Current Affairs 15 August 2020

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 15 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 15 August 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Def Minister Rajnath Singh Launched 15 Products Developed by Defence PSUs and OFB

i.On August 13, 2020, as a part of the Atma Nirbhar Week celebration (Atmanirbharta Saptah) between August 7-14, 2020 of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and to boost Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (self-reliant India movement), Union Defence Minister (Raksha Mantri) Rajnath Singh virtually launched 15 products of Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) viz. four products each by OFB and BEML, two by BEL and one each by HAL, BDL, MDL, GRSE and GSL.
ii.Nag Missile Carrier (NAMICA): Developed by Ordnance Factory Medak (OFMK), Telangana in association with Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad it (Telangana), it can act as an import substitution of around Rs. 260 Cr in the first phase, which may go upto more than Rs 3000 Cr. 
iii.150 Ton payload capacity Dump Truck: It is one of the biggest Electric Mining Dump Trucks with expected foreign exchange savings of Rs. 1500 Crs.
About Ordnance Factory Board (OFB):
Ordnance Factories is the oldest and largest industrial setup under the Department of Defence Production (DPP) of the Ministry of Defence (MoD).  There are 41 Ordnance Factories under the aegis of its corporate headquarters in Kolkata, West Bengal.
Chairman of Ordnance Factory Board– Hari Mohan
<<Read Full News>>

Rajnath Singh Launched Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation Virtually

i.Rajnath Singh, Union Defence Minister launched the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation(NIIO) through an online webinar. 
ii.On the occasion Indian Navy signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA); Raksha Shakti University (RSU), Gujarat; Maker Village, Kochi; and Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM).
iii.‘SWAVLAMBAN’, a compendium of Indian Navy’s Indigenisation perspective plans was also released.
About Ministry of Defence:
Union Minister– Rajnath Singh(Constituency-Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State– Shripad Yesso Naik(Constituency- North Goa, Goa)
<<Read Full News>>

National Health Authority Approves to Integrate Health Schemes of Central Ministries with Ayushman Bharat Scheme

i.On 13th August 2020, The Governing board of National Health Authority(NHA) approved the proposal to integrate the existing health schemes of the central ministries with the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) for employees, during the governing board’s review meeting on the implementation AB-PMJAY chaired by Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health.
ii.The integration of the central ministry schemes and AB-PMJAY will promote the development in the supply side and enhance the demand creation of the services of the health care
About National Health Authority NHA:
CEO– Indu Bhushan (CEO of AB-PMJAY)
Headquarters– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

MoS for External Affairs: India Signs MoU with Nigeria on Space Cooperation

i.On 13th August 2020, Government of India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on space cooperation with the Federal government of Republic of Nigeria at the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.
ii.Over a virtual platform, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Science and Technology, Federal Republic of Nigeria and Abhay Thakur, Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria signed the MoU on behalf of Nigeria and India respectively.
iii.The MoU enhances the Socio economic development, space exploration, environmental safety and trade between India and Nigeria.
About Nigeria:
President– Muhammadu Buhari
Capital– Abuja
Currency– Nigerian naira
About Ministry of External Affairs:
Union Minister– Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (Elected to Rajya Sabha from Gujarat)
Minister of State– V. Muraleedharan
<<Read Full News>>

India Granted USD 500 mn Aid for Maldives Connectivity Project & USD 250 mn as Budgetary Support

i.On August 14, 2020, India has granted a US$250 million as budgetary support and US$500 million for the 6.7 Km Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP) during a virtual conversation between India’s Union Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Maldivian Counterpart Abdulla Shahid.
ii.The financial package of US$250 million will support the Maldives in meeting the Government’s financing gap, and support its efforts in responding to Covid19. 
iii.While the financial package of US$500 million consist of a grant of US$100 million and a new Line of Credit (LoC) of US$400 million. The US$400 million LoC comes in addition to a previous LoC of US$800 million that was announced by India in December 2018. 
About Maldives:
Capital– Male
Currency– Maldivian rufiyaa
President– Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
<<Read Full News>>

