11 SEP 2020

 

Himalaya Diwas: 09 September

Himalaya Diwas is observed every year on 09 September.

• It was first observed in Uttarakhand in 2010 as an initiative of a group of noted environmentalists to provide solutions for sustainable development and ecological stability for the Himalayas
• The theme for 2020 is “The Himalaya and Nature”.
• A national-level webinar will be organised to mark the day which will be attended by vice president M Venkaiah Naidu and Union education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’

India to host CHG meeting of SCO on 29-30 November in New Delhi

India is scheduled to host the meeting of Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, SCO on 29-30 November 2020 in New Delhi.

• This will be the first Prime Minister level meeting to be hosted by India since its elevation as a full-member of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, SCO.
• In the run-up to the CHG Meeting, India has taken a lot of initiatives in a wide range of areas. India hosted a Preparatory Seminar on Start-up Forum on 11 August and the first-ever meeting of Consortium of Economic Think-Tanks on 21-22 August.
• Both the events were attended by all the SCO Member States through Video Conferencing.
• India will also be hosting two Ministerial-level meetings of SCO Member States. The Justice Ministers and the Trade Ministers are scheduled to meet before the Heads of Govt meet. Trade Ministers are expected to meet in the last week of October where India will launch SCO startup forum.

Golden Temple gets FCRA registration for foreign funds

After over three and a half decades, foreign-based followers of Sikhism will now be able to credit donations or ‘daswandh’ (one tenth of income) directly in a dedicated account of the Golden Temple.

• The Union government registered Sri Harmandir Sahib under Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, (FCRA) 2010.
• After 1984, foreign based sangat was restricted from directly sending donations to the Golden Temple account.
• Now, after the FCRA registration they will be able to fulfil their religious aspirations.

Govt forms three-member expert panel to assist in assessment of relief to bank borrowers

Government has constituted a three member expert committee to assist in the assessment of relief to bank borrowers.

• The committee chaired by former CAG Rajiv Mehrishi will measure the impact on the national economy and financial stability of waiving of interest and COVID-19 related moratorium.
• It will also give suggestions to mitigate financial constraints of various sections of society in this respect and measures to be adopted in this regard.
• The panel will submit its report within one week.

Vice President inaugurates 125th Birth Anniversary celebrations of Kavi Samrat Shri Viswanatha Satyanarayana

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the 125th Birth Anniversary celebrations of Telugu literary legend, Kavi Samrat Shri Viswanatha Satyanarayana.

• Viswanatha Satyanarayana (1895 – 1976) was a 20th century Telugu writer.
• His works included poetry, novels, dramatic play, short stories and speeches, covering a wide range of subjects such as analysis of history, philosophy, religion, sociology, political science etc.
• Viswanatha wrote in both a modern and classical style, in complex modes.
• He was given the honorific "Kavi Samrat" (emperor of poets).
• In 1971 he was awarded with Jnanpith Award for his book "Ramayana Kalpavriksham". He was the first Telugu writer to receive Jnanpith Award.

Mastercard launches CBDC testing platform for central banks

Mastercard has built a virtual testing platform to help central banks assess and explore national digital currencies.

• Central banks around the world are warming to the concept of creating their own digital currencies.
• A recent survey from the Bank for International Settlements found that 80% are working in some way on CBDCs, while 40% have moved beyond conceptual research to experimentation.
• The payments giant is inviting central banks, as well as commercial banks and tech and advisory firms, to assess CBDC tech designs, validate use cases and evaluate interoperability with existing payment rails.

RIL first Indian co to hit $200 bn m-cap

Reliance Industries Ltd became India’s first company to cross $200 billion in market value.

• Its shares surged nearly 166% since mid-March, driven by its retail and telecom operations.
• RIL, India’s largest company, now has a market capitalization of ₹14.67 trillion, followed by Tata Consultancy Services (₹8.75 trillion), HDFC Bank ( ₹6 trillion), Hindustan Unilever Ltd ( ₹5.01 trillion), and Infosys ( ₹4 trillion).
• Market capitalization refers to how much a company is worth as determined by the stock market. It is defined as the total market value of all outstanding shares.

Paresh Rawal appointed as new chairman of National School of Drama

Former Lok Sabha MP and Bollywood actor, Paresh Rawal have been appointed as the new chief of National School of Drama.

• In a career span of over three decades, Rawal has been acknowledged with numerous awards, including the prestigious National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1994.
• Rawal made his debut with the 1985 film Arjun. He played a supporting role in the film.
• The National School of Drama is one of the foremost theatre training institutions in the world and the only one of its kind in India.
• It was set up by the Sangeet Natak Akademi as one of its constituent units in 1959.
• In 1975, it became an independent entity and was registered as an autonomous organisation.

Former health secretary Preeti Sudan appointed WHO panellist

The World Health Organisation’s independent panel for pandemic preparedness and response appointed former health secretary Preeti Sudan as one of its 11 panellists from across the world.

• Member states such as India were invited to nominate their candidates but the chairs had the freedom to pick their own candidate as they did with Sudan.
• The prestigious panel also has former UK foreign secretary David Milliband as a member.
• Their first meeting is on September 17 and in the report expected by May 2021, the panel is expected to address how the pandemic emerged.

Hubballi railway station to be renamed after Shree Siddharoodha Swamiji

Union government has approved long-pending demand of Hubballians of renaming the Hubballi railway station after Shree Siddharoodha Swamiji.

• Name of Hubballi railway station, which is headquarters of South Western Railway, is being changed for the second time in the last five years.
• It was changed in 2015 from ‘Hubli’ to ‘Hubballi’. Siddharoodha Swamiji was an Indian Hindu guru and philosopher.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar & Smriti Mandhana became the brand ambassadors of Playerzpot

The fantasy sports gaming platforms, Playerzpot has announced the signing of cricketers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Smriti Mandhana as its brand ambassadors.

• The partnership will see the cricketers in the brand’s upcoming campaigns and promote Playerzpot through engagement activities.
• The duo will anchor the brand with their sports charisma and help in creating a higher brand recall amongst the key target audience.
• Playerzpot is a fantasy sports gaming app that allows its users to play fantasy cricket.

Cristiano Ronaldo becomes second men’s player to score 100 international goals

Cristiano Ronaldo became the second man to score 100 international goals, hitting the landmark for Portugal in a UEFA Nations League match against Sweden.

• The 35 year-old Juventus forward became the first European to reach 100 goals for his country after Ali Daei, who scored 109 times for Iran.
• It took him 165 appearances to reach the milestone.
• India’s Sunil Chhetri (72) and Argentina’s Lionel Messi (70) are the next closest.
• On the women’s side, 17 players have hit the 100-goal mark, with seven of them Americans.
• Canada’s Christine Sinclair is the all-time leader with 186 goals, two more than USA’s retired forward Abby Wambach (184).