Current affairs on 15 October 2020

October 15: World Students Day
Every year Dr APJ Abdul Kalam birth anniversary is celebrated as World Students Day. Mr Kalam is popularly known as the "Missile Man of India". He was not only an aerospace scientist but also a teacher and thus the world celebrates his birth anniversary as World Students Day. This year, the day is celebrated under the theme

Exim Bank extends USD 400 million soft loan to Maldives
The Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) on behalf of the Government of India has extended a Line of Credit (LoC) of USD 400 million (about Rs 2,932 crore) to the Maldives.

Odisha launches 'Sujal' Mission to provide tap water fit for drinking
Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik has inaugurated "Sujal", 'Drink from Tap Mission' scheme, to provide round the clock supply of quality tap drinking water in all urban areas of the state.

Microsoft & AICTE collaborate to empower students and educators
Microsoft and All India Council For Technical Education (AICTE) have partnered to empower students and educators in new-age technologies. This technology including artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), data science and cloud computing.

HDFC Bank to launch 'The HealthyLife Programme' for its customers
India's leading private sector bank, HDFC Bank and Apollo Hospitals have collaborated to launch the "HealthyLife Programme", a holistic healthcare solution. This programme will be launched for HDFC Bank customers, to make healthy living accessible and affordable while making the process convenient and easy for the customers.

"Bank of Ghana" wins Central bank of the year award 2020
"Bank of Ghana" has won the Central bank of the year award 2020. Apart from this, Mark Carney (Governor of the Bank of England) has won the Governor of the year at the Central bank of the year award 2020.

Former New Zealand cricketer John R Reid passes away
Former New Zealand cricket allrounder, John Richard Reid passed away. He was also New Zealand's oldest surviving Test player. He was the first cricketer to lead New Zealand to a Test victory.

Renowned Kuchipudi dancer Shoba Naidu passes away
Renowned Kuchipudi dancer, Shobha Naidu passed away. Her major achievements include choreography and presentation of Ballets Vipranarayana, Kalyana Srinivasam and many others, in which she was the main protagonist and portrayed various roles like Satyabhama, Devadevaki, Padmavathi, Mohini, Sai Baba, and Goddess Parvati which won her great appreciation. Some of the famous awards won by her includes, Padma Shri in 2001, Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1991.

International Day of Rural Women: 15 October
The International Day of Rural Women is observed globally on 15 October each year. The day recognizes the crucial role of women and girls in ensuring the sustainability of rural households and communities, improving rural livelihoods and overall well-being.

Russia approves 2nd coronavirus vaccine "EpiVacCorona"
Russia has given regulatory approval to a second Covid-19 vaccine, named 'EpiVacCorona', after early-stage studies. The new coronavirus vaccine comes two months after a similar move for Russia's first vaccine Sputnik V prompted widespread criticism from scientists both at home and abroad.

India and France get re-elected as President and Co-president of ISA
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has informed that India has been re-elected as President while France as the Co-President of International Solar Alliance (ISA) at the virtual meeting of ISA's Third Assembly. The tenure will be for a time period of two years.