Current Affairs Today 17th September 2020-Download in PDF

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Current Affairs Today – 17th September 2020

NEWS AT A GLANCE

1. The World Patient Safety Day is observed on September 17 to create global awareness for patient safety and urge people to show their commitment to make healthcare safer.
2. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has given in-principle sanction for Rs 1,568 crore worth of proposals received from agri-credit societies in 22 states under the recently launched Rs 1 lakh crore Agri Infrastructure Fund.
3. The Reserve Bank of India has mandated banks to fully automate NPA classification and provisioning calculation process.
4. The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed an amendment to the Banking Regulation Act to bring cooperative banks under the supervision of the RBI.
5. RBI issues draft on rupee Interest Rate (IR) derivatives.
6. UBS Securities has projected India’s GDP for 2020-21 (FY21) to contact by 8.6%. (Earlier it was -5.8%)
7. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) expects the Indian economy to contract by 10.2% in FY21 (2020-21) as compared to its previous estimate of 16.7% in June.
8. Social media giant Facebook on Tuesday said it will offer grants totalling USD 4.3 million (Rs 32 crore) to more than 3,000 small businesses across five Indian cities, including Delhi and Mumbai, to help them grow their operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
9. e-commerce major Flipkart landed a fresh $62.8 million investment from the Chinese internet giant Tencent holdings in a funding round, regulatory filings sourced from business intelligence platform, paper.vc showed.
10. The Ministry of Railways has decided to run 20 pairs (40 trains) of clone Special trains from September 21, 2020, to meet the need of passengers with waitlist ticket and who do not get confirmed reservations on the regular trains.
11. The Lok Sabha has passed the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020 on 15 September 2020.
12. A postage stamp commemorating the first successful anti-satellite missile (A-SAT) test was released in the presence of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
13. Mega Food Park Scheme (MFPS) is being implemented by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
14. The Central Government has been planning to introduce a new law that will ban the trade in cryptocurrencies, placing it out of step with other economies of Asia who have chosen to regulate the fledgling market.
15. Tata Projects Limited won the bid to construct a new parliament building at a cost of Rs 861.90 crore,
16. Lok Sabha passed the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 which seeks to deregulate food items, including cereals, pulses and onion.
17. The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) launched a health and nutrition helpline to ensure children under six years of age get nutritional supplements and regular immunisation doses.
18. The Uttarakhand high court’s orders, the state police dispatched ten teams to Kedarnath on Wednesday in search of the thousands of people who went missing in the ‘Himalayan Tsunami’ of June 2013.
19. Parliament passed a bill to accord the status of an institution of national importance to a Jamnagar-based cluster of Ayurveda institutes.
20. Mexico became the first country in the world to issue a sovereign bond linked to the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations, raising EUR 750 million ($890 million).
21. India has joined the Djibouti Code of Conduct/ Jeddah Amendment as Observer following the high-level virtual meeting of the Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment (DCOC/JA) on August 26, 2020.
22. India and the United States held the 10th Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) Group Meeting on 15 September 2020 through virtual platform, in the wake of COVID pandemic.
23. 56th Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme observed in Dhaka.
24. The first all India Happiness Report covering all states and Union Territories measuring happiness across the country, which is based on a nationwide survey covering 16,950 people between March and July 2020 by Professor Rajesh K Pillania.
25. Titan Company has partnered with the State Bank of India (SBI) to launch India’s first contactless payment watches named “Titan Pay”.
26. Israel, UAE and Bahrain signed Abraham Accords in a signing ceremony presided over by United States President Donald Trump at the White House on September 15, 2020
27. The Fiumicino International Airport (FCO) in Rome,Italy, has become the first airport in the world to be certified with “COVID-19 5-star airport rating” from Skytrax, a U.K.-based airport and airline review firm.
28. Eminent Engineers Award 2020 declared, Prof. H. D. Charan, Vice-Chancellor, Bikaner Technical University as Visionary Leader of the Year, Dr Manish Kumar Goyal, IIT Indore, Best Researcher of the Year, and Dr. Shamsher Bahadur Singh, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, as Best Academician of the Year Award 2020 in Individual Category.
29. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said it has appointed Takeo Konishi as its new Country Director for India.
30. The Sports Authority of India’s Northern Regional Centre in Sonepatorganised an online interaction earlier today with 391 participants on the Fit India Freedom Run.
31. Researchers from IIT Kharagpur have developed an artificial intelligence-based prediction model for detecting arsenic pollution in drinking water.
32. Veteran scholar of Indian classical dance, art, architecture and art history, Dr Kapila Vatsyayan has passed away. She was 92-year-old.
33. Tirupati MP Balli Durga Prasad on Wednesday died of cardiac arrest at a private hospital in Chennai.
34. The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights on ordered CBSE schools in the state to ensure that each session of the ongoing online classes did not exceed 30 minutes.
35. Moussa Traoré, the former President of Mali, who was in power from 1968 to 1991 has passed away. He was 83.
36. Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair is soon going to have a new terminal building.

