1) World Tourism Day: 27 September
•World Tourism Day is observed globally on 27th September every year. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness on the role of tourism within the international community and to demonstrate how it affects social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide. This date was chosen by the United Nations World Tourism Organization as on that day in 1970, the Statutes of the UNWTO were adopted.
•The 2020 edition of World Tourism Day, with the theme of “Tourism and Rural Development”, will celebrate the unique role that tourism plays in providing opportunities outside of big cities and preserving cultural and natural heritage all around the world.
2) World Rabies Day: 28 September
•World Rabies Day is observed globally on 28th September every year. This day is celebrated to raise awareness about the impact of rabies on humans and animals, provide information and advice on how to prevent the disease and take efforts to control rabies. The theme for the 14th WRD in 2020 is ‘End Rabies: Collaborate, Vaccinate’. This year’s theme focuses on vaccination and collaboration.
•The day also marks the death anniversary of the French chemist and microbiologist, Louis Pasteur’, who developed the first rabies vaccine.
3) International Day for Universal Access to Information
•The International Day for the Universal Access to Information (commonly known as Access to Information Day) is observed globally on 28th September every year. Universal access to information means that everyone has the right to seek, receive and impart information for healthy and inclusive knowledge societies.
•IDUAI 2020 will be focus on to the right to information in times of crisis and on the advantages of having constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to information to save lives, build trust and help the formulation of sustainable policies through and beyond the COVID-19 crisis.
•The theme for International Day for the Universal Access to Information 2020: Access to Information – Saving lives, Building Trust, Bringing Hope!
4) Union Home Minister inaugurates “Destination North East-2020” Festival
•Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah has inaugurated the “Destination North East-2020” festival. The festival will be held with the theme of “The Emerging Delightful Destinations” which speaks of the tourism destinations emerging stronger and more attractive when the Sector picks up momentum.
•The “Destination North East-2020” festival aims to introduce various cultures of the country to each other along with the tourist destinations of the North East and through this the whole of India will also get familiar with the vibrant and diverse culture of the North East. The four-day programme will feature Audio Visual presentation of the tourist spots of the states and the region, messages from state icons and achievers, introduction to prominent local entrepreneurs and virtual exhibition of handicraft/ traditional fashion/ & local products.
5) India & Denmark signs MoU on Intellectual Property cooperation
•India has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Denmark in the field of Intellectual Property (IP) Cooperation. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) signed the MoU with the Danish Patent and Trademark Office, Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs, Kingdom of Denmark. The MoU aims to increase IP cooperation between the two countries by way of exchange of best practices, experiences and knowledge on IP awareness among authorities.
•Both the countries will draw up Biennial Work Plan to implement the MoU which will include the detailed planning for carrying out of the co-operation activities, including the scope of action. The MoU will go a long way in fostering the cooperation between India and Denmark, and provide opportunities to both countries to learn from the experience of each other, especially in terms of best practices followed in the other country.
6) IRDAI identifies LIC, GIC, New India Assurance as D-SIIs
•The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has identified Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC) and New India Assurance as domestic systemically important insurers (D-SIIs). IRDAI has also subsequently decided to subject the three insurers to enhanced regulatory supervision.
•The Insurance Regulator and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) announced that the three insurers have also been asked to raise the level of corporate governance, identify all relevant risks and promote a sound risk management culture. D-SIIs refer to insurers of such size, market importance and domestic and global inter-connectedness whose distress or failure would cause a significant dislocation in the domestic financial system. D-SIIs are perceived as insurers that are ‘too big or too important to fail’ (TBTF).
7) Lebanon’s PM designate Mustapha Adib steps down
•The Prime Minister-designate of Lebanon, Mustapha Adib has announced his resignation following his failure to form a new cabinet. Mustapha Adib, Lebanon’s former ambassador to Germany, was selected for the post on 31 August 2020. The previous government led by Hassan Diab resigned following the Beirut port blast on August 4 that killed some 200 people and left thousands homeless.
8) India-Japan biennial naval exercise JIMEX-20 begins
•The fourth edition of biennial Japan-India Maritime bilateral Exercise (JIMEX) kicked off in the northern Arabia Sea. It is being conducted in a ‘non-contact at-sea-only format’, in view of COVID-19 restrictions. From India, the warships Chennai, Teg, Tarkash and fleet tanker Deepak will represent the Indian Navy, while Japanese warships Kaga and Ikazuchi will represent Japan in the drill.
9) NCAER predicts India GDP for FY21 at -12.6%
•The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has projected the GDP growth for the Indian economy at -12.6% For 2020-21 (FY21) with the remaining three quarters expected to witness a fall. For 2021-22, NCAER projects the GDP of India to grow by 7%.
10) RBI to launch “Positive Pay System” for Cheque Truncation System
•The Reserve Bank of India has announced that it will launch “Positive Pay System” for Cheque Truncation System from 01st January, 2021. The “Positive Pay System” will be developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and make it available to participant banks. Banks will be required to enable the system for all account holders issuing cheques for amounts of Rs 50,000 and above. While availing of this facility is at the discretion of the account holder, banks may consider making it mandatory in case of cheques for amounts of Rs 5,00,000 and above.
•The RBI had announced the Positive Pay mechanism in order to prevent frauds with high value cheques. Under this mechanism, cheques will be processed for payment by the drawee bank based on information passed on by its customer at the time of issuance of cheque. Banks are advised to create adequate awareness among their customers on features of Positive Pay System through SMS alerts, display in branches, ATMs as well as through their web-site and internet banking.
11) Neetu David becomes new head of India women’s selection committee
•The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed Neetu David, one of finest woman cricketers of India in the late ’90s and early 2000, as the Chairman of the 5 member women’s national selection panel. The other member of the newly-elected panel includes Mithu Mukherjee, Renu Margrate, Arati Vaidya and V Kalpana.
•The Neetu David-led panel has been appointed for a period of four years. It replaces the previous panel, led by Hemlata Kala, whose term ended in March 2020. The first assignment of the David-led panel will be to pick three teams for the Women’s T20 Challenge, to held in UAE in November 2020 alongside the IPL play-offs.
12) Valtteri Bottas wins Russian Grand Prix 2020
•Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-Finland) has won the Formula One Russian Grand Prix 2020 held at Sochi Autodrom, Russia. This is his second win of the season. Max Verstappen (Red Bull–Netherlands) came second followed by the 6-time world-champion Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain), who stood third because of penalties.
