Current Affairs Today 8th August 2020-Download in PDF

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Current Affairs Today – 8th August 2020

NEWS AT A GLANCE

  1. Every year, the Quit India Day (or August Kranti Day) is observed on 8 August to commemorate the anniversary of Quit India Movement, launched by Father of Nation, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, on 8 August 1942 at the All-India Congress Committee session in Bombay.
  2. The Reserve Bank of India has launched pilot scheme for small value payments in offline mode. The pilot scheme shall be undertaken till March 31, 2021 only.
  3. Tech Mahindra, has launched Mhealthy, a solution to enable workforce and community safety against COVID-19.
  4. The Ministry of Jal Shakti has launched a new version of the India Water Resources Information System (India-WRIS).
  5. Indian Railways’ first Kisan Rail, exclusively meant to transport farm produce, was flagged off by Union Minister of Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal via videoconferencing on 7 August 2020.
  6. More than ten lakh houses have been approved under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).
  7. Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra today launched Letter of Recommendation module for PM SVANidhi Scheme.
  8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Rashtriya Swachhata Kendra, (RSK).
  9. The Telangana government has rolled out mobile covid-19 testing centers in containment zones and low-income group residential areas across the state.
  10. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), along with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, is in discussion with the Indian government for part-financing a $8-billion scheme for improving the health infrastructure at the district level to make the country better prepared for future healthcare challenges.
  11. In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, 23 Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) would be set-up in an effort to augment the school education infrastructure.
  12. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a conversation with the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka H.E. Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa on 6 August 2020.
  13. The U.K. government has decided to issue a commemorative coin to mark the 150th birthday anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, said Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid.
  14. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Conclave on Transformational Reforms in Higher Education under National Education Policy on 7 August through video-conferencing.
  15. The Reserve Bank of India has announced the constitution of an Expert Committee to make recommendations on the required financial parameters to be factored in the Resolution Framework for Covid19-related Stress’.
  16. The 2020 Prem Bhatia Awards, given for outstanding journalism, have been given to Dipankar Ghose, Special Correspondent of Indian Express and non-profit journalism website People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI) for their coverage of COVID-19 and its impact across the country.
  17. Pradeep Kumar Joshi, an Educationist Professor, has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on 7 August 2020.
  18. Odisha cadre IPS officer, P S Ranipse has been appointed as Inspector General (IG), in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
  19. Navin Agarwal who was Managing Director at Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd (MOFSL) has taken over from Aashish Somaiyya as MD and CEO of Motilal Oswal Asset Management Company.
  20. International Cricket Council has confirmed that the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 that was postponed due to Covid-19 will be held in Australia in 2022.
  21. Members of the Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams bound for Tokyo Olympics will join the National Camp at National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Bengaluru
  22. Ashfaq Mehmood Choudhary, a 17-year-old boy from Chattyear of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, has developed a file-sharing app ‘Dodo Drop’ which would enable users to share audios, videos, images, and texts between two devices without Internet access.
  23. In order to improve public Grievances redressal mechanism, Deputy Commissioner of Rajouri, Nazir Sheikh, has launched a mobile app “Awaz-e-Rajouri”.
  24. The book titled ‘Amazing Ayodhya’ has been authored by Neena Rai.
  25. Shirley Ann Grau, a Pulitzer Prize-winning fiction writer from America, whose stories and novels were based primarily in the Deep South, has passed away.
  26. Former Saurashtra coach and manager Hasmukhbhai Joshi, popularly known as ‘Bababhai’ in cricketing circles, passed away. He was 85.

NEWS IN DETAILS

IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES

Quit India Day observed on 8 August

  • Every year, the Quit India Day (or August Kranti Day) is observed on 8 August to commemorate the anniversary of Quit India Movement, launched by Father of Nation, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, on 8 August 1942 at the All-India Congress Committee session in Bombay.
  • In 2020, we are celebrating the 78th anniversary of Quit India Day.
  • Quit India Movement also known as Bharat Chodo Andolan and August Kranti Movement was a ‘do or die’ call to the people of India initiated by Gandhiji to demand an end to the British rule in India.

