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OCTOBER 2020

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OCTOBER 2020 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 1

MADHYA PRADESH NEWS

Best wishes on International day of Older Persons  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has extended his best wishes on the International Day of Older Persons.  He said that the elderly or senior persons have life experiences. They have the capacity to resolve many complicated problems. The biggest thing is that our elders have the qualities of patience, humility, ability, decision making and above all, the acquired knowledge that can give a direction to the society. Our youth must respect the elders. Their teachings must be imbibed in our lives.  Chief Minister said that the elders are our heritage. Many legal provisions have been made for their honour and protection. Chief Minister has extended his best wishes to all senior citizens and elders on Senior Citizens day.

Photos telling the story of Corona period  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan today awarded the winners of the state level photo contest based on Covid-19 in a programme organized at Manas Bhawan and congratulated the photographers.  Also inaugurated an exhibition of photographs clicked by press photographers of the state during the Corona period. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that the creativity of the photographers during Covid-19 crisis is apparent in this exhibition.  Awarded the first prize winner of the photo contest, Shri Sumit from Indore with Rs. 25 thousand. Second prize (Rs. 15 thousand) was awarded to Shri Deepak Jain Indore and third prize (Rs. 11 thousand) to Shri Shakir Siddiqui Indore. About 400 photographs were received in this event organized by the BIMB TV News Service.  Chief Minister also distributed cash prize money to three winners in other amateur photographer category. In this, first prize of Rs. 5100 was given to Smt. Shobha Mishra Indore, second prize of Rs 2100 was given to Shri Rajkumar Keswani of Ujjain, and third prize of Rs. 1100 given to Shri Hemant Jaiswal of Indore. On this occasion, Protem Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Shri Rameshwar Sharma gave away certificates to the photographers of merit photographs who took part in the photo contest.

Strict action must be taken against mafias and chit fund companies  Chief Minister has issued instructions to the Home Department to take stringent action against any type of mafia and chit fund companies who cheat the public. No one must be spared. There should be fear in the minds of the culprits. Constant action must be taken against such criminal elements.  Chief Minister Shri Chouhan was reviewing the law and order situation in the state with the Home Department at his residence today. Home Minister Dr. Narottam Mishra, Director General of Police Shri Vivek Johri, Additional Chief Secretary Home, ADG Intelligence and other officials were present on the occasion.

Tribute to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and former PM Shri Shastri  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan paid tributes to both great personalities on Gandhi-Shastri Jayanti today. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan offered floral tributes to the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Late. Lal bahadur Shastri at CM House.  The Chief Minister paid tributes by garlanding the portrait of the Father of the Nation at Gandhi Bhavan. He addressed the programme organized on the occasion in Gandhi Bhavan auditorium.  Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that the thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi, are not only useful for the world even today, but his thoughts and philosophy have the solution to several problems.  Shri Chouhan said that today we believe in Gandhiji but do not follow him. The need of the hour is to follow the path of truth and non-violence shown by Gandhiji. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that we cannot force others, but we can follow the teachings and behave accordingly. On this occasion, Chief Minister Shri Chouhan sought information about the activities of Gandhi Bhavan. The programme was conducted by Shri Mahesh Saxena.  Chief Minister Shri Chouhan paid tributes to the former Prime Minister, Late Lal Bahadur Shastri by garlanding his portrait at the Old Assembly (Minto Hall) Square. Shri Chouhan said that Shastri ji became the Prime Minister for a short time but he gave significant services to the nation. Shastri ji’s mantra “Jai Jawan-Jai Kisan” is relevant even today.

Nature camp organized on the theme “Titliyon ko Janiye”  Participants of Youth Hostel, Lake City Unit, VNS Group, Camera Club Indore and Bhopal were thrilled to see various species of butterflies at a nature camp organized for the first time on the theme “Titliyon ko Janiye” on the fourth day of State-level Wildlife Week-2020. Major species of butterflies including Common Tiger, Striped Tiger, Blue Tiger, Common Grass Yellow, Grey Pansy and Common Indian were the centre of attraction for the participants. Source persons Shri Shubhranjan Sen, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Dr. Sangeeta

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Rajgir and Mohd. Khalique gave information to the participants about the species of butterflies and their characteristics.  In another programme held on the same day, participants of Van Vihar Camp in Vihar Vithika had a “discussion with animal keeper and staff” which was attended by 48 participants. The animal keepers gave information about taking care of the bear, tiger, leopard, bison, hyena and snakes and their food, treatment etc. On this occasion, Director Van Vihar Smt. Kamalika Mohanta and Assistant Director Shri A.K. Jain answered the queries of the participants regarding birds, butterflies and wild animals besides giving them information on myths and their curiosities etc. Along with this, Dr. Rohan Shringarpure, in-charge of Vulture Breeding and Conservation Centre, Kerwa apprised the participants with information regarding conservation, promotion of vulture species found in Madhya Pradesh and how they can be of use to humans.

Chief Minister Shri Chouhan expresses grief  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has expressed grief over the death of senior journalist, social worker and one who was active in the field of environment, Shri Anil Yadav, resident of Ganj Basoda in Vidisha district.  Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that Shri Anil Yadav lived his life constructively. He also made short films by delving into the world of animals and birds. His work in the field of journalism is memorable. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan has also expressed deep sorrow over the demise of social worker and nationalist thinker Shri Alok Mehta of Sagar. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that Shri Mehta rendered significant services in Mahakaushal and Bundelkhand region. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan has also expressed grief over the death of Shri Mahesh Nainwani, Bhopal-based litterateur and author of 'Soyabean' book.  Chief Minister Shri Chouhan has expressed sorrow over the untimely death of Shri Nikhil and Shri Pradeep Meena, youth of village Bhadakui of Nasrullaganj in Sehore district.

42nd meeting of GST Council  The 42nd meeting of GST Council held via video conferencing under the chairmanship of the Union Minister for Finance Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman. In the meeting, on behalf of Madhya Pradesh, Minister for Commercial Tax Shri Jagdish Devda gave many important suggestions in the interest of the state. Principal Secretary Commercial Tax Smt. Deepali Rastogi and Commissioner Commercial Tax Shri Raghvendra Singh were present on the occasion. Chief Ministers, Deputy Chief Ministers and Ministers of various states and union territories were present at the meeting  There were 14 agenda items in the 42nd meeting of GST Council and there were also few sub-agenda under the agenda item. Mainly, contemplation was made to extend the period of cess, being imposed currently for providing GST compensation and issues related to the distribution of compensation amount etc. On behalf of Madhya Pradesh, Minister Shri Jagdish Devda has informed the council that No. 1 and 2 position was attained by Madhya Pradesh in the whole country, in terms of presentation of descriptions. Shri Devda further mentioned that 7 percent integrated increase has been registered in recovery of total tax, paid by the state (CGST, SGST, IGST and Cess) from June to September.

Safe voting along with free, fair and transparent polls must: Chief Election Commissioner  The Election Commission of India organized an Observers’ Briefing through the video conference at Police Headquarters, Bhopal. In the video conferencing, Chief Election Commissioner Shri Sunil Arora told to ensure safe polling besides free, fair and transparent elections.  As a representative of the Election Commission of India, the work of the Observer is to keep a close watch on the adherence of guidelines of the Commission and bring important election related information to the Commission’s notice from time to time. As many as 39 officers from Bhopal took part in the briefing from the Police Headquarters conference room, 3 officers each from Gwalior and Indore, and one each from Morena and Rewa took part in the briefing programme from the video conferencing room of the local NIC as observers.  Necessary arrangements for the briefing were made by Smt. Veera Rana, Chief Electoral Officer of the state.

C-Vigil App  During the briefing, the Commission emphasized on the C-Vigil app, through which any citizen can take a photo regarding the violation of the Election Code of Conduct and upload it on the C-Vigil App. The Commission was told that 80 percent of the complaints sent by citizens on the C-Vigil app in the Delhi Assembly elections were found to be true.  It was told in the briefing that on reaching the district, the observers will have to publish the information of their mobile number in newspapers. They will have to inspect the arrangement of polling booths and ensure compliance of the guidelines of the Election Commission of India by the district administration.

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 The Commission also gave information to the Observers regarding the arrangement of gloves, mask and sanitizer to be made at the polling stations to ensure safe polling by voters. Regarding postal ballot, information was given to them about the use of postal ballot by senior citizens above 80, disabled voters and patients and suspected patients of Covid-19. Observers were apprised with information regarding the cash seized in previous elections in various states. Observers were instructed to pay special attention to complaints received from political parties and citizens. They were also asked to be vigilant about ensuring adherence to Covid-19 guidelines and Model Code of Conduct.

Subsidy to continue for street lights  A virtual meeting of Cabinet was held today under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan. A decision has been taken by the Cabinet that subsidy of Rs. 95 per k.w. per month will be continued like previous years at the cost charge, fixed by the Madhya Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission for low- tension street light power connections of the civic bodies in the year 2019-20 and 2020-21.  A provision of Rs. 11.85 crore has been made by incorporating a separate head in the departmental budget for providing subsidy of Rs. 95 per k.w per month at the fixed cost charge for low tension street light power connections of the civic bodies in the year 2019-20 and year 2020-21.

State government hands over probe of Manuabhan Tekri incident to CBI  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has decided to hand over the investigation of the incident of rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl at Manuabhan Tekri, Koh-e –Fiza, Bhopal on April 30, 2019 to CBI. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan has said that criminals will be punished severely in cases of crime against girls.

CM Shri Chouhan to dedicate infrastructural development works in virtual event  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan will dedicate the infrastructural development works, constructed by the Rural Development Department during the year 2020-21, at a virtual programme on October 8.  Chief Minister Shri Chouhan will dedicate remote approach roads, schools, approach roads connecting community bhavans, cement roads, built under MNREGA and roads constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana at 10.00 a.m. via virtual programme.  Keeping in view the upcoming by-elections, excluding districts, where the model code of conduct is in place, the remaining districts will be connected virtually with this event.

Court’s decision on Devi Ahilyabai’s properties significant  Welcoming the decision of the High Court regarding the properties of Khasgi Trust, Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has described it as a big and significant decision.  Chief Minister Shri Chouhan has directed the EOW to probe into irregularities of the trust. Apart from this, a separate committee will be set up in the Department of Revenue for maintenance and monitoring of the matters related to these properties and land. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan directed that necessary action should be taken by taking back the property under all circumstances.  Chief Secretary Shri Iqbal Singh Bains, Director General of Police Shri Vivek Johri, Additional Chief Secretary Home Dr. Rajesh Rajoura, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Shri Manish Rastogi, Officer on Special Duty Shri Makarand Deuskar and Director General EOW Shri Rajiv Tandon were present at the meeting.

Forest Minister Shri Shah congratulates Dr. Gupta for receiving Prani Mitra Award  Minister for Forest Kunwar Vijay Shah has congratulated Dr. Atul Gupta, the Wildlife Doctor of Van Vihar Rashtriya Udyan, Bhopal for receiving Prani Mitra award for Ex-Situ conservation from National Zoological Park, New Delhi.  Union Minister for Environment Shri Prakash Javadekar presented the award to Dr. Gupta at a virtual function. It is to be highlighted that Dr. Gupta is the first officer of Madhya Pradesh, who has been conferred with this award.

CM Shri Chouhan dedicates Super Specialty Hospital in Rewa  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that whatever remains in the development of the Vidhya region will be completed in the next three years. In the last 15 years, gifts like Bansagar Dam, Solar Power Plant, Good roads, Mukundpur White Tiger Safari besides many other gifts have been given for the development of Vindhya region. With the Super Specialty hospital, not only Rewa, but the whole Vindhya region has received the gift of the most advanced treatment facilities. Along with open heart surgery, treatment of several serious illnesses is being provided in this hospital. The hospital has been constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana, started by the Late Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

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 Chief Minister Shri Chouhan dedicated the Super Specialty Hospital, built at a cost of Rs. 150 crore in Rewa today. CM Shri Chouhan dedicated and laid foundation of construction works costing Rs. 399 crore in the programme. He also distributed benefits of Ladli Laxmi Yojana, Kisan Credit Card, Swanidhi Yojana for street vendors and benefitted the people by forest right deeds under the Forest Rights Act. The Chief Minister presented trophies and honoured three girls of Rewa district with Samman Nidhi, who secured ranks in the merit list of the state board examination, by making them brand ambassadors of Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao Abhiyan. CM Shri Chouhan started the programme with Kanya Pujan. He also inspected the newly built hospital and sought information about the treatment facilities.

District Hospital Rewa to become 200 bed hospital  Chief Minister Shri Chouhan announced to upgrade the Kushabhau Thakre District Hospital, Rewa into a 200 bed hospital. He said that the construction of residential colony for the doctors of the super specialty hospital will also be started soon.

Obeisance to Martyrdom of Shaheed Shri Dhirendra  Paying obeisance in the programme to the Martyrdom of brave CRPF Jawan Dhirendra Tripathi of Padiya village of Satna district, Chief Minister Shri Chouhan has said that the brave son of Vindhya has not only brought name and fame to Vindhya but to the whole state. Shri Tripathi attained Martyrdom while fighting with terrorists in Kashmir two days ago.

Excellent medical facility for newborns  Minister for Medical Education of the state, Shri Vishwas Sarang has said that after AIIMS, Rewa Super Specialty Hospital will have excellent medical facilities for the treatment of newborns, which is a big achievement. Member of Parliament Shri Janardan Mishra said that Chief Minister Shri Chouhan has an important contribution in the development of Rewa district. He further stated that the Union Minister for Health Dr. Harsh Vardhan has given full help in the construction of the Super Specialty Hospital. He expected that the hospital will get further financial help from the Centre.

Super Specialty Hospital is as important as Bansagar  Former Minister and MLA from Rewa Shri Rajendra Shukla said that Super Specialty Hospital is a gift for Vindhya region. Earlier, people had to go to Delhi, Nagpur and Mumbai for treatment, now they will get treatment in Super Specialty Hospital. Poor will also be able to get free treatment in this hospital, availing benefit under the Ayushman Yojana. He said that today is as important for Rewa as the day of inauguration of Bansagar Dam. The farmers of Rewa district have prospered by getting water from the canals of Bansagar. Rewa is also recognized for White Tiger Safari and Mega Solar Plant, the plant from where electricity is being supplied to Delhi Metro train. Construction of a well-equipped residential complex, costing Rs. 75 crore for the accommodation of doctors is proposed behind the hospital. A vote of thanks was proposed by the Commissioner Shri Rajesh Kumar Jain.

CM Shri Chouhan to virtually dedicate 13 thousand rural roads  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan will dedicate 12 thousand 960 rural roads of 4 thousand 120 k.m. in length, constructed by Panchayat and Rural Development department via virtual programme at 10.00 a.m. on October 8. These roads have been constructed at a cost of Rs. 1359 crore under various schemes of the rural development. Along with providing employment to villagers during the corona crisis, these roads have been built to ensure the continuous the development process. Minister for Panchayat and Rural Development Shri Mahendra Singh Sisodiya and Minister of State Shri Ramkhelavan Patel will especially present at the programme. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan will also interact with few Sarpanchs of the districts during the inaugural function.  These 12,960 roads to be dedicated in rural areas include 171 roads of total 1104 k.m. length and 47 major bridges, constructed at a cost of Rs. 691.41 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, 10 thousand 792 cement concrete roads of 3016 k.m. length have been constructed by the department in the same period and 1997 gravel roads have been built inside the villages for smooth movement to schools and majra-tolas etc.

CM Shri Chouhan expresses grief  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has expressed grief over the death of Shri Vijay Kumar Malaiya, father of former Minister Shri Jayant Malaiya. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan has prayed to God to grant peace to the departed soul and give strength to the Malaiya family to bear this grief.

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CM Shri Chouhan pays tribute to martyr Dhirendra Tripathi at Padiya village  State government for full support to family besides assistance of Rs one crore Martyr’s statue in village, naming of road, government job to kin Chief Minister Shri Chouhan consoles martyr’s family  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan reached Padiya village in Satna district with several public representatives today and laid a wreath on the mortal remains of martyr Shri Dhirendra Tripathi. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that Shri Dhirendra ji laid down his life while protecting the country at the border. I pay tributes on behalf of all the citizens of Madhya Pradesh at the feet of this immortal martyr. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that Shraddha Nidhi of Rs one crore will be provided to the family of martyr Shri Tripathi, the true son of Bharat Mata  Any one person of the family will be given a government job as per the wish of Late Shri Tripathi’s wife or family. A school or any institution will be named after martyr Shri Tripathi. Apart from this, the road of the village will also be named after the martyr.  Chief Minister Shri Chouhan reached Padiya village and paid tributes to CRPF jawan martyr Shri Dhirendra Tripathi. He offered wreath on the body. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan consoled martyr’s father Shri Ramkalesh Tripathi, mother Urmila Tripathi and wife Smt. Sadhana Tripathi. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan also discussed with Shri Tripathi’s three-year-old son Kanha and other family members.

Installation of martyr’s statue  Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that the statue of martyr Shri Dhirendra Tripathi will be installed in the place fixed in consultation with the government school of the village or local public representatives of the martyr so that the coming generations can take inspiration from the martyrdom of this martyr and the idea of courage and patriotism can be strengthened further.  This incident occurred two days back when Shri Dhirendra Tripathi, posted at CRPF’s 110th battalion, Lethpura Pulwama, was at the front during operational duty at around 5 pm. At about the same time, the Indian Army jawan was seriously injured in a cowardly attack by terrorists. Shri Dhirendra Tripathi was martyred in this attack. The attack was carried out when the jawans were successfully finishing their duty and coming back to the camp. Apart from Shri Tripathi, Shri Shailendra Pratap Singh of Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh was also martyred in the attack. Three other soldiers were seriously injured in this incident.

Virtual dedication of roads built under MNREGA and Pradhan Mantri Sadak Yojana  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that all possible efforts were made to remove the hardships of citizens, besides labourers and farmers during the Corona period. Our country lives in the villages. Work in the infrastructure sector will give a boost to economic activities and current problems can be overcome. Laying a network of roads in particular is making the way to development easier. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan was virtually dedicating about 13 thousand rural roads constructed by the Rural Development Department at Minto Hall today. The roads in districts where by-elections are to be held were not included in the dedication programme. Gram panchayats, self-help groups, villagers and public representatives took part in the programme.  While appreciating the rural road works undertaken during Corona period, the Chief Minister congratulated the Panchayat and Rural Development Department for its active role. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that the life of common people changes with the construction of roads. Former Prime Minister Late Atal ji had pledged to build roads on a large scale in the country. Prime Minister Shri Modi is also taking an interest in this direction to speed up road construction works. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan informed that the goal is to undertake maximum work in the housing sector in villages along with road construction.

NOC through Single Window for Petrol-Diesel Pump  Principal Secretary Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Shri Faiz Ahmed Qidwai inaugurated single window clearance system software for opening petrol and diesel pumps.  He said that to open petrol and diesel pumps, applicants had to obtain separate NOCs from 8 departments, due to which the applicants had to wait a long time in getting the permission manually.

Two candidates submit nomination papers on the first day  With the release of the notification regarding Vidhan Sabha Election 2020, the process of nomination began in 28 assembly constituencies of 19 districts in the state. On the first day of nomination, two candidates submitted nomination papers were submitted by two candidates.  Deputy Chief Electoral Officer : Shri Pramod Kumar Shukla

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Poll expenses of candidates must be strictly monitored: Chief Electoral Officer  A meeting of Nodal Officers of Election Expenditure Monitoring in the Assembly Deputy Election 2020 was held under the chairmanship of Chief Electoral Officer Smt. Veera Rana.  In the meeting, the Chief Electoral Officer said that instructions were given to strictly monitor the election expenses of the candidates. She said that strict action should be ensured on suspicious transactions. Intensive investigation must be undertaken in the 19 districts where by-elections are to be held in the state. The expenditure on meetings and programmes of star campaigners should be monitored. Nodal officers of all departments should work in coordination and provide daily information in the prescribed form.

CM Shri Chouhan reviews procurement system of paddy and other kharif crops  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan reviewed the arrangements being made in connection with the purchase of paddy and other crops in the state.  The Agriculture and Food Department was directed to make necessary arrangements for procurement as per the convenience of farmers during the meeting. The process of registration for sale of Kharif crops by farmers in the state is in progress. It was informed in the meeting that detailed instructions are being issued regarding procurement of paddy in the state. Special arrangements will be made in paddy producing districts. Detailed discussion on purchase of paddy, payment of funds to farmers and storage of procured paddy was held in the meeting.  Chief Minister Shri Chouhan directed to begin procurement soon in view of the arrival of more paddy, jowar and bajra in the mandis of the state than previous year. According to the dates fixed earlier, the paddy should be purchased before date of its procurement on November 25 and jowar and bajra should be purchased before November 15.  Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that it should be ensured that farmers do not face any problem during procurement. It was informed at the meeting that the 1509 fine variety of paddy sown in Gwalior and Chambal divisions should also be purchased and farmers should get the benefits of support price.

CM Shri Chouhan pays tributes to Loknayak J.P. and Rashtra-Rishi Nanaji Deshmukh  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan paid tributes to Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan and Rashtra-Rishi Nanaji Deshmukh on their birth anniversary today in CM House office.  Chief Minister Shri Chouhan paid tributes by garlanding the two great personalities.

PM Shri Modi inaugurates property card distribution in Swamitva Yojana  Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has said that the Swamitva Yojana is a big step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat. A concrete initiative has been taken to fulfill the goal of providing property cards to every family. Ownership of one’s house awakens one’s self-respect. Life of new faith begins. It makes sale and purchase of property and availing bank loans easier. Prime Minister Shri Modi was inaugurating the property card distribution created for the people of 763 villages of 6 states of the country including Madhya Pradesh today.  In Madhya Pradesh, 10 thousand villages of 10 districts have been selected in the first year. With the help of Survey of India, a Government of India unit, maps were constructed through drones and on this basis Record of Rights is being developed through door-to-door survey in the rural settlements. Population survey work has been started in Dindori, Sehore and Harda from the month of June in Madhya Pradesh. So far, Record of Rights of 49 villages has been published.

PM Shri Modi interacts with Dashrath of Dindori  Prime Minister Shri Modi interacted with Shri Dashrath Singh Maravi, a beneficiary of Dindori district selected from among the beneficiaries of Madhya Pradesh.  Prime Minister Shri Modi asked Shri Dashrath Singh whether any fight was caused due to the drone coming in the village and whether there was any problem in obtaining the paper. Shri Dashrath Maravi replied to Prime Minister Modi that he did not face any problem. This is a good work. Prime Minister Shri Modi told the beneficiaries that now no one would be able to eye their property with bad intention. The Prime Minister also interacted with the beneficiaries of other states.  Prime Minister Shri Modi said that work on a large scale will be undertaken for mapping survey and land record maintenance through drones.  Swamitva Yojana will not only make the property card available to the people, but it will also facilitate development works. The work of panchayats is also being completed in a transparent manner through technology. Geo tagging has been made mandatory for the works. Prime Minister Shri Modi said that when he interacted with the villagers, he came to know that the villagers become very happy to see the picture of the village taken from a height using the drone in the village for Swamitva Yojana. It increases love for their village in them.

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 Swamitva Yojana is also very useful in boosting self-confidence and ending disputes as a record of the property is made. Under the scheme, 1.25 crore people have got registered. This scheme will definitely result in historical changes in the villages. Prime Minister Shri Modi congratulated Union Minister of Panchayat Raj, Rural Development and Agriculture, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar and his Ministry for launching this significant scheme. At the outset, Union Minister Shri Tomar gave the welcome address.

Features of Swamitva Yojana  Ministry of Panchayati Raj launched the scheme on April 24, 2020.  The scheme will be implemented in a phased manner in the country in four years.  As many as 6.62 lakh villages of the country will be covered.  In the Pilot phase, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Rajasthan besides Madhya Pradesh are included.  The property owners will have the facility to download property cards by giving a link through SMS on mobile phones.  State governments will carry out physical distribution of the property cards.  This scheme will enable the property owners to use their property as a financial asset.  Property cards will be given different names in different states. In Madhya Pradesh, the property card has been named as Record of Rights, Sanad in Maharashtra, Gharoni in Uttar Pradesh, Title Deed in Haryana, Rural Property Ownership Record (RPOR) in Karnataka.

CM Shri Chouhan pays tribute to Rajmata Smt. Vijayaraje Scindia  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan paid tribute to Rajmata Smt. Vijayaraje Scindia on her birth anniversary (Oct 12) at his residence today.

CM Shri Chouhan to virtually dedicate 145 newly constructed educational buildings  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan will virtually dedicate 145 newly constructed buildings of the Tribal Welfare Department and School Education Department costing Rs 497 crore 70 lakh in Minto Hall, Bhopal at 10.30 am on October 13.  Among the newly constructed educational buildings of the state which will be dedicated are 13 Specialized Residential Schools (Kanya Shiksha Parisar) costing Rs. 357 crore 9 lakh of the Tribal Welfare Department, 3 new hostel buildings of Rs. 4 crore 63 lakh and 129 high schools and higher secondary school buildings costing Rs 135 crore 98 lakhs of the Department of School Education. All the educational infrastructures to be dedicate are from the districts unaffected by elections. Construction works of districts where assembly by elections are being held are not included in the programme.

Total closure of classes till VIII till November 15  An order has been issued by the Department of School Education that classes from Class I to Class VIII will be completely closed in all schools of the state till November 15, 2020 for prevention against Novel Corona virus infection. With this, all schools from Class IX to XIII will remain partially open. Regular classes will not be conducted and online reading and learning activities will continue as before. It will be compulsory for all schools to follow the SOP / Guidelines on Health and Safety.

CM Shri Chouhan to perform virtual bhumi pujan of 107 potable water schemes  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan will perform virtual bhumi-pujan of 107 rural potable water schemes of 18 districts at 10.30 a.m. at Minto Hall on October 14.  The 107 rural potable water schemes, costing Rs. 117.983 crore of 18 districts of the state include 12 of Betul districts, 13 of Sehore district, 2 of Vidisha, One of Jhabua, 8 of Khargone, 5 of Barwani, 6 of Ujjain district, 2 of Shajapur district, 2 of Sheopur district, 4 of Damoh district, One of Panna district, 3 of Tikamgarh district, 6 of Narsinghpur district, 2 of Mandla district, 4 of Satna district, 12 of Chhindwara district, 17 of Balaghat district and 7 of Seoni district. All these potable water schemes are of the districts, where by-elections are not taking place. Works of the districts, where the by-elections are taking place, have not been included in the foundation stone laying programme.  It is to be mentioned that under the National Water Life Mission, water structures are being constructed continuously to provide potable water through tap connections to the entire rural population by the year 2023.

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Investment Promotion assistance to be given for Oxygen plant  In a meeting of the Cabinet committee, held for the investment promotion under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, decision has been taken to facilitate investment promotion assistance on the establishment of plant for the Mohasa Babai Industrial and Medical Gas production in Hoshangabad district of the state.  The committee decided to provide assistance to INOX Limited under the Investment Promotion Scheme, at the rate of 40 percent for a period of 7 years. It is to be mentioned that the state government, along with making adequate oxygen arrangements in the state for the treatment of citizens for Covid-19, has considered with utmost seriousness to set up the plant itself in the state, with an aim of ending dependence on other states for oxygen. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan instructed the departments concerned to expedite the proceedings in this regard.

Implementation on time-bound programme for clean potable water in villages  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has taken an initiative to provide clean water to every house under the Jal Jeevan Mission for the people, dwelling in villages.  The former Prime Minister Late Atal ji has accomplished the unique task of connecting every village with a pucca road under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. At the same time, the present Prime Minister Shri Modi is committed to get the important work of water supply done through taps to the villages within the stipulated time.  Prime Minister Shri Modi deserves compliments and thanks for this. The economy is also getting strong in the villages by arrangements of transport, electricity, potable water etc. It is also rendering support in making the local into vocal. It is also essential to become competent in tackling challenges like the current Covid pandemic.

CM Shri Chouhan reviews preparations for Paddy procurement  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan reviewed the preparations for procurement of paddy, jwar and bajra in the state on Friday. It was informed that paddy procurement is being started in Gwalior and Chambal divisions from October 27. The date for other divisions will be decided soon.

CM Shri Chouhan reviews drive to fill vacant posts  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan today sought information from the officials about the action being taken at the professional examination board and department level for the recruitment on vacant posts. He reviewed the ongoing drive to fill the vacant posts. Information pertaining to the action being taken to fill the vacant posts in Jail, Health, Agriculture and Police departments was given in the meeting.  It was informed in the meeting that the preparations for the recruitment test for 6 thousand 800 posts of constables in Home Department, 2249 posts in Health Department and 800 posts in Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department has been done. The Group 3 test for 52 posts of Sub-Engineer is being held. Similarly, recruitment tests of group-2 and sub-group-4 are being conducted to fill 240 posts. Recruitment tests are being condcuted for 282 posts of jail guards. Chief Secretary Shri Iqbal Singh Bains and senior officers of various departments were present at the meeting.

