Nozomi Okuhara won Women's Singles title at Denmark Open

Nozomi Okuhara won Women's Singles title at Denmark Open

former World Champion Nozomi Okuhara won the Denmark Open title beating three-time world champion Carolina Marin in women's singles in two games 21-19, 21-17.

In the men's singles final, world number seven Anders Antonsen of Denmark defeated his compatriot Rasmus Gemke by 18-21, 21-19, 21-12

n the mixed doubles, fourth seeds Mark Lamsfuss and Isabel Herttrich became the first German mixed doubles players to win a Super Series event after defeating Chris and Gabby Adcock of England in the final 18-21, 21-11, 21-14.
 
In an all-Japan women's doubles final, top seeds Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota downed second seeds Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara 21-10, 16-21, 21-18.
 
Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge of England defeated Russian pair Valdimir Ivanov and Ivan Sozonov 20-22, 21-17, 21-18, becoming the first England pair to clinch the title of men's doubles in the Denmark Open for 45 years.

 

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is an international observance celebrated each year on October 17 throughout the world.

Through resolution 47/196 adopted on 22 December 1992, the General Assembly declared 17 October as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and invited all States to devote the Day to presenting and promoting, as appropriate in the national context, concrete activities with regard to the eradication of poverty and destitution.

October 17th presents an opportunity to acknowledge the effort and struggle of people living in poverty, a chance for them to make their concerns heard, and a moment to recognize that poor people are the first ones to fight against poverty.

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern's Labour Party registers landslide victory in general elections

 New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern's Labour Party registers landslide victory in general elections

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern won in New Zealand’s general elections.

With 87 per cent of the vote counted, Ardern’s Labour Party won a landslide victory with 49 per cent support, heading to its biggest share of the vote since the 1930s.

 The opposition National Party slumped to 27per cent.

Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern is a New Zealand politician who has served as the 40th prime minister of New Zealand and leader of the Labour Party since 2017.

First elected to the House of Representatives as a list MP in 2008, she has been the member of Parliament for Mount Albert since March 2017.

New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses the North Island and the South Island  and around 600 smaller islands, covering a total area of 268,021 square kilometres

Capital: Wellington
Population: 48.9 lakhs (2018) World Bank
Continent: Oceania
Currency    :New Zealand dollar

 

World Food Day

World Food Day

World Food Day is an international day celebrated every year worldwide on 16 October to commemorate the date of the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in 1945.

The day is celebrated widely by many other organizations concerned with hunger and food security, including the World Food Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

WFP received the Nobel Prize in Peace for 2020 for their efforts to combat hunger, contribute to peace in conflict areas, and for playing a leading role in stopping the use of hunger in the form of a weapon for war and conflict

World Students' Day

 World Students' Day

World Students' Day is marked on Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam's birthday, 15 October.

In 2010 the United Nations declared 15 October "World Students' Day".

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was an Indian aerospace scientist  who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007.

2020 Theme     "Learning for people, planet, prosperity, and peace"

World Standards Day

 World Standards Day

World Standards Day   is an international day celebrated internationally each year on 14 October.

The day honours the efforts of the thousands of experts who develop voluntary standards within standards development organizations such as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)  International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

The aim of World Standards Day is to raise awareness among regulators, industry and consumers as to the importance of standardization to the global economy.

14 October was specifically chosen to mark the date, in 1946, when delegates from 25 countries first gathered in London and decided to create an international organization focused on facilitating standardization

2020 Eifel Grand Prix

 2020 Eifel Grand Prix

The 2020 Eifel Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 11 October 2020 at the Nürburgring in Nürburg, Germany.

It was the first Formula One race held at the Nürburgring since 2013.

 The race was the eleventh round of the 2020 Formula One World Championship and the first running in history of the Eifel Grand Prix

The race was won by Lewis Hamilton from second on the grid.

With the win he equalled Michael Schumacher's record for most Grand Prix wins.