NEWS IN DETAILS

IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES

World Patient Safety Day observed as 17 September

• The World Patient Safety Day is observed on September 17 to create global awareness for patient safety and urge people to show their commitment to make healthcare safer.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) observed the first WPSD in 2019.
• It was adopted at the 72nd World Health Assembly on 25 May 2019.
• The theme for 2020 WPSD is ‘Safe health workers, Safe patients.

Extra Shots:

WHO

• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Founded: 7 April 1948
• Parent organization: United Nations Economic and Social Council
• Heads: Tedros Adhanom, Soumya Swaminathan, Jane Ellison

BANKING & FINANCE 

NABARD Sanctions Rs 1,568 crore worth of proposals under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund

• The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has given in-principle sanction for Rs 1,568 crore worth of proposals received from agri-credit societies in 22 states under the recently launched Rs 1 lakh crore Agri Infrastructure Fund.
• So far, NABARD has received 3,055 proposals of PACS (Primary Agriculture Credit Societies) through state cooperative banks in 22 states for which in-principle sanction of Rs 1,568 crore has been accorded.

Extra Shots:

NABARD

• Founded: 12 July 1982
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Chairperson: Harsh Kumar Bhanwala
• Purpose: Development assistance; Poverty Reduction
• Formation: July 12, 1982

RBI asks banks to fully automate NPA recognition process

• The Reserve Bank of India has mandated banks to fully automate NPA classification and provisioning calculation process.
• All borrower accounts will be covered under the new regime. Lenders will have time till June 30, 2021 to complete this process.
• The new guidelines will include all borrower accounts, including temporary overdrafts, irrespective of size or sector. Banks’ investments will also be covered under the new system.

Extra Shots:

RBI

• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Founder: British Raj
• Governor: Shaktikanta Das

Lok Sabha passes legislation to bring cooperative banks under RBI’s supervision

• The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed an amendment to the Banking Regulation Act to bring cooperative banks under the supervision of the RBI.
• The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020 replaces an ordinance that was promulgated on June 26.
• The bill, which comes in the backdrop of the PMC Bank scam, seeks to strengthen cooperative banks by increasing their professionalism, enabling access to capital, improving governance and ensuring sound banking through the RBI.

RBI issues draft on rupee Interest Rate (IR) derivatives

• RBI issues draft on rupee Interest Rate (IR) derivatives.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) proposed allowing foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) to undertake exchange-traded rupee interest rate derivatives transactions subject to an overall ceiling of Rs 5,000 crore.
• These RBI Proposed Interest Rate Derivatives (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2020 are aimed at encouraging higher non-resident participation, enhance the role of domestic market makers in the offshore market, improve transparency, and achieve better regulatory oversight, according to the RBI.

Extra Shots:

RBI

• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Founder: British Raj
• Governor: Shaktikanta Das

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

UBS Securities projects India’s GDP to contract by 8.6% in FY21; For FY22=+10%

• UBS Securities has projected India’s GDP for 2020-21 (FY21) to contact by 8.6%. (Earlier it was -5.8%)
• For FY22, UBS Securities projects India’s GDP to grow by 10%.
• UBS Securities is a Chinese investment bank and brokerage firm headquartered in Beijing, China.

Extra Shots:

UBS Securities

• Headquarters: Beijing, China
• Founded: 2006
• Predecessor: Beijing Securities

OECD projects India’s GDP at -10.2% in FY21 & 10.7% in FY22, Global GDP at -4.5% in 2020

• The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) expects the Indian economy to contract by 10.2% in FY21 (2020-21) as compared to its previous estimate of 16.7% in June.
• For FY22 (2021-22), the Paris-based OECD projects India’s gross domestic product (GDP) to grow at 10.7%.
• OECD expects the global GDP at -4.5% in 2020, which is an upward revision from its previous estimate of -6%.
• For the year 2021, the global economy is estimated to increase by 5%.

