18th September 2020 Daily GK Update: Read Daily GK, Current Affairs for Bank Exam

Here is the daily GK update of 18th September 2020 covering the following news headlines: Lok Sabha, Karnataka Govt, ICICI Home Finance, Asia Game Changer Award, Global Smart City Index.

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 18th September 2020 to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.

International News

1. Mexico issues world’s first sovereign bond

• 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.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Mexico Capital: Mexico City.
• Mexico Currency: Mexican peso.

• President of Mexico: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

States News

2. Karnataka Govt launches “Arthika Spandana” loan disbursal programme

• Karnataka Chief Minister, B.S. Yediyurappa has launched the “Arthika Spandana” programme of disbursing loans to the tune of Rs 39,300 crores through various cooperative institutions.
• Under this scheme, Rs 15,300 crores would be disbursed to the agriculture sector while a sum of Rs 24,000 crores would be earmarked for the non-agricultural sector.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Minister of Karnataka: B.S. Yediyurappa; Governor: Vajubhai Vala.

Banking

3. ICICI Home Finance launched “Apna Ghar Dreamz” Home Loan Scheme

• The ICICI Home Finance launched “Apna Ghar Dreamz”, its new home loan scheme for skilled laborers like electricians, mechanics, painters, grocery store owners etc in the informal sector of Delhi.
• The credit amount of this loan ranges from Rs 2 lakh to 50 lakhs.
• This scheme targets the people of the informal sector without all the documents which are required to get a loan from a formal financial institution.
• The customers can utilise the benefits of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), a credit-linked subsidy scheme (CLSS) for Lower Income Groups/ Economically Weaker
  Sections (EWS/LIG) and Middle Income Groups (MIG – I & II).

Awards & Rewards

4. Chef Vikas Khanna honoured with Asia Game Changer Award 2020

• Chef Vikas Khanna has been chosen to be honoured with the prestigious Asia Game Changer Award 2020.
• This award is given to him for feeding millions of people across India in the COVID-19 pandemic through a massive food distribution drive ‘FeedIndia’.
• He is the only Indian among the six honourees named by the leading organisation. He coordinated his massive food distribution drive in India from thousands of miles away in his Manhattan home in New York.

Ranks and Reports

5. IMD’s Global Smart City Index 2020

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

6. India Happiness Report 2020 announced

• The first all India Happiness Report 2020 covering all States and Union Territories measuring happiness across the country, what contributes to people’s happiness, the impact of COVID-19 on happiness, and insights from thought leaders.
• The study is based on a nationwide survey covering 16,950 people between March and July 2020 by Professor Rajesh K Pillania.

To check the complete list of winner: Click here

Books and Authors

7. A new book titled “Azadi” authored by Arundhati Roy

• Arundhati Roy’s new book titled “Azadi: Freedom. Fascism. Fiction” is published by Penguin Books Limited.
• The nonfiction book is a collection of essays that shows the meaning of Freedom in the world of increasing authoritarianism.
• The essay collection includes meditations on language and roles of fiction and alternative imaginations amid global pandemic due to COVID-19.

Important Days

8. World Bamboo Day: 18 September

• World Bamboo Day is observed globally on 18 September every year.
• This day is celebrated to raise awareness of the benefits of bamboo and to promote its use in everyday products.
• The theme for 11th edition of WBD 2020 is ‘BAMBOO NOW.’

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

Obituaries

11. Veteran Ayurveda physician PR Krishnakumar passes away

• Tamil Nadu based prominent Indian Ayurveda physician, PR Krishnakumar passed away.
• He 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 honoured him with the Padma Shri award in 2009 for his contribution to medicine.

12. Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Gasti passes away

• Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka, Ashok Gasti passed away due to COVID-19.
• He was born in 1965 and belonged to Raichur district, Karnataka.
• The first-time he took oath as Rajya Sabha MP on July, 2020. He is credited for organising the BJP in Raichur district.

13. Former RBI governor Amitabha Ghosh passes away

• The shortest-serving Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Amitabha Ghosh passed away.
• He had served as the 16th 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.

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18 September Current Affairs 2020 | Current Affairs Today | Daily Current Affairs 2020

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