www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
CURRENT AFFAIRS SEPTEMBER 2020 ( UPSC/HPAS / ALLIED SERVICES / NAIB TEHSILDAR / BANKING / SSC AND ALL OTHER GOVT EXAMS )
. JOIN COACHING CLASSES FOR : . UPSC/HAS/HPAS . Allied and subordinate exams . clerical posts in HP secretariat. . Morning and evening batches are also available . . Free demo class. . Affordable fee.
RANA ACADEMY SHIMLA 9805332278, 7018596250. WWW.RANAACADEMYSHIMLA.COM
www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
INDEX
1. INTERNATIONAL NEWS 2. NATIONAL NEWS 3. COMMISSIONS & COMMITTEES 4. ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY 5. SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES 6. RANKS AND REPORTS 7. SPORTS 8. AWARDS AND HONOURS 9. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 10. APPOINTMENTS 11. DEFENCE 12. BOOKS AND AUTHORS 13. IMPORTANT DAYS 14. OBITUARIES 15. ART AND CULTURE 16. ECONOMY NEWS 17. BANKING NEWS 18. STATE NEWS
www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. UNSC Rejects to Designate Indians as Terrorists The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has rejected all Pakistan’s request to list four Indians as designated terrorists under its 1267 Committee for Counterterrorism Sanctions. The USA, UK, France, Germany and Belgium blocked Pakistan’s requests due to lack of evidence.
2. Five Point Plan to De-escalate LAC Stand-off India and China have agreed on a five points plan to disengage troops and reduce tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), where Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a four and a half monthlong stand-off. The move came after the talks between India’s External Affairs Minister and his Chinese counterpart, on the margins of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Russia.
3. Tension Between Russia-Germany Recently, tensions between Russia and Germany have deepened over the alleged poisoning of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny. Alexei Navalny is Russia’s opposition leader and anti-corruption campaigner who was evacuated to Germany after falling ill. Germany claims that the opposition leader has been poisoned using the Soviet-era nerve agent (deadly substance) Novichok.
4. India-Bangladesh Inland Waterway Route Recently, Sonamura-Daudkandi inland waterway route (over river Gumati ) between India and Bangladesh was operationalised. Daudkandi is in Bangladesh, while Sonamura is in Tripura, India. River Gumati is the largest and longest river of Tripura (180 km) over which Dumbur dam is built. The river meets with river Meghna in Bangladesh.
5. USA Sanctions Against ICC Officials The USA announced sanctions, including asset freezes and visa bans, against two officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for their investigation into alleged war crimes by the USA forces and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Afghanistan since 2003. Note : USA had never ratified the “Rome Statute”, which created the ICC in 1998, and thus is not subject to its rulings The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal that sits in The Hague in the Netherlands. It has the jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The ICC began functioning on 1st July 2002, the date that the Rome Statute entered into force. India is not a party to ICC. Objections of India to the Rome Statute:€ The ICC is a criminal court, unlike the International Court of Justice (which adjudicates on civil matters), and arrogates to itself the right to prosecute matters against countries that aren’t even signatories.
6. Ease of Doing Business report suspended by World Bank World Bank has stopped the publication of its “Doing Business” report to probe data collection irregularities in the annual ranking of countries’ business and investment climates. According to World Bank “A number of irregularities have been reported regarding changes to the data in the Doing Business 2018 and Doing Business 2020 reports, published in October 2017 and 2019”.
7. Trump announces Wilmington ( North Carolina, USA) as 1st WWII Heritage City During the war, Wilmington was the site of the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company, which built 243 ships in five years as part of the federal government’s emergency shipbuilding program.
8. TikTok choses Oracle as its technology partner for its US operations TikTok has chosen Oracle to be its technology partner for its American operations. Microsoft was also in a bid to acquire TikTok in the United States but the Chinese owner of the video-sharing platform “TikTok” chose Oracle over Microsoft to be its technology partner for its American operations. www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
Note : Earlier, President of the United States, Donald Trump stated that TikTok would be blocked in the US if it did not sell its US operations to an American company by 20th of September 2020.
9. Mexico issues world’s first sovereign bond Mexico has become the first country in the world to issue a sovereign bond linked to the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations. It has raised EUR 750 million ($890 million) by such bonds.
10. Yoshihide Suga to succeed Shinzo Abe as Japan’s PM Note : Shinzo Abe, who announced in August 2020 that he would resign due to health problems. Suga belongs to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan.
11. India-US hold 2 plus 2 intersessional meeting in virtual mode During the meeting, both sides reviewed the progress and developments in bilateral ties in defence, security, and foreign policy areas.
12. India-Japan Logistics Agreement Recently, India and Japan have signed a logistics agreement that will allow armed forces of both sides to coordinate closely in services and supplies. The agreement is known as the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA).
13. Israel, UAE and Bahrain Abraham Accord The Abraham Accord between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain is mediated by the USA. It is the first Arab-Israeli peace deal in 26 years. Previous Agreements: There were the only two peace deals between Israel and the Arab States in more than a quarter of a century. o Egypt was the first Arab State to sign a peace deal with Israel in 1979. o Jordan signed a peace pact in 1994.
14. Djibouti Code of Conduct India joined the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCOC) as an observer as part of efforts aimed at enhancing maritime security in the Indian Ocean region. DCOC is also known as the Code of Conduct concerning the Repression of Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. DCOC was adopted on 29th January 2009 and It was established under the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Objective: Under the code, the signatories agreed to co-operate to the fullest possible extent in the repression of piracy and armed robbery against ships.
15. Gilgit-Baltistan 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. Gilgit-Baltistan is an autonomous region now and with this elevation, it will become the 5th province of the country. Note : Currently, Pakistan has four provinces namely Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Sindh.
16. Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict Recently, territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region has re- erupted with heavy clashes. 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.
17. Referendum on Free Movement: Switzerland-EU www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
In a recent referendum, the Swiss people have rejected a bid to reduce immigration from the European Union (EU). Note : Switzerland is not a member of the EU but it is a member of the EU’s Single Market, which allows people to move and work freely in all 27 EU countries as well as in Switzerland.
18. Green Strategic Partnership between India and Denmark India and the Kingdom of Denmark have launched the Green Strategic Partnership for delivering sustainable solutions to India. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Intellectual Property (IP) Cooperation with Denmark. Green Strategic Partnership: The Partnership will focus on expanding economic ties, green growth, and cooperation on global challenges such as climate change. Green growth is a term to describe a path of economic growth that uses natural resources in a sustainable manner.
NATIONAL NEWS
1. Household Social Consumption: Education in India Recently, a report on ‘Household Social Consumption: Education in India’ has been released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) as part of the 75th round of National Sample Survey (July 2017 to June 2018). It provides for state-wise detail of literacy rate among the persons aged seven years and above and highlights a stark digital divide across States, cities and villages, and income groups. € Best Performers: Kerala > Delhi > Uttarakhand > Himachal Pradesh > Assam. € Worst Performers: Andhra Pradesh < Rajasthan < Bihar < Telangana < Uttar Pradesh.
2. Gap in Vaccination of Children According to the ‘Health in India’ report recently published by the National Statistical Organisation (NSO), the full immunisation programme is not completed among 40% of the children. The report is based on the 75th round of the National Sample Survey (July 2017-June 2018) on household social consumption related to health. What is Full Immunisation It means that a child receives a cocktail of eight vaccine doses in the first year of life. This includes: € o BCG Vaccine: It is injected in a single dose shortly after birth, which protects against a childhood attack of tuberculosis. € o Measles Vaccine: Measles is a viral disease. € o Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV): It is given against polio virus. Its first dose is given at birth, followed by two more doses at intervals of four weeks. € o DPT/Pentavalent Vaccine: It is injected in three doses, which is meant to protect a child from diphtheria, pertussis or whooping cough, tetanus, Hepatitis B, and meningitis and pneumonia caused by haemophilus influenzae type B. Booster doses for OPV and DPT are also given between 16 and 24 months.
