Current Affairs 20 November 2020

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Top 20 Current Affairs of 20 November 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Digital Media Outlets must bring down FDI to 26 % by Oct 2021; I&B Ministry asked Details by Dec 16, 2020

i.On November 16, 2020, the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has issued a notice asking all eligible news websites, portals, aggregators and agencies which are uploading or streaming news and current affairs through digital media to comply with the 26% foreign direct investment (FDI) policy for digital news media. They need to share suitable details within one month i.e. by December 16, 2020.
ii.This notification is issued on the lines of the Union Cabinet decision’s on September 18, 2019 which had permitted 26% FDI for digital news media under Government approval route.
iii.Digital Media Groups which have more than 26% FDI need to take suitable steps to bring down the FDI to 26% in one year i.e. by 15th October, 2021 and seek approval of the Ministry of I&B.
About Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B):
Union Minister– Prakash Keshav Javadekar (Constituency- Maharashtra)
Secretary– Amit Khare
<<Read Full News>>

Bhubaneswar Becomes 1st City in India to get ISO Certification for FSSM services

Bhubaneswar, Capital of Odisha became the First City in the Country to get ISO 9001:2015 Certification for Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM) services.   Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) was the first civic body to implement FSSM regulations in Odisha.
National Policy on Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM):
The National Policy on Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM) was launched by the Ministry of Urban Development in 2017.
Objective of FSSM:
To ensure that all Indian cities and towns become totally sanitized, health and liveable and ensure sustenance of good sanitation practices.
About Odisha:
Chief Minister – Naveen Patnaik
Governor – Ganeshi Lal
<<Read Full News>>

Indian Navy receives 9th P-8I Surveillance Plane from US at INS Hansa, Goa Naval Airbase

On November 18, 2020, Indian Navy received the 9th Poseidon 8I maritime surveillance aircraft from the United States (US) at the INS Hansa, Goa Naval Airbase.
i.The P-8I Aircraft received on November 18, 2020 is the first of the Four Additional planes ordered by India after completion of the Initial order for eight aircrafts.
ii.In 2016, India signed a deal of USD 1.1 Billion with the US for Four Additional P-8I Aircrafts.
iii.The P-8I is developed and produced by Boeing Defense, Space & Security (US-based).
iv.It is capable of long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and surveillance in support of broad area, maritime and littoral operations.
About Indian Navy:
Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS)– Admiral Karambir Singh
Integrated Headquarters MoD (Navy)– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

Narendra Singh Tomar Virtually Inaugurated Capacity Building Component of PM-FME & launched GIS ODOP Digital Map of India

i.On November 18, 2020, Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) virtually inaugurated the capacity building component of the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises scheme (PM-FME Scheme). He also launched the Geographic Information System (GIS) One District One Product (ODOP) or GIS ODOP Digital Map of India.
ii.Under capacity building component of PM-FME Scheme, National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) and Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT) will provide training and research support to the master trainers while Food Industry Capacity & Skill Initiative (FICSI) will provide assessment and certification of the training program.
iii.GIS ODOP Digital Map of India provides details of ODOP products of all the states and facilitates the stakeholders to make concerted efforts for its value chain development.
About National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM):
Vice Chancellor– Dr. Chindi Vasudevappa
Location– Sonepat, Haryana
About Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT):
Director– Dr. Anandharamakrishnan Chinnaswamy
Location– Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu
<<Read Full News>>

Mumbai Became the 1^st Indian city to Have an Urban Plan with Gender-Specific Focus

In a game-changing plan, the financial capital of India, Mumbai (Maharashtra) has become the first city in the country with a gender-specific city’s urban plan which has provisions for designated spaces for the needs of women.  The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has added a chapter titled ‘Gender, Special Groups and Social Equity’ under the Revised Draft Development Plan (RDDP) 2034.

• The plan proposed “departure from gender blindness to gender mainstreaming”.
• This revision has been after women from various sectors collaborated to challenge the lack of a gender perspective in urban planning approved by the state government in 2018.

