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Important Current Affairs 3rd September 2020

National

Government of India Blocks 118 Mobile Apps

• The Union Ministry of Information and Technology has on September 2, 2020 imposed a ban on PUBG and 118 other mobile applications by invoking it’s power under section 69A of the Information Technology Act read with the relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules 2009.

• These applications have been blocked as there was information that these apps are engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state as well as public order.

• This is the third such announcement by Indian Government to ban apps. Earlier, the government banned Tik Tok and other Chinese apps.

India Targets 100 MT Coal Gasification By 2030

• The Government of India has set the target to achieve 100 million tonnes (MT) coal gasification by the year 2030.

• This will be achieved with an estimated investments of over Rs. 4 lakh crores.

• The announcement was made by Shri Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of Coal and Mine, while addressing a webinar on Coal Gasification and Liquefaction on 31 August 2020.

European Investment Bank to Invest € 650 Million in Kanpur’s 1st City Metro Line

• The European Investment Bank (EIB) will invest 650 million euro(€) in the construction of Kanpur’s(Uttar Pradesh) 1st city metro line.

• The 32.4 km urban rail line, with 18 elevated and 12 underground stations is EIB’s 2nd biggest operation outside the European Union (EU) till date.

• It is the 2nd metro rail project supported by the EIB in Uttar Pradesh (UP).

Union Cabinet approves J&K official languages Bill 2020

• The Union Cabinet has approved J&K official languages Bill 2020 and will be introduced in Parliament in the upcoming Monsoon Session..

•  According to the J&K official languages Bill 2020, Kashmiri, Dogri and Hindi along with Urdu and English, will be the official languages in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Mission Karmayogi approved by Union Cabinet

• Union Cabinet has approved Mission Karmayogi for Capacity Building of Civil Servants in India. Mission Karmayogi is a national initiative for civil services capacity building so that Indian bureaucrats remain be rooted in Indian culture while learning the best practices.

• Mission Karmayogi is a national programme for civil services capacity building to lay the foundation for the capacity building for civil servants so that they remain entrenched in Indian culture while learning from best practices across the world.

Coal India decides to invest over Rs. 1.22 lakh crores on 500 projects by 2023-24

• Coal India Ltd. (CIL) has decided to invest over Rs. 1.22 lakh crores on the development of nearly 500 projects that are related to infrastructure, coal evacuation, project development, clean coal technologies, and exploration in the country.

• The major investment aims at making India self-reliant in terms of coal as well as achieve the production target of 1 billion tonnes by 2023-2024.

• Coal Mines minister, Prahlad Joshi, while addressing stakeholders' meeting informed that the involvement of all the stakeholders in the company’s affairs will uncover and reduce the project risks.

CFI all set to host First-Ever Cycling Summit in 2021

• The Cycling Federation of India (CFI) is all set to host the first-ever Cycling Summit in 2021, with an aim to promote the culture of cycling in the country.

• The CFI said that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a marketing exploration firm, Contarctica, for the summit.

• The Cycling Summit 2021 will be hosted in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore and is expected to be a unique confluence of cycling enthusiasts, renowned athletes, and businesses from all over the country.    

International

Mustapha Adib becomes new Prime Minister of Lebanon

• Lebanon’s ambassador to Germany, Mustapha Adib was appointed prime minister in crisis-hit Lebanon. Adib, who has been Beirut’s Berlin envoy since 2013, is affiliated with a small Sunni party headed by former Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

Banking and Economy

Real GDP likely to contract by 10.9% in FY21: SBI Ecowrap

• After the country’s economy contracted by a record 23.9 per cent in April-June quarter, real GDP for FY21 is expected to shrink by 10.9 per cent, according to State Bank of India’s research report – Ecowrap.

• It had earlier estimated real gross domestic product (GDP) at (-) 6.8 per cent for the current fiscal.

• According to the research report, there is a need to revive sectors such as construction, trade and hotels, aviation.

