Top Weekly Current Affairs – 2020 September 14 to 20

Current affairs is one of the inevitable and compulsive topic in almost every competitive examinations. It is inevitable for an aspirant to get updated on daily current affairs happening around the world. Daily newspaper reading and follow-ups are necessary for mastering these current affairs section. In this article, we have provided the top weekly current affairs from September 14 to 20, 2020 which will help all aspirants to improve scores in their competitive examination like PSC, SSC, RRB and Banking.

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Top Weekly Current Affairs for all Competitive Exams 2020 September 14 to 20

Here are the list of top current affairs of the week  September 14 to 20, 2020 which will be helpful for all competitive examinations like PSC, SSC, RRB, Banking etc.

The first dedicated COVID-19 hospital in Kerala inaugurated

• The first dedicated COVID-19 hospital in Kerala, built by the Tata Group, was inaugurated in Kasargod by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
• It is a  Public Private Partnership organisation.
• Built by the Tata Group using prefabricated containers in just five months at a cost of ₹ 60 crore, the 551 bed hospital has 36 ventilators for the patients.
• The largest Covid First Line Treatment Centre (CFLTC) in the state, a 1,400 bed facility, was also opened on Wednesday at Nattika at Thrissur.
• The facility was set up at the building of Emmay Projects (India) Private Ltd,owned by MA Yusuff Ali of the Lulu group.

Andhra Pradesh police department has stood first in the country:’chance fingerprints’

• The Andhra Pradesh police department has stood first in the country for identifying and developing ‘chance fingerprints’ from crime scenes.
• The department was successful in developing 9,418 chance prints. 
• The main responsibility of fingerprint experts is to develop the ‘chance prints’ left by criminals at the crime scene and match the same with the fingerprints of known criminals.

India’s first double lung transplant

• Doctors at a hospital in Hyderabad claimed to have successfully performed the country’s first double lung transplant surgery on a 32-year- old COVID-19 patient, who was suffering from sarcoidosis that affected his lungs. 
• The team of doctors led by Dr Sandeep Attawar performed the complex procedure on the man from Chandigarh. 
• After recovery, the patient was discharged on 11 Sept 2020.

Railways launch India’s second Kisan Rail from Andhra to Delhi

• The Indian Railways flagged off its second and South India’s first Kisan Rail, from Anantapur in the state of Andhra Pradesh to Adarsh Nagar in Delhi. 
• Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy via a video conference jointly flagged off the Kisan Rail train.
• The very first Kisan Rail train service introduced by the Indian Railways network was launched on 7 August 2020. 
• The train that runs between Devlali in Maharashtra and Danapur in the state of Bihar operates on a weekly basis.

Japan’s Naomi Osaka wins US Open Tennis Tournament

• Japan’s Naomi Osaka defeated Victoria Azarenka of Belarus to clinch the Women’s Singles title in the 2020 US Open Tennis tournament. 
• This is the third Grand Slam title for the fourth seed Osaka. 
• Osaka previously won the title at the 2018 US Open and 2019 Australian Open. 
• She is now the first Asian player to win three Grand Slam singles titles. The victory has moved up Osaka to number 3 in the world rankings.

India’s first Airport Covid-19 testing facility launched in Delhi

• India’s first coronavirus airport testing facility has been launched at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.
• Passengers can book the testing the slot an hour before the time of arrival and around four-six hours before the departure flight. The test results are available within four-six hours.
• Passengers will have to provide their details such as name, contact details and valid ID proof while applying online for this facility.

Lewis Hamilton wins formula One Tuscan Grand Prix 2020

• Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain) has won the Formula One Tuscan Grand Prix 2020 held at Mugello Circuit, Italy.
• This was his 6th win of the season and 90th F1 win of his career.
• Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-Finland) came second followed by Alexander Albon (Red Bull – Thailand) at third place. 
• The Tuscan Grand Prix (first edition) was the ninth race of the 2020 Formula One World Championship.

Subhash Kamath becomes new Chairman of ASCI

• Subhash Kamath has been elected as the chairman of the board of governors of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). 
• Kamath, who was serving as ASCI vice-chairman, will replace Rohit Gupta, president, Sony Pictures Networks.
• Advertising Standards Council of India Founded: 1985.
• Advertising Standards Council of India Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

India becomes member of UN’s ECOSOC body

• India has been elected as a member of the United Nation’s Commission on Status of Women, a body of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). 
• India will be a member of United Nation’s Commission on Status of Women for four years, 2021 to ‘25.
• The Economic and Social Council is at the heart of the United Nations system to advance the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental.
• ECOSOC Founded: 1945.
• ECOSOC President: Munir Akram.
• ECOSOC Headquarters: New York, United States.

Dominic Thiem wins US Open Men’s Tennis Tournament 2020

• Austria’s Dominic Thiem defeated Alexander Zverev to win the men’s singles title at the 2020 US Open tournament. 
• It was Thiem’s first Grand Slam title, and he becomes the first player in the Open Era to rally from two sets down in a US Open final.
• Thiem is also the first player to capture a Grand Slam title from two sets down since Gaston Gaudio at 2004 French Open. 
• For the first time in six years, there was a first-time Grand Slam champion at the US Open.

Rajesh Khullar appointed Executive Director at World Bank

• A 1988 batch IAS officer, Rajesh Khullar has been appointed as Executive Director at World Bank in Washington DC. 
• The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Rajesh Khulla for a tenure of three years from the date of assumption of charge or till the date of his superannuation (August 23, 2023). 
• Khullar is currently posted as principal secretary to chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. 
• He will join the World Bank in the first week of November.