Voters are being motivated by SVEEP activities  Under the Assembly By-Elections 2020, voters are being motivated to cast their votes in 28 assembly constituencies of 19 districts of the state through various SVEEP (Systematic voters Education and Electoral Participation) activities. Various activities are being organized for voter awareness, following the guidelines of Covid-19 in the by-election assembly constituencies.  Joint Chief Electoral Officer Shri Mohit Bundas said that with the aim of motivating voters to cast their votes, publicity is being done by Jagrukta Raths, short films, wall writings, hoardings, posters, banners etc. Awareness message is also being given to voters to cast their votes by putting a flex behind the auto-rickshaw. Special emphasis is being laid to educate voters on how to vote while protecting themselves from Corona infection. Various competitions are also being organized under the SVEEP activities in the by-election constituencies. Street plays, folk songs, rangoli, mehndi competitions are also being organized by the district administration. The importance of voting is being explained by Kalapathak teams. Cooperation of various organizations including N.C.C., N.S.S. is being taken in voter awareness campaign.  Under the voter awareness campaign, voters are being made conscious for the free and fair voting through online competitions in Ambah constituency of Morena district. These competitions include voter awareness posters, voter awareness slogan writing besides other programmes.  Similarly, under the SVEEP campaign in Hatpipalya assembly constituency of Dewas district, a massage of voter awareness is being given through rangolis, banners, vehicle rally, oath etc. to generate voters awareness in health institutions. Asha, Aanganwadi and health workers are going door-to-door to motivate voters. A pledge to vote was administered at Jan Shiksha Kendra Nevari to make voters aware of voting.

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CM Shri Chouhan expresses grief over demise of Shri Sanjeev Kumar Singh  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has expressed profound grief over the demise of Shri Sanjeev Kumar Singh, senior IPS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre.

CM Shri Chouhan pays tribute on senior journalist Shri Gopal Awasthi’s demise  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed deep grief over the untimely demise of senior journalist Shri Gopal Awasthi and paid tributes to him. Shri Awasthi, editor of Dainik Bhaskar Singrauli edition, was not keeping well since a few days.

CM Shri Chouhan expresses grief over the death of journalist Shri Ajit Verma of Jabalpur  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has expressed grief over the death of senior journalist of Jabalpur Shri Ajit Verma. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that Shri Verma had been constantly working for various newspapers. He was also associated with journalist organizations. He has made significant contribution in the construction of the Patrakar Bhavan in Jabalpur. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan has prayed to the Almighty to grant peace to his soul and strength to the grieving family to bear the sorrow.

CM Shri Chouhan expresses grief over the death of historian Shri Shukla  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has expressed grief over the demise of historian Professor R.L. Shukla, New Delhi. Late Shri Shukla was the father of Principal Secretary, Department of Parliamentary Affairs Shri Pankaj Rag.

CM Shri Chouhan called on by young cyclists of Satna district  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan was called on by a delegation, comprising 6 youth at his residence today. The cycle expedition was organized by the members of the Arambh Samiti from Satna to Bhopal to convey a message of pride, respect and security of girls and women.  Shri Ankit, Rohit, Pradeep, Abhilash, Narayan and Ravendra, the members of the team informed the Chief Minister Shri Chouhan about the objectives of the cycle expedition, which commenced from Satna on October 14. The cycle expedition reached Bhopal, spreading awareness among the people in Katni, Damoh, Sagar, Vidisha. The youth urged the Chief Minister Shri Chouhan that provisions of stringent laws should be made to safeguard the dignity and respect of girls and women. Women, who go through incident of discourteous behaviour and rape should get justice quickly. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that the initiative of these youths in spreading a good message to the society is laudable.

Multifaceted efforts essential for women empowerment  Efforts must to change social thinking towards women’s health Governor Smt. Anandiben Patel inaugurates National Breast Cancer Action-Day Programme online  Governor Smt. Anandiben Patel said that multi-pronged efforts are needed for the empowerment of women. She said that there is a need to change the thinking of the society besides understanding the family and social perspective of women. Besides women and their relatives, it is also essential to make girls conscious towards their health. Apart from organizing special camps for health check-ups, special initiatives should be taken by the state and central government to make information about the work being done for health facilities available in inaccessible and remote areas. Smt. Patel was addressing a webinar of the summit being held in connection with Breast Cancer Action-Day as chief guest. The Governor of Manipur Dr. Najma Heptulla was also present in the webinar.

International webinar on “Dharampal: Historian who rediscovered Indian education” to be organized on October 24  An international webinar will be organised on October 24 from 11 am on the death anniversary of well-known Gandhian thinker and historian Dharampal.  The theme of the webinar will be “Dharampal: Historian who rediscovered Indian Education”.  Dharampal: Historian who rediscovered Indian education  Dharampal (1992–2006) was a Gandhian thinker and historian whose pioneering work challenged and rejected the colonial narrative of Indian education, politics and social structures. Dharampal began his study in 1964 and unveiled a huge corpus of Indian society. Dharampal’s research, which was mainly carried out in the British Library and other archives in England and India, was published as various original publications, including ‘The Beautiful Tree’.

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 “The Beautiful Tree” describes the education system in India in the 18th and early 19th centuries. One of Dharampal’s original contributions was that his work presented a well-documented picture of Indian society before the British rule. Along with this effort to re-evaluate our past, this conference aims to discuss Dharampal’s work and particularly his everlasting contribution to the history of Indian education.

Entries invited for National Media Award till November 20  The Election Commission of India has invited entries for the National Media Award in 4 categories till November 20, 2020. These awards will be given on special work done in the field of print, electronic, radio and social media based on the work related to the quality of media group’s voter awareness campaign, extent of coverage / quantity, evidence of impact on public and any other relevant factors.  Entries for the award should reach Shri Pawan Diwan Under Secretary (Communications) Election Commission of India, Election House, Ashoka Road, New Delhi Pin Code 110001 by November 20, 2020. The entries must mention name, address, phone, fax number and email address. The awards will be presented on National Voters Day on January 25, 2021.

Hearing of 9 cases held in online Lok Adalat of REAT  Hearing in 9 cases was held via video conferencing in Lok Adalat at Madhya Pradesh Real Estate Appellate Tribunal, Bhopal (REAT) on October 23. Out of these, 4 cases were resolved by mutual consent. The bench set up for Lok Adalat was consisted of retired Justice Shri Subhash Kakde and Member Advocates Shri Deepesh Joshi and Shri Yogendra Sharma.

New university buildings must be high rise  Governor Smt. Anandi Ben Patel has said that the building structures of the new university should be built highrise. Special efforts should be made by marking the universities of the state for a place in the list of top universities of the country. Stress should be laid on making arrangements for the new projects and innovation with P.P.P.T. Model and CSR fund. Governor Smt. Patel was holding discussions with officials and vice-chancellors of government universities of Indore and Bhopal on various topics related to quality of higher education and development of the universities of the state at Raj Bhavan today. Principal Secretary Higher Education Shri Anupam Rajan and Principal Secretary Raj Bhavan Shri D.P. Ahuja was present in the meeting.

Responsibility to private investors for restoration of degraded forest areas of the state Forest Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah  Forest Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah has said that an innovative initiative has been taken by the Forest Department to entrust the responsibility for private investment aimed at restoring and improving the degraded forest areas of the state. Approval will be sought by sending the proposal to the Government of India following which the process of inviting private investment will begin.  Forest Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah informed that 37420 square kilometers of forest area in the state has been classified as degraded forest area. He said that through private investment, the forest cover would be increased to strengthen the livelihoods of the local communities living in degraded forest areas, as well as to achieve the goal of sustainable operation of mitigating environmental services like water cycle etc.

State Election Commission’s goal is to ensure that no eligible person is deprived of voting  The main objective of the State Election Commission is to ensure that eligible persons are not remain deprived of voting and ineligible persons are not able to vote in the election. State Election Commissioner Shri Basant Pratap Singh said this at a briefing session organised in the Commission for IAS probationers of the year 2019 batch. Shri Singh said that you will have an important role in the civic body and panchayat elections to be held in the coming months. He told to take the information given here seriously. He told to remove all doubts.  Shri Singh said that urban body and panchayat elections are important for the State Election Commission. The Commission was formed in the year 1994 and is an autonomous institution. The Commission conducts elections for about 4 lakh posts which includes the posts of Mayor, Chairperson, Corporator, District Panchayat Member, Janpad Member, Sarpanch and Panch.  During the briefing session, Commission’s Under Secretary Shri Pradeep Shukla gave information about the election process of the urban bodies. Additional Secretary Shri Rajesh Yadav and Shri Deepak Nema gave information about EVMs and various IT applications related to the election respectively.  State Election Commission Secretary Shri Durgvijay Singh, OSD Smt. Sunita Tripathi, Deputy Secretary Shri Arun Parmar and other officials were present in the briefing session.

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Government buildings to be illuminated on Madhya Pradesh Foundation Day  All the main government buildings located in the state will be illuminated on the night of November 1 on the occasion of Madhya Pradesh Foundation Day. This decision has been taken by the state government in view of Covid-19.

CM Shri Chouhan extends greetings on Milad-un-Nabi – Oct 29  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has greeted all the citizens of the state on the occasion of Milad-un- Nabi, the birthday of Prophet Mohammad.  Shri Chouhan said that Prophet Mohammad Saheb has given the message of brotherhood, tolerance and patience to the society. His message of human welfare has relevance even today.

Operation Wildnet: Gang involved in smuggling wildlife organs through social media exposed  A gang involved in illegal trade of the organs of pangolin and other wildlife through online platform YouTube has been exposed by taking action under the Operation Wildnet. The Special Task Strike Force (Wildlife) and Tiger Strike Force Indore and Sagar took action in Ujjain and Shivpuri, arresting 3 accused with 2.7 k.g. of pangolin scales. The case was registered after confiscating scales of pangolin and 2 pieces of ornaments made of elephant tusk.  Deputy Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) said that this was the first case registered in the state, in which gangs were smuggling wildlife organs in the state and outside the state, using the social media platform YouTube.  The Forest Cyber Cell constituted under the Special Task Force (Wildlife), while investigating the case, found that illegal trade was being carried out by the gang by making and uploading videos related to wildlife, in which people got involved in this criminal act because of greed/superstition and the number of such persons also continued to increase.  Taking cognizance of this, immediately notice was issued to the headquarters of YouTube in India and US and they have been urged to take appropriate action in connection with the criminal act. YouTube has also been made accused for not taking timely action. At the request of the Special Task Force (Wildlife), keeping in view the seriousness of the criminal act of illegal trade of wildlife organs and complete ban of such act in India, the suspicious above mentioned video and link have been removed and blocked by the YouTube.  In Telangana state, 10 accused were arrested and the case has been registered by the Special Task Force (Wildlife) through local agency against the gang involved. Continuous action is being taken against the gangs involved in the illegal trade of wildlife organs through social media platforms.

CM Shri Chouhan expresses grief over Shri Markam’s demise  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has expressed grief over the demise of tribal leader Shri Hira Singh Markam. Shri Markam passed away in Chhattisgarh  Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that Shri Markam worked for public welfare while leading a public life. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan prayed to the Almighty to grant peace to the departed soul and strength to the grieving family to bear the grief.

CM Shri Chouhan greeted people of the state on Valmiki Jayanti – Oct 31  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has greeted the people of the state on Valmiki Jayanti.  Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that Adikavi Maharishi Valmiki, who penned down the ideal character of Maryada Purushottam Lord Shri Ram in the form of Ramayana and taught the entire mankind about religion, renunciation and dutifulness has shown the right path. The Ramayana composed by him is an integral part of Indian religion, philosophy and culture.

Round table conference on ‘Way Forward for Atmanirbhar Madhya Pradesh’ on November 1  A Round Table Conference will be organized by Madhya Pradesh Council of Science and Technology (MAPCOST) at 10:30 am on November 1, 2020 at Hotel Palash Residency. Minister of Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises and Science and Technology Shri Om Prakash Sakhlecha will be the chief guest at the conference.  The theme of the conference is “Role of Science and Technology Institutions in the Development of State: Way Forward for Atmanirbhar Madhya Pradesh”.  The main objective of the Round Table Conference is to expand the micro, small and medium enterprises sector, enhance income in various sectors and improve the quality of the product.

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CM Shri Chouhan expresses grief over Shri Patel’s demise  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has expressed sorrow over the demise of former Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Keshubhai Patel. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that an era has ended with the death of Shri Keshubhai Patel. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan has prayed to the Almighty to grant peace to the soul of late Shri Patel and strength to his family to bear the grief.

CM Shri Chouhan pays obeisance to Sardar Patel- Oct 31  Paying obeisance to Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, the Iron Man of India on his birth anniversary, Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh said that we feel pride remembering the historic efforts of Sardar Patel for the integration of the country. He was an icon of national unity and integrity. The steps taken by Sardar Patel to make the nation strong are a reflection of his determination and strong will power. The present form of India is the result of Sardar Patel's efforts. Today, the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel is being celebrated as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas. As a symbol of Sardar Patel's sacrifice and to pay tribute to him, a statue of Unity has been erected in Kevadia, Gujarat with the efforts of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. This premises has become a unique place of reverence of the world.

Acharya Vidyasagar Ji conveys a message of humanity  Extending best wishes on the Avtaran Diwas of Acharya Vidyasagar Ji, Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has wished Sant ji’s constant guidance and direction to the society. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that he pays obeisance to Acharya Shri on his birthday. Acharya Shri has conveyed a message of Human Welfare and Mercy on Animals. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that Acharya Shri may live a long life and continue blessing us.

Shri Prabhakar Kelkar served in the nation’s interest all his life  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed grief over the death of Shri Prabhakar Rao Kelkar, National Vice President of Bharatiya Kisan Sangh. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that while believing in the nationalist ideology stream, Shri Kelkar dedicated his entire life in service to the nation and for the welfare of common man. While fulfilling various responsibilities in the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, he made several fruitful efforts to solve the problems of the farmers. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan prayed to the Almighty to grant peace

Shri Kothekar was a priceless gem  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has expressed grief over the demise of Shri Arvind Kothekar, a nationalist thinker and propagator. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that Shri Kothekar’s life was dedicated to public welfare. He was a priceless gem.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

NHPC & PFC Inked MoU with Power Ministry detailing targets for FY 2020-21  Power Finance Corporation Ltd (PFC) and NHPC Limited have signed a performance-based MoU with Ministry of Power (MoP) in New Delhi detailing various targets to be achieved during FY 2020-21.

Rajnath Singh Launched iDEX4Fauji during iDEX Virtual Event from New Delhi  Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, launched first of its kind initiative ‘iDEX4Fauji’ during the iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) event which was held virtually from New Delhi. He also launched the Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC 4), and Product Management Approach (PMA) guidelines.

South Eastern Railway Launched “Operation My Saheli” to Improve Security of Women Passengers  The South Eastern Railways (SER) launched the project, “Operation my Saheli (Friend)” to enhance the security of women passengers in the train throughout the entire journey from the originating point to their destinations.” Operation my Saheli” is executed under the Framework of “Nirbhaya Fund” and no additional expenditure is provided by the Head of Railways.

Indian Railways Rolled Out User Depot Module across Western Railway  Indian Railways has publicized User Depot Module (UDM) developed by CRIS (Centre for Railway Information Systems) across all User Depots of Western Railway.

President gives Assent for Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Bill, 2020  The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Bill, 2020 which will amend 5 Acts viz. the Income-tax Act, 1961, Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, Finance Act, 2019, the Direct Tax Vivad se Vishwas Act, 2020 and the Finance Act, 2020.

NITI Aayog and Netherlands Signed SoI on Decarbonization and Energy Transition Agenda  A Statement of Intent (SoI) was inked between NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog and Embassy of the Netherlands in New Delhi, to combine the expertise of both nations (Indo-Dutch) in supporting the decarbonisation and energy transition agenda for accommodating cleaner and more energy. It was signed by NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Amitabh Kant and Ambassador of the Netherlands to India Marten van den Berg.

President Ram Nath Kovind Gives Assent to 3 labour codes along with Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2020  President Ram Nath Kovind has given his assent to the three labour codes viz. Code on Social Security 2020, the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Condition Code 2020, and the Industrial Relation Code 2020.

Union Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot launches “Ambedkar Social Innovation & Incubation Mission (ASIIM)”  Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Thaawarchand Gehlot virtually launched “Ambedkar Social Innovation & Incubation Mission (ASIIM)” under Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Castes (SC)(VCF-SC). It has been launched to promote innovation, enterprise among SC students in Higher Education Institutions and to help them become Job Givers.

MEA brings Indo-Pacific, ASEAN Policies under One Unit  The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is creating a new Oceania Territorial Division by integrating Indo- Pacific and ASEAN divisions within it. Through this move, India is seeking to align policies in the regions stretching from Western Pacific (Pacific Island) to Andaman Sea. India will focus administrative and diplomatic attention in the region which is seeing growing Military assertiveness of China.

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MoD Signs Contract worth 409 cr with EEL for supply of Multi-Mode Hand Grenades to Indian Army  The Acquisition Wing of Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with private company Economic Explosive Ltd (EEL) for supply of 10,00,000 Multi-Mode Hand Grenades to the Indian Army at an approximate cost of Rs. 409 Crores. Notably, these grenades will replace the hand grenade design of World War-II vintage. These grenades have been designed by Chandigarh based Terminal Ballistic Research Laboratories (TBRL) of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and are being produced by EEL, Nagpur.

Cabinet Committee on Security Approves Proposal for Establishment of ASCON Phase IV Network  Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved proposal for establishment of Army Static Switched Communication Network (ASCON) Phase IV Network worth INR 7796.39 Crore (approximately). It will be implemented by Public Sector Firm Indian Telephone Industries Limited (ITI), Department of Telecommunication, Ministry of Communications (MOC) and will become operational in 3 years.

Pentagon Approved India’s Request to Buy US$90mn of Spare Parts for C-130J Super Hercules Cargo Aircraft  United States (US) Department of Defence i.e. The Pentagon has approved India’s request to buy USD 90 million worth of equipment, spare parts and logistical support for its fleet of C-130J Super Hercules cargo aircraft, procured from the US. The sale would be executed by defence major Lockheed-Martin.

Union Minister Sadananda Gowda addresses “CII Life Sciences Conclave 2020”  Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Sadananda Gowda addressed the “CII Life Science Conclave 2020” through virtual mode. The Conclave was organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The Theme of Life Sciences Conclave 2020 is – “Energizing Make in India through Life Sciences Sector”. The Indian pharma sector is worth USD 40 billion at present, and has the potential to become a global pharmacy hub in the future. Note: The Indian Pharma Sector is expected to grow into a 65-Billion-Dollar industry by 2024 and 120 Billion Dollar industry by 2030.

“The Biodiversity map of Mumbai”: First of its Kind Map on Mumbai’s Rich Flora & Fauna by Rohan Chakravarty  “The Biodiversity map of Mumbai” made by Rohan Chakravarty, artist and cartoonist is a first of its kind map on the rich flora and fauna of Mumbai. This map was created for the ‘Biodiversity by the Bay’ campaign initiated by the Ministry of Mumbai’s Magic (MMM), a youth collective for climate action with an intention to inspire pride in all the biodiversity treasures of Mumbai. This was used as a part of the campaign’s social media strategy on September 30.

Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2020 comes into effect from September 29, 2020  The Ministry of Home Affairs has redefined guidelines on how non-governmental organisations can accept, transfer and utilise foreign donations and contributions by amending the provisions of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010 (FCRA) with Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2020 which has come into force w.e.f. September 29, 2020. Notably, the amendment in Section 13 of FCRA empowers the MHA to freeze the FCRA Bank account in case of any contravention of the FCRA law and can also suspend FCRA registration of an organization up to 360 days from current 180 days.

PM Inaugurates ‘Atal Tunnel’- World’s Longest Highway Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh  Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated ‘Atal Tunnel’ – World’s Longest Highway Tunnel in Manali, Himachal Pradesh. The 9.02 Kilometre Long Tunnel has been constructed by Border Roads Organisation (BRO) at a cost of INR 3, 300 crores. It connects Manali and Lahaul-Spiti Valley. The Tunnel is built in the Pir Panjal Range of Himalayas at an altitude of 3000 Meters from the Mean Sea Level (MSL).

Narendra Modi inaugurated Virtual Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV)  Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a virtual summit of overseas and resident Indian Researchers and Academicians namely “Vaishvik Bharatiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) Summit 2020” via video conferencing which will continue till October 31, 2020 i.e. Sardar Patel Jayanti. During the summit he encouraged indigenous vaccine production. It is organized by 200 academic institutes and S&T departments, led by Principal Scientific Advisor, Krishnaswamy VijayRaghavan.

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SUNIDHI Project Launched to Digitise CMPFO Services  On the occasion of 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi (October 2, 2020), the Coal Mines Provident Fund Organisation (CMPFO) launched the information technology (IT) project Superior New- generation Information and Data Handling Initiative (SUNIDHI) to digitise its entire provident fund and pension related activities.

Union Minister launches ‘Tribes India E-Marketplace’, Largest Market of Tribal Products & Tribal Entrepreneurship Development Programme  On the Occasion of Gandhi Jayanthi (October 2, 2020), Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Arjun Munda virtually launched ‘Tribes India E-Marketplace’ (market.tribesindia.com), which is India’s largest handicraft and organic products marketplace. It is an initiative of Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses International Webinar on Textile Traditions  Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the first of its kind International Webinar on Textile Traditions organized by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Uttar Pradesh Institute of Design (UPID). The theme of the International Webinar was “Weaving Relations: Textile Traditions”. The webinar was held to commemorate the 151st Birth Anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi.

Famous Chilli of Sikkim “Dalle Khursani” Earns GI Tag  On the basis of an application filed by the North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited (NERAMAC) on behalf of Sikkim, the red cherry pepper chilli of Sikkim, “Dalle Khursani” earned the geographical indication (GI) tag from the Union Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). It is considered as one of the hottest chilli in the world with medicinal values.

Puducherry Airport Becomes AAI’s first 100% Solar-Powered Airport at a Cost of Rs 2.8cr  The Airport Authority of India (AAI) achieved a major feat on October 2, 2020, by converting the Union Territory of Puducherry’s airport into its first entirely solar-powered airport in the country i.e. “absolutely power-neutral” airport with the commissioning of 500KWp (kilowatts peak) ground- mounted solar power plant at a cost of Rs 2.8 crore.

Delhi-Mumbai e-way to have India’s 1st 5 “Animal Bridges”  The Delhi-Mumbai Greenfield expressway will be completed by 2024. The expressway will have India’s first five animal overpass or “animal bridges” with a combined length of over 2.5 km for safe passage of wildlife. These bridges are inspired from the Wildlife crossings in the Netherlands. These will ensure no disturbance and no chance of any conflict to the Ranthambore Wildlife Corridor connecting Ranthambhore and Mukundra (Darrah) wildlife sanctuaries in Rajasthan as the wild animals will get such passage at every 500 metres interval.

MoHUA Partnered with Swiggy to Take Street Food Business Online under PM SVANIDHI  Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Swiggy, a food ordering and delivery platform in India, to on board street food vendors on its ecommerce platform, a first of its kind initiative. This will provide online access to thousands of consumers and help these vendors grow their businesses across cities.

Piyush Goyal Virtually Inaugurates Renaming of Naugarh Railway Station to Siddharthnagar Railway Station  Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry & Railways inaugurated the renaming of 115- year-old Naugarh railway station to Siddharthnagar railway station, located at Siddharthnagar district in Uttar Pradesh(UP), through a video link.

2nd Edition of Bilateral Naval Ex-Bongosagar held between India-Bangladesh along with 3rd Edition of CORPAT  The 2nd edition of Indian Navy (IN) – Bangladesh Navy (BN) Bilateral Exercise Bongosagar was held in Northern Bay of Bengal which was followed by 3rd edition of IN – BN Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) from 4 to 5 October 2020 at the same venue. Notably, this edition of Exercise Bongosagar has greater significance as it is conducted during Mujib Barsho, the 100th birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

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NMCG, WII and the Forest Department launched 1st of its kind “My Ganga My Dolphin” campaign  On the occasion of Ganga River Dolphin Day i.e. on October 5, 2020, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the Forest Department launched a Dolphin-based ecotourism programme namely “My Ganga My Dolphin campaign”. This first-of-its-kind initiative, dolphin safaris will begin in Kahalgaon (Bihar), Bijnor, Brijghat, Prayagraj and Varanasi (all in Uttar Pradesh), and Bandel (West Bengal).

42nd GST Council meeting chaired by FM Nirmala Sitharaman; Compensation Cess Extended beyond June, 2022  The 42nd GST Council meeting was held video conferencing from New Delhi under the chairmanship of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman where it was decided that this year’s compensation cess collected amounting to Rs 20,000 crore will be disbursed to the states.

ISLRTC and NCERT Signed MoU to Make Educational Materials Accessible for Deaf Children  Indian Sign Language Research and Training Center (ISLRTC) and The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) signed a MoU to convert the NCERT educational materials into Indian Sign Language (ISL). This ensures the accessibility of NCERT materials to the Indian students with hearing impairment in their preferred mode of communication (ISL).

IFFCO & Prasar Bharati Signed MoU to Broadcast Agri technology for Growth of Agriculture  Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) and Prasar Bharati inked MoU to broadcast and promote new agriculture technology and innovations during a program organised in Prithvi Bhavan, New Delhi. The IFFCO is the world’s biggest fertiliser cooperative and has prepared a Nanotechnology based alternative of Urea. As a part of MoU, DD Kisan will broadcast various innovative techniques adopted in the agriculture field in easy language through a 30 minutes’ program series of approximate 25 episodes.

NITI Aayog, MNRE and Invest India organized the Global Symposium ‘India PV Edge 2020’  NITI Aayog, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) and Invest India jointly organized a Global Symposium ‘India PV Edge 2020’ virtually. It was organized to inform global Photovoltaics (PV) about opportunities in India. India is the third largest solar capacity country in the world. It has set an ambitious target of 450 GW of renewable capacity by 2030, which includes 300 GW of solar capacity.

MoSPI Launched India’s first Pan India Time Use Survey 2019  India’s first Pan India time use survey (TUS) titled “NSS Report- Time Use in India 2019” where NSS is National Sample Survey, was released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) in the form of 2,140-page report.

Durga Shanker Mishra launched API Integration between PM SVANidhi Portal and SBI’s eMudra Portal  Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched the API (Application Programming Interface) integration between the PM SVANidhi Portal and the SBI (State Bank of India)’s eMudra portal. This launch is a part of Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme. This integration will ease uninterrupted data flow between the 2 portals in a secure ambience and accelerate the loan sanctioning and disbursement process that benefits the street vendors who seek working loan capital under the scheme.

Department of Fertilizers Ranked 3rd Among 65 Ministries/Department: DMEO  The Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), NITI Aayog conducted a Data Governance Quality Index Survey to assess the performance of the ministries/departments based on the implementation of Central Sector Schemes (CS) and Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS). The Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Chemical and Fertilizers ranked 3rd among the 65 ministries/departments with 4.11 on a scale of 5. The Department of fertilizers also secured 2nd rank among the 16 Economic Ministries/Departments.

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Indian Navy Helicopters Undertakes Aerial Seeding Initiative at Visakhapatnam for GVMC  The Indian Navy partnered with Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) for the Aerial Seeding Initiative at Visakhapatnam. This initiative aims to enhance the green cover in and around Visakhapatnam. Two UH3H helicopters with 2 tons of seed balls undertook the aerial seeding. Around 6.25 tonnes of seed balls were dropped in the region around Pedagantyada, Aganampudi, Naidu Thota, Chinamushidiwada, and Pavuralakonda in Bheemili.

Cabinet approvals on October 7, 2020  On October 7, 2020, Union Cabinet met and congratulated its chair i.e. Prime Minister Narendra Modi for completing 20 years as a democratically elected leader. The following are the decisions taken during the meeting.  Cabinet Approved to complete East -west Metro corridor project at cost of 8,575 cr Cabinet approved ‘Natural Gas Marketing Reforms’ to make natural gas price mechanism transparent Cabinet approves MoU between Zoological Survey of India and Canada’s iBOL Cabinet approves Ratification of 7 Persistent Organic Pollutants listed under Stockholm Central Govt approved MoC in the field of Cyber security between India and Japan

Union Minister Smriti Irani Launches First-Ever Brand & Logo for Indian Cotton  Union Minister for Textiles, Smriti Zubin Irani launched First-Ever Brand & Logo for Indian Cotton through virtual mode on occasion of World Cotton Day on October 7, 2020. India’s Premium Cotton is set to be known as ‘Kasturi Cotton’ in World Cotton Trade. India produces 51% of the total organic cotton production in the world. A Mobile Application “Cott-Ally” has been developed by Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to provide news about weather conditions, Crop situation and Farm practices.

SJVN Inked MoU with Govt. of India for year 2020-21 to Achieve 9680 Million Units of electricity in FY21  SJVN Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Govt. of India (GoI) for the year 2020- 21 as per which the former has the target to achieve 9680 Million Units of electricity generation during FY21 under “Excellent” category. It should be noted that SJVN has set a target of achieving installed capacity of 5000 MW (Mega Watt) by 2023, 12000 MW by 2030 and 25000 MW by 2040.

Union Minister Harsh Vardhan, Yesso Naik Launches National Clinical Management Protocol based on Ayurveda and Yoga  Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Harsh Vardhan, and Minister of State (MoS) (Independent Charge) for AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha), Shripad Yesso Naik virtually released the National Clinical Management Protocol (NCMP) based on Ayurveda and Yoga for management of COVID-19. The protocol will contribute to mainstreaming of AYUSH for management of COVID-19.

PM Modi Launches ‘Jan Andolan’ Campaign for COVID-19 Appropriate Behaviour  Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched ‘Jan Andolan’ (People’s Participation) campaign for following COVID-19 Appropriate Behaviour. The awareness campaign will promote COVID-19 behaviour ahead of the upcoming festive season and the reopening of the economy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the citizens to “Wear Mask, Wash Hands, Follow Social Distance and Practice ‘Do Gaj Ki Doori’ (a distance of two yards)”.

