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NATIONAL NEWS

Hon. President and Prime Minister to address the

-2020

 Hon. President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind and Prime

Minister Shri Narendra Modi shall address the inaugural

session of the Governors‘ Conference on National Education

Policy on at 10:30 AM on 7th September 2020, through video

conference.

 The Conference titled ―Role of NEP-2020 in Transforming

Higher Education‖ is being organized by the Ministry of

Education, Govt of India.

 NEP-2020 is the first education policy of the twenty-first

century which was announced after 34 years of the previous

National Policy on Education 1986. NEP-2020 is directed

towards major reforms in both school and higher education

level.

 The new National Education Policy strives for making India

into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society. It envisions

an India-centred education system that contributes directly to

transforming India into a Global Superpower.

G20 member countries reaffirm commitment to ensuring

education continuity and safety for all

 Education Ministers of G 20 nations have resolved to work

together and share best practices in the area of education so

that member countries can ensure inclusive and equitable

quality education for all, even in times of COVID crisis. A

virtual meeting of G20 Education Ministers was held

yesterday to discuss and share experiences of member

countries in the three identified areas. These are education

Continuity in Times of Crises, Early Childhood Education

and Internationalization in Education.

 Speaking on the occasion, Education Minister Ramesh

Pokhriyal Nishank said, India will continue the efforts it has

taken to reform and transform its education system and

mitigate the challenge posed by the Covid 19 pandemic. He

also said India is committed to collaborate with G 20 member

countries in the area of education.

 The Education Ministers adopted a communique at the end of

the meeting. Regarding ensuring education continuity in

times of crises, the communique recognizes the value of

distance and blended teaching and learning and underscores

the importance of enhancing access to high-quality education,

professional development for educators, digital infrastructure

and content. The importance of research and data to assess

the learning outcomes and quality of distance learning has

also been stressed.

Vodafone Idea to rebrand as 'Vi' as it prepares for

telecom battle

 Vodafone and Idea brands re-branded themselves under a

new brand identify 'Vi' on September 7, 2020. The new brand

identity has been adopted keeping in mind the future, which

is built for and around customers.

 The new brand identity and unified consumer positioning was

launched by Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL) through a virtual

launch on September 7. The integration of Vodafone and Idea

marks the culmination of the largest telecom integration in

the world.

 In an official statement, VIL stated that two of India's most

loved brands "Vodafone and Idea"are now 'together for

tomorrow' giving birth to a new brand called 'Vi', which is

read as 'We'.

Government releases draft guidelines on advertising; to

treat non-legible disclaimers as misleading ads

 The Consumer Affairs Ministry has come out with a

comprehensive set of draft guidelines on advertising. The

guideline says, disclaimers in small font and which are not

factual will be treated as misleading ads. The code has been

drafted by the Central Consumer Protection Authority

(CCPA) under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

 It is aimed at curbing unfair trade. It holds manufacturers,

service providers, and advertising agencies accountable for

any misleading claims.

 Consumer Protection Act, 2019 is a law to protect the

interests of the consumers. It saves the rights of consumers by

establishing authorities for timely and effective

administration and settlement of disputes.

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Prime Minister to inaugurate Patrika Gate in Jaipur

 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi shall inaugurate the

Patrika Gate in Jaipur through video conference at 11 AM, on

the 8th September 2020.The Iconic Gate is built by the

Patrika Group of Newspapers on the Jawaharlal Nehru Marg

in Jaipur.

 Prime Minister shall also release two books written by the

Group Chairman on the occasion.

 The programme will be telecast live on DD News.

Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah lauded 'PM

SVANidhi' scheme to benefit the street vendors

 Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah lauded the 'PM

SVANidhi' scheme being run by Modi Government to benefit

the street vendors. The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi

today held 'Svanidhi Samvaad' with street vendors from

Madhya Pradesh.

 The Government of India had launched PM Svanidhi scheme

on 1st June, 2020 to help poor street vendors, impacted by

COVID-19, resume livelihood activities. This scheme targets

to benefit over 50 lakh Street Vendors. Under the Scheme, the

vendors can avail a working capital loan of up to Rs. 10,000,

which is repayable in monthly instalments in the tenure of

one year. On timely/ early repayment of the loan, an interest

subsidy @ 7% per annum will be credited to the bank

accounts of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer on

quarterly basis. There will be no penalty on early repayment

of loan.

 The scheme promotes digital transactions through cash back

incentives up to an amount of Rs. 100 per month. Moreover,

vendors can achieve their ambition of going up on the

economic ladder by availing the facility of escalation of the

credit limit on timely/early repayment of loan.

        

Kisan Rail between Anantapur and New Delhi flagged off

 The inaugural run of Anantapur – New Delhi Kisan Rail was

flagged off through video link by Shri Narendra Singh

Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmer Welfare,

Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, and Shri Y.S. Jagan

Mohan Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.

 The programme was presided over by Shri Suresh C. Angadi,

Union Minister of State for Railways. The Kisan train will

run between Anantapur in Guntakal Division of South Central

Railway and Adarsh Nagar in Delhi.

 Speaking on the occasion, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar said

that the Kisan Rail will help in strengthening the agricultural

economy, while Shri Jagan Mohan Reddy said that the state‘s

popular fruits will now be able to reach other areas in the

country easily.

PM Modi to launch Matsya Sampada Yojana, e-Gopala

app on September 10

 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will digitally launch the

Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) on 10th

September. Prime Minister will also launch e-Gopala App, a

comprehensive breed improvement marketplace and

information portal for direct use of farmers. Several other

initiatives in the fisheries and animal husbandry sectors in

Bihar will also be launched by the Prime Minister on the

occasion.

 The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) is a

flagship scheme for focused and sustainable development of

fisheries sector in the country with an estimated investment of

Rs. 20,050 crores for its implementation during a period of 5

years from FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25 in all States/Union

Territories, as a part of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Package.

 The investment of Rs. 20,050 crores under PMMSY is the

highest ever in the fisheries sector. Out of this, an investment

of about Rs 12340 crores is proposed for beneficiary-oriented

activities in Marine, Inland fisheries and Aquaculture and

about Rs 7710 crores investment for Fisheries Infrastructure.

5 Petroleum and Gas PSUs to join International Solar

Alliance

 Five Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) under Petroleum and

Natural Gas Ministry will be joining International Solar

Alliance (ISA)'s Coalition for Sustainable Climate Action

(ISA-CSCA) as Corporate Partners and will be contributing

to ISA's Corpus Fund, said Ministry of Petroleum & Natural

Gas.

 The Minister said that Oil & Gas PSUs are increasingly

evaluating new opportunities in the solar and RE space for

diversification. Recently, French major Total has also

announced investments for buying about 2 GW operating PV

plants in India.

MoS V. Muraleedharan attends 10th East Asia Summit

Fore

 Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan

attended the 10th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers‘

Meeting on Wednesday. The Meeting was held virtually.

 It was attended by the Foreign Ministers of the East Asia

Summit participating countries and chaired by Deputy Prime

Minister and Foreign Minister of Vietnam.

 The Meeting discussed ways and means to strengthen the

Leaders-led EAS platform and to make it more responsive to

emerging challenges on its 15th anniversary.

 The Ministers exchanged views on the current regional and

international developments including the COVID-19

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pandemic and the cooperation to achieve a speedy and

sustainable recovery.

 Mr Muraleedharan in his remarks appreciated Vietnam‘s

efforts, as ASEAN Chair, for providing continued

stewardship towards a ‗Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN‘

during the pandemic.

 He underlined the key role played by EAS as a leading

mechanism of the Indo-Pacific region and reiterated India's

support to make it stronger and more responsive.

First India-France-Australia Trilateral Dialogue held

virtually

 The first India-France-Australia Trilateral Dialogue was held

virtually. The focus of the dialogue was on enhancing

cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. The outcome oriented

meeting was held with the objective of building on the strong

bilateral relations that the three countries share with each

other.

 The three sides agreed to hold the dialogue on an annual

basis.

 The three sides discussed economic and geostrategic

challenges and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in

the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and domestic

responses to it. Cooperation on Marine Global Commons and

potential areas for practical cooperation at the trilateral and

regional level were also discussed, including through regional

organisations such as ASEAN, IORA and the Indian Ocean

Commission.

     

learning app

 Union Minister of Education has launched a free mobile app

named as ―English Pro‖. The mobile application has been

developed by the English and Foreign Languages University,

Hyderabad under University Social Responsibility (USR).

 This app will be ―a useful digital tool‖ and will act as an

educational resource for the teachers, students and for people

from varied backgrounds. The first-of-its kind initiative by

any university in the country, the mobile application

―EnglishPro‖ will help learners in developing Indian English

Pronunciation in the unique ―Indian‖ way.

 In the near future, EFLU will also come up with more

advanced versions of the mobile application to address the

larger learner-needs.

      



 A two-day conclave on ‗School Education in the 21st

Century‘ commenced virtually. The conclave has been

organised by the Ministry of Education as part of Shikshak

Parv 2020.

 Shikshak Parv is being celebrated from 8th-25th September,

2020 to felicitate the teachers and to take New Education

Policy 2020 forward.

 The conclave was addressed by the Prime Minister Shri

Narendra Modi under the National Education Policy- 2020

(NEP-2020).

India will be self-reliant in the production of fertilizers by

2023

 Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers said, by 2023

India will be self-reliant in the production of fertilizers as

under ―Atma Nirbhar Bharat‖ programme new fertilizer

manufacturing units are being setup with an investment of Rs

40,000 crore in the country to reduce dependency on import.

 He asked farmers to use Urea judiciously as excessive use of

Urea may spoil the soil health. He advised farmers to use

fertilizers according to their soil health cards.

        

Diwas -

 Streaming of well-researched documentaries leading to the

historic occasion of adoption of Hindi as an official language

of the Union of India on 14th September, 1949, mock

enactment of the meeting of the Constituent Assembly by

children and travelogues showing growth and popularity of

Hindi in different States will mark the celebration of ‗Hindi

Diwas‘ by Films Division on 14th September, 2020.

 The pioneering efforts of Beohar Rajendra Simha, a well

known Hindi scholar-writer who rallied and lobbied in favour

of Hindi along with other stalwarts like Hazari Prasad

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Dwivedi, Maithili Sharan Gupta and Kaka Kalelkar came to

fruition on Simha‘s 50th birth day on 14th September,1949

when the Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi as one of the

official languages of the Union of India which was ratified by

the Constitution of India that came into effect on the 26th of

January 1950.

 Under the Article 343 of the Indian Constitution, Hindi

written in Devanagari script was adopted as the official

language.

 Today,Hindi is one of the widely spoken languages in the

world and the first language of more than 520 million people.

Reliance Industries becomes world's 40th most valuable

firm

 Mukesh Ambani‘s Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has

become the world‘s 40th most valuable firm. The company

achieved the feat after it became the first Indian company to

cross USD 210 billion in market capitalisation intra-day.

 This is the first time that an Indian company has crossed the

USD 200 billion market capitalisation milestone.

 The Reliance Industries Limited is at present the world‘s 40th

most valuable firm, ranked ahead of companies including

Oracle, PepsiCo, SAP, Exxon Mobil, Novartis and Pfizer.

RIL is, in fact, ranked among Asia's top 10 most valuable

companies.

Govt enhances scholarship for students of J&K under

Pragati and Saksham Scholarship Schemes to Rs 50,000

 The central government has increased the scholarship amount

under ‗Pragati and Saksham Scholarship Schemes‘ for

students of Jammu and Kashmir from Rs 5,000 to Rs 50,000

per annum. ―Pragati and Saksham Scholarship Schemes‖

being implemented and offered by All India Council for

Technical Education (AICTE) to provide financial assistance

for advancement of girls pursuing technical education besides

supporting specially abled students for technical education

respectively.

 Under Pragati scheme, all girls of J&K belonging to families

having annual income of Rs. 8 lakh who shall be admitted in

the AlCTE approved institutions for the session 2020-21 will

be eligible for scholarship.

 Under Saksham scheme, all specially abled students with 40

percent disability pursuing technical education at Degree or

diploma level belonging to families with annual income less

than Rs. 8.00 lakh would be eligible for the scholarship.

India's Economy to shrink by 9 Pc This Year: ADB

 The Asian Development Bank announced on September 15,

2020, that India‘s economy is expected to contract by 9% in

2020-worse than the 4% contraction which the bank had

forecasted three months ago.

 In the first quarter of the Current Fiscal Year, India‘s Gross

Domestic Product (GDP) had contracted by a record 23.9% as

the COVID-19 lockdown stalled business and consumer

spending.

 However, ADB expects India to bounce back with an 8%

growth in 2021 as the country begins to emerge from the

economic devastation which has been caused by the ongoing

COVID-19 pandemic.

RajyaSabha Passes Aircraft (Amendment) Bill, 2020

 The Parliament passed Aircraft (Amendment) Bill, 2020 on

September 15, 2020 after it was approved by the RajyaSabha.

The LokSabha had passed the bill earlier on March 17th.

 The bill seeks to amend the Aircraft Act, 1934 and covert

three existing regulatory bodies under the Civil Aviation

Ministry including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation

(DGCA) into statutory bodies.

 The three regulatory bodies include the Directorate General

of Civil Aviation, Aircraft Accidents Investigation Bureau

and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. The bill has

proposed each of the bodies to be headed by a Director

General who will be appointed by the centre.

Govt bans export of all varieties of onions with immediate

effect

 The Union Government banned the export of all varieties of

onions with immediate effect. The move is aimed at

increasing availability and checking the price of the

commodity in the domestic market.

 Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in a notification

that the export of all varieties of onions is prohibited with

immediate effect.

 The DGFT, under the Commerce Ministry, deals with exports

and imports-related issues.

 Last year on 29 September, the government had banned

exports of onions and imposed countrywide stock limits to

bring down prices of onions that had soared ahead of state

elections in Maharashtra and Haryana.

 The crackdown followed retail onion prices touching Rs80 a

kg in Delhi because of supply disruptions after floods in some

states.

LokSabha passes bill to cut salaries of MPs by 30%

 The LokSabha passed a bill to cut salaries of all MPs by 30

per cent for a year, to meet the exigencies arising out

COVID-19 pandemic. The Salary, Allowances and Pension

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of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was

unanimously passed by the members of the Lower House.

 The bill was introduced in the Lower House on September

14. Earlier this year, the government had brought the Salaries

and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020,

which provided a 30 per cent cut in sumptuary allowance

payable to each minister for a period of one year commencing

from April 1, 2020.

India becomes member o    

fails to secure seat

 India has been elected as a member of the United Nation‘s

Commission on Status of Women, a body of the Economic

and Social Council (ECOSOC).

 India will be a member of United Nation‘s Commission on

Status of Women for four years, 2021 to 2025.

 India, Afghanistan and China had contested the elections to

the Commission on Status of Women. Even as India and

Afghanistan won the ballot among the 54 members, China

could not cross the half-way mark.

 The Economic and Social Council is at the heart of the United

Nations system to advance the three dimensions of

sustainable development – economic, social and

environmental.

 It is the central platform for fostering debate and innovative

thinking, forging consensus on ways forward, and

coordinating efforts to achieve internationally agreed goals.

 It is also responsible for the follow-up to major UN

conferences and summits.

PMGKP Insurance Scheme Extended for another Six

Months

 Six months extension have been made to the Pradhan Mantri

Garib Kalyan Package Insurance Scheme. The Scheme was

announced for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19 on 30th

March 2020 under the flagship scheme Pradhan Mantri Garib

Kalyan Yojana, 2016.

 The scheme provides health insurance to the staff working in

Government Hospitals and Health Care Centres. The scheme

covers ward boys, safai karamcharis, ASHA workers, nurses,

technicians, paramedics, doctors and specialists and other

health workers. Any health professional who meet with some

accident while treating Covid-19 patients then he/she would

be given a compensatory amount of Rs 50 lakh under the

scheme. Approximately 22 lakh health workers would be

provided insurance cover.

 PMGKY scheme was launched by the Narendra Modi led

Government in December 2016. The scheme was launched on

the lines of the Income declaration scheme, 2016. PMGKY is

a part of the Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Act, 2016.

It provides an opportunity to declare unaccounted wealth and

black money. It also avoids prosecution after paying a fine of

50% on the undisclosed income.

Government plans to introduce law to ban crypto

currency trading

 The Central Government has been planning to introduce a

new law that will ban the trade in crypto currencies, placing it

out of step with other economies of Asia who have chosen to

regulate the fledgling market.

 The bill has been expected to be discussed by the federal

cabinet before it is sent to the Parliament for approval. Under

the law, the federal government will be encouraging the

blockchain, the technology underlying crypto currencies, but

is not keen on crypto currency trading.

 In 2018, the Indian Central Bank had banned the crypto

transactions after a series of frauds. These frauds took place

in the months following PM Modi‘s decision to ban 80% of

the nation‘s currency. Crypto currency Exchanges had

responded with a lawsuit in Supreme Court in September and

had won respite in March 2020.

Cabinet Approves establishment of new AIIMS at Bihar's

Darbhanga ahead of Assembly Polls

 The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri

Narendra Modi has approved establishment of a new All

India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Darbhanga,

Bihar.

 This will be established under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya

Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY). The approved AIIMS would be

established at a total cost of Rs. 1264 crore and is likely to be

completed within a period of 4 years from the date of the

approval of Government of India.

 The new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at

Darbhanga, Bihar will have 15-20 Super Specialty

Departments.

 The proposed institution shall have a hospital with capacity of

750 beds which will include Emergency / Trauma beds, ICU

beds, AYUSH beds, Private beds and Specialty & Super

Specialty beds.

U.K. hands over three recovered Indian antiquities

 Antique bronze idols of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana, which

were reportedly stolen from Nagapattinam in the 1970s, are

set to return home due to efforts taken by art enthusiasts,

officers of Idol Wing CID, and the High Commission of India

(HCI), London.

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 It was conveyed to HCI that the idol of Rama was suspected

to be in the possession of an individual collector in London.

 ―Once the idol was verified by comparison with relevant

records, the matter was taken up with the Art and Antique

Unit of the London Metropolitan Police as well as the Idol

Wing of Tamil Nadu police,‖ said Rahul Nangare, First

Secretary, HCI, London.

HOCL gets BIS certification for all its products

 Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited (HOCL), a PSU under

the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has been granted

Bureau of Indian Standards – BIS certification for all its

products.

 HOCL has been a pioneer in the manufacturing of Chemicals

since its inception and quality is its motto since then.

 The company is supporting and implementing the Make in

India initiative of the Government of India in one or other

way.

 HOCL, a leader in the chemical industry, has a manufacturing

unit at Kochi in Kerala.

 It provides basic organic chemicals essential for vital

industries like Drugs and pharmaceuticals, resins and

laminates, dyes and dyes intermediates, rubber chemicals,

paints, pesticides and Textile industry, virtually touching

every faceof life.

 It is also manufacturing sanitizers in this period of COVID

pandemic.

Principal Secretary to PM chairs meeting of High-Level

Task Force to improve air quality in NCR

 Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Dr P K Mishra chaired

the meeting of the High-Level Task Force constituted to

improve the air quality in the National Capital Region of

Delhi.

 Dr Mishra emphasized that the meeting was called well in

advance before the onset of harvesting and winter season to

ensure proper precautionary and preventive measures to

combat the causes of air pollution are taken well in time.

 A review of the main sources of air pollution, measures taken

and the progress made by the State Governments and various

Ministries was carried out.

 It was noted that the incidence of stubble burning has reduced

by more than 50 per cent in the last two years and the number

of Good AQI days have gone up.

Eight Indian beaches recommended for coveted Blue Flag

international eco-label

 Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has said that eight

beaches of the country have been recommended for the

coveted ‗Blue Flag‘ international eco-label. Clean beaches are

a testimony to good environment in coastal areas and India‘s

many beaches are among the best in the world.

 For the first time, eight beaches of India have been

recommended for the Blue Flag certification.

 Blue Flag certification is a globally recognised eco-label

accorded by an international agency ‗Foundation for

Environment Education, Denmark‘ based on 33 stringent

criteria in four major heads–environmental education and

information, bathing water quality, environment management

and conservation and safety and services in the beaches.

 The ‗Blue Flag‘ beach is an eco-tourism model endeavouring

to provide the tourists/beachgoers clean and hygienic bathing

water, facilities/amenities, safe and healthy environment and

sustainable development of the area. The eight beaches

recommended under the BEAMS are Shivrajpur in Gujarat,

Ghoghla in Daman and Diu, Kasarkod and Padubidri in

Karnataka, Kappad in Kerala, Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh,

Golden in Odisha and Radhanagar in Andaman and Nicobar

Islands.

KVGB launches special gold loan scheme for pandemic

 Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) has launched a

special gold loan scheme ―Vikas Laghu Suvarna‖ with a

reduced interest rate of 7.25%.The rate has been reduced

considering the pandemic and also to provide easy and

affordable credit to customers at a cheaper cost.

 Gold loans are easy means to get money during emergencies

with minimal procedure and are still a popular loan product

among customers.

 Under this new gold loan scheme, the bank is giving 80 % of

the market value subject to a maximum of Rs 3,200/gram. A

customer can avail up to maximum loan of Rs 15 lakh which

is repayable within a period of maximum 6 months.

Govt launches NashaMukt Bharat Abhiyaan in 272 most

affected districts

 The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has

formulated and is implementing a National Action Plan for

Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) for 2018-2025.

 The Plan aims at reduction of adverse consequences of drug

abuse through a multi-pronged strategy.

 The activities under the NAPDDR include awareness

generation programmes in schools, colleges, Universities,

workshop and provisioning of treatment facilities and

capacity building of service providers.

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 The Ministry has also launched NashaMukt Bharat Abhiyaan

in 272 most affected districts with focus on institutional

support, community outreach and awareness generation.

       

Railways

 Indian Railways is observing ―Swachhta Pakhwara‖ from

16th to 30th September 2020. During the inaugural day of

Pakhwara, the Swachhta pledge was administered to Railway

employees at all Zonal Railway HQs, Divisional Offices, and

other establishments.

 During the Pakhwara, intensive cleaning and sanitization of

stations, trains, tracks, colonies and other railway

establishments is being carried out with special focus on

plastic waste management.

 Railway Board through Northern Railway, in partnership with

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), organised

a webinar on ―Swachhata and Environment‖.

 The Webinar was held to flag off the ―SwachhataPakhwada‖

beginning from September 16 and ending on September 30,

2020.

Tamil Nadu becomes first state to unveil ethical AI,

blockchain, cybersecurity policies in country

 Tamil Nadu became the first state in the country to come out

with policies on Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Cyber

security policies. The policies go by the names Tamil Nadu

Cyber Security Policy, 2020, Tamil Nadu Blockchain Policy,

2020, and Tamil Nadu Safe and Ethical Artificial Intelligence

Policy, 2020.

 In order to promote IT/ITeS industry in the State and to

attract more investments, eight Special Economic Zones were

established in Chennai and tier-II cities by Electronics

Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (ELCOT) and start-up

warehouses were set up in Chennai and Coimbatore.

 State Family Database (SFDB) and Block-Chain Backbone

infrastructure will be established in the state for the

implementation of these policies.

RajyaSabha Chairman rejects no-confidence motion

against RS Deputy Chairman

 RajyaSabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on September 21,

2020, rejected the no-confidence motion moved by

Opposition MPs against the Deputy Chairman Harivansh

saying that it is "not admissible under the rules".

 The RS Chairman said that he has received a letter from 46

Opposition MPs against the Deputy Chairman alleging

violation of "norms of parliament procedures". M Venkaiah

Naidu further said that it was a bad day for RajyaSabha

yesterday, when some members came to the well of the

House and the Deputy Chairman was physically threatened

and obstructed from doing his duty.

India is home to largest number of Greater One-Horned

Rhinoceros: Prakash Javadekar

 Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said India is home to the

largest number of Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros in the

world with population in the range of 3000 animals in Assam,

West Bengal and UP.

 In his message on the occasion of World Rhino Day, Mr

Javadekar said Environment Ministry has launched a National

Conservation Strategy for Indian One-Horned Rhino. He

added that the conservation initiatives for rhino has also

enriched the grassland management which help in reducing

the negative impacts of climate change through carbon

sequestration.

 The National Rhino Conservation Strategy for India was

launched last year to conserve the greater one-horned

rhinoceros. This is a first of its kind for the species in India

which aims to work for the conservation of the species under

five objectives. The objectives include strengthening

protection, expanding the distribution range, research and

monitoring, and adequate and sustained funding.

No permit requirement for vehicles carrying oxygen till

March, 2021

 The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued an

order on September 21, 2020 waiving off permit requirements

for vehicles carrying oxygen tanks or cylinders till March 31,

2021 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 The decision was taken in view of certain issues brought to

notice of ministry about problems being faced by certain

Transport Vehicles operators for the transportation and

delivery of oxygen cylinders or oxygen tanks across states or

within a state.

 The move will, hence, ensure the smooth movement of

vehicles carrying oxygen and further ensuring the supply of

oxygen across the country. Oxygen is an important item

required for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

RajyaSabha Passes National Forensic Sciences University

Bill 2020

 The Parliament on September 22, 2020 passed the National

Forensic Sciences University Bill 2020 with the RajyaSabha

approving it. The LokSabha had approved the bill earlier.

 The bill proposes to establish the Gujarat Forensic Sciences

University, Gandhinagar and the Lok Nayak Jayaprakash

Narayan National Institute of Criminology and Forensic

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Sciences, New Delhi, as a National Forensic Sciences

University, Gujarat. The Bill declares the University to be an

institution of national importance.

 Speaking on the bill‘s provisions, Minister of State for Home

Affairs, G. Kishan Reddy said that forensic science plays an

important role in the scientific investigation of crime

incidents. He said that the university will work for the

capacity building in the field of forensic science and promote

research.

Piyush Goyal participates in the G-20 meeting of the

Trade and Investment Ministers

 Union Commerce and Industry & Railways Minister Shri

Piyush Goyaltook part in the virtual meeting of the G-20

Trade and Investment Ministers.

 Making interventions during the meeting, he called upon G-

20 to play a leadership role in crafting a pathway to recover

from COVID19, he said that one of the key lessons for all

countries is the need to strike the right balance between their

external and internal economic policies, with a view to

ensuring balanced and sustainable development.

 He said that India stands ready to engage constructively with

all G-20 Members to push an agenda that is inclusive and

development oriented.

 Describing G20 as a significant grouping representing the

majority of the world‘s population, its GDP and trade, Shri

Goyal said that we must pursue an agenda that is universally

beneficial and also takes into account the interests of

Members outside the G-20. He stressed on the need to be

sensitive to diverse economic realities.

India registers a Record of Highest Single day recoveries

on 22 September

 In an unprecedented surge, India has recorded the highest

number of single day recoveries.

 More than 1 lakh (1,01,468) new recoveries have been

registered in the last 24 hours in the country.

 In another landmark achievement, the trend of very high

number of single day recoveries has sustained for the past

four consecutive days.

 With this, the total number of recoveries are nearly 45 lakh

(44,97,867). This has resulted in the Recovery Rate touching

80.86%.

India, UK to hold Water Partnership Forum on 22

September

 A virtual India-UK Water Partnership Forum held to discuss

ways to collaborate on issues pertaining to water conservation

and infrastructure development.

 According to an official note, the inaugural addressgiven by

Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Gaitri

Issar Kumar. Besides, a memorandum of understandinginked

between Ganga and British Water.

 The eventhighlightedthe strategic partnership approaches

between the two countries to develop 21st-Century water

infrastructure in India.

Ministry of AYUSH partners with Ministry WCD to

control Malnutrition

 A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between

the Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Women and Child

Development to control Malnutrition as a part of POSHAN

Abhiyaan. TheMoU will see some time-tested and

scientifically proven Ayush-based solutions being adopted for

controlling malnutrition in the country.

 The MoU will help in tackling the problem of malnutrition in

mothers and children in the country.

 The Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of WCD will work

together towards integrating Ayush in POSHAN Abhiyaan

and management of malnutrition through the principles and

practices of Ayurveda, Yoga and other Ayush systems.

Government to set up Neutrino Observatory in the

country: Dr.Jitendra Singh

 The central government is planning to set up a Neutrino

Observatory in the country. This was informed by the Union

Minister of State (Independent Charge), Atomic Energy and

Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh on September 21, 2020 in a written

reply in the lower house of the Parliament, Lok Sabha.

 The India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) will be a world-

class underground laboratory with a rock cover that will study

the neutrinos produced in the atmosphere of the Earth.

 Construction of an underground laboratory and associated

surface facilities at Bodi West Hills in the Theni district,

Tamil Nadu. The underground laboratory will comprise a

large cavern of size 132m X 26m X 20m and several smaller

caverns. The approach to the caverns will be by a 2100 m

long and 7.5 m wide tunnel.

 



 Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched nine highway

projects and Optical Fibre Internet Services in Bihar. The

optical fibre services are being provided under the scheme

―Ghar Tak Fibre‖. These services are to be executed along

with combined efforts of Common Service Centre.

 The project is to be implemented Ministry of Electronics and

Information Technology under the scheme ―Ghar Tak Fibre‖.

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The project will connect 45,945 villages in the state and will

thus enable the Digital revolution to reach the farthest corner

of Bihar.

 The scheme aims to provide optical fibre enabled internet

connections to every home in the country, concentrating on

the village and rural areas. During his 74th independence-day

address, PM Modi had said that over 1.5 lakh village

panchayats have received optical fibre connections after 2014

under the scheme.

 The CSC Wi-Fi Choupal is an initiative to provide high-speed

internet connectivity to rural India. It ensures digital

connectivity using Bharat Net.

India aims to end tuberculosis by 2025: Health Minister at

 Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has said that India has

accorded high priority for ending tuberculosis by 2025, five

years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals.

 Dr. Harsh Vardhan said this while addressing Ministers of

Member Nations of WHO, Heads and Representatives of UN

Agencies through virtual interaction

 The Minister added that Tuberculosis has been in existence

since time immemorial and continues to remain a major

global public health problem. Despite the progress made over

the last decade, TB remains the leading infectious killer

disease worldwide.

India donates 41 ambulances, 6 school buses to Nepal on

Gandhi Jayanti



India donated 41 ambulances and 6 school buses to several

organisations working in the fields of health and education in

Nepal on the occasion of 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma

Gandhi. Gandhi ji was born on this day in 1869 at Porbandar

in Gujarat.



The vehicles were provided to organisations working across

30 districts of Nepal, according to a statement issued by the

India embassy in Kathmandu. India has gifted nearly 823

ambulances since 1994, including those given on Gandhi

Jayanti.



However, this is the first time the embassy has gifted three

different categories of ambulances Advanced Life Support

category, Basic Life Support and Common Life Support

ambulances. All three categories are built as per the

guidelines of Government of Nepal. The Advanced Life

Support category ambulances include equipment such as

travelling ventilator, ECG, wheelchair and 4G mobile device

among others.

Meity holds Conference to unveil RAISE 2020  a Global

Virtual Summit on AI to be organised from 5 to 9

October, 2020



The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

MEITY) unveiled 'RAISE 2020', a Global Virtual Summit on

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Electronics Niketan, New

Delhi. The Mega Virtual Summit AI, RAISE 2020 is

organized by the MEITY and NITI Aayog.



Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020 (RAISE 2020)

will be held from 5-9 October 2020. The summit will be

inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The summit

aims to start discussion on the creation of robust AI-powered

public infrastructure that benefits all across the world.



India is one of the founding members of the Global

Partnership on Artificial Intelligence. GoI aims to implement

AI-based solutions domestically as well as in countries

around the world. #AIForAll is the main objective of India‘s

AI strategy and the focus is to build responsible AI for social

empowerment, transformation and inclusion.

Railway Minister Shri Piyush Goyal inaugurates Phool

bagan Metro station of East-West Metro corridor in

Kolkata



Shri Piyush Goyal, Hon‘ble Minister of Railways and

Commerce & Industry, Government of India inaugurated

Phoolbagan Metro station of East-West Metro on 4th

October, 2020. Shri Piyush Goyal also flagged off the first

train from the newly inaugurated Phoolbagan station through

video link.



In his address, congratulating all for taking extra initiative to

complete the work of Phoolbagan station in the midst of

Covid-19 pandemic, Shri Goyal said that this extension of

services from Salt Lake Stadium to Phoolbagan (a stretch of

1.665 kms) will be a great help for the commuters more so

because of its proximity to Sealdah station.



Terming this as a gift for Durga Puja, he also said that Metro

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

provides the safest, cleanest and fastest transportation system

in Kolkata. He has further reassured that if land is made

available and encroachments are removed then funds won‘t

be a constraint for implementing any Railway project.

DoNER minister Dr. Jitendra Singh releases coffee table

book Discovering the Heritage of Assam



Minister for Development of North Eastern Region, DoNER,

Dr Jitendra Singh released a Coffee Table Book on

Discovering the Heritage of Assam, with foreword by

Amitabh Bachchan and published by Penguin.



The voluminous coffee table book with pictures and

photographs presents an absorbing compilation of heritage,

faith, beliefs and traditions of different ethnic tribes and

subtribes living in the largest State of the North Eastern

Region.



The book has been written by IRS officer Padampani Bora

who has over the years established himself as an

accomplished author, specializing in the subjects reflecting

diverse nuances of the North Eastern Region of India.

12th BRICS Summit to be held virtually for 1st time on

Nov 17



For the first time since the standoff between Indian and

Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in

eastern Ladakh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese

President Xi Jinping are expected to come face-to-face

virtually at the BRICS annual summit to be held on

November 17.



Russia, the chair of the five-nation BRICS, announced on

Monday that the annual summit of the bloc will be held on

November 17 via video conference.



The BRICS is known as an influential bloc that represents

over 3.6 billion people, or half of the world's population. The

BRICS countries have a combined GDP of USD 16.6 trillion.



"The theme of the meeting of the leaders of BRICS countries

is ''BRICS Partnership for Global Stability, Shared Security

and Innovative Growth''," the Russian government said in a

statement.

India, Myanmar Agree to target operationalisation of

Strategic Sittwe Port in Q1 2021



During the visit of the Indian army Chief and Foreign

Secretary to Myanmar, the two countries agreed to work

towards operationalising the Sittwe port in the first quarter of

2021.



Indian army Chief General M.M. Naravane and Foreign

Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla travelled to Myanmar on a

two-day visit. They called on State Counsellor Aung San Suu

Kyi and Myanmar‘s Commander in Chief of Defence

Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.



The last time that India‘s foreign secretary and army chief

had travelled together was to Bhutan in 2018. It made sense

to do so again in Myanmar due to its government structure – a

reference to the role of the military at the top of the decision-

making set-up in the south-east Asian country.

      





The Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan on October 6,

2020, launched the Ayush Standard Treatment Protocol at an

event held via video conference. The protocols detail the self-

care guidelines for preventive health measures which will

help in protecting against COVID-19.



While launching the protocols, the health minister hailed the

up- gradation of the protocols by the AYUSH Ministry which

has been done in sync with CSIR- Council of Scientific and

Industrial Research and ICMR- Indian Council of Medical

Research.



The Union Health Minister while launching the Ayush

Standard Treatment stated that the modern systems of

medicine have their own strengths as they have made

available medicines and operations which have helped in

making people‘s lives much better.

Govt removes requirement of Minimum Qualifying

Service for Defence personnel for Enhanced Family

Pension



In a major announcement giving huge benefit to Defence

Forces personnel, Government today scrapped the

requirement of Minimum Qualifying Service for Enhanced

Family Pension with effect from 1st October 2019.



As per existing provision, there is a requirement of

continuous qualifying service of 7 years for grant of Ordinary

Family Pension at enhanced rate to Next of Kin of Defence

Forces personnel. The requirement of continuous qualifying

service of 7 years is done away with effect from 1st October

2019. Additionally, Defence Forces personnel who died

within ten years before the 1st of October 2019 without

completing continuous service of 7 years, their family will

also be eligible for family pension at the enhanced rates.



Family Pension at enhanced rate is calculated at the rate of 50

per cent of last emoluments whereas normally it is 30 per cent

of the last pay drawn.

India and South Africa ask WTO to waive rules to aid

COVID- 19 drug production



According to a letter to the World Trade Organisation

(WTO), India and South Africa have asked to waive off the

intellectual property rules in order to make it easier for the

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developing countries to import or produce the drugs for

COVID-19.The two countries in their letter dated October 2,

2020, have called on the global trade body to waive parts of

the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual

Property Rights (TRIPS), which governs trademarks, patents,

MoHUA enters into MoU with Swiggy to take street food

vendors online under PM SVANIDHI scheme



The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has entered into

an MoU with Swiggy, one of the leading food delivery

platforms, to onboard street food vendors on its e-commerce

platform.



The MoU aims at giving the street food vendors online access

to thousands of consumers and help them grow their

businesses.



The arrangement has been facilitated under the Prime

Minister Street Vendor‘s Atma Nibhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi)

Scheme. The Ministry and Swiggy will run a pilot programme

by on-boarding 250 vendors across five cities namely -

Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi, Indore, and Varanasi.



The street vendors will be helped with PAN and FSSAI

registration, training on technology, menu digitization and

pricing along with hygiene and packaging best practices.

Centre to urgently release Rs. 20,000 crore as

compensation to States for revenue losses



The Centre will urgently disburse nearly 20 thousand crore

rupees among the states from the amount collected as

compensation cess this year.



Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made the

announcement after the 42nd GST Council meet.



The Centre will also disburse Rs. 25 thousand crore towards

Integrated GST for 2017-18 to those states that received less

amount due to the anomalies.



Also, the revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey informed

that starting from 1st January next year, taxpayers with less

than Rs. 5 crore annual turnover will not be required to file

monthly GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B returns.

Edappadi K Palaniswami N   

candidate for Tamil Nadu assembly polls, BJP welcomes

decision



Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS)

has been named as the chief ministerial candidate of All India

Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AAIDMK) for Tamil

Nadu 2021 Assembly polls.



The announcement was made by Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief

Minister and AIADMK leader O Panneerselva during a press

conference on October 7, 2020.

QUAD Foreign Ministers of India, USA, Japan, Australia

meet in Tokyo



QUAD Countries‘ Foreign Minister meet held in Tokyo,

Japan. All four Quad countries the United States, Japan, India

and Australia to hold bilateral discussions over ―Free and

Open Indo- Pacific‖ (FOIP) initiative amid the coronavirus

pandemic.



This is the second Quad Finance Ministers meeting. The first

was held in 2019. The Quad FM meeting was represented by

External Affairs Minister of India S Jaishankar, US Secretary

of State Mike Pompeo, Australian Foreign Minister Marise

Payne, and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi.



They discussed the post-COVID-19 international order and

the need for a coordinated response to the various challenges

emerging from the pandemic.

World Famous Jog Falls In Karnataka Get A Face Lift



The world famous Jog falls in Karnataka will get a face lift

]at a cost of Rs. 120 crore. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa

was given details of the project during a Tourism department

review meeting today in Bengaluru.



Additional Chief Secretary of the Tourism department P

Ravikumar informed that the project cost will be finalised by

this month end.



Jog Falls is a waterfall on the Sharavati river located in the

Western Ghats in Uttara Kannada District.

Train services on Pamban bridge suspended for

maintenance work



Railway service across the historic Pamban bridge,

connecting Pamban Island with Rameswaram on mainland

Tamil Nadu has been suspended till further notice.



The Madurai railway division has informed that rail traffic on

the two-kilometer long bridge has been suspended for

conducting maintenance work.



The bridge, with a unique bascule section that can be drawn

up to allow passage of ships, has been in service since 1915.

Following damage to the bascule section, service on the

bridge had been stopped for a period in 2018 - 19.In the

meantime, work on a new bridge at Pampan had been

inaugurated by Prime Mi sister Shri Narendra Modi in 2018.

Union Education Minister virtually inaugurates Gyan

Circle Ventures



Union Minister for Education Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank

virtually inaugurated the Gyan Circle Ventures, a MeitY

funded Technology Business Incubator of Indian Institute of

Information Technology, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh through

Video Conference.



He said innovation and entrepreneurship needs to be fostered

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to ensure self-sustainability and remain a global leader. The

Minister said that centers like ‗Gyan Circle ventures‘ instill

entrepreneurship in young minds and steward them to become

successful innovators.



These, ‗Gyan Circle ventures‘ have the potential to infuse

entrepreneurship in young minds.



It would also encourage them to become successful

innovators.

Piyush Goyal gets additional charge of Ministry of

Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution



Union Minister Piyush Goyal has been assigned the additional

charge of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public

Distribution by President Ram Nath Kovind.



According to a release by the President Ram Nath Kovind's

office, Goyal will hold the charge of this Ministry in addition

to his existing portfolios.

Interviews for central govt jobs abolished in 23 states, 8

UTs: Jitendra Singh



Union minister of state for personnel, public grievances &

pensions Dr Jitendra Singh disclosed so far, interview for

central government jobs has been abolished in 23 states and 8

Union territories of India.



The Union minister said this is a follow-up to the abolition of

interview for Group-B (Non- Gazetted) and Group – C posts

in the Central Government ever since 2016.



Giving a brief about some of the path-breaking reforms

brought in by the department of personnel & training (DoPT),

Dr Singh recalled that it was on August 15, 2015, while

speaking from the rampart of Red Fort on the occasion of

Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had

suggested abolition of interview.

Thaawar chand Gehlot Virtually Inaugurates

     

Beyond COVID 



Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment Shri

Thaawar chand Gehlot inaugurated the virtual ―International

conference on Mental Health: Looking Beyond COVID 19‖

through video conferencing. Prof. Craig Jeffrey, Director,

Australia-India Institute co-chaired the conference.



Shri Thaawar chand Gehlot drew the attention of rising trend

of mental health concerns across the globe. He also apprised

about the recent initiatives of the Govt of India such as setting

up of National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation at

Sehore, Madhya Pradesh & KIRAN mental health

rehabilitation helpline for addressing mental health issues.



The Conference was organized by Department of

Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), M/o

Social Justice & Empowerment in association with University

of Melbourne, Australia as a part of joint initiative under the

Memorandum of Understanding signed between the

Government of Australia and Government of India for

cooperation in the disability sector in November, 2018.

Indian beaches awarded international 'Blue Flag'

certification



Eight beaches spread across five states and two union

territories in India have been awarded the 'Blue Flag'

certification, the environment ministry said.



The eight beaches that have received the international 'Blue

Flag' certification are Shivrajpur (Dwarka-Gujarat), Ghoghla

(Diu), Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka), Kappad (Kerala),

Rushikonda (AP), Golden (Puri-Odisha) and Radhanagar

(A&N Islands).



Blue flag certification is a globally recognised label that has

been accorded by a Denmark based International agency

called the foundation for environment education. The blue

flag tag is provided to beaches that adopt eco-tourism model.

India among top three FDI destinations in near future



India has emerged as one of the top three choices for

investments in the next two to three years, with more than

two-thirds of respondents in a survey of multinational

companies (MNCs) citing the country as their number one

choice for future investments.



Recent reforms in the country such as corporate tax cuts,

'Ease of Doing Business' measures, simplification of labour

laws, FDI reforms, and focus on human capital have emerged

as the top drivers for fresh investments.

PM Modi to release commemorative coin to mark 75th

Anniversary of FAO



On the occasion of 75th Anniversary of Food and Agriculture

Organization (FAO) on 16 October 2020, Prime Minister

Narendra Modi will release a commemorative coin of Rs 75

denomination to mark the long-standing relation of India with

FAO.



Prime Minister Modi will also dedicate to the Nation 17

recently developed biofortified varieties of 8 crops.



It will be witnessed by Anganwadis, Krishi Vigyan Kendras,

Organic and Horticulture Missions across the country. Union

Agriculture Minister, Finance Minister and WCD Minister

will also be present on the occasion.

NITI Aayog announces governing structure of India

Energy Modelling Forum



NITI Aayog has announced the governing structure of the

India Energy Modelling Forum (IEMF) following its

constitution in July. The Forum was jointly launched by NITI

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Aayog and United States Agency for International

Development (USAID) under the US–India Strategic Energy

Partnership.



Part of the Sustainable Growth pillar of the US–India

Strategic Energy Partnership (SEP), IEMF aims to engage

Indian researchers, knowledge partners, think tanks and

national and international government agencies and

departments for modelling and long-term energy planning.



The governing structure of IEMF will consist of an inter-

ministerial and a steering committee. The inter-ministerial

committee will be convened by NITI Aayog and headed by

its CEO, and comprise senior officials from the ministries of

petroleum and natural gas; power; new and renewable energy;

coal; environment, forest and climate change; and department

of science and technology.

E-Sanjeevani rapidly gaining popularity amongst patients

& doctors



Health Ministry‘s telemedicine initiative - E-Sanjeevani is

rapidly gaining popularity amongst patients and doctors.It has

recorded five lakh teleconsultations in a short span of time

and the last one lakh consultations were completed in a record

time of 17 days.



As a digital modality of health care services delivery, e-

Sanjeevani is gradually shaping into a parallel stream for the

Indian healthcare delivery system with the number of

teleconsultations per day on the platform touching 8,000

mark in the last few days.



At present, 26 states are using e-Sanjeevani‘s two variants of

telemedicine namely - doctor to doctor (e-SanjeevaniAB-

HWC) and patient to doctor (e-SanjeevaniOPD).

Ravi Shankar Prasad to host SCO meeting of law and

justice ministers



Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will host the seventh

meeting of Ministers of Justice of the Shanghai Cooperation

Organisation (SCO) this week. The virtual meeting on

October 16 will be attended by Law and Justice ministers of

China, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyz

Republic.



The ministers during the meet will share the knowledge on

creating conducive environment to promote dispute resolution

mechanism, forensic activities and other legal services. Also,

the ministers will discuss on the action plan of the working

groups of experts on legal services and forensic activities.



SCO is a part of India‘s policy of ―multi alignments‖. RATS

is regional Anti-terror structure of SCO. Accessing

information and intelligent from RATS will help India learn

about non-Pakistan centred Counter Terrorism.

India, France re-elected as President, Co-President of

International Solar Alliance



India and France were re-elected as the President and Co-

President of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), for a term

of two years at the virtual meeting of the Third Assembly,

informed the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.



This was decided during the virtual meeting of the third

assembly of the International Solar Alliance attended by 34

ISA members. Four new Vice-Presidents were also chosen to

represent the four regions of ISA.

India contributes 1 million dollars to UNRWA for

Palestine Refugees



India has contributed one million dollars to the United

Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine

Refugees in Near East. This aid will support the Agency's

programmes and services, including education, health care,

relief and social services.



The Representative Office of India in Ramallah said, India's

support for the Palestinian cause is an integral part of the

nation's foreign policy. It shall continue supporting the

UNRWA‘s activities in providing vital services and necessary

humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees.

CCEA approves demerger of Nagarnar Steel Plant from

NMDC Limited



The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its in-

principle approval to the demerger of Nagarnar Steel Plant

(NSP) from National Minerals Development Corporation

(NMDC) Limited.



It has also approved the strategic disinvestment of the

demerged company (NSP) by selling the entire Government

of India stake in it to a strategic buyer.



NSP is a three million tonne per annum Integrated Steel Plant

being set up by NMDC at Nagarnar in Bastar District of

Chhattisgarh in an area of 1980 acres at revised estimated

cost of Rs. 23,140 crore.



As on date NMDC has invested Rs. 17,186 crore in the

project.

Government sets up a panel of secretaries to streamline

telecom spectrum allocation



The government has constituted a panel of secretaries under

cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba to streamline the spectrum

allocation process.



It will also examine the possibility of drawing up an annual

calendar for auction of airwaves that will give telcos a clear

road map of the quantum as well as the frequency of

spectrum on offer for commercial use.



Besides Gauba, the panel comprises the secretaries of home,

defence, railways, telecom, I&B and department of space.

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Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurates Food

and Agri Week 2020



Union Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar, the Food Processing

Industries Minister inaugurated the India-International Food

& Agri Week virtually. The focus of the Food and Agro Tech

will be on the use and benefit of the technology in the field of

food and agriculture sector. India - International Food & Agri

Week is being organized from 16th to October 22 2020.



CII in association with the Ministry of Agriculture &

Farmers' Welfare, Ministry of Fisheries & Animal Husbandry

and Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of

India, is organizing its first-ever Virtual CII Agro & Food

Tech: India - International Food & Agri on CII HIVE –

virtual platform with an intent to create a platform for the

benefit of the stakeholders involved in the agriculture & allied

sectors.

All India Bar Association demands action against Andhra

CM for letter against Justice Ramana



The All India Bar Association (AIBA) urged the Chief Justice

of India (CJI) to initiate contempt of court proceedings

against the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan

Reddy for making "scandalous" allegations against Justice

NV Ramana, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court and

judges of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.



AIBA chairperson Dr Adish C Aggarwala, while condemning

the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister for his October 6 letter to

the CJI SA Bobde, said the "scurrilous and scandalous"

remarks against Justice Ramana, the next in line to become

the Chief Justice of India, and judges of Andhra Pradesh High

Court have "shaken the independence of the judiciary".

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurates and lays

foundation stones for 16 NH projects in Andhra Pradesh



Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and MSMEs

Nitin Gadkari inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for

16 National Highways projects with a total length of 1411

kms worth Rs 15,592 crore in Andhra Pradesh.



The event was presided by the Chief Minister Shri Y S Jagan

Mohan Reddy. Union MoSs Gen (Retd) Dr V K Singh and

Shri G Kishan Reddy, Ministers from the State, Members of

Parliaments, MLAs and senior officers from the Centre and

the State. Speaking on the occasion, Gadkari said that the

length of National Highways in Andhra Pradesh before May

2014 was 4193 Km, which has now increased to 6860 Km

India has been ranked at 4th position, with a score of 39.7

in the Asia Power Index 2020



India stands as the fourth most powerful country in Asia but

falls just short of the major power threshold in 2020, a study

showed.



According to the Sydney-based Lowy Institute's Asia Power

Index for 2020, although India is the fourth most powerful

nation in the Asia-Pacific following the US, China and Japan,

it stops short of attaining the "major power" status in the said

year (2020)

India invites British government to explore business

opportunities in North East



The Development of North East Region minister, Dr.Jitendra

Singh invited the UK government and the private sector to

explore various forms of business opportunities present in

India‘s North- East Region.



Dr. Jitendra Singh during a virtual meeting with the officials

of the British High Commission stated that both India and UK

are two vibrant democracies that enjoy mutually rewarding

business relationships. He added that both countries can work

together in exploiting and exploring new opportunities in the

North East region.

India's agricultural exports rise by 14.8 % during first

five months of current fiscal



India‘s agricultural exports have recovered from a pandemic-

induced decline. Exports of major farm products stood at

53,000 crore rupees in the five-month period between April

and August 2020-21, a rise of 14.8 percent compared to the

corresponding period last year.



During the April to August period, farmers gained from

higher exports of rice, wheat and sugar. Exports of basmati

rice, a big- ticket export item among cereals, during April-

August rose 8.2 percent from the year-ago period, while the

value of non-basmati rice exports grew 91.3 percent.

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NITI Aayog to establish Frontier Technologies Cloud

Innovation Centre with AWS



In order to address societal challenges through digital

innovation, NITI Aayog announced the establishment of a

Frontier Technologies Cloud Innovation Centre, CIC with

Amazon Web Services, AWS. It is the first of its kind in

India.



This CIC is part of the AWS CIC Global Programme which

provides an opportunity for government agencies, non-profits

and educational institutions, to come together on pressing

challenges, apply design thinking, test new ideas, and access

the technology expertise of AWS.

 multimodal

logistics park in Assam



Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin

Gadkari virtually laid the foundation stone for the first-ever

multi-modal logistic park of the country in Assam. The 694

crore rupees park at Bongaigaon district will provide direct

connectivity to air, road, rail and waterways to the people of

Assam.



It will be developed under the Bharatmala Pariyojana of the

Centre.



The fund for the multimodal logistics park would be spent in

3 components - road and railway connectivity as well as

building and infrastructure work.

Govt bans gas, CBM producers from buying their own

produce



The government has banned natural gas and coal-bed

methane (CBM) producers from buying their own produce in

the newly notified gas marketing freedom guidelines.



The reforms give producers the freedom to discover the

market price of gas through a standard e-bidding process.



As per the notified guidelines, producers have the liberty to

market or sell the gas produced to anyone including affiliates

but the producer or any member of its gas field consortium

cannot bid and buy the fuel.

Indian Vice Chief of Army visits US Indo-Pacific

Command in Hawaii



Vice Chief of Army Lt Gen SK Saini on Tuesday visited the

US Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii and held talks with

senior American military commanders on ways to enhance

strategic cooperation between the two forces.



The US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM),

comprising over 3,75,000 military and civilian personnel, is

one of the largest unified formations of the US armed forces

and it is tasked to protect Washington's interests in the Indo-

Pacific region.



The visit by the Vice Chief of Army Staff to the command

comes in the backdrop of renewed efforts between India and

the US to bolster cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region,

which has been witnessing growing Chinese muscle-flexing.

Kati Bihu festival celebrated across Assam



Assam's third Bihu festival, known as Kati Bihu or Kongali

Bihu, was being celebrated across the state.



Assam Governor Jagadish Mukhi and Chief Minister

Sarbananda Sonowal extended their prayers and best wishes

to the people of the state on the occasion of Kati Bihu hoping

that the festival will bring in peace and prosperity in the state,

an official release said here.



On the occasion of Kati Bihu, women, both in urban and rural

areas, try to ward off evil and pray for a rich harvest by

lighting earthen lamps.

PM Modi to inaugurate three key projects in Gujarat on

24th October



Prime Minister Shri Narenda Modi will inaugurate three key

projects in Gujarat on 24th October, via video conferencing.

Prime Minister will launch the ‗Kisan Suryodaya Yojana‘ for

the farmers of Gujarat. He will inaugurate the Paediatric

Heart Hospital attached with U.N Mehta Institute of

Cardiology and Research Centre and a Mobile Application

for tele-cardiology at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital in

Ahmedabad. He will also inaugurate the Ropeway at Girnar

on the occasion.



To provide day-time power supply for irrigation, the Gujarat

Government under Chief Minister Shri Vijay Rupani had

recently announced the ‗Kisan Suryodaya Yojana‘. Under this

scheme, farmers will be able to avail power supply from 5

AM to 9 PM. The state government has allocated a budget of

Rs.3500 crore for installing transmission infrastructure under

this scheme by 2023.



Prime Minister will also inaugurate Paediatric Heart Hospital

attached with the U.N Mehta Institute of Cardiology and

Research Centre and a Mobile Application for tele-cardiology

at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad.