3. Five Star Villages Scheme: India Post The Department of Posts under the Ministry of Communications has launched the Five Star Villages Scheme. It seeks to bridge the gaps in public awareness and reach of postal products and services, especially in interior villages.
4. PM Narendra Modi announced September to be observed as “Nutrition month” / Poshan Maah PM Narendra Modi stated that to increase the awareness of nutrition among the children, the schools must introduce Nutrition Monitor and Nutrition Cards. During the Nutrition Month, Food and Nutrition Quiz and meme competition will be organised by the MyGov portal. The month will be celebrated across India to educate everyone on the importance of optimum nutrition. The nutrition month was celebrated earlier in September 2018 and 2019.
www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
5. Japan commits ODA (Official Development Assistance ) of Rs 3500 crore to fight COVID-19 in India
6. Dept. of Fertilizers observes Swachhta Pakhwada from 1-15 September 2020
7. “Mission Karmayogi” The Union Cabinet has approved the launch of a “Mission Karmayogi” National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB). Mission Karmayogi has been launched to prepare the Indian Civil Servant for the future by making him more creative, constructive, imaginative, innovative, proactive, professional, progressive, energetic, enabling, transparent and technology-enabled.
8. UTs of Ladakh & Lakshadweep joins ‘One Nation-One Ration Card’ scheme Now, a total of 26 States /UTs Connected with the Scheme and will benefit about 65 crore people.
9. Union Power Minister RK Singh launches “Green Term Ahead Market” GTAM is the World’s First Exclusive Product Market for the renewable energy sector. It will benefit buyers of Renewable Energy (RE) by providing them competitive prices, and transparent, flexible procurement.
10. National Nutrition Week 2020 ( 1st to 7th September ) The events of NNW are organized by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Ministry of Women and Child Development(WCD), Government of India to educate the importance and role of nutrition in the human body.
11. “KIRAN” Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry have launched a toll-free mental health rehabilitation helpline “KIRAN”. The helpline – 1800-500-0019 will provide relief and support to persons people facing anxiety, stress, depression, suicidal thoughts and other mental health concerns.
Note : Earlier, the Ministry of Education had launched the ‘Manodarpan’ initiative to provide psycho-social support and counselling to students for their mental health and well-being
12. AIM Launches Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE-ANIC Initiative Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, has launched the Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE-Atal New India Challenges. The programme will spur applied research and innovation in Indian MSMEs and startups.
13. PM Modi to launch “Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana” and e-Gopala application The “Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana” aims to enhance fish production to 70 lakh tonnes by 2024- 25. It aims to double the income of fish farmers. e-Gopala App: € It is a comprehensive breed improvement marketplace and information portal for direct use of farmers.
14. Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework (CSCAF 2.0) launched Objective : to provide a clear roadmap for cities towards combating Climate Change while planning and implementing their actions along with investments.
15. ‘SAROD-Ports’ launched for disputes redressal of maritime sector The Union Ministry of Shipping has launched a dispute redressal mechanism named “SAROD- Ports” (Society for Affordable Redressal of Disputes-Ports) to facilitate affordable and timely resolution of disputes for the maritime sector. SAROD-Ports will advise and assist in settlement of disputes through arbitrations in the maritime sector, including ports and shipping sector in Major Port Trusts, Non-major Ports, including private ports, jetties, terminals and harbours. www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
The mechanism is similar to provision available in the highway sector in the form of ‘SAROD- Roads’constituted by NHAI. It has been established under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 for affordable and timely resolution of disputes in a fair manner.
16. India becomes member of UN’s ECOSOC body India has been elected as a member of the United Nation’s Commission on Status of Women, a body of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). India will be a member of United Nation’s Commission on Status of Women for four years, 2021 to ‘25. India, Afghanistan and China had contested the elections to the Commission on Status of Women. Even as India and Afghanistan won the ballot among the 54 members, China could not cross the half-way mark.
17. Lok Sabha passes bill to cut salaries of MPs by 30% The Lok Sabha has passed the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020 on 15 September 2020. The bill seeks to cut salaries of all Members of Parliaments (MPs) by 30 per cent for a period of one year commencing April 1, 2020, to meet the urgent financial need arising out COVID-19 pandemic.
18. “Swachhta Pakhwara” Indian Railways is observing “Swachhta Pakhwara” from 16th to 30th September 2020. During the inaugural day of Pakhwara, Swachhta pledge was administered to Railway employees at all Zonal Railway HQs, Divisional Offices and other establishments.
19. Shikshak Parv Shikshak Parv is being celebrated from 8th-25th September 2020 to felicitate the teachers and to take New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 forward.
20. Eight Indian beaches recommended for ‘Blue Flag’ eco-label In a first-of-its-kind initiative, eight beaches of India have been recommended for the Blue flag certification. The selection of the beaches was made by an independent national jury composed of eminent environmentalists and scientists. What is Blue Flag certification? The Blue Flag certificate is an internationally recognized eco-label given by ‘Foundation for Environment Education, Denmark’. Blue Flag beaches are considered the benchmark for clean and hygienic beaches in the world. The eight beaches selected for Blue flag certification are : Shivrajpur in Gujarat, Ghoghla in Daman & Diu, Kasarkod in Karnataka, Padubidri beach in Karnataka, Kappad in Kerala, Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh, The golden beach of Odisha, Radhanagar beach in Andaman and Nicobar During the event, Union Minister Javadekar also announced the launch of India’s own eco-label ‘Beach Environment and Aesthetics Management Services’ (BEAMS).
21. Dr. Harsh Vardhan chairs ‘Aarogya Manthan’ 2.0 celebrating the 2nd Anniversary of Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
22. Union Home Minister (Amit Shah) inaugurates the “Destination North East-2020” Festival The “Destination North East-2020” festival aims to introduce various cultures of the country to each other along with the tourist destinations of the North East and through this the whole of India will also get familiar with the vibrant and diverse culture of the North East.
23. Union Cabinet approves J&K official languages Bill 2020 According to the J&K official languages Bill 2020, Kashmiri, Dogri and Hindi along with Urdu and English, will be the official languages in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The J&K official languages Bill 2020 will be introduced in Parliament in the upcoming Monsoon Session.
24. Tamil Nadu appoints M Veeralakshmi as India’s 1st-ever woman ambulance driver
25. Dwayne Bravo becomes cricket ambassador for “SBOTOP” sportsbook brand www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
26. Bhuvneshwar Kumar & Smriti Mandhana becomes brand ambassador of Playerzpot.
27. Andhra Pradesh CM flags off south India’s first Kisan rail The country’s second and South India’s first “Kisan Train” was flagged off from Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh to Adarsh Nagar Railway Station in Delhi. On August 7, the first Kisan Rail was flagged off between Devlali in Maharashtra and Danapur in Bihar as a weekly service, which was later made bi-weekly due to increasing demand. Now the second Kisan Rail will benefit farmers of the states coming en route. Kisan Rail is being started to help in the speedy transportation of farm produce to distant places, in keeping with the goal of doubling farmers’ income. This facility will also help in increasing agricultural exports.
28. Hubballi railway station to be renamed after Shree Siddharoodha Swamiji Name of Hubballi railway station, which is headquarters of South Western Railway, is being changed for the second time in the last five years. It was changed in 2015 from ‘Hubli’ to ‘Hubballi’. Siddharoodha Swamiji was an Indian Hindu guru and philosopher.
29. India launches first ever direct cargo ferry with Maldives The cargo ferry service will connect the Indian ports of Tuticorin and Cochin ports with Kulhudhuhfushi and Male ports in the Maldives. This initiative will help to cut costs and reduce the time taken to transport goods between the two countries.
30. Logo and song for “Destination North East-2020″ festival unveiled The festival helps to familiarize people of other parts of the country with the rich unexplored potential of North East. It also promotes the tourism potential of the North East. The festival will give a boost to handicrafts, handloom, organic products and cultural troupes of North East.
