Current Affairs - September to December 2020

Month All Type All

1459 Current Affairs were found in Period - Sep - Dec 2020 for Type - All

Appointments 1. RBI appointed AK Dixit as new administrator of Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank. 1. In September 2019, RBI had superseded board of PMC bank, due to fraud and financial irregularities. 2. Aditya Nath Das has been Appointed as New Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh. 3. Alapan Bandyopadhyay has been named new Chief Secretary of West Bengal. 4. Anil Dhasmana (Former RAW chief) has been appointed as chief of National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO). 5. Duarte Pacheco (Portugal) has been elected as President of Geneva (Switzerland) based Inter Parliamentary Union. 6. Gyanendra Ningombam from Manipur has been elected as President of Hockey India. He is First Hockey India Chief from Northeast region. 7. Harivansh Narayan Singh has been re-elected as Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha. 1. Rajya Sabha is chaired by Vice President of India, Currently M Venkaiah Naidu. 8. J Venkatramu has been appointed the MD and CEO of India Post Payments Bank (IPPB). 9. Joe Biden won US Presidential elections 2020, defeating Donald Trump. 1. His Oath of Office as 46th President of US will be administered on January 20, 2021. 2. Also, Indian Origin Person Kamala Harris became first woman vice president of US. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan arrived in US from Tamil Nadu, in 1958. 10. M.M. Kutty (Former Chief Secretary of Delhi) has been appointed as 1st Chairperson of newly formed Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM). 11. Narendra Singh Tomar (Agri. and Farmers welfare Minister) has been given additional charge of Ministry of Food Processing Industries, after Serving Food Processing Industries Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigned from Central Government Cabinet. 12. Piyush Goyal has been appointed Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. He already holds Charge as Minister of Railways AND Commerce and Industry. 1. It came after earlier Cabinet Minister Ram Vilas Paswan passed away recently. 13. Priyanca Radhakrishnan became New Zealand’s first-ever Indian-origin minister, as Minister for Community and Voluntary Sector. 14. Rajeev Chaudhary has been appointed as Director General of Border Roads Organisation (BRO). 15. Rajkiran Rai G has been elected as Chairman of Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) for term 2020-21. He is MD and CEO of Union Bank of India. 16. S Aparna has been appointed has been named as Secretary in Department of Pharmaceuticals under Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers (Pharma Secretary of India). 1. Also, Apurva Chandra has been named as Secretary in Ministry of Labour & Employment. 17. S S Deswal (ITBP DG) has been given additional charge of counter-terrorism force National Security Guard (NSG). 18. Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa has been named as Prime Miniser of Bahrain. He was named after earling serving PM Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa passed away. 19. Siddharth Chatterjee of India has been appointed as United Nations resident coordinator in China, a role which is representative of United Nations Secretary General for development at country level. 20. Subhash Kamath has been elected as chairman of board of governors of Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). 21. Vishal V. Sharma has been appointed as next Permanent Representative of India to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), replacing Jawed Ashraf. 22. Yoshihide Suga has been elected as Prime Minister-designate of Japan, to succed Shinzo Abe, longest serving PM of Japan. 23. Zena Wooldridge (England) has been elected as World Squash Federation President. 24. Alexander Lukashenko has been appointed as President of Belarus for his 6th Term. 25. All India Tennis Association (AITA) elected Anil Jain as its new president, with Anil Dhupar as secretary general. 26. Alpha Condé has been elected as President of Guinea (West Africa) for his 3rd term. 27. American Banking Major Citigroup named Jane Fraser as its next chief executive officer, and first female to hold this post. 28. Amitabh Jain has been Appointed as Chief Secretary of Chhattisgarh. 29. Ananda Bazar Group's Aveek Sarkar has been elected as chairman of Press Trust of India (PTI). 30. Artem Novikov has been named Acting Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan. 31. Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) named Vineet Aggarwal (MD of Transport Corporation of India) as its new President. He will replace Co-founder Niranjan Hiranandani. 32. Australia appointed former cricketer Matthew Hayden and Indian-origin politician Lisa Singh as trade envoys for advancing business ties with India. 33. BCCI appointed Neetu David as Chairman of 5 member women’s national selection panel. 34. Banks Board Bureau (BBB) recommended S Ramann as chairman of Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and Shivendra Tomar as MD of IFCI Ltd. 35. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi have been appointed as Deputy chief ministers of Bihar. 1. This came after JDU's Nitish Kumar was recently re-appointed as Chief Minister of Bihar, for his 7th Term. 2. Also, Renu Devi is first Female Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar. 36. Cabinet approved appointment of Railway Board Chairman, Vinod Kumar Yadav as CEO of the board, through a long- pending organizational restructuring of Railway Board. Railway Board has now been downsized from 8 members to 5. 1. Pradeep Kumar, PC Sharma, PS Mishra, and Manjula Rangarajan ae named as Members. 37. Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India Girish Chandra Murmu has been elected as External Auditor of Geneva based Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU), for 3 year term. 1. Duarte Pacheco (Portugal) was recently elected as President of Geneva (Switzerland) based Inter Parliamentary Union. 38. Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur has been appointed President of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and chairman of FTII governing council. 39. Former Infosys Chief Kris Gopalakrishnan has been appointed as first Chairperson of Reserve Bank Innovation Hub, which has been set up to promote innovation across financial sector. 40. Francisco Sagasti has been appointed Interim President of Peru, until 2021 General Elections in April. 41. Government appointed Dinesh Khara as New State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman, to replace Rajneesh Kumar, for 3 years term. 1. Along with Chairman, SBI has 4 Managing Directors. 2. Two Current SBI MDs - C.S. Setty, Ashwani Bhatia. Currently 2 MD Posts are vacant. Dinesh Khara has been elevated from MD to Chairman. 42. Government appointed Jayant R Varma, Shashank Bhide and Ashima Goyal as members of Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). 1. MPC comprises six members - three officials of RBI and 3 external members nominated by Government. 2. Governor of RBI is chairperson ex officio of committee (Shashikanta Das Currently). 3. Other 2 Members (RBI Officials) - RBI Deputy Governor Michael Debrata Patra and Mridul Saggar (Executive director of Bank in charge of monetary policy). 43. Government appointed M Rajeshwar Rao as new Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India, to fill post which was vacant since N R Vishwanathan's resignation in March 2020. 1. Other RBI DGs are M. D. Patra, M. K. Jain, B.P. Kanungo. RBI Governor is Shaktikanta Das. 44. Government appointed S Krishnan as MD & CEO of Punjab & Sind Bank. 45. Government appointed Simanchala Dash as an advisor to Executive Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF). 1. Surjit Singh Bhalla is current executive Director at IMF, Representing India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. 46. Govt Appointed PD Vaghela as new Chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), replacing RS Sharma. 47. Govt. appointed Yashvardhan K. Sinha as new Chief Information Commissioner, replacing Bimal Julka. 1. Central Information Commission includes 1 Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and maximum 10 Information Commissioners. 48. Harpal Singh has appointed new Engineer-in-Chief of Indian Army. 49. Haryana government appointed Vijai Vardhan as new state chief secretary. 50. Heeralal Samariya, Saroj Punhani and Uday Mahurkar have been appointed as Information Commissioners of India. 1. Y.K. Sinha was recently appointed as Chief Information Commissioner. 2. Now, number of Information Commissioners (apart from Chief Information Commissioner) has risen to 7. 3. Central Information commission includes 1 chief information commissioner and not more than 10 information commissioners. 51. India appointed Sameer Kumar Khare as new Executive Director at Asian Development Bank (ADB). 1. Also, Rajesh Khullar has been appointed by India as Executive Director at World Bank. 52. India's Khushi Chindaliya has been appointed as Regional Ambassador for India by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)- Tunza Eco-Generation. 53. Indian diplomat Vidisha Maitra has been elected to the UN’s Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ). 54. Indian-American Vivek Murthy has been appointed as US Surgeon general under New President Joe Biden's administration. 1. Earlier, he had served as US Surgeon general under former President Barack Obama. 2. Also, US President Elect Joe Biden nominated Lloyd J. Austin III as 28th US Secretary of Defense. If confirmed, he would be first African American to lead US Department of Defense. 55. Indian-origin Person Wavel Ramkalawan has been apponted President of Seychelles. 56. Indian-origin global health expert Anil Soni has been appointed as first Chief Executive Officer of newly launched WHO Foundation, which works alongside the World Health Organization to address most pressing health challenges across world. 57. International Golf Federation (IGF) elected Annika Sorenstam (Sweden) as its new president. 58. Jacinda Ardern has been re-elected as Prime Minister of New Zealand, for her 2nd term. 59. Japan formally proclaimed Crown Prince Akishino to the throne, after his elder brother Emperor Naruhito, became monarch last year following their father’s abdication. 60. Jishnu Baruah has been appointed as new chief secretary of Assam. 61. Jordan King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein appointed Bishr al-Khasawneh as new Prime Minister of The country. 62. Kuwait’s Crown Prince Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah became Kuwait’s new ruling emir, after earlier emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah passed away recently. 1. India observed one day’s State Mourning on passing away of earllier Kuwait Ruler Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. 2. Also, Kuwaiti government, chaired by Prime Minister Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah, submitted its resignation to newly apponted Emir Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah. 63. Luis Arce has been elected as new President of Bolivia (South America). 64. Maia Sandu has been appointed as First-Ever Female President of Moldova (Eastern Europe). 65. Manila (Philippines) based Asian Development Bank (ADB) appointed Takeo Konishi as Country Director of India. 1. Also, India appointed Sameer Kumar Khare as new Executive Director at Asian Development Bank (ADB). 66. Maruti Suzuki MD and CEO Kenichi Ayukawa has been elected as new President of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) for 2 years. 67. Michael Irani of Great Britain (GBR) has been appointed as Interim President of International Weightlifting Federation(IWF). 68. Misc. Appointments (December 2020) - 1. Government appointed Varsha Joshi as Chairperson of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). 2. IOCL Chairman Shrikant Madhav Vaidya has been appointed WLPGA (World Liquified Petroleum Gas Association)'s First Vice-President. 3. Nana Addo Dankwa has been Re elected as president of Ghana for his 2nd term. 4. Indian-American Raja Chari has been selected as Commander of SpaceX Crew-3 mission to International Space Station (ISS) by NASA and European Space Agency. 5. Satyendra Garg has been appointed as Director-General of Andaman and Nicobar Police. 6. NHAI Chairman Sukhbir Singh Sandhu got 2nd Extension of 6 Months for his post. 7. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has been nominated to Board of GAVI (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) Vaccine Alliance. 8. BCCI named Chetan Sharma as chairman of selection committee, while Abey Kuruvilla and Debasish Mohanty named other members in selection panel. 9. Arya Rajendran became Youngest Mayor of any Indian city at age 21, after she was elected mayor of Thiruvananthapuram. 69. Misc. Appointments (November 2020) 1. Rajiv Jalota has been appointed as chairman of Mumbai Port Trust. 2. Housing and Urban Affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri and 9 others elected to Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh. 3. Electronics Sector Skill Council of India (ESSCI) appointed PVG Menon as CEO. 4. President appointed Sanjay Kumar Medhi , Nani Tagia, and Manish Choudhury as Judges of Gauhati High Court. 5. National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) Chairman Dilip Rath has been elected to board of global dairy body International Dairy Federation (IDF). 6. AK Gupta is appointed as MD and CEO of PSU ONGC Videsh. 7. Former West Indies Cricketer Michael Holding has been appointed as new patron of England's Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Foundation. 8. Enforcement Directorate chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra received 1 year extension for his post. 9. US President-Elect Joe Biden named Indian-American Mala Adiga as policy director of Jill Biden, who will soon be US first lady. 10. Roch Marc Christian Kaboré has been re-elected as President of Burkina Faso (West Africa), for his 2nd term. 70. Misc. Appointments (October 2020) - 1. Harinder Singh has been appointed head of Dehradun-based Indian Military Academy. 2. Devyani Khobragade is appointed as India’s next ambassador to Cambodia. 3. M A Ganapathy has been appointed as Director-General of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). 4. Mutual fund industry body AMFI re-appointed Nilesh Shah as its chairman. Nilesh is MD of Kotak Asset Management Company (AMC). 5. RBI extended term of Rajesh Kumar Chhibber as CMD of Jammu & Kashmir Bank for 6 months. 6. Indian-origin academician Srikant Datar has been named Dean of Harvard Business School (US), replacing Nitin Nohria, who also was Indian-Origin Person. 7. Rohan Jaitley (son of late Minister Arun Jaitley) has been elected as President of Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). 8. Govt extended tenure of Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla till August 2021. 9. Govt extended tenure of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) CMD Gurdeep Singh by 2025. 10. CSIR-CDRI's Saman Habib has been elected as fellow of Indian National Science Academy (New Delhi), for her work on understanding malaria parasite. 11. Nanda Kishore Sahoo is appointed as Director General Dental Services in Army. 12. ITBP Appointed Amrit Mohan Prasad to head newly created Guwauhati based Eastern command. ITBP also announced to create 47 new Border Outposts, amid tensions with China. 13. Neena Malhotra is appointed as Indian Ambassador to Republic of San Marino (Europe). 14. Sushil Kumar Singhal is appointed as Indian Ambassador to Solomon Islands (Oceania). 15. Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports appointed Bimal Julka as its Chairman (Former Chief Information Commissioner of India). 71. Misc. Appointments (Sep 2020) - 1. S R Sarma has been appointed as Chief of Materiel of the Indian Navy. 2. Raj Kumar Srivastava is appointed as New Ambassador of India to Croatia. 3. Hemant Khatri has been appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of defence PSU Hindustan Shipyard Ltd. 4. Govt. extended term of Pramod Chandra Mody as Chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), by 6 months. 5. Satpal Singh Satti is appointed as Chairman of 6th Himachal Pradesh State Finance Commission. 6. Former Prime Minister of India (11th) and Karnataka CM, H D Deve Gowda has been appointed as a member of Rajya Sabha. 7. Amazon signed actor Amitabh Bachchan for its Alexa voice assistant, making him first Indian celebrity to lend his voice to Alexa. 8. Girija Shanker Mungali has been appointed a member of Asian Football Confederation’s task force, tasked to regulate football clubs in Asia and Australia. 9. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) appointed Sunil Sethi, as its advisor. 10. Government extended term of Uday Kotak as non-executive chairman of debt-ridden IL&FS group by one year. 11. PSU EESL Appointed Rajat Sud as its Managing Director. 12. RBI Apponited Actor Amitabh Bachchan for promoting customer awareness campaign, aimed at preventing customers from being duped by fraudsters. 72. Moctar Ouane is appointed as acting Prime Minister of Mali (West Africa). Also, Bah Ndaw has been named as Interim President of Mali. 73. Mohamed Hussein Roble has been appointed as new Prime Minister of Somalia (East Africa). 74. Nana Akufo-Addo has been re-appointed as President of Ghana (West Africa), for his 2nd Term. 75. New US President-elect Joe Biden announced Task Force to deal with COVID-19 in US, to be led by Indian Origin Person Vivek Murthy, former Surgeon General of US. 1. Also, Indian-American Kash Patel is named as Chief of Staff to the Acting US Defence Secretary Chris Miller. 76. New Zealand’s Greg Barclay has been appointed as new Chairman of International Cricket Council (ICC), replacing India's Shashank Manohar who had stepped down earlier. 77. Noted Indian Comic hero Chacha Chaudhary has now been named as Brand Ambassador of Namami Gange Programme. Diamond Toons will conceptualize and publish new Talking Comics with Chacha Chaudhary spreading awareness on cultural and spiritual significance of Ganga. 78. Noted Indian Music composer AR Rahman has been named as ambassador of BAFTA Breakthrough initiative in India. 79. Noted actor Paresh Rawal has been appointed as new chief of National School of Drama by President Ram Nath Kovind. 80. Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar has been elected as Vice President of Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU). 81. President appointed New Chief Justices in 4 High Courts - Odisha, Telangana, Madras and J& K. 1. S. Muralidhar - Orissa 2. Hima Kohli - Telangana 3. Sanjib Banerjee - Madras 4. Pankaj Mithal - Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh 5. Earlier, former Chief Justices of These high courts were transferred elsewhere - 1. Raghvendra Singh Chauhan - From Telengana to Uttarakhand 2. Jitendra Kumar Maheshwari- From Andhra Pradesh to Sikkim 3. Arup Kumar Goswami - From Sikkim to Andhra Pradesh 4. Mohammad Rafiq- From Odisha to Madhya Pradesh 82. President gave Narendra Singh Tomar (Agri. and Farmers welfare Minister) the additional charge of Ministry of Food Processing Industries. 1. This came after former Serving Food Processing Industries Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal had resigned from Central Government Cabinet. 83. President of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara won his third 5-year term, in an electoral victory. 84. RBI Appointed 3 New Executive Directors - R. Subramanian, Rohit Jain and Radha Shyam Ratho. 1. As of now, RBI Board has 1 Governor (Shaktikanta Das), 4 Deputy Governors (B.P. Kanungo, M. K. Jain, M. D. Patra and M. Rajeshwar Rao) and 13 Executive Directors. 85. RBI Approved interim committee of directors, headed by G Subramonia Iyer, to run private bank Dhanlaxmi Bank, after shareholders voted out its MD and CEO Sunil Gurbaxani. 86. RBI approved Murali Ramakrishnan as new MD and CEO of South Indian Bank. 87. Rebel Commander Ishmael Toroama has been elected as President of Bougainville, an autonomous region in Papua New Guinea. 88. Saad Hariri has been named Prime Minister of Lebanon, for his fourth Term. 89. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, has been re-appointed as Prime Minister of Kuwait. 90. State Bank of India (SBI) appointed Charanjit Singh Attra as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). 91. Tanzanian President John Magufuli has been re-elected for his second term, with electoral victory. 92. Themba N. Masuku has been appointed as Acting Prime Minister of Eswatini (Southern Africa), after demise of earlier serving PM Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini. 93. Uday Shankar has been named President of FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) for 2020-21. 1. He is Outgoing President of Walt Disney Company for Asia Pacific and the Chairman of Star and Disney India. 94. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) appointed Bollywood Actor Ayushmann Khurrana as its celebrity advocate for children’s rights campaign, ”For Every Child”. 95. Usha Padhee has been named Director-General of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), as first woman to hold this post. 96. Utpal Kumar Singh is appointed as as Secretary-General of Lok Sabha and Lok Sabha Secretariat. 97. World Health Organisation’s independent panel for pandemic preparedness and response appointed India's Preeti Sudan (former health secretary) as one of its 11 panellists from across world. 98. Wushu coach and Dronacharya Awardee Kuldeep Handoo is appointed as Ambassador of Govt's Fit India movement. Top

Awards 1. Bank of Ghana won Central bank of the year award 2020, by the Central Banking Awards Committee. Also, Mark Carney (Governor of Bank of England) won Central Bank Governor of the year award 2020. 2. Indian film Natkhat won top prize at 3rd edition of Best Of India Short Film Festival 2020, which makes it eligible for 2021 Oscar qualification. The film has been directed by Shaan Vyas and has Vidya Balan in lead role. 1. Best of India Festival was established by ShortsTV in 2018, to honour exceptional work in Indian cinema. 3. 14th edition of Asian Film Awards organized virtually, due to Covid-19 Pandemic. Awardees - Award Name Winner 1. Best Actor Lee Byung-hun – The Man Standing Next (South Korea) Best Actress Zhou Dongyu – Better Days (China) Best Director Wang Xiaoshuai for So Long, My Son (China) Best Film Parasite (South Korea) Best Supporting Actor Ryo Kase – To the Ends of the Earth Best Supporting Actress Ko Shu-chin – A Sun Best Original Music Karsh Kale, for Gully Boy 4. 2020 Booker Prize has been awarded to Douglas Stuart for his debut novel Shuggie Bain, receiving £50,000. 1. Stuart is second Scottish author to win Booker Prize, after James Kelman in 1994. 2. Earlier, the prize was called Booker–McConnell Prize (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019). It is a literary prize awarded each year for best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland. 5. 21 scientists associated with innovative research ideas in several areas have been selected for Swarna Jayanti fellowships 2020. 1. Swarna Jayanti Fellowships was instituted by Govt. to commemorate India's 50th year of Independence, which provides special assistance to selected young scientists, to enable them to pursue basic research in frontier areas of science and technology. 2. Under this, awardees are given support, which will cover all requirements for performing research and will include a fellowship of 25000 per month for 5 years. Also, research grant of 5 lakh Rupees for 5 years is provided. 6. 2nd National Water Awards Conferred by Ministry of Jal Shakti, honoring commendable work in field of water resources conservation and management. 1. Jury Committee, headed by Shashi Shekhar, selected 98 winners in 16 different categories. 2. Tamil Nadu Stayed at top, followed by Maharashtra and Rajasthan. 7. 6 grassroots environmental activists have been named winners of Goldman Environmental Prize 2020, Dubbed Green Nobel Prize. 1. This award is given annually to environmental heroes from each of the world’s six geographic regions - Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, North America, and South and Central America. 2. Chibeze Ezekiel (Ghana) 3. Kristal Ambrose (The Bahamas) 4. Leydy Pech (Mexico) 5. Lucie Pinson (France) 6. Nemonte Nenquimo (Ecuador) 7. Paul Sein Twa (Myanmar) 8. 72nd annual primetime Emmy Awards Winners, announced in Los Angeles (US) -

Sl. No. Category Winner 1. OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES Succession 2. OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES Schitt’s Creek 3. LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA Jeremy Strong, (Succession) 4. LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA Drama- Zendaya, (Euphoria) 5. LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY Eugene Levy (Schitt’s Creek) 6. LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek) 9. ATP Awards 2020 - 1. Player of the Year - Novak Djokovic (Serbia) (6th title) 2. Doubles Team of the Year - Mate Pavić (Croatia), Bruno Soares (Brazil) 3. Coach of the Year - Fernando Vicente (Spain) (Coached Andrey Rublev (Russia)) 4. Tim Gullikson Career Coach Award - Bob Brett (Australia) 5. Most Improved Player - Andrey Rublev (Russia) 6. Newcomer of the Year - Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) 7. Comeback Player of the Year - Vasek Pospisil (Canada) 8. Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award - Rafael Nadal (Spain) 10. Kerala won UN Interagency Task Force (UNIATF) 2020 award on prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, for its excellent contribution towards the non-communicable diseases-related sustainable development goals. 11. Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians 2020 has been awarded to Carolina Araujo, Mathematician from Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IMPA), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), for her outstanding work in algebraic geometry. 1. This Prize is awarded annually since 2005, to a researcher (Under 45 years) from a developing country. 2. It is funded by India's Department of Science and Technology, in collaboration with ICTP (International Centre for Theoretical Physics) and International Mathematical Union. 3. Carolina Araujo is first non-Indian to receive this prize. 4. Prize is in memory of Srinivasa Ramanujan, a self-taught Indian mathematical genius who made spectacular contributions to elliptic functions, continued fractions, infinite series, and analytical theory of numbers. 12. Aam Admi Party's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh has been Selected for Gandhi Award of Mahahtma Ghandhi National Foundation, for being instrumental in India's diplomatic intervention to remove Mahatma Gandhi's images on beer bottles of a private company in Israel. 13. Actor Om Puri has been honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award at 3rd edition of India International Film Festival of Boston. Other Awards - 1. Best Feature Film - Kaanthi 2. Best Male Actor - Victor Banerjee for Josef: Born In Grace. 3. Best Female Actor - Shylaja Ambu for Kaanthi. 14. Actor Naseeruddin Shah has been honoured with 2020 Aditya Vikram Birla Kalashikhar Puraskar, at Sangit Kala Kendra Awards. 1. Alongside, Neel Choudhary and Irawati Karnik were awarded Aditya Vikram Birla Kalakiran Puraskars. 2. These awards were instituted in 1996 by Sangeet Kala Kendra (SKK), which was founded in 1973 by Aditya Vikram Birla. 15. Actor Sonu Sood has been conferred with SDG Special Humanitarian Action Award by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), for helping migrants, stranded people during COVID-19 Lockdown. 16. All India Football Federation (AIFF) awards 2019-20 - 1. Men’s Footballer of the Year - Gurpreet Singh Sandhu 2. Women’s Player of the Year - Sanju Yadav 3. Men’s Emerging Footballer - Anirudh Thapa 4. Women’s Emerging Footballer - Ratanbala Devi 5. Best Referee - L. Ajit Kumar Meetei (Manipur) 6. Best Grassroots Development Programme - West Bengal 17. Ashraf Patel, founder and Board member of Pravah and ComMutiny - The Youth Collective (CYC), has been named winner of Social Entrepreneur of the Year (SEOY) Award - India 2020. 1. It is 11th edition of this annual award, instituted by the Schwab Foundation and Jubilant Bhartia Foundation in 2010. 18. Bangladeshi teen Sadat Rahman has been awarded International Children’s Peace Prize by international children’s rights organization KidsRights, for creating anti-cyber bullying app Cyber Teens, to help teenagers who are sufferers of cyber bullying. 19. Bhutan’s Queen Mother Gyalyum Sangay Choden Wangchuck has been awarded United Nations Population Award in individual category for 2020, for her work on sexual health and ending gender violence. 1. Also, HelpAge India won the award in organisational category, for its work on elder care. 2. 2 Indians have been honored by this award since its establishment in 1981 - former PM Indira Gandhi in 1983 and industrialist J.R.D.Tata in 1992. 20. Britain’s Prince William and Naturalist David Attenborough launched Earthshot Prize, to encourage change and support to repair the planet. 1. First five Earthshots will be awarded for projects that focus on protecting and restoring nature and clean air, reviving oceans, fixing climate and reducing waste. Five prizes of 1 million pounds ($1.3 million) will be awarded each year for next 10 years. 21. British Indian author Anita Anand's book Patient Assassin: A True Tale of Massacre, Revenge and the Raj won PEN Hessell- Tiltman Prize for History 2020. The Book tells story of a young man caught up in 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar. 22. Canadian Poet Margaret Atwood won 2020 Dayton Literary Peace Prize’s lifetime achievement award, also called Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award. 23. Colombian journalist Jineth Bedoya Lima has been awarded Golden Pen of Freedom by World Association of News Publishers (Wan-Ifra). 24. Communications and IT Minister Ravi ShankarPrasad conferred Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Telecom Skill Excellence Awards, including cash award of 50000 and 30000 respectively to both awardees. 1. Sreenivas Karanam (Bangalore) won FIRST prize, for developing cost-effective solution under brand ‘C mobile’, for deep sea communication, operating along Kerala coast, facilitating communication among fishermen. 2. Subrat Kar (New Delhi) won SECOND prize, for his innovative solution on development & deployment of a large scale sensor network and devices to avoid train-animal collision. 25. Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has been conferred with Vatayan Lifetime Achievement Award for his literary works, given by Vatayan-UK organization in London. 26. Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank launched Lilavati Award 2020, as AICTE's Innovative education program to empower women. With women empowerment as theme, it aims to create awareness about women's persisting issues. 27. Emmett Leahy award 2020 conferred on Dinesh Katre from Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) Pune. He is first Indian to bag this US award, which recognises contributions in field of records and information management. 28. European Union awarded its top human rights prize (Sakharov Prize) to Belarus opposition movement and its leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. 1. Sakharov PrizeIt is awarded by the European Union (EU) Parliament annually for free speech, constituted in memory of Soviet physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov. 29. Globe Soccer Awards 2020 (also known as Dubai d'Ors) - 1. Player of the Century 2001–2020 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) 2. Player of the Year - Robert Lewandowski (Poland) 3. Club of the Century 2001–2020 - Real Madrid (Spain) 4. Club of the Year - Bayern Munich (Germany) 30. HDFC Bank MD Aditya Puri has been conferred Lifetime Achievement Award by Euromoney Awards of Excellence 2020, as As first-of-its kind recognition for an Indian corporate leader. 31. ICC Announced T20I, ODI and Test Teams of Decade - 1. ODI - It includes India's Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni (Captain). 2. T20I - It includes India's Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni (Captain) and Jasprit Bumrah. 3. Test - It includes India's Virat Kohli (Captain), R Ashwin. 4. Women's ODI Team has India's Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami. 5. Awards - 1. Men's Player of the Decade (Garfield Sobers Trophy) - Virat Kohli (India). 1. Also named Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade. 2. Women's Player of the Decade (Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award) - Elysse Parry (Australia). 1. Also named Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade and Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Decade. 3. Test Player of the Decade - Steve Smith (Australia). 4. Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Decade - Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) 5. Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Decade - Kyle Coetzer (Scotland) 6. Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Decade - Kathryn Bryce (Scotland) 7. ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade - M S Dhoni (India) 32. India's Sehgal Foundation named as a co-runner up of Citizen Diplomacy Award for its human rights and women’s empowerment work in rural Indian communities. 1. Along with Sehgal Foundation, Tempe Sister Cities is the other co-runner up. 2. Department of State’s Bureau of Global Public Affairs launched the Citizen Diplomacy Award in 2017 to celebrate significant contributions of US citizens and organisations to furthering US foreign policy objectives. 33. India's Victor Banerjee won best actor in a secondary role award for Josef: Born in Grace at Canada's Ontario International Film Festival. 34. India-assisted Mangdechhu Hydroelectric project in Bhutan has been awarded Brunel Medal-2020, conferred by UK’s top engineering body, Institute of Civil Engineers. 1. The 720-MW Mangdechhu run-of-river power project is built on Mangdechhu River in Trongsa Dzongkhag district. 35. Indian Chef Vikas Khanna has been honoured with Asia Game Changer Award 2020, for running massive food distribution drive ‘FeedIndia’ during COVID-19 pandemic. He is among 6 honourees named for this award. 36. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) won International King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award for 2020, presented by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It was announced on World Soil Day (Dec 5). 37. Indian Cricketer Ajinkya Rahane became first recipient of The Mullagh Medal, given by Cricket Australia to player of the match in Boxing Day Test match held annually at Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne (Australia). 1. It is named in honour of Australian cricketer Johnny Mullagh. 38. Indian PM Narendra Modi has been awarded Ig Nobel Prize 2020 for Medical Education, becoming 2nd Indian Prime Minister to be honoured with the Ig Nobel Prize, after Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1998. 1. Mr Vajpayee had jointly won Ig Nobel Peace Prize with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan for aggressively peaceful explosions of atomic bombs. 39. Indian Teacher Ranjitsinh Disale, from Solapur (Maharashtra) won US $1 million Global Teacher Prize 2020, founded by Varkey Foundation in partnership with UNESCO. It is being conferred since 2015. 1. He has been recognized for his efforts at promoting girls' education and triggering a quick-response coded textbook revolution in India. He is First Indian recepient of this prize. 2. He intends to share half of prize money with remaining nine teachers from Global Teacher Prize 2020 finalists. 40. Indian organisation Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE), which leverages tourism and technology to help remote communities access solar energy, is among winners of 2020 UN Global Climate Action Award, for its efforts to combat climate change amid Covid-19 pandemic. 41. Indian web series Delhi Crime on Netflix has won best drama series award at 48th International Emmy Awards 2020. 1. Event was held virtually for the first time in the history of International Emmy Awards due to the pandemic. 42. Indian wildlife photographer Aishwarya Sridhar won noted award of Wildlife Photography of Year 2020, for her entry Lights of Passion. She became first Indian woman to win this award. 43. Indian-origin philanthropist Harish Kotecha has been awarded Sandra Neese Lifetime Achievement Award by National Association for Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY), for his work in US, for meeting needs of children and youth experiencing homelessness. 44. Industrial Awards (December 2020) - 1. Adar Poonawalla, CEO of vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India, is among six people named Asians of the Year by Singapore's leading daily The Straits Times. 2. Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has been awarded with Golden Peacock Environment Management Award for 2020 in Steel Sector, by Institute of Directors. This is 2nd successive year of SAIL Receiving this award. 3. Postal Department conferred Meghdoot awards to its employees, which are given every year for excellence in postal service. 4. NTPC has been conferred Excellence in noted CII-ITC Sustainability Awards 2020, in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Domain. 45. Industrial Awards (November 2020) - 1. Society of Biological Chemists (India) chosen Susanta Kar (CSIR-CDRI), for this year's A N Bhaduri Memorial Lecture Award, for his contributions towards defining survival tactics of Leishmania donovani. 2. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan conferred away Students Innovations for Advancement of Research Explorations - Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (SITARE-GYTI) and Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technological Innovations-Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (SRISTI-GYTI) awards, with 14 awards under SITARE-GYTI and 7 under SRISTI-GYTI. 3. Kerala’s Responsible Tourism (RT) Mission has been awrded coveted ‘Highly Commended’ Award by World Travel Mart London, in category of ‘Meaningful Connections’. 4. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University’s K S Subramanian won Fertiliser Association of India Golden Jubilee Award 2020, for his outstanding contribution in the field of nano-fertilizers. 5. CDRI Scientist Susanta Kar has been was honoured with A N Bhaduri Memorial Lecture Award 2020 by Society of Biological Chemists, for his contribution towards defining survival tactics of Leishmania Donovani. 6. India-Japan cooperation won OECD Mutual Agreement Procedure 2019 Award, for highest agreement ratio for a pair of jurisdictions for transfer pricing cases. It demonstrates India’s commitment to provide tax certainty and dispute resolution mechanism for Japanese companies in India. 7. Karnataka Based Visvesvaraya Technological University conferred Doctor of Science honorary doctorate upon ISRO Chairman K Sivan. 46. Industrial Awards (October 2020) - 1. 35 Startups have been Honored in First edition of National Startup Awards 2020, released by Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry. First edition invited applications across 12 sectors, which were further sub-classified into a total of 35 categories. 2. Chamber of Indian Industry (CII) Foundation’s work on crop residue management has been awarded UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) Action Award by UNDP in partnership with Government of Punjab under category ‘Integration, Convergence, Joint Action and Holistic Solution Approach – Industry’. 3. Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) presented lifetime achievement award to business icon Ratan Tata. 4. Seema Gupta, Director (Operations) of Power Grid Corporation of India, has been named winner of GOLD Stevie Award in Lifetime Achievement - Business category in 17th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business, hailed as world’s premier business awards for women. 5. UK-based Indian-origin plastic surgeon Jajini Varghese has been named 'Outstanding Young Person of the World 2020' by an NGO, for her scientific contributions to treating breast cancer. 6. National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) has been named on top on list of Indian PSUs under ‘World’s Best Employer 2020’, published by Forbes. 7. National Academy of Medical Sciences selected Satish Mishra (CSIR-CDRI) for Dr.Tulsi Das Chugh Award 2020, as recognition of his research work on Malaria parasite's life cycle. 47. Industrial Awards (Sep 2020) - 1. NTPC Team won All India Management Association (AIMA) - Chanakya (Business Simulation Game) National Management Games (NMG) 2020, winning it for first time in five years. 2. Hyderabad's GMR Rajiv Gandhi International Airport won National Energy Leader and Excellent Energy Efficient Unit awards at 21st National Awards for ‘Excellence in Energy Management’. RINL Vizag Steel Plant also won Excellent Energy Efficient Unit award. 3. World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Honored West Bengal government for Sabuj Sathi project, under e- government category. Under this 2015 scheme, bicycles are given to students between classes 9 and 12, to reduce issue of dropping out of school. 4. Kerala Tourism’s ‘Human by Nature’ campaign won PATA (Pacific- Asia Travel Association) Grand Award 2020 for Marketing. 48. Journalist-author Raj Kamal Jha has been honoured with Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize 2020 for his novel The City and The Sea. It is based on is based on December 2012 Nirbhaya rape and murder case. 1. Given by US-based non-profit publishing house Maitreya Publishing Foundation (MPF) since 2018, This Literary award carries cash prize of $5000 (decreased from $10000 earlier). 2. It Honors works of indian authors, which is originally written in any of Indian official languages and dialects, but translated to English. 49. Kerala Tourism’s ‘Human by Nature Print Campaign’ won Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Grand Title Winner 2020 for Marketing category. 1. PATA Grand Title Winners are presented in Three Categories - Marketing, Sustainability, Human Capital Development. 2. Other Winners - 1. Sustainability - Anurak Community Lodge by YAANA Ventures (Thailand) 2. Human Capital Development - Unleashing Greatness by MGM China 50. MIT professor Regina Barzilay won a new $1 million award for artificial intelligence, for using computer science to detect cancer and discover new drugs. 1. Barzilay is a breast cancer survivor whose 2014 diagnosis led her to shift her AI work to creating systems for drug development and early cancer diagnosis. 51. Maharashtra government announced playback singer Usha Mangeshkar as winner of Lata Mangeshkar award 2020-21, which includes cash prize of 5 lakh rupees. 52. Malayalam film Jallikattu has been selected as India's official entry for 93rd Oscars, in foreign-language film category. Directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery, it revolves around a bull that escapes from a slaughterhouse and an entire tribe of men coming together to stop the bull. 1. Also, Keith Gomes' Shameless is named as India's official entry at 93rd Academy Awards in Live Action Short Film category. 53. Malayalam writer S Hareesh won JCB Prize for Literature 2020, for his debut novel Moustache. It Includes cash prize of Rs 25 lakh. 54. Mumbai Based Harmony Foundation announced Mother Teresa Memorial Awards for Social Justice 2020, with theme Celebrating Compassion In Times of Covid. 1. Anthony Fauci (USA) - Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. 2. Father Fabio Stevenazzi (Milan, Italy) - Decided to return to medical practice in order to help those infected with COVID 19. 3. Sanjay Pandey (DG Home Guards, Maharashtra) - Went beyond call of duty to open first relief camp in the Mumbai city suburbs for migrant workers. 4. Pradeep Kumar (Chennai) 5. Vikas Khanna (Manhattan, USA) 6. KK Shailaja (Minister of Health, Kerala 55. Narendra Dabholkar Memorial Award 2020 has been conferred upon Dravidar Kazhagam president K. Veeramani, instituted in memory of Maharashtra-based rationalist Dabholkar. It includes cash 1 lakh as prize. 56. Nobel Prizes 2020 - 1. 2020 Winners -

1. Trade Winners Description Physiology Harvey J. Alter (US), Michael Houghton (UK) and for discovery of Hepatitis C virus or Medicine Charles M. Rice (US)

Roger Penrose - for the discovery that black hole formation is a One Half to Roger Penrose (UK), Other Half to Reinhard robust prediction of the general theory of relativity Physics Genzel (Germany) and Andrea Ghez (US) Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez - for the discovery of a supermassive compact object at the centre of our galaxy

Emmanuelle Charpentier (France), Jennifer A. Doudna Chemistry for the development of a method for genome editing (US)

Peace UN World Food Programme (WFP)

Economic for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual Louise Glück (US) Sciences existence universal

for improvements to auction theory and inventions of new auction Literature Paul R. Milgrom (US), Robert B. Wilson (US) formats

2. Facts About Nobel prizes - 1. In 2018, it was for first time in 70 years of Nobel Prizes, that no Literature Prize was given. It was announced by Swedish Academy after a sexual assault scandal. It was postponed to 2019. 2. Background - 1. Will of Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel established five Nobel prizes in 1895 - Chemistry, Literature, Peace, Physics, and Physiology or Medicine, first awarded in 1901. 2. In 1968, Sweden's central bank Sveriges Riksbank established the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, which, although not being a Nobel Prize, has become informally known as Nobel Prize in Economics. 3. Physiology or Medicine - 1. Granted by Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute awards. 2. 12 women have been awarded Medicine Prize so far. 3. Youngest - Canada's Frederick G. Banting (32 years age), awarded in 1923 for discovery of insulin. 4. Physics - 1. Granted by Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 2. 4 women have been awarded Physics Prize so far. 3. Youngest - Australian-British physicist Lawrence Bragg (25 years age), awarded in 1915 together with his father. 4. India's C. V. Raman was awarded Physics Nobel in 1930, For his work on scattering of light and for discovery of effect named after him. 5. Chemistry - 1. Granted by Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 2. 7 women have been awarded the Chemistry Prize so far. 3. 1 person, Frederick Sanger, has been awarded the Chemistry Prize twice, in 1958 and in 1980. 4. Youngest - France's Frédéric Joliot (35 years age), awarded in 1935. 6. Peace - 1. Granted by Norwegian Nobel Committee. 2. 17 women have been awarded Nobel Peace Prize so far. 3. Peace Prize Laureate Le Duc Tho (Vietnamese) declined his Nobel Peace Prize in 1973. He was awarded jointly with US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, for negotiating Vietnam peace accord. 4. Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan is youngest to win Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, at the age of 17. 5. 2 Indian Person have been given Nobel Peaze Prize so far. Mother Teresa (1979), Kailash Satyarthi (2014). 7. Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences - 1. Granted by Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. 2. 2 women has been awarded Prize in Economic Sciences so far, Elinor Ostrom in 2009 and Esther Duflo in 2019. 3. Youngest - Frances Esther Duflo (46 years age), awarded in 2019. 4. India's Amartya Sen was guven Economic studies Nobel in 1998. For his contributions to welfare economics. 8. Literature - 1. Granted by Swedish Academy. 2. 16 women have been awarded Literature Prize so far. 3. Youngest - UK's Rudyard Kipling (41 years age), known for Jungle Book. 4. Rabindranath Tagore, Only Indian to receive Nobel Literature Prize so far (in 1913). He is also first Indian Nobel Laureate. 9. Indian Nobel Laureates - 1. Rabindranath Tagore in 1913 (Literature) 2. C.V. Raman in 1930 (Physics) 3. Mother Teresa in 1979 (Peace) 4. Amartya Sen in 1998 (Economic Studies) 5. Kailash Satyarthi in 2014 (Peace) 10. Indian Origin Nobel Laureates - 1. Har Gobind Khorana (US) - In 1968 for Physiology / Medicine. 2. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (US) - In 1983 for Physics. 3. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (UK/US) - In 2009 for Chemistry. 4. Abhijit Banerjee (US) - In 2019 for Economics. 57. Noted Author Ruskin Bond has been chosen to be conferred with Tata Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. 58. Noted Malayalam writer Paul Zacharia has been selected for Ezhuthachan Puraskaram 2020, Kerala government’s highest literary honour. It consists cash prize of 500000. 59. Noted Odia poet Nityanand Nayak will be conferred Sarala Puraskar for his poetry work Setebelaku Nathiba, Including cash award of 5 lakh. 1. Other Awardees - 1. Ranjit Kumar Nag will be Given Ila Panda Sangeet Samman and Shyamsundar Pattanaik will be felicitated with Ila Panda Chitrakala Samman, for their contribution to fields of music and art respectively. These awards comprise cash award of 1.5 Lakh. 2. Sarala Puraskar is awarded by Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust (IMPaCT). 60. Noted filmmaker Hariharan has been selected for JC Daniel Award, Kerala's highest award in Malayalam cinema. 1. It is presented annually by Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, under Department of Cultural Affairs of Government of Kerala It carries Cash award of 5 lakh. 61. Noted industrialist Ratan Tata has been honoured with Global Visionary of Sustainable Business and Peace award by Indo- Israel Chambers of Commerce, for promoting innovation that supports sustainability and peace in region. 1. Also, PM Narendra Modi presented ASSOCHAM Enterprise of Century Award to Ratan Tata, on behalf of the Tata Group, during ASSOCHAM Foundation Week 2020. 62. Pilibhit Tiger Reserve and Uttar Pradesh Forest Department won first international award TX2, for doubling its number of tigers in four years, against 10 years Target which was set in 2010. 1. None of other thirteen tiger range countries could success in doubling the big cat population within 10 years. 63. Poland's Robert Lewandowski has been named UEFA Men's Player of the Year 2020. Also, Denmark's Pernille Harder has been named Women's Player of the Year. 64. Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban Awards 2019 - 1. Best Performing States - Uttar Pradesh (1), Madhya Pradesh (2), Andhra Pradesh (3) 2. Best Performing Municipal Corporation - Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Chhindwara (Madhya Pradesh), Salem (Tamil Nadu) 3. Best Performing Municipal Council - Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh) 4. Best Performing Nagar Panchayat - Malihabad (Uttar Pradesh) 65. President Ram Nath Kovind confered Digital India Awards 2020 - 1. These awards have been held for 5 seasons earlier (2009, 2012, 2014, 2016 & 2018), initially known as Web Ratna Awards until 2014 and re-named Digital India Awards from 2016. 2. 6th Digital India Awards 2020 announced under six categories - 1. Innovation in Pandemic - 1. Platinum - eSanjeevani - National Telemedicine Services 2. Gold - COVID-19 Sample Collection Management System 3. Silver - Aapda Sampoorti Portal (iBhar) 4. Silver - Pravasi Shramik and Rojgar Setu Portal (MP) 2. Excellence in Digital Governance - 1. MINISTRY/DEPARTMENT (CENTRAL) - 1. Platinum - eCommittee Supreme Court of India 2. Gold - Department of Posts 2. STATE / UT - 1. Platinum - Haryana 2. Gold - Tamil Nadu 3. DISTRICT - 1. Platinum - Khargone (Madhya Pradesh) 2. Gold - Changlang (Arunachal Pradesh) 3. Open Data Champion - 1. Platinum - Department of Health and Family Welfare 2. Gold - Research Data Management in ICAR 4. Exemplary Product 1. Platinum - Port Community System PCS1x - National Maritime Single Window 2. Gold - ServicePlus 5. In addition, Jury Choice Award was conferred to honour excellence in design and implementation of National Public Digital Platform. 1. AarogyaSetu, eOffice 66. Railway Board Chairman & CEO V.K. Yadav has been conferred with Eminent Engineer Award for the Year 2020 by Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). 1. Every year, Institution of Engineering and Technology, Delhi Local Network celebrates Engineers’ Day on 15th September to commemorate birth anniversary of M Visvesvaraya. On this occasion, It presents Eminent Engineer’s Award. 2. Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) was a British professional organisation of engineers (especially electrical). It began in 1871 as Society of Telegraph Engineers. 3. In 2006, IEE ceased to exist independently, becoming part of Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) with worldwide membership of over 168000, in 150 Nations. 67. Right Livelihood Award Foundation announced winners of 2020 Right Livelihood Award, also known as alternative Nobel Prize - 1. Ales Bialiatski (Belarus), Nasrin Sotoudeh (Iran), Bryan Stevenson (US) and Lottie Cunningham Wren (Nicaragua) are named as winners, for their contribution towards equality, democracy, justice and freedom. 68. Scientist Hemant Kumar Pandey has been awarded DRDO's Scientist of the Year Award, for his contribution in developing several herbal medicines, including popular drug Lukoskin. 1. He has been undertaking research at DRDO lab and Defence Institute of Bio-Energy Research (DIBER) at Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand. 2. Lukoskin is a formulation of around eight herbs found in the Himalayan region, which helps in treating of white patches. 69. Seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton (UK) has been named BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2020. Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson came second, while Sky Sports Racing ambassador Hollie Doyle came third. 1. Lewis Hamilton was also awarded knighthood in United Kingdom New Year Honours list. 70. Tamil nadu's 14-year-old Student Vinisha Umashankar won Children's Climate Prize for designing a mobile ironing cart using solar panels to power a steam iron box rather than conventional charcoal. She will receive prize of 100,000 Swedish krona (8.64 lakh INR). 71. Tansen Music Festival held in Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh), with noted santoor player Pt Satish Vyas conferred upon prestigious Tansen Samman. 1. Also, Bhopal-based institution Abhinav Kala Parishad was honoured with Raja Mansingh Tomar award. 72. The Best FIFA Football Awards 2020 - 1. The Best FIFA Men's Player - Robert Lewandowski (Poland) 2. The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper - Manuel Neuer (Germany) 3. The Best FIFA Women's Player - Lucy Bronze (England) 4. The Best FIFA Women's Goalkeeper - Sarah Bouhaddi (France) 73. UNESCO will launch an international prize in creative economy domain, in name of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. 1. 2021 has been declared as ‘International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development’ by UNESCO. 74. US President elect Joe Biden and Vice president-elect Kamala Harris have been named as 2020 person of the year by Times magazine. 75. USA conferred The Legion of Merit decoration to Indian PM Narendra Modi, in recognition of his role in India's emergence as a global power, and his contribution for advancement of India-US relations. 76. United Nations (UNCTAD) announced Invest India (National Investment Promotion Agency of India), as a winner of 2020 United Nations Investment Promotion Award. 1. It recognizes outstanding achievements and best practices ofInvestment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) across globe. 77. United Nations Environment Programme named seven Environmentalists its Young Champions of Earth 2020. 1. Nzambi Matee (Kenya) - For producing low-cost construction materials from recycled plastic waste and sand. 2. Xiaoyuan Ren (China) - For developing application to educate communities in rural areas about sources of clean water. 3. Vidyut Mohan (India) - He is co-founder of Takachar, and built affordable and portable biomass upgrading equipment. 4. Lefteris Arapakis (Greece) - He founded Enaleia, that trains local fishing community to collect plastic from sea. 5. Niria Alicia Garcia (USA) - For bringing life to historical journey of Sacramento chinook salmon along largest water shed of California. 6. Fatehmah Alzelzela (Kuwait) - Established Eco Star, which exchanges trees and plants for wastes from schools, homes and businesses. 7. Max Hidalgo Quinto (Peru) - He founded Yawa, which built portable wind turbines that can harvest 300 litres of water per day from atmospheric humidity and mist. 78. Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu virtually presented 21st Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for Excellence for 2020 to Sudha Murty, Chairperson of Infosys Foundation, as recognition of her outstanding philanthropic work. 79. Winners of Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay New India Foundation Book Prize 2020 for best non-fiction book on contemporary/ modern India have been announced, given jointly to - 1. Amit Ahuja (Mobilizing the Marginalized: Ethnic Parties without Ethnic Movements) AND 2. Former Union minister Jairam Ramesh (A Chequered Brilliance: The Many Lives of VK Krishna Menon) 80. Winners of Infosys Prize 2020 announced by Infosys Science Foundation (ISF) - 1. Engineering & Computer Sciences - Hari Balakrishnan, for his contribution to mobile telematics. 2. Humanities - Historian Prachi Deshpande, well-known for her sophisticated treatment of South Asian historiography. 3. Life Sciences - Rajan Sankaranarayanan, for his contribution in understanding a fundamental mechanism in biology - error-free translation of the genetic code that makes proteins. 4. Mathematical Sciences - Sourav Chatterjee, for his work in probability and statistical physics. 5. Physical Sciences - Arindam Ghosh, for his contribution in field of two-dimensional materials for next-generation electronics. 6. Social Science - Raj Chetty. 7. Infosys Prize is an annual award given by the Infosys Science Foundation, being conferred since 2008. Prize includes prize money of $100,000 (around 70 lakh Indian Rupees) and prize purse is given tax free. Top

Books 1. Book In Pursuit Of Justice: An Autobiography, written by Late Justice Rajindar Sachar has been released. 2. 2 books on Sheela Birnstiel (known as Ma Anand Sheela), have been pubslihed. One is biography Nothing To Lose by Manbeena Sandhu, and other a memoir titled My Story in My Own Words. 3. A Promised Land memoir by Former (44th) US President Barack Obama has been released. 4. How to Be a Writerm, New Book by Author Ruskin Bond has been released. 5. The Fixer, debut Novel of Suman Dubey has been released. 6. Arundhati Roy’s new book titled “Azadi: Freedom. Fascism. Fiction” has been published. 7. Actor Sonu Sood launched his autobiography titled I Am No Messiah, co-authored with Meena Iyer. 8. Actress Priyanka Chopra announced her memoir Unfinished, to be launched in Jan 2021. 9. Amish Tripathi's 2nd Non-fiction Book Dharma: Decoding the Epics for a Meaningful Life has been released, Co-authored by Bhavna Roy. 10. Asian Development Bank (ADB) released book Future of Regional Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific. 11. Bahubali Series Author Anand Neelakantan’s First Kid’s book The Very, Extremely, Most Naughty Asura Tales for Kids, has been released. 12. Biography of New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern will be published in 2021, by HarperCollins. It will be authored by Supriya Vani and Carl A Harte. 13. Book Indian Icon: A Cult Called Royal Enfield Authored By Journalist Amrit Raj has been released. 14. Book Invertonomics: Eight Ideas to Transform India by Goonmeet Singh Chauhan has been released. 15. Book Night of the Restless Spirits: Stories from 1984, authored by Sarbpreet Singh has been released. 16. Book Reporting India: My Seventy Year Journey as a Journalist authored by Prem Prakash has been Launched. 17. Book Ayodhya written by Madhav Bhandari has been released. 18. Book Voices of Dissent authored by Historian Romila Thapar has been released. 19. Book Titled The Age of Pandemic (1817-1920): How they Shaped India And the World Authored by Chinmay Tumbe has been released. 20. Book Titled ‘End of an Era, India Exits Tibet’ Authored by Claude Arpi has been Released. 21. Booklet PM Modi and his Government’s special relationship with Sikhs has been released, in Hindi, Punjabi and English. It was released on Occasion of Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji (Nov 30). 22. Children’s picture book The Big Thoughts of Little Luv, authored by Filmmaker Karan Johar has been released. 23. David Attenborough, Noted British renowned naturalist, has been conferred with Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development 2019 for his efforts towards awakening humankind to need to preserve and protect planet’s biodiversity. The same was announced in November 2019. 24. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched book titled A bouquet of flowers written by Krishna Saksena. 25. Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank presented first copy of his inspirational book Pioneer of Humanity: Maharishi Arvind (Manavta ke Praneta), to President Ram Nath Kovind. 26. External Affairs Minister S Jai Shankar released Reporting India book, written by Asian News International (ANI) Chairman Prem Prakash. 27. Former US President, Barack Obama announced his first presidential memoir titled “A Promised Land”, to be published in November 2020. 28. Former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh's New book The Light of Asia: The Poem that Defined the Buddha, will be released in 2021. 29. Hard and e-book versions of The Republican Ethic Volume III and Loktantra Ke Swar have been unveiled, comprising collection of selected speeches of President Ram Nath Kovind. 30. Historian Ramachandra Guha has written a new Book about game of Cricket, titled The Commonwealth of Cricket: A Lifelong Love Affair with Most Subtle and Sophisticated Game Known to Humankind. 31. Interior designer Gauri Khan authored her first book titled My Life In Design. 32. Italian Journalist Francesca Marino’s New Book Balochistan: Bruised, Battered and Bloodiedm has been Released. 33. Italian Writer Alfredo Covelli Launched his First Kids Book Vahana Masterclass in India. 34. Konkani book Sutranivednachi sutra- ek anbav by Roopa Chari has been released. 35. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla released book on occasion of 19th anniversary of attack on Indian Parliament (Dec 13), titled The Shaurya Unbound (Samundar Samawe Boond Mein). CRPF' DIGs Neetu and BM Dinakaran are authors of book. 36. Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari released book Majhi Bhint (My Wall) authored by former Maharashtra Minister of Education Rajendra Darda. 37. Minister of State (IC) (Development of North Eastern Region), Jitendra Singh released Coffee Table Book on Discovering the Heritage of Assam, with foreword by Actor Amitabh Bachchan. It has been written by Padampani Bora. 38. New Book Archaeology and the Public Purpose: Writings on and by M N Deshpande, written by Nayanjot Lahiri. It documents life of former director general of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Madhusudan Narhar Deshpande 39. New Book Bye Bye Corona written by Pradeep Srivastava of CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), has been released. It has been termed as World’s first scientoon book. 40. New Book On the Trails of Buddha: A Journey to the East, written by Deepankar Aron, has been released. 41. New Book Romancing Targets: Get Closer to Selling in 7 Steps, Authored by Nidhi Vadhera has been releaed. 42. New Book The Khalistan Conspiracy: A Former R&aw Officer Unravels The Path To 1984, written b G.B.S. Sidhu has been released. 43. New Book Breaking the Cocoon @ 40, written by Radha M Nair, has been released. 44. New Book by Tamal Bandyopadhyay, titled Pandemonium: The Great Indian Banking Tragedy, has been released. 45. New Book by Author and Politician Shashi Tharoor, titled The Battle of Belonging, will be released in November 2020. 46. New Book by Pradeep Goorha, Mr Prime Minister, We Shrank the Dragon, has been released. 47. New Book by Rachna Bisht Rawat, Titled Insomnia: Army Stories, has been released. 48. New book Jugalbandi: The BJP Before Modi, written by Vinay Sitapati has been released. 49. New book Kitchens of Gratitude written by Noted chef Vikas Khanna has been released. He was also recently honoured with 2020 Asia Game Changer Award. 50. New book on Covid-19 by AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria, titled Till we win, has been released. 51. New publication The Little Book of Green Nudges has been launched by United Nations Environment Programme, to encourage around students around world to adopt environmentally friendly habits and greener lifestyles. 1. Book comprises of 40 ready-made nudges- simple measures that make adoption of green choices much easier. 52. Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi’s new book Covid-19: Sabhyata ka Sankat Aur Samadhan has been releaded. 53. Noted Actor Anupam Kher's New book, Your Best Day Is Today, will soon be released. His earlier books are Lessons Life Taught Me Unknowingly and The Best Thing About You is You. 54. Noted Economist and bureaucrat N K Singh released his autobiography Portraits of Power: Half a Century of Being at Ringside. He is currently serving as Chairman of 15th Finance Commission. 55. PM Narendra Modi released autobiography of Lok sabha MP Late Balasaheb Vikhe Patil titled Deh Vechwa Karani (means dedicating one’s life for a noble cause). 1. PM also renamed Pravara Rural Education Society as ‘Loknete Dr. Balasaheb Vikhe Patil Pravara Rural Education Society’. 56. PM Narendra Modi released book on life of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji, founder of 1st of 10 Gurus of Sikhism. It is written by Kirpal Singh. 57. Pandey Kapil's Book Phoolsunghi became First Bhojpuri Book to be Translated Into English, Translated by Gautam Choubey. 58. Pope Francis' new book Let Us Dream will be released in December 2020. 59. Sasindran Kallinkeel (Ex-SPG officer)’s new penned a novel Rasaathi: The Other Side of a Transgender, has been released. 60. Telugu Book on former PM P V Narasimha Rao, titled Viplava Tapasvi: PV, and written by A Krishna Rao, has been released. 61. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu released book 40 Years with Abdul Kalam- Untold Stories, authored by A.Sivathanu Pillai. 62. Vice president Venkaiah Naidu released book Oh Mizoram written by Mizoram Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai. 63. Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu launched New book Thavaasmi: Life and Skills through the lens of Ramayana, authored by Rallabandi Srirama Chakradhar and Amara Sarada Deepthi. 64. ‘Boskiyana’, a new Hindi book on Noted Lyricist Gulzar.It has been edited and compiled by Yashwant Vyas. Top

Committees 1. NITI Aayog constituted a Multidimensional Poverty Index Coordination Committee (MPICC), chaired by Sanyukta Samaddar. 1. NITI Aayog is nodal agency for Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) and has been assigned responsibility of leveraging monitoring mechanism for it and to drive reforms. 2. Global MPI is an international measure of multidimensional poverty covering 107 developing countries and was first developed in 2010 by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), released in July annually. 2. 15th Finance Commission led by Chairman N K Singh submitted its Report for 2021-22 to 2025-26. 1. 15th finance commission has submitted 2 reports - first consisted of recommendations for FY 2020-21 and final report with has now been submitted with recommendations for 2021-26. 2. The new report will be disclosed after being tabled in parliament. 3. All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) constituted a committee for preparing the Professional Engineers Bill, under M.S. Ananth. 4. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) constituted 25-member Development Council for Footwear & Leather Industry (DCFLI), to be headed by R K Gupta as chairman for 2 years. It will formulate and implement developmental measures for growth of labour intensive footwear and leather sectors in India. 5. Education Ministry has set up a task force for preparing roadmap on imparting technical education in Mother Tongue, under chairmanship of Secretary of Higher Education (Amit Khare Currently). 6. Election Commission has set up a 2-member committee to examine issue of revising the expenditure limit for candidates for Lok Sabha and assembly polls. It comprises of Harish Kumar and Umesh Sinha. 7. Government constituted a High Level Committee to commemorate 125th Birth Anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, which falls on Jan 23, 2021. 1. Committee will decide on activities for 1 year long commemoration starting 23rd January, 2021. It will be headed by Home Minister Amit Shah. 8. Government constituted a panel of secretaries under cabinet secretary (Rajiv Gauba), to streamline spectrum allocation process and examine possibility of drawing up an annual calendar for auction of airwaves. It will give telcos a clear road map of quantum as well as frequency of spectrum on offer for commercial use. 9. Government constituted an Empowered Group of Ministers under Chairmanship of Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, to oversee process of conversion of Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) into several Government owned corporate entities. 10. Government constituted an Expert Committee for making an overall assessment of relief to bank borrowers related to waiver of interest and waiver of interest on interest on COVID-19 related moratorium. It will be headed by Rajiv Mehrishi (former CAG of India), with State Bank of India providing secretarial support. 11. Government constituted an Expert Committee headed by Rajiv Mehrishi (former CAG of India), to Measure impact on economy and financial stability of waiving of interest and waiving of interest on interest on the COVID-19 related moratorium. 12. Government has constituted a high-level committee to prepare a roadmap for regularisation of land leasing in agriculture sector, headed by Ajay Tirkey. 13. Government has set up a screening panel to analyze all Chinese foreign investment proposals, to approve only those which will be considered as non-controversial. It is headed by home secretary (Ajay Kumar Bhalla). 14. Government has set up an expert committee (headed by Rajesh Pant) under National Cyber Security Coordinator to study revelations in China Watching, an investigation by The Indian Express, that a Shenzen-based company is monitoring over 10000 Indian individuals and entities. 15. Government has set up inter-ministerial committee for strengthening Capital Goods(CG), to help achieve USD 5 trillion economy and USD 1 trillion manufacturing sector goal. It is headed by Secretary in Department of Heavy Industries (Arun Goel currently). 16. Govt has formed a High Level Taskforce constituted headed by P. K. Mishra (Principal Secretary to Prime Minister), to suggest measures to improve air quality in National Capital Region of Delhi. 17. Govt has formed an expert committee, for conducting holistic study of origin and evolution of Indian culture to since 12000 years before present and its interface with other cultures of world. It will be headed by K.N. Dikshit (Chairman of Indian Archaeological Society). 18. Govt has set up a 70 member committee headed by PM Narendra Modi, to commemorate 400th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur (on Apr 01, 2021). 19. Insurance Regulator IRDAI has set up a panel to explore possibility of a basic standard product structure to provide insurance cover for individuals and establishments to manage their cyber risks, headed by P Umesh. 20. Insurance regulator IRDAI constituted a working group to examine various aspects for allowing life insurance companies to offer index-linked products, headed by Dinesh Pant. Current regulations do not specifically permit insurers to sell index-linked products. 21. Insurance regulator IRDAI has set up a working group headed by R Chandrasekaran, to revisit product structures of erstwhile engineering tariffs relevant for retail category, and make suitable recommendations for revising them. 22. International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) Expert Committee on international retail business development in IFSC submitted its Interim report, headed by Pradip Shah. Committee suggests that IFSC can aim at - 1. Becoming a gateway to India growth story for international investors and business 2. Providing Indian diaspora and individuals from Asia and Africa with a comprehensive range of financial services 3. Serving domestic residents availing liberalized remittance scheme. 4. Detailed report will Follow. 23. International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) Expert Committee on international retail business development in IFSC, headed by Pradip Shah, submitted its final report. It Includes key recommendations related to Growth of Banking, Insurance and Capital Markets segments. 24. Jammu and Kashmir UT Government has set up 10-member Biodiversity Council, to be headed by Chief Conservator of Forests, to look after conservation of biological diversity. 25. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) constituted high-level inter-ministerial Committee for Implementation of Paris Agreement (AIPA) under chairmanship of Secretary in MoEFCC (C.K. Mishra Currently). 1. It aims to generate coordinated response on climate change matters that ensures India is on track towards meeting its obligations under Paris Agreement including its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). 26. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting constituted a committee, to review Guidelines on Television Rating Agencies in India, notified by Ministry in 2014. It will be headed by Shashi S. Vempati (CEO of Prasar Bharti). 1. Committee will study different aspects of television rating system in India as they have evolved over time. 27. Ministry of corporate affairs extended tenure of Company Law Committee by one year to September 2021, chaired by corporate affairs secretary Rajesh Verma. 1. It was set up to suggest measures to de-clog and improve functioning of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and make recommendations on various issues pertaining to implementation of Companies Act and Limited Liability Partnership Act. 28. NITI Aayog formed a panel to explore technological and commercial viability of Virgin Hyperloop technology for ultrahigh speed travel in India, headed by VK Saraswat. 29. Panel constituted by NITI Aayog, headed by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar, will review urban planning education system in India and examine availability, demand and supply of qualified urban planners in country. 30. RBI Committee under chairmanship of K.V. Kamath, which was tasked to make recommendations on required financial parameters to be factored in resolution plans under Resolution Framework for Covid19-related Stress, subimtted its report. 1. Committee recommended financial ratios for 26 sectors which could be factored by lending institutions while finalizing a resolution plan for borrowers. 31. RBI Internal Working Group headed by P K Mohanty, which was formed to review extant ownership guidelines and corporate structure for private sector banks, has submitted its report. Key recommendations - 1. Cap on promoters’ stake in long run (15 years) may be raised from current 15 % to 26 % of paid-up capital of bank. 2. Large NBFCs, with asset size of over 50000 crores, may be considered for conversion into banks subject to completion of 10 years of operations. 3. For Payments Banks intending to convert to a Small Finance Bank, 3 years of experience may be considered sufficient. 4. Minimum initial capital requirement for licensing new banks should be enhanced from 500 crores to 1000 crores for universal banks, 200 crore to 300 crores for small finance banks. 32. SEBI has set up a technical group on social stock exchange to develop a framework for onboarding non-profit organisations and for-profit enterprises as well as prescribe disclosure requirements on financials and governance. It will be headed by Harsh Kumar Bhanwala. 33. SEBI has set up an expert group to review framework of share-based employee benefit and issue of sweat equity, chaired by Sandip Bhagat. Group will revisit framework of share-based employee benefit and suggest policy changes. 34. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) constituted Market Data Advisory Committee (MDAC), to recommend appropriate policy for access to securities market data. Committee is headed by Madhabi Puri Buch. 35. Supreme Court appointed Madan B Lokur as one-man committee, to curb crop stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and west UP. 36. To tap new markets and identify new opportunities for trade and investment, Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) constituted 3 committees focussing on food and beverages (headed by Laxman Singh Rathore) , food processing technology (headed by R Senguttuvan) and chemical and allied products. Top

