Hello and welcome to exampundit.in. Here are the important Current Affairs Today 2nd 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 – 2nd October 2020
NEWS AT A GLANCE
- Every year, 02 October is celebrated as the International Day of Non-Violence, to mark the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.
- World Vegetarian Day is observed annually on October 1 globally to raise awareness about the ethical, environmental, health, and humanitarian benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle.
- International Coffee Day is celebrated on 1st October every year to celebrate millions of people across the world who do hard work to create and serve the beverage in the consumable form such as farmers, roasters, baristas, and coffee shop owners etc.
- The government kept the interest rates on small savings schemes, including PPF and NSC, unchanged for the October-December quarter amid moderating bank deposit rates
- Public sector Indian Bank has unveiled its IB-eNote facility, aimed at providing a paperless working environment and to improve the turnaround time considerably.
- SBI Card has joined hands with American Express to offer global benefits and exclusive privileges for consumers in India.
- The RBI has excluded six public sector banks, including OBC and Allahabad Bank, from the Second Schedule of the RBI Act following their merger with other banks.
- The Shanghai-based New Development Bank (NDB) has approved USD 741 million loan for two projects in India which includes Mumbai Metro and the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) Project.
- The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has once again extended the last date for filing income tax returns (ITR) for assessment year 2019-20, (financial year 2018-19).
- The Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot launched an initiative called the “Ambedkar Social Innovation and Incubation Mission (ASIIM) through Video Conferencing on 30 September 2020 in New Delhi.
- Prime Minister of India Shri. Narendra Modi will open World’s longest highway tunnel ‘Atal Tunnel’ on 3 October 2020.
- India Post launched Picture Postcard on Sawantwadi Toy to celebrate the occasion of 151 Years of Postcard in India.
- Union Ayush Ministry launched Regional Facilitation Centre for Medicinal Plants Sector in Pune, Maharashtra. Ministry of AYUSH, Secretary, Vaidya Rajesh initiated Regional Cum Facilitation Centre, Western Region (RCFC) of the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) under the Ministry of AYUSH.
- On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has planned to organize a webinar titled ‘Swachhata Ke 6 Saal, Bemisaal’.
- Union Minister for Ministry of Tribal Affairs Shri Arjun Munda will launch – India’s Largest Market of Tribal Products named Tribes India E-Marketplace on 02 October 2020, on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.
- Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy along with Union Ministers launched the door delivery of fertilisers to farmers, PoS (Point of sale) version, and SMS gateway from Rythu Bharosa Kendras.
- Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched a slum upgradation programme to make the state slum free in three years.
- MahendraNath Pandey, Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Ministry and Mr. Barry O’Farrell, Australian High Commissioner to India engaged conference through video conferencing.
- Union Minister for Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar addressed the United Nations Biodiversity Summit.
- National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) which is an Indian government agency responsible for collecting and analyzing crime data released the Crimes in India Report for the year of 2019.
- The United States Agency for International Development in India has been selected for funding from the White House-led Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative and it will collaborate with SEWA Bharat to support women entrepreneurs using the funding amount.
- Considering the importance of Carbon Capture, Utilisation & Storage (CCUS) in India’s fight against Climate Change and Global Warming, meeting the growing energy demands and building a strong ecosystem to meet commitments under Paris Agreement, Tata Steel and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) sign MoU to collaborate in the area of Carbon Capture, Utilisation & Storage (CCUS).
- SBI and FMCG major HUL announced a partnership to enable easy access to credit to small retailers and also help them join the digitisation bandwagon in order to “survive in the new world”.
- City based real estate developer Bengal Peerless Housing has roped in Sourav Ganguly as brand ambassador for the company.
- Apurva Chandra appointed as new secretary of Union Ministry of Labour & Employement.
- Biotherapeutics firm PureTech Health plc has appointment of Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw on its board of directors.
