India Tops Asia in Bribery, Use of Personal Connections to Access Public Services: 10th GCB Asia 2020

• In accordance with the 10th edition of the report titled "Global Corruption Barometer (GCB)-Asia 2020" by corruption watchdog Transparency International, India has the highest bribery rate of 39% in Asia and the highest rate of people (46%) who use personal connections to access public services.

• Nearly 50% people who paid bribes were asked to while 32% of those who used personal connections said they would not receive the service otherwise.

• This report is based upon the fieldwork conducted in 17 countries covering nearly 20,000 citizens in June- September 2020 seeking their perception of and experiences with corruption in the past twelve months.

• It covered 6 key public services viz: police, courts, public hospitals, procurement of identity documents and utilities.

• In bribery rate India is followed by Cambodia (37%), Indonesia (30%) while the Maldives and Japan have the lowest overall bribery rate (2%), followed by South Korea (10%) and Nepal (12%).

• Nearly one in five people (19%) or 836 million people paid bribe while accessing public services in the preceding year.

• Vote-buying was the highest in Thailand and the Philippines where 28% were offered a bribe in return for a vote, followed by Indonesia at 26%, India came fourth in the line with a rate of 18%

About Transparency International:

• Interim Managing Director (MD)- Daniel Eriksson
• Headquarter- Berlin, Germany

India Recorded Largest Reductions in Malaria cases in South-East Asia between 2000-2019

• In accordance with the "World Malaria Report 2020" released by World Health Organisation (WHO), India recorded the largest reduction of malaria cases in South-East Asia from 20 million in 2000 to about 5.6 million in 2019.

• On the global front, there were about 229 million malaria cases in 2019 and claimed about 409,000 lives, compared to 411,000 in 2018.

• India showed a reduction in cases and deaths of 18% and 20% respectively, over the last 2 years.

• India also recorded a decrease in the number of deaths from malaria between 2000 and 2019 i.e. it declined from about 29,500 in 2000 to about 7700 in 2019.

QS Asia University Rankings 2021: 3 IITs in top 50; National University of Singapore topped

• The global higher education think-tank, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) has released the QS Asia University Rankings 2021 in association with King Abdulaziz University (KAU),Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) for the Asia's best higher education institutions in 2021. The ranking has been topped by National University of Singapore (NUS) for the 3rd consecutive year. On Indian front, three Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have made it to the top 50 viz. IIT-Bombay (37), IIT- Delhi (47) and IIT-Madras (50) but no Indian university got placed in top-10 list.

• This ranking compared 650 Asian institutions from 18 locations based on 11 key parameters making it the QS's biggest Asia Ranking that ever published.

• Out of the 650 institutions 124 were from Mainland China, followed by 107 from India, 105 from Japan, 88 from South Korea, 43 from Taiwan, 40 from Pakistan, 35 from Malaysia, and 30 from Indonesia

About QS Asia University Rankings:

• Published annually since 2009, the QS Asia University Rankings highlights the top universities in Asia on the basis of 11 parameters viz: Academic reputation, Employer reputation, Faculty/student ratio, Faculty/student ratio, Citations per paper (10%) and papers per faculty (5%), Staff with a PhD, Proportion of international faculty and proportion of international students, Proportion of inbound exchange students and proportion of outbound exchange students (2.5%).

About Quacquarelli Symonds (QS):

• Headquarter- London, United Kingdom (UK)

Legendary Senegal footballer, Papa Bouba Diop dies at 42

• The legendary footballer Senegalese footballer Papa Bouba Diop died. Diop, the midfielder was the hero when Senegal shocked the world by defending 1-0 against the reigning world champion, France in the opening game of 2002 FIFA World cup held in Japan and South Korea.

• For his tall (6 foot 5inches), Diop is nicknamed "Wardrobe".

• His career lasted for 8 years from 2001-2008.

• Diop Scored his first goal in FIFA world cup in his debut match against France in 2002, to defeat the defending champions in a 1-0 win.

MDH owner Mahashay Dharampal Gulati dies at 97

• Popularly known as the "Spice King", Mahashay Dharampal Gulati died due to sudden cardiac arrest in New Delhi. Born in Sialkot (now in Pakistan) in 1923, he moved to India after the Partition and set up his business in Delhi. The spice company, 'Mahashian Di Hatti' (MDH) was initially found by his late father Mahashay Chunni Lal Gulati.