BANKING & FINANCE 

RBI launches pilot scheme for Offline Retail Payments Using Cards and Mobile Devices

  • The Reserve Bank of India has launched pilot scheme for small value payments in offline mode. The pilot scheme shall be undertaken till March 31, 2021 only.
  • Under the scheme, authorised Payment System Operators (PSOs) – banks and non-banks – will be able to provide offline payment solutions using cards, wallets or mobile devices for remote or proximity payments.
  • This has been done to do away with the impediments caused due to lack of internet connectivity or low speed of internet, especially in remote areas.

Some major points related to this scheme are:

  • Maximum limit of a payment transaction will be Rs 200. (For a single transaction.)
  • The total limit for offline transactions on an instrument shall be Rs 2,000, at any point of time. Resetting of the limit shall be allowed in online mode with AFA.
  • Payments could be made using cards, wallets or mobile devices or through any other channel. Payments may be made in remote or proximity mode.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Tech Mahindra launches Mhealthy to enable workforce and community safety against COVID-19

  • Tech Mahindra, has launched Mhealthy, a solution to enable workforce and community safety against COVID-19.
  • Mhealthy is a solution that uses technologies including artificial intelligence and machine learning to enable data driven digital diagnostics.
  • Tech Mahindra has rolled-out phase-wise screening starting with third-party vendors across its India offices and plans to extend the benefits to its employees, customers, and partner ecosystem.

Extra Shots:

Tech Mahindra

  • CEO: C. P. Gurnani
  • Parent organization: Mahindra Group
  • Headquarters: Pune
  • Founder: Anand Mahindra

NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

Jal Shakti Ministry launched new version of India Water Resources Information System

  • The Ministry of Jal Shakti has launched a new version of the India Water Resources Information System (India-WRIS).
  • The new system provides with new functionalities and features.
  • The advanced version is to address the requirement of a strong data base and a reliable information system.

Highlights:

  • The new version of India-WRIS is open to the public, and accessible through the web portal www.indiawris.gov.in.
  • The portal contains information related to Water Resources for rainfall, water levels & discharge of rivers, water bodies, groundwater levels, reservoir storages, evapotranspiration and soil moisture, and modules on water resources projects, water bodies, hydro-met data availability and tools for GIS layer editing.
  • Through a secured login, Central and State Water Agencies can enter, analyze, validate and manage data for water level of both Surface Water & Ground Water, water quality, flow, sediment, and many climate parameters.
  • The new system includes time-series data obtained through manual readings and telemetry data received by means of GPRS or satellite.
  • With this, any stakeholder can visualize the information in a user friendly manner, as well download the information in the form of excel reports and graphs.

Extra Shots:

Ministry of Jal Shakti

  • Superseding agency: Ministry of Jal Shakti
  • Headquarters: Shram Shakti Bhavan, Rafi Marg, New Delhi
  • Founded: September 1985
  • Officeholders: Sanjeev Balyan (Minister of State), Vijay Goel (Minister of State), Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (Minister)

India’s first ‘Kisan Rail’, to transport perishable commodities begins service

  • Indian Railways’ first Kisan Rail, exclusively meant to transport farm produce, was flagged off by Union Minister of Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal via videoconferencing on 7 August 2020.
  • The train will run on weekly basis, between Deolali in Maharashtra to Danapur in Bihar, covering a distance of 1,519 kilometres in 32 hours.
  • This train will help in bringing perishable agricultural products like vegetables, fruits to the market in a short period of time.
  • The train will have frozen containers, which is expected to build a seamless national cold supply chain for perishable goods, like fish, meat and milk.
  • Kisan Rail is a step towards realizing the goal of doubling farmers’ incomes by 2022.

More than 10 lakh houses have been approved under PM Awas Yojana (Urban)

  • More than ten lakh houses have been approved under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).
  • Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry said, these houses have been approved in the 51st Meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee held in New Delhi.
  • With this, the total number of sanctioned houses under the scheme are now one crore six lakh as against the validated demand of one crore 12 lakh. The total investment under the Mission is six lakh 31 thousand Crore rupees.

