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Important Current Affairs 12th September 2020

National

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin):PM to participate in ‘Griha Pravesh’ ceremony virtually

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in ‘Griha Pravesh’ ceremony and virtually inaugurate 1.75 lakh houses in Madhya Pradesh.

• The house of Subhash and Sushila of Urdan village of Betul district of MP has been completed recently under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

Golden Temple gets FCRA Registration

• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved registration of the Sri Harmandir Sahib under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010 on 9 September 2020.

• Sri Harmandir Sahib is famous as Golden Temple in Amritsar. The registration under FCRA 2010 will allow the Golden Temple to receive foreign funds. The FCRA registration will be valid for a period of five years.

13th Aero India-21 to be held in Bengaluru in Feb 2021

• The 13th edition of Aero India-21 is scheduled to be held at Air Force Station, Yelahanka, Bengaluru, Karnataka from 3 to 07 February 2021.

• Raksha Mantri, Shri Rajnath Singh has launched the website for Aero India 2021, so that the exhibitors can register and book their space online as well as Business and other visitors buy their tickets online to visit the show.

• The website can be accessed at https://aeroindia.gov.in

• Aero India is Asia’s largest air show and aviation exhibition held biennially in Bengaluru since 1996.

Meghalaya launched India’s largest “Piggery Mission”

• The state government of Meghalaya has launched India’s Biggest “Piggery Mission” with an outlay of Rs 209 Crores.

•  It is being launched under the aegis of Meghalaya Livestock Enterprises Advancement Society (MLEADS) and funded by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).

•  The main objective of the Piggery Mission is to reduce the annual import of Pork worth Rs 150 Crore and make Meghalaya self-sufficient (“Aatma Nirbhar”) in pork production over the next 3 years.

International

India, U.S. and Israel collaborating in 5G tech

• India, Israel and the United States have begun collaboration in developmental area, and in next generation of emerging technologies, including a transparent, open, reliable and secure 5G communication network.

• It was announced at the virtual US-India-Israel summit that focused on trilateral partnerships in the strategic, technology and development arenas.

• The branching out of this trilateral initiative in development and technological arena is a result of the people-to-people collaboration, in particular those by Indian diaspora in the US and Israel, that was initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his historic visit to Israel three years ago in July 2017.

Banking and Economy

Reliance Industries becomes first Indian firm to cross $200 bn m-cap

• Reliance Industries (RIL) on September 10, 2020, became the first Indian company to cross $200 billion in market capitalization (m-cap).

• The market capitalization of Reliance Industries at the close of the stock market on September 10, 2020, was Rs 15.3 trillion ($208 billion).

• The second best after RIL is Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) with an m-cap of Rs 8.75 trillion, ($119 billion).

Moody’s forecasts India’s GDP at -11.5% for FY21, 10.6% for FY22

• Ratings agency Moody’s has projected the GDP growth rate for India to contract 11.5 percent in the fiscal 2020-21 (FY21) due to the C-19 pandemic.

• For 2021-22 (FY22), Moody’s projected the economy of India to grow at 10.6 percent.

Science and Technology

Microsoft, Nasscom’s FutureSkills to launch AI-skilling initiative in India

• Microsoft in collaboration with Nasscom’s FutureSkills will launch a nation-wide initiative in India to skill students in Artificial Intelligence.

• The initiative aims to skill 1 million students by 2021.

• As part of the collaboration, Microsoft and Nasscom experts will skill the students in AI, machine learning and data science through modules such as live demos, hands-on workshops and assignments as part of the AI classroom series.

Appointments and Resignations

UNICEF appoints Ayushmann Khurrana for children’s rights campaign

• United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has appointed Bollywood Actor Ayushmann Khurrana as its celebrity advocate for children’s rights campaign, ”For Every Child”.

•  He will work towards this initiative in India. He will support UNICEF to end violence against children.

Ranking

India ranked 105th in Global Economic Freedom Index 2020; Top- Hong Kong

• India (Score- 6.56/10) has been ranked 105th in the Global Economic Freedom Index 2020 released by the Fraser Institute, Canada. HongKong (Score- 8.94/10) has topped the ranking followed by Singapore at the second spot.

• India has fallen 26 spots from 79th spot in last year’s ranking. Venezuela has been ranked last among 162 countries. The rankings are prepared based on the data of the year 2018.

• The index measures the degree to which the policies and institutions of countries are supportive of economic freedom. The Index ranks countries based on five areas—the size of government, legal structure and property rights, access to sound money, freedom to trade internationally, regulation of credit, labour and business.

Days

International Day for South-South Cooperation

• International Day for South-South Cooperation is observed globally on 12th September every year. The day celebrates the economic, social and political developments made in recent years by regions and countries in the south.

• Theme for 2020 is “Pathways toward the SDGs through South-South solidarity beyond C-19.”

•  It also highlights the UN’s efforts to work on technical cooperation among developing countries.

World First Aid Day 2020

• The World First Aid Day is observed on the second Saturday of September every year to create awareness about importance of first aid in preventing injuries and saving lives. The World First Aid Day 2020 is being observed on 12 September.

• The day was started by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in 2000 to educate people in the world of the benefits of first aid, need of first aid and the right way to do first aid.

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Important Current Affairs 11th September 2020

National

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, e-Gopala app

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 10, 2020, digitally launched the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and e-Gopala app for farmers in Bihar.

•  PM also launched several other initiatives for the fisheries and animal husbandry sectors in Bihar.

•  The yojana aims to focus on the sustainable and focused development of the fisheries sector in the country. While the e-Gopala app is a breed improvement marketplace and information portal launched for the direct use of the farmers.

Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa launches country’s first integrated air ambulance

• Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa unveiled the country’s first integrated air ambulance service jointly launched in the State capital, Bengaluru by the International Critical Air Transfer Team (ICATT) and the Kyathi in the city.

• The ICATT Kyathi’s fixed wing aircraft for long distance emergency medical transport, combined with helicopter and land ambulance services providing last mile connectivity, will address the growing need for timely and quality emergency medical services in India.