Days 1. National Wildlife Week is observed annually between October 2nd - 8th, since 1954. 2020 Theme is RoaR (Roar and Revive) – Exploring Human-Animal Relationships. 2. Oct 15 is observed as UN International Day of Rural Women, marked by UN in 2007. 2020 Theme is Building rural women’s resilience in the wake of COVID-19. 1. Oct 15 is also observed as Global Handwashing Day. 3. Sep 30 is observed as World Translation Day, marked by UN in 2017 to pay tribute to language professionals. 2020 theme is Finding the words for a world in crisis. 1. Sep 30 is also establishment day of Harijan Sevak Sangh, founded by MK Gandhi on September 30, 1932. 4. 1st International Day of Epidemic Preparedness observed by United Nations on December 27, 2020. 5. World Space Week (WSW) is observed Annually Between Oct 4 - 10, declared by UN in 1999. 2020 theme is Satellites Improve Life. 1. Dates commemorate launch of first artificial satellite Sputnik I (on 4 October 1957) and entry into force of Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in Exploration and Use of Outer Space including Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (10 October 1967). 6. Dec 06 is Mahaparinirvan Diwas (Death anniversary) of Babasaheb Ambedkar, Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee. He was also 1st Minister of Law and Justice. 7. Dec 09 is observed as International Anti-Corruption Day, marked by United Nations in 2003. 2020 Theme is Recover with integrity. Ending corruption is important to achieve Sustainable Development Goals 16 and 17. 1. Dec 09 is also marked as Day of Commemoration and Dignity of Victims of Crime of Genocide and of Prevention of this Crime. 8. Dec 1 - Statehood day of Nagaland, formed on Dec 1, 1963. 1. Hornbill Festival, called the ‘Festivals of Festivals’, is a 10-day annual cultural fest of Nagaland that showcases diverse Naga ethnicity. It begins Dec 1 each year, on Nagaland's Statehood day. 2. Dec 1 is also formation day of Border Security Force (BSF), border defence organisation of India. It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces of India, and was formed on 1 December 1965. 3. Dec 1 is also obbserved as ‘Indigenous Faith Day’ in Arunachal Pradesh. 4. Dec 1 is observed as World AIDS Day, to raise public awareness about Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), caused due to infection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). 9. Dec 10 is observed as International Human Rights Day. 2020 theme is Recover Better - Stand Up for Human Rights. On this day in 1948, Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was proclaimed by UN. Later in December 1993, UNGA announced to celebrate Human Rights Day annually. 1. Also, Dec 10 is marked as Swahid Diwas in Assam, commemorating martyrs of Assam Movement, which was an uprising in Assam during 1979-1985, demanding Government to detect and deport outsiders from state. 10. Dec 11 is observed as UN International Mountain Day, being observed since 2003. 2020 Theme is Mountain biodiversity. 1. Dec 11 is also formation day of United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), established on this day in 1946. 2. Dec 11 is also birth anniversary of 13th Indian President Pranab Mukherjee. 11. Dec 12 is observed as UN Universal Health Coverage Day, designated by UN in 2017. 2020 theme is Health for All: Protect Everyone. 1. The day marks anniversary of UN’ unanimous endorsement of universal health coverage (UHC) and providing affordable, quality health care in 2012. On 12 December 2017, UN proclaimed 12 December as International Universal Health Coverage Day (UHC Day). 2. Dec 12 is also observed as UN International Day of Neutrality, proclaimed by UN in 2017. The resolution was put up by Turkmenistan. 12. Dec 14 is observed as National Energy Conservation Day in India, observed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under Ministry of Power, since 1991. BEE also observed National Energy Conservation Week from 9-14 December. 13. Dec 15 is observed as International Tea Day, observed in tea producing countries like India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Uganda and Tanzania. 1. Update - In October 2015, India moved a proposal at UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), on expanding observance of International Tea Day through UN FAO. Thereby, UNGA accepted India’s proposal and designated May 21 as International Tea Day. 14. Dec 16 is observed as Vijay Diwas, commemorating Indian victory over Pakistan in war of 1971. India fought against Pakistan helping Bangladesh obtain its freedom and won the war. It also resulted in largest Military Surrender after World War – II, when 93000 Pakistani Soldiers surrendered. On the same day, Bangladesh celebrates its independence. 1. 2021 marks 49th anniversary of Indo-Pak War of 1971, also called Swarnim Vijay Varsh. PM Narendra Modi lighten up Swarnim Vijay Mashaal on this occasion. 15. Dec 19 is Goa Liberation Day, which was liberated on December 19 in 1961, after around 450 years of Portuguese rule, under operation Vijay. 16. Dec 2 is observed as International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, being observed since 1986. 1. Dec 2 is also observed as National Pollution Control Day in India, to commemorate people who lost their lives in unfortunate incident of Bhopal Gas Tragedy that occurred on this day in 1984. 2. Dec 2 is also observed as World Computer Literacy Day, launched by Indian IT Firm NIIT in 2001. 17. Dec 20 is observed as International Human Solidarity Day, proclaimed by UN in 2005. 18. Dec 22 is observed as National Mathematics Day in India, to commemorate birth anniversary of Legendary Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. He contributed greatly to mathematics and is also known for Hardy-Ramanujan number- ‘1729’, which is smallest number which can be represented as sum of two different cubes in two different ways. 19. Dec 23 is observed as National Farmers Day in India, to commemorate birth anniversary of 5th Prime Minister of India, Choudhary Charan Singh. He was a farmer’s leader and he introduced many policies to improve lives of farmers. The day is observed since 2001. 20. Dec 24 is observed as National Consumer Day in India. 2019 Theme is - New Features of Consumer Protection Act 2019. It was on this day, the Consumer Protection Act 1986 and was enacted. 21. Dec 25 - Birth Anniversary of Former PM and Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It is observed as Good Governance Day in India, since 2014. 1. On this occasion, Railways PSU Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) commissioned Marathwada Rail Coach Factory in Latur (Maharashtra), aimed at contributing in development of this aspirational region of Maharashtra. It has initial capacity of manufacturing 250 MEMU / EMU / LHB / trainset type advanced coaches per annum. 2. Dec 25 is also Birth anniversary of Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, the noted educationist and independence activist. 22. Dec 3 is observed as International Day of Persons with Disabilities, being observed by UN since 1992. 2020 Theme is Building back better: towards an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 world by, for and with persons with disabilities. 1. Dec 3 is also Birth anniversary of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, first President of India. 23. Dec 4 is observed as Indian Navy Day, being observed in commemoration of Operation Trident which celebrates bravery of Indian Navy that forced Pakistan to admit defeat during Indo-Pak war of 1971. 1. Pakistani army attacked India on December 03, 1971. India launched 'Operation Trident' in retaliation as the result 1971 war began. India targeted Pakistani Navy headquarters in Karachi with a tremendous attack, resulting port of Karachi being completely destroyed. 2. On this occasion, Indian Navy held Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with Russian Navy in Eastern Indian Ocean Region (IOR). 3. Indian Navy was established in 1612, when East India Company formed an army in form of the East India Company's Marine to protect its ships. It was renamed Bombay Marine in 1686. Later in 1892, it was renamed as Royal Indian Marin. 4. Dec 04 is also Birth anniversary of Former (8th) President of India, R. Venkataraman. 5. Dec 04 is also Birth anniversary of Former (12th) PM of India, Inder Kumar Gujral. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu released commemorative postage stamp in honour of I K Gujral on this occasion. 24. Dec 4, 2020 is observed as First Ever International Day of Banks, which was proclaimed by UN in 2019. 25. Dec 5 is observed as UN International Volunteer Day, to show gratitude towards people who help others without monetary benefits. 2020 theme is Together We Can Through Volunteering. It was proclaimed by United Nations in 1985. 1. Dec 5 is also observed as World Soil Day, proclaimed by Food and Agriculture Organization of UN in 2013. 2. Dec 5 is also observed as Honey Bee Day in Nagaland, observed since 2018. 26. Dec 7 is observed as Armed Forces Flag Day, being observed annually since 1949. This day marks responsibility of every citizen to take care of families and dependents of armed forces personnel. 27. Dec 7 is observed as International Civil Aviation Day, ezstablished in 1994 and officially recognised by UN in 1996. On this day in 1944, participants from 54 nations gathered in Chicago (US), had signed Convention on International Civil Aviation, known as ‘Chicago Convention’. 28. Dec 8 is observed as SAARC Charter Day, commemorating establishment of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) by Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka at First Summit meeting in Dhaka (Bangladessh). Afghanistan later joined as 8th SAARC member in 2007. 1. Dec 8 is also observed by Indian Army as 260th Corps Day of the Army Service Corps. Indian Army Service Corps handles Army's logistic support function, set up on Dec 08, 1760. 2. Dec 8 is also observed by Indian Navy as Submarine Day. 29. December 18 is observed as International Migrants Day, marked by UN in December. 2020 theme of Reimagining Human Mobility. 1. Day marks adoption of International Convention on Protection of Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, adopted by UN on 18 December, 1990. 1. Dec 18 is also observed as Minorities Rights Day in India. 2. Dec 18 is also observed as UN Arabic Language Day. 30. Govt. observes Awaas Diwas on Nov 20, marking launch of Rural Housing Scheme Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G) on 20thNovember 2016 at Agra. It aims for Housing for All by 2022. Also, Nov 16 - 22 is observed as Awaas Week. 31. Nov 01 is formation day of States of Andhra Pradesh (in 1956), Karnataka (in 1956), Kerala (in 1956), Tamil Nadu (in 1956), Madhya Pradesh (in 1956), Punjab (in 1966), Haryana (in 1966), Chhattisgarh (in 2000). 1. For first time since its formation in 1956, Tamil Nadu state government celebrated 'Tamil Nadu Day' on November 1, 2019. 2. On this occasion, Chhattisgrah Government launched Fortified Rice Distribution Scheme, aimed at reducing malnutrition and anaemia. Under this, fortified rice is distributed through fair price shops, which is mixture of Vitamin-B12, iron and folic acid. 32. Nov 1 - World Vegan Day. It was established in 1994 by Louise Wallis, then Chair of Vegan Society in UK. 33. Nov 10 is observed as World Science Day for Peace and Development, marked by UNESCO. 2020 Theme is Science for and with Society in dealing with COVID-19. 34. Nov 13, 2020 is observed as National Ayurveda Day, which is celebrated every year from 2016 on day of Dhanwantri Jayanti (Dhanteras). 1. On this occasion, PM Narendra Modi dedicated 2 future-ready Ayurveda institutions to nation - Institute of Teaching & Research in Ayurveda Jamnagar (ITRA) and the National Institute of Ayurveda Jaipur (NIA). 2. Jamnagar institute has been conferred status of an Institution of National Importance and NIA Jaipur has been designated an Institution Deemed to be University by University Grants Commission (UGC). 3. World Health Organisation also announced to set up a Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India. 4. Nov 13 is also observed as World Kindness Day, observed since 1998. 35. Nov 14 is observed as World Diabetes Day, with 2020 theme Nurses make the difference for Diabetes. It was proclaimed in 1991. 36. Nov 14 is observed as Children's Day in India. It commemorates Birth Anniversary of India's First Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. 1. On this Occasion, first-of-its-kind in world, a library on tram for children was launched in Kolkata (West Bengal). 37. Nov 15 is statehood day of Jharkhand. It was created on 15 November 2000, carved out of Bihar. Nov 15 also marks Birth Anniversary of Birsa Munda, a noted Indian tribal freedom fighter who belonged to the Munda tribe. 1. Nov 15, 2020 is also marked as World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, observed annually on third Sunday in November. 38. Nov 16 is observed as UN International Day of Tolerance. 1. In 1995, to mark UN Year for Tolerance and 125th anniversary of birth of M K Gandhi, UNESCO created a prize for promotion of tolerance and non-violence, called UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non- Violence. It is awarded every 2 years on International Day for Tolerance, 16 November. 1. In 2020, Centre Résolution Conflits in Democratic Republic of Congo is laureate of 2020 Edition of UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence. It has been honored for its work for defence of human rights. 2. Last Time, In 2018, Manon Barbeau (President and Founder of Wapikoni Mobile (Canada)), and Kenyan NGO Coexist Initiative were laureates of this Prize. 2. Nov 16 is also observed as National Press Day in India. On this day, Press Council of India started functioning as a moral watchdog to ensure that press maintains high standards. 39. Nov 17 is observed as International Students' Day, commemorating Czech universities which were stormed by Nazis in 1939 and students who were subsequently killed and sent to concentration camps. 1. Note that Oct 15, Birth Anniversary of Former (11th) President of India A P J Abdul Kalam, is observed by United Nations as World Students' Day. 40. Nov 17 is observed as National Epilepsy Day, a brain related disease. 41. Nov 19 - 25 is observed as Qaumi Ekta Week In india, to foster spirit of Communal Harmony - 1. November 19 - National Integration Day (Birth Anniversary of Indira Gandhi) 2. November 20 - Welfare of Minorities Day 3. November 21 - Linguistic Harmony Day. 4. November 22 - Weaker Sections Day 5. November 23 - Cultural Unity Day 6. November 24 - Women’s Day. 7. November 25 - Conservation Day. 8. Also, UNESCO World Heritage Week is observed annually between November 19 - 25. 42. Nov 19 is Birth Anniversary of Former (3rd) Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Her Birthday is observed as National Integration day in India. 1. Note that Indira Gandhi Birth anniversary (Nov 19) is observed as National Integration Day. While, Sardar Shri Vallabh Bhai Patel's Birth Anniversary (Oct 31) is observed as National Unity Day (Observed since 2014). 2. Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development, also called Indira Peace Prize, has not been announced in 2020. In 2019, it was given to British Broadcaster David Attenborough. 43. Nov 19 is also observed as World Toilet Day, marked by UN in 2013. 1. On this occasion, Jal Shakti Ministry conferred Swachhata Awards on 20 best performing Districts. Also, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge, to ensure safety of septic tank or sewer cleaners during cleaning. 2. Other Observations on Nov 19 - 1. Nov 19 is also observed as Women's Entrepreneurship Day (WED), marked in 2014. 2. Nov 19 is also observed as International Men's Day, Being observed since 1992. 3. Nov 19 is also observed as World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse. 4. Nov 19 is also Birth Anniversary of Great Warrior Rani of Jhansi, called Rani Lakshmibai. She was queen of Maratha princely state of Jhansi. 5. Nov 19, 2020 is also observed as UNESCO World Philosophy Day. It is observed annually on third Thursday of November. 44. Nov 2 is Observed as UN International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. 2020 Theme is Protect Journalists, Protect the Truth. 45. Nov 20 is observed as UN World Children's Day, established in 1954. 1. Nov 20 is also observed as UN Africa Industrialization Day. 2020 Theme is Inclusive and sustainable industrialisation in the AfCFTA era. 46. Nov 21 is observed as World Fisheries Day. 1. On this occasion, for the first time in Fisheries Sector, Government awarded best performing States for 2019-20 namely, Odisha (amongst Marine states), Uttar Pradesh (amongst Inland states) and Assam (amongst Hilly and NE states). 2. Nov 21 is also observed as World Television Day, proclamied by UN in December 1996. 3. Also, Nov 15-21 is observed as National Newborn Week in India. 2020 theme is Quality, Equity, Dignity for every newborn at every health facility and everywhere. 47. Nov 24 is ‘Martyrdom Day’ of 9th Guru of Sikhs, Guru Teg Bahadur. He martyred on November 24, 1675. 1. Also, World Health Organization observes Global Antimicrobial Awareness Week between November 18 - 24. 2020 Theme is United to Preserve antimicrobials. 2. Also, Nov 24 is observed as Lachit Divas in several parts of India, Mainly in Assam. It marks birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan, a commander in Ahom kingdom. He was known for his leadership in 1671 Battle of Saraighat, when he drove away Mughal forces under command of Ram Singh, to take over kingdom. 48. Nov 25 is Marked as UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. 2020 Theme is Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect. 1. On November 25 in 1960, three Mirabal sisters were assassinated upon orders from Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo. In 1981, activists from Caribbean Feminist Encuentros marked November 25 as day to raise awareness of violence against women. In 1999, Date received official UN resolution. 49. Nov 26 is observed as Constitution Day in India (Samvidhan Divas). It commemorates adoption of the Constitution of India on 26 November 1949 by Indian Constituent Assembly. However, the Indian Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950. 1. Government declared observing 26 November as Constitution Day in 2015, as 2015 represented 125th birth anniversary of Ambedkar, who had chaired the drafting committee of Constituent Assembly. Previously, Nov 26 was celebrated as National Law Day. 2. On this Occasion - 1. Social Justice & Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot e-launched National Portal for Transgender Persons and Garima Greh: A Shelter Home for Transgender Persons in Vadodara (Gujarat). He also e-released Documentary Illustrations and Calligraphy in the Constitution of India. 2. Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad launched International version of UMANG application (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance), on occasion of completion of 3 years of UMANG. It was launched in UK, US, Australia, Canada, Netherlands, UAE, Australia, Singapore and New Zealand. 3. iOS version of Nyaya Bandhu Application was also launched, with its onboarding on UMANG platform. Nyaya Bandhu mobile application was launched in February 2019, to ensure empowerment of common man. 4. Also, Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has been conferred with Platinum Partner Award for registering more than 25 lakh transactions on UMANG App. 50. Nov 26 is observed as National Milk Day In India, to commemorate birth snniversary of Dr. Verghese Kurien, father of India’s White Revolution. 1. First National Milk Day was celebrated on 26 November 2014, marked by Indian Dairy Association (IDA). 2. Dr. Kurien is also famous for his ‘Operation Flood’, world’s largest agricultural development program. He established 30 institutions which are run by various farmers and workers and played a key role in establishment and success of Amul brand. 3. India is 2nd largest Milk producer in world, after US. 51. Nov 27 is observed as National Organ Donation Day in India. 52. Nov 29 is observed as UN International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. 53. Nov 30 is observed as UN Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare. 54. Nov 5 is observed as UN World Tsunami Awareness Day, marked by United Nations in 2015. 55. Nov 6 is observed as International Day for preventing environmental exploitation during war and armed conflict, marked by UN in 2001. 1. Also, November 2 - 6 is observed as International Stress Awareness Week, created in 2018. 56. Nov 7 is observed as National Cancer Awareness Day in India. 57. Nov 8 is observed as International Day of Radiology. It coincides with day of discovery of X-rays (on November 8, 1895), by German scientist Wilhelm Röntgen. 1. Nov 8 is also observed as World Urbanism Day, also known as Town Planning Day, marked in 1949. 58. Nov 9 is observed as National Legal Services Day In India, to commemorate enactment of Indian Legal Services Authorities Act 1987. On 11 October 1987, the Legal Services Authorities Act 1987 was enacted. It took effect on 9 November 1995. 59. Nov 9 is statehood day of Uttarakhand. 1. On 9 November 2000, Uttarakhand became 27th state of India, being carved from Himalayan districts of Uttar Pradesh. 60. November 11 is celebrated as National Education Day in India, to commemorate birth anniversary of Maulana Abdul Azad, the first Education Minister of India. He is accredited for establishment of several premier institutes of country. It is being celebrated since 2008. 61. November 12 is observed as Public Service Broadcasting in India. It commemorates visit of M K Gandhi to studio of All India Radio in Delhi in 1947. 1. Nov 12 is also observed as World Pneumonia Day, marked in 2009. 62. November 18 is observed as Naturopathy Day by Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH) Ministry. It was first observed in 2018. 63. Oct 02 is Birth Anniverary of M K Gandhi and Former PM Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Ji (2nd PM of India). It was 151st Birth Anniversary of M K Gandhi. It is observed as UN International Day of Non-Violence, established in 2007. On this occasion - 1. PM Narendra Modi Announced a 100-day campaign from 02-10-2020, to ensure drinking water connection to every school and Anganwadi in country. 2. PM inaugurated Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) Summit, as a global virtual summit of overseas and resident Indian Researchers and Academicians. It will Conclude on 31st October 2020, on occasion of Sardar Patel Jayanti. 3. Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) observed 6th anniversary of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban by organizing a webinar titled ‘Swachhata Ke 6 Saal, Bemisaal’. 4. Punjab National Bank launched a financial inclusion and literacy initiative 'Gram Sampark Abhiyan'. 5. Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia launched coffee-table book titled Babu – The Unforgettable. 6. Swachh Bharat 2020 Awards Conderred under 3 categories - Swachh Sundar Samudayik Shauchalaya (SSSS) campaign Samudayik Shauchalaya Abhiyan (SSA) Gandagi Se Mukt (GMB) campaign. 1. Swachh Sundar Samudayik Shauchalaya (SSSS) campaign - 1. Best State: Gujarat 2. Best District: Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu 3. Best Block: Khachrod, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh 4. Best Gram Panchayat: Chinnaur, (Salem) 2. Samudayik Shauchalaya Abhiyan (SSA) 1. Best State: Uttar Pradesh (GKRA) and Gujarat (Non-Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan (GKRA)] 2. Best District: Prayagraj (GKRA) and Bareilly (Non-GKRA) 3. Best Gram Panchayat: Borigaon, Bongaigaon, Assam. 3. Gandagi Se Mukt (GMB) campaign 1. Best State: Telangana and Haryana. 2. Best District: Moga, Punjab. 7. Oct 2 is also observed as World Day for Farmed Animals. 64. Oct 05, 2020 is observed as World Habitat Day, observed annually on first Monday of October. 2020 theme is Housing for All-A better Urban Future. 1. Oct 05 is also observed as Gangetic Dolphin Day in India, celebrated since 2010. On October 5 in 2010, dolphins were declared as National Aquatic Animal. 65. Oct 07 is observed as World Cotton Day, being observed since 2019. 1. On this occasion, Textiles and Women & Child Development Minister Smriti Zubin Irani launched 1st ever Brand & Logo for Indian Cotton. Now India’s premium Cotton would be known as ‘Kasturi Cotton’ in world cotton Trade. 66. Oct 1 is observed as UN International Day of Older Persons. 2020 Theme is Pandemics: Do They Change How We Address Age and Ageing?. It was established by UN in 1990. 1. On this occasion, Harsh Vardhan (Minister for Health & Family Welfare) launched Decade of Healthy Ageing (2020-2030). 2. Oct 1 is also observed as International Coffee Day, being observed since 2015. 3. Oct 1 is also observed as World Vegetarian Day, established by North American Vegetarian Society in 1977. 4. Oct 1 is also National day of China. 67. Oct 10 is Observed as World Mental Health Day by World Health Organization. 2020 Theme is Move for mental health: Increased investment in mental health. It was first celebrated in 1992 at initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health. 1. Oct 10, 2020 is also observed as World Migratory Bird Day, which is is observed Twice a year, on 2nd Saturdays of May and October. 2020 Theme is Birds Connect Our World. 2. Oct 10 is also observed as World Day Against Death Penalty. 68. Oct 11 is observed as UN International Day of Girl Child, Being observed since 2012. 2020 Theme is My Voice, Our Equal Future. 1. On this occasion, 16-year old Aava Murto assumed post of Finland’s Prime Minister for one day, to raise awareness about gender equality. 2. Oct 11 is obseved as World Obesity Day. From 2021 Onwards, it will be observed globally on 4 March. 69. Oct 12 is observed as World Arthritis Day. 70. Oct 13 is observed as International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR), marked by UN in 1989. 2020 Theme is Disaster Risk Governance. 1. On this occasion, a new report The Human Cost of Disasters 2000-2019 was released by United Nations. It pointed out that climate change is largely to blame for a near doubling of nat ural disasters in past 20 years. 71. Oct 14 is observed as World Standards Day. 2020 theme is Protecting the planet with standards. 1. Oct 14 is also observed as International E-Waste Day, observed since 2018. 72. Oct 15 is Birth Anniversary of Former (11th) President of India A P J Abdul Kalam. He was a noted Aerospace Scientist, also known as Missile Man of India. He was also a recepient of Bharat Ratna Award, Highest honor in India. 1. India had built its first indigenous satellite launch vehicle SLV-3 under Dr. Kalam's direction. 2. In 2010, United Nations declared Shri Kalam's Birth Anniversary, 15 October as World Students' Day. 3. On this occasion, Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' launched the KAPILA (Kalam Program for Intellectual Property Literacy and Awareness) campaign. 4. Oct 15 is also observed as Mahila Kisan Diwas in India. 73. Oct 16 as observed as World Food Day, commemorating creation of UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1945. 2020 Theme is Grow, nourish, sustain. Together. Our actions are our future. 2020 Marks 75th Anniversary of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). On this occasion - 1. PM Narendra Modi issued commemorative coin of Rs 75 denomination. 2. He also dedicated to the Nation 17 recently developed biofortified varieties of 8 crops. 3. India’s proposals for declaring 2016 as International Year of Pulses and 2023 as International Year of Millets have also been endorsed by the FAO. 4. India aims to become trans-fat free by 2022, which is also target year set by World Health Organisation. 74. Oct 17 is UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP). 2020 Theme is Acting together to achieve social and environmental justice for all. It is being observed since 1987. 1. Oct 17 is also observed as World trauma day. 75. Oct 20 is observed as World Statistics Day, being observed since 2010, declared by UN Statistical Commission. It is celebrated once in 5 years. 2020 theme is Connecting the world with data we can trust. 1. India celebrates Statistics Day on 29th June, on birthday of legendry statistician Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis. 2. 51 African countries that jointly celebrate African Statistics Day annually on 18 November. 3. Oct 20 is also known as World Osteoporosis Day. 4. Oct 20 is also observed unoffically as National solidarity day. China attacked India on this day in 1962. 5. Oct 20 is also known as International Chef’s Day. 76. Oct 21 is observed as Police Commemoration Day in India, in memory of the policemen killed at Hot Springs in North Eastern Ladakh by Chinese troops on this date in 1959. 1. Till October to November of 1959, Indian Police personnel were responsible for defending 2,500 mile long border of India with then Tibet. 2. Oct 21 also observed as World Iodine Deficiency Day. 3. Oct 21, 2019 also marks 76th anniversary of Azad Hind Movement, commemorated at Red Fort, Delhi. Azad Hind Movement was established in Singapore in 1943 on Oct 21, conceptualized by Netaji Subhsh Chandra Bose. 77. Oct 22 is observed as International Stuttering Awareness Day, marked in 1998. 78. Oct 23 - International Snow Leopard Day. 79. Oct 24 is observed as - 1. United Nations Day. It marks enactment of UN Charter on this day in 1945. 2020 theme is The future we want, the United Nations we need. 2020 Marks 75th Anniversary of Establishment of United Nations. 1. India released a postage stamp, to mark 75th Anniversary of UN. 2. WHO World Polio Day. 2020 Theme is A win against Polio is a win for Global Health. 3. International Day of Diplomats, celebrated since 2017. 4. World Development Information Day, established by UNGA in 1972. 5. Oct 24 is also foundation day of ITBP. 80. Oct 24-30 is observed by UN as Disarmament Week. 81. Oct 27 is observed as World Day for Audiovisual Heritage. 2020 theme is Your Window to the World. It was marked by UNESCO in 2005. 1. Oct 27 is also Birth Anniversary of K R Narayanan, 10th President of India. 2. Oct 27, 2020 also marks 350th Birth anniversary of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, Noted sikh warrior. 3. Oct 27 is also observed as Infantry Day by Indian Army, as on this day an Infantry Company of First Battalion of Sikh Regiment was airlifted from Delhi to Srinagar to liberate Kashmir from invading Pakistan Army. 82. Oct 28 is observed as International Animation Day (IAD), proclaimed in 2002. 83. Oct 29 is observed as Internet Day. 1. In 2005, it was decided to propose to UN, to designate October 29 as World-wide Day of Information Society, resulting in Internet Day being celebrated on that day. 2. Oct 29 is also observed as World Stroke Day. 84. Oct 31 is Observed as UN World Cities Day, proclaimed in 2013. 2020 Theme is Valuing Our Communities and Cities. 85. Oct 31 is observed as National Unity Day (Rashtriya Ekta Diwas). 1. It was introduced by Government in 2014, marking Birth Anniversary of Legendary Leader and 1st Home Minsiter and Deputy PM of India, Shri Sardar Valabh Bhai Patel. 2. On this occasion in 2018, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's memorial in Gujarat's Narmada district. Called the Statue of Unity, the bronze sculpture is the world's tallest statue measuring 600 feet (182m). It has overtook China's Spring Temple Buddha (153m) and USA's Statue of Liberty (93m). It was constructed in 33 months at 2,989 crores. 3. On This occasion - 1. PM Narendra Modi launched a seaplane service from Sabarmati Riverfront to Kevadia. He also inaugurated Sardar Patel Zoological Park and Geodesic Aviary Dome in Kevadia, among 17 projects launched. 2. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju flagged off 200-km long ‘Fit India Walkathon’, at Jaisalmer (Rajasthan). 3. UTs of J&K and ladakh marked First Anniversary of Bifurcation. 4. Oct 31 is also Death Anniversary of Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. She was killed on this day in 1984. 5. Oct 31 is observed as World Thrift / Savings Day. In India it is observed on 30th october. 6. Oct 24 - 31 is observed annually as Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week, initiated in 2012. 86. Oct 4 is observed as World Animal Day, an international day of action for animal rights and welfare. 87. Oct 5 is observed as World Teachers Day, marked by UNESCO since 1994. 2019 Theme is Young Teachers: The Future of the Profession. 1. Note that National Teachers' Day in India is observed on Sep 5. It commemorates Birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, first Vice President and second President of India. 88. Oct 8 is observed as Indian Air Force Day. 2020 is 88th observance of the day. 1. Also, Wildlife Week is observed across country every year between 2nd October and 8th October. 2. Oct 08, 2020 is also obseved as World Sight Day, observed annually on second Thursday of October. 89. Oct 9 is observed as World Post Day. It marks establishment of Universal Postal Union in 1874 in Swiss Capital, Bern. It was declared in 1969. 1. In India, National Postal Day is celebrated annually on 10 October, as an extension of World Post Day. Also, National Postal Week in India is observed Between 9th to 15th October. 2. Oct 9 is also obsebved as Indian foreign service (IFS) day in India, observed since 2011, to commemorate the day the Cabinet created the Foreign Service. 90. Sep 07, 2020 observed as first-ever International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, proclaimed by UN. 91. Sep 09 is obsered by UN as International Day to Protect Education from Attack. 92. Sep 1 - 7 is observed annually as National Nutrition Week. PM Narendra Modi also stated to observed September as Nutrition Month. 93. Sep 10 - World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD). 2020 theme is Working Together to Prevent Suicide. 1. Sep 10, 2020 also marks 125th Birth Anniversary of Legendary Telugu Writer Viswanatha Satyanarayana. 94. Sep 11 is observed in India as National Forest Martyrs Day, observed by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2020 observes 15th edition of this day. 95. Sep 12 - UN International Day for South-South Cooperation. 1. Sep 12, 2020 is also observed as World First Aid Day, observed on 2nd saturday of september. 96. Sep 14 is observed as Hindi Diwas. On the occasion, International Hindi Conference was organised by World Hindi Council in New Delhi. It commemorates adoption of Hindi written in Devanagari script as one of the two official languages of the Republic of India by Constituent Assembly of India, in 1949. 97. Sep 15 - Engineer's Day in India. It commemorates Mokshagundam Vishweshvaraya (popularly known as Sir MV). In 1955, he was conferred India's highest honour, Bharat Ratna. 15 September is celebrated as Engineer's Day in India, Sri Lanka and Tanzania in his memory. 1. He was chief engineer responsible for the construction of Krishna Raja Sagara dam in North-West suburb of Mysuru city and chief engineer of flood protection system for city of Hyderabad. 2. On This occasion, A Customized Stamp on India’s First Anti Satellite Missile (A-SAT) launch has been released by Department of Posts. ASAT test was done successfully in Mar 2019, named Mission Shakti. 3. First AICTE-Visvesvarya Best Teacher Awards 2020 were presented by Minister of Education Ramesh Pokhriyal‘Nishank’ to 12 faculty members of AICTE approved institutes. 4. On this occasion, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated 7 projects under Namami Gange and AMRUT Schemes in Bihar, costing approx 541 Crores. 4 of these projects are related to water supply, 1 to river front development and 2 related to sewerage treatment. 1. He also dedicated to the nation 3 key projects related to Petroleum sector in Bihar - Durgapur-Banka section of Paradip-Haldia-Durgapur Pipeline Augmentation Project and two LPG Bottling Plants. 2. PM Modi also attended ‘Grih Pravesh’ programme under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Gramin) in Madhya Pradesh, inaugurating 1.75 Lakh Houses. 5. However, Telangana state celebrates Engineers day on July 11th on birthday of Ali Nawaz Jung Bahadur. 98. Sep 15 - UN International Day of Democracy, proclaimed by UN General Assembly in 2007. 99. Sep 16 - UN International Day for Preservation of the Ozone Layer. 2020 observes 35th annivrsary of Vienna Convention for Protection of Ozone Layer, which was signed in 1985, to provide frameworks for international reductions in production of chlorofluorocarbons. 1. Montreal Protocol, which was signed in 1987, has been a huge success and led to phase-out of 99 % of ozone-depleting chemicals. 100. Sep 17 is observed as World Patient Safety Day, being observed since 2019 by World Health Organisation (WHO). 101. Sep 18 is observed as World Bamboo Day. 2020 Theme is Bamboo Now. 102. Sep 18 is observed as World Water Monitoring Day, established in 2003 by America's Clean Water Foundation (ACWF) as a global educational outreach program. 103. Sep 18, 2020 is observed by UN as First ever International Equal Pay Day. 104. Sep 19, 2020, is observed as International Coastal Cleanup Day, observed annually on third Saturday of September. 1. Sep 19 is also observed as International Red Panda Day. 105. Sep 2 is observed as World Coconut Day Globally, declared by UN-ESCAP. 106. Sep 21 is observed as UN International Day of Peace. 2020 theme is Shaping Peace Together. It was first observed in 1981. 1. Sep 21 is also observed as World Alzheimer’s Day, first observed in 2012. 107. Sep 22 is observed as World Rhino Day, as an international ecological observance to raise awareness on protection of 5 existing species of rhinoceros - white rhino, black rhino, Indian rhino, Javan rhino, and Sumatran rhino. 1. Sep 22 is also observed as World rose day, for welfare of cancer patients. 108. Sep 23 is observed as International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL), observed first in 2018. It aims to raise awareness of importance of sign language in the full realization of the human rights of people who are deaf. 2020 theme is Sign Languages Are for Everyone. 1. Sep 23 is also observed as Ayushman Bharat Diwas in India, day on which Ayushman Bharat Yojana or PM Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) was launched from Ranchi on Sep 23, 2018. 109. Sep 24 is observed as World Maritime Day. 2020 theme is Sustainable Shipping for a Sustainable Planet. 1. In India, Apr 5 is observed as National Maritime Day in India, being observed since 1964. On this day in 1919, SS Loyalty, the first ship of The Scindia Steam Navigation Company travelled from Mumbai to United Kingdom (London). 110. Sep 25 - World Pharmacist Day, marked by FIP Council in 2009. 111. Sep 25 is Observed by India as Antyodaya Diwas, announced in 2014. It marks Birth anniversary of noted philosopher Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay. 1. On this day in 2014, Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) had revamped it’s existing skill development program called Aajeevika Skills as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY). 2. On this day in 2017, Saubhagya Scheme or Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana was launched, to provide electricity to all rural households. 3. On this occasion, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched campus of new Indian Agricultural Research Institute Gogamukh (Assam), named after Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya. 4. On this occasion, Income Tax Department launched Faceless Income Tax Appeals, as announced in Aug 2020, as part of “Transparent Taxation - Honoring the Honest” platform. 112. Sep 26 is Foundation day of CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), set up in 1942. On this occasion - 1. Avra Laboratories, founded by Padmabhushan A. V. Rama Rao, announced to establish 3 research chairs at CSIR. 2. Science & Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan launched CSIR Technologies for rural development, under a joint initiative of CSIR, Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA), IIT Delhi (IITD) and Vijnana Bharti (VIBHA). Earlier in July 2020, A tripartite MoU was signed about the same. 3. President Ram Nath Kovind presented Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes 2020 to 14 Scientists - 1. Biological Sciences - Subhadeep Chatterjee (CDFD), Vatsala Thirumalai (NCBS) 2. Chemical Sciences - Jyotirmayee Dash (IACS), Subi Jacob George (JNCASR) 3. Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences - Abhijit Mukherjee (IIT Kharagpur), Suryendu Dutta (IIT Bombay) 4. Engineering Sciences - Amol Arvindrao Kulkarni (NCL Pune), Kinshuk Dasgupta (BARC) 5. Mathematical Sciences - Razat Shubra Hazra (ISI Kolkata), U K Anandavardhana (IIT Bombay) 6. Medical Sciences - Bushra Ateeq (IIT Kanpur), Ritesh Agarwal (PGIMER Chandigarh) 7. Physical Sciences - Rajesh Ganpathy (JNCASR), Surjit Dhara (UOHYD) 113. Sep 26 is observed as International Day for the total elimination of nuclear weapons. 1. Sep 26 is also observed as World Environmental Health Day (WEHD), declared by International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH) in 2011. 114. Sep 27 - World Tourism Day, marked in 1970. 2020 Theme is tourism and rural development. 1. In 2020, For first time in 40-year history of World Tourism Day, official celebration was not hosted by a single Member of UN WTO. Instead, nations from Mercosur bloc (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, with Chile joining with observer status) served as joint hosts. 2. On this occasion - 1. Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated 4- day Destination North East 2020, with theme The Emerging Delightful Destinations. 2. SAATHI (System for Assessment, Awareness & Training for Hospitality Industry) initiative was launched to assist hospitality industry to ensure safety and hygiene for tourists and workforce, in association with Quality Council of India. 115. Sep 28 - UN International Day for Universal Access to Information (commonly called Access to Information Day), being held since 2016. Other Observations on Sep 28 - 1. Sep 28 is also observed as World Rabies Day (Diesease caused by Dog Bites). 2020 Theme is End Rabies: Collaborate, Vaccinate. 2. Sep 28 is Birth Anniversary of Legendary Indian Freedom Fighter Sardar Bhagat Singh (Born 1907). 116. Sep 29 is observed as World Heart Day, launched in 2000 by the World Heart Federation. 2020 theme is Use Heart To Beat Cardiovascular Disease. 1. Sep 29 is also observed as UN International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste Reduction. 117. Sep 5 - National Teachers' Day in India. It commemorates Birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, first Vice President and second President of India. On this occasion, President Ram Nath Kovind presented National Award to Teachers to 47 Teachers from across nation. 118. Sep 5 - UN International Day of Charity. It was declared in 2012 and commemorates anniversary of passing away of Mother Teresa (on Sep 5, 1997). 119. Sep 8 is observed as UN International Literacy Day, proclaimned by UNESCO in 1966. 2020 theme is Literacy teaching and learning in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. On this occasion, UNESCO honored 2020 Laureates of UNESCO Literacy Prizes - 1. UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize awards for mother-tongue literacy education and training, sponsored by South Korea 1. ‘Ageing Nepal’ in Nepal for its ‘Basic Literacy Class for Older Persons’ programme 2. ‘United World Schools’ in United Kingdom for its ‘Providing Non-Burmese Speaking Out-of-School Children with Access to Education’ programme. 2. UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy (Supported by China) 1. ‘Just Commit Foundation’ in Ghana for its ‘Inspirational Business Stories’ programme 2. ‘University Center for Social Participation’ in Mexico for its ‘Literacy programme: learning by teaching’ 3. ‘General Literacy Office in Sanaa’ in Yemen for its ‘Educating and integrating refugees in literacy classes in Yemeni society’ programme. 3. On this occasion, National Statistical Office's report on literacy data between July 2017 - 2018 was released, 1. Kerala had highest literacy rate (96.2%), followed by Delhi (88.7%), Uttarakhand (87.6%). 2. Bottom 3 - Andhra Pradesh (66.4%), Rajasthan (69.7%), Bihar (70.9%). 3. Overall literacy rate - 77.7%. 120. Uttarakhand Govt observed Sep 9 as Himalaya Day, being observed since 2010. Top

Defence 1. Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh approved Capital Acquisition proposals worth approx 28000 crores, by Army, Navy and Air Force. 1. Approx 27000 Crores worth of proposals are to be sourced from Indian industry, to boost Make in India initiative. 2. Acquisitions approved DRDO designed and developed Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) Systems for Air Force, Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels for Navy and Modular Bridges forArmy. 2. Half yearly Coastal security exercise named 'Sagar Kavach' conducted by Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard, off the coast of Kerala. 3. 11th edition of exercise INDRA NAVY, biennial bilateral maritime exercise between Indian and Russian Navies held in Bay of Bengal. 4. 1st Maritime Theatre Command (MTC) of India is to be launched in 2021, to look after 7516 km long coastline over entire Indian Ocean Region and 1382 islands. 1. MTC will subsume Western Naval Command (Mumbai), tri-service Andaman and Nicobar Command (Port Blair), Eastern Naval Command (Vizag) and southern Air Command (Thiruvananthapuram). 5. 2 day joint coastal security exercise Sagar Kavach held at Paradip Coast (Odisha). 6. 2nd edition of bilateral naval exercise Bongosagar between India and Bangladesh held in Northern Bay of Bengal. Bongosagar will be followed by 3rd edition of India Bangladesh Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT). 7. 3 day Tri-Service Combat Exercise code-named “Bull Strike” held at Teressa Island in Nicobar Group of Islands. 8. 30th edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) between Indian and Royal Thai Navy has been conducted. 9. 35th India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) between Indian and Indonesian Navy has been conducted. 10. 4th edition of India-Japan Maritime bilateral Naval exercise (JIMEX) held in North Arabian Sea. 11. 7th offshore patrol vessel of Indian Coast Guard (ICG), 'Vigraha' has been formally commisioned, built by Larsen and Toubro. 12. 8th Edition of annual India – Sri Lanka Naval bilateral maritime exercise SLINEX-20, held at Trincomalee (Sri Lanka). 13. BrahMos surface-to-surface supersonic cruise missile featuring indigenous Booster has been flight tested successfully, with range 290 KM and top speed of Mach 2.8 (Approx 3500 Per Hour). 14. Cabinet Committee on Security approved proposal for establishment of Army Static Switched Communication Network (ASCON) Phase IV Network to be implemented by PSU ITI Limited, at cost 7796 crores, within 3 years. 1. It will provide better survivability, responsiveness and high bandwidth in any operational scenario and enhance communication coverage of network closer to IB/LC/LAC. 15. Construction Began for 3rd ship (INS Udaygiri) of P17A class stealth frigates (Nilgiri Class). 1. 7 frigates under P17A series will be constructed indigenously, having stealth features. 2. First Frigate under this project, INS Nilgiri, was launched in 2019. 16. DRDO Conducted Successful flight test of ABHYAS - High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT). The vehicle is a drone that will be used as a target for various missile systems. 1. Laser Guided Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) was also successfully test fired. 2. Also, Authority Holding Sealed Particulars (AHSP) responsibility of Pinaka weapon system has been handed over by DRDO to DGQA. Pinaka is a free flight artillery rocket system having a range of 37.5 km, launched from a multi barrel rocket launcher which can launch salvo of 12 rockets in 44 seconds. 17. DRDO flagged off first Production unit of Heavy Weight Torpedo (HWT) Varunastra, developed by Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL) of DRDO. It has been manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for Indian Navy. 18. DRDO launched a new laboratory Defence Geo Informatics Research Establishment, merging 2 existing labs - Manali-based Snow and Avalanche Studies Establishment (SASE) and Delhi-based Defence Terrain Research Establishment. 1. New lab will focus on researching terrain and avalanches along the borders with China and Pakistan. 19. DRDO successfully flight tested a Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV), which is an unmanned scramjet vehicle with the ability to travel at six times the speed of sound. 1. Test was conducted from Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Launch Complex at Wheeler Island, off the coast of Odisha. 2. Scramjets are a variant of air breathing jet engines and have the ability to handle airflows of speeds much higher than the speed of sound. Hypersonic speeds are five times (or more) higher than the speed of sound. 3. India became 4th Nation (After Russia, China, US), to have indigenously developed HSTDV technology. 20. Defence Acquisition Council under headed by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh approved Capital acquisitions of various equipment required by Indian Armed Forces at approx 2290 crores. 1. Under Buy Indian (IDDM) category, DAC approved procurement of Static HF Tans-receiver sets and Smart Anti Airfield Weapon (SAAW). 21. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh handed over 3 DRDO systems to Armed Forces - 1. Indian maritime situational awareness system (IMSAS) handed over to Navy, which will provide global maritime situational picture, marine planning tools and analytical capabilities. 2. Astra Mk-1 missile system handed over to Air Force, as first indigenously developed beyond visual range (BVR) missile that can be launched from Sukhoi-30 and other fighter aircraft. 3. BOSS (Border Surveillance System) handed over to Army. 22. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched Land Management System (LMS), to improve overall management of defence land. Intra-net portal shall digitize all requests of defence land management received by Department in future. 23. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited inaugurated advanced Hypersonic Wind Tunnel (HWT) test facility at DRO Hyderabad lab. 1. This pressure vacuum driven enclosed free jet facility will simulate Mach No 5 to 12 (Mach represents speed of sound). 2. After USA and Russia, India is the third country to have such a large facility in terms of size and operating capability. 24. Defence Ministry approved creation of a new post in Army, Titled Deputy Chief for Military Operations and Strategic Planning, as 3rd post of deputy chief in Army. 1. It will deal with strategic planning, military operations, intelligence and operational logistics. Paramjit Singh is to be appointed first Deputy Chief of Army of Staff (Strategy). 2. Another new post, Director General of Information Warfare, is also being created. 25. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) achieved maiden launch of Army Version of Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM), from Chandipur (Odisha). 1. Army version of MRSAM is a surface to Air Missile developed jointly by DRDO and IAI Israel. 26. Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) ICGS Kanaklata Barua of Indian Coast Guard has been commissioned, built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Kolkata. 27. Fast Patrol Vessel ICGS C-452 has been commissioned in Indian Coast Guard, indigenously built by L&T. 28. First of Indian Navy's three Project 17A ships being built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited Kolkata (GRSE), named Himgiri, has been launched. 1. Nilgiri-class frigate or Project 17A is a follow-on of Project 17 Shivalik-class frigate for Indian Navy. 2. 7 ships will be built at Mazagon Dock and GRSE. 3. Project is expected to cost over 45000 crores. 4. INS Himgiri is 2nd ship under Project 17A, and first to be built by GRSE. First ship under Project 17A is INS Nilgiri, Built by Mazagon Dock Limited. 29. India and Japan signed Agreement concerning Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between Armed Forces of both nations and enhance interoperability. 30. India will transfer Kilo-Class Submarine INS Sindhuvir to Myanmar Navy, enabling Myanmar to get its first submarine. It will be in accordance to SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) Policy. 31. India, Singapore and Thailand Navies held 2nd edition of India, Trilateral Maritime Exercise SITMEX-20, in Andaman Sea. 32. Indian Air Force formally inducted Rafale fighter jets, into 17th Squadron, the Golden Arrows (Stationed at Ambala). 1. Earlier, First 5 of 36 Dassault Rafale fighter jets had landed at Ambala airbase, for Induction Into air force, as first imported fighter to be inducted into Service since Sukhoi-30s from Russia in late 90s. 2. It is Part of €7.87 billion Deal signed Between India and France, in September 2016. 33. Indian Army developed a secure messaging application named Secure Application for Internet (SAI), similar to commercially available messaging applications. SAI will be utilised pan Army to facilitate secure messaging within Army. 1. Indian Army also introduced a software named Infrastructure Management System (IMS). 34. Indian Army's Agnibaaz Division and Maharashtra Police held joint anti-terror exercise called Suraksha Kavach, in Pune. 35. Indian Coast Guard Offshore Patrol vessel Sujeet has been commissioned into service, second in series of five Offshore Patrol Vessel built by Goa Shipyard. 1. Also, ICGS Saksham, 5th and last of five Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) for Indian Coast Guard (ICG), has been launched. It has been built by Goa Shipyard Limited. 2. Also, Indigenously-built Coast Guard interceptor boat C-454 has been commissioned, built by Larsen and Toubro. 3. Background - 1. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated GSL’s indigenous shipbuilding project in November 2016. Since then - 2. 2 Ships have been commissioned - ICGS Sachet and ICGS Sujeet. 3. All 5 Ships have been launched - ICGS Sachet, ICGS Sujeet, ICGS Sajag, ICGS Sarthak, ICGS Saksham. 36. Indian Navy launched fifth Scorpene submarine Vagir, built by Mazagon Dock Limited (Mumbai). 1. It is fifth submarine of first batch of six Kalvari-class submarines for Indian Navy. It is expected to be commissioned in 2022. 2. Other Submarines under this class are - INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj, INS Vela and INS Vagsheer. 37. Indian and Australia Navies Held Passage Exercise (PASSEX) in east Indian Ocean region, to enhance interoperability. 1. India has held similar Passex Exercises with US, Japan and France too, in recent past. 38. Indian and Singapore Navies held 27th edition of India - Singapore Bilateral Maritime Exercise SIMBEX-20, in Andaman Sea. 39. Indian and Vietnam Navies concluded two-day passage exercise in South China Sea, to boost maritime cooperation. 1. Indian Navy also recently held similar Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with Russian Navy in Eastern Indian Ocean Region (IOR). 40. Last of four indigenously built Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) stealth corvettes INS Kavaratti, under Project 28 (Kamorta class) has been commissioned into Indian Navy, at Naval Dockyard (Visakhapatnam). 1. It is built by Kolkata based Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), with up to 90% indigenous content. 2. All of four corvettes under Project 28 - INS Kamorta, INS Kadmatt, INS Kiltan and INS Kavaratti were commissioned in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2020 respectively. 3. Project cost is 7800 Crores. 41. Misc. Defence News (December 2020) - 1. Indian Navy test-fired anti-ship version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. BrahMos is world’s fastest cruise missile in operation. After India signed MTCR (Missile Technology Control Regime), Russia is planning to develop new generation BrahMos with India with range over 800 kilometres. 2. DRDO's Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology has been tested sucessfully, with communication trials between two DRDO labs - DRDL and RCI. QKD, developed by CAIR Bengaluru and DYSL-QT Mumbai, aims at establishing secure communication between DRDO Labs. 3. Indian Navy finalised procurement of SMASH 2000 Israeli fire control systems, capable of bringing down high-speed enemy drones. 4. Joint Air force exercise of Pakistan and China, named Shaheen, has been held. 5. Russia successfully test launched its heavy lift space rocket Angara A5, 6 years after first test-launch in 2014. It is capable of carrying payloads bigger than 20 tonnes into orbit. 6. DRDO and Indian Navy conducted successful maiden test trial of ‘SAHAYAK-NG’, India’s first indigenously designed and developed Air Dropped Container. 42. Misc. Defence News / Tests (November 2020)- 1. DRDO Tested Enhanced PINAKA rocket system, meant to replace existing Pinaka Mk-I rockets. 2. DRDO developed fire detection and suppression system for passenger buses, which can detect fire in buses in 30 seconds and can extinguish it in 60 Seconds. 3. Model of Anti Satellite (A-SAT) Missile has been installed at DRDO Bhawan in New Delhi, by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Under Mission Shakti, India's first-ever Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) Missile was Tested successfully, in March 2019. This made India 4th nation in the world with this capability. 4. India test fired all-weather Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air-Missiles (QRSAM), which is capable of striking aerial target at a height of 15 km. 5. Indian Navy received its 9th Boeing P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, part of $1 billion deal with US for four additional planes signed in 2016. 6. Russia test-fired Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile in Arctic, with range upto 11000 km and speed over Mach 8. 43. Misc. Defence News / Tests (October 2020) - 1. Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART) successfully flight tested. SMART is a missile assisted release of lightweight Anti-Submarine Torpedo System for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) operations far beyond Torpedo range. 2. Indigenously developed Laser Guided Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) successfully test fired. 3. New version of nuclear capable Shaurya missile India successfully test fired, as hypersonic surface-to-surface missile with a range of 700-1000 km. It is considered as land version of Sagarika K-15 missile. 4. Defence Ministry placed orders with a private firm (Economic Explosive Limited (EEL)) for the first time, for supply of 10 lakh hand grenades, to replace vintage design grenades in use. 5. India will acquire Sprut SDM1 light tanks from Russia, which are very useful in high altitude areas. 6. New generation Anti Radiation Missile (RUDRAM) successfully Flight tested, as first indigenous anti-radiation missile of country for IAF. The missile is integrated on SU-30 MKI fighter aircraft as launch platform. 7. DRDO tested Rustom 2 drone successfully, which is capable of carrying payloads depending on mission objectives. 8. Government scrapped requirement of Minimum Qualifying Service for Enhanced Family Pension with effect from 1st October 2019. Currently, there is requirement of continuous qualifying service of 7 years for grant of Ordinary Family Pension at enhanced rate to Next of Kin of Defence Forces personnel. 9. Aimed at Boosting indigenous defence manufacturing, Ministry of Defence appointed private sector player Alpha Design Technologies Limited (ADTL), to upgrade soviet era Pechora surface to air systems. 10. DRDO's Nirbhay Cruise Missile test Failed due to a technical snag, with capability to hit targets within 1000 KMs. 11. Indian Navy successfully test fired Naval Version of supersonic cruise missile BrahMos, with range 290 KM, from indigenously-built stealth destroyer INS Chennai. 12. DRDO successfully test fired Stand-Off Anti-Tank Missile (SANT), as a variant of Nag missile with range 15-20 KM. Other variants of Nag missile are Helina (Dhruvastra) and MP-ATGM. SANT is an upgraded version of HELINA. 13. DRDO conducted night trial of indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi II missile, with 250 KM Range. 14. Indian Army war memorial called Joginder War Memorial inaugurated at Bum La (Arunachal Pradesh). Joginder singh was awarded Param Vir Chakra posthumously. During 1962 Sino Indian War, he led his outnumbered Troops and handled 50 Chinese men alone. 44. Myanmar Navy inducted submarine INS Sindhuvir, which was handed over by India, as first submarine in Myanmar Navy. It was built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited. 45. Phase 1 of 24th edition of MALABAR naval exercise held at Visakhapatnam (Bay of Bengal), with participation Navies from India, US, Japan and Australia. 1. MALABAR series of maritime exercises commenced in 1992 as a bilateral IN-USN exercise. Japan joined in 2015. 2020 edition will now witness participation of Australia. 46. Phase 2 of 24th edition of MALABAR maritime exercise has been hosted by Indian Navy, in Arabian Sea. 1. Phase 1 involved participation by India, US, Japan and Australia, which was conducted off Visakhapatnam in Bay of Bengal. 2. MALABAR series of maritime exercises commenced in 1992 as a bilateral IN-USN exercise. Japan joined in 2015. 2020 edition witnessed participation of Australia for the First Time. 47. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh unveiled Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020. 1. First DAP was promulgated in 2002 and has since been revised periodically to provide impetus to domestic industry. 2. DAP 2020 Main Review Committee was formed in 2019, under DG (Acquisition) Apurva Chandra. 3. DAP 2020 has been aligned with vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, empowering Indian domestic industry and turning India into a global manufacturing hub. 4. Recently, Cabinet had approved a policy for raising cap on foreign direct investment (FDI) through automatic approval in defence sector to 74% from 49%, while affixing a ‘national security’ clause to it. 5. Raksha Mantri also launched Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC 4) during iDEX event, featuring initiatives aimed at expanding horizons of Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) ecosystem. 48. Second Batch of 3 Rafale combat aircrafts received by India, from France. 1. It is part of 36 Dassault Rafale fighter jets to be received from France. First 5 had arrived in July 2020. 2. Rafale is first imported fighter to be inducted into Service since Sukhoi-30s from Russia in late 90s. 49. To tighten security of communications network, Cabinet Committee on Security announced National Security Directive on Telecommunication Sector, which will mandate service providers to purchase equipment from trusted sources. Top

