Current Affairs 15th October 2020| Current Affairs News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

International E-waste Day

• The third International E-Waste Day will be held on the 14th October 2020 to promote the correct disposal of e-waste throughout the world.
• This year a particular focus will be given to educating children and youth about the ways to tackle the growing e-waste problem.
• International E-Waste Day has been developed by the WEEE Forum, an international association of electronic waste collection schemes.

World Students’ Day

• World Students’ Day is observed on 15 October annually to mark the birth anniversary of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
• In 2010, the United Nations Organization (UNO) declaredOctober 15 as the World Students’ Day to honour his efforts on promoting education.
• This day honours and pays respect to him and his efforts in the field of science and technology and also the role of the teacher that he played throughout his scientific and political careers.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

PM Modi to release commemorative coin on 75th anniversary of FAO

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release a commemorative coin of Rs 75 denomination on the 75th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to mark India’s long-standing relations with the UN agency.
• Modi will also dedicate to the nation 17 recently developed biofortified varieties of eight crops.
• India’s proposals for declaring 2016 as the International Year of Pulses and 2023 as the International Year of Millets have also been endorsed by the FAO.
• Indian civil service officer Binay Ranjan Sen was the Director General of FAO during 1956-1967. The World Food Programme, which has won the Nobel Peace Prize 2020, was established during his time.

About FAO

• Headquarters: Rome, Italy
• Head: Qu Dongyu

Prolonged closure of schools may cost India $400 billion: World Bank

• According to the recent World Bank report titled ‘Beaten or Broken? Informality and Covid-19 in South Asia’, the prolonged closure of schools in India could cost the country over $400 billion in future earnings.
• For the continent, the estimated loss, in an optimistic scenario, stands at $622 billion, while for the pessimistic scenario, this could stand at $880 billion. The report added that this continental loss is largely driven by India.
• The report further estimated that the South Asian region is going to witness its worst-ever recession this year, exacerbated by the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• The report noted: “Temporary school closures in all South Asian countries have had major implications for students. They have kept 391 million students out of school in primary and secondary education, further complicating efforts to resolve the learning crisis.”
• It added: “While most governments have made enormous efforts to mitigate the impact of school closures, it has been difficult to engage children through remote learning initiatives.”
• The report stated that around 55 lakh students may drop out of the education system that can have a lifetime impact on them.

About World Bank:

• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
• President: David Malpass

Cabinet approves World Bank supported ‘STARS’ project to boost school education system

• The Union Cabinet has approved World Bank supported Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States -STARS project. The Project seeks to support States in developing, implementing, evaluating and improving interventions with direct linkages to improved education outcomes. Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar stated that the total project cost is 5 thousand 718 crore rupees with the financial support of World Bank amounting to 500 million US dollar.
• Mr Javadekar stated, STARS project would be implemented as a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme under Department of School Education and Literacy. He stated, it will cover six States, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Odisha. The Minister stated, this is an important milestone and the beginning of the New Education Policy.

Ministry of AYUSH launches Jan Andolan Campaign on COVID-19

• The Ministry of AYUSH has launched the Jan Andolan Campaign on COVID-19.
• This Andolan is regarding “Public Health Response to COVID-19: Campaign for COVID-Appropriate Behaviour” which has been launched Prime Minister.
• In the Ayush Sector, the practitioners and other Ayush professionals will act as catalysts for dissemination of relevant information throughout the country. The campaign emphasizes on “Unlock with Precautions”.
• The three key messages which are being highlighted across the sector are – “Wear Mask, Follow Physical Distancing, and Maintain Hand Hygiene.