International

Parachutist makes world’s first jump from solar-powered plane

• A parachutist completed the world’s first jump from a solar-powered aircraft after the plane soared to a height of 1,520 metres (nearly 5,000 ft) over western Switzerland.

• The two-seater prototype plane made the test flight in good weather and to promote renewable energy.

• Parachutist Raphael Domjan reached a speed of 150 kilometres per hour during his jump, landing near the project base in Payerne.

Banking and Economy

Finance Minister launches Doorstep Banking Services by PSBs

• Union Minister of Finance, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman launched the Doorstep Banking Services by Public Sector Banks (PSBs). All 12 Public Sectors banks have been covered in this scheme.

• The service is available in 11 languages. It aims to deliver the services in 3 hours. For this 100 Doorstep banking centres have been established across India.

• Available Services: Services like- Cheques/DD/PO, New cheque book requisition, 15G, 15H forms, IT Challan, Standing Instructions request, A/c Statement, Non-personalised Cheque Books, DD, PO, Prepaid instrument/Gift card, TDS / Form 16 Certificate issuance, Term Deposit Receipt /Acknowledgement can be availed by the customers at their doorsteps.

• The service aims to provide banking services to the customers of Public Sector Banks at their doorstep via three modes-

яГ╝ Call Centre (18001037188 or 18001213721)

яГ╝ Web Portal (www.psbdsb.in)

яГ╝ Mobile App (Doorstep Banking(DSB)

• The targetted customers are- Senior citizens, Defense personnel, CRPF, widows,     Divyang individuals, Students, Salaried employees, Corporate clients, Retail shopkeepers and street vendors.

Crisil projects India’s GDP for FY21 at -9%

• CRISIL has projected India’s GDP rate at -9% for the financial year 2020-21 (FY21). CRISIL revising its forecast down from 5% owing to uncertainty over the spread of C-19 and lack of adequate financial support from the government.

• For FY22, Crisil has projected India’s GDP to grow at 10%. For the next three years, between fiscals 2023 and 2025, CRISIL projects the Indian GDP to average a growth of 6.2% annually.

ICICI Bank launches iStartup 2.0, dedicated offering for start-ups

• ICICI Bank has launched a new product named iStartup 2.0, to cater to the banking needs of startups and entrepreneurs.

• iStartup 2.0 is a startup bank account (in form of current account) that can be opened within 10 years of date of incorporation of the business. There are three variants of this current account.

• Eligibility: Partnership Firms and Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) OR Private and Public Limited Companies and One Person Companies (OPCs).

Appointments and Resignations

Paresh Rawal appointed as new Chairman of National School of Drama

• Veteran actor Paresh Rawal has been appointed as the Chairperson of the National School of Drama (NSD), India’s premier theatre institute. The post had been vacant since 2017.

• The 65-year-old has years of experience in both theatre and cinema. In his career span of over three decades, Rawal has been acknowledged with numerous awards, including the prestigious National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1994 and the Padma Shri in 2014 for his contribution to the entertainment industry.

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Important Current Affairs 10th September 2020

National

Child Mortality Rate in India declined substantially between 1990 and 2019: UNICEF Report

• According to the new mortality estimates released by UNICEF, India’s child mortality rate has declined substantially between 1990 and 2019.

• The under-five mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births) in India declined to 34% in 2019 from 126% in 1990. The number of global under-five deaths has dropped to its lower point on record in 2019 to 5.2 million from 12.5 million in 1990.

• The Levels & Trends in Child Mortality’ Report 2020 is a joint work of UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the World Bank Group.

Silver Lake Partners has picked up 1.75 per cent stake in the retail arm of Reliance Industries for Rs 7,500 crore.

• This investment values RRVL at a pre-money equity value of Rs 4.21 lakh crore. Silver Lake’s investment will translate into a 1.75 per cent equity stake in RRVL on a fully diluted basis.

• This marks the second billion-dollar investment by Silver Lake in a Reliance Industries subsidiary after the USD 1.35 billion investment in Jio Platforms announced earlier this year.

Banking and Economy

India Ratings forecasts contraction of 11.8% in FY21 GDP

• The Indian arm of Fitch Ratings, India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has projected India’s FY21 GDP growth forecast at -11.8% as against its earlier prediction of -5.3%.

• The rating agency estimates the economic loss in FY21 to be Rs 18.44 lakh crore. The rating agency also expects India’s GDP to rebound and grow at 9.9% year-on-year in FY22 primarily due to the weak base of FY21.

Goldman Sachs predicts India’s GDP for FY21 at -14.8%

• Goldman Sachs has predicted India’s GDP for FY21 at -14.8%. For Calendar Year 2020 it has projected a contraction of 11.1%.

• For FY22, Goldman Sachs predicts India’s GDP to grow at 15.7% and for Calendar Year 2021 at 9.9%.

SBI to launch loan product ‘SAFAL’ for organic cotton growers

• State Bank of India is planning to launch a loan product named “SAFAL” for organic cotton growers. The product Safe and Fast Agriculture Loan (SAFAL) is primarily focussed on organic cotton growers who don’t have any credit history.

• It stands for Safe and Fast Agriculture Loan (SAFAL). SBI will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) for this purpose.

Awards

Noted English Broadcaster David Attenborough wins Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2019

• David Attenborough, a natural historian, and a renowned author has been conferred with Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2019 through a virtual ceremony.

• Mr. Attenborough has been recognized for his contribution through the books and films to awaken the humankind to protect and preserve the biodiversity on our planet. While the Congress President Sonia Gandhi attended the ceremony, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh presented the prize virtually.

Lifetime Achievements Award to Prof. Aditya Prasad Padhi

Indian Chartered Accountancy Parivar and Delhi University Ramanujan College Professor Aditya Prasad Padhi, former Vice – Chancellor of Berhampur University has been honoured with “Lifetime Achievements Award” for his outstanding contribution to higher education in India.

Obituary

Telugu Actor Jayaprakash Reddy passes away

• Veteran Telugu stage and film actor Jayaprakash Reddy died of heart attack at his residence in Guntur. He was 74. Jayaprakash Reddy, popularly known as JP, began his career as a school teacher. His passion for acting drove him towards the stage and he played varied roles in countless dramas.

