Current Affairs Today 26th September 2020-Download in PDF

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Current Affairs Today – 26th September 2020

NEWS AT A GLANCE

1. Every Year on September 25 India observes Antyodaya Diwas to mark the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya.
2. In 2011, the International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH) declared to observe World Environmental Health Day on 26 September every year.
3. Every year International Day of Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons is celebrated on September 26.
4. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will implement the “’Technology Vision for Cyber Security’ for Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) – 2020-2023” to enhance the IT security system of Urban Co-operative banking to prevent, detect, respond to and recover from cyber-attacks.
5. The Reserve Bank of India is to introduce “Positive Pay System” from January 2021.
6. IDFC First Bank is set to launch SafePay, a digital facility that allows contactless debit card payments by simply waving one’s smartphone against a Near Field Communication (NFC)-enabled POS terminal.
7. Vakrangee Ltd on Friday said the Reserve Bank has granted in-principle approval to set up Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU) to handle payment services related to bills.
8. The finance ministry on Friday said that public sector banks (PSBs) have on-boarded about one crore customers on digital payment modes in just one month of the launch of ‘Digital Apnayen’ campaign.
9. India’s new apex regulator of medical education and profession, the National Medical Commission (NMC), came into existence with effect from 25 September 2020.
10. The Union Finance Ministry has granted permission to five states to raise additional financial resources of Rs 9,913 crore for meeting reform targets through open market borrowings.
11. The Central Government on September 25, 2020, announced it has sanctioned 670 electric buses for Goa, Maharashtra, Chandigarh, and Gujarat and 240 charging stations in Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, and Port Blair under the Phase II of the FAME India Scheme.
12. Union Ministers Shripad Yesso Naik & Jitendra Singh to inaugurate 21 AYUSH Health & Wellness Centres in Jammu and Kashmir.
13. The Kolkata Port Trust rechristened as the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, is investing on digital technologies and has lined up at least 40 crore rupees for various projects to bolster ease of doing business.
14. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced a grant of 50,000 rupees to each Durga Puja committee in the state.
15. The National Service Scheme Award 2018-19 were conferred by the President of India to the awardees of different categories.
16. As per Election Commission of India Bihar assembly elections will be conducted in three phases from October 28 and the votes will be counted on November 10.
17. Union Minister for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik and Union Minister of State PMO Dr. Jitendra Singh today jointly laid e-foundation of Post-Harvest Management Centre for Medicinal Plants at Bhaderwah in Jammu and Kashmir.
18. Mohamed Hussein Roble has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of Somalia after a landslide victory in Parliamentary election held on 23 September 2020.
19. United Nations and Britain will host the Global climate summit 2020 on December 12, 2020 and also this is fifth anniversary of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.
20. The Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar represented India at the virtual Ministerial Roundtable Dialogue on Biodiversity held on 24 September 2020.
21. A webinar between India and Cambodia was held
22. Central Council for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy under AYUSH Ministry organised a Webinar Nutrition Science and Advancements named POSHAN AAHAR.
23. A webinar on Early Childhood Care and Educationwas organized by Ministry of Education under ShikshakParv initiative to highlight the salient features of the New Education Policy (NEP 2020).
24. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Himachal Pradesh Police and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mandi to set up an institutional mechanism to facilitate the Police Personal in updating their knowledge.
25. Microsoft announced that it will buy ZeniMax Media, the company that owns well-known video game publisher Bethesda, for $7.5 billion in cash.
26. The Government of India has constituted five task forces to make the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) future-ready and formulate a concrete strategy to make the country a leading exporter.
27. Kerala has won the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases Awards 2020 for its “outstanding contribution” towards the non-communicable diseases-related sustainable development goals.
28. Kerala Tourism’s internationally-acclaimed ‘Human by Nature’ campaign has bagged one of the three PATA Grand Awards 2020.
29. Shashank Nimkar from the National Institute of Design (Ahmedabad) has won the James Dyson India Award 2020 for his invention- ‘Earth Tatva’.
30. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has dedicated the prestigious AZ Awards-2020 for Odisha’s architectural marvel Krushi Bhavan, to farmers and artisans of the state.
31. The head of the Nobel Foundation informed that this year Nobel Prize awarded will get an extra USD 1 Million.
32. Personal computers brand Acer India has roped in actor Sonu Sood as its brand ambassador.
33. Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), has appointed Rajat Sud as its new Managing Director with effect from 23 September 2020.
34. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has appointed Shri Sunil Sethi, a leading personality in the Indian fashion industry, as its advisor.
35. Ceat Tyres has roped in Bollywood actor Aamir Khan as its brand ambassador.
36. The 4th edition of Maritime bilateral exercise between India and Japan “JIMEX 20” has been scheduled to be held from 26 to 28 September 2020.
37. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched AP Police Seva App, a mobile application offering 87 types of citizen services.
38. Fauja Singh (109), the world’s oldest marathon runner, has created history as this ‘young athlete’ has been featured as a superhero in a children’s book titled ‘Fauja Singh Keeps Going’.
39. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today on the birth anniversary of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhayay released a book ‘Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhayay Ka Jeevan Darshan’ written by Dr. Inder Singh Thakur.
40. Veteran atomic scientist and former chairman of Atomic Energy Commission Dr. Sekhar Basu died of Covid-19 in a Kolkata hospital. He was 68.

