30th India Thailand Coordinated Patrol Held in Andaman Sea

• The 30th edition of India Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) between the Indian Navy and the Royal Thai Navy was conducted in Andaman Sea close to the strategic Strait of Malacca.

• The Indian side was represented by Indian Naval Ship (INS) Karmuk

About CORPAT:

• Since 2005, both nations have been carrying out CORPAT along their International Maritime Boundary Line twice a year to boost maritime links.

• It's aim is to keep Indian Ocean safe and secure for commercial shipping and international trade.

L&T Construction bags order to build 87.56 kms of India's first Bullet Train Project

• The Transportation Infrastructure business of L&T (Larsen & Toubro) Construction, the construction arm of L&T secured the contract to build 87.569 Kms of India's first high-speed rail corridor or Bullet Train Project - 'Mumbai- Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) from the National High-Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL).

• The project is valued more than INR 7, 000 Crores.

• The MAHSR is 508 kms long and will cover 155.76 kms in Maharashtra, 4.3 kms in the Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and 348.04 Kms in Gujarat.

• The High-Speed Rail will operate at a speed of 320 Kmph and will cover the 508 kms in 2 hours with limited stops and 3 hours with all stops.

• The project is funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and is expected to be completed by 2023

ADB Approved a $50 Million Policy-Based Loan to Help Boost West Bengal's Digital Platforms for Public Finance Reforms

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $50 million policy-based loan to help boost West Bengal's Digital Platforms for Public Finance Reforms

• The loan helps to boost the management of social protection benefits like pensions and Provident Funds(PFs), facility of e-payment for tax payment and revenue collection, and information management and service delivery, among others.

MOPNG Signed MoUs for 900 CBG plants worth Rs 30,000cr with 8 Oil & Gas Companies & Technology Providers under SATAT Initiative

• Union Minister Dharmendra Debendra Pradhan, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) signed Memoranda of Understandings (MoUs) with 8 leading oil & gas marketing companies & technology providers to set up 900 Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) plants with an outlay of Rs 30,000 Cr across India under the Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiative.

• The MoUs were inked with 4 Companies viz. JBM Group, Adani Gas, Torrent Gas and Petronet LNG for setting up of Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) plants, and with 4 technology providers in CBG sectors- IndianOil, Praj Industries, CEID Consultants & Bharat Biogas Energy for facilitating availability of technology for the projects.

• Notably, in September 2020, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) included CBG in priority sector lending framework

What is Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiative?

• Launched in October 2018 by the Government of India (Gol), it envisages setting up of 5000 CBG plants by FY 2023-24 with production target of 15 MMT with an approximate investment of Rs 2 lakh crores. Its focus is to boost production and availability of CBG as an alternative and affordable clean fuel for the transportation sector.

• SATAT Initiative has also set a target to establish 250 CBG plants by 2020 & establish 1,000 CBG plants by 2022 during its launch

What is Compressed Biogas (CBG?

• CBG is purified and compressed biogas, which is produced through a process of anaerobic decomposition from various forest waste, Agri-waste, animal husbandry waste and marine waste like cattle dung, sugarcane press mud & spent wash of distilleries, sewage water, municipal solid waste (MSW), biodegradable fractions of industrial waste etc.

• The Govt of india has set a goal for reduction of import of crude oil dependence by 10% by 2021-22 and reducing the energy emissions intensity by 33%-35% by 2030 as per the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets agreed in twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties (CoP21) at Paris, France by increasing production of natural gas.

LIC launches its First Digital Application, 'ANANDA' for Agents; 1st of its kind in Indian Life Insurance Industry

• Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) launched its First Digital Application, 'ANANDA' (Atma Nirbhar Agents New Business Digital App).

• The digital tool supports the on boarding process to get Life Insurance policy with the help of the Agent / Intermediary without any paperwork. ANANDA is a first of its kind in the Indian Life Insurance industry with LIC pioneering the process through its in-house IT(Information Technology) enabled systems.

• It is built on a paperless KYC(Know Your Customer) process using the Aadhaar based e-authentication of the Life Proposed.

• With this, agents are enabled to complete the policy without the need to meet the customers in person.

• The prospective customers can avail the facility of taking a New Life Insurance Policy without having to meet the Agent / Intermediary in person.

India's GDP to Contract by 10.6% in Fiscal 2020 from Earlier -11.5%: Moody's

• The Moody's Investors Service has revised upwards the India's GDP(Gross Domestic Product) for the Fiscal 2020 (April 2020-March 2021) to -10.6%(contract by 10.6%) from -11.5% projected earlier. The upward revision is due to the latest stimulus prioritizes manufacture and job creation, and changes the focus to longer-term growth.

• It has also projected India's GDP growth for fiscal 2021-22 at 10.8%, against the previous estimate of 10.6%

• The medium term growth is expected to be around 6%.

12th Counter Terrorism Dialogue between India and the European Union held virtually

• The 12th Counter Terrorism Dialogue was held virtually between India and the European Union (EU). The Dialogue was co-chaired by Mr Mahaveer Singhvi, Joint Secretary for Counter Terrorism, Ministry of External Affairs of India and Ms Joanneke Balfoort, Director for Security Policy, European External Action Service.

About European Union (EU):

• 27 Members:

• Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain & Sweden.

• The United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union on 31 January 2020.

• European Parliament president - David-Maria Sassoli (Italy)

• Headquarters- Brussels, Belgium

GC Murmu, 14th CAG of India Elected as External Auditor of Inter Parliamentary Union

• Girish Chandra(G.C.) Murmu, 14th Comptroller and Auditor General(CAG) of India elected as the External Auditor of Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) for 3 years. He will take charge of this position from the Supreme Audit Institution of Switzerland.