Gujarat will once again be highlighted on the global tourism

map as the Prime Minister will inaugurate the Ropeway at

Girnar on 24th October, 2020. Initially, there will be 25-30

cabins, with a capacity of 8 people per cabin. A distance of

2.3 kms will now be covered in just 7.5 minutes through the

ropeway. In addition to this, the ropeway will also provide a

scenic view of the lush green beauty surrounding the Girnar

mountain.

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India participates in 18th meeting of Prosecutors General

of SCO via video conference



India today participated in 18th meeting of Prosecutors

General of SCO via video conference.



Representing India, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said

India has zero tolerance to corruption and black money.



He also highlighted government‘s flagship Pradhan Mantri

Jan Dhan Yojna, saying it has expanded India‘s financial

architecture.



Today‘s meeting of Prosecutors, agreed to strengthen

cooperation in preventing and combating corruption, mutual

legal assistance and exchange of regulatory legal acts.



India will host the next meeting of Prosecutors General in

2021. SCO Law ministers met last week and SCO Trade

Ministers will meet next week.

India to host third India-US 22 Ministerial Dialogue on

Oct 27



India will be hosting the Third India-US 22 Ministerial

Dialogue on 27th of October in New Delhi.



United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary

of Defence Mark T. Esper will be visiting India to participate

in the dialogue.



From the Indian side, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar will lead the

delegation.



The first 22 Ministerial Dialogue was held in New Delhi in

September 2018 and followed by the second in Washington

DC in 2019.



The agenda for the third dialogue will cover all bilateral,

regional and global issues of mutual interest

Prime Minister pays tribute to Iron Man of India Sardar

Vallabh bhai Patel on his 145th Birth Anniversary

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral tributes to Sardar

Patel on his 145th birth Anniversary at the Statue of Unity-

the world's tallest statue at Kevadia in Narmada district of

Gujarat.

 Patel served as the first Deputy Prime Minister of India. He is

also called the "Unifier of India". The Statue of Unity, the

world's tallest statue, was dedicated to him on 31 October

2018 which is approximately 182 metres (597 ft) in height.

 The Prime Minister also witnessed the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas

parade.The Police forces of Gujarat and Central Armed

Police Force, Border Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border

Police, Central Industrial Security Force and National

Security Guards took part in the Parade. The Prime Minister

also witnessed a Rifle drill by female officers of CRPF.

KVIC launches 'Happy Diwali' printed face masks

 Keeping in view the Diwali festival, Khadi and Village

Industries Commission (KVIC) has launched a Limited

Edition of two-layered "Happy Diwali" printed face masks

made of pure Muslin fabric.

 It is high quality and ultra-fine cotton fabric handmade by

traditional Khadi artisans of West Bengal.

 The Diwali Muslin face masks are priced nominally at 75

rupees a piece and are available for sale through the Khadi

outlets in Delhi and online through KVIC‘s e-portal

www.khadiindia.gov.in. Like the other variants of Khadi face

masks, the Muslin face masks too are skin-friendly, washable,

reusable and bio-degradable and economical that suits all

pockets.

Corbett Tiger Reserve to have women nature guides for

the first time in history

 Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) will have women nature guides

for the first time in its history.CTR officials said seven

women have been selected by the Corbett administration after

holding a guide recruitment test.

 These selected women will be registered as guides and given

responsibilities after a training and orientation programme.

 Corbett Tiger Reserve, which is spread across 1,288 square

kilometers, is one of the most loved tourist destinations in

Uttarakhand.

206th Session of Governing Council of the IPU to be held

from 1st to 4th November

 The 206th Session of the Governing Council of the Inter-

Parliamentary Union, IPU will be held from 1st to 4th

November this year. It will be an Extraordinary Virtual

Session, which is being organised in place of a full-fledged

in-person Statutory Assembly of IPU due to the outbreak of

COVID-19 pandemic.

 The agenda of the Virtual Session includes the election of the

new President of IPU through remote electronic secret ballot

since the outgoing President of IPU Ms. Gabriela Cuevas

Barron (MP, Mexico) had completed her term on 19th of this

month. The term of the new President of IPU will be from

2020 to 2023.

 An Indian Parliamentary Delegation led by LokSabha

Speaker Om Birla and consisting of LokSabha MP

Poonamben Maadam and Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta

will participate in the Virtual Session and cast their votes.

Rupsi Airport in Assam all set to resume operations

 In Assam, Rupsi Airport at Kokrajhar district is all set to start

commercial operation under Regional Connectivity Scheme.

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The airport has been re-developed at an estimated cost of 69

crore rupees and has also received its license by Directorate

General of Civil Aviation.

 Spread across 337 acres of land, the newly developed airport

has a terminal building with an area of 3,500 sqm.

 Equipped with 10 check-in counters, the terminal is designed

to process 200 passengers during peak hours.

India's first 'Tyre Park' to come up in West Bengal soon

 West Bengal will soon feature "India's first" 'Tyre Park',

where artworks made from scrap and defective parts will be

on display.

 Asserting that it is a unique concept, and not found anywhere

in the country, the official said the idea behind the park is

waste can be converted into art.

 The Tyre Park, which will come up at Esplanade area, would

have a small cafe where people can sit, relax and enjoy the

craftsmanship made from tyres.

Ganga Utsav-2020 begins virtually with COVID-19

precautions

 The much-awaited Ganga Utsav-2020 began virtually.amidst

COVID-19 precautions. The festival will continue till 4th of

November.

 Several programmes were also held in districts as a part of

Ganga Utsav celebrations.

 Ganga Task Force conducted an afforestation drive with NCC

cadets and educational tour for youth in the project area. The

Ganga Utsav is being organised by the National Mission for

Clean Ganga celebrating the 12th anniversary of declaring

River Ganges as National river.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Shri Prahlad Singh Patel

inaugurate the circular dome at Gandhi Darshan, Rajghat

 Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Science &

Technology, and Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State

for Culture (Independent Charge) inaugurated the 360o

video-immersive experience in circular dome and Digital

Exhibits on Mahatma Gandhi installed at Gandhi Darshan,

Rajghat, in New Delhi today.

 This was part of two-year long commemoration of the 150th

Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Secretary, DST, Prof.

Ashustosh Sharma; Secretary Culture, Shri Raghvendra

Singh; Director Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, Shri

Dipanker Gyan and other senior officers were present on the

occasion.

PM announces change of name of Shipping Ministry to

Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways

 The Prime Minister said, Government is changing the name

of the Ministry of Shipping and it will be known as the

Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. Mr.Modi has

said that to reduce the expenditure on logistics, India is fast

developing multimodal connectivity.

 He said that we are trying to interconnect the infrastructure

related to road, rail, air and shipping and removing the silos

in this process. He said that we are still spending more money

on transportation in comparison to the other nation. We can

reduce the cost of logistics through water transport.

Saffron bowl of India extends to the Northeast

 The saffron bowl, which was so far confined to Kashmir, may

soon expand to the North East of India.

 Plants from seeds transported from Kashmir to Sikkim and

acclimatized there are now flowering in Yangyang in the

Southern part of the North-East state.

 Saffron production has long been restricted to a limited

geographical area in the Union territory of Jammu &

Kashmir. Pampore region, in India, commonly known as

Saffron bowl of Kashmir, it is the main contributor to saffron

production, followed by Budgam, Srinagar, and Kishtiwar

districts.

 Saffron has traditionally been associated with the famous

Kashmiri cuisine. It‘s its medicinal values were considered as

part of the rich cultural heritage of Kashmir.

Hardeep S. Puri inaugurates 13th Urban Mobility India

Conference 2020

 The 13th Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference was

organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

 It was inaugurated by Hardeep S. Puri, Minister of State (IC)

Housing and Urban Affairs.

 The theme of the conference is ―Emerging Trends in Urban

Mobility‖.

 The conference focused on innovative measures taken at the

national and international level to address the challenges

posed by Covid-19 pandemic to provide accessible and

convenient transport to the people.

Prime Minister Modi to unveil life-size statue of Swami

Vivekanand at JNU Campus on November 12

 Prime Minister Modi on November 12, 2020, will unveil a

life-size statue of Swami Vivekanand via video-conferencing

at the campus of Jawahar Lal Nehru University, Delhi. The

Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank will also be

present during the event.

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 The Vice-Chancellor of JNU stated in a statement that Swami

Vivekanand has been one of the most beloved spiritual

leaders and intellectuals India has been fortunate to have.

 He always enthused the youth with the message of harmony,

peace, freedom, and development of India. Vivekanand

always inspired Indian citizens to take pride in Indian culture,

civilization, and its industrious spirit.

Government to provide Rs 4000 to six states affected by

cyclone, floods & landslides

 A high-level committee, chaired by Home Minister Amit

Shah has approved the release of additional Central assistance

worth over Rs 4,381 crore to six states that were impacted by

cyclone, floods, landslides during this year. The funds will be

provided from the National Disaster Response Fund.

 The centre has approved Rs 2,707 crore for West Bengal and

Rs 128 crore for Odisha for cyclone Amphan and Rs 268

crore have been approved for Maharashtra for cyclone

Nisarga.

 Besides this, the government has approved Rs 577 crore for

Karnataka, Rs 611 crore for Madhya Pradesh and Rs 87 crore

for Sikkim for floods and landslides caused during the South-

West monsoon season.

PM modi spends Diwali with soldiers in forward areas

 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, continuing his

tradition of spending Diwali with the armed forces interacted

and addressed the soldiers at the Indian border post of

Longewala. He said his Diwali is complete only when he is

with the soldiers whether in the snow-clad mountains or in

the desert. He took the greetings, blessings and wishes of

every Indian to the armed force personnels at the border. He

also greeted the brave mothers and sisters and paid tribute to

their sacrifice. The Prime Minister conveyed the gratitude of

the countrymen to the armed forces and said 130 crore

Indians are standing strongly with the forces.

 The Prime Minister emphasized that only that nation is secure

which has the capability to face the attackers and intruders.

He said irrespective of advances in international cooperation

and changes in equations, we simply can‘t afford to forget

that vigilance is the key to security, alertness is the basis of

happiness, and strength is the confidence of victory.

PM modi spends Diwali with soldiers in forward areas

 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, continuing his

tradition of spending Diwali with the armed forces interacted

and addressed the soldiers at the Indian border post of

Longewala. He said his Diwali is complete only when he is

with the soldiers whether in the snow-clad mountains or in

the desert. He took the greetings, blessings and wishes of

every Indian to the armed force personnels at the border. He

also greeted the brave mothers and sisters and paid tribute to

their sacrifice. The Prime Minister conveyed the gratitude of

the countrymen to the armed forces and said 130 crore

Indians are standing strongly with the forces.

 The Prime Minister emphasized that only that nation is secure

which has the capability to face the attackers and intruders.

He said irrespective of advances in international cooperation

and changes in equations, we simply can‘t afford to forget

that vigilance is the key to security, alertness is the basis of

happiness, and strength is the confidence of victory.

.IRCTC to Start Bharat Darshan Yatra from December

 IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation)

will be starting ‗Bharat Darshan–Dakshin Bharat Yatra‘ from

12 December this year. Indian Railway initiative will start

from Hyderabad and Secunderabad (Telangana) from Dec 12

to 18.

 Indian Railway initiative under this theme : ‗Show India to

Indians‘.

 The facility of boarding and de-boarding this tourist train will

be available at Secunderabad (Telangana), Khammam,

Nellore (Andhra Pradesh), Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh),

Warangal (Telangana), Ongole (Andhra Pradesh), and

Renigunta (Andhra Pradesh).

Ministry of Textiles h   

Campaign

 The Union Ministry of Textiles has launched a campaign for

Diwali- ―Local4Diwali‖.

 The campaign has been launched to promote the Indian

handicraft which is the cultural heritage of the country and

also a source of livelihood for many.

 As per the available data, the handicrafts sector is a major

sector of women empowerment as almost 55% of the workers

and artisans are women.

 The main aim of the #Local4Diwali campaign is to urge

people to buy and gift Indian handicraft products on this

Diwali.

 The basic aim of the campaign is to give a boost to Indian

handicrafts and artisans.

 This campaign will help the handicraft artisans and workers

in increasing their sales and promoting their business.

 After the promotion of the idea of ―Vocal for Local‖ by PM

Modi, every sector is working towards promoting local

businesses and strengthening Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

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Lonar Lake in Buldana district of Maharashtra declared

as a wetland area under 'Ramsar Convention'

 Lonar Lake in Buldana district of Maharashtra, which was

formed by a meteorite impact about 50 thousand years ago,

has been declared as a wetland area under 'Ramsar

Convention'. It has been declared as the 41st place in the

country and the second ‗Ramsar site‘ in Maharashtra.

 This announcement will lead to better conservation of Lonar

Lake, as Ramsar Convention is bound for conservation for

wetlands. The importance of the lake's ecosystem and

biodiversity is rising due to the algal population and other

microorganisms in the lake and flora-fauna around the lake

side.

All religious places in Maharashtra to open from

tomorrow

 In Maharashtra, as all the religious places are opening from

tomorrow, many famous temples are doing special

arrangements to facilitate the devotees to visit the temples

without crowding and following COVID-19 guidelines.

Famous Tuljapur temple in Osmanabad has made the

provision of free passes for the devotees which will be issued

online.

 AIR Correspondent reports, devotees of Tulja Bhavani can

seek the blessings of Goddess from tomorrow without

crowding the temple premises as the temple authorities have

made the provision of free passes to enter the temple. The

passes will be available online on the website of the temple

and at the same time those who don't have internet access can

collect their passes in person from four centres in Tuljapur

External affairs minister S. Jaishankar Represents India

at 15th East Asia Summit 2020

 The External Affairs Minister DrS.Jaishankar represented

India at the 15tEast Asia Summit (EAS) on 14 November

2020 on behalf of PM Modi.

 The Summit was chaired bythe Prime Minister of Vietnam

Nguyen Xuan Phuc because Vietnam is ASEAN Chair in

2020 (ASEAN holds the central role and leadership in the

forum).

 All the 18 EAcountries participated in the virtual Summit.

 The East Asia Summit (EAS) was established in 2005, as a

Leaders-led forumthatprovidesa platform for discussion on

important strategic issues in the Indo-Pacific region.

 It is a regional grouping of 18 participating countries which

includes 10 ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia,

Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore,

Thailand and Vietnam), and Australia, China, India, Japan,

Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United

States.

 India is a founding member of EAS.

 The 18 members of the EAS together represent 54% of the

world population and account for 58% of the global GDP.

Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan chairs 147th session

of WHO Executive Board

 Health Minister Harsh Vardhan was elected the chair of

World Health Organization‘s Executive Board on Friday.

 ―I feel deeply honoured to have the trust and faith of all of

you. India, and my countrymen, too, feel privileged that this

honour has been bestowed upon us. I will work to realise the

collective vision of our organisation, to build the collective

capacity of all our Member nations and to build a heroic

collective leadership,‖ Harsh Vardhan said addressing the

147th WHO Executive Board session as its Chair. The

session was held virtually.

 ―WHO is already providing leadership to the entire world in

the sphere of public health, engaging with partners for joint

actions, shaping the research agenda and stimulating the

dissemination of valuable knowledge. The need is to catalyse

further change,‖ he said.

 Health is central to enhancing human capabilities. Protecting

health of those without wealth should be the core philosophy

of our close alliance at the WHO, Vardhan said.

        

Anniversary celebrations of Jainacharya Shree Vijay

Vallabh Surishwer Ji Maharaj

 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today unveiled

‗Statue of Peace‘ to mark the 151st Birth Anniversary

celebrations of Jainacharya Shree Vijay Vallabh Surishwer Ji

Maharaj, via video conferencing. The Statue unveiled in the

honour of the Jain acharya, has been named as ‗Statue of

Peace‘. The 151 inch tall statue has been made from

Ashtadhatu i.e. 8 metals, with Copper being the major

constituent, and is installed at Vijay Vallabh Sadhana Kendra,

Jetpura, in Pali, Rajasthan.

 The Prime Minister paid tribute to the Jainacharya and the

spiritual leaders present on the occasion. Mentioning two

‗Vallabhs‘, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel and the Jainacharya

Shree Vijay Vallabh Surishwer Ji Maharaj, the Prime

Minister said that he feels blessed by the fact that after

dedicating the world‘s tallest statue of Sardar Patel- ‗Statue of

Unity‘, he is getting opportunity to unveil the ‗Statue of

Peace‘ of the Jainacharya Shri Vijay Vallabh.

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Bharat Biotech starts Phase III trials of COVAXIN

 Bharat Biotech has announced commencement of Phase III

trials of COVAXIN yesterday. The Phase III trials will

involve 26,000 volunteers across India, conducted in

partnership with ICMR. It is the largest clinical trial

conducted for a COVID-19 vaccine in India.

 This is India‘s first phase 3 efficacy study for a COVID-19

vaccine, and the largest phase III efficacy trial ever conducted

in India. The trial has been registered at www.ctri.nic.in and

approved by the Drugs Controller General of India.

 COVAXIN has been evaluated in 1000 subjects in Phase I

and Phase II clinical trials, with promising safety and

immunogencity data. Volunteers who wish to participate in

this trial should be adults over 18 years of age.

 COVAXIN, India's indigenous COVID-19 vaccine by Bharat

Biotech is developed in collaboration with the Indian Council

of Medical Research - National Institute of Virology. This

indigenous, inactivated vaccine is developed and

manufactured in Bharat Biotech's BSL-3 bio-containment

facility.

Centre govt. launches Safai Mitra Suraksha Challenge in

243 cities

 Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday launched the

Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge, aimed to ensure that no

person needs to enter a sewer or septic tank, unless absolutely

unavoidable in the interest of greater public hygiene. The

initiative, that promotes mechanized cleaning, also aims to

ensure that no life of any sewer or septic tank cleaner is ever

lost again owing to the issue of 'hazardous' cleaning.

 The virtual event witnessed participation of representatives

from 243 cities across the country, coming together to take a

pledge to mechanize all sewer and septic tank cleaning

operations by 30th April 2021. The initiative was launched on

the occasion of World Toilet Day.

North Police Station in Kohima receives an ISO

certification

 In a major feat and a first of its kind in the state, North Police

Station Kohima in Nagaland has been awarded an ISO

certification. The Police station is located in the heart of

Kohima Town which was the first established police station

under Naga Hills district by the British Regime in the year

1933.Presently, the North Police station is headed by an

Inspector rank officer-in-charge and 88 other ranks.

 It has been awarded ISO 9001:2015 certification on meeting

the specified parameters of Quality Management System on

policing and related scope of activities which includes

maintenance of public peace, law and order, prevention,

detection and investigation of crime and criminal activities,

emergency response, VIP Security and prevention of human

trafficking

Govt approves 28 Food Processing Projects worth over

320 crore rupees

 The government has approved 28 Food Processing Projects

worth over 320 crore rupees. These projects supported with a

grant of over 107 crore rupees by the Ministry of Food

Processing Industries were approved under the Scheme for

Creation and Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation

Capacities- CEFPPC in the Inter-Ministerial Approval

Committee (IMAC) meeting.

 These projects spread over 10 states are likely to generate

employment for nearly 10 thousand people. Minster of Food

Processing Industries . Narendra Singh Tomar chaired the

IMAC meeting through video conference to consider projects

under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) for

necessary Grants-in-aid.

        

Quality Index, New Delhi got 2nd rank

 Pakistan's cultural capital Lahore has once again topped the

list of world's most polluted cities.

 "Lahore ranks the most polluted city in the world," according

to air pollution data released by the US Air Quality.

 According to the index, Lahore reported a particulate matter

(PM) rating of 423. Pakistan's financial capital Karachi

ranked at 7 on the AQI. New Delhi came in second with a PM

of 229, while Nepal's capital Kathmandu ranked the third-

worst city with a PM of 178.

Arjun Munda E-Inaugurates the first ever virtual Aadi

mahotsav in Madhya Pradesh

 Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda launched the virtual

edition of Aadi Mahotsav in Madhya Pradesh. The 10-day

long festival, is being hosted on the Tribes India

website(www.tribesindia.com). The main focus is on the

tribal craft and culture of Madhya Pradesh.

 It was also announced that the next focus state from the 11th

December would be Gujarat, following which the spotlight

would shift to Bengal from the 21st December, 2020.

 The Aadi Mahotsav – A Celebration of the Spirit of Tribal

Culture, Crafts, Cuisine and Commerce – is a successful

initiative that was commenced in 2017. The festival was an

attempt to familiarise the people with the rich and diverse

craft, culture of the tribal communities across the country, in

one place. Held between 16-30 November, 2019 in New

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Delhi, the 15-day festival featured an exhibition-cum-sale of

tribal handicrafts, art, paintings fabric, jewellery. More than

400 tribal artisans and producers from across India enriched

the festival with their participation and it received tremendous

response.

India and the US sign MoU on Intellectual Property

cooperation

 India, and the US had signed a Memorandum of

Understanding on Intellectual Property cooperation.

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade,

Ministry of Commerce and Industry signed the MoU with US

Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce of

the US.

 Cabinet in its meeting on 19th February this year gave the

approval for signing the MoU with USPTO in the field of IP

Cooperation. The MoU aims at increasing IP co-operation

between the two countries. It will facilitate the exchange and

dissemination of best practices, experiences and knowledge

on IP among the public, and between and among the industry,

universities, research and development organizations, and

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.

Winter session of the Maharashtra legislature held in

Mumbai instead of Nagpur on 14 and 15 December

 The winter session of the Maharashtra legislature held in

Mumbai instead of Nagpur on December 14 and December

15.

 A decision to this effect was taken during a business advisory

committee (BAC) meeting held. Days of the session have

been curtailed in light of the novel coronavirus pandemic and

precautionary measures.

Prime Minister virtually inaugurated Agra Metro Rail

project on December 7

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi was virtually launched the

construction work of Agra metro on 7th December. Uttar

Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation has set a deadline of five

years for the completion of two corridors of Agra metro

which will connect all the major tourist destinations and the

tourists coming from all over the world to see the Taj will get

a new experience of green transport.

 MD of UPMRC Kumar Keshav said that Agra Metro will be

a boon to tourism and it will take around 3 years for the first

metro train on the priority section between Tajmahal to Jama

Masjid.

EU President and British Prime Minister agree to resume

Brexit trade talks

 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen instructed their

negotiators to resume trade talks in a last ditch attempt to

bridge significant differences. In a joint statement, the two

leaders recognised the seriousness of their differences and

said that a further effort should be undertaken by the

negotiating teams to assess whether they can be resolved.

 British and EU negotiators paused trade talks on Friday to

call in their leaders to try to narrow the gaps and get an

agreement after a week of negotiations failed to bridge

significant divergences between the two sides.

Pfizer sought emergency use authorisation for its

COVID-19 vaccine in India

 Pfizer, one of the world's premier biopharmaceutical

companies, had sought emergency use authorisation for its

COVID-19 vaccine in India. The firm, in its application

submitted to the drug regulator, has sought permission to

import the vaccine for sale and distribution in the country.

 Pfizer India had became the first pharmaceutical firm to seek

from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) an

emergency use authorisation for its COVID-19 vaccine in the

country, after its parent company secured such clearance in

the UK and Bahrain.

Commerce Ministry and AYUSH Ministry decided to set

up an AYUSH Export Promotion Council

 Ministries of Commerce and Industry and AYUSH had

decided to work together to set up an Export Promotion

Council to boost AYUSH exports. This decision was taken in

a joint review of AYUSH trade and industry by Commerce

and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and AYUSH Minister

Shripad Naik.

 It was also decided that the entire AYUSH sector will work

together to achieve price and quality competitiveness to boost

exports. The review was held through video conference. It

was attended by nearly 50 industry and trade leaders from the

AYUSH Sector. More than 2000 stake-holders of the

AYUSH Sector also attended the e-event through live

streaming on virtual platform

PM Modi to give inaugural address at virtual IMC 2020

on 8 December

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will give the inaugural

address at the virtual India Mobile Congress 2020 on 8

December. IMC 2020 is being organised by the Department

of Telecommunications, and the Cellular Operators

Association of India. It will be held from 8 December to 10th

December.

 The theme for IMC 2020 is "Inclusive Innovation - Smart,

Secure, Sustainable‖. It aims to align to the Prime Minister‘s

vision to promote ‗Aatmanirbhar Bharat‘, ‗Digital

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

Inclusivity‘, and ‗Sustainable development, entrepreneurship

and innovation‘. It also aims to drive foreign and local

investments, encourage Research and Development in the

telecom and emerging technology sectors.

India invited CLMV countries to join the International

Solar Alliance

 India invited the CLMV countries of Cambodia, Laos,

Myanmar and Vietnam to join the International Solar

Alliance as well as the Resilient Supply Chain Initiative by

India.

 The invitation was extended at the sixth India-CLMV

Business Conclave 2020.

 During the conclave, India mentioned that it is ready to share

COVID-19 vaccine with the CLMV countries.

 The CLMV countries are Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and

Vietnam.

 The countries act as a gateway for the market access to

European Union and China and also other markets due to

various trade agreements.

India and Qatar create special Task-Force to further

facilitate investments by QIA into India

 India and Qatar decided to create a special Task-Force to

further facilitate investments by Qatar Investment Authority

into India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi while speaking on

telephone with Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Amir of Qatar

also resolved to explore Qatari investments in the entire

energy value-chain in India.

 Both the leaders discussed the robust cooperation between

both countries in the fields of investment flows and energy

security, and reviewed recent positive developments in this

regard. The leaders agreed to remain in regular touch, and

looked forward to meeting in-person after the normalisation

of the public-health situation caused by the COVID-19

pandemic.

PM Modi toinaugurated Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

Convention on 9th of Jan 2021

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi was inaugurated the Pravasi

Bharatiya Divas Convention on 9th of January. In view of the

ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Convention will be held in

virtual format. President Ram Nath Kovind will deliver the

Valedictory address to the diaspora.

 The theme this year is Contributing to Atmanirbhar Bharat.

The winners of 'Bharat ko Janiye' Quiz will also be

announced in the Inaugural Session. The Pravasi Bharatiya

Samman Awards will also be announced to honour eminent

overseas Indians for their contributions to various fields both

in India and abroad.

India and Nepal decided open flights under bilateral

bubble arrangement

 India and Nepal had decided to open flights under a bilateral

bubble arrangement, as India had done with several countries.

 India had proposed this to Nepal some time back and Nepal

had cleared it now after Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan

Shringla highlighted the importance of people to people

connectivity during recent visit.

PM to address global climate summit to mark 5th

anniversary of Paris Climate Pact

 Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar had said that

climate change is not an overnight phenomenon and it had

taken the last 100 years to have an impact on the

environment.

 Briefing the media in New Delhi on the eve of completion of

five years of the Paris Agreement, Mr Javadekar said, climate

change is not a result of recent actions but of historical

actions. He said, historically the USA has 25 per cent of all

emissions, Europe has 22 per cent whereas China has 13 per

cent and India only 3 per cent

Govt rejected claim of fully privatizing Indian Railways &

abolishing facilities like monthly passes, discounts to

senior citizens

 Government had rejected a claim that Indian Railways will be

fully privatized and facilities like monthly passes and

discounts to senior citizens will be abolished.

 Press Information Bureau of the Government of India said

that a video circulating on social media is fake. No such

decision had been taken by the central government.

WHO applauds India's 'Fitness Ka Dose Aadha Ghanta

Roz' campaign

 The clarion call by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to all

Indians of Fitness Ka Dose, Aadha Ghanta Roz has received

praise from the World Health Organisation.

 In a tweet, WHO said, it applauds India's initiative on

promoting physical activity through this fitness campaign.

The campaign launched as part of the nation-wide Fit India

Movement by Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports

Kiren Rijiju has gained the support of celebrities from

different fields including Bollywood, sportspersons, writers,

doctors and fitness influences. They have enthusiastically

urged Indians to follow the basic mantra of 30 minutes of

fitness every day.

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STATE NEWS

Punjab Govt Launches 'I Rakhwali' App

 The State Forest Department of Punjab has launched a mobile

application named ‗I Rakhwali‘ to strengthen its drive to

preserve and maintain the environment in Punjab

 The app was launched by the Punjab Forest Minister Sadhu

Singh Dharamsot.

 The main aim of ‗I Rakhwali‘ app is to ensure greenery and

protect the environment in Punjab as well as inspire people to

plant more trees to safeguard the state forest area.

Tamil Nadu govt releases policy for electronics &

hardware manufacturing

 The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy

released the state‘s Electronic Hardware Manufacturing

Policy-2020.A target is fixed in the new policy for the

manufacturing of electronic goods worth 100-billion US

Dollars by the year 2025.

 It envisages making the state contribute 25 percent of the

country's total electronic hardware export.It aims at attracting

semiconductor fabrication units to the state.

 Providing a 30-percent capital subsidy, 50 percent grant for

taking land on lease, 5-percent interest grant for term loans

and a monthly financial aid for the first-time trainees in the

sector for six months at the rate of Rs. 4,000 for men and Rs.

6,000 for women are some of the features in the new policy.

Mobile phones, LED‘s, fabless chips, printed circuit boards,

solar photovoltaic cells and medical and automobile

electronics are some of the areas that are being given focus in

the new policy.

        

Andhra ranks last at 66.4%

 With 96.2 percent literacy, Kerala has once again emerged as

the most literate state in the country, while Andhra Pradesh

featured at the bottom with a rate of 66.4 percent, showed a

report based on National Statistical Office (NSO) survey. The

report on ‗Household Social Consumption: Education in India

as part of the 75th round of National Sample Survey – from

July 2017 to June 2018‘ provides for state-wise detail of

literacy rate among the persons aged seven years and above.

 According to the study, after Kerala, Delhi has the best

literacy rate at 88.7 percent, followed by Uttarakhand's 87.6

percent, Himachal Pradesh‘s 86.6 percent, and Assam‘s at

85.9 percent.

 On the other hand, Rajasthan is the second-worst performer

with a literacy rate at 69.7 percent, followed by Bihar at 70.9

percent, Telangana at 72.8 percent, Uttar Pradesh at 73

percent, and Madhya Pradesh at 73.7 percent.The study has

pegged the overall literacy rate in the country at about 77.7

percent.

Telangana, Haryana states take several activities under

Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat programme

 Under the Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat programme,

Telangana and Haryana States have achieved synergy and

artists, students and literary personalities learnt arts, language

and culture of each other to a large extent.Telangana and

Haryana states have taken up several activities under the Ek

Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat programme and achieved the

objective to a large extent during the past few years.

 Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015, the

programme provided the two states a perfect platform to

promote the spirit of national integration and learn each

other‘s language, art, culture, literature and know largely

about the way of life of each other.

Punjab Govt rolls out Smart Ration Card Scheme

 Punjab launched the Smart Ration Card Scheme to cover 1.41

crore beneficiaries across the state, Punjab Chief Minister

Capt. Amarinder Singh announced a separate state-funded

scheme to provide subsidised ration to nine lakh beneficiaries

not covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

 With this, the total number of beneficiaries in the state would

go up to 1.50 crore, the Chief Minister announced, while

rolling out the smart card scheme under which 37.5 lakh

cards would be distributed to the eligible beneficiaries this

month.

Rajasthan govt and SIDBI sign pact to develop MSME

ecosystem

 Rajasthan's Department of Industries and SIDBI will work

together to provide financial, technical, marketing and export

support to MSMEs in the state.

 The Small Industries Development Bank of India (Sidbi) has

signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the

Rajasthan government to develop the MSME ecosystem in

the state.

 The MSME Act was amended to promote industries and

exempt such businesses from all kinds of permissions and

inspections for three years.

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      w special

security force rules

 A special force will be set up in Uttar Pradesh that can search

and arrest without a warrant, said the government on Sunday.

Called the Special Security Force, the government plans to

launch it within the next three months.

 The force will be deployed for the security of strategic and

vital installations, high court, district court, state government

administrative premises, religious spots, Metro Rail, airports,

banks, industrial undertakings and any other establishment

notified by the state government.

 The state legislative assembly passed the Uttar Pradesh

Special Security Force Bill-2020 in the monsoon session,

paving the way for constitution of the specialised force.

Chhattisgarh to set up specialised police unit to counter

Maoists in Bastar

 A specialised unit of Chhattisgarh Police's 'Bastar Special

Force' may soon be introduced for Maoist-affected districts

which will comprise of local youths from the interiors of

insurgency-hit Bastar division.

 Chief minister BhupeshBaghel directed the senior officers of

the police department to raise 'Bastar Special Force' by

recruiting local boys from sensitive areas.

 The Bastar division comprises seven districts - Bastar,

Kanker, Kondagaon, Dantewada, Narayanpur, Sukma and

Bijapur and each one of them has been facing Maoist

problems since the 1980s.

 Earlier in 2016, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)

raised the Bastariya Battalion, to counter insurgency in which

local tribals were recruited.

exclusive terminal for

private jets

 India's first exclusive private jet terminal was inaugurated by

Union Civil Aviation at the Indira Gandhi International

Airport in Delhi on September 17, 2020. The exclusive

terminal will handle flight operations of private jets.

 The exclusive terminal has 57 parking bays and so can handle

up to 150 private jet flights per day. Before the pandemic, the

Delhi airport was handling the operations of around 40

"general aviation" flights per day and it is currently handling

about 20 such flights. The flight operations of private jets are

classified under the "general aviation" category.

 The new and exclusive private jet terminal will enable

smooth movement of business jets and chartered aircraft. The

inauguration of the terminal fulfills a long-pending demand of

the Indian billionaires, who have been since long seeking

friendlier skies with a network of airports just for private jets.

Cricketer Suresh Raina to set up cricket schools in J&K

 International cricketer Suresh Raina called on Lieutenant

Governor Manoj Sinha in Srinagar yesterday. The celebrity

cricketer, on the request of Lt Governor, agreed to set up five

schools in Kashmir division and an equal number in Jammu

division to train the aspiring cricketers, particularly the

youngsters from remote areas of the Union Territory of

Jammu and Kashmir.

 The Lt Governor appreciated the gesture of the cricketer and

also informed him of the government‘s resolve of developing

sports culture in the Union Territory and said with sports and

education, we shall give a new direction to the talented youth

of J&K‘.

Lok Sabha passes Jammu and Kashmir Official

Languages Bill, 2020

 Lok Sabha passed the Jammu and Kashmir Official

Languages Bill, 2020. The bill aims to make Kashmiri, Dogri,

Hindi, English and Urdu as the official languages of the

Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

 The earlier the official language for the Union territory was

only Urdu.

 Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir had informed

the Centre that people across the Union Territory had been

demanding to include the languages they speak and

understand as their official language.

West Bengal Launches Pathashree Abhijan Scheme To

Repair 7,000 Roads In State



West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched the

Pathashree Abhijan, a road repair scheme, where more than

7,000 stretches of roads comprising 12,000 kilometers across

the state will be repaired.

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

Informing about the same, the Chief Minister said that under

the scheme the roads will be repaired in a mission mode and

in a time- bound manner.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announces anti-

 



Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, October 5, launched

an anti-air pollution campaign named "Yudh Pradushan Ke

Virudh" to keep a check on the air pollution levels in the

national capital.



Stressing that polluted air can prove harmful to the health

amid the coronavirus outbreak, he said, "Polluted air can be

life-threatening in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both

affect lungs.



Under the campaign, separate plans have been prepared for

each of the 13 pollution hotspots in the city, the Chief

Minister stated while addressing a digital press conference.

He said, ''Customised plans of action are being made for each

area, according to their respective causes of pollution & the

thereby execution those plans to deal with all that pollution."

      -

powered airport



Puducherry airport has become the Airports Authority of

India's (AAI) first entirely solar-powered airport in the

country with the commissioning of 500KWp ground-mounted

solar power plant at a cost of Rs 2.8 crore.



The 500KWp ground-mounted solar power plant was

commissioned on 2nd October 2020.With becoming

absolutely power-neutral, the Puducherry airport will be able

to meet its entire power requirement through the solar power

plant.

       

chillies gets GI tag



Dalle Khursani, the famous red hot cherry pepper of Sikkim,

is set to get a geographical indication (GI) tag from the

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade

(DPIIT).



The GI tag is a name or a sign given to a certain product that

has a specific geographical location or origin. An application

filed by the Guwahati-based North Eastern Regional

Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited (Neramac) for

the GI tag of Sikkim‘s Dalle Khursani has been accepted by

the DPIIT.



Considered one of the world‘s hottest chillies, it has a range

of 1,00,000 to 3,50,000 SHU (Scoville Heat Units). The

Scoville scale is a measurement of spiciness or heat of

chillies. The famous Bhut Jolokia, grown in neighbouring

Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur, has an

SHU range of 8,55,000 to 10,41,427.

Maharashtra becomes first state to regulate prices of

masks



Maharashtra has become the first state to regulate the rates of

face masks during COVID-19 pandemic as a committee

formed to implement caps on the price of masks has

submitted its recommendations to the state government and

formal order will soon be issued.



The state govt had constituted a committee to give

suggestions about regulating prices of Masks and Sanitisers.



The prices have been fixed after studying all the factors like

raw material, production cost, profit of producers and

distributors. After the government approval, the N-95 mask

will be available for around 19 to 50 rupees depending on the

type, whereas double and triple layer masks will be available

for just three to four rupees.



With this, Maharashtra has become the first state to cap the

prices of masks. The prices of sanitizers are also being

capped as well.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Reddy launches

 Kanuka



In yet another first in the entire country, Andhra Pradesh

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the

‗Jagananna Vidya Kanuka‘ scheme, which provides

preparatory educational kits to school students in the state.



The novel scheme, seen in awe by many across the country, is

the brainchild of YS Jagan to achieve the larger objective of

enhancing student interest towards schooling and reduce the

dropout rate in government schools.



The AP CM formally inaugurated the one of its kind scheme

at an event organized at the ZP High School of Punadipadu of

Kankipadu mandal in Krishna district. To set this unique

programme rolling, he gave away school kits to students of

various grades between 1st and 10th standard and blessed

them to do well in their studies.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat

launches Saur Swarojgar Yojana to generate self-

employment



Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat launched Mukhya

Mantri Saur Swarojgar Yojana. The Yojana aims at creating

self- employment for nearly 10,000 youths in the state.



The targeted beneficiaries, including the youth and migrants

who have returned home after leaving their jobs in various

parts of the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Delhi exempts road tax on battery-operated vehicles; CM

Kejriwal says 'crucial step'



Delhi government exempts road tax on battery-operated

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vehicles under its new Electric Vehicle Policy, Transport

Minister Kailash Gahlot said.



Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed the decision ‗another

crucial step towards ensuring a pollution-free Delhi‘



People have been asked to give their suggestions on the

exemption of the registration fees of electric vehicles,

according to a Delhi government statement. It said an order to

waive the fees will be issued in three days.

Haryana govt launches mobile water testing labs



The Haryana government has launched a mobile water testing

laboratory van, fully equipped with a multi-parameter system

containing analysers, sensor, probes and instruments meant

for assessing water quality, the Jal Shakti Ministry said.



Water quality in Haryana is mainly affected by constituents

like total dissolved solids (TDS), fluoride, nitrate, iron and

alkalinity.



The work under the Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to

provide tap water to rural households by 2024, is being done

on a war footing and it gives a lot of emphasis on water

quality surveillance and monitoring, the ministry said in a

statement.

Kerala becomes first state to go digital in public education



Kerala became the first state in the country to go completely

digital in public education. Kerala Infrastructure and

Technology for Education (KITE) has implemented the

project which comes under the general education department.



Over 3.74 lakh digital equipments were distributed in 16,027

schools for the smart classroom project.



Apart from KIIFB fund, the asset development funds of

public representatives and local government funds were also

utilized for the project.

Odisha Launches 'Sujal' Mission, first state to provide tap

water fit for drinking in urban areas



The Odisha Government launched ‗Sujal - Drink from Tap

Mission‘. The aim of the mission is to provide quality

drinking water, fit for direct consumption from the pipe, to

over 15 lakh people in 15 towns.



Rs 1300 crore will be spent by the Government to provide the

drink directly from tap quality water to all households in

urban areas. The initiative was started at Salia Sahi in

Bhubaneswar and Masani Chandi in Puri.

J&K Lt-

 programme



Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Manoj Sinha

announced the ‗My Town My Pride‘ programme, starting

from October 19, as a part of the public outreach initiative ―in

J&K‘s towns to deliver services at doorsteps to the urban

population‖.



Its main objectives are public outreach in towns,

strengthening grassroots democracy, and service delivery at

doorsteps



The programme will also ensure on-the-spot grievance

redressal, instant delivery of services to the masses, and on

the ground speedy execution of people-centric projects.

3Kerala Ranked as Best Governed State by Public Affairs

Index

 The Public Affairs Index-2020 released by the Public Affairs

Centre in Bengaluru declared Kerala the best governed state

in the country, while Uttar Pradesh ended at the bottom in the

large states category.

 In its annual report released, the city-based not-for-profit

organisation said the states were ranked on governance

performance based on a composite index in the context of

sustainable development. The organisation is headed by

former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman

K. Kasturirangan.

 Four southern states, Kerala (1.388 PAI Index point), Tamil

Nadu (0.912), Andhra Pradesh (0.531) and Karnataka (0.468)

stood in the first four ranks in the large state category in terms

of governance, it said. Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Bihar were

at the bottom of the ranking, scoring negative points in the

category. They got – 1.461, -1.201 and -1.158 points

respectively.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister launches special campaign

to identify people suffering from TB

 Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched a

special 10-day campaign to identify people suffering from

tuberculosis (TB) in the state.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to make India

TB-free by 2025.

 Under the door-to-door campaign, which will end on

November 11, health workers will reach out to 81 lakh

people, identify those suffering from TB, screen them and

help them avail treatment at no cost.

Rajasthan assembly passed bill to make wearing mask

mandatory

 Rajasthan assembly had passed the Rajasthan Epidemic

Diseases (Amendments bill 2020) making it mandatory to

wear masks.

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 The bill prohibits the movements of any person in public

place, public transport, workplace or at any Social, Political,

general function or gathering.

 The bill, however, does not specify the penalties if someone

is caught without masks.

 Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Alwar, Nagaur and Ajmer districts

are most affected by the infection.

Bombay HC hears Arnab Goswami's habeas corpus plea

 A division bench of Bombay High Court heard Habeas

Corpus plea of senior journalist Arnab Goswami. Arnab was

arrested in a connection with abetment to suicide case by

Raigad Police.

 Goswami is currently under judicial custody till November

18th along with other two accused in this case.

 A writ of habeas corpus (which literally means to "produce

the body") is a court order demanding that a public official

deliver an imprisoned individual to the court and show a valid

reason for that person's detention. Both the Supreme Court

(under Article 32) and the high courts (under Article 226) can

issue the writs of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition,

certiorari and also the quo-warranto.

UP govt to hold grand annual Deepotsav celebrations in

Ayodhya on Diwali

 Uttar Pradesh government will celebrate the annual

Deepotsav in Ayodhya on Diwali in a grand manner and this

time it is planning to break its own last year record by

lighting around 6 lakh diyas, earthen lamps on the ghats of

Saryu. The celebration will not be scaled down due to the

coronavirus pandemic, even though there will be minimal

public participation.

 The deepotsav will be celebrated from 11 to 13 november and

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will also take part in it.

Around 10 thousand volunteers of Ram Manohar Lohiya

Swasth University will be involved in the attempt of another

world record of lighting 6 lakh earthen lamps. These diyaas

will be lit on 24 Ghats of holy river Saryu.

 The order of such a large number of earthen lamps has Potter

Families in Shishya are also happy with numbers since a large

part of the earthen lamps are purchased from.them under

national livelihood mission. This is also the first Deepotsav

after the start of Ram temple construction in Ayodhya.

    el of rainwater

harvesting

 The Delhi government will adopt the cost-effective model of

rainwater harvesting currently being implemented in the

tribal-dominated Dungarpur district of Rajasthan.

 A seven-member delegation was on an official visit to

witness the rainwater-harvesting system that costs just Rs

16,000 as compared to the conventional one, which costs

between Rs 50,000 and Rs one lakh per household.

 Dungarpur model was an innovative idea that was centred on

routing the rainwater to a bore well, instead of a regular

rainwater-harvesting pit.

 rainwater collected on the rooftop is being routed to the

casing of already existing bore wells in households. They

have created sand filters in the conduit pipe itself and

included a way of backwash too.

UP to develop Vindhyavasini Temple Corridor in

Vindhyachal

 The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government has decided to develop

the Vindhyavasini Mandir Corridor at Vindhyachal in

Mirzapur district. The Vindhyavasini corridor is modelled on

the lines of Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi.

 It will have a 50-feet wide parikrama path, or

circumambulation route, around the shrine of Goddess

Vindhyavasini. The UP cabinet had on October 30 approved

the decision to develop the religious corridor.

 The Yogi Adityanath-led government seeks to develop

religious tourism in the eastern UP region. The Vindhyavasini

temple is surrounded by buildings and narrow lanes and

pilgrims have to walk through them while circumambulating

the temple.

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Haryana State Govt. passed Right to Recall Panchayat

Member Bill

 The Haryana State Assembly passed a Right to Recall

Panchayat Member Bill. The Haryana Panchayati Raj

(Second Amendment) Bill, 2020 was tabled by Deputy Chief

Minister DushyantChautala.

 With this Bill, the people in rural areas will get the right to

remove a sarpanch or members of the two bodies even before

their tenure is over.

       

Gurgaon to fight air pollution

 Haryana Chief Minister (CM), Manohar Lal Khattar has

virtually unveiled ‗Project Air Care‘ to combat rising Air

Pollution in Gurgaon.

 65 Wing Augmentation Air Purifying Units (WAYU) would

be set up at areas with high Air Quality Indices (AQI) in

Gurgaon to improve the air quality.

 The Air Purifiers have been developed by CSIR-NEERI

(Council of Scientific & Industrial Research-National

Environmental Engineering Research Institute), IIT (Indian

Institute of Technology) Bombay.

 The project is a result of a public-private partnership between

Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA)

and GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) Consumer Healthcare.

Keetham lake in Uttar Pradesh added to Ramsar sites

 Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash

Javadekar has expressed happiness that India has added one

more Ramsar sites. Sur Sarovar, also known as Keetham lake

in Agra of Uttar Pradesh added to the Ramsar sites. In a

tweet, Mr Javadekar said that wetlands are the world's natural

water filters and one of the most productive ecosystems on

the planet.

 The Ramsar Convention signed on 2nd February, 1971, is one

of the oldest inter-governmental accord signed by member

countries to preserve the ecological character of their

wetlands of international importance.

 The aim of the Ramsar list is to develop and maintain an

international network of wetlands which are important for the

conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining

human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem

components, processes and benefits. Wetlands declared as

Ramsar sites are protected under strict guidelines of the

convention.

MP govt announces formation of 'Gau Cabinet' for cow

protection

 A day after announcing the introduction of a bill against

‗Love Jihad‘ in the next session of Vidhan Sabha, the BJP

government in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday said that it

has decided to set up a 'Gau Cabinet' for cow protection.

 In a tweet, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said: ―It

has been decided to constitute a Gau Cabinet (cow cabinet)

for cattle conservation and promotion. It will comprise animal

husbandry, farmers‘ welfare, forest, panchayat-rural

development, home and revenue departments. The first

meeting of the cow cabinet will be held at the cow sanctuary

in Agar-Malwa district on Gopashthami festival on

November 22.‖

  -  

inaugurated in Pune

 In a first-of-its-kind initiative in Maharashtra, Pune City

Police started the ‗Balsnehi (child-friendly) police station‘ on

the premises of the Lashkar police station in Pune.

 The police station had been set up in accordance with

guidelines laid down by the National Commissioner for

Protection of Child Rights.

 The aim of the initiative was to provide an environment that

will enable children to report cases without fear.

 This initiative will help in eliminating the prejudice against

police among the public.

      

campaign

 The Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal had

launched a massive outreach programme named "Duare

Sarkar" (Government at your doorstep) on December 1 ,2020

to make schemes of the state government more accessible to

the public.

 "Duare Sarkar" aims to bring 11 schemes of the state

government, including Swastha Sathi (health scheme),

Khadya Sathi (public food distribution scheme), Jai Johar and

Kanyashree (a cash transfer scheme aimed at retaining girls in

schools and preventing their early marriage) to the doorsteps

of the people.

Odisha tourism launched its flagship Eco-Retreat

program at 5 locations

 Odisha Tourism launched its flagship Eco-Retreat program at

5 locations in the State. The event, inaugurated by Chief

Minister Naveen Patnaik through virtual mode, aims at

boosting tourism in the State.

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 The five locations, namely Konark, Satakosia, Bhitarkanika,

Daringibadi and Hirakud under the scheme are open to the

tourists till February next year. Under the programme,

accommodation facilities and services will be provided to

tourists in luxury cottages in the identified locations.

Ladakh LG virtually inaugurated second edition of

Ladakh Literature Festival 2020

 Ladakh Lieutenant Governor R K Mathur virtually

inaugurated the second edition of Ladakh Literature Festival,

2020, in Leh. The three Day festival will host a series of

talks, importance of the region, ancient knowledge of Ladakh,

Folk music, cultural Dance, geology and wildlife of

Himalayas and several interesting topics on YouTube and

Facebook streaming.

 Lieutenant Governor appealed to the students to participate in

the Literature Festival. He said that the knowledge of the

different worlds will bring a new perspective which is useful

for the local youth to develop a sense of cultural rootedness

and identity.

Lakshadweep declared as first UT to become 100%

organic

 Lakshadweep after Sikkim had become the first Union

Territory to become 100% organic as all the farming in the

region is carried out without the use of pesticides and

synthetic fertilizers.

 The step to opt for organic farming was taken to provide

access to safer food choices as well as for making agriculture

a more environment-friendly activity. Secretary, agriculture,

Lakshadweep, OP Mishra stated that UT can benefit much

from marketing organic products such as coconut milk and

desiccated coconut.

Tamil Nadu granted permission to hold Jallikattu event,

with certain restrictions

 Tamil Nadu government has granted permission to hold

Jallikattu event, with certain restrictions. The number of

players should be not to be more than 150 at an event. It will

be mandatory for the players to provide Covid-19 negative

certificate.

 The state government has also specified that the nubmer of

spectators at the Jallikattu event should not be be more than

50% of the gathering.



 The Karnataka government had unveiled the Farmer

Registration and Unified beneficiary Information System

(FRUITS), an e-governance portal, to create a repository of

farmland information and farm loan details on a single

platform.

 All farmers will be registered and given an identification

number on the portal. Using this number, banks and other

lending institutions can access the land details of farmers as

well as details of their existing borrowings and take a quick

decision on lending. Canara Bank has agreed to run FRUITS

on a pilot basis, according to an official statement.

Madhya Pradesh cabinet approved Dharma Swatantrya

(Religious Freedom) Bill 2020

 The Madhya Pradesh cabinet approved the Dharma

Swatantrya (Religious Freedom) Bill 2020. Under the

provisions of the bill, forced conversion of a woman will be

punishable for a term up to 10 years and minimum fine of Rs

50,000.

 Specific provisions are also made in the cases of religious

conversion of minors, groups, or of those belonging to

scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Blood relatives,

including parents of victims of such religious conversion, can

file complaints under the proposed Act.

39 UP Govt to include history of Sikh gurus in school

curriculum

 The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to include the

history of Sikh gurus in the school curriculum in the state.

 Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also announced that 27th of

December will be celebrated every year as Sahibzada Diwas

in all schools of state.

 The Chief Minister said this at a Gurbani Kirtan held at his

residence on the occasion of 'Sahibzada Diwas‘.

 The Chief Minister said that the Sikh society is known for its

hard work. The Sikh gurus sacrificed their lives to defend the

Hindu religion. The country will always remember this.

Donald Trump announces Wilmington as first World War

II Heritage City

 US President Donald Trump announced Wilmington in

southern US state North Carolina as the first World War II

Heritage City at a ceremony held to mark the 75th

anniversary of the end of World War II.

 During the war, Wilmington was the site of the North

Carolina Shipbuilding Company, which built 243 ships in five

years as part of the federal government's emergency

shipbuilding program, according to a The Hill report.

 The President signed legislation last year directing the

secretary of the interior to each year designate at least one

city as an American World War II Heritage City based on

contributions made to secure victory in the war.

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Typhoon Haishen wreaks havoc in South Korea

 A powerful typhoon damaged buildings, flooded roads and

knocked out power to thousands of homes in South Korea

after battering islands in southern Japan and injuring dozens

of people.

 The Korea Meteorological Administration said typhoon

Haishen was passing waters off the eastern coastal city of

Sokcho.

 Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said at least

38 people were injured, five of them seriously, after Haishen

lashed southwestern Japan over the weekend with strong

winds and rain.

Bangladesh launches campaign against fake information

& rumours

 The Bangladesh government has launched a campaign named

‗Asol Chini‘ or ‗real-sugar‘ to fight fake information and

rumour spreading on social media.It is very difficult to find

out the truth in the whirlwind of fake information and

rumours on the online media.

 It can cause social unrest and loss of property and life.

 The project is aimed to stop rumours and fake information to

spread. The campaign aims to create digital literacy to stop

fake information and rumours.A digital platform

Durbar21.org has been created for this purpose.

US cancels over 1,000 visas for Chinese nationals citing

security

 The United States has revoked visas for more than 1,000

Chinese nationals under a May 29 presidential proclamation

to suspend entry from China of students and researchers

deemed security risks.

 The visa action was being taken under a proclamation

President Donald Trump made on May 29 as part of the US

response to China's plans to impose national security

legislation on Hong Kong.

 It says that China is involved in a wide-ranging and heavily

resourced campaign to acquire sensitive United States

technologies and intellectual property to boost and modernize

its own military capabilities.

Bahrain becomes latest Arab nation to recognise Israel

 Bahrain has become the latest Arab nation to agree to

normalise ties with Israel as part of a broader diplomatic push

by President Donald Trump.

 Trump announced the agreement following a three-way

phone call he had with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu and Bahrain‘s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

 The three leaders also issued a brief six-paragraph joint

statement, attesting to the deal.

 Like the Abraham accord with the UAE, a peace deal

between Israel and Bahrain would normalise diplomatic,

commercial, security and other bilateral relations.

Yoshihide Suga picked by Japan's governing party to

succeed Shinzo Abe

 Yoshihide Suga was elected as the new head of Japan‘s ruling

party, virtually guaranteeing him parliamentary election as

the country‘s next prime minister. Suga received 377 votes in

the ruling Liberal Democratic Party election to pick a

successor to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who announced last

month that he would resign due to health problems.

