Current Affairs Today 13th and 14th September 2020-Download in PDF

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Current Affairs Today – 13th and 14th September 2020

NEWS AT A GLANCE

1. Hindi Divas or Hindi Day is an annual day celebrated on 14 September in India to celebrate the popularity of Hindi as an official language of the country.
2. ACI Worldwide, a global provider of real-time digital payment software and solutions, has modernized payments infrastructure for ATM and point-of-sale (POS) at State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest bank with more than 440 million account holders.
3. ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Ltd has entered into a bancassurance tie-up with Yes Bank for selling its insurance products.
4. Indian rating agency, CARE Ratings has projected the GDP of India to contract in the range 8 to 8.2% for 2020-21 (FY21).
5. Adani Green Energy Ltd on Monday inched closer to ₹1 trillion market capitalisation, becoming Adani Group’s most valued stock, piping Adan Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd.
6. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has launched the Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework (CSCAF) 2.0.
7. The government has recently decided to corporatize the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB).
8. Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister DV Sadananda Gowda has said that India will be self-reliant in the production of fertilizers by 2023.
9. Government has urged seven big states to ensure adequate Oxygen availability in all Healthcare Facilities.
10. In a bid to expand its rural reach, the country’s largest private sector lender HDFC Bank is planning to more than double the strength of its banking correspondents (BCs) to 25,000 by the fiscal-end.
11. Recently, the Jammu & Kashmir government has announced a Universal health Insurance scheme on the lines of the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat.
12. The insurance cover of Rs.50 lakh under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana has been extended to all health workers in Goa.
13. On September 17, the Gujarat government would be launching Mukhyamantri Mahila Kalyan Scheme, a special scheme to provide interest-free loans of Rs.1 lakh to promote self-employment among women in the time of pandemic.
14. Uttar Pradesh government has decided to constitute a special force.
15. First-ever Special Economic Zone (SEZ) was laid to foundation stone by the Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb at Sabroom which is the southernmost town of the state bordering Bangladesh.
16. The UK has signed its first major post-Brexit trade pact by signing a deal with Japan.
17. The MoU between the United Arab Emirates’ Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science is the first agreement between the countries’ higher education bodies.
18. The Union Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar co-chaired the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on 12 September 2020, with his Thailand counterpart Don Pramudwinai.
19. Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan participated in the 27th ASEAN regional forum.
20. A virtual meeting of G-20 Agriculture and Water Ministers was held. The meeting was attended by Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare Parshottam Rupala.
21. The Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC) has announced a three-day Buyer-Seller Meet in virtual mode with special focus on Australia and adjoining countries to ensure business continuity amid COVID-19 pandemic.
22. External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar participated in the inaugural session of the Intra-Afghan negotiations held in Doha on Saturday via video teleconference.
23. The Health Ministry organized a virtual conclave for private hospitals providing COVID-19 treatment in the country.
24. India is the second-fastest-growing freelance market in the world with a massive increase in the number of freelancers this year, according to a report on ‘Freelancing in 2020: An Abundance of Opportunities’ by Payoneer.
25. An MoU has been signed between the Government of Odisha and the National Co-operative Development Corporation (NCDC) at Krushi Bhawan for the promotion and management of Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO).
26. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed an agreement for $15 million with Suguna Foods Private Limited (Suguna) to help sustain poultry farming operations, as well as rural livelihoods and food security in India during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
27. Industries Minister Parsadi Lal Meena said that Rajasthan’s Department of Industries and Sidbi partnered on September 12, 2020 to provide financial, technical, marketing and export support to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state.
28. Central Government has constituted an Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) to oversee the process of the corporatisation of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB).
29. The Marathi language feature film ‘The Disciple’ written and directed by Mumbai-based filmmaker Chaitanya Tamhane, has bagged the prestigious FIPRESCI award for Best Screenplay at the 77th Venice Film Festival.
30. Citigroup has named Jane Fraser as its next chief executive officer. She will be the first female CEO of this major global bank.
31. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain) has won the Formula One Tuscan Grand Prix 2020 held on September 13, 2020. This was his 6th win of the season and 90th F1 win of his career.
32. In Tennis, Japan’s Naomi Osaka defeated Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, 1-6, ,6-3, 6-3,  to clinch the Women’s Singles title in the 2020 US Open Tennis tournament
33. Austria’s Dominic Thiem defeated Alexander Zverev to win the men’s singles title at the 2020 US Open tournament.
34. Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju is laying foundation stones for various sports facilities in Leh.
35. Institute of Pesticide Formulation Technology (IPFT) has developed two new technologies namely “Disinfectant spray for surface application” and “Disinfectant spray for Vegetables & fruits” at a time when Covid-19 pandemic has created a lot of damage globally.
36. Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum (SCTIMST), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology, has developed a device for the prevention of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT).
37. Ministry of Road Transport & Highways conducted 2-days Orientation and Training programme on iRAD App on 7 & 8 September for the selected districts of Karnataka, and on 10th & 11th September 2020 for some districts of Uttar Pradesh.
38. Former Union minister and veteran leader of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Raghuvansh Prasad Singh has passed away after he developed post COVID-19 complications
39. India’s first coronavirus airport testing facility has been launched at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.
40. Jadavpur University has formally decided to provide android handsets and data pack to students, not having such facilities.