• Duarte Pacheco has been elected as the 30th President of the IPU. He succeeds Ms. Gabriela Cuevas Barron. IPU, global organization of national parliaments has the status of being a permanent observer at the United Nations(UN) General Assembly International Organisation for which CAG of India has been the External Auditor :

• CAG of India has been on the UN Board of Auditors from 1993 to 1999 and 2014 to 2020.

• CAG of India also has been the External Auditor of the World Food Programme(WFP). World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA).

PM Narendra Modi holds India-Luxembourg Virtual Summit with Luxembourg PM Xavier Bettel

• Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi holds a virtual India-Luxembourg Bilateral Summit with Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister of Luxembourg for strengthening the relation between both nations in the post-COVID times. The key focus areas of the association include financial technology, green financing, space applications, digital innovations and start-ups, among others.

• Another MoU inked between State Bank of India (SBI) and Luxembourg Stock Exchange set a long-term cooperation mechanism, and promote ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) and green finance.

Govt of India, NCRTC & NDB sign Agreement for USD 500 Million for Delhi-Meerut RRTS Project

• Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, National Capital Region Transport Corporation Limited (NCRTC) and New Development Bank of BRICS Nations signed a loan agreement for lending USD 500 Million for the 'Delhi- Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System Project (RRTS) in the National Capital Region

• The loan will be used for construction of a 82.15 kms length RRTS Corridor connecting Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut.

• The Total cost of the project is USD 3,759 Million. The projects will be financed through loans of USD 2,049 Million from NDB (500 Million), Asian Development Bank (1,049 Million),Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (500 Million), Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (3 Million).

• The remaining USD 1,707 Million will be funded by the Government of India and The loan from NDB has a tenor of 25 years with an 8-year Grace period.

• The MOHUA, Government of India is the Executing Agency & NCRTC will be the Implementing Agency

• It is expected to be completed by August, 2027.

About New Development Bank (NDB):

• President - Marcos Troyjo
• Headquarters - Shanghai, China

Govt of India, Govt of Meghalaya and World Bank Signs a $120 Million Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project

• The Government of India, the Government of Meghalaya and the World Bank signed a $120-million(-INR 890 Crore) Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project(MITP) to improve and modernize the transport sector of Meghalaya

• The loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a maturity of 14 years including a grace period of 6 years

• It will support the 'Restart Meghalaya Mission of the state govt.

• About Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project(MITP):

• It will improve about 300 km of strategic road segments and bridges through innovative, climate resilient, and nature-based solutions.

• Gist about 'Restart Meghalaya Mission:

• Conrad K Sangma, Chief Minister of Meghalaya launched the Restart Meghalaya Mission worth Rs 14,515 crore on 15th August 2020, on the occasion of the 74th Independence day

• The mission aims to revive the development activities which were affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 6 projects under the mission, which includes agriculture and its allied sector promoting livelihood in rural areas were announced

About World Bank:

• HeadQuarters Washington, DC, New York
• President - David Malpass
• Founded 1944
• Member Countries- 189(including India)

Dr Adam Yao Liu Won the Exim Bank's BRICS Economic Research Award 2020 for his PhD Dissertation

• Adam Yao Liu, a political scientist trained at Stanford University, won the Export-Import Bank of India's (india Exim Bank's) BRICS Economic Research Award 2020 for his for his Ph.D. dissertation, "Building Markets within Authoritarian Institutions. The Political Economy of Banking Development in China."

• The award was announced during the 10th Annual BRICS Financial Forum over a virtual platform, organised by VEB.RF Russian National Development Corporation

• Adam Yao Liu worked as a Teaching Assistant at the Department of Political Science, Stanford University.

About BRICS Economic Research Award:

• BRICS Economic Research Award was instituted by the India Exim Bank in March 2016, during the BRICS Forum 2016 under the chairmanship of India and under India Exim Bank's Presidency of the BRICS Interbank Cooperation Mechanism, the BRICS Economic Research

• The award represents the efforts of India Exim Bank to promote research in the areas like international related financing

• The award comprises a medal, citation and a cash award of Rs 15 lakhs (around 20000 USD).

About BRICS:

• Members - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa

• Presidency 2020- Russia (India will assume the Presidency of BRICS in 2021) President- Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin(President of Russia

Scottish Writer Douglas Stuart Won Booker Prize 2020 for his debut Novel “Shuggie Bain"

• New York based Scottish writer Douglas Stuart (44 years) won the Booker Prize 2020 for his debut novel
• "Shuggie Bain" published by Grove Atlantic in the United States and Picador in the United Kingdom.

• Shuggie Bain is a story of a boy from 1980's Glasgow with a mother with alcohol addiction.

• He is the second Scottish writer to win the award after James Kelman who won the Booker Prize in 1994 for his book titled ""How Late It Was, How Late".

• The Booker prize 2019 was won jointly by Atwood for The Testaments and Evaristo for Girl, Woman, Other.

About "Shuggie bain":

• The subjects covered in Shuggie bain include poverty, alcoholism and neglect with love and compassion.

• The book portrays the life of the working class during the 1980s in Glasgow.

MP CM launches 3-year roadmap for Aatmanirbhar MP;Becomes first state to release roadmap for Self-Reliance

• Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh (MP), Shivraj Singh Chouhan virtually launched a Three-year roadmap "Aatma Nirbhar Madhya Pradesh 2023" to make MP self-reliant. MP became the first state to release a roadmap for self- reliance under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

• The roadmap focuses on Transparent governance, farm welfare, job creation and booster shots for industry and healthcare.