Daily Current Affairs 8th July, 2020

Daily Current Affairs 8 July 2020 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

India’s First NPNT Compliant Drone Flight successfully completed
Mumbai based Quidich Innovation Labs Private Limited has announced that it has successfully completed the first No-Permission No-Takeoff (NPNT) compliant drone flight of India.

• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) identified the green field near Karnataka’s Tumkur were the first NPNT compliant drone flight of India was carried out.
• The drone used for the flight is an Asteria Aerospace (Bengaluru based company) manufactured A200 micro drone.
• U0000001 is the UIN of the A200 micro drone that has completed the first NPNT compliant drone flight of India.

Indian Railways to transform itself as ‘Net Zero’ Carbon Emission Mass Transportation Network by 2030
Indian Railways is taking decisive steps to transform itself as a ‘Net Zero’ Carbon Emission Mass Transportation Network by 2030.

• It is endeavouring to be self reliant for its energy needs by utilising its vacant land for renewable energy projects.
• Railways is committed to utilize solar energy for meeting its traction power requirements and become a complete ‘Green mode of transformation.

NHRC forms expert panel to study COVID impact on human rights
The National Human Rights Commission has constituted an 11-member expert committee to study impact of Covid-19 on human rights and future response of the government.

• The expert panel would be headed by Dr KS Reddy, President of Public Health Foundation of India.
•  The expert committee would assess the impact of Covid-19 on human rights of people, especially marginalized and vulnerable sections of the society, including migrant labourers.
• The expert panel would also suggest the future policy for the Centre and state governments.

In a first in the world, Indian Railways sets up solar power plant in Madhya Pradesh to run trains
In a significant development, Indian Railways has set up a solar power plant in Bina in Madhya Pradesh to power the Railway overhead lines that power the electric locomotives. This is the first time in the world that solar power will be used to run trains.

• It can produce 1.7 megawatts of electricity and is ready to run trains with this power.
• BHEL has framed the complete design of the plant

‘Intzaar Aap Ka’ campaign started in MP order to attract tourists
In Madhya Pradesh, in order to attract tourists to the tourist places of the state; ‘Intzaar Aap Ka’ means waiting for you campaign has started on social media platforms.

• The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board has been inviting tourists by describing the characteristics of each tourist destination in an attractive way with that tagline on social media platforms.
• Different tour packages have also been prepared according to the time and convenience of the tourists which include safe travel, stay and excursions.

Karnataka launches Weavers’ Sammaan Yojana
Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa launched Weavers Sammaan Yojana. Under this scheme, 19,744 handloom weavers in the state will get annual financial assistance of two thousand rupees through Direct Benefit Transfer.

• The State Government has allocated 10.96 crore rupees under the programme. There are 40,634 handloom weavers registered with Seva Sindhu software.

More than 25 crore saplings planted in UP Under Mission Vriksharopan-2020 drive
In Uttar Pradesh, Guru Purnima is being celebrated across the state. This is the festival of showing respect by disciples to their mentors.

• The Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has appealed to the public to observe the festival of Guru Poornima in compliance with social distancing in view of the Covid-19 Pandemic. And he planted a sapling at Lucknow on this occasion Under the Mission Vriksharopan-2020 drive.
• The government carrying out drive of planting 25 crore saplings in state in a single day
• Under the Mission Vriksharopan- medicinal, fruit yielding, environmental, shady, fodder, and other important plants of more than 201 species are being planted which include Ficus Religiosa, Pipal, Ficus Virens,-Pakad, Mulvari, Neem, Jamun,Arjun,Sahjan and Banyan

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India, Afghanistan ink 5 agreements to develop educational infra in Afghan provinces
India and Afghanistan signed five agreements for developing educational infrastructure in four Afghan provinces, with the move seen as a reiteration of New Delhi’s support to Kabul at a time when the war-torn country’s peace process is confronting challenges.

• Since 2001, India has undertaken projects worth $3 billion in Afghanistan, including $1 billion pledged in 2016 under the “new development partnership” scheme over a period of five years.
• These projects are part of India’s commitment to assisting Afghanistan emerge as a “peaceful, united, prosperous and pluralistic nation.

BANKING & FINANCE

Yes Bank launches ‘Loan in Seconds’ for instant loan disbursements
Private sector lender YES Bank has launched ‘Loan in Seconds’ , a solution for instant disbursement of retail loans for the bank’s pre-approved liability account holders.

• Eligible customers under ‘Loan in Seconds’ will receive communication from the bank with the link to apply for the loan
• The solution aims to provide customers, completely paperless and hassle-free loans to help them meet their immediate financial needs.