Extra Shots:

OECD

• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Founded: 30 September 1961
• Secretary-General: José Ángel Gurría
• Deputy Secretary-General: Ludger Schuknecht; Ulrik Vestergaard Knudsen; Masamichi Kono

Facebook offers USD 4.3 million in grants to Indian small, medium businesses

• Social media giant Facebook on Tuesday said it will offer grants totalling USD 4.3 million (Rs 32 crore) to more than 3,000 small businesses across five Indian cities, including Delhi and Mumbai, to help them grow their operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
• This is part of Facebook’s USD 100 million grant, announced in March, to help small businesses in 30 countries cope with the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
• The grant programme is open to small businesses from all industries and verticals, and businesses do not need to have a Facebook family of apps presence in order to apply.

Extra Shots:

Facebook

• Founded: February 2004, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
• CEO: Mark Zuckerberg
• Headquarters: Menlo Park, California, United States
• CFO: David Wehner

Flipkart lands a further $62.8 million in funding from China’s Tencent

• e-commerce major Flipkart landed a fresh $62.8 million investment from the Chinese internet giant Tencent holdings in a funding round, regulatory filings sourced from business intelligence platform, paper.vc showed.
• The funds raise has been made through Flipkart’s Singapore based parent entity, likely a part of the larger $1.2-billion round that was announced by e-tailer in July.
• The funds raise has been made through Flipkart’s Singapore based parent entity, likely a part of the larger $1.2-billion round that was announced by e-tailer in July.

Extra Shots:

Flipkart

• Founded: October 2007, Bengaluru
• CEO: Kalyan Krishnamurthy
• Founders: Sachin Bansal, Binny Bansal
• Parent organization: Walmart

NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

Indian Railways to run 40 clone trains for waitlisted passengers from September 21

• The Ministry of Railways has decided to run 20 pairs (40 trains) of clone Special trains from September 21, 2020, to meet the need of passengers with waitlist ticket and who do not get confirmed reservations on the regular trains.
• Clone Trains are being run for the first time by the India Railways. They will operate on the high traffic routes that have a long waiting list, so that the passengers with such tickets can travel.
• The reservation for these trains will start on September 19 and advance reservation period (ARP) will be 10 days.
• The clone trains will run ahead of the already operating special trains.
• These trains will be fully reserved trains with operational halts only and will operate at speeds higher than those of the existing special trains.
• The Clone Special trains are in addition to the 310 pairs of trains currently in operation.

Bill passed in Lok Sabha to reduce salaries of MPs by 30%

• The Lok Sabha has passed the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020 on 15 September 2020.
• The bill seeks to cut salaries of all Members of Parliaments (MPs) by 30 percent for a period of one year commencing April 1, 2020, to meet the urgent financial need arising out COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020 will replace the Salary, Allowances And Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020.
• This ordinance was cleared by the Union Cabinet on April 6, 2020.

Govt issues Postage Stamp commemorating First Successful Anti-satellite Missile Test

• A postage stamp commemorating the first successful anti-satellite missile (A-SAT) test was released in the presence of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
• The government-run DRDO had successfully conducted the first A-SAT test on March 27 last year was termed ”Mission Shakti”. The A-SAT Missile was launched from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha and it successfully engaged an Indian orbiting target satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in a ’Hit to Kill’ mode.

37 Mega Food Parks in 23 States/UTs Approved

• Mega Food Park Scheme (MFPS) is being implemented by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
• The scheme has been creating modern infrastructure for the food processing industries since 2008.
• A Total of 42 food parks have been planned, and 37 Mega Food Parks have recently been approved out of which 19 are already operational.

Mega Food Park Scheme

• It is a scheme of the Ministry of Food Processing that establishes a “direct linkage from farm to processing and then to consumer markets”.
• The scheme has been made a component of the new Central Sector Umbrella Scheme– Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY).
• MFPS is aimed at providing modern infrastructure facilities for food processing besides providing the value chain from farm to market.

Extra Shots:

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY)

• The SAMPADA (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters) scheme was approved in May 2017 which has been renamed as the “Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY)”. It is a central sector scheme that incorporate schemes like Mega Food Parks, Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure etc. under it. The primary objective of the scheme is to supplement agriculture, modernise its processing and decrease the Agri-Waste.

Central government plans to introduce law to ban Cryptocurrency trading

• The Central Government has been planning to introduce a new law that will ban the trade in cryptocurrencies, placing it out of step with other economies of Asia who have chosen to regulate the fledgling market.
• The bill has been expected to be discussed by the federal cabinet before it is sent to the Parliament for approval.
• Under the law, the federal government will be encouraging the blockchain, the technology underlying cryptocurrencies, but is not keen on cryptocurrency trading.

