23rd September 2020 Current affairs

1. The central government is planning to set up India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) at Bodi West Hills in the Theni district, Tamil Nadu. The INO will be a world-class underground laboratory with a rock cover that will study the neutrinos produced in the atmosphere of the Earth.

2. Global investment firm KKR will be investing Rs 5,550 crore into Reliance Retail ventures Limited (RRVL) for a 1.28% equity stake on a fully diluted basis. This is the second major investment in Reliance Retail in the past month. Earlier, American private equity player Silver Lake invested Rs 7,500 cr into Reliance Retail Ventures to buy a 1.75% Stake. 

3. India on September 22, 2020 slammed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s remarks on Kashmir during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session, calling it a “gross interference” in India’s internal affairs and “completely unacceptable”.

4. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a successful flight test of ABHYAS on September 22, 2020. During the trials, ABHYAS – High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) was successfully test flown. The air vehicle can be used as a target for the evaluation of various missile systems.

5. Navies of India and Australia will be carrying out a two-day mega exercise in the Indian Ocean starting from September 23, 2020. These exercises will involve a range of anti-aircraft drills, complex naval maneuvers, and helicopter operations.

6. Madhya Pradesh government has announced ‘Mukhya Mantri Kisan Kalyan Yojana’ on the lines of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi. Under the announced scheme, the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, getting Rs. 6,000 per annum, will be getting additional financial assistance of Rs. 4,000, making their total annual assistance to be Rs. 10,000 per annum.

7. Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians is regarded as one of the most successful IPL teams since the establishment of the tournament. They won a record-breaking fourth IPL Title by defeating CSK by just 1 run in the IPL 2019 edition.

8. The International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons is observed every year on September 26. The day aims to raise public awareness and seek deeper engagement on nuclear disarmament matters.