Science and Technology

Indian astronomers discover one of the farthest Star galaxies in universe

• Indian astronomers have discovered one of the farthest Star galaxies in the universe in a landmark achievement. India’s first Multi-Wavelength Space Observatory ‘AstroSat’ has detected extreme-UV light from a galaxy located 9.3 billion light-years away from Earth.

• The galaxy called AUDFs01 was discovered by a team of Astronomers led by Dr Kanak Saha from the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune.

Sports

Sumit Nagpal becomes first Indian in 7 years to enter the second round of Grand Slam Singles event

• Sumit Nagpal on September 1, 2020, created history by becoming the first Indian to win a singles' main draw match at a grand slam in the last 7 years. The 23 years old successfully stormed into the second round of the ongoing US Open.

• Sumit Nagpal defeated Bradley Klahn of USA 6-1, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in the first round of the US Open in order to progress further into the tournament.

• Earlier in 2013, Somdev Devvarman had reached the second round of the Australian Open, US Open, and French Open. Sumit Nagpal who is world number 122 will now be facing either Spain’s Jaume Munar or Austria’s Dominic Thiem.

Appointments and Resignations

Vice Admiral S R Sarma assumes charge as Chief of Materiel of the Indian Navy

• Vice Admiral S R Sarma assumed charge as the Chief of Materiel of the Indian Navy.

• Admiral Sarma during his illustrious career spanning over three and a half decades has served onboard Indian Naval ships Vindhyagiri, Rana, Krishna and Mysore in various capacities.

Hemant Khatri assumed charge as CMD of Hindustan Shipyard Limited

• Retired Commodore Hemant Khatri succeeds Rear Admiral L V Sarat Babu (Retd) and assumed charge as the Chairman and Managing director (CMD) of Hindustan Shipyard limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

• Previously he was serving as the Director of Strategic Projects HSL.

Ranking

India's Adani Green ranked as world’s No. 1 solar firm

• Indian renewable energy company, Adani Green has been ranked as the world's number 1 solar energy company in terms of capacity. The company is currently the world's top solar developer with around 2.3 GW of operational projects.

• Adani Green Energy Limited has another 2 GW projects under construction and 8 GW of awarded projects (with contracted PPAs) for a total capacity of 12.3 GW. The solar capacity of the company exceeds the total installed capacity of the United States as of 2019.

Days

Skyscraper Day

• Skyscraper Day is observed on 3rd September every year to commemorate the birthday of the famous architect William Can Aien who is genius in constructing the Chrysler Building which is one of the iconic landmark in New York city.

• This day marks the ability of the man to construct industrial masterpiece.

World Coconut Day

• World Coconut Day is observed on September 02 every year since 2009.

• It is observed to tell people about the benefits of the coconut fruit.

• The theme of World Coconut Day 2020 is ‘Invest in coconut to save the world’.

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Important Current Affairs 2nd September 2020

National

Defence Ministry signs ₹2,580-cr deal for 6 Pinaka rocket regiments

• The Defence Ministry has signed a ₹2,580-crore contract with Bharat Earth Movers Ltd (BEML), Tata Power Company Ltd (TPCL) and Larsen & Toubro to equip the Army with six Pinaka rocket regiments.

• It will consist of 114 launchers with automated gun aiming and positioning system, 45 command posts and 330 vehicles.

• The new regiments will likely be operational by 2024.

India plans to release forensic accounting and investigation standards

• Indian government plans on coming up with forensic accounting and investigation standards (FAIS) as it aims at setting the basic quality parameters for conducting investigations.

• A committee has been constituted by The Institute of Chartered Accountant of India (ICAI) to deliberate on FAIS, which can be expected to be framed by the end of 2020. Atul Kumar Gupta, President of the Chartered Accountants body informed during a virtual conference.

• As per the ICAI, the decision of setting up the forensic accounting and investigation standards (FAIS) will make India the first country in the world to release the standards.

