Weekly Update: September 07, 2020 - September 11, 2020

I have written about a give-away contest after the special section of my blog. So do read about it and participate as you may win a reward.

Let's start!

Did you know, that the three Presidents of the United States of America - John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe - who are also known as the Founding Fathers, died on July 04? No one knows if this is a mere coincidence but it is true.

Image Credit: Providence Journal

While John Adams (second U.S President) and Thomas Jefferson (third U.S President) died on July 04, 1826, James Monroe (5th U.S President) died on July 04, 1831.

September 07, 2020 (Monday)
:::The number of Corona Cases reported were:
Confirmed - 42,04,613
Recovered - 32,50,429
Deceased - 71,642

:::Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for the Department of Space, said that the images of the moon sent by Chandrayaan-1 suggest that the moon may be rusting along the poles. The sign of this finding is that even though the surface of the moon is known to have iron-rich rocks, it is not known for the presence of water and oxygen, which are the two elements needed to interact with iron to create rust.

Image Credit: The Daily Star

Scientists at NASA have, however, suggested that this could be because of Earth's atmosphere that is protecting the moon.

:::Samsung came up with two new privacy features - Quick Switch and Content Suggestion. The features have been introduced under Samsung's 'Make for India' initiative and they are available on the Galaxy A71 & Galaxy A51. Quick Switch can be activated by double tapping the power key, to quickly switch between private and public modes of apps like web browser, gallery and WhatsApp. All the private content, including the private photos, will be stored in the 'Secure Folder' which can only be accessed by the user. Users can define people, faces and types of images which they want to tag as private and Content Suggestion will thereafter suggest photos that need to be moved to a private gallery.

The Secure Folder is powered by the defense grade Samsung Knox, which is a multi-layered security platform built into One UI software that is based on Google's Android Operating System.

:::Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully tested the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) by using the indigenously developed scramjet propulsion system. Rajnath Singh, the Union Defense Minister, lauded DRDO and said in an official statement that all the critical technologies were now established to progress in the next phase. HSTDV comes equipped with a scramjet engine and it is capable of cruising at a speed of Mach 6, which is equivalent to nearly two kilometers per second. It can move up to an altitude of 32.5km in twenty seconds. It can also be used for launching satellites and long-range cruise missiles at a low cost.

Image Credit: Twitter

With this, India has become the fourth country to successfully develop and test HSTDV after the U.S, Russia and China. The HSTDV test was conducted at APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast. This is also being considered as a big step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat.

:::Novak Djokovic got disqualified from the U.S Open tournament for his 'unsportsmanlike conduct'. He hit a lineswoman in the throat with a ball in frustration after he lost the serve in his fourth round match with Pablo Carreno Busta, a lower ranked Spanish opponent. He lost approximately Rs.1.83 crore prize money and ranking points that he had won at the U.S open.

Image Credit: New York Post

This will be for the first time since 2014 that a new Men's Singles Grand Slam Champion will emerge in the U.S Open.

:::Deepak Kochhar, husband of former ICICI Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Chanda Kochhar, got arrested by the Enforcement Directorate for alleged money laundering in ICICI-Videocon loan case. It is alleged that Venugopal Dhoot, Chairman of Videocon Group, invested in Deepak's company, NuPower Renewables, through his firm Supreme Energy and he also benefited from the loans that were cleared by ICICI Bank after Chanda became the CEO. A total of six loans worth Rs.1,875 crore were granted to Videocon. These loans were declared non-performing assets in 2012 and they caused a loss of Rs.1,730 crore to the bank.

Image Credit: The Indian Express

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had registered the FIR against Chanda Kochhar, Deepak Kochhar & Venugopal Dhoot on January 22, 2019 for alleged cheating & criminal conspiracy under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

September 08, 2020 (Tuesday)
:::The number of Corona Cases as reported on Aarogya Setu App were:
Confirmed - 42,80,422
Recovered - 33,23,950
Deceased - 72,775

:::In order to open the possibility of the ban being lifted, PlayerUnknown's Battleground, that is popularly known as PUBG, broke its ties with the Chinese based company - Tencent. PUBG Corporation, in an official statement, said that while it continues to explore various ways to provide its own experience for India in the near future, it was committed to doing so by sustaining a localized and healthy game-play environment for its fans.

Image Credit: GamingMonk

The company is also exploring different ways to engage its community in India through various region-based activities like e-sports and community events.

:::According to a survey report published by ManpowerGroup Employment, India witnessed the weakest hiring sentiment in fifteen years with just 3% companies planning to add staff in the next three months. It surveyed 800 employers, covering 813 firms, across India and found out that only 7% employers anticipate an increase in payrolls, while 3% forecast a decrease and 54% do not expect any change in their payroll. As per the survey, the North & East regions indicate a more positive outlook as compared to the West & South regions. It also recorded the strongest hiring pace in small-sized organizations, followed by medium-sized organizations and large-sized organizations.