 The other two contenders received a combined 157 votes.

 Suga is actually known for his iron-fist approach to getting

jobs done as a policy coordinator and influencing bureaucrats

by using the centralised power of the prime minister‘s office.

Bangladesh govt allows limited export of Hilsa fish to

India

 Bangladesh Commerce Ministry has given special permission

for traders to export Hilsa fish to India on a limited scale in

view of the forthcoming Durga Puja. The Commerce Ministry

has allowed nine exporters to send a total of approximately

1,500 tonnes of Hilsa to India.

 The export will be allowed till 10th of October.

 Bangladesh had imposed a ban on the export of Hilsa in 2012.

 However, as a special measure, last year also export of 500

tonnes of Hilsa to India was permitted by the government

around the time of Durga Puja.

 Hilsa or 'Ilish' is considered a delicacy in Bangladesh and

West Bengal.

 Bangladesh has a share of close to 75 per cent in the

production of Hilsa fish in the world.

Nepal plans to resume passenger railway services after 7-

year suspension

 Nepal is planning to resume passenger railway services after

a 7-year suspension after it received two sets of rails from

India. The Diesel-Electric Multiple Unit rail sets that

Kathmandu had purchased from India arrived in Janakpur city

yesterday.

 Director General at the Department of Railway Balram

Mishra said, it would take at least one and half months to

restart the services, as it was currently working to recruit

necessary human resources. The Department has planned to

recruit over 200 staff gradually. It will be the country's first

ever broad-gauge passenger railway service. The service will

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start from Kurtha, an area close to Janakpur town to

Jayanagar, a town bordering India.

 There was an operation of Janakpur-Jaynagar railway service

in the past but on a narrow gauge line. The service was

completely halted seven years ago.

US banned TikTok and WeChat downloads from app

stores

 TikTok and WeChat will be banned from US app stores,

unless President Donald Trump agrees to a last-minute deal.

The Department of Commerce said it would bar people in the

US from downloading the messaging and video-sharing apps

through any app store on any platform.

 The Trump administration says the companies threaten

national security and could pass user data to China. But China

and both companies deny this.

 WeChat will effectively shut down in the US, but people will

still be able to use TikTok until 12 November, when it could

also be fully banned.

US Imposes Sweeping New Sanctions on Iran

 The United States on September 21, 2020 imposed new

sanctions on Iranian officials and entities after its effort to

reimpose UN sanctions on Tehran was largely rejected. The

new sanctions were imposed under a new executive order

issued by US President Donald Trump, which is aimed at

deterring conventional arms transfers to Iran.

 US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said in a statement

that the UN arms embargo on Iran is now reimposed

indefinitely and we will ensure that it remains in place until

Iran changes its behaviour.

 Pompeo said that the new executive order gives the US tools

to hold accountable actors who seek to evade the embargo.

Some of the sanctions have been issued against the Iranian

Ministry of Defence and embattled Venezuelan leader

Nicolas Maduro.

Saudi Arabia suspends travel to and from India, Brazil

and Argentina due to Pandemic

 Saudi Arabia on September 23, 2020 suspended travel to and

from India, Brazil and Argentina. The decision has been

taken due to rising COVID-19 cases in the three nations.

 The Gulf nation has also barred people who have travelled to

any of these three countries 14 days before their arrival in the

Kingdom. The information was relayed through an official

circular.

 The Saudi Travel ban comes as the Union Health Ministry

announced that India accounts for 17.7 percent of global

COVID-19 cases. The Ministry informed that India also has

the highest share of global recoveries, almost 19.5 percent.

Bougainville elects former rebel chief Ishmael Toroama as

its new president

 Former rebel military commander Ishmael Toroama has been

elected president of Bougainville, an autonomous part of

Papua New Guinea, electoral officials say, and is set to lead

talks seeking independence.

 The general election was the first since Bougainville voted

overwhelmingly for a separation from PNG at the end of last

year, with Mr Toroama defeating an open field, the

Bougainville Electoral Commissioner.

 Bougainville, a mineral-rich and lush group of islands in the

South Pacific, has developed little since a decade-long civil

war that claimed as many as 20,000 lives came to an end in

1998.

India expresses concern over raging military conflict

between Armenia, Azerbaijan

 For almost four decades, Armenia and Azerbaijan have been

battling over a piece of land situated in the mountainous

region of south Caucasus. The dispute over Nagorno

Karabakh that began in 1988 has over the years caused

massive human rights violations, a severe refugee crisis and

impacted the economies of both the Transcaucasian republics.

 The issue flared up once again this week, resulting in more

deaths and destruction.

 Reportedly, close to a hundred lives have been lost between

civilians and Armenian combatants. Azerbaijan is yet to

release data on its military losses.

 India has expressed its concern over reports of resumption of

hostilities in the Nagarno-Karabakh region of the Armenia-

Azerbaijan border which took place in the early hours of

September 27.

     

Missile

 Russia has successfully test-fired its highly touted hypersonic

cruise missile called Tsirkon in the waters of northwestern

Russia.

 Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces Valery

Gerasimov reported to President Vladimir Putin on his 68th

birthday that the Tsirkon's launch from a guided missile

frigate ―directly hit‖ its intended target.

 The missile hit its target at a distance of 450 kilometres (280

miles) in four and a half minutes after reaching hypersonic

speeds of more than Mach 8.

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

King of Jordan Abdullah II names his policy adviser

Bishr al-Khasawneh country's new Prime Minister

 Jordan's King Abdullah II designated his chief policy adviser

to form a new government amid criticism of the previous

government's handling of the virus pandemic.

 King of Jordan, Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein has appointed

Bishr al-Khasawneh, policy advisor to the king, as new Prime

Minister of the country.His appointment comes after King

Abdullah II ibn

India, Chile hold first joint commission meeting

 India and Chile held their first joint commission meeting and

agreed to add new momentum to their relations in a wide

range of fields including trade and commerce, agriculture,

health and social security, defence and space.

 The meeting held virtually was co-chaired by External Affairs

Minister S Jaishankar and his Chilean counterpart Andres

Allamand Zavala.

 Both sides noted that the Joint Commission was a significant

development in India - Chile relations, being the first

institutionalized dialogue between the two countries at the

level of Foreign Ministers.

New Zealand's Ardern wins 2nd term in election landslide

 New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern won a second

term in office in an election landslide of historic proportions.

 With most votes counted, Ardern's liberal Labour Party was

winning 49% of the vote compared to 27% for its main

challenger, the conservative National Party.

 In a victory speech in front of hundreds of cheering

supporters in Auckland, Ardern said her party had gotten

more support from New Zealanders that at any time in at least

50 years.

Sweden bans Huawei, ZTE from 5G, calls China biggest

threat

 Sweden is banning Chinese tech companies Huawei and ZTE

from building new high-speed wireless networks after a top

security official called China one of the country‘s biggest

threats.

 The Swedish telecom regulator said that four wireless carriers

bidding for frequencies in an upcoming spectrum auction for

the new 5G networks must not use equipment from Huawei

or ZTE.

 Wireless carriers that plan to use existing telecommunications

infrastructure for 5G networks must also rip out any existing

gear from Huawei or ZTE, the Swedish Post and Telecom

Authority said.

UAE delegation reaches Israel for first time in history

 In an historic first visit by a Gulf Arab nation, a United Arab

Emirates delegation reached Israel.

 It was accompanied by top US officials to cement the

normalisation of ties between the two nations.

 As part of the US-brokered deal, four agreements were signed

relating to investment, scientific cooperation, civil aviation

and visa exemptions, during the visit.

Sushil Kumar Singhal accredited as next High

Commissioner of India to Solomon Islands

 Sushil Kumar Singhal, a 2000-batch Indian Foreign Service

officer, has been concurrently accredited as the next High

Commissioner of India to the Solomon Islands.

 Mr Singhal will be residing in Port Moresby.

 He is presently serving as the High Commissioner of India to

the Independent State of Papua New Guinea.

Brazil's President Bolsonaro rejects purchase of

coronavirus vaccine from China

 Brazil‘s President Jair Bolsonaro has decided on Wednesday

to cancel the purchase of Coronavac, a COVID-19 vaccine in

phase-3 clinical trials by Chinese firm Sinovac.

 A day before, on Tuesday, Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello

had confirmed that Brazil would buy the vaccine developed

by Sinovac to include it in the immunization program, in

addition to one developed by the UK-based AstraZeneca and

Oxford University.

 Bolsonaro said on social media, For sure, we will not buy the

Chinese vaccine, because it is unjustifiable to pay billions for

a vaccine that has not been through its testing phase.

India expresses concern over raging military conflict

between Armenia, Azerbaijan

 For almost four decades, Armenia and Azerbaijan have been

www.ibtindia.com I www.makemyexam.in

G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

battling over a piece of land situated in the mountainous

region of south Caucasus. The dispute over Nagorno

Karabakh that began in 1988 has over the years caused

massive human rights violations, a severe refugee crisis and

impacted the economies of both the Transcaucasian republics.

 The issue flared up once again this week, resulting in more

deaths and destruction.

 Reportedly, close to a hundred lives have been lost between

civilians and Armenian combatants. Azerbaijan is yet to

release data on its military losses.

 India has expressed its concern over reports of resumption of

hostilities in the Nagarno-Karabakh region of the Armenia-

Azerbaijan border which took place in the early hours of

September 27.

     

Missile

 Russia has successfully test-fired its highly touted hypersonic

cruise missile called Tsirkon in the waters of northwestern

Russia.

 Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces Valery

Gerasimov reported to President Vladimir Putin on his 68th

birthday that the Tsirkon's launch from a guided missile

frigate ―directly hit‖ its intended target.

 The missile hit its target at a distance of 450 kilometres (280

miles) in four and a half minutes after reaching hypersonic

speeds of more than Mach 8.

King of Jordan Abdullah II names his policy adviser

Bishr al- Khasawneh country's new Prime Minister

 Jordan's King Abdullah II designated his chief policy adviser

to form a new government amid criticism of the previous

government's handling of the virus pandemic.

 King of Jordan, Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein has appointed

Bishr al-Khasawneh, policy advisor to the king, as new Prime

Minister of the country.

 His appointment comes after King Abdullah II ibn Al

Hussein accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Omar al

Razzaz.

Nepal withdraws textbook which includes contentious

border map with India

 Nepal has withdrawn a school textbook which included a

contentious map of border areas with India that it earlier

showed

as part of its territory in its political map, a move being seen as a

conciliatory step.

 Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli ordered the education ministry

to halt distribution of the 110-page ‗Self Study Material on

Nepal's Territory and Border‘ to high school students, said

people aware of the matter.

 The Nepali-language book also included a chapter on the

campaign to reclaim disputed territory with India. The new

books for the 9th and 12th classes have a preface written by

education minister Giriraj Mani Pokharel.

Kyrgyzstan President Sooronbai Jeenbekov declares state

of emergency amid protests

 The embattled president of Kyrgyzstan ordered a nearly two-

week state of emergency in the capital in a bid to end the

political turmoil that has been sparked by a disputed

parliamentary election.

 President Sooronbai Jeenbekov decreed that the state of

emergency, which starts at 8 pm on Friday and runs through 8

am on October 21, could include a curfew and travel

restrictions. He also ordered the military to deploy troops to

Bishkek, the capital, to enforce the measure.

      

cases

 Bangladesh Cabinet approved a draft law to include death

penalty as the highest punishment for rape.

 The decision to amend the Prevention of Women and

Children Repression Act-2000 was announced after the

Cabinet meeting Chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

 The ordinance will be issued after getting approval of the

President as Parliament is not in session.

 Currently, the highest punishment for rape is life

imprisonment.

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Pakistan, China re-elected to UNHRC; US slams United

Nations for electing 'authoritarian regimes'

 The UN General Assembly elected Pakistan, China, Russia

and 12 other countries to serve as members of the UN Human

Rights Council for three-year terms starting from January 1,

2021.

 China was re-elected to the UNHRC after it defeated Saudi

Arabia in the elections to win a seat by the smallest margin.

Pakistan and Nepal have also been re-elected to the UN

Human RightsCouncil.

 The United States Secretary of State Michael Pompeo

slammed the United Nations for electing ―authoritarian

regimes‖ such as China, Russia and Cuba into the UN Human

Rights Council. He added saying that the US' decision to

withdraw from the council has been ―validated‖.

India, Chile hold first joint commission meeting

 India and Chile held their first joint commission meeting and

agreed to add new momentum to their relations in a wide

range of fields including trade and commerce, agriculture,

health and social security, defence and space.

 The meeting held virtually was co-chaired by External Affairs

Minister S Jaishankar and his Chilean counterpart Andres

Allamand Zavala.

 Both sides noted that the Joint Commission was a significant

development in India - Chile relations, being the first

institutionalized dialogue between the two countries at the

level of Foreign Ministers.

New Zealand's Ardern wins 2nd term in election landslide

 New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern won a second

term in office in an election landslide of historic proportions.

 With most votes counted, Ardern's liberal Labour Party was

winning 49% of the vote compared to 27% for its main

challenger, the conservative National Party.

 In a victory speech in front of hundreds of cheering

supporters in Auckland, Ardern said her party had gotten

more support from New Zealanders that at any time in at least

50 years.

Sweden bans Huawei, ZTE from 5G, calls China biggest

threat

 Sweden is banning Chinese tech companies Huawei and ZTE

from building new high-speed wireless networks after a top

security official called China one of the country‘s biggest

threats.

 The Swedish telecom regulator said that four wireless carriers

bidding for frequencies in an upcoming spectrum auction for

the new 5G networks must not use equipment from Huawei

or ZTE.

 Wireless carriers that plan to use existing telecommunications

infrastructure for 5G networks must also rip out any existing

gear from Huawei or ZTE, the Swedish Post and Telecom

Authority said.

UAE delegation reaches Israel for first time in history

 In an historic first visit by a Gulf Arab nation, a United Arab

Emirates delegation reached Israel.

 It was accompanied by top US officials to cement the

normalisation of ties between the two nations.

 As part of the US-brokered deal, four agreements were signed

relating to investment, scientific cooperation, civil aviation

and visa exemptions, during the visit.

Sushil Kumar Singhal accredited as next High

Commissioner of India to Solomon Islands

 Sushil Kumar Singhal, a 2000-batch Indian Foreign Service

officer, has been concurrently accredited as the next High

Commissioner of India to the Solomon Islands.

 Mr Singhal will be residing in Port Moresby.

 He is presently serving as the High Commissioner of India to

the Independent State of Papua New Guinea.

Brazil's President Bolsonaro rejects purchase of

coronavirus vaccine from China

 Brazil‘s President Jair Bolsonaro has decided on Wednesday

to cancel the purchase of Coronavac, a COVID-19 vaccine in

phase- 3 clinical trials by Chinese firm Sinovac.

 A day before, on Tuesday, Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello

had confirmed that Brazil would buy the vaccine developed

by Sinovac to include it in the immunization program, in

addition to one developed by the UK-based AstraZeneca and

Oxford University.

 Bolsonaro said on social media, For sure, we will not buy the

Chinese vaccine, because it is unjustifiable to pay billions for

a vaccine that has not been through its testing phase

United States reports record over one lakh COVID-19 cases in

single day

 The United States reported over 100,000 new infections of

Covid19 on 30 October to surpass the record total of 91,000

posted a day earlier. The daily caseload of 100,233 is also a

world record for the global pandemic.

 The United States has crossed 9 million cumulative cases,

representing nearly 3% of the population.

 16 U.S. states reported their highest one-day coronavirus

infections while thirteen states were at record levels of

hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

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 The number of daily infections reported during the past two

days indicates that the Country is now reporting more than

one new case every second.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal lays

foundation stone of Indo-Israeli Centre of Excellence for

Vegetables Protected Cultivation

 The Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal has laid

the foundation stone of Indo-Israeli Centre of Excellence

(CoE) for Vegetables Protected Cultivation at Khetri on the

outskirts ofthe Indo-Israeli Centre of Excellence for

Vegetables Protected Cultivation is estimated to be set up at

an investment of Rs 10.33 Crore.

 The CoE will provide exposure to the latest Israeli

technologies to the farmers of Assam and help them in

maximizing their production and income. It would also boost

agricultural and horticultural production in Assam leading to

greater economic rewards to state‘s farmers

Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs launches Nurturing

Neighbourhoods Challenge in India

 The Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing and Urban

Affairs, held a kick-off event for the ‗Nurturing

Neighbourhoods Challenge‘ in collaboration with the

Netherlands-based Bernard van Leer Foundation (BvLF) and

with the technical support of WRI India.

 By focusing on the needs of young children aged 0 – 5 years

and their caregivers in the public realm, the initiative marks

an important step towards making Indian cities sustainable,

inclusive, and family-friendly. The programme will support a

pan-India challenge, inviting applications from November 4,

2020. All Smart Cities, capitals of States and UTs, and other

cities with population above 5 lakhs are eligible to participate

 Under its prime objective of inclusive development, the

Government of India is committed to enhancing opportunities

in urban areas for all vulnerable citizens, especially young

children. The Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge is an

open call to Indian cities to propose and pilot neighbourhood-

level improvements in public space, mobility, access to

services, and data management to enhance the physical and

psychological health of young children and their caregivers.

WHO chief in self-quarantine after being identified as

contact of COVID-19 positive person

 World Health Organization Director-General Tedros

Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that he had been identified as a

contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19, but

added that he was feeling well and did not have any

symptoms.

 ―I have been identified as a contact of someone who has

tested positive for #COVID19. I am well and without

symptoms but will self-quarantine over the coming days, in

line with @WHO protocols, and work from home,‖

Mr.Tedros said in a tweet.

India Firmly Rejects Pakistan's Move to Accord Status of

Province for Gilgit-Baltistan

 India slammed Pakistan for its attempt to accord provincial

status to the ―so-called Gilgit- Baltistan‖, saying it is intended

to camouflage the ―illegal occupation‖ of the region by

Islamabad.

 The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson

Anurag Srivastava said India ―firmly rejects‖ the attempt by

Pakistan to bring material changes to a part of Indian territory

which is under Islamabad‘s ―illegal and forcible occupation‖

and asked the neighbouring country to immediately vacate

such areas.

Magufuli wins re-election in Tanzania; opposition cries

foul

 Tanzania‘s President John Magufuli has won the presidential

election, the National Electoral Commission said, a contest

dismissed by the opposition as a ―travesty‖ because of

widespread irregularities.

 Magufuli received 12.5 million votes in Wednesday‘s

election – or 85 percent – while his main challenger, Tundu

Lissu of the Chadema party, got 1.9 million votes, or 13

percent, the electoral commission said.

         

income-tax exemption

 Finance Ministry announced that Abu Dhabi‘s Sovereign

Wealth Fund (SWF) - MIC Redwood 1 RSC Limited - has

become the first foreign SWF that has been notified and

granted 100% income-tax exemption for the long-term

investments to be made in the specified priority sectors in

India.

 Finance Ministry said that India has gradually opened up the

economy for FDI, except very few sectors and has also

extended a lot of tax concessions for sovereign funds to

attract long-term investments in India‘s infrastructure sector.

India and Italy hold virtual bilateral summit on 6

November

 A Virtual Bilateral Summit would be held between Prime

Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Italy

Giuseppe Conte on November 6, said the Ministry of External

Affairs (MEA).

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

 The summit is to explore possibilities of Italian investments

in India especially in defence. Also, the leaders will discuss

on hosting G20 summit. Italy agreed to host G20 summit in

2021 on India‘s request. India is to host the G20 summit in

2022.

 The summit was preceded by the Indo Italian High-Level

Dialogue. During the dialogue, the Italian firm Fincantieri

enhanced it presence in India. The long-standing partnership

of the firm with the CSL (Cochin Shipyard Limited) of GoI

was further deepened. The firm had signed contracts with

CSL under which it delivered the tankers Shakti and Deepak

to the Indian Navy.

 Italy is the fifth largest trading partner of India in the

European Union after Germany, Belgium, UK and France. In

2019, the bilateral trade between India and Italy stood at 9.52

billion Euros.

Shaktikanta Das Chairs 40th SAARC Finance

Governors' Group Meeting

 The 40th Meeting of the SAARCFINANCE Governors‘

Group was held virtually under the Chairmanship of Shri

Shaktikanta Das, Governor, RBI.

 The meeting was attended by the Governors from SAARC

central banks. SAARC FINANCE is a network of central

bank governors and finance secretaries of the SAARC region.

 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is the current chair of

SAARC FINANCE.

    



 The Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu launched the

‗International Satavadhanam‘ program virtually.

 ‗Avadhanam‘ is like a test of the poet‘s literary prowess and

involves solving tricky literary posers, improvising poems

and tests a person's capability of performing such multiple

tasks simultaneously.

 The event was organized by Dr.Medasani Mohan under the

auspices of Sri Krishnadevaraya Satsang in Tirupati.

Avadhanam is a literary performance popular from the very

ancient days in India.

US formally exits Paris pact aiming to curb climate

change

 The US formally exited the Paris Climate Agreement amid

election uncertainty. Donald Trump announced his intent to

remove the country from participating in the landmark global

pact to reduce greenhouse gas emissions three years ago.

 President Trump originally announced his intention to

withdraw from the agreement in 2017 and formally notified

the United Nations last year. The historic accord seeks to

limit global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius, the value

that climate scientists have determined will have disastrous

consequences if exceeded.

 Trump has repeatedly criticised the agreement as

economically detrimental and claimed it could cost the

country 2.5 million jobs by 2025. The US is the only country

to withdraw from the global pact. The US is the second

leading producer of all carbon dioxide emissions globally,

behind China.

Lockdown named as the word of the year by Collins

Dictionary

 Lockdown, the noun that has come to define so many lives

across the world in 2020, has been named word of the year by

Collins Dictionary.

 Lockdown is defined by Collins as ―the imposition of

stringent restrictions on travel, social interaction, and access

to public spaces‖, and its usage has boomed over the last year.

 The 4.5bn-word Collins Corpus, which contains written

material from websites, books and newspapers, as well as

spoken material from radio, television and conversations,

registered a 6,000% increase in its usage. In 2019, there were

4,000 recorded instances of lockdown being used. In 2020,

this had soared to more than a quarter of a million.



at Tokyo International Film Festival

 Marathi film ‗Karkhanisanchi Waari‘ (Ashes On A Road

Trip) directed by Mangesh Joshi is the lone Indian entry at the

33rd Tokyo International Film Festival

 The movie was directed by Mangesh Joshi. The movie will

have its world premiere at the 33rd Tokyo International Film

Festival. It is the only Indian entry at the festival.

Armenia declares no-fly zone in Armenia, Nagorno-

Karabakh

 Armenia has declared a no-fly zone in Armenia and.Nagorno

- Karabak except for military aircraft. The announcement was

made by the Armenian defence ministry on November 12,

2020.

 The move comes after Armenia agreed to a ceasefire deal

with Azerbaijan, which was brokered by Russia.

 Following this, thousands of protesters had gathered in

Armenia‘s capital, Yerevan on November 11, demanding the

resignation of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Second World Health Expo kicks off in Wuhan

 The second World Health Expo was inaugurated on

November 11, in Wuhan, the capital city of Central China‘s

Hubei Province.

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 of global health industry‖. This year‘s Expo will focus on

displaying the most cutting-edge science and technology in

the global health industry, and help Wuhan build ―city

 control, and the Global University Leaders Forum, will be

organized. normalized a summit forum, academician forum

and the roundtable dialogue on epidemic prevention and

During the Expo, more than a hundred high-end forums

including

Indian-American Kash Patel named as the Chief of Staff

to acting US Defence Secretary

 Indian-American Kash Patel has been named as the Chief of

Staff to the Acting US Defence Secretary Chris Miller. The

new appointment comes a day after Donald Trump fired

Defence Secretary Mark Esper and designated Chris Miller,

as the Acting Secretary.

 Kash Patel, currently on the National Security Council staff.

He replaces Jen Stewart, who resigned earlier in the day.

 Kashyap Pramod Patel, popularly known as Kash Patel, had

previously served as senior counsel for counter-terrorism at

the House Permanent Select Committee.

 In June 2019, Patel, 39, was appointed as senior director of

Counter-terrorism Directorate of the National Security

Council (NSC) in the White House

India announces additional $1 million aid to ASEAN

Covid-19 Response Fund

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced a

contribution of USD 1 million to the COVID-19 ASEAN

Response Fund at the 17th ASEAN-India Summit, which was

held virtually.

 In his address to leaders from the 10 ASEAN countries, PM

Modi also highlighted India‘s response and broader support to

the international community and welcomed the association''s

initiatives to fight the pandemic.

World's first tram library for children launched in

Kolkata, West Bengal

 World's first tram library for children launched in Kolkata

 short by Shreyasi Banerjee / 05:44 pm on 14 Nov

2020,Saturday

 The West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) and

Apeejay Anand Children's Library launched the world's first

tram library for children on Saturday in Kolkata on Children's

Day.

 "The tram would run on Shyambazar-Esplanade and

Esplanade-Gariahat routes, spanning across North and South

Kolkata, every day from morning to evening. The Oxford

Bookstores has curated the selection of books," WBTC MD

said.

Japan and Australia poised to sign defence pact to

counter China

 Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and his Australian

counterpart, Scott Morrison, agree to sign a defence

agreement on Tuesday in a bid to counter China's growing

influence in the South China Sea and over the Pacific island

nations.

 South China Morning Post reported PM Morrison's arrival in

Japan on Tuesday where security experts expect him to wind

up a Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) with Suga to

establish a legal framework for their troops to visit for to

conduct military joint operations and training.

 This defence agreement has taken six years to negotiate and

would need to be ratified by lawmakers of both countries.

 Tokyo and Canberra are seeking closer ties as they worry

about Chinese activity in the region, including militarisation

in the South China Sea.

Second phase of Malabar exercise begins in northern

Arabian Sea

 The navies of India, the US, Australia and Japan on Tuesday

began the second phase of the Malabar naval exercise in the

northern Arabian Sea involving two aircraft carriers and a

number of frontline warships, submarines and maritime

reconnaissance aircraft, officials said.

 The major highlight of the four-day exercise is participation

of Indian Navy‘s Vikramaditya carrier battle group and the

Nimitz strike group of the US Navy. The USS Nimitz is the

world‘s largest warship.

 The first phase of the Malabar exercise took place in the Bay

of Bengal from November 3 to 6 and featured a number of

complex drills including anti-submarine and anti-air warfare

operations.

India-Luxembourg virtual summit to be chaired by PM

Modi & his counterpart

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said there is a lot of

potential for increasing economic exchanges between India

and Luxembourg.

 Addressing the India Luxembourg virtual summit this

evening, Mr Modi said steel, financial technology, and digital

domains are several sectors where both nations have good

cooperation, but there are more possibilities in these sectors.

 He congratulated his Luxembourg counterpart Xavier Bettel's

skillful leadership in this difficult time of the COVID

pandemic. He expressed condolences on behalf of all Indians

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for the loss of lives in COVID in Luxembourg. He said this is

the first stand-alone Summit meeting between India and

Luxembourg in the past two decades.

India ranks 77 in the global bribery risk matrix

 India is at 77th position with a score of 45 in a global list that

measures business bribery risks of 2020.

 The list by TRACE, an anti-bribery standard-setting

organisation, measures business bribery risk in 194 countries,

territories, and autonomous and semi-autonomous regions.

 According to this year‘s data, North Korea, Turkmenistan,

South Sudan, Venezuela and Eritrea present the highest

commercial bribery risk, while Denmark, Norway, Finland,

Sweden and New Zealand present the lowest.

 In 2019, India‘s rank stood 78 positions with a score of 48

while in 2020 the country was ranked 77 with a score of 45.

Oxford Economics revises downwards its India growth

forecast

 Global forecasting firm Oxford Economics on Thursday

revised downwards its India growth forecast over the medium

term to an average 4.5% over 2020-25, from its pre-pandemic

projection of 6.5%.

 In a research note, it said India‘s post-COVID-19 scars could

be among the worst in the world. ―We forecast India‘s growth

equilibrium to worsen substantially over the medium term,

with potential growth averaging just 4.5% over 2020-2025 in

our latest baseline, as opposed to our pre-virus forecast of

6.5%,‖ Oxford Economics said.

 It said an adequate and well-designed fiscal stimulus would

halve this impact by limiting deterioration in pre-COVID-19

headwinds.

US imposed sanctions on Chinese firm over Venezuela

internet curbs

 The United States had imposed sanctions on Chinese firm

China National Electronics Import & Export Corporation

(CEIEC), accusing it of supporting President Nicolas

Maduro's efforts to undermine democracy in Venezuela.

 While slamming China, US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo

has said that CEIEC provides cyber support and technical

experts to state-run telecommunications providers which

frequently blocks online independent newspapers and

speeches by opposition members.

 The US Department of Treasury had said that CEIEC has

been supporting the Maduro regime's malicious cyber efforts

since 2017 and providing technical expertise to Venezuelan

government entities, against the people of the country.

Nagaland hosted first virtual celebration of Hornbill

Festival 2020

 Nagaland was hosting the first virtual celebration of Hornbill

Festival 2020 from 01 December till 5th December.

 Dubbed as the ―Festival of Festivals‖, the Hornbill Festival is

celebrated every year showcasing the rich cultural heritage

and tradition of the Nagas in one platform at Naga Heritage

Village Kisama under Kohima District.

 However, due to Coronavirus pandemic, the state is holding

its 21st edition of Hornbill festival 2020 completely in virtual

mode.

 The festival will be telecast on Doordarshan Kohima.

UK became first country to approve Pfizer-BioNTech

Covid-19 vaccine for use

 Britain became the first country in the world to approve the

Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine December2, 2020 for use

and said that it will be rolled out. The British regulator

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency

(MHRA) declared that the vaccine offers protection of up to

95 per cent and is safe to be used for immunisation against

Covid-19.

 The Government had accepted the recommendation from the

independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory

Agency (MHRA) to approve Pfizer-BioNTechs COVID-19

vaccine for use..

 The UK has ordered up to 40 million doses of the vaccine,

which is being organised to vaccinate 20 million people with

two shots each. Immunisation is expected to start within days

and will be delivered to high-priority groups first. The

company expects to produce globally up to 50 million

vaccine doses in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses by the end

of 2021.

US imposes visa curbs on members of Chinese

Communist Party

 US President Donald Trump‘s administration has issued new

rules to restrict travel to the United States by members of

China‘s ruling Communist Party (CCP) and their families.

According to a State Department spokesman, the new policy,

which took immediate effect, limits the maximum duration of

travel visas for party members and their families to one

month from 10 years.

 Previously, party members, like other Chinese citizens, could

obtain visitor visas for the US that were valid for up to 10

years. Travel visas for party members will also be limited to a

single entry rather than multiple entries as was possible

before.

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Biden officially secures majority of Electoral College

votes with California certification

 US President-elect Joe Biden has formally secured a majority

of Electoral College votes with California certified his victory

in the state.

 California appointed 55 electors pledged to vote for Democrat

Joe Biden, officially handing him the Electoral College

majority needed to win the White House.

 Secretary of State Alex Padilla's formal approval of Biden's

win in the state brought his tally of pledged electors so far to

279, which is just over the 270 threshold for victory.

China Becomes 2nd Country to Unfurl Its Flag on Moon,

-5 Probe Takes Off For Earth

 China has become the second country to plant it national flag

on the moon‘s surface. Before China‘s Chang‘e-5 probe took

off from the moon to return to earth, a Chinese national flag

unfurled from the lander-ascender combination.

 The Chinese spacecraft carrying the country‘s first lunar

samples has started its return journey from the moon,

according to the country‘s space authority.

 Chang‘e-5 probe, comprising an orbiter, a lander, an

ascender, and a returner, was launched on November 24, and

its lander-ascender combination touched down on the north of

the Mons Rumker in Oceanus Procellarum, also known as the

Ocean of Storms, on the near side of the moon on December

US Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation,

Zalmay Khalilzad hold talks with Taliban leader

 The US Special Representative for Afghanistan

Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad held a meeting with

Taliban's deputy leader Mullah Baradar and chief negotiator

Abdul Hakim.

 As per reports, they discussed the future US-Taliban peace

process and release of the remaining prisoners.

 Notably, the first meeting of the Leadership Committee of the

Afghanistan High Council for National Reconciliation was

held in Qatar.

 The United States has welcomed the formation and the first

Leadership Committee meeting of the Afghanistan High

Council for National Reconciliation.

In Hongkong, Authorities freezed bank accounts of

former pro-democracy lawmaker Ted Hui Chi-fung

 In Hong Kong, authorities freezed bank accounts of former

pro-democracy lawmaker Ted Hui Chi-fung after he fled to

Britain with his family.

 Briefing a news agency via social media today the pro

democracy activist said that bank accounts belonging to him,

his wife and his parents at Bank of China Hong Kong, HSBC

and Hang Seng Bank were frozen.

 Reports said, conditions have worsened in Hong Kong after

China imposed security legislation in June, making anything

Beijing regards as subversion, secession, terrorism or

colluding with foreign forces punishable by up to life in

prison.

Indonesia receives first COVID vaccine from China's

Sinovac from 6 December,2020

 Indonesia received its first shipment of coronavirus vaccine

from China on6 December,2020, President Joko Widodo said,

as the government prepares a mass inoculation programme.

 Jokowi, as the president is widely known, said in an online

briefing that the Southeast Asian country received 1.2 million

doses from China‘s Sinovac Biotech Ltd., a vaccine Indonesia

has been testing since August.

 He added that the government plans to receive another 1.8

million doses in early January.

 Indonesia is also expected this month to receive shipments of

raw materials to produce 15 million doses and materials for

30 million doses next month, the president said.

China to take decisive measures to effectively stop major

accidents in coal mines

 China had ordered Chongqing provincial government to take

decisive measures to effectively stop major accidents in coal

mines. 23 workers in southwest China were killed after being

trapped underground in a coal mine in the city of Chongqing

this weekend. The miners were among the total 24 people

who have been exposed to unsafe levels of carbon monoxide

at the Diaoshuidong coal mine which is a high-gas mine with

a capacity of 120,000 tpa of coal. One person has been

rescued. The mine was suspended and shut down over two

months ago. The cause of the accident is being further

investigated.

 The latest incident is the region‘s second such accident in just

two months, as reported by state news agency. At least 16

people died in late September after high levels of carbon

monoxide trapped miners at the Songzao coal mine in

Chongqing. Chongqing government officials were summoned

by the State Council‘s Work Safety Committee after two fatal

accidents at coal mines in the southwestern region.

Singapore host World Economic Forum in May 2021

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 Singapore will host the World Economic Forum‘s (WEF)

annual meeting next May, which will see top political,

business and academic leaders gather to discuss pressing

global issues.

 ―The Special Annual Meeting 2021 will be a place for leaders

from business, government and civil society to meet in person

for the first time since the start of the global pandemic.

Public-private cooperation is needed more than ever to

rebuild trust and address the fault lines that emerged in

2020.‖

Mt Everest declared 86 cm taller by Nepal and China

 Nepal and China on 8December,2020 jointly announced that

the revised height of the world‘s highest peak Mount Everest

was 8,848.86 metres, about 86 centimetres more than the

previous measurement done by India in 1954.

 The Nepal government decided to measure the exact height of

the mountain amid debates that there might have been a

change in it due to various reasons, including the devastating

earthquake of 2015.

US President-elect Joe Biden vows 100 million COVID

vaccinations in first 100 days of his administration

 US President-elect Joe Biden has set a goal of 100 million

Covid vaccinations in his first 100 days in office. Attending a

press conference in Delaware Mr Biden said, he can't promise

that his first 100 days would end the Covid-19 but the course

of the disease will be changed and life in America will also be

changed for the better.

 The President-elect introduced his health team during the

press conference. Mr Biden gave few details of how the

largest vaccination programme in US history would be

carried out. He said that getting children back to school

would also be a priority for him.

PwC, UNICEF and YuWaah partner to redefine

education

 Consulting firm PwC India announced a collaboration with

the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and YuWaah

(Generation Unlimited in India) on Monday to upskill 300

million young Indians over the next 10 years. The

announcement is part of PwC‘s global collaboration with

UNICEF and Generation Unlimited, a global multi-sector

partnership that seeks to upskill and provide about 1.8 billion

youngsters with socio-economic opportunities to navigate

education and career trajectories.

 According to the International Labour Organization (ILO),

India is staring at a 29 million skill deficit by 2030. As of

October 2020, the unemployment rate in India is at 6.97

percent, according to the Centre for Monitoring Indian

Economy (CMIE). Urban areas had an unemployment rate of

7.15 percent, while the number stood at 6.9 percent in rural

areas.

Israel establishes diplomatic ties with Bhutan

 Israel has established diplomatic relations with Bhutan.In a

statement, Israeli foreign ministry said that the agreement

follows several years of secret contacts between Israel and

Bhutan with the aim of establishing relations.

 The foreign ministry said that a signing ceremony was held

between the Israeli and Bhutanese ambassadors to India

yesterday. It also added that the countries agreed to formulate

a joint work plan in the areas of water management,

agriculture, healthcare and other areas.

U.K, EU say talks will continue on post-Brexit trade deal

 The European Union and Britain said they will ―go the extra

mile‖ to clinch a post-Brexit trade agreement that would avert

New Year‘s chaos and cost for cross-border commerce.

 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had set as the

deadline for a breakthrough or breakdown in negotiations.

But they stepped back from the brink because there was too

much at stake not to make an ultimate push.

Israel heads to new elections as government collapses

 Israel‘s divided government collapsed early, triggering the

country‘s fourth election in under two years and bringing an

unprecedented threat to Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu‘s lengthy grip on power.

 Mr. Netanyahu, who is used to labeling his opponents as

weak leftists, finds himself confronted by a trio of disgruntled

former aides who share his hard-line ideology, led by a

popular lawmaker who recently broke away from the prime

minister‘s Likud party.

UN Women and Kerala govt collaborated for India's first

Gender Data Hub

 The Kerala government and UN Women have collaborated to

establish India's first Gender Data Hub. A Memorandum of

Understanding (MoU) was signed in this regard on Monday

in the presence of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

 The Gender Hub builds on the goals established through the

International Conference on Gender Equality held in

November 2015, to collect, analyse and use more nuanced

data and inform policy formulation in a manner that centre-

stages women's rights.

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UK, EU reach post-Brexit trade deal to avert chaotic New



 European Union and United Kingdom have struck a post-

Brexit trade deal, after months of negotiations over future

business rules, just a week before the deadline. The British

government has announced that the deal is done.

 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared that they have

completed the biggest deal yet worth 668 billion pounds a

year.

 Once ratified by EU leaders, the European parliament, and

the UK government, the agreement will ensure Britain and

the 27-nation bloc can continue to trade in goods without

tariffs or quotas after the UK breaks fully free of the EU on

1st of next month.

 The UK is set to exit EU trading rules by 31st of this month -

a year after officially leaving the bloc.

India, Croatia reiterate commitment to open, free and

stable Indo-Pacific region

 India and Croatia had reiterated their commitment to an open,

free and stable Indo-Pacific region. During the virtual

interaction, Minister of State for External Affairs V.

Muraleedharan and Croatian State Secretary for Political

Affairs Frano Matusic have exchanged views on

developments in the Indo-Pacific region.

 The meeting set a broad-based agenda for mutual cooperation

in 2021 which will provide substance for celebrations of three

decades of establishment of diplomatic relationship between

the two countries in 2022.

21 Japan bans entry from all countries to block new

strain's spread

 Japan will suspend entry for foreigners to contain the spread

of a new strain of COVID-19 first discovered in the UK.

 Japan registered its first cases of the new strain of the

coronavirus.

 The country is also witnessing record daily infections of the

original coronavirus.

 All Japanese nationals will be required to submit negative

COVID-19 test results received within 72 hours before their

departure from any country that has confirmed cases of the

mutant virus.

 The entry ban will not apply to the businessmen and students

from 10 countries, including Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea

and Taiwan, with which Japan had reached an agreement

regarding the issue.

Saudi Arabia host Gulf Summit on January 5

 Saudi Arabia will host the 41st Gulf summit on January 5,

2021, in Riyadh, a state media report has confirmed.

 Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud requested

the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council

(GCC) Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf to invite the leaders of the

member states.

 The GCC comprises Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain,

Kuwait, Omanand Qatar.

 Topping the agenda of the coming summit will be ending a

dispute that erupted in 2017 between a Saudi-led quartet and

Qatar, according to the sources.

Argentina became the first major country in Latin

America to legalise abortion

 Argentina became the first major country in Latin America to

legalize abortion when the Senate voted early to allow it

through the 14th week of pregnancy, in the face of opposition

from the influential Catholic Church.

 The fiercely contentious vote – passed with 38 in favor, 29

against and one abstention – came after a marathon debate

that began at 4 p.m.on Tuesday.

 As the result was read out, a crowd of thousands erupted in

cheers outside the Senate building in Buenos Aires, waving

the green flags that represented their campaign as green

smoke rose above the crowd.

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BANKING NEWS

Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank ceased to be banking

company: RBI

 Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank has ceased to be a banking

company within the meaning of the Banking Regulation

Act.In November last year, the RBI had said that Aditya Birla

Idea Payments Bank was headed for liquidation after the

company's application for voluntary winding up.

 The decision to shut operations by the Aditya Birla Idea

Payments Bank was taken due to unanticipated developments

in the business landscape which have made the economic

model unviable.

 Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank had received the banking

licence from the RBI in April 2017 for carrying on the

business of a payments bank and had also received an

authorisation to carry on the business of Prepaid Payments

Instrument business.

 It had commenced business from February 22, 2018.

  for 26 sectors; banks

to follow these rules before restructuring

 The Reserve Bank specified five financial ratios and sector-

specific thresholds for resolution of COVID-19-related

stressed assets in 26 sectors, including auto components,

aviation and tourism.

 The circular issued by the Reserve Bank for resolution of the

stressed assets is based on the recommendations of the K.V.

Kamath Committee, which submitted its report on 4th of

September.

 The 26 sectors specified by the RBI include automobiles,

power, tourism, cement, chemicals, gems and jewellery,

logistics, mining, manufacturing, real estate, and shipping

among others.

FinanceMinister Nirmala Sitharaman launches Doorstep

Banking Services

 Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched

Doorstep Banking Services by Public Sector Banks (PSBs) on

September 9, 2020. The services aim to provide customers

with the convenience of banking services at their doorsteps.

 The Union Ministry of Finance issued an official statement

saying that as a part of EASE Reforms, Doorstep Banking

Services is envisaged to provide the convenience of banking

services to the customers at their doorstep through the

universal touch points of call centre, web Portal or mobile

App. The customers will also be able to track their service

requests through these mediums.

EPFO decides to pay 8.5% interest during 2019-20

 The Labour and Employment Minister Santosh Kumar

Gangwar chaired the 227th Meeting of the Central Board of

Trustees of Employees' Provident Fund. In view of the

exceptional circumstances arising out of Covid-19, the

Central Board has recommended the same interest rate at 8.50

per cent to the Central Government.

 It would comprise 8.15 per cent from debt income and

balance 0.35 per cent capital gain from the sale of Exchange

Traded Funds, ETFs subject to their redemption by 31st

December this year.

 The Central Board accorded approval for an Amendment to

Employees‘ Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme, 1976 to

enhance the maximum assurance benefit to 7 lakh rupees

from the present maximum assurance benefit of 6 lakh

rupees.

Citi Bank names Jane Fraser as the first woman CEO

 Citigroup has named Jane Fraser as its next chief executive

officer. She will be the first female CEO of this major global

bank. She will succeed Michael Corbat, who is retiring in

February 2021.

 Citibank was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York,

and later became First National City Bank of New York.

Bandhan Bank sets up new vertical "Emerging

Entrepreneurs Business" to help Entrepreneurs

 Bandhan Bank has set up a new vertical called ―Emerging

Entrepreneurs Business (EEB)‖.

 The new vertical has been launched to support the emerging

needs of the unbanked and underbanked segment of

customers.

 The vertical will focus on supporting this segment of

customers in their journey to becoming entrepreneurs.

 In addition to micro loans, the vertical will also manage

micro home loan, micro bazaar loan and micro enterprise

loan.

HDFC Bank tops the BrandZ Top 75 Most Valuable

Indian Brands 2020 report

 For the seventh straight year, HDFC Bank remained the top-

ranked brand in India with a total brand value of more than

$20.2 billion, according to the 2020 BrandZ Top 75 Most

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

Valuable Indian Brands ranking released by WPP and Kantar.

According to the report, the total value of the BrandZ India

Top 75 fell by 6 percent in 2020, shedding $13 billion in

value for a total brand value of $215.608 billion.

 LIC is ranked second while Tata Consulting Services has

been ranked at no.3.

       

campaign

 IDFC Mutual Fund has started a new campaign called SIFI or

`SIP in Fixed Income‘.

 The new campaign called SIFI has been launched to make

investors more aware about the benefits of investing in fixed

income products via Systematic Investment Plans.

 SIFI can help in generating better risk-adjusted returns, and

the debt fund SIP can help cushion the impact of higher

volatility in equity markets, thereby balancing the allocation.

 IDFC Mutual Fund‘s SIFI initiative aims to inform investors

how a combination of equity and debt SIPs can help them

navigate troubled times.

RBI appoints AK Das as the new administrator of PMC

Bank

 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed AK Das (ex-

general manager at Union Bank of India), as the new

administrator of the Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative

(PMC) Bank.

 He has replaced JB Bhoria who has stepped down from his

role as the administrator of the bank due to health reasons.

 In September 2019, the RBI had superseded the board of

PMC bank due to fraud and financial irregularities in the

PMC bank.

Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank ceased to be banking

company: RBI

 Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank has ceased to be a banking

company within the meaning of the Banking Regulation

Act.In November last year, the RBI had said that Aditya Birla

Idea Payments Bank was headed for liquidation after the

company's application for voluntary winding up.

 The decision to shut operations by the Aditya Birla Idea

Payments Bank was taken due to unanticipated developments

in the business landscape which have made the economic

model unviable.

 Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank had received the banking

licence from the RBI in April 2017 for carrying on the

business of a payments bank and had also received an

authorisation to carry on the business of Prepaid Payments

Instrument business.

 It had commenced business from February 22, 2018.

 

to follow these rules before restructuring

 The Reserve Bank specified five financial ratios and sector-

specific thresholds for resolution of COVID-19-related

stressed assets in 26 sectors, including auto components,

aviation and tourism.

 The circular issued by the Reserve Bank for resolution of the

stressed assets is based on the recommendations of the K.V.

Kamath Committee, which submitted its report on 4th of

September.

 The 26 sectors specified by the RBI include automobiles,

power, tourism, cement, chemicals, gems and jewellery,

logistics, mining, manufacturing, real estate, and shipping

among others.

FinanceMinister Nirmala Sitharaman launches Doorstep

Banking Services

 Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched

Doorstep Banking Services by Public Sector Banks (PSBs) on

September 9, 2020. The services aim to provide customers

with the convenience of banking services at their doorsteps.

 The Union Ministry of Finance issued an official statement

saying that as a part of EASE Reforms, Doorstep Banking

Services is envisaged to provide the convenience of banking

services to the customers at their doorstep through the

universal touch points of call centre, web Portal or mobile

App. The customers will also be able to track their service

requests through these mediums.

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

EPFO decides to pay 8.5% interest during 2019-20

 The Labour and Employment Minister Santosh Kumar

Gangwar chaired the 227th Meeting of the Central Board of

Trustees of Employees' Provident Fund. In view of the

exceptional circumstances arising out of Covid-19, the

Central Board has recommended the same interest rate at 8.50

per cent to the Central Government.

 It would comprise 8.15 per cent from debt income and

balance 0.35 per cent capital gain from the sale of Exchange

Traded Funds, ETFs subject to their redemption by 31st

December this year.

 The Central Board accorded approval for an Amendment to

Employees‘ Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme, 1976 to

enhance the maximum assurance benefit to 7 lakh rupees

from the present maximum assurance benefit of 6 lakh

rupees.

Citi Bank names Jane Fraser as the first woman CEO

 Citigroup has named Jane Fraser as its next chief executive

officer. She will be the first female CEO of this major global

bank. She will succeed Michael Corbat, who is retiring in

February 2021.

 Citibank was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York,

and later became First National City Bank of New York.

IDBI Bank launches banking services on WhatsApp

 IDBI Bank announced the launch of banking services on

WhatsApp.

 The WhatsApp Banking service is being offered through a

dedicated WhatsApp verified number ensuring end-to-end

encryption, the Bank stated.

NABARD launches sanitation literacy campaign in

Karnataka



National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development,

NABARD regional office in Karnataka launched the

Sanitation Literacy Campaign to promote literacy on Water,

Sanitation and Hygiene, (WASH) under Swach Bharath

Mission.



The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development

(NABARD) has announced a special refinance facility of Rs

800 crore for Fiscal Year 2021.



With this, NABARD will support the Government of India‘s

Water, Sanitisation and Hygiene (WASH) programme.

NABARD will provide concessional refinance to all eligible

financial institutions including commercial banks, regional

rural banks and cooperative banks with a repayment period of

up to 36 months.

HD   

Most Influential CMOs



Ravi Santhanam, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), HDFC

Bank has been recognized in the Forbes list of ‗The World‘s

Most Influential CMOs‘.



Ranked at Number 39, he is the only CMO of an Indian

company to be featured in the illustrious list which includes

marketing heads of Apple, BMW, Lego, Adobe, Microsoft,

P&G among others.



This is the eighth edition of this annual list released by Forbes

with research partners Sprinklr and LinkedIn. This year, 427

global CMOs were eligible for consideration. It is generated

using data from news reports, websites, and social networks

to measure influence.

     

 MSMEs



Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched ‗MSME

Prerana‘, an online business mentoring programme for

MSMEs by state-run Indian Bank. The programme, to be

made available in local languages, is aimed at empowering

entrepreneurs through skill development and capacity

building workshops, the bank said in a release.



―Indian Bank has taken an out-of-the-box initiative in

launching MSME Prerana which will handhold the

entrepreneurs through a mentoring program. This novel

initiative shall further inspire others in the banking sector to

adopt similar measures,‖ Sitharaman said.



The initiative was launched by the finance minister at the

bank‘s corporate centre in Chennai. Financial Services

Secretary Debashish Panda, who also participated in the

launch event through video conferencing, delved on the

various initiatives taken by the government to support

MSMEs.

RBI to move to next generation treasury application for

managing forex, gold reserves



In a bid to improve its functioning, the Reserve Bank has

decided to move to the Next Generation Treasury Application

(NGTA) for managing the country's foreign exchange and

gold reserves.



The NGTA, according to the RBI, would be a web-based

application providing scalability, maneuverability and

flexibility to introduce new products and securities, besides

supporting multi- currency transactions and settlements.

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21



The RBI said the objectives of the proposed system includes,

dealing in various asset classes (like Fixed Income Securities,

Forex, Money Market, Gold); portfolio management;

workflow management; reserve management; integration

with various third party and in-house systems; and

dashboards, reports, widgets.

Axis Bank collaborates with Google Pay, Visa to launch a

new ACE Credit card



Axis Bank announced the launch of its ACE Credit Card in

India in collaboration with Google Pay and Visa. The card

meant to help with digital payments.



From application to issuance, with the entire user journey for

the credit card application will be done digitally.



For essential use cases, including mobile recharges and bill

payments made via Google Pay, users can earn a cashback of

5 per cent.



There is also an unlimited 2 per cent cashback on other

transactions.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announces LTC

cash voucher scheme, special festival advance



To stimulate consumer demand, Finance Minister Nirmala

Sitharaman announced an LTC cash voucher scheme and a

special festival advance of Rs 10,000 to all government

employees, saying the Covid-19 pandemic had adversely

affected the economy.



Addressing a press conference, Sitharaman said the new

proposals have been designed to stimulate demand in a

fiscally prudent way by front-loading some expenditure.



Under consumer spending, she announced proposals within

two components: LTC cash voucher scheme and special

festival advance scheme.

After Vishwanathan's resignation, RBI reallocates

portfolios of deputy governors



The Reserve Bank reallocated portfolios of deputy governors,

with the Department of Regulation being entrusted to M K

Jain. The move was necessitated as N S Vishwanathan

demitted office on Tuesday, an RBI communique said.



Among Vishwanathan's portfolios, regulation goes to Jain, a

career commercial banker-turned-central banker, while

inspection will be taken care of by B P Kanungo. Kanungo, a

career central banker whose term was extended on Tuesday,

will also oversee the coordination function, while risk

monitoring will go to Jain.



Jain will also take care of communication, while enforcement

and secretary departments will be headed by Kanungo, the

RBI said.Kanungo, Jain and the third DG Michael Patra will

continue to hold their earlier portfolios.

RBI raises banks' aggregate exposure limit for small

businesses to Rs 7.5 crore



In a bid to increase credit flow to small businesses, the RBI

raised banks' maximum aggregate retail exposure limit to

entities with turnover up to Rs 50 crore to Rs 7.5 crore, up

from Rs 5 crore.



The risk weight of 75 percent will apply to all fresh exposures

and also to existing exposures where incremental exposure

may be taken by the banks up to the revised limit of Rs 7.5

crore, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in a release.

Exim Bank extends $400 mn soft loan to Maldives for

connectivity project



India has extended a USD 400 million (about Rs 2,932 crore)

soft loan to Maldives through the Exim Bank to finance a

connectivity project in the nation of islands.



With the signing of the above agreement, Exim Bank has till

date extended three LoCs worth a cumulative USD 1.2 billion

to Maldives, on behalf of India.



Exim Bank said the soft loans to Maldives have funded

connectivity, water, sewerage projects, Addu Development

Project, an international cricket stadium, Gulhifalhu port,

Hanimaadhoo airport and road construction work.

IDBI Bank launches banking services on WhatsApp



IDBI Bank announced the launch of banking services on

WhatsApp.



The WhatsApp Banking service is being offered through a

dedicated WhatsApp verified number ensuring end-to-end

encryption, the Bank stated.



The facility will enable IDBI Bank customers to avail various

essential services such as account balance information, last

five transactions, request for a cheque book and an email

statement, interest rates, as well as details of IDBI Bank

branches/ATMs in the vicinity, to begin with.

TransUnion CIBIL partnered with MoSPI to launch

MSME Credit Health Index

 In a bid to help measure growth and strength of the Micro,

Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), TransUnion CIBIL

has partnered with Ministry of Statistics & Programme

Implementation (MoSPI) to build and publish quarterly

MSME Credit Health Index.

