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Current Affairs - 15 October 2020

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1. World Students’ Day: 15 October
  • World Students’ Day is observed every year on 15 October to mark the birth anniversary of former President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.
  • This year marks the 89th birth anniversary of the former president and ‘Missile Man’ Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
  • In 2010 the United Nations declared 15 October “World Students’ Day”, due to Kalam’s love for students and who himself was a dedicated teacher and identified himself foremost in that role before anything else.
2. India, France re-elected as President, Co-President of International Solar Alliance
  • India and France were re-elected as the President and Co-President of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), for a term of two years at the virtual meeting of the Third Assembly, informed the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
  • This was decided during the virtual meeting of the third assembly of the International Solar Alliance attended by 34 ISA members. Four new Vice-Presidents were also chosen to represent the four regions of ISA.
Foot Notes:
About France:
President: Emmanuel Macron 
Capital: Paris
Currency: Euro
 
3. India contributes 1 million dollars to UNRWA for Palestine Refugees
  • India has contributed one million dollars to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees in Near East. This aid will support the Agency's programmes and services, including education, health care, relief and social services.
  • The Representative Office of India in Ramallah said, India's support for the Palestinian cause is an integral part of the nation's foreign policy. It shall continue supporting the UNRWA’s activities in providing vital services and necessary humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees.
Foot Notes:
About UNRWA:
Headquarters location: Amman, Jordan
Deputy Commissioner-General: Leni Stenseth
Commissioner-General: Philippe Lazzarini
 
4. Odisha Launches 'Sujal' Mission, first state to provide tap water fit for drinking in urban areas
  • The Odisha Government launched ‘Sujal - Drink from Tap Mission’. The aim of the mission is to provide quality drinking water, fit for direct consumption from the pipe, to over 15 lakh people in 15 towns.
  • Rs 1300 crore will be spent by the Government to provide the drink directly from tap quality water to all households in urban areas. The initiative was started at Salia Sahi in Bhubaneswar and Masani Chandi in Puri.
Foot Notes:
About Odisha:
Capital: Bhubaneswar
Governor: GaneshiLal
Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik
 
5. RBI raises banks' aggregate exposure limit for small businesses to Rs 7.5 crore
  • In a bid to increase credit flow to small businesses, the RBI raised banks' maximum aggregate retail exposure limit to entities with turnover up to Rs 50 crore to Rs 7.5 crore, up from Rs 5 crore.
  • The risk weight of 75 percent will apply to all fresh exposures and also to existing exposures where incremental exposure may be taken by the banks up to the revised limit of Rs 7.5 crore, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in a release.
Foot Notes:
About RBI:
Governor: Shaktikanta Das
Headquarters: Mumbai
Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata
 
6. Exim Bank extends $400 mn soft loan to Maldives for connectivity project
  • India has extended a USD 400 million (about Rs 2,932 crore) soft loan to Maldives through the Exim Bank to finance a connectivity project in the nation of islands.
  • With the signing of the above agreement, Exim Bank has till date extended three LoCs worth a cumulative USD 1.2 billion to Maldives, on behalf of India.
  • Exim Bank said the soft loans to Maldives have funded connectivity, water, sewerage projects, Addu Development Project, an international cricket stadium, Gulhifalhu port, Hanimaadhoo airport and road construction work.
Foot Notes:
About Exim Bank:
CEO: David Rasquinha
Founded: 1 January 1982
Headquarters: Mumbai
 
7. Charlie Moore, 1952 Olympic 400 hurdles champion passed away
  • Charlie Moore, the 400-meter hurdles champion at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, has died. Moore died from pancreatic cancer, according to World Athletics.
  • Moore won the 400 hurdles in the rain in 1952 in 50.8 seconds to tie the Olympic record he set in the quarterfinals.
  • Moore also earned a silver medal in Helsinki on the United States’ 1,600-meter relay team.
  • After the Olympics, he set a world record of 51.6 in the 440 hurdles at the British Empire Games in London.
8. Pakistan, China re-elected to UNHRC; US slams United Nations for electing 'authoritarian regimes'
  • The UN General Assembly elected Pakistan, China, Russia and 12 other countries to serve as members of the UN Human Rights Council for three-year terms starting from January 1, 2021.
  • China was re-elected to the UNHRC after it defeated Saudi Arabia in the elections to win a seat by the smallest margin. Pakistan and Nepal have also been re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council. 
  • The United States Secretary of State Michael Pompeo slammed the United Nations for electing “authoritarian regimes” such as China, Russia and Cuba into the UN Human Rights Council. He added saying that the US' decision to withdraw from the council has been “validated”.
Foot Notes:
About UNGA:
President: Volkan Bozkır
Headquarters: New York, United States
Founder: United Nations
Founded: 1945, New York, United States

9. CCEA approves demerger of Nagarnar Steel Plant from NMDC Limited
  • The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its in-principle approval to the demerger of Nagarnar Steel Plant (NSP) from National Minerals Development Corporation (NMDC) Limited.
  • It has also approved the strategic disinvestment of the demerged company (NSP) by selling the entire Government of India stake in it to a strategic buyer.
  • NSP is a three million tonne per annum Integrated Steel Plant being set up by NMDC at Nagarnar in Bastar District of Chhattisgarh in an area of 1980 acres at revised estimated cost of Rs. 23,140 crore.
  • As on date NMDC has invested Rs. 17,186 crore in the project.
10. Government sets up a panel of secretaries to streamline telecom spectrum allocation
  • The government has constituted a panel of secretaries under cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba to streamline the spectrum allocation process.
  • It will also examine the possibility of drawing up an annual calendar for auction of airwaves that will give telcos a clear road map of the quantum as well as the frequency of spectrum on offer for commercial use.
  • Besides Gauba, the panel comprises the secretaries of home, defence, railways, telecom, I&B and department of space.
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