Legend Magazine October – 2020

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LEGEND MAGAZINE

OCTOBER – 2020

(CURRENT AFFAIRS AND QUIZ,

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NATIONAL NEWS: Central sanctions 670 electric buses and Assam government to provide loan to 241 charging stations under FAME entrepreneurs for venturing in tourism scheme: sector under ‘Paryatan Sanjeevani Central government has sanctioned 670 Scheme’: electric buses for Maharashtra, Goa, Assam government announced ‘Paryatan Gujarat and Chandigarh and 241 Sanjeevani Scheme’, under which loan, charging stations in Madhya Pradesh, amounting from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 20 lakhs Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat and Port would be given to interested local youths to Blair under Phase-II of the FAME (Faster take up new initiatives so that the tourism Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and sector gets a fresh lease of life. The advances Electric Vehicles) India Scheme. will be provided for a period of 5 years. ADB approves USD 570 million loans for Prakash Javadekar represents India at urban projects in Rajasthan and Madhya Ministerial Roundtable Dialogue on Pradesh: Biodiversity Beyond 2020: The Manila-headquartered Asian Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Development Bank (ADB) has approved two Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar loans totalling USD 570 million (about Rs 4, represented India at the virtual Ministerial 200 crore) for urban sector projects in Round Table Dialogue on Biodiversity. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The event was hosted by China, ahead of the ADB has approved a USD 300 million loan upcoming United Nation Summit on to develop Rajasthan's secondary towns and Biodiversity on 30 September 2020. a USD 270 million loan for Madhya Pradesh The theme of the Ministerial Dialogue was Urban Services Improvement Project. Biodiversity Beyond 2020: “Building a AYUSH Ministry inks MoU with herbal Shared Future for All Life on Earth” industry bodies for plants cultivation: India's one of the first medical devices National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), park to come up in Kerala: Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Central government approved the setting up Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and four medical device parks in Andhra Homoeopathy) signed a Memorandum of Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Understanding (MoU) with the major AYUSH Kerala on the lines of “Make in India” and herbal industry bodies covering a set initiative and to provide world-class products of measures to promote medicinal plant at affordable prices for treatment. cultivation. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan laid the ‘Cable Stayed Bridge’ constructed across foundation stone for one of the first medical Durgam Cheruvu Lake inaugurated in devices parks in the country “MedSpark” at Hyderabad: Life Science Park, Thonnakkal, Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy Thiruvananthapuram. inaugurated the new ‘Cable Stayed Bridge’ constructed across Durgam Cheruvu Lake

along with four-lane elevated corridor minutes daily. The audio of the program will associated with Council of Scientific and also be made available on the online DIKSHA Industrial Research (CSIR) connecting it platform. with Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad. Uttar Pradesh's First Conservation Assam government develops new mobile Centre For Vultures To Come Up In app “Visitassam” For air passengers: Gorakhpur Forest Division: Assam government has developed a mobile Uttar Pradesh's first vulture conservation app “Visitassam” through which air and breeding centre is set to be established passengers can download forms, fill it up, and at Bhari Baisi village in Farenda range of show it at airports to avoid delay in Gorakhpur forest division. The Jatayu completing formalities for COVID-19 tests Conservation & Breeding Centre would be set said by Minister for Health and Family Welfare up in the Bhari Baisi village in Gorakhpur. Himanta Biswa Sarma. Centre will be the 1st in India which will be The government also introduced a change of dedicated to red-headed king vulture. protocol for the air passengers to take the West Bengal Government And UK India “Tatkal RT-PCR” test with a payment of Business Council Sign MoU To Rs.2200 whose result will be given within 24 Strengthen The State's Industrial hours. Development: Union Home Minister Amit Shah virtually UK India Business Council has signed a inaugurates ‘Destination North East- Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with 2020’: West Bengal Industrial Development Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah is Corporation (WBIDC), the premier nodal also the chairman of the North Eastern agency of West Bengal's Industry, Commerce Council virtually inaugurates “Destination and Enterprises Department focused on North East-2020”. It is a four-day event to accelerating industrial development in west highlight various potentials of the Northeast Bengal. region’ of India like eco-tourism, culture, This collaborative partnership between the heritage and business. UKIBC and Government of West Bengal will Union Minister for Development of North help to boost business and industrial Eastern Region Jitendra Singh was the guest development in the state by proactively of honour of the event. The theme for developing the business environment and ‘Destination North East 2020’ is ‘The strengthening collaboration with British Emerging Delightful Destinations’. businesses in West Bengal. Odisha Government to launch “Radio Union Minister Harsh Vardhan launches Pathshala” program for School Students: ICMR’s vaccine web portal and National Odisha Government is launching Radio Clinical Registry: Pathshala program for student’s upto class Union Health Ministry launched a web 8. The program will be broadcast from All portal that will provide all important India Radio stations in the state for 15 information on COVID-19, vaccine

development, ongoing clinical trials and Defence minister Rajnath Singh released the progress made in this area locally and Project Management Approach (PMA) globally. guidelines for iDEX (Innovations for National Clinical Registry will collect data Defence Excellence) during the launch concerning clinical and laboratory function of Defence India Startup investigations, treatments, management Challenge-4 (DISC4). protocols and outcomes of hospitalized COVID "DISC-4” challenge will surge ahead of its patients in India. earlier editions and promote Innovation and Prime Minister Modi to inaugurate 6 Development in the country. Similarly iDEX4 mega projects in Uttarakhand under Fauji initiative will ensure the participation “Namami Gange Mission”: of our personnel in this program. Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate 6 mega Gujarat government signs MoU with projects in Uttarakhand under Namami Denmark in water sector: Gange Mission through video conference Gujarat Water Supply and Sewerage Board Projects include construction of 68MLD has signed the MoU with ‘Danish Water Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), upgradation Forum’ through an online interactive of the existing 27 MLD at Jagjeetpur & platform. This will help in technology construction of 18 MLD STP at Sarai. exchange, training, capacity building, He will also inaugurate ‘Ganga Avalokan’, knowledge exchange, cooperation in the first museum on Ganga aimed at water supply, wastewater treatment- showcasing the culture, biodiversity and reuse and water management between the rejuvenation activities done in the river. The two organizations. museum is located at Chandi Ghat, The MoU has been signed for a five-year Haridwar. period in order to set up Indo-Danish Water Andhra Government Launches YSR Jala Technology Alliance in Gujarat and Kala Scheme To Facilitate Irrigation to contribute to the United Nations’ Farmers: Sustainable Development Goal. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Maharashtra government launches Mohan Reddy launched the 'YSR Jala Kala' cancer institute's chemo recovery kits: scheme under which bore wells will be drilled Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh to benefit small and medium farmers who launched the ayurvedic ‘chemo recovery have no open source of water for irrigation. kits’ developed by a Pune-based cancer The scheme is estimated to bring in five lakh research institute and called for joint acres under cultivation through groundwater research by scientists in Ayurveda and irrigation. modern medicine for cancer treatment. Defence minister Rajnath Singh launches The chemo recovery kits, containing an Defence India Startup Challenge-4, ayurvedic formulation and developed by the releases PMA guidelines for iDEX: Integrated Cancer Treatment and Research Centre of the Bharatiya Sanskriti

Darshan Trust, Pune with financial assistance new programmes and activities, he will launch from the Tata Trusts, were launched by the portal the same day (October 25). Koshyari at the Raj Bhavan. Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal presents Nagaland government launches Anundoram Borooah Award 2020 to livelihood generation programme for meritorious students: migrant returnees: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Nagaland launched a dedicated online portal presented “Anundoram Borooah Award Livelihood Generation Programme for 2020” to students who secured 75 per cent Returned Migrant Workers due to Covid- or above in HSLC examination 2020 at a 19. Scheme will provide awareness & re- programme held at Srimanta Sankardev orientation programme re-skilling of Kalakshetra. identified beneficiaries and seed money or As part of the award, an amount of Rs 20, monetary assistance. 000 each was directly transferred to bank Odisha government Signed MoU with accounts of 16, 944 students for Purchasing CPR to launch JAGA Mission Stage-II: Laptops. A total of Rs 34 crore has been Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launched the released by the government for the purpose. stage II of JAGA Mission (Odisha Liveable Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju launches new Habitat Mission) from Balasore under which logo of Sports Authority of India: all slums in the State will be converted into Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Adarsh (ideal) colonies within the next 3 Kiren Rijiju launched the new logo of Sports years. Authority of India’s (SAI) at Delhi’s Major Centre for Policy Research (CPR) under its Dhyan Chand Stadium. The new logo of initiative ‘Scaling City Institutions for SAI features a flying figure which indicates India: Land Planning and Housing (SCI- the freedom an athlete to leapfrog his/her FI: LPH)’ has signed a Memorandum of career in SAI. Understanding (MOU) with the Housing & Union Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot e- Urban Development Department of launches “Ambedkar Social Innovation Odisha as the knowledge partner of JAGA and Incubation Mission (ASIIM)”: Mission in its second phase. Union Minister for Social Justice and Telangana government to Launch Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlote 'Dharani' Portal for Online Land Virtually launches “Ambedkar Social Registration on Dussehra: Innovation and Incubation Mission” Telangana Chief Minister K. (ASIIM) under Venture Capital Fund up to Chandrasekhar Rao announced that the Rs.5 Crore for Scheduled Castes with a 'Dharani' portal for online registration of view to promoting innovation and enterprise land properties in the state will be launched among SC students studying in higher on Dussehra. educational institutions. The CM said that since people regard Vijayadasami as an auspicious day to start

Uttar Pradesh government bags 8 NCRPB launches Project Management awards for implementation of “Garib Information System (P-MIS) portal for Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan”: better transparency and accountability: Uttar Pradesh government has bagged To improve transparency & accountability in Eight Awards in Garib Kalyan Rozgar monitoring progress of projects and Abhiyan (GKRA) launched by the administering loans National Capital Department of Drinking Water and Region Planning Board (NCRPB) Project Sanitation under the Union Ministry of Jal Management Information System (P-MIS) Shakti. launched by Ministry of Housing and The State has also got overall second rank in Urban Affairs(MoHUA) in New Delhi. implementation of Gandagi Mukt Bharat Project Management Information scheme. The awards will be distributed at a System (P-MIS) Portal will enhance the virtual ceremony by the Minister of State, transparency and accountability of the project Ministry of Jal Shakti on October 2, 2020. monitoring process and manage the loans. Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVN) Tamil Nadu and Arunachal Pradesh join signs MoU with Government of India for “One Nation One Ration Card” scheme: 2020-21: Tamil Nadu and Arunachal Pradesh have Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVN) been integrated with the existing national Limited signed a Memorandum of portability cluster of 26 States/UTs under Understanding (MoU) with Government of the One Nation One Ration Card, said India for the year 2020-21. The MOU was Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food signed between S.N. Sahai, Secretary and Public Distribution. (Power), Government of India and Nand Lal Under this, families with Priority Household Sharma, Chairman & Managing Director, and Antodaya Anna Yojana ration cards SJVN. from both states can receive their Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat entitlements in other States. inaugurates first Pirul power project: Government to set up panel headed by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Ajay Kumar Bhalla to screen Chinese Singh Rawat inaugurated a 25-kilowatt Foreign Investments: capacity project worth Rs 25 lakhs for Government is setting up a panel that will be generating electricity using Pirul (dry pine responsible for examining Chinese foreign needles) at Chakon Dhanari village in investment proposals. The panel is headed by Dunda block of Uttarkashi district. the home secretary, Ajay Kumar Bhalla and Rawat said that about 23 lakh metric secretary of the Department for Promotion tonnes of Pirul is produced annually in the of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) state, which can be used to generate about as a member. The panel will reportedly 200 megawatt of electricity. examine proposals from the point of view of ownership, approving only the “Non- Controversial” ones.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi being the best performing districts. Under the Inaugurates “VAIBHAV” 2020 Summit: Gandagi Mukth Bharat Mission, Haryana Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and Telangana were awarded the top slot. Vaishwik Bharatiya Vaigyanik Union Agriculture Minister Narendra (VAIBHAV) Summit, organised for the Singh Tomar Inaugurates Kerala's First overseas and resident Indian Researchers Mega Food Park: and Academicians. It has been organised to Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar celebrate Science and Innovation from India inaugurated Kerala’s first mega food park that and the World. will help generate 5, 000 direct and indirect The global virtual summit is being organized employments. from October 2 to October 31 with the aim “Kerala’s first and nation’s twentieth of bringing Indian origin luminaries in mega food park in Palakkad district of academic institutes and Research and Kerala was virtually inaugurated” by the Development (R&D) organizations across Union Agriculture and Food Processing the world and resident counterparts on a Industries Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and single platform. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat virtually Government launches 'Sunidhi' project confers “Swachh Bharat Awards 2020” to digitise CMPFO services: on 151st Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Government announced the launch of an Gandhi: ambitious information technology project Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh 'Sunidhi' to digitise all provident fund and Shekhawat virtually confers the Swachh pension related activities of the Coal Mines Bharat 2020 Awards (Swachh Bharat Diwas Provident Fund Organisation (CMPFO). 2020), on the occasion of the 151st Birth CMPFO is a statutory body under the coal Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, in New ministry, administers different schemes of Delhi on October 2, 2020. Provident Fund, Pension and Deposit Under the Swachh Sundar Samudayik linked insurance for coal mine workers. Shouchalaya category Gujarat bagged the Jal Shakti Minister launches 100-day first position at state level whereas campaign to provide potable piped water Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu got the Award for in Schools and Anganwadi Centres: cleanliness at District Level. Khachrod Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh block in Ujjain district in Madhya Pradesh Shekhawat launched a 100-day campaign was awarded the first position and to provide potable piped water supply in Chinnanur Village in Tamil Nadu bagged Schools and Anganwadi Centres. This the top slot at Gram Panchayat level. mission was envisaged by Prime Minister Under the Samudayik Shouchalaya Narendra Modi on 29th of last month, while Abhiyan, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh were releasing the ‘Margdarshika’ for Gram awarded as the best performing states Panchayats and Paani Samitis for whereas Prayagraj and Bareilly got it for implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission.

Under the Jal Jeevan Mission States and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space Union Territories are to ensure that during the inaugurated 23 roads and bridges projects campaign, Gram Sabhas are convened at worth Rs.73 Crore in Kathua, Doda, the earliest to pass a resolution for providing Udhampur and Reasi of Jammu region over safe water in all schools, anganwadi centres a virtual platform. He also informed that and other public institutions in the village in around 1150 kilometres of roads were built the next 100 days. in this fiscal till date. Telangana government undertakes door Indian Railways unveils new Tejas to door survey to update non- Express locomotives, capable to run at agricultural property details through 160 kmph: NAP app: Indian Railways' electric locomotive Telengana government has deployed teams manufacturing unit Chittaranjan of municipal staff to visit every single Locomotive Works (CLW) has turned out household to gather the property details first batch of Tejas Express locomotives through NAP(Non Agricultural Property) amid COVID-19 scare. These locos are made app to update them on the Dharani portal. for “Push-Pull” operations. CLW is one of the The government has decided to issue Non- largest Electric Locomotive manufacturers in Agricultural Property Record (NAGPR) to the world. the owners as a comprehensive ownership Union Minister Arjun Munda to launch document. largest market of tribal products ‘Tribes PM Narendra Modi inaugurates nation India E-Marketplace’: world’s longest high altitude Atal Tunnel Tribes India E-Marketplace connecting Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley: (market.tribesindia.com) will be launched on PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the Atal the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti (October 2, Tunnel under the Rohtang Pass that 2020) in the presence of Renuka Singh, connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley in Minister of State, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Himachal Pradesh. The 9.02-kilometer- Deepak Khandekar, Secretary, Ministry of long path that goes under the Rohtang Pass Tribal Affairs. in the eastern Pir Panjal range at an altitude Defence Ministry signs contract worth of 3, 000 metres is the world's longest high- 409 crores for supply of multi-mode hand altitude road tunnel. It is a horseshoe- grenades to Indian Army: shaped, single tube double lane tunnel. Ministry of Defence signed a contract worth Jitendra Singh inaugurates 23 Roads and Rs 409 crore with a Nagpur-based company Bridges projects in Kathua, Doda, Economic Explosive Ltd (EEL) for the Udhampur and Reasi Districts of Jammu supply of 10, 00, 000 multi-mode hand and Kashmir: grenades to the Indian Army. The contract Union Minister of State and Development of was signed by the Acquisition Wing of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Defence Ministry. Singh, Personnel, Public Grievances,

These grenades have been designed by teachers and employees under Inspector of Chandigarh based Terminal Ballistic Schools of Kamrup Metropolitan district. Research Laboratories (TBRL) of Defence Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar Research and Development Organisation Launched One Stop Digital Platform (DRDO) and are being produced by EEL. ‘Gram Darshan’: Union Minister Smriti Irani Participated Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar digitally in 25th Anniversary of the Fourth World launched ‘Gram Darshan’, which will allow Conference on Women Virtually: accessibility to data of development projects Union Minister of Women and Child of 6, 197 gram panchayats of the state. Development (WCD) Smriti Zubin Irani, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala addressed the High-level meeting on the 25th was also present on this occasion. anniversary of the 4th World Conference Gram Darshan is launched to ensure that on Women (FWCW) held in Beijing. The villagers should have digital access to the theme of the event was “Accelerating the details of various development schemes realisation of gender equality and the and projects of their village. empowerment of all women and girls”. Punjab CM Launches Construction of 750 West Bengal government launches Rural Stadiums and Flags Off “Pathashree Abhijan” scheme for road Ambulances: repair: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder West Bengal government has launched the Singh launched several development “Pathashree Abhijan” scheme. It is a road initiatives including flagging off a fleet of repair scheme, where more than 7, 000 ambulances, construction of 750 rural stretches of roads comprising 12, 000 stadiums or playgrounds and signing of MoU kilometers across the state will be repaired for conferring ownership rights on in a mission mode and in a time-bound Economically Weaker Sections. manner. The MoU was signed between the Local Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal launches Government Department and Centre for ‘Kritagyata’ for online pension Policy Research, while the ambulances were submission and tracking: flagged off in Patiala, Jalandhar and Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Ludhiana. Sonowal has launched a portal Railway Minister virtually inaugurates “Kritagyata”, an online pension submission Phoolbagan Station of Kolkata's East and tracking system. It has been launched to West Metro corridor: lend convenience to the pensioners to dispose Railway Minister virtually inaugurated of their pension related claims. Phoolbagan Station of Kolkata's East- The portal has been created in line with the West Metro corridor, & flagged off 1st train ‘Bhabhisya’ portal of Government of India. from there to Salt Lake Sector-V. Entire It has been launched as pilot project for the stretch of corridor, connecting Sector-V &

Howrah Maidan, is likely to be completed by (GST) Council meeting. Minister of State 2021. (MoS) for Finance Anurag Thakur and Arvind Kejriwal launches mega anti- Finance Ministers of States and Union pollution campaign “Yudh Pradushan Ke Territories (UT) will also be present at the Virudh”: meeting. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Puducherry airport becomes Airports launched a mega anti-air pollution campaign Authority of India's first 100% solar- named "Yudh Pradushan ke Virudh" in powered airport: view of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the Puducherry airport has become the campaign, separate plans have been Airports Authority of India's (AAI) first prepared for each of the 13 pollution entirely solar-powered airport in the country hotspots in the city. Kejriwal announced a with the commissioning of 500KWp ground- photo-based complaint lodging App ‘Green mounted solar power plant at a cost of Rs 2.8 Delhi App’ will be launched shortly. crore. Puducherry airport will be able to meet Gujarat government to provide its entire power requirement through the subsidised food grain to additional 10 solar power plant. lakh families under NFSA: PM Modi addresses international webinar Gujarat Government has decided to provide on textile traditions organized by Indian subsidised food grain to additional 10 lakh Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR): families under National Food Security Act Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the (NFSA). The benefits will be available to 50 first of its kind International Webinar on lakh poor citizens. beneficiaries will get 5- Textile Traditions organized by Indian kilogram food grains per month including Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and 3.5-kilogram wheat and 1.5-kilogram Uttar Pradesh Institute of Design. The rice. Below Poverty Line (BPL) families that theme of the International Webinar was are not covered under NFSA will also get “Weaving Relations: Textile Traditions”. benefits of NFSA. Rajasthan government launches month It has also decided to include Rickshaw long mass awareness campaign on drivers, Chhakdo-mini tempo drivers and COVID-19: other such daily wagers under this food grain Rajasthan has launched a Month-Long distribution scheme. Registered labourers Mass Awareness Campaign on COVID 19. under Bandhkam Shramik Kalyan Board The campaign as part of the state wide mass will also get the benefit of food grain movement against Corona virus. The state distribution will distribute 1crore masks to protect the Union Finance Minister Nirmala public from COVID infection. "Ministers and Sitharaman virtually attends 42nd GST legislators are organizing programs at Council meeting: different districts to create awareness about Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman wearing masks and maintain social chaired the 42nd Goods and Services Tax distancing".

Government removes requirement of Gujarat government announces “Digital Minimum Qualifying Service for Defence Seva Setu” Programme for rural areas: personnel for Enhanced Family Pension: Gujarat government has announced “Digital Government scrapped the requirement of Seva Setu” Programme for rural areas in Minimum Qualifying Service for Enhanced which citizens will be able to get benefit from Family Pension with effect from 1st October public welfare services at Panchayat level. 2019. As per existing provision, there is a It has been initiated under the Bharat Net requirement of continuous qualifying service Project an initiative to connect the Village of 7 years for grant of Ordinary Family Panchayats through fibre network. The Pension at enhanced rate to Next of Kin of villages of Gujarat will be connected with a Defence Forces personnel. 100 MBPS optical fibre network. Phase 1 Union Minister Harsh Vardhan and Uttar of Digital Seva Setu will start from 8th Pradesh CM virtually Inaugurate Super October. Speciality Block at Prayagraj Medical Goa government Launches Online E- College: Learning Platform “DISHTAVO”: Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi launched DISHTAVO (Digital Integrated Adityanath digitally inaugurated the Super System for Holistic Teaching and Virtual Speciality Block (SSB) at Motilal Nehru Orientations) an online e-learning platform Medical College, Prayagraj. that is accessible to all. Goa is the first state The 220-bedded facility has been dedicated in the country to take the entire academic as a COVID Hospital (DCH) to the nation, syllabus of higher education to an online according to the Ministry of Health and platform and first state to offer online Family Welfare. It has been built with an training for teachers. investment of Rs 150 crores under the Delhi-Mumbai E-way to Have 5 'Animal Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Bridges' to Provide Safe Passage for Yojana (PMSSY). Wildlife: West Bengal Government sign MoU with Delhi-Mumbai expressway will have India's IIM Calcutta to Set up Technology first-ever animal overpass. These will be on Development Centre: the lines of “Animal Bridges” in the West Bengal Government has signed an Netherlands for safe passage of wildlife. agreement with Indian Institute of These have been planned to ensure there are Management (IIM) Calcutta-run no disturbances to the Ranthambore Entrepreneur and Innovation Park to set up a Wildlife Corridor connecting Technology Development and Adaptation Ranthambhore and Mukundra (Darrah) Centre (TDAC). The TDAC will build wildlife sanctuaries in Rajasthan. technologies which will address need-based, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal location specific problems. Inaugurates Renaming of Naugarh

Railway Station to Siddharthnagar NABARD to provide India’s first two Virtually: Organic Spices Seed parks in Gujarat: Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal National Bank for Agriculture and Rural virtually inaugurates the renaming of Development (NABARD) will provide “Grant Naugarh railway station to Assistance” to two first-of-its-kind Organic Siddharthnagar railway station situated at Spices Seed Park Cumin seeds in Patan Siddharthnagar district in Uttar Pradesh. and Fennel seeds in Banaskantha districts "Naugarh railway station was named of Gujarat. The parks will encourage capacity Siddharthanagar in view of public aspirations building and help farmers in adoption of best due to the birth of Mahatma Buddha in practices in the production of cumin & fennel Lumbini near Naugarh and being associated seeds. with his life events from this region. Assam government launches “Kisan My Ganga My Dolphin campaign launched Rath” mobile app to promote buyer seller by NMCG, WII and the Forest network: Department at six sites across river Assam government has launched a mobile Ganga: app “Kisan Rath” App connects more than National Mission for Clean 10, 000 farmers, 50 farmer-producer Ganga(NMCG), Wildlife Institute of India organizations and 1, 000 verified (WII) and the Forest Department launched agricultural traders on its interface. The the “My Ganga My Dolphin campaign” on app has been customized by National the occasion of Ganga River Dolphin Day. Informatics Centre (NIC) Assam to suit the A Dolphin-based ecotourism programme was requirements of the state. It is available in 3 launched at various sites along the Ganga languages- Assamese, Hindi and English. River. Smriti Irani launches India’s first ever The campaign was started in six sites Brand and Logo for Indian Cotton on Kahalgaon (Bihar), Bijnor, Brijghat, World Cotton Day October 7: Prayagraj and Varanasi (all in Uttar Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Irani Pradesh), and Bandel (West Bengal). launched the first ever Brand and Logo for Google India launches “Make Small Indian Cotton on Second World Cotton Strong” campaign for small businesses: Day on October 7 through video Google India announced the launch of conferencing. India’s premium cotton would “Make Small Strong campaign” be known as ‘Kasturi Cotton’ in the world nationwide in order to help support small cotton trade. The Kasturi Cotton brand will businesses and drive demand through represent Whiteness, Brightness, customer support. The aim of the initiative is Softness, Purity, Luster, Uniqueness and to help grow small and local businesses such Indianness. as local kirana or book stores, vegetable Government of India Launches “Startup and fruit vendors, etc. that proved to be India Showcase Platform” to Feature instrumental during the nationwide lockdown. Exceptional Startups:

Department for Promotion of Industry first edition of the Awards had applications and Internal trade (DPIIT) during the from 12 sectors, which were further sub- online facilitation ceremony launched an classified into a total of 35 categories. online discovery platform called ‘Startup The award has been introduced by the India Showcase’. The platform will exhibit Department for Promotion of Industry the details of some of India’s most promising and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to recognize and credible startups that are chosen through and reward outstanding Startups and DPIIT and various startup India programs. ecosystem enablers that are building Ministry of New & Renewable Energy and innovative products or solutions and scalable NITI Aayog Invest India organized the enterprises, with high potential of global symposium ‘India PV Edge 2020’: employment generation or wealth NITI Aayog and Ministry of New & creation, demonstrating measurable Renewable Energy (MNRE) Invest India social impact. together organized a global symposium MoHUA secretary Durga Shanker Mishra ‘India PV Edge 2020’. It was one of its kind launched API Integration between PM platform for global cutting-edge SVANidhi Portal and SBI’s eMudra Portal: technology providers, equipment makers Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs Secretary and PV champions to present their Shri Durga Shanker Mishra launched the technologies to PV manufacturing plans and Application Programming Interface collaborate, thus boosting the ‘Make in (API) integration between the PM SVANidhi India’ campaign. Portal and the State Bank of India (SBI) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman eMudra portal. Launches Indian Bank’s Business As a part of Prime Minister Street Vendor’s Mentoring Programme 'MSME Prerana' AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) for MSMEs: Scheme will facilitate seamless flow of data Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman between the two portals. It will benefit the launched 'MSME Prerana', an online street vendors seeking working capital loan business mentoring programme for MSMEs by under the Scheme. state-run Indian Bank. The programme to Telangana Government Signs Tripartite be made available in local languages, is Agreement between DET, GIZ and aimed at empowering entrepreneurs through Siemens India to Implement New skill development and capacity building Initiative IGnITE: workshops. Telangana Government signed a tripartite Union Minister Piyush Goyal Declares agreement between DET, GIZ India and Results of National Startup Awards Siemens India to implement a new 2020: initiative, Indo-German Initiative for Minister of Railways and Commerce and Technical Education (IGnITE), which Industry Piyush Goyal released the result of focuses on the need of the industry, industry the National Startup Awards 2020. The practices and training of trainees in the

presence of Labour and Employment Minister gathering required details to prepare a Ch Malla Reddy. roadmap for development and promotion Union Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot of dairying in the UT. Virtually Inaugurates International Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Conference on “Mental Health: Looking 'Nishank' virtually inaugurates Gyan Beyond COVID 19”: Circle Ventures: Union Minister of Social Justice & Union Minister for Education Ramesh Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot Pokhriyal 'Nishank' virtually inaugurated inaugurated the virtual “International the Gyan Circle Ventures; a MeitY funded conference on Mental Health: Looking Technology Business Incubator (TBI) of Beyond COVID 19” through video Indian Institute of Information conferencing. Prof. Craig Jeffrey, Director, Technology, Sri City (Chittoor), Andhra Australia-India Institute co-chaired the Pradesh through Video Conference. conference. He further informed that the incubator would He also apprised about the recent initiatives leverage the institutions’ entrepreneurial of the Government of India such as setting up spirit via utilizing its intellectual capital and of National Institute of Mental Health engage in using emerging technologies such Rehabilitation at Sehore, Madhya as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Block- Pradesh and KIRAN mental health chain, Cyber Physical Systems (CPS), rehabilitation helpline for addressing mental Cyber Security, Internet of Things (IoT), health issues. Robotics, etc. Meghalaya to partner with Israel in Uttar Pradesh government signs establishing “Centre of Excellence” for agreement with Zurich Airport for high value vegetables: development of Jewar Airport: Meghalaya government has entered into a Noida International Airport Limited partnership with Israel to establish a one of (NIAL) and Zurich Airport International a kind Centre of Excellence (CoE) on high- AG signed a key agreement to allow the Swiss value vegetables in the state to improve and developer to begin work at the site of the promote the livelihoods of farmers. CoE is upcoming Jewar airport. important for tapping the diverse biodiversity The 'Concession Agreement' for the and available resources in the state in terms Greenfield airport, estimated to cost Rs 29, of its soil and agro-climatic condition. 560 crore, was inked between the Uttar Ladakh sign MoU with NDDB to Conduct Pradesh government's agency and the Survey for Promotion of Dairying: Yamuna International Airport Private National Dairy Development Board Limited (YIAPL), a special purpose vehicle (NDDB) and the Union Territory floated by the Zurich Airport for the project. Administration of Ladakh inked an PM Modi launches ‘Jan Andolan’ agreement to conduct a benchmark survey in campaign for COVID-19 Appropriate the newly formed UT. The survey is aimed at Behaviour:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched practical cooperation to mitigate cyber threats a campaign “Jan Andolan” for COVID-19 to the security of Information Appropriate Behaviour. The campaign has Communication Technology (ICT) been launched in view of the upcoming infrastructure etc. festivals and winter season as well as the Assam launches "Swa-nirbhar Naari: opening up of the economy. Atmanirbhar Asom" scheme to empower Mr Modi appealed to the people to unite to economically challenged women: fight Corona. He urged the people to always Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal remember to wear a mask, wash hands, launched “Swa-nirbhar Naari: follow social distancing and practice ‘Do Gaz Atmanirbhar Asom” scheme to empower Ki Doori.’ economically disadvantaged women.The Tamil Nadu partners with World scheme aims to create more than 3.72 lakh Economic Forum to set up Advanced sustainable individuals and over 800 Manufacturing Hub: communities. Further, the scheme will also Tamil Nadu's Guidance Bureau, the Nodal benefit around 4 lakh families in the first Investment Promotion and Facilitation phase of MGNREGA with the convergence of Agency of the state, has partnered with the schemes of various state government World Economic Forum (WEF) to establish departments and missions. an advanced manufacturing hub in the state. Andhra Pradesh CM launches 'Jaganna The Advanced Manufacturing HUB Vidya Kanuka' scheme for students in (AMHUB) is one of the 19 platforms government schools: designed by the WEF and focuses on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan identifying and addressing regional Mohan Reddy launched 'Jaganna Vidya opportunities and challenges brought by the Kanuka' scheme for students studying in Fourth Industrial Revolution. Government Schools. The Scheme would Centre approves signing Memorandum of help in improving Government schools’ Cooperation (MoC) in the field of Cyber quality and enrolments and would aid in security between India and Japan: providing kits to Govt school students who are Union Cabinet gave its approval for signing a enrolled in class 1 to 10 standards. Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) in the Goa becomes first 'Har Ghar Jal' state by field of Cyber Security between India and providing tap water connections in rural Japan. The MoC will enhance cooperation in areas: areas of mutual interest, which in•clude Goa has become the first 'Har Ghar Jal' inter-alia, capacity building in the area of state in the country by providing 100% tap cyberspace; protection of critical water connections in rural areas covering infrastructure; cooperation in emerging 2.30 lakh households, the Jal Shakti technologies; sharing information on cyber Ministry Stated. The Government's Jal security threats/incidents and malicious cyber Jeevan Mission aims to provide piped water activities; Developing joint mechanisms for to all rural households by 2024. The state

successfully provides 100% Functional to generate self-employment for youth Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) in and migrants: the rural areas covering 2.30 lakh rural Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra households. Singh Rawat launched “Mukhya Mantri Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani launches “E- Saur Swarojgar Yojana”. The Yojana aims Sanjeevani OPD” Scheme for free online at creating self-employment for nearly 10, medical consultation: 000 youths in the state. Co-operative Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani e- banks will grant loans at interest rate of 8% dedicated online e-Sanjeevani OPDs p.a. for 15 years to set up the solar plants scheme across Gujarat through on private land or on land taken on lease. videoconferencing in presence of Deputy PM Modi launches physical distribution of Chief Minister Nitinbhai Patel to provide property cards under SVAMITVA scheme: medical facility online to patients for Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the common diseases at their homes with a view physical distribution of property cards under to reducing the load on hospitals and OPDs. It SVAMITVA scheme. It is a central sector is a step ahead of telemedicine facilities for scheme of Ministry of Panchayati Raj will diagnosis on the phone. make rural India “Self-Reliant”. The Jammu and Kashmir Police organises beneficiaries now will have a right, a legal 'Jashn-E-Dal' festival to boost tourism: document of owning their houses. The Jammu and Kashmir Police have organised country has taken another major step a three-day water sports festival 'Jashn-E- towards an Atma Nirbhar Bharat, as this Dal' with an aim to boost water sports scheme helps in making rural India self- activities and promote tourism in the valley. reliant. The festival was organized by Jammu and PM Narendra Modi releases Kashmir Police under civic action commemorative coin of Rs 100 in honour programme in collaboration with water of Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia: sports association after three years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a Kerala Farmers Welfare Fund Board Set commemorative coin of Rs 100 in Rajmata Up for Pension and Other Assistance: Vijaya Raje Scindia's honour. The PM Kerala government has decided to form a recalled the legacy of Rajmata Vijaya Raje Welfare Fund Board for the uplift of farmers Scindia on her birth centenary. in the state. They decided to set up the board She proved that for people's representatives to be known as ‘Kerala Karshaka not 'Raj Satta' but 'Jan Seva' is important. Kshemanidhi Board’.The cabinet also Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindiaji was a witness decided that Dr P Rajendran would be to every important phase of Indian politics appointed as the chairman of the Kerala from the independence movement to the Farmers Welfare Fund Board. decades after independence. Vijaya was Uttarakhand government Launches elected to Lok Sabha 7 times and twice to 'Mukhya Mantri Saur Swarojgar Yojana' the Rajya Sabha.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Virtually Nirmala Sitharaman Announces Rs.73, inaugurates BRO-built 44 major bridges 000-Crore Measures to Boost Consumer across 7 states/UTs: Demand by March 2021: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated 44 bridges made by Border chaired the 43rd GST Council Meeting Roads Organisation (BRO) across seven Virtually. India’s GDP (Gross Domestic States/Union Territories, via video- Product) contracted a record 23.9 per cent conferencing. These bridges are built in in the April-June as the quarter fully border areas of Ladakh, Arunachal captured the damage caused by the Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, coronavirus pandemic-related restrictions, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Jammu and and is expected to shrink an overall 9.5 per Kashmir. The foundation Stone for cent in the current financial year by the Nechiphu Tunnel on the road to Tawang will Reserve Bank of India. also be laid during this event. Goa government Partners with India Arvind Kejriwal launches first of its kind Posts to Get Farmers Enrolled in PM tree transplantation policy for clean and Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme: green Delhi: Goa Government has tied up with India Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Post to get 11, 000 farmers enrolled in the launched the first of its kind tree Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sanman Nidhi transplantation policy to preserve trees for scheme. This is the first such exercise in clean Delhi. Kejriwal stated that the Delhi India to enrol farmers in the PM Kisan government has passed a tree Samman Nidhi scheme, whereby the transplantation policy, under which 80 per postman will be utilised to benefit farmers. cent of trees uprooted for any Kerala Becomes First State in India to construction/development project, must be Make the Public Education Sector transplanted elsewhere. Completely Digital and Hi-tech AAI to Develop Greenfield Airport in classrooms: Arunachal Pradesh's Hollongi by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has November 2022: declared the state public education sector Airports Authority of India will develop a completely digital as Kerala has become the greenfield airport at Arunachal Pradesh's first state in the country to have high-tech Hollongi, near Itanagar. This airport is classrooms in all its public schools. expected to be completed by November The high-tech classroom project is being 2022. The estimated cost of the project is implemented by Kerala Infrastructure and 650 crore rupees. It includes development Technology for Education (KITE) with work, construction of airport pavements, financial assistance from Kerala air side work, terminal Building and city Infrastructure and Technology for side works. Education (KIIFB).

