Current Affairs 14 October 2020

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 14 October 2020, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2020 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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Top 25 Current Affairs of 14 October 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Kerala Govt Sets Up ‘Kerala Karshaka Kshemanidhi Board’, 1st of its Kind Welfare Board for Upliftment of Farmers

Kerala Government has formed ‘Kerala Karshaka Kshemanidhi Board’ (Kerala Farmers Welfare Fund Board) – a Board for upliftment of Farmers in the State.  It is the first time in India that a Welfare Fund Board has been formed for upliftment of farmers. 
The State Cabinet has appointed Dr. P. Rajendran as Chairman of Kerala Farmers Welfare Fund Board.
About Kerala:
Mountains – Anamudi, Agasthyamalai, Ponmudi, Meesapulimala.
Dance – Kathakali, Theyyam, Mohiniyattam, Thiruvathirakali, Chakyarkoothu, Koodiyattam.  
<<Read Full News>>

NITI Aayog Announced Governing Structure of India Energy Modelling Forum (IEMF)

i.On July 2, 2020, NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) jointly launched the India Energy Modelling Forum (IEMF) under the US–India Strategic Energy Partnership (SEP). Now, for its constitution, on October 8, 2020 NITI Aayog announced its governing structure consisting of an inter-ministerial and a steering committee.
ii.About inter-ministerial committee: It will be convened by NITI Aayog and headed by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (Presently Amitabh Kant). It will review the studies/modelling activities and provide directions and new areas of research.
iii.About steering committee: It will shortlist policy issues to be taken up for study and might form various taskforces depending on the specific studies/modelling exercises to be carried out. The convener of this committee will be selected on a rotational basis for two years and will act as the interface between the inter-ministerial and steering committees and the working groups. 

• Prayas Group, Pune (Maharashtra) will be the first convener of the steering committee.

About United States Agency for International Development (USAID):
Acting Administrator – John Barsa
Headquarter – Washington, D.C., United States
<<Read Full News>>

Nirmala Sitharaman Announced Rs 73,000 cr Stimulus to Boost Consumer Spending amid COVID-19 slowdown

i.On October 12, 2020, Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman announced measures of Rs 73,000 crore to stimulate consumer spending before the end of this Financial Year (FY21) to fight the COVID-19 lockdown induced slowdown, during a press conference in New Delhi. 
ii.The allocation was made under the two heads- Consumer Spending and Capital Expenditure.
Consumer Spending

• Leave Travel Concession (LTC) Cash Voucher Scheme
• Special Festival Advance Scheme (SFAS)

Capital Expenditure

• Special Assistance to the states; interest-free 50-year loan to States of Rs. 12,000 crore Capital Expenditure (CAPEX)
• Enhanced Budget Provisions of Rs. 25,000 crore

<<Read Full News>>

President Ram Nath Kovind gives Assent to Disturbed Areas (Amendment) Bill in Gujarat

President Ram Nath Kovind has given Assent to the Gujarat Disturbed Area  (Amendment) Bill, 2019. The Act will prohibit transfer of Assets (Immovable Property) in disturbed areas and protects tenants from vacating the properties.
i.The main aim of the act is to stop polarisation and to check attempts to cause “Demographic Imbalance”. 
ii.Gujarat Disturbed Area (Amendment) Bill, 2019 has amended “The Gujarat Prohibition of Transfer of Immovable Property and Provision for Protection of Tenants from Eviction from Premises in Disturbed Areas Act”, 1991 commonly referred to as Disturbed Areas Act. 
About Gujarat:
Nuclear Power Plant – Kakrapar, Surat.
Dams – SardarSarovar Dam (Narmada river), Ukai Dam (Tapti River), Kadana Dam (Mahi River), Karjan Reservoir (Karjan river).
<<Read Full News>>

