CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
Global Handwashing Day
- Global Handwashing Day occurs on 15 October of each year.
- It is an international handwashing promotion campaign to motivate and mobilize people around the world to improve their handwashing habits.
- The theme of Global Handwashing Day 2020 is ‘Hand Hygiene for All’.
International Day of Rural Women
- International Day of Rural Women celebrated every year on 15 October.
- This day was created in 1995 by Civil society organizations at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing and was declared an official UN Day in 2007 by the UN General Assembly.
- The theme for International Day of Rural Women 2020 is “Building rural women’s resilience in the wake of COVID-19.”
World Food Day
- World Food Day is an international day celebrated every year around the world on 16 October in honor of the date of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1945.
- This year World Food Day marks the 75th Anniversary of the founding of FAO, with a view to looking towards the future we need to build together and the theme “Grow, nourish, sustain. Together. Our actions are our future.”
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL
Cabinet Decisions
- The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has approved a Special Package worth Rs. 520 crore in the UTs of J&K and Ladakh for a period of five years till FY 2023-24 and ensure funding of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) in the UTs of Jammu and Kashmir & Ladakh on a demand driven basis without linking allocation with poverty ratio during this extended period.
- Cabinet approved MoU between India and Australia for collaboration in capacity building, research and development and making impact for sustainable groundwater management.
- Implementation of the Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States (STARS) project with a total project cost of Rs 5718 crore with the financial support of World Bank amounting to US $ 500 million (approximately Rs. 3700 crore).
Dr Harsh Vardhan launches second phase of “Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojna” for underprivileged thalassemic patients
- Union health minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan, launched the second phase of “Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojna” for the underprivileged thalassemic patients, virtually from Nirman Bhawan.
- Launched in 2017, this scheme is a Coal India CSR funded Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) programme that aims to provide a one-time cure opportunity for haemoglobinopathies like thalassaemia and sickle cell disease for patients who have a matched family donor.
- The CSR initiative was targeted to provide financial assistance to a total of 200 patients by providing a package cost not exceeding 10 lakhs per HSCT.
About MoHFW
- Minister of Science and Technology, Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Minister of Earth Sciences: Dr. Harsh Vardhan
- Constituency: Chandni Chowk, New Delhi
Foreign Secretary inaugurates 1st edition of Lectures designed to introduce India to foreign diplomats posted in New Delhi
- The first edition of Lectures designed to introduce India to foreign diplomats posted in New Delhi was inaugurated by Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla.
- It has been named as Sushma Swaraj Lectures
- MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava stated, 45 foreign diplomats are attending the lectures which will give them an introduction to Indian history, polity, culture and economy.
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.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
World Standards Day
- World Standards Day, also known as International Standards Day, is celebrated on October 14 each year.
- The purpose of the day is to raise awareness about the importance of standardisation to the global economy among the consumers, regulators and industry.
- World Standards Day 2020is themed “Protecting the planet with standards”
National Philately Day being celebrated across country
- The National Philately Day is being celebrated throughout the country on 13th oct. The Philately is the study of postage stamps and postal history.
- The day also marks the collection, appreciation and research activities on stamps and other philatelic products. My Stamp is the brand name for personalized sheets of Postage Stamps of India Post.
- The personalization is achieved by printing a thumb nail image of the customer’s photograph and logos of institutions or images of artwork, heritage buildings, famous tourist places, historical cities, wildlife, other animals and birds on a selected template sheet having Postage Stamps.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL
MoRTH enhances allocation of funds for SARDP-NE related works
- The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has enhanced the allocation of funds for expenditure under Special Accelerated Road Development Programme in North Eastern Areas (SARDP-NE) related works during the current financial year.
- Under the revised allocation, almost double the amount originally allocated has been allowed. Against the earlier Rs 390 crore expenditure envisaged to be incurred from National Investment Fund during 2020-21, a sum of Rs 760 crore has been set aside for the same period. Of this, Rs 300 crore is specifically marked for Arunachal Pradesh package.
