Daily GK Updates – 23rd Sept, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Dr. Harsh Vardhan chairs ‘Aarogya Manthan’ 2.0: Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare chaired ‘Aarogya Manthan’ 2.0 celebrating the 2nd Anniversary of Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). During the event, he also presented awards to the winners of the Ayushman Bharat PMJAY Start-up Grand Challenge to support the implementation of PM-JAY. The Union Health Minister launched the AB PMJAY Joint Certification Programme. This programme will develop the skills and knowledge of relevant stakeholders in medical audit and health insurance for accurate and efficient processing of claims and prevention and detection of fraud and abuse. The “AB PMJAY Anti-Fraud Framework: Practitioners’ Guidebook” was also released and will serve as a useful tool for the States as it is a repository of the anti-fraud guidelines, techniques, advisories along with legal remedies/course of action presently available under applicable Indian laws.

Note: CEO of National Health Authority (NHA): Dr. Indu Bhushan.

 

2. Gujarat Chief Minister announces subsidy schemes for e-scooters, rickshaws: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has announced an assistance scheme to encourage use of battery-operated two-wheelers and three-wheelers in the state. Gujarat Government will provide subsidy of 12,000 rupees to school students studying in Standard-9th to colleges for battery-operated two-wheelers. Government is targeting to provide such subsidies for 10,000 such vehicles. Similarly, a subsidy of 48,000 rupees will be given for three-wheeler e-rickshaw for individual and institutional beneficiaries. This subsidy will be given for 5,000 e-rickshaw.

 

3. ITBP ties up with Uttarakhand govt to promote adventure tourism: The Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote adventure sports activities at Tehri Lake in the state. According to the MoU:

(1) ITBP along with the department will now work on the building of adventure sports activities like land base adventure centre, water base adventure centre, aero base adventure centre at Rajiv Gandhi Adventure Sports Academy situated at Tehri Lake.

(2) It will train over 200 candidates selected by the state government or tourism department every year free of cost. All arrangements and expenses for the operation of and training in the academy will be borne by the ITBP.

(3) The ITBP has prepared the road map for development and taking over of the water adventure facility near Tehri Lake and submitted to the state government for finalising a tie-up for the project to bolster tourism in Uttarakhand.

(4) It would use the training infrastructure built by the state government for training and sporting purpose for all types in areas surrounding Tehri Lake, following security and other norms stipulated by the state.

Note: Chief Minister of Uttarakhand: Trivendra Singh Rawat; Governor: Baby Rani Maurya.

Director-General of ITBP: Surjeet Singh Deswal.

 

4. MCA extends the tenure of Company Law Committee by 1 year; Head- Rajesh Verma: The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has extended the tenure of the Company Law Committee by one year until September 2021. Corporate affairs secretary Rajesh Verma is the present chairperson of the committee. The committee has a total of 11 members. It was set up to: (1) suggest measures to improve functioning of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), and
(2) make recommendations on issues pertaining to implementation of the Companies Act and Limited Liability Partnership Act.

 

5. A book titled “Kitchens of Gratitude” authored by Chef Vikas Khanna: Star chef Vikas Khanna has authored a book titled “Kitchens of Gratitude” in which he has written about his Feed India initiative. Feed India initiative is one of the largest food drives in the world, serving meals to the underprivileged. The book will be released in 2021. He will also be honoured with the 2020 Asia Game Changer Award in October.

 

6. A book titled “Voices of Dissent” authored by Romila Thapar: A new book titled “Voices of Dissent” authored by Historian Romila Thapar will be jointly published by Penguin Random House India and Seagull Books. The book is set to publish in October 2020. The book is a historical essay that explores dissent, including its articulation and public response to its forms, with a focus on the recent protest in India against the citizenship law and the National Register of Citizens. Romila Thapar hails from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Her works include A History of India (1966), Interpreting Early India (1992), Early India: From the Origin to AD 1300(2003). She received the Kluge Prize in December 2008. She was honoured with Padma Bhushan in 2005 which she declined stating that she made a resolve not to accept any “State Award”.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India extends USD 250 million support to the Maldives to overcome the economic impact of Covid-19: India has extended financial assistance of USD 250 million to the Maldives to help it mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The budgetary support of USD 250 million has been extended without conditions. This financial assistance is being routed through the State Bank of India (SBI), Male so that it does not reflect in the external borrowings of the Maldives. Indian government has provided a sovereign guarantee to SBI for this financial assistance.

