Current Affairs 13 August 2020

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 13 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 13 August 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

DAC Approved Procurement of Approx Rs 8,722.38 cr for Armed Forces under Atmanirbhar Bharat

i.On August 11, 2020, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) in its meeting held under the Chairmanship of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has approved the capital acquisitions of various platforms and equipment for an approximate cost of Rs 8,722.38 crore. This decision has been taken on the lines of the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” under which equipment for armed forces will be developed indigenously.
ii.There will be Procurement of 106 Basic Trainer Aircraft (HTT-40) from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for Indian Air Force (IAF), upgraded version of Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM) for Indian Navy, and 125 mm APFSDS (Armour Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot) ammunition for Indian Army.
About Defence Acquisition Council (DAC):
Parent Ministry– Ministry of Defence (MoD)
Chairman– Defence Minister (Current-Rajnath Singh)
<<Read Full News>>

Narendra Singh Tomar Launched Krishi Megh, KVC ALUNET & Online Accreditation System for Agricultural Institutions

i.On August 11, 2020, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar virtually launched the Krishi Megh (National Agricultural Research & Education System -Cloud Infrastructure and Services) along with the KVC ALUNET (Krishi Vishwavidyalaya Chhatr Alumni Network) and Online Accreditation System for Higher Agricultural Educational Institutions (HEI) on the lines of the Digital India initiative.
ii.Set up under National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) & funded by both the Government of India (GoI) and World Bank, Krishi Megh is aimed at protecting the data of the government’s premier research body Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
iii.Designed & Implemented under NAHEP, it is a “KVC Alumni Network” that acts as a medium for sharing of information or social networking among alumni of all the 74 Agricultural Universities.
About Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR):
Director General– Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra
Headquarter– New Delhi
About Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoAFW):
Narendra Singh Tomar Constituency– Morena, Madhya Pradesh (MP)
Minister of State (MoS) for agriculture, cooperation & farmers welfare– Kailash Choudhary
MoS for agriculture & farmers welfare– Parshottambhai Rupala
<<Read Full News>>

MCA Secretary, Rajesh Verma Released Report of the Committee on Business Responsibility Reporting (BRR)

i.On August 11, 2020, Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), Rajesh Verma released the “Report of the Committee on Business Responsibility Reporting (BRR)” from New Delhi which has recommended a new reporting framework called as ”Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR)” as the demand for non-financial reporting is growing due to increase trends of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) investing.
ii.It should be noted that the 8-member committee, chaired by Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh, Joint Secretary, MCA was formulated by Injeti Srinivas, Secretary, MCA. Injeti Srinivas retired as the Secretary of MCA on 31st May 2020.
About Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA):
Union Minister– Nirmala Sitharaman
Minister of State (MoS)– Anurag Singh Thakur
<<Read Full News>>

Atal Innovation Mission in association with Dell Technologies launched the 2nd Edition of Student Entrepreneurship Program 

i.On 11th August, 2020 NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission in collaboration with Dell Technologies has launched the 2nd edition of Student Entrepreneurship Program (SEP 2.0) for young innovators of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs).
ii.The Programme’s association with Dell Technologies will help student innovators to work closely with Dell Volunteers. 
iii.Under the program the student volunteers will receive mentor support, prototyping and testing support; end-user feedback; intellectual property registration and patenting of ideas, processes, and products; manufacturing support; as well as the launch support of the product in the market.
About Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)
Mission Director – Ramanan Ramanathan 
Headquarters – New Delhi
About NITI Aayog
Chairperson – Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi. 
Vice-Chairperson – Rajiv Kumar. 
Chief Executive Officer – Amitabh Kant. 
<<Read Full News>>

MoTA: The Nine ‘Tribal Freedom Fighters’ Museums to Recognise the Tribal Freedom Fighters will be Completed by 2022

i.On 11th August 2020, The Ministry of Tribal Affairs(MoTA) announced that the nine Tribal Freedom Fighters Museums that are under development by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to recognise the contribution of the tribal freedom fighters will be completed by the end of 2022.
ii.During the Independence day speech on 15th August 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the announcement regarding the establishment of Tribal Freedom Fighters Museums by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
About Ministry of Tribal Affairs(MoTA):
Union Minister– Arjun Munda
Minister of State– Renuka Singh Saruta
<<Read Full News>>

