21st October 2020 Daily GK Update: Read Daily GK, Current Affairs for Bank Exam

Here is the daily GK update of 21st October 2020 covering the following news headlines: Singapore, Mo Bidyut, Assam, ADB, SANT, AYUSHMAN SAHAKAR.

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 21st October 2020 to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.

International News

1. Singapore becomes 1st country to use facial recognition to pay taxes

• Singapore became the World’s First Country to attach Facial verification in the National Identification Database. The function is called “SingPass Face Verification”.
• This technology is being rolled out to the city-state’s SingPass digital identity scheme, offering access to no less than 400 online services, including tax declarations and public housing applications.
• According to the Singapore authorities, the technology helps ensure that the right person is genuinely present in front of their screen, rather than a photograph, a video, a replayed recording or a deepfake.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams: 

• Prime Minister of Singapore: Lee Hsien Loong.
• Singapore Capital: Singapore City.
• Singapore Currency: Singapore Dollar.

State News

2. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launches ‘Mo Bidyut’ portal

• Odisha Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik has launched the electricity consumer service portal ”Mo Bidyut” and a mobile app through video conference.
• The bilingual online electricity integrated consumer service portal www.mobidyut.com developed by the Energy Department and dedicated to the public under 5T (Teamwork, Transparency, Technology, Time leading to Transformation) initiative of the state government.
• Through this people will now be able to avail efficient, time-bound, and transparent online service delivery.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Minister of Odisha: Naveen Patnaik.
• Odisha Capital: Bhubaneswar.
• Odisha Governor: Ganeshi Lal.
• Airports in Orissa: Biju Patnaik International Airport, Jharsuguda Airport, Rourkela Airport, Jeypore Airport and Savitri Jindal Airport.

3. Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone of multi-modal logistic park in Assam

• The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari virtually laid the foundation stone for the first-ever multi-modal logistic park of India, at Jogighopa, in Bongaigaon district of Assam.
• The logistic park will provide direct connectivity to air, road, rail and waterways to the people of Assam and other parts of North East.
• The fund for the multi-modal logistics park would be spent in three components – road and railway connectivity as well as building and infrastructure work. It will also give employment to 20 lakh people.
• The overall cost of this project is around Rs 693.97 Crore and is being developed under the Bharatmala Pariyojana of the Central Government.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Minister of Assam: Sarbananda Sonowal; Governor: Prof. Jagdish Mukhi.
• Folk Dance of Assam: Bihu dance, Bagurumba, Bhortal Dance, Jhumur dance.

4. ADB and India inks USD 177 million loan for Maharashtra

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India have signed a loan agreement worth USD 177 million, to upgrade 450 km of state highways and major district roads in Maharashtra.
• The project aims to improve connectivity between rural areas and urban centres in the state to enable rural communities to have better access to markets, employment opportunities and services, which in turn will expand development and livelihood opportunities outside of the state’s major urban centres to second-tier cities and towns thus reducing income disparities.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Minister of Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackeray; Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
• Folk Dance of Maharashtra: Lavani, Koli Dance, Lezim, Pavri Nach.
• President of Asian Development Bank: Masatsugu Asakawa.
• Asian Development Bank Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Philippines.
• Asian Development Bank Founded: 19 December 1966.

Defence

5. India successfully test-fires “SANT” Missile off Odisha coast

• India successfully flight-tested its indigenously developed Stand-off Anti-tank (SANT) missile from Integrated Test Range (ITR) off Odisha coast.
• The missile was test-fired from a roof-top launcher of the ground-based platform.
• It is an upgraded version of the anti-tank missile, Helicopter Launched Nag (HeliNa). This was the 11th missile test-fired by India within one and a half month.
• SANT is an air-to-surface missile developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Air Force. The SANT missile has both lock-on before launch and lock-on after launch capability and can destroy targets 15 km to 20 km away.

6. Australia to join Malabar-2020 Naval Exercise with India, US & Japan

• India has invited Australia to participate in its trilateral naval exercise “Malabar-2020” which is scheduled to be held in November 2020, in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
• In 2020, the exercise will be held in a ‘non-contact – at sea’ format. It aims to increase cooperation and enhance safety and security in the maritime security domain.
• The Malabar series of naval exercises began in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between the Indian Navy-US Navy. Later, Japan joined the Naval exercise in 2015.
• It must be remembered that US-India-Japan and Australia are already the part of the “Quad” alliance.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh.
• Indian Navy Founded: 26 January 1950.