 The MSME Credit Health Index will provide the

Government, policy makers, lenders and other stakeholders,

insights and analysis on various aspects of health of the

MSME industry, thus enabling them to make better policy

and business decisions with respect to MSME lending. The

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

ease of access of such comprehensive information with a

single MSME Credit Health Index will facilitate better risk

management and inclusion of MSMEs in Indian banking and

financial system.

 The Index will also help to educate the general public about

the credit health of the MSME sector and thereby instil

confidence.



 ICICI Bank announced the launch of India‘s first

comprehensive banking programme for millennials.

 Inspired by ‗Millennial Network‘, the proposition is called

‗ICICI Bank Mine‘.

 It offers an instant savings account, a feature driven iMobile

application, curated credit and debit card, instant personal

loans & overdrafts, and even an experiential branch with

social engagement space.

WhatsApp Pay goes live in India with some riders

 WhatsApp has finally launched services on the United

Payments Interface (UPI) in a major boost for the Facebook-

owned app in its biggest market. The National Payments

Corporation of India (NPCI), India‘s flagship payments

processor, permitted WhatsApp to go live on UPI.

 WhatsApp can expand its UPI base in a graded manner

starting with a maximum number of registered users at 20

million, the NPCI said in a statement. The NPCI runs the

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) used for real-time

payments between peers or at merchants‘ end while making

purchases. The UPI channel has rapidly grown to become

India‘s most favoured mode of digital transactions since its

launch in terms of volumes.

SEBI increases Overseas Investment limits for Mutual Funds

 Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has enhanced

the investment limits for Mutual Fund companies for overseas

investments.

 Mutual Funds can make overseas investments subject to a

maximum of US $ 600 million per Mutual Fund, within the

overall industry limit of US $ 7 billion. Earlier it was USD

300 million.

 Mutual Funds can make investments in overseas Exchange

Traded Fund (ETF) subject to a maximum of US $ 200

million per Mutual Fund, within the overall industry limit of

US $ 1 billion. Earlier it was Rs 50 million.

DDB Chairman Dilip Rath elected to International Dairy

Federation board

 National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) Chairman Dilip

Rath has been unanimously elected to the board of global

dairy body International Dairy Federation (IDF).

 The announcement came during the the General Assembly of

the IDF held on Monday.

 IDF is an international non-governmental, non-profit

association having members from national committees

constituted by dairy organisations in each country.

 ―It is a privilege for me to represent the world‘s largest milk-

producing nation and contribute to promoting sustainable

goals of dairying and also meet the UN Sustainable

Development Goals. I keenly look forward to furthering IDF

Board‘s mandate,‖ Rath stated in a statement.

 Rath has been associated with IDF for the last 10 years as

Member Secretary of Indian National Committee and as a

member of the Standing Committee on Dairy Policy and

Economics.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attends 1st BRICS

Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting

 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today participated in

the 1st BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank

Governors' Meeting under the Russian Chairmanship to

discuss the BRICS Economic and Financial Cooperation

agenda for 2020.

 Finance Ministry said, Ms. Sitharaman talked about outcomes

and initiatives of G-20 Saudi Arabia in 2020 on the Finance

Track and highlighted role of BRICS members in reflecting

Emerging Market Economies concerns in these initiatives.

 During the meeting, the Finance Minister also presented

India‘s views on discussions related to infrastructure

investments and New Development Bank membership

expansion.

       

President Ram Nath Kovind

 The Fifteenth Finance Commission (XVFC), led by Chairman

NK Singh submitted its report for the fiscal period 2021-22 to

2025-26 to President Ram Nath Kovind on November 9,

2020.The commission was mandated to submit its

recommendations for the fiscal period by October 30, 2020.

 The Commission had submitted its report comprising

recommendations for fiscal year 2020-21 last year. The

recommendations were accepted by the centre and later tabled

in the Parliament on January 30, 2020.

 The Finance Commission had been asked to give its

recommendations on many unique and wide-ranging issues in

its terms of reference including performance incentives for

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

states in areas such as power, adoption of direct benefit

transfer system and solid waste management.

Paytm introduces Payout Links for businesses, enables money

transfer sans collecting bank details

 Fintech major Paytm launched ‗Payout Links‘ for businesses,

enabling them to instantly process payouts to customers,

employees and vendors without collecting their bank details.

 Payout Links offer seamless payment integration for

businesses to quickly send incentives and refunds to

customers through a simple payout link, a statement said.

 The sender can create Paytm Payout Links and share with the

receiver. The receiver needs to open the link and is then

provided a list of saved accounts such as Paytm Wallet,

Paytm UPI and connected bank accounts that can be chosen

to receive money instantly.

Finance Minister announces Economic Stimulus Package 4.0

 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said that a

few indicators were showing a distinct recovery in the

economy. She went on to announce a new set of stimulus

packages under ‗Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0' a few days ahead of

Diwali.

 To boost employment, the government launched the

Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana to incentivise the creation

of new employment opportunities. The new announcements

aim to benefit companies and individuals who lost their jobs

due to Covid-19 induced lockdown.

 Under the scheme, if EPFO-registered companies bring in

new employees or hire those who lost their jobs between

March 1 and September 30 this year will be entitled to

benefits under the new announcement.

 In addition, the government announced relaxations in income-

tax rules to push sale of primary residential units of up to Rs

2 crore value below circle rates. Till now, only 10 per cent

difference between the circle rate and the agreement value

was allowed. To boost residential real estate sector,

Sitharaman said the differential had now been increased to 20

per cent till June 30, 2021, for only primary sale of residential

units of value up to Rs 2 crore.

.India Post Payment Bank launches doorstep service to submit

digital life certificate

 India Post Payments Bank, IPPB have successfully launched

the initiative of doorstep service for submission of Digital

Life Certificate through Postman. The facility to submit life

certificate online through Jeevan Pramaan Portal was

launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November,

2014 with the objective to provide a convenient and

transparent facility to pensioners for submission of Life

Certificate.

 In order to make this facility available across the country,

Department of Pension and Pensioners‘ Welfare roped in the

India Post Payments Bank to utilise its huge network of

Postmen and Gramin Dak Sevaks in providing doorstep

facility to pensioners for submission of life certificate

digitally.

HDFC Bank launches SmartHub Merchant Solutions 3.0 for

SMEs

 HDFC Bank has announced the launch of ―SmartHub

Merchant Solutions 3.0‖ for Small and mid-size enterprises.

 This solution allows merchants and self-employed

professionals to instantly open a current account and start

accepting payments in-store, online, and on-the-go.

 The Bank plans to reach out to more than 20 million small

and medium merchants and professional services like doctors,

pharmacies, salons and laundry services across the metro,

semi-urban and rural India in the next three years.

. DIPAM inks agreement with World Bank for advisory services

on asset monetization

 Department of Investment and Public Asset Management

(DIPAM) signed an agreement with World Bank on Monday.

Under the agreement, World Bank is to provide advisory

services to DIPAM for asset monetization, said Ministry of

Finance in an official release. DIPAM is mandated with

facilitating monetization of non-core assets of government

CPSEs under strategic disinvestment or closure and enemy

property of the value of Rs 100 crore and above. DIPAM has

a framework for monetizing non-core assets.

 Under the agreement, World Bank is to provide advisory

services to DIPAM for asset monetization.

 DIPAM is mandated with facilitating monetization of non-

core assets of government CPSEs under strategic

disinvestment or closure and enemy property of value of Rs.

100 crore and above.

 DIPAM has a framework for monetizing non-core assets.

SBM Bank India and PayNearby collaborateto launch the neo



 The SBM Bank India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of State

Bank of Mauritius, has announced to launch a ‗neo banking

platform‘ to reach its customers in the country with the help

of technology.

 The neo banking service launched is called ‗Nivesh‘ and is a

unique Goal-Based Recurring Deposit Platform.

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

 A neo banking (also known as online banking, internet-only

banking, virtual banking, or digital banking) is a type of

direct bank that operates exclusively online without

traditional physical branch networks.

Goldman Sachs projects India GDP to shrink 10.3%, less than

September forecast, in FY21

 Investment bank Goldman Sachs expects India's gross

domestic product (GDP) to contract by 10.3 percent in the

financial year 2020-21, expecting an uptick in the economy

from its previous estimate in September of a 14.8 percent

contraction.

 The American firm projected India‘s GDP to rebound to 13

percent in the succeeding fiscal, FY22.

 Goldman Sachs said that the developments on the vaccine

front — were two candidates, Pfizer and Moderna, have

posted satisfactory progress — will be very helpful in the

recovery.

 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) expects India's GDP to

contract by 9.5 percent on a real basis during the ongoing

fiscal due to the impact suffered by the economy during the

COVID-19 pandemic.

Reserve Bank places Lakshmi Vilas Bank Ltd under

moratorium

 In view of its weak financials, the Reserve Bank has placed

the Lakshmi Vilas Bank Limited under moratorium with

immediate effect. In a statement issued today, RBI said the

moratorium will be effective for thirty days with a view to

protecting depositors‘ interests.

 Accordingly, RBI has capped all cash withdrawals from the

bank to twenty-five thousand rupees.

 According to the banking regulator, the private sector lender

has seen a steady decline in its financials with it incurring

losses over the last three years. It may be recalled that the

Karur-based bank was placed under the Prompt Corrective

Action framework in September 2019 and yet there was no

improvement in its position with declining advances and

mounting non-performing assets.

NFDB confers four awards to Assam for success in the fishery

sector

 The National Fisheries Development Board has conferred

four awards to Assam for the success in the fishery sector.

Assam has got the best state award under the category of best

hilly and North-Eastern state. Assam Apex Cooperative Fish

Marketing and Processing Federation Limited (FISHED) has

been selected under the category of best hilly and

Northeastern government organization.

 On the other hand, Nagaon district has been selected under

the best hilly and North Eastern district category while a

Nalbari based farmer Amal Medhi is selected under thehilly

and North Eastern fish farmer category. The awards will be

given on the 21st of this month in New Delhi.

RBI creates Reserve Bank Innovation Hub to boost financial

inclusion

 The Reserve Bank of India has created a Reserve Bank

Innovation Hub (RBIH). The aim of Innovation Hub is to

promote innovation across the financial sector by leveraging

on technology and creating an environment that would

facilitate and foster innovation. RBIH will collaborate with

financial sector institutions, the technology industry, and

academic institutions and coordinate efforts for the exchange

of ideas and the development of prototypes related to

financial innovations.

 Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) would be managed by

a Governing Council (GC) consisting of 10 members

(including a chairperson). Shri Senapathy (Kris)

Gopalakrishnan, co-founder and former co-Chairman,

Infosys, has been appointed as the first Chairperson of the

RBIH.

Karnataka Bank launches Current & Savings Account

campaign of FY 2020-21

 Karnataka Bank has launched CASA campaign of FY 2020-

21, nationwide savings and current account mobilization

campaign starting from 17th November, 2020to 04th March

2021. During this campaign, Bank intends to mobilize more

than 4,10,000 Current & Savings accounts with an accretion

of Rs 650 Crores of business by the active involvement of its

8000 + work force in all the 859 branches across India.

 Karnataka Bank is pioneering the new age of digital banking.

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

With this campaign, the Bank aims to introduce its attractive

and superior line of digitally powered savings and current

account products to its prospective customers. Bank has

opened a Digi Branch at Bengaluru, using technologies like

Robotic Process Automation and Biometrics which enables a

prospective customer to open an account online and self

generate a debit card within 20 minutes without the physical

intervention of the banker. Further, TAB banking for on-

boarding of SB-NTB customers (New to Bank) will also be

extensively utilized during the said campaign so as to have a

seamless account opening and customer delight.

NCRTC and NDB sign USD 500m for Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut

Rapid Transit System Project

 The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, National Capital

Region Transport Corporation Limited and the New

Development Bank today signed a loan agreement for lending

500 million dollars for the ‗Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut

Regional Rapid Transit System Project‘. The Rapid Transit

System will provide a fast, reliable, safe and comfortable

public transport system in the National Capital Region.

 Due to lack of efficient public transport options, the number

of private vehicles in NCR has increased. It can take about 3

to 4 hours to travel between Delhi and Meerut in Uttar

Pradesh by road during peak hours. Rapid growth in vehicular

traffic has made NCR one of the most polluted regions in the

world.

PM Modi, Bhutan PM jointly launch RuPay card Phase-II

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Bhutanese

counterpart Lotay Tshering on Friday launched RuPay card

Phase-II that will allow Bhutanese card holders to access the

RuPay network in India.

 The prime ministers of the two countries had jointly launched

Phase-I of the project during Mr. Modi‘s state visit to Bhutan

in August last year.

 In his speech via video conferencing, PM Modi spoke about

the deep cooperating between the countries in a gamut of

fields, including ISRO‘s preparation to launch Bhutanese

satellites into space and BSNL‘s agreement with Bhutan

regarding third international internet gateway.



 Mastercard and the United States Agency for International

Development (USAID) have collaborated under Women‘s

Global Development and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP) to

launch ‗Project Kirana‘ in India, to help women entrepreneurs

grow and thrive.

 Project Kirana is a two-year programme, and initially, it will

be rolled out in select cities of Uttar Pradesh, including

Lucknow, Kanpur and Varanasi. The programme will be

implemented by DAI Digital Frontiers and ACCESS

Development Services.

India signed $133 million loan agreement with ADB for

Meghalaya's power distribution sector

 The government signed a $133 million loan agreement with

the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to strengthen the power

distribution sector in Meghalaya.

 The loan will be supplemented by a $2 million grant from the

ADB‘s Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction to finance

renewable energy projects and for supporting income

generation activities for women and other disadvantaged

groups, said a finance ministry statement.

 The loan will be used to modernise Meghalaya‘s power

distribution network and improve the quality of power

supplied to households, industries, and businesses, the

statement said.

 The agreement was signed by CS Mohapatra, additional

secretary, department of economic affairs and Takeo Konishi,

country director of ADB‘s India Resident Mission.

RBI directs HDFC bank to stop issuance of new credit cards

 The Reserve Bank of India has advised HDFC Bank to

temporarily stop launch of the digital business activities

planned under its Digital 2.0 program

 RBI has also directed not to issue of new credit cards to

customers

 This step has been taken by RBI in view of repeated outages

in the HDFC bank‘s internet banking/ mobile banking/

payment utilities over the past two years.

 The reason given by HDFC bank for this was power failure in

its primary data centre.

 RBI in its order to HDFC bank, has advised the Bank‘s Board

to examine the lapses and fixes accountability

Sensex touches 45,000 mark for the first time

 Domestic stocks climbed one percent to hit fresh record

highs. Key indices surged amid positive global cues. The 30

share index, Sensex, at Bombay Stock Exchange achieved

45,000 mark while the Nifty-50 at National Stock Exchange

finished above 13,250 level for the first time.

 The Sensex rose 447 points or one percent to end at 45,080

while the Nifty closed 125 points or 0.95 percent up to settle

at 13,259.

 The broader market at BSE underperformed the Sensex as the

BSE Mid-Cap index gained 0.44 percent while the BSE

Small-Cap index appreciated 0.42 percent.

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

Yes bank and four more stocks to switch from mid cap to large

cap in Amfi list

 By 5th Jan‘21, AMFI is expected to release a fresh list for

categorisation of stocks into large caps, mid caps, and small

caps, based on average market cap for H2CY20. ICICI

Securities expects 4-5 switches between large caps and mid

caps.

 According to their list, there is a high probability for Yes

Bank to switch from mid cap to large cap category. With

current market cap of ₹333 bn, Yes bank holds 88th rank in

the Indian stock market.

        

for MSMEs

 Axis Bank Ltd in partnership with Rupifi and Visa launched

‗Axis Bank Rupifi Business Credit Card‘ for MSMEs(Micro,

Small and Medium Enterprises).

 This Contactless Co-Branded credit card, powered by Visa is

applicable only to the MSMEs businesses that transact on the

aggregator platforms partnered with Rupifi PAN (Permanent

Account Number) India for their business purchases.

 The card offers credit solutions to such MSMEs. It is only for

domestic transactions.

RTGS system available on 24*7 basis from December 14, 2020

 The Reserve Bank of India has announced that the Real Time

Gross Settlement (RTGS) system will be made available

round the clock on all days of the year with effect from 00:30

hours on December 14, 2020.

 Presently RTGS system is available for customers between

7:00 AM and 6:00 PM.

 RTGS shall continue to be governed by the RTGS System

Regulations, 2013.

 RTGS shall be available for customer and inter-bank

transactions round the clock, except for the interval between

‗end-of-day‘ and ‗start-of-day‘ processes, whose timings

would be duly broadcasted through the RTGS system.

 Intra-Day Liquidity (IDL) facility shall be made available to

facilitate smooth operations.

ADB approves USD 2.5 mn technical assistance for advanced

biofuel development in India

 Asian Development Bank (ADB) had approved a USD 2.5

million (about Rs 18 crore) technical assistance to support

advanced biofuel development in India.

 The grant is funded from the Asia Clean Energy Fund,

financed by the Government of Japan under the Clean Energy

Financing Partnership Facility, and the Republic of Korea's e-

Asia and Knowledge Partnership Fund.

Cabinet Approves Rs 23,810 crore for Atmanirbhar Bharat

Rojgar Yojana To Boost Employment

 The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave a nod for

Atmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana (ABRY) to boost

employment in the formal sector and incentivise creation of

new employment opportunities during the COVID-19

recovery phase under Atmanirbhar Bharat Package 3.0, said

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

 The Cabinet has approved an expenditure of Rs.1,584 crore

for the current financial year and Rs.22,810 crores for the

entire scheme period from 2020 to 2023.

 The scheme will provide subsidy for two years in respect of

new employees engaged on or after October 1,2020 and upto

June 30, 2021, Prasad said in a press briefing here.

 The government will pay both 12 percent employees'

contribution and 12 per cent employers' contribution.

Fitch revises India's GDP forecast to -9.4% for FY21

 Fitch Ratings raised India's GDP forecast to -9.4 per cent in

the current fiscal year to March 2021 from a previously

projected contraction of 10.5 per cent after the economy

staged a sharper rebound in the second quarter.

 In its Global Economic Outlook, Fitch said the coronavirus

recession has inflicted severe economic scarring and the

country needs to repair balance sheets and increase caution

about long-term planning.

RBI has issued draft circular on declaration of dividend by

NBFCs

 Reserve Bank of India has issued draft circular on declaration

of dividend by non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) in

pursuance to the announcement made in the monetary policy

declared Accordingly, deposit-taking NBFCs and

systemically important non-deposit-taking NBFCs must have

their net non-performing assets below six percent and a

capital adequacy ratio of at least 15 percent for the last three

years, including the accounting year for which it proposes to

declare dividend.

EXIM Bank and SIDBI plan to set up an Alternative

Investment Fund (AIF).

 EXIM Bank and SIDBI plan to set up an Alternative

Investment Fund (AIF) in partnership.

 The fund will be set up to support small and medium

enterprises (SMEs) by providing equity and loans.

 In the Budget for Financial Year 2020-21, the government

announced that a fund would be set up by SIDBI and EXIM

Bank to support SMEs in pharmaceuticals, auto components

and other sectors.

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

 The aim of the scheme is to find Indian enterprises currently

underperforming but having the potential to grow.

Department of Posts & India Post Payments Bank unveil new



 Department of Posts and India Post Payments Bank today

unveiled a new digital payment app DakPay.

 The App is launched as part of its ongoing efforts to provide

Digital Financial inclusion at the last mile across India.

 DakPay is not just a digital payment app but a suite of digital

financial and assisted banking services provided by India Post

and IPPB through the trusted Postal network across the nation

to cater to the financial needs of various sections of the

society.

Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chaired 23rd Meeting of FSDC

through video conference

 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chaired the 23rd

Meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council,

FSDC through video conference in New Delhi.

 The meeting reviewed the major macro-economic

developments and Financial Stability issues with special

reference to vulnerability related issues.

 It noted that the policy measures taken by the Government

and the financial sector regulatory authorities have ensured

faster economic recovery in India as reflected in the reduced

contraction of GDP in second quarter of 2020-21.

Crisil revises GDP forecast to -7.7% for fiscal 2021

 India‘s fiscal 2021 real gross domestic product (GDP) is now

expected to contract 7.7 per cent compared with a contraction

of 9 per cent forecast in September, according to Crisil.

 The credit rating agency reasoned that a faster-than-expected

revival in activity in the second quarter, which continues into

the festival season, is one of the reasons for the revision.

Bank of Baroda signed MoU with defence forces for new

Baroda Military Salary package

 Public sector lender Bank of Baroda NSE 2.98 % (BoB) has

signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indian

Navy and Indian Coast Guard under which the bank would

offer customised services along with a host of facilities to

account holders. The bank has also renewed its existing MoU

with the Indian Army to offer specially customised banking

services through 'Baroda Military Salary Package'.

 The package offers very attractive benefits including free

Personal Accidental Insurance cover, Permanent Total

Disability cover, Partial disability Cover and Air Accident

Insurance Cover of sizeable amounts, as well as Higher

Education Cover and Girl Child Marriage Cover on death in

case of serving personnel, BoB Executive Director

Vikramaditya Singh Khichi said.

Centre govt and World Bank signed USD 500 million project to

build Green National Highway Corridors

 The Centre and the World Bank signed a USD 500 million

project to build safe and green national highway corridors

.The project will also enhance the capacity of the Ministry of

Road Transport and Highways in mainstreaming safety and

green technologies.

 The Green National Highways Corridors Project will support

the Road Transport and Highways Ministry to construct 783

kilometres of highways in various geographies by integrating

safe and green technology designs such as local and marginal

materials, industrial byproducts and other bioengineering

solutions. The project will help reduce GHG emissions in the

construction and maintenance of highways.

NCAER projects GDP contraction of 7.3% in FY21

 The National Council of Applied Economic Research

(NCAER) had estimated that India's GDP is likely to contract

by 7.3 per cent in the current financial year.

 In its mid-year review of the Indian economy, the NCAER

said that the long-term effects of the pandemic will last for

years.

 "Following the steep decline in GDP in 2020 Q1, the

recovery in Q2 was surprisingly sharp. Accordingly, we have

revised our growth forecasts for Q3, Q4 and the full year

2020-21 to 0.1 per cent, 2 per cent and (-) 7.3 per cent

respectively," the economic think tank said.

 In the June-September quarter, India's GDP on a year-on-year

basis contracted by (-) 7.5 per cent from (-) 23.9 per cent in

the preceding quarter.

Cabinet approves 100% FDI in DTH services

 The Union Cabinet approved revised guidelines for Direct-to-

Home (DTH) broadcasting services, allowing 100 per cent

foreign direct investment (FDI) as well as increasing the

licence period to 20 years.

 Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting (I&B)

Prakash Jaavdekar said, ―Due to our I&B guidelines, this

field was not getting the benefit of 100 per cent FDI.

US financial body to invest USD 54 million in India to support

critical infrastructure projects

 An American financial corporation has announced to invest

USD 54 million in India to support the development of

critical infrastructure projects in the country in the wake of

the COVID-19 pandemic.

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

 India is one of the fastest-growing countries in the previous

three decades, but it suffers from a significant infrastructure

deficit, holding back further growth for the country especially

in the wake of COVID-19.

India Ratings and Research revises India's FY21 GDP

contraction to 7.8% from 11.8% earlier

 India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) had revised India's GDP

estimate for the current financial year to -7.8 per cent from -

11.8 per cent earlier, primarily due to the easing of COVID-

19 curbs and better-than-expected growth numbers in the

second quarter.

 However, it remains to be seen how sustainable the Q2

recovery is, considering most of the impetus was due to

festival and pent-up demand, says the ratings agency.

 Ind-Ra says the COVID-induced challenges will unlikely go

away till mass vaccination becomes a reality but economic

agents and activities seem to have adjusted to the post-

COVID-19 world.

RBI cancelled the Licence of the Maharashtra-based Subhadra

Local Area Bank

 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cancelled the licence of

Maharashtra-based Subhadra Local Area Bank. The central

bank had cancelled the lender's licence with effective from

close of business on December 24, 2020, citing that banking

affairs were "conducted in a manner detrimental to the

interests of its present and future depositors".

 "The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, vide order dated

December 24, 2020 cancelled the banking licence issued to

Subhadra Local Area Bank Ltd., Kolhapur, Maharashtra

under Section 22 (4) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 to

carry on banking business in India. The order is made

effective from close of business on December 24, 2020," the

apex bank notified.

Rajasthan became 6th State to complete ease of doing business

reforms

 Rajasthan has became the 6th State in the country to

successfully undertake ―Ease of Doing Business‖ reform

stipulated by the Finance Ministry. The State has now

become eligible to mobilise additional financial resources of

2 thousand 731 crore rupees through Open Market

Borrowings.

 In addition to Rajasthan five other States namely, Andhra

Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and

Telangana have already achieved this feat. On completion of

reforms facilitating ease of doing business, these six States

have been granted additional borrowing permission of 19

thousand 459 crore rupees.



 Chinese regulators had ordered Ant Group, the world's largest

financial technology company, to rectify its businesses and

comply with regulatory requirements amid increased scrutiny

of anti-monopoly practices in the country's internet sector.

 The People's Bank of China, the country's central bank,

summoned Ant executives on Saturday and ordered them to

formulate a rectification plan and an implementation

timetable of its business, including its credit, insurance and

wealth management services.

Dubai ruler approved $15.5 bn budget for 2021 as economic

recovery seen

 Dubai, the business and financial hub of the United Arab

Emirates (UAE), has approved a 57.1 billion dirham ($15.55

billion) budget for 2021, when the economy is expected to

recover from a contraction this year, its ruler said.

 The statement did not give a comparison to actual spending in

2020, but was slightly higher than a revised spending figure

of nearly 56.16 billion dirhams quoted in Dubai's sukuk

prospectus seen by Reuters in August.

India to became 5th largest economy in 2025, 3rd largest by

2030

 India, which appears to have been pushed back to being the

world's sixth biggest economy in 2020, will again overtake

the UK to become the fifth largest in 2025 and race to the

third spot by 2030, a think tank said on Saturday. India had

overtaken the UK in 2019 to become the fifth largest

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

economy in the world but has been relegated to 6th spot in

2020.

 The CEBR forecasts that the Indian economy will expand by

9 per cent in 2021 and by 7 per cent in 2022.

Centre released 9th weekly installment of Rs. 6,000 crore to

States to meet GST compensation shortfall

 The Ministry of Finance has released the 9th weekly

instalment of Rs. 6,000 crore to the states to meet the GST

compensation shortfall.

 Out of this, an amount of over Rs. 5516 crore had been

released to 23 States and an amount of over Rs. 483 crore has

been released to the three Union Territories with Legislative

Assembly, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry who

are members of the GST Council.

 The remaining five states, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur,

Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim do not have a gap in revenue

on account of GST implementation.

Tax tribunal upholds tax-exempt status of Tata Trusts

 The ITAT's Mumbai bench comprising its President Justice P

P Bhatt and vice president Pramod Kumar passed three

separate orders on December 28, upholding the tax-exempt

status of Ratan Tata Trust, JRD Tata Trust and Dorabji Tata

Trust.

 It said the March 2019 revision order of the Income Tax

department that sought to cancel tax exemption to the three

trusts was "devoid of any legally sustainable merits".

 The three trusts collectively hold about 66 per cent in Tata

Sons - the holding company of Tata Group.

 The commissioner of income tax (exemption) (CIT-E) had

threatened to upend the decades-old ownership of Tata Sons

by the trusts by alleging that such shareholdings are in

violation of the income tax laws.

Centre issued Rs 5,500 cr worth of zero-coupon bonds for

P&SB Bank

 The Centre, in a first move of its kind, has issued Rs 5,500

crore in zero-coupon bonds for recapitalising Punjab and Sind

Bank (P&SB) and allowed it to park the paper in its held-to-

maturity (HTM) category at face value rather than the

discounted market rate.Zero-coupon bonds do not bear any

interest and are traded at a discount to the face value.

 The move is seen as raising concern in the accounting

fraternity and bank auditors though the banking regulator, the

Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has cleared it for now after

much internal deliberation.

ICICI Bank to acquire 9.09% stake in Myclassboard

Educational Solutions

 Private sector lender ICICI Bank said it will acquire 9.09 per

cent stake in online school management platform

Myclassboard Educational Solutions. The acquisition will be

done through a cash consideration of ₹4.5 crore.

 ―ICICI Bank has entered into an agreement dated December

28, 2020, in relation to an investment in Myclassboard

Educational Solutions Private Limited (MESPL),‖ the lender

said in a regulatory filing. The acquisition is expected to be

completed by end of February 2021.

YES Bank appointed Niranjan Banodkar as new CFO,

Adlakha to be new HR head

 Yes Bank promoted two key senior management personnel as

the chief financial officer and head of human resources. Both

the appointments will be effective 1 January, the lender

added.

 The private sector lender had promoted Niranjan Banodkar as

the group chief financial officer (CFO) and Anurag Adlakha

as the group chief human resources officer.

 The private sector lender had promoted Niranjan Banodkar as

the group chief financial officer (CFO) and Anurag Adlakha

as the group chief human resources officer.

UNDP and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation to co-



 Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) recently

signed an MoU with UNDP India to co-create India‘s first

Social Impact Bond (SIB).

 ―As part of this unique investment tool, the PCMC

administration will only have to bear the costs of a public

welfare project associated with the bond if the pre-defined

project targets are fulfilled,‖ an official release said.

 This type of bond lays down outcome-based targets to be

achieved at the start of the contract. ―This feature allows for

tracking the progress of the outcomes, thus ensuring

transparency for investors.

 This mechanism also ensures that funds are used effectively

and efficiently towards the project. This SIB will support the

PCMC in improving healthcare services for its citizens,

especially with respect to the pandemic while incurring

minimum investment risks,‖ the release said.

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND DEFENCE

MoD signs contracts worth Rs 2580 Cr with Indian Companies for supply

Pinaka Regiments to Indian Army

 Acquisition Wing of Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a

contract worth Rs 2580 Cr with M/s. Bharat Earth Movers

Ltd. (BEML), M/s. Tata Power Company Ltd. (TPCL) and

M/s. Larsen & Toubro (L&T).

 The contract has been signed for supply of six Pinaka

Regiments to the Regiment of Artillery of the Indian Army

and hence will enhance the operation preparedness of our

Armed Forces.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh holds meeting with  Minister of

Defence in Tehran

 Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting on

5th September 2020 with Iran‟s Minister of Defence and

Armed Forces Logistics, Brigadier General Amir Hatami, at

the latter‟s request. Raksha Mantri was on a transit halt in

Tehran enroute from Moscow to New Delhi.

 The meeting between the two Ministers took place in a

cordial and warm atmosphere. Both the leaders emphasized

upon the age-old cultural, linguistic and civilizational ties

between India and Iran. They discussed ways to take forward

bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on regional

security issues, including peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Mammoth collision of 'impossible' black holes detected for first time

 The most massive black hole collision ever detected has been

directly observed by the LIGO and VIRGO Scientific

Collaboration, which includes scientists from the Australian

National University (ANU).

 The short gravitational wave signal, GW190521, captured by

the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave observatories in the

United States and Europe on 21 May last year, came from

two highly spinning, mammoth black holes weighing in at a

massive 85 times and 66 times the mass of the Sun,

respectively. But that is not the only reason this system is very

special.

IIT-Bombay students launch AI-based scanning app  

 Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, students have

launched a free- of-cost mobile scanner application ―AIR

Scanner‖.

 The app saves the scanned document in PDF format and

stores directly in the device.

 The AI (Artificial Intelligence) based Reading Assistant and

Document Scanner app is developed by Rohit Kumar

Chaudhary and Kavin Agrawal.

India successfully test-fires hypersonic missile carrier, 4th country to

achieve the feat

 The Defence Research and Development Organisation

(DRDO) successfully test-fired the Hypersonic Technology

Demonstration Vehicle at 11 am on September 7, 2020 from

the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Launch Complex at Wheeler Island,

off the coast of Odisha.

 The successful flight test of the indigenously-developed

Hypersonic Technology Demonstration Vehicle (HSTDV)

enabled the successful demonstration of the Hypersonic air-

breathing scramjet technology, which is a major

technological breakthrough for India.

WhatsApp, Cyber Peace Foundation partner to drive cyber safety

awareness

 WhatsApp announced a strategic partnership with

CyberPeace Foundation with the aim to create awareness on

cyber safety among students.This is an effort to build on their

earlier partnership with WhatsApp under the ―e- Raksha‖

program that reached thousands of students.

 With the collaboration, the platforms aim to reach nearly

15,000 students across five states including Delhi, Madhya

Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra by the end of

2020.

 In the first phase 15,000 students will be covered in five

regions by the end of 2020.

 The need for this awareness campaign was felt as students

spend more time online and so they become more vulnerable

to cyber threats such as cyberbullying, stumbling across child

abuse material, cybercriminals disrupting online classes, the

spread of misinformation, privacy issues etc.

Induction ceremony of Rafale fighter jets into IAF to be held at Ambala

airbase on September 10

 A formal induction ceremony of the five high-profile Rafale

fighter aircraft into the Indian Air Force's (IAF) 'Golden

Arrows' Squadron will be held at the Ambala airbase in

Haryana on September 10. Earlier, sources had said that

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is most likely to attend the

ceremony.

 French Defence Minister Florence Parly will take part in the

induction ceremony and during the visit, other than having a

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

bilateral with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, she

will also meet National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval.

 The first batch of five Rafale jets, which arrived at the

Ambala airbase on July 29, have already proven their mettle

with successful weapons firing at a test range after arrival.

When the first batch of Rafales arrived at Ambala, the IAF

had said that efforts are focused on operationalisation of the

aircraft at the earliest.

Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine trial paused after participant falls ill

 The last phase of clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccine

developed by Oxford University and Astra Zeneca has been

put on hold after one of the participants fell ill in the United

Kingdom. AstraZeneca described the pause as a "routine"

pause in the case of "an unexplained illness".

 The AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID vaccine is one of the

leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates, whose trials are

being conducted in multiple nations including India and the

United States. The outcome of vaccine trials is being closely

watched across the world.

 The Oxford vaccine is seen as a strong contender among

dozens of vaccines being developed globally, as the phase I

and II trial results showed that the vaccine offers double

immunity against COVID-19. The vaccine candidate moved

to phase III trials a few weeks back.

NSDC and LinkedIn partner to provide digital skills training for

youth

 National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and

LinkedIn have announced a partnership to provide access to

free learning resources for digital skills.

 A total of 10 learning paths consisting of 140 courses will be

made available for free on e-Skill India digital platform until

March 31, 2021.

 LinkedIn will provide periodic labour market insights based

on its economic graph of more than 69 million members in

India.

 This will include in-demand skills, emerging jobs, and global

hiring rates to NSDC to better understand the skilling

ecosystem.

Potential sign of alien life detected on inhospitable Venus

 Scientists said they have detected in the harshly acidic clouds

of Venus a gas called phosphine that indicates microbes may

inhabit Earth‟s inhospitable neighbour, a tantalizing sign of

potential life beyond Earth.

 The researchers did not discover actual life forms, but noted

that on Earth phosphine is produced by bacteria thriving in

oxygen-starved environments. The international scientific

team first spotted the phosphine using the James Clerk

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Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii and confirmed it using the

Atacama Large Millimeter/ submillimeter Array (ALMA)

radio telescope in Chile.

TikTok chooses Oracle as U.S.  

 TikTok has chosen Oracle to be its technology partner for its

American operations.

 Microsoft was also in a bid to acquire TikTok in the United

States but the Chinese owner of the video-sharing platform

―TikTok‖ chose Oracle over Microsoft to be its technology

partner for its American operations.

 The partnership was signed by the two entities as in an

executive order signed last month, President of the United

States, Donald Trump stated that TikTok would be blocked in

the US if it did not sell its US operations to an American

company by 20th of September 2020.

In a first, 2 women officers to operate helicopters from Indian Navy

warships

 In a historic first, two women officers have been selected to

join as ―Observers‖ (Airborne Tacticians) in the helicopter

stream of the Indian Navy.

 The women officers will be the first set of women airborne

combatants who would be operating from warships. This is a

landmark development in the history of Indian naval aviation.

 The entry of women in the Indian Navy was restricted to the

fixed-wing aircraft that took off and landed ashore.

India-China Commander level Talks underway at Moldo in Chinese side

LAC

 India and China are scheduled to hold a Corps Commander-

level talks at Moldo, on the Chinese side of the Line of

Actual Control (LAC), on the border standoff. This will be

the sixth such talks on the issue.

 An official from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is

likely to be part of Indian delegation. This is the first time that

an MEA official will be present in this meeting, people aware

of the developments said.

 In the previous five meetings, the Corps commander-ranked

officers have failed to break the deadlock. This will be the

first meeting since the foreign ministers of the two countries

agreed on a five-point roadmap to take forward the

disengagement and de-escalation process.

Indian Army organises annual 'Shikara Race' in Srinagar

 Fifteen Shikaras participated in the annual 'Shikara Race'

organised by 20 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) of Indian Army for the

people in Srinagar. The aim behind the race was to promote

tourism in the newly formed Union Territory.

 This event is organised by Indian Army every year along with

boat races and other races for children but could not do the

same this year due to COVID-19 outbreak.

 The tourists who came to Srinagar to enjoy the race said that

events like this should be organised more often as they help

in developing good bonds with the locals.

DRDO conducts successful flight test of missile target vehicle

ABHYAS

 The Defence Research and Development Organisation

(DRDO) conducted a successful flight test of ABHYAS on

September 22, 2020. The test was conducted from the Interim

Test Range in Balasore, Odisha.

 During the trials, ABHYAS - High-speed Expendable Aerial

Target (HEAT) was successfully test flown. The air vehicle

can be used as a target for the evaluation of various missile

systems.

Flight Lieutenant Shivangi Singh to be first woman pilot to join Rafale

fleet

 Flight Lieutenant Shivangi Singh will become the first

woman pilot to fly the multi-role fighter aircraft Rafale after

finishing her conversion training, according to reports.

 Commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 2017 as part of

the second batch of women fighter pilots, Singh currently

flies the force‟s oldest jet MiG-21 Bison. Wing Commander

Abhinandan Varthaman, who shot down a Pakistan Air Force

(PAF) fighter on 27 February last year near the Line o

Control before being shot down himself and taken captive,

was Singh‟s flying instructor.

 The Indian Air Force (IAF) currently has 10 women fighter

pilots, who have undergone the arduous training to fly the

supersonic jets. Reportedly, it takes around Rs. 15 crores to

train a single fighter pilot.

Google Pay, Visa partner for card-based payments with

tokenisation

 Google Pay announced the rollout of tokenisation across its

platform that will enable users to safely transact with their

debit or credit cards. Through tokenisation, Google Pay

Android users can use their debit or credit card to make

payments through a secure digital token attached to their

phone without having to physically share their credit or debit

card details.

 The feature also works with online merchants, delivering

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

more native and seamless OTP experiences without any

redirects to 3D secure sites.This feature is now available to all

users of Axis, SBI Card and Kotak.

MoD signs contracts worth Rs 2580 Cr with Indian Companies for supply

Pinaka Regiments to Indian Army

 Acquisition Wing of Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a

contract worth Rs 2580 Cr with M/s. Bharat Earth Movers

Ltd. (BEML), M/s. Tata Power Company Ltd. (TPCL) and

M/s. Larsen & Toubro (L&T).

 The contract has been signed for supply of six Pinaka

Regiments to the Regiment of Artillery of the Indian Army

and hence will enhance the operation preparedness of our

Armed Forces.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh holds meeting with  Minister of

Defence in Tehran

 Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting on

5th September 2020 with Iran‟s Minister of Defence and

Armed Forces Logistics, Brigadier General Amir Hatami, at

the latter‟s request. Raksha Mantri was on a transit halt in

Tehran enroute from Moscow to New Delhi.

 The meeting between the two Ministers took place in a

cordial and warm atmosphere. Both the leaders emphasized

upon the age-old cultural, linguistic and civilizational ties

between India and Iran. They discussed ways to take forward

bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on regional

security issues, including peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Mammoth collision of 'impossible' black holes detected for first time

 The most massive black hole collision ever detected has been

directly observed by the LIGO and VIRGO Scientific

Collaboration, which includes scientists from the Australian

National University (ANU).

 The short gravitational wave signal, GW190521, captured by

the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave observatories in the

United States and Europe on 21 May last year, came from

two highly spinning, mammoth black holes weighing in at a

massive 85 times and 66 times the mass of the Sun,

respectively. But that is not the only reason this system is very

special.

IIT-Bombay students launch AI-based scanning app  

 Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, students have

launched a free- of-cost mobile scanner application ―AIR

Scanner‖.

 The app saves the scanned document in PDF format and

stores directly in the device.

 The AI (Artificial Intelligence) based Reading Assistant and

Document Scanner app is developed by Rohit Kumar

Chaudhary and Kavin Agrawal.

India successfully test-fires hypersonic missile carrier, 4th country to

achieve the feat

 The Defence Research and

Development Organisation (DRDO)

successfully test-fired the Hypersonic Technology

Demonstration Vehicle at 11 am on September 7, 2020 from

the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Launch Complex at Wheeler Island,

off the coast of Odisha.

 The successful flight test of the indigenously-developed

Hypersonic Technology Demonstration Vehicle (HSTDV)

enabled the successful demonstration of the Hypersonic air-

breathing scramjet technology, which is a major

technological breakthrough for India.

Induction ceremony of Rafale fighter jets into IAF to be held at Ambala

airbase

on September 10

 A formal induction ceremony of the five high-profile Rafale

fighter aircraft into the Indian Air Force's (IAF) 'Golden

Arrows' Squadron will be held at the Ambala airbase in

Haryana on September 10. Earlier, sources had said that

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is most likely to attend the

ceremony.

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

 French Defence Minister Florence Parly will take part in the

induction ceremony and during the visit, other than having a

bilateral with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, she

will also meet National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval.

 The first batch of five Rafale jets, which arrived at the

Ambala airbase on July 29, have already proven their mettle

with successful weapons firing at a test range after arrival.

When the first batch of Rafales arrived at Ambala, the IAF

had said that efforts are focused on operationalisation of the

aircraft at the earliest.

Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine trial paused after participant falls ill

 The last phase of clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccine

developed by Oxford University and Astra Zeneca has been

put on hold after one of the participants fell ill in the United

Kingdom. AstraZeneca described the pause as a "routine"

pause in the case of "an unexplained illness".

 The AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID vaccine is one of the

leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates, whose trials are

being conducted in multiple nations including India and the

United States. The outcome of vaccine trials is being closely

watched across the world.

 The Oxford vaccine is seen as a strong contender among

dozens of vaccines being developed globally, as the phase I

and II trial results showed that the vaccine offers double

immunity against COVID-19. The vaccine candidate moved

to phase III trials a few weeks back.

NSDC and LinkedIn partner to provide digital skills training for youth

 National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and

LinkedIn have announced a partnership to provide access to

free learning resources for digital skills.

 A total of 10 learning paths consisting of 140 courses will be

made available for free on e-Skill India digital platform until

March 31, 2021.

 LinkedIn will provide periodic labour market insights based

on its economic graph of more than 69 million members in

India.

 This will include in-demand skills, emerging jobs, and global

hiring rates to NSDC to better understand the skilling

ecosystem.

Potential sign of alien life detected on inhospitable Venus

 Scientists said they have detected in the harshly acidic clouds

of Venus a gas called phosphine that indicates microbes may

inhabit Earth‟s inhospitable neighbour, a tantalizing sign of

potential life beyond Earth.

 The researchers did not discover actual life forms, but noted

that on Earth phosphine is produced by bacteria thriving in

oxygen-starved environments. The international scientific

team first spotted the phosphine using the James Clerk

Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii and confirmed it using the

Atacama Large Millimeter/ submillimeter Array (ALMA)

radio telescope in Chile.

TikTok chooses Oracle as U.S.  

 TikTok has chosen Oracle to be its technology partner for its

American operations.

 Microsoft was also in a bid to acquire TikTok in the United

States but the Chinese owner of the video-sharing platform

―TikTok‖ chose Oracle over Microsoft to be its technology

partner for its American operations.

 The partnership was signed by the two entities as in an

executive order signed last month, President of the United

States, Donald Trump stated that TikTok would be blocked in

the US if it did not sell its US operations to an American

company by 20th of September 2020.

In a first, 2 women officers to operate helicopters from Indian Navy

warships

 In a historic first, two women officers have been selected to

join as ―Observers‖ (Airborne Tacticians) in the helicopter

stream of the Indian Navy.

 The women officers will be the first set of women airborne

combatants who would be operating from warships. This is a

landmark development in the history of Indian naval aviation.

 The entry of women in the Indian Navy was restricted to the

fixed-wing aircraft that took off and landed ashore.



India-China Commander level Talks underway at Moldo in Chinese side of

LAC

 India and China are scheduled to hold a Corps Commander-

level talks at Moldo, on the Chinese side of the Line of

Actual Control (LAC), on the border standoff. This will be

the sixth such talks on the issue.

 An official from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is

likely to be part of Indian delegation. This is the first time that

an MEA official will be present in this meeting, people aware

of the developments said.

 In the previous five meetings, the Corps commander-ranked

officers have failed to break the deadlock. This will be the

first meeting since the foreign ministers of the two countries

agreed on a five-point roadmap to take forward the

disengagement and de-escalation process.

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

Tata Technologies to modernise Karnataka ITIs into tech hubs

with outlay of Rs 4,600 crore

 Engineering services company Tata Technologies has

signed an agreement with Karnataka government to

modernise 150 state-run ITIs with an outlay of Rs 4,600

crore.

 The project cost will include investment from the state

government as well as from a consortium of 20 companies led

by Tata Technologies.

 The project is expected to bring qualitative improvements in

the field of industrial training and education to create an

enhanced learning environment for training youth to cater to

industry requirements.

AAI Signs MoU With NTPC Subsidiary, NVVN to set up solar

power plants in Airports

 The Airports Authority of India (AAI) signed a

Memorandum of Understanding with an NTPC subsidiary on

Thursday to promote usage of electric vehicles and set up

solar power plants at its airports. NTPC Vidyut Vyapar

Nigam (NVVN), a subsidiary of NTPC, will be provided

adequate land and rooftop space free of cost at identified AAI

airports to set up solar power plants.

 The AAI owns and manages more than 100 airports across

India. The airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad,

Mangaluru and Lucknow are managed by private companies

and not by the AAI..

        

exercise in Andaman Nicobar Islands

 A military exercise involving special forces was carried

out in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands between November

3 and 5 as the Army, Navy and Air Force got together for the

war games amid the India-China standoff to test synergy in

joint operations.

 Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) conducted a joint

services exercise code-named ‗Bull Strike‘, involving the

three Services components of Andaman and Nicobar

Command.

 Elements of Indian Army's Parachute Brigade, marine

commandos or MARCOS and Special Forces carried on the

exercise at the remotely located Teressa Island, in the

strategically important Nicobar Group of Islands.

 ―The exercise was carried out to validate and rehearse

operational plans and contingencies in a realistic tactical

setting under the overall command and control of Andaman

and Nicobar Command, the only joint services operational

command of the defence forces of India,‖ a statement from

the Army said.

     

consultations

 eSanjeevani, the national telemedicine service set up by

the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has completed 7

lakh consultations today. The last one lakh consultations have

come up in 11 days. This novel digital modality to deliver

OPD services virtually has been gaining popularity. With

over 10 thousand consultations being recorded on

eSanjeevani per day, it is shaping into the largest OPD

services set up in the country.

 An innovative intervention to deliver health services,

eSanjeevani has started making impact in smaller towns and

rural areas. While telemedicine is beneficial for the patients,

it also is favourable for the doctors practicing telemedicine as

it limits the contact with patients who are present virtually.

 eSanjeevani has removed the requirement of doctor to be at a

specific location to provide services. Patients desirous of

seeking medical consultations are placed in a virtual queue

and upon their turn can see a doctor who is available virtually

but present in another city. Each online OPD consultation

generates an ePreion which can be used to buy medicines or

go for diagnostic investigations.

Two-Day Joint Coastal Security Exercise 'Sagar Kavach'

Begins in Odisha

 A two-day joint coastal security exercise, ―Sagar Kavach‖

was launched at Paradip Coast, Odisha. The exercise is being

carried out by a joint effort of the state of Odisha and West

Bengal governments.

 The main purpose of the exercise is to carry out the exercise

on the coast of Paradip this year, just like every year after the

26/11 Mumbai attacks. The exercise is being carried out to

prevent a repeat of the Mumbai attacks by sea.

 More than 10 such departments, including the Indian Navy,

the Indian Coast Guard, the Odisha Police, the local

fishermen, the forest department, and the port marine

department, have joined the joint exercise.It will run for two

days, with red and green forces being formed to infiltrate and

prevent attacks. This year for coastal security the exercise

was named ―Sagar Kavach‖.

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World famous Tourism spot Pangong Tso route gets 4G

services at Tangtse

 World famous Tourism spot Pangong Tso route now gets 4G

services at Tangtse. This first-ever Jio mobile tower in the

entire Changthang region, connects Tangtse sub division with

the rest of the world digitally.

 Mr.Tashi congratulated the people of Tangtse area for having

a Jio mobile tower facility for the first time which was one of

the pending demands of the area.Pangong Tso or Pangong

Lake is an endorheic lake spanning eastern Ladakh and West

Tibet.

India's first solar-based water supply project launched in

Arunachal Pradesh

 India's first solar-based Integrated Multi-Village Water

Supply Project (IMVWSP) was dedicated to the people of

Arunachal Pradesh by Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra

Singh Shekhawat.

 The solar-based lift water supply project for 39 villages in

Lower Dibang Valley district in northeastern Arunachal

Pradesh was commissioned at a cost of Rs 28.50 crore.

 The project is designed to provide drinking water to 17,480

people and has been conceived as an integrated project with

an element of drinking water, green energy and tourism

component in it.

Ex-SPG officer Sasindran Kallinkeel pens novel on

transgenders

 Ex-SPG officer, Sasindran Kallinkeel‘s has penned a

novel named ―Rasaathi: The Other Side of a Transgender‖.

 The main character in the novel, published by Book Mitra, is

a transgender named Rasaathi born in a well-to-do family in

South India.

 Rasaathi, meaning princess, is in the late 40s who wants

people to treat transgenders like human beings by showering

love, affection, sympathy and recognise their pathetic and

horrible life.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveils A-SAT missile model

at DRDO Bhawan

 A model of Anti-Satellite Missile installed inside the

DRDO Bhawan premises was unveiled by Defence Minister

Rajnath Singh.

 ‗Mission Shakti‘ was the country's first ever Anti-Satellite

(A-SAT) Missile Test successfully conducted on 27th March

2019 from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha, where a

fast-moving Indian orbiting target satellite in Low Earth Orbit

was neutralised with pinpoint accuracy.

 This was a highly complex mission, conducted at extremely

high speed with remarkable precision.

 The successful conduct of Mission Shakti made India the

fourth nation in the world with the capability to defend its

assets in outer space.

Indian Army Gifts 10 Mine Detection Dogs & 20 Trained

Military Horses to Bangladesh

 The Indian army gifted 20 horses and 10 dogs to the

Bangladesh army. These equines and canines were trained by

the Remount and Veterinary Corps of Indian Army.

 The fully trained military horses and mine detecting dogs

were gifted to Bangladesh in order to further strengthen the

bilateral relations between the two countries.

 The Indian Army has also trained Bangladesh Army

personnel for training and handling these specialist dogs and

horses.

IFSCA approves Draft Banking Regulations for International

Financial Services Centres

 IFSCA Approves Draft Banking Regulations for

International Financial Services Centres. The International

financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) on Wednesday

approved draft banking regulations for banking operations at

IFSCs.

 Banking constitutes one of the major focus areas of IFSCs

(International Financial Services Centres) and is expected to

drive and facilitate the other constituent operations in IFSCs

in due course, IFSCA said in a statement.

 "A self-contained regulation laying down the major principles

of banking operations at IFSCs is thus an important step in

the IFSC reaching its desired potential," it said. The authority

approved the draft banking regulations at its meeting held on

Wednesday, as per the statement.

Indian Navy's fifth Scorpene class submarine Vagir launched

 Indian Navy's fifth Scorpene class submarine Vagir,

having superior stealth features like the advanced acoustic

absorption technique, was launched on Thursday at the

Mazagon Dock in south Mumbai.

 Vijaya, wife of Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik,

launched the submarine through video conferencing. The

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minister was the chief guest at the event and attended it via

video link from Goa.

 Vagir is part of the six Kalvari-class submarines being built in

India. The submarines, designed by French naval defence and

energy company DCNS, are being built as part of Indian

Navy's Project-75.

China sends 'world's first 6G' test satellite into orbit

 China has successfully launched what has been

described as "the world's first 6G satellite" into space to test

the technology.

 It went into orbit along with 12 other satellites from the

Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in the Shanxi Province.

 The telecoms industry is still several years away from

agreeing on 6G's specifications, so it is not yet certain the

tech being trialled will make it into the final standard. It

involves use of high-frequency terahertz waves to achieve

data-transmission speeds many times faster than 5G is likely

to be capable of. The satellite also carries technology which

will be used for crop disaster monitoring and forest fire

prevention.

Google Photos will end free unlimited storage from June 2021

 Google said starting June 1, 2021, it will no longer offer

unlimited free backup for high quality photos, after providing

the free service for five years.

 The search-giant will start charging for storage once 15GB on

the account has been used. If users wish to add photos beyond

the 15GB limit, they must pay for additional storage on

Google One.

 Google is exempting all high quality photos and videos that

users back up before June 1. It estimated that 80% of people

should take at least three years to reach 15GB.

CSIR-SERC, Chennai Develops Indigenous Emergency

Retrieval System (ERS) for Power Lines

 Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

constituent laboratory Structural Engineering Research Centre

(SERC) based in Chennai has developed an indigenous

technology, Emergency Retrieval System (ERS), for quick

retrieval of power transmission in the event of failure of

transmission line towers. CSIR-SERC has signed an

agreement for licensing of the ERS technology with M/s

Advait Infratech, Ahmedabad.

 At present, the ERS systems are imported. There are very few

manufacturers across the world and the cost is relatively high.

This technological development will enable the

manufacturing in India for the first time, which will be an

import substitute and will cost about 40% of imported

systems. ERS has huge market requirement in India as well as

in SAARC and African countries. Hence, this technological

development is a big leap forward towards Atma Nirbhar

Bharat and Make in India.

