Swachh Bharat Awards 2020

• The Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat presented the Swachh Bharat Awards, 2020.
• The awards were presented under the cleanliness and drinking water categories.
• The key three categories of the awards were: Swachh Sundar Samudayik Shauchalaya, Gandagi Mukt Bharat and Samudayik Shauchalaya Abhiyan. The awardees are:
• Swachh Sundar Samudayik Shauchalaya
• Gujarat won the first prize at state level.
• Tirunelveli of Tamil Nadu got the first prize at district level.
• Khachrod block in Ujjain district, Madhya Pradesh won the first prize at block level.
• Chinnanur village of Tamil Nadu got the first prize a Gram Panchayat level
• Gandagi Mukt Bharat Mission - Telangana and Haryana got the first prize.
• Samudayik Shauchalaya category
•  Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh came out to be best performing states.
• Prayagraj and Bareilly were the best performing districts.

100-Day Campaign - Launched to Provide Piped Water in Schools.

• The Union Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh has launched the 100-days campaign.
• The campaign seeks to provide piped water supply to schools and Anganwadi centers.
• Under the campaign, the States and Union Territories will ensure that Gram Sabha are convened at the earliest in order to pass the resolution to provide safe water in schools and Anganwadi centers.
• Earlier, PM Modi released "Margdarshika" - which are operational guidelines for Jal Jeevan Mission, for Gram Panchayats and Paani Samitis to implement Jal Jeevan Mission

"Yudh Pradushan Ke Virudh", Mega Anti Pollution Campaign

• Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi CM, launched a mega anti pollution campaign, "Yudh Pradushan Ke Virudh"   to reduce pollution levels in Delhi. As part of this campaign Delhi government to use a technology developed by Pusa Agriculture Institute in order control the threat of stubble burning.
• 'Green Delhi App' to launch - CM announced that 'Green Delhi App', a photo-based complaint lodging app will be launched shortly to take action against specific pollution activities reported by Delhi citizens.

NSS report → "Time use in India 2019"

• NSS report - Time Use Survey, which was a first of its kind, was recently conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MOSPI).
• The survey was conducted between January 2019 and December 2019.
• 1.39 lakh persons comprising 4.47 lakh persons over the age of six were listed.

About the report

• The primary objective of the survey is to measure the participation of men and women in paid and unpaid activities.
• It provides information on time spent in unpaid caregiving activities, volunteer work. unpaid domestic service-producing activities of the household members.
• Survey also highlights the information on time spent on learning, socializing, leisure activities and self care activities by the houses.

NSS report → "Time use in India 2019"

• Main findings of the report
• 38.2% of the population participates in "employment and other related activities. They spend 429 minutes or 7 hours and 9 minute each day:
• Gender disparity - Only 18.4% women participate in employment activities when compared with 57.3% men.
• Men spend on an average 459 minutes or 7 hours and 39 minutes while women spend only 333 minutes or 5 hours and 33 minutes.
• Unpaid domestic work - Women's participation in unpaid domestic services such as cooking, cleaning. household management, for household members is 81.2% Bach day as compare to 26.1% for men. Worrier spend 299 minutes that is almost 5 hours on unpaid domestic services which is thrice as much as men 97 minutes or 1 hour 37 minutes.
• Care-giving activities - Only 14 per cent of men participate in unpaid caregiving services for household members by spending 76 minutes a day on an average. While share of women is double at 27.6% and they also spend more than 120 minutes in such care giving
• As per the survey, Indians do not like to be unpaid volunteers or trainees or to take part in community of organization-based unpaid volunteering. Only. 24% of the respondents volunteer for such work participation in socializing and communication through chatting, conversation and community participation in gatherings and religious participation is high at 91.3% spending around 143 minutes each day on an average.
• Participation in culture, leisure, mass-media and sports practices through reading, and watching television is high at 86.9% spending 165 minutes per day on an average.

Indian Army built a memorial for soldiers martyred in galwan clash

• The Indian Army has built up a memorial in the honor of twenty soldiers who lost their lives in the Galwan Clash between Indian Army and Chinese Army in June 2020 in the Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldi road.
• The memorial contains the names of the soldiers and they have been mentioned as "Gallants of Galwan".
• The India Army completed the mission under the "Operation Snow Leopard".

DRDO successfully flight tested the Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART)

• DRDO has successfully flight-tested the Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART)
• The flight was successfully tested from the Wheeler Island from the coast of Odisha.
• About SMART
• Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedo is a lightweight Anti-Submarine Torpedo System. It has been launched for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations for far beyond torpedo range. It is the fastest Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) missile in the world. It has been developed by Defense Research and Development Organis (DS laboratories including RCI Hyderabad, DRDO, NSTL Vishakhapatnam, ADRDE Agra. The Missile has a range of 650km.

About DRDO

• HQ - New Delhi, Chief - Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy

PM Modi addressed International Webinar on Textile Traditions

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the first of its kind International Webinar on Textile Traditions organized by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Uttar Pradesh Institute of Design (UPID).
• The theme of the International Webinar was "Weaving Relations: Textile Traditions".
• About Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)
• President - Vinay Sahasrabuddhe
• HQ New Delhi

Iqbal Singh Chahal → First Indian Bureaucrat to be honored with "COVID Crusader Award-2020"

• Iqbal Singh Chahal (I.S. Chahal), Municipal Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), Maharashtra was honored with "Covid Crusader Award-2020", instituted by Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC), apex bilateral chamber a collaboration of India US Economic Engagement and the US Consulate in Mumbai.
• He became the first Indian Bureaucrat to be recognized with this global recognition.
• Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Governor of Maharashtra presented the award over a virtual ceremony.
• He received the award under the Indian Bureaucrats category for his contribution towards controlling the spread of COVID-19 in Mumbai, Maharashtra and his efforts to "flatten the curve" in Mumbai including Dharavi, Asia's biggest slum.

