Top Best Current Affairs 18 September 2020 (2)

The Reserve Bank on Tuesday proposed allowing foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) to undertake exchange-traded rupee interest rate derivatives transactions subject to an overall ceiling of ?5,000 crore. Interest Rate Derivatives (IRDs) are contracts whose value is derived from one or more interest rates, prices of interest rate instruments, or interest rate indices.

The defence ministry has cancelled two arms import contracts for the army worth over $ 2.5 billion that were in the final stages, preferring to go for the Make in India route. In a special meeting held on Tuesday, chaired by the Defence Secretary, it has been decided that plans to procure close quarter carbines from a UAE based company and a program to import Self Propelled Air Defence systems from South Korea are being scrapped.

The 4th Global Ayurveda Festival will be held at Kochi, Kerala from 16th to 20th May. The theme of the event is Ayurveda Medical Tourism: Actualizing India's credibility. GAF2020 is being organised by the Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA). It will be the largest Ayurvedic event ever to be held anywhere across the world. More than 500 stalls, the participation of over 5,000 international delegates, ethnic food carnivals, the exhibition of rich medicinal plants and workshops on Panchkarma to be the key highlights of GAF-2020. Ayurveda Tourist Centres and Spas giving rejuvenation therapy and their potential curative aspects will be showcased. GAF-2020 will bring together the world of Ayurveda wellness providers and it's seekers to one platform.

State-run engineering firm BHEL on Wednesday announced its tie up with SwissRapide AG to bring Maglev trains (magnetic levitation) to India. Aimed at expanding its footprint in the urban transportation sector as part of its diversification initiatives, BHEL has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SwissRapide AG for Maglev Train projects in India, a company statement said.

Mexico became the first country in the world to issue a sovereign bond linked to the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations, raising EUR 750 million ($890 million).

External Affairs Minister of the Republic of India, Shri S. Jaishankar, chaired the customary meeting of IBSA Foreign Ministers through video conferencing. During the meet, India, Brazil and South Africa emphasized the need for the international community to redouble efforts to achieve tangible progress for accelerated and comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council. The ministers adopted the IBSA Joint Ministerial Statement on the Reform of the UN Security Council, as a common endeavour of the Global South.

The first all India Happiness Report covering all states and Union Territories measuring happiness across the country, which is based on a nationwide survey covering 16,950 people between March and July 2020 by Professor Rajesh K Pillania. In the happiness rankings of states and union territories, Mizoram, Punjab, Andaman and Nicobar Islands are the top three. Among the big states, Punjab, Gujarat, and Telangana are among the top three states whereas, among smaller states, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh are the top three states in happiness rankings. Among union territories, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, and Lakshadweep are the top three union territories in happiness rankings

The World Patient Safety Day is observed globally on 17th September to create a global awareness for patient safety and urge people to show their commitment to making healthcare safer. The theme for World Patient Safety Day 2020: Health Worker Safety: A Priority for Patient Safety.