 ERS is a lightweight modular system that is used as

temporary support structure to restore power immediately

after the collapse of transmission line towers during natural

calamities such as cyclone/earthquake, or manmade

disruptions. ERS can be assembled quickly at the disaster site

for restoration of power in 2-3 days, whereas the permanent

restoration may take several weeks. This development is very

significant as failure of transmission lines severely impact

lives of common people and causes huge monetary loss to the

power companies. As the total losses/damages are directly

proportional to the outage duration, time is a crucial factor in

reinstating or remediating the damaged/fallen structures.

Stanford University lists world's top 2% scientists, 14 from

IIT-BHU

 At least 14 scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology

(IIT) - Banaras Hindu University have figured among the top

two per cent scientists in a global list compiled by the

prestigious Standford University.

 The US-based Stanford University has recently released a list

that represents the top 2 per cent of the most-cited scientists

in various disciplines. The exhaustive list has 1,59,683

persons with nearly 1,500 scientists, doctors and engineers in

India.

 "The list includes the name of 14 professors of Indian

Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University). All these

have been selected on the basis of their research paper's

international evaluation," IIT BHU Director Pramod Kumar

Jain said.

.India successfully test fires Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air-

Missiles in Odisha

 India has successfully test-fired the Quick Reaction

Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) system off the coast of

Balasore in Odisha. The missile hit its target directly during

the test.

 The missile launch took place from ITR Chandipur at 3:50

PM off the Odisha coast. The missile is propelled by a single-

stage solid-propellant rocket motor and uses all indigenous

subsystems. The missile is canisterised for transportation and

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launch using a mobile launcher capable of carrying 6

canisterised missiles, the defence ministry said in a release.

 All QRSAM weapon system elements like Battery

Multifunction Radar, Battery Surveillance Radar, Battery

Command Post Vehicle and Mobile Launcher were deployed

in the flight test. The system is capable of detecting and

tracking targets on the move and engaging target with short

halts. The system is designed to give air defence coverage

against strike columns of the Indian Army.

 The radar tracked the Banshee target from the farthest range

and the missile was launched when the target was within the

kill zone and achieved the direct hit with terminal active

homing by RF Seeker guidance. Various DRDO labs DRDL,

RCI, LRDE, R&DE(E), IRDE, ITR have participated in the

test.

8th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial

meeting unanimously adopts BRICS STI Declaration 2020

 The 8th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation

Ministerial meeting unanimously has adopted BRICS STI

Declaration 2020. The meeting was held yesterday through a

virtual platform. Science and Technology cooperation among

the member countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South

Africa was discussed in the meeting.

 During the meeting, Science and Technology Minister Dr

Harsh Vardhan highlighted that the COVID 19 pandemic has

been a test, demonstrating that multilateral cooperation is the

key to overcoming such global challenges. He informed that

India has initiated an integrated response to overcome this

pandemic. From the development of indigenous vaccines,

novel point-of-care diagnostics and therapeutic formulations

based on traditional knowledge, Indian Research and

Development are working relentlessly to develop effective

interventions for combating the pandemic. The Minister said,

more than 100 startups have developed innovative products

for COVID-19.

All religious places in Maharashtra to open from tomorrow

 In Maharashtra, as all the religious places are opening from

tomorrow, many famous temples are doing special

arrangements to facilitate the devotees to visit the temples

without crowding and following COVID-19 guidelines.

Famous Tuljapur temple in Osmanabad has made the

provision of free passes for the devotees which will be issued

online.

 AIR Correspondent reports, devotees of Tulja Bhavani can

seek the blessings of Goddess from tomorrow without

crowding the temple premises as the temple authorities have

made the provision of free passes to enter the temple. The

passes will be available online on the website of the temple

and at the same time those who don't have internet access can

collect their passes in person from four centres in Tuljapur

High Commission of India launches Special Edition wrist

watches for Mujib Centenary year in Dhaka

 A limited series of special edition wristwatches was released

in Dhaka today for the Mujib Centenary year ‗Mujib Borsho‘.

The special edition watches was released by the Minister of

Road Transport and Bridges Obaidul Quader and the High

Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami

 The wrist watches in this limited edition series bear the

images of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his

signature representing the timelessness of the message of

Bangabandhu and its eternal relevance.

 Bangladesh is celebrating the birth centenary year of its

founder president and Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman. The government of Bangladesh has

declared the period from March 17, 2020, to March 26, 2021

as the Mujib Borsho marking the birth centenary of

Bangabandhu.

      

that transform biomass wastes into valuable chemicals

 A research team of IIT Guwahati has formulated efficient

―pincer‖ catalytic systems that transform biomass wastes into

valuable chemicals. Tiny amounts of these ―pincer catalysts‖

repeatedly convert large amounts of industrial waste such as

glycerol into lactic acid and hydrogen

 Official sources said that such catalysts also efficiently

convert bioethanol, a low-energy density fuel, into high-

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energy density butanol. The conversion of valuable

intermediates such as glycerol and ethanol, produced during

the processing of biomass, into industrially useful chemicals

has elicited much interest worldwide.

.SpaceX Crew Dragon launches 4 astronauts to space station in

1st operational flight for NASA

 SpaceX successfully launched its first operational space taxi

flight for NASA Sunday, as a shiny white Falcon 9 rocket

took to the skies above Kennedy Space Center here in

Florida.

 The rocket lifted off from NASA's historic Pad 39 here at

7:27 p.m. EDT (0027 GMT on Nov. 16) carrying four

astronauts in a Crew Dragon capsule to orbit, and then

returned to Earth for a drone-ship landing in the Atlantic

Ocean.

 SpaceX's Crew-1 Dragon, called Resilience, is bound for the

International Space Station (ISS), but instead of the

traditional crew supplies and research experiments its cargo

variant normally carries, this spacecraft carried a different

type of cargo into space: three NASA astronauts, Mike

Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Japanese

astronaut Soichi Noguchi.

First solar power-enabled Textile Mill in Asia to come up in

Parbhani district

 In Maharashtra, the first solar power-enabled Textile Mill in

Asia is coming up in Parbhani district. The project, once

functional, will provide jobs to many women in the district.

 The Jai Bhawani women's cooperative textile mill will be the

first in Asia that will operate on solar power. Spread across

thirty acres of land the mill will process cotton to the cloth.

 Ginning, pressing, weaving and spinning of cotton will be

done in the mill. Dr. Patil said the cost of the project is 100

crore rupees and the operationalization of the mill it will

certainly give momentum to the industrial sector in the

district.

        

most powerful non-distributed computer systems in world

 India‘s Artificial Intelligence supercomputer Param Siddhi

has achieved 63rd rank among the top 500 most powerful

non-distributed computer systems in the world. Ministry of

Science and Technology in a statement said that the AI

system will strengthen application development of packages

in areas such as advanced materials, computational chemistry

and astrophysics.

 It said several packages are being developed under the

National Supercomputing Mission for drug design and

preventive health care system, flood forecasting package for

flood prone metro cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Patna,

and Guwahati. This will accelerate Research and

Development in the war against COVID-19 through faster

simulations, medical imaging, genome sequencing ,and

forecasting and will be a boon for Indian masses and for start-

Ups and MSMEs in particular.

Himachal Pradesh CM flags off Medical Mobile Unit Jeevan

Dhara

 In order to provide a complete range of health care services

for people living in remote and inaccessible areas of

Himachal Pradesh, the state government today flagged off

Medical Mobile Unit Jeevan Dhara, from the Ridge in

Shimla.

 While flagging off this Mobile Health and Wellness Unit,

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said the van would function

as a Mobile Primary Health Centre. He said free medical

consultancy and screening would be provided to the patients

through Jeevan Dhara Mobile Health and Wellness Centre.

Jai Ram Thakur also flagged off TB Detection Vans on the

occasion.

 Today, 10 such mobile vans were pressed into service to

provide free health care to the people. Out of these vans, two

each would be provided in Kangra, Mandi and Shimla

districts and one each for Chamba, Kullu, Sirmaurand Solan

districts.

30th India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol took place between

Nov 18-20

 Indian Naval Ship (INS) Karmuk, an indigenously built

Missile Corvette and His Majesty's Thailand Ship (HTMS)

Kraburi, a Chao Phraya Class Frigate along with Dornier

Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both the navies are

participating in the CORPAT.

 "As part of Government of India's vision of SAGAR

(Security And Growth for All in the Region), the Indian Navy

has been involved in assisting countries in the Indian Ocean

Region with EEZ Surveillance, Humanitarian Assistance and

Disaster Relief (HADR), and other capacity building and

capability-enhancement activities on their request," said the

release.

 The release further stated that both countries have enjoyed a

friendly relationship, covering a wide spectrum of activities

and interactions.

 To reinforce maritime links, the navies of both nations have

been carrying out CORPAT along their International

Maritime Boundary Line twice a year since 2005, with the

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aim of keeping this vital part of the Indian Ocean safe and

secure for commercial shipping and international trade.

Indian Naval Ship Airavat arrives at Port of Mombasa, Kenya

under mission Sagar II

 In continuation of the ongoing humanitarian mission ‗Sagar-

II‘, Indian Naval Ship Airavat today arrived at Port of

Mombasa, Kenya. The Government of India is providing

assistance to Friendly Foreign Countries to overcome natural

calamities and COVID-19 pandemic, and towards the same

INS Airavat is carrying food aid for the people of South

Sudan.

 The Mission Sagar-II is aligned with Prime Minister‘s vision

of SAGAR -Security and Growth for All in the Region. It

reiterates India‘s position as a dependable partner in Indian

Ocean Region with Indian Navy as the principal maritime

agency and first responder in the maritime domain. The

mission also highlights the importance accorded by India to

relations with South Sudan and further strengthens the

existing bond.

New Zealand declares climate emergency, promises carbon

neutral govt by 2025

 New Zealand promised its public sector would become

carbon neutral by 2025 as it declared a climate emergency on

December 2, 2020, a symbolic move that critics said needed

to be backed with greater actions to reduce emissions.

 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the climate emergency

declaration was based on the Intergovernmental Panel on

Climate Change‘s findings that to avoid more than 1.5 degree

Celsius rise in global warming, emissions would need to fall

by around 45% from 2010 levels by 2023 and reach zero by

around 2050.

The 7th India-Suriname Joint Commission Meeting held

virtually on December 2, 2020

 The 7th India-Suriname Joint Commission Meeting was held

virtually on December 2, 2020. The discussions were held in

an atmosphere of warmth against the backdrop of friendly

India - Suriname relations. The JCM was co-chaired by

Minister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan and

Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and

International Cooperation of Suriname, Albert R. Ramdin

 Both Ministers underscored the importance of this

mechanism in deepening political dialogue, reviewing

bilateral ties, and exchanging views on regional and

multilateral cooperation

 The two Ministers acknowledged the importance of

undertaking developmental projects under concessional

conditions, including through Lines of Credits, in the spirit of

South-South cooperation.

RIL Tops Fortune 500 List Of Indian Companies, IOC at

Second Spot

 Oil-to-telecom conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd topped

the Fortune 500 list of Indian companies, Fortune India

announced on 3 December,2020.

 Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOC), the nation's biggest oil

firm, bagged the second spot, followed by Oil and Natural

Gas Corporation (ONGC) at the third, it said.

 The country's largest lender State Bank of India was in the

fourth position, while India's second-biggest fuel retailer

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) took the fifth spot.

 The list was published by Fortune India, which is part of the

Kolkata-based RP Sanjiv Goenka Group.

 Tata Motors was ranked sixth, followed by gold refiner

Rajesh Exports at the seventh spot.

 India's largest IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services

took the eighth spot, while ICICI Bank was at ninth, and

Larsen and Toubro at tenth.

HAL-IISc Skill Development Centre launches its first training

programme

 HAL-IISc Skill Development Centre in Challakere of

Chitradurga district in Karnataka launched its first training

programme offering five courses in virtual mode.

 The programmes offered are in the niche engineering areas of

aerospace, mechanical, electrical and electronic sectors, and

in line with the ―Make in India‖ mission. The experienced

engineers, supervisors and faculty members of various

technical institutes will be trained in the Centre. The trainees

will spend more than 50 per cent of the course duration in

labs, conducting experiments. Faculty members will be

selected from Indian Institute of Science and other leading

organisations including HAL.

China successfully activated nuclear-

 China has successfully activated its so-called ―artificial sun,‖

a nuclear fusion reactor that could fuel its energy ambitions

for years to come — if they can make it more sustainable.

 China‘s Atomic Energy Authority fired up its HL-2M

Tokamak reactor for the first time on Friday, state-controlled

media report. The brief test is being hailed as an important

scientific achievement amid a global effort to develop safer,

cleaner forms of nuclear energy.

 ―The development of nuclear fusion energy is not only a way

to solve China‘s strategic energy needs, but also has great

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

significance for the future sustainable development of

China‘s energy and national economy,‖

AYUSH Ministry and AIIMS set up Department of Integrative

Medicine at AIIMS

 The Ministry of AYUSH and AIIMS had decided to initiate

work on setting up a Department of Integrative Medicine at

AIIMS. This was decided in a joint visit and review by

Secretary, AYUSH Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha and Director,

AIIMS, New Delhi Dr. Randeep Guleria.

 It was decided that the Centre for Integrative Medicine and

Research, CIMR, AIIMS may develop an integrated protocol

with Ayurveda and Yoga for study on Post COVID treatment.

Secretary AYUSH assured that the Ministry of AYUSH will

strive to continue its support to CIMR till the dedicated

Department is developed.

UN food agency World Food Programme received Nobel prize

in online event

 The World Food Programme was received its Nobel Peace

Prize on 10 December,2020, in an event very different from

the traditional pomp-filled celebration in the Norwegian

capital because of the coronavirus outbreak.

 This year, 12 laureates were named across the six categories.

All but the Peace Prize have been awarded over the past days

at low-key ceremonies across Europe and the United States in

the places where the winners live.

 A Nobel prize comes with a 10-milion krona (USD 1.1

million) cash award — to be shared in some cases —

diplomas and gold medals. Traditionally, the lavish Nobel

ceremonies are all held December 10, the anniversary of the

death of prize founder Alfred Nobel, in Stockholm, except for

the Peace Prize that is held in Oslo, in neighboring Norway.

325 cadets pass out from Indian Military Academy to serve the

country

 Indian Military Academy gave another batch of bravehearts

to the Indian Army as 325 cadets passed out from the

prestigious institute December12,2020 in Dehradun. After the

final step the cadets became an integral part of the armed

forces. 70 cadets from the nine friendly countries also passed

out from the portals of IMA.

 The entire ceremony was conducted with due COVID

precautions. While being conducted in a scaled down

backdrop on account COVID, the Passing Out Parade

retained ceremonial grandeur and regalia symbolic of this

once in a lifetime moment for the proud Gentlemen Cadets.

Karnataka CM unveils manure making machine Bhusiri and

Bhu Mitra

 The manure-making machine ‗Bhu Siri‘ and soil testing

equipment ‗Bhu Mitra‘ developed by Hi-Tech Agriculture

Chairman Dr.Nagaraj Hegde was unveiled by Chief Minister

B S Yediyurappa in Bengaluru. Our Correspondent says that

both Bhu Siri and Bhu Mitra machines will be promoted by

the state agriculture department to prevent farmers from

burning stubble and other crop residue and benefit from

organic farming.

 Bhu Siri machine uses farm waste to convert it into organic

manure thereby preventing stubble burning by farmers.

Instead of 40 to 60 days, the machine converts farm waste

into organic manure instantly. The machine is mobile and can

be taken to farmers‘ fields easily.

1st service of Pawan Hans MI 17 Helicopter between Kargil to

Srinagar starts

 In Kargil, the first service of Pawan Hans MI 17 Helicopter

between Kargil to Srinagar started on December 13 and lifted

13 passengers from Kargil to Srinagar and 14 from Srinagar

to Kargil.

 The service will ease the issue of transportation during the

winter season.

 The fare of this helicopter service is Rs 9,000 per passenger

and anyone willing to avail the service can contact the

Liaison officer Naib Tehsildar Kargil.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari lays foundation stone for NAEC

Pvt Ltd in Hingna industrial area of Nagpur

 Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on laid the foundation Stone

for Nagpur Auto & Engineering Cluster Pvt Ltd (NAEC) in

Hingna industrial area of Nagpur.

 The cluster approved under Cluster Development Plan of

MSME comprises Micro Small Enterprises in Auto &

Engineering Sector. Gadkari said , electric vehicles, CNG and

LNG are the future of Automobiles in India, this cluster

should play a pivotal role in making Nagpur an automobile

hub.

Maharashtra govt all set to launch 'MahaSharad' platform

 Maharashtra‘s Department of Social Justice is all set to

launch an ambitious scheme for distribution of assistive

devices to lakhs of persons with disabilities through

MahaSharad Digital Platform today to coincide with NCP

chief Sharad Pawar's 80th birthday. It will be available on

Play Store by March 2021.

 Maharashtra System for Health and Rehabilitation

Assistance‖ or MahaSharad platform has been created to

provide various devices to persons with disabilities free of

cost through the Commissionerate for persons with Disability.

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ISRO launched communication satellite CMS-01 on December

 The launch of communication satellite CMS-01 onboard the

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C50), is scheduled on

December 17 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at

Sriharikota, the Indian Space Research Organisation

 "PSLV-C50, which is the 52nd mission of PSLV, will launch

CMS-01 from the Second Launch Pad (SLP) of

SatishDhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota. The

launch is tentatively scheduled at 15:41 Hrs IST on December

17, 2020 subject to weather conditions," the space agency

said.

NITI Aayog released a white paper ''Vision2035 Public Health

Surveillance in India''

 NITI Aayog released a white paper Vision 2035 - Public

Health Surveillance in India. The white paper lays out India‘s

vision for public health surveillance through the integration of

the three-tiered public health system into Ayushman Bharat.

 It also spells out the need for expanded referral networks and

enhanced laboratory capacity. The building blocks for this

vision are an interdependent federated system of governance

between the Centre and states.



 Himgiri, which is the first of the three Project 17A ships

being built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers

Limited (GRSE), Kolkata was launched.

 She made her first contact with the waters of Hoogly River

 In keeping with Naval traditions, Madhulika Rawat, spouse of

the CDS launched the ship to the chanting of invocations

from the Atharva Veda.

 Under the Project 17A program, a total of seven ships, four at

Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and three ships

at GRSE are being built with enhanced stealth features,

advanced indigenous weapon and sensor fit along with

several other improvements.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla released book on 19th

anniversary of Parliament attack

 Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla released a book on occasion of

19th anniversary of the Parliament attack.

 He released the book ‗The Shaurya Unbound‘ (English

Version) and ‗Samundar Samawe Boond Mein‘ (Hindi

Version).

 A series of books has been planned to chronicle the life

stories of CRPF bravehearts.

 The first book in this series is a collection of 13 most

exemplary acts of valour of the force personnel.

Ola to invest Rs.2,400 crore to set up largest e-scooter factory

in the world

 It has signed a memorandum of understanding with the

government of Tamil Nadu in India to set up what it claims

would be the ―world‘s largest scooter manufacturing facility‖

in the South Indian state as the Indian ride-hailing firm begins

a new push with electric vehicles.

 The Soft Bank-backed Indian ride-hailing firm said it will

invest about $327 million in setting up the factory, which it

says would create almost 10,000 jobs and have an initial

capacity to produce 2 million electric vehicles in a year.

PM Modi to inaugurate 6th edition of India International

Science Festival 2020

 Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan also present at the

event. According to the website narendramodi.in, launched in

2015, the IISF is a festival to encourage science and

technology. The goal is to connect the public with research,

celebrate the joy of science and demonstrate how Science,

Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) will offer

solutions for improving lives.

 The aim of the IISF 2020 is to help young people build skills

in the 21st century with an emphasis on science awareness,

innovation, critical thought, problem-solving and teamwork.

The long-term goal is to inspire students to research and work

in the science field.

 Minister said that the International Science Festival will begin

on 22 December and will end on 25 December.

12th GRIHA Summit concludes with awards ceremony and

valedictory session

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 The second day of the 12th GRIHA Summit witnessed the

presentation of the rating and exemplary performance awards

to SVAGRIHA, GRIHA and GRIHA LD projects.

 The theme of the Summit was ―Rejuvenating Resilient

Habitats‖. It is the annual flagship event organized by

GRIHA Council in association with ‗key stakeholders in the

construction industry‘ to discuss and deliberate on the

furtherance of Sustainable Habitat Development in India.

 Shri Habeeb Khan congratulated the initiative by GRIHA and

TERI, stating that the pandemic has not broken the world, but

shown us how broken it actually was, making the theme of

the Summit valid and pertinent in the current time and

context. He went on to add that it was time to introspect and

consider what the way forward should be and that

conferences like the GRIHA Summit help fuel thought in the

right direction.

ISRO opened Regional Academic Centre for Space at IIT

Varanasi

 The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will

establish a Regional Academic Centre for Space at IIT-

Varanasi to facilitate short and long term projects at the

institute.

 ISRO and the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) signed a

memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Wednesday and

the move can help propel the culture of research and

development among students, the statement said.

Centre started contest for strengthening digital network

platform 'CoWIN' for Covid-19 vaccine distribution

 The government launched a technology contest to invite

solutions from IT companies and start-ups to strengthen the

digital platform CoWIN, which will be used for rolling out

and scaling up Covid vaccine distribution across the country

 The government is enhancing use of the Electronic Vaccine

Intelligence Network (eVIN) system, which provides real-

time information on vaccine stocks and storage temperatures

across all cold chain points in the country to address the

needs for distribution and tracking of Covid-19 vaccine.

Niti Aayog Launched Made-in-India Cloud Storage Service



 NITI Aayog has launched indigenously developed India‘s

first Digital Asset Management and Storage platform, called

‗DigiBoxx‘.

 The home-grown DigiBoxx was launched by NITI Aayog

CEO Amitabh Kant on 22 December.

 The initiative will give a boost to Prime Minister Narendra

Modi‘s vision of ‗Atmanirbhar Bharat‘, as India now has its

own cloud storage platform.

 This cloud storage and file sharing service will be available

for desktop, iOS, and Android users, including both regular

users as well as businesses.

 Digiboxx offers free 20GB cloud storage space, and 100GB

space per month at just Rs 30.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched E-Sampada web

portal and mobile app on Good Governance Day

 Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri

launched E-Sampada, a new web portal and mobile app on

Good Governance Day.

 The new application provides a single window for all the

services including allotment for over one lakh government

residential accommodations, office space allotment to

government organisations in 45 office complexes in 28 cities

and booking of 1,176 holiday home rooms.

 The portal provides online facility to users across India to

lodge complaints, submit documents and appear for virtual

hearing.

Indian humanitarian assistance ship arrives at Vietnam's Nha

Rong Port as a part of Mission Sagar-III

 Naval Ship Kiltan, carrying humanitarian assistance, arrived

at Vietnam's Nha Rong Port, Ho Chi Minh City yesterday to

deliver 15 tonnes of relief material for flood-affected people.

 The assistance is as a part of Mission Sagar-III, India‘s

Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)

assistance to Friendly Foreign Countries during the ongoing

pandemic.

 The ship will deliver 15 Tons of HADR Stores for the flood-

affected people of Central Vietnam, which will be handed

over to Vietnam's Central Steering Committee for National

Disaster Prevention and Control.

  



 Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh launched

Mobile Application and web portal called ‗PR Insight‘ on 23

December 2020, to improve the delivery of citizen centric

services, based upon the feedback of its citizens on

government policies.

 The basic objective of PR Insight is to re-orient the existing

schemes and programmes of the state government to the

people‘s satisfaction after meticulously monitoring their

feedback.

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 The app will monitor the citizens feedback and subsequently

ensure responsive and transparent administration in the State.

 The ‗PR Insight‘ app has been developed by the Information

& Public Relations Department.

FASTag mandatory for all vehicles from January 1

 Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin

Gadkari announced on December 24, that FASTag will be

mandatory for all vehicles in the country from January 1.

 Enumerating its benefits, he said, FASTag is useful for

commuters as they will not need to stop at toll plazas for cash

payments, adding that it will also save time and fuel.

 The FASTags were launched in 2016, and four banks together

issued nearly a lakh of them. By 2017, their numbers went up

to seven lakh.

 Over 34 lakh FASTags were issued in 2018. The Road

Transport Ministry had in November this year issued a

notification also making FASTag mandatory from January 1,

2021, for old vehicles or that were sold before December 1,

2017.



 India‘s first Lithium refinery is soon going to be set up in

Gujarat.

 Manikaran Power Limited, one of the country‘s largest power

trading and renewable energy company will invest around Rs

1,000 crore to set up this refinery.

 The refinery will process Lithium ore to produce battery-

grade material.

 The company will import Lithium ore from Australia and will

be processing in Gujarat.

 Lithium is a rare element and is usually not found in India.

       -

ever driverless train in Delhi Metro

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India‘s first-ever

driverless train operations on Delhi Metro‘s Magenta Line on

Monday through video conferencing.

 The driverless trains will be fully automated, which will

eliminate the possibility of human error. After the start of

driverless services on the Magenta Line between Janakpuri

West to Botanical Garden, the Pink Line of Delhi Metro is

expected to have driverless operations by the mid of 2021

 The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the fully operational

National Common Mobility Card service on the Airport

Express Line. This will enable anyone carrying a RuPay

Debit Card issued from any part of the country to travel on

the Airport Express Line using that card. This facility will

become available on the entire Delhi Metro network by 2022.

Road Transport and Highways Ministry extends validity of

vehicular documents like DLs, RCs, Permits etc till 31st

March 2021

 Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had extended the

validity of vehicular documents like DLs, RCs, Permits etc

till 31st March 2021 in the light of need to prevent spread of

COVID -19. The Ministry has today issued a directory to the

States and Union Territory administrations in this regard.

 The Ministry had earlier issued advisories on 30th March, 9th

June and 24th August this year regarding extension of

validity of documents related to Motor Vehicles Act, 1988

and Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989. It was advised that

the validity of Fitness, Permit (all types), License,

Registration or any other concerned documents may be

treated to be valid till 31st December this year.

Indian submarine INS Sindhuvir inducted into Myanmar navy

 Myanmar on December 25 officially inducted submarine

handed over by India in the month of October. INS Sindhuvir

was commissioned as UMS Minye Theinkhathu and inducted

on the 73rd anniversary of the Myanmar Navy. During the

commissioning ceremony, Indian ambassador to Myanmar

Saurabh Kumar was also present along with top brass of

Myanmar's Navy.

 The kilo class submarine has a displacement of 3000 tonnes,

a diving depth of 300 meters and top speed at 20 knots. UMS

Minye Theinkhathu is named after an ancient warrior and can

operate for 45 days. It is equipped with 40 km range wire-

guided torpedoes and 3M-54 Klub anti-ship cruise missiles.

Myanmar has built a submarine base for it in a highly

classified location.

PM Modi inaugurated country's first ever driverless metro

train in Delhi

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi had stressed that rapid

urbanisation must be seen as an opportunity rather than as a

challenge.

 He said, this opportunity can provide the platform to build

better infrastructure in the country and improving the ease of

living.

 Mr. Modi today flagged off India‘s first ever driverless train

operations on Delhi Metro‘s Magenta Line which will

connect Janakpuri West to Botanical Garden metro stations.

 He also inaugurated the fully operational National Common

Mobility Card service on the Airport Express Line.

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 The National Common Mobility Card will enable the

passengers to travel on the Airport Express Line using the

RuPay-Debit Card issued from any part of the country.

Delhi airport Terminal 3 gets passenger tracking system to

manage movement, waiting time amid COVID-19

 The aircraft movement is currently being handled only by

Terminals 2 and 3 of the Delhi due to reduced flight

operations as compared to pre-COVID levels.

 Keeping in mind the threat from the coronavirus pandemic,

Terminal 3 at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi

has introduced a new passenger tracking system or PTS.

According to a report by news agency PTI, the PTS would aid

in better management of the flow of passengers, while also

ensuring social distancing and reducing the waiting time. The

terminal has introduced a queue management system called

Xovis PTS which would display waiting time at various

places like security check and check-in in real-time. This

would be displayed on various screens set up across the

terminal, the report cited DIAL, the operator of the Delhi

airport, as saying.

International Blue Flag hoisted at 8 beaches across the

Country.

 Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri

Prakash Javadekar today virtually hoisted the international

blue flags in 8 beaches across the country. India secured the

International Blue Flag Certification for these beaches on 6th

October 2020.

 Blue Flag certification is a globally recognised eco-label

accorded by "Foundation for Environment Education in

Denmark" based on 33 stringent criteria.

 The Environment Minister further informed that hundreds

more such beaches will be made Blue Flag in coming 3-4

years and highlighted that cleaning beaches needs to be a

made a ―Jan Andolan‖ not only for its aesthetic value and

tourism prospects, but more importantly towards reducing the

menace of marine litter and making coastal environment

sustainable.

Skyroot Aerospace becomes first Indian company to

successfully test fire solid-fueled rocket engine

 Indian Space startup, Skyroot Aerospace had successfully test

fired a solid propulsion rocket engine, named Kalam-5

 With this, it had become the first private company of India to

successfully design, develop and test a full solid-fueled rocket

stage.

 This crucial propulsion technology will be used for their

maiden rocket Vikram-1, which is under active

manufacturing and is targeted to be launched in December

2021 with the help of ISRO.

 Kalam is a series of five solid-fueled rocket engines with a

thrust ranging from 5kN to 1000kN (approx 100Tons).

 The remaining four motors are in various stages of

manufacturing and will be tested in 2021.

Union Territory of Ladakh gets its own meteorological centre

 A meteorological centre was inaugurated in the Union

Territory of Ladakh which would provide localised weather

forecasts thus strengthening weather-related early warning

system for the region. At 3,500 metres, this meteorological

centre is the highest such facility in India, Union Earth

Sciences Minister Harsh Vardhan said at the inauguration of

the facility.

 He said it will provide short range (three days,) medium

range (12 days) and long range (one month) forecast for the

two districts -- Leh and Kargil -- of the Union Territory.

 The region is unique in terms of weather, climate, culture,

topography with extreme temperatures, ranging from minus

40 degrees Celsius in Drass to scanty average precipitation of

10 centimetres annually, which makes the region a distinct

cold desert, he said.

Union health minister Harsh Vardhan launches India's first

indigenously developed pneumococcal vaccine 'Pneumosil'

 Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurated India's

first pneumococcal conjugate vaccine "Pneumosil", which has

been developed by the Serum Institute of India Private

Limited (SIIPL) in collaboration with partners like the Bill

and Melinda Gates Foundation.

 As per an official release, recognizing SIIPL as the world's

largest manufacturer of vaccines by number of doses and its

contribution to India's economy, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that

Serum Institute's vaccines are used in 170 countries and every

third child in the world is immunized with the manufacturer's

vaccine.

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Turkey, U.S. in talks to discuss sanctions imposed over

Turkey's purchase of S-400s

 Turkey and the United States are engaged in talks to form a

joint working group that would take up the issue of sanctions

that Washington imposed on its ally over its purchase of an

advanced Russian air defense system, Turkey‘s foreign

minister said Wednesday.

 In a year-end news conference assessing Turkish foreign

policy, Mevlut Cavusoglu also told journalists that Turkey

wants ―healthier‖ relations with the United States under

President-elect Joe Biden‘s administration.

 The U.S. announced sanctions earlier this month to penalize

Turkey over its procurement of Russia‘s advanced S-400

system, under a U.S. law known as CAATSA which aims to

push back on Russian influence. It was the first time that

CAATSA had been used to penalize a U.S. ally.

Govt approves export of indigenous Akash missile system

 The government had approved the export of the indigenous

Akash missile system. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had

welcomed the move and said it will help India increase its

revenue from defence export. Mr Singh said, under the Atma

Nirbhar Bharat, India is growing in its capabilities of

manufacturing wide variety of Defence platforms and

missiles.

 The Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister approved the export

of Akash Missile System and a Committee for faster

Approvals has been created. Mr Singh said the Akash missile

system is an important defence asset for the country with over

96 per cent indigenization.

 Developed by DRDO, it is India‘s first indigenously designed

missile system and can target fighter jets, cruise missiles,

drones and other aerial assets.

 Mr Singh said, the export version of Akash will be different

from System currently deployed with Indian Armed Forces.

PM to laid foundation stone of AIIMS at Rajkot on 31st

December

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone

of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, AIIMS at Rajkot,

Gujarat tomorrow morning through video conferencing.

 For the project, 201 acres of land has been allotted. It will be

built at an estimated cost One thousand One hundred 95 crore

rupees and is expected to be completed by mid of 2022.

 The state-of-the-art 750 bed hospital will also have a 30 bed

AAYUSH block. It will have 125 MBBS seats and 60 nursing

seats.

Indian and French Rafales to carried out SKYROS wargames

in Jodhpur

 In a major development amid the ongoing border conflict

with China, Rafale fighter jets of India and France will carry

out wargames codenamed Exercise SKYROS in Jodhpur in

the third week of January next year.

 ―The French Air Force Rafale fighters would be coming to

Jodhpur for the SKYROS wargames which would see them

flying with Indian Rafales from the 17 Squadron and the Su-

30MKI fighters deployed there.‖

 This would be the first major wargame of the Indian Air

Force (IAF) involving the Rafale fighters which were

inducted into the service in August 2020 by the Narendra

Modi-led Government.

 The wargames being conducted are different from the routine

Garuda series exercises that the two sides have been carrying

out for more than a decade now and would see some complex

manoeuvres being carried out by the fighters of both sides,

the sources said. India had last carried out a major exercise

with the French Air Force in July 2019 where the Indian

Sukhois had flown with the French Rafales.

Govt launched Global Pravasi Rishta portal & mobile App to

connect with Indian Diaspora across the world

 Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan

launched the Global Pravasi Rishta portal and mobile App, to

connect with Indian Diaspora across the world.

 In a tweet, the Minister yesterday said, the portal will act as a

dynamic communication platform between our pravasis, the

Ministry of External Affairs and missions abroad and will

help in engaging Indian diaspora more intensively.

DRDO and Indian Navy conducted successful maiden trial of

SAHAYAK-NG air-droppable container

 The DRDO along with the Indian Navy has conducted a

successful maiden trial of the SAHAYAK-NG air-droppable

container from an IL-38SD aircraft off the coast of Goa, an

official statement said on Wednesday. SAHAYAK-NG is

India's first indigenously designed and developed air-

droppable container, said the Defence Ministry's statement.

 It is aided by GPS, can carry a payload of up to 50 kg and can

be dropped from a heavy aircraft, the ministry said.

 Two labs of the Defence Research and Development

Organisation (DRDO) and private company Avantel were

involved in its design and development.

 It reduces the requirement of ships to come close to the coast

to collect spares and stores, the ministry stated.

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SPORTS

Indo-Canadian pair Rohan Bopanna-Denis Shapovalov

reach men's doubles quarterfinals

 The Indo-Canadian pair of Rohan Bopanna and Denis

hapovalovhave reached the quarterfinals of the ongoing US

Open tennis.

 The pair of Bopanna-Shapovalov defeated the German pair

Kevin Krawietz and Andrea Mies in the second-round clash

that had lasted for an hour and 47 minutes.

 The Indian-Canadian pair will now play against the Dutch-

Romanian duo Jean-Julien Rojer and HoriaTecau on

September 7, 2020.

Sports Ministry extends contract of athletics foreign

coaches with eye on 2024 Olympics

 The Sports Ministry has extended the contract of 9 foreign

coaches and support personnel, including High Performance

Director of athletics with an eye on the 2024 Olympics,

Commonwealth Games and Asian Games 2022.

 In July this year, the Sports Ministry had decided to draw up

extended contracts for foreign and Indian coaches in sync

with the Olympic cycle. This decision was taken by the

Ministry with a focus on the 2024 and 2028 Olympics, and to

ensure Olympic-bound athletes are able to train consistently

and in continuity with one coach and improve their

performance as per the international standards.

Pierre Gasly wins F1 Italian Grand Prix 2020

 Pierre Gasly (Scuderia Alpha Tauri, France) has won the

Formula One Italian Grand Prix 2020 held at Autodromo

Nazionale Monza, Italy. This is his first Grand Prix win.

 Carlos Sainz Jr. (McLaren, Spain) came second followed by

Lance Stroll (Racing Point, Canada) in third place.

 Lewis Hamilton ended in 7th place after he earned a 10-

second stop and go penalty.

Japan's Naomi Osaka wins US Open title

 In US Open Tennis, Japan's Naomi Osaka defeated Victoria

Azarenka of Belarus in the Women's Singles final to clinch

her third Grand Slam title. The fourth seed, Osaka, overcame

her unseeded opponent 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 in one hour 53 minute

inside Arthur Ashe Stadium at Flushing Meadows in New

York.

 It brought 22-year old Osaka's haul of tennis major trophies to

three after her victories at the 2018 US Open and 2019

Australian Open.

 With this, the Japanese has become the first Asian player to

win three Grand Slam singles titles and also moved up to

number 3 in the world rankings.



Visnu Shivaraj Pandian wins gold in 10 meter air rifle

event of International Online Shooting Championship

 India's Visnu Shivaraj Pandian won the 10m air rifle event at

the fifth edition of the International Online Shooting

Championship yesterday. The 16-year-old Visnu shot 251.4

to win the title by a clear margin of two points.

 The second place was won by world no. 27 Etienne Germond

of France while Olympic quota winner Martin Strempfl of

Austria took the third place.

 Shooters from 15 countries are participating in the two-day

competition. The 10m air pistol event will be held today.

Leading India's challenge will be Olympic quota winner

Yashaswini Singh Deswal.

 India'sNihal Sarin wins Junior Speed Chess Championship

o India's Nihal Sarin emerged winner in the Chess. com's 2020

Junior Speed Online Chess Championship after beating

Russia's world junior No. 6 Alexey Sarana 18-7 in the final.

o The title win earned the 16-year old Sarin USD 8,766 and

enabled him to qualify for the 2020 Speed Chess

Championship Final, which will feature the world's best

players.

o Sarin had beaten American Andrew Tang, Australia's Anton

Smirnov and Armenian Haik Martirosyan en route the title.

Past winners of the Speed Chess Championship include

Magnus Carlsen (2017) and Hikaru Nakamura (2018, 2019).

 Nadal beats Djokovic to win 13th French Open, equals

Federer's Grand Slam record tally of 20

o Spaniard Rafael Nadal inflicted one of the most humiliating

defeats on great rival Novak Djokovic in the French Open

final,

thrashing the world number one 6-0 6-2 7-5 to lift a record-

equalling 20th Grand Slam men's singles title.

o The defeat in French Open for world number one Novak

Djokovic has ended his hopes of winning the 18th Slam and

also of becoming the first man since Rod Laver to win all the

four majors twice in 1969.

 National Shooting Camp for core Olympic shooters to take

place at Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range for two months

starting from Oct 15

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o National Shooting Camp for core Olympic shooters will be

taking place at Dr.Karni Singh Shooting Range, New Delhi

for a period of two months starting 15th of October. In order

to maintain a secure bio-bubble whereby the athletes can train

safely and to prevent a Coronavirus outbreak, the

responsibility of maintaining the Standard Operating

Procedures (SOPs) will be shared by the Sports Authority of

India and the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).

o The NRAI will make boarding and lodging arrangements at a

hotel nearby the venue, for which SAI will provide support as

per existing norms. From the hotel to the entry to the shooting

range, it will be the responsibility of the NRAI to maintain

the SOP in order to keep a secure bio-bubble.

 Five players from Indian Judo Team to participate in Grand

Slam 2020 competition

o Five players from the Indian Judo Team will be participating

in the Grand Slam 2020 competition, an International Judo

Federation event happening in Budapest, Hungary from 23rd

to 26th this month.

o The five judokas, consisting of two women and three men

players, will leave for the competition on 19th.

o The women‘s team includes 25-year-old Sushila Devi 48 kg

from Manipur and 22-year-old Tulika Mann 78 kg of Delhi.

o The men‘s team comprises former Olympian and 28-year-old

Avtar Singh 100 kg, 22-year-old TOPS developmental group

athlete Jasleen Singh Saini 66 kg from Punjab and 24-year-

old Vijay Yadav 60 kg.

 Nine States, Union Territories selected for upgradation to

KISCE

o Nine States and Union Territories have been selected for

upgradation to Khelo India State Centre of Excellence

(KISCE). The States and UTs include Andhra Pradesh,

Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh,

Puducherry, Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir.

o The Sports Ministry said, the centres have been selected

based on their past performances, quality of infrastructure,

management and sports culture in the State.

o Earlier this year, the Ministry had identified a total of 14

centres to be upgraded to Khelo India State Centre of

Excellence. The overall number now stands at 24 KISCEs

from 23 States and UTs. The assistance to these centres will

be provided in the form of bridging the gaps in sports

equipment, high performance managers, coaches, sports

scientists and technical support.

 Mohun Bagan receive I-League trophy, 7 months after

clinching title

o More than seven months after Mohun Bagan clinched the

2019-20 I-League title, they were handed over the trophy.

Bagan won it when they clinched a 1-0 win over Aizawl on

March 10 this year.

o The I-League, is one of the two coexisting premier football

leagues in India along with Indian Super League.

 Elavenil wins gold, Shahu Mane silver in Sheikh Russel

International Air Rifle Championship

o World number one Indian Elavenil Valarivan won a gold

medal and Shahu Tushar Mane bagged a silver in the Sheikh

Russel International Air Rifle Championship. The

championship was organised by Bangladesh Shooting Sport

Federation (BSSF).

o In the 60-shot competition in which shooters from six nations

participated, including hosts Bangladesh and India, Elavenil

shot a modest 627.5 to come out on top.

o Shiori Hirata won the silver with 622.6, while Indonesian

Vidya Toyyiba took the bronze with 621.1.

o Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju Attends Y20 Summit Virtually.

BCCI announces Jio as title sponsor of Women's T20

Challenge 2020

 Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has

announced Reliance Jio as the title sponsor of the Women's

T20 Challenge 2020.

 This is the first time a sponsor is partnering with the BCCI

exclusively for the women's counterpart to the IPL.

 The women's T20 challenge is scheduled to run from

November 4-9 in Sharjah.

Indian boxers Amit Panghal, Sanjeet and Ashish Kumar win

gold at the Alexis Vastine International 2020

 Indian boxers Amit Panghal, Sanjeet and Ashish Kumar have

claimed gold medals at the 2020 Alexis Valentine

International Boxing Tournament held in Nantes, France.

This was the first international tournament in which Indian

boxers were a part, since the lockdown.

 Amit Panghal won the gold in the 52 kg-weight category,

Sanjeet won in the 91 kg final bout Ashish Kumar won the

gold medal in the 75 kg weight category. Apart from this,

Kavinder Singh Bisht, won silver in the 57 kg weight

category.

 Three Indian boxers namely Shiva Thapa (63 kg), Sumit

Sangwan (81 kg) and Satish Kumar (Over 91 kg) had secured

the bronze medals for India

Shane Watson retires from all forms of cricket

 Australian all-rounder, Shane Watson has announced his

retirement from all forms of cricket.

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 The 39-year-old will hang up his boots after an illustrious

career during which he won two ICC Men‘s Cricket World

Cups and two ICC Champions Trophy titles.

 He played 59 Tests, 190 ODIs and 58 T20Is.

West Indies batsman M. Samuels retires from all forms of

cricket

 West Indies batsman, Marlon Samuels has announced

his retirement from professional cricket.

 The 39-year-old had informed Cricket West Indies (CWI)

about his retirement in June this year, having last played for

his country in December 2018 against Bangladesh.

 He has played 71 Tests, 207 ODIs, and 67 T20s at the

international level, has scored 11,134 international runs

including 17 centuries across all formats. He also has 152

international wickets to his name.

Women's T-20 Challenger gets underway in Sharjah

 The Third Season of the Women's T20 Challenge beganwith

defending champions Supernovas taking on Velocity in

Sharjah. India T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur led defending

champions the Supernovas and take on Mithali Raj-led

Velocity.

 This tournament, like previous editions, will take place during

the IPL playoffs. The three teams - Supernovas, Velocity and

Trailblazers - are set to play three matches in Sharjah, with

the final scheduled on 9th of November at the same venue.

 Following the Corona virus pandemic, the Indian Women's

team hasn't played any competitive cricket since the T20

World Cup final against Australia which was played on 8th of

March.

Novak Djokovic equals Pete Sampras' year-end World No. 1

record

 Tennis star Novak Djokovic yet again clinched year-end

world number one ranking, his record sixth time after the

Sofia Open draw was published on November 6, 2020.

 With this, the 33-year-old player has equaled the record of

American Tennis great Pete Sampras, who ended with world

number one ranking for six straight years between 1993 and

1998.

 Pete Sampras was somebody Djokovic looked up to when he

was growing up and so to match his record is a dream come

true for the Serbian player. Djokovic was the year-end world

no.1 champion previously in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, and

2018.

Russian Daniil Medvedev wins Paris Master 2020

 Russian, Daniil Medvedev has won Paris Master 2020

title in tennis when he beat AlexanderZverev 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 in

Paris. He became the fourth Russian to capture the Rolex

Paris Masters title.

 The World No. 5 earned his first service break at 4-4 in the

second set and charged to the title from that point by winning

eight of the final nine games.

 Medvedev joins countrymen Marat Safin, Nikolay

Davydenko and Karen Khachanov on the Paris honour roll.

Mumbai Indians clinch 5th IPL title by beating Delhi Capitals

 Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Capitals by five wickets in the

final of Indian Premier League 2020.

 With this win, Mumbai added a fifth IPL title to their kitty,

more than any other team in the 13-year history of the league.

Sports Ministry announces new incentive structure to fund 500

private academies

 In a first-ever move, the Sports Ministry has introduced a

incentivisation structure to extend monetary support to 500

private academies, through the Khelo India Scheme over the

next four years starting FY 2020-21.

 In this model, private academies shall be graded into different

categories based on quality achievement of players trained by

the academy, level of coaches available at the academy,

quality of Field of Play and allied infrastructure, availability

of sports science facilities and staff. The 14 priority

disciplines identified for excellence in 2028 Olympics will be

eligible for receiving support in the first phase.

 Speaking of the decision, Union Minister of Youth Affairs

and Sports, Shri. Kiren Rijiju said, "It is important for the

government to extend support to these institutions so that

sporting talent can be groomed even in the most remote areas

of the country. There are a lot of small academies in various

parts of the country that are doing very good work in

identifying and training athletes. This move aims to

encourage all academies, especially the private academies to

continue improving the level of infrastructure, resources and

sports science support so that athletes can get best in class

training."

Lewis Hamilton wins F1 Turkish Grand Prix 2020

 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain) has won the

Turkish Grand Prix 2020 at Istanbul Park, Turkey. Sergio

Perez (Racing Point-BWT- Mexico) secured the second

position and Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari finished third.

 WARRIOR 4.0 | Banking Awareness Batch for SBI, RRB,

RBI and IBPS Exams | Bilingual | Live Class

 This was Hamilton 10th victory of the season and 94th F1

win of his career. With this win, he claimed the seventh

Formula One championships title of his career to equal the

record of Michael Schumacher.

Sports Ministry sanctions Rs 10 lakh for the treatment of

hockey Olympian Mohinder Pal Singh

 Sports Ministry has sanctioned Rs 10 lakh towards

thetreatment of hockey Olympian Mohinder Pal Singh, who

is suffering from a chronic kidney ailment and is currently on

dialysis.

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 The money, sanctioned under the Pandit Deendayal

Upadhyaya National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons, was

given to his wife Shivjeet Singh.

 Mr. Singh, who was the coach of the Indian Hockey team,

was an outstanding hockey player who represented India at

various international events, including the 1988 Summer

Olympics.

 He was also a member of the Indian Hockey team that won

the Asian Cup in 2007.

.FIFA cancels Women's Under-17 football World Cup; India to

host 2022 edition

 The Women's Under-17 football World Cup in India, which

was initially postponed to next year due to the COVID-19

pandemic, was canceled by FIFA yesterday, but India was

handed the hosting rights of the 2022 edition.

 The FIFA canceled both the women's U-17 World Cup and

U-20 World Cup which were scheduled to be held in India

and Costa Rica respectively but handed both the countries the

hosting rights of the 2022 editions.

 All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Praful Patel

said the local organizing committee is ready to start afresh for

hosting the 2022 edition.

 In light of the current global COVID-19 pandemic and its

continuing impact on football, the Bureau of the FIFA

Council has taken a number of decisions related to FIFA

competitions.

Sudeep Tyagi announces retirement from all forms of cricket

 Cricketer Sudeep Tyagi on Tuesday announced his retirement

from all forms of the game.

 Tyagi represented India in four ODIs and a T20I. Announcing

his decision to hang up his boots, the 33-year-old said he

achieved every player's dream by playing for the country.

 "I want to thank each one of you who has supported me. I

have achieved what is every player's dream to represent the

country and wear the Indian flag is a dream I lived. I now

announce my retirement from all formats of cricket and will

continue to play as and where opportunity rises," Tyagi said

in a Twitter post.

 "I want to thank MS Dhoni under whom I played my first

ODI. I thank my role models Mohammad Kaif, Suresh Raina,

RP Singh alongside whom I had the opportunity to debut my

career for UPCA, my first coach Sir Vipin Vats who laid my

foundation, and my first Ranji Trophy coach Gyanendra

Pandey," he added.

 The former pacer later thanked the Board of Control for

Cricket in India (BCCI), his coaches, and support staff. "I

thank each and every BCCI official, my coaches, teammates,

team management, and support staff," Tyagi said.

BCCI announces MPL Sports as Official Kit Sponsor

 The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has

announced its partnership with Mobile Premier League

(MPL) Sports, the athleisure wear and sports merchandise

brand from Mobile Premier League, India‘s largest esports

platform, as the new kit sponsor and official merchandise

partner for the Indian Cricket Team.

 MPL Sports has entered into a three-year agreement from

November 2020 to December 2023.

 MPL Sports‘ association with the BCCI begins with

upcoming India‘s tour of Australia, 2020-21, which will see

Team India sporting the new jerseys.

Lewis Hamilton's win at Bahrain Grand Prix overshadowed by

Grosjean's huge crash

 Newly-crowned seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton had

taken his 11th victory of the 2020 season, winning out over

the Red Bull pair of Max Verstappen and Alex Albon at the

Bahrain Grand Prix – in a race whose start was overshadowed

by a horror crash for Haas‘ Romain Grosjean.

 Grosjean‘s Haas car plunged into the barriers at Turn 3 on

Lap 1, the Frenchman emerging from the fiery remains of his

cockpit before being airlifted to hospital with suspected

broken ribs and minor burns – but thankfully nothing more

serious than that – with a lengthy red flag period ensuing as

the barriers were repaired after what had been a horrible

incident

-ever rating points in

T20I

 England‘s Dawid Malan had accomplished the highest-ever

rating points for batsmen in the ICC Men‘s T20I Player

Rankings following a tremendous performance against South

Africa in the recently concluded T20I series.

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 Malan finished the three-match leg as the leading run-scorer

(173 runs). The left-handed batsman has now reached 915

points to become the first-ever player to cross the 900-point

mark after Australian skipper Aaron Finch who achieved 900

points in July 2018.

 Malan is ahead with 44 points over Pakistan‘s Babar Azam,

whom he surpassed to become number one T20 batsman in

September this year.

Kiren Rijiju launched 2nd edition of Fit India Cyclothon

 Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju had launched the second edition

of Fit India Cyclothon via social media. The mega cycling

event which started yesterday will run for 25 days till 31st

December.

 The event will be held across the country in each district and

citizens can participate by registering on Fit India website,

cycle daily a distance of their choice, and share their images

and videos on social media. They may tag @FitIndiaOff and

use the hashtag - FitIndiaCyclothon and #NewIndiaFitIndia.

New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson retires from

international cricket

 New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson, has announced his

retirement from New Zealand cricket, as he confirmed to quit

from international cricket.

 Anderson rose to fame after scoring fastest 100 in the history

of One Day International cricket (ODI), in 36-ball against

West Indies in January 2014.

 However this record was broken by AB de Villiers, in

January 2015 who scored the fastest ODI century against the

West Indies in Johannesburg in 31 balls.

 The 29-year-old, Anderson has played 13 Tests, 49 ODIs and

31 T20Is for New Zealand, scoring 2277 runs with two

hundreds and 10 half-centuries and 90 wickets.

 Anderson has signed a 3-year contract with Major League

Cricket (MLC) in the USA, where he will serve in the Major

and Minor League Cricket and coaching ventures at the

cricket academies that come under the MLC.

Govt to start 1000 Khelo India small centres to encourage

sports culture in country

 Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, said that the government

had made various policy changes and taken up initiatives to

encourage and support sportspersons and the sporting

community even after they retire.

 Addressing the 10th Global Sports Summit, TURF 2020,

organized by FICCI, Mr.Rijiju said, that we are also starting

1000 Khelo India small centres across the country that will

help retired sports persons get employment or some role in

shaping the sports culture of the country.

Max Verstappen won F1 season finale in flawless drive at Abu

Dhabi GP

 After a gruelling 17-race season, Formula One came to a

close with Max Verstappen‘s win at the Abu Dhabi Grand

Prix and Lewis Hamilton wanting to complete one final piece

of business before Christmas.

 The world champion has yet to renew his contract with

Mercedes but the deal that will take the sport‘s most

successful driver into 2021 is expected to be completed in the

next two weeks.



2023

 After the stupendous success of Odisha Men‘s Hockey World

Cup in 2018 and the scale at which it was hosted, FIH had

announced last year that the 2023 FIH Men‘s Hockey World

Cup will be hosted in Odisha, for a second consecutive time,

at two venues, Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.

 After the Olympics, the Hockey World Cup is the most

important tournament in hockey and there is already

excitement galore amongst hockey lovers especially from

Sundergarh and Rourkela region.



Open

 Croatia‘s Mate Pavic and Brazil‘s Bruno Soares captured the

US Open men‘s doubles crown with a 7-5, 6-3 win over

eighth seeds Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands and Nikola

Mektic of Croatia on Thursday.

 In their first Grand Slam men‘s doubles final as a team, Pavic

did damage with his powerful serve while Soares did well to

force their opponents into difficult shots and they sealed the

win when Mektic sent a backhand volley into the net.

MS Dhoni captain of ICC's white-ball teams of decade, Kohli

voted skipper of Test side

 The legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni was named captain of

ICC's ODI and T20 International teams of the decade while

Virat Kohli stamped his pre-eminence in world cricket after

being voted the skipper of the Test team.

