Daily Current Affairs 17th-18th September 2020

Daily Current Affairs 17th 18th September 2020: Your guide for daily General Knowledge Preparation

Dear Readers,

This post contains important current affairs of 17th 18th September 2020. It includes all Major National, International, Business and Sports related current affairs of 17th 18th September 2020. A brief explanation of every current affair is provided to further enhance your general knowledge. Once you have gone through these current affairs we would recommend to you to try 17th 18th September 2020 Current affairs test.

International News

1. 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 (SDGs) set by the United Nations.
Mexico has raised EUR 750 million ($890 million) by such bonds.
It will mature in September 2027 and offers a yield to maturity rate of 1.603% and a coupon rate of 1.350%.

2. COVID-19 5-star airport rating

Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport a.k.a. Fiumicino International Airport in Rome, Italy has become the first airport in the world to be certified with COVID-19 5-star airport rating.
The ‘COVID-19 5-star airport rating’ is awarded by Skytrax which a U.K.-based airport and airline review firm.

3. Global Ayurveda Summit virtually

The 4th edition of Global Ayurveda Summit was virtually inaugurated by Vice-President of India.
Theme: ‘Emerging Opportunities for Ayurveda during Pandemic’.

Financial News

1. Automated recognition of NPAs

RBI mandated the automation of bad-loan recognition by banks by June 30, 2021.
Banks to have appropriate information technology (IT) systems in place for identification of non-performing assets (NPA) and generation of related data/returns, both for regulatory reporting and banks’ own management information system (MIS) requirements.

2. Titan Pay

Titan has partnered with SBI to launch India’s first contact-less payment watches ‘Titan Pay’.
A payment of up to Rs. 2,000 can be made without entering a PIN, as per the RBI guidelines.
Chairman of Titan Company: N Muruganandam.

Business News

1. New Brand Ambassador of Great Learning

Great Learning has roped-in Cricketer Virat Kohli as its brand ambassador.
Great Learning was conceived by Mohan Lakhamraju and Hari Krishnan Nair in 2013, with a goal to deliver high-quality blended learning outcomes in Analytics, Data Science, AI, Deep Learning, Cloud Computing, and Machine Learning.

Book Launch

1. Book ‘The End of an Era: India Exists Tibet’

Book ‘The End of an Era; India Exits Tibet’ is authored by Claude Arpi.
The last book in the series focuses on the last five years of India’s diplomatic presence in Tibet.

Important Days

1. World Patient Safety Day

World Patient Safety Day is observed annually on 17 September.
Theme: ‘Health Worker Safety: A Priority for Patient Safety’.

2. World Bamboo Day

World Bamboo Day is observed globally on 18 September.
Theme: ‘BAMBOO NOW’.

3. International Equal Pay Day

International Equal Pay Day is observed globally for the first time on 18th September 2020.
Aim: To call to Action to encourage all labour market actors to take the necessary steps to ensure that equal pay is amid COVID-19.

4. World Water Monitoring Day

The World Water Monitoring Day is observed globally on 18th September.
Aim: To increase public awareness and involvement in water monitoring and protecting water resources around the world.
Theme: ‘Solve Water’

Agreements and MoUs

1. HCL with NVIDIA

HCL Technologies has partnered with NVIDIA Partner Network (NPN) to pursue expanded opportunities in the Artificial Intelligence space.
HCL Technologies: CEO: C Vijayakumar || Headquarters: Noida

2. Gujarat signs MoU with SIDBI

Gujarat Government has signed an MoU with Small Industries Development Bank of India to increase self-reliance and provide capacity building.
Small industrial Development Bank of India is a development financial institution in India, headquartered at Lucknow and having its offices all over the country.
Headquarters location: Lucknow || Founded: 2 April 1990 || Agency executive: : Mohammad Mustafa, (Chairman and Managing Director)

Award, Rankings and Indexes

1. Dayton Literary Peace Prize

Author Margaret Atwood won Dayton Literary Peace Prize’s lifetime achievement award 2020.
Margaret Atwood is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist and inventor.
Dayton Literary Peace Prize award celebrates the power of literature to create peace, social justice and understanding around the world. The award is named for the former American diplomat who led the 1995 peace negotiations in Dayton, Ohio that ended the Bosnian war. Atwood’s work has been in publication since the early 1960s

2. AICTE Visvesvaraya Best Teacher Awards 2020

Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank presented the first ever AICTE Visvesvaraya Best Teacher Awards 2020 to the 12 teachers.
AICTE: Founded: November 1945 || Headquarters: New Delhi || Chairperson: Anil Sahasrabudhe

3. Asia Game Changer Award 2020

Chef Vikas Khanna honoured with Asia Game Changer Award 2020.
It is given to him for feeding millions of people across India in the COVID-19 through a massive food distribution drive ‘FeedIndia’.
The Asia Game Changer Awards, launched by the Asia Society — a US-based non-profit organisation — in 2014, identify and honour true leaders who make a positive contribution to the future of Asia.

Sports News

1. Tuscan Grand Prix