Title Title Daily Current Affairs Capsule 16th September 2020

Daily CurrentTitle
               Affairs Capsule
             Title 2020
     16th September

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer: 16 September

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is observed every year on 16 September.

It marks 35 years of the Vienna Convention.

      The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, which was adopted and signed by 28
       countries, on 22 March 1985.
      In September 1987, this led to the drafting of The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone
       Layer.
      The theme of the day for 2020: “Ozone for life: 35 years of ozone layer protection”.

World Lymphoma Awareness Day: 15 September

The World Lymphoma Awareness Day (WLAD) is observed on September 15 every year.

      The day is dedicated to raising awareness of lymphoma, an increasingly common form of cancer.
      WLAD is a global initiative, initiated in 2004 by the Lymphoma Coalition (LC), a non-profit network
       organisation of 83 lymphoma patient groups from 52 countries around the world.

   Patients who undergo/undergoing cancer treatment have their immune system compromised, making them
       more vulnerable to infections, including that of coronavirus.

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe resigns

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Cabinet resigned, clearing the way for his successor to take over
after parliamentary confirmation.

      Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, announced last month that he was stepping down because of
       health problems.
      Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, was chosen as the new head of the governing Liberal Democratic
       Party, virtually guaranteeing his election as prime minister in a parliamentary vote.

State-wide programme 'My Family-My Responsibility' to contain spread of Covid-19 begins in
Maharashtra

In Maharashtra, the state-wide programme to contain the spread of Covid-19 began.

      As per the programme 'My Family-My Responsibility' each and every household in the state will be visited
       by health teams along with the help of local public representatives.
      The health teams will inquire about the health of members in the family and accordingly classification
       will be done with regards to the problems they face.

   The line of treatment will also be decided after examining the health condition of an individual.

ADB expects India's economy to contract by 9% in FY 2020-21

Asian Development Bank expects India's economy to contract by 9% in FY 2020-21 as against 4% forecast in
June as the Covid-19 pandemic weighs heavily on economic activity.

      The revision comes on the back of S&P Ratings and Nomura changing their forecasts to a sharper
       contraction of 9% for India's economy in the current financial year as against their earlier expectations.
      ADB, however, forecasts a strong recovery for India's economy in FY2021-22 in its Asian Development
       Outlook (ADO) 2020 Update, with gross domestic product (GDP) to grow by 8% as mobility and business
       activities resume more widely.
      ADB also expects the gross domestic product (GDP) growth for developing Asia at – 0.7 percent in 2020,
       the first negative economic growth since 1962.

Vi launches integrated 4G network GIGAnet

Vodafone Idea, now known by the new brand name VI, launched GIGAnet- the integrated 4G network post
merger of Vodafone India with Idea Cellular.

      Armed with the new network, the telco aims to stem the loss of customers and attract new ones from rivals
       Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio.
      GIGAnet will have the largest spectrum portfolio, huge capacity, and built on many principles of 5G
       architecture that help in delivering a superior network experience.
      GIGAnet offers faster downloads & uploads, low latency, and real-time connectivity.

   It is built on many principles of 5G architecture that help in delivering a superior network experience.

ADB appoints Takeo Konishi as Country Director for India

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has appointed Takeo Konishi as its new Country Director for India.

      Konishi succeeds Kenichi Yokoyama who has taken over as Director General of ADB's South Asia
       Department and will be based at ADB headquarter in Manila.
      As head of the country office in New Delhi, Konishi will lead ADB operations and policy dialogue with
       the government and other development partners in India, it said.
      He will oversee the implementation of ADB’s India Country Partnership Strategy, 2018-2022 that focuses
       on building industrial competitiveness to create more jobs, providing inclusive infrastructure networks
       and services, and addressing environmental and climate change concerns.

Amazon signs Amitabh Bachchan for its Alexa voice assistant

Amazon.com Inc has signed up Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan for its Alexa voice assistant.

      Amitabh Bachchan is the first Indian celebrity to lend his voice to Alexa.

      Alexa users will be able to access Amitabh Bachchan’s voice on Alexa by purchasing the Amitabh
       Bachchan voice experience.
      Amazon first used a celebrity voice when Hollywood actor Samuel L. Jackson made a debut on Alexa.
      It has since added professional voice actors who recite Shakespeare, Mark Twain, proverbs and fables.

Paytm First Games ropes in Sachin Tendulkar as brand ambassador

Paytm First Games (PFG), a subsidiary of digital financial service platform Paytm, has roped in cricketing legend
Sachin Tendulkar as its brand ambassador.

      Tendulkar would promote the gaming platform PFG and all its fantasy sports (sporting events happening
       virtually).
      Paytm is the official umpire partner for IPL till 2022 and has been the title sponsor for Indian cricket.

Thomas and Uber Cup postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19

This year’s Thomas and Uber Cup Finals in Denmark have been postponed until 2021 after the withdrawal of
several teams amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

      Thomas and Uber Cup are major international badminton competitions, while Thomas cup is termed as
       World Men's Team Championships and Uber Cup is also known as the World Team Championships for
       Women.
      South Korea and Indonesia pulled out of the biennial championship, joining Australia, Taiwan and
       Thailand.
      The Finals were originally scheduled for May but were first postponed to August due to the COVID-19
       crisis before being moved to Oct. 3-11 when the Danish government extended its ban on large gatherings.
      The alternative dates to reschedule the World Men’s and Women’s Team Championships is yet to be
       decided by BWF.

Former Maharashtra medium-pacer Sadashiv Patil passes away at 86

Former Maharashtra cricketer Sadashiv Patil has passed away.

      The 86-year-old represented India in one Test and played 36 first-class matches over 11 seasons.
      Patil was a medium-pacer who had made his first-class debut for Maharashtra during the 1952-53 season.
      He earned the India Test cap (No. 79) when he made his debut against New Zealand at the Brabourne
       Stadium in 1955.

Former Chhattisgarh minister Chanesh Ram Rathiya dies of COVID-19

Veteran Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh minister Chanesh Ram Rathiya died due to COVID-19.

      Chanesh Rathiya, who was suffering from age-related ailments, was admitted in a private hospital here
       after testing positive for coronavirus.
      Chanesh Rathiya, a prominent tribal leader from north Chhattisgarh, was elected as an MLA for the first
       time in 1977 from Dharamjaigarh constituency in the then undivided Madhya Pradesh.
      He subsequently won five more Assembly elections in a row from the same seat.
      He served as animal husbandry minister in the Digvijay Singh led-Congress government in erstwhile
       Madhya Pradesh, and was the food and civil supplies minister in the Ajit Jogi government (2000-2003)
       after the formation of Chhattisgarh in 2000