Current Affairs 11 August 2020

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 11 August 2020, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2020 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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Top 20 Current Affairs of 11 August 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

PM Narendra Modi Launched Submarine Cable Connectivity to Andaman & Nicobar Islands (CANI)

i.On August 10, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and dedicate to the Nation, submarine Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) connecting Chennai, Tamil Nadu and Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands (A&NI) through video conferencing. This connectivity will enable delivery of faster mobile and landline telecom services to A&NI, at par with other parts of India. The Submarine OFC cable has been laid at a cost of about Rs 1224 Crore.
ii.The foundation stone for 2,312-kilometer Chennai – Andaman and Nicobar Islands (CANI) was laid by PM Narendra Modi on 30th December 2018 at Port Blair.
iii.Airtel became the first mobile operator to launch ‘Ultra-Fast 4G’ services in the union territory (UT) of A&NI.
About Bharti Airtel:
Chairman– Sunil Bharti Mittal
Headquarters– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

PM Launched Financing Facility of Rs.1Lakh crore Under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund & Rs 17000 Cr As 6th Installment of PM-KISAN

i.On August 9, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Central Sector Scheme (CSS) of financing facility under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund of Rs. 1 lakh crore via video conferencing. The duration of the scheme is 10 years i.e. from FY2020 to FY2029.
ii.A 3% interest subvention and credit guarantee under Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) scheme for loans up to Rs 2 Crore will be provided to the beneficiaries under this financing facility.
iii.PM also released the 6^th instalment of funds of Rs. 17,000 crore to 8.5 crore farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna (PM-KISAN) scheme.
About Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna (PM-KISAN):
PM-KISAN is CSS under which an income support of Rs 6000/- per year in three equal installments is provided to all farmer families irrespective of the size of their landholdings.
<<Read Full News>>

Piyush Goyal and Pralhad Joshi Dedicated the Railway Museum at Hubballi to the Nation Over Video Conference

i.On 9th August 2020, Piyush Vedprakash Goyal, Union Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry and Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal & Mines dedicated the Railway Museum at Hubballi to the Nation in the event over a video conference presided by Suresh Angadi Channabasappa, Minister of State for Railways.
ii.The Railways Museum at Hubballi is the first of its kind in North Karnataka and the second in the Southern Western Railways after the historic Rail Museum at Mysuru.
About Ministry of Railways:
Union Minister– Piyush Vedprakash Goyal
Minister of State– Suresh Angadi Channabasappa
<<Read Full News>>

Def. Minister Rajnath Singh Restricted Import of 101 defence items 

i.On August 9, 2020, the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), Ministry of Defence (MoD) decided to restrict import of 101 weapons and military platforms, the embargo on which is planned to be progressively implemented between 2020 and 2024, in order to boost indigenous defence manufacturing on the lines of “Atmanirbhar Bharat”.
ii.In this regard, the Defence Industry will receive contracts worth almost Rs 4 lakh crore within the next five to seven years.
iii.Apart from this, defence ministry has bifurcated the capital procurement budget for 2020-21 between domestic and foreign capital procurement routes. A separate budget head has been created with an outlay of nearly Rs 52,000 crore for domestic capital procurement in FY20-21.
About Ministry of Defence (MoD):
Rajnath Singh constituency– Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (UP)
Minister of State (MoS)– Shripad Yesso Naik
<<Read Full News>>

PM inaugurated Rashtriya Swachhata Kendra;Launched ‘Gandagi Mukt Bharat’ – Week Long Campaign

i.On August 8, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Rashtriya Swachhata Kendra (RSK) an interactive experience centre on the Swachh Bharat Mission, at the Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti at Rajghat, New Delhi in the presence of Gajendra Singh Shekhavat, Union Minister of Jal Shakti and Rattan Lal Kataria, Minister of State (MoS) of Jal Shakti.  He dedicated the RSK as a permanent tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
ii.He also launched ‘Gandagi Mukt Bharat’, a special week long campaign from August 8, 2020 for swachhata in the run up to Independence Day, during which each day till 15th August will have special swachhata initiatives in urban and rural India to re-enforce the jan andolan for swachhata.
About Ministry of Railways:
Union Minister– Piyush Goyal
Minister of state (MoS)– Suresh Channabasappa Angadi
<<Read Full News>>

