Important Weekly Current Affairs PDF Download (22nd to 31st August 2020)

By Priyanka Priya - Sep 05 2020

Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of 4th August 2020. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBI Clerk 2020 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

Earth Overshoot Day

  • In 2020, Earth Overshoot Day lands on August 22.
  • Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity has exhausted nature’s budget for the year

International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief – 22 August

  • The General Assembly decided to designate 22 August as the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief.

Women’s Equality Day

  • Women’s Equality Day is celebrated in the United States on August 26 to commemorate the 1920 adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment (Amendment XIX) to the United States Constitution, which prohibits the states and the federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex.

 World Water Week

  • World Water Week takes place between 24 to 28 August 2020, and is organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). World Water Week 2020 and this year’s theme ‘Water and Climate change: Accelerating Action’.

International Dog Day

  • International Dog Day is observed on August 26 every year for drawing attention to the plight of canines around the world and encouraging adoption.

National Sports Day

  • Every year on August 29, India celebrates its National sports day. The day is celebrated to honour the legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand.

International Day against Nuclear Tests

  • The International Day against Nuclear Tests is observed on August 29. It was established on December 2, 2009

International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances

  • The International Day of the Disappeared, on August 30 of each year, is a day created to draw attention to the fate of individuals imprisoned at places and under poor conditions unknown to their relatives and/or legal representatives.

National Small Industry Day

  • Every year 30 August is observed as the National Small Industry Day.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

Niti Aayog suggests linking sugarcane prices to sugar rates

  • Niti Aayog task force has recommended linking sugarcane prices to sugar rates.
  • The report of the panel on “Sugarcane and Sugar Industry”, headed by Niti Aayog Member (Agriculture) Ramesh Chand, was finalised in March 2020.

Shri Ram Vilas Paswan launches online system of Registration and Renewal for Jewellers and online system of recognition and renewal of Assaying and Hallmarking (A&H) Centers

  • The Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Shri Ram Vilas Paswan virtually launched the online system of Registration and Renewal of Jewellers and online system of recognition and renewal of the Assaying and Hallmarking Centres.

India’s longest river ropeway connecting Guwahati and North Guwahati over Brahmaputra river inaugurated

  • In Assam, the longest river ropeway of the country is inaugurated connecting Guwahati and North Guwahati. Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Guwahati Development Department Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya inaugurated the 8- kilometre long ropeway service. The ropeway has been operated from Kachari Ghat in Guwahati to Dol Govinda temple in North Guwahati.

Govt activates Aadhaar authentication for new GST registration

  • Government has activated Aadhaar authentication for new goods and services tax (GST) registration to enhance ease of doing business. For those opting for Aadhaar authentication, new GST registration will be issued within three working days and will not need to wait for physical verification.

Centre Forms National Council for Transgenders to Formulate Policies Aimed at Equality & Participation

  • The Centre has constituted the National Council for Transgender Persons to formulate policies, programmes, legislation and projects regarding members of the community for achieving equality and full participation by them.
  • The council was established by the Centre in exercise of the powers conferred by the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, according to a gazette notification issued.

Validity of motor vehicle documents extended till Dec 31 amid Covid-19 pandemic

  • Central government extended the validity of expiring driving licenses and motor vehicle documents till December 31 in the wake of coronavirus crisis.

CMIA partners with UNDP to set up help desk for MSMEs

  • Chamber of Marathwada Industries and Agriculture (CMIA) has partnered with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to establish Covid-19 help desk to facilitate Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

Businesses with annual turnover of up to Rs 40 lakh are GST exempt: Finance Ministry

  • The Ministry of Finance said that businesses with an annual turnover of up to Rs 40 lakhs are exempt from GST and those with a turnover up to Rs 1.5 crore can opt for the Composition Scheme and pay only one per cent tax. Earlier, the GST exemption limit was Rs 20 lakh.

NITI Aayog releases Export Preparedness Index 2020

  • NITI Aayog released the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2020. EPI intends to identify challenges and opportunities; enhance the effectiveness of government policies and encourage a facilitative regulatory framework.

Ministry of Culture announces 7 new circles of Archaeological Survey of India

  • The Ministry of Culture has announced 7 new circles of Archaeological Survey of India, ASI.
  • New circles have been created in Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal and Gujarat. Mr Patel stated, Trichy, Raiganj, Rajkot, Jabalpur, Jhansi and Meerut have been announced as new circles.

NHA releases Draft Health Data Management Policy of National Digital Health Mission

  • The National Health Authority has released the Draft Health Data Management Policy of the National Digital Health Mission in the public domain.

DoPPW to integrate e- Pension Payment Order with Digi Locker

  • The Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare, DoPPW has decided to integrate the electronic Pension Payment Order, e-PPO generated through PFMS application of Controller General of Accounts, with Digi Locker, to enhance Ease of Living of Central Government Civil Pensioners.

Mission COVID Suraksha’: Govt mulls mission with Rs 3,000-crore corpus for development, manufacture of Covid-19 vaccine

  • The government has proposed setting up a ‘Mission COVID Suraksha’ with a corpus of Rs 3,000 crore to accelerate the development and manufacture of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines in the country.

Social Justice Ministry to launch mental health rehabilitation helpline “Kiran

  • The Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry has launched a toll-free helpline to enable access to mental health resources.
  • The “Kiran” mental health rehabilitation helpline number, 1800-599-0019, will provide callers “support for early screening, first-aid, psychological support, distress management, mental well-being, preventing deviant behaviours, psychological crisis management etc.,

Piyush Goyal launches GIS-enabled national land bank portal for details on industrial belts

  • Commerce and Industry minister Piyush Goyal virtually launched a first-of-its kind GIS-enabled national land bank portal , which will help investors zero in on land located in various states for potential projects.

Government launches contest “Chunauti” to promote startups in small towns

  • Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad has launched “Chunauti”- Next Generation Startup Challenge Contest to further boost startups and software products with special focus on Tier-II towns of the

Indian Railways set to meet all it’s energy needs of over 33 billion units by 2030

  • Indian Railways is set to meet all it’s energy needs of more than 33 billion units by 2030.
  • The current annual requirement is about 21 billion units. Railways Minister Piyush Goyal stated, Railways have developed a mega plan for installing solar plants of 20 Gigawaat capacity by utilizing its vacant land by 2030.

Centre to develop three Bamboo Clusters in Jammu, Katra and Samba areas of J&K

  • Minister of  Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Dr Jitendra Singh has stated that three Bamboo Clusters will be developed in Jammu, Katra and Samba areas for making of Bamboo basketry, Agarbatti and Bamboo Charcol. He stated it will provide direct employment  to nearly 25 thousand people.

UTIITSL ties up with NHA to provide print services for PMJAY e-cards

  • State-owned UTI Infrastructure Technology and Services Ltd (UTIITSL) stated it has signed a pact with the National Health Authority (NHA) to provide the printing services of e-cards for the beneficiaries of the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).

