Current Affairs 17 October 2020

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 17 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 15 Current Affairs of 17 October 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Nitin Gadkari Launched Blasting Process for one of the Asia’s Longest bi-directional Road Tunnel “Zojila Tunnel” in J&K 

i.On October 15, 2020, during a virtual ceremony, Union Minister Nitin Jairam Gadkari of Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) & Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MoMSME) initiated the first blasting process for the construction of one of the longest bi-directional road in Asia i.e. 14.15 Km Zojila Tunnel in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) to provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar valley and Leh (Ladakh plateau) on National Highway (NH)-1.
ii.This geo-strategically sensitive project involves the construction at an altitude of 11578 feet under Zojila pass (presently motorable only for 6 months in a year) on NH-1 connecting Srinagar and Leh through Dras & Kargil. 
iii.The project has a completion schedule of six years (72 months).
iv.The project will be implemented by National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) while its construction work will be carried by Hyderabad (Telangana) based Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Limited (MEIL). 
About Jammu & Kashmir (J&K):
Lieutenant Governor– Manoj Sinha
Capitals– Srinagar (Summer), Jammu (Winters)
<<Read Full News>>

Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ virtually launched ‘KAPILA’ Kalam Program for IP Literacy; IP Literacy Week to be observed on Oct 15-23, 2020

i.On the occasion of 89th birth anniversary of former President and Scientist Late Dr. APJ (Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen) Abdul Kalam i.e. on October 15, 2020, Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Ministry of Education (MOE) virtually launched the ‘KAPILA’ Kalam Program for Intellectual Property (IP) Literacy and Awareness campaign.
ii.The occasion also saw the release of the Institution Innovation Council (IIC 2.0) annual report, launch of IIC 3.0 website, along with the launch announcement of IIC 3.0.
iii.It was also decided to celebrate October 15th to October 23rd, 2020 as ‘Intellectual Property (IP) Literacy Week’. 
About MoE’s Innovation Cell (MIC):
Chief Innovation Officer (CIO)– Dr. Abhay Jere
Headquarter– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

Myanmar to get 1st Submarine “INS Sindhuvir”; To Be Handed Over by India under SAGAR

i.The Myanmar Navy is all set to receive its first submarine namely “Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sindhuvir”, a Kilo class submarine which will be handed over by India under its vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) to provide guaranteed security for all maritime partners.
ii.This announcement was made on October 15, 2020 during a weekly press interaction of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) which was addressed by its official spokesperson Anurag Srivastava.
iii.Myanmar Navy will initially use INS Sindhuvir for training and orientation purposes for its Navy personnel as it has a capacity of staying underwater for almost 45 days.
About Myanmar:
Capital– Naypyitaw
Currency– Myanmar kyat
President– Win Myint
<<Read Full News>>

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India appointed as Vice-Chair of OECD Working Group on GLP; Dr Ekta Kapoor appointed as Vice-Chair

i.India has been designated as ‘Vice-Chair’ of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) Working Group of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It was appointed as Vice-Chair to recognise the contributions of the Indian GLP Programme. 
ii.OECD also appointed Dr. Ekta Kapoor, Scientist ‘E’, National GLP Compliance Monitoring Authority (NGCMA), Department of Science & Technology (DST) as Vice-Chair of OECD Working Group on GLP for 2021 and 2022.
About Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD):
Secretary General – Angel Gurria
Headquarters – Paris, France  
<<Read Full News>>

State of Climate Services Report 2020 released by WMO

i.On the occasion of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction i.e. on October 13, 2020, the “State of Climate Services 2020 Report: Move from Early Warnings to Early Action” released by United Nations World Meteorological Organization (UN-WMO) which is produced by 16 international agencies and financing institutions.
ii.In accordance with the report, over the past 50 years, more than 11,000 disasters caused by weather, climate and water-related hazards, resulting in 2 million deaths and US$ 3.6 trillion in economic losses.
iii.Notably, the September month was the warmest of 2020 in accordance with the United States (US) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Also, the period between 2016-2020 had been the warmest on record.
About World Meteorological Organization (WMO):
Secretary-General– Professor Petteri Taalas
Headquarter– Geneva, Switzerland
<<Read Full News>>