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has mandated a forensic audit for the transactions of over Rs. 200 crores while the companies or lenders individually call for such investigations or audits upon the suspected fraud.

Air India’s privatization process to be completed within 2020

• The Union Civil Aviation Minister, HS Puri on August 30, 2020, informed that he is hopeful of completing Air India’s Privatization process within 2020.

• The government has now initiated the process of divesting its share from Air India airlines and is now looking for suitable bidders.

World’s Largest Solar Tree set up at Durgapur

• World’s Largest Solar Tree has been developed by the CSIR-CMERI. The solar tree has been installed at the Residential Colony of CSIR-CMERI in Durgapur, West Bengal.

• The solar tree has the annual capacity to generate 12,000-14,000 units of Clean and Green Power while its installed capacity is above 11.5 kWp.

• The Solar Tree has been designed in such a way that it ensures maximum exposure of each Solar PV Panel to Sunlight. A single solar tree comprises of 35 Solar PV Panels each having a capacity of 330 wp each.

India’s first toy cluster to come up in Karnataka

• India’s first toy manufacturing cluster to come up at Koppal, Karnataka, has the potential to create 40,000 jobs in five years and attract over Rs 5,000 crore investment, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, said.

• With the eco-system to support toy cluster in place, this 400 acres SEZ will have top-class infra and generate 40,000 jobs in 5 years.

International

India to receive development assistance loan worth Rs 3,500 Cr from Japan to fight C-19

• Japan has committed an official Development Assistance loan of 3 thousand 500 crore rupees for the C-19 Crisis Emergency Response Support.

• This programme loan aims to support India’s efforts in fighting C-19 and to prepare the health system to manage future epidemics and also to improve the resilience of India’s health systems against infectious diseases.

Banking and Economy

RBI Announces Steps to Ease Pressure on Liquidity

• The Reserve Bank of India has announced the following measures to ensure the orderly functioning of financial markets in India:

• Additional special open market operation of Rs 20,000 crore: The Reserve Bank will conduct additional special open market operation involving the simultaneous purchase and sale of Government securities for an aggregate amount of Rs. 20,000 crore in two tranches of Rs. 10,000 crore each.

• Term repo operations for an aggregate amount of Rs. 100,000 crore: The Reserve Bank will conduct term repo operations for an aggregate amount of ₹100,000 crore at floating rates (i.e., at the prevailing repo rate) in the middle of September 2020 to assuage pressures on the market on account of advance tax outflows. The banks which had availed of funds under the previous long-term repo operations (LTROs) may reduce their interest liability by returning funds taken at the repo rate prevailing at that time (5.15 per cent) and availing funds at the current repo rate of 4 per cent.

• Increase of HTM up to an overall limit of 22 per cent of NDTL: Currently, banks are required to maintain 18 per cent of their net demand and time liabilities (NDTL) in SLR securities. The extant limit for investments that can be held in HTM category is 25 per cent of total investment. Banks are allowed to exceed this limit provided the excess is invested in SLR securities within an overall limit of 19.5 per cent of NDTL. RBI has decided to allow banks to hold fresh acquisitions of SLR securities acquired from September 1, 2020 under HTM up to an overall limit of 22 per cent of NDTL up to March 31, 2021.

Summits and Mou’s

Vedanta Tied Up with SBI for Long Term Syndicated Loan of Rs.10000 Crore

• Vedanta announced it tie up for a long-term syndicated loan facility for Rs.10000 crore with State bank of India (SBI).

• This loan increases the average debt maturity profile of Vedanta limited and also improves the liquidity ratios as the near-term maturities are replaced by a long-term loan.

Science and Technology

India, France discuss to provide Mission Alpha-like equipment for Gaganyaan Mission

• India and France are in discussions to provide Mission Alpha-like equipment to astronauts involved in the ‘Gaganyaan' mission. As per the National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) of France, the discussions are in the final stage.