Govt approves 78 new routes under Udan scheme; focus on North East, islands

  • Centre has approved 78 new additional routes to be awarded under the fourth round of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)- ‘Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik’ (UDAN) focusing on boosting connectivity in the North East, hilly states and islands.

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NITI Aayog

  • Formed: 1 January 2015
  • Headquarters: New Delhi
  • Chairperson: Narendra Modi
  • CEO: Amitabh Kant

Ministry of External Affairs:

  • Headquarters: New Delhi
  • Subrahmanyam Jaishankar: Minister of External Affairs
  • Constituency: Gujarat
  • Muraleedharan: Minister of State for External Affairs

MoFAPD

  • Cabinet Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution: Ram Vilas Paswan
  • Constituency: Hajipur, Bihar.

MoRTH:

  • Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Minister of Shipping and MSME: Nitin Jairam Gadkari
  • Constituency: Nagpur, Maharashtra

Chamber of Marathwada Industries and Agriculture (CMIA):

  • President: Kamleish Dhoot
  • Headquarter: Aurangabad, Maharashtra

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):

  • Administrator: Achim Steiner
  • Headquarter: New York, United States of America (USA)

Ministry of Finance

  • Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs of India: Nirmala Sitharaman
  • Constituency: Rajya sabha, Karnataka

 Ministry of Culture:

  • Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State (Independent Charge)
  • Constituency: Damoh

National Health Authority:

  • Headquarters– New Delhi, India
  • CEO– Indu Bhushan (CEO of AB-PMJAY)

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions:

  • Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India and Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
  • Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions

MoSJE

  • Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment: Thaawar Chand Gehlot
  • Constituency: Shajapur , Madhya Pradesh

MoCI:

  • Minister of Railways and Minister of Commerce and Industry: Piyush Vedprakash Goyal
  • Constituency: Mumbai, Maharashtra

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology:

  • Ravi Shankar Prasad: Cabinet Minister
  • Constituency: Patna Sahib
  • Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre: Minister of State

Indian Railways:

  • Piyush Goyal :Minister of Railways
  • Constituency: Maharasthra
  • Suresh Angadi :Minister of State for Railways

Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region:

  • Jitendra Singh: Minister of State (Independent Charge)
  • Constituency: Udhampur, J&K

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL

MEA in partnership with Foreign Ministry of Thailand organize 6th Round Table of AINTT

  • The Ministry of External Affairs in partnership with the Foreign Ministry of Thailand has organized the 6th Round Table of ASEAN-India Network of Think Tanks (AINTT). The theme of the two day Round Table which was conducted through video conferencing was ‘ASEAN-India: Strengthening Partnership in the Post COVID Era’.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Iconic Glasses Sold For $340,000 In UK

  • A pair of gold-plated glasses worn by Mahatma Gandhi has sold in Britain for 260,000 pounds (about 288,000 euros, $340,000) equivalent to 5 crores in Indian rupees.

WHO blasts ‘vaccine nationalism’ in last-ditch push against hoarding

  • The WHO has an 31 deadline for wealthier nations to join the “COVAX Global Vaccines Facility” for sharing vaccine hopefuls with developing countries. Tedros stated he sent a letter to the WHO’s 194 member states, urging participation.

India, Uzbekistan Co-Chair First National Coordination Committee Meet; Discuss Trade, Investment

  • India and Uzbekistan co-chaired the first National Coordination Committee meeting, wherein they held “fruitful” discussions on issues of bilateral interests such as Line of Credit (LoC) projects, trade and investment.

World Health Organization declares Africa free of polio

  • World Health Organization has declared Africa free of polio, a landmark in a decades-long campaign to eradicate the notorious disease around the world. This was announced by WHO Regional Director of Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti. She described this as a historic day for Africa.

BRICS Industry Ministers attend video meeting to discuss ways to boost cooperation in 5G, AI

  • Industry Ministers of BRICS countries have attended a video meeting to discuss ways to boost cooperation in areas including 5G and Artificial Intelligence (AI). As per chinese state media, the meeting adopted a joint statement on cooperation in new industries such as 5G, AI and the industrial Internet, among the five members bloc which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Germany to issue ”green bonds” worth up to $13B this year

  • The German government plans to generate up to 11 billion euros ($13 billion) for clean transportation and renewable energy projects this year by issuing so-called green bond, officials stated.

14th India-Singapore Defence Policy Dialogue via video conferencing

  • The 14th India-Singapore Defence Policy Dialogue (DPD) was held via video conferencing. It was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar and Permanent Secretary (Defence), Singapore Mr Chan Heng Kee.

India co-sponsors UN security council resolution on women peacekeepers

  • India has co-sponsored a security council resolution that calls for full, effective and meaningful participation of women personnel in peacekeeping operations. India’s Permanent Mission to the UN stated that India is proud to co-sponsor the resolution which was put forth by Indonesia.

Global tourism lost USD 320 bn in 5 months due to coronavirus :UN

  • The tourism global industry has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic, with USD 320 billion lost in exports in the first five months of the year and more than 120 million jobs at risk, the UN chief stated.

Bangladesh’s Beximco signs Covid-19 vaccine deal with India’s Serum Institute

  • Bangladesh’s Beximco Pharmaceuticals is investing in the Serum Institute of India (SII) to ensure Dhaka gets priority access to COVID-19 vaccines being developed by the Indian drug manufacturer, the company stated.

SII has partnered with AstraZeneca , the Gates Foundation and the Gavi vaccine alliance to produce more than a billion doses of a COVID-19 vaccine for global supply.

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Thailand :

  • Capital: Bangkok
  • Currency: Baht

UK

  • Capital: London
  • Prime minister: Boris Johnson
  • Currency: Pound sterling

World Health Organization (WHO):

  • Director-General– Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
  • Headquarter– Geneva, Switzerland

Uzbekistan:

  • Capital– Tashkent
  • Currency– Uzbekistani soʻm

 BRICS:

  • BRICS is the acronym coined for an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The BRICS members are known for their significant influence on regional affairs. Since 2009, the BRICS nations have met annually at formal summits. Brazil hosted the most recent 11th BRICS summit on 13–14 November 2019.

Germany :

  • Capital: Berlin
  • President :FrankWalter Steinmeier
  • Chancellor:Angela Merkel

Singapore

  • Capital: Singapore City
  • Currency: Singapore dollar
  • Prime Minister: Lee Hsien Loong

United Nations Security Council:

  • Headquarters: New York, United States
  • Founded: 24 October 1945

World Tourism Organization:

  • Headquarters: Madrid, Spain
  • Secretary-General: Zurab Pololikashvili

Serum Institute of India Private Limited:

  • Founder: Cyrus S. Poonawalla
  • Headquarters; Pune, Maharashtra, India
  • President: Adar Poonawalla

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE

KVG Bank inks pact with SBI General Insurance

  • The Dharwad-headquartered Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank (KVGB) and SBI General Insurance Co Ltd have signed an MoU to sell general insurance products through the branches of KVGB.

