Magazine for the Month of November 2020

th MONTHLY ISSUE NOVEMBER 2020 65 EDITION Vanik’s Current Affairs

Banking | Railway | Insurance | SSC | UPSC | OPSC | PSU ATAL TUNNEL World’s longest high-altitude Tunnel

Length : 9.02km Distance reduced : 46 km Telephone Facility : Turning Cavern : Every 2.2 km 2002 Shape : Horse Shoe Time saved : 5 hours Every 150 m Air quality monitor : Atal Bihari Located below the Altitude : 3,000 m above mean sea level Fire Hydrant : Every 1 km Vajpayee laid Every 60 m Automatic incident the foundation Rohtang Pass, it Single-tube, double lane tunnel stone for the connects Manali to Emergency Exits : detection system with CCTV approach road Maximum vehicle speed : 80 km/hr Lahaul-Spiti Valley Every 500 m cameras : Every 250 m to the tunnel Contents

Topics of the Month ------1 Economy ------28 RBI in News ------28 SBI in News ------30 Other Banks in News ------31 Financial News ------35 MOU and Agreement ------37 Rating and Survey ------38 Fund and Financial Allocation ------39 Corporate Business and E-Business ------41 Committee and Its Head ------41 State News ------42 National ------52 International ------61 International and National Summits ------63 Ranking and Index ------64 Bilateral ------66 Award ------68 Person in News/Newly Appointed ------72 Sports ------74 Science and Technology ------75 Defence ------78 Important Days ------81 Book and Author ------84 Obituary ------84 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

MAJOR ISSUES OF THE MONTH

Page | 1 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020 1 HUMAN CAPITAL INDEX REPORT-2020 : WORLD BANK Recently, the World Bank released the Human Capital Index (HCI) report for 2020. The index benchmarks key components of human capital across countries.  India has been ranked at the 116th position in the HCI 2020. Key Points Human Capital: It consists of the knowledge, skills, and health that people accumulate over their lives, enabling them to realize their potential as productive members of society. Parameters Used in HCI: The HCI 2020 includes health and education data of children for 174 countries up to March 2020. Thus providing a pre-pandemic baseline.  It covers 98% of the world’s population. Outcome: The HCI 2020 shows that pre-pandemic, most countries had made steady progress in building human capital of children, with the biggest strides made in low-income countries. However, despite this progress, a child born in a typical country could expect to achieve just 56% of their potential human capital, relative to a benchmark of complete education and full health. Pandemic Effect: The pandemic puts at risk the decade’s progress in building human capital, including the improvements in health, survival rates, school enrollment, and reduced stunting.  More than 1 billion children have been out of school and could lose out, on average, half a year of schooling.  It has created significant disruptions to essential health services for women and children, with many children missing out on crucial vaccinations.  It has increased income inequality, its economic impact has been particularly deep for women and for the most disadvantaged families, leaving many vulnerable to food insecurity and poverty. India Specific Data: Last year India was ranked 115 out of 157 countries. This year India finds itself at 116th from among 174 countries. However, India’s score increased to 0.49 in 2020 from 0.44 in 2018. Recent Initiatives by India to Strengthen Human Capital:  Ayushman Bharat Yojana  National Education Policy  Atmanirbhar Bharat Yojana  TULIP: The Urban Learning Internship Program  Samagra Shiksha Other Reports Published by World Bank:  Global Economic Prospects  Ease of Doing Business  World Development Report Way Forward  The HCI provides a basis on which the government of India can prioritize and a dimension to support human capital.  The World Bank is working with India on supporting livelihood for the poor. Given the progress that has been made in recent times, it seems more significant for now due to Covid-19.  Protecting and investing in people is vital as countries work to lay the foundation for sustainable, inclusive recoveries and future growth.

2 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020 2 Gilgit-Baltistan to became Pakistani Province Recently, Pakistan has decided to elevate Gilgit-Baltistan’s status to that of a full-fledged province.  Gilgit-Baltistan is one of the disputed territories of India. Key Points . Current Status of Gilgit-Baltistan:

 It is an autonomous region now and with this elevation, it will become the 5th province of the country.  Currently, Pakistan has four provinces namely Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Sindh. Chronology:  1999: Pakistan’s Supreme Court ruled that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan are Pakistani citizens and directed the federal government to start appropriate administrative and legislative measures.  2009: The Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order was introduced, whereby the Northern Areas were renamed as Gilgit-Baltistan and the region was given province-like status but without representation in Parliament.  2015: A committee constituted by the federal government proposed giving Gilgit-Baltistan the status of a province.  2018: A new order was introduced which transferred all powers of the Gilgit-Baltistan council to its assembly.  This elevation will lead to adequate representation from the province on all constitutional bodies, including the National Assembly and the Senate.  The Government will also start working on the Moqpondass Special Economic Zone (SEZ) under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Page | 3 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 SEZs work as an engine for economic growth supported by quality infrastructure complemented by an attractive fiscal package, both at the Centre and the State level, with the minimum possible regulations. Other Developments by China in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under CPEC:  Diamer-Bhasha Dam.  Kohala hydropower Project.  Azad Pattan Hydel Power Project. India's Stand:  India has held that the Government of Pakistan or its judiciary has no locus standi on territories illegally and forcibly occupied by it.  India completely rejects such actions and continued attempts to bring material changes in Pakistan occupied areas of the Indian territory of Jammu and Kashmir.  While protesting Islamabad’s efforts to bring material change in Pakistan occupied territories, India held that Pakistan should immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation. China Pakistan Economic Corridor  It is the flagship project of China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).  The bilateral project between Pakistan and China intends to promote connectivity across Pakistan with a network of highways, railways, and pipelines accompanied by energy, industrial and other infrastructure development projects.  Originally valued at USD 46 billion, the projects were worth over USD 60 billion as of 2017.  It links the Western part of China (Xinjiang) to the Gwadar Port in Balochistan, Pakistan via Khunjerab Pass in Northern Pakistan.  India has protested to China over the CPEC as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

4 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020 3 Wetland Conservation Rajasthan Government is acting proactively to protect the wetland ecosystem of the state with 52 wetlands earmarked for time-bound development.  In Rajasthan, Sambhar Lake and Keoladeo Ghana National Park have the prestigious tag of ‘Wetland of International Importance’, by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Key Points  Wetlands are defined as: "lands transitional between terrestrial and aquatic eco-systems where the water table is usually at or near the surface or the land is covered by shallow water". Importance: Ecosystem and biodiversity support:  Wetlands are highly productive ecosystems that provide the world with nearly two-thirds of its fish harvest.  Wetlands play an integral role in the ecology of the watershed. The combination of shallow water, high levels of nutrients is ideal for the development of organisms that form the base of the food web and feed many species of fish, amphibians, shellfish and insects.  Wetlands' microbes, plants and wildlife are part of global cycles for water, nitrogen and sulphur. Wetlands store carbon within their plant communities and soil (carbon sequestration) instead of releasing it to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.  They provide habitat for animals and plants and many contain a wide diversity of life, supporting plants and animals that are found nowhere else.  They are also an important source of ground water recharge. Human Dependence: More than one billion people depend on them for a living.  Wetlands are a vital source for food, raw materials, genetic resources for medicines, and hydropower.  Many wetlands are areas of natural beauty and promote tourism and many are important to Aboriginal people.  Also, they help in controlling the floods. Threats to Wetlands:  Urbanization: Wetlands near urban centres are under increasing developmental pressure for residential, industrial and commercial facilities. Urban wetlands are essential for preserving public water supplies.  Agriculture: Vast stretches of wetlands have been converted to paddy fields. Construction of a large number of reservoirs, canals and dams to provide for irrigation significantly altered the hydrology of the associated wetlands.  Pollution: Wetlands act as natural water filters. However, they can only clean up the fertilizers and pesticides from agricultural runoff but not mercury from industrial sources and other types of pollution.  There is growing concern about the effect of industrial pollution on drinking water supplies and the biological diversity of wetlands.  Climate Change: Increased air temperature; shifts in precipitation; increased frequency of storms, droughts, and floods; increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration; and sea level rise could also affect wetlands.  Dredging and sand mining: That is the removal of material from a wetland or river bed. Dredging of streams lowers the surrounding water table and dries up adjacent wetlands.  Introduced Species: Indian wetlands are threatened by exotic introduced plant species such as water hyacinth and salvinia. They clog waterways and compete with native vegetation.

Page | 5 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Global Conservation Efforts: . Ramsar Convention  The Convention came into force in 1975 and is one of the oldest inter-governmental accord for preserving the ecological character of wetlands.  The Convention’s mission is “the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world”.  India has 37 Ramsar Sites which are the Wetlands of International importance. . Montreux Record  Montreux Record is a register of wetland sites on the List of Wetlands of International Importance where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference.  Wetlands of India that are in Montreux Record: Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) and Loktak Lake (Manipur).  Chilka lake (Odisha) was placed in the record but was later removed from it. Conservation Efforts by India: National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA):  NPCA is a single conservation programme for both wetlands and lakes.  It is a centrally sponsored scheme, currently being implemented by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change.  It was formulated in 2015 by merging of the National Lake Conservation Plan and the National Wetlands Conservation Programme.  NPCA seeks to promote better synergy and avoid overlap of administrative functions. Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017:  Nodal authority: As per the Wetlands Rules, the Wetlands Authority within a state is the nodal authority for all wetland-specific authorities in a state/UT for the enforcement of the rules. . Prohibited activities:  Setting up any industry and expansion of existing industries,  Dumping solid waste or discharge of untreated wastes and effluents from industries and any human settlements, and  Encroachment or conversion for non-wetlands uses. . Integrated Management Plan: The guidelines recommend that the state/UT administration prepare a plan for the management of each notified wetland by the respective governments.  Penalties: Undertaking any prohibited or regulated activities beyond the thresholds (defined by the state/UT administration) in the wetlands or its zone of influence, will be deemed violations under the Wetlands Rules. Violation of the Rules will attract penalties as per the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

6 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020 4 Indus Water Treaty The Indus Water Treaty (IWT) between India and Pakistan marks its 60th anniversary on 19th September 2020. Key Points About:

 The Indus system comprises the main Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. The basin is mainly shared by India and Pakistan with a small share for China and Afghanistan.  With the partition of India in 1947, waters of Indus rivers system were also divided.  The sharing formula, devised after prolonged negotiations, sliced the Indus system into two halves. The three ‘western rivers’ (Indus, Jhelum and Chenab) went to Pakistan and the three ‘eastern rivers’ (Sutlej, Ravi and Beas) were portioned to India.  India is allowed to use 20% water of the western rivers for irrigation, power generation and transport purposes.  IWT granted 3.6 million acre-feet (MAF) of “permissible storage capacity” to India on the western rivers but due to poor water development projects, 2-3 MAF of water easily flows into Pakistan.  It seemed equitable but India conceded 80.52% of the aggregate water flows in the Indus system to Pakistan and also gave Rs. 83 crore in pounds sterling to Pakistan to help build replacement canals from the western rivers.  India conceded its upper riparian position on the western rivers for the complete rights on the eastern rivers.  It was important to get the waters of the ‘eastern rivers’ for the Indira Gandhi Canal in Rajasthan (starts from the Harike Barrage, a few kilometers below the confluence of the Satluj and Beas rivers)

Page | 7 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

and the Bhakra Dam (on the Sutlej River in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh) without which both Punjab and Rajasthan would be left dry, severely hampering India’s food production.  The World Bank, as the third party, played a pivotal role in crafting the IWT. Pakistan’s Responses:  The Pakistan leadership considers the sharing of the waters with India an unfinished business.  Pakistan is not comfortable with the fact that India got away with the total flow of 33 million acre- feet on the eastern rivers, while it had to share the waters of western rivers.  Being a lower riparian state, Pakistan’s scepticism of India allows it to increasingly politicise the issue. It maintains high troop levels and alertness around the canals on the eastern front, fearing that India will try to take control of the western rivers. Changing Perspectives in India:  Every now and then, there is an uproar in India for abrogating the IWT as a response to Pakistan’s cross-border terrorism and tenacity.  Abrogating IWT would require a number of politico-diplomatic and hydrological factors to be determined and also a political consensus.  Terror attacks in Indian Parliament in 2001, Mumbai in 2008, and the incidents in Uri in 2016 and Pulwama in 2019 could have prompted India, within the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, to withdraw from the IWT. However, on each occasion, India chose not to do so.  Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, an international agreement governing treaties between states that was drafted by the International Law Commission of the United Nations.  It was adopted in 1969 and entered into force in January 1980.  It is because India respects its signature and values trans-boundary rivers as an important connector in the region in terms of both diplomacy and economic prosperity.  However, in light of India being hesitant to abrogate the treaty, there have been suggestions to modify it.  Currently, with a new set of hydrological realities, advanced engineering methods in dam construction and de-siltation, there is an urgent need to modify the treaty.  Article XII of the IWT says that it “may from time to time be modified” but carefully notes “by a duly ratified treaty concluded for that purpose between the two governments”.  Pakistan will see no merit in any modification, having already got a good deal in 1960.  India’s best option, therefore, would be to optimise the provisions of the treaty.  On the developments on western rivers, the permissible storage capacity on the western rivers needs to be urgently utilised. Out of the total estimated capacity of 11406 MW electricity that can be harnessed from the three western rivers in Kashmir, only 3034 MW has been tapped so far, which also needs to be looked into.  Tulbul Navigation project on Jhelum, Ratle and Bagliha hydro projects on Chenab, Bursar hydroelectric project on one of the tributaries of the Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir are few of the projects to utilise the waters of western rivers.  Bursar, once completed, will be India’s first project on the western rivers to have storage infrastructure.  India has fast-tracked the work on Shahpur Kandi dam project, a second Sutlej-Beas link in Punjab and the Ujh Dam project in Jammu and Kashmir to fully utilise the waters of eastern rivers. Way Forward  The role of India, as a responsible upper riparian abiding by the provisions of the treaty, has been remarkable but the country is under pressure to rethink the extent to which it can remain committed to the provisions, as its overall political relations with Pakistan becomes intractable.  IWT is often cited as an example of the possibilities of peaceful coexistence that exist despite the troubled relationship between both neighbouring countries.

8 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020 5 G4 Foreign Ministers Meeting Recently, Foreign Ministers from the Group of 4 (G4), consisting of India, Brazil, Japan and Germany, participated in a virtual meeting. G4 is a group of countries that are seeking permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Key Points  G4 will seek concrete and time-bound outcomes during the 75th session of the UN General Assembly.  The UN will celebrate its 75th anniversary on 24th October 2020.  The Ministers reaffirmed their common resolve to finally take decisive steps towards the early and comprehensive reform of the Security Council that was envisaged by Heads of State and Government in the 2005 World Summit.  The 2005 World Summit was held at United Nations Headquarters in New York.  All governments expressed strong and unambiguous commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.  It set up two new bodies, a Peacebuilding Commission to help countries in transition from war to peace, and a strengthened Human Rights Council. G4 on UNSC Reforms  Ensuring greater representation for Africa: Africa needs to be represented in both the permanent and non-permanent categories of UNSC to correct the historical injustice against this continent with regard to its under-representation in the Security Council.  Enhanced role of developing countries and of major contributors to the UN: To make UNSC more legitimate, effective and representative, it is needed to increase the number of permanent (from 5 to 11) and non-permanent (from 10 to 14) seats.  The permanent seats shall be elected in the following manner: Two from African States; Two from Asian States; One from Latin American and Caribbean States ; One from Western European and Other States.  Non-permanent members shall be elected according to the following pattern : One from African States ; One from Asian States ; One from Eastern European States ; One from Latin American and Caribbean State  The UNSC reforms proposed earlier had been opposed by the five permanent members (P5) of UNSC as they demanded veto power for new members as well (Rizali Plan). However, later the new countries decided to forego the veto power for new countries which was accepted by P5 countries (Rizali Reform Plan). Text-Based Negotiations: The G4 will work with other reform-minded countries and groups to start text- based negotiations (TBN)  India is a proponent of TBN at the UN. Countries opposed to UNSC reform, including China, are hesitant to have TBN for intergovernmental negotiations on the grounds that the matter is too sensitive for text. Concerns over IGN: Two sessions in February and March 2020 of Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) on UNSC reform were adjourned due to Covid-19, which could have taken place virtually.  The countries expressed concern that IGN lacks the necessary openness and transparency and is constrained by flawed working methods.  IGN should also have included a reflection of the Common African Position as enshrined in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration.

Page | 9 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 The Ezulwini Consensus (2005) is a position on international relations and reform of the United Nations, agreed by the African Union. It calls for a more representative and democratic Security council, in which Africa, like all other world regions, is represented.  The Sirte Declaration (1999) was the resolution adopted to establish the African Union.  Groups Opposed to UNSC Reforms: An informal "coffee club" or Uniting for Consensus Group has opposed UNSC reforms.  Most members of the club are middle-sized states who oppose bigger regional powers grabbing permanent seats in the UN Security Council.  While Italy and Spain are opposed to Germany's bid for UNSC’s permanent membership, Pakistan is opposed to India's bid. Similarly, Argentina is against Brazil's bid and Australia opposes Japan's.  India’s Position: India, will commence a two-year non-permanent term on the UNSC in January, 2021  It has long sought a permanent seat at the Council.  Four of the five permanent members of the Security Council – USA, UK, France and Russia support giving India a permanent seat at the Council. Only China is opposed to this.  India is also seeking reforms to democratize the UN, such as UNSC reforms and UN peacekeeping reforms. Intergovernmental Negotiations  IGN is a group of nation-states working within the United Nations to further reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)  The IGN is composed of several different international organizations, namely:  African Union  G4 nations  Uniting for Consensus Group (UfC)  L.69 Group of Developing Countries  Arab League  Caribbean Community (CARICOM). 6 Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2020. The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2020 was passed by the Parliament. The Bill amends the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010. Key Points Provisions of the Bill:  Prohibition to accept foreign contribution: The Bill bars public servants from receiving foreign contributions.  Public servant includes any person who is in service or pay of the government, or remunerated by the government for the performance of any public duty.  The FCRA 2010 also bars certain persons to accept any foreign contribution. These include: election candidates, editor or publisher of a newspaper, judges, government servants, members of any legislature, and political parties, among others.  Transfer of foreign contribution: The Bill prohibits the transfer of foreign contribution to any other person.  The term ‘person’ under the Bill includes an individual, an association, or a registered company.

10 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 The FCRA 2010 allows transfer of foreign contributions to persons registered to accept foreign contributions. Aadhaar for registration: The Bill makes Aadhaar number mandatory for all office bearers, directors or key functionaries of a person receiving foreign contribution, as an identification document.  In case of a foreigner, a copy of the passport or the Overseas Citizen of India card for identification is required. FCRA account: The Bill states that foreign contribution must be received only in an account designated by the bank as FCRA account in such branches of the State Bank of India, New Delhi. No funds other than the foreign contribution should be received or deposited in this account.  The person may open another FCRA account in any scheduled bank of their choice for keeping or utilising the received contribution. Restriction in utilisation of foreign contribution: The Bill allows the government to restrict usage of unutilised foreign contribution. This may be done if, based on an inquiry the government believes that such person has contravened provisions of the FCRA. Reduction in use of foreign contribution for administrative purposes: The Bill proposes that not more than 20% of the total foreign funds received could be defrayed for administrative expenses. In FCRA 2010 the limit was 50%. Surrender of certificate: The Bill allows the central government to permit a person to surrender their registration certificate.  The government may do so if, post an inquiry, it is satisfied that such person has not violated any provisions of the FCRA 2010, and the management of its foreign contribution has been vested in an authority prescribed by the government. Purpose for Amendment:  The annual inflow of foreign contribution has almost doubled between the years 2010 and 2019, but many recipients of foreign contribution have not utilised the same for the purpose for which they were registered or granted prior permission under the FCRA 2010.  Recently, the Union Home Ministry has suspended licenses of the six (NGOs) who were alleged to have used foreign contributions for religious conversion.  Many persons were not adhering to statutory compliances such as submission of annual returns and maintenance of proper accounts.  Such a situation could have adversely affected the internal security of the country.  The new Bill aims to enhance transparency and accountability in the receipt and utilisation of foreign contributions and facilitating the genuine non-governmental organisations or associations who are working for the welfare of society. Issues Involved  The Bill would impact the livelihoods of workers associated with the small Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and lead to the killing of the entire social sector as caps on administrative expenses would make it impossible for even the bigger NGOs to perform.  It will severely impact collaborative research in critical fields in India as organisations receiving foreign funds will no longer be able to transfer them to small NGOs working at the grassroots level.  The government aims to control the NGOs which engage in dubious activities. However, by failing to recognise the diversity of NGOs, which include world-class organisations that are recognised globally, will crush their competitiveness and creativity.  It is also incompatible with international law.  The United Nations Human Rights Council resolution on protecting human rights defenders says that no law should criminalize or delegitimize activities in defence of human rights on account of the origin of funding.  The Bill also fails to comply with India’s international legal obligations and constitutional provisions to respect and protect the rights to freedom of association, expression, and freedom of assembly.  The amendments also assume that NGOs that are receiving foreign funds are guilty unless proven otherwise. Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010  Foreign funding of persons in India is regulated under FCRA act and is implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs.  Individuals are permitted to accept foreign contributions without permission of MHA. However, the monetary limit for acceptance of such foreign contributions shall be less than Rs. 25,000.  The Act ensures that the recipients of foreign contributions adhere to the stated purpose for which such contribution has been obtained.  Under the Act, organisations are required to register themselves every five years.

Page | 11 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Way Forward  NGOs are helpful in implementing government schemes at the grassroots. They fill the gaps, where the government fails to do their jobs.  The government must stick to the ancient Indian ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam as the framework for its global engagement and should not act with vendetta against the NGOs who criticize it’s working.  Seamless sharing of ideas and resources across national boundaries is essential to the functioning of a global community, and should not be discouraged unless there is reason to believe the funds are being used to aid illegal activities. 7 Artemis Programme : NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) published the outline for its Artemis program, which plans to send the next man and first woman to the lunar surface by the year 2024.  The last time NASA sent humans to the Moon was in 1972, during the Apollo lunar mission. Key Points The Artemis program:  With the Artemis program, NASA wishes to demonstrate new technologies, capabilities and business approaches that will ultimately be needed for the future exploration of Mars.  It stands for Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence, and Electrodynamics of the Moon’s Interaction with the Sun. The program is divided into three parts:  Artemis I is most likely to be launched 2021 and involves an uncrewed flight to test the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft.  Artemis II will be the first crewed flight test and is targeted for 2023.  Artemis III will land astronauts on the Moon’s South Pole in 2024. Systems Developed: For NASA, going to the moon involves various elements such as:  The exploration ground systems (the structures on the ground that are required to support the launch),  The Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion (the spacecraft for lunar missions).  NASA’s new rocket called SLS will send astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft.  Gateway (the lunar outpost around the Moon),  Lunar landers (modern human landing systems),  Once the astronauts dock Orion at the Gateway — which is a small spaceship in orbit around the moon — they will be able to live and work around the Moon, and from the spaceship, will take expeditions to the surface of the Moon.  The astronauts going for the Artemis program will wear newly designed spacesuits, called Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or xEMU.  These spacesuits feature advanced mobility and communications and interchangeable parts that can be configured for spacewalks in microgravity or on a planetary surface. NASA and the Moon  The US began trying to put people in space as early as 1961. Eight years later, on 20th July, 1969, Neil Armstrong along with Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first human to step on the Moon as part of the Apollo 11 mission.

12 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 Apart from the purpose of space exploration, NASA’s endeavour to send Americans to the Moon again is to demonstrate American leadership in space and to establish a strategic presence on the Moon, while expanding the US global economic impact. Moon Exploration  In 1959, the Soviet Union’s uncrewed Luna 1 and 2 became the first rover to visit the Moon.  Before the USA sent the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon, it sent three classes of robotic missions between 1961 and 1968.  After July 1969, 12 American astronauts walked on the surface of the Moon until 1972.  In the 1990s, the USA resumed lunar exploration with robotic missions Clementine and Lunar Prospector.  In 2009, it began a new series of robotic lunar missions with the launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS).  In 2011, NASA began the ARTEMIS.  In 2012, the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) spacecraft studied the Moon’s gravity.  Apart from the USA, the European Space Agency, Japan, China, and India have sent missions to explore the Moon. China landed two rovers on the surface, which includes the first-ever landing on the Moon’s far side in 2019. ISRO’s Moon Exploration: Chandrayaan 1:  The Chandrayaan project began in 2007 with an agreement between India’s space agency ISRO and Russia’s ROSCOSMOS for mutual cooperation.  However, the mission was postponed in January 2013 and rescheduled to 2016 as Russia was unable to develop the lander on time.  Findings: Confirmed presence of lunar water.  Evidence of lunar caves formed by an ancient lunar lava flow.  Past tectonic activity was found on the lunar surface.  The faults and fractures discovered could be features of past interior tectonic activity coupled with meteorite impacts.  Chandrayaan-2 is India's second mission to the moon and comprises a fully indigenous Orbiter, Lander (Vikram) and Rover (Pragyan).  The Rover Pragyan is housed inside Vikram lander.  The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) recently announced India’s third lunar mission Chandrayaan-3, which will comprise a lander and a rover. 8 PCA Decision on Retrospective Taxation by India The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague (Netherlands) ruled that India’s retrospective imposition of a tax liability, as well as interest and penalties on Vodafone Group for a 2007 deal was violation of the Bilateral Investment Treaty with Netherlands and the arbitration rules of United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). Key Points About the Case:  In May 2007, the British telecommunication company Vodafone Group had bought a 67% stake in a company called Hutchison Whampoa.

Page | 13 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 For this, the Indian government for the first time raised a demand of capital gains and withholding tax from Vodafone, under the Income Tax Act of 1961. The government argued that Vodafone should have deducted the tax at source before making a payment to Hutchison. Capital gains tax :  It is the tax paid on income that derives from the sale or exchange of an asset, such as a stock or property that's categorized as a capital asset.  In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Vodafone Group.  Later, the Finance Act was amended (2012) giving the Income Tax Department the power to retrospectively tax such deals.  Vodafone then initiated arbitration in 2014 invoking the Bilateral Investment Treaty signed between India and the Netherlands in 1995. Ruling:  The International Arbitration Tribunal at Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that the government’s demand is in breach of fair and equitable treatment.  The government must cease seeking the dues from Vodafone.  This was a unanimous decision meaning that India's appointed arbitrator also ruled in favour of Vodafone. Future Course for India:  India has said it would study the order and all its aspects and take a decision on further course of action including legal remedies before appropriate fora.  According to Indian Government, as Vodafone had not paid the initial tax demand and interest and penalty on it, the question of India paying back the amount does not arise.  India has the option to move to Singapore International Arbitration Centre as well. Retrospective Taxation:  It allows a country to pass a rule on taxing certain products, items or services and deals and charge companies from a time behind the date on which the law is passed.  Countries use this route to correct any anomalies in their taxation policies that have, in the past, allowed companies to take advantage of such loopholes.  Retrospective Taxation hurts companies that had knowingly or unknowingly interpreted the tax rules differently.  Apart from India, many countries including the USA, the UK, the Netherlands, Canada, Belgium, Australia and Italy have retrospectively taxed companies. Bilateral Investment Treaty:  On 6th November, 1995, India and the Netherlands had signed a BIT for promotion and protection of investment by companies of each country in the other’s jurisdiction.  The two countries would ensure that companies present in each other’s jurisdictions would at all times be accorded fair and equitable treatment and shall enjoy full protection and security in the territory of the other.  The BIT between India and the Netherlands expired on 22nd September, 2016.  Relation to Vodafone Case: Vodafone invoked BIT as its Dutch unit, Vodafone International Holdings BV, had bought the Indian business operations of Hutchison Telecommunication International Ltd. This made it a transaction between a Dutch firm and an Indian firm. United Nations Commission on International Trade Law:  UNCITRAL was established in 1966 as a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).  It is the core legal body of the United Nations system in the field of international trade law.  Mandate: To further the progressive harmonization and modernization of rules on international business and reform commercial laws.  It adopted the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration in 1985 and the UNCITRAL Conciliation Rules in 1980.  The UNGA has recommended the use of the said Model Law and Rules in cases where a dispute arises in the context of international commercial relations and the parties seek an amicable settlement of that dispute by recourse to conciliation.  India has also incorporated these uniform principles of Arbitration and Dispute Resolution (ADR) in the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 which has been amended several times.  The Arbitration Act provides for ADR mechanisms like arbitration, conciliations, etc. for national and international stakeholders. Significance  Vodafone’s win in the arbitration against the government in the retrospective taxation is very significant as it may cause other similarly placed companies to seek arbitral reliefs.

14 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 India is entangled in more than a dozen such cases against companies over retrospective tax claims and cancellation of contracts. The exchequer could end up paying billions of dollars in damages if it loses.  To reduce future arbitration claims, India has ended such bilateral investment agreements with over 50 countries and is working on a new law to protect foreign investors by offering relief from possible policy changes even as it upholds the right to tax them.  The victory of Vodafone at PCA may provide it some relief as the telecom sector is already facing a number of issues and challenges. The ruling comes days after the Supreme Court allowed a period of 10 years for telecom companies to clear Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) related dues, causing heavy financial burden on the telecom sector. International Arbitration Tribunal  It is an independent non-governmental panel of independent and impartial experts.  It generally comprises three members nominated by the Parties (or appointed by the International Arbitration Institution, or by a National Court) on the basis of their legal and practical expertise and knowledge, to render a final and binding award. Permanent Court of Arbitration  Established in: 1899.  HQ: The Hague, Netherlands.  Purpose: It is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to serve the international community in the field of dispute resolution and to facilitate arbitration and other forms of dispute resolution between States.  Structure: The PCA has a three-part organizational structure consisting of:  Administrative Council - to oversee its policies and budgets,  Members of the Court - a panel of independent potential arbitrators, and  International Bureau - its Secretariat, headed by the Secretary-General.  Funds: It has a Financial Assistance Fund which aims at helping developing countries meet part of the costs involved in international arbitration or other means of dispute settlement offered by the PCA. Way Forward  India needs to craft meaningful and clear dispute resolution mechanisms in cross-border transactions to prevent the disputes from going to international courts, and save the cost and time expenditure. Improving the arbitration ecosystem will have a positive impact on ease of doing business. 9 Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict Recently, territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region has re-erupted with heavy clashes. Armenia and Azerbaijan are part of Transcaucasia or South Caucasia (geographical region in the vicinity of the southern Caucasus Mountains on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia consisting of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan). Recently, territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region has re- erupted with heavy clashes. . Armenia and Azerbaijan are part of Transcaucasia or South Caucasia (geographical region in the vicinity of the southern Caucasus Mountains on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia consisting of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan).

Page | 15 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Key Points Reasons for Dispute:  Territorial: Nagorno-Karabakh region has 95% of the population as ethnically Armenian and is controlled by them but it is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan.  Religious: Armenia is Christian majority, while Azerbaijan is Muslim majority country.  Domestic Politics: The leaders of both the nations have fueled the issue time and again for their vested political interests. History of Dispute:  1920: Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region was established within Azerbaijan by the then Soviet Union.  1988: Nagorno-Karabakh legislature passed a resolution to join Armenia despite the region's legal location within Azerbaijan’s borders.  1991 : The autonomous region officially declared that it would not join either of the countries after a referendum which was boycotted by Azerbaijan. War erupted between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the region, leaving roughly tens of thousands of casualties and hundreds of thousands of refugees.  1994: Russia mediated a cease-fire which has remained in place since.  2016: In April 2016, the region was particularly tense because of violent fighting between the two countries, which was known as the Four Day War.  Apart from this, intermittent ceasefire violations between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops have caused hundreds of deaths in the past decade. Impact:  Destabilize the Region: Renewed tensions threaten to reignite a military conflict between the countries and destabilize the South Caucasus region. This may cause social unrest in the region which is already suffering from the Covid-19 pandemic.  Civilian Casualties: In this disputed region, there are hundreds of civilian settlements, residents of which would be directly impacted and potentially displaced if any large-scale war were to break out between the two countries  Economic Impact: This could also disrupt oil and gas exports from the region, since Azerbaijan, is a significant oil and gas exporter to Europe and Central Asia. This may even lead to higher oil prices globally.  International Involvement: Russia has closer ties with Armenia while Turkey and USA support Azerbaijan, and Iran has a large Azeri minority, which could escalate a crisis and entangle actors involved. Any military escalation would draw regional powers like Turkey and Russia more deeply into the conflict.  Russia, Israel and many other countries have been supplying Arms to both the countries despite the arms embargo by the United Nations. Effect on India  India- Armenia: In recent years, Indian-Armenian bilateral cooperation has seen rapid growth.  The then Vice-President of India visited Yerevan (Armenia) in 2017.