Tamil Nadu signs 14 MoUs for industrial Jeevan Mission for providing tap water investment of Rs 10, 055 crore: connection to every rural household. Tamil Nadu government signed 14 MoUs for NITI Aayog Announces Governing Industrial Investment worth Rs 10, 055 Structure of India Energy Modelling crore with an employment potential of 7, Forum: 000 persons. The MoUs were signed in the India Energy Modelling Forum (IEMF) is presence of Chief Minister K. Palaniswami at jointly launched by NITI Aayog and United the state secretariat. Between April- States Agency for International September 2020, a total of 42 MoUs were Development (USAID). It is part of the signed involving an investment of Rs 31, 464 Sustainable Growth pillar of the US–India crore. Strategic Energy Partnership (SEP). PepsiCo to set up potato chips plant in Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath to Uttar Pradesh with Rs.814 crore launch Mission Shakti for women in investment: Navratri: Food processing industry in Uttar Pradesh is Uttar Pradesh government will dedicate the set to get a major boost with PepsiCo upcoming Navratri festival to women’s announcing Rs 814 crore green field project safety, dignity and empowerment by for production of potato chips in Mathura. launching ‘Mission Shakti’. The initiative will The unit will be set up in Kosi area of the begin in ‘Shardiya Navratri’ and will district and will start commercial production continue for the next six months till the by the middle of 2021. ‘Chaitra Navratri’ in April. “Tech for Tribals” Initiative Launched by Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launches TRIFED, IIT Kanpur and Chhattisgarh “Sujal Mission” to Provide Quality MFP Federation: Drinking Water in Urban Areas: Tribal Cooperative Marketing Odisha Chief minister Naveen Patnaik Development Federation of India virtually launched the “Drink from the tap (TRIFED), Indian Institute of Technology Mission Sujal”, an initiative under the 5T (IIT) Kanpur and Chhattisgarh MFP model of governance, that aimed to ensure (Minor Forest Produce) Federation virtually 24x7 safe and Quality Drinking Water to launched “Tech for Tribals” Initiative. the people in urban areas. Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar Government Sets Up a Panel of launches a Water Testing Lab On Wheels: Secretaries Headed by Rajiv Gauba to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Streamline Telecom Spectrum launched a Mobile Water Testing Allocation: Laboratory Van equipped with a multi- Government has constituted a panel of parameter system containing analysers, secretaries under cabinet secretary Rajiv sensors, probes, and instruments based on Gauba to streamline the Spectrum Colorimentric, Electrochemistry. This Allocation Process and examine the initiative has been launched under the Jal possibility of drawing up an annual calendar

for auction of airwaves that will give a clear AICTE Constituted a Committee to road map of the quantum as well as the Prepare the Professional Engineers Bill Frequency of Spectrum on offer for Headed by M.S Ananth: commercial use. Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Odisha government signs agreement has informed K. Somaprasad, MP, that the with Rugby India to sponsor national All India Council for Technical Education team for 3 years: (AICTE) has constituted a committee for Odisha government signed an agreement preparing the Professional Engineers Bill. with Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU) Atal Innovation Mission collaborates to sponsor the Indian national rugby teams till with CGI to promote innovation in 2023 and facilitate high-performance training schools across India: and conditioning of the players. The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI agreement was signed at the Kalinga Aayog has collaborated with CGI India which Stadium, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. is one among the largest IT and business Exercise “Suraksha Kavach” a Joint Anti- consulting services firms, for creating a Terrorist Exercise held between Indian successful and innovative workforce from the Army and Maharashtra Police at Atal Tinkering Lab, ATL schools. ATLs are Lullanagar Pune: accessed by over 2.5 million school kids in Agnibaaz Division (41 Artillery Division) of India. the Indian Army has organized Exercise Director General of Shipping notified as “Suraksha Kavach” (security shield), a joint National Authority for Recycling of Ships: exercise for both Maharashtra Police and Government has notified Director General Indian Army at Lullanagar Pune. The of Shipping as National Authority for exercise was an opportunity for both the Recycling of Ships. DG Shipping is Indian Army and Maharashtra Police to designated as apex authority under Section cooperate, coordinate, co-opt and 3 of the Recycling of Ships Act, 2019 for streamline their drills and procedures. the ship recycling industry of India and the Union Minister Harsh Vardhan launches office of the national authority will be set up second phase of “Thalassemia Bal Sewa in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Yojna” for Thalassemic patients.: Pernod Ricard India Foundation partners Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Harsh with WWF India to secure future of wild Vardhan virtually launched the second phase elephants in Assam: of “Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojna” for the Pernod Ricard India Foundation and underprivileged Thalassemic patients. The WWF India announced a partnership to Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra secure the future of wild elephants in Modi had introduced the Ayushman Bharat- Assam. It aims to conserve the Asian Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana for elephant through effective human- targeted populace. elephant conflict management in Assam. The project will work across 150 villages in

Kamrup, Sonitpur, Biswanath, and Union Cabinet approved the Strengthening Nagaon districts Teaching-Learning and Results for States Arvind Kejriwal Launches 'Red Light On, (STARS) project under the new National Gaadi Off' campaign to reduce air Education Policy to support states in pollution in Delhi: strengthening the school education Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal system, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar launched 'Red Light On, Gaadi Off' a new stated. The total project cost is Rs 5718 anti-pollution campaign under people will crore with the financial support of World be encouraged to switch engines of their Bank amounting to US $ 500 million vehicles off while waiting at traffic signals. It (approximately Rs. 3700 crore). can reduce PM10 emissions by 1.5 tonnes The project will cover six States namely a year and PM2.5 emissions by 0.4 tonnes Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, a year. Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala “SAKHI” One-Stop Service Centre for and Odisha. Women Inaugurated in Ramban District Cabinet approves Rs 520-crore package of Jammu and Kashmir: under National Rural Livelihood Mission Jammu and Kashmir inaugurated "SAKHI" for Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh: One-Stop Service Centre for women in Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Ramban district. It aims to facilitate access Narendra Modi approved a special package to integrated range of services including of Rs 520 crore for Jammu & Kashmir and medical aid, police assistance, legal aid, Ladakh under the National Rural psycho-social counselling and temporary Livelihood Mission (NRLM). It has been support services to women affected by approved for a period of five years till the violence to women affected by violence. financial year 2023-24. Pinarayi Vijayan launches Kerala's first Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National water taxi service in Alappuzha: Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) will Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan ensure sufficient funds to both the Union launched the first water taxi service of the Territories with the aim to eliminate rural State Water Transport Department poverty and improved access to financial (SWTD) in Alappuzha. A catamaran diesel- services. powered craft will be used for the water taxi Union Education Minister virtually service. The tariff fixed had been Rs.750 for launches 'KAPILA' Kalam Program for IP 30 minutes and boat service capable of Literacy and Awareness Education carrying 10 people. The state is focusing on campaign: the completion of the Kovalam-Bekal Union Education Minister Shri Ramesh waterway. Pokhriyal 'Nishank' virtually launched the Union Cabinet approves Rs 5, 718 crore 'KAPILA' Kalam Program for Intellectual World Bank-aided STARS project to Property Literacy and Awareness boost school education system: campaign on the 89th birth anniversary of

former President and Scientist Late Dr. APJ Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a Abdul Kalam. commemorative coin of Rs 75 denomination Punjab Cabinet approves BR Ambedkar to mark the 75th anniversary of the Food SC post Matric scholarship scheme to and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the enable SC students to pursue higher United Nations. learning: Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation 17 Punjab Cabinet cleared the decks for the recently developed biofortified varieties of State Government to launch its own SC eight crops. FAO was founded on 16 October Post Matric Scholarship Scheme in place 1945. of the Centre’s defunct scheme, in order to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman facilitate SC students to pursue higher Virtually Attends 102nd Meeting of the education in government and private World Bank Development Committee institutions. Plenary: MSME Ministry integrates AI and ML on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman its Single Window portal ‘Champions’: participated in 102nd meeting of the World Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Bank Development Committee Plenary Enterprises has introduced Artificial through video conference. Government has Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning committed $2.03 billion for the (ML) powered tools on its single window strengthening of health infrastructure in the system ‘Champions’ in a bid to take a wake of #COVID19 pandemic. proactive stance on matters related to the #Unite2FightCorona #StaySafe" MSMEs. This AI transformation has been Jammu & Kashmir government signs enabled by Intel over a period of five MoU with Flipkart to promote handloom, months. handicraft products: Hiranandani Group Subsidiary To boost the sale of handicraft and GreenBase Signs MoU with Tamil Nadu to handloom products in Jammu and Set up Industrial and Logistics Park: Kashmir, the union territory government GreenBase a Hiranandani Group signed a pact with online retailer Flipkart for subsidiary has signed an MoU with Tamil showcasing and facilitating the local artisans Nadu to set up an industrial and logistics park and craftsmen to reach customers across the at Vadakkuppattu, Oragadaman at an globe. investment of Rs.750cr. Park envisages Jammu & Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha development of built-up area for companies launches ‘My Town My Pride’ Campaign planning to set up manufacturing & to provide doorstep governance in urban logistics units. areas: PM Narendra Modi releases Rs 75 coin to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has mark 75th year of Food and Agriculture announced an initiative called ‘My Town My Organisation: Pride’ to provide governance at the doorstep in urban areas. This programme is in line with

the “Back to Village programme” launched Leather Sector Skill Council Launches for rural population. Mobile App “SCALE India” for quality Union Minister Nitin Gadkari initiates assurance: Asia’s Longest Bi-directional Road Leather Sector Skill Council (LSSC) Tunnel ZojiLa Tunnel works: announced the launch of Skill Certification Union Minister Nitin Gadkari launched the Assessment for Leather Employees first blasting for construction related work at (SCALE) India android app to enhance the 14.15 km Zojila tunnel, one of the quality assurance under Skill India Mission. longest in Asia, that will provide all-year It is a single platform to integrate quality connectivity between Srinagar valley and assurance across all its services. Leh. Stellapps launches ‘mooPay’ for dairy The project holds strategic significance as farmers in Rajasthan: Zojila Pass is situated at an altitude of 11, Stellapps introduced the launch of a first-of- 578 feet on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh its-kind, fully-automated direct cost National Highway and remains closed platform ‘mooPay’ for dairy farmers in during winters due to heavy snowfall. Rajasthan. The platform is among the fintech Government Launches Affordable Rental options the corporate has developed for Housing Complexes (ARHC) Portal Under dairies and dairy farmers. Uttar Pradesh PM Awas Yojana: government decides to set up women Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs help desk in every police station: Hardeep Singh Puri stated that numerous Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi benefits including free FAR (floor area Adityanath has decided to establish women ratio), concessional project Finance, trunk help desks in each and every police infrastructure facilities free of cost amongst station of state. The women police personnel others are a part of a scheme for Affordable deputed on helpdesk will not only listen to the Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs) for complaints of women but will always be ready urban migrants under Pradhan Mantri Awas to help them anytime. Government had Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U). earlier established pink booths at various Union Education Minister Ramesh intersections of Lucknow. Pokhriyal inaugurates Innovation & Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar Incubation Center and Sports Complex at inaugurates India International Food & IIT Jodhpur: Agri Week (October 16-22): Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers inaugurated two facilities namely Innovation Welfare, Food Processing Industries, and Incubation Center and Sports Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Complex in the Permanent Campus of IIT Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the Jodhpur. India-International Food & Agri Week (October 16-22) virtually. The focus of the Food and Agro Tech will be on the use and

benefit of the technology in the field of food Finance Minister Holds 4th Review and agriculture sector. Meeting On CAPEX of Central Public Asan Conservation Reserve becomes Sector Enterprises: Uttarakhand''s first wetland to make it to Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Ramsar list: Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman held a video Asan Conservation Reserve has become conference with secretaries of the Ministries Uttarakhand’s 1st Ramsar site, making it of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Coal, Wetland of International Importance. along with the chairman cum managing Reserve is located on the banks of Yamuna directors of 14 Central Public Sector river and is home to many rare & endangered Enterprises (CPSE) belonging to these species like Ruddy Shelduck, Red Crested ministries, to review the Capital Pochard. India now has 38 wetlands, the Expenditure (CAPEX) in this financial year. highest in South Asia. This was 4th in the ongoing series of meetings Union Minister Nitin Gadkari lays the that the Finance Minister is having with foundation stone for Rs 694 crore first- various stakeholders to accelerate the ever multi modal logistic park in Assam: economic growth in the background of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari will lay the COVID-19 pandemic. foundation stone for India's first multi- Government launches ‘Ayushman modal logistics park in Assam to be Sahakar’ scheme to fund cooperative constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 694 healthcare facilities: crore. The multi-modal logistic park will be Union Minister of State for Agriculture developed under the ambitious Bharatmala Parshottam Rupala launched the scheme, Pariyojna. Park will provide direct under which the National Cooperative connectivity through air, road, rail, and Development Corporation (NCDC) would waterways to people. extend term loans of Rs 10, 000 crore to The event was attended by Assam Chief cooperatives for creating healthcare Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Union infrastructure in rural India. Minister of the State Dr. Jitendra Singh, The scheme aims to bring transformation in General (Retd.) Rameshwar Teli and V.K. rural areas, to revolutionize comprehensive Singh and several other ministers of Assam. health care services, through co-operatives, Assam Celebrates “Kati Bihu” Festival: due to their strong presence in rural areas. Kati Bihu festival is held at this time of the NCDC is the Apex Autonomous year since the granaries of the farmers Development finance institution under the usually remain empty and therefore it is Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers known as Kongali (poor) Bihu. On the Welfare. occasion of Kati Bihu, women, both in Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju Urban and Rural Areas, try to ward off evil Virtually Attends Youth-20 (Y20) and pray for a rich harvest by lighting Summit: earthen lamps.

Union Minister of Youth and Sports Kiren Telangana government signs MoU with Rijiju attended the Youth-20 (Y20) Summit BSE, GlobalLinker to help MSMEs in being held virtually in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. raising equity funds: The Summit held under the theme of the Telangana government along with Summit is 'Government - Youth dialogue GlobalLinker has signed a Memorandum of on post-COVID-19 opportunities'. Understanding (MoU) with Bombay Stock The Summit concluded with the drafting of the Exchange (BSE) to help Micro, Small and Y20 Communique under the three Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in raising overarching priority areas viz. Future Fit; equity funds. Youth Empowerment; and Global BSE will provide intellectual and manpower Citizenship. support to create awareness about the FSSAI to expand food safety compliance importance and benefits of listing on stock Online platform across India: exchanges. FSSAI has announced to extend its Food India takes up first ever cultivation of Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS) Heeng in Himachal Pradesh: across the entire country from November 1, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource 2020. The system is operational in nine Technology (IHBT), Palampur has started States/UTs (Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Gujarat, cultivating heeng for the first time in the Odisha, Chandigarh, Goa, Manipur, state as well as in the country. The first Puducherry and Ladakh) since June 2020. seedling of the spice was planted at a farmer's FoSCoS is a cloud-based, upgraded new food field in Kwaring village of Lahaul valley in safety compliance online platform of FSSAI. Himachal Pradesh. India imports about It can be accessed at 1200 tonnes of raw asafoetida annually. https://foscos.fssai.gov.in. It will replace the ADB and India sign $177 million loan for existing online FLRS (Food Licensing and road projects in Maharashtra: Registration System), which is operational Asian Development Bank (ADB) and India in all the states since 2011 for licensing and signed a $177 million loan to upgrade 450 registration. km of state highways and major district roads Fino Payments Bank will add another 300 in the state of Maharashtra. State points to BPCL stores in Tamil Nadu: government Maharashtra will contribute Fino Payments Bank plans to add another $78.99 million equivalent toward the 300 points at BPCL outlets to its existing 1, $255.99 million total cost of the project. 075 in Tamil Nadu to help truck drivers Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launches recharge fleet cards by paying equal cash. Electricity Consumer Service Portal 'Mo Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) SmartFleet Bidyut' portal and app: cards used to pay for fuel has been a Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik challenge for truck drivers for some time, and launched an electricity consumer service to alleviate this inconvenience, Fino has portal “Mo Bidyut” and its mobile app to started such facilities with BPCL provide efficient, time-bound and

transparent online service to the people of women passengers travelling in trains the State. throughout their journey. FICCI to be national industry partner of Mansukh Mandaviya launches third edition of 'Make in Odisha': “Development of Indigenous Software Odisha signed an agreement with the solution for VTS and VTMS: Federation of Indian Chambers of Minister of State for Shipping (I/C) Shri Commerce and Industry (FICCI) as its Mansukh Mandaviya e-launched the national industry partner for the third edition development of Indigenous Software solution of 'Make in Odisha' conclave. The for Vessel traffic services (VTS) and agreement was signed on a virtual platform, Vessels Traffic Monitoring Systems in presence of Chief Minister Naveen (VTMS) in New Delhi. Patnaik between the state owned IPICOL, West Bengal Government Launches the nodal investment promotion and Campaign to Curb Elephant Deaths Due industrial facilitation agency and FICCI. to Electrocution: Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Pate West Bengal government launched a Launches “Safe City Project” a women’s campaign in areas adjoining elephant safety campaign in Lucknow: habitats in the northern part of the state. Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel This campaign has been launched to prevent inaugurated the ‘Safe City Project’ in electrocution deaths of elephants. The Lucknow. Central has approved a total cost of campaign will focus on areas adjoining Buxa Rs 194 crore. Under this 180-day-long Tiger Reserve, Jaldapara and Gorumara campaign, the women police personnel will national parks. work towards strengthening security of Union Minister Harsh Vardhan Launches women in public places and inculcate a feeling CuRED, CSIR Partnered Clinical Trials of pride and safety among women in the Website: city. Union Health and Science and Technology The Governor also flagged off 100 pink Minister Harsh Vardhan launched CuRED scooties and 10 four-wheeler police (CSIR Ushered Repurposed Drugs) a vehicles. These vehicles have first-aid kit, website that gives comprehensive info about flashlights and other facilities. the numerous COVID-19 clinical trials that the Railway Protection Force (RPF) launches Council of Scientific & Industrial ‘Meri Saheli’ initiative on AP Express: Research (CSIR) is engaged in partnership Railway Protection Force (RPF), with industry, other government departments Visakhapatnam, started implementing and ministries. ‘Meri Saheli’ initiative in AP Express Surat’s BRTS becomes Longest BRTS (Visakhapatnam to New Delhi in order to Network in country with a coverage of provide proactive security to women 108 kms: passengers. The main motto of ‘Meri Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani Saheli’ is to provide safety and security to inaugurated the newly expanded Bus Rapid

Transit System (BRTS) route from service in rural areas of the state. He Kumbhariya to Kadodara, Surat virtually distributed handheld devices through which from Gandhinagar. With the opening of this money could be withdrawn to banking BRTS corridor, Surat became the only city in correspondent agents. Initiative is being the country to have Longest BRTS network promoted by Meghalaya State Rural with 108 kms. Livelihood Society, MRB & NABARD. Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Third phase of National Supercomputing Prahlad Singh Patel virtually launches Mission to start in January 2021: Life in Miniature project: Department of Science and Technology Union Minister of State for Culture and stated, third phase of the National Tourism Shri Prahlad Singh Patel launched Supercomputing Mission (NSM) will kickstart ‘Life in Miniature’ project via video in January 2021, taking computing speed to conferencing on 22 October 2020. The project around 45 petaflops. is a collaboration between the National Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri Museum, New Delhi, Ministry of Culture, launches ‘e-Dharti Geo portal’: and the Google Arts and Culture. Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Rajnath Singh unveils new version of Hardeep Singh Puri has launched the ‘e- DRDO's procurement manual to engage Dharti Geo Portal’ that will integrate legacy private sector in defence R&D: drawings such as maps and lease plans in the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveiled a management information system and make it new version of the procurement manual of the Geographic Information System (GIS)- premier military research institute DRDO enabled. featuring simplified procedures for AAI Plans to Develop at Least 100 involvement of the private sector in various Airports, Waterdromes and Heliports research and development projects. Under UDAN Scheme by 2024: Andhra Pradesh government launches Airports Authority of India (AAI) is ‘YSR BIMA’ insurance scheme for BPL planning to develop at least 100 airports, families: waterdromes and heliports across the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan country by 2024 under the government's Mohan Reddy launched ‘YSR Bima’, a regional air connectivity scheme UDAN (Ude scheme to provide financial assistance Desh Ka Aam Nagrik), Civil Aviation through insurance cover to beneficiary in case Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola stated. of death or accident of their family The fourth anniversary of the UDAN scheme members. was commemorated on October 21. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Uttarakhand CM Rawat Launches Sangma Launches 'micro ATM' Service in Integrated Model Agricultural Village Rural Areas: Scheme: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Sangma has launched the 'micro ATM' Singh Rawat inaugurated Integrated

Model Agricultural Village scheme became the first country to host the first ever (“Ekikrit Adarsh Krishi Gram Yojana”) in the meeting. India is committed to the policy of state in partnership with NABARD. zero tolerance against corruption and Integrated Model Agricultural Village unaccounted money. scheme is a concept which will prove to be a Karnataka government Approves to milestone in strengthening the economy of switch implementing agency for farmers and doubling their income Rawat Bhagyalakshmi scheme through Sukanya stated while launching the scheme at Doiwala. Samriddhi Yojana: Tamil Nadu becomes first state to launch Karnataka cabinet granted approval to Smart Black Board Scheme in India: implement the Bhagyalakshmi scheme, Tamil Nadu becomes first state to launch which provides financial security to girl child Smart Black Board Scheme in India. of BPL families, through Sukanya Samriddhi Under this Smart Black Board scheme, Yojana of the postal department instead of audio visual teaching material would be LIC. possible, that can even be fed into the Maharashtra’s Women & Child welfare computer screens in classes using widely department launches initiative to fulfill available pen drives. nutritional requirements of lactating The Scheme was implemented more than mothers & children: 80, 000 schools in the country. Tamil Nadu Maharashtra’s Women and Child welfare State government has also decided to reduce department has launched a new initiative to be syllabus of 2020-21 by 40 per cent. fulfill the nutritional requirements of Khadi and Village Industries Commission lactating mothers and children in the launches India's first-ever Khadi fabric state. After performing the most difficult task footwear: of providing nutritional food to 74 lakh Minister of Micro, Small and Medium beneficiaries during Corona pandemic. Enterprises (MSME) Nitin Gadkari has launched India's first-ever high-quality Khadi Fabric Footwear, designed by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) through Video Conference. These footwears are made of Khadi fabric like Silk, Cotton and Wool. Union Minister Jitendra Singh Addresses First Ever Ministerial Meeting of G-20 Anti-Corruption Working Group: Union Minister Jitendra Singh addressed the first ministerial meeting of G-20 anti- corruption working group (launched on its 10th anniversary year). Saudi Arabia

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: The Bangladesh Rural Water, Sanitation 3-day naval exercise held betwen India and Hygiene (WASH) for Human Capital and Japan in Arabian Sea: Development Project will help about 600, 000 4th edition of India and Japan Maritime people avail safe and clean water through bilateral exercise “JIMEX” is conducted large and small piped water schemes in rural biennially between the Indian Navy and areas. Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force India and Denmark sign MoU on (JMSDF) is being held in the North Arabian Intellectual Property cooperation: Sea in a ‘Non-Contact At-Sea-Only Format’. India entered into a Memorandum of India provides 1.54 billion rupees to Understanding (MoU) with Denmark in the Nepal as post-earthquake reconstruction field of Intellectual Property (IP) assistance: Cooperation. The Department for India has provided 1.54 billion (US$ 250 Promotion of Industry and Internal million grant and US$ 750 million Trade (DPIIT) signed the MoU with the concessional Line of Credit) Nepalese Danish Patent and Trademark Office. Rupees (INR nearly 96 crores) to Nepal as IATA Inked MoU with UNOCT as 1st part of its commitment towards assistance private partner to Cooperate on India- and rehabilitation after the 2015 earthquake funded CT Travel Programme: named “Gorkha earthquake” which saw the International Air Transport Association death of over 9, 000 people in the country. (IATA) has signed a memorandum of Passage Exercise (PASSEX) Between understanding (MoU) with the United Royal Australian Navy and Indian Navy in Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism East Indian Ocean Region: (UNOCT) as the first non-government partner Indian Navy is scheduled to undertake a to strengthen the cooperation with the United Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with Royal Nations (UN) Countering Terrorist Travel Australian Navy (RAN) in the East Indian Programme (CT Travel Programme). Ocean Region. The exercise would involve India extends $15 million grant for participation of HMAS Hobart from the promotion of Buddhist ties with Sri Australian side and Indian Naval Ships Lanka: Sahyadri and Karmuk. India announced a grant assistance of $15 And also, India-Australia conducts maritime million for the promotion of Buddhist ties exercise “AUSINDEX” biennially to boost with Sri Lanka besides affirming to expand defence cooperation in the maritime domain. defence partnership eyeing to stabilise the World Bank Approves $200 mn loan for Southern Indian Ocean. Bangladesh to ensure safe water in rural These decisions were announced at the first areas: ever virtual summit between PM Narendra World Bank has approved $200 million to Modi and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda help Bangladesh improve access to safe Rajapaksa. water and sanitation services in rural areas.

NITI Aayog and Embassy of the 500 million for the Delhi-Ghaziabad- Netherlands sign Statement of Intent Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (SoI) on ‘Decarbonization and Energy (RRTS) Project. Transition Agenda’: National Capital Region Transport NITI Aayog and Embassy of the Corporation Limited (NCRTC) will use the Netherlands signed a Statement of Intent fund for construction of a rapid rail corridor (SoI) in New Delhi to support the connecting the National Capital Territory decarbonization and energy transition of Delhi with the cities of Ghaziabad and agenda for accommodating cleaner and more Meerut located in the state of Uttar energy. The SoI was signed by NITI Aayog Pradesh. CEO Amitabh Kant and Ambassador of the India and Australia Strengthens their Netherlands to India Marten van den Berg. Partnership on Skilling Agenda: India and Bangladesh virtually conducts Union Ministry of Skill Development and 6th Joint Consultative Commission Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the High meeting: Commission of Australia conducted meeting India and Bangladesh held the 6th Joint for Cooperation in Vocational Education Consultative Commission (JCC) meet and Training. The aim is to support through a virtual platform. The meeting was Vocational Education and Training (VET) in co-chaired by External minister of India Dr. India and Australia. S. Jaishankar and Foreign Minister of India signs defence deal with US worth Bangladesh Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen. 90 million USD to buy spares for C-130J Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Super Hercules aircraft: addresses Global Counter Terrorism India and the United States have entered Council (GCTC) Energy Security into a defence deal worth $90-million, Conference 2020: wherein US would provide equipment, spare Union Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel parts and logistical support for India’s fleet of Minister Dharmendra Pradhan addressed C-130J Super Hercules Cargo Aircraft. the ‘GCTC Energy Security Conference India and Bangladesh Naval Forces to 2020’ organized by Global Counter Hold Exercise Bongosagar in Bay of Terrorism Council (GCTC). The Theme of Bengal: ‘GCTC Energy Security Conference 2020’ is – The 2nd edition of India-Bangladesh “Energy Security Architecture in Post Bilateral Exercise “Bongosagar” is Covid-19 World”. scheduled in the Bay of Bengal. The exercise New Development Bank Approves Loans between the two navies aims at fostering for Mumbai Metro and Delhi-Ghaziabad- inter-operability and Joint Operational Meerut Rapid Rail: Skills with both forces conducting a wide New Development Bank (NDB) of the spectrum of joint maritime exercises. BRICS countries has approved USD 241 million loans for Mumbai Metro and USD

India and Myanmar Agree to Target Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed Operationalisation of Strategic Sittwe an agreement to invest $15 million Port in first quarter of 2021: equivalent in Avaada Energy Private Indian army chief General M.M. Naravane Limited (AEPL) to help the company to scale and foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan up photovoltaic solar energy generation Shringla travelled to Myanmar on a two-day capacity in India. This is ADB’s second visit. They called on State Counsellor Aung investment in AEPL after a first round of $50 San Suu Kyi and Myanmar’s Commander in million invested in April 2019. Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min India's First Business-To-Business (B2B) Aung Hlaing. Crypto Exchange 'DigitX' Launched: Foreign ministers of India, Japan, US and DigitX is India’s first Business-to-Business Australia attend QUAD meeting in Tokyo: (B2B) Crypto trading exchange has Foreign ministers of all four Quad countries commenced its trading operations. In a highly – the United States, Japan, India and potential yet challenging market, DigitX aims Australia in Tokyo, Japan to hold bilateral to deliver transparency and security with discussions over “Free and Open Indo- its Platform armed with features to bring Pacific” (FOIP) initiative amid coronavirus about a much-needed trust and confidence for pandemic. the investors and traders of Crypto. Foreign ministers of all four Quad countries NABARD signs 3 MoUs with SBI to extend are were Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, credit support for various projects in Indian External Affairs Minister S Gujarat: Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Marise Payne, Japanese Foreign Minister Rural Development) has inked three Toshimitsu Motegi will be present for the Memoranda of Understanding with State face to face meeting, a first amid the COVID- Bank of India to extend credit support for 19 pandemic. various projects in Gujarat. The MoUs were 12th Virtual BRICS Summit to be held on signed for financing joint liability groups 17 November 2020: and Self-Help Groups-support credit inflows 12th Virtual BRICS Summit is scheduled to be to Farmer Producers Organizations and held on 17th November 2020. The Summit economic support for watershed is being held under the Chairmanship of development projects. Russia. Meeting of the Leaders of BRICS Chqbook launches India's first 'Financial countries held under the theme of “BRICS Control Center' on mobile to empower 60 Partnership for Global Stability, Shared million small business owners: Security and Innovative Growth”. Chqbook is India's first Neobank for small Avaada Energy receives USD 15 million business owners like kiranas, merchants, fund from ADB to Expand Renewable chemists, and others running proprietorships Energy Capacity in India: announced the launch of its new mobile platform 'Financial Control Center'. With

this launch, Chqbook brings world-class personnel meeting point on Indian side. The financial services to a massive underserved Military commanders are meeting for the segment. seventh time to work out the measures to India to surpass Japan to become the preserve the peace and tranquility at the third largest economy by 2050: Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh Indian economy is set to become the third region. largest in the world behind China and the US Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad by 2050 and retain the same position in Virtually Host SCO Meeting of Law and 2100, a study published in the medical Justice Ministers: journal Lancet found by translating working Union Minister of Law and Justice Ravi age population of countries into scenarios for Shankar Prasad will host the seventh total GDP. meeting of Ministers of Justice of the Taking 2017 as the base year when India was Shanghai Cooperation Organisation the seventh-largest economy, the Lancet (SCO). India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyz paper said India will move up to become the Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan Fourth largest economy behind the US, China and Uzbekistan will participate in the and Japan by 2030 and subsequently will meeting. overtake Japan in 2050. India is currently 16-year-old Aava Murto assumes the 5th largest economy in the world. Finland's PM post for a day Under 'Girls Argentina Becomes First Country to Takeover' Programme: Approve Genetically Modified Wheat: A 16-year-old girl ceremoniously assumed the Argentina became the first country in the post of Finnish prime minister for one day for world to approve the use of drought-resistant the “Girls Takeover” program — part of the Genetically Modified (GMO) Wheat, United Nations International Day of the prompting fierce criticism by the country’s Girl to raise more awareness of gender massive export agriculture industry. equality. The country has approved HB4 drought- 18-year-old Indian girl Chaitanya resistant GMO wheat by biotechnology firm Venkateswaran becomes British High Bioceres, making it to approve a strain of Commissioner for a day: GMO wheat. Argentina said HB4 tech provides Delhi girl Chaitanya Venkateswaran seeds that are more tolerant to drought & became the British high commissioner to minimize production losses. India for a day. The 18-year-old won the Seventh round of military level talks ‘High Commissioner for the Day’ contest between India & China underway to de- organised by the mission in the run-up to the escalate tension along LAC: International Day of the Girl Child (October India and China is underway to resolve the 11). border issues on Line of Actual Control. The Exim Bank provides USD 310 million line Commander level talks between both the of credit to Zimbabwe for thermal and countries began at the Chushul border river projects:

Exim Bank has provided USD 42.5 million drastic drop in standing. Established by the (about Rs 310 crore) line of credit (LOC) to UN General Assembly in 2006 as the Zimbabwe for upgradation of a thermal principal United Nations entity dealing with power plant and river project. Under the human rights, the Human Rights Council LOCs, the terminal utilization period is 60 consists of 47 elected Member. months after the scheduled completion date World Bank approves USD 12 billion to of the project. help developing countries finance Exim Bank extends USD 400 million soft coronavirus vaccines: loan to Maldives for financing World Bank has approved USD 12 billion in connectivity project: financing to help developing countries buy Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) and distribute coronavirus vaccines, tests, on behalf of the Government of India has and treatments, aiming to support the extended a USD 400 million (about Rs 2, vaccination of up to 1 billion people. The 932 crore) soft loan to Maldives through the USD 12 billion "Envelop" is part of a wider Exim Bank to finance a connectivity project in World Bank Group package of up to USD 160 the nation of islands. billion to help developing countries fight the India and Taiwan Think Tanks join hands COVID-19 pandemic. for Indo-Pacific Cooperation: India and France re-elected as President Taiwan Asia Exchange Foundation and Co-President of International Solar (TAEF), a leading think tank from Taiwan Alliance: has signed a memorandum with India’s India and France were re-elected as the National Maritime Foundation (NMF) in President and Co-President of the order to foster cooperation in the Indo-Pacific International Solar Alliance (ISA), for a region as part of Taiwan’s South bound term of two years at the virtual meeting of the policy. Third Assembly, informed the Ministry of World Economic Forum shifts annual New and Renewable Energy. meeting 2021 from Davos to Lucerne: India signed MoU with Australia to World Economic Forum (WEF) will hold its promote cooperation in sustainable Annual Meeting 2021 in Lucerne- groundwater management: Burgenstock, Switzerland, from May 18 to Union Cabinet approved a Memorandum of 21, as against the traditional venue of ski Understanding (MoU) between India and resort town Davos in January 2021. The Australia to promote cooperation in surface theme “The Great Reset”, it will be held and groundwater training, education and both in physical and digital modes. research to achieve water security for Pakistan and Nepal re-elected to UN agricultural, urban, industrial and Human Rights Council: environmental purposes. Pakistan and Nepal have been re-elected to 6th Edition of Joint Commission meeting the UN Human Rights Council, while China held between India and Norway to won a seat by the smallest margin showing a

establish global facility ‘COVAX’ to India designated as Vice-Chair of OECD combat COVID-19: Working Group on Good Laboratory India and Norway held a virtual joint Practice (GLP): commission. The Indian delegation was led by India has been designated the Vice-Chair of S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of Good Laboratory Practice, GLP Working India and the Norwegian delegation was led Group of the Organisation for Economic by Ine Eriksen Soreide, Foreign Minister of Co-operation and Development (OECD), Norway. Both countries decided to hold the recognising the contribution of the Indian GLP next round of Joint Commission Meeting in programme. Oslo, Norway. OECD also appointed Dr.Ekta Kapoor, India among high-burden TB nations to Scientist ‘E’, National GLP Compliance register 25-30 pc drop in Tuberculosis Monitoring Authority (NGCMA), case notifications; WHO report: Department of Science & Technology (DST) as According to WHO report, a drop of around Vice-Chair of OECD Working Group on GLP for 25-30 per cent in Tuberculosis case 2021 and 2022. notifications was reported in three high- India and Chile Hold First Joint burden countries India, Indonesia and Commission Virtual Meeting: Philippines between January and June India and Chile held their first joint 2020, compared to the corresponding period commission meeting and agreed to add in 2019. new momentum to their relations in a wide India provides USD 1 million dollars to range of fields including trade and UNRWA for Palestinian refugees: commerce, agriculture, health and social India contributed USD one million to the security, defence and space. United Nations Relief and Works Agency The meeting held virtually was co-chaired by for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Near East to support Palestinian refugees his Chilean counterpart Andres Allamand who have been facing extreme challenges due Zavala. to the COVID-19 pandemic, a move hailed by India joins hands with Netherlands for the UN body as "Timely Help". its ehealth initiative “eHealth Magazine”: India hosts 7th meeting of Ministers of India and Netherlands discussed a joint Justice of SCO member states: thrust in e-health sector to provide digital India hosted the Seventh Meeting of health facilities and security to Indians and Ministers of Justice of the Shanghai helping Netherlands accelerate digital Cooperation Organisation (SCO) which is transformation of health. It is Part of a permanent intergovernmental international India's ambitious National Digital Health organization. India was represented by Law Mission. Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. This collaboration will see the two countries work closely to create capacities and put in

place the requisite technology backbone to public housing applications. Facial enable this revolutionary initiative. recognition is also increasingly being used to Indian and Sri Lankan navies to conduct access other online services maritime exercise SLINEX-20: 9th Session of India-Oman Joint The 8th edition of the annual bilateral Commission Virtual Meeting held to maritime exercise SLINEX-20 between the improve Trade & Investment: Indian Navy and Sri Lanka Navy is 9th Session of the India-Oman Joint scheduled off Trincomalee in Sri Lanka. It Commission Meeting was held virtually. It was aims to enhance inter-operability & improve co-chaired by Hardeep Singh Puri and Qais mutual understanding for multi-faceted bin Mohammed of Oman. The meeting was maritime operations. attended by representatives of various The Sri Lanka Navy will be represented by government departments/ministries from SLN Ships Sayura (Offshore Patrol Vessel) both sides. and Gajabahu (Training Ship) led by Rear Both sides agreed to cooperate in areas of Admiral Bandara Jayathilaka. Indian Navy Agriculture & Food Security, Standards & will be Represented by Indigenously built Metrology, Tourism, Information Kamorta and Kiltan will represent. Technology, Health & Pharmaceuticals, Australia to join India, US, Japan in large MSMEs, Space, Civil Aviation, Energy naval exercises: including renewable energy, Culture, Australia will join 3-way naval exercises Mining, and Higher Education. involving US, Japan & India. India, holds Israeli Embassy to Have 'Water Attache' annual drills called Malabar with the U.S. & in India from January: Japanese navies each year, agreed to invite Israel Embassy will have a separate 'Water Australia for exercise in Bay of Bengal in a Attache' from January 2021 to help share sign of co-operation between Quad their country's best practices and countries. technologies for advancements in India's The participation of Australia means that all water management and agriculture four members of the so-called Quad will be sectors stated by Israeli Ambassador to participating in the exercises for the first India Ron Malka. time since 2007. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta Singapore Becomes First Country to Use participates in 18th meeting of Facial Recognition to Pay Taxes: Prosecutors General of SCO: Singapore became the World’s First India was represented by the Solicitor Country to attach Facial verification in the General Tushar Mehta in 18th meeting of National Identification Database. This Prosecutors General of SCO. Prosecutors technology is being rolled out to the city- agreed to strengthen cooperation in state's SingPass digital identity scheme, preventing and combating corruption, offering access to no less than 400 online mutual legal assistance and exchange of services, including tax declarations and regulatory legal acts.

India to host the SCO Prosecutors General Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare, Meeting in 2021. India will host the SCO Dr. Harsh Vardhan announced this at a Council of Heads of Government 2020 on review meeting in New Delhi. November 30th. India recorded highest infant deaths due India and Kazakhstan explores co- to air pollution in 2019: production and co-development of India recorded the highest annual average defence products: PM 2.5 concentration exposure in the world India and Central Asia’s biggest state last year, according to the State of Global Kazakhstan are exploring widening defence Air 2020 (SOGA 2020) report. India was partnership including joint production as followed by Nepal, Niger, Qatar and well as opening a new chapter in the heavy Nigeria in high PM 2.5 exposures. engineering sector. More than 1, 16, 000 infants in India did A two-day virtual expo jointly organized by not survive their first month due to air FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of pollution in 2019, according to the State of Commerce & Industry) and Ministry of Global Air 2020 report. Defence with Kazakhstan defence UNDP and EIF partner to develop industries for co-production and co- initiatives for implementation of SDGs development in defence production. and sustainable finance: 5th Joint Working Group on Coal United Nations Development Programme between India and Indonesia to be held and European Investment Fund signed an in November 2020: MOU to develop joint initiatives for India will host 5th Joint Working Group sustainable finance and implementation of (JWG) on coal with Indonesia and the the Sustainable Development Goals, risk meeting will be on November 5 through management, socio-economic and video conference. environmental impact assessments. The meeting will be co-chaired from the Cabinet Approves MoU Between ICAI and Indian side by Vinod Kumar Tiwari, CPAs, Papua New Guinea: Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal and by Central Cabinet chaired by the PM Dr Ir. Ridwan Djamaluddin, Director Narendra Modi has approved a MoU General of Mineral and Coal Ministry of between the Institute of Chartered Energy and Mineral Resources from the Accounts of India (ICAI) and also the Indonesian side. Certified Practising Accountants, Papua 6th India International Science Festival New Guinea (CPA PNG) to figure together in to be held in Virtual format from capacity building and strengthening the December 2020: Accounting. The 6th edition of India International Andorra becomes IMF's 190th member of Science Festival (IISF) 2020 will be held International Monetary Fund: from 22nd to 25th December, 2020. The European country Andorra formally joined Union Minister for Science & Technology, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as

190th Member state as the tourism and BANKING AND ECONOMY: trade-dependent principality struggles with Fino Payments Bank with Fintech the coronavirus pandemic. Ambassador of Partners Introduced NFC-based Andorra, Elisenda Vives Balmana signed Contactless Payments Solution for Mass IMF’s Articles of Agreement at IMF Transport: Headquarters in Washington D.C., USA. Fino Payments Bank along with fintech India gets chairmanship of ILO partners has introduced NFC-based governing body after a gap of 35 years: contactless payments solution for mass After a gap 35 years, India has assumed the transit systems, especially state bus Chairmanship of the Governing Body of Transport Services in India. It was International Labour Organization (ILO). developed by Fino Payments Bank in Apurva Chandra, Secretary, Labour and partnership with fintech firms like City Cash. Employment, has been elected as the SBI Card launches new brand campaign Chairperson of Governing Body of ILO for the 'contactless connections': period October 2020- June 2021. India's second largest credit card issuer SBI NATO to set up new Space Centre in Card has announced the launch of its new Ramstein, Germany: brand campaign, "Contactless North Atlantic Treaty organisation is to Connections" that spreads the message that setup a new Space Centre in Ramstein, love and care can be shared even during this Germany. The centre is to serve as a co- difficult period where social distancing is the ordination Centre for space observation. norm. This campaign is in continuation of the NATO leaders declared that Space will be the SBI card’s brand campaign “Ghar Mein alliance’s “Fifth Domain” of operations after Khushiyaan”. land, sea, air and cyberspace. Axis Bank partners with Bayer’s Better Life Farming initiative in India: Axis Bank has joined Bayer’s Better Life Farming initiative in India to provide enhanced and holistic financial solutions to smallholder farmers and rural farming communities. Axis Bank will offer a wide range of end-to-end financial solutions and services like affordably priced loans, deposits, withdrawals, payments etc. These solutions will be offered through Bayer’s Better Life Farming centers which are owned and operated either by a Farmer Producer Organization (FPO), Federation, agri-graduate or a local farmer/entrepreneur.

Vakrangee gets RBI nod to set up Bharat Cheque Truncation System from 01st Bill Payment unit: January, 2021.The “Positive Pay System” will Vakrangee Limited has been granted in- be developed by the National Payments principle authorization to set-up and operates Corporation of India (NPCI) and make it Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit available to participant banks. (BBPOU) under the Payment and Settlement Banks will be required to enable the system Systems Act, 2007 from Reserve Bank of for all account holders issuing cheques for India. amounts of Rs 50, 000 and above. RBI approves 3-member committee of India’s GDP to contract 11% in FY21: directors Headed by Meeta Makhan to ICRA manage Lakshmi Vilas Bank: Rating Agency ICRA has revised its FY21 Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved forecast for the contraction in India’s GDP a three-member committee of directors to downwards to 11 per cent from its earlier run the day-to-day functioning of cash projection of 9.5 per cent due to fresh Covid- strapped Lakshmi Vilas Bank. RBI approved 19 infections remaining elevated at the end of 3 independent directors namely, Meeta Q2 (July-September) FY21. Makhan, Chairperson of the CoD, Shakti HDFC Bank launches India’s first Sinha, Member and Satish Kumar Kalra, Warehouse Commodity Finance App: Member. Meeta Makhan is the head of this HDFC Bank launched a Warehouse Committee of Directors (CoD). Commodity Finance App. This will enable RBI extends enhanced borrowing limit customers in drawing down and managing the for banks under MSF till March 31, 2021: loan against pledge of commodities online RBI had increased the borrowing limit for without physical intervention or multiple visits scheduled banks under the Marginal to a Bank branch. Standing Facility (MSF) scheme from 2 per The new app will greatly benefit agri cent to 3 per cent of their Net Demand and processors, traders and farmers who are Time Liabilities (NDTL) with effect from primary beneficiaries of WHR loans March 27, 2020. (Warehouse Receipt Loans). Normally, banks are allowed to avail SEBI eases norms for REITs and InvITs maximum funds under MSF from RBI at 2% to raise fund in institutional placement: of its net demand and time liabilities (NDTL). Markets regulator SEBI provided relaxations After COVID-19, RBI had allowed banks to dip to REITs and InvITs for preferential and 1% extra to this limit that is now banks could institutional placement of their respective borrow money from RBI under MSF, at 3%. units. RBI to launch “Positive Pay System” for Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Cheque Truncation System from January, and Infrastructure Investment Trusts 2021: (InvITs) can now raise equity capital Reserve Bank of India has announced that through institutional placement route two it will launch “Positive Pay System” for weeks after a previous such exercise. Earlier

the allowed time gap was six months American Express and SBI Card join between two institutional placements. hands to leverage scale and IDBI Bank becomes first bank to enable differentiated offerings for premium document embedding feature on SFMS: customers: IDBI Bank has become the first lender to SBI Card has joined hands with American enable document embedding feature on a Express to leverage scale and differentiated Structured Financial Messaging System offerings for its premium customers in (SFMS) managed by Indian Financial India. SBI Card's top-end premium products Technology and Allied Services (IFTAS). ‘SBI Card ELITE’ and ‘SBI Card PRIME’ will This new feature of “Document be available on American Express' global Embedding” provides banks with the network. functionality of transmitting a “PDF” Indian Bank launched Green-Tech document up to 1MB size along with the Initiative “IB-eNote”: Letter of Credit (LC) / Bank Guarantee Indian Bank has launched a green initiative (BG) messages. named “IB-eNote” to enable a total IRDAI identifies LIC, GIC, New India Paperless Working Environment. This tool Assurance systemically important enables processing and tracking of notes put insurers 2020-21: up by various offices digitally. IRDAI has identified Life Insurance The bank for this initiative has customized Corporation of India(LIC), General SharePoint, one of the features of Microsoft Insurance Corporation of India(GIC) and Office. The Bank also launched ‘Ind Guru’, New India Assurance Co. Ltd.(New India an e-learning platform for its employees. Assurance) as Domestic Systemically RBI excludes six public sector banks Important Insurers (D-SIIs) and from Second Schedule of RBI Act: subsequently decided to subject them to Reserve Bank of India has excluded six enhanced regulatory supervision. public sector banks from the Second RBI Sets Centre's Ways and Means Schedule of the RBI Act following their advances limit at Rs 1.25 lakh crore for merger with other banks. The six banks are second half of FY 2020-21: Syndicate Bank, Oriental Bank of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) set the Ways Commerce, United Bank of India, Andhra and Means Advances (WMAS) limit at Rs Bank, Corporation Bank, and Allahabad 1.25 lakh crore for the central government Bank. for the second half of the fiscal year. WMAs A bank mentioned in the Second Schedule of are temporary advances given by the RBI to the Reserve Bank of India Act is known as the government to tide over any mismatch in 'Scheduled Commercial Bank'. Receipts and Payments. State Bank of India joins hands with HUL RBI may trigger fresh floatation of market to offer digital payment solutions to loans when the government utilises 75 per retailers and distributors: cent of the WMA limit.

State Bank of India (SBI) and Hindustan buying stakes in unrelated businesses without Unilever Ltd (HUL) have signed a its approval. memorandum of understanding (MoU), under The country's largest stock exchange has which the bank will provide its digital invested in companies including Power payment and financing solutions to the Exchange India (PXIL), Computer Age FMCG company’s retailers and distributors. It Management Systems (CAMS), NSEIT, also aims to make availing of credit easy for NSDL E-Governance Infrastructure channel partners, provides UPI based (NEIL), Market Simplified India (MSIL) and payment solutions & PoS terminals to Receivables Exchange of India (RXIL). retailers & distributors. Indian Bank launches Rupay Kisan credit Government keeps interest rates card scheme for Tamil Nadu fishermen: unchanged on PPF, NSC and other small Indian Bank has launched Rupay Kisan savings schemes for Third quarter: credit card scheme for Tamil Nadu Government kept the interest rates on Small fishermen, where working capital loan up to Savings Schemes, including PPF and NSC, Rs 2 lakh can be availed at 7% interest unchanged for third quarter (October- under MUDRA Scheme. Interest subvention December) amid moderating bank deposit of 3% would be provided for Repayment of rates. Public Provident Fund (PPF) and Loan within a year. The fishermen can submit National Savings Certificate (NSC) will their loan applications through the continue to carry an annual interest rate of Department of Fisheries. 7.1 per cent and 6.8 per cent, respectively. Punjab National Bank launches financial Five-year Senior Citizens Savings Scheme inclusion initiative “Gram Sampark (SCSS) has been retained at 7.4 per cent. Abhiyan”: The interest on the senior citizen scheme is State-owned Punjab National Bank paid quarterly. Interest rate on Savings launched a financial inclusion and literacy Deposits has been retained at 4 per cent initiative 'Gram Sampark Abhiyan' to annually. commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of The girl child savings scheme Sukanya Mahatma Gandhi. The nationwide campaign Samriddhi Yojana(SSY) will offer 7.6 per was launched by Minister of Agriculture and cent rate during the third quarter of the Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar. current fiscal. The annual interest rate on The campaign is based on four key themes Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) has been retained Digital, Credit, Social Security and at 6.9 per cent. Financial Literacy. SEBI fines NSE Rs 6 crore for buying SEBI Introduces ‘Very High Risk stakes in CAMS and others without its Category’ in Mutual Fund Schemes: approval: Markets regulator SEBI (Securities and Securities and Exchange Board of India Exchange Board of India) revamped the (SEBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 6 crore product labelling on Mutual Fund schemes on National Stock Exchange (NSE) for under the risk-o-meter by introducing "very

high risk" category to warn investors. The lakhs each for POS and online existing five categories to measure risks are - transactions. low, low to moderate, moderate, BFSL partners with ICSI to launch co- moderately high and high. branded credit card for Company Axis Bank and Vistara strengthen Secretaries: partnership to launch a co-branded forex BOB Financial Solutions Ltd (BFSL), a card: wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of Baroda India’s third largest private sector bank (BoB) partners with Institute of Company Axis Bank strengthens partnership with Secretaries of India (ICSI) to launch an Vistara to launch a co-branded forex card – exclusive co-branded credit card for ‘Axis Bank Club Vistara Forex Card’. This Company Secretaries (CS). is also the first-ever collaboration by a bank The BoB-ICSI Diamond credit card will and an Indian airline for a co-branded forex bring exclusive benefits and conveniences to card. Company Secretaries, who are influencers The card can load up to 16 currencies & has and opinion leaders in their own right, and are emergency assistance services like loss of contributing in building a modern and passport assistance through Trip-Assist & Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) India. insurance cover of up to Rs 3 lakhs. RBI Monetary Policy: Repo rate Indian Bank launches its first Customer unchanged at 4%; GDP to contract by Acquisition and Processing Centre in 9.5% in current FY21: Chennai: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to Chennai-headquartered public sector lender keep key lending rate unchanged in its Indian Bank opened its first centralised October policy review meeting. The six- Customer Acquisition & Processing member monetary policy committee (MPC), Centre (CAPC) in Chennai. Tamil Nadu and headed by RBI governor Shaktikanta Das, Puducherry branches will be brought under kept Repo Rate untouched at 4 per cent; CAPC before December 2020 and other and Reverse Repo rate at 3.35 per cent branches across the country will be brought while maintaining accommodative stance. under the CAPCs in a phased manner. Shaktikanta also stated that real GDP ICICI becomes the first Bank to offer expected to contract by 9.5 per cent in the debit card to customers availing Loan current fiscal (2020-21). RBI will extend the Against Securities (LAS): scheme for co-lending to all NBFC, HFC. ICICI Bank partnership with Visa to RBI extends interest subvention scheme introduced a Debit Card facility for for MSMEs till 31st March 2021: customers availing the Loan Against Reserve Bank of India stated that the two Securities (LAS) from the Bank. The card is per cent interest subvention scheme for available on the Visa platform. The card offers Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises a maximum daily transaction limit of Rs. 3 (MSMES) on loans offered by co-operative

banks has been extended till 31st of March 24x7 system. The RTGS service window for 2021. customer transactions is available to banks RBI has further informed that the scheme, from 7am to 6pm on a working day, for initially announced for just two years, has settlement at the RBI end. been extended for the financial year 2020- LIC Housing launches ‘Project RED’ to 2021. improve efficiencies: World Bank expects India’s GDP to LIC Housing Finance Ltd (LICHFL) contract by 9.6% For FY21: launched “Project RED” (Reimagining World Bank expects India's GDP is Excellence through Digital expected to contract by 9.6 percent this transformation) to improve efficiencies at fiscal which is reflective of the national every level of the organisation. Project RED lockdown and the income shock experienced aims to create value across the entire by households and firms due to the COVID-19 spectrum of stakeholders that includes pandemic, noting that the country's economic employees, shareholders, business situation is much worse than ever seen associates, existing and potential customers before. of LICHFL, as per the housing finance HDFC Bank and Apollo Hospitals join company’s statement. hands to provide access to quality IRDAI to launch ‘Colour Codes’ for health healthcare and easy finance at scale: insurance policies: HDFC Bank and Apollo Hospitals have Insurance Regulatory Authority of India joined hands to launch The Healthy Life (IRDAI) has introduced 'Colour Coding' for Programme, a holistic healthcare solution individual health products. This move will which makes healthy life accessible and enable policyholders to understand the level affordable on Apollo’s digital platform, Apollo of complexity while buying health insurance 24/7. The programme is created exclusively products. for HDFC customers who will get round the Every health insurance product offered by clock access to emergency Apollo Doctor at general and health insurance companies will No Cost on Apollo 24/7 along with a plethora use green, orange, & red colours to of benefits such as choice of payment indicate the complexity of the products. options and ease of finance for treatments at Green will signify that the product offered Apollo Hospitals. is a simple one, easy to understand & RTGS payment system will be available comprehend. Red- Product is complex and 24x7 from December 2020: needs to be understood properly. Reserve Bank of India Governor RBI to move Next Generation Treasury Shaktikanta Das announced that Real Time Application (NGTA) to manage Forex and Gross Settlement (RTGS) payment system Gold Reserves: will be available round the clock from RBI has decided to move towards the Next December 2020 to make online fund Generation Treasury Application(NGTA). transfer smooth. As of now, RTGS is not a This decision has been taken by the Reserve

Bank of India for managing the country’s Small Industries Development Bank of Foreign Exchange and Gold Reserves. The India (SIDBI) for payment of subsidy to Next Generation Treasury Application (NGTA) street vendors under SVANidhi Scheme. application will help improve the functioning Government introduced the Prime Minister of the RBI. Street Vendor's Atmanirbhar Nidhi International Monetary Fund projects (SVANidhi Scheme) to provide loans to India’s GDP to contract 10.3% in 2020: vendors and hawkers, among others. International Monetary Fund (IMF) Hyderabad Based Finance Platform Vivifi projected India’s gross domestic product Launches “FlexPay” to Offer Credit on (GDP) to plunge in FY21 by 10.3%, from its UPI: earlier prediction of 4.5% drop, reflecting a Hyderabad based Vivifi India Finance severe-than-anticipated contraction in Private Limited had earlier launched an economic activities in the first quarter as a emergency personal line of credit product result of the nationwide lockdown as well as FlexSalary, has launched “FlexPay”, a the rapidly spreading pandemic. payment option offering credit on Unified IMF estimates the GDP of India to grow at 8.8 Payments Interface(UPI). per cent in 2021-22, as compared to 6 per IRDAI to offer a standard term life policy, cent predicted earlier. 'Saral Jeevan Bima' from January 2021: RBI Increases Banks Aggregate Insurance Regulatory and Development Exposure Limit for Small Businesses to Authority of India (IRDAI) has come out Rs 7.5 crore: with a standard, individual term life insurance Reserve Bank (RBI) has raised the banks’ product called “Saral Jeevan Bima”. This maximum aggregate retail exposure limit to will be mandatorily offered by all life entities with turnover up to Rs 50 crore to insurance companies from January 1, 2021, Rs 7.5 crore. Earlier this limit was Rs 5 onwards. Insurers have to file the product crore. with the regulator latest by December 1. Axis Bank collaborates with Google Pay IKEA partners with Mastercard and Citi and Visa to launch a new ACE Credit card: bank India to launch “IKEA Family Credit Axis Bank launches ACE Credit Card in Card by Citi”: India in collaboration with Google Pay and Swedish home furnishings major IKEA has Visa. The card meant to help with digital joined hands with the Citibank India and payments. From application to issuance, Mastercard to launch ‘IKEA Family Credit with the entire user journey for the credit card Card by Citi’. This card provides instant in- application will be done digitally. store card bookings, direct payments via Indian Bank inks MoU with SIDBI and Bharat QR, accelerated reward points and Housing Ministry for street vendors: attractive EMIs. It offers customers an Indian Bank has signed a memorandum of affordable EMI (Equated Monthly understanding (MoU) with the Union Installments) option for 3 to 48 months. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and

RBI to conduct first-ever OMO purchase to access banking services remotely at of State Developments Loans (SDLs): their convenience. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will conduct Canara HSBC OBC Life Insurance first-ever open market operation (OMO) Launches New “INVEST 4G” Plan for purchase of State Developments Loans Individual Life Insurance Savings Plan: (SDLs) for Rs 10, 000 crore on October 22, Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce 2020. The Reserve Bank had announced Life Insurance announces launch of new about the OMOs in the statement on “INVEST4G” – A Unit Linked Individual Life Developmental and Regulatory Policies Insurance Savings Plan which can be after the monetary policy meeting. customized as per the goals and changing Axis Mutual Fund launches ‘Axis Banking requirements of the customer. ETF’: New “Invest4G” offers three options to the Axis Mutual Fund has launched a new fund customers: Life Option, Care Option and offer of ‘Axis Banking ETF’. It is an Century Option. Exchange Traded Fund that offers investors ➢ Life option ensures financial an opportunity to invest in the biggest banks protection to a family in case of the in India at their own pace as it gives exposure customer’s unfortunate demise. to them all in a neatly packed bite-sized ➢ Care Option provides life coverage exchange traded fund. along with Premium Funding Jana Small Finance Bank Becomes First Benefit. SFB to Go Live Under Sponsor Bank ➢ Century Option is a whole life option Program: available for the policyholder till the Jana Small Finance Bank has joined hands age of 100 years. with Ashoknagar Co-operative Bank Bank of Baroda inks pact with Mahindra Limited under the Bank Sponsorship & Mahindra for tractor finance: Program. Jana Bank becomes the first Small State-owned Bank of Baroda (BoB) has Finance Bank to go live under this Program. entered into a pact with Mahindra and IDBI Bank Launches Banking Services Mahindra for tractor finance business. The 24X7 on WhatsApp: lender, through its over 5, 000 rural and IDBI Bank Limited announced the launch of semi-urban branch network, will provide banking services on WhatsApp for its Tractor Loan Facility to customers of customers. WhatsApp Banking facility, Mahindra and Mahindra. shall enable IDBI Bank customers to avail The MoU will give a boost to agri business various essential banking services such as and will help farmers in availing hassle-free account balance information, last 5 credit facilities for buying tractors. transactions etc., Paytm to introduce co-branded credit This launch is a part of sustained initiatives cards in India: the Bank has taken to enable the customers Paytm announced that it will be partnering with Various Card Issuers to introduce Co-

Branded Credit Cards for consumers. The Power Finance Corporation Ltd has signed company is aiming to issue two million cards a performance-based MoU with the Ministry in the next 12–18 months. of Power detailing various targets to be Indian Bank partners with IIT Madras to achieved by PFC during FY 2020-21. The launch credit scheme “IND Spring MoU was signed by Power Secretary Sanjiv Board” for start-ups: Nandan Sahai and CMD of PFC R.S. Dhillon. Indian Bank has collaborated with IIT Bombay Stock Exchange joins hands Madras Incubation cell to launch 'IND with Yes Bank to Empower SMEs: Spring Board', an initiative for funding start- Leading stock exchange BSE (Bombay Stock ups. The Bank will extend loans of up to Rs Exchange) has signed a pact with private 50 crore to these start-ups for their working sector lender Yes Bank to empower the capital requirements or purchase of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) machinery and equipment. listed on the platform. The pact aims at empowering the SME segment through ACQUISITIONS AND MERGERS: awareness and knowledge-sharing Facebook partners with Matrix Partners programmes. India to scale Small and Medium Flipkart Partners with Bajaj Allianz to Businesses (SMBs): launch Cyber Insurance to cover Online Facebook has joined hands with early stage Financial Frauds: venture capital fund Matrix Partners to scale India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace small businesses in India by providing them Flipkart and India’s leading private general with timely digital skilling support. The insurer Bajaj Allianz General Insurance partnership with Matrix Partners is a part of Company have come together to offer Facebook’s VC Brand Incubator ‘Digital Suraksha Group Insurance’ for Programme, that associates with VC funds customers who want to cover themselves to help early-stage Small and Medium against financial losses caused as a result of Businesses (SMBs) to increase their digital cyber-attacks, cyber frauds or other such potential. malicious activities across various online Epic Games acquires Microsoft-backed platforms. kidtech platform SuperAwesome: CSIR sign MoU with Tata Steel to Epic Games has acquired London-based collaborate in the area of Carbon kidtech platform SuperAwesome to build a Capture, Utilisation & Storage (CCUS): wide range of kid-safe services. Council of Scientific & Industrial SuperAwesome gives developers the tools to Research (CSIR) and Tata Steel signed a create safer digital experiences for younger Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to audiences. working together in the areas of Carbon Power Finance Corporation signs MoU Capture, Utilisation & Storage (CCUS). with Ministry of Power detailing targets India’s growing energy demands and to build for FY 2020-21:

a strong ecosystem to meet commitments being adopted in agriculture field through under the Paris Agreement. 30minutes program series for the benefit of CSC partners with HelpAge India to farmers. impart digital literacy to elderly citizens: NSDC signed MoU with FLO to create IT Ministry's e-governance services arm employability and promote Common Services Centre (CSC) and entrepreneurship: HelpAge India has signed a Memorandum of Empowering women through Skill Training Understanding (MoU) under the project of in order to enhance their employability and “Aalambana” of HelpAge India which will be promote entrepreneurship, FLO, the implemented for a period of 1 year, to offer Women’s Wing of FICCI signed an MoU with digital literacy to the rural elderly citizens National Skill Development Corporation (above the age of 55) of India. (NSDC). This MoU will be under the auspices It will provide three “Aspitational Districts” of the FLO’s 3Cs (Competency, Capacity of Karauli in Rajasthan, Birbhum in West and Confidence) initiative. Bengal and Ramanathapuram in Tamil Amazon India partners with IRCTC to Nadu. offer train ticket bookings: Reliance General partners with SatSure Amazon India had partnered with Indian Analytics for crop insurance business: Railway Catering and Tourism Reliance General Insurance has partnered Corporation (IRCTC) to provide their with SatSure for satellite-based crop customers with the facility to book reserved monitoring and predictive analytics train tickets on its platform. Customers will support to better risk management and be able to check PNR status for ticket improve efficiency of its crop insurance booked through its platform. business operations. It will help address the Infosys to acquire US-based Blue Acorn key areas of crop health, soil moisture, iCi for $125 million: crop sown area, crop yield estimation and Infosys announced to acquire US-based crop loss estimation. Blue Acorn iCi, an Adobe Platinum partner, Prasar Bharati and IFFCO sign MoU to provider of digital customer experience, broadcast and promote Agri technology commerce and analytics solutions for $125 and innovations for growth of Indian million. Acquisition will to add to company’s agriculture: capabilities in digital commerce marketplace. World’s biggest fertiliser cooperative, Indian Bangalore Metro Rail Corp Ltd inks MoUs Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited with corporate companies to develop (IFFCO) and Prasar Bharati signed a MoU metro stations: to broadcast and promote new agriculture Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation technology and innovations. The agreement Limited (BMRCL) has signed MoUs with the was signed at a program organised in Prthivi corporate companies to develop upcoming Bhavan, New Delhi. DD Kisan will metro stations under their CSR funds. The broadcast various innovative technology proposed metro line between Electronic city

and Bangalore International airport will Mastercard partners with Indian start-up now get CSR funds for the development and Signzy for global rollout of Video KYC: maintenance of metro stations. Mastercard, a global technology company in Infosys foundation has come forward to pay the payments industry, has partnered with Rs. 200 crores for the construction of Signzy, a RegTech startup based in India, for Konappana Agrahara metro station near global rollout of Signzy’s video-based KYC the Electronic city. Biocon Foundation will be (Know Your Customer) solution for its funding Rs. 65 crores for the construction of banking customers. Hebbagodi Metro station. EarlySalary Launches ''Salary Card'' a MCGM and Google collaborate to mark Zero-Touch Digital card Powered by Containment Zones in Mumbai on Google RuPay: Maps: India’s largest consumer lending platform Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai EarlySalary launches ‘Salary Card’ a zero- (MCGM) and Google have collaborated to touch digital card that provides instant mark Containment Zones in the city on access for salaried professionals, enabling Google Maps. Availability of this information them to make instant purchases across on Google Maps will further make it easy to thousands of merchants across India. access for Mumbaikars while on the move. CCI Approves Acquisition of Shares and Amazon Pay join hands with Uber to push Solar Energy in CG Power and Adani digital payment service system in India: Green Energy Ten Limited: Amazon Pay and Uber technology Competition Commission of India (CCI) announced a partnership that will integrate has approved the acquisition of shares in CG the digital payment platform as a payment Power and Industrial Solutions by Tube option on the ride hailing service app. This Investment India (TII). Under the Swiss partnership with Uber will allow customers to Challenge method, the company did not find complete their transaction in a contactless any new suitors until the deadline. As a result, manner, especially during the pandemic. TII remained the sole bidder. Microsoft Partners with AICTE to skill Gujarat government partnered with students and educators in next Hindustan Zinc to set up world’s biggest generation technologies: Zinc Smelter project in Dosawada: All India Council for Technical Education Vedanta Group firm Hindustan Zinc Ltd (AICTE) has partnered with Microsoft to (HZL) has signed a pact with Gujarat provide uninterrupted online learning to government to set up a greenfield zinc millions of students across the country and smelter in the state. The project will entail empower learners and educators in new-age an investment of up to Rs 10, 000 crore. technologies, including Artificial Flipkart-owned PhonePe Partners with Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Bajaj Allianz General Insurance to data science, and cloud computing. Launch Car and Bike Insurance Products:

Flipkart-owned PhonePe launched Car and other public sector organizations on their Bike Insurance products on its platform in most pressing challenges, innovate and association with Bajaj Allianz General test new ideas and access the technology Insurance. expertise of AWS. With this launch, over 230 million registered Tech Mahindra enters into joint venture PhonePe users to insure their vehicles under agreement with Japan’s Sumitomo: 2 minutes, without the need for any Tech Mahindra Limited informed the documents to be uploaded before the exchanges that the Company has executed a purchase, and also view their policy Joint Venture Agreement with Sumitomo documents instantly on the app. Corporation, Japan. The agreement will be NTPC Partners with cement to provide engineering services to the manufacturers across country to supply automotive sector. fly ash: Bank of Baroda Partners with Toyota NTPC Limited has started to collaborate with Kirloskar Motor for easy auto finance: Cement Manufacturers across the country State-owned Bank of Baroda (BoB) to supply fly ash as part of its endeavour to announced a tie up with Toyota Kirloskar achieve 100 per cent utilization of the by- Motor (TKM) to enable finance options for product produced during power generation. the automaker's customers and dealers. Tata Motors partners with HDFC to BoB will be one of the preferred financiers for provide financing offers for passenger the entire range of vehicles sold by TKM. vehicles: The new service facilitates customers to avail Tata Motors has partnered with HDFC Bank customised solutions such as high on-road for financing of its passenger vehicles. funding of 90 per cent, long repayment Through the partnership Tata has introduced period of 84 months, no prepayment or two new schemes 'Gradual Step Up foreclosure charges. Scheme' and 'TML Flexi Drive Scheme' SpaceX tie up with Microsoft to woo with an eye on making its products more space customers: accessible and driving up sales in the festive Microsoft Corp is partnering with billionaire season. entrepreneur Elon Musk-led SpaceX and NITI Aayog collaborates with Amazon others as it expands its cloud-computing Web Services to establish Frontier platform into space, the software giant. Technologies Cloud Innovation Centre: The partnership would allow Microsoft to NITI Aayog announced the establishment of connect its Azure cloud computing platform a Frontier Technologies Cloud Innovation to SpaceX’s network of Low-Earth orbiting Centre (CIC) with Amazon Web Services satellites, offering the software company an (AWS) the first of its kind in India. edge in its battle with the rival cloud platform The CIC Programme provides an opportunity from Jeff Bezos’ Amazon.com Inc. for non-profits, education institutions and government agencies to collaborate with

RBL Bank Join Hands with Zenpay to SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: Digitalize Salary Accounts for SMEs and IIT Madras Developed an Indigenous MSMEs: Microprocessor “MOUSHIK” For IoT Zenpay Solutions is one of the fastest Devices: growing Fintech company in the digital Indian Institute of Technology Madras banking industry announced partnership Researchers have developed an indigenously with RBL bank and YAP to drive financial Microprocessor ‘MOUSHIK’ can cater to the inclusion to issue salary cards to its rapidly-growing IoT devices, an integral part customers across India. of Smart Cities of a Digital India. The Bengaluru Airport signs MoU with BMRCL processor can be used in smart cards, and South Western Railways for airport Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and metro, railway station: office management systems. Bangalore International Airport Limited Virgin Hyperloop and Bangalore (BIAL) has signed two MoUs- one with South International Airport Limited (BIAL) sign Western Railways for the construction of MoU to study feasibility of highspeed the Kempegowda International Airport corridor: Railway Station (Halt), and the other with Virgin Hyperloop and Bangalore Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation International Airport Limited (BIAL) have Limited (BMRCL) to establish the 4.95 km signed a MoU to conduct a feasibility study for airport section of the ORR-Airport Metro a proposed Hyperloop corridor from the which would see the establishment of two Kempegowda International Airport. A metro stations. hyperloop have speeds of up to 1, 080 kmph. ACKO Partners with Finserv MARKETS to India's first RRTS train with design speed Offer Car and Bike Insurance: of 180 kmph unveiled: India’s first and fastest-growing wholly Centre unveiled the first look of the Regional digital general insurance provider, ACKO has Rapid Transit System (RRTS) train that partnered with Finserv MARKETS, a leading can attain a top speed of 180 kilometres per fintech aggregator, for offering two and four- hour on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut wheeler insurance policies. Customers can corridor. The design is inspired by Delhi's now buy ACKO Insurance for their car or iconic Lotus Temple and is aligned with PM bike on the Finserv MARKETS platform by Narendra Modi's ‘Make in India’ policy. providing basic details. First RRTS project of India while the train sets Mastercard Partners with Atlantis to are being manufactured by Bombardier Expand Digital First Program in India: Transportation India Private Limited at their Mastercard has entered into partnership Savli plant in Gujarat under the with Atlantis to expand the Digital First government’s Make in India policy and Program in India. In order to address the AtmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. increasing demand for digital payment solutions for everything.

