Current Affairs Today 18th and 19th October 2020-Download in PDF

Hello and welcome to exampundit.in. Here are the important Current Affairs Today 18th and 19th October 2020. These are important for the upcoming Exams. Candidates who were preparing for the examination can use these current affairs and also you can download the same as PDF.

Current Affairs Today – 18th and 19th October 2020

NEWS AT A GLANCE

1. Every year International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is observed on October 17.
2. Reserve Bank will conduct Open Market Operations (OMOs) in State Developments Loans (SDLs) of total amount of Rs. 10,000 crores on October 22, 2020.
3. Jana Small Finance Bank, a Bengaluru-based small finance bank (SFB), has partnered with Ashoknagar Co-operative Bank Limited under the bank sponsorship programme.
4. The Union Finance Ministry announced that the central government will borrow Rs 1.1 lakh crore under a special window to meet the shortfall in the Goods and Services Tax compensation.
5. Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Micro Small Medium Enterprises laid foundation stone for 16 National Highway projects with a total length of 1411 kms worth Rs 15,592 crore in Andhra Pradesh.
6. In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister in PMO, Dr. Jitendra Singh laid the foundation stone of Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Shiksha Bhawan at Central University of Jammu, Rahya-Sucahni in district Samba in the presence of Vice chancellor Prof. Ashok Aima and others.
7. New Zealand elected Jacinda Ardern as Prime Minister for second term consecutive for three-years.
8. 102nd World Bank Development Committee Plenary Meeting held virtually.
9. Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Union Law Minister virtually hosted the 7th Justice Minister’s meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states on October 16, 2020.
10. Flipkart-owned PhonePe launched car and bike insurance products on its platform in association with Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.
11. IRDAI ordered life insurance companies to launch a standard term insurance policy ‘Saral Jeevan Bima’ by January 1, 2021 to help customers take informed decisions.
12. The IIT Delhi and Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) partnered with each other to find technological solutions to the operational challenges faced by the organization.
13. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh awarded the Raksha Mantri Trophy to the top Command Hospitals of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) for the year 2019 on October 16, 2020.
14. Britain’s Michael Irani appointed as interim President of The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF)
15. India has appointed Vishal V. Sharma as its Permanent Representative of India to the UN’s cultural body, UNESCO with the rank of Ambassador.
16. Advocate Rohan Jaitley, the son of late Union Minister Arun Jaitley, has been elected unopposed as the President of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) on 17 October 2020.
17. The tenure of Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla has been extended till August 22, 2021 by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet
18. Election Commission of India (ECI) has appointed M K Das as Special Police Observer for Bye-Elections to Legislative Assembly of Madhya Pradesh.
19. India successfully conducted the night trial of its nuclear-capable Prithvi-2 missile on 16 October 2020 from Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near Balasore, off Odisha coast.
20. On 18^th October India successfully test fired the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from the Indian Navy’s indigenously-built stealth destroyer INS Chennai.
21. The eighth edition of annual Indian Navy (IN) and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) bilateral maritime exercise SLINEX-20 is scheduled be held off Trincomalee in Sri Lanka from 19 to 21 October 2020.
22. The famous Pakistani bowler Umar Gul has announced that he will retire from all forms of cricket. The 36-year-old Gul had a cricket career that spanned twenty years.
23. Japan began test flights of an unmanned aerial vehicle SeaGuardian with the objective to learn whether it can carry out key duties, including search, recuse and maritime surveillance.
24. A new book titled “The Battle of Belonging: On Nationalism, Patriotism and What It Means To Be Indian” to be released by the Member of Parliament and author Shashi Tharoor.
25. Pradeep Goorha, is all set for the release of his second book “Mr Prime Minister, We Shrank the Dragon”.
26. Noted Bengali elocutionist Pradip Ghosh has passed away at his residence in Kolkata.
27. With an aim to ensure adherence to pollution norms to combat air pollution, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has launched a special drive across its construction sites.

