Current Affairs 21st October 2020| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

World Osteoporosis Day

• World Osteoporosis Day is observed annually on October 20th, and launches a year-long campaign dedicated to raising global awareness of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease.
• The campaign will feature “THAT’S OSTEOPOROSIS” as a headline, highlighting emotionally impactful visuals and stories of real people living with osteoporosis in all regions of the world.

International Chefs Day

• Each year on October 20th, World chefs celebrates International Chefs Day.
• Since its creation by the Late Chef Dr. Bill Gallagher in 2004, World chefs has been committed to using International Chefs Day to celebrate our noble profession, always remembering that it is our duty to pass on our knowledge and culinary skills to the next generation of Chefs with a sense of pride and commitment to the future.
• This year’s International Chefs Day campaign theme is Healthy Food for the Future!

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launches indigenous software solution for vessel traffic

• Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya e-launched an indigenous software solution for Vessel traffic services (VTS) and Vessels Traffic Monitoring Systems (VTMS).
• Presently, India has approximately 15 VTS systems operational along the Indian Coast and there is no uniformity of VTS software as each system has its own VTS software.
• VTS and VTMS is a software which determines vessel positions, position of other traffic or meteorological hazard warnings and extensive management of traffic within a port or waterway.
• VTS contributes to safety of life at sea, safety and efficiency of navigation and protection of the marine environment, adjacent shore areas, work sites and offshore installations from possible adverse effects of maritime traffic.
• Data from traffic movements can be stored and used as reference information for port administration, port authorities, coastguards and search and rescue services.
• VTMS is mandatory under IMO Convention SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea).
• The VTMS traffic image is compiled and collected by means of advanced sensors such as radar, direction finding, CCTV and other co-operative systems and services.
• VTS Software can be provided to Indian trade friendly nations like Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Gulf countries.
• Ministry of Shipping has sanctioned an amount of Rs 10 crore to IIT, Chennai for development of indigenous VTS software.

About Minister of Shipping

• Minister of State for Shipping and Union Minister of State for Chemical and Fertilizers: Mansukh Laxmanbhai Mandaviya
• Constituency: Gujarat

Defence Minister releases new version of DRDO Procurement Manual 2020

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released a new version of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Procurement Manual 2020 (PM-2020). The previous Procurement Manual was modified in 2016.
• “Bid security declaration option for earnest money deposit, increase of threshold limit for advance payment, placement of order on lowest bidder 2 (L2) in case L1 backs out are some of the salient features of the new manual, which will assist the industry for the speedy execution of projects,” an official statement stated.
• This is being done to encourage more participation of Indian industry, including start-ups and micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs) in defence research and development, the statement added.
• Some more enabling measures of PM-2020 are exemption of bid security and performance security up to 10 lakh, no negotiations for commercial off-the-shelf items/services wherever price discovery is happening through market forces.
• Performance security for service contracts is linked to the payment cycle instead of total contract value. Procurement of stores from development partners, safeguarding of free issue material through insurance cover instead of bank guarantee are other facilitating measures have been adopted to help the industry.
• “In the new PM-2020, the liquidated damage (LD) rate for development contracts has been reduced. The delivery period (DP) extension process has been simplified for faster decision making. Many of the internal procedures have been further simplified for faster engagement with industry,” the statement stated.

About MoD:

• Defence Minister: Rajnath Singh
• Constituency: Lucknow, Up

Dr Harsh Vardhan Launches CuRED, CSIR Partnered Clinical Trials Website

• Union Health and Science and Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched CuRED, a website that gives comprehensive info about the numerous COVID-19 clinical trials that the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) is engaged in partnership with industry, other government departments and ministries.
• CSIR Ushered Repurposed Drugs (CuRED) provides information about the drugs, diagnostics and devices including the current stage of the trials, partnering institutions and their role in the trials and other details, as per a release by the Science & Technology Ministry.
• CSIR is exploring multiple combination clinical trials of anti-virals with host-directed therapies for the potential treatment of COVID-19. It is also working with the AYUSH Ministry for conducting clinical trials of AYUSH drugs. It has also undertaken safety & efficacy trials of AYUSH prophylactics and therapeutics based on individual plant-based compounds and in combination.
• In addition to these, CSIR has also been involved in clinical trials of diagnostics and devices.

