Current Affairs 23 & 24 August 2020

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 23 & 24 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 23 & 24 August 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Ministry Of Tourism Inked MoU with TAAI & FICCI Ladies Organisation for Women’s Economic Empowerment through Tourism

i.On August 21, 2020, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Ladies Organisation (FLO) inked a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Tourism for women empowerment through video conference. The MoU was inked in the presence of Minister of State (MoS) for Tourism (Independent Charge-IC), Prahlad Singh Patel.
ii.This decision has been taken to organise training, impart digital awareness and develop skills among women, including those in rural and remote areas, in order to encourage their participation in the development of tourism which include the areas of homestays, tourist facilitators, catering business and more, through on Sustainable Tourism practices.
iii.FLO and TAAI will be the facilitators in the process connecting women with the relevant stakeholders.
About FICCI Ladies Organisation:
President– Jahnabi Phookan
Headquarter– New Delhi
About Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI):
President– Jyoti Mayal (2019-21)
Secretariat– Mumbai, Maharashtra
<<Read Full News>>

National Commission on Population: Projects India’s Population to be More Feminine by 2036

i.The National Commission on Population under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare  (MoHFW) submitted the Report of the Technical group on population projections July 2020, titled “Population projections for India and States 2011- 2036”. 
ii.The report projected that the India’s sex ratio of the total population (females per 1000 males) is expected to be more feminine in 2036 compared to the population as of 2011.
iii.Youth population (15-24 years) is expected to increase from 23.3 crores in 2011 to 25.2 crores in 2021 and then continue to decrease to 22.7 crores in 2036.
About Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW):
Union Minister– Harsh Vardhan
Minister of State– Ashwini Kumar Choubey
<<Read Full News>>

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

6th Round Table of ASEAN-India network of think tanks (AINTT) held

i.On August 20-21, 2020, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand organized the two-day long 6th Round Table of ASEAN-India Network of Think Tanks (AINTT) through video conference on the theme “ASEAN-India: Strengthening Partnership in the Post COVID Era”. ASEAN is an acronym for Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
ii.It was inaugurated by Union External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Thailand Don Pramudwinai. ASEAN Secretary General Dato’ Paduka Lim Jock Hoi also addressed the inaugural session. SOM (Senior Officials Meeting) Leaders / their representatives from all ten ASEAN Member States were also present in the Session.
iii.The organizing partners of the Round Table were ASEAN-India Centre (AIC) at the Research and Information System for Development Countries (RIS) and ASEAN Studies Centre (ASC) at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok.
About Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN):
2020 Chairmanship– Vietnam
Chairman– Nguyen Xuan Phuc
Secretariat – Jakarta, Indonesia
Membership– 10 States ― Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. 1 Observer – Papua New Guinea.
<<Read Full News>>

WHO Urged Developed Nations to Join Covax Facility to Counter “Vaccine Nationalism”  

i.In order to provide rapid, fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has invited countries to join its Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) facility by August 31, 2020. This facility is led by the WHO, along with the GAVI vaccine alliance (formerly the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation), and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
ii.Its aim is to deliver 2 billion doses of effective, approved COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2021.
iii.Notably, COVAX is part of a broader program, called the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator that ensures the availability of vaccines, treatments, diagnostic tests and other healthcare resources to combat the pandemic.
About World Health Organization (WHO):
Director-General–  Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarter– Geneva, Switzerland
<<Read Full News>>

BANKING & FINANCE

Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank and SBI General Insurance Co Ltd Signed MoU to Sell General Insurance Products 

i.Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) and SBI General Insurance Co Ltd have signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) in  Dharwad, Karnataka to sell general insurance products through the branches of KVGB. 
ii.The MoU was signed by BC Ravichandra, General Manager of KVGB, and Mahendra Tripathi, Head (Compliance and Legal), SBI General Insurance Co Ltd.
iii.As per the MoU the customers of KVGB will be able to avail bouquet of products that can cover their health, home, motor, property through the range of solutions that the company offers.
About Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank:
Headquarters– Dharwad, Karnataka
Chairman– P Gopi Krishna
About SBI General Insurance Co Ltd 
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Prakash Chandra Kandpal 
<<Read Full News>>