 

2. Bah Ndaw named Mali’s interim president: Mali’s former defence minister, Bah Ndaw has been named as Interim President of the country’s new transition government. He will take the charge of the office with effect from 25 September 2020. On 19th August 2020, Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita announced his resignation with immediate effect following a military mutiny in the Republic of Mali. Colonel Assimi Goita, the leader of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP) which overthrew Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, was appointed vice president.

Note: Republic of Mali Capital: Bamako; Currency: West African CFA franc.

 

3. Simanchala Dash appointed as advisor to IMF Executive Director: The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved the proposal to appoint Simanchala Dash as an advisor to Executive Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington. He has been appointed for a period of three years.

Note: Headquarters of IMF: Washington, D.C., United States; Managing Director of IMF: Kristalina Georgieva.

 

4. International Day of Sign Languages: 23rd September: The International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL) is celebrated annually across the world on 23 September to raise awareness on sign languages and strengthen the status about sign languages. The theme for the 2020 International Day of Sign Languages is “Sign Languages are for Everyone!”. Also, the last full week of September is observed as International Week of the Deaf. 23 September has been chosen to mark IDSL as it commemorates the establishment of the World Federation of the Deaf on 23 September 1951. The International Day of Sign Languages was first celebrated in 2018.

Note: World Federation of the Deaf President: Joseph J. Murray; World Federation of the Deaf Founded: 23 September 1951, Rome, Italy; World Federation of the Deaf Headquarters location: Helsinki, Finland.

 

5. UN marked its 75 anniversary on 22nd September: United Nation marks its 75th anniversary on September 22, 2020 at a time of great disruption due to unprecedented global health crisis with severe economic and social impacts. For the first time, pre-recorded video statements will be delivered at UN General Assembly event. UN appealed to preserve 2020 as the longest period without a military confrontation. United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945.

Note: General Secretary: Antonio Guterres

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Colonel Dr Girija Mungali named in AFC task-force: Retired Colonel Dr Girija Shanker Mungali has been appointed as one of the seven members of the Asian Football Confederation’s task force. The taskforce will regulate the football clubs in Asia and Australia. He is currently serving as the Chairman of the Club Licensing Committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The appointment of Dr Girija Shanker Mungali to AFC was made by Dato’ Windsor John, the General Secretary of the Asian Football Confederation. The retired Colonel will be on the panel till 2023.

Note: Asian Football Confederation is the nodal governing body of football in Asia and Australia.

Headquarters of Asian Football Confederation: Malaysia.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. HDFC Life & YES Bank enters into partnership to sell insurance policies: HDFC (Housing Development Finance Corporation) Life and Yes Bank entered into a Corporate Agency Arrangement (CA). As part of the arrangement, HDFC Life will provide a diverse range of insurance products to customers of Yes Bank. HDFC Life’s wide range of life insurance products includes solutions for protection, saving and investment, retirement and critical illness. It will be available to customers of Yes Bank through the Bank’s branches which are spread throughout the country.

Note: HDFC Life MD & CEO: Vibha Padalkar; HDFC Life Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

YES Bank MD & CEO: Prashant Kumar; YES Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

 

2. Google Pay, Visa partner for card-based payments with tokenization: Google Pay has partnered with VISA for the rollout of tokenization across its platform that will enable users to safely transact with their debit or credit cards. Through tokenization, Google Pay users can make payment by using the debit or credit card without physically sharing their credit or debit card details through a secure digital token attached to their phone. About Tokenization feature:

(1) The feature will also facilitate the use of the tap-to-pay feature on near-field communications (NFC)-enabled point of sale (PoS) terminals and online merchants.