Economy 1. India signed $400 million Loan agreement with World Bank, to support India’s efforts at providing social assistance to the poor and vulnerable households, severely impacted by COVID-19 pandemic. 1. This is second operation in a programmatic series of two. The first operation of $750 million was approved in May 2020. 2. NTPC entered into foreign currency loan agreement with Japan Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC), under its GREEN (Global Action for Reconciling Economic growth and Environment preservation) initiative, for JPY 50 billion (approx 3582 crores INR). 1. JBIC will provide 60% of facility amount and balance will be given by commercial Japanese banks, under JBIC guarantee. 3. 42nd GST Council Meet held under Chairmanship of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Recommendations Include - 1. Levy of Compensation Cess to be extended beyond transition period of 5 years i.e. beyond June 2022. 2. Centre to release compensation of 20000 crores to States towards loss of revenue during 2020-21 and 25000 crore towards IGST of 2017-18. 3. As a step towards reducing compliance burden (particularly on small taxpayers having aggregate annual turnover < 5 crores), Council’s earlier recommendation of allowing filing of returns on a quarterly basis with monthly payments to be implemented from Jan 2021. 4. Taxpayers with turnover more than Rs 5 crores will now have to provide HSN Code from April 2021. 5. To encourage domestic launching of Satellites by ISRO and Antrix Corporation, GST Council decided that 18% GST will completely be scrapped. 4. Axis Bank launched new entry-level credit card named ACE Credit Card, with focus on increasing participation of users in digital economy. It is launched in collaboration with Google Pay and will run on Visa platform. 5. ICICI Bank launched online platform for foreign companies looking to establish or expand business in India called Infinite India, offering banking solutions and value-added services. 6. ICICI Bank has launched a new product named “iStartup 2.0”, to cater to the banking needs of startups and entrepreneurs. 7. ICICI Bank has shut down its operations in Sri Lanka, amid operational issues. 8. IndusInd Bank went live as a ‘Financial Information Provider’ (FIP) under new ‘Account Aggregator Framework’ of RBI, Becoming first Indian bank to do so. It will enable customers to avail several services on a single window, to take better informed decisions. 9. According to CARE Ratings, employment growth rate declined to 3.5% in FY 2020 (2019-20), from 3.8% in FY 19 (2018-19). In FY20, 1.70 lakh jobs were added, compared to 1.76 lakh in FY 2019. 1. The employment growth rate is expected to decline sharply in FY 21 (2020-21), due to COVID-19 Pandemic. 10. Adani Group will accquire 74% stake in Mumbai International airport, acquiring current promoter GVK 's 50.50 % stake and 23.5 % stake of Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) and Bidvest Group. 11. All 28 States and 3 UTs with legislature have decided to go for Option-1 to meet revenue shortfall arising out of GST implementation. Jharkhand became last state to communicate its acceptance of Option-1. 1. Under Option-1, besides getting facility a special window for borrowings to meet shortfall arising out of GST implementation, States are also entitled to get unconditional permission to borrow final instalment of 0.50% of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) out of 2% additional borrowings permitted by Government, under Atma Nirbhar Abhiyaan. 2. This is over and above Special Window of 1.1 lakh crores. 12. American investment firm General Atlantic invested 3675 crores into Reliance Retail ventures Limited (RRVL) for .84 % stake. This is 3rd investment in Reliance Retail Since October 2020. Earlier, 1. American investment firm KKR invested 5550 crores into Reliance Retail ventures Limited (RRVL) for 1.28% stake. 2. American investor Silver Lake invested 7500 Crores INR for 1.75% Stake in Reliance Retail. 3. In concerned 3 Deals, RRVL has divested 3.87 % Stake so far. 13. American investment firm KKR invested 5550 crores into Reliance Retail ventures Limited (RRVL) for 1.28% stake. This is 2nd investment in Reliance Retail Since October 2020. 1. Earlier, American investor Silver Lake invested 7500 Crores INR for 1.75% Stake in Reliance Retail. 14. American investor Silver Lake invested 7500 Crores INR for 1.75% Stake in Reliance Retail. 1. This is 2nd investment by Silver Lake in a subsidiary of Reliance Industries. It earlier invested 10202 crores for 2.08% stake in Reliance Jio. 15. Andhra Pradesh Govt received Approval from IRDAI, to form its Crop Insurance Firm Andhra Pradesh General Insurance Company (APGIC). 1. Andhra Pradesh is among few states like Bihar, West Bengal that have chosen to have their own crop insurance schemes. 2. APGIC will run state’s own YSR Free Crop Insurance Scheme, to provide free crop insurance to all farmers from 2019–2020. 16. As part of Vigilance Awareness Week ( Oct 27 - Nov 2), Punjab National Bank launched Tracking & Monitoring Staff Accountability Cases (TMSAC) portal. 17. As per 2019 annual Ease of doing business ranking of states / UTs by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade - 1. Top 5 - Andhra Pradesh (topped for 3rd time in a row), Uttar Pradesh (jump of 10 places), Telangana, MP, Jharkhand. 2. Bottom 3 - Odisha (34), Sikkim (35), Tripura (36) 18. As per Govt Data, Total FDI inflow grew by 55% in Last 6 years, from US$ 231 billion in 2008-14 to US$ 358 billion in 2014-20. 1. FDI equity inflow also increased by 57% from US$ 160 billion during 2008-14 to US$ 252 billion (2014-20). 2. In Current FY 21 so far (April to August 2020), total FDI inflow has been US$ 35.73 billion (Highest so far in 1st Five Months of a FY). 19. As per Official Data, Total Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) inflows into India during 2nd quarter of FY 21 (July - September 2020) remained US$ 28.1 Billion, out of which FDI equity inflows were US$ 23.4 Billion. 1. This takes FDI equity inflows during FY 21 upto September 2020 to US $30 Billion, 15% more than corresponding period of FY 20. 2. US emerged as second-biggest source of FDI for India during April-September 2020 with 7.12 USD Billion FDI, replacing Mauritius (2 Billion USD). Singapore, with investment of USD 8.30 billion, retained its position on top. 20. As per RBI Trend and Progress report 2020 - 1. Commercial banks' gross non-performing assets ratio declined from 9.1% in March 2019 to 7.5% in September 2020. 2. Capital to risk weighted assets ratio of commercial banks strengthened from 14.3% in March 2019 to 15.8% in September 2020. 21. As per RBI’s 3rd Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Statement 2020-21 - 1. Key Rates have been kept Unchanged. Current rates are - 1. Repo Rate - 4.00 % 2. Reverse Repo - 3.35 % 3. Bank Rate - 4.25 % 4. CRR (Cash Reserve Ratio) - 3 % 5. SLR(Statutory Liquidity ratio) - 18.00 % 6. Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) Rate - 4.25 % 2. Other Highlights 1. GDP growth in FY 21 (2020-21) is expected to be negative at - 9.5 % (- 9.8 % in Q2; -5.6 % in Q3 and 0.5 % in Q4) 2. GDP growth for Q1 of FY 22 (2021-22) is placed at 20.6 % 3. RTGS fund transfer system for real-time fund transfer to become 24X7 from December 2020. 4. Threshold for aggregate exposure of retail bank loans to one counterparty increased to Rs 7.5 crore from Rs 5 crore. 22. Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $430 million multitranche financing facility (MFF) for Uttar Pradesh Power Distribution Network Rehabilitation Project, aimed at improving quality of electricity supply in Uttar Pradesh. 1. Project will finance conversion of 65000 kilometers of rural low-voltage distribution lines from bare conductors to aerial bundle conductors to benefit 7 crore rural population. 2. It will also finance construction of a parallel network of 11-kilovolt feeders with length 17000 km, to separate distribution of electricity between residential and agriculture consumers. 23. Asian Development Bank (ADB) and France’s ENGIE group signed loan of up to 466 crores for setting up a 200-MW solar power project in Gujarat. 24. Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved 300 million USD loan to finance inclusive water supply and sanitation infrastructure and services in secondary towns of Rajasthan. 25. Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $231 million loan to construct Lower Kopili Hydroelectric Power (LKHEP) plant in Assam. 1. This is third and largest tranche of $300 million Assam Power Sector Investment Program approved by ADB in 2014. 26. Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $300 million loan to strengthen and improve access to comprehensive primary health care in urban areas in India. $2mn Additional Grant has been approved for its Implementation. 27. Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $300 million loan to upgrade rural power distribution networks to provide reliable electricity supply to consumers in Uttar Pradesh. 1. This is tranche 1 loan for Uttar Pradesh Power Distribution Network Rehabilitation Project, which was approved recently by ADB fpor total $430 Million. 28. Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $4.21 million project readiness financing (PRF) facility for preparation of infrastructure development projects, to improve urban amenities and develop tourism infrastructure in Tripura. 1. This is ADB’s first PRF facility for a state in the northeastern India. 2. Note that many sites have reported ADB approving 2100 Crores loan to tripura. The news is not correct. ADB is likely to approve such bigger amount later in future after PRF loan of $4.21 Million succeeds in its objectives, under Tripura Urban and Tourism Development Project. 29. Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved USD 2.5 million technical assistance to support advanced biofuel development in India, to be funded from Asia Clean Energy Fund, financed by Japan and South Korea. 30. Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved USD 190 million loan for upgradation of power distribution system in Karnataka capital Bengaluru. It includes USD 100 million sovereign loan and USD 90 million without sovereign guarantee loan to Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM). 31. Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved USD 270 million loan for Madhya Pradesh Urban Services Improvement Project. 32. Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $500 million loan to construct new metro rail lines in Bengaluru (Karnataka). 33. Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed $40 million loan to Northern Arc Capital Limited (NACL), to support livelihoods of microfinance borrowers and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in India. 34. Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed agreement for $15 million of debt financing through subscription of nonconvertible debentures for Coimbatore Based poultry farming Firm Suguna Foods. 35. Asian Development Bank approved USD 132.8 million loan to improve power distribution network in Meghalaya. 36. Axis Bank in partnership with Rupifi and Visa launched Rupifi Business Credit Card, for MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises). 37. Axis Bank partnere with Vistara Airlines, to roll out a co-branded forex card, dubbed (Axis Bank Club Vistara Forex Card), seen as first-ever collaboration by a bank and an Indian airline for a co-branded forex card. 38. Axis Bank revised plans to acquire stake in Max Life Insurance. Now, Axis Bank will acquire up to 19.002 % stake in Max Life Insurance, instead of earlier plan to pick up 17 %. 39. BRICS Nations' New Development Bank (NDB) approved US $241 million loan for Mumbai metro and US $500 million for Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project. 40. Bandhan Bank has set up a new vertical called “Emerging Entrepreneurs Business (EEB)”, to support emerging needs of unbanked / underbanked customers. 41. Bank of Baroda (BoB) launched Atmanirbhar Women Scheme as part of its Baroda Gold Loan, to target self-reliant female customers by offering loans at 0.50 % concession. 42. Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) launched an electronic spot platform BSE E-Agricultural Markets Limited (BEAM), for agricultural commodities through its subsidiary BSE Investments Limited. 43. Cabinet Approvals (Sep 21, 2020) - 1. CCEA - 1. Approved increase in Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for all mandated Rabi crops for marketing season 2021-22, in line with the recommendations of Swaminathan Commission. 1. Highest increase in MSP has been announced for lentil (Rs. 300 per quintal) followed by gram and rapeseed & mustard (Rs. 225 per quintal each) and safflower (Rs. 112 per quintal). 2. For barley and wheat, increase of Rs. 75 per quintal and Rs 50 per quintal respectively has been announced. 44. Canara Bank launched FX 4 U, enabling its internet banking users to handle forex transactions hasslefree. Once letter of credit (LC) module is activated, corporate customers can make and submit LC applications with documents through internet banking. 45. Canara Bank launched lead management system (LMS) – i-Lead 2.0 (Inspiring Leads System version 2.0), to provide services to customers, irrespective of their location. 46. Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance Launched Invest 4G Unit Linked Individual Life Insurance cum Savings Plan. 47. Central Bank of India launched unique variant of a contactless debit card under name RuPay Select, in association with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). 1. NPCI also recently rolled out RuPay Contactless (Offline) feature, as a reloadable wallet feature where the customers can store money to ensure quick and seamless transactions. 48. Central government will borrow 1.1 lakh crores under special window to meet shortfall of Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation. 1. Estimated shortfall of Rs 1.1 lakh cr (assuming all States join) will be borrowed by Government, in appropriate tranches. 2. Borrowed amount will be passed on to States as a back-to-back loan in lieu of GST Compensation. 49. Commodity bourse Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) launched Base Metals Index 'METLDEX', little after launch of MCX Bullion Index BULLDEX. 1. Base Metals Index will track real-time performance of a basket of MCX Base Metal futures, viz. zinc, copper, nickel, lead, and aluminium. 2. In Base Metals Index, zinc carries weightage of around 33.06 %, copper 29.81 %, nickel 14.77 %, lead 12.88 % and aluminium 9.48 %. 50. Competition Commission of India Approvals (December 2020) - 1. Approved amalgamation of Srikalahasthi Pipes into Electrosteel Castings Limited. 2. Approved acquisition of Rivigo Services Private Limited by Mauritius based Spring Canter Investment Ltd. 3. Approved acquisition by TPG Growth VSF Markets of 8% of equity shareholding of API Holdings. 4. Approved acquisition by Jamnalal Sons of 51% of equity share capital of Mukand Sumi Special Steel. 51. Competition Commission of India Approvals (November 2020)- 1. Approved acquisition of General Insurance Business of Bharti AXA General Insurance Company by ICICI Lombard General Insurance. Bharti AXA is joint venture by Bharti General Ventures (51%) and Societe Beaujon (49%). 2. Approved acquisition of 7.73% stake in Reliance Industries' Jio Platforms Limited (JPL) by Google Subsidiary Google International LLC, for 33737 Crores. 3. Approved transfer of 100% shareholding of Sinochem Group Company and China National Chemical Corporation to a new company wholly owned by China State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration (Central SASAC). In India, Sinochem is engaged in several related businesses. 4. Approved acquisition of Orix Wind SPVs by Greenko Energy Holdings from ORIX Corporation and equity stake in GEH by Orix. 5. Approved acquisition of retail and wholesale undertaking and logistics and warehousing undertaking of Future Group, by Reliance Retail Ventures Limited. 52. Competition Commission of India Approvals (October 2020) - 1. Approved acquisition of over 50% of equity share capital in CG Power and Industrial Solutions Limited by Tube Investments of India Limited. 53. Competition Commission of India Approvals (Sep 2020) - 1. Approved incremental acquisition by SABIC International Holdings (affiliate of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation), of 6.51% shareholding in ClariantAG. 2. Approved acquisition of Metso Oyj’s minerals business by Outotec Oyj (Both Finland Based Companies). 3. Approved combination involving acquisition of 20% equity of Piramal Pharma by CA Clover Intermediate II Investments (Curie). 4. Approved acquisition of Nutrition & Biosciences (Spinco) by International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), which relates to sole control by IFF, over Nutrition & Biosciences business of DuPont de Nemours, by acquiring control over SpinCo, a company newly formed by DuPont. 5. Approved acquisition of sole control over Bombardier Transport by Alstom S.A, and acquisition of approximately 18% and 3% share capital of Alstom S.A. by Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and Bombardier Inc (Bombardier) respectively. 6. Approved acquisition of 100% equity shares of Medlife International by API Holdings, and of up to 19.59% equity share capital of API Holdings by Medlife’s shareholders. 7. Approved demerger of Textiles Business of GHCL Ltd into its wholly owned subsidiary GHCL Textiles Limited. Pursuant to demerger, GHCL will retain its chemicals and consumer products business and GHCL Textiles will have demerged Textiles business. 8. Approved acquisition of certain real estate projects of RMZ Group and 100% equity shareholding in CoWrks by Brookfield Private Capital (DIFC) Limited. Acquiring entity will be a newly formed company belonging to Brookfield Private Capital (DIFC) Limited. 54. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) launched an online discovery platform for startups called “Startup India Showcase”, as a repository of India’s most promising startups, from various sectors. 55. Department of Pharmaceuticals revised guidelines of Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes for promoting domestic manufacturing of bulk drugs and medical devices keeping. 1. Minimum threshold investment requirement has been replaced by committed investment, taking into account availability of technology choices which varies between products. 56. Department of Posts launched scheme called Five Star Villages, to ensure universal coverage of flagship postal schemes in rural areas. 1. Schemes covered include Savings accounts, Recurrent Deposit Accounts, NSC / KVP certificates, Sukanya Samridhi Accounts/ PPF Accounts, Funded Post Office Savings Account linked India Post Payments Bank Accounts, Postal Life Insurance Policy/Rural Postal Life Insurance Policy and PM Suraksha Bima Yojana Account / PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana Account. 2. A Village will attain Single star if it implements universal coverage of any one of mentioned schemes, 2 star for 2 schemes and so on. 3. It is initially Launched on pilot basis in Maharashtra, to be implemented by team of 5 Gramin Dak Sevaks who will be assigned a village. 57. Equitas Small Finance Bank launched women exclusive savings account called Eva. It also appointed Female Cricketer Smriti Mandhana as brand ambassador. 58. European Investment Bank (EIB) will invest 650 million euros in construction of First metro line in Kanpur City (Uttar Pradesh). 59. Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced measures worth 73000 crores, to fight slowdown due to COVID-19 pandemic. The same was announced during 43rd GST Council Meeting. 1. Consumer Spending - 1. Leave Travel Concession (LTC) Cash Voucher Scheme - 1. Central government employees get leave travel concession (LTC) in a block of four years. However, employees will not be able to avail LTC in 2018-21 year block due to ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. 2. Under Scheme, employees will receive a cash payment In lieu of one LTC during 2018-21. 3. Employees opting for this will have to buy goods / services worth 3 times fare and one time leave encashment, by March 31, 2021. 2. Special Festival Advance Scheme - 1. Government announced one-time Rs 10000 interest-free festival advance to all its employees, as part of plans to increase consumer spending to spur demand in economy. 2. Capital Expenditure - 1. Government will issue a special interest-free 50-year loan to States of 12000 crores Capital Expenditure, consisting 3 Parts. 1. Part 1 (2500 Crores) - 200 crores each for 8 North East states and 450 crores for each of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. 2. Part 2 - 7500 crores for remaining states, as per 15th Finance Commission devolution. 3. Part 3 - 2000 crores will be given to states which fulfill at least 3 out of 4 reforms spelled out in Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Package (ANBP), over and above other borrowing ceilings. 2. Enhanced Budget Provisions - 1. Additional budget of 25000 crore (in addition to 4.13 lakh crores given in Union Budget 2020-21), is being provided for Capital Expenditure on roads, defence, water supply, urban development and domestically produced capital equipment. 3. Other Highlights of GST 43rd Council Meet - 1. The council resumed discussing issue of revenue shortfall of states, as in last 2 GST Council Meets. In 41st Meet, Central Government gave 2 compensation options to states - 1. Borrow compensation amount arising from implementation of GST (Rs 97,000 crore) - States will not bear Interest and Principal. It will be paid via cess on luxury goods. 2. Borrow entire shortfall (2.35 lakh crores) - States will have to bear interest burden in this case. 60. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman announced Various Stimulus measures Aatma Nirbhar Bharat 3.0. Highlights - 1. New Scheme Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana, launched to incentivise creation of new employment opportunities during COVID recovery phase. 1. Beneficiaries will be New employee joining employment in EPFO registered Firms (monthly wages under 15000) and Employees who had lost jobs between March 1, 2020 and September 30, 2020. 2. Scheme to be operational till 30th June 2021. Govt. to provide subsidy for 2 years as Under - 1. Up to 1000 employees - Employee’s contributions (12% of Wages) & Employer’s contributions (12% of wages) totalling 24% of wages. 2. Over 1000 employees - Only Employee’s EPF contributions (12% of EPF wages) 2. Rs. 3 lakh crore existing Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS 1.0), has been extended till 31st March, 2021. 3. Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS 2.0) to be Launched. 1. To be utilized for 100% guaranteed collateral free additional credit at capped interest rates to Entities in 26 stressed sectors identified by Kamath Committee plus health care sector, with credit outstanding Between 50 - 500 Crores. 2. Tenor of additional credit under ECLGS 2.0 to be 5 years, including one year moratorium on principal repayment. 4. Rs 1.46 lakh crore boost for Atmanirbhar Manufacturing Production-linked incentives for 10 Champion Sectors - 1. Government had earlier approved PLI schemes for 3 sectors at a cost of 51355 crores 1. Mobile Manufacturing - 40995 crores 2. Critical Key Starting Materials, Drug intermediates and Active Pharmaceuticals Ingredients - 6,940 crores 3. Medical Devices - 3420 crores 2. 10 more Champion Sectors will now be covered under PLI Scheme to boost domestic manufacturing (5 yearly Amount in Crores)- 1. Advance Cell Chemistry Battery - 18100 2. Electronic/Technology Products - 5000 3. Automobiles & Auto Components - 57042 4. Pharmaceuticals Drugs - 15000 5. Telecom & Networking Products - 12195 6. Textile Products - 10683 7. Food Products - 10900 8. High Efficiency Solar PV Modules - 4500 9. White Goods (ACs & LED) - 6238 10. Specialty Steel - 6322 5. 18000 crores as additional outlay for PM Awaas Yojana (PMAY) –Urban, over and above 2020-21 Budget Estimates (8000 Crores). 6. Support for Construction & Infrastructure - 1. Performance security on contracts to be reduced to 3 % instead of 5 to 10%. 2. Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) will not be required for tenders and will be replaced by Bid Security Declaration. 3. Relaxations will be given till 31-12-2021 under General Financial Rules. 7. To drive infrastructure creation, Govt will infuse 6000 crores equity in National Infrastructure Investment Fund’s (NIIF’s) debt platform. This will help raise 1.10 lakh crores by 2025 for financing infrastructure projects. 8. Support for Agriculture - 65000 crores for subsidised Fertilisers - 1. Fertiliser consumption, which was 499 lakh MT in 2016-17, is expected to increase to 673 lakh MT in 2020-21. 9. Boost for Rural Employment – Enhanced outlays of 10000 Crores to be Provided under PM Garib Kalyan Rozgar Yojana. 1. Earlier, MGNREGA was provided 61500 crores in Budget 2020-21. 40000 crores was additionally provided in Atma Nirbhar Bharat 1.0. 10. Boost for Project Exports - 3000 crores to EXIM bank for Lines of Credit, under IDEAS (Indian Development Assistance Scheme). 11. 10200 crores additional budget outlay will be provided towards Capital and industrial expenditure. 12. 900 crores being provided for Research and Development of Indian COVID Vaccine, Under Mission Covid Suraksha. 61. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated Doorstep Banking Services by PSBs, As part of EASE Reforms. It was launched during conferring awards to felicitate best performing banks on EASE Banking Reforms Index. 1. Bank of Baroda, SBI and erstwhile OBC ranked top 3 in the ‘Top Performing Banks’ category according to EASE 2.0 Index. Bank of Maharashtra was named as Top Improver. 62. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched ‘MSME Prerana’, an online business mentoring programme for MSMEs by Indian Bank. It is aimed at empowering entrepreneurs through skill development and capacity building workshops. 1. Indian Bank also launched a green initiative named “IB-eNote” to enable a total paperless working environment. This will enable processing and tracking of notes put up by various offices digitally. Bank also launched ‘Ind Guru’, an e-learning platform for its employees. 63. Finance Ministry allowed 5 states to raise additional financial resources of 9913 crores through Open Market Borrowings (OMBs). States are - Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Goa, and Tripura. This has been accorded after these States successfully met reform condition of implementation of One Nation One Ration Card System. 1. In view of COVID-19 pandemic, Central Government in May 2020 allowed additional borrowing limit of up to 2 % of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) to States for FY 2020-21, this came out as 427302 crores available to States. 2. 1 % percent of this was subject to implementation of following four specific State level reforms - Implementation of One Nation One Ration Card System, Ease of doing business reform, Urban Local body/ utility reforms and Power Sector reforms. 64. Finance Ministry asked Businesses with monthly turnover of over 50 lakh to mandatorily pay at least 1 % of their GST liability in cash, to curb evasion by fake invoicing. 65. Financial Firm Bajaj Finserv launched its healthtech solutions business named Bajaj Finserv Health Ltd (BFHL). It offered ‘Aarogya Care’, providing preventive, personalised, prepaid health care packages to consumers. 66. Fintech Firm Paytm launched Payout Links for businesses, enabling businesses to instantly process payouts to customers, employees and vendors without collecting their bank details. 67. Government amended public procurement (Preference to make in India ) order 2017. 1. It states that entities from other countries that do not allow Indian companies to participate in their government procurement procedures, shall not be allowed to participate in Indian government procurement procedures. 2. It has been done to promote Make in India and to curb investments from neighboring countries with emphasis on China. 3. Earlier, share of class 1 and class 2 local suppliers were fixed at 50 % and 20 % respectively. After these amendments, Govt will set upper threshold for procurement above which foreign companies will have to create joint ventures with Indian companies, to participate in government tenders. 68. Government and RBI issued Guidelines for Sovereign Gold Bonds Scheme 2020, to be issued in 6 tranches from October 2020 to March 2021 - 1. Dates - 1. October 12 - 16, 2020 2. November 09 - 13, 2020 3. December 28 2020 - January 01, 2021 4. January 11-15, 2021 5. February 01- 05, 2021 6. March 01- 05, 2021 2. Guidelines -

Issuance To be issued by Reserve Bank of India on behalf of the Government of India. 1. The Bonds will be restricted for sale to resident individuals, HUFs, Trusts, Universities and Charitable Eligibility Institutions. In case of joint holding, the investment limit of 4 KG will be applied to the first applicant only.

Denomination The Bonds will be denominated in multiples of gram(s) of gold with a basic unit of 1 gram.

The tenor of the Bond will be for a period of 8 years with exit option after5thyear to be exercised on the next Tenor interest payment dates.

Minimum size Minimum permissible investment will be 1 gram of gold.

Maximum The maximum limit of subscription shall be 4 KG forindividual, 4 Kg for HUF and 20 Kg for trusts. limit

Price of Bond will be fixed in Indian Rupees on the basis of simple average of closing price of gold of 999 purity, Issue price published by India Bullion and Jewellers Association Limited for last 3 working days of week preceding subscription period. issue price of the Gold Bonds will be 50 per gram less for online payments.

Payment Payment for the Bonds will be through cash payment (up to a maximum of `20,000) or demand draft or cheque option or electronic banking.

Redemption The redemption price will be in Indian Rupees based on simple average of closing price of gold of 999 purity, of price previous 3 working days published by IBJA Ltd.

Bonds will be sold through Commercial banks, Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL), Sales channel designated post offices (as may be notified) and recognised stock exchanges viz., National Stock Exchange of India Limited and Bombay Stock Exchange, either directly or through agents.

The investors will be compensated at a fixed rate of 2.50 percent per annum payable semi-annually on the Interest rate nominal value.

Collateral / Bonds can be used as collateral for loans. The loan-to-value (LTV) ratio is to be set equal to ordinary gold loan Tradability mandated by the Reserve Bank from time to time. Bonds will also be tradable on stock exchanges.

Commission for distribution of bond shall be paid at the rate of 1% of the total subscription received by Commission receiving offices and receiving offices shall share at least 50% of commission so received with agents. 69. Government made it mandatory to mention 8-digit HSN or tariff code for 49 chemical based products while issuing Goods and Services Tax (GST) invoice, aimed at curbing tax evasion. 1. Currently, businesses mention up to 4-digit tariff code while issuing invoices. In trade parlance, every product is categorised under an HSN (Harmonised System of Nomenclature) Code. It helps in systematic classification of goods across globe. 70. Government of Himachal Pradesh in partnership with Asian Development Bank (ADB) will to improve infrastructure in Mandi district, with estimated cost 15 crores. 71. Government released 2200 crores to 15 states to improve Air Quality Measures in cities with over 10 lakh population, as per recommendations of 15th Finance Commission. 72. Government will form Central Investment Clearance Cell by April 2021, as an integral part of single window system. It will ensure that an investor gets all required information and clearances under one platform. 73. Govt. approved INR 25215 crores deal between Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Ltd (RIIHL) and Canadian firm Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP, involving sale of over 1.35 lakh mobile towers. 1. Tower Company, Reliance Jio and RPPMSL executed the deal, under which Jio will remain tenant of new entity for 30 years. 74. Govt. capped benefits under Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS) at Rs 2 crore per exporter on exports made between September - December 2020 without changing coverage of scheme and applicable rates. 1. Also, MEIS scheme will be withdrawn from January 1, 2021. 75. Gross GST revenue collected in August 2020 stood at 86449 crores (CGST - 15906, SGST - 21064 crore, IGST - 42264, Cess - 7215 crores). 76. Gross GST revenue collected in November 2020 stayed 1.05 Lakh crores (CGST - 19189 crores, SGST 25540 crores, IGST 51992 crores, Cess 8242 crores). 77. Gross GST revenue in October 2020 remained 105155 crores (CGST 19193 crores, SGST 25411 crores, IGST 52540 crores and Cess 8011 crores. 78. Gross GST revenue in September 2020 stood at 95480 crores (CGST - 17741 crores, SGST 23131 crores, IGST 47484 crores and Cess 7124 crores). 79. Gujarat Based International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) obtained membership of International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS). 1. Established in 1994, Switzerland based IAIS is a voluntary membership organization of insurance supervisors and regulators. 2. It is international standard-setting body responsible for developing and assisting in implementation of principles and standards for supervision of insurance sector. 80. HDFC Bank is named at top among 100 Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) companies in India, as per BFSI Movers and Shakers 2020 report by Wizikey. ICICI Bank and State Bank of India (SBI) are ranked second and third respectively. 81. HDFC Bank launched a Warehouse Commodity Finance App, to enable customers in drawing down and managing loan against pledge of commodities online without physical intervention. 82. ICICI Bank became First to introduce a debit card facility for customers availing Loan Against Securities (LAS) from Bank, available on Visa platform. It can be used across all domestic POS / online transactions, within sanctioned LAS amount. 83. ICICI Bank launched banking programme for millennial customers called Mine, Inspired by Millennial Network, as first such in India. It offers several preferential services to targeted customers, in age bracket of 18 - 35 years. 84. IDBI Bank become first Bank to implement new feature of document embedding facility with Letter of Credit (LC) / Bank Guarantee (BG) messages over SFMS (Structured Financial Messaging System) platform of Indian Financial Technology and Allied Services (IFTAS). 85. IRDAI issued draft guidelines on standard personal accident insurance policies, to be offered by all insurers from April 2021. 1. It will have sum insured in range 2.5 lakh to 1 crore. 2. 100% of sum insured would be paid in case of death or permanent total disablement. For partial disablement, payout percentage will vary according to type of disablement. 86. IT Firm Infosys completed acquisition of US-based product design and development firm Kaleidoscope Innovation, acquired for up to USD 42 million. 87. IT Firm Tech Mahindra acquired New Zealand-based Tenzing Group for 218 Crores and Australian IT firm Momenton for 75 crores. 88. India GDP Growth Forecasts (October 2020) - 1. RBI Monetary Policy Statement Predicts GDP growth in FY 21 (2020-21) to be negative at - 9.5 % (- 9.8 % in Q2; -5.6 % in Q3 and 0.5 % in Q4). GDP growth for Q1 of FY 22 (2021-22) is placed at strong 20.6 %. 2. As per World Bank South Asia Focus update, India’s economy is to contract 9.6% in FY21 (2020-21). 3. As per IMF World Economic Outlook October 2020 Edition, India is expected to Contract at - 10.3 % in FY 21, and expected to grow at 8.8 % in FY 22. 89. India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) Introduced Central Govt's low-cost insurance scheme Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) in partnership with PNB MetLife India Insurance, which Provides Life Cover of 2 Lakhs, for annual premium of 330 INR. 1. Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana was launched by Central Govt in 2015, along with Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, which accident insurance of 2 Lakhs, for annual Premium of 12 INR. 90. India Signed $50-million loan agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB), to improve financial management procedures and operational efficiencies, to improve service delivery in West Bengal. 91. India extended 250 million USD loan to Maldives, to combat economic impact of COVID-19. 92. India signed $120 Million Loan agreement with World Bank, to improve transport sector of state of Meghalaya. 93. India signed $270 million loan agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB), to develop water supply and integrated storm water and sewage management infrastructure and strengthen capacities of urban local bodies (ULBs) for improved service delivery in state of Madhya Pradesh. 94. India signed $300 million loan agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB), to finance inclusive and sustainable water supply and sanitation infrastructure and services in 14 secondary towns of the state of Rajasthan. 95. India signed $500 million loan agreement with World Bank, to build safe and green national highway corridors in Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. 96. India signed $500 million loan agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB), as first tranche of $1 billion facility approved earlier, for high-speed 82-kilometer Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor. It is aimed at improving regional connectivity and mobility in India’s national capital region (NCR). 97. India signed $82 million loan agreement with World Bank, for implementation of Himachal Pradesh State Roads Transformation Project, to strengthen transport and road safety institutions of Himachal Pradesh. 98. India signed USD 500 Million Loan agreement with Shanghai based BRICS Nations' New Development Bank (NDB), for Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System Project, to provide fast public transport system in National Capital Region (NCR). 99. India signed USD 346 million loan agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB), to help provide efficient and reliable power supply to rural Maharashtra. 100. India signed a $177 million loan agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB), to upgrade 450 kilometers of state highways and major district roads in state of Maharashtra. 101. India signed loan agreement of $1,000 million with New Development Bank (NDB), for supporting India’s economic recovery from COVID-19’ by supporting expenditures on rural infrastructure related to natural resource management (NRM) and rural employment generation under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). 102. India's Srei Equipment Finance received investment of 10 million euros from Germany-based KfW IPEX-Bank, backed by cover from France-based Euler Hermes. 103. Indian Bank, Canara Bank, Axis Bank, South Indian Bank, Bank of Baroda Acquired 6.67% stakes each in IBBIC, which is proposed to be set up as as a fintech company with an objective of providing a platform for building and implementing Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) solutions. 104. Indian GDP Forecasts (Sep 2020) - 1. Indian FY 21 GDP Contractions expected by Several Agencies, due to COVID-19 Pandemic - 1. 10.9% - SBI’s Ecowrap research report. 2. 14.8 % - American brokerage Godman Sachs. 3. 11.8 % - India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra), the India arm of Fitch Ratings . 4. 9 % - S&P Global Ratings. 5. 11.5 % - Moody’s 6. 9 % - CRISIL 7. 10.2 % - Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). In FY22 (2021-22), OECD projects India’s GDP to grow at 10.7%. 8. 9 % - Asian Development Bank (ADB). FY22 (2021-22) India GDP growth is expected at 8 %. ADB expects GDP growth for developing Asia at - 0.7 % in 2020, the first negative economic growth since 1962. 9. 5.9 % - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). India's GDP is expected to Grow at 3.9% in FY 22 (2021-22). 10. 11 % - Rating Agency ICRA 11. 12.6 % - National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER). For 2021-22, NCAER projects the GDP of India to grow by 7%. 105. Indian GDP Growth Forecasts (December 2020) - 1. FY 21 (2020-21) Contractions in Indian GDP expected by Various agencies - 1. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) - 9.9% 2. RBI Monetary Policy - 7.5 % 3. Asian Development Bank's Asian Development Outlook - 8% 4. Japanese Firm Nomura - 7.1 % 1. It also projects that India will be be fastest-growing Asian economy in FY 22 (2021-22), with GDP growth of 9.9% 5. S&P Global Ratings - 7.7 %. 1. It is expected to rebound to 10 % in next fiscal FY 22 (2021-22) 6. CRISIL - 7.7%. 1. For FY 2021-22 (FY22), CRISIL expects growth to bounce back to 10% 7. State Bank of India Ecowrap Report - 7.4 % 1. FY 2022 (2021-22) growth to 11 % 8. National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) - 7.3 % 9. ICRA Ratings - 7.8 % 106. Indian GDP Growth Forecasts (November 2020)- 1. Credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service revised GDP forecast of India to -8.9 % Contraction in FY 21 (2020-21), upwards from -9.6 % contraction forecasted earlier. 2. American Investment bank Goldman Sachs revised upwards the growth forecast for India in FY21 (2020-21) to -10.3%, from its earlier projection of -14.8%. For FY 22 (2021-22), Goldman Sachs has projected India’s GDP to grow at 13%. 107. Indian IT Firm TCS will acquire 100 % shares of Postbank Systems AG (PBS) from German Investment Bank Deutsche Bank. 108. Indian Solar projects developer Avaada Energy secured USD 15 million funding each from French development finance institution Proparco and Asian Development Bank (ADB). 1. ADB in 2019 announced to invest $50 million in Avaada. 109. Indian government lost taxation case against Cairn Energy Plc, with Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague ruling in favour of Cairn Energy. 1. Court stated that Indian government failed to uphold its obligations under India-UK bilateral investment treaty and international laws, in seeking tax payments worth 10250 crores from company for its business reorganisation. 2. Arbitration tribunal awarded Cairn damages worth $1.2 billion plus interest and costs. 3. Earlier, India had lost similar taxation case against Vodafone Group. 110. Insurance Regulator IRDAI Named LIC, GIC and New India Assurance as domestic systemically important insurers (D- SIIs), deciding to subject them to enhanced regulatory supervision. 1. D-SIIs refer to insurers of such size, market importance and domestic and global inter-connectedness whose distress or failure would cause a significant dislocation in the domestic financial system. 2. Likewise, among banks, RBI had earlier declared SBI, ICICI Bank, and HDFC Bank as Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs). 111. Insurance Regulator IRDAI issued Guidelines for a standard, individual term life insurance product called Saral Jeevan Bima, to be mandatorily offered by all life insurance companies from January 2021 onwards. 1. It will be a non-linked non-participating individual pure-risk premium life insurance plan. There will be no exclusions, other than suicides. 2. Sum assured will be between 5 - 25 lakh. However, insurer may provide sum assured beyond Rs 25 lakh. 3. Entry age is 18 - 65 years, with maximum maturity age 70 years. 112. International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA) and India Gold Policy Centre (IGPC) - IIMA signed agreement to provide expertise to facilitate establishment of International Bullion Exchange (IBE) in India. 113. International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) approved IFSCA (Banking) Regulations 2020, paveing way for putting in place rules for various banking operations that would be permissible at IFSC. It Includes guidelines for - 1. Requirements for setting up IFSC Banking Units (IBUs), and their permissible activities . 2. Permitting persons to open foreign currency accounts in any freely convertible currency at IBUs. 3. To undertake any transaction under Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) of RBI. 114. International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) introduced a framework for regulatory sandbox enabling entities, to test their new solutions in a live environment and on a limited set of real customers with necessary safeguards. 1. These features shall be fortified with necessary safeguards for investor protection and risk mitigation, and the regulatory sandbox will operate within IFSC located at GIFT City. 115. International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) prescribed regulatory framework for Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) in IFSC, to develop financial products in GIFT CITY IFSC. 1. IFSCA permitted global participants i.e. REITs and InvITs incorporated in FATF compliant jurisdictions to list on the stock exchanges in GIFT IFSC. InvITs have been permitted to raise funds through private placements also. 116. International Financial Services Centres Authority Board approved two Regulations - 1. IFSCA (Bullion Exchange) Regulations 2020 - To pave way for setting up ecosystem for bullion trading, namely, bullion exchange, depository, clearing house and vaults. 2. IFSCA (Global In-House Centres) Regulations 2020 - Notified Global In-House Centres (GIC) as financial service to provide services relating to financial products / services. 117. Jana Small Finance Bank partnered with Ashoknagar Co-operative Bank, under Bank Sponsorship Program. 1. This makes Jana Bank first Small Finance Bank to Join this Program. RBI had permitted co-operative banks, to issue ATM cards/ATM-cum-debit cards in tie-up with a sponsor bank. 118. Jharkhand Govt approved loan waiver up to 50000 for 9.07 lakh farmers, marking 2000 crores for the same. 1. Jharkhand Cabinet also approved the replacement of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Bima Yojana with its own Fasal Rahat Yojana, with 100 crores budget. 119. Kerala became first state to fix Minimum Support Price for sixteen agriculture items, which consist vegetables, fruits and tubers. 1. Base Price will be 20% more than production cost of vegetables. Yields procured under this scheme will be sold under name Jeevani Kerala Farm Fresh Fruits and Vegetables”. 120. Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company launched ESG Opportunities Fund, which will focus on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors and Principles for Responsible Investing (PRI). 121. LIC launched digital application for agents for onboarding to get a life insurance policy, called ANANDA (Atma Nirbhar Agents NewBusiness Digital Application). 122. Labour & Employment Minister of State Santosh Kumar Gangwar released new series of Consumer Price Index for Industrial Worker (CPI-IW) with base year 2016, maintained by Labour Bureau. 1. The new series of CPI(IW) with base 2016=100 will replace theexisting series with base2001=100 2. Earlier revisions since inception of Labour Bureau - 1944 to 1949, 1949 to 1960, 1960 to 1982 and 1982 to 2001 3. The new series is more representative in character and reflects latest consumption pattern of industrial workers. 123. Maple Group received RBI approval to acquire up to 9.99 percent stake in RBL bank. 124. Market regulator SEBI has set up a specialised department to tackle cases of diversion of funds, bank loans and resources by company promoters. New department will be known as the Corporation Finance Investigation Department (CFID). 125. Markets regulator SEBI launched Securities Market Trainers (SMARTs) program, an initiative aimed at enhancing investor education and awareness. 126. Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Ministry of AYUSH will Jointly set up an Export Promotion Council to boost AYUSH exports. 1. Also, Ministry of Textiles invited proposals for constitution of a dedicated Export Promotion Council (EPC) for Technical Textiles. 1. It is under Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs' February 2020 decision to set up a National Technical Textiles Mission with a total outlay of 1480 Crores, by 2023-24. 127. Ministry of Commerce and Industry's Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) signed MoU in field of Intellectual Property Cooperation with US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). 128. Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) enhanced support under scheme announced to support Agarbatti Industry. Size of program has been increased to over 55 Crores, compared to 2.66 Crores earlier. It includes - 1. Immediate support to 1500 artisans of about 3.45 Crores (By Providing 400 Automatic Agarbatti making machines, against 200 earlier). 2. Development of 2 centers of Excellence costing at 2.20 Cr at IITs/NITs and at FFDC Kannauj. 3. Setting up of 10 new SFURTI clusters at approx 50 Crores, benefitting about 5000 additional artisans. 4. Under expanded program, Artisans developing hand rolled Agarbatti and ‘Migrant workers’ will be given preference. 129. Misc. Corporate Events (November 2020)- 1. RBI imposed penalty of 1 crore on Jio Payments Bank, for non-compliance with RBI directions on timely submission of application in case of reappointment of MD & CEO. RBI also imposed penalty of 22 lakh on DCB Bank, for non-compliance with certain RBI directions. 2. Private lender RBL Bank launched instant payouts for fintech firms by partnering with payments giant Visa, to leverage Visa’s real-time push payments platform Visa Direct. 3. IT Firm Tech Mahindra signed contract of 400 crores for enterprise resource planning implementation Project Parivartan, by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). 4. Iffco Bazar, the e-commerce arm of IFFCO, integrated with SBI YONO Krishi app. It aims at ensuring wide variety of agriculture products are made accessible to Indian Farmers. 5. NPCI allowed Facebook-owned WhatsApp to start its payments service in India, named WhatsApp pay. It will be allowed to expand its payments user base to only 20 million users in first phase. 6. RBI announced that rate of interest on Government Floating Rate Bonds 2024 shall be 3.36 % per annum, applicable for half year November 07, 2020 to May 06, 2021. 7. HDFC Bank has been named Most Outstanding Company - Financial Sector in India, by financial publication Asiamoney. 8. SBI partnered with global non-profit education platform-edX to offer Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). 9. HDFC ERGO General Insurance launched AI tool IDEAS (Intelligent Damage detection Estimation and Assessment Solution), for automating motor claim settlements. 10. Karnataka Bank launched new indigenous Rupay debit card called National Common Mobility Debit Card (NCMC). Equipped as an international Contact-less, it is a debit cum prepaid and inter-operable transport card. 11. RBI imposed penalty of 50 lakh on Central Bank of India, for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI, related to disbural of housing loans. 12. HDFC Bank launched SmartHub Merchant Solutions 3.0 for Small and mid-size enterprises, allowing them to instantly open a current account and start accepting payments. 13. Payments Firm MobiKwik Launched Blue American Express Card, makin it first non-bank Indian company to become a member of American Express network. 14. RBI imposed penalty of 1 crore on Punjab National Bank, for violating Payment and Settlement Systems Act 2007 Guidelines. 15. HDFC Bank and IndusInd Bank have been put in red flag list, by a system used for monitoring foreign portfolio investor (FPI) limits. A listed company enters this list when available legroom for overseas investment is less than 3 % of permissible limit. FPIs can invest up to 74 per cent in both HDFC Bank and IndusInd Bank. 16. RBI banned Manta Urban Cooperative Bank in Jalna district of Maharashtra for six months for payment of money and loan transactions. 17. Larsen and Toubro (L&T) acqured order worth over 7000 crores, to construct 87.569 KM of Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR), also known as Bullet Train Project. 18. Bharti Airtel acquired 5.2% stake in solar power firm Avaada MHBuldhana, for INR 4.55 crores. Avaada MHBuldhana is a subsidiary of Avaada Energy, a newly-formed entity that is developing a captive solar power plant in Maharashtra. 19. YES Bank launched SMS Pay functionality on POS terminals, to allow merchants to accept contactless and remote payments, in collaboration with French payments Firm Worldline. 20. HDFC Bank signed MoU with Inventivepreneur Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ICCI) to support SMEs and Start- ups. 21. Car maker Mercedes-Benz partnered with State Bank of India to offer financial benefits to Bank’s High Net Worth Individual Customers. 22. RBI Rejected proposal by Muthoot Finance, to buy IDBI Asset Management and IDBI MF Trustee Company, statimng it not in consonance with activity of an NBFC. 23. HDFC Bank acquired 19.95 % stake in Renaissance Investment Solutions Asset Reconstruction Company, for 49.8 lakhs. 24. Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) signed MoU with Tamil Nadu government, to develop MSMEs in state. 25. Receivables Exchange of India (RXIL) initiated a Trade Credit Insurance (TCI) backed transaction in Sandbox environment, with Tata AIG as insurer and ICICI Bank, YES Bank as financiers. This is first time a TReDS platform has tested efficacy of TCI backed transaction. 130. Misc. Corporate News /Events (December 2020) - 1. RBI asked HDFC bank to temporarily stop all its launches under its Digital 2.0 programme, amid persisting outrages complaints against the bank. 2. SBI, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Japan's JCB International launched SBI RuPay JCB Platinum Contactless Debit Card', to enable customers to perform contactless domestic and overseas transactions. 3. China started importing Indian rice for first time in 3 decades. India is biggest exporter of rice and China is biggest importer. 4. Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank Launched Overdraft facility for Farmers, with limit upto 1.5 lakh per acre to irrigated lands and 1 lakh per acre for dry land. 5. PayNearby in partnership with NPCI & YES Bank Launched PayNearby shopping card for Retailers. 6. India Grid Trust acquired 74 % in Parbati Koldam Transmission Company (PKTCL) from Reliance Infrastructure. 7. Bengaluru-based Finin launched a neobanking platform in partnership with SBM Bank India. 8. NABARD signed MoU with State Bank of India, for taking up joint intervention projects and capacity building in NABARD’s livelihood projects. 9. Industry body CII and Amazon signed pact to increase export potential of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in 10 states, under Project Digital Saksham. It was signed during 17th CII Global SME Business Summit. 10. Government launched Quarterly Return filing & Monthly Payment of Taxes (QRMP) scheme for small taxpayers under GST system, with annual turnover up to 5 crores. 11. Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company launched Kotak International REIT Fund of Funds, as India’s first diversified REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) Fund. 12. RBL Bank and ICICI Prudential have Signed bancassurance partnership, to promote Insurer's Products through RBL Bank branches. 13. India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) and United Nations Industrial Development Organization parnered, to promote innovations in energy storage in India. 14. Equitas Small Finance Bank has launched a 3-in-1 account (savings +trading+ demat), which allows its customers to invest in wide variety of financial products. 15. Memorandum of Agreement Signed between National Backward Classes Finance & Development Corporation (NBCFDC), National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC) and Central Bank of India, for Implementation of Interest subvention Scheme of Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment - Vanchit Ikai Samooh aur Vargon ki Aarthik Sahayta (VISVAS) Yojana. 16. Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Introduced Money Mitra Neighbourhood Banking Channel For its Customers. 17. Bharti Infratel received approval from Registrar of Companies, for changing its name to Indus Towers, after recent merger of Bharti Infratel and Indus Towers, to create a mega tower entity. 18. DBS Bank India partnered with social enterprise Haqdarshak, to enable recovery of Indian businesses through its new platform that offers access to MSME-focused government-assisted schemes. 19. Edelweiss General Insurance (EGI) launched first of its kind, Open API (Application Programming Interface) Gateway, to facilitate complete digital collaboration with its partners. 20. SBI Card and BPCL Jointly Launched OCTANE card, for Consumers with Significant Fuel spends. 21. Indian Army and Bank of Baroda signed MoU for Baroda Military Salary Package, under which banking services would be provided by Bank of Baroda to personnel of Indian Army. 22. American payments firm PayPal has been imposed INR 96 lakh penalty by Financial Intelligence Unit for contravention of anti money laundering law. 23. Suspension of insolvency and bankruptcy code (IBC) has been extended by Govt till March 31, 2021, as a relief to industries that are stressed because of the pandemic. 24. In partnership with Mastercard, IndusInd Bank launched metal credit card PIONEER Heritage, for its ultra-high net worth customers. 25. AU Small Finance Bank signed bancassurance partnership with ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, to offer life insurance solutions. 131. Misc. Corporate News (Sep 2020) - 1. Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) procured 250 electric vehicles from Tata Motors (150 Nexon electric compact SUVs) and Hyundai Motor India (100 Kona electric premium SUVs). This will utilize 5 Million USD from the recent grant provided by Asian Development Bank (ADB). 2. ICICI Bank launched virtual property exhibition under name ‘Home Utsav’. 3. ICICI Prudential Life Insurance introduced AI powered voice chatbot, “LiGo”, on Google Assistant, to address policyholders' queries. 4. Payments Firm LazyPay launched LazyUPI digital credit card, which combines concept of Buy-Now-Pay-Later with UPI, to enable users access to real-time credit using UPI across omnichannel networks. 5. Govt appointed KPMG-led consortium to advise Ministry of Defence on OFB (Ordnance Factory Board) corporatisation. 6. On occasion of Bank of India (BoI)’s 115th Foundation Day, It launched an international contactless debit card Signature Visa Debit Card for high net worth individuals, who maintain average quarterly balance of 10 lakhs. 7. Telecom Firm Vodafone-Idea announced its new unified brand identity, renaming all its products under a new name and logo “Vi”. 8. ACI Worldwide (Global provider of real-time digital payment solutions) modernized payments infrastructure for ATM and point-of-sale (POS) at State Bank of India (SBI), India’s largest bank. 9. Mahindra Finance will enter business of online insurance broking giving digital services to customers of its insurance brokerage subsidiary, Mahindra Insurance Brokers, through portal PayBima. 10. As per Ernst and Young, Indian agriculture sector will rise to about 24 billion by 2025, with more digitalization and diversification. 11. ICICI Lombard signed bancassurance tie up with Yes Bank, for selling insurance products to bank's customers. ICICI Prudential tied similar pact with NSDL Payments Bank. 12. Liberty General Partnered with Airline SpiceJet, to Offer ‘Liberty Secure Travel’ an Insurance Policy, with Zero Cancellation Service. 13. Razorpay Launched Cash Advance, Collateral Free Line of Credit, to Increase MSME Cash Flow, impacted by COVID-19 Pandemic. 14. ICICI Home Finance launched Apna Ghar Dreamz loan scheme for skilled laborers in informal sector in Delhi. 15. SBI General Insurance and YES Bank signed corporate agency agreement (bancassurance), to distribute the general insurer’s retail products to Bank's customers. 1. Yes bank also signed similar bancassurance tie-up with HDFC (Housing Development Finance Corporation) Life. 16. SBI and Titan partnered to launch contactless payment services through watches, called Titan Pay. 17. Govt approved restructuring of Board of Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), including elevating 04 posts of CEOs of Integrated Steel Plants of SAIL as Functional Directors, along with several other changes. 18. State Bank of Mauritius (SBM) India and Mastercard launched unique debit card customized for refined needs of high net worth customers, called SBM World Debit Card. 19. Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) launched gold loan scheme titled Vikas Laghu Suvarna, giving loans up to 15 lakh on reduced interest rate of 7.25 %, and giving 80 % of market value of gold subject to a maximum of 3200 a gram. 20. IDFC First Bank launched contactless debit card-based payment facility named SafePay, allowing transactions up to Rs 20000 per day. It is first such facility that allows payments by simply waving one's smartphone against a near field communication (NFC)-enabled PoS terminal. 21. Payments Firm Visa launchd a grant program in India to support women entrepreneurs with its global partner, IFundWomen. 22. Google Pay partnered with VISA for rollout of tokenization across its platform that will enable users to safely transact with their debit or credit cards. 23. Volvo Car India partnered with HDFC Bank to launch Volvo Car Financial Services to enable buyers get easy finance for its vehicles. 24. Flipkart and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance launched a cyber insurance cover for online financial frauds, called Digital Suraksha Group Insurance. 25. SBI Card launched campaign Contactless Connections, which aims at inspiring optimism during Pandemic. 26. NABARD began a Sanitation Literacy Campaign (SLC) in Karnataka to promote literacy on ‘WASH’ (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) in 2000 villages. 27. Yearly Terget MOUs signed by Large PSUs (for 2020-21) - 1. NTPC - Electricity generation of 340 Billion Units and 15 MMT of coal production. 2. NHPC - Electricity generation target at 27500 Million Units. 132. Misc. Corporate News / Tie-Ups (October 2020) - 1. SBI partnered with packaged consumer goods company Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) to offer digital payment and financing solutions for small store owners and distributors of company's products. 2. BOB Financial Solutions Limited partnered with Mastercard to Launch Four New variants of Credit Cards. 3. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) signed 3 MoU with State Bank of India (SBI), to extend credit support for various projects Including financing joint liability groups, Self-Help Groups-support credit inflows to Farmer Producers’ Organizations and economic support for watershed development projects. 4. Reliance General Insurance partnered with SatSure for satellite-based crop monitoring and predictive analytics support to better risk management and improve efficiency of its crop insurance business operations. 5. Volume of Digital payments has jumped manifold in past five years, with RBI data stating compounded annual growth rate of 55.1 % for Digital Payments, Between 2015-16 and 2019-20. 6. Govt. designated single SBI branch in New Delhi for all FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) accounts. 7. RBI imposed penalty of 4.50 crores on IndusInd Bank, for non-compliance with certain provisions of directions issued by RBI. 8. HDFC Bank and Apollo Hospitals collaborated to launch “HealthyLife Programme”. It aims to make healthy living accessible and affordable for Bank's customers. 9. Global Payments Firm Mastercard partnered with India Based Signzy, to enable Signzy’s video-based KYC solution for its banking customers. 10. Fintech Startup EarlySalary launched RuPay powered Salary Card, a digital card that enables salaried professionals to make instant purchases across merchants across India. 11. To push agriculture finance, Bank of Baroda entered into pact with Mahindra and Mahindra for tractor finance business. 12. Citibank and Mastercard jointly launched IKEA Family Credit Card, to make shopping at Swedish furnishing company more affordable and rewarding. 13. Government banned natural gas and coal-bed methane (CBM) producers from buying their own produce, under new gas marketing freedom guidelines. 14. Flipkart acquired 7.8% stake in Aditya Birla Fashion for Rs 1500 crores. 15. Indian Bank launched an initiative for funding start-ups, ‘IND Spring Board’, in collaboration with IIT-Madras Incubation Cell. 16. Mastercard partnered with Atlantis to expand Digital First Program in India, to enable Mastercard users to enjoy a best-in- class digital banking experience. 17. Stock exchange BSE signed agreement with Inventivepreneur Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ICCI), to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups. 18. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and SBI Card launched co-branded credit card, for benefit of Delhi Metro commuters. 19. Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has been selected as national industry partner for 3rd edition of ‘Make in Odisha’ conclave. 20. As relief to taxpayers desirous of settling disputes under Vivad se Vishwas Scheme, Government extended date for making payment without additional amount from to 31-03-2021 (from 31-12-2020 earlier). 21. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) launched RuPay Festive Carnival, giving compelling offers to RuPay users, aimed at motivating cashless payments. 22. Singapore based DBS Bank has been named 'Safest Bank in Asia' for 12th consecutive year, by New York-based trade publication Global Finance. 23. Tech Firm IBM collaborated with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), to transform IOCL's customer experience using digital tools. 24. ICICI Lombard and Freepaycard (online pre-paid card trading platform) launched Group Safeguard Insurance, to be offered to members of Freepaycard. 133. National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIFL) completed fund raising for its NIIF Master Fund, with fifth and Final Close. Fund has achieved size of INR equivalent of USD 2.34 billion, exceeding target of USD 2.1 billion. 134. National Statistical Office (under Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation) released estimates of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for first quarter (Jul-Sep) Q2 of 2020-21, both at Constant (2011-12) and Current Prices- 1. GDP at Constant (2011-12) Prices in Q2 of 2020-21 is estimated at 33.14 lakh crores, as against 35.84 lakh crores in Q2 of 2019-20, showing a contraction of 7.5 %. Growth in earlier 5 Quarters - 1. Q1 of FY 2020-21 - Minus 23.9 % 2. Q4 of FY 2019-20 - 3.1 % 3. Q2 of FY 2019-20 - 4.7 % 4. Q2 of FY 2019-20 - 4.5 % 5. Q1 of FY 2019-20 - 5 % 2. GDP at Current Prices in Q2 of 2020-21 also shown contraction of 4 %. 135. National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Singapore Exchange (SGX) signed formal agreement to cement key terms for operationalising NSE IFSC-SGX Connect. 1. NSE IFSC- SGX Connect aims to bring together international and Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT) participants to create a bigger liquidity pool for Nifty products in GIFT City. 136. New Investments in Reliance Subsidairy Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL). 1. Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) will invest 5,512.50 crores in Reliance subsidiary Reliance Retail Ventures (RRVL) for 1.20% stake. 2. American investment firm TPG will invest 1837.5 crores into Reliance subsidiary RRVL, for 0.41% stake. 3. Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC to buy 1.22% stake in Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL), for 5512 Crores. 4. Abu Dhabi-based sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Co to pick up 1.4% stake in Reliance Retail, for 6247 Crores. 5. Earlier Investments in RRVL Since October 2020, 1. American investment firm General Atlantic invested 3675 crores into Reliance Retail ventures Limited (RRVL) for .84 % stake. 2. American investment firm KKR invested 5550 crores into Reliance Retail ventures Limited (RRVL) for 1.28% stake. 3. American investor Silver Lake invested 7500 Crores INR for 1.75% Stake in Reliance Retail. 6. In concerned 7 Deals, RRVL has divested 8.10 % Stake so far. 137. New Investments in Reliance Subsidairy Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL). 1. Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia will invest 9555 crores in Reliance subsidiary Reliance Retail Ventures (RRVL), for 2.04% stake. 2. Earlier Investments in RRVL Since October 2020, 1. Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) will invest 5,512.50 crores in Reliance subsidiary Reliance Retail Ventures (RRVL) for 1.20% stake. 2. American investment firm TPG will invest 1837.5 crores into Reliance subsidiary RRVL, for 0.41% stake. 3. Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC to buy 1.22% stake in Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL), for 5512 Crores. 4. Abu Dhabi-based sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Co to pick up 1.4% stake in Reliance Retail, for 6247 Crores. 5. American investment firm General Atlantic invested 3675 crores into Reliance Retail ventures Limited (RRVL) for .84 % stake. 6. American investment firm KKR invested 5550 crores into Reliance Retail ventures Limited (RRVL) for 1.28% stake. 7. American investor Silver Lake invested 7500 Crores INR for 1.75% Stake in Reliance Retail. 3. In concerned 8 Deals, RRVL has divested 10.14 % Stake so far, Raising 47265 Crores. 138. PM Narendra Modi released 7th instalment of financial benefit under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, releasing 18000 crores into bank accounts of 9 crore farmer families. Under this scheme, support of 6000 per year is provided to farmers, in 3 installments of 2000 each. 139. Punjab National Bank launched tech-based loan management solution LenS (Lending Solution), to speed up and maintain accuracy in online loan processing and sanctioning of credit proposals. 140. R. K. Singh (Minister of State (IC) Power and New & Renewable Energy) launched pan-India Green Term Ahead Market (GTAM) in electricity, aimed at Greening Indian short term power Market. 1. GTAM aims to benefit buyers of renewable energy through competitive prices and transparent and flexible procurement. It will increase in number of participants in renewable energy sector. 2. India’s target is 175 GW of RE Capacity by 2022. 141. RBI Directed Payment system operators (PSO) to launch new proprietor QR code for transactions, to have least 1 interoperable QR code. 1. This is aimed at using same QR code across multiple payment applications, to improve digital payment infrastructure. 142. RBI Monetary Policy Committee meet Kept Key rates Unchanged. 1. Key Rates - 1. Repo Rate - 4.00 % 2. Reverse Repo - 3.35 % 3. Bank Rate - 4.25 % 4. CRR (Cash Reserve Ratio) - 3 % 5. SLR(Statutory Liquidity ratio) - 18.00 % 6. Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) Rate - 4.25 % 2. Growth Outlooks - 1. Real GDP growth is projected at - 7.5 % in FY 21 (2020-21), with 0.1 % Growth in Q3 of FY 21 (2020-21) and 0.7 % Growth. 143. RBI Notified Compliance Functions in Banks and Role of Chief Compliance Officer (CCO). Banks will be required to have an effective compliance culture, independent corporate compliance function, and a strong compliance risk management programme at bank and group level. 144. RBI annouced Positive Pay System for Cheque Truncation System from 01-01-2021, developed by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). 1. Banks will be required to enable system for all account holders issuing cheques for amounts of Rs 50,000 and above. 2. Banks may consider making it mandatory in case of cheques for amounts of Rs 5,00,000 and above. 3. RBI had announced Positive Pay mechanism in order to prevent frauds with high value cheques. 4. Under this, cheques will be processed for payment by drawee bank based on information passed on by its customer at time of issuance of cheque. 145. RBI announced 2nd cohort under Regulatory Sandbox, under theme Cross Border Payments. 1. Regulatory Sandbox enables live testing of new products and services in a controlled environment. 2. In 2nd cohort, RBI has reduced minimum net worth requirement to use the facility from 25 lakhs to 10 lakh rupees. RBI has also allowed partnership firms and Limited Liability Partnerships to participate in the sandbox. 3. 1st cohort under Regulatory Sandbox was released in 2019, including companies in retail payment space. 4. 3rd cohort, which is yet to be announced, will focus on Micro Small Medium Enterprises lending solutions. 146. RBI announced that banks can deploy money drawn from 1 Lakh Crores on-tap targeted long term repo operations (on-tap TLTRO) in six sectors - agriculture, agri-infrastructure, secured retail, MSMEs, and drugs, pharmaceuticals and healthcare. 1. On tap TLTROs are intended to enable banks to conduct their operations smoothly and seamlessly without being hindered by illiquidity frictions. 147. RBI announced that finance companies cannot be set up with foreign direct investments (FDI) from Mauritius. 1. It is in line with RBI’s recent reluctance to approve applications of non-banking finance companies (NBFC) with funding from Mauritius, both due to concerns about round-tripping and to avoid Chinese investments in India. 148. RBI cancelled licence of Maharashtra Based Karad Janata Sahakari Bank, amid its consistent operational failures. Depositors will get their deposits up to 5 Lakh, from Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC). 1. RBI also cancelled banking licence of Subhadra Local Area Bank Ltd (Kolhapur, Maharashtra). 149. RBI ceased Banking operations by Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank (ABIP). 1. ABIP had earlier surrendered its payments bank license, due to non profitability. Vodafone Idea had 51% in ABIP bank, with remaining 49% held by Grasim Industries Limited. 150. RBI decided to facilitate a more efficient liquidity management in Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), by extending Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) and Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) to RRBs. 1. It also decided to permit RRBs to participate in Call/Notice money market, both as borrowers and lenders. 151. RBI decided to move to Next Generation Treasury Application (NGTA), for managing country's foreign exchange and gold reserves. 152. RBI excluded 6 public sector banks from Second Schedule of RBI Act 1934, following their merger with other banks. 1. Banks are Syndicate Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC), United Bank of India, Andhra Bank, Corporation Bank, and Allahabad Bank. 2. Banks mentioned in Second Schedule of the Reserve Bank of India Act is known as 'Scheduled Commercial Bank'. 153. RBI extended enhanced borrowing facility provided to banks by six months to meet liquidity shortage till March 31, 2021. 1. Earlier On March 27, 2020, this borrowing limit for banks was increased from 2% to 3% of their Net Demand and Time Liabilities (NDTL). 2. RBI also extended enhanced borrowing facility provided to banks under Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) scheme by six months till March 31, 2021. 154. RBI fixed minimum Net Owned Fund (NOF) size for housing finance companies at Rs 25 crore. HFCs with NOF under 25 crores will be required to achieve NOF of 15 crore by March 31, 2022 and 25 crore by March 31, 2023. 155. RBI has set ways and means advances (WMAs) limit at Rs 1.25 lakh crore for central government for the second half of fiscal year 2021 (2020-21). 1. WMAs are temporary advances given by the RBI to the government to tide over any mismatch in receipts and payments. 156. RBI issued draft of amalgamation of Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) with DBS Bank India, a subsidiary of DBS Bank Singapore. DBIL will bring in additional capital of 2500 crore upfront, to support credit growth of merged entity. 1. LVB was recently put Under Moratorium by RBI, amid its deteriorating finances. RBI had appointed T. N. Manoharan as Administrator of LVB. 157. RBI issued draft on rupee IR derivatives, allowing foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) to undertake exchange-traded rupee interest rate derivatives transactions subject to an overall ceiling of 5,000 crores. 1. Interest Rate Derivatives (IRDs) are contracts whose value is derived from one or more interest rates, prices of interest rate instruments, or interest rate indices. 2. Proposed directions are aimed at encouraging higher non-resident participation, enhance role of domestic market makers in offshore market and improve transparency. 158. RBI laucnhed a Co-Lending Model (CLM) scheme under which banks can provide loans along with NBFCs to priority sector borrowers based on a prior agreement. CLM is an improvement over co-origination of loan scheme announced by RBI in September 2018, seeking to provide greater flexibility to lenders. 1. NBFCs shall be required to retain a minimum of 20 per cent share of the individual loans on their books. 159. RBI mandated banks to fully automate NPA classification and provisioning calculation process, till June 30, 2021. 160. RBI released a cybersecurity vision framework for urban cooperative banks (UCBs). Considering heterogeneity of UCB sector in terms of size, a four guiding principles has been taken into account while formulating framework. 1. A differentiated tier-wise approach will be followed while prescribing cyber security controls for UCBs, with Board of UCBs having primary responsibility for implementing cyber security controls. 2. It would include appointing a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and setting up of various committees, for UCBs with higher digital depth. 161. RBI released report State Finances: A Study of Budgets of 2020-21, as annual publication that provides information about finances of states. Theme of this year’s Report is COVID-19 and its Spatial Dimensions in India. 1. States’ consolidated gross fiscal deficit (GFD) is placed at 2.8 % of GDP for 2020-21, which may get altered by COVID-19 pandemic. 162. RBI released revised Priority Sector Lending (PSL) Guidelines, to align with emerging national priorities and bring sharper focus on inclusive development. 1. Bank finance to start-ups (up to 50 crores), loans to farmers for installation of solar power plants for solarisation of grid connected agriculture pumps and loans for setting up Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) plants are included as fresh categories eligible for finance. 2. Some salient features of revised PSL guidelines - 1. To address regional disparities in flow of priority sector credit, with higher weightage to incremental priority sector credit in ‘identified districts’. 2. Targets prescribed for small and marginal farmers and weaker sections are being increased in a phased manner. 3. Higher credit limit for Farmers Producers Organisations (FPOs) /Farmers Producers Companies (FPCs) at a pre- determined price. 4. Loan limits for renewable energy have been doubled. 5. For improvement of health infrastructure, credit limit for health infrastructure (including those under ‘Ayushman Bharat’) has been doubled. 163. RBI will implement Technology Vision for Cyber Security’ for Urban Co-operative Banks (2020-2023), to enhance IT security system of Urban Co-operative banking to prevent cyber-attacks. 1. RBI has mooted 5 pillared strategic approach ‘GUARD’ (G – Governance Oversight, U – Utile Technology Investment, A – Appropriate Regulation and Supervision, R – Robust Collaboration D – Developing necessary skills set) 164. RBI will set up its first Automated Banknote Processing Centre (ABPC) in Jaipur (Rajasthan), for storage, receipt and dispatch of currency notes, to effectively deal with increasing circulation of banknotes. 165. RBI, in its First ever Nowcast publication, has signaled India entering a technical recession in first half of 2020-21, for first time in history. 1. GDP had shrank 8.6% in Q2 (Jul-Sep) and 23.6 % in Q1 (Apr-Jun) of FY 2021 (2020-21). 166. Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) payments system has been made available round the clock on all days, which was earlier available between 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM. 167. Recently, CAROTAR Customs (Administration of Rules of Origin under Trade Agreements) Rules 2020 came into force, as set of guidelines that enforce the “rules of origin” for the rate on imports under Free Trade Agreements. 168. Reliance Industries (RIL) became first Indian company to surpass $200 billion in market capitalisation (m-cap), reaching peak of $208 billion. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is a distant second, with m-cap of $119 billion. 169. Reliance Industries topped 2020 Fortune 500 list of Indian companies, with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) 2nd and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) 2rd position. 170. Reliance Industries’ retail arm acquired 96 % stake in Bengaluru-based online furniture retailer Urban Ladder for over Rs 182 crores. 171. Religare Health Insurance re-branded itself as Care Health Insurance, with tagline 'Health ki Guarantee'. 172. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has deferred implementation of provisions made under Basel III international regulatory framework for banks, due to uncertainty related to COVID crisis. 1. In this regard, RBI will repel final tranche of capital conservation buffer (CCB) and the implementation of net stable funding ratio (NSFR) by six months (Till April 2021). 2. CCB is an additional pool that banks build in normal times for its use during periods of stress. RBI asked banks to build up CCB to required 2.5% in stages. Last stage of 0.625% was to start on Sept. 30, 2020 (now deferred to April 1, 2021). 173. SBI signed loan agreement of up to $1 billion with Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), to facilitate operations of Japanese car companies in India. 1. $600 million will be financed by JBIC, and rest will come from other participating Japanese lenders, with JBIC guarantee. 2. Recently, NTPC has also entered similar foreign currency loan agreement with JBIC, under its GREEN initiative, for JPY 50 billion. 174. SBI started programme named Mahila Atmanirbharshil Aachani (Women Self-Reliance programme), To accelerate SHG finance in Assam. 175. SEBI enhanced penalty amount to Rs 1 crore each on rating agencies ICRA and CARE in connection with lapses on their parts while assigning credit rating to non-convertible debentures of IL&FS. 176. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has doubled overseas investment limit for individual mutual funds from $300 million to $600 Million, with overall industry limit of $7 billion. SEBI also reserved $50 million for each fund house. 1. Limits for mutual funds were last changed 12 years back, when RBI increased overall industry limit to $7 billion, from $5 billion. 177. Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) launched portal (arm-msme.in), to help Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), to take benefit of RBI's MSME restructuring guidelines. 1. MSMEs will be able to prepare restructuring proposals by keying in only most essential data of their past financials, future projections and restructuring requirements. 178. Soon after expanding support to Artisans engaged in making Agarbatti, MSME has issued guidelines for two more schemes which include ‘Pottery Activity’ and Beekeeping Activity, aimed at 8000 beneficiaries in 2020-21, with outlay of 130 crores. 1. These beneficiary oriented Self-Employment initiatives are aimed at rejuvenating grass root economy contributing to AtmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. 179. State Bank of India will launch a loan product named SAFAL (Safe and Fast Agriculture Loan), primarily for organic cotton growers with no credit history. 180. State Bank of Mauritius SBM India partnered with Fintech Firm PayNearby to launch a neo banking platform, to build an “open banking” network towards delivering basic and advanced banking services. 181. Supreme Court granted 10 years to telecom firms to pay back AGR (adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues amounting to about 1.6 lakh crores. 1. Telecos will have to pay 10% of dues by 2021, and rest can be paid in installments by March 31, 2031. AGR liability on Vodafone-Idea is Rs approx 58000 crore and Bharti Airtel 44000 crores. 2. AGR is usage and licensing fee that Department of Telecommunication charges on telecom operators, . It is divided as licensing fees and spectrum usage charges, fixed between 3%-5% and 8% respectively. 182. Tamil Nadu Government released Electronics and Hardware Manufacturing Policy, aiming to increase electronics industry output to 100 billion USD by 2025. It aims to contribute 25% of India’s total electronic exports, after implementation of policy, by undertaking skill training of more than one lakh people by 2024. 183. Telco Vodafone won tax case against India at international arbitration Tribunal over retrospective tax demand of INR 20,000 crores including capital gains tax and withholding tax. 1. Permanent Court of Arbitration tribunal said that imposition of a tax liability on Vodafone by India is breaching investment treaty agreement signed between India and Netherlands. 2. Tribunal asked Indian government to pay compensation of $5.47 million to Vodafone as legal costs. 184. To achieve 1 billion tonnes (BT) coal production by 2023-24, Coal India Ltd will invest over Rs. 1.22 lakh crores on about 500 projects by 2023-24, Including 14,200 Crores on 49 First Mile Connectivity projects. 185. To further support farmers using services of Kisan Rail, Railways and Food Processing Industries Ministeries announced 50% subsidy on transportation of notified fruits and vegetables (under Operation Greens – TOP to Total scheme of MoFPI) shall be granted directly to Kisan Rail. 1. For the same, MoFPI will provide necessary funds to Railways. 2. Kisan Rail ensures agro products reach across places under a faster transportation, benefitting both farmers and consumers. 3. All Kisan Rails so Far - 1. First Kisan Rail - ex Devlali (Nashik, Maharashtra) to Danapur (Patna, Bihar). On popular demand, train extended to Muzaffarpur (Bihar). (Bi-Weekly) 2. Second Kisan Rail – Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh) to Adarsh Nagar Delhi. (Weekly) 3. Third Kisan Rail – Bengaluru (Karnataka) to Hazrat Nizamuddin (Delhi). (Weekly) 4. Fourth Kisan Rail – Nagpur & Warud Orange City (Maharashtra) to Adarsh Nagar Delhi. (Weekly) 186. To increase credit flow to small businesses, RBI raised banks' maximum aggregate retail exposure limit to entities with turnover up to 50 crores to Rs 7.5 crore, up from Rs 5 crores. 1. Risk weight of 75 % will apply to all fresh exposures and also to existing exposures where incremental exposure may be taken by banks up to the revised limit of 7.5 crores. 187. To promote sustainable and healthy lifestyle in rural areas, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) announced a special refinance facility to support Government of India’s Water, Sanitisation and Hygiene (WASH) programme. NABARD earmarked 800 crores for this purpose for FY 21 (2020-21). 1. NABARD will provide concessional refinance to eligible financial institutions, with repayment period up to 36 months. 188. TransUnion CIBIL and Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) launched MSME Credit Health Index, To provide a reliable measure and benchmark of growth and strength of MSME sector in India. 189. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) announced to invest $54 million in equity for National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), to support development of critical infrastructure projects in India, in wake of COVID-19 pandemic. 190. UAE's Abu Dhabi’s Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) MIC Redwood 1, became first foreign SWF that has been granted 100% income-tax exemption for long-term investments to be made in specified priority sectors in India. 191. UK based Kalrock Capital and UAE based entrepreneur Murari Lal Jalan acquired troubled airline Jet Airways, which ceased operations in April 2019. 192. Under First tranche of commercial coal mine auction, 19 mines were auctioned which with revenue of 7000 crores, with peak rated capacity of 51 million tonnes. Mines are in Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. 1. In June 2020, PM Narendra Modi had launched auction process of 41 blocks of commercial mining, to reduce dependence on coal imports. 193. Under PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNibhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) signed MoU with food-delivery startup Swiggy, to onboard street food vendors on its ecommerce platform, giving them access to numerous consumers. 194. Vakrangee Ltd received RBI approval to set up Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU), to handle payment services related to bills, under Payment and Settlement Systems Act 2007. 195. Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme has been notified by Finance Ministry, under which infrastructure projects would be selected for financial support. 1. Empowered Committee (EC) headed by economic affairs secretary will sanction funding up to 200 crores, while projects requiring over 200 crores will be approved by Empowered Committee with Finance Minister’s approval. 2. Recently, CCEA approved Continuation and Revamping of Scheme for Financial Support to Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in Infrastructure Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme, till 2024-25 with a total outlay of 8100 Crores. Revamped Scheme notably introduced 2 sub-schemes. 196. World Bank approved Loans for 4 projects in India, worth $818 million - 1. Chhattisgarh Inclusive Rural and Accelerated Agriculture Growth Project (CHIRAAG) - $100 million project will develop sustainable production systems that allow tribal households in remote areas to practice production of diversified and nutritious food. It will benefit over 180,000 households from about 1,000 villages in eight districts of Chhattisgarh. 2. Nagaland - Enhancing Classroom Teaching and Resources Project - The $68 million project will improve classroom instruction. 3. Second Accelerating India's COVID-19 Social Protection Response Program - $400 million project will support India’s efforts at providing social assistance to the poor and vulnerable households, severely impacted by COVID-19 pandemic. This is second operation in a programmatic series of two. The first operation of $750 million was approved in May 2020 4. Second Dam Improvement and Rehabilitation Project (DRIP-2) - $250 million project will improve the safety and performance of existing dams across various states of India. Top