TN’s Guidance & WEF to Setup India’s & South Asia’s 1st Advanced Manufacturing Hub  Guidance, a nodal investment promotion and facilitation agency of Tamil Nadu (TN) has joined hands with the World Economic Forum (WEF) in set up India’s and South Asia’s first advanced manufacturing hub (AMHUB) in Tamil Nadu. This collaboration is in line with the Tamil Nadu Electronics Hardware Manufacturing Policy 2020.

Ramesh Pokhriyal “Nishank” Virtually Inaugurated Gyan Circle Ventures of IIIT Sri City, Andhra Pradesh  Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Ministry of Education (MoE) virtually inaugurated the Gyan Circle Ventures, a MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) funded Technology Business Incubator (TBI) of Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Sri City (Chittoor), Andhra Pradesh (AP) through Video Conference from New Delhi. Gyan Circle Ventures would function as a Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs (TIDE 2.0) incubation centre.

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Union Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot Inaugurates International Conference on Mental Health: Looking Beyond COVID-19  Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Thaawarchand Gehlot virtually inaugurated the “International Conference on Mental Health: Looking Beyond COVID-19”. The conference was organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment in association with University of Melbourne, Australia.

Coastal Security Exercise Sagar Kavach concluded; Reviewed by FOC-in-C Anil Kumar Chawla  A two days long half yearly Coastal Security Exercise “Sagar Kavach” was held on October 8-9, 2020, along the coastal areas of Kerala, Karnataka and Lakshadweep to check Coastal Security mechanism and validate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). It assesses the preparedness of security agencies to deal with an asymmetric threat from sea.

PM Modi addressed Invest India conference in Canada virtually  Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually delivered the keynote address at the Invest India Conference in Canada which aims to showcase opportunities to the business community in Canada for investing in India in the agricultural, medical, educational and business front. It should be noted that India is proactively monetizing assets across the sectors of Airports, Railways, Highways, Power Transmission lines, etc. Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT) & Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) have been fully enabled for monetization of assets.

DST, IBM India Collaborate to promote STEM Career opportunities among Students  International Business Machines (IBM) India joined hands with the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to expand the scope of two DST initiatives Vigyan Jyoti and Vigyan Prasar. The initiatives aim to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) learning among students, especially girl students to inspire them to pursue careers in STEM.

Goa Becomes India’s 1st ‘Har Ghar Jal’ State by Providing FHTCs to Every Rural Household  Goa has become the first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ state in the country under Central Governments Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) by providing 100% tap water connections in Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) covering 2.30 lakh households.

Delhi Cabinet Approved First-of-its-kind ‘Tree Transplantation Policy’ & World’s 2nd Smog Tower at Connaught Place  Delhi has become the first state in the country to have the ‘Tree Transplantation Policy’ for the preservation of trees which was approved by the state’s cabinet headed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on October 9, 2020. This policy is a part of Delhi’s movement of “Yuddh, Pradushan Ke Viruddh” against the air pollution levels.The state cabinet also gave its nod for the installation of the second smog tower in the world after China and 1st in Delhi worth Rs 20 crore at Connaught Place within 10 months.

PM Narendra Modi addresses RAISE 2020 – ‘Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020’; IBM to setup CoE for AI  Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated & addressed RAISE 2020 – ‘Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020’ – A 5-day Global AI (Artificial Intelligence) Summit which took place virtually from October 5-9, 2020. The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) in partnership with NITI Aayog organized the summit.

Coal Ministry Launched a Website to Promote R&D Activities in Coal Sector  During the 56th meeting of Standing Scientific Research Committee of the Ministry, Anil Jain, Secretary, of Coal ministry launched a website (https://scienceandtech.cmpdi.co.in/) to disseminate and promote Research and Development (R&D) activities in the coal sector. The website was developed by Central Mines Planning & Design Institute Limited (CMPDI), R&D arm of Coal India Limited (CIL).

PM Modi Launches Physical Distribution of Property Cards Under SVAMITVA Scheme  Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a physical distribution of property cards, a legal document of owning their houses under the Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) scheme over a virtual platform. This will support to make rural India self- sufficient. The SVAMITVA is a central government scheme that aims to provide an integrated property validation solution for rural India.

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Rajnath Singh Virtually Inaugurates 44 bridges Built by BRO & LaysFoundation Stone for Nechiphu Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh  Rajnath Singh, Union Defence Minister virtually inaugurated 44 bridges, built by Border Roads Organisation (BRO) across 7 States/UTs (Union Territories) in border areas. Most of these bridges are in strategically important areas and will help armed forces to ensure quick movement of troops and weapons. He also laid the Foundation Stone for 450 meters long, ‘Nechiphu Tunnel’, a bi-lane tunnel, on the road to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. Nechiphu Tunnel is the important tunnel that will ensure all weather connectivity across Nechiphu Pass.

Kerala becomes First State in India to go Digital in Public Education  The state of Kerala has become the First State in India to make the public education sector completely digital. It has been implemented at a cost of INR 42.36 Crores, out of which KIIFB has contributed INR 34.75 crores. All the classrooms have been converted into high-tech classrooms and have been implemented as part of the Public Education Rejuvenation Mission.

C-DAC & NSM Host Institutes signed a MoU to Establish Supercomputing Infrastructure in Premier Institutions Across India  The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) With the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) Host Institutes to establish supercomputing infrastructure with assembly and manufacturing in India.

Kerala Govt Sets Up ‘Kerala Karshaka Kshemanidhi Board’, 1st of its Kind Welfare Board for Upliftment of Farmers  Kerala Government has formed ‘Kerala Karshaka Kshemanidhi Board’ (Kerala Farmers Welfare Fund Board) – a Board for upliftment of Farmers in the State. It is the first time in India that a Welfare Fund Board has been formed for upliftment of farmers. The State Cabinet has appointed Dr. P. Rajendran as Chairman of Kerala Farmers Welfare Fund Board.

NITI Aayog Announced Governing Structure of India Energy Modelling Forum (IEMF)  NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) jointly launched the India Energy Modelling Forum (IEMF) under the US–India Strategic Energy Partnership (SEP). For its constitution, on October 8, 2020 NITI Aayog announced its governing structure. IEMF aims to engage Indian researchers, knowledge partners, think tanks and national and international government agencies and departments for long-term energy planning. Prayas Group, Pune (Maharashtra) will be the first convener of the steering committee.

Nirmala Sitharaman Announced Rs 73,000 cr Stimulus to Boost Consumer Spending amid COVID-19 slowdown  Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman announced measures of Rs 73,000 crore to stimulate consumer spending before the end of this Financial Year (FY21) to fight the COVID-19 lockdown induced slowdown, during a press conference in New Delhi.

President Ram Nath Kovind gives Assent to Disturbed Areas (Amendment) Bill in Gujarat  President Ram Nath Kovind has given Assent to the Gujarat Disturbed Area (Amendment) Bill, 2019. The Act will prohibit transfer of Assets (Immovable Property) in disturbed areas and protects tenants from vacating the properties. The Act prohibits sale of property by members of one religious community to those from another community in areas declared as “Disturbed Areas”. The main aim of the act is to stop polarisation and to check attempts to cause “Demographic Imbalance”. The act provides for the formation of a “monitoring and advisory committee” to keep check on demographic structure in disturbed areas.

TRIFED, IIT Kanpur and Chhattisgarh MFP Federation E-Launch “Tech for Tribals” Initiative  Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur & Chhattisgarh MFP (Minor Forest Produce) Federation virtually launched “Tech for Tribals” Initiative. The initiative aims for holistic development of Tribals with focus on Entrepreneurship development, soft skills, Information Technology (IT) and Business Development.

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Atal Innovation Mission, CGI India sign SOI to boost innovation in Schools  Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) with CGI India to promote innovation in schools. CGI India will adopt 100 schools with Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai to promote and train students. The opportunity will provide the students hands-on experience using STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) tools.

PM Modi Released Rs.100 Coin to Honour Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia  Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the new coin of Rs.100 denominations to honour the legacy of Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia on the occasion of her birth centenary over a virtual event. She was born on 12th October 1919. Prahlad Singh Patel, Union Minister of Culture and the family members of Vijayaraje Scindia participated in the event. She served as a member of parliament from 1957 to 1967. She served as the vice president of BJP till 1998. She penned her autobiography “The last Maharani of Gwalior” with the support of author Manohar Malgonkar.

Joint Anti-Terrorist Exercise ‘Suraksha Kavach’ held between Army and Maharashtra Police  A joint anti-terrorist exercise “Suraksha Kawach (security shield)” between Indian Army and Maharashtra Police at Lullanagar Pune (Maharashtra) was organized by Agnibaaz Division (41 Artillery Division) of Southern Command of the Indian Army, along with equipment display. It was carried out taking all safety norms of COVID- 19.

Cabinet Approvals on October 14, 2020  On October 14, 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the following proposals, which were detailed by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Keshav Javadekar during a press conference.  Cabinet approved Special Package J&K and Ladakh under DAY-NRLM  Cabinet approved Rs. 5718 cr World Bank aided project STARS to Strengthen School Education System  Cabinet approved India-Australia MoU for collaboration in R&D for sustainable groundwater management

Union Minister Harsh Vardhan Launches Second Phase of “Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojna”  Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan virtually launched the Second Phase of “Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana” from Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi. It will benefit underprivileged patients. The program is funded by Coal India’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

India provides USD 1 Million to UNRWA for Palestinian Refugees  The Government of India contributed USD 1 Million (Approximately INR 7.3 Crores) to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Near East (UNRWA) for Palestine refugees. It will help in improving the lives of Palestine refugees suffering due to the pandemic. The funding will be utilised for Education, Healthcare, Relief and Social Services of the Palestine refugees.

Chandigarh University Bags First Rank in India for Filing Highest Number of Patents: Intellectual Property India Report  According to Intellectual Property India’s Annual Report for 2018-19, Chandigarh University, Mohali, Punjab has emerged as the Leading Stand-Alone University in India for filing 336 Patents, which is the highest number of patents in a year. The reports were released by the Office of Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks, Government of India.

Housing & Urban Affairs Ministry Launched ARHC Website & National Report on Angikaar – Campaign for Change Management  A webinar was conducted at the launch of Affordable Rental Housing Complex (ARHC) portal (http://arhc.mohua.gov.in/) and for the releasing of guidelines and guidebook, from New Delhi which was addressed by Union Minister of State (MoS I/C) Hardeep Singh Puri, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).  He also launched a National Report on ANGIKAAR – a campaign for change management for PMAY-U (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban) beneficiaries. The report is a recollection of various activities under the campaign i.e. October 2019-October 2020.

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GoI notifies Directorate General of Shipping as National Authority for Recycling of Ships  Government of India (GoI) notified Directorate General of Shipping as National Authority for Recycling of Ships under Section 3 of the Recycling of Ships Act, 2019. As apex body, DG Shipping will administer, supervise and monitor all activities related to recycling of ships. The National Authority of Ship Recycling will be set up in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. As per Ship Recycling Act, 2019 India has accepted to follow Hong Kong Convention for Ship Recycling under International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Nitin Gadkari Launched Blasting Process for one of the Asia’s Longest Bi-directional Road Tunnel “Zojila Tunnel” in J&K  Union Minister Nitin Jairam Gadkari of Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) & Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MoMSME) initiated the first blasting process for the construction of one of the longest bi-directional road in Asia i.e. 14.15 Km Zojila Tunnel with altitude of about 3000 m in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) to provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar valley and Leh (Ladakh plateau) on National Highway (NH)-1. The project will be implemented by National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) while its construction work will be carried by Hyderabad (Telangana) based Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Limited (MEIL).

Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ virtually launched ‘KAPILA’ Kalam Program for IP Literacy; IP Literacy Week to be observed on Oct 15-23, 2020  On the occasion of 89th birth anniversary of former President and Scientist Late Dr. APJ (Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen) Abdul Kalam i.e. on October 15, 2020, Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Ministry of Education (MOE) virtually launched the ‘KAPILA’ Kalam Program for Intellectual Property (IP) Literacy and Awareness campaign. It was also decided to celebrate October 15th to October 23rd, 2020 as ‘Intellectual Property (IP) Literacy Week’.

Myanmar to get 1st Submarine “INS Sindhuvir”; To Be Handed Over by India under SAGAR  The Myanmar Navy is all set to receive its first submarine namely “Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sindhuvir”, a Kilo class submarine which will be handed over by India under its vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) to provide guaranteed security for all maritime partners. The Myanmar Navy will initially use INS Sindhuvir for training and orientation purposes for its Navy personnel as it has a capacity of staying underwater for almost 45 days.

CRPF Collaborates with IIT Delhi, DRDO and JATC to Augment its R&D Capabilities  The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has collaborated with Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Delhi, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and Joint Advanced Technology Centre (JATC), a joint initiative of DRDO and IIT Delhi, to augment its Research and Development capabilities.

Jewar at Gautam Budh Nagar to Become one of the Aerotropolis of India  Uttar Pradesh government stated that with International airport arising in Jewar in Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh will become one of the aerotropolis of the country.  The Jewar airport, that is to be managed by Flughafen Zürich AG (FZAG), based in Kloten, Switzerland, will become India’s largest airport having six runways.

Shri Parshottam Rupala Launched Rs. 10,000 cr Ayushman Sahakar for creation of healthcare by cooperatives  Union Minister of State for Agriculture Shri Parshottam Rupala launched a new scheme of National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) namely “Ayushman Sahakar” to involve co-operatives in creating healthcare infrastructure.  As a part of the scheme, a loan worth Rs 10,000 crore will be provided by NCDC to prospective cooperatives to set up healthcare facilities.

“Kati Bihu” Festival Celebrated in Assam  Kati Bihu is one of the set of three Bihu festivals (agricultural festivals) was celebrated in the state of Assam.  The Kati Bihu is also known as Kongali Bihu, the festival of the poor (the word “Kongal” means “poor”) is celebrated in mid-October when the crops are at growing stage and the granaries of the farmers are depleting.

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Heeng Cultivation starts in India for the First Time  Heeng (Ferula assa-foetida) commonly known as Asafoetida cultivation has been started in India for the first time. The first plantation of Heeng was done in Lahaul and Spiti in Himachal Pradesh. Council of Scientific & Industrial Research Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT) introduced six accession of Heeng from Iran through National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR). It is a perennial plant and can be grown in unutilized sloppy land of cold desert regions.

NITI Aayog, AWS launch 1st of its Kind Frontier Technology Cloud Innovation Centre in India  National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog launched First of its Kind, Frontier Technologies Cloud Innovation Center (CIC) with Amazon Web Services (AWS). CIC will help in addressing societal challenges through digital innovation with focus on agriculture, healthcare and skill development. The core mission of CIC is to identify and deploy the latest technologies to drive continuous innovation in delivering citizen services. CIC is part of the AWS CIC Global Program.

MoS Mansukh Mandaviya e-launches Development of Indigenous Software Solution for VTS, VTMS  Minister of State (MoS) (I/C) for Shipping, Mansukh Mandaviya e-launched the development of Indigenous Software solution for Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) and Vessels Traffic Monitoring Systems (VTMS) in New Delhi. The indigenous VTS and VTMS software will help in determining the position of shipping Vessels, position of other traffic and other meteorological hazard warnings, and traffic management within a port or waterway.

Nitin Gadkari Laid Foundation Stone for India’s first Multi-modal Logistic Park in Assam Virtually  Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and MSMEs virtually laid the foundation stone for India’s first Multi-modal Logistic Park (MMLP) at Jogighopa in Assam. The Rs 693.97 crore park will provide direct air, road, rail and waterways connectivity to the people. On the occasion for sharing land and logistics in Jogighopa, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between NHIDCL and Ashoka paper mills, Government of Assam.

Kharif foodgrain production likely to be record 144.52 million tonnes in 2020-21: Narendra Singh Tomar  Narendra Singh Tomar, while addressing a digital conference organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), stated that according to the initial estimates, food grain production is projected to be 144.52 million tonnes in the 2020-21 kharif season. As per the official data, during the 2019-20 kharif season, food grain production stood at 143.38 million tonnes. During the first quarter of 2020-21 fiscal, this sector grew 3.4% The main kharif crop is Rice.

Union Minister Harsh Vardhan launches ‘CuRED’ – website for information on CSIR Partnered Clinical Trials for COVID-19  Union Minister for Science & Technology, Harsh Vardhan launched ‘CuRED’ or ‘CSIR Ushered Repurposed Drugs’ (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-CSIR) a website for providing information on Repurposed Drugs for COVID-19. The website provides information regarding clinical trials of diagnostics and devices in which CSIR is involved.

CSIR-CMERI Develops Sustainable Municipal Solid Waste Processing Facility  In an effort to address the issue of ‘Sustainable Processing of Municipal Solid Waste’, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) developed Sustainable Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Processing Facility. The CSIR-CMERI MSW Technology intends to achieve a Zero- Landfill and a Zero Waste City and envisions to develop job creation opportunities.

Ministry of Home Affairs Amended J&K Panchayati Raj Act, 1989; DDCs will be Created  Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has amended the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989 under the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019 by removing a provision in Section 10 that requires payment of honorarium to panches and sarpanches (village head) in the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). The amendment also provides for the creation of District Development Councils (DDCs) in each district of J&K which will have jurisdiction over the entire district excluding areas designated as municipality or Municipal Corporation. The term of the DDCs will be 5 years.

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Surat’s BRTS becomes India’s Longest BRTS Network with a coverage of 108 kms  Chief Minister of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani inaugurated the newly expanded Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) route from Kumbhariya to Kadodara, Surat virtually from Gandhinagar. With the opening of this BRTS corridor, Surat became the only city in the country to have Longest BRTS network with 108 kms.

6th India International Science Festival 2020, headed by CSIR to be held Virtually from 22nd to 25th December, 2020: Harsh Vardhan  Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare, at a review meeting held in New Delhi announced that the 6th edition of India International Science Festival (IISF) 2020 will be held from 22nd to 25th December, 2020. IISF 2020 will be organized at a virtual platform and will be spearheaded by Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) with support of all other concerned ministries and departments.

14 States reported reduction in prevalence of Soil-Transmitted Helminthiases (STH): MoHFW  In accordance with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) 14 states have reported a reduction in parasitic intestinal worm infection or Soil-Transmitted Helminthiases (STH) which has a harmful effect on children’s physical growth and can cause anaemia and under-nutrition.

Cabinet approvals on October 21, 2020  Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the following proposals which were detailed by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Keshav Javadekar during a press conference.  Cabinet approved Productivity Linked Bonus and non-Productivity Linked Bonus for 2019-2020.  Cabinet approved extension of Market Intervention Scheme for procurement of apples in J&K for 2020-21.  Union Cabinet approved adoption of Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act.

Cabinet Approvals with Foreign Countries on October 21, 2020  Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the following proposals which were detailed by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Keshav Javadekar during a press conference.  Cabinet approves MoU between ICAI, India and CPA, Papua New Guinea  Cabinet approves Mutual Recognition Agreement between ICAI, India and MICPA, Malaysia  Cabinet approves MoU between India and Nigeria on Cooperation in the Exploration and uses of outer space

AAI plans to develop 100 Airports, Waterdromes, Heliports under UDAN Scheme by 2024  Airports Authority of India (AAI) is planning to develop at least 100 Airports, Waterdromes, and Heliports by 2024 under UDAN (“Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik”)-Regional Air Connectivity Scheme. The Fourth Anniversary of the UDAN Scheme was observed on 21st October, 2020.

Third Phase of National Supercomputing Mission to commence from January, 2021  The Department of Science and Technology (DST), under the Ministry of Science and Technology has stated that the 3rd Phase of the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) will commence from January, 2021. This phase will take the computing speed to 45 Petaflops (PF). The works on Phase Three will include Three systems of 3 PF each and one system of 20 PF as a national facility.

Haryana Topped Anemia Mukt Bharat Index in India  The 8th Governing Body Meeting of the State Health Society of the National Health Mission (NHM) was held in Chandigarh where Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) Index was released which has been topped by Haryana with a score of 46.7 among all the 29 states in the country. The meeting was presided over by the Haryana chief secretary, Vijai Vardhan. Anemia Mukt Bharat is an initiative of the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) and UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) to reduce the prevalence of anemia all over India.

MoS Prahlad Singh Patel Launches ‘Life in Miniature’ project  Union Minister of State (MoS) for Culture and Tourism (I/C), Prahlad Singh Patel virtually launched “Life in Miniature” project, it is a collaboration between National Museum, New Delhi, Ministry of Culture and Google Arts & Culture. The project enables Hundreds of miniature paintings from the National Museum’s collections to be viewed through Google Arts & Culture app.

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1st Virtual India – International Food & Agri Week held on Oct 16th -22nd 2020; Inaugurated by Narendra Singh Tomar  The first ever virtual “CII Agro & Food Tech: India -International Food & Agri Week” was organized from October 16-22, 2020 which was virtually inaugurated by Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoAFW) during the 14th edition of the Agro and Food Tech. It was organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in association with the MoAFW, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying (FAHD) and Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI). MoFPI also started an awareness campaign named “Anna Devo Bhava” to mark this occasion.

Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi District Bags Top Position for Implementation of PMGSY  The Union Ministry of Rural Development declared the list of the top performing 30 districts in the country for implementing the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) programme. In this list, Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh won top position among 30 districts of India. Himachal Pradesh secured 2nd position at the national level for construction of roads under PMGSY.

UP Emerge as Top Domestic Tourists Destination in 2019 & Secures 3rd Rank in Attracting Foreign Tourists in 2019: ITS 2020  As per, Ministry of Tourism annual publication titled ‘India Tourism Statistics (ITS) at a Glance – 2020’, Uttar Pradesh (UP), tops the Domestic Tourist Visits list 2019, with ~53.6 crore tourists (i.e., 23.1% of the total domestic tourists’ travellers visited in 2019). UP was followed by Tamil Nadu (~49.4 crore tourists) & Andhra Pradesh (~23.7 crore tourists). Similarly, in terms of Foreign Tourist Visits list 2019, Tamil Nadu tops the list, with ~ 68 lakh foreign tourists, i.e, 21.9 % of the total travellers visited in 2019. Tamil Nadu was followed by Maharashtra (~55 lakh tourists) and UP (~ 47 lakh tourists).

India Meteorological Department Dedicated 1st “Flash Flood Guidance Services” for South Asia  India Meteorological Department (IMD) has dedicated first of its kind “Flash Flood Guidance services (FFGS)” for South Asian countries namely India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka to issue impact-based forecasting of floods. It was launched by Dr. M. Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, who was the chief guest of a virtual event which was attended by distinguished National and International dignitaries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Launched ‘Kisan Suryoday Yojana’ for the farmers & Launched 2 other Projects in Gujarat  Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated 3 Key Projects in Gujarat. Gujarat Chief Minister, Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister, Nitin Patel were present during the virtual launch. The Projects are: (i) Launching of Kisan Suryodaya Yojana (Electricity Scheme for Farmers). (ii) Inauguration of Paediatric Heart Hospital attached with U.N Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre & Mobile Application for Tele- Cardiology. (iii) Inauguration of Girnar Ropeway, Junagadh.

METLDEX to be first tradeable real-time base metals indices in country: MCX  MCX (Multi-Commodity Exchange of India) launched India’s first real-time Base Metals Index i.e MCX iCOMDEX Base Metal METLDEX in the commodity derivatives segment. Until now, Domestic Metal Prices were hinged to the London Metal Exchange (LME). METLDEX is based on Five base metals – Zinc, Copper, Nickel, Lead, and Aluminium.

ESI scheme extended to Arunachal Pradesh  The Ministry of Labour and Employment announced the extension of Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) scheme for the first time to Arunachal Pradesh with effect from 1st November 2020. Under the issued notification all the factories in the district of Papum Pare with 10 or more employees are eligible for coverage under ESI Act 1948. Employees with wages up to Rs. 21000 per month (Rs.25000 for persons with disabilities) are eligible for the scheme.

IIT Jodhpur, NHAI sign MoU to share their expertise skills for betterment of Highway Infrastructure  Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) signed a MoU to share expertise for the betterment of highway infrastructure. The Signing of the MoU was held at IIT Jodhpur Campus in the presence of Santanu Chaudhury, Director of IIT Jodhpur, and Ajay Bishnoi, General Manager (Technical) and Project Director, NHAI, Project Implementation Unit (PIU) Jodhpur.

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NITI Aayog’s AIM & Australia’s CSIRO Launched India–Australia Circular Economy Hackathon (I- ACE)  Ramanan Ramanathan, Mission Director Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and Additional Secretary NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog launched ‘India–Australia Circular Economy Hackathon (I-ACE)’ which will be organized by NITI Aayog’s AIM on December 7-8, 2020 in association with Australia’s national science agency, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). It has been launched on the lines of the virtual summit between the Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi and Australian PM Scott John Morrison held on June 4th, 2020.

IIT-K and ASI Signed MoU with Two Italy Institutes for Protection of Monuments  Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT-K) in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have inked MoU with Italy’s Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, and Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti E Paesaggio, Venice for creating a network of sharing skills for restoration and protection of historical monuments.

Uttar Pradesh secures First Rank in Disbursing Loans under PM SVANidhi Scheme; PM Modi distributes Loans  Uttar Pradesh has secured First Rank in Disbursing Loans under PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme by approving the highest number of loans under the scheme in the country. On 27th October, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributed Loans to around 3 Lakh beneficiaries. Madhya Pradesh secures second in the list with over 1.25 Lakh Beneficiaries, followed by Telangana (53, 777) in Loan Disbursement Category. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh ranked first in all categories viz Applications of Loan, Sanction of Loan and Disbursements of loans under the scheme.

India Releases Commemorative Postage Stamp on 75th Anniversary of UN  Department of Posts (DoP), Ministry of Communications (MoC), Government of India released a commemorative postage stamp on the 75th anniversary of the United Nations (UN) Organisation. Dr. S Jaishankar, Union external affairs minister was the chief guest of the event. Note– Dr. S Jaishankar mentioned the release of the commemorative stamp as a ‘befitting tribute’ to the 75 years of the UN.

India Post, US Postal Service Inked MoU for Electronic Exchange of Customs Data  Department of Posts (DoP), Government of India (India Post) and United States Postal Service (USPS) have inked MoU for Electronic Exchange of Customs data related to postal shipments. The MoU was signed on the lines of Third India- USA 2+2 Ministerial dialogue held in New Delhi.

5 States to get Conservation Centres to protect vultures: Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2020-2025  In accordance with the Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2020-2025 which was approved on October 5, 2020 by the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), the five states viz. Uttar Pradesh (UP), Tripura, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu will get vulture conservation and breeding centre each. Vulture Multi-Species Action Plan (Vulture MsAP) was adopted at the Twelfth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP12) held in Manila, the Philippines in 2017.

Kerala becomes First State in the country to Fix MSP for Vegetables  Kerala became the First State in the Country to fix Minimum Support Price (MSP)/Base Price for 16 Agricultural items which include Vegetables, Fruits and Tubers to support farmers and boost agricultural sector. On October 21, 2020, Kerala Cabinet cleared the proposal to introduce base prices. The scheme will come into effect from November 1, 2020, which is celebrated as Keralapiravi day.

Cochin Shipyard Limited and Italy’s Fincantieri Signs MoU in Shipping Industry  Cochin Shipyard Limited and Fincantieri S.P.A. of Italy virtually signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the areas of Design, Ship Building, Ship Repair, Marine Equipment Manufacturing and also for Training & Skill Development.

Mansukh Mandaviya Inaugurates 24X7 Direct Port Entry Facility at VOC Port, Tuticorin  Minister of State (MoS) (I/C) for Shipping, Mansukh Mandaviya virtually inaugurated 24X7 Director Port Entry (DPE) facility for containers at the V. O. Chidambaranar Port Trust (Formerly Tuticorin Port Trust), Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu). The facility will bring efficiency and reduce dwell time, it will also lower tariff cost and improve competitiveness of shippers in International Trade.

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NITI Aayog, QCI Launched NPMPF to Transform Infrastructure Sector in India; Electricity Access in India Report Also Released  NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog and Quality Council of India (QCI) launched the ‘National Program and Project Management Policy Framework (NPMPF)’ to transform the infrastructure sector in India  It was launched by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Nitin Jairam Gadkari along with Union Minister Piyush Goyal, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, and QCI Chairman Adil Zainulbhai. Nitin Gadkari also unveiled the Indian Infrastructure Body of Knowledge (InBoK), a book on the practice of program and project management in India.

Indian Army Launches Software for Infrastructure Management & Secure Application for Internet (SAI)  Indian army launched a software named ‘Infrastructure Management System (IMS)’ for automation of functions related to infrastructure development and management for ascertaining availability of land, planning and monitoring of works, and environment conservation. The software was inaugurated by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Manoj Mukund Naravane during the Army Commanders Conference held on 28th October 2020.

Base Year of Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers revised from 2001 to 2016  The Labour and Employment Ministry has revised the base year of the Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) from 2001 to 2016 to reflect the changing consumption pattern. It gives more weightage to spending on health, education, recreation and other miscellaneous expenses, while reducing the weightage given to food and beverages. CPI-IW index is used to measure inflation in retail prices, for regulation of Dearness Allowance (DA) of government employees and industrial workers, and for fixing and revising minimum wages in scheduled employments.

Venkaiah Naidu, VP of India Launches Virtual Festival of ‘Parampara Series 2020- National Festival of Music and Dance’  M. Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India launched the virtual festival of ‘Parampara Series 2020- National Festival of Music and Dance’. The Parampara Series 2020 is organised by Natya Tarangini in partnership with the United Nations. This has been organized to coincide with the World Day for Audio- visual Heritage 2020 on October 27. For the 24th year the Natya Tarangini has organised the Parampara Series.

