SERB-POWER initiative

• Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, launched a scheme called "SERB-POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Women in Exploratory Research)".
• The initiative is exclusively meant for women scientists on an e-platform.
• The scheme has been launched by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB).
• It has been launched to mitigate gender disparity in science and engineering research with in the S&T programs.
• The scheme has two components → SERB-POWER fellowship and SERB-POWER research grants.

SERB-POWER Fellowship - The scheme targets the women researchers in age group of 35-55 years. The scheme provides for a fellowship of Rs 15,000 / - per month part from regular income, Research grant of Rs 10 lakh annually and Overhead of Rs 90,000 on annual basis. The duration of

• the fellowship would be of 3 years.
• SERB - POWER Research Grants
• These POWER Grants seeks to empower women researchers by funding them under two categories.
• Under Level I category, scale of funding is up to 60 lakhs for three years while under Level II category, scale of funding is up to 30 lakhs for three years.
• The POWER Grant will be regulated through Science and Engineering Research Board-Core Research Grant (SERB-CRG) guidelines.

Indian Navy fired anti-ship missile from guided missile corvette INS Kora

• Indian Navy test fired the Anti-Ship Missile (AShM) from INS Kora in Bay of Bengal.
• The missile was test-fired in the Bay of Bengal
• INS Kora - It was commissioned to Indian Navy in 1998. The corvette was designed by the Indian Navy under Project 25A. It is equipped with Kh-35 anti-ship missiles. There are three warships of Kora-class- INS Kulish, INS Kirch and INS Karmuk.

Some of the important Anti-Ship Missiles of India

• Brahmos Hypersonic Cruise Missile
• Brahmos Supersonic Cruise Missile
• Klub Anti-Ship.
• Exocet missile
• sea eagle missile
• Exocet Missiles
• About Indian Navy
• HQ - New Delhi
• Western Naval Command)

Commands - 3 (Eastern Naval Command, Southern Naval Command,

• Command HQ - Vizag (Eastern), Kochi (Southern), Mumbai(Western)
• Chief - Admiral Karambir Singh
• Navy Day - 4th Dec

World's First Scientoon Book "Bye Bye Corona" on COVID-19

• Anandiben Patel, Governor of Uttar Pradesh released the world's first scientoon book titled "Bye Bye Corona". The book was authored by Dr. Pradeep Kumar Srivastava, Scientoonist and former Senior Principal Scientist at CSIR-CDRI (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - Central Drug Research Institute) and published by Vigyan Prasar, an autonomous agency under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India .
• Along with Dr Pradeep Srivastava, 7 student scientoonist (Lakiesha Inacia Coehlho E Costa, Da Costa Maria Scimran Blossom, Priyanka Shanke, Samaradini Paigankar, Selcea Savia Da Costa, Bhomkar Shreesiddhi Vinod and Prathamesh P Shetgaonkar) from Parvati Bai Chowgule College, Madgaon, Goa and Vishal Mulia, a school teacher in Gujarat contributed to the book.
• Following the launch of the book in India it will also be released in Brazil under Brazil-India Network Program and will possibly be written into Portuguese.

Venkaiah Naidu, VP of India → Launched Virtual Festival of 'Parampara Series 2020-National Festival of Music and Dance '

• M Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India launched the virtual festival of 'Parampara Series 2020-National Festival of Music and Dance'.
• The Parampara Series 2020 is organized by Natya Tarangini in partnership with the United Nations.
• This has been organized to coincide with the World Day for Audio-Visual Heritage 2020 on October 27.
• For the 24th year the Natya Tarangini has organized the Parampara Series.

Kabartal Wetland of Bihar designated as Ramsar Site

• Ramsar Convention declared Kabartal Wetland also known as Kanwar Jheel in Begusarai, Bihar as a site of international importance. Kabartal Wetland has been included in the 'List of Wetlands of International Importance
• After designating Asan Conservation Reserve (ACR), Dehradun, Uttarakhand and Kabartal Wetland, Begusarai, Bihar, as Ramsar sites, the total number of Ramsar Sites in India is 39, the highest in South Asia.
• It supports about 165 plant species, 394 animal species, including 221 bird species and around 50 fish species
• A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. The Convention on Wetlands, known as the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental environmental treaty established in 1971 by UNESCO, which came into force in 1975. It provides for national action and international cooperation regarding the conservation of wetlands, and wise sustainable use of their resources . Ramsar identifies wetlands of international importance, especially those providing waterfowl habitat.
• The first Ramsar site of the world was the Cobourg Peninsula in Australia, designated in 1974.
• The first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention was Chilika Lake, designated in 1981
• About Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
• Secretariat - Gland, Switzerland
• Secretary General - Martha Rojas Urrego

8th India-Mexico Joint Commission Meeting

• India- Mexico held their 8th Joint Commission Meeting.
• The Meeting was co-chaired by Dr. S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of Republic of India (EAM) and H. E. Marcelo Ebrard, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Mexican States.