International 1. India and Finland virtually signed MOU for developing cooperation in field of Environment protection and biodiversity conservation. 2. 15 Asia Pacific countries signed world’s biggest free trade deal led by China, during 37th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit. Deal is called Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). 1. It is to be world’s largest trading bloc, comprising of 10 Southeast Asian countries, as well as South Korea, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Members of the RCEP accounts for nearly a third of the world’s population and around 30% of global gross domestic product (GDP). 2. India has kept itself out of RCEP for now, mainly due to concerns of dumping manufactured goods from China and also of diary products from New Zealand and agricultural products from Australia. India imports heavily from these countries, which will cost India huge if RCEP is Joined by India. 3. Vietnam is ASEAN Chair for 2020, which will be replaced by Brunei in 2021. 3. 15 new members have been elected to 47-member Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), including China, Russia, Pakistan. 4. 1st India - Uzbekistan Virtual Summit attended by PM Narendra Modi, as first such virtual summit with a Central Asian country. 1. It Included signing of 9 Co-operation Agreements in areas like Solar Energy, Digital Technologies, Cybersecurity, Internal Security, Exchange of information on pre-arrival of goods, Journalism. 2. It also included $448 USD Credit Line Agreement From Export-Import Bank of India to Government of Uzbekistan. 5. 1st ever Direct cargo ferry service between India and Maldives has been launched, with MCP Linz operated by Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) reached northern Maldivian town of Kulhudhufushi, which was set sail from Kochi. 1. This is first ferry service in the Indian Ocean region operated by SCI. 6. 2 India sponsered resolutions have been adopted by United Nations - Convention on Prohibition of the use of Nuclear Weapons and Reducing Nuclear Danger. 1. Convention on Prohibition of the use of Nuclear Weapons - It is being tabled since 1982. It requests Conference on Disarmament in Geneva to commence negotiations to prohibit use of nuclear weapons under any circumstances. 2. Reducing Nuclear Danger - It was tabled since 1998. It draws global attention of accidental use of nuclear weapons, and underscores need to review nuclear doctrines. 7. 2020 Economic Freedom of the World Report, by Fraser Institute - 1. Top 5 - Hong Kong (1), Singapore (2), New Zealand (3), Switzerland (4), Australia (5) 2. Bottom 3 - Libya (160), Sudan (2), Venezuela (3) 3. India Ranked 105th, falling 26 places as compared to 79th rank last year. 4. Neighbors - China (124), Bangladesh (133), Pakistan (129), Sri Lanka (85) 8. 2020 Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) Index by Oxfam, Titled Fighting Inequality in times of Covid-19 - 1. Top 3 - Norway (1), Denmark (2), Germany (3) 2. Bottom 3 - South Sudan (158), Nigeria (157), Bahrain (156) 3. India ranked 129th. 4. Neighbors - Bangladesh (113), Pakistan (128), Sri Lanka (94) 9. 2020 Global Hunger Index (GHI), jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe, score calculated by International Food Policy Research Institute - 1. India ranks 94th out of 107 countries. India was ranked 102nd last year. 2. Bottom 3 (alarming hunger category) - Chad (107), Timor-Leste (106), Madagascar (105). 3. Neighbors - Nepal (73), Bangladesh (75), Pakistan (88), Sri Lanka (64), China (1-17). 10. 3RF (Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction) Framework launched to revitalise Beirut, jointly prepared by United Nations, World Bank and European Union. In August 2020, a deadly blast rocked Lebanon capital Beirut. 11. Quarantine has been named Word of the Year 2020 by Cambridge Dictionary. 1. Earlier, Collins Dictionary picked lockdown as its Word of The Year in 2020. 12. United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 has been passed, which aims to make trade arrangements for all four countries of UK (England, Scotland, and Wales and Northern Ireland), after Brexit transition period ends on December 31, 2020. 1. Internal Market Bill has been very controversial as it is said to violate provisions of Withdrawal Agreement signed between UK and European Union. 13. Bhutan and Israel established formal diplomatic relations, mediated by India. Israel is 54th country with which Bhutan has established ties. 14. Germany launched its Indo-Pacific strategy with India, expected to play a key role in Germany’s outreach in region, where China’s aggressive foreign policy has been a matter of concern for countries. 15. Mastercard launched “Central Bank Digital Currencies” (CBDCs), a Virtual Testing Environment for Central Banks to Assess and Explore National Digital Currencies. 16. Mexico become first country to issue a sovereign bond linked to sustainable development goals set by United Nations, issuing EUR 750 million. It will mature in September 2027 and offers a yield to maturity rate of 1.603% and a coupon rate of 1.350%. 17. New Zealand became first country to require financial sector to report on climate risks, aimed at tackling climate crisis. 18. Smart City Index 2020, compiled by Institute for Management Development and Singapore University for Technology and Design (SUTD) - 1. Top 5 - Singapore, Helsinki (Finland), Zurich (Switzerland), Auckland (New Zealand), Oslo (Norway). 2. Indian Cities in List - Hyderabad (85), New Delhi (86), Mumbai (93), Bengaluru (95). Ranks of These Indian cities fell by 18, 18, 15 and 16 places respectively, as compared to last year. 19. World Risk Index (WRI) 2020 by UN University’s Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNUEHS) and International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV) - 1. Top 3 (Most risk) - Vanuatu (1), Tonga (2), Dominica (3) 2. Bottom 3 (Least risk) - Qatar (181), Malta (180), St. Vincent and the Grenadines (179) 3. India ranked 89th. 4. Neighbors - Pakistan (87), Bangladesh (13), Sri Lanka (74), Nepal (121) 20. A pictorial anthology on M K Gandhi in Nepali language, has been released by Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari, to mark his 151st birth anniversary. 1. India and Nepal also Launched construction of 3rd Integrated Check Post to boost Trade. 21. Andorra joined International Monetary Fund (IMF) as its 190th member. Andorra, is largest microstate in Europe, situated between France and Spain. 22. Archaeologists uncovered a 37 metre long cat on famous Nazca lines of Peru, a world known UNESCO Heritage site. 1. Nazca lines consists of hundreds of gigantic geoglyph that date back more than 2000 years. Newly discovered cat Geoglyph is older than the ones discovered earlier. 23. Argentina Govt imposed millionaire tax on about 12000 of country’s richest people, to fund coronavirus countermeasures. 1. Under this, people with declared assets worth more than 200 million pesos will pay a progressive rate of up to 3.5% on wealth in Argentina and up to 5.25% on wealth outside country. 24. Argentina approved HB4 drought-resistant GMO wheat by biotechnology firm Bioceres, making it first country in world to approve a strain of GMO wheat. 25. As per Global Climate Change Performance Index released by New Climate Institute, Germanwatch and CAN (Climate Action Network) - 1. Index has been rating 57 seven greenhouse emitter countries since 2005, account to 90% of global emissions. 2. India is ranked 10th, compared to 9th last year. India was at 31st rank in 2014, depicting continuous improvement. 3. China ranks 33rd. 4. No Country is in top three ranks, as no country is on path to meet Paris Agreement commitments. 5. Sweden ranked 4th, followed by UK, Denmark, Morocco, Norway, Chile. 26. As per Cost of a Plate of Food report by UN World Food Programme (WFP) - 1. On average, an Indian spends 3.5% of daily income for a plate of food, ranking 28th. 2. 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. 27. As per Foreign Direct Investment Trends And Outlook In Asia And The Pacific 2020/2021 by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) - 1. FDI flows to South and South-West Asia decreased by 2% in 2019, from $67 billion in 2018 to $66 billion in 2019. India accounted for 77% of total inflows to the subregion ($51 billion in 2019), up 20% from previous year. 2. Report stated that India’s economy could be most resilient in subregion of South and South-West Asia over long term. 28. As per Global Carbon Project report - 1. Global carbon dioxide emissions in 2020 came down by 7%, mainly due to Pandemic triggred lockdowns. 2. Global CO2 emissions remained 34 billion metric tons in 2020, down from 36.4 billion metric tons in 2019. 3. Ground transportation makes up about one-fifth of CO2 emissions. 29. As per A United States Report on Chinese Military power, Chinese Navy is now largest in world. As per report, Western theatre command of china is oriented towards India. 30. As per Asian Development Bank, Asia’s coronavirus-battered economy will shrink for first time since 1962. Region’s GDP will decline by 0.7 % in 2020. Indian Economy is expected to shrink 9 % in FY 21. 31. As per Ericsson Mobility Report 2020, India will have over 35 Crore million 5G subscriptions by 2026, accounting for 27% of all mobile subscriptions in country. Global 5G Subscriptions will be 3.5 billion by 2026. 32. As per Forbes, Sofia Vergara (American-Colombian) is world’s highest-paid actress of 2020, with earnings of $43 million. She’s followed by Angelina Jolie and Gal Gadot, with $35.5 million and $31.5 million earnings respectively. 33. As per Global Bribery Risk Matrix 2020 released by TRACE - 1. India ranks 77th, compared to 78th in 2019. 2. Top 3 - Denmark (1), Norway (2), Finland (3) 3. Bottom 3 - North korea (194), Turkmenistan (193), South Sudan (192) 4. Neighbors - China (126), Pakistan (153), Bangladesh (166), Sri Lanka (87) 34. As per Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2020 - 1. India has been ranked 8th, among countries most affected by terrorism in 2019. 2. South Asia was most impacted region by terrorism in 2019. 3. Top 3 - Afghanistan (1), Iraq (2), Nigeria (3). 35. As per International Air Transport Association, China's Shanghai is world’s most connected city, replacing London, which is now 8th. 36. As per State of Global Air report 2020 by US based institutes, India recorded highest PM 2.5 exposure in world in 2019, followed by Nepal and Niger. Also, 1. India is among top 10 countries with highest Ozone exposure. In past 10 years, Ozone concentration in India increased 17 %. Globally Ozone exposure has increased from 47.3 part per billion to 49.5 parts per billion. 2. 1.67 million deaths occurred in India due to long term exposure of outdoor pollution, with global tally 6.7 million. 37. As per Sydney (Australia) Based Lowy Power Institute's Asia Power Index 2020 - 1. Top 5 - US (1), China (2), Japan (3), India (4), Russia (5) 2. This Index ranks 26 countries / territories to assess relative power of states in Asia. 38. As per UK Based Think Tank Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), India will overtake UK to become 5th largest economy in 2025, and will become 3rd largest by 2030. 1. India had overtaken UK in 2019 to become 5th largest economy, but has been relegated to 6th spot in 2020. 39. As per UN World Meteorological Organization's State of Climate Report - 1. 33 % individuals are not covered by disaster warning systems. Number of people that require humanitarian assistance will increase by 50% and cost 20 billion USD per year. 40. As per US Air Quality Index, Lahore (Pakistan) has been named as world’s most polluted city, with particulate matter rating of 423. Lahore was followed by New Delhi and Nepal Capital Kathmandu. 41. As per US' Stanford University, 1494 Indian scientists featured in list of top 2 per cent of world scientists. Notably, It Includes 22 researchers of IIT Guwahati and 7 from Tezpur University. 42. As per WHO World Malaria Report (WMR) 2020 - 1. India has made considerable progress in reducing its malaria burden. India is only high endemic country which has reported a decline of 17.6% in 2019 as compared to 2018. 2. Annual Parasitic Incidence (API) reduced by 27.6% in 2018 compared to 2017 and by 18.4% in 2019 as compared to 2018. 43. As per World Bank's World Bank's Migration and Development Brief, remittances to India will fall this year by 9 cent to $76 billion, due to coronavirus pandemic. 1. India, China, Mexico, Philippines, and Egypt will be top 5 countries in 2020 to receive foreign remittances. 2. Globally, money sent to home by migrants is to decline 14 % in FY 2021 (2020-21). 44. As per World Health Organization Global Tuberculosis Report 2020 - 1. COVID-19 may push Tuberculosis related deaths in world to 2012 Levels. It might increase TB deaths by 0.2 to 0.4 million. 2. Philippines, Indonesia and South Africa account to 44% of global TB cases in world. 3. Countries with largest burden of drug-resistant TB are India, China and Russia. 45. As per medical journal Lancet, Indian economy is set to become third largest in the world behind China and the US by 2050 and retain the same position till 2100. 1. Taking 2017 as base year when India was seventh largest economy, Lancet claims will move up to 4th place (behind US, China, Japan) by 2030 and subsequently will overtake Japan in 2050. India is currently fifth largest economy. 2. Indian government also aims to become 3rd largest economy by 2047, with ambitious target of becoming $5 trillion economy by 2025. 46. As per world economic forum's 3rd edition of future of jobs report 2020 - 1. Covid-19 and its impacts will disrupt more than 85 million jobs by 2025. 2. Automation and new division of labour between Machines and humans will be major reason for disruption of jobs by 2025. 3. Redundancy in workforce will decrease from 15.4 % to 9 percentage. 47. Asian Development Bank launched Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility (APVAX) as a 9 billion dollar initiative, to ensure rapid and equitable support to vaccines for its developing members. 48. At 1st Virtual Bilateral Summit Between India and Luxembourg, attended by PM Narendra Modi and PM Xavier Bettel, 3 MOUs were signed - 1. MoU between India International Exchange (India INX) and Luxembourg Stock Exchange. 2. MoU between State Bank of India and Luxembourg Stock Exchange. 3. MoU between Invest India and Luxinnovation. 49. Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and Sirius (Russia) launched ‘AIM–Sirius Innovation Programme 3.0’, as 14-day virtual programme for Indian and Russian school children. 50. Australia-India Water Centre (AIWC) has been inaugurated virtually, led by University of Western Sydney from Australia and IIT Guwahati from India. 51. Australian Scientists discovered massive detached coral reef at northern end of Great Barrier Reef, as first to be discovered in over 120 years. It measures more than 500 meters high. 52. Australia’s parliament approved law giving federal government powers to void foreign agreements entered into by state governments, local councils and universities. Law establishes a public register of foreign agreements and empowers foreign minister to review and Modify them. 53. Bahrain and Israel signed historic joint communique, for establishment of diplomatic, peaceful and friendly relations. 1. Earlier in Sep 2020, Israel, UAE and Bahrain signed Abraham Accords, first Arab-Israeli peace deal in 26 years, mediated by US. 54. Bangladesh and US held joint Naval Exercise CARAT (Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training). 55. Bangladesh signed its First ever Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), as a PTA with Bhutan, which will allow duty-free access to a range of goods between two countries and boost bilateral trade between. 1. This is first PTA signed by Bangladesh with any country, since its independence in 1971. 56. Belarus (Eastern Europe) formally opened its first nuclear power plant, which is sharply criticized by neighbouring Lithuania. It has been built by Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom. 57. China and Nepal certified elevation of Mount Everest at 8848.86 metres above sea level, which is 86 centimetres higher than previously understood height of 8848 Metres, recognised since 1954. 58. China declared end to its 8 years long drive to eradicate extreme poverty. 1. In 2015, China had set a deadline of 2020 to eradicate poverty. This led to decline of national poverty rating from 10.2 to 3.1 %. 59. China launched 2 satellites composing Gravitational Wave High-energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor (GECAM) mission, which will work for detection of gravitational waves and other high-energy celestial phenomenon. 1. China also launched Gaofen-14 Earth observation satellite. 60. China launched an unmanned spacecraft to moon, onboard Long March-5 rocket. It was named after ancient Chinese Goddess of the moon, Chang’e-5. If successful, China will be third country to retrieve moon samples, After Soviet Union and US. 61. China launched world’s first 6G experiment satellite, expected to be over 100 times faster than 5G. It was launched along with 12 other satellites. 62. China openned Five Hundred Meter Aperture Spherical Telescope for international scientists, which is world's largest Radio Telescope. 1. Recently, US Territory Puerto Rico’s 1963 Built Arecibo Telescope had collapsed. It was second-largest single-dish radio telescope in world, 2. The Chinese telescope was built in 2016, in Dawodang depression, a natural basin in Guizhou. It is largest filled-aperture Radio Telescope and second largest single dish aperture. RATA-600 in Russia is world's largest Single-dish aperture telescope. 63. China powered up its HL-2M Tokamak nuclear fusion reactor for the first time, also called artificial sun. It is China's largest and most advanced nuclear fusion experimental research device. 64. China powered up its first domestically developed nuclear reactor, called Hualong One. The reactor can generate 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year and cut carbon emissions by 8.16 million tons. 65. China will build a major hydropower project (60 GW) on Brahmaputra river in Tibet (called Yarlung Zangbo River in China), under 14th Five-Year Plan to be implemented by 2025. 66. Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic updates (Sep 2020) - 1. National - 1. Indian Railways developed a remote-controlled medical trolley named ‘MEDBOT’ to help deliver food and medicines to COVID-19 patients. 2. IIT Delhi incubated startup Chakr Innovation launched ‘Chakr DeCoV’ to decontaminate N95 masks. 3. Institute of Pesticide Formulation Technology (Under Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers) developed 2 new technologies - “Disinfectant spray for surface application” and “Disinfectant spray for Vegetables & fruits.” 4. As per Supreme Court’s direction, loans that had not been declared non-performing assets (NPA) by end of 6-Month Moratorium Period ending August 2020, must not be declared NPA until further orders, as a relief to borrowers amid COVID-19 Pandemic. 5. Maharashtra Govt launched ‘My Family, My Responsibility’ Campaign, to Tackle COVID-19. 6. IIT Guwahati in collaboration with Workspace Metal Solutions Udaipur, developed a first-of-its-kind self-check kiosk. 7. Tata CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) test, powered by CSIR-IGIB (Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology) FELUDA, received approval from Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for commercial launch. 1. It meets high quality benchmarks with 96% sensitivity and 98% specificity for detecting SARS-CoV-2 virus. CRISPR is a genome editing technology to diagnosing diseases. 2. Tata CRISPR test is world’s first diagnostic test to deploy a specially adapted Cas9 protein to successfully detect virus causing Covid-19. 8. Government extended Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package Insurance Scheme to provide an insurance cover of Rs 50 lakhs to COVID-19 health care providers. It was announced in March 2020 for 90 days, which is now extended for another 180 days. 9. Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and Mylan Laboratories partnered to address unmet patient needs amidst COVID-19 pandemic. Under it, CSIR’s constituent laboratory Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR- IICT) and Mylan will collaborate to identify potential therapies for COVID-19. 10. Central Govt eased norms for State Disaster relief Fund, allowing states to use state disaster response fund (SDRF) upto 50% (up from 35 % earlier). It would will help states in developing covid-19 related infrastructure. 1. On recommendations of 13th finance commision, SDRF was constituted under disaster management Act 2005. Government allocates 75% of SDRF to states and 90% for special category states annually. 2. International - 1. To ensure that all countries have safe, fast and equitable access to initial doses of COVID-19 vaccine, UNICEF announced that it will be leading procurement and supply of Corona Virus vaccines, as world’s largest and fastest operation of its kind. 2. Italy's Fiumicino International Airport (FCO) became first airport in world to be certified with “COVID-19 5-star airport rating” from Skytrax, a U.K.-based airport and airline review firm. 3. International Energy Agency (IEA), in collaboration with India's NITI Aayog, presented a ‘Special Report on Sustainable Recovery’ post Covid-19, as Part of IEA’s flagship World Energy Outlook series. 4. Saudi Arabia suspended travel to and from India, Brazil and Argentina, amid rising COVID-19 cases in these nations. 67. Coronavirus (Covid-19) Updates (October 2020) - 1. National - 1. Department of Biotechnology's Translational Health Science And Technology Institute (THSTI) has been recognized by CEPI as one of Global network of Laboratories for centralized assessment of COVID 19 Vaccines. CEPI network will initially involve 6 labs, one each in Canada, Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Bangladesh and India. 2. Reliance Life Sciences developed RT-PCR kit that will diagnose COVID-19 infection in about 2 hours, called R-Green Kits. 1. RT-PCR are most accurate tests being conducted for COVID-19. However, they take 6 - 8 hours to produce results. The new R-Green Kits will address timing issues. 3. As a small relief to individual borrowers and SMEs, Govt agreed to waive compound interest (interest on interest) charged on loans of up to Rs 2 crores for a six-month moratorium period announced due to COVID-19 pandemic. 4. US Agency for International Development (USAID) committed USD 1.9 million to India, to support vulnerable populations affected due to COVID-19. 5. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) extended suspension of scheduled international commercial passenger services till October 31, 2020. 6. Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), in association with University of Melbourne (Australia) organized International Conference on ‘Mental Health – Looking beyond COVID 19’. 7. Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) and Google collaborated to mark Containment Zones in city on Google Maps. 8. IIT Kharagpur launched telemedicine system ‘iMediX’ to help patients receive assistance from doctors without Physical Visit. 9. Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan launched website called CuRED (CSIR Ushered Repurposed Drugs), that gives information about numerous COVID-19 clinical trials that CSIR is engaged in. 10. Poll spending limit for candidates contesting Lok Sabha / Assembly elections has been enhanced by 10 % based on recommendation of Election Commission. Election Commission had earlier recommended 10 % hike in expenditure for all elections to be held during COVID-19 pandemic. 11. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) validated ‘COVIRAP,’ the diagnostic machine evolved by the IIT Kharagpur researchers, for its efficacy in COVID-19 detection. 12. Delhi’s IGI Airport has been named world’s 2nd safest airport on Covid-related safety protocols, by Safe Travel Barometer. Singapore’s Changi Airport topped the list. 13. Punjab National Bank Launched its All India CSR campaign against COVID 19, launched by Health Minister Harsh Vardhan. 14. 6 year old Bangladeshi boy Anzar Mustaeen Ali won special prize of USD 1000, for his artwork in the global art competition organised by Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR), named ‘United Against CORONA- Express through Art’. 2. International - 1. India and South Africa submitted Proposal to WTO Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights entitled Waiver from Certain Provisions of the TRIPS Agreement for the Prevention, Containment and Treatment of COVID-19. 1. This will make tools related to COVID-19 available at affordable costs. It has now been backed by World Health Organization. 2. Russia approved its 2nd COVID-19 vaccine called EpicVacCorona, as a two shot vaccine. Sputnik V was first vaccine developed by Russia. 3. World Bank approved USD 12 billion to help developing countries purchase novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines and treatments. It is part of World Bank Group's package to provide up to $160 billion through June 2021 to help more than 100 countries amid pandemic. 4. As per United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), value of global trade is set to fall by 7 - 9 % in FY 21 (2020-21), due to COVID-19. 5. Bangladesh's government launched a ‘no mask, no service’ policy, to fight COVID-19 pandemic. 68. Covid - 19 Updates (November 2020)- 1. National - 1. IIT Madras developed COVID Game, to create awareness about COVID-19 virus, among children. 2. EEPC India and National Institute of Design partnered to promote and upgrade technology for medical devices industry, enabling it to meet emerging needs in health sector. 3. Uttarakhand's Dehradun Municipal Corporation launched initiative named Plastic Lao MASK LE JAO, to fight menace of plastic waste and contain spread of Covid-19. 4. 6 women led startups have won COVID-19 Shri Shakti Challenge organized by MyGov in collaboration with UN Women. In addition to earlier announced reward of 5 lakh for top 3 winners, UN Women also rewarded 2 lakh each to 3 startups. 5. Pakke Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Arunachal Pradesh became first in northeast to provide insurance cover against Covid-19 for “green soldiers”. 6. Tata Medical and Diagnostics Ltd (TataMD) TataMD CHECK, as a novel diagnostic testing for COVID-19. It is world’s first CRISPR CaS-9 based diagnostic tool and is powered by FELUDA. 7. Delhi Govt launched Jeevan Seva app, Aiming at timely transportation of COVID-19 patients to healthcare facilities. 8. Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated mobile COVID-19 RT-PCR Lab at Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) New Delhi, to add more capacity to COVID-19 testing. 9. Cerry blossom festival, hosted by Meghalaya in November, has been cancelled this year due to Covid-19. 10. Fast method of Dry Swab-Direct RT-PCR, developed by CSIR lab Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Hyderabad for scaling up of SARS-CoV-2 detection has approved by ICMR. 2. International - 1. Bangladesh signed agreement with Serum Institute of India (SII) for procurement of 3 crore doses of Oxford/ Astrazeneca vaccine. 2. UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) launched New Food Coalition alliance, to prevent COVID-19 pandemic from triggering a catastrophic world food crisis. 3. G20 finance ministers agreed for first time on a new joint framework for restructuring government debt, as a relief to some poor countries amid Covid-19 Pandemic. 4. UN along with Vaccine Confidence Project of University of London launched Team Halo, which aims to tackle misinformation on safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. 5. UN released USD 100 million in emergency funding to 7 countries at risk of famine in Africa and Middle East, amid conflict and COVID-19 pandemic. 80 Million will be for Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan, Yemen and Ethiopia. 69. Covid-19 Pandemic Updates (December 2020) - 1. National - 1. Health Ministry launched CoWIN, a Grand Challenge for strengthening COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (CoWIN) system, a digitalised platform to be used to effectively roll out and scale up mechanism for COVID Vaccine Distribution System. 2. UP CM Yogi Adityanath Launched Mera Covid Kendra App to Locate Free COVID-19 Test Centres across state. 3. Tamil Nadu CM Edapadi K Palaniswami inaugurated 2000 Amma Mini covid-19 clinics in Tamil Nadu, named after late CM J Jayalalitha. 4. Government launched Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortia (INSACOG), comprising 10 lab, to monitor genomic variations in SARS-CoV-2 on a regular basis. 1. Labs are DBT-NIBMG Kalyani, DBT-ILS Bhubaneswar, ICMR-NIV Pune, DBT-NCCS Pune, CSIR-CCMB Hyderabad, DBT-CDFD Hyderabad, DBT-InSTEM/ NCBS Bengaluru, NIMHANS Bengaluru, CSIR-IGIB Delhi, and NCDC Delhi. 2. International - 1. Australia Adopted Go for Zero Policy, to bring down its Covid Cases to Zero, through tightening of spread-control measures. 2. United Kingdom became first country to roll out covid-19 vaccine (developed by Pfizer and BioNTech). Vaccine is to be provided as two injections within a time gap of 21 days. 3. As designated COVAX procurement coordinator and procurement agent, UNICEF launched COVID-19 Vaccine Market Dashboard – an interactive tool for countries, partners and industry to follow developments of rapidly evolving COVID-19 vaccine market. 4. US President Donald Trump signed USD 900 billion pandemic relief package that will deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals, affected by Pandemic. 5. World Health Organization (WHO) launched a mobile app to provide latest COVID-19 guidance and updates, Titled WHO COVID-19 Updates. 70. Cyprus (Middle east Nation) scrapped a lucrative program called golden passport, granting citizenship to wealthy investors, amid corruption allegations. 71. Decade-long U.N. arms embargo on Iran that barred it from purchasing foreign weapons, has expired. 1. United Nations had banned Iran from buying major foreign weapon systems in 2010 amid tensions over its nuclear program. 2. It was part of Iran's nuclear deal with world powers. 72. Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport became Asia Pacific’s first Level 4+ (Transition) accredited airport under ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation program. 73. Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)'s bi-ennial Worldwide Cost of Living (WCOL) report - 1. Hong Kong (China), Paris (France) and Zurich (Switzerland) are most expensive cities. 2. Damascus (Syria), Taskent (Uzbekistan), Lusaka (Zambia) rank last in List of 133 named cities. 74. European Commission published its digital regulation proposals called Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act, proposing significant overhauls in European digital space. 1. These New rules will impact legal framework for all digital services, including social media, online market places, and other platforms. 2. Digital Services Act aims to create uniform framework throughout European Union in handling potentially harmful content online, protection of users’ fundamental rights, liability of online intermediaries for third party content and bridging information asymmetries. 3. Digital Markets Act addresses digital market imbalances in European Union, applicable only to provider of core platform services including social networking, search engines, operating systems and online intermediation services. 75. European Nation Sweden banned use of telecom equipment from China's Huawei and ZTE, in its 5G network, on security grounds. 76. European Union Leaders reached an agreement to cut bloc's greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 % by end of 2030. 1. It has been set as a medium-term target as part of EU's long-term goal to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. 77. European Union and China signed a New Investment Treaty, after long negotiations, called EU-China Comprehensive Agreement in Investment. 1. The treaty will ensure that EU investors achieve better access to the fast-growing consumer market. It binds liberalisation of Chinese investments and prevents backsliding. 78. European Union banned exports of unsorted plastic to less industrialised nations outside OECD, amending 2006 Waste Shipment Regulation. 79. European Union environment ministers agreed to make EU’s pledge to climate neutral by 2050 legally binding. 80. Export-Import Bank of India signed agreement with Zimbabwe, for making available Line of Credit (LoC) of USD 310 million for purpose of financing repowering of Hwange Thermal Power Station in Zimbabwe. 81. Facebook-backed cryptocurrency Libra has been rebranded as Diem, to gain regulatory approval by emphasising that project has organisational independence. 1. Libra Association, which runs Libra project, will also be renamed as the Diem Association. Diem is a Latin term meaning “day”. 82. Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Asia Pacific Group kept Pakistan in its ‘Enhanced Follow Up’ list, which was earlier downgraded from “regular follow-up” to “enhanced follow up”. It means country need to provide monthly reports of its compliance to the Financial Action Task Force. 83. Five Eyes Alliance Members US, UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand Criticized China for increasing Chinese curbs on autonomy of Hong Kong, after China imposed new rules disqualifying elected members from Hong Kong’s Legislative Council. 84. G20 grouping extended its Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI), to help poor countries cope with fallout of the COVID-19 crisis until middle of 2021. DSSI offers a temporary suspension of government-to-government debt payments to 73 countries. 85. German chancellor Angela Merkel topped Forbes' List of world’s 100 most powerful women, followed by Christine Lagrade (European Central Bank President) and Kamala Harris (Indian Origin US Vice President-Elect). Indian women on List - 1. Angela Merkel has been on top of this list since last 10 years. 2. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman (41st), HCL Chairman Roshni Nadar Malhotra (55th), Biocon Founder Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (68th). 86. Global electricity demand is set to decline 2% in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic, as per International Energy Agency's (IEA's) first ever Electricity Market Report. Pandemic is expected to reduce global GDP by 4.4% in 2020, significantly more than 0.1% reduction in 2009, during global financial crisis. 87. Greece finalised plans to extend a wall along its northeast border with Turkey, over concerns about mass crossings by migrants from Turkey. 26 kilometers wall would be added to an existing 10-kilometer section. 88. Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (With Brand Name Amul), became first Indian dairy firm to feature in global top 20 list released by Rabobank, a Dutch multinational banking and financial services company. 1. Switzerland’s Nestle topped the list with a turnover of US $22.1 billion. Amul achieved annual turnover of $5.5 billion. 89. Gulf Nation Qatar ruler approved Country's First National elections, to be held in October 2021. The Shura Council elections will be held in October 2021, to strengthen traditions of Qatari shura, with wider participation by citizens. 90. Hawker Culture of street food in Singapore has been inducted by UNESCO in its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 1. Also, Couscous, the Berber dish beloved across northern Africa's Maghreb region and beyond, joined UN list of world's intangible cultural heritage. 91. Human Freedom Index Report 2020 by Cato Institute and Fraser Institute - 1. India ranked 111th, down from 94th in 2019. 2. Top 3 - New Zealand (1), Switzerland (2), Hong Kong (3) 3. Bottom 3 - Syria (162), Sudan (161), Venezuela (160) 4. Neighbors - China (129), Pakistan (140), Bangladesh (139), Sri Lanka (94) 92. IT Firm HCL Technologies joined NVIDIA Partner Network (NPN), the US-based technology company’s partner program, to pursue expanded opportunities in Artificial Intelligence (AI) space. HCL also launch of NEXT.ai, HCL’s AI Lab. 93. In QS Asia University Rankings 2021 - 1. National University of Singapore (NUS) Topped the List, Followed by Tsingua University (China) and Nanyang Technological University (Singapore). 2. Total 107 Indian Universities in List. IIT Bombay is Top ranked Indian University (Ranked 37th). IIT Delhi Ranked 47th and IIT Madras (50th). 94. India - Vietnam Summit held Virtually, attended by PM Narendra Modi and Vietnam PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Agreements / MOUs signed - 1. A Joint Vision for Peace, Prosperity and People document was adopted, along with Plan of Action for 2021-2023, for further implementation of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. 2. Implementing Arrangement on Defence Industry Cooperation. 3. Agreement for US$ 5 million Indian Assistance for Army Software Park at National Telecommunications University, Nha Trang (Vietnam). 4. Implementing Arrangement between Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping Operations. 5. MOUs for co-operation in regulatory bodies in fields of radiation protection and nuclear safety, petroleum research and training, healthcare, solar power. 95. India Meteorological Department Commissioned Flash Flood Guidance Services for South Asia, first of its kind for South Asian countries (India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka). 1. This Flash Flood Guidance is a robust system designed to provide necessary products in real-time to support development of warnings for flash floods, about 6- 12 hrs. in advance. 96. India and France will launch a constellation of maritime surveillance satellites to monitor illegal spillage of oil in Indian Ocean Region, under an agreement between ISRO and French Space Agency CNES. 1. ISRO and CENS will also collaborate for ISRO’s Venus Mission SHUKRAYAAN, to be launched in 2025. 2. So far, 42 Venus missions have been sent to Venus from Earth. 97. India and Maldives signed 4 agreements, during visit of Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla to Maldives. 1. One MoU for grant of $100 million by India for Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP), with cost $500 million. Rest $400 million for project will also be provided by India. It will link capital Male with three islands. 2. 2nd agreement is about setting up a plant and soil testing laboratory with a grant of 1.71 million Maldivian rufiyaas. 3. 3rd agreement for establishment of a drug detox facility with another grant of 7.7 million Maldivian rufiyaas. 4. 4th MOU for increasing cooperation in field of sports and youth affairs. 98. India and Myanmar agreed to work towards operationalization of Sittwe Port in first quarter of 2021, during Visit of Army Chief M.M. Naravane and Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla's visit to Myanmar. 1. Sittwe port is part of Kaladan multi-modal transit transport project, which is viewed as India’s gateway to Southeast Asia. It will connect India’s landlocked northeastern region with the Bay of Bengal through Mizoram. 99. India and South Africa submitted Proposal to WTO Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights entitled Waiver from Certain Provisions of the TRIPS Agreement for the Prevention, Containment and Treatment of COVID-19. 1. This will make tools related to COVID-19 available at affordable costs. It has now been backed by World Health Organization. 100. India and US extended their Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation on Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP) by 10 years. Centre was officially opened in 2017 im Bahadurgarh (Haryana), to support international cooperation in nuclear energy applications. 1. India and USA signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement in 2008, also called 123 Agreement, after international Nuclear Suppliers Group agreed to relax international nuclear trade restrictions against India. 2. Extension of MoU was agreed during 3rd US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue held in New Delhi in October 2020. 101. India assumed Chairmanship of Governing Body of International Labour Organization, After a gap of 35 years. 1. Apurva Chandra, Secretary (Labour and Employment) has been elected as Chairperson of Governing Body of ILO for October 2020- June 2021. 102. India contributed US$ 2 million to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in Near East (UNRWA). With this, India has provided total US$ 5 million to Agency in 2020. 103. India contributed USD 1 million to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, to support Palestinian refugees who have been facing extreme challenges due to COVID-19 pandemic. 104. India dropped to 2nd position in Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s (BNEF) 2020 Climatescope survey ranking from first last year, due to decline in clean energy investment, which fell 12 % in 2018-19 to $8.5 billion. 1. Chile bagged top spot, reflecting its strong clean energy policies while, Brazil remained at third position. 105. India extended $1-billion line of credit to Central Asian countries for priority projects in connectivity, energy, IT and health care. This was announced during 2nd India-Central Asia Dialogue held Virtually. 106. India extended USD 400 million soft loan to Maldives (through Exim Bank), to finance Greater Male's connectivity project in Maldives. 1. With This, Exim Bank has till date extended three LoCs worth a cumulative USD 1.2 billion to Maldives. 107. India has been designated Vice-Chair of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) Working Group of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), recognising contribution of Indian GLP programme. 1. Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) is a quality system, which has been evolved by OECD to ensure that safety data generated on various chemicals can be reliable. 2. India's Department of Science and Technology (DST) established National GLP Compliance Monitoring Authority (NGCMA) in 2002. NGCMA grants GLP certification to test facilities conducting safety studies on new chemicals. 108. India has been elected as a member of United Nation's Commission on Status of Women (CSW), a body of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), for upto 2025. 109. India joined Djibouti Code of Conduct as an observer, also called Jeddah Amendment, a regional maritime security cooperation agreement. 1. It was established by International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2008, with 19 member states adjoining Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, East Coast of Africa and Indian Ocean Region. 2. Other observers of grouping are Norway, Japan, UK, US. 110. India pledged USD 1 million to World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), towards global agency’s scientific research budget, which was created in 2019. 111. India pledged USD 2 billion, to provide essential services to women, newborns, young children and adolescents across world. 1. It was announced during World Health Organisation's Lives in the Balance summit. 112. India, Japan and Australia will launch Supply Chain Resilience Initiative, to build resilient supply chains in Indo-Pacific region, an idea Mooted by Japan. This is being done due to China's aggressive practices in Region. 113. Indian Dairy Brand Amul, run by Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, is named 8th in list of top 20 global dairy processors, released by International Farm Comparison Network (IFCN). 114. Indian Embassy in China launched a movie series cinemaSCOpe, exclusively for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), in which over 25 Indian films dubbed in Russian, will be screened on a monthly basis, till India's chairmanship of eight-member SCO Council of Heads of State meeting in 2023. 115. Indian IT Firm TCS partnered with Transnet Port Terminals in South Africa, to develop marketplace by bringing together cargo owners, shipping lines, clearing and forwarding agents, and road/rail haulers. 116. Indian PSU ONGC Videsh Ltd exited Sudan oilfields after Sudan refused to pay for oil it lifted from ONGC fields, since 2011. 117. Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) has been accepted as a component of World-Wide Radio Navigation System by International Maritime Organisation (IMO), for its operations in Indian Ocean Region. 1. This will enable vessels to use IRNSS to obtain position information similar to GLONASS and GPS. Navigation system up to 1,500 km in Indian Ocean waters can now replace GPS. 2. India has became fourth country to have independent regional satellite navigation system (after US, Russia and China), and recognized by IMO under its WWRNS. 3. Operational name of IRNSS is NavIC, having 8 satellites. 118. Indian and Canadian Archaeologists found that dairy products were produced by Harappans even before 2500 BCE. 2020 marks 100 years of discovery of Indus Valley Civilization. 1. Analysis of residue in pottery found in Kotada Bhaldi, Gujarat showed traces of boiled milk. Technique called Stable Isotope Analysis helps the researchers identify cattle used in dairy production. 119. Indian renewable energy Firm Adani Green has been ranked as world's biggest solar energy company, in terms of capacity, with around 2.3 GW of operational projects. It has another 2 GW projects under construction and 8 GW of awarded projects. 120. International Monetary Fund (IMF) slashed FY 21 (2020-21) economic forecast for Asia, with 2.2 % contaction. 1. IMF also upgraded Asia's FY 22 (2021-22) growth forecast, to 6.9 % growth. 2. India's economy is likely to shrink 10.3% in FY 21. 121. International Monetary Fund World Economic Outlook October 2020, titled A Long and Difficult Ascent. It is launched twice a year (June and October. Highlights - 1. World will not recover completely till 2025. Rise in poverty and inequality will create a severe setback in living standards, with 90 million people falling below poverty. Extreme poverty threshold according to IMF is 1.90 USD per person per day. 1. Earlier, World bank had released biennial poverty and shared prosperity report, stating that covid-19 pandemic will push an additional 88 million to 115 Million people to Extreme poverty. This will raise count of poor to 150 million by 2021. 2. The report suggests that the Global fiscal support of 12 trillion USD is required. 3. Global GDP Growth will be -4.4 % in FY 21 and 5.2 % in FY 22. US will contract at -4.3 % in FY 21 and will grow at 3.1 % in FY 22. 4. About India - 1. India is expected to Contract at - 10.3 % in FY 21, and expected to grow at 8.8 % in FY 22. 2. Bangladesh will beat India in terms of per capita GDP this calendar year, amid sharp contraction in Indian economy. Bangladesh’s per capita GDP is expected to grow 4 % in 2020 to $1888. While, India’s per capita GDP is expected to decline 10.5 % to $1,877. 122. Interpol created two secure and flexible services to facilitate cybercrime related communication among law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders to ensure more coordinated action. 1. One service is Cybercrime Knowledge Exchange workspace that handles general, non-police information. 2. Other is Cybercrime Collaborative Platform-Operation, which assists in law enforcement operations, with restricted access. 123. Iranian Parliament passed bill called Strategic Measures for the Removal of Sanctions, to boost nuclear activity of Iran in wake of killing of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. 1. Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action had capped enrichment level of Uranium at 3.67%, which the bill now aims to enhance to 20 %. 2. Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action between Iran and P5+1 and EU was announced in July 2015, to limit Iran's Nuclear Activities. 124. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani rejected bill called Strategic Measures for the Removal of Sanctions, which was recently passed by Parliament passed to boost nuclear activity of Iran in wake of killing of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. 1. Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action had capped enrichment level of Uranium at 3.67%, which bill aimed to enhance to 20 %. 2. Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action between Iran and P5+1 and EU was announced in July 2015, to limit Iran's Nuclear Activities. 125. Isolated UK overseas territory of Tristan da Cunha has been declared largest fully protected Marine reserve of Atlantic Ocean, which will This prohibit sand extraction, bottom trawling fishing and deep-sea mining in the territory. 126. Israel Embassy in India will have a separate 'Water Attache' from January 2021, to help share Israel's best practices for advancements in India's water management. It will join Pre-existing 'Agriculture Attache'. 127. Israel and Bahrain agreed to establish full diplomatic relations, mediated by US. It came soon after forming of Historic Israel- UAE Peace Deal titled Abraham Accord. 1. US president Donald Trump has been nominated for nobel Peace Prize 2021, for mediating Historic Peace Accord between Israel and UAE. 128. Israel, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed Abraham Accords, first Arab-Israeli peace deal in 26 years, mediated by US. 1. This is first time any Arab country has normalized relations with Israel, since Egypt in 1979 in Jordan in 1994. 2. US president Donald Trump has been nominated for nobel Peace Prize 2021, for mediating Historic Peace Accord between Israel and arab Nations UAE and Bahrain. 3. Accords are named after patriarch Abraham, regarded as a prophet by both religions of Judaism and Islam, and traditionally considered a shared patriarch of Jewish and Arab people. 129. Israeli government collapsed after nation's Parliament failed to meet a deadline for passage of budgets, now headed towards its fourth elections in 2 years. 1. Nepal Parliament also dissolved after PM K.P. Sharma Oli recommended to dissolve House of Representatives and hold mid- term elections in April 2021. 130. Japan and Australia signed defence deal called Reciprocal Access Agreement, to counter China's growing influence in South China Sea and Pacific island nations. It allows Japanese and Australian Forces to visit each other's countries and conduct training and joint operations. 131. Japan and Vietnam signed agreements to ensure “free and open Indo-Pacific”, Also allowing Japan to export defence equipment to Vietnam 1. Recent QUAD grouping's Tokyo Meet reaffirmed significance of “free and open Indo-Pacific” and raised concerns over increasing Chinese influence in region. 132. Japan annouced its target to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050, to promote green economy. Presently, 56 % of Japan's energy requirements come from fossil fuels. 133. Japan will join Five Eyes network, which comprises of Australia, Canada, Britain, US and New Zealand. It aims to respond against increasing threats by China and North Korea. 1. Five Eyes countries are parties to multilateral UK-USA Agreement, a treaty of joint cooperation in signals intelligence. 134. Joint US- European satellite built to monitor global sea levels has been launched by SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, named Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich. 135. Military Alliance North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will build a headquarters for space operations at its airbase in Ramstein in Germany, to counter a rising Russian and Chinese threat. 136. Monitored population sizes of mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, and amphibians have declined an average of 68% between 1970 and 2016, according to World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Living Planet Report 2020. 1. Populations in Latin America and the Caribbean have fared worst, with an average decline of 94%. 137. Month-long Operation Thunder 2020 has been coordinated by Interpol and World Customs Organisation, which involved law enforcement agencies in 103 countries. 138. Morocco became 4th Arab League country to normalise relations with Israel, in a deal brokered with US. 1. Earlier, UAE, Bahrain and Sudan signed Abraham Accords, first Arab-Israeli peace deal in 26 years, mediated by US. 139. Myanmar's Ruling Party National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won in Myanmar Parliamentary polls 2020. 140. NASA and Canadian Space Agency signed agreement called Gateway Treaty, under which Canada is to be a part of Lunar Gateway Space Station. 1. Canada will contribute a new robotic arm called “Canadarm3”. 2. Also, a Canadian is to be a part of the Artemis II mission in 2023, the first crewed mission to the moon by NASA since 1972. 141. NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission partnered with Innovation Center Denmark (ICDK), Denmark Embassy in India and Denmark Technical University (DTU), to launch AIM-ICDK Water innovation challenge, aimed at identifying innovative next-gen solutions to solve challenges related to water. 1. Winners shall be a part of Indian delegation for Next Generation Water Action at IWA Water Congress, in May 2021 in Copenhagen. 142. New Zealand declared climate emergency, promisoing its public sector would become carbon neutral by 2025. 143. New Zealand's Passport has been ranked at top in Arton Capital Passport Index 2020. Japan is on second spot along with Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Ireland, South Korea and Australia. 1. Indian passporst is ranked 58th, joined by Jordan, Algeria, Gabon and Benin. 144. Nokia acquired deal to install first cellular network on Moon, selected by NASA to deploy an ultra-compact, low-power, space- hardened wireless 4G network on lunar surface. 1. It is part of NASA's plans to establish a long-term human presence on Moon by 2030. 2. This $14.1 million contract is part of NASA's Artemis programme, which aims to send first woman, and next man, to moon by 2024. 145. Oman announced to establish Friendship Association with india, as first such initiative by India in West Asia, to strengthen bilateral ties. 146. Outgoing US President Donald Trump issued National Strategy for Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion, asking NASA to initiate fission surface power project for Moon surface demonstration by 2027, with scalability to a power range of 40 kilowatt- electric. 1. This boosts USA’s plan to have first nuclear reactor on moon by end of 2026. 147. PM Narendra Modi launched phase two of RuPay card in Bhutan, issued by Bhutan National Bank. 1. Prime Ministers of India and Bhutan had jointly launched Phase-I of project during Visit of PM Modi to Bhutan in August 2019. 2. Phase-I enabled visitors from India to access ATMs / PoS terminals across Bhutan. Phase-II will now allow Bhutanese card holders to access RuPay network in India. 148. Philippines will resume oil exploration in South China Sea, with President of Philippines lifting 6 year ban on oil exploration in Palawan Island. 1. Philippines had imposed a ban of oil exploration in the Palawan Island due to increasing tensions with China. 2. China has been pressurizing Philippines for a joint exploration in region that comes under Philippines jurisdiction according to UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea). 149. Red Channel Agreement signed between World Health Organization and IFRC (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies), to implement Emergency Medical Team Initiative. 1. It will strengthen delivery of health and emergency medical services during humanitarian crisis. 150. Russia approved new Governance Reforms, which are to begin from January 1, 2021. As per reforms - 1. Staff within central administrative office is to be reduced by 5% and staff within territorial governments is to be reduced by 10%. 2. Reform will create a special working group that will deal with matters that are related to reform procedures. 3. Also, President Vladimir Putin recently signed an order to increase number of Deputy Prime Ministers from 9 to 10. 151. Saudi Arabia on Wednesday announced plans to ease foreign workers' contractual restrictions, improving a controversial seven- decade-old sponsorship system known as kafala, Under Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. 1. It will take effect in March 2021. It will grant foreign workers the right to change jobs and leave the country without employers' permission. Earlier, this restriction used to result in exploitation of workers by employers. 152. Saudi Arabia's National Commercial Bank acquired rival Samba Financial Group in a deal valued at $14.8 billion, creating Saudi's largest bank. 153. Singapore included facial recognition to its National Identity Database, becoming first country to include this technology in its national database, called SingPass Face Verification. 154. Singapore-based bond exchange BondEvalue, will launch a blockchain-platform in Jan 2021. It aims at facilitating investment in bonds by individuals. 155. South Korea based electronics conglomerate Samsung topped list of ‘World’s Best Employer 2020, by Forbes’. Amazon, IBM, Microsoft and LG others in top 5. India's HCL Technologies ranks 30th in List. 156. South Pacific French territory of New Caledonia chosen to remain under French control, narrowly rejecting independence in a referendum. 1. The Island was discovered by a British Navigator James Cook in 1774. It was annexed by France in 1853. 157. Sri Lanka approved banning cattle slaughter across nation, deciding to import beef for those who consume it. 158. Sri Lankan Parliament passed 20th Amendment of Sri Lankan constitution, which has expanded powers of President and also have increased immunity of President. 1. Under 20th amendment, President gets power to dissolve parliament after 2.5 years of being elected. It has weakened the powers of the prime minister. 2. It empowers President to appoint any person to Government office without having need of getting consent from parliament. 3. This amendment rolls back 19th amendment of Sri Lanka Constitution. 159. Sudan became 3rd country to join UAE and Bahrain in recognizing Israel. 1. Earlier in Sep 2020, Israel, UAE and Bahrain signed Abraham Accords, first Arab-Israeli peace deal in 26 years, mediated by US. 160. Sudan has been removed by US, from list of State Sponsors of Terrorism. 1. Sudan was designated as a state sponsor of terrorism in 1993, for its support of militant Palestinian organizations such as Hamas. 2. Also, after UAE and Bahrain, Sudan recently became third country to normalise relations with Israel. 161. Territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh region increased with heavy clashes. 1. Armenia and Azerbaijan are a part of the Transcaucasia region, the geographical region on border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It consists of Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. 2. Chronology - 1. In 1920, Nagorno-Karabakh region was established by USSR within Azerbaijan. 2. In 1988, Nagorno-Karabakh region passed a resolution to join Armenia. 3. In 1991, region conducted a referendum according to which it declared that it will not join Armenia or Azerbaijan. 3. Nagorno-Karabakh region has 95% of Armenian ethnic people (Christians). However, the region is internationally recognized as a part of Azerbaijan (Muslim majority). 162. Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021 - 1. Indian Universities - 1. No Indian institute featured among the top 300 educational institutes in world. 2. 3 Indian institutes among top 500 in world, down from 9 last year. 3. Top 5 Indian Universities in List - IISc Bengaluru (301 - 350), IIT Ropar (351 - 400), IIT Indore (401 - 500), BHU (601-800), ICT Mumbai (601-800). 4. IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi, which were last year in top 5 Indian Universities in list, have now been omitted from list. 7 IITs in List this year, compared to 14 last year. 5. This year India has 63 Universities in overall list, compared to 56 last year. 2. Top 5 Global Universities - 1. University of Oxford (UK), ranked at top for 5th consecutive year. 2. Stanford University (US) 3. Harvard University (US) 4. California Institute of Technology (US) 5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US) 163. To reduce greenhouse Emissions, UK will ban sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, as against Britain's earlier plans of banning sale of new petrol and diesel-powered cars from 2035. 164. Togo became First African Nation to have eliminated human African trypanosomiasis or sleeping sickness, as a public health problem. 1. Sleeping sickness is caused by parasites which are transmitted by infected tsetse flies and is only found in 36 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. 165. Typhoon Goni struck eastern part of Philippines, noted as world strongest typhoon. It attained maximum speed of 310 km per hour. 166. UAE approved golden visa grant, allowing 10-year residency for certain professions including specialised degree-holders and others. 167. UAE became first Arab country to generate electricity from coal, with 600 MW Hassyan Coal Plant to be set up in Dubai at 3.4 billion USD. Capacity of plant is to be increased to 2400 MW by 2023. Power plant will fulfil 20% of its energy requirements of Dubai. 1. Coal-based power plants in the Gulf region have been abandoned. 168. UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs removed Cannabis from Schedule IV category of 1961 Single convention on Narcotics, to recognise its medicinal values. Though cannabis has been removed from Schedule IV, non-medicinal Cannabis is still under Schedule I. 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs Schedules - 1. Schedule I - Limited only to scientific and medicinal purposes. They require medicinal prescription for supply. 2. Schedule II - Medical Prescription of these drugs are not obligatory. 3. Schedule III - They are subjected to lesser restrictions. 4. Schedule IV - Drugs under this category such as Heroin are considered to have dangerous properties. 169. UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and World Health Organization (WHO) launched global group called One Health Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance. 1. Group aims at catalyzing global attention to preserve antimicrobial medicines and avert its disastrous consequences. 170. UN launched a report on stillbirths titled A Neglected Tragedy: The Global Burden of Stillbirths, as First edition of this report. There are around 1.9 million stillbirths globally, with 0.34 million in India. 1. Stillbirth means baby born with no signs of life. 171. UNICEF released Levels and Trends in Child Mortality report - 1. India Findings - Child mortality rate of India declined from 126 in 1990 to 34 in 2019, registering 4.5% annual rate of reduction. 2. Globally, child mortality deaths under five dropped from 12.5 million in 1990 to 5.2 million in 2019. 3. Around 53% of under-five deaths occurred in sub-saharan Africa in 2019 and 28% in central and southern Asia. These two regions alone account to 80% of the total under-five deaths in 2019. 172. US Govt approved deal in which Oracle and Walmart will partner with viral video-sharing app TikTok in U.S., allowing Tiktok to avoid a shutdown. 1. TikTok was instructed to either close its operation in US, or sell company to a US-based company. 173. US House of Representatives passed a legislation that would establish an exchange initiative between US and India, to study work and legacies of M K Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. 174. US Included Taiwan, Thailand and India Currencies into its monitoring list, which has countries it suspects of taking measures to devalue their currencies against US dollar. 1. Other Currencies in monitoring list are from China, Japan, Korea, Germany, Italy, Singapore and Malaysia. 2. Also, US Treasury labeled Switzerland and Vietnam as currency manipulators. 175. US President Donald Trump announced Wilmington (North Carolina) as first World War II Heritage City, marking 75th anniversary of end of World War II. 1. During the war, Wilmington was site of North Carolina Shipbuilding Company, which built 243 ships under emergency shipbuilding program. 176. US Space Force announced a new name for its members, to now be known as Guardians. 177. US Territory Puerto Rico’s 1963 Built Arecibo Telescope collapsed. 1. It is second-largest single-dish radio telescope in world, known for its finding that Mercury rotates in 59 days and not 88 days. 2. It discovered first exoplanets, prebiotic molecules in distant galaxies and first millisecond Pulsar. 178. US formally removed Sudan's status as a state sponsor of terrorism, removing barrier to Sudan's access to international lending institutions and economic development. 179. US formally withdrew from Treaty of Open Skies, 6 months after notifying its decision to withdraw. 1. Signed by 35 nations in January 2002, Treaty of Open Skies is an agreement that seeks to foster trust by allowing unarmed aerial surveillance flights over entire territory of participating countries. 180. US halted funding to voluntary and involuntary relocation projects from protected areas (PA) across world on account of human rights violations. 1. This has stopped 12 million USD funding by US to World Wildlife Fund, Wildlife Conservation Society and other conservation NGOs. 2. US said that these international organizations have been abusing local people, torturing them to leave their lands. 181. US imposed sanctions on Turkey under Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), for buying Russian made S400 anti-Missile system. 1. Section 231 of CAATSA says that at least 12 sanctions described in section 235 be imposed on a person / country who is engaged or operates for or on behalf of Russian defence or intelligence sectors. 182. US officially withdrawn from Paris climate accord, becoming only country to formally pull out of deal since it was adopted in 2015. 1. As per rules, a country cannot officially leave before 1 year of notifying UN of its intent to withdraw. US has now completed one year of advance notification. 183. United Nations (KN) Launched Human Development Report 2020 (189 Nations) - 1. India ranked 131st, down by 2 places as compared to 121 in 2019. 2. Top 3 - Norway (1), Ireland (2), Switzerland (3) 3. Bottom 3 - Niger (189), Central African Republic (188), Chad (187) 4. Neighbors - China (85), Pakistan (154), Bangladesh (133), Sri Lanka (72) 184. United Nations Treaty to ban Nuclear Weapons entered into force, with ratification by 50 countries (Honduras 50th to ratify). 1. Treaty was opposed by US and other nuclear powers, with India abstaining from Voting. Netherlands was only NATO country to vote in favour of the treaty. 2. According to India, it recognises Geneva based Conference on Disarmament as only powerful multilateral disarmament negotiation forum. 185. Uttar Pradesh government signed concession agreement with representatives of Zurich Airport International (Switzerland) for designing, building and operating Noida International Airport at Jewar for a period of 40 years. 1. The airport will be developed as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and is scheduled to open in 2024, at cost 29,560 crores. 186. Virtual Bilateral Summit held Between India and Bangladesh, attended by Indian PM Narendra Modi and Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina. 1. It included inauguration og a a railway link between Haldibari in India and Chilahati in Bangladesh. 2. This is 5th operational rail link between India and Bangladesh, after Petrapole (India) - Benapole (Bangladesh), Gede (India) – Darshana (Bangladesh), Singhabad (India) - Rohanpur (Bangladesh) and Radhikapur (India) - Birol (Bangladesh). 3. Also, Swadhinta Sarak will be opened between India and Bangladesh, on March 26, 2021. Road remains functional in India while it will be connecting through Meherpur, Mujibnagar district in Bangladesh. 4. 7 MOUs signed - 1. Cooperation in Hydrocarbon Sector 2. Cooperation in Agriculture 3. Indian Assistance for Implementation of High Impact Community Development Projects through Local Bodies 4. Protocol on Transboundary Elephant Conservation 5. Supply of Equipment & Improvement of Garbage/Solid Waste Disposal Ground at Lamchori Area for Barishal City Corporation 6. MoU between Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum Dhaka and National Museum New Delhi 7. Terms of Reference of India-Bangladesh CEO’s Forum 187. With 3.3 Lakh Migrants, India ranked 2nd in terms of number of migrants going to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. China Ranked 1st (with 4.3 lakh migrants). 188. World Bank released annual Human Capital Index 2020 - 1. India has been ranked at the 116th among 174 countries in Index. India’s score has increased to 0.49 from 0.44 in 2018. 2. Top 3 - Singapore (1), Hong Kong (2), Finland (3). 3. Last year, India had raised objections over Human Capital Index, wherein India was ranked 115th out of 157 countries. 189. World Economic Forum selected 36 cities from 22 countries for pioneering a policy road map for smart cities, being developed under G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance. The list includes 4 Indian cities - Bengaluru, Faridabad, Indore and Hyderabad. 190. World Health Organisation added vaccine nCOP2 developed by Bio Farma of Indonesia, to its Emergency Use Listings, amid increasing cases of vaccine derived poliovirus between 2010 and 2019. 1. WHO also released Global Strategy to Accelerate Elimination of Cervical Cancer, aiming to reduce more than 40% of new cases by 2050. 191. World Intellectual Property Organization released Global Innovation Index 2020 (131 Nations) - 1. Top 3 - Switzerland (1), Sweden (2), USA (3) 2. Bottom 3 - Yemen (131), Guinea (130), Myanmar (129) 3. India Ranked 48th, compared to 52nd rank in 2019. 4. Neighbors - China (14), Pakistan (107), Bangladesh (116), Sri Lanka (101) 192. World Trade Organization (WTO) revised upwards its forecast for decline in world merchandise trade at 9.2% in 2020 as against 12.9% drop projected earlier, based on strong trade performance recently. 1. WTO now forecasts a 9.2% decline in the volume of world merchandise trade for 2020, followed by a 7.2% rise in 2021. 193. World bank issued corrected Doing Business rankings following review of data irregularities. China's ranking has been lower by seven notches to 85, in index for 2018. 1. Other than China, Azerbaijan's ranking improved to 28 from 34, Saudi Arabia fell from 63 to 62. UAE's rank remained unchanged at 16. 2. It is notable that as per Doing Business 2020 report, India ranked 63rd. India has improved by 79 positions in five years (2014-19). 194. World bank released biennial poverty and shared prosperity report, stating that covid-19 pandemic will push an additional 88 million to 115 Million people to Extreme poverty. This will raise count of poor to 150 million by 2021. 1. If the pandemic had not arrived, poverty rate would have dropped by 7.9% in 2020. Global recession caused by pandemic will push 1.4% of world population into extreme poverty. 195. World’s oldest film festival, Venice International Film Festival's 77th edition held in Venice (Italy). Winners - 1. GOLDEN LION for Best Film to: Nomadland by Chloé Zhao 2. Golden Lion For Lifetime Achievement - Ann Hui and Tilda Swinton 3. Grand Jury Prize to: New Order by Michel Franco 4. SILVER LION for Best Direction - Kiyoshi Kurosawa for Wife of a Spy 5. Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Vanessa Kirby for Pieces of a Woman 6. Volpi Cup for Best Actor: Pierfrancesco Favino for Padrenostro 7. Also, Notably, India's Chaitanya Tamhane’s Marathi Movie The Disciple won Best Screenplay award at Venice Film Festival. 196. World’s only known White Giraffe has been fitted with GPS tracking device in north east Kenya, to keep poachers at bay. 1. The Giraffe is white in colour due to a rare genetic condition called Leucism (loss of pigmentation). 197. ‘Pandemic’ has been chosen as word of 2020 by Merriam-Webster dictionary. Earlier - 1. Collins Dictionary picked lockdown as its Word of The Year in 2020. 2. Quarantine has been named Word of the Year 2020 by Cambridge Dictionary. Top

