Current Affairs 24 October 2020

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 24 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 20 Current Affairs of 24 October 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Haryana Topped Anemia Mukt Bharat Index in India

i.On October 21, 2020, the 8th Governing Body Meeting of the State Health Society of the National Health Mission (NHM) was held in Chandigarh where Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) Index was released which has been topped by Haryana with a score of 46.7 among all the 29 states in the country.
ii.The meeting was presided over by the Haryana chief secretary, Vijai Vardhan.
About Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW):
Union Minister– Dr. Harsh Vardhan (Constituency- Chandni Chowk, Delhi)
Minister of State (MoS)– Ashwini Kumar Choubey
<<Read Full News>>

MoS Prahlad Singh Patel Launches ‘Life in Miniature’ project

On October 22, 2020, Minister of State (MoS) for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge), Prahlad Singh Patel virtually launched “Life in Miniature” project, it is a collaboration between National Museum, New Delhi, Ministry of Culture and Google Arts & Culture. 
i.The project enables Hundreds of miniature paintings from the National Museum’s collections to be viewed through Google Arts & Culture app. 
ii.Viewers can experience the First Augmented Reality-powered art gallery designed with traditional Indian architecture on the Google Arts & Culture app.
About Ministry of Culture:
Minister of State (MoS) (IC) – Prahlad Singh Patel
Constituency of Prahlad Singh Patel – Member of Parliament (Loksabha) – Damoh (Madhya Pradesh)
<<Read Full News>>

1st Virtual India – International Food & Agri Week held on Oct 16th -22nd 2020; Inaugurated by Narendra Singh Tomar

i.On the lines of doubling the income of farmers by 2022, the first ever virtual “CII Agro & Food Tech: India -International Food & Agri Week” was organized from October 16-22, 2020 which was virtually inaugurated by Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoAFW) during the 14th edition of the Agro and Food Tech.
ii.It was organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in association with the MoAFW, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying (FAHD) and Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI).
iii.MoFPI also started an awareness campaign named “Anna Devo Bhava” to mark this occasion.
About Confederation of Indian Industry (CII):
Director General– Chandrajit Banerjee
President– Uday Kotak
Headquarter– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi District Bags Top Position for Implementation of PMGSY

i.The Union Ministry of Rural Development declared the list of top performing 30 districts in the country for implementing the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) programme. 
ii.In this list, Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh won top position among 30 districts of India. 
iii.Himachal Pradesh secured 2nd position at the national level for construction of roads under PMGSY.
About Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana:
i.It was launched by the Govt. of India in 2000, to provide connectivity to unconnected Habitations as part of a poverty reduction strategy.
ii.The Ministry of Rural Development and state governments is responsible for the implementation of PMGSY.
<<Read Full News>>

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Union Minister Jitendra Singh Addresses 1st Ever Ministerial Meeting of G-20 Anti-Corruption Working Group

On October 22, 2020, Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Jitendra Singh addressed the 1st Ever Ministerial Meeting of G-20 Anti-Corruption Working Group virtually. 
i.During the Meeting, The Union Minister stated that India has committed to the policy of Zero Tolerance against Corruption and Unaccounted money.
ii.The G20 Ministerial Meeting was organized on its 10th Anniversary Year. 
About G-20 or Group of Twenty:
Composition– 19 countries and the European Union (EU)
The 19 countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK, and the United States (US).
2020 Presidency– Saudi Arabia
2020 theme– Realizing Opportunities of the 21st Century For All
Chairman– Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (2020)
<<Read Full News>>

UNDP Released “Human Mobility, Shared Opportunities” Report stating Governments to Shape Migration

i.On October 21, 2020, a report “Human Mobility, Shared Opportunities: A Review of the 2009 Human Development Report and the Way Ahead” was released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) stating how governments can shape migration to benefit development and boost recovery. 
ii.The report accessed how future policy responses could facilitate safe, orderly, and regular migration.
iii.This report marked 30 years of its annual Human Development Reports. 
iv.The forced migration has doubled over the last 10 years to around 79 million people therefore to fight with its cause is essential for development.
About United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):
Administrator– Achim Steiner
Headquarters– New York, United States of America (USA)
<<Read Full News>>

NATO to set up New Space Center in Ramstein, Germany

Defence Ministers of 30 NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Member States are planning to set up a New Space Center in the NATO Air Force High Command Base in Ramstein, Germany. It would serve as a coordination center for space observation. 
i.The space center would gather information about threats to satellites, and will be further developed as a command center for defensive measures.
ii.In December 2019, NATO leaders declared that Space will be the alliance’s “Fifth Domain” of operations after land, sea, air and cyberspace. 
iii.The decision comes after NATO allies are concerned about kinds of attacks using anti-satellite weapons. 
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO):
i.It is an International Alliance of 30 countries from North America and Europe.
ii.It is based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April, 1949. 
Member States of NATO:
The 30 member states of NATO are Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States.
About North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO):
Secretary General – General Jens Stoltenberg
Headquarters – Brussels, Belgium

Gender gap in labour market stagnant since 1995, flags UN report

On October 20, 2020, the United Nations (UN) released the report titled “The World’s Women 2020: Trends and Statistics” which stated that no country has achieved the goal of Gender equality however the attitudes of discrimination have slowly changed. 