NEWS IN DETAILS

IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES

Antyodaya Divas Observed Across India on September 25

• Every Year on September 25 India observes Antyodaya Diwas to mark the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya.
• The day was declared by the Modi Government on September 25, 2014.
• Antyodaya means uplifting the poorest of the poor.
• Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, born in Mathura in 1916 was one of the key leaders of Bharatiya Jana Sangh from which the BJP later emerged.
• He was the leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh from 1953 to 1968.

World Environmental Health Day observed on 26 September

• In 2011, the International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH) declared to observe World Environmental Health Day on 26 September every year.
• The Theme for the 2020 World Environmental Health Day: ‘Environmental health, a key public health intervention in disease pandemic prevention’.
• The IFEH was established in 1986 and is based in London, England.

Extra Shots:

IFEH

• Headquarters location: London, United Kingdom
• Founded: 1986

International Day of Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons observed on 26 September

• Every year International Day of Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons is celebrated on September 26.
• The day is important as it is based on the very basic reason the United Nations was established.
• The first resolution adopted by the UN was to achieve Global Nuclear Disarmament.
• In 2020, the 50th anniversary of Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was celebrated.

Extra Shots:

UN

• Secretary general: António Guterres
• Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
• Founded: 24 October 1945, San Francisco, California, United States

BANKING & FINANCE 

RBI to implement “Technology Vision for Cyber Security’ for Urban Co-operative Banks – 2020-2023”

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will implement the “’Technology Vision for Cyber Security’ for Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) – 2020-2023” to enhance the IT security system of Urban Co-operative banking to prevent, detect, respond to and recover from cyber-attacks.
• RBI will achieve this objective using its five-pillared strategic approach ‘GUARD’.

GUARD denotes:

• G – Governance Oversight,
• U – Utile Technology Investment,
• A – Appropriate Regulation and Supervision,
• R – Robust Collaboration
• D – Developing necessary IT, cyber security skills set.
• To accomplish the five pillared approach, RBI has established 12 specific action points.
• The implementation of this Technology Vision document will strengthen the cyber resilience of the Urban Co-operative Banks.

Extra Shots:

RBI

• Governor: Shaktikanta Das
• Headquarters: Mumbai

RBI to introduce Positive Pay System to check Cheques

• The Reserve Bank of India is to introduce “Positive Pay System” from January 2021.
• The system makes it mandatory to re-confirm key details of cheques that need payments beyond Rs 50,000.
• The system is already in use in India.
• The ICICI bank has been following this procedure since 2016.
• Under the new system, the issuer of the cheque will have to submit details of the cheque such as name of the beneficiary, date, amount of the drawee bank, payee electronically through SMS.
• These details are to be cross checked before the cheque is presented for payment.

Extra Shots:

RBI

• Governor: Shaktikanta Das
• Headquarters: Mumbai

IDFC First Bank to launch ‘on phone’ contactless debit card transaction facility

• IDFC First Bank is set to launch SafePay, a digital facility that allows contactless debit card payments by simply waving one’s smartphone against a Near Field Communication (NFC)-enabled POS terminal.
• The first such facility to be made available in an integrated mobile banking app, the SafePay feature has been tested successfully and certified by Visa.
• It will be available to users on the Bank’s mobile app in the next one week.
• SafePay enables contactless payments of up to Rs 2,000 per transaction and up to a limit of Rs 20,000 per day.