NEWS IN DETAILS

IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES

National Hindi Day observed on 14 September

• Hindi Divas or Hindi Day is an annual day celebrated on 14 September in India to celebrate the popularity of Hindi as an official language of the country.
• Hindi Divas is celebrated on 14 September because on this day in 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India had adopted Hindi written in Devanagari script as the official language of the Republic of India.
• The language was adopted under the Article 343 of the Indian Constitution.

BANKING & FINANCE 

SBI Modernizes its Payment Switching System with ACI Worldwide Technology

• ACI Worldwide, a global provider of real-time digital payment software and solutions, has modernized payments infrastructure for ATM and point-of-sale (POS) at State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest bank with more than 440 million account holders.
• Operating more than 58,000 ATMs, the bank is a long-time ACI customer, utilizing its market-leading Retail Payments solution to acquire, authenticate, route, switch and authorize financial transactions across its ATM, POS and eCommerce channels.
• The solution enables SBI’s ATM network to acquire Visa, Mastercard and RuPay cards, as well as manage ATM/POS authorizations. Transaction processing volumes frequently exceed 30 million transactions per day.

Extra Shots:

SBI

• Chairperson: Rajnish Kumar
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Parent organization: Government of India (56.92%)

ICICI Lombard inks bancassurance tie up with Yes Bank

• ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Ltd has entered into a bancassurance tie-up with Yes Bank for selling its insurance products.
• The partnership will provide the bank’s diverse customer base access to the insurer’s portfolio and make insurance more accessible to its customers across India.
• Bancassurance is an agreement between a bank and an insurer to sell its offerings to the lender’s customers.
• Through this tie-up, ICICI Lombard aims to offer innovative insurance solutions to Yes Bank’s customers across 28 states and 8 union territories.

Extra Shots:

ICICI Bank

• CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Founder: Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India
• Founded: June 1994, Vadodara

Yes Bank

• CEO: Prashant Kumar
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Founder: Rana Kapoor

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

CARE Ratings projects India’s GDP to contact between 8-8.2% in FY21

• Indian rating agency, CARE Ratings has projected the GDP of India to contract in the range 8 to 8.2% for 2020-21 (FY21).
• This is more than its earlier projection of -6.4%. The forecast for GVA growth in FY21 is -7.7%.

Extra Shots:

CARE Rating

• Headquarters: India
• Founded: 1993

Adani Green Energy nears ₹1 trillion market capitalisation

• Adani Green Energy Ltd on Monday inched closer to ₹1 trillion market capitalisation, becoming Adani Group’s most valued stock, piping Adan Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd.
• The company will raise $1.8 billion for the under construction and contracted portfolio of 12 GW, which includes the country’s first manufacturing-linked solar power plant of 8 GW.
• In terms of market value, the Adani Group firm has surpassed Bajaj Finserv, Hindustan Zinc, Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd, Power Grid Corp, ONGC Ltd, NTPC, Britannia Industries Ltd and Dabur India Ltd.
• Reliance Industries Ltd is India’s most valuable company with a market capitalisation of ₹15.26 trillion, followed by TCS and HDFC Bank Ltd at ₹8.75 trillion and ₹6 trillion, respectively.

