October 2020 Monthly Current Affairs Online Test English

On 2020 Sep.24, Kerala won the United Nation Interagency Task Force Award for its outstanding performance in controlling non–communicable diseases related Sustainable Development Goals. Kerala is one among the seven ministries of health from all over the world to receive the award. The other programmes of the state such as Cancer Treatment Programme, Lung Disease Programme and Paralysis Control Programme were also considered for the award.

The ‘Ministerial Roundtable Dialogue on Biodiversity Beyond 2020: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth’ has been virtually hosted by China. Union Environment Minister of India Prakash Javadekar has attended the Ministerial Roundtable Dialogue. This was conducted one week before the upcoming United Nation Summit on Biodiversity. It also aims to exchange views on biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

International Commission of Jurists’ is an international human right non–governmental organization, headquartered at Geneva, Switzerland. ICJ was recently in news as it has announced that the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2020 passed by the Indian Parliament was incompatible with international law. It also opined that the provisions of the bill would impose arbitrary obstacles in human rights promotion.

Every year, the World Pharmacists Day is celebrated on September 25. This day is observed by International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) and the decision to observe this date was made during the council meet of FIP in 2009 at Istanbul.
✓ The aim of this day is to encourage activities that promote the role of the pharmacist in improving health. The theme for this year is “Transforming global health”.

Activities regarding the “Yoga Break” protocol of Ministry of AYUSH have been resumed, after it was suspended due to COVID–19. This 5–minute protocol is intended to introduce yoga to people at work and help them to take a break from the work schedule. This protocol was developed by Ministry of AYUSH in association with Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY

The first ever virtual summit between PM Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was recently held. India announced a grant of USD 15 million for the promotion of Buddhist ties with Sri Lanka. India also affirmed to expand Defence partnership with the island country, to stabilise security in the Indian Ocean.

The foundation stone of ‘Centre for Disability Sports’ was laid at Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh in an event organised by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The Cabinet has approved the setting up of a Centre for Disability Sports at Gwalior in February 2019.
✓ The estimated outlay of the project to set up the Centre is Rs.170.99 crore. This will be the first exclusive centre of Disability sports in the country.

 The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued a notification comprising standards for safety evaluation of hydrogen fuel cell–based vehicles. The Ministry has amended the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989 to specify the standards for the vehicles being propelled by Hydrogen Fuel cells. These standards are said to be at par with the available international standards.

 Insurance regulator IRDAI has identified Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), General Insurance Corporation (GIC) and New India Assurance (NIA) as Domestic Systemically Important Insurers (D– SII). D–SIIs are insurance companies of such large size and market importance, whose failure would cause a distress in domestic financial system. D–SIIs would be subjected to higher level of
regulatory supervision.

 Vodafone has won an arbitration case against the Government of India at the International Arbitration Tribunal, Hague. The tribunal held that Indian Government’s tax imposition on Vodafone, including interest and penalties were in a breach of an investment treaty agreement between India and the Netherlands. India had claimed a total of Rs 279 billion (USD 3.79 billion) including about $2 billion as tax, interest and penalties.

 Each year on 24th September, World Maritime Day is celebrated by International Maritime Organization in order to mark the contribution of international maritime industries towards the economy of the world especially shipping. The theme for this year is “Sustainable shipping for a sustainable planet”.

 The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath has launched a unified portal called ‘U–Rise’, to provide career counselling to students. The portal aims to provide assistance to students in getting vocational and technical education. It also comprises e–content, e–library, and online courses, which can be accessed by students in the interior areas of the state.

 The Government of India, Ministry of Textiles is implementing National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP) for development of Block Level clusters across the country including Andhra Pradesh & Telangana States. The Block Level clusters are sanctioned on the basis of the viable proposals received from States Government.

 The Rajya Sabha in its sitting today passed three labour codes namely, Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (ii) Code on Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions Code, 2020 and (iii) Social Security Code, 2020.

 The first cargo vessel from India to Maldives, named MCP Linz has reached the northern Maldivian town of Kulhudhufushi. This is the first voyage of the direct Cargo Ferry Service between India and the Maldives and it was jointly launched on September 21. This is also the first ferry service in the Indian Ocean region operated by the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI).