31. 51st edition of IFFI postponed to January 2021 The 51st Edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will be held from 16th to 24th January, next year in Goa.
32. RBI ropes in Amitabh Bachchan for customer awareness campaign The campaign aims to prevent gullible account holders from being duped by fraudsters.
33. Udit Singhal named in UN’s 2020 list of Young Leaders Indian teenager Udit Singhal has been named in the 2020 Class of 17 Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He has been named in the 2020 list of young leaders who promote sustainable development goals. Udit Singhal is the founder of Glass2Sand, an initiative that is based on a zero-waste ecosystem to tackle the challenge of glass waste in Delhi. This initiative has prevented empty glass bottles of getting dumped into landfills and turned it into sands, making it commercially viable.
34. Mekedatu Project The Karnataka government is likely to pressurise the Centre for approval of the construction of the Mekedatu Project on the Cauvery river. Mekedatu, meaning goat’s leap, is a deep gorge situated at the confluence of the rivers Cauvery and its tributary Arkavathi.
35. MSP Raised for Rabi Crops Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has marginally increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of six rabi crops (wheat, barley, gram, masoor dal /lentil, safflower, and rapeseed and mustard )for 2021-22. The MSP is the rate at which the government buys grains from farmers. www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
Fixation of MSP: The MSP is fixed for 23 crops based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), Ministry of Agriculture.
36. Kaushal Se Kal Badlenge: DDU-GKY
Recently, the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has celebrated the foundation day of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) as “Kaushal Se Kal Badlenge” on the occasion of Antyodaya Diwas (25th September).
37. Suspension of Amnesty International Operations in India Amnesty International India has halted its human rights operations in India due to the freezing of its bank accounts by the Government of India. The government has also set up a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry against Amnesty. Argument by the Government: The government has accused Amnesty of defying the law of the land. India doesn't allow interference in domestic political debates by entities funded by foreign donations. This law applies equally to all and it shall apply to Amnesty International as well. In order to circumvent the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA) regulations, Amnesty UK remitted large amounts of money to four entities registered in India, by classifying it as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Note : The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2020 was passed by the Parliament amending Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010. In order to receive foreign funds, an NGO has to register with the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is assigned a unique FCRA registration number, to be renewed every five years. The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2020 was passed by the Parliament amending Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010. In order to receive foreign funds, an NGO has to register with the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is assigned a unique FCRA registration number, to be renewed every five years.
Amnesty International It is an international Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) founded in London (UK) in 1961. In 1977, it was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. It has its registered office in Bangalore (Karnataka).
COMMISSIONS & COMMITTEES
1. Panel to Assess Impact of Waiving Loan Interest The expert panel will be chaired by Rajiv Mehrishi, former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, and will submit its report within one week It will measure the impact on the national economy and financial stability of waiving of interest and Covid-19 related moratorium.
2. Sub-categorisation of OBCs A commission headed by Justice (Retd.) G Rohini has been examining sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes (OBC) for almost three years now Why : OBCs are granted 27% reservation in jobs and education under the central government but only a few affluent communities among the over 2,600 included in the Central List of OBCs have secured a major part of this. Sub-categorisation or creating categories within OBCs for reservation would ensure “equitable distribution” of representation among all OBC communities.
3. 'Moplah rioters’ not freedom fighters: report What's the issue? In the ‘Dictionary of Martyrs’, published by the Union Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the Indian Council of Historical Research, Variankunnath Kunhamad Haji and Ali Musliyar, the chief architects of the Moplah Massacre, were deemed to be martyrs. The book was published in 2019. www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
However, a report by the ICHR-constituted committee has sought the removal of names of 387 ‘Moplah rioters’ (Including leaders Ali Musliyar and Variamkunnath Ahmad Haji) from the list of martyrs. Why? The report describes Haji as the “notorious Moplah Riot leader” and a “hardcore criminal,” who “killed innumerable innocent Hindu men, women, and children during the 1921 Moplah Riot, and deposited their bodies in a well, locally known as Thoovoor Kinar”. It also noted that almost all the Moplah outrages were communal. They were against Hindu society and done out of sheer intolerance. Thus, their names should be deleted. What was Mapilla rebellion? The Mapilla rebellion or Moplah Rebellion (Moplah Riots) of 1921 was the culmination of a series of riots by Moplahs (Muslims of Malabar) in the 19th and early 20th centuries against the British and the Hindu landlords in Malabar (Northern Kerala). The year 2021 will mark the 100th year anniversary of the uprising.
4. National Medical Commission Recently, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has replaced the Medical Council of India (MCI), as per the gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. MCI was established in 1934 under the Indian Medical Council (IMC) Act, 1933 with the main function of establishing uniform standards of higher qualifications in medicine and recognition of medical qualifications in India and abroad. The old Act was repealed in 1956 and a new act was enacted in its place. The new act was further modified in 1964, 1993 and 2001. Key Points The government dissolved the MCI in 2018 and replaced it with a Board of Governors (BoG), which was chaired by a member of NITI Aayog. Now, the IMC Act, 1956 stands repealed after the gazette notification, and has been replaced by The National Medical Commission Act that came into existence on 8th August 2019. The change is aimed at bringing in reforms in the medical education sector and especially aimed at replacing the MCI, which was tainted by corruption and other problems. The NMC will function as the country’s top regulator of medical education. It will have four separate autonomous boards for: o Undergraduate medical education. o Postgraduate medical education. o Medical assessment and rating. o Ethics and medical registration. The common final year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) examination will now be known as the National Exit Test (NEXT), according to the new medical education structure under the NMC.
NEXT will act as licentiate examination to practice medicine, the criteria for admission to postgraduate medical courses, and also for screening of foreign medical graduates. Besides, the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET), NEXT will also be applicable to institutes of national importance such as all the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in a bid to ensure a common standard in the medical education sector in the country. NEET is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Dr. Suresh Chandra Sharma, former head of ENT (Otorhinolaryngology, the study of diseases of the ear, nose, and throat) AIIMS Delhi, has been appointed as its chairman for three years.
ENVIRONMENT / ECOLOGY
1. Khushi Chindaliya A 17-year-old girl, Khushi Chindaliya has been appointed as Regional Ambassador for India by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)- Tunza Eco-Generation. In her new role, Khusi will raise awareness about climate change and the importance of environmental conservation and the need to safeguard environmental treasures.
www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
2. Project Dolphin Recently, the Indian Prime Minister has announced the government’s plan to launch a Project Dolphin in his Independence Day Speech. The proposed project is aimed at saving both river and marine dolphins. It is expected to be implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Gangetic Dolphin is the national aquatic animal of India. In 1986, Dolphin was included in its Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, after the launch of Ganga Action Plan in 1985.
3. Hurricane Nana Atlantic Hurricane Nana has made landfall on the coast of Belize, a country located on the northeast coast of Central America. A few days back, Hurricane Laura made landfall in southwestern Louisiana (South Central USA).
4. Typhoon Maysak and Typhoon Haishen Recently, Korean Peninsula and Japan were hit by two typhoons named Maysak and Haishen.
5.Yanomami Tribe of South America Why in News : The Yanomami tribe has launched a global campaign to expel 20,000 gold miners from their land amid the coronavirus pandemic. Note : A Brazilian indigenous leader Davi Kopenawa who secured the land rights of the Yanomami people was awarded the Right Livelihood Award-2019, also known as Sweden’s alternative Nobel Prize.
6. Methane Hydrates in Krishna-Godavari Basin Recently, a study on biogenic methane hydrate in the Krishna-Godavari (KG) Basin has been conducted by the researchers at the Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune. ARI is an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. Biogenic Methane: It is the methane produced from the metabolic activities of methanogens. Methane is a clean and economical fuel.