Govt launches Letter of Recommendation module for street vendors to avail PM SVANidhi Scheme benefits

  • Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra today launched Letter of Recommendation module for PM SVANidhi Scheme.
  • The module is designed to give access to street vendors who do not have Identity Card and Certificate of Vending and are not in the surveyed list for availing benefits under the scheme.
  • The module provides for an end to end, digitally enabled process wherein an eligible vendor can request for a Letter of Recommendation from the Urban Local Body and on receipt of the same he can apply for loan under PM SVANidhi.

PM Modi to inaugurate Rashtriya Swachhata Kendra on Aug 8

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Rashtriya Swachhata Kendra, (RSK).
  • The Kendra is an interactive experience centre on the Swachh Bharat Mission, which was first announced by Mr Modi on the occasion of centenary celebrations of Gandhiji’s Champaran Satyagraha in 2017.
  • The Swachh Bharat Mission has transformed rural sanitation in India and has changed the behaviour of over 55 crore people from open defecation to using a toilet.
  • Installations at the centre will introduce future generations to the successful journey of the world’s largest behaviour change campaign – the Swachh Bharat Mission.

STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS

Telangana launches iMASQ mobile covid-19 testing centers

  • The Telangana government has rolled out mobile covid-19 testing centers in containment zones and low-income group residential areas across the state.
  • In the first set, 20 mobile testing facilities were pressed into service.
  • Equipped with advanced technology, each bus has 10 sample collection counters and antigen test results will be notified to the individuals within a few minutes.
  • The buses are built with ‘Intelligent Monitoring Analysis Services Quarantine’ (iMASQ) technology by Hyderabad-based Vera Smart Healthcare.

AIIB in talks with India for financing of $8-billion health infra scheme

  • The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), along with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, is in discussion with the Indian government for part-financing a $8-billion scheme for improving the health infrastructure at the district level to make the country better prepared for future healthcare challenges.
  • The Beijing-based multilateral funding agency had earlier approved a financial assistance of $1.2 billion for India to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

Extra Shots:

AIIB:

  • Headquarters: Beijing, China
  • Region served: Asia and Oceania
  • Membership: 102 Members
  • Main organ: Board of Governors; Board of Directors
  • Purpose: Crediting
  • President : Jin Liqun
  • Formation: 16 January 2016 (Open for business); 25 December 2015 (Entry into force Articles of Agreement)

Jammu and Kashmir: 23 Kendriya Vidyalayas to be set-up soon

  • In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, 23 Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) would be set-up in an effort to augment the school education infrastructure.
  • Principal Secretary of School Education, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon said that J&K has 36 functional KVs and setting-up of 23 KVs are being pursued with Govt of India for augmentation of education infrastructure in the Union Territory.

Extra Shots:

Jammu & Kashmir:

  • Capitals- Jammu (Winter), Srinagar (Summer)
  • Lt Governor- Manoj Sinha
  • National Parks: City Forest (Salim Ali) National Park, Dachigam National Park, Hemis National Park, Kishtwar National Park
  • Wildlife Sanctuaries: Baltal-Thajwas WLS, Changthang Cold Desert WLS, Gulmarg WLS, Jasrota WLS, Karakoram (Nubra Shyok) WLS etc

INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

PM Narendra Modi and PM Mahinda Rajapaksa held discussion

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a conversation with the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka H.E. Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa on 6 August 2020.
  • The leaders discussed the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Highlights:

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi appreciated the strong democratic values shared by both countries.
  • Prime Minister Modi conveyed his wishes to H.E. Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa for his impressive electoral performance.
  • Both the leaders reiterated the shared commitment to strengthen the multi-dimensional India-Sri Lanka relationship.
  • The leaders stressed the significance of early progress in all spheres of bilateral cooperation.
  • The leaders discussed the establishment of an international airport in the Buddhist pilgrimage city of Kushinagar in India.
  • Both the leaders agreed to stay in close touch as both countries address the challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic, and resolved to take bilateral relations to newer heights in the coming days.

Extra Shots:

Sri Lanka (Capital/Currency): Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte/ Sri Lankan rupee

  • Prime Minister: Mahinda Rajapaksa

U.K. to issue coin in honour of Mahatma Gandhi

  • The U.K. government has decided to issue a commemorative coin to mark the 150th birthday anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, said Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid.
  • He asked the Royal Mint of the UK to propose a new commemorative coin in Gandhi’s honour.

