Current Affairs 29 September 2020

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 29 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 25 Current Affairs of 29 September 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

President Ram Nath Kovind gives Assent to 3 Farm Bills passed by Parliament

On September 27, 2020 President Ram Nath Kovind gave Assent to Three Bills:

• The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, 
• The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Bill, 2020 and 
• The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020. 

With the President’s Assent all Three Bills have now become Laws, and have been notified in the official gazette by the Law Ministry.
About Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
Union Minister – Narendra Singh Tomar
Minister of State (MoS) – Parshottam Khodabhai Rupala, Kailash Choudhary
<<Read Full News>>

‘Cable Stayed Bridge’ Constructed across Durgam Cheruvu Lake Inaugurated in Telangana

On September 26, 2020, Telangana Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister K Taraka Ramarao inaugurated the cable stayed bridge on Durgam Cheruvu constructed across Durgam Cheruvu Lake along with a four-lane elevated corridor connecting it with Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad (Telangana)during an event. Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Gangapuram Kishan Reddy was the chief guest of the event.

• Cost of both the structures together is over Rs 334 crore.

About Bridge:
The bridge, touted as one of its kind in the country, has been constructed as part of the Telangana government’s flagship Strategic Road Development Plan (SRDP) by Larsen & Turbo (L&T) to reduce commute time between Jubilee Hills and Madhapur by 20 minutes. 

• It is 426 metre long, and 25.8 metre wide, with a total of 52 stay cables. Except the cables, which were procured from Germany, everything else is sourced from India.
• It is claimed as the “world’s longest pre-cast segmental span” of 233.85 metres in concrete for a cable stayed bridge.

About Telangana:
Chief Minister– Kalvakuntla Chandrashekhar Rao
Capital– Hyderabad

Union Home Minister Amit Shah Inaugurates “Destination North East-2020” Festival

On Occasion of World Tourism Day (i.e 27th September, 2020) Union Home Minister Amit Shah (Home Minister is also the Chairman of North-East Council) inaugurated the “Destination North East-2020” through video conference. 
i.The theme for Destination North East 2020 is “The Emerging Delightful Destinations”.
ii.The four-day festival (27th September – 30th September, 2020) will promote and showcase the North East’s (NE) tourism, culture, heritage and business.
About Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER):
Minister of State (MoS) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) (Independent Charge) – Jitendra Singh
Headquarters – New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India, Sri Lanka hold Virtual Bilateral Summit;India extends US$ 15 Million for promotion of Buddhist Ties

On September 26, 2020 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa held a Virtual Bilateral Summit. During the summit, the two leaders discussed bilateral relations, and mutual areas of concern in Regional and International issues. This is the first such Bilateral meet between the two countries since Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s election to office in August, 2020.
India extends US$ 15 Million for promotion of Buddhist Ties:
PM Modi also announced a grant assistance of US$ 15 million (approximately Rs.110 crores) for the promotion of Buddhist ties between the two countries.
Financial Discussions:
Sri Lanka requested India for $1.1 billion Bilateral currency swap. India discussed the issue of deferring the debt repayment by Sri Lanka during the Summit.
About Sri Lanka:
President – Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Capital – Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Currency – Sri Lankan Rupee
<<Read Full News>>

MUI Collaborates with UN to help Indian sailors struck on ships 

Maritime Union of India (MUI) has collaborated with the United Nations to assist seafarers who are stranded on ships due to COVID-19 Pandemic.  Through the Seafarers Crisis Action Team (SCAT), MUI will provide round-the-clock advice, counselling and assistance to Indian seafarers and their family members. 
Seafarers Crisis Action Team (SCAT):
i.The Seafarers Crisis Action Team (SCAT) was established by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to help resolve individual cases of seafarers. 
ii.It will work along with International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).
About International Maritime Organisation (IMO):
Secretary-General – Kitack Lim
Headquarters – London, United Kingdom
About Maritime Union of India (MUI) :-
Maritime Union of India (MUI) represents Merchant Navy Officers who are its members. We are affiliated to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), London, U.K. MUI is also affiliated to the Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), New Delhi.
General Secretary – Amar Singh Thakur

<<Read Full News>>

India, US, Japan, Australia hold Virtual Meet on Indo-Pacific under Quad framework