16 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 Armenia bought the India SWATHI military radar system in March 2020.  Many Indian students study in Armenian medical Universities and in recent years Armenia has witnessed an increasing flow of Indian labour migrants.  For Armenia, close relations with India are vitally important as India provides a counter balance to the rival strategic axis between Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Turkey.  India-Azerbaijan: India is part of the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multimodal network of ship, rail, and road route for moving freight between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.  Azerbaijan is a dialogue partner of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which India is a member of.  In 2018, the then Indian External affairs minister had visited Baku (Azerbaijan), the first-ever bilateral visit of an Indian External Affairs Minister to Azerbaijan.  India’s ONGC-Videsh is an investor in Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) oil fields and Baku-Tbilisi- Ceyhan pipeline.  However, Azerbaijan supports Pakistan’s position on the Kashmir issue. Pakistan Angle:  India has supported Armenia while Azerbaijan has been supported by Pakistan. Pakistan was the second country to recognize Azerbaijan’s independence after Turkey. Also, Pakistan is the only country that does not recognize Armenia as an independent state and fully supports Azerbaijan’s position. China Angle:  China has grown increasingly active in the caucasian region, conducting a number of programs and signing economic, political and military agreements with Armenia. Armenia has also agreed to participate in the Chinese Belt and Road project.  However, China is an ally of its rival Azerbaijan and Armenia is also aware of its support to Pakistan. Way Forward  The conflict between the two countries has reached alarming levels and the international mediators should intervene immediately and push sides for substantive negotiations to prevent any further escalations.  Growing Pakistan- China-Turkey’s influence in the south caucasus region is a source of concern for India. It is important for it to strengthen its ties with both the countries in line continuing its non- aligned stance, and call for peace in the region. 10 Atal Tunnel The Prime Minister has inaugurated the Atal Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh’s Rohtang, which connects Solang Valley near Manali to Sissu in Lahaul and Spiti district. Key Points About:  The 9.02-km tunnel is the longest highway tunnel in the world above the height of 3,000 metres.  It cuts through a mountain west of the Rohtang pass and will shorten the distance between Solang Valley and Sissu by around 46 km and will take around 15 minutes to cover. Earlier, it would take nearly 4 hours to travel between the two points. Significance:  All year Connectivity: The Atal tunnel is the first step towards all-year connectivity to Ladakh. The tunnel has the potential to link Ladakh to Manali and Chandigarh throughout the year, as it would bypass Rohtang Pass, which is snowed in through the winter months.

Page | 17 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 Strategic: The tunnel provides a strategic advantage to the country's armed forces by providing year-long connectivity to border areas. It will save an entire day for troops and supplies as they move towards forward posts.  Avail Basic Facilities: The residents of Ladakh who had to face immense hardship to avail even basic facilities like healthcare and food supplies will now be able to reach Manali and connect with the rest of the country using this new tunnel. Essential commodities like petrol and vegetable supplies would also likely be available throughout the year.  Boon for Farmers: The drop in travel time will help many, especially farmers whose precious crops like peas and potatoes will no longer rot in trucks before reaching the market.  Boost to Tourism: Livelihoods in the tourism sector of the residents in Lahaul Valley and Ladakh would get a boost. Rohtang Pass  Rohtang Pass (elevation 3,978 m) is located in the state of Himachal Pradesh.  It is present on the Pir Panjal Range of Himalayas.

11 Reforms in Exploration and Licensing Policy : Oil & Gas The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the Prime Minister has approved the Policy framework on reforms in the exploration and licensing sector for enhancing domestic exploration and production of oil and gas.

18 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Key Points Objectives:  Attract new investment in Exploration and Production (E&P) Sector.  Intensification of exploration activities in unexplored areas.  Liberalizing the policy in producing basins. Four Focus Areas: Increasing Exploration Activities in Unexpected Areas:  Bidding out uncommercialized basins to contractors without them having to share revenue or production with the Government and only paying royalties/levies.  For unallocated/unexplored areas, the bidding to be based on a revenue-sharing basis but more weightage to work programme to be given.  Shorter exploration period and fiscal incentives. Marketing and Pricing Freedom:  To incentivize enhanced gas production, marketing and pricing freedom to be granted for those new gas discoveries whose Field Development Plan (FDP) is yet to be approved.  FDP is the evaluation document of multiple development options for a field and selecting the best option based on assessing tradeoffs.  Fiscal incentive on additional gas production from domestic fields over and above normal production. Preparation of Enhanced Production Profile:  Public sector Undertakings like Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and Oil India Ltd (OIL) will prepare an enhanced production profile to enhance production from their existing fields.  For production enhancement, bringing new technology, and capital, No Objection Certificates (NOCs) will be allowed to induct private sector partners. Promoting Ease of Doing Business:  Measures like setting up coordination mechanism and simplification of approval, alternate dispute resolution mechanism etc. to be taken. Background:  Domestic production of oil and gas was declining, import dependence was rising and investment in E&P activities was reducing. Thus, policy reform in this sector was needed.  Earlier, the government between 2016 and 2019 had given pricing freedom for all fields except those given to state-owned ONGC and OIL on a nomination basis.  But, there were restrictions on marketing like a ban on affiliates of producers buying the fuel etc. This restricted competition kept prices artificially low.  The Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy or HELP was approved in March 2016, aimed at increasing the transparency and decreasing the administrative discretion in granting hydrocarbon licenses. It replaced the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP), 1997.  Recently, India also launched its first gas exchange which has been named as the Indian Gas Exchange (IGX). Benefits:  Development of support services.  Employment generation.  Transfer of advanced technology.  Reducing import dependence.  Improve energy security of the country.  Save the precious foreign exchange on imports. Petroleum  Crude petroleum occurs in sedimentary rocks of the tertiary period.  It consists of hydrocarbons of liquid and gaseous states varying in chemical composition, colour and specific gravity.  It is an essential source of energy for all internal combustion engines in automobiles, railways and aircraft.  Its numerous by-products are processed in petrochemical industries such as fertiliser, synthetic rubber, synthetic fibre, medicines, vaseline, lubricants, wax, soap and cosmetics.  Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Russia are some major countries with the largest oil reserves.  Digboi, Naharkatiya and Moran in Assam, Ankleshwar, Kalol, Mehsana, Navagam, Kosamba and Lunej in Gujarat; Mumbai High in Maharashtra are important oil-producing areas in India. Natural Gas  Natural gas is found with petroleum deposits and is released when crude oil is brought to the surface. It can be used as a domestic and industrial fuel.

Page | 19 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 Russia, Norway, UK and the Netherlands are the major producers of natural gas.  In India, Jaisalmer, Krishna Godavari delta, Tripura and some areas offshore in Mumbai have natural gas resources.  The Gas Authority of India Limited was set up in 1984 as a public sector undertaking to transport and market natural gas. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation  Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is a Maharatna Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) of the Government of India.  It was set up in 1995 and is under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.  It is the largest crude oil and natural gas company in India, contributing around 70% to Indian domestic production. Way Forward  The production enhancement scheme for the nomination field of NOCs is likely to augment production by leveraging new technology, capital and management practices through private sector participation.  It would bring uniformity to the bidding process across various contractual regimes and policies to avoid ambiguity and contribute towards ease of doing business.  The move is in line with India’s goal of becoming self-reliant as envisaged in the Atmanibhar Bharat initiative. It will help India develop into a gas-based economy. 12 India in BRICS Ministers’ Meeting Recently, the BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ Virtual Meeting was held under the Russian Presidency.  It aimed to discuss various issues including approaches to creating a safe work culture in BRICS countries. Key Points Emphasis on Health of Workers:  It was highlighted that health, welfare and improved working conditions are essential for the well- being of the workers. A healthy workforce in the country would be more productive and contribute to economic growth.  The aspects of occupational safety and health measures to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 have also acquired significance. India’s Stand:  India called for suitable global action especially by BRICS towards effecting a balance between labour and employer which will generate growth and create more jobs and greater labour welfare.  India also highlighted the importance of digitisation and technological advancements like artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics in reshaping lives and work, with a direct or indirect effect on the labour market.  Digitisation also offers the opportunity for governments, individuals and businesses to cope with the changing scenarios after the pandemic.  India underscored that the digital economy is changing the world of work, hence regular studies by the BRICS Network Research Institutes will facilitate a better understanding of the aspects of future of work and supplement policymaking.  India is committed to eradicate poverty and promote prosperity in a changing world and hence adopted a multi-dimensional strategy to eliminate poverty by covering most of the basic services and fulfil the Sustainable Development Goals of No Poverty (SDG-1).

20 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Initiatives Highlighted by India  Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code Bill, 2020:  Provides a dynamic and effective framework of occupational safety and health at the workplace and covers legal provisions of all sectors.  Envisages safety standards for different sectors, focusing on the health and working condition of workers, hours of work, leaves, etc. Social Security Code Bill, 2020:  Universalises social security coverage to those working in the unorganised sector, such as migrant workers, gig workers and platform workers.  Recognises emerging forms of work by defining terms like an aggregator, gig worker and platform worker, and extends social protection to such workers through a separate Social Security Fund wherein the contribution from aggregators would be deposited.  Provisions of social security will also be extended to agricultural workers. Industrial Relations Code Bill, 2020:  Sets up Grievance Redressal Committees for resolution of disputes arising out of employees’ grievances.  Also sets up a reskilling fund to help skill retrenched workers. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi:  Provides direct income support to farmers for easing their liquidity needs to facilitate timely access to inputs.  Aiding modernisation and makes farmers competitive. Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan:  Protects the economy from the adverse impact of the Covid-19 crisis.  Measures include opening a credit line for micro, small and medium enterprises to meet their operational expenses, subsidising the social security contributions of workers, extending unemployment benefit to workers, financial assistance to construction workers, collateral-free working capital loan to approximately 5 million street vendors, etc.  Other Related Schemes:  National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.  National Livelihood Mission. Way Forward  All countries need to work together in finding feasible and sustainable solutions to the issues and challenges faced by the future of the labour force in the digital economy so that everyone can get the flexible employment opportunities without compromising the fundamental rights. Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme A seventh tranche of the gold bond scheme - in which the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issues bonds linked to the market price of gold on behalf of the government - will be available for investment on five days starting 12th October, 2020. Key Points  Launch: The Sovereign Gold Bond (SGB) scheme was launched in November 2015 with an objective to reduce the demand for physical gold and shift a part of the domestic savings - used for the purchase of gold - into financial savings.  Issuance: The Gold Bonds are issued as Government of India Stock under the Government Securities (GS) Act, 2006.  These are issued by the RBI on behalf of the Government of India.  Bonds are sold through Commercial banks, Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL), designated post offices (as may be notified) and recognised stock exchanges viz., National Stock Exchange of India Limited and Bombay Stock Exchange, either directly or through agents.  Eligibility: The bonds are restricted for sale to resident individuals, Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), trusts, universities and charitable institutions. Features:  Issue Price: The price of the gold bonds is calculated based on the spot price of gold as provided by the Mumbai-based India Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA).  For the seventh tranche, a price of Rs. 5,051 per unit is applicable. Those purchasing the bonds through an online mode - using a digital mode of payment - get a discount of Rs. 50 on each unit.  Investment Limit: Gold bonds can be purchased in the multiples of one unit, up to certain thresholds for different investors.  The upper limit for retail (individual) investors and HUFs is 4 kilograms (4,000 units) each per financial year. For trusts and similar entities, an upper limit of 20 kilograms per financial year is applicable.

Page | 21 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 Minimum permissible investment is 1 gram of gold.  Term: The gold bonds come with a maturity period of eight years, with an option to exit the investment after the first five years.  Interest Rate: A fixed rate of 2.5% per annum is applicable on the scheme, payable semi-annually.  The interest on Gold Bonds shall be taxable as per the provision of Income Tax Act, 1961. Benefit:  Bonds can be used as collateral for loans.  The capital gains tax arising on redemption of SGB to an individual has been exempted.  Redemption is the act of an issuer repurchasing a bond at or before maturity.  Capital gain is the profit earned on the sale of an asset like stocks, bonds or real estate. It results in when the selling price of an asset exceeds its purchase price. 13 Third Assembly of ISA Recently, India and France have been re-elected as the President and Co-President of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) for a term of two years at the virtual third Assembly of ISA.  The first two assemblies were held in India in 2018 and 2019. Key Points  The Assembly approved institutionalising ISA’s engagement with the private and public corporate sector through the Coalition for Sustainable Climate Action (CSCA).  Various solar awards were conferred on countries as well as institutions. The Visvesvaraya award recognises the countries with a maximum floating solar capacity in each of the four regions of ISA, which are:  Asia Pacific Region.  Africa Region.  Europe and others Region.  Latin America and Caribbean Region. The Kalpana Chawla award for outstanding contribution of scientists and engineers working in the field of solar energy.  The Diwakar award recognises organisations and institutions that have been working for the benefit of differently-abled people and have maximised the use of solar energy in the host country.  The Assembly was presented the report prepared by the World Resources Institute (WRI) which identifies the sources of funds, opportunities and constraints, in scaling up solar investments and the contribution of ISA in assisting Member countries.  The ISA will work with WRI to develop a roadmap for mobilisation of USD 1 trillion by 2030.  In the wake of the global pandemic, ISA responded by setting up ISA CARES (like PM-CARES in India), an initiative dedicated to the deployment of solar energy in the healthcare sector.  The initiative aims to solarize one primary health sector in each district of the target member countries.  The ISA Secretariat has launched a Seventh Programme on Solarising Heating and Cooling systems.  Demand for cooling alone outpaced solar deployment in 2017.  Heating and cooling systems have scope to directly convert solar radiation and at higher efficiency levels.  SAARC Development Fund’s technical assistance along with the ISA Technical Assistance is proposed to be implemented jointly with the Asian Development Bank.  The ISA has recently signed a tripartite agreement with the World Bank and the Government of India and is now actively involved in preparing a vision and implementation plan for “One Sun, One World,

22 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

One Grid” Initiative to harness the power of interconnected grids for enabling energy transition to a low-carbon world. India’s Perspective and Highlights:  The President of the ISA Assembly, India’s Power and New and Renewable Energy Minister appreciated the Alliance Members coming together to work for combating climate change.  He also highlighted various activities and programmes initiated by ISA since the 2nd Assembly like the development of a pipeline of more than USD 5 billion, aggregated demand for more than 270,000 solar pumps across 22 countries, etc. France’s Role:  France has committed 1.5 billion Euros for financing solar projects in ISA member states up until 2022.  The first project under the Solar Risk Mitigation Initiative (SRMI) is being launched in Mozambique with the support of France and the European Union (EU).  SRMI will help mobilise billions in private investment to finance more than 10 GWs of solar projects.  In the frame of the ISA’s Solar Technology Application Resource Centre (Star-C) programme, the French National Institute for Solar Energy (INES) will launch a specific program for the small island states of the Pacific. International Solar Alliance  It is an Indian initiative that was launched by the Prime Minister of India and the President of France on 30th November 2015 in Paris, France on the side-lines of the Conference of the Parties (COP-21), with 121 solar resource-rich countries lying fully or partially between the tropic of Cancer and tropic of Capricorn as prospective members.  Objective: To collectively address key common challenges to the scaling up of solar energy in ISA member countries.  Members: Till now, 87 countries have signed the Framework Agreement of the ISA and of these 67 have deposited their instruments of ratification.  Nicaragua, a Central American country is the 87th and the latest country to sign the agreement.  The Government of India has allotted 5 acres of land to the ISA in National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) campus, Gurugram and has released a sum of Rs. 160 crore for creating a corpus fund, building infrastructure and meeting day to day recurring expenditure of the ISA up to the year 2021-22. 14 India and it’s Sex Ratio Recently, C Rangarajan (former Chairman, Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council) argued that there is an urgent need to reach young people both for reproductive health education and services as well as to cultivate gender equity norms.  His arguments are based on the Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report (2018) and United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) State of World Population 2020. SRS Report  SRS is the largest demographic sample survey in the country that among other indicators provide direct estimates of sex ratio, fertility rate etc. through a nationally representative sample.  It is brought by the Office of Registrar General. United Nation Population Fund  The UNFPA is aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide. It is headquartered in New York. Key Points Sex Ratio at Birth:

Page | 23 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 Biologically normal sex ratio at birth is 1,050 males to 1,000 females or 950 females to 1,000 males.  The SRS Report 2018 shows that sex ratio at birth in India, declined marginally from 906 in 2011 to 899 in 2018.  Sex ratio is measured as the number of females per 1,000 males.  The UNFPA State of World Population 2020 estimated the sex ratio at birth in India as 910, which is on the lower side of index.  This is a cause for concern because this adverse ratio results in a gross imbalance in the number of men and women and its inevitable impact on marriage systems as well as other harms to women. Total Fertility Rate (TFR):  According to SRS Report 2018, TFR has been declining in India for some time now. It declined from 2.4 to 2.2 during the period between 2011 and 2018.  In 2011, 10 states had a fertility rate below the replacement rate. This increased to 14 states in 2020.  Fertility is likely to continue to decline and it is estimated that replacement TFR of 2.1 would soon be reached for India as a whole.  TFR is the number of children a mother would have at the current pattern of fertility during her lifetime.  Replacement rate is the average number of children born per woman—at which a population exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next, without migration.  Many people believe that the population would stabilise or begin to reduce in a few years once replacement fertility is reached.  However, this is not so because of the population momentum effect, a result of more people entering the reproductive age group of 15-49 years due to the past high-level of fertility.  For instance, the replacement fertility level was reached in Kerala around 1990, but its annual population growth rate was 0.7% in 2018, nearly 30 years later. Challenges Involved:  Regressive Mindset: There is considerable son preference in all states, except possibly in Kerala and Chhattisgarh. This son’s preference is derived from a regressive mindset. E.g.: People associate girls with dowry.  Misuse of Technology: Cheaper technology like ultrasound helps in sex selection.  Failure in Implementation of Law: The Prenatal Conception and Prenatal Determination Act (PC- PNDT), 1994 which punishes healthcare professionals for telling expectant parents the sex of a child with imprisonment and hefty fines, has failed to control the sex selection.  Reports found major gaps in the training of personnel implementing PC-PNDT. Poor training meant that they were unable to prepare strong cases against violators to secure convictions.  Illiteracy: Illiterate women in the reproductive age group of 15-49 years have higher fertility than literate women. Government Initiative- Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme:  The sharp decline in sex ratio as pointed by Census 2011 data called for urgent action. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme was launched in 2015 in Panipat, Haryana to address the issue of decline in child sex ratio and related issues of empowerment of girls and women over a life cycle continuum.  It is a triministerial effort of the ministries of Women and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare and Human Resource Development (now Ministry of Education). Suggestions Made:  Increasing female education and economic prosperity will help to improve the ratio.  Rollout campaigns on sensitisation towards women and children, making women safety cells, ensuring the safety of women on public transport systems, making cyber-crime cells are some other initiatives that need to be taken.  In view of the complexity of son preference resulting in gender-biased sex selection, government actions need to be supplemented by improving women’s status in the society.  Reaching out to young people could reduce the effect of population momentum and accelerate progress towards reaching a more normal sex-ratio at birth. Way Forward  Despite several policies and programmes, lower health outcomes for women and girl children still persist in India. Certain forms of discrimination, especially the son preference, reinforced by the techno- economic forces are eliminating the girl child (even from the womb).  Effective implementation of the existing women- and children-related policies, including women's property ownership, are required to empower women, to ensure girl child's survival, and to reduce gender gap in access to healthcare.

24 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020 15 Global Hunger Index 2020  India has been ranked at 94 among 107 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2020. Global Hunger Index  Annual Report: Jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.  It was first produced in 2006. It is published every October. The 2020 edition marks the 15th edition of the GHI.  Aim: To comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country levels.  Calculation: The GHI scores are calculated each year to assess progress and setbacks in combating hunger. It is calculated on the basis of four indicators:  Undernourishment: Share of the population with insufficient caloric intake.  Child Wasting: Share of children under age five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition.  Child Stunting: Share of children under age five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition.  Child Mortality: The mortality rate of children under the age of five. Scoring:  Based on the values of the four indicators, the GHI determines hunger on a 100-point scale where 0 is the best possible score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst.  Each country’s GHI score is classified by severity, from low to extremely alarming. Key Points Global Scenario:  Worldwide Hunger: Represented by a GHI score of 18.2 (moderate level), down from a 2000 GHI score of 28.2 (serious). Factors:  The Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting economic downturn, as well as a massive outbreak of desert locusts in the Horn of Africa and other crises, are exacerbating food and nutrition insecurity for millions of people.  It needs to be noted that 2020 GHI scores do not reflect the impact of Covid-19 on hunger and undernutrition.  The above mentioned crises come on top of existing hunger caused by conflict, climate extremes, and economic shocks (random, unpredictable events).  Region-wise Performance: Africa South of the Sahara and South Asia have the highest hunger and undernutrition levels among world regions, with 2020 GHI scores of 27.8 and 26.0, respectively— both considered serious.  SDG 2 Progress: The world is not on track to achieve the second Sustainable Development Goal - known as Zero Hunger for short - by 2030. Indian Scenario: Overall Performance:  With a score of 27.2, India has a level of hunger that is “serious”.  It ranks 94 out of 107 countries in the Index. In 2019, India’s rank was 102 out of 117 countries. Comparison with Other Countries:  India features behind Nepal (73), Pakistan (88), Bangladesh (75), Indonesia (70) among others.  Out of the total 107 countries, only 13 countries fare worse than India including countries like Rwanda (97), Nigeria (98), Afghanistan (99), Liberia (102), Mozambique (103), Chad (107) among others.

Page | 25 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Performance on the Indicators:  Undernourishment: 14% of India’s population is undernourished (2017-19). It was 16.3% during 2011-13.  Child Wasting: 17.3% (2015-19), it was 15.1% in 2010-14.  Child Stunting: 34.7%, it has improved significantly, from 54% in 2000 to less than 35% now.  Child Mortality: 3.7%, it was 5.2% in 2012. Some Related Initiatives by India  Eat Right India Movement: An outreach activity organised by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for citizens to nudge them towards eating right.  POSHAN Abhiyaan: Launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2018, it targets to reduce stunting, undernutrition, anemia (among young children, women and adolescent girls).  Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana: A centrally sponsored scheme executed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, is a maternity benefit programme being implemented in all districts of the country with effect from 1st January, 2017.  Food Fortification: Food Fortification or Food Enrichment is the addition of key vitamins and minerals such as iron, iodine, zinc, Vitamin A & D to staple foods such as rice, milk and salt to improve their nutritional content.  National Food Security Act, 2013: The National Food Security Act, (NFSA) 2013 legally entitled up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population to receive subsidized food grains under the Targeted Public Distribution System.  Mission Indradhanush: It targets children under 2 years of age and pregnant women for immunization against 12 Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (VPD).  Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme: Launched on 2nd October, 1975, the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme offers a package of six services (Supplementary Nutrition, Pre-school non-formal education, Nutrition & health education, Immunization, Health check-up and Referral services) to children in the age group of 0-6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers. Suggestions  Governments, private actors, and NGOs should carefully coordinate their responses to overlapping food and health crises and work with community organizations to make sure interventions are culturally acceptable, reach the most vulnerable, and preserve local ecosystems.  Food should be priced not only by its weight or volume but also by its nutrient density, its freedom from contamination, and its contribution to ecosystem services and social justice.  Governments should expand access to maternal and child health care, as well as education on healthy diets and child feeding practices.  Supporting smallholder farmers in becoming sustainable and diversified producers; governments and NGOs must seek to improve those farmers’ access to agricultural inputs and extension services, coupling local and indigenous agricultural knowledge with new technologies.  Existing human rights-based multilateral mechanisms and international standards—such as the Committee on World Food Security—must be strengthened to support inclusive policy making and sustainable food systems.

26 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Page | 27 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020 ECONOMY RBI IN NEWS RBI’s 3rd Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Statement 2020-21 Released  Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das has announced crucial policy decisions at the Bank’s 3rd bi-monthly monetary policy.  The repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) has been kept unchanged at 4.00%.  The reverse repo rate under the LAF has been kept unchanged at 3.35%.  The marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate have been kept unchanged at 4.25%.  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will introduce on-tap targeted long-term repo operations (TLTRO) for banks to borrow up to Rs 1 trillion from the window and invest in corporate bonds and other debt instruments of certain sectors. The on-tap TLTROs will have tenors of up to three years at a floating rate linked to the policy repo rate and the scheme will be available up to 31 March 2021.  Real GDP growth is expected to be negative. The RBI’s MPC has pegged the real GDP growth for FY21 to contract by 9.5%.  The MPC maintained its accommodative stance to ensure inflation remians close ot its target of 2%-6%. GOI Appoints Ashima Goyal, Jayanth R Varma & Shashanka Bhide as RBI’s MPC members The Government of India has appointed three new economists as members of the six-member rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee(MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) on 5th October 2020. Government had formed a committee for selection of these three new members of MPC. This search-cum- selection committee for MPC was headed by Economic Affairs Secretary Tarun Bajaj. As per the RBI Act, the three new external members would have four-year terms. The new members are: Prof. Ashima Goyal, a professor at the Mumbai-based Indira Gandhi Institute of Developmental Research Prof. Jayanth R Varma, a professor of finance at the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad Dr. Shashanka Bhide, an agricultural economist and a senior adviser with the National Council of Applied Economic Research in New Delhi They replaces the three previous external MPC candidates, Chetan Ghate, Ravindra Dholakia and Pami Dua, whose terms expired with the last policy meeting in August 2020. It must be noted that the MPC committee of RBI comprises six members which includes three officials of the Reserve Bank of India and three external members nominated by the Government of India. The three members from RBI Side are Dr. Mridul K. Saggar, Dr. Michael Debabrata Patra and Shri Shaktikanta Das. Governor of RBI is the exofficio Chairman of MPC. RBI set to change India's payments picture with new QR code rules  The Reserve Bank barred Payment System Operators (PSOs) from launching any new proprietary QR code for payment transactions and asked them to switch to at least one interoperable QR code, so that the same QR code can across multiple payment applications.  PSOs that use proprietary QR codes shall shift to one or more interoperable QR codes; the process of migration shall be completed by March 31, 2022  RBI’s latest directive is to improve the digital payment infrastructure in the country.  QR codes are two-dimensional machine-readable barcodes, which are increasingly used to facilitate mobile payments at the point-of-sale. QR codes can store a large amount of information. Japanese company, Denso Wave, invented the QR code in the 1990s. RTGS to run 24x7 from December  To facilitate swift and seamless payments in real-time for domestic businesses and institutions, it has been decided to make available the RTGS system round the clock on all days from December 2020. India will be among very few countries globally with a 24x7x365 large value real-time payment system.  At present, RTGS is not a 24x7 system and is available on all days when most bank branches are functioning, including Saturdays. The minimum amount that can be remitted through RTGS is ₹2 lakh. There is no upper limit.  Last year, RBI had allowed transfer of funds via National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) system on a 24x7x365 basis from December 2019.

28 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

RBI conducted first-ever OMO purchase of state govt securities worth Rs 10,000 crore  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) conducted first-ever open market operations (OMO) in State Development Loans (SDLs) and purchased Rs 10,000 crore of bonds under the scheme. The SDLs are the securities issued by states to manage their own finances.  The eligible participants submitted their bids in electronic format on the Reserve Bank of India's Core Banking Solution (E-Kuber) system  RBI had announced its first-ever OMO of the state government securities worth Rs 10,000 crore, which was proposed to be enhanced based on market response.  In a separate development, the RBI has also announced OMO purchase of central government bonds worth Rs 20,000 crore on October 29, 2020. The apex bank purchase will be done in bonds maturing between 2025 and 2032 through a multi-security auction using the multiple price method.  This happens to be the second OMO purchase of central bonds by the RBI. In the last auction, the RBI had purchased Rs 20,000 crore of bonds. In the monetary policy meeting on October 9, the RBI had doubled the size of OMO auctions from Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 20,000 crore. This was done to maintain comfortable liquidity conditions in the system. RBI raises banks' aggregate exposure limit for small businesses to ₹7.5 crore  In a bid to increase credit flow to small businesses entities with turnover up to ₹50 crore, the RBI raised banks maximum aggregate retail exposure limit to to ₹7.5 crore, up from ₹5 crore.  The risk weight of 75 per cent will apply to all fresh exposures and also to existing exposures where incremental exposure may be taken by the banks up to the revised limit of Rs 7.5 crore.  RBI also said it has been decided to extend the dispensation of the enhanced Held to Maturity (HTM) limit of 22 per cent for SLR securities acquired between September 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021, up to March 31, 2022. Banks may continue to hold such excess SLR securities in HTM category upto March 31, 2022.  RBI has also decided that the enhanced HTM limit would be restored to 19.5 per cent in a phased manner, beginning from the quarter ending June 30, 2022. RBI Excludes 6 PSBs from Second Schedule of RBI Act  The RBI has excluded six public sector banks from the Second Schedule to the RBI Act 1934 following their merger with other banks.  The six banks are Syndicate Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC), United Bank of India, Andhra Bank, Corporation Bank, and Allahabad Bank.  A bank mentioned in the Second Schedule of the Reserve Bank of India Act is known as 'Scheduled Commercial Bank'.  These six banks merged with other public sector banks (PSBs) with effect from April 1.  OBC and United Bank of India merged into Punjab National Bank; Syndicate Bank into Canara Bank; Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank into Union Bank of India; and Allahabad Bank into Indian Bank.  There were as many as 27 PSBs in 2017. The total number of PSBs in the country has now come down to 12. RBI fixes Centre's WMA limit at Rs 1.25 lakh crore for second half of FY 2020-21  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) set the ways and means advances (WMAs) limit at Rs 1.25 lakh crore for the central government for the second half of the fiscal year.  WMAs are temporary advances given by the RBI to the government to tide over any mismatch in receipts and payments.  The central bank further said it may trigger fresh floatation of market loans when the government utilises 75 per cent of the WMA limit.  The interest rate on WMA is equal to the repo rate that is 4% and for the overdraft, it is two per cent above the repo rate.  Meanwhile, the finance ministry said the government will borrow Rs 4.34 lakh crore in the second half of the current fiscal to meet its expenditure requirement amid the COVID-19 crisis afflicting the country's economy. RBI extends enhanced borrowing limit for banks under MSF till Mar 31, 2021  RBI also extended the enhanced borrowing facility provided to banks under the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) scheme by six months till March 31, 2021.  It was initially available up to June 30, 2020, and was later extended up to September 30, 2020, due to economic disruptions amid COVID-19.  On March 27, this borrowing limit for scheduled banks was increased from 2% to 3% of their Net Demand and Time Liabilities (NDTL).  The other benefit which has now been extended till March pertains to overdraft (OD) regulations where states or union territories were allowed to be in overdraft continuously for 21 working days, from 14 days

Page | 29 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

earlier. That apart, the number of overdraft days in a quarter were also increased to 50 working days from 36 working days RBI deferred implementation of provisions made under Basel III capital due to uncertainty related to Covid crisis  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has deferred implementation of provisions made under Basel III capital due to uncertainty related to COVID crisis. In this regard, RBI will repel the final tranche of the capital conservation buffer (CCB) and the implementation of net stable funding ratio (NSFR) by six months i.e. April 1, 2021.  About Capital Conservation Buffer:  The capital conservation buffer is an additional pool that banks build in normal times for its use during periods of stress.  RBI had asked banks to build up CCB of 2.5% in stages. The final stage of 0.625% was to be kept from 30 September 2020. This has been deferred to 1 April, 2020. The RBI had earlier deferred the implementation by six months from 31 March 2020.  About Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR):  The net stable funding ratio requires banks to fund their activities with sufficiently stable sources of funding over a time of a year to reduce future funding risk for banks. As per the prescribed timeline, banks were required to maintain NSFR of 100% from April 1, 2020 but now this deferred it for a second time to April 1, 2021. Govt keeps interest rates on small savings schemes unchanged for Oct-Dec quarter  The government kept the interest rates on small savings schemes, including PPF and NSC, unchanged for the October-December quarter Small Savings Schemes with Interest Rates  Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS)- 7.4 percent.  Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana Scheme (SSYS)- 7.6 percent.  Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP)- 6.9 percent.(doubling period is 124 months)  Public Provident Fund (PPF) – 7.1 percent.  National Savings Certificates (NSC)- 6.8 percent.  Post Office Monthly Income Scheme (MIS)- 6.6 percent. RBI revises norms for housing finance firms  Reserve Bank of India (RBI) shared final guidelines for housing finance companies (HFC) highlighting that these NBFCs must have at least 60% of all their assets in housing finance by 31 March 2024, with individual loans making up at least 50% of all assets.  By March 2022, they must have 50% in housing finance and 40% in individual loans.  By March 2023, the ratio should be at least 55% and 45%, respectively.  Home financiers will now be regulated as a category of non-banking financial companies (NBFCs).  Home finance companies that are unable to fulfil these criteria must approach RBI to convert their certificates of registration from HFC to non-banking financial company-investment and credit company (NBFC-ICC).  The new framework also mandates mortgage lenders to ensure they have sufficient high-quality liquid assets to survive an acute liquidity stress scenario lasting for 30 days.  Home financiers must also have at least Rs.20 crore minimum net-owned funds to commence housing finance as its principal business or carry on the business of housing finance as its principal business.  A home financier holding a certificate of registration and having net owned fund below Rs.20 crore may continue to carry on the business of housing finance, if it can achieve Rs.15 crore by 31 March 2022, and Rs.20 crore by 31 March 2023.