Key Points:
–Under the new plan, approximately 90 land reservations of physical and social infrastructure will be there to address women’s needs including education, health, housing and safety.
–This venture will push Mumbai into becoming a prominent women-friendly city.
–Among the planned developments, construction of a child-care centre in Goregaon and a skills development facility in Sion-Koliwada is almost complete. Project designs which have been finalised and await bids include two homes for the elderly in Bhandup and Goregaon, and rental housing for women in Antop Hill, Bhandup and Goregaon.

15th Finance Commission headed by NK Singh recommends PPP to increase Health Infrastructure Spending in India

The Fifteenth Finance Commission (XVFC) led by Chairman Nand Kishore (NK) Singh has recommended for reprioritising Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to increase Health Infrastructure Spending, and Public spending on Health in India.
The PPP will increase India’s spending on Health Infrastructure from 0.95% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to 2.5% GDP by 2024.
i.It also suggested the constitution of All India Medical Services as envisaged in the Civil Services Act of 1951.
ii.The PPP will help the Government of India in achieving better healthcare parameters.
iii.NK Singh suggested that Public outlays focus on primary health care at Panchayat & municipality levels, whereas private players should be relied on for specialty healthcare.
iv.States/UT that spend most of its per capita public expenditure on healthcare is Delhi.It is followed by Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir. Similarly, States/UT that spend least to healthcare is Bihar. It is followed by West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
15th Finance Commission Report:
On November 9, 2020, The 15th Finance Commission headed by NK Singh submitted its report titled “Finance Commission in COVID Time” to the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and Union Minister of Finance, Nirmala Sitharaman.
Members of the 15th Finance Commission:
Ajay Narayan Jha, Professor Anoop Singh, Dr. Ashok Lahiri and Dr. Ramesh Chand.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

UN ESCAP Report cites the role of ISRO’s ‘BHUVAN’ in assisting Indian Government to contain COVID-19 

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific’s (ESCAP) report ‘Geospatial Practices for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific 2020: A Compendium’ has cited the role of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s ‘BHUVAN’ Geo-Portal in combating COVID-19 in India.
It has also cited the efforts of ISRO for supporting sustainable development projects in the country.
BHUVAN-Geoportal:
BHUVAN is a national geo-portal developed and hosted by ISRO, it contains geo spatial data, services and tools for analysis for combating COVID-19.
About UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific’s (ESCAP):
Executive Secretary – Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana
Headquarters – Bangkok, Thailand
<<Read Full News>>

India Among 6 Countries with Highest Tally of Infants who Didn’t get Measles Vaccine: WHO Report

i.In accordance with the new report by World Health Organisation (WHO) and United States (US) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) titled “Progress Towards Regional Measles Elimination Worldwide 2000-2019”, India is among six countries with the highest number of infants who had not received the vaccine against measles.
ii.A total of 1.2 million children did not receive the first dose of measles-containing-vaccine (MCV1) in 2019 in India.
iii.The other five countries are Nigeria (3.3 million), Ethiopia (1.5 million), Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (1.4 million), Pakistan (1.4 million), and Philippines (0.7 million).
About World Health Organisation (WHO):
Director General– Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
<<Read Full News>>

Ministerial Meeting of GPC for HIV Prevention 2020 hosted Virtually by UNAIDA & UNFPA; Dr. Harsh Vardhan Participated

i.On November 18, 2020, the Ministerial meeting of the Global Prevention Coalition (GPC) for HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) Prevention 2020 was virtually hosted by UNAIDS (United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS) and UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) on behalf of the HIV GPC. From India, Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Ministry for Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) addressed the meeting.
ii.It should be noted that the Member States of GPC had agreed to reduce new adult HIV infections by 75% at the end of 2020 from 2010 levels. Therefore, this year’s meet was significant in achieving the 2016 UNGA commitment to end AIDS by 2030.
iii.Indian side is also committed to achieve the 90-90-90 targets across the country by the end of the 2020 and elimination of (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) epidemic as a public health threat by 2030.
About United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS):
Executive Director– Winnie Byanyima
Secretariat– Geneva, Switzerland
About United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Executive Director– Dr. Natalia Kanem
Headquarters– New York, United States (US)
<<Read Full News>>

UN teams up with over 100 scientists to build public confidence in COVID-19 vaccines through Team Halo

On November 17, 2020, the United Nations (UN) has collaborated with The Vaccine Confidence Project at the University of London’s School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to undertake Team Halo. It is an initiative which aims to counter the misinformation around COVID-19 vaccines.