World Arthritis Day

World Arthritis Day (WAD) was established in 1996 by Arthritis and Rheumatism International (ARI) to raise awareness of issues affecting people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs).

 It is celebrated every year on 12th October.

the theme of the World Arthritis Day 2020 is “Time2Work”.

 

World Migratory Bird Day

 World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is an awareness-raising campaign highlighting the need for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats.

 It aims to draw attention to the threats faced by migratory birds, their ecological importance, and the need for international cooperation to conserve them.

International Migratory Bird Day is a conservation initiative that brings awareness on conserving migratory birds and their habitats throughout the Western Hemisphere.

This program is dedicated to international conservation efforts and environmental education in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Originated by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, it is now coordinated by Environment for the Americas

International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) officially takes place on the second Saturday in May in the U.S. and Canada and on the second Saturday of October in Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean each year.

Recognizing that this date does not work well for all places or for the migratory birds themselves- sites host these programs at their convenience throughout the year.

Louise Glück won Nobel Prize for Literature

 Louise Glück won Nobel Prize for Literature

The 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to the US poet Louise Glück  

She is the first American to win the prestigious award since Bob Dylan was honored in 2016.

 Toni Morrison was the last American to receive the prize before him, winning in 1993.

Glück, the 16th woman to win the literature prize, has published 12 collections of poetry and several volumes of essays on poetry.

Gluck previously won the Pulitzer Prize in 1993 for her collection The Wild Iris, and the National Book Award in 2014.

World Post Day

 World Post Day

World Post day happens each year on October 9, the anniversary of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), which started in 1874 in Switzerland.

The UPU was the start of the global communications revolution, introducing the ability to write letter to others all over the world. World Post Day started in 1969.

Since then, countries all over the world take part in celebrations to highlight the importance of the postal service.

Post offices in some countries hold special stamp collection exhibitions; there are open days at postal measures and there are workshops on postal history.

The UPU organises an international letter writing competition for young people.

world Sight Day

 world Sight Day, observed annually on the second Thursday of October, is a global event meant to draw attention on blindness and vision impairment.

 It was originally initiated by the SightFirstCampaign of Lions Club International Foundation in 2000.

It has since been integrated into VISION 2020 and is coordinated by IAPB in cooperation with the World Health Organization.

theme 2020     Hope In Sight

 

World Cotton day

 The World Cotton day is celebrated on 7 October as a global celebration of cotton and its stakeholders, from field to fabric and beyond.

World Cotton Day will celebrate the many advantages of cotton, from its qualities as a natural fibre, to the benefits people obtain from its production, transformation, trade and consumption.

At the initiative of the Cotton-4 (Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali), the World Trade Organisation made the launch of World Cotton Day on 7 October 2019. The event is organised in collaboration with the Secretariats of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC).

World Space Week

World Space Week

World Space Week is an annual holiday observed from 4 to 10 October in over 95 nations throughout the world.

World Space Week is officially defined as "an international celebration of science and technology, and their contribution to the betterment of the human condition".

On December 6, 1999, The United Nations General Assembly declared World Space Week as an annual event celebration to be commemorated between October 4 and 10.

The choice of dates was based on recognition of two important dates in space history: the launch of the first human-made Earth satellite, Sputnik 1, on October 4, 1957; and the signing of the Outer Space Treaty on October 10, 1967

World Animal Day

 World Animal Day

World Animal Day is an international day of action for animal rights and welfare celebrated annually on October 4.

The mission of World Animal Day is "to raise the status of animals in order to improve welfare standards around the globe. Building the celebration of World Animal Day unites the animal welfare movement.

the first World Animal Day was organized on 24 March 1925 at the Sport Palace in Berlin, Germany. Over 5,000 people attended this first event.

SBI appointed Charanjit Attra as CFO

SBI appointed Charanjit Attra as CFO

The State Bank of India (SBI) has appointed Charanjit Singh Attra as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) with effect from 01 October 2020.

