Current Affairs 18 & 19 October 2020

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 18 & 19 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 18 & 19 October 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

CRPF Collaborates with IIT Delhi, DRDO and JATC to Augment its R&D Capabilities

i.On October 17, 2020 In order to augment its Research and Development(R&D) capabilities, The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has collaborated with Indian Institutes of Technology(IIT) Delhi, Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO), and Joint Advanced Technology Centre (JATC), a joint initiative of DRDO and IIT Delhi.
ii.Prof Naresh Bhatnagar from IIT Delhi, Sudhir Gupta DG TM(Technology Management) at DRDO, MH Rahaman, Director of JATC and Nalin Prabhat, IG(Inspector General) Ops(Operations) CRPF signed the MOU at Senate Hall, IIT Delhi campus.
About Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO):
Chairman– Dr G. Satheesh Reddy
Headquarters– New Delhi, India
About Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF):
Director General– AP Maheshwari
Headquarters– New Delhi, India
<<Read Full News>>

Jewar at Gautam Budh Nagar to Become one of the Aerotropolis of India

On October 16, 2020 Navneet Sehgal, additional chief secretary of Department of MSME(Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) and exports promotion, Uttar Pradesh while addressing a meeting to review functioning of the department, stated that with International airport arising in Jewar in Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh will become one of the aerotropolis of the country. 
The Jewar airport(Spread over 5,000 acres), that is to be managed by Flughafen Zürich AG (FZAG), based in Kloten, Switzerland, will become India’s largest  airport having six runways.
Key People
Arun Vir Singh, CEO(Chief executive Officer) of Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) and board member of NIAL(Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL) also attended the meeting.
Key Info
i.Jewar Aerotropolis (JA) will usher the economic activities, mainly in the MSME and agriculture sectors.
ii.It will also boost the  business activities, which result in more job avenues for locals and for people from outside the district
Gist about Jewar airport
i.On October 7, 2020 NIAL and Zurich Airport International AG(ZAIA) signed a concession agreement to begin work at the site of the upcoming Jewar airport or Noida International Airport(NIA).
ii.The construction will start in the year 2021 and the operations are likely to begin in 2024.
iii.Upon completion of the work on the 1st phase, around 12 to 16 million passengers are expected annually at the airport.
Click here to know more details Jewar Airport

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India Hosted 7th Meeting of Ministers of Justice of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Member States virtually

i.On October 16, 2020, the seventh meeting of Ministers of (Law and) Justice of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Member States was virtually hosted by Indian Minister of Law & Justice, Communication and Electronics & Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad, which saw the adoption of Joint statement by SCO member states..
ii.The Indian side urged the SCO Member States to promote exchange of ideas, best practices and experiences in identified areas through the platform.
iii.Notably, prior to this meet, i.e. on October 13-14, 2020, Anoop Kumar Mendiratta, Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law & Justice also hosted the 2nd meeting of the Experts Working Group (EWC) where discussion were held to promote resolution of disputes and other related activities of the Ministries of (Law and) Justice including legal services and forensic activities.
About Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO):
The SCO comprises eight member states — India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan; four Observer States (Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia); and six “Dialogue Partners” (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey).
Secretariat– Beijing, China
Secretary-General– Vladimir Imamovich Norov
<<Read Full News>>

Nirmala Sitharaman Virtually Participated in 102nd meeting of the WB Development Committee Plenary

i.On October 16, 2020, Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the 102nd Meeting of the World Bank (WB) Development Committee Plenary through video conferencing from New Delhi.
ii.The agenda points of the meet were: Leaning Forward to Save Lives; Scale-up Impact and Get Back on Track: World Bank Group (WBG) COVID-19 Crisis Response; and Update Joint IMF(International Monetary Fund)-WBG Staff Note: Implementation and Extension of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative.
iii.The Indian side emphasized on collective actions for the effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
iv.It should be noted that WB Group has committed $45 billion for COVID-19 response in Q4 of FY 2020.
About World Bank (WB):
President– David Robert Malpass
Headquarters– Washington, D.C., United States (US)
<<Read Full News>>

India Ranked 94 out of 107 countries in Global Hunger Index 2020; Worldwide Hunger is at “Moderate” Level

i.On October 16, 2020, Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe released the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2020 report in which India ranked 94th among 107 countries with a score of 27.2. Although there is improvement in a score as compared to 38.9 in 2000, 37.5 in 2006, and 29.3 in 2012, but it still represents a serious level of hunger.
ii.In 2019, India was ranked 102 out of 117 countries and in 2018 it was ranked 103 among 119 countries.
iii.It is to be noted that 17 countries have scores of less than 5 and are collectively ranked 1-17.
iv.As per the report the worldwide hunger is at “moderate” level but there are nearly 690 million people across the world who are undernourished.
About Welthungerhilfe:
Patron– Frank-Walter Steinmeier (President of Germany)
President– Marlehn Thieme 
Headquarter– Bonn, Germany
About Concern Worldwide:
Headquarter– Dublin, Ireland
<<Read Full News>>

