India and ADB Sign $300 Million Loan to Develop Rajasthan’s Secondary Towns
The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) today signed a $300 million loan to finance inclusive and sustainable water supply and sanitation infrastructure and services in 14 secondary towns of the state of Rajasthan. The signatories to the Rajasthan Secondary Towns Development Sector Project were Shri Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary (Fund Bank and ADB), Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance who signed for the Government of India, and Mr. Takeo Konishi, Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission, who signed for ADB.
ADB, India sign $270 million loan to improve urban services in 64 Madhya Pradesh small cities
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India today signed a $270 million loan to develop water supply and integrated storm water and sewage management infrastructure and strengthen capacities of urban local bodies (ULBs) for improved service delivery in the state of Madhya Pradesh. This is an additional financing to scale up the scope of the ongoing Madhya Pradesh Urban Services Improvement Project, which was approved in 2017 with a $275 million loan. It will expand the outcome of the current project by covering additional 64 small cities benefiting 185,000 households consisting of about 1.3 million people.
PM releases Special Commemorative Coin of Rs 100 denomination
Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi released commemorative coin of Rs. 100 denomination to celebrate the Birth Centenary of Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia through video conference.
Territorial Army Troops celebrate 72nd Raising Day
Territorial Army (TA) since inception on 09 October 1948, as "Citizens Army", has come a long way and played a major role in assisting Regular Army as Second line of defence in times of war, by guarding Vantage Areas including Critical Ammunition installations. The TA soldier has always been recognised as multi-skilled and talented candidate, and his contribution has increased manifold over the years. TA has participated in all Wars since independence, later many TA Air Defence and Artillery were converted into Regular Army Units owing to their battle skills.
The Nobel Peace Prize 2020
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2020 to the World Food Programme (WFP). The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security. In 2019, the WFP provided assistance to close to 100 million people in 88 countries who are victims of acute food insecurity and hunger.
The Nobel Prize in Literature 2020
The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2020 is awarded to the American poet Louise Glück “for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal”. Louise Glück made her debut in 1968 with Firstborn, and was soon acclaimed as one of the most prominent poets in American contemporary literature.
TCS surpasses Accenture in m-cap to become world's most-valuable IT company
India's largest software exporter Tata Consultancy Services became the most-valuable information technology (IT) company globally as it surpassed rival Accenture for the first time in terms of market capitalisation.
Cabinet approves ‘Natural Gas Marketing Reforms’
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved ‘Natural Gas Marketing Reforms’, taking another significant step to move towards gas based economy. The objective of the policy is to prescribe standard procedure to discover market price of gas to be sold in the market by gas producers, through a transparent and competitive process, permit Affiliates to participate in bidding process for sale of gas and allow marketing freedom to certain Field Development Plans (FDPs) where Production Sharing Contracts already provide pricing freedom. The policy aims to provide standard procedure for sale of natural gas in a transparent and competitive manner to discover market price by issuing guidelines for sale by contractor through e-bidding. This will bring uniformity in the bidding process across the various contractual regimes and policies to avoid ambiguity and contribute towards ease of doing business. The policy has also permitted Affiliate companies to participate in the bidding process in view of the open, transparent and electronic bidding. This will facilitate and promote more competition in marketing of gas. However, rebidding will have to be done in case only affiliates participate, and there are no other bidders. The policy will also grant marketing freedom to the Field Development Plans (FDPs) of those Blocks in which Production Sharing Contracts already provide pricing freedom.
The Nobel Prize in Physics 2020
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Physics 2020 with one half to Roger Penrose(Affiliation at the time of the award: University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom ) “for the discovery that black hole formation is a robust prediction of the general theory of relativity" and and the other half jointly to Reinhard Genzel(Affiliation at the time of the award: University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Garching, Germany) and Andrea Ghez(Affiliation at the time of the award: University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA) "for the discovery of a supermassive compact object at the centre of our galaxy".
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna “for the development of a method for genome editing”. Since Charpentier and Doudna discovered the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors in 2012 their use has exploded. The genetic scissors have taken the life sciences into a new epoch and, in many ways, are bringing the greatest benefit to humankind. This technology has had a revolutionary impact on the life sciences, is contributing to new cancer therapies and may make the dream of curing inherited diseases come true.