RBL Bank Partnered with Accenture to Accelerate its Digital Transformation 

RBL Bank has entered into a strategic partnership with Accenture to transform and enhance the future readiness of the bank’s Information Technology (IT) systems and accelerate its digital transformation journey. The alliance will enable RBL Bank to offer next-generation banking services, boost the resilience and scalability of its systems and business processes, and also to improve its operational efficiency.
Major Highlights
i.As a part of this partnership, Accenture will provide managed services and enable RBL Bank to modernize and integrate its large and diverse applications environment.
ii.This will help to streamline and automate key business processes such as finance and compliance, human resources and sales.
iii.To enable the continuous roll-out of improved digital capabilities and long-term system improvements, Accenture will create a flexible and more responsive technological backbone for RBL Bank by utilizing its expertise in DevOps and Agile working methodology.
iv.Accenture will help the bank to manage IT costs more effectively.
Additional Info
Through this collaboration, RBL Bank aims to create a more agile organization with a strong innovation culture
About RBL Bank:
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
MD & CEO– Vishwavir Ahuja
About Accentures:
Headquarters– Dublin, Ireland
Chairperson and Senior Managing Director, India– Rekha M. Menon
Chief Executive Officer, Global– Julie Sweet

SBI Partners with AddaCorner to Launch ‘Online Home Carnival’

State Bank of India (SBI) has partnered with India’s First Real-Time Group Negotiation E-Platform, AddaCorner to launch ‘Online Home Carnival’, which will help in boosting the Real Estate market in Bangalore. Along with the launch of ‘Online Home Carnival’, AddaCorner was also launched. 
i.The Carnival will invite potential home-buyers to come together as a group and directly negotiate with empanelled real estate sellers on a real time basis.  
ii.The Developers empanelled on AddaCorner platform include Brigade Group, Purvankara, Shriram Properties, Salarpuria, Assetz and Sumadhura.
iii.The Carnival will enable buyers to unlock group pricings and negotiate the best deal on property, while also allowing developers to close sales in bulk.     
Recent Related News:
i.According to the 11th edition of the ‘Global Real Estate Transparency Index 2020’, released by US based property consultant Jones Lang LaSalle’s (JLL) on July 7, 2020, India has improved by one place to 34th. 
ii.On July 9, 2020 Maharashtra Housing Minister Jitendra Awhad announced that the state govt and SBI will set up a stress fund to revive Slum Rehabilitation Authority(SRA) projects (about 370 projects) in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
About SBI:
Chairman – Rajnish Kumar
Headquarters – Mumbai

Tata Capital Ltd Launched a New Service, ‘Swift Insta Personal Loans’ on Whatsapp

Tata Capital Ltd(Tata Capital), the financial services arm of the Tata Group launched its new service called, ‘Swift Insta Personal Loans’ (SIPL) on WhatsApp. Through the new service, the existing customers can easily apply for loans and receive sanctions for personal loans (on a single platform) using TIA, a chatbot of Tata Capital on Whatsapp.
Note-TIA was recently launched on WhatsApp as a service platform to facilitate customer requests, including queries about Equated Monthly Installment (EMI) details or updating customer records. 
Key Info
i.Currently the platform will be available in a comprehensive manner offering only personal loans. The platform will also be expanded to other loan categories.
ii.Through the company’s WhatsApp number(7506756060) for TIA, customers can apply for SIPL.
iii.SIPL is the latest edition to Tata Capital’s suite of instant loan offerings.
iv.As TIA on Whatsapp was successful & also on the basis of the growing number of service requests and feedback from the customers SIPL was launched.
Additional Info– Tata Capital has recently launched First of its kind automatic renewal loans for its channel finance customers. 
About Tata Capital Ltd:
HeadOffice- Mumbai, Maharashtra
MD & CEO– Rajiv Sabharwal 

