Today News detail on 6 November 2020

Zenith Academy

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Tsunami Awareness Day 2020 – November 5

The United Nations(UN)’s World Tsunami Awareness Day is annually observed on 5th November to

create and raise awareness about Tsunami and share innovative approaches across the globe to reduce

the risk of tsunami. The First World Tsunami Awareness Day was observed on 5th November 2016.

UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction(UNDRR) in collaboration with the United Nations system facilitates

the observance of World Tsunami Awareness Day.

The theme of the 2020 World Tsunami Awareness Day is “Strengthening disaster risk governance”.

2020 World Tsunami Awareness Day:

The day encourages the development of national and community level, local disaster risk reduction

strategies to save more lives.

The observance of 2020 World Tsunami Awareness Day promotes the target (e) of “Sendai Seven

Campaign” – Substantially increasing the number of countries with national and local disaster risk

reduction strategies by 2020.

Background:

i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) resolution A/RES/70/203 in December 2015 designated

the 5th November as the World Tsunami Awareness Day.

ii.Japan initiated the idea of the World Tsunami Awareness Day due to its repeated and frequent

experience which built the major expertise in the areas of Tsunami early warning, public action and

building back better to reduce the future impacts.

Tsunami:

i.The word Tsunami comprises Japanese words “Tsu” – Harbour and “Nami” – Wave.

ii.Tsunami is a series of huge waves created due to any underwater disturbance like earthquakes below

or near the oceans.

iii.The volcanic eruption, underwater landslide and falling coastal rocks can also generate tsunamis.

Key Points:

i.In the past 100 years around 58 Tsunami have occurred and claimed more than 260000 lives which is

on average 4600 lives per disaster.

ii.The highest number of deaths in this period was caused by the December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami,

which accounted for around 227000 fatalities in 14 countries including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and

Thailand.

Efforts to reduce the risk of Tsunami:

i.6-part lecture series targeting community leaders, disaster management officers, Non-Governmental

Organisations(NGOs) and citizens are conducted to inform about the Tsunami Ready Program and

encourage the implementation of Risk reduction protocol and indicators to get Tsunami Ready

recognition from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO)’s

Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC).

ii.UNDRR had launched Tsunami Evacuation during COVID-19: A Guide for School Administrator to

create awareness about Tsunami and educate on the Tsunami evacuation during pandemic.

Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 – 2030:

i.The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, is a people focused and action oriented approach to

the disaster risk reduction which can be applied to both small scale and large scale disasters caused by

man-made hazards or natural hazards.

ii.This approach can also be used to disasters related to environmental, technological and biological

hazards and risks.

iii.The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction was the outcome of the 3rd UN World Conference

on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai, Japan.

The Seven Targets of Sendai Framework:

Target A: To reduce global disaster mortality by 2030, aiming to lower the average per 100000 global

mortality rate in the decade 2020–2030 compared to the period 2005-2015.

Target B: To reduce the number of affected people globally by 2030, aiming to lower the average global

figure per 100000 in the decade 2020–2030 compared to the period 2005–2015.

Target C: To reduce direct disaster economic loss in relation to global gross domestic product (GDP) by

2030.

Target D: To reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services, among

them health and educational facilities, including through developing their resilience by 2030.

Target E: To increase the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies

by 2020.

Target F: To enhance international cooperation to developing countries through adequate and

sustainable support to complement their national actions for implementation of the present Framework

by 2030.

Target G: To increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster

risk information and assessments to people by 2030.

About United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR):

Head of UNDRR- Mami Mizutori (Japanese Diplomat – Special Representative of the Secretary-General

for Disaster Risk Reduction)

Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Cabinet approves Rs 1810 crore Investment Proposal of 210 MW Luhri Stage-I Hydro Power Project on

November 4, 2020

On November 4, 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has approved

the following proposal which was detailed by Union Minister Prakash Keshav Javadekar, Ministry of

Information and Broadcasting (MIB).

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has

approved the investment of Rs.1810.56 crore for 210 MW Luhri Stage-I Hydro Electric Project located on

river Satluj situated in Shimla & Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh (HP) . This project, to be

commissioned within 62 months, will generate 758.20 million units of electricity annually.

• Notably this project will reduce 6.1 lakh Tons of carbon dioxide from the environment annually and

also improve the power supply.

• This project is implemented by Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) on Build-Own-Operate-

Maintain (BOOM) basis with active support from Central Government and State Government.

Points to be noted:

-Through this project, HP will get free power worth around Rs. 1140 crore during the Project Life Cycle

of 40 years.

-The families affected by this project will be provided with 100 units of free electricity per month for ten

years.

– This project will provide direct & indirect employment to around 2000 persons and will contribute to

overall socio-economic development of the State.

Background:

The MoU of this project was signed between the HP government and SJVN during a Rising Himachal,

Global Investor Meet which was inaugurated by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi on 7thNovember

2019.

About Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL):

SJVN has forayed into the fields of Renewable Energy, Power Transmission and Thermal power

generation. It has envisaged Internal Growth Targets of total installed capacity from all sources of 5000

MW by 2023, 12000 MW by 2030 and 25000 MW by year 2040.

• Chairman & Managing Director (CMD)– Nand Lal Sharma

• Headquarter– Shimla, Himachal Pradesh (HP)

About Himachal Pradesh:

Chief Minister (CM) – Jai Ram Thakur

Capital– Shimla (Summer), Dharamshala (Winter)

Governor– Bandaru Dattatreya

TransUnion CIBIL partners with MoSPI to launch MSME Credit Health Index

Credit Information Company TransUnion CIBIL has partnered with the Ministry of Statistics and

Programme Implementation (MoSPI) to launch the First Edition of the Quarterly MSME Credit Health

Index. The index will provide a reliable measure and benchmark of the growth and strength of MSME

(Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) in India.