- Additionally, the allocations to National Highways in NE Region under 10% mandatory Pool Fund has been on an upward route in the last five years.
- A sum of Rs 4,520 crore was allocated for the year 2016-17, Rs 5,265 crore for the year 2017-18, Rs 6,210 crore for the year 2018-19, Rs 6,070 crore was allocated for the year 2019-20, and Rs 6,780 crore has been allocated for the year 2020-21.
About MoRTH
- Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Minister of Shipping andMSME: Nitin Jairam Gadkari
- Constituency: Nagpur, Maharashtra
Atal Innovation Mission collaborates with CGI to promote innovation across schools
- Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, has signed a Statement of Intent with CGI India in order to promote innovation across the schools.
- Atal Innovation Mission, AIM has collaborated with CGI India which is one among the largest IT and business consulting services firms, for creating a successful and innovative workforce from the Atal Tinkering Lab, ATL schools.
- As part of the Statement of Intent, CGI has agreed to adopt 100 schools with ATLs across Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai to promote and train students. CGI volunteers will coach and mentor students at the ATLs to enhance technical literacy and provide immersive learning experiences to the students through hands-on experience using STEM tools.
- CGI will also conduct training workshops for teachers at select schools on topics such as design thinking, computational thinking, robotics and coding.
- AIM is the flagship programme of the Government that promotes a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across country. Its ATLs are accessed by over 2.5 million school kids in India. ATL is a dedicated innovation workspace set-up at schools where students get access to do-it-yourself (DIY) kits and learn to tinker and create innovative solutions using the latest technologies.
About Niti Aayog:
- Headquarters:New Delhi
- Narendra Modi, (Chairperson)
- Rajiv Kumar, (Vice Chairperson)
- Amitabh Kant, (CEO)
Trifed in Collaboration with Chhattisgarh MFP Federation and IIT, Kanpur to Launch “Tech for Tribals Initiative”
- TRIFED under Ministry of Tribal Affairs in collaboration with Chhattisgarh MFP Federation and IIT, Kanpur will be launching Tech for Tribals initiative. In order to provide advance level training to the Vandhan tribal beneficiaries, TRIFED has collaborated with MSME through its ESDP scheme for providing skill upgrading and entrepreneurial capacity building support to the Van Dhan tribal beneficiaries to establish their sustainable enterprise.
- The program titled “Tech for Tribals” aims at the holistic development of tribals with a focus on entrepreneurship development, soft skills, IT, and business development through SHGs operating through Van Dhan Kendras (VDVKs).
- The beneficiaries will undergo a 30 days program over six weeks comprising 120 sessions. The training will be initially held from 12th Oct. to 7th Nov., 2020, in which Vandhan beneficiaries across all districts of Chhattisgarh State will be trained on various facets of micro-enterprise creation, management and functioning.
- The training module developed by IIT, Kanpur will be disseminated among beneficiaries in a phased manner through various modes like online lectures and trainings, online activities and gradually move to face to face interactions in class rooms, practical, onsite visits and exposure visits.
About Chhattisgarh:
- Capital: Raipur
- Governor: Anusuiya Uikey
- Chief Minister: Bhupesh Baghel
About Ministry of Tribal Affairs:
- Arjun Munda, Cabinet Minister
- Constituency: Khunti
- Renuka Singh Saruta, Minister of State
India among top 3 overseas investment destinations’
- India will be one of the top three overseas investment destinations for the next two-three years, according to a survey by Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and EY, which assessed the country’s competitiveness on selected parameters.
- According to the survey, India is the number one choice for future investments for over two-thirds of multinational companies. More than 80% of all respondents and 71% of the non-India headquartered respondents plan to invest globally over the next two-three years and about 30% companies were planning to invest over $500 million each globally.
- It stated new investments will be driven by capacity expansion, digital transformation, research and development and greenfield investments. The respondents stated market potential, skilled workforce and political stability are the top reasons to make India their favoured destination.
