Weekly PDF

Current Affairs Weekly PDF – October 2020 1st

Week (1-8)
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
NHPC & PFC Inked MoU with Power Ministry detailing targets for FY 2020-21
Power Finance Corporation Ltd (PFC) and NHPC Limited have signed a performance-based MoU with
Ministry of Power (MoP) in New Delhi detailing various targets to be achieved during FY 2020-21.
Read More Details Here: NHPC & PFC Inked MoU with Power Ministry detailing targets for FY 2020-21

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

South Eastern Railway Launched “Operation My Saheli” to Improve Security of Women

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

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

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

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

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

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Read More Details Here: President Ram Nath Kovind Gives Assent to 3 labour codes along with
Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2020

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

MEA brings Indo-Pacific, ASEAN Policies under One Unit

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

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

Cabinet Committee on Security Approves Proposal for Establishment of ASCON Phase IV

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

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

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

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

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

PM Inaugurates ‘Atal Tunnel’- World’s Longest Highway Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh

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

Narendra Modi inaugurated Virtual Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV)

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

SUNIDHI Project Launched to Digitise CMPFO Services

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

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

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses International Webinar on Textile Traditions

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

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Famous Chilli of Sikkim “Dalle Khursani” Earns GI Tag

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

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

Delhi-Mumbai e-way to have India’s 1st 5 “Animal Bridges”

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

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

Piyush Goyal Virtually Inaugurates Renaming of Naugarh Railway Station to Siddharthnagar

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Department of Fertilizers Ranked 3rd Among 65 Ministries/Department: DMEO

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

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

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

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

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

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

India set to build Cancer Hospital, Cricket Stadium in Maldives

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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BANKING & FINANCE

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

RBI Defers Basel III provisions amid COVID Uncertainty; Borrowing Limit for Banks & States
Extended till Mar 31, 2021
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) deferred implementation of provisions made under Basel III capital due to
uncertainty related to COVID crisis. In this regard, RBI will repel the final tranche of the capital
conservation buffer (CCB) and the implementation of Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR) by six months i.e.
April 1, 2021.
Read More Details Here: RBI Defers Basel III provisions amid Covid Uncertainty; Borrowing Limit for
Banks & States Extended till Mar 31, 2021

Indian Bank Launched ‘IB-eNote’, Green-Tech Initiative

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

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

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

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

RBI excludes 6 PSBs from Second Schedule of RBI Act

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) excluded six public sector banks (PSBs) from the Second Schedule of the RBI
Act, 1934 following their merger with other banks with effect from April 01, 2020. The six banks are
Syndicate Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC), United Bank of India, Andhra Bank, Corporation Bank,
and Allahabad Bank. OBC and United Bank of India merged into Punjab National Bank; Syndicate Bank
into Canara Bank; Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank into Union Bank of India; and Allahabad Bank into

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Indian Bank. After the consolidation, there are 12 PSBs in the country, seven large PSBs, and five are
smaller ones.

NABARD to Undertake Sanitation Literacy Campaign to Promote Literacy on ”WASH”

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

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

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

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

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

Narendra Singh Tomar Launched PNB’s Financial Inclusion Initiative Gram Sampark Abhiyan
To commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi (October 2, 2020), Punjab National
Bank (PNB) has launched a 3 months long nationwide campaign of financial inclusion and literacy
initiative “Gram Sampark Abhiyan”. It was launched by Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Narendra Singh Tomar on the lines of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat”. The campaign is centered on four key
themes viz. digital, credit, social security and financial literacy.

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

ICICI Bank in partnership with Visa Launched the 1st of its kind Debit Card Facility for Availing
LAS
ICICI Bank in partnership with Visa introduced a debit card facility for customers who avail Loan Against
Securities (LAS) from the bank. The card is available on the Visa platform. With this introduction, ICICI
bank becomes the 1st bank in India to launch this facility after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allowed

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banks to issue electronic cards to customers availing an Overdraft (OD) facility, that are only in the nature
of personal loan with no specific end-use restriction.

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

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

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

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

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

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

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

RGICL Partnered with SatSure Analytics for Crop Insurance Business Operations
Reliance General Insurance Company Limited (RGICL), a 100% subsidiary of Reliance Capital announced
its partnership with Bengaluru based SatSure Analytics, a wholly owned subsidiary of SatSure AG,

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Switzerland to improve its operations of its crop insurance business and satellite based crop monitoring
and predictive analytics support for risk management.

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

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

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

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

Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh Selected for Gandhi Award of MGNF

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

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

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

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

IACC Conferred Lifetime Achievement Award to Ratan N. Tata

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

Harvey J. Alter, Charles M. Rice & Michael Houghton won 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or
Medicine for discovering the Hepatitis C virus
The Head of the Nobel Committee, Thomas Perlmann announced the Nobel Prize in Physiology or
Medicine 2020 jointly to 2 Americans Harvey J. Alter and Charles M. Rice and one British-born scientist
Michael Houghton for discovering the Hepatitis C virus, a major global health problem that causes
cirrhosis and liver cancer at the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden.

