CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
World Sight Day
- World Sight Day is an annual day of awareness held on the second Thursday of October, to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment.
- This year, World Sight Day will take place on 8 October 2020 with the theme:Hope In Sight.
CURRENT AFFAIRS:
Union Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot inaugurates virtual “International conference on Mental Health: Looking Beyond COVID 19”
- Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot inaugurated the virtual “International conference on Mental Health: Looking Beyond COVID 19” through video conferencing.
- Delivering the inaugural address, Mr. Gehlot spoke about the rising trend of mental health concerns across the globe.
- He also spoke about the recent initiatives of the government including setting up of National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation at Sehore in Madhya Pradesh and KIRAN mental health rehabilitation helpline for addressing mental health issues.
- Craig Jeffrey, Director of Australia-India Institute co-chaired the conference.
Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ virtually inaugurates Gyan Circle Ventures
- Union Minister for Education Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ virtually inaugurated the Gyan Circle Ventures, a MeitY funded Technology Business Incubator (TBI) of Indian Institute of Information Technology, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh through Video Conference.
- Speaking on the occasion Mr. Pokhriyal stated that Innovation is the engine that powers the progress of the nation.
- He stated innovation and entrepreneurship needs to be fostered to ensure self-sustainability and remain a global leader.
- The Minister stated that centers like ‘Gyan Circle ventures’ instill entrepreneurship in young minds and steward them to become successful innovators.
Government to launch Ayurveda and Yoga protocols for management of Covid-19
- The National Clinical Management Protocol based on ayurveda and yoga for the management of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) will be jointly released by Union health and family welfare minister Harsh Vardhan and minister for Ayush (ayurveda, yoga & naturopathy, unani, siddha and homoeopathy) Shripad Yesso Naik. The event will be held virtually.
- The government has been promoting medicinal herbs under the Ayush system for people to improve their immunity levels to be able to fight off infections.
- Last month, the Union health ministry issued guidelines on managing post-recovery symptoms of Covid-19 such as fatigue, body ache, cough, sore throat, breathing difficulty, etc., which largely promoted medicinal herbs for the purpose.
- “Take immunity promoting Ayush medicine to be practiced and prescribed by a qualified practitioner of Ayush. If health permits, regular household work to be done. Professional work to be resumed in graded manner. Depending on the physical condition, mild to moderate exercise daily such as yogasana, pranayama and meditation… breathing exercises as prescribed by treating physician and daily morning or evening walk at a comfortable pace as tolerated,” the ministry’s guidelines advise.
- The Ayush ministry also approved a clinical study last month to assess the role of medicinal herbs vasa and guduchi in the therapeutic management of symptoms in Covid-19 cases.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin gives country’s top job to a teenager for a day
- Finish Prime Minister Sanna Marin stepped aside to let 16-year-old take her place, with the young campaigner Aaava Murto using the platform to decry online violence and gender stereotypes about technology.
- The teenager also warned of online violence that restricts girls’ access to information.
- This swap was part of an international campaign dubbed Girls Takeover, which comes ahead of the UN Girls Day on Oct 11th .
- During her brief tenure as the country’s top leader, Murto met with Marin, as well the minister for development and trade and the country’s chancellor of justice.
About Finland
- Capital: Helsinki
- Currency: Euro
- President: Sauli Niinistö
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE
RBI keeps key interest rates unchanged
- The Reserve Bank of India in its bi-monthly Monetary Policy statement issued has maintained a status quo keeping the key interest rates unchanged.
- The reverse repo rate remains unchanged at 3.35 per cent, the repo rate at four per cent.
- The Monetary Policy Committee has also decided to maintain its accommodative stance as long as necessary at least through the current financial year and next year as Indian economy is entering into decisive phase in its fight against coronavirus.
- He stated, the RBI stands ready to undertake further measures as necessary to assure market participants of access to liquidity and easy finance conditions.
- The new housing loans risk weights to be linked to Loan-to-value ratio and also rationalize risk weights for all new housing loans until March 31, 2022.
- Also the bank will extend scheme for co-lending to all NBFC, HFC. As for GDP, the growth may break out of contraction and enter positive zone by fourth quarter of current fiscal.
World Bank projects India’s GDP to contract 9.6% in FY21
- The World Bank projected India’s gross domestic product (GDP) to plunge in FY21 by 6% revised down since its June forecast of 3.2% drop, reflecting the impact of the nationwide lockdown and the income shock experienced by households and small urban service firms.
- “However, there is substantial uncertainty related to the course and duration of the pandemic; the speed at which households and firm behavior will adjust to the lifting of lockdowns; and a possible new round of countercyclical fiscal policy,” the World Bank stated in its latest South Asia Economic Focus report.
- While the government has signalled it is prepared to support the economy, there is no clarity about the timing or the extent of the next round of stimulus.
- The Indian economy contracted a record 23.9% in the June quarter, underlining the extent of economic damage brought about by the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown. Many forecasters now expect Indian economy to contract in double digits in FY21.
RTGS to be available 24×7 from December
- The Reserve Bank of India announced that the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), which is used for large value fund transfers, will be available round the clock from December this year.
- At present, RTGS, which has a minimum fund transfer of 2 lakh, is available for customers from 7.00 am to 6.00 pm on all working days of a week (except second and fourth Saturdays of the month).
- “With this, India will be one of the very few countries globally with a 24x7x365 large value real time payment system,” RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das stated.
- In December last year, the National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) system was made available on a 24x7x365 basis.
- Meanwhile, in another measure aimed at easing digital payments, the RBI also announced that it has been decided to grant authorisation for all Payment Service Operators (PSOs) – new applicants as well as existing players, on a perpetual basis, subject to certain conditions.
- This will “reduce licensing uncertainties and enable PSOs to focus on their business and optimise utilisation of scarce regulatory resources,”it noted.
- Authorisation (including renewal of authorisation) of such PSOs has been largely for specified periods up to five years.
LIC Housing launches ‘Project RED’ to improve efficiencies
- LIC Housing Finance Ltd (LICHFL) launched “Project RED” (Reimagining Excellence through Digital transformation) to improve efficiencies at every level of the organisation.
- Project RED aims to create value across the entire spectrum of stakeholders that includes employees, shareholders, business associates, existing and potential customers of LICHFL, as per the housing finance company’s statement.
- To be implemented over the next 21 months, the company stated the initiative is expected to bring transformational changes by organically linking LICHFL’s work culture, strengthening processes across all verticals, deepen customer engagement and adopting the best-in-class technology to build capacity.
- LICHFL has engaged Boston Consulting Group as its consultant for this project and will be setting up a high-level Project Implementation Group which will approve and monitor capacity building plans of every constituent in the company, it added.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES
Meghalaya partners with Israel to set up centre of excellence on high-value vegetables
- The Meghalaya government has decided to partner with Israel for establishing a Centre of Excellence (CoE) on high value vegetables in the state.
- The CoE is vital to tap the diverse bio-diversity and resources available in the State in terms of its soil and agro-climatic conditions.
- It will also act as an impetus for further research and expansion into multi-fold aspects, including tourism potential considering the State has a gene pool of important vegetables, fruits and plants such as the Citrus fruits in Nokrek, East Garo Hills District.
