Mission Shakti launched by UP Government

• Uttar Pradesh Government launched a 6-month long women empowerment programme Mission Shakti
• The initiative was launched in order to raise awareness and tackle crime against women in the state.
• Governor Anandiben Patel launched the campaign in Lucknow while Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath started it in Balrampur.
• Six month campaign has two phases- Mission Shakti 'and' Operation Shakti.
• Mission Shakti - This is the phase one of the campaign. It feature awareness campaigns related to women's safety. Under this, awareness campaign such as gender-based sensitization, training, corporate activity, interviews, voice messages, programmes in Durga Puja and other cultural pandals will be organized. This weeklong campaign will be launched every month to raise awareness among masses and sensitize the people on the subject. Women nodal officers will be appointed by government in all the districts under the campaign. They will execute and monitor the campaign. They will also raise awareness about the help lines numbers such as 1090, 181, 1076, 108 and 102.
• Operation Shakti - This is the second phase of the campaign. Under this, the police will prepare a register of persons who have served the jail terms for crimes against women and now have come out.

India aims to achieve Trans Fat Free status by 2022

• Union Health Minister Dr Harsh informed that the aim of the government is to make India Trans Fat free by 2022.
• If this is achieved, India would be a year ahead of target as set by WHO.
• This year, India focuses on elimination of Trans Fats from the food supply chain.
• Eat Right Creativity Challenge for schools was launched. It is a poster and photography competition that aims to promote healthy dietary habits.
• 'Eat Smart City' (challenge) by FSSAI was also launched in partnership with Smart City Mission and the Food Foundation, UK. It seeks to create an
• environment of right food practices and habits in India's smart cities.

Lancet Study → Life expectancy in India increased from 59.6% to 70.8%

• The Lancet medical journal has published its new report.
• In the report, Lancet has expanded that India has gained in the life expectancy since 1990.
• Life expectancy in India has increased from 59.6 years in 1990 to 70.8 years in 2019.
• Though, there exist inequalities between several states.
• In Kerala, life expectancy increased to 77.3 years while on the in Uttar Pradesh it was reported as 66.9 years.

Culture Ministry issued guidelines for holding cultural events under 'Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana' (KSVY)

• . Ministry of Culture implemented various schemes under its Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana
• The performance with a limited audience has been allowed, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. These performances would be held virtually.
• Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana - Under the Kala Sanskriti Yojana, all the major schemes of the ministry of culture were consolidated. The schemes include various other organizations and schemes missions, autonomous organizations, schemes and grantee institutions of the culture ministry.
• Missions - Four missions to the scheme include- Gandhi Heritage Sites Mission (GHS), National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA), National Mission on Libraries (NML) and National Mission on Manuscripts (NMM).

14th session Food and Agri Week 2020

• The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Food Processing Industries, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj virtually inaugurated the 14th session of the India - International Food & Agri Week 2020
• Indian food processing sector is 32% of India's food market. So, the focus of this agro and food tech is to make use of technology in the field of food and agriculture sector. This would also help in increasing the income of farmers by 2022.
• "Anna Devo Bhava" Campaign - This awareness campaign has been started by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI) to mark the Food and Agri Week. Such campaigns are required to raise the awareness about the value of food and to reduce food wastage.

Global Tuberculosis Report 2020 by WHO

• WHO has recently released the Global Tuberculosis Report, 2020.
• The report highlights the impact of COVID-19 on Tuberculosis related deaths. It says that COVID-19 might increase the TB deaths by 0.2 to 0.4 million worldwide.
• As per the report, India registered a decline in tuberculosis cases by 85% in April 2020 after the lockdown was imposed.
• However, the number of TB deaths could be between 2,00,000 and 4,00,000.
• Philippines, Indonesia and South Africa accounted for 44% of global TB cases in the world.

Ministers of Justice Summit of SCO

• The Seventh Meeting of Ministers of Justice of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States was hosted.
• It was hosted by Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Law & Justice. Communication and Electronics & Information Technology
• The minister highlighted the initiatives taken by the Indian Government under the leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for providing affordable and easy access to justice for all
• Initiatives that India took
• Pro Bono Legal Services - This was launched in order to provide free legal aid to marginalized sections of the society,
• Tele-Law services initiated - This initiative was launched in 2017. Under this initiative legal aid is provided to the poor people through video conference. Over 3 lakh 44 thousand free legal consultation have been given to poor people through video conference so far.
• E-Courts project and Virtual Courts - Under this, During COVID 19 pandemic, over 25 Lakh hearings took place through video conference at various courts of India. The supreme court alone disposed off nine thousand virtual hearings
• About SCO
• HQ - Beijing
• Membership - 8 (China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan
• Overserves - 4 (Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey)
• Secretary General - Vladimir Norov

Nirmala Sitharaman virtually expected in 102nd meeting of the WB Development Committee Plenary

• Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the 102nd Meeting of the World Bank (WB) Development Committee Plenary through video conferencing from New Delhi.
• WB Group has committed $ 45 billion for COVID-19 response in Q4 of FY 2020.
• About World Bank
• President - David Robert Malpass
• HQ - Washington, D.C., USA
• MD & CFO-Anshula Kant

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty → October 17, 2020

• The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is observed on October 17 every year by the united nations,
• This year, the day is being observed under the Theme "Acting together to achieve social and environmental justice for all".
• The history of International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (DEP) dates back to 1987. The day started being observed after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed at the Trocadero in Paris in 1948.
• This was signed to honor the victims of extreme poverty, violence, and hunger.
• The day got inspiration from the Call to Action by Father Joseph Wresinski.
• Joseph Wresinski was born to immigrant parents in a poor neighbor of
• France. He grew under the chronic poverty. He urged the UN to declare the
• He also founded the International Movement ATD Fourth World.