Current Affairs 25 August 2020

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 25 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 25 August 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Centre Formulated India’s First 30 member National Council for Transgender Persons; Chaired by Union Minister of SJ&E

i.On August 21, 2020, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 16 of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 (40 of 2019) the Central Government constituted the India’s first 30-member National Council for Transgender Persons to advice, monitor and evaluate measures for the protection of the rights of Transgender community .
ii.Council will work with states for ensuring setting up transgender welfare boards in all states and looking after the essential needs of the community, like housing, food, healthcare and education.
iii.The 30-member council is consisted of 1Chairperson, 1 Vice-Chairperson, 13 members, 14 nominated members and 1 member secretary which is explained as below:
—Chairperson: Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment (SJ&E)

• Current- Thaawarchand Gehlot

About Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (SJ&E):
Minister of State (MoS)– Krishan Pal Gurjar, Rattan Lal Kataria, and Ramdas Athawale
<<Read Full News>>

Odisha, Chhattisgarh Celebrates ‘2020 Nuakhai Juhar’, Agricultural Festival on August 23

Nukhai Juhar, an ancient festival which is also known as Nuakhai Parab or Nuakhai Bhetghat is celebrated on the fifth day of lunar fortnight of Bhadrabaa, to welcome the new crop of the season in Odisha, Chhattisgarh and other neighbouring states. Nuakhai is a combination of two words, Nua which means new and Khai which means eat.
The 2020 Nuakhai Juhar was celebrated on 23rd August. 
Note:
The traditional social gathering, Nuakhai Bhetghat, organised by the locals are restricted with the guidelines of maintaining social distance and procession of more than 5 people are prohibited.
Celebration of Nukhai Juhar:
i.The farmers offer the first produce of the season to the presiding deity, Goddess Samaleswari of Sambalpur, Odisha.
ii.The people worship food grains and prepare special meals with khiri, pitha and kakra.
Cultural programmes like folk songs and dances will be organised to showcase the local culture and traditions of the state.
iii.Shyam Sundar Dhar Folklore researcher, mentioned that Nuakhai Juhar is extended for elders to bless the younger members of the family and for the people to wish the seniors of the locality.
About Odisha:
Tiger Reserve– Similipal Tiger Reserve, Satkosia Tiger Reserve, 
Elephant Reserve– Sambalpur Elephant Reserve, Mahanadi Elephant Reserve, Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve
About Chhattisgarh:
Capital– Raipur
Chief Minister– Bhupesh Baghel
Governor– Anusuiya Uikey
Tiger Reserve– udanti-sitanadi tiger reserve, indravati tiger reserve

CMIA Partnered with UNDP to Set up Help Desk for MSME amid COVID-19

i.The Chamber of Marathwada Industries and Agriculture (CMIA) has joined hands with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to set up a help desk for MSMEs (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) for providing information on various government safety guidelines, regulatory norms, schemes and support measures during the Covid-19 related business challenges pandemic by hosting regular webinars, consultation and interactive sessions for MSMEs.
ii.The help desk will be active till January 2021.
About Chamber of Marathwada Industries and Agriculture (CMIA):
President– Kamleish Dhoot
Headquarter– Aurangabad, Maharashtra
About United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):
Administrator– Achim Steiner
Headquarter– New York, United States of America (USA)
<<Read Full News>>

India’s Longest River Ropeway Inaugurated in Guwahati, Assam

On August 24, 2020 The Guwahati Passenger Ropeway Project connecting the Northern and Southern banks of the Brahmaputra River was inaugurated by the Assam State Minister of Finance, Himanta Biswa Sarma and Guwahati Development Department (GDD) Minister, Siddhartha Bhattacharya. The ropeway service is 1.8 Kilometres long, making it the longest ropeway distance over a river in the entire country.
The project is set to become operational by August 24, 2021 and has been built at an estimated cost of Rs 56 Crore.
About Assam:
Capital – Dispur
Chief Minister – Sarbananda Sonowal 
National Parks – Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park or Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, Nameri National Park, The Orang National Park.
<<Read Full News>>

India and Uzbekistan Co-chaired the First National Coordination Committee Meeting: Discussed on Trade and Investment

i.On 24th August 2020, V Muraleedharan, Minister of State for External Affairs, Government of India and Sardor Umurzakov, Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan co-chaired the first National Coordination Committee Meeting. 
ii.Issues on bilateral interests like, Line of Credit(LoC) projects, trade and investments to strengthen the strategic relations between India and Uzbekistan were discussed during the meeting.
About Uzbekistan:
President– Shavkat Mirziyoyev
Prime Minister- Abdulla Aripov 
Capital– Tashkent
Currency– Uzbekistani soʻm
<<Read Full News>>