Well-known Chilli of Sikkim "Dalle Khursani" has earned GI Tag

• On the basis of an application filed by the North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited (NERAMAC) on behalf of Sikkim, the red cherry pepper chilli of Sikkim, "Dalle Khursani" earned the geographical indication (GI) tag from the Union Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade(DPIIT).
• It is considered as one of the hottest chilli in the world with medicinal values grown in Sikkim and regions of Darjeeling, Dalle Khursani belongs to the Capsicum family and is known to be amongst the most extreme in terms of heat.

Reliance developed R-Green kit Will provide COVID results in 2 hours

• Reliance Life Sciences has developed an real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) kit.
• It claims to diagnose COVID-19 infection in about 2 hours.
• Presently, the COVID-19 RT-PCR test takes up to 24 hours to give a diagnosis.
• The kit has been developed by Computational Biologists at Reliance Life Sciences a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd.

Madhabi Puri Buch, first women Whole-Time Member of SEBI gets a Year Extension

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by PM Narendra Modi has approved the term extension of appointment of Madhabi Puri Buch, Whole-Time Member, SEBI for one year effective from October 4, 2020 or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
• She is the first & only woman WTM and also the first from the private sector to be appointed a SEBI Board member.

About SEBI

• Chairman - Ajay Tyagi, HQ - Mumbai

Wildlife Week 2020 →October 1st - 8th

• Wildlife Week is annually celebrated across India between 1st and 8th October with an aim to protect and preserve the flora and fauna of India.
• The first Wildlife Week was observed in 1957.
• The Wildlife Week 2020 is celebrated from 2nd October to 8th October 2020.
• Wildlife Week 2020 marks the 66th Wildlife Week which is celebrated under the theme "RoaR (Roar and Revive) - Exploring Human-Animal Relationships."
• The Indian Board of Wildlife was constituted and the idea of   Wildlife Week was conceptualized in 1952 to raise the awareness about the long term goals of protecting the wildlife of India.
• Initially in 1955 the Wildlife day was celebrated which was later upgraded as the Wildlife Week in 1957.
• Prani Mitra Awards: To encourage the zoo officers and staff who are working on the captive animal management, the Central Zoo Authority has instituted the Prani Mitra Awards.
• The awards were presented to the winners of the 4 categories: Outstanding Director /Curator, Outstanding Veterinarian, Outstanding Biologist/Educationist and Outstanding Animal keeper, over the virtual ceremony chaired by Prakash Keshav Javadekar, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the presence of other officers of the ministry.

World Space Week October 4th - 10th

• The largest annual space event in the world i.e. World Space Week (WSW) is celebrated annually from October 4-10 at the international level under the UN ambit to celebrate the contributions of space science and technology to the betterment of the human condition.
• The WSW 2020 is being celebrated on the theme of "Satellites Improve Life" and in WSW 2021 theme will be "Women in Space".
• This year's theme shows the importance of satellites in daily life such as communications, environmental monitoring, transportation, weather forecasting, telemedicine, science, and in many other ways.
• The CEO of SES, a satellite and terrestrial telecommunications network provider located in Luxembourg, Steve Collar is the Honorary Chair of WSW 2020.

World Animal Day 2020 → October 4

• World Animal Day is annually observed on the 4 "October to enhance the status of animals to improve the welfare standards of animals around the world and celebrate the relationship of animals and human beings
• The day aims to create awareness about the major role of the animals in protecting the environment and the wellbeing of humans.
• Heinrich Zimmermann, a German Editor, Writer and animal protection activist organized the first World Animal Day on 24th March 1925 at the Sport Palace in Berlin, Germany with an aim to improve the welfare of animals and later from 1929, the day is being celebrated on 4th October aligned with feast of St Francis of Assisi.

Report of CZA-TERI

• Prakash Javadekar (Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) has launched a report of the Central Zoo Authority and the Energy and Resources Industries (CZA-TERI) titled "Economic valuation of ecosystem services, National Zoological Park, New Delhi" a first of its kind report on the importance of the zoos to the wellbeing of humans.
• The repart estimates the total annual economic value of the ecosystem services to be around Rs 422.76 crore (2019-20) and the value of one-time cost of service like carbon storage and land value is estimated to be around Rs 55,000 crore.

World Teachers' Day 2020 → October 5

• World Teachers' Day. Also known as International Teachers Day is observed annually on October 5 to celebrate the teaching profession around the world and also to provide an opportunity to consider issues related to teachers and teaching.
• The day commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO / UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers in a conference summoned by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in Paris.

About UNESCO

• HQ - Paris
• Director-General - Audrey Azoulay

About ILO

• HQ - Geneva. Switzerland
• Director-General - Guy Ryder Member States - 187 including India

World Habitat Day October 5

• The United Nations World Habitat Day was observed on 5 October.
• It is celebrated annually on first Monday of October
• The World Habitat Day is observed to reflect on the state of human settlements and to emphasize the basic night of adequate shelter to all.
• The Theory of World Habitat Day 2020 is "Housing for All - A Better Urban Future". The Global Observation of the Day will be hosted by the city of Surabaya, Indonesia.
• It was first observed in 1986.