Schemes and Committees

7. Narendra Singh Tomar launches AYUSHMAN SAHAKAR scheme

• Union Agriculture Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar has launched “AYUSHMAN SAHAKAR”. The scheme is a unique way to assist cooperatives to play an important role in the creation of healthcare infrastructure in the country.
• AYUSHMAN SAHAKAR scheme has been formulated by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).
• The NCDC would extend term loans to prospective cooperatives to the tune of 10 thousand crores in the coming years.
• NCDC’s scheme will be a step towards strengthening farmers welfare activities by the Central Government.
• NCDC’s Ayushman Sahakar scheme aims at bringing transformation in the health services primarily in the rural areas.
• The scheme also provides working capital and margin money to meet the operational requirements of the health facilities. It provides interest subvention of one per cent to women majority cooperatives.

Science and Technology

8. Nokia selected by NASA to build 4G LTE Mobile Network on the Moon

• Nokia has been selected by NASA to build the first cellular network on the moon.
• NASA aims to return humans to the moon by 2024 and dig in for a long-term presence there under its Artemis programme.
• The first wireless broadband communications system in space would be built on the lunar surface in late 2022.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams: 

• The administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Jim Bridenstine.
• Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United States.
• Chairman of Nokia Corporation: Sari Baldauf.
• Nokia Headquarters: Espoo, Finland.

Ranks and Reports

9. India ranked 2nd in OECD International Migration Outlook report

• India has acquired the second rank in terms of the number of migrants going to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries and acquiring the citizenship of those countries.
• China retained its top spot with 4.3 lakh migrants, which was 1 per cent lower than the 2019 report.
• This is the 44th edition of the annual report. The data was released by the OECD in its 2020 edition of the annual International Migration Outlook report, which analyses the recent developments in migration movements and policies in its countries.
• From India, 3.3 lakh migrants moved, and this is 10 per cent more than the last edition.
• Romania emerged as the third-largest exporter of human capital to these countries. Paris-based OECD is an association of 37 developed countries which often attract immigrants for work opportunities, education and asylum.

Sports

10. India’s Elavenil Valarivan wins gold in International Air Rifle Championship

• In Shooting, the world number one Elavenil Valarivan of India won the gold medal in women’s event of the 2020 Sheikh Russel International Air Rifle Championship.
• The event was organised by Bangladesh Shooting Sport Federation (BSSF). Japan’s Naoya Okada won the gold in the men’s event, while India’s Shahu Tushar Mane bagged a silver.
• The event was a 60-shots competition in which shooters from six nations participated which included Bangladesh, India, Japan, Korea, Indonesia and Bhutan.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams: 

• Prime Minister of Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina; Capital: Dhaka; Currency: Taka.

Books and Authors

11. NK Singh launches his autobiography ‘Portraits Of Power’

• Veteran Economist and bureaucrat N K (Nand Kishore) Singh has released his autobiography titled “Portraits of Power: Half a Century of Being at Ringside”.
• The book portrays the life of NK Singh who played an active role in the development of the Indian economy.
• He is currently serving as the Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission. The book is published by Rupa Publications India.
• The book portrays NK Singhs’s stents from 1964 when he joined the Indian Administrative Service(IAS), serving in higher positions of the Indian Government before entering politics as a member of Rajya Sabha. This book covers all the personal and national movements that happened in his life.

Important Days

12. International Chef’s Day: 20 October

14. RPF launches ‘Meri Saheli’ initiative on AP Express

• Railway Protection Force (RPF), Visakhapatnam has started implementing ‘Meri Saheli’ initiative in AP Express (Visakhapatnam to New Delhi), in order to provide proactive security to women passengers.
• The main motto of ‘Meri Saheli’ is to provide safety and security to women passengers travelling in trains throughout their journey.
• A team of women Sub Inspectors and women constables of RPF will enter all coaches including ladies coaches and identify women passengers, who are travelling alone before the departure of the train.
• These passengers will be briefed about all precautions to be taken during the journey and inform about help no. 182 apart from giving contact numbers of RPF to contact in case of any issue.

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21st October Current Affairs 2020 | Current Affairs Today | Daily Current Affairs 2020

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