• Mission Alpha is the name of French Astronaut Thomas Pesquet’s mission wherein he will be sent to International Space Station (ISS) on Crew Dragon spacecraft next year.

Appointments and Resignations

In a first, female IPS officer appointed CRPF Inspector General in terror-hit Srinagar

• Charu Sinha has become the first female IPS officer to get appointed as the Inspector General (IG) of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the terrorist-hit Srinagar sector.

• Charu Sinha is a 1996-batch IPS officer from Telangana cadre. She will now be heading the Srinagar sector for CRPF as the Inspector General.

• However, this is not the first time that Sinha has been assigned such a tough task. Earlier as well, she has worked as Inspector General of CRPF in the Bihar sector and has dealt with Naxals. Under her leadership, several anti-Naxal operations were carried out.

CBDT chairman Pramod Chandra Mody gets six-month extension

• Pramod Chandra Mody was on Monday given a six-month extension till February next year as the chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).

• Mody, a 1982 batch Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax cadre) officer, was appointed the CBDT chief in February 2019.

• He was in August last year re-appointed on the post for one year, till August 31, 2020, beyond the date of his superannuation on August 31, 2019.

Days

September to be observed as ‘Nutrition Month’

• Prime Minister has announced that the month of September will be observed as “Nutrition Month” in the entire nation.

• During nutrition month, a food and nutrition quiz will be organized on MyGov portal and there will be a meme competition.

• PM has appealed to the public to participate and motivate others too to take part in it.

Books and Authors

A book title “The Big Thoughts of Little Luv” authored by Karan Johar

• Bollywood Filmmaker, Karan Johar authored a children’s picture book titled “The Big Thoughts of Little Luv” inspired by his Twins Yash and Roohi. The book will be published by Juggernaut Books.

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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 30th August 2020

National

Assam Government to set up Skill University worth Rs 900 Crore at Darrang district

• The Assam Cabinet has approved the Assam Skill Development University Bill which allows for setting up a state-of-the-art skill University at Mangaldoi in Darrang district of Assam.

• The University at Mangaldoi will be the Centre of Excellence and first ever Skill University in north eastern states of the country. It will be spread over 100-bigha plot.

• The total cost of setting up the University is estimated at Rs 900 crore with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank.

Kerala to set up India’s First International Women’s Trade Centre

• Biju Prabhakar, IAS, Secretary, Department of Social Justice, Women & Child Development announced that Kerala will set up India’s First International Women Trade Centre(IWTC) in accord with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations(UN) at Angamaly, Kochi, Kerala.

• This announcement was made during the webinar on “Scaling up Opportunities for MSME women Entrepreneurs in Kerala” organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry(FICCI) Kerala State Council.

International

World War II Spy Becomes First Indian-origin Woman to Get Memorial Plaque in London

• Britain’s World War II spy, Noor Inayat Khan, became the first Indian-origin woman to be honoured with a memorial Blue Plaque at her former family home in central London.

• The Blue Plaque scheme, run by the English Heritage charity, honours notable people and organisations who were connected with particular buildings across London.

Banking and Economy

SBI gets global recognition for HR initiative ‘Nayi Disha’

• State Bank of India (SBI) has got global recognition for its HR initiative ”Nayi Disha” which over the course of 1.5 years has touched more than 2.40 lakh employees.

• The bank has won three Brandon Hall Excellence Awards, also known as the Academy Awards of Learning & Development in three categories viz. Best Learning Program supporting a Change Transformation Business Strategy, Best Use of Blended Learning and Best Unique or Innovative Learning and Development Program.

• It recognizes the best organizations that have successfully deployed programs, strategies, modalities, processes, systems, and tools to achieve measurable results.

Awards

Punjab University wins prestigious Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy for second consecutive year

• The Panjab University has been conferred with the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad(MAKA) Trophy for the year 2019.

