerating affordable and sustainable clean green energy. The summit will witness the announcement of three agreements between ISA and International Institute of Refrigeration, a second with Global Green Growth Institute and a third agreement with National Thermal Power Corporation. A tripartite agreement between India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the World Bank and the International Solar Alliance is also set to be inked.

ISA’s technology journal, Solar Compass 360 will also be launched during the summit.

August rainfall highest since 1926 According to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), August rainfall this year 2020 has been the highest since 1926 with 32.7 cm or about 27% more than what is normal for the month. In August 1926, the rainfall recorded was 34.8 cm, exceeding the normal by 33%. The heavy rain in August was due to several long-lasting low-pressure systems, or rain-bearing winds, that formed in the Bay of Bengal and were vigorous enough to travel all the way from the south-eastern coast up to north-west India.

The surplus rain was primarily in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

IMD officials said that though August rainfall was in excess, the figure for this year’s monsoon as a whole were likely to be within the department’s June forecast of a normal (96 to 104% of the long period average) rainfall. From June to September 6, India had registered 7% more rainfall than what is normal for this period. In the normal course, the monsoon begins its retreat from September 15 and this can go on for nearly a month.

Global Initiative to reduce Land Degradation and Coral Reef program The Environment Ministerial Meeting (EMM) of the G20 countries took place through video conferencing under the Presidency of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. India has taken significant steps to protect environment and forest and wildlife as well as combating pollution and climate change.

Representing India, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar applauded the launch of Global Initiative to reduce Land Degradation and Coral Reef program and two documents on climate change related to managing emissions and climate change adaptations under the G20 this year.

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The Global Initiative on Reducing Land Degradation aims to strengthen the implementation of existing frameworks to prevent, halt, and reverse land degradation within G20 member states and globally, taking into account possible implications on the achievement of other SDGs.

The Global Coral Reef R&D Accelerator Platform is an innovative action-oriented initiative aimed at creating a global research and development (R&D) program to advance research, innovation and capacity building to enhance coral reefs conservation.

Kerala to have certified snake handlers Kerala Forest Department, becoming the first to institutionalise snake handling in the country has framed guidelines for rescuing snakes from human dominated places and releasing them in uninhabited areas. The move to certify snake handlers comes amid allegations of unscientific approaches by snake catchers that tend to create stress to the animal and pose risk to their and others’ lives. Kerala has reported 334 deaths and 1,860 other cases of snake-bites in the past three years.

The guidelines make it mandatory for snake handlers, aged between 21 and 65 years, to seek certification. The applications will be screened by the Assistant Conservators of Forest (ACF, Social Forestry) to prepare lists of snake handlers in each district. Those short-listed will be required to undergo a mandatory training on safe and scientific handling of snakes. While the certification will be valid for five years, the respective ACFs can withdraw or cancel the same if the snake handler is found to be involved in any illegal or unethical practices.

Rescued snakes will also have to be released in the presence of forest officials at the earliest. If found injured, the snake can be released only after ascertaining its fitness. Non-native species, however, cannot be released and have to be handed over to the Forest Department.

High-Level Task Force to improve air quality in NCR Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Dr P K Mishra chaired the meeting of the High-Level Task Force constituted to improve the air quality in the National Capital Region of Delhi. The meeting was called well in advance before the onset of harvesting and winter season to ensure proper precautionary and preventive measures to combat the causes of air pollution are taken well in time. A review of the main sources of air pollution, measures taken and the progress made by the State Governments and various Ministries was carried out.

It was noted that the incidence of stubble burning has reduced by more than 50 per cent in the last two years and the number of Good AQI days have gone up. The efforts and plan made by the State of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for control of crop residue burning were examined in detail, including ground level deployment and availability of machinery for in-situ management of crop residue. It was observed that after recent inclusion of residue based power or fuel plants under priority sector lending by Reserve Bank of India, both State and Central Governments should jointly work

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out action plans for rapid deployment of such units. Measures related to diversification of crop and strengthening of supply chains were also discussed. To control stubble burning, it was stressed that an adequate number of teams should be deployed at ground level and they should ensure that no stubble burning takes place especially in the State of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. These states need to put extra efforts and appropriate incentives especially in the relevant districts.

India is home to largest number of Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros India is home to the largest number of Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros in the world with population in the range of 3000 animals in Assam, West Bengal and UP. Environment Ministry launched the National Rhino Conservation Strategy last year to conserve the greater one-horned rhinoceros.

This is a first of its kind for the species in India which aims to work for the conservation of the species under five objectives. The objectives include strengthening protection, expanding the distribution range, research and monitoring, and adequate and sustained funding. One horned rhino was close to extinction with a population of less than 200 in the beginning of the 20th century. It is the only large mammal species in Asia to be down-listed from endangered to vulnerable in the International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN Red list in 2008.

Centre notified new standards for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles The road transport and highways ministry has notified new standards for safety evaluation of environment friendly hydrogen fuel cell-based vehicles. The Standards were notified through an amendment to Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989. This would facilitate the promotion of Hydrogen Fuel Cell based vehicles in the country which are energy efficient and environment friendly. These standards are also at par with the available international standards. the motor vehicles of Category M and Category N, running on compressed gaseous hydrogen fuel cell, shall be in accordance with AIS 157:2020, as amended from time to time, till the corresponding Bureau of Indian Standard Act, 2016, specification is notified. Also, the hydrogen fuel specification for fuel cell vehicles will be in accordance with ISO 14687.

Toxins in water killed more than 300 elephants in Botswana Toxins in water produced by cyanobacteria killed more than 300 elephants in Botswana this year announcing the result of an investigation into the deaths which had baffled and alarmed conservationists.

Cyanobacteria are microscopic organisms common in water and sometimes found in soil. Cyanobacteria are a group of photosynthetic bacteria, some of which are nitrogen-fixing, that live either freely or in a symbiotic relationship with plants or lichen-forming fungi.

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Not all produce toxins but scientists say toxic ones are occurring more frequently as climate change drives up global temperatures. Some cyanobacterial blooms can harm people and animals and scientists are concerned about their potential impact as climate change leads to warmer water temperatures, which many cyanobacteria prefer. The number of dead elephants had risen to 330, from 281 reported in July.

Invisible killer threatens India’s sandalwood forests India’s sandalwood trees, the country’s pride particularly of Karnataka are facing a serious threat with the return of the destructive Sandalwood Spike Disease (SSD).

The infection has resurfaced in the aromatic tree’s natural habitats in Karnataka and Kerala. The natural population of sandalwood in Marayoor of Kerala and various reserve forests in Karnataka, including MM Hills, are heavily infected with SSD for which there is no cure as of now. Presently, there is no option but to cut down and remove the infected tree to prevent the spread of the disease, caused by phytoplasma — bacterial parasites of plant tissues — which are transmitted by insect vectors.

With between 1 and 5% of sandalwood trees lost every year due to the disease, scientists warn that it could wipe out the entire natural population if measures are not taken to prevent its spread. SSD has been one of the major causes for the decline in sandalwood production in the country for over a century. The disease was first reported in Kodagu in 1899. The devastating impact in natural habitats resulted in sandalwood being classified as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 1998.

Government allowed use of H-CNG as alternative fuel The government allowed the use of H-CNG, in a step towards adopting alternative fuels for transportation.

The Ministry has been notifying various alternate fuels under Clean Fuels for transportation. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has also developed specifications (IS 17314:2019) of Hydrogen enriched Compressed Natural Gas (H-CNG) for automotive purposes, as a fuel. A notification for amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989, for inclusion of H-CNG as an automotive fuel has been published dated 25th Sept 2020 by the Ministry.

The Hydrogen Compressed Natural Gas (H-CNG) is a mixture of compressed natural gas and 4-9 per cent hydrogen by energy. It can be used as a fuel in internal combustion engine and also for home appliances.

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History, Art & Culture Tribal Affairs Ministry tied-up with IIPA for setting up of National Institute of Tribal Research Tribal Affairs Ministry has signed an agreement with Indian Institute of Public Administration, IIPA for setting up of National Institute of Tribal Research at the IIPA campus, New Delhi.

The proposed National Institute will be functional in a few months and will be engaged in quality tribal research in collaboration with reputed government and non-governments NGOs spread over the country. The agreement was signed in the presence of Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda. The Ministry has designed workable models which provide end to end solution as part of action research to be implemented by policy initiatives.

The Ministry is funding Tribal Research Institutions for research on various aspects of tribal life and culture but now intervention of research with policy should be emphasized in their research.

Prime Minister inaugurated Patrika Gate in Jaipur Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Patrika Gate in Jaipur through video conference on the 8th September 2020. Patrika Gate derives its name from newspaper and media company-Rajasthan Patrika.

The gate is built on Jawahar Circle near Sanganer International Airport. It is on the southern end of JLN Marg which connects Ramniwas Garden on the north side and Jaipur International Airport on the Southern end. The facade is inspired by the traditional architecture and features Jharokhas, Pols, Pavilions, and Chhatris. The idea of building this gate is linked with the old city gates of Jaipur walled city. When Maharajah Sawai Jai Singh II founded Jaipur in 1727 AD, he secured the perimeter with a wall and eight gates.

125th Birth Anniversary of Kavi Samrat Viswanatha Satyanarayana Vice President of India virtually inaugurated the 125th Birth Anniversary celebrations of the Kavi Samrat Shri Viswanatha Satyanarayana where he described the literary genius as an embodiment of Indian culture and traditions.

Viswanatha Satyanarayana (1895 – 1976) was a 20th century Telugu writer. His works included poetry, novels, dramatic play, short stories and speeches, covering a wide range of subjects such as analysis of history, philosophy, religion, sociology, political science etc. His popular works include Ramayana Kalpa Vrukshamu (Ramayana the wish-granting divine tree), Kinnersani Patalu (Mermaid songs) and the novel Veyipadagalu (The Thousand Hoods).

He was a student of the illustrious Telugu writer Chellapilla Venkata Sastry, of the Tirupati Venkata Kavulu duo. Viswanatha's wrote in both a modern and classical style, in complex modes.

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He was given the honorific "Kavi Samrat" (emperor of poets). In 1970 Indian government awarded Padma Bhushan. In 1971 he was awarded with Jnanpith Award for his book "Ramayana Kalpavriksham". He was the first Telugu writer to receive Jnanpith Award.

16-member committee to study ancient Indian culture The government of India has formed an expert committee for conducting a study on the origin and evolution of Indian culture dating back to around 12,000 years ago. The committee is chaired by K.N. Dikshit (Chairman of Indian Archaeological Society, New Delhi and former Joint Director General, Archaeological Survey of India).

Archaeological Survey of India was established in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham to conduct archaeological research and conservation as well as the preservation of the cultural monuments in India. It is a government agency under the Ministry of Culture. It is headquartered in New Delhi. During the time phase before 12,000 years which is known as the Mesolithic era, modern humans or Homo sapiens settled in the Indian subcontinent. By that time the last ice age had just ceased. The climate was warm and dry. The first settlements of human beings in India are found in Bhimbetka (Present Madhya Pradesh).

The occupation of the people at that time was hunting, fishing, and food gathering.

Country’s ‘biggest’ film city in Gautam Buddh Nagar Uttar Pradesh government will establish the country’s ‘biggest’ film city in Gautam Buddh Nagar. With several films and web series now being shot in the state, the dedicated film city is likely to bring employment while providing a haven for filmmakers. Though a proposal for the film city is yet to be prepared, Yamuna Expressway Industrial Authority (YEIDA) is in the process of looking for appropriate land for the project. As per the UP Film Policy, 2018, the state government will “support establishment of film cities by providing land at industrial rates” and also assist in developing the right infrastructure for it.

Film Bandhu, a nodal agency of the state government, overlooks the implementation of the Film Policy. With several films and web series now being shot in the state, the dedicated film city is likely to bring employment while providing a haven for filmmakers.

Priceless artefacts damaged in Indian Museum renovation The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has found that renovation works at the Indian Museum in Kolkata were carried out without following the necessary conservation process, leading to priceless artefacts being damaged.

Indian museum is the earliest and the largest multipurpose Museum not only in the Indian subcontinent but also in the Asia-Pacific region of the world. It was established in 1814 under the guidance of Dr. Nathaniel Wallich at the Asiatic Society.

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It is under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. The museum which was known in the beginning as the "Asiatic Society Museum" subsequently came to be known as the "Imperial Museum" later familiarized as the "Indian Museum". The museum is more familiar by the name Jadughar or Ajabghar among the visitors.

Important Days & Events World Coconut Day 2020 World Coconut Day is celebrated on September 2 every year. The main objective of celebrating this day is to create awareness across the globe about the importance of the coconut and its benefits. The main objective of celebrating this day is to create awareness across the globe about the importance of the coconut and its benefits.

The day is especially marked in countries under Asian and Pacific regions by the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC) as they house most of the world’s coconut growing production centres. The first celebration of World Coconut Day was in the year 2009. The occasion is to commemorate the foundation day of APCC, which operates under the flagship authority of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP). In India, Kerala tops the production in coconut, but Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are also picking up in this sector.

The National Coconut Board is also overseeing the production and development of value-added varieties from coconut like soft drinks, chips and jams.

Teachers Day 2020 Teachers Day is celebrated on 5 September every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan in India. Globally, Teachers Day is celebrated on 5th October; in India, we celebrate it on 5th September from 1962 onwards. Teachers Day is one such event for which students and teachers equally look forward to. Teachers Day is important for the students as it gives them a chance to understand the efforts put in by their teachers to ensure that they get a proper education.

Similarly, teachers also look forward to the Teachers’ Day celebration as their efforts get recognised and honoured by students and other agencies as well. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was a renowned scholar, recipient of Bharat Ratna, first Vice- President and second President of independent India. He was born on 5 September, 1888. As an educationist, he was an advocate of edification and was a distinguished envoy, academician, and above all a great teacher.

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International Day of Charity 2020 The International Day of Charity is celebrated annually on 5 September to raise awareness and provide a common platform for charity related activities all over the world for individuals, charitable, philanthropic and volunteer organizations for their own purposes on the local, national, regional and international level. It was declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012.

The International Day of Charity was established with the objective of sensitizing and mobilizing people, NGOs, and stakeholders all around the world to help others through volunteer and philanthropic activities. Mother Teresa, the renowned nun and missionary, was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in 1910. In 1928 she went to India, where she devoted herself to helping the destitute. In 1948 she became an Indian citizen and founded the order of Missionaries of Charity in Kolkota (Calcutta) in 1950, which became noted for its work among the poor and the dying in that city.

Mother Teresa died on September 5th 1997, at 87 years of age.

International Day of Clean Air for blue skies 2020 The very first International Day of Clean Air for blue skies will be held on September 7th, 2020 to raise public awareness at all levels—individual, community, corporate and government—that clean air is important for health, productivity, the economy and the environment. The Day aims to demonstrate the close link of air quality to other environmental/developmental challenges such as – most and foremost – climate change and the global Sustainable Development Goals.

This day also promote and facilitate solutions that improve air quality by sharing actionable knowledge best practices, innovations, and success stories.

On December 19, 2019, during its 74th session, The United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution to hold an International Day of Clean Air for blue skies every year. It invited the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to facilitate the observance of the International Day, in collaboration with other relevant organizations. WHO is working with Breathe Life partners to coordinate activities for the day.

International Literacy Day 2020 International Literacy Day is celebrated on 8 September by United Nations to remind the international community of the importance of literacy for individuals, communities and societies, and the need for intensified efforts towards more literate societies.

The day aims at raising awareness and reminding people of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights. The theme for International Literacy Day 2020 is “Literacy teaching and learning in the COVID- 19 crisis and beyond”. The Literacy Day this year will reflect on the innovative and effective pedagogies that can be used in youth and adult literacy programmes to face the pandemic and beyond.