IBBI Amended Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Insolvency Resolution Process for Corporate Persons) Regulations, 2016

i.In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (t) of sub-section (1) of section 196 read with section 240 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (31 of 2016), the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India amended the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Insolvency Resolution Process for Corporate Persons) Regulations, 2016 by Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Insolvency Resolution Process for Corporate Persons) (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2020.
ii.As per the amendment, the three Insolvency Professionals (IP) offered by the interim resolution professional during the process of the appointment of an authorised representative (AR) by the Adjudicating Authority to represent financial creditors in a class, must be from the State or Union Territory, which has the highest number of creditors in the class as per records of the corporate debtor.
About IBBI:
It is the regulator for overseeing insolvency proceedings and entities like Insolvency Professional Agencies (IPA), Insolvency Professionals (IP) and Information Utilities (IU) in India.
Chairperson– MS Sahoo
Headquarter– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

PCA to Name Mullanpur Stadium After Late Maharaja Yadavindra Singh

Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) is set to name its new stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, Punjab after the late Maharaja Yadavindra Singh.

• PCA President Rajinder Gupta proposed the idea to name the stadium and it had been approved.

About Maharaja Yadavindra Singh:
i.Maharaja Yadavindra Singh played a test match for India against England in 1934.
ii.Maharaja Yadavindra Singh was the father of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. He was the 9th and the last Maharaja of Patiala.

Central Government Extended the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme to Large Firms & Self Employed

On 8th August 2020, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the Central Government have extended its Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS), credit guarantee scheme for the micro, small and medium enterprises(MSME), to cover the loans given to the large firms, self-employed professionals and people who have taken a loan for business purpose.
About Ministry of Finance:
Union Minister– Nirmala Sitharaman
Minister of State– Anurag Singh Thakur
<<Read Full News>>

BANKING & FINANCE

International Financial Corporation to Invest Rs.75 Crore in Endiya Partners Fund II

i.The International Financial Corporation(IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has committed to invest Rs 75 crore (about USD 10million) in Endiya Partners Fund II.
ii.In addition to this, IFC has also committed an additional USD 10 million for direct co-investments.
iii.The partnership will provide financial and strategic support to Endiya portfolio companies, resulting in increased access to growth opportunities and sustainable scalability.
About Endiya Partners:
Headquarters-  Hyderabad, Telangana
Managing Director– Ramesh Byrapaneni & Sateesh Andra
About IFC:
Headquarters– Washington, D.C., United States
Country Head, India– Jun Zhang
<<Read Full News>>

SBM Bank India Collaborated with InstaReM to Enhance Outbound Remittance Experience from India

i.SBM Bank (India) Limited (SBM Bank India) has collaborated with InstaReM to enhance the existing outbound remittance service offerings from India, including introduction of new remittance corridors, increased frequency of transactions for outbound Transactions and improved delivery timings for transfers.
ii.Through this collaboration the users of SBM Bank India and InstaReM can remit money to more markets(over 100 corridors) where InstaReM exists, 65 of which are in real time.
About SBM Bank India
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Managing Director(MD) and Chief executive Officer(CEO)– Sidharth Rath
About InstaReM
Headquarters– Singapore
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer– Prajit Nanu
<<Read Full News>>

NPCI Launched Omni-Channel Loyalty Platform, ‘nth Rewards’

i.National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched ‘nth Rewards’, a business intelligence and analytics enabled omni-channel multi-branded loyalty platform.
ii.This platform enables users to earn ‘nth’ (denoting infinite possibilities) points through various bank transactions and redeem them instantly on various products, such as e-vouchers, donations, hotel and flight bookings.
iii.The platform aims to become a one stop shop for the bank which will enable them to  retain and grow their customer base.
About NPCI:
Head Office– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Dilip Asbe
<<Read Full News>>    

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Walter Roger Martos Ruiz Becomes New Prime Minister of Peru; Succeeds Pedro Cateriano

President of Peru(Republic of Peru) Martin Vizcarra appointed Walter Roger Martos Ruiz, the former defence minister and retired army general, as the country’s new Prime Minister. He succeeds Pedro Álvaro Cateriano Bellido . The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Government Palace in Lima.

• The president also appointed attorney Luis Inchishategui as head of the Ministry of Energy and Mines.

