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Home , Arjuna Award, Bhawana Kanth, Douglas Stuart (writer), Dronacharya Award, National Sports Awards, Operation Parakram Medal

Awards, Persons & Places Parakram Diwas The Government of recently announced that the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose is to be celebrated as “Parakram Diwas”. Parakram Diwas means Courage Day. Netaji was born on January 23, 1897. The Central Government and the Bengal Government are to begin the yearlong celebrations of 125th birth anniversary year on January 23, 2021. Contents  Netaji started a newspaper called “Swaraj”.

 He had written a book called “The Indian Struggle”.

 The term “Jai Hind” was coined by Netajji Subhash Chandra Bose.  He formed the All India Forward Bloc as a part of the Indian National Congress in 1939.

Flight Lieutanant Bhawana Kanth Bhawana Kanth is to become the first woman fighter pilot to take part in the parade. She was one among the first women fighter pilots inducted in in 2016. The other fighter pilots inducted into the Indian Air Force were and Mohana Singh. Contents Bhawana Kanth In 2019, Bhawana Kanth became the first female fighter pilot of India to qualify to undertake combat missions. She received the from Ramnath Kovind in March 2020.

Jammu & Kashmir: GI tag for Gucchi Mushroom The Jammu and Kashmir Government recently sought GI tag for Gucchi mushroom. The Gucchi mushrooms are highly expensive and are full of health benefits. 500 grams of Gucchi mushrooms cost Rs 18,000. Recently, GI Tag was provided to Saffron of Jammu and Kashmir. They are referred to “May Mushrooms” in North America. The Gucchi mushrooms cannot be cultivated commercially. They grow in the conifer forests of Uttaranchal, and Jammu and Kashmir.

Thiruvalluvar

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The state of celebrates Thiruvalluvar Day during Pongal celebrations. Every year, the Thiruvalluvar Day is celebrated on the second day of Tamil month “thai”.  Thiruvalluvar is a Tamil poet and is best known as the author of Thirukkural. George Uglow Pope translated Thirukkural in English.

Health Ministry Kayakalp Awards The Kayakalp Awards are presented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare annually to the health facilities with the highest standards of sanitation and hygiene. Recently, the Kayakalp awards for the year 2019-20 was presented.

Where is Jack Ma? The Chinese billionaire, Alibaba founder, Jack ma has not been seen in public since October 2020. At the same time the billionaire had hit out against the ruling communist Regime in China.

40th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica The recently launched the 40th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica.  Ministry of Earth science launched the Indian scientific expedition to Antartica.  Ice class vessel MV Vasiliy Golovin has been deployed for the 40th Indian scientific expedition to Antarctica?  Dakshin Gangotri, Bharti, Maitri are the Indian Research base stations in Antarctica.  National Centre for polar and ocean research located in manages the Indian research base stations in Antarctica.  The Indian Antarctic program was launched in 1981 after India signed the Antarctic treaty .  The Treaty was signed in 1961. Currently there are 54 signatories to the Treaty. It is an arms control Treaty signed during cold war.

Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act

The United States recently passed the Malala Yousafzai Act for Pakistani Women.  The Act requires the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to award at least 50% of scholarship to Pakistani women between 2020 and 2022.

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 Malala is a Pakistani activist for female education. She is also the Youngest Nobel Prize Laureate. What is Malala Day?  On July 12, 2013, Malala spoke at the United Nations to call for worldwide access to education. This was on her 16th birthday coincidentally. The United Nations had dubbed the event as Malala Day.

Minister Harsh Vardhan nominated to GAVI Board The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan was recently nominated by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation, GAVI as a member of GAVI board.

Digital India Awards, 2020: wins in Pandemic category The Chief Minister Secretariat of Bihar, National Informatics Centre and the Disaster Management Department have been jointly chosen as winners in “Pandemic Category” in Digital India Awards, 2020. Earlier the Food and Civil Supplies Department won the Digital India Award, 2020 under the “Excellence in Digital Governance” category. It was selected for its Points of Sale based food distribution, online billing and payment for food grains purchased from farmers, GPS tracking of vehicles transporting food grains.

Vishakhapatnam: Best Performing Civic Body in Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Awards The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has selected Vishakhapatnam Municipal Corporation as the best performing civic body. Vishakhapatnam was placed under the Annual Awards for Excellence that recognises outstanding contribution of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban in 2019. The award is to be presented on January 1, 2021. Other Awards Best Performing state Uttar Pradesh

Mirzapur (UP) won the best performing Municipal body. Nagar Panchayat Malihabad, Lucknow was selected for the first place and Hariharpur (UP) was selected for the second place.