• This initiative has been started after 61% respondents from India are sceptical about COVID-19 vaccines.
• Team Halo provides a platform to scientists to connect with general public for responding their queries for countering vaccine misinformation.
• Team Halo will act as a communication platform for the scientists working on COVID-19 vaccines.

Key Points:
–Globally, the initiative is supported by scientists across the world’s top institutes like Imperial College London, Harvard Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, University of Barcelona and many others.
— In India, over 22 scientists have joined Team Halo from renowned institutes such as Institute of Medical Sciences and Sum Hospital, Bhubaneswar; Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh; Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Hyderabad; Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore, Madhya Pradesh; Christian Medical College, Vellore (Tamil Nadu); SRM Research Institute, Chennai (Tamil Nadu); and Deep Children’s Hospital and Research Centre, Gandhidham (Gujarat).
About Team Halo:
Team Halo is supported by the UN Verified Initiative, the Vaccine Confidence Project and GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, Luminate, IKEA Foundation, Global Challenges Foundation and UN Foundation.

• ‘Halo’ refers to the ring of connected science that spans the globe.
• Besides India, Team Halo aims to highlight the work undertaken by scientists in the United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA), South Africa, Qatar, UAE, France, Spain, Peru, Canada and Brazil.

Groups associated with Al-Qaeda, ISIS spread Conspiracy Theories about COVID-19: UNICRI Report 

According to the report titled “Stop the virus of disinformation: the malicious use of social media by terrorist, violent extremist and criminal groups during the COVID-19 Pandemic” released by United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) groups associated with terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda and ISIS are exploiting the Pandemic to spread conspiracy theories.
i.The researchers have examined three groups of non-State actors – right-wing extremists, groups associated with ISIS, Al-Qaeda and other crime groups.
ii.The non-State actors have used conspiracy theories such as Accelerationism, QAnon, and Boogaloo to misrepresent the pandemic.
iii.Some of the commonly reinforced narratives are Racist, anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, Anti-immigrant, and against democracy and modernisation.
iv.The conspiracy theories usually attribute the origin of the virus to Governments, religious or ethnic groups, businessmen and secret networks.
About United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI):
Director – Antonia Marie De Meo
Headquarters – Turin, Italy

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

Delhi Airport Became the 1st Airport in Asia Pacific Region to Get Level 4+ Transition Carbon Accreditation 

Indira Gandhi International Airport(IGIA), Delhi, implemented by Delhi International Airport Limited(DIAL) became the first airport in Asia Pacific Region to get the highest level – Level 4+ Transition – carbon accreditation. The airport was accredited under ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation program for its works in aligning its carbon management with global climate goals to reach net zero emission reduction
The Airport is owned and operated by GMR Group.
The announcement was made by the Airports Council International(ACI) during the ACI Europe Annual Assembly and congress on 17th November 2020.
Note:
Dallas Fort Worth(DFW) International Airport, Texas, United States of America became the first airport in the North America region to receive the Level 4+ accreditation.
Key Points:
i.Delhi Airport reached level 3+ in 2016 and became the first carbon neutral airport in Asia Pacific region and maintained the accreditation since 2016.
ii.The initiatives of IGIA towards environment management are, usage of renewable energy in both onsite and offsite, green airport infrastructures, energy conservation and efficiency improvements.
iii.The environment friendly infrastructure of the airport includes, electric vehicle charging facility, Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and Water Treatment Plant (WTP), energy efficient lighting systems, advanced fuel hydrant systems, Bridge Mounted Equipment (BME) like Fixed Electric Ground Power Units (FEGP) and Preconditioned Air (PCA) supply systems.
Airport Carbon Accreditation:
i.The Airport carbon accreditation is a global standard for carbon management in the airport sector.
ii.The Airport Carbon Accreditation programme of ACI was launched in 2009.
Aim:
To encourage and enable the airports and its stakeholders to implement best practices in greenhouse gas management and achieve emission reduction.
Accreditation level:
i.Initially it had 4 levels (Level 1: Mapping; Level 2: Reduction; Level 3: Optimisation; Level 3+: Neutrality).
ii.ACI revised the program levels in 2020 and added two new levels,