SBI IN NEWS SBI Inks Agreement with Japan Bank for $1 Billion Loan  State Bank of India said it has signed an agreement with Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) for a loan worth USD 1 billion (around Rs 7,403 crore).  Of the total loan amount, USD 600 million will be financed by JBIC and USD 400 million by other participating banks – SMBC, MUFG Bank, Mizuho Bank, Shizuoka Bank and Bank of Yokahama.JBIC will provide a guarantee for the portion co-financed by the participating banks. SBI ties up with global education platform edX State Bank of India (SBI) has entered into a strategic partnership with global non-profit education platform edX, where the bank will offer its Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) on the platform from November onwards.

30 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

SBI raises Rs 5,000 cr by issuing Basel-III compliant bonds  The State Bank of India (SBI) said it has raised Rs 5,000 crore by issuing Basel-III compliant bonds.  The committee of directors of capital raising met and accorded its approval to allot 50,000 Basel-III compliant non-convertible, taxable debt instruments  The debentures qualifying as tier II capital of the bank of face value of Rs 10 lakh each, at par, bearing a coupon of 5.83 per cent aggregating to Rs 5,000 crore were allotted to bond subscribers on October 26, 2020.  The interest on the bonds will be paid annually for a tenor of 10 years and call option after 5 years and on anniversary date thereafter.  Basel-III norms are being implemented in phases since 2013 by Indian banks to mitigate concerns on potential stress on asset quality and consequential impact on performance and profitability of banks. SBI Card Launches Contactless Multi-purpose Card in Partnership with Delhi Metro  SBI Card launched a contactless multi-purpose card in partnership with Delhi Metro that can function as a credit card as well as a metro smart card.  The Delhi Metro SBI Card is a multi-purpose card which functions as a credit card as well as a metro smart card, offering the convenience and safety associated with both in one card.  Customers can apply for the combo card through the sales team present at metro stations as well as online through e-apply platform on SBI Card website at an annual fee of Rs 499. NABARD ties up with SBI for credit support  The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) on Monday inked three MOUs with public sector lender, State Bank of India (SBI), to extend credit support for various NABARD projects.  The MoUs were signed for financing joint liability groups and self-help groups; support credit inflows to Farmer Producers’ Organisation (FPOs); and economic support for watershed development projects. API integration between PM SVANidhi Portal and SBI portal launched  Under the Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme, Shri Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary of Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, had launched the Application Programming Interface (API) integration between the PM SVANidhi Portal and the State Bank of India (SBI) portal.The API integration will facilitate seamless flow of data between the PM SVANidhi Portal and SBI’s eMudra Portal SBI signs MoU with HUL for an end to end digital solutions for ecosystem  India’s largest lender State Bank of India has entered into a partnership with FMCG major Hindustan Unilever to offer corporate solutions to its trade partners.  The partnership aims to make availing of credit easy for channel partners, provides UPI based payment solutions and PoS terminals to retailers & distributors SBI Card joins hands with American Express to offer premium benefits, services  SBI Card has joined hands with American Express to offer global benefits and exclusive privileges for consumers in India.  Under this agreement, SBI Card’s top-end products SBI Card ELITE and SBI Card PRIME will be available on American Express’ global network.

OTHER BANKS IN NEWS DBS named Asia’s Safest Bank for 12th consecutive year  DBS Bank announced that it has been named the ‘Safest Bank in Asia’ for the 12th consecutive year by New York-based trade publication Global Finance.  DBS’ rankings as the fourth-safest commercial bank in the world and 14th safest bank globally remain unchanged from 2019 and 2018.  DBS Bank India also recently unveiled a new brand campaign around the importance of safety, featuring brand ambassador Sachin Tendulkar.  This year, DBS was also Global Finance’s pick for ‘Best Bank in the World’ 2020. Indian Bank partners IIT-Madras to set up incubation cell for startups  State-owned Indian Bank in collaboration with IIT-Madras Incubation Cell (IITMIC) launched an initiative for funding start-ups.  Under the initiative --IND Spring Board -- IITMIC(IIT Madras Incubation Cell) will refer start-ups with proven technology and established cash flows to the bank and also extend advisory to the bank on the business model.  The lender will extend loans of up to Rs 50 crore to these start-ups for their working capital requirements or purchase of machinery and equipment, among others.

Page | 31 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 Loans up to Rs 2 crore are backed by Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) scheme of the government. ICICI Bank shuts down operations in Sri Lanka  ICICI Bank said it has shut down operations in Sri Lanka after getting approval from the Sri Lankan monetary authority.  The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, having considered the request made by ICICI Bank, has granted approval to close down business operation of the bank in Sri Lanka and cancel the licence issued to it. Mastercard Partners with Singapore-based Atlantis to Expand Digital First Program in India  The payments technology company Mastercard has partnered with Atlantis, a Singapore-based financial technology company, for the expansion of its Digital First Program in India.  Under the Digital First Program, users will be able to use their cards/accounts for digital transactions within minutes of application, without the need to wait to receive a physical card. IDBI Bank Launches Banking Services 24X7 on WhatsApp IDBI Bank Limited announced the launch of banking services on WhatsApp for its customers. This launch is a part of sustained initiatives the Bank has taken to enable the customers to access banking services remotely at their convenience. Canara HSBC OBC Life Insurance launches Invest 4G plan with multiple saving options, protection cover  Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance has launched a new Unit Linked insurance plan (Ulip) titled ‘Invest 4G’.  It is an individual life insurance savings plan which can be customized as per the goals and changing requirements of the individual.  New “Invest4G” offers three options to the individuals: Life Option, Care Option and Century Option. Life option ensures financial protection to a family in case of the customer’s unfortunate demise. Care Option provides life coverage along with Premium Funding Benefit and Century Option is a whole life option available for the policyholder till the age of 100 years. HDFC Bank partners with Apollo Hospitals to launch ‘The HealthyLife Programme’ for its customers  India’s leading private sector bank, HDFC Bank and Apollo Hospitals have collaborated to launch a holistic healthcare solution, ‘The HealthyLife Programme’, exclusively for HDFC Bank customers, to make healthy living accessible and affordable while making the process convenient and easy for the customers.  Under the programme, customers will get round the clock access to emergency Apollo Doctor at No Cost on Apollo’s digital platform, Apollo 24|7.  Customers can avail unsecured loans of up to Rs. 40 lakh to pay for medical expenses incurred at the healthcare chain. Bank of Baroda ties up with Toyota Kirloskar Motor for auto finance State-owned Bank of Baroda (BoB) announced a tie up with Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) to enable finance options for the automaker’s customers and dealers. Jana Small Finance Bank to be sponsor bank for Ashoknagar Co-operative Bank  Jana Small Finance Bank, a Bengaluru-based small finance bank (SFB), has partnered with Ashoknagar Co-operative Bank Limited under the bank sponsorship programme.With this, Jana Bank has become the first SFB to go live under the sponsorship programme.  Ashoknagar Co-operative Bank Limited, in association with Jana Small Finance Bank, can extend ATM, POS and e-commerce services to its customers. Indian Bank inks MoU with Ministry, SIDBI for street vendors  Public sector Indian Bank has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and with Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) for payment of subsidy to street vendors under the Centre's SVANidhi Scheme.  The Centre introduced the Prime Minister Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (SVANidhi Scheme) to provide loans to the vendors and hawkers, among others. “Bank of Ghana” wins Central bank of the year award 2020  Bank of Ghana has won the Central bank of the year award 2020.  Apart from this, Mark Carney (Governor of the Bank of England) has won the Governor of the year at the Central bank of the year award 2020. Axis Bank launches ACE Credit Card in collaboration with Google Pay and Visa  Axis Bank announced the launch of its ACE Credit Card in India in collaboration with Google Pay and Visa. The card meant to help with digital payments. From application to issuance, with the entire user journey for the credit card application will be done digitally.

32 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 ACE Credit card users would get 5% Cashback on Bill payments (electricity, internet, gas and more), DTH and mobile recharges done through Google Pay. Axis Bank collaborates with Vistara to launch a co-branded forex card Private lender Axis Bank has partnered with Vistara, India’s finest full-service airline, to launch a co-branded forex card ‘Axis Bank Club Vistara Forex Card’, to cater to the needs of international travelers. The partnership is a first-ever collaboration by a bank and an Indian airline for a co-branded forex card. LIC Housing launches ‘Project RED’ to improve efficiencies  LIC Housing Finance Ltd(LICHFL) launched “Project RED” (Reimagining Excellence through Digital transformation) to improve efficiencies at every level of the organisation.  Project RED aims to create value across the entire spectrum of stakeholders that includes employees, shareholders, business associates, existing and potential customers of LICHFL.  The project will be implemented over next 21 months and the housing finance company has appointed Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as its consultant for the project. Indian Bank launches Rupay Kisan credit card scheme for TN fishermen  Indian Bank has introduced a Kisan credit card loan scheme for fishermen in Tamil Nadu.  The features of the scheme include the availability of revolving credit up to ₹2 lakh, 7 per cent interest rate, interest subvention of 3 per cent for those who repay the loan within a period of one year. The loan can be renewed once in a year. There is no restriction on the number of credit and debit transactions.  This loan will be provided under Mudra scheme. Borrowers will get Rupay Kisan Credit Card and beneficiaries can use the card to withdraw money from ATMs, BC (banking correspondent) points, and also make purchase through merchant POS. NABARD launches refinance scheme for WASH programme, earmarks Rs 800 Crore for FY’21  The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has announced a special refinance facility for the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme to promote sustainable and healthy lifestyle in rural areas.  Under this, NABARD has earmarked an amount of Rs 800 crore for the financial year 2020-21.  It will provide concessional refinance to all eligible financial institutions, including commercial banks, regional rural banks and cooperative banks. NABARD Disburses Rs 12,298 Crore So Far Under Swachh Bharat Mission  The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has disbursed Rs 12,298 crore so far under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G) for construction of 3.29 crore household toilets.  The campaign will support the government’s SBM-G and Water, Sanitisation and Hygiene (WASH) programmes to enable the vulnerable rural communities to access better sanitation facilities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.  To mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the development finance institution has launched a nationwide sanitation literacy campaign. NABARD to undertake Sanitation Literacy Campaign in 2,000 villages  The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development(NABARD) is embarking on a Sanitation Literacy Campaign (SLC) from October 2 to promote literacy on ‘WASH’ (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) in 2,000 villages across the country covering one lakh rural population.  The objective of the campaign, which would continue till January 26, 2021, is to focus on inculcating significant behavioural changes towards adapting good hygiene and sanitation practices.  NABARD also said that under the Swachh Bharat Mission, it has actively supported Government of India in construction of 3.29 crore household toilets by sanctioning and disbursing an amount of Rs 15,000 crore and Rs 12,298 crore, respectively. Indian Bank unveils IB-eNote facility for paperless working environment  Public sector Indian Bank has unveiled its IB-eNote facility, aimed at providing a paperless working environment and to improve the turnaround time considerably.  The initiative is expected to save costs on paper, printing and other administrative expenses.The bank has customised SharePoint, one of the features provided by Microsoft Office.  Indian Bank also unveiled ‘Ind Guru’, an e-learning platform for its employees that offers technology- enabled solutions aimed at capacity building. BRICS Bank approves loans for Mumbai Metro, Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Rapid Rail  The New Development Bank (NDB) of the BRICS countries has approved loan for Mumbai metro and for the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project.  $241 million loan for the Mumbai metro rail-II project will be used for implementing a metro rail line 6 with a length of 14.47 km in Mumbai  A loan of $500 million has been approved for the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS project.

Page | 33 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Punjab National Bank Launches TMSAC portal and 2020 Vigilance Manual As a part of the Vigilance Awareness Week (VAW), the nation’s leading public sector bank, Punjab National Bank (PNB), launched the PNB Tracking & Monitoring Staff Accountability Cases (TMSAC) portal and PNB’s 2020 Vigilance Manual. Banks Sanctions Rs 1.86 Lakh Cr to 50 Lakh MSMEs Under Credit Guarantee Scheme The Finance Ministry said banks have sanctioned loans of about Rs 1.86 lakh crore to 50 lakh business units under the Rs 3-lakh crore Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) for the MSME sector, impacted by slowdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. BFSL, ICSI launch co-branded credit card for Company Secretaries  BOB Financial Solutions Ltd (BFSL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of Baroda (BoB), and the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), have launched an exclusive co-branded credit card for Company Secretaries (CS).  The BoB-ICSI Diamond credit card will bring exclusive benefits and conveniences to Company Secretaries, who are influencers and opinion leaders in their own right, and are contributing in building a modern and Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) India.  The card will offer benefits and conveniences, including 12 free domestic lounge visits, 5X rewards on online spends and utility payments to activation, frequency and milestone-based rewards, and exclusive ICICI Bank has launched a debit card facility for the customers availing the Loan Against Securities (LAS) from the Bank.  ICICI Bank has launched a debit card facility for the customers availing the Loan Against Securities (LAS) from the Bank.  The debit card is available on the Visa platform.  The LAS debit can be used by customers across all domestic merchant establishments to make seamless POS and online transactions like payments on e-commerce portals among others, using their sanctioned LAS amount.  With this launch, ICICI Bank has become the first bank in India to launch such a facility.  ICICI Bank is the first bank in the country to launch the facility after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allowed banks to issue electronic cards to customers who avail an OD facility, which is of the nature of a personal loan with no specific end-use restriction.  The debit card offers a maximum daily transaction limit of ₹3 lakh each for POS and online transactions. PNB launches financial inclusion, literacy initiative Gram Sampark Abhiyan  State-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) launched a financial inclusion and literacy initiative ‘Gram Sampark Abhiyan’ to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.The nationwide campaign was launched by Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar.  The campaign is centred on four key themes -digital, credit, social security and financial literacy that will encapsulate various activities and prescribes the cherished theme of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat.  This campaign will culminate on December 31, 2020 covering 526 districts in 24 states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Odisha, Manipur, Tripura and Telangana. BharatPe launches digital gold on its platform  BharatPe launches digital gold on its platform  A leading merchant payment network, BharatPe has announced the launch of digital gold on its platform.  The launch of this new category of fintech product is in line with the company’s commitment to offering the entire gamut of financial products to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).  BharatPe’s merchants will be able to buy and sell 99.5 per cent pure 24-carat gold. Merchants can choose to buy in rupees or grams, any time of the day and from anywhere, by using the BharatPe app.  To facilitate this, BharatPe has also partnered with Safegold, a digital platform that allows customers to buy, sell and receive vaulted gold.  SafeGold has appointed IDBI Trusteeship Services to protect the interest of merchants with regard to their gold purchases. ICICI Lombard and FreePaycard partner to Offer Bite-sized, convenient health insurance solutions  ICICI Lombard in partnership with Freepaycard, an online pre-paid card trading platform, has launched Group Safeguard Insurance to receive an assured amount in case of any injury or hospitalization for treatment.  The plan will be offered a customized hospitalization product that comes in three variants – Hospital Daily Cash Benefit, Death Benefit, and Special Vector-borne Disease-related Hospitalization Benefit.  The Hospital Daily Cash Benefit will let customers avail sum insured up to Rs 60,000 for a maximum period of 30 days. This option can be availed at Rs 699 for a 1-year tenure.

34 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 The second cover, Death Benefit or the Personal Accident Cover for 1-year at Rs 699 for a sum insured of Rs 10 lakhs in case of accidental death of the insured or permanent total disablement, and Rs 90,000 for parental care in case of the insured’s accidental death or permanent total disablement.  The Special Vector-borne Disease-related Hospitalization cover comes at Rs 379 for a year for a sum insured of Rs 75,000, which is paid on hospitalization due to any of the covered vector-borne disease or malaria. These include dengue, chikungunya, kala-azar, Japanese encephalitis, and filariasis. However, a minimum of 48 hours of hospitalization is required for the insured to be eligible for the claim.

FINANCIAL NEWS NPCI launches “Rupay Festive Carnival”  The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) launched ‘RuPay Festive Carnival’.  The ‘RuPay Festive Carnival’ will give compelling advantage and interesting discounts to RuPay users.  It aimed at contactless, motivating safe and cashless payments. Income tax return filing deadline for FY20 extended till December 31  The deadline for filing returns by individual taxpayers for FY 2019-20 has been extended by a month till December 31,2020.  For those taxpayers whose accounts need to be audited, the Income-Tax Return filing deadline has been extended by two months till January 31, 2021. Finance Ministry releases Rs. 6,000 crore to states to address shortfall in GST revenue  The Centre has borrowed and transferred Rs 6,000 crore as the first tranche of GST compensation shortfall to 16 states and two union territories.  The finance ministry said that the Centre would borrow from the market to pay the GST compensation shortfall of Rs 1.1 lakh crore to states, and then act as an intermediary to arrange back-to-back loans to state governments.  The ministry said the government of India has evolved a special borrowing window to address the shortfall in the GST collection during the year 2020-2021. Twenty-one states and two union territories opted for this special window involving back-to-back borrowing coordinated by the Ministry of Finance.  Out of these, five states did not have any shortfall on account of GST compensation.  21 States and two Union Territories opted for this special window involving back-to-back borrowing coordinated by the Ministry of Finance.  The borrowing is at an interest rate of 5.19 per cent and tenor of borrowing is expected to be broadly in the range of 3 to 5 years NBFCs approach RBI for inclusion as beneficiaries to on-tap TLTRO  Non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) have written to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to include them as beneficiaries for availing funds under on tap targeted long-term repo operations (TLTRO) scheme.  To ensure comfortable liquidity conditions in the system, the RBI on October 9 announced to conduct on tap TLTRO worth Rs 1 lakh crore.  The central bank had said the liquidity availed by banks under the scheme has to be deployed in corporate bonds, commercial papers and non-convertible debentures issued by the entities in specific sectors. Banks can also use the funds to extend credit to these specific sectors.  The central bank made sectors such as agriculture agri-infrastructure, secured retail, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and drugs, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, eligible for deployment of funds availed under on tap TLTRO.  In a letter written to RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, Finance Industry Development Council (FIDC), a representative body of (NBFCs), said while sections including agriculture, MSME and retail are covered, NBFCs have not been included as a sector which could avail funds under the on tap TLTRO scheme.  Allowing banks to permit NBFCs to access these (on tap TLTRO) funds for the targeted lending to the desired segments of the economy would significantly facilitate achievement of the RBI's objective of launching this truly remarkable scheme.  The industry body also suggested to carve out a part of the on tap TLTRO funds for the NBFCs including small NBFCs to avail of loans from banks for the purposes of on-lending to the desired sectors only.  The on tap TLTRO scheme will remain operational from October 22, 2020 till March 31, 2021. IRDAI asks life insurers to launch ‘Saral Jeevan Bima’ scheme by Jan 1  Regulator IRDAI asked life insurance companies to launch a standard term insurance policy ‘Saral Jeevan Bima’ by January 1, 2021 to help customers take informed decisions.  The Saral Jeevan Bima will be a pure term life insurance product that can be purchased by people in the age group of 18 to 65 years and will have a policy term of 4 to 40 years, guidelines issued by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) said.

Page | 35 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 The sum assured for the term life insurance policy will range from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh (in multiples of Rs 50,000) GST compensation: Centre to borrow ₹1.1 lakh crore to meet shortfall  The central government will borrow ₹1.1 lakh crore under the special window to meet the shortfall of Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation.  The amount borrowed will be passed on to the states as "back-to-back loan in lieu of GST compensation cess" releases.  The total shortfall in collection of GST estimated at ₹2.35 lakh crore. Out of the total shortfall, ₹1.1 lakh crore is on account of GST shortfall.  the Centre presented two options before states to meet the GST shortfall. The two options before states were — 1) A special window can be provided to the states, in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, at a reasonable interest rate for borrowing of ₹1.1 lakh crore. The amount can be repaid after five years (of GST implementation) ending 2022 from cess collection. 2) The second option is to borrow the entire ₹2.35 lakh crore shortfall under the special window. FM launches Indian Bank's business mentoring programme for MSMEs  Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched 'MSME Prerana', an online business mentoring programme for MSMEs by state-run Indian Bank. The programme, to be made available in local languages, is aimed at empowering entrepreneurs through skill development and capacity building workshops.  The initiative was launched by the finance minister at the bank's corporate centre in Chennai.  The programme has been launched in collaboration with Poornatha & Co, a firm that designs Entrepreneurial Development Programmes in vernacular using online web-based interactive sessions and case studies. Interest subvention on MSME loans extended till end of March 2021  The 2% interest subvention scheme for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) on loans has been extended till March 31  The government had announced the 'Interest Subvention Scheme for MSMEs 2018' in November 2018 for scheduled commercial banks for two financial years 2018-19 and 2019-20. It has been extended for the financial year 2020-21.  Co-operative banks also became as eligible lending institutions effective from March 3, 2020.  Earlier an entity needed to have a valid UAN (Udyog Aadhaar Number) and a valid GSTN Number to be eligible to receive the benefits. But now the government has removed the necessity of UAN for those that are eligible for GST. Also, if GST is not required for an entity, they can submit their Income Tax PAN. If not, then they need to have their loan account recognised as an MSME by the financial institutions.  The scheme provides for an interest relief of two per cent per annum to eligible MSMEs on their outstanding fresh/incremental term loan/working capital during the period of its validity. The coverage of the Scheme is limited to all term loans / working capital to the extent of ₹100 lakh.  MSMEs already availing interest subvention under any of the Schemes of the State / Central Govt. will not be eligible under the proposed Scheme. CBDT Extends Deadline for filing ITR for assessment year 2019-20 to November 30  The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has once again extended the last date for filing income tax returns (ITR) for assessment year 2019-20, (financial year 2018-19).  The new deadline is 30 November 2020. Earlier the last date for filing the ITR of the year concerned was September 30. SEBI revamps mutual fund riskometer, renames dividend option  The market regulator SEBI has modified certain mutual funds rules to make them more transparent,investor friendly and to make debt funds safer. These new rules will be applicable from January 2021.  SEBI has introduced detailed guidelines for determining the place of a mutual fund on its riskometer tool. The new system introduces a fresh category of ‘very high’ risk.  Risk-o-meter shall be evaluated on a monthly basis and AMCs shall disclose the Risk-o-meter along with portfolio disclosure for all their schemes on their website and on AMFI website within 10 days from the close of each month.  Mutual Funds also have to publish a history of riskometer changes every year.  It has been decided that in respect of purchase of units of mutual fund schemes (except liquid and overnight schemes), closing NAV(Net Asset Value) of the day shall be applicable on which the funds are available for utilization irrespective of the size and time of receipt of such application.  Under current rules, the NAV of the same day is considered for purchases of less than ₹2 lakh, even if the money does not reach the asset management company (AMC), but the order is placed within the cut-off time.

36 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 SEBI has tweaked the portfolio allocation rules for multi cap equity mutual fund schemes recently.  According to the new rules, multi cap mutual funds will have to invest at least 75% in equities. At present the minimum equity allocation must be 65%.  Also, going forward, these schemes will have to invest at least 25% each in large cap, mid cap and small cap stocks.  SEBI introduced labelling norms for the dividend options of mutual funds which will come into effect from 1st April 2021. Under the new norms, mutual funds will have to rename dividend options as income distribution cum capital withdrawal effective April 1, 2021.

MOU AND AGREEMENT Microsoft and NSDC collaborate to empower 1 lakh underserved young women across India with digital skills Microsoft said it has collaborated with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to impart digital skills to more than one lakh underserved women in India over the next 10 months. HAL, Tech Mahindra ink ₹400 crore contract for 'Project Parivartan' in Bengaluru Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and Tech Mahindra signed a contract worth ₹400 crore for implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to support HAL's 'Project Parivartan'. CSB Bank partners with IIFL Finance for gold loan origination Private-sector lender CSB Bank, formerly Catholic Syrian Bank, said that it has entered into a partnership with non-banking finance company, IIFL Finance (IIFL) for sourcing and managing retail gold loan assets. BPCL ties up with Fino Payments Bank for recharging truck drivers’ fleet cards India-based fuel outlet Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) has partnered with Fino Payments Bank for recharging truck drivers’ fleet cards. Through this partnership, truck drivers in the country can now recharge their BPCL Smartfleet Cards, which are used for fuel payments. BSE inks MoU with ICCI to support SMEs & start-ups in listing on Exchange  Stock exchange BSE has signed an agreement with Inventivepreneur Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ICCI) to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups, and promote their listing on the exchange.  Under the agreement, ICCI will offer assistance to BSE in evaluating SMEs and start-ups for listing on BSE SME board.  ICCI will also help to offer industry connections to respective BSE start-ups globally and support entrepreneurship nationwide through knowledge transmission on government announced programs, acceleration fund, international presence and global business relations. Acko partners with Finserv MARKETS to offer car and bike insurance General insurance provider Acko has partnered with Finserv MARKETS, a fintech aggregator to offer two and four-wheeler insurance policies. Customers can now buy Acko insurance for their car or bike on the Finserv MARKETS platform by providing basic details. SVC Bank partners with NPCI to launch a digital rewards platform SVC Bank (SVC Co-operative Bank Ltd.), one of the leading Co-operative Banks in the country has tied up with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to launch SVC Rewards Program. BSE joins hands with Telangana govt to help MSMEs raise equity funds Major stock exchange BSE said it has joined hands with the Telangana government, along with GlobalLinker, to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) raise equity funds. The BSE and the commerce and industries department of Telangana, along with GlobalLinker, have signed a memorandum of understanding in this regard, the exchange said in a statement. Tata Motors ties up with HDFC Bank for financing of passenger vehicles Tata Motors said it has collaborated with HDFC Bank for financing of its passenger vehicles.  Through the partnership, the company said it has introduced two new schemes -- 'Gradual Step Up Scheme' and 'TML Flexi Drive Scheme' with an eye on making its products more accessible and driving up sales in the festive season.  The schemes will be available till the end of November 2020 and can be redeemed on the entire new BS-VI range of cars and SUVs along with the company's EV range. Zenpay, RBL Bank join hands to digitalise Salary Accounts for SMEs, MSMEs Zenpay Solutions y announced its partnership with RBL bank and YAP to drive financial inclusion to issue salary cards to its customers across India. IKEA partners Mastercard, Citi to launch Family Credit Card  Citibank India (Citi) and Mastercard jointly announced the launch of ”IKEA Family Credit Card by Citi’‘ to make shopping at the Swedish furnishing company more affordable, convenient and rewarding.

Page | 37 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 The card is available to IKEA family members at ”zero joining fee and zero annual fee’‘ and can be used for purchases made on IKEAs online and offline stores, or anywhere in the world that accepts credit cards. Infosys to acquire Blue Acorn iCi for up to USD 125 million IT services major Infosys said it has inked a pact to acquire Blue Acorn iCi, a digital customer experience, commerce and analytics services provider, for up to $125 million (about Rs 915 crore). Mastercard partners with Signzy for global rollout of video KYC Mastercard, a global technology company in the payments industry, has partnered with Signzy, a RegTech startup based in India, for global rollout of Signzy’s video-based KYC (Know Your Customer) solution for its banking customers.Signzy’s Video KYC solution will enable end-users to complete and submit their KYC application from the safety and security of their homes. Amazon India partners with IRCTC to offer train ticket bookings Amazon India said it had partnered with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to provide their customers with the facility to book reserved train tickets on its platform.For the introductory period, Amazon.in has waived off service and payment gateway transaction charges. Tata Steel & CSIR signs MoU to collaborate for CCUS Tata Steel and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) have signed an MoU to collaborate in the area of Carbon Capture, Utilisation & Storage (CCUS). The MoU has been signed considering the importance of Carbon Capture, Utilisation & Storage (CCUS) in India’s fight against Climate Change and Global Warming, meeting the growing energy demands and building a strong ecosystem to meet commitments under Paris Agreement. BSE inks pact with Yes Bank to empower SMEs India’s leading stock exchange BSE(Bombay stock exchange) has signed a pact with private sector lender Yes Bank to empower the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) listed on the platform. As per te pact, both BSE and Yes Bank will work to empower the SME segment through awareness and knowledge-sharing programmes. RBI allows Maple Group to acquire up to 9.99% in RBL Bank Private sector lender RBL Bank said the Reserve Bank of India has granted its approval to Maple Group to acquire up to a 9.99 percent stake in the bank. Tech giant IBM, Indian Oil Corporation collaborate for digital services Tech giant IBM said it has collaborated with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) to transform the latter’s customer experience using digital tools.Around 12,400 IOCL distributors covering about 130 million consumers can now use the IndianOil One mobile app and portal, developed by IBM Services.

RATING AND SURVEY IMF slashes India's GDP growth forecast to -10.3% in FY21  The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday slashed the growth forecast for India for the second time this year saying that the country’s economy will contract 10.3% in FY21, the third steepest decline after Spain and Italy, and the sharpest fall among emerging markets and developing countries.  This is the second downgrade for India by IMF after it reversed its forecast of 1.9% growth in April to a 4.5% contraction in June for 2020-21.  However, IMF estimates the GDP of India to grow at 8.8 percent in 2021-22.  On the other hand, the Fund expects the world economy to contract by 4.4 percent in 2020. World Bank projects India’s GDP at -9.6% in FY21, 5.4% in FY22 The World Bank in its South Asia Economic Focus report estimated that India’s GDP to contract 9.6% in FY21 (2020-21). Earlier this projection was -3.20% for the same period. The World Bank, however expects the Indian economy to rebound to 5.4% in 2021-22 (FY22). Despite Covid, Indian adults see wealth rise 0.7% in H1-20: Credit Suisse  Wealth per adult in India rose 0.7 per cent to $17,420 at end of June 2020 despite the Covid-19 pandemic bringing life to a near standstill.  Wealth per adult was $17,300 at the end of calendar year 2019, according to Global Wealth Report 2020 by Credit Suisse, released on Thursday. For 2020, Credit Suisse expects average wealth per adult to rise 5-6 per cent from the levels seen in 2019-end, with 2021 expected to see an even stronger growth of 9 per cent.  In terms of wealth per adult, Hong Kong SAR (up $5,880), Taiwan (Chinese Taipei, $8,330), the Netherlands ($16,430) and Switzerland ($23,430) were the main beneficiaries during the first half of 2020. Global trade likely to fall by 7% to 9% in 2020: UNCTAD  The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has said that the value of global trade is set to fall by 7 per cent to 9 per cent in 2020 from the previous year.  United Nations Conference on Trade and Development:  Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland, Head: Mukhisa Kituyi

38 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

FDI in India rises to over 358 billion during 2014-20  The government has said that total Foreign Direct Investment- FDI inflow grew by 55 per cent from 231.37 billion dollar in 2008 to 2014 to over 358 billion dollar in 2014 to 2020.  FDI equity inflow also increased by 57 per cent from around 160 billion dollar during 2008-14 to over 252 billion dollar in 2014-2020. India will be 3rd-largest economy by 2050: Lancet According to a study published in the medical journal LancetIndia is likely to overtake Japan as the third largest economy in the world by 2050 and continue in that position till 2100 The study based 2017 as the reference when India was the seventh largest economy in the world, and forecast that India will emerge as the fourth largest economy by 2030 behind USA, China, Japan and by 2050 it will go onto the third spot and retain it till 2100. Indian spends 3.5% of average daily income on food, New Yorker 0.6%: UN report On an average an Indian spends 3.5% of his/ her daily income for a plate of food as compared to 0.6% by a New Yorker, according to the “Cost of a Plate of Food” report released by the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP). As per the report, the most expensive plate of food is of South Sudan where people on average would have to spend 186% of their daily salary on basic ingredients. In the list that features 36 countries across the globe, India stands at 28th position as per the percentage of money, people would pay on a plate of food compared to their salaries.

