Daily Current Affairs 26th October, 2020

Daily Current Affairs 26 October 2020 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

PM Modi launched the ‘Kisan Suryodaya Yojana’ for the farmers of Gujarat
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated three key projects in Gujarat through video conferencing.

• Modi launched the Kisan Suryodaya Yojana for providing 16 hours of power supply to farmers.Under the Kisan Suryodaya Yojana farmers will get 3 phase power supply from 5 AM to 9 PM and will bring a new dawn in their lives. FPOs, Panchayats and all such organizations are assisted in setting up small solar plants on barren lands and that irrigation pumps of farmers are also connected to the solar energy.
• The Gujarat state government had allocated Rs. 3,500 crores for installing the transmission infrastructure under this scheme by 2023.
• PM Modi also inaugurated the Paediatric Heart Hospital attached with U.N Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre and a Mobile Application for tele-cardiology at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad.

Govt Sets Up High-level Committee Headed by PM Modi to Commemorate 400th Birth Anniversary of Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur
The Centre set up a high-level committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to commemorate the 400th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur.

• The mandate of the 70-member committee includes approval of policies, plans, programmes and supervision and guiding the commemoration, besides deciding broad dates for detailed programmes of celebration.
• The members of the committee include former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Hardeep Singh Puri, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, chief ministers of Haryana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan. Other members include Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, Akali Dal leaders Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir Singh Badal, SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal, former chief of Indian Army J J Singh, former chief of Indian Air Force Birender Singh Dhanoa, and sportspersons Milkha Singh and Harbhajan Singh.
• Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla will be the member secretary of the high-level committee.

Sarbananda Sonowal lays foundation stone for Assam Agar International Trade Centre
Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stone of Assam Agar International Trade Centre, which is the first of its kind in the country at Dabidubi in Golaghat district.

• The state government decided to set up the trade centre to promote the business potential of the farmers as well as the entrepreneurs associated with agarwood plantation and trade in Assam.
• Reiterating the government’s commitment to double the farmer’s income  by 2022, Mr. Sonowal said establishment of Agar International Trade Centre is one of the initiatives, which the state government promised when it came to power in 2016.

IIT, Jodhpur, NHAI Sign Pact To Share Expertise For Betterment Of Highway Infrastructure
Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) , Jodhpur and National Highway Authority of India(NHAI) have signed a pact to share their expertise for betterment of highway infrastructure.

• As a part of this MoU, NHAI and IIT Jodhpur will work together in various domains, including transportation engineering, structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, hydraulics engineering, infrastructure systems, earthquake engineering, urban and rural planning and disaster mitigation and management with an objective of sharing.
• The MoU will also facilitate undergraduate and postgraduate students of IIT Jodhpur to undertake fully paid internships in above domains.

J&K becomes first UT to launch Public Financial Management System at district level
The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has become the first UT in the country to operationalize Public Financial Management System (PFMS) at the district level with e-inauguration of eight district offices by Additional Controller General of Accounts, Subodh Kumar Mathur.

• The rolling out of these offices in Jammu and Kashmir will result in improved program administration and management, direct payment to beneficiaries and greater transparency and accountability in use of public funds at the district level and below levels.

BANKING & FINANCE

SBI Card Launches Contactless Multi-purpose Card in Partnership with Delhi Metro
SBI Card launched a contactless multi-purpose card in partnership with Delhi Metro that can function as a credit card as well as a metro smart card.

• The Delhi Metro SBI Card is a multi-purpose card which functions as a credit card as well as a metro smart card, offering the convenience and safety associated with both in one card.
• Customers can apply for the combo card through the sales team present at metro stations as well as online through e-apply platform on SBI Card website at an annual fee of Rs 499.

BSE inks MoU with ICCI to support SMEs, start-ups in listing
Stock exchange BSE said it has signed an agreement with Inventivepreneur Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ICCI) to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and startups, and promote their listing on the exchange.

• Through this association, ICCI will offer assistance in evaluating SMEs and start-ups for listing on BSE SME board.
• Besides, it will also sensitise the investor network about listed SMEs and start-ups.

Meghalaya CM launches ‘micro ATM’ service in rural areas
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has launched the ‘micro ATM’ service in rural areas of the state.

• He distributed the handheld devices, through which money could be withdrawn, to banking correspondent agents (BCA) .
• Micro ATMs will take banking services to the doorsteps of people in rural areas.

Nippon Life Invests in World Bank Sustainable Development Bonds and Highlights Support for Nutrition
The World Bank issued a 15-year AU$150 million Sustainable Development Bond, while for the first time, highlighting the importance of good nutrition to build human capital.

• Nippon Life Insurance Company was the sole investor in this transaction.
• World Bank bonds support the financing of sustainable development projects and programs in member countries across a range of sectors in line with its mission to end extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity.
• This includes US$4.9 billion in projects, of which US$1 billion are in IBRD countries, helping to improve nutrition.

