1. Baghjan oil well fire in Assam was tamed 110 days after blowout, earlier this week.

According to Oil India Limited, the raging oil well fire in Assam which continued for more than three months was primarily controlled, earlier this week, and it would take a few more weeks to control the gas leakage and fire fully.

2. Indian-origin author Avni Doshi was shortlisted for Booker Prize 2020.

The nominations for the Booker Prize 2020, that were announced on 15th September, included the Indian-origin author Avni Doshi. She has been nominated for her first novel, Burnt Sugar.

3. Massive fires have burned a part of the world’s largest wetland in Pantanal, Brazil.

Since mid-July, a fire has been raging in the wetlands of west-central Brazil. The fires have wrecked nearly 12% of the world’s largest tropical wetland, partially reducing one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet to ashes.

These pictures of the damage were taken earlier this week.

4.  India ranked 116 in World Bank’s latest Human Capital Index 2020.

The 2020 Human Capital Index released by the World Bank includes health and education data for 174 countries up to March 2020. Last year, India was ranked 115 out of 157 countries.

5. Indian Navy has developed Mumbai’s largest urban forest by using the Miyawaki technique.

Between January and September 2020, the Indian Navy, along with environment group Green Yatra, developed this urban forest in Marve-Malad. Forests grown under the Miyawaki method have reportedly improved carbon-dioxide absorption across the world.

6. At least 14 people were killed after a boat carrying over 40 devotees capsized in Chambal river in Rajasthan.

These people were crossing the Chambal river on the illegal boat to visit Kamleshwar Dham in Bundi district. 

7. A 17-year-old girl was gang-raped by 3 men in Delhi.

Reports suggest that the girl was returning home from a relative’s place in north-east Delhi with her brother-in-law, when the accused raped her at knifepoint. The girl’s brother-in-law was injured while protecting her.

8. School students in Mumbai raised Rs 13.87 lakh to help Marathwada farmers set up storage facility.

A group of class 10 students from a school in Mumbai started a crowdfunding initiative to help small farmers in Marathwada set up a basic brick and mortar storage facility. The storage facility will reportedly help farmers store their produce for up to a week and overcome the effects of the pandemic.

9. 680 projects in wildlife-rich and protected areas were cleared in past 5 years.

While all 48 members of the National Board for Wildlife have never met in the last 5 years, the standing committee of the NBWL, which is also authorised to decide on matters related to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, has cleared 680 projects in wildlife-rich and protected areas between 2015-16 and 2019-20.

10. The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed two contentious legislations related to agriculture by voice vote.

These bills have led to widespread farmer protests in Punjab and Haryana, despite government’s claim that they are aimed at making farming profitable.

11. Tata Projects Limited won the contract to build the new parliament building for ₹ 861.90 crore.

The new building will reportedly be designed as a triangle and will be built close to the existing complex.

12. Foreign firms can now directly invest up to 74% in the defence sector.

The cap on FDI was 49% through the automatic route previously. However, the government has said that the new foreign investments will be subject to scrutiny on grounds of national security and the government will have the right to review any investment that has a bearing on the country’s security

13. In a reply to the parliament, a union minister recently said that India took two loans of over Rs 9,000 crore from China-backed bank during the pandemic.

According to Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur, the Centre took two loans to the tune of over Rs 9,000 crore from the Chinese-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to augment the fight against coronavirus crisis, amid border tensions with the neighbouring country.

14. Senior surgeon died after reportedly failing to get ICU bed in time at a COVID facility despite being symptomatic & breathless.

One of the seniormost surgeons of Rajasthan, Dr. Dinesh Jindal, passed away from COVID19. He failed to get an ICU bed in time in a COVID facility despite being symptomatic & breathless.

They too deserved to be in the headlines.