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

National Sports Awards 2020 Announced; 73 Awardees in 7 Categories

i.On August 21, 2020, National Sports Awards 2020 were announced by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The awards were recommended by the Selection Committee headed by Justice (Retd.) Mukundakam Sharma (former Judge of Supreme Court of India) and after due scrutiny, the Government has decided to confer awards upon the deserving sportspersons, coaches and entities under various categories:
ii.The total of 73 awardees in 7 categories will receive their awards from the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind at a specially organized virtual function from Rashtrapati Bhawan on August, 29 2020 i.e. on National Sports Day.
iii.Notably, this is the first time in the history of National Sports awards that 5 sportsperson named for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award and 27 athletes conferred with Arjuna Award.
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award: 

About Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports:
Minister of State-MoS (Independent Charge)– Kiren Rijiju
<<Read Full News>>

Anand Mahindra, Shantanu Narayen to Receive 2020 Leadership Awards from USISPF

On 21st August, 2020, US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) announced that Mahindra Group Chairman, Anand Mahindra and Adobe Chairman & Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Shantanu Narayen will receive the 2020 Leadership Awards for their exemplary vision and effort towards the promotion of US-India Bilateral Ties.  
<<Read Full News>>

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Ashwani Bhatia Appointed as Managing Director of SBI; Succeeds PK Gupta

i.The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi appointed Ashwani Bhatia, Deputy Managing Director (DMD), State Bank of India (SBI) as the Managing Director (MD) of SBI, effective from his date of assumption upto the date of his superannuation(May 31, 2022) or until further orders, whichever is earlier. 
ii.He succeeds PK Gupta, who superannuated on March 31, 2020.
iii.Ashwani Bhatia is currently serving as MD and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) at SBI Mutual Fund.
About SBI:
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman– Rajnish Kumar
Tagline– The banker to every Indian; With you all the way; A bank of the common man; Pure banking, nothing else; The nation banks on us.
<<Read Full News>>

Former Finance Secretary Rajiv Kumar Appointed as New Election Commissioner

On 21 August, 2020, Retired IAS officer and Former Finance Secretary Rajiv Kumar was appointed as the Election Commissioner with effect from August 31, 2020. He succeeds Ashok Lavasa who resigned the position to join as Vice-President of Asia Development Bank. He will be working alongside other Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra.
About Rajiv Kumar:
i.Rajiv Kumar is a 1984-batch IAS officer(retired) of the Jharkhand cadre. He has been appointed for a tenure of five years and is likely to become the Chief Election Commissioner for the next Lok Sabha polls in 2024.
ii.He is currently serving as chairperson of Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) from 29 April, 2020 which was set to end on 28 April 2023.
Previous Stints:
Rajiv Kumar has over three decades of experience in public policy and administration across various government sectors.
i.He has served as Finance Secretary from September 2017 – February 2020.
ii.During his stint as Finance Secretary, he was credited with bringing key reforms in Banking and Bureaucracy and playing a crucial role in the Merger of Banks.
About Election Commission of India:
Chief Election Commissioner – Sunil Arora.
Headquarters – New Delhi.

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS        

ICICI Lombard & Bharti AXA Signed Definitive Agreements to Merge their Insurance Businesses

i.ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co. Ltd.(ICICI Lombard) and Bharti AXA General Insurance Co. Ltd.(Bharti AXA) have signed definitive agreements to merge their insurance business. 
ii.The merger will happen through a scheme of arrangement. The proposed merged non-life insurance company(combined entity) will have a market share of 8.7% on a pro-forma basis.
iii.Once the deal is completed the combined entity will become the largest private non-life insurer and the 3rd largest non-life insurer in the general insurance industry 
About Bharti AXA General Insurance Co. Ltd.
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra 
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Sanjeev Srinivasan
About ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co. Ltd.
HeadQuarter– Mumbai, Maharashtra
MD & CEO– Bhargav Dasgupta
<<Read Full News>>