The post was lying vacant after the former Deputy MD & CFO Prashant Kumar, was appointed as the CEO of Yes Bank in March 2020.

C Venkat Nageshwar was serving the post on interim capacity.

Attra is a former Partner at global consulting firm EY India and had also served as the CFO at the ICICI Securities.

India and Bangladesh to set up monitoring committee to review project implementation

India and Bangladesh to set up monitoring committee to review project implementation

India and Bangladesh have agreed to set up a ‘High Level Monitoring Committee’  headed by the Secretary, Economic Relations Division of Bangladesh and High Commissioner of India in Bangladesh to regularly review the progress of implementation of projects being run with Line of Credit (Loc) provided by India.
 
The decision was taken during the 6th meeting of the Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) which was held on a virtual platform .

A Joint Statement on JCC was released by the External Affairs Ministry to highlight the important issues discussed during the meeting and decisions taken.

2nd edition of Indian, Bangladesh Navy Bilateral Exercise 'Bongosagar' scheduled to commence on Oct 3

 2nd edition of Indian, Bangladesh Navy Bilateral Exercise 'Bongosagar' scheduled to commence on Oct 3

The 2nd edition of Indian and Bangladesh Navy Bilateral Exercise Bongosagar is scheduled to commence in Northern Bay of Bengal tomorrow.

Exercise is aimed at developing interoperability and joint operational skills through conduct of a wide spectrum of maritime exercises and operations.

ships from both navies will participate in surface warfare drills, seamanship evolutions and helicopter operations.

This exercise will be followed by the 3rd edition of Indian and Bangladesh Navy  Coordinated Patrol in Northern Bay of Bengal from 4th to 5th October , wherein both the units will undertake joint patrolling along the International Maritime Boundary Line.

This edition of Exercise Bongosagar assumes greater significance since it is being conducted during Mujib Barsho, the 100th birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

International Coffee Day

International Coffee Day

International Coffee Day is an occasion that is used to promote and celebrate coffee as a beverage, with events now occurring in places across the world.

The first official date was 1 October 2015, as agreed by then International Coffee Organization and was launched in Milan.

 This day is also used to promote fair trade coffee and to raise awareness for the plight of the coffee growers

On this day, many businesses offer free or discounted cups of coffee.

film director Shekhar Kapur has been appointed as the president of the Film and Television Institute of India

 film director Shekhar Kapur has been appointed as the president of the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India (FTII)

Shekhar Kapur is an Indian film director, actor, and producer, known for his works in Hindi cinema and international cinema.

The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) is an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India and aided by the Central Government of India.

It is situated on the premises of the erstwhile Prabhat Film Company in Pune.

Since its beginning in 1960, FTII has become India's premier film and television institute, with its alumni becoming technicians, actors and directors in the film and television industry.

FTII is a member of the International Liaison Centre of Schools of Cinema and Television (CILECT), an organisation of the world's leading schools of film and television

International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste

 International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste

This year   the first ever observance of the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste was organized.

Reducing food losses and waste is essential in a world where the number of people affected by hunger has been slowly on the rise since 2014, and tons and tons of edible food are lost and/or wasted every day.

Food loss and waste also puts unnecessary pressure on the natural resource base and on the environment, depleting the natural resource base and generating greenhouse gases.

Globally, around 14 percent of food produced is lost between harvest and retail. Significant quantities are also wasted in retail and at the consumption level.

World Tourism Day

 World Tourism Day

Since 1980, the United Nations World Tourism Organization has celebrated World Tourism Day as international observances on September 27.

This date was chosen as on that day in 1970, the Statutes of the UNWTO were adopted.

The adoption of these Statutes is considered a milestone in global tourism.

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.

  World Tourism Day,   theme 2020  “Tourism and Rural Development”.

International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

 International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

On September 26, the United Nations (UN) promotes a special day that calls for all countries to get rid of nuclear weapons.