FUND AND FINANCIAL ALLOCATION India extends $1 bn credit line to Central Asian countries for priority projects  India extended a $1-billion line of credit to Central Asian countries for priority projects in connectivity, energy, IT and health care, with the move being perceived as part of New Delhi’s efforts to boost its role as a transparent development partner  The line of credit was welcomed by ministers of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan during the second meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue held via video conference under the chairmanship of external affairs minister S Jaishankar. World Bank approves $12 billion to finance virus vaccines The World Bank has approved $12 billion in financing to help developing countries buy and distribute coronavirus vaccines, tests, and treatments, aiming to support the vaccination of up to one billion people. The $12 billion envelop is part of a wider World Bank Group package of up to $160 billion to help developing countries fight the COVID-19 pandemic. USAID announces $3 million to support India's COVID-19 efforts  The US will provide an additional $3 million to India, through its aid agency USAID, for mitigating the spread of Covid-19.  In coordination with the Indian government, USAID is providing these funds to the Partnerships for Affordable Healthcare Access and Longevity (PAHAL) project.  Till now, USAID has provided $5.9 million to assist India in responding to the pandemic.  Through the PAHAL project, USAID will support the National Health Authority in establishing a financing facility that can mobilise resources from the private sector to assist over 20,000 health facilities enrolled under the health scheme Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. ADB and India inks USD 177 million loan for state road improvements in Maharashtra  The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India has signed a loan agreement worth USD 177 million on 19 October 2020, to upgrade 450 km of state highways and major district roads in Maharashtra.  The Government of Maharashtra will contribute $78.99 million equivalent toward the $255.99 million total cost of the project.  Under the project, 2 major district roads and 11 state highways, with combined length of 450 km, will be upgraded to 2-lane standard across seven districts of Maharashtra. India and ADB Sign $300 Million Loan to Develop Rajasthan’s Secondary Towns  The Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved USD 300 million loan for India to finance the Rajasthan Secondary Towns Development Sector Project.  The project aims to provide inclusive and sustainable water supply and sanitation infrastructure and services in 14 secondary towns of the state of Rajasthan to improve the quality of life in these towns, including for the poor and vulnerable.

Page | 39 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

ADB, India sign $270 million loan to improve urban services in 64 Madhya Pradesh small cities The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $270 million loan to develop water supply and integrated stormwater and sewage management infrastructure and strengthen capacities of urban local bodies (ULBs) for improved service delivery in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Exim Bank extends USD 400 million soft loan to Maldives for connectivity project  The Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) on behalf of the Government of India has extended a Line of Credit (LoC) of USD 400 million (about Rs 2,932 crore) to Maldives.  The soft loan will be used for financing Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP) in Maldives, which is the single-largest connectivity and infrastructure project in the island nation.  LoCs or soft loans are concessional loans that are offered at cheap rates. India provides USD 1 million for palestinian refugees  India on Wednesday contributed USD one million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the Near East to support Palestinian refugees who have been facing extreme challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a move hailed by the UN body as "timely help".  The Government of India handed over the contribution cheque to the UN agency through its representative in Palestine, Sunil Kumar.  India increased its annual financial contribution to UNRWA from USD 1.25 million in 2016 to USD 5 million in 2018 and 2019. It had also contributed USD 2 million to the agency in May 2020 which brings the total contribution for this year to USD three million so far. Exim Bank extends $400 mn soft loan to Maldives for connectivity project  India has extended a USD 400 million (about Rs 2,932 crore) soft loan to Maldives through the Exim Bank for undertaking Greater Male’s connectivity project in Maldives.  With the signing of the above agreement, Exim Bank has till date extended three LoCs worth a cumulative USD 1.2 billion to Maldives, on behalf of India. ADB to invest $15 Million in Avaada Energy to expand Renewable Energy Capacity in India  The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will invest $15 million in Avaada Energy Private Limited (AEPL) to help the company to scale up photovoltaic solar energy generation capacity in India.The investment is ADB’s second in AEPL after a first round of $50 million made in April 2019.  ADB is investing the $15 million via its Ordinary Capital Resources and from Leading Asia’s Private Infrastructure Fund (LEAP).  The project will contribute to the Government of India’s strategy to increase the share of renewable energy generation capacity from about 20% in 2018 to 40% by 2030. It reflects ADB’s commitment to provide cumulative climate finance of $80 billion from 2019 to 2030. BRICS Bank Approves Loan worth USD 741 million for Mumbai Metro & Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Rapid Rail  The Shanghai-based New Development Bank (NDB) has approved USD 741 million loan for two projects in India which includes Mumbai Metro and the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) Project.  From the total loan approved by the NDB Board, USD 241 million loan is for the Mumbai Metro Rail II Project.  The fund will be used for the purpose of implementing a metro rail Line 6 with a length of about 14.47 km to improve Mumbai’s transport and traffic conditions by providing a modern metro system, featuring high- capacity, safe and comfortable mode of transport.  Apart from this, the NDB Board has approved a loan of USD 500 million for the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Project.  The National Capital Region Transport Corporation Limited (NCRTC) will use the fund for construction of a rapid rail corridor connecting the National Capital Territory of Delhi with the cities of Ghaziabad and Meerut located in the state of Uttar Pradesh. JBIC signs loan agreements totaling Rs 11,000 crore to support Indian Industry  The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) signed loan agreements totaling about Rs 11,000 crore with the State Bank of India (SBI) and NTPC in support of India’s manufacturing and renewable energy sectors.  The JBIC agreed to provide $1 billion (approx Rs 7,400 crore) to SBI for funding the manufacturing and sales business of suppliers and dealers of Japanese automobile manufacturers as well as for the provision of auto loans for the purchase of Japanese automobiles in India.  The Japanese lender also signed an agreement for financing worth JPY 50 billion (approx Rs 3,500 crore) to state-owned power generation company, NTPC for solar power generation projects and installation of environmental equipment in India.

40 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

CORPORATE BUSINESS AND E-BUSINESS Bond trade platform set for new year launch in India Singapore-based bond exchange, BondEvalue, developed by India-origin entrepreneurs, is targeting to launch a blockchain-platform in the New Year to facilitate investment in bonds by individuals and common man. The RMO allows BondbloX Bond Exchange (BBX), the world’s first blockchain-based bond exchange, to trade globally a wide range of fixed-income securities to the mass markets. TCS surpasses Accenture to become most-valuable IT services firm globally Tata group flagship firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) became the most-valuable information technology (IT) company globally, surpassing rival Accenture for the first time.TCS was valued at $144.73 billion (Rs 10.6 trillion). Accenture is currently valued at $142.4 billion, while IBM’s market cap is $110.5 billion. Paytm to partner with various banks for Co-Branded Credit Digital financial services platform Paytm said it would be partnering with various card issuers to introduce co- branded credit cards, with an aim to issue two million such cards in the next 12-18 months. EarlySalary launches ”Salary Card” powered by RuPay to meet the Rising Demand for Digital Credit India’s largest consumer lending platform, EarlySalary has launched the revolutionary zero-touch digital ‘Salary Card’ powered by RuPay to meet the rising demand for digital credit. The salary card has been launched in collaboration with NPCI to democratize digital payments system. PhonePe launches car and bike insurance on its platform in association with Baja Allianz Flipkart-owned PhonePe launched car and bike insurance products on its platform in association with Bajaj Allianz General Insurance. Google launches ‘Make Small Strong’ initiative in India to help small, local businesses  Technology giant Google has launched a ‘Make Small Strong’ initiative in India to help small and local businesses across the country.  The new initiative launched by Google will be aiming to support those small businesses, Kirana stores, vegetable vendors who have suffered massive loss during the lockdown period which was imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.  The tech giant has noted that it has joined hands with Zoho and Instamojo for this campaign. COMMITTEE AND ITS HEAD Ajay Kumar Bhalla India has set up a screening panel to vet all Chinese foreign investment proposals and those considered “non-controversial” could be approved. More than 100 proposals involving foreign direct investment (FDI) from China are pending. The screening panel is headed by the home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla and has the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) secretary as a member. Ajay Kumar Bhalla The Centre set up a high-level committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to commemorate the 400th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur.Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla will be the member secretary of the high-level committee. Rajiv Kumar A panel constituted by the NITI Aayog will look into introducing reforms in the urban planning education system. The 14-member advisory committee, headed by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar, will review the urban planning education system in India and examine the availability, demand and supply of qualified urban planners in the country. Madhabi Puri Buch Regulator Sebi has constituted a market data advisory committee (MDAC), headed by Madhabi Puri Buch, a whole time member, for effective dissemination of its data for research, decision making and innovations in the financial market. P Umesh The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India(IRDAI) has set up a panel to explore possibility of a basic standard product structure to provide insurance cover for individuals and establishments to manage their cyber risks. The panel, headed by P Umesh, has been asked to study various statutory provisions on information and cybersecurity, and to evaluate critical issues involving legal aspects of transactions in cyber space. Rajiv Gauba The Government of India has constituted a panel of secretaries to streamline the spectrum allocation process and also make the auction of spectrum an annual calendar event.

Page | 41 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

The panel will be headed by the Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba. Madan B Lokur The Supreme Court appointed former justice Madan B Lokur to monitor steps taken to prevent stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh amid rising levels of pollution in the national capital and adjoining regions. The order was passed by an apex court bench headed by Justice SA Bobde while hearing a PIL filed by two environmental activities seeking directions to ensure the implementation of the complete ban on stubble burning. ECI constitutes committee to examine issues concerning expenditure limits Election Commission of India constituted a committee to examine the issues concerning the expenditure limit for candidates for Lok Sabha and assembly polls. The committee is comprised of Harish Kumar, Ex. IRS and DG (Investigation), Umesh Sinha, Secretary- General and DG (Expenditure). RBI approves appointment of committee of directors (CoD) to run Dhanlaxmi Bank till appointment of CEO The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved a three-member interim committee of directors (CoD), to run the private sector lender, Dhanlaxmi Bank, in the capacity of the Managing Director & CEO till a new MD & CEO takes charge The committee of directors (CoD) has G Subramonia Iyer as its Chairman, while G Rajagopalan Nair and P K Vijayakumar are its other two members. However, RBI has approved this interim arrangement for only four months, within which the bank will have to complete the process of identification and appointment of a new Managing Director & CEO STATE NEWS ANDHRA PRADESH Andhra Pradesh CM launches ‘YSR BIMA’ insurance scheme for BPL families  The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched ‘YSR Bima’, a scheme to provide financial assistance through insurance cover to beneficiary in case of death or accident of their families members.  All families with white ration cards are eligible for YSR Bima scheme. Village/ward volunteers will visit the families and enrol the names of the primary householders.  The scheme will benefit 1.41 crore BPL families of the state.  Category wise insurance amount coverage under the scheme:  Accidental death and total permanent disability for people aged between 18-50 years – Rs 5 lakh  Accidental death and total permanent disability for people aged between 51-70 years – Rs 3 lakh  Natural death cases (18-50 years) – Rs 2 lakh  Partial permanent disability in an accident case (18-70 years) – Rs 1.5 lakh  The claim amount will be directly credited into the beneficiary bank account within 15 days of making the claim.  Apart from this, immediate assistance of Rs 10,000 will be provided to the families through village and ward secretariats.  An amount of Rs 510 crore would be paid by the state government annually as insurance premium for this scheme.  This will also make Andhra Pradesh as the first state in the country to single-handedly fund the insurance scheme. Andhra Pradesh CM launches Jagananna Vidya Kanuka’ scheme to distribute school kits  Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched a new scheme named the ‘Jagananna Vidya Kanuka’ scheme to distribute school kits among the poor children of the state.  The state shall spend around Rs 650 crore towards the scheme.  Under this scheme, the government school students from classes 1 to 10 across the state will get the school kits or Vidya Kanuka, which will contain three pairs of uniform, one pair of shoes, two pairs of socks, a belt, one set of textbooks and notebooks and one school bag.  42,34,322 kits will be distributed across the state under the scheme. Indian Navy Helicopters Undertake Aerial Seeding Initiative at Visakhapatnam  With an aim to enhance the green cover in and around Visakhapatnam, the Indian Navy has partnered with Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) to undertake Aerial Seeding at Visakhapatnam.

42 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 The aerial seeding programme was inaugurated on 2nd October 2020 at INS Dega at Visakhapatnam by Rajya Sabha MP V Vijayasai Reddy and Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain.  Aerial seeding is a technique in which seeds are sown aerially with the help of drones or helicopter.  Two UH3H helicopters will be used for this operation.  The Naval helicopters will be airdropping 50,000 seed balls weighing approx. 6.25 tonnes in five locations around Visakhapatnam covering an area of nearly 200 acres which are inaccessible by road. Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy along with Union ministers launch door delivery of fertilizers to farmers  Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy along with Union Ministers launched the door delivery of fertilisers to farmers, PoS (Point of sale) version, and SMS gateway from Rythu Bharosa Kendras.  The State government introduced Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs) to assist farmers in every step from the purchase of seed to sale of their produce, which acts as a one-stop destination to address all the needs of farmers across the state.

ARUNACHAL PRADESH Arunachal Pradesh builds a war memorial at Bum La A war memorial has come up in at Bum La in Arunachal Pradesh. Joginder Singh of 1st Battalion the Sikh Regt received the highest gallantry award, ‘Param Vir Chakra’ in the Eastern Theatre during the 1962 Sino- India War. Indian Army organised the Inauguration Ceremony of Joginder War Memorial at Bum La on October 23 coinciding with the day on which the Battle of Tongpen La (Bum La) took place in 1962. Centre extends ESI Scheme to Arunachal Pradesh from Nov 1  In its continuous endeavor to cover more workers under ESI Scheme, the Centre has extended the Employees’ State Insurance, ESI Scheme to Arunachal Pradesh from 1st of next month.  A notification to this effect has been issued by the Central Government for notifying the district of Papum Pare, under the ESI Scheme.  All factories located in the district of Papum Pare employing 10 or more persons will become eligible for coverage under ESI Act 1948. Arunachal Pradesh to feature on country’s aviation map with Greenfield Airport at Hollongi Airports Authority of India has undertaken the work of constructing a Greenfield Airport at Hollongi, 15 Kms from Itanagar. With an estimated cost of Rs.650 cr the project includes the development work especially construction of airport pavements, air side work, terminal building, and city side works. With an area of 4100 sqm, the new domestic terminal building of the Hollongi Airport will be able to handle 200 passengers during peak hours. Rajnath Singh Lays Foundation Stone for Nechiphu Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone for the strategically important Nechiphu tunnel at West Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh via video conferencing.  The 450m-long tunnel, which will bypass the existing road, will be D-shaped and comprise two lanes of 3.5m width each. Another 1.8 km-long tunnel is also being constructed on the BCT road and both will reduce the distance to the area bordering China by 10km.  Defence Minister total inaugurated 44 BRO-made bridges across 7 Border States of the country.

ASSAM Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal launches Kritagyata portal for online pension submission and tracking  Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched a web portal named ‘Kritagyata’, an online pension submission and tracking system to help the pensioners of the state to dispose their pension related claims.  The retired government employee can submit the pension related papers on line as well as check the status of his pension.  The portal has been created in line with the ‘Bhabhisya’ portal of Government of India.  Initially, the Kritagyata portal has been launched as pilot project for the teachers and employees under Inspector of Schools of Kamrup Metropolitan district,Now it will be replicated to all government employees of the state in all districts in phases. Sarbananda Sonowal lays foundation stone for Assam Agar International Trade Centre Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stone of Assam Agar International Trade Centre, which is the first of its kind in the country at Dabidubi in Golaghat district.]

Page | 43 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Kati Bihu festival celebrated in Assam  Kati Bihu is celebrated in Assam and is one of the three Bihu festivals. The Kati Bihu is also called as Kangali Bihu, the festival of the poor.There are three different types of Bihu festivals namely Bohag Bihu, Kati Bihu and Bhogali Bihu.  Bohag Bihu is the most popular Bihu celebrates the beginning of the Assamese New Year and the arriving of spring.  Bhogali Bihu is also known as Magh Bihu. It is originated from the word ‘Bhog’ that is eating and enjoyment. It celebrated in Mid-January. It is a harvest festival. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari lays foundation stone of India’s first multi-modal logistic park in Assam  The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari virtually laid the foundation stone for the first-ever multi-modal logistic park of India, at Jogighopa, in Bongaigaon district of Assam.  The overall cost of this project is around Rs 693.97 and is being developed under the Bharatmala Pariyojana of the Central Government.  The logistic park will provide direct connectivity to air, road, rail and waterways to the people of Assam and other parts of North East. Assam CM launches app to promote buyer-seller network for farmers  Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched a mobile app ''Kisan Rath'' to facilitate timely sale of agriculture products, particularly fruits and vegetables, by promoting buyer-seller network.  The app was developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).  The ''Kisan Rath'' app would connect more than 10,000 farmers, 50 farmer producer organisations and 1,000 verified agricultural traders. Assam CM launches schemes to empower economically challenged women  Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in a bid to empower economically deprived women in the state launched a "Swa-nirbhar Naari: Atmanirbhar Asom".  The scheme aims to create more than 3.72 lakh sustainable individuals and over 800 communities. Further, the scheme will also benefit around 4 lakh families in the first phase of MGNREGA with the convergence of schemes of various state government departments and missions.

CHHATTISGARH Chhattisgarh government launches ‘Tech for Tribals’ scheme The Tribal Affairs Ministry launched an initiative that focuses on imparting entrepreneurship and business skills to tribals in Chhattisgarh.The initiative, Tech For Tribals, was launched in association with Chhattisgarh MFP Federation and IIT, Kanpur.

DELHI Delhi CM Kejriwal to launch ‘Green Delhi’ mobile app to check air pollution  Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will launch “Green Delhi” mobile application, which will enable people to register complaints about violation of anti-pollution norms.  The mobile app is a part of the Delhi government’s “Yudh Pradushan Ke Virudh” campaign, announced by Kejriwal on October 6, to reduce pollution levels in the national capital. Delhi CM Kejriwal launches ‘Red light On, Gaadi off’ campaign to curb air pollution Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal launched a new anti-pollution campaign under which people will be encouraged to switch engines of their vehicles off while waiting at traffic signals. The ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ campaign will aim to bring a behavioural change in that regard. It will help reduce air pollution. Delhi Government becomes first to launch Tree Transplantation Policy  Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has passed a first-of-its-kind in India ‘Tree Transplantation Policy’ to preserve trees for clean and green Delhi.  As per this policy, the trees which needs be felled due to any circumstances, like for constructions and other development projects, would not be cut but instead uprooted and transplanted somewhere else.  Atleast 80 percent of the total number of trees to be felled for any construction/development project, must be transplanted to other location.  Additionally, compensatory plantation of 10 saplings for each tree, as being followed currently, will continue.  This policy however, will not apply if 10 or less trees are to be felled.  Also, the transplantation agency will need to ensure that 80 percent of transplanted trees survive, following which only they will receive the payments.

44 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Dr Harsh Vardhan Inaugurates DBT-BIRAC Clean Tech Demo Park In Delhi  Union Minister for Science and Technology Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the “DBT-BIRAC Clean Tech Demo Park” at Barapullah drain site, near Sundial Park, Sarai Kale Khan, New Delhi in a virtual event.  Clean Tech Demo Park at Barapullah drain site is a Department of Biotechnology (DBT) initiative that will demonstrate innovative waste-to-value technologies.  This park will be managed by the Clean Energy International Incubation Centre (CEIIC), a public-private- partnership incubator set up jointly by DBT, BIRAC and Tata Power. CM Kejriwal announces campaign against pollution-‘Yudh Pradushan Ke Virudh’ Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched a mega anti-air pollution campaign, saying polluted air can be life threatening in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the campaign “Yudh Pradushan ke Virudh”, separate plans have been prepared for each of the 13 pollution hotspots in the city.

GOA World Bank sanctions Rs 3 crore for Goa to develop India’s first sand dune parks  Goa, the beach state is all set to have India’s first sand dune park.  The World Bank accepted the proposal of the Biodiversity Board of the state and has sanctioned a sum of Rs 3 crore for the project. Sand dunes are geological deposits formed by the action of wind. Goa becomes India’s first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ State by providing tap water connection to every rural household  As per the data provided by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Goa has become the first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ State in the country by providing tap water connection to every rural household.  The state provided tap water connection to 2 lakh 30 thousand rural households in all the 191 Gram Panchayats of the state. Goa Govt ties up with India Post to get farmers enrolled in PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme In the country’s first and unique drive, the Goa Agriculture department has collaborated with the Postal Department to enroll 11,000 farmers, eligible to avail the benefit of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PM-KISAN), under which small and marginal farmers get up to Rs 6,000 per year as minimum income support. Three equal installments of Rs 2,000 each every four months are transferred into the farmers account. Goa Govt Releases ‘Aatmanirbhar’ Plan To Support Farmers The Goa government released an action plan to support agriculture and animal husbandry under its “Aatmanirbhar” programme.The government has announced a series of initiatives under the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Swayampoorna Goa programme’ (ABSGP) including promoting dairy and poultry farming. Goa launches ‘DISHTAVO’ YouTube channel for e-learning in higher education  Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant launched DISHTAVO(Digital Integrated System for Holistic Teaching And Virtual Orientations), an online learning platform involving YouTube channel, which is first of its kind initiative in the country.  DISHTAVO is a comprehensive and holistic program to create e-content in the form of video lectures of syllabus pertaining to the colleges affiliated to the Goa University.

GUJARAT Surat becomes the city with the longest BRTS corridor in the country  Chief Minister Vijaybhai Rupani virtually unveiled projects worth Rs 201.6 crore of Surat Manpa and Suda, including the expansion of BRTS(Bus rapid transit System) Corridor. With this, Surat became the city with the longest BRTS corridor in the country.  After the unveiling of the seven km long BRTS corridor from Kumbharia to Kadodara, the BRTS corridor in the city has become 108 running km. Gujarat to launch ‘Digital Seva Setu’ to offer public welfare services online in rural areas  The state government of Gujarat has announced a ‘Digital Seva Setu’ programme to ensure optimum utilisation of technology for public welfare in rural areas.  The program has been initiated under the Centre’s BharatNet Project  Under the ‘Digital Seva Setu’ program, public welfare services will be made available in all the 14,000 gram panchayats in the state by connecting village panchayats through optical fiber network. Gujarat to get country’s first two Organic Spices Seed parks  The Gujarat Chief Minister released the sanction letters to two farmer producer organisations (FPOs) for a NABARD-supported Organic Spices Seed Park for saunf (fennel seed) in the Banaskantha district and jeera (cumin seed) in Patan for promotion of organic seed value chain of the spices.

Page | 45 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 A total of Rs.23 lakh in grant assistance has been accorded to both the parks, which will have 50 farmers each. Once ready, the specialised institutions will the collect seeds, which will be sent for testing on quality control. Gujarat inks MoU with Denmark in water sector  The Government of Gujarat has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Denmark in water sector.  The MoU was signed through online interactive platform between the Gujarat government arm ‘Gujarat Water Supply and Sewerage Board’ and ‘Deanish Water Forum’. PM Modi inaugurates Sardar Patel Zoological Park & Arogya Van in Gujarat  Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Gujarat, inaugurated as many as 17 new projects including new tourist attractions near the Statue of Unity at Kevadiya in Narmada district.  Modi first inaugurated Arogya Van (health forest”), spread over 17 acres with a wide range of medicinal plants.He also inaugurated a Children Nutrition Park, dubbed as the world”s first such technology-driven theme park developed over 35,000 square meters. Its primary objective is to make children understand the importance of nutritious food.  Modi then inaugurated Jungle Safari, a state-of-the- art Zoological Park spread across 375 acres and seven levels.  The PM then inaugurated Ekta Cruise”, a ferry boat service which would cover the distance of 6 km from Shrestha Bharat Bhavan to the Statue of Unity within 40 minutes.  Other projects inaugurated by the PM included a navigation channel in Narmada river to facilitate boating, Garudeshwar weir downstream on the river, a new bridge across the river near Gora village, a bus bay terminus, home-stay facility for tourists and eco-tourism project near Khalwani village.  Late in the evening, the PM inaugurated the Unity Glow Garden, the first of its kind in India, developed in 3.61 acres with a glimmering array of illuminated installations.  Lastly, Modi inaugurated the Cactus Garden spread in 25 acres on the opposite bank of the river. It is home to more than 450 species with a total of 6 lakh plants.

HARYANA Haryana Government launches a Water Testing Lab On Wheels  Haryana Chief Minister (CM) Manohar Lal Khattar launched a Rs 99-lakh state-of the art-Mobile-Water Testing Laboratory Van to determine the quality of potable water.  This initiative has been launched under the Jal Jeevan Mission for providing tap water connection to every rural household.  Under the Jal Jeevan Mission of the Ministry of Jal Shakti aims to provide tap water connection to every rural home by 2024.

HIMACHAL PRADESH Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh bags top position for implementation of PMGSY  The Union Ministry of Rural Development has declared the list of top performing 30 districts in the country for implementing the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).  The Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh has bagged top position in the list for successful implementation of PMGSY programme.  Total 8 district from Himachal Pradesh have figured in the list. The other districts are Chamba, Shimla, Kangra, Una, Sirmour, Hamirpur and Solan. Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar launches Gram Darshan  Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar digitally launched ‘Gram Darshan’, which will allow accessibility to data of development projects of 6,197 gram panchayats of the state.  With the launch of Gram Darshan, the details of the completed, ongoing and required development projects of every village in Haryana will be digitally available.

JAMMU AND KASHMIR J&K becomes first UT to launch Public Financial Management System at district level The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has become the first UT in the country to operationalize Public Financial Management System (PFMS) at the district level with e-inauguration of eight district offices by Additional Controller General of Accounts, Subodh Kumar Mathur. J&K Govt inks MoU with Flipkart to provide platform for local artisans, craftsmen, weavers to reach customers worldwide

46 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

The JK Government signed an historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with online store Flipkart to provide a platform for local artisans, craftsmen, weavers to reach customers across the globe. J&K LG Manoj Sinha launches ‘My Town My Pride’ Campaign to provide doorstep governance in urban areas In Jammu and Kashmir, the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has announced an initiative called ‘My Town My Pride’ to provide governance at the doorstep in urban areas. This programme is in line with the “Back to Village programme” launched for rural population. The two-day long programme will be held on 19th and 20th October 2020.

KARNATAKA Karnataka govt gives nod to switch implementing agency for Bhagyalakshmi scheme  The Karnataka cabinet granted approval to implement the Bhagyalakshmi scheme, which provides financial security to girl child of BPL families, through Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana of the postal department instead of LIC.  The postal department will be the implementing agency for Bhagyalakshmi scheme, one of the flagship schemes of the Yediyurappa-led BJP government in the state.  Under this scheme, a girl child belonging to below poverty line (BPL) families is eligible to receive Rs one lakh after completing 18 years of age. The scheme is aimed at elevating the status of a girl child in the family and society. Re-designing and implementing the Bhagyalakshmi scheme will not result in any loss to the beneficiary.

KERALA Kerala becomes the first state to fix floor price for vegetables Kerala became the first state to fix the floor price for vegetables, which would be 20 per cent above the production cost. The scheme would come into effect from November 01, 2020.This was the first time the floor price was being fixed for 16 varieties of vegetables produced in Kerala. Kerala’s first water taxi service launches in backwaters of Alappuzha Kerala’s first water taxi service launched in the backwaters of Alappuzha. The water taxi is set to ferry passengers. Kerala becomes first State of India to go completely digital in the public education sector  Kerala has become the first state in the country to have high-tech classrooms and labs in all its public schools.  All public schools in the state have become smart with high-tech classrooms and high-tech lab.  The project to implement the ‘high-tech school and high-tech lab’ projects was carried out by the Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) with financial assistance from Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KIIFB). Kerala govt sets up welfare board for farmers  In a first in the country, the Kerala government has decided to form a Welfare Fund Board for the uplift of farmers in the state.  The state cabinet decided to set up the board to be known as 'Kerala Karshaka Kshemanidhi Board'.  The cabinet also decided that Dr P Rajendran would be appointed as the chairman of the Kerala Farmers Welfare Fund Board.  For the farmers to become a member of the Board, they need to pay Rs 100 as registration fee and a monthly fee of Rs 100.  Farmers can pay the monthlyfee together for six months or one year. The government will provide an equivalent share of upto Rs 250 to the members of the Welfare Fund.  The Board members are entitled to personal pension, family pension, sickness benefit, disability benefit, medical assistance, marriage and maternity allowance, education assistance and posthumous benefits.  As per the Act, a farmer is an owner, licencee, sole proprietor, oral tenant, government land leaseholder who owns not less than 5 cents and not more than 15 acres, with an annual income of less than Rs five lakh.

LADAKH LG R K Mathur flags off Ultimate Ladakh Cycling Challenge In Leh, Ladakh Lieutenant Governor R. K. Mathur flagged off Ultimate Ladakh Cycling Challenge. At an altitude of over 17 thousand feet this is one of the toughest cycling challenges in the world. Ladakh LG launches 100-day campaign to provide potable water supply in schools, anganwadi centres  In Kargil, Ladakh Lieutenant Governor, R K Mathur launched a 100 day campaign to provide assured potable water supply to schools and anganwadi centres. He also inaugurated drinking water quality testing labs for the general public under the Jal Jeevan Mission’s (JJM) Har Ghar Jal project.

Page | 47 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 In a virtual programme in Kargil, Mr Mathur also launched the field test kits (FTKs) training to Panchayats for drinking water quality testing. Union Cabinet approves Rs 520 crore package under NRLM for J&K and Ladakh  The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a special package of Rs 520 crore for the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh under the National Rural Livelihood Mission.  This special package has been approved for a period of five years till the financial year 2023-24.  The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) will ensure sufficient funds to both the Union Territories with the aim to eliminate rural poverty and improved access to financial services.

MADHYA PRADESH PPL tournament to be played in Indore to free city from single use plastic On the lines of IPL cricket, a unique Plastic Premier League (PPL) tournament is being played in Indore, Madhya Pradesh to free the city from single use plastic.

MAHARASHTRA Maharashtra’s Women & Child welfare dept launches initiative to fulfill nutritional requirements of lactating mothers & children  Yashomati Thakur, the Maharashtra’s Women and Child welfare minister inaugurated the platform named ‘ TARANG SUPOSHIT MAHARASHTRACHA. ’ It is built on an interactive voice response system.  Maharashtra ranked first in the recently ended ‘Poshan Mah’ programme in the India.  ‘Poshan Mah’ (nutrition month) is observed in the month of September all over India. It is observed to ensure nutritional changes at the grassroots level. It is also celebrated to obtain the targets laid down under the ‘Poshan Abhiyan’ or the National Nutrition Mission (NNM).

MIZORAM Mizoram to observe ‘COVID-19 – No Tolerance Fortnight’ from Oct 26  In Mizoram, the state government has decided to observe ‘COVID-19 – No Tolerance Fortnight’ beginning from 26th October as a containment measure to flatten the curve of Covid-19 in the state.  Bengal launches campaign to curb electrocution deaths of elephants  To keep a check on the declining numbers of elephants in the state, the West Bengal government launched marketing campaign to prevent deaths of elephants from electrocution.

MEGHALAYA Meghalaya CM launches ‘micro ATM’ service in rural areas Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has launched the ‘micro ATM’ service in rural areas of the state. He distributed the handheld devices, through which money could be withdrawn, to banking correspondent agents (BCA) . Meghalaya partners with Israel to set up centre of excellence The Meghalaya government has decided to partner with Israel for establishing a Centre of Excellence (CoE) on high-value vegetables in the state in order to improve and promote the livelihood of farmers.

