Hello and welcome to exampundit.in. Here are the important Current Affairs Today 29th and 28th September 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 – 29th September 2020
NEWS AT A GLANCE
- Every year, the last full week of September ending on the last Sunday is observed as the International Week of the Deaf (IWD).
- World Heart Day is celebrated on 29 September annually to draw people’s attention to heart illness and the range of associated health issues.
- Rating agency ICRA has projected India’s GDP rate for 2020-21 (FY21) to contact at 11%.
- The Trade and Development Report 2020 by UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) says, India’s economy is forecast to contract by 5.9% in 2020 and recover to 3.9% next year.
- The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has projected the GDP growth for the Indian economy at -12.6% For 2020-21 (FY21) with the remaining three quarters expected to witness a fall. For 2021-22, NCAER projects the GDP of India to grow by 7%.
- The Reserve Bank of India has extended the timeline for which banks can avail funds under the marginal standing facility (MSF) at the rate of 3% of its NDTL till March 31, 2021.
- The Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the ‘Destination North East-2020’.
- Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced a new scheme under which loan up to ₹20 lakh with interest subsidy would be provided to entrepreneurs to revive the tourism industry, the worst- affected sector by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has dedicated 1.4 km flyover on NH-3 at Morena Town in Madhya Pradesh built at a cost of Rs 108 crore to the nation through video conferencing.
- Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik today launched a slum upgradation programme to make the state slum-free in three years.
- Uttar Pradesh government has bagged 8 awards in Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan (GKRA) launched by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti.
- The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, NABARD is embarking on a Sanitation Literacy Campaign in Karnataka to create awareness on good hygiene and sanitation practices among rural masses.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 29, 2020, will inaugurate 6 mega projects in Uttarakhand under the Namami Gange Mission through video conference.
- The interim President of Mali, Bah Ndaw, has named former Malian Foreign Minister Moctar Ouane as the prime minister West African nation.
- Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Tourism and Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel addressed a meeting on the theme of Tourism and rural development on World Tourism Day i.e 27 September 2020.
- IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore, country’s top management institutions, have been ranked in the top 50 management institutes in the world for the MBA programme as per the QS Global MBA Rankings 2021.
- The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has released the report of a survey named ‘Health in India’.
- The UK India Business Council has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC), the premier nodal agency of West Bengal’s Industry, Commerce and Enterprises Department focused on accelerating industrial development in the state.
- The Reserve Bank of India has appointed a 3-member Committee of Directors (CoD) to look after the affairs of Lakshmi Vilas Bank.
- Assam’s Srimanta Sankaradeva Award 2017 was conferred on eminent Vaishnavite scholar, writer and ‘Satradhikar of Barpeta’ Sattra Basishta Deva Sarma.
- The Maharashtra government today announced the Gan Samragni Lata Mangeshkar award for the year 2020-21 to veteran female playback singer Usha Mangeshkar.
- Bollywood actor, Aamir Khan has been appointed as the brand ambassador of online live tutoring company Vedantu.
- L Adimoolam has been elected president of the Indian Newspaper Society, an apex body of the publishers of newspapers, magazines and periodicals in the country.
- In West Bengal, Alapan Bandyopadhyay is appointed as the new Chief Secretary.
- Senior bureaucrat P D Vaghela was on Monday appointed as chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), according to a Personnel Ministry order.
- Union Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh released the New Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020.
- In Football, the Indian men’s team Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has won the 2019-’20 AIFF Player of the year awards in men’s category.
- Australia wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy has broken MS Dhoni’s record for the most number of dismissals by a wicketkeeper in T20 internationals.
- The Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the first-of-its-kind national vaccine portal for Covid-19 on 28 September 2020, created by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
- The Assam government has developed a mobile app through which air passengers can download forms, fill it up, and show it at airports to avoid delay in completing formalities for COVID-19 tests.
- “Baahubali” series author Anand Neelakantan has written his debut book in the children’s space which tells some of the most hilarious stories about child asuras and their antics.
- Versatile writer and veteran critic Dr. G S Amur passed away at the age of 95 years due to age-related issues.