About CSIR:

• Director General: Shekhar C. Mande
• Head quarters : Delhi

About Ministry of Science and Technology   :

• Union minister of Science and Technology, Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Minister of Earth Sciences: Harsh Vardhan
• Constituency: Chandni Chowk

Indian spends 3.5% of average daily income on food

• On an average an Indian spends 5% of his/ her daily income for a plate of food as compared to 0.6% by a New Yorker and an astonishing , according to the “Cost of a Plate of Food” report released by the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP).
• As per the report, the most expensive plate of food is of South Sudan where people on average would have to spend 186% of their daily salary on basic ingredients. In the list that features 36 countries across the globe, India stands at 28th position as per the percentage of money, people would pay on a plate of food compared to their salaries.
• It has brought to light how countries in sub-Saharan Africa feature heavily in the report with 17 of the top 20 drawn from this region.
• “The region’s high dependency on food imports leaves it vulnerable to global economic conditions, while high use of informal labour means masses of workers are prey to sudden losses of income,” it stated.
• The report stated such a difference brings into sharp focus the huge inequalities at play between people living in developing countries and others in more prosperous parts of the world. It stated conflict and climate change have long affected people’s ability to afford food across multiple countries, as they are driven from their land and livelihoods and left unable to produce or buy the produce they need to feed their families.
• Now Covid-19 has added another layer to the challenges faced by most vulnerable groups, through increased unemployment, loss of remittances and weak economies that prevent countries offsetting the worst effects of the pandemic, the report has highlighted. Market-dependent groups in urban areas are increasingly at risk.

About World Food Programme:

• Headquarters: Rome, Italy
• Heads: David Beasley, Ertharin Cousin

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL

Israel Embassy to have ‘Water Attache’ in India from January

• IsraelEmbassy in Delhi will have a separate ‘Water Attache‘ from January 2021 to help share their country’s best practices and technologies for advancements in India’s water management and agriculture sectors.
• In another significant development, Israel will soon nominate an honorary Consul in the North-East with the aim to increase its presence and collaboration in that region.
• It is announced by Israeli Ambassador to IndiaRon Malka.
• As many as29 such centres of excellence have already been established across India and nearly 1.5 lakh farmers have been trained at these centres in just one year.

About Israel

• Capital: Jerusalem
• Currency: Israeli Shekel
• Prime minister: Benjamin Netanyahu

5th Joint Working Group Meeting On Coal Between India, Indonesia On Nov 5

• India will host 5th Joint Working Group (JWG) on coal with Indonesia and the meeting will be on November 5 through video conference.
• The meeting will be co-chaired from the Indian side by Vinod Kumar Tiwari, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal and by Dr Ir. Ridwan Djamaluddin, Director General of Mineral and Coal Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources from the Indonesian side.
• According to an official release, the meeting will deliberate on recent updates related to Indian coal policy reforms, coking coal exploration and commercial coal mining in India and potential of business cooperation on coal post COVID-19
• The release stated that a B2B session will bring together industries from both the sides to discuss the issues impacting business opportunities in the backdrop of the regulatory framework. This will also explore more areas of business opportunities in the coal sector. The deliberations will guide the coal business between the two countries.

About Indonesia:

• President: Joko Widodo
• Capital: Jakarta
• Currency: Indonesian rupiah

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE

Indian Bank launches credit scheme for start-ups in pact with IITMIC

• Public sector lender Indian Bank has introduced an initiative for funding start-ups, ‘IND Spring Board’, in collaboration with the IIT-Madras Incubation Cell (IITMIC).
• The Chennai-headquartered bank seeks to bridge the gap in funding for start-ups through this collaboration with IITMIC.
• Under the deal, IITMIC will refer start-ups with proven technology and established cash flows to the bank and also extend advisory to the bank on the business model. The bank will extend loans of up to 50 crore to these start-ups for their working capital requirements or purchase of machinery, equipment.
• “IND Spring, the new model for financing start-ups, will be a game-changer in the banking industry, stated Panda.

