Daily Current Affairs 15th August, 2020

Daily Current Affairs 15 August 2020 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

First Of Its Kind, Rs 35,000 Crore Delhi-Katra Express Road Corridor To Be Completed By 2023: Union Minister Jitendra Singh

Union Minister Jitendra Singh informed that work has started on the first-of-its-kind Katra (Jammu and Kashmir)-Delhi Express Road Corridor which will be ready by 2023.

• When it becomes functional, the travel time from Katra to Delhi will get reduced to around six and half hours, and from Jammu to Delhi to just about six hours.
• Estimated to cost over Rs 35,000 crore, the important cities through which this expressway corridor will pass include Jammu and Kathua in J&K, and Jalandhar, Amritsar, Kapurthala and Ludhiana in Punjab.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launches portal for ‘opportunities for Make in India in Defence’

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched a portal SRIJAN which is a one stop shop online portal that provides access to the vendors to take up items for indigenization.

• This will help industry partners to play active role in the goal of self-reliance in defence sector.
• Pursuant to Atmanirbhar Bharat announcement, Department of Defence Production has developed an indigenization portal, srijandefence.gov.in, as ‘opportunities for Make in India in Defence’.

India extends assistance of USD 1 million to Antigua, Barbuda to combat COVID-19 pandemic

India has extended an assistance of USD 1 million to Antigua and Barbuda to combat the COVID-19 outbreak.

• This assistance from India will be used for improving health infrastructure and for the procurement of life-saving medical supplies and equipment such as ventilators in Antigua and Barbuda.
• The same kind of assistance, i.e. USD 1 million, has also been offered to each Caribbean (CARICOM) country.

India will fund Greater Male Connectivity Project through USD 400 mn Line of Credit & USD 100 mn grant: Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has announced that India will fund the implementation of Greater Male Connectivity Project through a 400 million dollar Line of Credit and 100 million dollar grant.

• This 6.7 kilometre bridge project connecting Male with Gulhifalhu Port and Thilafushi industrial zone will help revitalise and transform Maldivian economy.

Gujarat: Two over bridges of Ahmedabad named after late Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj

The AMC standing committee named five bridge in the city. Amul Bhatt, the chairman of the committee said that the railway overbridge at Ranip will be named as Atma Nirbhar Gujarat Railway Flyover while the flyover at Income Tax will be named after late Arun Jaitley and the one at Anjali Crossroads will now be called Sushma Swaraj Bridge.

• Bhatt said that the bridge at Dinesh Chamber in Bapunagar will be named Maharana Pratap Flyover while the Hatkeshwar flyover will be known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Flyover.

Drug price monitoring unit set up in Karnataka under aegis of NPPA

The government said a price monitoring and resource unit (PMRU) has been set up in Karnataka under the aegis of the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA).

• The unit will function at the state level under the direct supervision of the state drug controller for increasing outreach of the NPPA.
• The primary function of PMRUs is to assist the NPPA in monitoring prices of drugs, ensuring the availability of drugs and raising consumer awareness.

Telangana launches artificial intelligence for agricultural innovation program

The Telangana government launched the Artificial intelligence for Agricultural Innovation (AI4AI) programme to boost agricultural developments.

• It was launched in association with Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, India (C4IR), World Economic Forum.
• Telangana has announced the year 2020 to be the Year of AI to accelerate the adoption in various fields.

Andhra launches entrepreneurship scheme for SC/ST women empowerment

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy y launched `YSR Cheyutha’, a scheme for ensuring a sustainable livelihood.

• Under this scheme, about 23 lakh women belonging to SC, ST, BC Minorities in the age group of 45-60 years will be getting ₹18,750 per annum for a period of four years, aggregating to ₹75,000.
• The initiative aims at economic empowerment and self-reliance of women.

West Bengal launches Karma Sathi Prakalpa Scheme to provide soft loans, subsidies to unemployed youth

On the occasion of International Youth Day, the West Bengal government launched ‘Karma Sathi Prakalpa’ scheme under which one lakh unemployed youth would be provided soft loans and subsidies to make them self-reliant.

• A budget of Rs 500 crore has been earmarked for the successful implementation of this scheme.

Goa Government signs pact for German Vocational Training in ITIs

The Goa government has signed a tri-partite agreement to carry out world-class German dual vocational education and training in the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) of the state.

• This will ensure optimal up-skilling of ITI graduates, including green skilling at par with the latest technological developments in the industry, thereby remarkably enhancing the employability of graduates from these ITIs.
• The MoU will facilitate in-plant training of the students so that they can get practical hands on experience in their respective trades.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince commits USD 25mn to expand Unified Champion Schools to 6 countries including India

Special Olympics Bharat announced that Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has committed USD 25 million to expand Unified Champion Schools (UCS) to six countries – India, Argentina, Egypt, Pakistan, Romania and Rwanda.

• The four-year project will play a critical role in making the Indian education system more inclusive by creating 120 Unified Champion Schools across 12 states.
• The initiative that encourages activation and empowerment of the youth resonated with the theme of the International Youth Day 2020, “Youth Engagement for Global Action” by empowering young people with and without intellectual disabilities to create lasting social change through inclusion in education.