7. African Elephant dying due to Cyanobacteria (blue green algae) Neuro-toxins in water produced by cyanobacteria killed more than 300 African elephants in the Okavango delta region, Botswana (country in Southern Africa).
8. Whale Mass Strandings Over 450 long-finned pilot whales have died in Australia's largest recorded mass-stranding event. The whales were beached at a remote beach in Tasmania’s west coast.
9. PUSA Decomposer to Curb ‘Stubble Burning’ (पराली जलाना) Recently, the scientists have developed a bio-decomposer technique called ‘PUSA Decomposers’ for converting crop stubble into compost. Delhi and many other North Indian States are covered with smoke during winters due to stubble burning in the neighbouring States by the farmers. PUSA Decomposers: The decomposers are in the form of capsules made by extracting fungi strains that help the paddy straw to decompose at a much faster rate than usual. The fungi helps to produce the essential enzymes for the degradation process.
10. Scrub Typhus An outbreak of Scrub Typhus (also known as Bush Typhus), a bacterial disease, has caused 5 deaths and 600 infections in Nagaland’s Noklak district bordering Myanmar. Caused By: Orientia tsutsugamushi (Bacteria) Spread: Through bites of Larval Mites of family trombiculid, also called Chiggers. Symptoms: Fever, headache, body aches, and sometimes rash. Treatment: Antibiotics. No vaccine available.
www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
11. India’s sandalwood trees are facing a serious threat due to Sandalwood Spike Disease (SSD). The natural population of sandalwood in Marymoor Sandal Forest of Kerala and various reserve forests in Karnataka, including MM Hills (Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary), are heavily infected with SSD. Sandalwood Spike Disease: It is an infectious disease which is caused by phytoplasma. Phytoplasmas are bacterial parasites of plant tissues — which are transmitted by insect vectors and involved in plant-to-plant transmission. There is no cure as of now for the infection. Presently, there is no option but to cut down and remove the infected tree to prevent the spread of the disease.
SUMMITS & CONFERENCES
1. World Solar Technology Summit Recently, the first-ever World Solar Technology Summit (WSTS) was organised by the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). International Solar Alliance : It is a treaty-based international intergovernmental organisation which was jointly launched by India and France on 30th November 2015 during the 21st session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP-21) in Paris, France. € It was conceived as a coalition of solar-resource rich countries (which lie either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn) to address their special energy needs. Aim: To lower the cost of technology and finance and thereby facilitate deployment of over 1,000 GW of solar energy and mobilize more than USD 1,000 billion into solar power by 2030 in member countries. € Solar energy is a key source of affordable and reliable energy, thus it could play a significant role in achieving the universal energy access goal (SDG 7).
2. UN and United Kingdom to co-host Global Climate Summit 2020 The United Kingdom and the United Nations are going to co-organise a global climate summit on December 12, 2020, to mark the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015.
3. Cycling Summit in 2021 The Cycling Federation of India (CFI) is all set to host the first-ever Cycling Summit in 2021, with an aim to promote the culture of cycling in the country.
4. G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meet Saudi Arabia chaired the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Extraordinary Meeting which was held in the virtual mode. External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar represented India
5. 35th FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific 2020 The 35th Session of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC 35) was held virtual format due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The Conference was held under the Chair of the Host Country, Bhutan.
6. First India-France-Australia Trilateral Dialogue held virtually The meeting was held with the objective of building on the strong bilateral relations that the three countries share with each other and synergising their respective strengths to ensure a peaceful, secure, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific Region.
7. 27th ASEAN regional forum Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan participated in the 27th ASEAN regional forum. During the 27th ASEAN regional forum, the minister shared India’s views on maritime security, counter terrorism as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.
8. S Jaishankar chairs IBSA Foreign Ministers’ Virtual Meeting IBSA stands for India, Brazil and South Africa.
www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
9. M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated 4th Global Ayurveda Summit virtually Theme : “Emerging Opportunities for Ayurveda during Pandemic”. Minister of State (IC) of the Ministry of AYUSH is Shripad Yesso Naik.
10. Environment Ministerial Meeting of G20 held virtually (online/video conference) The Environment Ministerial Meeting (EMM) of the G20 countries was held through video conferencing under the Presidency of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Union Environment, Climate Change and Forest Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar represented India in the meeting. Global initiatives to reduce Land Degradation and Coral Reef Programme and two documents on climate change, related to managing emissions and climate change adaptations under the G20 in 2020, have been launched. Note : G20 is an informal group of 19 countries (Including India) and the European Union (EU), with representatives of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
11. 10th Meeting of BRICS National Security Advisors was held virtually. It was hosted by the current chair of BRICS i.e. Russia. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval represented India in a virtual meet of top security officials from Brazil- Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) grouping.
12. Eighth East Asia Summit Economic Ministers’ Meeting o Recently, the 8th East Asia Summit Economic Ministers’ Meeting (EAS-EMM) was held virtually and attended by 10 ASEAN members and eight other nations, including India, the USA, and China.
13. 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. Note : G4 is a group of countries that are seeking permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The UN will celebrate its 75th anniversary on 24th October 2020.
RANKS AND REPORTS
1. Ease of Doing Business Rankings of the States: DPIIT Recently, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry released the 4th edition of Ease of Doing Business Rankings based on the State Business Reform Action Plan (State BRAP). Andhra Pradesh has topped the rankings followed by Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand. Tripura, Sikkim, Odisha were among the worst performers.
2. India ranked 89th among 181 Countries in World Risk Report 2020 Vanuatu is on the top of list followed by Tonga.
3. Global Innovation Index 2020 Recently, the Global Innovation Index 2020 was released by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). India is at the 48th position in the list of top 50 innovative countries. € Switzerland, Sweden, the USA, the UK and Netherlands are the top five countries.
4. India ranked 105th position in Global Economic Freedom Index 2020 This report is released by Canada’s Fraser Institute.
5. India Happiness Report 2020 announced The first all India Happiness Report 2020 covering all States and Union Territories measuring happiness across the country, what contributes to people’s happiness, the impact of COVID-19 on happiness, and insights from thought leaders. www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
The study is based on a nationwide survey covering 16,950 people between March and July 2020 by Professor Rajesh K Pillania. In overall happiness ranking of states and union territories: 1. Mizoram 2. Punjab 3. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
6. World Bank’s Human Capital Index (HCI) India ( 0.49 score) has been ranked at the 116th position among 174 countries. Singapore with 0.88 score is on the top followed by Hongkong and China. Note : Human Capital Index (HCI) is released by World Bank. 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.
7. PM Modi is named in Time Magazine’s ‘100 most influential people of 2020’ list He is the only politician on the list. He has been named in this for the fourth time since coming in power in 2014.
SPORTS NEWS
1. Indian Grandmaster P Iniyan has won the prestigious 48th Annual World Open online chess tournament.
2. England cricketer Ian Bell announces retirement
3. Police Officer Poonam Khatri crowned Wushu World Champion Indian Police Officer, Poonam Khatri has claimed World Championship status after her silver medal at the Wushu World Championship last year has been upgraded to a Gold medal. Poonam had lost the final to Iranian opponent Mariyam in the Women’s 75 kg category but after Mariyam recently failed the dope test, the gold medal has been awarded to Poonam Khatri. Note : Wushu or Chinese Kungfu is a kind of martial art, as well as full contact sports.
4. US Open 2020 Men’s final : Austria’s Dominic Thiem defeated Alexander Zverev Women’s finals : Japan’s Naomi Osaka defeated Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.
5. Thomas and Uber Cup Finals postponed to 2021 by BWF The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has announced that the Thomas Cup and the Uber Cup, which were scheduled to be held from 3 to 11 October 2020 in Denmark, has been postponed for 2021. It is postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
6. 2020 Italian Open title Winner ( Men’s single) : Novak Djokovic. Winner ( Women’s single) Simona Halep.