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This day was declared International Literacy Day by UNESCO on 26th October 1966 at the 14th Session of UNESCO's General Conference. It was celebrated for the first time in 1967 and its main aim is to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies. Despite progress made, literacy challenges persist with at least 773 million adults worldwide lacking basic literacy skills today. According to the UNESCO’s ‘Global Monitoring Report on Education for All’ (2006), South Asia has the lowest regional adult literacy rate, at 58.6 per cent and the causes for this illiteracy range from severe poverty and the prejudice against women.

International Day to Protect Education from Attack 2020 International Day to Protect Education from Attack is observed on 9 September to highlight the importance of safeguarding schools as places of protection and safety for students and educators. The day also urges the need to keep education at the top of the public agenda. The day aims to restore confidence in schools as places of protection for children and teachers. The day was established by a unanimous decision of the UN General Assembly, calling on UNESCO and UNICEF to raise awareness of the plight of millions of children living in countries affected by conflict.

Over the past five years, there have been more than 11,000 reported attacks on education in over 36 countries, according to the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA). 2 2,000 students, teachers and academics were killed, injured, arrested or otherwise harmed in attacks between 2015 to 2019. UNESCO and UNICEF will facilitate the annual observance of the Day in close collaboration with partners within and outside the UN system.

Himalayan Day 2020 Himalayan Day is observed across the country on September 9. It was first observed in Uttarakhand in 2010 as an initiative of a group of noted environmentalists to provide solutions for sustainable development and ecological stability for the Himalayas

The Himalayas are home to the world’s largest mountains, including the highest peak – Mount Everest, standing at an incredible 8,848m tall. This incredible mountain range is a result of tectonic plate movement that collided India into Tibet and stretches for 2,400km in length between the Indus and the Brahmaputra river systems. The Himalayas, passing through India, Pakistan, Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal.

There are the Outer Himalayas, the Lower Himalayas, the Tibetan Himalayas, the Trans- Himalayas and the Great Himalayas. The Himalayan ecosystem is vital to the ecological security of the Indian landmass and occupies the strategic position of the entire northern boundary (NorthWest to North-East) of the country.

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World Suicide Prevention Day 2020 World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is an awareness day observed on 10 September every year, in order to provide worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides, with various activities around the world since 2003. The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) collaborates with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) to host World Suicide Prevention Day.

On 10th of September every year, World Health Organization in association with International Association for Suicide Prevention is organizing World Suicide Prevention Day to raise awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented. According to WHO, nearly eight lakh people die by suicide every year. Furthermore, for each suicide, there are more than 20 suicide attempts. Suicides and suicide attempts have a ripple effect that impacts on families, friends, colleagues, communities and societies.

Hindi Diwas 2020 Hindi Diwas is celebrated on September 14 every year in India to showcase the importance of the day and the language. International Hindi Day is celebrated on January 10 annually. The language was adopted under the Article 343 of the Indian Constitution. It was on this day in 1949 that the constituent assembly adopted Hindi written in Devanagari as the official language of the country.

The first Prime Minister of the country, Jawaharlal Nehru, decided to celebrate Hindi Day on September 14. Today, Hindi is one of the widely spoken languages in the world and the first language of more than 520 million people. Most of the schools and colleges across the country encourage students to participate in various literary and cultural programmes like poems competitions, essays and letters writing completion in the language.

International Day of Democracy 2020 The International Day of Democracy is celebrated around the world on 15 September each year with the purpose of promoting and upholding the principles of democracy.

It was established through a resolution passed by the UN General Assembly in 2007, encouraging governments to strengthen and consolidate democracy. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights enshrines a host of political rights and civil liberties underpinning meaningful democracies. The link between democracy and human rights is captured in article 21(3) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

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International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer 2020 United Nations General Assembly celebrated International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer on September 16 each year for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. This designation had been made on December 19, 2000, in commemoration of the date, in 1987, on which nations signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

The principal aim of the Montreal Protocol is to protect the ozone layer by taking measures to control total global production and consumption of substances that deplete it, with the ultimate objective of their elimination on the basis of developments in scientific knowledge and technological information. In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 16 September the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, commemorating the date of the signing, in 1987, of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (resolution 49/114). On 16th September 2009, the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol became the first treaties in the history of the United Nations to achieve universal ratification.

The Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer reached agreement at their 28th Meeting of the Parties on 15 October 2016 in Kigali, Rwanda to phase- down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

World Patient Safety Day 2020 The World Patient Safety Day celebrated on 17 September each year to create awareness of patient safety and urge people to show their commitment to making healthcare safer. This year the day is also being celebrated under the theme "Health Worker Safety: A Priority for Patient Safety." The 72nd World Health Assembly adopted resolution WHA 72.6 ‘Global action on patient safety’ on 25 May 2019.

The resolution recognizes patient safety as a global health priority and endorses the establishment of World Patient Safety Day to be observed annually on 17 September. World Patient Safety Day calls for global solidarity and concerted action by all countries and international partners to improve patient safety.

ITEC Day observed by High Commission of India in Dhaka The 56th ITEC day was observed online by the High Commission of India in Dhaka. According to a press release issued by the High Commission of India in Dhaka, over 4000 young Bangladeshi professionals have benefitted from various ITEC programmes since 2007.

The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme was instituted by a decision of the Indian Cabinet in 1964 as a flagship programme of the Government of India to provide development assistance to developing countries across the globe. ITEC is administered by the Ministry of External Affairs, India and is fully funded by the Government of India.

Current Affairs 2020

More than 10,000 training slots are offered every year to more than 160 partner countries for training courses in various areas like Accounts, Audit, Management, SME, Rural Development, Parliamentary Affairs etc.

Under ITEC and its sister programme SCAAP (Special Commonwealth African Assistance Programme), 161 countries in Asia, Africa, East Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean as well as Pacific and Small Island countries are invited to share in the Indian developmental experience The ITEC/SCAAP Programme has the following components: 1. Training (civilian and defence) in India of nominees from ITEC partner countries; 2. Projects and project related activities such as feasibility studies and consultancy services; 3. Deputation of Indian experts abroad; 4. Study Tours; 5. Gifts/Donations of equipment at the request of ITEC partner countries; and 6. Aid for Disaster Relief.

Same sex marriages not recognised by our laws, society and our values The Central Government has told the Delhi High Court that marriage between same sex couples was "not permissible" as it is not recognised by "our laws, legal system, society and our values". Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, said the 2018 judgment of the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court “merely decriminalises homosexuality or lesbianism, nothing more, nothing less”. On September 6, 2018, a five-judge Constitution Bench, unanimously held that criminalisation of private consensual sexual conduct between adults of the same sex under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code is clearly unconstitutional.

Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code is a section of the Indian Penal Code introduced in 1861. It makes sexual activities "against the order of nature" illegal.

Mahalaya festival 2020 Mahalaya marks the beginning of the Devipaksha and the end of the Pitrupaksha according to Hindu calendar. This year, Mahalaya Amavasya will be observed on September 17, 2020. Pitru Paksha is a 16-lunar day period when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors through shradh prayers and food offerings. In Bengal, Mahalaya marks the beginning of Durga Puja festivities. Mahalaya is the day when the goddess Durga is believed to have descended to Earth.

Bengali people traditionally wake up early in the morning on Mahalaya to recite hymns from the Devi Mahatmya (Chandi) scripture. Offerings to the ancestors are made in homes and at puja mandaps (temporary shrines).

International Day of Peace 2020 International Day of Peace is observed on 21 September annually and is also known as World Peace Day. This day strengthens the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.

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The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire. The United Nations invites all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities during the Day, and to otherwise commemorate the Day through education and public awareness on issues related to peace.

The 2020 theme for the International Day of Peace is “Shaping Peace Together.”

World Rhino Day 2020 World Rhino Day is observed on September 22 every year to raise awareness and build a safe natural habitat for this incredible species. The main reason for the loss of the rhino population is poaching, climate change, and the destruction of their natural habitat. World Rhino Day was first announced by World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-South Africa in 2010. Since then, September 22nd has been celebrated annually by governments, animal rights organizations and animal enthusiasts as World Rhino Day.

It celebrates all five species of rhino (Black, white, greater one-horned, Sumatran and Javan rhinos) and generates awareness of issues regarding their well-being. In recent years, rhinos have been threatened by poaching, urbanization and pollution, which have made several rhino species endangered and critically endangered.

Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar birth anniversary Prime Minister Narendra Modi has paid tributes to Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar on his birth anniversary. Ramdhari Singh (1908 –1974), known by his nom de plume Dinkar, is considered as one of the most important modern Hindi poets.

His poetry exuded veer rasa, and he has been hailed as a Rashtrakavi ("national poet") on account of his inspiring patriotic compositions in the days before Indian independence. However, he used to call himself a "Bad Gandhian" because he supported the feelings of indignation and revenge among the youth. Dinkar was elected three times to the Rajya Sabha, and he was the member of this house from 3 April 1952 to 26 January 1964, and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1959.

He was also the Vice-Chancellor of Bhagalpur University (Bhagalpur, Bihar) in the early 1960s. During The Emergency, Jayaprakash Narayan had attracted a gathering of one lakh people at the Ramlila grounds and recited Dinkar's famous poem: Singhasan Khaali Karo Ke Janata Aaati Hai ("Vacate the throne, for the people are coming").

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80th birth anniversary of Arati Saha Google dedicated its doodle to swimmer Arati Saha on her 80th birth anniversary. Saha, who has many firsts to her name, was the first woman to be awarded the Padma Shri in 1960. Arati Saha (1940 – 1994) was an Indian long distance swimmer, best known for becoming the first Asian woman to swim across the English Channel on 29 September 1959.

At the age of 12, Saha joined India’s first team to participate in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. She was one of the only four women to make the team. In 1960, she became the first Indian sportswoman to be awarded the Padma Shri.

International Day of Sign Languages 2020 International Day of Sign Languages is celebrated on 23 September every year along with International Week of the Deaf. The choice of 23 September is the same date that the World Federation of the Deaf was established in 1951.

The International Day of Sign Languages was first celebrated in 2018 as part of the International Week of the Deaf. WFD is an advocacy organisation with the mission of preservation of sign languages which is a pre-requisite to the realisation of the human rights of deaf people. In 2020, the World Federation of the Deaf is issuing a Global Leaders Challenge.

This challenge aims to promote the use of sign languages by local, national, and global leaders in partnership with national associations of deaf people in each country, as well as other deaf-led organisations.

World Maritime Day 2020 World Maritime Day is observed on every 24 September to understand the importance of the marine environment, the impact of industries on the oceans and marine life and the well-being of seafarers who spend months away from home. World Maritime Day is observed to mark the contribution of international maritime industries towards the economy of the world especially shipping. Every year the International Maritime Organization (IMO) celebrates World Maritime Day.

It is usually celebrated during the last week in September, generally the last Thursday of the month.

Amit Shah inaugurated the "Destination North East-2020" Festival Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah inaugurated the "Destination North East -2020" through video conferencing. Destination North East is a calendar event of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region. It has been conceptualized with the objective of taking the North East Region to other parts of the country.

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“The ‘Destination North East-2020', which runs till 30 September, aims to introduce various cultures of the country to each other along with the tourist destinations of the North East. For Destination North East 2020, the theme is “The Emerging Delightful Destinations” which speaks of the tourism destinations emerging stronger and more attractive when the Sector picks up momentum.

International Day for Universal Access to Information 2020 International Day for Universal Access to Information was proclaimed on 15 October 2019 at the 74th UN General Assembly to be held on 28 September. Initially the day was designated by the UNESCO General Conference. It was inaugurated in November 2015 and was first held on 28 September 2016. Considering that several civil society organizations and government bodies in the world have adopted and currently celebrate this observance, the UN General Assembly also adopted 28 September 2019 as the International Day for Universal Access to Information.

IDUAI 2020 will be focus on to the right to information in times of crisis and on the advantages of having constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to information to save lives, build trust and help the formulation of sustainable policies through and beyond the COVID- 19 crisis.

World Tourism Day 2020 United Nations World Tourism Organization has celebrated World Tourism Day as international observances on September 27. This date was chosen as on that day in 1970, the Statutes of the UNWTO were adopted. This date was chosen as on that day in 1970, the Statutes of the UNWTO were adopted. The adoption of these Statutes is considered a milestone in global tourism. The 2020 edition of World Tourism Day, with the theme of “Tourism and Rural Development”, will celebrate the unique role that tourism plays in providing opportunities outside of big cities and preserving cultural and natural heritage all around the world.

Data from the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) shows that 100 to 120 million direct tourism jobs are at risk. The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) forecasts a loss of 1.5 to 2.8 % of global GDP.

International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons 2020 International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons is celebrated on 26 September every year by the UN General Assembly. This Day provides an occasion for the world community to reaffirm its commitment to global nuclear disarmament as a priority.

The Day has been observed annually since 2014. This was the latest in a series of efforts by the General Assembly to raise public awareness and to seek deeper engagement on nuclear disarmament matters.

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In 2009, the General Assembly had declared 29 August as the International Day against Nuclear Tests. On 7 July, 2017 the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted. It is the first multilateral legally binding instrument for nuclear disarmament to have been negotiated in 20 years.

International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste 2020 International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste Reduction is observed globally on 29th September. It is the first-ever observance of the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. Reducing food losses and waste is essential in a world where the number of people affected by hunger has been slowly on the rise since 2014, and tons and tons of edible food are lost and/or wasted every day.

Globally, around 14 percent of food produced is lost between harvest and retail. Significant quantities are also wasted in retail and at the consumption level. Food loss and waste also puts unnecessary pressure on the natural resource base and on the environment, depleting the natural resource base and generating greenhouse gases. SDG Target 12.3 says "by 2030 halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer level, and reduce food losses along production and supply chains including post-harvest losses."

To monitor SDG Target 12.3, FAO has created the Food Loss Index (FLI). The focus of the indicator is on percentages of food removed from the supply chain. The FLI monitors changes in these percentages over time, relative to a base period currently set at 2015, in order to track progress against SDG Target 12.3.

Google paid tribute to iconic actor, dancer Zohra Sehgal with a special doodle Google has paid tribute to the late veteran actor and dancer Zohra Sehgal as it dedicated its doodle in remembrance of her iconic film 'Neecha Nagar.' Zohra Sehgal (1912 – 2014) was an Indian actress, dancer, and choreographer.

Considered the doyenne of Indian theatre, she acted with the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) and Prithviraj Kapoor's Prithvi Theatre for 14 years. Sehgal appeared in several British films, television shows, and Bollywood productions in a career that spanned over six decades. Awards received:

 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award; Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship.  Kalidas Samman.  Padma Shri; Padma Bhushan; and Padma Vibhushan.

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International Affairs India withdrew from multilateral military exercise in Russia India has withdrew from multilateral Military Exercise Kavkaz 2020 to be held in Russia next month. Russia and India are close and privileged strategic partners and at Russia's invitation India has been participating in many international events. India had earlier planned to send around 150 Indian Army troops, 45 Indian Air Force personnel and a number of Navy officers to the multilateral military exercise to be held in the Astrakhan region in southern Russia from 15th to 26th September. Both China and Pakistan are going to be a part of the multinational exercise. China's participation in the exercise was also a reason for India to pull out of the multilateral tri-services military exercise.

India is locked in a military conflict with the Chinese in eastern Ladakh and on high alert all along the 4,000 kilometre Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Japan's PM Shinzo Abe resigned for health reasons Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has resigned as the country’s leader due to chronic health issues. Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes long-lasting inflammation and ulcers (sores) in a person’s digestive tract. Ulcerative colitis affects the innermost lining of large intestine (colon) and rectum.

The colon’s lining develops small ulcers which produce pus and mucus, leading to abdominal pain, discomfort and urge to frequently empty the colon. Symptoms usually develop over time, rather than suddenly. Signs and symptoms may include: Diarrhea, often with blood or pus, Abdominal pain and cramping, Rectal pain, Rectal bleeding — passing small amount of blood with stool and Urgency to defecate. Ulcerative colitis can be debilitating and can sometimes lead to life-threatening complications. While it has no known cure, treatment can greatly reduce signs and symptoms of the disease and even bring about long-term remission.