The General Assembly commemorates 26 September as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

 This Day provides an occasion for the world community to reaffirm its commitment to global nuclear disarmament as a priority.

 It provides an opportunity to educate the public - and their leaders - about the real benefits of eliminating such weapons, and the social and economic costs of perpetuating them.

In accordance with General Assembly resolution 68/32 and subsequent resolutions, the purpose of the International Day is to further the objective of the total elimination of nuclear weapons through enhancing public awareness and education about the threat posed to humanity by nuclear weapons and the necessity for their total elimination

Dean Jones

 Dean Jones

Dean Mervyn Jones AM was an Australian cricket player, coach and commentator who played Tests and One Day Internationals for Australia.

He had an excellent record in Test cricket and is best remembered for his batting and fielding in the ODI format.

during his career, he scored 19,188 runs in first-class matches, including 55 centuries and 88 half centuries and a highest score of 324 not out, at an average of 51.85

His most notable innings was in only his third Test, against India in the Tied Test in Madras (Chennai) in 1986.

Jones scored score 210, in an innings

This innings of 210 remains the highest score by an Australian cricketer in India.




In 2019, Jones was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame

Test debut (cap 324): 16 March 1984 v West Indies
Last ODI: 6 April 1994 v South Africa
ODI debut (cap 79): 30 January 1984

World Pharmacists Day

 All over the world, on Friday 25 September, pharmacists will celebrate World Pharmacists Day.

World Pharmacists Day was the brainchild of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), with the council of this organization voting to establish the event in the late 2000s during a conference they staged in Istanbul, Turkey.

 The purpose of World Pharmacists Dayis to encourage activities that promote and advocate for the role of the pharmacist in improving health in every corner of the world.

Somalia Parliament Approved New Prime Minister

 Somalia Parliament Approved New Prime Minister 

Mohamed Hussein Roble became Somalia's prime minister

215 members of parliament cast their votes in favor .  

Mohamed Hussein Roble was appointed by Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed

Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia is a sovereign country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia has the longest coastline on Africa's mainland

Capital: Mogadishu
President: Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo
Currencies: United States Dollar, Somali shilling

International Day of Sign Languages

International Day of Sign Languages

International Day of Sign Languages is celebrated annually across the world on 23 September every year along with International Week of the Deaf.

The choice of 23 September is the same date that the World Federation of the Deaf was established in 1951.

The UN General Assembly has proclaimed 23 September as the International Day of Sign Languages in order to raise awareness of the importance of sign language in the full realization of the human rights of people who are deaf.

The theme for International Day of Sign languages 2020 is "Sign Languages Are for Everyone!"

World Rhino Day is celebrated on September 22 every year

 World Rhino Day is celebrated on September 22 every year

This special day provides the opportunity for cause-related organizations, NGOs, zoos, and members of the public to celebrate rhinos in their own unique ways.

World Rhino Day is on September 22 and celebrates all five species of rhino: Black, white, greater one-horned, Sumatran and Javan rhinos

World Rhino Day was first announced by WWF-South Africa in 2010. The following year, World Rhino Day grew into an international success, encompassing both African and Asian rhino species

International Day of Peace

 International Day of Peace

The International Day of Peace, sometimes officially known as World Peace Day, is a United Nations-sanctioned holiday observed annually on 21 September.

It is dedicated to world peace, and specifically the absence of war and violence, such as might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone for humanitarian aid access.

The day was first celebrated in 1981, and is kept by many nations, political groups, military groups, and people.

 In 2013 the day was dedicated by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to peace education, the key preventive means to reduce war sustainably

UN marks 75th anniversary

 UN marks 75th anniversary

A high-level meeting to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations convenes on Monday, world leaders  are set to attend via pre-recorded messages.

The one-day high-level meeting, themed "The Future We Want, the UN We Need: Reaffirming our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism," is expected to take place on Monday.

The General Debate, held at the beginning of each session of the General Assembly, provides an opportunity for world leaders to deliver a statement on global issues.