SBI partners with AddaCorner to boost real estate deals in Bengaluru

  • State Bank of India (SBI) unveiled an online home carnival in partnership with real-time group negotiation e-platform AddaCorner.

ADB Approves $250 Million Loan to Support Myanmar’s COVID-19 Response

  • The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $250 million loan to help the Government of Myanmar respond to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic by mitigating the impacts on people’s health, livelihoods, and the economy, while also ensuring that the poor and vulnerable benefit from the country’s economic recovery.

Bharti AXA’s non-life insurance business to merge with ICICI Lombard General Insurance

  • Bharti AXA’s non-life insurance business is set to merge with ICICI Lombard General Insurance, in what will end up creating the country’s third largest non-life insurance company.

RBI unveils 5-year national strategy for financial education

  • The Reserve Bank of India released a national strategy for financial education to be implemented in the next five years. The central bank stated the multi-stakeholder led approach is aimed at creating a financially aware and empowered India.

HSBC India comes up with green deposit programme for corporate clients

  • HSBC India launched a “green deposit programme”, exclusively for corporate clients, under which deposits will be used by the bank to finance green initiatives and environment friendly projects. The deposit scheme will come in the form of a term deposit, which typically attracts higher interests as compared to savings deposits.

Digit Launches SME Buddy to Simplify Insurance for SMEs and Startups

  • Digit Insurance has launched an exclusive do-it-yourself (DIY) advisory tool for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and startups, SME Buddy.

Axis Bank launches hiring initiative named ‘Gig-a-Opportunities’

  • Axis Bank has launched a new initiative named ‘Gig-a-Opportunities’. The initiative aims to attract skilled talent that can work with the bank remotely, from anywhere in the country.

Digital payments market in India likely to grow 3-fold to Rs 7,092 lakh cr by 2025

  • Digital payments in India are expected to grow over three-folds to Rs 7,092 lakh crore by 2025 on account of government policies around financial inclusion and growing digitisation of merchants, according to a research report.

Paytm Payments Bank enables banking through Aadhaar cards

  • Paytm Payments Bank has enabled banking services through Aadhaar cards by integrating Aadhaar-enabled Payment System.

RBL Bank Selects Accenture to Accelerate Its Digital Journey

  • RBL Bank announced that Accenture (NYSE: ACN) will transform and enhance the future readiness of the bank’s information technology (IT) systems and accelerate its digital transformation journey.

Nabard introduces debt and credit guarantee product

  • The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has introduced a dedicated debt and credit guarantee product, ‘Structured Finance and Partial Guarantee Program for Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFC)-Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs)’, to ensure unhindered flow of credit to the last mile in rural areas hit by the pandemic.

Government of India and AIIB Sign Agreement For $500 Million To Improve Network Capacity Of Mumbai Suburban Rail

  • The Government of India, the Government of Maharashtra, Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) signed a loan agreement for a $500 million Mumbai Urban Transport Project-III to improve the network capacity, service quality and safety of the suburban railway system in Mumbai.

RBI announces OMO worth Rs.20,000 crore to tame G-Sec yields

  • The Reserve Bank of India has decided to conduct simultaneous purchase and sale of government securities (G-Secs) under open market operation (OMO) for 10,000 crore each on August 27 and September 3 in a bid to tame G-Sec yields, which jumped almost 24 basis points in the last six trading sessions.

NSE to launch ‘silver options’ in commodity derivatives segment from September 1

  • Leading stock exchange NSE will launch ‘silver options’ in the commodity derivatives segment from September 1.

ICICI Bank Becomes First in India to Use Satellite Data To Assess Farmer Loans

  • ICICI Bank has announced that it will make use of satellite data, in combination with technologies from agri-tech and fin-tech firms, to offer advanced, remote credit assessment for extending loans to farmers.

SBI General Insurance Launches ‘Shagun – Gift an insurance’ policy

  • SBI General Insurance, one of the leading general insurance companies in India, announced the launch of first-of-its-kind offering, ‘Shagun – Gift an Insurance”, a unique gift of Personal Accident policy. This product was filed by SBI General under Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority’s (IRDAI) Sandbox regulations.

RBI projects country’s growth rate at (-) 4.5 per cent for 2020-21

  • The Reserve Bank has projected India’s growth rate at (-) 4.5 percent for 2020-21. In its annual report released, RBI  projected global growth rate between (-) 6.0 per cent and (-) 7.6 per cent. The report says that expected headline inflation will remain elevated in the current quarter, but likely to ease in the second half of the fiscal.

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). The Reserve Bank has since set up CEPD (Consumer Education and Protection Department), issued the Charter of Customer Rights (CoCR), and considerably strengthened the Ombudsman mechanism to enhance consumer protection.

Bajaj Allianz General Insurance launches cover for pet dogs

  • Bajaj Allianz General Insurance launched its pet insurance product called ‘Bajaj Allianz Pet Dog Insurance Policy’. This is India’s only retail comprehensive pet insurance offering for pet dogs.

HSBC launches one-stop solution for multiple payment options

  • HSBC India introduced Omni Collect — a one-stop solution to provide multiple payment options on single platform.
  • The aim is to simplify the way businesses collect payments through various digital modes. With this, the businesses can offer various digital payment modes to their customers.

Axis Bank Introduces ‘Liberty Savings Account’ for the Indian Youth

  • Axis Bank, India’s third-largest private sector bank, announced the launch of its ‘Liberty Savings Account’.
  • This unique proposition offers customers the flexibility to either maintain a minimum balance of Rs 25,000 per month or spend the same amount every month through the Liberty debit card or savings account (via NetBanking, Axis Mobile or UPI) on lifestyle requirements.

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance launches real-time assistance service

  • Private life insurer Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance has launched a new technology service called ‘Smart Assist’ that provides real-time assistance to customers.

RBI launches surveys on consumer confidence, inflation expectations

  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced the launch of the latest round of its surveys to capture consumer confidence and inflation expectations from households, which are useful inputs for monetary policy.

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KVGB:

  • Headquarters: Dharwad
  • Chairman: P Gopi Krishna

SBI General Insurance Co Ltd:

  • Headquarters location: Mumbai
  • MD & CEO: Prakash Chandra Kandpal

 SBI:

  • Chairperson: Rajnish Kumar
  • Headquarters: Mumbai

ADB:

  • Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Philippines
  • President: Masatsugu Asakawa

Myanmar :

  • Capital: Naypyitaw
  • Currency: Burmese kyat
  • President: Win Myint

ICICI Lombard General Insurance:

  • CEO: Bhargav Dasgupta
  • Headquarters: Mumbai

 Bharti Axa General Insurance Company Ltd:

  • Headquarters: Mumbai
  • MD & CEO: Sanjeev Srinivasan

Reserve Bank of India (RBI):

  • Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
  • Formation– 1 April 1935
  • Governor– Shaktikanta Das
  • Deputy Governors– 4 (Bibhu Prasad Kanungo, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, one is yet to be appointed).