 Indians dominated the limited-over teams by having three and

four players in the ODI and T20I respectively while England

have maximum number of players (4) in the Test side.

-20, U-17 World Cups

 FIFA has cancelled men‘s U-20 and U-17 World Cup

tournaments in 2021 for the novel coronavirus.

 As a result the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bureau of the FIFA

Council has decided to cancel the 2021 editions of the men‘s

FIFA U-20 World Cup and FIFA U-17 World Cup, and to

appoint Indonesia and Peru respectively, who were due to

host the tournaments in 2021, as the hosts of the 2023

editions.

 So Peru will host the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2023. In the

same year, the FIFA U-20 World Cup will be held by

Indonesia.

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AGREMENTS AND MOU

September 2020

Signed between

Date signed

Purpose

Venue

IIT Guwahati and

University of

Pardubice, Czech

Republic

2nd September 2020

To work together towards data protection

project. Under the project, both the

institutes will develop indigenous

algorithms to protect country‘s digital

data from cyber-attacks.

IIT Roorkee with NIUA

4th September 2020

To work in the areas of universal design

principles and to have the development of

BASIIC (Building Accessible

SafeInclusive Indian Cities), which is the

initiative programme of NIUA.

Himachal Pradesh

Government and the

World Bank

7th September 2020

$82 mn loan deal for HP State Roads

Transformation Project. The project aims

to strengthen road safety and transport

institutions in the state.

National Skill

Development

Corporation and

9th September 2020

To impart digital skills to youth using free

learning resources of LinkedIn.

India and Asian

Development Bank

(ADB) (GOI),

Government of West

Bengal and AIIB

9th September 2020

$500 mn agreement for Delhi-Meerut Corridor.

West Bengal

India and Japan

10th September 2020

Mutual logistics support arrangement for

Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and

Services between the Armed Forces of

India and The Self-Defense Forces of

Japan.

IFSCA with IGPC of IIM

Ahmedabad

12th September 2020

To establish IBE in India and IGPC-IIMA will

be the knowledge partner in this

establishment of IBE in India.

SBI General insurance and

Yes Bank

15th September 2020

To distribute SBI General Insurance Company‘s

products to the customers of Yes Bank.

Titan and SBI

16th September 2020

For the launch of Titan Pay which will be first

contactless payment watches in the

country.

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Common Service Centers

and Whatsapp

17th September 2020

For a Whatsapp Chatbot to empower rural

communities through digital literacy.

Ministry of Women and

Child Development

20th September 2020

To combat malnutrition under POSHAN

Abhiyan. Thus they will integrate

AYUSH into POSHAN Abhiyan and will

control malnutrition through Ayurveda,

Yoga and AYUSH mechanisms.

India's National Stock

Exchange (NSE) and

Singapore Exchange

Ltd (SGX)

22nd September 2020

Agreement to confirm key points to

operationalize NSE International Finance

Service Centre and SGX Connect.

West Bengal Government

and UK India

Business Council

(UKIBC)

25th September 2020

To strengthen industrial development and

business in West Bengal.

Virtual Meeting

October 2020

Signed between

Date signed

Purpose

Venue

NITI Aayog and Embassy of

Netherland

1st October 2020

To support Decarbonization and Energy Transition

Agenda for utilising and accommodating

cleaner and more energy.

Ministry of Housing and Urban

Affairs with Swiggy

5th October 2020

They will be offered with training related to

hygiene packing system, technology and

menu digitization.

ISLRTC and NCERT

6th October 2020

To the students having difficulty in speaking or

hearing and will thus lead to educate and

empower differently abled students.

IFFCO and Prasar Bharti

6th October 2020

To make Indian Farmers self-reliant and to make

them aware about latest innovation.

Prithi Bhavan,

New Delhi

NABARD signs 3 MoU with SBI

7th October 2020

To offer finance for joint liability group, SHG

,Farmers Producers Organisations (FPOs)

and Watershed development projects.

Telangana Gov. and GlobalLinker

19th October

2020

To support MSMEs in Telangana in order to raise

equity funds.

Cochin Shipyard Ltd signed MoU

with Fincantieri S.P.A.

28th October

2020

To achieve the cooperation in the areas of Design,

Shipbuilding, ship repayments, marine

equipment manufacturing, training and skills

development to manpower.

ICSSR signs pact with European

28th October

To perform research activities in collaboration with

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Commission

2020

European researchers who are supported by

the European Research Council (ERC).

India and Japan

7th October 2020

MoC in the field of cyber security.

India and Australia

14th October

2020

For collaboration in research and development,

capacity building, and making impact for

sustainable groundwater management.

Institute of Chartered Accounts of

India (ICAI) and CPA PNG

(Certified Practising

Accountants, Papua New

Guinea)

21st October

2020

For working together in capacity to build and

strengthen the Accounting, Audit Knowledge

and Financial base in Papua New Guinea.

November 2020

Signed Between

Date Signed

Purpose

Venue

IISc signs MoU with Indian

Oil

1st November

2020

To optimize both biomass gasification and

hydrogen purification processes.

Prasar Bharti signed MoU with

BISAG-N

4th November

2020

To launch DTH educational TV channels to all DD

free dish viewers.

AAI signed MoU with NTPC

Vidyut Vyapar Nigam

(NVVN)

5th November

2020

To promote the use of electric vehicles and setting

up solar power plants at airports of AAI.

Four Agreements signed

between India and

Maldives

10th November

2020

The four MOUs were signed for cooperation in

sports and youth affairs; connectivity project,

setting of plant and soil testing labs.

EESL signed MoU with

DNRE, Goa

17th November

2020

To discuss and plan the implementation of India‘s

first 100 MW decentralized solar

convergence project.

GOI signs MoU for

Compressed Bio-Gas

Plants

20th November

2020

To set up Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) Plants all

over India.

FICCI FLO signs MoU with

IESC of IIM Shillong

22th November

2020

To build initial startup cost and will thus help to

establish a business in a short time span.

India signs MoU with Finland

26th November

2020

To develop technological, scientific and

management based capabilities which will

conserve the biodiversity and will enhance

environmental protection.

India and Israel

4th November

2020

For cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine.

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India's CDSCO (Central Drugs

Standard Control

Organization) and the

United Kingdom

Medicines and

Healthcare Products

Regulatory Agency (UK

MHRA)

4th November

2020

For cooperation in medical Product Regulation.

Ministry of Communications,

India and UK

Government's

Department of Digital,

Culture, Media and

Sports (DCMS)

4th November

2020

For cooperation in the area of

Telecommunications/Information and

Communication Technologies (ICTs).

December 2020

Signed Between

Date Signed

Purpose

Venue

Government of Punjab with

International Digital

Health-Artificial

Intelligence Research

Collaborative (I-DAIR)

29th November

2020

To develop digital technologies and infrastructures

in the health sector.

India and the United States of

America

2nd December

2020

To enhance cooperation in Intellectual Property

(IP).

New Delhi

Karnataka Regional Office of

NABARD with SBI

2nd December

2020

To provide finance facility for watershed

development projects and tribal development

projects.

Bengaluru

Agricultural and Processed

Food Products Export

Development Authority

(APEDA) with

NABARD

3rd December

2020

To work collaboratively to synergize the activities

in the interest of agriculture and allied sectors

to bring better value to the stakeholders.

Indian Renewable Energy

Development Agency

Ltd. (IREDA) with

SJVN Limited

7th December

2020

To build renewable energy projects for the next five

years.

Delhi

NTPC Ltd (National Thermal

Power Corporation) with

Indian Institute of Forest

Management (IIFM)

7th December

2020

To implement the Narmada Landscape Restoration

Project.

Bhopal

National Backward Classes

7th December

To provide the Interest subvention to the holders

New Delhi

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Finance & Development

Corporation (NBCFDC)

and National Scheduled

Castes Finance and

Development

Corporation (NSFDC)

with Central Bank of

India

2020

under VISVAS Yojana.

India and Uzbekistan

11th December

2020

Signed nine agreements in a virtual summit held to

discuss bilateral relations of both nations.

New Delhi

MoRTH With Austria

9th December

2020

To develop bilateral cooperation in areas like Road

Transportation, Road/Highways

infrastructure development, management and

administration, Road safety and Intelligent

Transport Systems.

New Delhi

Ola With Tamil Nadu

Government

14th December

2020

To set up Ola‘s first factory in the state. Ola will be

setting up its largest electric scooter

manufacturing unit in the world.

Chennai

Norway Signs MoU With

Clean Ganga Mission

14th December

2020

To develop the sludge management framework in

India.

Delhi

India & Austria

19th December

2020

To have Technology Cooperation in Road

Infrastructure Sector.

New Delhi

India and ADB

18th December

2020

For preparation of infrastructure development projects

in order to develop urban amenities and for

developing tourism infra in the state.

Tripura

COMMITTEES IN NEWS

Committee (September2020)

Committee

Headed by

Purpose

Government gives one-year

extension to Company Law

Committee

Rajesh Verma

Functioning of theNational Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)and

make recommendations on various issues pertaining to

implementation of theCompanies Act as well as the Limited

Liability Partnership Act.

National Cyber Security

Coordinatorto study the

revelations in

ChinaWatching

Rajesh Pant

The expert committee, led by Lt Gen (retd) Rajesh Pa

chief coordinator on cyber security,will evaluate the

―implications‖ of the digital surveillance by Data Information

Technology Co. Limited and ―assess any violations of law

and submit its recommendations within thirty days.‖

Assessment of relief to bank

borrower

Former CAG Rajiv Mehrishi

Will measure the impact on the national economy and financial

stability of waiving of interest and COVID-19 related

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moratorium.

It will also give suggestions to mitigate financial constraints of

various sections of society in this respect and measures to be

adopted in this regard.

NITI Aayog preparing

Multidimensional Poverty

index

Ms Sanyukta Samaddar

exercise

is to fulfil the need to measure and monitor India‘s

performance on various important social and economic

parameters and enable the utilisation of these Indices as tools

for self-improvement, bring about reforms in policies, while

improving last-mile implementation of government schemes.

4G internet services in J&K

Ministry of Home Affairs

SC A bench comprising JusticesN V Ramana, Justices R Subhash

Reddy and B R Gavaisaid the committee would also include

the Chief Secretary of the UT and the Secretary of Ministry of

Communications to look into the demands by petitioners

seeking restoration of 4G internet speed there.

  

Committee

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

Members of the public accounts committee are elected every

year.The 22-member panel includes 15 members from the

Lok Sabha and seven from the Rajya Sabha.

Works:The PAC examines accounts showing the appropriation of

sums granted by Parliament for the expenditure of the

Government of India, the annual financial accounts of the

Government, and others.

Examine the comments received

on the consultation paper

floated

The Ministry of Corporate

Affairs (MCA) has

constituted a seven-

member committee

to examine the

comments received

on the consultation

paper floatedby it for

enhancing audit

independence and

accountability in the

country.

Purpose: The committee will examine the comments and make

recommendations requiring any amendments in law, rules and

standards to achieve the objective of enhancement of audit

independence and accountability. The panel has been asked to

submit its report by 30 June 2020.

Committee (October 2020)

Purpose

Constituted by

Chairperson

IBBI advisory committee on

service providers

T V Mohandas Pai

The 12-member panel would advise and provide professional

support on regulation and development of the service

providers dealt with by the IBBI , according to an order.

The service providers include insolvency professionals, insolvency

professionals agencies, insolvency professional entities and

information utilities.

MSME loan scheme

implementation

Defence Minister Rajnath

Singh

To resolve any problem in the implementation of theRs 3 lakh

crore collateral-free loan scheme for MSMEs.

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Welfare of freedom fighters

G Kishan Reddy

The ministry has a separate division to serve freedom fighters who

are alive and their families. It disburses pension to about

30,000 freedom fighters and their families.

Review private bank shareholding

norms

RBI executive director PK

Mohanty

The group will examine the existing licensing guidelines and

regulations on ownership and control of private sector banks.

Trustees of PM CARES

Sunil Kumar Gupta

Trustees of the PM CARES Fund have appointedSARC &

Associatesas auditor of the fund.

IBBI reconstitutes advisory panel

on corporate insolvency

resolution process

Uday Kotak

This Advisory Committee will advise and provide professional

support— on a request from the IBBI or on its own

volition—on any matter relating to the Corporate Insolvency

resolution and liquidation dealt with by the Board under the

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016.

Sebi panel suggests measures to

strengthen enforcement,

recovery mechanism

headed by former

Supreme Court

Judge Anil Dave

Purpose:The committee has examined the insolvency, recovery and

securities laws jurisprudence of India and abroad and

suggested suitable changes in the Insolvency and Bankruptcy

Code to ensure that insolvency law is not used as a refuge by

defaulters, thereby protecting the interest of investors.

Assam Gas Leak

Justice BP Katakey

The National Green Tribunal has imposed an interim penalty of Rs

25 crore on PSU major Oil India over its failure to stop fire in

Assam‘s Baghjan oil well resulting in damage to the

environment.

Committee(July 2020)

Committee

Headed by

Purpose

Violation of environment rules.

Anil Kumar Jha

The panel appraises projects that are commissioned without

obtaining priorenvironmental clearance and have been

termed as cases of violation.The panel was earlier

constituted in June2017 for three years. Its tenure hasnow

been extended till June 2021.

Analysis of QR (Quick Response)



Prof. Deepak.B. Phatak

The report has recommendedmaking QR codes more

interoperable. QR code is used to pay utility bills, fuel,

grocery, food, travel, and several other categories.

National Financial Reporting

Authority

Professor R.

Narayanaswamy

The members of the committee will support and provide insights to

the Executive body of the NFRA on the issues related to the

drafts of the accounting and auditing standards. The

committee will also provide the inputs from the perspectives

of the users, preparers and auditors of the financial

statements.

Sebi rejigs advisory

Usha Thorat

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has

revampedits committee that advisesthe capital markets

regulator on matters related to regulation and

development of mutual fund industry.

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Note: Earlier in 2013, the panel had 15 members and washeaded

by Janki Ballabh, former Chairman of SBI.

‗

Suresh Mathur

―The Covid-19 pandemic, which started as a public health crisis, has

led to a significant disruption in the economic activity mainly

due to measures taken to stop the spread of the disease,‖TL

Alamelu, Member, Non-Life, Irdai,said in an order.

Human rights and future response

of the government.

K S Reddy

The expert committee would assess the impact of Covid-19

onhuman rights of people, especially marginalised and

vulnerable sections of the society, including migrant

labourers.

Find space for selling Surety

Bonds

G. Srinivasan.

The IRDAI has set up the committee after theMinistry of Road

Transport and Highways requested it to examinethe

possibility of offering Surety Bond for contractors.

National level committeeforreform

in criminal law

Ranbir Singh

The committee, which has several leading legal academicians on

board, would be gathering opinions online, consulting with

experts and collating material for their report to the

government.

Committee (August 2020)

Committee

Headed by

Purpose

Setting Parameters for Loan

Restructuring

KV Kamath

RBI on the required financial parameters, along with the

sector specific benchmark ranges for such

parameters, to be factored into resolution

plans.The expert committee will also undertake

a process validation of resolution plans for

borrowalaccounts above a specified threshold.‖

Plan to develop international

retail business

Pradip Shah

Centres Authority (IFSCA) set up a panel of industry

experts to formulate a plan todevelop

international retail business at the International

Financial Services Centre (IFSC).

The committee will be chaired byPradip Shah,

chairman at Indasia Fund Advisors.

Purpose: The expert committee was also tasked with

strategising to make the IFSC attractive for

international financial services and to draw up a

roadmap for the growth of international retail at

the centre.

Fix ceiling rates under duty

reimbursement scheme for

exporters

Chaired by Secretary (retd) G K Pillai.

The reimbursement of taxes under the Remission of

Duties and Taxes on Export Products (RoDTEP)

such as duty on power charges, VAT on fuel in

transportation, farm sector, captive power

generation, mandi tax, stamp duty and central

excise duty on fuel used in transportation would

make Indian products competitive in global

markets.

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Kozhikode plane crash

Captain S S Chahar

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Board

(AAIB)said it has formed afive-member panel to

inquire into the circumstances of a plane crash

airport.

Sugarcane Prices to Sugar Rate

Ramesh Chand

Niti Aayog Member(Agriculture), ―Sugarcane and Sugar

Industry‖ recommended linking of Sugarcane

prices to sugar rate to maintain the financial state

and stability of the industry and to clear the arrears

of the sugarcane farmers.

Dividend of Rs57,128 crore to

government.

Shaktikanta Das

Reserve Bank of India on 13th August approved

dividend of 

The decision was taken when the Central Board of the

RBI met on 13th August under thechairmanship

ofGovernor ShaktikantaDasthrough video

conference

Business Responsibility Reporting

(BRR)

Rajesh Verma

The Corporate Affairs Ministry (MCA) will work

closely with capital markets regulator SEBIfor

implementation of the 

framework in

the country.

NOBLE PRIZE WINNERS OF 2020

Nobel Prizes and Laureates 2020

Nobel Laureates

Field

Contribution

Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton

and Charles M. Rice

Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology

Discovery of the Hepatitis C virus

Roger Penrose

Nobel Prize in Physics

For the discovery of the black hole formation which

is a robust prediction of the general theory of

relativity

Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez

Nobel Prize in Physics

For discovering supermassive compact object at the

centre of our galaxy

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Emmanuelle Charpentier and

Jennifer A. Doudna

Nobel Prize in Chemistry

On discovering the method for genome editing and

development of CRISPR-Cas9

Louise Gluck

Nobel Prize in Literature

For her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere

beauty makes individual existence universal

World Food Programme (WFP)

Nobel Peace Prize

For its efforts to combat the surge in Global hunger

amidst coronavirus pandemic, for its

contribution to bettering conditions for peace in

conflict-affected areas and for acting as a

driving force in efforts to prevent the use of

hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.

Sciences Paul R. Milgrom, Robert

B. Wilson

Nobel Prize in Economic

For improvements to auction theory and inventions of

new auction formats.

INDIA’s RANKING

Index

Index released by

India's Rank

Rank

Human Freedom Index 2020

American think tank Cato Institute and

Fraser Institute in Canada

111

New Zealand

Human Development Index 2020

UNDP (United Nations Development

Programme)

131

Norway

Asia Power Index 2020

Sydney based Lowy Institute

United States

Global Hunger Index 2020

Concern Worldwide and

Welthungerhilfe

–

World Risk Index 2020

United Nations University Institute for

Vanuatu

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Environment and Human

Security (UNU-EHS) and

Bundnis Entwicklung Hilft and

University of Stuttgart, Germany

Smart City Index 2020

Institute for Management Development

Hyderabad

Singapore

Economic Freedom Index 2020

Heritage Foundation

105

Hong Kong

World Press Freedom Index 2020

Reporters Without Borders

142

Norway

Energy Transition Index 2020

World Economic Forum

Sweden

Environmental Performance Index

2020

Yale and Columbia University

168

Denmark

World Competitive Index 2020

Institute For Management Development

Singapore

Startup Ecosystem Ranking Report

2020

Startup Blink

USA

Sustainability Index 2020

–

77th

Sweden

Global Manufacturing Risk Index

(MRI) 2020

Cushman & Wakefield

China

Global Innovation Index 2020

World Intellectual Property

Organization

Switzerland

Economic Freedom Of The World

2020

Canada‘s Fraser Institute

105

Hong Kong

Human Capital Index 2020

World Bank

116

Singapore

Smart City Index 2020

Institute For Management Development

Singapore

Global Climate Risk Index 2020

Germanwatch

Japan

World Happiness Report 2020

Sustainable Development Solutions

144

Finland

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Network

Global Gender Gap Index 2020

World Economic Forum

112

Iceland

Climate Change Performance Index

2020

Germanwatch, New Climate Institute,

CAN

Sweden

Social Mobility Index 2020

World Economic Forum

Denmark

International Intellectual Property

Index 2020

US Chamber Of Commerce‘s Global

Innovation Policy Center

USA

Largest Military Spender Country In

The World 2020

Swedish Think Tank SIPRI

03rd

USA

Henley Passport Index 2020

Henley

84th

Japan

Gender Gap Index 2020

World Economic Forum

112th

Iceland

Democracy Index 2019

Economist Intelligence Unit

51st

Norway

Human Development Index 2019

United Nations Development

Programme

129th

Norway

Global Climate Risk Index 2020

Germanwatch

9th

Swedan

India Corruption Survey

Transparency International India

78th

—

Global Competitiveness Index 2019

World Economic Forum

72th

Switzerland

Ease of Doing Business

World Bank

63rd

New Zealand

Global Hunger Index

Welthungerhife

102nd

—

World Digital competitiveness

Ranking

IMD

44th

USA

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International Smart City Index 2019

Institute for Management Development

67th

Singapore

Global Happiness Survey

Ipsos

9th

Australia & Canada

Global Innovation Index 2019

Cornell University, INSEAD, and

WIPO

52nd

Switzerland

End of Childhood Index 2019

UK based NGO save the children

113th

Singapore

Global Peace Index

Institute for economics and pace

139th

Iceland

World Press Freedom Index 2019

Reporters without borders

140th

Norway

Index of Cancer Preparedness 2019

Economist Intelligence Unit‘s

19th

Australia

World Happiness Report 2020

144th

Finland

Rankings

Inclusive Internet Index 2019

Economist Intelligence Unit‘s

46th

—

World Talent Index 2020

INSEAD Business School

59th

Switzerland

Social Mobality Index 2020

World Economic Forum

76th

Denmark

World Talent Ranking 2019

—

59th

Switzerland

International Intellectual Property

Index 2020

US Global Innovation Policy Center

40th

Global Terrorism Index 2019

Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP)

7th

Afghanistan

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Summit and Conference

September 2020

Name of the Summit

Organized/Led by

Venue

Aim/Theme

Virtual Bilateral Meet between

India and Nigeria

Union External Affairs

Minister S. Jaishankar

and Nigeria

Virtual meeting

To deepen their relations in the sector

of politics, economics, trade,

defence and security with

cultural cooperation.

BIMSTEC Meet 2020

Ministry of External Affairs

Vijay Thakur Singh

Colombo, Sri Lanka

To deal with the economic impact

which is highly affected due to

COVID-19.

National Tribal Research

Conclave

Centre of Excellence for tribal

affairs, ministry of tribal

affairs and Indian

Institute of Public

Administration (IIPA)

Video conferencing

To Strengthen of TRIs in partnership

with Ministry of Tribal Affairs

(MoTA).

5th BRICS Culture Ministers

Meet

Union Minister of State

(Independent Charge)

for Culture and Tourism,

Prahlad Singh Patel

Video conferencing

To offer cooperation in content

sharing websites under the

alliance of BRICS.

G20 Foreign Ministers Meet

Minister of foreign affairs of

the Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia, Prince Faisal

Bin Farhan Al-Saud

Video conferencing

India‘s EAM discussed the measures

and actions taken under Vande

Bharat Mission and the creation

of ‗travel bubbles‘

60th SIAM Annual

Convention 2020

Union ministers Prakash

Javadekar, Nitin Gadkari

and Piyush Goyal

Virtual meeting

To achieve ease of doing business in

this particular sector.

35th FAO Regional

Conference for Asia and

Pacific 2020

Union Minster of State for

Agriculture and Farmers

Welfare, Purshottam

Rupala

Virtual meeting

Impact on sectors like agriculture,

natural resources, security of

food and quality and quantity of

nutrition in food.

1st India-Angola Joint

Commission Meet

External Affairs Minister S

Jaishankar. Angola was

represented by

Ambassador Tete

Antonio, Minister of

External Relations

Video conferencing

To achieve cooperation in the field of

telecommunication, agriculture,

defence, pharma, health and

food processing.

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1st India-France-Australia

Trilateral Dialogue

Foreign Secretary of India,

Harsh Vardhan Shringla,

French Ministry for

Europe

Virtual Meeting

To improve the trilateral relations in

various sectors of these

countries

Conclave on ‗School

Education in 21st

Century‘

Ministry of Education

Video conferencing

To set up National Evaluation Centre

‗Parakh‘ which will be

responsible for overall

development in the evaluation

system.

10th East Asia Summit (EAS)

2020

External Affairs Minister for

State, V. Muraleedharan

Virtual meeting

To strengthen the EAS platform and

make it responsible to handle

upcoming challenges.

17th Shanghai Cooperation

Organization‘s Culture

Ministers Meet 2020

Union Minister of State

(Independent Charge)

for Culture and Tourism,

Prahlad Singh Patel

Virtual meeting

The main aspect which unites all SCO

nations is the shared heritage of

Buddhist philosophy and its art.

2+2 Inter-Sessional meet

between India and US

Joint Secretary for America in

the ministry of external

affairs, Vani Rao and

Joint Secretary for

International

Cooperation in the

ministry of defence,

Somnath Ghosh

Virtual meeting

To discuss the regional and

multilateral issues related to

COVID-19 pandemic, counter-

terrorism and about Indo-

Pacific Region.

27th ASEAN Regional Forum

Minister Meet

Union Minister of State for

External Affairs, V

Muraleedharan

Video Conferencing

Discussed about the counter-

terrorism, COVID-19 Pandemic

and maritime security.

10th DTTI Group Meet

between India and US

Raj Kumar, Secretary of

Defence Production,

Ministry of Defence

Virtual meeting

To strengthen bilateral dialogue on

defence technology cooperation

between India and the US.

October 2020

Name of the Summit

Organized/Led by

Venue

Aim/Theme

6th Joint Consultative

Commission Meet

between India and

Bangladesh

External Affairs Minister S

Jaishankar and Foreign

Minister, A K Abdul

Momen

Virtual meeting

To achieve border security,

cooperation in energy sector

and to initiate ‗air travel bubble

‗flights.

India and Bahrain to cooperate

in Finance and Business

Sector

Bahrain, Piyush Srivastava and

Minister of Finance and

National Economy of

Bahrain, Shaikh Salman

Bilateral meet

To enhance economic partnership

between the two nations.

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Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa

Vaishvik Bharatiya Vaigyanik

(VAIBHAV)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Virtual meeting

To bring experts from various

institutes and organisations

across the world under one

single platform to have a debate

upon mechanisms to boost

science and technology base in

India for overall global

development.

‗RAISE 2020- Responsible AI

for Social Empowerment

2020‘

Ministry of Electronics and

Information Technology

and NITI Aayog

Virtual meeting

To leverage AI for inclusive

development, so that AI will

represent ‗India‘s AI for ALL‘

and will lead to achieve moto

of Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas.

International Webinar on

Textile Traditions

Indian Council for Cultural

Relations (ICCR) and

Uttar Pradesh Institute of

Design (UPID)

Video conferencing

To exchange ideas and inculcate best

practices among weaves of

different countries and to boost

the creation of new avenues for

collaborations.

Quad Foreign Ministers Meet

External Affairs Minister, S

Jaishankar

Tokyo, Japan

To post COVID-19 international

order assured to work

coordinately to tackle various

challenges emerging due to

pandemic.

5th India-Mexico High Level

Group on Trade,

Investment &

Cooperation

Commerce Secretary of GOI,

Anup Wadhawan and

Mexico

Video conferencing

To coordinate in trade related to

sectors like pharmaceuticals,

medical equipments,

healthcare, agri products,

fisheries, food processing

industries and aerospace.

14th India-International Food

and Agri Week 2020

Union Minister Narendra

Singh Tomar

Virtual Meeting

To create a platform for the benefit of

the stakeholders in Agri and

allied sectors.

7th Meet of Ministers of

Justice of SCO

Minister of Justice, Ravi

Shankar Prasad

Video conferencing

To provide free legal aid to

marginalized section of Indian

society.

9th India-Oman Joint

Commission

Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister

of State of Commerce

and Industry

Virtual Meeting

To work coordinately in expanding

bilateral trade and investment

activities with eachother.

World Bank-IMF Annual Meet

2020

Union Minister of Health and

Family Welfare, Dr

Virtual meeting

To provide affordable COVID-19

vaccine and to ensure its equal

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Harsh Vardhan

distribution though electronic

Vaccine Intelligent Network (e-

Vin).

1st Ministerial Meet of G20

Anti-Corruption

Working Group

Jitendra Singh, Union Minister

of Personnel, Public

Grievances and Pensions

Video Conferencing

To operationalize Lokpal to check

corruption.

‗CII Agro and Food Tech:

India International Food

and Agri Week‘

Confederation of Indian

Industry (CII)

Video Conferencing

To use technology in the food and

agriculture sector so as to boost

farmers income.

India Australia Circular

Economy Hackathon (I-

ACE)

Atal Innovation Mission

(AIM)

Virtual meeting

To address the issues and challenges

being faced by the circular

economy.

World Bank-IMF Annual Meet

2020

Union Minister of Health and

Family Welfare, Dr

Harsh Vardhan

Virtual meeting

To provide affordable COVID-19

vaccine and to ensure its equal

distribution though electronic

Vaccine Intelligent Network (e-

Vin).

November 2020

Name of the Summit

Organized/Led by

Venue

Aim/Theme

2020 Annual Political

Dialogue between India

and GCC Troika

Union Minister for External

Affairs, Dr S. Jaishankar

Virtual meeting

To develop the cooperation to address

challenges like Covid-19

pandemic, Terrorism, climate

change and sustainable

development.

First India-Nordic-Baltic

Conclave

Union Minister of External

Affairs, Dr S Jai Shankar

Virtual meeting

To Artificial Intelligence, supply

chain logistics and blockchain

led transformation.

4th High-level meet of the

India-OPEC Energy

Dialogue

Union Minister for Petroleum

& Natural Gas and Steel,

Dharmendra Pradhan

Virtual meeting

To address the anomalies that are

prevalent in differential crude

oil prices.

Virtual Global Investor

Roundtable (VGIR)

2020

Ministry of Finance

Virtual meeting

Aim of this conference was to attract

investment in the country.

Inter-Ministerial Approval

Committee Meet

Union Minister of Agriculture

& Farmers Welfare,

Minister of Rural

Development and

Minister of Food

Processing Industries,

Virtual meeting

To provide effective and seamless

backward and forward

integration for the processed

food industry by making the

availability of the raw material

and linkage with the market.

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Narendra Singh Tomar

Australia-India Water Centre

Virtual Meeting

To enhance water security which is

the critical challenge faced by

both India and Australia.

20th SCO Council of Heads of

State

PM Narendra Modi

Virtual Meeting

To bring a positive impact to achieve

desirable changes in global

governance.

40th Meeting of the

SAARCFINANCE

Governors

Chairmanship of Reserve Bank

of India Governor,

Shaktikanta Das

Virtual meeting

To develop close partnership and to

boost cooperation among

SAARC Member countries in

order to fight COVID-19

pandemic situation.

17th ASEAN-India Summit

Prime Minister of Vietnam,

Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Virtual Meeting

The overall focus of the summit was

on tackling pandemic COVID-

19,solve regional and

international issues of common

interest related to South China

Sea and Terrorism.

15th East Asia Summit 2020

Union Minister of External

Affairs, Dr. S Jaishankar

Virtual meeting

To increase international cooperation

in order to fight terrorism,

climate change and pandemics.

8th BRICS Science,

Technology and

Innovation Ministerial

Union Minister of Health and

Family Welfare, Dr

Harsh Vardhan

Virtual meeting

To strengthen science and technology

cooperation among BRICS

nations.

‗Regional Comprehensive

Economic Partnership

(RCEP)‘

Video Conferencing

On trading activities, investments,

intellectual property, dispute

settlement, e-commerce, SMEs

and economic cooperation.

3rd Annual Bloomberg New

Economy Forum

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Video Conferencing

to discuss ways to restore the

economy which has affected

due to pandemic COVID-19.

7th round of FoC between

India and Kazakhstan

Vikas Swarup, Secretary

(West) and Kazakhstan

Virtual meeting

to deepen cooperation in the

multilateral arena, including

during the forthcoming stint of

India in the UN Security

Council for the period 2021-22.

First India and Luxembourg

summit

PM Narendra Modi and by

Prime Minister of Grand

Duchy of Luxembourg,

Xavier Bettel

Virtual meeting

To increase cooperation in the sectors

like trade, finance, space, ICT,

sustainable development,

renewable energy and solving

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climate change issues.

December 2020

Name of the Summit

Organized/Led by

Venue

Aim/Theme

4th NSA Level Meet on

Trilateral Maritime

Security Cooperation

Ajit Doval, National Security

Adviser

Sri Lanka

To improve intelligence sharing to

tackle issues like terrorism,

money laundering, drug

trafficking, human trafficking,

the effect of climate change on

the marine environment.

19th SCO Council of Heads of

Government Summit

Vice President M. Venkaiah

Naidu

Virtual meeting

For the manufacturing of the vaccines

for global immunization

programs and also mentioned

that over 30 indigenous

COVID-19 vaccines are being

developed in India.

20th Sri Lanka Economic

Summit

Ceylon Chamber of Commerce

(CCC)

Virtual meeting

Theme: ‗Roadmap for Take-off:

Driving a People-Centric

Economic Revival‘.

7th India-Suriname Joint

Commission Meeting

(JCM)

Minister of State for External

Affairs, V.

Muraleedharan and

Minister of Foreign

Affairs

Virtual meeting

To build cooperation in the sectors

like Business and Investment

and to establish industries in

health, agriculture, mining,

energy, defence and cultural &

education.

7th IEF-IGU Ministerial Gas

Forum

Union Minister of Petroleum

and Natural Gas,

Dharmendra Pradhan

Kauala Lumpur,

Malaysia

Theme: ‗Towards Recovery and

Shared Prosperity: Natural Gas

Opportunities for a Sustainable

World‘

7th Meet of India- Mongolia

Joint Committee

Minister of External Affairs, S

Jaishankar and Mongolia

Virtual meeting

To work collaboratively to tackle

COVID-19, which included

procurement of vaccines by

Mongolia from India.

IIT 2020 Global Summit

PanIIT USA

Virtual meeting

Theme: ‗The Future is Now‘

India Mobile Congress 2020

Department of

Telecommunications and

Cellular Operators

Association of India

Virtual Meeting

To promote ‗Digital Inclusivity‘,

‗Aatmanirbhar Bharat‘,

‗Sustainable development‘,

entrepreneurship and

innovation.

6th India-Japan ICT Joint

Department of Telecom and

Virtual Meeting

To wireless planning, and

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Working Group Meet

Anshu Prakash from the

Ministry of

Communication

standardization of technology

as well as its utilization.

14th ADMM Plus Meet 2020

Union Defence Minister

Rajnath Singh

Virtual Meeting

To develop cooperation in maritime

security, humanitarian

assistance and maintain peace

in all nations.

IndUS Entrepreneurs (TiE)

Global Summit 2020

Vice President of India

Venkaiah Naidu

Virtual meeting

To address the issues faced by

Entrepreneurs, fund providers

and startups.

AWARDS AND PRIZES

September 2020

Awardee

Award

Hyderabad International Airport or GMR led Rajiv

Gandhi International Airport

‗National Energy Leader‘ and ‗Excellent Energy Efficient Unit‘ Awards at

National Award for ‗Excellence in Energy Management‘

Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (Vizag Steel Plant)

‗Excellent Energy Efficient Unit‘ award by Confederation of Indian industry and

Godrej Green Business Centre

Aditya Puri

Lifetime Achievement Awards by Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2020

Chef Vikas Khanna

Asia Game Changer Award 2020

Margaret Atwood

2020 Dayton Literacy Peace Prize‘s Lifetime Achievement

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Ig Noble Prize 2020 for Medical Education

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (Goalkeeper)

All India Football Federations Men‘s Footballer of the Year 2019-20

Sanju Yadav (Midfielder)

All India Football Federations Women‘s Footballer of the Year 2019-20

Usha Mangeshkar

Gan Samragni Lata Mangeshkar Award 2020-21

Sonu Sood

SDG Special Humanitarian Action Award

October 2020

Awardee

Award

Sanjay Singh

‗2020 Gandhi Award‘

Ratan Tata

IACC (Indo-American Chamber of Commerce) lifetime and Global

Excellence Award

Ales Bialiatsli (Belarus), Nasrin Sotoudeh (Iran), Bryan

Stevenson (US) and Lottie Cunningham Wren

Right Livelihood Award 2020

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(Nicaragua)

Nityanand Nayak (Odia Poet)

Sarala Puraskar

Bank of Ghana

Central Bank of the Year Award 2020

Mark Carney

Governor of the year at Central Bank of the Year Award 2020

Aishwarya Sridhar

2020 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award

Seema Gupta

17th annual Stevie Award for Women in Business

Dr Jajini Varghese

‗Outstanding Young Person of the World 2020‘

Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE) of India

2020 UN Global Climate Action Award

Late Actor Om Puri

Lifetime Achievement Award 2020 at 3rd India International Film Festival

of Boston

Chef Vikas Khanna

‗Pride of India‘, a special award at 3rd India International Film Festival of

Boston

November 2020

Awardee

Award

Dr Dinesh Katre

Emmett Leahy Award 2020

Paul Zacharia

Ezhuthachan Puraskaram 2020

Hariharan

JC Daniel Award for lifetime contribution to Malayalam Cinema

S Hareesh

JCB Prize in Literature for 2020

Azim Premji

Edelgive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2020

Ruskin Bond

Tata Literature Live Lifetime Achievement Award 2020

Dr K S Subramanian

Fertiliser Association of India (FAI) Golden Jubilee

Sadat Rahman

International Children‘s Peace Prize 2020

Douglas Stuart

2020 Booker Prize for Fiction

Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank

Vatayan Lifetime Achievement Award

Naseeruddin Shah

2020 Aditya Vikram Birla Kala Shikhar Puraskar

Neel Choudhary and Irawati Karnik

2020 Aditya Vikram Birla Kalakiran Puraskar

Dr Bish Agrawal

2020 AESC (Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants)

lifetime Achievement Award 2020

December 2020

Awardee

Award

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

Ranjitsinh Disale

2020 Global Teacher Prize

Adar Poonawalla

‗The Straits Times Asian of the Year 2020‘

Mondo Duplantis (Sweden, Pole Valuter)

Male World Athletes of the Year 2020

Yulimar Rojas (Venezuela, triple jumper)

Female World Athletes of the Year 2020

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)

International King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award for 2020

Invest India

2020 UN Investment Promotion Award by UNCTAD

APPOINTMENTS & PERSON IN NEWS

September 2020

Name of the Person

Designation

Rajiv Kumar

Election Commissioner of India

Aveek Sarkar

Chairman of Press Trust of India

Hemant Khatri

Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL)

Usha Padhee

Director-General of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS)

V K Yadav

CEO of Railway Board by appointment committee of cabinet

Murali Ramakrishnan

MD and CEO of South Indian Bank

S Krishnan

MD and CEO of Punjab and Sind Bank

K Padmakar

Chairman and MD of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL)

Raj Srivastava

Next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Croatia

Dwayne Bravo

Brand Ambassador of ‗SBOTOP‘

Ayushmann Khurana

Brand Ambassador of Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance

Vinkesh Gulati

President of Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA)

Sanyukta Samaddar

Head the Multidimensional Poverty Index Coordination Committee (MPICC)

Anil Jain

President of All India Tennis Association (AITA)

Anil Dhupar

Secretary-General of All India Tennis Association (AITA)

Paresh Rawal

Chairman of National School of Drama

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Smriti

Mandhana

Brand Ambassador for Playerzpot

Rajnath Singh

Head Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) to look into Corporatisation of Ordinance

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

Factory Board (OFB)

Sameer Kumar Khare

Executive Director of Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Takeo Konishi

Country Director of India of Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Rajesh Khullar

Executive Director of World Bank

Jane Fraser

CEO of Citigroup

Subhash Kamath

Chairman of Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI)

NS Rajan

Vice Chairman of Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI)

Harivansh Narayan Singh

Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha

Yoshihide Suga

Prime Minister of Japan

Sachin Tendulkar

Brand Ambassador of Paytm First Games

Amitabh Bachchan

Amazon for its Alexa Voice Assistant

Virat Kohli

Brand Ambassador for Great Learning

Lt Gen Rajesh Pant

Head of the committee to look into and examine the reports of digital surveillance on

prominent Indian Nationals by Chinese firm Shenzhen Zhenhua Data Information

Technology Company Ltd

Ajay Tirkey

Head the committee to prepare the roadmap to regularize the land leasing activity in

agriculture sector

Suresh Raina

Brand Ambassador for 9stacks

Narendra Singh Tomar

Ministry of Food Processing Industries

Anil Dhasmana

Chief of the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO)

Retd. Col. Dr Girija Shanker Mungali

Member of Asian Football Confederation Task Force

Simanchala Dash

Advisor to Executive Director of International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Retd. Col. Bah Ndaw

Interim President of Mali

Col. Assimi Goita

Vice President of Mali

AK Dixit

New Administrator of Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank

Alexander Lukashenko

President of Belarus

Ishmael Toroma

President of Bougainville

Khushi Chindaliya

Regional Ambassador for India by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)- Tunza

Eco Generation (Green)

Rajat Sud

MD of Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL)

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

October 2020

Name of the Person

Designation

Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber

Al-Sabah

New emir of Kuwait

Ajay Kumar Bhalla

Head the panel set by GOI to examine all Chinese Foreign Investment Proposals

Sourav Ganguly

Brand Ambassador of Bengal Peerless Housing Development Company Limited

Charanjit Attra

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of State Bank of India

G Subramonia Iyer

Head of 3 member interim Committee of Directors (CoD) to exercise the power of MD and

CEO of Dhanlaxmi Bank Ltd

IPS MA Ganapathy

Director General (DG) of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS)

Prof Ashima Goyal, Prof Jayanth R

Varma and Dr Shashanka

Bhide

Members of RBI‘s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)

Dinesh Kumar Khara

Chairman of State Bank of India (SBI)

Ajinkya Rahane

Brand Ambassador of Hudle

Bishr Al-Khasawneh

Prime Minster of Jordan

Sadyr Zhaparov

Acting Prime Minster of Kyrgyzstan

Nilesh Shah

Chairman of AMFI (Association of Mutual Funds in India)

Saurabh Nanavati

Vice-Chairman of AMFI (Association of Mutual Funds in India)

Piyush Goyal

Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

Chetan Anand

Brand Ambassador of Transform

M S Ananth

Head the committee which will frame the Professional Engineers Bill

Rajiv Gauba

Head the panel of secretaries set up by GOI to streamline Telecom Spectrum Allocation

Dr Michael Irani

Interim President of International Weightlifting Federation (IWF)

Vishal V. Sharma

Next Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO‘s Permanent

Justice Madan Lokur

Supreme Court to monitor steps to prevent stubble burning

Rohan Jaitley

President of Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA)

Jacinda Ardern

Prime Minister of New Zealand

Rajkiran Rai G

Chairman of India Bank‘s Association (IBA)

DineshKumar Khara

Deputy-Chairman of India Bank‘s Association (IBA)

Madhabi Puri Buch

Head the Market Data Advisory Committee (MDAC)

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

P Umesh

Head 9 member panel setup by IRDAI to examine the need for Standard Cyber Liability

Insurance

Lewis Hamilton

Brand ambassador for LG Signature

Priyanka Chopra

Brand ambassador for B-Fizz

Neena Malhotra

Next Ambassador to the Republic of San Marino

Saad al-Hariri

Prime Minister of Lebanon

Sushil Kumar Singhal

Next High Commissioner of India to Solomon Islands

Apurva Chandra

Chairperson of Governing Body of International Labour Organisation (ILO)

Rajiv Kumar

Head the committee which will evaluate reforms in urban planning education system

Rohit Sharma

Brand Ambassador for Vega & Dr Trust

Luis Arce

President of Bolivia

Wavel Ramkalawan

President of Seychelles

Alpha Conde

President of Guinea

Yashvardhan K Sinha

Chief Information Commissioner of India

November 2020

Name of the Person

Designation

PVG Menon

CEO of Electronics Sector Skill Council of India (ESSCI)

Rajiv Jalota

Chairman of Mumbai Port Trust

Alassane Ouattara

President of Ivory Coast

Duarte Pacheco

30th President of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)

Dilip Rath

Board of International Dairy Federation (IDF)

Piercristiano Brazzale

President of International Dairy Federation (IDF)

John Magufuli

President of Tanzania

AK Gupta

MD and CEO of ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL)

Shashi S. Vempati

Head the 4 member committee which will review ‗Guidelines on Television Rating Agencies

in India

Indian Army Chief General MM

Naravane

Honorary rank to be the General of Nepal Army

Gyanendro Ningombam

President of Hockey India

Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad

Senior Vice President of Hockey India

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.

46th President of the United States

Kamala Harris

Vice-President of the United States

Vidisha Maitra

United Nations Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions

Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha

Chief Information Commissioner of Central information Commission

Rajkummar Rao

Brand Ambassador for Syska Group

Chacha Chaudhary

Brand Ambassador for Namami Gange Project

Akshay Kumar Singh

MD and CEO of Petronet LNG Ltd

Michael Holding

New patron of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Foundation

Arun Goel

Head the committee set up by GOI to strengthen Capital Goods Sector

Sandip Bhagat

Head the committee to review the frameworks of share-based employee benefits and issue of

sweat equity and to suggest policy changes.

R Chandrasekaran

Head the committee which will work to revisit the retail business of engineering tariff.

Nitish Kumar

Chief Minister of Bihar

Sanjay Kumar Mishra

Director of Enforcement Directorate (ED)

Maia Sandu

First Women President of Moldova

Navneet Munot

MD and CEO of HDFC Mutual Funds

Senapathy (Kris) Gopalakrishnan

First Chairperson of the ‗Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH)‘

Rohit Sharma

Brand Ambassador for Financepeer

Smriti Mandhana

Brand Ambassador for Equitas Small Finance Bank (ESFB)

Greg Barclay

Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC)

VK Saraswat

Head the committee formed by NITI Aayog

Lt Gen. Harpal Singh

New Engineer-in-Chief of Indian Army

Major Gen. Rajeev Chaudhary

DG of Border Roads Organisation (BRO)

December 2020

Name of the Person

Designation

Utpal Kumar Singh

Secretary-General of Lok Sabha Secretariat

AR Rehman

Ambassador of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts

Varsha Joshi

Chairperson of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB)

Amitabh Jain

Chief Secretary of Chhattisgarh Government

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

Sandeep Kataria

Global CEO of Bata Show Organisation

Kuldeep Handoo

Brand Ambassador for ‗Fit India Movement‘

Akshay Kumar

Brand Ambassador for Horlicks Protein Plus by HUL

Uday Shankar

President of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)

Anil Soni

Chief Executive Officer of the newly launched WHO Foundation

Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah

Prime Minister of Kuwait

Annika Sorenstam

President of International Golf Federation (IGF)

Zena Wooldridge

President of World Squash Federation

Justice Rajesh Bindal

Chief Justice of the common High Court of UT of Jammu and Kashmir and UT of Ladakh

Nagendraa Parakh

United Nations Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions

Uday Kotak

MD and CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank

Prakash Apte

Part-Time Chairman of Kotak Mahindra Bank

Dipak Gupta

Joint MD of Kotak Mahindra Bank

Nana Akufo Addo

Presidential Election of Ghana

Sukhbir Singh Sandhu

Chairman of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)

Raja Chairi

Commander of SpaceX Crew-3 mission by NASA and European Space Agency

Shashi Shekhar Vempati

Vice President of Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU)

Satyendra Garg

DGP of Andaman and Nicobar Island

Ranvir Singh Krishna

Police Chief of Puducherry

Vineet Agrawal

President of ASSOCHAM (Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India)

Sumant Sinha

Vice-President of ASSOCHAM (Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India)

Aditya Nath Das

Chief Secretary to Andhra Pradesh Government

Nilam Sawhney

Principal Advisor to the CM of Andhra Pradesh Government

Florin Citu

Prime Minister of Romania

Prasanth Prabhakaran

MD and CEO of Yes Securities (India) Limited

Vice Admiral Rajat Datta

DG of Armed Forces Medical Services

Suresh Chandra Mohapatra

Chief Secretary of Odisha

Neetal Narang

First Female President of Softball Federation of India (SFI)

Sourav Ganguly

Brand Ambassador for Class plus

Dr Harsh Vardhan

Board Member of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI)

Prof. Santanu Chaudhury

Head the committee constituted by the Department of Science and Technology (DST)

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Authors Name

Book Name

Prof. Dr Stuti Sharma

‗Elements of Quantitative Genetics: A Conceptual Approach‘

Dr Roopa Chari

‗Sutranivednachi Sutra- Ek Anbav‘

Rajinder Sachar

‗In Pursuit of Justice: An Autobiography‘

P S Sreedharan Pillai (Governor of Mizoram)

‗Oh Mizoram‘

Kailash Satyarthi

‗COVID-19: SabhyataKa Sankat Aur Samadhan‘

Madhav Bhandari

‗Ayodhya‘

Jairam Ramesh

‗The Light of Asia: The Poem that Defined the Buddha‘

Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla

‗The Shaurya Unbound-Tales of Valour of the Central Reserve Police Force‘ (English

Version) and ‗Samundar Samawe Boond Mein‘ (Hindi version)

Amish Tripathi and Bhavna Roy

‗Dharma: Decoding the Epics for a Meaningful Life‘

Amrit Raj

‗Indian Icon: A Cult Called Royal Enfield‘

Dr A. Sivathanu Pillai

‘40 Years with Abdul Kalam-Untold Stories‘

Norman D. Palmer

‗Future of Regional Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific‘

Prof. Dr Stuti Sharma

‗Elements of Quantitative Genetics: A Conceptual Approach‘

Kirpal Singh Ji

Guru Nanak Dev

Prem Prakash

‗Reporting India: My Seventy Year Journey as a Journalist‘

Rajendra Darda

‗Majhi Bhint‘ (‗My Wall‘)

Meena Iyer

‗I am No Messiah‘

Radhakrishna Prakashan

‗Boskiyana‘

Rallabandi Srirama Chakradhar and Amara

Sarada Deepthi

‗Thavaasmi: Life and Skills through the lens of Ramayana‘

Sasindran Kallinkeel

‗Rasaathi: The other side of Transgender‘

Anupam Kher

‗Your Best Day is Today!‘

Chinmay Tumbe

‗The age of pandemic (1817-1920): How they shaped India and the World‘

Tamal Bandyopadhyay

‗Pandemonium: The Great Indian Banking Tragedy‘

Randeep Guleria and co-written by

Chandrakanta Lahariya and Gagandeep

Kang

‗Till we Win‘-India‘s Fight Against COVID-19 Pandemic

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

Dr Pradeep Kumar Srivastava

‗Bye Bye Corona‘

Sarbpreet Singh

‗Night of the Restless Spirits: Stories from 1984‘

Suman Dubey

‗The Fixer: Winning Has A Price. How Much Will You Pay?‘

N K Singh

‗Portraits of Power: Half a Century of Being at Ringside‘

Deepankar Aron

‗On the Trails of Buddha: A Journey to the East‘

Shashi Tharoor

‗The Battle of Belonging‘

Pradeep Goorha

‗Mr Prime Minister, We Shrank the Dragon‘

Union Minister, Balasaheb Vikhe Patil

‗Deh Vechwa Karani‘

GBS Sindhu

‗The Khalistan Conspiracy: A former R&AW Officer Unravels the Path to 1984‘

Kumar Padampani Bora

‗Discovering the Heritage of Assam‘

Anand Neelakantan

‗The Very, Extremely, Most Naughty Asura Tales for Kids‘

Manish Sisodia

‗Bapu- the Unforgettable‘

Dr Krishna Saksena

‗A Bouquet of Flowers‘

Chef Vikas Khanna

‗Kitchens of Gratitude‘

Romila Thapar

‗Voices of Dissent‘

Arundhati Roy

‗Azadi: Freedom. Fascism. Fiction.‘

Claude Arpi

End of an Era, India Exits Tibet

Gauri Khan

My Life in Design

Richard H. Thaler Cass R. Sunstein

‗The Little Book of Green Nudges‘

Goonmeet Singh Chauhan

‗Invertonomics: 8 ideas to transform India‘

Sheela Birnstiel

‗Nothing to lose‘

Sheela Birnstiel

‗My story in my own words‘

Pope Francis

‗Let Us Dream‘

Ramchandra Guha

The Commonwealth of Cricket: A Lifelong Love Affair with the Most Subtle and

Sophisticated Game Known to Humankind‘

Gurcharan Singh and MS Unnikrishnan

Pitching is Straight

Indian Army Chief, General M M Naravane

‗National Security Challenges: Young Scholars Perspective‘

Jatin Paranjpe and Anand Vasu

‗Cricket Drona‘

Sree Iyer

‗Who painted my lust red?‘

Jitendra Singh

Gastric Cancer

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

Chetan Bhagat

One Arranged Murder

Arjun Subramaniam

‗Full Spectrum: India‘s Wars, 1972-2020‘

Bijal Vachharajani

‗A bend in time: Writings by children on the COVID-19 pandemic

Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh

Connecting, Communicating, Changing

Dalai Lama and Franz Alt

Our Only Home: A Climate Appeal to the World

Neena Rai

‗Amazing Ayodhya‘

Matthew Mc Conaughey

‗Greenlights‘

Narendra Singh Tomar

‗Best Practices in Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme‘

Viral V Acharya

‗Quest for Restoring Financial Stability in India‘

Dr S Jaishankar

‗The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World‘

Hussain Zaidi

‗The Endgame‘

Pema Kandu

‗The Tangrams‘

Stephen King

‗‗If it Bleeds‘‘

OBITUARIES

Father of India's Radio Astronomy Govind Swarup passes

away

 Father of India's Radio Astronomy, Dr.Govind Swarup passed

away in Pune.Dr. Swarup is known not only for his many

important research contributions in several areas of astronomy

and astrophysics, but also for his outstanding achievements in

building ingenious, innovative and powerful observational

facilities for front-line research in radio astronomy.

 The Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) was

established at Narayangaon near Pune was established under

Dr.Swarup's able guidance .He was awarded Padmashree, Dr.

Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award, H. K. Firodia award and

many international awards.

Oscar winning Czech Director Jiri Menzel passes away

 Oscar-winning Czech film director, Jiri Menzel passed

away.His 1st feature film, ‗Closely Watched Trains‘ won an

Academy Award (Oscars) for Best Foreign Language film in

1968.

 Menzel won the Czech Lion for lifetime artistic contribution

and was honoured by the Karlovy Vary festival.He is a

recipient of the Medal of Merit, the French Order of Arts and

Literature and a score of other international awards.

 He was awarded an IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award in

November 2013.