About Indian Bank:

• Headquarters: Chennai
• CEO: Padmaja Chunduru
• Tagline :Your Own Bank, Banking That’s Twice As Good

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Bank of Baroda ties up with Toyota Kirloskar Motor

• Bank of Baroda (BoB) has entered into a tie-up with Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), whereby the bank will be one of the preferred financiers for the entire range of vehicles sold by the latter.
• India’s third-largest public sector bank, in a statement, stated that under the tie-up, customers can avail customised solutions such as high on-road funding of 90 per cent, long repayment period of 84 months, no prepayment or foreclosure charges.
• On the other hand, TKM dealers will benefit from ‘digitised supply chain finance’ with competitive interest rates.

About Bank Of Baroda:

• Headquarters: Vadodara, Gujarat, India
• (Chairman): Hasmukh Adhia
• (MD & CEO):Sanjiv Chadha

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Nokia picked by NASA to build first cellular network on the Moon

• Nokia Oyj has been chosen by NASA to build the first ever cellular network on the
• The partnership will create a path toward sustainable human presence on the lunar surface, and will result in the first LTE/4G communications system in space.
• Nokia’s Bell Labs unit is planning to build what it describes as an ultra-compact, low-power, space-hardened, end-to-end LTE solution that will be available on the moon by late 2022.
• Nokia is working with Intuitive Machines to integrate the network into a lunar lander and deliver it to the surface of the moon, where it will self-configure.

About NASA

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

About Nokia

• CEO: Pekka Lundmark
• Headquarters: Espoo, Finland

Microsoft, Elon Musk’s SpaceX tie up to woo space customers

• Microsoft Corp is partnering with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk-led SpaceX and others as it expands its cloud-computing platform into space, the software giant stated.
• The partnership would allow Microsoft to connect its Azure cloud computing platform to SpaceX’s network of low-Earth orbiting satellites, offering the software company an edge in its battle with the rival cloud platform from Jeff Bezos’ Amazon.com Inc.
• Microsoft in recent months has tested its Azure cloud with satellites in space, and in September unveiled its Azure Space venture, tapping into the demand for data-heavy space services.
• The services include “disaster prediction and tracking, increased visibility of supply chains and economic activity, and many others,” the company has stated in US regulatory filings.“
• SpaceX, known for its reusable rockets and astronaut capsules, is ramping up satellite production for Starlink, a growing constellation of hundreds of internet-beaming satellites that Musk hopes will generate enough revenue to help fund SpaceX’s interplanetary goals.
• Earlier this month, SpaceX won a $149-million contract to build missile-tracking satellites for the Pentagon, its first government contract to build satellites.

About Microsoft:

• CEO: Satya Nadella
• Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States

About spaceX:

• CEO: Elon Musk
• Headquarters: Hawthorne, California, United States

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

Alstom partners with APSSDC for skill development

• Alstom has started training of the first batch of young diploma engineers, in collaboration with Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) in Sri City.
• Under the SKILL AP initiative by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, this programme will upskill 30 diploma engineers from across the State and make them industry ready.
• “Alstom’s Sri City unit is a state-of-the-art rolling stock manufacturing facility in the Asia-Pacific region, where technically advanced metro trainsets are being developed for Indian and international customers.
• The 45-day training programme will include classroom training on technical skills, employee health and Safety (EHS), Quality fundamentals, railway safety and an introduction to Alstom’s operations.