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 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated six mega development projects in Uttarakhand under the Namami Gange Mission.

 Human rights group Amnesty International has announced that it is halting all its ongoing campaign and research work in India. The Group said that the Government has frozen the bank accounts for speaking out about rights violations. Amnesty had earlier highlighted rights violations that occurred in Jammu and Kashmir and riots in Delhi.

 India’s 1st multi–wavelength astronomical observatory named ‘ASTROSAT’ has recently completed five years of imaging objects in space. The satellite was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 2015. It has successfully carried out over 1000 observations of 800 unique celestial sources. A discovery of a galaxy located at a distance of about 10 billion light–years from Earth has been made using it.

 Flipkart and Bajaj Allianz have collaborated to offer “Digital Suraksha Group Insurance”. The insurance product is aimed at customers who wish to cover themselves against financial losses incurred due to cyber–attacks, cyber frauds, or other such activities on online platforms. This insurance covers for direct financial loss due to online frauds up to the sum insured.

 Major e–commerce giant Amazon has launched its new Fulfilment Centre in Tamil Nadu. This is aimed to strengthening the firm’s network in the state. This facility is expected to offer significant employment opportunities in Tamil Nadu and give a boost to the Economy. The facility has a 7 lakh cubic feet of storage space and can accommodate lakhs of products, appliances and furniture.

 The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has released the report of a survey titled ‘Health in India’. The report is based on information collected through NSS Schedule 25.0 (Household Social Consumption: Health). As per the report, the Zoroastrian community is the most susceptible to ailments.

 The G20 Leaders’ Summit will be organised virtually on November 21–22 by Saudi Arabia, as per the country’s recent announcement. It also said that the Summit will focus on addressing vulnerabilities resulting from the COVID–19 pandemic. G20 had contributed over $21 billion for the vaccine production and distribution. The bloc also launched a debt suspension initiative for least developed countries.

 Insurance regulator IRDAI has identified Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), General Insurance Corporation (GIC) and New India Assurance (NIA) as Domestic Systemically Important Insurers (D– SII). D–SIIs are insurance companies of such large size and market importance, whose failure would cause a distress in domestic financial system. D–SIIs would be subjected to higher level of regulatory supervision.

 The foundation Day of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU–GKY) has been celebrated as ‘Kaushal Se Kal Badlenge’. Ministry of Rural Development organised the event on the occasion of Antyodaya Diwas, to commemorate the 6th foundation of the DDU–GKY scheme.

 NITI Aayog and the Embassy of the Netherlands, New Delhi recently signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) on ‘Decarbonization and Energy Transition Agenda’. Under this partnership, NITI Aayog and the Dutch Embassy aim to create innovative technological solutions to accommodate cleaner energy. It also aims to lower the net carbon footprint, to promote bio–energy technologies among others.

 Sheikh Nawaf al–Ahmad al–Sabah, also known as Sheikh Nawaf has been sworn in as the Emir (Head) of Kuwait. The previous ruler Sheikh Sabah al–Ahmad al–Jaber al–Sabah has recently died in the United States at the age of 91. Sheikh Sabah ruled the country for more than 14 years and the new Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf is 83 years old.

 Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL) has commenced the exploration of the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) in Karnataka. MECL is a Mini Ratna PSU under the Ministry of Mines. This mining activity is expected to help resolve Bharat Gold Mines Limited (BGML) issue over exploration of the gold field, which is pending for past 16 years.

 iDEX4Fauji is an initiative launched by the Ministry of Defence to identify innovations created by Indian Armed Forces personnel. The initiative has been launched to reward innovations identified by members of the Armed Forces and will boost innovative ideas from soldiers/ field formations. The Minister also launched Defence India Startup Challenge–4.

 The United States has committed $1.9 million to support vulnerable people in India including those involved in informal sector workers. This financial assistance from US Agency for International Development (USAID) is provided by the American people to partners in India. This will support the Revive alliance, to address challenges caused by unemployment & income gaps faced by workers.