Objective of the Index:

i.To provide Government, Policy makers, lenders and other stakeholders, insights and analysis on

various aspects of the health of MSME industry to enable better policy with respect to MSME lending.

ii.The comprehensive information will facilitate better risk management and inclusion of MSME in Indian

Banking and financial system.

Parameters:

i.The index is built using credit data submitted by Credit Lending Institutions (CLIs) to TransUnion CIBIL.

ii.The index measures credit health of India’s MSME industry based on two parameters -Growth &

Strength.

• Growth Index – Growth Index is measured by increase in exposure value over time.It indicates

improvement in credit growth

• Strength Index -Strength Index is measured by decreasing risk in terms of Non-Performing Assets

(NPA).It implies better asset quality, denoting improvement in structural strength of the sector.

Highlights from 1st Edition Report:

i.The 1st Edition is based on data from March 2018 – June 2020.

ii.Growth Index shows low growth in June 2020 due to the Pandemic.

iii.MSME sector is facing an increased level of NPAs (Non-Performing Assets) in the last two years due to

slower rate of economic growth.

State-wise Index:

The index also measured MSME portfolio at the state level, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan

have shown higher growth momentum. Tamil Nadu reflects better Strength also.

Lender Category Index:

i.NBFCs and Private Banks showed higher growth momentum.

ii.Private Banks contributed to around 50% of incremental credit to MSME sector over the last two years

(20120)

iii.Public Sector Banks have seen muted credit growth in the last two years (2018-20).

About TransUnion CIBIL:

Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer – Rajesh Kumar

Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

About Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI):

Minister of State (MoS), Independent Charge – Rao Inderjit Singh

President Kovind Promulgates Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020

On November 4, 2020, President Ram Nath Kovind in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of

article 123 of the Indian Constitution promulgated the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment)

Ordinance, 2020 to amend the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The provision will come into effect

retrospectively from October 23, 2015.

• The amendment will be made in Section 36 (3) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act retrospectively

from October 23, 2015 in order to address concerns raised by stakeholders. It should be noted that

Section 36 deals with the enforcement of arbitral awards.

• Aim: To enable all stakeholder parties to seek an unconditional stay (temporary suspension or halting

of a legal process or procedure) on enforcement of arbitral awards where the arbitration agreement is

induced by fraud or corruption.

Before heading towards the ordinance let’s understand following two words:

What is Arbitration?

Arbitration is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) where two parties make their arguments to

an arbitrator instead of litigating the matter in court. The arbitrator, a lawyer or retired judge, makes a

decision following the arbitration hearing. The decision is legally binding and enforceable by the court,

unless all parties stipulate that the arbitration process and decision are non-binding.

What is an Arbitration Award?

An arbitration award refers to the decision of an arbitrator. This award can be money one party has to

pay to the other party. It can also be a non-financial award, such as stopping a certain business practice

or adding an employment incentive.

Now, here are key features of ordinance.

Amendment to Section 36

As per the latest amendment, if the arbitration award is being given on the basis of an agreement based

on fraud or corruption, then the court will not impose a condition to stay the award and grant an

unconditional stay during the pendency of the appeal if it has been challenged under Section 34 of the

arbitration law.

• Till now, an arbitration award was enforceable even if an appeal was filed against it in the court under

Section 36 of the law. But the court could grant a stay on the award on conditions as it deemed fit.

• This section was also amended in 2015.

Substitution of new section for section 43J:

For section 43J of the principal Act, the section “Norms for accreditation of arbitrators” is substituted.

Now, the qualifications based on which arbitrators will be accredited will be prescribed by regulations,

which will be framed by a proposed arbitration council.

Omission of Eighth Schedule:

The ordinance has also deleted Eighth Schedule of the Arbitration & Conciliation Act 1996 which enables

foreign practitioners to now act as arbitrators in India.

Recent Related News:

1. President Ram Nath Kovind also gave assent to Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill 2020 under

which Kashmiri, Dogri and Hindi also added to the existing Urdu and English, will be the official

languages in the union territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir.

2. On September 27, 2020 President Ram Nath Govind approves 3 farm bills passed by Parliament:

• The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020,

• The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Bill,

2020 and

• The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

Cabinet Approvals with Foreign Countries on November 4, 2020

On November 4, 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has approved

the following proposals:

–Cabinet approved signing of Indo-Spain MoU to develop scientific and technical collaborations in

astronomy

The Union Cabinet has apprised the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Indian

Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru (Karnataka) and the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC)

and the GRANTECAN, S.A. (GTC), Spain to develop scientific and technical collaborations in the

astronomy field.

• This MoU will aid in new scientific results; new technologies; Capacity building through increased

scientific interaction and training; joint scientific projects etc.

• There will also be development of segmented telescope technologies as well as the development of

robotic telescopes and other future potential specific collaborations.

Through this MoU enables all qualified scientists, students and technologists for joint research projects,

training programmes, conferences, seminars etc..

About Spain:

Capital– Madrid

Currency– Euro Prime

Minister– Pedro Sanchez Perez-Castejon

Cabinet approves signing of MoU between India and UK on cooperation in the field of

Telecommunication/ICTs

To strengthen the bilateral cooperation and mutual understanding in the field of Telecommunications,

and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) between India and the United Kingdom (UK),

the Union cabinet has approved the signing of MoU between Ministry of Communications, India and the

Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS) of the UK Government for co-operation in

telecommunications and.