South Eastern Railway launches observations laboratory attached to the 'Operation My Saheli' to enhance French national scientific research centre security of women passengers: Centre National de la Recherche South Eastern Railway has launched a Scientifique (CNRS)has been selected by project “Operation My Saheli” (friend) to the ISRO. boost the security of women passengers Indian Coast Guard Fast Patrol Vessel from the originating point to the destination. ICGS 'Kanaklata Barua' commissioned in it has been introduced in three trains Kolkata: Howrah-Yeshvantpur Duronto Special, Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) ICGS 'Kanaklata Howrah- Ahmedabad Special and Howrah- Barua' of the Indian Coast Guard was Mumbai Special. commissioned at the Garden Reach Project has been executed under the Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) framework of the Nirbhaya Fund and does Limited. The commissioning was done not involve any additional expenditure through video conferencing by Jiwesh under the head of Railways. Nandan, additional secretary, Ministry of India successfully test fires over 400 km Defence and was attended by Indian Coast strike range “BrahMos” supersonic Guard and GRSE including its chairman and cruise missile in Odisha: managing director Rear Admiral V K Saxena India successfully test fired a new version of (retd). the surface to surface supersonic cruise Indian Space Startup Agnikul Cosmos missile “BrahMos” having a range of around Signs Deal with Alaska Aerospace for 400 km from an integrated test range at Test Launch of 'Agnibaan' Rocket: Balasore in Odisha. Chennai based small rocket maker Agnikul BrahMos surface to surface supersonic Cosmos Private Ltd has signed an cruise missile featuring indigenous booster agreement with the Alaska Aerospace and airframe section along with many other Corporation. Agnikul Cosmos will test- 'Made in India' sub-systems were launch its ‘Agnibaan’ rocket from Alaska successfully flight tested. Aerospace’s Pacific Spaceport Complex ISRO to carry first ever French payload Alaskar on Kodiak Island in the US. abroad Venus mission scheduled for Indian Navy Helicopters Along with 2025: GVMC Undertake Aerial Seeding ISRO is scheduled to launch its Venus mission Initiative at Visakhapatnam: in 2025 and French space agency CNES Indian Navy has partnered with Greater (National Centre for Space Studies) will Visakhapatnam Municipal participate in it. The VIRAL (Venus Infrared Corporation(GVMC) to undertake Aerial Atmospheric Gases Linker) instrument co- Seeding at Visakhapatnam. Rajya Sabha MP developed with the Russian federal space V Vijayasai Reddy and Vice Admiral Atul agency Roscosmos and the LATMOS Kumar Jain flagged off aerial seeding at atmospheres, environments and space Visakhapatnam at INS Dega. This initiative

of GVMC aims to enhance the green cover in The Vehicle will deliver a cargo of 1, 217 kg and around Visakhapatnam. of science experiments, personal items and Naval helicopters will be airdropping 50, 000 850 kg of crew equipment. seed balls weighing approx. 6.25 tonnes in DRDO successfully flight tests five locations around Visakhapatnam ‘Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of covering an area of nearly 200 acres. Torpedo’ (SMART) Off Odisha Coast: Biological E and ICMR Develop Purified India successfully flight tested the “Equine Antiserum”: Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Indian Council of Medical Research Torpedo (SMART) from Wheeler Island off (ICMR) and Hyderabad-based Biological E the coast of Odisha. SMART is a missile have developed purified “Equine assisted release of lightweight Anti- Antiserum”, raised in animals, as a Submarine Torpedo System for Anti- prophylaxis and treatment for Covid-19. It Submarine Warfare (ASW) operations for was isolated by the ICMR-led National far beyond torpedo range. Earlier, this Institute of Virology, Pune (Maharashtra). month DRDO had successfully tested Laser- Antiserum is blood-based serum containing Guided Anti-Tank Guided Missile. antibodies against viruses. It is prepared by NCERT sign MoU with ISLRTC for injecting inactivated Severe acute respiratory Converting Educational Materials into syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Indian Sign Language: 10 healthy horses. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) India successfully test fires new version signed between ISLRTC (Indian Sign of nuclear capable “Shaurya Missile”: Language Research and Training Center) and India successfully test-fired a new version of NCERT (National Council of Educational Nuclear Capable “Shaurya missile” off the Research and Training) to make education coast of Odisha. The Nuclear Capable materials accessible for Deaf children in missile can strike targets at around 800 their preferred format of communication via kms. It would be lighter and easier to Indian Sign Language. operate in comparison with the existing Indo-French Satellites to Trace Illegal missile. Spillage of Oil by Ships in Indian Ocean NASA launches SS Kalpana Chawla Region: Cygnus spacecraft to International Space India and France are set to jointly launch a station: constellation of maritime surveillance Northrop Grumman launched their next satellites for the Indian Ocean Region. Cygnus vehicle, the S.S. Kalpana Chawla, These satellites will be able to Trace Illegal and their Antares rocket for the NG-14 Spillage of Oil by ships. French Space mission to the International Space Agency, National Centre for Space Studies Station. The flight will deliver thousands of (CNES) and ISRO committed to developing kilograms/pounds of equipment, crew and building a constellation of satellites supplies, and science to the orbital outpost.

carrying telecommunications, radar and The programme aims to create a virtuous optical remote-sensing instruments. cycle between society and academic system IIT Madras Partners with MIT to develop by providing knowledge and practices for Productive Usage for Agricultural and the emerging professions. Industrial By-products: IIT Kharagpur Launches Telemedicine Indian Institute of Technology Madras Technology IMedX for Homecare: (IIT-M) Researchers are working with IIT Kharagpur researchers have launched a Massachusetts Institute of Technology telemedicine system ‘iMediX’ to help patients (MIT), U.S to develop a novel framework for receive assistance from doctors without high volume usage of by-products in having to go to hospitals or clinics. The structural materials. Industrial by-products system has been conceptualized and are generated in huge quantities across the designed by researchers at IIT Kharagpur’s world and are now going into waste. This will Department of Computer Science and be a major step forward towards a Engineering. sustainable future. Indian Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Centre for Development of Advanced Vessel 'Vigraha' launched to enhance Computing (C-DAC) to commission coastal security: India’s fastest HPC-AI Supercomputer The seventh offshore patrol vessel of the ‘PARAM Siddhi – AI’ with NVIDIA: Indian Coast Guard (ICG), 'Vigraha' was Centre for Development of Advanced formally unveiled at Kattupalli, Chennai. The Computing (C-DAC) will be commissioning vessel was designed and built exclusively for India’s largest HPC-AI supercomputer the Coast Guard by Larsen and Toubro ‘PARAM Siddhi – AI.’ This initiative will (L&T) Shipbuilding as a part of the ‘Make in place India among the top countries in global India’ initiative. AI supercomputing research and Russia Successfully Test Fires New innovation. This high-performance Hypersonic Cruise Missile “Tsirkon”: Computing-Artificial Intelligence (HPC-AI) Russia has successfully test-fired its highly supercomputer is a machine with 210 AI touted hypersonic cruise missile called Petaflops (6.5 Petaflops Peak DP). “Tsirkon” in the waters of north-western Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Russia. The test was carried out from Frigate Kozhikode to launch e-learning hub for Admiral Gorshkov Vessel located in White villagers: Sea, Northern Russia. Tsirkon test-fired from Indian Institute of Management, the White Sea at a target 450 kilometers Kozhikode will launch an e-learning hub away in the Barents Sea. and library as a pilot project for villagers in AYUSH ministry signs MoU with Amity Mavoor. Mavoor village is one of the five University to promote research in villages that has been adopted by the institute Ayurvedic sciences: under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA). All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) under the AYUSH ministry has inked an MoU

with the Amity University for promoting The features on this app will also guarantee research in Ayurvedic sciences for accurate navigating experience, especially promoting and developing the AYUSH to travellers, in the form of local language systems of healthcare. translation service, security for travellers The memorandum of understanding (MoU) of by providing assistance in establishing the AIIA is with the Amity Institute of Indian contact with respective traveller’s embassy in System of Medicine, which was established in case of emergency, emergency and SOS 2018 by the Amity University. service especially for women etc. IIT Delhi-incubated Startup Launches India successfully test-fires DRDO's Antimicrobial Water Storage Containers 'Rudram-1' Anti-Radiation Missile from a ‘AqCure’: Sukhoi-30: IIT Delhi-incubated startup Nanosafe India successfully test fired its first tactical Solutions has developed a range of anti-radiation missile “Rudram 1”. The antimicrobial mixing traditional science supersonic-capable missile can be launched at with nanotechnology i.e. antiviral, speeds ranging from 0.6 mach to 2 mach, antibacterial and antifungal water storage i.e., twice the speed of sound. IT can be containers and launched it as “AqCure”, launched from a height of 500m to 15 km. which is based on the inherent antimicrobial Rudram-1 is India’s first indigenous anti- properties of copper. radiation missile. IIT Kharagpur Develops Robotic Solution IIT Guwahati sign MoU with C-DAC for for Plant Disease Identification and supercomputing facility across India: Pesticide Use: Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati IIT Kharagpur has designed robotic system has signed an MoU with the Centre for capable of identifying plant diseases through Development of Advanced Computing (C- camera-captured image analysis & DAC), Pune to set up a Rs 17-crore spraying pesticide. It is a tracked mobile supercomputing facility. The MoU was signed manipulator aims to achieve conflicting by IIT-G Director T G Sitharam and C-DAC objectives of increased productivity, Director General Hemant Darbari during a improved quality. virtual event in the presence of Union IIT Guwahati Startup Sahara develops ministers. mobile App for Offline to Online Biz Defence Research and Development Services: Organisation launches Nirbhay Cruise Sahara is a hyperlocal-tech startup of the Missile into Sea: students of the Indian Institute of Defence Research and Development Technology Guwahati, has developed a Organisation (DRDO) launched 800-km mobile application that lets offline business range Nirbhay cruise missile from Odisha’s owners create synergy with customers and test facility but aborted eight minutes later. potential business partners on a global Nirbhay is a subsonic missile, which can fly at platform.

a speed of 0.7 Mach, with capabilities to stay launched by the National Aeronautics and under enemy radar to avoid detection. Space Agency into the sub orbit in June Rare day-flying moth “Achelura 2021. The three students M. Adnaan of Bifasciata” sighted in Uttarakhand after Thanthonrimalai, M. Kesavan of over 125 years: Nagampalli and V. Arun of Thennilai A rare day-flying moth “Achelura started with their experimental model when bifasciata” was spotted in Uttarakhand’s they were in their high school. Garhwal Himalayas. There are old records India to deliver kilo-class submarine INS of the insect to have been spotted in Nainital Sindhuvir to Myanmar for training by GF Hampson, a Britisher, who had purpose: compiled a book on moths in 1893. The India will deliver INS Sindhuvir to experts also spotted a rare butterfly called Myanmar as part of defence cooperation. “Tawny Rajah”. This will be 1st submarine of Myanmar Navy. IIT Madras researchers develop It is in accordance with India's vision of sustainable antimicrobial food wrapper: SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in IIT Madras claims to have developed a the Region) and in line with build capacities Sustainable Antimicrobial Wrapping and self-reliance in neighbouring countries. Material that can prevent packaged food Japan Coast Guard Tests Unmanned contamination by bacteria and is Aircraft “SeaGuardian”: biodegradable. The wrapper’s anti-bacterial Japan Coast Guard began test flights of an compound has been approved by authorities unmanned aerial vehicle “SeaGuardian” and doesn’t cause any toxicity. to learn whether it can be utilised to carry out India Meteorological Department the coast guard’s key duties, including search Launches Impact-Based Cyclone and rescue and maritime surveillance. Warning System: SeaGuardian will be based at the Maritime India Meteorological Department (IMD) Self-Defence Force’s base in Aomori has launched a dynamic, impact-based Prefecture, northern Japan. cyclone warning system aimed at India Conducts Successful Night Trial of minimising economic losses and damage Nuclear-Capable Prithvi-2 Missile from to property from cyclones that hit the Odisha Coast: country's coasts every year. The system will India successfully conducted the night trial of help minimise economic losses and damages its nuclear-capable Prithvi-2 missile as part due to property in the intense weather of a user trial by the Army from Integrated system. Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near NASA to Launch three Nano Satellite Balasore, off Odisha coast. Developed by Tamil Nadu Students into The state-of-the-art missile is India’s first Sub-orbit: indigenous Surface-To-Surface strategic An experimental satellite by three students missile, developed by DRDO under the from Tamil Nadu's Karur district will be Integrated Guided Missile Development

Programme. The 9-metre tall liquid- approval, several business houses have propelled Prithvi-2 has a range of 250 km approached the institute for technology and can carry a 1 tonne warhead. licensing. India successfully test-fires naval Nokia Selected by NASA to Build 4G LTE version of BrahMos supersonic cruise Mobile Network on the Moon: missile from INS Chennai: Nokia has been selected by NASA to build India successfully test fired the BrahMos the first cellular network on the moon. US supersonic cruise missile from the Indian space agency plans for a future where Navy’s indigenously-built stealth destroyer humans return there and establish lunar INS Chennai. settlements. The missile was fired from INS Chennai, a NASA aims to return humans to the moon by stealth destroyer, and it hit the target in the 2024 and dig in for a long-term presence Arabian Sea with pin-point accuracy after there under its Artemis programme. Nokia performing "Extremely Complex" said the first wireless broadband manoeuvres. The highly versatile BrahMos communications system in space would be has been jointly designed, developed and built on the lunar surface in late 2022, produced by India and Russia under the before humans make it back there. joint venture, BrahMos Aerospace. Indian Navy's indigenously built ASW India successfully test-fires SANT stealth corvette INS Kavaratti missile with ‘Lock-on After Launch’ & commissioned: ‘Lock-on Before Launch’ capabilities: Chief of Army Staff General M M Naravane India test-fired the Stand-off Anti-tank commissioned the Anti-Submarine Warfare (SANT) missile off the coast of Odisha. stealth corvette INS Kavaratti into the Defence Research and Development Indian Navy at the Naval Dockyard. INS Organisation (DRDO) is developing the Kavaratti is the last of the four indigenously- missile for the Indian Air Force and it will built ASW stealth corvettes under Project have both “Lock-on After Launch” and 28 (Kamorta class) and has been designed “Lock-on Before Launch” capabilities. by the Directorate of Naval Design, the The missile hit the target with Pin-Point Indian Navy's in-house wing. Accuracy and also performed "Extremely DRDO successfully conducts final trial of Complex" manoeuvres. Nag anti-tank guided missile in Pokhran IIT Kharagpur's Covid-19 Test Kit range: 'COVIRAP' Gets ICMR Certification to India successfully carried out the final trial of Cost Less Than Rs 500: the third generation, anti-tank guided Indian Council of Medical Research missile ‘NAG’ from the Pokhran field firing (ICMR) has validated the efficacy of ranges in Rajasthan. The Nag anti-tank 'COVIRAP', a diagnostic machine developed guided missile has been developed by the by IIT Kharagpur researchers to detect Defence Research and Development coronavirus within one hour. With ICMR’s Organization (DRDO), to engage highly

fortified enemy tanks in day and night appointment of cricketer Yuvraj Singh as its conditions. brand ambassador. He will lead the “Success CBSE introduces ‘Facial Recognition is waiting”, a multi-channel campaign of System’ to access digital documents: Aakash Digital. Central Board of Secondary Education CEAT Tyres appoints Aamir Khan as (CBSE) has introduced the ‘Facial brand ambassador: Recognition System’ to access the digital Tyre manufacturer CEAT Tyres has signed documents. This system has been launched Bollywood actor Aamir Khan as its brand for classes 10th and 12th.The system has ambassador for two years. As part of an been launched amid the Covid-19 situation in integrated marketing campaign he will feature order to make things easier for students. in 2 commercials during the on-going Indian Indian Navy Missile Corvette INS Prabal Premier League (IPL) 2020 in Dubai to Launches Anti-Ship Missile: promote CEAT’s SecuraDrive, a range of mass Indian Navy shared a video showing an premium tyres. Anti-Ship Missile (ASHM) launched by its Former India cricketer Neetu David Missile Corvette INS Prabal with deadly appointed as the head of BCCI’s All-India accuracy at maximum range and sinking the Women's Selection Committee: target ship. The missile launched from the Board of Control for Cricket in India Arabian Sea homed in on its target - an old (BCCI) announced the appointment of former ship - and hit it with deadly accuracy at its India Women’s cricketer Neetu David as the maximum range. head of the new All-India Women's Selection Committee. The women’s APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS: selection committee will comprise of 5 Star & Disney India’s K. Madhavan members. Elected as Indian Broadcasting The other member of the newly-elected panel Foundation (IBF) President: includes Mithu Mukherjee, Renu Margrate, Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) Arati Vaidya and V Kalpana. Board has elected Star & Disney India’s Reserve Bank ropes in Amitabh Managing Director Mr. K. Madhavan as the Bachchan for customer awareness Foundation’s new President. Mr. Madhavan campaign: will succeed Mr. NP Singh, India MD and RBI has roped in Bollywood megastar CEO, Sony Pictures Networks, who held the Amitabh Bachchan for the client position for two years. consciousness marketing campaign to Former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh forestall gullible account holders from being appointed as brand ambassador of duped by fraudsters. As a part of the general Aakash Educational Services: public consciousness initiative of RBI, the Aakash Educational Services Limited regulator retains informing about do’s and (AESL), which provides comprehensive test don’ts that should be adopted by clients to preparatory services, has announced the transact safely and securely.

Online tutoring platform Vedantu ropes minister days after being sworn into office. He in Aamir Khan as brand ambassador: served as foreign minister between 2004 and India’s second most valued EdTech start-up 2011 during Amadou Toumani Toure’s Vedantu and a pioneer in LIVE online presidency. tutoring has named Bollywood actor, director Senior bureaucrat PD Vaghela appointed & filmmaker Aamir Khan for its new ad new TRAI chairman: campaigns. With a simple tagline, “Samaj Government has appointed PD Vaghela, Aayega toh Maza Ayega, Maza Ayega toh secretary, department of pharmaceuticals, as Samajh Ayega”, the 6-ad film series the new TRAI chairman for a period of three conceptualized by The Script Room. years or until he attains the age of 65 years, Kerala startup Entri signs up Robin whichever is earlier. Vaghela is an IAS officer Uthappa as brand ambassador: of 1986 batch from Gujarat cadre. A local language learning app Entri has Shekhar Kapur appointed president of signed up Rajasthan Royals cricketer Robin FTII Society & chairman of FTII Uthappa as its brand ambassador and has Governing Council: also partnered with Hotstar torun ad Ministry of Information and Broadcasting campaigns in five different languages announced Shekhar Kapur as the new throughout the IPL 2020. President of Film and Television Institute Alapan Bandyopadhyay appointed as of India (FTII) Society and Chairman of FTII New Chief Secretary of West Bengal: Governing Council. His tenure will be till Alapan Bandyopadhyay will take over as March 3, 2023. He has directed many critically West Bengal Chief Secretary succeeding acclaimed films. The Movies include Masoom, Rajiva Sinha. He is currently in charge of the Mr. India, Bandit Queen and Elizabeth. State’s Home and Hill Affairs Department. RBI appoints D K Kashyap Additional H.K. Dwivedi will be the new Home Director on Dhanlaxmi Bank board: Secretary of West Bengal. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Twitter Appoints Rinki Sethi as New D K Kashyap from its Bengaluru Regional Information Security Head: Office as Additional Director on the board of Social media company Twitter has appointed Dhanlaxmi Bank for 2 years. In February Rinki Sethi, a former information security 2020, G Jagan Mohan, General Manager, executive at IBM, as its chief information RBI, Bengaluru Regional Office, was security officer. She had previously worked as appointed as Additional Director on the board VP of information security at cyber-security of the bank for a period of two years. firm Palo Alto Networks. Bandhan Bank appointed Former Bajaj Mali’s Former Foreign Minister Moctar Capital CEO Rahul Parikh as digital head: Ouane appointed as new Prime Minister: Bandhan Bank has appointed former Bajaj Mali's transitional president has appointed Capital chief executive Rahul Parikh as the former minister of foreign affairs, Moctar Bank's Digital Head as the bank broadens Ouane, as the West African nation's prime its digital presence to improve customer

services. Parikh will be responsible for the KVIC appoints Fashion Design Council digital banking business and for building a Chairman Sunil Sethi as advisor: strong digital backbone to support the bank's Khadi and Village Industries Commission growth. have appointed Sunil Sethi as its Advisor. ITBP chief S S Deswal given additional Sunil Sethi is the Chairman of the Fashion charge of National Security Guard Design Council of India. He has been Director General: appointed for a period of one year. He will ITBP Director General S S Deswal has been succeed fashion designer Ritu Beri. given the additional charge of counter- Indo American Chamber of Commerce terrorism force National Security Guard (IACC) appoints Purnachandra Rao as (NSG) as its incumbent chief A K Singh is National President: going to retire, according to a government Hyderabad Industrialist Purnachandra Rao order. Anup Kumar Singh, a 1985-batch Surapaneni was elected as National Indian Police Service officer of the Gujarat President of Indo American Chamber of cadre, was appointed the NSG Director Commerce (IACC), the apex bi-lateral body General in October 2019. synergizing India-US business relations. Rao Bengal Peerless appoints BCCI President was elected unanimously in a Board Meeting Sourav Ganguly as brand ambassador: of IACC at the first meeting of the newly One of the leading real estate developers of elected National Governing Board for the India, Bengal Peerless Housing Year 2020-2021. Development Company Limited appoints IAS officer Vijai Vardhan appointed as Sourav Ganguly as the Brand Ambassador Chief Secretary of Haryana: for the company. The former national cricket Vijai Vardhan, a 1985-batch IAS officer was team captain & current president of the BCCI, appointed Haryana’s chief secretary Ganguly will primarily lead the campaign of replacing Keshni Anand Arora. With the company's residential project Avidipta II Vardhan taking over as state’s top on EM Bypass. bureaucrat, a number of senior IAS officers Toyota appoints Ayushmann Khurrana as were transferred and given additional brand ambassador for Urban Cruiser charge to their existing duties. His tenure as SUV: the Chief Secretary is till his superannuation Toyota Kirloskar Motor has announced date 30th November 2021. leading Bollywood actor, singer and youth State Bank India appoints former EY icon Ayushmann Khurrana as the Brand Partner Charanjit Attra as CFO: Ambassador for the all-new Toyota Urban State Bank of India (SBI) has appointed Cruiser. The Urban Cruiser sub-compact SUV Charanjit Surinder Singh Attra, former will be Toyota's second spin-off of a Maruti Partner at EY India, as its Chief Financial car, the first one being the Baleno hatchback Officer (CFO). He has also served as CFO at which is sold as the Glanza in the Indian ICICI Securities. The post fell vacant after market. Prashant Kumar was appointed Yes Bank

CEO. C Venkat Nageshwar was serving the secretary in the ministry at its headquarters post on interim capacity. in Delhi. Khobragade has served in Indian RBI approves appointment of interim missions in Berlin, Islamabad, Rome, and committee of directors (CoD) headed by New York. G Subramonia Iyer to run Dhanlaxmi Election Commission appoints Madhu Bank: Mahajan and B. R Balakrishnan as Reserve Bank of India has approved a Special Expenditure Observers: three-member interim committee of Election Commission has appointed two directors, headed by G Subramonia Iyer, to former Indian Revenue Service officers run the private sector bank after the Madhu Mahajan and B. R Balakrishnan as shareholders voted out its MD and CEO Sunil special expenditure observers for the Bihar Gurbaxani. G. Rajagopalan Nair and P.K Assembly polls to oversee efforts by the Vijayakumar will serve as its members. enforcement machinery to check attempts to S Aparna IAS takes charge as new Union induce voters with cash, liquor and Pharma Secretary: freebies. S Aparna IAS (Gujarat 1988), has assumed They will ensure stringent and effective charge as Secretary in the Department of enforcement action based on Intelligence Pharmaceuticals Ministry of Chemicals and Inputs and Complaints received through C- Fertilizers, Government of India. Ms Aparna VIGIL. They will supervise and monitor the has replaced Dr PD Vaghela who work being done by the electoral superannuated on 30 September 2020. machinery. IAS officer Apurva Chandra takes charge Government extends appointment of as Secretary at Ministry of Labour and Madhabi Puri Buch as a Whole Time Employment: Member of SEBI: Apurva Chandra (IAS) has assumed charge Government has extended the appointment of as new Secretary of the Ministry of Labour Madhabi Puri Buch as a whole time and Employment. Chandra is a 1988 batch member (WTM) of the Securities and Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer of Exchange Board of India (SEBI) by a Maharashtra cadre. Prior to this, he was period of one year. Puri Buch, the only serving as Special Director General, Defence female board member at SEBI, oversees Acquisition and Ministry of Defence. portfolios such as surveillance, collective IFS Officer Devyani Khobragade investment schemes and investment Appointed India's Next Ambassador to management. An alumna of Indian Institute Cambodia: of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad. Indian Foreign Service officer Devyani Arvind Hali appointed as new MD and Uttam Khobragade has been appointed as CEO of Motilal Oswal Home Finance: India's next ambassador to Cambodia. Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd Khobragade, a 1999-batch Indian Foreign (MOFSL) has appointed Arvind Hali as the Service officer, is currently serving as a joint new Managing Director & Chief Executive

Officer of its housing finance company Motilal M Rajeshwar Rao appointed as RBI Oswal Home Finance Limited (MOHFL). It Deputy Governor: has also appointed Amar Bahl as the Deputy Government of India has appointed Reserve Managing Director & COO of the company. Bank of India’s (RBI) executive director M Government appoints Ashima Goyal, Rajeshwar Rao as the Deputy Governor of Jayanth Varma and Shashanka Bhide as the central bank. The position had been lying Monetary Policy Committee members: vacant for more than six months after N.S. Government has appointed three external Vishwanathan retired on March 31. members Ashima Goyal, member of Jordan's king Abdullah appoints veteran Economic Advisory Council of Prime Minister, diplomat Bisher Al-Khasawneh as prime Shashanka Bhide, senior advisor at minister: National Council for Applied Economic Jordan's King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein Research and Jayanth Varma who is a appointed veteran diplomat and palace aide professor in Indian Institute of Management, Bisher Al-Khasawneh as the new prime Ahmedabad to the central bank’s panel that minister, days after accepting the resignation decides interest rates. of Omar Al-Razzaz. Khasawneh has a PhD in Senior IPS officer M A Ganapathy law from London School, is a veteran appointed Director General of Bureau of diplomat and politician, who held several Civil Aviation Security: official posts. Senior IPS officer M A Ganapathy has been J Venkatramu appointed as MD and CEO appointed as director-general of the Bureau of of India Post Payments Bank: Civil Aviation Security. The 1986 batch, J Venkatramu has been appointed the Uttarakhand cadre IPS officer is currently managing director and chief executive officer CISF special director-general and head of the of India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) for a airport sector. The post of BCAS chief fell period of three years. He is presently vacant after Rakesh Asthana was appointed working as the chief digital officer in Equitas as the Director General of Border Security Small Finance Bank. India Post Payments Force in August. Bank was launched by Prime Minister Sports tech start-up HUDLE ropes in Narendra Modi in 2018 under Section 22 Ajinkya Rahane as brand ambassador (1) of Banking Regulation Act, 1949. and advisor: Government appoints Dinesh Kumar Delhi based sports tech & events startup Khara as SBI chairman for 3 years: HUDLE has announced the appointment of Government appoints Dinesh Kumar Khara current Indian Test cricket vice-captain as chairman of State Bank of India (SBI) Ajinkya Rahane as brand ambassador & for a period of three years with effect from advisor. Rahane will also be able to guide the the date of his taking over charge of the post team with strategic inputs through his wealth on or after October 7, 2020 or until further of experience in professional sport. orders, whichever is earlier.