Who was Karima Baloch?

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Banuk Karima Baloch was a Baloch Human Rights activist. She campaigned for independence of Balochistan from . She was found dead in Toronto, Canada on December 22, 2020. According to the Toronto Police her body was found near Lake Ontario.

India’s First Hot Air Balloon Safari The Forest Minister of recently launched the first hot air balloon safari of India in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve of India in MP. There are several hot air balloon rides in the country. However, this is the first hot air balloon safari. Contents About Hot Air Balloon Ride The hot air balloon ride is to be restricted in the buffer area. The service is to be operated by a Jaipur based Sky Waltz company. Tourists can watch tigers, Indian Sloth bear and leopards from a height during the ride. The service is to be introduced in other tiger reserves of the state such as Pench Tiger Reserve, Panna Tiger Reserve. Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve The tiger reserve is located in the eastern Satpura hill range. It is known for its Evergreen Sal forest. Bandhav means Brother and Garh means Fort. The region is named after the fort. The fort is believed to have been given by Lakshman to his brother Lord Ram.

National Startup Awards 2021 The Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has invited applications for National Startup Awards 2021. About the Awards Startup Awards carry five lakh rupees of cash money.

Legion of Merit The President of United States conferred the Legion of Merit to Prime Minister . The Prime Minister has been awarded for his steadfast leadership and vision for India’s emergence as a global power. The award was received by the Ambassador of India to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu on behalf of the Prime Minister. About Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit is a military award of the United States. It is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements,

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loyalty. It is one of the two United States military decorations that is issued as a neck let. The other is Medal of Honour. Quad countries In 2020, the Legion of Merit was also awarded to the Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison, former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe.

North African Couscous in UNESCO Cultural Heritage List The Couscous, the Berber dish was recently added to the Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Despite their differences, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Mauritania joined together to highlight their love for the dish. The Couscous has joined Singapore’s Hawker culture, Baudima dance of Zambia and wine horse of Spain into the UNESCO list of Intangible Heritage.

What is Couscous? It is a processed grain product that is made from little balls of Durum wheat or semolina flour. It is a Berber dish. It is a staple food of Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and Libya. The UN Cultural Heritage List has included traditions and practices that are related to the preparation of Couscous. Who are Berbers? The Berbers are ethnic group living in West Africa and North Africa. National List of Intangible Heritage of India It recognizes the diversity of Indian Culture. It was created after the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The list has been classified into five broad domains namely performing arts, social practices, oral traditions, traditional craftmanship and practices concerned with nature. These are different from the UNESCO List of Intangible Heritage. Currently, the following are included in the National List of Intangible Heritage of India:  Kalamkari-It has been included under the Traditional Craftmanship.

 Oggukatha: Traditional Folk Thetre-This has been included under the domain of Performing Arts. (of Telugu speaking regions)

 Tolu Bommalatta-It is one of the shadow puppet theatre traditions of India ()

 Traditions associated with Funerals of Idu Mishimi tribes

 Songs of Shaman (In Arunachal Pradesh - Shaman is mostly seen as a diviner, communicator, negotiator, healer, ritual specialist, and religious expert but neither as a magician nor a mystic. S/he is the middleman between human and spirits who can communicate with the spirits on their behalf.)

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 Sowma-Rigpa: a healing practice (traditional Tibetan practice)

 Lores and Rituals of Nocte (The Nocte are an ethnic Naga tribe primarily living in Arunachal.)

 Deere Yameng (The Adi Tribe of Arunachal had a grand traditional socio-cultural institution called ‘DEE:RE’, which used to be the epicentre of day to day village activities like festival, social Taboo, rituals, cultivation and religious ceremony.)

 Sattriya Music

 Khol (a drum)

 Jun Beel Mela (The Jun Beel Mela is a centuries-old traditional fair and the striking feature of this historic fair is that it has been keeping alive the age-old barter system as a means procuring goods.)

 Ankiya Nat (one act plays performed in ) These are some of the popular Intangible Heritage Culture included in the list.

Golden Peacock Environment Management Award Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has been awarded with the Golden Peacock Environment Management award for the year 2020 in the steel sector.

UNEP’s 2020 Young Champions of the Earth Award The United Nations Environment Programme recently named seven dynamic Environmentalists as its Young Champions of the Earth. Prize winners From India

 Vidyut Mohan of India. He is the co-founder of Takachar. He has built affordable and portable biomass upgrading equipment. It allows farmers to prevent open burning by converting crop to fuels, activated carbon and fertilizers.