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Launched the Swachh Bharat Mission Academy

i.Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister for Jal Shakti launched the Swachh Bharat Mission(SBM) Academy, an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) based free mobile online training course with modules on the Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus programme at an event in New Delhi. 
ii.It is launched as part of ‘GandagiMukt Bharat’, the ongoing week-long behaviour change campaign.
iii.SBM Academy’s  functionalities and key roles are anticipated under Phase 2 of Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen)-SBM(G)
About Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS):
Union Minister- Gajendra Singh Shekhawat(Constituency- Jodhpur, Rajasthan)
Minister of State– Rattan Lal Kataria(Constituency- Ambala, haryana)
<<Read Full News>>

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Russia Becomes World’s 1st Country to Register COVID-19 Vaccine, ‘Sputnik V’

Russia becomes the World’s 1st country to officially register a coronavirus(COVID-19) vaccine and declare it ready for use. The vaccine will be marketed in foreign markets under the name ‘Sputnik V’, after the world’s first satellite Sputnik. The vaccine has been developed jointly by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology and the Russian Defence Ministry.

• It is expected that Russia will make the vaccine available to the public on Jan 1, 2021. 
• India is among 20 countries which has expressed interest in obtaining the vaccine

Finances for Production of Vaccine
The production of the Sputnik V in Russia is financed by Russia Development Investment Fund or RDIF (Russia’s sovereign wealth fund) on the basis of production capacities of its portfolio companies, R-Pharm and Binnopharm, a part of the Alium Group,
Key Info
i.Phase-III clinical trials will be held in different countries, including India, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Brazil and Philippines. 
ii.This will be followed by mass production in other countries in collaboration with local financing institutions.
Recent Related News:
i.India is World’s First Country to Use Drone Mounted ULV Sprayer for Locust Control.
ii.India is the first country in the world to control desert locusts using drones.
About Russia:
Capital– Moscow
Currency– Russian Ruble
President– Vladimir V. Putin

Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko wins sixth term with 80% of votes

The Central Election Commission of the Republic of Belarus said that the country’s longtime authoritarian leader Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko has won his sixth consecutive presidential term(1994-present) by taking over 80% of the votes. 
i.His main opposition challenger Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has secured only 9.9% of votes.
ii.The Opposition party has rejected the official election results and called for recounting of the votes.
iii.5,000 protesters in the capital city of Minsk took to the streets to protest Lukashenko’s election win.
About Belarus:
Capital – Minsk
Prime Minister – Roman Golovchenko
President – Alexander Lukashenko

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Reliance Foundation partnered with USAID to Launch the W-GDP WomenConnect Challenge Across India

i.Under the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative, US Agency for International Development (USAID) and Reliance Foundation have partnered to bridge the gender digital divide in India. 
ii.Through the partnership they will launch the W-GDP Women Connect Challenge(WCC) across India in 2020. 
iii.The announcement was made at a W-GDP event hosted by Stephen Biegun, US Deputy Secretary of State along with Ivanka Trump,Advisor to the US President and Bonnie Glick, Deputy USAID Administrator.
About USAID:
Headquarters- Washington, D.C., US
Acting Administrator– John Barsa 
About Reliance Foundation:
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Founder and Chairperson– Nita M Ambani
<<Read Full News>>

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS       

Mukesh Ambani becomes 4th richest man in world;Jeff Bezos tops: Bloomberg Index

Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani has surpassed Bernard Arnault, chairman and Chief Executive Officer of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton to become the world’s fourth-richest person.

• As per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Ambani’s net worth is now at $80.2 billion (approx Rs 6 lakh crore) after adding $22 billion to his wealth in 2020.
• Mr Ambani was behind Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos (net worth $187 billion), Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates ($121 billion) and Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg ($102 billion)
• The Reliance platform witnessed a massive surge in its stock after investments of Rs. 1,52,056 crores from companies such as Google, Facebook, Intel, Qualcomm, PIF, Silver Lake, L Catterton.
• Mukesh Ambani is the only Indian in the list of Top Ten Billionaires across the world. 

Bloomberg Index:

• Bloomberg Billionaires Index is a daily ranking of the World’s richest people.
• The data for the ranking are taken from net worth analysis on each billionaire’s profile page.
• The figures are updated at the close of every trading day in New York.

 APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS         

Centre Formed committee for procurement, administration of COVID-19 vaccine; Headed by Dr VK Paul

i.On August 11, 2020, the Central Government has formulated an expert committee namely “National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration” under the chairmanship of Dr VK Paul, a member (health) at the NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog to consider the logistics, ethical aspects of procurement, and administration of COVID-19 vaccine in discussion with all state governments and vaccine manufacturers.
ii.Russia became the first country in the world to register a COVID-19 vaccine which is developed by Gamaleya Research Institute and the Russian defence ministry.
About NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Amitabh Kant
Headquarter– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

Isher Judge Ahluwalia, Chairperson of ICRIER think tank resigns; Pramod Bhasin becomes the New Chairman

On 8th August 2020, Isher Judge Ahluwalia, the Chairperson of the think tank of Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations(ICRIER), who assumed office on 8th August 2005 and held the position for the past 15 years, resigned due to health issues. She will continue as the Chairperson Emeritus, a position created to honour her contributions to the council.
Pramod Bhasin the current vice chairman of the board of governors of ICRIER is appointed as the new Chairman.
About ICRIER:
Chair Emeritus– Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia
Chairman– Pramod Bhasin 
Director & Chief Executive– Dr. Rajat Kathuria
Headquarters– New Delhi 

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS        

CCI Approved Proposed Combination Pertaining to JV Formation between Honda Motor and Hitachi

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the proposed combination filed jointly by Keihin Corporation(KC), Nissin Kogyo Co., Ltd.(NKCL), Showa Corporation (SC) and Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.(HIAMS) to form a Joint Venture(JV) between Honda Motor Co. Limited(HAMCL) and Hitachi Limited(HL).
Proposed Combination
i.HAMCL will acquire additional shares to transform its affiliates(KC, NKCL and SC) as its wholly owned subsidiaries, after which the entities will merge into HIAMS, a wholly-owned subsidiary of HL to form the integrated company.
ii.The integrated company will be jointly controlled by HAMCL and HL.
Key Info
i.Through the proposed transactions, entities will integrate their complementary strengths to provide globally competitive solutions to the automotive and two-wheeler vehicle industry.
ii.In addition to it will also combine resources and research efforts to create social, economic and environmental value, improve mobility safety and comfort, and advance the automotive and motorcycle industry to the next generation.
About CCI:
Headquarters– New Delhi, India
Chairman– Ashok Kumar Gupta

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

World’s Lightest Attack Helicopter -HAL’s Two LCH Deployed for Operations at Leh, Ladakh

i.On August 12, 2020, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) manufactured two Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) have been deployed for operations at high altitude (Leh, Ladakh sector) to support Indian Air Force (IAF) missions amid prevailing situation on the India-China border.
ii.Notably, the twin engine LCH is the lightest attack helicopter in the world designed and developed by HAL to meet the specific
iii.LCH is capable of hitting any type of target by day or night with an ability to carry adequate weapon load at high altitudes under varied conditions.
About Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL):
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD)– R Madhavan
Headquarter– Bengaluru, Karnataka
<<Read Full News>>

Skyroot Aerospace, India’s 1st Private Aerospace Company to Test Fire 1st of its Kind Upper Stage Rocket Engine Named “Raman”

i.Skyroot Aerospace, Indian aerospace startup successfully test fired an upper stage rocket engine “Raman”, India’s first 100% 3D printed bi-propellant liquid rocket engine injector named after the Nobel laureate Sir CV Raman and became the first private aerospace company in India to test a rocket engine developed in India.
ii.Raman is a lightweight 3D printed rocket engine featuring a fewer number of moving parts.
iii.Raman can hurl a satellite of 250 to 700 kilograms into the lower orbits.
About Skyroot Aerospace:
Co-Founders, CEO & CTO– Pawan Kumar Chandana 
Co-Founder & COO– Naga Bharath Daka
Headquarters– Hyderabad, Telangana
<<Read Full News>>

OBITUARY

Renowned Urdu Poet Rahat Indori passes away at 70

On August 11, 2020, Urdu Poet & Lyricist, Rahat Indori who was being treated for COVID-19 died of Heart Attack at Aurobindo Hospital, Indore.
Key Points:
i.He was born as Rahat Qureshi on 1 January, 1950 in Indore. He taught Urdu literature at Devi Ahilya University, and was awarded PhD from Bhoj University in Madhya Pradesh for his thesis titled ‘Urdu Main Mushaira’.
ii.Indori with a 50-year career in poetry was an Urdu scholar of great repute, he was one of the biggest mushaira (poetry symposiums) stars in the country. 
iii.Apart from being a Poet, he has also worked as a Lyricist in Hindi Film Industry including “Khuddar”, “Munna Bhai M.B.B.S” and “Murder”,he has also painted posters for many films.
iv.His most powerful lines were “Sabhi ka khoon hai shamil yahan ki mitti mein; Kisi ke baap ka Hindustan thodi hai (Everybody’s blood mingles in the soil; Hindustan does not belong solely to one)”
v.His poem “Bulati hai magar jane ka nahi” went viral on social media, making him a sensation among the youth during 2020 Valentine day.