• Aim of MoU: To enhance scope of cooperation and opportunities for India Post-Brexit.

About United Kingdom (UK):

Capital– London

Currency– Pound sterling

Prime Minister– Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson

Cabinet approved MoU between India and UK on cooperation in the field of Medical Products

Regulation

Apart from above, one more MoU was approved for India-UK which was inked between the Central

Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), India and the United Kingdom Medicines and Healthcare

Products Regulatory Agency (UK MHRA) on cooperation in the field of medical Product Regulation.

Through this MoU both organizations will cooperate and exchange information on matters relating to

Medical products regulation in line with their international responsibilities.

Following are the key areas of cooperation:

• Exchange of safety information, including Pharmacovigilance where there is a particular safety concern

related to the other party.

• Participation of both nations in scientific and practical conferences, symposia, and seminars.

• Exchange of information and cooperation on Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), Good Clinical Practices

(GCP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Distribution Practices (GDP) and Good

Pharmacovigilance Practices (GPvP).

• Promote an understanding between the Parties of each other’s regulatory framework, requirements

and processes.

• Exchange of information on laws and regulations regarding medicines and medical devices. And to

support efforts to control unlicensed exports and imports.

About Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO):

Drugs Controller General of India– Dr. Venugopal G Somani

Headquarter– New Delhi

Parent Ministry– Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW)

Cabinet approves Indo-Israel MoU on cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has approved the signing of the

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Israel on cooperation in the field of Health

and Medicine.

Key Areas of Cooperation are:

• Exchange and training of medical doctors and other health professionals;

• Assistance in development of human resources and setting up of health care facilities;

• Exchange of information regarding regulation of pharmaceutical, medical devices and cosmetics;

• Sharing expertise for vulnerability assessment for health of citizens against climate risk

• Sharing of expertise for facilitating climate resilient infrastructure for development of ‘Green

Healthcare’ (climate resilient hospitals);

• Promote mutual research in various relevant areas

About Israel:

Capital– Jerusalem

Currency– Israeli Shekel

President– Reuven “Ruvi” Rivlin

Prasar Bharati signed MoU with BISAG-N to Launch 51 DTH Educational TV Channels

On 4th November 2020, Prasar Bharati, the public broadcaster of India signed a Memorandum of

Understanding(MoU) with Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-

Informatics(BISAG-N) of Gujarat under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to

enable 51 direct-to-home (DTH) Educational television(TV) channels to all DD Free Dish Viewers. Aim:

This initiative aims to enable quality educational programmes to every household including the

households in rural and remote areas.

Features:

i.The 51 channels comprises Swaym Prabha under the Ministry of Education (22 channels), e-Vidya for

classes 1 to 12 of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) (12 channels), Vande

Gujarat owned by Government of Gujarat (16 channels) and DigiShala under MeitY (1 channel) will be

available for the viewers as DD co-branded channels.

ii.These services will be available at a free of cost for 24×7 for all the viewers.

iii.This is in line with the Government of India’s goal of providing “education to all”.

Swayam Prabha:

i.Swaym Prabha is a group of 34 DTH Channels that telecasts high quality education programmes for

24×7 using GSAT-15 satellite.

ii.It will provide new content for atleast 4hours every day which will be repeated for 5 more times a day.

iii.The channels are uplinked from BISAG-N, Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

DigiShala:

i.DigiShala is an educational TV channel for digital payments on Door Darshan (DD) Free dish.

ii.This imparts education related to the digital payment ecosystem, tools, benefits and processes and

informs and educates the people about Digital India initiatives.

Vande Gujarat:

Vande Gujarat program of the government of Gujarat is an educational and geographical television

channel.

E-Vidya:

i.The E-Vidya programme was launched to integrate the endeavors related to online education and to

increase the multimode access to education.

ii.This programme includes initiatives like One Nation One Digital Platform, One Class One Channel,

Online Programmes in Universities, Swayam MOOCS courses, etc.

NMCG organised three-day virtual ‘Ganga Utsav 2020’; Chacha Chaudhary Named as Brand

Ambassador of Namami Gange

A three-day long Ganga Utsav 2020 from November 2-4, 2020 was virtually organized by National

Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) amid COVID-19 to spread awareness about river Ganga and the need

to keep the river clean and rejuvenated.

• The 2020 edition marks the 12th anniversary of Ganga being accorded the status of National River, on

4th November 2008.

• The event was attended by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Ministry of Jal Shakti.

• It should be noted that an association was made between the Namami Gange and India Science

Channel during the fest under which the former will release all its informative and educational movies

on the latter.

–GIZ collaborated with NMCG for project, ‘Support to Ganga Rejuvenation’

German development agency (GIZ) has collaborated with NMCG for a project, ‘Support to Ganga

Rejuvenation’, in which transformational learning resources are designed for the Indian schools to bring

behavioural change in the school children towards conservation and rejuvenation of the Ganga river.

• In this regard, Ganga Box, an innovative learning tool, was launched by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

–Launch of Urban River Management Plan

A joint project titled “Urban River Management Plan” between NMCG and National Institute of Urban

Affairs (NIUA), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs was also launched during the fest. It is a unique

first of its kind strategic framework for managing urban river stretches in the Ganga River Basin.