On September 25, 2020 Senior Officials from Ministry of External Affairs of India, Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade of Australia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and Department of State of United States of America held video conference for dialogue on regional and global issues of common interest under the Quadrilateral coalition or QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) Framework. 
The officials exchanged views on cooperation in areas of maritime security, counter-terrorism, connectivity and infrastructure development, with objective of promoting peace, security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Key Points:
i.During the meeting, members of QUAD confirmed their commitment towards a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific Region, based on shared values, principles and respect for International Law.
ii.The members also showed firm support for ASEAN (Association of SouthEast Asian Nations)-Centrality and ASEAN-led mechanisms.
iii.During the meet, Officials discussed ways to promote use of trusted vendors for the fifth generation (5G) networks.
Future Meetings:
1,A Ministerial-level meeting is scheduled to take place later in 2020. Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD):
i.It is an informal strategic forum between the United States, Japan, India and Australia.
ii.It is gaining significance due to growing military assertiveness of China in the Indo-Pacific Region.
2.The foreign ministers of the four countries of the “Quad” are set to hold talks in Tokyo on October to further enhance their alliance in the Indo-Pacific region.

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI to Initiate Positive Pay system for Cheques above Rs 50,000 from Jan 1, 2021: September 2020

i.On September 25, 2020, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a directive under Section 10 (2) read with Section 18 of Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 (Act 51 of 2007) stating an introduction of Positive Pay System for Cheque Truncation System (CTS) for banks in order to check fraud. It will be implemented from January 01, 2021.
ii.To be developed by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), this system will require re-confirmation of key details for payments beyond Rs 50,000.
iii.It should be noted that the usage of Positive Pay System is at the choice of account holder; however, banks may make it mandatory in case of cheques for amounts of Rs 5 lakh and above.
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, one is yet to be appointed).
<<Read Full News>>

HDFC Launched India’s 1st Warehouse Commodity Finance App

i.On September 25, 2020 HDFC Bank launched India’s first Warehouse Commodity Finance App. 
ii.The app will help customers to draw down and manage the loan against the pledge of commodities online without physical intervention or multiple visits to a bank branch. This will bring improved efficiencies and time savings for the agri value chain.
About HDFC Bank:
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)–  Aditya Puri(on his retirement on October 2020,  Sashidhar Jagdishan will take over)
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
<<Read Full News>>

 APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

RBI Ropes in Amitabh Bachchan for Customer Awareness Campaign

i.On September 27, 2020 The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) roped in Indian Film Actor Amitabh Bachchan for the customer awareness campaign to prevent naive account holders from being deceived by fraudsters. 
ii.RBI has become the most popular central bank on twitter, with about 9.66 lakh followers.
About Reserve Bank of India(RBI):
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
<<Read Full News>>

RBI Approved 3-Member Committee Headed by Meeta Makhan to Function as ad-interim MD & CEO of LVB

i.On September 27, 2020 The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) approved that daily affairs of Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB)will be run by a Committee of Directors (CoD) composed of 3 independent directors namely, Meeta Makhan, Chairperson of the CoD, Shakti Sinha, Member and Satish Kumar Kalra, Member. 
ii.The CoD will exercise the discretionary powers of  Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) in the ad-interim.
About Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB):
HeadQuarters– Chennai, TamilNadu
Tagline– The changing face of prosperity
<<Read Full News>>

Transitional Government of Mali Appointed Moctar Ouane as the New Prime Minister

i.On 27th September 2020, Former Foreign Affairs Minister Moctar Ouane (64 years) was appointed as the New Prime Minister of Mali by the decree signed by Mali’s new interim President Bah N’Daw, following the military coup on 18th August 2020, 
ii.The new President Bah N’Daw, Vice President Assimi Goita and the PM Moctar Ouane will lead the transitional government of Mali until the election in 18 months.
About Mali:
Capital– Bamako
Currency– West African CFA Franc
<<Read Full News>>

Mustapha Adib, Lebanon’s Prime Minister-Designate Resigns 

On September 27, 2020 Mustapha Adib, Lebanon’s Prime Minister designate, resigned after failing to form a government in a month of negotiations. His resignation comes 
amidst a political crisis over government formation, after he was appointed to the position on August 31, 2020.
Key Info
Lebanon is facing the worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war. It has been further worsened after the blast in the Beirut port on 4th August 2020.
About Mustapha Adib:
i.He served as the adviser to former Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati from 2000 to 2004.
ii.He was appointed as Ambassador of Lebanon to Germany in 2013.
iii.He also served as the full time professor at the Lebanese University.
About Lebanon:
President– Michel Aoun
Capital– Beirut
Currency– Lebanese pound

Entri, Kerala Startup Signs up Indian Cricketer, Robin Uthappa as it Brand Ambassador

On September 24, 2020 Entri, a local language learning app for jobs, signed up Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa(representing Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2020) as its brand ambassador in its 1st major campaign across India. It has also partnered with Hotstar torun ad campaigns in 5 different languages throughout the ongoing IPL(Indian Premier League) season. 