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

Union Minister Piyush Goyal releases results of 1st Edition of National Startup Awards 2020
Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal released the results of the First Edition of National
Startup Awards 2020 in a virtual ceremony. The First Ever National Startup Awards has been conceived
by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
Read More Details Here: Union Minister Piyush Goyal releases results of 1st Edition of National Startup
Awards 2020

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

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APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jordan’s King Abdullah II Accepted the Resignation of Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz
King of Jordan, Abdullah II accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz. The monarch
dissolved the parliament on 2nd October 2020, at the end of its 4-year term. The capital and currency of
Jordan are Amman and Jordanian Dinar respectively.

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Hudle Appointed Ajinkya Rahane as its Brand Ambassador and Advisor

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

Kuwaiti Govt, headed by Prime Minister Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah Resigns

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

Government of India Appoints Dinesh Kumar Khara as the Chairman of SBI

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

Government Appoints J Venkatramu as MD, CEO of India Post Payments Bank

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

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

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

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

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

GIC, TPG to invest about $1 billion in Reliance Retail

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

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ADIA to Invest Rs.5512.50 Crore in RRVL

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

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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

ICG Ship Kanaklata Barua Commissioned at Kolkata

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

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

MoHUA Launched NCRPB’s Project Management Information System (P-MIS) Portal

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

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

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

DRDO Successfully Test Fires Laser-Guided Anti-Tank Guided Missile

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test fired the Indigenously
developed Laser-Guided Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) from Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun at KK
Ranges in Armoured Corps Centre and School (ACC&S) in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. It has a range of

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upto to 5 kilometres. The Laser Guided Missile has been developed by Armament Research &
Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune in association with High Energy Materials Research
Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune and Instruments Research & Development Establishment (IRDE), Dehradun.

Indian Railways Launches Portal for Freight Business Development

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

ICMR, Biological E Developed Purified Equine Antiserum to Treat COVID-19

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

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

India Successfully Test-Fired New Version of Nuclear-Capable surface-to-surface Missile,

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

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

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

India, France to launch Constellation of Maritime Surveillance Satellites for IOR Region
France’s National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) and India’s Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
will jointly launch Constellation of Maritime Surveillance Satellites for Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The

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Satellite will trace illegal spillage of oil by ships. It will be the first space-based system in the world
capable of tracking ships continuously.

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

ICG Offshore Patrol Vessel ‘Vigraha’ launched to enhance Coastal Security

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

Russia Successfully Test-Fires Tsirkon Hypersonic Cruise Missile

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

Indian Private Firm Alpha Design Technology Limited to upgrade Pechora surface to Air Systems
Indian Private Firm Alpha Design Technology Limited (ADTL) bagged INR 591 crore contract for
upgrading and digitising 16 Soviet Era Pechora missile and radar systems. ADTL has partnered with
Russian entities for the project which will be executed in four years. It will be a major boost to indigenous
defence manufacturing.

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

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

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

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

Haji Hussain Ansari, Minister of Jharkhand Passed Away at 73

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

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

Najeeb Tarakai, Afghanistan Cricketer Passed Away at 29

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

Naseeb Pathan Leader of UP Congress Passed Away at 52

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

BOOKS & AUTHORS

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

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

Jitendra Singh Released a Coffee Table Book on “Discovering the Heritage of Assam”; Authored
by Kumar Padampani Bora
Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State(MoS) (Independent Charge-I/C) Development of North Eastern
Region (DoNER), MoS PMO (Prime Minister’s Office), Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic
Energy and Space released a Coffee Table Book on “Discovering the Heritage of Assam”. It was authored

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by Kumar Padmapani Bora with foreword by Amitabh Bachchan. It is published by Penguin Enterprise.
His 1st book was ‘North-East India in India-Asean Relations: A Strategic and Developmental Perspective’.

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

International Day of Older Persons 2020 – October 1

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

International Coffee Day 2020: October 1

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

World Vegetarian Day Observed on October 1, 2020

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

Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2020 – 1st – 31st October

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

International Day of Non-Violence 2020: October 2

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

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World Day for Farmed Animals 2020 – October 2

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

World Animal Day 2020 – October 4

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

World Space Week Celebrated from October 4-10, 2020

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

Wildlife Week 2020 – 2st to 8th October

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

World Teachers’ Day 2020: October 5

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

World Habitat Day observed on 5th October, 2020

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

World Cotton Day Observed on October 7 2020

The world Cotton Day is held annually on October 7 since 2019 to recognize the importance of cotton as
a global commodity grown in over 75 countries across five continents and to highlight its central role in
job creation and maintaining economic stability in several least-developed countries. The Cotton-4 group

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(Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali) initiated the cotton sectoral initiative at the World Trade
Organization (WTO) to improve the global trade rules related to cotton.