Arya Samaj leader, Social activist Swami Agnivesh passes

away

 Arya Samaj leader and social activist Swami Agnivesh passed

away at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, ILBS in

New Delhi. Agnivesh was elected to Haryana Legislative

Assembly in 1977 and served as a Cabinet Minister for

Education in the state in 1979.

 He founded the Bonded Labour Liberation Front in 1981 and

worked against bonded labour.

 He also led numerous movements against alcoholism.

 Swami Agnivesh also served as president of the Sarvadeshik

Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, World Council of Arya Samaj.

Former Union Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh passes

away

 Former Union Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh passed

away. He was undergoing treatment at AIIMS,Delhi about a

week ago after developing post-Covid complications.

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

 Raghuvansh Prasad Singh recently resigned from the RJD

party.

 Singh had served as the Union Minister for Rural

Development in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh‘s cabinet.

 He was widely regarded as the brain behind the

conceptualization and implementation of NREGA (National

rural employment guarantee act).

Veteran Tamil Director Babu Sivan passes away

 Tamil director Babu Sivan passed away. He began his career

by assisting director Dharani, who helmed films like Ghilli and

Kurvi with Vijay.

 Later, he made his directorial debut with Vettaikaaran in 2009.

It was one of the highest grossing Tamil films of that year.

MoS Railways Suresh Angadi 1st Union minister died of

Covid-19

 Union minister of state for railways and Karnataka BJP MP

Suresh Angadi, 65, passed away days after he tested positive

for Covid-19.Angadi is the first Central minister to die of

coronavirus.

 Suresh Angadi was the fourth-term MP from Belagavi.

Social activist Pushpa Bhave passes away at 81 in Mumbai

 Veteran social activist Pushpa Bhave passed away in Mumbai

following a prolonged illness. She was 81.She has been

associated with the Rashtra Seva Dal and democratic

movements since her student days.

 She was also an academician and an intellectual, who fought

for the rights of common citizens.

 She had taken part in the Samyukta Maharashtra movement

and the Goa liberation movement.

 During the Emergency, she had offered her home as shelter to

underground political workers.

Justice AS Dave, former Judge and acting CJ of the

Gujarat HC passes away

 Former Acting Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court Justice

Anant S Dave passed away at the age of 62

 Justice Dave was appointed as a Gujarat High Court Judge in

2004 and was made permanent in 2006.

 He was appointed as an Acting Chief Justice of the Gujarat

High Court on November 14, 2018 and served until the present

Chief Justice Vikram Nath took over the helm in September

2019.

Rock star and guitar legend Eddie Van Halen dies of

cancer aged 65

 Rock star and guitar legend Eddie Van Halen has died aged 65

after a "long and arduous battle" with cancer, his son has said.

 Kiss singer Gene Simmons remembered him as a "Guitar

God", while other stars likened him to a modern-day Mozart.

 The Dutch-American musician had been receiving treatment

for throat cancer. His band were best known for their song

Jump, which hit the top of the US charts in 1984.

Former CBI director Ashwani Kumar passed away

 Former Governor of Manipur and Nagaland and ex-Central

Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Ashwani Kumar was

found dead at his residence in Shimla .Kumar was in service in

both the central government and the Himachal Pradesh state

government for more than 37 years.

 Kumar, who joined the Indian Police Service in 1973, took

over the reins of the office of the Director-General of Police

(DGP) of the Himachal Pradesh in August 2006.

 After two years, Kumar was appointed to the sensitive post of

CBI Director.

 He was sworn-in as the Governor of Nagaland on March 21,

2013 and as Governor of Manipur on July 29, 2013.

Joseph Mar Thoma, head of Kerala's Malankara Mar

Thoma Church, passes away at 89

 Supreme head of the Mar Thoma Christian church Joseph Mar

Thoma Metropolitan died at the age of 89 in Kerala.

 The 21st metropolitan of the Mar Thoma church was

undergoing treatment for cancer for sometime. His conditioned

became critical a few days back and he breath his last by early

hours of Sunday at a private hospital in Pathanamthitta.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his condolence message

that the metropolitan was a remarkable personality who served

humanity and worked hard to improve the lives the poor and

downtrodden.

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

Founder of UAE state-run WAM news agency dies at 78

 Ibrahim al-Abed, the founder of the United Arab Emirates‘

state-run WAM news agency and a pioneering media figure as

the oil-rich nation grew into a regional power died. He was 78.

 Al-Abed long served as the head of the country‘s National

Media Council, a government regulatory body. He also was a

de facto government spokesman, with his phone number the

first rang by foreign journalists for decades as Abu Dhabi and

Dubai grew into the skyscraper-studded cities they are today.

Social activist Pushpa Bhave passes away at 81 in Mumbai



Veteran social activist Pushpa Bhave passed away in Mumbai

following a prolonged illness. She was 81.She has been

associated with the Rashtra Seva Dal and democratic

movements since her student days.



She was also an academician and an intellectual, who fought

for the rights of common citizens.



She had taken part in the Samyukta Maharashtra movement

and the Goa liberation movement.



During the Emergency, she had offered her home as shelter to

underground political workers.

Justice AS Dave, former Judge and acting CJ of the

Gujarat HC passes away



Former Acting Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court Justice

Anant S Dave passed away at the age of 62



Justice Dave was appointed as a Gujarat High Court Judge in

2004 and was made permanent in 2006.



He was appointed as an Acting Chief Justice of the Gujarat

High Court on November 14, 2018 and served until the present

Chief Justice Vikram Nath took over the helm in September

2019.

Rock star and guitar legend Eddie Van Halen dies of

cancer aged 65



Rock star and guitar legend Eddie Van Halen has died aged 65

after a "long and arduous battle" with cancer, his son has said.



Kiss singer Gene Simmons remembered him as a "Guitar

God", while other stars likened him to a modern-day Mozart.



The Dutch-American musician had been receiving treatment

for throat cancer. His band were best known for their song

Jump, which hit the top of the US charts in 1984.

Former CBI director Ashwani Kumar passed away



Former Governor of Manipur and Nagaland and ex-Central

Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Ashwani Kumar was

found dead at his residence in Shimla .Kumar was in service in

both the central government and the Himachal Pradesh state

government for more than 37 years.



Kumar, who joined the Indian Police Service in 1973, took

over the reins of the office of the Director-General of Police

(DGP) of the Himachal Pradesh in August 2006.



After two years, Kumar was appointed to the sensitive post of

CBI Director.



He was sworn-in as the Governor of Nagaland on March 21,

2013 and as Governor of Manipur on July 29, 2013.

First woman chief justice of Kerala KK Usha passes away



Former Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, Justice KK

Usha, passed away.



She served as a judge from 1991 to 2000. and when she was

appointed Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court from 2000 to

2001, Justice Usha became the first woman to join the High

Court Judiciary from the Bar and became a Chief Justice.

Kaumudi Munshi, The Nightingale Of Gujarat passes

away at 93



Legendary singer Kaumudi Munshi, known as the

‗Nightingale of Gujarat‘, passed away. Her contribution to

make ‗Sugam Sangeet‘ popular to the masses will be

remembered by generations of music lovers.



She tested positive for Covid-19 and was hospitalized



Some of her songs in Gujarati that are popular even today are

‗Sachi re maari satre bhavani maa‘, and ‗koi aghe aghe thi

venu vai che‘

Nagaland Environment Minister C M Chang passes away



Nagaland Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate

Change and Justice and Law C.M. Chang passed away.



State Health officials confirmed that Chang died of COVID-

19. He was the sitting MLA of NDPP from 51-Noksen

Assembly Constituency.

Charlie Moore, 1952 Olympic 400 hurdles champion

passed away



Charlie Moore, the 400-meter hurdles champion at the 1952

Helsinki Olympics, has died. Moore died from pancreatic

cancer, according to World Athletics.



Moore won the 400 hurdles in the rain in 1952 in 50.8 seconds

to tie the Olympic record he set in the quarterfinals.



Moore also earned a silver medal in Helsinki on the United

States‘ 1,600-meter relay team.



After the Olympics, he set a world record of 51.6 in the 440

hurdles at the British Empire Games in London.

Joseph Mar Thoma, head of Kerala's Malankara Mar

Thoma Church, passes away at 89



Supreme head of the Mar Thoma Christian church Joseph Mar

Thoma Metropolitan died at the age of 89 in Kerala.

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21



The 21st metropolitan of the Mar Thoma church was

undergoing treatment for cancer for sometime. His conditioned

became critical a few days back and he breath his last by early

hours of Sunday at a private hospital in Pathanamthitta.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his condolence message

that the metropolitan was a remarkable personality who served

humanity and worked hard to improve the lives the poor and

downtrodden.

Founder of UAE state-run WAM news agency dies at 78



Ibrahim al-Abed, the founder of the United Arab Emirates‘

state- run WAM news agency and a pioneering media figure as

the oil- rich nation grew into a regional power died. He was

78.



Al-Abed long served as the head of the country‘s National

Media Council, a government regulatory body. He also was a

de facto government spokesman, with his phone number the

first rang by foreign journalists for decades as Abu Dhabi and

Dubai grew into the skyscraper-studded cities they are today.

. James Bond actor Sean Connery died at the age of 90

 Sir Sean Connery has died at the age of 90, his family has said.

The Scottish actor was best known for his portrayal of James

Bond, being the first to bring the role to the big screen and

appearing in seven of the spy thrillers.

 Sir Sean died peacefully in his sleep in the Bahamas, having

been "unwell for some time", his son said.

Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister R Doraikkannu dies at 72

 Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister R Doraikkannu, who had

tested positive for the coronavirus, died at a private hospital in

Chennai. He was 72.

 He was elected as an MLA from Papanasam in Thanjavur

district in 2006, 2011, and 2016. He also served as a Cabinet

minister in 2016, under former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa‘s

term.

 Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, who had tested

positive in August, paid tributes to the minister. ―He was

known for his simplicity, humbleness, straightforwardness,

governance skills and commitment towards the welfare of

farming community,‖ he said. ―He handled Ministry of

Agriculture with full dedication and engraved his strong

mark.‖

Former Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz passes away

 Veteran Politician and former prime minister of Turkey, Mesut

Yilmaz has passed away. He was the Chief of the now-

defunctional centre-right Motherland Party or ANAP from

1991 to 2002.

 He served as prime minister of Turkey three times in the

1990s.

 His first two prime-ministerial terms lasted for just one month,

in 1991 and then in 1996, while the third term was from June

1997 to January 1999.

46th & shortest served CM of Bihar Satish Prasad Singh passes

away

 Former Chief Minister and Socialist of Bihar, Satish Prasad

Singh passed away. He was born on January 1, 1936, in

Korchakka(now known as Satish Nagar) Village, Khagaria

district, Bihar.

 Satish Prasad Singh, the leader of Soshit Samaj Dal became

the 6th and the shortest- served CM of Bihar for 5 days (28

January to February 1, 1968) with the support of Indian

National Congress (INC).

Alex Trebek, host of Jeopardy, dies at 80

 Popular American game show host Alex Trebek passed away

on November 8, 2020. He was 80. He was diagnosed with

pancreatic cancer last year. Trebek‘s popular show ‗Jeopardy!‘

announced the news of his death through a Twitter post, which

read that he passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by

family and friends. Alex Trebek had hosted the show for

almost four decades.

 He had first announced that he had been diagnosed with stage

IV pancreatic cancer when he was on air in March 2019 and he

had continued to shoot for the episodes while undergoing

cancer treatment. He had also returned to host the show's 36th

season during summer last year, despite his health condition.

Veteran author & Gujarati columnist Father Carlos Gonzalez

Valles SJ passes away

 Veteran author and Gujarati columnist of Father Carlos

Gonzalez Valles SJ, popularly known as Father Valles passed

away. A Jesuit priest born in Spain, he was a Mathematics

teacher in Gujarat.

 He wrote extensively in Gujarati, English and Spanish.

 He translated many mathematical concepts into Gujarati and

coined terms for them.

-serving PM Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa dies

 Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, His Royal

Highness Prince Khalifabin Salman Al Khalifa, passed Away.

 He died at the age of 84. After his demise, Bahrain‘s King

Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa named crown prince Salman al-

Khalifa as the new Prime Minister of the Kingdom.

Ghana's ex-President Jerry Rawlings dies aged 73

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

 Ghana's former President Jerry John Rawlings has died at the

age of 73. He led two coups, first in 1979, before twice being

elected president in multiparty polls.

 He led two coups, first in 1979, before twice being elected

president in multiparty polls.

 He was also seen as a champion of the poor, but came to be

criticised for alleged human rights abuses. He died in hospital

in the capital, Accra, after a short illness.

President and PM express condolences over demise of Veteran

Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee

 Veteran actor and Dadasaheb Phalke award recipient Soumitra

Chatterjee passed away at a Kolkata Nursing home today. He

was 85. The actor had been hospitalised on October 6, 2020,

after being tested Covid positive. However, he was declared

Covid negative later. But he succumbed to other ailments, the

hospital sources say. He has been active on big and small

screens almost till the date he fell sick.

 President Ram Nath Kovind has expressed grief over the death

of Soumitra Chatterjee. He said, Indian cinema has lost one of

its legends. In a series of tweets, Mr Kovind said, he will be

especially remembered for the 'Apu' trilogy and other

memorable performances in Satyajit Ray's masterpieces. He

made immense contributions to the craft of acting.

 The President said, Soumitra Chatterjee‘s performances won

him several national and international awards including

Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Padma Bhushan and Légion

d‘Honneur.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also expressed grief over

the demise of Veteran actor Soumitra Chatterjee

PM Modi pays tributes to Bhagwan Birsa Munda on his Jayanti

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has paid tributes to 19th-

century freedom fighter and tribal leader Bhagwan Birsa

Munda on his Jayanti.

 PM Modi dubbed Birsa Munda a true ‗messiah‘ of the poor,

saying that ―he struggled throughout his life for the welfare of

the exploited and deprived‖.

 ―Birsa Munda‘s contribution in the freedom movement and his

efforts for social harmony will always inspire the

countrymen,‖ the Prime Minister said

Prominent Kannada journalist Ravi Belagere passes away at 62

 Noted journalist and writer Ravi Belagere (62) passed away

early on Friday morning at his office on the premises of Hai

Bangalore!, a popular Kannada tabloid, in Bengaluru, after a

massive heart attack. He was rushed to a private hospital,

where he breathed his last. He is survived by two wives, two

sons and two daughters.

 Known for his writing style, Belagere was honoured with

many awards, including the Karnataka Sahitya Academy

award, Kannada Rajyotsava awar, Karnataka Media Academy

award and many more. Also an educationist, Belagere started

Prarthana School, where his morta.

Rajasthan Minister Bhanwarlal Meghwal passes away at 71

 Rajasthan‘s Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment

Bhanwarlal Meghwal died at a private hospital in Gurugram

on Monday after a prolonged illness. He was being treated on

a ventilator since May 13, when he had suffered a paralytic

stroke and was diagnosed with a brain hemorrhage. He was 71.

 Earlier admitted at the Sawai Man Singh Government Hospital

in Jaipur and battling for life, Mr. Meghwal was airlifted to the

Medanta Hospital in Gurugram on the advice of doctors. He

was a senior Minister in the Ashok Gehlot government and a

prominent Dalit face of the ruling Congress.

 Mr. Meghwal represented Churu district‘s Sujangarh

constituency in the Assembly and also held the Disaster

Management and Relief portfolio. He was Education Minister

in the previous Congress government between 2008 and 2013.

Former Goa Governor & veteran BJP leader Mridula Sinha

passes away

 Former Governor of Goa and veteran BJP leader Mridula

Sinha passed away in a hospital in Delhi. She was 77. Born on

November 27, 1942, at a village in Chhapra in Bihar, Mridula

Sinha was also the first woman Governor of Goa. A renowned

Hindi writer, Mridula Sinha also served as the head of the

BJP's women's wing and chairperson of the Central Social

Welfare Board in the Ministry of Human Resource

Development.

 President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra

Modi have expressed grief over the demise of the veteran

leader. In a tweet, President Kovind saidMridula Sinha who

was an excellent writer and teacher, deeply understood the

local traditions and cultural life of the country, especially

Bihar.

 In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, the Veteran leader will be

remembered for her efforts towards public service. He said she

was also a prolific writer, making extensive contributions to

the world of literature as well as culture.

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

COUNTRIES I CAPITAL I CURRENCY

Countries

Capital

Currency

Countries

Capital

Currency

Japan

Tokyo

Japanese Yen

New Zealand

Wellington

NZ Dollar

Sweden

Stokholm

Swedish Krona

Pakistan

Islamabad

Pakistani Rupee

Sri Lanka

Colombo

Sri Lankan Rupee

Myanmar

Naypyidaw

Burmese kyat

Bangladesh

Dhaka

Taka

Saudi Arabia

Riyadh

Saudi Riyal

Somalia

Mogadishu

Shilling

Kenya

Nairobi

Kenyan shilling

Iran

Tehran

Iranian Rial

Kazakhstan

Astana

Kazakhstani tenge

Norway

Oslo

Norwegian Krone

Uzbekistan

Tashkent

Uzbekistani soʻm

South Korea

Seoul

South Korean Won

Australia

Canberra

Australian Dollar

Germany

Berlin

Euro

Peru

Lima

Sol

Russia

Moscow

Ruble

Iceland

Reykjavik

Icelandic króna

China

Beijing

Renminbi

Philippines

Manila

Philippine peso

Vietnam

Hanoi

Vietnamese dong

Belarus

Minsk

Belarusian ruble

Indonesia

Jakarta

Indonesian Rupiah

Iraq

Baghdad

Iraqi dinar

IMPORTANT DAYS

Important Days of September

02 September

World Coconut Day

05 September

National Teachers Day

05 September

International Day of Charity

08 September

International Literacy Day

10 September

World Suicide Prevention Day

12 September

United Nations Day for South-South

Cooperation

14 September

Hindi Day

15 September

International Day of Democracy

15 September

Engineers Day

16 September

International Day for the Preservation of

the Ozone Layer

21 September

International Day of Peace

23 September

International Day of Sign Languages

25 September

Antyodaya Diwas

26 September

International Day for the Total Elimination

of Nuclear Weapons

26 September

World Contraception Day

27 September

World Tourism Day

27September

World Maritime Day

28September

World Rabies Day

28 September

International Day for Universal Access to

Information

29September

World Heart Day

30 September

International Translation Day

Important Days of October

October 1

International Coffee Day/World

Vegetarian Day

October 2

Gandhi Jayanti/International Day of Non-

Violence

October 3

German Unity Day

October 4

World Animal Welfare Day

October 5

World Teachers' Day

October 6

Durgashtami/German-American Day

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October 7

World Habitat Day

October 8

Dussehra or Vijaya Dashami/Indian Air

Force Day

October 9

World Postal Day or World Post Office

Day

October 10

World Mental Health Day

October 11

International Girl Child Day

October 14

World Standards Day

October 15

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance

Day/Global Handwashing

Day/World White Cane Day/World

Students' Day

October 16

World Food Day

October 23

Mole Day

October 24

United Nations Day/World Development

Information Day

October 25

Dhanteras

October 27

Deepavali

October 28

Govardhan Puja

October 29

Bhai Duj

October 30

World Thrift Day

October 31

Rashtriya Ekta Diwas or National Unity

Day

Important Days of November

November 1

World Vegan Day

November 6

International Day for Preventing the

Exploitation of the Environment in

War and Armed Conflict

November 7

Infant Protection Day, World Cancer

Awareness Day

November 8

World Radiology Day

November 9

World Legal Service Day

November 10

World Science day for Peace and

Development, Public Transport Day

November 11

National Education Day

November 12

World Pneumonia Day, Public Service

Broadcasting Day

November 13

World Kindness Day

November 14

Children‘s Day(India), World Diabetes

Day

November 16

International Day for Endurance or

Tolerance

November 17

International Students Day, Gurunanak

Dev's Birth Anniversary, National

eplilepsy day

November 19

World Toilet Day, International Men‘s

Day, National Integration Day

November 20

Universal Children‘s Day

3rd Sunday of

November

World Day of Remembrance for Road

Traffic Victims

3rd Thursday of

November

World Philosophy Day

November 21

World Fisheries Day, World Hello Day,

World Television Day

November 25

International Day for the Elimination of

Violence Against Women, World

Non-Veg day

November 26

National Law Day or National constitution

Day

November 30

National Flag Day

Important Days of December

December 1

World AIDS Day

December 2

World Computer Literacy Day,

International Day for the Abolition

of Slavery

December 3

International Day of People with

Disability or World Disability Day

December 4

Indian Navy Day

December 5

International Volunteer Day for Economic

and Social Development

December 7

International Civil Aviation Day, Indian

Armed Force Flag Day

December 9

The International Anti-Corruption Day

December 10

World Human Rights Day,International

Children's Day of Broadcasting

December 11

International Mountain Day, UNICEF Day

December 14

National Energy Conservation Day(India)

December 16

Vijay Diwas

December 18

International Migrants Day, National

Minority Rights Day

December 19

Goa‘s Libration Day

December 20

International Human Solidarity Day

December 23

National Farmer‘s Day or Kisan Diwas

December 25

Christmas Day

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IMPORTANT NATIONAL PARKS & POWER PLANTS IN INDIA

State

National Parks

Power Plants

Assam

Rajiv Gandhi Orange National Park

Dibru-Saikhowa National Park

Kaziranga National Park

Manas National Park

Nameri National Park

Bongaigaon Thermal Power Station

Arunachal

Pradesh

Mouling National Park

Namdapha National Park

Andhra Pradesh

Sri venkateshwar National Park

Sri Damodram Sanjeevaian Thermal Power Station

Simhadri Solar Power Plant Station

Bihar

Valmiki National Park

Kahalgaon Super Thermal Power Station

Barauni Thermal Power Station

Chattisgarh

Guru Ghasi Das National Park

Indravati National Park

Kanger Valley National Park

Sipat Thermal Power Plant

Hasdeo Thermal Power Station

Bhilai Expansion Power Plan

Gujarat

Bansda National Park

Blackbuck National Park

Gir Forest National Park

Marine National Park

Akrimota Thermal Power Station

Mundra Thermal Power Station

Ukai Thermal Power Station

Goa

Bhagwan Mahavir National Park

Himachal

Pradesh

Pin Valley National Park

Great Himalayan National Park

Inderkilla National Park

Khirganga National Park

Simbalbara National Park

Girinagar Hydel Project

Binwa Hydel Project

Rangtong Hydel Project

Baner & Neugal Project

Haryana

Sultanpur National Park

Kalesar National Park

Rajiv Gandhi Thermal Power Station

Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Station

Gorakhpur Atomic Power Station

Jammu &

Kashmir

Hemis National Park

Kishtwar National Park

Salim Ali National Park

Dachigam National Park

Jharkhand

Betta National Park

Chandrapura Thermal Power Station

Koderma Thermal Power Station

Bokaro Thermal Power Station

Karnataka

Anshi National Park

Bandipur National Park

Bannerghatta National Park

Kudremukh National Park

Nagarhole National Park

Kakrapar Nuclear Power Plant

Raichur Thermal Power Station

Udupi Thermal Power Plant

Bellary Thermal Power Station

Kerala

Eravikulam National Park

Anamudi Shola National Park

Mathikettan National Park

Brahmapuram Power Station

Kayamkulam Power Station

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Pampaclum National Park

Periyar National Park

Silent Valley National Park

Meghalaya

Balphakram National Park

Nokrek National Park

Maharashtra

Chandoli National Park

Navegaon National Park

Tadoba National Park

Gugamal national park

Tarapur Atomic Power Station

Tirora Thermal Power Station

Amravati Thermal Power Plant

Madhya Pradesh

Kanha National Park

Madhav National Park

Mandla Plant Fossils National Park

Panna National Park

Pench National Park

Soran Ultra Mega Power project

Amarkantak Thermal Power Station

Vindhyachal Super Thermal Power Station

Sant Singaji Thermal Power Plant

Satpura Thermal Power Station

Mizoram

Mountain National Park

Murlen National Park

Phawngpui Blue National Park

Manipur

Keibul Lamjao National Park

Nagaland

Intanki National Park

Dikhu Hydro Electric Power Plant

Odisha

Bhitarkanika National Park

Simlipal National Park

Talcher Thermal Power Station

Punjab

Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Power Plant

Rajasthan

Sariska National Park

Ranthambore National Park

Darrah National Park

Desert National Park

Keoladeo National Park

Chhabra Thermal Power Station

Suratgarh Power Station

Sikkim

Khangchendzonga National Park

Ranjit Hydro electric Power Project

Tamil Nadu

Guindy National Park

Indira Gandhi National Park

Mukurthi National Park

Mudumalai National Park

Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park

Kundakulam Nuclear Power Plant

Neyveli Thermal Plant

Tuticorin Thermal Plant

Telangana

Mrugavani National Park

Tripura

Bison (Rajbari) National Park

Clouded Leopard National Park

Palatane Thermal Power Plant

Uttar Pradesh

Dudhwa National Park

Narora Atomic Power Station

Rihand Thermal Power Station

Anpara Thermal Power Station

Uttarakhand

Gangotri National Park

Jim Corbett National Park

Valley of Flowers National Park

Chibro Power Plant

Khodri Power Plant

Chilla Power Plant

West Bengal

Neora Valley National Park

Singalila National Park

Buxa National Park

Sundarbans National Park

Mejia Thermal Power Station

Farakka Super Thermal Power Station

Kolaghat Thermal Power Station

Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station

Durgapur Steel Thermal Power Station

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CLASSICAL DANCES IN INDIA

Bharatnatyam: Tamil Nadu & Karnataka

Kathak: North India

Kathakali: Kerala.

Kuchipudi: Andhra Pradesh.

Mohiniattam: Kerala.

Odissi: Orissa state.

Gaudiya Nritya: West Bengal

Sattriya: Assam

Ghoomar: Rajasthan

Thang Ta: Manipur

Manipuri: Manipur

FOLK DANCES IN INDIA

North India

Dumhal: Rauf tribe of Jammu & Kashmir

HurkaBaul: Uttarakhand

Chholiya: Kumaon region, Uttarakhand

Bhangra, Giddha: Punjab

Dhamyal - ‗Dhamyal‘ or ‗Dhuph‘: Haryana

Mayur Nritya: Uttar Pradesh

Charkula: Braj region of Uttar Pradesh.

Haryana: Swang, Naqqal, Dhamal

Himachal Pradesh: Nati, Kariyala, Bhagat

Central India

Gaur Dance: Chhattisgarh

Muria Dance: Madhya Pradesh

Saila Dance: Bastar district in the state of Chhattisgarh

Kaksar Dance: Bastar district in the state of Chhattisgarh

Jawara Dance: Madhya Pradesh

Bhagoria Dance: Madhya Pradesh

Suwa Dance: Chhattisgarh

Grida Dance: Madhya Pradesh

East India

Brita Dance: ‗Brita‘ or ‗Vrita‘ dance: West Bengal

Dalkhai: Odisha.

Gotipua: Odisha

Bihar: Jadur, Kathaputli, Bhako, Jhijiya

West India

Dandiya: Gujarat and Rajasthan

Garba: Gujarat

Padhar Dance: Gujarat

Rajasthan: Khyal, Rasdhari, Rammat, Gauri, Ghoomar

South India

Padayani: Kerala

Kolannalu: Andhra Pradesh

Parai Attam: Tamil Nadu

Karagattam: Tamil Nadu

Paampu Attam: Tamil Nadu.

Poikal Kudirai Attam: Tamil Nadu

Theyyam: Kerala

Andhra Pradesh: Veethi Natakam, Burrakatha,

Lambadi, Koya.

Telangana: Bathukamma

Dollu Kunitha: Karnataka

Ghodemodni: Goa

Lava Dance: Lakshadweep

Veeragase: Karnataka

Koli: Maharashtra

North East India

Hojagiri: Tripura

Nongkram Dance: Meghalaya

Bagurumba: Assam

Bhortal Dance: Assam

Cheraw Dance: Mizoram

Chang Lo: Nagaland

Bardo Chham: Arunachal Pradesh

Bihu: Assam

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IMPORTANT ORGANISATIONS & THEIR HEADQUARTERS

Organisations

Headquarters

Organisations

Headquarters

UNO

New York

OECD

Paris

UNESCO

Paris

ICJ

Hague

UNICEF

New York

APEC

Singapore

ILO

Geneva

World Intellectual Property Organisation

Geneva

UNCTAD

Geneva

IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)

Vienna

WHO

Geneva

Amnesty International

London

IMF

Washington DC

UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Dev. Org)

Vienna

Washington DC

International Maritime Organization

London

NATO

Brussels

Transparency International

Berlin

SAARC

Kathmandu

Commonwealth of Nations

London

ASEAN

Jakarta

WMO (World Meteorological Org)

Geneva

IMPORTANT AIRPORTS IN INDIA

Airport

City

State

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport

Kolkata

West Bengal

Indira Gandhi International Airport

New Delhi

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport

Hyderabad

Telangana

Swami Vivekananda Airport

Raipur

Chhattisgarh

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport

Nagpur

Maharashtra

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport

Ahmedabad

Gujarat

Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport

Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh

Biju Patnaik International Airport

Bhubaneshwar

Odisha

Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport

Guwahati

Assam

Kempegowda International Airport

Bangalore

Karnataka

Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport

Indore

Madhya Pradesh

Raja Bhoj International Airport

Bhopal

Madhya Pradesh

Maharana Pratap Airport

Udaipur

Rajasthan

Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport

Amritsar

Punjab

Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport

Patna

Bihar

Birsa Munda Airport

Ranchi

Jharkhand

Bagdogra Airport

Bagdogra

West Bengal

Rajahmundry Airport

rajahmundry

Andhra Pradesh

Kandla Airport

Kandla

Gujarat

Tezu Airport

Tezu

Arunachal Pradesh

Lengpui Airport

Aizwal

Mizoram

Veer Savarkar International Airport

Port Blair

Andaman & Nicobar

Silchar Airport

Silchar

Assam

Zaruki International Airport

Shillong

Meghalaya

Sonari Airport

Jamshedpur

Jharkhand

Agatti Aerodrome

Agatti

Lakshadweep

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NICK NAMES OF IMPORTANT INDIAN PLACES

Nick Name

City Name

Nick Name

City Name

City Of Seven Islands

Mumbai

Switzerland Of India

Kashmir

Pink City

Jaipur

Pittsburg Of India

Jamshedpur

Space City

Bangalore

Abode Of The God

Allahabad

Golden City

Amritsar

Garden Of Spices Of India

Kerala

Manchester Of India

Ahmedabad

Heaven Of India

J&K

Silicon Valley Of India

Bangalore

City Of Lakes

Srinagar

Gateway Of India

Mumbai

State Of Five Rivers

Punjab

City Of Festivals

Madurai

City Of Castles

Kolkata

Queen Of Arabian Sea

Cochin

Manchester Of The North

Kanpur

Garden City Of India

Bangalore

Dakshin Ganga

Godavari

Electronic City Of India

Bangalore

Old Ganga

Godavari

Deccan Queen

Pune

Sorrow Of Bengal

Damodar

City Of Buildings

Kolkata

Sacred River

Ganga

Egg Bowls Of Asia

Andhra Pradesh

Blue Mountains

Nilgiri

Manchester Of The South

Coimbatore

City Of Rallies

New Delhi

City Of Nawabs

Lucknow

Soya Region

Madhya Pradesh

Venice Of The East

Cochin

Sorrow Of Bihar

Kosi

Queen Of The Mountains

Mussoorie

Steel City Of India

Jamshedpur

Hollywood Of India

Mumbai

City Of Temples

Varanasi

City Of Weavers

Panipat

Boston Of India

Ahmedabad

CABINET MINISTERS

Narendra Modi

Prime Minister, Public Grievances and Pensions; Personnel Ministry; All

important Policy Issue, Space Department; Atomic Energy

Department; and all other portfolios not allocated to any Minister

Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister

Amit Shah

Minister of Home Affairs

Nitin Gadkari

Highways, and Road Transport Minister along with Minister of Enterprises

(Micro, Small and Medium)

DV Sadanand Gowda

Chemical and Fertilizers Minister

Nirmala Sitharaman

Finance Minister and Corporate Affairs

Ram Vilas Paswan

Consumer Affairs Minister; Food and Public Distribution

Narendra Singh Tomar

Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister; Rural Development Minister; and

Panchayati Raj

Ravi Shankar Prasad

Electronics and Information Technology Minister; Communications; Law

and Justice Minister;

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10.

Narendra Singh Tomar

Food Processing Industries Minister

11.

Thawar Chand Gehlot

Social Justice and Empowerment Minister

12.

Dr. S Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister

13.

Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank

Human Resource Development Minister

14.

Arjun Munda

Tribal Affairs Minister

15.

Smriti Irani

Minister of Textiles; Women and Child Development Minister

16.

Dr. Harshvardhan

Science and Technology Minister; Health and Family Welfare Minister;‘and

Minister of Earth Sciences

17.

Prakash Javadekar

Environment Minister; Information and Broadcasting Minister and Forest

and Climate Change

18.

Piyush Goyal

Railways Minister; and Commerce and Industry Minister

19.

Dharmendra Pradhan

Minister of Steel and Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister

20.

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

Minority Affairs Minister

21.

Prahalad Joshi

Parliamentary Affairs Minister; Minister of Mines and Coal Minister

22.

Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey

Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister

23.

Arvind Sawant

Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise Minister

24.

Giriraj Singh

Animal Husbandry Minister; Fisheries and Dairying

25.

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

Jal Shakti Minister

TEMPLES IN INDIA

Temple

Place

Temple

Place

Badrinath Temple

Chamoli district, Uttarakhand

Kashi Vishwanath Temple

Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh)

Golden Temple

Amritsar

Meenakshi Temple

Madurai (Tamil Nadu)

The Konark Sun Temple

Puri district of Odisha

Lingaraja Temple

Orissa

Gangotri Temple

Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand

Lord Jagannath Temple

Puri (Orissa)

Brihadeeswara Temple

Thanjavur city of Tamil Nadu

Yamunotri Temple

Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand

Siddhivinayak Temple

Prabha Devi, Mumbai

Tirupati Balaji

Tirumala (Andhra Pradesh)

Somnath Temple

Saurashtra (Gujarat)

Khajuraho Temple

Madhya Pradesh

Vaishno Devi Mandir

J&K, near Katra

Akshardham Temple

Delhi

Kedarnath Temple)

Garhwal area (Uttarakhand)

Dwarkadhish Temple

Dwarka city (Gujarat)

Sanchi Stupa

Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh

Shirdi Sai Baba Temple

Shirdi town of Maharashtra

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SPORTS AND TROPHIES

Cricket

Football

Hockey

Table Tennis

Lawn

Tennis

Badminton

Golf

Ashes Cup

Rovers Cup

Sultan Azlan

Shah

Cup

Travancore Cup

(women)

Davis Cup

Amrit Diwan

Cup

Canada Cup

Asia Cup

Merdeka Cup

Aga Khan Cup

Swathling Cup

(men)

Australian

Open

Asia Cup

Rydet Cup

C.K. Naidu Trophy

Confederation cup

Maharaja

Ranjit

Singh

Gold

Cup

Bama Belleck

Cup

French Open

Chaddha Cup

Walker Cup

Deodhar Trophy

DCM Trophy

Dhyanchand

Trophy

–

Wimbledon

European Cup

Eisenhower Cup

Duleep Trophy

Durand Cup

Sindhia Gold

cup

–

US Open

Harilela Cup

–

Gavaskar Border

Trophy

B.C. Raj Trophy

(National

Champions

hip)

Murugappa

Gold

Cup

–

Heineken

Cup

Ibrahim

Rahimatill

Challenger

Cup

–

G.D. Birla Trophy

Bandodkar

Trophy

Wellington

Cup

–

Konica Cup

–

Gillette Cup

FIFA World Cup

Stanley Cup

–

Sophia Cup

–

ICC World Cup

Jules Rimet

Trophy

–

Kitiakara Cup

–

Irani Trophy

Kalinga Cup

–

Malaysian Open

–

Jawaharlal Nehru Cup

Santosh Trophy

–

Thomas Cup

(men)

–

Rani Jhansi Trophy

IFA Shield

–

Uber Cup

(women)

–

Ranji Trophy

Scissor Cup

–

Rohinton, Barcia

Subroto Cup

–

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Trophy

Rothmans Cup

Sir Ashutosh

Mukherjee

Trophy

–

Sahara Cup

Todd Memorial

Trophy

–

Sharjah Cup

Vittal Trophy

–

Singer Cup

UEFA Champions

League

–

Titan Cup

–

Vijay Hazare Trophy

–

Vijay Merchant Trophy

–

Wisden Trophy

–

Wills Trophy

–

IMPORTANT REVOLUTIONS IN INDIA

Revolution

Field

Green Revolution

Food grains

Blue Revolution

Fish Production

Black Revolution

Petroleum Production

Golden Revolution

Fruits/Overall Horticulture development/Honey Production

Grey Revolution

Fertilizer

Golden Fiber Revolution

Jute Production

Yellow Revolution

Oil Seeds production

Pink Revolution

Onion production/Pharmaceutical (India)/ Prawn production

White Revolution

Milk/Dairy production

Red Revolution

Meat & Tomato Production

Silver Revolution

Egg/Poultry Production

Silver Fiber Revolution

Cotton

Evergreen Revolution

Overall development of Agriculture.

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STADIUMS IN INDIA

Stadium

Location

Stadium

Location

Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium

New Delhi

Greenfield International Stadium

Thiruvananthapuram

Feroz Shah Kotla

New Delhi

Barkatullah Khan Stadium

Jodhpur

Dhyan Chand National Stadium

New Delhi

Barsapara Cricket Stadium

Guwahati

Brabourne Stadium

Mumbai

Sardar Vallabhai Patel Motera

Ahmedabad

Eden Gardens

Kolkata

Wankhede Stadium

Mumbai

Green Park

Kanpur

Moin-ul-Haq Stadium

Patna

M.Chinnaswamy Stadium

Bangalore

Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Cricket Stadium

Guwahati

Barabati Stadium

Cuttack

Vidarbha CA Ground

Nagpur

MA Chidambaram Stadium

Chennai

Sawai Mansingh Stadium

Jaipur

Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground

Rajkot

Indira Gandhi Stadium

Vijayawada

Rajiv Gandhi Port Silver Jubilee

Stadium

Visakhapatnam

Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium

Hyderabad

Port

State

Port

State

Paradip

Orissa

Cochin

Kerala

Vishakhapatnam

Andhra Pradesh

New Mangalore

Karnataka

Kolkata

West Bengal

Ennore

Tamil Nadu

Mumbai

Maharashtra

Murmugao

Goa

Kandla

Gujarat

Tuticorin

Tamil Nadu

Jawahar Lal Nehru

Maharashtra

Chennai

Tamil Nadu

STATE I CHIEF MINISTER I GOVERNOR

State

Capital

Governor

Chief Minister

Andhra Pradesh

Amarvati

Biswabhushan Harichandan

Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy

Arunachal Pradesh

Itanagar

Brigedier B.D Mishra (Retd)

Pema Khandu

Assam

Dispur

Jagdish Mukhi

Sarbananda Sonowal

Bihar

Patna

Phagu Chauhan

Nitish Kumar

Chhattisgarh

Naya raipur/bilaspur

Anusuiya Uikey

Bhupesh Bhagel

Delhi

National capital of India

Lt. Governor Anil Baijal

Arvind Kejriwal

Goa

Panaji

Bhagat Singh Koshyari

Pramod Sawant

Gujarat

Gandhinagar

Acharya Dev Vrat

Vijay Rupani

Haryana

Chandigarh

Satyadev Narayan Arya

Manohar Lal Khattar

Himachal Pradesh

Shimla

Bandaru Dattatreya

Jai Ram Thakur

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Jammu-Kashmir

Srinagar

Manoj Sinha

Jharkhand

Ranchi

Draupadi Marmu

Hemant Soren

Karnataka

Bengaluru

Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala

B. S. Yediyurappa

Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram

Arif Mohammed Khan

Pinarayi Vijayan

Ladakh

Leh

Radha Krishna Mathur

Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal

Anandiben Patel

Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Maharashtra

Mumbai

Bhagat Singh Koshyari

Uddhav Thackeray

Manipur

Imphal

Najma Heptulla

N . Biren Singh

Meghalaya

Shillong

Satya Pal Malik

Conrad Kongkal Sangma

Mizoram

Aizwal

S. Sreedharan Pillai

Zoramthanga

Nagaland

Kohima

RN Ravi

Neiphiu Rio

Odisha

Bhubaneshwar

Prof. Ganeshi Lal Mathur

Naveen Patnaik

Puducherry

Pondicherry

Kiran Bedi (Lt Governor)

V. Narayanasamy

Punjab

Chandigarh

VP Singh Badnore

Captain Amrinder Singh

Rajasthan

Jaipur

Kalraj Mishra

Ashok Gehlot

Sikkim

Gangtok

Ganga Prasad

Prem Singh Tamang

Tamil Nadu

Chennai

Banwarilal Purohit

Edapaddi K. Palaniswami

Telangana

Hyderabad

Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan

K. Chandrashekhar Rao

Tripura

Agartala

Ramesh Bais

Biplab Kumar Deb

Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow

Anandiben Patel

Yogi Adityanath

Uttarakhand

Dehradun

Baby Rani Maurya

Trivendra Singh Rawat

West Bengal

Kolkata

Jagdeep Dhankar

Mamata Banerjee

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IMPORTANT DAMS IN INDIA

Dam

River

State

Dam

River

State

Idukki Dam

Periyar

Kerala

Madupetty Dam

Palar

Kerala

Tehri Dam

Bhagirathi

Uttarakhand

Indira Sagar Dam

Narmada

Madhya Pradesh

Sardar Sarovar Dam

Narmada

Gujarat

Rihand Dam

Rihand

Uttar Pradesh

Nagarjun Sagar Dam

Krishna

Telangana

Pong Dam

Beas

Himachal Pradesh

Bhakra Dam

Satluj

Himachal Pradesh

Ranjit Sagar Dam

Ravi

Punjab

Lakhwar Dam

Yamuna

Uttarakhand

Baglihar Dam

Chenab

J&K

Srisailam Dam

Krishna

Telangana

Supa Dam

Kali Nadi

Karnataka

Pakal Dul Dam

Marusudar

J&K

Koteshwar Dam

Bhagi Rathi Nadi

Uttra Khand

Salal Dam

Chenab

J&K

Pillur Dam

Bhavani

Tamil Nadu

Chakra Dam

Chakra

Karnataka

Parbati Dam

Parbati

himachal Pradesh

ukai Dam

Tapi Nadi

Gujarat

IMPORTANT INDIAN CITIES LOCATED ON RIVER BANKS

City

River

State

Agra

Yamuna

Uttar Pradesh

Ahmedabad

Sabarmati

Gujarat

Allahabad

At the confluence of

Ganga, Yamuna

and Saraswati

Uttar Pradesh

Ayodhya

Saryu

Uttar Pradesh

Badrinath

Alaknanda

Uttarakhand

Banki

Mahanadi

Odisha

Brahmapur

Rushikulya

Odisha

Chhatrapur

Rushikulya

Odisha

Bhagalpur

Ganges

Bihar

Kolkata

Hugli

West Bengal

Cuttack

Mahanadi

Odisha

New Delhi

Yamuna

Delhi

Dibrugarh

Brahmaputra

Assam

Ferozpur

Sutlej

Punjab

Guwahati

Brahmaputra

Assam

Haridwar

Ganges

Uttarakhand

Hyderabad

Musi

Telangana

Jabalpur

Narmada

Madhya Pradesh

Kanpur

Ganges

Uttar Pradesh

Kota

Chambal

Rajasthan

Kottayam

Meenachil

Kerala

Jaunpur

Gomti

Uttar Pradesh

Patna

Ganges

Bihar

Rajahmundry

Godavari

Andhra Pradesh

Srinagar

Jhelum

Jammu & Kashmir

Surat

Tapi

Gujarat

Tiruchirapalli

Kaveri

Tamil Nadu

Varanasi

Ganges

Uttar Pradesh

Vijayawada

Krishna

Andhra Pradesh

Vadodara

Vishwamitri

Gujarat

Mathura

Yamuna

Uttar Pradesh

Mirzapur

Ganga

Uttar Pradesh

Auraiya

Yamuna

Uttar Pradesh

Etawah

Yamuna

Uttar Pradesh

Bangalore

Vrishabhavathi

Karnataka

Farrukhabad

Ganges

Uttar Pradesh

Fatehgarh

Ganges

Uttar Pradesh

Kannauj

Ganges

Uttar Pradesh

Mangalore

Netravati,Gurupura

Karnataka

Shimoga

Tunga River

Karnataka

Bhadravathi

Bhadra

Karnataka

Hospet

Tungabhadra

Karnataka

Karwar

Kali

Karnataka

Bagalkot

Ghataprabha

Karnataka

Honnavar

Sharavathi

Karnataka

Gwalior

Chambal

Madhya Pradesh

Gorakhpur

Rapti

Uttar Pradesh

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Lucknow

Gomti

Uttar Pradesh

Kanpur

Cantonment

Ganges

Uttar Pradesh

Shuklaganj

Ganges

Uttar Pradesh

Chakeri

Ganges

Uttar Pradesh

Malegaon

Girna River

Maharashtra

Sambalpur

Mahanadi

Odisha

Rourkela

Brahmani

Odisha

Pune

Mula,Mutha

Maharashtra

Daman

Daman Ganga River

Daman

Madurai

Vaigai

Tamil Nadu

Thiruchirapalli

Kaveri

Tamil Nadu

Chennai

Cooum,Adyar

Tamil Nadu

Coimbatore

Noyyal

Tamil Nadu

Erode

Kaveri

Tamil Nadu

Tirunelveli

Thamirabarani

Tamil Nadu

Bharuch

Narmada

Gujarat

Karjat

Ulhas

Maharashtra

Nashik

Godavari

Maharashtra

Mahad

Savitri

Maharashtra

Nanded

Godavari

Maharashtra

Kolhapur

Panchaganga

Maharashtra

Nellore

Pennar

Andhra Pradesh

Nizamabad

Godavari

Telangana

Sangli

Krishna

Maharashtra

Karad

Krishna,Koyna

Maharashtra

Hajipur

Ganges

Bihar

Ujjain

Shipra

Madhya Pradesh

SOME IMPORTANT FACTS RELATED TO CENSUS

 Slogan - Our census, Our Future

 India's 1st Census - 1872

 2011 Census is - 15th Census

 Total Population - 1,21,01,93,422

 India's Rank in population - 2nd with 17.5%

(1st China with 19%)

 Most Populous State - Uttar Pradesh

 Least Populous State  Sikkim

 Most Literate State - Kerala (93.9%)

 Least Literate State - Bihar (63.82%)

 National Sex Ratio - Female : Male (940 : 1000)

 Highest Sex Ratio (State) - Kerala (1084 : 1000)

 Lowest Sex Ratio (State) - Haryana

 Highest Sex Ratio (UT) - Puducherry

 Least Sex Ratio (UT) - Daman & Diu (61 : 1000)

 Literacy of Male - 82.14%

 Literacy of Female - 65.46%

 Population Growth Rate - 17.64%

 Highest fertility Rate - Meghalaya

 Most literate Union Territory - Lakshadweep (92.2%)

 Least literate Union Territory - Dadra Nagar & Haweli

 Most Literate District - Serechhip (Mizoram)

 Least Literate District - Dadra Naga & Haveli

 Highest Density of Population - Bihar (1102 sq.km)

 Lowest Density of Population - Arunachal Pradesh (17)

 Total number of districts - 640

 Highest Populous District - Thane (Mumbai)

 100% Literacy District - Palakkad (Kerala)

 100% Banking State - Kerala

 100% Banking District - Palakkad (Kerala)

 Density of Population in India - 382 sq. km

 Increase in population (during 2001-2011) - 181 million

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IMPORTANT WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES

State

Wildlife Sanctuary

State

Wildlife Sanctuary

Assam

Amchang WLS

Chakrashila WLS

Dihing Patkai WLS

East Karbi Anglong WLS

North Karbi Anglong WLS

Nambor WLS

Madhya Pradesh

Bori WLS

Gandhi Sagar WLS

Ghatigaon WLS

Ken Gharial WLS

Narsighgarh WLS

National Chambal WLS

Orcha WLS

Kuno WLS

Sardarpur WLS

Son Gharial WLS

Andhra Pradesh

Coringa WLS

Kolleru WLS

Nellapattu WLS

Pulicat Lake WLS

Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarjuna

SagarSrisailam) WLS

Manipur

YangoupokpiLokchao

WLS

Bihar

Gautam Budha WLS

Kaimur WLS

Pant (Rajgir) WLS

Valmiki WLS

Mizoram

Dampa WLS (TR)

Ngengpui WLS

Pualreng WLS

Tokalo WLS

Chattisgarh

Badalkhol WLS

Bhairamgarh WLS

Bhoramdev WLS

Udanti Wild Buffalo WLS

Meghalaya

Baghmara Pitcher Plant

WLS

Nongkhyllem WLS Siju

WLS

Gujarat

Jambugodha WLS

Jessore WLS

Kutch Desert WLS

Mitiyala WLS

Porbandar Lake WLS

Rampara Vidi WLS

Ratanmahal WLS

Shoolpaneswar (Dhumkhal) WLS

Thol Lake WLS Wild Ass WLS

Nagaland

Fakim WLS

Puliebadze WLS

Rangapahar WLS

Goa

Bondla WLS

Madei WLS

Bhagwan Mahavir (Mollem) WLS

Netravali WLS

Odisha

Badrama WLS

Baisipalli WLS

Chilika (Nalaban) WLS

Hadgarh WLS

Khalasuni WLS

Satkosia Gorge WLS

Himachal Pradesh

Bandli WLS

Daranghati WLS

Dalra WLS

Dhauladhar WLS

Punjab

Abohar WLS

Harike Lake WLS

Jhajjar Bacholi WLS

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Nargu WLS

Pong Dam Lake WLS

Shilli WLS Talra WLS

Haryana

Bhindawas WLS

Kalesar WLS

Khaparwas WLS

Rajasthan

Bundh Baratha WLS

Darrah WLS

Jawahar Sagar WLS

Kailadevi WLS

Mount Abu WLS

Ramsagar WLS

Sariska WLS

Sawai Man Singh WLS

Shergarh WLS

Sitamata WLS

J&K

Gulmarg WLS

Limber WLS

Nandini WL

Sikkim

Fambong Lho WLS

Maenam WLS

Pangolakha WLS

Jharkhand

Lawalong WLS

Palkot WLS

Parasnath WLS

Telangana

Kawal WLS

Karnataka

Arabithittu WLS

Attiveri WLS

Bhadra WLS

Bhimgad WLS

Brahmagiri WLS

Cauvery WLS

Nugu WLS

Pushpagiri WLS

Ranganathittu Bird WLS

Sharavathi Valley WLS

Someshwara WLS

Tamil Nadu

Karikili WLS

Mudumalai WLS

Pulicat Lake WLS

Vaduvoor WLS

Vedanthangal WLS

Vettangudi WLS

Indira Gandhi (Annamalai)

WLS

Kalakad WLS

Karaivetti WLS

Kerala

Aralam WLS

Chimmony WLS

Idukki WLS

Malabar WLS

Mangalavanam Bird WLS

Neyyar WLS

Periyar WLS

Thattekad Bird WLS

Tripura

Gumti WLS

Rowa WLS

Sepahijala WLS

Trishna WLS

Maharashtra

Aner Dam WLS

Bhamragarh WLS

Bhimashankar WLS

Great Indian Bustard WLS

Jaikwadi WLS

Koyana WLS

Nagzira WLS

Painganga WLS

Radhanagari WLS

Uttarakhand

Askot Musk Deer WLS

Binsar WLS

Govind Pashu Vihar WLS

Kedarnath WLS

Sonanadi WLS

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Sagareshwar WLS

Tipeshwar WLS

Tungareshwar WLS

Hastinapur WLS

Ranipur WLS

Sohagibarwa WLS

Sur Sarovar WLS

Chandraprabha WLS

National Chambal WLS

West Bengal

Ballavpur WLS

Chintamani Kar Bird

Sanctuary

Haliday Island WLS

Lothian Island WLS

Mahananda WLS

IMPORTANT BOUNDARIES

Radcliffe Line : This boundary line is between India and Pakistan drawn by Sir Cyril Radcliffe in 1947.

Durand Line - It is between Pakistan and Afghanistan

McMahon Line ‐ The boundary line between India and China to which China does not approve.It was demarcated by Sir Henry

McMahon

24th Parallel ‐ The line which Pakistan claims should be the Demarcation line between India and Pakistan, not accepted by India.

Hindenberg Line ‐ Boundary line between Germany and Poland to which German retreated in 1917 during the First World War.

Oder‐ Neisse Line ‐ The boundary line between Poland and East Germany.

Mannerheim Line - It is between Russia and Finland.

Maginot Line - The boundary line is between France and Germany.

Siegfrid Line - The boundary line is between France and Germany.

17th Parallel ‐ The line which defines the boundary between North Vietnam and South Vietnam before the two were united.

38th Parallel ‐ The boundary line between North Korea and South Korea.

49th Parallel ‐ It is the boundary line between the United States of America and Canada

IMPORTANT AWARDS

1. Bharat Ratna– It is the highest civilian award of the India. The

award was given for outstanding achievements in thearts,

literature, science and public servicesbut the government

expanded the criteria to include―any field of human

endeavour‖. The number of annual awards is restricted to a

maximum of three in a particular year.

2. Padma AwardsPadma Vibhushan,Padma BhushanandPadma

Shriawards are forexceptional and distinguished service in any

fieldincluding service rendered by Government servants.

3. Gallantry AwardsParam Vir Chakra (PVC), Ashok Chakra,

Shaurya Chakraare given for appreciating thebrave and

gallant.

4. Nobel Prize– The Nobel Prize is widely regarded as the most

prestigious award available in the fields ofliterature, medicine,

physics, chemistry, peace,and Economics.

5. Booker Prize–Literature It is an annual award for the best

original novel, written in the English language, and published

in the UK literary award.

6. Vyas Samman–Literature Vyas Samman is awarded annually by

the K.K. Birla Foundation in recognition of the Hindi literary

work published in past 10 years.

7. Moorti Devi Award–Literature The Moortidevi Award is an

annual literary award in India presented by the Bharatiya

Jnanpith organization for a work which emphasizes Indian

philosophy and culture.

8. Saraswati Samman–Literature The award was instituted in 1991

by the K. K. Birla Foundation. It is an annual award given for

outstanding prose or poetry literary works in any 22 Indian

languages.