About National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA):

Director– Hitesh Vaidya

Location– New Delhi

Chacha Chaudhary becomes the Brand Ambassador for Namami Gange Project

The iconic Indian comic character, Chacha Chaudhary, whose brain works faster than a computer has

been named as the brand ambassador of Namami Gange Programme.

• In this regard, Diamond Toons will conceptualize and publish this new ‘Talking Comics’ with Chacha

Chaudhary spreading awareness on the cultural and spiritual significance of River Ganga. The teaser for

the same was released during the fest.

Other Key Programmes Held/Launched

Mini Ganga Quest: A pan India Mini Ganga Quest was organised by NMCG in association with Tree Craze

Foundation to make youth and students aware of environmental issues and to increase public

participation in Namami Gange program.

• Tree Craze Foundation is led by Bhawna Sharma.

—Ganga film festival: In order to use films as a medium to evoke critical thinking a film fest was also

organized which showcased the following notable films:

• “The Miracle Water Village” directed by Rintu Thomas, and Sushmit Ghosh

• “Locals Become Geohydrologists in Rapar” directed by Usha Dewani and Nilutpal Das

• “Thirstv by Sivanageswara Rao,

• “Angioplasty Of Dreams” by Aditya Seth,

• “Water Warriors” by Nutan Manmohan

• “Revival Of AharPynes Systems” by Soumitra Dey

—Ganga Aerial Movie Launch– “Ganga Aerial Movie” was launched by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat which

covers the journey of Ganga from the origin to the end in breath-taking aerial view. It is produced by

National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).

Ganga Dialoges:

It was a series of discussions with eminent personalities.

Apart from the above, Ganga Task Force (GTF) conducted an afforestation drive with National Cadet

Corps (NCC) cadets and educational tour for youth.

Static Points:

–NMCG is the implementation wing of National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection and Management

of River Ganga (referred as National Ganga Council). The council was set up in 2016, replacing the

National Ganga River Basin Authority (NRGBA).

• NMCG Director General– Rajiv Ranjan Mishra

–In 2014, Namami Gange Programme was launched with an outlay of Rs 20,000 crore to accomplish the

twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution and conservation, and rejuvenation of Ganga. Its

nodal body for implementation is NMCG.

2nd Batch of Three Rafale Fighter Jets land at Jamnagar Air Base in Gujarat

On November 4, 2020, 2nd Batch of Three Rafale Fighter Jets landed at the Jamnagar Air Base in Gujarat.

The fighter jets took off from Istres air base, France and flew continuously over eight hours covering 3,

700 nautical miles (6, 852 Kilometres) before landing in India.

The fighter air jets were accompanied by French Air Force’s mid-air refuelling aircraft.

Key Points:

i.With the arrival of the Three fighter jets, Indian Air Force (IAF) now has 8 Rafale Fighter jets.

ii.The Second batch will be stationed at Hasimara Air Force Station, West Bengal.

iii.IAF is expecting three to four Rafale jets to be delivered every two months. The induction of all 36

Rafale jets are expected to be completed by 2023.

First Batch of Rafale:

i.In July 29, The First five of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France landed in Ambala in Haryana after

covering a distance of nearly 8500 Kms to join the Indian Air Force (IAF).

ii.They were officially inducted in September at Ambala Air Base in Haryana on September 10, 2020.

Rafale Fighter Jets:

i.In September, 2016 India and France signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure

36 aircraft at a cost of INR 59, 000 crores.

ii.Rafale jets manufactured by French aerospace major Dassault Aviation, are India’s first major

acquisition of fighter planes in 23 years.

iii.It carries a range of potent weapons such as MBDA’s (France based Weapons Manufacturing

Company) Meteor Beyond visual range air-to-air missile, Scalp Cruise Missile.

iv.IAF is also procuring a new generation medium-range modular air-to-ground weapon system Hammer

(Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) to integrate with Rafale Jets.

About Indian Air Force (IAF):

Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) – Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria

Headquarters – New Delhi

Minister of State for Housing & Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri launches Three Initiatives

On November 4, 2020, Minister of State (MoS) (Independent Charge) for Housing & Urban Affairs

(MoHUA), Hardeep Singh Puri launched Three Initiatives Namely Nurturing Neighborhoods Challenge,

Data Maturity Assessment Framework Cycle 2 & On-line training programme for City Data Officers (CDO)

during an event.

Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, MoHUA and other stakeholders were present during the launch.

Nurturing Neighborhoods Challenge:

i.A 3-year initiative to support cities to develop, pilot, and scale solutions to enhance the quality of life of

young children, their caregivers and families in public domain.

ii.The challenge will be conducted with the support of Bernard Van Leer Foundation, Netherlands with

technical support from World Resources Institute (WRI) India.

iii.Through the challenge, selected cities will receive technical assistance to reimagine parks, open

spaces, improve access to early childhood facilities, adapt public spaces with early childhood-oriented

amenities.

Eligibility:

The challenge will be open to all smart cities, cities with more than five lakh population, and capitals of

States and Union Territories (UTs).

Data Maturity Assessment Framework (DMAF) Cycle 2:

Objective:

To enable cities to assess their own data maturity through a standardized framework covering enabling

policies, governance structure, data management, capacity building, and stakeholder engagement at the

city level.

Key Points:

i.DMAF – Cycle-2 will support cities to enable creation of ‘culture of data’ under DataSmart Cities

initiative of Smart Cities Mission.

ii.This will play a major role in democratizing data culture for open-innovation, collaboration, co-creation

and academic research. It will include cities other than Smart Cities.