About Andhra Pradesh:

• Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan
• Chief minister: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy
• Capital(s): Visakhapatnam (executive), Amaravati (legislative),Kurnool (judicial)

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPS AND PORTALS

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launches ‘Mo Bidyut’ portal, app

• Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched an electricity consumer service portal “Mo Bidyut” and its mobile app to provide efficient, time-bound and transparent online service to the people of the State.
• Electricity services will now come under Mo Sarkar, people now need not run to various offices for new connections, bill payment or grievance redressal.
• Consumers will, henceforth, be able to avail services pertaining to new power connection up to 5 KW for domestic, general purpose and specified public purpose like irrigation, pumping and agriculture within 48 hours, energy bill payment and grievance redressal relating to the service
• The portal, mobidyut.com, is a bilingual online integrated platform covering all four power utilities of the State such as TPCODL, NESCO, WESCO and SOUTHCO.

About Odisha

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

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

Home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla’s tenure extended till Aug 22, 2021

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the extension in service of Ajay Kumar Bhalla as Home Secretary beyond the date of his superannuation i.e. November 30, 2020, up to August 22, 2021.
• The date of his superannuation was November 30.
• Bhalla is also holding additional charge as secretary of the department of personnel and training.

Vega ropes in Rohit Sharma as brand ambassador

• Beauty accessories brand, Vega has announced the signing of Rohit Sharma as its brand ambassador.
• Sharma will be endorsing the brand’s men’s personal grooming electronics range under the ‘Vega Men’ brand, and will feature in the upcoming digital campaign.

NHPC designates Rajendra Prasad Goyal as CFO

• State-owned hydropower giant NHPC stated its Director (Finance) Rajendra Prasad Goyal has been designated as its chief financial officer (CFO) with effect from October 1, 2020.
• “Board of Directors of NHPC Ltd in its meeting held has designated Rajendra Prasad Goyal, Director (Finance) as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the company from October 1, 2020, in place of Mahesh Kumar Mittal, Ex-Director (Finance) & CFO,” a BSE filing stated.
• Prior to taking over charge as Director (Finance), he was working as Chief General Manager (Finance). Goyal started his career in NHPC as Senior Accountant in 1988.

About NHPC:

• Headquarters: Faridabad, Haryana
• Chairman & MD :Abhay Kumar Singh

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONORS

ISA Confers the Very First ISA Solar Awards at Third Assembly

• For the first time since the inception of the framework agreement of ISA, solar awards were conferred on countries and institutions working for solar.
• The assembly witnessed the conferment of the Visvesvaraya award which recognises the countries with maximum floating solar capacity in each of the four regions of ISA.
• Bharat Ratna M. Visvesvaraya to the representatives of the countries of Japan, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
• The awards went to Japan for the Asia Pacific region and the Netherlands for Europe and other regions.
• The recipients of the Kalpana Chawla award, named after the American astronaut of Indian origin.
• The inaugural award in this category was conferred to Bhim Singh from IIT Delhi (India), and Dr. Aaesha Alnuaimi (UAE) from Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA).
• The award recognizes outstanding contribution of scientists and engineers working in the field of solar energy.
• The Diwakar awardhas been awarded to Arpan Institute (Haryana) and Arushi Society.
• The award recognises organisations and institutions that have been working for the benefit of differently-abled people and have maximised the use of solar energy in the host country.

About ISA

• Headquarter: Gurugram, Haryana
• Leader: Upendra Tripathy

Rakayet Ul Karim Rakim of Bangladesh Wins the Greenstorm International Nature Photography Contest

