Hello and welcome to exampundit. Here are the important Current Affairs Today 20th & 21st October 2019. These are important for the upcoming Exams. Candidates those who were preparing for the examination can use these current affairs and also you can download the same as PDF.
Current Affairs Today – 20th & 21st October 2019
NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Col. Chewang Rinchen Setu inaugurated in Ladakh
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated Col. Chewang Rinchen Setu (Bridge) which has been constructed at an altitude of 14,650 feet in the forward area of Ladakh region.
- It is named in honour of Colonel Chewang Rinchen who was one of the highly decorated officers in Indian Army from Ladakh.
- He was also a Maha Vir Chakara awardee (1952).
Prahlad Singh Patel to inaugurate CCRT eportal and YouTube Channel
- Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated e-portal of Centre for Cultural Resources and Training and YouTube Channel, with support from Routes 2 Routes, in New Delhi on 21 October.
- He also attended the Digital Bharat – Digital Sanskriti program.
- The program was organized by Rashtriya Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) of the Ministry of Culture.
- Union Minister also released the book titled Dewas Ki Sanskritik Parampara, written by Jeevan Singh Thakur.
- The e-portal aimed to take India to a newer digital pinnacle and to promote Indian culture.
Extra Shots:
Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism: Prahlad Singh Patel
INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Sri Lanka has removed from FATF’s Grey List
- Sri Lanka has been removed from the “Grey List” of the international terror financing watchdog FATF.
- The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), whose five-day plenary concluded in Paris, France stated that Sri Lanka made significant progress in addressing the strategic AML/CFT deficiencies identified earlier.
Extra Shots:
Sri Lanka (Capital/Currency): Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte/Sri Lankan rupee
- Prime minister: Ranil Wickremesinghe
- President: Maithripala Sirisena
Joko Widodo sworn in as President of Indonesia for a second term
- Joko Widodo was sworn in as the President for his second and final five-year term of service. The move comes amidst fresh challenges around security, corruption, and economic slowdown.
- General elections were held in Indonesia in the month of April 2019.
- Indonesia’s Joko Widodo was re-elected as President of the country in May 2019.
Extra Shots:
Indonesia (Capital/Currency): Jakarta/Indonesian rupiah
- President: Joko Widodo
- Vice President: Jusuf Kalla
SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES
Harsh Vardhan cochaired 1st JCM in Tokyo
- Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan co-chaired the 1st Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) along with Dr. Hiroto Izumi, Special Advisor to Prime Minister in Tokyo on 19 October 2019.
- JCM was held under the 2nd Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC), which was signed on Healthcare and Wellness in October 2018.
- MOC was signed during the visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Japan in the context of Ayushman Bharat of India and Asia Health and Well-Being Initiative (AHWIN) of Japan.
Extra Shots:
Japan (Capital/Currency): Tokyo/Yen
- Prime Minister: Shinzo Abe
The 18th NAM Summit to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan
- The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit has been scheduled to be held between 25 October and 26 October 2019 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
- The 18th NAM summit 2019 will be preceded by Ministerial meetings and senior official meetings.
- Nepal PM Oli and Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina will be attending the summit.
- The 18th Summit Conference of the NAM will be hosted in October 2019 by H.E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Extra Shots:
Azerbaijan (Capital/Currency): Baku/ Azerbaijani manat
- President: Ilham Aliyev
AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED
India, Philippines signed 4 MoUs to strengthen bilateral ties
- Indian President Ram Nath Kovind is on a five days visit to the Philippines.
- President Kovind held talks with his Philippine counterpart Rodrigo Duterte.
- India and the Philippines signed 4 MoUs during President Kovind’s visit.
- The agreements include the sharing of white shipping information between the Philippine Coast Guard and the Indian Navy.
- White shipping information is an exchange of advance information on the movement and identity of commercial non-military merchant vessels.
Extra Shots:
Philippines (Capital/Currency): Manila/ Philippine peso
- President: Rodrigo Duterte
APPOINTMENT
SBI chairman Rajnish Kumar elected as the new chairman of IBA
- SBI chairman Rajnish Kumar has been appointed as the new chairman of Indian Banks’ Association.
- He will succeed Sunil Mehta, who was the MD & CEO of Punjab National Bank.
- The MD & CEO of IDBI Bank Rakesh Sharma will be honorary secretary of IBA for 2019-20.
