NATIONAL AFFAIRS
INDIA TO CHAIR ILO GOVERNING BODY AFTER 35 YEARS
India has assumed the Chairmanship of the Governing Body of International Labour Organization (ILO), after a gap of 35 years.
The Labour and Employment Secretary, Apurva Chandra, has been elected as the Chairperson of the Governing Body of the ILO.
• The Governing Body is the apex executive body of the ILO.
• At present, ILO has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland
• ILO currently comprises 187 members.
7TH MEETING OF SCO MEMBERS (LAW AND JUSTICE)
The 7th meeting of Ministers of (Law and Justice) of (SCO) Member States was virtually hosted.
It was hosted by Indian Minister of Law & Justice, Communication & Electronics & Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad.
The virtual meeting was attended by justice ministers from China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
• SCO as a dialogue was announced on 15 June 2001.
• Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has 8 member nations.
• It has its headquarters in Beijing, China.
• Secretary General of SCO is Vladimir Norov.
NAVAL EXERCISE BETWEEN SRI LANKA AND INDIA
The 8th edition of the annual Indian Navy – Sri Lanka Navy bilateral maritime exercise SLINEX-20 starts at Trincomalee, Sri Lanka.
The Indian Navy will be represented by the indigenously built ASW corvettes Kamorta and Kiltan. The Sri Lanka Navy will be represented by SLN Ships Sayura (OPV) and Gajabahu (Training Ship).
SLINEX series of exercises emphasises the deep engagement between India and Sri Lanka which has strengthened mutual cooperation in the maritime domain.
FIRST EVER YOUTH 20 (Y20) GLOBAL SUMMIT
The first-ever virtual G20 (Group of Twenty) Youth 20 (Y20) Global Summit was virtually hosted from Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia
Indian side was represented by Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Kiren Rijiju.
Indian side emphasized on galvanizing the youth to take on the challenges set forth by the worldwide COVID 19 Pandemic. The theme of the Summit was “Government – Youth dialogue on post-COVID-19 opportunities”.
INS KAVARATTI' COMMISSIONED INTO INDIAN NAVY
The Chief of Army Staff, General MM Naravane has commissioned the ‘INS Kavaratti’ into the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam.
The ship has been built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
The anti-submarine warfare (ASW) stealth corvettes have been undertaken under ‘Project 28’, also called Kamorta-class corvettes of the Navy.
PM MODI LAUNCHES THREE PROJECTS IN GUJARAT
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated three projects in his home State Gujarat.
The three projects includes:
• The ‘Kisan Suryodaya Yojna’ is an Agri scheme which aims to provide power supply during daytime from 5 am to 9 pm (16 hours) for irrigation purposes to farmers.
• The Paediatric Heart Hospital was inaugurated at U.N Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre at Civil Hospital campus in Ahmedabad.
• Girnar hill ropeway at Junagadh is Rs 130 crore project. It would attract more tourists and pilgrims to this historical place which will boost employment.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
PAKISTAN REMAINS ON FATF'S GREY LIST
Pakistan will remain on the FATF Grey List till June 2020. The decision was taken by the anti-money laundering watchdog after group meetings and plenary sessions in Paris.
FATF in October decided to keep Pakistan on its Grey List for failure to curb funneling of funds to terror groups Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and others.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 by the Ministers of its Member jurisdictions.
• The headquarters of FATF is in Paris, France.
• FATF was founded in July 1989.
SAAD AL-HARIRI REAPPOINTED AS LEBANON'S PM
Former Lebanese Prime Minister, Saad al-Hariri has been re-appointed to the post, after winning a slim majority of votes in parliament election.
Hariri received 65 parliamentary votes out of 118, giving him the mandate to form his new government.
Previously he had served as Prime Minister of Lebanon from 9 November 2009 to 13 June 2011 and then from 18 December 2016 to 21 January 2020.
ANDORRA BECOMES 190TH MEMBER OF IMF
Andorra has joined the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to become its 190th member.
IMF’s Membership allows the Andorran government to benefit from IMF policy advice, especially as the country tackles the crisis caused by COVID-19
The country can now receive an annual review or “health check” of its economy by the IMF and access IMF lending if needed.
• IMF formation Day: 27 December 1945
• Chairman & Managing Director of IMF: Kristalina Georgieva
• Chief Economist of IMF: Gita Gopinath
NATO TO SET-UP HEADQUARTERS FOR SPACE IN GERMANY
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance plans to build a headquarters for space operations at its airbase in Ramstein in Germany.
The new centre is to be a central point of contact to support NATO missions with communication and satellite images Some 2,000 satellites orbit the Earth, more than half of which are operated by NATO members.