Government eMarketplace integrated with the Central Public Procurement Portal  Government of India Initiative eMarket called GeM (Government eMarketplace) has been integrated with eProcurement System of India Central Public Procurement Portal (CPPP) for creation of a Unified Procurement System. This will consolidate the entire public buying foods and services into a single platform. This will improve buying and selling experience and processes for ministries, departments and other agencies involved in the system. The GeM portal was launched in August 2016 by Ministry of Commerce for online purchases of goods and services by all Central Government Ministries and Departments.

Harsh Vardhan Launches DST Initiative SERB–POWER for Women Scientists  Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Science & Technology e-launched a scheme titled ‘SERB-POWER’ (Science and Engineering Research Board-Promoting Opportunities for Women in Exploratory Research), which is designed exclusively for women scientists. The scheme has been initiated by SERB, a Statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.

India and Maldives get Three new UNESCO Biosphere Reserves  International Coordinating Council (ICC) of UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme included Panna Biosphere Reserve (Madhya Pradesh) in India, Fuvahmulah Biosphere Reserve (Maldives) and Addu Atoll Biosphere Reserve (Maldives) to UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves. The MAB-ICC which met online from 27- 28th October, 2020 approved these additions.

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President signs Ordinance to Constitute Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR & Adjoining areas  President Ram Nath Kovind promulgated the ‘Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance, 2020’ for Air Quality Management in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas. The commission will be headquartered at Delhi. The commission will supersede all other bodies and authorities on the aspect of air quality management and will have “exclusive jurisdiction” in the domain of air quality.

Kabartal Wetland of Bihar Designated as Ramsar Site  Ramsar Convention declared Kabartal Wetland also known as Kanwar Jheel in Begusarai, Bihar as a site of international importance. Kabartal Wetland has been included in the ‘List of Wetlands of International Importance’ established by Article 2.1 of the convention. Kabartal Wetland is the 2436th site of Ramsar.

Cabinet Approvals on October 29, 2020  Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the following proposals which were detailed by Union Minister Prakash Keshav Javadekar, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting during a press conference.  Cabinet approves Externally Aided Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project – Phase II and Phase III  Cabinet approves Extension of Norms for Mandatory Packaging in Jute Materials under the Jute Packaging Material (JPM) Act, 1987.

Cabinet approval with Foreign Countries on October 29, 2020  Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval to the following proposals:  Cabinet approves MoC between India and Japan to cooperate in the field of ICT  Cabinet approves MoU between India and Cambodia on cooperation in Health and Medicine

PM Modi Inaugurates 4th Edition of 2020 India Energy Forum by CERAWeek  Prime Minister Narendra Modi Inaugurated the 4th Edition of India Energy Forum by CERAWeek (Cambridge Energy Research Associates). CERAWeek is a global platform to understand best-practices, discuss reforms, and inform strategies for accelerating investments into Indian Oil and Gas value chain. The Theme of 2020 edition is “India’s Energy Future in a world of Change”. This is the fifth such event organized by NITI Aayog and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India-Bangladesh hold 6th Joint Consultative Commission  India and Bangladesh held the 6th Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) meet through a virtual platform. The meeting was co-chaired by A. K. Abdul Momen, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh and S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India. A Website will be launched on 50 years of victory and friendship between two countries, and documents relevant to the 1971 victory will be available for the public on the website. Also, India and Bangladesh decided to form a ‘High Level Monitoring Committee’ to review progress of implementation of 3 Line of Credit Projects concluded between them.

Third G20 Sherpa Meeting takes place virtually; Suresh Prabhu represents India  The 3rd edition of G20 Sherpa Meeting took place (virtually) under Saudi Arabia’s Presidency. The meeting discussed the actions taken by the forum for tackling the COVID-19 Pandemic. Suresh Prabhu, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha represented India at the meeting. He is India’s Sherpa (Emissary) to G7 and G20. Note: The First-Ever Virtual G20 Leaders Summit will take place virtually from November 21 to 22, 2020. It will be chaired by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Addresses ‘GCTC Energy Security Conference 2020’  Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan addressed the ‘GCTC Energy Security Conference 2020’ organized by Global Counter Terrorism Council (GCTC), it took place from September 29, 2020 to September 30, 2020. The Theme of ‘GCTC Energy Security Conference 2020’ is – “Energy Security Architecture in Post Covid-19 World”. India has 16% of the global population, but still uses only 6% of the world’s primary energy (petroleum, natural gas, coal, biomass, flowing water, wind, and solar radiation).

UN General Assembly – 75th session 15-30 September 2020 held virtually for 1st time  The 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 75) was held virtually for the first time amid COVID -19 from September 15 to September 30, 2020. It was hosted by the United States of America (USA) from New York and under the Presidency of Volkan Bozkir of Turkey. The event was held under the theme “The Future We Want; the UN We Need: Reaffirming our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism”.

India set to build Cancer Hospital, Cricket Stadium in Maldives  India will build 100-bedded Cancer Hospital and 22,000-seater Cricket Stadium, in Hulhumale (Maldives) under USD 800 Million Line of Credit (LoC) extended to Maldives in 2019. The Export-Import Bank (EXIM) of India extended the LOC for development of infrastructure projects in Maldives. India will partner with Housing Development Corporation Limited of Maldives for the development of Central Park and renovation of Arrival Jetty in Hulhumale. It will benefit both the visitors and residents.

US Commits USD 1.9 Million to India to Support Informal Sector Workers, Micro Enterprises  United States (US) committed USD 1.9 Million (approximately INR 14 Crores) to support informal workers, whose lives have been affected due to COVID-19. The Financial Assistance has been extended by the US Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID will support Revive Alliance, founded by Samhita-Collective Good Foundation and co-funded by Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, Omidyar Network India, and Ford Foundation.

Smriti Irani Participated in 25th Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women Virtually  Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Zubin Irani, addressed the High-level meeting on the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women (FWCW) – Beijing +25 virtually. The theme of the event was “Accelerating the realisation of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”.

India, Myanmar 19th round of FOC held virtually; Webinar on Kaladan multimodal Project also Organized  The 19th round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between India and Myanmar was held virtually to review the entire gamut of relations, including border cooperation and the ongoing restoration work on earthquake damaged pagodas in Bagan. The Indian delegation was led by Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and the Myanmar delegation was led by Permanent Secretary, U Soe Han. Apart from the above FOC, a webinar was

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organised between both nations on the Kaladan multimodal project.

Union Minister Smriti Irani addresses ‘India-Bangladesh Virtual Conference on Textiles and Apparel Sector’  Union Minister of Textiles, Smriti Zubin Irani addressed the inaugural session of ‘India-Bangladesh Virtual Conference on Textiles and Apparel Sector’ organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of commerce and Industry (FFBCCI).

Dr Harsh Vardhan Chaired 5th Special Session of the WHO Executive Board  Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) virtually chaired the 5th Special Session of Bureau of the Executive Board as Chairman of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO). The objective behind this session was to ensure the full and effective implementation of the terms of resolution WHA (World Health Assembly) 73.1 on COVID-19 response. It should be noted that Harsh Vardhan is the chair of the WHO Executive Board.

COAS MM Naravane & FS Harsh Vardhan Shringla Conclude 2 Day visit to Myanmar; Agree to operationalize Sittwe port by Q1 of 2021  Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General MM Naravane and Foreign Secretary (FS) Harsh Vardhan Shringla concluded the two-day visit to Myanmar on October 4-5, 2020. India and Myanmar reviewed the progress made in bilateral relations in recent years by regular high-level visits and interactions. During the meet, India announced a Grant of USD 2 million (approximately INR 15 Crores) for construction of Border Haat Bridge at Byanyu/Sarsichauk in Chin State to improve economic connectivity between Mizoram and Myanmar.

COVID-19 to push 150 Million People into Extreme Poverty: World Bank  According to the Biennial report ‘Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2020: Reversals of Fortune’ released by the World Bank Group around 150 Million People will be pushed into Extreme Poverty by the end of 2021 due to COVID-19. This is the first rise in Extreme Poverty Percentage in 20 years. The pandemic is expected to push 88 Million-115 Million people into extreme poverty in 2020.

Overview of EAM Jaishankar’s visit to Tokyo, Japan  External Affairs Minister (EAM), S. Jaishankar visited Tokyo, Japan for a two-day visit from October 6-7, 2020. On October 6, 2020, EAM S. Jaishankar participated in the Second QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) held between India, Australia, Japan & United States of America (USA) in Tokyo, Japan.

16 year-old Aava Murto becomes Finland’s PM post for 1 day  As part of the United Nations International Day of Girl Child (11th October, 2020), 16-year old Aava Murto assumed the post of Finland’s Prime Minister for one day on 7th October, 2020 to raise awareness about gender equality. It was done as part of the “Girls Takeover” Program. The Prime Minister of Finland is Sanna Marin, Capital city is Helsinki and Currency is Euro respectively.

OXFAM & DFI’s CRI Index 2020: India ranked 129; Norway topped  India has been ranked 129 out of 158 countries in the Third Edition of Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) Index or CRI Index 2020 released by Oxfam and Development Finance International (DFI). According to the report, India has spent only 4 percent of its budget on health during the Pandemic, which is the Fourth Lowest in the world. Nigeria, Bahrain and India are among the World’s worst performing countries in tackling inequality during the pandemic.

CRI Index 2020 Overall Ranking: Country CRI Ranking India 129 Norway 1 Denmark 2 Germany 3

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School Closure due to COVID-19 may cost Around USD 420 Billion Loss to India: World Bank  According to the World Bank Report titled “Beaten or Broken? Informality and COVID-19 in South Asia” the closure of schools due to COVID-19 pandemic in India will cause a loss of between USD 420 Billion & USD 600 Billion in Country’s Future Earnings, in addition to learning losses. The report has been jointly prepared by the joint product of Office of Chief Economist for the South Asia Region (SARCE) and Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment (MTI) Global Practice.

UN-IGNME Launched 1st Report on Stillbirths; Stillbirth Rate Declined by 35% Since 2000  For the first time a report on stillbirths titled “A Neglected Tragedy: The Global Burden of Stillbirths” has been released by UN Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN-IGME) which was co-created by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Bank and the United Nations (UN) Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division.

India, Japan & Five Eyes Alliance demand access to end-to-end encrypted chats from tech companies  Members of the Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance (United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.) Along with India, Japan has asked Big Tech Companies to find a solution for Law Enforcement Agencies to access end-to-end encrypted chats. The Countries highlighted that encryption has become a tool for terrorists and child traffickers, and poses risk to thousands of innocent lives. India, Japan are not members of the Intelligence Alliance.

India’s NMF & Taiwan’s TAEF inked MoU to Foster Cooperation in Indo-Pacific Region  India’s National Maritime Foundation (NMF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Taiwan’s Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF) to foster cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region as part of Taiwan’s South bound policy. NMF Director General Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan (Retd) and TAEF Chairman Dr. Hsin- Huang Michael Hsiao presided over the signing via videoconferencing.

India, Mexico hold 5th India-Mexico Bilateral High-Level Group on Trade, Investment and Cooperation  The 5th Meeting of India-Mexico Bilateral High Level Group on Trade, Investment and Cooperation (BHLG) took place virtually on 9th October, 2020. Following were the MoUs signed during the meet: (i) MoU was signed between the Electronics & Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) of India and the Mexican Chamber of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technologies (CANIETI).  (ii) MoU was signed between Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Mexican Business Council of Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (COMCE) for promotion of development of business relations between India and Mexico.

Climate Change to Blame for Doubling Disaster: The Human Cost of Disasters: An Overview of the Last 20 years (2000-2019) – Report of UNDRR  The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) published the report titled “The human cost of disasters: an overview of the last 20 years (2000-2019)” which states that climate change is the major cause for the doubling of natural disaster in the past 20 years (2000- 2019). The report was released to mark the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction on 13th October 2020.

World Economic Forum shifts Annual Meeting 2021 from Davos to Lucerne  World Economic Forum (WEF) has changed the venue of the Annual Meeting 2021 from Davos to Lucerne- Burgenstock, Switzerland. The meeting will be held between May 18 - 21, 2021 on the theme “The Great Reset”, in both physical and digital modes. The changes have been made due to the Pandemic.

ASEAN-India Track 1.5 Dialogue focuses on cyber security during COVID-19 pandemic  The 2nd Edition of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-India Track 1.5 Dialogue took place virtually. The summit was organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in partnership with the External Affairs Ministry (EAM). The summit held discussions on cooperation safety in the virtual and cyber area during the pandemic.

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Sixth Session of India-Norway Joint Commission Meeting held virtually  The 6th session of India-Norway Joint Commission was held virtually where Indian delegation was led by Union Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Norwegian delegation was led by Ms. Ine Marie Eriksen Soreide, Foreign Minister of Norway. Both sides showed their satisfaction on Dialogue on Trade and Investment (DTI) which accelerated participation of Norwegian companies in the flagship programmes of India.

India ranks 58th in the List of Arton Capital’s Passport Index 2020; New Zealand tops the Index  According to Arton Capital’s Passport Index 2020, India has been ranked 58th in the list of World’s Most Powerful Passports. New Zealand topped the list & Afghanistan placed at bottom. Rank (Based on Access to Country Number of Destinations) India (52 Destinations) 58 New Zealand (129 Destinations) 1 Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, Australia (128 2 Destinations) Sweden, Belgium, France, Finland, Italy, Spain (127 Destinations) 3 Afghanistan, Iraq (31 Destinations) 75 (Bottom of the rankings)

Debt Crisis has increased in Developing Countries due to Pandemic: World Bank  According to International Debt Statistics 2021 released by the World Bank Group, COVID-19 has deepened the Debt Crisis in Developing Countries. The International Debt Statistics 2021 has been prepared by the Debt Statistics Team of Development Data Group (DECDG) at the World Bank. The Top 10 Borrowers with largest end- 2019 External Debt Stock are Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, Thailand, Turkey and South Africa. According to the report, the total External Debt Stocks of India in 2019 was USD 560,035 Billion.

Nirmala Sitharaman Virtually Participated in 4th G20 Finance Ministers & Central Bank Governors; DSSI extended till June 2021  As a part of the Finance Track for the G20 Leaders Summit 2020, the 4th G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting was held virtually on October 14, 2020. It was organized under the Saudi Arabian Presidency where Indian side was represented by Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman. During this meeting, the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors agreed to extend the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) by 6 months i.e. till June 2021.

India registers 25-30 Percent drop in Tuberculosis Case Notifications: WHO Report  According to the Global Tuberculosis Report 2020 released by World Health Organization (WHO), there has been a 25 to 30 % drop in Tuberculosis (TB) across three high-burden countries – India, Indonesia and Philippines between January-June 2020. WHO has collected data from 200 countries for the report, the reduction in case notifications may lead to dramatic increase in additional TB deaths. According to the report, India has the highest burden of drug-resistant TB. India (27%), China (14%) and Russian Federation (8%) had the largest share of Tuberculosis in the world.

India appointed as Vice-Chair of OECD Working Group on GLP; Dr Ekta Kapoor appointed as Vice-Chair  India has been designated as ‘Vice-Chair’ of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) Working Group of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to recognise the contributions of the Indian GLP Programme.

State of Climate Services Report 2020 released by WMO  On the occasion of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction i.e. on October 13, 2020, the “State of Climate Services 2020 Report: Move from Early Warnings to Early Action” released by United Nations World Meteorological Organization (UN-WMO) which is produced by 16 international agencies and financing

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institutions. Notably, the September month was the warmest of 2020 in accordance with the United States (US) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Nirmala Sitharaman Virtually Attended Plenary Meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee of IMF  Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman virtually attended the Plenary Meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) The discussions were held on IMF Managing Director’s Global Policy Agenda titled “Catalyzing a Resilient Recovery”.

India Hosted 7th Meeting of Ministers of Justice of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Member States virtually  The 7th meeting of Ministers of (Law and) Justice of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) 5+ Member States was virtually hosted by Indian Minister of Law & Justice, Communication and Electronics & Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad, which saw the adoption of Joint statement by SCO member states.

Nirmala Sitharaman Virtually Participated in 102nd meeting of the WB Development Committee Plenary  Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the 102nd Meeting of the World Bank (WB) Development Committee Plenary through video conferencing from New Delhi. The agenda points of the meet were: Leaning Forward to Save Lives; Scale-up Impact and Get Back on Track: World Bank Group (WBG) COVID-19 Crisis Response; and Update Joint IMF (International Monetary Fund)-WBG Staff Note: Implementation and Extension of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative.

India Ranked 94 out of 107 countries in Global Hunger Index 2020; Worldwide Hunger is at “Moderate” Level  Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe released the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2020 report in which India ranked 94th among 107 countries with a score of 27.2. Although there is improvement in a score as compared to 38.9 in 2000, 37.5 in 2006, and 29.3 in 2012 but still it represents a serious level of hunger. As per the report the worldwide hunger is at “moderate” level but there are nearly 690 million people across the world who are undernourished.

3rd Assembly of International Solar Alliance held virtually; ISA Solar Awards Presented for the 1st Time  The 3rd Assembly of the International Solar Alliance was held in a virtual mode where India and France were 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. During the assembly, a report prepared by the World Resources Institute (WRI) was presented which identified the sources of funds, opportunities and constraints, in scaling up solar investments and the contribution of ISA in assisting Member countries. Notably, ISA is working with WRI to develop a roadmap for mobilization of USD 1 Trillion by 2030 and for implementing the vision of One Sun, One World, One Grid.

India, Netherlands Collaborates in E-Health Initiative  India and Netherlands discussed a joint thrust in the e-health sector to provide digital health facilities and security to Indians and help Netherlands to accelerate the digital transformation of health. This collaboration is part of National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) of India.

India, Chile hold First Joint Commission Meeting; Chile to Open Consulate General in Mumbai  India, Chile held their First Joint Commission Meeting virtually. This is the first institutionalized dialogue between two countries at the level of Foreign Ministers. The meeting was co-chaired by S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister (EAM), India and Andres Allamand Zavala, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Chile. Chile designated India as a Priority Country in its Foreign Policy.

IAA India and UNICEF Partners to Promote Gender Equality in Ads  India Chapter of International Advertising Association (IAA India) partners with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to support the evidence and real time validation based research on gender representation and stereotypes in TV and advertisements in India. IAA will provide technical insights to the research and share the findings to the advertising industries to support responsible and gender empowering policies.

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India-Sri Lanka Navies Conducting Maritime Exercise SLINEX-20 off Trincomalee, Sri Lanka  India’s policy of ‘Neighbourhood First’ and vision of ‘Security and Growth for all in the Region (SAGAR)’ is boosting interactions with neighbouring countries including Sri Lanka with which Indian Navy (IN) initiated an 8th Edition of annual Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) bilateral maritime exercise SLINEX-20 from October 19-21 October 2020 off Trincomalee in Sri Lanka. The exercise is being conducted in a non- contact ‘at-sea-only’ format amid COVID-19.

Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju Attended Y20 Summit Virtually  The first-ever virtual G20 Youth 20 (Y20) Summit was virtually hosted from Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia for exchanging ideas and dialogues for the empowerment of youth Post COVID where Indian side was represented by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS). The theme of the Summit was “Government – Youth dialogue on post-COVID-19 opportunities”.

Indian Spends 3.5% of Daily Income for a plate of food; Ranked 28th & South Sudan Tops: UN’s WFP Report  In accordance with the “The Cost of a Plate of Food-2020” released by United Nations World Food Programme (UN-WFP), on an average Indian spends 3.5% of his/ her daily income for a plate of food as compared to 0.6% by an Individual from New York, United States (US). The report has ranked 36 countries where India stood at 28th position. 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. UN-WFP is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

Singapore Becomes 1st Country to attach Facial Verification in National Identification Database  Singapore became the World’s First Country to attach Facial verification in the National Identification Database. The function is called “SingPass Face Verification”. Using “SingPass Face Verification” a number of Government services can be accessed online. The SingPass digital identity scheme provides access to 400 online services which includes tax declarations, and public housing applications.

Israeli Embassy to have first ‘Water Attache’ in India from January, 2021  India and Israel share a strategic partnership in water management. In order to boost it further, Israel will have a first separate ‘Water Attache’ in India from January 2021 which will share the former’s best practices and technologies for advancements in India’s water management and agriculture sectors. Notably, water is one of the biggest challenges in India post-COVID.

India Ranked World No. 2 in Migrations to OECD nations; China tops: 44th International Migration Outlook 2020  The secretary-general at OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Jose Angel Gurria Trevino unveiled the 44th edition of “International Migration Outlook 2020” in which India emerged as the second largest source country both in terms of the “total” inflow of new migrants to OECD countries during 2018 and also as regards the number of Indians acquiring citizenship of these countries. Notably, migration from India to OECD countries increased sharply by 10% and reached 3.3 lakh. It represents 5% of the overall migration to OECD countries. China grabbed the top spot.

9th session of India-Oman Joint Commission held Virtually; Co-Chaired by Hardeep Singh Puri  The 9th Session of the India-Oman Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) was held virtually which was co- chaired by Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (MoS) for Commerce and Industry and Qais bin Mohammed al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion of Oman. The JCM was held to review the recent developments in trade and investment ties and on economic situation amid COVID-19. It should be noted that in July 2020, Oman signed the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Framework Agreement.

India and Kazakhstan Explores Co-Production and Co-Development of Defence Products  Sanjay Jaju, Joint Secretary (DIP-Defence Industries Production), while speaking at the inaugural of the India- Kazakhstan Defence Cooperation Expo, a two-day virtual expo jointly organized by FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) and Ministry of Defence stated that many Indian companies are already in talks with Kazakhstan defence industries for co-production and co- development in defence production and for opening a new chapter in the heavy engineering sector.

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18th meeting of SCO Prosecutors General Virtually Attended by India’s SG Tushar Mehta  18th meeting of Prosecutors General of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Member States was virtually organized by the General Prosecutor’s Office of Uzbekistan from Tashkent where India was represented by Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta. It should be noted that India will host the next meeting of Prosecutors General in 2021. Also, it will host the 2020 SCO Council of Heads of Government on November 30th.

India Recorded Highest Air Pollution Exposure Globally in 2019: 3rd SOGA 2020 Report  The 3rd State of Global Air 2020 (SOGA 2020) report was released by United States (US)-based Health Effects Institute (HEI) and Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s (IHME) Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Project in which India recorded the highest annual average PM 2.5 concentration exposure in the world in 2019 followed by Nepal (2nd), and Niger (3rd). India has managed to reduce the number of people exposed to household air pollution from 73% to 61% over a period of 10 years because of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY).

Global Trade Value set to fall by 7-9 percent in 2020: UNCTAD Report  According to “Trade and Development Report 2020 – From Global Pandemic to Prosperity for All: Avoiding Another Lost Decade” released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Global Trade is expected to fall by 7-9% in 2020 due to the Pandemic.

COVID, Technological Advances to disrupt 85 Million Jobs by 2025: WEF Report  According to the Third Edition of “The Future of Jobs Report 2020” released by the World Economic Forum (WEF), COVID-19 and Technological Advances will disrupt around 85 Million Jobs by 2025. The WEF report is based on the Future of Jobs Survey, which is based on projections of senior Business Leaders from 300 Global firms who together employ over a million workers.

India 4th Most Powerful Country in Asia: Lowy Institute Asia Power Index 2020 Edition  According to Lowy Institute Asia Power Index 2020 Edition released by Sydney (Australia) based Lowy Institute, India with a score of 39.7 (out of 100) is the 4th most powerful country in Asia. Rankings according to Lowy Institute Asia Power Index 2020 Edition: Rank Country Score 4 India 39.7 1 United States 81.6 2 China 76.1 3 Japan 41

Andorra Joins International Monetary Fund as 190th Member  Andorra formally joined the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as 190th Member as Ambassador of Andorra, Elisenda Vives Balmana signed IMF’s Articles of Agreement at IMF Headquarters in Washington D.C., USA (United States of America). Andorra had applied for membership to the IMF in January 2020. The capital and currency of Andorra are Andorra la Vella & Euro respectively.

Dr Harsh Vardhan Virtually Addressed World Bank- IMF annual meeting 2020  Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan virtually addressed the World Bank (WB)- IMF (International Monetary Fund) annual meeting from New Delhi which was held on the themes of “Unleashing the South Asian Century through Human Capital for All” and “Investing in Covid-19 Vaccines and Primary Healthcare Delivery System”. The Minister highlighted that India used the “Whole of Society, Whole of Government” approach to manage the challenges posed by the global pandemic.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh Addresses 1st Ever Ministerial Meeting of G-20 Anti- Corruption Working Group  Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Jitendra Singh addressed the 1st Ever Ministerial Meeting of G-20 Anti-Corruption Working Group virtually. During the Meeting, The Union Minister stated that India has committed to the policy of Zero Tolerance against Corruption and Unaccounted money.

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UNDP Released “Human Mobility, Shared Opportunities” Report stating Governments to Shape Migration  A report “Human Mobility, Shared Opportunities: A Review of the 2009 Human Development Report and the Way Ahead” was released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) stating how governments can shape migration to benefit development and boost recovery. In accordance with the Research by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB), a percentage increase in the migrant share of the population in high income countries boosts per capita income by 2%. If immigrants increased the workforces of wealthy countries by 3%, that would boost world GDP by US$356 billion by 2025.

NATO to set up New Space Center in Ramstein, Germany  Defence Ministers of 30 NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Member States are planning to set up a New Space Center in the NATO Air Force High Command Base in Ramstein, Germany. It would serve as a coordination center for space observation. In December 2019, NATO leaders declared that Space will be the alliance’s “Fifth Domain” of operations after land, sea, air and cyberspace.

Gender gap in labour market stagnant since 1995, flags UN report  United Nations (UN) released the report titled “The World’s Women 2020: Trends and Statistics” which stated that no country has achieved the goal of Gender equality however the attitudes of discrimination have slowly changed. The status of women has improved with regard to education, early marriage, childbearing and maternal mortality but remains stagnant in other areas. In India, the ratio of female-to- male labour force participation rate was 29.80 in 2019 as against the desired ratio of 50%.

Australia to participate in 24th Malabar Naval Exercise, First ‘Quad’ Exercise  The naval exercise Malabar is held annually between the troika of India, United States (US), and Japan but this year i.e. the 24th edition of exercise will also see a participation of Australia making it 1st “quadrilateral” naval exercise. This Quad exercise will take place in India Ocean Region (IOR) viz. Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea in a non-contact format amid COVID-19. The naval exercise will be held on November 3-6 and November 17-20 with an objective of free and open navigation in the Indo-Pacific.

Third India- USA 2+2 Dialogue held in New Delhi on Oct 27, 2020; Signed BECA & 4 other MoU’s  India hosted the third India-United States (US) 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi where India side was represented by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and the US side was represented by Secretary of State Michael Richard Pompeo also known as Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Thomas Esper.  India, U.S sign five agreements including ‘Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement’  ISRO-NASA satellite NISAR scheduled to be launched by 2022  India, US vow to deepen cooperation in jointly combating COVID-19  Mike Pompeo and Mark Esper met PM Narendra Modi in Delhi

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla virtually Addresses Sixth BRICS Parliamentary Forum  Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla virtually addressed the Sixth BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China & Republic of South Africa) Parliamentary Forum. Theme of the meeting – “BRICS partnership in the interest of the global stability, general safety and innovative growth: parliamentary dimension.” Chairman of the 6th BRICS Forum – Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of Russia, Vyachaslav Volodin.

Pakistan to Remain in FATF’s Grey List till February 2021  Marcus Pleyer of Germany, President of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Global Terror Financing Watchdog announced that Pakistan will remain on the grey list of FATF till February 2021. The decision was made since Pakistan failed to fulfil 6 out of 27 mandates to check terror funding.

India Hosts 19th Meeting of SCO Ministers for Foreign Economy and Foreign Trade Activities  India hosted the 19th Meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Ministers of Foreign Economy and Foreign Trade virtually. Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Hardeep Singh Puri participated in the Meeting. Union Minister Piyush Goyal launched the first-ever SCO Start-up Forum ahead of SCO Trade Minister Meeting on 28th October, 2020.

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European Commission, ICSSR Signed Implementing Arrangement to Enhance Scientific Cooperation  The European Commission and the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) signed a new implementing arrangement to enhance scientific cooperation. It was virtually signed by an Ambassador of the European Union to India, Ugo Astuto, and the Member Secretary of the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), Virendra Kumar Malhotra.

India extends USD 1 Billion Line of Credit for Development projects in Central Asia  India has extended USD 1 Billion (~ INR 7, 350 Crores) Line of Credit for Development Projects in Central Asian Countries. The announcement was made by India during the Second Meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue held virtually on 28th October, 2020. The virtual Meeting was chaired by External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Participated in 10th Round of Ministerial UK- India Economic and Financial Dialogue  The 10th Round of Ministerial the United Kingdom (UK)-India Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) was held virtually where India was represented by Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) and Ministry of Finance and UK delegation was led by Chancellor of Exchequer, Rishi Sunak. India and the UK inked landmark agreements on financial services, infrastructure and sustainable finance, helping to boost jobs and investments in both countries. Both sides established a new U.K.-India strategic collaboration to accelerate the development of GIFT City (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City) & A new UK-India Partnership on Infrastructure Policy and Financing to support the Indian National Infrastructure Pipeline with UK commercial expertise and financing was signed.

Nitin Gadkari: Feni Bridge connecting India & Bangladesh to be completed by December 2020  Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways announced that the 1.8 kilometre Feni Bridge, the Reinforced Cement Concrete(RCC) bridge over the river Feni which connects Sabrum in Tripura, India and Ramgarh in Chittagong, Bangladesh will be completed by December 2020. The Feni Bridge is being constructed by the National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL), a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) at a cost of Rs.129 crores.

India, Mexico hold 8th Joint Commission Meeting; agree to strengthen ‘Privileged Partnership’  The 8th India-Mexico Joint Commission Meeting was held virtually on 29th October, 2020. The meeting was co- chaired by S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India and Marcel Ebrard, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Mexican States. The Countries agreed to strengthen their ‘Privileged Partnership’.