Defence Minister of India met Chinese counterpart in Moscow Defence Minister of India Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe held talks in Moscow on ways to ease escalating border tension in eastern Ladakh. The focus of the talks between the two Defence Ministers was on ways to resolve the prolonged border standoff. The meeting was requested by the Chinese Defence Minister. Both Mr Singh and General Wei are in Moscow to attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers.

Both India and China are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO, an eight- nation regional grouping that primarily focuses on security and defence issues.

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India calls for boosting cooperation among BRICS countries to deal with terrorism The Foreign Ministers of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) in a virtual meeting, India has called for boosting cooperation among the five-nation grouping BRICS in dealing with the threat of terrorism. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stressed on boosting cooperation among the member nations in dealing with the threat of terrorism.

In a joint declaration they reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to contribute further to the global efforts of preventing and countering the threat of terrorism on the basis of respect for international law and the UN Charter, emphasising that States have the primary responsibility in combating terrorism. China and Russia reiterated the importance they attach to the status and role of Brazil, India and South Africa in international affairs and support their aspiration to play a greater role in the UN. The meeting was chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and also attended by Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo, China's Wang Yi, South African Foreign Minister Grace Naledi Pandor.

Germany joined Indo-Pacific club aimed at securing trade routes Germany has joined the Indo-Pacific club. The move is aimed at securing the trade routes from aggressive China. Germany has drafted a 40-page guidelines as it formally adopts a strategy for the Indo-Pacific region. The move makes it the second European nation after France to formally adopt a strategy for the Indo-Pacific region. The strategy is designed to allow Germany to make an active contribution to shaping the international order in the Indo-Pacific. The move by Germany augurs well for the Quad which is constituted by the United States, Japan, Australia, and India.

G-20 countries reaffirm their commitment to ensure education continuity G-20 countries have reaffirmed their commitment to ensure education continuity and safety for all. A virtual meeting of G20 Education Ministers was held to discuss and share experiences of member countries in the three identified areas. These are Education Continuity in Times of Crises, Early Childhood Education and Internationalization in Education. The Education Ministers adopted a communique at the end of the meeting. The Education Ministers adopted a communique at the end of the meeting which recognizes the value of distance and blended teaching and learning and underscores the importance of enhancing access to high-quality education, professional development for educators, digital infrastructure and content.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is hosting G-20 Leaders’ Summit in 2020.

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The G20 members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union (EU).

Fire on tanker off Sri Lanka coast doused The fire that erupted on oil tanker MT New Diamond off Sri Lanka’s south east coast was completely doused. MT New Diamond is a very large crude carrier. It is a Greek-owned vessel and under charter by Indian Oil Cooperation. The ship was built as Ikomasan by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding in Chiba, Japan.

On 3 September 2020, the ship caught fire off the eastern coast of Sri Lanka, resulting in the death of a Filipino crew member. On 6 September 2020, the fire was brought under control by the authorities after burning for nearly three days.

India-China standoff in Ladakh The Chushul sub-sector, lies south of Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh has come into focus in the standoff between the Indian and PLA troops following the movement that took place on the intervening night of August 29 and 30.

The Chushul sub-sector comprises high, broken mountains and heights of Thatung, Black Top, Helmet Top, Gurung Hill, and Magger Hill besides passes such as Rezang La and Reqin La, the Spanggur Gap, and the Chushul valley. Situated at a height of over 13,000 feet close to the LAC, the Chushul Valley has a vital airstrip that played an important role even during the 1962 War with China. Chushul is one among the five Border Personnel Meeting points between the Indian Army and the People’s Liberation Army of China. It is here that representatives of the two armies meet for regular interactions. Chushul enjoys tremendous strategic and tactical importance because of its location and terrain, which make it a centre for logistics deployment. Chushul is the gateway to Leh. If China enters Chushul, it can launch its operations for Leh.

UNICEF to lead procurement and supply of COVID-19 vaccines United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is leading efforts to procure and supply COVID-19 vaccines in what could possibly be the world’s largest and fastest ever procurement and supply of vaccines, as part of the global vaccine plan of the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (COVAX Facility) led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is the world's largest single vaccine buyer, procuring more than 2 billion doses of various vaccines annually for routine immunisation and outbreak response on behalf of nearly 100 countries.

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The UNICEF will lead efforts to procure and supply doses of Covid-19 vaccines on behalf of the COVAX Global Vaccines Facility for 92 low and lower middle-income countries, whose vaccine purchases will be supported by the mechanism.

The UNICEF will undertake these efforts in close collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), PAHO, World Bank, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and other partners. The COVAX Global Vaccines Facility is the vaccine pillar of the ACT-Accelerator, an initiative launched in April to speed up development of medicines to treat Covid-19 and make them available to people everywhere. It is operated by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; CEPI, and WHO, alongside multinational and developing country vaccine manufacturers.

Delhi sent a signal to Beijing with public funeral for Tibetan soldier In a sharp signal of a shift in the Government of India’s policy on publicly acknowledging the 58- year-old “Special Frontier Force” (SFF) government officials attended the funeral of Company Leader, Nyima Tenzin who was killed in an accidental mine blast during patrolling in Ladakh. The SFF was raised by the Intelligence Bureau in the immediate aftermath of the 1962 China- India war. The covert outfit recruited Tibetan exiles (now it has a mixture of Tibetans and Gorkhas) and was initially named Establishment 22 (Major Gen Sujan Singh Uban, an Artillery officer who raised the group, named it after the 22 Mountain Regiment he commanded).

Subsequently renamed SSF, it now falls under the purview of the Cabinet Secretariat. It is commonly believed that the SFF was raised by India in coordination with US intelligence agencies. On the ground, it is headed by an Inspector General who is an Army officer of the rank of Major General. The units comprising the SFF are known as Vikas battalions. Strictly speaking, the SFF units are not part of the Army but function under its operational control. SSF units have their own rank structures, of equivalent status with Army ranks. However, they are special forces personnel highly trained for a variety of tasks.

The SSF training centre is in Chakrata, 100 km outside Dehradun.

Reciprocal supplies & services between armed forces of India and Japan India and Japan signed an Agreement between the two countries concerning Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Armed Forces of India and the Self-Defense Forces of Japan. The agreement was signed in New Delhi by Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar and Ambassador of Japan Mr Suzuki Satoshi.

This agreement establishes the enabling framework for closer cooperation between the Armed Forces of India and Japan in reciprocal provision of supplies and services.

Current Affairs 2020

The agreement will also enhance the interoperability between the Armed Force of India and Japan thereby further increasing the bilateral defence engagements under the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between the two countries.

ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting 2020 External Affairs Minister of India S. Jaishankar has co-chaired the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting along with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand H.E. Don Pramudwinai. It reviewed the status of ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership in several areas including maritime cooperation, connectivity, education and capacity building and people-to-people contacts. It also reviewed the progress in implementation of the ASEAN-India Plan of Action, 2016-2020.

The new ASEAN-India Plan of Action (2021-2025) was adopted at the Meeting. The plan of action provides for deepening cooperation in an array of areas including trade, investment and people- to-people contact. The 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region, and India and several other countries including the US, China, Japan and Australia are its dialogue partners. ASEAN member countries are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.

India became member of UN’s ECOSOC body TS Tirumurti, permanent representative of India to the United Nations reported that India has been elected as a member of the United Nation’s Commission on Status of Women, a body of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

India will be a member of the prestigious body for four years from 2021 to 2025. The CSW is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. A functional commission of the ECOSOC, it was established by ECOSOC resolution 11(II) of 21 June 1946.

It promotes women’s rights, highlights the reality of women’s lives throughout the world and helps in shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women. 45 member states of the United Nations serve as members of the Commission at any one time.

Yoshihide Suga elected as new head of Japan's ruling party Yoshihide Suga was elected as the new head of Japan's ruling party, received 377 votes in the Party election to pick a successor to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who announced last month that he would resign due to health problems.

Once he formally takes over, Suga will serve out Abe’s remaining term as party chief until September 2021.

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Suga is currently the chief Cabinet secretary of Abe's government and he will then be confirmed as Prime Minister by a special session of the country's parliament. The closed-door politics also apparently led lawmakers to support Suga in hopes of getting favourable party and cabinet posts in the new administration. Despite his low-key image as Abe's right-hand man, Suga is actually known for his iron-fist approach to getting jobs done as a policy co-ordinator and influencing bureaucrats by using the centralized power of the prime minister's office.

India joined Djibouti Code of Conduct as Observer India joined the Djibouti Code of Conduct/ Jeddah Amendment as Observer following the high- level virtual meeting of the Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment (DCOC/JA) on August 26, 2020.

DCOC/JA is a grouping on maritime matters comprising 18 member states adjoining the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, the East Coast of Africa and Island countries in the Indian Ocean Region. The DCOC, established in January 2009, is aimed at repression of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the Western Indian Ocean Region, the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. India has joined Japan, Norway, the UK and the US as Observers to the DCOC/JA.

Postage Stamp on India’s first Anti-Satellite Missile released A customized My Stamp on India’s First Anti-Satellite Missile (A-SAT) launch was released by the Department of Posts on the occasion of Engineers Day in the presence of National Security Advisor (NSA), Ajit Doval. On the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted an Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) missile test ‘Mission Shakti’ from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha on 27th March 2019. A DRDO developed A-SAT Missile successfully engaged an Indian orbiting target satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in a ‘Hit to Kill’ mode. The interceptor missile was a three-stage missile with two solid rocket boosters. The mission met all its objectives.

The entire effort was indigenous which demonstrated the Nation’s capability to develop such complex and critical missions. With this success, India became fourth nation in the world to possess such capability.

Singapore Convention on Mediation comes into force To provide a more effective way for enforcing mediated settlements of corporate disputes involving businesses in India and other countries the Singapore Convention on Mediation came into force.

Also known as the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation, this is also the first UN treaty to be named after Singapore.

Current Affairs 2020

With the Convention in force, businesses seeking enforcement of a mediated settlement agreement across borders can do so by applying directly to the courts of countries that have signed and ratified the treaty, instead of having to enforce the settlement agreement as a contract in accordance with each country’s domestic process.

The harmonised and simplified enforcement framework under the Convention translates to savings in time and legal costs, which is important for businesses in times of uncertainty, such as during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Singapore had worked with the UN Commission on International Trade Law, other UN member states and non-governmental organisations for the Convention.

Bacterial outbreak in Lanzhou city in China Thousands of people in northwest China’s Lanzhou city have tested positive for a bacterial infection. The outbreak was caused by a leak at a state-owned biopharmaceutical company making animal vaccines last year.

Brucellosis is a bacterial disease that mainly infects cattle, swine, goats, sheep and dogs. Humans can get infected if they come in direct contact with infected animals or by eating or drinking contaminated animal products or by inhaling airborne agents. Most cases of the disease are caused by ingesting unpasteurised milk or cheese from infected goats or sheep. Symptoms of the disease include fever, sweats, malaise, anorexia, headache and muscle pain.

Human to human transmission of the virus is rare.

Trump’s 1776 Commission to promote ‘patriotic education’ In a move aimed at pleasing his conservative voter base less than two months before the November 3 election, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to set up a “national commission to promote patriotic education” in the US. The 1776 Commission is an education commission proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump to support "patriotic education". The initiative is an apparent counter to The 1619 Project, a Pulitzer Prize-winning collection of essays on African American history of the past four centuries, which explores the Black community’s contribution in nation-building since the era of slavery to modern times.

Trump announced the move at a history conference celebrating the 233rd anniversary of the signing of the US Constitution (on September 17, 1787); the document being written in the decade after the original 13 colonies declared independence from the British Empire in 1776. Trump said students in US universities are ‘inundated with critical race theory, a Marxist doctrine holding that America is a wicked and racist nation’, and the new project would teach the youth to ‘love America.’

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International Convention of Road Traffic on 1st page of IDP Road Transport and Highways Ministry has advised the States and Union Territory administrations to stamp International Convention of Road Traffic of 19th September 1949 on the first page of International Driving Permit, IDP issued by them.

Many countries are not accepting the International Driving Permit issued to Indian citizens and that officials there ask for the validation of IDP in accordance with International Convention of Road Traffic of 19th September 1949. Hence the direction. The Convention on Road Traffic, commonly known as the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, is an international treaty promoting the development and safety of international road traffic by establishing certain uniform rules among the contracting parties. The convention addresses minimum mechanical and safety equipment needed to be on board and defines an identification mark to identify the origin of the vehicle.

The Convention was prepared and opened for signature by the United Nations Conference on Road and Motor Transport held at Geneva from 23 August to 19 September 1949. It came into force on 26 March 1952.

India and Maldives launched direct cargo ferry service to boost trade Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Shipping Mansukh Mandaviya and Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation of Maldives, Aishath Nahul jointly e-launched a direct cargo ferry service between India and the Maldives. During its maiden voyage, a vessel with a capacity of 200 TEU and 3000 MT of break bulk cargo sailed from Tuticorin to Kochi on September 21, 2020, from where it will proceed to Kulhudhuffushi port in North Maldives and then to Male port. This ferry service being operated by the Shipping Corporation of India will run twice a month and will provide a cost effective direct and alternate means of transportation of goods between India and Maldives.

This direct cargo service will further cement the close ties between India and Maldives by enhancing people-to-people contact and boosting bilateral trade.

Barbados wants to remove Queen Elizabeth II as head of state Barbados decided to retain the British monarch as head of state even after achieving independence. Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state in the UK and 15 other Commonwealth realms, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The Caribbean nation aims to complete the process of becoming a republic before its 55th anniversary of independence from Britain, in November 2021.

With this, it will become the first country in almost three decades to sever ties with the British royal family and become a republic; Mauritius being the last to do so in 1992. Barbados, a former British colony, gained its independence in 1966. Although it is an independent state, Queen Elizabeth remains its constitutional head, as did other self-governing Commonwealth nations such as Canada and Australia.

Current Affairs 2020

The Caribbean nation is, however, expected to remain a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the 54-nation club of mostly former British colonies which is led by the queen, and includes India.

Its current Prime Minister is Mia Mottley, who is the first woman to hold the post in the nation. She was elected in 2018.

Modi held virtual bilateral summit with Sri Lankan PM India asked Sri Lanka to fully implement constitutional provisions aimed at giving more powers to Tamil-inhabited areas of the island nation even as PM Modi announced a grant of $15 million for promoting Buddhist ties between the two sides. The grant will assist in deepening people-to-people linkages between the two countries in the sphere of Buddhism.

They agreed that the Indian side would facilitate the visit of a delegation of Buddhist pilgrims from Sri Lanka in the first inaugural flight to Sacred City of Kushinagar. Kushinagar Airport was designated as an international airport recently recognizing its importance as a Buddhist site. Both sides also agreed to explore opportunities in the areas of Ayurveda and Yoga. India and Sri Lanka have reached an understanding to extend the MoU on High Impact Community Development Projects for a five-year period beginning 2020.

Both leaders agreed to continue the successful Indian housing project and gave instructions to the relevant officials to fast-track the construction of 10,000 houses in the plantation sector. Prime Minister Modi emphasized that implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution is essential for carrying forward the process of peace and reconciliation and realizing the expectations of Tamils for equality.

Armenia and Azerbaijan clashes Clashes erupted between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the volatile Nagorno-Karabakh region, reigniting concern about instability in the South Caucasus, a corridor for pipelines transporting oil and gas to world markets. Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region that is inside Azerbaijan but is run by ethnic Armenians, declared martial law and mobilised their male populations.

Armenia said Azerbaijan had carried out an air and artillery attack on Nagorno-Karabakh. This is a decades-old conflict between majority Christian Armenia and mainly Muslim Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan in a conflict that broke out as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

Though a ceasefire was agreed in 1994, after thousands of people were killed and many more displaced, Azerbaijan and Armenia frequently accuse each other of attacks around Nagorno- Karabakh and along the separate Azeri-Armenian frontier.