TRIFED, IIT Kanpur and Chhattisgarh MFP Federation E-Launch “Tech for Tribals” Initiative

i.On October 13, 2020, Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur & Chhattisgarh MFP (Minor Forest Produce) Federation virtually launched “Tech for Tribals” Initiative. The initiative aims for holistic development of Tribals with focus on Entrepreneurship development, soft skills, Information Technology (IT) and Business Development. 
ii.The event was attended by Managing Director (MD) of TRIFED, Pravir Krishna, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FIRST IIT Kanpur, Nikhil Agarwal and the beneficiaries of the program. 
About Ministry of Tribal Affairs:
TRIFED is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs
Union Minister – Arjun Munda
Minister of State (MoS) – Renuka Singh Saruta
<<Read Full News>>

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

UN-IGNME Launched 1st Report on Stillbirths; Stillbirth Rate Declined by 35% Since 2000

i.For the first time a report on stillbirths titled “A Neglected Tragedy: The Global Burden of Stillbirths” has been  released by UN Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN-IGME) which was co-created by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Bank and the United Nations (UN) Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. 
ii.In accordance with the report a stillborn baby is delivered every 16 seconds which means nearly two million infants in a year never take their first breath.  
iii.Half of the stillbirths and 44% of the global live births occurs in 6 countries viz. (highest to lowest) – India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, China, and Ethiopia.
iv.Key factors behind stillbirth: Poor quality of pregnancy and delivery care, a lack of antenatal and intrapartum services and weak nursing and midwifery workforces.
About United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):
Executive Director– Henrietta Fore
Headquarter– New York, United States of America (USA)

About World Health Organization (WHO):
Director General– Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarter– Geneva, Switzerland
<<Read Full News>>

India, Japan & Five Eyes Alliance demand access to end-to-end encrypted chats from tech companies

Members of the Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance (United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.)  Along with India, Japan has asked Big Tech Companies to find a solution for Law Enforcement Agencies to access end-to-end encrypted chats. The Countries highlighted that encryption has become a tool for terrorists and child traffickers, and poses risk to thousands of innocent lives. 
India, Japan are not members of the Intelligence Alliance.
<<Read Full News>>

India’s NMF & Taiwan’s TAEF inked MoU to Foster Cooperation in Indo-Pacific Region

i.On October 12, 2020, India’s National Maritime Foundation (NMF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF), a leading think tank from Taiwan to foster cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region as part of Taiwan’s South bound policy.
ii.NMF Director General Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan (Retd) and TAEF Chairman Dr. Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao presided over the signing via videoconferencing.
iii.The memorandum’s aim is to conduct joint research and expand cooperation in maritime affairs and regional development.
About National Maritime Foundation (NMF):
Chairman– Admiral Sunil Lanba (Retd)
Headquarter– New Delhi
About Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF)
Executive Director– Dr. Alan Hao Yang
Headquarters– Taipei, Taiwan
<<Read Full News>>

India, Mexico hold 5th India-Mexico Bilateral High-Level Group on Trade, Investment and Cooperation 

The Fifth Meeting of India-Mexico Bilateral High Level Group on Trade, Investment and Cooperation (BHLG) took place virtually on 9th October, 2020. 
Co-chairs:
The Bilateral meeting was chaired by Anup Wadhawan, Commerce Secretary of Government of India, and Ms. Luz Maria de la Mora, Vice Minister for Foreign Trade of the Government of Mexico. 
About Mexico:
President – Andrés Manuel López Obrador
Capital – Mexico City
Currency – Mexican Peso (MXN)
<<Read Full News>>

Climate Change to Blame for Doubling Disaster: The Human Cost of Disasters: an Overview of the Last 20 years (2000-2019) – Report of UNDRR

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction(UNDRR) published the report titled “The human cost of disasters: an overview of the last 20 years (2000-2019)” which states that climate change is the major cause for the doubling of natural disaster in the past 20 years (2000- 2019).
The report was released to mark the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction on 13th October 2020.
Highlights of the Report:
i.The report stated that around 7348 major disasters that occurred between 2000 and 2019, which claimed the lives of more than 1.23 million people and affected 4.2 billion people across the globe.
ii.These disasters resulted in around 2.97 trillion USD losses in the global economy.
iii.The increase of natural disasters compared to the previous 20 years (1980 to 1999) which was around 4212 disasters were explained by the rise of climate related disasters.
iv.Compared to the previous 20 years the climate related disasters increased from 3,656 to 6,681, the number of major floods increased from 1,389 to 3,254 and the storms increased from 1,457 to 2,034.
v.The report also discussed the major increase in drought, wildfires and extreme temperature.
vi.The report also states that the geophysical disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis have claimed more lives than other natural disasters.
Note:
The report did not include the biological hazards and disease related disasters.