• JP acted in more than 100 films along side the top heroes of Telugu films like Chiranjeevi, Balakrishna, Nagarjuna, Venkatesh, Pawan Kalyan and Mahesh Babu

Appointments and Resignations

Anil Jain becomes new President of All India Tennis Association

• The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has elected Anil Jain as its new president, while Anil Dhupar was chosen as its secretary-general. India’s Davis Cup captain Rohit Rajpal was elected as the treasurer for a four-year term till 2024.

• All the office-bearers, as well as the new executive committee members, were elected unopposed. Anil Jain will replace Praveen Mahajan as AITA president. Dhupar will replace Hironmoy Chatterjee.

Days

World Suicide Prevention Day

• World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is observed on 10 September every year, in order to provide worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides.

• The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) collaborates with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) to host World Suicide Prevention Day with various activities around the world since 2003.

• The theme for 2020 World Suicide Prevention Day is ‘Working Together to Prevent Suicide’.

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Important Current Affairs 9th September 2020

National

First World Solar Technology Summit of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) held

• The first-ever World Technology Summit was scheduled on September 8, 2020, and it was organized by the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and FICCI on a virtual platform.

• Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel addressed the inaugural session as well as the valedictory session of the summit. More than 26000 participants from 149 countries joined the virtual Summit.

• The first world solar technology summit aims to focus on state-of-art technologies and the next-generation technologies that will help towards harnessing solar energy more efficiently.

• The Summit included signing of four agreements between

яГШ ISA and International Institute of Refrigeration,

яГШ ISA and Global Green Growth Institute.

яГШ ISA and National Thermal Power Corporation,

яГШ A tripartite agreement between India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the World Bank and the International Solar Alliance.

• ISA also launched a Journal on Solar Energy (I JOSE) that would help authors from across the globe to publish their articles on solar energy.

Tamil Nadu government releases new Electronic Hardware Manufacturing Policy 2020

• Tamil Nadu state government on September 7, 2020, released a new Electronic Hardware and Manufacturing Policy 2020 which aims at increasing the state’s electronics industry output to $100 billion by 2025.

• The policy will also be undertaking the skill training of over 1,00,000 semi-skilled and skilled people by 2024 in order to meet the incremental human resource requirement.

International

Apple’s first ‘floating’ store to be launched in Singapore

• Technology giant Apple Inc. has announced that it is going to open its first ever “floating” store, in Singapore on 10th September 2020.

• The floating Apple Store, will be located at Singapore’s posh Marina Bay Sands resort. It will be the third retail store of Apple in Singapore.

Banking and Economy

RBI announces OMO for sale, purchase of government securities of Rs 10,000 crore

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will conduct simultaneous purchase and sale of government securities under the Open Market Operation (OMO) for Rs 10,000 crore each on September 10.

• The RBI on August 31 had announced that it would conduct special simultaneous purchase and sale of government securities under OMO for an aggregate amount of Rs 20,000 crore in two tranches of Rs 10,000 crore each as part of its measures to foster orderly market conditions.

• “The first auction is scheduled for September 10, 2020. It would be selling three securities totalling Rs 10,000 crore and also purchasing equal number of securities of the same amount.

Fitch Ratings Projects Indian economy to contract 10.5% in FY21

• In its September update of Global Economic Outlook (GEO), the US-based Fitch Ratings has sharply lowered the forecast for the gross domestic product (GDP) growth of India for the current fiscal 2020-21 (FY21) and now expects the GDP to contract 10.5 percent.

• Earlier in June Global Economic Outlook, the rating agency has estimated 5 percent contraction for FY21.

• The downward revision comes after India’s GDP shrank by 23.9% year-on-year in the April-June quarter, the worst performance in nearly four decades.

• The rating agency has also revised its forecast for global GDP and expects it to fall by 4.4 percent in 2020, which is a modest upward revision from the 4.6 percent contraction expected earlier.

Banks sanction loans of Rs 1.61 lakh crore to MSMEs under credit guarantee scheme

• Banks have sanctioned loans of about Rs 1,61,017 crore under the Rs 3-lakh crore Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) for the MSME sector reeling under the slowdown caused by the C-19 pandemic.

• However, disbursements against this stood at Rs 1,13,713 lakh crore till September 3.

Summits and Mou’s

AIM partnered with Freshworks to empower AIM Startup Innovators

• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, has partnered with Freshworks Inc., a customer-engagement software company, with an aim to provide robust support to innovators and entrepreneurs in India.

• It also aims to increase the efficiency of several institutions and startups in the AIM portfolio.It also aims to foster innovation and entrepreneurship among startup innovators.

Obituary

Father of Indian Radio Astronomy Govind Swarup passes away

• Father of India’s Radio Astronomy, Prof Govind Swarup passed away.He was the founding director of National Centre for Radio Astrophysics of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.

• Govind Swarup was the key person behind the concept, design and installation of the Ooty Radio Telescope (India) and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), which established India as one of the leading countries for radio astronomy research.

Ranking

A report on ‘Household Social Consumption: Education’: NSO

• A report on ‘Household Social Consumption: Education’ was published by the National Statistical Office (NSO).As per the report, smaller states have done better than the developed ones.

• Average literacy rate of the country is 77.7%. Kerala scored 96.2% thus has the highest literacy rate among states. Delhi stands at second position with 89% literacy rate. Uttarakhand is at number three with a literacy rate of 87.6% while Assam freezes at number four with 85.9% literacy rate.

• Andhra Pradesh ranked the worst with 66.4% literacy rate. The male literacy rate is 84.7% while the female literacy rate is 70.3%, nationally.

Bengaluru tops the list of cities for career in AI

• Hyderabad is one of the top five cities in the country to offer jobs in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), a latest report by job portal site Indeed has revealed.

• Bengaluru tops the list of destinations for a career in AI, followed by Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai.

• Job searches in the field have risen 106 per cent in the past year (June 2019 to June 2020), and this has increased further by 20 per cent from March to July 2020, in line with the onset of the pandemic.