India aims to Achieve Zero Road Fatalities by 2030: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Jairam Gadkari while addressing the Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce and Womennovator on Trade Investment and collaborations in Road infrastructure, has underlined India’s initiatives to achieve Zero Road Fatalities by 2030.
Key Points:
i.The World Bank and Asian Development Bank have committed Rs. 7,000 crores each on initiatives to reduce road accidents.
ii.Better road engineering, increased public awareness and upgradation programmes are expected to bring 50% reduction in road accidents. 
iii.Under the Indian Road Safety Assessment Programme 21,000 km road has been assessed 3,000 Kilometre road length is under technological upgradation.
iv.Social awareness, education, improving emergency services, pressing for medical insurance, providing more hospitals are looked upon key areas to achieve the Road Safety Targets.
Note – India reported the world’s highest road accidents in 2018 with 4.67 lakh accidents claiming 1,51,417 lives.
About Ministry of Road Transport and Highways:
Union Minister – Nitin Jairam Gadkari
Minister of State (MoS) – General Vijay Kumar Singh

Odisha retains Top Position in Implementation of AMRUT Scheme

i.Odisha has retained top position in the implementation of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme. According to rankings released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Odisha regained its top position by securing a score of 85.67 percent, followed by Union Territory of Chandigarh (75.08) and Telangana (74.04).
ii.Out of the total 191 projects started under the AMRUT scheme, 148 projects have been implemented and other projects are expected to be completed before the deadline in March, 2021. 
About Odisha:
Capital – Bhubaneswar
Chief Minister – Naveen Patnaik
Governor – Ganeshi Lal
<<Read Full News>>

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Around 818 million Children Across the World Lack Basic Hand Washing Facilities at their Schools: WHO & UNICEF Report

As per the latest report, ‘Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in schools Special focus on COVID-19’ released by World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):
i.Around 818 million children across the world lacked basic hand-washing facilities in their schools which makes them  prone to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and other transmittable diseases.
ii.Of the 818 million children, 355 million went to schools which had facilities with water but no soap, and 462 million to schools which had no facilities or water available for handwashing.
About UNICEF
Headquarters– New York, United States of America(USA)
Executive Director– Henrietta Holsman Fore
About WHO:
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
Director-General– Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
<<Read Full News>>

European Union to Provide 1.65 million euros in Humanitarian Aid Funding to Support Victims of South Asia Floods

The European Union (EU) will provide 1.65 million euros in humanitarian aid funding to support flood victims of South Asia most notably in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. The funding is part of the EU’s Acute Large Emergency Response Tool (ALERT). 

• The measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus will be incorporated in all programming.

Split up of Funding:
Of the 1.65 million euros, 500,000 euros will be used in India, 1 million euros will be dedicated to Bangladesh and 150,000 euros will be used in Nepal to provide food and livelihood assistance, emergency relief supplies, and water and sanitation services.
Key Info
i.Earlier in 2020, EU has announced that it will provide 1.8 million euros to support families who were affected by a series of disasters, including cyclone Amphan, which devastated India and Bangladesh in May, 2020.
ii.In total 3.45 million euros has been provided by the EU to support the victims of disasters in the region.
Note– EU helps over 120 million victims of conflicts and disasters every year through its European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations(ECHO).
Reason Behind the Funding:
EU has chosen to provide provide financial assistance to Bangladesh, India & Nepal due to the following reason,
i.In Bangladesh, over 2 million people are in need of food assistance, water, sanitation, hygiene and emergency shelter. Some 850,000 remain displaced, a figure expected to increase as rains continue.  
ii.India received financial assistance for food and livelihood assistance, emergency relief supplies, and water and sanitation services. So far, this year’s monsoon rains have impacted at 10.9 million and have amplified people’s vulnerabilities due to global coronavirus pandemic.  
iii.Nepal was provided with the financial assistance to address the pressing need for water and sanitation, shelter and essential household items following the displacement of thousands of people after the rains unleashed devastating landslides across the country.
About EU:
Headquarters– Brussels, Belgium
European Parliament president– David-Maria Sassoli(His term to end on December 2021)
Members– 27 countries

