Top Current Affairs 19 September 2020
Top Current Affairs 19 September 2020: This post contains the latest current affairs for 19 September 2020 that are important for all competitive exams like Bank, SSC, IBPS, SBI exams. You can also attempt our Current Affairs Quiz after reading our daily current affairs.
National News
Govt targets to increase the number of Janaushadhi Kendras to 10500 by year 2025
- Shri D V Sadananda Gowda, Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers has informed that the Central Government has set a target to increase the number of Pradhanmantri Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJK) to 10500 by the of March 2025.
- PMBJK aims to provide quality medicines at an affordable rates for the common man, especially the poor.
- With this all the districts in the country will have Janaushadhi Kendras. As on September 15, 2020 there are 6606 Janaushadhi Kendras in India.
Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal Quits; Narendra Singh Tomar takes additional charge
- The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who was serving as the Union Minister in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries has announced her resignation from the Union Council of Ministers with immediate effect on 18 September 2020.
- President Ram Nath Kovind has accepted her resignation as well as directed Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to take additional charge of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
- As per the details, Badal resigned in protest against Centre’s anti-farmer ordinances and legislation, which have triggered farmers’ protests across Punjab and Haryana.
- Lok Sabha has passed The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and the Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill 2020.
- Narendra Singh Tomar also holds the portfolio of Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Minister of Rural Development
PM Modi virtually Dedicates Historic Kosi Rail Mega Bridge to nation and inaugurates 12 projects in Bihar
- Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi dedicated the historic Kosi Rail Mahasetu (Mega Bridge) of the Indian Railways to the nation through video-conference on 18 September 2020.
- Apart from this, PM Modi also inaugurated 12 other Indian Railway projects in Bihar related to passenger facilities for the benefit of the state.
- The approximate cost of these projects is worth almost Rs 3,000 crore and will strengthen Bihar’s rail network and also strengthen West Bengal and eastern India’s rail connectivity.
- The 12 rail projects inaugurated by PM Modi include, a new railway bridge on the Kiul River, two new railway lines, five electrification projects, one electric locomotive shed and third line project between Barh and Bakhtiyarpur.
- Kosi Rail Mega Bridge
- The length of the rail bridge is 1.9 kilometres and has been constructed at the cost of Rs 516 crore
- The project is of strategic importance along the India-Nepal border.
- The Kosi Rail Mahasetu will cut the otherwise 298-km long journey between Nirmali and Bhaptiahi (Saraigarh) on Indo-Nepal border to just 22 km.
- It will connect the Mitihila and Kosi region after a gap of 86-year. The rail link between the region was washed away during the heavy flood and severe Indo-Nepal earthquake in 1934, and thereafter due to the meandering nature of river Kosi no attempt was made to restore this rail link for a long period.
Gujarat govt launches Mukhyamantri Mahila Utkarsh Yojana (MMUY)
- Chief Minister of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani has launched a scheme named Mukhyamantri Mahila Utkarsh Yojana (MMUY) that will provide interest-free loans to women’s groups in the state.
- For this, joint liability and earning group (JLEG) of women will be formed in the state. Each JLEG group will have 10 members. 50,000 such JLEGs will be formed in urban areas and 50,000 such groups will also be formed in rural areas.
- Under the scheme, Gujarat State Govt will provide an interest-free loan of Rs 1 lakh to these one lakh women JLEGs.
- The interest amount will be borne by the state government.
Ranking
India ranks 116th in World Bank’s Human Capital Index 2020; Top- Singapore
- India has been ranked at 116th position in the World Bank’s annual Human Capital Index 2020. India has an HCI score of 0.50. The index has ranked 174 countries.
- Singapore has been ranked first with an HCI score of 0.89.
- The Human Capital Index is is an international metric that measures the human capital that a child born today can expect to attain by her 18th birthday. The HCI highlights how current health and education outcomes shape the productivity of the next generation of workers.
Banking & Economy
Bandhan Bank launches new vertical named Emerging Entrepreneurs Business (EEB) to focus on small businesses
- Bandhan Bank has launched a new vertical named “Emerging Entrepreneurs Business (EEB)” to focus on small businesses.
- The vertical Emerging Entrepreneurs Business (EEB) will focus on microloans, micro home loans, micro bazaar loans, and micro-enterprise loans.
- Kumar Ashish has been appointed as the head of Emerging Entrepreneurs Business (EEB). He is a former executive of ICICI Bank.