Current Affairs 2020

Polity & Governance ‘Moplah rioters’ are not freedom fighters Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) in 2016 had recommended the de-listing of Wagon Tragedy victims and Malabar Rebellion leaders Ali Musliyar, Variamkunnath Ahmad Haji, and the latter’s two brothers from a book on martyrs of India’s freedom struggle. In all, the report had sought the removal of names of 387 ‘Moplah rioters’ from the list. The book, Dictionary of Martyrs: India’s Freedom Struggle 1857-1947, was released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week. The report describes Haji as the “notorious Moplah Riot leader” and a “hardcore criminal,” who “killed innumerable innocent Hindu men, women, and children during the 1921 Moplah Riot, and deposited their bodies in a well, locally known as Thoovoor Kinar”.

Haji was arrested by the army, tried by an army court and shot dead on January 20, 1922. The Moplah or Malabar rebellion in 1921 started as resistance against the British colonial rule, the prevailing feudal system, and in favour of the Khilafat Movement in South Malabar but ended in communal violence.

Government suspended FCRA clearance of 4 Christian groups Of the six NGOs whose license under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) was suspended by the Union Home Ministry this year, four are Christian associations.

An FCRA licence is mandatory for a non-profit organisation to receive foreign funds. At least two U.S.-based Christian donors are also under the Ministry’s scanner for funding NGOs and groups here. The reasons for the suspension or violation was not specified. As of now, there are 22,457 NGOs or associations registered under the FCRA, while the licences of 20,674 were cancelled and 6,702 are deemed to have expired.

The Foreign Contribution Regulations Act or FCRA is a law enacted by Parliament to regulate foreign contribution (especially monetary donation) provided by certain individuals or associations to NGOs and others within India. The act, in its consolidating form, was originally passed in 1976 and majorly modified in 2010.

The government has used the act over the years to freeze bank accounts of certain NGOs who it found were affecting India's national interest for wrong purposes.

Kashmiri, Dogri, Hindi added to Jammu and Kashmir official languages list The Union Cabinet has approved a Bill to include Kashmiri, Dogri and Hindi as official languages in the newly-created Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Only English and Urdu were official languages in the former State. Subsequently, Gujjar groups sought PM Modi’s intervention, asking him to include Gojri in the list of official languages, claiming that it is the second-most spoken language after Dogri in Jammu and Kashmiri in Kashmir Valley. Gurjari, also known as Gojri and Gujri is a variety of Indo-Aryan spoken by the Gurjars and other tribes of India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

Current Affairs 2020

The language is mainly spoken in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Delhi and other parts of India.

Reservation for Marathas in govt jobs & educational institutions in Maharashtra The Supreme Court has stayed reservation for Maratha community in government jobs and educational institutions in Maharashtra. A three-judge bench headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao referred the case to a larger bench to consider the constitutional validity of 2018 Maharashtra government law providing reservation to Marathas in the State. Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act originally provided 16 per cent reservation for Maratha community in educational institutions and government jobs. The law was challenged before Bombay High Court which in June 2019 upheld its validity but reduced the quota to 12 per cent in educational institutions and 13 per cent in jobs.

Appeals were filed before Supreme Court stating that the reservation would lead to breach of the 50 per cent cap laid down by the Apex Court in its 1992 judgment of Indra Sawhney versus Union of India. Maharashtra government had on August 26th asked the Court to place the matter before a larger bench considering the fact that it involves determination of substantial legal questions.

ECI timelines for publicity of criminal antecedents of candidates Election Commission has issued revised guidelines for publishing such antecedents in newspapers and television as part of efforts help the voters in exercising their choices in a more informed manner and discourage political parties from fielding persons with criminal antecedents in the election. The first publicity will be within the first four days of the last date of withdrawal of candidature.

Second publicity will be within the 5th to 8th day of the last date of withdrawal. The third publicity will be from 9th day till the last day of campaign which is two days prior to the date of poll. The timeline will help the voters in exercising their choices in a more informed manner.

The Commission clarified that uncontested winner candidates as well as the political parties who nominate them shall also publicise the criminal antecedents, if any, as prescribed for other contesting candidates and political parties. The modified instructions will apply with immediate effect.

Harivansh Narayan Singh re-elected as Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman The opposition parties let go of a contest for the post of Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, allowing JD (U) MP Harivansh to be re-elected for a second time by voice vote.

The Presiding Officers of Rajya Sabha have the responsibility to conduct the proceedings of the House. The Vice-President of India is ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha.

Current Affairs 2020

Rajya Sabha also chooses from amongst its members, a Deputy Chairman. There is also a Panel of Vice-Chairmen in Rajya Sabha, the members of which are nominated by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha. In the absence of the Chairman and Deputy Chairman, a member from the Panel of Vice-Chairmen presides over the proceedings of the House. The Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha presides over the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha in the absence of the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The Deputy Chairman is elected internally by the Rajya Sabha. The Deputy Chairman have the same power as the Chairman when presiding over the Council and all references to the Chairman in these rules shall in these circumstances be deemed to be, references to any such person so presiding.

National Commission for Homoeopathy Bill 2020 Parliament has passed the National Commission for Homoeopathy Bill, 2020 and the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill, 2020 with the Lok Sabha approving them. The National Commission for Homoeopathy Bill, 2020 seeks to repeal the Homoeopathy Central Council Act, 1973 and to set up a National Commission for Homoeopathy. The Commission for Homoeopathy will consist of 20 members which will include a Chairperson, the President of the Homoeopathy Education Board, the Director General of National Institute of Homoeopathy, the President of the Medical Assessment and Rating Board for Homoeopathy in addition to other members.

The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill, 2020 seeks to repeal the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970 and set up a National Commission for Indian System of Medicine. The Commission will consist of 29 members including a Chairperson, the President of the Board of Ayurveda, President of the Board of Unani, Siddha, and Sowa-Rigpa, in addition to other members. The two bills also propose constitution of Advisory Councils for Homoeopathy as well as for Indian System of Medicine. These Councils will be the primary platform through which the states and union territories will put forth their views and concerns before the two Commissions. The Advisory Councils will also suggest measures to the Commission to determine and maintain standards of medical education in the country.

The bills also envisage a National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for admission to both undergraduate and Post-Graduate courses of Homoeopathy and for various disciplines of Indian System of Medicine.

Draft Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020 Power Ministry has drafted rules providing for Rights of Electricity Consumers for the First Time. According to the draft, State Electricity Regulatory Commissions, SERCs will fix average number and duration of outages per Electricity consumer per year for DISCOMs. Only two documents will be required for connection up to load of 10 KW and no estimation of demand charges will be required for loads up to 150 KW to expedite giving connection.

Current Affairs 2020

There will be a time period of not more than seven days in metro cities, 15 days in other municipal areas and 30 days in rural areas, to provide new connection and modify existing connection. There will be option to pay bills in cash, cheque, debit cards and net banking but bills of Rs. 1,000 or more have to be paid online. Draft Rules have been circulated by Ministry of Power on 9th of September for seeking comments and suggestions of consumers up to 30th September. They shall be finalized after taking into account all the suggestions received and issued.

Aircraft Amendment Bill 2020 passed by Rajya Sabh The Rajya Sabha passed the Aircraft (Amendment) Bill 2020, which was tabled by civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri, on the upper house of the parliament.

It seeks to amend the Aircraft Act, 1934. It has provisions to convert three existing bodies under the Ministry of Civil Aviation into statutory bodies. These three authorities are the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and the Aircraft Accidents Investigation Bureau. Under the bill, each of these bodies will be headed by a Director General who will be appointed by the centre.

The Bill raises the maximum limit on fines from 10 lakh rupees to one crore rupees. These fines are related to carrying arms, explosives and other dangerous goods aboard aircraft and constructing building or structures within the specified radius around an aerodrome reference point.

Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda Bill 2020 The Rajya Sabha passed the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda Bill, 2020. This paves the way for the establishment of a state-of-the-art Ayurvedic institution called the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda (ITRA) at Jamnagar, Gujarat, and conferment of the status of Institution of National Importance (INI) to it, the Ministry of AYUSH said in a statement. ITRA will be the first institution with INI status in the AYUSH Sector. The ITRA is sought to be established by conglomerating the presently existing Ayurveda institutes at Gujarat Ayurved University campus Jamnagar.

This is a cluster of highly reputed institutions, namely Institute for Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Shree GulabKunverba Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya and Institute of Ayurvedic Pharmaceutical sciences, Maharshi Patanjali Institute for Yoga Naturopathy Education & Research (to be made part of the Department of Swasthvritta of the proposed ITRA).

Lok Sabha passed bill to cut salaries of MPs by 30 percent Lok Sabha has passed a bill to reduce for one year the salaries of MPs by 30 per cent "to meet the exigencies arising out of Covid-19 pandemic". The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was introduced in the Lower House.

Current Affairs 2020

The Bill will replace the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Ordinance which was promulgated in April this year. The Bill seeks to reduce the salaries of MPs and the sumptuary allowance of Ministers by 30 per cent. It also seeks to reduce the constituency allowance and office expenses allowance of MPs. The Bill makes these changes effective for a period of one year, effective from 1st April, 2020. The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954 provides for the salary, allowances and pension of Members of Parliament.

The act is in pursuance to the constitutional provisions where article 106 of the Constitution of India provides that the members of either House of Parliament shall be entitled to receive such salaries and allowances as may from time to time be determined by Parliament by law.

Lok Sabha passed the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 Lok Sabha passed the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 which seeks to deregulate food items, including cereals, pulses and onion, a move aimed at transforming the farm sector and raising farmers' income. The Bill seeks to amend the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and empowers the central government in terms of production, supply, distribution, trade, and commerce of certain commodities.

The bill empowers the central government to designate certain commodities including food items, fertilizers, and petroleum products as essential commodities. Supply of certain food items including cereals, pulses, potato, onions, edible oilseeds, and oils, can be regulated by the government under extraordinary circumstances as per the provisions of this bill. The extraordinary circumstances include war, famine, extraordinary price rise and natural calamity of grave nature.

The Bill empowers the central government to regulate the stock of an essential commodity that a person can hold.

The provisions of the bill regarding the regulation of food items and the imposition of stock limits will however not apply to any government order relating to the Public Distribution System or the Targeted Public Distribution System.

On September 6, 2018, a five-judge Constitution Bench, unanimously held that criminalisation of private consensual sexual conduct between adults of the same sex under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code is clearly unconstitutional.

Current Affairs 2020

Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code is a section of the Indian Penal Code introduced in 1861. It makes sexual activities "against the order of nature" illegal.

Amendment of Companies Act to promote ease of doing business The Lok Sabha passed the Companies Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020, which decriminalises a number of technical and filing-related corporate offences. It also allows direct listing of Indian companies on foreign stock exchanges and revokes the criminal provisions added to the Companies Act for violations of provisions of corporate social responsibility rules. The Bill is set to replace an Ordinance that has already brought these changes into effect. 48 sections of the Companies Act, 2013 will be amended to decriminalise various offences. There will, however, be no relaxation for serious offences, including fraud, deceit and those that cause injury to public.

Ms Sitharaman informed that there will also be a new chapter on producer organisation which will be helpful for farmer producer organisations (FPOs) in the country. 17 provisions in the Companies Act, 2013, have also been amended which paves way for easy and user friendly fulfilment of statutory compliances.

Lok Sabha passed taxation bill to provide reliefs for taxpayers Lok Sabha passed a taxation bill that seeks to provide various reliefs in terms of compliance requirements for taxpayers amid the coronavirus pandemic. The reliefs include extending deadlines for filing returns and for linking PAN and Aadhaar.

The Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Bill, 2020, will replace the Taxation and other Laws (Relaxation of Certain Provisions) Ordinance, 2020, promulgated in March.

The bill aims at providing relaxations related to compliance by extending the time limit and waiving penalty in relation to certain specified laws. These laws include the Income Tax Act, 1961 (IT Act), some Finance Acts, the Central Excise Act, 1944, the Customs Act, 1962, and the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988. The bill will replace the ordinance which was promulgated in March this year. The bill also extends the deadline for filing declaration and due amount under the Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme till 31st December.

The legislation provides these relaxations in view of spread of the coronavirus pandemic in India. The bill proposes amendment in the IT Act to provide that donations made by a person to the PM CARES Fund will be eligible for 100 per cent deduction in the taxable income.

Rajya Sabha passed Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (2nd Amendment) Bill Rajya Sabha passed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (2nd Amendment) Bill, thereby temporarily suspending initiation of Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process. It amends the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.

Current Affairs 2020

The Bill seeks to temporarily suspend initiation of the corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) under the Code. When a default occurs, the Code allows the creditors of the company or the company itself to initiate CIRP by filing an application before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). The Bill provides that for defaults arising during the six months from March 25, 2020, CIRP can never be initiated by either the company or its creditors. The central government may extend this period to one year through notification. The Bill clarifies that during this period, CIRP can still be initiated for any defaults arising before March 25, 2020.

BAC holds meeting to discuss legislative business The Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of Parliament held a meeting to discuss the legislative business and other issues related to the ongoing Monsoon Session. The BAC consists of 15 members including the Speaker who is the ex-officio Chairperson. The members are nominated by the Speaker. In practice, a new Committee after being nominated by the Speaker is constituted and assumes office in the first week of June every year. The Committee generally meets at the beginning of each Session and thereafter as and when necessary.

The function of the Committee is to recommend the time that should be allotted for the discussion of such government legislative and other business as the Speaker, in consultation with the Leader of the House, may direct to be referred to the Committee. The Committee, on its own initiative, may also recommend to the Government to bring forward particular subjects for discussion in the House and recommend allocation of time for such discussions. The decisions reached by the Committee are always unanimous in character and representative of the collective view of the House. The Business Advisory Committee was constituted for the first time on the 14th July, 1952.

Rajya Sabha passed two contentious agriculture bills The Rajya Sabha descended into chaos as the House passed two contentious agriculture bills amid a prolonged outpouring of anger by the opposition parties. The two ordinances – Farmers’ and Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 – were passed by a voice vote. The first is by discussing it on the floor of the two Houses. The second mechanism is by referring a Bill to a parliamentary committee. But referring of Bills to parliamentary committees is not mandatory. India’s Parliament has multiple types of committees. They can be differentiated on the basis of their work, their membership and the length of their tenure.

Current Affairs 2020

First are committees that examine bills, budgets and policies of ministries. These are called departmentally related Standing Committees. Departmentally related Standing Committees have a tenure of one year, then they are reconstituted and their work continues throughout the term of a Lok Sabha. Then there are committees constituted for a specific purpose, with MPs from both Houses. The specific purpose could be detailed scrutiny of a subject matter or a Bill. These are Joint Parliamentary Committees (JPC). And finally, there is a Select Committee on a Bill. This is formed for examining a particular Bill and its membership is limited to MPs from one House.

Since both the JPCs and Select Committees are constituted for a specific purpose, they are disbanded after their report. Both these types of committees are chaired by MPs from the ruling party.

Lok Sabha passed the Foreign Contribution Amendment Bill, 2020 The Lok Sabha passed the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2020 even as the Opposition raised concerns that the legislation may be used to target political opponents and religious minorities. The Bill seeks to streamline the provisions of the FCRA by strengthening the compliance mechanism, enhancing transparency and accountability in the receipt and utilisation of foreign contribution worth thousands of crores of rupees every year.

The proposed amendments seek to bar public servants from receiving foreign funding. The amendments seek to make Aadhar mandatory for all office bearers of NGOs and other organisations which are seeking foreign contributions. Need of bill: There are some NGOs which do not inform the government about the foreign contributions they receive. Some NGOs have been found to be violating norms by deviating from their objectives.