- Mahindra Group on Thursday said it has appointed Mohit Kapoor as Executive Vice-President and Group Chief Technology Officer. Kapoor, will be responsible for driving the group’s ambitious technology transformation agenda.
- Hero MotoCorp on Thursday said it has appointed Air Chief Marshal (Retd) BS Dhanoa as a non-executive and independent director on the company’s board with immediate effect.
- The Indian Coast Guard Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) ICGS ‘Kanaklata Barua’ was commissioned at the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd in Kolkata on 30 September 2020.
- ISRO is scheduled to launch its Venus mission in 2025 and France will participate in it.
- The legendary artist KC Sivasankar who is best known for illustrating the Vikram Betaal series, has passed away after long illness. He was 97
- The Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan has launched CSIR Technologies for rural development under a joint initiative of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA), Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) and Vijnana Bharti (VIBHA).
NEWS IN DETAILS
IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES
International Day of Non-Violence observed on 02 October
- Every year, 02 October is celebrated as the International Day of Non-Violence, to mark the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.
- This day is referred to as Gandhi Jayanti in India.
- On 15 June 2007 the United Nations General Assembly, voted to establish 2 October as the International Day of Non-Violence.
- The day aims to “spread the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness.
- The year 2020 marks 151th birth anniversary of the global peace icon who was born on 2 October 1869, in Porbandar in Gujarat.
Extra Shots:
United Nations General Assembly
- President: Volkan Bozkır
- Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
- Founder: United Nations
- Founded: 1945, New York, New York, United States
World Vegetarian Day observed on 01 October
- World Vegetarian Day is observed annually on October 1 globally to raise awareness about the ethical, environmental, health, and humanitarian benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle.
- The day was initiated by the North American Vegetarian Society in Scotland in 1977 during the World Vegetarian Congress.
- The full week between October 1–7 is observed as the International Vegetarian Week (IVW).
International Coffee Day observed on 01 October
- International Coffee Day is celebrated on 1st October every year to celebrate millions of people across the world who do hard work to create and serve the beverage in the consumable form such as farmers, roasters, baristas, and coffee shop owners etc.
- The first ICD was launched in 2015 by the International Coffee Organization in Milan.
- The theme 2020 of the day is ‘‘Coffee’s Next Generation’’.
Extra Shots:
International Coffee Organisation
- Headquarters location: London, United Kingdom
- Founded: 1963
BANKING & FINANCE
Govt Keeps Interest Rates on Small Savings Schemes Unchanged for Oct-Dec Quarter
- The government kept the interest rates on small savings schemes, including PPF and NSC, unchanged for the October-December quarter amid moderating bank deposit rates.
- Public Provident Fund (PPF) and National Savings Certificate (NSC) will continue to carry an annual interest rate of 7.1 per cent and 6.8 per cent, respectively.
- Interest rates for small savings schemes are notified by the Finance Ministry on a quarterly basis. There is no change in small savings rate for the third quarter.
Small Savings Schemes with Interest Rates
- Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS)- 7.4 percent.
- Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana Scheme (SSYS)- 7.6 percent.
- Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP)- 6.9 percent.
- Public Provident Fund (PPF) – 7.1 percent.
- National Savings Certificates (NSC)- 6.8 percent.
- Post Office Monthly Income Scheme (MIS)- 6.6 percent.
Indian Bank unveils IB-eNote facility for paperless working environment
- Public sector Indian Bank has unveiled its IB-eNote facility, aimed at providing a paperless working environment and to improve the turnaround time considerably.
- The initiative is expected to save costs on paper, printing and other administrative expenses.
- The bank has customised SharePoint, one of the features provided by Microsoft Office.
- Indian Bank also unveiled ‘Ind Guru’, an e-learning platform for its employees that offers technology-enabled solutions aimed at capacity building.
Extra Shots:
Indian Bank
- MD & CEO: Padmaja Chunduru.
- Headquarters: Chennai, TamilNadu.
SBI Card joins hands with American Express to offer premium benefits, services
- SBI Card has joined hands with American Express to offer global benefits and exclusive privileges for consumers in India.