Meetings 1. 2020 Afghanistan Conference organized Virtually by UN in Geneva (Switzerland), with India represented by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. It was co-hosted by United Nations, Afghanistan and Finland. 1. Notably, India recently concluded with Afghanistan an agreement for construction of Shatoot dam, which would provide safe drinking water to 2 million residents of Kabul city. 2. India announced Phase-IV of High Impact Community Development Projects for Afghanistan worth USD 80 million. 2. 2020 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meet held under Chairmanship of Malaysia, as First ever Virtual meet of 21 APEC Nations. 1. APEC 2020 ended with the adoption of APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040 and 2020 Kuala Lumpur Declaration. Theme was Optimising Human Potential Towards a Resilient Future of Shared Prosperity: Pivot. Prioritise. Progress”. 2. APEC Summit 2021 will be hosted by New Zealand. 3. 20th Summit of SCO Council of Heads of State held Virtually, chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Indian PM Narendra Modi led Indian delegation. 1. This was first SCO Summit held in Virtual Format and 3rd meet that India participated after becoming a full member in 2017. 2. India proposed to set up a Special Working Group on Innovation and Startups and a Sub Group on Traditional Medicine within SCO. 3. Summit adopted 16 documents including key ones on countering spread of extremist ideologies and promoting digital economy. 4. SCO Members - China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan. India and Pakistan joined in 2017. 5. 4 SCO Observers - Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, Mongolia. 4. 20th edition of Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers (COM) Meeting held virtually, under Chairmanship of United Arab Emirates (UAE), with theme Promoting a Shared Destiny and Path to Prosperity in Indian Ocean. India was represented by V. Muraleedharan(MoS in Ministry of External Affairs). 5. 26th DST-CII Tech Summit 2020 held Virtually, with Portugal as Partner Country. 6. 2nd World Health Expo held in Wuhan (China), which was Initial epicentre of COVID-19 Outbreak. 7. 3rd Assembly of International Solar Alliance (ISA) Held Virtually, attended by 53 Member countries and 5 Signatory / Prospective Members. ISA has 121 countries as members. Highlights - 1. India and France were re-elected as President and Co- President of International Solar Alliance (ISA), for term of 2 years. India's Upendra Tripathy is current Director General of ISA. 2. Four new Vice-Presidents chosen to represent 4 regions of ISA - Fiji & Nauru for Asia Pacific Region, Mauritius & Niger for Africa Region, UK & Netherlands for Europe and others Region, and Cuba and Guyana for Latin America and Caribbean Region. 3. ISA Solar awards conferred for For first time - 1. Visvesvaraya award (recognizes countries with maximum floating solar capacity in each of four regions of ISA) - Japan for Asia Pacific region and Netherlands for Europe and Others region. 2. Kalpana Chawla awards - Bhim Singh from IIT Delhi and Aaesha Alnuaimi from Dubai Electricity and Water Authority 3. Diwakar award - Arpan Institute (Haryana) and Arushi Society. 4. Amid global pandemic, ISA has set up ISA CARES, an initiative dedicated to deployment of solar energy in healthcare sector in LDC/SIDS ISA Member countries. 8. 3rd annual US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue held in New Delhi. 1. US represeneted by Mark T. Esper (Secretary of Defence) and Michael R. Pompeo (Secretary of State) 2. India represented by Rajnath Singh (Minister of Defense) and S. Jaishankar (Minister of External Affairs). 3. India and US signed BECA Agreement (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-Spatial Cooperation). 1. BECA will provide militaries of Both nations with access to extremely accurate geo-spatial data, high-end military technology and classified satellite data on defence-related issues. This will help in improving accuracy of missile systems of India. 2. BECA is 4th agreement signed between India and US for strengthening defence ties. Othrs - 1. General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), signed in 2002. 1. GSOMIA provides for specific measures to ensure security standards for safeguarding critical information shared by US with India. 2. Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), signed in 2016. 1. LEMOA establishes basic procedures for Logistic support, supplies, and services. 2. It gives access to designated military facilities on either side for refueling and replenishment, along with many other co-operative measures. 3. Under LEMOA, For the first time in Indian history, US long range maritime patrol aircraft P-8 Poseidon, recently refuelled at India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 3. Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), signed in 2018. 1. COMCASA is meant to provide legal framework for transfer of communication security equipment from US to India. 4. Also - 1. India Post and US Postal Service signed agreement for Electronic Exchange of Customs data related to postal shipments. 2. It was recalled during meet that NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) joint project will be launched by 2022, as first radar imaging satellite to use dual frequencies. 9. 5th annual Global Technology Summit (GTS) organised virtually by Ministry of External Affairs, in collaboration with Carnegie India. 1. GTS is one of four flagship annual conferences organised by MEA. Other 3 - Raisina Dialogue, Geo-economic dialogue, and Indian Ocean Conference. 2. 2020 Theme of GTS was The Geopolitics of Technology. 10. 73rd session of WHO South East Asia Region held Virtually, attended by Minister for Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan on India'a Behalf. Member States adopted Declaration on collective response to COVID-19 in South-East Asia Region. 11. At inaugural all.ai 2020 Virtual Summit, Intel, in collaboration with government of Telangana, IIIT Hyderabad and Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) announced launch of INAI, an applied artificial intelligence (AI) research center in Hyderabad. 1. INAI is an initiative to apply AI to population scale problems in the Indian context. 12. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar Represented India at UN Biodiversity Summit, held virtually on occasion of 75th anniversary of UN General Assembly. He stated that India aims to restore 26mn hectares of deforested land by 2030. 13. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar represented India at 15th East Asia Summit (EAS) held Virtually, chaired by Vietnam. 1. EAS is regional grouping of 18 participating countries - 10 ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) and Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia and US. 14. First-ever G20 Youth 20 (Y20) Global Summit held virtually, hosted by Saudi Arabia. India was represented by Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Kiren Rijiju. 1. Saudi Arabia also presided over a virtual global interfaith forum held virtually, with participation from Major religious figures. 15. First-ever World Solar Technology Summit Organized Virtually by Gurugram (India) based International Solar Alliance (ISA), with focus on technologies that will help boost efforts towards harnessing solar energy more efficiently. 1. It was announced that 5 PSUs under Petroleum & Natural Gas Ministry will join ISA’s Coalition for Sustainable Climate Action (ISA-CSCA) as Corporate Partners. 2. PSUs are - Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Indian Oil (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum (BPCL), Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) and GAIL (India). 16. Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep S. Puri (MoS (I/C)) Inaugurated 13th Urban Mobility India Conference, held on theme Emerging Trends in Urban Mobility. 17. India Hosted 7th meeting of ministers of justice of Shanghai cooperation organisation, with India represened by Minister of law and Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad. 18. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and NITI Aayog organized Global Virtual Summit on Artificial Intelligence (AI) - RAISE 2020, with theme Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020. 1. IT Firm IBM announced to set up an artificial intelligence (AI) Centre of Excellence (CoE) in partnership with Government e-Marketplace (GeM). 19. Misc. Meetings Held Virtually due to Covid-19 Pandemic (Sep 2020) - 1. 35th Session of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC 35) held virtually, with Chair Bhutan as Host Country. Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Parshottam Rupala represented India. 2. Virtual G-20 Meets 2020 (Chaired by Saudi Arabia) - 1. G-20 Foreign ministers’ meet, attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on India's Behalf. India proposed development of G-20 Principles on Coordinated Cross border movement of people. 2. G-20 Education ministers’ meet, attended by Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on India's Behalf. 3. G-20 Agriculture and Water Ministers Meet, attended by Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Minister of State (MoS) for Agriculture, Parshottam Rupala. 4. G20 Labour and Employment Ministers Meet, attended by Santosh Gangwar on India's Behalf. 5. G20 Finance and Health Ministers Meeting, attended by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister for Health and Family Welfare. 6. G20 Environment Ministerial Meeting Held Virtually, with India Represented by Environment, Climate Change and Forest Minister Prakash Javadekar. 1. During the meet, Global Initiative to reduce Land Degradation was launched, to strengthen implementation of existing frameworks to prevent, halt, and reverse land degradation. 2. Global Coral Reef R&D Accelerator Platform was also launched, to advance research, innovation and capacity building in all facets of coral reef conservation. 7. G-20 Trade and Investment Ministers meet held Virtually, attended by Commerce and Industry & Railways Minister Piyush Goyal. 3. 3rd annual leadership summit of US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) held virtually. 4. Minister of State (I/C) for Culture and Tourism, Prahlad Singh Patel participated in 17th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Culture Ministers’ Meeting held Virtually. He also attended BRICS Culture Ministers’ Virtual Meet. 5. First India-France-Australia Trilateral Dialogue held virtually, to strenthen the strong bilateral relations further. 6. Minister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan attended 10th East Asia Summit Foreign Minister’s virtual meeting. He also attended 27th ASEAN regional forum. 7. India, France, Australia hold virtual trilateral dialogue on economic, strategic challenges in Indo-Pacific. 8. BRICS Meets - 1. 6th BRICS Communication Ministers Meeting held virtually, attended by Sanjay Dhotre (Minister of State for Communications, Electronics & Information Technology and Education), on India's Behalf. 2. BRICS Meet on national security, attended NSA Ajit Doval On India's Behalf. 9. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar chaired IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) Foreign Ministers meet, held Virtually. 10. 4th edition of Global Ayurveda Summit held virtually, with theme Emerging Opportunities for Ayurveda during Pandemic. It is organized by CII (Confederation of Indian Industry)-Kerala in partnership with Ministry of Ayush. 11. 10th Indo-US Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) Group Meeting held virtually. India and US signed statement of intent to strengthen dialogue on defence technology cooperation. 1. India and US also held a bilateral 2+2 Inter-sessional meeting in virtual mode. 12. 74th Session of UN General Assembly High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace held virtually. 13. World Economic Forum's Sustainable Development Impact Summit held Virtually. 1. It was stated that Indian capital Delhi may have 8 months a year with temperature averaging 32°C by 2100, up from 6 at present. 20. National Conference on Vigilance and Anti Corruption held virtually, on theme सतक भारत, समृ भारत (Vigilant India, Prosperous India). 1. Also, Vigilance Awareness Week is observed between Oct 27 - Nov 2. 21. PM Narendra Modi addressed 3rd Annual Bloomberg New Economy Forum, held Virtually, to discuss a course for future, amid COVID-19 pandemic. 1. It was established in 2018 by Michael Bloomberg, to build a community of leaders to engage in real conversations leading to actionable solutions about critical challenges being faced by world economy. 22. PM Narendra Modi attended Virtual 15th G20 Summit, presided by Saudi Arabia. It was held with theme Realising Opportunities of 21st Century for All. 1. Subsequent G20 summits - Italy (2021), Indonesia (2022), India (2023). 23. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2020, to be held with theme Inclusive Innovation - Smart, Secure, Sustainable. 1. Held since 2017, IMC is largest digital technologies forum in India and South Asia, consisting of 3 day international conference and technology exhibition. 24. PM Narendra Modi participated in 17th ASEAN-India Summit, held Virtually. 1. Summit saw participation of all ten ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Member States (Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines, Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos). Vietnam is current Chair of ASEAN. 2. During summit, PM annoucned that India is to contribute 1 million USD to COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund. 25. PM Narendra Modi virtually attended 12th BRICS Summit, held under Chairmanship of Russia. 1. India will be taking over Chairmanship of BRICS in 2021. 2. Theme of 12th edition of BRICS Summit was “Global stability, shared security and innovative growth”. 3. BRICS Members adopted counter terrorism strategy, to deal with terrorism. 26. To commemorate occasion of 5 year completion of Paris Climate Agreement, International Climate Ambition Summit co-hosted by UN, UK and France, in partnership with Chile and Italy. It is a predecessor to 26th COP scheduled to be held at Glasgow (Scotland) in 2021. 27. United Kingdom and UN will co-organise a global climate summit in December 2020, to mark fifth anniversary of signing of Paris Climate Agreement in 2015. 1. Also, United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26) will be held in Glasgow (Scotland) in November 2021. It has been postponed from 2020 to 2021, due to COVID-19 Pandemic. 28. World Economic Forum (WEF 2021) will be moved from Davos in Switzerland to Singapore, due to COVID-19 concerns. This will be Asia's First hosting of WEF. 1. WEF, the annual gathering of political and business leaders, will be hosted outside Switzerland only for the second time since its inception in 1971. 29. World Economic Forum (WEF) announced to hold its Annual Meeting 2021 in Lucerne-Burgenstock (Switzerland) in May 2019, as against traditional venue and time of Davos (January), due to COVID-19 pandemic. 30. World Press Freedom Conference 2020 (WPFC 2020) hosted virtually by UNESCO and the Netherlands, jointly celebrating World Press Freedom Day (3 May) and International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (2 November). 1. Conference was planned in April 2020, before being pushed by COVID-19 pandemic. Top