Days

International Day to Protect Education from Attack

• International Day to Protect Education from Attack is observed globally on 9th September. In proclaiming the International Day to Protect Education from Attack to be celebrated for the first time in 2020.

• The Day draws attention to the plight of more than 75 million 3-to-18-year-olds living in 35 crisis-affected countries and to their urgent need of educational support.

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Important Current Affairs 7th September 2020

National

Assam re-launches self-employment scheme SVAYEM worth Rs 1,000 crore

• The state government of Assam re-launched an old scheme titled ‘Swami Vivekananda Assam Youth Empowerment (SVAYEM)’ on 4 September 2020, which aims to provide self-employment to around 2 lakh youths of the state.

• The SVAYEM scheme was launched by the government in 2017-18.This is the biggest self-employment programme launched by any government in Assam since Independence. The scheme has been re-launched with a budget of Rs 1000 crore.

• Under the scheme, the state government would provide Rs 50,000 each as seed money to selected youths to start business ventures.

35th FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific 2020

• The 35th Session of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC 35) was held virtual format due to the global C-19 pandemic.

• The Conference was held under the Chair of the Host Country, Bhutan. The Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Parshottam Rupala represented India in the conference.

• The conference focused on regional priorities and issues such as C- 19, the state of agriculture, natural resources management, food security and nutrition.

First-ever cannabis medicine project to come up in Jammu

• Union minister Jitendra Singh announced that the first-ever cannabis medicine project will soon be set up in Jammu.

• The cannabis medicine project will be set up with the collaboration of Canada at the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) in Jammu.

• It is the first major foreign investment in Jammu and Kashmir after it became a Union Territory (UT).

WhatsApp Partners with CyberPeace Foundation  to create awareness on cyber safety among students

• The Facebook-owned WhatsApp has entered into a partnership with the cyber security think tank CyberPeace Foundation to create awareness on cyber safety among students.The awareness campaign has been launched under the “e-Raksha” programme and will be implemented in phases.

• In the first phase 15,000 students will be covered in five regions by the end of 2020. They include Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.

• CyberPeace Foundation will train teachers, parents and students using a co-created curriculum to arm them with tips and tricks to increase online safety for children in consultation with UNICEF and state police authorities about cyber threats such as cyberbullying, stumbling across child abuse material, cybercriminals disrupting online classes, the spread of misinformation, privacy issues etc.

Banks Sanctioned Rs 5,350cr To Cos In West Bengal As Emergency Loans

• Banks in West Bengal have sanctioned Rs 5,350 crore of loans till the last week of August to businesses to tide over liquidity woes amid the C-19 crisis.

• Public and private sector lenders have sanctioned the loans under the Centre’s Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS). At the national level, the amount stood at around Rs 1.60 lakh crore.

Karnataka approves Rs. 600-cr watershed project ‘REWARD’ with World Bank assistance

• The Karnataka Cabinet has approved a project titled ‘Rejuvenating Watersheds for Agriculture Resilience through Innovative Development (REWARD)’.

• The REWARD project is designed to ensure soil and water conservation in 20 taluks with low groundwater levels in Karnataka. The total cost of this project is Rs 600 crore.

• The World Bank will fund 70% of the project amount, which amounts to Rs 420 crore, whereas, 30% of the expenses (Rs 180 crore) will be borne by the state government of Karnataka.

Acquisitions and Mergers

IndiGrid completes acquisition of GPTL from Sterlite Power

• IndiGrid has completed the acquisition of Gurgaon Palwal Transmission Limited (GPTL) from Sterlite Power for тВ╣1,080 crore.

• IndiGrid, India’s first power sector InvIT, is managed by Sterlite Investment Managers Limited, wherein KKR and GIC jointly own 57 per cent in the InvIT.

• With this acquisition, IndiGrid’s AUM has increased by 9% to INR 133 Bn (USD 1.80 Bn)dxz

Sports

England cricketer Ian Bell announces retirement

• Cricketer Ian Bell from England has announced that he will retire from all forms of cricket at the end of the 2020 domestic season.

• Ian Bell, 38, retired from ODIs in 2015 to focus on Test cricket. He is a five-time Ashes winner and has spent his entire career with Warwickshire.

Pierre Gasly wins F1 Italian Grand Prix 2020

• Pierre Gasly (Scuderia AlphaTauri, France) has won the Formula One Italian Grand Prix 2020 held on September 06, 2020. This is his first Grand Prix win.

• Carlos Sainz Jr. (McLaren, Spain) came second followed by Lance Stroll (Racing Point, Canada) in third place.

• Lewis Hamilton ended at 7th place after he earned a 10-second stop and go penalty. Apart from this, Charles Leclerc crashed out on the exit of Parabolica.

Appointments and Resignations

Bureaucrat Kshatrapati Shivaji takes up India’s top statistical post

• The  Government of India has appointed Kshatrapati Shivaji, a 1986-batch Maharashtra cadre IAS officer, as secretary in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).

• The secretary at this ministry is, by design, known as the chief statistician of India.

• The Government has not appointed a full-time Chief statistician yet while Kshatrapati Shivaji will continue to head the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

Maruti CEO Kenichi Ayukawa elected president of SIAM

• Maruti Suzuki MD and CEO Kenichi Ayukawa has been elected as the new President of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). SIAM is the apex body of the Indian automotive industry.

• He will replace Rajan Wadhera and has been appointed for a term of two years.Vipin Sondhi, MD and CEO, Ashok Leyland, has been elected as the new vice president of SIAM.

MV Raja Sekhar takes charge as director (R&D), BEL

• The Bharat Electronics Ltd’s (BEL) Board of Directors has approved the appointment of M V Rajasekhar as Additional Director – Director (R&D).

• This comes after the Ministry of Defence on July 6 appointed Rajasekhar as Director – R&D vice Mahesh V, who has retired from services on August 31 on attaining superannuation.

Ranking

Andhra Pradesh tops Ease of Doing Business rankings of States and UTs, followed by UP and Telangana

• Andhra Pradesh retained its top position in ease of doing business ranking 2019, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Telangana, as per the State Business Reform Action Plan Ranking released by the commerce and industry ministry.