Extra Shots:

Adani Green Energy

• Founder: Gautam Adani
• Founded: 23 January 2015
• Headquarters: Ahmedabad

NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

MoHUA launches Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework (CSCAF 2.0)

• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has launched the Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework (CSCAF) 2.0.
• Objective: To provide a clear roadmap for cities towards combating Climate Change while planning and implementing their actions, including investments.
• The initiative was launched by Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs on 11 September in a virtual event organised by the Smart Cities Mission.
• The framework comprise of 28 indicators across five categories.

They are:

• Energy and Green Buildings,
• Urban Planning, Green Cover and Biodiversity,
• Mobility and Air Quality,
• Water Management and
• Waste Management.
• The CSCAF 2.0 initiative will be implemented by the MoHUA, with support from the Climate Centre for Cities under National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA).
• CSCAF initiative will inculcate a climate-sensitive approach to urban planning and development in India.

Centre decided to corporatize the Ordnance Factory Board

• The government has recently decided to corporatize the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB).
• It means converting a subordinate office of Ministry of Defence (MoD) into 100 per cent Government owned corporate entities.
• For this purpose, Government has created an Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM), that will be chaired by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh.
• EGoM will oversee and guide the entire process including the transition support and redeployment plan of employees.

Extra Shots:

Ordnance Factory Board

• Headquarters: Kolkata
• Founded: 1712
• Key people: Hari Mohan (Director General Ordnance Factories & Chairman, OFB)

India will be self-reliant in production of fertilizers by 2023

• Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister DV Sadananda Gowda has said that India will be self-reliant in the production of fertilizers by 2023.
• Under Atma Nirbhar Bharat programme new fertilizer manufacturing units are being setup with an investment of 40 thousand crore rupees in the country to reduce dependency on import.
• The Ministry is encouraging the production of organic and Nano fertilizers in the country as they are 25 to 30 per cent cheaper and give 18 to 35 per cent higher yield.

Govt urges seven big states to ensure adequate oxygen availability in all healthcare facilities

• Government has urged seven big states to ensure adequate Oxygen availability in all Healthcare Facilities. These States are Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
• Union Health Ministry held a virtual meeting in this regard.
• The aim of the meeting was to ensure adequate Oxygen availability in all healthcare facilities in these States and unrestricted intra as well as inter State movement of oxygen.
• The States were specifically advised to ensure hospital wise oxygen inventory management and advance planning for timely replenishment so that there are no stockout.
• They have been also asked to ensure that no restriction is imposed on the movement of Medical Oxygen between States and Union Territories.

HDFC Bank looks to increase number of banking correspondents to 25,000 by March

• In a bid to expand its rural reach, the country’s largest private sector lender HDFC Bank is planning to more than double the strength of its banking correspondents (BCs) to 25,000 by the fiscal-end.
• At present, the bank has a network of 11,000 banking correspondents.
• A customer will get all banking facilities from opening of an account, fixed deposit, to payment products and loan close to his house in a rural area through the BC network, she said.
• The bank is looking at its tie-up with the government’s common services centres (CSCs) to expand its BC network.
• An agreement between the two aims to create last-mile access points for financial services across the country.
• The bank appoints banking correspondents from the village level entrepreneurs associated with the CSC.