HSBC India:

  • Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
  • CEO: Surendra Rosha

Axis Bank:

  • CEO: Amitabh Chaudhry
  • Headquarters: Mumbai

Paytm:

  • CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma
  • Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

RBL Bank:

  • Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
  • MD & CEO: Vishwavir Ahuja

Accentures:

  • Headquarters: Dublin, Ireland
  • Chairperson and Senior Managing Director, India: Rekha M. Menon
  • Chief Executive Officer, Global: Julie Sweet

NABARD

  • Founded: 12 July 1982
  • Headquarters: Mumbai
  • Chairman: G R Chinthala

AIIB:

  • Headquarters: Beijing, China
  • President: Jin Liqun

NSE:

  • Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer – Mr. Vikram Limaye
  • Headquarters – Mumbai.

ICICI Bank

  • CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi
  • Headquarters: Mumbai

Bajaj Allianz General Insurance:

  • CEO: Tapan Singhel
  • Headquarters: Pune

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Flipkart partners with Sastodeal in Nepal to enable cross-border trade

  • Walmart-owned Flipkart has entered into a strategic partnership with Nepal’s Sastodeal, a move that will help lakhs of Flipkart sellers get access to the neighbouring country’s e-commerce market.

IBM India, NSDC tie-up for offering free digital skills training

  • IBM announced its collaboration with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to offer free digital skills training to learners in India.

Tech Mahindra and NITI Aayog collaborate to support women entrepreneurs in India

  • Tech Mahindra announced a collaboration with NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) to support women entrepreneurs across the country.

Mahindra ties up with Israel’s REE Automotive to develop commercial EVs

  • Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has inked a pact with Tel Aviv-based REE Automotive to explore production of electric commercial vehicles.
  • The Mumbai-based firm has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the start-up to explore development and manufacturing of electric commercial vehicles for global markets.

TVS Automobile Solutions and Google tie up to digitise auto aftermarket

  • TVS Automobile Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (TVS ASL) stated that it has joined hands with Google Cloud to build a digital ecosystem that can connect several stakeholders in the unorganised and fragmented auto aftermarket industry.

Greenko and NTPC to partner for supplying on-demand green energy

  • Hyderabad-based Greenko Energies Pvt Ltd plans to partner with state run NTPC Ltd to develop ‘round-the-clock’ power supply.

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Flipkart

  • CEO: Kalyan Krishnamurthy
  • Headquarters: Bangalore

IBM

  • Executive Chairman: Virginia M. Rometty
  • Chief Executive Officer: Arvind Krishna
  • Headquarters: New York, United States of America

Tech Mahindra

  • CEO: C. P. Gurnani
  • Headquarters: Pune

M&M

  • CEO: Anand Mahindra
  • Founded: 2 October 1945, Ludhiana

Greenko Energies:

  • Founder, CEO & MD– Anil Kumar Chalamalasetty
  • Headquarters– Hyderabad, Telangana

NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam(NVVN):

  • CEO– Mohit Bhargava
  • Headquarters– New Delhi

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

Madhya Pradesh becomes first state to provide govt jobs on basis of NRA marks

  • Madhya Pradesh has become the first state to provide government jobs on the basis of marks obtained in exams conducted by the newly-formed National Recruitment Agency (NRA).

 Odisha celebrates festival Nuakhai festival

  • Nuakhai is a festival observed in Odisha to celebrate the reaping of new crops. Nuakhai is celebrated in western Odisha and some parts of Chhattisgarh as a harvest festival.

Odisha Introduces Scheme to Promote Bio-Floc Fish Farming Technology

  • Fisheries and Animal Resources Department of the Odisha Governmenthas rolled out a new scheme to promote intensive Aquaculture through bio-floc technology in fisheries.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to lay foundation stone & inaugurate 35 highway projects in MP

  • Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari will lay foundation Stone and inaugurate 35 highway projects in Madhya Pradesh. The total length of road will be 1,139 kilometers, involving construction value of over 9,400 crore.

Delhi govt launches Niraman Mazdoor Registration Abhiyan for construction workers

  • The Delhi government launched Niraman Mazdoor Registration Abhiyan, under which a mega registration campaign will be held for construction workers from August 24 to September 11.

Kerala’s first-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 ‘Thumbi Maholsavam 2020’.

Assam: Handicraft production centre inaugurated in Guwahati

  • In Assam, in a bid to give a boost to the Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Mission, a handicraft production centre is inaugurated in Guwahati by Assam Apex Weavers and Artisans Cooperative Federation Limited- ARTFED.

Arunachal Pradesh assembly passes resolution to bring state under Sixth Schedule

  • The Arunachal Pradesh Assembly has passed a resolution to bring the state under the ambit of Sixth Schedule of the Constitution besides amending Article 371(H) by inserting provisions to safeguard tribes of the state.

First marine ambulance in Kerala to be launched

  • ‘Pratheeksha’, the first marine ambulance will be commissioned in Kerala.
  • The marine ambulance built by the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) will be deployed at Vizhinjam.

Delhi government launches fitness channel on YouTube for students stuck at home

  • The Delhi government launched ‘Healthy Body, Healthy Mind’ campaign for students confined to their homes as schools remain closed in view of Coronavirus pandemic.

Assam Cabinet setting up of skill university in Darrang

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

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

  • Kerala will set up India’s first international women’s trade centre (IWTC), in consonance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at

UP Govt Launches ‘Major Dhyan Chand Vijaypath Yojana’ To Build Roads To 19 Int’l Players Houses

  • Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Keshav Prasad Maurya launched the Major Dhyan Chand Vijaypath Yojana under which 19 international players from the state will get road connectivity to their houses.

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Madhya Pradesh:

  • Capital: Bhopal
  • Governor: Anandiben Patel(additional charge)
  • Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

 Odisha

  • Capital: Bhubaneswar
  • Governor: Ganeshi Lal
  • Chief minister: Naveen Patna

The Ministry of Road Transport, Highways(MoRTH):

  • Union Minister: Nitin Jairam Gadkari
  • Minister of State: GEN. (DR) Vijay Kumar Singh

New Delhi

  • Chief minister: Arvind Kejriwal
  • Governor: Anil Baijal

Kerala

  • Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
  • Chief minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
  • Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan

Assam:

  • Capital: Dispur
  • Governor: Jagdish Mukhi
  • Chief Minister: Sarbananda Sonowal

Arunachal Pradesh

  • Capital: Itanagar
  • Chief Minister: Pema Khandu
  • Governor: D. Mishra

 Delhi:

  • Governor: Anil Baijal, IAS
  • Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal

UP

  • Capital: Lucknow
  • Governor: Anandiben Patel
  • Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU

Ministry of Tourism virtually signs an MoU with Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) &  FICCI Ladies Organisation(FLO) to promote tourism as sustainable livelihood model for women’s economic empowerment

  • The tourism ministry has virtually signed an MoU with the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) and the FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) to promote tourism as a sustainable livelihood model for the economic empowerment of women, a statement .