3rd Assembly of International Solar Alliance held virtually; ISA Solar Awards Presented for the 1st Time

i.On October 14-16, the third Assembly of the International Solar Alliance was held in a virtual mode where India and France were-elected as the President and Co-President of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) for a term of two years at the virtual third Assembly of ISA.
ii.During the assembly, a report prepared by the World Resources Institute (WRI) was presented which identified the sources of funds, opportunities and constraints, in scaling up solar investments and the contribution of ISA in assisting Member countries. 
iii.The Haryana Chief Minister (CM), Manohar Lal Khattar conferred the Kalpana Chawla awards named after the American astronaut of Indian origin, to Dr. Bhim Singh from IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Delhi and Dr. Aaesha Alnuaimi from Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, United Arab Emirates (UAE). 
About International Solar Alliance (ISA):
In November 2015, ISA was jointly launched by India and France during the 21st session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP-21) in Paris, France to promote solar energy among its Member Countries. The major objective of the organization is the deployment of 1000 GW of solar capacity and mobilization of US$ 1000 billion of investment in the solar energy sector by 2030.
Director General– Upendra Tripathy
Headquarter– Gurugram, Haryana
<<Read Full News>>

India, Netherlands Collaborates in E-Health Initiative

i.On October 16, 2020 India and Netherlands discussed a joint thrust in the e-health sector to provide digital health facilities and security to Indians and help Netherlands to accelerate the digital transformation of health. 
ii.This collaboration is part of National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) of India. 
iii.The discussion was made in a webinar on “Energizing Partnership between India & Netherlands on Digital Health Solutions”, organized by Embassy of India, the Hague along with Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands, India, Invest India and Primus Partners, management consultancy firm.
About Netherlands:
Capital– Amsterdam
Currency– Euro
<<Read Full News>>

India, Chile hold First Joint Commission Meeting; Chile to Open Consulate General in Mumbai

On 16th October, 2020 India, Chile held their First Joint Commission Meeting virtually. This is the first institutionalized dialogue between two countries at the level of Foreign Ministers. 
Co-Chairs:
The meeting was co-chaired by S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister (EAM), India and Andres Allamand Zavala, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Chile. 
Consulate General in Mumbai:
Chile will open a Consulate General in Mumbai. 
About Chile:
President – Sebastian Pinera 
Capital – Santiago
Currency – Peso (CLP)
<<Read Full News>>

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Tata Motors Partnered with HDFC Bank for Financing of Passenger Vehicles

i.On October 17, 2020, TATA (formerly Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company) Motors has collaborated with HDFC (Housing Development Finance Corporation) Bank for financing of its passenger vehicles. In this regard, Tata Motors introduced two new schemes viz. “Gradual Step Up Scheme” and “TML Flexi Drive Scheme” which will be available till November 2020.
ii.This partnership will boost Tata motor’s sale in the festive season.
iii.It should be noted that these schemes can be redeemed on the entire new Bharat stage (BS) -VI range of cars and SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicles) along with the company’s EV range.
iv.It is also providing up to 100% ex-showroom financing on the entire Passenger Vehicles (PV) product range under both schemes.
About TATA Motors:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & Managing Director (MD)– Guenter Butschek
Headquarter– Mumbai, Maharashtra
About Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) Bank:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Sashidhar Jagdishan
Headquarter– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Assistant– Ask EVA
<<Read Full News>>

 APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Rajkiran Rai G Elected as Chairman of IBA Succeeding Rajnish Kumar;Dinesh Kumar Khara, elected as Deputy chairman

i.On October 16, 2020 At the meeting of the Managing Committee of the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA), Rajkiran Rai G, Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Union Bank of India(UBI), has been elected as the Chairman of the Association for the term 2020-21. He succeeds Rajnish Kumar.
ii.While, Dinesh Kumar Khara, Chairman, State Bank of India(SBI), was elected as Deputy Chairman of the Association for the year 2020-21. 
About Indian Banks’ Association (IBA):
It was formed on September 26, 1946. It is an association of banks and other entities in the banking ecosystem in India catering to its members.
HeadOffice– Mumbai, Maharashtra
CEO– Sunil Mehta
<<Read Full News>>