Extra Shots:

HDFC Bank

• CEO: Aditya Puri
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Founded: August 1994, India
• Parent organization: Housing Development Finance Corporation

STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS

J&K announces New Universal Health Insurance Scheme

• Recently, the Jammu & Kashmir government has announced a Universal health Insurance scheme on the lines of the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat.
• The scheme will cover the entire population of the Union territory (UT).
• The annual expenditure of the scheme is Rs 123 crore.
• The scheme was announced by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha
• It will cover all the residents of the Union Territory.
• The scheme will provide universal health insurance coverage to all the residents of the UT.
• There are around 218 public and private hospitals empanelled in J&K where citizens can avail the benefit.
• The scheme will cover all-important life-consuming diseases including cancer and kidney failure.
• COVID-19 has also been covered in the scheme.
• The scheme will cover high-end hospitalization expenses.
• Three days of pre-hospitalization, hospitalization, 15 days of post-hospitalization costs would also be paid by government.
• The scheme would also cover the diagnostic care and expenditure on medicine

Extra Shots:

Jammu & Kashmir:

• Capitals- Jammu (Winter), Srinagar (Summer)
• Lt Governor- Manoj Sinha
• National Parks: City Forest (Salim Ali) National Park, Dachigam National Park, Hemis National Park, Kishtwar National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Baltal-Thajwas WLS, Changthang Cold Desert WLS, Gulmarg WLS, Jasrota WLS, Karakoram (Nubra Shyok) WLS etc

Goa extends insurance cover for healthcare workers

• The insurance cover of Rs.50 lakh under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana has been extended to all health workers in Goa.
• The scheme is implemented through the National Disaster Response Fund implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Gujarat government to provide interest-free loans to women

• On September 17, the Gujarat government would be launching Mukhyamantri Mahila Kalyan Scheme, a special scheme to provide interest-free loans of Rs.1 lakh to promote self-employment among women in the time of pandemic.

Extra Shots:

Gujarat:

• Capital: Gandhinagar
• Chief Minister: Vijay Rupani
• Governor: Acharya Devvrat
• State formed on: 1 May 1960
• Literacy Rate: 79.31%
• National Park: Vansda NP, Blackbuck NP, Gir Forest NP,  Marine NP, Gulf of Kutch

UP govt to constitute special force

• Uttar Pradesh government has decided to constitute a special force.
• It will provide security to the high court, district courts, administrative offices and buildings, Metro rail, airports, banks, financial institutions, educational institutions and industrial units.
• The state government has issued orders for the constitution of the force and a roadmap in this regard has been sought from the UP DGP.
• The basis of this force is an order of the High Court, which had ordered that there should be a specialised force for civil courts.

Extra Shots:

Uttar Pradesh:

• Statehood Day: January 26, 1950
• Capital: Lucknow
• Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath
• Governor: Anandiben Patel
• Literacy Rate: 67.68%
• Nation Park: Dudhwa National Park

Tripura’s First Ever SEZ

• First-ever Special Economic Zone (SEZ) was laid to foundation stone by the Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb at Sabroom which is the southernmost town of the state bordering Bangladesh.
• It is around 120 km from Agartala
• It would emerge as the commercial capital of the Northeast.
• SEZ would be set up at Jalefa in Sabroom subdivision,
• Total investment on the project is Rs 635 crore.

Extra Shots:

Tripura

• Capital: Agartala
• Chief Minister: Biplab Kumar Deb
• Governor: Ramesh Bais

INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

UK Enters into First Major Post-Brexit Deal with Japan

• The UK has signed its first major post-Brexit trade pact by signing a deal with Japan.
• The deal aims to boost trade between these two countries by about £15bn.
• The deal would boost UK GDP by 0.07%, though, it is just a fraction of the trade that was lost with the European union (EU).
• This UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement has a great significance as now onward 99% of exports to Japan will be tariff-free.
• The deal secures new path for British businesses in manufacturing, food and drink, and tech industries.
• The deal would be beneficial for automobile sector as well shoe factories.
• It would create new opportunities for people throughout UK.

Extra Shots:

Japan (Capital/Currency): Tokyo/ Japanese yen

• President: Shinzo Abe

Israel, UAE education institutes ink agreement on AI

• The MoU between the United Arab Emirates’ Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science is the first agreement between the countries’ higher education bodies.
• The Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence was established in 2019.

