Daily Gist of ‘The Hindu’, ‘PIB’, ‘Indian Express’ and Other Newspapers: 26 October, 2020

Daily news will speed up the preparation for the Civil Services Examination and it also plays a crucial role to grasp the current affairs topic comprehensively. Here we have covered most of the topics related to various categories including National, International, Sports, Science and Technology, and so on.

1. National Conference on Vigilance and Anti Corruption

– Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the National Conference on Vigilance and Anti-Corruption on 27th October, 2020 via video conferencing.

– The theme is सतर्क भारत, समृद्ध भारत (Vigilant India, Prosperous India).

– The Central Bureau of Investigation organizes this National Conference coinciding with ‘Vigilance Awareness Week’, which is observed in India every year from 27th October to 2nd November.

– Activities in this conference would be focused on Vigilance issues aimed at raising awareness and reaffirming India’s commitment to the promotion of integrity and probity in public life through citizen participation.

2. BRO Road to the Nation

– Defence Minister Rajnath Singh dedicated the 19.85 Km Alternate Alignment of the National Highway 310 from km 0.00 to km 19.350 to the Nation in Sikkim.

– The Defence Minister while addressing the gathering on the occasion complimented the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for its unwavering commitment towards delivering outstanding quality infrastructure in record time and optimal costs.

– The BRO over the last some years has undertaken an unprecedented expansion of its capabilities through technology infusion in material, equipment and construction techniques.

– The Atal Tunnel, DS-DBO Road, the new alignment of the National Highway 310 are examples of high quality, fast-paced results delivered by the BRO towards strategic and operational preparedness.

3. National coaching camp for Table Tennis

– The Sports Authority of India has approved the national coaching camp for Table Tennis, which will commence on 28th October till 8th December.

– The camp comprising 11 players (5 male, 6 female) and four support staff will be conducted by the Table Tennis Federation of India at the Delhi Public School, Sonepat.

– The camp will abide by the Standard Operating Procedures set up by the Sports Authority of India for the resumption of sporting activities.

– This will be the first national camp for Table Tennis that will be held after the announcement of the nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus in March this year.

4. Forex Reserves

– As per the data of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the country’s foreign exchange (forex) reserves touched a lifetime high of USD 555.12 billion after it surged by USD 3.615 billion in the week ended 16th October 2020.

– The reason for the increase was due to a sharp rise in Foreign Currency Assets (FCAs) which is a major component of the overall reserves.

About Foreign Exchange Reserves

They are assets held on reserve by a central bank in foreign currencies. It can include bonds, treasury bills and other government securities.

Note: Most of the foreign exchange reserves are held in U.S. dollars.

5. Pakistan to stay on FATF “Grey List”

– The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has decided to keep Pakistan on the “greylist”.

– The 27-point action plan had been issued by the FATF after placing Pakistan on the ‘Grey List’ in June 2018.

– The action plan pertains to curbing money laundering and terror financing.

– The task force’s International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG) recently noted that Pakistan had complied with 21 points.

6. MultiModal Logistics Park

– The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways has laid the foundation stone for the country’s first MultiModal Logistics Park (MMLP) at Jogighopa in Assam.

– It is developed under the Bharatmala Paritojana of the Government of India.

– India will be able to establish trade with Bangladesh through the Jogighopa waterway terminal.

About Bharatmala Pariyojana

– It is an umbrella program for the highways sector envisaged by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

– 35 locations have been identified for development of MultiModal Logistics Parks to reduce the congestion on proposed economic corridors, enhance logistic efficiency and reduce logistics costs of freight movements.

– It will have direct connectivity with National Highway 17.

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