- Under this agreement, SBI Card’s top-end products SBI Card ELITE and SBI Card PRIME will be available on American Express’ global network.
- Customers will also get benefits like pre-ticketing access to sporting and entertainment events such as the Wimbledon and the US Open which are presently accessible virtually.
Extra Shots:
SBI Card
- CEO: Ashwini Kumar Tewari
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Chairperson: Rajnish Kumar
- Founded: October 1998
RBI Excludes 6 PSBs from Second Schedule of RBI Act
- The RBI has excluded six public sector banks, including OBC and Allahabad Bank, from the Second Schedule of the RBI Act following their merger with other banks.
- The six banks are Syndicate Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC), United Bank of India, Andhra Bank, Corporation Bank, and Allahabad Bank.
- These six banks merged with other public sector banks (PSBs) with effect from April 1.
- There were as many as 27 PSBs in 2017.
- The total number of PSBs in the country has now come down to 12.
Extra Shots:
RBI
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- Founder: British Raj
- Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata
- Governor: Shaktikanta Das
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
BRICS Bank Approves Loan worth USD 741 million for Mumbai Metro & Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Rapid Rail
- The Shanghai-based New Development Bank (NDB) has approved USD 741 million loan for two projects in India which includes Mumbai Metro and the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) Project.
- From the total loan approved by the NDB Board, USD 241 million loan is for the Mumbai Metro Rail II Project.
- The fund will be used for the purpose of implementing a metro rail Line 6 with a length of about 14.47 km to improve Mumbai’s transport and traffic conditions by providing a modern metro system, featuring high-capacity, safe and comfortable mode of transport.
- Apart from this, the NDB Board has approved a loan of USD 500 million for the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Project.
- The National Capital Region Transport Corporation Limited (NCRTC) will use the fund for construction of a rapid rail corridor connecting the National Capital Territory of Delhi with the cities of Ghaziabad and Meerut located in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
Extra Shots:
NDB
- Headquarters location: Shanghai, China
- Founder: BRICS
- Founded: 15 July 2014, Fortaleza, State of Ceará, Brazil
- Parent organization: BRICS
- Leader: Marcos Prado Troyjo
- First president: K. V. Kamath
CBDT Extends Deadline for filing ITR for assessment year 2019-20 to November 30
- The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has once again extended the last date for filing income tax returns (ITR) for assessment year 2019-20, (financial year 2018-19).
- The new deadline is 30 November 2020.
- Earlier the last date for filing the ITR of the year concerned was September 30.
- This is the fourth time that the deadline is being extended for AY 2019-20 due to the difficulties being faced by the Covid-19 pandemic.
- It was first revised till June 30, then July 31, then September 30 and now till November 30.
- It must also be noted that the deadline for filing ITR for assessment year 2020-21 (which is financial year 2019-20), is also November 30.
NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Thaawarchand Gehlot e-launches ASIIM initiative to support 1000 Start-ups of SC Youth over next 4 Years
- The Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot launched an initiative called the “Ambedkar Social Innovation and Incubation Mission (ASIIM) through Video Conferencing on 30 September 2020 in New Delhi.
- The ASIIM initiative has been launched under the Venture Capital Fund for SCs to promote innovation and enterprise among SC students studying in higher educational institutions.
- Under ASIIM, 1,000 SC youth would be identified in the next 4 years having start-up ideas through the Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) in various higher educational institutions.
World’s longest highway tunnel ‘Atal Tunnel’ to be opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
- Prime Minister of India Shri. Narendra Modi will open World’s longest highway tunnel ‘Atal Tunnel’ on 3 October 2020.
- This Tunnel is named after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
- This is 9.2 km long tunnel which is the longest highway tunnel in the world.
- This tunnel is connecting Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley throughout the year.
- It reduces the road distance by 46 Kms between Manali and Leh and the time by about 4 to 5 hours.