Nirmala Sitharaman Virtually Attended Plenary Meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee of IMF 

On October 15, 2020, Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman virtually attended the Plenary Meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC)

• The discussions were held on IMF Managing Director’s Global Policy Agenda titled “Catalyzing a Resilient Recovery”.
• Indian side briefly outline the measures under the AtmaNirbhar BharatPackage and also mentioned that there are signs of V-shaped pattern in several high-frequency indicators including, manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) that reached the highest level in last eight years in the month of September 2020. Also, to stimulate consumer spending, measures worth $10 billion have been announced recently.

About IMFC:
IMFC is a Ministerial-level committee of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It meets twice a year, once during the Fund-Bank Spring Meetings in April, and again during the Annual Meetings in October to discuss matters of common concern affecting the global economy and advises the IMF on the direction of its work. 
About International Monetary Fund (IMF):
Managing Director (MD)– Kristalina Ivanova Georgieva-Kinova
Headquarters– Washington, D.C. United States(US)
Economic Counsellor and Research Department Director–  Gita Gopinath

BANKING & FINANCE

Indian Bank Signed MoU with Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and SIDBI to Pay Street Vendor’s Subsidy under PM SVANidhi Scheme

i.On October 15, 2020 Indian Bank signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government  of India and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) at New Delhi, to pay subsidy to street vendors under the Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme.
ii.MoU was signed by Sanjay Kumar, Joint Secretary (National Urban Livelihoods Mission- NULM) of MoHUA, Vikas Kumar, Field General Manager, New Delhi, Indian Bank and Subodh Kumar, General Manager of SIDBI.
About Indian Bank:
HeadQuarters– Chennai, TamilNadu
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)–  Padmaja Chunduru 
About Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI):
HeadOffice– Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Managing Director– Mohammad Mustafa
<<Read Full News>>

Jana SFB becomes Sponsor Bank of Ashoknagar Co-operative Bank & Becomes 1st SFB to do so under the Bank Sponsorship Programme

i.On October 16, 2020 Jana Small Finance Bank(SFB) becomes Sponsor Bank of Ashoknagar Co-operative Bank Limited. 
ii.With this partnership, Jana SFB becomes the 1st SFB to go live under the bank sponsorship programme.
iii.The Core Banking Solution (CBS)-enabled  co-operative banks has been permitted by the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) to issue ATM cards/ATM-cum-debit cards in a tie-up with a sponsor bank.
About Jana Small Finance Bank:
HeadOffice-Bengaluru, Karnataka
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)–  Ajay Kanwal
About Ashoknagar Co-operative Bank Ltd:
HeadQuarters– Bangalore, Karnataka
President– KM Nagraj
<<Read Full News>>

 APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS     

Vishal V. Sharma, Appointed as Next Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO’s Permanent Delegation of India; Succeeds Jawed Ashraf

On October 14, 2020  Vishal V. Sharma has been appointed as the next Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO’s Permanent Delegation of India, with the rank of Ambassador. He will take up the assignment shortly. He succeeds Jawed Ashraf, a 1991 batch IFS(Indian Foreign Service) officer. 
Vishal V. Sharma is the third political appointee among Indian ambassadors and high commissioners worldwide.
About Vishal V. Sharma
i.He is a  BJP(Bharatiya Janata Party) official who had served as the officer on special duty to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was heading Gujarat.
ii.In 2017, he was appointed as the independent director of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited.
About Jawed Ashraf 
i.Jawed Ashraf assumed charge as the Ambassador of India to the Republic of France and Principality of Monaco on July 13, 2020.
ii.He has served in different posts including, as the High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Singapore from November 2016 to July 2020.
iii.He has also published a coffee table book of his photographs, “A Day in the Life of Kathmandu”.
Additional Info
Vinay Mohan Kwatra was the first resident Indian ambassador and also to be India’s permanent representative to UNESCO, followed by Jawed Ashraf.     

