Weekly Current Affairs (1st to 7th November 2020) Part - 1 - UPSC PDF Download

1. Which bank has launched instant payouts for fintech firms by partnering with payments giant VISA _________ RBL Bank.
Note:
➢ India-based private sector lender RBL Bank has launched instant payouts for fintech firms by partnering with payments giant Visa.

➢ Under this partnership, the bank will leverage Visa’s real-time push payments platform Visa Direct, across the country.
➢ It will allow RBL Bank to create technology-led banking solutions catering to the growing needs of merchants and partners. Further, this will enable fintech firms to create digital payment solutions for the end customer.

2. Which multinational company has announced a growth fund of Rs 400 crore to give a hand to the government’s vision of a self-reliant country __________ Procter & Gamble.
Note:
➢ The fund would be utilised to localise manufacturing of finished products, procurement of raw materials and packaging materials and to adopt go-to-market innovations and technology.
➢ This new fund is part of P&G India’s ‘vGROW’ program that focuses on identifying and collaborating with start-ups, small businesses, individuals or large organisations offering innovative industry-leading solutions.

3. The Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) signed a contract worth Rs 400 crore with which IT firm for implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) to support its project Parivartan __________ Tech Mahindra.
Note:
➢ As a system integrator, Tech Mahindra will implement project Parivartan over a period of nine years at a cost of Rs 400 crore.
➢ Project Parivartan is a comprehensive business transformation exercise initiated by HAL through technology enhancement and centralised ERP.

4. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed monetary penalty on which two banks for various rule violations ________ DCB Bank and Jio Payments Bank.
Note:
➢ The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed monetary penalty on DCB Bank and Jio Payments Bank for various rule violations.
➢ The central bank has imposed a penalty of Rs 22 lakh on DCB Bank for non-compliance with certain provisions on marketing/distribution of mutual fund/insurance etc.
➢ The penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Section 46(4)(i) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

5. Which general insurance company in partnership with Freepaycard has launched Group Safeguard Insurance _________ ICICI Lombard General Insurance.
Note:
➢ This strategic partnership will make the bite-sized health insurance solutions, designed specifically for Freepaycardmembers, available at its multi-category partner retail outlets.
➢ Freepaycard members can add these health solutions on the go while shopping for other essential goods or services.
➢ The plan will be offered to the members of Freepaycard, allowing them to receive an assured amount in case of any injury or hospitalization for treatment.

6. With which organization the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation launched the MSME Credit Health Index to provide a measure of the growth and strength of the MSME sector in India _______ TransUnion CIBIL.
Note:
➢ The TransUnion CIBIL and the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation launched the MSME Credit Health Index to provide a measure of the growth and strength of the MSME sector in India.
➢ The index provides a numeric indicator for benchmarking the health of the MSME sector to the policy makers, lenders and MSME market participants.

7. In a bid to develop skill sets of career-oriented individuals has entered into a strategic partnership with edX to expand the learners’ perspectives and access to knowledge beyond the classrooms ___________ State Bank of India.
Note:

➢ As part of this partnership, SBI will offer its Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) on the edX platform (edx.org.) from November 2020.
➢ With this partnership, SBI becomes 1st Corporate Partner of edX from India.
➢ SBI, initially will offer 3 courses, namely Unleashing Creativity at the Workplace, Relationship Marketing Strategy for Financial Services, and Conflict Resolution.

8. Which life insurance company launched ‘Life + 36 critical illness Insurance’ on Flipkart __________ Aegon Life Insurance Company.
Note:
➢ This plan offers a comprehensive insurance cover against COVID-19, which can be availed immediately on the Flipkart app with a basic life insurance plan.
➢ This insurance ensures that the policyholders are protected against most lifestyle diseases along with a life cover to ease the financial burden.
➢ The starting premium of the plan is Rs 153 for a life cover of Rs 1 lakh plus Critical Illness cover of Rs.10,000.

9. Which bank has been voted as the “Most Outstanding Company – Financial Sector” in India in the poll conducted by Asiamoney __________ HDFC Bank.
Note:
➢ HDFC Bank Limited has been voted as the “Most Outstanding Company – Financial Sector” in India in the poll conducted by Asiamoney, a well-established financial publication.
➢ HDFC has been given the honour for the 2nd consecutive year.
➢ Bharti Airtel won the overall winner by Market in India.

10. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the acquisition of General Insurance Business of Bharti AXA General Insurance Company Limited by which another general insurance company _________ ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Ltd.
Note:
➢ As per the proposed combination, the whole general insurance business of Bharti AXA will be transferred to ICICI Lombard by way of demerger, considering that ICICI Lombard will issue shares to Bharti AXA.
➢ The combined entity(proposed merged non-life insurance company) is likely to have a market share of 8.7% on a pro forma basis.

11. Which bank has approved USD 132.8 million loan to Meghalaya, to improve and upgrade the power distribution network in the state _________ Asian Development Bank.
Note:
➢ The fund will help in improving the distribution system & financial sustainability of the Meghalaya Power Distribution Corporation Limited (MePDCL).
➢ The MePDCL has a huge outstanding against the power purchased from central power generating stations and to the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL).
➢ The loan will support in clearing the power outstanding dues.

12. Which company has acquired the city gas licences for Ludhiana and Jalandhar in Punjab and Kutch (East) in Gujarat from Jay Madhok Energy ________ Adani Gas.
Note:
➢ The license was acquired from Jay Madhok Energy.
➢ These agencies are operating under Phase 1 of Bharat Mala Pariyojana by NHAI.
➢ Jay Madhok Energy has been show-caused by the oil regulator Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) over defaulting on timelines and alleged irregularities in acquisition of the city gas licence.

13. Visa in partnership with DigitSecure and which deployed the world’s 1st live PCI certified Tap to Phone card acceptance solution _________ HDFC Bank.
Note:
➢ The objective is to accept safe contactless card payments in seconds through an app on their Near-Field Communication(NFC)-enabled Android smartphones, without the need of any dedicated card acceptance machines.
➢ The first merchant to go live with HDFC Bank as the acquirer is DeliveryPlus.
➢ In line with the ‘Made in India’ objective of local innovation, DigitSecure is the first Asia Pacific-based company to acquire PCI security certification to implement Tap to Phone technology.

14. Which small finance bank signed an agreement with Care Health Insurance Company Limited as Corporate Agent for Health Insurance Products __________ AU Small Finance Bank.
Note:
➢ Care Health Insurance is formerly known as ‘Religare Health Insurance Company Limited.
➢ The Bank has been issued certificate of registration CA0515 under Registration of Corporate Agents – Regulations, 2015 by Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and Bank has entered into agreement with Care Health Insurance Company.
➢ In terms of business, market penetration and reach, this partnership will be mutually beneficial for the bank and insurance company.

15. Which bank has launched launches ‘Mine’ a comprehensive banking programme for its millennial customers ________ ICICI Bank.
Note:
➢ Private lender ICICI Bank has launched a comprehensive banking programme for its millennial customers, (in the age bracket of 18 years to 35 years ), called ‘ICICI Bank Mine’.
➢ The ‘ICICI Bank Mine’ is India’s first and unique product launched by the bank to offer a mobile-first, highly personalised and experiential led banking experience to the millennial customers.

16. Which organization has partnered with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) to launch the First Edition of the Quarterly MSME Credit Health Index __________ TransUnion CIBIL.
Note:
➢ The index will provide a reliable measure and benchmark of the growth and strength of MSME (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) in India.
➢ To provide Government, Policy makers, lenders and other stakeholders, insights and analysis on various aspects of the health of MSME industry to enable better policy with respect to MSME lending.
➢ The comprehensive information will facilitate better risk management and inclusion of MSME in Indian Banking and financial system.

17. Which credit card provider partnered with Paytm and Visa to launch contactless co-branded credit cards, India’s next generation credit cards _________ SBI Card.
Note:
➢ The credit card will be available in two variants, namely, Paytm SBI Card and Paytm SBI Card SELECT.
➢ The 2 variants have been designed for the new age, digitally savvy customers. The product has been launched on the Visa platform.
➢ The aim of the Partnership is to bring in ‘new to credit’ users into the formal economy and empower them to control their finances.

18. India-based fuel outlet Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) has partnered with which Payments Bank for recharging truck drivers’ fleet cards __________ Fino Payments Bank.
Note:
➢ India-based fuel outlet Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) has partnered with Fino Payments Bank for recharging truck drivers’ fleet cards.
➢ Through this partnership, truck drivers in the country can now recharge their BPCL Smartfleet Cards, which are used for fuel payments.