SWTD to launch water taxis in Alappuzha next month

• Just like hiring an autorickshaw or taxi, the people of Alappuzha can soon hire a boat for travelling from one place to another through the backwaters.
• In a first in the State, the State Water Transport Department (SWTD) .
• It is all set to launch water taxi services in the district in the first half of October.

The Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi declared its fellowships

• The Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi declared its fellowships, awards, and Guru Puja awards for the year 2019 considering the contributions of people to various fields.
• Selected for fellowships   

• KPAC Beatrice (drama).   
• Thiruvananthapuram V. Surendran (Music-Mridangam).
• Sadanam Vasudevan (Vadyakala).

Gauri Khan announces her debut book

• Gauri Khan will make her debut as an author with a book about her journey as a designer. 
• This was announced by the publishing house Penguin Random House India. 
• The coffee-table book, tentatively titled My Life In Design, will be released in 2021 under Penguin’s ‘Ebury Press’ imprint.
• It would be “visually appealing”, and guide “aspiring designers”.

World Bank Human Capital Index: India ranks 116

• World Bank released the annual Human Capital Index.  
• India has ranked 116th position in the annual Human Capital Index. 
• The Index benchmarks the key components of human capital all over the world.
• In 2019, India ranked 115 out of 157 countries.

TikTok to merge with Oracle

• Byte Dance a Chinese Company which owns a popular video-sharing app called TikTok in its recent merger deals choose Oracle a US-based firm. 
• Byte Dance was instructed by Trump’s administration to either close its operation in the US or sell the company to a US-based company.
• Recently TikTok was trapped in a controversy where India banned its operation and app use in the country.

Fiumicino Airport awarded world’s 1st 5-star Anti-Covid award

• The Fiumicino International Airport (FCO) in Rome, Italy, has become the first airport in the world to be certified with “COVID-19 5-star airport rating” from Skytrax, a U.K.-based airport and airline review firm. 
• FCO, also known as the Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport, is the busiest airport in Italy.
• The COVID-19 ratings for hygiene by Skytrax was based on a combination of procedural efficiency checks, visual observation analysis and ATP sampling tests.

Yoshihide Suga formally elected as Japan’s New Prime Minister

• Yoshihide Suga was formally elected as Japan’s New Prime Minister. 
• He will succeed Shinzo Abe, who was Japan’s Longest serving Prime Minister and stepped down due to health problems.
• Yoshihide’s party Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) holds a majority in the Japan Parliament.

A new book titled “Azadi” authored by Arundhati Roy

• Arundhati Roy’s new book titled “Azadi: Freedom. Fascism. 
• Fiction” is published by Penguin Books Limited. 
• The nonfiction book is a collection of essays that shows the meaning of Freedom in the world of increasing authoritarianism. 
• The essay collection includes meditations on language and roles of fiction and alternative imaginations amid global pandemic due to COVID-19.

Aymanam village takes a big leap in Responsible Tourism

• Aymanam panchayat in Kottayam district of Kerala has set an example in Responsible Tourism. 
• It becoming the first local body in the state to successfully implement the ‘Model responsible tourism village project’.
• Under the Model responsible tourism village project, responsible tourism activities are fully integrated with the regular projects of the local body.

India Happiness Report 2020 announced

• The first all India Happiness Report 2020 covering all States and Union Territories measuring happiness across the country, what contributes to people’s happiness, the impact of COVID-19 on happiness, and insights from thought leaders. 
• The study is based on a nationwide survey covering 16,950 people between March and July 2020 by Professor Rajesh K Pillania.
• In overall happiness ranking of states and union territories:

1. Mizoram
2. Punjab
3. Andaman and Nicobar Islands

• Among the big states:

1. Punjab
2. Gujarat
3. Telangana

• Among smaller states:

1. Mizoram
2. Sikkim
3. Arunachal Pradesh

• Among union territories:

1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
2. Puducherry
3. Lakshadweep

Mexico issues world’s first sovereign bond

• Mexico has become the first country in the world to issue a sovereign bond linked to the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations. 
• It has raised EUR 750 million ($890 million) by such bonds. 
• The SDG bond will mature in September 2027 and offers a yield to maturity rate of 1.603% and a coupon rate of 1.350%. 
• This new bond was issued under Mexico’s new “SDG Sovereign Bond Framework,” which was released in February in partnership with French investment bank Natixis.

India’s first terminal for private jets inaugurated at Delhi Airport

• Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated India’s first General Aviation Terminal at Delhi airport. The exclusive terminal will handle the flight operations of private jets.
• With the facility, Delhi Airport marks a milestone of setting up high-end infrastructure for passengers.
• The terminal has 57 parking bays and can handle up to 150 private jet flights per day.

Vikas Khanna honoured with Asia Game Changer Award 2020

• Chef Vikas Khanna has been chosen to be honoured with the prestigious Asia Game Changer Award 2020. 
• This award is given to him for feeding millions of people across India in the COVID-19 pandemic through a massive food distribution drive ‘FeedIndia’. 
• He is the only Indian among the six honourees named by the leading organisation. 
• He coordinated his massive food distribution drive in India from thousands of miles away in his Manhattan home in New York.

Global Smart City Index 2020

• The Institute for Management Development (IMD) along with Singapore University have released the Smart City index for the year 2020. 
• The report highlights that the Indian cities have declined in their technological updates.
• Smart City index has ranked 109 cities this year, all across the world.
• Hyderabad has been kept at 85th rank. While in 2019 index city was at 67th position.
• Singapore topped the index.

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