- The Himalayan Chandra Telescope is located at the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO).
NEWS IN DETAILS
IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES
International Week of the Deaf observed on 21-27 September 2020
- Every year, the last full week of September ending on the last Sunday is observed as the International Week of the Deaf (IWD).
- In 2020, it was held from September 21-27.
- The week ends on the last Sunday of the month of September and that day is celebrated as the World Day of Deaf or International Day of the Deaf (September 27, 2020).
- It is an initiative of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) and was first launched in 1958 in Rome, Italy to commemorate the month when the first World Congress of the WFD was held.
- The theme of 2020 IWD is “Reaffirming Deaf People’s Human Rights”
Extra Shots:
World Federation of the Deaf
- President: Joseph J. Murray
- Founded: 23 September 1951, Rome, Italy
- Headquarters location: Helsinki, Finland
- Purpose: Human, Civil, and Linguistic rights of Deaf people
- Type of business: INGO
- Main organ: Board
World Heart Day overserved on 29 September
- World Heart Day is celebrated on 29 September annually to draw people’s attention to heart illness and the range of associated health issues.
- The day was created by the World Heart Federation, to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke.
- Theme 2020: ‘Use Heart to Beat: for society, your loved ones and you’
Extra Shots:
World Heart Federation
- Headquarters location: Geneva, Switzerland
- Founded: 2000
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
ICRA projects India’s GDP for FY21 to contact by 11%
- Rating agency ICRA has projected India’s GDP rate for 2020-21 (FY21) to contact at 11%.
- This is more than its previous projection of -9.5%.
- The reason for this increase is the growing number of COVID-19 cases in India.
Extra Shots:
ICRA
- Headquarters location: New Delhi
- Founded: 16 July 1929
Indian economy to contract 5.9% in 2020 due to Covid-19 disruptions, says UN report
- The Trade and Development Report 2020 by UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) says, India’s economy is forecast to contract by 5.9% in 2020 and recover to 3.9% next year.
- The report warning that while growth will rebound next year, the contraction is likely to translate into a permanent income loss.
- The global economy will contract by an estimated 4.3% this year, leaving global output by year’s end over $6 trillion short (in current U.S. Dollars) of what economists had expected it to be before the coronavirus began to spread.
Extra Shots:
UN
- Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
- Founded: 24 October 1945, San Francisco, California, United States
- Official languages: Arabic; Chinese; English; French; Russian; Spanish;
- Secretary general: António Guterres
NCAER predicts India GDP for FY21 at -12.6%
- The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has projected the GDP growth for the Indian economy at -12.6% For 2020-21 (FY21) with the remaining three quarters expected to witness a fall.
- For 2021-22, NCAER projects the GDP of India to grow by 7%.
Extra Shots:
NCAER
- Headquarters location: New Delhi
- Founded: 1956
NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) – Extension of Relaxation extended till March 31, 2021
- The Reserve Bank of India has extended the timeline for which banks can avail funds under the marginal standing facility (MSF) at the rate of 3% of its NDTL till March 31, 2021.
- Normally, banks are allowed to avail maximum funds under MSF from RBI at 2% of its net demand and time liabilities (NDTL).
- After COVID-19, RBI had allowed banks to dip 1% extra to this limit, that is now banks could borrow money from RBI under MSF, at 3%.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated ‘Destination North East-2020’ through Video Conferencing
- The Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the ‘Destination North East-2020’.
- Due to coronavirus outbreak the event was held virtually through video conferencing.
- This Event is organised by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.
- The Theme for Destination North East-2020 is The Emerging Delightful Destinations.
Extra Shots:
Union Home Ministry
- Union Minister: Amit Shah
- Minister of State: G. Kishan Reddy
STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS
Assam govt to provide loan to entrepreneurs to revive tourism sector
- Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced a new scheme under which loan up to ₹20 lakh with interest subsidy would be provided to entrepreneurs to revive the tourism industry, the worst- affected sector by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Under the ‘Paryatan Sanjeevani Scheme’, loan between ₹1 lakh and ₹20 lakh will be extended to interested local youths to take up new initiatives so that the tourism sector gets a fresh lease of life amid the coronavirus crisis.