Tata Projects Ltd wins bid to construct new parliament building

• Tata Projects Limited won the bid to construct a new parliament building at a cost of Rs 861.90 crore.
• The new building will be constructed close to the existing one under the Central Vista redevelopment project.
• It is expected to be completed in 21 months from the start of construction work.

Extra Shots:

Tata Projects Limited

• Founded: 1979

Lok Sabha Passes the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020

• Lok Sabha passed the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 which seeks to deregulate food items, including cereals, pulses and onion.
• The aim of this bill is to transform the farm sector and raising farmers income.
• The bill passed in the Lok Sabha seeks to amend the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, and empowers the government in terms of supply, production, trade, distribution, and commerce of certain commodities.

STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS

Delhi Govt Launches Helpline to Promote Nutrition, Maternity Benefits for Women and Children

• The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) launched a health and nutrition helpline to ensure children under six years of age get nutritional supplements and regular immunisation doses.
• The helpline, ‘Sehat evam Poshan Saathinwas’, will remain operational 24X7 in collaboration with NGO Indus Action.
• Once a call is received on the number, 011-41193903, the team at the DCPCR will connect back with the caller within one-two days and register the grievance.

Uttarakhand launches search for missing people in 2013 ‘Himalayan tsunami’

• The Uttarakhand high court’s orders, the state police dispatched ten teams to Kedarnath on Wednesday in search of the thousands of people who went missing in the ‘Himalayan Tsunami’ of June 2013.
• The teams are tasked with conducting a search for 10-days in areas where remains of the missing people are expected to be found.
• The teams have been equipped with sleeping bags, tents, and wireless sets and will search for the missing people with the help of Google Maps, the GPS system.
• The entire operation will also be videographed to preserve for reference and as an evidence of the work done.

Extra Shots:

Uttarkhand

• Statehood Day: 9^th November 2000
• Capital: Dehradun
• Governor: Baby Rani maurya
• Chief Minister: Trivendra Singh Rawat
• National Park :Jim Corbett NP, Gangotri NP, Nanda Devi NP, Rajaji NP

Parliament approved Bill for giving national importance tag to Gujarat Ayurveda institutes

• Parliament passed a bill to accord the status of an institution of national importance to a Jamnagar-based cluster of Ayurveda institutes.
• The Bill – ‘The Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda Bill, 2020’ – was passed by a voice vote in Rajya Sabha.
• Lok Sabha has already approved the bill in the last session, in which three Jamnagar, Gujarat-based institutes — Institute of Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Gulabkunwerba Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya and Institute of Ayurveda Pharmaceutical Sciences.

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

INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

Mexico issues ‘world’s first’ sovereign bond linked to U.N. sustainability goals

• Mexico became the first country in the world to issue a sovereign bond linked to the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations, raising EUR 750 million ($890 million).
• The seven-year bond will pay an interest rate of 1.6% with a 1.3% coupon.
• The bond drew interest from 267 institutional investors worldwide.
• Green bond issues have gained traction in 2019 and 2020 after the first was issued almost four years ago. Mexico’s bond will be used to fund programs to meet the SDGs.

Extra Shots:

Mexico (Capital/Currency): Mexico City/ Mexican peso

• President: Andrés Manuel López Obrador

India joins Djibouti Code of Conduct as Observer

• India has joined the Djibouti Code of Conduct/ Jeddah Amendment as Observer following the high-level virtual meeting of the Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment (DCOC/JA) on August 26, 2020.
• This was informed by the Ministry of External Affairs.

Extra Shots:

Djibouti Code of Conduct

• The Djibouti Code of Conduct is a regional maritime security cooperation agreement established by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in 2008.

SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

10th Indo-US Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) Group Meeting held virtually

• India and the United States held the 10th Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) Group Meeting on 15 September 2020 through virtual platform, in the wake of COVID pandemic.
• The DTTI Group Meetings are normally held twice a year, alternatively between India and the United States, as a part of Indo-US Bilateral Defence Cooperation, to bring sustained leadership focus to the bilateral defense trade relationship.
• The virtual meeting was co-chaired by Raj Kumar, Secretary of Defence Production, Defence Ministry and Ellen M. Lord, Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition and Sustainment, from the US Department of Defence.
• Both the countries signed a statement of intent (SoI) to strengthen the bilateral dialogue on defence technology co-operation and create opportunities for co-production and co-development of military equipment.