India Post launched Picture Postcard on Sawantwadi Toy to mark the occasion of 151 Years of Postcard
- India Post launched Picture Postcard on Sawantwadi Toy to celebrate the occasion of 151 Years of Postcard in India.
- A set of Post Cards on Traditional Toys of India is scheduled to be released Online from nine States at a time on 01.10.2020 at 11.00 AM.
- The postcard, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech about the country’s ability to become a “toy hub”.
Extra Shots:
India Post
- Parent Ministry: Ministry of Communications
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Founded: 1 April 1854
Ayush Ministry launched Regional Facilitation Centre for Medicinal Plants Sector in Pune
- Union Ayush Ministry launched Regional Facilitation Centre for Medicinal Plants Sector in Pune, Maharashtra. Ministry of AYUSH, Secretary, Vaidya Rajesh initiated Regional Cum Facilitation Centre, Western Region (RCFC) of the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) under the Ministry of AYUSH.
- This center facilitates the conservation and cultivation activities along with market up-linking through different AYUSH pharmacies.
Extra Shots:
Ayush Ministry
- Minister of State: Shripad Yesso Naik
Sixth anniversary of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban – ‘Swachhata Ke 6 Saal, Bemisaal’ on Gandhi Jayanti
- On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has planned to organize a webinar titled ‘Swachhata Ke 6 Saal, Bemisaal’.
- The year also marks the 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
- Swachh Bharat Mission is a country-wide campaign initiated by the Government of India in 2014 to eliminate open defecation and improve solid waste management.
- The event will be an opportunity for all stakeholders to learn from each other and envision the next phase of the Mission.
Tribes India E-Marketplace – India’s Largest Market of Tribal Products
- Union Minister for Ministry of Tribal Affairs Shri Arjun Munda will launch – India’s Largest Market of Tribal Products named Tribes India E-Marketplace on 02 October 2020, on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.
- This Tribes India e-Marketplace is an initiative of the government which aims to give platform for 5 lakh tribal producers for sourcing of various handicraft, handloom, organic food products across the country and brings the best of tribal produce.
Extra Shots:
Ministry of Tribal Affairs
- Union Minister: Arjun Munda
STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS
Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy along with Union ministers launch door delivery of fertilizers to farmers
- Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy along with Union Ministers launched the door delivery of fertilisers to farmers, PoS (Point of sale) version, and SMS gateway from Rythu Bharosa Kendras.
- The State government introduced Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs) to assist farmers in every step from the purchase of seed to sale of their produce, which acts as a one-stop destination to address all the needs of farmers across the state.
Extra Shots:
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
Odisha CM Patnaik launches initiative to make Odisha ‘slum-free’ in next 3 years
- Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched a slum upgradation programme to make the state slum free in three years.
- All slums in the state will be converted into model colonies in the next three years. The process will start immediately in 1,000 slums and then it will be scaled up to cover each and every slum.
- The chief minister also dedicated 116 multi-purpose community centres in the slums which would act as the social lifeline of people living there.
INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
India & Australia reinforce their Partnership on Skilling Agenda
- Mahendra Nath Pandey, Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Ministry and Mr. Barry O’Farrell, Australian High Commissioner to India engaged conference through video conferencing.
- The objective of this meeting is to operationalize & implement Cooperation in VET to promote development of occupational standards in priority industry sectors.
- Also, MoU on Cooperation in Vocational Education and Training between the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and the Department of Education, Skills signed between both countries
Extra Shots:
Australia (Capital/Currency): Canberra/ Australian dollar (AUD)
- Prime Minister: Scott Morrison
SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES
UN Biodiversity Summit – India to achieve land-degradation neutrality by 2030
- Union Minister for Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar addressed the United Nations Biodiversity Summit.
- The United Nations Summit on Biodiversity will be organized by the President of the General Assembly on 30 September 2020.
- India aims to reinstitute 26 million hectares of degraded and deforested land, and achieve land-degradation neutrality by 2030.