National 1. BSNL tied up with private firm Hughes, to provide internet services to 5000 remote villages using ISRO satellites GSAT 11 and GSAT 19. 1. Concerned Remote villages are in Tripura, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Eastern Ladakh and Manipur. 2. CSIR - Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology Palampur (IHBT) Introduced asafoetida (Heeng) Farming in Himalayan Region, in offing Lahaul valley in Himachal Pradesh. CSIR-IHBT brought in seeds of asafoetida and developed its agro-technology. 1. Asafoetida (Heend), is a high value condiment in India, of which India imports about 1200 tonnes annually from Afghanistan, Iran and Uzbekistan. 2. Lack of planting material of Ferula assa-foetida plants in India was a major bottleneck in cultivation of this crop. The first seedling of asafoetida has now been planted by CSIR-IHBT. 3. Cabinet Approvals (Nov 26, 2020) - 1. MOUs - 1. Cooperation in field of Physical Culture and Sport among BRICS Countries. 2. MoU between Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and Vereniging van Registercontrollers(VRC) of the Netherlands. 2. CCEA - 1. Approved FDI proposal for acquisition of 12.32% of equity share capital of ATC Telecom Infrastructure by ATC Asia Pacific PTE, leading to FDI inflow of 2481 crores. 3. General - 1. Approved equity infusion by Government of 6000 crores in NIIF Debt Platform, sponsored by National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), comprising of Aseem Infrastructure Finance Limited (AIFL) and NIIF Infrastructure Finance Limited (NIIF-IFL). Only 2000 crore would be allocated during current FY 21. 1. NIIF Strategic Opportunities Fund has set up a Debt Platform comprising an NBFC Infra Debt Fund and an NBFC Infra Finance Company. 2. Approved Scheme of Amalgamation of Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) with DBS Bank India (DBIL). 1. RBI had earlier put LVB under moratorium for period of 30 days, appointing T. N. Manoharan as Administrator of LVB. 2. LVB will be amalgamated with DBIL, with no further restrictions on depositors regarding withdrawal of their deposits. 3. Also, RBI Advised Lakshmi Vilas Bank to fully write-down series VIII, IX and X Basel-III compliant Tier-2 bonds worth 318 crores. Earlier, RBI Asked Yes bank to write down additional Tier 1 (AT1) bonds, as part of reconstruction plan. 4. Department of Science & Technology (DST) and IBM India announced collaborations to scale up two DST initiatives--Vigyan Jyoti and Engage with Science (Vigyan Prasar), to build Science Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) career opportunities for girl students. 1. Vigyan Jyoti promotes STEM learning among girl students by creating a level-playing field for meritorious girls from grades 9 to 12. 2. Engage with Science of Vigyan Prasar is another initiative to build interest and create a community of practice with students, teachers, and scientists connecting the high school students to the higher education institutions. 5. Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Minister Giriraj Singh released 2nd edition of newsletter “Matsya Sampada”, after 1st edition in Jul 2020. 1. Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) aims to enhance fish production to 220 lakh tons by 2024-25, doubling export earnings to 100000 crores and generate 55 lakhs employment opportunities in fisheries sector. 6. General Conferences (Oct 1-10, 2020) - 1. Provincial government in Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa announced to purchase house of legendary Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar in Peshawar. It will be converted it into a museum and will be preserve it in its original shape. 2. Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal inaugurated Gyan Circle Ventures, a MeitY funded Technology Business Incubator (TBI) of Indian Institute of Information Technology Sri City (Chittoor). 3. Gujarat State Fertilizers and Chemicals India Limited (GSFC) launched indigenous variety of boronated calcium nitrate and Calcium nitrate. These Chemicals are being manufactured in country for the first time. 4. South Eastern Railways (SER) launched Operation my Saheli” to enhance the security of women passengers in train. 5. PM Narendra Modi virtually attended Invest India Conference in Canada, aimed at giving Canadian business community a first-hand perspective of opportunities to invest in India. 1. Also, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar attended inaugural India-Canada Agri-Tech Virtual meet. 6. Railways rolled out User Depot Module (UDM) developed by Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) digitally across all user depots of Western Railway. 7. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal virtually inaugurated Phoolbagan Station of Kolkata's East West Metro corridor. 8. French Software major Dassault Systemes established a research centre in collaboration with Shiv Nadar University in Uttar Pradesh''s Greater Noida. 9. NITI Aayog, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Invest India organised Global symposium India PV Edge 2020, to unveil cutting edge technologies in solar manufacturing in India. 10. Delhi government announced to allow restaurants to open round the clock, and requirement of tourism licenses will also be removed, aimed at ending Permit Raj. 11. Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia recently witnessed millions of sea animals dying, termed as Kamchatka Disaster. It happened due to increased levels of phenols and oil compounds in sea, and suspected leakage of rocket fuel from military testing grounds. 12. Textiles Minister Smriti Irani Attended ‘India-Bangladesh Virtual Conference on Textiles and Apparel Sector’. 13. US decided to open a Foreign Commercial office in Dhaka in order to boost its economic ties with Bangladesh. 14. Russia test-fired TSIRKON (Zircon) Hypersonic Cruise missile successfully in Barents Sea, reaching hypersonic speeds of more than Mach 8. 15. Railways renamied Naugarh railway station to Siddharthnagar railway station (Uttar Pradesh), in view of public aspirations due to birth of Mahatma Buddha in Lumbini near Naugarh. 16. First-of-its-kind organic spices seed park will come up at two places in Gujarat, to encourage capacity building in production cumin and fennel seeds. 17. To boost e-learning in higher education, Goa government launched a YouTube channel ‘DISHTAVO’, wherein students will be able to view recorded lectures. 7. Gujarat Government signed MoU with Denmark for co-operation in water sector, to set up Indo-Danish Water Technology Alliance in Gujarat. 8. International Bharathi Festival 2020 Held Virtually, by Vanavil Cultural Centre in Chennai, to celebrate 138th birth anniversary of Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathi, an eminent writer, poet and journalist from Tamil Nadu. 1. PM Narendra Modi conferred 2020 Bharathi Award to noted writer Seeni Viswanathan, who is credited with compiling voluminous works of Bharathi in chronological order. 9. PM Narendra Modi launched Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, Along with e-Gopala application, for farmers in Bihar. 1. It aims to enhance fish production to 220 lakh metric tons by 2024-25 from 137.58 lakh metric tons in 2018-19 at an average annual growth rate of about 9%. It aims to reduce post-harvest losses of fisheries sector from 20% to 25% to 10%. 2. The scheme has estimated investment of 20050 crores, with Central share of 9407 crores. It will be implemented for 5 years (FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25). 3. It aims at generation of additional 55 lakhs direct and indirect gainful employment opportunities in fisheries sector and allied activities. 4. The scheme was approved by cabinet and was earlier launched by Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Giriraj Singh in May 2020. 5. E-Gopala app is launched as a digital medium which will help livestock owners to choose advanced livestocks, giving all information related to productivity, health and diet to cattle owners. 10. Uttar Pradesh government launched Varasat Campaign in state, to curb property and land-related disputes in rural areas. Varasat will continue till February 15, 2021. 11. 107 Year old Billimora Waghai narrow gauge railway line, is among 11 narrow-gauge lines in Gujarat, which are to be scrapped by Western Railway due to viability and economic constraints. 1. It was started by Gaekwad dynasty rulers of princely state of Baroda in 1913. 2. It was among 5 routes proposed by Railways for preservation as ‘industrial heritage’, in 2018. 12. 10th science film festival began in a virtual mode, Jointly organized by Vigyan Prasar and Tripura State Council of Science and Technology. 13. 24x7 Toll-Free Mental Health Rehabilitation Helpline KIRAN (1800-500-0019) has been launched by Thaawarchand Gehlot (Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment), to provide relief and support to persons with Mental Illness. It has been launched in 13 Languages. 14. 3 New Ramsar Sites added from India, taking number of Ramsar Sites in India to 42. 1. Tso Kar (Ladakh), known for its size and depth, is a fluctuating salt lake situated in Rupshu Plateau and valley. 2. Keetham lake, also known as Sur Sarovar, in Agra of Uttar Pradesh. 3. Lonar Lake in Buldhana district of Maharashtra, which was formed by impact of a meteorite on basalt bedrock several years ago. 15. 3rd Global Renewable Energy Investment Meeting and Expo (RE-Invest 2020), held virtually, organised by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, with theme Innovations for Sustainable Energy Transition. First two editions of RE-Invest were held in 2015 and 2018. 1. India has ambitious target of having 175GW of renewable energy by 2022 and 450GW by 2030. 16. 50 Hydrogen-Enriched Compressed Natural Gas (HCNG) based buses have been Launched in Delhi, to combat air pollution. 1. HCNGis produced by blending hydrogen with CNG, produced using compact reforming process patented by Indian Oil Corporation. 2. It is easier and safer to use HCNG as it contains low energy content. It also enhances fuel efficiency. 17. 5th India Water Impact Summit (IWIS) organised virtually by National Mission for Clean Ganga and Center for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies (cGanga). 1. Notably, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research signed MOU with cGanga (think-tank of NMCG) for development of sludge management framework in India. 18. 6th India International Science Festival (IISF) 2020 held Virtually, with theme Science for Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Global Welfare. 1. 20 films won awards during 6th IISF (6 for international and 14 for national categories). 2. International Science Literature Festival VIGYANIKA was organized as part of IISF, to mark birth anniversary of Noted Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan (Dec 22). 3. About - 1. IISF is an annual event organised jointly by science & technology- related Ministries and Departments and Vijnana Bharati (Vibha). 2. 1st and 2nd IISF were held in New Delhi, 3rd in Chennai, 4th in Lucknow, and 5th in Kolkata. 19. 80 year old Srinagar based Amar Singh College has been recognized with Award of Merit in 2020 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. 20. 8th North East Festival held in Guwahati (Assam), aimed at showcasing North East region and promoting entrepreneurship and tourism. 21. Ayush Grid, the emerging IT backbone for AYUSH Sector, will be integrated with National Digital Health Mission (NDHM). It will be beneficial to people for availing varied options for their health needs. 22. Tech For Tribals initiative launched by TRIFED, Ministry of Tribal Affairs in association with Chhattisgarh MFP Federation and IIT Kanpur. 1. It aims at the holistic development of tribals with a focus on entrepreneurship development, soft skills, IT, and business development through SHGs operating through Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs). 23. Gujarat government launched Mukhyamantri Mahila Utkarsh Yojana (MMUY), which will provide interest-free loans to women’s groups. Under it, 50000 joint liability and earning group (JLEG) will be formed in each of Rural and urban areas, with 10 members in each group. 24. Panna National Park in Madhya Pradesh has been declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, as 12th such entry from India. 1. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) had declared Panna Tiger Reserve as a Biosphere Reserve in 2011. 2. Now, UNESCO has included it in Man and Biosphere programme. 25. Parliament Monsoon Session 2020 - 1. Facts - 1. It was 4th session of 17th Lok Sabha and 252nd Session of Rajya Sabha. 2. Productivity of Lok Sabha was approx 167% and Rajya Sabha was approx 100.47%. 3. All 11 Ordinances promulgated during inter session replaced by Acts of Parliament during Monsoon Session 2020. 4. 23 Bills were passed during the Session. 3 Bills were Introduced and are in Pending State. 2. Notable Info Disseminated During Question Hour - 1. Indian tsunami early warning Centre is currently serving 25 Indian ocean countries under O-SMART scheme of Ministry of earth sciences. O-SMART is Ocean Services, Modelling, Applications, Resources and Technology scheme, which updates information on Marine living resources in Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). 2. Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor will be commissioned by October 2022, being constructed at Kalpakkam Atomic Power Station in Chennai (Tamil Nadu). It will add 500 MW of power to national grid. It is a pool-type reactor whose core are immersed in water. It has negative void coefficient, providing high level of nuclear safety. 3 stage in Indian Nuclear Programme - 1. Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor 2. Fast Breeder Reactor 3. Thorium based reactor 3. 32 earth observation sensors are currently in orbit, providing space based information. Number of satellites launched by ISRO that are no longer operational and currently in orbit are 47. 4. Presently, Department of Science & Technology has 3 binational Centres - Indo-French Centre for Promotional of Advanced Research (IFCPAR - 1987), Indo-US Science & Technology Forum (IUSSTF - 2000), and Indo-German Science & Technology Centre (IGSTC - 2010). 5. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has formulated and is implementing a National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) for 2018-2025, to reducte adverse consequences of drug abuse through a multi- pronged strategy. 6. Ministry of Food Processing Industries is implementing Mega Food Park Scheme (MFPS) to create modern infrastructure for food processing industries, now a component of new Central Sector Umbrella Scheme– Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) 1. So far, Ministry has approved 37 MFPs in 23 States/UTs, with 19 MFPs as operational. Total 42 Mega Food Parks(MFPs) were envisaged by Government. 7. World Bank has so far provided 3 loans worth $2.5 billion to India, to combat COVID-19 pandemic. It consists health ($1 billion), social protection ($0.75 billion) and economic stimulus ($0.75 billion). 8. Sports Ministry will establish Khelo India Centre of Excellence (KISCE) in 6 states - Meghalaya, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Sikkim. 1. Earlier, Ministry identified 8 centres including Karnataka, Odisha, Kerala, Telengana, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland in first leg. Their existing centres will be upgraded into Khelo India State Centre of Excellence (KISCE). 9. DRDO has set up 8 advanced technology centres to carry out research on futuristic military applications. 3. Bills - 1. Bills Passed in Parliament (Passed by Both Houses Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) - 1. Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2020 - 1. It aims to Bring Co-operative banks in compliance of several provisions of Banking Regulation Act 1949, making their regulation similar to that of commercial banks. 2. Bill makes two kinds of changes - extending previously omitted provisions of BR Act to co-operative banks, and amendments to certain provisions of Act that apply to all banks. Changes Include - 1. Bill provides that co-operative banks cannot employ as Chairman, someone who is insolvent or has been convicted of a crime. It empowers RBI to remove Chairman if he is not fit and proper. 2. Bill provides that Board of Directors must have not less than 51% of members who have practical experience in related areas. It allows RBI to direct a bank to reconstitute Board if it does not conform to requirements. 3. BR Act empowers RBI to supersede Boards of multi-state co-operative banks for upto 5 years and appoint an Administrator. These banks are co-operative banks with operation in Multiple states, and are registered under Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act 2002. Bill will enable RBI to supersede Board of Directors to all co-operative banks. 4. Under Bill, audit of co-operative banks would be conducted on par with scheduled commercial banks. 5. Bill makes applicable certain provisions relating to winding up and special provisions for speedy disposal of winding up proceedings of banks will now be applicable to co-operative banks. 6. Bill modifies BR Act to provide that co-operative banks may, with prior approval of RBI, issue equity, preference or special shares at face value or at a premium to members or other persons. Banks may also issue unsecured debentures or bonds with maturity of not less than 10 years. 7. Under BR Act, RBI may after placing a bank under moratorium, prepare a scheme for reconstruction or amalgamation of the bank. Banks under moratorium do not face any legal action for 6 months. Bill allows RBI to initiate a scheme for reconstruction or amalgamation of a bank without imposing a moratorium. 8. Bill prohibits members from demanding payment against surrender of their share capital. This provision raises concerns for existing members of co-operative societies whose option to exit by surrendering their share capital will be restricted. 2. Bilateral Netting of Qualified Financial Contracts Bill 2020 - 1. It seeks to provide a legal framework for bilateral netting of qualified financial contracts, which are over the counter derivatives contracts. 2. Bilateral netting refers to offsetting of all claims arising from dealings between two parties, to determine a net amount payable or receivable from one party to other. Bill allows for enforcement of netting for qualified financial contracts. 3. Qualified financial contracts (QFC) means any bilateral contract notified as a QFC by relevant authority. Aauthority may designate an entity regulated by it as a qualified financial market participant to deal in QFCs. 4. Provisions of Bill will apply to QFCs between 2 qualified financial market participants, where at least one party is an entity regulated by specified authorities (RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, PFRDA or the IFSCA). 5. Bill provides that netting of QFCs is enforceable if contract has a netting agreement. Netting agreement is an agreement that provides for netting of amounts involving two or more QFCs. 6. Government can amend list of authorities and Acts which regulate entities that are party to a QFC. 3. Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020 AND Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill 2020 AND Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill 2020 1. These 3 bills replace Ordinances with same name, passed in July 2020. The three Ordinances aim to increase availability of buyers for farmers’ produce, by allowing them to trade freely without any license or stock limit. 2. Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance 2020 - 1. It allows intra-state and inter-state trade of farmers’ produce outside premises of market yards run by market committees formed under state APMC Acts. 2. Permits electronic trading of scheduled farmers’ produce (agricultural produce regulated under any state APMC Act) in specified trade area. 3. Prohibits state governments from levying any market fee, cess or levy on farmers, traders, and electronic trading platforms for trade of farmers’ produce conducted in an ‘outside trade area’. 3. Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance 2020 - 1. Provides for a farming agreement between a farmer and a buyer prior to production or rearing of any farm produce. Minimum period of an agreement will be one crop season, or one production cycle of livestock. Maximum period is 5 years, unless the production cycle is more than five years. 2. The price of produce should be mentioned in agreement. For prices subjected to variation, a guaranteed price for produce and a clear reference for any additional amount above the guaranteed price must be specified. 3. Farming agreement must provide for a conciliation board as well as a conciliation process for settlement of disputes. 1. At first, disputes must be referred to board for resolution. 2. If dispute remains unresolved by Board after 30 days, parties may approach Sub-divisional Magistrate. 3. Parties may appeal an Appellate Authority against decisions of Magistrate. 4. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance 2020 - 1. Essential Commodities Act 1955 empowers government to designate certain commodities (such as food items, fertilizers, and petroleum products) as essential commodities. Government may regulate production and supply of such essential commodities. 2. Ordinance provides that government may regulate supply of certain food items only under extraordinary circumstances, including war, famine, extraordinary price rise and natural calamity. 3. Ordinance requires that imposition of any stock limit on agricultural produce must be based on price rise. A stock limit may be imposed only if there is 100% increase in retail price of horticultural produce and 50% increase in retail price of non-perishable agricultural food items. 4. Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill 2020 - 1. It amends Epidemic Diseases Act 1897, which provides for prevention of spread of dangerous epidemic diseases. 2. Bill amends Act to include protections for healthcare personnel combatting epidemic diseases and expands powers of government to prevent spread of such diseases. 3. Bill repeals Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance that was promulgated in April 2020. 4. Bill specifies that no person can commit an act of violence against a healthcare service personnel, or cause damage or loss to any property during an epidemic. Contravention of this provision is punishable with imprisonment between three months and five years, and a fine between Rs 50,000 and two lakh rupees. 5. Persons convicted of offences under Bill will also be liable to pay compensation to the healthcare service personnel whom they have hurt. If convicted person fails to pay compensation, amount will be recovered as an arrear of land revenue under Revenue Recovery Act 1890. 6. Inquiry or trial should be concluded within 1 year. 5. Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Bill 2020 - 1. It amends Indian Medicine Central Council Act 1970, which provides for constitution of a Central Council which regulates education and practice of Indian Medicine system. 2. Bill replaces Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance 2020, which was promulgated in April 2020. 3. Bill provides that Central Council will stand superseded from April 24, 2020 (date of promulgation of Ordinance). Central Council will be reconstituted within 1 year. In interim, government will constitute a Board of Governors of up to 10 members. 6. Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill 2020 - 1. It amends Homoeopathy Central Council Act 1973, which sets up Central Council of Homoeopathy which regulates homoeopathic education and practice. 2. Bill replaces Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance 2020, which was promulgated in April 2020. 3. 1973 Act was amended in 2018 to provide for supersession of Central Council of Homoeopathy. Central Council was required to be reconstituted within 1 year. This period was amended in 2019 to require reconstitution of Central Council in 2 years. 4. In interim, government constituted a Board of Governors, to exercise powers of Central Council. 5. Bill amends Act to increase period for supersession of Central Council from 2 to 3 years. 7. The Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Bill 2020 AND The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill 2020 - 1. This Bill replaces The Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Ordinance 2020. 2. 2 Ordinances amended Salary, Allowances, and Pension of Members of Parliament Act 1954 to reduce salaries of MPs by 30% and Salaries and Allowances of Ministers Act 1952, to reduce sumptuary allowance of Ministers by 30%. 3. Government also amended Rules notified under 1954 Act to reduce certain allowances of MPs for one year 4. These reductions are being made to supplement esources of Govt to tackle COVID-19 pandemic. 8. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill 2020 - 1. It replaces Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance 2020. 2. Bill amends Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016, which provides time-bound process for resolving insolvency in companies and among individuals. Bill seeks to temporarily suspend initiation of corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) under Code. 3. In case of a default, Code allows creditors / company to initiate CIRP by filing an application before National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). Bill provides that for defaults arising during 6 months from March 25, 2020, CIRP can never be initiated. Government may extend this to one year. 4. Under Code, an appointed Resolution Professional may hold someone liable to make personal contributions to assets of company in certain situations. Bill prohibits Resolution Professional from filing such an application in relation to defaults for which initiation of CIRP has been prohibited. 9. The Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Bill 2020 1. It replaces Taxation and other Laws (Relaxation of Certain Provisions) Ordinance 2020. 2. Ordinance provides for extension of various time limits under Taxation and Benami Acts. 10. Labour Law Reforms (Industrial Relations Code 2020 AND The Occupational Safety, Health And Working Conditions Code, 2020 AND The Code On Social Security 2020) 1. There are over 100 state and 40 central laws regulating various aspects of labour. To improve compliance and ensure uniformity in labour laws, it recommended consolidation of labour laws into broader groups. 2. In 2019, Ministry of Labour and Employment introduced 4 Bills to consolidate 29 central laws. These Codes regulate: (i) Wages, (ii) Industrial Relations, (iii) Social Security, and (iv) Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions. 3. While Code on Wages 2019 has been passed by Parliament, Bills on other three areas were referred to Standing Committee on Labour. Government has replaced these Bills with new ones in 2020 Monsoon Session. 4. Common Changes across 2020 Labour Codes - 1. 2019 Bills provided that government will act as appropriate government for any central public sector undertaking (PSUs). 2020 Bills add that government will continue to be appropriate government for a central PSU even if holding of government in that PSU becomes less than 50% post commencement of Bills. 2. 2019 Bills specified that government would be appropriate government for certain industries including railways, mines, telecom, and banking. 2020 Bills add that government will also be appropriate government for any “Controlled Industry”. 3. 2019 Bills allowed for compounding (settling) of offences which were not punishable with imprisonment, or with imprisonment and fine, subject to certain conditions. 5. Code on Industrial Relations 2020 - 1. Standing Orders - 1. 2019 Bill provided that all industrial establishment with 100 workers or more must prepare standing orders on matters listed in a Schedule to Code. 2020 Bill provides that this will apply to establishments with at least 300 workers. 2. 2019 Bill provided that government may make provisions related to standing orders applicable to establishments with less than 100 workers through a notification. 2020 Bill removes this. 3. 2019 Bill provided that once an establishment is covered under provisions related to standing orders, these provisions will continue to apply even if its employee strength reduces below threshold (100 workers). 2020 Bill removes this requirement. 2. Closure, lay-off and retrenchment - 1. Under 2019 Bill, an establishment having at least 100 workers was required to seek prior permission of government before closure, lay-off, or retrenchment. 2020 Bill provides that prior permission will be required for establishments with at least 300 workers. 2. 2019 Bill empowered government to increase / decrease threshold for establishments to seek prior permission before closure, lay-off or retrenchment. 2020 Bill only allows an increase in threshold. 3. Negotiating Union and Council - 1. Under 2019 Bill, if there were more than 1 registered trade union of workers in an establishment, trade union having more than 75% of workers as members would be recognised. 2020 Bill lowers this threshold to 51% of workers. 2. In case no trade union is eligible as sole negotiating union, 2019 Bill provided that a negotiating council will be formed consisting of representatives of unions that have at least 10% of workers as members. The 2020 Bill raises this threshold to 20%. 4. New provision under 2020 Bill - 1. 2020 Bill classifies any dispute in relation to discharge, retrenchment, or termination of services of an individual worker to be an industrial dispute. 2. Worker may apply to Industrial Tribunal for adjudication of dispute,45 days after application for conciliation of dispute was made. 6. Code on Social Security 2020 - 1. Social security entitlements - 1. 2019 Bill mandated social security for certain establishments, based on thresholds. 2020 Bill states that government may apply Code to any establishment. 2. 2019 Bill empowered government to set up social security funds for unorganised workers, gig workers and platform workers. 1. 2020 Bill states that government will set up such a fund. State governments will also set up separate social security funds for unorganised workers. 2. 2020 Bill also makes provisions for registration of all three categories of workers - unorganised workers, gig workers and platform workers. 3. 2019 Bill provided for establishment of a national / state-level boards for administering schemes for unorganised sector workers. 2020 Bill states that in addition to unorganised workers, National Social Security Board may also act as Board for purposes of welfare of gig workers and platform workers. 4. 2020 Bill changes definitions of certain terms in Code, including employees, inter-state migrant workers and platform workers. 5. Under 2019 Bill, gratuity was payable on termination of employment, if employee has been in organisation for at least 5 years. 2020 Bill reduces gratuity period from 5 to 3 years for working journalists. 2. Provisions on appeals, assessment, and offences and penalties - 1. Under 2019 Bill, authorised officers were empowered to review disputes regarding applicability of provisions of provident fund (PF) and employee state insurance (ESI) to certain establishments, and determine amounts due from employers under PF/ESI. 2020 Bill removes provisions for such review. 2. Under 2019 Bill, after passing orders, authorized officer could, within 5 years, reopen any case and pass further orders to re-determine amounts due from employer. 2020 Bill removes this provision. 3. 2020 Bill changes penalties for certain offences. 3. Other changes - 1. Bill expands representation of government officials in National Social Security Board for unorganised workers from 5 to 10 members (taking total count of members from 37 in 2019 Bill to 42 in 2020 Bill). 2. Similarly, number of state government officials in state Boards for unorganised workers has been increased from 7 to 10 members (taking total members from 31 in 2019 Bill to 34 in 2020 Bill). 3. 2020 Bill adds new clauses which may become applicable in cases of an epidemic. Government may defer or reduce employer’s or employee’s contributions (under PF and ESI) for a period of up to 3 months in case of a pandemic / endemic / national disaster. 7. Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions, 2020 1. Exemption - 1. 2019 Bill permitted government to exempt any establishment from any provisions of Code. 2020 Bill empowers state government to exempt any new factory from provisions of the Code, to create more economic activity and employment. 2. Threshold for coverage of establishments - 1. 2019 Bill defined a factory as any premises where manufacturing process is carried out and it employs over 10 workers (if process is carried out using power), or 20 workers (if carried out without using power), This was same as Factories Act 1948. 2020 Code increases threshold 20 workers (using power) and 40 workers (without using power). 2. 2019 Bill excluded mines from definition of a factory. 2020 Bill removes this provision. 3. 2019 Bill applied to establishments or contractors employing 20 or more contract workers. 2020 Bill replaces this, saying that Code will apply to establishments / contractors employing 50 or more workers. 4. Aappropriate government will decide whether an activity of establishment is a core activity or not. However, Bill defines a list of non-core activities where prohibition would not apply, including list of 11 works. 5. 2019 Bill provided that it will not be applicable to offices of central / state governments. 2020 Bill clarifies that Code will apply to contract labour engaged through a contractor in offices of central / state governments. 6. Under 2019 Bill, construction works employing 10 or more workers were considered as building or other construction works. 2020 Bill removes this condition. 3. Work hours and employment conditions - 1. 2019 Bill allowed government to notify maximum daily work hours for workers. 2020 Bill fixes maximum limit at eight hours per day. 2. 2019 Bill allowed government to prohibit employment of women for undertaking dangerous operations. 2020 Bill provides that women will be entitled to be employed in all establishments for all types of work under Bill. 4. Inter-state migrant workers and unorganized workers - 1. 2019 Bill defined inter-state migrant worker as a person who has been recruited for working in another state. 2. 2020 Bill adds that any person who moves on his own to another state and obtains employment there will also be considered an inter-state migrant worker. 3. 2020 Bill also specifies that only those persons will be considered as inter-state migrants who are earning a maximum of 18000 per month, or such higher amount which government may notify. 4. 2020 Bill provides for certain benefits for inter-state migrant workers, including option to avail benefits of public distribution system in native state or state of employment, and insurance and provident fund benefits. 5. 2019 Bill required contractors to pay displacement allowance to inter-state migrant workers at time of their recruitment, which was equivalent to 50% of monthly wages. 2020 Bill removes this. 6. 2020 Bill requires central / state governments to maintain details of inter-state migrant workers. An inter-state migrant worker can register on portal on basis of self-declaration and Aadhaar. 7. 2020 Bill provides for establishment of a Social Security Fund for welfare of unorganised workers. 11. Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2020 - 1. It amends Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010, which regulates acceptance and utilisation of foreign contribution by individuals, associations and companies. 2. Under Act, certain persons are prohibited to accept any foreign contribution. Bill adds public servants to this list. 3. Under Act, foreign contribution cannot be transferred to any other person unless such person is also registered to accept foreign contribution. Bill amends this to prohibit transfer of foreign contribution to any other person. 4. Under Act, a registered person must accept foreign contribution only in a single branch of a scheduled bank. Bill amends this to state that foreign contribution must be received only in an account designated by bank as “FCRA account” in such branch of State Bank of India, New Delhi. No funds other than foreign contribution should be received / deposited in this account. 5. Under Act, if a person accepting foreign contribution is found guilty of violating any provisions of Act or Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 1976, unutilised foreign contribution may be utilised, only with approval of government. Bill adds that government may also restrict usage of unutilised foreign contribution for persons who have been granted prior permission to receive such contribution. 6. Under Act, every person who has been given a certificate of registration must renew certificate within 6 months of expiration. Bill provides that government may conduct an inquiry before renewing certificate to ensure suitability. 7. Under Act, a person who receives foreign contribution must use it only for purpose for which contribution is received. They must not use more than 50% of contribution for meeting administrative expenses. Bill reduces this limit to 20%. 8. Bill adds a provision allowing government to permit a person to surrender their registration certificate. 9. Under Act, government may suspend registration of a person for a period not exceeding 180 days. Bill adds that such suspension may be extended up to an additional 180 days. 12. Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill 2020 - 1. It seeks to declare certain languages as official languages of UT of Jammu and Kashmir. 2. Bill declares Kashmiri, Dogri, Urdu, Hindi and English as official languages to be used for official purposes of UT. Bill adds that business in Legislative Assembly of UT territory will be transacted in these official languages. 3. Bill clarifies that English may continue to be used in the union territory for those administrative and legislative purposes for which it was being used before the commencement of the Act. 13. National Forensic Sciences University Bill 2020 - 1. Bill establishes Gujarat Forensic Sciences University Gandhinagar (established under the Gujarat Forensic Sciences University Act 2008) and Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Sciences New Delhi, as a University called National Forensic Sciences University at Gujarat. 2. It declares University to be an institution of national importance, and repeals 2008 Act. 3. Objectives include promoting academic learning in the field of forensic science in conjunction with applied behavioural science studies, law and other allied areas to strengthen criminal justice institutions in India. 14. Rashtriya Raksha University Bill 2020 - 1. It establishes Raksha Shakti University Gujarat (established under Raksha Shakti University Act 2009) as a University called Rashtriya Raksha University, declaring it as an institution of national importance. Bill also repeals 2009 Act. 2. Bill provides for creation several authorities for ensuring its operationalization. Governing Body will consist of up to 15 members. 15. Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2020 - 1. It seeks to amend Companies Act 2013. 2. Producer companies - 1. Under 2013 Act, certain provisions from Companies Act 1956 continue to apply to producer companies. 2. Producer companies include companies which are engaged in the production, marketing and sale of agricultural produce, and sale of produce from cottage industries. 3. Bill removes these provisions and adds a new chapter in Act with similar provisions on producer companies. 3. Changes to offences - Bill makes three changes - 1. Removes penalty for certain offences. For example, it removes penalties which apply for any change in rights of a class of shareholders made in violation of Act. 2. Second, it removes imprisonment in certain offences. For example, it removes the imprisonment of three years applicable to a company for buying back its shares without complying with Act. 3. Third, it reduces amount of fine payable in certain offences. For example, it reduces maximum fine for failure to file annual return with the Registrar of Companies from five lakh rupees to two lakh rupees. 4. Under Act, one person companies or small companies are only liable to pay up to 50% of penalty for certain offences. 1. Bill extends this provision to all producer companies and start-up companies, extends this provision to apply to violation of any provision of Act and limits penalty to 2 lakh rupees for company and one 1 lakh rupees for a defaulting officer. 5. Direct listing in foreign jurisdictions - 1. Bill empowers government to allow certain classes of public companies to list classes of securities in foreign jurisdictions. 6. Exclusion from listed companies - 1. Bill empowers government, in consultation with SEBI, to exclude companies issuing specified classes of securities from the definition of a "listed company". 7. Remuneration to non-executive directors - 1. Act makes special provisions for payment of remuneration to executive directors of a company if the company has inadequate or no profits in a year. 2. Bill extends this provision to non-executive directors, including independent directors. 8. Beneficial shareholding - 1. Under Act, if a person holds beneficial interest of at least 10% shares in a company or exercises significant influence or control over company, he is required to make a declaration of his interest to company. 2. Bill empowers government to exempt any class of persons from complying with these requirements if considered necessary in public interest. 9. Exemptions from filing resolutions - 1. Act requires companies to file certain resolutions with Registrar of Companies. However, banks are exempt from filing resolutions passed to grant loans, or to provide guarantees or security for a loan. Under Bill, This exemption has been extended to registered non-banking financial companies and housing finance companies. 10. Corporate Social Responsibility - 1. Under Act, companies with net worth, turnover or profits above a specified amount must constitute CSR Committees and spend 2% of their profits in last 3 years, towards CSR policy. Bill exempts companies with a CSR liability of up to Rs 50 lakh a year from setting up CSR Committees. 11. Periodic financial results for unlisted companies - 1. Bill empowers government to require classes of unlisted companies to prepare and file periodical financial results, and to complete audit or review of such results. 12. Benches of NCLAT - 1. Bill seeks to establish benches of National Company Law Appellate Tribunal. These shall ordinarily sit in New Delhi or such other place as may be notified. 16. Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill 2020 - 1. It amends Indian Institutes of Information Technology Act 2014 and Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public-Private Partnership) Act 2017. 2. Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public-Private Partnership) Act 2017 declares certain Indian Institutes of Information Technology established under Public-Private Partnership mode as institutions of national importance. Under the Act, 15 institutes are currently incorporated as institutions of national importance. 3. Bill seeks to declare 5 Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) set up under the Public Private Partnership mode in Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala, and Raichur as institutions of national importance. Currently, these institutes are registered as Societies under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and do not have the power to grant degrees or diplomas. 17. Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda Bill 2020 - 1. It seeks to confer status of Institution of National Importance to Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda Jamnagar by conglomerating cluster of Ayurveda Institutes at Gujarat Ayurveda University campus (Jamnagar), namely - 1. Institute for Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Shri Gulabkunwerba Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya, Institute of Ayurveda Pharmaceutical Sciences including Pharmacy Unit and to subsume Maharshi Patanjali Institute for Yoga & Naturopathy Education & Research into Department of Swasthvritta of the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda. 18. The Aircraft (Amendment) Bill 2020 - 1. It seeks to amend Aircraft Act 1934, which regulates the manufacture, possession, use, operation, sale, import and export of civil aircrafts, and licensing of aerodromes. Key Provisions - 2. Authorities - Bill converts 3 existing bodies under Ministry of Civil Aviation into statutory bodies under the Act. These three authorities are Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and Aircraft Accidents Investigation Bureau (AAIB). Each of these bodies will be headed by a Director General. 1. DGCA will carry out safety oversight and regulatory functions. 2. BCAS will carry out regulatory oversight functions related to civil aviation security. 3. AAIB will carry out investigations related to aircraft accidents and incidents. 3. Power of centre to make rules - Under the Act, government may make rules on several matters, including registration of aircraft, regulating air transport services, and prohibition of flight over any specified area. Bill adds regulation of air navigation services to this list. 4. Adjudicating officers: - Bill provides appointment of designated officers, to adjudicate penalties under Bill. 5. Offences and Penalties - Under the Act, penalty for various offences is imprisonment of up to two years, or a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh, or both. Bill raises the maximum limit on fines for all these offences from Rs 10 lakh to one crore rupees. 1. Under Bill, central government may cancel licences, certificates, or approvals granted to a person under Act if the person contravenes any provision of the Act. 2. Bill allows for compounding of certain offences / rules under the Act. 3. Courts will not take cognizance of any offence under this Act, unless a complaint is made by, or there is previous sanction from Director General of Civil Aviation, BCAS, or AAIB. 6. Exemption for Armed Forces - Armed Forces Aircrafts are exempted from the provisions of the Act. Bill expands this exemption to include aircraft belonging to any armed force of India. 2. Bills Intoduced in Parliament - 1. The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill 2020 - 1. It seeks to regulate and standardise education and practice of allied healthcare professionals. 2. An Allied health professional should have obtained a diploma or degree under this Bill, of over 2000 Hours duration. 3. A Healthcare professional should have obtained a degree under this Bill, of minimum 3600 hours duration. 4. Bill sets up National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions, to perform related following functions with regard to Allied and Healthcare professionals. 5. Commission will constitute a Professional Council for every recognised category of allied and healthcare professions. 6. Within six months from passage of Bill, states will constitute State Allied and Healthcare Councils. 7. Prior permission of State Council will be required to establish a new institution, open new courses, increase admission capacity. 8. Bo person is allowed to practice as a qualified allied / healthcare practitioner other than those enrolled in a State / National Register. Any person who contravenes this, will be punished with fine of 50000. 2. Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill 2020 - 1. It seeks to provide for the regulation of Assisted Reproductive Technology services in the country. 2. Bill defines ART to include all techniques that seek to obtain a pregnancy by handling sperm or oocyte (immature egg cell) outside human body and transferring embryo into reproductive system of a woman. 3. National Registry will be established under the Bill and will act as a central database with details of all ART clinics and banks in country. Registration will be valid for five years and can be renewed for a further 5 years. 4. ART bank can obtain semen from males between 21 and 55 years of age, and oocytes from females between 23 and 35 years of age. Oocyte donor should be a married woman with at least one alive child. Woman can donate oocyte only once in her life. 5. Child born through ART will be deemed to be a biological child of commissioning couple. A donor will not have any parental rights over the child. 6. Bill provides that National and State Boards for Surrogacy constituted under Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill 2019 will act as the National and State Board respectively for regulation of ART services. 7. Offences will be punishable with imprisonment for a term between eight and 12 years, and a fine between 10 and 20 lakh rupees. 3. Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2020 - 1. It seeks to amend Factoring Regulation Act 2011, to widen scope of entities which can engage in factoring business. 2. Under Act, factoring is a business where an entity (factor) acquires receivables of another entity (assignor) for an amount. Receivables is amount yet to be paid by customers (debtors) to assignor for use of any goods / services. 3. Act proposes Changes in definition of receivables, assignment and factoring business. 1. Act defines factoring to mean acquisition of receivables of an assignor by accepting assignment of such receivables, or financing against security interests of any receivables through loans / advances. 2. Bill amends this to define factoring business as acquisition of receivables of an assignor by assignment for a consideration. Acquisition should be for collection of receivables or financing against such assignment. 4. Registration of factors - Under Act, no company can engage in factoring business without registering with RBI. For a NBFC to engage in factoring, its financial assets and income from factoring business should both be more than 50% or more than a threshold notified by RBI. Bill removes this threshold for NBFCs to engage in factoring. 5. Registration of transactions - Under Act, factors are required to register details of every transaction of assignment of receivables in their favour, within 30 days. Failing it, will atract fine of up to 5000 per day. Bill removes 30 day time period. 1. Further, Bill states that where trade receivables are financed through Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS), details regarding transactions should be filed with Central Registry by concerned TReDS, on behalf of factor. 1. TReDS is an electronic platform for facilitating financing of trade receivables of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. 6. Bill empowers RBI to make regulations for manner of granting registration certificates to a factor, manner of filing of transaction details with Central Registry for transactions done through TReDS and any other matter as required. 26. Tamil Nadu became first state in to launch with policies on Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Cybersecurity policies. 27. A Price Monitoring and Resource Unit (PMRU) has been set up in Goa, under aegis of National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA). It will function at State level under supervision of State Drug Controller for increasing outreach of NPPA. 28. A solar energy-driven miniature train, inaugurated at Veli Tourist Village in Kerala, termed as country's first of its kind. It has 3 bogies, with 45 people capacity. 29. AI & Robotics Technologies Park (ARTPARK) will be set up in Bengaluru, to promote technology innovations in Artificial Intelligence & Robotics, as unique not-for-profit foundation established by Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru (IISc) with support from AI Foundry. 1. It has been set up with seed funding of 170 Crores from Department of Science & Technology under National Mission on Inter-disciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS). 2. ARTPARK will develop AI & Robotics facilities to support technology innovations as well as capacity building. It will develop DataSetu, to enable confidentiality to share data and BhashaSetu, which will enable real-time Indic language translation. 30. Agreement signed between Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) and Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) for setting up of National Institute of Tribal Research (NITR) at IIPA New Delhi, to be engaged in quality tribal research in collaboration with reputed NGOs in country. 31. Agri. Minister Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated Honey Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) Programme in 5 states, to address issues faced by beekeeping industry. 1. 5 FPOs will be set up by National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) in East Champaran (Bihar) Morena (Madhya Pradesh) Bharatpur (Rajasthan) Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) Sunderbans (West Bengal). 32. Agri. Minister Narendra Singh Tomar unveiled National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)'s Sahakar Pragya, to impart training to primary cooperative societies in rural areas, along with Lakshmanrao Inamdar National Cooperative Research and Development Academy (LINAC). 1. 45 training modules pf Sahakar Pragya to be delivered at LINAC and its countrywide network of 18 Regional Training Centres, will address need for training of Primary cooperatives, FPO-Cooperatives and Self Help Groups federating. 33. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated 22 bamboo clusters in 9 States (Gujarat, MP, Maharashtra, Odisha, Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, Uttarakhand and Karnataka), along with logo for National Bamboo Mission. It is aimed at boosting Bamboo production and exports. 1. Earlier in 2017, bamboo was removed from category of trees, by amneding Indian Forest Act 1927. It enabled anyone to undertake cultivation and business in bamboo and its products. 34. Amid pressing need for water testing, Haryana Haryana launched a novel approach by launching a State of the Art fully equipped Mobile Water Testing Laboratory Van, under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). 1. Jal Jeevan Mission of Ministry of Jal Shakti aims to provide tap water connection to every rural home by 2024. 35. Andhra CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched Jagananna Jeeva Kranthi scheme aimed at women empowerment, whch will include distributing approx 2.5 lakh sheep and goat units to beneficiaries of YSR Cheyutha and YSR Aasara. 36. Andhra CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched YSR Jala Kala, To benefit the small and medium farmers who have no open water source for irrigation. 1. Under this, borewells will be dug free of cost to needy farmers, estimated to bring in five lakh acres under cultivation through groundwater irrigation. It is expected to cost 2340 crores in four years. 37. Andhra CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched YSR Bima, a scheme to provide assistance to BPL Families, through insurance cover to beneficiary in case of death or accident of families members. All families with white ration cards are eligible for YSR Bima scheme. 38. Andhra Pradesh CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy launched Jagan Anna Vidya kanuka scheme, allocating 650 crores for the same. 1. Under this, state government will provide school kits to 43.32 to lakh government school students, named Vidya Kanuka kits. 2. Stitching charges of uniform will be credited to Mother’s Bank account. 39. Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Launched free of cost crop insurance scheme for farmers, with over 1250 crores credited into bank accounts of over 9.5 lacs farmers as crop insurance. 40. Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jaganmohan Reddy launched YSR Aasara scheme for women empowerment. 1. State government released Rs 6792 crores towards first installment of total due of Rs 27169 crores to banks of 8.7 lakh Self Help Groups (SHG). 2. Under this, State government will reimburse outstanding bank loans of self-help groups as on April 11, 2019, in four instalments. 41. Andhra Pradesh Govt launched YSR Sampoorna Poshana / Sampoorna Poshana Plus scheme, to provide nutritious food to lactating mothers and pregnant women. State Government is to spend 1863 crores per annum towards the scheme, with 1100 expenditure per beneficiary every month. 42. Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed Gaming (Amendment) Bill 2020, banning online gaming in state. 43. Andhra government launched Jagananna Thodu welfare scheme, aimed at providing interest-free loans to small traders and street vendors. 1. Through this, banks would provide loans of approx 1000 crores to nearly 10 lakh people and government would bear interest of upto 100 crores annually. 44. Andhra government launched Abhayam project, a one-of-its-kind initiative aimed at ensuring safety of women and children while travelling in public transport. 45. Anti-Pollution measure Graded Response Action Plan came into force in Delhi, as set of institutional measures to be adopted to check deteriorates air Quality. 46. Arunachal Pradesh government signed MoU with Sports Ministry, for development of infrastructuresat National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) in state. 47. As a large scale reform in medical education, Government constituted National Medical Commission (NMC), along with 4 Autonomous Boards. This scraps Medical Council of India (MCI) and repeals Indian Medical Council Act 1956. 1. 4 Autonomous Boards - UG and PG Medical Education Boards, Medical Assessment and Rating Board, and Ethics and Medical Registration Board. 2. S C Sharma has been selected as Chairperson of NMC, for 3 years. 3. This is in line with National Medical Commission Act 2019, which was passed in August 2019. 48. As a push for electric mobility, Government sanctioned 670 Electric buses in states of Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat and Chandigarh and 241 Charging Stations in Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat and Port Blair under Phase-II of FAME India Scheme. 1. Phase-II of FAME India Scheme is being implemented for 3 years w.e.f. 01st April, 2019 with support of 10000 crores. This phase focuses on supporting electrification of transportation and aims to support approx 7000 e-Buses, 5 lakh e-3 Wheelers, 55000 e-4 Wheeler Passenger Cars and 10 lakh e-2 Wheelers. 49. As first such initiative, 8 Indian beaches have been recommended for Blue flag certification. 1. Blue Flag certificate is an internationally recognized eco-label given by ‘Foundation for Environment Education, Denmark’. 2. Blue Flag beaches are considered the benchmark for clean and hygienic beaches in world. 50. As per 1st all India Happiness Report 2020, Happiest states / UTs - 1. Overall - Mizoram, Punjab, Andaman and Nicobar Islands 2. Big states - Punjab, Gujarat, Telangana 3. Small states - Mizoram, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh 4. Uts - Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, Lakshadweep 51. As per Migration Now's Interstate Migrant Policy Index (IMPEX) - 1. Kerala, Goa, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh are most successful in integrating migrant workers. While, Delhi has least Interstate Migrant Policy Index. 2. Average IMPEX score of India is 37 out of 100. 52. As per Status of Leopards report released by Govt - 1. India now has 12852 leopards, compared to 7910 in 2014. This shows 60% increase in population of leopards. States of Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra recorded highest leopard estimates at 3421, 1783 and 1690 respectively. 53. As per World Wide Fund Water Risk Filter Report - 1. 30 Indian cities will face acute water risks, with most in Jaipur, Indore and Thane. Globally, number of cities affected with water risks will increase to 100 by 2050. 54. As per Finance Ministry, 9 states have completed reforms in Public Distribution System and have successfully implemented One Nation One Ration Card System, enabling buyers to buy subsidized foodgrains from any Fair Price Shops all over country. 1. States are Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, and Gujarat. 55. As per IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List 2020 - 1. Mukesh Ambani (Reliance Industries Chief) continues to top the list for 9th consecutive year, followed by London-based Hinduja brothers, Shiv Nadar (HCL-Founder), Gautam Adani, Azim Premji. 56. As per IIT Bombay's Urban Quality of Life Index, Mumbai topped the list, followed by Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai. 57. As per Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Nutrition's report What India Eats - 1. Urban Indians consumed 51.6 grams of fat per day, compared to 36 grams per day in Rural. 2. Report mentions three types namely abdominal obesity, obesity and being overweight. 1. Overall obesity was prevalent in 12.5% of population in urban areas and 4.9% in rural areas. 2. Abdominal obesity prevalent in 61.4% population - 53.6% of urban and 18.8% of rural population had abdominal obesity. 3. Around 31.4% of urban were overweight and 16.6% of the rural population were overweight. 1. National Institute of Nutrition had recently increased the ideal weight of men and women by 5 kg. Current ideal weight of Indian men is 65 kg and of Indian women is 55 kg. 58. As per Medical Journal Lancet, life expectancy in India has increased from 59.6 years in 1992 to 70.8 years in 2019. Kerala has highest life expectancy of 77.3 years. 59. As per Praja Foundation's Urban Governance Index - 1. Odisha topped the list, followed by Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. 2. Manipur and Nagaland are at bottom. 3. Ranks have been awarded to states based on their local self-Government and grassroot democracy. 60. As per Public Affairs Index 2020 released by Public Affairs Centre - 1. Kerala is best governed state, while Uttar Pradesh ranked at bottom of list. 2. Among large states - Kerala (1), Tamil Nadu (2), Andhra Pradesh (3). 3. Small states - Goa (1), Meghalaya (2), Himachal Pradesh (2). 4. Chandigarh named best governed UT. 61. As per Tourism Ministry Data, Uttar Pradesh emerged as top destination for attracting highest number of domestic tourists in 2019, followed by Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. 1. Uttar Pradesh also topped in Implementation of PM SVANidhi Scheme, approving highest number of loans to street vendors so far. 62. As per zoological Survery of India, 544 New species discovered in India in 2019, including 364 animal and 180 plant varieties. 63. Asan Conservation Reserve became Uttarakhand’s first Ramsar site, making it a ‘Wetland of International Importance’, located on banks of Yamuna river near Dehradun. 1. Kanwar Taal or Kabar Taal Lake in Bihar (Begusarai), has also been included in Ramsar sites in India. 2. With this, number of Ramsar sites in India goes up to 39. 64. Asia’s oldest stock exchange BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) signed MoU with Government of J&K's Mission Youth, to spread financial awareness and encourage sustainable livelihood in UT of J&K. 65. Assam Assembly passed Assam Heritage (Tangible) Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Maintenance Bill 2020, to protect Tangible Heritage that are not currently covered by any law. 1. Bill seeks to include museum objects such as sculptures, coins, manuscripts, epigraphs and other works of cultural artifacts and craftsmanship. 2. It is a step towards implementing Clause 6 of Assam Accord, which says that constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards may be provided to protect social, cultural and linguistic identities and heritage of Assamese people. 66. Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal laid foundation stone of Assam Agar International Trade Centre at Golaghat, to promote the business potential of farmers and entrepreneurs associated with agarwood plantation and trade in state. 67. Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal laid foundation stone of Indo-Israeli Centre of Excellence for Vegetables Protected Cultivation at Khetri near Guwahati, expected to provide exposure to latest Israeli technologies to state’s farmers and helping them maximize their production and income. 68. Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal launched Swa-nirbhar Naari: Atmanirbhar Asom scheme, to empower the economically disadvantaged women of State, targeting 4 lakh families in first phase. 69. Assam CM launched portal Kritagyata, as online pension submission and tracking system, to lend convenience to the pensioners to dispose off their pension related claims quickly. 70. Assam Government launched its flagship scheme Orunodoi Scheme, with Food security as a primary objective. 1. It seeks to provide 830 per month to over 18 lakh families with under 2 Lakh as annual income, to enable them to purchase basics including medicines, lentils, sugar and fruits. 2. Scheme has annual budget of 2800 crores. 71. Assam Govt announced Paryatan Sanjeevani Scheme, under which loan up to 20 lakh with interest subsidy would be provided to entrepreneurs to revive tourism industry. 1. Advances will be provided for five years, while state government will give first year's interest. 2. Paryatan Sarathi scheme was also launched, which will provide information about Assam tourism, tour packages etc. 72. Assam Govt approved extsnsion of 3053 hectares in area of Kaziranga National Park. It Includes 7th, 8th, and 9th additions to National park, which is a World Heritage Site, and is home of Asiatic one-horned rhinos. 73. Assam Govt launched Mukhyamantrir Grammya Paribahan Achoni Yojana. Under it, Light Motor Vehicle Service would be launched in all villages of the state to improve rural connectivity. In first phase, 10,000 villages would be covered with outlay of 100 crores. 74. Assam cabinet approved a new bill to accord Bodo the status of associate official language of state. 1. Earlier in October, state government had announced to bring in an ordinance to accord Bodo the status of associate official language. 2. Cabinet also approved setting up of the Bodo Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council. 75. Assam government proposed a bill to abolish all state-run madrassas and convert those into general schools with effect from April 1, 2021. 1. Bill proposes to abolish two existing acts - The Assam Madrassa Education (Provincialisation) Act 1995 and Assam Madrassa Education (Provincialisation of Services of Employees and Re-Organisation of Madrassa Educational Institutions) Act 2018. 76. Assam government re-launched an old scheme with aim of providing self-employment to around 2 lakh youths, Called Swami Vivekananda Assam Youth Empowerment (SVAYEM), worth 1000 crores. 1. It provides 50000 as seed money to selected youths to start business ventures. 77. Assam's 6th national park will be developed by upgrading 422-sq km Ripu reserve forest, named Raimona National Park. 78. Assam’s Tezpur Litchi has been given geographical indication (GI) tag, in response to application made in 2013 by North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Ltd (NERAMAC). Litchi’s from Tezpur is known for its excellent quality, pleasant flavour, juicy pulp with attractive red colour. 79. Atal Innovation Mission, in association with CSIRO, organized hackathon on circular economy called India–Australia Circular Economy Hackathon (I-ACE). It focuses on development of innovative technology solutions. 80. Bihar Assembly Election 2020 Results (243 Seats) - 1. National Democratic Alliance (NDA) emerged winner with 125 seats, which mainly Includes BJP (74) and JDU (43). 2. JDU's Nitish Kumar will be re-appointed as Chief Minister of Bihar, for his 7th Term. 3. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) emerged as single largest party, with 75 seats. 81. Bihar's first Migratory Bird festival held in Bhagalpur, as part of initiatives to save migratory birds that arrive in state in large numbers every year. 82. CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) developed Sustainable Municipal Solid Waste Processing Facility. 1. CMERI developed Solid Waste Disposal using Plasma Arc converting wastes into plasma state for proper disposal. Residues having good carbon content are used in agriculture as fertilizer and non-usable are utilized to make bricks for construction purposes. 83. Cab Aggregator Ola signed agreement with Tamil Nadu government, to set up its first electric scooter factory with investment of 2400 crores. 1. It will manufacture 2 million scooters at a greenfield facility in Hosur. It will be world's largest scooter manufacturing plant. 2. It will also displace Vithalpur facility of Honda in Gujarat, which manufactures 1.2 million units of petrol-powered scooters in a year. 84. Cabinet Approvals (Dec 09, 2020) - 1. MOUs - 1. Suriname - Health and Medicine. 2. Approved proposal of Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to sign bilateral MOU with Financial and Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF), Luxembourg. 2. General - 1. Approved Atmanirbhar Bharat RojgarYojana (ABRY), to boost employment in formal sector and incentivize creation of new employment opportunities, under Atmanirbhar Bharat Package 3.0. Cabinet approved expenditure of 1584 crore for FY 21 and 22810 crores for entire Scheme period (2020-2023). Under it - 1. Government will provide subsidy for 2 years in respect of new employees engaged after October 2020 and upto June 2021. 2. For Firms with Employee Count under 1000, Government will pay both 12% employees' and 12% employers' contribution, for 2 years. 3. For Firms with Employee Count Over 1000, Government will pay both only employees' contribution (12%), for 2 years. 4. Wage ceiling for benefit, for employees will be 15000. 2. Approved provision of a Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) Scheme for providing Mobile Coverage in Arunachal Pradesh and two Districts of Assam - Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao, under Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan (CTDP) for North Eastern Region (NER). 1. It envisages to provide mobile coverage to 2374 uncovered villages at estimated cost 2029 crores, funded by Universal Service Obligation Fund. 2. It is to be completed by December 2022. 3. Approved Provision of Submarine Optical Fibre Cable Connectivity between Mainland (Kochi) and Lakshadweep Islands (KLI Project), for direct communication link through a dedicated submarine Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) between Kochi and 11 Islands of Lakshadweep. 1. Estimated cost is 1072 crores, to be funded by Universal Service Obligation Fund. 4. Approved proposal of Department of Telecom for setting up of Public Wi-Fi Networks by Public Data Office Aggregators (PDOAs) to provide public Wi-Fi service through Public Data Offices (PDOs) spread across country, to accelerate proliferation of Broadband Internet services through Public Wi-Fi network. 1. There shall be no license fee for providing Broadband Internet through these public Wi-Fi networks. 2. This Public Wi-Fi Access Network Interface will be known as PM-WANI (Prime Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface). 3. PM-WANI eco-system will be operated by different players - 1. Public Data Office (PDO) will maintain only WANI compliant Wi-Fi Access Points and deliver broadband services to subscribers. 2. Public Data Office Aggregator (PDOA) will aggregate PDOs and perform functions relating to Authorization and Accounting. 3. App Provider will develop an App to register users and discover WANI compliant Wi-Fi hotspots in nearby area. 4. Central Registry will maintain details of App Providers, PDOAs, and PDOs. 85. Cabinet Approvals (Dec 16, 2020) - 1. MOUs - 1. USA - Exchange of information in areas of mutual interest in electricity sector. 2. General - 1. Cabinet approved proposal of Department of Telecommunications to conduct spectrum auction through which spectrum will be assigned to successful bidders for providing mobile services. 1. Auction will be for spectrum in 700, 800, 900, 1800, 2100, 2300 and 2500 MHz frequency bands. Spectrum will be offered for validity period of 20 years. Total 2251.25 MHz is being offered, with valuation 392333 crores. 2. With right to use spectrum through auction, telecom service providers will be able to augment their network capacity, whereas new players will be able to start their services. 3. CCEA - 1. Approved Revised Cost Estimate (RCE) of North Eastern Region Power System Improvement Project (NERPSIP), at estimated cost of 6,700 crores. 1. It aims at economic development of North Eastern Region through strengthening of Intra - State Transmission and Distribution systems, in Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura. 2. It is targeted to be commissioned by December 2021. 2. Approved assistance of 3500 crores for approx 5 crore sugarcane farmers. 1. To address issue of Farmers not getting their dues from Sugar mills in Timely manner due to surplus sugar stock, Government is facilitating evacuation of surplus sugar stock. 86. Cabinet Approvals (Dec 23, 2020) - 1. MOUs - 1. Approved signing revised Air Services Agreements of India with Afghanistan and Philippines. 2. General - 1. To support films sector, Cabinet approved to merge 4 of its film media units (Films Division, Directorate of Film Festivals, National Film Archives of India and Children's Film Society) with National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). 1. This will lead to convergence of activities and resources and better coordination, ensuring synergy and efficiency in achieving mandate of each media unit. 2. Approved revision of guidelines for obtaining license for providing Direct-To-Home (DTH) broadcasting service in India. Features - 1. License for DTH will be issued for 20 years, in place of present 10 years. License may be renewed by 10 years at a time. 2. License fee has been revised from 10% of GR to 8% of AGR. AGR will be calculated by deduction of GST from GR. 3. License Fee will be collected on quarterly basis in lieu of presently annual basis. 4. DTH operators shall be permitted to operate to a maximum of 5% of its total channel carrying capacity as permitted platform channels. 5. One-time non-refundable registration fee of 10,000 per PS channel shall be charged from a DTH operator. 6. DTH operators, willing to share DTH platform and transport stream of TV channels, on voluntary basis, will be allowed. 7. Cap of 49% FDl in existing DTH guidelines will be aligned with extant Government (DPIIT's) policy on FDl. This change in I&B guidelines will bring them in sync with existing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy that allows 100 % FDI in direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting services sector. 3. CCEA - 1. Approved major and transformatory changes in Centrally Sponsored Scheme ‘Post Matric Scholarship to students belonging to Scheduled Castes (PMS-SC)’, to benefit more than 4 Crore SC students in next 5 years. 1. Cabinet approved investment of 59048 Crores, of which Central Government would spend 60% and balance would be spent by State Govts. 2. This replaces existing 'committed liability' system and brings greater involvement of Central Govt. 87. Cabinet Approvals (Dec 30, 2020) - 1. General - 1. Cabinet approves modified scheme to enhance ethanol distillation capacity in country. 1. Background and Need - 1. Annual sugar surplus of 60 LMT in India (320 LMT production - 260 LMT consumption) affects liquidity position of sugar mills and results in accumulation of cane price arrears of farmers. 2. To deal with this, sugar mills have been exporting sugar, for which Government extends assistance. However, India being a developing country, can export sugar by extending financial assistance only up to 2023, as per WTO. 3. So, diversion of excess sugarcane & sugar to ethanol is a correct way forward to deal with surplus stocks. 4. Government targets 10% blending of fuel grade ethanol with petrol by 2022, 15% blending by 2026 & 20% by 2030. 2. However, ethanol distillation capacity in country is not sufficient to divert surplus stocks of sugar & to produce ethanol to supply to Oil Marketing Companies for blending with petrol as per blending targets. Hence, Government has taken some decisions - 1. To bring modified scheme for extending interest subvention to augment ethanol production capacity for given categories. 2. Government would bear interest subvention for 5 years including 1 year moratorium against loan availed by project proponents from banks @ 6% per annum or 50% of rate of interest charged by banks, whichever is lower. 3. Interest subvention would be available to only those distilleries which will supply at least 75% of ethanol produced from added distillation capacity to OMCs for blending with petrol. 3. Proposed intervention would enhance production of 1G ethanol from various feed stocks and facilitate in achieving blending targets and promote ethanol as a clean indigenous fuel. 2. Approved opening 3 Indian Missions in Estonia (Northern Europe), Paraguay (South America) and Dominican Republic (Caribbean), to help expand India’s diplomatic footprint and deepen political relations. 3. Approved Export of Akash Missile System and Created a Committee for faster Approval of Exports. Akash is a Surface to Air Missile with a range of 25 Kms, inducted in 2014 in IAF and in 2015 in Army. 1. Government targets 5 billion USD of Akash missile export, to help achieve target of 25 billion USD turnover in defence manufacturing by 2025. 2. MOUs - 1. Bhutan - Cooperation in peaceful users of outer space. 3. CCEA - 1. Approved construction of various trunk infrastructure components for - 1. Krishnapatnam Industrial Area in Andhra Pradesh with cost 2,139 crores. 2. Tumakuru Industrial Area in Karnataka with cost of 1702 crores. 3. Multi Modal Logistics Hub (MMLH) and Multi Modal Transport Hub (MMTH) at Greater Noida (UP) with cost 3883 crores. 4. Approved proposals with estimated 7725 crores will result in employment generation of over 2.8 lakh persons. 2. Approved project Deepening and Optimization of Inner Harbour Facilities including Development of Western Dock on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis under PPP mode to handle cape size vessels at Paradip Port'. 1. Estimated cost is 3004 Crores. It envisages Construction of Western Dock Basin with facilities to handle cape size vessels by selected BOT Concessionaire with an ultimate capacity of 25 MTPA in two phases of 12.50 MTPA each. 2. Concession period shall be 30 years from the date of Award of Concession. 88. Cabinet Approvals (Nov 04, 2020)- 1. MOUs - 1. Spain - develop scientific and technical collaborations in astronomy 2. UK - Telecommunication/ICT, Medical Products Regulation 3. Israel - Health and Medicine 2. CCEA Approvals - 1. Approved investment of 1810 crores for 210 MW Luhri Stage-I Hydro Electric Project located on river Satluj, in Shimla &Kullu (Himachal Pradesh). It will generate 758 million units of electricity annually. Construction will complete in 5 years and will result in employment to around 2000 persons. 89. Cabinet Approvals (Nov 12, 2020) - 1. General - 1. Approved to introduce Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme in 10 key sectors for Enhancing India’s Manufacturing Capabilities and Enhancing Exports, under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan. 1. 10 New Sectors will now be covered under PLI Scheme to boost domestic manufacturing (5 yearly Amount in Crores)- 1. Advance Cell Chemistry Battery - 18100 2. Electronic/Technology Products - 5000 3. Automobiles & Auto Components - 57042 4. Pharmaceuticals Drugs - 15000 5. Telecom & Networking Products - 12195 6. Textile Products - 10683 7. Food Products - 10900 8. High Efficiency Solar PV Modules - 4500 9. White Goods (ACs & LED) - 6238 10. Specialty Steel - 6322 2. Government had earlier approved PLI schemes for 3 sectors at a cost of 51355 crores 1. Mobile Manufacturing - 40995 crores 2. Critical Key Starting Materials, Drug intermediates and Active Pharmaceuticals Ingredients - 6,940 crores 3. Medical Devices - 3420 crores 2. CCEA - 1. Approved Continuation and Revamping of Scheme for Financial Support to Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in Infrastructure Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme, till 2024-25 with a total outlay of 8100 Crores. Revamped Scheme mainly related to introduction of 2 sub-schemes - 1. Sub scheme 1 - Social Sectors such as Waste Water Treatment, Water Supply, Solid Waste Management, Health and Education sectors etc. Projects eligible under this category should have at least 100% Operational Cost recovery. 2. Sub scheme 2 - Demonstration/pilot social sectors projects. The projects may be from Health and Education sectors where there is at least 50% Operational Cost recovery. 90. Cabinet Approvals (Oct 07, 2020)- 1. General - 1. Approved revised cost estimates for Kolkata East West Metro Corridor Project at an estimated cost of Rs. 8575 croress, which includes construction of a Metro Corridor between Salt Lake Sector-V to Howrah Maidan in West Bengal for route length of 16.6 kms. 1. Cost Includes Ministry of Railway’s share 3268 crores, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs’ share 1148 crores and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) loan of 4158.40 crores. 2. Approved Ratification of seven chemicals listed under Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). 1. Cabinet aloso delegated its powers to ratify chemicals under Stockholm Convention to Ministers of External Affairs (MEA) and Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MEFCC). 2. Chemicals - Chlordecone, Hexabromobiphenyl, Hexabromodiphenyl ether and Heptabromodiphenylether (Commercial octa-BDE), Tetrabromodiphenyl ether and Pentabromodiphenyl ether (Commercial penta-BDE), Pentachlorobenzene, Hexabromocyclododecane and Hexachlorobutadiene. 2. CCEA Approvals - 1. Approved ‘Natural Gas Marketing Reforms’, as a significant step to move towards gas based economy. 1. Policy aims to provide standard procedure for sale of natural gas in a transparent and competitive manner, to discover market price by issuing guidelines for sale by contractor through e-bidding. 2. This will bring uniformity in bidding across various contractual regimes and policies to avoid ambiguity. 3. Policy also permits Affiliate companies to participate in bidding process, for transparent and electronic bidding. 3. MOUs - 1. Apprised of MoU signed in June 2020, between Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and Canadian not-for-profit corporation International Barcode of Life (iBOL). It aims to further efforts in DNA barcoding, a methodology for rapidly identifying species by sequencing a short segment of standardized gene regions and comparing individual sequences to a reference database. 2. Approved signing a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) in field of cybersecurity between India and Japan. 91. Cabinet Approvals (Oct 14, 2020) - 1. MOUs - 1. Approved MoU between India's Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and MARVI PARTNERS (Australia). 2. General Approvals - 1. Approved Special Package worth Rs. 520 crores in UTs of J&K and Ladakh for 5 years till FY 2023-24, and ensure funding of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) in the UTs of J&K and Ladakh on a demand driven basis, without linking allocation with poverty ratio during this extended period. 1. DAY-NRLM has been implemented in erstwhile state of J&K by J&K State Rural Livelihoods Mission (JKSRLM) as "Umeed" programme. As per current funds allocation procedure, share of J&K was less than 1% of the annual allocation under DAY-NRLM. The new package will ensure sufficient funding support under Mission for J&K & Ladakh UTs. 2. Approved Implementation of Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States (STARS) project with total project cost of 5718 crores, with support of World Bank amounting to US $ 500 million. 1. STARS would be implemented as a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme under Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education. 2. It will Include Setting up a National Assessment Centre PARAKH, as an independent institution under Department of School Education and Literacy (MOE). 3. Project covers 6 States - Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Odisha, to be supported tor various interventions for improving quality of education. It is also envisaged to implement a similar ADB funded project in 5 states - Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Assam. 4. Overall focus and components of STARS project are aligned with objectives of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. 3. CCEA Approvals - 1. Approved demerger of Nagarnar Steel Plant (NSP) from National Minerals Development Corporation (NMDC) and strategic disinvestment of demerged company (NSP) by selling entire Government stake. NSP is a 3 million ton per annum Steel Plant being set up by NMDC at Nagarnar(Chhattisgarh). 92. Cabinet Approvals (Oct 21, 2020) - 1. General - 1. Approved extension of Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) for apple procurement in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) for current season also (2020-21), on same terms and condition as in last season. Procurement of apple will be done by National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED). 1. 12 LMT of apples can be procured under this scheme. 2. Government allowed NAFED to utilize Government Guarantee of 2500s Crore for this operation. 2. Approved to pay Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) for 2019-2020 to 16.97 lakh non-gazetted employees of Govt. commercial establishments, with financial implication 2791 crores. 1. Also, Non-PLB or ad-hoc Bonus will be given to Non-Gazetted Central Government employees (13.70 lakh employees and 946 crores). 2. Total 30.67 lakh employees would be benefited by Bonus announcement, with financial implication 3737 crores. 3. Approved adoption of Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act 1989, to help establish all three tiers of grassroots-level democracy in Jammu and Kashmir, like elsewhere in country. 2. MOUs - 1. Nigeria - Cooperation in Exploration anduses of outer space for peaceful purposes. 2. MOU between Institute of Chartered Accounts of India (ICAI) and Certified Practising Accountants of Papua New Guinea (CPA PNG), to work for capacity building and strengthening Accounting, Financial and Audit Knowledge base in Papua New Guinea. 3. Approved Mutual Recognition Agreement between Institute of Chartered Accounts of India (ICAI) and Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA), to enable appropriately qualified CA members of either Institute to join other Institute. 93. Cabinet Approvals (Oct 29, 2020) - 1. MOUs - 1. Japan - Information and Communication Technologies. 2. Cambodia - Health and Medicine. 2. CCEA - 1. Approved Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) Phase II & Phase III, with assistance of World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, to improve performance of selected dams across country. 1. Project cost is 10211 crores, to be implemented over 10 years. 7000 crores will come as extrnal funding. 2. Components - 1. Rehabilitation and improvement of dams and associated appurtenances. 2. Dam safety institutional strengthening in participating States and Central agencies. 3. Exploration of alternative incidental means at selected dams, to generate incidental revenue. 4. Project management. 2. Approved that 100% of foodgrains and 20% of sugar shall be mandatorily packed in diversified jute bags, to boost jute industry. 1. Also, initially, 10% of indents of jute bags for packing foodgrains would be placed through reverse auction on Gem portal, to usher in regime of price discovery. 2. Government has expanded scope of mandatory packaging norms under Jute Packaging Material (JPM) Act 1987. 3. Approved Mechanism for procurement of ethanol by Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies under Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme - Revision of ethanol price for supply to Public Sector OMCs for Ethanol Supply Year 2020-21 (Dec 2020 to Nov 2021) 1. Price of ethanol from C heavy molasses route increased from 43.75 to 45.69 per litre. 2. Price of ethanol from B heavy molasses route increased from 54.27 to 57.61 per litre. 3. Price of ethanol from sugarcane juice / sugar / sugar syrup increased from 59.48 to 62.65 per litre. 94. Cabinet Approvals (Sep 02, 2020) 1. MOUs - 1. Japan - Cooperation in field of good quality textiles 2. Finland - Cooperation in field of Geology and Mineral Resources 2. General - 1. Approved Introducing Jammu and Kashmir Language Bill 2020 in Parliament, to make five languages namely Urdu, Hindi, Dogri, English and Kashmiri as official language of UT of J&K. 2. Approved launching of a National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB), to will be delivered by setting up an Integrated Government Online Training-iGOT Karmayogi Platform. Framework consists of 1. Prime Minister's Public Human Resources (HR) Council 2. Capacity Building Commission 3. Special Purpose Vehicle for owning and operating digital assets and technological platform for online training 4. Coordination Unit headed by Cabinet Secretary. 95. Cabinet Approvals (Sep 07, 2020) - 1. CCEA - 1. Approved monetisation of assets of Ministry of Power PSU POWERGRID, through Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT) model, as first time a Power PSU will undertake asset recycling by monetising its assets through InvIT model, using proceeds to fund new capital projects. 2. General - 1. Approved amendments to 3 Labour Codes, as proposed in Industrial Relations Code 2019. The three codes include Occupational safety and health, social security and industrial relations. 1. Industrial Relations Code 2019 will replace three existing laws - Trade Unions Act 1926, Industrial Disputes Act 1947 and Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act 1946. 96. Cabinet Approvals (Sep 15, 2020)- 1. General - 1. Approved establishment of a new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Darbhanga (Bihar), under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), at cost 1264 crores. 2. Approved Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor Project from Palwal to Sonipat via Sohna-Manesar-Kharkhauda. This Rail Line will start from Palwal and end at existing Harsana Kalan station (On Delhi-Ambala section). 1. Length of this 5 year Project is 121.7 KM, with cost approx 5617 Crores. 2. Districts of Palwal, Nuh, Gurugram, Jhajjar and Sonipat districts of Haryana will be benefitted through this rail line. 3. Approved policy for raising the cap on foreign direct investment (FDI) through automatic approval in the defence sector to 74% from 49% while affixing a ‘national security’ clause to it. 97. Central Govt renamed second campus of Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology in Kerala after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh idealogue M S Golwalkar. 98. Chandigarh University named as Top Stand-Alone University in India for filling highest number of patents in a year (336 patents), under annual rankings for 2018-19 by Office of Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks. 1. 27 IITs collectively filed 557 patents. 2. Chandigarh University is followed by Tata Consultancy Services (239), CSIR (202), BHEL (173) applications. 99. Chennai Based CSIR Structural Engineering Research Centre (SERC) has developed indigenous technology called Emergency Retrieval System (ERS), for quick retrieval of power transmission in event of failure of transmission line towers. 1. CSIR-SERC has signed agreement for licensing of ERS technology with Advait Infratech. At present, ERS systems are imported. 2. ERS is a lightweight modular system that is used as temporary support structure to restore power immediately after the collapse of transmission line towers during natural calamities. 100. Chhattisgarh Assembly passed Chhattisgarh Krishi Upad Mandi (Amendment) Bill 2020, to invalidate Central Govt’s recently- notified agriculture legislations. It gives strength to state government to control all agricultural produce markets. 1. State government launched concept of deemed market, which gives state agencies control over APMCs. 2. Deemed markets would comprise of cold storage, silos, warehouses, electronic trading and transaction platforms. 101. Coastal Security Police in Karnataka launched 'Kadalu App' to help fishermen to submit information about their arrival and departure from fishing harbour. 102. Consulting firm PwC India collaborated with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and YuWaah, to upskill Indian Youth over next 10 years. 103. Cyclonic Storm Burevi struck Sri Lanka and Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, with speeds upto 85 KMPH. 104. Dec 30, 2020 Marks 75th Anniversary of tricolor hoisting at Port Blair (Andaman and Nicobar), by Shri Netaji Subhas Bose. 105. Deendayal Antyodaya Rasoi Scheme to provide meals at a subsidised rate to underprivileged people has been re-introduced in Madhya Pradesh, increasing rate per thali from 5 to 10. 1. This 2017 scheme was discontinued by previous Congress government in May 2019. It has now been re-launched. 2. Kamal Nath Led Congress Govt introduced Indira Thali scheme of similar sort, which couldn’t be implemented. 106. Delhi Govt approved Tree Transplantation Policy, which makes it mandatory to transplant 80 percentage of trees that are being felled for a development project. Also, an additional 10 saplings should be planted as compensatory plantation. 1. The policy does not apply if 10 or less trees are felled for development project. Also, invasive species are excluded from the list of species that will be transplanted. A New Tree Transplantation will also be formed. 2. Delhi Government also exempted road tax on battery-operated vehicles under its new Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy. 107. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) developed indigenously built signalling technology i-ATS, for metro trains. ATS (Automatic Train Supervision) is indispensable for high density operations. 108. Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) signed agreement with World Bank, to avail advisory services from asset monetization. 1. DIPAM is mandated with facilitating monetization of non-core assets of government CPSEs under strategic disinvestment or closure and enemy property of value of INR 100 crores and above. 109. Department of Posts and India Post Payments Bankunveiled new digital payment app DakPay, to boost Digital Financial inclusion across India. 110. Directorate General of Training (DGT) partnered with Microsoft and NASSCOM Foundation, to provide a digital content for ITI students and also future-ready employability skilling program for upskilling and reskilling. 1. Nearly 1.2 Lakh students in around 3000 ITIs across India can be benefited by this digitized e-learning module via Bharatskills portal. 111. Directorate General of Training (DGT) partnered with Microsoft and NASSCOM Foundation, to provide digital content for ITI students and also future-ready employability skilling program for upskilling and reskilling. 112. Durgapur based CSIR-CMERI (Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute) developed 2 variants of battery operated spray systems - for marginal famers (5 Litres capacity) and small farmers (10 Litres Capacity). 1. This meets need of small and marginal farmers of having efficient pesticides spraying methods, as they are unable to afford drip irrigatoion systemrs. These farmers use manual sprayers, which cost them much and are not also much efficient. 113. Earth Sciences Minister Harsh Vardhan inaugurated a Meteorological centre in UT of Ladakh, at a height of 3500 metres. It aims to strengthen early warning systems. 114. Earth Sciences Minister Harsh Vardhan inaugurated web-based application Digital Ocean, developed by Hyderabad-based Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), for Ocean Data Management. 115. Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' inaugurated 46 online AICTE Training and Learning (ATAL) Academy Faculty Development Programmes (FDPs), to train teachers of higher education institutions associated with All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE), in 22 states. 1. London-based organization recognized FDPs as a world record, under which 1000 online FDPs in over 100 emerging areas will benefit one lakh faculty members across premier institutions. 116. Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank announced Centre of Excellence for Indian Knowledge System to be set up at IIT Kharagpur. 117. Electricite de France (EDF), International Institute of Nuclear Energy (I2EN) and Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) signed MOU, for establishment of a nuclear energy centre of excellence in Jaitapur district, Maharashtra. 118. Engineering Firm Tata Technologies signed agreement with Karnataka government to modernise 150 state-run ITIs, with outlay of 4600 crores. 119. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar launched India Climate Change Knowledge Portal, as single point Information resource about different climate initiatives. 120. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar virutally hoisted Blue Flag certification on eight Indian beaches, which were approved in Oct 2020. 1. Blue Flag certification is a globally recognised eco-label accorded by Foundation for Environment Education, Denmark, based on 33 stringent criteria. 2. Beaches - Shivrajpur in Gujarat, Ghoghla in Diu, Kasarkod and Padubidri in Karnataka, Kappad in Kerala, Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh, Golden in Odisha and Radhanagar in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 121. Environment Ministry approved construction of the Song Dam Drinking Water Project worth Rs 1100 crore in Dehradun, with 6 MW Capacity. 1. 148 Metres high project will be providing 24-hour drinking water to city of Dehradun and will give rebirth to River Rispana. 122. Environment Mnistry granted recognition to 2 new zoos - Rajgir Zoo Safari in Nalanda (Bihar) and Shaheed Ashfaque Ullah Khan Prani Udyaan in Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh). 123. European Commission and Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) signed implementing arrangement, to enhance scientific cooperation. It will enable ICSSR supported Indian researchers, to pursue research collaborations with European researchers. 124. FLO, Women’s Wing of FICCI, signed MoU with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) for empowering women through skill training to enhance their employability and promote entrepreneurship. 125. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced 4th edition of Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP) ranking of states - 1. Top 5 - 1. Andhra Pradesh 2. Uttar Pradesh 3. Telangana 4. Madhya Pradesh 5. Jharkhand 2. Background - 1. Ranking of States based on implementation of Business Reform Action Plan started in 2015. BRAP 2018-19 includes 180 reform points covering 12 business regulatory areas. 126. Finance Ministry approved creation of National Database of Unorganised Workers, as first-ever national database for migrant workers. It will be maintained using 12-digit Aadhaar number of workers. It will help in enhancing employability of migrants, by making it easier for employers to find suitable person. 127. First Advance Estimates of production of major Kharif crops for 2020-21 - 1. Foodgrains – 144.52 million tonnes. (record) 2. Rice – 102.36 million tonnes.(record) 3. Nutri / Coarse Cereals – 32.84 million tonnes. 4. Maize – 19.88 million tonnes. 5. Pulses – 9.31 million tonnes. 6. Tur – 4.04 million tonnes. 7. Oilseeds – 25.73 million tonnes. 8. Groundnut – 9.54 million tonnes. (record) 9. Soyabean – 13.58 million tonnes. 10. Cotton – 37.12 million bales (of 170 kg each) 11. Jute & Mesta - 9.66 million bales (of 180 kg each) 12. Sugarcane – 399.83 million tonnes 13. Also, government has set foodgrain production target at a record 301 million tonnes for 2020-21 crop year (July - June), up nearly 1.5 per cent from previous year's (2019-20) output of 296.65 million tonnes. The same was announced during National Conference for Rabi Campaign. 128. First ever Cannabis Medicine project that is to be set up in Jammu and Kashmir in collaboration with Canada, is to be first foreign investment in UT of J&K. 1. Project is to be set up at Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine in Jammu and Kashmir, making J&K first State/ UT in country to develop medicines from cannabis plant. 129. First phase results of National Family Health Survey 5 (NFHS 5) released by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, covering 17 States and 5 UTs. 130. Food Processing Industries Minister Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated capacity building component of Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises scheme (PM-FME Scheme) and launched GIS One District One Product (ODOP) digital map of India. 1. Under this component of PM-FME, training of the Master Trainers would be delivered through online mode, assisted by NIFTEM and IIFPT. Master Trainers will train District Level Trainers, who will train beneficiaries. 2. PM-FME Scheme was Launched under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, which aims to enhance competitiveness of existing individual micro-enterprises in unorganized segment of food processing industry, With outlay of 10000 crores over 5 years. 131. Food Processing and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated Mega Food Park (MFP) at Phagwara in Kapurthala district of Punjab, to benefit 25000 farmers and generate employment for 5000 persons. 132. Food regulator FSSAI's Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS) will become operational in the entire country from November 2020, which is currently operational in 9 States/UTs. 133. General Conferences (Dec 1 -10, 2020) 1. Inaugural session of annual conference of India Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre Held Virtually. 2. First eco-bridge in Uttarakhand has been made across Kaladhungi - Nainital Highway, by Ramnagar Forest Division, to save reptiles and other small animals from vehicular accidents while crossing road. 3. 6th BRICS Youth Summit 2020 held in Ulyanovsk (Russia), attended Virtually by Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on India's Behalf. 4. 9th International Sand Art festival and 31st Konark Dance festival hosted by Orissa. 5. 6th India-CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam) Business Conclave 2020 held Virtually, with theme Building Bridges for Constructive Development. 6. An ancient statue of Goddess Annapurna, which was stolen from India in 2013, will return from Canada to Varanasi (India). 7. INR 200 crore municipal bonds issue of Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) listed at Bombay Stock Exchange, making Lucknow 9th city in country to have raised municipal bonds, incentivized by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs under mission AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation). 8. Invoking recollections of M K Gandhi’s famous Nature Cure campaign of 1946 at Nisarg Upchar Ashram in Pune, upcoming new campus of National Institute of Naturopathy Pune (NIN) will be called Nisarg Gram. 9. India and Qatar agreed to set up a Task Force on Energy, to increase co-operation. 10. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended 14th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus organized Virtually at Hanoi (Vietnam). ADMM Plus is annual meet of Defence Ministers of 10 ASEAN Countries and eight partner countries. 2020 marks 10th year of inception of ADMM Plus. 11. NTPC Subsidiary NVVN (NTPC VidyutVyapar Nigam) launched Green Charcoal Hackathon, aimed at creating a conducive environment by reducing carbon emissions and nurture technology solutions. 12. UP Govt will soon launch Ramayan Cruise Tour in Holy Saryu river in Ayodhya. 13. 1st Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Young Scientist Conclave Held Virtually. 14. Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda launched 1st edition of Aadi Mahotsav- Madhya Pradesh, held Virtually. 15. Theremin musical instrument Completed 100 years in 2020, which revolutionised music industry by being predecessor of modern synthesizer. It was developed by Leon Theremin. 16. India and France on Friday launched a bilateral fast track mechanism in investments. 17. Ministry of AYUSH and AIIMS will jointly set up a Department of Integrative Medicine at AIIMS. 134. General Conferences (Dec 11-20, 2020) - 1. 9th edition of Sustainable Mountain Development Summit (SMDS) held in Dehradun (Uttarakhand), organised by Indian Mountain Initiative (IMI). 2. Indian PM will attend UK-hosted G-7 summit 2021, on invitation by UK PM Boris Johnson. UK PM has also accepted to attend India’s Republic Day celebrations in January 2021. G7 consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK and US. 3. Government released hundred page e-booklet called Putting Farmers First, amid widespread ongoing farmer protests. 4. Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) organized Bharat Darshan–Dakshin Bharat Yatra, with theme Show India to Indians. 5. San Isidro Movement, a movement by artists and activists demanding greater freedom of expression, has been gaining momentum in Cuba, which has been communist regime for over six decades. 6. PM Narendra Modi attended 6th India-Japan SAMVAD conference 2020, held virtually. 7. UP Govt Renameed Dandupur Railway Station in Pratapgarh District as Maa Barahi Devi Dham. 8. Government will soon launch Brand India mission, focused on promotion of quality products that are manufactured in India. 9. NITI Aayog released white paper Vision 2035: Public Health Surveillance in India, with vision To make India’s public health surveillance system more responsive and predictive to enhance preparedness for action at all levels. 10. For first time, a Himalayan Serow has been sighted in Himalayan cold desert, which was earlier thought to be extinct in Himalayas. Himalayan serow is resembling cross between a goat, cow, donkey and a pig. 11. Ten universities from across country announced to set up Kamdhenu Chairs, to promote cow-based entrepreneurship and sensitizing students about economic, environmental and spiritual importance and impact of cows. 12. Nehru Zoological Park Hyderabad acquired ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Standards Certification from ASCB (UK), becoming first zoo in India to receive this Certificate. 13. National Water Mission(NWM) in collaboration with Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) launched JSA II: Catch the Rain Awareness Generation Campaign. 135. General Conferences (Dec 21-31, 2020) - 1. Annual International Gita Mahotsav 2020 held in Kurukshetra (Haryana). 2. PM Narendra Modi laid foundation stone of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rajkot in Gujarat. He also laid Foundation for IIM Sirmaur (Himachal Pradesh). 3. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan launched India’s first indigenously developed vaccine against pneumonia, called Pneumosil and developed by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) in collaboration with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and seattle baed PATH. 4. Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari announced to set up a multi-model logistics park in Silchar (Assam). 5. India's first pollinator park with over 40 species of butterflies, honeybees, birds and insects has been developed at Haldwani (Uttarakhand). 6. India began export of Moringa (Moringa oleifera), amid rising demand for its medicinal properties, with export of 2 tonne of organic certified Moringa powder to US. 7. Agri Minister inaugurated Virtual Agri-hackathon 2020 organised in association with IARI, as largest virtual gathering to create dialogues and accelerate innovations. 8. Kochi based Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) launched a multilingual call centre for aquafarmers at Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, to address their issues and impart knowledge. 9. India’s first hot air balloon wildlife safari in a tiger reserve has been launched in Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. 10. Northeast's first-ever specialised ginger processing plant at district Ri-Bhoui in Meghalaya will become functional in 2021, which was established around 2004 but has remained non-functional. 11. South Asia’s first blockchain enabled Peer to Peer (P2P) Trading of Rooftop Solar Power has been launched in Uttar Pradesh, hosted by UPPCL, MVVNL and UPNEDA. Project is being implemented by India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF). 12. 12th GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) Summit held virtually, with theme Rejuvenating Resilient Habitats. 13. Government launched Global Pravasi Rishta Portal and Mobile app, to connect Indian Diaspora spread all over the world. 14. Railways successfully completed trial run of new Vistadome luxurious tourist coaches (180 KMPH), manufactured by Integral Coach Factory (Chennai). 15. United Kingdom and Vietnam signed a trade agreement, aimed at eliminating 99% of tariffs within 7 years. 16. Ministry of Home Affairs declared Nagaland as Disturbed Area 6 months under Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958. 17. Chennai Mathematical Institute will establish Dr FC Kohli Centre of Excellence for Advanced Research in Mathematical and Computing Sciences. Mr Kohli is founder and first CEO of Tata Consultancy Services and considered the father of Indian IT Industry. 18. PM Narendra Modi released a special postal stamp to mark the centenary celebrations of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). 19. Uttar Pradesh government included history of Sikh gurus in school curriculum in state. 136. General Conferences (Nov 11-20, 2020) - 1. Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched roadmap to Aatma Nirbhar Madhya Pradesh 2023, to promote self dependence in state. 2. Piyush Goyal (Commerce and Industry, Railways, and Food Minister) attended India: Drivers of Change conference organized by Bank of America. 3. Punjab Governor V.P. Singh Badnore launched Mobile Based Application (App) for online monitoring of rescue, reporting and release of wildlife in Chandigarh. 4. Telangana Govt Launched 2 Mobile Apps - Palle Pragathi Panchayat Secretary app & Palle Pragathi Inspection Officer app, To Monitor Palle Pragathi Scheme Implementation. 5. Ayodhya’s ‘Deepotsav’ celebrations entered Guinness World Records, with over 5.8 Lakh earthen lamps were lit on banks of river Saryu. 6. UP’s Gorakhpur will Host International Bird Festival in February 2021. 7. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Bengaluru Tech Summit 2020, organised Virtuall by Government of Karnataka and several partners. It was attended by Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison. 2020 theme is Next is Now. 8. Govt announced 50 % subsidy will be provided to Himalayan and North-Eastern states for air transportation of 41 notified fruits and vegetables to any place in country, under Operation Green. 9. Science, Technology and Innovation Ministers of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) met Virtually. It was attended by Science & Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan on India'a Behalf. 1. Also, BRICS Health Ministers Meet was held Virtually, attended by Health Minister Harsh Vardhan. 10. Marathi film Karkhanisanchi Waari (Ashes on a Road Trip), directed by Mangesh Joshi, is was Only Indian Entry at 33rd Tokyo International Film Festival. 11. Armed conflict began in Tigray Region of Ethiopia, between Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and forces supporting Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The confilct has claimed several thousand lives so far. 12. India received first commercial shipment from Bangladesh through water route, at Assam’s Karimganj, on Protocol for Inland Water Trade and Transit (PIWTT) route. The protocol was first signed in 1972 and renewed in 2015. 13. India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) report on ‘Deepening Cooperation in IBSA: Perspectives from Key Sectors’ has been launched, which is prepared by second batch of fellows of IBSA Visiting Fellow Program. 14. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar participated in third India-Canada Track 1.5 Dialogue, held Virtually. 15. Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar virtually unveiled Project Air Care, to combat rising Air Pollution in Gurgaon, which will Include setting up 65 Wing Augmentation Air Purifying Units (WAYU). 16. Ministry of Textiles launched a campaign for Diwali- Local4Diwali, to promote Indian handicraft during Deepawali 2020. 17. India and Kazakhstan held seventh round of foreign office consultations, during which, Indian Grant Assistance for Implementation of High Impact Community Projects in Kazakhstan was signed. 18. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan chaired 147th session of WHO Executive Board. In May 2020, Indian Health Minister Harsh Vardhan was elected Chair of World Health Organization’s Executive Board. 19. Communications & IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad released My Stamp on Chhath Puja, as an innovative concept initiated by Department of Posts. Under this, Any person / organisation can now get a personalised photograph or an image of a Postage Stamp. 20. 12th Counter Terrorism Dialogue between India and European Union (EU) held virtually. 21. International Energy Agency (IEA) Issued Its new publication Energy Technology Perspectives 2020, focused on technology needs and opportunities for reaching international climate and sustainable energy goals. 137. General Conferences (Nov 21-30, 2020) - 1. PM Narendra Modi Unveiled Commemorative Coin & Postal Stamp for 100th Foundation Day The University Of Lucknow. 2. Railways Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated newly electrified Dhigawara-Bandikui section of North Western Railway, as key step towards making NCR region free from Railways diesel engines. Railways also launched completely digitized online Human Resource Management System (HRMS). 3. 59th National Pharmacy Week (NPW) Observed Between November 16-22, with theme Pharmacists: Frontline Health Professionals. 4. Govt of Karnataka renamed Haveri Railway station as Mahadevappa Mailara Railway Station. 5. 12th Counter Terrorism Dialogue between India and European Union (EU) held virtually. 1. India and European Union also virtually held 6th round of consultations on disarmament and non-proliferation matter. 6. India and Vietnam held Virtual Defence Ministers meet, which Included signing implementation agreement on hydrography. 7. VVIP Aircraft Air India One (Call Sign of President /Vice President / Prime Minister of India on board), had its Inaugural Flight with President onboard. 138. General Conferences (Oct 11-20, 2020) - 1. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attended Plenary Meeting of International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC), held virtually, with Agenda Catalyzing a Resilient Recovery. 1. She also attended 102nd meeting of World Bank Development Committee Plenary and G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting. 2. Grand Challenges Annual Meeting 2020 held Virtually, hosted by India in association with several agancies Including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, NITI Aayog, USAID and Others. It fosters international collaborations to address challenges in health / development. 3. 9th Session of India-Oman Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) held virtually. 4. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan launched second phase of Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojna, for underprivileged Thalassemic patients. Launched in 2017, this scheme is a Coal India CSR funded Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) program. 5. Ayush Ministry inaugurated Regional Raw Repository at the National Institute of Siddha (Chennai), as component of National AYUSH Mission. 6. 6th Session of India-Norway Joint Commission held Virtually. 7. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh dedicated 44 bridges to nation, constructed by Borders Roads Organisation (BRO) across 7 States/UTs. 8. Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari suggested formation of State Water Grid in Maharashtra to overcome flood crisis in State, to help State government to ensure availability of water in drought-prone areas and save resources to manage the flood crisis. 9. 5th meeting of India Mexico bilateral high-level group on trade, investment and cooperation held virtually. 10. Ministry of Shipping extended concessional rate of 40% discount for coastal movement of cargo / vessel charges, for 1 one year, being handled at Jawaharlal Nehru Port and Deendayal Port to Shahid Beheshti Port Chabahar (Iran). 11. India and Chile held their first joint commission meeting, held virtually. 12. Govt. Announced to hold 6th edition of India International Science Festival (IISF) 2020 Between Dec 22-25, 2020. 13. Santosh Gangwar (Minister of State (I/C) for Labour & Employment) attended BRICS Labour & Employment Ministers' Meeting, held Virtually. 14. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated operations of first phase of International Institute of Advanced Virology at life sciences park at Thonakkal (Thiruvananthapuram). 139. General Conferences (Sep 1-10, 2020) 1. Bangladesh Govt launched campaign Asol Chini, To keep a check on rumors and fake news information. 2. Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurated Organic Food Processing Unit at Braabanki (Uttar Pradesh), operated by Organic India Pvt Ltd, to benefit 5000 farmers with investment of 50 crores. 3. Karnataka Govt inaugurated ‘Veer Savarkar’ flyover in Bengaluru, despite oppositon from other parties. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar has been a noted yet controversial independence activist. 1. Karnataka CM also unveiled country's first integrated air ambulance service, jointly launched by International Critical Air Transfer Team (ICATT) and Kyathi. 4. Government approved 27 projects under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana, to develop integrated cold chains, generating employment for 16000 people. Scheme aims to modernize agricultural processing and to decrease agri-waste. 5. Haryana Govt launched Educational WhatsApp Chatbot Apka Mitra, for admission into UG courses across state. 6. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1654856 7. Govt launched mobile app named EnglishPro, developed by English and Foreign Languages University Hyderabad. 8. Jal Shakti Ministry launched Water Heroes – Share Your Stories Contest, to reach out to people on subject of water conservation. Contest will be held Between September 2020 to August 2021. Ministry will select 10 entries every month, with prize or 10000 each. 9. Odisha Govt launched mobile Apps AMA SAHAR and SWACHHA SAHAR, to provide Citizen Centric Services, as part of 5T Approach. 10. Assam's First newspaper for kids ‘The Young Minds’ has been launched, to promote creative thinking among children. 11. India-US-Israel Trilateral summit held Virtually, with countries deciding to work together in 5G technology. 12. Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology (under Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers) established 2 new Centres for Skilling and Technical Support - CSTS at Bhagalpur (Bihar) and Varanasi (UP), to train 1000 youths at each, annually. 13. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended Foreign Ministers meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization(SCO)m during his visit to Moscow (Russia). 1. India will host summit of council of heads of SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization), in November 2020. 14. India and Angola held their first joint commission meeting, held Virtually. 3 MOUs were signed - health, training and visa facilitation. 15. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, invoking it’s power under section 69A of IT Act, has banned 118 mobile app, to protect sovereignty and integrity of India. Banned apps are mostly of chinese origin. 16. For first time since end of the cold war in 1990, whole of Germany resonated with sound of emergency siren as an emergency test. 10th September will now be observed as National Warning Day across country. 140. General Conferences (Sep 21-30, 2020) - 1. Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sanctioned 3 additional branches of National Investigation Agency (NIA) which will be located at Chennai, Imphal, and Ranchi. 2. Google India partnered with Ministry of Consumer Affairs to launch nationwide Digitally Safe Consumer campaign to raise awareness among consumers about online safety and better protect consumer interest online. 3. India-UK Water Partnership Forum held virtually, which also included signing MoU between Ganga and the British water. 4. India and Denmark held virtual bilateral summit, attended by Prime Ministers of Both Nations (Narendra Modi and Mette Frederiksen). An MoU was signed between India and Denmark, for co-operation in field of Intellectual Property. It was also decided to elevate India-Denmark relations to a Green Strategic Partnershio, to promote sustainable mutual growth. 5. 51st annual International Film Festival of India (IFFI), which was postponed due to COVID-19 pandemicm will now take place from January 16th to 24th, 2021 in Goa. 6. Foundation stone of ‘Centre for Disability Sports laid at Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh). 7. One of first medical device parks in country will soon be det up in Kerala, focusing on high-risk medical device sector to provide. Named MedSpark, it is envisaged as joint initiative of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology (SCTIMST) and Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (KSIDC). 8. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched Centralized Farm Machinery Performance Testing Portal, to improve services of farm machinery testing institutions. 9. Indian PM Narendra Modi and Sri Lanka PM H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa held Virtual Summit. 10. World Bank approved $200 million to help Bangladesh improve access to safe water and sanitation services in rural areas. 11. Ex-INS Viraat reached Alang for recycling, which was decommissioned from Indian Navy after 30 years of service, in 2017. 12. Environment Minister Prakash Javedkar represented India at Ministerial Roundtable Dialogue on Biodiversity, that was held virtually and hosted by China. 141. General Conferences /News (Oct 21-31, 2020) - 1. Minister of State for Jal Shakti Rattan Lal Kataria launched Mobile application for Geo tagging of components of projects under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana- Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme(PMKSY-AIBP). 2. BRICS Meets - 1. 6th BRICS Parliamentary Forum organised virtually under chairmanship of Russia. It was attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on India's Behalf. 2. Minister of State (I/C) for Culture and Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel virtually attended BRICS Tourism Ministers’ meeting. 3. Uttar Pradesh Government will establish anti-human trafficking Police Stations in each and every district, to promote security of women and children. 4. 6th edition of United Kingdom India Business Council’s (UKIBC) Doing Business in India Report 2020 Doing Business in India: The UK Perspective has been released. It stated that UK Companies are becoming more affirmative about doing business in India. 5. Minister of State for Shipping Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated Direct Port Entry facility’ of V.O. Chidambaranar Port Trust in Tamil Nadu, to help increase Ease of Doing Business for exporters. 6. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)'s National Productivity Council has been granted accreditation conforming to ISO 17020:2012 by National Accreditation Board for Certification Body (NABCB), Quality Council of India (QCI). 7. World Bank sanctioned around 3 crores for India’s first sand dune parks and interpretation centre, to be developed in Goa. 8. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Meets - 1. India hosted 19th Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Ministers of Foreign Economy and Foreign Trade Activities, attended by Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal. 2. 18th meeting of Prosecutors General of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Held Virtyually, with india Represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. 9. 10th Economic and Financial Dialogue between UK and India held Virtually, attended by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak. 1. During meet, India and UK reached landmark agreements on financial services, infrastructure and sustainable finance, to boost jobs and investment. 10. 1st ever Ministerial Meeting of G-20 Anti-Corruption Working Group held Virtually, attended by Minister of State (IC) of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Jitendra Singh. 11. MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari launched India’s first-ever high quality Khadi Fabric Footwear, designed by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), and made of Khadi fabric like Silk, Cotton and Wool. 12. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal launched Green Delhi mobile application, to enable citizens to bring pollution causing activities to government's notice. 13. Passenger train services from Dhaka (Bangladesh) to Siliguri (West Bengal) will be started in March 2021. 14. 1st session of India - International Food & Agri Week, organised virtually between Oct 16-22, 2020. 15. Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) launched 100 new forest fresh organic products, to be available to 125 tribes in India. 16. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu launched virtual festival of Parampara Series 2020-National Festival of Music and Dance, organised by Natya Tarangini, in association with United Nations. 142. General News / Conferences (Nov 1-10, 2020) - 1. Minister of State (IC) Development of North Eastern Jitendra Singh launched long-awaited Mansar Lake Development Plan (J&K), aiming to lead to employment generation of 1.15 crore man-days and generate over 800 crores of annual income. 2. Airports Authority of India (AAI) handed over Lucknow airport (Uttar Pradesh) and Mangalore Airport (Karnataka), to Adani group on lease for 50 years. 3. Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde inaugurated India's first-ever E-resource centre Nyay Kaushal at Judicial Officers Training Institute in Nagpur (Maharashtra). 1. Also, Gujarat High Court became 1st High Court in India to Live-Stream its Court Proceedings on Youtube. 4. Minister of State (IC) for Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated Tourist Facilitation Centre at Guruvayur (Kerala), under project PRASHAD Scheme (National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive). 5. First India -Nordic – Baltic CII Conclave held Virtually, attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on India's Behalf. Nations Include Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden. 6. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended virtual India-GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) Dialogue, and urged GCC members to ease return of Indian workers to Gulf countries, to resume work. 7. 4th India-OPEC Energy Dialogue was held virtually, attended by Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. 1. As per World Oil Outlook 2020 of OPEC, India will account to 16% of global economy by 2045. Also, per day oil demand of India will increase from 4.7 million to 10.7 million barrels per day by 2045. 8. 40th Meeting of SAARCFINANCE Governors’ Group held virtually, under Chairmanship of RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das. He also inaugurated SAARCFINANCE Sync, a closed user group secure communication network. 9. PM Narendra Modi chaired Virtual Global Investor Roundtable (VGIR) 2020 Conference, aimed at attracting investment in country, organised by Ministry of Finance and National Investment and Infrastructure Fund. 10. Virtual Bilateral Summit between India and Italy held Virtually, attended by Indian PM Narendra Modi and Italy PM Giuseppe Conte. 1. Italy will assume the Presidency of G-20 in December 2021, followed by India in 2022. 2. 15 MoUs/Agreements in various sectors such as energy, fisheries, ship building, design etc. were signed during Summit. 11. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs organized 13th Urban Mobility India Conference, held Virtually, with theme Emerging Trends in Urban Mobility. 12. West Bengal will have India’s first Tyre Park, where artworks made from scrap and defective parts will be on display. 13. Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri launched Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge. The challenge focuses on shaping cities for young children and their families. It is conducted with the support of the Bernard van Leer Foundation, Netherlands. The technical support for the challenge is provided by WRI lndia. 14. 1st Virtual Indo-Africa Summit Held; Addressed by Union Minister Piyush Goyal 15. Ministry of Road Trasport & Highways made FASTag mandatory to be available by January 01-2021, in all 4 wheelers. Also, renewal of fitness certificate will be done only after fitment of FASTag for Transport Vehicles. 16. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman participated in 1st BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting, held virtually under BRICS Chair Russia. 17. UAE announced major changes to its Islamic laws, including loosening of alcohol restrictions, allowing unmarried couples to cohabitate and loosening criminalization of honour killings. 18. One rank one pension scheme of armed forces has completed 5 years, disbursing 42700 crores to over 20 lakh ex-servicemen so far. 19. Go Electric campaign launched by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and Andhra Pradesh State Energy Conservation Mission, aiming to set up 400 Electric Vehicle charging vehicles all over state. 143. General News / Events (Sep 11-20, 2020) - 1. First Ever peace talks between Afghanistan Govt and Taliban held in Doha (Qatar). 2. Liberia (West Africa) declared rape a national emergency, after recent spike of cases. 3. US signed framework for defence cooperation with Maldives, to deepen engagement in support of maintaining peace and security in strategic Indian Ocean, amid China's growing interference in the region. US will also open an embassy in Maldives. 4. Govt Approved Upgrading Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair (Andaman and Nicobar Islands), Including a new terminal building, at cost 700 crores. It will augment passenger handling capacity from 18 lakh to 50 lakh annually. 5. Nagaland government launched tele-medicine platform Naga Telehealth, to enable people have access to qualified doctors for consultation. 6. UK signed its first major post-Brexit trade pact by signing a deal with Japan, to boost trade by about £15bn. 7. 13th edition of Aero India-21 will be held at Air Force Station Yelahanka (Bengaluru), Between Feb 3 - 7, 2021. 1. Aero India is Asia’s largest air show and aviation exhibition held biennially in Bengaluru since 1996. 8. Madhya Pradesh Govt Launched Poshan Sarkar programme, to ensure participation and leadership of local bodies-Gram Panchayats and Urban Bodies in nutrition campaign. September is observed as nutrition month, across India. 9. National Jal Jeevan Mission and Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MEITY) launched ICT Grand Challenge, to create innovative Smart Water Supply Measurement and Monitoring System, to be deployed at village level. 10. Chennai division of Southern Railway launched mobile app 'Freight Seva', to strengthen its customer base and attract new streams of freight and parcel traffic. 11. India and Bangladesh will resume joint coordinated border patrolling to reduce criminal activities. 12. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways advised States . UTs to stamp International Convention of Road Traffic of 19th September 1949, on first page of International Driving Permit issued by them. 144. Global Human rights NGO Amnesty International halted Its India Operations, stating that it is being targeted over its adverse reports on alleged rights violations during Delhi riots and in Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370. 1. While, government said that It was receiving foreign funds illegally and was not registered under Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act. 145. Global machine connectivity solutions Firm Skylotech partnered with BSNL, to launch a satellite-based narrowband IoT network in India. It will connect with BSNL’s satellite ground infrastructure and provide pan-India coverage, including Indian seas. It will also be world's first satellite-based NB-IoT network. 146. Goa CM Pramod Sawant launched One-Time Settlement (OTS) scheme 2020 of electricity department for consumers who have defaulted on bill payments, to recover over 400 crores. 147. Goa Government tied up with India Post, to get 11000 farmers enrolled in Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sanman Nidhi scheme. 148. Goa became first 'Har Ghar Jal State in country, as it successfully provided 100% Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) in rural areas covering 2.30 lakh rural households, under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). 149. Government announced best performing Police Stations across country (for 2020). Top 5 - 1. Nongpok Sekmai in Thoubal (Manipur) 2. AWPS-Suramangalam in Salem (Tamil Nadu) 3. Kharsang in Changlang (Arunachal Pradesh) 4. Jhilmili (Bhaiya Thana) in Surajpur (Chhattisgarh) 5. Sanguem in South Goa 150. Government extended applicability of new emission norms for tractors (TREM Stage IV) and construction equipment vehicles till October 2021, which were to be applicable from October 2020. 1. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is bringing in extension of date through amendment to CMVR (Control Motor Vehicle Rules). 151. Government for the first time laid down Rights of Electricity Consumers, through Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules 2020. 1. Consumers will have option to apply for new electricity connection and pay bills online. 2. Consumers to get electricity connection within 7 days in Metro cities, 15 days in other cities and 30 days in rural areas. 3. Key areas covered in Rules - Rights of consumers and Obligations of Distribution licensees, Release of new connection and modification, Metering arrangement, Billing and Payment, Disconnection and Reconnection, Reliability of supply, Standards of Performance of licensee, Call Centre for Consumer Services and Grievance redressal mechanism. 152. Government issued new re-opening guidelines under Unlock 5.0, allowing more activities under containment zones. 1. Cinema halls/multiplexes and swimming pools used for training of sportspersons and entertainment parks will be allowed to re-open from October 15, 2020. 2. Centre gave states flexibility to take a decision after October 15 for re-opening of schools, with parental consent to be required. 153. Government launched project Sunidhi, aimed at digitizing all provident fund and pension related activities of Coal Mines Provident Fund Organisation (CMPFO), a statutory body under coal ministry. 154. Government notified Directorate General of Shipping as National Authority for Recycling of Ships, under section 3 of Recycling of Ships Act 2019. 1. Under Ship Recycling Act 2019, India has acceded to Hong Kong Convention for Ship Recycling under International Maritime Organization (IMO). 155. Government of Andhra Pradesh and Lawrencedale Agro Processing India (LEAF) signed an agreement to expand the scope of food processing in State. 156. Government proposed introduction of E20 fuel, to promote green fuel such as ethanol. 1. E20 means blending of 20% of Ethanol with gasoline. 2. Currently, permissible level of blending is 10% of Ethanol in India. Still, India has reached only 5.6 % of ethanol blending. 157. Government will invite bids for Green Ammonia Projects, to reduce import dependency. 1. Green ammonia is produced through 100% renewable and carbon-free processs. 2. One way of making Green Ammonia is by using hydrogen from water electrolysis and nitrogen separated from air. 3. Currently, ammonia making is not a green process. It is now made from methane. 158. Govt enhanced 10-fold scholarship amount under ‘Pragati and Saksham Scholarship Schemes’ for students of Jammu and Kashmir, from 5,000 to 50,000 per annum. 1. Also, J&K UT Horticulture Department launched Flagship programme “Backyard Horticulture” under CAPEX scheme in Jammu district. 159. Govt renamed Hubballi Railway Station in Karnataka as Shree Siddharoodha Swamiji Railway Station. 160. Govt unveiled Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) train, whose design is inspired by Delhi's iconic Lotus Temple and can attain a top speed of 180 KMPH on Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor. 161. Govt will integrate its central public procurement portal (CPPP) with the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) to further improve buying and selling process for ministries, departments and other agencies. 162. Govt. will extend Employees'StateInsurance (ESI) Scheme for first time to Arunachal Pradesh, from November 2020. 1. Factories in district of Papum Pare, employing 10 or more persons shall become eligible for coverage under ESI Act 1948. 2. Employees earning wages up to 21000 per month (25000 for PWD) shall be eligible for coverage under ESI Scheme. 163. Greenfield airport being developed at Jewar in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddha Nagar, will now be officially known as Noida International Airport. 1. It is being developed with assistance from Swiss developer Zurich Airport International AG. Noida International Greenfield Airport logo will have a picture of Sarus Crane - the state bird of UP. 164. Gujarat Government launched “Digital Seva Setu Programme” for rural areas, under Bharat Net Project of Centre. 1. It will connect village panchayats and will provide twenty types of pro-people services. Gram panchayats are to be connected to state data centre at Gandhinagar. 2. Citizens should pay Rs 20 to avail benefits of this programme. 165. Gujarat Govt announced scheme for e-Vehicles, to encourage use of battery-operated 2/3 wheelers and curb air pollution. 1. State Government would provide a subsidy of 12,000 rupees to students who are studying in Standard-9th to colleges, in order for them to use battery-operated two-wheelers. 2. Subsidy of 48,000 rupees would be given for three-wheeler e-rickshaw to the individual and institutional beneficiaries. 166. Gujarat government announced new solar power policy 2021, which aims to reduce power cost of industrial units by around 50%. 1. It will enable any developer / person / industry to set up a solar project in Gujarat. 2. Security deposit provided to power companies has been reduced to five lakh rupees per megawatt, from 25 lakh earlier. 3. State government scrapped the condition that installed capacity of a solar project needs to be 50 % of sanction load or contract demand. 167. Gujarat government signed pact with Vedanta Group firm Hindustan Zinc Ltd, to set up a greenfield zinc smelter in state, as world's biggest Zinc Smelter project, with 300 (kilo tonnes per annum) production capacity. This will entail investment of 10000 crores. 168. Gwalior and Orchha Cities of Madhya Pradesh have been Included in list of UNESCO World Heritage Cities,under an urban planning project. 169. Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar Thursday digitally launched Gram Darshan platform, to make accessible data of as many as 6197 Gram Panchayats of state online. 170. Haryana Government passed Right to Recall Panchayat Member Bill, which enables recalling an elected member of Panchayati Raj Institutions. 1. It allows recalling village sarpanches and members of district-level zila parishads and block-level panchayat samitis if they fail to perform their duties. 2. It provides reservation of 8% to more disadvantaged among Backward Classes and increases women participation in Panchayati Raj Institutions with 50% reservation for women in gram panchayats, zila parishads and panchayat samitis. 171. Haryana government passed State Employment of Local Candidates Bill 2020, to provide 75 % reservation to local candidates applying for private-sector jobs in state, that pay less than 50000 per month. 172. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan launched Scheme SERB-POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Women in Exploratory Research), designed exclusively for women scientists. 1. SERB - POWER Scheme will have two components - SERB-POWER Fellowship AND SERB- POWER Research Grants. 173. Himachal Pradesh Government announced to frame State Policy of Drug Prevention, Treatment, Management and Rehabilitation Programme, to curb menace of drug abuse in state. 174. Himachal Pradesh government launched Him Suraksha Abhiyan, to sensitize people regarding Covid-19 pandemic and also to collect information regarding symptoms of several diseases by door to door campaign. 175. Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district ranked at top, in successful implementation of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), in Ministry of Rural Development's list of top performing 30 districts in country for implementing PMGSY. 176. Home Minister (State) G Kishan Reddy inaugurated National Centre for Divyang Empowerment at CRPF Group Centre in Hakimpet near Hyderabad (Telangana), as first of its kind establishment to re-skill and rehabilitate the Divyang Warriors of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). 177. Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated 7 development projects in Manipur, notably including Thoubal Multipurpose Project in Imphal, Churachandpur Medical College and IT-SEZ at Mantripukhri. 1. Mr Shah also launched several development projects in Assam,including laying stone for New Medical College in Guwahati, 9 law colleges across Assam. 178. Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated various infrastructure projects worth approx 70000 crore in Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai. 1. It Includes laying foundation stone for second phase of Chennai Metro Rail Project, worth 61843 crores, and dedicated newly constructed reservoir at Theravaikandigai. 2. Chennai Metro plans to complete the phase II project within 6 years, spanning 118.9 km from northern to southern end of city with three corridors - Madhavaram to SIPCOT, Madhavaram to Sholinganallur and Light House to Poonamallee. 179. Home Ministry granted Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration to Amritsar based Gurdwara Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple), enabling it to receive foreign donations, and using them for providing assistance to poor, medical assistance to needy and organise langars. 180. Housing and Urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched e-Dharti Geo Portal, to integrate map and lease plans in the Management Information System. It will make system Geographic Information System enabled, GIS enabled. It will help avoid unnecessary litigation. 181. IBM and Telangana government collaborated to provide curated online courses for state’s students that will enhance their technical and professional skills. Under this, IBM will work with Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge (TASK) to offer Open P-TECH free digital education platform. 182. IFFCO Formed Organic Joint Venture with Sikkim Govt, called SIFCO (Sikkim IFFCO Organics Ltd), to be set up at Rangpo by October 2021. 183. IIT Kharagpur and TCS Jointly developed novel Industry 4.0 technology for remotely controlled factory operations and real-time quality correction during industrial production, to set a new trend in India’s advanced manufacturing sector. 1. The innovative technology will acquire real-time information about welding process through multiple sensors and enable online control of weld quality by means of cloud-based communication with friction stir welding machine. 184. IIT-Madras incubated dairy-tech startup Stellapps launched first-of-its-kind, fully-automated direct payment platform, ‘mooPay’, for dairy farmers in Rajasthan. 185. IMD Operationalized high resolution city scale model ENFUSER (ENvironmental information FUsion SERvice) for Delhi, to identify the air pollution hotspots and pollution upto street level. 1. Also, Air Quality forecast model System for Integrated modelling of Atmospheric composition (SILAM) for India was developed earlier. 2. SILAM and ENFUSER have been developed in technical collaboration with Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI). 186. IT Firm Microsoft partnered with All India Council For Technical Education (AICTE), to empower learners and educators in new-age technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), data science and cloud computing. 187. India Meteorological Department (IMD) will start issuing forecast for malaria outbreaks from next monsoon. It will also ramp up its high performance computing (HPC) facility from the existing capacity of 10 petaflops to 40 petaflops, to improve weather predictions. 188. India announced bringing together its Indo-Pacific and Asean policies under a single unit, with China in focus. 1. It will be accomplished with Ministry of External Affairs creating a new vertical, which includes a new Oceania territorial division with Australia at its centre, as well as including Indo-Pacific and Asean divisions within it. 2. Reenat Sandhu will head the new vertical. 189. India banned import of air conditioners and refrigerants, to promote domestic manufacturing of such goods. Earlier, Import of TV Sets and Tyres was banned. 190. India received prestigious Blue Flag certification for all its eight beaches that it recommended. 1. Blue Flag certification is a globally recognised eco-label accorded by Foundation for Environment Education, Denmark, based on 33 stringent criteria. 2. Beaches - Shivrajpur in Gujarat, Ghoghla in Diu, Kasarkod and Padubidri in Karnataka, Kappad in Kerala, Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh, Golden in Odisha and Radhanagar in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 191. India signed MoU with Denmark, for co-operation in field of Intellectual Property, which was approved by Cabinet in September 2020. 1. It was signed during Virtual India-Denmark Summit, attended by India's PM Narendra Modi and Denmark's PM Mette Frederiksen. 192. India will launch ambitious Deep Ocean Mission, to explore of minerals, energy and marine diversity of underwater world. It will cost approx 4000 Crores. 193. India's NITI Aayog and Netherlands's Delhi Based Embassy signed Statement of Intent (SoI) to support decarbonization and energy transition agenda for accommodating cleaner and more energy. 194. India's first 5 animal overpasses will be built over Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, to avoid disturbances to Ranthambore Wildlife Corridor that connects Mukundra and Ranthambhore Wildlife Sanctuaries. 1. Animal bridges are natural looking structures over corridor that will provide safe passage for wildlife. Animals will get passage at every 500-metre interval. 195. India's first exclusive private jet terminal inaugurated at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, to exclusively handle flight operations of private jets. It can handle up to 150 private jet flights per day. 196. Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) and Prasar Bharati signed MoU to broadcast and promote new agriculture technology and innovations. 1. Under it, DD Kisan will broadcast various innovative techniques being adopted in agriculture field in easy language through 30 minutes program series for benefit of farmers. 197. Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) launched world-class premium grade Petrol (Octane 100) in India, Branded as XP100. 1. IndianOil plans to roll-out XP100 premium grade petrol in 15 identified cities, in two phases. 2. Worldwide, 100 Octane petrol has a niche market for luxury vehicles that demand high performance, and is available only in six countries - USA, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Malaysia and Israel. 198. Indian Railways issued Draft National Rail Plan, which aill act as template of planning for future development of Indian Railways. 1. Objectives - 1. To create capacity ahead of demand by 2030, which would cater to growth in demand right up to 2050 and also increase modal share of Railways from 27% currently to 45% in freight by 2030. Railways aims at Net Zero Carbon emission by 2030. 2. Reduce transit time of freight substantially by increasing average speed of freight trains from present 22Kmph to 50Kmph. 3. Reduce cost of Rail transportation by nearly 30% and pass on the benefits to customers. 2. As part of National Rail Plan, Vision 2024 has been launched for accelerated implementation of certain critical projects by 2024. 1. These Include 100% electrification, multitracking of congested routes, upgradation of speed to 160 kmph on Delhi- Howrah and Delhi-Mumbai routes, upgradation of speed to 130kmph and elimination of all Level Crossings on all other Golden Quadrilateral-Golden Diagonal (GQ/GD) routes. 199. India’s first Lithium refinery will be set up in Gujarat, with 1000 crores investment by Manikaran Power Limited. It will process Lithium ore to produce battery-grade material. 200. India’s first Sandalwood Museum will be established in Aranya Bhavan in Ashokapuram in Mysuru (Karnataka), to educate farmers about the significance of cultivation of sandalwood. 201. India’s longest single-lane motorable suspension bridge inaugurated in Tehri-Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, named Dobra- Chanti Jhula. It is 725-metre long and has been built in 14 years over Tehri lake. 202. Invest India and United Nations Development Programme launched sustainable development goal investor map for India, laying out 18 Investment Opportunity Areas in 6 critical sustainable development goals. 203. Italian gas group Snam and Indian renewable energy developer Greenko signed agreement to develop Hydrogn value chain in India, including production methods and industrial applications of the fuel. 204. J&K LG Manoj Sinha launched National Generic Document Registration System for region, as online registration system for transactions in purchase or sale of land. 1. It was developed under Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme, to address diversity and variations prevailing across UT. 205. J&K Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha Launched health scheme for State, intended to provide universal health insurance cover to all residents of UT, at annual cost of 123 crores. 1. It will provide health insurance cover free of cost to all residents of J&K, who are presently not covered under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, with same benefits as under AB-PMJAY, with an annual health insurance cover of 5 lakh per family. 2. LG also launched a new grievance redressal portal for UT, to be linked to Union government’s grievance mechanism. 206. Jai Bhawani Women cooperative textile mill announced to soon operate on solar power, becoming first Solar Power enabled textile mill in Asia, located in Parbhani district of Maharashtra. 207. Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched India’s first solar-based Integrated Multi-Village Water Supply Project (IMVWSP) in Arunachal Pradesh. 1. Also, Arunachal Jal Sankalp programme has been launched, to supplement Jal Jeevan Mission of Central Govt. 208. Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha launched online portal, Smart Performance Appraisal Report Recording Online Window (SPARROW) for Jammu & Kashmir Administrative Service Officers (JKAS). 209. Jammu and Kashmir UT government launched movement called My Town My Pride, to provide governance at doorsteps in urban areas, inline with Back to Village programme. 210. Jammu and Kashmir became first union territory to operationalise public financial management system (PFMS) at district level, with e-inauguration of eight district offices. 211. Japanese embassy released first look of E5 Series Shinkansen, also known as Japan's Bullet Train, which will be modified for use as rolling stock of Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project (MAHSR). 1. MAHSR is to be launched by December 2024, with length 508-kilometres to be travelled with average speed of 320 KMPH. 2. It is being executed by National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited, with financial and technical assistance from Japan. 3. Total cost of this project is 1.08 Lakh Crores. 212. Jharkhand Assembly passed a resolution for provision of a separate Sarna Code for tribals, seeking a special column for followers of Sarna religion in Census 2021. Sarna followers are nature worshippers who do not consider themselves Hindus and have been seeking for a separate religious identity. 213. Karnataka CM B S Yediyurappa launched Bengaluru Mission 2022 – Revitalising Bengaluru, aimed at resolving day-to-day challenges faced by expanding Digital City Bengaluru. Mission also includes reducing traffic congestion, which has increased by four folds in 20 years. 214. Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa laid foundation for 11.5 megawatt power plant based on municipal waste in Bidadi (Bengaluru), as first of its kind power plant in state. It will help convert 600 tonnes of municipal waste into energy. 215. Karnataka Cabinet approved a Rs 600 cr project - Rejuvenating Watersheds for Agriculture Resilience through Innovative Development (REWARD) - for benefit of 20 taluks with low groundwater levels in Karnataka. World Bank will fund 70% of the project. 216. Karnataka Government will declassify 6.64 lakh hectares of 9.94 hectares of deemed forests in state. 1. Deemed Forests are land tracts that appear to be forest but have not been notified as forest in historical records or government records. The deemed forests comprise 1% of forest land in India. 2. In 1996, Supreme Court ordered states to identify and classify deemed forests. 3. Uttarakhand Government recently defined deemed forests as forest land with tracts of 10 hectares and having canopy density over 60%. 217. Karnataka Govt approved new Information Technology Policy 2020, to be effective till 2025. It aims at creating 6 million jobs, and enable IT industry to contribute 30% to India’s goal of becoming a 5 trillion-dollar economy. 218. Karnataka Govt launched Arthika Spandana programme of disbursing loans of approx 39300 crores through various cooperative institutions, with 15300 crores to be disbursed to agriculture sector. 219. Karnataka cabinet approved creation of Vijayanagara as state's 31st district, carving out of Ballari district. 220. Karnataka cabinet approved to implement Bhagyalakshmi scheme, which provides financial security to girl child of BPL families, through Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana of postal department, instead of LIC. 1. State Govt opted for Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana of postal department, as interest rate offered by LIC was too less. 221. Karnataka cabinet promulgated an ordinance to give effect to anti-cow slaughter bill that is yet to be approved by legislative council. It aims to put blanket prohibition of slaughter of cows in state. 222. Karnataka government unveiled Farmer Registration and Unified beneficiary Information System (FRUITS) portal, to create a repository of farmland information and farm loan details on a single platform. 1. FRUITS Portal is integrated into the BHOOMI Package of the Karnataka State for fetching and validating land details. 223. Kati Bihu, one of sets of three Bihu festivals (agricultural festivals) celebrated across Assam. 1. Kati Bihu, also known as Kangali Bihu, celebrated when crops are at growing stage and granaries of farmers are depleting. 224. CM Edappadi K Palaniswami inaugurated 38th district of Tamil Nadu, named Mayiladuthurai. It was Carved out from Nagapattinam. 225. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated Joint Indo-Dutch Centre of Excellence for Vegetables and Flowers at Regional Agricultural Research Station Ambalavayal, to help rejuvenate agriculture. 226. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated final stretch of Phase-I of Kochi metro's Thykoodam-Petta stretch, with Phase-1 costing 6218 crores. 227. Kerala and Jharkhand state governments withdrew general consent accorded to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe cases without State Govt's permission. Earlier states to do the same - West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Maharashtra. 228. Kerala became first Indian state to go completely digital in public education, with all 16000 public schools in state now equipped with IT equipment. These programmes are implemented by Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE). 229. Kerala government and UN women collaborated to establish India’s first gender data hub, on goals that were established through an international conference on Gender Equality held in November 2015. 230. Kerala government formed a Welfare Fund Board for upliftment of farmers in state, as first such move in country. It will be known as Kerala Karshaka Kshemanidhi Board'. 1. For farmers to become a member of Board, they need to pay Rs 100 as registration fee and monthly fee of Rs 100. 231. Kerala government has put on hold an ordinance that seeks to make abusive or defamatory content punishable with imprisonment up to 3 years. 1. This came after Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan cleared controversial Ordinance amending Kerala Police Act 2011, to insert a new section 118A. 232. Kerala government launched a pioneering eco-sustainable programme called Parivarthanam, to improve livelihood of fishing community. 233. Kerala's first and nation's twentieth mega food park inaugurated in Palakkad district of Kerala. 1. It will leverage investment of 250 Crores in 25-30 food processing units and would lead to turnover of 450-500 Crores annually. 2. It will also provide direct and indirect employment to 5,000 persons. 3. Named KINFRA Mega Food Park, it has been set up in 79 acres of land at cost of 102 crores. 234. Kerala’s elephant rehabilitation centre near Kottoor will become world’s largest care-and-cure centre for pachyderms, enhanced with upgraded facilities and features. It will be under state government’s special programme for the conservation and protection of elephants. 235. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)-Sponsored Monpa Handmade Paper unit has been commissioned in Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh), which aims at reviving 1000-year old heritage art and engage local youths with this art. 1. Art of making Monpa handmade paper originated over 1000 years ago, whicj became integral part of local custom and culture in Tawang. 2. But soon, local industry gradually declined and was taken over by inferior Chinese paper. Now, KVIC has made effort towards reviving it. 236. Kritagya (Krishi-Raknik-Gyan) Hackathon has been launched by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICMR), under National Agricultural Higher Education Project. It aims to promote Farm Mechanisation, specially women friendly equipments. 237. Labour Ministry notified Draft Rules under - 1. Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020 - 1. Operationalization of provisions in Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020 relating to safety, health and working conditions of the Dock Workers, Building or other construction workers, Mines workers, Inter- State Migrant worker, Contract labour, Working journalist, Audio-visual workers and Sales promotion employees. 2. Code on Social Security 2020 - 1. Relating to Employees’ Provident Fund, Employees’ State Insurance Corporation, Gratuity, Maternity Benefit, Social Security and Cess in respect of Building and Other Construction Workers, Social Security for Unorganised Workers, Gig Workers and Platform Workers. 3. Labour Law Reforms (Industrial Relations Code 2020 AND The Occupational Safety, Health And Working Conditions Code, 2020 AND The Code On Social Security 2020) were passed in Monsoon Session 2020. 238. Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act 2020 came into force in Gujarat, which seeks to protect small farmers and citizens against land- grabbing, through establishment of committees and special courts in each district . It has provisions of up to 14 years of imprisonment for land grabbers. 239. Larsen and Toubro Construction (L&T) bagged 3000 crores contract to construct India’s longest road bridge across river Brahmaputra connecting Dhubri in Assam to Phulbari in Meghalaya. The 19 km long bridge will be built along National Highway 127-B. 240. Learning Management System (LMS) launched by Karnataka government, to be implemented in state government colleges. It is said to be first of its kind initiative in country, aimed at encouraging digital learning and improving Gross Enrolment Ration in higher education. 241. Letter of Understanding signed between Rajasthan government and United Nation''s World Food Programme (WFP), for proposed participation to achieve food and nutritional security goals. 242. MSME Ministry onboarded latest IT tools of Artificial Intelligence(AI) and Machine Learning (ML) for providing assistance and solutions to issues of MSMEs. 1. Ministry has implemented AI & ML on its robust Single Window System 'Champions', which was launched in June 2020. 243. Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan launched Mukhyamantri Kisan Kalyan Yojana, on lines of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. 1. In this, Samman Nidhi of 4000 will be given by state government in 2 installments to beneficiary farmers of PM Kisan samman Nidhi Yojana. 2. In Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, farmers are paid 6000 in 3 installments. This will enable farmers in state to get 10000 annually. 244. Madhya Pradesh Government constituteed Cow Cabinet, to conserve and promote cow cattle in state. Earlier In 2019, state Govt had amended Anti-Cow Slaughter Act 2004, to increase jail term and fine in case of offences. 245. Madhya Pradesh cabinet approved Religious Freedom Bill 2020, which makes forced religious conversions punishable will fine of 25000 and 1 - 5 years of imprisonment. Fine / Imprisonment will double if victim is a woman, minor or belongs to SC / ST community. 1. Bill will replace Religious Freedom Act 1968. 246. Maharashtra CM Uddav Thackeray launched Maha Awas Yojana, aimed at building 8.82 lakh rural houses in 100 days, estimated at 4000 crores. 247. Maharashtra Government approved Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR), to strengthen and bring uniformity in real estate construction laws of state. 248. Maharashtra Government launched Shakti Criminal Law (Maharashtra Amendment) Act 2020 and Special Court and Machinery for the implementation of Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law 2020. Maharashtra Shakti Bill has been framed in lines with Andhra Pradesh Disha Act that was passed in 2019. 1. It seeks to add third explanation in Section 375 of Indian Penal Code, which deals with rape. It talks about “Presumption of Consent”. 2. Acid attack victims shall be provided with a compensation of ten lakhs of rupees for plastic surgery and facial reconstruction. 3. Bill seeks to complete the trial process within 30 days, which is Currently 60 days. 4. Bill suggests creation of Women and Children Offenders Registry, linked to National Registry of Sexual Offenders. 5. Persons threatening women on social media are to punished with 2 year of imprisonment and 1 lakh rupees fine. 249. Maharashtra Govt Signs 1st of its kind MoU with Cornell University (US) to Set up World-Class Incubation Centre in Maharashtra to Train Entrepreneurs. 250. Maharashtra Govt launched Balasaheb Thackeray Road Accident Insurance scheme, to provide medical and financial aid to victims during golden hour, with Initial expenditure of up to 30000 to be borne by State. 251. Maharashtra Govt named a new rural development scheme in state after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar, called 'Sharad Pawar Rural Prosperity Scheme. Scheme's target is to double the farmer income and ensure prosperity in gram panchayats. 252. Maharashtra State Wildlife Board declared 10 areas as conservation reserves and upgrade Kanhalgaon in Chandrapur to level of a sanctuary. 1. New conservation reserves are Amboli - Dodamarg, Chandgad, Aajra- Bhudargad, Gaganbawda, Panhalgad, Vishalgad, Jor Jambhli, Maini in western Maharashtra, and Mahendri and Munia in Vidarbha. 253. Maharashtra government withdrew general consent to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to carry out probe into cases in state. CBI will now need state government's permission to probe any case in Maharashtra. 254. Maharashtra police acquired Crawler software from INTERPOL, to help track down child pornography. Team called TRACE (Tactical Response Against Cyber Child Exploitation), has been formed to implement a mission called Blackface, involving the software. 255. Maharashtra’s Women and Child welfare department launched a new initiative to fulfill nutritional requirements of lactating mothers and children in state, named TARANG SUPOSHIT MAHARASHTRACHA. 256. Maharatna PSU Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited Hyderabad (BHEL-HYD) is setting up a facility to assess Low Cycle Fatigue effects in rotors required for coal based thermal power plants, under a Clean Energy Research Initiative supported by DST, for establishment of High Temperature Spin Test Rig (HTSTR). 1. This may soon enable India to manufacture its own super alloy steam turbine rotors for efficient coal based thermal power plants. 257. Manipur government launched campaign to protect Amur falcons, birds which migrate to hilly districts of Manipur for two months. Senapati and Churachandpur districts have banned hunting, rearing and sale of Amur falcons. 258. Mastercard and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched Project Kirana, to enable women entrepreneurs to grow. 1. Under this, a 2 year programme is to be rolled out in selected cities of Uttar Pradesh, to increase revenue and expand financial inclusion. 259. Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma launched 'micro ATM' service in rural areas of the state, to take banking services to doorsteps of people in rural areas. 260. Meghalaya government launched India’s Biggest “Piggery Mission” with an outlay of Rs 209 Crores, aimed at making Meghalaya self-sufficient in pork production over 3 years. 261. Meghalaya government signed partnership with Israel to establish a one of a kind Centre of Excellence(CoE) on high-value vegetables in state to improve and promote the livelihoods of farmers. 262. Microsoft Partnered with industry-driven learning ecosystem Nasscom FutureSkills, to launch a nation-wide initiative that aims to skill 10 lakh students in Artificial Intelligence (AI) by 2021. 263. Microsoft collaborated with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to impart digital skills to more than one lakh underserved women in India over 10 months. 264. Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers D.V. Sadananda Gowda launched POS 3.1 software, SMS Gateway and Home Delivery facility of Fertilizers (RBK) for farmers in Andhra Pradesh. 265. Minister of State for Agriculture Parshottam Rupala launched AYUSHMAN SAHAKAR scheme, aimed at assisting cooperatives in playing important role in creation of healthcare infrastructure in country. It has been formulated by National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). 1. NCDC will also extend term loans to prospective cooperatives, worth approx 10000 Crores. 266. Minister of State for Culture and Tourism, Prahlad Singh Patel launched Life in Miniature project, a collaboration between National Museum (New Delhi) and Google Arts & Culture. It will enable miniature paintings from National Museum to be viewed online on Google Arts & Culture. 267. Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs (I/C), Hardeep Singh Puri, launched Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework (CSCAF) 2.0, along with ‘Streets for People Challenge’ . 1. CSCAF aims to provide a clear roadmap for cities towards combating Climate Change while planning and implementing their actions. 2. This assessment framework has 28 indicators across 5 categories - Energy and Green Buildings, Urban Planning, Green Cover & Biodiversity, Mobility and Air Quality, Water Management and Waste Management. 268. Minister of State for Shipping (I/C) Mansukh Mandaviya launched SAROD-Ports (Society for Affordable Redressal of Disputes - Ports), aimed to become a pivotal mechanism of justice in Port sector, by resolving disputes in fair manner, saving huge legal expenditure and time. 269. Ministry of Women and Child Development signed MoU with Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH), to work together to control menace of malnutrition through integration of AYUSH systems with ongoing nutrition interventions under Umbrella ICDS program. 1. Another MOU was also signed between these two ministeries, for controlling Malnutrition as a part of POSHAN Abhiyaan. 270. Ministry of AYUSH and Invest India will collaborateto set up a strategic policy unit called Strategic Policy & Facilitation Bureau (SPFB), to facilitate planned and systematic growth of Ayush Sector. 271. Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers PSU Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited (HOCL) has been granted Bureau of Indian Standards - BIS certification for all its products, Including Phenol (Carbolic Acid) Grade a, Acetone, Stabilized Hydrogen Peroxide Grade 1. 272. Ministry of Coal directed Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL) to start exploring Kolar Gold Field (Karnataka), after pause of 16 years. Kolar Gold fields were closed in February 2001, because of environmental and economic reasons. 273. Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MEITy) and IBM India collaborated to create a robust education and skilling ecosystem. 274. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare along with UNICEF launched anaemia Mukt Bharat index, as an initiative to reduce prevalence of anaemia in India. Haryana topped the index, with score 46.7 275. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA) Launched a Time bound Competition to crowd-source implementable ideas for conceptual design of iconic structure at Nav Bharat Udyan in New Delhi, to commemorate 75th year of Indian Independence, as part of Central Vista Dome Project. 1. 5 lac is prize for winning entry while 5 commendation prizes of 1 lac will also be announced. 2. Under Central Vista Master Plan, Central Vista Axis will be extended from 2.9 km to 6.3 km from ridge to river. 276. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has brought Digital/Online media under its purview, amending 2nd Schedule of Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules 1961. It Now Includes Films and Audio-Visual programmes, News and current affairs content. Digital content providers such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video etc will now be regulated by Ministry. 277. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has scaled up Target for Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) Scheme. It now aims to achieve enhanced solar capacity of 30.8 gigawatt (GW) by 2022, with revised Central financial support of 34035 crores. 1. In February 2019, Cabinet had approved launch of PM-KUSUM scheme, which provides financial and water security to farmers. 2. It had aimed to add a solar capacity of 25.8 GW by 2022, which has now been revised upwards. 3. Ministry also amended implementation guidelines of 3 Components of PM-KUSUM Scheme, aiming to enable greater solar energy generation in farm sector. 278. Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways issued draft Merchant Shipping Bill 2020 for public consultation, aiming to replace Merchant Shipping Act 1958 and Coasting Vessels Act 1838. It aims to promote growth of shipping industry by incorporating the best practices adopted by other advanced countries. Highlights - 1. Bill does away with requirement of general trading license for Indian vessels 2. Bill seeks to increase India’s tonnage by widening eligibility criteria for ownership of vessels. 3. Bill seeks to introduce for first-time statutory framework for regulating maritime emergency response against maritime incidents. 4. Bill incorporates powers of Director-General to take action against vessels that pose threat to safety of life at sea and environment. 279. Ministry of Power had released Draft Electricity (Change in Law, Must-run Status and Other Matters) rules 2020, aimed at bringing in quick compensation to power plants, amid Gencos and Discoms being in financial distress. It avoids long drawn regulatory procedures for incontestable cases. 1. Monthly tariff should be adjusted so that economic position of power plant can be restored. 2. Renewable power plants are currently selling their power through exchange mechanism. The rules recommend against this and suggest a bilateral trade opportunity, to bring in higher prices for renewable power. 280. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways notified Standards for Safety Evaluation of vehicles being propelled by Hydrogen Fuel cells, through an amendment to Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989. 1. This would facilitate promotion of Hydrogen Fuel Cell based vehicles, which are energy efficient and environment friendly. 281. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways signed MoU with Federal Ministry of Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology of Austria, on Technology Cooperation in Road Infrastructure Sector. 282. Ministry of Shipping amended Right of First Refusal (ROFR) licensing conditions to boost domestic shipbuilding and shipping industries. 283. Ministry of Shipping launched development of Indigenous Software solution for Vessel traffic services (VTS) and Vessels Traffic Monitoring Systems (VTMS). 1. VTS and VTMS will determine vessel positions, position of other traffic or meteorological hazard warnings within a port / waterway. 2. Ministry of Shipping sanctioned 10 Crores to IIT Chennai, for development of indigenous VTS software. 284. Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, along with French Ministry of National Education and Youth, inaugurated first Center of Excellence(CoE) for skill development in power sector, in campus of National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) at Gurugram (Haryana). 285. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released Health in India report, highlighting health of religious communities across country. 1. Report highlighted that 7.5% Indians suffered from ailments (6.8% in rural areas and 9.1% in urban areas). 2. Among religious communities, Zoroastrians were most susceptible to ailments (31.1%) and Hindus least (7.2 %). 286. Misc. MOUs (December 2020) - 1. Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and NABARD signed MoU to work together to synergize the activities in interest of agriculture and allied sectors for bringing better value to stakeholders. 2. Punjab Government signed MoU with International Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence Research Collaborative (I- DAIR), for development of digital technologies in state’s health sector. 3. PSU SJVN Limited signed MoU with Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), which will provide its services to SJVN for Green Energy projects. 4. Andhra government signed MoU with Survey of India, for taking up the land re-survey named YSR Jagananna Saswath Bhoo Hakku-Bhoo Raksha Pathakam. 5. IIT Hyderabad incubated start up Pure EV signed MOU with CSIR-Central Electro Chemical Research Institute (CECRI), to undertake joint research to develop Lithium-Ion Battery technology for electric vehicles. 6. Ministry of Tribal Affairs' TRIFED signed MOU with Minister of Food Processing (MoFPI), for implementing Prime Minister Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PM-FME) Scheme, to support micro-level food entreprenuers, FPOs, SHGs and co-operatives. 7. Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed between Central Ground Water Board and CSIR-NGRI Hyderabad, for use of advanced heliborne geophysical survey and other scientific studies in States of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana under Aquifer Mapping Programme. 8. Indian Navy signed MoU with Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), for sharing ocean services data. 9. SIDBI Signed MoU with Assam Govt, to Develop MSME Ecosystem in State. 10. TRIFED under Ministry of Tribal Affairs has tied up with Deen Dayal Antyodaya- National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY- NRLM) to undertake support programmes to boost livelihoods of SHG women, including those from tribal populations. 287. Misc. MOUs (November 2020)- 1. Bengaluru Based Dynamatic Technologies and Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIR-CSIO) signed MoU, for jointly developing futuristic solutions for defence, aerospace, healthcare and agriculture industry. 2. CSIR-CMERI Durgapur signed MoU with Indo-Danish Tool Room (IDTR) under MSME Technology Centre Jamshedpur, to step-up cooperation across various verticals. 3. Prasar Bharati signed MOU with Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-Informatics (Under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology). Under this, 51 DTH education TV channels shall be available to all DD FreeDish viewers. 4. IIT Madras 's International Centre for Clean Water (ICCW) collaborated with Japanese firm DG TAKANO, to introduce new clean water technologies in India. 5. TRIFED and JD Centre of Arts signed MoU for collaborating on joint socio-cultural research work and anthropological study of tribal art and tradition in tribal dominated regions of India. 6. Airports Authority of India (AAI) signed MOU with NTPC subsidiary NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN), to promote usage of electric vehicles and set up solar power plants at its airports. 7. Embassy Group signed MOU with Government of Karnataka, for all-round development of children in Bangalore. 8. Power Finance Corporation (PFC) along with REC Ltd aigned MoU with SJVN Subsidiary SJVN Thermal Pvt Ltd, for Extending Loan of 8520 Crores for 2x660 MW Buxar Thermal Power Project (Bihar). 9. FICCI's Women wing FLO signed agreement with IIM Shillong and Incubation and Enterprise Support Centre (IESC), to mentor Female entrepreneurs. 288. Misc. MOUs / Agreements (Sep 2020) - 1. Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) signed pact with India Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre (ISIC) to jointly identify and nurture frugal innovations and make quality healthcare affordable and accessible. 2. Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Ltd (APIIC) signed MoU with CSIR- Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), as a step up towards setting up a Bulk Drug Park (BDP) in State. 3. Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) signed MoU with State Governments of Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat, to develop MSME ecosystem in these States. 4. IIT Guwahati collaborated with University of Pardubice (Czech Republic), for developing indigenous algorithms that can protect nation’s digital data from cyber attacks. 5. CSIR - Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) and National Institute of Solar Energy Gurugram (NISE) signed MoU, as a ‘Strategic Association’ to bolster Solar Energy sector across nation. 6. WhatsApp partnered with Cyber Peace Foundation (CPF) to create awareness on cyber safety among students. 7. UK India Business Council (UKIBC) renewed its MoU with Government of Telangana, aimed at boosting business investment and improve the ease of doing business. 8. Uttar Pradesh rural livelihood mission (SRLM) signed MOU with UN World Food Programme for manufacture and supply of Take Home Ration (THR) through SHGs. 9. Assam State Rural Livelihoods Mission (ASRLM) signed MoU with North East Small Finance Bank (NESFB), to support Bank Linkage of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Producer Groups/ Enterprises under ASRLM. 10. National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) signed MoU with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee for collaboration in areas of universal design principles and inclusive development in backdrop of ‘Building Accessible Safe Inclusive Indian Cities’ (BASIIC) program. 11. National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Professional Networtk LinkedIn partnered, to enhance employability and to upskill India’s youth. 12. MoU signed between Govt. of Odisha and National Co-operative Development Corporation (NCDC), for promotion and management of Farmer Producer Organisations. 13. Israel's Start-Up Nation Central and India's International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology (iCreate) signed agreement to initiate a bilateral program to accelerate innovation and technology cooperation between start-ups and corporates from both countries. 14. Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) signed ) to promote adventure sports activities at Tehri Lake. 15. IIT Kanpur extended its MOU with Indian Railways to encourage state-of-the-art collaborative research for modernization of Railway Infrastructure. 16. Axis Bank joined Bayer’s Better Life Farming initiative in India to provide enhanced and holistic financial solutions to smallholder farmers and rural farming communities. 17. International Air Transport Association signed MoU with UNOCT, as 1st private partner to Cooperate on India-funded CT Travel Programme. 18. Stock exchange BSE signed pact with Yes Bank, to empower the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) listed on BSE. 289. Misc. MOUs Signed (October 2020) - 1. Chennai-based small rocket maker Agnikul Cosmos signed agreement with Alaska Aerospace Corporation to test launch its launch vehicle Agnibaan, from Pacific Spaceport Complex (US). 2. Ministry of Electronics and IT's Common Services Centre (CSC) partnered with HelpAge India, to provide digital literacy to citizens above age of 55 years through a pilot project in selected states. 3. All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) signed MOU with Amity University, to promote research in Ayurvedic Sciences. 4. National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) signed MoU with administration of Ladakh to promote dairying and rural livelihoods. 5. India’s National Maritime Foundation (NMF) and Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF) signed MOU, aimed at fostering cooperation in Indo-Pacific region, and deepen Taiwan-India cooperation in maritime affairs and regional development. 6. CRPF signed MOU with IIT Delhi and DRDO, to find technological solutions to operational challenges faced by CRPF. 7. Centre for Development of Advanced Computing(C-DAC) under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology(MeITY) signed 13 MoUs with premier academic and R&D institutions, for establishing Indigeneous Supercomputing Infrastructure. 8. Pernod Ricard India Foundation and WWF India partnered, aimed at securing future of wild elephants in Assam. 9. Indian Bank Signed MoU with Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and SIDBI, to Pay Street Vendor’s Subsidy under PM SVANidhi Scheme. 10. UNICEF and India Chapter of International Advertising Association (IAA), partnered to support research on gender representation in advertisements in India. 11. IIT Jodhpur and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) signed MoU, for research for betterment of highway infrastructure. 12. IIT Kanpur and Archaeological Survey of India signed MOU with Italian institutions Ca’ Foscari University and Soprintendenza Archeologia, seeking restoration and protection of historical monuments. 13. India's Cochin Shipyard Limited signed MOU with Italy’s Fincantieri S.p.A, to collaborate on design, shipbuilding an related activities. 290. MoUs signed between Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and leading oil & gas marketing companies to establish Compressed Bio-Gas CBG) plants across India under Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiative, To boost availability of affordable and clean transport fuels. 1. Government under SATAT initiatives envisages setting up of 5000 CBG plants by 2023-24 with production target of 15 MMT. 291. NHPC will commission 2000 MW Subansiri hydropower project (Assam) by March 2022, which has been stalled for over 8 years due to intense protests. 292. NITI Aayog 's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and SAP Labs strengthened their partnership to promote digital literacy, innovation and entrepreneurship in India. 1. SAP will conduct Training of Trainers (ToT) under UnBox Tinkering for around 500 teachers in next three years. 293. NITI Aayog and Quality Council of India launched National Program and Project Management Policy Framework’ (NPMPF), envisaged to bring reforms in way infrastructure projects are executed in India. 294. NITI Aayog announced governing structure of India Energy Modelling Forum (IEMF), which was jointly launched in July 2020 by NITI Aayog and US Agency for International Development (USAID), under US–India Strategic Energy Partnership. 1. IEMF aims to engage Indian researchers, knowledge partners, think tanks and national and international government agencies and departments for modelling and long-term energy planning. 2. IEMF will consist of an inter-ministerial and a steering committee. Inter-ministerial committee will be convened by NITI Aayog and headed by its CEO. This committee will review studies/modelling activitiesand provide directions and new areas of research. 295. NITI Aayog established a Frontier Technologies Cloud Innovation Center (CIC) with Amazon Web Services (AWS), first of its kind in India, To address societal challenges through digital innovation. 1. CIC is part of AWS CIC Global Program, which provides opportunity for government agencies, non-profits, and educational institutions, to come together on pressing challenges, apply design thinking and test new ideas. 296. NITI Aayog launched indigenously developed India’s first Digital Asset Management and Cloud Storage platform called DigiBoxx. DigiBoxx deploys strong files encryption with all data being stored within India. 297. NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) launched Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE-Atal New India Challenges, to spur applied research and innovation in Indian MSMEs and startups. 1. The programme will be driven by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and 4 ministries - Defence, Food Processing Industries, Health and Family Welfare and Housing and Urban Affairs. 2. Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE–ANIC programme will support deserving applied research–based innovations by providing funding support of up to Rs 50 lakh for speedy development of the proposed technology solution and/or product. 3. Govt Aims to enhance MSME contribution to GDP from 30 % to 50%, and in exports from 49% to 60%. 4. Other Partnerships signed by AIM - 1. With Freshworks Inc (customer-engagement software firm), to provide robust support to innovators and entrepreneurs in India. 2. With ScooNews (education media house), to share and spread inspiring stories of grassroots. 298. NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) with CGI India, for creating a successful and innovative workforce from the ATL (Atal Tinekring Labs) schools. 1. CGI will adopt 100 schools with ATLs across Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai to promote and train students. 299. NTPC signed MOU with Indian Institute of Forest Management Bhopal (IIFM), to implement Narmada Landscape Restoration Project. 1. Program has grant in aid from NTPC and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in equal proportions. 2. IIFM Bhopal will jointly implement this project with Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). 300. Nagaland Govt launched Livelihood Generation Program for Returned Migrant Workers Due to Covid19 Pandemic, to assist Indigenous Returned Migrant Workers of Nagaland. 301. Nagaland govt Observed Hornbill Festival virtually this year, amid surge in COVID-19. It is held every year from December 1 to 10, to showcase culture and heritage of Naga tribes. 302. National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) launched FutureSkills PRIME Beta Platform, to foster an ecosystem to enhance India’s digital talent with right set of skills. 303. National Board for Wildlife approved an action plan for vulture conservation 2020-2025, which envisages 5 new conservation centres to be established in Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. 1. Earlier plan for vultures was formulated in 2006, for 3 years. It focuses on conservation of 3 vulture species - Oriental white backed, Slender billed, Long billed. 304. National Green Tribunal (NGT) accorded environmental clearance to Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project in Telangana. NGT also directed Ministry of Environment to form a 7-member expert committee to suggest rehabilitation and relief measures. 305. National Green Tribunal committee headed by former Gauhati HC Judge Brojendra Katakey, which was formed to styudy causes of Baghajan Oil well gas leak and fires, reported that Oil India Limited was carrying out drilling and testing of hydrocarbons without required clearances. 1. Oil India Limited recently acquired a new technique snubbing unit from Canada, to control oil well blowout in Assam’s Baghjan. 306. National Green Tribunal directed States / UTs to designate a nodal agency to protect water bodies, which will adopt a mechanism to monitor and address grievances. 307. National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) notified increase in average body weight for Indians by 5kg in its recent report. 1. Average weight for Indian men has been increased from 60kg in 2010 to 65kg now. 2. While for Indian women, average weight has been increased from 50kg in 2010 to 55kg now. 3. NIN also revised heights - Now average height for Indian men is 5.8 feet (177 cm) And that for women is 5.3 feet (162 cm). 308. Nokia began production of next generation of 5G Equipment in India, as first in India to manufacture 5G NR (5G New Radio). 5G New Radio (NR) has been designed to become benchmark for air interface of 5G networks. 309. North Kohima Police Station has been awarded ISO 9001:2015 certification for Quality Management System, becoming first state government agency in Nagaland, to receive such recognition. 1. Also, Bhubaneswar became 1st Indian city to receive ISO-9001:2015 certification, for its effective Faecal Sludge & Septage Management FSSM services. 310. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik Monday launched next stage of slum upgradation and de-listing initiative JAGA Mission, to improve living conditions of 18 Lakh slum dwellers by providing them with basic amenities. 1. JAGA Mission has received international acclaim as largest slum titling and upgradation initiative in world and been awarded World Habitat Award 2019. 311. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurated Sujal - Drink from Tap Mission scheme, to provide round the clock supply of quality tap drinking water in all urban areas of state, by March 2022, with 1300 crores Budget. 1. It will make Odisha first state to provide quality drinking water, fit for direct consumption, in urban areas. 312. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launched Pareshram Portal, to boost Ease of Doing Business and contribute to industrial development of State. 313. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launched Secha Samadhan mobile application, to address irrigation problems faced by farmers without them having to visit offices physically. 314. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launched electricity consumer service portal Mo Bidyut, with URL www.mobidyut.com, under 5T (Teamwork, Transparency, Technology, Time leading to Transformation) initiative of state. 315. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launched new scheme named GARIMA which aims to ensure the economic safety and social dignity of core sanitation workers in state. Around 20000 core sanitation workers and their families will benefit from the scheme, with fund approx 50 crores. 316. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launched web portals Odisha State Scholarship Portal and Sumangal. 1. Sumangal aims to help people avail inter-caste marriage incentives. 317. Old Border Dispute Between Assam and Mizoram surfaced again with new clashses among residents. Assam districts Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj share their border with Mizoram districts Kolasib, Mamit and Aizawl. Frequent local clashes are witnesses due to border disputes. 318. On occasion of 60th Foundation Day of NCERT, an MoU signed between Indian Sign Language Research and Training Center- ISLRTC (Under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment) and NCERT, to make education materials accessible for Deaf children in their preferred format of communication viz Indian Sign Language. 319. On occasion of Diamond Jubilee of National Defence College (Established on Apr 27, 1960), President approved establishment of “President’s Chair of Excellence on National Security”, to help in enhancing intellectual capital of college and also uplift its credibility. 320. PM Narendra Modi launched Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY SEHAT Health Insurance Scheme for UT of Jammu and Kashmir, to cover remaining approx 1 crore population which was not covered under Ayushman Bharat Scheme of central Govt. 1. It will provide free cashless treatment for inhabitants of Jammu and Kashmir, up to Rs 5 lakhs per family. 321. PM Narendra Modi Inaugurated Several Key Developmental Projects - 1. Inaugurated 351 km long Bhaupur- New Khurja section of Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC), built at 5750 crores. 1. 1856 km long Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor EDFC starts from Sahnewal near Ludhiana (Punjab) and will pass through states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand to terminate at Dankuni in West Bengal. 2. DFCCIL is also constructing Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (1504 route km) that connects Dadri in Uttar Pradesh to Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai, through UP, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. 2. inaugurated India’s first-ever driverless train operations on Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line. He also Launched National Common Mobility Card's expansion to Airport Express Line of Delhi Metro, which was started in Ahmedabad last year. 3. He launched 100th Kisan Rail of India, to run between Sangola in Maharashtra and Shalimar in West Bengal. 1. First multi-commodity service of Kisan Rail was launched in August 2020, between Devlali in Maharashtra and Danapur in Bihar. 2. Government had extended a subsidy of 50% on the transportation of fruits and vegetables through Kisan Rail. 322. PM Narendra Modi Laid Foundation stone for New Parliament building in New Delhi, Central Vista redevelopment project. 1. Earlier, Tata Group had won contract for construction of India’s new Parliament building with bid of Rs 861.90 crores, as part of Central Vista redevelopment project. It envisages construction of new Parliament building, near existing one, by 2022. 2. Central Vista Redevelopment Project refers to redevelopment to revamp Central Vista, India's central administrative area in Raisina hills (New Delhi). 3. It seeks to reconstruct and repurpose various buildings in Lutyens' Delhi which have been rendered as unfit for further use. It also envisages a common secretariat to house all 51 ministries in 10 administrative buildings. Cost is approx 20000 Crores. 323. PM Narendra Modi dedicated to nation the Kosi Rail Mahasetu (mega bridge), along with 12 rail projects in Bihar. 1. In 1887, a meter gauge link was built in between Nirmali and Bhaptiahi (Saraigarh). During heavy flood and severe Indo Nepal earthquake in 1934, the rail link was washed away and thereafter due to meandering nature of river Kosi no attempt was made to restore this. 2. Kosi Mega Bridge line project was sanctioned during 2003-04, with length 1.9 KM and cost 516 Crores. 3. Regular train service through this route will be highly beneficial to Supaul, Arariya and Saharsa districts. 324. PM Narendra Modi distributed property cards to rural land owners under Svamitva (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) scheme, in states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttarakhand. 1. Aim of scheme is to provide right to document residential properties to rural population, to enable them to use property as a financial asset. 2. Under it, Drone surveys are to be conducted between 2020 and 2024, with annual budget 80 Crores. 3. It was launched by Ministry of Panchayati Raj on April 24, 2020, on occasion of National Panchayati Raj day. 325. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated 3 key projects in Gujarat - 1. Kisan Suryodaya Yojana - 1. Aims at providing day-time power supply for irrigation. Under this, farmers will be able to avail power supply from 5 AM to 9 PM. State government has allocated budget of 3500 crores for installing transmission infrastructure under this scheme by 2023. 2. Paediatric Heart Hospital attached with U.N Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre 3. Girnar Ropeway - 1. Distance of 2.3 kms will be covered in 7.5 minutes, as Asia's longest ropeway. 326. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated 4th India Energy Forum by CERAWeek, with theme India’s Energy Future in a World of Change. 327. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated 6 mega development projects in Uttarakhand under Namami Gange Mission, along with Ganga Avalokan Museum, the first of its kind on the River Ganga at Haridwar. 1. He also released book Rowing Down the Ganges, ” and new logo for Jal Jeevan Mission. 2. He Announced 100-day campaign from 02-10-2020, to ensure drinking water connection to every school and Anganwadi in country. 328. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Atal Tunnel at Rohtang (Himachal Pradesh), at altitude of above 3000 metres. 1. The 9.02 km-long-tunnel, built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), is the world’s longest highway tunnel above 10000 Feet, and connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley. 2. It provides all-weather connectivity to the landlocked valley of Lahaul-Spiti, which remains cut-off for nearly six months in a year as the Rohtang Pass is uually snow-bound between November and April. 3. Tunnel reduces distance by 46 km between Manali and Leh and the travel time by about 4 to 5 hours. 4. Atal Tunnel has been designed for traffic density of 3,000 cars per day and 1,500 trucks per day, with maximum speed of 80 km/hr. 5. It was built at a cost of Rs 3,300 crores. 329. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Ro-Pax terminal at Hazira and flagged off Ro-Pax ferry service between Hazira and Ghogha in Gujarat. 1. He also renamed Ministry of Shipping as Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. 330. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated construction of Agra Metro Rail Project, which comprises 2 corridors with length 29.4 KM and 27 Stations. Estimated cost is 8380 crores, to be completed in 5 years. 331. PM Narendra Modi laid foundation stone of 9 highway projects in Bihar, along with foundation of Har Gaon Optical Fibre Cable for Internet Services to connect all villages of Bihar. 1. These projects carry Road length of about 350 kilometers, involving construction value of Rs 14258 crore. 2. It is part of PM’s package of Rs 1,25,000 crore announced in 2015. This included 75 projects worth Rs 54700 crores, of which 13 projects have been completed. Under This package, number of bridges over river Ganga in Bihar, will become 17. 3. The Har Gaon Optical Fibre Cable campaign aims to connect all 45945 villages in Bihar with Optical Fibre Internet Service, by 31-03-2021. It will make Bihar First State to Connect all Villages by optical Fiber Network Internet. 332. PM Narendra Modi launched Har Ghar Nal Yojana for residents of Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadra and Mirzapur districts, costing approx 5555 Crores. 1. The region was chosen as Despite having many rivers like Ganga, Ghaghara, Yamuna and Sarayu, water scarcity prevails in the region. 333. PM Narendra Modi today inaugurated Patrika Gate in Jaipur, as 9th Gate of City of Jaipur (Rajasthan), built by Patrika Group of Newspapers. 334. PM Narendra Modi unveiled Statue of Peace, to mark 151st birth anniversary of Jain Acharya Shree Vijay Vallabh Surishwer Ji Maharaj, made of Ashtadhatu, and installed in Pali (Rajasthan). 335. PM Narendra Modi unveiled various developmental projects in Kutch (Gujarat), including a desalination plant, a hybrid renewable energy park, and a fully automated milk processing and packing plant. 1. Desalination plant in Mandvi, with 10 crore lpd capacity (100 MLD), will strengthen water security in state. 2. The hybrid renewable energy park to be developed in Kharera (Kutch), will be world’s largest hybrid renewable energy park, spreading through 73000 hectares of area. It will generate 30 GW Reneweable energy and will employ approx 1 Lakh People. In area, it will be slightly bigger than countries like Bahrain and Singapore. 3. 3rd project is a milk processing and packaging plant at Anjar’s Sarhad Dairy, with 2 lakh litres processing capacity per day. 336. PSU BHEL tied up with SwissRapide AG to bring Maglev trains (magnetic levitation) to India. 1. Maglev Rail system hovers in the air instead of rolling, due to magnetic levitation. It enables system to be highly energy efficient, and achieve speeds over 500 km/h. 337. PSU Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) and Goa Govt signed MOU for rolling out India’s first Convergence Project in Goa, to generate Green Energy for agriculture and rural areas in state. 338. Panna National Park in Madhya Pradesh has been declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, mentioning Panna Tiger Reserve as a critical tiger habitat. 1. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) declared Panna Tiger Reserve as a Biosphere Reserve in 2011. Now, UNESCO has included it in Man and Biosphere programme. 339. Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan India's 8th producing basin and West Bengal's first oil and gas reserve, the Bengal Basin, in Ashoknagar. 340. Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) in Maharashtra's Pune district signed MoU with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to co-create India's first" Social Impact Bond (SIB). 1. This type of bond lays down outcome-based targets to be achieved at the start of the contract. As a first, a government body will act as 'outcome funder' in a bond contrary to convention. 341. Power Ministry drafted Rules providing for Rights of Electricity Consumers for the First Time, termed Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules 2020. Suggestions are invited till 30-09-2020. Salient Points - 1. SERCs to fix average number and duration of outages per consumer per year for DISCOMs. 2. New Connection - 1. Only two documents for connection up to load of 10 kw and no estimation of demand charges for loads up to 150 kw to expedite giving connection. 2. Time period of not more than 7 days in metro cities, 15 days in other municipal areas and 30 days in rural areas. 3. 2 to 5% rebate on serving bills with delay of sixty days or more. Bills over 1000 or more to be paid online only. 4. Recognition to emerging category of consumers known as “Prosumers”. 5. Persons who have set up a rooftop units / solarised irrigation pumps, will have right to produce electricity for self-use and inject excess in grid. 6. 24x7 toll free call centre, web-based and mobile applications for common services. 342. Power ministry mandated all electricity distribution utilities or discoms to comply with Energy Conservation (EC) Act 2001, to reduce energy losses and bring in more transparency. 1. Earlier, only discoms with annual energy losses equal to or above 1,000 MU (million units), notified as designated consumers, used to come under purview of EC Act. 343. President Ram Nath Kovind promulgated Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Ordinance 2020, to further amend Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996. 1. Ordinance aims to ensure that all stakeholders get opportunity to seek unconditional stay of enforcement of arbitral awards, where underlying arbitration agreement are induced by fraud / corruption. 344. President Ram Nath Kovind promulgated an ordinance to constitute a Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and adjoining areas, tasked with framing measures to improve qir quality in Delhi NCR. 1. Commission will have 3 Sub-Committees - Monitoring and Identification, Research and Development, Safeguarding and Enforcement. 345. President Ramnath kovind assented Gujarat Distributed Area act (Amendment) Bill 2019. 1. Gujarat Prohibition of Transfer of Immovable Property and Provision for Protection of Tenants from Eviction from Premises in Disturbed Areas Act 1991 is commonly referred to as Disturbed Areas act. 2. Main objective of act is to check on elements that cause demographic imbalance and to stop polarisation. 3. It will prohibit sale of property from one religious community to another religious community in the disturbed areas. Transfer of assets cannot be done without approval of district collector. 346. Puducherry UT Govt rolled out a free breakfast scheme for school students named after late DMK President M Karunanidhi. 347. Puducherry airport become first entirely solar-powered airport under Airports Authority of India (AAI), With 500KWp ground- mounted solar power plant commissioned recently. 348. Pune 's Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope observatory has been provided with IEEE milestone status, as 3rd IEEE milestone recognition being offered to India, after JC Bose in 1895 and CV Raman in 1928. 1. Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope, operated by National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, is an array of thirty fully steerable parabolic radio telescopes, Each of 45 metre diameter. 2. In February 2020, the telescope helped in observing biggest explosion in history of Universe, called Ophiuchus Supercluster Explosion. 349. Punjab Assembly passed sevral legislations seeking to penalise compeling farmers to sell wheat / paddy below minimum support price (MSP) in state. 1. Assembly passed amendments to each of three recently passed central Farming laws, to bring them in line with the provisions of state’s APMC Act 1961, establishing its supremacy over central laws. 350. Punjab CM Amarinder Singh launched Mobile Application and portal PR Insight, to improve delivery of citizen-centric services. It aims to re-orient existing schemes and programmes of state government to people’s satisfaction. 351. Punjab CM Amarinder Singh launched phase2 of Urban Environment Improvement Programme (UIEP), with budget 11000 Crores. It focuses on development of state’s urban infrastructure and service delivery systems. State Govt had spent 3000 crores in first phase of UIEP. 352. Punjab Cabinet approved new scheme Divyangjan Shaktikaran Yojana, to empower persons with disabilities, to be implemented in 2 Phases. 353. Punjab Cabinet cleared SC Post Matric Scholarship Scheme, to replace Centre’s defunct scheme, in order to facilitate SC students to pursue higher education. Income criteria has been raised from 2.5 lakh to 4 lakh, to accommodate more students. 354. Punjab Govt launched Smart Ration Card scheme to cover 1.41 crore beneficiaries across state and a separate state-funded scheme to provide subsidised rations to 9 lakh beneficiaries not covered under NFSA. 355. Punjab government launched I Rakhwali App to ensure greenery and to protect environment. 356. Punjab government signed agreement with Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME), to improve ' ease of doing business for MSMEs in state under Omidyar Network India's ReSolve Initiative. 357. Punjab governments withdrew general consent accorded to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe cases without State Govt's permission. Earlier states to do the same - Kerala, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Maharashtra. 358. Quality Council of India (QCI) launched Scheme for approval of Hygiene Rating Audit Agencies to scale up Hygiene Rating by increasing number of recognised Hygiene Rating Audit Agencies in India. 1. FSSAI initiative Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is a certification system for food businesses supplying food directly to consumers (1 to 5). 2. Recognised Hygiene Rating Audit Agencies will be responsible for verifying compliance with food hygiene and safety procedures laid by FSSAI and get Hygiene Rating. 359. RPF's Meri Saheli initiative, which focuses on safety of women passengers, has been extended to all zones. It was launched as a pilot project in South Eastern Railway. 360. Railways used LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging technique) technique to conduct ground survey for Delhi Varanasi High Speed Rail corridor. 1. Technique uses a combination of GPS data, laser data, flight parameters to give an accurate survey. 2. Length of Delhi Varanasi corridor is about 800 kilometres. It will connect Delhi with major cities such as Agra, Lucknow, Mathura, Prayagraj, Raebareli, Etawah, Bhadohi, Ayodhya and Varanasi. 361. Rajasthan Govt approved Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation’s scheme called ‘Moksha Kalash Yojana-2020’, aims to allow free bus travel to two members of the family of deceased to immerse ashes of their loved ones in Ganga in Haridwar. 362. Rajasthan government announced that 30 % of new PDS (public distribution system) shops will be alloted to women, to promote women empowerment. 363. Rajasthan government signed MoU with National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), to establish Ultra Mega Renewal Energy Power Park near borders areas, with capacity 8000 megawatts (MW). 364. Red cherry pepper chilli of Sikkim, locally known as Dalle Khursani, earned geographical indication (GI) tag from department of Industry promotion and internal trade. It is included after an application was filed by North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited (Neramac). 365. Reliance Industries and British Petroleum started gas production from the R cluster, the deepest Off-shore gas field in Asia. 1. It is first of 3 deepwater gas projects jointly developed by Reliance and British Petroleum in Krishna-Godavari basin block D6 (KG D6), named R Cluster, Satellites Cluster and MJ. 2. These 3 projects are expected to meet 15 % of India’s gas demand by 2023. 366. Results of 2nd edition of Ranking of States on Support to Startup Ecosystems released, formed by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) - 1. States’ Startup Ranking Framework 2019 has 7 broad reform areas and 30 action points, with participation of 22 States and 3 UTs. 2. States are classified into 5 Categories - Best Performers, Top Performers, Leaders, Aspiring Leaders and Emerging Startup Ecosystems. 3. Results - 1. Category X - 1. Best Performer - Gujarat 2. Top Performers - Karnataka, Kerala 3. Leaders - Bihar, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan 4. Aspiring Leaders - Haryana, Jharkhand, Punjab, Telangana, Uttarakhand 5. Emerging Startup Ecosystems - Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu Uttar Pradesh 2. Category Y - 1. Best Performer - Andaman and Nicobar Islands 2. Leader - Chandigarh 3. Aspiring Leader - Nagaland 4. Emerging Startup Ecosystems -Mizoram, Sikkim 3. Top States across 7 Reform Areas - 1. Institutional Leaders - Karnataka 2. Regulatory Change Champions - Karnataka 3. Procurement Leaders - Karnataka 4. Incubation Hubs - Gujarat 5. Seeding Innovation Leaders - Bihar 6. Scaling Innovations Leaders - Gujarat 7. Awareness and Outreach Champions - Gujarat 367. Road Transport & Highways Ministry has finalised GPS-based (Global Positioning System) technology toll collection to ensure seamless movement of vehicles across country. 1. It aims to make Highways toll booth free, by automating toll collection. 2. This is also aims to boost Toll collection from 34000 crores presently, to 134000 crores. 368. Roads and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated 1.44 KM Long Koilwar Bridge over Sone river in Bihar, built at cost of 256 crores. It will replace 138 years old fragile bridge. Between 1862 -1900, Koilwar bridge was longest bridge in India, also called Abdul Bari Bridge. 369. Shipping Ministry circulated draft of Indian Ports Bill 2020, which will repeal and replace Indian Ports Act 1908. 1. It seeks to enable structured growth and sustainable development of ports to attract investments in the Port sector for optimum utilisation of Indian Coastline. 370. Sikkim celebrated festival of Pang Lhabsol, to commemorate consecration of Mount Khangchendzonga as guardian deity of Sikkim. 371. Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawar chand Gehlot launched Ambedkar Social Innovation and Incubation Mission (ASIIM) under Venture Capital Fund for SCs, to promote innovation among SC students in higher educational institutions. 1. ASIIM will Support 1000 Start-ups of SC Youth over next 4 Years. 2. Venture Capital Fund for SCs (VCF-SC) was launched in 2014-15, to developing entrepreneurship amongst SC/Divyang youth. 372. South India’s First Kisan Rail flagged off from Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh) to Adarsh Nagar (New Delhi). 1. Earlier, Indian Railways introduced first Kisan Rail from Devlali (Maharashtra) to Danapur (Bihar), as announced in budget FY 21, to ensuring that agro products get transported fast across country. 373. SpiceJet launched dedicated freighter services connecting Leh with rest of the country, as first time a civil airliner has started freighter services to Leh. 1. Also, Ladakh UT's largest solar power project has been set up at Leh IAF station, with 1.5 MW Capacity. 374. Supreme Court pronounced that consent of State Government is mandatory for Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to extend its jurisdiction in state. 1. This came after 8 states withdrew their consent for CBI to probe fresh cases in jurisdiction of the state - Jharkhand, Kerala, West Bengal, Mizoram, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Punjab and Chhattisgarh. 375. Supreme Court stayed reservation for Maratha community in government jobs and educational institutions in Maharashtra, referring the case to a larger bench to consider constitutional validity of 2018 Maharashtra government law providing reservation to Marathas in state. 376. Surat (Gujarat) become Indian city with longest BRTS (Bus Rapid Transit System) network with length 108 KM, with opening of Kumbharia to Kadodora BRTS. 377. Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K. Palaniswami launched Thee mobile app, for benefit of public to reach out to State Fire and Rescue Services, in case of a need. 378. Tamil Nadu Government granted 100% motor vehicle tax exemption for Electric Vehicles. State Government already provides 100% GST reimbursement and 50% capital subsidy to EV manufacturing units. 379. Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit gave his assent to Bill which provides 7.5 % reservation to students of government schools who have cleared NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) in MBBS admissions. 380. Tamil Nadu government launched Smart Black Board scheme in 80000 government schools, to ensure better teaching environment and lead towards Digital India. Under this, audiovisual teaching material would be possible, that can be fed into computer screens in classes using pen drives. 381. Tamil Nadu government partnered with World Economic Forum (WEF), to establish what it described as India’s first advanced manufacturing hub (AMHUB) in state. It will help state in sectors of solar energy, electronics, electric mobility and textiles. 382. Taskforce led by Prime Minister's Office (PMO) initiated action for management of air pollution in National Capital Region (NCR), led by P K Mishra, Principal Secretary to PM. 383. Tata Group won contract for construction of India’s new Parliament building with a bid of Rs 861.90 crores, as a part of Central Vista redevelopment project. 1. Central Vista Redevelopment Project envisages construction of new Parliament building, close to existing one. 2. It also envisages a common secretariat to house all 51 ministries in 10 administrative buildings. 3. It will include conversion of North and South blocks into museums and development of Central Vista avenue that connects Rajpath to India Gate. 384. Tata Steel Limited and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) partnered to work in field of CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilisation & Storage). Under this, Tata Steel and CSIR will work towards accelerating development and deployment of CCUS technologies in steel industry. 1. These technologies would expedite transition to a decarbonised economy in other carbon intensive sectors like Power, Cement, and Fertilizer etc. 385. Telangana Government signed tripartite agreement between DET, GIZ India and Siemens India to implement a new initiative, Indo-German Initiative for Technical Education (IGnITE). 1. It aims to enhance employability and improve practical skills of 40000 trainees in ITI’s across 10 states in 4 years (2020 – 2024). 386. Telangana government launched Dharani portal, as first of its kind in country, for storing digitised land records and registration of properties. 1. This will enable property registrations without human interface, eliminating scope for corruption. 387. Telangana government's Rythu Vedika initiative has been launched, with inauguration of first Rythu Vedika at Kodakandla (Jangaon). 1. Rythu Vedika aims to bring farmers under one platform and help them attain higher returns, constructing over 2600 Rythu Vedikas. 388. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended setting up of an industry body for cloud service providers as part of a “light touch regulatory framework”. 389. To Promote skill development under Skill India Mission, first batch of trainings at Tata-Indian Institute of Skills Mumbai has been launched. 1. The institute is a joint initiative between Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Tata. 390. To address land-related hassles in wind power projects, Ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) has proposed wind-solar hybrid energy park development scheme. Under it, states will prepare necessary infrastructure for wind power project developers under plug- and-play model. 1. MNRE will provide financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh per megawatt (MW) to park developers for preparing sites. 2. MNRE has identified potential wind park zones across several states, with potential of about 54 GW of new wind plants under the scheme. 391. To promote buyer-seller network in state, the Assam government launched a mobile application, called Kisan Rath. 1. Initially launched by Central Government, this app has now been customized by National Informatics Centre (NIC) Assam to suit requirements of state. 392. To provide a single platform to integrate quality assurance across all its services, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship(MSDE)'s Leather Sector Skill Council (LSSC) launched Skill Certification Assessment for Leather Employees (SCALE) India android app. 393. Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari laid foundation stone for country’s first Multi-modal Logistic Park at Jogighopa in Assam, under Bharatmala Pariyojana. 1. To be set up at cost 694 crores, this park will provide direct air, road, rail and waterways connectivity. 394. Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda Launched India's largest Market of Tribal Products Tribes India e-Marketplace, to Showcase Tribal Produce and Handicrafts and Connect Tribal Forest Dwellers and Artisans with National / International Markets. 1. He also laucnhed 2 New Tribes India Outlets in Kolkata and Rishikesh. Pakur Honey Produced by Vulnerable Pahadiya Tribes was also Launched. 2. Also, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) launched a new 3 year initiative jointly for Tribal Entrepreneurship Development’. It aims to develop tribal offerings in national / International market and create better livelihood opportunities for tribal artisans. 395. Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda launched two Centers of Excellence for Tribal Welfare, in collaboration with Art of Living (AoL). 1. First CoE is in field of training tribal farmers in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, on sustainable natural farming based on Go-Adharith farming techniques. 2. 2nd in field of ‘Strengthening PRIs’ in 5 districts covering 30 Gram Panchayats and 150 villages of Jharkhand. 396. Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb laid foundation stone for state's first-ever Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of state at Sabroom, to be set up with 635 crores, with focus on agro-based processing such as food processing, rubber, bamboo and textile sector. 397. Tripura Government launched Mukhyamantri Unnoto Godhan Prakalpa (MUGP) scheme, as a 3-year plan to introduce gender- sorted artificial insemination of cattle. It is aimed at making Tripura self-sufficient in milk production by ensuring that more cows are born through selective chromosome selection. 398. Tropical cyclone Nivar struck Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, with speeds up to 130 KMPH. 399. Twitter India introduced ArtHouse in India, as a suite of services to assist brands in optimizing and creating Twitter-first content. 400. Two more States, Tamil Nadu and Arunachal Pradesh have been integrated with existing national portability cluster of States/UTs under One Nation One Ration Card. 1. With this, total 28 States/UTs are now seamlessly connected with each other under One Nation One Ration Card plan. 2. Migratory PDS beneficiaries in these 28 States/UTs can access their subsidised foodgrains at same Scale and Central Issue Prices from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) of their choice. 401. UK India Business Council has signed an MoU with West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC), to focus on accelerating industrial development in state. 402. UN High Commissioner for human rights (UNHCR) asked India to revise its foreign contribution Regulation Act 2010, raising concerns over restrictions imposed by India over foreign funding for Non-governmental organisations. 403. UNDP Accelerator Lab India launched Grassroot Innovation Database (GRID) to foster inclusive development at community- level in India. GRID has been co-created for public use by GIAN (Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network), Honey Bee Network Institution and UNDP- Accelerator Lab-India. 404. UNESCO released 2nd edition of State of the Education Report for India 2020, with special focus on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). 405. UT of Lakshadweep has been declared as Organic Agricultural Area by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s welfare, as second after Sikkim to achieve status of 100% organic region. 1. It has been certified organic under Government’s Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (organic farming improvement programme). 2. There has been no shipment of chemicals and fertilizers to Lakshadweep, for last 15 years. 406. UTs of Ladakh and Lakshadweep have been integrated in existing national portability cluster of One Nation One Ration Card. 1. Now, 26 States/UTs are connected under One Nation One Ration Card plan, enabling migratory PDS beneficiaries in these States/UTs to access subsidised foodgrains at same Scale and Central Issue Prices from any Fair Price Shop (FPS). 407. Under Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) begun 125 days programme for skill training of 3 Lakh migrant workers from identified 116 districts across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand. 1. It aims to empower migrants / rural population in post-COVID era, through demand-driven skilling. 408. Under National Mission on Saffron, cultivation of Saffron has been extended to Arunachal Pradesh's Yangyang, which was earlier confined to Kashmir. 1. Similarity of climatic conditions between Pampore (Kashmir) and Yangyang (Sikkim) has led to successful sample farming of Saffron in Yangyang. 409. Under PMJAY (Jan Arogya Yojana), 50000 Ayushman Bharat - Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) have been made operational, against target of 1.5 lakh AB-HWCs by December 2022. 1. HWCs Aim at providing Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC) services to the communities closer to their homes. 410. Under Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme, Govt launched Application Programming Interface (API) integration between PM SVANidhi Portal and State Bank of India (SBI), to facilitate seamless flow of data between PM SVANidhi Portal and SBI's eMudra Portal. 411. Union Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched Mission Purvodaya in Kolkata, aimed at accelerated development of eastern India through establishment of integrated steel hub. 1. India aims at 300 Million Tonne Steel capacity by 2030-31. 2. Mr. Pradhan also - 1. Inaugurated Oil India's 220 Crores Seismic Survey Campaign in Mahanadi Basin in Odisha. 2. Laid foundation stone for first 50 LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) fueling stations, across golden quadrilateral and major National Highways. 412. Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) introduced new form of Aadhaar, known as Aadhaar PVC card, aimed at being more convenient to carry, with enhanced security features. 413. Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), BSNL and Andaman and Nicobar Administration signed tripartite agreement for Operation and Maintenance of Chennai- Andaman & Nicobar Islands Submarine Cable (CANI-SMC) Project. 1. Government had approved CANI Submarine Optical Fiber Cable project, to connect Chennai Cable Landing Station (CLS) with Port Blair CLS and seven Islands viz. Swaraj Dweep, Little Andaman, Car Nicobar, Kamorta, Campbell Bay, Long Island and Rangat. 2. BSNL was named Implementing Agency and NEC Infrastructures was engaged as Executing Agency, with project cost 1212 Crores. 414. Urban Affairs Ministry launched mobile application and portal called E-Sampadam as a single window for services such as allotment for Government residential accommodations and office space allotment to Government organisations. 415. Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved renaming Ayodhya airport as Maryada Purushottam Sri Ram Airport. 1. Also, Bowring and Lady Curzon Medical College and Research Institute of Bengaluru has been named after former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. 416. Uttar Pradesh Government launched Mission Shakti, aimed at reducing crime against women. Under this, state will have separate room for women complainants in over 1500 police stations. 1. State Govt also inaugurated 180-day ‘Safe City Project’ for women’s safety in Lucknow. 417. Uttar Pradesh Govt approved setting up Mega leather park in Ramaipur village of Kanpur, with investment of 5850 crores. It will create 50,000 direct jobs & indirect employment for 1.5 lakh people. 418. Uttar Pradesh cabinet passed Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion ordinance, that makes forced religious conversions punishable with a jail term up to 10 years and fine upto 50000. 1. Ordinance also declares marriage being done for sake of conversion as null and void. 2. The Ordinance is passed amid ongoing forced conversions in named of love jihad. 419. Uttar Pradesh government announced to form Uttar Pradesh Special Security Force (UPSSF), to protect courts, airports, metros, banks and other government offices in state. It will reportedly be allowed to conduct searches and arrests without warrants. 420. Uttar Pradesh government launched a scheme to globalize unique culture of Tharu tribes, as a Homestay scheme under which Forest Department will offer tourists an experience of living in natural habitat of Tharu tribals. 421. Uttar Pradesh government launched unified portal called ‘U-Rise’- Unified Re-imagined Innovation For Student Empowerment, to guide students in learning, career counselling, and getting employment in state. It has been developed by Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam Technical University. 422. Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat inaugurated Integrated Model Agricultural Village scheme, in partnership with NABARD. 1. It aims at being a milestone in strengthening economy of farmers and doubling their income. Limit for interest-free loan given to farmers is being hiked to Rs 3 lakh from Rs 2 lakh. 423. Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat launched Mukhya Mantri Saur Swarojgar Yojana, aimed at promoting self- employment of youth and promoting production of Green Energy. 1. 10000 Youths and Migrants beneficiaries will be allocated Solar Plants of 25 Kilowatts (KW) each. 2. Plants will generate 38,000 Units of Electricity per annum which will be bought by Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited for 25 years. 424. Uttarakhand Govt dedicated newly-built Moss Garden to people, as country’s first such garden, spread over 10 hectares in Kumaon’s Nainital district. 425. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu released The State of Young Child in India report, prepared by Mobile Creches, a policy advocacy organisation. As per the report - 1. Out of 16 Crore children aged below 6 years in India, 21 % are undernourished, 36 % are underweight and 38 % do not receive full immunization. 2. Based on ranking on Young Child Outcome Index (YCOI) - Kerala, Goa, Tripura and Tamil Nadu are top performers. While eight states - Assam, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, lag behind national average. 426. Vice President Venkaih Naidu Launched International ‘Satavadhanam program, as a Telugu literary feat, that involves solving tricky literary posers, improvising poems and tests a person's capability of performing such multiple tasks simultaneously. 427. Virgin Hyperloop successfully did its first passenger trial in Las Vegas (US), as a boost to it plans to connect Mumbai and Pune in 25 minutes. 1. Hyperloop is a new mode of transport that speeds up to 1000 kilometres per hour, conceived by Tesla and SpaceX in 2012. 2. In this, capsules are zipped in to a continuous steel tubes that are held at partial vacuum, supported between an air compressor in front and battery compartment in the back. 3. Skis of hyperloop eliminates rolling resistance of hyperloop, which allows movement of pods at high speeds. 428. Virtual Court (traffic) and e-Challan project inaugurated in Assam, soon after Maharashtra's 2nd virtual court called Nyay Kaushal was recently inaugurated. With this 9 virtual courts become functional across country. 429. W.E.F 25-09-2020, National Medical Commission (NMC) officially replaced Medical Council of India (MCI) as India's apex regulator of medical education and profession. It has abolished Indian Medical Council Act 1956. 1. Suresh Chandra Sharma has been appointed as chairman of NMC, for 3 years. Rakesh Kumar Vats is secretary of NMC. 430. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee announced schemes for redressing grievances of people at block level and providing motorbikes to youths to help them run small businesses. 1. Under Duare Duare Paschim Banga Sarkar, administration will set up camps in blocks, from which officials will redress grievances of people. 2. CM also launched Karmai Dharma, under which 2 lakh youths will be provided with motorbikes, with assistance from cooperative banks. 431. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee announced several initiatives for SC, ST and refugee population. It Includes Providing 125000 land pattas refugees and - 1. Development and cultural boards are be created for 3 ST communities - Bauri (Dhule), Majhis and Bagdis. 2. In 2018, State Government had set up two development boards for Matua and Namasudra community. Matuas are Dalit refuges from Bangladesh. 432. West Bengal Govt approved construction of state's First deep sea port in Tajpur, to be built at cost 15000 crores. 433. West Bengal Govt's Swasthya Sathi health insurance scheme, which was launched in 2016, is now been expanded to cover state’s entire population. It provides basic health cover for secondary and tertiary care up to 5 lakh INR per annum per family. 434. West Bengal Govt. inaugurated 2 green projects worth around 1226 crores, to be built by European Union countries in Kolkata and East Midnapore district. 1. One project involves waste management and sustainable development at Kolkata Leather Complex at Bantala. 2. Other is a solar power project worth Rs 1200 crore to be set up in East Midnapore by a German company. 435. West Bengal government launched Pathashree Abhijan scheme, as a road repair scheme, where more than 7,000 stretches of roads comprising 12,000 kilometers across state will be repaired in a mission mode. 436. With an international airport coming up at Jewar in Gautam Budh Nagar (UP), it will become first aerotropolis of India, ushering in economic activities mainly in MSME and agriculture sectors. It will be managed by Switzerland's Flughafen Zürich AG. 437. Work on Zozila Tunnel in J&K began, aimed at providing all-weather connectivity between Srinagar valley and Leh (Ladakh plateau) on NH-1. 1. It involves construction of a 14.15 Km long tunnel at an altitude of 3000 metres under Zojila pass, which is presently closed for 6 months in a year, on NH-1 connecting Srinagar and Leh through Dras & Kargil. 2. Project Detailed Project Report (DPR) was prepared by BRO in 2013. Project was given to NHIDCL in July 2016 for implementation. 3. It is to be completed in 6 years, at budget of 6809 crores. 4. Once completed, it will be longest bi-directional tunnel in Asia. It would reduce the travel time from more than 3.5 Hours currently to just 15 Minutes. 438. Young Advocates Welfare Fund has been launched in Tamil Nadu, aimed at helping fresh advocates withstand initial challenges, with monthly financial assistance of 3000 for 2 years. Top

