Daily News Analysis 17/11/2020





  • In yet another flight test, the Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) System tracked the target accurately and successfully neutralised the airborne target. The flight test, second in the series was conducted today at around 1542 hrs from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha. The test was carried out once again, against the high performance Jet Unmanned Aerial Target called Banshee, which simulates an aircraft.


  • The Radars acquired the target from a long range and tracked it till the mission computer automatically launched the missile. Continuous guidance was provided through Radar data link. Missile entered the terminal active homing guidance and reached the target close enough for proximity operation of warhead activation.


  • The flight test was conducted in the deployment configuration of the weapon system comprising of Launcher, fully Automated Command and Control System, Surveillance System and Multi Function Radars. The QRSAM weapon system, which can operate on the move, consists of all indigenously developed subsystems. All objectives of the test were fully met. The launch was carried out in the presence of the users from Indian Army.


  • A number of range instruments like Radar, Telemetry and Electro Optical Sensors were deployed which captured the complete flight data and verified the performance of the missile.


  • Teams from ARDE and R&DE(E) from Pune, LRDE Bengaluru, and IRDE Dehradun in addition to the Missile Complex Laboratories from Hyderabad and Balasore participated in the test.


  • The first in the series test of QRSAM took place on 13th Nov 2020 achieving the milestone of a direct hit. Second test proved the performance parameters of warhead.


  • Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO scientists on the successful flight test of QRSAM. Secretary DDR&D & Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy congratulated all the teams who worked on the QRSAM project, on the second continuous successful flight test.




  • It is necessary to impart quality education to our daughters to make them self-reliant, confident and successful - Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal, “Nishank” Posted On: 17 NOV 2020 7:47PM by PIB Delhi


  • Union Minister of Education Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal, “Nishank” today virtuallylaunched Lilavati Award-2020: AICTE's Innovative education program to empower women. With women empowerment as the theme, the objective of the award is to create awareness about issues like sanitation, hygiene, health, nutrition, literacy, employment, technology, credit, marketing, innovation, skill development, natural resources and rights among women.


  • Prof. Rajiv Kumar, MemberSecretary, AICTE;Chairman, AICTE Prof. Anil Sahasrabudhe; Vice Chairman, AICTE, Prof. M P Poonia, Smt Vasudha Kamath, Member, Draft NEP Committee and other senior officials of the ministry were present on the occasion.


  • Speaking at the event, the Minister expressed his happinessto launch Lilavati Award 2020. He emphasized on the necessity to impart quality education to our daughters to make them self-reliant, confident and successful. He said that the theme of the award –‘women empowerment’ has always been the top priority of the government.


  • Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Governmenthas launched several welfare schemes for the overall development of girl child and women such as Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, CBSE Udaan Scheme, and many more. With Lilavati Award-2020, AICTE has once again championed the cause of women empowerment and paved a way towards equality in education and innovation, he added.




  • State will get Rs.2,380crore through special borrowing window and also permission to raise additional Rs.5,017crore through borrowings Posted On: 17 NOV 2020 6:50PM by PIB Delhi


  • The Government of Telangana has communicated its acceptance for Option-1 out of the two options suggested by the Ministry of Finance to meet the shortfall in revenue arising out of GST implementation. The State has now joined 22 other States and 3 Union Territories (Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir and Puducherry) who have opted for Option-1.


  • The States who choose Option-1 are getting the amount of shortfall arising out of GST implementation through a special borrowing window put in place by the Government of India.


  • The window has been operationalised now and the Government of India already borrowed an amount of Rs.18,000 crore on behalf of the States in three instalments and has passed it on to 22 States and 3 Union Territories on 23rd October, 2020, 2nd November, 2020 and 9th November, 2020. Now the Government of Telangana will receive funds raised through this window. The next instalment of borrowings is likely to be released on 23rdNovember, 2020.


  • Under the terms of Option-1, besides getting the facility of a special window for borrowings to meet the shortfall arising out of GST implementation, States are also entitled toget unconditional permission to borrow the final instalment of 0.50% of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) out of the 2% additional borrowings permitted by the Government of India, under AtmnirbharAbhiyaan on 17th May, 2020.


  • This is over and above the Special Window of Rs.1.1 lakh crores.On receipt of the choice of Option-1from the Government of Telangana, the Government of India has today granted the State Government of Telanganaadditional borrowing permission of Rs.5,017 crore (0.5% of Telangana’s GSDP).


  • States who have opted for Option-1 are – Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, along with the three Union Territories of Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir and Puducherry.


  • The amount of additional borrowing permission granted to these States and the amount of funds raised through special window and released to the 22 States and 3 UTs so far is annexed.




  • Soumitra Chatterjee, one of the most celebrated artists of Indian cinema and among Bengal’s finest and most loved actors, passed away on 15th November, 2020.


  • He is well known for his collaboration with Satyajit Ray – they did 14 films together, starting with his debut film, Apur sansar. Born in 1935, Soumitra Chatterjee was initiated into films through Bengali theatre and became a legend during his lifetime, essaying memorable roles, not only in Ray’s films, but in films directed by veteran film makers, Mrinal Sen, Tapan Sinha, Goutam Ghose, Aparna Sen, Rituparno Ghosh, Tarun Majumdar and others.


  • The first Indian film personality to be conferred with the France’s highest honour for artists, Commandeur de l’ Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Soumitra Chatterjee won numerous awards and accolades including the highest honour of Indian Cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Padma Bhushan and National Film Awards by the Government of India.


  • Films Division is paying tribute to the legendary artist by screening his biopic, Soumitra Revisited (Sandip Roy/46 minutes/English/2011) on 18th November, 2020 along-with a short film, Master’s Touch (Sandip Roy / 16 Mins / English / 2015), based on the paintings by Soumitra Chatterjee.


  • Soumitra Revisited travels through the life and works of the multi-faceted cultural figure – a film, theatre and television actor, poet, painter, editor and an avid lover of sports who was rightly referred to as the Renaissance Man of Bengali cinema.


Source & credits :UPSC FEVER