• Level 4: Transformation
• Level 4+: Transition.

iii.The aim of these 2 new levels is to make the objective of the program in line with Paris Agreement and to limit the increase of global average temperature to 2 degrees celsius above pre industrial levels and not to exceed 1.5 degree Celsius.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Francisco Sagasti Sworn-in as The Interim President of Peru until 2021 General Election

On 17th November 2020, Francisco Sagasti, a legislator from the centrist Purple Party, sworn-in as the interim President of Peru. Sagasti will lead the country as the interim president until the 2021 General election. The Congress of the Republic of Peru voted Francisco Sagasti as the interim president to stabilise the protests in the country following the departure of 2 presidents in a week.

• Sagasti succeeds Manuel Merino, who resigned on 15th November 2020 just after serving 5 days as the interim President of Peru.
• The government under President Martin Vizcarra, predecessor of Manuel Merino, was impeached by the congress on 9th November 2020.

About Francisco Sagasti:
i.Francisco Sagasti (76 years old), an engineer, is a senior researcher emeritus and former Executive Director of FORO Nacional Internacional, an independent think-tank.
ii.He served as the Chief of the Strategic Planning Division and Senior Advisor at the World Bank.
iii.He has served as the advisor to the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Education, Industry and the Prime Minister.
Awards:
i.He received the Robert K Merton award 2017  for his contributions to the social studies of science.
ii.He also received the Paul Hoffman Award instituted in memory of Paul Hoffman, administrator of the Marshall Plan and first Executive Director of the United Nations Development Programme(UNDP).
Books:
i.He has published around 25 books, including Looking back to move forward: a 40 year retrospective of the STPI project, Ciencia, Tecnología, Innovación: Políticas para América Latina, Knowledge and Innovation for Development: The Sisyphus Challenge of the 21st Century among others.
ii.He has authored more than 150 papers and book chapters and contributed to several newspapers and magazines in Lima, Peru.
About Peru:
Capital– Lima
Currency– Sol

S N Rajeswari appointed as Whole-time Member of IRDAI

On 18th November 2020, SN Rajeswari, Chairman and Managing Director of Oriental Insurance was appointed as a Whole-time member (distribution) of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India(IRDAI). She is appointed for a period of 3 years or till attaining the age of 62.
About SN Rajeswari:
i.The centre appointed her as the CMD of Oriental Insurance in August 2020, she will hold the position as CMD till the end of May 2022.
ii.She served as the General Manager of New India Assurance Company limited.
About Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India(IRDAI):
Chairman-Subhash C. Khuntia
Headquarters– Hyderabad, Telangana

OBITUARY

Mridula Sinha, First Woman Governor of Goa Passed Away at 77

On 18th November 2020, Mridula Sinha, former and first Woman Governor of Goa and former president of BJP Mahila Morcha passed away at the age of 77 at a hospital in Delhi. She was born on 27th November 1942 in Chhapra, Bihar.
About Mridula Sinha:
i.Mridula Sinha was a proficient Hindi writer who contributed to the field of literature and culture.
ii.She has served as chairperson of the Central Social Welfare Board, Ministry of Human Resource Development (Now Ministry of Education).
iii.She served as the first woman governor of Goa from 2014 to 2019.
iv.She started the cultural events called ‘chaand ke saath’ in the lawns of Governor House