Extra Shots:

IDFC First Bank

• CEO: V. Vaidyanathan
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Parent organization: Infrastructure Development Finance Company
• Subsidiaries: Grama Vidiyal, Idfc First Bank Limited, Asset Management Arm

Vakrangee gets RBI nod to set up Bharat Bill Payment unit

• Vakrangee Ltd said the Reserve Bank has granted in-principle approval to set up Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU) to handle payment services related to bills.
• Vakrangee (VL) has received in-principle authorisation to set up and operate BBPOU under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• The company offers banking, insurance, money transfer services, e-commerce, e-governance and other digital services on behalf of its partner banks, insurers, government agencies, e-commerce players among others through its branches mostly located in rural and semi-urban areas.
• Vakrangee can now directly handle payment and aggregation of payment services relating to bills under the scope of BBPS (Bharat Bill Payment System).

Extra Shots:

Vakrangee Ltd

• Headquarters: India
• Founder: Dinesh Nandwana
• Founded: 28 May 1990

Public sector banks on-board one-crore account holders on digital payment modes

• The finance ministry said that public sector banks (PSBs) have on-boarded about one crore customers on digital payment modes in just one month of the launch of ‘Digital Apnayen’ campaign.
• The campaign, aimed at encouraging customers to use digital banking channels, was launched on August 15 under the aegis of the government’s Digital India initiative.

NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

National Medical Commission (NMC) comes into existence, replacing Medical Council of India (MCI)

• India’s new apex regulator of medical education and profession, the National Medical Commission (NMC), came into existence with effect from 25 September 2020.
• NMC replaces the Medical Council of India (MCI).
• Dr Suresh Chandra Sharma, former head of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS-ENT department), Delhi, has been appointed as Chairman of NMC for a period of three years.
• The NMC Board comprises of a chairman, 10 ex-officio members and 22 part-time members.
• The nearly 64-year-old Indian Medical Council Act has been abolished and replaced with NMC Act, which received the assent of the president on 8th August 2019.
• The Board of Governors (BoG) of MCI has also been dissolved.

Extra Shots:

Medical Council of India (MCI)

• Founded: 1933
• Sector: Medical education
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• President: Jayshreeben Mehta
• Type: Statutory corporation
• Dissolved: 2019

Finance Ministry allows 5 states to raise Rs 9,913 Crore as additional borrowings

• The Union Finance Ministry has granted permission to five states to raise additional financial resources of Rs 9,913 crore for meeting reform targets through open market borrowings.
• The five states are Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa and Tripura.
• Ministry of Finance, has granted permission to raise additional financial resources of Rs 9,913 crore to five states through Open Market Borrowings (OMBs).

Following is the state-wise details of the additional borrowing permission granted by the centre:

1. Andhra Pradesh-Rs 2,525 crore
2. Telangana – Rs 2,508 crore
3. Karnataka – Rs 4,509 crore
4. Goa- Rs 223 crore
5. Tripura-Rs 148 crore

Extra Shots:

Ministry of Finance

• Union Minister of Finance: Nirmala Sitharaman

Centre sanctions 670 electric buses, 241 charging stations under FAME Scheme

• The Central Government on September 25, 2020, announced it has sanctioned 670 electric buses for Goa, Maharashtra, Chandigarh, and Gujarat and 240 charging stations in Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, and Port Blair under the Phase II of the FAME India Scheme.

Charging stations sanctioned to the states:

• 25 charging stations have been sanctioned in Kollam, 28 in Malappuram, 27 in Thiruvananthapuram (all in Kerala).
• 10 charging stations have been sanctioned in Port Blair (Andaman and Nicobar Islands).
• 25 charging stations in Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu.

E-buses sanctioned to the states:

• 450 buses are already plying in various cities. Under phase II of the FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India) scheme 670 e-buses have been sanctioned.
• Maharashtra has got 240 e-buses.

STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS

Union Ministers Shripad Yesso Naik & Jitendra Singh to inaugurate 21 AYUSH Health & Wellness Centres in Jammu and Kashmir

• Union Ministers Shripad Yesso Naik & Jitendra Singh to inaugurate 21 AYUSH Health & Wellness Centres in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Union Ministers for AYUSH, Shripad Yesso Naik and MoS for Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region Dr. Jitendra Singh will inaugurate 21 AYUSH Health & Wellness Centres in Jammu and Kashmir.
• The inauguration event will be held through online due to COVID19 pandemic.
• The Two Union Ministers will jointly launch the Post-Harvest Management Centre for Medicinal Plants at Bhaderwah as well as 21 AYUSH Health & Wellness Centres in J&K.