This year's debate, starts on September 22-26 and September 29, invites world leaders to discuss effective multilateral action

50th meeting of border guarding forces of India and Bangladesh concluded in Dhaka

  50th meeting of border guarding forces of India and Bangladesh concluded in Dhaka

The 50th meeting of border guarding forces of India and Bangladesh, Border Security Force and Border Guard Bangladesh concluded in Dhaka .

The biannual meeting discussed the issues related to India-Bangladesh border management and security.
 
The BSF and BGB agreed for real time sharing of intelligence to reduce criminal activities on the border.

 Several other important issues were also discussed during the meeting.

Both the countries have agreed to resume the joint coordinated border patrolling to reduce criminal activities like smuggling of cattle, weapons and narcotics on the border.

13th IPL kick-starts in Abu Dhabi this evening

 13th IPL kick-starts in Abu Dhabi this evening

the 13th edition of Indian Premier League will begin at Abu Dhabi in the United Aarab Emirates today.

 Mumbai Indians will take on  Chennai Super Kings in the opening match of the IPL.

The tournament, which has been shifted to the UAE , is a TV only event.

In all, 60 matches will be held in three avenues- Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai.

All  the participating teams have arrived in UAE to fight it out in a neutral venue away from their home conditions.

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

 International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

September 16 was designated by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.

This designation had been made on December 19, 2000, in commemoration of the date, in 1987, on which nations signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

In 1994, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 16 September the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, commemorating the date of the signing, in 1987, of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

The closure of the hole in the ozone layer was observed 30 years after the protocol was signed.

Due to the nature of the gases responsible for ozone depletion their chemical effects are expected to continue for between 50 and 100 years.

World Patient Safety Day

 World Patient Safety Day

The Seventy-second World Health Assembly adopted resolution WHA 72.6 ‘Global action on patient safety’ on 25 May 2019.

The resolution recognizes patient safety as a global health priority and endorses the establishment of World Patient Safety Day, to be observed annually on 17 September.

World Patient Safety Day calls for global solidarity and concerted action by all countries and international partners to improve patient safety.

Furthermore, the Day brings together patients, families, caregivers, communities, health workers, health care leaders and policy-makers to show their commitment to patient safety.

The theme of the very first World Patient Safety Day in 2019 was aimed at establishing the legacy of the day and highlighting the importance of prioritizing and addressing patient safety globally by all stakeholders.

From 2020 and in the coming years, a new theme will be selected each year, raising awareness and promoting positive change around patient safety priority areas.

theme for 2020 was Health Worker Safety: A Priority for Patient Safety

2020 Tuscan Grand Prix

 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix

The 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix   was a Formula One motor race held on 13 September 2020 at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello in Scarperia e San Piero, Tuscany, Italy.

The race was the ninth round of the 2020 Formula One World Championship.

The race was won by Lewis Hamilton of the Mercedes team, with teammate Valtteri Bottas in second; Mercedes scored their third 1–2 finish of the season.

Alexander Albon of Red Bull Racing-Honda scored his first podium in Formula One with a third place finish, becoming the first Thai driver to do so.

The race was the first race since the 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix to have two red flags

Hindi Day

 Hindi Day

Hindi Diwas is celebrated on the 14th of September, to commemorate the adoption of Hindi in Devanagari script as one of the official language in different Hindi speaking states of India.

Hindi was adopted as one of the two official languages of the Republic of India by Constituent Assembly of India due to the efforts of Beohar Rajendra Simha along with Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, Kaka Kalelkar, Maithili Sharan Gupt and Seth Govind Das.

As such, on the 50th birthday of Beohar Rajendra Simha on the 14th of September 1949, the efforts resulted in the adoption of Hindi as an official language.

This decision was ratified by the Constitution of India that came into effect on the 26th of January 1950. Under Article 343 of the Indian Constitution, Hindi written in Devanagari script was adopted as one of official languages.