19. Which social media platform has introduced payments services in India following approval by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) _______ WhatsApp.
Note:

➢ The NPCI approval also follows another recent direction imposing a cap of 30% of the total volume of transactions processed in Unified Payments Interface (UPI), applicable to all third-party app providers, effective from 1st January 2021.
➢ WhatsApp would now compete with existing players such as Paytm, Google Pay, Amazon Pay and PhonePe.

20. Which company has announced multiple green energy partnerships with Adani group, Indian Oil and Greenko, paving way for its entry into the Indian market ________ Snam.
Note:
➢ Snam is an operator of Europe's largest natural gas transmission network.
➢ Greenko has tied up with Snam for setting up a 50-50 joint venture to develop a “green hydrogen" business
➢ Italian firm has collaborated with the Adani Group to “envisage exploration of the hydrogen value chain in India and global markets.

21. Which social media platform has rolled out an offline to online small and medium businesses guide and other new resources to help small and medium businesses ________Facebook.
Note:
➢ This will help them move from offline to social network-owned online platforms.
➢ It is a step-by-step manual on how firms can build a digital presence and reach potential customers on social media
➢ The accelerated digital adoption as a result of the pandemic has made it critical for small businesses to pivot from offline to online.

1. Renowned personality R Doraikannu passed away recently due to COVID-19 complications, he was Agriculture Minister of which state ________ Tamil Nadu.
Note:

➢ Doraikkannu was undergoing treatment here, after being shifted from a government medical college hospital in Villpuram on October 13, where he was admitted to after he complained of uneasiness.
➢ Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit condoled the death of Daoraikkannu and said he was saddened to know about the demise of the Minister.

2. Mesut Yilmaz passed away recently, he was veteran politician and former prime minister of which country ________ Turkey.
Note:
➢ He was the Chief of the now-defunctional centre-right Motherland Party or ANAP from 1991 to 2002.
➢ He served as prime minister of Turkey three times in the 1990s.
➢ His first two prime-ministerial terms lasted for just one month, in 1991 and then in 1996, while the third term was from June 1997 to January 1999.

3. Renowned personality Satish Prasad Singh passed away recently, he was former chief minister of which country _______ Bihar.
Note:
➢ Satish Prasad Singh, the leader of Soshit Samaj Dal became the 6th and the shortest- served CM of Bihar for 5 days (28 January to February 1, 1968) with the support of Indian National Congress (INC).
➢ He was born on January 1, 1936 in Korchakka (now known as Satish Nagar) Village, Khagaria district, Bihar.

4. Renowned personality Tripunithura Narayanaiyer Krishnan (T N Krishnan) passed away, he was a veteran ______ Violinist.
Note:
➢ T N Krishnan was a child prodigy who made his first solo violin concert in Triruvantahpuran in 1939.
➢ He was mentored by Alleppy K. Parthasarathy and had accompanied numerous musicians like Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Musiri Subramania Iyer, Alathur Brothers, Madurai Mani Iyer, Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar among others.

5. Renowned personality Faraaz Khan passed away recently, he was a veteran _______ Actor.
Note:
➢ He had acted in several popular Bollywood films in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
➢ Some of them include Mehndi (1998), Fareb (1996), Dulhan Banoo Main Teri (1999) and Chand Bujh Gaya (2005) among others.

6. Renowned personality Faraaz Khan passed away recently, he was a veteran _______ Actor.
Note:
➢ Noted actor, filmmaker and voiceover artiste, Ashish Kakkad, has passed away.
➢ He was one of the most prominent artists from the Gujarati film industry.
➢ As a filmmaker, Ashish was known for his Gujarati projects namely Better Half (2010) and Mission Mummy (2016).

7. Renowned personality Sean Connery passes away recently, he was a _________ Actor.
Note:
➢ Scottish movie legend Connery, who shot to international stardom as the suave and sophisticated British agent James Bond and went on to grace the silver screen for four decades.
➢ Connery will be remembered first as British agent 007.
➢ He was admired by generations of film fans as the original and best 007 and went on to create a distinguished body of work in films such as The Man Who Would Be King, The Name of the Rose and The Untouchables.

1. World Vegan Day is observed globally every year on ____________ 1st November.
Note:
➢ This day is celebrated to spread benefits of veganism for humans, non-human animals, and the natural environment.
➢ Vegan Day is an opportunity to promote the benefits of a vegan diet and veganism in general.