Extra Shots:

UAE (Capital/Currency): Abu Dhabi/ United Arab Emirates dirham

• President: Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

S Jaishankar co-chairs ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting with Thailand

• The Union Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar co-chaired the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on 12 September 2020, with his Thailand counterpart Don Pramudwinai.
• The virtual meeting saw the participation of Foreign Ministers of the 10 ASEAN Member States and India.
• The new ASEAN-India Plan of Action for next five years (2021-2025) was adopted at the meeting.
• The meeting reviewed the status of ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership in several areas including maritime cooperation, connectivity, education capacity building and people-to-people contacts and also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation to fight COVID-19 pandemic among other things.

V Muraleedharan participates in 27th ASEAN regional forum

• Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan participated in the 27th ASEAN regional forum.
• During the 27th ASEAN regional forum, the minister shared India’s views on maritime security, counter terrorism as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.
• He also stated that India will co-chair ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) workshops on port security and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Virtual meeting of G-20 Agriculture,Water Ministers held

• A virtual meeting of G-20 Agriculture and Water Ministers was held.
• The meeting was attended by Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare Parshottam Rupala.
• The Jal Shakti Minister assured the forum of India’s commitment to contribute towards the objectives, goals and targets set by G-20.
• Government of India is implementing the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ to provide household tap connections to 190 million rural homes, thereby ensuring drinking water security.

Virtual Buyer-Seller meet for carpet exports to commence from Sept 29

• The Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC) has announced a three-day Buyer-Seller Meet in virtual mode with special focus on Australia and adjoining countries to ensure business continuity amid COVID-19 pandemic.
• The buyer-seller meet shall be held from 29th of September to 1st of October and with a limited number of virtual booths available, only 50 exhibitors shall participate in the event on first-cum-first-serve basis.
• India is the biggest exporter of handmade carpets to countries like Australia in the Oceania Region.
• Carpet exporters can explore business opportunities by targeting new destinations Down Under to enhance export potential.
• The famed Kashmir carpet is the leading hand-made product exported to various overseas destinations like Europe, US and the Middle East.
• All carpet exporters interested in participation in Buyer-Seller Meet have been advised to coordinate with the Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom, Kashmir, Kashmir Haat, Srinagar or reach out on exportpromotion@gmail.com.

Jaishankar participates in inaugural session of Intra-Afghan negotiations in Doha

• External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar participated in the inaugural session of the Intra-Afghan negotiations held in Doha on Saturday via video teleconference.
• The Minister’s participation was in response to an invitation extended to him by the Qatar’s Foreign Minister Mohammad bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.
• He highlighted India’s role as a major development partner of Afghanistan with over 400 projects completed in all the 34 provinces of Afghanistan.

Health Ministry organises virtual conclave for pvt hospitals providing COVID-19 treatment in country

• The Health Ministry organized a virtual conclave for private hospitals providing COVID-19 treatment in the country.
• It provided a platform for discussion of clinical protocols and best practices in COVID-19 management towards reducing avoidable deaths.
• While COVID-19 has posed unprecedented challenges to the country’s health care systems, there have been proactive responses from the government as well as the private industry.
• The Ministry also encouraged the hospital representatives to share their key concerns and challenges being faced while managing COVID-19 in their facilities

RANKS AND INDICES

India is second-fastest-growing freelance market in the world

• India is the second-fastest-growing freelance market in the world with a massive increase in the number of freelancers this year, according to a report on ‘Freelancing in 2020: An Abundance of Opportunities’ by Payoneer.
• Furthermore, India witnessed a 46 per cent increase in new freelancers from Q1 to Q2, 2020 as per the report.
• Apart from India, other popular markets for gig workers include the US, Pakistan, and Ukraine.

AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED

Odisha Govt signed MoU with NCDC for Promotion and Management of Farmer Producer Organisation

• An MoU has been signed between the Government of Odisha and the National Co-operative Development Corporation (NCDC) at Krushi Bhawan for the promotion and management of Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO).
• This MoU is based on Farmers Producer Organisation (FPO) Promotion and Management with central sector scheme.
• Under this Central scheme, NCCD will be formed Farmer Producer Organisation (FPOs) and will impart training, proper guidance to the small and marginal farmers of Odisha to face various challenges in production, technical knowhow, quality of production, optimum price realisation, credit, seed production, processing, utilisation and marketing.