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BANKING & FINANCE

Flipkart Partnered with Bajaj Allianz to Launch Cyber Insurance, ‘Digital Suraksha Group Insurance’  Flipkart and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company partnered to offer ‘Digital Suraksha Group Insurance’ for customers who wish to cover themselves against financial losses resulting from cyber- attacks, cyber frauds, or other such malicious activities on various online platforms. Digital Suraksha Group Insurance will be introduced on Flipkart’s platform.

RBI Defers Basel III provisions amid COVID Uncertainty; Borrowing Limit for Banks & States Extended till Mar 31, 2021  Reserve Bank of India (RBI) 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.

Indian Bank Launched ‘IB-eNote’, Green-Tech Initiative  Indian Bank launched IB-eNote, a green initiative to enable a total paperless working environment. This tool enables processing and tracking of notes put up by various offices digitally. The bank for this initiative has customised SharePoint, one of the features of Microsoft Office. The Bank also launched ‘Ind Guru’, an e-learning platform for its employees.

SBI Cards Partners with Amex to Provide Differentiated Offers to Its Customers  SBI Cards & Payment Services Ltd (SBI Cards) partners with American Express Global Network Services (Amex) to provide global benefits and offer exclusive privileges to their premium consumer segments in India.

New Development Bank Approves Loan for Mumbai Metro, Delhi-Meerut RRTS Project  New Development Bank (NDB) of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Nations approved USD 241 Million (approximately INR 1760 Crores) for Mumbai Metro Rail Project, and USD 500 Million (approximately INR 3670 Crores) for Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) Project.

GOI’s WMA Limit for 2nd half of FY 2020-21 Fixed at Rs 1,25,000 Crore: RBI  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in consultation with the Government of India (GoI) has fixed Rs 1,25,000 crore as the Ways and Means Advances (WMA) limit for the 2nd half of the financial year (FY) 21, i.e., October 2020 to March 2021. When GOI utilises 75% of the WMA limit, RBI may trigger fresh floatation of market loans. Interest Rate on WMA/Overdraft: The interest rate on WMA is equal to the repo rate (current repo rate is 4%). In case of overdraft, the interest rate is 2% above the repo rate.

RBI excludes 6 PSBs from Second Schedule of RBI Act  Reserve Bank of India (RBI) excluded six public sector banks (PSBs) from the Second Schedule of the RBI Act, 1934 following their merger with other banks with effect from April 01, 2020. The six banks are Syndicate Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC), United Bank of India, Andhra Bank, Corporation Bank, and Allahabad Bank. 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. After the consolidation, there are 12 PSBs in the country, seven large PSBs, and five are smaller ones.

NABARD to Undertake Sanitation Literacy Campaign to Promote Literacy on ”WASH”  The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to undertake a Sanitation Literacy Campaign (SLC) to promote literacy on” WASH” (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) in 2,000 villages across the country covering 1 lakh rural population. SLC will start from October 2, 2020 to January 26, 2021.

SBI, HUL sign MoU for providing Digital Payment Solutions to retailers and distributors  State Bank of India (SBI) and Hindustan Unilever (HUL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide Digital Payment Solutions and Financing solutions to HUL’s retailers and distributors. As part of the MoU, SBI will provide instant paperless overdraft facility up to INR 50,000 to retailers for their billings and financing facilities to HUL’s Distributors.

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Indian Bank Introduced Kisan Credit Card Loan Scheme for Tamil Nadu Fishermen  Indian Bank introduced Kisan credit card loan scheme for fishermen in Tamil Nadu. Under this scheme, loans up to Rs 2 lakh as working capital can be availed with 7% interest rate. This loan will be provided under the MUDRA scheme. The borrowers will be given a Rupay Kisan Credit Card.

NABARD Launched Refinance Scheme for WASH Programme, Earmarked Rs 800 cr for FY 21  National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) launched a special refinance scheme to support the government’s Water, Sanitisation and Hygiene (WASH) programme. For this purpose, Rs 800 crore has been earmarked for the financial year 2020-21. This facility is an effort to promote a sustainable and healthy lifestyle in rural areas.

BOB Financial Solutions Limited partners with Mastercard to Launch Four New variants of BOB Credit Cards  Bank of Baroda Financial Solutions (BFSL), a subsidiary of Bank of Baroda (BoB) has partnered with Mastercard to launch four new variants of BOB Credit Cards. The credit cards will serve customers across different economic segments including affluent customers, first-time credit card owners, two variants exclusively for Chartered Accountants, and Cost & Management Accountants.

Narendra Singh Tomar Launched PNB’s Financial Inclusion Initiative Gram Sampark Abhiyan  To commemorate the 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi (October 2, 2020), Punjab National Bank (PNB) has launched a 3 months long nationwide campaign of financial inclusion and literacy initiative “Gram Sampark Abhiyan”. It was launched by Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar on the lines of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat”. The campaign is centered on four key themes viz. digital, credit, social security and financial literacy.

ADB to Invest 15 Million USD in Avaada Energy to Expand Renewable Energy Capacity in India  The Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed an agreement to invest 15 million USD (Rs.109.9 crore) in Avaada Energy Private Limited (AEPL) to support the company to scale the photovoltaic solar energy generation capacity in India. This 15 million USD investment of ADB will be provided as 7.5 Million USD each from both ADBs Ordinary Capital Resources and Leading Asia’s Private Infrastructure Fund (LEAP).

ICICI Bank in partnership with Visa Launched the 1st of its kind Debit Card Facility for Availing LAS  ICICI Bank in partnership with Visa introduced a debit card facility for customers who avail Loan Against Securities (LAS) from the bank. The card is available on the Visa platform. With this introduction, ICICI bank becomes the 1st bank in India to launch this facility after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allowed banks to issue electronic cards to customers availing an Overdraft (OD) facility, that are only in the nature of personal loan with no specific end-use restriction.

Nirmala Sitharaman Launched Indian Bank’s Business Mentoring Programme ‘MSME Prerana’  Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman, launched “MSME Prerana” an online business mentoring programme for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) by Indian Bank in collaboration with Poornatha & Co, at the bank’s headquarters in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. As per Indian Bank, it is the first-of-its-kind initiative by a bank in India for the MSME sector.

Chqbook Launched India’s 1st ‘Financial Control Center’ on Mobile to Empower Small Business Owners  Chqbook (Chqbook.com), India’s first Neobank for small business owners like kiranas, merchants, chemists, and others running proprietorships has launched India’s 1st ‘Financial Control Center’, a new mobile platform to empower 60 million small business owners of India.

NABARD inks 3 MoUs with SBI to extend credit support for various projects  National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has inked three Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with State Bank of India (SBI) to extend credit support for various NABARD projects in Gujarat.

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Highlights of Bi- Monthly Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) 2020-21: October 2020  The 6-member 25th Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was held from October 7-9, 2020 which was headed by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das.  In a First, RBI to Buy State Government Bonds; Rs 20,000 crore-OMO auction next week  RBI broadens co-origination model for PSL to “Co-Lending Model”, all NBFCs collaborate with banks  RBI allows 24×7 x 365 availability of RTGS system from December  RBI Revised Limit for Risk Weight to Rs 7.5 cr to Rs 5 Cr

Exim Bank Supported USD 310 mn LoC to Republic of Zimbabwe for Repowering of Hwange Thermal Power Station  Export-Import (EXIM) bank of India on behalf of the Government of India supported Line of Credit (LoC) of USD 310 million to the Republic of Zimbabwe to finance repowering of Hwange Thermal Power Station.

Exim Bank Extends 400 Million USD LoC to Maldives for Greater Malé Connectivity Project  The Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of India has extended a 400 million USD (around Rs.2933 crore) line of credit (LoC) to the Republic of Maldives for the Greater Malé connectivity project. The LoC was signed by Nirmit Ved, The General Manager of Exim Bank and Ibrahim Ameer, Finance Minister, Government of Republic of Maldives in Malé, Maldives. On behalf of the Government of India EXIM Bank has extended 3 LoCs of value 1240 million USD (around Rs. 9094 crore) to the government of Republic of Maldives.

Axis bank Launches ACE Credit Card in Collaboration with Google pay & Visa  Axis Bank Limited in collaboration with Google Pay and Visa launched its ACE Credit Card in India. The card is designed to increase participation of users in the digital economy. It also aims to bring a seamless, digital experience to users from application to issuance.

HDFC Bank and Apollo Hospitals Partners to Launch the HealthyLifeProgramme, a 1st of its kind Initiative of India  HDFC Bank and Apollo Hospitals partnered to launch The HealthyLifeProgramme, a holistic healthcare solution which makes healthy living accessible and affordable on Apollo’s digital platform, Apollo 24/7. It is a first-of-its- kind initiative in India. It is exclusively created for HDFC Bank customers who will get round the clock access to the emergency Apollo Doctor at free of cost on Apollo 24/7. It was launched digitally by Aditya Puri, Managing Director of HDFC Bank.

Digital payments increased in 5 years to 3,434.56 cr in FY20; RBI to Adopt NGTA for Managing Forex, Gold Reserves  In accordance with the latest data of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), between 2015-16 and 2019-20, digital payments increased at a compounded annual growth rate of 55.1% from 593.61 crore in FY2015-16 to 3,434.56 crore in FY19-20.

EarlySalary in Collaboration with NPCI Launched ‘Salary Card’, a Zero-Touch Digital card Powered by RuPay  EarlySalary in collaboration with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) launched ‘Salary Card’, a Zero- Touch Digital card. The Salary Card credit solution is powered by Rupay. It provides instant access for salaried professionals, allowing them to make purchases instantly across merchants in India. Vivifi India Finance Private Limited (Vivifi) has launched FlexPay, which offers credit on Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

IRDAI Introduces Standard Life Product, ‘Saral Jeevan Bima’; Mandated Life Insurers to launch by Jan 1, 2021  Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) released Guidelines for Standard Life Insurance Product ‘Saral Jeevan Bima’. The insurance scheme should be mandatorily offered by All Life Insurance Companies from January 1, 2021. The minimum amount under the product will be INR 5 Lakh, and maximum amount will be upto INR 25 Lakhs.

Indian Bank Signed MoU with Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and SIDBI to Pay Street Vendor’s Subsidy under PM SVANidhi Scheme  Indian Bank signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) at New Delhi, to pay

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subsidy to street vendors under the Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme.

Jana SFB becomes Sponsor Bank of Ashoknagar Co-operative Bank & Becomes 1st SFB to do so under the Bank Sponsorship Programme  Jana Small Finance Bank (SFB) becomes Sponsor Bank of Ashoknagar Co-operative Bank Limited. With this partnership, Jana SFB becomes the 1st SFB to go live under the bank sponsorship programme. Recently Ashoknagar Co-operative Bank Ltd has launched ‘Rupay Debit Card’ facility for its customers with the sponsorship of Jana SFB.

Religare Health Insurance Rebrands as ‘Care Health Insurance’  Religare Health Insurance has rebranded itself as Care Health Insurance from September 01, 2020. As per the company statement, the rebranding is an adoption of its principal deliverable ‘Care’ and the policies across the continuum of care, will continue to focus on customer-centricity, product innovation and financial inclusion. The health insurance company is headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana. Anuj Gulati is the founding Managing Director and CEO of the company.

Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance Launched, ‘Invest 4G’ a Unit Linked Individual Life Insurance Savings Plan  Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) Life Insurance Company Limited launched, ‘Invest 4G’ a Unit Linked Individual Life Insurance Savings Plan. It is an individual life insurance savings plan that can be customized according to the individuals’ goals and changing requirements.

Fino Payments Bank Set to Add Another 300 Points at BPCL Outlet in Tamil Nadu  Fino Payments Bank announced its plan to add an additional 300 points at the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) outlet to its existing 1075 in Tamil Nadu (TN). This is aimed to support the truck drivers to get a fleet card recharged by paying equivalent cash. The SmartFleet initiative is a first of its kind in India which provides assistance to the transporters to efficiently manage their funds.

BoB Signed MoU with Mahindra & Mahindra for Tractor Finance Business  Bank of Baroda (BoB) signed a MoU with Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) for tractor finance business. This aims to enhance the agriculture business and support farmers to avail loans to buy tractors. BoB will provide the facility to the customers of M&M through its 5000 rural and semi urban branches. BoB has partnered with Gromax under the Mahindra stable as preferred Brand.

Paytm in Partnership with Various Credit Card Issuers to Introduce 2 Million Co- Branded Credit Cards for Indian Consumers  Paytm in partnership with various credit card issuers will introduce 2 million co-branded credit cards for consumers in India in the next 12–18 months. The company had digitised the entire credit card experience on Paytm app, in order to include a digital application process and help customers track issuance of their new credit card.

Indian Bank partnered with IITMIC to Launch Credit Facility for Startups “IND Spring Board”  Indian Bank in collaboration with IIT Madras Incubation Cell (IITMIC) has launched an exclusive credit facility of up to Rs 50 crore for start-ups namely “IND Spring Board”. The e- launch was also attended by the BOD of Indian Bank, customers of the Bank and representatives from print & electronic media.

Zenpay Solutions, RBL Bank and YAP join hands to Digitalise Salary Accounts for SMEs, MSMEs  In order to drive financial inclusion to issue salary cards to its customers across India, Zenpay Solutions partnered with RBL bank and YAP. The corporate expense and salary payment solution helps the employees who work with SMEs (Small and medium-sized enterprises) and MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise) to receive digital payments through a salary account.

USAID Announced 5 Million USD to Support COVID-19 Initiatives of India  United States (US) Agency for International Development (USAID) announced two new awards of total 5 Million USD (around Rs.36.8 crore) to Catalyst Management Service’s COVID Action Collaborative (CAC) and the Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence (Wadhwani AI). These two new awards are also a part of the

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continuous support of the US government to the COVID-19 initiatives of India.

RBI Pegs Minimum NOF for HFCs at Rs 25 cr; Issued guidelines for PSO’s SRO & on QR Codes: October 2020  RBI issued the revised regulatory framework for housing finance companies (HFCs) under which the minimum net owned funds (NOF) size for HFCs is fixed at Rs 25 crore. It also finalized guidelines to set up Self-Regulatory Organisation (SRO) for Payment System Operators (PSOs) under Companies Act, 2013 as a NPO body and NGO will serve as a watchdog to guard against unprofessional practices within an industry or profession. RBI decided the two interoperable QR codes in existence – Unified Payments Interface (UPI) QR and Bharat QR will continue as at present.

Banks to Deploy on-tap TLTRO funds in 6 sectors; NBFCs wrote to RBI to include them as Beneficiaries  On October 21, 2020, the RBI has informed that banks can deploy money drawn from this TLTRO in six sectors – agriculture, agri-infrastructure, secured retail, MSMEs, drugs, pharmaceuticals and healthcare as announced during a Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) 2020-2021 meeting Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced to conduct on-tap targeted long-term repo operations (TLTRO) worth Rs 1 lakh crore with tenors of up to three years at a floating rate linked to the policy repo rate till March 31, 2021.

World Bank Sanctions approx Rs 3 crore for Goa to develop India’s first Sand Dune Parks  World Bank sanctions Rs 3 crore (approximately) for Goa to develop India’s first sand dune parks as the World Bank (WB) has approved a proposal drafted by the Goa state biodiversity board for the same. The idea of parks to preserve sand dunes was first mooted by former National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) scientist and ex- member of the Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB) Antonio Mascaren who has been now appointed as the principal investigator for the project, with Dr. Pradip Sarmokadam acting as the co-investigator.

SVC Co-operative Bank in Partnership with NPCI Launches Rewards Programme  SVC Co-operative Bank (Formerly known as The Shamrao Vithal Co-operative Bank Ltd.) entered into partnership with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to launch a rewards programme. The loyalty management program is designed to make the banking experience more rewarding for the customers of the bank.

NTPC inked Loan Agreement with JBIC for JPY 50bn under GREEN initiative; SBI inked for $1bn  NTPC (formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited) Limited signed foreign currency loan agreement with Japanese Government’s financial institution, Japan Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC) for JPY (Japanese Yen) 50 billion (approx. USD 482 million or Rs. 3,582 crore) under its Global Action for Reconciling Economic growth and Environment preservation (GREEN) initiative. It should be noted that this is the first funding for NTPC Ltd under JBIC’s GREEN. Apart from NTPC, State Bank of India (SBI) also signed a loan agreement of $1 billion with JBIC.

IndusInd Bank Becomes the 1st bank in India to Go Live on RBI’s Account Aggregator Framework  IndusInd Bank announced that it has gone live as a Financial Information Provider (FIP) under the new Account Aggregator (AA) Framework of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). IndusInd Bank becomes the 1st bank in India to do so. The bank went live as FIP with DigiSahamati Foundation, a self-organised Collective of the Account Aggregator ecosystem.

ICICI Lombard in Partnership with FreePaycard Partners Launched Group Safeguard Insurance  ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co. Ltd. in partnership with FreePaycard Retail Pvt.Ltd, an online pre- paid card trading platform launched Group Safeguard Insurance for the members of FreePaycard. The customized hospitalization product comes in 3 variants namely, Hospital Daily Cash Benefit, Death Benefit or the Personal Accident Cover, and Special Vector-borne Disease-related Hospitalization Benefit.

PNB Launched Tracking & Monitoring Staff Accountability Cases (TMSAC) Portal & 2020 Vigilance Manual  Punjab National Bank (PNB), India’s 2nd largest public sector bank launched the PNB Tracking & Monitoring Staff

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Accountability Cases (TMSAC) portal and PNB’s 2020 Vigilance Manual, as a part of the Vigilance Awareness Week (VAW) – 27th October 2020 to 2nd November 2020.

IFSCA approves Bullion Exchange Regulations, 2020 & Global In-House Centres Regulations, 2020  International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) approved the International Financial Services Centres Authority (Bullion Exchange) Regulations, 2020 and International Financial Services Centres Authority (Global In-House Centres) Regulations, 2020 during a meeting chaired by Injeti Srinivas, Chairman of IFSCA. The regulations are:  International Financial Services Centres Authority (Bullion Exchange) Regulations, 2020  International Financial Services Centres Authority (Global In-House Centres) Regulations, 2020

RBI Revises Norms for Housing Finance Firms: October 2020  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released final guidelines for housing finance companies (HFC) stating that these home financiers should have at least 60% of their net assets deployed in the business of providing finance for housing by March 31, 2024, with individual loans making up at least 50% of all assets. Also HFCs should also have minimum net owned funds (NOF) of Rs 20 crore to commence housing finance as its principal business.

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BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Tata Steel, CSIR sign MoU to collaborate in CCUS  Tata Steel and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work together in the areas of Carbon Capture, Utilisation & Storage (CCUS). Both sides have signed the MoU to meet India’s growing energy demands and to build a strong ecosystem to meet commitments under the Paris Agreement. CCUS plays a vital part in India’s fight against Climate Change and Global Warming.

BIAL and Virgin Hyperloop Signed 1st of its kind MoU to Study Viable Hyperloop Corridors from BLR Airport  Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) and Virgin Hyperloop signed a first-of-its-kind Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to conduct a feasibility study for Hyperloop corridor from Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB/BLR airport). If this project succeeds, this will be India’s 1st Hyperloop transportation system.

CSC Partners with HelpAge India to Afford Digital Literacy to Rural Elderly Citizens  Common Services Centre (CSC) under Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) partnered with HelpAge India, a non-profit organisation focused on the concerns of elders. CSC Academy, the education arm of CSC and HelpAge India has signed a MoU under the project of “Aalambana” of HelpAge India which will be implemented for a period of 1 year, to offer digital literacy to the rural elderly citizens of India (above the age of 55).

Google India Launches ‘‘Make Small Strong’’ Campaign for Small Businesses; Partners with Zoho, Instamojo, Dunzo and Swiggy  Google India has launched a nation-wide campaign, ‘Make Small Strong’ to support small businesses and drive demand through customer support. It has entered into partnership with Zoho and Instamojo to help SMBs (Small and Medium Businesses) to build a digital presence. It has also partnered with Dunzo and Swiggy to expedite small businesses’ on-boarding process. Also, Google in partnership with Doordarshan plans to launch Namaste Digital.

RGICL Partnered with SatSure Analytics for Crop Insurance Business Operations  Reliance General Insurance Company Limited (RGICL), a 100% subsidiary of Reliance Capital announced its partnership with Bengaluru based SatSure Analytics, a wholly owned subsidiary of SatSure AG,  Switzerland to improve its operations of its crop insurance business and satellite based crop monitoring and predictive analytics support for risk management.

Axis Bank in Partnership with Vistara, Launched Industry 1st Co-Branded Forex Card, ‘Axis Bank Club Vistara Forex Card’  Axis Bank Ltd in partnership with Vistara, India’s full service carrier launched a Co-Branded Forex Card, ‘Axis Bank Club Vistara Forex Card’ to cater the needs of international travellers. This is the 1st-ever collaboration by a bank and an Indian airline for a co-branded forex card. The multi-currency forex card enables customers to travel to international destinations in a cashless and hassle free manner.

FLO and NSDC Signed MoU to Empower Women Through Skill Training  Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Ladies Organisation (FLO), the women’s wing of FICCI and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) signed a MoU under the 3C initiative of FLO to empower women with employability through skill training and to promote women entrepreneurship.

India’s GDP to Contract by 9.6% in FY 21: World Bank  As per World Bank’s latest South Asia Economic Focus forecasts, India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected to contract by 9.6% (-9.6%) in FY21. On the other hand, it expects a 5.4% rebound in FY22. Regional growth (South Asia) is expected to contract by 7.7% in 2020, after topping 6% annually in the past five years, and rebound to 4.5% in 2021.

Zurich International Signed Concession Agreement with UP Government for Jewar Airport  The Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) and the Zurich Airport International AG (ZAIA) signed a 40-year concession agreement which grants licence to Zurich Airport for designing, building and operating the Noida

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International Airport (NIA) (also known as Jewar Airport) at Jewar, outskirts of Delhi. The concession agreement was signed with the Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), a special purpose vehicle incorporated by Zurich Airport for this project.

Amazon India in Partnership with IRCTC launches Online Reserved Train Ticket Bookings  Amazon India has partnered with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to offer their customers the facility to book train tickets on amazon. Amazon.in has waived the service and payment gateway transaction charges for the introductory period.

WTO Upgraded its World Merchandise Trade Forecast at 9.2% in 2020 from 12.9%  World Trade Organization (WTO) lowered its projection on the volume of world merchandise trade in 2020 to 9.2% as compared to 12.9% fall in April 2020. This is due to the strong trade performances in June-July, 2020 due to easing of lockdowns in many parts of the world. For 2021, WTO forecasts a 7.2% world trade increase, far below the April estimate of 21.3% growth (Between 21% to 24%) and pre- pandemic level.

Microsoft, AICTE Collaborate to Skill Students, Educators in Next-Generation Technology  Microsoft has partnered with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to empower students, educators in Next-Generation Technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Data Science and Cloud Computing.

Mastercard Partners with Signzy for Global Rollout of Video KYC  In order to rollout Signzy’s video-based KYC (Know Your Customer) solution to its banking customers globally, Mastercard has entered into partnership with Signzy, a leading RegTech startup. The customers of Mastercard, with this partnership will benefit from a 100% paperless, remote and secure on boarding solution for end-users.

BBNL and TCIL Selects Hughes India to provide High-Speed Satellite Connectivity to 5,000 Remote Gram Panchayats  Hughes Communications India Private Limited (Hughes India) has been selected by Bharat Broadband Nigam Limited (BBNL) and Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd. (TCIL) to provide high-speed satellite connectivity to 5,000 remote gram panchayats in 15 states and UTs of India including Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram & Tripura among others by August 2021.

IMF Projected India’s GDP to contract 10.3% from 4.5% in FY21  International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO-October 2020), titled “A Long and Difficult Ascent” projected India’s gross domestic product (GDP) to contract 10.3% (i.e.-10.3 %) in comparison to June forecast of 4.5% amid COVID19. On global front, the economy growth is downgraded to -4.4% as compared to 5.2% projected earlier. On the other hand, for FY21-22 Indian economy is expecting a rebound of 8.8% growth rate higher than the 6% forecast earlier.

PhonePe in Association with Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Launched Car and Bike Insurance Products on its Platform  PhonePe in association with Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company launched car and bike insurance products on its platform. This launch enables more than 230 million registered PhonePe users to insure their vehicles, in under 2 minutes, without having to upload any documents before making a purchase. They can also view their policy documents instantly on the app.

IKEA in Partnership with Citibank India and Mastercard Launched a Co-Branded Card, ‘IKEA Family Credit Card by Citi’  In order to make shopping at IKEA, home furnishing company more affordable, convenient and rewarding, it has launched ‘IKEA Family Credit Card by Citi’, in partnership with Citibank India and Mastercard. This card is IKEA’s first co-branded card in India. It is a first for any co-branded card in India, to have a full digital in-store card application process with instant verification and immediate usage.

RRVL Gets of Rs.5550 Crore from Alyssum Asia Holdings  Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) received the subscription amount of Rs. 5550 crores from Alyssum Asia Holdings II Pte.Ltd., a unit of KKR, a global investment firm and

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allocated 81348479 equity shares to KKR. KKR has picked up 1.28% stake in RRVL for its investment of Rs.5550 crores.

Tata Motors Partnered with HDFC Bank for Financing of Passenger Vehicles  TATA Motors has collaborated with HDFC (Housing Development Finance Corporation) Bank for financing of its passenger vehicles. In this regard, Tata Motors introduced two new schemes viz. “Gradual Step Up Scheme” and “TML Flexi Drive Scheme” which will be available till November 2020.

Bond trade platform ‘BondEvalue’ set for New Year launch in India  Singapore-based bond exchange, BondEvalue, co-founded by India-origin entrepreneurs Rajaram Kannan and Rahul Banerjee, is all set to launch a blockchain-platform in 2021 to facilitate investment in bonds by individuals. Recently, BondEvalue got approval as a global Recognised Market Operator (RMO) from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). 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.

IMF cuts Asia’s Growth Forecast  The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has slashed its Economic Forecast for Asia. The IMF expects Asia’s Economy to contract 2.2% in 2020, the decline is 0.6 of a percentage point larger than its forecast in June. The decline in economic growth is due to sharp slumps in countries like India, Philippines and Malaysia. Asia’s economy is expected to grow 6.9% in 2021 due to boost from strong recoveries in China, United States and European region.

Mastercard Partners with Atlantis to Expand Digital First Program in India  In order to address the increasing demand for digital payment solutions for everything, Mastercard has entered into partnership with Atlantis to expand the Digital First Program in India. The partnership aims to provide the users of Mastercard, a technology solution that enables them to enjoy a best-in-class digital banking experience.

SBI Card in Association with DMRC Launched ‘Delhi Metro- SBI Card’, a Credit cum Smart Card for Delhi Metro Commuters  SBI Card and Payment Services ltd. (SBI Cards) in association with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) launched ‘Delhi Metro- SBI Card’, a Multipurpose Credit Card for Delhi Metro Commuters. The card functions as a credit card and also as a metro smart card.

BSE Signed MoU with ICCI to support the Listing of SMEs & Start-ups  BSE signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Inventivepreneur Chamber of Commerce & Industries (ICCI) to support Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs) and start-ups & promote their listing on the exchange.

CSB Bank Partners with IIFL Finance for Managing Gold Loan Assets in Untapped Locations  CSB Bank Ltd entered into partnership with IIFL finance Ltd, a NBFC (Non-Banking Financial Company) to source and manage retail gold loan assets in untapped locations. Under the partnership, IIFL will act as a Business Correspondent (BC) of the Bank.

IOCL Partners with IBM for Digital Services  Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) entered into partnership to transform the customer’s experience of IOCL. Under this partnership, IBM developed Indian Oil One mobile app & portal which will be used by about 130 million consumers covered by about 12,400 IOCL distributors. The Indian Oil One mobile app & portal are part of Indian Oil’s Project ePIC (Electronic Platform for Indian Oil customers), a digital transformation project.

Remittances to India to Fall by 9% in 2020: World Bank Report  As per the latest estimates published in the World Bank’s ‘Migration and Development Brief 33’, remittance to India will fall by 9% to USD 76 billion due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and global economic recession. The top 5 countries in 2020 to receive foreign remittances are expected to be India, China, Mexico, the Philippines, and Egypt, unchanged from 2019.

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AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List 2020 Released, Mukesh Ambani Tops  Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) topped the IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List 2020 with the total wealth of 6,58,400 Cr. He retains this position for the 9th consecutive year. Hinduja brothers secured the second spot followed by Shiv Nadar & family. Smita V Crishna, who ranked 28th spot overall is the richest woman in the list followed by Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Biocon founder, who is also the richest self-made women in India.

Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh Selected for Gandhi Award of MGNF  Sanjay Singh, Member of Parliament (MP) of Rajya Sabha and the leader of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been chosen as the recipient of the “2020 Gandhi Award”. He was recognised with the award for being instrumental in the diplomatic intervention of India to remove the image of Mahatma Gandhi on the beer bottles of Malka brewery, an Israeli private company.

Activists from Belarus, Iran, US and Nicaragua Won the 2020 Right Livelihood Award  Right Livelihood Award Foundation announced the four winners of the 2020 Right Livelihood Award which is also known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize”. The four activists Ales Bialiatski of Belarus, Nasrin Sotoudeh of Iran, Bryan Stevenson of the United States (US) and Lottie Cunningham Wren of Nicaragua shared the 2020 award for their contribution towards equality, democracy, justice and freedom.