• This is the second consecutive year in a row that Panjab University has won this coveted trophy, which is given to overall top performing University in Inter-University Tournaments.

Obituary

Veteran Athletics coach Purshottam Rai passes away at 79

• The veteran athletics coach Purshottam Rai has passed away due to a cardiac arrest on 28 August 2020. He was 79.

• Rai was to be conferred the prestigious Dronacharya Award in the lifetime category on 29 August 2020, on the ocassion of the National Sports Day.

• Rai is known for providing coaching top athletes such as Olympian quarter miler Vandana Rao, hept athlete Pramila Aiyappa, Ashwini Nachappa, Murali Kuttan, MK Asha, EB Shyla, Rosa Kutty and GG Pramila.

Writer-journalist Gail Sheehy, author of bestselling book ‘Passages,’ passes away

• Gail Sheehy, the journalist, commentator and pop sociologist whose best-selling Passages helped millions navigate their lives from early adulthood to middle age and beyond, has died in Southampton, New York. She was 83.

• She has written nearly 17 books, the most prominent and influential was “Passages” (1976), which examined the predictable crises of adult life and how to use them as opportunities for creative change.

Former Supreme Court Judge Justice A.R. Lakshmanan passes away

• Former Supreme Court judge Justice, A.R. Lakshmanan passed away. He was born in Devakottai in Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu on March 22, 1942.

• He was appointed as the supreme court judge on December 20, 2002 and retired on March 22, 2007.

•  Currently he was the sitting representative of Tamil Nadu in the Mullai Periyar Panel headed by Justice A.S.Anand.

Sports

Sri Lankan cricketer Tharanga Paranavitana retire from International Cricket

• Sri Lankan Opening batsman Nishad Tharanga Paranavitana announced retirement from all forms of International Cricket at the age of 38.

• He has represented Sri Lanka in 32 Test Matches scoring 1792 runs including two hundreds and 11 fifties.

Days

International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances : 30 August

• The International Day of the Disappeared is held on August 30 each year to draw attention towards increase in enforced or involuntary disappearances of individuals in various regions of the world, including arrest, detention and abduction unknown to their relatives and/or legal representatives.

• The day was adopted by UN General Assembly on 21 December 2010 and was first observed in 2011.

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Important Current Affairs 29th August 2020

National

New Air Defence Command to be announced by October

• The Defence Ministry is working to restructure the armed forces to set up a new air defence command under the Indian Air Force (IAF) at Prayagraj by the second week of October 2020.

• The Department of Military Affairs has hastened its work to prepare the structure of the command under an Air Force officer. Efforts are being made to announce the creation of the air defence command at Prayagraj on Air Force Day on October 8, 2020, as per government sources.

• The air defence command has been proposed to be set up alongside the Central Command Headquarters of the IAF that controls important air bases including Agra, Gwalior and Bareilly. This comes amid India’s ongoing tensions with China.

Chunauti- Next Generation start-up challenge contest launched by IT Minister

• “Chunauti”, a Next Generation Startup Challenge Contest has been launched by the Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad.

• The programme aims to identify around 300 startups working in identified areas and provide them seed fund of upto Rs. 25 Lakh and other facilities. The government has earmarked an amount worth Rs 95.03 crore over a period of 3 years for the programme.

• Under the contest, the Electronics and IT Ministry will invite startups in the following areas of work:

1. Edu-Tech, Agri-Tech & Fin-Tech Solutions for masses

2. Supply Chain, Logistics & Transportation Management

3. Infrastructure & Remote monitoring

4. Medical Healthcare, Diagnostic, Preventive & Psychological Care

5. Jobs & Skilling, Linguistic tools & technologies

Union Minister Piyush Goyal launches National GIS-enabled Land Bank system

• Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal e-launched the National GIS (Geographic Information System)-enabled Land Bank system (https://iis.ncog.gov.in/parks) for six states.

• The platform will provide a database of industrial areas/clusters across the country and will serve as a one-stop solution to the free and easy accessibility of all industrial information.