Image Credit: https://www.manpowergroup.com/

Globally, employers in twenty-two out of forty-three countries & territories expect to add to payrolls in the period up to the end of December 2020, sixteen out of forty-three expect to reduce payrolls and five out of forty-three forecast a flat hiring activity. The strongest labour markets are expected in Taiwan, the United States, Turkey, Japan and Greece, while the weakest labour markets are expected in Panama, Costa Rica, South Africa, Colombia and the United Kingdom.

:::Bandipora Police arrested three terror associates namely Mujeeb Shamas, Tanweer Ahmad Mir & Imtiyaz Ahmad Sheikh, after an FIR was registered against them at Hajin Police Station under the relevant sections of law, for hoisting Pakistani flags with an aim to create fear psychosis and incite anti-national feelings among the common people of Hajin. The Police also recovered incriminating materials like one hand grenade and some clothes & sewing machines that were used to make the flag.

Image Credit: The News Now

The arrested three terror associates were the residents of Mir Mohalla in Hajin area in Bandipora District of Jammu & Kashmir.

:::The world celebrated International Literacy Day. This year's theme was 'Literacy teaching and learning in the Covid-19 crisis and beyond'. As per the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), around 773 million adults lack the minimum education that is required to be literate worldwide and of those, 60.7 million children are out of school or are rare attendees. UNESCO picked five countries - Ghana, Mexico, Nepal, the United Kingdom and Yemen - and awarded them for promoting literacy.

Image Credit: World Literacy Foundation

UNESCO had made the declaration of the day in its fourteenth session of general conference in 1966, to raise awareness and remind people about the importance of education to individuals & communities around the world.

:::Indian Railways announced the 'Clone Train' scheme, under which another train will run as an alternative to the actual train and ferry the passengers, who are on the waiting list of the train, to their destination. Vinod Kumar Yadav, Railway Board Chairperson & 1980 batch IRSEE Officer, said while addressing a press conference that the Railways department will operate eighty more special trains in addition to 230 trains that are already plying. Passengers on the waiting list will be informed about their berths or seats after the reservation chart of the actual train has been released, or four hours before the departure.

Image Credit: Hindustan Times

Railways will introduce these trains in the next fifteen days and it will issue a notification in this regard.

September 09, 2020 (Wednesday)
:::As per Aarogya Setu App, the number of Corona Cases were:
Confirmed - 43,70,128
Recovered - 33,98,844
Deceased - 73,890

:::National Investigation Agency (NIA), led by DSP Sahul Hameed, raided a gold ornaments manufacturing unit in Coimbatore and seized thirty-eight sovereigns of gold ornaments & Rs.2.75 lakh in cash from Sri Senthur Jewels and from the house of its owner J.Nandagopal, who is forty-one years young.

Image Credit: Scroll.in

The unit was raided in connection with the Kerala gold smuggling case involving Swapna Suresh, who has already been arrested for illegally smuggling gold to Kerala from Gulf countries.

:::Mahindra Electric Mobility announced the global launch of its MESMA 48 platform for light Electric Vehicles (EVs). The platform offers a globally competitive quality, is cost-effective and it can electrify a wide range of vehicles like three-wheelers, quadricycles & compact cars. The platform has powered around eleven-thousand EVs on the Indian roads till date. It offers a voltage system ranging from 44V to 96V, and delivers a better acceleration than ICE counterparts. MESMA 48 offers a power and torque ranging from 6kW to 4kW and 40Nm to 120Nm respectively, with a top speed of 80km/hr, making it perfect for the passengers as well as load-carrying segments. The components are available in liquid and air-cooled configurations. The platform is touted to offer one-stop solutions offering key EV components such as drivetrain, battery pack, electronic control units, power electronics, their associated software, software calibration and vehicle integration & testing capabilities that can help launch a product in the fastest possible time.

Image Credit: Times of India

Mahesh Babu, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Mahindra Electric Mobility India, said that their goal is to revolutionize first & last mile transportation globally and take e-mobility to the masses.

:::Seven Indian-Americans featured in Forbes' list of 400 richest people in America. Seven Indian-Americans who featured in the list are: Jay Chaudhry (CEO of Zscaler), Romesh Wadhwani (Founder of Symphony Technology Group), Niraj Shah (CEO of Wayfair), Vinod Khosla (Founder of Khosla Ventures), Kavitark Ram Shriram (Managing Partner of Sherpalo Ventures), Rakesh Gangwal (Airline veteran) and Aneel Bhusri (CEO of Workday).

Image Credit: Indica news

The list is topped by Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, for the third time in a row, with a net worth of $179 billion. He is followed by Bill Gates, co-founder of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with a net worth of $111 billion. Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, ranked third in the list with the net worth of $85 billion and Warren Buffet, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, ranked fourth with a net worth of $73.5 billion.