7. Colonel Dr Girija Mungali named in AFC task-force Retired Colonel Dr Girija Shanker Mungali has been appointed as one of the seven members of the Asian Football Confederation’s task force. The taskforce will regulate the football clubs in Asia and Australia.
AWARDS NEWS
1. Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2020 Air Force Sports Control Board was conferred with ‘Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2020’ for the outstanding contribution in helping sportspersons to excel in their respective disciplines and to implement robust sports welfare measures.
www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
2. Indira Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2019 is awarded to Sir David Attenborough He is an English broadcaster and a historian. He is popular for writing and presenting the BBC Natural History Unit. He worked to make aware to preserve and protect the biodiversity of the planet. The Indira Gandhi Peace Prize award is for peace, disarmament and development. It has been named after the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. It Is being conferred every year since 1986 by Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust. It consists of a citation and a monetary award of Rs 25 lakhs.
3. Chef Vikas Khanna honoured with Asia Game Changer Award 2020 This award is given to him for feeding millions of people across India in the COVID-19 pandemic through a massive food distribution drive ‘FeedIndia’.
4. Margaret Atwood awarded 2020 Dayton Literary Peace Prize’s lifetime achievement award
5. PM Modi awarded Ig Nobel Prize 2020 for medical Education He has been awarded the prestigious award for “using the COVID-19 pandemic to teach the world that politicians can have a more immediate effect on life and death than scientists and doctors can”. PM Modi is the second Indian Prime Minister to be honoured with the Ig Nobel Prize. Prior to this, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was awarded in 1998. PM Modi shares the award with Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom, Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico, Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, Donald Trump of the USA, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Vladimir Putin of Russia, and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow of Turkmenistan.
6. All India Football Federation awards 2019-20 announced Indian men’s team Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has won the 2019-’20 AIFF Player of the year awards in men’s category. The women’s squad’s midfielder Sanju Yadav from Haryana has won the 2019-’20 AIFF Player of the year awards in women’s category.
7. Usha Mangeshkar honoured with Lata Mangeshkar award 2020-21 The Maharashtra government has announced the Gan Samragni Lata Mangeshkar award for the year 2020-21 to veteran female playback singer Usha Mangeshkar.
8. 55th Jnanpith Award- 2020 Renowned Malayalam poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri was conferred the 55th edition of the Jnanpith Award (highest literary award of the country). English along with other Indian languages is considered for the Award. The Award is open for only Indian citizens and is given annually. The prize carries a cash award of Rs. 11 lakhs, a citation, and a bronze replica of Vagdevi (Saraswati), the goddess of learning. It is sponsored by the cultural organization Bharatiya Jnanpith. In 2019, author Amitav Ghosh was felicitated with 54th Jnanpith Award. He became the first English language writer to become a Jnanpith laureate.
9. Sonu Sood honoured with Special Humanitarian Action Award by UNDP He has received the award for selflessly extending a helping hand and sending lakhs of migrants, stranded students across geographies abroad, back to their homes. Besides that, he has also been providing free education and medical facilities to young children and has been creating free employment opportunities to the needy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. With this prestigious honour, Sood joins the likes of Angelina Jolie, David Beckham, Leonardo DiCaprio, Emma Watson, Liam Neeson, Cate Blanchett, Antonio Banderas, Nicole Kidman and Priyanka Chopra who have been similarly honoured by different UN bodies.
10. Kerala Tourism wins PATA Grand Award 2020 Kerala Tourism’s ‘Human by Nature Print Campaign’ bagged the Prestigious Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Grand Title Winner 2020 for Marketing. www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
1. Chandrayaan-1 Findings The recent images sent by Chandrayaan-1 suggest that the moon may be rusting along the poles. Chandrayaan-1, India’s first mission to the moon, was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 2008.
2. CSIR-CMERI develops World’s Largest Solar Tree The solar tree has been installed at the Residential Colony of CSIR-CMERI in Durgapur, West Bengal. The solar tree has the annual capacity to generate 12,000-14,000 units of Clean and Green Power while its installed capacity is above 11.5 kWp. The Solar Tree has been designed in such a way that it ensures maximum exposure of each Solar PV Panel to Sunlight. A single solar tree comprises of 35 Solar PV Panels each having a capacity of 330 wp each.
3. IIT Madras develops “MOUSHIK” microprocessor The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has successfully developed ‘MOUSHIK’, an indigenously- made microprocessor for the Internet of things (IoT) devices. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology funded the MOUSHIK project of IIT Madras. The field applications of ‘MOUSHIK’ include smart cards including credit cards, ID cards, debit cards, travel cards for metros and driving licenses, electronic voting machines (EVMs) and office management systems including attendance, surveillance cameras and safe locks. It also includes personalised health management systems.
4. “MEDBOT” Indian Railways has developed a remote-controlled medical trolley named ‘MEDBOT’ to help deliver food and medicines to COVID-19 patients. It is providing service in the Central Hospital of the Diesel Rail Engine Factory of Indian Railways.
5. Real Mango: An Illegal Software In a nationwide investigation, Railway Protection Force (RPF) has detected & disrupted the operation of illegal software called “Real Mango” - developed for booking Tatkal tickets.
6. An India based Neutrino Observatory (INO) is going to be set up in Bodi West Hills, in Theni district, Tamil Nadu.
7. MedSpark Kerala is set to lay the foundation stone for MedSpark, one of the first medical device parks in the country, in Thiruvananthapuram. Medical devices include surgical equipment, diagnostic equipment like Cardiac Imaging, CT scans, X-ray, Molecular Imaging, MRI and Ultrasound-imaging, life support equipment like ventilator, etc. as well as implants and disposables.
8. New Brucellosis Vaccine by ICAR “Brucella abortus S19Δ per vaccine” is developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s -Indian Veterinary Research Institute (ICAR-IVRI) for brucellosis prevention in the dairy sector. Brucellosis: It is a bacterial disease caused by various Brucella species, which mainly infect cattle, swine, goats, sheep and dogs. It is also known as Malta fever or Mediterranean fever. Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease ( animal to human) and endemic in India causing huge economic losses to dairy industry Recenty, Brucellosis has infected over 3000 people in China. Humans generally acquire the disease through: Direct contact with infected animals or Eating, drinking contaminated animal products, unpasteurized milk or Inhaling airborne agents. www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
9. NASA’s Artemis Program 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. Artemis 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.
10. Congo Fever Alert in Maharashtra The Palghar administration has asked authorities to remain alert against a possible spread of the Congo fever in the Maharashtra district. Background: Congo fever was first discovered in Crimea in 1944 and was named Crimean hemorrhagic fever. Later in 1969, scientists discovered that the pathogen responsible for causing Crimean hemorrhagic fever and the one that caused illness in Congo in 1956 was the same. Hence, the name changed to Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever. Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF): Cause: The CCHF is a widespread disease caused by a tick-borne virus (Nairovirus) of the Bunyaviridae family. Transmission: The virus is transmitted through bite of Hyalomma tick, an external parasite, living by feeding on the blood of mammals, birds etc.
UAE’s Moon Mission Recently, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has decided to send an unmanned spacecraft to the moon in 2024. The rover would be named Rashid after Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, one of the original founding rulers of the UAE. Rover is a vehicle for exploring the surface of a planet or moon. If successful in 2024, the UAE could become the fourth nation to land a spacecraft on the moon after the USA, the former Soviet Union and China. India, Israel and Japan have tried but failed in landing a spacecraft on the moon.
Note : Planned to land on the South Pole of the Moon, Chandrayaan-2 was launched by India in 2019. However, the lander Vikram hard-landed, which crushed India's dream to become the first nation to successfully touch down on the lunar surface in its maiden attempt. India has planned a new moon mission named Chandrayaan-3. It is likely to be launched in early 2021. It will be a mission repeat of Chandrayaan-2 and will include a Lander and Rover similar to that of Chandrayaan-2, but will not have an orbiter.