(2) The feature also works with online merchants, delivering more native and seamless OTP experiences without any redirects to 3D secure sites.

(3) This feature is now available to all users of Axis, SBI Card and Kotak.

Note: CEO of Google: Sundar Pichai; Headquarters: California, United States.

India & South Asia Group Country Manager of Visa: TR Ramachandran.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. CCI approves acquisition of 100% equity shares of Medlife by API Holdings: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of 100% equity shares of Medlife International Private Limited (“Medlife”) by API Holdings Private Limited (“API Holdings”). It also approved the acquisition of up to 19.59% equity share capital of API Holdings by Medlife’s shareholders under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002.

API is a private company, incorporated in 2019. API directly or through its subsidiaries carries out various business activities including wholesale sale and distribution of drugs; transportation and delivery services primarily focused on pharmaceutical sector; owning technology and intellectual property for developing e- commerce platforms. Medlife is primarily a healthcare company engaged in the wholesale sale and distribution of drugs.

Note: Chairperson of Competition Commission of India: Ashok Kumar Gupta.

 

DEFENSE

 

1. Indian Navy conducts Passage Exercise with Royal Australian Navy: The Indian Navy (IN) has commenced a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in the East Indian Ocean Region. The exercise would involve participation of HMAS Hobart from the Australian side and Indian Naval Ships Sahyadri and Karmuk. The Passage Exercise is aimed at enhancing interoperability, improving understanding and imbibing best practices from each other. The exercise will also involve advanced surface and anti-air exercises including weapon firings, seamanship exercises, naval manoeuvres and Cross Deck Flying Operations. PASSEXs are regularly conducted by IN with units of friendly foreign navies, whilst visiting each other’s ports or during a rendezvous at sea.

Note: Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh.

Australia Prime Minister: Scott Morrison; Australia Capital: Canberra

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Veteran Marathi actress Ashalata Wabgaonkar passes away: Renowned Marathi, Hindi films, and stage actress Ashalata Wabgaonkar (79 years) passed away due to COVID-19 in Satara in Maharashtra. She played the role of Revathi in play Sangeet Senshaikolol and Marathi drama Matsyagandha. The actress had worked in many Bollywood hits including 'Apne Paraye', 'Zanjeer, 'Namak Halal', 'Sharaabi', 'Shaukeen' and Marathi movies like 'Maherchi Sadi', 'Vahinichi Maya', 'Umbartha', 'Sutradhar', 'Navari Mile Navryala' etc.

 

2. Veteran Congress minister Zakiya Inam passes away: Former Congress Minister of Rajasthan Zakia Inam (71 years) passed away due to coronavirus at Rajasthan University of Health Sciences Hospital in Jaipur. She was three times MLA from Tonk constituency and was the only woman candidate who became MLA three-times in Rajasthan. She contested election as a Congress candidate in the year 1985, 1990, 1998, 2003, 2008 and 2013. Her portfolio with Rajasthan govt includes health, women and child welfare. 

Daily GK Updates – 22nd Sept, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. PM Modi launches “Ghar Tak Fibre” scheme in Bihar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched nine highway projects and Optical Fibre Internet Services in Bihar.

Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of nine highway projects worth Rs. 14,258 crore in Bihar through video conferencing on 21 September 2020. These highway projects includes constructing road length of about 350 kilometres at a cost of Rs. 4258 crore and three bridges.

The optical fibre services are being provided under the scheme “Ghar Tak Fibre”. These services are to be executed along with combined efforts of Common Service Centre. The project is to be implemented Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under the scheme “Ghar Tak Fibre”. The project will connect 45,945 villages in the state and will thus enable the Digital revolution to reach the farthest corner of Bihar. . The CSC Wi-Fi Choupal is an initiative to provide high-speed internet connectivity to rural India. It ensures digital connectivity using Bharat Net.