Govt appoints M Rajeshwar Rao as new deputy governor of RBI
The Govt appointed M Rajeshwar Rao as the new deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India. He is currently an executive director at the banking regulator. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment as the search for the incumbent was on since August.
Bhimaraya Metri takes charge as a director of IIM Nagpur
Dr Bhimaraya Metri has taken over charge as a director at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Nagpur. Dr Metri has taken over from L S Murty, who was the director of IIM Nagpur from 2017 to 2020. Prior to joining IIM Nagpur, Dr Metri served as the director of IIM Trichy, following stints at the L&T Institute of Project Management Vadodara, MDI Gurgaon, IMI New Delhi, and BITS Pilani.
Dinesh Kumar Khara Appointed New SBI Chairman
The government appointed senior banker Dinesh Kumar Khara as chairman of the State Bank Of India. He replaces Rajnish Kumar, who completed his three-year term. The Banks Board Bureau (BBB) had recommended Khara as the next chairman of SBI.
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2020
The 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded jointly to Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice “for the discovery of Hepatitis C virus”. They have made a decisive contribution to the fight against blood-borne hepatitis, a major global health problem that causes cirrhosis and liver cancer in people around the world. The Nobel Laureates’ discovery of Hepatitis C virus is a landmark achievement in the ongoing battle against viral diseases.
Prime Minister dedicates to the Nation the Atal Tunnel
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation the World’s longest Highway tunnel – Atal Tunnel at its south portal in Manali. The 9.02 Km long tunnel connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley throughout the year. Earlier the valley was cut off for about 6 months each year owing to heavy snowfall. The Tunnel is built with ultra-modern specifications in the Pir Panjal range of Himalayas at an altitude of 3000 Mtrs (10,000 Feet) from the Mean Sea Level (MSL). The tunnel reduces the road distance by 46 Kms between Manali and Leh and the time by about 4 to 5 hours. It has state of the art electromechanical systems including semi transverse ventilation, SCADA controlled fire fighting, illumination and monitoring systems. The Tunnel has ample safety features built into it.
Military Nursing Service (MNS) has celebrated its 95th Raising Day
Military Nursing Service is the only all women corps in the Armed Forces. It came into being on March 28, 1888 with the arrival of first batch of 10 qualified British Nurses in Bombay, to organize nursing in Military hospitals in India. In 1893 it was designated as Indian Army Nursing Service(IANS) and in 1902 as Queen Alexandra Military Nursing Service (QAMNS). In 1914 for the first time Nurses were enrolled in India and were attached to QAMNS. On October 01,1926, a permanent Nursing Service for the Indian troops was formed and was designated as the Indian Military Nursing Service (IMNS). The IMNS made humble beginning and their work was universally acclaimed. On September 15, 1943, the IMNS officers became a part of the Indian Army and the members of service became Commissioned Officers.
BrahMos Missile Featuring Indigenous Booster Successfully Flight Tested
BrahMos surface-to-surface supersonic cruise missile featuring indigenous Booster and Airframe Section along with many other ‘Made in India’ sub-systems was successfully flight tested for designated range at 1030 hours today on September 30, 2020 from ITR, Balasore in Odisha. It is one more major step in enhancing the indigenous content. The BrahMos Land-Attack Cruise Missile (LACM) was cruising at a top speed of Mach 2.8. The successful launch has paved the way for the serial production of the indigenous booster and other indigenous components of the powerful BrahMos Weapon System realising Atmanirbhar Bharat pledge.
Sonu Sood honoured by UNDP for helping migrant workers during lockdown
Actor Sonu Sood has been honoured with the prestigious SDG Special Humanitarian Action Award by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), for helping thousands of migrant workers reach home during lockdown.
All India Football Federation (AIFF) awards for 2019-20
The all India Football Federation (AIFF) awards for 2019-20 season were announced in different categories. Indian Men’s national football team goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was chosen the AIFF Men’s Footballer of the year for 2019-20. He became the second goalkeeper after Subrata Paul in 2009 to be honoured with the AIFF Men’s Player of the Year Award. National women’s football team midfielder Sanju was awarded the AIFF Women’s Player of the year Award.