• The ranking was based on 180 reform points such as easy access to information, improved labour laws, speedy construction permits, land administration and single window approvals, and 36 states/UTs participated in the action plan that is aimed at improving business environment in states by simplifying procedures, digitization of information and easing compliance burden.

• Till date, State Rankings have been released for the years 2015, 2016 and 2017-18. The latest one is the fourth edition for 2018-19.

Days

International Day of Clean Air for blue skies

• The very first International Day of Clean Air for blue skies will be held on September 7th, 2020.

• The Day aims to: Raise public awareness at all levels—individual, community, corporate and government—that clean air is important for health, productivity, the economy and the environment.

• The United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution to hold an International Day of Clean Air for blue skies , during its 74th session and invited the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to facilitate the observance of the International Day.

Brazilian Independence Day

• Brazilian Independence Day is celebrated on 7 September every year to commemorate the birth of the nation. On 7 September, 1822, Brazil got its independence from Portuguese.

• In 1889 Brazil ended up with the monarchical system and became republic but kept 7 September as its Independence Day.

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Important Current Affairs 1st September 2020

National

India withdraws from multilateral military exercise, Kavkaz 2020, in Russia

• The reason for this has been cited as the C-19 Pandemic and consequent difficulties in exercise, including arrangements of logistics.

• Kavkaz 2020 would be held in Astrakhan province of Southern Russia where member countries of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and Central Asian countries would be participating.

• Other countries that would participate in this exercise are- China, Pakistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Syria, Iran, Egypt, Belarus, Turkey, Armenia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.

International

UAE’s DMCC launches “Agriota E-Marketplace”

• Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise, Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) has rolled out a technology-driven agri-commodity trading and sourcing platform “Agriota E-Marketplace”.

•  The platform which uses blockchain will help in bridging the gap between millions of rural farmers in India and the UAE’s food industry.

Banking and Economy

India’s GDP contracts by 23.9% in Q1 of FY21: NSO data

• As per the official data released by the National Statistics Office (NSO), India’s GDP has contracted by 23.9% in the first quarter (April-June 2020) for FY21.

• This is the first instance of an economic contraction for India in at least four decades. It is also the first GDP decline since India began publishing quarterly numbers in 1996.

• Gross value added (GVA) for India declined by 22.8%. All the sectors except agriculture witnessed contractions during the April-June quarter of 2020-21. The highest drop was witnessed by the construction industry of 50.3%.

India’s fiscal deficit to touch 7 per cent in FY21: Brickwork Ratings

• India’s fiscal deficit is expected to touch 7 per cent of GDP in 2020-21 fiscal as against budget estimate of 3.5 per cent, according to Brickwork Ratings.

• The impact of the C-19 on economic activity shows up starkly in the trends in the central government revenue collection during the first three months of fiscal 2020-21.

India’s foreign exchange reserves surge by USD 2.296 bn to USD 537.548 bn

• India’s foreign exchange reserves rose by 2.296 billion US dollar to reach 537.548 billion US dollar in the week to August 21.

• Foreign Currency Assets rose by 2.618 billion dollar to 494.168 billion US dollar in the reporting week.

• The country’s reserve position with the IMF also increased by 6 million to 4.634 billion US dollar during the reporting week.

Acquisitions and Mergers

Adani Group buys 74% stake in Mumbai International Airport

• Adani Group has acquired 74% stake in Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) that operates Mumbai Airport. Mumbai Airport is the second largest airport in India.

• Under this, Adani Group will acquire 50.5% stake of GVK group. Additionally, Adani will also acquire 23.5% stake of minority partners Airport Company of South Africa (ACSA) and Bidvest.

• The acquisition will also give Adani’s ownership of the upcoming Navi Mumbai airport in which MIAL holds 74% stake.

Obituary

Former President, Bharat Ratna Pranab Mukherjee dies at 84

• The former President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, passed away at the age of 84 years. He had been in coma since a brain surgery earlier this month.He had gone into septic shock due to his lung infection. He developed a lung infection and renal dysfunction over the past few days.

• Pranab Mukherjee was the President of India from 2012 to 2017. He was the 13th President of India.

• He was Minister of Finance between 2009 and 2012, Minister of Defence (2004-2006), Minister of External Affairs (2006-2009). He was from Congress

• Pranab Mukherjee was conferred Padma Vibhushan in 2008 and Bharat Ratna in 2019.

Dr S. Padmavati, India’s First Female Cardiologist, Passes Away

• Noted cardiologist Dr S Padmavati has died due to C-19. She was 103. Recipient of both Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan, Dr S Padmavati popularly known as ‘God Mother of Cardiology’.

• In 1962, Dr Padmavati founded the All India Heart Foundation and went on to set up National Heart Institute in 1981 as a tertiary care modern heart hospital in Delhi with first cardiac catheterisation laboratory in the private sector in the Southern Hemisphere.

• For her achievements and contributions to development of cardiology in India, she was awarded Fellowship of the American College of Cardiology and FAMS.

K Shankar Bajpai, India’s Former Envoy For US, China and Pakistan Passes Away

• Katyayani Shankar Bajpai, a career diplomat who served as India’s ambassador to the US, China, and Pakistan, passed away. He was 92.

• The former diplomat was also the Indian government’s political officer in Sikkim from 1970 to 1974 and was involved in the integration of the state into the Indian Union.

• He become the first professor of Non-Western Studies, Brandeis University, in 1992 and 1993.He served as chairman of the National Security Advisory Board from 2008 to 2010.

Appointments and Resignations

Usha Padhee becomes first woman DG of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security

• Usha Padhee, joint secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, has been given additional charge as director general of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

• Padhee is the first woman and third IAS officer to have been appointed to the post.

• Earlier, IPS officer Rakesh Asthana was given charge of the BCAS. He has now been moved to the Border Security Force (BSF) as director general.

Aveek Sarkar elected new Chairman of Press Trust of India

• Aveek Sarkar has been elected as the Chairman of the Press Trust of India.He replaces Vijay Kumar Chopra, Chief Editor of the Punjab Kesari Group of newspapers.