- The Theme for this year is “Urgent action on biodiversity for sustainable development.”
Extra Shots:
UN
- Headquarters: New York, United States
- Founded: 24 October 1945
- Secretary General: Antonio Guterres
RANKS AND INDICES
“Crimes in India” Report, Released by NCRB – Crimes against women increased by 7.3%
- National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) which is an Indian government agency responsible for collecting and analyzing crime data released the Crimes in India Report for the year of 2019.
- As per the Report, crimes against women increased by 7.3% between 2018 and 2019.
- Crimes against women: Assam
- Crimes against scheduled castes: Uttar Pradesh
- Crimes against girl children: Uttar Pradesh
- Highest number of dowry cases: Uttar Pradesh
- Highest number of acid attack: Uttar Pradesh
- Rapes against Dalit women: Rajasthan
Extra Shots:
NCRB
- Founded: 11 March 1986
- Agency executive: Ramphal Pawar, IPS, Director;
- Parent department: Ministry of Home Affairs
AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED
USAID And SEWA Bharat To Support Women Entrepreneurs with Award from the W-GDP Initiative
- The United States Agency for International Development in India has been selected for funding from the White House-led Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative and it will collaborate with SEWA Bharat to support women entrepreneurs using the funding amount.
- The W-GDP initiative is the United States government’s first whole-of-government effort to advance women’s economic empowerment globally.
- Through the W-GDP Fund, USAID will be partnering with the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) Bharat, a national federation of women-led institutions providing economic and social support to women workers in the informal economy.
Extra Shots:
USAID
- Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
- Agency executives: John Barsa, Acting Administrator; Bonnie Glick, Deputy Administrator;
- Founder: John F. Kennedy
- Founded: 3 November 1961
Tata Steel and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) sign MoU to collaborate in the area of CCUS
- Considering the importance of Carbon Capture, Utilisation & Storage (CCUS) in India’s fight against Climate Change and Global Warming, meeting the growing energy demands and building a strong ecosystem to meet commitments under Paris Agreement, Tata Steel and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) sign MoU to collaborate in the area of Carbon Capture, Utilisation & Storage (CCUS).
- As part of this strategic MoU, Tata Steel and CSIR will work towards accelerating development and deployment of CCUS technologies in the steel industry.
- CSIR has, in parallel, initiated steps to set up a National facility on CCUS at NEERI, Nagpur.
- Tata Steel has intended to be a founder partner in setting up of this facility.
Extra Shots:
TATA Steel
- CEO & MD: T. V. Narendran
SBI, Hindustan Unilever tie up for providing easy access to credit to small retailers
- SBI and FMCG major HUL announced a partnership to enable easy access to credit to small retailers and also help them join the digitisation bandwagon in order to “survive in the new world”.
- Under the partnership, HUL’s retailers who use the company’s Shikhar app will be able to avail of credit facility for payments to distributors through an integration with State Bank of India’s (SBI) Yono app.
Extra Shots:
HUL
- CEO: Sanjiv Mehta
- Founded: 17 October 1933
- Founders: Lever Brothers, Hindustan Vanaspati Mfg. Co. Ltd., United Traders Ltd.
APPOINTMENTS IN NEWS
Bengal Peerless ropes in former cricket captain Sourav Ganguly as brand ambassador
- City based real estate developer Bengal Peerless Housing has roped in Sourav Ganguly as brand ambassador for the company.
- The former national cricket team captain and current president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Ganguly will primarily lead the campaign of the company’s residential project Avidipta II on EM Bypass.
Apurva Chandra appointed as Secretary of Ministry of Labour & Employement
- Apurva Chandra appointed as new secretary of Union Ministry of Labour & Employement.
- Earlier he was serving as Special Director General, Defence Acquisition, Ministry of Defence.
- He belongs to the 1988 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Maharashtra Cadre.
- He has long experience of dealing with issues relating to industries while working in Government of Maharashtra and Government of India.