NEWS IN DETAILS

IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is observed on October 17

• Every year International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is observed on October 17.

Objective:

• to raise awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution around the world, particularly in developing countries.

Theme:

• Theme: Acting together to achieve social and environmental justice for all

History:

• This day is proclaimed by United Nations.

Extra Shots:

UN

• Headquarters: New York, United States
• Founded: 24 October 1945,
• Secretary General: Antonio Guterres

BANKING & FINANCE 

RBI to conduct first-ever Open Market Operations (OMO) Purchase of State Government Securities worth Rs. 10,000 crores

• Reserve Bank will conduct Open Market Operations (OMOs) in State Developments Loans (SDLs) of total amount of Rs. 10,000 crores on October 22, 2020.
• This is the first ever OMO purchase of State Developments Loans (SDLs).
• RBI may enhance the size of auction in the subsequent auctions depending on market response.

Extra Shots:

RBI

• Governor: Shaktikanta Das
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Founder: British Raj
• Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata
• Deputy Governors: M. D. Patra, B.P. Kanungo, M. K. Jain and M Rajeshwar Rao

Jana Bank to be sponsor bank for Ashoknagar Co-operative Bank

• Jana Small Finance Bank, a Bengaluru-based small finance bank (SFB), has partnered with Ashoknagar Co-operative Bank Limited under the bank sponsorship programme.
• With this, Jana Bank has become the first SFB to go live under the sponsorship programme.

Extra Shots:

Jana Small Finance Bank

• Headquarters location: Bengaluru
• Founded: 2006

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Central Government to borrow Rs 1.1 Lakh Crore to meet shortfall of GST Compensation

• The Union Finance Ministry announced that the central government will borrow Rs 1.1 lakh crore under a special window to meet the shortfall in the Goods and Services Tax compensation.

Extra Shots:

Finance Ministry

• Union Minister: Nirmala Sitharaman
• Minister of State: Anurag Singh Thakur

NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

Nitin Gadkari laid foundation stones for 16 Highway projects in Andhra Pradesh

• Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Micro Small Medium Enterprises laid foundation stone for 16 National Highway projects with a total length of 1411 kms worth Rs 15,592 crore in Andhra Pradesh.
• In Andhra Pradesh 5000 Km of National Highways are being developed as a part of Bharatmala Pariyojana and 400 Km of Port Connectivity Roads will also be developed under Bharatmala Pariyojana.

Dr. Jitendra Singh lays foundation stone of Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya Shiksha Bhawan in Jammu

• In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister in PMO, Dr. Jitendra Singh laid the foundation stone of Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Shiksha Bhawan at Central University of Jammu, Rahya-Sucahni in district Samba in the presence of Vice chancellor Prof. Ashok Aima and others.
• The proposed building is being constructed with the financial assistance provided by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, under Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching (PMMMNMTT).
• The key objective of the scheme is to enhance the quality of teachers and teaching learning.

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

INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

New Zealand elected Jacinda Ardern as its second term Prime Minister

• New Zealand elected Jacinda Ardern as Prime Minister for second term consecutive for three-years.
• The 40-year-old is serving as the 40th Prime Minister of the country since 26 October 2017.

Extra Shots:

New Zealand (Capital/Currency): Wellington/New Zealand dollar.

SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

World Bank Development Committee Meeting Held Virtually

• 102nd World Bank Development Committee Plenary Meeting held virtually.
• The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman represented Indian Side.
• World Bank Group has committed 45 billion dollars for COVID-19 response.
• FM Mrs, Sitharaman shared that the Government has announced the first stimulus of 23 billion dollar to provide direct cash transfers and food security measures to the poor.

Extra Shots:

World Bank

• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
• President: David Malpass
• Parent organization: World Bank Group
• Founded: July 1944

Law Minister RS Prasad virtually hosts 7th Justice Minister’s meeting of SCO member states

• Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Union Law Minister virtually hosted the 7th Justice Minister’s meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states on October 16, 2020.
• The 7th Justice Minister’s meeting was attended by Law and Justice Ministers of Pakistan, China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and the Kyrgyz Republic.
• A joint statement by the SCO member states was also signed on the occasion.