- As part of the scheme, the advances will be provided for five years, while the state government will give first year’s interest and will be a one-year moratorium on repayment.
Extra Shots:
Assam
- Capital: Dispur
- Chief Minister: Sarbananda Sonowal
- Governor: Jagdish Mukhi
- National Park: Dibru-Saikhowa NP, Kaziranga NP, Manas NP, Nameri NP, Rajiv Gandhi Orang NP, Dehing Patkai
GoI dedicated Gwalior-Morena Flyover to the Country
- Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has dedicated 1.4 km flyover on NH-3 at Morena Town in Madhya Pradesh built at a cost of Rs 108 crore to the nation through video conferencing.
- The flyover connecting Dholpur in Rajasthan and Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh has been completed within the scheduled 18 months’ time under engineering, procurement and construction mode.
Extra Shots:
Madhya Pradesh:
- Statehood Day: November 1, 1956
- Capital: Bhopal
- Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chauhan
- Governor: Anandiben Patel
- National Park: Bandhavgarh NP, Fossil NP, Kanha NP, Madhav NP, Panna NP, Pench NP, Sanjay NP, Satpura NP
Odisha launches initiative to make state slum-free in 3 years
- Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik launched a slum upgradation programme to make the state slum-free in three years.
- The programme, aimed to improve the living conditions of the slum dwellers by providing them with basic necessities like piped water, electricity, paved roads and recreational space, will start immediately in 1000 slums to be extended to about 3,000 slums across the state in 3 years.
Extra Shots:
Odisha:
- Statehood Day: 1st April 1936
- Capital: Bhubaneswar
- Governor: Ganeshi Lal
- Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik
UP govt bags 8 awards in Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan
- Uttar Pradesh government has bagged 8 awards in Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan (GKRA) launched by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti.
- The State has also got overall second rank in implementation of Gandagi Mukt Bharat scheme.
- The awards will be distributed at a virtual ceremony by the Minister of State, Ministry of Jal Shakti on October 2, 2020.
- The Government of India had launched the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan initiative to tackle the impact of COVID-19 on Labourers and workers.
- It is a rural public works scheme which was launched on June 20, 2020 with an initial funding of Rs 50,000 crore.
- Uttar Pradesh has got overall first position in the Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan category while in individual districts, Prayagraj, Hardoi and Fatehpur has bagged first, second and third ranks respectively.
- In Non-GKRA category, Bareilly and Aligarh have secured first and second ranks respectively.
- Aligarh has also received the Special Recognition award.
Extra Shots:
Uttar Pradesh:
- Statehood Day: January 26, 1950
- Capital: Lucknow
- Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath
- Governor: Anandiben Patel
- Literacy Rate: 67.68%
- Nation Park: Dudhwa National Park
NABARD embarking on Sanitation Literacy Campaign in Karnataka
- The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, NABARD is embarking on a Sanitation Literacy Campaign in Karnataka to create awareness on good hygiene and sanitation practices among rural masses.
- The campaign will commence on Gandhi Jayanti on October 2nd and continue until January 26th next year.
Extra Shots:
Karnataka:
- Statehood Day: 1st November 1956
- Capital: Bengaluru
- Chief Minister: B. S. Yediyurappa
- Governor: Vajubhai Vala
- National Park: Anshi NP, Bandipur NP, Bannerghatta NP, Kudremukh NP, Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarahole) NP.
PM Modi to inaugurate 6 mega projects in Uttarakhand under Namami Gange Project
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 29, 2020, will inaugurate 6 mega projects in Uttarakhand under the Namami Gange Mission through video conference.
- The six projects include the up-gradation of the existing 27 MLD, construction of a 68 MLD STP at Jagjeetpur, in Haridwar, and construction of an 18 MLD STP at Sarai, in Haridwar.
- The inauguration of the 68 MLD Jagjeetpur project will also be marking the completion of the first sewerage project taken up on hybrid annuity mode PPP.