PureTech appoints Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw as director
- Biotherapeutics firm PureTech Health plc has appointment of Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw on its board of directors.
Mahindra Group appoints Mohit Kapoor as Executive Vice-President, Group Chief Technology Officer
- Mahindra Group has appointed Mohit Kapoor as Executive Vice-President and Group Chief Technology Officer.
- Kapoor, will be responsible for driving the group’s ambitious technology transformation agenda.
- He will also be Technology Head for Financial Services Sector.
Extra Shots:
Mahindra Group
- CEO: Anand Mahindra
- Founded: 1945
- Headquarters: Mumbai
Hero MotoCorp appoints former Air Force chief BS Dhanoa as independent director
- Hero MotoCorp has appointed Air Chief Marshal (Retd) BS Dhanoa as a non-executive and independent director on the company’s board with immediate effect.
- Dhanoa served as the Chief of the Indian Air Force from January 1, 2017 to September 30, 2019.
- The company has also appointed Sanjay Bhan as Head of Global Business to pursue rapid expansion and consolidation in the international markets.
Extra Shots:
Hero MotoCorp
- Owner: Brijmohan Lall Munjal
- Founder: Brijmohan Lall Munjal
- Founded: 19 January 1984, Dharuhera
- Headquarters: New Delhi
DEFENCE CURRENT AFFAIRS
Indian Coast Guard Commissions ICGS ‘Kanaklata Barua’ FPV in Kolkata
- The Indian Coast Guard Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) ICGS ‘Kanaklata Barua’ was commissioned at the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd in Kolkata on 30 September 2020.
- Jiwesh Nandan, additional secretary, Ministry of Defence commissioned the CGS Kanaklata Barua through video conferencing.
- The ICGS Kanaklata Barua is the fifth and final ship in the series of five FPVs built by GRSE, for the Indian Coast Guard.
- These FPVs are medium-range surface vessels designed to perform multipurpose operations like patrolling, anti- smuggling, anti-poaching and rescue operations.
Extra Shots:
GRSE
- Headquarters: India
- Founded: 1884
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CURRENT AFFAIRS
ISRO to launch its Venus Mission in 2025, France to take part
- ISRO is scheduled to launch its Venus mission in 2025 and France will participate in it.
- The VIRAL (Venus Infrared Atmospheric Gases Linker) instrument co-developed with the Russian federal space agency Roscosmos and the LATMOS atmospheres, environments and space observations laboratory attached to the French national scientific research centre CNRS has been selected by the ISRO after a request for proposals.
- CNES will coordinate and prepare the French contribution, the first time a French payload will be flown on an Indian exploration mission.
Extra Shots:
CNES:
- Formed: 1961
- Headquarters: Paris, France
ISRO:
- Headquarters: Bengaluru
- Founded: 15 August 1969
- Director: Kailasavadivoo Sivan
OBITUARY
Veteran Artist KC Sivasankar, illustrator of Vikram and Betaal series, passes away at 97
- The legendary artist KC Sivasankar who is best known for illustrating the Vikram Betaal series, has passed away after long illness. He was 97
- He is also known for illustrating popular children’s magazine Chandamama aka Ambulimama.
- He had contributed to the field of art for over 60 years.
MISCELLANEOUS
Dr. Harsh Vardhan launches CSIR Technologies for rural development
- The Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan has launched CSIR Technologies for rural development under a joint initiative of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA), Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) and Vijnana Bharti (VIBHA).
- The initiative was launched during the celebrations of 40th foundation day of CSIR-NISTADS.
Technologies launched
- The Minister launched the following technologies
- Improved Beehive quality and hygiene extraction of honey.
- It was developed by CSIR Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology
- Manufacturing Ginger paste. It was developed by the Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore.
- Dehumified drier for food and agri products and agricultural waste based biodegradable plates, cutleries and cups. The agricultural waste includes fruit peels, sugarcane bagasse, wheat bran. This was developed by National Institute for Inter disciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Thiruvanathapuram.