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

Kolkata Port Trust to invest at least Rs 40 Cr on digital technologies to boost Ease of Doing Business

• The Kolkata Port Trust rechristened as the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, is investing on digital technologies and has lined up at least 40 crore rupees for various projects to bolster ease of doing business.
• The Port Trust chairman Vinit Kumar said, the port authorities are undertaking an ambitious project to develop an integrated e-marketplace to facilitate coastal shipping.
• e-marketplace will be a single-window system for all coastal shipments.
• It will facilitate an integrated, transparent and hassle-free online system for the coastal shipping stakeholders.
• An RFID-based port access control system (PACS) is already in place in both Kolkata Dock System and Haldia Dock Complex, for addressing traffic congestion at gates.

CM Mamata Banerjee announces grant of Rs 50,000 to each Durga Puja committee in West Bengal

• West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced a grant of 50,000 rupees to each Durga Puja committee in the state.
• The fire brigade, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), other civic bodies, municipalities and panchayats will not charge any money or tax for their services from the puja organisers.
• The Chief Minister also announced a onetime grant of Rs 2,000 for 75,000 hawkers of the state as they had faced difficult time due to the lockdown.

Extra Shots:

West Bengal:

• Capital: Kolkata
• Chief Minister: Mamta Banerjee
• Governor: Jagdeep Dhankhar
• State Formed in: 1947
• Literacy Rate: 76.26%
• National Park: Buxa National Park, Gorumara National Park, Neora Valley National Park, Neora Valley National Park, Sunderban National Park, Jaldapara National Park

Manipur college receives two National Service Scheme Award 2018-19

• The National Service Scheme Award 2018-19 were conferred by the President of India to the awardees of different categories.
• In Manipur, a college located in a remote hill area has received two awards including Best Program Officer Award.
• Sister Sweta William Parmar, Program Officer NSS Unit of Don Bosco College Maram Centre of Senapati District Manipur has been conferred the Award in the category of Program Officer.

Extra Shots:

Manipur

• Statehood Day: 21 January, 1972
• Capital: Imphal
• Governor: Najma Heptulla
• Chief Minister: N. Biren Singh

ECI to conduct Bihar assembly elections in three phases from October 28

• As per Election Commission of India Bihar assembly elections will be conducted in three phases from October 28 and the votes will be counted on November 10.
• The year Bihar Assembly Elections 2020 will be conducted in three phases – on October 28, November 3 and November 7.
• Bihar’s 243-member Assembly is set to expire on October 29, 2020.

Extra Shots:

Bihar

• Capital: Patna
• Chief Minister: Nitish Kumar
• Governor: Phagu Chauhan

Union Ministers inaugurate Post-Harvest Management Centre for medicinal plants, AYUSH units in J&K

• Union Minister for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik and Union Minister of State PMO Dr. Jitendra Singh today jointly laid e-foundation of Post-Harvest Management Centre for Medicinal Plants at Bhaderwah in Jammu and Kashmir.
• The inauguration was done through a digital event.

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

Somalia Parliament unanimously Approves Mohamed Hussein Roble as New Prime Minister

• Mohamed Hussein Roble has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of Somalia after a landslide victory in Parliamentary election held on 23 September 2020.
• All 215 members of parliament unanimously voted for Roble in the presence of Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed.
• He would succeed Hassan Ali Khaire, who was expelled in July 2020 due to his failure to present a roadmap to holding democratic elections due before February 2021.

Extra Shots:

Somalia (Capital/Currency): Mogadishu/United States Dollar, Somali shilling

• Prime Minister: Mohamed Hussein Roble

Global climate summit 2020: to be Co-hosted by UN and Britain, Scheduled on 12 December

• United Nations and Britain will host the Global climate summit 2020 on December 12, 2020 and also this is fifth anniversary of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.
• The Summit will invite all National governments to present more ambitious and high-quality climate plans.
• The summit will increase the strength of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26) to be held in Glasgow, Scotland in November 2021.

SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

Prakash Javadekar addresses virtual Ministerial Roundtable Dialogue on Biodiversity Beyond 2020

• The Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar represented India at the virtual Ministerial Roundtable Dialogue on Biodiversity held on 24 September 2020.
• The theme of the Ministerial Dialogue was Biodiversity Beyond 2020: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth.
• The event was hosted by China, ahead of the upcoming United Nation Summit on Biodiversity on 30 September 2020.
• Around 15 ministerial representatives as well as the heads from relevant international organizations participated in the event to exchange views on biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
• Javadekar also informed that India aims to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land, and achieve land-degradation neutrality by 2030.

Extra Shots:

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

• Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change: Prakash Javadekar

India holds webinar with Cambodia to boost defence cooperation

• A webinar between India and Cambodia was held.
• The theme of the webinar was “Indian Defence Industry Global Outreach for Collaborative Partnership: Webinar and Expo”.
• It was organized under the aegis of Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence through Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers, SIDM.
• This webinar is the part of the series of webinars which are being organized with friendly foreign countries in order to boost defence exports and achieve defence export target of 5 billion dollars in the next five years.

Extra Shots:

Ministry of Defence

• Union Minister of Defence: Rajnath Singh

National webinar on Nutrition Science and Advancements organized by AYUSH Ministry

• Central Council for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy under AYUSH Ministry organised a Webinar Nutrition Science and Advancements named POSHAN AAHAR.
• This is a part of the “AYUSH for Immunity” campaign.
• The webinar was attended by Experts, researchers, Clinical Nutritionists, Surgeons and Yoga& Naturopathy physicians.

Extra Shots:

Ministry of AYUSH:

• Union Minister: Shripad Naik

A National webinar on Early Childhood Care and Education held under ShikshakParv

• A webinar on Early Childhood Care and Educationwas organized by Ministry of Education under ShikshakParv initiative to highlight the salient features of the New Education Policy (NEP 2020).
• Ministry of Education organised ShikshakParv from 8th September- 25th September, 2020 to felicitate the Teachers and to take New Education Policy 2020 forward.

Extra Shots:

Ministry of Education

• Union Minister of Education: Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank

AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED

MoU signed between HP Police and IIT Mandi

• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Himachal Pradesh Police and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mandi to set up an institutional mechanism to facilitate the Police Personal in updating their knowledge.
• The objective of the MoU was to facilitate the police personnel to update their knowledge about new technologies, geographical and temporal analysis of crime and public order, prediction of period crime trends, traffic management, e-challaning, beat patrolling system, threat and security analysis, cybercrime, cyber forensics and cyber security.

Extra Shots:

Himachal Pradesh:

• State formed on: 25 January 1971
• Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya
• Chief Minister: Jai Ram Thakur
• Official language: Hindi
• Literacy Rate: 83.78%

ACQUISITION & MERGER

Microsoft acquires video game company ZeniMax

• Microsoft announced that it will buy ZeniMax Media, the company that owns well-known video game publisher Bethesda, for $7.5 billion in cash.
• The deal gives Microsoft access to a raft of successful game franchises, including Fallout, The Elder Scrolls and Doom.
• It’s the biggest gaming acquisition in Microsoft’s history, after the company bought Minecraft developer Mojang for $2.5 billion in 2014.

Extra Shots:

Microsoft Corporation

• CEO: Satya Nadella
• Founded: 4 April 1975, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
• Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States
• Founders: Bill Gates, Paul Allen

RECENT COMMITTEES IN NEWS

Government sets up five task forces to make MSME sector future-ready

• The Government of India has constituted five task forces to make the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) future-ready and formulate a concrete strategy to make the country a leading exporter.
• These five task forces have been formed in five key areas where the Indian industries, especially the MSME sector should head towards to achieve this objective and mission.

The task forces formed includes:

Industry 4.0

• Objective – make India a global leader in Industry 4.0 including elements like artificial intelligence, 3D and virtual reality.

Export promotion and import reduction

• Objective – India becomes a global manufacturing hub and a leading exporter in the world.
• Key issues of the task force will include how to focus in the key manufacturing areas, how to improve our quality standards, designs and technology, packaging.

Re-engineering

• Objective -How to re-engineer vertically and horizontally our existing cluster schemes so that they are able to assist the grass-root and the micro-level enterprises as well as the high-end enterprises.
• How to Integrate our technology centres
• Explore interventions to align various modernisation schemes like ZED (zero defect and zero effect) and LEAN (for manufacturing competitiveness), as well as other schemes related to design, intellectual property rights and marketing scheme.

