Important Bullet Points for IIFT 2020

• Manoj Mukund Naravane-

Vice Chief of the Army Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane took charge as a new Army
Chief. He succeeded General Bipin Rawat after a three-year stint as Army chief.

• Thoothukudi-
Indian Space Research Organisation establish a second launch port in Thoothukudi
district in Tamilnadu exclusively to launch small satellite launch vehicles. ISRO
Chairman K Sivan informed that this would come up in 2300 acres.

• Singapore-
Singapore was the largest source of FDI for India in H1 of 2019-20, accounting for
around $8 billion, followed by Mauritius with $6.3 billion, Netherlands ($2.3 billion),
the United States ($2.1 billion) and Japan ($1.7 billion).

• 1917-
1917 wins Best Motion Picture-Drama at the Golden Globes 2020. It is an epic war
film directed, co-written and produced by Sam Mendes.

• Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI)-

India has ranked 34th in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) of the
World Economic Forum for the year 2019. WEF analyzed 139 countries and scored
each according to three sub-indices: (1) Regulatory Framework (2) Business
Environment and Infrastructure (3) Human, Cultural, and Natural Resources.

• NRI Day-
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (NRI Day) is a celebratory day observed on 9 January by the
Republic of India to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community
towards the development of India. The day commemorates the return of Mahatma
Gandhi from South Africa to Ahmedabad on 9 January 1915.

• National Youth Day-

The birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda also called Swami Vivekananda Jayanti
is celebrated every year on 12 January. He was born on 12 January, 1863. The
government had decided to observe it as National Youth Day because the
philosophy of Swamiji and the ideals for which he lived and worked could be a great
source of inspiration for the Indian Youth.

• The Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh announced that the training for
Gaganyaan space astronauts will start their training from the third week of January
2020.The training of the Indian astronauts for India's first human space mission will
take place in Russia.

• 29th Saraswati Samman-

Sindhi writer Vasdev Mohi has conferred with 29th Saraswati Samman for his short

November 25, 2020

 stories collection 'Chequebook'. The short stories collection talks about the agonies
and sufferings of marginalized sections of the society.

• Henley Passport Index 2020-

Henley Passport Index 2020 was launched recently by Henley & Partners. India
ranked 84th in the index. Japan has the world's strongest passport. The index was
based on the data collected from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

• The 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting was held on 21-24 January
2020, in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland. WEF annual meetings aim to engage world
leaders in collaborative activities to shape the global, regional, and industry agendas
at the beginning of each year.

• India slipped 10 places to 51st position in the 2019 Democracy Index's global
ranking, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit, which cited "erosion of civil
liberties" in the country as the primary cause for the downtrend. India's overall score
fell from 7.23 in 2018 to 6.90 in the Index that provides a snapshot of the current
state of democracy worldwide for 165 independent states and two territories.

• National Girl Child Day is celebrated on 24 January. The day aims to create
awareness about the rights of the girl child in India. It aims to improve the condition
of girls in society. The day aims to provide support and facilities to the girls of the
country in every respect. It also aims to create awareness about the inequalities,
discrimination, exploitation faced by the girls in the society.

• India was ranked 72nd (up 8 places) in 2020 Global Talent Competitiveness Index
(GTCI). Switzerland topped the list of 132 countries, followed by the US and
Singapore. Launched by INSEAD, GTCI ranks countries on the basis of their ability to
grow, attract and retain talent.

• Maharashtra retain Khelo India Youth Games champions trophy in Guwahati with
256 medals including 78 gold.

• India's first e-waste clinic was inaugurated in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh on 24

January. It was jointly set up by the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The e-waste clinic will be started on the basis
of a three-month pilot project.

• India ranked 80th in the global Corruption Perceptions Index 2019 (CPI-2019). In
2018, India ranked 78th in the index. The index was released by Transparency
International.

• Brazilian President Jair Messias Bolsonaro was invited as chief guest on Republic Day
2020.