APEDA signs MoUs with AFC India Ltd and NCUI, Delhi to utilise their expertise in agri sector

  • Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)is engaged with State governments for the implementation of agri export policy. Several States, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala have also finalised the action plan for the implementation of policy.

Haryana govt inks deal with M3M foundation to provide online classes to students

  • A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Department of Employment, Haryana and the M3M Foundation in order to facilitate the online preparation, training and mentoring for the government jobs for the students.

 HDFC Bank partners with Adobe to enhance digital customer experiences

  • HDFC Bank announced a strategic partnership with Adobe to enhance the digital experience journey of its customers.
  • Powered by Adobe Experience Cloud solutions, this partnership will enable HDFC Bank to deliver personalised digital experiences to existing as well as new customers, at anytime and anywhere.

Innoviti partners with Visa to develop installments platform for face-to-face transactions

  • Innoviti had entered a partnership with Visa, the leader in payments technology to develop a platform that will enable issuers to extend credit to their cardholders at face-to-face point-of-sale (In India).

Ericsson and UNICEF launch global partnership to map school internet connectivity

  • Ericsson and UNICEF announced a global partnership to help map school connectivity in 35 countries by the end of 2023.

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 FICCI Ladies Organisation:

  • President: Jahnabi Phookan
  • Headquarter: New Delhi

Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI):

  • President: Jyoti Mayal
  • Secretariat: Mumbai, Maharashtra

AFC India Ltd:

  • AFC India Ltd., is a deemed to be Govt. organization, wholly owned by Commercial Banks, NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) and EXIM Bank (Export-Import Bank of India), established in 1968.
  • Headquarter: Mumbai, Maharashtra

National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI):

  • President: Dr. Chandra Pal Singh Yadav
  • Headquarter: New Delhi

Haryana

  • Capital: Chandigarh
  • Chief minister: Manohar Lal Khattar
  • Governor: Satyadev Narayan Arya

HDFC

  • MD & CEO: Sashidhar Jagdishan
  • Headquarters: Mumbai
  • Tagline: We understand your world

Innoviti Payment Solutions Pvt. Ltd

  • Registered office: Bangalore, Karnataka
  • Chief Executive Officer(CEO): Rajeev Agrawal

Visa

  • Headquarters: California, United States
  • Chairman and CEO: Alfred F. Kelly, Jr.

Ericson

  • Headquarters: Stockholm, Sweden
  • CEO: Börje Ekholm

UNICEF

  • Headquarters: New York, United States
  • Head: Henrietta H. Fore

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

People’s Bank of China picks up stake in ICICI Bank via QIP issue

  • The Chinese central bank People’s Bank of China has acquired a very small stake in ICICI Bank through the recently closed Rs 15,000 crore share sale by the country’s second largest private sector lender.
  • The Chinese central bank has picked up shares worth Rs 15 crore in Rs 15,000 crore qualified institutional placement (QIP) issue.

 Axis Bank to acquire 17% in Max Life Insurance instead of 29%

  • Axis Bank has decided to cut down on its investments in Max Life Insurance. It now plans to acquire 002 per cent of the equity share capital of the life insurer.
  • The private sector lender had in April announced plans to acquire 29 per cent stake in Max Life Insurance.

Cognizant to acquire Tin Roof Software to expand digital engineering services

  • Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. has entered into an agreement to acquire Tin Roof Software, an Atlanta-based custom software and digital product development services company, to expand its digital engineering services capabilities.

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PBOC

  • Headquarters: Beijing, China
  • Governor: Yi Gang

ICICI

  • CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi
  • Headquarters: Mumbai

Axis Bank:

  • CEO: Amitabh Chaudhry
  • Headquarters: Mumbai

Max Life Insurance

  • Headquarters: New Delhi
  • CEO: Prashant Tripathy

Cognizant:

  • CEO: Brian Humphries
  • Headquarters: Teaneck, New Jersey, United States

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS  AND  RESIGNATIONS

Rajiv Kumar appointed new Election Commissioner following resignation of Ashok Lavasa

  • Former finance secretary Rajiv Kumar has been appointed new election commissioner. He will replace Ashok Lavasa, who resigned. Mr Kumar will take charge the day Mr Lavasa leaves his office on August 31. Mr Kumar’s appointment comes at a time when the election commission is preparing to hold Bihar assembly polls amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Karnataka Bank appoints 2 new additional directors

  • Karnataka Bank has appointed Justice AV Chandrashekar and Pradeep Kumar Panja as Additional Directors. The bank appointed the additional directors .

Ashwani Bhatia appointed Managing Director of SBI

  • Ashwani Bhatia was appointed as the Managing Director (MD) of the State Bank of India (SBI), according to a Personnel Ministry order. Bhatia is at present working as the Deputy Managing Director in SBI.

DRDO chief G Satheesh Reddy gets two-year extension

  • G Satheesh Reddy has been given a two-year extension as the Chairman of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

IEX board accepts resignation of MD & CEO Rajiv Srivastava 

  • Indian Energy Exchange said its board of directors have accepted resignation of its Managing Director and CEO Rajiv Srivastava.

Vinay Tonse is the new MD & CEO of SBI Funds

  • SBI Funds Management Private Ltd has appointed Vinay Tonse as Managing Director & CEO with immediate effect. He will take over from Ashwani Bhatia, who will return to parent SBI as Managing Director.

Former IOC Chairman Sanjiv Singh joins Reliance as Group President

  • Former Indian Oil Corp (IOC) chairman Sanjiv Singh has joined Reliance Industries Ltd as Group President for billionaire Mukesh Ambani-run firm’s oil-to-chemicals business.

Yatinder Prasad appointed on Coal India board

  • State-owned Coal India stated Yatinder Prasad, joint secretary and financial advisor with the Ministry of Coal, has been appointed on its board.
  • Prasad is a 1993-batch Indian Audit and Accounts Service officer, Coal India Ltd (CIL) stated.

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe resigns over worsening health

  • Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving premier, he was resigning because of poor health, ending a stint at the helm of the world’s third-biggest economy during which he sought to revive growth and bolster its defences.

Dr. Akinwumi Adesina re-elected unanimously as President of the African Development Bank Group

  • Akinwumi A. Adesina has been re-elected to serve a second five-year term as President of the African Development Bank Group by the Board of Governors of the Bank.