In all, there are 22 Scheduled languages of India.

17th SCO Culture Ministers’ Meeting

17th SCO Culture Ministers’ Meeting

Discussion was held on the role and place of culture during the global epidemiological crisis and on the prospects for developing multilateral cultural cooperation within the SCO.

one of the important aspects that unites and connects SCO countries to each other is shared heritage of Buddhist philosophy and art was discussed

2021 is the 20th Anniversary year of the founding of this Organization

At the end of the meeting Protocol of the 17th Meeting of the SCO Ministers of Culture was agreed upon and signed by all the representatives of Member States.

International Day for South-South Cooperation, 12 September

International Day for South-South Cooperation, 12 September

South-South cooperation is a manifestation of solidarity among peoples and countries of the South that contributes to their national well-being, their national and collective self-reliance and the attainment of internationally agreed development goals, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation is spreading awareness of the economic, social and political developments made recently by regions and countries in the South and highlights United Nations efforts to work on technical cooperation among developing countries.

World First Aid Day

World First Aid Day

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) introduced World First Aid Day in 2000.

Each year, more than 100 Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around the world organise events and ceremonies on the second Saturday of September to raise public awareness of how first aid can save lives in everyday and crisis situations.

The IFRC believes that first aid should be accessible to all  including the most vulnerable, and should also be an integral part of a wider developmental approach.

Diana Rigg

 Diana Rigg

Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg DBE was an English actress.

She played Emma Peel in the TV series The Avengers  and Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones.

She had won best actress Bafta award in 1990 and Emmy award in 1997

Naturalist, broadcaster David Attenborough will get Indira Gandhi Peace Prize for 2019

Naturalist, broadcaster David Attenborough will get Indira Gandhi Peace Prize for 2019

His name was selected for the prize by an international jury chaired by former president Pranab Mukherjee

Sir David Frederick Attenborough  is an English broadcaster and natural historian.

Sir David’s work has received widespread recognition across the world. Apart from his knighthood, he has received awards from the Royal Geographical Society, UNESCO’s Kalinga Prize, the Micheal Faraday Prize, the Descartes Prize and Fellowship of the Royal Society, and several Emmy and BAFTA awards.

He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Natural History Unit, the nine natural history documentary series forming the Life collection that together constitute a comprehensive survey of animal and plant life on Earth

The Indira Gandhi Prize or the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize or the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is the prestigious award accorded annually by Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust  to individuals or organisations in recognition of creative efforts toward promoting international peace, development and a new international economic order; ensuring that scientific discoveries are used for the larger good of humanity, and enlarging the scope of freedom.

The prize carries a cash award of 2.5 million Indian rupees and a citation.

International Literacy Day

International Literacy Day

8 September was declared international literacy day by UNESCO on 26 October 1966 at 14th session of UNESCO's General conference.

 It was celebrated for the first time in 1967.

Its aim is to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies. Celebrations take place in several countries.

Some 775 million lack minimum literacy skills; one in five adults are still not literate and two-thirds of them are women;[2] 60.7 million children are out-of-school and many more attend irregularly or drop out.

According to UNESCO’s "Global Monitoring Report on Education for All (2006)", South Asia has the lowest regional adult literacy rate (58.6%), followed by sub-Saharan Africa (59.7%).[

Countries with the lowest literacy rates in the world are Burkina Faso (12.8%), Niger (14.4%) and Mali (19%).

The report shows a clear connection between illiteracy and countries in severe poverty,also between illiteracy and prejudice against women.
 

International Day of Clean Air for blue skies

International Day of Clean Air for blue skies



The very first International Day of Clean Air for blue skies will be held on September 7th, 2020.

The United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution to hold an International Day of Clean Air for blue skies on December 19, 2019, during its 74th session and invited the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to facilitate the observance of the International Day, in collaboration with other relevant organizations.

The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) worked with UNEP and the Republic of Korea to advocate for the day in the lead up to the decision.