APPOINTMENTS
Rajiv Kumar New Election Commissioner of India Article 324 of Indian constitution mentions Election Commission of India (ECI) . Presently there are 3 members in ECI of which one is Chief election commissioner and 2 are election commissioners. ( Chief Election Commissioner Shri Sunil Arora Election Commissioner Shri Sushil Chandra and Rajiv Kumar).
Preeti Sudan WHO panelist : The World Health Organisation’s independent panel for pandemic preparedness and response appointed former health secretary, Preeti Sudan as one of its 11 panellists from across the world. www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
Aveek Sarkar Chairman of Press Trust of India
Pramod Chandra Gets 6-month extension as CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes ) Chairman Mody Usha Padhee 1st woman DG of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security Subhash Chairman of ASCI (Advertising Standards Council of India) Kamath Anil Jain President of All India Tennis Association Paresh Rawal Chairman of National School of Drama Ayushmann UNICEF appoints him as its celebrity advocate for children’s rights campaign, ”For Every Khurrana Child”. Jane Fraser 1st female CEO of Citigroup Harivansh Re-elected as Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha. He belongs to Janata Dal (United). Narayan Singh Rajesh Khullar Executive Director at World Bank Sameer Kumar Executive Director at ADB (Asian Development Bank) Khare Takeo Konishi ADB’s Country Director for India
Narendra Singh Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has been given the additional charge of Food Tomar Processing Industries Ministry as Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigned.
Anil Dhasmana chief of NTRO (National Technical Research Organisation) ( former chief of RAW) HD Deve Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka Gowda (Former PM ) Simanchala advisor to IMF Executive Director Dash Neetu David The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed Neetu David as new Chairprson of 5 member of India women’s national selection panel ( cricket team)
Sunil Sethi The Khadi and Village Industries Commission has appointed Sunil Sethi as its Advisor. Note : Sunil Sethi is the Chairman of the Fashion Design Council of India.
P.D. Vaghela Chairman of Telecom Regulatory of India (TRAI)
Shekhar Kapur President of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Society and Chairman of FTII Governing Council. Matthew Government of Australia has appointed former cricketer, Matthew Hayden and Indian-origin Hayden & Lisa politician Lisa Singh as trade envoys for advancing business ties with India. Singh Mustapha Adib Prime Minister of Lebanon Mustapha Adib Prime Minister of Mali Mohamed Prime Minister of Somalia Hussein Roble
DEFENCE NEWS
1. Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle Recently, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight tested the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV). HSTDV is an unmanned scramjet demonstration aircraft that can travel at hypersonic speed. The vehicle travelled its desired flight path at a velocity of six times the speed of sound i.e. Mach 6.
2. First batch of five Rafale aircraft formally inducted into IAF www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
The first batch of five Rafale fighter jets was formally inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) on 10 September 2020 at the Air Force Station in Ambala. They have been inducted in the Indian Air Force’s 17 Squadron ‘Golden Arrows’ based in Ambala. The first five Rafale aircraft had arrived from France on 27 July 2020. The multi-role Rafale jets have been built by French aerospace major Dassault Aviation. India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in 2016 to procure 36 of the aircraft at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore. The delivery of all 36 aircraft is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021. Out of 36 Rafale jets, 30 will be fighter jets and six will be trainers. ( Chief of the Air Staff: Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria.)
3. Flight Lieutenant Shivangi Singh set to become India’s 1st woman fighter pilot to fly Rafale Note : Five Rafale Aircraft were formally inducted into the IAF’s 17 Squadron ‘Golden Arrows’ on September 10, 2020, at a function held at Air Force Station, Ambala (Haryana). Indian Air Force Chief of the Air Staff (CAS): Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria.
4. Special Frontier Force: Vikas Battalion Why in News : The Special Frontier Force (SFF) unit, referred to as Vikas Battalion, has been said to be instrumental in preventing Chinese occupation on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh. SFF was established on 14th November 1962 in the immediate aftermath of the 1962 Sino-India war. The recruits initially consisted of Tibetan refugees hailing from the Khampa community and now it has a mixture of Tibetans and Gorkhas. € It was previously named Establishment-22 as it was raised by Major General Sujan Singh Uban, an Artillery officer who had commanded 22 Mountain Regiment. About: SFF falls under the purview of the Cabinet Secretariat and is headed by an Inspector General who is an Army officer of the rank of Major General. Women soldiers, too, form a part of SFF units and perform specialised tasks. Link with Army: The SFF units are not part of the Army but they function under the operational control of the Army. Major Operations: o Operation Eagle : during IndiaPakistan war in 1971. o Operation Bluestar : clearing Amritsar’s Golden Temple in 1984. o Operation Meghdoot : securing the Siachen glacier in 1984. o Operation Vijay : war with Pakistan at Kargil in 1999.
5. Administration of Assam Rifles Recently, the Delhi High Court has directed the Centre to take a decision on the issue of bringing Assam Rifles out of the dual control of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Presently. the administrative control of the Assam Rifles is with the MHA and the operational control of Assam Rifles rests with the MoD. Note : Assam Rifles is oldest Central Paramilitary Force under the Central Armed Police Forces. It came into being in 1835, as a militia called the ‘Cachar Levy’, to primarily protect British Tea estates and their settlements against tribal raids.
6. “INDRA NAVY”. Biennial bilateral maritime exercise between Indian Navy and Russian Navy conducted in the Bay of Bengal
7. Passage Exercise (PASSEX) Held between Indian Navy and Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in the East Indian Ocean Region.
8. DRDO successfully test fires ABHYAS from Odisha Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has conducted a successful flight test of ABHYAS, a High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) from the Interim Test Range, Balasore in Odisha. ABHYAS can be used as a target for evaluation of various missile systems.
www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
9. Fourth edition of India-Japan biennial naval exercise JIMEX-20 begins venue : northern Arabia Sea ( Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh).
