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Current Affairs Today – 21st November 2020
NEWS AT A GLANCE
- World Fisheries Day is celebrated on 21 November every year throughout the world by fishing communities.
- The World Television Day is commemorated on 21 November every year.
- In India, the National Newborn Week 2020 is observed every year from 15 to 21 November.
- Government of India sanctioned a loan of 3,971 crores of rupees for micro irrigation projects in Tamil Nadu.
- Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the Seismic Survey Campaign by Oil India Limited.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a statue of Swami Vivekananda in the JNU campus in New Delhi through video conferencing.
- Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said Rs 6,000 will be given to women becoming mothers for the second time under a new government scheme.
- Arunachal Pradesh recorded the best sex ratio in India with 1,085 females born per thousand males, followed by Kerala at 963 and Karnataka at 957.
- India and European Union held Counter Terrorism Dialogue.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the 15th G20 Summit.
- Mastercard and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have collaborated under Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP) to launch ‘Project Kirana’, to help women entrepreneurs grow and thrive.
- The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, National Capital Region Transport Corporation Limited and the New Development Bank signed a loan agreement for lending 500 million dollars for the ‘Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System Project’.
- Flipkart Group has announced acquisition of Augmented Reality (AR) start-up called Scapic for an undisclosed sum.
- Scottish writer Douglas Stuart has won the 2020 Booker Prize for Fiction on 19 November 2020.
- Union Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ will be conferred with the Vatayan Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Bhubaneswar becomes the 1st city in the entire country to receive the ISO-9001:2015 certification for effective Faecal Sludge & Septage Management FSSM services.
- Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Chairman M. Ajit Kumar, along with members of the Board inaugurated the GST Bhawan, Panchkula,Haryana.
- Girish Chandra Murmu, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, has been elected as the External Auditor of Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) Geneva for a three-year term.
- US President-Elect Joe Biden on November 20, 2020 announced the appointment of Indian-American Mala Adiga as the policy director of Jill Biden, who will soon be the first lady of the United States.
- The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on November 19, 2020, that the Women’s T20 World Cup has been moved from its current 2022 slot to February 9-26, 2023.
- Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has unveiled two books titled ‘The Republican Ethic Volume III’ and ‘Loktantra Ke Swar’
- Scottish writer Douglas Stuart has won the 2020 Booker Prize for Fiction. He has been awarded for his debut novel, “Shuggie Bain”.
- Union Minister of Communications, Electronics & Information Technology and Law and Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad has released a “My Stamp on Chhath Puja”.
NEWS IN DETAILS
IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES
World Fisheries Day Observed on 21 November
- World Fisheries Day is celebrated on 21 November every year throughout the world by fishing communities.
- It highlights the importance of healthy oceans ecosystems and to ensure sustainable stocks of fisheries in the world.
- 2020 is the fourth World Fisheries Day.
World Television Day observed on 21 November
- The World Television Day is commemorated on 21 November every year.
- The day is a reminder of the power of visual media and how it helps in shaping public opinion and influencing world politics.
- The 21 November was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1996, because the first World Television Forum was held in 1996.
National Newborn Week 2020 observed on 15-21 November
- In India, the National Newborn Week 2020 is observed every year from 15 to 21 November.
- Purpose: to reinforce the importance of newborn health as a key priority area of the health sector and reduce the infant mortality rate by improving healthcare conditions for babies in the neonatal period.
- The theme of National Newborn Week 2020 is ‘Quality, Equity, Dignity for every newborn at every health facility and everywhere’.
NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
GoI releases Rs 3,971 crores for micro-irrigation projects
- Government of India sanctioned a loan of 3,971 crores of rupees for micro irrigation projects in Tamil Nadu.
- This is one of the biggest loans being sanctioned for the state of Tamil Nadu.
- The loan has been sanctioned at subsidised interest rate under micro irrigation fund.
- The micro irrigation fund was created within the National bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, NABARD.
- The micro irrigation funds are used only to implement micro irrigation projects
Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurates Seismic Survey Campaign by Oil India Ltd
- Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the Seismic Survey Campaign by Oil India Limited.
- The survey under the Open Acreage Licensing Policy, OALP, will be undertaken in 5 blocks of 8 districts of Odisha in the Mahanadi basin and nearby areas.
- The commercial production of oil and gas from the Mahanadi basin will be a game changer in the socio-economic development of Odisha.
PM Modi unveils Swami Vivekananda statue on JNU campus
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a statue of Swami Vivekananda in the JNU campus in New Delhi through video conferencing.
- The statue is located about 300 metres from a statue of India’s first prime minister, the statue of Swami Vivekananda is about three feet taller than that of Jawaharlal Nehru.
STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS
Rajasthan Govt to Give Rs 6,000 to Women Becoming Mothers for Second Time
- Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said Rs 6,000 will be given to women becoming mothers for the second time under a new government scheme.
- On the birth anniversary of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, Gehlot launched Indira Gandhi Matritva Poshan Yojana through a video conference.
Arunachal records best sex ratio, Manipur the worst
- Arunachal Pradesh recorded the best sex ratio in India with 1,085 females born per thousand males, followed by Kerala at 963 and Karnataka at 957.
- The report was released by the Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner.
- A 2018 report on the ‘vital statistics on India based on the Civil Registration System‘ has revealed this.
SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES
India-European Union Counter Terrorism Dialogue held
- India and European Union held Counter Terrorism Dialogue.
