Current Affairs 20 & 21 September 2020

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 20 & 21 September 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 20 & 21 September 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Centre Amended Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order 2017 to Promote Make in India

i.In order to promote the “Make in India” initiative, the Central Government has amended the Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order, 2017 on September 16, 2020. This amendment will enable nodal Ministries/ Departments to notify higher minimum local content requirements for Class-I & Class-II local suppliers which was earlier fixed at 50% and 20% respectively.This order is issued pursuant to Rule 153(iii) General Financial Rules 2017.
ii.The notification in this regard was issued by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Minister of Commerce and Industry.
iii.As per the amendment, the participation in the procurement process is disallowed for the countries which bar Indian companies from being part of their government procurement process in any item.
Class I local supplier means a supplier or service provider ,whose goods, services or works offered for procurement meets the minimum local content as prescribed for “Class I local subscriber ‘under this order.
Class II local supplier means a supplier or service provider ,whose goods, services or works offered for procurement meets the minimum local content as prescribed for “Class II local subscriber‘ but less than that prescribed for ‘Class I local Supplier ‘under this order.
About Minister of Commerce and Industry:
Union Minister– Piyush Vedprakash Goyal
Minister of State (MoS)– Hardeep Singh Puri, Som Parkash
<<Read Full News>>

External Affairs Minister Launched FICCI-SAM Report “India-Japan: Time to Seize New Opportunities”

i.On 18th September 2020, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Union Minister of External Affairs launched the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry – Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas (FICCI-SAM)’s knowledge report on “India-Japan: Time to Seize New Opportunities” over a virtual platform.
ii.The FICCI-SAM report states that the government of India has assured that various benefits and structural reforms are planned to enable the uninterrupted entry of Japanese investors into the Indian Market.
iii.The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from Japan have increased and the number of japan based companies in India have increased.
About Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry(FICCI):
President– Dr Sangita Reddy
Senior Vice President– Uday Shankar
Secretary General– Dilip Chenoy
Headquarters– New Delhi
About Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas(SAM):
i.Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co is a full-service Indian law firm and one of the largest law firms in India. The company came into operation after a split between its two managing partners, Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff & Co., who headed the Delhi and Mumbai offices separately.
ii.SAM as it is popularly now known is considered as Tier 1 law firm having being ranked amongst the top 3 Law firms in almost all major practice areas. The firm regularly advises some of the largest MNCs, Private Equity Funds and Indian corporate houses.
Executive Chairman– Shardul S Shroff
<<Read Full News>>

Customs (Administration of Rules of Origin under Trade Agreements) Rules, 2020 come into force from Sept 21, 2020; 35% value addition proof mandated

i.In exercise of the powers conferred by section 156 read with section 28DA of the Customs Act, 1962 (52 of 1962), the Central Government notifies the Customs (Administration of Rules of Origin under Trade Agreements) Rules, 2020 (CAROTAR, 2020) on August 21, 2020 to protect the domestic industry from misuse of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), will come into force on September 21, 2020. 
ii.A period of 30 days is provided to importers and other stakeholders to familiarize them with new provisions.
iii.With regard to the amendment, Importers will have to provide proof of 35% value addition of goods imported through free trade agreements (FTA) to customs authorities, failing which duty benefits available under the agreement will be denied. 
About Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC):
It is a part of the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance.
Chairman– M. Ajit Kumar
<<Read Full News>>

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

53rd Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of ADB held virtually on September 17 – 18, 2020

The 53rd Annual Meeting of Board of Governor of Asian Development Bank (ADB) took place virtually on September 17-18, 2020. Ministers from ADB members, ADB Management and Industry experts participated in the virtual meeting and they discussed a wide range of issues facing Asia and Pacific due to the Pandemic.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attends the 53rd Annual Meeting:
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attended the 53rd Annual Meeting. 
i.She urged ADB to increase its size of Lending and Private Sector Operations to address poverty and promote employment generation.
ii.She invited ADB to set up South Asia Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Secretariat in India and a Private Sector Operations Branch Office in Mumbai for operational activities in the private sector.
iii.The Finance Minister stressed the need for a “Global Development” approach and a long term approach for addressing poverty.
ADB’s Funds to India:
i.In April, 2020, ADB approved a $1.5 billion (approximately Rs. 11,400 crore) loan to the Government of India to help fund its response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
ii.In July, 2020, ADB also provided USD 3 million (approximately Rs. 22 Crores) from Pacific Disaster Relief Fund and the Regional Technical Assistance for health.
About Asian Development Bank:
President – Masatsugu Asakawa
Headquarters – Mandaluyong, Philippines 