• NATO Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.
• NATO Chairman of the NATO Military Committee: Air Chief Marshal Stuart Peach.
• Member countries of NATO: 30; Founded: 4 April 1949.
ALPHA CONDÉ WINS 3RD TERM AS PRESIDENT OF GUINEA
Alpha Condé, the incumbent president of Guinea and leader of Rally of the Guinean People won the 3rd term as the President of Guinea
The winner of 2020 presidential elections Alpha Condé belongs to (Rassemblement du Peuple Guinéen – RPG) party.
He won the election against Cellou Dalein Diallo with 59.49 % votes. Diallo got 33.5% votes in the election. Winning the 2020 elections, Alpha Condé is set to govern the country for the next 6 years.
• Guinea Prime Minister: Ibrahima Kassory Fofana.
• Guinea Capital: Conakry.
ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
COUNTRY'S FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVE LIFETIME HIGH
According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, the country’s foreign exchange (forex) reserves touched a lifetime high of USD 555.12 billion. FCA jumped by USD 3.539 billion to USD 512.322 billion.
Foreign exchange reserves are assets held on reserve by a central bank in foreign currencies, which can include bonds, treasury bills and other government securities.
It needs to be noted that most foreign exchange reserves are held in U.S. dollars.
FCA is the largest component of the forex reserve. It is expressed in dollar terms. FCA includes the effect of appreciation or depreciation of non-US units like the euro, pound and yen held in the foreign exchange reserves.
ICICI BANK SHUTS ITS OPERATION IN SRI LANKA
ICICI Bank has shut down his operations in Sri Lanka after getting approval from the Sri Lankan monetary authority.
The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, having considered the request made by ICICI Bank, has granted approval to close down the business operation of the bank in Sri Lanka and cancel the license issued to it.
The licence issued to the bank to carry on banking business in Sri Lanka is cancelled with effect from October 23, 2020.
• ICICI Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• ICICI Bank MD & CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi.
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 stated that under the tie-up, customers can avail customized solutions such as high on-road funding of 90 per cent.
And other things such as longer repayment period of 84 months, no prepayment or foreclosure charges.
• Bank of Baroda Headquarters: Vadodara, Gujarat, India.
• Bank of Baroda Chairman: Hasmukh Adhia.
• Bank of Baroda MD & CEO: Sanjiv Chadha.
APPOINTMENTS
ROHAN JAITLEY ELECTED AS DDCA PRESIDENT
Advocate Rohan Jaitley, the son of late Union Minister Arun Jaitley, has been elected unopposed as the President of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).
The 31-year-old lawyer is slated to remain in the post till June 30, 2021. Notably, late Arun Jaitley had also served as the president of DDCA between 1999 and 2013.
• It has its headquarters at Arun Jaitley Stadium
• It is affiliated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
• The Delhi cricket team is the team for Delhi & District Cricket Association in the Ranji Trophy.
LEWIS HAMILTON: BRAND AMBASSADOR OF LG SIGNATURE
LG Electronics has named Lewis Hamilton a global ambassador for its home solutions brand, LG Signature.
In the new campaign, he will share with audiences his thoughts on how to lead a stylish, sophisticated life, and what motivates him to be the best in his field.
• LG Electronics Chairman: Kwang-Mo Koo.
• Vice-Chairman and CEO of LG Electronics: Jo Seong-Jin.
• Headquarters of LG Electronics: South Korea.
AWARDS & HONOURS
ISA SOLAR AWARDS CONFERRED FOR THE FIRST TIME
For the first time, the Solar Awards were presented during the third Assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA). There were three categories of Awards.
Visvesvaraya award: Japan for the Asia Pacific region and the Netherlands for Europe and Others region. Diwakar award: Arpan Institute (Haryana) and Arushi Society.
Kalpana Chawla awards: Dr Bhim Singh from IIT Delhi (India) and Dr Aaesha Alnuaimi from Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (United Arab Emirates).
SPORTS
LEWIS HAMILTON WINS PORTUGUESE GRAND PRIX 2020
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain) has won the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix, held at Algarve International Circuit, Portugal.
This was the 12th round of the 2020 Formula One World Championship. This is Hamilton’s 8th win of the season and 92nd career race victory.
With this win, he has surpassed the record of 91 wins set by German great Michael Schumacher. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes- Finland) came second followed by Max Verstappen (Red Bull – Netherlands) at the third spot.
GOLD IN INTERNATIONAL RIFLE CHAMPIONSHIP 2020
In Shooting, the world number one Elavenil Valarivan of India won the gold medal in women’s event of the 2020 Sheikh Russel International Air Rifle Championship.