Extra Shots:

SCO

• Headquarters: Beijing, China
• Founded: 15 June 2001
• Deputy Secretaries General: Sabyr Imandosov; Wang Kaiwen; Aziz Nosirov; Vladimir Potapenko
• Secretary General: Vladimir Norov

AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED

PhonePe launches car and bike insurance on its platform in association with Baja Allianz

• Flipkart-owned PhonePe launched car and bike insurance products on its platform in association with Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.
• Over 230 million registered PhonePe users can now ensure their vehicles seamlessly in under 2 minutes, without the need for any documents to be uploaded before the purchase and also view their policy documents instantly on the app.
• PhonePe users can also customise their car insurance plan based on their needs with a range of value-added offerings such as zero depreciation, 24X7 roadside assistance and engine protection among others.

IRDAI ordered life insurers to launch Saral Jeevan Bima from January 1

• IRDAI ordered life insurance companies to launch a standard term insurance policy ‘Saral Jeevan Bima’ by January 1, 2021 to help customers take informed decisions.
• The Saral Jeevan Bima will be a pure term life insurance product that can be purchased by people in the age group of 18 to 65 years and will have a policy term of 4 to 40 years.
• The sum assured for the term life insurance policy will range from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh (in multiples of Rs 50,000).

Extra Shots:

IRDAI

• Founded: 1999
• Sector: Insurance
• Headquarters: Hyderabad
• Chairperson: Subhash Chandra Khuntia

CRPF inks MoU with DRDO and IIT Delhi

• The IIT Delhi and Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) partnered with each other to find technological solutions to the operational challenges faced by the organization.
• The main objective of the agreement is to equip the officers with knowledge to tackle challenges and meet operational needs and enhance competitive advantages.

Extra Shots:

DRDO

• Founded: 1958
• Headquarters: DRDO Bhavan, New Delhi

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL AWARDS

Defence Minister confers Raksha Mantri Trophy to best Command Hospitals

• Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh awarded the Raksha Mantri Trophy to the top Command Hospitals of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) for the year 2019 on October 16, 2020.
• The Best and Second-Best Command Hospital for the year 2019 awarded to Command Hospital (Air Force) Bengaluru and Command Hospital (Eastern Command) Kolkata respectively.
• The award ceremony was attended by the Defence Secretary besides senior service and civilian dignitaries.

APPOINTMENTS IN NEWS

Britain’s Michael Irani appointed as interim President of The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF)

• Britain’s Michael Irani appointed as interim President of The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF)
• The 71-year-old Irani is chair of the IWF Medical Committee and a former chair of the IWF Anti-Doping Commission.

Extra Shots:

IWF

• Headquarters location: Budapest, Hungary
• President: Ursula Papandrea (acting)
• Founded: 1905

Vishal V. Sharma appointed as India’s next envoy to UNESCO

• India has appointed Vishal V. Sharma as its Permanent Representative of India to the UN’s cultural body, UNESCO with the rank of Ambassador.
• He succeeds Shri Jawed Ashraf.

Extra Shots:

UNESCO

• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Head: Audrey Azoulay
• Founded: 16 November 1945, London, United Kingdom

Rohan Jaitley, son of Late Arun Jaitley, elected unopposed as DDCA President

• Advocate Rohan Jaitley, the son of late Union Minister Arun Jaitley, has been elected unopposed as the President of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) on 17 October 2020.

Centre Extends Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla’s tenure till 22 August, 2021

• The tenure of Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla has been extended till August 22, 2021 by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet
• Bhalla, a 1984 batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, was appointed as Home Secretary in August 2019.

M K Das appointed as Special Police Observer for Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly

• Election Commission of India (ECI) has appointed M K Das as Special Police Observer for Bye-Elections to Legislative Assembly of Madhya Pradesh.
• He will observe the conduct of bye-elections and poll preparedness, especially with regard to security related issues.