India & Bangladesh to Resume Joint Coordinated Border Patrol to Prevent Criminal Activities

On 19th September 2020, At the 50th Director General(DG) level conference between India and Bangladesh, both the countries have agreed to share real time intelligence on the smuggling syndicates ,both the countries agreed to resume the joint coordinated border patrol and the list of smugglers to control and prevent criminal activities and other problems and to ensure the peace and security in the Indo-Bangladesh borders.

• The 4-day conference was held from 16th September 2020 to 19th September 2020 which concluded in Dhaka, Bangladesh
• The 6-member Border Security Force (BSF) delegation was led by its DG Rakesh Asthana and the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) delegation was led by its DG Md. Shafeenul Islam. 

Outcomes of the Meeting:
i.Both India and Bangladesh agreed to take measures to prevent human trafficking and illegal crossing of International borders(IB).
ii.Bangladesh assured to restrict entry to the Indian Insurgent Groups(IIGs) that plan anti-Indian activities.
iii.The residents of bordering villages will be issued daily passes, which will enable them to visit their relatives.
iv.Both the countries have agreed not to undertake any development projects with 150 yards of IB without prior intimation.
v.The next level of DG level conference will be organised at Guwahati within the 2nd week of November 2020.
About Border Security Force (BSF):
Director General– Rakesh Asthana
Headquarters– New Delhi
About Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB):
Director General– Major General Md Shafeenul Islam
Headquarters– Dhaka, Bangladesh

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

11 member Company Law Committee Gets 1 year Extension; Headed by Rajesh Verma

i.On September 17, 2020 The Ministry of Corporate Affairs(MCA) extended the tenure of the Company Law Committee by one year, i.e., this committee constituted in September 2019 has been extended upto two years( 17.09.2021)from the date of the order to constitute the committee(18.09.2019). It is now chaired by Rajesh Verma, Secretary of  MCA.
ii.The 11-member committee has a mandate to submit periodic recommendations to the government in phases and subject-wise, as may be decided by the chairman.
About Ministry of Corporate Affairs(MCA):
Union Minister– Nirmala Sitharaman(Constituency- Rajya Sabha, Karnataka)
Minister of State– Anurag Singh Thakur
<<Read Full News>>

Former RAW Chief Anil Dhasmana Appointed as New Chief of NTRO;  Succeeds Satish Chandra Jha

The Central government appointed Anil Dhasmana, former chief of Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW or RAW) as the new chief of  National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO). He will serve till he attains the age of 65, i.e., for 2 years. He succeeds Satish Chandra Jha, former Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer, who resigned from the office on September 17, 2020.
Note– The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleared the appointment of Anil Dhasmana.
Key info about Anil Dhasmana
i.He is a 1981-batch IPS(Indian Police Service) officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre.
ii.He has been with RAW for the last 23 years. He was appointed as the Chief of R&AW on 31 January, 2017 and retired in 2019. 
iii.Among others ,he has also handled South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and Europe desks.
iv.He was the lead planner behind the February 2019 airstrikes on Balakot, Pakistan following an attack on a CRPF(Central Reserve Police Force) convoy in Pulwama by Pakistan-backed terrorists.
Gist about Satish Chandra Jha
i.He is a 1981 batch Bihar cadre IPS officer.
ii.Prior to his appointment as Chairman of NTRO, he also has served as an advisor to the NTRO
About Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW or RAW):
The chief of RAW is designated Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat, and is under the direct command of the Prime Minister.
Headquarters–  New Delhi, India
Chief– Samant Goel
About National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO):
It is a technical intelligence Agency that is responsible for geospatial intelligence and satellite imagery. It is under the National Security Advisor in the Prime Minister’s Office, India.
Headquarters– New Delhi, India

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS        

CCI Approved Acquisition of Bombardier Transportation’s & Nutrition & Biosciences Inc. 

On September 19, 2020, Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the following proposals under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002:

• CCI approved the acquisition of sole control over Bombardier Transportation (the global rail solutions division of Bombardier) by Alstom S.A. (Alstom), and acquisition of approximately 18% and 3% share capital of Alstom S.A. by Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ) and Bombardier Inc (Bombardier) respectively.
• CCI also approved acquisition of Nutrition & Biosciences, Inc. (Spinco) by International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF). It relates to the acquisition of sole control by IFF, over the Nutrition & Biosciences business (“N&B Business”) of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. (“DuPont”), by means of acquiring sole control over SpinCo, a company newly formed by DuPont and to which DuPont will transfer the N&B Business.

About Competition Commission of India(CCI): 
Chairman– Ashok Kumar Gupta
Headquarter– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

IIIT Bhubaneswar Students Developed, ‘Swasner’, a 1st of its kind Helmet-like Ventilation Device to Ease Breathing

A group of 7 engineering students from IIIT(International Institute of Information Technology), Bhubaneswar have developed ‘Swasner’, a 1st of its kind helmet-like ventilation device to help patients breathe more conveniently. The designed hyperbaric chamber is a low-cost device to help COVID-19 patients.
Swasner will reduce deaths caused due to lack of ventilators in the country.
About Swasner:
i.It is designed as a bubble enclosure for the head. It works on the principle of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which is mainly used to treat diving-related illness and other medical complications.
ii.This product acts as an alternative to the existing equipment available to fight against coronavirus and other similar pandemics. 
Note: A prototype has been developed by the team and tested in a hospital in Cuttack.
Additional Info
Students namely Tapaswin Padhy, Sai Sambit Nayak, Sidharth Nayak, Ananya Aprameya, Jivitesh Debata, Vitthal Gupta, Nand Kishore Gupta, Divyajyoti Dash and Shovit Mitra designed the device
What is Hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy(HBOT) is a type of treatment used to speed up healing of carbon monoxide poisoning, gangrene, stubborn wounds, and infections in which tissues are starved for oxygen.
About International Institute of Information Technology(IIIT), Bhubaneswar: 
Director– Dr. Gopal Krishna Nayak
Headquarters– Malipada, Bhubaneswar

Southern Railway’s Chennai Division launches “Freight Seva” app

On September 19, 2020 The Chennai Division of Southern Railways launched an in-house mobile application called “Freight Seva”, as part of its efforts to boost Freight traffic and add more customers to its base. 
i.The Freight Seva app will serve as a platform for information needs, and will provide necessary details for the freight customers.
ii.It will also include various incentive schemes of Indian Railways for freight customers.
iii.The app will have a query module where the customers can seek clarifications regarding goods/parcels dealt in Chennai Division.
iv.The mobile app will help customers to get an approximate quote for a commodity to any rail destination.
v.Also, the policy initiatives taken by the Ministry of Railways will be updated in the mobile app for the benefit of freight customers.
BDU:-
Earlier, Southern Railway established a Business Development Unit (BDU) across its various divisions to brighten freight business prospects.
About Southern Railways:
General Manager – John Thomas
Southern Railways Headquarters – Chennai

OBITUARY

American Novelist Winston Groom, Author of “Forrest Gump” Passed Away at 77

On 17th September 2020, American Novelist and Journalist Winston Groom, the author of Forrest Gump, passed away at the age of 77 at Alabama, United States of America.
Groom was born on 23rd March 1944, in Washington, D.C, USA.
About Winston Groom:
He graduated from the University of Alabama in 1965 and served in the US Army which includes his duty in the Vietnam War and later started his career as a reporter.
Books:
i.He finished his book Forrest Gump in 1985 and published it in 1986.
ii.He also wrote the follow-up of Forrest Gump in 1995 titled Gump and Co.
iii.His books also include “Better Times Than These”, “The Aviators”, “The Generals” etc.
Key Points:
i.His novel Forrest Gump was made into a movie by Director Robert Zemeckis in 1994 starring Tom Hanks, Sally Field and Robin Wright.
ii.The movies won 6 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director.