CII Foundation Receives UNSDG Action Award 2020 for its Work on Crop Residue Management: 3rd Edition of UNSDG Action Awards  In the 3rd edition of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UNSDG) Action Awards 2020, The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Foundation received the UNSDG Action Award 2020 from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Government of Punjab for their work on crop residue management. CII received the award under the category of “Integration, Convergence, Joint Action and holistic Solution Approach – Industry”. The Special Humanitarian Action Award 2020 was conferred upon Action Sonu Sood and SPS Oberoi, Dubai based businessman and philanthropist over a virtual ceremony presided by Vini Mahajan, Chief Secretary of Punjab.

Iqbal Singh Chahal First Indian Bureaucrat to be Honoured with IACC “Covid Crusader Award- 2020”  Iqbal Singh Chahal (I.S. Chahal), Municipal Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai(MCGM), Maharashtra was honoured with “COVID Crusader Award-2020”, instituted by Indo- American Chamber of Commerce (IACC), apex bi-lateral Chamber a collaboration of India-US Economic Engagement and the US Consulate in Mumbai. He became the first Indian Bureaucrat to be recognised with this global recognition.

IACC Conferred Lifetime Achievement Award to Ratan N. Tata  The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) conferred IACC Lifetime and Global Excellence Awards to Ratan N. Tata for his pioneering role in the Business Relations of India-USA (United States of America) and for his lifetime achievement in Global Leadership. It is to be noted that this is the 1st time IACC conferred the Lifetime Achievement award to any individual. This award was announced in virtual event of IACC “COVID Crusader Award-2020”.

Roger Penrose, Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez Won 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics for their Discoveries about Black Holes  Goran K. Hansson, secretary-general of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, announced the Nobel Prize in Physics 2020. One half of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics was given to Roger Penrose (United Kingdom-UK) for his discovery that black hole formation is resilient prediction of the general theory of relativity and the other half jointly to Reinhard Genzel (German) and Andrea Ghez (America) for their discovery of a supermassive compact object at the centre of our galaxy (Milky Way). The award comprises a gold medal and prize money of 10 million Swedish kronor (more than $1.1 million).

Union Minister Piyush Goyal releases results of 1st Edition of National Startup Awards 2020  Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal released the results of the First Edition of National Startup

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Awards 2020 in a virtual ceremony. The First Ever National Startup Awards has been conceived by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna Won 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for Development of a Method for Genome Editing  Goran K. Hansson, secretary-general of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, announced the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020 jointly to Emmanuelle Charpentier of France and Jennifer A. Doudna of the United States for the development of a method for genome editing, namely ‘CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors’. The method is one of gene technology’s sharpest tools. This is the 1st time 2 women have jointly won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

American Poet Louise Glück Won 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature  Mats Malm, Permanent Secretary of the Swedish Academy announced the Nobel Prize in Literature 2020 to Louise Glück, American Poet and essayist “for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal”. In past, she has won Pulitzer Prize for her poetry book, The Wild Iris (1992).

UN’s World Food Programme Won 2020 Nobel Peace Prize  Berit Reiss-Andersen, Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the Nobel Peace Prize 2020 to the United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP) for its efforts to fight hunger, for its contribution to improving peace conditions 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.

Britain’s Prince William & Sir David Attenborough Launched “The Earthshot Prize”, an Environmental Award to Support Climate Change  Britain’s Prince William, Duke of Cambridge along with Broadcaster and Naturalist Sir David Attenborough launched the Earthshot Prize, a new environmental prize with an aim to encourage change and support to repair the planet in the next 10 years (2030). The Earthshot prize comprises 5 prizes of 1 million pounds (around Rs.9.5 crores) awarded each year for the next 10 years.

India’s Eight Beaches get International Blue Flag Certification  Eight Beaches of India have been awarded “BLUE FLAG” certification by Denmark based Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). India became the First Country to be awarded the Coveted International Blue Flag certification for 8 beaches in one attempt. It was selected by an International Jury consisting of eminent members from United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), FEE & International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Paul R. Milgrom and Robert B. Wilson Won 2020 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for their Work on Auction Theory  Professor Göran K. Hansson, Secretary General of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences or Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2020 jointly to 2 American economists namely, Paul R. Milgrom and Robert B. Wilson for “improvements to auction theory and inventions of new auction formats”.

INS Sahyadri & Kora were Declared as Best Ships in Fleet Award Function 2020  Indian Navy Ship (INS) Sahyadri and INS Kora were awarded the Best Ship trophies among the Capital Ships and Corvettes & similar classes of ships respectively. The awards were presented at the Fleet Award Function (FAF) 2020 organised by the Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam to mark the successful performance of the Operational Cycle of the Eastern Fleet. The FAF is organised every year to mark the resilience and perseverance of Indian Navy personnels appointed onboard ships of Poorvi Beda or Sword Arm of Eastern Naval Command (ENC).

Mukesh Ambani tops Forbes India Rich List 2020  Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries topped the Forbes India Rich List 2020 and remains the wealthiest Indian for the 13th year in a row. Gautam Adani, Chairman of Adani Group came second, and Shiv Nadar, Chairman of HCL Technologies came third in the list. Cyrus Poonawalla, Chairman of Poonawalla Group which includes Serum Institute of India entered the Top 10 list at Rank 6.

Aishwarya Sridhar, First Indian Woman to Win Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2020  Aishwarya Sridhar became the first and youngest Indian Woman to Win Wildlife Photographer of the year 2020. The 2020 awards mark the 56th year of the Wildlife photographer of the Year Award. The award show was

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organised by the National Museum of History, London. Aishwarya won the award for her photograph titled “Light of Passion” featuring fireflies.

Pravir Krishna MD of TRIFED won the CEO of the Year and Visionary Leadership award  Pravir Krishna, Managing Director (MD) of Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) received the CEO of the Year and Visionary Leadership Award for his exemplary and inspirational leadership. The awards were presented at the virtual edition of National Awards for Excellence – PSU hosted by the World Human Resource Development (HRD) Congress. The TRIFED team led by Pravir Krishna won the collective award for the investment in the start-ups category.

India-Assisted Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project in Bhutan Won the 2020 Brunel Medal for Excellence in Civil Engineering at Annual ICE Awards 2020  India-Assisted Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project, a Bhutan-India Friendship project in Bhutan won the 2020 Brunel Medal for Excellence in Civil Engineering at the Annual Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Awards 2020 organised by the United Kingdom (UK) based ICE. India funded the Mangdechhu power plant of cost Rs.4500 crores through a 70% loan and 30% grant.

NTPC Ranks 1st Among Indian PSUs in Forbes “World’s best Employers 2020”  NTPC Limited, owned by the government of India and one of India’s largest energy corporations tops the list of Indian Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) featured in the 4th annual “World’s Best Employer 2020” list published by Forbes. The final list comprises 750 multinational corporations headquartered in 45 countries.

BS Named Asia’s Safest Bank for 12th Consecutive Year: Global Finance’s Safest Banks 2020  Global Finance, New York based trade publication released the list of World’s 50 Safest Banks 2020 which named DBS Bank, Singapore as the Safest Bank in Asia for the 12th consecutive year. DBS secured the 4th rank as the safest commercial bank in the world and 14th safest bank globally from 2019 and 2018. Global Finance has named State Bank of India(SBI) as the Safest Bank in India.

Top 3 World’s Safest Bank & Asia’s Safest Bank 2020: Rank Top 3 World’s Safest Banks 2020 Top 3 Safest Banks in Asia 2020 1 KfW (Germany) DBS Group (Singapore) 2 Zuercher Kantonalbank (Switzerland) Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation(Singapore) 3 BNG Bank (Netherlands) United Overseas Bank(Singapore) 14 DBS Bank (Singapore)

Late Actor Om Puri Honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award at 3rd IIFFB 2020  At the 3rd India International Film Festival of Boston (IIFFB) 2020 based in Boston, United States of America(USA) held as a virtual event from 16th to 18th October 2020, the Lifetime Achievement Award 2020 was accorded to Late Actor Om Puri which was received by his wife Nadita Puri. Chef Vikas Khanna was honoured with “Pride of India” a special award at the 3rd IIFFB 2020.

Other Awards of IIFFB 2020: Award Winner Best Feature Film Award 2020 Kaanthi directed by Ashok R Nath Best Actor (male) 2020 Victor Bannerjee for “Josef: Born In Grace” Best Actor (female) 2020 Shylaja Ambu for “Kaanthi” Best Short Film 2020 Better Than Neil Armstrong directed by Alireza Ghasemi Best Film With A Social Cause 2020 Baitullah directed by Jitendra Rai

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APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Director Shekhar Kapur Appointed as the President of FTII Society  Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) announced the appointment of Renowned Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur as the new President of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Society and Chairman of FTII Governing Council which runs the FTII, an autonomous film School under the MIB at Pune, Maharashtra. His tenure will run till March 2023. He succeeds Brijendra Pal Singh.

Bengal Peerless Appoints Former India Cricketer Sourav Ganguly as Brand Ambassador  Kolkata based Real Estate Developer Bengal Peerless Housing Development Company Limited appointed Former National Cricket Team Captain and Current President of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Sourav Ganguly as its Brand Ambassador.

Surjeet Singh Deswal DG of ITBP was Given Additional Charges as DG of National Security Guard  Surjeet Singh Deswal (SS Deswal), Director General (DG) of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has been given the additional charges as the DG of the Counter Terror Force – National Security Guard (NSG) following the retirement of Anup Kumar Singh (AK Singh), incumbent chief of NSG, on September 30.

Govt Sets up Panel to Screen all Chinese Foreign Investment Proposals Headed by Ajay Kumar Bhalla  The Government of India has set up a screening panel to examine all Chinese foreign investment proposals. The panel is headed by the home secretary, Ajay Kumar Bhalla and secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as a member.

Crown prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Sworn in as Kuwait’s New emir; Succeeds Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah  Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (83), Crown prince of Kuwait (State of Kuwait) sworn in as new emir (16th Emir of Kuwait) during a session of the National Assembly in Kuwait. He succeeds Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (91 years old), who died on September 29, 2020 in the United States.

RBI Approved a 3-member Interim Committee of Directors, headed by G Subramonia Iyer to Run Dhanlaxmi Bank  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved a 3-member interim Committee of Directors (CoD) to exercise the powers of Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dhanlaxmi Bank Ltd till a new MD & CEO takes charge. G. Subramonia Iyer will head (Chairman) the CoD, G. Rajagopalan Nair and P.K Vijayakumar will serve as its members.

Madhabi Puri Buch, 1st women Whole-Time Member of SEBI gets a Year Extension  The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the term extension of appointment of Madhabi Puri Buch, Whole-Time Member (WTM), Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for one year effective from October 4, 2020 or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She is the 1st & only woman WTM and also the 1st from the private sector to be appointed a SEBI Board member.

Hudle Appointed Ajinkya Rahane as its Brand Ambassador and Advisor  Hudle, a sports tech startup, announced the appointment of Indian cricketer, Ajinkya Rahane as its brand ambassador and advisor of the company. Ajinkya Rahane will be the face of the brand and he will also provide the strategic inputs of his experience in professional sports and guide the team.

Kuwaiti Govt, headed by Prime Minister Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah Resigns  The Kuwaiti government, headed by Prime Minister(PM) Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah submitted its resignation to Emir Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah in anticipation of the upcoming general elections that are due to be held in November, 2020. He took charge as the PM in 2019. The emir named Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al- Sabah, currently the deputy head of the National Guard, as crown prince of Kuwait.

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Government of India Appoints Dinesh Kumar Khara as the Chairman of SBI  The Government of India appointed Dinesh Kumar Khara, the current Managing Director of State Bank of India as the new Chairman of SBI for a period of three years effective from 7th October 2020. Dinesh Kumar Khara succeeds Rajnish Kumar as the new Chairman, whose 3-year term ended on 7th October 2020.

Government Appoints J Venkatramu as MD, CEO of India Post Payments Bank  The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of J Venkatramu as Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) for a period of three years. J Venkatramu will succeed Suresh Sethi, who served the post till March, 2020.

R.K. Chhibber, CMD of J&K Bank Gets Another 6 Months Extension: RBI  Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended the term of Rajesh Kumar (R.K.) Chhibber as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Bank for another 6 months, effective from October 10, 2020 or till the appointment of Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), whichever is earlier. Prior to this, he got an extension of 3 months with effect from July 10, 2020.

Kyrgyzstan’s Parliament Elected Sadyr Zhaparov as Acting PM After the Resignation of Former PM Kubatbek Boronov  Parliament of Kyrgyzstan (also known as Jogorku Kenesh) appointed Sadyr Zhaparov, as the Acting Prime Minister (PM) of Kyrgyzstan. He was appointed following the resignation of the former PM Kubatbek Boronov amid post-election vote rigging protests. The capital and currency of Kyrgyzstan are Bishkek & Kyrgyzstani Som respectively.

Government Appoints M Rajeshwar Rao as the New Deputy Governor of RBI  Government of India appointed M Rajeshwar Rao as the new 4th deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) responsible for Financial regulations. He will succeed NS Vishwanathan, the former 4th Deputy Governor of RBI, who resigned in March 2020 before the completion of his term (June 2020). M Rajeshwar Rao is currently serving as the executive director of RBI.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II Appointed Bishr al-Khasawneh as PM; Succeeds Omar al Razzaz  Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein, King of Jordan appointed Bishr al-Khasawneh, policy advisor to the king, as new Prime Minister of the country and also instructed him to form a new government. His appointment comes after King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Omar al Razzaz.

MA Ganapathy IPS appointed as the Director General of BCAS  Appointments Committee of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the appointment of MA Ganapathy IPS as the New Director General (DG) of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), under the ministry of Civil Aviation. He will hold the position till the 29th February 2024, the date of his retirement or until further order. He succeeds Rakesh Asthana, who was appointed as DG of Border Security Force (BSF) in August 2020.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal Gets Additional Charge of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution  Ram Nath Kovind, President of India, as advised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has assigned Union Minister Piyush Goyal with additional charge of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution following the death of Ram Vilas Paswan. Piyush Goyal is currently serving as the Cabinet Minister of Railways and Commerce and Industry.

Chetan Anand, CWG Shuttle Medalist appointed as the Brand Ambassador of India’s first Badminton Brand, ‘Transform’  Chetan Anand, Indian Badminton player and Commonwealth Games (CWG) medallist was appointed as the brand ambassador of ‘Transform’, India’s first home-grown badminton brand which was virtually launched on 7th October 2020.

Bhuvan Bam named Myntra’s First Digital Brand Ambassador  Youtuber Bhuvan Bam has been named as Fashion e-commerce platform Myntra’s First Digital Brand Ambassador. He has been appointed to strengthen Myntra’s Digital presence ahead of the Festive Season. The

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collaboration will create content to ensure that Myntra’s features go beyond traditional forms of communication.

Nilesh Shah, MD of Kotak AMC is Re-Elected as the Chairman of AMFI  Nilesh Shah, the Managing Director (MD) of Kotak Mutual Fund was re-elected as the Chairman of the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI). He will hold the office of chairman till the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting (AGM) and he will also continue as the chairman of the AMFI Financial Literacy Committee. Saurabh Nanavati, CEO of Invesco Mutual Fund was re-elected as the vice chairman of AMFI.

Government sets up Panel of Secretaries under Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba to Streamline Telecom Spectrum Allocation  Central Government has formulated a panel of secretaries under cabinet secretary ‘Rajiv Gauba’ to streamline telecom spectrum allocation process and examine the possibility of making the auction of spectrum an annual calendar event. The panel comprises the secretaries of home, defence, railways, telecom, Information and Broadcasting (I&B) and department of space.

AICTE Constituted a Committee Headed by M.S Ananth to Prepare the Professional Engineers Bill  Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ Union Minister of Education informed K. Somaprasad, Member of Parliament (MP) in Rajya Sabha, that All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has constituted a Committee to Prepare the Professional Engineers Bill. The committee is chaired by M.S. Ananth, Former Director of Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M).

Olympic Champion Constantina Dita Named Brand Ambassador for World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020  The World Athletics named Constantina Dita, Romanian long-distance runner and the Champion of 2008 Beijing Olympics as the brand ambassador of World Athletics Half Marathon Championships 2020 which will be held on 17th October 2020 at Gdynia, Poland. She won the 2004 Chicago Marathon and came second in the 2005 Chicago Marathon (major City Marathons).

Gurdeep Singh, CMD of NTPC Gets Extension on His Term till July 2025  The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) extended the tenure of Gurdeep Singh, the Chairman and Managing Director(CMD) of NTPC limited. He will serve as the CMD till July 2025, which makes him as the one of the longest serving chief of NTPC Ltd.

Sooronbai Jeenbekov, President of Kyrgyzstan announced his Resignation  Sooronbai Jeenbekov, the President of Kyrgyzstan announced his resignation to end the commotion and disorder caused by the results of the 2020 Parliament elections. The capital and currency of Kyrgyzstan are Bishkek and Kyrgyzstani Som respectively.

Vishal V. Sharma, appointed as Next Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO’s Permanent Delegation of India; Succeeds Jawed Ashraf  Vishal V. Sharma has been appointed as the next Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO’s Permanent Delegation of India, with the rank of Ambassador. He will take up the assignment shortly. He succeeds Jawed Ashraf, a 1991 batch IFS (Indian Foreign Service) officer. Vishal V. Sharma is the third political appointee among Indian ambassadors and high commissioners worldwide.

Dr Michael Irani of Great Britain Appointed as the Interim President of IWF  Dr. Michael Irani of Great Britain (GBR) was appointed as the Interim President of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). He takes over as Interim President from Intarat Yodbangtoey. Ursula Papandrea was appointed as the Acting president after the resignation of Tamás Aján.

Vega ropes in Rohit Sharma as Brand Ambassador  Beauty Accessories Brand VEGA has appointed Rohit Sharma as its Brand Ambassador. Rohit will endorse men’s personal grooming electronics range under the ‘Vega Men’ brand. The campaign will go live from October, 2020.

Jacinda Ardern, Wins 2nd Term as the Prime Minister of New Zealand  Jacinda Ardern leader of the Labour Party won the 2nd term as the Prime Minister of New Zealand with her landslide victory in the 2020 General Elections. The Labour Party won the election with 49% of the votes and its

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coalition partner the Green Party won 8% i.e., 10 seats.

SC Appointed One-Man Panel to Monitor Stubble Burning under its Former Judge Madan Bhimarao Lokur  The Supreme Court (SC) bench headed by Chief Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde and comprising of Justices Ajjikuttira Somaiah Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian has directed to formulate a one-man committee under former SC judge Madan Bhimarao Lokur to monitor and prevent stubble-burning by farmers in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh (UP) this winter, which worsens the air quality in Delhi- National Capital Region (NCR).

IRDAI sets up panel under P Umesh to Examine Need for Standard Cyber Liability Insurance  The cases of cyberattack and high-profile data breaches have increased amid COVID-19 pandemic. In order to curb this situation, on October 20, 2020, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) set up a 9-member panel under P Umesh, Consultant-Liability Insurance, to explore the possibility of a basic standard cyber liability insurance product for individuals and establishments that can manage their cyber risks. The working group will submit its report within two months.

NITI Aayog’s Panel Headed by NITI Aayog VC Rajiv Kumar to Reform Urban Planning Education System  NITI Aayog constituted a 14-member advisory committee headed by Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman (VC) of NITI Aayog to evaluate the reforms in the urban planning education system. The committee will review the urban planning education system in India and examine the availability, demand and supply of the qualified urban planners in India. Also, the committee will review the current system in terms of multidisciplinary, curriculum and other related issues at the level of graduates and post graduates against the challenges of rapid urbanization.

Parle Agro Appointed Priyanka Chopra Jonas & Jr. NTR as Brand Ambassadors  Parle Agro has appointed Priyanka Chopra Jonas as the national brand ambassador and Junior Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (Jr. NTR) as the brand Ambassador for Southern India. Priyanka and Jr. NTR will be campaigning for “B-Fizz”, the new product of the Parle Agro’s Fruit plus fizz portfolio. Priyanka will feature in the television commercials (TVC) for National Media and Jr. NTR will feature in the southern market.

Indian-origin Wavel Ramkalawan Elected as Seychelles President  India origin Wavel Ramkalawan, of the opposition Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS) was elected as the President of Seychelles by defeating incumbent Danny Faure of United Seychelles party. The capital and currency of Seychelles are Victoria & Seychellois rupee respectively.

Central Govt. Formulated High-level Committee Headed by PM Modi to Commemorate 400th Birth Anniversary of Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur  Central government set up a high-level 70-member committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to commemorate the 400th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur. The mandate of the committee includes approval of policies, plans, programmes and supervision and guiding the commemoration, besides deciding broad dates for detailed programmes of celebration.

Alpha Condé Won 3rd Term as the President of Guinea  Alpha Condé (82 years old), the incumbent president of Guinea and leader of Rally of the Guinean People (Rassemblement du Peuple Guinéen – RPG) party won the 3rd term as the President of Guinea by winning the 2020 presidential elections held on 18th October. He won the election against Cellou Dalein Diallo with 59.49 % votes. Diallo got 33.5% votes in the election. The capital and currency of Guinea are Conakry and Guinean Franc respectively.

Justice Bansi Lal Bhat gets 3rd Extension as Officiating Chairperson of NCLAT till December 31, 2020  The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has extended the tenure of Justice Bansi Lal Bhat as the officiating Chairperson of National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) till 31st December 2020 or till a regular Chairperson is appointed or until further orders.

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ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

General Atlantic to Buy 0.84% stake in Reliance Retail for Rs 3,675 Crore  Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL) announced that General Atlantic will buy 0.84% stake in RRVL, a subsidiary of RIL for Rs 3,675 crore. This investment values RRVL at a pre-money equity value of Rs 4.285 lakh crore. With this investment, RRVL gets total funding over Rs 16,000 crore within September 2020.

CCI Approved Acquisitions of Certain Real Estate Projects of RMZ Group & CoWrks by Brookfield Private Capital (DIFC) Limited  The Competition Commission of India (CCI) under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002 has approved the acquisition of certain real estate projects of RMZ Group and 100% equity shareholding in CoWrks India Pvt Ltd. by Brookfield Private Capital (DIFC-Dubai International Financial Centre) Limited.

Mubadala Investment Company Will Invest Rs.6247.5 Crore for 1.4% Stake in RRVL  Mubadala Investment Company, Abu Dhabi based sovereign wealth fund, invested Rs.6247.5 crore for 1.4% stake in the Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited. This investment of Mabadala marks the 5th investment into RRVL.

GIC, TPG to invest about $1 billion in Reliance Retail  The Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), and United States based Texas Pacific Group (TPG) will invest a combined USD 1 Billion (INR 7, 350 Crores) in Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL). GIC will invest INR 5, 512 Crore for 1.22% stake while TPG Capital Management will invest INR 1, 838 Crore to own 0.41% equity stake in RRVL.

ADIA to Invest Rs.5512.50 Crore in RRVL  The Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) announced that the wholly owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) is set to invest Rs.5512.50 crore in the Reliance Retail Ventures Limited(RRVL) for 1.20% stake. The investment value of RRVL at pre money equity value of Rs.4.285 lakh crore.

CCI Approves Acquisition of CG Power and Adani Green Energy Ten Ltd’s Solar Energy Generation Assets  On October 14, 2020 The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has given approval to the following acquisitions, (i) The acquisition of more than 50% equity share capital of CG Power and Industrial Solutions Limited (CG Power) by Tube Investments of India Limited (TIIL). (ii) The acquisition of solar energy generation assets of Adani Green Energy Ten Limited (AGE10L) by Adani Green Energy Twenty- Three Ltd (AGE23L).

RBI Gives Approval to Maple II B.V., to Acquire 5-9.99% Stake in RBL bank  RBI (Reserve Bank of India) has given approval to Maple II B.V., (affiliated to Baring Private Equity Asia) to acquire over 5% but up to 9.99% of the paid-up share capital of the RBL Bank Limited (formerly known as Ratnakar Bank).

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

India Successfully Test Fires BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile with Strike Range of over 400 Kilometers  India successfully test fired the surface-to-surface Supersonic Cruise Missile BrahMos with a Strike Range of over 400 Kilometres from Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, Odisha. It was jointly conducted by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) & BrahMos Aerospace.

ICG Ship Kanaklata Barua Commissioned at Kolkata  Jiwesh Nandan, additional secretary, Ministry of Defence commissioned the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Ship ‘Kanaklata Barua’, the last in the series of 5 Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) through video conferencing at Kolkata, West Bengal. The Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd designed and indigenously built the 49 metre ship as per requirements specified by ICG.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan Launched CSIR Technologies for Rural Development Under the Joint Initiative of IIT Delhi, UBA, VIBHA & CSIR  Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare launched a set of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) technologies for rural development under the joint initiative of CSIR, Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA), Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) and Vijnana Bharti (VIBHA) over a virtual event organised on the occasion of the 40th Foundation Day of CSIR – National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies (CSIR-NISTADS), a constituent laboratory of CSIR.

MoHUA Launched NCRPB’s Project Management Information System (P-MIS) Portal  The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched Project Management Information System (P-MIS) Portal developed by National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPD) to monitor the progress of their projects and to monitor and manage the loans. The P-MIS portal will be hosted on the NIC Server.

AgniKul Cosmos Signs MoU with Alaska Aerospace for Test-Launch Of Its ‘Agnibaan’ Rocket  Indian Aerospace Startup AgniKul Cosmos signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Alaska Aerospace Corporation to test launch Indian made Agnibaan Rocket from Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska (PSCA) on Kodiak Island in the United States.

ISRO to Launch Venus mission” Shukrayaan-1″ in 2025 with France’s CNRS Participation  Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has selected the VIRAL (Venus Infrared Atmospheric Gases Linker) instrument co-developed with the Russian federal space agency Roscosmos and the LATMOS attached to the CNRS. Notably this will be the first time a French payload will be flown on an Indian exploration mission.

DRDO Successfully Test Fires Laser-Guided Anti-Tank Guided Missile  Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test fired the Indigenously developed Laser-Guided Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) from Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun at KK Ranges in Armoured Corps Centre and School (ACC&S) in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. It has a range of upto to 5 kilometres. The Laser Guided Missile has been developed by Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune in association with High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune and Instruments Research & Development Establishment (IRDE), Dehradun.

Indian Railways Launches Portal for Freight Business Development  Indian Railways (IR) launched Freight Business Development (FBD) exclusively for freight clients. The Portal has been developed by Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS). Indian Railways has launched the portal to maximize its revenues from freight operations.

ICMR, Biological E Developed Purified Equine Antiserum to Treat COVID-19  The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Hyderabad based Biological E Limited have developed highly purified ‘equine antisera’ for prophylaxis and treatment of the COVID-19. It was isolated by the ICMR-led National Institute of Virology, Pune (Maharashtra). The pre-print version of this study has been posted on Research Square platform. Antibodies from horses, known as equine antisera.

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NASA Launched SS Kalpana Chawla Cargo Spacecraft Carrying 8000 Pound Stuff to ISS  National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched the Northrop Grumman Cygnus resupply spacecraft named “SS Kalpana Chawla” after its astronaut Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian-born woman to enter space and was one of the seven crew members who died in the Space Shuttle in Columbia disaster when the spacecraft disintegrated during its re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere in 2003. The spacecraft was launched on an Antares rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, United States. It should be noted that this delivery is the Northrop Grumman’s 14th contracted cargo flight to the space station.

India Successfully Test-Fired New Version of Nuclear-Capable surface-to-surface Missile, “Shaurya”  Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test-fired a new version of indigenously developed canister launched hypersonic nuclear-capable ‘Shaurya’ missile from the Abdul Kalam Island test range off Dhamra, Odisha to a target in Bay of Bengal. Shaurya, a surface-to-surface medium range missile is a land version of Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) K-15 (B-05) and can be used by both the Navy and the Army.

DRDO Successfully Flight Tested Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART)  Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight tested the Supersonic Missile assisted release of Torpedo (SMART) from Dr. Abdul Kalam Island, formerly known as Wheeler Island off the coast of Odisha. SMART will be used for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations beyond torpedo range.

China to Send World’s 1st Mining Robot, ‘Asteroid Mining Robot’ into Space by November 2020: IEEE Spectrum report  An IEEE Spectrum report stated that Origin Space, the Beijing-based company is set to send world’s first mining robot named ‘asteroid mining robot’ into space by November 2020 to identify and extract resources. The mining robot will be launched into space by a Chinese Long March series rocket. The 30- gram spacecraft, NEO-1, is likely to be launched as a secondary payload on a Chinese Long March rocket. This company also has another mission, Yuanwang-1 (‘Look up-1’), nicknamed ‘Little Hubble’, which is to be launched by late 2021 or early 2022.

India, France to launch Constellation of Maritime Surveillance Satellites for IOR Region  France’s National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) and India’s Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will jointly launch Constellation of Maritime Surveillance Satellites for Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The Satellite will trace illegal spillage of oil by ships. It will be the first space-based system in the world capable of tracking ships continuously.

AC to Commission India’s fastest HPC-AI Supercomputer ‘PARAM Siddhi – AI’ with NVIDIA  Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) will commission India’s largest HPC-AI supercomputer, ‘PARAM Siddhi – AI’ in order to be at par with international standards in AI (Artificial intelligence) supercomputing research and innovation.

ICG Offshore Patrol Vessel ‘Vigraha’ launched to enhance Coastal Security  The Seventh Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) ‘Vigraha’ of Indian Coast Guard (ICG) was launched at Kattupalli Port, Chennai. The vessel has been built by Larsen & Toubro (L&T). This is the first time that a private sector shipyard has designed & constructed an offshore patrol vessel class ship. ‘Vigraha’ is the last in the series of Seven OPVs contracted to Larsen & Toubro by the Defence Ministry in 2015.