• Rakayet Ul Karim Rakim, a native of Chittagong, Bangladesh, has won the 12th edition of the Greenstorm International Nature Photography Contest conducted in association with UNEP in connection with the World Environment Day.
• Mohamed Noufal from Sharjah, UAE, and Kartikeya Grover from Ghaziabad, India, bagged the second and third prizes respectively.
• The annual contest is organized by the Kochi-based Greenstorm Foundation, a not-for-profit trust promoted by Organic BPS, India’s first purpose-branding company.
• Rakayet Ul Rarim Rakim won the first prize for his capture of a butterfly poised on a cactus, ready for flight. The second prize is won by Mohamed Noufal for his click of an Arab crossing the desert with his camel, over the wind-drawn sketches on the desert sands.
• Kartikeya Grover, the third-prize winner, has caught a cart puller napping, with his dog curled up beside him, on his pushcart.
• The theme of this year’s photography contest was ‘Nature in Your Neighbourhood’. Dileep Narayanan, Managing Trustee, Greenstorm Foundation, stated that though the theme was chosen considering the limitations on travel due to the COVID threat, the outcome turned out to be “surprisingly stunning” which proves again that, “Nature is all around us, we just need the eyes to see her”.
• The first three winners will be awarded cash prizes worth a total of Rs 1,00,000/- added Dileep Narayanan.
• Greenstorm Foundation aims to spread awareness in the world on the need for environmental conservation, using the power of creativity and the reach of digital media, thereby creating a positive impression in the mindset of the community, especially youth and children, leading to an appropriate behavioural change.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS

9th Session Of India-Oman Joint Commission Held

• The ninth session of the India-Oman Joint Commission was held virtually.
• The meet was co-chaired by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Hardeep Singh Puri, and Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion of the Sultanate of Oman, Qais bin Mohammed.
• Among other things, both sides agreed to cooperate in areas of Agriculture and Food Security, Standards & Metrology, Tourism, Information Technology, Health and Pharmaceuticals, MSMEs, Space, Civil Aviation, Energy including renewable energy, Culture, Mining, and Higher Education.
• The two sides also reviewed the progress of prospective Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) in the field of mining, standards and metrology, financial intelligence, cultural exchange, and information technology, and agreed to conclude them expeditiously.
• “The economic and commercial relations between India and Oman are robust and buoyant. India is among Oman’s top trading partners. For Oman, India was the 3rd largest source for its imports and 3rd largest market for its non-oil exports. Bilateral trade between India and Oman grew at 8.5 per cent in 2019-20 over the previous year to reach USD 5.93 billion. While India’s exports to Oman were valued at USD 2.26 billion, India’s imports from Oman amounted USD 3.67 billion in 2019-2020,” stated the release.

About Oman:

• Capital: Muscat
• Currency: Omani rial

Finance Minister holds 4th review meeting on CAPEX of Central Public Sector Enterprises

• Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman held a video conference with secretaries of the Ministries of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Coal, along with the chairman cum managing directors of 14 Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSE) belonging to these ministries, to review the capital expenditure (CAPEX) in this financial year.
• The finance ministry stated: “This was 4th in the ongoing series of meetings that the Finance Minister is having with various stakeholders to accelerate the economic growth in the background of COVID-19 pandemic.”
• “In FY 2019-20, against the CAPEX target of Rs. 1,11,672 crore for these 14 CPSEs, the achievement was Rs 1,16,323 crore i.e. 104 per cent. FY 2019-20, H1 achievement was Rs 43,097 crore (39 per cent) and achievement of FY 2020-21, H1 is Rs 37,423 crore (32 per cent). CAPEX target for 2020-21 is Rs 1,15,934 crore,”
• While reviewing the performance of CPSEs, Sitharaman stated CAPEX by CPSEs is a critical driver of economic growth and need to be scaled up for the FYs 2020-21 & 2021-22.
• The CPSEs CAPEX review is carried out jointly by Department of Economic Affairs and Department of Public Enterprises, the statement added.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHORS

PORTRAITS OF POWER: Half a Century of Being at Ringside NK Singh’s new book traces origin and growth of the PMO

• Veteran economist and bureaucrat N K Singh in his just released autobiography‘PORTRAITS OF POWER: Half a Century of Being at Ringside’ recalls Singh’s various stints over the decades- starting from 1964 when he joined the IAS, serving at highest echelons of the government of India before taking a political plunge with a Rajya Sabha term.
• He is currently the Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission.
• N K Singh who served in the Prime Minister’s Office as Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s Secretary from 1998-2001