About Ministry of AYUSH:

• Shripad Naik, Minister of State (Independent charge)
• Constituency: North Goa

MSME Ministry introduces AI & ML for strengthening its single window system portal ‘Champions’

• Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises- MSME Ministry has introduced Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for strengthening its single window system portal ‘Champions’ to assist the MSMEs in the country. Champions Portal was launched by the Prime Minister in June this year.
• This multi-modal system also comprises technology equipped physical control rooms at around 69 locations in the country.
• Appreciating the efforts made by the MSME Ministry, Minister Nitin Gadakari stated, the entire conceptualization and scope analysis has been done in the Ministry with the help of NIC and guidance provided by the team of Intel.
• Artificial Intelligence and Analytics technology help in understanding the issues on real-time basis based on widely available social media and online data.
• MSME Ministry is also aggressively working in the direction of Industry 4.0 to give a boost to the MSME sector.
• Ministry is also helping the MSMEs for manufacturing the products like sensors, motors, computer displays and other animation technologies.

About Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises:

• Nitin Gadkari, Cabinet Minister
• Constituency:Nagpur
• Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Minister of State

Government sets up a panel of secretaries headed by Rajiv Gauba to streamline telecom spectrum allocation

• The government has constituted a panel of secretaries under cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba to streamline the spectrum allocation process and examine the possibility of drawing up an annual calendar for auction of airwaves that will give telcos a clear road map of the quantum as well as the frequency of spectrum on offer for commercial use.
• Besides Gauba, the panel comprises the secretaries of home, defence, railways, telecom, I&B and department of space. People familiar with the matter stated that the ambit of the panel may be widened in the future to also include spectrum pricing issues. The committee had its first meeting.
• Telcos have for long been demanding that the government gives a clear road map for auctioning spectrum, which would help them plan and allocate resources efficiently, roll out latest technologies, optimise networks and ensure quality services. In the past 10 years, the government has auctioned spectrum six times – in calendar years 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 – but has refrained from giving any clarity on the frequency of future airwaves sale.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL

India and France re-elected as president and co-president of International Solar Alliance

• India and France were re-elected as the president and co-president of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) for a term of two years at the virtual meeting of the third assembly.
• A total of 53 member countries and 5 signatory and prospective member countries participated in the assembly.
• Four new Vice-Presidents were also chosen to represent the four regions of ISA. The representatives of Fiji & Nauru for Asia Pacific Region; Mauritius & Niger for Africa Region; UK & Netherlands for Europe and others Region, and Cuba and Guyana for Latin America and Caribbean Region assumed the vice presidency.

About ISA

• Headquarters location: Gurugram
• Leader: Upendra Tripathy

India contributes 1 million dollars to UNRWA for Palestine Refugees

• India has contributed one million dollars to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees in Near East.
• This aid will support the Agency’s programmes and services, including education, health care, relief and social services.
• The Representative Office of India in Ramallah stated, India’s support for the Palestinian cause is an integral part of the nation’s foreign policy. It shall continue supporting the UNRWA’s activities in providing vital services and necessary humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees.

About UNRWA:

• Headquarters: Amman, Jordan
• Deputy Commissioner-General: Leni Stenseth
• Commissioner-General: Philippe Lazzarini

Climate change spurs doubling of disasters since 2000: UN

• The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) stated 7,348 major disaster events occurred between 2000 and 2019, claiming 23 million lives, affecting 4.2 billion people, and costing the global economy some $2.97 trillion.
• The figure far outstrips the 4,212 major natural disasters recorded between 1980 and 1999, the UN office stated in the new report, The Human Cost of Disasters 2000-2019.
• The sharp increase was largely attributable to a rise in climate-related disasters, including extreme weather events like floods, drought and storms, the report stated, adding that extreme heat is proving especially deadly.
• The report did not touch on biological hazards and disease-related disasters like the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed over one million people and infected over 37 million in the past nine months.
• But Mizutori suggested coronavirus was “the latest proof that political and business leaders are yet to tune in to the world around them”.
• The report showed 6,681 climate-linked events had been recorded since the turn of the century, up from 3,656 during the previous 20-year-period.
• While major floods had more than doubled to 3,254, there had been 2,034 major storms up from 1,457 in the prior period.

