Current Affairs Today 31st October 2020-Download in PDF

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Current Affairs Today – 31st October 2020

NEWS AT A GLANCE

1. Every year on 31^st October India celebrates the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas with an aim to commemorate the birth anniversary of the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
2. The United Nations has designated October 31 as World Cities Day (WCD).
3. Every year on 29^th of October International Internet Day is celebrated worldwide since the year 2005.
4. World Stroke Day is celebrated on October 29th, seeks to emphasize the serious nature and high rates of stroke.
5. IndusInd Bank has become the first bank in India to go live on the new ‘Account Aggregator Framework’ of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
6. The Indian Railways has introduced a new initiative called “Meri Saheli” to provide safety and security to women passengers during their train journeys.
7. The cabinet committee on economic affairs has approved Rs 10,211 crore under dam rehabilitation and improvement project (DRIP) phase II and phase III.
8. The Indian Government has banned the export of onion seeds with immediate effect.
9. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has launched a limited edition of two-layered ‘Happy Diwali’ printed face masks made of pure Muslin fabric, high quality and ultra-fine cotton fabric.
10. The state government of Karnataka has proposed a ban on government servants acting in films and television programmes.
11. Union Territory of Ladakh is celebrating its first raising day.
12. Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu will get a vulture conservation and breeding centre each, according to the Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2020-2025.
13. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has partnered with Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Delhi, JATC (Joint Advanced Technology Centre) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
14. The Public Affairs Index, 2020 was released by Public Affairs Centre, a non-profit organisation.
15. The World Bank released the migration and development brief report.
16. India and Netherland Collaborated in E-Health Sector to give digital health facilities and security to Indians and help Netherlands to accelerate the digital transformation of health.
17. Tech Mahindra, a leading provider of digital transformation, consulting and business reengineering services and solutions has inked a contract of INR 400 crore for ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) implementation ‘Project Parivartan’ by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
18. The United Kingdom (UK) has entered into a strategic partnership to develop India’s GIFT City.
19. Private sector lender RBL Bank said the Reserve Bank of India has granted its approval to Maple Group to acquire up to a 9.99 percent stake in the bank.
20. Anzar Mustaeen Ali won a special prize of USD 1000 for his artwork in the global art competition organised by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR).
21. DBS Bank announced that it has been named the ‘Safest Bank in Asia’ for the 12th consecutive year by New York-based trade publication Global Finance.
22. Indian Banks Association (IBA) which is an association of Indian banks and financial institutions based in Mumbai appointed Rajkiran Rai G, MD & CEO of UBI as Chairman for the period of 2021-21.
23. The 24th edition of the Malabar naval exercise scheduled in two phases in November will see the participation of Indian Navy (IN), United States Navy (USN), Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF), and Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
24. Indian Navy test fired the Anti-Ship Missile from INS Kora in Bay of Bengal. The missile hit the destined target successfully.
25. The NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) has confirmed, for the first time, water on the sunlit surface of the Moon.
26. West Bengal Governor, Jagdeep Dhankar “On the Trails of Buddha: A Journey to the East” authored by Deepankar Aron, IRS Officer.

NEWS IN DETAILS

IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES

National Unity Day (Rashtriya Ekta Diwas) observed on 31 October

• Every year on 31^st October India celebrates the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas with an aim to commemorate the birth anniversary of the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
• 2020 marks the 145th anniversary of the great leader who played an instrumental role in India’s struggle for independence, and later during the integration of the country.
• Sardar Patel was the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India. He is often referred to as the Father of the Indian Constitution and was a key member of the Constituent Assembly.

World Cities Day observed as 31 October

• The United Nations has designated October 31 as World Cities Day (WCD).
• World Cities Day 2020 is the 7th global celebration since the day was launched on 31 October 2014 in Shanghai, China.

Objective:

• to promote the international community’s interest in global urbanization, cooperation among countries in addressing challenges of urbanization, and contributing to sustainable urban development around the world.