• The NBA (National Basketball Association) star Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter
crash. He retired from the game in 2016. He has won two gold medals in Olympics,

November 25, 2020

 one in 2008 and the other in 2012. The star had won 5 championships so far.

• Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation will start soon its East-West project which runs
partly under the city's iconic Hooghly river, by March 2022 after a delay of several
years doubled costs.

• Indian women captain Rani Rampal becomes the first-ever hockey player to win the
prestigious World Games Athlete of the Year award. The World Games announced
the winner after 20 days of polling in January this year by sports fans worldwide.

• Maldives officially re-joins Commonwealth more than three years after quitting over
criticism of its human rights record.

• IBM (International Business Machines Corp.) named Arvind Krishna as chief

executive officer, replacing long time CEO Virginia Rometty.

• Sandeep Mathrani an Indian-American now charged with the tough work of

relaunching WeWork, which had been one of America's most commended new
businesses that put a mammoth impression in the business land of significant urban
communities around the world. Its breakdown prompted Neumann's flight and cost
the primary investor, wealthy Japanese person Masayoshi Son, billions of dollars.

• World Cancer Day is observed on 4th February every year to create awareness about
cancer. The theme for the year 2020 is 'I am and I will'. Cancer occurs due to the
uncontrolled, abnormal growth of cells in the tissue or organ of the body.

• World War I drama 1917 has won the award for best film at the British Academy of
Film and Television Arts awards (BAFTAs), with director Sam Mendes picking up
honors for best director at glamorous ceremony in London.

• India ranked 40th on a global International Intellectual Property (IP) Index. It was
released by the Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC) of the US Chambers of
Commerce.

• "Toy Story 4" has won the Academy Award for best animated feature for Josh
Cooley, Mark Nielsen and Jonas Rivera - a decade after "Toy Story 3" took the prize.
It's the 10th Pixar title to take an Oscar since the category was created in 2001.

• Brad Pitt has won the best supporting actor Oscar for his role as Cliff Booth in Once
Upon a Time in Hollywood at the 92nd Academy Awards. Pitt saw off strong
competition from Al Pacino and Joe Pesci for The Irishman, Tom Hanks for A
Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood and Anthony Hopkins for The Two Popes.

• South Korean film-maker Bong Joon-ho has become the second director of a foreign-
language film to win the best director Oscar at the 92nd Academy Awards. Bong
follows Alfonso Cuaron (who won for Roma in 2018) as a foreign-language winner
with Parasite, seeing off competition from the likes of Quentin Tarantino (for Once

November 25, 2020

 Upon a Time in Hollywood), Todd Phillips for Joker and the pre-ceremony favourite
Sam Mendes (for 1917).

• South Korean film Parasite has been named best picture at this year's Oscars,
becoming the first non-English language film to take the top prize. Renee Zellweger
won best actress for playing Judy Garland in Judy.

• Joker star Joaquin Phoenix has won the best actor Oscar at the 92nd Academy
Awards, for his performance as Batman's nemesis. Phoenix was the overwhelming
favourite, seeing off competition from the likes of Marriage Story's Adam Driver and
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's Leonardo DiCaprio.

• Renee Zellweger was crowned best actress at the Oscars for her portrait of
Hollywood legend Judy Garland in "Judy," a biographical drama exploring the singer's
personal and professional turmoil at the end of her life.

• Rishi Sunak, the man who in a stunning turn of events was appointed United
Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer less than a month before the first budget of
Boris Johnson's new government.

• President Ashraf Ghani won Afghanistan's presidential election. He has been elected
for the second term.

• Shree Cement to replace YES Bank in Nifty50 from Mar 27; surges 6% Shares of
Shree Cement surged 6 per cent to Rs 25,199.9 on the National Stock Exchange (NSE)
on February 19 after the exchange announced its inclusion in the benchmark Nifty50
index with effect from March 27.

• A senior agriculture scientist Govinda Rajulu Chintala has been named as next
chairman of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
Govinda Rajulu is presently serving as deputy managing director of the Nabard based
at Mumbai.

• The mega event Namaste Trump was held at cricket stadium Sardar Patel Stadium,
also known as Motera Stadium, in Ahmedabad on 24 February 2020.

• The Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2020 were held in
Mumbai. Actor Ravi Dubey served as the host of the evening and many celebrities
attended the glamorous event from the film and television industry. Best actor
award was won by Hrithik Roshan for 'Super 30'.

• The 5th edition of joint military Exercise Ajeya Warrior 2020 concluded at West
down Camp, Salisbury Plains Training Area, UK. The exercise was held between India
and the United Kingdom.

• Five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova retired from professional tennis at
age 32. Maria Sharapova quietly walked away from tennis at the age of 32, ending a

November 25, 2020

 career that featured five Grand Slam titles, time at No. 1 in the WTA rankings and a
15-month doping ban.

• National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated on 28 February in India. The day is

celebrated every year to commemorate the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' by the
Indian physicist Sir CV Raman.

• Free Public Transport in Luxembourg-

Luxembourg in Europe has become the first country to make all forms of public
transport free. It is the second smallest country in the European Union.

• New Finance Secretary-

Revenue Secretary Dr Ajay Bhushan Pandey has been designated by the
Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) as the Finance Secretary on March 3.

• Gairsain New Capital of Uttarakhand-

Gairsain was made the new summer capital of Uttarakhand. The announcement was
made by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat at the assembly session
convened in Gairsain. It partially fulfilled an over two-decade demand by statehood.
CM dedicated the announcement to the people who sacrificed themselves for the
formation of Uttarakhand state.

• World's 100 powerful women-

Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and freedom fighter Amrit Kaur have been
named by the TIME magazine among world's 100 powerful women who defined the
last century in a new project that "spotlights influential women who were often
overshadowed." TIME named Kaur as 'Women of the Year' for 1947 and Gandhi for
1976 in special covers recreated by the publication.

• Chapchar Kut Festival-

Chapchar Kut began in all parts of Mizoram on 5 March 2020. The festival will be
held on 5-6 March. The festival is celebrated at the Assam Rifles Ground at Aizawl.
Chapchar Kut is the biggest and most joyous festival of the Mizos.

• Ruchika Tomar-
The Indian-origin American author who has been chosen to be awarded the
PEN/Hemingway Award 2020 for her first novel A Prayer for Travelers.

• International Women's Day: 08 March 2020

Theme: I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights

• World Tuberculosis Day: 24 March 2020

Theme: It's Time

• World Happiness Index 2020-

India's rank: 144

November 25, 2020

 Top Country: Finland

• Abel Prize 2020-

A. Hillel Furstenberg (Israel-American) &
B. Gregory Margulis (Russian-American)

• 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup-

Hosts: Australia
Winners: Australia (record 5th title)
Runners-up: India

• Pankaj Advani-
The well-known snooker player who has won the National Snooker Championship
defeating Ishpreet Singh in the finals in Ahmedabad.

• Yes Bank Crisis-

SBI to pick up a 49% stake in Yes Bank for Rs 2,450 crore and clarified that all the
deposits and liabilities of the reconstructed bank will continue in the "same
manner".

• Solar Rooftop Plants-

As per Government data, Gujarat has topped the list in the installations of solar
rooftop plants. It is followed by Maharashtra. The aim of the installations of solar
rooftop plants is to achieve renewable power generation goals. As of 2 March, a
total of 79,950 systems have been installed across the country with a combined
capacity of 322 MW.

• Joy Bangla-
The Two-Judge bench of High Court of Bangladesh has ordered that 'Joy Bangla' will
be the national slogan of Bangladesh. The court also directed the authorities to
ensure that teachers and students use the slogan after assembly. Joy Bangla was the
main slogan during the liberation war of Bangladesh fought against Pakistan in 1971.

• Inclusive Internet Index 2020-

India secured 46th rank in the Inclusive Internet Index 2020 released by the
Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). Pakistan got the 76th rank on the list. In this index,
Sweden ranks first, New Zealand is second and America is third.

• Amitabh Bachchan-
Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan was appointed as the first ever ambassador of
the IDFC FIRST Bank.

• Salman Khan-
Smartphone brand realme appointed Bollywood actor Salman Khan as its brand
ambassador. Khan will endorse realme 6 & realme 6 Pro. In 2019, realme was the
world's fastest-growing smartphone brand.

November 25, 2020

• Ben Stokes-
The English cricketer who has been named the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the
World 2019 by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.

• YUKTI Portal-
The Yukti web-portal launched by Union Minister of HRD Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal
Nishank to cover the different dimensions of COVID-19 challenges in a very holistic
and comprehensive way.

• MPLADS Funds-
The financial years 2020-21 & 2021-22 for which the Union Cabinet has decided not
to operate the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS)
funds.

• World Health Day: 07 April 2020

Theme: Support Nurses and Midwives

• International Mother Earth Day: 22 April 2020

Theme: Climate Action

• World Press Freedom Index 2020-

India's rank: 142nd
Top Country: Norway

• Mergers of Public Sector Banks 2020-

A. Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India are merged with Punjab
National Bank.
B. Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank are merged with Union Bank of India.
C. Indian Bank and Allahabad Bank are merged.
D. Syndicate bank is merged with Canara Bank.

• Rongali Bihu-
Rongali Bihu is the Harvest Festival of Assam. It is celebrated on 14 April.

• Viswanathan Anand-
Chess Master Viswanathan Anand has been appointed as the new Ambassador for
World Wide Fund (WWF) India's Environment Education program. The Environment
Education Program was formed in 1976.

• Jeff Bezos-
Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos tops Forbes annual world's billionaires list with
a net worth of $113 billion.

• Kisan Rath-
Agriculture Ministry launched Kisan Rath Mobile App. The main aim of the app is to
facilitate transportation of food grains, and the National Informatics Centre develops

November 25, 2020

 it. The central government to ensure farmers and traders can find transport for
Agriculture and Horticulture produce.

• World Book Capital 2020-

World Book and Copyright Day celebrated by UNSECO on April 23. Kuala Lumpur
(Malaysia) has been named as World Book Capital for 2020.

• World Press Freedom Day: 03 May 2020

Theme: Journalism without Fear and Favour

• International Day for Biological Diversity: 22 May 2020

Theme: Our Solutions are in Nature

• World No Tobacco Day: 31 May 2020

• Pulitzer Prize 2020-

Category: Feature Photography
Winners: Channi Anand, Mukhtar Khan and Dar Yasin of Associated Press

• New Currency of Iran-

Toman is the new currency of Iran which is equal to 10,000 rials, introduced by Iran
after a sharp fall in the value of the currency as a result of crippling U.S. sanctions.

• Kashmiri Saffron-
The agricultural product from Kashmir which has been granted GI (Geographical
Indication) tag by GI Registry.

• Mission SAGAR-
The mission under which India has dispatched Food Items, COVID related Medicines
including HCQ
Tablets and Special Ayurvedic Medicines to Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles,
Madagascar and
Comoros.

• Cyclone Amphan-
The super cyclonic storm which originated in Bay of Bengal near Sri Lanka and made
landfall in West
Bengal causing large scale loss of lives and property.

• Sania Mirza-
The Indian tennis player who has become the first from the country to win
International Tennis Federation's Fed Cup Heart Award for Asia/Oceania zone for her
successful return to the court post motherhood.

• Visakhapatnam Gas Leak-

The city in which leakage of styrene gas from the LG Polymers chemical plant killed

November 25, 2020

 13 people and affected more than 1000 people.

• The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr.

Harsh Vardhan has been elected as the Chair of the Executive Board of World Health
Organization for the year 2020-21.

• Roberto Azevedo resigns-

The Head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Roberto Azevedo has announced
his resignation, a year before his term expires. He will step down on 31 August 2020.

• Benjamin Netanyahu-
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally swore in his new government on 17 May
for the fifth time. The ceremony of the swearing-in of Israel's new government, the
Knesset, was held in accordance with coronavirus social distancing directives.
Netanyahu will be in power until 13 November 2021.

• Facebook acquires GIPHY.

Facebook had acquired the animated graphics startup GIPHY and would integrate
the company in its Instagram visual social network. Terms of the deal were not
disclosed, but the news site Axios said the California-based tech giant was paying
$400 million. GIPHY is a platform and search engine for "stickers" and other products
using the graphics interchange format or GIFs.

• Kotak Mahindra Bank-

Kotak Mahindra Bank becomes 1st bank in India to allow video Know your customer
(KYC) facility for customers opening savings accounts on Kotak 811 - the banks digital
banking platform.

• Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the
implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) on 20 May
2020. The scheme aims to boost investments in the fisheries sector and increase of
competitiveness of fish and fisheries products. The total estimated investment for
the scheme is Rs.20,050 crore comprising of the Central government share of
Rs.9,407 crore, State government share of Rs.4,880 crore, and Beneficiaries' share of
Rs.5,763 crore.

• KKR invests in Reliance Jio Platform

KKR invests Rs 11367 crore in Reliance Jio Platforms to buy a stake of 2.32 percent in
a fully diluted basis. The deal is subject to regulatory and customary approvals. This
is fifth global investment deal in last one month. Earlier, Facebook, Silver Lake, Vista
Equity and General Atlantic invested in the Jio Platforms.

• Hop On: My Adventures on Boats, Trains and Planes

Popular author Ruskin Bond has authored a book titled 'Hop On: My Adventures on
Boats, Trains and Planes'. The e-book format was released on the occasion of his
86th birthday. The illustration has been done by Samrat Halder and published by

November 25, 2020

 Speaking Tiger's children's imprint Talking Cub.

• World Environment Day: 05 June 2020

Theme: Biodiversity

• International Day of Yoga: 21 June 2020

Theme: Yoga for Health-Yoga at Home

• Brajendra Navnit has been appointed as the Ambassador and Permanent

Representative of India (PRI) to the World Trade Organisation for a period of three
years.
He had been the Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office prior to this
appointment and will be posted at the Permanent Mission of India (PMI) to the WTO
in Geneva. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet also gave a nod to the
appointment of IRTS officer Anwar Hussain Shaik for the post of Counsellor, at the
PMI to WTO, Geneva for three years.

• The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has recently approved an

additional $750 million loan to strengthen India’s fight against Covid-19.
This loan would be co-financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The funds will
be utilised for boosting the businesses in informal sector, providing social security for
the deserving and strengthening the health care systems of India.

• Former Supreme Court Judge D K Jain has been reappointed as the Ethics Officer
and Ombudsman of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
D K Jain was appointed as the first ever Ombudsman and was later appointed as the
Ethics Officer in addition. His term had ended on February 29 this year, but his
appointment has been renewed for one more year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
the Ombudsman will be conducting hearings virtually.

• India, which has been elected as a non-permanent member of the Security Council
recently, will serve as its president for the month of August, 2021.
India, Norway, Ireland, Mexico and Kenya were elected as the non-permanent
members of the 15-nation-UNSC for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2021.
Tunisia will begin 2021 as the President of the Council in January. It will be followed
by each of the members in turn for one month, as per the English alphabetical order
of the name of member states.

• Former Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel has been appointed as
Chairman of the economic think tank, the National Institute of Public Finance and
Policy (NIPFP).
Urjit Patel will be the Chairperson of NIPFP for a four-year term from June 22, 2020.
He will replace Vijay Laxman Kelkar, who had been the Chairman of the think-tank
since 2014. Urjit Patel served as the Deputy Governor of RBI in 2013 and Governor of
RBI from 2016 to 2018.

November 25, 2020

• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that a commission to look at
racial equality in the UK will be established.
The proposed body would look at all forms of inequality in employment, health
outcomes, academics, criminal justice system and all aspects of life. This
announcement has been given after protests have been undertaken after the death
of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

• Kushinagar Airport: The airport in Uttar Pradesh for which Union Cabinet has given
its approval to be declared an International Airport

• Reliance Industries:
The company which has become the first Indian company to touch $150 billion in
market capitalisation in stock market

• Dr. Rattan Lal-

The leading soil scientist from Ohio State University, who has been chosen for 2020
World Food Prize for developing and mainstreaming a soil-centric approach to
increasing food production that conserves natural resources and mitigates climate
change

• PM SVANidhi Scheme-
The special micro-credit facility scheme for providing affordable loan upto Rs.
10,000/- to street vendors launched by the Central Govt is named

• Virat Kohli-
The cricketer who is only one from India to figure in 2020 Forbes' list of world's
highest-paid athletes, the list is topped by Roger Federer, Christiano Ronaldo and
Lionel Messi.

• IIT Mumbai-
IIT Mumbai is top ranked from India in QS World University Rankings 2021. IIT
Mumbai is ranked at 172nd Position, IISc Bangalore at 185th & IIT Delhi at 193rd
Position. The List is topped by Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT].

• Sushant Singh Rajput-

The Actor was found dead at his Mumbai Residence on 14th June. His Debut Film
was Kai Po Che.
His Most notable film was M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016).

• Kritika Pandey-
The Indian writer who has been chosen for The Commonwealth Short Story Prize
2020 for Asia region by Commonwealth Foundation for her work The Great Indian
Tee and Snakes.

• India retains 108th Rank in International Football

According to the FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) world
Ranking released on June 11, 2020, India has retained the 108th spot with 1187

November 25, 2020

 points as international football has been suspended since March due to the Covid-
19. Belgium tops the ranking followed by France and Brazil. Qatar is the host country
of FIFA World Cup 2022.

• Mission Suvidya-
Odisha became the first State in India to receive prestigious ISO 9001:2015
certification for its 44 tribal hostels of Keonjhar (32 hostels) and Sambalpur (12
hostels) districts improving their overall infrastructure and standards under Mission
Suvidya.

• Nepal's New Map-

Nepal's lower house of parliament, Pratinidhi Sabha, passes bill to include India's
territories of Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh in Pithoragarh district of
Uttarakhand in its new map.

• Kakrapar Atomic Plant-

On July 22, 2020, PM Modi congratulated Kakrapur Atomic Plant of Gujarat to reach
its criticality. Criticality is reaching normal operating condition. The Kakrapar Atomic
Plant produces power from indigenously built reactors and is a major step of GoI in
promoting Make in India campaign. The reactor generates 700 MW of power.

• Pravasi Rojgar App-

On July 22, 2020, actor Sonu Sood launched “Pravasi Rojgar App”. The application
provides all necessary information to find jobs and offer specific job training
programmes.

• ANASIS II-
South Korea recently launched its first ever military satellite to defend itself against
nuclear armed North Korea. The satellite has been named “ANASIS II”

• Currency Swap with Srilanka by RBI-

On July 25, 2020, the Reserve Bank of India extended 400 million USD of currency
swap with Sri Lanka. The currency swap agreement is to remain till November 2022.

• Tiger Report 2018-

As per the Tigers Report 2018, an increasing rate of 6% per annum of Tiger
population in India from the year 2006 to 2018 was observed.

• National Education Policy, 2020

The Union Cabinet recently cleared a new National Education Policy, 2020. The main
aim of the policy is to make India a Global Knowledge Superpower. Along with the
policy, the cabinet also approved renaming of Ministry of Human Resource
Development to Ministry of Education.
In the history of independent India, the education policy was brought in 1968 and
1986.
The new National Education Policy introduces “5+3+3+4” design that covers children
in the age group between 3 and 18 years.

November 25, 2020

 The policy has brought in minimum degree qualification for teachers as four-year
integrated B.Ed.
The policy has made it mandatory to use the child’s mother tongue as medium of
instruction till Class 5.
It also aims to universalize education from pre-school to secondary school by 2030.
Also, by 2030, the Gross Enrolment Ratio of Secondary level is to be brought to
100%.

• BRICS Virtual Meet 2020-

On 30th July 2020, the Environment Ministers of 6th BRICS countries took part in the
6th BRICS Environment meeting. It was held online via video conferencing under the
presidency of Russia.
5 BRICS Member States: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

• The Gulbenkian Prize 2020-

The Climate Activist Greta Thunberg was awarded the Gulbenkian Prize for
Humanity. She was awarded with prize money of 1 million Euros. The Climate
Activist is to donate the prize money to organizations focused on environment and
climate change. Miss Thunberg is the first person to receive the prize.

• HOPE Mission-
On July 19, 2020, the United Arab Emirates launched the first ever mission to the red
planet, Mars. The spacecraft is to arrive Mars in February 2021. Highlights The
satellite “Hope” is to be placed in orbit between 20,000 and 43,000 kilometres above
the surface of mars.

• Consumer Protection Act, 2019-

On July 20, 2020, Consumer Protection Act, 2019 came into force. The act will
empower consumers, help them to protect their rights through its provisions such as
Consumer Protection Council and Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission. The act
replaces Consumer Protection Act, 1986.

• The Multidimensional Poverty Index, 2020-

The United Nations recently released the Multidimensional Poverty Index, 2020.
According to the index, India recorded the largest reduction in number of people
living in poverty between the period 2015-19.
The data were obtained from United Nations Department of Economic and Social
Affairs (UNDESA). Around 273 million people have moved out of multidimensional
poverty over 10 years.

• Ashok Lavasa-
On July 15, 2020, Ashok Lavasa was appointed as the vice president of Asian
Development Bank.
He was serving as the Election Commissioner and is next in line to become Chief
Election Commissioner. He has now been appointed as Vice President of ADB for
Public-Private Partnerships and Private Sector Operations.

November 25, 2020

• Top trading partner of India in 2019-20
As per the data from the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the United
States remains as the top trading partner of India during the Financial Year 2019-20.
This is the second consecutive Financial Year that the United States has become the
top trading partner of India (in Financial Year 2018-19 United States surpassed the
People’s Republic of China to become the top trading partner of India), indicating the
continuously increasing economic ties between both the countries.

• India is the 2nd Largest Source of FDI in UK

The statistics for the number of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects in the
Financial Year 2019-20 in the United Kingdom was released on 10th July 2020 by the
United Kingdom Government’s Department for International Trade (DIT).
As per the Figures provided by DIT, the second-largest source of FDI in the United
Kingdom is now from India.

• Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Power Project

Through video conferencing, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has inaugurated
the 750 MW Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Plant on 10th July 2020. To date, the 750 MW
Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Power Project is the largest single-site solar power project in
Central India to date.
The Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Power Project is located in Gurh Tehsil of Madhya
Pradesh’s Rewa district. It is spread over 1,590 acres of land.

• Sri Lanka and the Maldives have eliminated Rubella Virus

Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) has announced on 8th July 2020
that Sri Lanka and the Maldives have eliminated Rubella Virus. With this, Sri Lanka
and the Maldives became the first two countries from the South East Asia Region of
WHO to have successfully eliminated both the Measles and Rubella Virus.

• Himachal Pradesh becomes First State in India to have LPG Gas Connection in Every
Household
All households in the state of Himachal Pradesh have access to LPG Gas Connection,
making Himachal Pradesh the first state in the country to achieve the goal set by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the launch of Ujjwala Yojana for providing a
cooking gas connection to every household in the country.