- During the dialogue, the strategic partners condemned terrorism in all forms.
- The dialogue also reviewed threats posed by UN-sanctioned terrorist entities. India and European Union are to soon conclude the Free Trade Agreement.
- During the dialogue, European Union stressed to increase India’s investments in the field of Green Energy.
Prime Minister to virtually attend G20 Summit beginning
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the 15th G20 Summit.
- The two-day Summit will be chaired by Saudi Arabia and the theme is “Realising the Opportunities of the 21st Century for All”.
- The meeting will be held in a virtual format.
- The summit is the second G20 Leaders’ meeting this year.
- The focus of the G20 Summit will be on an inclusive, resilient, and sustainable recovery from the COVID-19.
AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED
Mastercard & USAID Partners to launch Project Kirana to empower women through financial inclusion
- Mastercard and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have collaborated under Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP) to launch ‘Project Kirana’, to help women entrepreneurs grow and thrive.
- Project Kirana is a two-year programme, and initially it will be rolled out in select cities of Uttar Pradesh, including Lucknow, Kanpur and Varanasi.
- The programme will be implemented by DAI Digital Frontiers and ACCESS Development Services.
NCRTC and NDB sign USD 500m for Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Rapid Transit System Project
- The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, National Capital Region Transport Corporation Limited and the New Development Bank signed a loan agreement for lending 500 million dollars for the ‘Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System Project’.
- The Rapid Transit System will provide a fast, reliable, safe and comfortable public transport system in the National Capital Region.
- It can take about 3 to 4 hours to travel between Delhi and Meerut in Uttar Pradesh by road during peak hours.
ACQUISITION & MERGER
Flipkart Acquires AR Start-up Scapic to Enhance Immersive Shopping Experience
- Flipkart Group has announced acquisition of Augmented Reality (AR) start-up called Scapic for an undisclosed sum.
- The move is part of the company’s efforts to provide “deeper camera experiences, virtual storefronts and new opportunities for brand advertising” on its platform.
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL AWARDS
Scottish Author Douglas Stuart wins 2020 Booker Prize
- Scottish writer Douglas Stuart has won the 2020 Booker Prize for Fiction on 19 November 2020.
- He has been awarded for his debut novel, “Shuggie Bain.”
- The 44-year-old Stuart is only the second Scot to have won the prestigious literary prize.
Dr Pokhriyal to be conferred with Vatayan Lifetime Achievement Award
- Union Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ will be conferred with the Vatayan Lifetime Achievement Award.
- This award will be conferred to the Minister for writing, poetry and other literary works.
- The Minister has penned more than 75 books on wide-ranging issues, which have also been translated into many national and foreign languages.
Bhubaneswar, 1st City in Country To Bag ISO Certification for Faecal Sludge and Septage Management
- Bhubaneswar becomes the 1st city in the entire country to receive the ISO-9001:2015 certification for effective Faecal Sludge & Septage Management FSSM services.
- Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) obtained the ISO Certification after successful completion of audit.
- Bhubaneswar is 2nd in the world and first city in India for FSSM Services.
APPOINTMENTS IN NEWS
CBIC Chairman Ajit Kumar inaugurates GST Bhawan
- Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Chairman M. Ajit Kumar, along with members of the Board inaugurated the GST Bhawan, Panchkula,Haryana.
- The state-of-the-art building will house the offices of Central GST at Panchkula.
- It has been built at a cost of about 31 crores rupees.
CAG GC Murmu elected as External Auditor of Inter Parliamentary Union
- Girish Chandra Murmu, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, has been elected as the External Auditor of Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) Geneva for a three-year term.
- GC Murmu will be taking charge of the prestigious position from the Supreme Audit Institution of Switzerland.
Indian-American Mala Adiga appointed as policy director of Jill Biden
- US President-Elect Joe Biden on November 20, 2020 announced the appointment of Indian-American Mala Adiga as the policy director of Jill Biden, who will soon be the first lady of the United States.
- Mala Adiga had earlier served as a senior advisor to Jill Biden and even as a senior policy advisor on the Biden-Kamala Harris campaign.
SPORTS CURRENT AFFAIRS
ICC postpones Women’s T20 World Cup 2022 to February 2023
- The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on November 19, 2020, that the Women’s T20 World Cup has been moved from its current 2022 slot to February 9-26, 2023.
- The cricket council also confirmed that the ICC World Test Championship Points system has been amended because of the pandemic.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Rajnath Sing &, Prakash Javadekar Launches Two Books on President Kovind’s Select Speeches
- Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has unveiled two books titled ‘The Republican Ethic Volume III’ and ‘Loktantra Ke Swar’
- These books are collection of selected speeches of President Ram Nath Kovind during the third year of his presidency.
- Additionally, Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar has unveiled the e-book versions of the two books.
Scottish Author Douglas Stuart wins 2020 Booker Prize
- Scottish writer Douglas Stuart has won the 2020 Booker Prize for Fiction. He has been awarded for his debut novel, “Shuggie Bain”.
- The 44-year-old Stuart is only the second Scot to have won the prestigious literary prize.
Ravi Shankar Prasad releases “My Stamp on Chhath Puja”
- Union Minister of Communications, Electronics & Information Technology and Law and Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad has released a “My Stamp on Chhath Puja”.
- My Stamp is an innovative concept initiated by the Department of Posts.
- A special cover on the theme “Chhath-A symbol of Simplicity and Cleanliness” was also released.