Khara will replace SBI Chairman Rajnish Dastan Dzhumabekov resigned recently for Kumar, whose three-year term comes to an amid protests in the country. Member of the end on October 7. Khara was appointed as parliament Myktybek Abdyldaev was managing director of SBI in August 2016 for elected as speaker of the parliament and a three-year term. opposition leader Sadyr Zhaparov became Myntra Appoints Bhuvan Bam as its first the acting prime minister. digital brand ambassador: CWG medallist shuttler Chetan Anand Myntra roped in Bhuvan Bam as its 1st named brand ambassador of homegrown digital brand ambassador to engage with brand 'Transform': tech-savvy customers. Myntra & Bhuvan will Commonwealth Games medallist shuttler co-ideate & create content that effectively Chetan Anand, a former world no.10 and the communicates brand’s proposition that goes men's singles bronze medal winner at the beyond the traditional forms of 2006 Melbourne CWG, was roped in as the communication. face of the homegrown equipment brand Nilesh Shah re-elected as chairman of 'Transform' along with his academy in Association of Mutual Funds in India: Hyderabad. He was honoured with the Nilesh Shah has been re-elected as the Arjuna Award in 2006. Chairman of Association of Mutual Funds Union Minister Piyush Goyal gets in India (AMFI), at the recently concluded additional charge of Ministry of Board Meeting of AMFI. He was the AMFI Consumer Affairs: chairman in 2019-20. Shah would also Union Minister Piyush Goyal has been continue as the ex-officio Chairman of AMFI assigned the additional charge of Ministry Financial Literacy Committee. of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public RBI extends CMD R. K. Chhibber's tenure Distribution on 9th October 2020 in addition by further six months at Jammu & to his existing portfolios, following the death Kashmir Bank: of union minister Ram Vilas Paswan. Goyal RBI has extended term of R. K. Chhibber, is currently serving as the Union Minister of Chairman and MD of Bank by a further period Railways and Minister of Commerce and of 6 months w.e.f. 10th Oct 2020 or till Industry. appointment of MD & CEO, whichever is Amit Banerjee is appointed as the New earlier. In June 2019, RBI had appointed Director at BEML: Chhibber as interim CMD on removal of Amit Banerjee assumed charge as the Parvez Ahmed. Director (Rail and Metro Business) and Kyrgyzstan’s Parliament Elected Sadyr Member on the Board of BEML Limited. A Zhaparov as Acting PM After the graduate in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Resignation of Former PM Kubatbek (BHU), Varanasi, Banerjee had joined BEML Boronov: as an assistant engineer in 1984. Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Kubatbek Indian-origin Srikant Datar named Dean Boronov and Speaker of the Parliament of Harvard Business School:

Srikant Datar, the Arthur Lowes Dickinson BharatPe has announced the launch of its Professor of Business Administration at high impact TV campaign starring ‘Team Harvard Business School, will become the BharatPe’ with 11 Cricket stars as its brand School's next dean, Harvard University ambassadors. Campaign communicates the President Larry Bacow. message ‘Hum Hai Team BharatPe – Jo Srikant M Datar is an alumnus of Mumbai Desh Ke Har Dukandaar Ke Saath Hai University & IIM Ahmedabad. He Khade’. Succeeds Nitin Nohria to become the second This is the first time that a new age FinTech Indian origin person to head HBS company has rolled out a TV campaign with GRAAM Founder and Chairman R. 11 top cricket stars as its brand ambassadors. Balasubramaniam appointed to SEBI Team BharatPe includes Rohit Sharma, committee: Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Mohammed SEBI has inducted R. Balasubramaniam, Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina, founder and chairman of GRAAM, Mysuru, Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw, Sanju as a member of the Technical Group on Samson, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Social Stock Exchange (SSE). The Shubhman Gill. committee has been formed to develop Suresh Sethi appointed as MD and CEO of guidelines for setting up the Social Stock NSDL e-Governance Infra Ltd: Exchange in India. The committee is chaired Former founder CEO and MD of India Post by Harsh Kumar Bhanwala. Payments Bank Suresh Sethi is appointed ICICI Securities appoints Subhash as MD & CEO designate of NSDL e- Kelkar as Chief Technology & Digital Governance Infrastructure Ltd. Suresh Officer: Sethi will succeed Gagan Rai. Prior to India India’s leading retail-led equity franchise Post Payments Bank, he was associated with ICICI Securities, stated that following the Citigroup, Yes Bank, Vodafone M-Pesa superannuation of Mr. Yagnesh Parikh has (across India, Kenya, UK, Argentina and appointed Subhash Kelkar as the Chief USA). Technology & Digital Officer. East Bengal appoint Liverpool legend Subhash Kelkar comes with close to three Robbie Fowler as head coach: decades of technology and services Former England and Liverpool legend industry experience in various strategic and Robbie Fowler has been appointed the head leadership roles. He has worked in multiple coach of East Bengal for the next two geographies including USA, Europe, Japan years. He has been the third-highest goal and New Zealand and has anchored many scorer for the Reds where he played till 2001 digital / technology led transformations. before switching allegiance to arch-rivals BharatPe Launches Brand Campaign with Leeds United and then Manchester City. Record 11 Cricket Stars as Brand Karnataka Bank appoints former RBI Ambassadors: Executive Director Uma Shankar as additional director:

Private Sector lender Karnataka Bank Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan from 2016 to Limited has appointed Mrs. Uma Shankar 2017. as Additional Director (Non-Executive, Government extends the tenure of NTPC, Independent) and the appointment will be CMD Gurdeep Singh till July 2025: effective from November 1, 2020. She is a Government of India has extended the former Executive Director of Reserve tenure of Shri Gurdeep Singh, Chief Bank of India. Managing Director (CMD) of NTPC till July Constantina Dita Named Ambassador for 2025. The extension will be effective from World Athletics Half Marathon Feb 4, 2021. Gurdeep Singh completed Championships Gdynia, Poland 2020: mechanical engineer from NIT Kurukshetra Romania's 2008 Olympic champion and has undergone Management Education Constantina Dita has been named an Program from IIM Ahmedabad (India). ambassador for the World Athletics Half Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary K Marathon Championships Gdynia, Poland Shanmugam gets three month’s 2020. extension: Cello Group signs Amitabh Bachchan as Centre approves the extension of service for brand ambassador: three months to Tamil Nadu Chief A household product manufacturer Cello Secretary K Shanmugam in view of the Group has roped in Bollywood actor Amitabh COVID-19 situation. This is the second Bachchan as its brand ambassador. extension for Shanmugam who was to retire Bachchan will endorse the brand’s range of from service on July 31 2020. He is a 1985- products across social media platforms. batch Indian Administrative Service(IAS) Pradeep Kumar Rawat Appointed as Next officer. Ambassador of India to Kingdom of Vishal Sharma appointed as India’s Netherlands: Permanent Representative to UNESCO: Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Shri Vishal V. Sharma has been appointed appointed Pradeep Kumar Rawat as the as the next Permanent Representative of next Ambassador of India to the Kingdom India to the Permanent Delegation of India to of Netherlands. Pradeep Kumar Rawat was UNESCO, Paris. Sharma has succeeded a Indian Foreign Service in 1990 Batch. He Jawed Ashraf. He will be 3rd political is the Ambassador of India to the Republic appointee among Indian ambassadors of Indonesia. around the world. President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbai International Weightlifting Federation Jeenbekov steps down: appoint Michael Irani as interim Kyrgyzstan President Sooronbai president: Jeenbekov announced his resignation in a International Weightlifting Federation bid to end the turmoil that has engulfed the announced the appointment of Michael Irani Central Asian nation after a disputed as its interim president. Irani is chair of the parliamentary election. He was also the IWF Medical Committee and a former chair of

the IWF Anti-Doping Commission. Britain's Advocate Rohan Jaitley, son of late Union Michael Irani taking over from Thailand's Minister Arun Jaitley was elected unopposed Intarat Yodbangtoey. president of the Delhi and District Cricket Jacinda Ardern wins second term as New Association (DDCA) after the lone Zealand’s Prime Minister: candidate who had filed his nomination Jacinda Ardern has won a second against him withdrew his candidature. consecutive three-years term in office after Elections for six posts are to be held between her rival conceded in New Zealand's general November 5 and 8. election. Ardern’s centre-left Labour Party Ashwani Kumar Appointed Group Chief won 49.2% of the total 83.7% votes counted Executive Officer of Suzlon Group: in the 120-member parliament. One of India’s largest renewable energy The 40-year-old is serving as the 40th Prime solutions provider Suzlon Group has Minister of the country since 26 October announced that it has appointed Ashwani 2017. Kumar as its Group CEO. Kumar has over 3 Supreme Court Appoints Justice Madan decades of experience in projects, business B. Lokur as One-Man Panel to Help development & finance at leading Indian Prevent Stubble Burning: power/Infra companies. Supreme Court appointed retired apex court RBI appoints Sashidhar Jagdishan as judge Justice Madan B. Lokur as a one-man HDFC new MD and CEO: committee to take steps for preventing Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and the appointment of Sashidhar Jagdishan as Uttar Pradesh which is a source of pollution Managing Director and CEO of HDFC Bank. in Delhi-national capital region (NCR). The appointment is for a period of 3 years Union Bank of India CEO Rajkiran Rai is beginning October 27, 2020 and is subject new chairman of Indian Banks to the approval of the Bank's board and Association: shareholders. Indian Banks' Association (IBA) Union Jagdishan was appointed as Chief Financial Bank of India's MD and CEO Rajkiran Rai G Officer in the year 2008. He will replace its has been elected as the association's Founder/CEO Aditya Puri. chairman for the term 2020-21. Rai succeeds F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton Rajnish Kumar as the IBA Chairman after appointed as global Brand ambassador Kumar recently retired as SBI Chief. for LG SIGNATURE: State Bank of India's Chairman Dinesh LG Electronics (LG) announced that Six- Kumar Khara has been elected as the Time Formula One World Champion Lewis Deputy Chairman of the association. Hamilton has been signed to be the global Rohan Jaitley unanimously elected Delhi ambassador for its LG SIGNATURE. and District Cricket Association (DDCA) Hamilton will initially star in a new campaign president: to communicate the brand’s philosophy, “Art

Inspires Technology, Technology Malhotra, 1992-batch Indian Foreign Service Completes Art.” officer, will have the residence in Rome. Government extends Union home Presently, she is serving as the Ambassador secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla’s tenure till of India to the Republic of Italy. August 22, 2021: IRDAI Sets Up Panel to Examine Need for Government approved extension in service of Standard Cyber Insurance Product home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla in the headed by P Umesh: same post beyond the date of his Insurance Regulatory and Development superannuation on November 30, 2020 Authority of India (IRDAI) has set up 9- until August 22, 2021. He is a 1984 batch member panel headed by P Umesh to IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, was explore possibility of a basic standard product appointed as Home Secretary in August structure to provide insurance cover for 2019. individuals and establishments to manage IL&FS Group Executive Vice-Chairman cyber risks. Vineet Nayyar Resigns: Ghanshyam Jha appointed Chairman of Vineet Nayyar has resigned as Executive Jammu & Kashmir Water Resources Vice-Chairman of IL&FS Group citing Regulatory Authority: medical reasons. Nayyar has requested the Government of Jammu and Kashmir Union board to relieve him of his duties with effect Territory has appointed Ghanshyam Jha as from October 31 on the grounds of Chairperson of the Jammu and Kashmir indifferent health Water Resources Regulatory Authority. Parle Agro appoints Priyanka Chopra Jha has formerly been the Chairman of Jonas as brand ambassador for B-Fizz: Central Water Commission and Ganga Parle Agro’s bold new drink, B-Fizz gets a Flood Control Committee. befitting brand ambassador in global icon and ECI constitutes 2-member committee to superstar Priyanka Chopra Jonas. B-Fizz is examine issues concerning expenditure a unique and refreshing apple juice based limits: malt flavored carbonated drink that is set Election Commission of India has set up a to revolutionize the taste experience of 2-member committee to examine the issue consumers across age groups. of revising the expenditure limit for Indian diplomat Dr Neena Malhotra candidates for Lok Sabha and assembly appointed as next Ambassador to polls. The committee will comprise of Harish Republic of San Marino: Kumar, Ex. IRS and DG (Investigation), Indian diplomat Dr Neena Malhotra has Umesh Sinha, Secretary General and DG been concurrently accredited as the next (Expenditure). Ambassador of India to the Republic of San Bimal Julka appointed as the Chairman of Marino. Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports: According to an official statement issued by Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Dr (FIFS) has appointed former Chief

Information Commissioner (CIC) of India, government to tackle the worst crisis since Bimal Julka, as its Chairman.He will take over the country's 1975-1990 civil war. from John Loffhagen, who served as the chairman of FIFS for over three years. AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS: Indian diplomat Sushil Kumar Singhal Kerala wins UN award for 'outstanding appointed as next Ambassador to contribution' towards prevention, Solomon Islands: control of non-communicable diseases: Sushil Kumar Singhal, a 2000-batch IFS Kerala bagged a United Nations award for its officer, has been appointed as the next High "Outstanding Contribution" towards the Commissioner of India to Solomon Islands. Non-Communicable Diseases related He is presently serving as the High sustainable development goals. Kerala is Commissioner of India to the Independent among the seven ministries of health across State of Papua New Guinea. the world to receive the award. Dabur Honey appoints Ritabhari The Award is presented to recognize the Chakraborty as its Brand Ambassador: achievements during 2019 on multi-sectoral Dabur India Ltd announced the signing of action in the prevention and control of NCDs, Tollywood Diva Ritabhari Chakraborty as mental health and the wider NCD-related the new Regional Brand Ambassador for its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). iconic brand Dabur Honey. It has unveiled a Magawa the “HeroRAT” was recently new campaign “Aaj theke shudhu, chini awarded the PDSA gold medal for his noy, madhu”, featuring Ritabhari life-saving work in Cambodia: Chakraborty with famous Bengali song by Magawa, the HeroRAT is an African giant Asha Bhonsle “Jaabo ki jaabo na”. pouched rat was awarded a gold medal for NITI Aayog sets up panel headed by his gallantry contribution in detecting land Rajiv Kumar for reforms in urban mines in Cambodia. For the first time a rat planning education: has won a British charity’s top civilian award The policy think tank NITI Aayog has for animal bravery. constituted a 14-member advisory Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Sanju Yadav committee to look into introducing reforms in Receive AIFF Player of the Year Awards: the urban planning education system. The Indian football team goalkeeper Gurpreet panel will be headed by NITI Aayog Vice- Singh Sandhu and midfielder of the women’s Chairman Rajiv Kumar. national team Sanju Yadav have been Saad al-Hariri Renamed Lebanon Prime awarded the AIFF (All India Football Minister a Year After Stepping Down Federation) Wen’s Footballer of the Year and Amid Protests: Women’s Footballer of the Year Award Lebanon's President Michel Aoun respectively for 2019-20 season. Sandhu designated Sunni Muslim politician Saad al- became the second goalkeeper after Hariri as prime minister to form a new Subrata Paul to be receiving the prestigious award.

Usha Mangeshkar Gets Lata Mangeshkar his philanthropic work during the pandemic- Award for 2020-21 by Maharashtra induced lockdown. Government: Sonu Sood joins the likes of Angelina Jolie, Maharashtra announced the Gan Samragni David Beckham, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lata Mangeshkar award for the year 2020- Emma Watson, Liam Neeson, Cate 21 to veteran female playback singer Usha Blanchett, Antonio Banderas, Nicole Mangeshkar. Award is given by cultural dept Kidman and Priyanka Chopra who have of the state government She has sung songs been similarly honoured by different UN in Marathi, Hindi & several Indian language bodies. films. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award 2020; Mukesh Ambani tops Hurun India Rich Scientists from IIT Kanpur, Kharagpur List for 9th consecutive year: honoured by CSIR: Reliance Industries Chairman and Asia’s Council for Scientific and Industrial richest man Mukesh Ambani has topped the Research (CSIR) has announced the names IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List 2020 for of 14 scientists who have been chosen as the ninth consecutive year. He has a total net Recipients of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar worth of Rs 6, 58, 400 crore. Prize 2020. Two Professors, one from IIT London-based Hinduja brothers (SP Kharagpur, Dr Abhijit Mukherjee and Dr Hinduja, along with his three brothers) is at Bushra Ateeq from IIT Kanpur are among second position with combined net worth of the recipients of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Rs 1, 43, 700 crore followed by HCL’s Shiv Prize. Nadar at third spot with net worth of Rs 1, The award is presented in following 7 41, 700 crore. Category: Biological Sciences, Chemical Smita V Crishna has been named as India's Sciences, Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and richest woman with a wealth of Rs.32, Planetary Sciences, Engineering 400cr, according to IIFL Wealth Hurun India Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Rich List 2020. Biocon Chairperson Kiran Medical Sciences and Physical Sciences. Mazumdar Shaw was named India's Dr Shubhadeep Chatterjee from Centre for richest self-made woman with a wealth of DNA fingerprinting and diagnostics, Dr Rs.31, 600cr. Vatsala Thirumalai from National Centre for 'Messiah of Migrants' Sonu Sood Biological Sciences, Dr Jyotirmayee Dash honoured with Special Humanitarian from Indian Association for the cultivation of Action Award by UNDP: science, Dr Suryendu Dutta from IIT Bollywood actor Sonu Sood has been Bombay, Dr Subi Jacob George from conferred the prestigious SDG Special Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Humanitarian Action Award by the United Scientific, Dr Kinshuk Dasgupta from Nations Development Programme Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Dr Ritesh (UNDP) during a virtual ceremony. He has Agarwal from PGIMER Chandigarh, Dr Amol been dubbed a “Messiah Of Migrants” for

Arvindrao Kulkarni, Dr Surajit Dhara from under the category ‘Integration, the University of Hyderabad. Convergence, Joint Action and Holistic Kerala tourism’s campaign bags Solution Approach – Industry’. prestigious PATA Grand award: Special Humanitarian Action Award was Kerala Tourism’s “Human by Nature” conferred upon Action Sonu Sood and SPS campaign won the prestigious Pacific Asia Oberoi, Dubai based businessman and Travel Association (PATA) Grand Award philanthropist over a virtual ceremony 2020. The campaign got this award for presided by Vini Mahajan, Chief Minister of Marketing, giving a boost to the state’s Punjab. tourism industry, which has been affected by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural coronavirus pandemic. Development (NABARD)’s underground Three categories of awards were Marketing, pipeline(UGPL) project for improving Sustainability and Human Capital irrigation system, the rural education through Development. It was for the first time that value based system initiative of the this year’s PATA Gold Awards, supported and Kalgidhar Trust and Sewa Bharat’s Punjab sponsored by the Macao Government team for empowering women by securing Tourism Office (MGTO). employment and self-reliance also won the Modern Family Star Sofia Vergara Tops award under the same category. Forbes List of Highest Paid Actresses: HDFC Bank's Ravi Santhanam in Forbes Modern Family star Sofia Vergara has scored list of world's most influential CMOs: the top spot with earnings of $43 million in CMO of HDFC Bank Ravi Santhanam has list of Highest Paid Actresses report released been recognized in the Forbes list of 'The by Forbes. Second on the list is Hollywood World's Most Influential CMOs'. Ranked at star Angelina Jolie with $35.5 million. Sofia No. 39, he is the only CMO of an Indian and Angelina are followed by Wonder company to be featured in the illustrious list Woman Star Gal Gadot with $31.5 million. which includes marketing heads of Apple, The fourth, fifth and sixth spots on Forbes list BMW, etc. of Highest Paid Actresses have been occupied Belarus, Iran, US, Nicaragua activists by Melissa McCarthy ($25 million), Meryl win “Alternate Nobel Prize” in Right Streep ($24 million) and Emily Blunt ($22.5 Livelihood Award 2020: million) respectively. A Belarusian pro-democracy campaigner, an CII Foundation Receives the UNSDG imprisoned Iranian human rights lawyer, a Action Award for its work on Crop US civil rights attorney, and a Nicaraguan Residue Management: activist on Thursday won a top Swedish CII Foundation’s work on crop residue honour sometimes called "The Alternative management has been awarded the United Nobel Prize”. Nations Sustainable Development Goals Ales Bialiatski of Belarus and his NGO (UNSDG) Action Award by UNDP in Viasna, Nasrin Sotoudeh of Iran, Bryan partnership with the Government of Punjab Stevenson of the United States and

indigenous rights and environmental activist global acknowledgment for his contribution Lottie Cunningham Wren of Nicaragua in controlling the novel coronavirus share the Right Livelihood Award. infection in India's financial capital and for Indo-American Chamber of Commerce working to 'Flatten The Curve' in congested presents lifetime achievement award to areas of the city, including Asia's biggest Ratan Tata: slum Dharavi. Indo-American Chamber of Commerce Sikkim’s Spiciest Chilly “dalle Khursani” (IACC) has presented the lifetime earns GI Tag: achievement award to business icon Ratan Dalle Khursani, the famous red hot cherry Tata as part of its recent global leadership pepper of Sikkim, has earned a awards. Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the. Tata has accepted fewer awards over the last Department for Promotion of Industry few years, received the honour as he believed and Internal Trade Considered one of the that these awards inspire Future Global world’s hottest chillies, it has a range of 1, Leaders and strengthen bilateral economic 00, 000 to 3, 50, 000 SHU (Scoville Heat ties between India and USA. Units). Nobel Prize in Medicine Awarded to Two female Scientists Emmanuelle Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton & Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna wins Charles M. Rice for Discovery of Hepatitis Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020 for C Virus: Genome Editing Discovery: The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Nobel Prize in Chemistry was jointly awarded has jointly been awarded to Harvey J. Alter, to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice for A Doudna for their 2012 work on CRISPR- the discovery of “Hepatitis C virus”. They CAS9, a method to edit DNA. Jennifer A. made decisive contribution to the fight Doudna is a Professor at the University of against blood-borne hepatitis, a major Global California, Berkeley, USA and Investigator, Health Problem that causes cirrhosis and Howard Hughes Medical Institute. liver cancer in people around the world. Emmanuelle Charpentier is a Director of Prior to their work, the discovery of Hepatitis the Max Planck Unit for the Science of A and B viruses had been critical steps Pathogens, Berlin, Germany. forward, but the majority of blood-borne Andrea Ghez, Roger Penrose and hepatitis cases remained unexplained. Reinhard Genzel Won Nobel Prize 2020 in Mumbai Municipal Commissioner I.S. Physics for their Discoveries about Black Chahal Honoured with Global 'Covid Holes: Crusader Award-2020': Andrea Ghez, Roger Penrose and Municipal Commissioner of the Municipal Reinhard Genzel have been awarded the Corporation of Greater Mumbai Iqbal Singh 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics for their Chahal has become the first Indian pioneering work on space involving the Black bureaucrat to be recognised and receive Holes and the Milky Way's darkest secret.

Roger Penrose (United Kingdom) won half Eminent Odia poet, Nityanand Nayak will of prize for discovery that Black Hole be conferred the prestigious Sarala Formation is robust prediction of general Puraskar for his poetry work ‘Setebelaku theory of relativity, Reinhard Genzel Nathiba’, published in 2017. The poet will be (German) and Andrea Ghez (America) felicitated with a cash award of `5 lakh and a received second half of prize for discovery of citation. supermassive compact object at Center of Two other eminent personalities from the Our Galaxy. State Ranjit Kumar Nag and Shyamsundar TCS becomes second Indian company Pattanaik will be felicitated for their after RIL to cross Rs 10 lakh crore contribution to fields of music and art market capitalisation: respectively. While Nag will be awarded the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) became Ila Panda Sangeet Samman, Pattanaik the second Indian company to have a market would be felicitated with Ila Panda capitalisation of over Rs 10 lakh crore after Chitrakala Samman. Reliance Industries. TCS shares traded 7.16% Forbes India Rich List 2020: Mukesh higher at Rs 2, 704.05. At this price, TCS' Ambani remains India’s richest man for market capitalisation comes to Rs 10.15 13th consecutive year: lakh crore. Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing American poet Louise Gluck awarded Director of Reliance Industries (RIL) 2020 Nobel Literature prize: emerged as India’s wealthiest for the 13th Louise Gluck has won 2020 Nobel Prize in straight year as his net worth swelled to Literature for her “Unmistakable Poetic $88.7 billion (around Rs 6.65 lakh crore) Voice” that with austere beauty makes while the wealth of 100 richest rose by 14 per individual existence universal. Prof at Yale cent to $517.5 billion. University, Glück made her debut in 1968 It has also noted the entry of Pune-based with her collection titled 'Firstborn'. Serum Institute of India, which is the They include “The Wild Iris, ” for which she world’s largest vaccine producer by the won a Pulitzer Prize in 1993, and “Faithful number of doses produced, in top 10. and Virtuous Night, ” about mortality and World Food Programme awarded 2020 grief, from 2014. She was named the United Nobel Peace Prize for 'combating States’ poet laureate in 2003. hunger': The Nobel Prize for Literature has been Nobel Committee has awarded 2020 Nobel awarded after several years of controversy Peace Prize to World Food Programme for and scandal for the world’s pre-eminent its efforts to combat hunger, contribution literary accolade. The prize was announced in to bettering conditions for peace in Stockholm by Mats Malm, the permanent conflict-affected areas & for efforts to prevent secretary of the Swedish Academy. use of hunger as weapon of war & conflict. Eminent Poet Nityananda Nayak to receive Sarala Puraskar:

Indian Navy Ships Sahyadri and Kora Prince William and Sir David Adjudged 'Best Ships' in Fleet Award Attenborough Launched “Earthshot Function 2020: Prize” to Support Climate Change: Indian Navy organised the Fleet Award Prince William has joined with renowned Function (FAF) at Visakhapatnam to mark British broadcaster and Naturalist David the successful performance of the Operational Attenborough to launch a new Cycle of the Eastern Fleet. Best Ship were environmental award, “Earthshot Prize”, awarded to INS Sahyadri amongst Capital which has grand ambitions to incentivize ships and INS Kora amongst Corvettes ships. change and help to repair our planet over the INS Airavat and Kiltan jointly bagged ‘Best next 10 years. The prize comprises 5 prizes Spirited Ship’. Fleet Award Function (FAF) of 1 million pounds each. 2020 was hosted by Rear Admiral Sanjay TCS surpasses Accenture to Become Vatsayan. Most Valuable IT services Firm Globally: India becomes first nation to be awarded Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) became Blue Flag certification for 8 beaches in a the most-valuable information technology single attempt: (IT) company globally, surpassing rival India received the prestigious 'Blue Flag' Accenture for the first time. At the last closing certification for all its eight beaches that it price of Rs 2, 825, TCS was valued at recommended. India is now in the league of $144.73 billion (Rs 10.6 trillion). Accenture 50 ‘BLUE FLAG’ countries. is currently valued at $142.4 billion, while Eight of India’s beaches including Shivrajpur IBM’s market cap is $110.5 billion. (Dwarka-Gujarat), Ghoghla (Diu), Bank of Ghana Named Central Bank of Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka), the Year 2020: Kappad (Kerala), Rushikonda (AP), Bank of Ghana has been recognised by the Golden Beach (Odisha) and Radhanagar Central Banking Awards as the Central (A&N Islands) got the eco-label of Blue Flag Bank of the Year 2020 following measures in a row. it pursued in a bid to ensure a strong financial Paul R. Milgrom and Robert B. Wilson sector via a raft of reforms implemented over Wins Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic the past two years. Bank of Ghana takes over Sciences for their work on auction from the Monetary Authority of Singapore theory: (MAS) which was last year's overall winner. U.S. economists Paul Milgrom and Robert And also, Governor of the Bank of England Wilson won the Nobel Economics Prize for Mark Carney has won the Governor of the work on commercial auctions, including for year at the Central bank of the year award goods and services difficult to sell in 2020. traditional ways such as radio frequencies. Indian-origin philanthropist Harish The winners were announced in Stockholm Kotecha wins lifetime achievement by Goran Hansson, secretary-general of the award in US: Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Indian-origin philanthropist Harish Kotecha India-US Patents for Electric Vehicle has been awarded the prestigious Sandra Technology Awarded to Devansh Manoj Neese Lifetime Achievement Award in Jalan: recognition of his work in the US for meeting Devansh Manoj Jalan has received Indian the needs of children and youth & US Patents for ‘Method and System for experiencing homelessness. Managing the Usage of a Plurality of Chandigarh University bags first rank in Battery Units to Power an Electric India for filling highest number of Vehicle’. Technology aims to make usage of patents in a year: EVs more practical, flexible & economical According to India’s Intellectual Property in India. He worked on developing this Annual Report 2018-19 Chandigarh technology for a while and in July 2019, filed University Gharuan has emerged as Top for a provisional patent with the Indian Stand-Alone University in India for filling Patent Office. highest number (336) of patents in a ISA Confers First ever ISA Solar Awards year. at Third Assembly: Seema Gupta wins 2020 STEVIE Awards Solar Awards were presented during the for Women in Business: third Assembly of the International Solar Power Grid Corporation Director Seema Alliance (ISA) to the countries of the region Gupta has been named winner of GOLD as well as institutions working for solar. Stevie Award in Lifetime Achievement- List of Winners: Business category in 17th annual Stevie Visvesvaraya award: Japan for the Asia Awards for Women in Business. Stevie Awards Pacific region and the Netherlands for have been hailed as the world’s premier Europe and Others region. business awards. Kalpana Chawla awards: Dr Bhim Singh Aishwarya Sridhar becomes first Indian from IIT Delhi (India) and Dr Aaesha woman to win at Wildlife Photographer Alnuaimi from Dubai Electricity and Water of the Year awards: Authority (United Arab Emirates). Aishwarya Sridhar's photo titled 'Lights of Diwakar award: Arpan Institute Passion' has won the 'Highly Commended' (Haryana) and Arushi Society. award at the Wildlife Photographer of the Three categories of awards were Year 2020. She became the first Indian conferred: Woman to win this award. The Diwakar award recognizes organisations & announcement was made in 56th year of the institutions that have been working for the prestigious award at the Natural History benefit of differently-abled people and have Museum in London. She won among 50, maximised the use of solar energy in the host 000 entries from over 80 countries across country. the world. Kalpana Chawla awards recognise the outstanding contribution of scientists and engineers working in the field of solar energy.

Visvesvaraya award recognises the Tamil Nadu (21.3%) came second followed countries with a maximum floating solar by Andhra Pradesh (10.2%). capacity in each of the four regions of ISA. In terms of Foreign tourists, Tamil Nadu has Founder of The Social Corporate Sana topped the list with nearly 68 lakh Hazari wins Young Achievers Award foreigners visiting the state in 2019. Uttar 2020: Pradesh secured the third position with a Sana Hazari, who founded The Social record footfall of nearly 47 lakh foreigners Corporate (TSC) a new-age Digital visiting last year. platform that partners with SMEs, NGOs, Rakayet Ul Karim Rakim of Bangladesh Impact Funds, and Social Enterprises wins the Greenstorm International (both for-profit and non-profit) across India, Nature Photography Contest: Nigeria and Ghana to offer Consultancy & Rakayet Ul Karim Rakim native of Staffing Solutions. Chittagong, Bangladesh, has won the 12th Indian Achievers Award, presented to only edition of the Greenstorm International 4 individuals in India each year under the Nature Photography Contest conducted in ‘Young Achievers’ category, is one of most association with UNEP in connection with the coveted Awards across the country World Environment Day. recognizing individuals with proven track- Mohamed Noufal from Sharjah, UAE, and record of trailblazing efforts in a particular Kartikeya Grover from Ghaziabad, India sector. bagged the second and third prizes 14-year-old Indian American Anika respectively. The photographs of Vladlena Chebrolu wins America’s Young Scientist Lapshina from Russia, Abdul Momin from Challenge: Bangladesh and Sreedharan A 14-year-old Indian-American teen Anika Wadakkanchery from Kerala have bagged Chebrolu from Texas has been awarded the the consolation prizes. 2020 3M Young Scientist Challenge, Managing Director of TRIFED Pravir regarded as the US premier middle school Krishna bags CEO of the year and science competition, and a $25, 000 prize visionary leadership award: for her research that could provide a potential Pravir Krishna (IAS) Managing Director of therapy to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Tribal Cooperative Marketing Uttar Pradesh emerged as top Development Federation of India destination in 2019 attracting over 53 (TRIFED) has been awarded CEO of the crore tourists: Year and Visionary Leadership Award in Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the top National Awards for Excellence in PSU for destination for attracting the highest Investment in Start-UPS. number of Domestic Tourists in 2019. The The team of TRIFED Warriors led by Indian Tourism Statistics has announced that Krishna has won three awards. One of the as many as 53.6 crore domestic tourists award is a collective award in the visited Uttar Pradesh (23.1%) in 2019. Investment in Start-Ups Category. He

was included in the list of the 50 most Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. Total influential Indians in May 2020, for his 8 district from Himachal Pradesh have contribution towards changing the lives of figured in the list. The other districts are the tribals. Chamba, Shimla, Kangra, Una, Sirmour, Indian-origin plastic surgeon Jajini Hamirpur and Solan. Varghese named JC 'Outstanding Young Haryana tops Anemia Mukt Bharat Index Person 2020': among 29 states; Anemia Mukt Bharat UK based Indian origin plastic surgeon Dr Index: Jajini Varghese has been named one of the Haryana has been ranked at the top with a 'Outstanding Young Person of the World score of 46.7 in the Anemia Mukt Bharat 2020' by NGO Junior Chamber (AMB) Index among the 29 states in India. International. She is one among the 10 The news was shared during the State Health persons who bagged the title and Dr Jajini is Society of the National Health Mission’s facilitated for her "Incredible" scientific 8th Governing Body Meeting in contributions in diagnosing and treating Chandigarh. The meeting was presided over breast cancer. by the Haryana chief secretary, Vijai India-assisted Mangdechhu Vardhan. hydroelectric project in Bhutan wins Bengaluru airport becomes first metro prestigious award: airport in India to record positive growth India-assisted Mangdechhu hydroelectric in cargo volumes: project in Bhutan has been awarded the The Kempe Gowda international airport, prestigious Brunel Medal for excellence in operated by the Bangalore International civil engineering by the UK-based Institute Airport (BIAL) has become the first metro of Civil Engineers. airport in India to record growth in freight Delhi’s IGI Airport emerges world’s 2nd in September 2020, compared to the same safest airport on Covid-related safety period last year. protocols: Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International BOOKS AND AUTHORS: Airport has emerged as the world’s second A book titled “A Crown of Thorns – The safest aerodrome for effective Coronavirus and Us” authored by Ishrat implementation of novel coronavirus-related Syed and Kalpana Swaminathan: health as well as safety protocols, said the Authors Ishrat Syed and Kalpana airport operator Delhi International Swaminathan joined KLF Bhava Samvad to Airport Limited (DIAL). speak about their latest book ‘Crown of Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh bags Thorns’ which is based on the Covid 19 top position for implementing PMGSY: pandemic. Speaking about the vision of the Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi has bagged the book Kalpana said, the purpose of our book is first position among 30 districts to shift the focus from Covid 19 statistics to nationwide for successfully implementing the self.

