Daily Current Affairs 6th August, 2020

Daily Current Affairs 6 August 2020 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

Centre releases over 890 crore rupees as second installment of emergency COVID-19 package to 22 States/UTs

Centre has released over 890 crore rupees as the second installment of the COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package to 22 States and Union Territories. The amount of the financial assistance is based on the COVID-19 case load in these States and UTs. Union Health Ministry said the financial aid will be used for strengthening of public health facilities infrastructure for testing including procurement and installation of RT-PCR machines and RNA extraction kits.

• The first installment of 3000 crore rupees was released in April this year to all States and UTs to aid and enable them to ramp up testing facilities, augment hospital infrastructure, conduct surveillance activities along with procurement of essential equipment, drugs and other supplies.
• The Ministry said, as part of the ‘Whole of Government’ approach, Centre is leading the COVID-19 response and management, and supporting the States and Union Territories through technical and financial resources.

India extends Line of Credit worth 18 million US dollars to Maldives for expansion of fishing facilities at MIFCO

India has extended Line of Credit worth 18 million US dollars to the Government of Maldives for the expansion of fishing facilities at Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO). The project envisages investment in fish collection and storage facilities and the setting up of a tuna cooked plant and fishmeal plant.  It is part of the 800 million US dollars line of credit offered by India with repayment tenor of 20 years and a 5-year moratorium.

I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar launches DD Assam 24×7 channel through video conferencing

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar launched DD Assam 24×7 channel through video conferencing.

• Mr. Javadekar said Doordarshan free Dish offers 104 channels free of cost for lifetime and people need to just get a set top box and enjoy the channels without paying any subsciption fee.

C”garh govt launches scheme for tendu leaves collectors

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel launched a social security scheme for tendu leaves collectors in the state, which will benefit over 12 lakh families, mostly tribals and forest dwellers engaged in its collection.

• The scheme, named after slain Congress leader Mahendra Karma, was inaugurated on the occasion of his birth anniversary from the official residence of Baghel.
• Shaheed Mahendra Karma Tendupatta Sangrahak Samajik Suraksha Yojana, introduced in the memory of the leader, will benefit around 12.50 lakh families involved in tendu leaves collection.

Haryana CM Khattar launches ”Parivar Pehchan Patra”

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched ”Parivar Pehchan Patras” to enable the citizens to get the benefits of various central and state government schemes.

• At present, four schemes — Mukhya Mantri Parivar Samridhi Yojana (MMPSY), Old Age Samman Allowance Scheme, Divyang Jan Pension Scheme, and Widow and Destitute Women Pension scheme — have been integrated with ”Parivar Pehchan Patra” (PPP).

AP govt ties up with ITC, HUL and P&G for women”s economic empowerment

The Andhra Pradesh government signed a pact with three FMCG companies — Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), ITC and Procter and Gamble (P&G) — for marketing and technology support for economic empowerment of women under two new schemes to be launched soon.

• The companies will give handholding to women under the YSR Cheyutha scheme, to be launched on August 12, that aims to provide annual financial assistance of Rs 18,750 for next four years to women of 45-60 years age group belonging to SC, ST, backward class and minorities communities.

K’taka Medical Education Minister inaugurates nation’s first ICMR approved mobile RTPCR Covid lab

Nation’s first ICMR approved mobile RTPCR Covid lab developed by Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru has been inaugurated. Packed with all the safety features, this unique lab is capable of producing accurate results within four hours. In a month the mobile lab can conduct 9000 tests. The lab can be utilised for testing H1N1,HCV,TB,HPV,HIV virus also.

• Called as Mobile Infection Testing and Reporting lab, MITR can be deployed in Corona hot spots quickly.

Unique COVID Prevention Kiosk ‘UV Baggage Bath’ Inaugurated At Bengaluru Railway Station

A unique COVID prevention kiosk named ‘UV Baggage Bath’ has been inaugurated at Bengaluru Railway Station. It has been set up at the second entry of the station where most of the scheduled special trains arrive and depart to ensure passenger luggage is completely sanitized before the passengers’ board trains.

Mumbai: Central Railway designs robot ‘Rakshak’ for health assistant

In the fight against the spread of Covid-19 pandemic, the Mumbai Division of Central Railway (CR) has designed a health assistant robot ‘Rakshak’ who can remotely communicate between doctor and patient.

• This medical aid robot is able to measure health parameters such as temperature, pulse, oxygen percentage and dispenser sanitizer automatic, infrared sensors. It can also provide medicines, food to the patients and make a two-way video communication between the doctor and the patient.

India contributes over $15 million to India-UN Development Partnership Fund

India has contributed $15.46 million to the India-UN Development Partnership Fund, underscoring the country’s commitment to supporting developing nations in their developmental priorities across all the Sustainable Development Goals.

• India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti handed over a cheque of $15.46 million to the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) Director Jorge Chediek
• The tranche of $15.46 million includes $6 million to the overall fund, in which all the developing countries are eligible for partnership, and $9.46 million dedicated to the Commonwealth countries.