About CII:
- President: Uday Kotak
- Director General: Chandrajit Banerjee
- Headquarters: New Delhi
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL
Nepal Re-Elected To UN Human Rights Council
- Nepal has been re-elected as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in the elections held at UN Headquarters in New York, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
World Arthritis Day (WAD)
- Since 1996, October 12 is observed as World Arthritis Day. Arthritis is inflammation of the joints which affects movement.
- This year’sWorld Arthritis Day theme – “It’s in your hands, take action”
International Day for Disaster Reduction
- The United Nations General Assembly has designated October 13th as theInternational Day for Disaster Risk Reduction to promote a global culture of disaster risk reduction.
- It is an opportunity to acknowledge the progress being made toward reducing disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health in line with theSendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 adopted at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Japan in March 2015.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL
Central govt employees can now get Rs 10,000 interest-free advance
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the conference announced a one-time Rs 10,000 interest-free festival advance to all its officers and employees under the Special Festival Advance Scheme.
- The scheme has been announced as part of plans to increase consumer spending to spur demand in the economy which has suffered a blow from the pandemic.
- The festival advance was discontinued from 6th Pay Commission for central government employees. But as a one-time measure, an interest-free advance will be given to all officers and employees of the central government.
About the special festival advance
- The Rs 10,000 advance will come as a pre-paid RuPay card, which can be availed and spent by March 31, 2021.
- The Interest-free advance of Rs 10,000 will be recoverable in maximum 10 instalments
- The government expects to disburse Rs 4,000 crore on this scheme. If given by state governments, another Rs 8000 crore is likely to be disbursed. Assuming 50% adoption by states the estimate is Rs 4,000 crore.
- It is recommended to restore festival advance to govt employees for festivals up to 31st January 2021.
- Additional consumer demand generated because of this scheme is expected to be Rs 8,000 crore.
Rajnath Singh Lays Foundation Stone For Nechiphu Tunnel In Arunachal Pradesh
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone for the strategically important Nechiphu tunnel at West Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh via video conferencing.
- The 450m-long tunnel, which will bypass the existing road, will be D-shaped and comprise two lanes of 5m width each. Another 1.8 km-long tunnel is also being constructed on the BCT road and both will reduce the distance to the area bordering China by 10km.
- Nechiphu tunnel will be crucial not only for the armed forces but also for the local civilian population in places like Bhalukpong and Tawang.
- The Defence Minister also inaugurated 43 BRO-made bridges across 7 Border States of the country, including 7 in Arunachal and 4 in Sikkim.
- Meanwhile, the defence minister also informed that the Centre is initiating all necessary steps to better road infra in the Northeast and the Border States across the nation.
About MoD
- Defence Minister: Rajnath Singh
- Constituency: Lucknow, Up
About Arunachal Pradesh
- Capital: Itanagar
- Governor: D. Mishra.
- Chief minister: Pema Khandu
PM Modi to release autobiography of Dr. Balasaheb Vikhe Patil
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the autobiography of Balasaheb Vikhe Patil and rename Pravara Rural Education Society as ‘Loknete Dr. Balasaheb Vikhe Patil Pravara Rural Education Society’, through video conferencing in a programme.
- Balasaheb Vikhe Patil served as Member of Lok Sabha for multiple terms. His autobiography is titled ‘Deh Vechwa Karani’ which means ‘dedicating one’s life for a noble cause’.
- Patil is known for his path-breaking work in various fields, including agriculture and cooperatives.
- Pravara Rural Education Society was established in 1964 at Loni in Ahmednagar district, with the aim to provide world class education to the rural masses and empower the girl child.
- The Society is currently serving with the core mission of educational, social, economical, cultural, physical and psychological development of students.
India’s sulfur dioxide emissions see first decline in 4 years
- India’s sulfur dioxide emissions dropped in 2019, the first decline in four years for the world’s largest spewer of the pollutant responsible for human health risks and acid rain.