ODISHA Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launches web portals for student scholarships, inter-caste marriage incentives  Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched a dedicated portal to enable meritorious students to apply and avail scholarships within a specified time frame. The new portal will benefit more than 11 lakh students.  The Chief Minister also launched a new portal ‘Sumangal’ to facilitate inter-caste marriage in Odisha. Naveen said that inter-caste marriage brings unity among different castes, strengthens the social fabric of the society, reduces caste discrimination and ensures social equality and peace. ‘Mo Bidyut’ portal & app launched by Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik  The Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has launched an electricity consumer service portal and its mobile app named ‘Mo Bidyut’ to provide efficient, time-bound and transparent online electricity connection service to the people of the State.  The electricity services in the state will now come under Mo Sarkar.

48 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launches Drink from Tap Mission Sujal  Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launched ‘Sujal - Drink from Tap Mission’, to provide quality drinking water, fit for direct consumption from the pipe, to over 15 lakh people in 15 towns.  Rs 1300 crore will be spent by the Government to provide the drink directly from tap quality water to all households in urban areas.  Chief Minister announced that by March, 2021, another 50 towns, and by March, 2022, all 114 urban centres in the State will have 100 per cent piped water connection. Odisha CM Patnaik launches initiative to make Odisha ‘slum-free’ in next 3 years Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched a slum upgradation programme to make the state slum free in three years.The chief minister also dedicated 116 multi-purpose community centres in the slums which would act as the social lifeline of people living there.

PUDUCHERRY Puducherry airport becomes AAI’s first 100% solar-powered airport  The Puducherry airport has become the first airport of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) which is entirely solar-powered.  The 500KWp ground-mounted solar power plant was commissioned on 2nd October 2020. The approx cost of the plant is Rs 2.8 crore.

PUNJAB Second Phase of Urban Environment Improvement Programme launched in Punjab  Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister of Punjab has virtually launched the phase-II of Rs. 11,000 crore Urban Environment Improvement Programme (UIEP). He has launched the programme from Bachat Bhawan, Ludhiana in Punjab.  There will be a canal based water supply in the four major cities of Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala and Amritsar.  The foundation stone to implement the project was laid for Patiala during the launch. The work for all the cities has been launched at Jalandhar. The state government will spend Rs.650 crores for wash of ‘Buddha Nullah” in Ludhinia.  Water supply and sewage works are to be constructed at a cost of Rs.4,000 crore, in many towns of Punjab.  A one-time-settlement scheme was also declared for unresolved VAT (Value Added Tax) assessment to encourage economic activity in urban area. Punjab to launch its own SC post-matric scholarship scheme  The Punjab Cabinet cleared the decks for the state to launch its own Scheduled Caste Post Matric Scholarship Scheme in place of the Centre’s scheme, in order to facilitate students to pursue higher education in government and private institutions.  With this, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announced an increase in income criteria from earlier Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 4 lakh to accommodate more Scheduled Caste (SC) students.  The scheme will be applicable to persons belonging to the SC, who are domiciled in Punjab and have done matriculation from Punjab and Chandigarh.  The total financial implication of the proposal is estimated to be about Rs 600 crore. Of this, the tentative liability of the government institutions would be about Rs 168 crore and the remaining Rs 432 crore would be borne by the private educational institutions and the government.

RAJASTHAN IIT Madras startup launches ‘mooPay’ for dairy farmers in Rajasthan The IIT-Madras incubated dairy-tech startup, “Stellapps” has launched a first-of-its-kind, fully-automated direct payment platform, ‘mooPay’, for dairy farmers in Rajasthan. The Digital technology solutions provider Stellapps is a first of its kind end-to-end dairy technology solutions company of India. It is also one of the technology pioneers of the World Economic Forum (WEF). Rajasthan police launches drive for women’s safety and security  The Rajasthan police launched a campaign ‘AAWAJ’ (Action Against Women-related crime and Awareness for Justice) to spread awareness among woman about the crime against them and to educate them of their rights and ways to secure justice if they end up becoming its victims.  The campaign was launched by Civil Rights and Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the police Rajasthan Launches Toll-free Helpline For Mental Health Services  A toll-free government helpline for mental health ”Mann Samvad” was launched by Health Minister Raghu Sharma in Rajasthan.

Page | 49 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 The helpline 1800-180-0018 launched by the state government to continuously strengthening mental health services during the coronavirus period.

SIKKIM SIFCO begins construction of integrated food processing units in Sikkim In a boost to organic farming and food production in Sikkim, IFFCO’s organic joint venture, Sikkim IFFCO Organics Ltd. or SIFCO, has initiated construction of two integrated food processing units at Rangpo, East Sikkim. The project would be completed by October 2021 at a cost of around 50 crore rupees.

TAMIL NADU Young Advocates Welfare Fund launched in Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy has been launched the Young Advocates Welfare Fund. It provides a monthly financial assistance of three thousand rupees each for two years to the lawyers who just come out of law colleges. Tamil Nadu Government Launches Smart Black Board Scheme in 80,000 Govt schools The state government of Tamil Nadu has launched the Smart Black Board scheme in 80,000 government schools of the state.Under this Smart Black Board scheme, audio visual teaching material would be possible, that can even be fed into the computer screens in classes using widely available pen drives. Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi Palaniswami lays foundation for nine industrial projects worth Rs 10,000 cr  Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami laid the foundation for nine new industrial projects with an investment of Rs 10,062 crore and to provide employment opportunities for around 8,666 people.  He also commissioned commercial production in seven industrial units with an investment of Rs 1,298 crore which provides employment opportunities for 7,879 persons.  The new industries are coming up in the districts of Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur, Dindigul, Thoothukudi, Villupuram, Tirupur, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, and Coimbatore. Tamil Nadu to set up advanced manufacturing hub in partnership with WEF  Guidance, nodal investment promotion and facilitation agency of the state of Tamil Nadu has partnered with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to establish India’s first advanced manufacturing hub (AMHUB) in Tamil Nadu.  The Advanced Manufacturing HUB or AMHUB is one of the 19 platforms designed by the WEF.  This platform focuses on engaging entire regional production ecosystems to identify and address regional opportunities and challenges brought by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) by amplifying regional success stories, sharing best practices & incubating new partnerships.

TELANGANA Telangana CM Chandrasekhar Rao launches ‘Dharani’ Portal  Telangana Chief Minister, K Chandrasekhar Rao has launched the web portal ‘Dharani’ for land and property registrations.  The state government will now undertake all the property transactions, including registrations and mutations, through a web portal.

UTTAR PRADESH UP govt secures first rank in disbursing loans under PM Swanidhi Scheme  Uttar Pradesh govt has secured the 1st rank in central govt's one of the most ambitious schemes - the PM Atmanirbhar Nidhi Scheme (SVANidhi Scheme) by approving the highest number of loans under the scheme in the country.  Uttar Pradesh has ranked first in all the categories – applications, sanctions and disbursements. The scheme was launched on June 1 by the central government to help the street vendors resume their livelihood activities that were impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.  The scheme aims at facilitating working capital loan up to Rs. 10,000 at a subsidised rate of interest, incentivising regular repayment of the loan and to reward digital transactions. The scheme aims at providing benefits to street vendors or hawkers in urban, semi-urban and rural areas.  According to official statistics of UP, loans under Svanidhi scheme would be disbursed to 2.51 lakh beneficiaries by October 27, 2020. UP Govt to establish anti-human trafficking Police Stations in each and every district  Uttar Pradesh Government has decided to establish anti-human trafficking Police Stations in each and every district in a major step towards the security of women and children.

50 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 These Police Stations will be given enough powers to register the case and investigate the matter independently.  The state government is going to establish 40 new anti-trafficking units which will work like police stations in districts and will conduct investigation after registering the cases. UP Governor Anandiben Patel launches women’s safety campaign ‘Safe City Project’ in Lucknow  The Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel inaugurated the ‘Safe City Project’ on 19 October 2020 in Lucknow.  Under this 180-day-long campaign, the women police personnel will work towards strengthening security of women in public places and inculcate a feeling of pride and safety among women in the city.  The Governor also flagged off 100 pink scooties and 10 four-wheeler police vehicles. These vehicles have first-aid kit, flashlights and other facilities.  For this programme, the central government has approved a total cost of Rs 194 crore.  Safe City project to be implemented in 8 selected cities in the first phase, which include Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai.  The total cost sanctioned for the project is Rs. 2919.55 crore, and will be implemented under Nirbhaya Fund to strengthen the security of women in public places.  The cost of the projects will be shared between the Centre and the state in the ratio of 60:40. UP govt decides to set up women help desk in every police station of state  In a major decision related to women security in the state, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister has ordered to establish women help desks in each and every police station of state.  The Chief Minister has also directed the state police force to personally visit the site of crime against women and children and ensure timely investigation.  This decision coincides with the launch of ‘Mission Shakti’ campaign to empower women and sensitise the public towards the security of women and girls. UP CM Launches Hath Dhona, Roke Corona’ On Global Handwashing Day Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister,Yogi Adityanath emphasised upon the sanitation practice of hand washing while launching a ‘Hath dhona, Roke corona’ campaign on the occasion of the Global Handwashing Day(15 October 2020). UP government signs concession agreement with Zurich International Airport for development of Jewar Airport at Noida  The Uttar Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has signed a concessionaire agreement with Zurich Airport International, Switzerland for the development of Jewar Airport in Gautam Budh Nagar, Noida.  The agreement was signed between the Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL) and the Yamuna International Airport Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle launched by Zurich Airport for project implementation.  The agreement grants the license to Zurich Airport to design, build and operate Noida International Airport for a period of 40 years.  The Jewar Airport (also known as Noida International Greenfield Airport) will be spread over 5,000 hectares, and is estimated to cost Rs 29,560 crore

UTTARAKHAND Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Rawat Launches Integrated Model Agricultural Village Scheme to boost farmers income and productivity  The Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat inaugurated the Integrated Model Agricultural Village scheme (Ekikrit Adarsh Krishi Gram Yojana), with the aim to strengthen the economy of farmers and also help in doubling their income.  The initiative has been launched in partnership with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).  The state government has also enhanced the limit for interest free loan to farmers to Rs 3 lakh from Rs 2 lakh.  NABARD will lend a helping hand to farmers to switch over to mechanised and scientific farming to boost productivity. Uttarakhand Govt launches “Mukhya Mantri Saur Swarojgar Yojana”  Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Trivendra Singh Rawat has launched the “Mukhya Mantri Saur Swarojgar Yojana” at the Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Auditorium in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.  The scheme aims at creating self-employment for nearly 10,000 youths and migrants of the states in the green energy sector.  The state government will allocate solar plants of 25 kilowatts (kw) each to the targeted beneficiaries.

Page | 51 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 The plants will generate 38,000 Units of Electricity per annum which will be bought by Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited for 25 years.

WEST BENGAL DST-IIEST Solar PV Hub inaugurated at Shibpur, WB  The Union Education Minister, Shri Ramesh pokhriyal nishank inaugurated the DST-IIEST Solar PV Hub. The hub was inaugurated at Shibpur in Howrah District of West Bengal .  The funds to develop the hub was allocated by the Department of Science and Technology(DST). It is backed by the centre of excellence for green energy and sensor system located at the IIEST. West Bengal Launches Pathashree Abhijan Scheme To Repair Roads In State  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has launched a new scheme called the Pathashree Abhijan on 01 October 2020.  Pathashree Abhijan is a road repair scheme, under which more than 7,000 stretches of roads comprising 12,000 kilometers across the state will be repaired in a mission mode and in a time-bound manner. NATIONAL NEWS India re-elected as president of International Solar Alliance  The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has informed that India has been re-elected as President while France as the Co-President of International Solar Alliance (ISA) at the virtual meeting of ISA’s 3rd Assembly. The tenure will be for a time period of two years.  The Third Assembly of the ISA was attended by 34 members' ministers. As many as 53 member countries and five signatory and prospective member countries participated in the assembly.  Four new Vice-Presidents to represent four regions of ISA: During the meet, four new Vice-Presidents were also chosen.  The representatives of Fiji and Nauru have been chosen for Asia Pacific Region.  Niger and Mauritius for Africa Region.  The United Kingdom and the Netherlands have been chosen for Europe and other regions.  Cuba and Guyana have been chosen by the assembly for Latin America and the Caribbean Region.  The Assembly also approved the initiatives of the ISA Secretariat in institutionalizing ISA’s engagement with the private and public corporate sector through the Coalition for Sustainable Climate Action (CSCA). Ten public sector organisations in India presented a cheque for 1 million USD each at the assembly  The ISA is an initiative that was launched by the Prime Minister of India and the President of France on November 30, 2015 in Paris on the side-lines of the COP-21.  Membership to the ISA was earlier limited to 121 countries, which were partially or entirely located within the tropics. This membership was later extended to include all 193 members of the United Nations.  ISA is also working on the roadmap for mobilizing $1 trillion by 2030 to finance 1,000 GW solar capacity by 2030.  ISA has also set up ISA CARES, an initiative dedicated to deployment of solar energy in the healthcare sector. India designated Vice-Chair of OECD Working Group on GLP India has been designated the Vice-Chair of the Good Laboratory Practice Working Group of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, recognising the contribution of the Indian GLP programme. Good Laboratory Practice is a quality system, which has been evolved by OECD to ensure that safety data generated on various chemicals like industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, cosmetic products and medical devices can be relied upon by regulatory authorities. PM Modi Launches three key projects in Gujarat Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated three key projects in Gujarat on 24 October 2020. The projects inaugurated includes: Kisan Suryodaya Yojna  The ‘Kisan Suryodaya Yojna’ is an agri scheme which aims to provide power supply during daytime from 5am to 9pm (16 hours) for irrigation purposes to farmers.  The state government has allocated a budget of Rs 3,500 crores for installing transmission infrastructure under this scheme by 2023.  Initially, Dahod, Patan, Mahisagar, Panchmahal, Chhota Udepur, Kheda, Tapi, Valsad, Anand and Gir- Somnath districts have been covered under the scheme for 2020-21. The rest will be included in a phased manner by 2022-23.

52 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

India’s biggest cardiac hospital in Ahmedabad  The Paediatric Heart Hospital was inaugurated at U.N Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre at Civil Hospital campus in Ahmedabad and a Mobile Application for tele-cardiology.  The new facilities have been set up at the cost of Rs 470 crore, and will be India’s biggest hospital for cardiology.  It has increased the existing 450 beds to 1251 beds, 531 cardiac ICU beds, 15 cardiac modular operation theaters and 6 cardiac cath labs. World’s longest temple ropeway project at Girnar in Junagadh  Girnar hill ropeway at Junagadh is Rs 130 crore project. It would attract more tourists and pilgrims to this historical place which will boost employment opportunities.  The 2,320 metres long ropeway has a capacity of carrying 1,000 passengers every hour. Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project approved by Union Cabinet  The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi approved the Phase II and Phase III Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP). These two phases are to be implemented with financial assistance from the World Bank and AIIB (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank).  The project cost is Rs. 10,211 crore. It will be implemented over 10 years in two phases, each of six years with two overlapping years, from April 2021 to March 2031. The share of external funding is Rs.7,000 crore of the total project cost, and balance Rs. 3,211 crore is to be borne by the concerned implementing agencies. Contribution of the Central government is Rs. 1,024 crore as loan liability and Rs.285 crore as counterpart funding for Central Component Third section of National Supercomputing Mission to begin in January 2021  The third phase of the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) will kickstart in January, taking computing speed to around 45 petaflops.  The NSM is rapidly boosting high power computing in the country through its various phases to meet the increasing computational demands of academia, researchers, medium, small and micro enterprises and start-ups in areas like oil exploration, flood prediction as also genomics, and drug discovery.  The Rs 4,500 crore-National Supercomputers Mission (NSM) envisages nearly 50 supercomputers across the country in three phases.  The NSM is collectively steered by the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) and Department of Science and Technology (DST) and applied by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. Two New Ramsar sites designated in India  The Kabartal Wetland in Bihar and Asan Conservation Reserve in Uttrakhand have been designated as Ramsar sites, building them ‘Wetlands of International Importance’.  Kabartal Wetland also called as Kanwar Jheel. It protects the 2,620 hectares of the Indo-Gangetic plains in the Begusarai district of Bihar.  Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty affect in 1971 within the Iranian city of Ramsar, on the southern shore of the Caspian. It came into effect for India on 1st February, 1982. The wetlands which are of international importance are proclaim as Ramsar sites. RPF launches ‘Meri Saheli’ initiative in Amaravathi Express between Vijayawada-Hubli As per the directives of Railway Board, the staff of Railway Protection Force in Vijayawada Division launched ‘Meri Saheli’ initiative in Train No.07225 Amaravathi Express between Vijayawada-Hubli.The main motto of this ‘Meri Saheli’ initiative is to provide a safe and secure environment to lady passengers travelling in trains throughout their journey. CBSE introduces 'Facial Recognition System' for accessing digital documents  The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has introduced “Facial Recognition System” for accessing digital documents.  Using the state of the art facial recognition system (FRS), the Board will enable students, to download their digital academic documents of class X and XII.  This computer application matches human face from a digital image already stored in the database. The computer and the human interact to map the facial features. In a similar way, a live image of the student will be matched with the photograph on the CBSE admit card already stored in repository, and once successful, the certificate will be emailed to the student. This application is now available on “Parniaam Manjusha” and Digi Locker at https://digilocker.gov.in/cbse-certificate.html for all 2020 records. Prime Minister Modi dedicates to the Nation the Atal Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh  The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation Atal Tunnel , on 3rd October 2020.  Atal Tunnel is world’s longest highway tunnel above 10,000 feet from the Mean Sea Level (MSL).

Page | 53 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 The tunnel has been named after former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.  Atal tunnel has been built, by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), under the Rohtang Pass in the eastern Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas on the Leh-Manali Highway in Himachal Pradesh.  The total length of the tunnel is 9.02 km, and at an elevation of 3,100 metres (10,171 ft).  The overall cost of completion of the project is around Rs. 3200 crore. API integration between PM SVANidhi, SBI portal launched  The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs will integrate the application programming interface (API) between SVANidhi portal and various banks to expedite loan sanctioning and disbursement process under Modi government’s PM SVANidhi scheme for nano entrepreneurs.  To begin with, the ministry launched the API integration between the PM SVANidhi portal and SBI’s eMudra portal. Ministry would perform similar integration with other banks as well for which a consultative meeting will be held shortly. PM SVANidhi Scheme  The scheme was launched by MoHUA on June 1, 2020, to provide affordable working capital loan to street vendors to resume their livelihoods which have been badly affected due to the COVID-19 lockdown.  Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) is the implementing agency for the scheme administration.  It targets to benefit over 50 lakh Street Vendors who are in this work on or before 24 March 2020, in urban areas that include those from surrounding peri-urban/ rural areas.  A working capital loan of up to Rs. 10,000 can be availed. It is to be repaid in monthly instalments over a period of one year. ‘Sunidhi’ project launched to digitise Coal Mines Provident Fund Organisation services  The government announced the launch of an ambitious information technology project ‘Sunidhi’ to digitise all provident fund and pension related activities of the Coal Mines Provident Fund Organisation (CMPFO).  The Sunidhi module was inaugurated by settling the provident fund and pension dues of three retired employees of Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL).  This software application is running from its data centre at Hyderabad in sync with the Disaster Recovery Centre at Bhubaneshwar.CMPFO, a statutory body under the coal ministry, administers different schemes of provident fund, pension and deposit linked insurance for coal mine workers. Tamil Nadu & Arunachal Pradesh integrated under One Nation One Ration Card Scheme  Two more States, Tamil Nadu and Arunachal Pradesh have been integrated with existing national portability cluster of 26 States and UTs under One Nation One Ration Card.  With this, a total of 28 States and UTs are now seamlessly connected with each other under the ‘ One Nation One Ration Card plan’, which aims to provide an option to all NFSA beneficiaries. MoHUA enters into MoU with Swiggy to take street food vendors online under PM SVANIDHI scheme  The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has entered into an MoU with Swiggy, one of the leading food delivery platforms, to onboard street food vendors on its e-commerce platform under the Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNibhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme.  The PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on June 01, 2020 for providing affordable Working Capital loan to street vendors to resume their livelihoodsthat have been adversely affected due to Covid-19 lockdown.The duration of the scheme is until March 2022.  This scheme targets to benefit over 50 lakh Street Vendors. Scheme Benefits  Vendors can avail a working capital loan of up to Rs. 10,000, which is repayable in monthly instalments in the tenure of one year.  On timely/ early repayment of the loan, an interest subsidy @ 7% per annum will be credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer on quarterly basis.  There will be no penalty on early repayment of loan.  The scheme promotes digital transactions through cash back incentives up to an amount of Rs. 100 per month.  The vendors can avail the facility of escalation of the credit limit on timely/ early repayment of loan.  Implementation agency:-Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) Mumbai-Delhi Expressway to have 5 ‘animal bridges’ for safe passage of wildlife  To offer a safe passage to wildlife on the under-construction Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, five “animal overpasses” on the lines of “ecoducts” in the Netherlands are being planned, a first such effort in the country.  These have been planned to ensure there are no disturbances to the Ranthambore Wildlife Corridor connecting Ranthambhore and Mukundra (Darrah) wildlife sanctuaries in Rajasthan.

54 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Union Cabinet approves norms for Mandatory Packaging in Jute Materials The Union Cabinet approved by PM Modi approved that 20% of sugar and 100% of food grains should be mandatorily packed in jute bags. Union Cabinet approves Mechanism for Procurement of Ethanol  The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi approved the Mechanism for the public sector oil companies to procure ethanol.  Under the new mechanism, the prices of ethanol obtained from sugarcane based raw material has been increased for the forth coming sugar cane season. This is between December 2020 and November 2021.  The Oil Marketing Companies were selling petrol blended with ethanol under Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme. This was applied to the whole of India except Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Islands. This was to reduce the energy dependence of India from oil imports and also to boost agriculture. Deadline to payments under Vivad se Vishwas scheme extended  The Government of India extended the deadline for making payment under the Vivad se Vishwas scheme. The deadline has been extended to March 31, 2021.  The scheme was introduced in union budget 2020-21 by the finance minister Nirmala sitharaman. The scheme aims to settle pending direct tax cases. Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda launched two Centers of Excellence for Tribal Welfare.  Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda launched two Centers of Excellence for Tribal Welfare. These centers were launched in collaboration between the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Art of Living through video conference.  The first CoE has been launched in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra for training about 10000 tribal farmers in the field of sustainable natural farming based on Go-Adharith farming techniques.  The second CoE has been launched in Jharkhand in the field of ‘Strengthening PRIs’ in 5 districts of the state covering 30 Gram Panchayats and 150 villages. Feni Bridge to be completed by December 2020  The Feni bridge is 1.8 km long joining Sabrum in India with Ramgarh in Bangladesh. The Government of India recently announced that the bridge construction is to be completed by December 2020.  The bridge is to be built over Feni river. It will link Tripura with Bangladesh.  The key stone for the bridge was officially laid by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in June 2015. India hosts 19th Meeting of SCO Ministers of Foreign Economy & Foreign Trade India hosted the 19th Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Ministers of Foreign Economy and Foreign Trade. Women Startup Summit 2020  The event will be held on October 31 in association with Startup India, TiE Kerala and Indian Women Network of Confederation of Indian Industry.  Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) is hosting Women Startup Summit 2020 aimed at encouraging women professionals to open businesses thereby augmenting an inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem in the state. The event will be held on October 31 in association with Startup India, TiE Kerala and Indian Women Network of Confederation of Indian Industry. The theme of the summit is ‘Women and Technology’.  Registrations can be made at https://startupmission.in/womensummit/, which is part of KSUM-led programmes such as She Loves Tech, Why Hack - Hackathon, WE Start Bootcamp, EDP and Investor Café. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu launches virtual ‘Parampara Series 2020-National Festival of Music and Dance’  Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the ‘Parampara Series 2020-National Festival of Music and Dance’ virtually on 27 October 2020.  The event has been organised by Natya Tarangini in partnership with the United Nations India and UNESCO India.  Natya Tarangini has been organizing the ‘Parampara Series’ continuously since past 23 years, to bring legendary artists together to share with the future generations and to spread a message of hope, harmony and solidarity through Indian classical music and dance.  2020 is the 24th edition of the annual festival and it is for the first time that the show has been organised virtually. AIM Launches India–Australia Circular Economy Hackathon(I-ACE), with Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)  AIM (Atal Innovation Mission), in association with CSIRO, is organizing a two-day hackathon on circular economy, ‘India–Australia Circular Economy Hackathon (I-ACE)’, on 7 and 8 December.

Page | 55 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 I-ACE will focus on identification and development of innovative technology solutions by bright-minded students, startups and MSMEs of both nations.  Shortlisted students and startups/MSMEs will be called for the hackathon, where two winners (one student and one startup/MSME) per theme from each country will be announced at an award ceremony on 11 December.  The winning Indian student and startup/MSME teams will be awarded a prize of Rs 2 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, respectively, coupled with post-hackathon product development opportunities. The winning Australian student will be awarded a prize of AUD$3500 and the winning Australian SMEs/startup team a prize of AUD$9500. National Action Plan for Vulture Conservation, 2020-2025  The National Action Plan for Vulture Conservation, 2020-25 was recently approved by National Board for Wild life. The plan has suggested that new veterinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs be tested on vultures before they are commercially released.  The new plan automatically removes veterinary use of a drug if it is found to be toxic to vultures. This is to be done with the help of Drugs Controller General of India.  Vulture conservation centres to be established in 5 states of India. The new vulture conservation centres are to be established in the states of Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. First-of-its-kind Flash Flood Warning System for South Asian Countries Launched  Ministry of Earth Sciences dedicated Flash Flood Guidance services, first of its kind for South Asian countries namely India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.  It has been developed by India Meteorological Department.  Under it, an automated mode of dissemination is to be established with the stakeholders along with the use of social media, so that the information reaches to concerned disaster authorities in a timely manner.  The Guidance for flash floods in the form of Threats (6 hours in advance) and Risks (24 hours in advance) will be provided by Regional Centre to National Meteorological & Hydrological Services, National and State Disaster Management Authorities for taking mitigation measures to reduce the loss of life and property in the South Asian Region countries. MoS Muraleedharan Inaugurates Philately Exhibition On 'India And The UN: A Postal History'  On the occasion of the 75th United Nations Day, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan inaugurated a philately exhibition on 'India and the UN: A Postal History'  Reaffirming India's commitment to the United Nations, he underlined that India looks forward to working with all other nations to reform and revitalise the United Nations during its term at the UN Security Council from 2021-22. NITI Aayog released “Electricity Access in India and Benchmarking Distribution Utilities” report  Niti Aayog released the “Electricity access in India and benchmarking distribution utilities” report.  The report says that 92% of customers received electricity infrastructure within 50 metres of their premises.  Around 87% of the customers had access to grid-based electricity. Reminding 13% were those who either used non grid sources or did not use electricity at all.  The majority of the customers using non grid sources were from the agricultural sector. Shipping Ministry inaugurated ‘Direct Port Entry Facility’ at V.O. Chidambaranar port A direct port entry facility was launched at the V O Chidambarnar port in Tuticorin by Union minister of state for shipping and minister of state for Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya. Govt launches e-Dharti Geo portal Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs (Hardeep Singh Puri) launched the e-Dharti Geo Portal. GoI e-Dharti portal will integrate map and also lease plans in the Management Information System (MIS). It will make the system Geographic Information System (GIS) enabled. Culture & Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel launches Life in Miniature project  The Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Shri Prahlad Singh Patel launched ‘Life in Miniature’ project via video conferencing on 22 October 2020.  The project is a collaboration between the National Museum, New Delhi, Ministry of Culture, and the Google Arts and Culture.  Under the ‘Life in Miniature’ project, various miniature paintings from the National Museum can be viewed online on Google Arts and Culture by people around the world. India gets chairmanship of International Labour Organisation’s governing body after a gap of 35 years  India has assumed the chairmanship of the governing body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) after a gap of 35 years. Labour secretary Apurva Chandra has been elected as the chairperson of the governing body of the organisation for the period October 2020- June 2021.

56 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 The Governing Body is the apex executive body of the ILO which decides policies, programmes, agenda, budget and elects the Director-General. At present ILO (Headquarter- Geneva, Switzerland) has 187 members. It meets three times a year, in March, June and November. AYUSH Minister inaugurates Regional Raw Drug Repository at AIIA  AYUSH Minister Shripad Yesso Naik inaugurated the Regional Raw Drug Repository at All India Institute of Ayurveda in New Delhi through a virtual function.  This RRDR is the second in the series of repositories proposed by National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB).  In order to document the diversity in the genetics and chemistry of medicinal plants, eight RRDR and one NRDR have been proposed by Ministry of AYUSH.  Out of them, three Regional Raw Drug Repositories have already been developed. Indian Railways launches Freight Business Development Portal to boost freight business  Indian Railways develops Freight Business Development (FBD) in a bid to increase its freight basket and revenue  This portal has been developed by Indian Railways for its freight clients linking them to not just railway officials but providing them with a medium to raise concerns and lodge complaints.  FBD) portal has been developed by the team of the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) as per the directions of the Railway Board. 14th session Food and Agri Week 2020  The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Food Processing Industries, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj virtually inaugurated the 14th session of the India – International Food & Agri Week 2020 on October 16, 2020. The Food and Agri week is being organised from October 16 to October 22, 2020.  Ministry of Food Processing Industries started Anna Devo Bhava awareness campaign to mark the Food & Agri Week. MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari launches India’s first-ever high quality Khadi Fabric Footwear Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises- MSME, Nitin Gadkari launched India’s first-ever high quality Khadi Fabric Footwear, designed by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) through Video Conference.These footwear are made of Khadi fabric like Silk, Cotton and Wool. On the occasion, Mr Gadkari also launched the online sale of Khadi footwear through KVIC’s e-portal www.khadiindia.gov.in. NITI Aayog to establish Frontier Technologies Cloud Innovation Centre with AWS  The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) said that it had established a Frontier Technologies Cloud Innovation Center (CIC) with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to help address societal challenges through digital innovation.  This is the first AWS Cloud Innovation Center in India, the 12th around the world, and the first AWS Center that will address societal challenges at a national level. Govt Launches ARHC Portal Under PM Awas Yojana  Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri launched the Affordable Rental Housing Complex(ARHC) Portal(arhc.mohua.gov.in) under PM Awas Yojana via a webinar.On the occasion, a National Report on ANGIKAAR – a campaign for change management for PMAY (U) beneficiaries through a 3 C strategy- Community Engagement, Convergence and Communication was also launched by Shri Hardeep S. Puri MoS for agriculture Parshottam Rupala launches ‘Ayushman Sahakar’  The minister of state for agriculture Parshottam Rupala, on Monday, launched ‘Ayushman Sahakar’ scheme to help cooperatives contribute to creation of healthcare infrastructure in the country under National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), which would lend Rs 10,000 crore for the purpose.  NCDC, set up in 1963 for promotion and development of cooperatives, has extended around Rs.1.60 lakh crore as loans to cooperatives. FSSAI to expand its new food safety compliance platform across entire India from November 01  The food regulator FSSAI has announced to extend its Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS) across the entire country from November 1, 2020.  Currently the system is operational only in nine States/UTs since June 2020, which are Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Gujarat, Odisha, Chandigarh, Goa, Manipur, Puducherry and Ladakh.  FoSCoS is a cloud-based, upgraded new food safety compliance online platform of FSSAI. It can be accessed at https://foscos.fssai.gov.in.  FoSCoS will provide one point stop for all engagement of a food business operator (FBO) with the department, for any regulatory compliance transaction.