Extra Shots:
State Bank of India: Founded on: As 2 June 1806 (Bank of Calcutta), 15 April 1840 (Bank of Bombay), 1 July 1843 (Bank of Madras), 27 January 1921 (Imperial Bank of India), 1 July 1955 (State Bank of India)
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Chairman: Rajnish Kumar
- SBI is the largest commercial bank and the largest mortgage lender across the country.
- SBI has 22,010 branches and 58,000 ATM/CDM across India.
ECI appointed Vinod Zutshi as the Special Observer for Haryana election
- Election Commission of India (ECI) has appointed Sh Vinod Zutshi as the Special Observer for Assandh Assembly Constituency in the Karnal District of Haryana.
- ECI requested Sh Zutshi to proceed immediately to the Constituency to take necessary corrective action and ensure a fair, free, and peaceful election.
- Sh Zutshi is a former IAS of 1982 batch Rajasthan cadre.
- He is the former Deputy Election Commissioner ECI and Secretary Tourism.
Extra Shots:
ECI: The Election Commission of India is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering election processes in India at national, state and district level.
- Formed: 25 January 1950
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- First executive: Sukumar Sen
- Preceding executive: Om Prakash Rawat
Upender Singh Rawat elected as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Nicaragua
- The Ministry of External Affairs appoints Upender Singh Rawat (IFS: 1998), Ambassador of India designate to the Republic of Panama will be concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Nicaragua.
- He will replace Yogeshwar Varma.
Extra Shots:
Nicaragua (Capital/Currency): Managua/ Nicaraguan Cordoba
- President: Daniel Ortega
SPORTS CURRENT AFFAIRS
Great Britain wins 9th Edition of Sultan of Johor Cup hockey Tournament 2019
- Great Britain defeated India in the finals by 2-1 in the 9th edition of the Sultan of Johor Cup 2019, an international men’s under-21 field hockey tournament.
- It was held at Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
- It was their 3rd title.
- India’s Shilanand Lakra with 5 goals emerged as a top scorer.
- Japan’s Kosei Kawabe was named as the Best Player of the tournament.
- Oliver Payne of Great Britain was named as the GoalKeeper of the tournament.
Extra Shots:
Malaysia (Capital/Currency): Kuala Lumpur/ Malaysian ringgit
- Prime Minister: Mahathir Mohamad
Kuhoo Garg-Dhruv Rawat pair wins Egypt International mixed doubles title
- Kuhoo Garg and Dhruv Rawat win the mixed doubles title at the Egypt International 2019 in Cairo, Egypt.
- The unseeded Garg and Rawat held their nerves for a tight 21-16, 22-20 victory over the third seeds Utkarsh Arora and Karishma Wadkar in an all-Indian final.
Extra Shots:
Egypt (Capital/Currency): Cairo/ Egyptian pound
- President: Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Ronaldo Singh wins gold medal at Asian Track Cycling Championships
- Indian cyclist Ronaldo Singh bagged a gold medal in the men’s junior Keirin event at the Asian Track Cycling Championships being held at Incheon in South Korea.
- Apart from Ronaldo, James Singh clinched a bronze medal in the event.
Extra Shots:
South Korea (Capital/Currency): Seoul/ South Korean won
- Prime Minister: Lee Nak-yeon
DEFENCE CURRENT AFFAIRS
India-Myanmar Naval Exercise: IMNEX-2019
- The India-Myanmar Naval Exercise called IMNEX-2019 is being organised in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
- The opening ceremony of the second edition of Indo-Myanmar joint naval exercise was conducted onboard INS Ranvijay.
- Myanmar naval ships UMS Sin Phyu Shin (F-14) and UMS Tabinshweti (773) arrived at Visakhapatnam.
- The exercise would be conducted in two phases: Harbour phase and Sea Phase.
Extra Shots:
Myanmar (Capital/Currency): Naypyitaw/ Burmese kyat
- President: Win Myint
Andhra Pradesh:
- Capital: Amravati
- Chief Minister: S. Jaganmohan Reddy
- Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan
Sudarshan Chakra Vahini of Indian Army begins at Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
- Two-day long manoeuvres by Sudarshan Chakra Vahini of Indian Army Started at Jaisalmer, field firing range in Rajasthan.
- In this war exercise, the army is going to exhibit its strength regarding Agni Missile and artillery.
- Artillery, Arms and mechanized forces, Army air defence and helicopters of army aviation are participating in this exercise to test mutual coordination.