SBM Bank India, Mastercard to speed up cross border transactions, remittances 
Government of Mauritius-promoted SBM Bank India and global payments technology major Mastercard have joined hands to facilitate cross-border payments and remittances services.

• The SBM Bank India customers will be able to make real-time domestic business-to-consumer transfers quickly and efficiently using ‘Mastercard Send’. 

SPORTS

Valtteri Bottas wins F1 Austrian Grand Prix
Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas won Formula One’s season opening Austrian Grand Prix with teammate Lewis Hamilton being handed a five-second time penalty that dropped him from second place to fourth.

• Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was second in an action-packed race, which started after 14 of the 20 drivers took a knee on the grid in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Tamil Nadu’s G Akash becomes India’s 66th chess Grandmaster
Tamil Nadu’s G Akash became the country’s 66th chess Grandmaster while his statemate M Pranesh and Goa’s Ameya Audi earned International Master titles.

• Akash’s GM title was confirmed at the second council meet of International Chess Federation (FIDE) for the year 2020 held recently

APPOINTMENTS

Injeti Srinivas appointed as chairman of IFSCA
Senior bureaucrat Injeti Srinivas has been appointed as a Chairman of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) for the Gandhinagar-based financial special economic zone or Gujarat International Finance Tech (GIFT) City by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

• His appointment is for a period of three years from the date of assuming charge or until further order, whichever is earlier.

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

Paytm to acquire general insurance firm Raheja QBE for $76 million
Paytm, India’s most valuable startup, announced that they have reached an agreement to acquire insurance firm Raheja QBE, a joint venture between Rajan Raheja Group and QBE Insurance for a sum of $76 million as the financial services startup looks to tap the nation’s booming insurance market.

• The company expects to democratize the insurance serves in the country with a focus on creating a multi-channel general insurance company with tech-based innovative products.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

CM Uddhav Thackeray launches Maha Jobs portal to make employment opportunities available in state
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray launched the state government’s MahaJobs portal that aims to make available job opportunities to the ‘sons of the soil’ or domiciled persons.

• This portal was help in recruitment of skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled employees. Candidates can apply for jobs in 17 sectors which are available on the portal. These include engineering, logistic, textile and pharmaceutical, among others.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu launches super app ‘Elyments’
India’s first social media super application, Elyments, was launched by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu. The app was created by more than 1,000 IT professionals who came together for Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the founder of the Art of Living.

• The app which is available in eight languages already has over 100,000 downloads on the Google Play Store.
• The Elyments team said the app has been created with user’s privacy as priority. The data is stored in India and it will not be shared with a third party without consent from users.

Israel successfully launches Ofek 16 spy satellite into space
Israel has launched its Ofek 16 reconnaissance satellite into low Earth orbit by using a locally-developed Shavit rocket from a launch pad at Palmachim airbase in central Israel, marking the latest addition to a fleet deployed over the past 20 years.

• Ofek 16 is an electro-optical reconnaissance satellite with advanced capabilities including breakthrough ‘blue and white’ technology and its payload was developed by defence firm Elbit Systems.
• Ofek 16 will capture high-resolution images of the Earth for the Ministry of Defence

IIT Roorkee Develops “Unisaviour” – Disinfection Box to Sterilise Personal Belongings
A team of researchers at IIT Roorkee led by Prof Soumitra Satapathi, Laboratory of Integrated Nanophotonics and Biomaterials, has developed a disinfection box that can be used for sterilising a wide variety of personal belongings including medical equipment, PPE, apparels among others, against coronavirus.

• Termed as the ‘Unisaviour’ box, it comprises a metal coated with specially- designed highly reflective geometry to allow the calibrated passage of UVC light to disinfect personal belongings.
• The box also comprises an additional safety switch for UVC light.

OBITUARIES

Tollywood producer Pokuri Rama Rao passes away
Noted Telugu film producer Pokuri Rama Rao (brother of producer Pokuri Babu Rao) passed away in Hyderabad due to Covid-19. He was 65.

• Rama Rao, presented movies like Ranam (2006), Ontari (2008), Yagnam (2004) produced by Eetharam Films.

Ennio Morricone, Oscar-winning Italian film composer, passes away
Ennio Morricone, the Italian composer whose symphonic scores backed everything from spaghetti westerns to romance, horror and sci-fi films, has died aged 91.

• He scored more than 500 films. He won his Oscar for his work on Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight (2015) and also was nominated for his original scores for Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven (1978), Roland Joffe’s The Mission (1986), Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables (1987), Barry Levinson’s Bugsy (1991) and Giuseppe Tornatore’s Malena (2000).

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