Key Info
i.In total, Martin Vizcarra made five changes in his cabinet of 19 ministers, including the prime minister.
ii.It was the second cabinet reorganization in almost three weeks.
iii.Maria Antonieta Alva, Economy and finance minister will remain in her role.
Background
i.Pedro Cateriano was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Peru on July 15 to replace Vicente Zeballos in the post.
ii.The congress recently rejected the vote of confidence requested by the Ministerial Cabinet led by him.
Note– At the end of the plenary session the cabinet received 37 votes in favor, 54 against, and 34 abstentions
About Peru:
Capital–  Lima
Currency- Peruvian Sol(PEN)

Mohamed Ould Bilal Appointed as Prime Minister of Islamic Republic of Mauritania

Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani has named Mohamed Ould Bilal as the 16th Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania on August 06, 2020.
i.Mohamed Ould Bilal belongs to the political party of Union for the Republic (UPR). He has served as Political Advisor and headed several state agencies.
ii.Bilal’s predecessor Ismail Ould Cheikh Sidiya and his entire government resigned on 6th August, 2020 amidst an investigation into high-level corruption charges against them.
About Mauritania:
Capital – Nouakchott
Currency – Ouguiya

Capital India Finance Appoints Harsh Kumar Bhanwala as Executive Chairman

Financial Services Platform, Capital India Finance Limited (CIFL) has appointed Ex-NABARD Chief Harsh Kumar Bhanwala as its Executive Chairman. Dr. Harsh Kumar Bhanwala took charge as Executive Chairman from August 06, 2020.
About Harsh Bhanwala
i.Dr. Bhanwala is a PhD holder and did his Post Graduation degree in Management from Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad.
ii.He was Chairman of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) from December 2013 till May 2020.
iii.He was the Managing Director of Delhi State Cooperative Bank Ltd (DSCB) during its turnaround period from 1999 to 2005.
iv.He has served as Executive Director of India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd. (IIFCL) and also as their Chairman & Managing Director from 2012-2013.
v.During his stint with NABARD & DSCB, he led various initiatives related to Agriculture, Infrastructure development, Microfinance and Financial Inclusion.
About Capital India Finance Limited:
Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer – Vineet Saxena.
Managing Director – Keshav Porwal
HeadOffice – Mumbai, Maharashtra         

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

IIT Kanpur in Collaboration with Agnys Waste Management Pvt. Ltd Developed Indigenous Seed Balls, ‘BEEG’ for Farmers

Indian Institutes of Technology(IIT) Kanpur in collaboration with Agnys Waste Management Private Limited (start-up at IIT Kanpur) developed indigenous seed balls named ‘BEEG’ (Biocompost Enriched Eco Friendly Globule). This will help to safeguard people and farmers in plantations during the COVID-19 times. The initiative is guided by Prof. J. Ramkumar.

• The initiative provides employment opportunities to unemployed workers and gardeners(due to the COVID-19 lockdown).

Key Info
i.BEEG is enriched with the right indigenous ingredients(like compost & clay) and seeds to germinate early.
ii.It is the best way to utilise Monsoon and plant as many trees as possible without risking lives by social gathering during the pandemic.
Key facts about BEEG
i.BEEG should be thrown at the target areas and they will germinate when they come into contact with water(rainy seasons are a perfect choice).
ii.It eliminates the need to dig pits for planting saplings. The development of the SEED balls will bring a revolutionary change in the agriculture process.

SPORTS

Max Verstappen Wins F1 70th Anniversary Grand Prix 2020

Red Bull’s 22 years old driver Max Emilian Verstappen from Netherland had won F1 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, United Kingdom and became the first non-Mercedes driver to win a race in the 2020.
i.This race was officially called as Emirates Formula 1 70th Anniversary Grand Prix 2020. The race was the fifth round of the rescheduled 2020 Formula One World Championship. Lewis Hamilton finished second and Valtteri Bottas finished third.
ii.2020 British Grand Prix (officially known as the Formula 1 Pirelli British Grand Prix 2020) which held on Aug 2,2020 was the fourth round of the 2020 Formula One World Championship.It was the first of two serial Formula One races with the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton won 2020 British Grand Prix.
About Max Emilian Verstappen:

• Max Verstappen became the youngest race-winner in Formula 1 History when he won the Spanish Grand Prix in 2016 on debut for Red Bull Racing.
• He is also the First Dutch Driver to win a Formula One Grand Prix.