- Emissions from India dropped 6% last year as the country consumed less coal, mirroring a similar decline in global emissions of the toxic gas, according to a new report from Greenpeace India and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. All three of the world’s top emitters — India, Russia and China — saw reductions in sulfur dioxide, according to the report which analyzed NASA satellite data.
- The reduction in sulfur dioxide, which increases the risks of heart and lung diseases, is good news for Indian cities that have some of the world’s dirtiest air. Still, dangers remain as coal is set to dominate the nation’s energy mix for years to come.
- India accounted for 21% of global SO2, mostly from coal-fired power plants that lack pollution-curbing equipment, the report stated. In contrast, China, the world’s biggest coal burner, saw SO2 emissions plummet 5% last year and 87% since 2011, thanks to strengthened emissions standards and increased use of scrubbers at power plants.
- India’s environment ministry in 2015 set new standards for emissions of SO2, nitrogen oxides and mercury, asking power plants to comply in two years. The generators instead successfully lobbied to get the deadline pushed back until 2022, and are now seeking a further extension, citing lack of clarity on how the costs will be compensated.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL
Indian, Taiwanese think tanks join hands to foster cooperation in Indo-Pacific region
- The Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF), a leading think tank from Taiwan has signed a memorandum with India’s National Maritime Foundation (NMF) in order to foster cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region as part of Taiwan’s South bound policy.
- The two groups will set up a joint task force to deepen bilateral dialogue. The memorandum’s aim is to conduct joint research and expand cooperation.
- The goal of the TAEF is to promote comprehensive ties between Taiwan and the 10 ASEAN countries, six South Asian states, as well as Australia and New Zealand through cooperation and exchanges in three major fields – including think tanks, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and young leaders – to consolidate a sense of regional community in Asia and establish long-term cooperative partnerships.
About Taiwan
- Capital: Taipei
- President: Tsai Ing-wen
- Currency: New Taiwan dollar
Seventh round of military level talks between India & China underway to de-escalate tension along LAC
- In Ladakh region, the talk between India and China is underway to resolve the border issues on Line of Actual Control. The Commander level talks between both the countries began at the Chushul border personnel meeting point on Indian side.
- The Military commanders are meeting for the seventh time to work out the measures to preserve the peace and tranquility at the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh region.
- Fire and Fury GOC, Lt Gen Harinder Singh and his successor after a couple of days, Lt Gen PGK Menon are leading the Indian delegation.
- Sources associated with the talks process said that for the first time, China also sent a senior level foreign ministry official in their delegation. During the sixth round of talks between commanders on September 21, a senior diplomat and East Asia region joint secretary Naveen Srivastava participated in Indian delegation.
- The talks mainly focus on disengagement of forces from several friction points especially finger areas of Pangong Tso to ease the unprecedented tensions on the border between the two countries.
About China:
- Capital: Beijing
- President: Xi Jinping
- Currency: Renminbi
India donates 1.8 million N95 masks to Philadelphia
- India has donated 8 million N95 masks to Philadelphia, the largest city in the US state of Pennsylvania, to help in its fight against Covid-19, setting another example of a robust Indo-US partnership in the health sector.
- The move comes after the Mayor of Philadelphia, Jim Kenney, made a request to India for supply of masks to be used by the city’s frontline workers.
- “Philadelphia receives 1.8 million N95 masks from India to aid their fight against COVID-19,” India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu. “Another example of the robust India-US reliable partnership in the health sector!” he added.
- On October 5, at the request of the city mayor, 1.8 million N95 masks were delivered to Philadelphia for use of frontline workers. Philadelphia is the sixth-most populous US city.
- The move is also an indication of India’s capabilities in manufacturing personal protective equipment (PPE) not only for domestic use, but also exports, officials said.