NASA’s Planet Hunter completes its Primary Mission

NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) finished its primary mission, imaging about 75% of the starry sky as part of a two-year-long survey.

• In capturing this giant mosaic, TESS has found 66 new exoplanets, or worlds beyond our solar system, as well as nearly 2,100 candidates astronomers are working to confirm.
• The mission spent its first year observing 13 sectors comprising the southern sky and then spent another year imaging the northern sky.

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI mandates system-based asset classification for UCBs

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) asked urban co-operative banks (UCBs) with assets of ₹2,000 crore or more to implement system-based asset classification from 30 June 2021.

• System-based asset classification refers to asset classification (downgrading as well as upgrading) carried out by computerized systems of a bank in an automated manner.
• It said that UCBs with assets of ₹1,000 crore or above but less than ₹2,000 crore as on 31 March 2020, having self-assessed themselves as being under “Level III or Level IV” on comprehensive cyber security framework for UCBs shall implement it from 30 September 2021.

HDFC Bank launches ‘Shaurya KGC Card’ for armed forces

Private sector lender HDFC Bank has launched a ‘Shaurya KGC Card’ for the armed forces.

• Based on Kisan Credit Card guidelines, this unique product is loaded with several new features. ‘Shaurya KGC Card’ will benefit over 45 lakh Indian armed forces personnel.
• The Shaurya KGC Card offers a life cover of ₹10 lakh as against ₹2 lakh for an average card. The Shaurya KGC Card will provide armed forces personnel with finance for agricultural requirements like production of crop, post-harvest maintenance and consumption needs.

Federal Bank, Fiserv partner to launch their First Independent Credit Card

Federal Bank, private sector bank in India, has teamed-up with Fiserv, Inc., global provider of payments and financial services technology solutions, in a bid to support the launch of the Federal Bank credit card.

• This initiative is also taken to enable the digitisation of the bank’s end-to-end card issuance and processing cycle.
• The bank will also be outsourcing associated operational processes to Fiserv.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

RBI Board approves transfer of Rs 57,128 cr as surplus to central govt

The RBI Board has approved the transfer of 57,128 crore rupees as surplus to the central government for the accounting year 2019-20.These decisions were taken at the 584th meeting of RBI’s Central Board held through video conferencing.

• RBI has informed that it has also decided to maintain a Contingency Risk Buffer at 5.5 percent.

APPOINTMENTS

Former RBI deputy governor S S Mundra appointed as non-executive chairman of Indiabulls Housing

Mortgage player Indiabulls Housing Finance (IBH) said former RBI deputy governor S S Mundra has been appointed as its non-executive chairman with immediate effect.

• The appointment comes after Sameer Gehlaut stepped down as the executive chairman of Indiabulls Housing Finance.
• Gehlaut has taken up the position of chief executive officer of another listed company promoted by him – Indiabulls Ventures Ltd.

BharatPe appoints Suhail Sameer as group president

Financial technology firm BharatPe announced appointment of Suhail Sameer as group president.

• Sameer, along with CEO and co-founder Ashneer Grover, will have responsibility for building the organisation, merchant network, business and revenue.

AWARDS

Sudha Murthy, ITC’s Sivakumar bag Gramodaya awards

Chairperson of Infosys Foundation, Sudha Murty and Group Head of Agri and IT Businesses of ITC Ltd, Sivakumar Surampudi are among the winners of the Gramodaya Bandhu Mitra Puraskaras.

• The other winners include Padma Bhushan Vijay Bhatkar, Padmasri SP Verma, Vilas Shinde (Director, Sahyadri Farms), Koosam Rajamouli, Former Sarpanch of Gangadevipalli in Telangana, Brig Pogula Ganesham, Founder of Palle Srujana, and Govinda Rajulu Chintala, Chairman of the Nabard.
• The awards were constituted to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

BOOKS

Sharon Stone to Release Memoir ‘The Beauty of Living Twice’

Actor Sharon Stone’s memoir ‘The Beauty of Living Twice’ will release in March 2021.she also unveiled the book’s cover.

• The book will be published by Alfred A Knopf.

OBITUARIES

‘Lemon Tree’ singer Trini Lopez, mentored by Sinatra, passes away at 83

Mexican American singer Trini Lopez died of coronavirus-related complications in California. He was 83.

• The singer recorded over 60 albums in his career. Singer Frank Sinatra mentored him and signed him to his label Reprise Records. His signature music style was a blend of rock and roll, American folk and Latin.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Manipur observes Patriots’ day, commemorates heroes of Anglo-Manipuri war

In Manipur, the Patriots’ Day is being observed commemorating the 1891 Anglo-Manipuri war during which many Manipuris sacrificed their lives to safeguard the independence of the State.

• The day is observed every year on the 13th August to pay homage to the great martyres.
• It was on this day in 1891, brave Manipuris including the then Prince of Manipur Bir Tikendrajit and Thangal General were hanged before the general public in the present Imphal area.

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