BANKING & FINANCE

Exim Bank Extends 400 Million USD LoC to Maldives for Greater Malé Connectivity Project

i.On 12th October 2020, The Export-Import(Exim) Bank of India has extended a 400 million USD (around Rs.2933 crore) line of credit(LoC) to the Republic of Maldives for the Greater Malé connectivity project. 
ii.The LoC was signed by Nirmit Ved, The General Manager of Exim Bank and Ibrahim Ameer, Finance Minister, Government of Republic of Maldives in Malé, Maldives.
iii.Projects covered under the extended LoC includes, water & sewerage projects, the Addu Development Project, the International Cricket Stadium Project, the Gulhifalhu Port Project, the Hanimaadhoo Airport Project and the road construction project.
About Export-Import(Exim) Bank of India:
Managing Director– David Rasquinha
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
About Maldives:
Capital– Malé
Currency– Maldivian Rufiyaa
<<Read Full News>>

Axis bank Launches ACE Credit Card in Collaboration with Google pay & Visa

i.On October 12, 2020 Axis Bank Limited in collaboration with Google Pay and Visa launched its ACE Credit Card in India. 
ii.The card is designed to increase participation of users in the digital economy.  
iii.It also aims to bring a seamless, digital experience to users from application to issuance. 
About Axis Bank Limited:
HeadQuarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) – Amitabh Chaudhry
<<Read Full News>>

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Microsoft, AICTE Collaborate to Skill Students, Educators in Next-Generation Technology

Microsoft has partnered with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to empower students, educators in Next-Generation Technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Data Science and Cloud Computing. 
i.1, 500 course modules from Microsoft will be accessible for the students & educators for free of cost. 
ii.It will be accessible through AICTE’s e-learning portal ELIS (Enhancement in Learning with Improvement in Skills).
About All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE):
Chairman – Anil D. Sahasrabudhe
Headquarters – New Delhi
About Microsoft:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Satya Nadella
Headquarters – Redmond, Washington (United States of America)
<<Read Full News>>

Mastercard Partners with Signzy for Global Rollout of Video KYC

i.On October 13, 2020 In order to rollout Signzy’s video-based KYC (Know Your Customer) solution to its banking customers globally, Mastercard has entered into partnership with Signzy, a leading RegTech startup. 
ii.The customers of Mastercard, with this partnership will benefit from a 100% paperless, remote and secure onboarding solution for end-users.
About Mastercard:
Headquarters – New York, United States
President and CEO Elect – Michael Miebach
About Signzy:
Co-Founders– Ankit, Arpit and Ankur
<<Read Full News>>

BBNL and TCIL Selects Hughes India to provide High-Speed Satellite Connectivity to 5,000 Remote Gram Panchayats

i.On October 13, 2020 Hughes Communications India Private Limited (Hughes India), a subsidiary of Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES) has been selected by Bharat Broadband Nigam Limited (BBNL) and Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd.(TCIL) ii.To provide high-speed satellite connectivity to 5,000 remote gram panchayats 15 states and UTs(including border and Naxal-affected areas) of India including Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram & Tripura among others by August 2021.
iii.Hughes India will provide internet service to the gram panchayats using the capacity from ISRO’s communications satellites, GSAT-19 and GSAT-11.
About Hughes Communications India Private Limited (Hughes India):
President & Managing Director(MD)– Partho Banerjee
HeadQuarters– Gurgaon, Haryana
About Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd.(TCIL):
It functions under the Administrative control of Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, Govt. of India.
HeadQuarters– New Delhi, India
<<Read Full News>>