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Nitin Jairam Gadkari launched ‘Harit Path’, Mobile App developed by NHAI to monitor highway plantation

i.On 21st August 2020, Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways launched the mobile app, “Harit Path” for monitoring plantations and transplantation of trees along the highway, during the meeting to review the New Green Highway Policy (Plantation). 
ii.The mobile app was developed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Road and Transport.
About the Ministry of Road Transport, Highways(MoRTH):
Union Minister–  Nitin Jairam Gadkari
Minister of State– GEN. (DR) Vijay Kumar Singh
About National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL):
Managing Director– Keshav Kumar Pathak
Headquarters– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan Launches Online Registration and Renewal of Gold Hallmarking Centres

On 21st August, 2020 Union Minister for Consumer Affairs,Food & Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan virtually launched an online system for registration and renewal of licence of gold assaying and hallmarking (A&H) centres. The online system can be accessed through the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) web portal – www.manakonline.in.
The online mode of registration & renewal will help in ease of doing business for the jewellers and entrepreneurs who have established hallmarking centres or want to do so in future.
About Ministry for Consumer Affairs,Food & Public Distribution:
Union Minister – Ram Vilas Paswan.
Minister of State (MoS) – Raosaheb Patil Danve.
<<Read Full News>>

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh releases book on Cancer edited by noted Oncologist Dr Ashok Vaid

On 20th August, 2020 Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh launched a book on cancer – “Gastric Cancer” edited by Dr Ashok K. Vaid.  He is a Noted Oncologist and was awarded Padma Shri in 2009 for his outstanding work in the field of medicine. 
i.The book was launched during a special session organized during the 3 -day virtual conference on Oncology.
ii.The book is published by Springer Healthcare Education.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief 2020 – August 22

i.United Nations(UN)’s International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief is observed annually on August 22 as a response to the violence based on religion and belief.
ii.The first International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief was observed on 22nd August 2019.
iii.22nd August 2020 marks the 2nd International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief.
About United Nations(UN):
Secretary General– António Guterres
Headquarters– New York, United States
About ADF India:
Director– Tehmina Arora
Headquarters– Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

Earth Overshoot Day 2020: August 22

Earth Overshoot Day 2020 is observed on August 22, 2020.Earth Overshoot Day is the date when the demands of biological resources and services of the year by humanity exceeds the generation capacity of Earth in that year. The first Global Earth Overshoot Day campaign was launched in 2006.

• Compared to 2019, The 2020 Earth Overshoot Day was postponed by three weeks to August 22 due to the rare reversal after the lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic which caused a temporary decline in the carbon emission and wood harvesting and reduced humanity’s footprint by 9.3 .

Note:
2019 Earth Overshoot Day which was on 31st July marked the earliest Earth Overshoot Day ever recorded by the Global Footprint Network.
Event 2020:
As a part of the Global Earth Overshoot Day campaign, Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Global Footprint Network with The University of Glasgow organised the webinar “Move the Date – Choosing Our Future by Design Not Disaster” from 20th August 2020 to 21st August 2020.
Background:
The Earth Overshoot Day was conceived by Andrew Simms of the UK think tank New Economics Foundation in partnership with Global Footprint Network.
Computation of Earth Overshoot Day:
(Earth’s Bio capacity / Humanity’s Ecological Footprint) x 365 = Earth Overshoot Day
Key Points:
i.Global Footprint Network estimated that humanity is using around 60% more resources than that can be renewed, which is an equivalent of 1.6 planets. 
ii.The Pandemic has reduced around 14.5% carbon footprint of humanity and 8.4 % forest products compared to 2019.
iii.It also set a safer goal of a 1.5 C cap. The United Nations says for this to be possible, global emissions must fall 7.6 percent annually this decade.

AC GAZE

Religare Health Insurance renamed  Care Health Insurance

Religare Health Insurance Company, subsidiary health insurance of Religare Enterprises, has changed its name to ‘Care Health Insurance’ and became effective from August 19, 2020.

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