Note: Chief Minister of Bihar: Nitish Kumar; Governor: Phagu Chauhan.

 

2. Centre Approves an Outlay of Rs 600 crore for PM Svanidhi Scheme: The Government of India has approved a total outlay of Rs.600.00 crores for the PM SVANidhi scheme. This was informed by Minister of State (I/C) for Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Hardeep Singh Puri in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on 21 September 2020. The Prime Minister Street Vendor’s Amta Nirbhar Nidhi Scheme (PM SVANidhi) was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has on 01 June 2020 to facilitate collateral free working capital loans upto Rs 10,000 of 1 year tenure, to about 50 lakh street vendors across the country.

 

3. J&K launched National Generic Document Registration System: Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha launched the National Generic Document Registration System for the union territory. The system was developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to address the diversity and variations that prevails across the states on account of formats, languages, processes and formulae. The software enables “anywhere access” to information and data to both the Enforcement Agencies and to the common man. The system has so far been adopted in three states namely Punjab, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. Six more states and union territories such as Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Bihar, Manipur, Jharkhand and Mizoram are moving towards the system. The national generic document registration system was developed under Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme.

 

4. Logo and song for “Destination North East-2020″ festival unveiled: The Union Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh has unveiled the Logo and song for festival “Destination North East-2020” (The Emerging Delightful Destinations) through a video conference. The four-day event is to be formally inaugurated by Home Minister Amit Shah on September 27, 2020.

The festival helps to familiarize people of other parts of the country with the rich unexplored potential of North East. It also promotes the tourism potential of the North East. The festival will give a boost to handicrafts, handloom, organic products and cultural troupes of North East. The main objective of the programme is to make the unexplored potentials of the North East Region available to the young entrepreneurs all over the country. The festival was launched in a couple of years in 2018 (in Chandigarh) and in 2019 (in India Gate, New Delhi).

 

5. PMGKP Insurance Scheme for health workers fighting COVID-19 extended for another six months: The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19 has been extended for another six months. It was announced on 30th March this year for a period of 90 days and it was extended for a further period of 90 days up to 25th September. The scheme has now been extended for another 180 days.

 

6. Himachal Pradesh CM inaugurates “Swachhata Cafe” in Solan district: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur virtually inaugurated the “Swachhata Cafe” at Nalagarh in Solan district on the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Shimla. The Cafe is being operated by Laxmi and Durga women self help groups. The main attraction of this Cafe is that it would serve traditional food such as maize bread and Sarson ka saag, butter, lassi etc. ‘Swachhata Park’ is also being opened at Kufri in district Shimla.

 

7. Amazon India Sets Up All-women Delivery Station in Gujarat’s Kadi: E-commerce major Amazon India said it has set up an all-women delivery station in Kadi, Gujarat – its second such facility in the country. The new all-women delivery station, operated by a delivery service partner, is part of the company’s efforts towards increasing participation of women in the workforce. In 2016, the company had launched its first all-women delivery station in India, with its partner in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India launches first ever direct cargo ferry with Maldives: India and the Maldives have launched the first-ever direct Cargo Ferry Service on 21 September 2020 to boost trade between the two countries. The cargo ferry service will connect the Indian ports of Tuticorin and Cochin ports with Kulhudhuhfushi and Male ports in the Maldives. This initiative will help to cut costs and reduce the time taken to transport goods between the two countries. The Cargo Ferry Vessel MCP Linz operated by the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) will be used to connect the Indian and Maldivian ports.

Note: Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) MD & Chairman: Mrs H.K.Joshi; Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Shipping Corporation of India Founded: 1950.

 

2. International Red Panda Day: 19th September 2020: The International Red Panda Day (IRPD) is celebrated on third Saturday of September every year to raise public awareness and support for red panda conservation issues. In 2020, the IRPD is being observed on 19 September 2020. The day was launched by the Red Panda Network in 2010. The first international red Panda day was celebrated on 18th September 2010. There are two distinct species of red pandas Ailurus fulgens is commonly known as Himalayan Red Panda and Ailurus fulgens styani commonly known as Chinese Red Panda, these are mostly found in the Eastern Himalayan region and southwestern China. Genetically the red pandas belong to the order of Carnivora, but mostly eat bamboo shoots, mushrooms etc and also eat birds, eggs, and insects. The average lifespan of these red pandas is 23 years and the female pandas stop breeding after the age of 12.