Acko partners with Finserv MARKETS to offer car and bike insurance
General insurance provider Acko has partnered with Finserv MARKETS, a fintech aggregator to offer two and four-wheeler insurance policies.

• Customers can now buy Acko insurance for their car or bike on the Finserv MARKETS platform by providing basic details.
• Acko offers value added services like three-day assured claim servicing and one-year repair warranty – in select cities.

World Bank sanctions Rs 3 crore for Goa to develop India’s first sand dune parks
World Bank sanctions Rs 3 crore for Goa to develop India’s first sand dune parks.

• The sand dune ecosystem, so far neglected, is set to get a new lease of life in Goa as World Bank has approved a project proposed by the Goa state biodiversity board that will see India’s first sand dune parks and interpretation centres developed along select stretches.
• Around Rs 3 crore has been sanctioned to the state under the programme, and will see interventions like interpretation centres to educate locals and tourists on the importance of the sand dune ecosystem.

SPORTS

Lewis Hamilton wins Portuguese GP 2020
Lewis Hamilton 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.

• The British driver did just that, winning the Portuguese Grand Prix for a record-setting 92nd victory of his outstanding career to overtake Schumacher’s 91 wins. Runaway leader Hamilton is also set to equal Schumacher’s record seven championships this season.

AWARDS

Seema Gupta, Director (Ops), POWERGRID wins GOLD Stevie Award
Seema Gupta, Director (Operations), Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, a PSU under Ministry of Power, has been named the winner of GOLD Stevie® Award in the LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT- BUSINESS category in the 17th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business.

• The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honour women executives, entrepreneurs, employees, and the companies they run– worldwide. The Stevie Awards have been hailed as the world’s premier business awards.

NTPC ranks first among Indian PSUs in Forbes’ ‘World’s Best Employer 2020’
Country’s largest power producer NTPC Ltd came first among Indian PSUs under World’s Best Employer this year in a list published by Forbes.

• The recognition is testimony to NTPC’s commitment towards inculcating best in class practices that are thoughtfully designed and robustly executed.
• NTPC has been successfully innovating and introducing people practices in the domain of hiring; engagement; diversity and inclusion; rewards and recognition; and performance management.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

First-of-its-kind Flash Flood Warning System for South Asian Countries Launched
A first-of-its-kind system for South Asian countries that will provide alerts for flash floods 6-24 hours in advance was launched at the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

• India also shares cyclone warning alerts with neighbouring countries. The system will enable the member countries – India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan-issue impact-based forecasting of floods which are very sudden and of short duration at watershed and also city level.
• The system has been developed by the WMO Commission for Hydrology, jointly with the WMO Commission for Basic Systems and in collaboration with the US National Weather Service, the US Hydrologic Research Centre (HRC).

OBITUARIES

Former IAS officer and author of Chola History books passes away
Former IAS officer B. Venkataraman who was an authority on Chola History and Architecture expired in a private hospital in Delhi. He was 95.

• Mr. Venkataraman, a 1950 batch officer, had served as chief secretary Orissa and then as secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, New Delhi.He had co-authored a book ‘Later Chola Temples’ with his father.
• Some of the books that he had authored include ‘Laddigam: A Later Chola Temples’, ‘Temple Art under the Chola queens’ and ‘Rajarajeswaram-the pinnacle of Chola art’ on the Thanjavur Brihadeeshwara temple. His doctoral thesis was on the contribution of the Chola queen Sembiyan Mahadevi.

Veteran Gujarati Singer Mahesh Kanodia passes away
Veteran Gujarati film musician, singer and former Lok Sabha MP, Mahesh Kanodia has passed away following prolonged illness.He was 83.

• He was a member of the 10th, 11th, 12th and 14th Lok Sabha from Patan constituency of North Gujarat.
• His contribution in Gujarati Cinema was spread over more than four decades. He was known for singing in 32 different voices including female voices.

Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-Hee passes away
Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee, who transformed a second-tier electronics parts maker into the world’s biggest manufacturer of smartphones and televisions died. He was 78.

• Under Lee’s leadership, Samsung rose to become the world’s largest producer of smartphones and memory chips, and the firm’s overall turnover is equivalent to a fifth of South Korea’s GDP.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Suman Dubey’s debut novel “The Fixer” released
Cricket, power and crime dominate the plot of an upcoming book, “The Fixer” by Suman Dubey has been released. .The book was published by house Rupa

• The Fixer, which promises to narrate a thrilling tale of an ex-cricketer-turned-fixer.
• It is a gripping story of 40-year-old failed cricketer Neil Upadhyay, a cricketer-turned-fixer, who finds himself up against the wall when his family business takes an unfortunate turn. A movie-style trailer was also released to give a sneak-peek of the novel.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of Diplomats
International Day of Diplomats is celebrated on 24 October every year since 2017.

• The day aims to commemorate the contributions made by diplomats in shaping the world since ancient times and in making our planet a better place

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