About United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction:

• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Head: Mami Mizutori 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE

Vivifi India Finance launches UPI-based credit option FlexPay

• Vivifi India Finance, a Hyderabad-based non-bank lender, has launched FlexPay, a payment option that offers credit using the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
• FlexPay will enable customers to use a line of credit when they do not have funds available in their bank accounts or virtual wallets.
• The product facilitates offline purchases by scanning any UPI QR code or a UPI ID to salaried and self-employed individuals.

IKEA partners Mastercard, Citi to launch Family Credit Card

• IKEA, the Swedish home furnishings major, has joined hands with the Citibank India and Mastercard to launch ‘IKEA Family Credit Card by Citi’ seeking to make acquisition of home furnishings more affordable for its diverse customers.
• This card provides instant in-store card bookings, direct payments via Bharat QR, accelerated reward points and attractive EMIs. Furthermore, the card will also offer reward points on all purchases with instant reward redemption at IKEA.
• The IKEA Family Credit Card by Citi will be available to IKEA Family members at ‘zero joining fee and zero annual fee’ and can be used for purchases made on IKEA’s online and offline stores, or anywhere in the world that accepts credit cards.
• Together with Citi, IKEA will offer an affordable EMI option for the customers that extends from 03 to 48 months, allowing even more flexibility.

About Mastercard:

• CEO: Ajaypal Singh Banga
• Headquarters: New York, United States

About IKEA:

• Headquarters: Delft, Netherlands
• CEO: Jesper Brodin

EarlySalary launches zero-touch digital card

• Fintech lenders are rolling out innovative credit options for consumers amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and upcoming festival season.
• Consumer lending platform EarlySalary launched a zero-touch digital card that provides instant access for salaried professionals to make instant purchases across thousands of merchants across India.
• Called Salary Card, it is powered by RuPay and allows consumers to set up a dynamic credit limit for their various spending requirements.
• “The rise of zero-touch experience and the increasing credit demand, even from small towns and villages have inspired us to launch the Salary Card,” stated Akshay Mehrotra, CEO and Co-Founder, EarlySalary.
• Earlier this month, the company had also introduced the EarlySalary Credit Suite which aims to provide a one-stop credit solution to salaried individuals.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

PepsiCo to set up greenfield potato chips production unit in UP with investment of Rs. 814 crore

• The multi-national food and beverage major PepsiCo is setting up a greenfield potato chips production unit in Uttar Pradesh with an investment of Rs. 814 crore.
• The unit is being set up in Kosi – Mathura on 35 acres of land provided by UP State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA).
• The unit, which is expected to commence commercial production by middle of the next year, will facilitate direct and indirect employment to about 1,500 patrons.
• Ahmed El Sheikh, the Chairman of PepsiCo India stated that the initial investment in this project was pegged at Rs. 500 crore which has been revised to Rs. 814 crore.
• Significantly, the raw material, potato will be procured through local sources which could change the fortune of potato growing farmers in central UP.
• MoU was signed by PepsiCo to set up this project at UP Investors Summit-2018 and the project started with the arrangement of land at the ground breaking ceremony held in July 2019. This is the first time that PepsiCo is setting up a greenfield project in state itself.

About UP:

• Capital: Lucknow
• Governor: Anandiben Patel
• Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath

About PepsiCo:

• CEO: Ramon Laguarta
• Headquarters: New York, United States

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

Odisha CM Naveen Virtually Launches ‘Sujal’- Drink From Tap Mission Initiative

• Chief minister Naveen Patnaik virtually launchedthe “Drink from the tap Mission-Sujal”, an initiative under the 5T model of governance, that aimed to ensure 24×7 safe and quality drinking water to the people in urban areas.
• The Sujal project has been launched in Bhubaneswar and Puri and over 1.80 lakh people will benefit from the initiative.
• Bhubaneswar is the first city in the country (over 10 lakh population) to have 100 percent piped water facility.
• By March 2022, households in all urban areas will have piped water connection.
• Apart from Bhubaneswar, 100 percent household water supply connection has been achieved in Gopalpur, Digapahandi, and Kashinagar
• The Drink From Tap Mission will be executed in 15 cities in the State which will benefit over 15 lakh people. The State government will spend Rs 1300 crore for the project.