UNESCO Prize on Creative Economy

UNESCO is to launch an international prize in the creative economy field in the name of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The UNESCO-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International prize is to be launched from November 2021. 2021 has been declared as ‘International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development’ by UNESCO.

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Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman He is also called the “Father of Bangladesh”. He was the first President of Bangladesh. He also served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from April 17, 1971 till his assassination on August 15, 1975.

Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians The Ramanujan Prize for Mathematicians for the year 2020 was presented to Dr Carolina Arajuo. She is a mathematician from the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics, Rio de Janerio. Hardy-Ramanujan Number 1729 is Hardy Ramanujan Number. When Hardy visited Ramanujan in hospital, Ramanujan told Hardy that 1729 is the smallest number that can be expressed as sum of two cubes in two different ways. 1729 = 13 + 123 = 93 + 103

UN Investment Promotion award to Invest India

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) recently declared “Invest India” as the winner of the United Nations Investment Promotion Award, 2020.

Bru Tribe- Refugee Crisis, Issues, Conflicts, Resettlement, Protests in Tripura Parts of Tripura are witnessing violent protest recently due to the proposed resettlement of Bru tribals. Bru or Reang tribe is an indigenous community in the northeast, living in the states of Tripura, Assam and .

Pilibhit Tiger Reserve receives first TX2 International Award for doubling its population The Pilibhit Tiger Reserve and the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department bagged the first international award TX2. The Pilibhit Tiger Reserve was awarded for doubling its number of tigers in four years. Global Tiger Day: July 29 Every year, the Global Tiger Day is celebrated on July 29. Of all the states, Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tigers followed by and .

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Tarun Gogoi, Ex-Chief Minister of Assam passed away On November 23, 2020, Tarun Gogoi, former Chief Minister of Assam passed away due to post covid-19 complications.

India-International Cherry Blossom Festival of Shillong cancelled

Every year the cherry blossom festival is hosted by Meghalaya in the starting of November. This year the festival has been cancelled due to covid-19. It is the only Cherry festival being conducted in India.

Booker Prize 2020 won by Douglas Stuart The of the year 2020 was won by Douglas Stuart for his debut novel “”. The shortlist of Booker Prize consisted of five more titles such as Burnt Sugar (by Avni Doshi). The Burnt Sugar was published in India as “Girl in White Cotton”. It also included “The New Wilderness” by Diane Cook, “The Shadow King” by Maaza Mengiste, “This Mournable Body” by Tsitsi Dangarembga, “Real Life” by Brandon Taylor Apart from these authors, the event also witnessed the participation of former US President Barack Obama. He recently published the first volume of his book “A Promised Land”. The book was written by Obama during his tenure as the President of United States (2009-17). About Booker Prize The Booker Prize is a literary prize awarded annually for the best novel. The prize is awarded to novels written in English and published in Ireland or UK. It was formerly known as “Booker-McConnell Prize” (1969-2001) and Man Booker Prize (2002-2019). In 1997, Arundati Roy of India won the Booker Prize for her Novel “”. The Booker Prize carries 50,000 pounds of cash money. Douglas Stuart who won the 2020 Booker Prize was the only British author on the US- dominated shortlist. Douglas was born in .

Assam wins best state award in fisheries sector

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On November 18, 2020, Assam won four awards in fisheries sector from the National Fisheries Development Board operating under the Ministry of Fisheries.

Education Minister inaugurated Lilavati Awards, 2020

On November 17, 2020, the Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokriyal ‘Nishank’ inaugurated the Lilavati Awards. The award is an initiative of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Highlights of Lilavati Award 2020  The Lilavati Award aims to recognise the efforts of AICTE affiliated institutions in treating women.

 The Lilavati Awards are to be presented based on the theme of women empowerment. Lilavati The award has been named after the 12th century book called “Lilavati”. The book was written by the mathematician Bhaskara II. Lilavati was the daughter of Indian Mathematician Bhaskara II. The prize was handed out for the first time at the International Congress of Mathematicians that was held in 2010. Bhaskara II Bhaskara II lived during 12th century. He was the leader is a cosmic observatory at Ujjain. Bhaskara I Bhaskara I was the seventh century Indian mathematician and astronomer. Bhaskara I was the first person to write numbers in Hindu Decimal System. In 1979, Indian Space Research Organization launched two satellites honouring the mathematician. In order to avoid confusion, the mathematicians are being called Bhaskara I and Bhaskara II.

Kris Gopalakrishnan appointed the first Chairperson of Reserve Bank Innovation Hub On November 17, 2020, Kris Gopalakrishnan, the former co-chairman and co-founder of Infosys was appointed as the first Chairperson of Reserve Bank Innovation Hub.