Extra Shots:

Odisha:

• Statehood Day: 1^st April 1936
• Capital: Bhubaneswar
• Governor: Ganeshi Lal
• Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik

ADB, Suguna Sign $15 Million Deal to Sustain Rural Livelihoods in India During Pandemic

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed an agreement for $15 million with Suguna Foods Private Limited (Suguna) to help sustain poultry farming operations, as well as rural livelihoods and food security in India during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
• ADB’s assistance will provide essential liquidity support to Suguna’s operations during this COVID-19 crisis, help the company build inventory buffers and make timely payments to contract farmers and suppliers,

Extra Shots:

ADB

• Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Philippines
• President: Masatsugu Asakawa
• Founded: 19 December 1966
• Membership: 68 countries
• Purpose: Economic development

Rajasthan Partners with SIDBI to develop MSMEs

• Industries Minister Parsadi Lal Meena said that Rajasthan’s Department of Industries and Sidbi partnered on September 12, 2020 to provide financial, technical, marketing and export support to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state.

Highlights

• The Small Industries Development Bank of India (Sidbi) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Rajasthan Government.
• It will develop to develop the MSME ecosystem in the state.
• For this purpose, MSME Act has been amended to promote industries
• The move will exempt MSME businesses from all kinds of permissions and inspections for three years.
• Also, establishing large industries will become easy with the coming of a single window one-stop shop.

Extra Shots:

SIDBI

• Headquarters location: Lucknow
• Founded: 2 April 1990
• Chairman and Managing Director: Mohammad Mustafa

RECENT COMMITTEES IN NEWS

Govt Sets up Empowered Group of Ministers to Oversee OFB’s Corporatisation; Head-Rajnath Singh

• Central Government has constituted an Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) to oversee the process of the corporatisation of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is the chairman of this EGoM.
• The ordnance factories form an integrated base for indigenous production of defence hardware and equipment.
• Corporatization is the process of transforming state assets, government agencies, or municipal organizations into corporations.

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL  AWARDS

Indian Film ‘The Disciple’ by Chaitanya Tamhane wins Best Screenplay award at Venice Film Festival 2020

• The Marathi language feature film ‘The Disciple’ written and directed by Mumbai-based filmmaker Chaitanya Tamhane, has bagged the prestigious FIPRESCI award for Best Screenplay at the 77th Venice Film Festival.
• The annual Venice International Film Festival 2020 was held from 2 to 12 September 2020.
• The Disciple is the first Indian film to have been selected in a major competition category at a European festival in 20 years after Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding in 2001.
• The award is presented by ‘The International Federation of Film Critics, FIPRESCI (Federation Internationale de la Presse CInematographique).

APPOINTMENTS IN NEWS

Jane Fraser named the first female CEO of Citigroup

• Citigroup has named Jane Fraser as its next chief executive officer. She will be the first female CEO of this major global bank.
• She will succeed Michael Corbat, who is retiring in February 2021.
• The headquarters of Citigroup is located in New York, United States.

Extra Shots:

Citigroup

• CEO: Michael Corbat
• Headquarters: New York, New York, United States

SPORTS CURRENT AFFAIRS

Lewis Hamilton wins F1 Tuscan Grand Prix 2020

• Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain) has won the Formula One Tuscan Grand Prix 2020 held on September 13, 2020. This was his 6th win of the season and 90th F1 win of his career.
• Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-Finland) came second followed by Alexander Albon (Red Bull – Thailand) at third place.
• The Tuscan Grand Prix (first edition) was the ninth race of the 2020 Formula One World Championship.

Japan’s Naomi Osaka beats Victoria Azarenka to win US Open Tennis Tournament

• In Tennis, Japan’s Naomi Osaka defeated Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, 1-6, ,6-3, 6-3,  to clinch the Women’s Singles title in the 2020 US Open Tennis tournament
• This is the third Grand Slam title for the fourth seed Osaka.
• The 22-year old Osaka previously won the title at the 2018 US Open and 2019 Australian Open.
• She is now the first Asian player to win three Grand Slam singles titles.
• The victory has moved up Osaka to number 3 in the world rankings.