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Karnataka bank:

  • Headquarters: Mangalore
  • CEO: Mahabaleshwara M. S

Indian Energy Exchange(IEX)

  • Interim MD & CEO: Satyanarayan Goel
  • Headquarters: New Delhi

SBI Mutual Fund:

  • Headquarters: Mumbai, India
  • Denys de Campigneulles :Deputy CEO

RIL Group

  • CEO: Mukesh Ambani
  • Head Quarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

Coal India:

  • CEO: Anil Kumar Jha
  • Headquarters: Kolkata

Japan

  • Capital: Tokyo
  • Currency: Japanese yen

AfDB

  • Headquarters: Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
  • President: Akinwumi Adesina

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONORS

Abhijit Paul’s ‘Am I’ wins first prize in Online Patriotic Short Film Contest

  • A Short film titled ‘Am I?’ directed by Abhijit Paul won the first prize and a cash award of one lakh rupees in the Online Patriotic Short Film Contest organized by the Ministry Of Information and Broadcasting along with National Film Develoment Corporation, NFDC.

 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 the State.

 Anand Mahindra, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen to receive 2020 Leadership Awards from USISPF

  • Mahindra group Chairman Anand Mahindra and Adobe Chairman and CEO Shantanu Narayen with its 2020 Leadership Awards in recognition of their exemplary vision towards promoting US-India bilateral ties.

NLCIL bags “Swachhta Hi Seva award” for transforming Neyveli Township into plastic-free, green campus

  • NLCIL, the Navratna CPSE, has bagged the award for making extremely valuable contribution in the implementation of the “Swachhta Hi Seva Programme” from the Government of India.
  • Shri 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.

Govt school teacher from Ladakh selected for National Awards to Teachers, 2020

  • A government school teacher from Ladakh has been selected for the National Awards to Teachers, 2020. Head Teacher of Middle School Taknak Sakti in Kharu block of Leh – Ladakh, Sonam Gyaltsan, has been selected for the prestigious National award.

Wabag Wins Prestigious Global Water Award For Project In Chennai

  • Water technology major Va Tech Wabag has won the prestigious Global Water Award for its 45 million litres a day tertiary treatment reverse osmosis (TTRO) plant at Koyambedu in Chennai.

Neelakanta Bhanu Prakash won ‘World’s Fastest Human Calculator’ title

  • Twenty-year-old Neelakanta Bhanu Prakash of Hyderabad has emerged as the fastest human calculator in the world after winning first-ever gold for India in Mental Calculation World Championship at Mind Sports Olympiad (MSO) held in London

29-year-old Marieke Lucas Rijneveld becomes youngest author to win International Booker Prize

  • A 29-year-old Dutch writer Marieke Lucas Rijneveld has become the youngest author to win the International Booker Prize.
  • Marieke Lucas Rijneveld’s “The Discomfort of Evening,” a dark story about a devout farming family in a strict Christian community in the rural Netherlands.

World War 2 spy Noor Inayat Khan first Indian origin woman to get UK memorial plaque

  • Noor Inayat Khan, a World War 2 spy and descendant of ruler Tipu Sultan, became the first Indian origin woman to be honoured with the Blue Plaque in the UK.

 SBI bags three Brandon Hall Excellence Awards for ‘Nayi Disha’

  • The country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) has won three Brandon Hall Excellence Awards for rolling out ‘Nayi Disha’ over the course of 1.5 years touching more than 2.40 lakh employees.

Vattatha Uravakkayi Jalasamrudhi’ wins award for excellence at the National Water Innovation Summit

  • The ‘Vattatha Uravakkayi Jalasamrudhi’ project for water conservation in the Kattakada constituency has won the award for excellence at the National Water Innovation Summit organised by Elets Technomedia Pvt. Ltd. in association with the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti. 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS AND CONFERENCE

International Conference on Climate Change and Its Impact on Himalayan Region From September 14 to 16

  • A three-day online international conference on Aerosol air quality, climate change and its impact on water resources and livelihoods in the Greater Himalayas will be held from September 14 to 16.
  • The Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital and Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University will jointly organise the conference.

17th meeting of India-Vietnam Joint Commission held via video-conference

  • The 17th meeting of the India-Vietnam Joint Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation was held via video-conference.

 CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

ARCI scientists convert tamarind waste & cotton waste to supercapacitor electrodes

  • Scientists at theInternational Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials (ARCI), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India, have developed a couple of cost-effective electrode material for making affordable supercapacitor devices, from waste biomass like tamarind seeds and industrial cotton waste.

IIT Madras Researchers discover new component to effectively split Water into Hydrogen and Oxygen using Solar Power

  • Indian Institute of Technology Madras Researchers have discovered a new material to effectively split Water into Hydrogen and Oxygen using Solar Power.

Govt school teacher from Ladakh selected for National Awards to Teachers, 2020

  • A government school teacher from Ladakh has been selected for the National Awards to Teachers, 2020. Head Teacher of Middle School Taknak Sakti in Kharu block of Leh – Ladakh, Sonam Gyaltsan, has been selected for the prestigious National award.

IIT Bombay,Shiv Nadar researchers develop environment friendly lithium batteries

  • Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay and Shiv Nadar University claim to have developed a technology for production of environment friendly Lithium-Sulfur (Li-S) batteries which will be three times more energy efficient and cost effective than Lithium-ion batteries commonly used at present.

China sends a new Earth observation satellite Gaofen-9 05 into space

  • China successfully launched a new Earth observation satellite, Gaofen-9 05, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
  • The satellite, sent into orbit by a Long March-2D carrier rocket, is an optical remote-sensing satellite with a resolution up to the sub-meter level.

Start up RoDeSo develops gesture controlled robot Astra for remote use in Covid, hazardous environment

  • A student start-up RoDeSo of the BITS Pilani Hyderabad Technology Business Incubator (TBI) has developed a voice and gesture controlled robot ‘Astra’ (Automated Solution for Transportation in Remote Area) which can be deployed in isolation wards for Covid-19 infected cases.

Manipur student develops mobile game ‘Coroboi’ amid COVID-19

  • A class 9 student from Imphal, Baldeep Ningthoujam has developed a mobile game ‘Coroboi’ amid COVID-19 pandemic.

IIT Madras, Stuttgart University develop method to dispose pharma waste

  • Indian Institute of Technology(IIT), Madras along with German researchers have developed ‘co-composting’ methods that can be used to safely dispose of toxic pharmaceutical wastewater and sludge.
  • Their method converts the waste into compost of high quality and within just 20 days.

Indian Satellite AstroSat Detects Extreme UV Light Coming from Galaxy 9.3 Billion Light-years Away

  • AstroSat, India’s first multi-wavelength satellite, has detected an extreme ultraviolet (UV) light from a galaxy called AUDFs01 which is 3 billion light-years away from Earth.

Rare fish sighted by Andhra University scientists in Sileru

  • A rare fish called Mahseer (scientific name Tor) was sighted and fished out from the upper part of Sileru river, by a team of researchers from the Department of Zoology, Andhra University.

ISRO Signs Agreement With Technical Institute In Odisha To Promote Space Research

  • Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT), Odisha, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Under this agreement a Space innovation centre will be established in the university.