Page | 57 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 It will replace the existing online FLRS (Food Licensing and Registration System), which is operational in all the states since 2011 for licensing and registration. (URL https://foodlicensing.fssai.gov.in)  FLRS has till date issued about 70 lakh licences/ registrations while over 40 lakh licensees/ registrants are actively transacting on it. AAI plans to develop 100 airports, waterdromes, heliports by 2024 By the year 2024, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is planning to develop at least 100 airports, waterdromes, and heliports across the country under the regional air connectivity scheme. The fourth anniversary of the regional air connectivity scheme, also known as UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik), was commemorated on 21st october. Harsh Vardhan launches CuRED, CSIR partnered clinical trials website  Union Health and Science and Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched CuRED, a website that gives comprehensive info about the numerous COVID-19 clinical trials that the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) is engaged in partnership with industry, other government departments and ministries.  CSIR Ushered Repurposed Drugs (CuRED) provides information about the drugs, diagnostics and devices including the current stage of the trials, partnering institutions and their role in the trials and other details. World’s biggest Zinc Smelter facility to be set up in Dosawada of Tapi district in Gujarat  The state Government of Gujarat has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL), a subsidiary of Vedanta Group, to set up a Zinc Smelter plant at Doswada in Tapi district.  The HZL will invest Rs 10,000 crore for this project, which will be the world’s largest zinc smelting facility.  It will have a generation capacity of 300 kilo-tonnes per annum (ktpa).  The first phase of the project is expected to be commissioned within 36 months from the date of signing of MoU.  The plant will accelerate the economic and industrial development of the state and satisfy the domestic as well as global needs through exports.  What is Zinc smelting is the process of converting zinc concentrates (ores that contain zinc) into pure zinc. Union Cabinet approves new STARS project to strengthen school education system  The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the STARS project under the New Education Policy to support states in strengthening the school education system.  The centrally sponsored project will be implemented by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education. It will cover Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Odisha.  The total project cost is Rs 5718 crore with the financial support of World Bank amounting to US $ 500 million (approximately Rs. 3700 crore). AICTE constitutes panel for engineers Bill Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal has informed that the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has constituted a committee for preparing the Professional Engineers Bill.The committee will function under the chairmanship of M.S. Ananth, former director, IIT Mardas. PM Modi releases commemorative coin to mark 75th Anniversary of FAO  Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a commemorative coin of ₹75 denomination to mark the long- standing relation of India with Food and Agriculture Organisation(FAO).  The coin was released on the occasion of 75th Anniversary of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).  The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation 17 recently developed biofortified varieties of eight crops on World Food Day. Union Education Minister launched KAPILA Kalam Program  The Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank recently launched KAPILA campaign. It is Kalam Programme for Intellectual Property Literacy and Awareness campaign. The campaign was launched to celebrate the 89 birth anniversary of former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. His birth anniversary is celebrated as World Students Day all over the world.  Under the campaign, the Government of India will spread awareness about the importance of patenting and invention. This will help to lead India towards self-Reliance.  The ministry of education will also celebrate intellectual property literacy week between October 15 and October 23 to promote awareness in patenting.  The Institution Innovation Council (IIC 2.0) annual report was also presented on the occasion and the launch of IIC 3.0 was announced and its website was also launched.  Institution Innovation Council was established by the Ministry of Education in 2018.  IICs have been established in about 1700 higher educational institutions and it was marked that IIC will be established in 5000 higher educational institutions under IIC 3.0.

58 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Nitin Gadkari launches work on strategic Zojila tunnel  Union Minister Nitin Gadkari virtualy launched the construction work 14.15-km Zojila tunnel project hich will provide all-year connectivity between Srinagar valley and Leh .  The project was re-awarded this year to Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Ltd (MEIL) which had emerged as the lowest bidder quoting ₹4,509.5 crore for the project. Centre notifies DG Shipping as the National Authority for Ship Recycling  DG Shipping is designated as India’s first-ever ‘National Authority on Ship Recycling  The Centre notified the directorate general of shipping as the National authority for recycling of ships, as it moves closer to aligning India with an international convention for safe recycling of ships.  The notification was issued under the section 3 of the Recycling of Ships Act, 2019.  The office of the National Authority of Ship Recycling will be set up in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. PM Modi launches physical distribution of Property Cards under SVAMITVA scheme  Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the programme of physical distribution of Property Cards under the SVAMITVA scheme through video conferencing.  The Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) is a Central Sector Scheme, which was launched in April 2020 to provide the ‘record of rights to document the residential properties’ to village household owners in rural areas and issue Property Cards.  The scheme will allow the villagers to use the property as a financial asset for taking loans and other economic and financial benefits.  The scheme is being implemented in a phased manner over a period of four years (2020-2024) and would eventually cover around 6.62 lakh villages of the country.  In the Phase I, people from 763 villages of 6 states, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Karnataka will be the beneficiary of the ‘SVAMITVA’scheme.  About one lakh property owners will be able to download property cards from the link received through SMS on their mobile phones. The respective state governments will distribute physical cards. PM Modi releases commemorative coin of Rs. 100 in honour of Vijaya Raje Scindia Recalling the legacy of Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia on her birth centenary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a commemorative coin of Rs 100 in her honour.The special coin minted by the Ministry of Finance is being released in celebration of her birth centenary. BSNL, TCIL selects Hughes India To Link 5,000 Gram Panchayats To Internet Under BharatNet  Bharat Broadband Nigam Limited (BBNL) and Telecommunications Consultants India (TCIL) have selected Hughes Communications India to connect 5,000 village panchayats in border and Naxal-affected states as well as in island territories with satellite broadband under BharatNet project by March 2021.  The 5,000-gram panchayats are located in north-eastern states, including Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, and the Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh as well as in Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep that lack terrestrial connectivity, such as fiber or cable  The awards are part of the government’s flagship BharatNet Programme to provide broadband connectivity to all 250,000 gram panchayats throughout India. Indian Cotton gets Brand Name; To be known as ‘Kasturi Cotton’ globally  On the occasion of the 2nd World Cotton Day, the Union Minister of Textiles and Women & Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, launched the first ever Brand & Logo for Indian Cotton on 7th October, 2020 through Video Conferencing.  It means that from now on, the premium Cotton of India would be known as ‘Kasturi Cotton’ in the world cotton Trade. PM Modi launches 'jan andolan' campaign for COVID-19 appropriate behaviour, says 'India's fight people-driven'  Launching a 'jan andolan' campaign for COVID-19 appropriate behaviour, the PM made the appeal to people to follow social distancing norms and expressed confidence that the fight against the pandemic will be won.  Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad urged people to support the PM's clarion call and continue to observe COVID-19 precautions to save lives of their loved ones and that of their fellow citizens. Education Minister virtually inaugurates Gyan Circle Ventures Union Minister for Education Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank virtually inaugurated the Gyan Circle Ventures, a MeitY funded Technology Business Incubator of Indian Institute of Information Technology, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh through Video Conference on 8 Oct. He said innovation and entrepreneurship needs to be fostered to ensure self-sustainability and remain a global leader. The Minister said that centers like ‘Gyan Circle ventures’ instill entrepreneurship in young minds and steward them to become successful innovators.

Page | 59 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Government of India launches website to enable startup discovery in India  The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal trade launched an online discovery platform called ‘Startup India Showcase’ to spread awareness about and capture the details of some of India’s most promising startups.  The website will include startups from across sectors such as fintech, enterprise tech, social impact, healthtech, and edtech, among others.  The startups mentioned on the website will be handpicked by experts, and will go through multiple screening and evaluation rounds. India’s first B2B Crypto trading exchange DigitX launched DigitX, India’s first business-to-business (B2B) cryptocurrency trading exchange, began its trading operations.DigiX aims to deliver transparent and secure model with its network of trusted links in a first of its kind industry initiative to instill trust and confidence in its investors and traders of cryptocurrency. ISLRTC and NCERT sign MoU to convert educational materials into Indian Sign Language A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Indian Sign Language Research and Training Center (ISLRTC) and NCERT in order to make education materials accessible for Deaf children. The education materials would be available in their preferred format of communication Piyush Goyal Inaugurates Renaming Of Naugarh Railway Station To Siddharthnagar Railway Minister Piyush Goyal through a video link inaugurated the renaming of Naugarh railway station to Siddharthnagar railway station situated at Siddharthnagar district in Uttar Pradesh. Govt Launches Initiative To Promote Innovation And Entrepreneurship Amongst SC Students  An initiative was launched by the government to promote innovation and entrepreneurship amongst SC students in higher education campuses.  The programme named Ambedkar Social Innovation Incubation Mission (ASIIM) was launched by the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot.  The main objectives of ASIIM also include promoting entrepreneurship among the SC Youth with special preference to Divyangs, supporting (1,000) innovative ideas till 2024 through a synergetic work with the Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) set up by Department of Science and Technology among others. Thaawarchand Gehlot e-launches ASIIM initiative to support 1000 Start-ups of SC Youth over next 4 Years  The Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot launched an initiative called the “Ambedkar Social Innovation and Incubation Mission (ASIIM).  Under ASIIM, 1,000 SC youth would be identified in the next 4 years having start-up ideas through the Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) in various higher educational institutions.  They will be funded @ Rs. 30 lakhs in 3 years as equity funding so that they can translate their start-up ideas into commercial ventures.  Successful ventures would further qualify for venture funding of up to Rs. 5 Crore from the Venture Capital Fund for SCs.  The Venture Capital Fund for SCs (VCF-SC) was launched by the Ministry of Social Justice in 2014-15 to develope entrepreneurship amongst the SC/Divyang youth and enable them to become ‘job-givers’. The fund provides concessional finance to the entities of the SC entrepreneurs. USAID and SEWA Bharat to support women entrepreneurs with award from the W-GDP Initiative  The United States Agency for International Development(USAID ) in India has been selected for funding from the White House-led Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative and it will collaborate with SEWA Bharat to support women entrepreneurs using the funding amount.  Through the W-GDP Fund, USAID will be partnering with the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) Bharat, a national federation of women-led institutions providing economic and social support to women workers in the informal economy. Arjun Munda launches largest market of tribal products ‘Tribes India E-Marketplace’  Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda virtually launched India’s largest handicraft and organic products marketplace, Tribes India E-Marketplace (market.tribesindia.com) on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.  Tribes India e-Marketplace is an ambitious initiative through which TRIFED aims to onboard 5 lakh tribal producers for sourcing of various handicraft, handloom, natural food products across the country and brings to you the best of tribal produce.  On this occasion, Shri Munda will also flag off several other TRIFED initiatives that are aimed to support the tribal brethren. These include the inauguration of Tribes India’s 123rd and 124th outlets in Rishikesh and Kolkata; inclusion of new tribal product ranges from the states of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh; partnership of TRIFED/ Tribes India with Amazon in their Seller Flex program.

60 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Tribal Entrepreneurship Development Programme launched by Tribal Affairs in Partenership with Assocham  The Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Shri Arjun Munda inaugurated a three-year initiative Tribal Entrepreneurship Development Programme through Video conference.  The Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Tribal Entrepreneurship Development has been set up by apex industry body Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) under its Centre for Excellence Initiative Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati Central Jail launches ‘Radio Prison’ on 151st Birth Anniversary of Father of the Nation  Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad has launched ‘Radio Prison’ on the occasion of the 151st Birth Anniversary of the Father of the Nation.  The Radio Prison- will offer educational, legal and health related details to prisoners within the jail premises. It is operating from old Jail premises based on fibre cable network.  On World Postcard Day, picture postcard named “Jau Kandhei” released on theme ‘Traditional Toys of India’ in Odisha  On the occasion of World Postcard Day, the Chief Postmaster General, Odisha Circle, has released a picture postcard named “Jau Kandhei” on the theme of ‘Traditional Toys of India’. National Institute Of Naturopathy’s Tribal Unit set up in Pune  A 20-bed tribal unit of the National Institute of Naturopathy was inaugurated in Pune’s Ambegaon tehsil by Union AYUSH minister Shripad Naik. It would provide free clinical services to the tribal population in the area.  A research unit on tribal practices for health maintenance had also been set up and it will be a “repository of knowledge and will work in areas of education, nutrition and health problems of the tribal population”. Union Minister Harsh Vardhan digitally inaugurates Super Speciality Block dedicated to COVID at Motilal Nehru Medical College, Prayagraj  The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh inaugurated the Super Speciality Block (SSB) at Motilal Nehru Medical College, Prayagraj on 5 October 2020 via video conferencing.  The Super Speciality Block (SSB) is a 220-bedded facility, dedicated as a COVID Hospital (DCH) to the nation.  It has been built with an investment of Rs 150 crores under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).  Apart from this, the Union Health Minister also digitally inaugurated first high throughput COBAS 6800 machine.  It is the first such machine in Uttar Pradesh, installed by ICMR. INTERNATIONAL NEWS Fehmarnbelt Tunnel will be the world's longest immersed tunnel  Construction for the world's longest immersed tunnel is underway  Descending up to 40 meters beneath the Baltic Sea, Fehmarnbelt Tunnel will link Denmark and Germany, slashing journey times when it opens in 2029.  The tunnel, which will be 18 kilometers (11.1 miles) long, is one of Europe's largest infrastructure projects, with a construction budget of over €7 billion ($8.2 billion). Japan to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050  Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has said that the country will achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050.  Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga emphasized the need to shift away from fossil fuels to counter climate change as an opportunity rather than a burden. As per Japan’s current energy plan, 56 per cent of its energy requirements come from fossil fuels. Bangladesh govt orders ‘no mask, no service’ policy The Bangladesh government has decided that no service will be provided to people who don’t wear mask. It decided that all offices must install notice boards saying ‘no mask, no service’ in order to control the spread of COVID 19 virus in the country. EU Environmental Ministers commit to Net Zero Emissions Target by 2050 European Union Environment Ministers signed an agreement in Luxembourg on 23rd October 2020. The deal has created EU’s 2050 net-zero emissions target legally binding on the states.

Page | 61 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Pakistan to remain in grey list of FATF till February 2021  The global terror financing watchdog, Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has announced that Pakistan will continue to remain on its grey list till February 2021.  This decision has been taken since Pakistan has not been able to fulfil six out of the 27 mandates to check terror funding.  FATF has strongly urged Pakistan to swiftly complete its full action plan by February 2021. UN Treaty of banning Nuclear Weapons enters into force  The United Nations recently announced that around 50 countries have ratified the UN Treaty to ban Nuclear Weapons. This has triggered the treaty into force.  The major nuclear powers such as Russia, United States, Britain, France and China opposed the treaty. Also, the NATO allies of the United States also stood in unity to oppose the treaty. Netherlands was the only NATO country to vote in favour of the treaty. US-Taiwan 1.8 billion USD arms sale  The United States approved the potential sale of three weapon systems to Taiwan, as well as missiles and artillery. The three weapon systems could have a total cost of USD 1.8 billion.  The United States also approved 11 truck-based rocket launchers created by Lockheed Martin Corp called a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System for an approximately cost of USD 436.1m.  It also approved 135 AGM-84H Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) Missiles & associated instruments created Boeing, for an estimated cost of USD 1.008bn, and six MS-110 Recce external sensor pods made by Collins Aerospace for jets, at an approximate value of USD 367.2ml. Andorra Joins IMF as its 190th Member  Andorra (officially the Principality of Andorra) has joined the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on 16 October 2020, to become its 190th member.  Andorra is a microstate situated between France and Spain. However, it is the largest microstate in Europe.  IMF’s Membership allows the Andorran government to benefit from IMF policy advice, especially as the country tackles the crisis caused by COVID-19 and can now receive an annual review or “health check” of its economy by the IMF, tap technical assistance, and access IMF lending if needed. NATO to set up new Space Centre in Ramstein, Germany  The North Atlantic Treaty organisation is to setup a new Space Centre in Ramstein, Germany. The centre is to serve as a co-ordination Centre for space observation.  The centre is being setup based on Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty organisation.  Article 5 has been invoked by NATO in situations such as Syrian crisis, Russia-Ukraine crisis and 26/11 attack on US.  The article says that an armed attack against one or more of the NATO countries in North America or Europe is considered as an attack against all of them. Sri Lankan Parliament passes 20th Amendment The Sri Lankan Parliament recently passed the 20th Amendment of Sri Lankan constitution. The 20th amendment of the Sri Lankan Constitution has expanded the powers of the President and also have increased the immunity of the President. US, European Union Launch New Bilateral Talks To Discuss China Related Issues The United States and European Union on October 23 launched a new bilateral dialogue on China. The new bilateral talks were among the “many issues of common interests”, which were deliberated upon during the telephonic conversation between US State Secretary Mike Pompeo and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Joseph Borell. Singapore becomes first country to use Facial Recognition to pay taxes In Singapore, online government services can now be accessed by facial recognition — a world first.This new operate, dubbed SingPass Face Verification, lets customers join securely to authorities web sites, in addition to on-line companies on personal web sites. India second largest source of migrants to OECD countries  India is second only to China in terms of number of migrants going to the countries from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and acquiring citizenship in these countries in 2018, according to OECD data.  China maintained its top spot with 4.3 lakh migrants, which was 1 percent lower than last year, while India with 3.3 lakh migrants leaped 10 percent, overtaking Romania to emerge as the second largest exporter of human capital to these countries  China made up 6.5 percent of the total inflow to OECD countries, while India comprised 5 percent of the overall numbers.  Canada was the recipient with the largest spike in numbers compared to 2017, followed by Germany and Italy.secretary general of the OECD-Angel Gurría

62 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 OECD is an association of 37 developed countries such as Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the United States – which often attract immigrants for work opportunities, education and asylum. Russia approves 2nd Covid vaccine, EpiVacCorona, after Sputnik V  Russia announced that it has granted regulatory approval to another Covid-19 vaccine named EpiVacCorona. This comes after the country granted similar approval to Sputnik V, making it the first Covid-19 vaccine candidate in the world to attain regulatory approval.  EpiVacCorona was developed by the Vector Institute in Siberia and completed its early-stage human trials last month. Argentina becomes 1st nation to approve genetically modified wheat  Argentina has approved HB4 drought-resistant GMO wheat, making it the first country in the world to approve a strain of GMO wheat.  The drought-resistant HB4 wheat variety was developed by Argentine biotechnology company Bioceres, working with the National University and Conicet.  Bioceres’ HB4 wheat is resistant to drought and tolerates the herbicide glufosinate sodium, a combination the company says can help boost yields on dry years. COVID-19 to push as many as 150 million people into extreme poverty by 2021: World Bank  Releasing its flagship biennial report on poverty and shared prosperity,the World Bank said that the coronavirus pandemic could push as many as 150 million people into extreme poverty by the end of 2021, wiping out more than three years of progress in poverty reduction.  An additional 88 million to 115 million people will fall into extreme poverty - defined as living on less than $1.90 a day -in 2020. The report said this could grow to 111 million to 150 million by the end of 2021.  That would mean that 9.1-9.4% of the world’s population would be living under extreme poverty this year, about the same as 2017’s 9.2% and representing the first rise in the extreme poverty percentage in about 20 years. The 2019 extreme poverty rate was estimated at about 8.4% and had been expected to drop to 7.5% by 2021 before the coronavirus pandemic INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL SUMMIT Modi inaugurates RAISE 2020 -Summit on Artificial Intelligence  Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated RAISE 2020, a Mega Virtual Summit on Artificial Intelligence (AI) .  RAISE (Responsible AI for Social Empowerment) 2020 Summit hasa been organised by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and NITI Aayog from October 5-9, 2020.  RAISE 2020 is a platform where delegates and experts in research, policy and innovation on Artificial Intelligence will join from across the globe to exchange ideas and chart a course for using AI for social transformation, inclusion and empowerment in areas like Healthcare, Agriculture, Education and Smart Mobility, among other sectors. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Inaugurates VAIBHAV 2020 Summit  Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) Summit, a global virtual summit of overseas and resident Indian Researchers and Academicians.  The summit will conclude on the occasion of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Jayanti on 31st October 2020.  More than 3000 overseas Indian origin academicians and scientists from 55 countries and about 10,000 from India are taking part in this Summit.  The VAIBHAV Summit 2020 has been organised to celebrate Science and Innovation from India and the World. 18th meeting of Prosecutors General of SCO The 18th meeting of Prosecutors General of SCO was held on 20 October 2020, via video conference. India was represented by the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. India will host the SCO Prosecutors General Meeting in 2021. India hosts 7th meeting of Ministers of Justice of SCO The 7th meeting of Ministers of (Law and) Justice of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Member States was virtually hosted by Indian Minister of Law & Justice, Communication and Electronics & Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Page | 63 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Indian LS Speaker Om Birla Participates in 6th BRICS Parliamentary Forum virtually  The 6th BRICS Parliamentary Forum has been organised virtually on 27 October 2020 under the chairmanship of Vyachaslav Volodin, the Chairman of Russian Parliament  Speakers and members of five BRICS Parliaments namely Brazil, Russian, India, China and South Africa are attending the Forum.  The Indian Parliamentary Delegation is being led by Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla and also consists of Member of Lok Sabha Kanimozhi Karunanidhi.  The theme of the Forum is ‘BRICS partnership in the interest of global stability, general safety and innovative growth: Parliamentary dimension’.  The forum provides an effective platform to facilitate inter-parliamentary dialogue and Parliamentary Diplomacy among the Parliaments of BRICS countries with a view to strengthening the role of Parliaments on a range of contemporary global issues. 12th BRICS Summit to be held virtually on November 17, Russia to chair  The 12th BRICS Summit will be held on 17th November 2020 via video conference. The theme of the Meeting of the Leaders of BRICS countries is “BRICS Partnership for Global Stability, Shared Security and Innovative Growth”.  The Summit this year is being held under the Chairmanship of Russia and aims at a multifaceted cooperation between the member countries. World Economic Forum shifts annual meeting 2021 from Davos to Lucerne  The World Economic Forum (WEF) has announced that the Annual Meeting 2021 will be held in Lucerne- Burgenstock, Switzerland, as against the traditional venue of ski resort town Davos.  The meeting has been re-scheduled to be held from May 18 to 21, 2021 instead of the usual January-end each year.  The Annual Meeting 2021 in Lucerne-Burgenstock will be held around the theme of ‘The Great Reset’. RANKING AND INDEX Forbes India rich list 2020: Mukesh Ambani tops for 13th consecutive time Mukesh Ambani remains the wealthiest Indian for the 13th year in a row, adding $37.3 billion to his net worth. At number one for the thirteenth consecutive year, his net wealth stands at $88.7 billion. List of India’s top 5 richest persons Mukesh Ambani (88.7 billion dollar) Gautam Adani (25.2 billion dollar) Shiv Nadar (20.4 billion dollar) Radhakishan Damani (15.4 billion dollar) Hinduja brothers (12.8 billion dollar) Uttar Pradesh emerged as top destination in 2019 attracting over 53 crore tourists Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the top destination for attracting the highest number of domestic tourists in 2019. The Indian Tourism Statistics (ITS), 2020, has announced that as many as 53.6 crore domestic tourists visited Uttar Pradesh in 2019 Uttar Pradesh attracted the highest number of domestic tourists in the country in 2019 with a share of 23.1% travellers visiting the state.Tamil Nadu (21.3%) came second followed by Andhra Pradesh (10.2%). However, in terms of Foreign tourists, Tamil Nadu has topped the list with nearly 68 lakh foreigners visiting the state in 2019. Haryana tops Anemia Mukt Bharat Index in country  Haryana State has the best Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) Index with 46.7 among 29 states in the country.  The Anemia Mukt Bharat, an initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and UNICEF, has been launched to reduce the prevalence of Anemia all over India.  This information came to light during the 8th Governing Body Meeting of the State Health Society of the National Health Mission (NHM) in Chandigarh.  Further, in year 2019-20 the state had achieved 93 per cent of immunization. India ranks 131 out of 138 countries in mobile internet speed  The global average of mobile download speed, according to Ookla Speedtest Global Index for September 2020, is 32.26 Mbps, while that of India is 12.07 Mbps. India is placed at 131, out of a total of 138 countries.  As per the Ookla September speed test index, South Korea has the best mobile internet speed of 121 Mbps, while China is at the second spot on the index, with an average mobile download speed of 113.35 Mbps.

64 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Delhi ranks first in crimes against women  Delhi is ranked first among 19 metropolitan cities in India in recording the highest number of crimes against women, according to data released by the National Crime Records Bureau.  The data further reveals that the Capital accounted for nearly a third of the total number of such crimes. The data states that Delhi accounted for 28% of the total figure, followed by Mumbai at 14.3% and Bengaluru at 7.7%.  Mumbai recorded 6,519 cases, after national capital Delhi at 12,902 cases during the year 2019.  Mumbai also has the highest number of sexual harassment incidents on public transport and recorded the highest number of cases for use of children in pornography.  The financial capital also ranked third on the list of rape cases after Delhi and Jaipur. Sofia Vergara tops Forbes’ highest paid actress list 2020  The Colombia-born American actress Sofia Vergara, who came to fame with an American TV Show ‘Modern Family’ is the highest paid actresses with an earning of $43 million, in the annual list of Forbes’ Highest-Paid Actresses 2020.  Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie secured the second position ($35 million) while Gal Gadot ($31 million) stood third.  None of the Indian actresses have featured on the list for the year 2020. India to Overtake China as World’s Largest LPG Residential Market by 2030  India is expected to overtake China as the world’s largest cooking gas LPG residential sector market by 2030, Wood Mackenzie said.  Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) demand in the residential sector will continue to see sustainable growth at a cumulative annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.3 per cent, reaching 34 million tonnes (MT) in 2030 as households’ dependence on solid biomass diminishes in the long run supported by rising average household incomes and urban population. Reducing Inequality (CRI) Index  India has been ranked 129 among 158 countries in the 2020 Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) Index.  The index is released by the international charitable organisation ‘Oxfam International’ in partnership with Development Finance International and with inputs from independent experts.  The 2020 CRI index has been topped by Norway.  South Sudan is the lowest ranking country in the index at 158th position. Global Hunger Index 2020  India has been ranked at 94 among 107 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2020 report.With a score of 27.2, India has been placed in the “serious” category in the GHI scale.  The Global Hunger Index data showed that 14 per cent of India’s population was undernourished. Besides, the country recorded a 37.4 per cent stunting rate among children under five and a wasting rate of 17.3 per cent. The under-five mortality rate stood at 3.7 per cent. New Zealand passport most powerful, India ranked 58 in Global Passport Index New Zealand has knocked off Japan for the strongest passport in the world according to the latest Global Passport Index compiled by global financial advisory firm Arton Capital.The US passport ranked 21 and India, 58. The passport index lists the power of passports in terms of real-time, visa restrictions, factoring in legislative changes, and entry requirements. Chandigarh University Gharuan has emerged as Top Stand-Alone University in India  Chandigarh University Gharuan has emerged as Top Stand-Alone University in India for filling highest number of patents in a year, i.e. 336.  The annual rankings for the year 2018-19 was recently released by Office of Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks, Government of India which comprises of Academic Institutions and Multinational Companies.  Chandigarh University Gharuan is followed by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) with 239 patent applications, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) with 202 applications and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) with 173 applications. Samsung Tops Forbes’ list of World’s Best Employer 2020, HCL Tops among Indian list  South Korea based electronics conglomerate Samsung Electronics has topped the list of ‘World’s Best Employer 2020 published by Forbes’. The global list features 750 multinational and large corporations headquartered in 45 countries.  From India, HCL Technologies is top industry in the list. It is placed at 30th position globally.  In Banking sector, HDFC Bank is top from India. It is at 176th position.  Country’s largest power producer NTPC Ltd came first among Indian PSUs under World’s Best Employer this year in a list published by Forbes.

Page | 65 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

India 4th most powerful country influencing Asia-Pacific, the US tops: Asia Power Index  India has been ranked at 4th position, with a score of 39.7 out of 100, in the Asia Power Index 2020, released by the Sydney-based Lowy Institute.  The Asia Power Index 2020 ranks 26 countries and territories to assess the relative power of states in Asia.  The United States has retained its position as the most powerful country influencing the Asia-Pacific with a score of 81.6.  It is followed by China (76.1) and Japan (41) at second and third spot respectively. India ranks as the 4th most Powerful in Asia  India has become the fourth most powerful country in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the Sydney- based Lowy Institute’s Asia Power Index for 2020, which ranks 26 nations and territories.  US remains the pre-eminent power in Asia, while China and japan at 2nd and 3rd place. West Bengal Ranks First in Decline of School Dropout Rate: Survey  According to the Annual State of Education Report (ASER) 2020, West Bengal occupies the top position in the decline of dropout rate among school students during 2018-2020.  The report says, school dropout rate in the state declined from 3.3 per cent to 1.5 per cent while it went up from four per cent to 5.5 per cent at the national level.  The dropout rate in some bigger states like Karnataka, Telangana and Rajasthan was 11.3 per cent, 14 per cent and 14.9 per cent respectively.  West Bengal also holds the first position in the country in terms of text books provided to the students with 99.7 per cent coverage, while in bigger states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, the same stands at 79.6 per cent, 60.4 per cent, 95 per cent, 34.6 per cent and 80.8 per cent respectively. Kerala, Goa and Chandigarh Best Governed States and Union Territory, Says PAC Ranking  Kerala was adjudged the best governed state in the country while Uttar Pradesh ended at the bottom in the large states category, according to the Public Affairs Index-2020 released by the Public Affairs Centre.  Four southern states, Kerala (1.388 PAI Index point), Tamil Nadu (0.912), Andhra Pradesh (0.531) and Karnataka (0.468) stood in the first four ranks in the large state category in terms of governance.  Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Bihar were at the bottom of the ranking, scoring negative points in the category. They got – 1.461, -1.201 and -1.158 points respectively. BILATERAL India and Cambodia  The union cabinet approved the Memorandum of Understanding signed between India and Cambodia on cooperation in the field of medicine and health.  The main areas of cooperation included in the MoU are family planning, mother and child health, technology transfer, HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis, Epidemiology and Public Health, Disease Control, medical education, training in clinical, management skill and para-clinical, health manpower development and drugs and pharmaceuticals. India-Japan  Union Cabinet approved the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) signed between India and Japan on Cooperation in the field of Information and Communication Technologies. India-UAE  India and United Arab Emirates recently held a webinar to boost defence production and exports between the countries.  The Webinar was organised by the Department of Defence Production operating under the Ministry of Defence through Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM). The webinar was organised to help India achieve its target of reaching 5 billion USD of defence exports in five years. India, UK to set up bilateral Sustainable Finance Forum  India and the United Kingdom agreed to establish a bilateral Sustainable Finance Forum to drive forward deeper cooperation on sustainable finance.  The decision was taken during the 10th Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) between India and the UK that also saw participation of UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.  It was also decided to establish bilateral India-UK Sustainable Finance Forum, the statement stated, adding that private sector initiatives under the India-UK Financial Partnership (IUKFP) and India-UK Sustainable Finance Working Group were welcomed.