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

India conducts Successful Night Trial of Nuclear Capable Prithvi-2 Missile 

On October 16, 2020, India successfully conducted the night trial of indigenously developed Nuclear-capable Prithvi-2 Missile at the Integrated Test Range (IPR), Balasore, Odisha. Prithvi-2 is a surface-to-surface  Short Range Ballistic Missile (SRBM). 
This is the second night trial of the missile, the First Trial of Prithvi-2 was tested successfully after sunset on September 23, 2020. 
The launch was carried out by Strategic Force Command (SFC) of the Army and monitored by scientists of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). 
About Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO):
Chairman – Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy
Headquarters – New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

SPORTS

Pakistan Cricketer Umar Gul Announces Retirement from All Forms of Cricket

On 16th October, 2020, Pakistan Fast Bowler Umar Gul announced retirement from all forms of Cricket at the age of 36. He is a Right-arm Fast Medium Bowler.
Key Points:
i.He hails from Peshawar, Pakistan and has represented Pakistan in 47 Tests, 130 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 60 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). 
ii.He has taken 163 Wickets in Tests, 179 in ODIs and 85 wickets in T20Is.
ii.He was part of the 2009 Twenty 20 World Championship winning Pakistan Team which took place in England. 
iii.With 85 Wickets in 60 T20Is, Umar Gul is the Fifth Highest Wicket Taker in Twenty20 International Cricket.  
iv.Umar Gul finished as leading Wicket Taker in 2007 (South Africa) & 2009 (England)Twenty20 World Championship Tournaments. 
v.Apart from the National Team, he has played for Gloucestershire, Sussex, Quetta Gladiators, Kolkata Knight Riders.
vi.He last played for Pakistan National Team in 2016 against New Zealand. 
About Pakistan:
Prime Minister – Imran Khan
Capital – Islamabad
Currency – Pakistani Rupee

OBITUARY

Padma Bhushan P.S. Narayanaswamy Renowned Carnatic Vocalist & Guru Passed away at 86

On 16th October 2020, Padma Bhushan Puliyur Subramaniam Narayanaswamy(P.S. Narayanaswamy), esteemed carnatic vocalist and guru for hundreds of carnatic students passed away at the age of 86 at his residence in Mylapore, Chennai. He was born on 24th February 1934 in Thanjavur, Madras Presidency (now Tamil Nadu), British India.
About PS Subramaniam:
i.P.S. Narayanaswamy trained in carnatic music under Thirupambaram Somasundaram Pillai, Mudikondan Venkatarama Iyer and Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer.
ii.He also received veena training under Kumbakonam Sastrigal.
iii.He was known as one of the greatest bearers of Semmangudi baani.
iv.He composed orchestral music and conducted the ensemble while working in the Vadya vrinda section of All India Radio(AIR).
v.He led the joint orchestra of Delhi and Chennai vadya vrinda at the golden jubilee commemoration of the chennai AIR station.
vi.He conducted workshops on manodharma and compositions of the trinity at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, London.
Awards:
i.He received the Padma Bhushan for arts in 2003.
ii.He was awarded the Bala Gana Kala Rathnam at the age of 12. In 1999, he was conferred the title, ‘Sangita Kala Acharya’ by the Music Academy.
iii.He also received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Kalaimamani Award from the Government of Tamil Nadu for his contribution to carnatic music.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Jagdeep Dhankar, Governor of West Bengal Released Deepankar Aron’s Book “On the Trails of Buddha: A Journey to the East”

On 14th October 2020, Jagdeep Dhankar, Governor of West Bengal released the book “On the Trails of Buddha: A Journey to the East” authored by Deepankar Aron, IRS (Indian Revenue Service) Officer.The book is published by Niyogi Books Private limited. 
The foreword of the book was written by Padma Bhushan Lokesh Chandra.
Key People:
Nakamura Yutaka, Consul-General of Japan in Kolkata and P. Seewalee Thero, General Secretary of Maha Bodhi Society in India was present during the release at Raj Bhavan.
About the “On the Trails of Buddha: A Journey to the East”:
i.The book explores the connection between ancient India and Oriental and discovers the diverse culture connected through the 2000 miles of Silk road and separated by 2000 years’ history.
ii.This book portrays the spiritual sojourn in China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Mongolia in search of the spiritual, Philosophical and cultural link that connects India and east asian countries.
About Deepankar Aron:
i.Deepankar Aron, IRS officer of 1996, is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology – Delhi (IIT-D).
ii.He is serving as the Additional Director General(ADG) in the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence(DRI) an Indian intelligence agency at Kolkata, West Bengal.
iii.He received the Presidential Award for his contribution as IRS officer in 2016.
Book:
His first pictorial book “World Heritage sites of Uttarakhand” was published by Beehives Communications Pvt. Ltd. in 2010.