About mexico

• Capital - Mexico City
• President - Andrés Manuel López Obrador
• Currency - Peso

Doing Business in India Report, 2020 released by UKIBC

• The "Doing Business in India Report, 2020" was released by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC).
• As per the report, the businesses in UK have found the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Mission as an opportunity to do more business in India.
• This is the sixth edition of report being published since 2015.
• The report has been prepared on the basis of an in-depth survey of 106 UK firms belonging to services, manufacturing and Higher Education sector that are operating in India The report highlights that 66% of the surveyed organizations believed that the ease of doing business in India is increasing. The environment has changed mainly because of progressive reforms and improvements in the business environment of India. The changes were observed in the availability of support, skilled labor, service providers and supply chain
• India's score of doing business has improved to 22.9 in 2020 from 2.74 in 2019.
• Maharashtra has emerged as the state with maximum incremental improvement for the third consecutive year. Maharashtra is followed by Karnataka, Delhi, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) → October 31, 2020

• Rashtriya Ekta Diwas or National Unity Day is observed annually on October 31 to mark the Birth Anniversary of Iron Man of India-Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The year 2020 marks the 145th Birth Anniversary of Vallabhai Patel.
• National Unity Day was introduced by the Government of India in 2014.
• Sardar Patel - Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played an important role in integration of India from 560 princely states as the First Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of Independent India. The day is being observed to acknowledge the efforts of Patel to unite India.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Statue of Unity in Gujarat's Kevadia and paid his respect to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
• He inaugurated India's first seaplane service, which will offer air connectivity from Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad to Statue of Unity in Kevadia, Gujarat. It will be operated by Spicejet.
• PM Modi virtually addressed 428 trainee officers from various civil services who are undergoing the 95th foundation course at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand.
• National Security Guard Commands, National Disaster Response Force, Gujarat Police Cadre Extended in the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas Parade in Kevadia, Gujarat on the National Unity Day.

PM Modi inaugurates "Arogya Van' at Kevadia, Gujarat

• Prime Minister Modi inaugurated "Arogya Van" in Kevadia, Gujarat
• The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Sardar Patel Zoological Park which is popularly known as the "Jungle Safari" in Kevadia. Apart from that, he also inaugurated "Ekta Mall" which is a nutrition park for children in Kevadia.
• The van is spread over 17 acres and has more than 380 selected species. It comprise of an aroma garden, a lotus pond, yoga and meditation garden. It also have a digital information centre, indoor plant selection and a cafeteria that serves Ayurvedic foods. Apart from that, the van comprise of hundreds of medicinal plants. The van also provide the information of usage and importance of the medicinal plants.

Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) → October 31, 2020

• The PM administered the Ekta Pledge and witnessed the Ekta Diwas Parade on the occasion of the day.
• PM expressed happiness over Valmiki Jayanti coinciding with Ekta Diwas.
• On Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, a special program was organized at Sardar Patel Chowk in New Delhi. President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Anil Baijal paid floral tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
• PM Modi is also inaugurated a cruise service near the Statue of Unity. The cruise will cover 6 kilometres in 40 minutes.
• Sardar Patel was screened by Films Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India on Films Division website and YouTube channel.
• Indira Gandhi's Death Anniversary
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 36th Death Anniversary.
• Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her bodyguards on October 31, 1984.

World Cities Day 2020 → October 31, 2020

• UN World Cities Day 2020 is observed annually on October 31, 2020. The day is observed to promote global urbanization, address challenges of urbanization and contribute to sustainable urban development around the world. This is the Seventh Global Celebration of World Cities Day, since it was launched in 2014.
• The Theme of World Cities Day 2020 is 'Valuing our communities and cities', while the general theme is "Better City, Better Life".
• On the occasion of World Cities Day 2020, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Cities Platform is organized a virtual 'Urban Dialogue'

World Cities Day 2020 → October 31, 2020

• By 2050, nearly 7 out of 10 people in the world will live in cities.
• By 2035, the World's Most Populous City will be Jakarta (Indonesia), pushing the current holder of that title, Tokyo (Japan) to Second Place. They will be followed by Chongqing (China), Dhaka (Bangladesh) and Shanghai (China).
• Cities will be responsible for as much as 70% of Global CO2 (Carbon dioxide) emissions. With urban transport, and energy consumption of buildings being most to the emissions.
• About United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat)
• Executive Director - Maimunah Mohd Sharif.
• HQ - Nairobi, Kenya.