9. Jnanpith award–Literature The award was instituted in 196. It

is presented by the Bharatiya Jnanpith, a trust founded by the

Sahu Jain family, the publishers of the newspaper The Times

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

of India. It is an annual award given for outstanding prose or

poetry literary works in any 22 Indian languages.

10. Bihari Puraskar–Literature Bihari Puraskar is a literary award

instituted by K. K. Birla Foundation. The award is named after

the famous Hindi poet Bihari and is awarded to an outstanding

work published in Hindi or Rajasthani by a Rajasthani writer.

11. The Oscar/Academy Awards–Films This is an annual

American awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements

in the film industry.

12. Dadasaheb Phalke Award–Cinema/Films The Dadasaheb

Phalke Award is India‘s highest award in cinema. It is

presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by

the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation set up by the

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

13. Arjuna Award– Outstanding performance from the sports

persons insports and games. The Government has modified the

format of Arjuna Award very recently and as per the revised

schematic guidelines a sports person must have very good

consistent performances for the previous 3 years at the

international level to be considered as eligible for the Award.

14. Dronacharya Award–Eminent coaches of any particular sport

The award is named after the very famous archery coach,

mentioned in the epic of India known as the Mahabharata. This

award is not related with the sports persons who are still

playing in the field; instead this is related to those eminent

coaches of any particular sport.

15. Dhyan Chand Award– The award that is given to the veteran

sports persons of India for their lifetime achievement in their

respective field of sport is named as the Dhyan Chand Award

for Life Time Achievement inSports and Games.

16. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award– The Rajiv Gandhi Khel

Ratna is the highest honour bestowed to a sports person for

his/her achievements in India.

17. Stirling Prize–Architecture The Royal Institute of British

Architects Stirling Prize is a British prize for excellence in

architecture.

18. Aga Khan Award–Architecture The Aga Khan Award for

Architecture (AKAA) is an architectural prize established by

Aga Khan IV in 1977. It aims to identify and reward

architectural concepts that successfully address the needs and

aspirations of Islamic societies in the fields of contemporary

design, social housing, community development and

improvement.

19. Pritzker Prize–Architecture The Pritzker Architecture Prize is

awarded annually ―to honor a living architect.

20. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize–Science & Technology The

Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology

(SSB) is a science award in India given annually by the

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for

notable and outstanding research, applied or fundamental, in

biology, chemistry, environmental science, engineering,

mathematics, medicine and Physics.

21. Kalinga Prize– The Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of

Science is an award given by UNESCO for exceptional skill in

presenting scientific ideas to lay people.

22. Grammy Award–A Grammy Award, or Grammy, is an

accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and

Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding

achievement in the music industry.

23. Abel Prize–Mathematics The Abel Prize is an international

prize awarded annually by the Government of Norway to one

or more outstanding mathematicians.

24. International Gandhi Peace PrizeThis award is given to

individuals and institutions for their contributions

towardssocial, economic and political revolution through non-

violence and Gandhian philosophy. The award carries Rs. 10

million in cash.

25. Lal Bahadur Shastri National AwardThisis for Excellence

inPublic Administration, Academicsand Management.

26. Green Star AwardsThe Green Star Awards recognize those

who have made extraordinary efforts to respond

toenvironmental disastersaround the world.

27.Magsaysay Award–Public Service, Leadership, Journalism,

Literature, creative artsandinternational understanding.

28. Pulitzer Prize– The Pulitzer Prize is an award for achievements

innewspaperand online journalism, iterature,andmusical

compositionin the United States.

29. Sahitya Akademi Award–Books in Indian Languages and

English.

30. Manthan AwardIt is an initiative in India to recognize the

best practices ine-Content and Creativity.

31. FiFi AwardsTheFiFi Awards honor the fragranceindustry‘s

creative achievements.

32. Sangeet-Natak Akademi Award–Music, danceandDrama.

33. BAFTA Awards–Television, Films, Video Gamesand

Animation.

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

RESERVE BANK OF INDIA (RBI)

RBI is a central bank of India, the only independent apex body of

India which regulates all the financial institutions of India and

provides important functions such as issuing of currency notes,

inflation control, and monetary policy report.

 It was established on April 1, 1935 under the Reserve Bank of

India Act, 1935.

 It was nationalized in 1949

Structure of RBI:

The Central Board shall consist of following directors:

 A Governor and four Deputy Governors to be appointed by

Central Government

 Four directors to be nominated by Central Government, one

from each of the four Local Boards.

 Ten directors to be nominated by Central Government.

 Two Government Officials to be nominated by Central

Government.

Functions of RBI:

 Bankers Bank

 Issue of bank notes

 Banker to Government

 Custodian of cash reserve of commercial banks

 Custodian of country‘s foreign reserve

 Central clearance and account settlement

 Formation of monetary policy for economic growth and to

check inflation

 Controller of credit

Some Important Facts about RBI

 Headquarter :Mumbai( initially it was in Kolkata)

 First Governor :Sir Osborne Smith

 First Indian Governor: C.D. Deshmukh

SCHEMES RELATED TO BANKING AND FINANCE

1) Kisan Vikas Patra

Kisan Vikas Patra is small saving instrument which was launched in

1988 but closed in 2011. It was re-launched in 2014 through

post office and those banks that are authorized to operate PPF

scheme. Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) is regulated by KVP Rules

2014.

Features of Kisan Vikas Patra

 Denomination used in KVP: Rs 1000, Rs5000, Rs 10000 and

Rs 50000

 Maturity period: 113 months

 Types of certificates: Category Single, Joint A-Type and Joint

B-Type

 Minimum deposit : Rs 1000

 Maximum deposit: No limit

 Rate of interest:7.6%

 Certificate can be encashed after two and half years

 Facility of nomination is available

 Certificate can be transfer from one person to another and

from one post office to another

 No tax benefit is available for this scheme

2) Gold Monetization Scheme

It is a scheme that facilitates the depositors of gold to earn interest on

their metal accounts. Once the gold deposit in the account, it

will start earning interest on it.

Tagline:Earn while you secure

Implemented by: All scheduled/commercial banks excluding RRBs

Deposit limit:Minimum-30 g - Maximum-No limit

Tenure: 1 to 3 years (short term)

5 to 7 years (medium term)

12-15 years (long term)

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3) Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme

A sovereign Bond is a debt security issued by national government.

It can be denominated in a foreign currency or government‘s

own domestic company. It is tradable on stock market and

available in physical and demat form.

Tagline: Invest Wisely, Earn Safely

Minimum limit: 2 gm of gold

Maximum limit: 500 gm

Issued by: RBI on behalf of Union Government

Tenure: Maximum 8 years but exit option is from 5

year

4) Indian Gold Coin Scheme

Under this scheme government sell gold from its own trading centre.

Ashok Chakra engraved on one side and the face of Mahatma

Gandhi on the other side. It is available at MMTC (Metals and

Mineral Corporation)

Denomination: 5gm, 10gm and 20gm

5) Sukanya Samrridhi Yojana

Sukanya Samrridhi Yozna is a girl prosperity scheme. It was

launched by PM Modi as a part of Beti Bachao Beti Parao

Campaign.

Objective: To promote the welfare of girl child

Minimum Deposit: Rs1000

Maximum Deposit: Rs150000

Maturity: 14 years from the opening of the account

Interest: 8.6%

Tenure of deposit: 21 years of date of the opening account

Account can be opened at Indian Post Office and Commercial Banks

6) Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana

Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yozna was launched by PM Modi in 2015. It is an

insurance scheme launched for the welfare of needy people.

Minimum age for entry in scheme: 18years

Maximum age for entry in scheme: 50 years

Maximum Maturity Age: 55 years

Sum assured: Rs 200,000

Annual Premium: Rs330

7) Prime Minister Jan Dhan Yojana

Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is a national mission for

the financial inclusion to access financial services. Under this

scheme a customer can opened with zero balance and if the

customer want to get cheque book, the customer have to fulfill

minimum balance criteria.

Features of Prime Minister Jan Dhan Yojana

 There is interest on deposit

 Accidental insurance cover of Rs 1 lac

 It also provide a life cover of Rs 30000

 Overdraft facility up to Rs5000 which is available to only one

account per household preferably

8) MUDRA(Micro Units Development and Refinance Company)

Micro Units Development and Refinance Company is a new

institution set up by the government of India for the

development of micro units and Refinance Company. It is a

part of SIDBI (Small Industrial Development Bank of India).

It was launched in 2015. Under the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA

Yojana, MUDRA has created three products:

1. Shishu: covering up to Rs 50000

2. Kishore: covering up to Rs 50,000 to 500,000

3. Tarun: covering loans above Rs500,000 to 10,00,000

Features of MUDRA scheme

 Its main purpose is to provide funding to non corporate small

business sector

 Under the scheme women, SC, ST and OBC are given

preference while giving loans

9) Indradanush Scheme

Government has launched a plan Indradanush to boost functioning of

Public Sector Banks. This plan basically focuses on the 7 areas

that are as follow:

 Appointments- As per the scheme Bank Board Bureau had

replaced the existing appointment board

 Distressing-With this focus will be on distressing the banks

from Non Performing Assets.

 Capitalization- Under this scheme government planned to

infuse Rs 70000 crore in banks for the next four years.

Allocation in four years is as follow:

1. 2015-16 Rs25000 Crore

2. 2016-17 Rs25000 Crore

3. 2017-18 Rs10000 Crore

4. 2018-19 Rs10000 Crore

 Banking Empowerment-under this government is looking to

introduce Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOPs) for the

Public Sector Banks.

 Accountability-The government also provide new framework

for the boost efficiency.

 Governance- A process of governance reforms start from Gyan

Sangam- a conclave of PSBs and financial institutions

 Banking Reforms

 Objective: To improve credit system and minimizing the

political interference

10) Indradanush 2.0

Indradanush 2.0 scheme was launched in 2017. It is a comprehensive

plan for the recapitalization of public sector lenders with a

view that they remain solvent and fully comply with global

adequacy norms. It will be finalized after completion of AQR

(Asset Quality Review) by RBI.Asset Quality Review: Every

year RBI inspector check bank books as part of its annual

financial inspection process (AFI). In 2015, a special

inspection was conducted and named as Asset Quality Review

(AQR).

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

MASALA BOND, GREEN BOND & JUNK BOND

A bond is a debt investment in which an investor loans money to an

entity which borrows a fund for a defined period of time at a

variable or fixed rate interest.

It is similar to debentures but the key difference is that it is issued by

a government institute.

Following are the different types of the bonds

1)Corporate Bonds- A corporate bond is a debt security which is

issued by a company and sold to the investors.

 Company‘s assets are may be used as collateral in some cases.

 The backing for the bond is usually depending upon the

payment ability of the company.

 The corporate bonds have considered higher risk than

governmental bonds.

2)Convertible Bonds- A convertible bond is a debt security that can

be converted into predetermined amount of underlying

company‘s equity. Convertible bonds are issue to avoid the

negative impression of company‘s actions.

3)Callable Bonds-Callable Bonds are also known as ―redeemable

bonds‖ as the bonds are redeemed prior to the period of

maturity.

4)Term Bonds-A term bonds are the bond which mature and come

due on single date. A term bond possesses all the features of

callable bonds.

5)Government Bonds-Government Bonds are those bonds which

are issued by the government to support government spending.

These bonds are more secure than corporate bonds.

Following are Some Other Important Bonds

1)Masala Bond

Masala Bonds are the rupee denominated borrowings by Indian

entities in overseas market. The word ―Masala‖ is given by the

IFC (International Finance Corporation) to represent Indian

culture and cuisine. First Masala Bond was issued by the IFC

(International Finance Corporation) when it raised Rs 1000

crore bond to fund infrastructure projects in India.

Issuers of Masala Bonds

 RBI has issued guidelines allowing following entities to issue

rupee denominated bond overseas.

 Indian Companies (Blue Chip Companies)

 NBFCs ( Non Banking Finance Companies)

 Infrastructure Investment Trust

 Real Investment Trust

Benefits to Investor

 By investing in Masala Bonds, the investor gets tax deduction

on interest income.

 Capital gains from rupee appreciation are exempted from tax.

Benefits to Indian Companies

 If the issuer, issues bonds in rupees, then he gets rid of risk of

currency fluctuation.

 The bonds bring new and diversified set of investors for Indian

Companies.

Regulator of Masala Bonds

As the Masala bonds are Indian Rupee denominated bonds, it is

regulated by the Reserve Bank of India.

2)Green Bonds

A Green Bond is a tax-exempt bond which is issued for the

investment in the green projects or for the development of

Brownfield sites.

Brownfield Sites are the sites which are underutilized, have

abandoned buildings or underdeveloped.

Issuers of Green Bonds:Green Bonds are issued by following

multilateral agencies:

 World Bank

 Corporation

 Government agencies

 Municipalities

Purpose

Green Bonds are issued to encourage sustainability and development

of Brownfield sites. Specifically it finance projects aimed at

energy efficiency, pollution prevention, sustainable water

management etc.

Regulator of Green Bonds

In India Green Bonds are regulated by SEBI (Securities Exchange

Board of India).

3)Junk Bonds

Junk Bonds refer to high yield or non-investment grade bonds. These

are named as junk bonds as it involves high rate of risk in

relation to investment bonds. It is fixed income instrument that

carry a credit rating lower by Moody‘s investor services.

Investor demands high yield bonds as it yields high rate of return

which in turn a compensation for their investment.

Regulator of Junk Bonds

In India Junk Bonds are regulated by SEBI (Securities Exchange

Board of India).

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

LIST OF THREE BIG CREDIT RATING AGENCIES

Credit Rating Agencies-Credit Rating Agencies provides objective

analysis and independent assessment of companies and

countries that issue securities. This assessment helps the

investors and institutions whether these securities meet their

obligations. There are top 3 three credit rating agencies of the

world named as Moody‘s, FITCH and Standard & Poor‘s

Fitch Inc.

 Fitch Inc. is the smallest of three Nationally Recognized

Statistical Rating Organisation designated by the U.S.

Securities and Exchange Commission.

 Fitch was founded by John Knowles in Newyork City as Fitch

Publishing Company

 It published financial statistics for use in the investment

industry

 In 1924, Fitch introduced AAA though D rating system

throughout the industry

 Later it merged with London based IBCA in 1997

 Headquarter: It is headquartered in Newyork (U.S) and

London( U.K)

 President & CEO: Paul Taylor

 Moody‘s is founded by John Moody in 1909 to produce

manual published basic statistic and general information about

stocks and bonds.

 It provides international financial research on bonds issued by

commercial and government entities

 It ranks the creditworthiness of borrowers using a standardized

rating scale

 According to Moody‘s rating system, rates from Aaa to C are

assigned. Aaa for highest quality and C s for lowest quality.

 Headquarter: Newyork (U.S)

 Head: Raymond W MC Daniel



 Standard & Poor‘s is the world‘s leading Index provider and

the foremost source of independent credit ratings. It provides

financial market intelligence to decision makers.

 It is founded by Henry Varnum Poor in 1860

 It includes global ratings, global market intelligence, Dow

Jones and global platts

 Headquarter: Newyork ( U.S)

 CEO: John L Berisford

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

LIST OF IMPORTANT COMMITTEES

List of Important Committees

S.no

Name of committees

Focus Area

Ajay Shankar Committee

To review functioning of PPP cell

H R Khan Committee

To evaluate unclaimed PPP and post office saving

Bimal Jalan

To head the Expenditure Management Commission

Justice M B Shah

On black money

Deepak Mohanty Committee

Data and information management in the RBI

Arvind Mayaram Committee

To clear the definition to the FDI and FII

Nachiket Mor Committee

To permit NBFCs to work as business correspondence

P J Nayak Committee

Governance of Boards of Bank in India

K.V.Kamath Panel

To examine the financial architecture for Micro, small and medium enterprises

Tandon Committee

Follow up for bank credit

M L Dhantwala Committee

Regional Rural Banks

SS Nadkarni Committee

Trading in public sector banks

Bhide Committee

Coordination between commercial banks and SFC‘s

AK Bhuchar Committee

Coordination between term lending institutions and commercial banks

R. Jilani

Inspection System in Banks

James Raj Committee

Functioning of public sector banks

Vipin Malik Committee

Consolidated Accounting by banks

A Ghosh Committee

Frauds & Malpractices in India

A K Khandelwal

HR issues of public sector banks

R.H. Khan Committee

Harmonization of role of financial institution in banks

Rakesh Mohan

Small Savings

N. K Singh Committee

To review the fiscal responsibility and budget management act

Amitabh Chaudhry

Analysis the existing framework of IRDA-linked and non-linked insurance product

regulations

Inter- departmental Tax Force

To monitor and review the functioning of shell companies to prevent their misuse for

money laundering and tax evasion

Dinesh Sharma Committee

To propose new regulation related to digital currencies or virtual currencies

Sudharshan Sen Committee

To study regulatory issues relating to financial technology and digital banking in India

Rattan P Watal Committee

To boost digital payment system in India

MONETARY POLICY

Monetary Policy is a process by which central bank of the country

manage the supply of money which in turn effects on

interest rates, inflation and growth of economy.

 In India RBI act as Central Monetary Authority.

 It formulates monetary policy at annual basis.

TYPES OF MONETARY POLICY

 EXPANSIONARY POLICY- It emphasizes on increase the

money supplies in economy and expands credit creation.

 CONTRACTIONARY POLICY- It emphasizes on

decreasing or control the supply of money and credit.

OBJECTIVES

 PRICE STABILITY- It refers to increase in general level of

prices in economy. It implies avoiding both prolonged

inflation and deflation.

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

 Economic Growth- It is increase in capacity of an economy

to produce goods and services produced by country over a

period of time.

MEASURES AND TOOLS OF MONETARY POLICY

RBI use following two measures to regulate the monetary policy

i.e. Quantitative and Qualitative Measures

QUANTITATIVE MEASURES

 BANK RATE-It is a rate of interest which a central bank

charges on loans and advances to commercial banks without

any collateral. It is a long term rate of interest. It implies

penalty over banks not complying with RBI rules such as

not maintaining CRR and SLR.

 OPEN MARKET OPERATIONS-It refers to buying and

selling of government securities in open market in order to

expand or contract the amount of money in banking system.

If securities purchased by RBI-By doing so supply of money

will increase in market due to which demand will increase

and ultimately there will be rise in prices.

If securities sold by RBI-By doing so supply of money will

decrease in market due to which demand will decrease and

ultimately prices will fall.

Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)-It refers to certain percentage of total

deposits the commercial banks are required to maintain in

form of cash reserve with reserve bank in form of cash only.

If rate of CRR is increased- By increasing CRR the bank needs

to deposit more money with RBI. As a result banks left with

less money so less money with people which leads to lower

demand for goods and services and lower prices.

If rate of CRR is decreased- By decreasing CRR the bank can

deposit less money with RBI. As a result bank left with

more money so more money with people which lead to

higher demand for goods and services and high prices.

Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR)- It refers to proportion of

deposits the commercial bank is required to maintain with

them in form of liquid assets such as gold or RBI approved

securities.

If rate of SLR is increased- By doing so the bank needs to

maintain more liquid assets with them. As a result bank left

with less money so less money with people which lead to

lower demand for goods and services and low prices.

If rate of SLR is decreased- By doing so the bank maintain less

liquid asset with them. As a result bank left with more

money so more money with people which lead to higher

demand for goods and services and high prices.

Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF)- It allows banks to borrow

money through repurchase agreements.LAF is used to aid

banks in adjusting the day to day mismatches in liquidity.

 Bank cannot sell government securities that are under SLR

quota.

 Bank can borrow any amount of money.

 Minimum bidding amount is 5cr.

 All clients of RBI are eligible to bid.

LAF (liquidity adjustment facility) can be classified into two:

1) Repo rate(Repurchase Obligation)- It is the rate at which RBI

lend money to commercial banks against securities in case

commercial bank fall short of funds. It is a short term

lending rate which fixed at predetermined rate and time.

If Repo rate is increased- If Repo rate will rise, the interest rate

of banks will increased which becomes costlier for people

then demand of goods and services will reduce and

ultimately prices will fall.

If Repo rate is decreased- If Repo rate will fall, the interest rate

of banks will decreased which becomes cheaper for people

then demand of goods and services will increase and

ultimately prices will rise.

2). Reverse repo rate- It is the reverse of Repo rate i.e. rate RBI

pays to bank to park excess funds to RBI

Marginal Standing Facility (MSF)- By these mechanism

commercial banks can get loans from RBI for their

emergency needs.

 Minimum bidding amount in MSF is 1cr.

 Only scheduled commercial banks can bid.

 Banks can sell government security from SLR quota to RBI.

 Bank can borrow up to 2% of NDTL( net demand and time

liability)

QUALITATIVE MEASURES

These measures can affect money supply in a specific sector of

economy

1). MARGIN REQUIREMENT- This refers to difference between

the securities offered and amount borrowed by bank.

2). RATIONING OF CREDIT- with this tool RBI can controls the

credit granted and allocated by commercial banks.

3). MORAL SUASION- By this Central Bank may prohibit or

dissuade commercial banks to deal in speculative business.

4). DIRECT ACTION- The Central Bank may take direct action

against commercial banks that violate the rules, orders or

advice of central bank.

RBI RATES(as per sixth bi-monthly policy statement for the year

on October, 2017)

Bank Rate

5.40%

Cash Reserve Ratio(CRR)

Statutory Liquidity Ratio(SLR)

18.25%

Repo Rate (RR)

5.15%

Reverse Repo Rate (RRR)

4.90%

Marginal Standing Facility (MSF)

5.40%

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

BANK ACCOUNTS

The account which is maintained by a financial institution for the

customer is known as bank account. In India there are only

five kinds of accounts such as Saving Account, Current

Account, Recurring Deposit Account, Fixed Deposit

Account and BSBDA Account

1) Saving Account-Saving Accounts are the individual accounts

for the personal purpose of saving. Most of the individuals

save their investments with this account.

 The saving account is opened on the name of individuals

only.

 On saving account individual earn some rate of interest; this

rate of interest varies from bank to bank.

 When a person opens a saving account he is provided with a

passbook, ATM, and cheque book.

 In saving account, there is no restriction on the number and

amount of deposit but there is certain restriction on the

withdrawal.

 Minimum balance has to be maintained by the customer as

mentioned by the bank.

2) Current Account-Current Accounts are the accounts opened

for the business transaction, on the name of firm or company.

These are never used for the purpose of saving and investment.

 There is no limit on the number of transactions and amount in

a day such as deposit and withdrawal.

 There is no interest paid on the amount held in the amount but

there are some service charges on such accounts.

 These accounts have not any fixed maturity as these accounts

are on regular basis.

 No passbook is issued for the current account holders.

 Minimum amount needed to open a current account varies

from bank to bank.

 Many facilities are provided to current account holder such as

overdraft facility, statement of account.

3) Recurring Deposit Account-This account is opened by those

who want to save small amount of money for a certain

period of time and earn higher rate of interest.

 Total amount is repaid along with interest after a fixed

period of time.

 The maximum period of deposit is ten years and minimum

period of deposit is six months.

 No withdrawals are allowed from Recurring Deposit

Account.

 Bank may allow close of account before the maturity period.

 Interest rates may vary for different plans based on the

amount deposit, period of time and also on banks.

 Accounts can be opened in single or joint account.

4) Fixed Deposit Account-In this account a fixed amount of

money is paid for a specific period of time on which bank

pays high rate of interest. It is also known as Term Deposit.

 In this account deposit and withdrawal can be done only

once.

 Bank pays the rate of interest on the amount according to the

period of time.

 If withdrawal is done before the maturity period, bank can

impose penalty on it.

5) BSBDA Account-The Basic Saving Deposit Account is an

account in which customer can open an account with zero

balance. This bank is also known as No Frill Account.

 No penalty is imposed on non-operating of these accounts.

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BANKING ABBREVIATIONS

 ADB- Asian Development Bank

 ADR- American Depositary Receipt

 AIFI- All India Financial Institutions

 AIIB- Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

 AQR- Asset Quality Review

 ATM- Automatic Teller Machine

 BIRD- Bankers Institute of Rural Development

 BIS- Bank for International Settlement

 BPLR- Benchmark Prime Lending Rate

 BSBDA- Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account

 BSE- Bombay Stock Exchange

 CAD- Capital Account Deficit

 CAMELS- Capital Adequacy Assets Management Earning

Liquidity Sensitivity

 CAR- Capital Adequacy Ratio

 CARE- Credit Analysis and Research Ltd.

 CASA- Current Account and Saving Account

 CBS- Core Banking Solution

 CCEA- Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs

 CDR- Corporate Debt Restructuring

 CIBIL- Credit Information Bureau (India) Ltd.

 CRISIL-Credit Rating and Information Services of India

 ECS- Electronic Clearing Service

 EFT- Electronic Fund Transfer

 FEMA- Foreign Exchange Management Act

 FERA- Foreign Exchange Regulatory Act

 FIIs- Foreign Institutional Investors

 HDFC- Housing Development Finance Corporation

 IBA- Indian Bank Association

 IBRD- International Bank for Reconstruction and

Development

 ICICI- Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of

India

 ICRA- Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency

 ICSID- International Centre for Settlement of Investment

Disputes

 IDA- International Development Association

 IFCI- Industrial Finance Corporation of India

 IFSC- Indian Financial System Code

 IMF- International Monetary Fund

 IMPS- Immediate Payment Service

 INVITS- Infrastructure Investment Trusts

 IPO- Initial Public Offerings

 IRDAI- Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of

India

 KYC- Know Your Customer

 LAF- Liquidity Adjustment Facility

 LIBOR- London Interbank Offered Rate

 MIBID- Mumbai Interbank Bid Rate

 MIBOR- Mumbai Interbank Offered Rate

 MICR- Magnetic Ink Character Recognition

 MIGA- Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency

 MUDRA- Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency

 NABARD- National Bank for Agriculture and Rural

Development

 NASDAQ- National Association for Securities Dealers

Automated Quotations

 NAV- Net Asset Value

 NBFCs- Non Banking Finance Companies

 NDB- New Development Bank

 NDTL- Net Demand and Time Liabilities

 NECS- National Electronic Clearing Service

 NEFT- National Electronic Fund Transfer

 NHB- National Housing Bank

 NPA- Non Performing Assets

 NPCI- National Payments Corporation of India

 NSE- National Stock Exchange

 PIN- Personal Identification Number

 POS- Point of Sale

 PSBS- Public Sector Banks

 REITS- Real Estate Investment Trust

 RTGS- Real Time Gross Settlement

 SEBI- Securities Exchange Board of India

 SENSEX- Sensitive Index

 SWIFT- Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial

Telecommunication

 SWOT- Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats

 UPI- Unified Payment Interface

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FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

It is a claim against a person or an institution for payment of a sum

of money or periodic payment in the form of interest or

dividend at a specified future date. Financial Instruments

can be classified in two types such as Capital Market

Instruments and Money Market Instruments

A) CAPITAL MARKET INSTRUMENTS

Capital Market Instruments consist of long term instruments for

the period of more than one year. It includes:

1) Equity Shares- Equity shares represent the owner‘s capital in

the company. The holders are the real owners of the

company.

 They have a control over the working of the company.

 Equity shareholders are paid dividend.

 They provide permanent capital to the company and cannot

redeem during life time of the company.

2) Preference Shares  Preference Shares are shares of

company‘s stock with dividends that are paid out to

shareholders before common stock dividends are issued.

These shares have their certain preferences as compared to

other types of share. These shares are given two preferences

such as:

 Whenever the company has distributable profits, the

dividend is first paid on preference shares.

 Repayment of the capital at the time of liquidation.

3) Debentures-A debenture is an acknowledgement of a debt. It

is a document under company‘s seal which provide for the

payment of principal sum and interest thereon.

 A debenture holder is a creditor of a company and interest is

paid to him.

 Debentures are to be repaid after a definite period of time.

4) Derivative  A derivative is a security with a price that is

dependent upon or derived from one or more underlying

assets. Derivative is itself a contract between two parties

based upon the asset or assets.

 The underlying assets include stocks, bonds, commodities,

currencies.

 It can be traded over the counter or an exchange.

Derivative can be classified as follow:

 Futures Contract- Futures Contract is an agreement between

two parties for the sale of assets at an agreed upon prices.

 Forward Contract- Forward Contract is similar to futures

contract but the only difference is this that it is not traded on

exchange but only traded on over the counter.

 Swaps- It is a contract between two parties agreeing to trade

long terms.

 Options- It is also similar to futures contract but the key

difference is that with an option buyer and seller is not

obliged to make transaction if he or she decides not to.

5) Bonds- A bond is a debt investment in which an investor loans

money to an entity which borrows a fund for a defined

period of time at a variable or fixed rate interest. It is similar

to debentures but the key difference is that it is issued by a

government institute.

B) MONEY MARKET INSTRUMENTS

Money Market Instruments consist of short term instruments

for a period of up to one year. It includes:

1) Call Money - The Call Money Market deals in short term

finance repayable on demand.

 Funds are lent and borrowed without collateral.

 Maturity period of call loans varies from one day to

fortnight.

2) Treasury Bills - It is a short term debt instrument issued by

government of India and is presently issued in three tenures

i.e. 91 days, 182days and 364 days.

 Treasury bills are zero coupon securities and pay no interest.

 They are issued at discount and redeemed at face value at

maturity.

3) Certificate of Deposit - Certificate Deposit are used by banks

and issued to the depositors for a specified period less than

one year- they are tradable and negotiable in the market.

4) Commercial Papers - It is used by corporate houses of India

which should be a listed company. These companies need to

obtain a specified credit rating from an agency approved by

the RBI such as CRISIL

5) Commercial Bills

 Commercial Bills are issued by the All India Financial

Institutions (AIFI), Non Banking Finance Companies

(NBFCs), Scheduled Commercial Banks, Merchant Banks,

Co-operative Banks and Mutual Funds.

 Maturity of these bills is 30 days, 60 days and 90 days.

Banking and Financial terms:

1. American Deposit Receipt (ADR)  It is a negotiable

certificate issued by a U.S. bank representing a specified

number of shares in a foreign stock traded on U.S

exchange.ADRs are denominated in U.S. dollars.

2. Anti Dated Cheque - If date mentioned on the cheque is

earlier than the date it is presented to bank; it is called anti

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dated cheque. Anti Dated Cheque is valid up to 3 months.

Earlier it was 6 months but now it reduced to 3 months.

3. Arbitrage - Arbitrage is a process in which simultaneous

purchase and sale of securities is done in order to earn

profits with the difference in prices.

4. Balance of Trade - Balance of Trade is a difference

between country‘s export and import for a given time

period. It is the largest component of balance of payments.

5. Balance of Payments - A statement that summarizes an

economy‘s transactions with the rest of world for a specified

period of time is known as balance of payments.

6. Bancassurance - It is the term used to describe the

partnership or relationship between a bank and an insurance

company whereby the insurance company uses the bank

sales channel in order to sell insurance products.

7. Bank Account - The account which is maintained by a

financial institution for the customer is known as bank

account.

8. Bank Drafts - It is a negotiable instrument governed by the

Negotiable Instrument Act 1881. It is a facility offered by

the bank to its account holders only. A bank draft is a

payment made by bank on the behalf of bank

9. Bank Rate -It is a rate of interest which a central bank

charges on loans and advances to commercial banks without

any collateral. It is a long term rate of interest. It implies

penalty over banks not complying with RBI rules such as

not maintaining CRR and SLR.

10. Banking Ombudsman -It is an authority to solve any

complaints of the customer against the banks. If the

customer is not satisfied with the compliant they can

forward their complaint to governor of RBI.

11. Basel Norms - Basel Norms are the set of recommendations

for regulating banking industry in world. Basel Committee

on Banking Supervision issued Basel Accords

12. Bearer Cheque - A cheque which is payable to any person

who present it for payment at the bank counter. Such

cheques are risky as in case it lost, the finder may collect the

payment from the bank.

13. Bonds - A bond is a debt investment in which an investor

loans money to an entity which borrows a fund for a defined

period of time at a variable or fixed rate interest.It is similar

to debentures but the key difference is that it is issued by a

government institute

14. Broker- Broker is a registered member of a Stock Exchange

who buys or sells securities on behalf of his client and

charges a commission such brokers are also known as

commission brokers.

15. Bull Market - Bull Market is a market situation where a

buyer buys shares in a hope that prices will increase in near

future and he will resale in order to earn profits.

16. Call Money - The Call Money Market deals in short term

finance repayable on demand. In this funds are lent and

borrowed without collateral and maturity period of call

loans varies from one day to fortnight.

17. Call Option - It is an agreement that gives the right to

investor to buy bonds or shares at a specified price and

within a specified period.

18. Capital Adequacy - It refers to the amount of capital the

financial institution has to hold as required by its financial

regulator. This ensures the protection of depositors and

investors and financial soundness of the bank.

19. Capital Market -The segment of financial market of an

economy from long term capital is raised via instruments

such as securities, shares, bonds, debentures, mutual funds is

known as securities market or capital market.

20. Capital Reserves-Capital Reserves are undistributed

reserves which is the part of company‘s profit which is not

paid out as dividends to the shareholders.

21. Cash Reserve Ratio -It refers to certain percentage of total

deposits the commercial banks are required to maintain in

form of cash reserve with reserve bank in form of cash only.

22. Cheque - A cheque is a negotiable instrument that is used

for payments and settlements in India. It is an agreement

between two organizations to make payments

23. Cheque Truncation -Cheque Truncation is a system in

which physical cheque is converted into electronic form in

order to reduce physical movement of cheques.

24. Certificate of Deposit -Certificate Deposit are used by

banks and issued to the depositors for a specified period less

than one year.They are tradable and negotiable in the market

25. Commercial Paper- It is used by corporate houses of India

which should be a listed company. These companies need to

obtain a specified credit rating from an agency approved by

the RBI such as CRISIL

26. Commercial Bills -Commercial Bills are issued by the All

India Financial Institutions (AIFI), Non Banking Finance

Companies (NBFCs), Scheduled Commercial Banks,

Merchant Banks, Co-operative Banks and Mutual Funds.

Maturity of these bills is 30 days, 60 days and 90 days.

27. Commercial Banks- It is a type of institution that provides

services such as accepting deposits, making business loans

and offering basic investment product.

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

28. Core Banking Solutions-Core Banking Solution is a system

where banks and their branches interconnected for the fast

communication.

29. Credit Rating- Credit rating is the process in which debtor

is given a rate on the basis of paying back of debt in time.

This service is basically provided to the large scale

borrowers such as companies.

30. Current Account- Current Accounts are the accounts

opened for the business transaction, on the name of firm or

company. These are never used for the purpose of saving

and investment.

31. Debentures- A debenture is an acknowledgement of a debt.

It is a document under company‘s seal which provide for the

payment of principal sum and interest thereon.

32. Demat Account - Dematerialized Account is an account

where shares and other securities are held in electronic form

rather than physical form.

33. Derivative  A derivative is a security with a price that is

dependent upon or derived from one or more underlying

assets. Derivative is itself a contract between two parties

based upon the asset or assets.

34. Dishonor of Cheque- No payment of cheque by the paying

banker with a return memo giving reasons for the

nonpayment.

35. Double Financial Repression- It is the phenomenon when

the bank faces financial repression on the both sides of the

balance sheet. Repression on the asset side is a byproduct of

SLR and on the liability side, continuing increase in

inflation.

36. Drawer- the person who holds an account in a certain bank

and draws a cheque to make payment.

37. Drawee- the person to whom the cheque has been drawn.

38. Escheat- When government acquires the property of a

person having no nominee is termed as Escheat.

39. Escrow Account - Escrow Account is held by the third

party on the behalf of the other two parties that are in the

process of completing transaction.

40. Equity Shares- Equity shares represent the owner‘s capital

in the company. The holders are the real owners of the

company.

41. Factoring- A factor is a financial institution which offers

services relating to management and financing of debts

arising out of credit sales.

42. Foreign Banks A foreign branch bank is type of that is

obliged to follow the regulations of both the home and host

countries.

43. Fixed Deposit Account- In this account a fixed amount of

money is paid for a specific period of time on which bank

pays high rate of interest. It is also known as Term Deposit.

44. Green Bonds- Green Bonds are the bonds which are

exempted from the tax and issued by qualified organizations

for the development of Brownfield sites. Brownfield sites

are the areas which are underutilized or underdeveloped.

45. Global Depository Receipt- Global Depository Receipt is a

certificate issued by more than one country for shares in a

foreign country. The shares are held by the international

branch of foreign bank.

46. Hedge- Hedge is an investment to reduce the risk of adverse

price movement in an asset.

47. Indigenous Bankers- Indigenous Bankers are the

individuals and partnership firms performing banking

functions. They are local bankers. They can be distinguished

as professional money lenders whose primary business is

not banking but money lending.

48. Interest Rate Swaps- It is the transfer of contractually

agreed between two counterparties of their respective

interest rate obligation.

49. Investment Institutions- It includes the institutions which

mobilize savings of public at large through various schemes

and invest these into corporate and government securities.

50. Internet Banking- Internet banking is also known as online

banking, Virtual Bankingand web banking. Internet Banking

allows its user to execute transactions with the help of

internet.

51. Junk Bonds- Junk Bonds are kind of bonds which gives

high yield at the very high rate of risk. These kinds of bonds

are rated lower by credit rating agencies.

52. Leverage- it is a technique in which debt is used to finance

firm‘s assets in order to increase profitability of the

company. The firm which has more debts than equity is

highly leveraged firm and vice versa.

53. LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate) - It is a

benchmark rate which some of the international banks

charge for the short term loans.

54. Liquidity Adjustment Facility- It allows banks to borrow

money through repurchase agreements.LAF is used to aid

banks in adjusting the day to day mismatches in liquidity.

55. Masala Bonds- Masala Bonds are rupee denominated bonds

i.e. bonds can be borrowed in Indian currency not in any

foreign currency. These bonds can be issued by the Indian

entities from overseas market.

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

56. Merchant Banking- In this service bank provides

consultancy services to its clients for financial, marketing,

managerial and legal matters.

57. MIBOR (Mumbai Interbank Offered Rate)- It is the rate

at which bank can borrow funds from the other banks in

Indian Interbank market. It is calculated everyday by the

National Stock exchange

58. Monetary Policy- MonetaryPolicy is a process by which

central bank of the country manage the supply of money

which in turn effects on interest rates, inflation and growth

of economy.

59. Money Lenders- A money lender is a person or a group

who typically offers personal loans at a high rate of interest.

60. Money Market- The short term money market is known as

Money Market.

61. Mobile Banking- Mobile Banking is a system that allows

customers to perform a number of financial transactions

through a mobile device

62. Multinational Banking- Multinational banks are those

banks that physically operated in more than one country. It

is also known as international bank.Narrow Banking

involves mobilizing the larger part of the deposits in risk

free assets such as government securities. In India narrow

banking is implemented partially.

63. NPA (Non Performing Assets)- Non Performing Assets

refers to the classification of loans in the books of financial

institutions that are in arrears. The debt is considered non-

performing when it is not paid for the period of 90 days.

64. Open Market Operations - It refers to buying and selling

of government securities in open market in order to expand

or contract the amount of money in banking system.

65. Open/ Uncrossed Cheque- The cheque which is not

crossed is known as Open Cheque or Uncrossed Cheque.

The payment of such cheques can be obtained on the

counter of the bank.

66. Overdraft  With this facility a customer can withdraws

more money from the bank account that has been deposited.

67. Preference Shares  Preference Shares are shares of

company‘s stock with dividends that are paid out to

shareholders before common stock dividends are issued

68. Post Dated Cheque- If the cheque bears the any future date

in the cheque that is known as Post Dated Cheque. Post

dated cheque can be presented only on the future date which

is written on the cheque.

69. POS (Point of Sale)- The place where sales are made. On a

macro level, a point of sale may be a mall, market or city.

On a micro level, retailers consider a point of sale to be area

surrounding the counter where customers pay which is also

known as ―point of Purchase‖

70. Primary Market-The market in which the instruments of

security market are traded directly between the capital raiser

and instrument purchaser is known as primary market.

71. Put Option- It is an agreement where investor has given a

right to sell shares and bonds at a specified price and within

a specified period.

72. Regional Rural Banks- Regional Rural Banks are local

level banking organizations operating in different states of

India. RRBs were established in 1975 on the

recommendations of Narsimham Committee. It is followed

by Regional Rural Banks Act 1976. RRBs are regulated by

NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural

Development) act 1981.

73. Retail Banking- Retail Banking refers to banking in which

banking institutions execute transactions directly with

consumers rather than corporate or other banks.

74. Recurring Deposit Account- This account is opened by

those who want to save small amount of money for a certain

period of time and earn higher rate of interest.

75. Scheduled banks- The banks which are included in Second

Schedule of Reserve Bank of India Act 1934 are schedule

banks.RBI includes only those banks under this schedule

which fulfill the criteria laid down under section 42(6)(a) of

RBI Act 1934.

76. Saving Account- Saving Accounts are the individual

accounts for the personal purpose of saving. Most of the

individuals save their investments with this account.

77. Secondary Market- The market where the instruments of

security market are traded among the primary instrument

holders is known as secondary market.

78. Self Help Group- It is a homogeneous group of micro

entrepreneurs with affinity among themselves, voluntarily

formed to save whatever amount they can convenientlysave

out of their earnings and mutually agree to contribute to a

common fund of the group from which small loans are given

to the members of their meeting their productive and

emergent credit needs at such rate of interest, period of loan

and the other terms as the group may decide.

79. Stock Broking- Stock Broking is a function in which broker

buys or sells securities on behalf of its client and charge

commission on this transaction.

80. Statutory Liquidity Ratio - It refers to proportion of

deposits the commercial bank is required to maintain with

them in form of liquid assets such as gold or RBI approved

securities.

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81. Stale Cheque- If the cheque is presented after the 3 months

of the date which is mentioned on the cheque is known as

stale cheque. After the expiry of validity payment cannot be

made.

82. Stressed Assets- Assets of banking company comprises of

loans given and investments made by the bank. Quality of

the assets indicates how much of the loans taken by the

borrowers are repaid in the form of interest and

principle.Hence stressed assets = NPA + Restructured

Advances + Loan Write off

83. SWIFT Code- It is a standard format of the bank identifier

code. This code is used particularly in international transfer

of money between banks.

84. Treasury Bills- It is a short term debt instrument issued by

government of India and is presently issued in three tenures

i.e. 91 days, 182days and 364 days.Universal Banking is a

combination of commercial banking, investment banking,

development banking, insurance and many other financial

activities. It is a place where all products are available.

85. Venture Capital - The term venture capital represents

financial investment in highly risky project with the

objective of earning a high rate of return.

86. Wholesale Banking- Wholesale Banking refers to

conducting banking business with industrial and business

entities. This includes corporate, trading houses,

multinational companies and domestic companies.

87. Window Dressing- It is a strategy used by the mutual fund

and other portfolio manager near the year or quarter end to

improve the appearance of funds performance before

presenting to clients.

DIFFERENTIATED BANKS IN INDIA

Under the recommendations of Dr. Nachiket Mor committee new

step for the financial inclusion has been taken in the country.

As per the recommendations RBI set up the guidelines for

the new categories of banks i.e. Payment Banks and Small

Finance Banks.

Payments Banks in India

On the recommendations of Dr. Nachiket Mor committee RBI

(Reserve Bank of India) grants license for commencement

of banking business under section 22(1) of Banking

Regulation Act 1949 and registered as a private company

under Companies Act. It is a new model of banks which is

conceptualized by the RBI (Reserve Bank of India)

The main objective of setting up of payment banks for the purpose

of financial inclusion by providing:

 Small saving account

 Payment services

Features of payment banks

 Non finance company entities and existing non bank prepaid

instruments issuer may apply for the payments bank

 Minimum capital required for the payment banks is Rs. 100

crore

 Foreign shareholding is allowed to these banks but as per

the regulations of FDI ( Foreign Direct Investment)

 Payment Banks cannot provide lending services but allowed

to distribute financial product such as mutual funds and

insurance products.

 The bank must use the term payment bank in its name to

differentiate it from other banks.

 25% of the bank branches of the payment banks must be in

unbanked rural areas.

Services provided by the Payment Banks

 Acceptance of deposits (initially restricted to Rs 100,000)

 Payment Banks can provide services like ATM, net banking,

debit cards and net banking

 Current and saving accounts can be operated through this

bank.

In 2015, RBI (Reserve Bank of India) grants license to the 11

entities out of 41 entities who applied for the license

Following are the 11 entities which are granted license

1. Aditya Birla Nuvo

2. Airtel M Commerce Services

3. Cholamandalam Distribution Services

4. Department of Post

5. FINO Pay Tech

6. National Securities Depository

7. Reliance Industries

8. Sun Pharmaceuticals

9. Paytm

10. Tech Mahindra

11. Vodafone M Pesa

Out of above three have surrendered their licenses i.e.

Cholamandalam Distribution Services, Sun Pharmaceuticals

and Tech Mahindra. Airtel becomes the first to launched

live payments banks in India

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

Small Finance Banks in India

Small Finance Banks are the banks which are globally known as

niche bank. It is registered as a public limited company

under the Companies Act 2013. Small Finance banks are

licensed under section 22 of the Banking Regulations 1949.

The main aim of setting up of these banks is to provide

financial inclusion to those sections of economy not being

served by the banks.

Features of Small Finance Banks in India

 Existing NBFCs ( Non Banking Finance Companies),

Micro-finance Companies and Local Area Banks may apply

for the small finance banks in India

 Small Finance Banks are established as public limited

company in private sector

 Minimum paid up capital for the small finance banks is Rs

100 crore

 Small Finance Banks are required to establish its 25%

branches in unbanked areas

 These entities must add the term small finance bank with its

name to differentiate it from other banks

 Foreign Shareholding is allowed as per the FDI (Foreign

Direct Investment) policy

Services provided by Small Finance Banks

 Small Finance Banks can provide basic banking activities

such as deposit and lending of funds ( There is no such

restriction on the amount of deposit )

 Small Finance Banks can also undertake non-risk sharing

simple financial services such as distribution of mutual

funds, insurance products and pension products

 In 2015 RBI grants license to 10 entities through which they

have to convert into Small Finance Banks within one year.

Following are the entities

1. Ujjavan

2. Janakakshmi

3. Equita

4. AU Financiers

5. Capital LAB

6. Disha

7. ESAF

8. RGVN

9. Suryoday

10. Utkarsh

CHEQUES

A cheque is a negotiable instrument that is used for payments and

settlements in India. It is an agreement between two

organizations to make payments. Following are the types of

the cheque:

 Bearer Cheque -A cheque which is payable to any person

who present it for payment at the bank counter. Such

cheques are risky as in case it lost, the finder may collect the

payment from the bank.

 Open/ UncrossedCheque - The cheque which is not crossed

is known as Open Cheque or Uncrossed Cheque. The

payment of such cheques can be obtained on the counter of

the bank.

 Crossed Cheque - Crossing of cheque means drawing two

parallel lines on the face of cheque. It cannot be encashed at

the cash counter of the bank but it can only credited to

payee‘s account.

 Anti Dated Cheque - If date mentioned on the cheque is

earlier than the date it is presented to bank; it is called anti

dated cheque. Anti Dated Cheque is valid up to 3 months.

Earlier it was 6 months but now it reduced to 3 months.

 Post Dated Cheque - If the cheque bears the any future date

in the cheque that is known as Post Dated Cheque. Post

dated cheque can be presented only on the future date which

is written on the cheque.

 Stale Cheque - If the cheque is presented after the 3 months

of the date which is mentioned on the cheque is known as

stale cheque. After the expiry of validity payment cannot be

made.

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G.K. Capsule for IBPS RRB/PO/Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2020-21

BASEL NORMS

Basel Norms are the set of recommendations for regulating

banking industry in world. Basel Committee on Banking

Supervision issued Basel Accords.

Basel committee is named after the Basel city in Switzerland

where Bank for International Settlements headquartered

 Recommendations framed by the Basel Committee but by

the National law

 Basel committee consists of representatives of central bank

and regulatory authority of ten member countries.

Basel Committee has given three Basel Norms named Basel I,

Basel II and Basel III:

1. Basel I

Basel I is also known as 1998 Basel Accords. As in 1998

Basel Committee on Banking Supervision published a set of

minimum capital requirement of banks with a goal of

minimizing capital risk.

The banks which are operated internationally are required to

maintain a minimum amount of 8% on risk weighted assets

as per the recommendations of Basel Committee on Banking

Supervision. Basel I basically focused on credit risk and

appropriate risk weighting of assets.

India adopted Basel I recommendations in 1991

2. Basel II

It is the second international banking regulatory accord. Basel

II is the expanded rules for minimum capital requirement

established under Basel Committee on Banking Supervision.

Basel II accord based on the three pillars: Minimum

capital requirement, supervisory review and market

discipline.

 Minimum Capital Requirement: it is the first pillar of Basel

I accord. Under this regulatory capital is maintained which

is calculated for the major components of risk that a bank

faces. The risk involved is credit risk, operational risk and

market risk.

 Supervisory View: It is the second pillar of Basel II accord.

It provides framework for national regulatory bodies to deal

with various types of risk such as systematic risk, liquidity

risk and legal risk.

 Market Discipline: It provides various disclosure

requirement for the bank such as risk exposures, risk

assessment process and capital adequacy.

In India Basel II norms are implemented by Reserve Bank of

India on 31 March 2009.

3. Basel III

In late 2009 the first version of Basel accord is published by

Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. It aims to

promote a more flexible banking system by focusing on four

vital banking parameters viz. capital, leverage, funding and

liquidity.

Purpose:

 To improve banking sector‘s ability to deal with financial

stress

 To improve risk management

 To strengthen the bank‘s transparency

In India Reserve Bank of India has extended the timeline for

full implementation of the Basel III capital regulations

by the year to 31 March 2019

IMPORTANT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS OF INDIA

1) Credit Rating Agencies

Credit rating agency is a company which rates the companies and

government on the basis of their ability to pay back the debt

in timely manner. There are four credit rating agencies in

India:

I. CRISIL (Credit Rating and Information Services of India

Ltd.)

 India‘s first credit rating agency.

 Founded:1987

 Headquarter: Mumbai

II. ICRA (Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency)

 It is an Indian independent and professional investment

information agency.

 Founded: 1991

 Headquarter: Gurugram

III. CARE (Credit Analysis & Research Ltd.)

 It is second largest credit rating agency in India.

 Founded:1993

 Headquarter: Mumbai

IV. Onicra Credit Information Company Ltd

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 It is a private sector agency set up by Onida finance.

 Established :1993

 Headquarter : Gurugram

2) CIBIL (Credit Information Bureau (India) Ltd.

 India‘s first credit information company.

 Founded :2000

 Headquarter: Mumbai

3) SEBI (Securities Exchange Board of India)

 SEBI is a regulator of India‘s securities market.

 Established: 1992

 Headquarter: Mumbai

4) IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority

of India)

It is an autonomous, statutory agency tasked with regulating

and promoting the insurance and re-insurance industries in

India.

 Founded : 1999

 Headquarter: Hyderabad

5) MUDRA Bank (Micro Units Development and Refinance

Agency Bank )

It is financial institution which is setup under the Pradhan

Mantri MUDRA Yojna. It is set up to provide loans at low

interest rates to micro finance institutions.

 Headquarter: New Delhi

 Founded: 8 April 2015

 MUDRA can be classified into three types:

 Shishu: under this loans up to Rs 50000 will be provided

 Kishore: under this loans up to Rs 5 lakh will be provided

 Tarun: under this loans up to Rs 10 lakh will be provided

6) NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India)

It is the umbrella organization for all retail payment systems

in India, which aims to allow all Indian citizens to have

unrestricted access to e-payment services.

 Founded: 2008

 Headquarter : Mumbai

7) NHB (National Housing Bank)

National Housing Bank is the apex bank in India. It is the

wholly owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of India.

 Founded: 1988

 Headquarter :New Delhi

8) SIDBI( Small Industrial Development Bank of India)

It is the subsidiary of Industrial Development Bank of India.

It was set up to promote finance and to develop micro and

medium industries of India.

 Established: 1990

 Headquarter: Luckhnow, Uttar Pradesh

BANKS WITH HEADQUARTERS & TAG LINES

Sr. No.

Bank(s)

Headquarter

Tag Line

Allahabad Bank

Kolkata

A Tradition of Trust

Andhra Bank

Hyderabad

Where India Banks

Bank of Baroda

Mumbai

India's International Bank

Bank of India

Mumbai

Relationship Beyond Banking

Bank of Maharashtra

Pu e

One Family O ne B; nk

Bharatiya Mahila Bank Ltd

New Delhi

Empowering Women Empowering India

Canara Bank

Bangalore

Together We Can

Central Bank of India

Mumbai

Central to you Since 1911

Corporation Bank

Mangalore

A Premier Public Sector Bank

Dena Bank

Mumbai

Trusted Family Bank

IDBI Bank

Mumbai

Banking For All, ―Aao Sochein Bada"

Indian Bank

Chennai

Your Tech- Friendly Bank

Indian Overseas Bank

Chennai

Good People to Grow With

Oriental Bank of Commerce

New Delhi

Where Every Individual Is Committed

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Punjab National Bank

New Delhi

The Name You Can Bank Upon

Punjab and Sind Bank

New Delhi

Where Service Is A Way Of Life

State Bank of India

Mumbai

Bade Bank ke Bade Faayde

Syndicate Bank

Karnataka

Faithful Friendly

UCO Bank

Kolkata

Honours Your Trust

Union Bank of India

Mumbai

Good People to Bank With

United Bank of India

Kolkata

The Bank That Begins With ―U"

Vijaya Bank

Bangalore

A Friend You Can Bank On

Bandhan

Kolkata

Hope for The Poor

ECGC Bank

Mumbai

You Focus On Exports We Cover The Risks

HDFC

Mumbai

We Understand Your World Indeed

Axis Bank

Mumbai

Badhti Ka Naam Zindagi

ICICI Bank

Mumbai

Hum Hai Na, Khyal Apka

HSBC

London

The World's Local Bank

IDFC

Mumbai

Regional Ofﬁce

Chandigarh

SCO- 80-82, 2nd Floor,

Sector 34 A, Chandigarh

Zonal Ofﬁce

Nagpur-Maharashtra

13, Avtar Meharbaba Society,

Near Bhole Petrol Pump,

RTO Square,

Dharampeeth, Nagpur-10

SCO-116, Puda Pocket-II

Opp. Bus Stand, Jalandhar

96 96 96 00 29

82370-40005

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