Notre: Red Panda Network Founder: Brian Williams; Headquarters: Eugene, Oregon.

 

3. World Rhino Day: 22nd September: World Rhino Day is observed globally on 22 September every year. This special day provides the opportunity for cause-related organizations, NGOs, zoos, and members of the public to celebrate rhinos in their own unique ways. This day is celebrated to raise awareness of the need to protect all the five existing species of Rhinoceros, which are: (1) Black Rhino; (2) White Rhino; (3) Greater one-horned Rhino; (4) Sumatran Rhino; (5) Javan Rhinos.

World Rhino Day was first announced by World Wildlife Fund-South Africa in 2010 and is being observed internationally since 2011.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Novak Djokovic wins 2020 Italian Open title: Novak Djokovic has defeated Argentine Diego Schwartzman, 7-6, 5-3, to win 2020 Men’s Single Italian Open title and his fifth overall Rome title. In Women’s single, Simona Halep defeated champion Karolina Pliskova, 6-0, 2-1, to win her first Italian Open title. Italian open was held at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy. Winners List:

 

Category	Name of the Sportsperson
Men’s Single:	Novak Djokovic
Women’s Single:	Simona Halep
Men’s Double:	Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos
Women’s Double:	Hsieh Su-wei and Barbora Strýcová

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. HDFC Bank launches video Know Your Customer facility: HDFC Bank has launched video KYC (Know Your Customer) facility for its customers. The consent-based Video KYC facility is an alternate method of establishing the prospective customer’s identity, during the account opening process in a safe and secure environment. As per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) directions, successful completion of Video KYC is equivalent to full KYC and the customers is eligible for all financial / banking products. HDFC Bank video KYC facility will be rolled in a phased manner. In the first phase, savings and corporate salary and personal loan customers can avail this facility. The video KYC process is online, secure, and quick. It is a paperless, contactless, and recorded interaction between a Bank official and the customer.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Volvo Car India launches “Volvo Car Financial Services”: Volvo Car India has partnered with HDFC Bank to launch Volvo Car Financial Services to enable buyers get easy finance for its vehicles. The service facilitates finance of up to 100% of ex-showroom price of the car and offers convenient repayment options, with no foreclosure charges under specific conditions. It is a faster, flexible and cost-optimised solution to finance a Volvo car. Other features of the Volvo Car financial service include loans for up to 7 years and option to finance insurance, extended warranty, service package and accessories. It allows a faster loan approval and a uniform processing fee, giving a hassle-free finance experience to buyers.

 

2. HCL & Google Cloud expands partnership for HCL’s Actian portfolio: HCL Technologies and Google Cloud has announced the expansion of their strategic partnership to bring HCL’s Actian portfolio, starting with Actian Avalanche, to Google Cloud. Actian Avalanche is a high-performance hybrid cloud data warehouse designed to power an enterprise’s most demanding operational analytics workloads. Actian Avalanche enables a seamless path to migrate legacy data warehouses, including IBM Netezza and Oracle Exadata, to Google Cloud, through a hybrid-cloud offering leveraging Google Cloud’s Anthos application platform.

HCL’s Actian Avalanche hybrid cloud data warehouse has been deployed by Fortune 500 customers to deliver powerful insights to manage business complexities for a variety of use cases, including fraud detection, real-time offers and market basket analysis. Bringing Actian Avalanche to Google Cloud enables enterprise customers to leverage the platform’s scalable, high-performance infrastructure and global network.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. PM Modi awarded Ig Nobel Prize 2020 for medical Education: Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi has been awarded the Ig Nobel Prize 2020 for Medical Education. He has been awarded the prestigious award for “using the COVID-19 pandemic to teach the world that politicians can have a more immediate effect on life and death than scientists and doctors can”. PM Modi is the second Indian Prime Minister to be honoured with the Ig Nobel Prize. Prior to this, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was awarded in 1998. He jointly won the Ig Nobel Peace Prize with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan for aggressively peaceful explosions of atomic bombs.