STATE NEWS
Gujarat Govt Signed MoU with Danish Water Forum in Water Sector
Gujarat Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Government of Gujarat signed a 5-year Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Danish Water Forum (DWF) in the water sector through an online interactive
platform to establish Indo-Danish Water Technology Alliance in Gujarat and to contribute to the United
Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, ‘Clean Water and Sanitation’.

Vijai Vardhan, IAS Appointed as the New Chief Secretary of Haryana; Succeeds Keshni Anand
Arora
Government of Haryana appointed Vijai Vardhan, currently serving as the Additional Chief Secretary
(ACS) of Revenue and Disaster Management and Financial Commissioner Revenue (FCR) as the new Chief
Secretary of Haryana following the superannuation of Keshni Anand Arora. His tenure as the Chief
Secretary is till his superannuation date 30th November 2021.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh Inaugurated 23 Road and Bridges Project in Jammu Region
Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (MoS) (Independent Charge), Development of North Eastern
Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space
inaugurated 23 roads and bridges projects worth Rs.73 Crore in Kathua, Doda, Udhampur and Reasi of
Jammu region over a virtual platform.

WB Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Launches ‘Pathashree Abhijan’ scheme for Road Repair
West Bengal (WB) Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched ‘Pathashree Abhijan’ scheme for Road
Repair. The scheme has been launched to repair 7, 000 stretches of road which includes 12, 000
kilometres of road in a time-bound manner.

Sarbananda Sonowal Launched ‘Kritagyata’, 1st of its kind webportal to Expedite Pension Claims
in Assam along with “CyberSafety” campaign
Chief Minister (CM) of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal launched an on-line pension submission and tracking
system “Kritagyata” during a function held at Assam Administrative Staff College in Guwahati. Created on
the lines of “Bhabhisya” portal of Government of India, Kritagyata is first portal of its kind among all the
states in the country for the convenience of pensioners by expediting their pension-related claims. Assam
Police celebrated its 70th foundation day, i.e. Assam Police Day on October 1, 2020.

Punjab CM Amarinder Singh Launches Construction of 750 Rural Stadiums

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh virtually launched the construction of 750 Rural Stadiums and
Playgrounds in Punjab. The stadium will facilitate youths to channelize their energy in a constructive
manner. It is being built at a cost of INR 105 Crores under Punjab’s ‘Rural Transformation Strategy’ and
‘Tandarust Punjab Mission’.

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar Launched ‘Gram Darshan’: 6,197 Gram Panchayats to Go
Digital
Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister of Haryana launchd “Gram Darshan” a platform aimed to enable the
digital accessibility of data of 6197 gram panchayats of Haryana and to ensure that every village has their
own website. Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala was also present at the digital launch. Gram Darshan is

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launched to ensure that villagers should have digital access to the details of various development schemes
and projects of their village so that they can put forth their demands to the government of Haryana.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Launched “Yudh Pradushan Ke Virudh”, Mega Anti-Pollution

Campaign
Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister (CM) launched a mega anti-pollution campaign, “Yudh Pradushan
Ke Virudh” to reduce pollution levels in Delhi. As part of this campaign Delhi government to use a
technology developed by Pusa Agriculture Institute in order control the threat of stubble burning. CM
announced that ‘Green Delhi App’, a photo-based complaint lodging App will be launched shortly to take
action against specific pollution activities reported by Delhi citizens.

Gujarat to get Country’s First Ever Two Organic Spices Seed Parks at Patan, Banaskantha
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani released Sanction letters to two Farmer Producer Organisations
(FPOs) for the Country’s First Ever Organic Spices Seed Park in Patan & Banaskantha districts for
production of Cumin & Fennel Seeds. (i) Fennel seeds (Saunf) – Banaskantha; (ii) Cumin seeds (Jeera) –
Patan.

Goa CM Pramod Sawant launches ‘DISHTAVO’ – Online E-Learning Platform

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant inaugurated DISHTAVO (Digital Integrated System for Holistic
Teaching and Virtual Orientations) Youtube Channel, a unique initiative of the Directorate of Higher
Education (DHE), Government of Goa. DISHTAVO Program aims to create online E-content in form of
video lectures of syllabus for colleges affiliated to Goa University. Goa has become the first and only State
to take the entire syllabus of higher education on e-platform.

Telangana Govt Signs Tripartite Agreement between DET, GIZ and Siemens India to Implement
New Initiative IGnITE
In order to implement a new initiative, Indo-German Initiative for Technical Education(IGnITE),
Telangana government has signed a tripartite agreement between Department of Employment and
Training(DET), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), India and Siemens
Limited, India in presence of Ch Malla Reddy, Minister of labour and Employment. The initiative focuses
on industry’s need and practices and training the trainees.

NDDB, Ladakh UT sign MoU to Conduct Survey for Promotion of Dairying

National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and Union Territory (UT) Administration of Ladakh signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to conduct a survey for promotion of dairying and rural livelihood
in the region. The survey will collect required details to prepare a roadmap for development & promotion
of dairying in Ladakh.

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