- Prime Minister Modi will be inaugurating a 26 MLD STP at Lakkadghat, in Rishikesh.
- PM Modi will also be inaugurating a 5 MLD STP at Chorpani and two STPs with capacities of 1 MLD and 0.01 MLD at Badrinath.
- PM Modi will also be inaugurating ‘Ganga Avalokan’, the first museum on Ganga which has been dedicated to showcase the biodiversity, culture, and rejuvenation activities done in the Ganga river. The museum is located at Chandi Ghat, in Haridwar.
Extra Shots:
Uttarkhand
- Statehood Day: 9th 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
INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Mali’s Former Foreign Minister Moctar Ouane appointed as new Prime Minister
- The interim President of Mali, Bah Ndaw, has named former Malian Foreign Minister Moctar Ouane as the prime minister West African nation.
- The 64-year-old served as foreign minister between 2004 and 2011 during Amadou Toumani Toure’s presidency.
Extra Shots:
Mali (Capital/Currency): Bamako/ West African CFA franc
- Prime Minister: Moctar Ouane
SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES
Union Petroleum Minister addresses meeting with the theme of Tourism & rural development virtually
- Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Tourism and Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel addressed a meeting on the theme of Tourism and rural development on World Tourism Day i.e 27 September 2020.
- The Discussions were held on Ministry of Tourism for its novel initiative Dekho Apna Desh that promotes and encourages local heritage and tourist sites, Internet’s role in making the world a global village.
Extra Shots:
Ministry of Rural Development
- Union Minister: Narendra Singh Tomar
- Constituency: Rajya Sabha (M.P)
Ministry of Tourism
- Union Minister: Prahalad Singh Patel
- Constituency: Damoh(M.P)
RANKS AND INDICES
QS Global MBA Rankings 2021: IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta top Indian B-schools
- IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore, country’s top management institutions, have been ranked in the top 50 management institutes in the world for the MBA programme as per the QS Global MBA Rankings 2021.
- IIM Ahmedabad has been placed at the 31st rank and IIM Bangalore’s two-year MBA Programme stands at 35th. In comparison to last year’s QS Global MBA Rankings, both the institutions have seen a significant drop.
- Along with these two institutes, IIM Calcutta is placed at the 51st position.
- This year, several other institutes including Great Lakes Institute of Management Chennai, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Indore, IIM Lucknow and IIM Udaipur have been ranked in the 101+ rank criteria in the Asia Pacific Region in QS Business Masters Ranking 2021.
- Overall, HES Paris School of Management and London Business School are leading the QS Global MBA Rankings 2021.
Health in India Report 2020
- The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has released the report of a survey named ‘Health in India’.
- The report is released with an objective to gather basic assessable information on health sector of India.
- As per report nearly 7.5 % of Indians reported that they were suffering from disease.
- In rural India only 6.8 % said that they were suffering from an ailment, this number in urban India was 9.1 %.
- The Zoroastrian community remains the most susceptible to ailments.
- This number for other communities is: Jains, 11.2 %; Sikhs 11 %; Christians 10.5 %; Muslims 8.1 %; Buddhists 8 %; and Hindus 7.2 %.
- According to the Sex based classification, the survey indicates that women remain more susceptible to suffering from ailments than men.
- In rural India 6.1 % of males and 7.6 % of females are suffering from ailments
- Meanwhile in Urban India 8.2 % of males and 10 % urban females are suffering from ailments
Extra Shots:
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
- Minister of State(I/C): Rao Inderjit Singh
AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED
West Bengal, UKIBC sign MoU to strengthen State’s Industrial Development Corporation
- The UK India Business Council has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC), the premier nodal agency of West Bengal’s Industry, Commerce and Enterprises Department focused on accelerating industrial development in the state.
- This collaborative partnership between the UKIBC and Government of West Bengal will help to boost business and industrial development in the state by proactively developing the business environment and strengthening collaboration with British businesses in West Bengal.
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
RECENT COMMITTEES IN NEWS
RBI approves 3-member committee of directors for Lakshmi Vilas Bank; Head- Meeta Makhan
- The Reserve Bank of India has appointed a 3-member Committee of Directors (CoD) to look after the affairs of Lakshmi Vilas Bank.