 Google has planned to pay publishers globally for their news over the next three years. The CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai said the new product called Google News Showcase will be launched first in Germany. It will be unveiled in Belgium, India, the Netherlands and other countries. Google will pay publishers to create high–quality content for the news feature.

 The Ambedkar Social Innovation and Incubation Mission (ASIIM) has been launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment under the Venture Capital Fund for SCs. The mission has been launched with an aim to promote innovation and entrepreneurship among Scheduled Caste students studying in higher educational institutions.

 The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has proposed to launch its Venus mission by the year 2025. French space agency CNES would also participate in the mission. Presently, the two nations are working closely on ISRO’s human space mission Gaganyaan that aims to send 3 Indians to space by 2022.

 The Defence ministry has signed a Rs 400 crore–contract with Economic Explosive Limited (EEL), for the supply of ten lakh hand grenades. Earlier, similar products were either imported or made by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). The new grenades called multi–mode hand grenades (MMHG), have been designed by the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory of DRDO.

 The Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Vaishwik Bharatiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) Summit on October 2. The summit is a global virtual summit of overseas and resident Indian Researchers and Academicians. It is to be organised from October 2 to October 31. The summit creates a single platform for Science and Technology (S&T) related discussions.

 The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has developed highly purified ‘Antisera’ for prevention and treatment of COVID–19. ICMR along with Hyderabad–based Biological E. Limited have developed highly purified antisera, which was raised in animals, for prophylaxis and treatment of COVID–19. This was previously used in medical science to treat many viral and bacterial infections.

 The National Statistical Office (NSO) conducted the first of its kind “Time Use Survey in India” during the period from January to December 2019. The result of the survey has been released recently in the form of a report. The survey measures the time spent on paid activities, care activities, unpaid activities, etc. NSO conducted the survey covering 1,38,799 households in both urban and rural areas.________________________________________

 The Data Governance Quality Index (DGQI) survey is conducted by the nation’s think tank NITI Aayog, by its Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office. The survey aims to evaluate the performance of different Ministries / Departments in implementing Central Sector Schemes (CS) and Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS). Department of Fertilizers has been ranked 2nd among 65 departments under the Data Governance Quality Index survey.

 October 2 is observed as the International Day of Non–Violence every year by the United Nations, to commemorate the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The UN General Assembly in a resolution on 15 June 2007 declared this day. The objective of this day is to spread the message of non–violence through education and public awareness. Gandhi is known across the world for his non–violence movement ‘Satyagraha’.

 India has successfully test fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable hypersonic missile ‘Shaurya’. The surface–to–surface tactical missile, with a strike range of around 1,000 km, has been test fired from a test range in Odisha. ‘Shaurya’ is the land variant of India’s K–15 missile and is capable of carrying payloads of 200 kg to 1000 kg.

 The Indian Navy along with Greater Vishakhapatnam Municipal Corporation had undertaken Aerial Seeding in Vishakhapatnam. This initiative is aimed to increase green cover in and around Vishakhapatnam. Over 6.25 tonnes of seed balls were air dropped in five locations from the Naval helicopters.

 A United States Navy P–8A long range Maritime Patrol Aircra landed at Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This is seen as a significant incident as this is the first time a U.S. P–8 aircraft landed at Port Blair for refuelling under the bilateral logistics support agreement. The agreement is called the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA).________________________________________

 The Indian Institute of Public Administration is a Research and training organization under the Union Ministry of Personnel. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu is the ex–officio President of IIPA. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs & Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) has recently organized a two–day ‘National Tribal Research Conclave’ through virtual platform chaired by the Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Shri Arjun Munda.

 The Naval Investiture Ceremony of this year has been conducted at Visakhapatnam. During the ceremony, the Gallantry and non–Gallantry Awards announced on the Republic Day this year were conferred. The Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain also presented Unit citations to distinguished Naval units which have performed well during the past year.

 In a recent study published in the journal Nature Communications, the resilience of tropical rainforests under two additional extreme scenarios is explored. As per the study, rainfall in the Amazon is very low that up to 40% of the forest is at a risk of changing into a savanna–like environment, with fewer trees and biodiversity. The study also simulated the effect of emissions from burning fossil fuels between now and the end of the century.