OBITUARY

Former Indian Football player Laishram Manitombi Singh Dies at 39 

Former Indian Defender and former Mohun Bagan club captain Laishram Manitombi Singh was suffering from a prolonged illness and breathed his last on August 09, 2020 in his native village near Imphal, Manipur.
Achievements:
i.Manitombi Singh was a key member of the Indian under-23 side which lifted the LG Cup in 2003 under the captaincy of Bhaichung Bhutia.
ii.It was the Indian Football Team’s first International victory since their victory at an eight-nation tournament in Singapore in 1971.
iii.He represented India in the 2002 Busan Asian Games in South Korea.
iv.Manitombi played a key role in Manipur’s maiden Santosh Trophy triumph in 2002.
Clubs
i.He started his career in Army Boys and Services and has represented Air India, Salgoacar before moving to Mohun Bagan in 2003.
Manitombi Singh last played for Manipur State League defending champions Anouba Imagi Mangal in the 2015-16 season and became their head coach after retirement.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Books Titled ‘Corona Kavithakal’ ‘Republic Day 2020’ and ‘Thus Speaks the Governor’ Authored by Mizoram Governor Released

On August 9, 2020 Books authored by Mizoram Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai titled ‘Corona Kavithakal’ was released by Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga. Meanwhile ‘Republic Day 2020’ and ‘Thus Speaks the Governor’ were released by Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Ajai Lamba through a video message. These books are part of his recently penned books(at least 13), which include collections of poems in English and Malayalam since March i.e., during the lockdown.
Key Info
i.Ten of his poems, including “Corona Kavithakal” in Malayalam, are related to COVID-19.
ii.His other poems include Vayojanam (Elderly), Wuhan, Mahamari (Pandemic) and Oh, Mizoram (a collection of poems in English- which will be included in the book Oh Mizoram) among others.
PS Sreedharan Pillai’s Writing Skills
He published his 1st book in 1986. He published 105 books before becoming governor.
Till now he has written at least 121 books of different categories, including poetry.
Key People
State Congress president Lal Thanhawla and chief secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo attended the event.
Note– PS Sreedharan Pillai is the 21st governor of Mizoram

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Biofuel Day 2020: August 10

i.World Biofuel Day is observed annually on August 10 to raise awareness about the importance of non-fossil fuels as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels.
ii.The day honours the research experiments by Sir Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel(inventor of the diesel engine) who ran an engine with peanut oil in 1893.
iii.In India, the day has been celebrated by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas since 2015.
iv.Webinar was organized by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, with the theme “Biofuels towards Atmanirbhar Bharat”.
<<Read Full News>>

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2020 – August 9

i.The United Nations(UN’s) International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is annually observed on 9th August by the Secretariat of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indegenous Issues with the UN and its member states to promote the rights of the indigenous population around the world. The International Day of the World’s Indigenous People also known as World Tribal Day.
ii.The First International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples was celebrated on 9th August 1995.
iii.The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2020 theme – “COVID-19 and indigenous peoples’ resilience”.
About United Nations(UN):
Secretary General– António Guterres
Headquarters– New York, United States of America
About United Nations General Assembly(UNGA):
President– Tijjani Muhammad-Bande
President Elect– Volkan Bozkir (will assume office on September 15th 2020)
Headquarters– New York, United States of America
<<Read Full News>>

Nagasaki Day 2020 – August 9

The 9th August of every year is observed as Nagasaki day all over the world to promote peace and to create awareness about the hazards of nuclear weapons. The 9th August 2020, Marks the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan.
History:
On 9th August 1945, three days after the bombing on Hiroshima, The United States dropped the Atomic bomb code named “Fat Man” over the city of Nagasaki, Japan which instantly killed around 74,000 people.
Effects of Bombing:
The survivors of the atomic bombing developed various illnesses and cancer due to the exposure to high level radiation.
Events:
i.Tomihisa Taue, the mayor of Nagasaki read the Peace declaration on the ceremony on 9th August 2020 and he urged the global ban on nuclear weapons.
ii.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the event along with the survivors and their family members.
iii.During the event, the message of António Guterres, United Nations Secretary General was read by his undersecretary, Izumi Nakamitsu.