• Aveek Sarkar is the Vice Chairman of the Ananda Bazar Group of Publications. He was also the founding Managing Director of Penguin India.

Books and Authors

J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha releases coffee table Books

• In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha today released two Coffee Table Books, one for Labour & Employment Department and another for J&K Entrepreneurship Development (JKEDI) Institute at Raj Bhavan in Srinagar.

Gurcharan Singh co-authors his memoir, ‘pitching it straight’ at 85

• The book titled ”pitching it straight” was released recently, which has been co-authored by Indian Cricket Coach Gurcharan Singh and senior journalist MS Unnikrishnan.

• In 186-page book, renowned coach Gurcharan offers priceless tips to the current generation with anecdotes.

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Important Current Affairs 31st August 2020

National

NITI Aayog Launches Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)–Transport Initiative for Asia (TIA) India Component

• NITI Aayog virtually launched the India Component of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)–Transport Initiative for Asia (TIA) on 27 August 2020.

• The NDC–TIA is a joint programme supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) to promote a comprehensive approach to decarbonize transport in India, Vietnam, and China.

Piyush Goyal Attends 8th East Asia Summit (Economic Ministers’ Meeting)

• 8th East Asia Summit Economic Ministers’ Meeting (EAS-EMM) was held virtually which was attended by Economic Ministers from the ten ASEAN Member States, Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the Russian Federation and the United States.

• The Meeting was chaired by Tran Tuan Anh, Minister of Industry and Trade of Viet Nam. From Indian side it was attended by Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways and Minister of Commerce and Industry.

• During the meet discussions were held to accelerate economic growth, maintain supply chains and market stability, and strengthen the economic resilience of the EAS region post C-19.

CISF launches Pension Corner mobile app

• The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has introduced the Pension Corner mobile app. the Pension Corner app will help to fulfil the needs of all its retired personnel.

• The app has been made as part of an e-office initiative and has been introduced in the wake of the C-19 disease.

Banking and Economy

Reliance Retail to acquire Future Group's retail, wholesale businesses for Rs 24,713 crore

• Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL) announced on August 29, 200 that it is acquiring the retail, wholesale business, logistics and warehouse business of Future Group for Rs 24,713 crore.

• The announcement has come amid ongoing concerns on a slump sale basis for lumpsum aggregate consideration. Reliance Retail will be buying the businesses from the Future Group for Rs 24,713 crore, subject to adjustments as set out in the composite scheme of arrangement.

• The acquisition is a part of Future Group's decision of merging certain companies and carrying on the businesses into Future Enterprises Limited (FEL). Reliance Retail Ventures Limited is a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited.

•  Under the new acquisition agreement, Reliance Retail and Fashion Lifestyle Limited will be taking over the retail and wholesale undertaking of Future Group.

Obituary

‘Black Panther’ star Chadwick Boseman passes away at 43

• American actor Chadwick Boseman, who became a global icon for his role as Black Panther in the hit Marvel superhero franchise, has passed away after battling cancer since past four years from 2016.He was 43.

• Chadwick made his Marvel superhero debut as T’Challa/Black Panther in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, after which he became a household name.

• He made his big-screen debut in 2008 in the biopic The Express: The Ernie Davis Story where he played Floyd Little.

‘Scooby Doo’ Co-Creator Joe Ruby Passes Away at 87

• Joe Ruby, the co-creator of the cartoon series Scooby-Doo, has passed away due to natural cause. He was 87.

• Ruby, an American animator, television editor, writer, and producer, created the much-loved characters of beloved kids show Scooby-Doo, along with his creative partner Ken Spears.

• Together, the pair started their own production company Hanna-Barbera Productions and created other memorable cartoons as well.

Sports

India’s first: Joint champions in chess Olympiad

• India and Russia have been jointly annouced the winner of first-ever FIDE Online Chess Olympiad 2020. This was the first time FIDE was holding the Olympiad in an online format.

• India were initially declared to have lost the final round against Russia. Two Indian players (Nihal Sarin and Divya Deshmukh) were declared to have lost on time in the final round after an apparent loss of internet connection for them.

• After this, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich had made a decision to give gold medals of to both teams.

Lewis Hamilton wins F1 Belgian Grand Prix 2020

• Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain) has won the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix 2020 held on August 30, 2020. This was his 5th win of the season.

• Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-Finland) came second followed by Max Verstappen (Red Bull – Netherlands) at third place.

Appointments and Resignations

Banks Board Bureau recommends Dinesh Kumar Khara as next SBI chairman

• The Banks Board Bureau (BBB) recommended SBI’s senior-most managing director Dinesh Kumar Khara as the next chairman of the country’s largest lender.

• Khara will replace SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar, whose three-year term comes to an end on October 7.

Ranking

Amul (16th) becomes first Indian dairy company to be in Rabobank’s Global Top 20 list; Top- Nestle

• Amul, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) has been ranked 16th in the Rabobank’s Global Top 20 Dairy Companies list. Amul has achieved an annual turnover of $5.5 billion.

• Switzerland’s Nestle topped the list with a turnover of US $22.1 billion. Amul is the first Indian company to enter the top 20 ranking of Rabobank’s Global Top 20 Dairy Companies list.

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Important Current Affairs 27th August 2020

National

Tamil Nadu women top the list of MUDRA loan scheme beneficiaries

• Women of Tamil Nadu have topped the list of women borrowers under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) since its inception.

• More than 15 crore loans amounting to тВ╣4.78-lakh-crore have been disbursed to women borrowers under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY).

• As on March 31, 2020 women in Tamil Nadu had availed Rs. 58,227 crore loan from the scheme followed by West Bengal Rs. 55,232 crore, Karnataka Rs. 47,714 crore, Bihar Rs. 44,879 crore and Maharashtra Rs. 42,000 crore loan.

NITI Aayog releases report on Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2020

• NITI Aayog has released the report on Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2020 in partnership with the Institute of Competitiveness. The report evaluates the export preparedness and performance of Indian states.

