Top Current Affairs 18 September 2020

 Top Current Affairs 18 September 2020

Top Current Affairs 18 September 2020: This post contains the latest current affairs for 18 September 2020 that are important for all competitive exams like Bank, SSC, IBPS, SBI exams. You can improve your general knowledge with our daily online current affairs.

National News

Fourth Global Ayurveda Summit organised virtually

• The fourth edition of the Global Ayurveda Summit was inaugurated by the Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu through video-conferencing on 15 September 2020.
• The Global Ayurveda Summit 2020 has been organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), from September 15 to October 14, 2020. This year the Summit will be held virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
• The theme for Global Ayurveda Summit 2020 is “Emerging Opportunities for Ayurveda during Pandemic”
• Global Ayurveda Summit is an annual international event started by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Kerala in 2010 to help the Ayurvedic sector to aspire, plan and achieve greater heights.

S. Jaishankar Chairs IBSA Foreign Ministers’ Virtual Meeting

• The IBSA Foreign Ministers customary meeting was held through video conferencing on 16th September, 2020.
• The Union Minister of External Affairs of the Republic of India, Shri S. Jaishankar chaired the meeting.
• South Africa was represented by FM Grace Naledi Mandisa Pandor and Brazil by FM Ambassador Fabio Marzano.
• IBSA is a Forum of three countries including India, Brazil and South Africa.

Prakash Javadekar attends G20 Environment Ministerial Meeting virtually

• The G20 Environment Ministerial Meeting was held on 17 September 2020 through video conferencing.
• The meeting was chaired by Saudi Arabia.
• The Union Environment Minister, Shri Prakash Javadekar represented India in the meeting.
• The meetings focused on various social and economic issues such as agriculture, anti-corruption, climate, digital economy, education, employment, energy, environment, health, tourism, trade and investment.
• G20 consists of 19 individual countries and the European Union (EU).

Karnataka Govt launches loan disbursal programme “Arthika Spandana”

• Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa launched the “Arthika Spandana” programme on 16 September 2020, under which loans worth Rs. 39,300 crore would be disbursed through various cooperative institutions, for helping people during the times of COVID-19 and floods..
• Of the total amount approved under the scheme, Rs. 15,300 crore would be disbursed to the agriculture sector while Rs. 24,000 crore would be earmarked for the non-agricultural sector.
• The Chief Minister handed over cheques towards loans to 50 beneficiaries, during the launch

Byju’s launches ‘Education for All’ to empower 5 mn children by 2025

• Byju’s, a Bengaluru based edtech company, has launched a social initiative ‘Education for All’.
• Objective: To empower 5 million children from underserved communities by 2025
• Through ‘Education for All’, millions of children from underserved and economically deprived communities will get equal access to quality learning opportunities.

International News

New Zealand becomes first country to mandate climate risk disclosures

• New Zealand has become the first country to pass legislation requiring financial entities to declare their climate-related risks.
• Financial entities in New Zealand will have to comply with the framework laid down by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
• The rule will apply to banks, insurers, all listed debt and equity issuers.

Mexico issues world’s first sovereign bond linked to UN sustainable goals

• Mexico has become the first country in the world to issue a sovereign bond linked to the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations. It has raised EUR 750 million ($890 million) by such bonds.
• The SDG bond will mature in September 2027 and offers a yield to maturity rate of 1.603% and a coupon rate of 1.350%.
• This new bond was issued under Mexico’s new “SDG Sovereign Bond Framework,” which was released in February in partnership with French investment bank Natixis.

Rankings

Singapore Tops IMD’s Global Smart City Index 2020, Hyderabad top Indian City

• The Indian cities have witnessed a significant drop in their rankings in the Smart City Index 2020, a global list of smart cities, prepared by the Institute for Management Development (IMD).
• The index has been topped by Singapore, followed by Helsinki and Zurich as top three smart cities.
• In the 2020 Smart City Index, Hyderabad was the top Indian city, placed at the 85th position.

List of Indian cities in the index

• Hyderabad – 85 (67th in 2019)
• New Delhi -86 (68th in 2019),
• Mumbai -93 (78th in 2019),
• Bengaluru -95 (79th in 2019).

Smart City Index

• In 2020 Smart City Index, 109 cities were surveyed.
• The Smart City Index is prepared by the Institute for Management Development, in collaboration with Singapore University for Technology and Design (SUTD).
• The index ranks cities based on economic and technological data, as well as by their citizens’ perceptions of how “smart” their cities are.

Mizoram ‘happiest’ state as per ‘India Happiness Report 2020’

• Mizoram has been ranked first in the India Happiness Report 2020 which is India’s first Happiness Report covering all states and Union Territories measuring happiness across the country.
• In the overall ranking, Mizoram is first, Punjab is second while Andaman & Nicobar Island is third.
• The report has been compiled by Professor Rajesh K Pillania based on a nationwide survey covering 16,950 people between March and July of 2020.

Awards

Chef Vikas Khanna Named for 2020 Asia Game Changer Award

• New York-based Michelin-star chef Vikas Khanna has been chosen to be honored with the prestigious 2020 Asia Game Changer Award for feeding millions across India amid the COVID-19 pandemic through a massive food distribution drive  ‘FeedIndia’.
• The Asia Game Changer Awards was launched by the Asia Society, a US-based non-profit organization, in 2014, to identify and honor true leaders who make a positive contribution to the future of Asia.
• Khanna is the only Indian among the six honourees named by the leading organisation.

Obituary

Amitabha Ghosh, who served as RBI governor for 21 days, passes away

• Amitabha Ghosh, the shortest-serving Governor of the Reserve Bank of India passed away at the age of 90 days.
• He had served as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India for 21 days between January 15, 1985 to February 4, 1985. 
• It was a stop-gap arrangement when Amitabha Ghosh was serving as a deputy governor of RBI and waiting to hand over charge to the 17th RBI Governor R N Malhotra.

Veteran Ayurveda physician from Tamil Nadu PR Krishnakumar passes away at 69

• Tamil Nadu based prominent Indian Ayurveda physician PR Krishnakumar has passed away. He was 69.
• Krishnakumar was the Founder and Managing Director of the iconic Coimbatore Arya Vaidya Pharmacy (AVP) as well as the Chancellor of the renowned Avinashilingam University in Coimbatore.
• The Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri award in 2009 for his contribution to medicine.

Former President of Mali Moussa Traore Passes away at 83

• Moussa Traoré, the former President of Mali, who was in power from 1968 to 1991 has passed away. He was 83.
• Traore, who was a former military leader, forcibly took over the reign from Modibo Keita (known as the ‘father of independence’), after participating in military coup.
• However, in March 1991, he himself was overthrown by popular protests and a military takeover.

Important Days

World Bamboo Day: 18 September

• World Bamboo Day is observed every year on 18 September to raise awareness of the benefits of bamboo and to promote its use in everyday products.
• WBD was officially declared by the World Bamboo Organization on September 18 at the 8th World Bamboo Congress held in Bangkok in 2009.
• The theme for 11th edition of WBD 2020 is ‘BAMBOO NOW.’

World Water Monitoring Day: September 18

• The World Water Monitoring Day is observed every year on September 18 since 2003 to increase public awareness and involvement in water monitoring and protecting water resources around the world.
• Theme for 2020 WWMD is ‘Solve Water.’
• The day was established in 2003 by America’s Clean Water Foundation (ACWF) as a global educational outreach program by engaging citizens to conduct basic monitoring of their local water bodies.
• The event is now coordinated by the Water Environment Federation and the International Water Association.