Extra Shots:

UK (Capital/Currency): London/ Pound sterling

  • Prime Minister: Boris Johnson

SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

PM addressed the Conclave on Transformational Reforms in Higher Education

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Conclave on Transformational Reforms in Higher Education under National Education Policy on 7 August through video-conferencing.
  • The conclave was organized by the Ministry of Education along with the University Grants Commission (UGC).
  • Also, the Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank launched UGC’s guidelines to offer internship-embedded degree programmes.

Highlights:

  • The Prime Minister urged all to work towards the implementation of a new national education policy.
  • National Education Policy was approved after 3-4 years of extensive deliberations.
  • The new policy is expected to benefit the country’s education system.
  • The policy aims to provide all the students an opportunity to achieve their goals.
  • The policy was launched as the mapping of interest, ability, and demand was needed.
  • The NEP has the potential to not only change the education system but to also transform the entire nation. It will be the foundation of the New India.
  • Directors of Institutions, Vice-Chancellors of universities, Principals of colleges and other stakeholders participated in the programme.

Extra Shots:

UGC:

  • Founded: 1956
  • Objectives: Coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of university education. It provides recognition to universities in India, and disburses funds to such recognized universities and college
  • Sector: Higher Education
  • Jurisdiction: India
  • First executive: Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar
  • Headquarters: New Delhi

RECENT COMMITTEES IN NEWS

RBI constitutes committee for financial parameters to be factored in Resolution Framework for Covid19-related Stress

  • The Reserve Bank of India has announced the constitution of an Expert Committee to make recommendations on the required financial parameters to be factored in the Resolution Framework for Covid19-related Stress’.
  • The committee will be headed by Shri K.V. Kamath. (President of New Development Bank)
  • There will be 4 other members in this committee as- Shri Diwakar Gupta, Shri T.N. Manoharan, Shri Ashvin Parekh and CEO, Indian Banks’ Association. The Indian Banks’ Association shall function as the Secretariat to the Committee.
  • The Reserve Bank had announced a ‘Resolution Framework for Covid19-related Stress’, as a special window under the Prudential Framework on Resolution of Stressed Assets in its Monetary Policy Statement on August 6, 2020.

Extra Shots:

RBI:

  • Governor: Shaktikanta Das
  • Interest on reserves: 3.35% (market determined)
  • Headquarters: Mumbai
  • Founder: British Raj
  • Subsidiaries: Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation, Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL AWARDS

Indian Express Journalist Dipankar Ghose and website PARI wins 2020 Prem Bhatia journalism awards

  • The 2020 Prem Bhatia Awards, given for outstanding journalism, have been given to Dipankar Ghose, Special Correspondent of Indian Express and non-profit journalism website People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI) for their coverage of COVID-19 and its impact across the country.
  • Ghose won the award in the category of Outstanding Political Reporting of The Year for his coverage of the migrant labour crisis and other Covid-19 related issues.
  • He will be awarded cash prizes of Rs 2 lakh
  • PARI won the award in the category of Outstanding Environmental Reporting of The Year, for its extensive field reports, including climate change effects and the impact of the pandemic on rural India.
  • It will be awarded cash prizes of Rs 1.5 lakh.

APPOINTMENTS IN NEWS

Pradeep Kumar Joshi takes over as new Chairman of UPSC

  • Pradeep Kumar Joshi, an Educationist Professor, has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on 7 August 2020.
  • He succeeds Arvind Saxena, whose tenure as UPSC chairman ended on 7 August 2020.
  • Joshi will serve as the chairman of the UPSC till May 12, 2021.
  • Prior to this, Mr Joshi was serving as a member in UPSC since May 2015.

Extra Shots:

UPSC:

  • Chairman: Pradeep Kumar Joshi
  • Headquarters location: New Delhi
  • Founder: Parliament of the United Kingdom
  • Founded: 1 October 1926

P S Ranipse becomes new IG of CRPF

  • Odisha cadre IPS officer, P S Ranipse has been appointed as Inspector General (IG), in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
  • He will hold the post on Central deputation for a period of five years from the date of joining.