DEFENCE CURRENT AFFAIRS

Prithvi-2 missile trial successfully conducted from Odisha coast

• India successfully conducted the night trial of its nuclear-capable Prithvi-2 missile on 16 October 2020 from Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near Balasore, off Odisha coast.
• The state-of-the-art missile is India’s first indigenous surface-to-surface strategic missile, developed by DRDO under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.
• The 9-metre tall liquid-propelled Prithvi-2 has a range of 250 km and can carry a 1 tonne warhead.

India successfully test fires BrahMos cruise missile from INS Chennai

• On 18^th October India successfully test fired the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from the Indian Navy’s indigenously-built stealth destroyer INS Chennai.
• The supersonic cruise missile can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, and land platforms.

8th edition of India-Sri Lanka Maritime Exercise SLINEX-20 to begin in Trincomalee

• The eighth edition of annual Indian Navy (IN) and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) bilateral maritime exercise SLINEX-20 is scheduled be held off Trincomalee in Sri Lanka from 19 to 21 October 2020.
• The Indian Navy will be represented by the indigenously built ASW corvettes Kamorta and Kiltan.
• The Sri Lanka Navy will be represented by SLN Ships Sayura (Offshore Patrol Vessel) and Gajabahu (Training Ship).

Extra Shots:

Sri Lanka (Capital/Currency): Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte/Sri Lankan Rupee

• President: Gotabaya Rajapaksa
• Prime Minister: Mahinda Rajapaksa

SPORTS CURRENT AFFAIRS

Pakistan’s Fast Bowler Umar Gul announces retirement

• The famous Pakistani bowler Umar Gul has announced that he will retire from all forms of cricket. The 36-year-old Gul had a cricket career that spanned twenty years.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CURRENT AFFAIRS

Japan Coast Guard tests unmanned SeaGuardian Aircraft

• Japan began test flights of an unmanned aerial vehicle SeaGuardian with the objective to learn whether it can carry out key duties, including search, recuse and maritime surveillance.
• The tests will involve the use of the 12-meter-long, 24-meter-wide UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) developed by US defence firm General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, reported NHK World.

Extra Shots:

Japan (capital/Currency): Tokyo/Yen

• President: Yoshihide Suga

BOOKS & AUTHORS

‘The Battle of Belonging’, authored by Shashi Tharoor

• A new book titled “The Battle of Belonging: On Nationalism, Patriotism and What It Means To Be Indian” to be released by the Member of Parliament and author Shashi Tharoor.
• The book will be released by November 2020 and will be published by Aleph Book Company.

Book “Mr Prime Minister, We Shrank the Dragon” by author Pradeep Goorha all set to launch

• Pradeep Goorha, is all set for the release of his second book “Mr Prime Minister, We Shrank the Dragon”.

OBITUARY

Veteran Bengali Vocal Artiste Pradip Ghosh passes away at 78

• Noted Bengali elocutionist Pradip Ghosh has passed away at his residence in Kolkata.
• He tested coronavirus positive, in a swab test which was taken after his death.
• He was 78.
• His most notable works included his recitation of Tagore’s poems, especially those for children.

MISCELLANEOUS

To ensure adherence to pollution norms, DMRC launches special drive

• With an aim to ensure adherence to pollution norms to combat air pollution, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has launched a special drive across its construction sites.
• As part of the drive, the frequency of the inspections conducted to check the adherence to the pollution control measures has been enhanced.

Extra Shots:

DMRC

• CEO: Mangu Singh
• Founded: 3 May 1995, New Delhi
• Headquarters: New Delhi

Download Daily Current Affairs 18th and 19th October 2020 – Click Here

For More Daily Current Affairs – Click Here

Free English Language Questions PDF

Click Here to Join Our What’s App Group & Get Instant Notification on Study Materials & PDFs

Click Here to Join Our Official Telegram Channel