M Venkaiah Naidu Released 2 Research Reports of IAPPD- ‘Status of Sex Ratio at Birth in India’ and ‘Elderly Population in India: Status and Support Systems’

In New Delhi, India, M Venkaiah Naidu, Vice president of India released 2 reports of the Indian Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (IAPPD) namely,

• ‘Status of Sex Ratio at Birth in India’, that describes about the imbalance in the number of females and males in the population 
• ‘Elderly Population in India: Status and Support Systems’, which highlights the issues of the elderly population in the country and states some useful recommendations to improve their plight.

About IAPPD:
It is a national level Non-Governmental organization.
Headquarters– New Delhi, India
Chairman– Prof. P.J. Kurien
<<Read Full News>>

Kerala State Dragonfly Festival 2020 aka “Thumbimahotsavam 2020” Launched; Mascot is “Pantalu” 

i.On August 15, 2020, the first ever Kerala State Dragonfly Festival 2020 aka “Thumbimahotsavam 2020” was launched by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-India State unit in collaboration with Society for Odonate Studies (SOS) and Thumbipuranam through a virtual ceremony from Kerala. Dr. Subramanian K.A.  Scientist at Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Southern Regional Center, Chennai (Tamil Nadu) addressed the inaugural session. 
ii.The official mascot of the festival is “Pantalu” which is the genus of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae commonly known as rainpool gliders.
iii.Thumbimahotsavam 2020 is part of a 3rd edition of national dragonfly festival 2020.
About World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-India:
President– Jamshyd Naoroji Godrej
Secretariat– New Delhi
<<Read Full News>>

The Naval Commanders’ Conference 2020: 19th – 21st August 2020

The Naval Commanders’ Conference 2020, a biennial conference was held in New Delhi, India from August 19 to 21, 2020. Rajnath Singh, Union Defence Minister addressed the opening session of the conference. This is the 1st Naval Commanders’ Conference since the institution of the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). 

• The Conference is the apex level event to interact between the Naval Commanders and also between Naval Commanders with other senior government officials.

Review & Discussion of Rajnath Singh
i.Rajnath Singh reviewed the innovations by Indian Navy to combat COVID 19 pandemic with Naval Commanders along with Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Karambir Singh.
ii.The Indian Navy has effectively carried out Mission Based Deployment to protect maritime interests by deploying naval ships and aircraft at major and sensitive locations. This is inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region).
iii.Since the commencement of the Mission Based Deployment(June 2017), these deployments have facilitated the following, namely: 

• Advanced Marine Domain Awareness (MDA), Rapid Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) for Indian Ocean Regional Writers, and protection for the international maritime community.

Key Info
i.The Chief of the Naval Staff, with the Commanders-in-Chief, reviewed the major operational, materiel, logistics, HR, training and administrative activities undertaken during the year and deliberated upon the course to be guided in the future.
ii.The conference discussed ways to optimise joint planning structures, Tri-Service Synergy, and operational readiness, also functional reorganisation within the IN to improve efficiency.
About Indian Navy:
Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Navy)– New Delhi, India
Chief of Naval Staff (CNS)– Admiral Karambir Singh

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Google Launches ‘The Anywhere School’ to Boost Online Learning

On August 12, 2020 Google launched ‘The Anywhere School’ initiative in more than 250 countries around the world. The initiative is expected to benefit millions of students who have switched to learning from home, due to the pandemic. 
Key Points:
i.Under the initiative, Google will roll out over 50 new features across products like Google Meet, Classroom, G Suite and other products. 
ii.Google will launch custom and blurred backgrounds in Google Meet to provide ‘extra privacy’ to the users. 
iii.Google Classroom will be available in 10 additional languages including Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu in India. Globally the platform will provide support for over 54 languages.
iv.Google is also bringing Assignments, an application for learning management system (LMS), which will help the teachers to analyze, distribute and grade the work of students.
v.Google Classroom will get “to-do widget on the Classes page” to help students see the assignment and its status. 