56th Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme observed in Dhaka

• The 56th Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) day was observed online by the High Commission of India in Dhaka.
• The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme was instituted by a decision of the Indian Cabinet in 1964.
• The Programme is launched to provide development assistance to developing countries across the globe.
• ITEC is administered by the Ministry of External Affairs, India and is fully funded by the Government of India.

Extra Shots:

Bangladesh (Capital/Currency): Dhaka/Taka

• Prime Minister: Sheikh Hasina
• Official Language: Bengali

RANKS AND INDICES

Mizoram, Punjab, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Top India Happiness Report 2020

• The first all covering all states and Union Territories measuring happiness across the country, which is based on a nationwide survey covering 16,950 people between March and July 2020 by Professor Rajesh K Pillania.
• In the happiness rankings of states and union territories, Mizoram, Punjab, Andaman and Nicobar Islands are the top three.
• Big States – Punjab, Gujarat, and Telangana are among the top three states whereas, among smaller states, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh are the top three states in happiness rankings.
• Union Territories – Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, and Lakshadweep are the top three union territories in happiness rankings
• Maharashtra, Delhi, and Haryana have shown the worst possible impact of COVID-19 on happiness, whereas Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir are neutral and Manipur, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep have shown the best possible impact of COVID-19 on happiness.

AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED

Titan partners with SBI to launch contactless payment watches “Titan Pay”

• Titan Company has partnered with the State Bank of India (SBI) to launch India’s first contactless payment watches named “Titan Pay”.
• Using these watches, the account holders of SBI can tap their Titan Pay watch on the contactless payment POS machines for making payments. It is powered by YONO SBI.
• Under this mechanism, payments of up to Rs. 2,000 can be made without entering a PIN, as per the RBI guidelines.
• A secure certified near-field communication (NFC) chip developed by Tappy Technologies has been embedded in the watch strap that will enable the tap and pay feature in the watch.

Extra Shots:

SBI

• Chairperson: Rajnish Kumar
• Headquarters: Mumbai

Titan

• Founder: Xerxes Desai
• Founded: 1984
• Parent organizations: Tata Group, Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation

Israel, UAE, Bahrain sign historic US-brokered peace deals

• Israel, UAE and Bahrain signed Abraham Accords in a signing ceremony presided over by United States President Donald Trump at the White House on September 15, 2020.
• The signing of Abraham Accords aims to establish foundation of peace agreements between Israel and the two Arab nations- the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
• The peace accord makes UAE and Bahrain, the third and fourth Arab states respectively to take such steps to establish full relations with Israel after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994.
• The two gulf nations have now joined Egypt and Jordan as the only Arab nations to recognise and normalise ties with Israel.

Extra Shots:

Saudi Arabia (Capital/Currency): Riyad/ Saudi riyal

• Crown Prince: Muhammed Bin Salman

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

• President: Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL  AWARDS

Fiumicino International Airport in Rome becomes World’s First Airport to earn “COVID-19 5-star airport rating” from Skytrax

• The Fiumicino International Airport (FCO) in Rome,Italy, has become the first airport in the world to be certified with “COVID-19 5-star airport rating” from Skytrax, a U.K.-based airport and airline review firm.
• FCO, also known as the Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport, is the busiest airport in Italy.
• The COVID-19 ratings for hygiene by Skytrax was based on a combination of procedural efficiency checks, visual observation analysis and ATP sampling tests.
• Fiumicino Airport earned the 5 star rating for the hygiene processes and other preventative measures in place to help reduce the spread of Coronavirus.

Governor of Rajasthan felicitated “EMINENT ENGINEERS AWARD 2020” on the Occasion Engineer’s Day

• Eminent Engineers Award 2020 declared, Prof. H. D. Charan, Vice-Chancellor, Bikaner Technical University as Visionary Leader of the Year, Dr Manish Kumar Goyal, IIT Indore, Best Researcher of the Year, and Dr. Shamsher Bahadur Singh, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, as Best Academician of the Year Award 2020 in Individual Category.
• Honourable Governor of Rajasthan and Chancellor of State Universities, Shri. Kalraj Mishra felicitated the Eminent Engineers Awards to 10 individuals, 3 industries, 2 startups, one university and one institute (Total: 17) on the occasion of World Engineer’s day.

APPOINTMENTS IN NEWS

Asian Development Bank appoints Takeo Konishi as Country Director for India

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said it has appointed Takeo Konishi as its new Country Director for India.
• Konishi succeeds Kenichi Yokoyama who has taken over as Director General of ADB’s South Asia Department and will be based at ADB headquarter in Manila, Philippines.