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI Tightens Norms for Core Investment Companies; Formation of Group Risk Management Committee Mandated

i.On August 13, 2020, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revised the guidelines applicable for Core Investment Companies (CICs) on the basis of the recommendations of the Working Group (WG) to Review the Regulatory and Supervisory Framework for Core Investment Companies (CICs), constituted under the Chairmanship of Tapan Ray, former Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA).
ii.In this regard, RBI has made the guidelines stricter for CICs by mandating more disclosures, better risk management and a simpler group structure w.e.f. August 13, 2020. The existing entities have been given time till 31 March 2023 to reorganize their business structure.
iii.CICs with assets of over Rs 5,000 crore will have to appoint a chief risk officer (CRO).
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Formation– 1 April 1935
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors– 4 (Bibhu Prasad Kanungo, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, one is yet to be appointed).
<<Read Full News>>

HDFC Bank Virtually Launched ‘Shaurya KGC Card’, a First-of-its-Kind Card for Indian Armed Forces 

i.On August 14, 2020 Aditya Puri, Managing Director of HDFC Bank, launched digitally the 1st of its kind card, ‘Shaurya KGC(Kisan Gold Credit) Card’, a tri color themed card for Indian armed forces personnel, i.e, Army, Navy, Air force and Para military forces and their families. 
ii.It will benefit over 45 lakh users. The product is aimed largely towards armed forces personnel from semi-urban and rural communities. 
iii.The product is based on the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) guidelines by the government.
About HDFC Bank:
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman– Deepak S. Parekh
Tagline– We understand your world
<<Read Full News>>

SBI rolls out “KCC (Kisan Credit Card) Review option” for Farmers

State Bank of India(SBI) has launched “KCC (Kisan Credit Card) Review option” on its digital agricultural solution platform, YONO (“You Only Need One”) Krishi.
With this application the farmers can access their KCC limit in the virtual platform. It is expected to benefit more than 75 Lakh Farmers who have Kisan Credit Card accounts with SBI. The Farmers will no longer need to visit the bank branch physically to apply for a revision in their KCC limit.
YONO KRISHI:
YONO Krishi platform is providing the following four services for the farmers:

• YONO Khata – caters to agriculture credit solutions like agri gold loans
• YONO Bachat – financial Super store for farmer’s investment & insurance needs.
• YONO Mitra – agriculture advisory services 
• YONO Mandi – online marketplace for purchasing agricultural inputs & farm equipment.

Kisan Credit Card Scheme:
The KCC scheme provides support for farmers to meet short term credit requirements for cultivation of crops, post-harvest expenses, produce marketing loan, consumption requirements of farmer household, working capital for maintenance of farm assets and activities allied to agriculture and investment credit requirement for agriculture and allied activities.
About State Bank of India (SBI):
Headquarters – Mumbai
Chairperson – Rajnish Kumar

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS         

Former RBI Deputy Governor Subhash Sheoratan Mundra Appointed as Non-Executive Chairman of Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd

On August 12, 2020 Indiabulls Housing Finance Limited(IBH) appointed Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor Subhash Sheoratan Mundra (SS Mundra) as its Non-Executive Chairman with immediate effect. 
Note – IBH’s Executive Chairman Sameer Gehlaut has taken up the position of chief executive officer of another listed firm Indiabulls Ventures Ltd.
About Subhash Sheoratan Mundra:
i.He served as the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) from July 31, 2014 -July 31, 2017. 
ii.He was conferred Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil.), Honoris Causa by Amity University in 2015. 
iii.He has served as Chairman & Managing Director Bank of Baroda, Executive Director of the Union Bank of India, Chief Executive of European Operations Bank of Baroda (UK).
iv.SS Mundra had joined the board of Indiabulls Housing Finance in 2018 as an independent director.
About Indiabulls Group:
Headquarters – Gurugram
Subsidiaries – Indiabulls Commercial Credit Limited, Indiabulls Asset Management Company Limited, Indiabulls Housing Finance Limited, Indiabulls Financial Services Limited,Asset Management Arm & Indiabulls Advisory Services Limited.