Dr Michael Irani of Great Britain Appointed as the Interim President of IWF

On 16th October 2020, Dr. Michael Irani of Great Britain(GBR) was appointed as the Interim President of the International Weightlifting Federation(IWF), at the meeting of the IWF Executive Board, in accordance with the constitution of IWF. Michael Irani is serving as the chairman of the IWF Medical Committee.He take over as Interim President from Intarat Yodbangtoey.
Background:
i.Ursula Papandrea was appointed as the Acting president after the resignation of Tamás Aján.
ii.The Executive board of IWF voted to remove her from the post of Acting President following which Thailand’s Intarat Yodbangtoey was appointed as Interim President.
iii.But due to continuous turmoil,Britain’s Michael Irani take over as Interim President from Thailand’s Intarat Yodbangtoey.
About Michael Irani:
i.Michael Irani was born in Bombay, India.
ii.Michael Irani is a leading physician in Rheumatology who works as a Consultant Rheumatologist at Ashford Hospital NHS Trust. 
iii.He was the former Chairman of the anti-doping Commission of IWF.
iv.He was a member of the IWF Medical Committee since 1992.
v.He served as the President of the European Weightlifting Federation(EWF) Medical Committee from 1995 to 1999.
About International Weightlifting Federation (IWF):
President– Michael Irani(Interim)
Headquarters– Budapest, Hungary

       SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Japan Coast Guard Tests “SeaGuardian” Maritime Surveillance Drone

On 15th October, 2020, Japan’s Coast Guard started testing “SeaGuardian” – a Maritime Surveillance Drone in the coast of Sariku in Northeastern Japan, along the coasts of Sea of Japan. 
The drone is being tested amidst rising tensions between China & Japan in the East China Sea.  
i.It is being tested to check the capabilities of the drone in carrying out operations like search and rescue operations, and maritime surveillance. 
ii.The drone has been developed by United States (US) based defence firm General Atomics Aeronautical Systems.  
About Japan:
Prime Minister – Yoshihide Suga 
Capital – Tokyo
Currency – Japanese Yen
<<Read Full News>>

OBITUARY

Bhanu Athaiya, Costume Designer & India’s First Oscar Winner Passed Away at 91

On 15th October 2020, Bollywood Costume Designer, Bhanu Athaiya, who was the first Indian to win the Oscars Award passed away at the age of 91 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She was born on 28th April 1929 in Kolhapur, Kolhapur State (now Maharashtra), British India.
About Bhanu Athaiya:
i.Bhanu Athaiya debuted as a costume designer for the film Shahenshah in 1953.
ii.She designed costumes for Guru Dutt film CID and later worked with Raj Kappor, Ashutosh Gowariker, Yash Chopra and others.
iii.She also designed for international filmmakers like Conard Rooks, Richard Attenborough etc.,
iv.During her 50 years career as costume designer she worked in around 100 films including Chalis Baba Ek Chor (1954), Gandhi (1983), Lekin (1990), Lagaan (2001), Swades (2004).
Book:
Her book titled “The Art of Costume Design” was published by HarperCollins in 2010.
She presented this book to the Dalai Lama in 2013.
Awards:
i.She won the Oscar award for best costume design in 1983 for the film Gandhi directed by Richard Attenborough starring Ben Kingsley as Mahatma Gandhi.
ii.She returned her Oscar to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2012 for Safekeeping.
iii.She won the National Award for Best Costume Design in 1991 and 2002 for Lekin and Laggan respectively.
iv.Filmfare honoured her with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009 and she won the Laadli Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Shashi Tharoor authored New Book Titled “The Battle of Belonging”