Laser Guided ATGM Successfully Test-fired
Laser Guided Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) was successfully test fired from MBT Arjun Tank at KK Ranges, Armoured Corps Centre and School (ACC&S) Ahmednagar on 22nd Sep 2020. In these tests, the ATGM successfully defeated a target located at 3 km. Laser guided ATGMs lock and track the targets with the help of laser designation to ensure precision hit accuracy. The missile employs a tandem HEAT warhead to defeat Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) protected armoured vehicles. It has been developed with multiple-platform launch capability and is currently undergoing technical evaluation trials from gun of MBT Arjun. Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE) Pune in association with High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) Pune, and Instruments Research & Development Establishment (IRDE) Dehradun have developed the missile.
Parliament passes the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020
The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020 with provisions to remove commodities like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes from the list of essential commodities was passed by Rajya Sabha. Earlier, the bill was introduced by the Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Shri Danve Raosaheb Dadarao in the Lok Sabha on 14th September, 2020 to replace ordinances promulgated on 5th June 2020. The bill was passed by Lok Sabha on 15th September, 2020. The EC (Amendment) Bill 2020 aims to remove fears of private investors of excessive regulatory interference in their business operations. The freedom to produce, hold, move, distribute and supply will lead to harnessing of economies of scale and attract private sector/foreign direct investment into agriculture sector. It will help drive up investment in cold storages and modernization of food supply chain.
Parliament passes The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce Bill, 2020 and The Farmers Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020
Parliament passed two bills aimed at transforming agriculture in the country and raising farmers’ incomes. The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 which were passed by Lok Sabha on 17th September 2020, were passed by the Rajya Sabha also.
Anil Dhasmana, former RAW Chief appointed as new Chief of National Technical Research Organisation
Former RAW chief Anil Dhasmana was appointed as the new chief of National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO).Dhasmana would be the head of NTRO for next two years till 65 years of age. He replaces former Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Satish Jha.
Yoshihide Suga elected as Japan's new Prime Minister succeeding Shinzo Abe
Japan's Parliament elected Yoshihide Suga as Prime Minister on September 16, replacing long-serving leader Shinzo Abe with his right-hand man. Suga, who was chief Cabinet secretary and the top government spokesman under Abe.
Rajesh Khullar appointed executive director of World Bank
Senior IAS officer and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Rajesh Khullar, has been appointed executive director of the World Bank in Washington DC for three years. As executive director, Khullar will represent India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka in the World Bank. The World Bank Group comprises 25 executive directors who each represent a country, or constituency of countries, are either appointed or elected to the position.
Dominic Thiem claims US Open title 2020
Austria's Dominic Thiem claimed his maiden Grand Slam title with a stunning comeback to beat Germany's Alexander Zverev in US Open 2020.
Naomi Osaka clinch US Open 2020 Womens Title
Naomi Osaka, who won her third Grand Slam title by beating Victoria Azarenka in US Open 2020 Womens Single title. Naomi Osaka is the first woman to win her first three Grand Slam finals since 2002.
Takeo Konishi, appointed by ADB as Country Director for India
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has appointed Takeo Konishi as its new country Director for India. Konishi succeeds Kenichi Yokoyama who has taken over as Director General of ADB’s South Asia Department and will be based at ADB headquarters in Manila, Philippines. As head of the country office in New Delhi, Konishi will lead ADB operations and policy dialogue with the government and other development partners in India.
Veteran Actor Paresh Rawal has been appointed as Chairman of National School of Drama Society
Veteran Actor Paresh Rawal has been appointed as Chairman of National School of Drama Society by President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind. Mr. Paresh Rawal has been appointed to the post of Chairman, NSD Society for four years. Mr. Rawal is an actor par excellence in both Theatre and Film. Its been almost four decades of him serving the film and theatre industry for which he has won numerous awards, including the prestigious National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1994. In 2014, he was conferred with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India, for his contribution to the entertainment industry. He also served as a former member of Parliament.
Citi bank appointed Jane Fraser as its next CEO, first woman in that role
Citigroup announced that Jane Fraser would succeed Michael Corbat as the bank's next chief executive, making Fraser the first woman to ever lead a Wall Street bank.
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Foundation Date: December 8, 1991 Headquarters: The Republic of Belarus Executive Secretaries: Sergei Lebedev Member Countries: 12 Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was established on December 8, 1991, and the leaders of the Republic of Belarus, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine signed an a →
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Headquarter: New Delhi Function and Objective of the Organization: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)has been established under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which consolidates various acts & orders that have hitherto handled food-related issues in various Ministries →
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