About Odisha

• Capital: Bhubaneswar
• Governor: Ganeshi Lal
• Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik

Water taxi service to be launched in Alappuzha

• Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will launch a water taxi service of the State Water Transport Department (SWTD) in
• A catamaran diesel-powered craft will be used for the water taxi service. The boat, with a seating capacity for 10 passengers, will pick passengers and drop them at their destination. The tariff fixed had been ₹750 for 30 minutes.
• It can cruise at a maximum speed of 19 knots (35 km/hour). The vessel has been constructed by Kochi-based Navgathi Marine Design and Constructions Private Limited, which built the country’s first solar ferry, Aditya.

About Kerala

• Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
• Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan
• Chief minister: Pinarayi Vijayan

DPCC bans diesel generators in Delhi from October 15 to curb air pollution

• Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) issued directions banning the use of diesel generators in the national capital under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
• GRAP is a set of anti-pollution measures that come into force in Delhi and its vicinity towns according to the severity of the situation.
• It was notified by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in 2017 for implementation through the Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority.
• Essential services include healthcare facilities, elevators, railway services, Delhi Metro, airports and interstate bus terminals and the data centre run by the National Informatics Centre.

About New Delhi

• Chief minister: Arvind Kejriwal
• Governor: Anil Baijal

Gujarat govt announces setting up of world’s biggest Zinc Smelter project in Dosawada in Tapi district

• Gujarat government has announced the setting up of the world’s biggest Zinc Smelter project in Dosawada in Tapi district. The Memorandum of Understanding for this project was signed with Vedanta Group.
• The proposed 300 KTPA production capacity project would provide big employment opportunities to the local youths in this tribal area.The first phase of the proposed plant will be operational in 36 months.
• The project with the investment of 10 thousand crore will also have a State-of-the-art Research and Development Centre. The project will satisfy the domestic as well as global needs through exports.

About Gujarat:

• Capital: Gandhinagar
• Governor: Acharya Devvrat
• Chief minister: Vijay Rupani

J&K: “SAKHI” One-Stop Service Centre for women in Ramban district inaugurated

• In Jammu and Kashmir, Senior Consultant in the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, Dr. Jupaka Madhavi and Additional Superintendent of Police, Ramban, Rajni Sharma inaugurated a “SAKHI” One-Stop Service Centre for women in Ramban district.
• The Ministry is implementing a scheme for setting up One Stop Centres since April 2015 to support women affected by violence.
• The scheme aims to facilitate access to an integrated range of services including medical aid, police assistance and legal aid or case management, psycho-social counselling and temporary support services to women affected by violence.
• Under the scheme, it has been envisaged that One Stop Centre would be set up across the country at district level in a phased manner.

About Jammu and Kashmir:

• Capital: Srinagar (May-October),Jammu (November-April)
• Lieutenant Governor: Manoj Sinha

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

Cello Group signs Amitabh Bachchan as brand ambassador

• Cello Group, a household product manufacturer, has roped in Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan as its brand ambassador.
• The brand’s objective with the partnership is to enhance and build consumer connect across different markets and to strengthen its market presence.