Indian Cricketer Harbhajan Singh Appointed as Brand Ambassador of eBikeGO

eBikeGO, Amritsar based e-mobility start-up appointed Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh as its brand ambassador for a year. He will help the company to upgrade itself and will also  have an active presence on the company’s website and campaigns across media.
Key Info
i.The company with this association and with the recently announced government’s new Electric Vehicle (EV) policy aims to build  mass appeal, positive voice and widespread adoption for electric mobility thereby looking to capture 10% of electric two wheeler market share by 2022.
ii.With existing operations spanning Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Amritsar, Jaipur and Hyderabad , the company is focussing on expanding its footprint to new markets such as Chennai and Pune among others.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Indian Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessel “Sarthak“ launched; Manufactured by Goa Shipyard Limited

i.In order to enhance maritime security, on August 13, 2020, an Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) for the Indian Coast Guard was launched and re-christened as Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) “Sarthak” during a ceremony held at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) which was conducted through video conferencing from Coast Guard headquarters at New Delhi. 
ii.It was launched by Ms. Veena Ajay Kumar, wife of Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar.
iii.Sarthak, the 4th in the series of five OPVs deployed by the ICG has been designed and built indigenously by GSL on the lines of “Make in India” which has about 70% indigenous content.
<<Read Full News>>

IIA discovers He-enhanced star among Omega Centauri 

Indian Scientist from Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, Karnataka, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) discovered a helium (He)-enhanced cool bright star among metal rich samples of the globular cluster, Omega Centauri.
About the study:
i.This study, a result of the spectroscopic survey conducted of the cluster, which determines the helium (He) abundance of these stars.
ii.This is the first ever spectroscopic determination of He-abundance in the Omega Centauri.
iii.The study was published in “The Astrophysical Journal”.
iv.The team started the study with the low-resolution spectra obtained from the Optometric Medium Resolution Spectrograph (OMRS) with the Vainu Bappu Telescope at Vainu Bappu Observatory, Kavalur, Tamil Nadu.
v.Dr Hema BP and Prof Gajendra Pandey of IIA worked in association with international researchers to measure the amount of He in the star, using the high-resolution spectra obtained from the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT).
Findings:
i.The study gave the important clue for the origin of the He-enhanced population.
ii.This establishes that these are the second generation stars formed from the metal-rich and He-enhanced material from the first generation stars.
iii. He-enhanced main-sequence stars evolve to the metal-rich He-enhanced cool bright stars as our program starts. While in most stars, H is the most abundant element, if the abundance of H is reduced, correspondingly He abundance increases because the sum of H and He is a constant, and the other heavier elements are in traces.

IIT Ropar Developed “UVSAFE”, UVGI Based Room Disinfection Device

Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar(IIT-R) in collaboration with Momentum India Private Limited developed “UVSAFE”, a state of the art room disinfection device based on Singular Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation(UVGI). The efficiency of the device was tested by FICCI Research and Analysis Centre(FRAC)(NABL Accredited Laboratory, New Delhi).
It was designed by Khushboo Rakha, Assistant Professor, Division of Metallurgical and Supplies Engineering and Naresh Rakha, Senior Scientific Officer of IIT- R with technical support from Shahriar Reza (Design Marketing consultant).
About UVSAFE:
i.The device uses the germicidal effects of the UV-C radiation and the Prismatic Physique with foldable wings provides a 360-degree disinfection on the frequently used surfaces.
ii.This mathematical model based on the 60 years’ research on viruses and bacteria to determine the precise dose of UV-C to inactivate the microbes in and on air, liquid and surface.
iii.The trapezoid base has the management panel of the gear.
iv.The device takes 6 minutes to achieve 99.9% disinfection in an area of 14 square foot.
v.The remote controlled device enables the operator to stay at a safe distance.