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

India Meteorological Department Launches Impact-Based Cyclone Warning System

i.On October 12, 2020 India Meteorological Department(IMD) launched a dynamic,
impact-based cyclone warning system to reduce economic losses and damage to
property caused by the cyclones that hit Indian coast annually. The system has been
commissioned from this cyclone season (October-December).
ii.National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under the project, entitled National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) is developing a Web-based Dynamic Composite Risk Atlas (Web-DCRA) in collaboration with IMD and state Governments of coastal states.
About India Meteorological Department(IMD):
IMD is functioning under the Ministry of Earth Sciences(MoES), Government of India. 
HeadQuarters– New Delhi, India
Director-General(DG)– Mrutyunjay Mohapatra
<<Read Full News>>

OBITUARY

Charlie Moore, 400m Hurdles Olympic Champion passed away at 91

On 8th October 2020, American Athlete Charlie Moore, 1952 Olympic 400 metre(m) Hurdles Champion passed away due to pancreatic cancer at the age of 91. He was born in August 1929 in Pennsylvania, United States of America(USA).
About Charlie Moore:
i.Charlie Moore won the 1952 USA trail in 50.7 seconds, which made him the 2nd man to break the 51 seconds after Glenn Hardin, 1936 Olympic Champion.
ii.Charlie Moore won the gold in the 1952 Helsinki Olympic 400m Hurdles in 50.8 seconds and tied his Olympic record he set in the quarterfinals.
iii.He also won the silver medal for USA 1600-meter relay team during the 1952 Helsinki Olympic game.
iv.He donated his two Olympic Medals to Mercersburg Academy, Pennsylvania.
v.At the British Empire Games 1952 in London, Moore set a world record in the 440 hurdles in 51.6 seconds.
Career:
i.He served as the CEO of various multinational manufacturing companies.
ii.He became the public sector director of the US Olympic Committee and chaired the audit committee from 1992 to 2000.
iii.He served as the Governor of the National Art Museum of Sport.
Awards & Honours:
i.He was ranked 5th in the World in 1924 and topped the world’s list from 1949 to 1952.
ii.He was inducted into Cornell’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1978.
iii.He was also inducted into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1999.
Books:
He published 2 books ‘Running on Purpose: Winning Olympic Gold, Advancing Corporate Leadership and Creating Sustainable Value’ and ‘One Hurdle at a Time: An Olympian’s Guide to Clearing Life’s Obstacles’ in 2017.

Vinod Singh, Minister of Bihar Passed Away

On October 12, 2020  Vinod Kumar Singh( also called as Vinod Singh), Bihar Minister for Backward and Extremely Backward Classes Welfare passed away in Medanta Hospital in Delhi, following a brain haemorrhage. He was around the age of 50. 
He was a BJP(Bharatiya Janata Party) MLA(Members of the Legislative Assembly) from Pranpur Assembly constituency of Katihar district in northeast Bihar. 
About Vinod Singh

• He started his political career in 1995.
• He became MLA from Pranpur assembly in 2000, after which he again became the MLA of the same constituency in 2010 and 2015.

C. M. Chang, Nagaland Minister and Former Lok Sabha MP Passed Away 

On October 12, 2020 Chongshen Mongkosungkum(C.M.) Chang, Nagaland’s Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change and Justice & Law passed away at the age of 78 in Naga Hospital Authority in Kohima. He was a member of Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP). He was also a former Lok Sabha MP(Member of Parliament). He was born on April 1, 1942, in Noksen Village, Tuensang district in Nagaland.

• He was an MLA(Member of the Legislative Assembly) from Noksen(Vidhan Sabha constituency).