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE

SANT Missile successfully testfired from Odisha coast

• India has successfully test fired the Stand-off Anti-tank (SANT) Missile off the coast of Odisha.
• The Missile is being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and will have both Lock-on After Launch and Lock-on Before Launch capability.
• Recently, BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired from the Indian Navy’s indigenously-built stealth destroyer INS Chennai, hitting a target in the Arabian Sea

About DRDO

• Headquarters: DRDO Bhavan, New Delhi
• Chairman: G Satheesh Kumar Reddy

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING

India Fourth Most Powerful Country In Asia: Asia Power Index 2020

• India has become the fourth most powerful country in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the Sydney-based Lowy Institute’s Asia Power Index for 2020, which ranks 26 nations and territories.
• India was on the fourth spot in the index after Japan. However, the economic growth potential India lost during a pandemic gave an advantage to China.
• Although the US obtained the top position as the most powerful country influencing the Asia-Pacific.
• Russia, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia round out the top 10.
• Lowy estimates India will reach 40 per cent of China’s economic output by 2030, compared with the 50 per cent estimate a year ago.

India Ranks Second in Inflow of Migrants to OECD Countries, China Retains Top Spot

• India ranked second in terms of the “total” inflow of new migrants to OECD countries during the year 2018 as well as in the number of Indians obtaining citizenship of these countries, a report by OECD revealed.
• Notably, China continued to retain the top position as the largest source country, India overtook Romania to emerge as the second-largest source country.
• Migration from India to OECD countries climbed significantly by 10% and hit 3.3 lakh and it accounted for about 5% of the overall migration to OECD countries.
• The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a forum where the governments of 36 member states with market economies work with each other, as well as with more than 70 non-member economies to foster economic growth and sustainable development.

About OECD

• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Secretary-General: José Ángel Gurría

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

IIIT Hyderabad and NMDA Develop Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) Primer to Mitigate Earthquake Risks

• International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIITH) and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) have developed a Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) Primer for better insight into structural safety in the wake of earthquake risks. The primer will serve as a pioneering document to screen various kinds of buildings for their structural stability, and to assess and estimate the possible damage during an earthquake.
• The total number of buildings in India is well over 5 Crores. Structural status of buildings before and after the earthquake will provide an effective checkpoint for government institutions, industries, private organisations and local bodies against the threats posed by earthquakes.
• While disaster management has hitherto followed a relief-centric approach, the RVS Primer will assist in a more mitigation- and preparedness-centric approach with continued focus on response, which is proactive, holistic and integrated as per the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

About NDMA:

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Agency executive: Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Successfully Touches Asteroid

• In a historic event that unfolded nearly 321 million kilometers away from the Earth, a Nasa spacecraft successfully touched the surface of an asteroid to collect pristine samples to return to the Earth. The OsirisRex mission performed a first-of-its-kind Touch and Go (TAG) manoeuvre to blast nitrogen to gather regolith (dust and minerals) from the surface of asteroid Bennu.
• The spacecraft began its descent out of the asteroid’s orbit where it had been for nearly two years. After a four-hour descent at an altitude of approximately 410 feet, the spacecraft precisely targeted the sample collection site Nightingale extending the shoulder, then elbow, then wrist of its 11-foot sampling arm, known as the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM).
• It continued its descent coasting past a boulder the size of a two-story building, nicknamed “Mount Doom,” to touch down in a clear spot in a crater on Bennu’s northern hemisphere. The size of a small parking lot, the site Nightingale is one of the few relatively clear spots on this unexpectedly boulder-covered space rock.
• The mission’s target is Bennu, a carbon-rich near-Earth asteroid that is also potentially hazardous to Earth.
• While the mission has been a success so far, it will take about a week for the OSIRIS-REx team to confirm how much samples the spacecraft collected. The goal is to gather at least 60 grams of alien surface material.