CDO Training Programme:

i.MoHUA has partnered with Tata Trusts to launch a six-week guided e-learning course called ‘Enabling

Data Driven Decision Making in Urban Local Bodies’ under the CDO Training Programme.

ii.It is specially designed for CDOs appointed in 100 smart cities to expose them to basic and advanced

tools for data collection, analysis and visualization.

iii.CDOs will be able to understand principles of data-driven governance and creation of actionable data

policy frameworks to enable practical learning and application.

About Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA):

Minister of State (MoS) (Independent Charge) – Hardeep Singh Puri

List of Schemes under Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs – Smart Cities Mission, Heritage City

Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban

Transformation (AMRUT), Urban Transport, Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM).

International Centre for Clean Water at IIT-M set to Collaborate with DG TAKANO to Introduce New

Clean Water Technologies in India

International Centre for Clean Water (ICCW), an initiative by IITM(Indian Institute of Technology Madras)

to collaborate with DG TAKANO, Japanese firm.

Aim– To introduce new clean water technologies in India.

ICCW and DG TAKANO Signed MoU

Recently, ICCW and DG TAKANO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on

projects on clean water. The MoU also aims to develop innovative products that address the existing

societal and environmental challenges in the area of clean and safe drinking water worldwide.

Projects Undertaken

The projects that will be undertaken under the collaboration will be in the areas of clean water, water

treatment, water security and management that cover raw water and wastewater.

Points to be Noted

• One of the world’s most water-stressed countries is India.

• As per UNICEF(United Nations Children’s Fund), India is facing an economic burden of around USD 600

million annually due to waterborne diseases.

Terms of Partnership:

DG TAKANO will provide its Expertise and support ICCW

• DG TAKANO will provide its expertise on advanced Japanese sustainable technologies.

• To develop innovative products and technologies, DG TAKANO will support ICCW to collaborate with

Japanese companies

Interns from IIT Madras will be hired

Interns will be hired by DG TAKANO from IIT Madras.

ICCW will provide Technical capabilities

• ICCW will provide technical capabilities that includes, analysis of groundwater, clean water, treated

water, assessment of water security, selection and development of the most appropriate technology.

• It also provides its implementation, local technical training and maintenance support.

Joint Development of New products and services

New products and services that relate to the projects will be jointly developed by ICCW and DG

TAKANO.

Joint R&D and Undertake New Projects

• ICCW and DG TAKANO will undertake new projects and will conduct joint R&D(Research and

Development) to resolve the water crisis.

• These project spotlights the implementation of proven technology, field testing of the developing

technology, development of new technology, educational training and internship programs.

About Indian Institute of Technology Madras(IITM):

Director– Professor Bhaskar Ramamurthi

HeadQuarters– Chennai, TamilNadu

About DG TAKANO:

Head Office– Tokyo, Japan

CEO and Founder– Masaaki Takano

NMDC Ltd & IIT-Hyderabad Launched NICE Program to Support Deep-Tech Startups

On 4th November 2020, NMDC Ltd under the Ministry of Steel, in association Indian Institute of

Technology (IIT) Hyderabad launched NICE (NMDC Innovation and Incubation Centre) Program a deep

technology startup support system at IIT Hyderabad. NICE Program is a joint initiative of NMDC and i-TIC

Foundation, Technology Business Incubator(TBI) at IIT Hyderabad. Aim: To support deep-tech startups

through incubation and fellowship support.

Objective: To promote entrepreneurship and innovation in India. To support the Startup India

movement.

NICE Program:

i.NICE Program is a 5-year joint program to support 15 fellows and 15 startups through benefits like

financial aid, mentoring support, co-working space and other infrastructures.

ii.This will act as a template for industry-academia collaboration to support the Startup India Initiative.

iii.The incubation period of each startup will be 2 years extendable by 6 months.

Benefits:

i.The total budget of the program – Rs.10 crore is funded by NMDC which will be used to support 5

startups every year with a financial aid of Rs.25 lakh to convert their concept into business.

ii.The program will also support 5 fellows every year with Rs.80000 stipends for 12 months to support

sustenance and prototype development.

About NMDC Ltd:

Chairman-Cum-Managing Director (CMD) – Sumit Deb

Headquarter – Hyderabad, Telangana

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

United States formally exits Paris Climate Agreement to curb climate change

On November 4, 2020 the United States (US) became the first country to formally exit the Paris Climate

Agreement. The formal exit from the agreement happened over a period of three years, after President

Donald Trump declared pull-out from the climate accord in June 2017.

Impact of US Exit:

i.US is the second largest emitter of Greenhouse gases in the world (1st – China), accounting for a total

of 25 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

ii.US had promised to reduce its emissions by 26 percent to 28 percent by the year 2025 from 2005

levels.

Reasons for withdrawal:

i.Under the Paris pact, developed countries are under obligation to mobilize at least $100 billion every

year from the year 2020 in climate finance meant for the developing world. The amount was set to be

revised upwards after five years.

ii.US President, Donald Trump was opposed to this move and called it “unfair” and hence the

withdrawal.

Paris Climate Agreement:

i.In December 2015, 195 Countries adopted the Paris Climate Agreement to combat global warming and

actions to intensify actions for low carbon growth at the 21st Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC in

Paris, France.

ii.It is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and

is effective since November, 2016.

Objective of Paris Pact:

i.The key objective of the pact is to keep global temperature rise in the century to below 2 degrees

Celsius, and to limit temperature increase to 1.5 degree Celsius.

ii.The agreement came into force on November 4, 2016 and 189 countries adopted it.

