Daily Current Affairs 21st August, 2020

Daily Current Affairs 21 August 2020 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

Dr Harsh Vardhan launches interactive first-of-its-kind video game ‘Corona Fighters’ to spread awareness

Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has launched an interactive first-of-its-kind game on COVID-19, the Corona Fighters. The Minister also launched two new videos urging adherence to key COVID Appropriate Behaviours.

• The game presents a new and extremely creative way to teach people the right tools and behaviours to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
• The game, available on www.thecoronafighters.in, was designed to “influence the players’ actions in the real world, reminding them to take the right precautions and escape infection.

Tribal Affairs ministry launches tertiary processing centres in C’garh, Maha

The Tribal Affairs Ministry launched two tertiary processing centres in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra to enhance the income of tribal forest gatherers by adding value to non-timber forest products collected by them.

• Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda e-launched the centres under the ”TRIFOOD” project being implemented by Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) in association with the Ministry of Food Processing.
• One of the minor forest produce (MFP) processing units will be set up in Raigad, Maharashtra, to add value to tradition tribal drink ”mahua”, amla, custard apple and jamun and produce mahua drink, amla juice, candy, jamun juice and custard apple pulp.
• Another multi-commodity processing centre in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, will be used for the processing of commodities like mahua, amla, honey, cashew, tamarind, ginger, garlic and other fruits and vegetables.

NPCI launches a new subsidiary to promote its international business

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched an international arm NPCI International Payments (NIPL)— with the aim of exporting its indigenously developed digital payment offerings.

• The primary aim of NIPL will be to take products like RuPay and UPI global.NPCI was built with the aim to revolutionise domestic digital payments.
• It has appointed Ritesh Shukla as the Chief Executive of NIPL with the main task of business development and driving profitability in international markets.

IIT Roorkee signs MoU with BIS to work on standardisation and conformity assessment activities

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to carry out activities in the field of standardisation and conformity assessment.

• As part of the collaboration, both bodies will work on civil, electrical, mechanical, chemical, earthquake engineering, development and management of water resources and renewable energy projects, infrastructure development, medical biotechnology and nanotechnology, and biomaterials, among others.

DIAT develops “Pavitrapati” ayurvedic biodegradable face mask and Anti-Microbial body suit named “Aushada Tara”

Pune-based Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) has developed Ayurvedic biodegradable face mask and anti-microbial body suit.

• The company has launched the first-ever Ayurvedic biodegradable face mask named Pavitrapati for sale. Siddheshwar Techtessile has developed 10,000 masks and has received good response for the product.
• The anti-microbial body suit named Aushada Tara has superhydrophobic, breathing, anti-microbial, and comfort feeling properties.

India ranked 57th in Digital Quality of Life Index 2020, Denmark tops

India ranks among the lowest in the world in terms of Internet quality, according to a global research released by online privacy solutions provider SurfShark.

• In a global index on digital quality of life in 85 countries, India ranked 9th on the internet affordability indicator, and 15th on e-government.
• Overall, India ranked 57th on the Digital Quality of Life Index 2020. Scandinavian countries Denmark and Sweden topped the index, with Canada rounding up the top three.

Atal Innovation Mission partners with India-Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre to expand startup ecosystem

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog and Business Sweden on behalf of India Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre are collaborating to promote the disruptive potential of Indian entrepreneurs, and boost the vibrant start-up ecosystem across the country.

• A virtual Statement of Intent (SoI) was signed between AIM and India-Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre in New Delhi.
• The Innovation Centre aims to create an ecosystem of open innovation and is built under strategic guidance from Government of India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Government of Sweden’s Ministry of Health and Social Affairs and Embassy of Sweden in India.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

UAE connects first Arab nuclear plant to power grid

The oil-rich United Arab Emirates announced that it has connected its Barakah nuclear power plant to the national grid in a first for the Arab world.

• The milestone follows the successful start-up of the plant’s first reactor at the end of last month and launches the UAE on the road to meeting 25% of its electricity needs from nuclear power.

Iran announces locally made ballistic and cruise missiles

Iran displayed a surface-to-surface ballistic missile named martyr Qassem Soleimani, that Defence Minister Amir Hatami said had a range of 1,400 kilometres and a new cruise missile, ignoring U.S. demands that Tehran halt its missile programme.

• The missile has a range of 1,400 km and the cruise missile, called martyr Abu Mahdi, has a range of over 1,000 km.
• Soleimani, head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were killed in January in a U.S. strike on their convoy in Baghdad airport.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

RBI Releases NSFE 2020-25, Suggests Action Plan to Promote Financial Education

The ‘National Strategy for Financial Education 2020-2025’ (NSFE), released by the RBI, has suggested a multi-stakeholder-led approach for creating a financially aware and empowered India.

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) came out with a ‘5-Core Actions’ approach for promoting financial education, which among other things include development of relevant content for school children and adults, community participation and collaboration among various stakeholders.
• The five Cs, outlined by the strategy paper, are: Content, Capacity, Community, Communication and Collaboration. Strengthening financial inclusion in the country has been one of the important developmental agendas of both the Government of India and the four financial sector regulators (RBI, SEBI, IRDAI and PFRDA).