Why did the Peruvian President Manuel Merino resign? On November 15, 2020, the Peruvian President Manuel Merino was forced out of power (meaning forced to resign).

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PM Modi unveils “Statue of Peace” On November 16, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled “Statue of Peace”. The statue is being unveiled to mark the 151st birth anniversary of Jain Acharya Shree Vijay Vallabh Surishwer Ji Maharaj. About the Statue of Peace The statue is made of Ashtadhatu. Ashtadhatu is an octo-alloy. The alloy is mainly used in casting metallic idols in Hindu and Jain temples. The alloy is made of metals such as gold, copper, silver, tin, zinc, iron, lead and antimony (or mercury). The metals are mixed in equal proportions to create the idol. The other famous alloy is Panchadhatu (or Panchaloha). This alloy is made of gold, copper, silver, iron and zinc. The statue is 151 inches tall. It is being installed in Pali city of .

World’s Longest Serving Bahrain PM Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa passed away World’s longest serving Prime Minister Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, Bahrain PM, died on November 11. He was 84. New Prime Minister of Bahrain Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa has named crown prince Salman al-Khalifa as the new prime minister of the country.

Second National Water Awards: Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan secure top positions On November 11, 2020, the Vice President Venkaiah Naidu announced the second National Water Awards. Tamil Nadu won the first place followed by Maharashtra and Rajasthan at second and third places respectively.

Nepal President releases Special Anthology on Mahatma Gandhi President Bidya Devi Bhandari has released a special pictorial anthology on Mahatma Gandhi to mark the 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. This anthology is written in the Nepali language. Key Points about the Pictorial Anthology on Mahatma Gandhi  This anthology on Gandhi is titled as “Maile Bujheko Gandhi” or “the Gandhi as I understood”. Other Books on Mahatma Gandhi These are some of the famous books that have been published on Mahatma Gandhi- GANDHI@150– In order to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhi, a noted scholar Rajan Welukar compiled a book titled GANDHI@150 containing 12 articles written on Gandhiji by eminent personalities.

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Being Gandhi– It is a book which was also released to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The book has been written by Indian author Paro Anand.

Gandhi Before India- This book was published in the year 2013 by historian Ramachandra Guha. The books talks about the life of Mahatma Gandhi as a lawyer in South Africa and discrimination faced by him

PM Modi to launch Ro-Pax Ferry Service in

On November 8, 2020, PM Modi is to launch Ro-Pax ferry service between Ghogha and Hazira in Gujarat through video conferencing. Highlights The Ro-Pax ferry vessel called the “Voyage Symphony” is a three-deck vessel. It has a load capacity to load thirty trucks, 100 passenger cars and 500 passengers. The Ro- Pax terminal has a wide range of facilities such as parking area, office building, water tower and a substation.

Yashvardhan K Sinha appointed as the new Chief Information Commissioner The President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind appointed Shri Yashvardhan K Sinha as the new Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of India.  The Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) will hold office for three years. Earlier it was five years

 The CIC and the Information commissioners will receive salary of Rs 2,50,000 per month and Rs 2,25,000 per month respectively. Eligibility to become a CIC Section 12(6) of the Right to Information Ac, 2005 says that the CIC and the Information Commissioners shall not be a Member of Parliament. Section 12(5) of the act states that he should a person of eminence in public life, experience in law, science and technology.

500 metre tall Coral Reef discovered in Australia Great Barrier Reef The scientists have discovered a massive detached coral reef in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. It is the first to be discovered in 120 years. The reef is taller than the Empire State Building of the United States.

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SuBastian It is the underwater robot that is being deployed by the team in the newly discovered reef. The robot has a remotely controlled arm to collect samples for identification.

Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Navarne conferred with rank of “General of Nepal Army” On November 5, 2020, Chief Manoj Mukund Navarne was conferred with the rank of honorary General of Nepal Army. The President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari presented him with a scroll and a sword during the honouring ceremony. India-Nepal Border Nepal shares its border with five Indian states namely , Bihar, , Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Global Himalayan Expedition won the UN Global Climate Action Award Indian organisation named Global Himalayan Expedition wins UN Global Climate Action Award for combating climate change amid COVID-19 pandemic.

Indian-origin Wavel Ramkalawan becomes the President of Seychelles On October 25, 2020, India born Wavel Ramkalawan was elected as the President of Seychelles. This is the first time, the opposition candidate has won elections in Seychelles since 1977. Background Seychelles is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean. It was a British colony till 1976.