India’s Target under Paris Climate Agreement:

i.India is the Third Largest Emitter of Greenhouse gases.

ii.It agreed to reduce emissions intensity of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 33% – 35% by 2030 below

2005 levels.

iii.To increase the share of non-fossil based energy resources to 40% of installed electric power capacity

by 2030.

iv.To create an additional (cumulative) carbon sink of 2.5-3 “GtCO2e” (Gigatonnes of equivalent carbon

dioxide) through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.

About United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC):

Executive Secretary – Patricia Espinosa

Headquarters – Bonn, Germany

Shaktikanta Das Chaired 40th SAARCFINANCE Governors’ Group meeting; Inaugurated the

SAARCFINANCE Sync

On November 4, 2020 Shaktikanta Das, Governor of Reserve Bank of India(RBI) chaired the 40th

SAARCFINANCE Governors’ Group meeting in a virtual format. He inaugurated the SAARCFINANCE Sync,

a closed user group secure communication network.

Points to be Noted

i.The SAARFINANCE Governors meet twice a year concurrently with the IMF(International Monetary

Fund)/ WB(World Bank) Annual and Spring Meetings.

ii.The current chair of SAARCFINANCE is RBI.

Key People

The meeting was attended by the Governors from SAARC central banks, namely, Mr. Fazle Kabir,

Bangladesh Bank; Mr. Dasho Penjore, Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan; Mr. Ali Hashim, Maldives

Monetary Authority; Mr. Maha Prasad Adhikari, Nepal Rastra Bank; Dr. Reza Baqir, State Bank of

Pakistan; and Prof. W. D. Lakshman, Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Governor, Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) was

represented by a senior official of DAB.

Highlights of the 40th SAARCFINANCE Governors’ Group meeting

i.The group took stock of the macroeconomic situation in the SAARC(South Asian Association for

Regional Cooperation) region.

ii.Discussion was made on the current SAARCFINANCE initiatives

iii.The Governors from SAARC central banks reiterated their commitment to continued co-operation and

sharing of central bank experiences.

Gist about SAARCFINANCE:

Established

The 10th SAARC Summit of the Head of the States of the SAARC Region that was held on Colombo on

July 29, 1998 agreed, in principle, to establish SAARCFINANCE, a network of central bank governors and

finance secretaries of the

SAARC region.The permanent body got formal recognition of SAARC at the 11th SAARC Summit, held in

Kathmandu, Nepal in January 2002.

Objective

To share experiences on macroeconomic policy issues among member countries of the region.

About SAARCFINANCE:

Established– September 9, 1998

Current Chair– RBI(Reserve Bank of India)

Central Banks in SAARCFINANCE– Bangladesh Bank, Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Da Afghanistan Bank,

Maldives Monetary Authority, Nepal Rastra Bank, Reserve Bank of India, Royal Monetary Authority of

Bhutan, State Bank of Pakistan.

BANKING & FINANCE

Paytm Partners with SBI Card and Visa to Launch Contactless Co-Branded Credit Cards in 2 Variants

On November 4, 2020 SBI Card and Payment Services ltd.(SBI Cards) partnered with Paytm and Visa to

launch contactless co-branded credit cards, India’s next generation credit cards. The credit card will be

available in two variants, namely, Paytm SBI Card and Paytm SBI Card SELECT. The 2 variants have been

designed for the new age, digitally savvy customers. The product has been launched on the Visa

platform.

Aim of the Partnership– To bring in ‘new to credit’ users into the formal economy and empower them to

control their finances.

Note

• This is the 2nd co-branded credit card product from Paytm.

• Paytm’s 1st co-branded credit card, called ‘Paytm First Card’ was launched in collaboration with

Citibank.

About the Launch:

This launch is in accordance with the SBI card’s efforts to offer customers tailored products that bring

utmost value in line with spending needs and also to encourage digital forms of payments for a safe and

enhanced customer experience.

Key Info:

Control smart one tap features

The Paytm SBI cardholders will be enabled to control their smart one tap features that are available on

SBI Card mobile app & Paytm app. Paytm SBI Card Variants is equipped with Instant one-touch services

like blocking/ unblocking the card for online transactions, etc.,

Switch off the card

Users have the option to switch off the card for contactless payments or international transactions,

when it is not required, this will safeguard them against fraud.

Personalized spend analyser

The Paytm App is equipped with a personalized spend analyser that helps to assess the expenses and

also to plan for future spending.

Highlights of Paytm SBI Card SELECT and Paytm SBI Card:

Annual Fee& Register

• Paytm users can register for these cards through the Paytm app in less than a minute.

• The Paytm SBI Card can be availed at Rs 449 for a year and Paytm SBI Card SELECT at Rs 1499 for a

year.

Welcome Benefit

• Upon first time use both the cards offer Complimentary Paytm First Membership.

• The Paytm SBI Card SELECT also offers cardholders Rs 750 cashback upon first use.

Cashback

• On booking movie and travel tickets on Paytm app and on purchase of items from Paytm Mall, the

cardholders will receive 5% and 3% on Paytm SBI Card SELECT and Paytm SBI Card respectively.

• The cardholders will also receive 2% cashback for other spends on Paytm app using the Paytm SBI

Cards and 1% cashback is offered on spends elsewhere.

Fuel Surcharge Waiver

Both the cards offer 1% fuel surcharge waiver.

Cyber fraud insurance cover

The cardholders will get Cyber fraud insurance cover of 1 lakh and 2 lakh respectively for Paytm SBI Card

and Paytm SBI Card SELECT.

