Prelims Facts 17 October 2020 – IAS Current Affairs

Prelims Facts 17 October 2020 is an extra read for UPSC IAS Prelims exam. Major events are :

1. World Food Day
2. Electoral Bonds Scheme
3. Skill Certification Assessment for Leather Employees (SCALE) India android app

World Food Day

Why in News?

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare today presided over an event to celebrate ‘World Food Day’. The event was organized by FSSAI.

About the Day

• This year’s theme is Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together.
• A key focus this year is elimination of Trans Fats from the food supply chain.
• A food toxin present in Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (PHVOs) (e.g. vanaspati, shortening, margarine, etc.), baked and fried foods, Trans Fat is a major contributor to the rise in non-communicable diseases in India.
• Reiterating the game changing potential of ‘Eat Right India’ and ‘Fit India Movement during the event.
• Launched the Eat Right Creativity Challenge for schools which is a poster and photography competition and aims to promote healthy dietary habits.
• Also launched the ‘Eat Smart City’ (challenge) by FSSAI in partnership with Smart City Mission and The Food Foundation,UK which will create an environment of right food practices and habits in India’s smart cities and can set an example for other cities to follow.

Source : PIB

Electoral Bonds Scheme

Why in News ?

Sale of Electoral Bonds at Authorised Branches of State Bank of India (SBI) under Electoral Bonds Scheme. The State Bank of India (SBI), in the XIV Phase of sale, has been authorised to issue and encash Electoral Bonds through its 29 Authorized Branches.

What is Electoral Bonds Scheme?

• The Government of India has notified the Electoral Bond Scheme 2018 vide Gazette Notification No. 20 dated January 02, 2018.
• As per provisions of the Scheme, Electoral Bonds may be purchased by a person (as defined in item No. 2 (d) of Gazette Notification), who is a citizen of India or incorporated or established in India.
• A person being an individual can buy Electoral Bonds, either singly or jointly with other individuals.
• Only the Political Parties registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951) and which secured not less than one per cent of the votes polled in the last General Election to the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of the State, shall be eligible to receive the Electoral Bonds.
• The Electoral Bonds shall be encashed by an eligible Political Party only through a Bank account with the Authorized Bank.
  • Issued in multiple values of Rs 1,000, Rs 10,000, Rs 1 lakh, Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore.
  • Monies received from electoral bonds will be deposited in a bank account verified by the Election Commission.
  • All the transactions for electoral bonds can be done only through that account.
• It is like a promissory note that can be bought by any Indian citizen or company incorporated in India from select branches of State Bank of India.
  • The citizen can then donate the same to any eligible political party of his/her choice.
• The sale of the first batch of electoral bonds took place from March 1-10, 2018.

Source : PIB

Skill Certification Assessment for Leather Employees (SCALE) India android app

Why in News ?

To provide a single platform to integrate quality assurance across all its services, the Leather Sector Skill Council (LSSC) today announced the launch of Skill Certification Assessment for Leather Employees (SCALE) India android app.

Key Facts

• Operating under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship(MSDE), LSSC is committed to strengthen its digital capabilities on quality assurance across training delivery, monitoring, assessments, verification and linkages to ASEEM portal.
• The platform caters to the need of all the stakeholders of the skilling and employment ecosystem namely – candidate/trainee, employer, employee, assessor and trainer – all at one place.
• The services are accessible through the web and android application that virtually works on any smart handheld device, desktop/laptop, smartphones, tablets or phablets.
• Apart from providing end to end quality assurance across training, assessment, and certification services, the app will also help employers engage with other stakeholders seamlessly and provide a marketplace for human capital for the leather industry.
• SCALE will help candidates in the skilling ecosystem to get assessed and certified on their knowledge, skills and behaviour on a specific qualification pack.
• It also enables access to micro-learning modules for bridging the skill gaps that are identified and can be re-assessed and certified at the end of the learning on the specific qualification pack.
• It further assists the candidate to become a productive resource who is readily employable in the industry.
• The candidates can search for employment opportunities and connect with employers post completion of their certification.
• The assessments are currently available in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Bengali, with plans to add more regional languages in a phased manner.

Source : PIB

Prelims Facts 17 October 2020 includes the factual data helps in clear understanding and eliminate within the options.

Current Affairs Compilation : 17 October 2020