- Endogenously manufactured light helicopter Rudra and self-propelled artillery gun system K-9 vajra are also taking part in this exercise.
Extra Shots:
Rajasthan:
- Capitl: Jaipur
- Chief Minister: Ashok Gehlot
- Governor: Kalraj Mishra
- National Parks: Mukundra Hills (Darrah) NP, Desert NP, Keoladeo Ghana NP, Ranthambhore NP, Sariska NP
Exercise Dharma Guardian 2019 commenced in Mizoram
- The second edition of Exercise Dharma Guardian 2019, a bilateral annual military exercise, between the Indian and Japan Army commenced on 19 October at the Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School (CIJWS) at Vairengte in Mizoram.
- The exercise is being held from 19 October to 2 November 2019.
- The exercise will further strengthen the long-standing strategic ties between India and Japan.
Extra Shots:
Japan (Capital/Currency): Tokyo/Yen
- Prime Minister: Shinzo Abe
Mizoram:
- Capital: Aizawl
- Chief Minister: Zoramthanga
- Governor: Jagdish Mukhi
BOOKS & AUTHORS
PM Modi releases book titled ‘Bridgital Nation’
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a book titled ‘Bridgital Nation’ in New Delhi.
- The book has been authored by N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons and Roopa Purushothaman Eminent industrialist.
- He presented books’ first copy to eminent industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata.
- The book presents a powerful vision of the future where technology and human beings co-exist in a mutually beneficial ecosystem.
- The cutting edge digital tools can act as a bridge between aspirations and achievements – hence the term ‘bridgital’.
AWARDS
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu presents Most Eminent Senior Citizen Award to K Parasaran
- The Vice President Shri Venkaiyah Naidu presented the “Most Eminent Senior Citizen Award” to the scholar, legal luminary and former Attorney General of India K Parasaran.
- He was honoured with the award on the occasion of Elder’s Day celebration organized by Age Care India.
- He was awarded Padma Bhushan in 2003 and Padma Vibhushan in 2011.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
IIT Kharagpur graduate develops unique device “PM 2.5” to curb vehicular air-pollution
- IIT Kharagpur graduate Debayan Saha has invented a device called “PM 2.5” which he claimed when fitted near the silencer pipe in vehicles will curb air pollution.
- The technology developed by us uses a combination of electric energy and wave energy to influence the pollutants like PM 2.5 such that they act like a magnet attracting other particulate pollutants from the ambient atmosphere to get attached to it.
- This device can neutralise the pollution emitted from 10 cars in its vicinity.
Extra Shots:
The Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur is a public institution established by the government of India in 1951. It is the first of the IITs to be established and is recognised as an Institute of National Importance. In 2019 it was awarded the status of Institute of Eminence.
IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES
20 October: World Statistics Day
- World Statistics Day is observed on October 20, once every 5 years.
- The next World statistics Day celebrates on 20 October 2020.
- The day acknowledges the fundamental importance of sustainable national statistical capacity. THEME: “Better Data, Better Lives”.
- The first World Statistics Day was celebrated in 2010.
Extra Shots:
United Nations: It is an International Organization. Its Objective of UN is to not only maintain International Peace and Security but also to develop Friendly relations among nations.
- Founded – 24th October, 1945
- Headquarter- New York,United States
- Secretary General- Antonio Guterres (9th SG OF UN)
- He is from PORTUGAL
- Portugal (Capital/Currency) – Lisbon/ Euro
- United States (Capital/Currency) – Washington, D.C/ US Dollar
OBITUARIES
Oracle co-CEO Mark Hurd passes away
- Former Co-Chief executive Officer(CEO) of Oracle Mark Hurd, passed away.
- He was previously served as chairman, CEO, and president of Hewlett-Packard (HP).
- He was also in the Board of Directors of Globality and a member of the Technology CEO Council and board of directors of New Corporation.
Extra Shots:
Oracle: Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation. The company sells database software and technology, cloud engineered systems, and enterprise software products—particularly its own brands of database management systems.
- Headquarters: Redwood City, California, United States
- Founders: Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, Ed Oates
- CEO: Mark Hurd
Writer and philosopher K.B. Siddaiah passes away
- Writer and philosopher K.B. Siddaiah passed away.
- He was one of the founder members of Dalitha Sangharsha Samithi (DSS) during the ’80s and co-authored many songs to inspire the movement.
