Top Best Current Affairs 23 October 2020

The researchers at IIT Kharagpur have developed 'COVIRAP,' the Covid-19 diagnostic test technology, which is fairly easy to conduct and affordable as well and can produce results within one hour. This COVIRAP technology has been successfully validated for its efficacy in COVID-19 detection by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and been granted certification, after rigorous testing with patient samples by an authorized ICMR laboratory.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has amended the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, omitting a provision requiring payment of honorarium to panches and sarpanches (village head) in the newly created Union Territory. The amended law also says that Halqa Panchayat shall be required to get its accounts audited by a chartered accountant every year. Halqa means the area comprising a village or contiguous number of villages determined by the government.

In India, the National Police Commemoration Day is observed on 21st October every year. The day is marked to remember and honour the brave policemen who have laid down their lives in the line of duty.

The Eleventh Battalion Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has launched a cycling expedition from its Pegong base in Sikkim to border villages of the state. The Minister of Culture, Road and Bridges Department of Sikkim, Samdup Lepcha flagged off the expedition. Total 218 Kilometers will be covered by the ITBP team in the course of 20 days in difficult terrains.

Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the top destination for attracting the highest number of domestic tourists visiting the state in 2019 as per the Indian Tourism Statistics (ITS) 2020, released by the Ministry of Tourism. About 53.6 crore domestic tourists visited Uttar Pradesh in 2019, which is 23.1% of the total travellers. Tamil Nadu (21.3%) came second followed by Andhra Pradesh (10.2%).

Asan Conservation Reserve has become Uttarakhand's first Ramsar site, making it a 'Wetland of International Importance', announced the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The Reserve is located on the banks of Yamuna river near Dehradun district in Garhwal region of the Himalayan state.

Union health and science and technology minister Harsh Vardhan launched CuRED, a website that gives comprehensive info about the numerous Covid-19 clinical trials that the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) is engaged in partnership with industry, other government departments and ministries.

Parle Agro has roped in Priyanka Chopra Jonas as the national brand ambassador to maximise reach and awareness of its fruits plus fizz portfolio 'B-Fizz'. The campaign will be aggressively promoted across IPL on Hotstar and YouTube. B-Fizz is a unique and refreshing apple juice-based malt flavoured carbonated drink that is set to revolutionize the taste experience of consumers across age groups.