10. BrahMos Missile BrahMos surface-to-surface supersonic cruise missile featuring indigenous Booster and Airframe Section along with many other ‘Made in India’ sub-systems was successfully flight tested from ITR, Balasore in Odisha.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
BOOKS AUTHOR “The Big Thoughts of Little Luv” Karan Johar “Let Us Dream” Pope Francis ‘My Life in Design’ Gauri Khan “Azadi”: Freedom. Fascism. Fiction” Arundhati Roy ‘A Promised Land’ Memoir of Barack Obama “The Little Book of Green Nudges” Launched by UN Environment Programme ‘A bouquet of flowers’ Dr Krishna Saksena “Kitchens of Gratitude” Chef Vikas Khanna “Voices of Dissent” Romila Thapar
IMPORTANT DAYS ( important ones are mentioned in bold )
5th September Teachers Day (India) 5th September International Day of Charity 7 September International Day of Clean Air for blue skies In December 2019, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to observe this day on 7th September every year, starting from 2020. The Day aims to demonstrate the close link of air quality to other environmental/developmental challenges and raise public awareness related to air quality at all levels. Indian Government’s Efforts: € It is committed to reducing the air pollution level in 122 most polluted cities. In 2014, the Air Quality Index (AQI) was launched which currently tracks the levels of pollution on eight parameters. These parameters are ground-level ozone, Particulate Matter (PM) 10, PM 2.5, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ammonia and lead. 8 September International Literacy Day 9th September First International Day to Protect Education from Attack 10 September World Suicide Prevention Day (Theme : ‘Working Together to Prevent Suicide’). 12 September International Day for South-South Cooperation 12 September World ‘First Aid’ Day 14 September Hindi Diwas Hindi, written in the Devanagari script, was adopted as the official language of the Republic of India on 14th September 1949. Besides Hindi, English is the other official language of India (Article 343 of the Constitution). € Hindi is also an Eighth schedule language. € Article 351 pertains to ‘Directive for development of the Hindi language’. Note : World Hindi Day is observed on 10th January, every year. 15 September International Day of Democracy 15 September National Engineer’s Day The day marks the birth anniversary of the engineering pioneer of India, Sir Mokshagundam Vishweshvaraya, (popularly known as Sir MV). www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
Sir MV was regarded as the “Father of Modern Mysore”. He was awarded ‘Bharat Ratna’ for his exceptional contribution to the building of India in 1955. 16th September World Ozone day Theme : “Ozone for life: 35 years of ozone layer protection”. Year 2020 marks 35 years of the Vienna Convention. 17 September World Patient Safety Day 18 September World Bamboo Day (Theme : ‘BAMBOO NOW.’ 18 September World Water Monitoring Day (Theme : ‘Solve Water.’) 18 September International Equal Pay Day 19 September International Red Panda Day 21 September World Alzheimer’s Day (Theme : ‘Let’s talk about dementia’) 21 September International Day of Peace (Theme : “Shaping Peace Together.”) 22 September World Rhino Day 23 September International Day of Sign Languages 24 September World Maritime Day 25 September World Pharmacist Day 25 September Antyodaya Divas ( It marks the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya). 26 September International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons 26 September World Environmental Health Day 27 September World Rabies Day ( Theme : End Rabies: Collaborate, Vaccinate’.) 27 September World Tourism day ( Theme : ‘Tourism and Rural Development’.) 28th September International Day for Universal Access to Information. Birth anniversary of revolutionary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. 29 September World Heart Day 30 September International Translation Day . OBITUARIES (Deaths)
Abhilash Veteran songwriter He was best known for the song ‘Itni Shakti Hame Dena Daata’ from the 1986 film Ankush. His real name was Om Prakash. Pranab Mukherjee Former President of India. (aged 84) He was fondly known as ‘Pranab Da’. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2019. He was the fifth president to receive this Bharat Ratna award. He held the important foreign, defence, commerce and finance portfolios as a Union minister across various Congress-led governments in the past. Before becoming finance minister for the first time as part of Indira Gandhi’s Cabinet in 1982, Mukherjee had served as a deputy minister for finance in 1973-74. Joe Ruby(American Co-Creator of ‘Scooby Doo’ (cartoon series ) animator) Harikrishnan Congress MP to the 17th Lok Sabha from Kanyakumari Vasanthakumar Dr S. Padmavati India’s 1st female cardiologist David Capel Former England Cricketer Kesavananda Swamiji of Edneer Mutt Bharati The head seer of Edneer Mutt, Kesavananda Bharti passed away. He was famous for initiating the historic judgement of the Supreme Court that “Basic Structure of Constitution” cannot be amended by the Parliament. In 1973, Kesavananda had filed a case challenging the Kerala government’s attempts to impose restrictions over the mutt property. Govind Swarup Father of Indian Radio Astronomy He was the founding director of National Centre for Radio Astrophysics of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. Raghuvansh Prasad Former Union minister and veteran leader of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) He had served as the Union Minister for Rural Development in Prime Minister www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
Manmohan Singh’s cabinet. He was widely regarded as the brain behind the conceptualization and implementation of NREGA (National rural employment guarantee act). Swami Agnivesh Social activist and Arya Samaj leader Ashok Gasti Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka Amitabha Ghosh Former RBI governor (He had served as the 16th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India for 21 days between January 15, 1985, to February 4, 1985). Moussa Traore Former president of Mali John Turner Former PM of Canada Ang Rita Sherpa Nepal’s Legendary Mountaineer. He was first man to climb Mount Everest 10 times. He made all the ascents to the world’s tallest mountain between 1983 and 1996 and that too without bottled oxygen. He was therefore also known as the “snow leopard” for his climbing skills.
Dean Jones Former Australian Cricketer Suresh Angadi Minister of State for Railways Sekhar Basu Veteran Atomic Scientist and Former Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission(AEC). Dr Isher Judge Noted Economist Ahluwalia Jaswant Singh He had served as the external affairs minister, defence minister and finance minister of India, during the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s Cabinet. He was expelled from the BJP in 2009 when his book ‘Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence’ was published, in which he reportedly praised the founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah.h
ART & CULTURE
1. Onam Festival Recently, the festival Onam was celebrated across Kerala. Onam is a major harvest festival in Kerala and is celebrated to honour the home-coming of Asura king Mahabali who brought peace and prosperity in Kerala. Onam is celebrated by making Pookkalam (the flower rangolis). Other rituals are also performed which includes, Vallam Kali (the boat races), Pulikali (the tiger dances), Kummattikali (mask dances), Onathallu (martial arts), among others. The main attraction is the traditional Onam sadhya (grand feast).
2. Patrika Gate in Jaipur The recently inaugurated Patrika Gate in Jaipur (Rajasthan) has been constructed by the Rajasthan Patrika Group of Publications (media conglomerate). It is an iconic gate built as a monument under Mission Anupam of the Jaipur Development Authority. The gate was constructed to commemorate Jaipur’s recent recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. € In 2019 , Jaipur became the second city of the country after Ahmedabad to get the recognition. € Note : India has 38 world heritage sites, including 30 cultural properties, 7 natural properties and 1 mixed site.
3. Rogan Art: Gujarat The word Rogan means “Oil” in Persian. With origins in Persia, it came to Kutch around 300 years ago. This rare craft is practised by a lone Muslim family, the Khatris of Nirona Village, Gujarat. The ‘Tree of Life’ design is the most famous design in Rogan painting. It is inspired by traditional Persian designs. Note: The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, gifted Rogan paintings to the USA president, Barack Obama, during his visit to the USA in 2014.
4. Inscription from Renati Chola Era A rare inscription dating back to the Renati Chola era has been unearthed in a remote village of Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
The Telugu Cholas of Renadu (also called as Renati Cholas) ruled over Renadu region, the present day Kadapa district. The earliest of this family was Nandivarman (500 AD). Renandu Cholas were the feudatories of the Chola dynasty.
ECONOMY NEWS
1. Golden Temple gets FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act ) Registration It will now enable the Golden Temple to receive foreign donations. The foreign contribution can be used by the Sikh shrine for providing financial and medical assistance to the needy. It can also be used to organise langar which is a free community kitchen. Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), 2010 The FCRA Act is implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The act regulates the foreign funding of voluntary organizations in India. Under the Act, donating organisations need to register themselves every five years. A person with a definite cultural, economic, educational, religious or social programme can accept foreign contribution after registration or permission from the Central Government. However, election candidate, Member of any legislature (MP and MLAs), Political parties, publishers of a registered Newspaper, Judge, government servant or employee of any corporation owned by the government cannot accept the foreign contributions.
2. New FDI Policy in Defence Sector Recently, the Union Cabinet approved a new Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy in the defence sector which allows the FDI through automatic approval to be increased from 49% to 74%. However, the new policy has a ‘National Security’ clause as a condition which has been proposed by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. National Security Clause: FDI in the defence sector shall be subject to scrutiny on the ground of National Security and the Government reserves the right to review any foreign investment in the defence sector that may affect national security
3. Vodafone Idea rebrands itself as ‘Vi’
4. High Forex Reserves As per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, India’s foreign exchange (forex) reserves touched a record high of USD 541.431 billion in the week ended 28th August 2020.
5. RBI releases revised Priority Sector Lending Guidelines In the revised PSL Guidelines, the Reserve Bank of India has included some fresh categories eligible for finance under priority sector. These include loans to farmers for installation of solar power plants; loans for establishment of Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) plants; and bank finance to start-ups of up to Rs 50 crore. Some key features of revised PSL guidelines are as follows: To address the issue of regional disparities in the flow of priority sector credit, RBI has assigned higher weightage to incremental priority sector credit in ‘identified districts’ where priority sector credit flow is relatively low. The targets stipulated for “small and marginal farmers” as well as “weaker sections” are being increased in a phased manner. Credit limit has been raised for the Farmers Producers Organisations (FPOs)/Farmers Producers Companies (FPCs) undertaking farming with assured marketing of their produce at a pre-determined price. The loan limits for renewable energy have been doubled.