FATF’s Asia Pacific Group keeps Pakistan on ‘enhanced follow-up list’ for slow progress against terror financing
- In a major setback to Pakistan, the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF’s) Asia Pacific Group (APG) on Money Laundering has reprimanded the South-Asian country for its slow progress on the technical recommendations of the FATF to fight terror financing.
- Earlier, Pakistan had requested for its ratings pertaining to targeted financial sanctions on terrorism and terrorist financing to be revised.
- The APG stated that the insufficient progress made by the country fails to justify a re-rating.
- The APG stated, Pakistan will remain in the enhanced follow-up list and will have to continue to report back to the APG on progress to strengthen its implementation of comprehensive Anti-money Laundering and Terrorist Financing measures.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
Indian Foreign Service Day
- IFS Day is celebrated on 9 October every year since 2011 to commemorate the day the Indian Cabinet created the IFS.
- Their work towards serving the nation and furthering national interests globally are commendable.
World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD)
- World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD)is an annual awareness-raising campaign highlighting the need for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats.
- The Day is celebrated bi-annually on the second Saturday in May and in October.
- This year it falls on 9May and 10th
- This year thetheme of World Migratory Bird Day is “Birds Connect Our World”
World Day Against the Death Penalty
- Every year 10th October marks the World Day Against the Death Penalty.
- It is a day to advocate for the abolition of the death penalty and to raise awareness of the conditions and the circumstances which affect prisoners with death sentences.
- The day was first organised by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty in 2003.
- 18th edition theme is “Access to counsel – A matter of life or death.”
International Day of the Girl Child
- Every year on 11 October, the International Day of the Girl, UNICEF launches an annual campaign with girls to amplify their voices and stand up for their rights.It is celebrated since 2012.
- This year, under the theme, “My voice, our equal future”
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL
Coal Ministry launches website for research endeavors in coal sector
- Ministry of Coal has launched the website to promote Research & Development (R&D) activities of the ministry and attract research institutes for R&D endeavors in coal sector.
- Shri Anil Jain launched the website (https://scienceandtech.cmpdi.co.in/) during the 56th meeting of Standing Scientific Research Committee of the Ministry. Coal India R&D arm, Central Mines Planning & Design Institute Limited (CMPDI) has designed and developed this website.
- The website will help in disseminating and promoting the knowledge and research work in the coal sector.
- MoC has been promoting R&D activities in Coal & Lignite sectors through its Coal Science & Technology (S&T) Plan for improvement in production, productivity, safety, coal beneficiation & utilization, protection of environment & ecology, clean coal technology & allied fields etc. MoC also provides funds to carry out research work on these subjects.
About MoC
- Minister of Coalwith additional portofolio Parliamentary Affairs and Mines: Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi
- Constituency: Dharwad, Karnataka
Narendra Modi launches physical distribution of property cards under SWAMITVA scheme
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the physical distribution of property cards under the SVAMITVA(Survey of Villages And Mapping With Improvised Technology In Village Areas) scheme via videoconferencing that enables rural masses to use the property as a financial asset.
- The move will pave the way for villagers to use property as a financial asset for taking loans and other financial benefits.
- The launch will enable around one lakh property holders to download their property cards through an SMS link sent on their mobile phones, and this would be followed by the physical distribution of property cards by respective state governments.
- Prime Minister Modi also interacted with some of the beneficiaries during the event. Union Minister for Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Narendra Singh Tomar were present.
About Property Card
- A property card is the land record of ownership and history of ownership of the land in an urban area. Normally, when your land property is located in a municipal area and has got city survey number, the details of transfers of ownership/ transactions of such property are recorded in the property card. So, a property card basically provides information about the ownership of a property and the history of holdings of land located in an urban area. If you are planning to buy land in an urban area, it is essential that you check the property card of the seller and ensure his/her ownership of the land.
