Current Affairs 29th August 2020| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

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.
• 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.
• President Ram Nath Kovind will virtually confer the National Sports and Adventure Awards 2020 on this occasion.
• Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju, President of the Indian Olympic Association Narendra Dhruv Batra and several other dignitaries will attend the ceremony from Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.

International Day against Nuclear Tests 

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

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

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.
• Investors will also get access to details of logistics, land, rail & air connectivity, tax incentives, drainage system, power supply and raw material availability from the portal on various industrial belts.
• Extensive information about industrial belts in six states is available on the portal.
• The National GIS-enabled Land Bank System (https://iis.ncog.gov.in/parks) is being developed by integrating the Industrial Information System (IIS) with state GIS (Geographic Information System) to provide details about State Land banks.
• The information available on the portal includes forest, drainage; raw material heat maps (agricultural, horticulture, mineral layers); details of logistics, land, rail & air connectivity, tax incentives, drainage system, power supply and raw material availability on various industrial belts.

About MoCI:

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

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  country. The government has earmarked a budget of over 95  crore rupees over a period of three years for this programme. It aims at identifying around three hundred startups working in identified areas and providing them seed funds of upto 25 lakh rupees and other facilities.
• Under this challenge the Ministry of Electronics and IT will invite startups in the areas of work including Edu Tech, Agri Tech and FinTech solutions for masses, Supply Chain and Logistic management, Infrastructure, Medical Healthcare as well as jobs and skilling.
• The Ministry stated, the startups selected through Chunauti will be provided various support from the Government. Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad urged the young, talented innovators of India to come forward and avail benefits of the Chunauti challenge of Government and create new software products and apps.

About Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology:

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

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 Gigawatt capacity by utilizing its vacant land by 2030.
• He stated, the use of solar power will accelerate the mission to achieve conversion of Indian Railways to Net Zero Carbon Emission Railway.
• He stated, Railway is committed to utilize solar energy for meeting its traction power requirement and become a complete Green mode of transportation.
• Railway has adopted a multi-pronged approach towards decarbonization which will be fulfilled by the solar projects, making it the first transport organization to be energy self-sufficient. This will help in making Indian Railways green as well as Atma-Nirbhar.
• The Minister pointed out that Indian Railways will extend all support to the developers for installing solar power plants on Railway’s vacant un-encroached land.

About Indian Railways:

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

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 Charcoal. He stated it will provide direct employment  to nearly 25 thousand people.
• Dr Singh stated, apart from this a Mega Bamboo Industrial Park at Ghati near Jammu and Bamboo Technology Training Centre will also come up in the region. The Minister stated this while addressing a review meeting of the Ministry of DoNER on further steps to be taken for augmenting infrastructure and promoting entrepreneurship in the Bamboo sector in the region after the signing of MoU.
• Dr Singh stated, a team from his Ministry will soon visit Jammu and explore a field training programme for Bamboo farming in the region. The Minister stated, of late Bamboo is being used in low cost housing and as construction material. Bamboo Awareness camps will be organized in different parts of the country in this regard.

About Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region:

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

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). UTIITSL will provide printing services and support the beneficiary identification and verification process in the issuance of e-cards to beneficiaries of the AB-PMJAY scheme, the company stated in a statement.
• Around 53 crore beneficiaries under AB-PMJAY are eligible for an annual health cover of Rs 5 lakh to avail cashless secondary and tertiary healthcare anywhere in the country in its empanelled healthcare providers. “UTIITSL will leverage its existing pan-India network to reach at the ground level to identify beneficiaries under the AB-PMJAY scheme,” UTIITSL MD and CEO Vijay Kumar Jain stated.
• He also added that it will also assist them in the filling up of online validation process for beneficiary identification system of AB-PMJAY through its centers across various locations in the country. As of now, there are 23,000 public and private hospitals for the AB-PMJAY scheme.

About National Health Authority (NHA):

• The National Health Authority or the NHA is the apex body responsible for implementing India’s flagship public health insurance/assurance scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). NHA has been set-up to implement the PM-JAY at the national level.
• In the States, SHAs or State Health Agencies in the form of a society/trust have been set up with full operational autonomy over the implementation of this scheme including extending the coverage to non SECC beneficiaries.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL

14th India-Singapore Defence Policy Dialogue via video conferencing

• The 14^thIndia-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.
• Both sides held discussions on a number of issues of bilateral defence engagements between India and Singapore. Both sides committed to further enhance the security partnership between the two countries.
• At the end of the DPD, the Implementing Arrangement on Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR) between India and Singapore was also signed.