Joginder War Memorial inaugurated in Arunachal Pradesh On October 23, 2020, an Indian Army war memorial called the Joginder War Memorial was inaugurated at Bum La, Arunachal Pradesh. It was inaugurated by the ’s daughter. He was awarded Param posthumously. Johnson line It was proposed in 1865 during the British rule in India. It shows Aksai Chin region as a part of India. India takes this line as the correct International border between India and China McDonald line It was proposed in 1893. This line is taken as the correct International border by China.

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McMahon Line The McMahon line runs from the limit of Bhutan to Talu pass. This line is considered as illegal by China. Talu pass is located at the tri junction of India, Tibet and Myanmar. States sharing China border The Indian states sharing China border are Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Also, the union territory shares the international boundary with China.

ITBP deputes First Officer to the newly created Guwahati based Eastern Command The Indo Tibetan Border Police guards the line of actual control. It has recently posted the first officer to head the newly created Guwahati based Eastern command. The ADG Amrit Mohan Prasad has been posted to the Guwahati headquarters of the ITBP.

Singapore: First Country to attach Facial Verification in National Identification Database Singapore recently included facial recognition to its National Identity Database. And thereby, it has become the first country to include the technology in its national database. Contents Highlights The system introduced is called “SingPass Face Verification”. Four Asian Tigers Singapore is addressed as one of the four Asian tigers. The other three are Taiwan, South Korean and Hong Kong.

International Solar Alliance: Solar Awards presented for the first time The third assembly of International Solar Alliance was held between October 14, 2020 and October 16, 2020. The assembly was held in virtual mode. Contents ISA Solar Awards For the first time, the following ISA Solar Awards were presented Kalpana Chawla Awards The award was presented to Dr Bhim Singh of IIT and Dr Aaesha Alnuaimi of UAE. The award recognizes contributions of scientists working in the field of solar energy.

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Visvesvaraya Award It was presented to Japan in the Asia Pacific Region and to Netherlands in the Europe region. It carries a prize money of 12,330 USD. It recognizes countries with maximum floating capacity in four regions of ISA. Diwakar Award The award was presented to Arushi Institute and Arpan Institute. Nicargua was the 87th country to sign the International Solar Alliance in July 2020.

Nobel Prize for Economics, 2020

The Nobel Prize for Economics, 2020 was awarded to Paul R Milogrom and Robert B Wilson. They were awarded for improvements to Auction Theory and also for inventing new auction formats. The prize is also called Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. Highlights By rule, nobel prize cannot be shared by more than three laureates. About the Prize The Nobel Economic Prize was established in 1968 by a donation from the central bank of Sweden Sveriges Riksbank to the Nobel Foundation. It is not one of the prizes that were established by Alfred Nobel in 1895. But still It is administered and referred to Nobel Prize. Is the Nobel Prize for Economics awarded to non-economists? YES. In 1995, the Nobel Prize for Economics was awarded to John Forbes Nash. He was a mathematician who made contributions towards differential geometry, game theory and study of partial differential equations. He is the only person to receive Abel Prize and the Nobel Prize for Economics. The first time, a non-economist Herbert A Simon received the prize in 1978. He was a PhD holder in political Science. Also, Daniel Kahneman, a professor of psychology won the nobel prize for economics.

PM Modi: Rs 100 Commemorative Coin in honour of Vijaya Raje Scindia On October 12, 2020, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to release a commemorative coin of 100 rupees in honour of Vijaya Raje Scindia. Vijaya Raje Scindia is also known as Rajmata of Gwalior. The coin is being released to celebrate the birth centenary of Vijaya Raje Scindia. She was one of the Founder members of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

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Coinage Act 2011 The coins in India are minted as per the Coinage Act 2011. However, the currency notes are printed by the Reserve Bank of India according to the Reserve Bank of India Act. Also, the Circulation of currency and coins is done by RBI. The currency note of 1 Rupee is printed by the Ministry of Finance instead of RBI. Also, the coins are minted by the Ministry of Finance. All the other currency notes from 2 Rupees to 10000 Rupees are printed by RBI.

Bangalore Rose Onions: Key Facts, GI Tag, Exports, Production, characteristics The Government of India recently allowed export of Rose onions. Earlier the union government had banned the export of all varieties of onions. Bangalore rose onions were given with Geographical Indication tag in 2015.

Nobel Peace Prize, 2020

The Nobel Prize for Peace, 2020 has been awarded to the World Food Programme. World Food Programme The programme was established in 1963 at the Food and Agriculture Organization held in 1960. It aims to provide food aid in emergency situations and also build resilience for food security.

Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan passes away On October 8, 2020, the Union Consumer Affairs Minister Shri Ram Vilas Paswan passed away at the age of 74. He underwent a heart surgery at Delhi’s Fortis hospital. Contents About Ram Vilas Paswan He founded the Lok Janshakti Party in 2004. He was one of the most noted Dalit leaders of India. He was born in Shaharbanni village in Khagaria, Bihar.

Nobel Prize in Literature, 2020 The Nobel Prize, 2020 was awarded to Louise Gluck for her poetry. She is the first female poet to win the prize since Wislawa Szymborska in 1996. Though and several other women have received the prize in literature category they were all writers and not a poet. Thus, Louis Gluck is the second female poet to win the award. Olga received the prize in 2018. She is an American pet.

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Nobel Prize 2020  The Nobel Prize for Chemistry, 2020 was awarded to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A Doudna for “Development of a method for Genome Editing”.

 The Nobel Prize, 2020 for Physics has been awarded to Andrea M Ghez, Roger Penrose and Reinhard Genzel for their research on black holes. They discovered the existence of a super giant black hole in the centre of Milky Way.

 The Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology has been jointly awarded to Harvey J Alter, Charles M Rice and Michael Houhgton. The prize was awarded for the discovery of Hepatitis C.

Rajeshwar Rao appointed the new Deputy Governor of RBI

On October 7, 2020, the Government of India appointed M Rajeshwar Rao as the new Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India. The post fell vacant in March 2020 when the previous Deputy Governor N R Vishwanathan resigned citing health issues before his term completed. His term completes in September 2020.

About Nobel Prize for Physics The only Indian who has received Nobel Prize for Physics was Sir C V Raman in 1930. He discovered the Raman Effect. The Nobel Prize for Physics was not awarded in six years. This was in 1916, 1931, 1934 and in 1940, 1941 and 1942 because of world wars.

Indian Army builds memorial for personnel killed in Galwan Clash The Indian Army has set up a memorial to honour twenty soldiers who lost their lives in Galwan Clash. The Galwan Clash was fought between Indian and Chinese Army in June 2020. Highlights India countered Chinese at the Galwan Clash under “Operation Snow Leopard”. Operation Snow Leopard The army took control of the posts in the north and south banks of Pangong Tso and other locations in Ladakh during the operation. This was done to keep an eye on the Chinese. About the Memorial The memorial has the names of the soldiers. They are mentioned as “Gallants of Galwan”. It lies in the Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldi road. Galwan Clash The clash began on the basis of “Nibble and Negotiate Policy” of China.

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25th Amendment of US Constitution The US President Donald Trump and the first lady have tested positive to COVID-19. He is currently treated at the Walter Reed Medical Centre. Highlights The 74-year-old President is working from the centre. If his health deteriorates, the vice president will take over his role. The provisions to the scenario was provided by the 25th Constitutional Amendment of the US. Before the amendment there was no clarity over the scenario such as vacancy of office of vice president and also over inability of president to discharge his duties and power. Key Features of the amendment  Section 1: The Vice President becomes the President instead of assuming his powers and duties

 Section 2: Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of Vice President, the President shall appoint a new Vice President

NASA launches SS Kalpana Chawla Cargo Spacecraft On October 2, 2020, NASA launched a commercial spacecraft named after Indian Origin deceased NASA Astronaut “Kalpana Chawla”.

Atal Tunnel: 9,000 tonnes of steel supplied by SAIL On October 3, 2020, PM Modi is to inaugurate the Atal Tunnel, the world longest high- altitude tunnel. It is the world’s longest tunnel to be located above the altitude of 10,000 feet (3,000 feet). About the Tunnel The tunnel is 9.02 km long. The tunnel reduces the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 km. The tunnel is located beneath Pir Pinjal range. The journey between Manali valley and Lahaul and Spiti Valley that is usually takes five hours will now take 10 minutes. The tunnel is highly beneficial for the defence troops stationed in Ladakh. Also, the tunnel is beneficial to the residents of Lahaul and Spiti Valley who remain cut off from the rest of the country during winters.

Swachh Bharat Awards, 2020 presented On October 2, 2020, the Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Skekhawat presented the Swachh Bharat Awards, 2020. The awards were given under cleanliness categories and drinking water category.

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Highlights The awards were presented under three categories namely Swachh Sundar Samudayik Shouchalaya, Gandagi Mukth Bharat and Samudayik Shouchalaya Abhiyan. The following states and blocks won first prize under Swachh Sundar Samudayik Shouchalaya category  Gujarat won the first prize under Swachh Sundar Samudayik Shouchalaya category at state level.