PM Modi shares the award with Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom, Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico, Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, Donald Trump of the USA, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Vladimir Putin of Russia, and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow of Turkmenistan. Apart from this, the governments of India and Pakistan jointly won the Ig Nobel Peace Prize 2020 for having their diplomats surreptitiously ring each other’s doorbells in the middle of the night, and then run away before anyone had a chance to answer the door in Islamabad and New Delhi city respectively.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Assam Musician Bibhuranjan Choudhury passes away: Renowned Assam music composer, Bibhuranjan Choudhury passed away. His first film as music director was ”Sutrapat” in 1987 and the last one was ”Aei Maatite” in 2017. He had composed music for numerous TV serials, stage plays and radio productions in a career spanning over several decades. Choudhury, who composed the music of Guwahati Doordarshan”s first serial “Jibonor Batot”, retired as the superintendent of the Assam State Film (Finance and Development) Corporation.

 

2. Nepal’s Legendary Mountaineer Ang Rita Sherpa passes away: Nepal-based Ang Rita Sherpa, the first man to climb Mount Everest 10 times, passed away. He made all the ascents to the world’s tallest mountain between 1983 and 1996 and that too without bottled oxygen. He was therefore also known as the “snow leopard” for his climbing skills. The mountaineering legend was awarded a prestigious Guinness World Record certificate for making the most number of successful ascents on the 8,848-meter Mt Everest without using supplemental oxygen. The Guinness World Record has also recognised him as the first man to climb Everest in winter without supplementary oxygen in December 1987.

 

3. Former Canadian PM John Turner passes away: The former Prime Minister of Canada, John Turner passed away. He served as the Prime Minister for just 79 days in 1984, the 2nd shortest term in the office recorded in the history of Canada. He was born on 7th June 1929 at Richmond, England. John Turner served in the cabinet of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau as the justice minister from 1968 to 1972 during which he created the federal court, defended against the criminalisation of homosexuality and abortion in the 1960s among other reforms. He was named the companion of the Order of Canada in 1994. 

Daily GK Updates – 21st Sept, 2020

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Ministry of AYUSH partners with Ministry WCD to control Malnutrition: A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Women and Child Development to control Malnutrition as a part of POSHAN Abhiyaan. The MoU will see some time-tested and scientifically proven Ayush-based solutions being adopted for controlling malnutrition in the country. The MoU will help in tackling the problem of malnutrition in mothers and children in the country. The Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of WCD will work together towards integrating Ayush in POSHAN Abhiyaan and management of malnutrition through the principles and practices of Ayurveda, Yoga and other Ayush systems.

The specific areas identified for co-operation include:

(i) Integration of AYUSH into POSHAN Abhiyaan

(ii) Control of malnutrition through the principles and practices of Ayurveda, Yoga and other Ayush systems

Note: Minister of State (I/C) for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH): Shripad Yesso Naik.

Union Minister of Women and Child Development: Smriti Zubin Irani.

 

2. PM Modi to inaugurate VAIBHAV Summit on 2nd October 2020: Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Vaishwik Bharatiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) Summit on 2nd October’2020 through video conferencing. The month-long Summit will provide a platform to leverage the expertise and knowledge of global Indian researchers for solving emerging challenges and create an ecosystem of Knowledge and Innovation in the country through global outreach.

The VAIBHAV Summit is a joint initiative of all S&T and Academic Organisations of India (working in Research, Academic and Scientific fields) to enable deliberations on thought processes, practices and R&D culture with a problem-solving approach for well-defined objectives.