Russia Successfully Test-Fires Tsirkon Hypersonic Cruise Missile  Russia successfully test-fired the Tsirkon (Zircon) Hypersonic Cruise Missile. The missile successfully hit a target in the Barents Sea. The test was carried out from Frigate Admiral Gorshkov Vessel located in White Sea, Northern Russia. The Missile successfully hit its target at a distance of 450 Kilometres in Four and Half Minutes, and reached hypersonic speeds of more than Mach 8.

Indian Private Firm Alpha Design Technology Limited to upgrade Pechora surface to Air Systems  Indian Private Firm Alpha Design Technology Limited (ADTL) bagged INR 591 crore contract for upgrading and

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digitising 16 Soviet Era Pechora missile and radar systems. ADTL has partnered with Russian entities for the project which will be executed in four years. It will be a major boost to indigenous defence manufacturing.

IIT Kharagpur Developed iMediX – Telemedicine Homecare Technology for COVID-19  Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) – Kharagapur’s Department of Computer Science & Engineering(CSE) has developed iMediX, a telemedicine technology for homecare amid COVID-19 to provide critical health care support to the patients through remote consultation by a physician. The device highlights the digital healthcare system and promotes social distancing protocol. The system is adopted for public use at the IIT Kharagpur on campus healthcare system. On a trial basis the base model has been installed at Swasthya Bhawan, West Bengal.

India Successfully Test Fired 1st Anti-Radiation Missile ‘Rudram’ from Sukhoi-30 Fighter Aircraft  India successfully test-fired its first indigenous anti-radiation missile, Rudram 1, a New Generation Anti- Radiation Missile (NGARM) integrated on Su-30MKI fighter aircraft of Indian Air Force. It was Developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), this air-to-surface missile was tested at the interim test range Balasore, off the coast of Odisha in the Bay of Bengal. It has been designed for suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD).

GSFC launches indigenous Calcium Nitrate and boronated Calcium Nitrate  Gujarat State Fertilizers and Chemicals India Ltd (GSFC) launched an Indigenous variety of Calcium Nitrate and Boronated Calcium Nitrate. Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Mansukh Mandaviya launched the products virtually. Calcium Nitrate is a water-soluble fertilizer in agriculture, and also in wastewater treatment. The indigenous variety will provide a cheaper alternative to the farmer community in India.

DRDO Launches Nirbhay Cruise Missile; Aborts Mission due to Technical Snag  Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) launched the Nirbhay Cruise Missile from Odisha’s test facility, the mission was aborted due to technical snag. Nirbhay is India’s first indigenously developed Cruise Missile and has been developed by Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL). The two-stage Missile is powered by a solid rocket booster in the first stage & Turbofan, Turbojet in the second stage.

India Meteorological Department Launches Impact-Based Cyclone Warning System  India Meteorological Department (IMD) launched a dynamic, impact-based cyclone warning system to reduce economic losses and damage to property caused by the cyclones that hit Indian coast annually. The system has been commissioned from this cyclone season (October-December). The announcement of the launch was made by Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director- General (DG) of IMD on October 6, 2020 while giving presentation on ‘Chasing the Cyclones’, organised as part of World Space Week (October 4- 10) celebrations by the Indian Society of Remote Sensing (ISRS)’s Delhi chapter.

NASA to Launch Nano Satellite, ‘India Sat’ Developed by 3 Tamil Nadu Students into Sub-orbit  The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has chosen ‘India Sat’, an indigenous experimental satellite developed by 3 students from Tamil Nadu namely, M. Adnaan of Thanthonrimalai, M. Kesavan of Nagampalli and V. Arun of Thennilai for launch in suborbital space in June, next on NASA’s sounding rocket 7.

Japan Coast Guard Tests “SeaGuardian” Maritime Surveillance Drone  Japan’s Coast Guard started testing “SeaGuardian” – a Maritime Surveillance Drone in the coast of Sariku in Northeastern Japan, along the coasts of Sea of Japan. The drone is being tested amidst rising tensions between China & Japan in the East China Sea.

IMD Operationalised Advanced High-resolution Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi and India  India Meteorological Department (IMD) under the ministry of Earth Science has operationalised ENFUSER – ENvironmental information FUsion SERvice, a high resolution city scale model for Delhi. The ENFUSER will identify the hotspots of air pollution and pollution up to street levels. The System for Integrated modelling of Atmospheric composition (SILAM), the Air quality forecast model for India was improved with the implementation of global emission inventories CAMS-GLOB v2.1 supplemented with EDGAR v4.3.2 for coarse and mineral-fine anthropogenic particulate matter at 10km resolution. ENFUSER and SILAM are developed in collaboration with Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI).

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India conducts Successful Night Trial of Nuclear Capable Prithvi-2 Missile  India successfully conducted the night trial of indigenously developed Nuclear-capable Prithvi-2 Missile at the Integrated Test Range (IPR), Balasore, Odisha. Prithvi-2 is a surface-to-surface Short Range Ballistic Missile (SRBM). This is the second night trial of the missile, the First Trial of Prithvi-2 was tested successfully after sunset on September 23, 2020. The launch was carried out by Strategic Force Command of the Army and monitored by scientists of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Russian Soyuz Spacecraft launched with 1 NASA Astronaut & 2 Russian Cosmonauts  Russian Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft carrying (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and two Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov was launched from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. This marks the last scheduled Russian flight carrying a U.S. crew member. The crew boarded the International Space Station on 14th October 2020.

Astrosat, India’s first Multi-Wavelength Astronomical Observatory Completes 5 years of Imaging Celestial Objects in Space  Astrosat, the first multi-wavelength astronomical observatory of India completed its 5 years of imaging celestial objects in space, on September 28, 2020. It was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on September 28 2015. It has carried out 1,166 observations of 800 unique celestial sources proposed by scientists from India and abroad. The Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT), a 3-in- 1 imaging telescope simultaneously observing the visible, the near-ultraviolet (NUV), and the far- ultraviolet (FUV) spectrum is one of the five payloads on board AstroSat.

Stellapps Launches ‘mooPay’, a First-of-its-Kind Fully Automated Direct Payment Platform for Dairy Farmers in Rajasthan  Stellapps, an IIT Madras incubated dairy-tech startup and World Economic Forum (WEF)’s technology pioneer launched ‘mooPay’ in Bhilwara district of Rajasthan. The first-of-its-kind fully automated direct payment platform is for dairy farmers in Rajasthan. This platform is one of the Fintech solutions developed by Stellapps for dairy and dairy farmers.

BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile Successfully Test Fired from INS Chennai  The supersonic cruise missile, “BrahMos” was successfully test fired from Indian Navy’s indigenously- built stealth destroyer INS (Indian Naval Ship) Chennai to a target in Arabian Sea. This 290 Km missile range has a top speed of Mach 2.8 nearly three times the speed of sound. The range of the new land attack version of the missile has been extended to 400 km from the original 290 km.

FSSAI’s New Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS) to Become Operational Across India from November 2020  Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) announced that cloud based, upgraded new food safety compliance online platform “Food Safety Compliance System(FoSCoS)” will become operational across India from 1st November 2020. The FoSCoS will replace the Food Licensing and Registration System (FLRS).

Leather Sector Skill Council launches SCALE India Mobile App for Enhanced Quality Assurance  Leather Sector Skill Council (LSSC), a non-profit organization (NGO) launched “Skill Certification Assessment for Leather Employees India (SCALE India)” Android app for enhancing the quality assurance of the leather industry. Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Mahendra Nath Pandey unveiled the SCALE India app during a virtual event. The app will serve as a one-stop solution for skilling, learning, assessment and employment needs of the leather and leather products industry.

India successfully Test-fired SANT Missile with ‘Lock-on After Launch’ & ‘Lock-on Before Launch’ capabilities  India successfully Test-fired Standoff Anti-Tank Missile (SANT Missile) from a roof-top launcher at Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, Odisha. The missile is equipped with Lock-on After Launch and Lock-on Before Launch capabilities. The Missile hit the designated static target with high accuracy. SANT Missile is an air-to- surface missile being developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for Indian Air Force (IAF). The missile is an upgraded version of Helicopter Launched Nag (HeliNa) Missile. It is additionally equipped with an advanced node-mounted seeker.

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Nokia selected by NASA to build first ever cellular network on the Moon  Finland based Nokia has been selected by the National Aeronautical Space Agency (NASA) to build the first ever 4G cellular network on the Moon. NASA has awarded USD 14.1 Million to Nokia for the project. It is being built for communication purposes of NASA’s ARTEMIS Program to the Moon by 2024. Nokia & Intuitive Machines are partnering for this Mission. The grant is part of USD 370 Million worth of contracts signed under NASA’s “Tipping Point” selection to advance research and development for space exploration.

ADTL Signed to Build & Run Rs.753 Crore Worth MiG-29 Simulator Centre for IAF  Alpha Design Technologies Ltd. (ADTL), Bengaluru based company has signed the 1st of 2 phased Defence contracts with the Ministry of Defence and Russia’s RAC MiG. ADTL will build, run and maintain the Rs.753 crores worth two types of fighter aircraft simulators. Pilots of Indian Air Force (IAF) will train on these simulators before flying MiG-29.

UIDAI Introduce Aadhaar PVC card, a New Form of Aadhaar  The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) introduced a new form of Aadhaar, namely, Aadhar polyvinyl chloride (PVC) card. The Aadhaar PVC card has enhanced security features and is more convenient to carry. The pocket-sized verifiable identity card can be obtained at a price of Rs 50. Aadhaar card holders can order the new Aadhaar PVC card even if their mobile number is not registered in Aadhaar.

Hardeep Singh Puri, MoS for Housing and Urban Affairs launched “e-Dharti Geo Portal”  Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (MoS) (I/C) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Launched “e-Dharti Geo Portal” which will integrate the legacy drawings like maps and lease plans in Management Information System (MIS) named as e-Dharti and enable it with Geographic Information System(GIS). The Land and Development Office (L&DO) of MoHUA deals with around 60000 properties which includes commercial, residential, industrial and institutional properties.

Indigenously-Built Stealth Corvette ‘INS Kavaratti’ commissioned into Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam  Chief of Army Staff, General MM Naravane commissioned the Anti-Submarine Warfare stealth corvette “INS Kavaratti” into Indian Navy at the Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam. INS Kavaratti is the last of 4 indigenously built Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) stealth corvettes under Project 28 (Kamorta Class).

India Successfully Completes Final Trial of Nag Missile; Missile ready for Induction into Army  India successfully carried out the 10th and Final User Trial of Nag Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) at Pokhran Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan. With the successful trial, the missile is now ready for induction into the Indian Army. The Nag missile was fired from a Nag Missile Carrier (NAMICA). The Missile developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will be essential for stopping the advance of enemy tanks. The missile can be fired from both Land and Air based platforms. It has a range of 4 – 7 Kilometres.

ICMR Approved “COVIRAP” – COVID-19 Testing Kit Developed by IIT Kharagpur  The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) approved the “COVIRAP”, low cost portable COVID-19 test kit developed by the Researchers of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kharagpur. The device delivers high quality and accurate results within an hour. The device reduced the testing cost to around Rs.500 which can be further reduced by the government’s intervention. With a minimum infrastructure the cost for developing this device is around Rs.5000.

Indian Navy Missile Corvette INS Prabal launches Anti-Ship Missile  Indian Navy Missile Corvette INS Prabal launched an Anti-Ship Missile (AShM) on its Target in Arabian Sea. It was launched from Arabian Sea and the missile accurately homed in on its target. The anti-ship missile was fired during a practice drill. The missile was fired by INS Prabal as part of a mega naval drill which involves aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, Warships, attack helicopters, aircraft and other assets of Indian Navy.

Rattan Lal Kataria Launches Mobile App for Geo Tagging of Components of Projects under PMKSY-AIBP  Union Minister of State (MoS) for Jal Shakti, Rattan Lal Kataria launched a Mobile Application for Geo Tagging of components of projects under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana-Accelerated Irrigation Benefits

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Programme (PMKSY-AIBP). The Ministry of Jal Shakti has developed the mobile application with the help of Bhaskaracharya National Institute of Space Applications & Geo-informatics (BISAG-N).

IIT Kharagpur & TCS Developed novel industry 4.0 Technology to set new trends in Advanced Manufacturing Sector of India  Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur in partnership with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) developed a novel Industry 4.0 Technology for remotely controlled factory operations and real time quality correction during industrial production. This will set a new trend in the advanced manufacturing sector of India. The project was funded by the Department of Heavy Industry, Government of India and TCS. This technology has been reported in the CIRP Journal of Manufacturing Science and Technology.

Researchers from Netherlands Cancer Institute Discovered a New Pair of Salivary Glands, ‘tubarial glands’  Researchers from the Netherlands Cancer Institute have discovered a new pair of salivary glands that is hidden between the nasal cavity and throat. The team proposed the name ‘tubarial glands’ for the new discovery. The new glands were found out when using a new type of scan namely, Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen(PSMA) Positron Emission Tomography (PET)/Computed Tomography(CT) scan. The paper was published by the team in ‘Radiotherapy and Oncology’.

NASA’s SOFIA Discovered Water on Sunlit Surface of Moon, on Clavius Crater  For the first time, National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) has confirmed water on the sunlit surface of the Moon. SOFIA has detected water molecules (H2O) in Clavius Crater, one of the largest craters visible from Earth, located in the Moon’s southern hemisphere. The results are published in the latest issue of Nature Astronomy.

Indian Navy Warship INS Kora Test-fires Anti-Ship Missile (AShM) in Bay of Bengal  On October 30, 2020, Indian Navy’s Guided Missile Corvette INS Kora (Indian Naval Ship) tested fired Anti-Ship Missile (AShM) in Bay of Bengal. The missile successfully hit the target at maximum range with precise accuracy. INS Kora is a Kora-class guided missile corvette of Indian Navy. It was commissioned into service in 1998. It was designed by the Navy under Project 25A, and is equipped with Kh-35 Anti- Ship Missile.

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ENVIRONMENT

ARI Scientists Discovered 2 New Species of Wetland Plants in Western Ghats: Eriocaulon parvicephalum & Eriocaulon karaavalense  Scientists of Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) have discovered two new species of pipewort, a type of wetland plants in the areas along the Western Ghats in Maharashtra and Karnataka. The species found in Sindhudurg in Maharashtra is named Eriocaulon parvicephalum and the species found Kumta in Karnataka is named Eriocaulon karaavalense.

Scientists Discovered New Family of Bony Fish “Aenigmachannidae” in Western Ghats, Kerala  The team of Scientists from Germany, United Kingdom(UK), Switzerland and India discovered a new family of bony fish in the Western Ghats in Kerala. The new family is named ‘Aenigmachannidae’. Ralf Britz from Senckenberg Museum, Germany was the lead author of the report published in ‘Scientific Report’, an open access mega journal of the Nature Publishing Group.

Scientists Found New & Rare Perennial Woody Herb “Lepidagathis ananthapuramensis” in Kasaragod, Kerala  A team of researchers discovered a new species of perennial woody herb in the northern laterite plateaus in Kasaragod, Kerala. The new species “Lepidagathis ananthapuramensis” is named after the temple Ananthapura lake temple dedicated to Ananthapadmanabha, since it was found in its neighbourhood. The article on the discovery is published in Phytotaxa, a journal on plant taxonomy.

Added 544 species to India’s Diversity in 2019: Animal Discoveries 2019 & Plant Discoveries 2019 of ZSI & BSI Launched by Babul Supriyo  The Scientists have discovered around 544 new species from India during 2019, the list of these new discoveries were released as two books, Animal Discoveries 2019 and Plant Discoveries 2019 by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and the Botanical Survey of India (BSI). The ZSI and BSI have been releasing these books since 2007 and the 2019 list marks the 13th edition of this collection. The Animal discovery 2019 has listed 364 species as new to science and 116 species as first data from India. Plant Discoveries 2019 has listed 180 new plant species which includes seed-bearing plants, ferns, fungi, algae and various species of microbes and 73 new data are found from India

Scientists Found India’s First Dragonfly Fossil of 2.5mn Years Old in Jharkhand  A team of scientists from West Bengal headed by Mahasin Ali Khan, assistant professor of Botany at Sidho- Kanho- Birsha University found India’s first Dragonfly fossil in Latehar, Jharkhand. The fossil belongs to the late Neogene Period and it is expected to be around 2.5 million years old. The findings of the discovery are published in the October 10 edition of Current Science journal.

Pernod Ricard India Foundation and WWF India Partners to Secure Future of Assam’s Wild Elephants  Pernod Ricard India Foundation and World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF India) partners to conserve the Asian elephant in Assam through effective human-elephant conflict management. The project will work across 150 villages in Kamrup, Sonitpur, Biswanath, and Nagaon districts. It will also train community members on effective situation management by developing a toolkit and forming anti- depredation squads, which will help them protect their property, crops, and lives.

Echinops sahyadricus: New Species of Flowering Plant discovered in Sahyadri Mountains, Maharashtra  The team of researchers (Sushant More, Harshal Bhosale & Fabio Conti) discovered a new species of flowering plant named “Echinops sahyadricus” (common name – Sahyadri globe thistle) in Rajgad Fort located in Sahyadri hills, Westenern Ghats, Pune, Maharashtra. The discovery is published in the Nordic Journal of Botany.

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SPORTS

Australian Cricketer Alyssa Healy Broke MS Dhoni’s Record of Most Dismissal by Wicket Keeper  Australian woman cricketer and wicket keeper Alyssa Healy broke the record of “Most Dismissal by Wicket Keeper” by MS Dhoni’s who made 91 dismissals in 98 T20 Internationals (T20I) for India. Healy has played 114 T20Is for Australia and broke the record with 92 dismissals in the shortest format of the game during the match against New Zealand in the 2nd T20I of the three match series at Allan Border Field at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

French Open 2020  The 124th Edition of French Open (also known as Roland Garros) took place at the Roland Garros Stadium, Paris, France from 27th September – 11th October, 2020. Note: French Open is a Clay Court Tennis Tournament.

French Open 2020 Winners: Category Winner Runner-up Men’s Singles Rafael Nadal (Spain) Novak Djokovic (Serbia) Women’s Singles Iga Swiatek (Poland) Sofia Kenin (USA) Kevin Krawietz (Germany), Andreas Mate Pavic (Croatia), Bruno Men’s Doubles Mies (Germany) Soares (Brazil) Women’s Doubles Timea Babos (Hungary), Kristina Alexa Guarachi (Chile), Desirae Mladenovic (France) Krawczyk (USA)

Lewis Hamilton wins 2020 Eifel Grand Prix; Equals Schumacher’s record of 91 GP victories  Mercedes Driver Lewis Hamilton (Britain) won the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix held at Nurburgring, Germany. With this win, Lewis Hamilton equalled Michael Schumacher’s All-time record of 91 Grand prix victories.

Polish Footballer Robert Lewandowski named as UEFA Men’s Player of the Year for 2019/2020  Robert Lewandowski (Poland) who represents the club Bayern Munich has been named as the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Men’s Player of the Year 2020. He finished ahead of Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) & Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich). It is an association football award given to footballers playing for men’s football clubs in Europe. It is given for performances in both club and national team competitions.

AIFF announces ‘Indian Football – Forward Together’ as its new motto  All India Football Federation (AIFF) – the apex body for Football in India has announced the launch of a new motto – ‘Indian Football. Forward Together’. The motto reflects the core values of the organization – passion, respect, leadership, teamwork, integrity, professionalism and inclusivity.

Odisha, IRFU sign agreement to sponsor Indian National Rugby Team for 3 years  The State Government of Odisha signed an Agreement with Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU) to sponsor the Indian National Rugby Team for a period of 3 years (till 2023). The agreement was signed at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. It was signed by R Vineel Krishna, Director of Sports & Youth Services Department, Odisha and Maneck Unwala, President of IRFU.

Nihal Sarin emerges winner in Chess.com’s 2020 Junior Speed Online Championship  Sixteen-Year Old Indian Chess Player Nihal Sarin emerged winner in Chess.com’s 2020 Junior Speed Online Chess Championship. He defeated Russia’s Alexey Sarana in the final. With this win, Sarin will qualify for the 2020 Speed Chess Championship Final which will feature the world’s best players. Nihal Sarin hails from Thrissur, Kerala.

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DANISA Denmark Open 2020 Badminton World Federation (BWF) Tournament – Overview  DANISA Denmark Open 2020 took place from October 13-18, 2020 in Odense, Denmark. Denmark Open is an annual Badminton Tournament held in Denmark, organized by Danmarks Badminton forbund. The winners of the DANISA Denmark Open 2020 are: Category Winner Runner-up Men’s Singles Anders Antonsen (Denmark) Rasmus Gemke (Denmark) Women’s Singles Nozomi Okuhara (Japan) Carolina Marin (Spain) Marcus Ellis (England), Chris Langridge Vladimir Ivanov (Russia), Ivan Sozonov Men’s Doubles (England) (Russia) Women’s Yuki Fukushima (Japan), Sayaka Hirota Mayu Matsumoto (Japan), Wakana Doubles (Japan) Nagahara (Japan) Mark Lamsfuss (Germany), Isabel Chris Adcock (England), Gabby Adcock Mixed Doubles Herttrich (Germany) (England)

Indian Shooters Elavenil, Shahu Mane Bag Gold, Silver Medals in Sheikh Russel International Air- Rifle Championship 2020  Indian Shooter Elavenil Valarivan won the Gold Medal in the Women’s event, while Shahu Tushar Mane won the Silver Medal in the Men’s event in the Sheikh Russel International Air Rifle Championship 2020 that held virtually. Shooters from six countries – India, Bangladesh, Korea, Bhutan, Indonesia & Japan) participated in the 60-shot competition. Japan’s Naoya Okada won the Gold in the men’s event.

World Junior Badminton Championships 2020 cancelled  The World Junior Badminton Champions 2020 scheduled to be held in New Zealand from January 11-24, 2021 has been cancelled due to Pandemic. Badminton World Federation has stated that they have accepted a proposal to stage the 2024 edition in New Zealand as a replacement for the edition lost.

Lewis Hamilton wins Portuguese GP; Overtakes Schumacher in Record 92nd F1 Victory  British Driver Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) won the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix held at Algarve International circuit, Portugal. With this win, Lewis Hamilton became the most successful driver of Formula One with 92 wins. Hamilton has moved one ahead of Schumacher’s all time record of 91 wins.

Tanmay Srivastava, India Under-19 World Cup Winner Retires  Tanmay Manoj Srivastava, Uttar Pradesh batsman and who was part of India’s Under-19 World Cup winning team in 2008 announced his retirement from all forms of domestic cricket. At the age of 18, current Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli took over the captaincy of the Under-19 team. Under Virat Kohli, the Under-19 World Cup was won in 2008.

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BOOKS & AUTHORS

Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia Launched a Coffee-table Book “Bapu – The Unforgettable”  On 2nd October 2020, on the occasion of the 151st Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Manish Sisodia, the Deputy Chief minister of Delhi launched the coffee-table book titled “Bapu – The Unforgettable” over a virtual event organised by the Delhi Archives & Department of Art, Culture and Language, Government of Delhi. Hindustan Times also partnered with these organizations to organize the event.

Anand Neelakantan’s First Kid’s book: “The Very, Extremely, Most Naughty Asura Tales for Kids”  Anand Neelakantan, the author of Baahubali series, authored this first kid’s book titled “The Very, Extremely, Most Naughty Asura Tales for Kids”, published by Puffins Publishers Private Limited under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

Jitendra Singh Released a Coffee Table Book on “Discovering the Heritage of Assam”; Authored by Kumar Padampani Bora  Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State(MoS) (Independent Charge-I/C) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO (Prime Minister’s Office), Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space released a Coffee Table Book on “Discovering the Heritage of Assam”. It was authored by Kumar Padmapani Bora with foreword by Amitabh Bachchan. It is published by Penguin Enterprise. His 1st book was ‘North-East India in India-Asean Relations: A Strategic and Developmental Perspective’.

GBS Sidhu authored “The Khalistan Conspiracy: A Former R&AW Officer Unravels the Path to 1984”  GBS Sidhu, a former special secretary of Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), India’s external intelligence agency authored a book titled “The Khalistan Conspiracy: A Former R&AW Officer Unravels the Path to 1984” that portrays the first person accounts on the facts and the roles of senior politicians in the creation and sustenance of Khalistan movement. The book published by HarperCollins will be released on 24th October 2020.

PM Modi Released the Autobiography of Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, Former Union Minister & Renamed Pravara Rural Education Society after Balasaheb Vikhe Patil  Prime Minister Narendra Modi, released “Deh Vechwa Karani” (dedicating one’s life for a noble cause) the autobiography of former Union Minister, Balasaheb Vikhe Patil and renamed the Pravara Rural Education Society as Loknete Dr. Balasaheb Vikhe Patil Pravara Rural Education Society over a virtual platform. The book was published by Rajhans Prakashan. He received the Padma Bhushan for Social Works in 2010.

Pradeep Goorha Penned His 2nd Book titled “Mr Prime Minister, We Shrank the Dragon”  Pradeep Goorha authored his 2nd book titled “Mr Prime Minister, We Shrank the Dragon”, published by Partridge Publishing India is set to be released. The Fiction book is based on the reality around the issues along the Northern borders of India and the illegal occupation of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Gilgit- Baltistan by Pakistan. His debut book was “Survival Redux”, a historical fiction published by Createspace Independent Pub in 2016 in the United States of America.

Shashi Tharoor authored New Book Titled “The Battle of Belonging”  Renowned Author and Politician Shashi Tharoor is set to release his new book titled “The Battle of Belonging” in November 2020. The book is published by Aleph Book Company. Shashi Tharoor described this book as his “magnum opus” on the Theory, evolution and practice of Nationalism across the globe and especially in India.

Jagdeep Dhankar, Governor of West Bengal Released Deepankar Aron’s Book “On the Trails of Buddha: A Journey to the East”  Jagdeep Dhankar, Governor of West Bengal released the book “On the Trails of Buddha: A Journey to the East” authored by Deepankar Aron, IRS (Indian Revenue Service) Officer. The book is published by Niyogi Books Private limited. The foreword of the book was written by Padma Bhushan Lokesh Chandra.

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Nagaland Minister Launches handbook on “TB Harega, Desh Jeetega”  Nagaland Minister for Health and Family Welfare, S. Pangnyu Phom launched a handbook on “TB Harega, Desh Jeetega!” –an elected Representative’s book on Tuberculosis in Kohima, Nagaland. The Handbook will engage Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA), members of Zila Parishad, Gram Panchayat or Gram Sabha to address social stigma surrounding Tuberculosis. India has committed to end Tuberculosis by 2025, which is five years ahead of Global ‘End TB’ target of 2030.

“Portraits of Power: Half a Century of Being at Ringside” Autobiography of N K Singh: Traces the Origin & Growth of the PMO  Veteran Economist and bureaucrat N K (Nand Kishore) Singh released his autobiography titled “Portraits of Power: Half a Century of Being at Ringside”. The book portrays the life of NK Singh who played an active role in the development of the Indian economy. He is currently serving as the Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission. The book is published by Rupa Publications India. He edited the book “The New Bihar” along with Nicholas Stern of London school of Economics. He was honoured by Japan with its highest national decoration “The order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star” in 2016.

Suman Dubey’s Debut Novel, “The Fixer: Winning Has A Price. How Much Will You Pay?” to be Released  Suman Dubey has authored his debut novel, titled “The Fixer: Winning Has a Price. How Much Will You Pay?”. The book is set to be released on October 26, 2020. The book portrays the thrilling tale of Neil Upadhyay, an ex- cricketer-turned-fixer. The book is published by Rupa Publications India.

A Book titled “Night of the Restless Spirits: Stories from 1984” Authored by Sarbpreet Singh  Sarbpreet Singh has authored a book titled “Night of the Restless Spirits: Stories from 1984”. The book recounts the Sikh massacre or anti-Sikh riots of 1984. The book narrates many stories of ordinary people, that capture the horrors and uncertainties of 1984 through the eyes of Sikhs around the world. The book is published by Penguin.

M. Venkaiah Naidu, VP of India Launched a Coffee Table Book and Rating Systems  M. Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India on the occasion of inaugurating the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)’s Green Building Congress 2020 through virtual mode, launched a coffee table book and Rating systems on Healthcare, Logistics and Net Zero Water. He mentioned that buildings and construction account for 39% of the world’s energy related CO2 (Carbon dioxide) emissions. 2020 marks the 125th anniversary of CII.

UP Governor Anandiben Patel Released World’s First Scientoon Book “Bye Bye Corona” on COVID-19  Anandiben Patel, Governor of Uttar Pradesh (UP) released the world’s first scientoon book titled “Bye Bye Corona” at an event organised at Raj Bhawan, Lucknow. The book was authored by Dr. Pradeep Kumar Srivastava, Scientoonist and former Senior Principal Scientist at CSIR-CDRI (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Central Drug Research Institute) and published by Vigyan Prasar, an autonomous agency under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.

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OBITUARY

Kannada Writer & Literary Critic, Sahitya Akademi Awardee GS Amur Passed Away at 95  Veteran Kannada writer and noted critic of both Kannada & English literature GS Amur (95) passed away in his residence in Bengaluru, Karnataka due to age related ailments. He was born in 1925 in Bommanahalli, Dharwad, Karnataka.

Haji Hussain Ansari, Minister of Jharkhand Passed Away at 73  Haji Hussain Ansari, Minister of Minority Welfare of Jharkhand passed away at the age of 73 at Medanta hospital in Ranchi, Jharkhand due to cardiac arrest after recovering from COVID-19. He was the senior leader of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) party. He was also the sitting chairman of Haj committee. He is the first and only Muslim to become minister of Jharkhand.