STATE NEWS

Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel Announced the Launch of “Indira Van Mitan Yojana” To Support Forest Dwellers

i.On 9th August 2020, In an event of International Day of World’s Indigenous Peoples or World Tribal Day Chief Minister (CM) of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel announced the launch of “Indira Van Mitan Yojana”, an initiative to support the forest dwellers of Chhattisgarh to achieve self-reliance.
ii.The scheme aims to add around 19 lakh families from the scheduled areas of Chhattisgarh and provide self-employment opportunities to the tribal forest dwellers.
About Chhattisgarh:
Chief Minister– Bhupesh Baghel
Governor– Anusuiya Uikey
Capital– Raipur
<<Read Full News>>

Chhattisgarh’s Jagdalpur Became the First Municipal Corporation of India to Provide Forest Land Right Certificates to Urban People

i.On 9th August 2020, on the occasion of International Day of World’s Indigenous Peoples or World Tribal Day Chief Minister (CM) of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel initiated the distribution of forest land right certificates to four beneficiaries of Jagdalpur over a virtual platform.
ii.The Municipal corporation of Jagdalpur became the first municipal corporation in India to provide forest land right certificates to the people of urban region.
iii.Jagdalpur municipal corporation is one of the municipal corporations which encloses forest lands in its jurisdiction area.
Tribal Communities of Chhattisgarh:
Baiga, Korba, Abhuj Maria, BisonHorn Maria, Muria, Halbaa, Bhatra and Dhurvaa major tribes of Chhattisgarh.
<<Read Full News>>

Bihar State Pollution Control Board Signs MoA with IIT, Delhi for air quality management

i.Bihar State Pollution Control Board has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi to set up a Geographical Information System (GIS) based platform for air quality management in Bihar.
ii.Dr Sagnik Dey, Associate Professor, Centre for Atmospheric Science, IIT Delhi will be leading the project along with S N Jayaswal, Board Analyst, Bihar State Pollution Control Board, Patna.
iii.MoA has been signed on the backdrop of Government of India’s National Clean Air Programme.
About Bihar
Capital – Patna
Chief Minister – Nitish Kumar
Governor – Phagu Chauhan
About Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC): 
Union Minister – Prakash Keshav Javadekar
Minister of State (MoS) – Babul Supriyo
<<Read Full News>>

Andhra Pradesh Signed an MoU with The Boston Group to Setup Centre at Visakhapatnam

On August 5, 2020 Andhra Pradesh(AP) Government signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with US based, The Boston Group(TBG) to set up a facility at Visakhapatnam dedicated to Research and Development (R&D) in the Information Technology sector with focus on learning platforms and also leveraging advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and cybersecurity.

• The proposed facility is expected to create over 250 jobs in the IT sector in the state.

MoU Signing
The MoU was signed in the presence of Rathnakar Pandugayala, Special Representative to the AP Government for North America and Subu Kota, TBG’s chairman and People Prime Worldwide.
About AP:
Capital- Amaravati
Chief Minister(CM)– Yeduguri Sandinti(YS) Jagan Mohan Reddy
Governor– Biswa Bhusan Harichandan
About TBG:
Headquarters– Massachusetts, United States
Chief executive Officer(CEO)- Subu M. Kota

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar launched Anti Bullying Campaign of Faridabad Police over Social Media

On 9th August 2020, Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister of Haryana launched the anti-bullying campaign of the FAridabad Police over their Instagram, Facebook and Twitter page with username @FBDpolice to report any form of bullying in the schools, colleges, neighbourhood, home and workplace and to implement the targeted programs to counter bullying.
Note:
The anti-bullying campaign is the first of the series which will cover the issues related to drugs, gambling, addictions, online frauds and human trafficking.
About the Campaign:
i.The campaign initiative is a part of the ‘Teen Age Police’ programme of Faridabad Police.
ii.This campaign focuses on teenagers who are mostly affected by bullying which damages their confidence, personality development and social intelligence.
iii.This provides a platform for the victims to report their bullies and provide counselling to the bullies through the support of NGOs which are working with youth at risk.
iv.This will eliminate the violence, intimidation at interpersonal and group relations at an early stage.
v.This will support the youths to develop social skill and empathy and become productive and responsible adults.
About Haryana:
Chief Minister– Manohar Lal Khattar
Governor– Satyadeo Narain Arya
Capital– Chandigarh

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