Persons 1. American Actor Kylie Jenner topped Forbes' list of highest-paid celebrities of 2020, followed by Kanye West, Roger Federer, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi. 2. American aerospace and defense Firm Northrop Grumman named its next space station resupply ship (NG-14 Cygnus spacecraft) as S.S. Kalpana Chawla, honoring Late Indian Astronaut Kalpana Chawla. 3. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Moscow (Russia), to attend Defence Ministers meet of Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Collective Security Treaty Organization and Commonwealth Security Treaty Organization, in commemoration of 75th Anniversary of Russian victory in World War II. 1. India and Russia finalised a deal to manufacture AK-47 203 rifles in India. Indian Army needs around 770,000 AK-47 203 rifles. Of these, 100000 will be imported and rest will be manufactured in India. 2. Russia also assured timely delivery of S400 missile defence systems to India, by end of 2021. India signed deal of 5 billion USD in 2018 to buy 5 - S400 missile defence systems. 3. Rajnath Singh also Visited Iran, to dicsuss and improve bilateral defence relations. 4. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Visited Japan, for attending Quadrilateral Foreign Ministers meet AND 13th India- Japan Foreign Ministers Strategic Dialogue. 1. India and Japan signed agreements of cooperation in Artificial Intelligence, 5G technology. The countries also agreed to give momentum to the supply chain initiative in the Indo-Pacific region. 2. Quad Meet was attended by foreign ministers from US, Japan, India and Australia, with emphasis on free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. 5. HCL Technologies Chairperson Roshni Nadar Malhotra topped list of wealthiest women in India, as per 2nd Kotak Wealth Hurun–Leading Wealthy Women report. 1. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw of Biocon and Leena Gandhi Tewari of USV are at second and third ranked respectively. 6. HDFC Bank's Ravi Santhanam has been recognized in Forbes list of 'The World's Most Influential CMOs', Ranked 39. List is topped by Phil Schiller (Apple). 7. Indian Origin Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen and Mastercard CEO Ajay Banga are named by Fortune among Businessperson of Year 2020. 1. List is topped by Tesla CEO Elon Musk. 8. Indian actor Sonu Sood topped first-of-its-kind 50 Asian Celebrities In The World 2020 list, published by UK based Eastern Eye. He has been honored for his inspiring philanthropic work throughout Covid-19 pandemic. 9. Indian-American Teenager Gitanjali Rao has been named by TIME magazine as first-ever Kid of the Year, for her astonishing work using technology to tackle issues ranging from contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction and cyberbullying. 10. NASA launched a commercial spacecraft named after Indian Origin deceased NASA Astronaut Kalpana Chawla. 1. The spacecraft carried 4 tonnes of cargo for International Space Station, built by Northrop Grunman. 11. Obituaries (December 2020) - 1. Dineshwar Sharma - Serving Administrator of Lakshadweep. 2. Mahashay Dharampal - Noted Industrialist and Owner of MDH Spices. 3. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing - Former French President. 4. Papa Bouba Diop - Noted Former Senegal footballer. 5. Rafer Johnson - American Noted decathlete and film Actor. He won gold in 1960 Olympics. 6. Zafarullah Jamali - Former PM of Neighboring Nation Pakistan. 7. Ravi Patwardhan - Noted Marathi Actor. 8. Manu Mukherjee - Noted Bengali Actor. 9. Narinder Singh Kapany - Noted physicist, also known as father of fibre optics. He founded Optics Technology and Kaptron Incorporation in 1960 and 1973 respectively. 10. S Ramakrishnan - Noted Space Scientist, and Padma Shri Awardee. 11. Ravi Patwardhan - Noted Hindi and Marathi Actor. 12. Madhukar Gangadhar - Noted Hindi writer. 13. Astad Deboo - Noted Indian contemporary dancer and Sangeet Natak Academy, Padmashree Awardee. 14. Manglesh Dabral - Noted Hindi poet. 15. Paolo Rossi - Noted Italian Footballer. He is only male player in history to win World Cup, Golden Boot, Golden Ball and Ballon d’Or in same year. 16. Dennis Ralston - Noted American tennis player and Hall of famer. 17. Bannanje Govindacharya - Noted Indian Sanskrit scholar and Padma Shri, Sahitya Akademi Awardee. 18. Roddam Narasimha - Noted aerospace scientist, fluid dynamicist and Padma Vibhushan Awardee. 19. John le Carré - Noted British Spy author. 20. Charley Pride - Noted American singer, guitarist, and professional baseball player. 21. U.A. Khader - Noted Malayalam writer. 22. D. Ethiraj - Former India footballer. 23. Shripati Khanchanale - Noted wrestler, who won Hind Kesari Title in 1959. 24. Eric Freeman - Former Australian Cricketer. 25. Charles Yeager - US Air Force officer who in 1947 became first pilot confirmed to have exceeded speed of sound in level flight. 26. Motilal Vora - Former Chief minister of Madhya pradesh. He also served as Governor of Uttar Pradesh. 27. Sugathakumari - Malayalam poet and activist. 28. MG Vaidya - Noted veteran journalist, Sanskrit scholar and first official spokesperson of RSS. 29. Gérard Houllier - Former French footballer and manager. 30. John Edrich - Former English cricketer. 31. Robin Jackman - Former English cricketer. 32. Sunil Kothari - Noted Indian dance historian, scholar and critic. 33. Pierre Cardin - Noted French-Italian fashion designer. 34. Shamsur Rahman Faruqi - Noted Urdu Poet and Critic. 35. Indira Joseph Venniyoor - Noted broadcaster and first English news announcer of Travancore Radio when its English service began in 1949. 12. Obituaries (November 2020) - 1. TN Krishnan - Padma Bhushan awardee Noted violinist. 2. Notable Deaths due to COVID-19 - 1. R Doraikannu - Tamil Nadu's serving Agriculture Minister. 2. Sudarshan Rattan - Noted Filmmaker. 3. Ashish Kakkad - Noted actor, filmmaker and voiceover artiste in Gujarati industry. 4. Satish Prasad Singh - Former Chief Minister of Bihar (6th and shortest serving). He served for 5 days, in 1968. 5. Faraaz Khan - Bollywood Actor. 6. H.G. Somashekar Rao - Noted Kannada actor. 7. Don Talbot - Legendary Australian swimming coach. 8. Carlos González Vallés (Father Vallés) - Noted Spanish-Indian Jesuit priest and author. He lived in India for 5 decades and wrote extensively in Gujarati and on mathematics. 9. Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa - Serving PM of Bahrain. He is noted as World’s longest serving Prime Minister of any Nation. He became PM of Bahrain in January 1970, but took office in August 1971, after country’s independence From Britain. 10. Charles Kenneth Spears - American producer and writer. He was co-creator of Animated Character Scooby Doo. 11. Satyajit Ghosh - Former Indian Footballer. 12. Sanchaman Limboo - Former (4th) Chief Minister of Sikkim. 13. Soumitra Chatterjee - Noted Bengali actor. 14. Ravi Belagere - Noted journalist and writer from Karnataka. 15. Arjun Prajapati - Renowned Sculptor from Rajasthan (Padma Shri Awardee). 16. Bhanwarlal Meghwal - Serving Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment in Government of Rajasthan. 17. Mridula Sinha - Former Governor of Goa. 18. Chandrawati - Haryana's first woman MP and former Puducherry Lt Governor. 19. Masatoshi Koshiba - Noted Japanese Noble Prize Winning Physicist. He shared 2002 Nobel prize for detection of cosmic neutrinos. 20. Ahmed Patel - 8 Times Congress Member of Parliament from Gujarat. 21. Tarun Gogoi - Former Chief Minister of Assam. He served 3 Terms, and is longest serving CM of Assam. 22. Shaik Khaja Hussain - Noted Telugu poet and scriptwriter. 23. Faquir Chand Kohli - Noted Industrialist. He was founder and first CEO of Tata Consultancy Services, India's largest IT Firm. 24. Diego Maradona - Noted Argentine footballer. 25. James Wolfensohn - Australian-American economist, who served as president of World Bank Group. 26. David Prowse - Noted British actor. 27. Sadiq al-Mahdi - Sudan's last democratically elected prime minister, who was toppled by dictator Omar al-Bashir.. 13. Obituaries (October 2020) - 1. A S Dave - Former acting Chief Justice of Gujarat HC. 2. Mishti Mukherjee - Bollywood actress. 3. Pushpa Bhave - Noted Social activist. 4. Ram Vilas Paswan - Serving Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. 5. Edward Lodewijk Van Halen - Noted American musician (guitarist) and songwriter. 6. KK Usha - First Female Chief Justice of Kerala High Court. 7. Mario José Molina - The only Mexican scientist to receive Nobel Prize. 1. He shared 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Frank Sherwood Rowland of US and Paul Crutzen of Netherlands. 8. Ashwani Kumar - Former Governor of Manipur and Nagaland, and ex-CBI Director. 9. Vishal Anand - Bollywood Actor. 10. Najeeb Tarakai - Afghanistani cricketer. 11. Avinash Kharshikar - Noted Marathi Actor / Producer. 12. Carlton Chapman - Former India footballer. 13. Shobha Naidu - Noted Kuchipudi Classical dancer, From Andhra Pradesh. 14. Notable deaths due to COVID -19 - 1. CM Chang - Nagaland's Serving environment minister. 2. Kapil Deo Kamat - Bihar's serving Panchayati Raj Minister. 3. Kaumudi Munshi - Noted Gujarati Musical Artist, also called Nightingale of Gujarat. 4. Naresh Kanodia - Gujarati Actor. 15. Charles Moore - Noted American athlete. He won gold in 400 metre hurdles in 1952 Summer Olympics. 16. John Richard Reid - Former New Zealand cricketer. 17. Vijay Reddy - Noted Kannada film director. 18. Rajan - Noted Kannada music composer. 19. Kishore Bhimani - Noted sports journalist and commentator. 20. Bhanu Athaiya - Costume designer, who won India’s first Oscar winner. She won 1983 Academy Award for Best Costume Design for movie ‘Gandhi’. 21. Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri - Noted Malayalam poet. His major honors include Sahitya Akademi Award, Padma Shri and Jnanpith Award. 22. Pradip Ghosh - Noted Bengali recitor and vocal artist. 23. P.S. Narayanaswamy - Padma Bhushan Awardee noted Carnatic music vocalist. 24. Vijaylakshmi Ramanan - Indian Air Force's 1st woman officer. 25. Jayanta Madhab - Noted economist from Assam. 26. K J Mohammed (Zero Babu) - Playback singer and actor. 27. Lee Kun-hee - Serving chairman of South Korean conglomerate Samsung. 28. B Venkataraman - Noted Historian (Chola) and Former Odisha Chief Secretary. 29. Mahesh Kanodia - Noted Gujarati musician and former BJP MP. 30. Keshubhai Patel - Former CM of Gujarat 31. Sean Connery - Notd Scottish actor. He was first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond. 32. Daniel Menaker - Noted American fiction writer. 33. Mesut Yılmaz - Former Turkish PM (Served Thrice). 14. Obituaries (Sep 2020) - 1. David Capel - Former England Cricketer. 2. Joe Ruby - Noted American Animator who created Scooby-Doo characrter. 3. Notable deaths due to Covid-19 1. S Padmavati - India's first Female cardiologist. 2. Sekhar Basu - Noted atomic scientist and former chairman of Atomic Energy Commission. 4. Govind Swarup - Noted Scientist, a pioneer of radio astronomy. 5. Jaya Prakash Reddy - Noted Telugu Actor. 6. Kesavananda Bharati - Noted Hindu monk, who served as Shankaracharya (head) of Edneer Mutt in Kerala. 7. Johnny Bakshi - Noted Filmmaker. 8. Jiri Menzel - Oscar-winning Czech film director. 9. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh - Former Union Minister (Rural Development, in 2004). 10. Diana Rigg - Noted British Actress. 11. Swami Agnivesh - Noted social activist and founder of political party Arya Sabha. He had served as cabinet minister in Haryana. 12. Ashok Gasti - Serving Rajya Sabja BJP MP from Karnataka. 13. Balli Durga Prasad Rao Garu - Serving Lok Sabha YSR Congress Party MP from Andhra Pradesh. 14. Jaswant Singh Jasol - Former Cabinet Minister (Also served in Army). He held Charge as Minister of External Affairs, Finance And Defense. 15. Babu Sivan - Noted Tamil Director. 16. Amitabha Ghosh - Former (16th) RBI Governor. He was shortest-serving RBI Governor, who stayed on this post for 21 days, in 1985. 17. PR Krishnakumar - Noted Ayurveda physician from Tamilnadu. 18. Moussa Traore - Former President of Mali (West Africa). He was a former military leader, who forcibly took over reign from Modibo Keita (known as ‘father of independence’). 19. Kapila Vatsyayan - Noted scholar of Indian classical dance, art and architecture. She was founding Director of Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts. 20. Sadashiv Patil - Former Maharashtra Cricketer. 21. S. P. Balasubrahmanyam - Noted Musician and Singer. 22. Suresh C. Angadi - Serving Union Minister of State (Railways). 23. Winston Groom - Noted American Writer. He wrote Forrest Gump, which was made into a Oscar winning movie. 24. Dean Jones - Australian Cricketer. 25. Ashalata Wabgaonkar - Noted Marathi actress. 26. Ang Rita Sherpa - Noted Nepal-based Mountaineer. He was first man to climb Mount Everest 10 times. 27. John Turner -Former Canadian Prime Minister. 28. Bibhuranjan Choudhury - Noted Assam Musician. 29. Ruth Bader Ginsburg - US Cultural and liberal icon (Also US Supreme Court Judge). 30. Bhupesh Pandya - Bollywood Actor. 31. Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah - 15th Ruler of Kuwait and the 6th Emir of the State of Kuwait. 32. Abhilash - Noted songwriter. 33. G S Amur -Noted Kannada writer and critic. 34. Syeda Anwara Taimur - Former and Only Female chief minister of Assam. 35. Isher Judge Ahluwalia - Noted economist. She served for 15 years as director of Delhi-based Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). 15. PM Narendra Modi released commemorative coin of Rs. 100 denomination, to celebrate Birth Centenary of Noted Political personality Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia. 16. Persons Resigned /Retired (September 2020) - 1. German Olympic gold medalist alpine ski racer Viktoria Rebensburg announced her retirement. 2. England cricketer Ian Bell announced retirement. 3. Serving Food Processing Industries Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigned from Central Government Cabinet. 1. President gave Narendra Singh Tomar (Agri. and Farmers welfare Minister) the additional charge of Ministry of Food Processing Industries. 4. Prime Minister-designate of Lebanon, Mustapha Adib announced his resignation following his failure to form a new cabinet. 1. Mustapha Adib was named Prime Minister Designate of Lebanon in Aug 2020, after Earlier PM Hassan Diab had resigned amid public outrage over Beirut blasts. 17. Persons Resigned / Retired (December 2020) - 1. New Zealand Cricketer Corey Anderson announced retirement from international cricket. 2. Cricketer Parthiv Patel announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. 3. Prime Minister of Romania, Ludovic Orban Resigned from his post. 4. Pakistani Cricketer Mohammad Amir announced his retirement from International cricket. 5. Former Tamil Nadu and CSK Cricketer Vijaykumar Yo Mahesh Announced Retirement from All Forms of Cricket. 18. Persons Resigned / Retired (November 2020)- 1. Australian Cricketer Shane Watson announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. 2. West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels (Jamaica) announced his retirement from cricket. 3. Peruvian President Manuel Merino has been forced out of power (forced to resign). 4. Indian cricketer Sudeep Tyagi announced retirement from all forms of cricket. 19. Persons Resigned / Retired (October 2020) - 1. Pakistani Crickter Umar Gul announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. 2. Indian Cricketer Tanmay Srivastava announced his retirement from cricket. 3. HDFC Bank MD & CEO Aditya Puri retired from his post. He has been replaced by Sashidhar Jagdishan. 20. Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani topped Forbes India Rich list for 2020, for 13th consecutive year, with total fortune of $88.7 billion. 1. 2nd spot has been retained by Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani ($25.2 billion), followd by HCL Chairman Shiv Nadar ($20.4 billion). 21. Shivangi Singh became first woman fighter pilot to fly Rafale aircraft, which was inducted recently in Indian Air Force, 's No. 17 squadron, called Golden Arrows. 22. TIME magazine’s list of 100 most influential people for 2020 includes India's PM Narendra Modi, Actor Ayushman Khurrana and Bilkis, who emerged as face of Shaheen Bagh protests. 23. United Nations named Indian teenager Udit Singhal in list of 2020 Class of Young leaders for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) along with 17 others, organized biennially. 1. Udit has been selected because of his Glass2Sand initiative, a zero waste ecosystem that converts glass to sand, aimed at addressing growing problem of glass in national capital region. 24. Visits From India (December 2020) - 1. Army Chief MM Naravane visited United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and South Korea. 2. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Qatar. 3. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Visited Bahrain, UAE & Seychelles. 25. Visits From India (November 2020) - 1. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval Visited Sri Lanka, to attend 4th Trilateral meeting on maritime security cooperation between India, Sri Lanka and Maldives. 2. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar Visited Indian Ocean nation Seychelles. 3. Indian Army Chief Manoj Mukund Navarne Visited Nepal, where he was conferred with rank of honorary General of Nepal Army. 26. Visits from India (October 2020) - 1. Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan visits Kuwait; meets new Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah 2. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Visited Japan, for attending Quadrilateral Foreign Ministers meet AND 13th India-Japan Foreign Ministers Strategic Dialogue. 1. India and Japan signed agreements of cooperation in Artificial Intelligence, 5G technology. The countries also agreed to give momentum to the supply chain initiative in the Indo-Pacific region. 2. Quad Meet was attended by foreign ministers from US, Japan, India and Australia, with emphasis on free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. 3. Vice Chief of Army Staff SK Saini visited USA. 27. Visits to India (December 2020) - 1. UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab Visited India. During his meet with Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, India and UK announced to set up a joint task force, to work towards mutual recognition of academic qualification. 2. General Izutsu Shunji, Chief of Japan Air Force visited India. 28. Visits to India (November 2020) - 1. General Robert Kibochi - Chief of Defence Forces of Kenya. India is first country that CDF Kenya is visiting outside Africa. 29. Wipro founder-chairman Azim Premji topped EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2020, with 7904 crores contribution between April 2019 and March 2020 towards philanthropic causes. 1. HCL Chairman Shiv Nadar 2nd (795 crores), Mukesh Ambani 3rd (458 crores). 2. Rohini Nilekani (47 crores) is at top among Indian women. Top