NTPC CMD Gurdeep Singh’s term extended till July 2025

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has extended the tenure of state run NTPC Ltd chairman and managing director, Gurdeep Singh till 31 July 2025.
• Singh had first assumed the charge of utility’s chairman and managing director in February 2016. He has earlier worked at NTPC and also across power sector in firms such as CLP, CESC, IDFC, Powergen and AES.
• His second term will start from 4 February next year and extend till 31 July 2025 which is the date of his superannuation

About NTPC

• Founded: 1975
• Headquarters: New Delhi, India

Dita named ambassador for World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020

• Romania’s 2008 Olympic champion Constantina Dita has been named an ambassador for theWorld Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020.
• The 2020 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships, originally scheduled for 29 March 2020 in Gdynia, Poland, was postponed until 17 October 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
• Dita competed at eight editions of the World Half Marathon Championships and earned seven medals in the process, making her one of the most successful athletes in the history of the event. Her double victory in Edmonton in 2005, taking individual and team gold medals, remains one of the highlights of her career.
• She won the marathon gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

NASA to Launch Nano Satellite Developed by Three Tamil Nadu Students into Sub-orbit

• An experimental satellite by three students from Tamil Nadu’s Karur district will be launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Agency into the sub orbit in June, next on NASA’s sounding rocket 7.
• Their innovation, India Sat, which took more than two years of extensive research, has been deemed world’s smallest and lightest satellite, made with reinforced graphene polymer is 3 cm in size and weighs 64 gm.
• The satellite is equipped with it’s own solar cell, that will generate power for it and it has its own radio frequency that will send and receive data to and fro between Earth and outer space.
• The photographic film of the satellite will also absorb and measure the cosmic radiation inside the rocket.
• The three students — M. Adnaan of Thanthonrimalai, M. Kesavan of Nagampalli and V. Arun of Thennilai and the team was mentored by Rifath Shaarook of Space Kids India.

About NASA

• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
• NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine

One American, two Russians blast off to International Space Station

• A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying a S. astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and successfully reached orbit, live footage broadcast by Russia’s space agency Roscosmos.
• The crew members travelling to the International Space Station (ISS) are Kate Rubins, a NASA microbiologist who in 2016 became the first person to sequence DNA in space, and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov.
• The mission is the last scheduled Russian flight carrying a U.S. crew member.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING

New Zealand passport most powerful, US ranked 21, India 58 in Global Passport Index by Arton Capital

• New Zealand has knocked off Japan for the strongest passport in the world according to the latest Global Passport Index compiled by global financial advisory firm Arton Capital.
• The US passport ranked 21 and India, 58.
• The passport index lists the power of passports in terms of real-time, visa restrictions, factoring in legislative changes, and entry requirements.
• Earlier, New Zealand shared the top position with Japan. However, it has now secured a definitive top spot based on its ‘mobility score’, that is the number of countries the passport grants access to. Kiwi passport holders now get visa-free access to 129 countries.
• Japan now holds the second position along with Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Ireland, South Korea and Australia.

India recorded the third-highest number of disaster events over the past 20 years: UN Report

• India ranks third in the highest number of disaster events recorded over the last 20 years according to the latest report published by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
• The report “The Human Cost of Disasters 2000-2019” records disaster events across the globe along with its impact of human lives and the economy.
• The report has been produced with Belgium’s Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters at UC Louvain.
• According to the report, which compiles statistics from the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT), maintained by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), Asia has suffered the highest number of disaster events.
• Overall, the top three countries in terms of the highest number of events include “China (577 events), the United States of America (467 events) and India (321 events)”.
• These are disasters which have “killed ten or more people; affected 100 or more people; resulted in a declared state of emergency; or a call for international assistance.”
• “In total, between 2000 and 2019, there were 3,068 disaster events in Asia, followed by the 1,756 events in the Americas and 1,192 events in Africa,” as per the report.