ICICI Home Finance launches home loan scheme ‘Apna Ghar Dreamz’ for skilled workers
- ICICI Home Finance has launched a new loan scheme named ‘Apna Ghar Dreamz’, to cater to the needs of informal segment of the population (such as skilled professionals) to fulfil their dream of owning their own home.
- It is a first-of-its-kind home loan product with focus on people who have never taken a loan before, or have a good history of repaying loans but do not have formal documents such as ITR.
- Loan Amount: Rs 2 lakh to Rs.30 lakh ( and Upto Rs.50 lakh in Mumbai/Delhi).
- Age limit: 30 years to 70 years .
- The Apna Ghar Dreamz will also offer a subsidy benefit of up to Rs 2.67 lakhs on home loans under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana’s (PMAY).
Awards/Recognition
Indian Teenager Udit Singhal, named in UN’s 2020 list of Young Leaders for Sustainable Goals
- Udit Singhal, an 18-year-old Indian boy, has been included by the United Nations (UN) in the 2020 Class of 17 Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Udit is the founder of Glass2Sand, a zero-waste ecosystem that addresses the growing menace of glass waste in Delhi.
- His initiative has prevented empty glass bottles from getting dumped into landfills and instead turned it into sands, making it commercially viable.
Margaret Atwood wins 2020 Dayton Literary Peace Prize
- Margaret Atwood (Canada) has won the 2020 Dayton Literary Peace Prize’s lifetime achievement award.
- The award celebrated the power of literature in fostering peace, social justice and global understanding. It is a United States literary award
- Margaret Atwood is famous for her novel, “The Handmaid’s Tale”.
Books/Author
Arundhati Roy Pens new Book titled Azadi: Freedom. Fascism. Fiction.
- Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy has come up with her new book titled ‘Azadi: Freedom. Fascism. Fiction.‘.
- The book has been published by the Penguin Books Ltd.
- In the book, the author challenges us to reflect on the meaning of freedom in a world of growing authoritarianism, especially during the time of Coronavirus Pandemic.
Sports
ITF Renames Fed Cup as Billie Jean King Cup
- The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has renamed the Fed Cup, an annual team competition in women tennis, as the “Billie Jean King Cup.”
- Billie Jean King was a pioneer in women’s tennis who helped the United States win the inaugural event.
- The Billie Jean King Cup is the world’s largest annual women’s international team sports competition in terms of the number of nations that compete.
- Headquarters of ITF: London, United Kingdom
Obituary
Ranji Player Sachin Deshmukh nicknamed as ‘Mini Gavaskar’ passes away at 52 due to coronavirus
- Former Indian cricketer Sachin Deshmukh, who played Cooch Behar Trophy and Ranji trophy, has passed away, after he developed coronavirus complications.
- The 52-year-old player was referred to as ‘Mini Gavaskar’ in local cricket.
- He was the part of Mumbai and Maharashtra Ranji teams
- Deshmukh holds a unique record for scoring 7 centuries in 7 matches while playing for Pune University during the All-India Inter-University tournament.
Veteran Tamil Director Babu Sivan passes away at 54
- Tamil filmmaker Babu Sivan has passed away in Chennai following multiple organ failure. He was 54.
- Babu Sivan made his directorial debut in 2009 with the film Vettaikaaran starring Vijay and Anushka Shetty.
- However, he did not get an opportunity to direct again after that.
BJP leader Ashok Gasti, first-time Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka passes away of COVID-19 at 55
- Ashok Gasti, a BJP Rajya Sabha member of parliament (MP) from Karnataka, has passed away due to severe COVID-19 pneumonia. He was 55.
- Ashok Gasti was the first time MP who took oath as member of Rajya Sabha on 22 July 2020.
- He was a lawyer by profession and former General Secretary of BJP.
- Gasti had also served as Chairperson of the Backward Class Development Corporation in Karnataka.
Important Days
International Equal Pay Day: 18 September
- International Equal Pay Day is being celebrated for the first time on 18 September, 2020.
- The day aims to achieve equal pay for work of equal value and break the walls against all forms of discrimination, including discrimination against women and girls.
- Theme of International Equal Pay Day 2020: Building back a better future of work by ensuring pay equity.
- The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to observe September 18 as International Equal Pay Day, on November 15, 2019, which was introduced by the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC).