17th October 2020 Daily GK Update: Read Daily GK, Current Affairs for Bank Exam

Here is the daily GK update of 17th October 2020 covering the following news headlines: KAPILA, IWF, UNESCO, GST compensation, The Battle of Belonging.

Daily GK updates are incorporated with the important news that made the current affairs headlines for banking or other competitive exams. Daily GK Update is the complete bag of the important news that held all day long. One should have complete knowledge about the banking terms, current affairs news, etc. So, here is the GK update of 17th October 2020 to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.

National News

1. Union Education Minister launched “KAPILA” Kalam Program

• Union Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has virtually launched the campaign ‘KAPILA’, which stands for Kalam Program for Intellectual Property Literacy and Awareness campaign on 15th October 2020.
• The day was launched in honour of 89th birth anniversary celebration of former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
• Through the campaign, the government will spread awareness through educational programs about the importance of patenting an invention, to lead India towards self-reliance.
• In order to promote awareness in the field, the Ministry has decided to celebrate the week from 15 to 23 October as ‘Intellectual Property Literacy Week’.
• Various awareness programs will be organised to create awareness about the system and the importance of the process of applying for a patent.

2. SC appoints former judge to monitor steps to prevent stubble burning

• The Supreme Court has appointed Justice Madan B Lokur, a former judge of the apex court, as a one-man monitoring committee to prevent stubble burning in the states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, amid rising levels of pollution in the national capital and adjoining regions.
• The bench also directed court-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) and chief secretaries of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh to help the Lokur panel with physical surveillance of fields to check instances of stubble burning and other related matters.

Appointments 

3. IWF appoint Michael Irani as interim president

• Dr Michael Irani of Great Britain (GBR) has been appointed as the Interim President of the International Weightlifting Federation(IWF), at the meeting of the IWF Executive Board, in accordance with the constitution of IWF.
• Michael Irani was appointed following the resignation of IWF President Tamás Aján. Prior to this, Michael Irani was serving as the chairman of the IWF Medical Committee.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams: 

• International Weightlifting Federation Headquarters: Budapest, Hungary.
• International Weightlifting Federation Founded: 1905.

4. Vishal V Sharma appointed India’s next permanent representative to UNESCO

• Vishal V. Sharma has been appointed as the next Permanent Representative of India to the Permanent Delegation of India to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), with the rank of Ambassador.
• He will replace Jawed Ashraf. Sharma is expected to take up the assignment shortly.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• UNESCO headquarters: Paris, France.
• UNESCO Head: Audrey Azoulay.
• UNESCO Founded: 16 November 1945.

Economy

5. GoI to borrow Rs 1.1 lakh crore to meet shortfall of GST compensation

• The central government will borrow Rs 1.1 lakh crore under the special window to meet the shortfall of Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation.
• Under the Special Window, the estimated shortfall of Rs 1.1 lakh cr (assuming all States join) will be borrowed by Government of India in appropriate tranches.
• The borrowed amount will be passed on to the States as a back-to-back loan in lieu of GST Compensation. This will not have any impact on the fiscal deficit of the Government of India.

Books and Authors

6. A book titled ‘The Battle of Belonging’ authored by Shashi Tharoor

• Renowned Author and Politician, Shashi Tharoor is set to release his new book titled “The Battle of Belonging” is set to be released in November 2020.
• The book is published by Aleph Book Company. Shashi Tharoor described this book as his “magnum opus” on the Theory, evolution and practice of Nationalism across the globe and especially in India.

Important Days

7. International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

• International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is observed globally on 17 October every year.
• The day aims to raise awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution around the world, particularly in developing countries.
• 2020 Theme: “Acting together to achieve social and environmental justice for all”. The theme for the Day this year addresses the challenge of achieving social and environmental justice for all.

8. 36th Raising Day of National Security Guard

• The 36th Raising Day of National Security Guard (NSG) is observed on 16 October.
• NSG plays a crucial role in India’s security apparatus. It has been associated with the utmost courage and professionalism.
• The NSG is a Federal Contingency force to deal with anti-terrorist activities.
• The NSG is a force equipped and trained to deal with the specific situation and is therefore used in exceptional circumstances to thwart serious acts of terrorism.
• It was established in 1984, NSG is popularly known as the Black Cats. It is an elite striking force in the country trained and equipped to handle situations like a terrorist attack, hijacking, and hostage captivity.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams: 

• National Security Guard Headquarters: New Delhi.
• DG of National Security Guard: Anup Kumar Singh.
• The motto of National Security Guard: Sarvatra Sarvottam Suraksha.

Obituaries

9. Bihar Panchayati Raj Minister Kapil Deo Kamat passes away

• The senior Janata Dal (United) leader Kapil Deo Kamat, who was serving as the Panchayati Raj Minister of Bihar, passed away due to COVID-19.
• He was a JDU MLA from Babubarhi assembly constituency in Madhubani district, Bihar.

Miscellaneous

10. J&K L-G announces ‘My Town My Pride’ programme

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