• Entri expects that this move will accelerate its user adoption in the country, especially in the Hindi belt.

About Robin Uthappa
i.He made a successful debut, scoring 86 runs(highest score for an Indian debutant) as the opening batsman in the ODI in 2006.
ii.He is nicknamed as ‘The Walking Assassin’ for his tactic of charging the bowler.
Gist about Entri
i.It provides different types of learning content in local languages for aspirants to get government and private jobs.
ii.Founded by Mohammed Hisamuddin and Rahul Ramesh in 2017 it started with Malayalam content and launched Tamil, Kannada,Telugu and Hindi content.
iii.It is on track to reach 5 million users in 2020 and is targeting 10 million users in the next 18 months.
HeadQuarters– Kakkanad, Kerala
Founder & CEO– Mohammed Hisamuddin

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Union Minister Harsh Vardhan launches ICMR’s vaccine web portal & National Clinical Registry

On September 28, 2020 Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Harsh Vardhan launched Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)’s Vaccine Web Portal and National Clinical Registry for COVID-19.
i.The portal will provide information regarding COVID-19 vaccine development in India and Abroad.
ii.The National COVID-19 Clinical Registry will collect data concerning clinical and laboratory investigations, treatments, management protocols and outcomes of hospitalized COVID patients in India. 
About Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW):
Union Minister –  Harsh Vardhan
Minister of State (MoS) – Ashwini Kumar Choubey
<<Read Full News>>

SPORTS

Mercedes Driver Valtteri Bottas wins Russian Grand Prix 2020

On September 27, 2020 Mercedes Driver Valtteri Viktor Bottas (Finland) won the Russian Grand Prix 2020 held at Sochi Autodrom, Russia. 
i.Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (Netherlands) finished Second, while Mercedes Lewis Hamilton (Britain) finished Third in the Russian Grand Prix 2020. 
ii.This is Valtteri’s first win since the victory in season-opening Austrian Grand Prix.
iii.Lewis Hamilton who finished third due to a penalty of 10 Seconds missed a chance to match Michael Schumacher’s Record of 91 wins in Formula One. 
About Russia:
President – Vladimir Putin
Capital – Moscow
Currency – Russian Ruble

OBITUARY

Padma Bhushan Dr.Isher Judge Ahluwalia, Former Chairperson of ICRIER Passed Away at 74

On 26th September 2020, Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia, Indian economist, public policy researcher and the former Chairperson of an economic think tank, the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), who served for 15 years from 2005-2020 passed away at the age of 74 at New Delhi due to brain cancer. She received the Padma Bhushan in 2009. She was born on 1st October 1945.
About Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia:
i.Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia was the first women scholar at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) during the 1980s.
ii.She served as the director and CEO of the think tank ICRIER from 1998 to 2002.
iii.She also served as the Chairperson of the board of International Food Policy Research Institute and the High Powered committee on Urban Infrastructure Services between 2008 and 2011.
iv.She was named Chairperson Emeritus following the appointment of Paramod Bhasin as the new Chairperson of ICRIER.
Books:
i.She recently published her memoir titled “Breaking Through”, a proof of her career which broke the barriers that huddled women’s careers.
ii.Her other books include Industrial Growth in India: Stagnation Since the Mid-Sixties and Productivity and Growth in Indian Manufacturing.

Major Jaswant Singh (Retd) Former Union Minister Passed Away at 82

On 27th September 2020, Major Jaswant Singh (Retd), former Union Minister in the cabinet of Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Founding member of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)passed away at the age of 82 at New Delhi due to cardiac arrest.
He was born in 1939 in Barmer, Rajasthan.
About Jaswant Singh:
i.Jaswant Singh was elected 4 times to the Lok Sabha and 5 times to the Rajya Sabha during which he held the key portfolios like External affairs, Defence and Finance.
ii.He was the lead negotiator in the negotiations with the United States(US)’s deputy secretary of state, Strobe Talbott, after the 1998 Nuclear tests of India.
Books:
His books include, “Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence (2009)” and A Call to Honour (2006).