ENVIRONMENT

IIT Delhi Found WHO listed Priority Pathogens in the Waters of River Yamuna 

i.The research team of Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi(IIT-D) found the critical group and multi drug resistant bacteria of the World Health Organization’s(WHO’s) 2017 list of antibiotic resistant priority pathogens, in the waters of River Yamuna.
ii.The study was conducted on the 20 major sewer drains and the waters of Yamuna at 5 locations across Delhi over two seasons and isolated the Faecal Coliform(FC) from all the samples.
iii.The research paper on the study was published in the Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering.
About IIT Delhi:
Director– V. Ramgopal Rao
Location– New Delhi 
About World Health Organization(WHO):
Director-General– Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarter– Geneva, Switzerland 
<<Read Full News>>

OBITUARY

Veteran Malayalam Poet and Drama Writer Chunakkara Ramankutty Passed Away at 84

On 12th August 2020, Veteran malayalam poet, lyricist and drama writer Chunakkar Ramankutty passed away at the age of 84 due to old age related ailments in a hospital at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.He hails from Chunakkara, Alappuzha, Kerala.
About Chunakkar Ramankutty:
i.He was well known for his song “Devadaru Poothu” for the movie ‘Engane Nee Marakkum’(1983).
ii.He worked in more than 215 songs for around 76 movies.
iii.His famous works include –  ‘Syamameghame nee’ (Adhipan), ‘Sindoorathilakavumayi’ (Kuyiline thedi), ’Nee Arinjo Mele Manath’ (Kandu Kandarinju), ‘Hridayavaniyile gayikayo’ (Kottayam Kunjachan).
iv.Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi in 2015 honoured him with “Guru Shreshta Award”.

STATE NEWS

Assam Government to Launch ‘Orunodoi’ Scheme to provide Financial Assistance

On August 12, 2020, Finance Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sharma announced that the Government of Assam will roll out the ‘Orunodoi’ Scheme, which will provide Financial Assistance of Rs. 830 per month through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme to around 17 Lakh Families in the state. It is expected to be the largest direct benefit Transfer scheme in Assam. 

• The ‘Orunodoi’ scheme will be implemented from October 2, 2020 and will act as an umbrella scheme for all other government schemes for the next 5 years.

About Assam:
Chief Minister – Sarbananda Sonowal
Governor – Jagdish Mukhi
Capital – Dispur
<<Read Full News>>

Delhi Govt Signed MoU with Bloomberg Philanthropies to Enhance Road Safety

i.In a bid to enhance road safety i.e. eliminate road accidents and create safe mobility for commuters, Kailash Gahlot, Delhi Transport Minister signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bloomberg Philanthropies. 
ii.On signing this MoU, Delhi has  joined 30 world cities in the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety,  a network committed to reducing the deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes.
About Delhi:
Wildlife Sanctuary– Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary
Airport– Indira Gandhi International Airport or Delhi Airport
<<Read Full News>>

TERI launches Early Warning System for Guwahati, Assam

i.Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) , fully automated web-based tool was launched by The Energy and Resources Institute’s (TERI) in association with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in Guwahati, Assam.
ii.Objective – FEWS tool will alert the local authorities to predict flash floods and heavy rainfall in Guwahati, Assam.It will help the authorities to take timely and appropriate measures during natural disaster..
About Assam:
Chief Minister – Sarbananda Sonowal
Governor – Jagdish Mukhi
Capital – Dispur
<<Read Full News>>

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