• It aims to identify the challenges and opportunities; improve the effectiveness of government policies; and promote a facilitative regulatory framework.

• Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu occupied the top three ranks in the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2020.

Tata Group to launch “Super App” for digital services

• Tata Group is launching a new app named “Super App” purported to bring together the country’s disparate sales sector to offer a range of consumer goods.

• The app will put the conglomerate in competition with giants of the region like Reliance Industries and global titans like Amazon.

• The app will offer food and grocery ordering, fashion and lifestyle, consumer electronics and consumer durables, insurance and financial services, education, healthcare and bill payments.

Banking and Economy

RBI predicts India’s growth at (-) 4.5% for 2020-21

• The Reserve Bank of India has projected the country’s growth rate at (-) 4.5 percent for 2020-2021. In an annual report released by the bank on August 25, 2020, the global growth rate has been projected between (-) 6.0 percent and (-) 7.6 percent.

• The report also informed that the expected headline inflation will remain elevated in the current year but is likely to ease in the second half of the fiscal. While mentioning that it is difficult to accurately assess the economic impact of C-19 pandemic as the dynamics have still been evolving.

• Reserve Bank of India in its report mentioned that it looks like that the decline in economic activity had reached its trough in the April-June quarter of 2020-2021 and has recovered thereafter at a gradual pace.

Summits and Mou’s

NeGD signs MoU with CSC E-Governance Services India Limited

• The National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) has partnered with CSC (Common Service Center) e Governance Services India Limited.

•  The partnership aims to enable delivery of UMANG services to citizens through the network of 3.75 lakh CSCs.

Awards

NLCIL bags “Swachhta Hi Seva award” for transforming Neyveli Township

• The Government of India Navratna, NLC India Limited (NLCIL) has bagged the award for making an extremely valuable contribution in the implementation of the “Swachhta Hi Seva Programme”.

• Rakesh Kumar, CMD of NLCIL hailing the efforts of NLCIL in transforming the entire Neyveli into a plastic-free, clean and green campus, and announcing the “Swachhta Hi Seva 2019” Award.

Obituary

Former Congo President Pascal Lissouba passes away

• Former President of the Republic of Congo, Pascal Lissouba passed away. He served as the president from 1992 to 1997.

• He became the minister of agriculture in 1960 after Congo became an independent country.

Sports

James Anderson first-ever fast bowler to take 600 wickets in Test Cricket

• England's James Anderson has become the first-ever fast bowler to take 600 Test wickets. 38 year-old Anderson created history during England's third test match against Pakistan on August 25, 2020 in Southampton.

• He reached the milestone when he dismissed Pakistan's Azhar Ali and claimed his 600th Test wicket.

• Overall he is the 4th bowler to take 600 test wickets after 3 spinners Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, and Anil Kumble.

Indian Table Tennis star Poulomi Ghatak announced retirement

• Indian Table Tennis star, Poulomi Ghatak has announced retirement. The Kolkata-born athlete is a seven-time national champion, winning between 1998 and 2016.

• She had represented India at the Commonwealth Games in 2006 and Commonwealth championships between 2000 and 2008. She entered the Olympics in Sydney for the first time when she was 16.

Appointments and Resignations

Rajiv Srivastava Steps Down as MD & CEO of Indian Energy Exchange (IEX)

• Rajiv Srivastava, the Managing Director & CEO of Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) has resigned on August 24, 2020 from the board of the company with immediate effect, due to his personal reasons.

• The board of directors of the company have given Satyanarayan Goel the additional charge of Managing Director and CEO for an interim period.

Vinay Tonse becomes new MD and CEO of SBI Mutual Fund

• Vinay Tonse has been appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of SBI Mutual Fund (MF).

• He will replace Ashwani Bhatia, who has been now appointed as the managing director (MD) of State Bank of India.

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Important Current Affairs 26th August 2020

National

GoI and AIIB sign MoU for $500 million for Mumbai Urban Transport Project-III

• The Government of India, the Government of Maharashtra, Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has signed a loan agreement for a $500 million Mumbai Urban Transport Project-III.

• The aim of the project is to improve the network capacity, service quality and safety of the suburban railway system in Mumbai.

20-year old Indian wins ‘World's Fastest Human Calculator' title

• India’s Neelakanta Bhanu Prakash has won the ‘World's Fastest Human Calculator' title. The 20-year-old won the first-ever gold for India in Mental Calculation World Championship at Mind Sports Olympiad (MSO) held in London recently.

• Neelakanta Bhanu Prakash belongs to Hyderabad and he is currently pursuing Mathematics (Hons.) at Delhi University's St Stephen College. He is the proud owner of four world records and 50 Limca records for being the fastest human calculator in the world.

• Prakash’s brain can reportedly calculate quicker than the speed of a calculator. He has broked the records once held by Math maestros like Scott Flansburg and Shakuntala Devi.

Kerala’s 1st-ever Dragonfly Festival

• WWF-India Kerala State Office is joining hands with the Society for Odonate Studies (SOS) and Thumbipuranam for the first-ever state “Dragonfly Festival” in Kerala, christened ‘Thumbimahotsavam 2020’.

• Dragonfly Festival, a series of events will be rolled out in the coming months to reach out to various sections of the society.

•  This is part of the National Dragonfly Festival organised by WWF India, Bombay Natural History Society and Indian Dragonfly Society in association with National Biodiversity Board, UN Environmental Programme, UN Development Programme and IUCN-CEC.

Banking and Economy

ICICI Bank uses satellite data to assess creditworthiness of farmers

• Private lender ICICI Bank makes use of satellite data, imagery from Earth observation satellites, to assess credit worthiness of farmers.

• ICICI Bank has become the 1st bank in India to use such a technique to measure an array of parameters related to the land, irrigation and crop patterns and use it in combination with demographic and financial parameters to make quick lending decisions for farmers.

Rs.8,594 cr to be disbursed to stressed NBFCs and HFCs

• The Finance Ministry said 24 proposals by stressed non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and housing finance companies (HFCs) worth тВ╣8,594 crore have been sanctioned under the special liquidity scheme.