66 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 Sitharaman highlighted the work being done by India’s $1.4 trillion National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) and the City of London to ensure flows of sustainable finance.  This partnership is helping set up a Project Preparation Support Facility cum Centre of Excellence for PPP (Public Private Partnership) projects, as per the statement. The Green Growth Equity Fund (GGEF) was launched in 2018 as a joint venture with 240 million pounds funding to catalyse financing into green infrastructure in India. British Petroleum became the first private investor contributing $70 million, it added. Third India-US 2 plus 2 Ministerial Dialogue begins in New Delhi  India is hosting the third India-US two plus two Ministerial Dialogue at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on 27 October 2020.  The Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar are leading the Indian delegation.  The United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defence Mark Esper are leading the US delegation.  Besides, covering all bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest during the third dialogue, the two sides also signed the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-Spatial Cooperation (BECA) to further expand the geospatial cooperation between them and improve the accuracy of missile systems of India.  The First two plus two dialogue was held in New Delhi in September 2018 and the Second in Washington DC in 2019. European Commission, ICSSR sign new implementing arrangement to enhance scientific cooperation The European Commission and the Indian Council of Social Science Research signed a new implementing arrangement to enhance scientific cooperation. In a statement, the EU stated it encourages top Indian social scientists to join temporary research teams in Europe funded by the European Research Council (ERC). The joint initiative is the second of its kind for the ERC with an Indian funding body, it stated. India Post, US Postal Service sign agreement for electronic exchange of customs data Department of Posts and United States Postal Service, USPS have entered into an agreement for electronic exchange of customs data related to postal shipments exchanged between the two countries. India, Myanmar working towards operationalising Sittwe port by first quarter of 2021 India and Myanmar have agreed to work towards the operationalization of the Sittwe port in the Rakhine state in the first quarter of 2021. India to build 100-bedded hospital, 22,000-seater stadium in Maldives India will build a 100-bedded cancer hospital and a 22,000-seater cricket stadium in Hulhumale, Maldives, under the USD 800 million Line of Credit (LoC) that was extended to the country last year. India and France have collaborated to jointly launch the constellation of maritime surveillance satellites for the Indian Ocean Region, to trace illegal spillage of oil by ships.  India and France have collaborated to jointly launch the constellation of maritime surveillance satellites for the Indian Ocean Region, to trace illegal spillage of oil by ships.  In August last year, CNES and ISRO committed to developing and building a constellation of satellites carrying telecommunications and radar and optical remote-sensing instruments, constituting the first space- based system in the world capable of tracking ships continuously. India, Netherlands collaborate for e-health initiative  India and the Netherlands unveiled plans for a joint thrust in the e-health sector, with the aim of providing digital health facilities and security to every Indian.  The alliance was announced at a web-based workshop hosted by management consultancy firm Primus Partners. Israeli Embassy to have ‘Water Attache’ in India from January Israel Embassy will have a separate ‘Water Attache’ from January 2021 to help share their country’s best practices and technologies for advancements in India’s water management and agriculture sectors. In another significant development, Israel will soon nominate an honorary Consul in the North-East with the aim to increase its presence and collaboration in that region. India and Nigeria  The Union Cabinet on October 21 gave a go-ahead to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and Nigeria on cooperation in space exploration for peaceful purposes.  The MoU was signed between India’s Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Nigeria’s National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA). India-Papua New Guinea The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a Memorandum of Understanding between the Institute of Chartered Accounts of India (ICAI) and the Certified Practising

Page | 67 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Accountants, Papua New Guinea (CPA PNG) to work together in capacity building and strengthening the Accounting, Financial and Audit Knowledge base in Papua New Guinea. Dhaka-Siliguri passenger train planned to start in March 2021 Passenger train services from Dhaka to Siliguri are planned to be started from 26 March next year. The Railway Minister of Bangladesh Md. Nurul Islam Sujan said on 21 Oct that the Chilahati-Haldibari line is also expected to be inaugurated on the occasion of the Victory Day celebration in December this year. The statement was made after the newly appointed High Commissioner of India Vikram Doraiswami made a courtesy visit to the Railway Minister of Bangladesh in Dhaka. External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar attends Quad ministerial meeting in Tokyo  External Affairs Minister (EAM) of India Dr S Jaishankar participated in the meeting of Foreign Ministers of Quad group countries-Japan, the United States, Australia and India in Tokyo, Japan.  This is the first meeting between Jaishankar and Pompeo since the recent border face-off between India and China along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh US commits USD 1.9 mn to India to support informal sector workers amid COVID-19 The United States has announced a financial aid of USD 1.9 million for India to support vulnerable populations like informal sector workers whose livelihoods have been disrupted due to COVID-19. The fund will be extended by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), to support efforts to rebuild local economies and improve the livelihoods of Indians who have been hit hardest by this pandemic. NITI Aayog and Netherlands sign SoI on ‘Decarbonization and Energy Transition Agenda’ NITI Aayog and Embassy of the Netherlands, New Delhi have signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) in order to support the decarbonization and energy transition agenda to accommodate cleaner and more energy. The SoI was signed by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant and Ambassador of the Netherlands to India Marten van den Berg. India’s Goal for energy transition  India is committed to reduce emissions’ intensity by 33%–35% by 2030.  Apart from emphasis on renewable energy, India also stands committed on the rapid adoption of electric vehicles. Cochin Shipyard, Italy’s Fincantieri sign deal for business development Cochin Shipyard Limited and Fincantieri of Italy have signed an agreement to cooperate in shipbuilding, repairs and training. AWARD Nobel Prize 2020 in Economics awarded to Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson for improvements to auction theory  The 2020 Nobel Prize in Economics, also called the Memorial Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economics, has been awarded to a pair of Stanford professors – Professor Paul R Milgrom and Professor Robert B Wilson for improvements to auction theory and inventions of new auction formats.  Wilson shared the prize for developing a theory that clubs together auction items with similar value.  Prof Milgrom was awarded half the prize for his contributions in understanding how private action values vary from bidder to bidder in an auction. American poet Louise Gluck awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature  The Nobel Prize in Literature 2020 has been awarded to American poet Louise Gluck by The Swedish Academy (Stockholm, Sweden).  The 77-year-old Gluck has been awarded “for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal.”  Prof. Gluck has previously won the Pulitzer Prize in 1993 for her collection “The Wild Iris” and the National Book Award for “Faithful and Virtuous Night”, in 2014. World Food Progamme wins Nobel Peace Prize 2020 for Efforts to Combat Hunger in Conflict Areas  The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2020 to World Food Programme (WFP) on 9th October 2020.  The World Food Programme (WFP) has won the prestigious honor “for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.”  World Food Programme (WFP) Headquarters: Rome, Italy. Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020  The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020 jointly to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna “for the development of a method for genome editing.”

68 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 Emmanuelle Charpentier is a Director of the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens, Berlin, Germany.  Jennifer A. Doudna is a Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, USA and Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Roger Penrose, Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez wins 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics  The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics on 6th October 2020.  One half of the award has been given to Roger Penrose for black hole discovery; and the other half jointly to Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez.  UK’s Roger Penrose has been awarded “for the discovery that black hole formation is a robust prediction of the general theory of relativity”  America’s Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez have jointly won “for the discovery of a supermassive compact object at the centre of our galaxy. Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice jointly wins Nobel For Medicine 2020 “for the discovery of Hepatitis C virus”  The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet announced the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on 5th October 2020.  The award has been jointly conferred upon Harvey J Alter and Charles M Rice of America, and British scientist Michael Houghton for the discovery of the Hepatitis C virus.  The trio made decisive contribution to the fight against blood-borne hepatitis, a major global health problem that causes cirrhosis and liver cancer in people around the world. Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2020 announced The 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice “for the discovery of Hepatitis C virus,” the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet announced in Stockholm, Sweden. The trio’s work helped explain a major source of blood-borne hepatitis that couldn’t be explained by the hepatitis A and B viruses. Rights activists from Belarus, Nicaragua, the US and Iran selected for Right Livelihood Awards 2020  Nasrin Sotoudeh of Iran, Bryan Stevenson of the United States(US), Lottie Cunningham Wren of Nicaragua and Ales Bialiatski of Belarus, have won the Right Livelihood Award 2020.  The Right Livelihood Award is an international award, also known as the Alternative Nobel Prize,.  The Award was established in 1980 by German-Swedish philanthropist Jakob von Uexkull to “honour and support those who offer practical and exemplary contribution in such fields as environmental protection, human rights, sustainable development, health, education, which are not included in Nobel Prize list.  Each winner will receive a cash prize of one million Swedish kronor (approximately $110,000) during a virtual Award Presentation on December 3, 2020. Master of short story Sarah Hall becomes first to win BBC prize twice  Sarah Hall has become the first writer to win the BBC national short story award twice, with judges describing her as a virtuoso of the form.  Hall, who previously took the £15,000 prize in 2013, won the annual competition again for The Grotesques, a “timeless and unsettling” story that explores privilege, inequality and mother-daughter relationships in a university town. Noted Odia Poet Nityananda Nayak Selected for Sarala Puraskar 2020 Veteran Odia poet Nityananda Nayak has been chosen for the prestigious Sarala Puraskar for the year 2020, for his literary work of poetry ”Setebelaku Nathiba” which was published in 2017. This is the 41st edition of the annual Sarala Puraskar, which comprises of a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh and a citation. India’s Global Himalayan Expedition wins UN award for efforts to fight climate change amid Covid-19 An Indian organisation that leverages tourism and technology to help remote communities access solar energy has won a prestigious UN award for its efforts to combat climate change amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE) is among the winners of the 2020 UN Global Climate Action Award. GHE is one of the world’s first organisations using tourism and technology to bring solar energy to remote communities. Young Bangladeshi boy wins special prize in Global Art Competition conducted by ICCR  The ICCR had launched a global painting competition named ‘United Against CORONA- Express through Art’ which attracted 8000 artwork entries from around the world.  A six year old Bangladeshi boy Anzar Mustaeen Ali won a special prize of USD 1000 for his artwork in the global art competition organised by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR).

Page | 69 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Seema Gupta, Director (Ops), POWERGRID wins GOLD Stevie Award  Seema Gupta, Director (Operations), Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, a PSU under Ministry of Power, has been named the winner of GOLD Stevie® Award in the LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT- BUSINESS category in the 17th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business.  The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honour women executives, entrepreneurs, employees, and the companies they run– worldwide. The Stevie Awards have been hailed as the world’s premier business awards. India-assisted Mangdechhu hydroelectric project in Bhutan wins UK Engineer Body Award  The India-assisted Mangdechhu hydroelectric project in Bhutan has been awarded the prestigious Brunel Medal for 2020 by the top UK-based engineering body, Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) to recognise excellence in civil engineering.  The 720-MW Mangdechhu run-of-river power project is built on the Mangdechhu River in Trongsa Dzongkhag district of central Bhutan at a cost of Rs 4,500-crore  The project was jointly inaugurated by the prime ministers of the two countries in August 2019, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Bhutan. Rakayet Ul Karim Rakim of Bangladesh wins the Greenstorm International Nature Photography Contest  Rakayet Ul Karim Nakim, a native of Chittagong, Bangladesh, has won the 12th edition of the Greenstorm International Nature Photography Contest conducted in association with UNEP in connection with the World Environment Day.  Rakayet Ul Karim Rakim won the first prize for his capture of a butterfly poised on a cactus, ready for flight.  Mohamed Noufal from Sharjah, UAE, and Kartikeya Grover from Ghaziabad, India, bagged the second and third prizes, respectively. Dr Jajini Varghese, Indian-origin oncoplastic surgeon honored Outstanding Young Person 2020 Dr Jajini Varghese, a UK-based Indian-origin plastic surgeon, has been named an ‘Outstanding Young Person of the World 2020’ by a non-profit NGO for her “incredible” scientific contributions to diagnosing and treating breast cancer. Indian-American teen wins $25,000 for discovery that could lead to Covid-19 treatment, earns Vice President's praise  A 14-year-old Indian-American girl has won a USD 25,000 young scientist challenge for a discovery that could provide a potential treatment for Covid-19.  Anika Chebrolu, an eighth grader from Frisco in Texas, won the 3M Young Scientist Challenge, regarded as the US' premier middle school science competition, for her work using in-silico methodology for drug discovery to find a molecule that can selectively bind to the Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 virus in an attempt to find a cure for the coronavirus pandemic, according to the 3M  Challenge website.  3M is an American manufacturing company based in Minnesota. MD of TRIFED Pravir Krishna bags CEO of the year and visionary leadership award Managing Director of TRIFED Pravir Krishna (IAS) has been awarded CEO of the Year and Visionary Leadership Award in the virtual edition of National Awards for Excellence in PSU for Investment in Start-UPS. ISA Solar Awards Conferred for the first time For the first time, since the inception of the framework agreement of ISA, the Solar Awards were presented during the third Assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) on 14 October 2020 to the countries of the region as well as institutions working for solar. Visvesvaraya award – to recognise the countries with maximum floating solar capacity in each of the four regions of ISA.The award won by Japan for the Asia Pacific region and the Netherlands for Europe and Others region. Kalpana Chawla awards – to recognise outstanding contribution of scientists and engineers working in the field of solar energy.The award won by Dr.Bhim Singh from IIT Delhi (India) and Dr. Aaesha Alnuaimi from Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (United Arab Emirates.) Diwakar award – to recognizes organisations & institutions that have been working for the benefit of differently-abled people and have maximised the use of solar energy in the host country. The award won by Arpan Institute (Haryana) and Arushi Society. Aishwarya Sridhar became the first Indian woman to win the 2020 Wildlife Photographer of the Year award Aishwarya Sridhar, a 23-year-old, Mumbai based girl, has become the first Indian woman to win the 2020 Wildlife Photographer of the Year award.Her image titled ‘Lights of passion’, won among 50,000 entries from over 80 countries across the world.

70 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Eight Indian beaches awarded ‘Blue Flag’ certification  Eight beaches in India, across five states and two union territories, have been awarded the prestigious ‘Blue Flag’ certification, announced Union Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar.  These beaches include Shivrajpur (Dwarka-Gujarat), Ghoghla (Diu), Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka), Kappad (Kerala), Rushikonda (AP), Golden (Puri-Odisha) and Radhanagar (A&N Islands).  The certification was awarded to India by an international jury comprising the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). Prince William and Sir David Attenborough launches £50m Earthshot Prize for environmental solutions  Prince William and Sir David Attenborough launched the Earthshot Prize, which offers £50m (US$65m) in funding for solutions to the environmental and climate crises.  The aim of the prize, which was launched by Prince William and The Royal Foundation, is to provide an incentive to find solutions to repair the planet over the next decade. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat presents Swachh Bharat Awards 2020  The Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Rattan Lal Kataria virtually conferred the Swachh Bharat 2020 Awards to the best performing States/UTs, districts, blocks, GPs in various categories on 2nd October 2020.  The Ministry of Jal Shakti is observing the Swachh Bharat Diwas, 2020 on 2nd October to mark six years of the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). The Swachh Bharat 2020 Awards were conferred under three categories which are: Swachh Sundar Samudayik Shauchalaya (SSSS) campaign Best State – Gujarat Best District – Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu Best Block – Khachrod, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh Best Gram Panchayat – Chinnaur, (Salem) Samudayik Shauchalaya Abhiyan (SSA) Best State – Uttar Pradesh (GKRA) and Gujarat (Non-GKRA) [***Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan (GKRA)] Best District – Prayagraj (GKRA) and Bareilly (Non-GKRA) Best Gram Panchayat – Borigaon, Bongaigaon, Assam Gandagi Se Mukt (GMB) campaign Best State – Telangana and Haryana Best District – Moga, Punjab Kerala Tourism bags prestigious PATA Grand Award 2020 in Marketing The Kerala Tourism has bagged the prestigious PATA Grand Award 2020 in Marketing category for its internationally-acclaimed ‘Human by Nature’ campaign. Apart from this, the Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka, has won the prestigious PATA Gold Award for its Marketing Campaign (State and city – Global), Script Your Adventure 2019 IACC presents lifetime achievement award to Ratan Tata The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) has bestowed a lifetime achievement award to Indian business icon Ratan Tata at a closed-door meeting, owing to ongoing pandemic. Mumbai Municipal Commissioner I.S. Chahal honoured with Global ‘Covid Crusader Award-2020’ Iqbal Singh Chahal, I.A.S., Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai, was honoured with Global ‘Covid Crusader Award-2020’ by the Indo American Chamber of Commerce(IACC) in the Indian Bureaucrats Category. HDFC Bank’s Ravi Santhanam in Forbes list of World’s Most Influential CMOs Ravi Santhanam, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), HDFC Bank has been recognised in the Forbes list of ’The World’s Most Influential CMOs’. Ranked at Number 39, he is the only CMO of an Indian company to be featured in the illustrious list which includes marketing heads of Apple, BMW, Lego, Adobe, Microsoft, P&G among others. Belarus, Iran, US, Nicaragua Activists Win ‘alternate’ Nobel Prize Of 2020  A Belarusian pro-democracy campaigner, an imprisoned Iranian human rights lawyer, a US civil rights attorney, and a Nicaraguan activist won a top Swedish honour sometimes called “the alternative Nobel Prize.  Ales Bialiatski of Belarus and his NGO Viasna, Nasrin Sotoudeh of Iran, Bryan Stevenson of the United States and indigenous rights and environmental activist Lottie Cunningham Wren of Nicaragua share the Right Livelihood Award.  Although the Right Livelihood Award is promoted as an “Alternative Nobel Prize”, it is not a Nobel prize.The top Swedish award has been honouring courageous changemakers since 1980, aimed at boosting urgent and long-term social change.

Page | 71 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh chosen for ‘Gandhi’ Award Rajya Sabha MP and Aam Aadmi Party ( AAP) leader Sanjay Singh has been chosen for ‘Gandhi’ Award instituted by the Mahatma Gandhi National Foundation. Founder Of Sari Recycling Project Wins Goldman Sachs And Fortune Global Women Leaders Award Rayana Edwards, the South African who started a project to empower women to recycle saris into internationally-acclaimed fashion garments, has been named as a joint winner of this year’s Goldman Sachs and Fortune Global Women Leaders award(USD 25,000).The other winner was Emma Dicks, founder of CodeSpace Academy, a coding school. PERSON IN NEWS/NEWLY APPOINTED WORLD Wavel Ramkalawan India origin Wavel Ramkalawan elected President of Seychelles Alpha Conde Alpha Conde re-elected as president of Guinea Luis Arce Luis Arce elected as president of Bolivia Saad Hariri Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has been re-appointed to the post on 22 October 2020, after winning a slim majority of votes in parliament election. Jacinda Ardern Jacinda Ardern wins second term as New Zealand’s Prime Minister Michael Irani The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has announced the appointment of Michael Irani as its interim President. Sooronbai Jeenbekov Kyrgyzstan President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has resigned from his post Akbar Ebrahim Former racer Akbar Ebrahim was unanimously elected for a second term as the president of India’s motorsports governing body, FMSCI.Farooq Ahmed was unanimously elected as the vice-president Aava Murto A 16-year-old girl Aava Murto assumed the post of the Prime Minister of Finland for one day, under the “Girls Takeover” program, organised as a part of the U.N. International Day of the Girl to raise more awareness of gender equality. Bishr Al-Khasawneh The King of Jordan, Abdullah II, has designated his chief policy adviser, Bishr al-Khasawneh, as the country’s new Prime Minister Sadyr Zhaparov Sadyr Zhaparov elected as Kyrgyzstan’s acting PM Omar al Razzaz Jordan’s Prime Minister Omar al Razzaz submitted his resignation to Jordan’s King Abdullah. Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah became the Sabah oil-rich nation’s new ruling emir, after the death of his half-brother Sheikh Sabah al- AhmadAl- Sabah Rinki Sethi Twitter Inc appointed Rinki Sethi, a former information security executive at IBM, as its chief information security officer. Lewis Hamilton LG Electronics has named Lewis Hamilton a global ambassador for its home solutions brand, LG Signature.

NATIONAL Rohit Sharma Senior India cricketer Rohit Sharma was named brand ambassador of healthcare company Dr Trust. Bimal Julka The Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS), the self-regulatory industry body for fantasy sports, has appointed former Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of India, Bimal Julka, as its Chairman. Sashidhar Jagdishan Sashidhar Jagdishan Takes Over as HDFC Bank MD and CEO. He will replace Aditya Puri. N K Sahoo Lieutenant General Nanda Kishore Sahoo has taken the charge as of Director General, Dental Services and Colonel Commandant of Army Dental Corps.

72 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Ghanshyam Jha Ghanshyam Jha appointed Chairman of J&K Water Resources Regulatory Authority Dr Neena Malhotra Indian diplomat Dr Neena Malhotra appointed as next Ambassador to Republic of San Marino Rajendra Prasad Goyal NHPC designates Rajendra Prasad Goyal as CFO Ajay Kumar Bhalla The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the extension of the tenure of Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla till August 22, 2021. Kabir Ahmed Shakir Tata Communications Names Former Microsoft Executive Kabir Ahmed Shakir as CFO Rajkiran Rai G Rajkiran Rai G, the Managing Director and CEO of Union Bank of India has been elected as the Chairman of Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) for the term 2020-21. Dinesh Kumar Khara Dinesh Kumar Khara, the Chairman of State Bank of India has been elected as the deputy chairman of Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) Rohan Jaitley Rohan Jaitley, the son of late Union Minister Arun Jaitley, has been elected unopposed as the President of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) Vishal V. Sharma Vishal V. Sharma has been appointed as the next Permanent Representative of India to the UN’s cultural body, UNESCO Seema Mustafa Seema Mustafa Elected As President Of Editors Guild Of India Dhruv Bahl BharatPe elevates Dhruv Dhanraj Bahl to chief operating officer Chaitanya Delhi girl Chaitanya Venkateswaran recently became the British high Venkateswaran commissioner to India for a day. The 18-year-old won the ‘High Commissioner for the Day’ contest organised by the mission in the run-up to the International Day of the Girl Child, which is on October 11. Manoj Kumar Manoj Kumar has been appointed as the chairman and managing director of the Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) Ajinkya Rahane Indian batsman Ajinkya Rahane has been appointed as the brand ambassador and advisor of Hudle, a Delhi-based sports tech & events startup. Uday Shankar Uday Shankar steps down as president of Walt Disney Company India Chetan Anand Commonwealth Games medallist in Badminton, Chetan Anand has been roped in as the brand ambassador for the India’s first-ever homegrown professional badminton brand “Transform”. Piyush Goyal The Union Minister Piyush Goyal has been assigned the additional charge of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution following the death of union minister Ram Vilas Paswan.Piyush Goyal is currently serving as the Union Minister of Railways and Minister of Commerce and Industry. RK Chhibber The Reserve Bank (RBI) has extended the term of RK Chhibber as the Chairman and Managing Director of Srinagar-headquartered Jammu and Kashmir Bank for a period of six months. J Venkatramu Government has appointed J Venkatramu as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of India Post Payments Bank (IPPB).Venkatramu has been appointed to the post for a period of three years. Nilesh Shah Nilesh Shah has been re-elected as the Chairman of the Mutual fund industry body, Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI). Saurabh Nanavati Saurabh Nanavati, who is the chief executive officer of Invesco Asset Management (India) Pvt Ltd, has been re-elected as the vice-chairman of Amfi. M Rajeshwar Rao The Centre has appointed M Rajeshwar Rao as the new deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India. He succeeds NS Vishwanathan as the central bank’s fourth deputy governor.The Central Bank has four Deputy Governors. Other three deputy Governors of RBI are: M. D. Patra, B.P. Kanungo and M. K. Jain. Dinesh Kumar Khara The Government has appointed senior banker Dinesh Kumar Khara as the new Chairman of the State Bank Of India (SBI). M A Ganapathy M A Ganapathy appointed as the Director General of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). The post of BCAS chief was lying vacant after Rakesh Asthana was appointed as the Director General of Border Security Force in August 2020. Charanjit Singh Attra SBI appoints Charanjit Attra as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Bhuvan Bam Myntra signs Bhuvan Bam as first digital brand ambassador Priyanka Chopra Jonas Parle Agro has made a new addition to its fruits plus fizz portfolio, ‘B-Fizz’ and

Page | 73 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

has roped in Priyanka Chopra Jonas as the national brand ambassador to maximise reach and awareness of the same. Jr. NTR has been roped in as the brand ambassador for Southern India. Arvind Hali Motilal Oswal Home Finance appoints Arvind Hali as new MD & CEO S S Deswal The Director General of ITBP ( Indo Tibetan Border Police), S S Deswal has been given the additional charge of National Security Guard (NSG) by Home Ministry. Shekhar Kapur The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has appointed Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur as the new President of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Society and Chairman of FTII Governing Council. Sourav Ganguly City based real estate developer Bengal Peerless Housing has roped in Sourav Ganguly as brand ambassador for the company. SPORTS PERSON ASSOCIATED WITH Leon Luke Mendonca Young Indian International Master Leon Luke Mendonca earned his maiden Grandmaster norm after winning the title in Rigochess International Festival tournament in Hungary. Tanmay Srivastava Mumbai Batsman Tanmay Srivastava, who was part of India’s Under-19 World Cup winning team in 2008, announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. Aryna Sabalenka Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus won the Ostrava Open WTA tournament after beating her visibly struggling compatriot Victoria Azarenka from Belarus in straight sets. Alexander Zverev Alexander Zverev won his second ATP title in Cologne in the space of a week with a quickfire 6-2 6-1 demolition of Argentine Diego Schwartzman in the final of the bett1HULKS Championship. Lewis Hamilton Lewis Hamilton has won the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix, held at Algarve International Circuit, Portugal. Jaume Masia Honda Moto3 rider Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing NSF250RW) claimed victory in the Moto3 class in round 12 of the 2020 FIM World Championship Grand Prix at MotorLand Aragon in Spain. Umar Gul Pakistani pace bowler Umar Gul has announced that he will retire from all forms of cricket after the end of the ongoing National T20 Cup Constantina Dita Romania’s 2008 Olympic champion Constantina Dita has been named an ambassador for the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships to be held in Gdynia. Iga Swiatek In Tennis, Polish teenager Iga Swiatek has become the new French Open Champion. She beat the American Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin in the Women Singles final by 6-4, 6-1. Nihal Sarin Young Indian player Nihal Sarin emerged winner in the Chess.com’s 2020 Junior Speed Online Chess Championship, beating Russia’s world junior No. 6 Alexey Sarana 18-7 in the final. Lewis Hamilton Lewis Hamilton has won the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix, held at the Nürburgring in Nürburg, Germany. Chetan Anand India’s first-ever homegrown professional badminton brand “Transform” that was launched recently.Commonwealth Games medallist shuttler Chetan Anand to promote the brand Yashaswini Singh Indian Olympic quota winner Yashaswini Singh Deswal won the 10m air pistol Deswal event in the fifth edition of the International Online Shooting Championship (IOSC). Visnu Shivaraj Pandian India’s Visnu Shivaraj Pandian won the 10m air rifle event at the fifth edition of the International Online Shooting Championship.

International Air Rifle Championship  In Shooting, the world number one Elavenil Valarivan of India won gold worth USD 1000 in women’s event of the 2020 Sheikh Russel International Air Rifle Championship.  The event was organised by Bangladesh Shooting Sport Federation (BSSF).

74 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 Japan’s Naoya Okada won the gold in the men’s event, while India’s Shahu Tushar Mane bagged a silver to clinch USD 700. Russia’s Andrey Rublev wins St. Petersburg Open tennis tournament Andrey Rublev joined Novak Djokovic as the only men to win four tour singles titles in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season as he beat Borna Coric 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the final of the St. Petersburg Open tennis tournament. Odisha to sponsor national rugby teams for next 3 years The Odisha Government will pay the Indian Rugby Football Union (also known as Rugby India) ₹3 crore as sponsor of National teams over three years. After 233 tries, Jason Kokrak claims first PGA Tour win at CJ Cup  American Jason Kokrak fired off eight birdies in a flawless final round for his first-ever PGA Tour victory at the CJ Cup in Las Vegas, Nevada, clinching his maiden title on the 233rd try.  The 35-year-old outclassed a crowded field of elite performers, carding an eight-under-par 64 at the Shadow Creek Golf Course, draining a 20-foot putt on 10, one of 11 putts he made from further than 10 feet away through 72 holes. Denmark Open (Badminton) List of Winners Men’s Single:-Anders Antonsen of Denmark defeated his compatriot Rasmus Gemke. Woemn’s Single:-World Champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan clinched the Denmark Open 2020 title beating three-time world champion Carolina Marin in women’s singles. Los Angeles Lakers wins 17th NBA Championship  Los Angeles Lakers, fuelled by superstar LeBron James’ triple-double, dominated Miami Heat 106-93 to win its 17th NBA championship.  LeBron James earned NBA Finals Most Valuable Player honours for a fourth time, and said the accomplishment had a special flavour with the Lakers. AIFF announces ‘Indian Football – Forward Together’ as its new motto  All India Football Federation, the apex body for the sport of football in the country, announced the launch of their new motto ‘Indian Football. Forward Together’, defining the new brand direction.  The motto is based on the core belief of the Federation to promote, grow and develop the game of football throughout India with the support of the football community, and creates synergy with the core values of the organization – passion, respect, leadership, teamwork, integrity, professionalism and inclusivity. Winners of French Open Tennis 2020: Category Name of the Sportsperson Men’s Single Rafael Nadal (Spain) Women’s Single Iga Swiatek (Poland) Men’s Double Kevin Krawietz & Andreas Mies (Germany) Women’s Double Tímea Babos (Hungary) & Kristina Mladenovic (France) Rafael Nadal scripted history by winning a record-extending 13th French Open title as he lifted his 20th Grand Slam trophy and equalled Roger Federer’s record for most Major titles. India Climb to Third in ICC Women’s T20 Team Rankings, topped by Australia  The Indian women’s cricket team has overtaken New Zealand to rise to the third spot in the T20 International standings and retained the second position in the ODI chart of the latest ICC rankings.  Australia and England retain the top two positions in T20s, their points tally remaining 291 and 280, respectively.  The biggest improvement in rankings has been registered by Brazil, who are up 11 places to 27, after a gain of 15 rating points, while the biggest ranking fall has been for Malaysia, who are down from 31st to 38th SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Infosys turns carbon neutral 30 years ahead of Paris Agreement's 2050 timeline  Indian IT major Infosys has turned carbon neutral 30 years ahead of 2050, the timeline set by the Paris Agreement.  In 2011, Infosys made a pledge to become carbon neutral by 2020.  The company published its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Vision for 2030. The goals are to continue to be carbon neutral, expand reskilling initiatives to empower 10 million-plus people with digital skills and 80 million-plus lives with technology for good programs in e-governance, healthcare, and education and nurture an inclusive and gender-diverse workforce with at least 45 percent women employees.

Page | 75 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 The company was inducted into Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) and made it part of the DJSI World and DJSI Emerging Markets Indices. Low Cost Technology anti-ageing Compound developed by IIT-Guwahati  The researchers from IIT Guwahati developed a low-cost method to produce anti-ageing compounds. The compound has been developed from a wide range of agricultural resources such as pulses, tea, berries, orange peels, parsley, onion and sea buckthorn.  The cosmetics in India are regulated by the Drug and Cosmetic Act, 1940. ISRO-NASA Satellite NISAR Scheduled to Be Launched by 2022 According to a joint statement issued after a strategic dialogue between India and the US, the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite is expected to be launched by 2022 as India and the U.S. have decided to share Space Situational Awareness Information, which will catalyse efforts to create the conditions for a safe and sustainable space environment. NASA’s SOFIA Discovers Water on Sunlit Surface of Moon NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) has confirmed, for the first time, water on the sunlit surface of the Moon. This discovery indicates that water may be distributed across the lunar surface, and not limited to cold, shadowed places.SOFIA has detected water molecules (H2O) in Clavius Crater, one of the largest craters visible from Earth, located in the Moon’s southern hemisphere. IIT Kanpur and ASI sign MoU with Italian institutes for restoration of monuments The Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K) and the Archaeological Survey of India have signed an agreement with two institutions from Italy, seeking restoration and protection of historical monuments. The MoU was signed among IIT-K, Ca’Foscari University of Venice, Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti E Paesaggio, Venice, on creating a network and sharing skills for restoration and protection of historical monuments. IIT, Jodhpur, NHAI Sign Pact To Share Expertise For Betterment Of Highway Infrastructure Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) , Jodhpur and National Highway Authority of India(NHAI) have signed a pact to share their expertise for betterment of highway infrastructure. IIT in Partnership with TCS Sets New Trends in Manufacturing Sector  IIT Kharagpur has developed novel Industry 4.0 technology for remotely controlled factory operations and real-time quality correction during industrial production, jointly with TCS to set a new trend in India’s advanced manufacturing sector.  This will make possible for industrial houses to achieve standardized quality goals throughout the production process and reduce rejection hence lowering the cost of production. Suture Zone in the Himalayas has become Tectonically Active  The study conducted by scientists from Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology says that the suture zone of the Himalayas has become tectonically active.  The scientists have observed that the thrust is broken, sedimentary beds are tilted. Bedrocks are showing brittle deformation and the rivers are associated with the uplifted terraces. The scientists used the technique of Optically Stimulated Luminescence to make these observations. Scientists at MIT have designed a novel face maskto inactive CoV-2 virus using heat Scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) of USA have designed a novel face mask that can not only filter out the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19 but also inactivate it using heat IBM to set up centre of excellence for AI with government e-marketplace IBM announced the creation of an AI centre of excellence in partnership with the government e-marketplace during the inaugural session of RAISE 2020 virtual summit.The AI centre of excellence’s goal will be to apply the power of AI to improve usability and transparency and drive efficiency and cost savings in public procurement. IIM Kozhikode to launch an E-Learning hub and Library for villagers in Mavoor  The Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode will soon be launching an e-learning hub and library as a pilot project for villagers in Mavoor, one of the five villages adopted by the institute under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA).  The programme aims to create a virtuous cycle between society and academic system by providing knowledge and practices for the emerging professions.  Unnat Bharat Abhiyaan is a flagship programme by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). Unnat Bharat Abhiyaan is aimed at linking the Higher Education Institutions with a set of at least five villages. IIT Kharagpur launches telemedicine software ‘iMediX’  IIT Kharagpur researchers have launched a telemedicine system ‘iMediX’ to help patients receive assistance from doctors without having to go to hospitals or clinics.