Pradeep Maharathy, Veteran MLA of BJD and Former Minister Passed Away at 65  Veteran Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) and former Odisha minister, Pradeep Maharathy passed away at the age of 65 at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar, Odisha after tested positive for COVID-19. He was born in 1955 in Puri, Odisha.

Najeeb Tarakai, Afghanistan Cricketer Passed Away at 29  Najeeb Tarakai, Afghanistan cricketer passed away at the age of 29 due to a road accident on October 2, 2020 in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. The top-order right-handed batsman has played 12 T20I (Twenty20 Internationals) and 1 ODI (One Day International) for Afghanistan. He was born on February 2, 1991 in Afghanistan.

Naseeb Pathan Leader of UP Congress Passed Away at 52  Naseeb Pathan, the Leader of Uttar Pradesh (UP) Congress passed away at the age of 52 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh due to coronavirus. Pathan Hails from Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh He is a former Congress Legislature Party (CLP) President in Uttar Pradesh.

Mario Molina, The Only Mexican Scientist to Win Nobel Prize in Chemistry Passed Away at 77  Mario José Molina, the only Mexican scientist to receive the Nobel Prize, passed away at the age of 77 in his native Mexico City, Mexico. He shared the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Frank Sherwood Rowland of the United States (US) and Paul Crutzen of the Netherlands for their 1970 research on the damage to Ozone layer. He was born on 19th March 1943 in Mexico City, Mexico. He also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Former American President Barack Obama on 8th August 2013.

Ashwani Kumar, Former CBI Director & Former Governor of Manipur and Nagaland Passed Away at 69  Ashwani Kumar, the former Director of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and former governor of Manipur and Nagaland committed suicide and was found dead in his residence in Shimla. He was born on 15th November 1950 in Nahan, Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh. He was currently serving as the vice chancellor of a Private university in Shimla.

Justice KK Usha, 1st Woman Chief Justice of Kerala High Court from Bar Passed away  Justice KK Usha, the former Chief Justice (C.J.) of Kerala High Cour t(HC) passed away at the age of 81 in a private hospital at Kochi, Kerala due to cardiac arrest. She was the first woman to be directly elevated to the High Court bench from the bar and become Chief Justice. She was born on 3rd July 1939 in Thrissur, Kerala.

Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan Passed Away at 74  Ram Vilas Paswan, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (elected from the Hajipur constituency of Bihar) passed away at the age of 74 in a hospital at New Delhi due to heart ailments. He was born on 5th July 1946 at Khagaria, Eastern Bihar. He was the leader of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and a stalwart of socialist movements. He was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1977 with highest margin as a member of Janata Party and he held the Guinness record for winning his constituency, Hajipur, with the highest margin for many years.

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Veteran Marathi Actor and Producer Avinash Kharshikar Passed Away at 68  Producer and Veteran Marathi Actor Avinash Kharshikar, known for his sense of humour passed away due to heart attack at the age of 68 in a private hospital at Thane, Maharashtra. Avinash Kharshikar started his career in Marathi film industry in 1978.

Anantkumar Surendraray Dave, Ex-Gujarat HC Acting Chief Justice Passed Away at 62  Anantkumar Surendraray Dave, Former acting Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court passed away at the age of 62 at a private hospital in Ahmedabad after prolonged illness. He was born on December 5, 1957, in a tribal village in Panchmahal district. He also served as an Additional Judge of the Gujarat High Court, before his appointment as a permanent Judge.

Carlton Chapman, Former Indian Football Captain passed away at 49  Carlton Chapman, former Indian football team captain passed away at the age of 49 at Bengaluru, Karnataka due to heart attack. He was born on 13th April 1971 in Bengaluru, Karnataka. He is India’s leading midfielder played from 1995 to 2001. He was the captain of the Indian team when India won the South Asian Football Federation Gold Cup in 1997.

Veteran Film-maker B. Vijaya Reddy Passed Away  Veteran film-maker B. Vijaya Reddy, known as Vijay in the Kannada film industry passed away due to cardiac arrest in a private hospital in Chennai, Tamil Nadu at the age of 84. He was born on 15th July 1936 in Tadepalligudem, West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.

Charlie Moore, 400m Hurdles Olympic Champion passed away at 91  American Athlete Charlie Moore, 1952 Olympic 400 metre(m) Hurdles Champion passed away due to pancreatic cancer at the age of 91. He was born in August 1929 in Pennsylvania, United States of America (USA). Charlie Moore won the gold in the 1952 Helsinki Olympic 400m Hurdles in 50.8 seconds and tied his Olympic record he set in the quarterfinals.

Vinod Singh, Minister of Bihar Passed Away  Vinod Kumar Singh, Bihar Minister for Backward and Extremely Backward Classes Welfare passed away in Medanta Hospital in Delhi, following a brain haemorrhage. He was around the age of 50. He was a BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) MLA (Members of the Legislative Assembly) from Pranpur Assembly constituency of Katihar district in northeast Bihar.

C. M. Chang, Nagaland Minister and Former Lok Sabha MP Passed Away  Chongshen Mongkosungkum (C.M.) Chang, Nagaland’s Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change and Justice & Law passed away at the age of 78 in Naga Hospital Authority in Kohima. He was a member of Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP). He was also a former Lok Sabha MP (Member of Parliament). He was born on April 1, 1942, in Noksen Village, Tuensang district in Nagaland.

Veteran Kannada Music Composer Rajan Passed Away at 85  Veteran Kannada Music Composer Rajan of the popular Rajan – Nagendra duo passed away at the age of 85 in his residence at Bengaluru, Karnataka. He was born in 1933, in Mysuru, Karnataka. The Rajan- Nagendra Duo won the Kannada State Awards for Best Music Director for Eradu Kanasu (1973-1974) and Parasangada Gendethimma (1978-1979).

Renowned Kuchipudi Dancer Padma Shri Shobha Naidu Passed Away at 64  Renowned Kuchipudi dancer Padma Shri Shobha Naidu passed away at the age of 64 in a private hospital Hyderabad, Telangana. She was a disciple of the legendary guru Vempati Chinna Satyam. She was the Principal for Kuchipudi Art Academy, Hyderabad. She was born at Anakapalli in Visakhapatnam district in 1956.

New Zealand’s Former Captain & Oldest Surviving Test Cricketer John R Reid Passed Away at 92  John R Reid, former captain of New Zealand’s Cricket Team and the oldest surviving Test Cricketer passed away at the age of 92 in Auckland, New Zealand. He was born on 3rd June 1928 in Auckland, New Zealand. He was appointed as ICC (International Cricket Council) match referee in 1993.

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Jnanpith & Padma Shri Awardee and Malayalam Poet ‘Mahakavi’ Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri Passed Away at 94  ‘Mahakavi’ (great poet) Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri, renowned Malayalam Poet passed away at the age of 94 at a private hospital in Thrissur, Kerala. He is the last Malayalam poet to be called as ‘Mahakavi’. He is a recipient of Jnanpith Award (2019), India’s highest literary honour and Padma Shri (2017). He was born on March 18, 1926 in Kumaranallur in Palakkad District, Kerala.

Bhanu Athaiya, Costume Designer & India’s First Oscar Winner Passed Away at 91  Bollywood Costume Designer, Bhanu Athaiya, who was the first Indian to win the Oscars Award passed away at the age of 91 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She was born on 28th April 1929 in Kolhapur, Kolhapur State (now Maharashtra), British India. Her book titled “The Art of Costume Design” was published by HarperCollins in 2010. She presented this book to the Dalai Lama in 2013. She won the Oscar award for best costume design in 1983 for the film Gandhi directed by Richard Attenborough.

Padma Bhushan P.S. Narayanaswamy Renowned Carnatic Vocalist & Guru Passed away at 86  Padma Bhushan P.S. Narayanaswamy, esteemed Carnatic vocalist and guru for hundreds of Carnatic students passed away at the age of 86 at his residence in Mylapore, Chennai. He was born on 24th February 1934 in Thanjavur, Madras Presidency (now Tamil Nadu), British India. He received the Padma Bhushan for arts in 2003. He also received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Kalaimamani Award from the Government of Tamil Nadu for his contribution to Carnatic music.

Kishore Bhimani, Veteran Sports Journalist & Cricket Commentator Passed Away  Kishore Bhimani, veteran sports journalist and commentator passed away in Kolkata, West Bengal due to cardiac arrest. He was born in Kolkata, West Bengal. He was one of the leading cricket commentator in the 80s and 90s. He worked as an editor of the sports page in “The Statesman”, a leading newspaper of Kolkata. He received the lifetime achievement award for his contributions to sports and media in 2013 at the 5th H&G Clinic Journalism Awards 2012. His book “The Accidental Godman” was published by Manjul Publishing House Pvt. Ltd. in 2012.

B Venkataraman, Former IAS Officer & Author of Chola History Books Passed Away  Former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and the Authority of Chola History and Architecture Dr. B Venkataraman, passed away at the age of 95 at a private hospital in Delhi. His wife Leela Venkataraman was a renowned dance critic.

Wing Commander (Retd) Dr. Vijayalakshmi Ramanan IAF’s First Woman Commissioned Officer Passed Away at 96  Retired Wing Commander Dr. Vijayalakshmi Ramanan, first woman commissioned officer of the Indian Air Force (IAF) passed away at the age of 96 due to old age-related ailments at her daughter’s residence in Bengaluru, Karnataka. She was born in February 1924 in Madras (now Chennai), British India.

Former & 1st Home Minister of Telangana Nayani Narasimha Reddy Passed Away  Former & First Home Minister of Telangana Nayani Narasimha Reddy who is popularly known as “Narsanna” passed away at a private hospital in Hyderabad, Telangana. He was born in Neredugomma village near Nalgonda which is currently in Devarakonda, Telangana. He served as MLA from Musheerabad assembly constituency thrice (twice represents Janata party & once represents TRS party).

Keshubhai Savdas Patel Former CM of Gujarat Passed Away at 92  Keshubhai Savdas Patel, former Chief Minister of Gujarat and veteran leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and founder of Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) passed away at the age of 92 at a hospital in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He was born in 1928 in Visavadar, Junagadh, Gujarat. His political party named “Gujarat Parivartan Party” (formed in 2012) was later merged with BJP in 2014. Keshubhai Savdas Patel served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat for 2 terms (1995 and 1998 to 2001) as a member of BJP elected from the Visavadar constituency.

Mesut Yilmaz Former PM of Turkey & Veteran Politician Passed Away at 72  Former Turkish Prime Minister (PM) Mesut Yilmaz, a veteran Politician who served as the PM for three terms passed away at the age of 72 in a hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. He was born on 6th November 1947 in Istanbul, Turkey.

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IMPORTANT DAYS

International Translation Day 2020 – September 30  United Nations (UN) International Translation Day (ITD) is annually celebrated across the globe on 30th September to recognise the contributions of the language professionals towards the developing and strengthening world peace and security and in connecting the nations and facilitating dialogue. The UN’s first International Translation Day was celebrated on 30th September 2018. International Federation of Translators (Fédération Internationale des Traducteurs – FIT) observes the ITD 2020 with the theme “Finding the words for a world in crisis”.

International Day of Older Persons 2020 – October 1  United Nations (UN)’s International Day of Older Persons is annually observed across the globe on 1st October to recognise the elderlies as an asset to the society who are capable of contributing to the development process. The 1st October 2020 marks the 30th Anniversary of the International Day of Older Persons. The theme of the International Day of Older Persons 2020 is “Pandemics: Do They Change How We Address Age and Ageing?”.

International Coffee Day 2020: October 1  International Coffee Day is observed annually on October 1 to celebrate coffee and recognize the efforts of people who are associated with the coffee industry namely, farmers, roasters, baristas, coffee shop owners globally. The day also promotes fair trade coffee and raise awareness for the coffee growers. International Coffee Organisation (ICO) launched its first official International Coffee Day in Milan, Italy in 2015 as part of Expo 2015, a World Expo hosted by Milan.

World Vegetarian Day Observed on October 1, 2020  World Vegetarian Day is celebrated annually on October 1. It is observed to promote Joy, Compassion and life- enhancing possibilities of Vegetarianism. The World Vegetarian Day was founded in 1977 by North American Vegetarian Society (NAVS), and endorsed by International Vegetarian Union in 1978. It is also the First Day of Vegetarian Awareness Month (October).

Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2020 – 1st – 31st October  The Breast Cancer Awareness Month is annually observed across the globe in the month of October from 1st October to 31st October to create awareness and focus the attention on the early detection and treatment of Breast Cancer as well as the palliative care of this disease.

International Day of Non-Violence 2020: October 2  The United Nations (UN) International Day of Non-Violence is observed annually on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence. The day is observed to spread the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness. In India, to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated. The 2020 marks the 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Also, The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) organized a webinar titled ‘Swachhata Ke 6 Saal, Bemisaal’ to celebrate the 6th anniversary of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U).

World Day for Farmed Animals 2020 – October 2  World Day for Farmed Animals is annually celebrated on 2nd October to enhance the needs to treat the farm animals as sentient beings and the importance of farm animal welfare. The International Animal’s Welfare Organisation, World Animal Protection in association with Asia for Animals(AfA) coalition celebrates this day.

World Animal Day 2020 – October 4  World Animal Day is annually observed on the 4th October to enhance the status of animals to improve the welfare standards of animals around the world and celebrate the relationship of animals and human beings. The day aims to create awareness about the major role of the animals in protecting the environment and the wellbeing of humans. Heinrich Zimmermann, a German Editor, Writer and animal protection activist organised the first World Animal Day on 24th March 1925 at the Sport Palace in Berlin, Germany. The day is being celebrated on 4th October aligned with feast of St Francis of Assisi.

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World Space Week Celebrated from October 4-10, 2020  The largest annual space event in the world i.e. World Space Week (WSW) is celebrated annually from October 4- 10 at the international level under the United Nations (UN) resolution 54/68 of 6 December 1999 to celebrate the contributions of space science and technology to the betterment of the human condition. The WSW 2020 is being celebrated on the theme of “Satellites Improve Life” and in WSW 2021 theme will be “Women in Space”.

Wildlife Week 2020 – 2st to 8th October  Wildlife Week is annually celebrated across India between 1st and 8th October with an aim to protect and preserve the flora and fauna of India. The first Wildlife Week was observed in 1957. The Wildlife Week 2020 is celebrated from 2nd October to 8th October 2020. Wildlife Week 2020 marks the 66th Wildlife Week which is celebrated under the theme RoaR (Roar and Revive) – Exploring Human-Animal Relationships. Prakash Keshav Javadekar also launched a report of the Central Zoo Authority and The Energy and Resources Industries(CZA- TERI) titled “Economic valuation of ecosystem services, National Zoological Park, New Delhi” a first of its kind report on the importance of the zoos to the wellbeing of humans.

World Teachers’ Day 2020: October 5  World Teachers’ Day, also known as International Teachers Day is observed annually on October 5 to celebrate the teaching profession around the world and also to provide an opportunity to consider issues related to teachers and teaching. The day commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers in a conference summoned by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in Paris, France. Since October 5, 1994 the day has been celebrated. Theme of 2020– “Teachers: Leading in crisis, reimagining the future”.

World Habitat Day observed on 5th October, 2020  The United Nations World Habitat Day was observed on 5th October. It is celebrated annually on First Monday of October. The World Habitat Day is observed to reflect on the state of human settlements and to emphasize the basic right of adequate shelter to all. The Theme of World Habitat Day 2020 is “Housing for All – A Better Urban Future”. The Global Observation of the Day will be hosted by the city of Surabaya, Indonesia.

World Cotton Day Observed on October 7 2020  The world Cotton Day is held annually on October 7 since 2019 to recognize the importance of cotton as a global commodity grown in over 75 countries across five continents and to highlight its central role in job creation and maintaining economic stability in several least-developed countries. The Cotton-4 group (Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali) initiated the cotton sectoral initiative at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to improve the global trade rules related to cotton.

Indian Air Force Day Observed on October 8 2020  The Indian Air Force (IAF) day is held annually on October 8 as on this date the Air Force in India was officially raised in 1932 as the supporting force of the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom (UK). The year 2020 marked its 88th anniversary.

World Sight Day 2020: October 8  World Sight Day is observed annually on the second Thursday of October, this year (2020) it falls on October 8. The day aims to create awareness globally about blindness and vision impairment. Globally, IAPB has a leadership role in preparing the annual World Sight Day. Theme of World Sight Day 2020– ‘Hope in Sight’.

World Post Day – Observed on 9th October, 2020  The World Post Day is observed annually on 9th October. It aims to bring awareness about the role of Post in the lives of people, business and its contribution to global social and economic development. It is observed to celebrate the anniversary of establishment of Universal Postal Union (UPU) in 1874 in Bern, Switzerland. It was declared as World Post Day by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Congress in Tokyo, Japan in 1969.

National Postal Week to be Observed from October 9-15, 2020  National Postal Week will be observed in India from October 9-15, 2020. During the National Postal Week awareness is observed to generate awareness about the role and activities of India Post among public and media at National level. Department of Posts, Ministry of Communication, Government of India is observing the National Postal Week.

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World Egg Day 2020: October 9  World Egg Day is observed annually on the 2nd Friday of October, this year (2020) the day falls on October 9. The day aims to raise awareness of the benefits of eggs and their importance in human nutrition. The day was established by the International Egg Commission (IEC) in 1996 in a conference held at Vienna.

World Mental Health Day 2020: October 10  World Mental Health Day is observed annually on October 10 to raise awareness about mental health issues globally and mobilize efforts in support of mental health. The theme for World Mental Health Day 2020, as per the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) is “Mental Health for All: Greater Investment – Greater Access”. As per the recent report of the World Health Organisation (WHO), India is the most depressed country in the world.

World Day Against the Death Penalty 2020 – October 10  World Day Against the Death Penalty is annually observed across the globe on 10th October.  The 10th October 2020 marks the 18th World Day Against the Death Penalty which is dedicated to the rights to effective legal representative of the individuals facing death penalty. The first World Day Against the Death Penalty by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty was observed in 2003. The World Day Against the Death Penalty 2020 focuses on the ‘Access to counsel – A matter of life or death’.

World Migratory Bird Day 2020: October 10  World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is celebrated bi-annually on the second Saturday in May and in October. WMBD 2020, in October falls on October 10. The UN (United Nations) led awareness-raising campaign highlights the need to conserve the migratory birds and their habitats, as they face threats.  The day also aims to spotlights their ecological importance and calls for their global conservation through international cooperation. Theme of World Migratory Bird Day 2020- “Birds Connect Our World”.

International Day of the Girl Child 2020: October 11  The United Nations (UN) International Day of the Girl Child is observed annually on October 11 to recognize the rights of the girls and to promote their empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights. The day also highlights the need to address the challenges faced by them around the world.  Theme of International Day of the Girl Child 2020– “My Voice, Our Equal Future”. The year 2020 commemorates the 25 years of adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

World Arthritis Day 2020 – October 12  World Arthritis Day (WAD) is annually observed across the globe on 12th October to create awareness about rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) and to share information and support the RMDs patients and their caregivers. The first World Arthritis day was observed on 12th October 1996. The theme of 2020 World Arthritis Day (WAD) is “It’s in Your Hands, Take Action”. World Arthritis Day (WAD) was established by Arthritis and Rheumatism International (ARI) in 1996.

World Obesity Day 2020 – Moved from 11th October to 4th March  The World Obesity Day was annually celebrated on 11th October till 2019. The day was relaunched as the new Unified World Obesity Day on 4th March 2020.  The World Obesity day aims to create and raise awareness, encourage advocacy and improve policies on obesity. The first World Obesity Day was observed on 11th October 2015.  The theme of World Obesity Day 2020 – 4th March 2020 was “The Roots of Obesity Run Deep”. The World Obesity Federation established World Obesity Day on 11th October 2015.

International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2020 – October 13  The United Nations (UN) ‘s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction or International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) is annually observed across the globe on 13th October to promote a global risk awareness and disaster reduction.  The first International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction was observed in 1989.  The theme of International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2020 is “it’s all about governance” which is associated with the Target E of Sendai Framework.

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International E-Waste Day observed on 14th October 2020  The Third International E-Waste Day was observed on 14th October, 2020. The day is observed to raise awareness about e-waste recycling and encourage consumers to recycle e-waste. It aims to sensitise the youth on E-waste.  It is annually observed on 14th October.  International E-Waste Day has been observed since 2018 by WEEE (Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment) Forum. International E-Waste Day 2020 Theme -Education.

International Day of Rural Women 2020 – October 15  United Nations (UN)’s International Day of Rural Women is annually observed across the globe on 15th October to recognise the role and contribution of rural women in agriculture and rural development, food security and eradicating rural poverty. The day also promotes gender equality and elimination of gender discrimination. The First International Day of Rural Women was observed on since 2008. The theme of International Day of Rural Women 2020 is “Building rural women’s resilience in the wake of COVID-19”.

Global Handwashing Day 2020: October 15  Global Handwashing Day is celebrated annually on October 15. The global advocacy day aims to raise awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives. Theme of Global Handwashing Day 2020 – “Hand Hygiene for All.” The Uttar Pradesh government has launched a social campaign HathDhonaRokeCorona on the occasion of the global handwashing day.

World Students Day observed on 15th October, 2020  The World Students Day is observed annually on 15th October to celebrate the Birth Anniversary of India’s 11th President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. This is Abdul Kalam’s 89th Birth Anniversary. The theme of World Student Day 2020 is “Learning for People, Planet, Prosperity and Peace”. He is recipient of Padma Bhushan (1981), Padma Vibhushan (1990), Bharat Ratna (1997). He is also known as ‘Missile Man of India’ for work on Development of Ballistic Missile and Launch Vehicle Technology.

World Food Day 2020: October 16  The United Nations (UN)’s World Food Day is annually celebrated on October 16 to commemorate the founding date of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN in 1945, this year (2020) marks the 75th anniversary of FAO. Theme of World Food Day 2020– “Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together”. Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi Released Commemorative Coin of Rs 75 denomination.

Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas observed on October 15  Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas was observed throughout the country on October 15, 2020. It is celebrated to recognise the contribution of women farmers in various aspects of agriculture. It was decided in 2016 that every year 15th October will be celebrated as “Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas” by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.

International Day for Eradication of Poverty 2020 – October 17  United Nations (UN)’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is annually observed across the globe on 17th October to create and raise awareness on the needs to eradicate poverty and about the life conditions of the people living in poverty. The first International Day for the Eradication of Poverty was observed on 17th October 1993. The theme of 2020 International day for the Eradication of Poverty is “Acting together to achieve social and environmental justice for all”.

World Trauma Day 2020: October 17  World Trauma Day is observed annually on October 17 to create awareness about the increasing rate of accidents and injuries that cause death and disability globally. The day also highlights the need to prevent trauma.

International Chefs Day 2020: October 20  International Chefs Day is annually celebrated on October 20 to celebrate the profession of chefs and educate people about healthy food globally. The day also highlights the duty of chefs to pass their knowledge and culinary skills to the next generation of Chefs. 2020 International Chefs Day campaign theme– ‘Healthy Food for the Future!’.

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World Osteoporosis Day 2020 – October 20  The World Osteoporosis Day (WOD) is annually observed across the globe on 20th October to raise awareness on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Osteoporosis. The day aims to make the prevention of Osteoporosis and fractures a global health priority by reaching out to healthcare professionals, patients, media and the general public. The first WOD was celebrated on 20th October 1996. The year-long campaign of WOD 2020 will feature “That’s Osteoporosis”. The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) has been organising the events of the WOD since 1996.

Third World Statistics Day Observed on 20th October, 2020  The United Nations (UN) Third World Statistics Day was observed on 20th October. It is observed to emphasise the importance of data authenticity and credibility. The World Statistics day is observed every Five Years. The theme of Third World Statistics Day is – “Connecting the world with Data we can trust”.  The Day will be celebrated across the world under the collaborative endeavour and guidance of the United Nations Statistics Commission.

Police Commemoration Day observed on 21st October, 2020  Police Commemoration Day is observed annually on October 21. It is observed to honour the loyalty and supreme sacrifice of police personnel for the nation. It is observed to remember the sacrifice of Ten policemen who were killed in an ambush by Chinese Troops on October 21, 1959 in Ladakh’s Hot Spring area.

International Stuttering Awareness Day 2020 – October 22  The International Stuttering Awareness Day(ISAD) is annually observed across the globe on 22nd October to create awareness about Stuttering, a speech disorder which is also known as stammering and how the condition affects the fluency of speech. The first International Stuttering Awareness Day was observed on 22nd October 1998. The theme of 2020 ISAD is “Journey of Words – Resilience and Bouncing Back”.

International Snow Leopard Day 2020 – October 23  International Snow Leopard Day is annually celebrated on the 23rd October since 2014 to create awareness about the conservation and preservation of Snow Leopards, the majestic wild cats which are listed among the most threatened animals. The Snow Leopard’s 12 range countries (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, India, China, Nepal, Bhutan, and Afghanistan) endorsed the “Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP)”, initiated by the Kyrgyz government to conserve the snow leopards and their high mountain ecosystem. The snow leopard range states have agreed to work under GSLEP to identify and secure around 20 snow leopard landscapes across the states by 2020 – “Secure 20 by 2020”.

75th United Nations Day Observed on October 24, 2020  United Nations (UN) Day is held annually on October 24 since 1948 which marks the entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945. The year 2020 marks its 75th anniversary. During the high-level event of the 75th anniversary celebrations political declaration was adopted. The declaration was negotiated through an intergovernmental process under the theme “The future we want; the United Nations we need: reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism”.

59th Raising Day of Indo-Tibetan Border Police 2020: October 24  The Raising Day of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is annually observed on October 24. This year (2020) marks the 59th year of its existence. ITBP Force (ITBPF) was raised on October 24, 1962 under the Central Reserve Police Force Act, 1949.

International Day of Diplomats observed on 24th October, 2020  The International Day of Diplomats is observed annually on 24th October, 2020. It is observed to highlight contributions made by diplomats in shaping the world and in making the planet a better place. The International Day of Diplomats was First proposed by Indian Poet-Diplomat Abhay K. It was first observed in Brasilia on October 24, 2017.

World Polio Day 2020 – October 24  World Polio Day is annually observed across the globe on 24th October to create awareness about the polio infection and the vaccines that prevent the polio infection and highlight the global efforts to eradicate polio. The theme of 2020 World Polio Day is “A win against polio is a win for global health”.

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Disarmament Week observed on October 24-30, 2020  The United Nations (UN) Disarmament Week is held annually, which starts on the anniversary of the founding of the UN i.e. October 24 till October 30. This week highlights the danger of the arms and also promotes awareness and better understanding of disarmament issues to maintain international peace and security. It should be noted that Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 of 2030 Agenda recognizes significant reduction in illicit arms flows is necessary for peaceful, just and inclusive societies.

‘Ayurveda for Covid-19 Pandemic′ to be the main theme of 5th Ayurveda Day  It should be noted that Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 of 2030 Agenda recognizes significant The Ayurveda Day is observed every year from 2016, on the day of Dhanwantri Jayanti. This year is the 5th Ayurveda Day, which falls on November 13, 2020. A webinar will be organised on the theme of ‘Ayurveda for Covid-19 Pandemic’ on the day. The Ministry of AYUSH will organise various activities to mark the Day, with a special focus on concerns related to the present pandemic and how Ayurveda can help in immunity building in this context.

World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2020: October 27  The United Nations (UN) World Day for Audiovisual Heritage is annually celebrated on October 27 globally to commemorate the adoption of the Recommendation for the Safeguarding and Preservation of Moving Images in 1980 by the 21st General Conference of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). Theme of World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2020– ‘Your Window to the World’.

74th Infantry Day 2020 – October 27  Indian Army annually celebrates the Infantry Day on 27th October to commemorate the courage and sacrifice of the Infantrymen who fought in the first military event of India after independence on 27th October 1947 against Pakistan intruders in Kashmir. The day also honours all the martyrs of India. The 27th October 2020, marks 74th Infantry Day celebrated by the Indian Army.

Vigilance Awareness Week Observed from October 27 to November 2, 2020  The ‘Vigilance Awareness Week’ 2020 is observed in India from October 27 to November 2, 2020 by Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). This year the week is being observed on the theme “Satark Bharat, Samriddh Bharat (Vigilant India, Prosperous India)”. In this regard, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the three- day National Conference on Vigilance and Anti-Corruption organized by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the theme of vigilance week.

19th International Animation Day 2020: October 28  International Animation Day (IAD) is annually celebrated across the globe on October 28 and this year (2020) marks the 19th anniversary of IAD. The day is celebrated to recognize, honour and celebrate the artists, the scientists and also the technicians behind animated art including animated movies. In 2002, ASIFA created the IAD. October 28 was chosen as the day commemorates the first public performance of Charles-Émile Reynaud’s Théâtre Optique (an animated moving picture system) held at Grevin Museum in Paris, France, on October 28, 1892.

International Internet Day 2020 – October 29  The International Internet Day has been annually celebrated on 29th October since 2005 to mark the anniversary of the first internet transmission on 29th October 1969. The day aims to celebrate the people who supported to build the internet and provide a chance to reflect on the changes brought by the internet. They worked on the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET), funded by the United States (US) Defense Department.

World Stroke Day 2020: October 29  World Stroke Day is annually observed on October 29 to raise awareness about stroke prevention, treatment and recovery. The day highlights the seriousness of strokes and the need to ensure better care and support for survivors. The theme of the World Stroke Day 2020 webinar is ‘Get Ready to join the Movement’. The central idea for the World Stroke Day 2020 campaign is Join the Movement with the hashtag ‘1 in 4’.

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