Renowned Author and Politician Shashi Tharoor is set to release his new book titled “The Battle of Belonging” in November 2020. The book is published by Aleph Book Company. Shashi Tharoor described this book as his “magnum opus” on the Theory, evolution and practice of Nationalism across the globe and especially in India.
He also stated that this book is one of his most solidly researched and passionately argued works.
About “The Battle of Belonging”:
The book appears to be an extension of his book “Why I Am a Hindu”.
It provides the historical context to the ideas of nationalism, patriotism, humanism, democracy and their origins.
This book established the actual Indianism and the what it means to be a patriotic and nationalistic Indian in the 21st century.
About Shashi Tharoor:
i.Shashi Tharoor served as the Under Secretary-General of the United Nations(UN) from 2002 to 2007.
ii.He was a former Minister of State(MoS) for Human Resource Development (now known as Ministry of Education) and MoS for External Affairs in the Government of India.
iii.He is the longest-serving member of the Lok Sabha from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala since 2009.
Books:
Some of his works include India: From Midnight to the Millennium (1997), The Five Dollar Smile And Other Stories (1993).
Awards:
i.He won the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Books (Non-Fiction) in 2016 and Sahitya Akademi Award in 2019 for “An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India”.
ii.He won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize in 1991 under Eurasian Region for his book “The Great Indian Novel”
iii.He won the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, India’s highest honour for overseas Indians in 2007 for his record as an international civil servant.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Food Day 2020: October 16

i.The United Nations(UN)’s World Food Day is annually celebrated on October 16 to commemorate the founding date of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN in 1945, this year(2020) marks the 75th anniversary of FAO. 
Theme of World Food Day 2020– “Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together”. 
2020 Events in India
i.Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi Released Commemorative Coin of Rs 75 denomination.
ii.PM Dedicates 17 recently developed biofortified varieties of eight crops to Nation.
iii.Harsh Vardhan Chairs Event on ‘World Food Day’ Organized by FSSAI
About Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO):
Director-General– QU Dongyu
HeadQuarters– Rome, Italy
<<Read Full News>>

Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas observed on October 15

Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas was observed throughout the country on October 15, 2020. It is celebrated to recognise the contribution of women farmers in various aspects of agriculture. 
It was decided in 2016 that every year 15th October will be celebrated as “Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas” by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas 2020:
i.Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare (DAC & FW) organized Mahila Kisan Diwas 2020 in virtual mode. 
About Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare:
Union Minister –  Narendra Singh Tomar
Minister of State (MoS) –  Parshottam Rupala, Kailash Choudhary
<<Read Full News>>

STATE NEWS

J&K LG  Manoj Sinha Announced  “My Town My Pride” Programme to Deliver Service in Urban Area

On 15th October 2020, Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) announced the “My Town My Pride” programme to deliver services governance at doorsteps to the people in urban areas.This 2 day programme will be held on 19th & 20th October 2020 as a part of the public outreach initiative in the towns of J&K.
About Jammu & Kashmir(J&K):
Temples– Amarnath cave temple (recently in news), Raghunath Temple,Vaishno Devi Temple, Shankaracharya Temple, 
Lakes– Dal Lake, Nagin Lake, Wular Lake, Surinsar Lake, Mansar Lake.
<<Read Full News>>

AC GAZE

Vega ropes in Rohit Sharma as Brand Ambassador

Beauty Accessories Brand VEGA has appointed Rohit Sharma as its Brand Ambassador. Rohit will endorse men’s personal grooming electronics range under the ‘Vega Men’ brand.  The campaign will go live from October, 2020. 

IMD Operationalised Advanced High-resolution Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi and India

India Meteorological Department(IMD) under the ministry of Earth Science has operationalised ENFUSER – ENvironmental information FUsion SERvice, a high resolution city scale model for Delhi. The ENFUSER will identify the hotspots of air pollution and pollution upto street levels.  The System for Integrated modelling of Atmospheric composition (SILAM), the Air quality forecast model for India was improved with the implementation of global emission inventories CAMS-GLOB v2.1 supplemented with EDGAR v4.3.2 for coarse and mineral-fine anthropogenic particulate matter at 10km resolution. ENFUSER and SILAM are developed in collaboration with Finnish Meteorological Institute(FMI). 

To provide air quality forecast, the Air Quality forecast model WRF-Chem has also been updated with high-resolution land use land cover information.

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