Current affairs of 23 September 2020

Current affairs of 23 September 2020

• September 23: International Day of Sign Languages

  Every year, September 23 is marked as the International Day of Sign Languages by the United Nations. The day is being celebrated since 2018. This year, the International Day of Sign Languages is being celebrated under the following theme

• Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020

  The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020 which is an amendment to the Banking Regulations act 1949, was passed in Parliament. The Bill replaces the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 that was promulgated on June 26, 2020.

• Parliament passes Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain provisions) bill

  Parliament passed the Taxation and other laws (Relaxation and Amendment of certain provisions) bill, 2020. It replaces an ordinance and will make few changes to direct and indirect tax laws. It was cleared in Rajya Sabha through voice vote. The bill was passed in Lok Sabha earlier.

• India conducts successful flight test of ABHYAS

  The Defence Research and Development Organization conducted a successful flight test of ABHYAS- High speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) vehicle at the Balasore test range in Odisha. This can now be used as a target for evaluation of missiles.

• A book titled "Voices of Dissent" authored by Romila Thapar

  A new book titled "Voices of Dissent" authored by Historian Romila Thapar will be jointly published by Penguin Random House India and Seagull Books. The book is set to publish in October 2020.

• Bah Ndaw named Mali's interim president

  Mali's former defence minister, Bah Ndaw has been named as Interim President of the country's new transition government. On 19th August 2020, Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita announced his resignation with immediate effect following a military mutiny in the Republic of Mali.

• Simanchala Dash appointed as advisor to IMF Executive Director

  The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved the proposal to appoint Simanchala Dash as an advisor to Executive Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington. He has been appointed for a period of three years.

• Colonel Dr Girija Mungali named in AFC task-force

  Retired Colonel Dr Girija Shanker Mungali has been appointed as one of the seven members of the Asian Football Confederation's task force. The taskforce will regulate the football clubs in Asia and Australia. He is currently serving as the Chairman of the Club Licensing Committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

• Veteran Marathi actress Ashalata Wabgaonkar passes away

  Renowned Marathi, Hindi films and stage actress Ashalata Wabgaonkar passed away. She acted in several Marathi films and plays. In Bollywood, she starred in films such as 'Apne Paraye', 'Woh Saat Din', 'Namak Halaal', 'Zanjeer' and others.

• A book titled "Kitchens of Gratitude" authored by Chef Vikas Khanna

  Star chef Vikas Khanna has authored a book titled "Kitchens of Gratitude" in which he has written about his Feed India initiative. Feed India initiative is one of the largest food drives in the world, serving meals to the underprivileged. The book will be released in 2021. He will also be honoured with the 2020 Asia Game Changer Award in October.

• Former cricketer Ash Barty wins Golf Club Championship

  The top-ranked Women's Tennis Association (WTA) player in the world and a former professional cricket player, Ashleigh Barty has now added another feat in her sporting list by winning Brookwater Golf Club women's championship.

• Indian Navy conducts Passage Exercise with Royal Australian Navy

  The Indian Navy (IN) has commenced a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in the East Indian Ocean Region. The exercise would involve participation of HMAS Hobart from the Australian side and Indian Naval Ships Sahyadri and Karmuk.

• Dr. Harsh Vardhan chairs 'Aarogya Manthan' 2.0

  Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare chaired 'Aarogya Manthan' 2.0 celebrating the 2nd Anniversary of Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). During the event, he also presented awards to the winners of the Ayushman Bharat PMJAY Start-up Grand Challenge to support the implementation of PM-JAY.

• India-UK holds Water Partnership Forum to discuss water conservation

  India-UK Water Partnership Forum will be held on September 22, 2020, through a virtual mode to discuss ways to collaborate on the issues pertaining to infrastructure development and water conservation.