The MoU will see some time-tested and scientifically proven Ayush-based solutions being adopted for controlling malnutrition in the country. POSHAN Abhiyaan or National Nutrition Mission is Government of India’s flagship programme under Ministry of Women & Child Development to improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. The specific areas identified under the MoU for co-operation include Integration of AYUSH into POSHAN Abhiyaan and Control of malnutrition through the principles and practices of Ayurveda, Yoga and other Ayush systems.

Current Affairs 2020

The Anganwadi worker who is providing the Ayurveda nutrition message to the community at ground level may be designated as ‘DHATRI’ - Dedicated Health Activist to Replenish the Innutrition.

The two Ministries have also decided to launch the hashtag #Ayush4Anganwadi for generating awareness about the activities on the digital media.

Election Commission of India organized International Webinar The Election Commission of India organized an International Webinar on 21st September 2020, on the Theme ‘‘Issues, Challenges and Protocols for Conducting Elections during COVID-19 : Sharing Country Experiences’ on its completion of one year of Chairmanship of the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB). The Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) is largest association of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) worldwide.

At present A-WEB has 115 EMBs as Members & 16 Regional Associations/Organisations as Associate Members. ECI has been very closely associated with the process of formation of A-WEB since 2011. ECI hosted the 4th General Assembly of A-WEB on 03 Sep 2019 at Bengaluru and took over as Chair of A-WEB for 2019-2021 term. An India A-WEB Centre has been established at New Delhi, for documentation, research and training for sharing the best practices and capacity building of officials of A-WEB members.

This is the first Webinar being held by the India A-WEB Centre.

Lok Sabha passed Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill, 2020 Lok Sabha passed Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill, 2020 which will replace an ordinance issued in April by the government. The bill amends the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 to include protections for health care service personnel combating epidemic diseases and expands the powers of the Central Government to prevent the spread of such diseases. The bill repeals the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance that was promulgated in April this year.

The legislation makes harm, injury, hurt or danger to the life of health care service personnel as a cognizable and non-bailable offence. It has provisions of imprisonment from three months to five years and a fine between 50 thousand rupees to two lakh rupees. Persons convicted of offences under the bill will also be liable to pay compensation to the health care service personnel whom they have hurt.

Current Affairs 2020

Rajya Sabha passed Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020 The Rajya Sabha passed Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020. The Bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha on September 14. The Bill, which is now an Act, proposes amendments to the Homoeopathy Central Council Act, 1973. It will replace the Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, promulgated on April 24.

The Act sets up the Central Council of Homoeopathy which regulates homoeopathic education and practice. The legislation amends the 1973 Act to increase the period for the supersession of the Central Council from two years to three years.

Parliament nod to two bills related to Indian medicine council and Homeopathy central council Parliament night approved two bills replacing ordinances related to the Central Council of Homoeopathy and the Indian Medicine Central Council. The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020 seeks to further extend the time to form the Central Council of Homeopathy by a year, after exhausting two years for the purpose. The Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Bill amends the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970.

The Act provides for the constitution of a Central Council which regulates the education and practice of the Indian medicine system including Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy.

The bill replaces the Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 which was promulgated in April this year. It provides that the Central Council will stand superseded from April this year and the council will be reconstituted within one year from the date of its supersession. In the interim period, the Central Government will constitute a Board of Governors, which will exercise the powers of the Central Council. The board will consist of up to ten members.

Eight Rajya Sabha MPs were suspended for unruly behaviour Eight Rajya Sabha MPs were suspended for unruly behaviour in the House the previous day. The motion was passed by a voice vote. Rule Number 373 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business says: “The Speaker, if is of the opinion that the conduct of any Member is grossly disorderly, may direct such Member to withdraw immediately from the House for the remainder of the day’s sitting.” The Speaker may name a Member who disregards the authority of the Chair or abuses the rules of the House by persistently and wilfully obstructing the business thereof.

If a Member is so named by the Speaker, the Speaker shall, on a motion being made forthwith put the question that the Member be suspended from the service of the House for a period not exceeding the remainder of the session.

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Provided that the House may, at any time, on a motion being made, resolve that such suspension be terminated. Rule 374A: It is invoked by Speaker for automatic suspension of member of the House – for five consecutive sittings or the remainder of the session, whichever is less in the event of grave disorder occasioned by a Member (coming into the well of the House or abusing the Rules of the House persistently and wilfully obstructing its business by shouting slogans or otherwise).

Lok Sabha passed the Social Security Code, 2020 The Lok Sabha cleared three labour Bills amalgamating laws on social security, occupational safety and industrial relations which would usher in changes including allowing companies with less than 300 workers to hire and fire without prior approval and provide gig and platform workers social security. Extending the reach of Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC): Effort have been made to provide right to health security under ESIC to maximum possible workers:-

 The facility of ESIC would now be provided in all 740 districts. At present, this facility is being given in 566 districts only.  Establishments working in hazardous sectors would mandatorily be linked with ESIC, even if there is only one worker working in it.  Provision for making scheme for linking unorganised sector and Gig workers with ESIC.  Option to link workers working in Plantations is being given to Plantation owners.  Option for becoming member of ESIC is also being given to establishments with less than 10 workers.

Extending the reach of Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO):

 EPFO’s coverage would be applicable on all establishments having 20 workers. At present, it was applicable only on establishments included in the Schedule.  Option to join EPFO is also being given to establishments having less than 20 workers.  Schemes would be formulated for bringing workers coming under the category of ‘Self- employed’ or falling under any other category under the aegis of EPFO.

Provision has been made to formulate various schemes for providing comprehensive social security to workers in unorganised sector. A “Social Security Fund” will be created on the financial side in order to implement these schemes. Work to bring newer forms of employment created with the changing technology like “platform worker or gig worker” into the ambit of social security has been done in the Social Security Code. Provision for Gratuity has been made for Fixed Term Employee and there would not be any condition for minimum service period for this.

Rajya Sabha passed IIIT Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020 The government has passed the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) bill in the Rajya Sabha. The bill will confer the status of National Importance to five Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) — Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Raichur.

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The Bill seeks to declare five IIITs set up under the PPP mode in Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala, and Raichur as institutions of national importance. Currently, these institutes are registered as Societies under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and do not have the power to grant degrees or diplomas. On being declared institutions of national importance, the five institutes will be granted the power to grant degrees. The Bill seeks amendment to the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Act, 2014 and the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public-private Partnership) Act, 2017. The central government will contribute fifty percent towards the expenses of institutes functioning under the PPP mode. 35 per cent will be borne by the states and fifteen per cent by the industries.

As a special impetus to north eastern states, central government will bear over fifty seven per cent of the expenses whereas industries will contribute around seven percent to the Institutes there.

Rajya Sabha passed Rashtriya Raksha University Bill 2020 Rajya Sabha passed the Rashtriya Raksha University Bill 2020, which seeks to establish Rashtriya Raksha University as an institution of national importance by upgrading Raksha Shakti University, Gandhinagar. The Bill establishes the Raksha Shakti University, Gujarat (established under the Raksha Shakti University Act, 2009) as a University called the Rashtriya Raksha University in Gujarat.

The Bill declares the University to be an institution of national importance. The Bill also repeals the 2009 Act. The Bill provides for several authorities under the University. These include: (i) the Governing Body, to frame the broad policies and programmes of the University, (ii) the Executive Council, which will be the principal executive body, and (iii) the Academic Council, which will specify the academic policies of the University. The functions of the University include: (i) providing instructions and research in police sciences, including coastal policing and cyber security, (ii) establishing and maintaining colleges, and (iii) prescribing courses, holding exams, and granting degrees and other distinctions.

Lok Sabha passed Industrial Relations Code Bill, 2020 Parliament passed the three key labour reform bills that will provide greater flexibility to employers to hire and fire while ensuring social security for workers.

Efforts made by the Government under the code for quickly resolving disputes of the workers are: Provision for two members instead of one member in the Industrial Tribunal. In case of absence of one member, work can still be undertaken smoothly. Provision for taking the matter straight to the Tribunal in case the dispute is not resolved at conciliation stage. At present, the case is referred to the Tribunal by the appropriate Government. Implementation of award in 30 days after Tribunal award.

Current Affairs 2020

After recognition of Fixed Term Employment, workers will get the option of Fixed Term Employment instead of contract labour. Under this, they would get benefits of hours of work, salary, social security and other welfare benefits like a Regular Employee.

With the objective of better and effective participation of Trade Unions, a provision for “Negotiating Union” and “Negotiating Council” has been made for undertaking negotiation on any dispute. Provision has been made for giving recognition to Trade Unions at Central and State level. This recognition has been given in the labour laws for the first time and after this recognition, Trade Unions would be able to contribute more affirmatively and more effectively at the Central and State level. Provision for RE-Skilling fund has been made in the law for the first time. Its aim would be to re- skill those workers who have been fired from their jobs, so that they are easily able to get employment again.

Lok Sabha passed several bills including National Forensic Science University Bill 2020 Lok Sabha has passed the National Forensic Science University Bill 2020. The Bill establishes National Forensic Science University as an institute of national importance. The proposed university would facilitate and promote studies and research and help achieve excellence in the field of forensic science in conjunction with applied behavioural science studies, law, criminology and other allied areas. The Bill is to establish the Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar and the Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Sciences, New Delhi, as a National Forensic Sciences University, Gujarat.

The Bill declares the University to be an Institution Of National Importance. This university will work for the capacity building in the field of forensic science and promote research. Criminal justice plays an important role in the justice delivery system, hence, the establishment of this University will promote research in the field of forensic science.

Lok Sabha passed Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020 The Lok Sabha passed the Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020 that looks to reorient the governance model in central ports to landlord model, whereby port infrastructure is leased to private operators.

The Bill seeks to provide for regulation, operation and planning of major ports in the country and provide greater autonomy to these ports. It seeks to replace the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963. The legislation provides for the creation of a Board of Major Port Authority for each major port. These Boards will replace the existing Port Trusts. The bill will help the ports develop world class infrastructure and will also enhance transparency in their functioning.

Current Affairs 2020

Parliament passed Bilateral Netting of Qualified Financial Contracts Bill, 2020 Parliament has passed the Bilateral Netting of Qualified Financial Contracts Bill, 2020 with Rajya Sabha approving it. The bill provides a legal framework for bilateral netting of qualified financial contracts. The bill provides a legal framework for bilateral netting of qualified financial contracts. Netting refers to offsetting of all claims arising from dealings between two parties to determine a net amount payable or receivable from one party to another.

The bill allows for enforcement of netting for qualified financial contracts. The provisions of the bill will apply to Qualified Financial Contracts between two qualified financial market participants where at least one party is an entity regulated by the specified authorities RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, PFRDA or the IFSCA. The bill is critical for financial stability in the country and will provide legal basis for bilateral netting between two parties. This bill will also ensure liquidity in the market.

MoRTH notified amendments in Central Motor Vehicle Rules Road Transport and Highways Ministry notified amendments in Central Motor Vehicle Rules facilitating implementation of Electronic enforcement, Maintenance of Vehicular Documents through Information Technology portal with effect from 1st of next month. Use of IT services and electronic monitoring will result in better enforcement of Traffic Rules in the country and will lead to removing harassment of drivers and would facilitate the citizens. The amendment provides for the definition for Challan, Portal inserted as requirement for providing the services through IT and further the enforcement of electronic monitoring and enforcement. Details of driving licences disqualified or revoked by the licensing authority shall be recorded chronologically in the portal and such record shall be reflected on a regular basis on the portal has been provided for.

Provisions have been made for the procedure for Production and Obtaining Certificates in physical as well as electronic form, the validity, issuance of such documents and further the date and time stamping of inspection and identity of the Officer to be recorded. It has been provided that the use of handheld communications devices while driving shall solely be used for route navigation in such a manner that shall not disturb the concentration of the driver while driving.

Current Affairs 2020

Science & Technology Railways developed remote-controlled medical trolley ‘MEDBOT’ Indian Railway has developed a remote-controlled medical trolley named ‘MEDBOT’ to help deliver food and medicines to COVID-19 patients. It is providing service in the Central Hospital of the Diesel Rail Engine Factory of Indian Railways. During Corona crisis, apart from providing transport facilities and essential items like foodgrains to people, Indian Railways has also provided facilities for COVID-19 patients.

CSIR-CMERI developed the World’s Largest Solar Tree CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute has developed the World’s Largest Solar Tree, which is installed at CSIR-CMERI Residential Colony, Durgapur, West Bengal. The installed capacity of the Solar Tree is above 11.5 kWp. It has the annual capacity to generate 12,000-14,000 units of Clean and Green Power. There are a total of 35 Solar PV Panels in each tree with a capacity of 330 wp each.

The inclination of the arms holding the Solar PV Panels are flexible and can be adjusted as per requirement, this feature is not available in Roof-Mounted Solar facilities. Each Solar Tree will cost Rs 7.5 lakhs and the interested MSMEs can align their Business Model with the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evem Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) Scheme for farmers, for developing a Renewable Energy based Energy Grid. The Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (also known as CSIR-CMERI Durgapur) is a public engineering research and development institution in Durgapur, West Bengal. It is a constituent laboratory of the Indian Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

RRI Scientists found a new way for quantum state estimation Scientists experimenting with new ways to manipulate quantum states so that they can be harnessed for computing, communication, and metrology, has found a novel way to characterise and estimate such states.

This method of characterisation called Quantum State Interferography, can help make such manipulations simpler so that several crucial operations in quantum technologies become less cumbersome. The setup requires only two interferometers from which many interferograms can be obtained to reconstruct the state. This provides a ‘black box’ approach to quantum state estimation - between the incidence of the photon and extraction of state information, conditions within the set-up are not changed, thus providing a true single-shot estimation of the quantum state.

A qubit is a 2-dimensional quantum system and requires usually 2 complex numbers to be determined towards state estimation.

Current Affairs 2020

Robot Rakshak can remotely communicate between doctor and patient The Indian Railways has designed a health assistant Robot Rakshak in the fight against the spread of Covid 19 pandemic, which can remotely communicate between doctor and patient. The medical aid robot is able to measure health parameters such as temperature, pulse, oxygen percentage.

It can also provide medicines, food to the patients and make a two-way video communication between the doctor and the patient. It can move in all directions at all levels with a range of remote operations up to 150 meters. With a full charge battery, the Rakshak robot can work continuously for 6 hours and can carry up to 10 kg of weight in its tray.

It is based on Wi-Fi and therefore does not require any mobile data. It also operates with an Android mobile application.

EESL to procure 250 Electric Vehicles from TATA & Hyundai Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) will procure 250 electric vehicles from Tata Motors and Hyundai Motor India. The companies were selected through an international competitive bidding process, which was aimed at increased participation. Tata Motors Limited and Hyundai Motor India Limited won the tender and now will supply 150 Nexon electric compact SUVs & 100 Kona electric premium SUVs respectively for government use.

This procurement will utilize 5 Million USD from the recent grant provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). EESL has received financing from ADB towards the cost of scaling up and financing high priority areas like Demand Side Energy Efficiency Sector Projects.

Two black holes merged billions of years ago In 2019, signals from a collision between two black holes sent gravitational waves were detected at the gravitational wave observatory LIGO (United States) and the detector Virgo (Italy). GW190521 is a gravitational wave signal resulting from the merger of two black holes near a third supermassive black hole. The event was observed by the LIGO and Virgo detectors on 21 May 2019.

The signal detected at LIGO and Virgo, as described by the LIGO Collaboration, resembled “about four short wiggles” and lasted less than one-tenth of a second. Gravitational waves are invisible ripples that form when a star explodes in a supernova; when two big stars orbit each other; and when two black holes merge. Travelling at the speed of light, gravitational waves squeeze and stretch anything in their path.

Gravitational waves were proposed by Albert Einstein in his General Theory of Relativity over a century ago. It was only in 2015, however, that the first gravitational wave was actually detected — by LIGO. Since then, there have been a number of subsequent detections of gravitational waves.

Current Affairs 2020

Chandrayaan-3 launch likely in early 2021 Chandrayaan-3 is likely to be launched in early 2021. However, unlike Chandrayaan-2, it will not have an orbiter, but will include a lander and a rover. After the hard landing of Chandrayaan-2 in September last year, space agency ISRO had planned another mission to the Moon later this year.