 

3. HOCL gets Bureau of Indian Standards Certification for all its products: Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited (HOCL), a PSU under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has been granted Bureau of Indian Standards – BIS certification for all its products. HOCL has been a pioneer in the manufacturing of Chemicals since its inception. The company is also supporting and implementing the Make in India initiative of Government of India in one or other way. It is a leader in chemical industry has manufacturing unit at Kochi in Kerala.

All the products of the Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited (HOCL) are widely being accepted, especially in Pharmaceutical industry where the highest product quality is called for. Now, as a proof to continuing endeavor to achieve superior quality in its products, it has been granted BIS Certification for all its products.

Note: HOCL Chairman: S. B. Bhide

 

4. Delhi Metro develops indigenous signalling technology under ‘Make in India’: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation on Engineers Day took a major step towards the development of an indigenously-built CBTC (Communication Based Train Control) based signalling technology for metro railway with the launch of the i-ATS, which is an important sub-system of the signalling system. i-ATS is the indigenously developed technology, which will significantly reduce the dependence of Indian metros on foreign vendors dealing with such technologies. This prototype system as well as a state-of-the-art laboratory for further developing other sub- systems of the CBTC technology was inaugurated at Shastri Park. DMRC has decided to use indigenous ATS (i-ATS) while upgrading the ATS of line 1 (Red Line) i.e. from Rithala to Shaheed Sthal, Ghaziabad. The same shall also be used in Phase-IV.

 

5. Former PM HD Deve Gowda Takes Oath as Rajya Sabha MP: Former Prime Minister of India, H D Deve Gowda took oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka. This is the first time that the JD(S) leader has become a member of the Upper House since 1996. Mr Deve Gowda was the 11th Prime Minister of India from 1 June 1996 to 21 April 1997. He had also served as the 14th Chief Minister of Karnataka from 1994 to 1996.

 

6. Maharashtra Govt launches road accident insurance scheme named after Balasaheb Thackeray: Maharashtra government launched a scheme ‘Late Balasaheb Thackeray Road Accident Insurance Scheme’ to provide financial and medical help, at the government cost, to road accident victims. The free treatment scheme has a provision of providing immediate medical and financial help to any person injured in an accident in Maharashtra, irrespective of his or her domicile or nationality. The victim will be treated at the nearest hospital for the first 72 hours. Treatment of up to Rs 35,000 will be free of cost. That includes treatment in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), as well as the victim’s stay and food in the respective hospital.

 

7. Tamil Nadu becomes first state with AI, blockchain, cybersecurity policies: Tamil Nadu becomes the first state to come out with Tamil Nadu Safe and Ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain and Cybersecurity policies in the country. The policies were unveiled by Chief Minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami during the valedictory session of the 19th edition of Connect 2020. The policies go by the names Tamil Nadu Cyber Security Policy, 2020, Tamil Nadu Blockchain Policy, 2020, and Tamil Nadu Safe and Ethical Artificial Intelligence Policy, 2020. State Family Data Base (SFDB) and Block-Chain Backbone infrastructure will be established in the state for the implementation of these policies. Highlighting that Tamil Nadu continues to be a “Destination of Choice” for the IT and IT-enabled services sector in India, the chief minister said that the state would soon be rolling out Knowledge Proof Identity Based Services Delivery Project, which will revolutionise the way government services are offered to citizens.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India welcomes Abraham Accord between Israel, UAE, Bahrain & US: India welcomed the signing of the Abraham Accords by the US, Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and reiterated its call for direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians for a “two-state solution”. US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined the foreign ministers of Bahrain and the UAE for the signing of the historic agreements aimed at normalising relations between Israel and the Arab countries. They came almost 26 years after the signing of a declaration for a peace deal between Israel and Jordan.

 

2. World Alzheimer’s Day: 21st September: The World Alzheimer’s Day is observed globally on September 21 every year. The day aims to raise awareness about the stigma that runs around Alzheimer disease and related dementia. The theme for World Alzheimer Day 2020 is ‘Let’s talk about dementia’. World Alzheimer’s Day was launched at the opening of ADI’s annual conference in Edinburgh on 21 September 1994 to celebrate our 10th anniversary.