• KKR to buy 54% Stake in JB Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals

The United States-based global investment firm- Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) & Co.
Inc. will buy the majority of 54 percent stake in JB Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals.
54 percent stake of Mumbai based JB Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals is worth Rs
3,109 crore.

• New prime minister of Japan, Yoshihide Suga, has committed to his country on
October 27, 2020 to reach a target of zero emissions of greenhouse gases. He also
committed to achieve a carbon-neutral society by 2050 by a fundamental shift in
policy on coal use.

November 25, 2020

• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) stated on October 20, 2020 that environmental
clearance granted to the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project in Telangana, having a
retrospective effect, is in violation of legal requirement. The NGT have also formed a
committee to assess the extent of damage that the project has caused and to
identify the restoration measures.

• The Global hunger index was launched on October 16 2020. This year, India has
been ranked 94th Out of 107 countries. In 2018 was India ranked 103 while in 2019
India was ranked 102.

• Kerala has become the first state in the country that have made the public education
completely digital. Kerala achieved this milestone within two years of the launch of
the initiative. Total expenditure on the initiative was Rs. 42.36 crores. The project
was implemented by Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Atal Tunnel which is the world
longest high-altitude tunnel at Rohtang. It has been named after late former PM
shree Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The tunnel is located above the altitude of 10,000 feet
(3,000 feet).

• Armenia and Azerbaijan have involved in fighting again and a fresh clash have
erupted on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. It is threatening to push for a war again
26 years after a ceasefire was reached. Armenia is a Christian majority country and
Azerbaijan is a Muslim majority country. Both of them are a part of South Caucasia.
The border dispute between them have erupted over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

• Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot e-
launched the “Ambedkar Social Innovation and Incubation Mission (ASIIM)” under
Venture Capital Fund for SCs on September 30, 2020. The mission seeks to promote
innovation and enterprise among SC students who are studying in higher educational
institutions.

• The Japanese Former World Champion Nozomi Okuhara has won the Denmark Open
title 2020 in Badminton. She got the title by beating three-time world champion
Carolina Marin in women’s singles.

• The government of India recently announced that there will be no Question Hour,
Zero Hour and introduction of private member bill during the monsoon session.
This is being done in the view of COVID-19 pandemic. The first hour of every
parliamentary sitting was slotted for Question Hour. This was shifted to 11 AM to 12
noon in Rajya Sabha in 2014. During this time period, the Members of the Parliament
ask questions to the ministers. The questions can also be asked by the private
members as well.

• Byte Dance a Chinese Company which owns a popular video-sharing app called
TikTok in its recent merger deals choose Oracle a US-based firm. Byte Dance was
instructed by Trump's administration to either close its operation in the US or sell

November 25, 2020

 the company to a US-based company.

• Yoshihide Suga was elected as the new prime minister of Japan after Shinzo Abe
resigned. The longest serving Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe resigned in August
2020 due to health reasons. He was first elected to the Diet of Japan in 1996.

• India and Russia held bilateral naval exercise INDRA 2020 in Andaman Sea, close to
strategic Strait of Malacca. The exercise is being conducted while the Indian Navy is
on high operational alert due to the standoff with China in Ladakh. Three Russian
Naval ships took part in the exercise on September 4 and 5.

• The union Government of India have approved Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of
74% under the automatic route in defence sector. This will attract more overseas
investors in the defence industry. This announcement was made by the Department
for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

• Kerala Tourism’s internationally-acclaimed 'Human by Nature' campaign won the

prestigious PATA (Pacific- Asia Travel Association) Grand Award 2020 for Marketing.
This gives a huge stimulus to tourism industry in the state which has been severely
affected due to COVID-19 pandemic.

• David Attenborough was conferred with the prestigious Indira Gandhi Peace Prize
for the year 2019. He is an English broadcaster and a historian. He is popular for
writing and presenting BBC Natural History unit. He worked to make aware to
preserve and protect biodiversity of the planet.

November 25, 2020