Theme:

• The general theme of World Cities Day is Better City, Better Life.
• 2020 Theme of WCD is Valuing our communities and cities.

International Internet Day Observed on 29^th October

• Every year on 29^th of October International Internet Day is celebrated worldwide since the year 2005.
• The International Internet Day has been famously celebrated to commemorate a momentous day in the history of telecommunications and technology.

World Stroke Day Observed on 29^th October

• World Stroke Day is celebrated on October 29th, seeks to emphasize the serious nature and high rates of stroke.
• The day is also observed to raise awareness of the prevention and treatment of strokes

BANKING & FINANCE

IndusInd Bank becomes first bank to go live on RBI’s ‘Account Aggregator Framework’

• IndusInd Bank has become the first bank in India to go live on the new ‘Account Aggregator Framework’ of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• IndusInd Bank has announced that it has gone live as a ‘Financial Information Provider’ (FIP) under the new ‘Account Aggregator Framework’ of RBI.
• The Account Aggregator framework of RBI will enable customers to avail benefits like viewing statements of their accounts, track deposits, plan investments and avail credit cards on a single window.

Extra Shots:

IndusInd Bank

• CEO: Sumant Kathpalia
• Headquarters: Pune
• Owner: Hinduja Group
• Founder: S. P. Hinduja

NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

Indian Railways launches ‘Meri Saheli’ initiative for security of women in trains

• The Indian Railways has introduced a new initiative called “Meri Saheli” to provide safety and security to women passengers during their train journeys.
• The Meri Saheli initiative has been launched by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Indian Railways.
• Initially, the “Meri Saheli” initiative has been introduced in two trains namely Bandra Terminus-Amritsar Special and Mumbai Central-Jaipur Superfast Express.

Extra Shots:

Indian Railways

• Founded: 16 April 1853, India
• Headquarters: New Delhi

Cabinet approves Rs 10,211 crore project to improve dams in India

• The cabinet committee on economic affairs has approved Rs 10,211 crore under dam rehabilitation and improvement project (DRIP) phase II and phase III.
• The objective of the project is to improve the safety and performance of select dams and associated structures across India in a sustainable manner and strengthen the dam safety institutional setup in participating states as well as at central level.
• The DRIP project is financially supported by the World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

India bans export of onion seeds

• The Indian Government has banned the export of onion seeds with immediate effect.
• A notification regarding the same was issued by the Director-General of Foreign Trade on October 29, 2020.
• Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said that the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has banned the export of onion seeds to ensure the availability of onion at affordable prices for consumers.

Khadi Commission launches two-layered Diwali face masks made of Muslin fabric

• Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has launched a limited edition of two-layered ‘Happy Diwali’ printed face masks made of pure Muslin fabric, high quality and ultra-fine cotton fabric.
• These handmade masks are made by traditional Khadi artisans of West Bengal.
• The Muslin face masks have been developed following the overwhelming public response to two layers Khadi Cotton and three layers of Silk masks.
• The Diwali Muslin face masks are priced nominally at ₹75 per piece and are available for sale through the Khadi outlets in Delhi and online through KVIC’s web.

Extra Shots:

KVIC

• Founded: 1956
• Purpose: To plan, promote, facilitate, organise and assist in the establishment and development of khadi and village industries
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Chairperson: Vinai Kumar Saxena

STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS

Karnataka govt proposes ban on government servants acting in films, TV programmes, accepting free services

• The state government of Karnataka has proposed a ban on government servants acting in films and television programmes.
• The new draft rules for government servants state that no government servant shall act in films and television serials or associate himself with any activity related to such programmes unless permitted by a competent authority.

Extra Shots:

Karnataka

• Capital: Bengaluru
• Chief Minister: Bookanakere Siddalingappa Yediyurappa
• Governor: Vajubhai Vala

Union Territory of Ladakh celebrating its first raising day

• Union Territory of Ladakh is celebrating its first raising day.
• It was on this day last year, Ladakh became a union territory.
• Ladakh is celebrating the Union Territory Foundation Day.
• With a theme of One year of Development, Prosperity and Empowerment the Union Territory administration has planned the first-year anniversary celebrations across the region.
• A series of foundation or dedication of programmes are planned in Leh and Kàrgil districts.

5 states to get conservation centres to protect vultures

• Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu will get a vulture conservation and breeding centre each, according to the Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2020-2025.
• The plan has also suggested that new veterinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) be tested on vultures before their commercial release.

CRPF Partnered with IIT Delhi, DRDO and JATC

• The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has partnered with Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Delhi, JATC (Joint Advanced Technology Centre) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

DRDO:

• Chairman: Dr.G.Satheesh Reddy
• Headquarters: New Delhi, India

Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF):

• Director General: AP Maheshwari
• Headquarters: New Delhi, India

RANKS AND INDICES

Public Affairs Index, 2020

• The Public Affairs Index, 2020 was released by Public Affairs Centre, a non-profit organisation.
• The report was released by the committee headed by a former Indian Space Research Organisation chairman Kasturirangan.
• Kerala was awarded with the top most ranking and Uttar Pradesh with the bottom most ranking.

Large state category:

• Kerala topped followed by Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
• The bottom most ranking was occupied by Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Bihar.

Small state category

• Goa topped the list followed by Meghalaya and Himachal Pradesh.
• The bottom most states in this category were Manipur, Delhi and Uttarakhand.
• Union Territories Chandigarh was the top performing region followed by Puducherry and Lakshadweep.
• Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir were the least performing Union Territories.

Migration and Development Brief Report of World Bank

• The World Bank released the migration and development brief report.
• According to the report the remittances of India will fall by 9% by the end of 2020.
• The report says that the top five countries that will receive lowest foreign remittances will be India, China, Mexico, Philippines and Egypt.
• The amount of money the migrant workers sending home is expected to reduce by 14% in 2021 as compared to that of 2019.

AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED

India and Netherland Partnered in E-Health Sector to Provide Digital Health Facility

• India and Netherland Collaborated in E-Health Sector to give digital health facilities and security to Indians and help Netherlands to accelerate the digital transformation of health.
• This partnership is part of National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) which aims to develop the backbone necessary to support the integrated digital health infrastructure of the country.

Extra Shots:

Netherland (Capital/Currency): Amsterdam/Euro

Tech Mahindra Inks INR 400 Crore ‘Project Parivartan’ Contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

• Tech Mahindra, a leading provider of digital transformation, consulting and business reengineering services and solutions has inked a contract of INR 400 crore for ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) implementation ‘Project Parivartan’ by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
• ‘Project Parivartan’ is a comprehensive business integration exercise driven to achieve a centralized ERP for HAL.
• This exercise will enable HAL to adopt some best practices being followed in the similar industries globally.

Extra Shots:

HAL

• Founder: Walchand Hirachand
• Founded: 23 December 1940, Bengaluru
• Headquarters location: Bengaluru
• Owner: Government of India (89.97%)

U.K. to partnered with India for developing GIFT City

• The United Kingdom (UK) has entered into a strategic partnership to develop India’s GIFT City.
• India and the U.K. also signed off on a new infrastructure finance and policy partnership to support India execute its National Infrastructure Pipeline that envisages investments worth $1.4 trillion.
• The UK has agreed to set up a new Fund of Funds to be managed by the State Bank of India (SBI) group to route the U.K.’s future capital investments into India.
• It provides an opportunity to drive international capital flow from London to India.
• India is now the second-largest project investment source for the U.K. Bilateral trade between India, and the U.K. stood at £24 billion in 2019.

Extra Shots:

GIFT – Gujarat International Finance Tec-City is India’s first international financial services centre. It is located in Gandhinagar of Gujarat.

ACQUISITION & MERGER

RBI allows Maple Group to acquire up to 9.99% in RBL Bank

• Private sector lender RBL Bank announced that the Reserve Bank of India has granted its approval to Maple Group to acquire up to a 9.99 percent stake in the bank.
• Maple Group was one of the investors that participated in the bank’s preferential issue.
• The group had acquired rights to buy the stake and was waiting for permission from the banking regulator.

Extra Shots:

RBL Bank

• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Founded: August 1943

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL AWARDS

Anzar Mustaeen Ali wins special prize in Global Art Competition

• Anzar Mustaeen Ali won a special prize of USD 1000 for his artwork in the global art competition organised by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR).
• The ICCR had launched a global painting competition named ‘United Against CORONA- Express through Art.

Extra Shots:

ICCR

• Founder: Abul Kalam Azad
• Founded: 9 April 1950, New Delhi
• President: Vinay Sahasrabuddhe
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Director General: Shri Dineshk Patnaik

DBS named Asia’s Safest Bank for 12^th consecutive year

• DBS Bank announced that it has been named the ‘Safest Bank in Asia’ for the 12th consecutive year by New York-based trade publication Global Finance.
• DBS’ rankings as the fourth-safest commercial bank in the world and 14th safest bank globally remain unchanged from 2019 and 2018.

Extra Shots:

DSB

• Headquarters: Taastrup, Denmark
• CEO: Flemming Jensen
• Founded: 1 October 1885, Copenhagen, Denmark

APPOINTMENTS IN NEWS

IBA appointed Rajkiran Rai G as Chairman; DK Khara as Deputy Chairman

• Indian Banks Association (IBA) which is an association of Indian banks and financial institutions based in Mumbai appointed Rajkiran Rai G, MD & CEO of UBI as Chairman for the period of 2021-21.
• He succeeded Rajnish Kumar.
• At the same time, Dinesh Kumar Khara, Chairman, State Bank of India (SBI), was appointed as Deputy Chairman of the Association for the year 2020-21.

Extra Shots:

IBA:

• Head Office: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• CEO: Sunil Mehta

DEFENCE CURRENT AFFAIRS

Four-nation Malabar naval exercise to commence from November 3

• The 24th edition of the Malabar naval exercise scheduled in two phases in November will see the participation of Indian Navy (IN), United States Navy (USN), Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF), and Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
• The exercise will start from Visakhapatnam in the Bay of Bengal from November 3 to 6.
• Phase-1 of Malabar 20 will witness the participation of Indian Navy units with USN Ship USS John S McCain (Guided-missile destroyer), RAN Ship HMAS Ballarat (long-range frigate) with integral MH-60 helicopter, and JMSDF Ship JS Onami (Destroyer) with integral SH-60 helicopter.

Indian Navy Test Fires Anti-Ship Missile in Bay of Bengal

• Indian Navy test fired the Anti-Ship Missile from INS Kora in Bay of Bengal. The missile hit the destined target successfully.
• INS Kora was commissioned in 1998.
• It was designed by the Indian Navy under Project 25A. The ship is equipped with Kh-35 anti-ship missiles.
• There are three warships Kora-class. They are INS Kulish, INS Kirch and INS Karmuk.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CURRENT AFFAIRS

NASA’s SOFIA discovers water on Sunlit Surface of Moon

• The NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) has confirmed, for the first time, water on the sunlit surface of the Moon.
• This discovery indicates that water may be distributed across the lunar surface, and not limited to cold, shadowed places.

Extra Shots:

NASA

• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
• Founder: Dwight D. Eisenhower
• Founded: 1 October 1958, United States

BOOKS & AUTHORS

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhakar released book titled “On the Trails of Buddha: A Journey to the East”

• West Bengal Governor, Jagdeep Dhankar “On the Trails of Buddha: A Journey to the East” authored by Deepankar Aron, IRS Officer.
• The Book is published by Niyogi Books Private Limited.
• The book explains the connection between ancient India and Oriental and discovers the diverse cuture connected through the 2000 miles of Silk road and separated by 2000 years history.

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