About Singapore

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

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. The mission stated UN Security Council Resolution on ‘women in peacekeeping’ calls for full, effective and meaningful participation of women in peacekeeping operations.
• India is one of the largest troop contributors to UN peacekeeping operations. The mission stated India has set for itself during its tenure in the Security Council beginning 2021 that India will continue to push for greater involvement of women in all areas.
• In June, India was elected non-permanent member of the Security Council for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2021.
• India has a long tradition of being associated with UN Peacekeeping since its inception. The country made history in 2007 when she deployed the first all-women Police Unit in the UN Mission in Liberia. India is the fifth largest contributor of uniformed personnel to the UN Peacekeeping Force

About United Nations Security Council:

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

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.
• Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated in a policy briefing and video address that tourism is the third-largest export sector of the global economy, behind fuels and chemicals, and in 2019 it accounted for 7 per cent of global trade.
• It employs one in every 10 people on Earth and provides livelihoods to hundreds of millions more,  he stated.
• But the UN chief stated that in the first five months of 2020, because of the pandemic, international tourist arrivals decreased by more than half and earnings plummeted.
• Guterres stated this has been a “major shock” for richer developed nations “but for developing countries, it is an emergency, particularly for many small island developing states and African countries.Tourism for some of those countries represents more than 20% of their GDP, he explained.
• Sandra Carvao, the UN World Tourism Organisation’s chief of market intelligence and competitiveness, stated the USD 320 billion in lost exports from January through May is three times what was lost during the year 2009 at the height of the last global financial crisis.
• In addition to tourism jobs that are at risk, the policy paper stated jobs in associated sectors, including food service, that provide employment for 144 million workers worldwide are also at risk.

About World Tourism Organization:

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

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.
• “The investment amount will be treated as an advance and once the vaccine receives regulatory approvals, SII will include Bangladesh among the countries who will be the first to receive an agreed quantity of this vaccine from SII on a priority basis,” Beximco stated.
• The Serum Institute is the world’s largest manufacturer of vaccines by volume. It is holding trials for three potential coronavirus vaccines, including one licensed to AstraZeneca by Oxford University.

About Serum Institute of India Private Limited:

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

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE

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.
• The central bank has been regularly conducting the Consumer Confidence Survey (CCS) and the Inflation Expectations Survey of Households (IESH).
• The results of these surveys “provide useful inputs for monetary policy”, the RBI stated while announcing the launch of September 2020 round of CCS and IESH through two statements.
• The CCS survey seeks “qualitative responses” from households, regarding their sentiments on general economic situation, employment scenario, price level, households’ income and spending.
• The IESH survey aims to capture subjective assessments on price movements and inflation, of about 6,000 households, based on their individual consumption baskets, across 18 cities.
• “The (IESH) survey seeks qualitative responses from households on price changes (general prices as well as prices of specific product groups) in the three-month ahead as well as in the one year-ahead period,” the RBI stated. The survey also seeks quantitative responses on current, three-month ahead and one-year ahead inflation rates.
• The studies will be conducted by a Mumbai-based agency on behalf of the RBI over telephone (instead of the regular personal interview mode) in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

About 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).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

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.
• The ambulance built at a cost of 6.08 crore would help in saving the lives of fishermen during accidents at sea.
• Fitted with medical equipment the ambulance can provide critical care to five persons at a time and bed for 10 others.
• It contains paramedical staff, trained sea rescue squad, portable mortuary and medicines. The boat was designed by the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology as per the specifications of Indian Registry of Shipping.
• The marine ambulance project involves the construction of three vessels.
• The float-out ceremony of two other boats – ‘Prathyasha’ and ‘Karunya’ will be held.

About Kerala:

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

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.
• Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16, when the Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as part of measures to contain the pandemic.
• A nationwide lockdown was imposed on March 25.While several restrictions have been eased, schools and colleges continue to be closed.
• The prolonged closure of educational institutions has mandated a shift from classroom teaching to online learning.
• Meanwhile, an online Entrepreneurial Mindset (EMC) Bootcamp organised by the AAP government to inculcate entrepreneurial abilities among the students, concluded.
• The camp began on June 10 with eight partner organisations participating in it. A total of 14 batches were formed and each batch consisted of 25 to 32 students, an official statement stated.

About Delhi:

• Governor: Anil Baijal, IAS
• Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal (AAP)

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

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.
• He will begin his new term on September 1, 2020.
• He was first elected as President of the Bank on May 28, 2015.

About AfDB

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

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Tripura University scientist designs WARBOT to protect doctors

• In the war against Covid-19 pandemic, doctors and medical staff remained at the forefront of the fight and many doctors have sacrificed their lives while treating and saving the life of positive patients. In fact, the doctors and medical staff are at the most risk point to contract the virus as they directly come in contact with patients.
• To extend a big help to the doctors, attending the infected patients, 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.
• Atal Dulloo stated that with the implementation of Nobel Prize winning NAT-PCR technology, the Blood Transfusion safety in Jammu  and Kashmir will now be comparable to international standards. He further stated that this facility shall help in early detection of transfusion transmission infections like HIV, Hepatitis “B” & Hepatitis “C” Virus.
• He stated that, NAT testing facility has been funded by National Health Mission and all the blood donations in the three major tertiary care hospitals in Srinagar viz. SMHS, Lal Ded & ‘Bone and Joint’ Hospital shall be screened at this facility.
• Rubi Reshi, Head of Department, Blood & Transfusion Medicine GMC Srinagar stated that, “Blood donations screened with world class NAT PCR technology will reduce the risk of infection in 3 patients, as every unit of blood can be transfused to three people when separated into components.
• Besides, NAT-PCR, Plasma Bank was also inaugurated by the Financial Commissioner, H&ME on the occasion.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS

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.
• The wicket also happened to be his 100th in the Caribbean Premier League, making him the first man to that mark.
• Bravo had also been the first to 300 and 400 T20 wickets as well.
• Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga is second on the list of T20 wicket-takers, with 390 wickets from 295 matches.