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Tourism Day Observed on September 27, 2020; SAATHI App Launched 

i.Since 1980, the World Tourism Day (WTD) is held annually on September 27 globally to raise awareness on the importance of tourism in the social, cultural, political and economic aspects of any region. 
ii.The year 2020 marked a worst-hit on the tourism sector due COVID-19 induced lockdowns and restriction on travels. However, to reshape this effect into opportunity, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has designated 2020 as the Year of Tourism and Rural Development.  Therefore, the 2020 edition of WTD was held with the theme “Tourism and Rural Development”.
iii.In India, the Ministry of Tourism celebrated WTD 2020 through a virtual platform from New Delhi where Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel Dharmendra Pradhan was the chief guest. During the event SAATHI (System for Assessment, Awareness & Training for Hospitality Industry) Application was to assist the hospitality industry in safe operations covering staff, employees and guests.
About United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO):
Secretary-General– Zurab Pololikashvili
Headquarters– Madrid, Spain
Members– 159 Nations
<<Read Full News>>

World Deaf Day 2020: September 27

i.World Deaf Day is celebrated every year on the last Sunday of September, this year(2020) it falls on September 27. 
ii.The day aims to create awareness about the achievements of the deaf people and deaf people community to the general public, politician and development authorities. 
iii.The International Week of the Deaf (IWD) is celebrated annually by the global Deaf Community during the last full week of September to commemorate the first World Congress of the WFD which was held in September. 
iv.Theme of the 2020 International Week of the Deaf–  “Reaffirming Deaf People’s Human Rights” 
<<Read Full News>>

World Rabies Day Observed on September 28 2020

i.Since 2007, the World Rabies Day held annually on September 28 to raise awareness about the impact of rabies and how the disease can be prevented. 
ii.The year 2020 marked the 14th World Rabies Day with theme “End Rabies: Collaborate, Vaccinate” . As per the Global Alliance for Rabies Control(GARC), the theme focuses on the current issues in rabies elimination such as

• The goal of Zero by 2030
• The importance of dog vaccination and post-exposure prophylaxis; and
• The need for a united effort towards achieving the elimination of this transboundary disease.

<<Read Full News>>

International Day for Universal Access to Information 2020 – September 28

i.The United Nations(UN)’s International Day for Universal Access to Information(IDUAI) is annually observed on 28th September to create awareness about the importance of access to information and to enhance the people’s rights to information.
ii.28th September 2020 marks the first celebration of International Day for Universal Access to Information as proclaimed by the United Nations.
iii.The theme of IDUAI 2020 is “Access to Information in Times of Crisis”
iv.The International Day for Universal Access to Information 2020 focuses on “Access of Information – Saving Lives, Building Trust, Bringing Hope”.
About The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):
Director General– Audrey Azoulay
Headquarters– Paris, France
<<Read Full News>>

STATE NEWS

MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan Launched Mukhyamantri Kisan Kalyan Yojna on lines of PM-Kisan

i.On 26th September 2020, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister(CM) of Madhya Pradesh(MP) launched the “Mukhyamantri Kisan Kalyan Yojna” in line with the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) Scheme of the central government.
ii.Under this scheme annually Rs.4000 will be transferred to the accounts of around 175000 farmers of MP in two equal installments in addition to the Rs.6000 annually transferred to the farmers under the PM-Kisan Scheme.
About Madhya Pradesh:
Tiger Reserves– Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve, Panna Tiger Reserve, Satpura Tiger Reserve, kanha Tiger Reserve, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Pench Tiger Reserve.
Zoological parks– Mukundpur Zoo
<<Read Full News>>

Assam govt to Provide Loan to Entrepreneurs under ‘Paryatan Sanjeevani Scheme

On the occasion of World Tourism Day (WTD) 2020 i.e. on September 27, 2020, the Chief Minister (CM) of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal during a Tourism Conclave organised by government of Assam in association with Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) Limited, launched “Paryatan Sanjeevani Scheme” under which loan between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 20 lakh with interest subsidy would be provided to entrepreneurs to revive the tourism industry amid the coronavirus crisis.

• As a part of the scheme loan would be given for a period of five years and a moratorium period of one year would be given to the loanee. 
• Apart from above he also launched another scheme ‘Paryatan Sarathi’, which will provide information about Assam tourism, facilities for bookings, tour packages, hotels along with online payment gateway options.

About Assam
Capital– Dispur
Governor– Jagdish Mukhi

Alapan Bandopadhyay Named as New Chief Secretary of West Bengal 

Alapan Bandopadhyay, present Additional Chief Secretary (Home & Information) of West Bengal was named as the Chief Secretary of the state. He will take charge on October 1, 2020. He will succeed Rajiva Sinha who retires on September 30, 2020. Rajiva Sinha has been appointed the chairman of the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation(WBIDC) for a period of 3 years with effect from October 1,2020.

• Alapan Bandopadhyay is a 1987-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of West Bengal cadre.

Other Appointments
i.HK Dwivedi, presently the finance secretary of the State, will take over as the Home Secretary.
ii.Manoj Pant, presently the principal secretary of the Land and Land Reforms and Refugee Relief and Rehabilitation Department will be the new Finance Secretary.
About West Bengal:
UNESCO Heritage Site– Sundarbans National Park
Airport– Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Bagdogra International Airport.

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