- The three members are- Meeta Makhan, Shakti Sinha, and Satish Kumar Kalra.
- Meeta Makhan is the head of this Committee of Directors (CoD).
- This comes after, RBO had earlier removed seven directors of the board of LVB.
Extra Shots:
Lakshmi Vilas Bank
- Headquarters: Chennai
- Founded: 1926
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL AWARDS
Sattra Basishta Deva Sarma Conferred Srimanta Sankaradeva Award
- Assam’s Srimanta Sankaradeva Award 2017 was conferred on eminent Vaishnavite scholar, writer and ‘Satradhikar of Barpeta’ Sattra Basishta Deva Sarma.
- The award carries a citation, a ‘sarai’ (traditional Assamese bell metal item), ‘angabastra’ (scarf), a gold memento and a cheque of Rs 5 lakh.
Maha govt announces Gan Samragni Lata Mangeshkar award for 2020-21 to Usha Mangeshkar
- The Maharashtra government announced the Gan Samragni Lata Mangeshkar award for the year 2020-21 to veteran female playback singer Usha Mangeshkar.
- The award is given by the cultural department of the state government.
- The award includes cash prize of five lakh rupees, a certificate and a memento.
Extra Shots:
Maharashtra:
- Capital: Mumbai
- Chief Minister: Uddhav Thackeray
- Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
- National Parks: Chandoli National Park, Nawegaon National Park, Gugamal National Park, Pench National Park, Sanjay Gandhi (Borivilli) National Park, Tadoba National Park
- Wildlife Sanctuaries: Amba Barwa WLS, Bor WLS, Great Indian Bustard WLS, Lonar WLS, Melghat WLS, Gangewadi New Great Indian Bustard WLS, etc.
APPOINTMENTS IN NEWS
Aamir Khan appointed brand ambassador for online tutor company Vedantu
- Bollywood actor, Aamir Khan has been appointed as the brand ambassador of online live tutoring company
- Aamir will be seen in Vedantu’s new ad campaign which aims to make quality LIVE online learning accessible to every child in India.
Extra Shots:
Vedantu
- Founded: 2011
- Headquarters location: Bengaluru
- Area served: India
- Founders: Vamsi Krishna, Saurabh Saxena, Pulkit Jain, Anand Prakash
L Adimoolam Elected President of Indian Newspaper Society
- L Adimoolam has been elected president of the Indian Newspaper Society, an apex body of the publishers of newspapers, magazines and periodicals in the country.
- Adimoolam, who succeeds Shailesh Gupta of Mid-Day as the president of INS, belongs to the family of Dinamalar, National Tamil Daily.
- D D Purkayastha (Ananda Bazar Patrika) is the deputy president, Mohit Jain (Economic Times) the Vice President and Rakesh Sharma (Aaj Samaj) the Honorary Treasurer of the Society for the year 2020-21.
Extra Shots:
Indian Newspaper Society
- President: Shailesh Gupta
- Founded: 27 February 1939
- Affiliation: World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers
- Purpose: Protecting interests of Indian newspapers
Alapan Bandyopadhyay appointed as new Chief Secretary of West Bengal
- In West Bengal, Alapan Bandyopadhyay is appointed as the new Chief Secretary.
- The outgoing Chief Secretary Rajiv Sinha has been appointed as the Chairman of the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation.
- H K Dwivedi will be new Home Secretary and Manoj Pant will take charge of Finance.
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
Senior bureaucrat P D Vaghela appointed TRAI chairman
- Senior bureaucrat P D Vaghela was on Monday appointed as chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), according to a Personnel Ministry order.
- Vaghela, a 1986-batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre, is currently Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals.
- He will succeed R S Sharma.
Extra Shots:
TRAI
- Founded: 20 February 1997
- Sector: Telecommunications
- Jurisdiction: India
- Headquarters: New Delhi
DEFENCE CURRENT AFFAIRS
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh releases Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020
- Union Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh released the New Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020.