Nagaland Minister Launches handbook on “TB Harega, Desh Jeetega”

On October 16, 2020, Nagaland Minister for Health and Family Welfare, S. Pangnyu Phom launched a handbook on “TB Harega, Desh Jeetega!” –an elected Representative’s book on Tuberculosis in Kohima, Nagaland.
i.The Handbook will engage Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA), members of Zila Parishad, Gram Panchayat or Gram Sabha to address social stigma surrounding Tuberculosis. 
ii.The book will promote advocacy and community involvement in TB Programme.
iii.National TB Elimination Programme, Nagaland will work towards reducing TB burden in terms of incidence, prevalence, morbidity and mortality to make the state free from Tuberculosis. 
iv.India has committed to end Tuberculosis by 2025, which is five years ahead of Global ‘End TB’ target of 2030. 
About Nagaland:
Chief Minister – Neiphiu Rio
Capital – Kohima
Governor – Ravindra Narayana Ravi (known as R N Ravi)

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day for Eradication of Poverty 2020 – October 17

i.United Nations(UN)’s International Day for Eradication of Poverty is annually observed across the globe on 17th October to create and raise awareness on the needs to eradicate poverty and about the life conditions of the people living in poverty.
ii.The first International Day for Eradication of Poverty was observed on 17th October 1993.
iii.The theme of 2020 International day for Eradication of Poverty is “Acting together to achieve social and environmental justice for all”.
iv.The International Day for Eradication of Poverty 2020 marks the 27th anniversary of the declaration of the resolution that declared the 17th October as International Day for Eradication of Poverty.
About ATD Fourth World International Movement:
President– Donald Lee
General Delegate– Isabelle Pypaert Perrin
<<Read Full News>>

STATE NEWS

PFC Signed & Exchanged Agreement with JKPCL for Liquidity Infusion Scheme Under “Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan”

i.On 16th October 2020, Power Finance Corporation Limited(PFC), India’s leading A Non-Banking Financial Company(NBFC) owned by Government of India and Jammu Kashmir Power Corporation ltd (JKPCL) signed and exchanged an agreement for Liquidity Infusion Scheme under “Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan” for the Union Territory(UT) of Jammu and Kashmir.
ii.PFC has sanctioned Rs.2790 Crore to JKPCL for the clearance of the outstanding dues of CPSU, GENCOs & TRANSCOs, Independent Power Producers(IPPs) and Renewable Energy (RE) Generators as on 31st March 2020. 
About Power Finance Corporation Limited(PFC):
Chairman & Managing Director(CMD)– Ravinder Singh Dhillon
Headquarters– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

AC GAZE

IAA India and UNICEF Partners to Promote Gender Equality  in Ads

India Chapter of International Advertising Association (IAA India) partners with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to support the evidence and real time validation based research on gender representation and stereotypes in TV and advertisements in India.

IAA will provide technical insights to the research and share the findings to the advertising industries to support responsible and gender empowering policies.

Russian Soyuz Spacecraft launched with 1 NASA Astronaut & 2 Russian Cosmonauts

On 14th October 2020, Russian Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft carrying (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and two Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov was launched from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. This marks the last scheduled Russian flight carrying a U.S. crew member. The crew boarded the International Space Station on 14th October 2020.

Astrosat, India’s first Multi-Wavelength Astronomical Observatory Completes 5 years of Imaging Celestial Objects in Space

Astrosat, the first multi-wavelength astronomical observatory of India completed its 5 years of  imaging celestial objects in space, on September 28, 2020. It was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on September 28 2015. It has carried out 1,166 observations of 800 unique celestial sources proposed by scientists from India and abroad. The Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope(UVIT), a 3-in-1 imaging telescope simultaneously observing the visible, the near-ultraviolet (NUV), and the far-ultraviolet (FUV) spectrum  is one of the five payloads on board AstroSat.

The UVIT project was led by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA).

Religare Health Insurance Rebrands as ‘Care Health Insurance’

Religare Health Insurance has rebranded itself as Care Health Insurance from September 01, 2020. As per the company statement, the rebranding is an adoption of its principal deliverable ‘Care’ and the policies across the continuum of care, will continue to focus on customer-centricity, product innovation and financial inclusion. Care Health Insurance covers 80 cashless healthcare providers in Coimbatore and more than 900 in Tamil Nadu. The health insurance company is headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana. Anuj Gulati is the founding Managing Director and CEO of the company.

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