• Gulati became the highest-paid FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) CEO in India in 2017.

• He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the country's third-highest civilian award, in 2019. Most recently, he supported the fight against the novel coronavirus by donating PPE kits and an undisclosed amount to the Delhi CM Relief Fund.

• Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia took to Twitter to share the news that he had donated 7,500 PPE kits for healthcare workers in Delhi.

HexGn and AFC India Ltd Partnered to promote over 1,000 Agritech Start-Ups in India

• HexGn and AFC India Ltd(formerly Agricultural Finance Corporation Ltd) signed a Memorandum of Understandin for collaboratively promoting more than 1000 Agritech(Agricultural Technology) Startups in India in the next 5 year.

About AFC India Ltd(formerly Agricultural Finance Corporation Ltd):

• Wholly Owned by- Commercial Banks, NABARD(National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) and Export-Import (EXIM) bank of India

• Managing Director (MD), B.Ganeshan Headquarters, Mumbai, Maharashtra

About HexGn:

• Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Jappreet Sethi

Air Pollution Data released by US Air Quality Index 2020

• According to Air Pollution Data released by United States (US) Air Quality Index 2020, Lahore topped the list of World's most Polluted Cities. It reported a Particulate Matter (PM) rating of 423 (Hazardous). New Delhi with a PM of 229 (very unhealthy) came Second followed by Nepal's Kathmandu with a PM of 178 (unhealthy).

• According to AQI, the index between 0-50 is "Good", 51-100 is "Moderate", 101- 150 is "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups", 151-200 is "Unhealthy", 201-300 is "Very Unhealthy”, 301-Higher is "Hazardous".

Foreign Secretary Shringla inaugurated three schools in his Nepal visit

• Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla inaugurated Three schools built under Indian assistance in Nepal's Gorkha district. He also inaugurated a Buddhist renovated Tashop (Tare) Gompa Monastery in the Manang district with India's assistance, in Manang district during his visit to Nepal. Gorkha district is one of the most affected region in April 2015 earthquake in Nepal.

• Talks on Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project a 5,040 MW hydropower project on River Mahakali on the India Nepal border

• 71 Educational Institutes across 9 districts were built by India

• An assistance of USD 50 million is provided under India's reconstruction assistance in the education sector

• Over 3000 scholarships are provided by India to Nepalese students

• India has built nearly 270 educational campuses in Nepal since 2003

• After 2015 earthquake, India restored 30 heritage locations in Nepal

SIDBI in Partnership with ISARC Launches ARM-MSME, an Asset Restructuring Web Module for MSMES

• Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) in partnership with India SME Asset Reconstruction Company (ISARC) has launched Asset Restructuring Module for MSMEs-Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises in other words Do-It Yourself (DIY) web module.

• This web portal helps MSMSEs to get benefit of the Reserve Bank of India(RBI)'s one-time debt restructuring

• The portal is offered as part of SIDBI's developmental initiatives.

• Indian Bank has signed a MoU(Memorandum of Understanding) with SIDBI to enable MSME borrowers to use the web module.

• To enable MSMEs to prepare their restructuring proposals / financial viability assessments and submit them to the bank.

• RBI has extended the restructuring of MSME debt until March 31, 2021 from December 31, 2020.

• This is to support the MSME borrowers who are facing stress due to COVID-19 pandemic.

• ISARC, an SIDBI associate is an Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC).

• It is India's first ARC supported by a large number of public sector banks and undertakings.

About India SME Asset Reconstruction Company (ISARC):

• Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Rishi Dwivedi
• Headquarters, Mumbai, Maharashtra

Varsha Joshi Appointed as Interim Chairperson of NDDB

• The Government of India appointed Varsha Joshi, the Joint Secretary(CDD), Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, as the new interim Chairperson of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).

• Varsha Joshi succeeds Dilip Rath on the completion of his tenure as the chairman of NDDB

• About National Dairy Development Board (NDDB):

• Chairman- Varsha Joshi

• Headquarters- Anand, Gujarat