About C.M.Chang
i.He was a retired IAS(Indian Administrative Service) officer.
ii.He served as Secretary in the Department of Youth Resources and Sports, Government of Nagaland until his voluntary retirement in 2002.
iii.In 2003, he started his political career. He was elected to the 15th Lok Sabha from the Nagaland Lok Sabha constituency, in 2009, on Nagaland People’s Front(NPF) ticket.
iv.He was elected from 51/Noksen (Vidhan Sabha constituency) in 2013 and became the Minister of Education.
v.In 2018, he won the general election and was appointed as the Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change and Justice & Law, on NDPP ticket.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

PM Modi Released the Autobiography of Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, Former Union Minister & Renamed Pravara Rural Education Society after Balasaheb Vikhe Patil

On 13th October 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, released “Deh Vechwa Karani” (dedicating one’s life for a noble cause) the autobiography of former Union Minister, Eknathrao Vithalrao alias Balasaheb Vikhe Patil and renamed the Pravara Rural Education Society as Loknete Dr.Balasaheb Vikhe Patil Pravara Rural Education Society over a virtual platform.
The book was published by Rajhans Prakashan.
About Balasaheb Vikhe Patil:
i.Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, senior member of Indian National Congress from Maharashtra served as the Union Minister of State for Finance from 1999 to 2002 in the cabinet of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
ii.He served as the Member of Lok Sabha for 8 terms.
iii.He worked towards the development of society including the SC, ST and landless labourers.
iv.He worked towards empowering the youths of rural India through the Pravara Rural Education Society.
v.He passed away in 2016 at the age of 84.
Award:
He received the Padma Bhushan for Social Works in 2010.
About Pravara Rural Education Society:
i.Pravara Rural Education Society was established in 1964 at Loni, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra.
ii.It is aimed to provide world class education to the students of rural areas and to empower the rural girls.
iii.This education society focuses on the educational, social, economic, cultural, physical and psychological development of the students.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2020 – October 13

i.The United Nations (UN)‘s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction or International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) is annually observed across the globe on 13th October to promote a global risk awareness and disaster reduction. The day celebrates the methods followed by people and communities to reduce the exposure to disaster and to raise the awareness on the importance of controlling the risk they face.
ii.The first International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction was observed in 1989.
iii.The theme of International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2020 is “it’s all about governance” which is associated with the Target E of Sendai Framework.
About United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR):
Head of UNDRR– Mami Mizutori (Japanese Diplomat – Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction)
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
<<Read Full News>>

AC GAZE

HDFC Bank and Apollo Hospitals Partners to Launch the HealthyLifeProgramme, a 1st of its kind Initiative of India

HDFC Bank and Apollo Hospitals partnered to launch The HealthyLifeProgramme, a holistic healthcare solution which makes healthy living accessible and affordable on Apollo’s digital platform, Apollo 24|7. It is a first-of-its-kind initiative in India. It is exclusively created for HDFC Bank customers who will get round the clock access to the emergency Apollo Doctor at free of cost on Apollo 24|7. It was launched digitally by Aditya Puri, Managing Director of HDFC Bank.

Nilesh Shah, MD of Kotak AMC is Re-Elected as the Chairman of AMFI

On 13th October 2020, Nilesh Shah, the Managing Director(MD) of Kotak Mutual Fund was re-elected as the Chairman of the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI). He will hold the office of chairman till the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting(AGM) and he will also continue as the chairman of the AMFI Financial Literacy Committee.

Saurabh Nanavati, CEO of Invesco Mutual Fund was re-elected as the vice chairman of AMFI and A Balasubramanian, CEO of Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund, will continue as the chairman of the valuation committee.

World Economic Forum shifts Annual Meeting 2021 from Davos to Lucerne

World Economic Forum (WEF) has changed the venue of the Annual Meeting 2021 from Davos to Lucerne-Burgenstock, Switzerland. The meeting will be held from May 18 to 21, 2021 on the theme “The Great Reset”, it will be held both in physical and digital modes. The changes have been made due to the Pandemic.

Mukesh Ambani tops Forbes India Rich List 2020

Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries topped the Forbes India Rich List 2020 and remains the wealthiest Indian for the 13th year in a row. Gautam Adani, Chairman of Adani Group came second, and Shiv Nadar, Chairman of HCL Technologies came third in the list. Cyrus Poonawalla, Chairman of Poonawalla Group which includes Serum Institute of India entered the Top 10 list at Rank 6.

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