Chandrayaan-3 will be a mission repeat of Chandrayaan-2 and will include a Lander and Rover similar to that of Chandrayaan-2, but will not have an orbiter. Planned to land on the South Pole of the Moon, Chandrayaan-2 was launched on July 22 last year. However, the lander Vikram hard-landed on September 7, crashing India's dream to become the first nation to successfully touch down on the lunar surface in its maiden attempt.

The orbiter of the mission is working fine and has been sending data.

Machine learning solution can make exploring geo-resources simpler Scientists struggling with the manual interpretation of growing seismic data to explore causes of earthquake, particularly when the area is geologically complex, are now armed with a machine learning-based solution that can help in automatic interpretation of this data. This first of its kind approach has been developed by computing a new attribute called meta- attribute.

Scientists from WIHG have designing a workflow and computing Sill Cube (SC) and Fluid Cube (FC) meta-attributes. These are hybrid attributes that are generated by amalgamating a number of seismic attributes using a neural-based approach. The WIHG team prepared the meta-attributes following supervised neural learning (machine learning), where computing systems are trained under the guidance of a human analyst. This work is an important step forward towards application of machine learning to address geological problems and looks promising in understanding complex geological processes in an active mountain belt such as the Himalaya.

India successfully tested indigenous hypersonic technology Defence Research and Development Organisation successfully flight tested the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Launch Complex at Wheeler Island off the coast of Odisha.

The HSTDV, which operates on scramjet engines that can attain the speed of around Mach 6, has been developed by the DRDO. The HSTDV is an unmanned scramjet demonstration aircraft for hypersonic speed flight. Hypersonic flight means a speed greater than five times the speed of sound (Mach 5). Hypersonic missiles travel at speeds faster than 3,800 miles per hour or 6,115 km per hour, much faster than other ballistic and cruise missiles. They can deliver conventional or nuclear payloads within minutes.

Current Affairs 2020

A cruise missile either locates its target or has a preset target. It navigates using a guidance system such as inertial or beyond visual range satellite GPS guidance and comprises a payload and aircraft propulsion system.

DIAL launched country's first Covid-19 testing facility at an airport Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has launched country’s first airport Covid-19 testing facility at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi for arriving international passengers. The facility at the Terminal-3 of the airport offers a walk-in option and ensures a safe journey to all the passengers entering the city or scheduled for domestic connecting flights. International passengers traveling without a valid COVID negative certificate can also book a slot in advance for testing at the Airport. The test results are available within four to six hours.

The test is not mandatory for International passengers but they can opt for it to get exemption from the mandatory seven-day institutional quarantine, in case tested negative.

SCTIMST developed a device for the prevention of Deep Vein Thrombosis Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum (SCTIMST) has developed a device for the prevention of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs when a blood clot (thrombus) forms in one or more of the deep veins in your body, usually in your legs. Deep vein thrombosis can cause leg pain or swelling, but also can occur with no symptoms.

Ministry of Science and Technology in a statement said that scientists have come up with a device that can facilitate flow of blood from the veins in the legs thus preventing DVT. The device can bring relief to patients affected by prolonged immobility, bed ridden state, post- operative immobilization and paralysis of legs. Such devices which are so far imported cost between 2 lakh to 5 lakh rupees whereas the device developed by SCTIMST team can be placed in the market for less than one lakh rupees.

Scientists discovered phosphine in Venus atmosphere An international team of astronomers announced the discovery of phosphine gas in the atmosphere of Venus, arousing enthusiasm for the possibility of the presence of life forms on this planet.

A team of scientists have reported traces of phosphine in a concentration of approximately 20 parts per billion, thousands to millions of times more than what could otherwise be expected. Apart from being produced in industrial processes, phosphine, a colourless but smelly gas, is known to be made only by some species of bacteria that survive in the absence of oxygen. This is the most credible evidence yet for the possibility of life away from Earth. Scientists say it is more significant, for example, than the discovery of water on the Moon or Mars.

Current Affairs 2020

The finding can further ignite interest in space missions to Venus. In fact, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is also planning a mission to Venus, tentatively called Shukrayaan, in the near future. As of now, the plan is still on the drawing board.

Sun entered a new Solar Cycle Scientists from NASA and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that the Sun has entered a new Solar Cycle. They described it as the Solar Cycle 25. Since the Sun’s surface is a very active space, electrically charged gases on its surface generate areas of powerful magnetic forces, which are called magnetic fields. Since the gases on the Sun’s surface are constantly moving, these magnetic fields can get stretched, twisted and tangled creating motion on the surface, which is referred to as solar activity.

Solar activity varied with the stages of the solar cycle, which lasts on average for a period of 11 years. Solar cycles have implications for life and technology on Earth as well as astronauts in space. Scientists track a solar cycle by using sunspots, which are the dark blotches on the Sun that are associated with solar activity. Sunspots are associated as the origins for giant explosions such as solar flares that can spew light, energy and solar material into space. A Sunspot is an area on the Sun that appears dark on the surface and is relatively cooler than the surrounding parts. These spots, some as large as 50,000 km in diameter, are the visible markers of the Sun’s magnetic field, which forms a blanket that protects the solar system from harmful cosmic radiation.

NIMHANS develops new Indian Brain Templates Neurologists, neurosurgeons and psychiatrists in India can map the brain structure of their patients and make an accurate assessment using Indian Brain Templates (IBT) and a brain atlas developed by a team of neuroscientists from NIMHANS.

The neuroscientists studied over 500 brain scans of Indian patients to develop five sets of templates and a brain atlas for five age groups covering late childhood to late adulthood (six to 60 years). While some countries have their own scale to measure the brain, Indian scientists are still dependent on the Caucasian brain template. Now they developed a scale that will measure an Indian brain. The templates and atlas will provide more precise reference maps for areas of interest in individual patients with neurological disorders like strokes, brain tumours, and dementia.

These templates and atlas will also help pool information more usefully in group studies of the human brain and psychological functions, aiding our understanding of psychiatric illnesses.

Delhi Metro develops indigenous signalling technology The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has developed an indigenously built signalling technology for metro trains in line with the government's flagship 'Make in India' initiative.

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The i-ATS (Automatic Train Supervision) is a computer-based system that manages train operation. This system is indispensable for high-density operations such as the metro, where services are scheduled every few minutes. i-ATS is indigenously-developed technology, which will significantly reduce the dependence of Indian metros on foreign vendors dealing with such technologies. It can work with train control and signalling systems of various suppliers. Additionally, it is suitable for introduction in Indian Railways, which is now introducing centralised train control on a large scale that uses ATS functions.

India’s first CRISPR Covid-19 test approved for use in India The Tata CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) test, powered by CSIR-IGIB (Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology) FELUDA, received regulatory approvals today from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for commercial launch, as per ICMR guidelines, meeting high quality benchmarks with 96% sensitivity and 98% specificity for detecting the novel coronavirus.

This test uses an indigenously developed, cutting-edge CRISPR technology for detection of the genomic sequence of SARS-CoV-2 virus. CRISPR is a genome editing technology for diagnosing diseases. The Tata CRISPR test is the world’s first diagnostic test to deploy a specially adapted Cas9 protein to successfully detect the virus causing Covid-19. The Tata CRISPR test achieves accuracy levels of traditional RT-PCR tests, with quicker turnaround time, less expensive equipment, and better ease of use.

The Tata Group has worked closely with CSIR-IGIB and ICMR to create this high-quality test.

‘Kritagya’ Hackathon by National Agricultural Higher Education Project of ICAR In order to promote potential technology solutions for enhancing farm mechanization with special emphasis on women friendly equipments, a hackathon named “KRITAGYA” has been planned by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) under National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP). Students, faculties and innovators/entrepreneurs from any university / technical institution across the country can apply and participate in the event in the form of a group. In one group maximum 4 participants can compete, with not more than one faculty and / or more than one innovator or entrepreneur.

Participating students can collaborate with local start-ups, students from technology institutes, and can win Rs. 5 lakhs, Rs 3 lakhs and Rs. 1 lakh as first, second and third prize. The ICAR commenced NAHEP, a Government of India and World Bank project, in 2017 with the overall objective to support the National Agricultural Research and Education System in providing more relevant and better quality education to the students. In this regard, ICAR is organizing KRITAGYA- Ag-Tech Hackathon to promote innovation in farm mechanization- A joint initiative by NAHEP and Agricultural Engineering Division.

Current Affairs 2020

DRDO successfully test-fired Laser-Guided Anti Tank Missile Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test-fired the indigenously-developed Laser-Guided Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) from the Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun at KK Ranges in Ahmednagar in Maharashtra. In these tests, the ATGM successfully defeated a target located at 3 km. Laser guided ATGMs lock and track the targets with the help of laser designation to ensure precision hit accuracy.

The missile employs a tandem HEAT warhead to defeat Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) protected armoured vehicles. It has been developed with multiple-platform launch capability and is currently undergoing technical evaluation trials from gun of MBT Arjun. Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE) Pune in association with High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) Pune, and Instruments Research & Development Establishment (IRDE) Dehradun have developed the missile.

Railway rolled out User Depot Module to completely digitize its supply chain Indian Railway has rolled out User Depot Module (UDM) developed by Centre for Railway Information Systems, digitally across all User Depots of Western Railway by P. C. Sharma, Member (T&RS) Railway Board. This system will be implemented shortly across all Zones of Indian Railways.

Railway’s supply chain up to Stores Depots has already been digitized, however activities at user end are being done manually. Implementation of this system will bring in transformational changes from manual working to digital working with real time transactions and online information exchange among all stakeholders. This will ensure digitization of complete supply chain, including user depots. The system will facilitate economy, efficiency and transparency besides improved asset management. It will ensure improved service level and satisfaction to customers.

Security Keel laid for the third stealth frigate of Project 17A COM & CWP&A of the Indian Navy and Additional Secretary of Defence Production have laid the keel of the third ship (Yard- 12653) of the prestigious P17A class stealth frigates on 10 Sep 2020.

Seven frigates under P17A series will be constructed of which four are being constructed in MDL and three in GRSE with MDL as the lead yard. The P17A class frigates are being built using indigenously developed steel and fitted with weapons and sensors along with Integrated Platform Management System. These ships are having stealth features. Construction of P17A ships differ in the very concept of warship building by way of adoption of the modern technology ‘Integrated Construction (IC)’ where the blocks are pre-outfitted before joining to reduce the build period of warships. When commissioned the platforms will enhance the combat capability of the Indian Naval fleet.

Current Affairs 2020

Rafale Fighter Aircraft formally inducted in Indian Air Force French made Rafale Fighter Aircraft has been formally inducted into the Indian Air Force at a formal function at Air Force Station, Ambala. The first five Rafale aircraft which arrived at Air Force Station, Ambala from France on 27th July 2020, would be part of 17 Squadron, the “Golden Arrows”.

The multirole and one of the most advanced flying machines, Rafale would be part of 17- Squadron, which is popularly known as the “Golden Arrows”, at the Ambala airbase. The second batch of aircrafts is expected to arrive in India by the end of November this year. The IAF would be acquiring a total of 36 Rafale jets from France and all the aircrafts are expected to be inducted into IAF by the end of 2021. Rafale aircrafts are India’s first major acquisition of fighter aircrafts for IAF after Sukhoi that were inducted around 23 years back.

The state-of-the-art 4.5 Generation Rafale jet can reach almost double the speed of sound, with a top speed of 1.8 Mach. With its multi-role capabilities, including electronic warfare, air defence, ground support and in- depth strikes, the Rafale lends air superiority to the Indian Air Force. The Rafale jets also come with SCALP, the air-to-ground cruise missile with a range over 300 km. It is a long-range deep strike missile.

India successful conducted flight test of ABHYAS India has successfully conducted the flight test of ABHYAS - High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) vehicles from a test range in Odisha. During the trials, two demonstrator vehicles were successfully test flown. The vehicle can be used as target for evaluation of various missile systems. Abhyas is designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment of The air vehicle is launched using twin underslung booster. It is powered by a small gas turbine engine and has MEMS based Inertial Navigation System for navigation along with the Flight Control Computer for guidance and control.

The vehicle is programmed for fully autonomous flight. The check-out of air vehicle is done using laptop based Ground Control Station.

Passage Exercise between Australian, Indian Navy underway in East Indian Ocean The Passage Exercise (PASSEX) between the Royal Australian Navy and the Indian Navy is underway in the East Indian Ocean region, said a spokesperson of the Indian Navy. From the Indian side, Indian Naval Ships Sahyadri and Karmuk will be present and Australia will be represented by HMAS Hobart.

PASSEXs are regularly conducted by the Indian Navy with units of friendly foreign navies. Australia is the third country, since June, with which India will conduct the exercises. The first was with US Navy's USS Nimitz and the second was the Russian Navy.

Current Affairs 2020

Defence Procurement Procedure 2020 Defence Ministry recently has unveiled the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) – 2020. DAP 2020 will be applicable with effect from 01 October 2020. The first Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) was promulgated in the year 2002 and has since been revised periodically.

The New Category of Buy (Global – Manufacture in India) incorporates ‘manufacture of either the entire/part of the equipment or spares/assemblies/sub-assemblies/Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility for the equipment, through its subsidiary in India. The categories of Buy (Indian-IDDM), Make I, Make II, Production Agency in Design &Development, OFB/DPSU and SP model will be exclusively reserved for Indian Vendors meeting the criteria of Ownership and Control by resident Indian Citizens with FDI not more than 49%. A simple and practical verification process has been instituted and Indigenous Content (IC) will now be calculated on ‘Base Contract Price’ e. Total Contract Price less taxes & duties.

Provision for exploring options for operating base applications like Fire Control System, Radars, Encryption, Communications etc on indigenous software in Buy (Indian- IDDM) & Buy (Indian) cases has been included. A separate dedicated chapter has been incorporated in the DAP 2020 for acquisition of systems Designed and Developed by DRDO/DPSUs/OFB. The Offset guidelines have been revised, wherein 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.

Society and Social Justice Union Cabinet approved ‘Mission Karamyogi’ Union Cabinet has approved Mission Karamyogi which aims at building future-ready civil service with the right attitude, skills & knowledge, aligned to the vision of New India. NPCSCB has been designed to lay the foundations for capacity building for Civil Servants so that they remain entrenched in Indian Culture and sensibilities and remain connected, with their roots, while they learn from the best institutions and practices across the world.

The Programme will be delivered by setting up an Integrated Government Online Training-iGOT Karmayogi Platform. To cover around 46 lakh Central employees, a sum of Rs.510.86 crore will be spent over a period of 5 years from 2020-21 to 2024-25. The expenditure is partly funded by multilateral assistance to the tune of USD 50 million.

National Training Academy for Rural Self Employment Training Institutes in Bengaluru E-Foundation stone laying ceremony of the new training Institute building of National Academy of RUDSETI (NAR) was held in Bengaluru. National Academy of RUDSETI (NAR) is a resource organization committed to Entrepreneurship Development through motivation, training and facilitation.

Current Affairs 2020

It is a joint venture promoted by two public sector Banks and an Educational Trust of Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala. National Academy of RUDSETI (NAR), an offshoot of RUDSETI movement is spearheading the concept by Training the Trainers/facilitators and mentoring the Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) established across the country. National Academy of RUDSETI is a Trust registered under Indian Trusts Act.

Data for Accidental Deaths & Suicides released by NCRB The data for Accidental Deaths and Suicides released by the National Crime Records Bureau, NCRB shows that India is doing better than the global rate. The rate of road accident deaths per thousand vehicles in India is 61, while the global rate as per the WHO Report is 64.

The rate of road accident deaths per thousand vehicles in India is 61, while the global rate as per the WHO Report is 64. Road accidents form 92.2 percent of the total traffic accidents and have consistently declined. This may be attributed to better implementation of laws such as the Motor Vehicles Act, MVA. Road accidents due to over-speeding, which was a major cause of road accidents in previous years and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol have declined nationally owing to amendments in the MVA.