Dominic Thiem wins US Open Men’s Tennis Tournament 2020

• Austria’s Dominic Thiem defeated Alexander Zverev to win the men’s singles title at the 2020 US Open tournament.
• It was Thiem’s first Grand Slam title, and he becomes the first player in the Open Era to rally from two sets down in a US Open final.

Kiren Rijiju to lay foundation stones for various sports facilities in Leh

• Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju is laying foundation stones for various sports facilities in Leh.
• The Minister will lay foundation for a Synthetic Track & Astro Turf for football in Leh at an open stadium and for a Gymnasium hall in NDS indoor stadium in Leh.
• With a Special focus to tap the natural talent in Ladakh, the sports ministry is developing infrastructure in the region.
• The facilities to be created in Leh will be a step forward for sports Development in the Union Territory Ladakh.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CURRENT AFFAIRS

IPFT develops new Disinfectant Sprays

• Institute of Pesticide Formulation Technology (IPFT) has developed two new technologies namely “Disinfectant spray for surface application” and “Disinfectant spray for Vegetables & fruits” at a time when Covid-19 pandemic has created a lot of damage globally.
• It contains ‘botanical anti-microbial substance’ which can be an effective formulation to prevent from diseases which are caused by microbes, bacteria and virus.
• The formulation is volatile in nature.
• It evaporates after disinfecting the surface and does not leave any stains and odour.

SCTIMST develops device for prevention of Deep Vein Thrombosis

• Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum (SCTIMST), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology, has developed a device for the prevention of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT).
• The formation of a blood clot in a deep vein, usually in the legs or Deep Vein Thrombosis can lead to life threatening complications.
• Ministry of Science and Technology in a statement said that scientists have come up with a device that can facilitate flow of blood from the veins in the legs thus preventing DVT.

WEBPORTALS & APPS IN NEWS

MoRTH organized the Orientation and Training Programme of iRAD App

• Ministry of Road Transport & Highways conducted 2-days Orientation and Training programme on iRAD App on 7 & 8 September for the selected districts of Karnataka, and on 10th & 11th September 2020 for some districts of Uttar Pradesh.

iRAD app:

• The basic iRAD App has been developed. The app will be customized/integrated as per the requirements of concerned States/UTs.
• The Mobile app of iRAD is currently available for the Android platform, and for other platforms like iOS will be available shortly.
• The App will enable the stakeholders such as the Police, Transport, Health, etc to use their mobile phones to collect accident data on the spot.
• Integrated Road Accident Database Project (iRAD) was proposed on the IT-based system for capturing the spot accident data using a mobile app configured for this purpose.
• The data thus collected can then be utilized for various purposes like finding the causes of the accidents and remedial measures to improve the road infrastructure, to record the accident data for the use of police, health services, and other concerned departments.

OBITUARY

Former Union Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh passes away at 74

• Former Union minister and veteran leader of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Raghuvansh Prasad Singh has passed away after he developed post COVID-19 complications.. He was 74.
• He was a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India and represented the Vaishali constituency of Bihar.
• Singh had served as the Union Minister for Rural Development in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s cabinet.
• He was widely regarded as the brain behind the conceptualization and implementation of NREGA (National rural employment guarantee act).

MISCELLANEOUS

India’s First Airport Coronavirus Testing Facility Launched In Delhi

• India’s first coronavirus airport testing facility has been launched at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.
• Passengers can book the testing the slot an hour before the time of arrival and around four-six hours before the departure flight. The test results are available within four-six hours.
• Passengers will have to provide their details such as name, contact details and valid ID proof while applying online for this facility.

Jadavpur university to provide smartphones, data pack to students

• Jadavpur University has formally decided to provide android handsets and data pack to students, not having such facilities.
• those students not having smartphones and net connectivity will be provided with the handsets and data pack in arts, science and engineering streams very soon.
• They will provide them with good quality sets compatible with net facilities, sharing, uploading and downloading options and for those needing good connectivity data pack and recharge for three months.

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