September 10, 2020 (Thursday)
:::The number of Corona Cases were as follows:
Confirmed - 44,65,863
Recovered - 34,71,783
Deceased - 75,062

:::Triumph Motorcycles launched Rocket 3GT in India at Rs.18.40 lakh (ex-showroom). It is equipped with the all new 2,500 triple motor, that offers higher capacity and performance as compared to its predecessor. It has increased peak power with 167 PS at 6,000 rpm, which is 11% more than its predecessor. Rocket 3GT has a torque figure of 221 Nm, that is 71% more than its closest competition. It showcases a new signature with twin LED headlights. It has lightweight multi-spoke cast aluminum wheels which are fitted with Avon Cobra Chrome tyres, imposing 240mm rear wheel width. The tyres have exquisite detailing and they feature a new trend pattern developed for a great grip and high mileage durability. The bike has touring-oriented handlebars to enhance its touring comfort and capability. The set-up of the bike has been designed to easily change from twin to single seat set-up, with an optional addition of an accessory infill pad which is available to further enhance the single seat look. The other features of the bike are: second generation TFT instruments, optimized cornering ABS & cornering traction control supported by an IMU, four riding modes, hill hold control, cruise control, keyless ignition & steering lock, USB charging and more than fifty dedicated new Rocker 3 accessories.

Shoeb Farooq, Business Head of Triumph Motorcycles India Pvt Ltd, said that Rocket 3GT is an enthusiast's machine and it is an ideal amalgamation of class defining technology, dominating road presence, astounding performance and ergonomics.

:::Members of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) protested against the farm sector ordinances and blocked national highway-44 near Kurukshetra in Haryana. The protest, led by BKU state-president Gurnam Singh Chaduni, was against the ordinances passed by the Union Cabinet, namely: the Farmers' Produce Trade & Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020; and, the Farmers' (Empowerment & Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance & Farm Services Ordinance, 2020.

Image Credit: Sputnik News

While the farmers have alleged that the government was planning to discontinue the Minimum Selling Price (MSP) regime with these ordinances, the Government has clarified that these ordinances are to create an environment where farmers and traders have a free choice of sale and purchase.

:::The Mining Department of Rajasthan, the Bharatpur district administration and the Police issued a mining ban of pink stones, which are being used for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The administration seized about two and a half dozen trucks that were loaded with these pink stones and declared their mining as illegal because no lease was officially allotted for the purpose.

Image Credit: Reuters

The ban is expected to cause some hurdles in the construction of Ram Temple.

:::U.S Air Force tested robot dogs during an agile combat employment exercise. These robot dogs are referred to as 'Vision 60'.

Image Credit: CTV News

They give visuals of the area while keeping the defenders close to the aircraft.

:::Rashtrapati Bhavan appointed Paresh Rawal as the new chairperson of National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi. He will replace Dr. Arjun Deo Charan, the current chairperson of NSD. Paresh Rawal received a National Award in 1994 for his performance in Woh Chokri and Sir, in the category of Best Supporting Actor. He was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2014.

Image Credit: The Economic Times

Prahlad Singh, the Union Culture Minister, said that he was glad that the students and artistes would be able to take advantage of his talent. Paresh Rawal responded by saying that it would be challenging but fun, and he would do his best because this is a field he knows very well.

September 11, 2020 (Friday)
:::The number of Corona Cases as reported on Aarogya Setu App were as follows:
Confirmed - 45,62,414
Recovered - 35,42,663
Deceased - 76,271

:::Debashree Chatterjee (Armed Battalion Commandant), Tapas Burman (her bodyguard) and Manoj Saha (her driver) died on the spot on Durgapur Expressway near Dadpur Police Station area in Hooghly district. It is being alleged that the driver may have lost control after he dozed off on the wheel and hit the truck.

Image Credit: DNA India

Debashree was a resident of Parnasree area in Kolkata's Behala. She joined the West Bengal Police as a sub-inspector and after that she served in various departments like women's grievance cell, cybercrime, immoral trafficking wing, etc during her thirty-two years long service.

:::Madras High Court issued a notice to AR Rahman, seeking his explanation regarding a case filed by the Income-Tax Department. It has been alleged that AR Rahman routed an income of approximately Rs.3 crore through his charitable trust, AR Rahman Foundation, to evade tax for the year 2011-2012. As per the contract with a U.K based telecom company that he signed to compose exclusive ringtones, he directed the company to deposit the fee in the account of his trust.

Image Credit: India Today

As per the IT counsel, an income can be transferred to the trust only after the deduction of the tax, and it cannot be routed through the trust as income to the charitable trust is exempt under the Income Tax Act.