Science 1. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed MoU with IIT-BHU in Uttar Pradesh to set up a Regional Academic Centre for Space (RAC-S). 2. Researchers led by CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research) scientists found that snowcaps on mountains of Pluto are very much different from snowcaps on mountains of Earth. 1. It was discovered while exploring New Horizon space probe which was held in earlier 2015. 2. Research states that snow on Pluto's mountains consists of frozen methane, with traces of Methane present in Pluto's atmosphere, like water vapour on Earth. 3. Param Siddhi, India's high performance computing-artificial intelligence (HPC-AI) supercomputer established under National Supercomputing Mission at C-DAC, has been named 63rd in TOP 500 most powerful non-distributed computer systems globaly. It has Rpeak of 5.267 Petaflops and 4.6 Petaflops Rmax (Sustained). 4. A Chinese Firm will send world’s first mining robot named ‘asteroid mining robot’ into space. 1. Goal will be to assess asteroid mining robot’s capabilities – to find out how well it can identify and extract valuable resources. 5. A Consortium of Indian and German Scientists found that aerosols like black carbon and dust, which makes Indo-Gangetic Plain one of the most polluted regions of world, have led to increased incidents of high rainfall events in foothills of Himalayan Region. 1. Researchers showed that particulate emissions can alter physical and dynamical properties of cloud systems, and amplify rainfall events over orographic regions downwind of highly polluted urban areas. 2. Study indicate that aerosols can play a vital role in exciting high precipitation (HP) events over Himalayas during monsoon season. 6. A new species of pygmy grasshopper discovered by researchers from Eravikulam National Park (Kerala), has been named Tettilobus trishula for its trident-shaped protrusion in pronotum, resembling Lord Shiva’s three-pronged spear. 7. A study at Nainital Based Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) suggested a formula that can help probe black holes. 1. Black holes cannot be observed directly, but their presence can be detected by huge amount of energy that is liberated through temporary accumulation of matter outside black hole, before it dives into the BH, a process called accretion. 2. Scientists found the formula that can assess spectrum emitted from accretion discs around black holes. Spectra of accretion discs can help estimate the mass of the black hole. 3. This is first time any approach of removing degeneracy from two-temperature theory has been proposed. 8. Agharkar Research Institute Pune (ARI) researchers found new species of Indian Muraingrasses (known for ecological and economic importance), in Goa. 1. New species has been named Ischaemum janarthanamii in honour of Prof. M. K. Janarthanam, Goa University Professor known for his contribution to Indian grass taxonomy. 2. Globally 85 species are known from Ischaemum, of which 61 species are exclusively found in India. 9. American Aerospace Firm SpaceX delivered its 13th batch of 60 Starlink satellites, onboard a resuable two-stage Falcon 9 rocket. It was carried during world Space Week (Oct 4-10, 2020). 1. Starlink is a satellite internet constellation being constructed by SpaceX, providing satellite Internet access. It will consist of thousands of mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). 2. China also Luanched its first reusable spacecraft, named Chongfu Shiyong Shiyan Hangtian Qi (CSSHQ), launched on a Long March-2F carrier. 10. American Aircraft Maker Airbus revealed concepts of new hydrogen-powered zero-emission commercial aircraft that could enter service by 2035. Airbus has introduced 3 concepts for zero emission under code name ZEROe. 1. Turbofan design - Can accommodate 120 to 200 passengers and can fly at a range of 2000 plus nautical miles. 2. Blended wing body design - Can accommodate up to 200 passengers, with wingsd merge with main body of aircraft. 3. Turboprop design - Can accommodate up 200 passengers. It can travel at a speed of 1000 + nautical miles and are perfect for short haul trips. 11. American Space Exploration Firm SpaceX Launched Crew Dragon spacecraft Resilience, carrying crew of four astronauts to International Space Station (ISS) on 6 month long mission. Mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew-1 Program, whose objective is to make access to space exploration easier. Background - 1. NASA had recently certified SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket, making it first spacecraft certification provided by NASA. This will enable SpaceX to operate regular flights to space station. 2. Boeing and SpaceX were selected by NASA in September 2014 to develop transportation systems meant to transfer crew from US to ISS. 12. Amid need for dedicated efforts to tackle emerging challenges of operating in competitive space domain, Directorate of Space Situational Awareness and Management (DSSAM) has been established at ISRO. 1. ISRO SSA Control Centre NEtwork for space object TRacking and Analysis (NETRA), is now set up within ISTRAC campus at Bangalore. 2. This control centre is envisaged to function as a hub of all Space Situational Awareness (SSA) activities in India. 13. As per NASA Report, Greenland and Antarctica's ice sheets will contribute more than 38 centimetres to global sea level rise by 2100, if greenhouse gas emissions continue. 1. Findings are in line with projections in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) 2019 Special Report on Oceans, which projected that Greenland would contribute 8 to 27 cm to global sea level rise between 2000-2100. 14. As per NASA, Asteroid 16 Psyche, which orbits between Mars and Jupiter, is made entirely of metals such as Gold, Nickel and is worth an estimated $10,000 quadrillion. NASA wille be launching mission to study this asteroid, in 2022. 15. As per Observations by ISRO's Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) and MAVEN (US), Mars is losing its atmosphere to outer space at faster rate as compared to that of earth. 1. A global dust storm began to encircle Mars in June 2018, which heated and expanded Martian upper atmosphere. This heating led to part of atmosphere reach exobase altitude. 16. Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), a developed by Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has helped map around 300 million galaxies in just 300 hours, to create a ‘new atlas of the universe’. 1. Array consists of 36 identical parabolic Antennas, that work together as a single astronomical Inferometer. 17. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Mumbai developed Eye Cancer therapy in form of first indigenous Ruthenium 106 Plaque for treatment of Ocular Tumours, at par with international standards. 18. Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) commissioned largest HPC-AI supercomputer (High Performance Computing and Artificial Intelligence). HPC-AI supercomputer is a machine with 210 AI Petaflops (6.5 Petaflops Peak DP). 1. India has been implementing National Supercomputing Mission to build a network of 70 supercomputers. 19. China landed its spacecraft Chang'e-5 on Moon, which was launched on Nov 24, to bring back lunar rocks to Earth for first time since 1970s. 1. China also became 2nd country to unfurl its national flag on moon surface. Earlier, it was achieved by USA when it planted flag on Moon during Apollo mission in 1969. 20. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and KPIT ran trials of India’s first Hydrogen Fuel Cell (HFC) prototype car running on an indigenously developed fuel cell stack at CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune. 1. Fuel cell is a low temperature PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) type Fuel Cell that operates at 65-75 degree centigrade, which is suitable for vehicular applications. CSIR and KPIT have successfully developed a 10 kWe automotive grade LT- PEMFC fuel cell stack. 2. Hydrogen Fuel Cell (HFC) technology uses chemical reactions between hydrogen and oxygen (from air) to generate electrical energy, eliminating use of fossil fuels. 21. DRDO Young Scientist Laboratory for Quantum Technologies (DYSL-QT) has developed a fiber-optic branch path based Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG), which detects random quantum events and converts those into stream of binary digits. 22. Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank laid foundation stone of TiHAN-IIT Hyderabad, India’s first Test bed for Autonomous Navigation Systems (Terrestrial and Aerial). 1. Department of Science and Technology (DST) had sanctioned 135 crores to IIT Hyderabad under National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), to set up a Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation and Data Acquisition Systems. 23. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited delivered its biggest cryogenic propellant tank (C32 LH2), to ISRO. C32-LH2 aluminium alloy cryogenic propellant tank is designed for improving payload capability of GSLV MK-III launching vehicle. 24. IIT Alumni Council launched MegaScope, to include data analysis, testing and genomics to accurately diagnose infections and to prescribe personalised medicine. MegaScope will add host genome data mapping along with Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and data backbone to MegaLab initiative. 25. IIT Guwahati Researchers developed a new methodology to harvest water from the air by using concept of hydrophobicity. Researchers used concept of chemically patterned SLIPS for first time, to effectively harvest water from moist air. 26. IIT Kanpur Researchers developed Damaru Inspired Lattice, with applications in stealth submarines, high speed trains. Lattice based meta-structures have shown application in electro-magnetic and sonic wave absorption, which could create ‘invisibility’ of an object in optical / acoustic domain. 27. IIT Madras developed ‘MOUSHIK’, an indigenously-made microprocessor for the Internet of things (IoT) devices. funded by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. 28. ISRO Launched EOS-01 and 9 international customer satellites, onboard PSLV-C49, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR Sriharikota. 1. EOS-01 is an earth observation satellite, intended for applications in agriculture, forestry and disaster management support. It is the third of three-satellite constellation, with other two being RISAT-2B and RISAT-2BR1. 29. ISRO announced to asssist Chennai based rocket startup Agnikul Cosmos to test its small rocket that can launch 100 kg satellites into low earth orbit. It is first such assistance by ISRO to promote private sector. 30. ISRO launched Communication Satellite CMS-01, onboard Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C50, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Siharikota (Andhra Pradesh). CMS-01 (formerly known as GSAT-12R) is replacement of aging GSAT-12. It is India's 42nd Communication satellite. 31. ISRO's Ultra-Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT), which detected first extreme-UV rays in Universe from cosmic noon, completed 5 years of operation. 1. Its a 3-in-1 imaging telescope simultaneously observing in visible, near-ultraviolet (NUV), and far-ultraviolet (FUV) spectrum. 2. UVIT is part of India's first dedicated multi-wavelength space telescope Astrosat. 3. Its superior spatial resolution capability enabled astronomers to probe star formation in galaxies as well as resolve cores of star clusters (3 times better than NASA's GALEX). 4. Observations from UVIT recently led to discovery of a galaxy located at a distance of about 10 billion light-years from Earth and emitting extreme ultraviolet radiation that can ionize intergalactic medium. 32. ISRO’s maiden mission to Moon, Chandrayan-1, has sent images which show that Moon may be rusting along poles. 1. This indicates that Moon's poles may have water, as water and oxygen are needed to interact with iron to create rust. As of now, Moon is known have iron rich rocks, but not water and Oxygen. 2. Further, reason for this rutsing may also be help provided by Earth's atmosphere. 3. To decipher the same and do other studies, ISRO will launch Chandrayaan-3 in Early 2021. It will be mission repeat of Chandrayaan-2, which could not Land successfully on Moon's surface. It will include a Lander and Rover similar to that of Chandrayaan-2, but no orbiter. 33. Indian Astronomers have collaborated with 2020 Physics Nobel Laureate Andrea Ghez, for Thirty Meter Telescope Project. 1. TMT is a proposed extremely large telescope, planned to be set up at Mauna Kea on island of Hawaii (US). It is designed for Ultra Violet to mid infra red observations. 2. It has 30 metres prime mirror diameter and is three times as wide as the largest existing visible light telescope in world. 3. Due to objections by local communities, project has not made any significant progress. Thus, India has suggested for change of location, to Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos in Canary Islans, Spain. 4. India has committed to offer 200 milion USD, 10% of proposed cost. TMT has government-level support from Canada, China, Japan and India. US is also contributing some funding, but less than formal partnership. 34. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) partnered with Indian Institute of Science Bangalore (IISc), to develop hydrogen generation technology based on biomass gasification, to help produce fuel cell grade hydrogen at an affordable price. 35. Indian astronomers from National Centre for Radio Astrophysics Pune (NCRA-TIFR) and Raman Research Institute Bangalore (RRI) used upgraded Giant Metre wave Radio Telescope (GMRT), to measure atomic hydrogen content of galaxies to uncover mystery behind decline of star formation rate, after its peak 8-10 billion years ago. 1. Gases in Galaxies convert to stars with time. Understanding this conversion requires measurement of atomic hydrogen gas, the primary fuel for star formation. 36. Indian private aerospace manufacturer Skyroot Aerospace successfully test fired a solid propulsion rocket stage (Kalam-5), as first time in India that a private company has successfully designed, developed and tested a full solid propulsion rocket stage. 37. Indian researchers from Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (KoSO) of Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) and Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) have digitised films and photographs of sun taken at multiple wavelengths and corresponding to past century. 1. They digitised data (calling it proxy data), to develop first magnetic field map of Sun for period 1915-1965. 2. This may help Scientists study future magnetic activity of sun, with understanding of its behaviour in recent past. 38. Japanese Hayabusa2 spacecraft successfully returned back to earth after collecting over 5 grams of pristine black as coal soil and rock samples gathered from ancient near-earth asteroid Ryugu. 39. NASA's SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy) mission confirmed presence of water in clavius crater, which is on sun lit surface of Moon. 1. Earlier, ISRO Chandrayaan 1 had found presence of water in shadowed places of moon. 40. NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft collected sample of soil (57 Gram) from surface of asteroid Bennu, after successful touchdown on asteroid Bennu. 1. OSIRIS-REx was launched in Sep 2016, taking 4 years to travel to Bennu, which is 205 million miles from Earth. 41. National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources Scientists identified 4 new species of shrimps in coral reef in Lakshadweep islands. Two of them are named Periclimenella agatti, Urocaridella arabianesis. 42. On December 21, 2020, World witnessed rare celestial event called great conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter. 1. As this conjunction occurs after 400 years, it is called as ‘Great Conjunction’. 2. Closest Distance remained 735 million kilometres. 43. Researchers at Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) found that UV and blue light combination reversibly switches system between 3D and 1D photonic structure, a novel interaction that can help make tunable and effective optical devices. 1. They discovered that high levels of light in blue wavelengths or actinic light lead to switching between two photo isomers - Chiral Nematic (Ch) and Twist Grain Boundary Smectic C (TGBC), which are liquid crystal phases possessing photonic structures in 1 and 3D, respectively. 44. Researchers at Pune based Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) found biogenic methane hydrate deposits in Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin. 1. Methane hydrate is formed when hydrogen-bonded water and methane gas come into contact at high pressures and low temperatures in oceans. Methane is a clean and economical fuel, and a good alternative to fossil fuels. 2. It is estimated that one cubic meter of methane hydrate contains 160-180 cubic meters of methane. 45. Researchers discovered world's first known use of nanotechnology, used over 2600 years ago, in broken pieces of pottery from excavation site belonging to a city dating back to 3rd-6th century BCE. Site is approx 450km from Chennai, found 5 years ago. 1. Before this, oldest known carbon nanostructures were found in Damascus blades from 16th-18th century CE. 46. Researchers found a new genus of frogs in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, named Rohanixalus after Sri Lankan taxonomist Rohan Pethiyagoda. 1. Genus is a category of classification of animals and plants, which is above a species and below a family. It can include one or many similar species. Rohanixalus is 20th recognised genus of Rhacophoridae family. 2. This is first time a tree frog species has been found in the Andaman Islands. 47. Researchers found a new species of burrowing frog, naming it Sphaerotheca bengaluru, honouring Bengaluru City. 48. Researchers found a new species of perennial woody herb of genus Lepidagathis from northern laterite plateaus of Kasaragod (Kerala). 1. Since this rare plant was spotted in neighbourhood of the Ananthapura lake temple, it has been named ‘Lepidagathis ananthapuramensis’. 49. Researchers from Anna University, IISER Kolkata and Max Planck Institute of Germany found that population of stone age lived in a different landscape in Thar desert. 1. Researchers found a lost river in central Thar desert in Rajasthan, which existed over 172000 years ago. 2. River activity in region continued between 95000 to 78000 years ago. Later, there were only limited evidence for presence of river. 50. Researchers from India and Italy discovered a new plant species of Sahyadri globe thistle, Echinops sahyadricus, from Rajgad Fort area in Pune (Maharashtra). The newly discovered species, under genus Echinops, is endemic to western Maharashtra. 51. Researchers identified a new species of freshwater fish from Ganga in West Bengal, named Systomus gracilus for its thin and compressed body. ‘Gracilus’ means slim in Latin. 52. Scientists Discovered new species of Glowing mushrooms from bamboo forests of Meghalaya, as first distributional record of genus Roridomyces in India. 53. Scientists at Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences Nainital (ARIES) found low concentration of near surface ozone in Brahamputra River Valley region (Including Guwahati), compared to other urban locations in India. 1. Tropospheric, or ground-level ozone, is created by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). It increases when pollutants react in presence of sunlight, impacting human health. 54. Scientists at Australian National University (ANU) detected most massive black hole collision ever. 1. Short gravitational-wave signal, GW190521 that was captured by LIGO and VIRGO gravitational-wave observatories in 2019, came from 2 highly spinning, mammoth black holes that weighed at 85 and 66 times mass of Sun, respectively. 55. Scientists at Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences Bangalore (CeNS), developed an eco-friendly smart screen from groundnut shells that can help in preserving privacy and energy conservation, by controlling light and heat passing through it and reducing air conditioning load. 1. Scientists devised a solution for making a cellulose-based smart screen from discarded ground nutshells. 2. In smart screen application, liquid crystal molecules were confined in a polymer matrix. The matrix was built using cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) which were prepared from discarded groundnut shells. 56. Scientists at International Advanced Research Center for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI) and IIT Hyderabad have developed a scalable and cost-effective electrochemical route to synthesize electrodes made of Nickel cobaltite, for hybrid supercapacitors. It can pave way for next generation high power-high energy storage devices. 57. Scientists at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) introduced new catalytic properties in gold by altering most stable fcc lattice, converting it into a new avatar that can trigger gold-based catalysis for industry. 1. Gold is used extensively in jewelry and industrial applications, because of its high resistance against conventional oxidizing environments. 2. Unique property of Gold (Au) is mainly dictated by its atomic arrangement in crystal structure, called face-centered cubic (fcc) lattice. 58. Scientists at Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI) identified a new and rare species of the climber genus, Pothos (family Araceae) in Western Ghats in Idukki district (Kerala), named after Peter C. Boyce, an expert on Araceae of southeast Asia. 59. Scientists at Nainital Based Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) estimated turbulence parameters in lower troposphere over central Himalayan region for first time, which may make weather predictions more certain in Himalaya region, preventing air traffic disasters more effectively. 1. Researchers calculated magnitude of refractive index structure (Cn2), which represents strength of atmospheric turbulence. Cn2 is found to be large at lower altitudes, due to mountain wave activities and presence of low-level clouds. 60. Scientists at Netherlands Cancer Institute discovered a new organ in human throat during a research on prostate cancer, discovering a set of salivary glands in upper part of throat. They named it Tubarial salivary glands. 1. Newly discovered organ is about 1.5 inches in length and is located over a piece of cartilage called torus tubarius. 2. Its main function of the organ is to lubricate and moisten the upper throat, located right behind nose and mouth. 61. Scientists collected first possible radio signal from an exoplanet, located 51 light years away located in Tau Bootes star-system. Signals were received by a Low Frequency Array radio telescope located in Netherlands. 62. Scientists discovered a new family of bony fish from Western Ghats in Northern Kerala, naming it Aenigmachannidae. 1. Aenigmachanna gollum has surprisingly large number of primitive characters, and detailed molecular phylogenetic analyses, suggesting an ancient separation from Channidae. 63. Scientists discovered new species a wild Sun Rose called Portulaca laljii, in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh (Eastern Ghats). It has been named after Lal Ji Singh, an eminent botanist of Botanical Survey of India. 64. Scientists for the first time, discovered a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting a white dwarf or a dead star, located about 80 light years away, in northern constellation Draco . Planet named WD 1856 b, orbits smaller star every 34 hours. 65. Scientists from Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) found a new way to probe into supermassive black holes – detecting their properties like mass and spin by observing how they rip apart stars. 1. Study focused on observations of a given stellar disruption event (TDE), has inferred black hole mass, star mass, and point of closest approach of star's orbit. 1. Tidal disruption events (TDE) are when Stars are disrupted when black hole's tidal gravity exceeds star's self-gravity. 66. Scientists from Agharkar Research Institute Pune (ARI) found 2 new species of pipeworts (Eriocaulon), known for their varied medicinal properties, in Maharashtra and Karnataka (Western Ghats). 1. The species reported from Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra was named as Eriocaulon parvicephalum, and other reported from Kumta, Karnataka was named as Eriocaulon karaavalense. 67. Scientists from Florida State University (US) discovered a rare supernova explosion one-hundred million light-years away from Earth, from unique star known as “supernova LSQ14fmg”. Researchers, for first time, are able to trace origins of group of supernovae and origin of solitary star that caused it. 68. Scientists from India, Serbia, and USA studied some of brightest blazers called TeV (Tera-electron Volt) blazars and found that they stand out as a semblance of stability of brightness among blazar family in short duration. 1. Blazars are one of most luminous and energetic objects in universe powered by material falling onto a supermassive black hole at center of host galaxy. 69. Scientists from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Science and Research (JNCASR) developed a synthetic mimic of redox- active biological assemblies, with precise structure and dynamics that can be manipulated. 1. The developed synthetic material mimics dynamic capability of living organisms to adapt to new environments. It opens new avenues for smart materials because of their dynamic and adaptive nature. 70. Scientists from Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) that suture zone of Himalaya that was conventionally thought to be locked, is now tectonically active. This may have implications in terms of earthquake study and prediction. 1. Data stated that Indus Suture Zone (ISZ) has been neo-tectonically active since last 78000 - 58000 years. 71. Scientists from West Bengal discovered first dragonfly fossil found in India in Jharkhand’s Latehar district, said to be at least 2.5 million years old, belonging to late Neogene period. Experts suggest it belongs to Meganeuropsis permiana. 72. Scientists revealed detecting potential signs on life on our inhospitable Neighbor Venus, detecting gas called phosphine in acidic clouds of Venus, that indicates microbes may inhabit it. 1. Phosphine is produced by bacteria thriving in oxygen-starved environments on Earth. 2. Presence of Phosphine was confirmed using ALMA radio telescope in Chile. 73. Space start-up Pixxel signed agreement with New Space India Limited (NSIL), to launch India's first private remote-sensing satellite onboard an ISRO PSLV rocket. 1. Earlie, IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center) was created for enabling private players to undertake space activities in India. 74. Status of National National Super Computing Mission (NSM) - 1. It will be completed in 3 phases. With infrastructure planned in NSM Phase-I already installed and much of Phase-II in place. 2. Network of supercomputers will soon reach 16 Petaflops (PF) (Currently 6.6 PF). Phase-III, to be initiated in January 2021, will take computing speed to around 45 Petaflops. 3. Param Shivay, was first supercomputer assembled indigenously, installed in IIT (BHU), followed by Param Shakti and Param Brahma at IIT-Kharagpur and IISER, Pune, respectively. 4. In Phase-II, 8 more institutions will be equipped with supercomputing facilities by April 2021, with total 10 PF compute capacity. 5. 3 phases will provide access to High-Performance Computing Facilities to institutions, researchers and academicians throughout Nation. 6. India has developed an Indigenous server (Rudra), which can meet HPC requirements of all governments and PSUs, as first time a server system has been made in India, with full software stack developed by C-DAC. 75. To avoid manual interpretation of growing 3D seismic data, to explore causes of earthquake, a new machine learning-based solution has been developed by Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology(WIHG). 1. This first of its kind approach has been developed by computing a new attribute called meta-attribute. 76. University of Texas (US) Researchers created smallest memory device yet, called atomristor, which may lead to faster and more energy-efficient electronic chips. 1. New device has capacity of 25 terabits per square centimeter, which is about 100 times higher memory density per layer compared with commercially available flash memory devices. Top

Sports 1. 2020 Denmark Open Tennis - 1. Men's Singles - Anders Antonsen (Denmark) 2. Women's Singles - Nozomi Okuhara (Japan) 3. Men's Doubles - England's Marcus Ellis AND Chris Langridge 4. Women's Doubles - Japan's Yuki Fukushima AND Sayaka Hirota 5. Mixed Doubles - Germany's Mark Lamsfuß AND Isabel Herttrich 2. 2020 Indian Premier League Cricket Title (13th edition, Sponsored by Dream 11) - 1. Mumbai Indians won the title (their 5th), defeating Delh Capitals in Final. 2. Facts - 1. It was hosted in UAE, due to Covid-19 Pandemic. 2. Player of series (Most Valuable Player) - Jofra Archer (RR) 3. Most runs (Orange Cap) - K. L. Rahul (KXIP) 4. Most wickets (Purple Cap) - Kagiso Rabada (DC) 5. Emerging Player of the season - Devdutt Padikkal (RCB) 3. 2020 Women's T20 Challenge was also held on sidelines. It was sponsored by Jio and won by Trailblazers. 3. 2020 ATP Finals Men's Tennis (London) - 1. Singles - Daniil Medvedev (Russia. He Defeated Dominic Thiem (Austria) 2. Doubles - Wesley Koolhof (Netherlands) AND Nikola Mektić (Croatia) 4. 2020 ITTF Women's World Cup Tennis (Weihai, China) - 1. Medalists are China's Chen Meng (Gold), China's Sun Yingsha (Silver), Japan's Mima Ito (Bronze). 5. 2020 Italian Open Tennis- 1. Men's Singles - Novak Djokovic (Serbia). He defeated Diego Schwartzman (Argentina). 2. Women's Singles - Simona Halep (Romania). She Defeated Karolína Plíšková (Czech Republic). 3. Men's Doubles - Marcel Granollers (Spain) AND Horacio Zeballos (Argentina) 4. Women's Doubles - Hsieh Su-wei (Chinese Taipei) AND Barbora Strýcová (Czech Republic) 6. 2020 Rolex Paris Masters Men's Tennis Title - 1. Singles - Daniil Medvedev (Russia), defeated Alexander Zverev (Germany) 2. Doubles - Félix Auger-Aliassime (Canada) AND Hubert Hurkacz (Poland) 7. 2020 Upper Austria Ladies Linz Tennis Title - 1. Singles - Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) 2. Doubles - Arantxa Rus (Netherlands) AND Tamara Zidanšek (Slovenia) 8. 2020 French Open Tennis Title (124th Edition) - 1. Men's Singles - Rafael Nadal (Spain). He Defeated Novak Djokovic (Serbia). It was Nadal's 13th French Open Title and Overall His 20th Grand Slam Title. 2. Women's Singles - Iga Świątek (Poland). She defeated Sofia Kenin (US). Its First Grand Slam title for Iga Świątek. She is also First Polish Player to win a Grand Slam Singles Title. 3. Men's Doubles - Kevin Krawietz (Germany), Andreas Mies (Germany). They defeated Mate Pavić (Croatia) AND Bruno Soares (Brazil). 4. Women's Doubles - Tímea Babos (Hungary) AND Kristina Mladenovic (France). They defeated Alexa Guarachi (Chile) AND Desirae Krawczyk (US). 5. Boys' Singles - Dominic Stricker (Switzerland) 6. Girls' Singles - Elsa Jacquemot (France) 7. The mixed doubles event did not take place this year. 9. Ahead of 2023 Hockey World Cup, India's largest hockey stadium will be built in Rourkela (Odisha), With seating capacity of 20000. 10. All India Football Federation launche their new motto Indian Football. Forward Together, defining the new brand direction. 11. As per International Cricket Council (ICC)'s new minimum age policy, a player must be at least 15-years-old to play International cricket. 12. Athletes Bajrang Punia (Freestyle-Wrestling) and Elavenil Valarivan (Shooting) won top honours at virtual FICCI India Sports Awards 2020. Also, 1. Best State Promoting Sports Award went to Madhya Pradesh. 2. Air Force Sports Control Board (AFSCB) is named as winner in category of Best Company Promoting Sports (Public Sector). 13. Due to Pandemic, FIFA canceled 2021 editions of men's U-20 World Cup and U-17 World Cup, giving hosting rights to Indonesia and Peru respectively for 2023 editions (who were to host canceled 2021 editions). 14. ICC Announced that 2022 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup will be hosted by New Zealand. 15. India Announced to build a cricket stadium of 22000 spectators capacity, and a 100-bedded cancer hospital in Hulhumale (Maldives). 16. Indian Boxers won 9 medals (3 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze) at Cologne Boxing World Cup in Cologne (Germany). 1. Gold - Amit Panghal (Flyweight 52kg M), Manisha Moun (57kg W) and Simranjit Kaur (60kg W). 2. Silver - Sakshi (57kg W) , Satish Kumar (91kg M). 3. Bronze - Sonia Lather (57kg W), Pooja Rani (75kg W), Gaurav Solanki (57kg M) , and Mohamed Hussamudin (57kg M). 17. Indian tennis player Ankita Raina won her third doubles title by claiming ITF Doubles Title in Dubai, along with Ekaterine Gorgodze (Georgia). 18. International Olympic Committee (IOC) registered Breakdancing as newest entry into Olympics, to be known as Breaking in Olympics. Breaking will make its Olympic Games debut at the 2024 Paris Games (2024 Summer Olympics). 1. Also, 3 new sports -skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing, will make their Olympic debuts at Tokyo Games 2021 (earlier 2020 Summer Olympics). 19. Mercedes F1 Racing Driver Lewis Hamilton (UK) won Tuscan Grand Prix. 1. 2020 F1 Season-

1. Round Grand Prix Winner Race date 1 Austrian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 5 July

2 Styrian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 12 July

3 Hungarian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 19 July

4 British Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 2 August

5 70th Anniversary Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch) 9 August

6 Spanish Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 16 August

7 Belgian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 30 August

8 Italian Grand Prix Pierre Gasly (France) 6 September

9 Tuscan Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 13 September

10 Russian Grand Prix 27 September

11 Eifel Grand Prix 11 October

12 Portuguese Grand Prix 25 October

13 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix 1 November 20. Mercedes F1 Racing Driver Lewis Hamilton (UK) won Bahrain Grand Prix. 1. 2020 F1 Season - Round Grand Prix Winner Race date 1. 1 Austrian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 5 July

2 Styrian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 12 July

3 Hungarian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 19 July

4 British Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 2 August

5 70th Anniversary Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch) 9 August

6 Spanish Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 16 August

7 Belgian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 30 August

8 Italian Grand Prix Pierre Gasly (France) 6 September

9 Tuscan Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 13 September

10 Russian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 27 September

11 Eifel Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 11 October

12 Portuguese Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 25 October

13 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 1 November

14 Turkish Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 15 November

15 Bahrain Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 29 November

16 Sakhir Grand Prix 6 December

17 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 13 December 21. Mercedes F1 Racing Driver Lewis Hamilton (UK) won Eifel Grand Prix. With This, Lewis has equalled Michael Schumacher's record of 91 wins. 1. 2020 F1 Season - 1. Round Grand Prix Winner Race date 1 Austrian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 5 July

2 Styrian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 12 July

3 Hungarian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 19 July

4 British Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 2 August

5 70th Anniversary Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch) 9 August

6 Spanish Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 16 August

7 Belgian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 30 August

8 Italian Grand Prix Pierre Gasly (France) 6 September

9 Tuscan Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 13 September

10 Russian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 27 September

11 Eifel Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 11 October

12 Portuguese Grand Prix 25 October

13 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix 1 November 22. Mercedes F1 Racing Driver Lewis Hamilton (UK) won Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. 1. 2020 F1 Season - Round Grand Prix Winner Race date 1. 1 Austrian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 5 July

2 Styrian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 12 July

3 Hungarian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 19 July

4 British Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 2 August

5 70th Anniversary Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch) 9 August

6 Spanish Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 16 August

7 Belgian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 30 August

8 Italian Grand Prix Pierre Gasly (France) 6 September

9 Tuscan Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 13 September

10 Russian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 27 September

11 Eifel Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 11 October

12 Portuguese Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 25 October

13 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 1 November

14 Turkish Grand Prix 15 November

15 Bahrain Grand Prix 29 November

16 Sakhir Grand Prix 6 December

17 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 13 December 23. Mercedes F1 Racing Driver Lewis Hamilton (UK) won Portuguese Grand Prix. With his 92nd F1 Win, Lewis went past Michael Schumacher's record of 91 wins. 1. 2020 F1 Season - Round Grand Prix Winner Race date 1. 1 Austrian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 5 July

2 Styrian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 12 July

3 Hungarian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 19 July

4 British Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 2 August 5 70th Anniversary Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch) 9 August

6 Spanish Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 16 August

7 Belgian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 30 August

8 Italian Grand Prix Pierre Gasly (France) 6 September

9 Tuscan Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 13 September

10 Russian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 27 September

11 Eifel Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 11 October

12 Portuguese Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 25 October

13 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix 1 November 24. Mercedes F1 Racing Driver Lewis Hamilton (UK) won Turkish Grand Prix, securing his 7th F1 Title. 1. 2020 F1 Season -

1. Round Grand Prix Winner Race date 1 Austrian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 5 July

2 Styrian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 12 July

3 Hungarian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 19 July

4 British Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 2 August

5 70th Anniversary Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch) 9 August

6 Spanish Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 16 August

7 Belgian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 30 August

8 Italian Grand Prix Pierre Gasly (France) 6 September

9 Tuscan Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 13 September

10 Russian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 27 September

11 Eifel Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 11 October

12 Portuguese Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 25 October

13 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 1 November

14 Turkish Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 15 November

15 Bahrain Grand Prix 29 November

16 Sakhir Grand Prix 6 December

17 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 13 December 25. Mercedes F1 Racing Driver Valtteri Bottas (Finland) won Russian Grand Prix. 1. 2020 F1 Season-

1. Round Grand Prix Winner Race date 1 Austrian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 5 July

2 Styrian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 12 July

3 Hungarian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 19 July

4 British Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 2 August

5 70th Anniversary Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch) 9 August

6 Spanish Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 16 August

7 Belgian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 30 August

8 Italian Grand Prix Pierre Gasly (France) 6 September

9 Tuscan Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 13 September

10 Russian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 27 September 11 Eifel Grand Prix 11 October

12 Portuguese Grand Prix 25 October

13 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix 1 November 26. Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced formal recognition of Yogasana as a competitive sport. 27. Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports restored recognition to Archery Association of India as a National Sports Federation for promotion and regulation of Archery Sport in country. 1. Recognition was withdrawn 8 years after failure to conduct its elections in accordance with National Sports Development Code 2011. 28. Misc. Sports Events (December 2020) - 1. FIFA named Japan as host of 7 Team 2021 Club World Cup. 2. Kenya’s Kibiwott Kandie has set new half marathon world record at Valencia Half Marathon (Spain), by finishing in 57:32 Minutes. 3. Sports Ministry Announced to start 1000 Khelo India centres across country, to help retired sportspersons get employment and to encourage sports culture. 4. Maldives has been replaced by Madagascar to host Indian Ocean Island Games which will be held in 2023, amid pandemic. 5. Sri Lanka will host Asia Cup Cricket in June 2021, while Pakistan will host in 2022. 6. Sabrina Filzmoser of Austria and Flavio Canto of Brazil are appointed as 'IJF Climate Ambassadors by IJF (International Judo Federation). 7. Geneva based Court of arbitration for sports banned Russia from using its flag, name and national anthem at next two Olympics or at any world championships, due to Doping charges. 8. Qatar has been given rights to host 2030 Asian Games, while 2034 Asian games will be hosted by Saudi Arabia. 9. Odisha's Rourkela has been selected as 2nd venue for FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023, besides capital Bhubaneswar. 10. India's Yash Vardhan wo Gold in 10 m Air Rifle event at 6th International Online Shooting Championship (IOSC). 11. Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) banned Mauritian badminton player Kate Jessica Foo Kune for two years for anti- doping violation. 1. Russian badminton player Nikita Khakimov has also been banned for 5 years. 29. Misc. Sports Events (November 2020) - 1. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju inaugurated Sports Authority of India’s (SAI)'s new Regional Centre in Zirakpur (Punjab), to act as main SAI centre for northern India. 2. Indian female tennis player Rutuja Bhosale won $15,000 ITF Women’s event in Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt). 3. Pakistani Umpire Aleem Dar broke record for most ODIs as an on-field umpire, after standing in his 210th ODI. He surpassed South African Rudi Koertzen. 4. Indian boxers Amit Panghal, Sanjeet and Ashish Kumar won gold at Alexis Valentine Tournament held in Nantes (France). It was first post lockdown international event that Indian boxers were part of. 5. FIFA cancelled Women Under-17 world 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic, which was to be held in India. 1. FIFA announced that Costa Rica will host FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup 2022 and India will host FIFA Under- 17 Women’s World Cup 2022. 6. Indian cricketer Virat Kohli became quickest batsman to complete 22000 International runs, taking 462 innings, getting past Sachin Tendulkar. 30. Misc. Sports News (Sep 2020) - 1. Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) accepted proposal of Department of Sports to grant benefit of sports quota to athletes of 20 new disciplines. List of sports which qualify for appointment of meritorious sportspersons under Central Government, is now revised from 43 to 63. 2. Indian Chess Player P Iniyan won Annual World Open online chess tournament held Virtually. 3. Cycling Federation of India (CFI) will host first-ever Cycling Summit in 2021, to promote culture of cycling in country. 4. Windies Cricketer Dwayne Bravo became first cricket ambassador for “SBOTOP” sportsbook brand. 5. Indian Police Officer Poonam Khatri claimed World Championship status after her silver medal at Wushu World Championship 2019 has been upgraded to a Gold medal. Mariyam, Gold winner in 75 kg category, recently failed dope test, conferring gold medal to Poonam. 6. Portugese Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo became second male player to score 100 international goals, after hitting his 100th goal for Portugal during UEFA Nations League match against Sweden. First Player to do so is Ali Daei of Iran. 31. Misc. Sports News / Events (October 2020) - 1. India’s Visnu Shivaraj Pandian won 10m air rifle event at 5th edition of the International Online Shooting Championship. 2. Australian woman cricketer and wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy broke record of Most Dismissal by Wicket Keeper, which was earlier kept by MS Dhoni, who made 91 dismissals. 3. Los Angeles Lakers defeated Miami Heat to win USA's National Basketball Association (NBA) Championship 2020, as 17th NBA title win for LA Lakers. 4. Romania’s 2008 Olympic champion, Constantina Dita has been named an ambassador for the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020 (Poland). 5. Sports Ministry upgraded centres from 9 States / UTs to Khelo India State Centre of Excellence (KISCE) under Khelo India scheme. Earlier in 2020, Ministry identified total of 14 centres to be upgraded to KISCEs. Overall number now stands at 24 KISCEs. 6. India's Elavenil Valarivan won gold medal in women’s event of 2020 Sheikh Russel International Air Rifle Championship in Bangladesh. 7. Unique Plastic Premier League (PPL) tournament held in Indore (Madhya Pradesh), to free city from single use plastic. 32. Mohun Bagan FC secured I-League title for the 2019-20 season, with four rounds to spare. Mohun Bagan equaled Dempo SC’s five NFL and I-League titles. 33. Odisha government signed 3 year agreement with Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU), to sponsor Indian National Rugby teams till 2023. 34. Red Bull F1 Racing Driver Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch) won Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (UAE), last race of F1 Season 2020. 1. 2020 F1 Season - Round Grand Prix Winner Race date 1. 1 Austrian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 5 July

2 Styrian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 12 July

3 Hungarian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 19 July

4 British Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 2 August

5 70th Anniversary Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch) 9 August

6 Spanish Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 16 August

7 Belgian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 30 August

8 Italian Grand Prix Pierre Gasly (France) 6 September

9 Tuscan Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 13 September

10 Russian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 27 September

11 Eifel Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 11 October

12 Portuguese Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 25 October

13 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 1 November

14 Turkish Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 15 November

15 Bahrain Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 29 November

16 Sakhir Grand Prix Sergio Pérez (Mexico) 6 December

17 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix` Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch) 13 December 35. Red Bull F1 Racing Driver Sergio Pérez (Mexico) won Sakhir Grand Prix (Bahrain). 1. Also, Jehan Daruvala became first Indian to win a Formula 2 race, during Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain. Formula 2 Championship is a second-tier racing championship. 2. 2020 F1 Season - Round Grand Prix Winner Race date 1. 1 Austrian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 5 July 2 Styrian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 12 July

3 Hungarian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 19 July

4 British Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 2 August

5 70th Anniversary Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch) 9 August

6 Spanish Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 16 August

7 Belgian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 30 August

8 Italian Grand Prix Pierre Gasly (France) 6 September

9 Tuscan Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 13 September

10 Russian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 27 September

11 Eifel Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 11 October

12 Portuguese Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 25 October

13 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 1 November

14 Turkish Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 15 November

15 Bahrain Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 29 November

16 Sakhir Grand Prix Sergio Pérez (Mexico) 6 December

17 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 13 December 36. Scuderia AlphaTauri F1 Racer Pierre Gasly (France) won Italian Grand Prix. 1. 2020 F1 Season- Round Grand Prix Winner Race date 1. 1 Austrian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 5 July

2 Styrian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 12 July

3 Hungarian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 19 July

4 British Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 2 August

5 70th Anniversary Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch) 9 August

6 Spanish Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 16 August

7 Belgian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (UK) 30 August

8 Italian Grand Prix Pierre Gasly (France) 6 September

9 Tuscan Grand Prix 13 September

10 Russian Grand Prix 27 September

11 Eifel Grand Prix 11 October

12 Portuguese Grand Prix 25 October

13 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix 1 November 37. Serbian Tennis Player Novak Djokovic earned ATP Tour No. 1 trophy for finishing 2020 as year-end world No. 1. 1. He became second player in tennis history, after Pete Sampras, to receive the trophy sixth time. 38. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju flagged off 917 km long Brahmaputra Aamantran Abhiyaan, a river rafting expedition and public outreach programme in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. 39. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju inaugurated 8 Khelo India State Centres of Excellence (KISCEs) in States - Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Kerala, Telangana, Nagaland, Karnataka and Odisha. 1. Aim is to promote Sporting culture across India, with a vision is to see India in top 10 in Los Angeles Olympics 2028. 2. Earlier in Nov 2020, Sports Ministry had upgraded centres from 9 States / UTs to Khelo India State Centre of Excellence (KISCE). Overall number now stands at 32 KISCEs. 40. Sports Ministry approved inclusion of four Indigenous Games to be part of Khelo India Youth Games 2021, scheduled to take place in Haryana. The games include Gatka, Kalaripayattu, Thang-Ta and Mallakhamba. 41. Sports Ministry introduced a incentivisation structure to extend monetary support to 500 private academies, through Khelo India Scheme over 4 years starting FY 2020-21. 1. In this, private academies shall be graded into different categories based on several parameters. 2. 14 priority disciplines identified for excellence in 2028 Olympics will be eligible for receiving support in first phase. 42. Swedish pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis and Venezuelan triple jumper Yulimar Rojas are 2020 Male and Female World Athletes of the Year, announced by World Athletics. 43. US Open Tennis 2020 (140th Edition) - 1. Men's Singles - Dominic Thiem (Austria). He defeated Alexander Zverev (Germany) 1. Its 1st Grand Slam Title for Dominic Thiem. 2. Women's Singles - Naomi Osaka (Japan). She defeated Victoria Azarenka (Belarus). 1. Its 3rd Grand Slam Title for Naomi Osaka. Other wins - Australian Open 2019 and US Open 2018. 3. Men's Doubles - Mate Pavić (Croatia) AND Bruno Soares (Brazil) 4. Women's Doubles - Laura Siegemund (Germany) AND Vera Zvonareva (Russia) 44. Women's Tennis Tournament Fed Cup has been renamed as Billie Jean King Cup. 1. Almost 6 decades after King helped US to win inagural Fed Cup. 2. This tournament becomes first tennis competition to be named after a woman. 45. Wrestler Anshu Malik won India’s only medal at Individual Wrestling World Cup in Belgrade (Serbia), by winning Silver in 57kg women’s freestyle. Russia remained at top with 24 Medals (17 Gold, 2 Silver, 5 Bronze). Top

Read Important Ones