 The Tirunelveli of Tamil Nadu got the first prize at district level

 Kharchrod block in Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh received the first position at block level

 The Chinnanur village of Tamil Nadu bagged the first prize a Gram Panchayat level

Under the Samudayik Shouchalya category, the following won the prizes  Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh were the best performing states under this category

 Prayagraj and Bareilly won the best performing districts Under the Gandagi Mukt Bharat Mission, and were awarded the first prizes.

MECL begins gold mining in Kolar after 16 years The Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited recently began the Kolar Gold Field exploration after 16 years. Background The Kolar Gold mines are located nearly 100 km from Bengaluru. They were closed in 2001 due to the fall in gold prices. Gold Reserves in India Karantaka is the largest producer of gold in India. Kolar gold mines of Karnataka is one of the deepest mines in the world. Mponeng Gold Mines of South Africa is the deepest gold mine in the world. Andhra Pradesh of the second largest producer of gold in India. Ramagiri, Anantpur of Andhra Pradesh is the most important gold field in Andhra Pradesh. According to the World Gold Council, India has the 10th largest gold reserves in the world with more than 600 tonnes. US has the highest gold reserves in the world (8,133 tonnes) followed by Germany (3,366 tonnes).

Senior IAS Officer PD Vaghela appointed TRAI Chairman

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On September 28, 2020, senior IAS Officer PD Vaghela was appointed as the TRAI (Telecom Regulatory of India) Chairman. He has succeeded RS Sharma.

Kerala wins United Nations Award for Control of Non-Communicable Diseases On September 24, 2020, won the United Nation Interagency Task Force Award for its outstanding performance in controlling non-communicable diseases related Sustainable Development Goals.

No Confidence Resolution in Rajya Sabha: Constitutional Provisions, voice vote, Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha

On September 21, 2020, 12 opposition parties moved No-confidence resolution against the Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha. The resolution was moved over the passage of the controversial farm bills by voice vote. What is Voice Vote? The speaker or the chairman of the house asks the house to put forward their opinion in the form of yes and noes. Based on which side was louder roughly, the passage of motion is decided. Though the vote process of inaccurate, it is quick.

Women Officers for the first time join Helicopter Stream of

For the first time in the history of Indian Defence System two women officers were selected to join as Observers in the Helicopter Stream of Indian Navy. They will be the first women combatants operating warships. Highlights The two women officers joining the Helicopter team are Sub Riti Singh and Sub Lieutenant Kumudini Tyagi. They were recently awarded “Wings” on graduating as “Observers” at INS Garuda, Kochi.

Indian Teenager Udit Singhal named in UN List of 2020 Class of Young Leaders for SDG On September 18, 2020, the United Nations named an 18-year-old Indian teenager in the list of 2020 Class of Young leaders for Sustainable Development Goals. Udit Singhal  The Delhi based teenager is the founder of Glass2Sand. It is zero waste ecosystem that converts glass to sand. The system has been addressing the growing problem of glass

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in the national capital region largely. His initiative prevented empty glass bottles getting dumped into landfills.

 Udit Singhal started the project in 2018.

Legacy and Contribution of Dr Kapila Vatsyayan to Indian Cultural Research Dr Kapila Vatsyayan who was a Leading scholar of Indian classical dance, art, architecture and art history passed away on September 16, 2020 at the age of 92.

 She wrote many books including, 1. The Square and the Circle of Indian Arts in 1997 2. Bharata: The Natya Sastra in 1996 and 3. Matralaksanam in 1988. Her Achievements  She reveived the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship which is the highest honour conferred by the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1970.

 She has also been conferred with the Lalit Kala Akademi Fellowship in 1955 which happens to be highest honour in the fine arts.

 In 2000, she received the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award.

 In 2011, she was bestowed upon with the by the government of India.

Indira awarded to Sir David Attenborough Sir David Attenborough, who is a naturalist and broadcaster, will be awarded the for Peace, Disarmament and Development for the year 2019.

Harivansh Narayan Singh re-elected as Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh has been re-elected as Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha (RS) on September 14, 2020 by a Voice Vote. Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha It is a constitutional post under Article 89 of the Constitution of India. The article states that council of state shall choose a member of council as deputy chairman and if the member resigns or is removed the council should choose another member in order to not leave the office of deputy chairman vacant.

Kesavananda Bharati Passes Away

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Kesavananda Bharati, who filed a petition in the Supreme court and the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgement that the basic structure of the Constitution cannot be altered, died on September 6. How his role is important?  Kesavananda Bharati was a petitioner of a case,Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala.

 In 1970, He had filed a case challenging theKerala Government’s attempts to acquire the Mutt’s property, through the Kerala Land Reforms Act of 1963 as amended in 1969.