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Toilet Day 2020 – November 19

i.United Nations(UN)’s World Toilet Day is annually celebrated across the globe on 19th November to celebrate Toilets and to raise awareness about the 4.2 billion people across the globe who are living without any access to safely managed sanitation. The First UN’s World Toilet Day was observed on 19th November 2013.
ii.Every year the UN Water, the UN’s coordination mechanism on water and sanitation sets the theme of the World Toilet Day. The theme of the 2020 World Toilet Day is “Sustainable sanitation and climate change”
iii.The World Toilet Day is about the action to tackle the global sanitation crisis and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal(SDG) 6 – Water and Sanitation for all by 2030.
About United Nations Water:
Chairman– Gilbert F. Houngbo
Secretary–  Madhushree Chatterjee
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
<<Read Full News>>

Women’s Entrepreneurship Day 2020 – November 19

i.The Women’s Entrepreneurship Day(WED) is annually observed across the globe on 19th November to celebrate, empower and support the Women Entrepreneurs in business across the globe. The day highlights the achievements of Women Entrepreneurs and focuses on the challenges they face. The WED was first observed in 2013.
ii.The day is organised by the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization(WEDO) or #ChooseWomen founded by Wendy Diamond, recipient of Ellis Island Medal of Honour.
iii.The day aims to create awareness about the 250 million Women and girls living in poverty, who deserve the opportunities in life.
About Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization(WEDO) or #ChooseWomen:
Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization(WEDO) or #ChooseWomen is a non-governmental, nonprofit organisation founded by Wendy Diamond in 2013.
#ChooseWomen is a directory of women led businesses across the globe.
Founder & CEO– Wendy Diamond
Headquarters– New York, United States
<<Read Full News>>

International Men’s Day 2020 – November 19

International Men’s Day is annually celebrated across the globe on 19th November to create awareness about the difficulties that men face on a global scale. The day is observed to celebrate the men who make a positive impact on society and influence their gender as a role model. The International Men’s day is supported by more than 80 countries and international organisations.
The theme of the international Men’s Day 2020 is “Better Health for Men and Boys”.
Objective:
To address the difficulties faced by men and boys and to initiate conversations on men’s mental health and male sucide.
Background:
i.Thomas Oaster, the director of the Missouri Center for Men’s Studies initiated the International Men’s day in the early 1990’s.
ii.Initially the organisations from the United States, Australia and Malta celebrated the International Men’s day in the month of February.
iii.Dr Jerome Teelucksingh, a doctor from Trinidad and Tobago relaunched the International Men’s Day in 1999. He chose the date 19th November to honour the birth anniversary of his Father.
Key Points:
The celebrations of the International men’s day are focused on valuing male role models, acknowledging the contribution of men and boys, improving male health, facing discrimination and disadvantage, supporting positive gender relations and making the world a safer place for everyone.

STATE NEWS

BFIL signs MoU with Maharashtra Government to enhance delivery of Livestock Care

On November 18, 2020, Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd (BFIL), a subsidiary of IndusInd Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Animal Husbandry Department (AHD) of Maharashtra Government to enhance doorstep delivery of livestock care to farmers in the state. The Joint initiative is titled ‘Maha Pashudhan Sanjeevani’ and will be supported by BFIL as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
i.The Scheme will be implemented under the Mukhyamantri Pashu Swasthya Yojana.
ii.The doorstep services will include curative treatment, vaccination, artificial insemination, preventive care and all animal husbandry related information.
About Maharashtra:
Festivals – Gudi Padwa, Makar Sankranta and Ratha Saptami, Marabats and Badgyas
Dances – Lavani, Nakata, Koli, Lezim, Gafa, Dahikala Dasavtar, Pavri
<<Read Full News>>

Punjab Cabinet approves ‘Punjab Divyangjan Shaktikaran Yojana’ to Empower Persons with disabilities

On November 18, 2020, The Punjab Cabinet headed by Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh approved the ‘Punjab Divyangjan Shaktikaran Yojana’ to empower persons with disabilities in a virtual meeting.
The Scheme will be implemented in Two Phases.
Phase-I will strengthen the existing programmes to ensure that benefits reach people with disabilities.
Phase-II will introduce 13 new interventions proposed to be undertaken for empowerment of such persons.
About Punjab:
Rivers – Satluj, Beas, Ravi, Chenab, Jhelum
Festivals – Baisakhi, Lohri
<<Read Full News>>

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