:::Swedish Cricket Federation (SCF) named Jonathan Rhodes, former South-African all-rounder, as the new head coach of the Sweden National Cricket team as the board looks to invest in junior cricket, high performance and the growth of the sport in the country. Benn Harradine, SCF Director, said that he was delighted to have him as a part of their small and ambitious team.

Image Credit: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/

Jonathan Rhodes has scored a combined total of 8,467 runs in 245 ODIs and 52 matches in the longest format of the game. He has also served as the fielding coach of various Indian Premier League teams for many years.

:::Based on the recommendation of the 15th Finance Commission, the Union Government released a grant of Rs.6,195 crore to fourteen states to provide them additional resources during the Corona Virus crisis. The state-wise distribution of the grant is as follows:

1) Kerala = Rs.1,276.92 crore
2) Himachal Pradhesh = Rs.952.58 crore
3) Punjab = Rs.638.25 crore
4) Assam = Rs.631.58 crore
5) Andhra Pradesh = Rs.491.42 crore
6) Uttarakhand = Rs.423 crore
7) West Bengal = Rs.417.75 crore
8) Tamil Nadu = Rs.335.42 crore
9) Nagaland = Rs.326.42 crore
10) Tripura = Rs.269.67 crore
11) Manipur = Rs.235.33 crore
12) Mizoram = Rs.118.50 crore
13) Meghalaya = Rs.40.92 crore
14) Sikkim = Rs.37.33 crore

Image Credit: https://www.jatinverma.org/

This is the 6th installment of the grant post-devolution revenue deficit.

:::Google pulled off a total of seventeen apps from the Play Store for being infected with a malware called Joker. The malware was discovered by researchers from Check Point. Google banned the first slot of eleven apps in July 2020, and according to Pradeo, a cyber security firm, the remaining six apps had amassed almost two lakh downloads before they were pulled off from the app store.

Image Credit: PIXABAY

All tese apps are, however, now unavailable on the Play Store and they cannot be downloaded.

:::Jean-Sebastien Jacques (Chief Executive Officer), Chris Salisbury (Iron Ore Boss) and Simone Niven (Head of Corporate Relations) resigned from Rio Tinto after facing a lot of criticism over their decision to illegally blow up two 46,000 year old Aboriginal rock shelters in Australia. While the blast enabled Rio Tinto to access $135 million of high-grade iron ore, it also drew international condemnation and damaged the reputation of the company for dealing with indigenuous groups in its worldwide operations.

Image Credit: Daily Herald

Jacques led Rio Tinto, world's second largest mining company, since 2016, and he will step down by March 31, 2021 along with Salisbury and Niven.

Before i wrap-up, i would like to talk about a platform that has been designed specifically to assist start-ups in every step, in this week's Special Section.

Start-Up Corner is a business management platform that has been launched with an aim to help start-ups to initiate and grow their venture. The platform is not just a service provider, but it is a friend in disguise as it helps the entrepreneurs to incubate their new ideas, explore new paths and shape the future of their businesses.

Image Credit: https://www.startupcorner.co.in/

The platform also assists the start-ups with compliance & filing and raising funds.

Founded by a team of Chartered Accountants and Company Secretaries, the platform has successfully completed ten years in the business by serving more than 250 companies.

Start-Up Corner caters to every kind of a venture like Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, Private Limited Company, One Person Company and Section 8 company (non-profit), to name a few.

You may view their website and get in touch with them by clicking here.

Now it is time to share the details about the give away contest.

With the give away contest, i invite all my readers to comment and suggest an issue or a topic that i should cover in the special section of one of my upcoming blogs. Please read the contest guidelines before participating. Yes, the winner gets a reward too. The contest guidelines are:

1) The participant must be a resident of India.
2) Every participant must suggest a unique topic. He/She cannot repeat a topic that has already been suggested by another participant.
3) All the participants must mention their instagram id at the end of their comment. The instagram id will be used to tag and declare the winner on my instagram account.
4) Participants cannot comment as "Anonymous" and their names must be visible.
5) The contest is now live and it will remain live till September 18, 2020 (Friday) 3pm IST.

The winner's topic will be covered in the special section of an upcoming blog and he/she will also get a brand new UTYPro Mobile Stand.

Image Credit: UTYPro

It is a strong and steady made-in-India mobile stand, that is suitable for use at home and/or office.

That is all for this week. I hope that the blog was useful and it helped you in catching up with what happened. If you have anything to contribute, then please feel free to comment. Do share this blog with everyone you know and help them too.

*Disclaimer: The information has been presented in this blog after reviewing various news articles. In case you find any article, or if you have any article, that states some facts differently, then share them in the comment section. Please keep the publishing date of the article in mind as it may be an update on the article which was published previously, or it may contain outdated information if it was published before the date mentioned in this blog.