Indian Navy Helicopters undertook aerial seeding Initiative

• The Indian Navy partnered with Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation for the Aerial Seeding Initiative at Visakhapatnam.
• This initiative aims to enhance the green cover in and around Visakhapatnam.
• Two UH3H helicopters with 2 tons of seed balls undertook the aerial seeding.

Alpha Design Technology Limited to upgrade Pechora surface

• Indian Private Firm Alpha Design Technology Limited (ADTL) bagged INR 591 crore contract for upgrading and digitizing 16 Soviet Era Pechora missile and radar systems.
• ADTL has partnered with Russian entities for the project which will be executed in four years.
• It will be a major boost to indigenous defense manufacturing.

NDDB + Ladakh UT signed MoU to Conduct Survey for Promotion of Dairying

• National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and Union Territory of Ladakh signed an MoU to conduct a survey for promotion of dairying and rural livelihood in the region.
• The survey will collect required details to prepare a roadmap for development & promotion of dairying in Ladakh.
• The Roadmap will serve as a guide for enhancement of income of the rural population in the mountainous border areas.
• NDDB has proposed to list all those present in identified villages irrespective of their dairy animal holding status.

ICG Offshore Patrol Vessel Vigraha launched to enhance coastal security

• The Seventh Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) "Vigraha 'of Indian Coast Guard was launched at Kattupalli Port, Chennai. The vessel has been built by Larsen & Toubro (L&T).
• This is the first time that a private sector shipyard has designed & constructed an offshore patrol vessel class ship.
• "Vigraha 'is the last in the series of Seven OPVs contracted to Larsen & Toubro by the Defense Ministry in 2015.
• It will be inducted into ICG after the completion of trials and testing by March 2021.

ISLRTC + NCERT signed MoU to Make Educational Materials Accessible for Deaf Children

• Indian Sign Language Research and Training Center (ISLRTC) and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) signed an Mou to convert the NCERT educational materials into Indian Sign Language (ISL).
• This Mou is based on the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) 's initiative "Accessible Digital Textbooks for All" and its decisions.
• About Indian Sign Language Research and Training Center (ISLRTC)
• Chairperson & Director - Prabodh Seth
• HQ - New Delhi
• About National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)
• Director - Hrushikesh Senapathy HQ - New Delhi

IFFCO + Prasar Bharati signed MoU to broadcast Agri technology for growth of agriculture

• Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) and Prasar Bharati inked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to broadcast and promote new agricultural technology and innovations during a program organized in Prithvi Bhavan, New Delhi.
• As a part of MoU, DD (Doordarshan) Kisan will broadcast various innovative techniques adopted in the agricultural field in easy language through a 30 minutes program series of approximate 25 episodes.

About IFFCO

• MD & CEO -Dr Udai Shanker Awasthi,
• HQ - New Delhi
• About Prasar Bharati
• HQ -New Delhi
• CEO- Shashi Shekhar Vempati,

FLO + NSDC signed MoU to Empower Women Through Skill Training

• The Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Ladies Organization (FLO), the women's wing of FICCI and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under the 3C initiative of FLO to empower women with employability through skill training and to promote women entrepreneurship.
• The 3C Initiative of FLO aims to build the Competency, Capacity and Confidence of women through transformational life skills and Technical Education Adopt ITI Program(AITIP) which will empower women with tools and knowledge to become economically independent.

Government of India appoints Dinesh Kumar Khara as the Chairman of SBI

• Gol has appointed Dinesh Kumar Khara, the current Managing Director of State Bank of India as the new Chairman of SBI for a period of three years. Dinesh Kumar Khara succeeds Rajnish Kumar as the new Chairman
• The appointment of Dinesh Kumar was recommended by the Bank Board Bureau.
• Dinesh Kumar Khara is a Certified Associate of Indian Institute of Bankers (CAIIB) and he joined SBI as a probation officer in 1984.

About SBI

• Chairman - Dinesh Kumar Khara
• HQ - Mumbai
• Tagline - Pure banking nothing else, With you all the way, The Nation banks on us, A Bank to the common man, The Banker to Every Indian".

Government appointed J Venkatramu as MD, CEO of India Post Payments Bank

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of J Venkatramu as MD & CEO of India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) for a period of three years,
• J Venkatramu will succeed Suresh Sethi, who served the post till March, 2020.
• Venkatramu is currently serving as Chief Digital Officer at Equitas Small Finance Bank.