Rajnath Singh launches a book titled “A Extremely, Most Naughty Asura Tales for bouquet of flowers” authoured by Dr Kids”: Krishna Saksena: "Baahubali" series author Anand Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched a Neelakantan has written his debut book in book "A bouquet of flowers" written by Dr the children's space which tells some of the Krishna Saksena the first lady to get PhD, most hilarious stories about child asuras and way back in 1955 from Lucknow in Uttar their antics. Puffin has published "The Very, Pradesh. It is the ninth book authored by the Extremely, Most Naughty Asura Tales for senior English Professor Krishna Saksena was Kids", which has full-colour illustrations launched at the New Delhi. accompanying the narrative. Manish Sisodia Launches Book “Bapu - Former RAW officer GBS Sidhu unravels The Unforgettable” On Gandhi Jayanti: the path to 1984 in his book ‘The Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Khalistan Conspiracy’: Sisodia launched a coffee-table book "Bapu A former intelligence officer with the RAW, - The unforgettable" on the occasion of the GBS Sidhu has written how pro-Khalistan 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. sentiments and Sikh extremism were The book can certainly make us think, give us deliberately encouraged and then crushed ideas, give us a glimpse of his philosophy. with a heavy hand to draw political mileage’, There are several untouched aspects of in his upcoming book “The Khalistan history in this book, a lot of photographs, Conspiracy: A Former R&aw Officer epigraphs and several other details about Unravels The Path To 1984”. Delhi which we usually do not get to see. PM Narendra Modi releases a Book titled Union minister Jitendra singh releases ‘Deh Vechava Karani’ autobiography of coffee table book Discovering the Balasaheb Vikhe Patil: Heritage of Assam authored by Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the Padampani Bora: autobiography of late multiple term Lok Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Sabha MP Dr Balasaheb Vikhe Patil. The Development of North Eastern Region autobiography is titled ‘Deh Vechava (DoNER), Dr Jitendra Singh released a Karani’ means dedicating one’s life for a Coffee Table Book on “Discovering the noble cause. Heritage of Assam”, written by Padampani A Book titled "Mr Prime Minister, We Bora and having foreword by Amitabh Shrank the Dragon" authored by Pradeep Bachchan. It has been published by Goorha: Penguin. Pradeep Goorha, is all set for the release of Padampani Bora is the author of the book. his second book "Mr Prime Minister, We He was an officer of the Indian Revenue Shrank the Dragon". The book will be Service (IRS-2009 batch). published by Partridge Publishing India. 'Baahubali' author Anand Neelakantan The Fiction book is based on the reality pens debut kids' book titled “The Very, around the issues along the Northern borders

of India and the illegal occupation of RANKINGS: Pakistan-occupied Kashmir(PoK), Gilgit- India ranked 89th among 181 countries Baltistan by Pakistan. in World Risk Report 2020; Vanuatu A New Book Titled “The Battle of Tops: Belonging” authored by Shashi Tharoor: According to the World Risk Index (WRI) Author and MP Shashi Tharoor is set to 2020, India has been ranked at the 89th spot release his book titled “The Battle of among 181 Countries. India was ‘poorly Belonging”. It is published by Aleph Book prepared’ to deal with ‘climate reality’, due Company. The book appears to be an to which it was more vulnerable to extreme extension of his book “Why I Am a Hindu”. natural disasters. It is calculated by the He is the longest-serving member of the Lok United Nations University Institute for Sabha from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Environment and Human Security (UNU- since 2009. EHS). Author Deepankar Aron’s new book titled Vanuatu tops the list. Qatar (0.31) had the “On the Trails of Buddha: A Journey to lowest risk followed by Malta (0.66) and St. the East” released by West Bengal Vincent and the Grenadines (0.81). Governor Jagdeep Dhankar: Department of Fertilizers headed by Governor of West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankar Sadananda Gowda ranks third in released the book “On the Trails of implementing Central schemes; DMEO Buddha: A Journey to the East” authored Survey: by Deepankar Aron, IRS (Indian Revenue Development Monitoring and Evaluation Service) Officer. The book was published by Office (DMEO) was conducted a Survey to Niyogi Books Private limited. assess Ministries /Departments’ Autobiography of Finance Commissioner performance on implementation of Central N K Singh “Portraits of Power: Half a Sector Schemes and Centrally Sponsored Century of Being at Ringside”: Schemes. Veteran Economist and bureaucrat N K India Ranks 129 in Oxfam’s CRI Index (Nand Kishore) Singh released his 2020; Norway Topped: autobiography titled “Portraits of Power: India has been ranked 129 among 158 Half a Century of Being at Ringside”. The countries in Commitment to Reducing book portrays the life of NK Singh who played Inequality (CRI) Index 2020. The 3rd an active role in the development of the edition of the index focuses on Fighting Indian economy. He is currently serving as Inequality in the time of COVID-19. The index the Chairman of the 15th Finance was topped by Norway followed by Commission. The book is published by Rupa Denmark and Germany 2nd and 3rd Place Publications India. respectively. South Sudan is the lowest ranking country in the index at 158th position.

India ranks 58th in Global Passport India has acquired the second rank in terms Index report by Arton Capital’s Passport of number of migrants going to the Index; New Zealand Topped: Organisation for Economic Co-operation India has been ranked 58th in the list of and Development (OECD) countries and World’s Most Powerful Passports by acquiring the citizenship of those countries. Arton Capital’s Passport Index. New The data was released by the OECD in its Zealand was the strongest passport in the 2020 edition of the annual International world followed by Japan, Germany, Migration Outlook report, which analyses Austria, Luxembourg, Switzerland, the recent developments in migration Ireland, South Korea and Australia. The movements and policies in its countries. This US passport ranked 21. is the 44th edition of the annual report. India ranks 94 among 107 Countries in China top the list, while Romania stood at Global Hunger Index 2020: 3rd place. India has been ranked at 94 among 107 NTPC ranks first among Indian PSUs in countries in the Global Hunger Index Forbes' 'World's Best Employer 2020': (GHI) 2020 report released. With a score of State-run power giant NTPC has featured on 27.2, India has been placed in the “Serious” the top on the list of Indian PSUs under category in the GHI scale. 'World's Best Employer 2020' published by Last year, India's rank was 102 out of 117 Forbes. The employers were judged based on countries. The index is published jointly by their COVID-19 responses, image, Welthungerhilfe (WHH) and Concern economic footprint, talent development, Worldwide, to measure and track hunger at gender equality and social responsibility. global, regional, and national levels. 17 nations, including China, Belarus, OBITUARY NEWS: Ukraine, Turkey, Cuba and Kuwait bagged Legendary singer SP Balasubramanyam the top rank with GHI scores of less than five. passes away at 74: th India 4 most powerful country in Asia Legendary singer SP Balasubramanyam Power Index 2020; US Topped: has passed away. He is known to have India has been ranked at 4th position (39.7 recorded over 40, 000 songs in 16 Indian out of 100) in Asia Power Index 2020, languages including Tamil, Telugu, released by the Sydney-based Lowy Kannada, Hindi, and Malayalam and holds Institute. the Guinness World Record for recording the The United States has retained its position highest number of songs by a singer. as the most powerful country influencing the SP Balasubramanyam was honored with a Asia-Pacific with a score of 81.6. It is followed Padma Shri (fourth-highest civilian award) in by China (76.1) and Japan (41) at second 2001 and Padma Bhushan (third-highest and third spot respectively. civilian award) in 2011 for his contribution to India Ranked World No. 2 in Migrations cinema. to OECD nations; China Topped:

Former Union Minister Jaswant Singh now, passed away in Australia. Taimur had Passes Away at 82: been the Chief Minister of Assam from Former Union Minister Jaswant Singh has December 6, 1980 to June 30, 1981. She passed away after a prolonged illness. He had was nominated to the Rajya Sabha from served as the external affairs minister, Congress in 1988. defense minister and finance minister of Kuwait Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Sabah India, during the then Prime Minister Atal Passed away at 91: Bihari Vajpayee’s Cabinet. Kuwait’s emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Padma Bhushan awardee and Economist al-Sabah, the architect of the nation’s Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia passed away modern foreign policy & one of the region’s at 74: most influential voices, passed away. His Renowned economist and Padma Bhushan brother, Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf al- awardee Isher Judge Ahluwalia passed Ahmad al-Sabah, will be sworn in as his away. She had served on several national and successor. international committees and boards over her Ambulimama artist KC Sivasankar, career, including as chairperson of the board illustrator of famous Vikram and Vetala of trustees of IFPRI and ICRIER. series passed away at 97: Veteran Lyricist Abhilash passes away at KC Sivasankar who had contributed over 5 74: decades in creating cartoons, passed away. Veteran songwriter Abhilash, who penned He primarily contributed to the magazine, down the song 'Itni shakti hame dena Chandamama. Sankar is the artist behind daata' from the 1986 film 'Ankush' passed the signature painting of the Vikram & away at 74 due to stomach illness. He had Vetala series. ghazals and stories published under this name Former Indian Bank Chairman before starting his career in the music Gopalakrishnan passes away at 86: industry. Former Indian Bank Chairman and Noted writer and Sahitya Akademi Tamilnadu Yadava Mahasabai president M awardee Dr GS Amur passes away at 95: Gopalakrishnan passed away. Veteran critic and versatile writer Dr G S Gopalakrishnan joined Indian Bank as an Amur died due to age-related ailments. The unpaid officer in 1958. He went on to become literateur, known for his proficiency in both its CMD in 1988 and continued in the post till Kannada and English, was a recipient of December 1995. several prestigious honours, including the Veteran social activist and scholar Sahitya Akademi Award, Rajyotsava Pushpa Bhave passed away at 81: Award and Bharatiya Bhasha Award. Veteran social activist, scholar, Assam’s only woman CM Syeda Anwara rationalist, and a stalwart of Marathi Taimur passes away at 84: literature and theatre Pushpa Bhave passed Syeda Anwara Taimur, the only woman to away. She had taken part in the Samyukta have become the Chief Minister of Assam till

Maharashtra movement and the Goa Former Acting Chief Justice of the Gujarat liberation movement. High Court Justice Anantkumar Bollywood Actress Mishti Mukherjee Surendraray Dave passed away. Justice passes away at 27: Dave was appointed as a Gujarat High Court Bollywood actress Mishti Mukherjee, who Judge in 2004 and was made permanent in has featured in many Hindi, Bengali and 2006. Telugu films, and music videos has passed Veteran Samajwadi Party Leader and away due to kidney failure. He was only 27 Former MLC Mulayam Singh Yadav years old. Passes Away at 92: Besides featuring in major Bengali projects, Veteran Samajwadi Party leader and former Mishti made her debut in Bollywood with the MLC Mulayam Singh Yadav passed away film Life Ki Toh lag Gayi in 2012 and worked after a prolonged illness. Mulayam Singh as the lead actress in Subhash Ghai’s 2014 Yadav became a sarpanch in 1949 and film “Kaanchi: The Unbreakable”. emerged victorious on the post five times Veteran BJD Leader and Seven Time consecutively. From 1973 to 1988, he was Odisha MLA Pradeep Maharathy Passed block chief of Bhagya Nagar and was then away at 65: elected to the member of the Legislative Former Odisha minister and Biju Janata Council for the first time in 1990. Dal legislator from Pipili constituency, Veteran Bollywood Actor Vishal Anand Pradeep Maharathy passed away due to the Passes Away: novel Coronavirus infection. Bollywood’s veteran actor Vishal Anand Maharathy was elected as a MLA seven times who is known for his role in 1976’s Chalte from Pipili constituency. He had served as Chalte, passed away due to prolonged Minister of Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water illness. Vishal’s real name was Bhishmam Supply, Agriculture and Fisheries during his Kohli. A few of Vishal Anand’s films are terms in Odisha. Hamara Adhikar, Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Pa, Taxi Jharkhand Minority Welfare Minister Haji Driver and Intezaar. Hussain Ansari passed away at 73: Afghanistan cricketer Najeeb Tarakai Jharkhand Minority Welfare Minister Haji Passed away at 29: Hussain Ansari passed away at the Afghanistan’s top-order batsman Najeeb Medanta Hospital. Ansari was made Tarakai has died from injuries sustained in a Minister for the second time in January this road accident. Tarakai played 12 Twenty20 year in the Hemant Soren's government. He Internationals (T20Is) for Afghanistan, after was elected legislator for the first time in making his international debut in the 2014 1995. Later, he was re-elected in 2000, 2009 T20 World Cup. He played his only one-day and 2019. international against Ireland in 2017. Former acting Chief Justice of Gujarat Rock Legend and Guitarist Eddie Van High Court, AS Dave passed away at 62: Halen passes away at 65:

Eddie Van Halen, considered one of rock Veteran Marathi actor Avinash music’s greatest guitar players, passed Kharshikar passes away: away. He is among the top 20 best-selling Veteran Marathi actor Avinash Kharshikar artists of all time and his band was inducted died. He was a well-known for his comic into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. acting in the Marathi industry and he Former Union Minister Rasheed Masood worked with other well-known names in the passes away at 73: Marathi industry like Ashok Saraf and the late Former Union minister and veteran leader Laxmikanth Berde. Qazi Rasheed Masood passed away. He had Kannada Veteran Director Vijay passes been an MP nine times while he was away at 84: associated with different political parties. He Veteran film maker B. Vijaya Reddy of the had also served as the Union minister of state Kannada film industry passed away. He is for health (IC) in the VP Singh government. most remembered for his collaboration with Former CBI director Ashwani Kumar Dr. Rajkumar to deliver some of his super- passes away: hit films. He has directed several films Former Governor of Manipur and Nagaland including Naa Ninna Bidalare, Auto Raja, and ex-Central Bureau of Investigation Deva. (CBI) Director Ashwani Kumar passed Former India football captain Carlton away. He joined the Indian Police Service in Chapman passes away at 49: 1973. He was sworn-in as the Governor of Former India football captain Carlton Nagaland, and as Governor of Manipur in Chapman, who had formed a deadly trio in 2013. club football with Bhaichung Bhutia and IM Union minister and LJP founder Ram Vijayan in the 1990s, died in Bengaluru. A Vilas Paswan passes away at 74: creative midfielder, Chapman played for India Union minister for Consumer Affairs, Food between 1995 and 2001. India won the 1997 & Public Distribution and founder of Lok SAFF Cup under his captaincy. Janshakti Party Ram Vilas Paswan passed Justice KK Usha, first woman chief away. He was elected to Lok Sabha eight justice of Kerala HC from the bar, passes times and also held the record of winning his away at 81: constituency, Hajipur, with the highest Justice K K Usha, former Chief Justice of margin for several years. the Kerala High Court, passed away. She Mexican Scientist and Nobel winner served as a judge from 1991 to 2000. And Mario Molina Passed away at 77: when she was appointed Chief Justice of the Mario Molina, only Mexican scientist to be Kerala High Court from 2000 to 2001, honored with Nobel Prize in chemistry, Justice Usha became the first woman to join 1995 passed away. He won prize along with the High Court Judiciary from the Bar and F.S. Rowland of US & P. Crutzen of the became a Chief Justice. Netherlands for their research into climate change.

Renowned Indian-origin South African “Nightingale of Gujarat”, passed away. human rights lawyer Priscilla Jana She was trained under legendary thumri passes away at 76: exponent, Siddheshwari Devi. For 5 years, Renowned Indian-origin South African she trained for ghazals under Taj Khan. human rights lawyer Priscilla Jana who Bihar Minister Vinod Kumar Singh passes represented many anti-apartheid political away at 50: leaders, including Nelson Mandela, has Minister for Backward and Extremely passed away. He had played a significant role Backward Classes in Bihar, Vinod Kumar against apartheid, was the Deputy Singh passed away due to COVID-19. He was Chairperson of the South African Human a BJP MLA from Pranpur Assembly Rights Commission (SAHRC). constituency of Katihar district in northeast Nagaland’s Environment Minister C M Bihar and has been elected MLA thrice from Chang passes away at 78: the constituency. Nagaland’s environment minister, C M Former 400m Hurdles Olympic Champion Chang passed away due to COVID-19. He Charlie Moore passed away at 91: was a retired IAS officer and former American Athlete Charlie Moore, 1952 Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha (2009- Olympic 400 metre(m) Hurdles Champion 13). passed away due to pancreatic cancer at the Former Karnataka Bank Chairman age of 91. He was born in August 1929 in Ananthakrishna passes away at 74: Pennsylvania, United States of America(USA). Former Chairman and Chief Executive Former New Zealand all-rounder John R Officer of Karnataka Bank Limited Reid passes away at 92: Ananthakrishna passed away. He was the John Richard Reid, former New Zealand Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the great and their oldest surviving Test bank from 2000 to 2009 and thereafter had player, has died at the age of 92 in continued as Non-Executive Chairman of the Auckland. he scored 3428 runs in 58 Test Bank. matches with an average of 33.28, hitting Former Odisha Assembly speaker Sarat 22 half-centuries and six centuries in a career Kar Passed away at 81: that spanned over 16 years. His maiden Test Former Odisha Assembly Speaker Sarat century, a knock of 135, came against South Kumar Kar passed away. He is a veteran Africa in Cape Town in 1954. leader and eminent writer. He was elected Padma Shri awardee and renowned to State Legislative Assembly thrice from Kuchipudi dancer Shobha Naidu passes Mahanga. He was Speaker of Odisha away at 64: Legislative Assembly from 2000 to 2004. Padma Shri awardee and renowned ‘Nightingale of Gujarat’ Kaumudi Munshi Kuchipudi dancer Shobha Naidu passes passes away at 93: away due to prolonged illness. She Leading singer of Gujarati Sugam Sangeet extensively toured the US, UK, Dubai, Turley, Kaumudi Munshi, known as the Hongkong, Mexico, Venezuela and Cuba to

give stage performances of Kuchipudi dance. He tested coronavirus positive, in a swab test She won Padma Shri in 2001 and Sangeet which was taken after his death. Ghosh was a Natak Akademi in 1991. prominent recitor and renowned vocal India’s First Oscar winning costume artist, who was well-known for his inimitable designer Bhanu Athaiya passes away at style of recitation. 91: Freedom Fighter and 'Maddale' Artist Bhanu Athaiya, the costume designer who Hiriadka Gopal Rao passes away at 100: became the first Indian to win an Oscar, Yakshagana artist and freedom fighter for Richard Attenborough’s “Gandhi” Hiriyadka Gopal Rao, popularly known as (1982), died at her home in Mumbai after a ‘Maddale Mantrika’, a maestro in playing prolonged illness. She also designed the maddale, a percussion instrument, passed costumes for over 100 Bollywood movies. away at his residence in Ontibetti near Veteran cricket journalist and Hiriyadka in Udupi. commentator Kishore Bhimani passes Bihar Minister Kapil Dev Kamat passes away at 80: away at 69: Veteran cricket journalist and Prominent Janata Dal-United leader Kapil commentator Kishore Bhimani passed Dev Kamat, Minister of Panchayati Raj, away on at the age of 80. He was considered passed away. Before joining the JD-U, he was an encyclopaedia of the game, is best in the Congress party where he became a remembered for being on air during the tied convenor in 1990 when Jagannath Mishra Test of 1986 between India and Australia in was the Chief Minister of Bihar. Chepauk. He had received a lifetime Kumkum Bhagya Actor Zarina Roshan achievement award for his decades long Khan passed away at 54: contribution in the fields of media and Renowned TV actress, Zarina Roshan Khan commentary in 2013. passed away. She is fondly remembered for Renowned Malayalam poet Akkitham her role in the television show ‘Kumkum Achuthan Namboothiri passes away at Bhagya’ as Indu Dadi, has passed away due 94: to sudden cardiac arrest. Padma Shri awardee Akkitham Achuthan First Woman Officer of Indian Air Force Namboothiri is also known for his critical Vijayalakshmi Ramanan Passes Away at essays, short stories and other literary 96: works. His works have been translated into First woman officer of Indian Air Force, multiple languages. He is a recipient of Wing Commander (retd) Dr Vijaylakshmi Jnanpith Award (2019), India’s highest Ramanan passed away at 96. Also a literary honour and Padma Shri (2017). renowned gynaecologist, Dr Vijaylakshmi Veteran Bengali Vocal Artiste Pradip Ramanan had served in the Army Medical Ghosh passes away at 78: Corps in 1955. She was awarded the Noted Bengali elocutionist Pradip Ghosh Vishisht Seva Medal in 1977. has passed away at his residence in Kolkata.

Renowned economist Dr Jayanta Madhab Playback singer, music director and actor K passes away J Mohammed Babu, popularly known as Renowned economist from Assam, Dr ‘Zero’ Babu passed away. Babu was a Jayanta Madhab passed away. He worked recipient of the Sangeetha Nataka as financial adviser to Calcutta Akademi Award. He has sung in nearly 90 Metropolitan Development Corporation films and various plays. His first movie was and has served as director at the ADB. He was the 1964 film 'Kudumbini'. the founder chairman of North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd. SPORTS NEWS: First woman IAF Officer Vijayalakshmi Valtteri Bottas wins Russian GP after Ramanan (retd) passes away at 96: Lewis Hamilton is handed 10-second Wing Commander Vijayalakshmi penalty: Ramanan, the first woman officer to be Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-Finland) won his commissioned in the Indian Air Force, has second Formula One race of the 2020 season. passed away. Dr Ramanan served as an Max Verstappen (Red Bull – Netherlands) obstetrician and gynaecologist at various came second followed by the 6-time world Air Force Hospitals. She was honoured with champion Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great the Vishist Seva Medal five years later. Britain), who stood third because of two Eminent economist Dr. Jayanta Madhab separate five-second penalties. passes away at 91: Australia’s Alyssa Healy Breaks MS A renowned economist, Dr. Jayanta Madhab Dhoni's Record of Most Dismissals by passed away. Madhab graduated in Wicket-Keeper in T20Is: economics from JB College, Jorhat and Australia's wicket-keeper bat Alyssa Healy pursued his masters from Gauhati broke MS Dhoni's record of having most University. He earned his doctorate degree dismissals as a wicket-keeper in Twenty20 in financial management from the London Internationals (T20Is). Healy now has 92 School of Economics. dismissals in the shortest format of the Veteran TRS leader and Telangana’s first game, while Dhoni had held the record home minister Nayani Narsimha Reddy previously with 91 dismissals in T20 passes away at 86: internationals. Dhoni played 98 T20Is for Former Telangana home minister and India. senior TRS leader Nayini Narsimha Reddy Visnu Shivaraj Pandian wins 10-meter passed away. He served as MLA from air rifle gold at 5th International Online Musheerabad assembly constituency thrice Shooting Championship: and was Member of Legislative Council. He India’s 16-year-old Visnu Shivaraj Pandian was the first home minister of Telangana. has won the 10m air rifle event at the fifth Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Awardee edition of the International Online Zero Babu passes away at 80: Shooting Championship. Visnu win the title by a clear margin of two points.

The second place was won by world no. 27 the brand-new roof on Court Philippe Etienne Germond of France while Olympic Chatrier. quota winner Martin Strempfl of Austria Indian teenager Nihal Sarin Wins Junior took the third place. Shooters from 15 Speed Chess Championship: countries are participating in the two-day Indian teenager created history by winning competition. the Chess.com’s 2020 Junior Speed MS Dhoni becomes the only Indian to Online Chess Championship, defeating play 100 consecutive T20 innings Russia’s Alexey Sarana 18-7 in the final. without scoring a duck: He also qualified for the 2020 Speed Chess MS Dhoni became the first Indian to play Championship Final which will feature the 100 consecutive T20 innings without world's best players. Magnus Carlsen getting out on a duck. The last time Dhoni (2017) and Hikaru Nakamura (2018, 2019) scored a duck in T20 cricket was in 2015. have won the Speed Chess Championship in Chris Gayle holds the record for the most the past. innings (145) without a duck in T20 cricket. Lewis Hamilton equals Michael Iga Swiatek wins French Open, becomes Schumacher's 91 race wins at Eifel F1 first Pole to win Grand Slam singles title: Grand Prix: Iga Swiatek crowned an extraordinary Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain) fortnight to win the French Open in a blaze has won the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix, held at of winners crushing Sofia Kenin 6-4, 6-1. the Nürburgring in Nürburg, Germany. Max Swiatek, who had dropped only 23 games en Verstappen (Red Bull – Netherlands) came route to the final, produced another second followed by Daniel Ricciardo audacious display as she became the first (Renault, Australia) at third position. This is Polish player to win a Grand Slam singles Hamilton’s 7th win of the season and 91st title. In Women's doubles, Timea Babos & career race victory, which was till now Kristina Mladenovic retained their French achieved only by Michael Schumacher. Open title defeating Alexa Guarachi & Los Angeles Lakers beat Miami Heat to Desirae Krawczyk. clinch 17th Title in NBA finals 2020: Rafael Nadal beats Novak Djokovic to Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami win his 13th French Open Men's Singles Heat to win the National Basketball title and claims his 20th Grand Slam title: Association (NBA) Championship 2020. Rafael Nadal’s 100th match win at the This is the 17th NBA title win for LA Lakers French Open earned him his 20th Grand and also their first since 2010, after late Kobe Slam title and rival Roger Federer for the Bryant’s fifth and final title a decade ago. men’s singles record. To add even more of a LeBron James of the Lakers’ was named shine to the achievement, the victory was the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) perhaps one of Nadal’s best efforts 6-0, 6-2, for the fourth time in his career. 7-5 drubbing of Novak Djokovic played under

All India Football Federation announces Indian Shooters Elavenil and Shahu ‘Indian Football – Forward Together’ as Mane wins’ gold, silver in Sheikh Russel its new motto: International Air Rifle Championship: All India Football Federation, the apex World number one Indian Elavenil Valarivan body for the sport of football in the country, won a gold medal and Shahu Tushar Mane announced the launch of their new motto bagged a silver in the Sheikh Russel 'Indian Football- Forward Together'. International Air Rifle Championship, India with the support of the football held virtually. The championship was community, and creates synergy with the organised by Bangladesh Shooting Sport core values of the organization - passion, Federation (BSSF). respect, leadership, teamwork, integrity, professionalism and inclusivity. Pakistan Pace bowler Umar Gul IMPORTANT DAYS: announces retirement from all forms of cricket: DATE DAY THEME Pakistan pacer Umar Gul has announced he is retiring from all forms of cricket after his October World Vegetarian - domestic team Balochistan failed to make the 1 Day October International Day “Leave No One semifinals of the ongoing National T20 Cup. 1 of Older Persons Behind” Gul brought an end to a 17-year international October International Day “Shaping Peace career that began with an ODI against 2 of Non-Violence Together” Zimbabwe in April 2003. He played 47 October World Day for - Tests, 130 ODIs and 60 T20Is and took a 2 Farmed Animals combined 427 wickets across formats. October Wildlife Week “RoaR (Roar and Nozomi Okuhara clinches Women's (2-8) Revive) – Singles title at Denmark Open: Exploring Human- Former World Champion Nozomi Okuhara Animal clinched the Denmark Open title beating Relationships” three-time world champion Carolina Marin October World Space “Satellites in women's singles. The Japanese star took 56 (4-10) Week Improve Life” October World Teachers’ “Teachers: minutes to get the better of the Olympic gold 5 Day Leading in crisis, medallist Spaniard in two games 21-19, 21- reimagining the 17, at Odense. future” In the Men's Singles Final, world number October World Habitat “Housing For All seven Anders Antonsen of Denmark 5 Day — A Better Urban defeated his compatriot Rasmus Gemke by Future” 18-21, 21-19, 21-12. October World Cotton “Cotton: The 7 Day Fibre that Moves Me”

October Air Force Day - October World Food Day “Grow, Nourish, 8 16 Sustain. October World Sight Day “Hope In Sight” Together. Our 8 actions are our October World Post Day “We Have Always future” 9 Delivered” October International Day “Acting together October World Egg “Eat Your Egg 17 for the to achieve social 9 Day(second Today And Every Eradication of and Friday of Day” Poverty environmental October) justice for all” October World Mental “Mental Health for 10 Health Day All: Greater October World “THAT’S Investment – 20 Osteoporosis Day OSTEOPOROSIS” Greater” October World Statistics “Connecting the 20 Day world with data October World Migratory “Birds Connect we can trust” 10 Bird Day Our World” October International ‘Healthy Food for 20 Chefs Day the Future!’ October International Day “My Voice, Our October Police - 11 of the Girl Child Equal Future” 21 Commemoration October World Arthritis “Time2Work” Day 12 Day October World Iodine - October International Day “Disaster Risk 21 Deficiency Day 13 for Disaster Governance” October International “Journey of Words Reduction 22 Stuttering – Resilience and October World Standards “Protecting the Awareness Day Bouncing Back” 14 Day planet with October International - standards” 23 Snow Leopard October International E- - Day 14 Waste Day October United Nations “The Future We October World Students “Learning for 24 Day Want, the UN We 15 Day People, Planet, Need: Reaffirming Prosperity and our Collective Peace” Commitment to Multilateralism” October International Day “Rural women October World - 15 of Rural Women and girls building 24 Development resilience” Information Day October World Polio Day “A Win Against October Global “Hand Hygiene for 24 Polio is a Win for 15 Handwashing All” Global Health” Day RACE Coaching Institute for Banking and Government Jobs Courses Offered : BANK | SSC | RRB | TNPSC |KPSC | 85 Official Website: www.raceinstitute.in| Official Blog: www.bankersdaily.in Chennai RACE Coaching Institute Pvt Ltd

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d) Shiva Shankar CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ: e) Nanda Krishna Q.1) Name the first women airborne tacticians Q.6) Who has been awarded the AIFF (All in India to operate from the deck of warships India Football Federation) Men's Footballer of despite being employed in different ranks in the Year Award? Indian Navy. a) Sunil Chhetri a) Rashi Thakur and Kumudini Tyagi b) Baichung Bhutia b) Kumudini Tyagi and Riti Singh c) Vikram Singh c) Anandi Rathi and Kumudini Tyagi d) Udanta Singh d) Riti Singh and Anandi Rathi e) Gurpreet Singh Sandhu e) Rashi Thakur and Riti Singh Q.7) Which state government has decided to Q.2) Who has been elected as the new provide loans to entrepreneurs to revive the president of Indian Broadcasting Foundation tourism sector under the 'Paryatan (IBF)? Sanjeevani Scheme'? a) Manish Pandey a) Assam b) Shashi Shekhar b) Bihar c) K Madhavan c) Chhattisgarh d) Venkatesh Nair d) Nagaland e) Keshava Kumar e) Uttarakhand Q.3) Who among the following has become Q.8) ADB has approved a $300 million loan to the first woman fighter pilot to fly a Rafale? finance inclusive water supply and sanitation a) Samyuktha Hedge infrastructure and services in secondary b) Shivangi Singh towns of which state? c) Malvika Menon a) Chhattisgarh d) Harini Singh b) Rajasthan e) Sagundhala Devi c) Gujarat Q.4) Who has recently been signed as its d) Tamil Nadu brand ambassador by CEAT Tyres? e) West Bengal a) Varun Dhawan Q.9) Minister of State for Home G. Kishan b) Sonu Sood Reddy inaugurated the new ‘Cable Stayed c) Amir Khan Bridge’ constructed across Durgam Cheruvu d) Akshay Kumar Lake in which of the following cities? e) Shahid Kapoor a) Hyderabad b) Kochi

c) Jaipur c) Shamli d) Chennai d) Meerut e) Mumbai e) Lucknow Q.10) 51st edition of the International Film Q.15) Under Phase-II of FAME India Scheme, Festival of India (IFFI) will be held from in which of the following states did the January 2021 in ____. government did not sanction electric buses? a) Tamil Nadu a) Maharashtra b) Manipur b) Karnataka c) Goa c) Gujarat d) Maharashtra d) Rajasthan e) Karnataka e) Assam Q.11) Name the Indian Cricketer who has Q.16) RBI has roped in ______for been appointed brand ambassador of Aakash customer awareness campaign to prevent Educational Services Limited. gullible account holders from being duped. a) Suresh Raina a) Salman Khan b) Virat Kholi b) Amitabh Bachchan c) M S Dhoni c) Sonu Sood d) Yuvraj Singh d) Ayushmann Khurrana e) Rohit Sharma e) Amir Khan Q.12) Who has been appointed as the Q.17) Which state has launched Radio Chairman of the BCCI’s women’s national Pathshala program for students up to class 8? selection panel? a) Chhattisgarh a) Anju Jain b) Odisha b) Shubhangi Kulkarni c) Jharkhand c) Maheshwari d) Telangana d) Neetu David e) Rajasthan e) Purnima Rau Q.18) World Bank has approved a $200mn Q.13) Who is the winner of the F1 Russian loan for which country to improve access to Grand Prix 2020? safe water & sanitation services in rural a) Max Verstappen areas? b) Lewis Hamilton a) Maldives c) Charles Leclerc b) Nepal d) Sebastian Vettel c) Bangladesh e) Valtteri Bottas d) Bhutan Q.14) Where will the Uttar Pradesh’s first e) Myanmar vulture conservation and breeding centre be Q.19) Name the Union Home Minister who has established? virtually inaugurates ‘Destination North East- a) Aligarh 2020’. b) Gorakhpur a) Sadananda Gowda

b) Jitendra Singh formed by RBI to look after the affairs of c) Ramesh Pokhriyal Lakshmi Vilas Bank? d) Amit Shah a) Satish Kumar Kalra e) Rajnath Singh b) Injeti Srinivasan Q.20) Which state government develops new c) Shakti Sinha mobile app “Visitassam” For air passengers d) Meeta Makhan from Other state? e) Jai Shankar a) Assam Q.25) Name the Indian cricketer who has b) Bihar been appointed as the brand ambassador of c) Karnataka Kerala based start-up ‘Entri’? d) Gujarat a) Suresh Raina e) Maharashtra b) Robin Uthappa Q.21) Moctar Ouane has been appointed as c) Rishab Pant the new Prime Minister of which country? d) KL Rahul a) Malawi e) Nitish Rana b) Kenya Q.26) Alapan Bandopadhyay has been c) Senegal appointed as the chief secretary of which d) Mali state? e) Nigeria a) Madhya Pradesh Q.22) India’s 1st Regional Rapid Transit b) Telangana System (RRTS) train will provide its services c) Maharashtra to Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS by which d) West Bengal year? e) Andhra Pradesh a) 2030 Q.27) Who has been appointed as the b) 2025 Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory c) 2023 Authority of India? d) 2027 a) P. D. Vaghela e) 2022 b) K Kapil Sharma Q.23) Who has been appointed as the new c) S Praveen Kumar brand ambassador of the online tutor d) R.S. Sharma company Vedantu? e) P Hari Krishna a) Ayushmann khurrana Q.28) Which minister has launched Indian b) Sonu Sood Council of Medical Research (ICMR)’s Vaccine c) Aamir Khan Web Portal and National Clinical Registry for d) Shahrukh Khan COVID-19? e) Amitab Bhachhan a) Nitin Gadkari Q.24) Name the person Who Headed 3- b) Rajnath Singh member Committee of Directors (CoD) c) Amit Shah d) Harsh Vardhan

e) Prakash Javadekar d) Patna Q.29) Which of the following state has e) Lucknow announced the Gan Samragni Lata Q.34) Virgin Hyperloop has signed an MoU Mangeshkar award for the year 2020-21? with which of the following airports in order to a) Andhra Pradesh conduct a feasibility study of high-speed b) Gujarat corridor? c) Maharashtra a) Cochin International Airport d) Uttar Pradesh b) Bangalore International Airport e) Karnataka c) Indira Gandhi International Airport Q.30) Which of the following company d) Rajiv Gandhi International Airport appoints Rinki Sethi as New Information e) Chennai International Airport Security Head? Q.35) Who is the author of the book ‘A a) Infosys bouquet of flowers’? b) Twitter a) Vijay Singh c) Microsoft b) Ramakrishna d) Facebook c) Krishna Saksena e) Wipro d) Kalpana Singh Q.31) How much was extended as financial e) Varun Sharma assistance by India to Sri Lanka for promotion Q.36) Which state government has launched of Buddhist ties between two countries? Jala Kala Scheme for small and marginal a) USD 25 million farmers? b) USD 15 million a) Gujarat c) USD 20 million b) Andhra Pradesh d) USD 35 million c) Karnataka e) USD 10 million d) Maharashtra Q.32) Which state government is set to e) Telangana launch the web portal named “Dharani” for Q.37) Name the Bollywood actor Who has integrated land record management? been honored with the SDG Special a) Nagaland Humanitarian Action Award by UNDP? b) Bihar a) Ayushmann khurrana c) Rajasthan b) Varun Dhawan d) Telangana c) Akshay Kumar e) Karnataka d) Sonu Sood Q.33) PM Modi has inaugurated the first-of- e) Amitabh Bachchan its-kind “Ganga Avalokan” museum on river Q.38) Who has been appointed as additional Ganga at which city? Director on Dhanlaxmi Bank board? a) Jaipur a) D K Kashyap b) Haridware b) H Pradeep Rao c) Varanasi c) Nitin Kumar Kohli

d) Sunil K. Gupta c) Tripura e) P Harichandran d) Assam Q.39) Who has been appointed as President e) Meghalaya of Film & Television Institute of India Society? Q.44) Which state government has signed an a) Ranjith Shetty MoU with Denmark in the water sector? b) Shekhar Kapur a) Karnataka c) Manohar Raj b) Gujarat d) Anupam Kher c) Maharashtra e) Paresh Rawal d) Nagaland Q.40) Which of the following Railway zone has e) Rajasthan launched "Operation My Saheli" to enhance Q.45) Who has been given the additional security of women passengers? charge of National Security Guard (NSG)? a) North Eastern Railway a) P Rajesh Kumar b) South Eastern Railway b) Surjeet Singh Deswal c) Eastern Railway c) Sunil Sethi d) South Central Railway d) A K Singh e) East Central Railway e) Naresh Singh Q.41) Who has been named as India's richest Q.46) Which of the following state has won woman according to IIFL Wealth Hurun India the PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) Rich List 2020? Grand Award 2020 for its Tourism Campaign? a) Ronnie Screwvala a) Maharashtra b) Indra K Nooyi b) Uttar Pradesh c) Kiran Mazumdar Shaw c) Kerala d) Smita V Crishna d) Gujarat e) Roshini Nadar e) Madhya Pradesh Q.42) Which of the following state has Q.47) Name the state which bags eight launched a dedicated online portal Livelihood awards for implementation of ‘Garib Kalyan Generation Programme for Returned Migrant Rozgar Abhiyan (GKRA)’ for the benefit of Workers due to Covid-19? labourers? a) Kerala a) Karnataka b) Tripura b) Uttar Pradesh c) Nagaland c) Andhra Pradesh d) Mizoram d) Gujarat e) Assam e) Madhya Pradesh Q.43) Syeda Anwara Taimur who passed Q.48) Toyota has appointed whom as the away recently is the 1st and only women chief brand ambassador for the soon-to-be minister of which state? launched SUV model Urban Cruiser? a) Maharashtra a) Amir Khan b) Karnataka b) Akshay Kumar

c) Ayushmann Khurrana a) NHPC d) Salman Khan b) NPCI e) Amitabh Bachchan c) PFC Q.49) Which of the following country has d) NTPC signed Statement of Intent (SoI) with NITI e) BHEL Aayog for ‘Decarbonization and energy Q.54) Who has been appointed as advisor of transition agenda’? Khadi and Village Industries Commission A) Singapore (KVIC)? B) Nepal a) Dhanalakshmi C) Denmark b) Jagdeesh Singh D) Indonesia c) Sunil Sethi e) Netherlands d) Ravi Varma Q.50) Which Indian state has presented the e) Mohan Kumar Anundoram Borooah Award 2020? Q.55) Who has contributed the most number a) Assam of dismissals in T20 Internationals as wicket b) Manipur keeper? c) Nagaland a) Rishab Pant d) Sikkim b) Adam Gilchrist e) Mizoram c) Quinton de Kock Q.51) Name the former Indian cricketer who d) Alyssa Healy has appointed as brand ambassador of Bengal e) MS Dhoni Peerless? Q, 56) Name the Minister who has launched a) MS Dhoni the new logo of the Sports Authority of India b) Sourav Ganguly (SAI)? c) Gautam Gambir a) Harsha Vardhan d) Sachin Tendulkar b) Kiren Rijiju e) Kapil Dev c) Rajnath Singh Q.52) DRDO conducted successful test flight d) Prahlad Patel of its BrahMos supersonic cruise missile e) Amit Shah recently. It is a ______type of missile Q.57) Which of the following state a) Air to Surface government has inaugurated its first Pirul b) Surface to Air power project? c) Surface to Surface a) Karnataka d) Air to Air b) Uttarakhand e) None of the Above c) Meghalaya Q.53) Which of the following organizations d) Telangana has signed an MoU with the Ministry of Power e) Uttar Pradesh detailing targets to be achieved by the company for FY 2020-21?

