Current Affairs: 18 October – 24 October, 2020
India ranks 94 on the Global Hunger Index, placed under the serious hunger category
India has been ranked at the 94th position out of 107 countries in Global Hunger Index 2020. The current ranking has put India under the serious hunger category. In 2020, over 15 countries which include Belarus, China, Turkey, Cuba, Kuwait, and Ukraine have shared the top rank on the hunger index.
Mission Shakti launched in Uttar Pradesh for women safety
UP Government on October 17, 2020, launched the ‘Mission Shakti’ programme. The programme is a major plan of the state government to ensure women’s safety in the state. The launched mission which will run for 6 months, till April 2021 aims at reducing the crimes against women in Uttar Pradesh.
Supersonic cruise missile BrahMos successfully test-fired by DRDO
DRDO did a successful test-firing of missile BrahMos. The missile had hit the target with pinpoint accuracy in the Arabian sea. The supersonic missile will ensure that the warship is unbeatable and will add to the capabilities of the Indian Armed Forces in many ways.
India starts Heeng Cultivation to become self-reliant in spices production
Heeng cultivation has been successfully started in India for the first time ever. It aims at making the country self-reliant in the production of spices. Dr. Sanjay Kumar, Director of CSIR-IHBT did the first-ever plantation of Heeng in the dry and cold region of Spiti Valley and Lahaul, Himachal Pradesh.
Pakistani government removes a ban from TikTok after the assurance of content moderation
The government of Pakistan has lifted the ban from TikTok after the app makers assured the authorities of moderating the content by blocking the account that is involved in spreading obscenity. The news was shared by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) through a tweet along with an official press release to restore the services of the app.
India, US, and Japan to be joined by Australia for Malabar Naval Exercise
In a major political move, Australia will be joining India, the US, and Japan for Malabar Naval Exercise in the indo-pacific region. The news was shared by the Defence Minister of Australia. The naval exercise will be reflecting a deep trust between the four powerful nations and their shared desire of working on common security issues.
Bonus for Central Government employees approved by Union Cabinet
The Union Cabinet under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the bonus for the central government employees for 2019-20. It is expected to benefit over 30 lakh employees as the Productivity Linked Bonus will be paid to more than 16 lakh non-gazetted employees which include those working in Defence, Railways, ESIC, and EPFO.
Website detailing COVID-19 information in the Nilgiris launched
A COVID-19 website has been launched by the Nilgiris District Administration in order to provide the up to date information about the status of the virus in the district of Tamil Nadu. The website will help in curbing the spread of coronavirus in the district and will help in keeping residents and tourists safe. It has been developed by the Nilgiris administration, with the assistance of Nilgiri’s resident, Jenny Pinto, an NGO, and Coonor Citizen’s Forum. The website, www.nilgiriscovidcare.in is available to view in both English and Tamil.
Union Cabinet approves adoption of J&K Panchayati Raj Act
The adoption of the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989 has been given approval by the Union Cabinet under the chairmanship of PM Modi. With this change, the state will be able to hold the local body elections as well as the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir will now be able to enjoy the rights of electing their representatives at the village, block and district levels.
Indian Navy’s indigenously built corvette ‘INS Kavaratti’ commissioned by the Indian Navy in Vishakhapatnam
INS Kavaratti (P31), anti-submarine warfare (ASW) stealth corvette built under Project 28 (Kamorta Class) was commissioned into the Indian Navy by General Manoj Mukund Naravane on October 22, 2020. The event marked the formal commissioning into the Navy of the last of the four ASW Corvettes, indigenously designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house organisation, Directorate of Naval Design and constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
India successfully test-fires SANT Missile off Odisha coast
India successfully test-fired the Stand-off Anti-tank (SANT) Missile off the coast of Odisha on October 19, 2020. The Missile is being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and will have both Lock-on After Launch and Lock-on Before Launch capability.
Haryana tops Anemia Mukt Bharat Index
Haryana has been ranked the best in the Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) Index among 29 states in the country. The ‘Anemia Mukt Bharat’, an initiative of the Union ministry of health & family welfare and UNICEF, has been launched to reduce the prevalence of anemia all over India. In a recently released scorecard by the Union ministry, Haryana was ranked at the top slot with an AMB (Anemia Free India) Index of 46.7.
India gets Chairmanship of International Labour Organisation (ILO) Governing body after a gap of 35 years
India has assumed the chairmanship of the governing body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) after a gap of 35 years. Labour and Employment secretary Apurva Chandra has been elected as the chairperson of the governing body of the organisation for the period October 2020- June 2021.
The Governing Body is the apex executive body of the ILO which decides policies, programmes, agenda, budget and elects the Director-General. At present, ILO (Headquarter- Geneva, Switzerland) has 187 members. It meets three times a year, in March, June and November.