The rate of road traffic deaths per one lakh population over the last 15 years has approximately been 18. The rate of road accident deaths per lakh population in 2019 in the country is 11.6. This rate is very close to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs which calls for reduction in the number of deaths by half which comes to 8 by the year 2020. In the national capital, Delhi, deaths in cases of road accidents have seen a major decline from 1,734 to 1,508.

42,480 farmers and daily wagers committed suicide in 2019 As many as 42,480 farmers and daily wagers committed suicide in 2019, an increase of about 6 per cent from the previous year, as the number of farmers committing suicide fell marginally while that of daily wagers increased 8 per cent.

10,281 farmers committed suicide in 2019, down from 10,357 in 2018, whereas the figure for daily wagers went up to 32,559 from 30,132. The suicide rate in the deeply stressed farming sector accounted for 7.4 % of the total suicides in the country, resulting in deaths of 5,957 farmers and 4,324 agricultural labourers. The total number of suicides in the country increased to 139,123 in 2019 from 1,34,516 in 2018.

States and UTs which reported increase in suicides in 2019 over 2018 were Bihar (44.7%), Punjab (37.5%), Daman & Diu (31.4%), Jharkhand (25.0%), Uttarakhand (22.6%) and Andhra Pradesh (21.5%).

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Among cities, the suicide rate (13.9) was higher than the national rate (10.4), with Kollam in Kerala and Asansol in West Bengal reporting the highest suicides rate of 41.2 and 37.8 respectively.

Out of the mega cities, the four metropolitan cities – Chennai (2,461), Delhi (2,423), Bengaluru (2,081) and Mumbai (1,229) have reported higher numbers of suicides. These four cities together have reported almost 36.6 % of the total suicides reported from 53 mega cities. The highest proportion of suicide victims (23.3 %) were educated up to matriculation while only 3.7 % were graduates and above, said the report.

3rd Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2020 The 3rd Rashtriya Poshan Maah is being celebrated during the month of September 2020. Every year the Poshan Maah is celebrated under POSHAN Abhiyaan (PM’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment), which was launched in 2018.

Ministry of Women and Child Development, being the nodal Ministry for POSHAN Abhiyaan, is celebrating the Poshan Maah in convergence with partner Ministries and departments, at National, States/UTs, Districts, and grass root level. The objective of the Poshan Maah is to encourage Jan Bhagidaari, in order to create a Jan Andolan, for addressing malnutrition amongst young children, and women and to ensure health and nutrition for everyone. Identification of Severely Acute Malnourished (SAM) Children and their management and plantation of Poshan Vaatikas- Nutri gardens, will be undertaken as focus activities during Poshan Maah, along with awareness generation regarding importance of early breast feeding etc.

3rd phase of 'Back to Village' programme in J&K In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the government announced the third phase of ambitious Back to Village (B2V) programme from October 2 to 12, this year.

Terming the first two phases of Back to Village (B2V) as huge success, government said it is a unique programme which received tremendous respect from the people when 4000 Gazetted Officers from J&K administration visited each and every Panchayat of J&K. The Phase-I of B2V was an introductory and interactive programme to understand the people’s grievances and demands. While Phase-II focused on the devolution of powers to panchayats and tried to understand how these panchayats are functioning and what are the grievances and demands, “the Phase-III has been designed on the format for grievance redressal.”

Next month will be a festival of public grievance redressal, festival of public service delivery and festival of delivery of development at gram Panchayat level.

At 96.2% Kerala toped literacy rate chart Kerala has once again emerged as the most literate state in the country with 96.2 per cent literacy, while Andhra Pradesh featured at the bottom with a rate of 66.4 per cent, showed a report based on National Statistical Office (NSO) survey.

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The report on ‘Household Social Consumption: Education in India as part of 75th round of National Sample Survey – from July 2017 to June 2018’ provides for state-wise detail of literacy rate among the persons aged seven years and above.

According to the study, after Kerala, Delhi has the best literacy rate at 88.7 %, followed by Uttarkhand’s 87.6 %, Himachal Pradesh’s 86.6 % and Assam’s at 85.9 %. On the other hand, Rajasthan is the second-worst performer with a literacy rate at 69.7 %, followed by Bihar at 70.9 %, Telangana at 72.8 %, Uttar Pradesh at 73 % and Madhya Pradesh at 73.7 %. The study has pegged the overall literacy rate in the country at about 77.7 %. In rural areas, the literacy rate is 73.5 % compared to 87.7 % in urban areas of the country.

At all-India level, the male literacy rate is higher at 84.7 % compared to 70.3 % among women. The male literacy rate is higher than the female literacy rate among all states. The report also revealed that nearly 4 % of rural households and 23 % of urban household possessed computers.

Centre sanctioned Y-plus category security to Kangana Ranaut Centre Government has sanctioned ‘Y-plus’ security cover to film actress Kangana Ranaut. The decision to grant her ‘Y-plus’ security comes in the wake of threat perception to her. Ranaut will now have two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) commandos protecting her all the time.

The ‘Y-plus’ protection for Kangana is on par with that extended to Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and former deputy chief minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot. Kangana will now have two CRPF commandos, armed with automatic weapons, protecting her at all times, while one CRPF personnel shall be deployed on static duty at her residence. Considering that these personnel will be deployed in shifts, the actress will have a total of 11 CRPF personnel in her security detail. The ‘Y-plus’ protection for her will extend across India.

This comes against the backdrop of threatening statements made by some politicians belonging to the ruling camp in Maharashtra, where she resides and works, in response to her questioning Mumbai police’s handling of the probe into Sushant Singh Rajput death.

Kangana is the 61st VIP and possibly the first actor to be protected by CRPF. Among the 60 existing CRPF protectees, 38 are politicians and 22 from a non-political background. Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani is the only one who pays for his security cover.

Odisha villagers set to get mobile signal for first time Thousands of villagers of Malkangiri district in in Odisha are set to enjoy uninterrupted cellular service for the first time in their lives. Due to threats from left wing extremists, mobile towers could not be installed until now in Swabhiman Anchal (formerly known as Cut-off area). Located along the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border, Swabhiman Anchal comprises 151 villages.

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The area, surrounded by water on three sides and by inhospitable terrain on another, became less remote after the construction of Gurupriya Bridge, which connected the zone with the rest of the State in 2018.

Now, mobile network connectivity is being started in Swabhiman Area at the villages of Pipalapadar, Hantalguda, and Jantapal, which did not have mobile connectivity earlier. Odisha accounts for the highest number of villages that do not have mobile phone service in India.

Multidimensional Poverty Index to rank states/UTs NITI Aayog is at an advanced stage for preparation of a Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) parameter dashboard to rank states and Union Territories, along with a State Reform Action Plan (SRAP).

The Aayog, which is the nodal agency for leveraging the monitoring mechanism of the Global MPI to drive reforms, has set up a coordination committee comprising members from different ministries and departments in this regard. The committee held its first meeting on September 2. The Global MPI is part of the government’s decision to monitor the performance of the country on 29 select global indices. Global MPI is an international measure of multidimensional poverty covering 107 developing countries. It was first developed in 2010 by Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative and United Nations Development Programme for UNDP’’s Human Development Reports.

The Global MPI is released at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development of the United Nations in July, every year. The dimensions of poverty range from deprivations of health facilities, education and living standards. Global MPI is computed by scoring each surveyed household on 10 parameters based on - nutrition, child mortality, years of schooling, school attendance, cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing and household assets.

Child Mortality Rate in India has declined substantially Country's child mortality rate has declined substantially between 1990 and 2019. According to the new mortality estimates released by UNICEF, WHO, the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the World Bank Group, the under-five mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births) in India declined to 34 in 2019 from 126 in 1990.

The country registered a 4.5 per cent annual rate of reduction in under-five mortality between 1990-2019. The number of under-five deaths in India dropped from 3.4 million in 1990 to 824,000 in 2019. The infant mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births) in India declined from 89 in 1990 to 28 last year.

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Govt launcheed e-Gopala mobile app Prime Minister Modi digitally inaugurated the e-Gopala app that will provide farmers marketplace for livestock. The e-Gopala app is a comprehensive breed improvement marketplace and information portal for direct use of farmers.

At present no digital platform is available in the country for farmers managing livestock including buying and selling of disease free germplasm in all forms, availability of quality breeding services and guiding farmers for animal nutrition, treatment of animals using appropriate medicine. There is no mechanism to send alerts on due date for vaccination, pregnancy diagnosis and calving among other issues and inform farmers about various government schemes and campaigns in the area. The e-Gopala app will provide solutions to farmers on all these aspects.

50% of children completed Class X in vernacular Amid a raging debate over “imposition of languages”, official data point to over 50% of students completing their secondary level of education with one of 12 Indian languages and senior secondary level with one of eight home languages, other than English, as the medium of instruction. According to the National Statistical Organisation’s (NSO) latest report on education, 70% or more students whose home language is Assamese, Bengali and Gujarati completed their school education in these vernacular languages. However, more students whose mother tongue is Malayalam, Telugu, Manipuri, Punjabi, Urdu, Sindhi, Konkani or Nepali opted for English as the medium of instruction at least till Class X. In general, a significant shift towards English as medium of instruction is seen at senior secondary level- Classes XI and XII.

The NSO survey reveals that 91.1% of students whose mother tongue is Assamese are learning in their home language at the primary level, the highest for any mother tongue at this level, followed by Odiya at 90.5%. At upper-primary or middle school level, 93.7% of the students whose mother tongue is Odiya are learning in their home language, followed by Assamese (89.8%), Bengali (86.5%) and Hindi (81.5%). The report on “Household Social Consumption: Education”, released in July, surveyed 1.13 lakh households spread across over 8,000 villages and 6,000 urban blocks between July, 2017 and June 2018.

Extension of PM Garib Kalyan Package Insurance Scheme Health and Family Welfare Ministry has extended the ‘Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package Insurance Scheme' for health workers fighting COVID-19 for another 180 days. The scheme was announced on March 30 for 90 days and was extended for 90 days (up to September 25).

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This Central sector scheme provides an insurance cover of ₹50 lakh to healthcare providers who may have to be in direct contact and care of COVID-19 patients, and therefore is at risk of being infected.

It covers private hospital staff/retired/volunteer/local urban bodies/contract/daily wage/ad- hoc/outsourced staff requisitioned by States/Central hospitals/autonomous hospitals of Central/States/UTs, AIIMS & INIs/hospitals of Central Ministries drafted for COVID-19 related responsibilities.

India’s Parliament has multiple types of committees. They can be differentiated on the basis of their work, their membership and the length of their tenure. First are committees that examine bills, budgets and policies of ministries. These are called departmentally related Standing Committees. Departmentally related Standing Committees have a tenure of one year, then they are reconstituted and their work continues throughout the term of a Lok Sabha.

Then there are committees constituted for a specific purpose, with MPs from both Houses. The specific purpose could be detailed scrutiny of a subject matter or a Bill. These are Joint Parliamentary Committees (JPC). And finally, there is a Select Committee on a Bill. This is formed for examining a particular Bill and its membership is limited to MPs from one House. Since both the JPCs and Select Committees are constituted for a specific purpose, they are disbanded after their report. Both these types of committees are chaired by MPs from the ruling party.

The Bill seeks to streamline the provisions of the FCRA by strengthening the compliance mechanism, enhancing transparency and accountability in the receipt and utilisation of foreign contribution worth thousands of crores of rupees every year. The proposed amendments seek to bar public servants from receiving foreign funding.

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The amendments seek to make Aadhar mandatory for all office bearers of NGOs and other organisations which are seeking foreign contributions. Need of bill: There are some NGOs which do not inform the government about the foreign contributions they receive. Some NGOs have been found to be violating norms by deviating from their objectives.

AYUSH Ministry signed MoU with MoWCD for Controlling Malnutrition A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Women and Child Development today in New Delhi for controlling Malnutrition as a part of POSHAN Abhiyaan. The MoU will see some time-tested and scientifically proven Ayush-based solutions being adopted for controlling malnutrition in the country.

POSHAN Abhiyaan or National Nutrition Mission is Government of India’s flagship programme under Ministry of Women & Child Development to improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. The specific areas identified under the MoU for co-operation include Integration of AYUSH into POSHAN Abhiyaan and Control of malnutrition through the principles and practices of Ayurveda, Yoga and other Ayush systems. The Anganwadi worker who is providing the Ayurveda nutrition message to the community at ground level may be designated as ‘DHATRI’ - Dedicated Health Activist to Replenish the Innutrition.

The two Ministries have also decided to launch the hashtag #Ayush4Anganwadi for generating awareness about the activities on the digital media.

ECI has been very closely associated with the process of formation of A-WEB since 2011. ECI hosted the 4th General Assembly of A-WEB on 03 Sep 2019 at Bengaluru and took over as Chair of A-WEB for 2019-2021 term. An India A-WEB Centre has been established at New Delhi, for documentation, research and training for sharing the best practices and capacity building of officials of A-WEB members. This is the first Webinar being held by the India A-WEB Centre.

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PM eased SDRF cap to help states fight the pandemic Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked states to evaluate the efficacy of short and local lockdowns in combating the covid-19 pandemic. He was chairing a high-level virtual meeting with the chief ministers and health ministers of seven states and Union territories to review the status and preparedness of virus response and management.

The State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), constituted under Section 48 (1) (a) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, is the primary fund available with State Governments for responses to notified disasters. The Central Government contributes 75% of SDRF allocation for general category States/UTs and 90% for special category States/UTs (NE States, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir).

40% of toilets in government schools non-existent, unused Public sector units claimed to have constructed 1.4 lakh toilets in government schools as part of a Right to Education project, but almost 40% of those surveyed by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) were found to be non-existent, partially constructed, or unused.

In an audit report presented in Parliament, the CAG said over 70% did not have running water facilities in the toilets, while 75% were not being maintained hygienically. The Swachh Vidyalaya Abhiyan was launched by the Human Resource Development Ministry in September 2014 to meet the Right to Education Act’s mandate that all schools must have separate toilets for boys and girls. Lack of dedicated funds, poor maintenance and poor water availability in toilets were identified as major challenges, and central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) were roped in to bridge the gap over a one-year period. There are 10.8 lakh government schools in the country. Overall, more than 1.4 lakh toilets were built by 53 CPSEs, with significant support coming from power, coal and oil companies.

Rules relaxed for divorced daughters to receive Family Pension Rules have been relaxed for divorced daughters to receive Family Pension and now a daughter will be entitled to receive the Family Pension even if the divorce had not finally taken place but the divorce petition had been filed by her during the lifetime of her deceased parent employee/pensioner. The earlier rule provided for payment of Family Pension to a divorced daughter only if the divorce had taken place during the lifetime of the deceased parent pensioner or his spouse. The new circular will not only bring ease in the life of pension receiving individuals but also ensure respectable and equitable rights for the divorced daughters in the society.

Orders have also been issued for grant of Family Pension to a Divyang child or sibling even if the Disability Certificate is produced after the death of the pensioner parent but the disability had occurred before the death of the parents.

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Similarly, to bring ease of living for the Divyang pensioners, the Attendant Allowance for the helper has been increased from 4,500 rupees per month to 6,700 rupees per month.

MoSPI released ‘Health in India’ report The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has released the report of a survey titled ‘Health in India’, whose main objective was to gather basic quantitative information on India’s health sector. Around 7.5 % of Indians reported that they were suffering from ailments. While in rural India only 6.8 % said that they were suffering from an ailment, this number in urban India was 9.1 %.

The Zoroastrian community remains the most susceptible to ailments. Results from the National Sample Survey (NSS)’s 75th Round released in July show that 31.1 % of Zoroastrians reported that they were suffering from an ailment at the time the survey was conducted. This number for other communities is: Jains, 11.2 %; Sikhs 11 %; Christians 10.5 %; Muslims 8.1 %; Buddhists 8 %; and Hindus 7.2 %. The survey shows that women remain more susceptible to suffering from ailments than men.