Extra Shots:

CRPF:

  • Headquarters: New Delhi
  • Motto: “सेवा और निष्ठा”
  • Minister responsible: Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs

Navin Agarwal takes over as MD and CEO of Motilal Oswal AMC

  • Navin Agarwal who was Managing Director at Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd (MOFSL) has taken over from Aashish Somaiyya as MD and CEO of Motilal Oswal Asset Management Company.
  • MOFSL is the parent company of the diversified Motilal Oswal group and Agarwal will be stepping down from his role there to focus on the AMC.

SN Rajeswari appointed as Oriental Insurance CMD

  • The Centre has appointed S.N.Rajeswari as the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Oriental Insurance Company Ltd, a state owned general insurer.
  • Prior to this elevation, Rajeswari was General Manager at New India Assurance Company Ltd.

Extra Shots:

Oriental Insurance Company Ltd

  • Headquarters location: New Delhi
  • Founded: 12 September 1947
  • Owner: Government of India

SPORTS CURRENT AFFAIRS

India to host ICC Men’s T-20 World Cup next year; Women’s T-20 postponed till 2022

  • International Cricket Council has confirmed that the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 that was postponed due to Covid-19 will be held in Australia in 2022.
  • India will host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 as planned.
  • Cricket’s governing body has also decided to postpone the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2021 in New Zealand till February – March 2022 because of the impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on cricket globally.

Extra Shots:

ICC:

  • CEO: Manu Sawhney
  • Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
  • Chairman: Imran Khwaja (interim)
  • Founded: 15 June 1909
  • Membership: 104 members

Indian men’s, women’s hockey teams for Tokyo Olympics to join National camp in Bengaluru

  • Members of the Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams bound for Tokyo Olympics will join the National Camp at National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Bengaluru t.
  • The decision was taken by Sports Authority of India (SAI) after formal permission was received from the State Government to begin training in Bengaluru.
  • The athletes, coaches and support staff, who were on a home break, will join the camp and undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine inside the campus.

WEB PORTALS & APP  IN NEWS

Indian teen develops “Dodo Drop” app as an alternative to Chinese file-sharing apps

  • Ashfaq Mehmood Choudhary, a 17-year-old boy from Chattyear of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, has developed a file-sharing app ‘Dodo Drop’ which would enable users to share audios, videos, images, and texts between two devices without Internet access.
  • ‘Dodo Drop’ application is an alternative to the Chinese ‘SHAREit’ app. The ‘Dodo Drop’ application has a transfer rate of up to 480 Mbps, which is faster than the SHAREit app and is “quite easy” to use.

Deputy Commissioner of Rajouri launches ‘Awaz-e-Rajouri’ mobile app

  • In order to improve public Grievances redressal mechanism, Deputy Commissioner of Rajouri, Nazir Sheikh, has launched a mobile app “Awaz-e-Rajouri”.
  • The launch of mobile app would improve public grievances mechanism.
  • The use of the app by general public would make the officers and officials more accountable and instill confidence among the people in district administration.
  • The free of cost app would help the citizens register their grievances online and also track the status of their complaints.
  • DC Rajouri assured that the resolution of the complaint would be time bound.
  • The app has been developed by a team of NIC, Rajouri.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

A book titled ‘Amazing Ayodhya’ authored by Neena Rai

  • The book titled ‘Amazing Ayodhya’ has been authored by Neena Rai.
  • The book offers “authentic information” about the city, which will not only help understand the life and times of ancient Hindus but also the revered figures of Rama and Sita.
  • The book is publishing by house Bloomsbury.

Extra Shots:

Bloomsbury Publishing

  • CEO: Nigel Newton
  • Founder: Nigel Newton
  • Founded: 30 January 1986
  • Headquarters: London, United Kingdom

OBITUARY

Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Shirley Ann Grau passes away at 91

  • Shirley Ann Grau, a Pulitzer Prize-winning fiction writer from America, whose stories and novels were based primarily in the Deep South, has passed away.
  • She was 91.
  • Grau won the 1965 Pulitzer Prize for her fourth book, “The Keepers of the House.”
  • During her writing career, Grau wrote six novels and four short story, all of which were set in the Deep South, from New Orleans to north Louisiana and Alabama, telling both the dark secrets and the beauty of the Deep South.

Former Saurashtra coach Hasmukhbhai Joshi passes away

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