About Alzheimer disease: Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer’s, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment.

 

3. International Day of Peace: 21st September: International Day of Peace is observed globally on 21st September every year. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire.

The 2020 theme for the International Day of Peace is “Shaping Peace Together.” Celebrate the day by spreading compassion, kindness and hope in the face of the pandemic. Stand together with the UN against attempts to use the virus to promote discrimination or hatred. Join us so that we can shape peace together.

The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire. The United Nations invites all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities during the Day and to otherwise commemorate the Day through education and public awareness on issues related to peace.

Note: United Nations Headquarters: New York, USA. Founded: 24 October 1945; Secretary-General: Mr Antonio Guterres.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. IDFC Mutual Fund launches ‘SIP in Fixed Income’ campaign: IDFC Mutual Fund has launched a new campaign called SIFI or `SIP in Fixed Income’ to make investors more aware about the benefits of investing in fixed income products via Systematic Investment Plans. IDFC Mutual Fund’s SIFI initiative aims to inform investors how a combination of equity and debt SIPs can help them navigate troubled times. As part of the campaign, IDFC MF is making videos in various languages explaining how SIPs in debt mutual fund will be easy to do, liquid and benefit from cost averaging in times of volatility.

 

2. SBI launches ‘Mahila Atmanirbharshil Aachani’ programme in Assam: SBI has launched ‘Mahila Atmanirbharshil Aachani’ programme (Women Self-Reliance programme) to accelerate Self Help Group (SHG) finance in the Bank. Aim: To create a strong bonding with SHG member and for self-reliance and economic upliftment of SHG members by extending credit linkages to the women SHGs. It is sponsored by National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), Assam for self-reliance and economic upliftment.

Note: SBI Chairman: Rajnish Kumar; HQs: Mumbai

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. HDFC Bank tops 2020 BrandZ Top 75 Most Valuable Indian Brands ranking: HDFC Bank has topped the BrandZ Top 75 Most Valuable Indian Brands 2020 for the seventh consecutive year. It has a total brand value of more than $20.2 billion. It was also ranked 59 in the 2020 BrandZTM Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands report. LIC is ranked 2nd, followed by Tata Consulting Services, Airtel and Asian Paints. The report was released by WPP & Kantar.

BrandZ Top 10 Most Valuable Indian Brands 2020

Rank	Brand	Category	Brand Value 2020 (SM USD)
1	HDFC Bank	Banks	20,262
2	LIC	Insurance	18,294
3	Tata Consultancy Services	Technology	14,582
4	Airtel	Telecom providers	13,942
5	Asian Paints	Paints	7,972
6	Kotak Mahindra Bank	Banks	7215
7	Jio	Telecom providers	6,876
8	Flipkart	Retail	6,529
9	Paytm	Payments	6272
10	State Bank of India	Banks	5,387

 

DEFENSE

 

1. INS Viraat made his final journey in Indian Navy: Aircraft Carrier, INS Viraat with the longest service in the world, commenced its final journey from Mumbai, to Alang in Gujarat and sold as scrap. It was commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS in 1959 and was a part of the key formation of the British forces during the Falklands War in 1982. It was commissioned into Indian Navy in 1987 and played pivotal in Operation Jupiter in 1989 during Sri Lankan Peacekeeping operation and Operation Parakram

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Rabindra Sangeet exponent Purba Dam passes away in Kolkata: Veteran Rabindra Sangeet exponent Purba Dam (85 years) passed way at her residence in south Kolkata due to cardiac arrest. She was known for her songs rendition like ‘Modhur tomar sesh je na pai prohor holo sesh/Bhuban jure roilo lege anando abesh’, ‘Ami phirbo na re’ during 1980s. She was conferred with Sangeet Samman by West Bengal in 2013. Rabindra Sangeet or Tagore Songs are the songs written and composed by Rabindranath Tagore.