The resolution stresses the importance of and urgent need to raise public awareness at all levels and to promote and facilitate actions to improve air quality.

SpaceX launches 60 Starlink internet satellites

 SpaceX launches 60 Starlink internet satellites

SpaceX delivered a new batch of its Starlink satellites into orbit

A two-stage Falcon 9 rocket carrying a full load of 60 Starlink satellites lifted off from Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The booster's first stage came back to Earth about 9 minutes after launch, landing on one of SpaceX's drone ships in the Atlantic Ocean.

This was the third attempt to get this particular mission off the ground, following weather and data-review delays.

The launch marks the first Starlink mission this month and SpaceX's 16th mission so far in 2020.

China launched a ‘reusable test spacecraft’

 China  launched a ‘reusable test spacecraft’

China launched an experimental reusable spacecraft into orbit on Friday Sept. 4

 the launch was successful on a Long March 2F rocket sent the spacecraft into orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert

12th Mekong Ganga Cooperation, MGC Senior Officials' Meeting

 The 12th Mekong Ganga Cooperation, MGC Senior Officials' Meeting reviewed the progress in all areas of cooperation.

MGC is an initiative by six countries - India and five ASEAN countries, namely, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam for cooperation in tourism, culture, education, as well as transport and communications.

 The Meeting held through video conference reviewed the progress made since the 10th MGC Ministerial Meeting held in Bangkok in August last year.

The Mekong–Ganga Cooperation was established on November 10, 2000, at Vientiane, Laos at the First MGC Ministerial Meeting.

 It comprises six member countries, namely India, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

The four areas of cooperation are tourism, culture, education, and transportation.
Founded: 10 November 2000

Vinod Yadav appointed as first CEO of The Railway Board

 Vinod Yadav appointed as  first CEO of The Railway Board

The Railway Board has appointed Vinod Yadav as  its first CEO after the government approved its restructuring.

The corporatisation plan was part of a proposal clea­red by the Cab­inet in Decem­ber 2019 for ma­king the 115-year-old board leaner by cutting its strength from eight to five.

The board will now be headed by Yadav as chairman and CEO, and will have four others — Pradeep Kumar as member (infrastructure), P C Sharma as member (traction and rolling stock), P S Mishra as member (operations and business development), and Manjula Rangarajan as member (finance). All the posts have been cleared by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC).

The board will also include sectoral experts from the industry. The chairman will be the cadre-controlling officer responsible for human resources (HR), with assistance from a director-general (HR), which is another new post.

Sri Vinod Kumar Yadav also known as V.K. Yadav is 1980 batch IRSEE officer and current Chairman and CEO of the Indian Railway Board

National Small Industry Day

National Small Industry Day

National Small Industry is observed on August 30 every year which provided a substantial measure of support to small businesses in developing countries like India.

The day is celebrated to commemorate the effort taken to provide balanced burgeons to existing small, medium, and large scale enterprises to support and elevate small industries. 

World Coconut Day

World Coconut Day

September 2 is observed as World Coconut Day to make people understand that this crop has a vital role in poverty reduction.

Coconut  provides food, food security, livelihood security, exportearning, import substitute and comprehensive protection to small and big holders and other agro-industries depending on it.

World Coconut Day, the importance of this tree should be propagated and made aware of its intrinsic value in the life of mankind.

Hence coconut farming is of immense importance, seeing its value in different aspects of human life.

Every part of the fruit is valuable and useful in someway or the other. Coconut production is an alternative method of food production as well as employment generation. 

2020 Belgian Grand Prix

 2020 Belgian Grand Prix

The 2020 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 30 August 2020 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Stavelot, Belgium.

The race was the seventh round in the 2020 Formula One World Championship.

Hamilton won the race, having led for every lap, followed by Bottas and Verstappen who had also held second and third respectively for the entire race.

Ricciardo completed the fastest lap, a 1:47.483

He finished in fourth, a position he had held the entire race