Daily Current Affairs 28th October, 2020

Daily Current Affairs 28 October 2020 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

India, US hold 3rd bilateral two plus two Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi; sign landmark defence pact BECA
India and US held the 3rd bilateral two plus two Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi and signed the landmark defence pact BECA.India and US signed five agreements in total.

• The signing of BECA is significant as it allows India to use global geospatial maps of the United States for accuracy of stand-off weapons like cruise and ballistic missiles.

UP govt secures first rank in disbursing loans under PM Swanidhi Scheme
Uttar Pradesh government has secured the first rank in central government’s one of the most ambitious schemes – the PM Atmanirbhar Nidhi Scheme (SVANidhi Scheme) by approving the highest number of loans under the scheme in the country.

• State has ranked first in all the categories – Applications, Sanctions and Disbursements of the loans under the scheme.  As many as 6,22,167 applications were received under the scheme in the state which is highest in the country, out of which sanctions were given to 3,46,150 applicants while the loans were disbursed to 2,26,728 beneficiaries.
• Seven cities of the state also find place in the list of top 10 cities of the country. Varanasi, Lucknow and Aligarh are the top three cities in the list even as other cities of the state include Allahabad, Gorakhpur, Ghaziabad and Kanpur.

Arjun Munda launches two Centers of Excellence for Tribal Welfare
Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda launched two Centers of Excellence for Tribal Welfare. These centers were launched in collaboration between the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Art of Living through video conference.

• The one Center will be engaged in the field of training tribal farmers in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra on sustainable natural farming while the second one will be working towards strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions in 5 districts covering 30 Gram Panchayats and 150 villages of Jharkhand.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India ranks 131 out of 138 countries in mobile internet speed
The global average of mobile download speed, according to Ookla Speedtest Global Index for September 2020, is 32.26 Mbps, while that of India is 12.07 Mbps. India is placed at 131, out of a total of 138 countries.

• As per the Ookla September speed test index, South Korea has the best mobile internet speed of 121 Mbps, while China is at the second spot on the index, with an average mobile download speed of 113.35 Mbps.
• Pakistan is at 116th place in terms of mobile internet speeds with average speed of 17.13 Mbps while Nepal at 117th place with 17.12 Mbps speed. Sri Lanka has much better 19.95 Mbps mobile internet speed. Iraq, with 12.24 Mbps speed, is just ahead of India in the list.

Japan to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has said that the country will achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050.

• The Prime Minister said, he intends to make a sustainable economy a pillar of his growth strategy and put maximum effort into achieving a green society.
• As per Japan’s current energy plan, 56 per cent of its energy reqirements come from fossil fuels.

BANKING & FINANCE

CSB Bank partners with IIFL Finance for gold loan origination
Private-sector lender CSB Bank, formerly Catholic Syrian Bank, said that it has entered into a partnership with non-banking finance company, IIFL Finance (IIFL) for sourcing and managing retail gold loan assets.

• IIFL Finance, acting as business correspondent of CSB Bank, will source new business from markets where CSB Bank does not have adequate branch network.
• IIFL Finance, with its branch network, would help CSB Bank penetrate the lower strata of customers and rural areas, where the bank currently does not have adequate reach.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Mandaviya inaugurates ‘Direct Port Entry facility’ of V.O. Chidambaranar Port
Shipping minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated a direct port entry (DPE) facility at V.O. Chidambaranar port trust, a development aimed at expediting cargo movement.

• DPE is a scheme meant to reduce release time and cost in case of exports, under which export containers are allowed direct entry into the port terminal prior to granting the let export order, which is the final step in the list of compliances required to export goods out of India.
• Formerly known as the Tuticorin Port Trust, the V.O Chidambaranar port trust in Tamil Nadu is one of the 12 major ports in the country.

India Post, US Postal Service sign agreement for electronic exchange of customs data
Department of Posts and United States Postal Service, USPS have entered into an agreement for electronic exchange of customs data related to postal shipments exchanged between the two countries.

• The agreement will make it possible to transmit and receive electronic data of international postal items prior to their physical arrival at the destination and would enable customs clearance of postal items in advance in line with the evolving global postal framework.
• This will also improve the performance of postal services in terms of reliability, visibility and security.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 

ISRO-NASA Satellite NISAR Scheduled to Be Launched by 2022 
According to a joint statement issued after a strategic dialogue between India and the US, the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite is expected to be launched by 2022 as India and the U.S. have decided to share Space Situational Awareness Information, which will catalyse efforts to create the conditions for a safe and sustainable space environment.

• The two sides also expressed the intent to continue the India-U.S. Space Dialogue as well as discussions on areas of potential space defense cooperation.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

“Night of the Restless Spirits: Stories from 1984” authored by Sarbpreet Singh released
The book titled “Night of the Restless Spirits: Stories from 1984″ authored by Sarbpreet Singh has been released recently. The book is published by Penguin.

• The book is a heart-rending collection of stories that evokes the horrors and uncertainties of 1984.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Infantry Day
The Indian Army celebrated the 74th Infantry Day on October 27 in this tech hub with solemnity and gaiety.

• Infantry Day is celebrated to mark the landing of first Indian troops in Jammu and Kashmir in 1947 to push back Pakistan supported intruders.

International Animation Day
Every year, October 28 is observed as International Animation Day.

•  It’s a day to recognize and celebrate the artists, the scientists and the technicians behind animated art including animated movies.

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