• The status of women has improved with regard to education, early marriage, childbearing and maternal mortality but remains stagnant in other areas.
• Since 1995, the gap of 27 percentage points has barely changed; moreover, COVID-19 pandemic impacted the lives of women by deepening underlying inequalities.
• In India, the ratio of female-to-male labour force participation rate was 29.80 in 2019 as against the desired ratio of 50%.

Key Points:
–Only 47% women of working age participated in the labour market, compared to around 74% men.
–On regional front, the gender gap in labour force was largest in Southern Asia (54 percentage points), followed by Northern Africa (47 percentage points) and Western Asia (47 percentage points), where women’s labour participation rates were below 30%.
–The largest gender gap in labour force participation is observed in the prime working age (25-54) since 1995 when it was at 31 percentage points. Now, as of 2020, it is 32 percentage points.
Parameters of Report:
The assessment of the report was made in six critical areas: Population and families; health; education; economic empowerment and asset ownership; power and decision-making; and violence against women and the girl child as well as the impact of COVID-19.
About United Nations (UN):
Secretary General– Antonio Manuel de Oliveira Guterres
Headquarters– New York, United States (US)

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI Pegs Minimum NOF for HFCs at Rs 25 cr; Issued guidelines for PSO’s SRO & on QR Codes: October 2020

i.On October 22, 2020, RBI issued the revised regulatory framework for housing finance companies (HFCs) under which the minimum net owned funds (NOF)  size for HFCs is fixed at Rs 25 crore. 
ii.RBI finalized guidelines to set up Self-Regulatory Organisation (SRO) for Payment System Operators (PSOs) under Companies Act, 2013 as a not for profit body and non-governmental organisation will serve as a watchdog to guard against unprofessional practices within an industry or profession.
iii.RBI decided The two interoperable QR codes in existence – Unified Payments Interface (UPI) QR and Bharat QR will continue as at present.
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Formation– 1 April 1935
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors– 4 (Bibhu Prasad Kanungo, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, and M Rajeswar Rao)
<<Read Full News>>

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Mastercard Partners with Atlantis to Expand Digital First Program in India

i.On October 22, 2020 In order to address the increasing demand for digital payment solutions for everything, Mastercard has entered into partnership with Atlantis to expand the Digital First Program in India. 
ii.The partnership aims to provide the users of mastercard, a technology solution that enables them to enjoy a best-in-class digital banking experience.
About Mastercard: 
Headquarters – New York, United States
President and CEO-Elect– Michael Miebach
Chief Executive Officer(CEO) – Ajay Banga(Michael Miebach will take over as CEO by January, 2021)
About Atlantis:
Founder & CEO– Gaurav S
HeadQuarters– Singapore
<<Read Full News>>

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Saad El-Din Hariri Elected as the PM of Lebanon for the 3rd time; Succeeds Mustapha Adib

On October 22, 2020  Saad El-Din Hariri was elected as the  Prime minister of Lebanon. 
He succeeds Mustapha Adib. Saad El-Din Hariri has been in the post of PM twice. He belongs to the Future Movement political party. 

• Saad El-Din Hariri won 65 parliamentary votes.

Note
It is to be noted that Lebanon had experienced a huge explosion in August at Beirut port that killed about 200 people and caused billions of dollars of damage.
Key Info
Saad El-Din Hariri is the 3rd person to be tasked with forming a government this year(2020), following, 

• Hassan Diab(January 2020- August 2020)
• Mustafa Adib(August 2020-September 2020)

About Saad El-Din Hariri:
i.He was first elected as the PM of the country on November 9, 2009 and served till June 13, 2011.
ii.For the second time he took office in 2016 till October 29, 2019.

Apurva Chandra Elected as the Chairperson of the Governing Body of ILO for the period October 2020- June 2021

i.On October 23, 2020 Apurva Chandra, Secretary (Labour and Employment), Ministry of Labour and Employment was elected as the Chairperson of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for the period October 2020- June 2021. 
ii.It is to be noted that India assumes the Chairmanship of the Governing Body of ILO after 35 years.
About International Labour Organisation (ILO):
HeadQuarters– Geneva, Switzerland
Director-General– Guy Ryder
Member States– 187(Including India)
<<Read Full News>>

NITI Aayog’s Panel Headed by NITI Aayog VC Rajiv Kumar to Reform Urban Planning Education System

i.On 22nd October 2020, the NITI Aayog constituted a 14-member advisory committee headed by Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman(VC) of NITI Aayog to evaluate the reforms in the urban planning education system.
ii.The committee will review the current system in terms of multidisciplinarity, curriculum and other related issues at the level of graduates and post graduates against the challenges of rapid urbanization.
About NITI Aayog:
Chairman– Narendra Modi
Vice Chairman– Dr. Rajiv Kumar
CEO– Amitabh Kant
Headquarters– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Indian Navy Missile Corvette INS Prabal launches Anti-Ship Missile