Note– Customers have an option to choose from two-color variants on the Paytm App.

Additional Info:

By joining the waitlist that has gone live on the Paytm App from November 2020, the select customers

have a chance to apply for early access to the card.

Background

In October 2020, Paytm announced that it will introduce 2 million co-branded credit cards for

consumers in India in the next 12–18 months, in partnership with various credit card issuers.

About SBI Cards & Payment Services Ltd (SBI Cards):

Headquarters– Gurgaon, Haryana

Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Ashwini Kumar Tewari

Founded- October 1998

About Paytm:

Headquarters– Noida, Uttar Pradesh

Founder & CEO– Vijay Shekhar Sharma

Founded– August 2010

ICICI Bank Launches ‘ICICI Bank Mine’, India’s 1st Banking Programme for Millennial Customers; First-

of-its-Kind Proposition in Industry

On November 5, 2020 ICICI Bank launched ‘ICICI Bank Mine’(inspired by ‘Millennial Network’), India’s

first comprehensive banking programme for millennial customers, in the age bracket of 18-35 years old.

It is a first of its kind proposition in industry. It is India’s 1st full banking stack for millennials. It also

offers the millennial customers a mobile first, highly personalised and experiential led banking

experience.

Targeted Customer– Millennial customers

Note– This is expected to offer the customers a 360-degree complete and most comprehensive

proposition in a single place across their life stages.

About ‘ICICI Bank Mine’:

Instant Saving Account

A savings account can be instantly opened by a millennial aged up to 35 years in a full digital way on the

website of the bank or iMobile application, by using the user’s Aadhaar and PAN(Permanent Account

Number) card.

Investment Guidance

It offers investment guidance to customers through iMobile Application(app), the app of the bank that

focuses completely on user experience

New Version of iMobile app

A new version of ‘iMobile’ app has been launched with additional features. The customers can get

access instantly to this upgraded app with a refreshed UI(User Interface)/UX(User Experience) and

millennial friendly language

India’s 1st flexi-plan credit card to Enable Customers

The bank offers India’s 1st flexi-plan credit card to allow the customers ICICI Bank MINE to select a plan

on iMobile monthly to suit their monthly requirement and lifestyle.

Instant Personal Loan and Overdraft

The Millennial customers can avail 2 instant credit facilities, namely,

• ‘Insta Personal Loan’ facility up to Rs 25 lakh

• The facility of Insta Flexicash, an overdraft linked to the customers of ‘ICICI Bank Mine’account.

Experiential branch

The bank has added a physical presence of an experiential branch targeted at millennial, for advisory on

banking products like investments and full range of loans At the Manyata Tech Park, Bengaluru, the first

experiential branch for millennials has been opened.

About ICICI Bank:

Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

MD & CEO– Sandeep Bakhshi

Tagline– Hum Hai Na, Khayal Apka

Formed– 1955 incorporated in 1994.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Ministry of I&B Constitutes a 4 Member Committee Headed by Shashi S. Vempati to Review

Guidelines on Television Rating Agencies in India

On November 4, 2020 The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting(MIB) constituted a 4 member

committee to review “Guidelines on Television Rating Agencies in India” notified by the ministry in 2014.

The committee is headed by Shashi S. Vempati, CEO(Chief Executive Officer) of Prasar Bharti.

Purpose of the committee- The committee will examine and study different aspects of the television

rating system in India and will notify the changes if required.

Members of the Committee:

The members of the committee includes, Dr Shalabh, Professor of Statistics,

Department of Mathematics and Statistics, IIT Kanpur; Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay, Executive Director, C-

DOT(Centre for Development of Telematics); Professor Pulak Ghosh, Decision Sciences, Centre for Public

Policy (CPP).

Need of the Committee:

i.The committee is constituted to give a new look on the guidelines, especially in view of the recent

recommendations of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), technological advancements /

interventions to address the system and further strengthen the procedures for a credible and

transparent rating system.

ii.This is based on the operation of the guidelines for a few years.

Committee’s Role:

i.Committee shall carry out an appraisal of the existing system.

ii.They may examine the recommendations of TRAI notified from time to time, overall industry scenario.

iii.Should Address the need of the stakeholders and make recommendations for a resilient, transparent

and accountable rating system through changes, if any, in the existing guidelines.

Terms of Reference for the Committee

i.The past recommendations made by various forums in regard to television rating systems in India and

related matters to be studied.

ii.The recent recommendations of TRAI on the subject.

iii.Steps to be suggested to enhance competition in the sector.

iv.Review to be made on the currently notified guidelines to see if the intended purpose(s) of issuing the

guidelines have been successful and has met the needs of various stakeholders involving The

lacunae(Missing Stake), if any, shall be particularly addressed by the Committee.

v.Any issues related or incidental to the subject.

vi.Recommendation to be made to make a robust, transparent and accountable rating system in India.

viiAny other related issues assigned by the ministry from time to time.

viii.Within 2 months, the committee will submit its report to the Minister for Information &

Broadcasting

About Ministry of Information and Broadcasting(MIB):

Cabinet Minister-Prakash Javadekar

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

India successfully flight-tested Enhanced Version of PINAKA Rocket System from ITR, Odisha

On November 4, 2020, India successfully flight tested the Enhanced version of PINAKA Rocket System

from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, Odisha. It has been indigenously developed by

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The enhanced variant of the Pinaka Rocket

can hit a target 45-60 Kms away.