DAILY CA 20^th OCT

• World Statistics Day: 20th October
• Gadkari to lay foundation stone for country’s first multi-modal logistic park in Assam
• RPF launches ‘Meri Saheli’ initiative on AP Express
• NITI Aayog to establish Frontier Technologies Cloud Innovation Centre with AWS
• CSIR-IHBT makes history by introducing asafoetida (Heeng) cultivation in Indian Himalayan region
• Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launches AYUSHMAN SAHAKAR scheme
• Singapore Becomes First Country to Use Facial Recognition to Pay Taxes
• India , Netherlands collaborate in e-health initiative
• Tech Mahindra signs agreement to form joint venture with Sumitomo Corp
• Kati Bihu Celebrated In Assam
• West Bengal Government Launches Campaign To Curb Elephant Deaths Due To Electrocution
• Asan Conservation Reserve becomes Uttarakhand’s first Ramsar site
• ITBP launches cycling expedition from its Pegong base in Sikkim
• GOI, ADB inks 177 million dollar loan pact to upgrade 450 kms of state highways & major district roads in Maharashtra
• Canara HSBC OBC Life Insurance launches Invest 4G plan with multiple saving options, protection cover
• Fino Payments Bank to add 300 more points at BPCL outlets in TN
• SEBI constitutes committee for market data sharing
• Paytm to introduce co-branded credit cards in India
• BSE joins hands with Telangana govt to help MSMEs raise equity funds
• Bank of Baroda inks pact with Mahindra & Mahindra for tractor finance
• FSSAI’s new food safety compliance platform to become operational across India from November
• Vineet Nayyar resigns as Executive Vice-Chairman of IL&FS Group
• Parle Agro’s B-Fizz ropes Priyanka Chopra Jonas as brand ambassador
• LG signs Lewis Hamilton as ambassador of LG Signature
• Indian American Anika Chebrolu wins America’s Young Scientist Challenge
• Shri Kiren Rijiju addresses Y20 Global Summit
• India invites Australia to join Malabar naval exercises in snub to China
• Kokrak claims first-ever PGA Tour win at CJ Cup

DAILY CA 21^st OCT

• World Osteoporosis Day- Oct 20^th
• International Chefs Day- Oct 20^th
• Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launches indigenous software solution for vessel traffic
• Defence Minister releases new version of DRDO Procurement Manual 2020
• Dr Harsh Vardhan Launches CuRED, CSIR Partnered Clinical Trials Website
• Indian spends 3.5% of average daily income on food, New York
• Israel Embassy to have ‘Water Attache’ in India from January
• 5th Joint Working Group Meeting On Coal Between India, Indonesia On Nov 5
• Indian Bank launches credit scheme for start-ups in pact with IITMIC
• Bank of Baroda ties up with Toyota Kirloskar Motor
• Nokia picked by NASA to build first cellular network on the Moon
• Microsoft, Elon Musk’s SpaceX tie up to woo space customers
• Alstom partners with APSSDC for skill development
• Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launches ‘Mo Bidyut’ portal, app
• Home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla’s tenure extended till Aug 22, 2021
• Vega ropes in Rohit Sharma as brand ambassador
• NHPC designates Rajendra Prasad Goyal as CFO
• ISA Confers the Very First ISA Solar Awards at Third Assembly
• Rakayet Ul Karim Rakim of Bangladesh Wins the Greenstorm International Nature Photography Contest
• 9th Session Of India-Oman Joint Commission Held
• Finance Minister holds 4th review meeting on CAPEX of Central Public Sector Enterprises
• PORTRAITS OF POWER: Half a Century of Being at Ringside NK Singh’s new book traces origin and growth of the PMO
• SANT Missile successfully testfired from Odisha coast
• India Fourth Most Powerful Country In Asia: Asia Power Index 2020
• India Ranks Second in Inflow of Migrants to OECD Countries, China Retains Top Spot
• IIIT Hyderabad and NMDA Develop Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) Primer to Mitigate Earthquake Risks
• NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Successfully Touches Asteroid

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