On October 23, 2020, Indian Navy Missile Corvette INS Prabal launched an Anti-Ship Missile (AShM) on its Target in Arabian Sea. It was launched from Arabian Sea and the missile accurately homed in on its target. 
i.The anti-ship missile was fired during a practice drill. 
ii.The missile was fired by INS Prabal as part of a mega naval drill which involves aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, Warships, attack helicopters, aircraft and other assets of Indian Navy. 
iii.Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh inspected the firing weapons, air-to-air combat operations, anti-submarine drills. He reviewed the Navy’s operational preparedness.
iv.He embarked on the Carrier Battle Group, which comprises of Vikramaditya, destroyers, frigates, corvettes, fleet support ships and integral swing-role fighters and helicopters.
About Indian  Navy:
Aircraft Carriers in Indian Navy – INS Vikramaditya.
Nuclear Powered Submarines in Operation – INS Arihant (Arihant Class), INS Chakra (Chakra Akula (II) Class).

OBITUARY

Wing Commander(Retd) Dr. Vijayalakshmi Ramanan IAF’s First Woman Commissioned Officer Passed Away at 96

On 18th October 2020, Retired Wing Commander Dr. Vijayalakshmi Ramanan, first woman commissioned officer of the Indian Air Force(IAF) passed away at the age of 96 due to old age related ailments at her daughter’s residence in Bengaluru, Karnataka. She was born in February 1924 in Madras (now Chennai), British India.
About Dr. Vijayalakshmi Ramanan:
i.Dr. Vijayalakshmi Ramanan did her Masters in Obstetrics and gynecology following her MBBS graduation in 1943.
ii.She was commissioned as an officer in the Medical Corps of Indian Army on 22nd August 1955 and seconded to the IAF on the same day.
iii.She also handled the administrative duties related to family planning in the medical board.
iv.She became the Wing Commander on 22nd August 1972.
v.She served in the IAF for 24 years and retired on 28th February 1979.
Awards:
i.She received the Balfour memorial medal for medicine and Madras University Prize for Surgery.
ii.She was granted the permanent commission in 1971.
iii.She received the Vishisht Seva Medal in 1977 for her medical service towards women and children of the Defence family.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Snow Leopard Day 2020 – October 23

International Snow Leopard Day is annually celebrated across the globe on the 23rd October to create awareness about the conservation and preservation of Snow Leopards, the majestic wild cats which are listed among the most threatened animals.
The first ever Internal Snow Leopard Day was observed on 23rd October 2014.
<<Read Full News>>

STATE NEWS

Karnataka govt Approves to Implement Bhagyalakshmi scheme through Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana of the postal department Instead of LIC

i.On October 22, 2020 Karnataka Cabinet presided by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, approved to implement a redesigned Bhagyalakshmi scheme under the Sukanya Samriddhi Account scheme of India Post, instead of the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India from 2020-21. 
ii.The decision was made as the interest rate offered by the LIC was less.
About Karnataka:
Wildlife Sanctuary– Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary, Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary,  Arabithittu Wildlife Sanctuary, Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuaries, Chincholi Wildlife Sanctuary.
Bird Sanctuary– Attiveri Bird Sanctuary, Gudavi Bird Sanctuary, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, Adichunchanagiri Peacock sanctuary, GhataPrabha Bird Sanctuary.
<<Read Full News>>

Maharashtra’s Women & Child Welfare Department launched digital platform “Tarang Suposhit Maharashtracha” to provide nutritional requirements of mother & children

i.On 23rd October 2020, Yashomati Thakur, Maharashtra’s Minister of Women and Child Welfare launched the digital platform “Tarang Suposhit Maharashtracha”, of the Women and Child  Department, Government of Maharashtra. The initiative aims to fulfil the nutritional needs of the lactating mothers and children of the state.
ii.The Tarang Suposhit Maharashtracha platform is based on an interactive voice response system, which is aimed to create awareness on the nutritional requirements of the women and children.
iii.The platform provides facilities like helpline, broadcast call, whatsapp chatbot among others.
About Maharashtra:
Wildlife Sanctuary- Bhimashankar sanctuary, Kalsubai sanctuary, Sagareshwar wildlife Sanctuary, chandoli wildlife sanctuary, Rehekuri Blackbuck Sanctuary, Koyana wildlife sanctuary, Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, Radhanagari wildlife sanctuary, Phansad Sanctuary, Tansa wildlife sanctuary
Birds Sanctuary– Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary, Nandur Madhmeshwar Bird Sanctuary
<<Read Full News>>

Asan Conservation Reserve becomes Uttarakhand’s first wetland to make it to Ramsar Convention

On October 15, 2020 The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change announced that Ramsar Convention has declared The Asan Conservation Reserve(ACR) in Dehradun as a site of international importance. ACR has been included in the ‘List of Wetlands of International Importance’ established by Article 2.1 of the convention

• This is the first wetland from Uttarakhand, to be recognised by Ramsar. 

About Uttarakhand:
Tiger Reserve– Kalagarh Tiger Reserve, Corbett Tiger Reserve, Rajaji Tiger Reserve
Airport– Bharkot Airport, Gauchar Airport, Jolly Grant Airport, Naini Saini Airport, Pantnagar Airport
<<Read Full News>>

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