Scientists Develop Technique To Produce Biofuel From Algae To Boost India’s Clean Energy Efforts

  • Indian scientists have developed low-cost biodiesel from microalgae under the INSPIRE programme of ministry of science and technology. The Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (Inspire) is an innovative programme sponsored and managed by the ministry for attracting talents to research and innovation.

Astronomers trace mystery behind the formation of a star from dwarf galaxy

  • Star formation at a high rate requires very high density of Hydrogen in the galaxies. According to the study conducted by the ARIES team, the 40 MHz images of several intense star-forming dwarf galaxies indicated that hydrogen in these galaxies is very disturbed.

IIT-Hyderabad start-up launches world’s most affordable respirator mask

  • With a vision to provide high-quality protection, especially in the healthcare industry and its frontline workers, USafe’s US9 Respirator Mask has 98.03% PM0.3 filtration rate and 99.7% bacterial filtration rate (better than N95 standards).

IIT Alumni Council to build world’s largest, fastest hybrid quantum computer

  • The Indian Institute of Technology’s Alumni Council has signed an agreement with Lomonosov Moscow State University and Russoft to access and transfer key technologies from Russia to build the world’s largest and fastest hybrid quantum computer in India.

Tripura University scientist designs WARBOT to protect doctors

  • A scientist at Tripura University has designed a robot which can prevent the doctors, nurses and health staff from getting infected while they come in contact with patients infected with the virus. The robot is named as Covid-19 WARBOT.

Atal Dulloo inaugurates NAT-PCR facility at Government Medical College Srinagar

  • In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education Department, Atal Dulloo inaugurated State-of-Art Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT-PCR) facility at Government Medical College Srinagar. The NAT-PCR facility aimed at ensuring safer quality blood transfusion is funded under National Health Mission in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

India, France in talks for Mission Alpha-like equipment for Gaganyaan astronauts

  • Space agencies of India and France are in an advanced stage of discussions for providing necessary equipment to Gaganyaan’ astronauts, similar to the one to be used by French astronaut Thomas Pesquet for Mission Alpha next year.

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China

  • Currency: Renminbi
  • Capital: Beijing

ISRO

  • Headquarters: Bengaluru
  • Founded: 15 August 1969
  • Director: Kailasavadivoo Sivan

Vietnam:

  • Capital: Hanoi
  • Currency: đồng

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPS AND PORTALS

Nitin Gadkari launches Harit Path app

  • The road transport minister Nitin Gadkari also launched a mobile app ‘Harit Path’ to monitor the plantation along the national highways.
  • The minister launched ‘Harit Path’, a mobile app to monitor the plantations through geo-tagging and web-based GIS enabled monitoring tools.

Tata Plans ‘Super App’ To Bring Together Its Consumer Services

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

IAF launches mobile app ‘MY IAF’ to provide career-related information to aspirants

  • Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria launched a mobile application, “MY IAF”, that will provide career-related information to those who want to join the Indian Air Force.

Uttar Pradesh: CM Yogi Adityanath launches NRI unified portal

  • In Uttar Pradesh, the State Government will prepare a database of the migrant workers of the state working in different countries of the world. It will help in providing them assistance during any emergency. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched an ambitious NRI unified portal.

Government launches ‘Open API Service’ in Aarogya Setu app

  • The Government has introduced ‘Open API Service’, a novel feature to help the people, businesses and the economy to return to normalcy.

E-auction portal launched to promote trading of GI-tagged ‘Kashmir Saffron’

  • Jammu and Kashmir’s agriculture department has created an e-auction portal to promote trading of GI-tagged ‘Kashmir Saffron’.

NHAI develops portal to track performance of developers, consultants

  • The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has developed a portal to track the performance of its developers and consultants.

 Rajnath Singh launches mobile app for NCC training

  • Shri Rajnath Singh launched the Directorate General National Cadet Corps (DGNCC) Mobile Training App. The app would be useful for digital learning and help overcome the difficulties posed by the pandemic.

CISF launches ‘Pension Corner’ app for its retired personnel

  • CISF has launched ‘Pension Corner’ app be in touch with all its retired personnel to cater to their

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NHAI

  • Headquarters: New Delhi
  • Chairperson: Sanjeev Ranjan

Tata Group

  • Chairman: Natarajan Chandrasekaran
  • Headquarters: Mumbai

CISF

  • Headquarters: New Delhi, India
  • Founded: 1969
  • Director General: Rajesh Ranjan

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING

TN women top the list of MUDRA loan scheme beneficiaries

  • Over 15 crore loans amounting to 4.78-lakh-crore have been disbursed to women borrowers since the inception of the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) with Tamil Nadu topping the list in availing the loan followed by women in West Bengal and Karnataka.

 Gujarat tops Niti Aayog’s Export Preparedness Index 2020

  • Gujarat has topped the Niti Aayog’s Export Preparedness Index 2020 followed by Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

World Bank pauses publication of Doing Business report

  • The World Bank has decided to pause the publication of its Doing Business report following a number of irregularities regarding changes to data in previous reports.

India 72nd on global list with average monthly wage of Rs 32,800

  • India has been ranked a lowly 72nd among 106 countries in terms of the average wage per month, while Switzerland topped the chart, according to a global ranking of average wages prepared by com.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Book titled “Who painted my lust red?” authored by Sree Iyer launched

  • A book titled “Who painted my lust red?” that has been authored by Sree Iyer has been launched. The book is something about when Bollywood meets Cricket meets Politicians.

Garuda Prakashan to publish book on Delhi riots

  • Garuda Prakashan will publish “Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story”.
  • The authors — advocate Monika Arora and Delhi University teachers Sonali Chitalkar and Prerna Malhotra.

Running Toward Mystery: The Adventure of an Unconventional Lifeby Tenzin Priyadarshi,  Zara Houshmand

  • Running Toward Mysteryis the Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi’s profound account of his lifelong journey as a seeker. It is and co-written by Zara Houshmand

Book on renowned coach Vasoo Paranjape  ‘Cricket Drona’ to be released

  • A book named ”Cricket Drona” on one of India’s most respected cricket coaches, Vasoo Paranjape, will be released on September 2. The book published by Penguin has been co-authored by Paranjape’s son, former India player and current national selector Jatin along with cricket journalist Anand Vasu.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE

India Pavilion At Army-2020 Forum Inaugurated In Russia

  • The India Pavilion at the Army-2020 International Military and Technical Forum was inaugurated by Secretary (Defence Production) Raj Kumar and Indian Ambassador DB Venkatesh Verma outside Moscow.

DRDO expert panel to review charter of labs to cut overlap

  • The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has set up an expert panel to review the charter of its laboratories and minimise the overlap of technologies they are working on at a time when self-reliance in the defence sector is a top priority for the government.

INS Viraat to Be Dismantled at Alang in Gujarat

  • INS Viraat, the aircraft carrier that served the Indian Navy for 30 years before being decommissioned three years ago, is likely to be towed from Mumbai to Alang in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district next month to be dismantled and sold as scrap.