About India Post Payments Bank (IPPB)

• IPPB was integrated as Payments Banking Company under Section 22 (1) of Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
• MD & CEO - J. Venkatramu
• HQ - New Delhi

Google India launched "Make Small Strong" campaign for small businesseses partnering with Zoho, Instamojo, Dunzo and Swiggy

• For support small businesses and drive demand through customer support, Google India has launched a nation-wide campaign 'Make Small Strong'
• It has entered into partnership with Zoho and Instamojo to help small and medium
• businesses to build a digital presence.
• It has also partnered with Dunzo and Swiggy to expedite small businesses' on-boarding process.
• In an effort to increase its outreach program, Google in partnership with Doordarshan will launch Namaste Digital

About Google

• HQ - California, United States
• CEO - Sundar Pichai

Google India launched "Make Small Strong" campaign for small businesseses partnering

• with Zoho, Instamojo, Dunzo and Swiggy
• Make Small Strong Campaign - This campaign enables citizens to support small businesses by buying products locally, leaving reviews and ratings and promoting their favorite retailers on social media to help create demand for these businesses. This initiative builds on the "Grow with Google Small Business Hub" effort. It is based on feedback from SMBs as part of Google-Kantar small business tracker research conducted in July
• To launch Namaste Digital in partnership with Doordarshan - In an effort to increase its outreach program. Google in partnership with Doordarshan will launch Namaste Digital. Thisserves as a mass media program to help SMBs leam about the Internet and grow their business.
• Provisions under the Partnership
• Zoha to launch a new initiative, Build your business online with Zoho.
• It will enable strall businesses to use its website Zoho Sites, Zoho Inventory and Zoho Cummerce free till March 31, 2021. rrionths is available
• Instamojo offers a free subscription for 6 months to Instamojo Premium Online Store Solution ta SME businesses till March 31, 2020 The 24x7 merchant support of Dunzo can be availed by SMBs for free with zero sign-up fees and instant registration.
• Swiggy offers a 7 days Fast track Onboarding for restaurants to come on the platform.

ADB will invest 15 million USD in Avaada Energy to expand Renewable Energy Capacity in India

• Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed an agreement to invest 15 million USD (Rs. 109.9 crore) in Avaada Energy Private Limited (AEPL) to support the company to scale the photovoltaic solar energy generation capacity in India.

About Avaada Energy Private Limited (AEPL)

• Chairman - Vineet Mittal
• Headquarters, New Delhi & Mumbai

About ADB

• President - Masatsugu Asakawa
• HQ-Manila, Philippines

RGICL + SatSure analytics crop Insurance Business Operations

• Reliance General Insurance Company Limited announced its partnership with SatSure Analytics to improve its operations of its crop insurance business and satellite based crop monitoring and predictive analytics support for risk management.
• SatSure Analytics provides agriculture data infrastructure through SPARTA, a proprietary platform and decision analytics through SAGE across agriculture, climate change and infrastructure sectors.
• RGICL partners with SatSure with a goal to create a successful crop insurance by investing in technology and innovations.

ICICI Bank + Visa Partnered to launch the first of its kind Debit Card Facility for Availing LAS

• ICICI Bank in partnership with Visa introduced a debit card facility who avail loan Against Securities from the bank.
• With this introduction, ICICI bank becomes the first bank in India to launch this facility after the RBI allowed banks to issue e-cards to customers availing an Overdraft facility, that are only in the nature of personal loan
• New customer who avail LAS will be issued a debit card
• Rs 3 lakh is the maximum daily transaction limit for each POS and online transactions.

Najeeb Tarakai, Afghanistan Cricketer passed away at 29

• Najeeb Tarakai, Afghanistan cricketer passed away due to a road accident in Afghanistan.
• Najeeb Tarakai made his international debut at the 2014 T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.

World Cotton Day → October 7, 2020

• The World Cotton Day is held annually on October 7 since 2019 to recognize the importance of cotton as a global commodity grown in over 75 countries across five continents and to highlight its central role in job creation and involving economic stability in several least-developed countries.
• The year 2020 marks its first anniversary.
• The Cotton-4 group (Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali) initiated the cotton sectoral initiative at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to improve the global trade rules related to cotton.