Q.58) Who among the following has become e) China the new National President of Indo-American Q.63) Who has been appointed as the new Chamber of Commerce (IACC)? Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of State Bank of a) Arujun Chandraseker India? b) Purnachandra Rao Surapaneni a) Prashant Kumar c) Kirloskar kawaskoi b) Venkat Nageshwar d) Venkat Arunachalam c) Charanjit Singh Attra e) Manohar Manoj d) Dinesh Kumar Khara Q.59) Who heads the panel constituted by e) Swaminathan Janakiraman government of India to examine Chinese Q.64) Who among the following has assumed foreign investment proposals? charge as the new Union Pharma Secretary? a) Anurag Sinha a) Nitish Kumar b) Ajay Kumar Bhalla b) S Aparna c) Akash Chaturvedi c) Ankit Tiwari d) Rajiv Gauba d) Om Prakash e) Ajay Tyagi e) Lalit Gupta Q.60) Who has been appointed as the Chief Q.65) Who among the following launched the Secretary of Haryana (September 2020)? Book title 'Bapu - The Unforgettable' On a) Ramesh Sobti Gandhi Jayanti? b) Panner Selvam a) Venkaiah Naidu c) Vijai Vardhan b) Narendra Modi d) Chandra Mohan c) Arvind Kejriwal e) Arun Prasad d) Manish Sisodia Q.61) Who among the following has e) Ramnath Kovind represented India at UN Summit on Q.66) Name the project which has been Biodiversity? launched to digitize provident fund, pension a) Nitin Gadkari services of CMPFO? b) Prakash Javadekar a) Smiriti c) Narendra Modi b) Sunidhi d) Amit Shah c) Utkarsh e) Ram Nath Kovind d) Sanjeevani Q.62) India has inked USD 90 million defence e) Sankalp deal with which country to buy spare parts for Q.67) Who among the following has assumed its fleet of C-130J Super Hercules cargo charge as the Secretary, Ministry of Labour & aircraft? Employment? a) Iran a) Karanjith Singh b) Russia b) Manoj Kumar c) France c) Om Prakash d) United States d) Apurva Chandra

e) Rajiv Singh d) Gujarat Q.68) Who has been appointed as India’s e) Chhattisgarh Next Ambassador To Cambodia? Q.73) Prime Minister Narendra Modi a) Surendra Singh inaugurates nation world’s longest high b) Vasudev Krishna altitude Atal Tunnel in which State/UT? c) Sunil Menon a) Himachal Pradesh d) Devyani Uttam Khobragade b) Arunachal Pradesh e) Vibhas Pande c) Jammu and Kashmir Q.69) Name the Bilateral Exercise held d) Andaman and Nicobar between Indian Navy and Bangladesh Navy? e) Tripura a) Khanjar Q.74) Name the India’s largest handicraft and b) Bongosagar organic products marketplace launched by c) Shakti Arjun Munda on the occasion of Gandhi d) Surya Kiran Jayanti. e) Garuda a) Handicraft E-place Q.70) Who among the following will b) Bidriware handicrafts inaugurate the Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik, c) Handicraft Exports VAIBHAV Summit via video conferencing? d) Tribes India E-Marketplace a) Amit Shah e) Tribes Organic India marketplace b) Harsha Vardhan Q.75) Which state government launches c) Narendra Modi “Pathashree Abhijan” scheme for road repair? d) Rajnath Singh a) Telangana e) Nirmala Sitharaman b) Karnataka Q.71) Which state government is undertaking c) West Bengal a door-to-door survey to update non- d) Maharashtra agricultural property details through the NAP e) Manipur (Non Agricultural Property) app? Q.76) Who has been appointed as the fourth a) Karnataka Deputy Governor of RBI? b) Andhra Pradesh a) Anil Sabharwal c) Kerala b) Sachin Chaturvedi d) Tamil Nadu c) Shatrughan Sinha e) Telangana d) M Rajeshwar Rao Q.72) Which Indian state has bagged Top e) Debashish Mohanty position under the Swachh Sundar Q.77) Who has been appointed the MD and Samudayak Shouchalaya category of Swachh CEO of India Post Payments Bank (IPPB)? Bharat Awards-2020? a) Suresh Sethi a) Punjab b) J Venkatramu b) Karnataka c) K.G. Karmakar c) Haryana d) Anubrata Biswas

e) Satish Kumar Gupta c) Ravi Santhanam Q.78) RBI approves appointment of interim d) Aditya Puri committee of directors (CoD) headed by e) Dinesh Sharma whom to run Dhanlaxmi Bank? Q.83) Name the author of the Coffee Table a) Ram Chandra Book titled “Discovering the Heritage of b) G Subramonia Iyer Assam” released by DoNER Minister Dr c) Sunil Gurbaxani Jitendra Singh. d) P.K Vijayakumar a) Dipankar Dutta e) G Rajagopalan Nair b) Alok Sharma Q.79) Which Indian state has launched a c) Padmapani Bora portal called ‘Kritagyata’, an online pension d) Adtiya Roy submission and tracking system? e) Purnendu Kant a) Assam Q.84) Name the Indian shooter who won 10- b) Madhya Pradesh meter air rifle gold at 5th International Online c) Karnataka Shooting Championship? d) Tripura a) Saurabh Chaudhary e) Jharkhand b) Abhinav Bindra Q.80) Which of the following actress has c) Visnu Shivaraj Pandian topped the Forbes’ Highest-Paid Actresses d) Aprajita Singh 2020 list? e) Jitu Rai a) Scarlett Johansson Q.85) Which of the following organization has b) Angelina Jolie partnered with HelpAge India to afford digital c) Sophia Turner literacy to rural elderly citizens under d) Elizabeth Olsen “Aalambana” project? e) Sofia Vergara a) National e-Governance Division (NeGD) Q.81) Which state government has launched b) Cascading Style Sheets(CSS) construction of 750 rural stadiums and c) Common Services Centre (CSC) playgrounds under ‘Rural Transformation d) Government e-Marketplace (GeM) Strategy’? e) None of the Above a) Bihar Q.86) Who has been honoured with the Indo- b) Haryana American Chamber of Commerce’s lifetime c) Assam achievement and Global Excellence award d) Punjab 2020? e) Manipur a) Narayana Murthy Q.82) Name the Indian Company’s Only CMO b) Vikram Singh who has been featured in the Forbes list of c) Ratan Tata 'The World's Most Influential CMOs' 2020? d) Harini Sekar a) Nikhil Sharma e) Azim Premji b) Sunil Mehta

Q.87) Name the foundation which has d) Chhattisgarh received the UNSDG Action Award 2020 for its e) Telangana work on crop residue management? Q.92) Name the missile successfully test fired a) Biocon Foundation by India at the APJ Abdul Kalam Island, b) CII Foundation Odisha. c) Adani Foundation a) Agni d) Bosch Foundation b) Shaurya e) Reliance Foundation c) Akash Q.88) Who is the author of the book titled d) Indra “The Very, Extremely, Most Naughty Asura e) Shakti Tales for Kids”? Q.93) Famous chilli “Dalle Khursani” recently a) Purnendu Kant got GI tag based on which state? b) Sudha Murthy a) Manipur c) Anand Neelakantan b) Sikkim d) Shanker Ram c) Tripura e) Arundhathi Roy d) Gujarat Q.89) Name the spacecraft of Northrop e) Kerala Grumman Cygnus (NG-14 Cygnus) which was Q.94) India has Partnered with which country launched by NASA recently. to launch the constellation of maritime a) Isaac Newton surveillance satellites to trace illegal spillage b) SS Kalpana Chawla of oil by ships? c) APJ Abdul Kalam a) China d) Albert Einstein b) Germany e) Sunita Williams c) France Q.90) Name the state government which has d) Russia launched ‘Gram Darshan’ platform to enable e) Japan the digital accessibility of data of gram Q.95) Who among the following has awarded panchayats? the Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology a) Maharashtra 2020 for the discovery of the hepatitis C b) Haryana virus? c) Mizoram a) M. Houghton d) Andhra Pradesh b) Harvey J Alter e) Gujarat c) Charles M Rice Q.91) which of the following state/UT has first d) Both a and b ever airport of the Airports Authority of India e) All of the above (AAI) to become entirely solar-powered? Q.96) Which of the following state/UT has a) Maharashtra launched anti-pollution campaign named b) Puducherry “Yudh Pradushan Ke Virudh”? c) Gujarat a) Jammu & Kashmir

b) Manipur Q.101) Which of the following institution c) Himachal Pradesh Partners with MIT to develop Productive d) Delhi Usage for Agricultural and Industrial By- e) Chhattisgarh products? Q.97) Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan a) IIT- Kanpur has inaugurated a Super Speciality Block b) IIT-Madras (SSB) at Motilal Nehru Medical College in c) IIT-Bombay which city? d) IIT-Kharagpur a) Surat e) IIT- Roorkee b) Prayagraj Q.102) Who is the 1st Indian bureaucrat to be c) Hyderabad honoured with Indo-American Chamber of d) Lucknow Commerce (IACC)’s “Covid Crusader Award- e) Jaipur 2020”? Q.98) Name the cricketer who has become a) Ajit Doval the first Indian to play 100 consecutive T20 b) Karan Singh innings without getting out on a duck? c) Nripendra Misra a) Suresh Raina d) Iqbal Singh Chahal b) Virat Kholi e) Ashok Lasava c) MS Dhoni Q.103) Who among the following addressed d) Shikhar Dhawan the International Webinar on Textile e) Rohit Sharma Traditions which was organized by Indian Q.99) Indian Navy Helicopters has partnered Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)? with which of the following municipal a) Venkaiah Naidu corporations to undertake the process of b) Ram Nath Kovind aerial seeding? c) Harsha Vardhan a) Lucknow Municipal Corporation d) Narendra Modi b) Chennai Municipal Corporation e) Nitin Gadkari c) Vijayawada Municipal Corporation Q.104) Who has been appointed as the d) Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Special Expenditure Observers by the Election Corporation Commission for the General Election of Bihar, e) Mumbai Municipal Corporation 2020? Q.100) Who has been appointed as the MD a) B. R Balakrishnan and CEO of Motilal Oswal Home Finance b) Rajiv Singh Limited? c) Madhu Mahajan a) Ganesh Jadhav d) Sushil Modi b) Arvind Hali e) Both A and C c) Shreyas Goyal Q.105) Which of the following Station of d) Amar Singh Kolkata's East-West Metro corridor has been e) Bala Krishnan inaugurated by the Railway Minister by

flagging off 1st train from there to Salt Lake Q.110) The Sittwe port, which is scheduled to Sector-V? be operational in first quarter of 2021, has a) Bengal Chemical Station been built by India in which country? b) Phoolbagan Station a) Bangladesh c) Howrah Maidan Metro b) Nepal d) Sealdah metro station c) Thailand e) Barun Sengupta Metro Station d) Myanmar Q.106) Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs e) Bhutan (MoHUA) has partnered with which foodtech Q.111) Name the Indian cricketer who has company to take street vendors online? been appointed as the brand ambassador and a) Fast Food advisor of Sports tech start-up HUDLE? b) Zomato a) Ajinkya Rahane c) Swiggy b) MS Dhoni d) FoodPanda c) Bhuvanesh Kumar e) UberEats d) Virat Kohli Q.107) Naugarh railway station was renamed e) Rohit Sharma as Siddharthnagar railway station is located Q.112) India’s 1st ever organic spices seed at which of the following state? park will be set up in which state? a) Karnataka a) Uttar Pradesh b) Maharashtra b) Karnataka c) Gujarat c) Himachal Pradesh d) Uttar Pradesh d) Gujarat e) Assam e) Meghalaya Q.108) Name the whole time SEBI member Q.113) Who has been appointed as the who has received an extension in tenure for a Director-General of the Bureau of Civil year (October 2020)? Aviation Security? a) Sanjay Bajaj a) Ajit Deswal b) Madhabi Puri Buch b) M A Ganapathy c) Harsh Kumar Bhanwala c) Surjeet Singh d) Dinesh Kumar d) A P Maheshwari e) SK Mohanty e) Rakesh Asthana Q.109) Which Indian state has announced the Q.114) Which of the following Institution has ‘Digital Seva Setu’ Programme for its rural developed ‘iMediX’ telemedicine homecare areas? technology for COVID-19? a) Karnataka a) IIT Mandi b) Haryana b) IIT Bombay c) Maharashtra c) IIT Kharagpur d) Gujarat d) IIT Madras e) Madhya Pradesh e) IIT Kanpur

Q.115) Which of the following State has d) Telangana launched a mobile app 'Kisan Rath' to e) Karnataka promote the buyer-seller network? Q.120) Who among the following has won the a) Assam 2020 Nobel Prize for Physics for their b) Kerala pioneering work on space involving the black c) Tripura holes? d) Mizoram a) Emmanuelle Charpentier, Michel Mayor and e) Gujarat Didier Queloz Q.116) Which state has launched the b) John B. Goodenough, M. Stanley ‘DISHTAVO’ online e-learning platform for Whittingham and Akira Yoshino higher education? c) Roger Penrose, Reinhard Genzel and a) Haryana Andrea Ghez b) Himachal Pradesh d) Jennifer A. Doudna, Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe c) Goa and Gregg Didier Queloz d) Uttar Pradesh e) James Peebles, Michel Mayor and Reinhard e) Chhattisgarh Genzel Q.117) Who has been recently appointed as Q.121) Name the country which was Chairman of the State Bank of India? successfully tested a new hypersonic cruise a) Rajeev Setty missile ‘Tsirkon (Zircon)’. b) Dinesh Kumar Khara a) India c) Amarnath Singh b) Japan d) Vineet Sharma c) Russia e) Arijit Basu d) France Q.118) Who have won the 2020 Nobel Prize e) China in Chemistry for the development of a method Q.122) NABARD has inked 3 MoUs with State for genome editing? Bank of India to extend credit support for a) Andrea Ghez and Reinhard Genzel various projects in which state? b) George Smith and Sir Gregory Winter a) Bihar c) Roger Penrose and M. Stanley Whittingham b) Gujarat d) Andrea Ghez and Akira Yoshino c) Assam e) Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. d) Kerala Doudna e) Maharashtra Q.119) Which state government signed MoU Q.123) Name India’s first Business-to- with DET, GIZ India and Siemens India to Business (B2B) Crypto trading exchange implement Indo-German Initiative for which has recently commenced operations. Technical Education (IGnITE)? a) CoinDCX a) Meghalaya b) DigitX b) Andhra Pradesh c) Unocoin c) Maharashtra d) Coinswitch

e) Cryptos c) Harsh Vardhan Q.124) Who has been awarded Nobel Prize d) Narendra Singh Tomar 2020 in Literature? e) Prahlad Patel a) Louise Gluck Q.129) Who has been given as the additional b) Patrick Modiano charge of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, c) Mats Malm Food and Public Distribution? d) Peter Handke a) Dharmendra Pradhan e) Sadyr Zhaparov b) Nitin Gadkari Q.125) Which of the following institutions has c) Harsha Vardhan developed Sahara, a mobile application that d) Piyush Goyal lets offline business owners create synergy e) Nirmala Sitharaman with customers? Q.130) Who has been conferred with the a) IIT Delhi prestigious Sarala Puraskar 2020? b) IIT Roorkee a) Nityanand Nayak c) IIT Guwahati b) Gayatri Saraf d) IIT Madras c) Tarun Mishra e) IIT Kanpur d) Paramita Satpathy Q.126) Which of the following state has e) Bibhuti Patnaik partnered with the World Economic Forum to Q.131) Which Indian state has become the establish India’s first advanced manufacturing first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ state in the country? hub? a) Sikkim a) Gujarat b) Gujarat b) Tamil Nadu c) Madhya Pradesh c) Uttar Pradesh d) Uttarakhand d) Andhra Pradesh e) Goa e) Karnataka Q.132) Name the India’s first indigenous anti- Q.127) Name the Institute which has radiation missile, which was flight testes Developed Robotic Solution for Plant Disease recently by DRDO Identification and Pesticide Use. a) RUDRAM a) IIT Gandhinagar b) DHRUVA b) IIT Varanasi c) AKASH c) IIT Madras d) SURYA d) IIT Kharagpur e) SUNAN e) IIT Kanpur Q.133) Which organization has won Nobel Q.128) Who among the following has Peace Prize 2020? launched the ‘Jan Andolan’ campaign for a) World Environment Programme (WEP) ensuring COVID-19 Appropriate Behaviour? b) International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear a) Rajnath Sing Weapons b) Narendra Modi c) World Food Programme (WFP)

d) United Nations High Commissioner for water sports activities and tourism in the Refugees area? e) International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear a) Haryana Weapons (ICAN) b) Jammu & Kashmir Q.134) Ashwani Kumar, who has passed away c) Karnataka recently, was the former Chief of which d) Chhattisgarh organisation? e) Uttar Pradesh a) National Investigation Agency Q.139) Which state government has launched b) Central Bureau of Investigation ‘Jagananna Vidya Kanuka Scheme’ to provide c) Narcotics Control Bureau free kits to government school students? d) Central Vigilance Commission a) Telangana e) Reserve Bank of India b) Karnataka Q.135) The government of which state has c) Tamil Nadu decided to set up a Welfare Fund Board for d) Andhra Pradesh the uplift of farmers in the state? e) Mizoram a) Karnataka Q.140) Which of the following state has b) Andhra Pradesh dedicated an online e-Sanjeevani OPDs c) Kerala scheme for free online medical consultation? d) Haryana a) Uttar Pradesh e) Madhya Pradesh b) Chhattisgarh Q.136) Name the shuttler who has been c) Gujarat appointed as the brand ambassador of India’s d) Haryana 1st badminton brand named ‘Transform’? e) Madhya Pradesh a) P.V. Sindhu Q.141) Which state government has launched b) Pullela Gopichand “Swa-nirbhar Naari: Atmanirbhar Asom” for c) Chetan Anand empowerment of the economically d) Saina Nehwal disadvantaged women? e) Prakash Padukone a) Uttar Pradesh Q.137) Name the state government which has b) Assam launched Mukhya Mantri Saur Swarojgar c) Maharashtra Yojana to generate self-employment for youth d) Uttarakhand and migrants. e) Gujarat a) Uttar Pradesh Q.142) Who has inaugurated the Gyan circle b) Madhya Pradesh ventures of IIIT Sri City, Andhra Pradesh? c) Maharashtra a) Nirmala Sitharaman d) Uttarakhand b) Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ e) Gujarat c) Harsh Vardhan Q.138) Which state/UT Police has decided to d) Nitin Gadkari organise the ‘Jashn-E-Dal’ festival to boost e) Prakash Javadekar

e) Maharashtra Q.143) Which of the following country Q.148) Who among the following won becomes the 1st nation to approve genetically Women's Singles French Open title 2020? modified wheat? a) Kristina Mladenovic a) Brazil b) Alexa Guarachi b) Argentina c) Sofia Kenin c) France d) Iga Swiatek d) Italy e) Serena Williams e) India Q.149) India becomes first nation to be Q.144) Who is the winner of French Open awarded Blue Flag certification for How many Men’s Tennis Championship 2020? Indian beaches in a single attempt? a) Roger Federer a) 15 b) Novak Djokovic b) 9 c) Denis Shapovalov c) 8 d) Rafael Nadal d) 11 e) Diego Schwartzman e) 13 Q.145) Justice K K Usha, who has passed Q.150) Srikant Datar has been named as the away recently, was the first women Chief second Indian-descent dean of which Justice of which High Court? institute? a) Allahabad a) Harvard Business School b) Chennai b) Stanford Graduate School of Business c) Bombay c) London Business School d) Kerala d) Esade Business School e) Mumbai e) University of Pennsylvania Q.146) SEBI has inducted whom as a member Q.151) Who has won the Chess.com’s 2020 of the Technical Group on Social Stock Junior Speed Online Chess Championship? Exchange (SSE)? a) Andrew Tang a) Ajay Tyagi b) Haik Martirosyan b) R. Balasubramaniam c) Alexey Sarana c) Subhash Chandra Khuntia d) Nihal Sarin d) Suresh Sethi e) Anton Smirnov e) Injeti Srinivas Q.152) Which of the following FinTech Q.147) Name the state/UT which has company has launched a Brand Campaign launched the first-of-its-kind tree with Record 11 Cricket Stars as Brand transplantation policy. Ambassadors? a) Manipur a) Paytm b) New Delhi b) MobiKwik c) Chhattisgarh c) Google Pay d) Jammu and Kashmir d) BharatPe

e) PhonePe d) Gujarat Q.153) Sadyr Japarov appointed as the new e) Goa Prime Minister of which country? Q.158) Name the team which has won the a) Afghanistan National Basketball Association (NBA) b) Turkmenistan Championship 2020? c) Kyrgyzstan a) Los Angeles Lakers d) Cuba b) Miami Heat e) Mauritania c) California Rangers Q.154) Which player has claimed the Formula d) Milwaukee Bucks One Eifel Grand Prix 2020 and equals Michael e) Houston Rockets Schumacher's record? Q.159) Name the Author of the book “The a) Sebastian Vettel Khalistan Conspiracy: A Former RAW Officer b) Lewis Hamilton Unravels The Path To 1984”. c) Max Verstappen a) Dániel Torres d) Charles Leclerc b) GBS Sidhu e) Daniel Ricciardo c) Pal Tamas Q.155) Who among the following assumed d) Anna Vari charge as the Director (Rail and Metro e) Pflum Orsi Business) and Member on the Board of BEML Q.160) What is the rank of India in Limited? Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) a) Ranjith Kumar Index 2020 (where Norway Tops)? b) Amit Banerjee a) 144th c) Haik Martirosyan b) 132nd d) Raman Singh c) 118th e) Kedhar Jadhav d) 129th Q.156) Who has been appointed as Chief e) 105th Technology & Digital Officer of ICICI Q.161) Who has been awarded the Sveriges Securities? Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in a) Yagnesh Parikh Memory of Alfred Nobel 2020? b) Subhash Kelkar a) Robert Wilson c) Bala Subramaniam b) Paul Milgrom d) Amit Singh c) Esther Duflo e) Manish Sharma d) Both a and b Q.157) Which of the following state partners e) All of the Above with India Posts to get farmers enrolled in PM Q.162) The 16-year-old Aava Murto was Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme? recently appointed as the Prime Minister of a) Maharashtra which country for a day? b) Kerala a) France c) Mizoram b) Iceland

c) Netherlands Q.167) Rare Day Flying Moth 'Achelura d) Finland Bifasciata’ was sighted After Nearly 125 Years e) Mexico in which of the following State? Q.163) Which of the following State/UTs has a) Himachal Pradesh introduced high-tech digital classrooms in all b) Uttar Pradesh its public schools? c) Andhra Pradesh a) Andhra Pradesh d) Uttarakhand b) Jammu and Kashmir e) Karnataka c) Kerala Q.168) Which of the following state have d) Chhattisgarh signed MoUs with 14 investors to invest over e) Karnataka Rs 10, 055 Crores in various industrial Q.164) According to a recent study by Lancet projects? Journal, India is set to become the third- a) Rajasthan largest economy by surpassing Japan by b) Tamil Nadu which year? c) Chhattisgarh a) 2023 d) Haryana b) 2030 e) Himachal Pradesh c) 2045 Q.169) Which of the following entity has d) 2050 become the world’s most valuable IT services e) 2027 company? Q.165) Airports Authority of India recently a) Wipro announced that it will develop a greenfield b) Infosys airport at Hollongi by November 2022. c) TCS Hollongi is located in which state? d) Accenture a) Uttar Pradesh e) IBM b) Tripura Q.170) Which of the following state has c) Arunachal Pradesh launched MobileWater Testing Laboratory on d) Assam Wheels to test the aquality of water at e) Nagaland doorstep? Q.166) Which of the Following bank provides a) Maharashtra USD 310 million line of credit to Zimbabwe for b) Himachal Pradesh thermal and river projects? c) Uttar Pradesh a) NBFC d) Haryana b) EXIM e) Karnataka c) NABARD Q.171) Defence minister Rajnath Singh laid d) RBI foundation stone for 450m long ‘Nechiphu e) SBI tunnel’ in which Indian state? a) Arunachal Pradesh b) Uttarakhand

c) Sikkim Q.176) Food and beverage major PepsiCo will d) Himachal Pradesh set up a greenfield potato chips production e) Tripura unit in which of the following state? Q.172) TRIFED along with Chhattisgarh MFP a) Maharashtra and which Educational Institute has launched b) Uttar Pradesh the “Tech for Tribals” initiative? c) Rajasthan a) IIT Hyderabad d) Haryana b) IIT Guwahati e) Gujarat c) IIT Madras Q.177) Who has launched an environmental d) IIT Kanpur award to support climate change named e) IIT Mandi “Earthshot Prize”? Q.173) According to the report, IMF has a) Prince William projected India’s GDP at what percent in b) David Attenborough FY21? c) Prince Charles a) -13.2% d) Both b) and c) b) -8.8% e) Both a) and b) c) -10.3% Q.178) Name the bank which has partnered d) -7.7% with Apollo to launch 1st of its kind initiative e) -8.4% “HealthyLifeProgramme”. Q.174) Which of the following Bank has a) Federal Bank extended a USD 400 million soft loan to b) ICICI Bank Maldives for undertaking the Greater Male’s c) HDFC Bank connectivity project? d) IndusInd Bank a) ADB e) Axis Bank b) EXIM Q.179) PM Narendra Modi has released “Deh c) NDB Vechwa Karani” the autobiography of which d) WB former Union Minister? e) NABARD a) Sardar Chavan Q.175) India’s National Maritime Foundation b) Himesh Sharma (NMF) signed MoU with which country’s TAEF c) Balasaheb Vikhe Patil to foster cooperation in the Indo-Pacific d) Sujay Vikhe-Patil region? e) Ashok Shankarrao a) Maldives Q.180) Which state government to launch b) China ‘Mission Shakti’ for Women under which c) Hong Kong various programmes to be organized from the d) Taiwan Gram Panchayats to industrial units? e) Thailand a) Maharashtra b) Madhya Pradesh c) Uttar Pradesh

d) Karnataka b) France e) Haryana c) Taiwan Q.181) World Economic Forum has shifted d) Germany annually meeting 2021 from Davos to which e) Japan of the following city? Q.186) Which of the following bank has won a) Zurich the 2020 Central bank of the year award? b) Geneva a) Reserve Bank of India c) Lucerne b) Bank of Ghana d) Brussels c) Central Bank of Kenya e) Tokyo d) Bank of Mauritius Q.182) Who has been appointed as the head e) Central bank of Lesotho of the panel of secretaries to streamline the Q.187) Union Cabinet has approved an MoU spectrum allocation process? between India and which country to promote a) Rajiv Gauba cooperation in sustainable groundwater b) Injet Srinivas management? c) Kasthuri Rajan a) France d) Rajiv Mehrishi b) Bhutan e) Pradeep Kumar Sinha c) Australia Q.183) Which state government launches d) Sri Lanka “Sujal Mission” to Provide Quality Drinking e) Maldives Water in Urban Areas? Q.188) Former cricket player John Richard a) Manipur Reid who has passed away recently played for b) Assam which country? c) Jharkhand a) South Africa d) Odisha b) Australia e) Meghalaya c) Netherland Q.184) Who among the following has been d) West Indies appointed as the next Ambassador of India to e) New Zealand the Kingdom of Netherlands? Q.189) Who has been appointed as the head a) Suresh Sethi of the committee constituted by AICTE to b) Sardar Singh formulate the professional Engineers Bill? c) Vivek Mohanty a) Brajesh Mishra d) Pradeep Kumar Rawat b) Natwar Singh e) Aron Menon c) M.S. Ananth Q.185) Which of the following countries has d) Sanjaya Baru been re-Elected as Co-President of the e) Kamal Pande International Solar Alliance (where India re- Q.190) Which of the following state to set up elected as President of ISA)? the world’s biggest Zinc Smelter project? a) Colombia a) Karnataka

b) Chhattisgarh a) Karnataka c) Gujarat b) Gujarat d) Tamil Nadu c) Odisha e) Jharkhand d) Maharashtra Q.191) Who has been appointed as the brand e) Manipur ambassador for World Athletics Half Marathon Q.196) Who among the following has been Championships Gdynia 2020? appointed as the new additional director of a) Catherine Ndereba Karnataka Bank? b) Mo Farah a) P Jayaram Bhat c) Constantina Dita b) L Dhanasekeran d) Mizuki Noguchi c) Keshava Kumar e) Almaz Ayana d) P Uma Shankar Q.192) Atal Innovation Mission collaborates e) K Ramohan Rao with which of the following companies to Q.197) Sooronbai Jeenbekov has recently promote innovation across schools? resigned as the President of which country? a) L&T a) Israel b) Infosys b) Turkmenistan c) TCS c) Uzbekistan d) Wipro d) Kyrgyzstan e) CGI India e) Turkey Q.193) Name the Bollywood actor who has Q.198) Which of the following company has been appointed as the brand ambassador of launched a UPI-based credit option known as Cello Group? FlexPay? a) Ajay Devgn a) American Express b) Shah Rukh Khan b) Master Card c) Akshay Kumar c) Vivifi India Finance d) Amitabh Bachchan d) PNB Finance e) Salman Khan e) Visa Card Q.194) What is India’s rank in Arton Capital’s Q.199) Which Indian state launches its first world’s most powerful passports index (New Water taxi service with a seating capacity for Zealand tops)? 10 passengers? a) 34th a) Madhya Pradesh b) 73rd b) Tamil Nadu c) 58th c) Kerala d) 81st d) West Bengal e) 42nd e) Gujarat Q.195) ‘Suraksha Kavach’ is the joint anti- Q.200) Who is the author of the book “Mr terrorist exercise between Indian army and Prime Minister, We Shrank the Dragon”? which state’s police? a) Arundhati Roy

b) Pradeep Goorha Q.205) Which of the following Ministries c) Sudha Murthy launches 'KAPILA' Kalam Program for IP d) Shashi Tharoor Literacy and Awareness Education campaign e) Ruskin Bond a) Ministry of Commerce and Industry Q.201) Which of the following states will b) Ministry of Agriculture sponsor the national rugby teams till 2023 to c) Ministry of Civil Aviation facilitate high performance training and d) Ministry of Education conditioning of the players? e) Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers a) Uttarakhand Q.206) Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri who b) Madhya Pradesh passed away. He was a renowned _____. c) Odisha a) Cricketer d) Gujarat b) Poet e) Uttar Pradesh c) Theatre Artist Q.202) Which of the following States/UTs d) Pioneer launched a campaign ‘Red light on, Gaadi off’ e) Actor to tackle air pollution? Q.207) Which of the following University bags a) Uttar Pradesh first rank in India for filling highest number b) New Delhi (336) of patents in a year? c) Maharashtra a) Indian Institute of Technology Indore d) Chhattisgarh b) University of Madras e) Jammu & Kashmir c) Chandigarh University Q.203) Cabinet has approved the STARS d) Nalanda University project supported by which institution in order e) Banaras Hindu University to boost the school education system in India? Q.208) Government of India has extended the a) World Bank term of ______as Chairman and Managing b) AIIB Director of NTPC. c) ADB a) Sanjiv Puri d) NDB b) Rajendra Kumar e) IMF c) Gurdeep Singh Q.204) Which of the following states/UT has d) Dara Singh launched the “SAKHI” One-Stop Service e) Arvind Trivedi Centre for women? Q.209) PM Modi to release a commemorative a) Maharashtra coin on the 75th anniversary of which of the b) Chhattisgarh following international organizations? c) Haryana a) United Nations Development Programme d) Delhi (UNDP) e) Jammu & Kashmir b) International Monetary Fund (IMF) c) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) d) World Bank (WB)