Amitabha Ghosh, 16th RBI Shortest Service Governor Passed Away at 90

On September 15, 2020 Amitabha Ghosh, former governor of Reserve Bank of India(RBI) passed away at the age of 90. He is the shortest serving governor of RBI(21 days- January 15, 1985 to February 4, 1985). He served as the 16th governor, while serving as a deputy governor of RBI until R N Malhotra(17th Governor) took  over.
About Amitabha Ghosh
i.Amitabha Ghosh served as the deputy governor of RBI from January 21, 1982 to January 20, 1987 and got extension till January 20, 1992.
ii.Prior to his position as deputy governor he served as  the chairman of Allahabad Bank.
iii.He also served as the Director of the Industrial Development Bank of India and  governing body of the National Institute of Bank Management.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Coastal Clean-Up Day 2020 observed on September 19

The International Coastal Clean-Up Day has been celebrated across 100 countries since 1986 on September 19. On this day, volunteer’s clean beaches, waterways and oceans to protect them from impacts of plastic and trash. The movement was started by Linda Maraniss & Kathy O’Hara of the United States.
i.Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has for the first time recommended Eight beaches of India for the Prestigious International “Blue Flag” Label.
ii.MoEFCC launched India’s own eco-label BEAMS (Beach Environment & Aesthetics Management Services) to maintain high standards of cleanliness, safety for beachgoers in accordance with coastal environment and regulations.
About Foundation for Environment Education:
President – Lesley Jones
Headquarters – Copenhagen, Denmark
<<Read Full News>>

1st International Equal Pay Day 2020 – 18 September

i.United Nations(UNs) First International Equal Pay Day is observed on 18 September 2020 as a step towards eliminating the gender pay gap and to overcome the sexual discrimination against women in the employment sector.
ii.This day promotes equal pay to all workers and the rights to receive equal remuneration for equal work.
iii.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/74/142 on 18th December 2019 and proclaimed 18th September as the International Equal Pay Day to observe every year starting from 2020.
About United Nations Women:
Executive Director– Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
Headquarters– New York, United States of America
About International Labour Organization(ILO):
Director-General- Guy Ryder
Headquarters– Genève, Switzerland
<<Read Full News>>

STATE NEWS

Goa Government signs MoU with GIM for vocational training of ITI Trainers

On September 19, 2020 Directorate of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Goa Institute of Management (GIM) for giving vocational Training to increase the skill sets of ITI (Industrial Training Institute) Trainers. 
Key Points:
i.The Training programme would engage ITI Trainers in Industrial Production and services executed under Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS).
ii.A committee will be formed by the Government to review and monitor the progress. 
iii.The Committee will address the issues and also prepare the curriculum. 
About Goa:
Capital – Panaji
Chief Minister – Pramod Sawant 

Gujarat CM Launched Mukhyamantri Mahila Utkarsh Yojana (MMUY) scheme to Provide Interest-Free Loans to Women’s Groups

i.On September 17, 2020, Mukhyamantri Mahila Utkarsh Yojana (MMUY), a scheme of providing interest-free loans of Rs 1 lakh to women’s groups was launched in Gujarat by its Chief Minister (CM) Vijay Rupani. In this regard, the government is planning to provide total lending up to Rs 1,000 crore to these groups to be registered as joint liability and earning group (JLEG) consisting of 10 women members. 
ii.The scheme will be implemented in rural areas by the Gujarat Livelihood Promotion Company, while in urban areas it will be implemented by the Gujarat Urban Livelihood Mission.
About Gujarat:
Capital– Gandhinagar
Governor– Acharya Devvrat
<<Read Full News>>

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