The range of the Enhanced PINAKA missile is higher than the range of Pinaka Mk1. It will replace the

existing Pinaka Mk-I rockets.

Design & Development:

It has been designed and developed by Pune based DRDO Laboratory Namely Armament Research and

Development Establishment (ARDE), and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL).

Key Points:

i.Six rockets were launched in succession and all of them met the mission objectives.

ii.The Tested Rockets have been manufactured by Economic Explosives Limited, Nagpur (Maharashtra).

Overview of PINAKA MBRL:

i.Pinaka is a multi-barrel rocket-launcher (MBRL) system. It is capable of firing 12 rockets over a period

of 44 seconds.

ii.MBRL is a type of Rocket Artillery System which contains multiple launchers assembled onto a single

platform.

iii.The navigation system of Guided Pinaka Missile is aided by the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite

System (IRNSS).

iv.Pinaka Mk-I has a range of 38 Kms, while Pinaka Mk-II has a range of 60 kms.

About Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO):

Chairman – G Satheesh Reddy

Headquarters– New Delhi

Don Talbot, Former Head Coach of Australia’s Olympic Swimming Team Passed Away at 87

On 3rd November 2020, Don Talbot, one of Australia’s greatest swimming coaches and former head

coach of Olympic Swimming team of Australia and Canada passed away at the age of 87 in Queensland,

Australia. He was born on 23rd August 1933 in New South Wales, Australia.

About Don Talbot:

i.Don Talbot started his career as a coach in the 1950s and worked with John Konards, multiple world

record holder who won the gold in 1500-meter freestyle in 1960 Rome Olympics.

ii.He served as the coach of the Olympic teams of Australia from 1964 to 72 and also worked with

Canada and the United States of America(USA).

iii.He served as the foundation director of the Australian Institute of Sports(AIS) from 1980 to 1983.

iv.He returned to Canada as the Coach of its National team which won the Olympic in 1984 and 1988.

v.During his stint as the head coach of Australia swim team, Australia secured 2nd in the Pool in 2000

Sydney Olympic Games with 5 gold, 9 silver and 4 bronze medals and topped the gold medal standing in

the World Championship 2001 held in Fukuoka, Japan.

Awards & Honours:

i.He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1981 for his service to sport.

ii.He was inducted in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1990.

iii.He was named an Officer of the Order of Australia(AO) in 2007.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Political Scientist Vinay Sitapati’s 2nd Book Titled “Jugalbandi: The BJP Before Modi”

Vinay Sitapati, a political scientist, lawyer and a journalist authored his 2nd book titled “Jugalbandi: The

BJP Before Modi”. The book documents about the partnership between Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal

Krishna Advani, The founding leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The book will be published by

Penguin’s Viking (Viking Books is an imprint of Penguin General) and it is set to be released in November

2020.

About the book:

i.The book is based on private papers, party documents, newspapers and more than 200 interviews

which claims to be the “most authoritative account” of the BJP.

ii.The book explains about Modi and the dominance of BJP in Indian Politics.

iii.This portrays the creation of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Jana Sang and BJP and the

partnership between Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani, the founding leaders of BJP.

iv.The book portrays the creation of Hindu nationalism in the 1920s as a response to British-induced

elections, the formation of the BJP in 1980 and ends with the first national government of BJP from 1998

to 2004.

v.The book will be translated into Hindi, Telugu and Marathi.

About Vinay Sitapati:

i.Vinay Sitapati is currently working as the Head of the Department of Political Science and Assistant

Professor of Political Science and Legal Studies at the Ashoka University, Sonepat Haryana.

ii.His debut book “Half-Lion: How P V Narasimha Rao Transformed India”, the biography of PV

Narasimha Rao, the former Prime Minister of India was recognised as “Book of the Year 2016” by The

Economist magazine.

Rare Metallic Asteroid ‘16 Psyche’ may be worth $ 10, 000 Quadrillion

According to a recent study published in The Planetary Science Journal, Asteroid ‘16 Psyche’ which orbits

between Mars and Jupiter is believed to be made up almost entirely of iron, nickel and other rare

materials like gold, platinum, cobalt, iridium and rhenium. It is worth an estimated $10, 000 Quadrillion

which is more than the entire economy of Earth. It was discovered on March 17, 1853 by Italian

astronomer Annibale de Gasparis and named after Greek goddess of Soul, Psyche. Researchers at the

Southwest Research Institute (Texas, United States) observed the asteroid through the Hubble Space

Telescope.

Assam’s Rupsi Airport to Start its Commercial Operation by January 2021

On November 3, 2020 Airports Authority of India (AAI) stated that Rupsi Airport at Kokrajhar district,

Assam is ready to start commercial operation under the Regional Connectivity Scheme(RCS) by January

2021. It is Assam’s 7th airport and Northeast’s 14th airport. It is a British-era airport that was originally

constructed during World War-II to supply arms, manpower and ammunition to the Allied forces. The

flight operations came to a halt in the 1980s. At an estimated cost of Rs 69 crore it has been re-

developed.

AAI hands over Lucknow airport to Adani Group on lease for 50 years

On November 2, 2020, Airports Authority of India (AAI) handed over the Lucknow Airport (Uttar

Pradesh) to Adani Group on lease for a period of 50 years. AAI had signed concession agreements with

Adani Group on February 14, 2020 for operations management and development of Mangalore,

Lucknow and Ahmedabad Airports. In February, 2019, the Central Government privatized six major

airports of the country – Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Mangalore, Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati.

Adani won the rights to run all airports for 50 years.

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