Recent News

• James Anderson has become the first seamer – and the fourth bowler overall – to claim 600 Test wickets. 

Tharanga Paranavitana Retires From International Cricket

• Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced that Tharanga Paranavitana has decided to retire from international cricket.
• Sri Lanka cricketer Tharanga Paranavitana has decided to retire from international cricket. He has officially informed his intention to Sri Lanka Cricket, SLC stated.
• The 38-year-old represented Sri Lanka in 32 Test matches, scoring 1,792 runs which include two tons and 11 half-centuries. Paranavitana played his last Test match in November 2012.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY

Former Supreme Court judge Justice AR Lakshmanan passes away

• Former judge of the Supreme Court Justice AR Lakshmanan passed away. He was 78.
• Justice Lakshmanan served at the Supreme Court from December 20, 2002 to March 21, 2007. Before his elevation, he was a judge at the Madras High Court and the Kerala High Court. He also served as Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan High Courts.
• Post-retirement, he was appointed Chairman of the Eighteenth Law Commission of India.

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.
• Kumar is looked at as a successful businessman and a self-made entrepreneur in Tamil Nadu.
• He is the founder of  ‘Vasanth and Co’.
• In 2006 and 2016 he was elected to the state assembly from Nanguneri constituency and in 2019 he won the Lok Sabha polls from Kanyakumari constituency.

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.
• Rai coached top athletes such as Olympian quartermiler Vandana Rao, heptathlete Pramila Aiyappa, Ashwini Nachappa, Murali Kuttan, MK Asha, EB Shyla, Rosa Kutty and GG Pramila.

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, his representative stated.
• He was 43. Boseman was diagnosed with colon cancer four years ago, his family stated.
• “From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more – all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther.”

DAILY CA 28^th AUG

• Social Justice Ministry to launch mental health rehabilitation helpline “Kiran”
• IIT-Hyderabad start-up launches world’s most affordable respirator mask
• Govt approves 78 new routes under Udan scheme; focus on North East, islands
• Arunachal Pradesh assembly passes resolution to bring state under Sixth Schedule
• Rajnath Singh launches mobile app for NCC training
• Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance launches real-time assistance service
• World Bank pauses publication of Doing Business report
• HDFC Bank partners with Adobe to enhance digital customer experiences
• Innoviti partners with Visa to develop installments platform for face-to-face transactions
• Ericsson and UNICEF launch global partnership to map school internet connectivity
• Japanese PM Shinzo Abe resigns over worsening health
• 29-year-old Marieke Lucas Rijneveld becomes youngest author to win International Booker Prize
• IIT Alumni Council to build world’s largest, fastest hybrid quantum computer
• DRDO expert panel to review charter of labs to cut overlap
• INS Viraat to Be Dismantled at Alang in Gujarat
• AIFC and Football Coaches Australia sign MoU for development of game in India
• Tennis legends Bob, Mike Bryan announce retirement
• Veteran Assamese singer Archana Mahanta passes away

DAILY CA 29^th AUG

• National Sports Day- 29^th august
• International Day against Nuclear Tests- 29^th august
• Piyush Goyal launches GIS-enabled national land bank portal for details on industrial belts
• Government launches contest “Chunauti” to promote startups in small towns
• Indian Railways set to meet all it’s energy needs of over 33 billion units by 2030
• Centre to develop three Bamboo Clusters in Jammu, Katra and Samba areas of J&K
• UTIITSL ties up with NHA to provide print services for PMJAY e-cards
• 14th India-Singapore Defence Policy Dialogue via video conferencing
• India co-sponsors UN security council resolution on women peacekeepers
• UN: Global tourism lost USD 320 bn in 5 months due to coronavirus
• Bangladesh’s Beximco signs Covid-19 vaccine deal with India’s Serum Institute
• RBI launches surveys on consumer confidence, inflation expectations
• First marine ambulance in Kerala to be launched
• Delhi government launches fitness channel on YouTube for students stuck at home
• Akinwumi Adesina re-elected unanimously as President of the African Development Bank Group
• Tripura University scientist designs WARBOT to protect doctors
• Atal Dulloo inaugurates NAT-PCR facility at Government Medical College Srinagar
• Dwayne Bravo becomes first bowler to 500 wickets in T20s
• Tharanga Paranavitana Retires From International Cricket
• Former Supreme Court judge Justice AR Lakshmanan passes away
• Tamil Nadu Congress MP Vasantha Kumar passes away of COVID-19
• Veteran Athletics coach Purshottam Rai dies at 79
• Black Panther’ star Chadwick Boseman passes away at 43

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