Chandigarh University bags first rank in India as stand-alone institution for filling highest number of patents in a year according to Government of India patent rankings

• Chandigarh University Gharuan has emerged as Top Stand-Alone University in India for filling highest number of patents in a year.
• The annual rankings for the year 2018-19 was recently released by Office of Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks, Government of India which comprises of Academic Institutions and Multinational Companies.
• As per the Intellectual Property India annual report released by Government of India, in the overall patents filing category, 27 Indian Institute of Technology (IIT’s) have collectively filed 557 patents and are leading the table but with 336 patents filed in a year, Chandigarh University Gharuan has emerged as the leading stand-alone institution to file highest number of patents which is followed by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) with 239 patent applications, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) with 202 applications and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) with 173 applications.
• “In addition, with the filing of 148 patents Chandigarh University has also bagged third position in the Top 5 Indian Applicants for patents in the field of Information Technology and is just placed behind the top Indian IT Companies TCS and Wipro,” the Chancellor stated.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE

Exercise Suraksha Kavach- Joint Anti Terrorist Exercise By Army and Police

• The aim of the exercise was to harmonize the drills and procedures of both Army and Police for activating anti-terrorist Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) to counter any terrorist actions in Pune.
• The exercise involved participation of Quick Reaction Teams, Dog Squads and Bomb Disposal Teams of Army as well as Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Quick Reaction Team of Maharashtra Police.
• A simulated exercise scenario was built up regarding the presence of terrorist in family accommodations at Lullanagar, based on which Quick Reaction Teams of Army initially established the outer cordon.
• Joint action was carried out by Army’s Counter Terrorism Task Force (CTTF) and Quick Reaction Team of Maharashtra Police to neutralize terrorists, it involved room intervention drill, search of room for any unidentified items/explosives by Dog squads and their neutralization/ diffusion by Bomb Disposal Units.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS

Odisha to sponsor national rugby teams till 2023

• Odisha Government would sponsor the Indian national rugby team for the next three years (2023) and facilitate high performance training and conditioning of the players.
• An agreement with Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU) was inked here at Kalinga Stadium.
• The partnership is part of the State Government’s mission to develop, promote and expand the sports ecosystem beyond hockey and football.
• The sponsorship will cover training, conditioning and incentivising the Indian national rugby teams (men and women) participating in international rugby events.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY

Padma Shri awardee and renowned Kuchipudi exponent Shobha Naidu passes away at 64

• Renowned Kuchipudi dancer, Dr Shobha Naidu (64), passed away after prolonged illness.
• Shobha Naidu had been one of the prominent exponents of Kuchipudi dance in the country.
• Naidu was awarded the civilian honour of Padma Shri in 2001. She also won several other awards like Nritya Choodamani and Sangeet Natak Akademi award.
• She also served as the principal of the 40-year-old Kuchipudi Art Academy, Hyderabad and trained more than 1,500 students from India and abroad.

At 93, ‘Nightingale of Gujarat’ passes away due to Covid

• Kaumudi Munshi, known as the “Nightingale of Gujarat”, passed away in the early hours at Somaiya Hospital in Sion due to Covid-19.
• Munshi’s versatility meant that she could shift effortlessly between the needs of different stages and genres. Whether it was classical or light music, a garba or a ghazal, she was able to capture the hearts of her audiences in Gujarati, Hindi and Urdu. Some of her best loved garba songs, played even today during festivities, are saachi re maari sat re bhavaani ma and nav nav raat na norta karish ma.

Renowned Malayalam poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri passes away

• Renowned Malayalam poet and Jnanpith laureate Mahakavi Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri passed away in Thrissur ,kerala. The  94 year old poet, was admitted to hospital due to age related ailments.
• Recently, he was conferred with the Jnanpith award, the highest literary award in the country. The poet, who was instrumental in heralding modernism in Malayalam poetry, was also a true Gandhian, social reformer, journalist and an example of simplicity.

DAILY CA 14th OCT

• World Standards Day- 14th oct
• National Philately Day being celebrated across country- 13th oct
• MoRTH enhances allocation of funds for SARDP-NE related works
• Atal Innovation Mission collaborates with CGI to promote innovation across schools
• Trifed in Collaboration with Chhattisgarh MFP Federation and IIT, Kanpur to Launch “Tech for Tribals Initiative
• Nepal Re-Elected To UN Human Rights Council
• World Bank approves USD 12 billion to help developing countries finance coronavirus vaccines
• One stillbirth occurs every 16 seconds, according to first ever joint UN estimates
• RBI raises banks’ aggregate exposure limit for small businesses to Rs 7.5 cr
• Exim Bank’s Government of India supported Line of Credit (LoC) of USD 310 million to the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe
• India’s economy to shrink 10.3% in 2020, will register 8.8% growth in 2021: IMF
• BBNL Taps Hughes India to Connect 5,000 Panchayats with Satellite Broadband
• TCS surpasses Accenture to become most-valuable IT services firm globally
• Mastercard partners Indian start-up Signzy for global rollout of Video KYC
• Haryana gets a water testing lab on wheels
• AAI to develop greenfield airport at Hollongi by November 2022
• Shri Pradeep Kumar Rawat has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Netherlands
• Karnataka Bank appoints new Additional Director
• India among top 3 overseas investment destinations’
• Fifth meeting of BRICS energy ministers to start under Russia’s chairmanship
• IMD launches impact-based cyclone warning system
• Microsoft alerts Android users of new ransomware that could render smartphone useless
• After Nearly 125 Years, Rare Day Flying Moth ‘Achelura Bifasciata’ Sighted in Uttarakhand
• Nagaland Minister CM Chang passes away Coronavirus
• Bihar Minister Vinod Singh passes away
• Charlie Moore, 1952 Olympic 400 hurdles champion, passes away
• Revolutionary Balladeer Vangapandu Prasada Rao passes away

DAILY CA 15th OCT

• International E-waste Day- 14th oct
• World Students’ Day- 15th oct
• PM Modi to release commemorative coin on 75th anniversary of FAO
• Prolonged closure of schools may cost India $400 billion: World Bank
• Cabinet approves World Bank supported ‘STARS’ project to boost school education system
• Ministry of AYUSH launches Jan Andolan Campaign on COVID-19
• MSME Ministry introduces AI & ML for strengthening its single window system portal ‘Champions’
• Government sets up a panel of secretaries headed by Rajiv Gauba to streamline telecom spectrum allocation
• India and France re-elected as president and co-president of International Solar Alliance
• India contributes 1 million dollars to UNRWA for Palestine Refugees
• Climate change spurs doubling of disasters since 2000: UN
• Vivifi India Finance launches UPI-based credit option FlexPay
• IKEA partners Mastercard, Citi to launch Family Credit Card
• EarlySalary launches zero-touch digital card
• PepsiCo to set up greenfield potato chips production unit in UP with investment of Rs. 814 crore
• Odisha CM Naveen Virtually Launches ‘Sujal’- Drink From Tap Mission Initiative
• Water taxi service to be launched in Alappuzha
• DPCC bans diesel generators in Delhi from October 15 to curb air pollution
• Gujarat govt announces setting up of world’s biggest Zinc Smelter project in Dosawada in Tapi district
• J&K: “SAKHI” One-Stop Service Centre for women in Ramban district inaugurated
• Cello Group signs Amitabh Bachchan as brand ambassador
• NTPC CMD Gurdeep Singh’s term extended till July 2025
• Dita named ambassador for World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020
• NASA to Launch Nano Satellite Developed by Three Tamil Nadu Students into Sub-orbit
• One American, two Russians blast off to International Space Station
• New Zealand passport most powerful, US ranked 21, India 58 in Global Passport Index by Arton Capital
• India recorded the third-highest number of disaster events over the past 20 years: UN Report
• Chandigarh University bags first rank in India as stand-alone institution for filling highest number of patents in a year according to Government of India patent rankings
• Exercise Suraksha Kavach- Joint Anti Terrorist Exercise By Army and Police
• Odisha to sponsor national rugby teams till 2023
• Padma Shri awardee and renowned Kuchipudi exponent Shobha Naidu passes away at 64
• At 93, ‘Nightingale of Gujarat’ passes away due to Covid
• Renowned Malayalam poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri passes away