The event was organised by Bangladesh Shooting Sport Federation (BSSF).
Japan’s Naoya Okada won the gold in the men’s event, while India’s Shahu Tushar Mane bagged silver. In the event six nations participated this included Bangladesh, India, Japan, Korea, Indonesia and Bhutan.
IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES
WORLD STATISTICS DAY 2020
The third World Statistics Day is observed globally on 20 October 2020.
The celebration of World Statistics Day 2020 is a global collaborative Endeavour, organized under the guidance of the United Nations Statistical Commission.
The World Statistics Day 2020 theme “Connecting the world with data we can trust.”
At its 41st Session in February 2010, the United Nations Statistical Commission proposed celebrating 20 October 2010 as World Statistics Day.
WORLD SNOW LEOPARD DAY: 23RD OCTOBER
World Snow Leopard Day is observed globally on 23rd October.
The main purpose of this day is to show the importance of snow leopard conservation.
The first Snow Leopard Day occurred on the 23rd of October in 2014. The day was initiated by the countries that encompass the snow leopard’s range.
They are also vulnerable to loss of prey and poaching. These animals are distributed sparsely across 12 different countries in Central Asia.
WORLD POLIO DAY 2020
The World Polio Day is celebrated annually on October 24, to raise awareness for polio vaccination and eradication of polio.
Theme for 2020 World Polio Day is “A win against polio is a win for global health.”
The Day was established by Rotary International to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, who led the first team to develop a vaccine against poliomyelitis.
As of August 2020, Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two nations which remain with the continued transmission of wild poliovirus.
WORLD DEVELOPMENT INFORMATION DAY 2020
The United Nations’ World Development Information Day is held on October 24 every year.
The day aims to draw the attention of world public opinion to development problems and the need to strengthen international cooperation to solve them for overall growth and development.
The General Assembly in 1972 established World Development Information Day on 24th October which coincide with UN’s Foundation day.
VIGILANCE AWARENESS WEEK 2020
The Vigilance Awareness Week 2020 is being celebrated from 27 October to 2 November 2020.
It is observed every year by the Central Vigilance Commission during the week in which the birthday of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (31 October) falls.
The theme for 2020 Vigilance Awareness Week is ‘Vigilant India, Prosperous India (Satark Bharat, Samriddh Bharat).’
• Central Vigilance Commissioner: Sanjay Kothari.
• Central Vigilance Commissioner Formed: February 1964.
• Central Vigilance Headquarters: New Delhi.
REPORTS AND INDEXES
INDIA ON 4TH SPOT IN ASIA POWER INDEX 2020
India has been ranked at 4th position, with a score of 39.7 out of 100, in the Asia Power Index 2020, released by the Sydney-based Lowy Institute.
The Lowy Institute Asia Power Index measures power across 25 countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region.
The United States has retained its position as the most powerful country influencing the Asia-Pacific with a score of 81.6. It is followed by China (76.1) and Japan (41) at second and third spot respectively
INDIA: 2ND IN OECD INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION REPORT
India has acquired the second rank in terms of the number of migrants going to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries and acquiring the citizenship of those countries.
China retained its top spot with 4.3 lakh migrants, which was 1 per cent lower than the 2019 report. This is the 44th edition of the annual report.
The data was released by the OECD in its 2020 edition of the annual International Migration Outlook report.
UTTAR PRADESH AS TOP DESTINATION
Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the top destination for attracting the highest number of domestic tourists
As per the Indian Tourism Statistics (ITS) 2020, released by the Ministry of Tourism.
In terms of foreign tourists, Tamil Nadu has topped the list with nearly 68 lakh foreigners visiting the state in 2019.
Maharashtra (over 55 lakh) is at the second position in this list while Uttar Pradesh (over 47 lakh) has secured the third position in attracting foreign tourists.
NTPC ON TOP SPOT AMONGST INDIAN PSU
National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) has featured on the top on the list of Indian PSUs under the ‘World’s Best Employer 2020’, published by Forbes.
The recognition is testimony to NTPC’s commitment towards inculcating best in class practices.
In the recent past, the company has initiated an ‘NTPC Series’ on success stories beyond official work, ‘Ambition, Growth, Success Beyond Work’, a series on the achievements of employees beyond their official assignments.
• NTPC Founded in: 1975.
• NTPC Headquarters: New Delhi, India.
HARYANA ADJUDGED AS BEST STATE IN AMB INDEX
Haryana is the best State in Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) Index with 46.7 among 29 states in the country.