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL  AWARDS

Kerala Wins UN Award For Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) 2020

• Kerala has won the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases Awards 2020 for its “outstanding contribution” towards the non-communicable diseases-related sustainable development goals.
• Kerala is among the seven ministries of health across the world to receive the award.
• Kerala has been awarded for the tireless service of the state in the health sector.

Extra Shots:

Kerala:

• Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
• Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
• Governor: Arif Mohammed Khan
• Festivals: Onam, Vishu, Thrissur Pooram, Nehru Trophy Boat Race
• National Parks: Anamudi Shola National Park, Eravikulam National Park, Mathikettan Shola National Park, Pambadum Shola National Park, Periyar National Park,Silent Valley National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Aralam WLS, Chimmony WLS, Idukki WLS, Periyar WLS, Wayanad WLS, Peppara WLS, Neyyar WLS, Kurinjimala WLS, Malabar WLS etc

Kerala Tourisms Human by Nature campaign bagged 2020 PATA Grand Award

• Kerala Tourism’s internationally-acclaimed ‘Human by Nature’ campaign has bagged one of the three PATA Grand Awards 2020.
• The awards were announced live during a virtual presentation ceremony in Beijing, China.
• The award recognized the campaign’s Marketing, giving a huge stimulus to the state’s tourism industry, which has been severely impacted by COVID-19 pandemic.

Extra Shots:

Kerala:

• Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
• Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
• Governor: Arif Mohammed Khan
• Festivals: Onam, Vishu, Thrissur Pooram, Nehru Trophy Boat Race
• National Parks: Anamudi Shola National Park, Eravikulam National Park, Mathikettan Shola National Park, Pambadum Shola National Park, Periyar National Park,Silent Valley National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Aralam WLS, Chimmony WLS, Idukki WLS, Periyar WLS, Wayanad WLS, Peppara WLS, Neyyar WLS, Kurinjimala WLS, Malabar WLS etc

NID-Ahmedabad student’s zero waste manufacturing process wins James Dyson India award

• Shashank Nimkar from the National Institute of Design (Ahmedabad) has won the James Dyson India Award 2020 for his invention- ‘Earth Tatva’.
• Nimkar used ceramic rejects called ‘grog’ from the surrounding production cluster and clay to make new products.These products are also made under a zero-waste manufacturing process.
• For his innovation, the youngster won a prize money of £2,000 (around ₹1.90 lakh) in the competition.

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

Odisha’s Krushi Bhawan inspired by farmers wins Global Architecture Award

• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has dedicated the prestigious AZ Awards-2020 for Odisha’s architectural marvel Krushi Bhavan, to farmers and artisans of the state.
• The announcement came after Bhubaneswar-based Krushi Bhawan building was selected as the “People’s Choice Winner” at the AZ Awards 2020 in the Social Good Category.
• The Krushi Bhawan was the only project from India at the globally recognised prestigious award.
• Krushi Bhawan had also become India’s first government building and Odisha’s first-ever building to feature in Dezeen, a prestigious international journal on architecture.

Extra Shots:

Odisha:

• Capital: Bhubaneswar
• Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik
• Governor: Ganeshi Lal
• State Formed in: 1 April 1936
• Literacy Rate: 72.87%
• National Park: Bhitarkanika NP, Simlipal NP

Prestigious Nobel Prize 2020 Winners to Receive Extra USD 1 Million

• The head of the Nobel Foundation informed that this year Nobel Prize awarded will get an extra USD 1 Million.
• So that, the prize money is increased to 10 million crowns in this year.
• This decision of increasing prize money has been reached after the foundation found itself in a stable condition with respect to costs and capital.
• The prize amount has varied time to time, starting at 150,000 crowns and reaching 1 million crowns in 1981.
• The value rose in the 1980s and 1990s, and then rise to 9 million crowns in 2000 and 10 million a year later.

APPOINTMENTS IN NEWS

Acer India appoints Sonu Sood as brand ambassador

• Personal computers brand Acer India has roped in actor Sonu Sood as its brand ambassador.
• The actor will endorse the brand’s innovative range of products to improving people’s lives through technology.
• The actor has been selected due to his contribution to empowering people which is in line with Acer India’s brand mantra of empowering people through technology.