6. Infrastructure Investment Trusts as Fundraiser Recently, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to use Infrastructure Investment Trust(s) (InvIT) as a vehicle for mobilising funds for constructing road infrastructure. Infrastructure Investment Trusts www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
InvITs are instruments that work like mutual funds. They are designed to pool small sums of money from a number of investors to invest in assets that give cash flow over a period of time. Part of this cash flow would be distributed as dividend back to investors. The minimum investment amount in an InvIT Initial Public Offering (IPO) is Rs 10 lakh, therefore, InvITs are suitable for high networth individuals, institutional and non-institutional investors. InvITs are listed on exchanges just like stocks — through IPOs. InvITs are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) (Infrastructure Investment Trusts) Regulations, 2014. In October 2017, the Centre had launched Bharatmala Pariyojana for the development of 24,800 km of roads at a total investment of Rs. 5,35,000 crore. In order to complete the projects, NHAI needs adequate funds.
7. Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 Recently, the Parliament passed the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020. The Bill replaces an Ordinance promulgated in June 2020 and amends the Essential Commodities Act (ECA), 1955. The Bill removes commodities like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes from the list of essential commodities.
8. Domestic Systemically Important Insurers The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), General Insurance Corporation of India and The New India Assurance Co have been identified as Domestic Systemically Important Insurers (D-SIIs) for 2020-21 by insurance regulator, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI). D-SIIs are perceived as insurers that are ‘too big or too important to fail’ (TBTF).
. As far as Banks are concerned, presently, the State Bank of India (SBI), ICICI Bank, and HDFC Bank have been identified as DSIBs (Domestic Systemically Important banks) by RBI in India. 9. ESG Funds Becoming Popular in India The ESG funds are increasingly becoming popular in the mutual fund industry in India. Recently, ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund has come out with its ESG fund. The first ESG mutual fund was launched by the State Bank of India - SBI Magnum Equity ESG Fund. ESG is a combination of three words i.e. environment, social and governance. It is a kind of mutual fund. Its investing is used synonymously with sustainable investing or socially responsible investing. Typically, a mutual fund looks for a good stock of a company that has potential earnings, management quality, cash flows, the business it operates in, competition etc. However, while selecting a stock for investment, the ESG fund shortlists companies that score high on environment, social responsibility and corporate governance, and then looks into financial factors. Therefore, the key difference between the ESG funds and other funds is 'conscience' i.e the ESG fund focuses on companies with environment-friendly practices, ethical business practices and an employee-friendly record. The fund is regulated by Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
BANKING ( Imp for banking exams only)
1. SBI in partnership with Titan launch contactless payment watches “Titan Pay”
2. ICICI Home Finance launched “Apna Ghar Dreamz” Home Loan Scheme for skilled laborers like electricians, mechanics, painters, grocery store owners etc in the informal sector of Delhi. The credit amount of this loan ranges from Rs 2 lakh to 50 lakhs.
3. SBI to launch new loan scheme SAFAL for organic cotton growers The product Safe and Fast Agriculture Loan (SAFAL) is primarily focussed on organic cotton growers who don’t have any credit history. SBI will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) for this purpose.
www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
4. Bank of Baroda tops EASE 2.0 Index by IBA As per the EASE Banking Reforms Index 2.0, Bank of Baroda has been placed at the first spot. State Bank of India and Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) got the 2nd and 3rd place respectively.
5. ICICI Bank has launched a new product named “iStartup 2.0”, to cater to the banking needs of startups and entrepreneurs.
6. S Krishnan becomes : MD & CEO of Punjab & Sind Bank
7. Murali Ramakrishnan : MD & CEO of South Indian Bank
STATE NEWS
1. Uttar Pradesh Special Security Force The Uttar Pradesh government is going to constitute a Special Security Force (SSF) in the state. On the lines of the Central Industrial Security Force, SSF will be responsible for security of vital government and private buildings, and industrial establishments.
2. The Uttarakhand Government has decided to develop ‘Sanskrit Grams’ across the state. € Aim: To teach people to use Sanskrit regularly
3. Punjab government rolls out ‘I Rakhwali’ App to ensure greenery and to protect the environment in Punjab.
4. Meghalaya launched India’s largest “Piggery Mission” o The main objective of the Piggery Mission is to reduce the annual import of Pork worth Rs 150 Crore and make Meghalaya self-sufficient (“Aatma Nirbhar”) in pork production over the next 3 years.
5. Union Cabinet approves establishment of AIIMS at Darbhanga, Bihar\
6. PM Modi launches “Ghar Tak Fibre” scheme in Bihar o The scheme aims to provide optical fibre enabled internet connections to every home in the country, concentrating on the village and rural areas.
7. Rajasthan CM approves ‘Moksha Kalash Yojana-2020’ o This scheme aims to allow free bus travel to two members of the family of the deceased to immerse ashes of their loved ones in the Ganga in Haridwar.
8. Uttar Pradesh Govt launches unified portal ‘U-Rise’ Uttar Pradesh is the first state to launch such a unified portal along with the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020. The U-Rise portal would empower the students by providing them with practical and technical knowledge ranging from online exams, digital content, digital assessment, digital examination papers, webinars, internship, e-library, recorded video content to employment.
9. The Maharashtra government has banned the sale of loose cigarettes and beedis, to reduce the consumption of tobacco and to comply with the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003.
10. On September 7, 2020 The State Government of Himachal Pradesh (HP) and World Bank signed a $82 million (approximately Rs. 600 Crores) loan deal to strengthen its transport and road safety institutions by improving the condition, safety, resilience, and engineering standards of the state’s road network.
MISCELLANEOUS FACTS
Samarth Scheme : The Ministry of Textiles is implementing the Samarth-Scheme for Capacity Building in the Textiles Sector.
O-SMART Scheme www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
The Ocean Services, Modelling, Applications, Resources and Technology (O-SMART) Scheme was approved by the Union Cabinet in August 2018 and is implemented by the Ministry of Earth Sciences. It aims at stepping up ocean research and setting up early warning weather systems.
YuWaah Platform Recently, the Government has launched YuWaah – a multi-stakeholder platform to make young people career ready. Objectives of YuWaah: Providing career guidance support to young people through career portal as well as through job-readiness and self-exploration sessions to make young people career-ready. Supporting young people by providing entrepreneurship classes with successful entrepreneurs and experts.
FAME India It is a part of the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan. Main thrust of FAME is to encourage electric vehicles by providing subsidies. The FAME India Scheme is aimed at incentivising all vehicle segments. Two phases of the scheme: Phase I: started in 2015 and was completed on 31st March, 2019 Phase II: started from April, 2019, will be completed by 31st March, 2022 The scheme covers Hybrid & Electric technologies like Mild Hybrid, Strong Hybrid, Plug in Hybrid & Battery Electric Vehicles.
UMANG App It is a unified, secure, multi-channel, multi-platform, multi-lingual, multi-service mobile app. It is developed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and National e- Governance Division (NeGD) to drive mobile governance under Digital India. It provides a single platform to citizens for accessing pan India e-Government services ranging from central to local government bodies and other citizen-centric services. Services Provided: Filing income tax, EPFO services, Aadhar, Pension, ePathshala, e- Land Records, Crop Insurance etc.
Bharati script Why in News Bharati script is designed to be a common script that can express all the major Indian languages. Script refers to a set of letters used for writing a particular language. E.g. Devanagari, Roman, etc. Key Points Developed By: Srinivasa Chakravathy’s team at IIT Madras. Features : Bharati is a simple and unified script which can be used to write most major Indian languages. It is designed using simplest shapes, often borrowing simple characters from various Indian languages/scripts and English. Scripts supported are: Hindi/Marathi (Devanagari), Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Punjabi (Gurmukhi), Bengali, Oriya, Kannada and Malayalam. It is in line with 'One Nation, One Script'.