New grasshopper species discovered after 116 years, named after 28-year-old Indian biologist

A new species of pygmy grasshopper, discovered after 116 years by a group of foreign researchers in Sri Lanka, has been named after a 28-year-old Indian orthopterist (one who studies grasshoppers) and conservation biologist Dhaneesh Bhaskar of Kerala.

• The new species, which was discovered by a group of Croatian and German researchers in Sinharaja rainforests of Sri Lanka, hails from Cladonotus genus and has been named as Cladonotus Bhaskari.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

US conducts test flight of unarmed Minuteman 3 missile

An unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from California on a test flight to a target in the Pacific Ocean. The Air Force said test launches are not a reaction to world events.

Polar bears may be extinct by 2100 if Arctic ice melts at projected rate, according to new study

A dire new climate change report projects polar bears could reach extinction within the next 80 years, putting a timeline on the crisis for the first time, as the beloved Arctic species continues to suffer along with melting ice habitats.

• The University of Toronto-led study, published in Nature Climate Change, said the carnivores could be starved into extinction by 2100 as the Arctic sea ice continues to shrink at alarming rates, making it hard for the bears to hunt for food.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Repo rate unchanged at 4% for the second quarter of current fiscal year

The Reserve Bank of India left the repo rate unchanged at 4 per cent. The central bank also maintained the reverse repo rate – the interest rate at which the RBI borrows funds from commercial banks – unchanged at 3.35 per cent.

Bank accounts opened under Jan Dhan Yojana crosses 40-crore mark

More than 40 crore bank accounts have been opened under the government’s flagship financial inclusion drive Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), launched about six years ago by the Modi-government.

• As per the latest figure, there are 40.05 crore beneficiaries of this scheme and deposits in Jan Dhan bank accounts are in excess of Rs 1.30 lakh crore.
• The scheme was launched on August 28, 2014 with an aim to provide universal access to banking facilities to the people in the country.

Listed Entities get 3 years to meet criteria of Minimum 25% Public Shareholding

The government has notified changes in the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Rules, 1957, providing more time to listed entities to meet criteria of minimum public shareholding of 25 per cent.

• The changes have come into force from the date of their publication in the official gazette. Once a company is listed, its promoters are required to bring down their shareholding down to 75 per cent within the stipulated minimum shareholding period so as to meet minimum public float of 25 per cent.

IIT Madras and Helyxon develop remote patient monitoring solutions for COVID-19

IIT Madras’ Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre (HTIC) and Helyxon, a healthcare startup in IIT Madras Research Park have announced successful deployment of remote patient monitoring solutions for COVID-19 that they have jointly developed. The device is a first-of-its-kind in the market that does clinically accurate continuous monitoring of four critical parameters – temperature, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate and heart rate.

ISB Hyderabad signs MoU with Andhra govt to work on post-COVID economic recovery

The Indian School of Business (ISB) and Andhra’s Economic Development Board (EDB) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in a move to focus on growth monitoring and economic development in the state after the COVID-19 pandemic. The ISB will work with Andhra government’s EDB and other departments of the state for economic recovery and job creation.

• The AP Economic Development Board said the MoU will nurture a think-tank by setting up ‘GoAP-ISB Policy Lab’, a public policy laboratory to drive evidence-based policy decisions.

APPOINTMENTS

Ajay Tyagi Gets 18 Months” Extension As SEBI Chairman

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved extension of Ajay Tyagi”s term as the chairman of markets regulator SEBI for 18 months, with effect from September 1 2020 up to February 28, 2022.

Jaideep Bhatnagar takes over as Director General of AIR News

Jaideep Bhatnagar, an Indian Information Service Officer of 1986 batch, has taken over the charge as Director General, News Services Division of All India Radio.

• He replaces Ms. Ira Joshi, who superannuated as Principal Director General, AIR News on 31st of last month.

Manoj Sinha Appointed J&K Lieutenant Governor After GC Murmu Resigns

President Ram Nath Kovind appointed former Union minister Manoj Sinha as the next Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. He will replace Girish Chandra Murmu who resigned.

• Manoj Sinha, 61, has been a Lok Sabha MP and a member of the BJP’s top leadership panel, the national council. He was a Minister of State in the first term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

AWARDS

DIAT bags 1st prize in Smart India Hackathon 2020

Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, DIAT, has bagged 1st prize in Smart India Hackathon, SIH, 2020,  held from 1st to 3rd of this month at Noida Institute of Engineering and Technology, Uttar Pradesh.  This 36- hour non-stop digital product building competition was a national level competition for software edition, which was organized jointly by the Ministry of Human Resource Development and All India Council for Technical Education.

BOOKS

Yatish Yadav’s new book ‘RAW: A History of India’s Covert Operations’ released 

Journalist and author Yatish Yadav’s new book RAW: A History of India’s Covert Operations is a window into the heroic covert operations carried by India’s external spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

• The book will give a detailed account of real spies and reveals hitherto unknown aspects of their life, trauma and temptation, triumphs and setbacks in executing each of their ‘Mission Impossible’.

OBITUARIES

Former Maharashtra CM Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar passes away in Pune

Former Maharashtra chief minister Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar (89) has passed away after a prolonged illness. He was being treated for old-age-related ailments.

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