World Bank sees higher GDP fall in India than 3.2% it projected for FY21

The World Bank said it was likely to project a steeper contraction in India’s economy than the 3.2 per cent it had forecast for the current financial year, given the rising number of Covid-19 cases and the resultant regional lockdowns.

• In its report on India Development Update, 2020, the Bank also warned that credit risks play out as firms and households find it more difficult to service their interest and repayment obligations in a slowing economy.

Tata Capital launches ‘Swift Insta Personal Loans’ on WhatsApp

Tata Capital, the financial services arm of the Tata Group announced the launch of its new service called ‘Swift Insta Personal Loans’ (SIPL) on WhatsApp.

• The company will now allow its existing customers to instantly apply and receive sanctions for personal loans using Tata Capital’s chatbot TIA on WhatsApp.
• The chatbot was recently launched on WhatsApp as a service platform to facilitate customer requests including queries on EMI details or updating customer records.

Tata Steel launches FerroHaat App for Sourcing Steel Scrap

Steel Recycling Business, a division of Tata Steel, has launched FerroHaat, a first-of-its-kind mobile application, to source steel scrap from the traders.

• The new app is a major step by the company to organise India’s scrap market while also providing a reliable source of scrap metal for the steel Industry.
• The FerroHaat App is a LIVE 24×7 market place to sell scrap. It is user friendly and hosts different sections like Bazaar for business transactions, Khaata for a snapshot of the supplier’s account, Samachaar for vital market information and Abhaar for recognition and appreciation initiatives.

APPOINTMENTS

Equatorial Guinea reappoints Prime Minister Francisco Asue

Francisco Asue was reappointed as prime minister of Equatorial Guinea, the government said, after he and the government resigned last week after criticism from long-standing President Teodoro Obiang.

• Obiang, 78, has ruled the former Spanish colony since overthrowing his uncle in a 1979 coup, relying on repression of political opponents and the country’s offshore oil riches.

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Rowley sworn in for second term

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley is beginning his second term as the island’s leader, a day after he and his revamped Cabinet were sworn in.

• Prime Minister Rowley’s ruling People’s National Movement party won 22 seats, while the opposition United National Congress gained 19 seats.

AWARDS

Chhattisgarh declared as cleanest state of country

In the fifth edition of Swachh Survekshan results, which were announced, Chhattisgarh gained No 1 ranking for category ‘India’s cleanest state with more than 100 urban local bodies’ followed by Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh that have achieved the second and third rank respectively.

• Apart from this, out of the 129 awards distributed, the state achieved success in 14 awards.
• In Chhattisgarh, 100% door to door garbage collection was ensured. All 166 municipal bodies are ensuring collection of waste from every household and 100% disposal of the same in SLRM center. Various innovative initiatives were taken by all urban bodies and citizens for cleanliness. Garbage collection vehicles and all Swachhta Didis, Safai Mitra were monitored online.

BOOKS

Sudha Murty announces new collection of short stories ‘Grandparents’ Bag of Stories’

On the 70th birthday of award-winning author Sudha Murty, publishing house Penguin Random House India announced her latest collection of short stories, Grandparents’ Bag of Stories.

The book, scheduled to be released in November, is a sequel to Murty’s last release Grandma’s Bag of Stories and will feature 20 stories.

Book titled ‘India Tomorrow: Conversations with the Next Generation of Political Leaders’, released

The book titled “India Tomorrow: Conversations with the Next Generation of Political Leaders”, has been released recently. It is written by academicians Pradeep Chhibber and Harsh Shah and published by Oxford University Press (OUP)

• The book, which includes interviews of politicians below 50 years likes of Rahul Gandhi, Smriti Zubin Irani, Varun Gandhi, Omar Abdullah and Akhilesh Yadav, among others. It is written by academicians Pradeep Chhibber and Harsh Shah.

OBITUARIES

Former Cricketer Gopalaswamy Kasturirangan passes away

Veteran cricketer Gopalaswamy Kasturirangan passed away due to heart attack at his residence in Chamarajapet, Karnataka . He was 89.

• Kasturirangan was a former cricketer-administrator and the BCCI curator.
• He had mostly played his matches for Mysore in Ranji Trophy as the right-arm medium pace bowler from 1948 to 1963.

Uttar Pradesh BJP MLA Janmejai Singh passes away

In Uttar Pradesh, Bharatiya Janata Party sitting MLA Janmejai Singh from Deoria Sadar seat died of heart attack in Lucknow last night. He was 75.

• Singh, who was first elected to the House in a by-election in 2000, was again elected in the 2012 and 2017 state polls.

DMK Veteran And Former Minister A Rahman Khan passes away

Former Tamil Nadu cabinet minister and senior DMK leader A Rahman Khan passed away. Rahman, 77, was undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Chennai.

• Rahman was a five-time MLA and secured a hattrick victory from the Chepauk constituency, in 1977, 1980, and 1984. He successfully contested from Poonga Nagar in 1989 and from Ramanathapuram in 1996.
• Between 1996-2001, as state Minister he held the portfolios of Labour Welfare and Waqf Board, and for sometime Revenue and Law.

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