Extra Shots:

Acer India

• Headquarters: Bengaluru
• Founded: 1999
• Parent organization: Acer

EESL appoints Rajat Sud as new Managing Director

• Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), has appointed Rajat Sud as its new Managing Director with effect from 23 September 2020.
• Sud succeeds S Gopal, director (commercial), who had taken on the additional charge of interim managing director (MD).

Extra Shots:

EESL

• Location: New Delhi
• Ministry: Ministry of Power (India)
• Founded: 10 December 2009
• Subsidiaries: EPSL Trigeneration Private Limited, EESL EnergyPro Assets Limited
• Key people: R. K. Singh, Rajeev Sharma

KVIC appointed Fashion Icon Sunil Sethi as Advisor

• Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has appointed Shri Sunil Sethi, a leading personality in the Indian fashion industry, as its advisor.
• Sethi will advise the Commission on latest design interventions in the readymade garments segment and promotion of Khadi in India and abroad.
• He appointment is be for a tenure of one year.

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KVIC

• Founded: 1956
• Purpose: To plan, promote, facilitate, organise and assist in the establishment and development of khadi and village industries
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Agency executive: Vinai Kumar Saxena (Chairperson)
• Parent agency: Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
• Type: Statutory corporation

Ceat Tyres signs Aamir Khan as brand ambassador

• Ceat Tyres has roped in Bollywood actor Aamir Khan as its brand ambassador.
• Khan, who is one of the most versatile and talented actors in the Indian Film industry, has signed a two-year contract with Ceat Tyres Ltd to perform the role of its ambassador.

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Ceat Tyres

• Parent organization: RPG Group
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Founded: 1958, Turin, Italy

DEFENCE CURRENT AFFAIRS

Bilateral Maritime Exercise between Japan and India, JIMEX 20, to Commence on 29 Sept

• The 4th edition of Maritime bilateral exercise between India and Japan “JIMEX 20” has been scheduled to be held from 26 to 28 September 2020.
• The exercise is conducted biennially between the Indian Navy and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
• IMEX 20 will be conducted in North Arabian Sea.
• The exercise will showcase joint operational skills and high degree of inter-operability through conduct of a multitude of advanced exercises, across the spectrum of maritime operations.
• The exercise will include Multi-faceted tactical exercises like weapon firings, cross deck helicopter operations and complex surface.

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Japan (Capital/Currency): Tokyo/Yen

• Prime Minister: Yoshihide Suga

WEBPORTALS & APPS IN NEWS

CM Jagan Mohan Reddy launches AP Police Seva app

• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched AP Police Seva App, a mobile application offering 87 types of citizen services.
• It offers services under the six divisions of law and order, enforcement, public service, road safety, public information and public outreach.
• With this app, people in Andhra Pradesh need not visit a police station to file a complaint or learn about the status of their plaint, which can now be done form the comfort of their mobile phone

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Andhra Pradesh:

• Capital: Amravati
• Chief Minister: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy
• Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan
• Literacy rate: 67.4%
• National Park: Sri Venkateswara National Park, Sri Venkateswara National Park, Papikonda National Park

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Fauja Singh Keeps Going | Children’s Book About 109-Year-Old Marathoner

• Fauja Singh (109), the world’s oldest marathon runner, has created history as this ‘young athlete’ has been featured as a superhero in a children’s book titled ‘Fauja Singh Keeps Going’.
• The book was written by New York-based professor Simran Jeet Singh, was released recently.
• It narrates the story of the centenarian, a native of Beas village in Jalandhar district, who completed a marathon at the age of 100 in 2011.
• It aims to tell the children the story of a Sikh man who began running at the age of 81, since he was born with weak legs, for which kids in the village teased him, calling him ‘danda’ or stick.

CM Jai Ram Thakur releases book ‘Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhayay Ka Jeevan Darshan’

• Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on the birth anniversary of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhayay released a book ‘Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhayay Ka Jeevan Darshan’ written by Dr. Inder Singh Thakur.
• The book highlights the life and works of great thinker and nationalist Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhayay.

OBITUARY

Nuclear scientist Sekhar Basu passes away

• Veteran atomic scientist and former chairman of Atomic Energy Commission Sekhar Basu died of Covid-19 in a Kolkata hospital. He was 68.
• A mechanical engineer, Dr. Basu is revered for his contributions to the country’s atomic energy programme.
• He was awarded Padma Shri in 2014.
• He had also pioneered the highly complex reactor for India’s first nuclear-powered submarine INS Arihant.

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