1. India has fallen 26 spots to rank at the 105th position on the Global Economic Freedom Index 2020, as per an annual report released on September 10, 2020. The country was ranked at the 79th spot in last year’s rankings.
2. Hong Kong topped the Global Economic Freedom Index 2020 yet again, followed by Singapore at the second rank, based on 2018 data. The other countries ranked in the top 10 include New Zealand, Switzerland, the US, Australia, Mauritius, Georgia, Canada and Ireland.
3. The United States has revoked the visas of over 1,000 Chinese students and researchers, deeming them to be a security risk. The Trump administration has claimed that the Chinese students have come to the US to steal intellectual property to advance China’s economic and military sectors.
4. India and China have reached a five-point consensus regarding the ongoing border standoff at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) after detailed talks between Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Moscow on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting on September 10, 2020. This was informed by the Ministry of External Affairs in a joint press statement on September 11.
5. The RIC Foreign Ministers meeting took place in Moscow on September 10, 2020 between the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar and State Councillor/Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi.
6. Gujarat has announced its first-ever Heritage Tourism policy. The policy permits the use of pre-1950 historical buildings including heritage palaces and forts as heritage hotels, heritage museums, heritage banquet halls and heritage restaurants.
7. The Union Home Ministry recently granted Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration to Gurudwara Harmandir Sahib, or the Golden Temple, in Amritsar. It will now enable the Golden Temple to receive foreign donations. The foreign contribution can be used by the temple to provide financial and medical assistance to the needy.
8. Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jaganmohan Reddy has launched the ‘YSR Aasara’ scheme as a step to empower women economically & socially. The state disbursed around Rs 6,792.20 crores as the first installment of the total due of Rs 27,168.83 crores to bank accounts of 87,74,674 women belonging to 8.7 lakh SHGs.
