Daily Current Affairs 14th August, 2020

Daily Current Affairs 14 August 2020 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

Centre forms committee for Procurement, Administration of COVID-19 Vaccine

The Centre constituted a committee to consider the logistics, ethical aspects of procurement, and administration of COVID-19 vaccine.

• The committee titled National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration has been formed under the chairmanship of Dr VK Paul, who is member (health) at the NITI Aayog.
• The terms of reference of this expert committee are to streamline suitable vaccine selection, how procurement of vaccine will be done, how the vaccine would be delivered and prioritising groups to whom vaccine has to be administered.

Delhi signs MoU with IIT-B for smog tower at CP

The Delhi government has signed an MoU with IIT-Bombay and Tata Projects Limited to construct a smog tower in Connaught Place following Supreme Court orders.

• The Supreme Court had last month hit out at the Centre and State governments for missing the deadline of April 13 for completing the construction of two smog towers in the city.
• The smog tower is a 20-metre-high structure fitted with several air purifiers to clean the air.

‘Khaje’, ‘Harmal Chilli’ and ‘Moira banana’ get GI tag

Goa’s traditional festive sweet dish ‘Khaje’, spicy Harmal Chilli and Myndoli Banana (Moira Banana) has obtained Geographical Indication (GI) tag in last three months, thus giving the local producers exclusive brand protection rights. Earlier, the State’s popular ‘Cashew Feni’ and ‘Khola Red Chilli’, had obtained GI tag.’

Goa signs MoU with NSDC for advanced skills institute

The Goa government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Skill Development Development Corporation (NSDC) for setting up an institute to provide advanced skills training.

• The institute will provide training in advanced skills in highly specialized areas across sectors like healthcare, tourism and hospitality and other emerging business domains to meet the requisite industry demands.

Kailash Satyarthi’s foundation launches anti-child trafficking drive in Bihar

Child rights activist Kailash Satyarthi’s basis launched anti-trafficking drive in Bihar over a webinar hosted by Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation (KSCF).

• The campaign intends to create awareness among people regarding COVID-19 safety, child trafficking, and child labor in Bihar.

LIC starts ‘Special Revival Campaign’ to revive lapsed policies

Life Insurance Corp of India (LIC), the country’s largest insurer has launched a special campaign to allow policyholders to revive their lapsed insurance policies in the current corona virus (COVID19) pandemic. The ‘Special Revival Campaign’ campaign would run till 9 October 2020.

• Under this special revival campaign, policies of specific eligible plans can be revived within five years from date of the first unpaid premium subject to certain terms and conditions.
• The policyholders will get 20 per cent late fee concession for revival of the policy while 25 per cent concession between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 3 lakh.

Indian Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessel ‘Sarthak’ launched

An offshore patrol vessel (OPV) for the Indian Coast Guard was launched and rechristened as “Sarthak” through video conferencing from the Coast Guard headquarters at New Delhi.

• Sarthak is the 4th in the series of five OPVs deployed by the Coast Guard to enhance maritime security.
• It has been designed and built indigenously by Goa Shipyard Limited in line with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Make in India’.

CII organised “India@75 Summit – Mission 2022”

Union Minister for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises(MSME), Nitin Gadkari has addressed the “India@75 Summit – Mission 2022” organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) via video-conferencing.

• The summit was focused on ‘reinventing technology in India’.
• During the Summit, he said that there is an urgent need to look towards improving the presence of MSME industry in the 115 identified aspirational districts of the country.

Indigenous AUM Photonic System developed to monitor Air Quality

Air Unique-quality Monitoring (AUM) Photonic System has been indigenously developed with the prime objective of real-time remote monitoring of air quality. The system has been developed by Prof. Rao Tatavarti, Director of Gayatri Vidya Parishad-Scientific and Industrial Research Centre & GVP College of Engineering, Visakhapatnam along with the support of Department of Science and Technology’s Clean Air Research Initiative.

The system is portable, compact, low powered and economical. It works on plug and play system and do not require any setting uptime.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Trump announces historic peace deal between UAE, Israel

US President Donald Trump announced that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel have agreed to establish full diplomatic relations as part of a new peace deal.

• Under the agreement, Israel would suspend its plans to annex parts of the West Bank. Making the announcement in the Oval Office, US President, said, the deal is a significant step towards building a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous Middle East.

Israel  successfully tested Arrow 2 Missile Interceptor

Israel has successfully tested the Arrow 2 ballistic missile interceptor, developed in collaboration with the United States. The Arrow is part of Israel’s multi-tiered missile defense system, from short-range rockets to exospheric ballistic missiles.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Reliance Foundation partners with USAID to bridge gender digital divide in India

Reliance Foundation has partnered with U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative, which aims to aims to reduce the gender digital divide in India.

• The Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) challenge supports private sector-led approaches that close the gender digital divide, expand business opportunities, and empower women.

Dell Technologies and NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission Launch Second Student Entrepreneurship Program

Dell Technologies in association with NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) announced the second Student Entrepreneurship Programme (SEP 2.0) that would mentor eight teams to foray into the world of innovation and entrepreneurship.

• In addition to the learning from SEP 1.0, the virtual SEP 2.0 will help students receive support and guidance to manufacture fully-functional, market-ready products along with patenting their ideas/processes.

Mukesh Ambani now 4th richest man in world: Bloomberg Index

Mukesh Ambani has surged past Europe’s wealthiest man, making him the world’s fourth-richest person. Reliance Industries Ltd.’s chairman is now worth $80.6 billion, after amassing $22 billion this year, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index

• Jeff Bezos, Bil Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg bag first three spots.
• Arnault has become the biggest loser among the world’s 500 richest people.

APPOINTMENTS/RESIGNS

Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi assumes charge as Director General Naval Operations

Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi has assumed charge as Director General Naval Operations (DGNO). On promotion to the rank of Vice Admiral in June 2019, Tripathi was appointed the Commandant of the prestigious Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala in Kerala.

Soma Mondal selected as the next Chairman of SAIL

Soma Mondal has been selected by the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) as the next chairman of public sector steel major Steel Authority of India Limited.

• She is currently Director (Commercial) of SAIL.she will make history with the rare distinction of being the first-ever woman chairperson of the country’s largest steel company.
• SAIL’s current chairman Anil Chaudhary took charge in September 2018 and is due to retire at the end of this year.

Isher Judge Ahluwalia steps down as ICRIER chairperson

Eminent economist Isher Judge Ahluwalia has stepped down as chairman of think tank Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) due to declining health.

• Ahluwalia is succeeded by Pramod Bhasin, currently Vice Chair of the Board of Governors. Bhasin is former President & CEO, GE Capital India & Asia.

BOOKS

‘Connecting, Communicating, Changing,’ book chronicling 3 years of VP in office released

Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh released the book titled ‘Connecting, Communicating, Changing’ chronicling M. Venkaiah Naidu in office as the Vice President of India for three years.

• Union Minister Prakash Javadekar released the e-version of the book.

OBITUARIES

Malayalam poet-lyricist Chunakkara Ramankutty passes away at 84

Poet and lyricist Chunakkara Ramankutty who made a special place in the hearts of music lovers with the romantic hit song ‘Devadaru Poothu’ for the movie ‘Engane Nee Marakkum’ in the year 1983, has passed away. He was ailing for some time with age-related illness.

Veteran sports journalist GK Menon passes away

Veteran sports journalist GK Menon passed away in suburban Mumbai. He was 93. He worked with the Indian Express and The Times of India and ended his freelance career in the early 1990s.

• Menon played cricket at the club level and also was an active member of the Shivaji Park Gymkhana in Dadar, central Mumbai

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