Extra Shots:

ADB

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

SPORTS CURRENT AFFAIRS

Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat join online Fit India Freedom Run event at SAI Sonepat

• The Sports Authority of India’s Northern Regional Centre in Sonepatorganised an online interaction earlier today with 391 participants on the Fit India Freedom Run.
• Star wrestlers and Khel Ratna winners in 2019 and 2020 respectively Bajrang Punia and VineshPhogat were among the speakers at the event that lasted for one and a half hours.
• The event was inaugurated by Lalita Sharma, Regional Director, SAI NRC Sonepat.
• The event was also attended by representatives from the print and electronic media.
• Pushpendra Garg, High Performance Director, Sports Authority of India and a Khel Ratna Awardee, spoke on the benefits of fitness and the Fit India Freedom Run.
• Satish Sarhadi, CEO, SAI National Boxing Academy, Rohtak gave the closing remarks for the event.

Extra Shots:

SAI

• Founder: Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
• Founded: 1982
• Headquarters location: New Delhi

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CURRENT AFFAIRS

IIT Kharagpur researchers develop AI-based system to detect arsenic pollution

• Researchers from IIT Kharagpur have developed an artificial intelligence-based prediction model for detecting arsenic pollution in drinking water.
• The researchers have mapped the high and low arsenic zones across the entire Gangetic delta using artificial intelligence (AI) and the number of people exposed.
• This study has been recently published in the international journal ‘Science of The Total Environment’.
• The AI models predict the occurrence of high arsenic in groundwater across more than half of the Ganges river delta, covering more than 25 per cent area in each of the 19 out of 25 administrative zones in West Bengal,

OBITUARY

Legendary scholar of Indian classical dance & arts, Dr Kapila Vatsyayan, passes away at 92

• Veteran scholar of Indian classical dance, art, architecture and art history, Dr Kapila Vatsyayan has passed away. She was 92-year-old.
• Vatsyayan was the former Member of Parliament and had served as Education Secretary.
• She was the founding Director of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.
• Some of the prestigious honors received by Dr Kapila Vatsyayan inlcudes, Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, the Lalit Kala Akademi Fellowship, and the Padma Vibhushan.

Tirupati MP Balli Durga Prasad passes away

• Tirupati MP Balli Durga Prasad on Wednesday died of cardiac arrest at a private hospital in Chennai.
• The 64-year-old YSRC MP won from Tirupati (SC) constituency in the 2019 elections.
• He was elected MLA for four times after winning polls in 1985, 1994, 1999, and 2009 from Gudur Assembly constituency on TDP ticket.
• Durga Prasad served as education minister between 1996-1998 under then CM N Chandrababu Naidu.
• He was also a Member of the Public Accounts Committee between 2009-2014.
• Before the 2019 elections, Durga Prasad joined the YSRC and contested the Tirupati Lok Sabha seat.

Former President of Mali Moussa Traore Passes away at 83

• Moussa Traoré, the former President of Mali, who was in power from 1968 to 1991 has passed away. He was 83.
• Traore, who was a former military leader, forcibly took over the reign from Modibo Keita (known as the ‘father of independence’), after participating in military coup.

MISCELLANEOUS

CBSE ordered to limit online class sessions to 30 minutes

• The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights on ordered CBSE schools in the state to ensure that each session of the ongoing online classes did not exceed 30 minutes.
• The commission has also directed the schools to provide an interval of 15 to 30 minutes after the completion of each session.

New terminal building to come up at AAI’s Port Blair airport

• Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair is soon going to have a new terminal building.
• The airport currently handles 18 lakhs passengers annually, considering the surge in the passenger traffic, Airports Authority of India has undertaken the work for Construction of New Integrated Terminal Building at the cost of Rs. 700 Crores.
• With total built up area of 40,837 sqm, the New Terminal Building will be capable to handle 1200 passengers during peak hours and about 50 lakhs passengers annually.
• The new passenger terminal building will have three-levels comprising of lower ground, upper ground and first floor.
• The design of the terminal is a shell shaped structure depicting sea and islands.
• The New Terminal Building with a span of 240 mtrs having two 120 mtr column less spans supported through periphery steel columns, will facilitate columns less large span arrival and departure hall.
• New terminal building is a structural steel framed building provided with aluminum sheet roofing and cable net glazing all around.
• The entire terminal will also have 100 per cent natural lighting through skylights provided at roof level.

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