 He had argued that this action violated his fundamental right to religion (Article 25), freedom of religious denomination (Article 26), and right to property (Article 31). About Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala. Case It is a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of India that outlined the basic structure doctrine of the Constitution. The Court overturned the Golaknath v. State of Punjab case. This case had held that constitutional amendments through Article 368 were subject to fundamental rights review only if they affect the ‘basic structure of the Constitution’.

National Sports Awards to be held virtually In view of the ongoing lockdown, the President Ram Nath Kovind will virtually announce the names of the winners of the on 29th August, which is celebrated as National Sports Day every year. National Sports Awards Introduced in the year 1976, the National Sports Awards include the award, the award, , the Award, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy, and Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar Award for the year 2020.

VA Tech Wabag wins Global Water Award Chennai based leading water technology Indian Multinational VA Tech Wabag Ltd. bagged the prestigious Global Water Award for its 45 million liters a day Tertiary Treatment Reverse Osmosis Plant at Koyambedu, Chennai.

Girish Chandra Murmu is the new CAG of India The government has appointed Girish Chandra Murmu as the new Comptroller and Auditor General of India with effect from August 8, 2020. He was the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, prior to joining this post. Murmu has been sworn-in by the President of India. He succeeds Rajiv Mehrishi in the office of CAG.

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In the Indian Constitution, Article 148 deals with the office of CAG. The CAG is appointed for a period of 6 years or until attaining the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. CAG cannot take up any other post after his retirement.

Pradeep Kumar Joshi is the new Chairman of UPSC Professor Pradeep Kumar Joshi has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)

Defence Institute of Advanced Technology topped Smart India Hackathon-2020 Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) has won the first prize in the Smart India Hackathon 2020, a national level digital product building competition. The Pune- based institute has been awarded by the Defence Ministry for its product research and development.

Manoj Sinha is the new L-G of Jammu &Kashmir Former Union Minister and BJP Leader Manoj Sinha has been appointed as the new Lt. Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.

SEBI Chairman’s tenure extended till 2022

The government has extended the term of Ajay Tyagi as the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) by a period of 18 months till February 2022.

Women Entrepreneurship and Empowerment (WEE) cohort initiative awards The Women Entrepreneurship and Empowerment, WEE cohort initiative Awards have been announced. The objective of the award is to recognize the efforts of the women in various spheres of life, especially the entrepreneurs. About the Award This award comprises a cash grant of totalling Rs 25 lakhs and this year; this has been bestowed on 11 women entrepreneurs from various parts of the country and from diverse fields.

Nation remembers Bal Gangadhar Tilak on his 100th death anniversary

The Prime Minister has paid tribute to the firebrand leader of the Indian National Movement, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, on August 01, on his 100th death anniversary. A

22 TVM: 9539019861 KOLLAM: 99611119861 DOTS ACADEMY strong opponent of the ‘Poorna Swaraj’, Tilak was a father figure in the Indian National Movement. Contribution of Tilak He was the first to give us the slogan – ‘Swaraj is my birthright.’ Tilak was also known as the ‘Father of the Indian unrest’ by the British colonial rulers. Life of Tilak . He was given the title ‘Lokmanya’ meaning ‘beloved leader’. He was called ‘The Maker of Modern India’ by none other than Mahatma Gandhi.

Rajesh Bhushan takes charge as health secretary Senior Bureaucrat from Bihar Cadre, Rajesh Bhushan took charge as the Union Health Secretary after succeeding Preeti Sudan, who was given a three-month extension in April and finally demitted office on Friday.

Emmy Awards ceremony to be held online due to pandemic The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards will be held virtually this year due to the COVID 19 pandemic situation. This comes after the nominations have been announced for the prestigious awards for this year. . Emmy Primetime Awards It is an American award bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS) to recognize the excellent performances in the US primetime television programming. This is known as the television’s equivalent to the Academy Awards for films, Grammy Awards for music and Tony Awards for theatre.

Nominations invited for the “Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar The Government of India has come out with invitations for nominations for the “Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar” to be bestowed on individuals who should be recognized for excellent work in the field of disaster management. Details of the Award The winners will get a certificate of acknowledgement and cash award worth Rs 51 lakhs for institutions and Rs 5 lakhs for the individual winners. Rajendra Kumar Bhandari was chosen for the award, announced on 23 January 2021.

Ministry of Earth Sciences Announces Awards for Excellence in Earth System Science

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The Ministry of Earth Sciences has announced the Awards for Excellence in Earth System Science. List of Awardees for 2020  Lifetime Excellence Award: Prof. Ashok Sahni.

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