National:
- The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has approved the following on 14th October, 2020:
⇒ Implementation of the Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States (STARS) project with a total project cost of Rs 5718 crore with the financial support of World Bank amounting to US $ 500 million (approximately Rs. 3700 crore).
⇒ STARS project would be implemented as a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme under Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education.
⇒ Setting up and support to the National Assessment Centre, PARAKH as an independent and autonomous institution under Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education. - A NAVAL version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired on 18th October, 2020, from the Navy’s indigenously built stealth destroyer INS Chennai & hit a target in the Arabian Sea.
- Agriculture Minister Kurasala Kannababu and Kakinada MP Vanga Geetha on 18th October, 2020, laid the foundation stone for the aircraft museum being developed by the Godavari Urban Development Authority, Andhra Pradesh. The Aircraft museum will exhibit the decommissioned Indian Navy’s aircraft, TU-142 M, at the Kakinada beach park in East Godavari.
- On 89th birth anniversary of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, on 15th October 2020, who served as the 11th President of India, Films Division paid tribute to Bharat Ratna Abdul Kalam by streaming of biopic ‘People’s President’ on its Website and YouTube channel.
International:
- This year Australia will participate in the Malabar naval exercise. This major naval exercise is planned for late November, in the Indian Ocean, along with India, the United States and Japan. With Australia, India, the United States and Japan participation, all four Quad members will be involved in Malabar. Australia had taken part in Malabar much earlier, but this is the first time in recent years.
Award:
- Mrs. Seema Gupta, Director (Operations) of Power Grid Corporation of India Limited has been named the winner of GOLD Stevie® Award in the LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT- BUSINESS category in the 17th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business.
The Award would be presented to Mrs. Seema Gupta on December 9, 2020 in a virtual awards ceremony.
Business:
- French Energy Company Total and Google Cloud are launching a new artificial intelligence tool Solar Mapper, a tool that can provide accurate and rapid estimates for the solar potential of homes. It will launch firstly in Europe & then worldwide. This aims to help accelerate the deployment of residential solar panels.
Solar Mapper provides better results than current tools, especially by improving:
- The quality of the data extracted from satellite images
- The sharpness of the estimation of the solar potential
- The relevance of the technology to be installed
- The global geographical coverage of the tool
Sports:
- The world number one among women in 10m Air Rifle and one of India’s brightest young prospects, Elavenil Valarivan won at the Sheikh Russel International Air Rifle Championship on 18th October, 2020. Competing in the online event, she scored a modest 627.5 for the gold medal. Six nations Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Bhutan and India, alongside hosts Bangladesh participated in the online event.
Death:
- Pulakkat Madhavikutty Varasyar, the first woman doctor at the Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal, died on 19th October 2020. She was 94.
- Senior journalist S N Sripathy Acharya died in Hubballi on 19th October, 2020. He was 89.