 India and Israel have agreed to advance bilateral cooperation in the fight against the coronavirus with special focus on technological cooperation. During the telephonic conversation between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, the leaders agreed to hold a digital conference on innovation in the field of solar energy.

 Wildlife Week is celebrated every year in India between October 1 and 8, to promote and preserve the wild lives. Wildlife Week was conceptualized in the year 1952 to create awareness and safe guard the lives of wildlife through critical action. This year, the Wildlife Institute of India is organising a series of webinar in this regard.

 Indian Telecom operator Bharti Airtel has extended its contract with Ericsson for deployment of 5G–ready radio and transport solutions. The Made–in–India 5G–ready Ericsson Radio System products are expected to enhance the network capacity and customer experience. India has the highest usage of smartphone per month.________________________________________

The Union Cabinet has approved the MoU with Japan for the exchange of knowledge and
technology on cyber–security. The Cabinet also approved a standardized and transparent e–
bidding process in natural gas pricing. It also gave nod for the revised cost of a project of the
Kolkata metro rail. The cabinet also gave its approval to public awareness campaign on COVID–19.

• Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Irani has recently launched the first–ever brand and logo for Indian Cotton. It was launched on the second World Cotton Day, which is celebrated across the world on October 7. India’s premium Cotton would be known as ‘Kasturi Cotton’ in the World Cotton trade. The Minister also released a new logo for the Indian Cotton.

• Veteran Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Officer of 1990 batch Pradeep Kumar Rawat has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Kingdom of Netherlands. As per the recent statement of the Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Pradeep Kumar, who is presently Ambassador of India to the Republic of Indonesia, is expected to take up the new role shortly.

• India’s first advanced manufacturing hub (AMHUB) is to be established in the state of Tamil Nadu. The Guidance, nodal investment promotion and facilitation agency of the state has partnered with the World Economic Forum (WEF) in this regard. AMHUB is one of the nineteen platforms designed by the WEF. It will help the production ecosystem in Tamil Nadu by identifying and addressing the regional opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

• As per the Forbes India Rich List 2020 that was released recently, the chairman of Reliance Industries Limited remains the richest Indian for the 13th consecutive year. His net worth stands at USD 88.7 billion. Mukesh Ambani is followed by Gautam Adani with a net worth of $25.2 billion and Shiv Nadar at $20.4 billion. The new entrant in the top 10 is Cyrus Poonawalla, the Chairman of Serum Institute of India (SII).

• The Special Accelerated Road Development Programme in the North East (SARDP–NE) was launched by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Recently, the Central Government has increased funding for road development in the Northeast by 95 per cent from Rs 390 crore to Rs 760 crore. This is the second consecutive increase of funding for the region this year.

• Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das announced that Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) payment system will be available round the clock from December 2020. At present, in the RTGS service, customer transactions are allowed from 7am to 6pm only on a working day. The relaxation of time constraints would make online payment more efficient. The minimum amount to be remitted through RTGS is Rs 2 lakhs with no upper ceiling.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to launch the physical distribution of property cards under the SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) scheme. Under the scheme, the rural people are empowered to use the property as a financial asset. The physical copies of property titles will be handed over to over 132,000 landowners during the event. The state governments will also physically distribute the cards to people.

• Japan’s Maritime Self–defense Force has commenced anti–submarine drills in the South China Sea, as per the recent statement from the Japanese Defence Ministry. The exercise deployed three vessels including a helicopter aircraft carrier and a submarine. The entire South China Sea is claimed by China, which has established military outposts on artificial islands. The United States has been accusing China of militarising the South China Sea.

• Taiwan–Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF) is a leading think tank from Taiwan and the organizer of the Yushan Forum. The think tank was seen in the news recently, as it has signed a memorandum with India’s National Maritime Foundation (NMF), to promote cooperation in the Indo–Pacific region. The agreement also aims to conduct joint research.

• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a successful test of the New Generation Anti Radiation Missile (NGRAM) called the Rudram–1. The missile has been tested at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Balasore. This is India’s first indigenous anti–radiation missile and it would be launched from various fighter aircraft used by the Indian Air Force.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently released the biography of late Member of Parliament Dr Balasaheb Vikhe Patil. The autobiography is titled ‘Deh Vechava Karani’ which means dedicating one’s life for a noble cause. He served as the Member of Parliament for seven times. He was awarded the prestigious Padma Bhushan award in 2010 for his contribution in the field of Social Work.

• The Gujarat State Fertilizers and Chemicals India Ltd (GSFC) has launched the indigenous variety of calcium nitrate and boronated calcium nitrate. These two chemicals are being manufactured for the first time in India and till now they were imported.
• Calcium Nitrate is a very soluble component and is widely used in Fertigation. It is also used for wastewater treatment and to increase the strength of cement. Boronated Calcium Nitrate is a water–soluble fertilizer which contains high–quality macro and essential nutrients.

• The Zoological Survey of India and the Botanical Survey of India released a report titled ‘Animal Discoveries 2019 and Plant Discoveries 2019’. As per the report, 544 new species including 364 animal species and 180 plant species were discovered in the year 2019. Some of the important species include Cnemaspisanandani (a rock dwelling gecko) and Ginger Amomum nagamiense (a wild ginger variety discovered in Nagaland).

• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed all NGOs seeking foreign donations to open a designated FCRA account at the State Bank of India’s New Delhi branch by March 31, 2021. The NGOs registered under FCRA shall not receive any foreign donations in any other bank account from April 1, 2021. The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2020 was amended by Parliament in September.

• The 2020 State of Climate Services report has been released by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) along with 16 international agencies and financing institutions. The WMO revealed that more disasters attributed to weather are taking place every year. It also warned that the number of people who need international humanitarian help could rise by 50 percent by 2030 when compared to 2018.

• The International Monetary Fund has released the “World Economic Outlook 2020” report titled “A Long and Difficult Ascent”. As per the report, the Indian economy would contract by 10.30% for FY 2020–21. The report has estimated the global growth to be – 4.4% (contraction) for this year.

• Regional Raw Drug Repository (RRDR) of the Ministry of Ayush has been inaugurated at National Institute of Siddha – Chennai, Tamil Nadu. This repository will play an important role in medicinal plant cultivation. The RRDRwould help in collection, documentation, and authentication of raw drugs from the Southern Plateau Region.

• ANGIKAAR–campaign was launched in 2019, under which the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) are trained and given access to other welfare schemes. The Union Minister of State (IC) for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri participated in a webinar to launch a portal for Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs). During the webinar, he also launched a national report on ANGIKAAR campaign.

• Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano located in Tanzania. It is also the tallest mountain of Africa and the highest single free–standing mountain in the world. Recently, over 500 volunteers have been trying to put out a fire on the Mount Kilimanjaro. Thought the fire spread could be controlled, the area known as ‘Kifunika Hill’ was still burning, as per the news. The fire is said to have consumed 28 square kilometers of vegetation.

• As per the World Economic Outlook 2020 released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently, India’s Per Capital GDP is expected to fall to USD 1877 in the year 2020. The corresponding figure for Bangladesh is USD 1888, indicating that the per capita GDP for Bangladesh would be more than that of India in 2020. As per the report, India’s fall in per capita GDP is a result of COVID 19 related lock–down and economic slowdown.

• The World Bank has called for an emergency financing of USD 25 billion, to help the poorest countries of the world, to tackle the challenges of Covid–19 pandemic. Recently, the World Bank head David Malpass told the Finance ministers and Central bank Governors of the G20 major economies that he would propose the supplemental financing package to deputies of the International Development Association (IDA).

• Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has recently inaugurated operations of the first phase of the International Institute of Advanced Virology. It has been located at the Life Science Park at Thonakkal in Thiruvananthapuram. Renowned virologist, Dr Akhil Banerjee was appointed as the Head of the research Institute, which is currently under the Department of Science and Technology.

• Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan launched the second phase of “Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojna” for the underprivileged Thalassemic patients. This scheme is a part of the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) program which is funded by Coal India’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). It was launched in the year 2017 that aims to provide a one–time cure opportunity for Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Disease

• The India – International Food and Agri Week has been launched by the Ministry of Food Processing and industries. The Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched the event virtually. During the inaugural event, the minister stated that 32% of India’s food market is constituted by food processing. The Ministry has also started an awareness programme named “Anna Devo Bhava”.

• ‘BepiColombo’ is a joint mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), which aims to explore Mercury. Recently, the spacecraft has crossed Venus for the first time and captured an image of Venus from a distance of 17,000 kilometres. The spacecraft was launched in 2018 to undergo a seven–year trip to Mercury.

• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released a report titled ‘The Global Tuberculosis Report, 2020’ recently. As per the report, India recorded a decline in the notification of tuberculosis (TB) cases by about 85 percent in April 2020, after the imposition of COVID–19 induced lockdown. However, India has the highest TB burden across the globe at 26 percent.

• The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has operationalized an advanced high–resolution air quality early warning system for the national capital named ENFUSER (Environmental Information Fusion Service). Another model has also been made operationalized for the rest of the country. IMD has also improved the air quality forecast model ‘System for Integrated Modelling of Atmospheric Composition (SILAM)’, by implementing global emission inventories.

• As per the Global Hunger Index 2020 report released recently, India ranks 94 among 107 countries in the world. India registered a score of 27.2, which means a level of hunger that is “serious”. Last year, India ranked at 102nd position out of 117 countries. The report also revealed that 14 percent of India’s population is undernourished.

• As per a recent publication by the Lancet journal, life expectancy in India has risen from 59.6 years in 1990 to 70.8 years in 2019. The value ranges between 77.3 years in Kerala to 66.9 years in Uttar Pradesh. The report has however pointed out that, in India, people are living more years with illness and disability. High Blood pressure, use of tobacco, air pollution and COVID pandemic has resulted in acute health emergencies.

• The Ministry of Finance has authorised State Bank of India (SBI) to issue and encash Electoral Bonds. These bonds would be made available through SBI’s 29 Authorized Branches from 19th October to 28th of October this year. The is the 14th phase of sale. Electoral Bonds will be valid for fifteen calendar days from the date of issue and no payment will be made to any payee Political Party if the Electoral Bond is deposited after expiry of the validity period.

• A naval version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test–fired from INS Chennai. The missile was fired from the indigenously built stealth destroyer of the Indian Navy in the Arabian Sea. It hit the target accurately after performing extremely complex operations. The missile can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or from land platforms.

• As per a recent report by WPP Plc and Kantar, HDFC Bank has emerged as the most valued brand in India. The Bank is placed at the top position for seventh consecutive year. HDFC Bank is valued at USD 20.2 billion and it is followed by Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) at second position.

• The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has stated that it is restructuring the “Fund for Improvement of Science and Technology Infrastructure in Universities and Higher Educational Institutions” (FIST). The FIST programme will now be re–launched as FIST 2.0. It aims align the requirements of startups with the government’s ‘self–reliant India’ campaign.

• Commodity exchange, Multi commodity Exchange of India (MCX) has recently launched futures trading in real–time Base Metals Index ‘METLDEX’. The Base Metals Index will track real–time performance of a basket of MCX Base Metal futures that includes zinc, copper, nickel, lead, and aluminium. In August 2020, the exchange had launched MCX Bullion Index (MCX BULLDEX) futures.

• The Government of India has signed a loan agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB) for a loan of USD 177 million. The proceeds of the loan would be used for upgrading 450 kilometres of state highways in Maharashtra. The project is expected to boost the road connectivity between rural and urban centres in Maharashtra for better access to markets and services.

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released a new version of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Procurement Manual 2020 (PM–2020). The previous Procurement Manual was altered in the year 2016. The manual aims to encourage more participation of start–ups and micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs) in defence research and development.

• As per a recent study published in the ‘Quaternary Science Reviews’ journal, evidence of a lost river has been found, which might have been a life–line to human populations.
• The river which through the central Thar Desert, near Bikaner, before 172 thousand years ago. The study was conducted by Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany, Anna University in Tamil Nadu, and IISER Kolkata.