e) Asian Development Bank (ADB) e) India Q.210) Ramesh Pokhriyal inaugurates Q.215) Name the country which appointed as Innovation & Incubation Center and Sports the ‘Vice-Chair’ of OECD Working Group on Complex at which institute? Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)? a) IIT Bombay a) Japan b) IIIT Kanpur b) Sri Lanka c) IIT Jodhpur c) Brazil d) IIT Madras d) India e) IIT Delhi e) Maldives Q.211) National Authority of Ship Recycling Q.216) Who has been appointed as the next will be set up in which place? Permanent Representative of India to a) Cuttack, Odisha UNESCO? b) Chennai, Tamil Nadu a) Indra Mani Pandey c) Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh b) Jawed Ashraf d) Gandhinagar, Gujarat c) Vishal V. Sharma e) Mumbai, Maharashtra d) Indrajit Chakraborty Q.212) India to deliver Kilo class submarine e) Rhea Chakraborty INS Sindhuvir, to which country for training Q.217) Which of the following countries hosts purpose? 7th meeting of Ministers of Justice of SCO a) Malaysia member states? b) Bhutan a) Australia c) Bangladesh b) India d) Myanmar c) Japan e) Nepal d) Russia Q.213) The Zojila Tunnel in Jammu & Kashmir e) Kazakhstan (J&K) provides all-weather connectivity Q.218) Which state/UT launches ‘My Town My between Srinagar valley and which city? Pride’ Campaign to provide doorstep a) Baramulla governance in urban areas? b) Leh a) Himachal Pradesh c) Anantnag b) Jammu and Kashmir d) Manali c) Maharashtra e) Budgam d) Arunachal Pradesh Q.214) Which Country tested Unmanned e) Chhattisgarh Aircraft “SeaGuardian” for search and rescue Q.219) Who has been appointed as the operations, and maritime surveillance? Interim President of International a) France Weightlifting Federation (IWF)? b) Germany a) Narinder Batra c) Japan b) Vishal Singh d) Australia c) Michael Irani

d) Sunil Sharma e) Arjan Kumar Sikri e) Jawed Khan Q.225) Name the India’s first indigenous Q.220) Who is the author of the Book titled, surface-to-surface strategic missile, which “The Battle of Belonging”? has been developed by DRDO? a) Shashi Tharoor a) Gagan-1 b) Sudha Murthy b) Agni-3 c) Arundhati Roy c) Prithvi-2 d) Romila Thapar d) Akash-2 e) Ruskin Bond e) Pragathi-3 Q.221) Name the Prime Minister of New Q.226) Asan Conservation Reserve has Zealand who has been elected for a second become a Ramsar site making it a Wetland of term in the Parliamentary election recently? International Importance. It is located in a) Sanna Marin which state? b) Ross Ardern a) Uttar Pradesh c) Jacinda Ardern b) Himachal Pradesh d) Scott Morrison c) Arunachal Pradesh e) Ashley Bloomfield d) Uttarakhand Q.222) What is the rank of India in the Global e) Sikkim Hunger Index (GHI) 2020? Q.227) Who has been appointed by Indian a) 57th Banks’ Association (IBA) new Chairman for b) 66th 2020-21? c) 94th a) Rajkiran Rai G d) 75th b) Karnam Sekar e) 86th c) Nanda Kumar Q.223) Who has become the first ever Indian d) Rajnish Kumar women to win the 2020 Wildlife Photographer e) Dinesh Kumar Khara of the Year Award? Q.228) Who is the author of the book “On the a) Neelam Goswami Trails of Buddha: A Journey to the East” b) Aishwarya Sridhar released by West Bengal Governor Jagdeep c) Dayanita Singh Dhankar? d) Kavitha Devi a) Shashi Tharoor e) Monisha Nihal b) Subramanian Swamy Q.224) Who has been appointed by Supreme c) Deepankar Aron Court to Monitor Prevention of Stubble d) Arundhati Roy Burning? e) Sudha Murthy a) Ranjan Gogoi Q.229) Who among the following has won the b) Sanjay Sharma Women's Singles title at Denmark Open c) Dipak Mishra 2020? d) Madan Bhimarao Lokur a) Saina Nehwal

b) Nozomi Okuhara a) Kishan Reddy c) Tai Tzu-ying b) Pradeep Kumar Sinha d) Carolina Marin c) Ajay Kumar Bhalla e) PV Sindhu d) Rajiv Gauba Q.230) Who has been chosen as the new e) Rajnath Singh President of the Delhi and District Cricket Q.235) Stellapps has launched a fully- Association (DDCA)? automated direct payment platform, a) Ranjan Shukla ‘mooPay’, for dairy farmers of which state? b) Rohan Jaitley a) Rajasthan c) Arvind SKumar b) Haryana d) Rajesh Khanna c) Punjab e) Vinod Sharma d) Gujarat Q.231) Who among the following has won the e) Karnataka 2020 Stevie Awards for Women in Business? Q.236) Name the country which has won the a) Kunal Kamra Visvesvaraya award of the ISA Solar Awards b) Seema Gupta 2020 from the Asia Pacific region? c) Arnab Goswami a) Australia d) Sunita Reddy b) Maldives e) Rajdeep Sardesai c) India Q.232) India has collaborated with which d) Japan country for its ehealth initiative “eHealth e) Singapore Magazine”? Q.237) India’s First ever plantation of Heeng a) France (Asafoetida) cultivation is located in which b) Maldives Indian state? c) Netherlands a) Gujarat d) Germany b) Uttar Pradesh e) Russia c) Himachal Pradesh Q.233) Who has received Indian & US Patents d) Karnataka for Method and System for Managing the e) Madhya Pradesh Usage of a Plurality of Battery Units to Power Q.238) India's first-ever multi-modal logistics an Electric Vehicle? park in ______was laid foundation stone a) Madhavan Nair by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. b) Vignesh Kumar a) Assam c) Kailasavadivoo Sivan b) Bihar d) Devansh Manoj Jalan c) Maharashtra e) Anil Kapoor d) Gujarat Q.234) Name the Home Secretary of India, e) West Bengal whose term has been extended till August Q.239) What is India’s rank in 2020 Asia 2021? Power Index?

a) 7th Q.244) Which country has been invited to join b) 3rd the trilateral naval exercise “Malabar-2020”, c) 4th which is conducted annually between India, d) 2nd US and Japan? e) 8th a) Russia Q.240) Who among the following has won b) Germany gold at the 2020 Sheikh Russel International c) Australia Air Rifle Championship organised by d) France Bangladesh Shooting Sport Federation e) Israel (BSSF)? Q.245) Which Indian state launched women’s a) Apurvi Chandela safety campaign named “Safe City Project”? b) Shahu Tushar Mane a) Andhra Pradesh c) Anjum Chopra b) Madhya Pradesh d) Mehuli Ghosh c) Maharashtra e) Elavenil Valarivan d) Uttar Pradesh Q.241) Who among the following has recently e) Telangana won the Young Achievers Award 2020? Q.246) Which country Becomes World’s First a) Urmila Sharma to attach Facial verification in the National b) Sana Hazari Identification Database? c) Sunil Yadav a) Malaysia d) Satbir Bedi b) France e) Anandita Das c) Singapore Q.242) Who wins men’s singles category in d) Germany Denmark Open 2020 (Badminton e) Australia tournament)? Q.247) Which of the following states has a) Yuki Fukushima launched a campaign to Curb Elephant Deaths b) Nozomi Okuhara Due to Electrocution? c) Anders Antonsen a) Maharashtra d) Kidambi Srikanth b) West Bengal e) Marcus Ellis c) Madhya Pradesh Q.243) Who has won the Silver Medal in the d) Karnataka Men’s event in Sheikh Russel International Air e) Haryana Rifle Championship 2020? Q.248) ADB and which state Government has a) Shahu Tushar Mane signed a loan agreement worth USD 177 b) Baki Abdullah Hel million for road improvement? c) Naoya Okada a) Karnataka d) Divyansh Singh b) Telangana e) Manu Bhaker c) Madhya Pradesh d) Maharashtra

e) Haryana b) Israel Q.249) Name the air-to-surface anti-tank c) Norway missile, which was tested successfully by the d) Denmark DRDO recently? e) France a) SUMITRA Q.254) Who is the head of Market Data b) SANT Advisory Committee constituted by SEBI? c) AGNI a) Sunil Mehta d) NAAG b) Rajnish Kumar e) SRINITI c) Sunil Yadav Q.250) Which Indian state has launched d) Madhabi Puri Buch Electricity Consumer Service Portal 'Mo e) Ajay Tyagi Bidyut'? Q.255) Who among the following has recently a) West Bengal won America’s Young Scientist Challenge? b) Bihar a) Sudha Singh c) Chhattisgarh b) Anika Chebrolu d) Jharkhand c) Vijaya Raghav e) Odisha d) Anjali Sharma Q.251) Recently, Portraits of Power: Half a e) Parvathi Nair Century of Being at Ringside is the Q.256) Who among the following Minister autobiography of which famous personality represented India in the Y20 Global Summit? released? a) Rajnath Singh a) N K Singh b) Piyush Goyal b) Ajay Tyagi c) Nitin Gadkari c) Sunil Arora d) Prahlad Patel d) Harsh Vardhan e) Kiren Rijiju e) Karan Sharma Q.257) What is the rank of India in the Q.252) Which of the following paramilitary International Migration Outlook survey of organizations has launched the ‘Meri Saheli’ OECD according to the 44th edition of initiative on AP Express for women “International Migration Outlook 2020” (China passengers? tops)? a) CISF a) 6th b) RPF b) 9th c) BSF c) 2nd d) ITBP d) 5th e) CRPF e) 3rd Q.253) Which of the following Countries will Q.258) which company has Partnered with have its first separate ‘Water Attache’ in India NITI Aayog to launch Frontier Technologies from January 2021? Cloud Innovation Center (CIC)? a) Germany a) IBM

b) Oracle Q.263) Which of the following countries won c) Amazon web services the Bharat Ratna M. Visvesvaraya award in d) Microsoft International Solar Alliance (ISA) Awards? e) American Express a) Vietnam Q.259) Who among the following has resigned b) Sweden as the Executive Vice-Chairman of IL&FS c) Germany Group? d) Japan a) Ranveer Singh e) France b) Vineet Nayyar Q.264) Who has been appointed as the next c) Naresh Gupta Ambassador to Republic of San Marino? d) Akshay Seker a) Harsh Kumar Shringla e) Ranjit Aggarwal b) Neena Malhotra Q.260) As per the Indian Tourism Statistics c) Taranjit Singh Sandhu (ITS) 2020, which state has tops (68 lakh) d) Navtej Sarna foreign tourists in 2019 released by the e) S. K. Mohanty Ministry of Tourism? Q.265) India and which country explores co- a) Assam production and co-development in defence b) Karnataka production? c) Tamil Nadu a) Turkmenistan d) Madhya Pradesh b) Kazakhstan e) Goa c) Bangladesh Q.261) Who among the following has e- d) Azerbaijan launched an indigenous software solution for e) Afghanistan Vessel traffic services (VTS) and Vessels Q.266) 5th Joint Working Group on Coal held Traffic Monitoring Systems (VTMS)? between India and which country (October a) Prahlad Singh Patel 22)? b) Amit Shah a) Maldives c) Nitin Gadkari b) Indonesia d) Mansukh Mandaviya c) Germany e) Anurag Thakur d) Japan Q.262) Which is the only city in India to have e) France longest Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) Q.267) Indian Bank in collaboration with network? which IIT Incubation Cell has launched an a) Patna exclusive credit facility of up to Rs 50 crore b) Mumbai for start-ups namely “IND Spring Board? c) Kolkata a) IIT Kanpur d) Surat b) IIT Madras e) Lucknow c) IIT Guwahati d) IIT Mandi

e) IIT Bombay d) Rajiv Gauba Q.268) Which of the following companies has e) Dinesh Sharma been picked by NASA to build the first cellular Q.273) Who among the following has won the network on the Moon? Greenstorm International Nature a) Samsung Photography Contest? b) Motorola a) Anil Vyas c) Nokia b) Kartikeya Grover d) Xiaomi c) Dileep Narayanan e) Siemens d) Mohamed Noufal Q.269) Who has been appointed as the e) Rakayet Ul Karim Rakim Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Water Q.274) Name the first state in India to Resources Regulatory Authority? implement the Smart Black Board scheme in a) Ananta Barua its 80, 000 government schools to ensure b) Ghanshyam Jha better teaching environment? c) Ajay Malhotra a) Karnataka d) G. Mahalingam b) Tamil Nadu e) Suresh Sethi c) Maharashtra Q.270) Which of the following Educational d) Gujarat institute has developed the diagnostic e) Madhya Pradesh technology ‘COVIRAP’? Q.275) Election Commission has constituted a) IIT-Madras 2-member committee to examine the issue of b) IIT-Bombay revising the expenditure limit for candidates c) IIT-Kharagpur for Lok Sabha and assembly polls. Name the d) IIT-Delhi members of this committee? e) IIT-Kanpur a) Kushal Kumar Pathak and Mukesh Meena Q.271) Who has received CEO of the Year and b) Ashish Kundra and Dharmendra Sharma Visionary Leadership Award at National c) Harish Kumar and Umesh Sinha Awards for Excellence? d) Sudeep Jain and Chandra Bhushan Kumar a) Debasish Panda e) Ashish Kundra and Bhushan Kumar b) Pravir Krishna Q.276) Airports Authority of India (AAI) is c) Sarath Sarin planning to develop at least 100 Airports, d) Ananth Kumar Waterdromes, and Heliports by ‘which’ year e) Prasanth Sharma under UDAN (“Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik”) – Q.272) Who heads the 9-member panel Regional Air Connectivity Scheme? constituted by IRDAI to Examine Need for a) 2023 Standard Cyber Insurance Product? b) 2021 a) Akash Chaturvedi c) 2022 b) P Umesh d) 2030 c) Sunil Gurbaxani e) 2024

Q.277) According to the State of Global Air b) Naveen Chawla 2020 (SOGA 2020) report which country has c) Sushil Kumar Singhal recorded the highest air pollution exposure d) Showik Singh globally in 2019? e) Mahesh Kumar Jain a) France Q.282) Which state has launched Integrated b) Japan Model Agricultural Village Scheme in c) China partnership with which NABARD? d) India a) Tamil Nadu e) Malaysia b) Rajasthan Q.278) Which Indian state government c) Uttarakhand launched the ‘micro ATM’ service in rural d) Meghalaya areas of the state? e) Nagaland a) Tamil Nadu Q.283) Name the portal which has launched b) Rajasthan by Housing and Urban Ministry to integrate c) Maharashtra legacy drawings such as maps and lease plans d) Meghalaya in the management information system? e) Nagaland a) E-Map Geo Portal Q.279) The project ‘Life in Miniature’ has been b) GIS-enabled Po launched by the Tourism Ministry in c) e-Dharti Geo Portal collaboration with which Company? d) MIS-Dharti Portal a) Microsoft e) House Geo Portal b) Apple Q.284) Who has been appointed as the c) Facebook chairman of the Federation of Indian Fantasy d) Google Sports? e) Samsung a) Pradip Shah Q.280) Name the airport which secured 2nd b) Bimal Julka place in the Safest Aerodrome Globally for c) Tapan Roy effective implementation of Coronavirus- d) Sudhir Bhargava related health and safety protocols. e) Vinay Sharma a) Dubai International Airport Q.285) Which Project has won 2020 Brunel b) Changi Airport, Singapore Medal for excellence in civil engineering at the c) Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, Annual Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Delhi Awards 2020? d) Shanghai Pudong International Airport a) Xiluodu hydropower plant, China e) Rajiv Gandhi International Airport b) Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project, Bhutan Q.281) Who has been concurrently accredited c) Sayano-Shushenskaya hydropower plant, as the next High Commissioner of India to the Russia Solomon Islands? d) Grand Coulee hydropower project, United a) Atanu Chakraborty States

e) NTPC Thermal power project, India Sukanya Samriddhi Account scheme of India Q.286) Name the first woman officer to be Post? commissioned in the Indian Air Force, who a) Karnataka has passed away recently? b) Gujarat a) Divya Ranjani c) Maharashtra b) Vijayalakshmi Ramanan d) Andhra Pradesh c) Padma Kashthuri e) Meghalaya d) Gursharan Kaur Q.291) Who has been appointed as the head e) Poornima Ashok formed by NITI Aayog to look into introducing Q.287) Which of the following Public Sector reforms in the urban planning education Undertakings has been ranked first among system? Indian PSUs in Forbes' 'World's Best Employer a) Injeti Srinivas 2020' b) Rajiv Kumar a) Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited c) Suresh Sethi b) Oil and Natural Gas Corporation d) Bibek Debroy c) National Thermal Power Corporation e) Amitabh Kant d) Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited Q.292) Who has been Appointed as the Prime e) Steel Authority of India Limited minister of Lebanon (October 2020)? Q.288) How much amount given as an a) Shavkat Mirziyoyev immediate financial aid by Andhra Pradesh b) Mustafa Adib government under “YSR Bima” scheme for c) Saad El-Din Hariri families of accident victims? d) Denys Shmyhal a) Rs 25, 000 e) Hassan Diab b) Rs 10, 000 Q.293) Name the district which has topped c) Rs 20, 000 the list of top 30 districts for implementing the d) Rs 15, 000 Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). e) Rs 30, 000 a) Shilong Q.289) Name the country which has b) Dehradun appointed as the Chair of the Governing Body c) Shimla of International Labour Organization (ILO) for d) Mandi a period till June 2021? e) Lucknow a) Italy Q.294) South Western Railway signed an MoU b) France with Which of the following Metro Rail c) India Corporation to provide muti-transit d) Russia integration facilities? e) Japan a) Chennai Q.290) Which Indian state is planning to b) Mumbai implement Bhagyalakshmi scheme under the c) Hyderabad d) Kochi

e) Bengaluru d) Piyush Goyal Q.295) Who has been appointed as the e) Nitin Gadkari chairperson of the Governing Body of the Q.300) North Atlantic Treaty organisation is International Labour Organisation (ILO)? to setup a new Space Centre in which place? a) Ajay Kumar Bhalla a) Bern, Switzerland b) Rajiv Kumar b) Brussels Belgium c) Harsh Kumar Bhanwala c) Ramstein, Germany d) Apurva Chandra d) Tokyo, Japan e) Shivaraj Singh e) Paris, France Q.296) Which of the following states has topped Anemia Mukt Bharat Index released BANKING AWARENESS QUIZ: by Union Ministry of Health and Welfare? Q.1) Which of the following bank has joined a) Assam Bayer’s Better Life Farming initiative to b) Meghalaya provide holistic financial solutions to c) Gujarat smallholder farmers and rural farming d) Haryana communities? e) Bihar a) HDFC Bank Q.297) Which country has recently joined the b) ICICI Bank IMF as its 190th member? c) IDFC Bank a) Nigeria d) UCO Bank b) Armenia e) Axis Bank c) Timor-Leste Q.2) What is the projected GDP growth of d) Andorra India in 2020-21 as per ICRA? e) Madagascar a) -11% Q.298) Women & Child welfare Department of b) -13% which state has launched an initiative to fulfill c) -10% nutritional requirements of lactating mothers d) -12% & children? e) -9% a) Telangana Q.3) Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has b) Maharashtra introduced Positive Pay System for Cheque c) Haryana Truncation System (CTS) above ______d) Chhattisgarh from January 1, 2021. e) Madhya Pradesh a) Rs 10, 000 Q.299) Who among the following has b) Rs 50, 000 launched India’s first-ever high quality Khadi c) Rs 75, 000 Fabric Footwear? d) Rs 25, 000 a) Prahlad Patel e) Rs 30, 000 b) Amit Shah Q.4) ‘Contactless Connections’ is a new brand c) Narendra Modi campaign launched by which company?

a) PayU Q.9) Which among the following organizations b) SBI Card has decided to introduce from January 1, c) BOB Finance 2021, the ‘positive pay system’ for cheque? d) PayPal a) SIDBI e) Razorpay b) RBI Q.5) Which of the following bank has launched c) SEBI India’s 1st Warehouse Commodity Finance d) NABARD App? e) SBI a) IDBI Bank Q.10) Which of the following bank has b) Axis Bank unveiled its “eNote” facility for paperless c) ICICI Bank working environment and to improve the d) Federal Bank turnaround time considerably? e) HDFC Bank a) Bank of India Q.6) Name the bank which has signed MoU b) Indian Bank with BSE to empower Small and Medium c) ICICI Bank Enterprises (SMEs)? d) Bank of Baroda a) Federal Bank e) Federal Bank b) HDFC Bank Q.11) What is the limit of Ways and Means c) ICICI Bank Advances (WMA) set by RBI for the second d) Yes Bank half of the financial year 2020-21 for Central e) Axis Bank Government? Q.7) Which Company has partnered with a) Rs. 3 lakh crore Bajaj Allianz to launch Cyber Insurance for b) Rs. 2.5 lakh crore Online Financial Frauds and to offer ‘Digital c) Rs. 1.75 lakh crore Suraksha Group Insurance’ for customers? d) Rs. 1.25 lakh crore a) Shopclues e) Rs. 2 lakh crore b) Flipkart Q.12) American Express has joined hands c) Snapdeal with which of the following organization to d) Myntra offer global benefits and exclusive privileges e) Amazon for consumers in India? Q.8) Which is the first bank to enable a) SBI Card document embedding feature on Structured b) Visa Financial Messaging System (SFMS)? c) Mastercard a) Federal Bank d) BOB Finance b) HDFC Bank e) Paytm c) ICICI Bank Q.13) Which bank has signed MoU with d) IDBI Bank Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) to provide e) Yes Bank digital payment solutions to retailers and distributors?

a) Bank of India Q.18) Which bank has partnered with Visa to b) Punjab National Bank launch the first of its kind debit card facility c) Canara Bank for availing Loan Against Securities (LAS)? d) State Bank of India a) HDFC Bank e) UCO Bank b) ICICI Bank Q.14) Interest rate on Senior Citizen Savings c) Punjab National Bank Scheme (SCSS) remains unchanged for d) RBL Bank quarter three of 2020-21. What is the interest e) Federal Bank rate? Q.19) Which of the following companies has a) 7.3% launched an exclusive co-branded credit card b) 6.9% for Company Secretaries (CS)? c) 7.4% a) Bajaj Finance Services d) 6.0% b) SBI Card e) 7.6% c) BOB Financial Solutions Q.15) Which of the following bank has d) Mahindra Financial Services introduced a Kisan credit card loan scheme for e) Muthoot Fincorp fishermen in Tamil Nadu? Q.20) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman A) Indian Overseas Bank launched the business mentoring programme B) Bank of India ‘MSME Prerana’ of which bank? C) United Bank of India a) Bank of India D) HDFC Bank b) Indian Bank e) Indian Bank c) Canara Bank Q.16) Which of the following bank launches d) ICICI Bank financial inclusion initiative “Gram Sampark e) Punjab National Bank Abhiyan” presented by Union Minister Q.21) Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs Narendra Singh Tomar? (MoHUA) integrated the Application a) Union Bank of India Programming Interface (API) of the PM b) Canara Bank SVANidhi portal and which bank portal to c) Punjab National Bank enable speedy loan sanctioning and d) Bank of Maharashtra disbursement process? e) State Bank of India a) Canara Bank Q.17) Which Private bank has launched a co- b) HDFC Bank branded forex card Partnered with Vistara c) State Bank of India that can load up to 16 currencies? d) Union Bank of India a) ICICI Bank e) Punjab National Bank b) HDFC Bank Q.22) Which of the following banks has c) Axis Bank partnered with Apollo Hospitals for offering a d) Federal Bank holistic healthcare solution to patients? e) Bandhan Bank a) UCO Bank

b) HDFC Bank sponsorship programme (Ashoknagar Co- c) Axis Bank operative Bank)? d) State Bank of India a) AU Small Finance Bank e) ICICI Bank b) Equitas Small Finance Bank Q.23) RBI has extended the term of _____ as c) ESFA Small Finance Bank Chairman and Managing Director of the d) Jana Small Finance Bank Jammu & Kashmir bank. e) Fincare Small Finance Bank a) Atul Kumar Goel Q.28) Name the Life Insurance Product which b) J Packirisamy was launched by IRDAI and made it c) RK Chhibber mandatory to All Life Insurance Companies? d) Rajkiran Rai G a) Jal Jeevan Bima e) P V Bharathi b) Sruthi Jeevan Bima Q.24) RBI has raised the banks maximum c) Saral Jeevan Bima aggregate retail exposure limit to entities with d) Suraksha Jeevan Bima turnover up to Rs 50 crore to Rs ______. e) Umang Jeevan Bima (Earlier limit was Rs 5 crore) Q.29) PhonePe has collaborated with which a) Rs 2 crore Insurance Company to launch car and bike b) Rs 3.5 crore insurance products on its platform? c) Rs 4.5 crore a) HDFC ERGO General Insurance d) Rs 7.5 crore b) Kotak Mahindra General Insurance e) Rs 6.5 crore c) Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Q.25) Axis bank has Partnered with which d) ICICI LOMBARD General Insurance company to launch the Axis ACE Credit Card? e) Bharti AXA General Insurance a) Myntra Q.30) RBI to conduct the first-ever Open b) Amazon Pay Market Operations (OMOs) in State c) Master Card Developments Loans (SDLs) for ______. d) Google Pay a) Rs 25, 000 crores e) Phone Pe b) Rs 20, 000 crores Q.26) Which bank has signed an MoU with c) Rs 15, 000 crores SIDBI and Housing Ministry for payment of d) Rs 10, 000 crores subsidy to street vendors under Centre's e) Rs 30, 000 crores SVANidhi Scheme? Q.31) Tata Motors has collaborated with a) Bank of Baroda which bank for financing of its passenger b) State Bank of India vehicles through “Gradual Step Up Scheme” c) Indian Bank and “TML Flexi Drive Scheme”? d) ICICI Bank a) Axis Bank e) Union Bank of India b) Canara Bank Q.27) Which Small Finance Bank becomes c) HDFC Bank first SFB to go live under the bank d) Union Bank

e) Yes Bank b) Axis Bank Q.32) Which Insurance Company has c) RBL Bank launched Individual Life Insurance cum d) HDFC Bank Savings Plan named ‘Invest 4G’? e) ICICI Bank a) United India Insurance Company Q.37) Which of the following banks has tied b) Bharti AXA Life Insurance up with Toyota Kirloskar Motor to be one of c) Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce the preferred financiers for the entire range of Life Insurance vehicles? d) New India Assurance a) ICICI Bank e) HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company b) Bank of Baroda Q.33) Which Payments Bank planned to add c) HDFC Bank an additional 300 points at the Bharat d) Indian Bank Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) outlet e) Axis Bank in Tamil Nadu? Q.38) RBI has suggested a five pillar strategic a) Airtel Payments Bank approach ‘Guard’ to deal with cyber security b) Jio Payments Bank threats related to which of the following c) Fino Payments Bank banks? d) Paytm Payments Bank a) Private Banks e) India Post Payments Bank b) Urban Cooperative Banks Q.34) Name the Bank which has signed a MoU c) Public sector Banks with Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) for tractor d) Small Finance Banks finance business? e) Payment Banks a) Canara Bank Q.39) CRIF India credit bureau has joined b) Union Bank of India hands with which of the following c) Bank of Baroda Organisation to launch sector based insight d) Indian Bank reports titled ‘Industry Spotlight’? e) Punjab National Bank a) FICCI Q.35) Name the company which is all set to b) SIDBI introduce co-branded credit cards in India c) NABARD (October 2020)? d) SEBI a) Money Craft e) NCLAT b) PayU Q.40) SEBI has eased the norms for REITs c) Amazon and InvITs to raise equity capital through the d) Paytm institutional placement route, by bringing e) Flipkart down the minimum time gap to ______, Q.36) which Private bank has partnered with instead of previous duration of 6 months? YAP and Zenpay Solutions to issue salary a) 5 weeks cards to its customers? b) 7 weeks a) CSB Bank c) 3 weeks

d) 2 weeks Q.45) According to the World Bank, India’s e) 4 weeks GDP is expected to contract by how much Q.41) Which of the following organisation has percent for the FY21? approve loan USD 241 million for the Mumbai a) 7.8% Metro Rail II Project? b) 9.6% a) Asian Development Bank c) 8.6% b) International Monetary Fund d) 7.9% c) World Bank e) 8.3% d) New Development Bank Q.46) RBI has recently extended the Interest e) Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank subvention on MSME loans till which of the Q.42) How much amount of loan has been following date? approved by the New Development Bank a) 31 March, 2021 (NDB) for the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS b) 1 July, 2021 Project? c) 31 December, 2021 a) USD 100 million d) 1 April, 2021 b) USD 250 million e) 1 January, 2021 c) USD 500 million Q.47) Who has been elected as the Chairman d) USD 400 million of the Association of Mutual Funds in India? e) USD 350 million a) Vishal Singh Q.43) Which Organisation has introduced a b) Nirmal Kumar “very high risk” category on its Mutual Funds c) Sanjay Gupta (MF) risk-o-meter tool to determine the level d) Nilesh Shah of risk on each mutual fund schemes? e) Arman Kapoor a) SIDBI Q.48) Name the company which has launched b) RBI India’s first ‘Financial Control Center’ on c) BSE mobile to empower 60 million small business d) SEBI owners. e) NPCI a) G-Pay Q.44) Reliance General has partnered with b) Paytm which company for satellite-based crop c) Chqbook monitoring and predictive analytics support to d) PhonePe better manage risk and improve efficiency? e) Myntra a) UST Global Q.49) RBI has proposed to make the RTGS b) SatSure Analytics mode of fund transfer 24X7 from ______. c) Latent View a) January 2021 d) Convergytics b) March 2020 e) Fractal Analytics c) December 2020 d) March 2021 e) April 2022

Q.50) Which company has entered into c, 191. c, 192. e, 193. d, 194. c, 195. d, 196. partnership with Atlantis to expand the Digital d, 197. d, 198. c, 199. c, 200. b, 201. c, 202. First Program in India? b, 203. a, 204. e, 205. d, 206. b, 207. c, 208. a) American Express c, 209. c, 210. c, 211. d, 212. d, 213. b, 214. b) RuPay c, 215. d, 216. c, 217. b, 218. b, 219. c, 220. c) PayTm a, 221. c, 222. c, 223. b, 224. d, 225. c, 226. d) MasterCard d, 227. a, 228. c, 229. b, 230. b, 231. b, 232. e) Visa c, 233. d, 234. c, 235. a, 236. d, 237. c, 238. a, 239. c, 240. e, 241. b, 242. c, 243. a, 244. CA ANSWER KEY c, 245. d, 246. c, 247. b, 248. d, 249. b, 250. 1. b, 2. c, 3. b, 4. c, 5. b, 6. e, 7. a, 8. b, 9. e, 251. a, 252. b, 253. b, 254. d, 255. b, 256. a, 10. c, 11. d, 12. d, 13. e, 14. b, 15. d, 16. e, 257. c, 258. c, 259. b, 260. c, 261. d, 262. b, 17. b, 18. c, 19. d, 20. a, 21. d, 22. e, 23. d, 263. d, 264. b, 265. b, 266. b, 267. b, 268. c, 24. d, 25. b, 26. d, 27. a, 28. d, 29. c, 30. c, 269. b, 270. c, 271. b, 272. b, 273. e, 274. b, 31. b, 32. d, 33. b, 34. b, 35. c, 36. b, 37. b, 275. c, 276. e, 277. d, 278. d, 279. d, 280. d, 38. a, 39. b, 40. b, 41. d, 42. c, 43. d, 44. c, 281. c, 282. c, 283. c, 284. b, 285. b, 286. b, 45. b, 46. c, 47. b, 48. c, 49. e, 50. a, 51. b, 287. c, 288. b, 289. c, 290. a, 291. b, 292. b, 52. c, 53. c, 54. c, 55. d, 56. b, 57. b, 58. c, 293. d, 294. e, 295. d, 296. d, 297. d, 298. b, 59. b, 60. c, 61. b, 62. d, 63. c, 64. b, 65. b, 299. e, 300. c. d, 66. b, 67. d, 68. d, 69. b, 70. c, 71. e, 72. d, 73. a, 74. d, 75. c, 76. d, 77. b, 78. b, 79. BANKING ANSWER KEY a, 80. c, 81. d, 82. c, 83. c, 84. c, 85. c, 86. 1. e, 2. a, 3. b, 4. b, 5. e, 6. d, 7. b, 8. d, 9. c, 87. b, 88. c, 89. b, 90. b, 91. b, 92. b, 93. b, 10. b, 11. d, 12. a, 13. d, 14. c, 15. e, 16. b, 94. c, 95. e, 96. d, 97. b, 98. c, 99. d, 100. c, 17. c, 18. b, 19. c, 20. b, 21. c, 22. b, 23. b, 101. b, 102. d, 103. d, 104. e, 105. b, 106. c, 24. d, 25. d, 26. c, 27. d, 28. c, 29. c, 30. c, 107. d, 108. b, 109. d, 110. d, 111. a, 112. d, 31. c, 32. c, 33. c, 34. c, 35. d, 36. c, 37. d, 113. b, 114. c, 115. a, 116. c, 117. b, 118. b, 38. b, 39. b, 40. d, 41. d, 42. c, 43. d, 44. e, 119. d, 120. c, 121. c, 122. b, 123. b, 124. b, 45. b, 46. a, 47. d, 48. c, 49. c, 50. d. a, 125. c, 126. b, 127. d, 128. b, 129. d, 130. a, 131. e, 132. a, 133. c, 134. b, 135. c, 136. c, 137. d, 138. b, 139. d, 140. c, 141. b, 142. b, 143. b, 144. d, 145. d, 146. b, 147. b, 148. d, 149. c, 150. a, 151. d, 152. d, 153. c, 154. b, 155. b, 156. b, 157. e, 158. a, 159. b, 160. d, 161. d, 162. d, 163. c, 164. d, 165. c, 166. b, 167. d, 168. b, 169. c, 170. d, 171. a, 172. d, 173. c, 174. b, 175. d, 176. b, 177. e, 178. c, 179. c, 180. c, 181. c, 182. a, 183. d, 184. d, 185. b, 186. b, 187. c, 188. e, 189. c, 190.