Veteran Sports Journalist GK Menon Passed Away at 93

On August 11, 2020 Veteran sports journalist Gopal Krishna(G.K) Menon passed away at 93 in suburban Mumbai, Maharashtra. He has worked with the Indian Express and The Times of India before which he was a freelancer. He was an active member of the Shivaji Park Gymkhana in Dadar, Central Mumbai.
About GK Menon:
i.He was a cricketer at club level. He ended his freelancer career in the early 1990s.
ii.He served as a manager of the 1952-53 Bombay University team which won the Rohinton Baria Trophy by beating Delhi in the final at Bengaluru.
iii.He was instrumental in the emergence of former Indian pacer, late Ramakant Desai.
iv.He is called George by his friends.
About Maharashtra:
Capital– Mumbai
Governor– Bhagat Singh Koshyari
Chief Minister– Uddhav Thackeray

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Youth Day 2020 – August 12

i.The United Nations(UNs) International Youth Day(IYD) is annually celebrated on 12th August to raise awareness on the legal and cultural problems related to the youths all over the world and to celebrate and focus on the voices, actions and initiatives of young people.
ii.The First International Youths day was observed on 12th August 2000.
iii.The 2020 IYD is celebrated under the theme – “Youth Engagement for Global Action”
iv.IYD 2020 is convened by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) in partnership with the Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development(IANYD) Youth Caucus and Create2030. 
About United Nations:
Secretary-General– Antonio Guterres
Headquarters– New York
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>>

World Elephant Day 2020 – August 12

i.The 12th August of every year since 2012 is celebrated as the World Elephant Day to create awareness on the need to conserve and preserve the giant mammals and their habitats. 
ii.The First World Elephant Day was celebrated on 12th August 2012.
iii.Sivaporn Dardarananda, Secretary General of Elephant Reintroduction Foundation and Canadian filmmakers Patricia Sims and Michael Clark officially launched the World Elephant Day.
About Elephant Reintroduction Foundation:
Chairman– Dr. Sumet Tantivejkul
Secretary General– Sivaporn Dardarananda
Headquarters– Bangkok, Thailand
About CITES:
Secretary-General– Ivonne Higuero 
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
<<Read Full News>>

STATE NEWS

Goa signs MoU with NSDC for setting up World-Class Skill Development Institute

Goa’s Directorate of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (DSDE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) for setting up an Institute to provide Advanced Skills Training. 
Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Mahendra Nath Pandey and Goa Skill Development Minister Vishwajit Rane were present for the ceremony to sign the MoU through a webcast. 
About Goa:
Capital – Panaji
Chief Minister – Pramod Sawant
Governor – Satya Pal Malik
<<Read Full News>>

Delhi Gov Signed an MoU with IIT-Bombay and Tata Projects Limited for Smog Tower

i.The Delhi government has signed an Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with  Indian Institutes of Technology(IIT)-Bombay and Tata Projects Limited to construct a  20 metre high smog tower in Connaught Place, New Delhi following the orders of Supreme Court(SC). 
ii.As per the MoU smog tower to be completed in 10 months. The project is expected to cost around Rs 19 crore.
About Delhi:
Chief Minister– Arvind Kejriwal.
Governor– Anil Baijal
<<Read Full News>>

AC GAZE

Guidelines for grant of authorization for bulk and retail marketing of petrol and diesel simplified: Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas

In order to increase private sector participation in the marketing of petrol and diesel, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has simplified the guidelines for grant of authorization for bulk and retail marketing of Motor Spirit (Petrol) and High Speed Diesel (Diesel), Any entity with a net worth of at least Rs.500 crore is eligible for obtaining the liberalised licence to sell petrol and diesel to both retail & bulk consumers and a net worth of Rs 250 crore can get a licence to retail petrol and diesel to either bulk or retail consumers.

LIC unveils ‘Special Revival Campaign’ to revive lapsed policies

Life Insurance Corporation(LIC) has unveiled  ‘Special Revival Campaign’ from August 10 to October 9, 2020 to provide an opportunity for its policyholders to revive lapsed policies.
About LIC:
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman – M R Kumar

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