In rural India 6.1 % of males said that they were suffering from ailments, while 7.6 % of rural women While 8.2 % of urban males said that they were sick, 10 % urban females said the same.

Committed to raise health expenditure to 2.5% of GDP Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has reiterated the the Narendra Modi government's commitment to increase the expenditure on public health to 2.5 per cent of India's gross domestic product (GDP) by 2025. He added that the 15th Finance Commission’s high-level group on health has concurred that healthcare spending must be raised substantially in the next five years in view of the present pandemic.

Harsh Vardhan was answering questions posed by his social media interactors on the third episode of Sunday Samvaad. Besides the present COVID crisis, these questions covered a multitude of queries concerning the medical infrastructure, the future of Public Health in India, India’s contribution to Climate Change Research and advancements in Meteorology.

Toll-free Tele-counselling Number for Children Affected during COVID-19 The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has launched a toll-free tele- counselling helpline number 1800-121-2830 for children affected during COVID-19 for providing counselling and psycho-social support.

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SAMVEDNA (Sensitizing Action on Mental Health Vulnerability through Emotional Development and Necessary Acceptance) is a Toll Free Tele counselling service -18001212830 (from Monday to Saturday 10 am - 1 pm and 3 pm to 8 pm).

The tele-counselling service will provide psychological first-aid and emotional support to children who are in quarantine or at COVID care centres and children who have COVID positive family members or children who have lost their parents due to COVID-19. The tele-counselling support will cater to children all over India in various regional languages also. Counsellors have been specially trained by the expert team of National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) to address the needs of children in these difficult times.

Sports Ronaldo became second male player to score 100 international goals Cristiano Ronaldo became the second male footballer and the first from Europe to score 100 international goals. The 35-year-old five-time Ballon d'Or winner achieved the feat in his 165th international match.

Ronaldo is only the second men's player to reach 100 goals for his country after Ali Daei, who scored 109 goals for Iran. He had 99 goals under his belt when he took the field during Portugal's Nations League clash against Sweden and netted a brilliant goal to complete the century. He then scored again to dominate Portugal's 2-0 win.

Sunil Chhetri is the all-time top goal scorer for the Indian national team, with 72 goals.

Promotion of Kho Kho and Kabaddi Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India and KhoKho Federation of India, which have been given government recognition to promote the sports of Kabaddi and Kho Kho in the country, have been provided with the admissible financial assistance and other support under the various Schemes of the Ministry and the Sports Authority of India. Further, both Kabaddi and Kho Kho are part of the Khelo India Youth Games. Kabaddi and Kho Kho are also included in the list of games/sports which qualify the meritorious sportspersons for recruitment to Group ‘C’ posts in Central Government offices.

Kho Kho is a popular tag game invented in Maharashtra, India. It is played by teams of 12 nominated players out of fifteen, of which nine enter the field who sit on their knees (chasing team), and 3 extra (defending team) who try to avoid being touched by members of the opposing team. Kabaddi is a contact team sport played between two teams of seven players each. The objective of the game is for a single player on offense, referred to as a "raider", to run into the opposing team's half of a court, tag out as many of their defenders as possible, and return to their own half of the court, all without being tackled by the defenders, and in a single breath.

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Miscellaneous Trial run on new river route connecting Bangladesh with Tripura starts The trial run from Daudkandi in Bangladesh to Sonamura in Tripura started as the MV Premier sailed from Daudkandi on Thursday with 50 metric tonne of cement cargo. It is scheduled to arrive in Sonamura in Tripura after covering a distance of 93 kilometers through river Gumti. The route will connect Tripura with Bangladesh using the inland waterways for the first time.

This is yet another recent connectivity initiative with Bangladesh, which will greatly enhance connectivity between Bangladesh and the North Eastern states of India boosting bilateral trade with Bangladesh. The opening of the new route follows the signing of the 2nd addendum to the Protocol for Inland Water Trade & Transit (PIWTT) in May 2020 which opened two new routes. The PIWTT was signed between India and Bangladesh in 1972 to connect the two countries through inland waterways.

Change in way Mathematics being taught in schools currently The Fastest Human Calculator of the World, Neelakanta Bhanuprakash and an aspiring educational activist, is working on eradicating fear of maths from among 1.5 crore students across the country. Recently, he advocated for change in the way Mathematics is being taught in schools currently. Speaking about his concept called ‘Vision Math’ Mr Bhanuprakash said the many European countries amongst others, have expressed keen interest in it. The 20 year old maths graduate, won the first ever Gold Medal for India in the Mental Calculation World Championship at Mind Sport Olympiad in London recently.

He aspires to produce Math Geniuses from India especially from Government schools with an aim to set up the World’s 1st Brain Training Lab in Telangana.

MoRTH moved ahead with Orientation and Training Programme of iRAD App The 2-days Orientation and Training programme on iRAD App was conducted by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways on 7th & 8th September 2020 for the selected districts of Karnataka, and on 10th & 11th September 2020 for some districts of Uttar Pradesh. The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways is in the process of implementing ‘Integrated Road Accident Database Project (iRAD)’ which will be applicable across the country. In the first instance, it has been decided to implement the proposal in six States, viz. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

The development and implementation of iRAD has been entrusted to lIT Madras and National Informatics Centre Services Inc. The Mobile app of iRAD has been developed and will be customized/integrated as per the requirements of concerned States/UTs.

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The App when developed and functional, will enable the stakeholders such as the Police, Transport, Health, etc to use their mobile phones to collect accident data on the spot.

Government approved ₹971 crore Munger-Bhagalpur NH road in Bihar Road Transport and Highways Ministry has approved a proposal to construct 120 km Munger- Bhagalpur-Tirpety-Kahalgaon concrete road on national highway 80 in Bihar. This will be a 2- lane road with paved shoulders, which will also be 4-lane wide at certain stretches. The road from Munger to Bhagalpur, Kahalgaon and Mirza Chauki of Jharkhand is the busiest route of Bihar. It serves as lifeline for stone supply sector which caters to entire Bihar, Nepal, WB, etc. It is also a major route for carrying fly ash from NTPC Kahalgaon to Saharsa, Madhepura, Begusarai, Purnima and Kishanganj.

It also connects to the famous Vikramshila University of Bhagalpur, besides being an important tourist route.

RCF started its Methanol Plant at Trombay Unit Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd, a PSU under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has started its Methanol Plant at Trombay Unit, Mumbai from 8th September 2020. This is a step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. RCF has the capacity to produce 242 MT of Methanol per day. Till now, RCF has been importing Methanol for its internal consumption and also for trading purposes.

With Methanol production of its own, RCF shall no longer be dependent on imports for its own requirement and will also be in a position to satisfy the needs of other Methanol dependent industries.

With this, RCF has entered the select list of Methanol producers in the country, providing alternate to import and thus contributing towards Government's ambitious 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' Abhiyaan. Methanol is widely being used in the production of pharmaceuticals, pesticides, dyestuff etc. With very limited domestic production, the requirement was being met till now with imports.

Mahatma Gandhi criticized people for polluting rivers 100 years ago Almost 100 years ago, Mahatma Gandhi criticized people for polluting the rivers and other water bodies and mills and factories for polluting the air with smoke and noise.

Mahatma Gandhi was very outspoken about the need for conserving the environment. In 1909 in his book ‘Hind Swaraj’, Gandhiji cautioned Indians against unrestricted industrialism and materialism. He said - "The earth, the air, the land and the water are not an inheritance from our fore fathers but on loan from our children. So we have to handover to them at least as it was handed over to us.

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He believed that India, with its large population and western model of development may exhaust the resources of mother earth. He said that earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need but not every man’s greed. It is only possible to follow his advice if one can distinguish between their real needs and artificial wants. He believed that one must be the change that one wants to see in the world and hence he practiced what he preached.

PM to dedicate historic Kosi Rail Mahasetu to nation Prime Minister Modi will dedicate the historic Kosi Rail Mahasetu (mega-bridge) to the nation through video-conference on September 18. The dedication of the Kosi Rail Mahasetu is a watershed moment in the history of Bihar and the entire region connecting to the North East.

This bridge is of strategic importance along the India-Nepal border. In 1887, a meter gauge link was built in between Nirmali and Bhaptiahi (Saraigarh). During the heavy flood and severe Indo Nepal earthquake in 1934, the rail link was washed away and thereafter due to meandering nature of river Kosi no attempt was made to restore this Rail link for long period.

The Kosi Mega Bridge line project was sanctioned by Government of India during 2003-04. The Kosi is a trans-boundary river which flows through Tibet, Nepal and India. It drains the northern slopes of the Himalayas in Tibet and the southern slopes in Nepal.

From a major confluence of tributaries north of the Chatra Gorge onwards, the Kosi River is also known as Saptakoshi for its seven upper tributaries. The Saptakoshi crosses into northern Bihar, India where it branches into distributaries before joining the Ganges near Kursela in Katihar district.

New All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Darbhanga Union Cabinet has approved establishment of a new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Darbhanga, Bihar. This will be established under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY). Establishment of new AIIMS involves creation of Hospital, Teaching Block for medical & nursing courses, residential complex and allied facilities/services, broadly on the pattern of AIIMS, New Delhi and other six new AIIMS taken up under Phase-I of PMSSY. The objective is to establish the new AIIMS as Institution of National Importance for providing quality tertiary healthcare, medical education, nursing education and research in the Region.

Construction of new AIIMS is fully funded by the Central Government and is likely to be completed within a period of 48 months from the date of the approval of Government of India.

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Cargo plane crashed at Aden Adde International Airport A cargo plane crashed at Aden Adde International Airport in capital Mogadishu in Somalia. The Somalia Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the incident after witnesses claimed they saw the crash. Aden Adde International Airport is an international airport serving Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

It is named after Aden Abdullah Osman Daar, the first President of Somalia. The heavily fortified airport is home to diplomatic missions and serves as a hub for humanitarian flights in the Horn of Africa nation.

Arrested Delhi journalist Rajeev Sharma was passing info to the Chinese Rajeev Sharma was arrested by Delhi Police under the British-era Official Secrets Act (OSA) for allegedly passing on “sensitive information” to Chinese intelligence.

Official Secrets Act has its roots in the British colonial era. The original version was The Indian Official Secrets Act (Act XIV), 1889. It was amended and made more stringent in the form of The Indian Official Secrets Act, 1904, during Lord Curzon’s tenure as Viceroy of India. In 1923, a newer version was notified. The Indian Official Secrets Act (Act No XIX of 1923) was extended to all matters of secrecy and confidentiality in governance in the country.

It broadly deals with two aspects — spying or espionage, covered under Section 3, and disclosure of other secret information of the government, under Section 5. Secret information can be any official code, password, sketch, plan, model, article, note, document, or information. Under Section 5, both the person communicating the information and the person receiving the information can be punished.

The legacy of INS Viraat on its final journey INS Viraat commenced its towed final journey on Saturday from Mumbai, to be broken at Alang in Gujarat and sold as scrap. A look at the Grand Old Lady of Indian Navy, which was decommissioned in 2017 after 30 years of service with Indian Navy and around 27 years prior to that in British Royal Navy.

The ship was commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS (Her Majesty’s Ship) Hermes in 1959. She was part of the key formation of the British forces during the Falklands War against the Argentinian forces in 1982. HMS Hermes was decommissioned within three years after the war. The Indian Navy announced its purchase in 1985-86. The ship underwent a major refit and modernisation before being commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1987 as INS (Indian Naval Ship) Viraat, which means enormous.

INS Viraat proved pivotal in Operation Jupiter in 1989 during the Sri Lankan Peacekeeping operation.

Current Affairs 2020

The ship was also deployed during 2001-02 Operation Parakram following the terror attack on the Indian Parliament. It was decommissioned in 2017.

Age-Appropriate Fitness Protocols; Calls for regular exercise to stay fit and healthy Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a new-Mantra-"Fitness Ki Dose, Aadha Ghanta Roz". He has urged the people to apply this principle in letter an spirit to stay fit and healthy. The Youth Ministry and Health Ministry together released Fitness protocols. Age Appropriate Fitness Protocols have been envisaged for three age groups: 5 – 18, 18 – 65 and above 65.

On the occasion, PM Modi gave the mantra — fitness ka dose, adha ghanta roz ( Fitness dose, Half an hour everyday ) for everyone's health. He urged everyone to practice yoga, or badminton, tennis or football, karate or kabaddi for at least 30 minutes daily. The Fit India Movement was launched by PM Modi on August 29, 2019, has seen a collective participation of more than 3.5 crore Indians in various events.

Shivangi Singh set to become India’s first woman fighter pilot to fly Rafale Flight Lieutenant Shivangi Singh is set to become the first woman fighter pilot of India to fly the Rafale combat aircraft. She hails from Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi and commissioned into the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the year 2017 as part of the second batch of women fighter pilots. She is undergoing conversion training to fly the Rafale jet and will soon join the Ambala-based No. 17 squadron, also known as “Golden Arrows.” The officer, who is one of IAF’s 10 women fighter pilots, joined the air force in 2017. After joining IAF, she has been flying the MiG-21 Bison aircraft. Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh were the first women to be commissioned as flying officers into the IAF fighter stream after basic training in June 2016.

They broke the glass ceiling of the long-standing combat-exclusion policy for women in the Indian armed forces.

Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2020 Time 100 is an annual listicle of the 100 most influential people in the world, assembled by the American news magazine Time. Recently the Magazine listed 100 Most Influential People of 2020’ includes five Indians who have made waves in the last one year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been featured in TIME Magazine’s annual list of the world’s 100 most influential people for the fourth time since he took office in 2014. He was named under the category of ‘Leaders’.

Professor Ravindra Gupta spearheaded a study that led to the second man in history being cured of HIV in London, last year. He is a professor of clinical microbiology at the Cambridge University. He is in the list under the ‘Pioneers’ category.

Current Affairs 2020

Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai is in the list under the category of ‘Titans’. Ayushmann Khurrana was the only Indian actor to make it to the list this year. He was named under the ‘Artist’ category. The 82-year-old Bilkis Bano, who came to be known as the “Dadi of Shaheen Bagh”, was a defining presence at the prolonged protest against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at the small neighbourhood of Shaheen Bagh in southeast Delhi. She is in the list under the category of ‘Icons’.

Government inaugurated Indian Agricultural Research Institute’s Assam campus Union Minister of Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the new Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Assam campus.

The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) is India's national Institute for agricultural research, education and extension. The institute based in Delhi is financed and administered by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The IARI was responsible for the research leading to the "Green Revolution in India" of the 1970s It has been realized that this is an opportune time to replicate the success of IARI in the Eastern Part of the country. In view of this, the Union Finance Minister in his maiden budget speech had announced the establishment of IARI like institutes in Jharkhand and Assam on July 10, 2014.

Accordingly Government of Assam provided land for establishing this Institution at Dirpai Chapori, Gogamukh circle, Dhemaji district of Assam covering an area of about 585 acres of land. The selected site is located at about 430 km from the state capital Dispur, 45 km from Dhemaji town (District Headquarter) and 100 km from Dibrugarh, the second largest town of Assam.

Multi-stakeholder body to monitor net neutrality norms The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended the formation of a multi- stakeholder body, to be established by Department of Telecommunications (DoT) that will monitor the services to check if telecom operators are complying with net neutrality rules. The MSB, which could include telecom service providers, Internet service providers, content providers, researchers, academic and technical community, civil society organisations, and the government, should be set up as a non-profit entity.

The role of the MSB shall be to provide advice and support to DoT in the monitoring and enforcement of net neutrality principles. The MSB may also be required to investigate complaints regarding the violation of net neutrality. TRAI also suggested that the MSB help DoT in maintenance of a repository of reasonable traffic management practices.

The net neutrality principles adopted by DoT were technology neutral and would apply equally to 5G technology, the telecom regulator clarified.

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