International

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe steps down due to poor health

• Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe resigned from his position on August 28, 2020 due to his declining health. However, he did not name his successor while stepping down.

• The long-serving Japan's Prime Minister has been combating chronic disease named 'ulcerative colitis' for many years. He was set to retire in September 2021.

Banking and Economy

RBI to dissolve Banking Codes and Standards Board of India

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to dissolve the Banking Codes and Standards Board of India (BCSBI).

• BCSBI was set up by the Reserve Bank in February 2006 as an independent and autonomous body, assigned to formulate codes of conduct to be adopted by banks voluntarily for ensuring fair treatment of customers.

• BCSBI, in collaboration with the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA), has evolved two codes – Code of Bank’s Commitment to Customers and the Code of Bank’s Commitment to Micro and Small Enterprises – which set minimum standards of banking practices for member banks to follow when they are dealing with individual customers and micro and small enterprises.

HDFC Bank & Adobe partners to enhance digital customer experiences

• HDFC Bank has announced a strategic partnership with Adobe to enhance the Digital Experiences of its Customers.

• The partnership is powered by Adobe Experience Cloud Solutions and will help HDFC Bank to deliver personalised digital experiences to existing as well as new customers, at anytime and anywhere.

• The Bank will use platforms like Data Management Platform in Adobe Audience Manager to develop a deep understanding of the customers.

Sports

Bryan brothers duo announces retirement from professional tennis

• The Bryan brothers, the most successful men’s doubles team in the history of tennis, have announced retirement with immediate effect on 27 August 2020, ending their 22-year professional careers.

• The American Bryan Brothers are identical twin brothers Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, both 42-years of age and have won more professional games, matches, tournaments and Grand Slams than any other men’s pairing..

• They held the World No. 1 doubles ranking jointly for 438 weeks

Days

National Sports Day

• Every year India observes the National Sports Day, (Rashtriya Khel Divas), on 29 August to mark the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, who is regarded as nation’s greatest hockey player of all time.

• The National Sports Day was celebrated for the first time in 2012.Major Dhyan Chand Singh won Olympics gold medals for India in the years 1928, 1932 and 1936. He has scored over 400 goals in his career, from 1926 to 1948.

• The day is used as a platform to launch various sports schemes as well as organise various sporting events and seminars to spread awareness about the importance of physical activities and sports in life.

International Day against Nuclear Tests

• The International Day against Nuclear Tests is held on August 29 since 2010. It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 2, 2009.

• The day aims to increase awareness about the effects of nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions and the need for their cessation as one of the means of achieving the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world.

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Important Current Affairs 28th August 2020

National

Government announces 7 new circles of Archaeological Survey of India

• The Ministry of Culture, India has announced 7 new circles of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Prahlad Singh Patel, Culture and Tourism Minister in a video message informed about the decision.

• These 7 new circles are Raiganj, Trichy, Rajkot, Jhansi, Jabalpur, Meerut & Hampi. This new addition takes the total number of ASI circles across India to 36. The move is aimed at strengthening process of preservation of the archaeological monuments.

Banking and Economy

Axis Bank introduces ‘Axis Liberty Savings Account’ for millennial customers

• The private sector lender Axis Bank has launched a new savings account called the ‘Axis Liberty Savings Account’, with focus on millennial customers.

• The product is aimed at salaried professionals under the age of 35, because they are digitally savvy, well-informed and are on the look-out for offers and deals which they compare before choosing.

Awards

Dutch author Marieke Lucas Rijneveld wins International Booker Prize 2020

• The International Booker Prize 2020 has been won by Dutch author Marieke Lucas Rijneveld for her debut novel ‘The Discomfort of Evening’.

• The novel has been translated from Dutch to English by Michele Hutchison.

• The £50,000 prize ($66,000) will be split equally between the author and translator to give equal recognition to both.