India withdraws from multilateral war game in Russia’s Kavkaz

  • India has decided to withdraw from a multilateral war game in Russia’s Kavkaz exercise next month.

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Russia

  • Capital: Moscow
  • President: Vladimir Putin
  • Currency: Russian Rouble

DRDO

  • Headquarters: DRDO Bhavan, New Delhi
  • Founded: 1958
  • Chief: G Satheesh Reddy

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS

Rohit Sharma awarded Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award with four others

  • Sports Ministry has confirmed 5 names for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award. 27 sportspersons will also get the Arjuna Award.
  • India’s vice-captain Rohit Sharma, who is one of the most established white-ball cricketers in world cricket, is all set to get India’s highest sporting award – The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award.

Ronnie O’Sullivan wins sixth World Snooker Championship at Crucible

  • Ronnie O’Sullivan won the World Snooker Championship to join Steve Davis and Ray Reardon as a six-time winner at the Crucible.

Football: Bayern Munich beat Paris Saint-Germain to win UEFA Champions League

  • In Football, German giants Bayern Munich have won the European Champions League for the sixth time after beating French side Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 at the final in Portugal’s capital, Lisbon.

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

Kallis, Sthalekar and Zaheer Abbas inducted into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

  • The International Cricket Council (ICC) inducted three retired greats of the game into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame South Africa’s gritty all-rounder Jacques Kallis and talented Australian World Cup-winning all-rounder Lisa Sthalekar were joined by Zaheer Abbas of Pakistan.

Australia all-rounder Cameron White announces retirement from professional cricket

  • Former Australia captain and all-rounder Cameron White has announced his retirement from all forms of professional cricket.

England pacer James Anderson becomes 1st fast bowler in history to take 600 Test wickets

  • England pacer James Anderson became the first fast bowler in history to take 600 Test wickets. The 38-year-old was seven wickets away from the feat when he started playing the third Test against Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl. On Day 5 of the match, he dismissed Pakistan batsman Azhar Ali to claim his 600th wicket.

Poulomi Ghatak retires from Table Tennis, shifts her focus on coaching

  • One of the most successful Indian table tennis players, Poulomi Ghatak,announced her retirement.
  • A seven-time national champion, Ghatak was the most prominent name in women’s table tennis in the last couple of decades.

India plans to host BRICS Games during Khelo India Games in 2021

  • India are planning to host BRICS Games in 2021 and may align it with Khelo India Games.
  • This announcement came after Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, attended a meeting of Sports Ministers of the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).

Japan’s Olympic doubles champion Ayaka Takahashi announces retirement

  • Japan’s Olympic badminton champion Ayaka Takahashi will not defend her doubles crown with Misaki Matsutomo at next year’s Tokyo Games after announcing she will retire at the end of the month.

AIFC and Football Coaches Australia sign MoU for development of game in India

  • The Association of Indian Football Coaches (AIFC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Football Coaches Australia (FCA) to assist each other in development of football in the two countries.

 Tennis legends Bob, Mike Bryan announce retirement

  • Tennis legends Bob and Mike Bryan have decided to retire ahead of the 2020 US Open.
  • The pair of 42-year-old identical twins are the most successful doubles duo in the history of the sport.

 Dwayne Bravo becomes first bowler to 500 wickets in T20s

  • West Indies all rounder Dwayne Bravo became the first bowler to take 500 wickets in T20 cricket in his 459th match.

Tharanga Paranavitana Retires From International Cricket

  • Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced that Tharanga Paranavitana has decided to retire from international cricket.

Alexander Kristoff wins first stage of Tour de France

  • Norway’s Alexander Kristoff won a crash-filled opening stage of the 2020 Tour de France after a sprint finish in treacherous conditions on Nice’s Promenade des Anglais, claiming the yellow jersey for the first time in his career.

Lewis Hamilton wins Belgian Grand Prix to secure 89th victory of career

  • Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton dominated the Belgian Grand Prix to take his fifth victory in seven races this year and the 89th of his career.

Para swimmer Satyendra Singh first Divyang sportsperson of country to get prestigious Adventure Award

  • Para-swimmer Satyendra Singh Lohia of Madhya Pradesh is the first Divyanga Indian sportsperson of the country, who has been awarded with the Tenzing Norgay Adventure Award.

Deep Grace, Jayanti Behera get Biju Patnaik awards on National Sports Day

  • Indian women’s hockey team defender Deep Grace Ekka and para-athlete Jayanti Behera received the Biju Patnaik sports award for outstanding performance from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik through video conference on the occasion of the National Sports Day.

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ICC

  • CEO: Manu Sawhney
  • Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

AIFC

  • General Secretary: Mr. Kushal Das
  • Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

FCA                                                                                                            

  • President: Phil Moss
  • Headquarters: Australia

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY

Filmmaker AB Raj passes away at 95

  • Veteran filmmaker AB Raj passed away, following a cardiac arrest. He was 95.
  • A B Raj began his career as a filmmaker in Sri Lanka. He directed more than 10 films in Sinhalese under the name A Bhaskar Raj.

Former Congo president Pascal Lissouba passes away

  • Former Congolese president Pascal Lissouba passed away at the age of 88.
  • He was president of the Republic of Congo – also called Congo-Brazzaville, to distinguish it from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – from 1992 to 1997.

Urdu poet Ashok Sahil passes away at 64

  • Urdu poet Ashok Sahil passed away after prolonged illness. He was 64.
  • Sahil had been suffering from kidney ailments for some year.

Writer-journalist Gail Sheehy passes away

  • Gail Sheehy, the journalist, commentator and pop sociologist whose best-selling Passages, has passed away. She was 83.

Veteran Assamese singer Archana Mahanta passes away

  • Noted Assamese singer and popular singer Angaraag ‘Papon’ Mahanta’s mother Archana Mahanta passed away.

Former Supreme Court judge Justice AR Lakshmanan passes away

  • Former judge of the Supreme Court Justice AR Lakshmanan passed away. He was 78.

Tamil Nadu Congress MP Vasantha Kumar passes away of COVID-19

  • Tamil Nadu Congress Committee working president and Kanyakumari MP H. Vasantha Kumar succumbed to the coronavirus disease.

Veteran Athletics coach Purshottam Rai dies at 79

  • Veteran athletics coach Purshottam Rai died due to a cardiac arrest in Bengaluru. He was to be conferred the prestigious Dronacharya Award in the lifetime category. He was 79.

Black Panther’ star Chadwick Boseman passes away at 43

  • Chadwick Boseman, who played Black icons Jackie Robinson and James Brown with searing intensity before finding fame as the regal Black Panther in the Marvel cinematic universe, died of cancer.
  • He was 43. Boseman was diagnosed with colon cancer four years ago.

Former India athletic coach Purushotham Rai passes away hours before receiving Dronacharya Award

  • Former India athletic coach Purushotham Rai, passed away with a heart attack, hours before receiving the Dronacharya Award, the highest sporting award  for a coach in India.
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