- He unveils thee procedure in Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting in South Block.
- This DAP 2020 is line up with PM’s Atmanirbhar Bharat with an aim of transforming India into a global manufacturing hub.
- The first Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) was promulgated in the year 2002 and has since been revised periodically.
- DAP 2020 will be applicable with effect from 01 October 2020.
Extra Shots:
Defence Ministry
- Union Minister: Rajnath Singh
- Constituency: Lucknow, U.P
SPORTS CURRENT AFFAIRS
Gurpreet Sandhu & Sanju Yadav Declared Winners of AIFF Player of The Year Awards
- In Football, the Indian men’s team Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has won the 2019-’20 AIFF Player of the year awards in men’s category.
- The women’s squad’s midfielder Sanju Yadav from Haryana has won the 2019-’20 AIFF Player of the year awards in women’s category.
Australia’s Alyssa Healy breaks MS Dhoni’s T20I record
- Australia wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy has broken MS Dhoni’s record for the most number of dismissals by a wicketkeeper in T20 internationals.
- She went past Dhoni’s tally of 91 during the 2nd T20I between Australia women and New Zealand women at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane.
WEBPORTALS & APPS IN NEWS
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan launches ICMR’s Vaccine portal for COVID-19
- The Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the first-of-its-kind national vaccine portal for Covid-19 on 28 September 2020, created by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
- The vaccine web portal will act as a repository for all information related to COVID-19 vaccine development in India and abroad.
- The portal will also provide the information related to COVID-19 vaccine data from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
- You can access the website at: https://vaccine.icmr.org.in/
- Currently 3 vaccines are undergoing clinical trials in India for COVID-19.
Extra Shots:
ICMR
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Leader: Balram Bhargava
- Founded: 1911
Assam govt develops new mobile app for air passengers
- The Assam government has developed a mobile app through which air passengers can download forms, fill it up, and show it at airports to avoid delay in completing formalities for COVID-19 tests.
- The app named ‘visitassam’ has been developed to ensure that proper social distancing is maintained and passengers are not delayed as filling up necessary forms at the airports is time consuming.
- The state government has also introduced a change of protocol for arriving passengers at the airports who can now take ‘Tatkal RT-PCR’ test on payment of Rs 2,200 and get the result within 24 hours.
Extra Shots:
Assam:
- Capital: Dispur
- Chief Minister: Sarbananda Sonowal
- Governor: Jagdish Mukhi
- National Park: Dibru-Saikhowa NP, Kaziranga NP, Manas NP, Nameri NP, Rajiv Gandhi Orang NP, Dehing Patkai
BOOKS & AUTHORS
The Very, Extremely, Most Naughty Asura Tales’ for Kids by Neelakantan
- “Baahubali” series author Anand Neelakantan has written his debut book in the children’s space which tells some of the most hilarious stories about child asuras and their antics.
- The book titled ‘The Very, Extremely, Most Naughty Asura Tales’ has full-colour illustrations accompanying the narrative. It was put by Puffin.
OBITUARY
Author and critic Dr. G S Amur passes away
- Versatile writer and veteran critic G S Amur passed away at the age of 95 years due to age-related issues.
- He was proficient in Kannada and English languages.
- He had won many awards including Sahitya Akademi Award, Rajyotsava Award and Bharatiya Bhasha Award.
- Some of his books are- English- ‘Forbidden Fruit, Views on Indo-Anglian Fiction’ and ‘Colonial Consciousness in Commonwealth Literature’. Kannada- ‘Arthaloka’, Are Kannada Kadambariya Belavanige’, ‘Vyavasaya’ and ‘Kaadambariya Swaroopa’.
MISCELLANEOUS
Himalayan Chandra Telescope completes successful 20 years
- The Himalayan Chandra Telescope is located at the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO).
- It has been scanning the night sky in search of comets, stellar explosions, exo-planets and asteroids.
- It operates using delicate satellite communication link from Centre for Research and Education in Science and Technology (CREST), IIA (Indian Institute of Astrophysics).
- The telescope marked 20 years of successful operation with more than 260 research papers published using data obtained from it.