• The 29-year-old Dutch writer Marieke Lucas Rijneveld is the youngest author to win the International Booker Prize

Science and Technology

Class 9 student from Manipur develops mobile game ‘Coroboi’ amid C-19 pandemic

• A 13-year old boy from Manipur, Baldeep Ningthoujam has developed a mobile game named Coroboi amid C-19 which became a popular android based game worldwide.

• The game which was launched in google play store has become one of the most popular searches and download games.

Obituary

Computer Pioneer Arnold Spielberg passes away

• Arnold Meyer Spielberg, a pioneered computer designer & an innovative engineer passed away at the age of 103. Spielberg and Charles Propster designed the GE-225 mainframe computer in the late 1950s while working for General Electric.

•  The machine allowed computer scientists at Dartmouth College to develop the programming language BASIC, which would be essential to the rise of personal computers in the 1970s and ‘80s.

• Spielberg helped to develop the 1st point-of-sale computerised cash register, it is regarded as his greatest contribution.

• He designed and patented the 1st electronic library system, which was implemented as an interrogation system for data stored on an array of magnetic tapes.

Appointments and Resignations

TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer resigns

• Kevin Mayer resigns as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TikTok. His resignation comes just less than 3 months after his appointment.

• For now, Vanessa Pappas, the General Manager of TikTok North America, will take over as the interim head of the company.

Sanjiv Singh joins Reliance as Group President

• Former Indian Oil Corp (IOC) chairman Sanjiv Singh has joined Reliance Industries Ltd as Group President.

• Sanjiv will lead and drive the Group manufacturing services (GMS) organisation which is the backbone of our oil-to-chemicals business

Ranking

Jeff Bezos becomes first person to hit a net worth of $200 million

• Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO on August 26, 2020, became the first person in the world to hit a net worth of $200 million.

• Earlier in August 2020, Jeff Bezos had sold shares worth $3.1 billion in the e-commerce company.

Days

World Water Week 2020 observed on 24-28 August

• The World Water Week is an annual global event organized by Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) since 1991 to address the planet’s water issues and related concerns of international development.

• The World Water Week 2020 has been organised from 24-28 August in virtual format due to the C-19.

• The theme for World Water Week 2020 at Home is ‘Water and Climate change: Accelerating Action’.

Books and Authors

Army Chief releases book on National Security

• Indian Army Chief, General Manoj Mukund Naravane has released a book titled “National Security Challenges: Young Scholars’ Perspective” penned by university students, ranging from the undergraduate level to doctoral candidates.

• The book published by the Army think-tank Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS).

• The book is a collection of the 2018-2019 Field Marshal Manekshaw Essay Competition (FMMEC) award-winning and few select essays, which are divided into three themes, namely: Conceptual understanding and facets of India’s national security; Technological evolution, cyber threats and security and national, regional and global experiences.

Book on renowned Cricket Coach Vasoo Paranjape titled ‘Cricket Drona’ to be released on September 2

• A book titled ”Cricket Drona” which is based on the life of one of India’s most respected cricket coaches, Vasoo Paranjape, is scheduled to be released on 2 September 2020.

• The book is published by Penguin.

• It has been co-authored by Paranjape’s son, former India player and current national selector Jatin along with cricket journalist Anand Vasu.

Running Toward Mystery: The Adventure of an Unconventional Life’ Book by Tenzin Priyadarshi and Zara Houshmand

• The book titled ‘Running Toward Mystery: The Adventure of an Unconventional Life’ is an account by Tenzin Priyadarshi, president and CEO of The Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, of his lifelong journey as a seeker.

• Co-written with Iranian American author and literary translator Zara Houshmand.

• In “Running Toward Mystery, Priyadarshi shares his thoughts on science and technology, meditation and spiritual disillusionment, and the relationship between Buddhism and the modern world.

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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 ₹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 ₹8,594 crore have been sanctioned under the special liquidity scheme.

• The scheme was announced in July, as part of the ₹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 ₹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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