This information came to light during the 8th Governing Body Meeting of the State Health Society of the National Health Mission (NHM) in Chandigarh.
The meeting was presided over by the Haryana chief secretary, Vijai Vardhan.
The Anemia Mukt Bharat, an initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and UNICEF, has been launched to reduce the prevalence of Anemia all over India.
SAMSUNG: WORLD'S BEST EMPLOYER IN FORBES LIST 2020
South Korea based electronics conglomerate, Samsung Electronics has topped the list of ‘World’s Best Employer 2020′ published by Forbes’.
Amazon, IBM, Microsoft and LG are among the top 5 in the list respectively. The global list features 750 multinational and large corporations headquartered in 45 countries.
From India, HCL Technologies is the top industry in the list. It is placed at the 30th position globally. In the Banking sector, HDFC Bank is at top spot in India. It is at 176th position.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
INDIA SUCCESSFULLY TEST-FIRED "SANT" MISSILE
India successfully flight-tested its indigenously developed Stand-off Anti-tank (SANT) missile from Integrated Test Range (ITR) off Odisha coast.
It is an upgraded version of the anti-tank missile, Helicopter Launched Nag (HeliNa).
This was the 11th missile test-fired by India within one and a half month. SANT is an air-to-surface missile developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Air Force.
DRDO CONDUCTS TRIAL OF ‘NAG’ MISSILE
Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully carried out the final trial of the third generation, anti-tank guided missile ‘NAG’, from the Pokhran field firing ranges in Rajasthan.
The successful final user trial of the missile makes the Nag anti-tank missile ready for induction in the Indian Army.
It will be manufactured by defence PSU Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) of DRDO.
• DRDO Chairman: Dr G. Satheesh Reddy. DRDO Headquarters: New Delhi.
OBITUARIES
CHAIRMAN OF SAMSUNG LEE KUN-HEE PASSED AWAY
The chairman of South Korea’s largest conglomerate, Samsung Group, Lee Kun-hee has passed away.
Lee helped to transform Samsung Group, The firm’s overall turnover today is equivalent to a fifth of South Korea’s GDP. Lee was also the richest person in South Korea, according to Forbes, with a net worth of nearly $21bn.
• The Samsung Group is a South Korean conglomerate
• It is headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul.
• Samsung was founded by Lee Byung-chul in 1938 as a trading company.
FAMOUS GUJARATI MUSICIAN PAASES AWAY
Famous Gujarati film musician, singer and former Parliamentarian Mahesh Kanodia passed away. He was born at Kanoda village of Mehsana district on January 27, 1937.
Kanodia was a three-time BJP MP from Patan in north Gujarat. He represented Patan Lok Sabha constituency as a Member of Parliament of the BJP thrice between 1991 and 1999.
He had received several accolades and awards for his performance as a music composer and singer for Gujarati films including Jigar and Ami, Tanariri, Jog Sanjog and Laju Lakhan.
LEGAL AFFAIRS
NHRC ADVISORY FOR PROTECTION OF LGBTQI+
National Human Rights Commission has issued the "Human Rights Advisory for Protection of the Rights of LGBTQI+ community in context of COVID-19 pandemic".
Some Measures to be taken are:
• Ensure no discrimination in the availability of essential health services at the Health Centres.
• Access to all relief measures/welfare schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna, Pradhan Mantri, Ujjwala Yojana, etc.
• Ensure implementation of existing guidelines and protocols, medico-legal care for survivors of domestic and sexual violence along with timely treatment & psycho-social support.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR THE OFFENCE OF GANGRAPE
Even after lapse of 74 years of independence, still woman is not safe in the hands of rapists/violators of law,"
The Karnataka High Court has recommended amendment to Section 376D of Indian Penal Code to provide capital punishment for the offence of 'gang rape'.
A division bench of Justice B Veerappa and Justice K Natrajan made the recommendation in their judgment while upholding the life sentence imposed on seven accused of gang-raping a student of NLSIU in 2012.
MAHARASHTRA WITHDRAW GENERAL CONSENT TO CBI
Recently, the Maharashtra government withdrew its general consent to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe cases in the State.
Earlier, the CBI had also taken over the investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, which was being probed by the Mumbai Police. The Maharashtra government suspects the CBI of acting at the behest of the Centre.
The CBI is governed by the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946 (DSPE Act, 1946) that makes consent of a state government mandatory for conducting investigation in that state
There are two kinds of consent- case-specific and general. Given that the CBI has jurisdiction only over central government departments & it can investigate a case involving state government only after the state government gives its consent.