• The scheme was announced in July, as part of the тВ╣20.97 lakh crore ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ package.

Centre announces Tax exemptions for businesses with annual turnover of up to Rs 40 lakh

• The Ministry of Finance has announced that the businesses with an annual turnover of up to Rs 40 lakh are now GST exempt. Earlier, this limit was Rs 20 lakh.

• The Ministry has also informed that those businesses with an annual turnover up to Rs 1.5 crore can opt for the Composition Scheme and pay only 1 percent tax.

Awards

Tomyas Award for Reshma Mohandas

• Reshma Mohandas, a nurse with the Government Medical College (MCH), Kottayam, has been selected for the Tomyas Award worth тВ╣1 lakh for the best nurse in Kerala.

• The award was instituted in memory of Treesa Ignatius, mother of Thomas Pavaratti, owner of Thrissur-based Tomyas Advertising Agency.

• The Award will be presented by Bobby Paul and Antio Paul, directors of Star Plastics, at Tomyas Garden, Peramangalam, on October 2.

Acquisitions and Mergers

CCI approves Siemens’ acquisition of C&S Electric

• Fair trade regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) said it approved the proposed acquisition of C&S Electric by Siemens.

• As per a statement issued by Siemens in January, it had inked an agreement to acquire 99 per cent equity in New Delhi-based C&S Electric for around Rs 2,100 crore.

Science and Technology

Indian Satellite ‘AstroSat’ Detects UV Light From Galaxy 9 Billion Light Years Away

• India’s first multi-wavelength satellite, AstroSat, has detected an extreme ultraviolet (UV) light from a galaxy, called AUDFs01.This galaxy is 9.3 billion light-years away from Earth, in the Hubble Extreme Deep field.

• AstroSat is India’s first multi-wavelength satellite, which has five unique X-ray and ultraviolet telescopes working in tandem.The discovery was made by an international team of astronomers led by Dr Kanak Saha, associate professor of astronomy at the Pune-based Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA).

• This research was published on August 24, 2020, by Nature Astronomy.

Obituary

Former Congo President Pascal Lissouba passes away

• Former President of the Republic of Congo, Pascal Lissouba passed away. He became the minister of agriculture in 1960 after Congo became an independent country.

•  He served as the president from 1992 to 1997. He served as the Prime minister under the Presidency of Alphonse Massamba Debat.

Appointments and Resignations

DRDO chief G Satheesh Reddy gets two-year extension

• Renowned Indian scientist, G Satheesh Reddy was given a two-year extension as the chairman of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

• He was appointed to the post in August 2018 for two years.

Days

Women's Equality Day

• This day commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which granted the women right to vote. In 1971, the U.S. Congress officially recognized August 26 as Women's Equality Day.

• A day which holds a lot of political significance in world history.

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Important Current Affairs 25th August 2020

National

Government launches 'Open API Service' in Aarogya Setu app

• An innovative feature ‘Open API Service’ has been introduced by Aarogya Setu to help the people, businesses and the economy in its efforts to return to normalcy.

• The newly launched service will help the organizations to get the health status of their employees as well as any other Aarogya Setu User without violating their data privacy.

• Aarogya Setu’s Open API Service addresses the fear/risk of C - 19 infections and enables organizations to verify the status of Aarogya Setu and integrate it into its various Work from Home features.

Nabard launches credit guarantee programme for NBFC-MFIs

• The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has launched dedicated debt and credit guarantee product named Structured Finance and Partial Guarantee Programme to NBFC-MFIs to ensure the unhindered flow of credit in rural areas hit by the C-19 pandemic.

• It will provide partial guarantee on pooled loans extended to small and mid-sized microfinance institutions (MFIs). Nabard has signed a pact with Vivriti Capital and Ujjivan Small Finance Bank for this.

India’s longest river ropeway inaugurated in Assam

• The longest river ropeway of India has been inaugurated in Assam. The ropeway is 1.8 Km long and connects Guwahati and North Guwahati over Brahmaputra river.

• The ropeway will be operated from Kachari Ghat in Guwahati to Dol Govinda temple in North Guwahati. The ropeway will allow passengers to witness the beautiful landscapes of Guwahati city, river Brahmaputra, and the Umananda Temple.

• It has been built at an estimated cost of Rs 56 crore and has as many as 58 CCTV cameras installed for round-the-clock monitoring of the ropeway service.

India to have its own vaccine portal soon: ICMR

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has announced that India will soon have its own dedicated vaccine portal. The portal is under development and will serve as a repository of data related to the vaccine development in the country.

• The portal will be launched by next week by the medical research body ICMR.

Banking and Economy

India and AIIB sign agreement for $500 million for Mumbai Urban Transport Project-III

• Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has signed a loan agreement (with Government of India, the Government of Maharashtra and Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation) for a $500 million Mumbai Urban Transport Project-III.

• The aim is to improve the network capacity, service quality and safety of the suburban railway system in Mumbai.

• With a population of 22.8 million (2011), Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) is the most populous metropolitan region in India and is expected to reach 29.3 million by 2031 and 32.1 million by 2041.

Sports

Bayern Munich wins UEFA Champions League 2019-20

• Bayern Munich overcame Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 to lift the UEFA Champions League 2019-20 trophy in Lisbon. Kingsley Coman scored the only goal in an entertaining affair between the league champions of Germany and France.

• Bayern lifted their sixth Champions League trophy and a first one since the 2012-13 season. The final was played in Lisbon, Portugal.

First female golfer from Germany Sophia Popov wins Women’s British Open

• World number 304 Sophia Popov became the first female golfer from Germany to capture a major title after winning the Women’s British Open by two strokes at Royal Troon in Scotland.

Books and Authors

A book titled “Gastric Cancer” released by Jitendra Singh

• Union Minister, Jitendra Singh has released a book on cancer named “Gastric Cancer” edited by Dr Ashok K. Vaid. Ashok K. Vaid is a Noted Oncologist and was awarded Padma Shri in 2009 for his outstanding work in the field of medicine.

• The book was launched during a special session organized during the 3-day virtual conference on Oncology. The book is published by Springer Healthcare Education.

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