• The famous UNESCO World Heritage Site Nazca Lines (Pampa de Nazca) is located in the South American country Peru. The place was seen in news recently as a new figurative geoglyph related to a cat was identified, drawn on one of the slopes of this hill. The site is known for its depictions of gigantic animals, plants and imaginary beings.

• The State of Global Air 2020 (SOGA 2020) report was released by US–based Health Effects Institute and Global Burden of Disease (GBD). As per the report, India recorded the highest annual average PM 2.5 concentration exposure in the world last year.
• People in India are exposed to the highest PM 2.5 concentrations globally and the country has been recording an increase in PM 2.5 pollution since 2010.

• Tamil Nadu state government has started implementing the Smart Black Board scheme in 80,000 government schools. Under the Smart Black Board scheme, audio visual teaching material is used that can be fed into the computer screens using pen drives. This project is expected to ensure better teaching environment.

• Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has recently launched the ‘e–Dharti Geo Portal’. The portal aims to integrate legacy drawings such as maps and lease plans in the management information system named e–Dharti and make it a geographic information system (GIS) enabled system.

• In pursuance of ‘Make in India’ policy of the Government of India, Ministry of Shipping has reviewed the ROFR (Right of First Refusal) licensing conditions for chartering of vessels/Ships through tender process for all types of requirements. To promote the demand of the ships built in India, priority in chartering of vessels is given to vessels built in India, flagged in India and owned by Indians under the amendments in the guidelines of ROFR (Right of First Refusal).

• The devastating rains over Hyderabad in the recent past have caused damage to the 500–year–old Golconda Fort. It is an early capital of the Qutab Shahi Dynasty. As per the Archaeological Survey of India, steps and rocks of the Kingsway, the wall near the Jagadambika temple, the rear wall and a structure near the second well have suffered damage.

• The Regional Raw Drug Repository (RRDR) has been inaugurated at All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi. This RRDR is the second in the series of repositories proposed by National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of AYUSH. Ministry of AYUSH has proposed eight RRDR and one NRDR out of which three Regional Raw Drug Repositories are ready.

• Former Prime Minister of Lebanon Saad Hariri won a small majority of votes in parliament and has been named the next Prime Minister. He has been tasked with forming his fourth government, just under a year after his resignation amid mass–protests. President Michel Aoun had consultations with various parliamentary associations before naming him as the Prime Minister.

• The Indian Navy has made a test launch of its Anti–Ship Missile (AshM) from a Missile Corvette named INS Prabal. According to an official release, the INS Prabal launched and fired an anti–ship missile in the Arabian Sea on a target of an old ship. The missile had hit the target with utmost accuracy and sank the target ship.

• Recently, the Government e Marketplace (GeM) has been successfully integrated with Central Public Procurement Portal (CPPP). By doing so, the entire process of public procurement of goods and services have been brought under a single platform. The function of ”custom bid” is also created in the platform, which will allow a buyer to float a bid on GeM.

• Maharashtra became the third state in the country to curtail the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) powers in the state. The state withdrew its general consent agreement with the CBI agency. Hence forth CBI has to seek permission from the Government of Maharashtra for every case it has to investigate. A similar move was earlier done by Rajasthan and West Bengal.

• A price monitoring and resource unit (PMRU has been recently set up in Goa, under the aegis of the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA). NPPA has already established PMRUs in 15 states/ UTs, under its Consumer Awareness, Publicity and Price Monitoring (CAPPM) scheme. As per the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, the unit will function at the state level under the direct supervision of the state drug controller.

• Maharashtra has recently inaugurated the platform named ‘Tarang Suposhit Maharashtracha’, to fulfil the nutritional requirements of lactating mothers and children in the state. The platform is based on the interactive voice response system. The platform also aims to create awareness about the nutritional requirements of women and children in the state. The state stood first in the ‘Poshan Mah’ observed this year.

• The United Nations Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was opened for signature at United Nations headquarters on 20th September 2017. Once 50 countries have ratified or acceded to it, it will enter into force. The United Nations announced recently that 50 countries have ratified the treaty and would come into force within 90 days, by January 2021.