2. International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists is observed every year on which date _______2nd October.
Note:
➢ Between 2006 and 2019, more than 1,200 journalists have been killed. The recent assassination of Journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018 kindled worldwide criticism and scrutiny of the Saudi Government.
➢ The date of November 2nd was chosen to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against journalists to commemorate the assassination of French journalists in Mali in 2013.

3. Which Day is observed all across the world on 5th November ________ World Tsunami Awareness Day.
Note:
➢ The day is celebrated to spread awareness among people across the world in matters related to the dangers of tsunami.
➢ In 2020, World Tsunami Awareness Day encourages the development of national and community-level, local disaster risk reduction strategies to save more lives against disasters.
➢ This year’s observance promotes “Sendai Seven Campaign,” target.

4. Every year, the International Day for Preventing the exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict is observed on _________ 6th November.
Note:
➢ The resolution to celebrate the day was passed in 2001.
➢ According to the United Nations Environment Programme, a least 40% of internal conflicts are linked to the exploitation of natural resources in the last 60 years.

5. The National Cancer Awareness Day is observed annually in India on ________ 7th November.
Note:
➢ Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan first announced National Cancer Awareness Day in September 2014.
➢ According to the WHO, cancer is the second leading cause of death globally.
➢ World Cancer Day is observed on 4th February every year.

1. John Magufuli has been re-elected as the president of which country __________ Tanzania.
Note:

➢ Magufuli received 12.5m votes in Wednesday’s presidential ballot, while his main challenger, Tundu Lissu of the Chadema party, received 1.9m votes, the commission said.
➢ Magufuli has been seeking a second five-year term and promised voters that he would boost the economy by completing ambitious infrastructure projects started in his first term.

2. Who has been appointed as the chief executive officer of the Electronics Sector Skill Council of India (ESSCI) _______ PVG Menon.
Note:
➢ The Electronics Sector Skill Council of India (ESSCI), an organization setup to provide a skilled workforce for the Electronics industry, announced the appointment of PVG Menon as its chief executive officer.
➢ Prior to taking up this role, Menon was the President & CEO of VANN Consulting and has over three decades of experience in the development, marketing and management of technology.

3. Who has been appointed as the chairman of Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) _________ Gurdeep Singh.
Note:
➢ The appointment committee of the Union cabinet issued the order for the central deputation.
➢ The post of MbPT chairman was vacant after former chairman Sanjay Bhatia retired on July 31 and was appointed as Lokayukta of Maharashtra.
➢ Jalota, who is the first Goods and Services Tax (GST) commissioner of Maharashtra, is currently the additional chief secretary in the higher and technical education department of the state government.

4. Who has been appointed as the first-ever Indian-origin minister of New Zealand by the country’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern _________ Priyanca Radhakrishnan.
Note:
➢ She was appointed as the Minister for the Community & Voluntary Sector and Minister for Diversity, Inclusion & Ethnic Communities.
➢ She was elected first as a Member of Parliament belonging to the Labour Party in September 2017.
➢ In 2019, she was appointed the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister for Ethnic Communities.

5. Who has been elected as the 30th President of Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) for a three-year term of 2020-2023 ___________ Duarte Pacheco.
Note:
➢ He succeeds Gabriela Cuevas Barron, a Mexican Parliamentarian.
➢ The Presidential Election was conducted over the virtual platform during the 206th Session of the Governing Council of IPU, which was conducted as a virtual session.
➢ Around 400 parliamentarians from 140 member Parliaments registered their vote during the 24-hour window.

6. Alassane Ouattara has been elected as the president of which country for a consecutive third term _________ Ivory Coast.
Note:
➢ The 2020 Ivory Coast Election held on 31st October 2020 was boycotted by the two opposition figures – former President Henri Konan Bedie and ex-Prime Minister Pascal Affi N’Guessan and their supporters.
➢ The total voter turnouts was around 53.90% and the opposition claimed that only 10% Ivorians took part in the election.

7. Who has been appointed as the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) ________ Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha.
Note:
➢ President Ram Nath Kovind has administered the oath of office to Sinha as the Chief Information Commissioner in the Central Information Commission at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan
➢ Sinha, a former diplomat, joined as the Information Commissioner on January 1, 2019.
➢ He has served as India's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Sri Lanka.