Details included in Property Card:
- Name of the landowner
- Survey number of land
- Area of the land
- Location
- Changes in ownership
- Details of loans taken by the owner from government agencies
- Details of pending litigations, if any
- Details of tax levied on the land. This includes paid and unpaid taxes
PM Modi releases Rs 100 commemorative coin in honour of Vijaya Raje Scindia
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a commemorative 100 rupee coin in the honour of Vijaya Raje Scindia. One of the founder members of BJP, Vijaya Raje Scindia is also popularly known as the Rajmata of Gwalior.
- The special commemorative coin was minted by the Finance Ministry as a part of these celebrations.
- She was a Jana Sangh leader and one of the founding members of the BJP.
- Coming from a royal family, Scindia was one of the major faces of the saffron party and vocal proponent of its core Hindutva issues.
- She was born on October 12, 1919. Her daughter Vasundhara Raje and grandson Jyotiraditya Scindia are senior BJP leaders.
All eight beaches recommended by Govt gets coveted International Blueflag Certification: Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar
- Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar stated that all eight beaches recommended by the Government has got the coveted International Blueflag Certification.
- The beaches which got International Blueflag Certification are Shivrajpur beach in Dwarka Gujarat, Ghoghla beach in Diu, Kasarkod and Padubidri in Karnataka, Kappad in Kerala, Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh, Golden Beach in Odisha and Radhanagar beach in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- The iconic Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised voluntary awards for beaches, marinas.
- In order to qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety and accessibility criteria is met and maintained.
- A world-renowned award trusted by millions around the globe, the Blue Flag programme is operated under the auspices of the Foundation for Environmental Education, FEE and is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark.
About Blue Flag:
- The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator meets its standards. The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE which is a not-for-profit non-governmental organisation consisting of 65 organisations in 60 member countries.
Nirmala Sitharaman announces major schemes to boost demand in country by Rs 73,000 Cr
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced major schemes to boost demands in the country by nearly 73 thousand crore rupees.
- Sitharaman informed that the new proposals aim at giving a thrust of around 36 thousand crore rupees to the consumer demands by the Leave Travel Concession LTC Voucher and Festival advance scheme. Additionally she stated, 37 thousand crore rupees will be infused in the capital expenditure by the Centre and the State Governments.
- The Finance Minister informed that the new proposal is likely to cost nearly 5 thousand 675 crore rupees to the Central Government. In her announcement towards special assistance for states for utilisation under capital expenditure, the Finance Minister informed that special interest free loans with a 50 year repayment term and amounting to 12 thousand crore rupees will be disbursed. Under the assistance scheme, 2 thousand 500 crore rupees will be given to the North Eastern States and Northern States Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Seven thousand 500 crore rupees will be given to other states in proportion to their share in Finance Commission devolution.
- The Minister also announced that an additional amount of 25 thousand crore rupees will be provided by the Centre through capital expenditure on roads, defence infrastructure, water supply, urban development and domestically produced capital equipment.
About Ministry of Finance:
- Nirmala Sitharaman, Cabinet Minister
- Constituency: Karnataka
- Anurag Thakur, Minister of State for Finance
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE
RBI to discontinue system-based automatic caution-listing of exporters
- In an effort to provide flexibility to exporters in the realisation of export proceeds, the Reserve Bank has decided to discontinue the system-based automatic caution-listing of exporters.
- As part of automation of the Export Data Processing and Monitoring System, the ‘Caution/De-caution Listing’ of exporters was automated in 2016. Accordingly, the exporters were to be caution-listed automatically, if any shipping bill against them remained outstanding for more than two years.
- After contracting for six months in a row, India’s exports grew by 5.27 percent year-on-year to 27.4 billion dollars in September while the trade deficit narrowed to a three-month low of 2.91 billion dollars.
ACC extends tenure of 3 Executive Directors of PSU banks
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the extension of the term of three Executive Directors (EDs) in various Public Sector Banks (PSBs).
- The Department of Financial Services in the Finance Ministry had made these proposals based on the recommendations of the Banks Board Bureau (BBB).