76 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 ‘iMediX’ allows patients to request for consultation by choosing a department of a hospital, entering their complaints and uploading necessary medical records. The hospital then processes the request and assigns a doctor. Nokia selected by NASA to build first ever cellular network on the Moon  Finland based telecom company Nokia has been selected by NASA as its partner to build the first cellular network on the moon.  NASA plans to leverage these innovations for its Artemis program, the US government-funded crewed spaceflight program for landing “the first woman and the next man” on the Moon, specifically at the lunar south pole region by 2024.  The Nokia Bell Labs’ will undertake this project to build and deploy the first wireless end-to-end broadband/LTE communications system on the lunar surface in late 2022.  Nokia will partner with US-based Intuitive Machines for this mission.  This project of deploying the first LTE/4G communications system in space will help pave the way towards sustainable human presence on the lunar surface. IIT Kharagpur's Covid-19 Test Kit 'COVIRAP' Gets ICMR Certification, to Cost Less Than Rs 500  The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has validated the efficacy of 'COVIRAP', a diagnostic machine developed by IIT Kharagpur researchers to detect coronavirus.  The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has validated the efficacy of 'COVIRAP', a diagnostic machine developed by IIT Kharagpur researchers to detect coronavirus.  The kit has made high-quality and accurate COVID testing affordable for common people, with the testing to cost around Rs 500. He said the machine can be developed at a cost of less than Rs 10,000. IIIT Hyderabad and NMDA Develop Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) Primer to Mitigate Earthquake Risks International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIITH) and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) have developed a Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) Primer for better insight into structural safety in the wake of earthquake risks. NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Successfully Touches Asteroid In a historic event that unfolded nearly 321 million kilometers away from the Earth, a Nasa spacecraft successfully touched the surface of an asteroid to collect pristine samples to return to the Earth. The OsirisRex mission performed a first-of-its-kind Touch and Go (TAG) manoeuvre to blast nitrogen to gather regolith (dust and minerals) from the surface of asteroid Bennu. China to send world’s first asteroid mining robot into space in November  A private company, Origin Space in Beijing (China) is set to send out the world’s first asteroid mining robot into space in November 2020. The robot has been named ‘asteroid mining robot’ by the space start- up in China.  The asteroid mining robot will be launched into space by a Chinese Long March series rocket. C-DAC to commission India’s fastest Supercomputer ‘PARAM Siddhi – AI’ The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) will be commissioning India’s largest HPC-AI supercomputer ‘PARAM Siddhi – AI’. This initiative will place India among the top countries in global AI supercomputing research and innovation. The initiative was headed by Abhishek Das, Scientist and Program Director (HPC-AI Infrastructure Development) at C-DAC, who conceived the idea and designed the architecture for the largest HPC-AI infrastructure in India. About ‘PARAM Siddhi – AI’  This high-performance computing-Artificial Intelligence (HPC-AI) supercomputer is a machine with 210 AI Petaflops (6.5 Petaflops Peak DP).  It is built on the NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD reference architecture comprising of 42 NVIDIA DGX A100 systems, connected with NVIDIA Mellanox HDR InfiniBand networking along with C-DAC’s indigenously developed HPC-AI engine, Software Frameworks, Cloud Platform. ISRO to launch its Venus Mission in 2025, France to take part  ISRO is scheduled to launch its Venus mission in 2025 and France will participate in it.  The VIRAL (Venus Infrared Atmospheric Gases Linker) instrument co-developed with the Russian federal space agency Roscosmos and the LATMOS atmospheres, environments and space observations laboratory attached to the French national scientific research centre CNRS has been selected by the ISRO after a request for proposals.  CNES will coordinate and prepare the French contribution, the first time a French payload will be flown on an Indian exploration mission. NIT Tiruchirappalli signed MoU with C-DAC Pune for installing state of art super computer

Page | 77 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune for installing a state of the art super computer in the process of becoming part of the National Super Computing Mission of the Government of India.  A total of 10 Centrally Funded Institutions have been inducted into NSM including IISc, Bangalore and seven IITs in addition to NIT, Trichy.  The super Computing facility worth 17 crore rupees will be made available to neighbouring educational institutions, as mandated and in line with NEP-2020. Microsoft collaborates with AICTE to upskill students, educators in next-gen tech  Microsoft announced that it has partnered with the Government of India’s All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to provide online course modules to students across the country.  The tech giant will offer courses to help “learners and educators with future-ready skills.” It will offer over 1,500 course modules to students and educators free of cost through AICTE’s e-learning portal, ELIS. Bharate launches new brand campaign with 11 cricketers as brand ambassadors  BharatPe has announced the launch of its high impact TV campaign starring ‘Team BharatPe’ with 11 Cricket stars.  The TVC series has been directed by ace Bollywood director, Puneet Malhotra, and communicates the message ‘Hum Hai Team BharatPe – Jo Desh Ke Har Dukandaar Ke Saath Hai Khade’.  This is the first time that a new age FinTech company has rolled out a TV campaign with 11 top cricket stars as its brand ambassadors. Team BharatPe includes Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina, Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw, Sanju Samson, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Shubhman Gill. IIT Kharagpur designs Agro robotic system to identify diseases plaguing plants IIT Kharagpur has designed a robotic system capable of identifying the diseases plaguing plants through camera-captured image analysis. Microsoft, AICTE Collaborate To Skill Students And Educators In Next-Gen Technologies  The All India Council For Technical Education (AICTE) has partnered with Microsoft to provide uninterrupted online learning to millions of students across the country and empower them with future- ready skills.  As part of the partnership, over 1,500 course modules from Microsoft will be made available to students and educators free of cost through AICTE's e-learning portal ELIS.  Microsoft's learning resource centre Microsoft Learn has been integrated with the ELIS platform to provide access to personalised learning paths and resources for students, covering a broad range of technologies including AI, IOT, data science and cloud computing among others. NASA to Launch Nano Satellite Developed by Three Tamil Nadu Students into Sub-orbit An experimental satellite by three students from Tamil Nadu's Karur district will be launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Agency into the sub orbit in June, next on NASA’s sounding rocket 7. The three students — M. Adnaan of Thanthonrimalai, M. Kesavan of Nagampalli and V. Arun of Thennilai — started with their experimental model when they were in their high school. ISRO to launch Earth Observation Satellite EOS-1 and 9 Customer Satellites  The Indian Space Research Organisation is to launch Earth observation satellite, RISAT-2BR2 and nine other customer satellites by November 7, 2020.  The Earth observation satellite has been code named EOS-01. It aims to support applications in Forestry, agriculture and disaster management. The launch of this earth observation satellite will be the 51st the mission of ISRO.  The customer satellite is being launched along with the EOS-01 under the commercial agreement signed by ISRO with newspace India Limited.  ISRO is to launch RISAT-2BR2 satellite in November 2020. The RISAR-2BR1 was launched in May 2019. DEFENCE Indian Army launches Secure Messaging Application the Indian Army launched a messaging mobile application called the SAI. The application will provide secure voice, video and text calling services to the soldiers of Indian Army. The SAI model is much similar to other commercial applications such as Telegram, WhatsApp, SAMVAD. Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Celebrates 59th Raising Day  The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) observed its 59th Raising Day on 24 October 2020.

78 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 ITBP is India’s primary border patrol organization with its border with Tibet (China).  It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces of India.  ITBP was formed on 24 October 1962, under the CRPF Act, in the wake of the Sino-Indian War of 1962. Indian Navy's anti-ship missile launched by INS Prabal  The Indian Navy shared a video showing an anti-ship missile (AShM) launched by its Missile Corvette INS Prabal landing home on with deadly accuracy at maximum range and sinking the target ship.  The missile launched somewhere from the Arabian Sea homed in on its target - an old ship - and hit it with deadly accuracy at its maximum range. DRDO successfully conducts final trial of Nag anti-tank guided missile in Pokhran range  Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully carried out the final trial of the third generation, anti-tank guided missile ‘NAG’, from the Pokhran field firing ranges in Rajasthan.  Following the final trial, the missile will now enter into the production phase. It will be manufactured by defence PSU Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP), of DRDO. Indigenously-built stealth corvette INS Kavaratti commissioned into Indian Navy  Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane commissioned the last of four indigenously built anti-submarine warfare (ASW) stealth corvettes 'INS Kavaratti' into the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam.  The ship was designed by the Indian Navy's in-house organisation, Directorate of Naval Design(DND), and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata. Indian Navy operationalises first batch of 3 women pilots at Kochi, ready to fly Dornier aircraft  The Indian Navy has operationalized its first batch of women pilots on Dornier Aircraft by the Southern Naval Command (SNC) at Kochi. Lieutenant Divya Sharma (from Malviya Nagar, New Delhi), Lieutenant Shubhangi Swaroop (from Tilhar, Uttar Pradesh) and Lieutenant Shivangi (from Muzaffarpur, Bihar) are the three women pilots of the first batch.  The three women pilots were part of the Dornier Operational Flying Training (DOFT) Course, who graduated as ‘Fully operational Maritime Reconnaissance (MR) Pilots’. They were presented awards by Rear Admiral Antony George, VSM, NM, Chief Staff Officer (Training) of SNC at the event. India successfully test fires SANT Missile off Odisha coast  India successfully flight tested its indigenously developed Stand-off Anti-tank (SANT) missile from Integrated Test Range (ITR) off Odisha coast .  SANT is a air-to-surface missile developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Air Force.  It can destroy targets 15 km to 20 km away. Malabar-2020 Naval Exercise  India has invited Australia to participate in its trilateral naval exercise “Malabar-2020” which is scheduled to be held in November 2020, in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.  The Malabar series of naval exercises began in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between Indian Navy-US Navy. Later, Japan joined the Naval exercise in 2015.  In 2020, the exercise will be held in a ‘non-contact – at sea’ format.  It must be remembered that US-India-Japan and Australia are already the part of the “Quad” alliance. SLINEX-20  The eighth edition of annual Indian Navy (IN) and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) bilateral maritime exercise SLINEX-20 is scheduled be held off Trincomalee in Sri Lanka from 19 to 21 October 2020.  The Indian Navy will be represented by the indigenously built ASW corvettes Kamorta and Kiltan.  The Sri Lanka Navy will be represented by SLN Ships Sayura (Offshore Patrol Vessel) and Gajabahu (Training Ship). India successfully test fires BrahMos cruise missile from INS Chennai  India successfully test fired the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile on 18 October 2020, from the Indian Navy’s indigenously-built stealth destroyer INS Chennai.  The missile hit the target in the Arabian Sea successfully with pin-point accuracy after performing high- level and extremely complex manoeuvres.  The highly versatile BrahMos has been jointly designed, developed and produced by India and Russia under the joint venture, BrahMos Aerospace. Russia successfully test-fires Tsirkon hypersonic missile  Russia successfully tested a new hypersonic anti-ship cruise missile Tsirkon on 7th October 2020 from the Admiral Gorshkov frigate in the White Sea in the Russian Arctic.  It was the first time that the missile had successfully hit its target at sea.

Page | 79 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 The missile covered a distance of 450 km, with the maximum altitude of its trajectory at 28 kilometers, in four and a half minutes and reached a speed of Mach 8 – eight times the speed of sound. DRDO successfully flight tests supersonic missile assisted release of torpedo  India successfully flight tested the Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART) from Wheeler Island off the coast of Odisha  All mission objectives, including missile flight upto the range and altitude, separation of the nose cone, the release of Torpedo and deployment of Velocity Reduction Mechanism (VRM), were met perfectly in the flight test. Bongosagar The second edition of Indian Navy (IN) – Bangladesh Navy (BN) Bilateral Exercise Bongosagar commenced in Northern Bay of Bengal India successfully test-fires new version of nuclear-capable Shaurya Missile from Odisha coast On 3rd October 2020, the DRDO successfully test-fired a new version of the Shaurya surface-to-surface nuclear-capable ballistic missile at Balasore, off the coast of Odisha. The new version of the nuclear-capable missile can strike targets at a range of around 800 kms. India signs USD 90 million defence deal with US to buy spares for C-130J Super Hercules aircraft India and the United States have entered into a defence deal worth $90-million, wherein US would provide equipment, spare parts and logistical support for India’s fleet of C-130J Super Hercules cargo aircraft. India has also ordered an AN/ALR-56M advanced radar warning system, 10 lightweight night vision binoculars, 10 night vision glasses, GPS and electronic warfare to the US. DRDO successfully test fires laser-guided anti-tank guided missile The indigenously developed Laser Guided Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) was successfully test fired by DRDO. The test was conducted from MBT Arjun at KK ranges (ACC&S) Ahmednagar in Maharashtra. Indian Coast Guard Commissions ICGS ‘Kanaklata Barua’ FPV in Kolkata The Indian Coast Guard Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) ICGS ‘Kanaklata Barua’ was commissioned at the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd in Kolkata. The ICGS Kanaklata Barua is the fifth and final ship in the series of five FPVs built by GRSE, for the Indian Coast Guard. India successfully test fires Brahmos surface-to-surface cruise missile The Defence Research and Development (DRDO) successfully test-fired BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, with several indigenous features, from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Balasore in Odisha ICG Offshore Patrol Vessel ‘Vigraha’ Launched to Enhance Coastal Security  The seventh offshore patrol vessel of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), ‘Vigraha’ was formally unveiled at the Kattupalli port. The vessel is expected to be inducted into the Coast Guard after completion of extensive trials and testing for the equipment and machinery by March 2021.  The vessel, built by Larsen and Toubro, is the last in the series of seven OPVs contracted to the company by the Ministry of Defence in 2015. India test-fires Rudram 1, its first anti-radiation missile to kill enemy radars  India successfully test-fired Rudram 1, the tactical anti-radiation missile that the Indian Air Force can launch from its Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets to take down enemy radars and surveillance systems.  The missile, Rudram-1, is India’s first indigenously developed anti-radiation weapon system and it was test-fired by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), at an integrated test range in Balasore in Odisha.  The missile has a launch speech of up to 2 Mach, twice the speed of sound, is capable of bringing down a wide-range of enemy radar systems, communication networks and air defence systems within a range of up to 250 kilometers. Two-day coastal security exercise Sagar Kavach concludes The two-day half-yearly coastal security exercise Sagar Kavach Conducted by the Navy and the Coast Guard along the Kerala and Karnataka coasts. Indian Coast Guard launches L&T built Offshore Patrol Vessel ‘Vigraha’  The Indian Coast Guard launched the Offshore Patrol vessel ‘Vigraha’ at a private shipyard in Kattupalli, north of Chennai on 6th October 2020.  ICGS ‘Vigraha’ is the seventh and last in the series of seven vessels that was designed and built exclusively for the Coast Guard by Larsen and Toubro (L&T) Shipbuilding as a part of the ‘Make in India’ initiative.  Vigraha is likely to be inducted into the Indian Coast Guard in March 2021. Indian Navy Ships Sahyadri And Kora Adjudged 'Best Ships' In Fleet Award Function 2020  Indian Navy organised the Fleet Award Function (FAF) at Visakhapatnam this year to mark the successful performance of the Operational Cycle of the Eastern Fleet.  Sixteen trophies were awarded in recognition of excellence in various operational verticals. The most coveted trophies of Best Ship were awarded to INS Sahyadri amongst Capital ships and INS Kora amongst

80 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Corvettes and similar classes of ships. Indian Naval Ships Airavat and Kiltan jointly bagged the ‘Best Spirited Ship’ displaying indomitable spirit and grit whilst undertaking a plethora of challenging missions. India conducts successful night trial of nuclear-capable Prithvi-2 missile off Odisha coast  India successfully conducted the night trial of its nuclear-capable Prithvi-2 missile on 16 October 2020 from Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near Balasore, off Odisha coast.  The state-of-the-art missile is India’s first indigenous surface-to-surface strategic missile, developed by DRDO under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.  The 9-metre tall liquid-propelled Prithvi-2 has a range of 250 km and can carry a 1 tonne warhead. India to hand over its kilo-class submarine INS Sindhuvir to Myanmar for training purpose  As per the information delivered by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India has decided to hand over INS Sindhuvir, a Kilo class submarine to the Myanmar Navy by the end of 2020.  This initiative has been launched under the vision SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region), to guarantee security for all maritime partners and is also in line with India’s commitment to build capacities and self-reliance in all its neighbouring countries.  The Indian Navy had bought the INS Sindhuvir, a Soviet-origin Kilo-class submarine, from Russia in 1980s and has operated it since 1988.  It is currently being modernized by the Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Vizag, after which its service life will be extended by 10-15 years. It will then serve the Myanmar Navy till the 2030s. Japan Coast Guard Tests Unmanned SeaGuardian Aircraft  Japan, on October 15, began test flights of an unmanned aerial vehicle SeaGuardian in a bid to learn whether it can carry out key duties, including search, recuse and maritime surveillance.  12-meter-long, 24-meter-wide UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) developed by US defence firm General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and is capable of flying for more than 24 hours nonstop. Exercise Suraksha Kavach- Agnibaaz Division organized an anti-terror exercise “Suraksha Kavach” for both Indian Army and Maharashtra Police at Lullanagar Pune recently . IMPORTANT DAYS The month of October is observed as breast October 1 Breast Cancer Awareness Month cancer awareness month to increase awareness of the disease. October 1 World Vegetarian Day International Day of Older Theme: Pandemics: Do They Change How We October 1 Persons Address Age and Ageing? October 1 International Coffee Day Theme: ‘‘Coffee’s Next Generation’’. Every year, 02 October is celebrated as the International Day of Non- International Day of Non-Violence, to mark the October 2 Violence(151st birth anniversary birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, of Mahatma Gandhi) Mahatma Gandhi. Theme 2020- RoaR (Roar and Revive) – October 2 World Day for Farmed Animals Exploring Human-Animal Relationships. In 2020, we are celebrating 66th Wildlife Week. October 2-8 Wildlife Week October 4-10 World Space Week Theme: “Satellites Improve Life.” October 4 World Animal Day Theme: “Teachers: Leading in crisis, October 5 World Teachers’ Day reimagining the future”. World Habitat Day is observed every year on the first Monday of October October 5 World Habitat Day 2020 Theme: Housing For All — A Better Urban Future World Investor Week (WIW) is promoted by the International Organization of Securities October 5-11 World Investor Week Commissions (IOSCO) and will be held between October 05 and October 11, 2020. October 7 World Cotton Day The day was inaugurated by the World Trade

Page | 81 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Organization (WTO) in Geneva on October 7, 2019. WCD Day was initiated by the Group of Cotton- 4 countries namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali to the reflect the importance of cotton as a global commodity. This year Indian Air Force celebrate it’s 88th October 8 Indian Air Force Day anniversary of the Indian Air Force, also known as Bharatiya Vayu Sena. October 8 World Sight Day Theme: Hope In Sight. October World Egg Day is celebrated worldwide on the second Friday in the month of October each October 9 World Egg Day 2020 year. Theme: “EAT YOUR EGG TODAY AND EVERY DAY” October 9 was chosen as it marks the anniversary of the Universal Postal Union October 9 World Post Day (UPU), which was created in 1874 in Switzerland. October 9-15 National Postal Week October 10 National Postal day October 10 World Mental Health Day Theme: ‘Mental Health for All’. A matter of life or World Day Against the Death Theme:“Access to counsel – October 10 Penalty death.” Officially, the World Migratory Bird Day is observed twice in a year, firstly on Second October 10 World Migratory Bird Day Saturday of May and again on Second Saturday of October Theme: “Birds Connect Our World”. October 11 International Girl Child Day Theme: “My voice, our equal future”. October 12 World Arthritis Day Theme: “Time2Work”. International Day for Disaster October 13 Reduction/World Calamity Theme: “Disaster risk governance” Control Day October 14 World Standards Day Theme: “Protecting the planet with standards.” The Philately is the study of postage stamps and October 14 National Philately Day postal history. October 14 International E-Waste Day Theme: Education October 15 Global Handwashing Day Theme, “Hand Hygiene for All," October 15 World Students’ Day International Day of Rural October 15 Theme: “Building rural women’s resilience in Women the wake of COVID-19.” The day was first marked in 1964 in United White Cane Awareness States by President Lyndon B Johnson. In 2011, October 15 Day/White Cane Safety Day President Barack Obama named the day as Blind Americans Equality Day. National W October 15 omen Farmers’ Day (Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas) Theme – “Grow, nourish, sustain. Together. Our actions are our future.” October 16 World Food Day Dr. Harsh Vardhan also reminded everyone of the central government’s efforts of making Indian trans fat free by 2022 International Day for the Theme: Acting together to achieve social and October 17 Eradication of Poverty environmental justice for all’. October 17 World Trauma Day October 20 World Osteoporosis Day Theme is “THAT’S OSTEOPOROSIS”.

82 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

October 20 International Chef’s Day Theme: Healthy Food for the Future. Theme: October 20 World Statistics Day “Connecting the world with data we can trust”. October 21 World Iodine Deficiency Day National Police Commemoration October 21 Day International Stuttering Awareness Resilience October 22 Theme 2020: “Journey of Words – Day and Bouncing Back” The theme for international Stuttering International Stuttering Awareness October 22 Day Awareness Day 2020 is “Journey of Words – Resilience and Bouncing Back”. This day was first celebrated on 2014, after the signing of the Bishkek declaration on the International Snow Leopard Day October 23 conservation of the snow leopards during the First Global Snow Leopard forum in Bishkek, the capital of Krygyzstan in 2013. Theme: October 24 World Polio Day “A win against polio is a win for global health.” October 24 United Nations Day October 24 International Day of Diplomats Theme: “Information and Communications World Development Information Technologies New Solutions to Development October 24 — Day Challenges”.

Disarmament Week seeks to promote awareness October 24-30 Disarmament Week and better understanding of disarmament issues and their cross-cutting importance. Infantry Day is celebrated to mark the landing October 27 74th Infantry Day of first Indian troops in Jammu and Kashmir in 1947 to push back Pakistan supported intruders. World Day for Audiovisual October 27 Theme: Heritage “Your Window to the World” October 28 International Animation Day October 29 World Stroke Day World Psoriasis Day is commemorated by World Psoriasis Day International Federation of Psoriasis October 29 Theme 2020: INFORMED Associations (IFPA) annually on 29th October. Headquarters: Sweden. October 29 International Internet Day October 31 World Cities Day Theme: ‘Valuing our communities and cities’ Vigilance Awareness Week 2020  The Central Vigilance Commission observes the Vigilance Awareness Week from 27th October to 2nd November, 2020.  In 2020, the Vigilance Awareness Week is observed with the theme, “ भारत, भारत – Satark Bharat, Samriddh Bharat (Vigilant India, Prosperous India)”.  The is observed every year by the Central Vigilance Commission during the week in which the birthday of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel The is observed every year by the Central Vigilance Commission during the week in which the birthday of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (31 October) falls. October 31: Ekta Diwas  This year Ekta Diwas is to be celebrated to commemorate 145th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.  This year the celebrations of the day held in Kevadia, Guajrat. PM Modi participated in the celebrations.  PM Modi inaugurated “Arogya Van” in Kevadia, Gujarat.  The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Sardar Patel Zoological Park. It is popularly known as the “Jungle Safari” in Kevadia. He also inaugurated “Ekta Mall”. It is a nutrition park for children in KEvadia. Ganga River Dolphin Day(October 5)

Page | 83 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

 The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) launched Dolphin-based ecotourism programme, including Dolphin safari, at six sites in three states Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal along the country’s national river on the occasion of the ‘Ganga River Dolphin Day’  A Dolphin-based ecotourism programme, including Dolphin safari has also been launched in six sites across the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal.  Under this programme, the ‘Ganga Praharis’, the trained volunteers from the local community working for cleanliness of Ganga, will take the tourists at these sites on boat rides to view Dolphin and another biodiversity present in the Ganga River.  The six sites include Bijnor, Brijghat, Prayagraj and Varanasi in UP; Kahalgaon in Bihar and Bandel in West Bengal. World Students’ Day  The birth anniversary of former President APJ Abdul Kalam on October 15 is observed as World Students’ Day.  This year marks the 89th birth anniversary of the former president and ‘Missile Man’ Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.  The theme for World Students’ Day 2020 is ‘learning for people, planet, prosperity and peace’. United Nations Day(October 24)  The year 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the United Nations and its founding Charter.  The theme for UN Day 2020 is ‘The Future We Want, the UN We Need: Reaffirming our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism’ .  The United Nations day is observed on October 24, every year since 1948. UN Day marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. BOOK AND AUTHOR BOOK AUTHOR ‘Discovering the Heritage of Assam’ Written by Padampani Bora and having foreword by Amitabh Bachchan. Autobiography of late multiple term Lok Sabha MP Deh Vechava Karani Dr Balasaheb Vikhe Patil. `The Khalistan Conspiracy’ GBS Sidhu “The Battle of Belonging: On Nationalism, Shashi Tharoor Patriotism And What It Means To Be Indian”. “On the Trail of Buddha: A Journey to the East” Deepankar Aron “Mr Prime Minister, We Shrank the Dragon” Pradeep Goorha Portraits of Power NK Singh “Night of the Restless Spirits: Stories from 1984” Sarbpreet Singh “The Fixer” Suman Dubey published by Vigyan Prasar of the Department of “Bye Bye Corona” Science and Technology, makes people aware of COVID-19 in an engaging way. OBITUARY PERSON DIED ASSOCIATED WITH Jasomatinandan Das Ji ISKCON President Jasomatinandan Das Ji passes away Daniel Menaker, an award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction and a longtime editor at The New Yorker and Random House who worked with Daniel Menaker Alice Munro, Salman Rushdie, Colum McCann and many others, has died at age 79. He was also known for the O Henry Award-winning title story of his collection The Old Left. Keshubhai Patel Former Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel passes away at 92 Naresh Kanodia Veteran Gujarati actor and ex-BJP MLA Naresh Kanodia passed away at the age of 77 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat due to coronavirus. Lee Kun-hee Lee Kun-hee, the chairman of South Korea’s largest conglomerate, Samsung

84 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Group, has passed away Dr. Jayanta Madhab Renowned economist from Assam, Dr Jayanta Madhab passed away Zero Babu Playback singer, music director and actor K J Mohammed Babu, popularly known as ‘Zero’ Babu passed away Vijayalakshmi Ramanan Indian Air Force’s first woman commissioned officer Vijayalakshmi Ramanan passes away Renowned TV actress, Zarina Roshan Khan, who is fondly remembered for Zarina Roshan Khan her role in the television show ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ as Indu Dadi, has passed away due to sudden cardiac arrest. Pradip Ghosh Veteran Bengali Vocal Artiste Pradip Ghosh passes away

Narasimha Reddy Former Telangana Home Minister Narasimha Reddy passes away Kapil Deo Kamat The senior Janata Dal (United) leader Kapil Deo Kamat, who was serving as the Panchayati Raj Minister of Bihar, has passed away Kaumudi Munshi Legendary Gujarati singer Kaumudi Munshi, who is known to make ‘Sugam Sangeet’ popular among masses. Munshi was famously known as the ‘Nightingale of Gujarat’. Akkitham Achuthan The eminent Malayalam poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri, who was Namboothiri conferred with the 55th Jnanpith award in June 2020, has passed away P S Narayanaswamy Acclaimed carnatic vocalist P S Narayanaswamy passes away John R Reid New Zealand’s oldest surviving Test cricketer and former captain John Reid has died Charlie Moore, the champion of 400-meter hurdles at the 1952 Helsinki Charlie Moore Olympics,has passed away.

Shobha Naidu Hyderabad renowned Kuchipudi dance exponents of India, Shobha Naidu, has passed away due to illness. Costume designer Bhanu Athaiya, the first Indian to win the Oscar award, has Bhanu Athaiya passed away due to prolonged illness.Bhanu Athaiya won the Best Costume Design Oscar for her work in the 1982 film Gandhi, directed by Richard Attenborough. Veteran sports journalist and Cricket commentator, Kishore Bhimani, has Kishore Bhimani passed away.

Akkitham Achuthan Mahakavi’ Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri, who brought last year’s Namboothiri covetous Jnanpith Award to Malayalam literature, died Carlton Chapman Former India football captain Carlton Chapman has passed away : Renowned Indian-origin South African human rights lawyer Priscilla Jana who represented many anti-apartheid political leaders, including Nelson Priscilla Jana Mandela, has passed away. Jana, who had played a significant role against apartheid, was the Deputy Chairperson of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). Sarat Kar Former Odisha Assembly Speaker Sarat Kar passes away Savithri Vaithi Renowned philanthropist and social worker Savithri Vaithi passed away Mexican scientist Mario Molina, who won Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1995, Mario Molina has passed away. Ashwani Kumar Former CBI Director Ashwani Kumar, who led the Aarushi murder investigation, has passed away. The Union Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs, (From Bihar Constituency) has passed away due to prolonged heart ailment. He was an Ram Vilas Paswan eighth time Member of Parliament in Lok Sabha.The veteran Dalit leader formed Lok Janshakti Party in 2000. Avinash Kharshikar Veteran Marathi actor Avinash Kharshikar passes away Vijay Reddy Kannada film director Vijay Reddy passes awa Bihar Minister for Backward and Extremely Backward Classes Welfare Vinod Vinod Kumar Singh Singh passed away in Delhi. C M Chang Nagaland Environment Minister C M Chang passes away Najeeb Tarakai Najeeb Tarakai, the Afghanistan right-handed batsman has passed away from injuries following a road accident

Page | 85 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Vishal Anand Veteran Bollywood actor Vishal Anand, who came to fame with 1976 super- hit song and film ‘Chalte Chalte’ has passed away, due to prolonged illness. Justice AS Dave Former Acting Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court Justice Anantkumar Surendraray Dave passed away Mulayam Singh Yadav Three-time member of Legislative Council and veteran Samajwadi Party leader from Auraiya, Mulayam Singh Yadav has passed away Eddie Van Halen, the guitar virtuoso whose group is considered one of the Eddie Van Halen greatest rock bands of all time, passed away following a long battle with cancer. He was 65. Uttar Pradesh Congress leader and two-term member of the U.P. Legislative Naseeb Pathan Council, Naseeb Pathan, who had recently hit the headlines for asking for the expulsion of veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, died of COVID-19 at Lucknow. Mishti Mukherjee Bollywood actress Mishti Mukherjee passed away Haji Hussain Ansari Haji Hussain Ansari, the Minister of Minority Welfare and Registration Department in the Government of Jharkhand, has passed away. Pradeep Maharathy Former Odisha Minister and senior BJD MLA Pradeep Maharathy has passed away due to COVID-19 infection. Pushpa Bhave Veteran social activist Prof Pushpa Bhave, also known as the Iron Lady of Mumbai, has passed away Anantkumar Surendraray Former acting Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court Justice Anantkumar Dave Surendraray Dave passed away. M. Gopalakrishnan Former chairman-cum-managing director of Indian Bank M. Gopalakrishnan died owing to ill-health at a private hospital. AV Shetty Veteran cardiologist AV Shetty died in Mangaluru after a brief illness. Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah The incumbent Emir (King or Ruler) of the Kuwait Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, has passed away KC Sivasankar The legendary artist KC Sivasankar who is best known for illustrating the Vikram Betaal series, has passed away

86 | Page MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

Page | 87 MAGAZINE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER – 2020

88 | Page Saheed Nagar CRP Acharya Vihar Cuttack Berhampur Sambalpur Kolkata B-61, A & B, Saheed Nagar Plot-1441, Opp. IOCL Petrol Pump, Near Pani Tanki, Acharya Vihar, Near Yamaha Showroom, OSRTC Depo, Infornt of SBR Women’s Plot-266, Unit-7, Modipada Sealdah Big Bazar Complex, 6th Floor, Bhubaneswar CRP Square, Bhubaneswar Bhubaneswar Link Road, Cuttack College, Near Khalikot College Sambalpur-768001 Beliaghata Main Road, Kolkata 7205556677, 9040091102 8093556677, 9040456677 8093083565, 9937436677 8984556677, 9040656677 7992556677, 8018036677 7377556677 7449556677, 6293556677

VANIK Publications is a unit of VANIK Group. We publish books for competitive examinations like Bank-PO/Clerk, Railway, SSC (Technical and Non-Technical) & Civil Services (UPSC & OPSC) with latest updates which is highly supported by VANIK Team. The books are available at leading book stalls across India. Corporate Office : 1441, Opp. IOCL Petrol Pump, CRPF Square, Bhubaneswar-751015 Price : `60 Contact : 8093083550 | E-mail : [email protected] | Visit us at : www.vanikpublications.com