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

Kallis, Sthalekar and Zaheer Abbas inducted into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

On 23rd August, 2020 Former players Jacques Kallis (South Africa), Lisa Sthalekar(Australia) and Zaheer Abbas (Pakistan) were inducted into the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Hall of Fame of the class of 2020 in a virtual ceremony. 
ICC Cricket Hall of Fame recognizes the achievements of the legends of the game from cricket’s long and illustrious history.
About ICC:
Chief Executive Officer – Manu Sawhney
Chairman – Imran Khwaja
Headquarters – Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
<<Read Full News>>

Wabag Wins 2020 Global Water Award for Koyambedu TTRO Plant in Chennai

On August 22, 2020 Water technology major Va Tech Wabag bagged the 2020 Global Water Award for its 45 million litres a day Tertiary Treatment Reverse Osmosis (TTRO) plant at Koyambedu in Chennai. 
The plant bagged the distinction award under the ‘Wastewater project of the year’ category. 
i.The TTRO plant in Koyambedu, Chennai is one of the largest and technologically most advanced Water Reuse Plants in India. 
ii.The plant is designed and built by WABAG and IDE Technologies for Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (CMWSSB).
iii.The plant uses a multi-stage treatment scheme, including Rapid Gravity Sand Filters, Ultrafiltration, Reverse Osmosis, and Ozonation and is the first reuse facility in India to use Ozonation for disinfection.
iv.The plant makes Chennai the first Indian city to reuse more than 20% of its treated wastewater freeing up more than 16 million metrics of fresh water each year.
The Global Water Awards were established in 2006 by Global Water Intelligence to reward initiatives in the water, wastewater and desalination sectors that are moving the industry forward through operating performance, innovative technology adoption and sustainable financial models.

  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

China Successfully Launched New Optical Remote-Sensing Satellite “Gaofen-9 05” along with 2 Smaller Payloads

i.On August 23, 2020, China launched its fifth Gaofen-9 series satellite named “Gaofen-9 05” along with two smaller payloads viz. Tiantuo-5 and Duo Gongneng Shiyan Weixing through Long March-2D carrier rocket from its Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre (JSLC) in northwest China. This launch was the 343rd mission of the Long March rocket series and the 23rd for China in 2020. 
ii.Gaofen-9 (05) is an optical remote sensing satellite developed by Aerospace Dongfanghong Satellite Co.Ltd, part of China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
iii.The major upcoming Chinese mission in 2020, probably in November, is the Chang’e-5 lunar sample return.
About China:
Capital– Beijing
Currency– Renminbi
President– Xi Jinping
<<Read Full News>>

Govt Introduced a New Feature, ‘Open API Service’ of Aarogya Setu to Help People, Businesses & Economy to Return to Normalcy

i.The Government of India has introduced a new feature, ‘Open API(Application Programming Interface) Service’ of Aarogya Setu.
ii.It will address the risk of COVID-19 infections and help the people, businesses and the economy to return to normalcy. 
iii.It enables the organizations to check the status of Aarogya Setu and integrate it into its various Work from Home features. It was developed by Aarogya Setu team.
<<Read Full News>>

Indian Coast Guard Ship C-449 Commissioned in Chennai

On August 20, 2020 Indian Coast Guard Ship C-449 was commissioned in Chennai by Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary K. Shanmugam. The ship is the Forty Ninth Interceptor Boat of the series, which are indigenously built and designed by M/s Larsen and Toubro Ltd, Hazira (Surat).
It will be commanded by Assistant Commandant Ashish Sharma and will be based at Krishnapatnam under the administrative and operational control of the Commander, Coast Guard District Headquarters No.6, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. 
i.The ship has been inducted as part of the ongoing efforts by Indian Coast Guard to strengthen Maritime and Coastal Security along the East Coast of India.
ii.C-449 will enhance the efforts of Indian Coast Guards in providing coastal security, surveillance and aid to fishermen in distress along the eastern coast in general and Krishnapatnam of Andhra Pradesh coast in particular.
Features: 
i.The ship is 27.80 long with a displacement of 105 tonnes and can reach maximum speeds of upto 45 knots (85 kmph).
ii.The ship is provided with advanced navigation and communication equipment for safe navigation. 
iii.It is capable of quick reaction abilities and is provided with modern equipment and systems which will enable it to respond to any situation at short notice.
iv.It is capable of undertaking various tasks including Surveillance, Interdiction, Search and Rescue, and rendering assistance to boats and craft in distress at sea.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

The Book “Delhi Riots 2020: the Untold Story” is Set to be Published

The book “Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story”authored by Monika Arora, advocate, Sonali Chitalkar(political Science) and Prerna Malhotra(English) teachers at Delhi University is set to be published by Garuda Prakashan . The book was released by Bhupendra Yadav, member of parliament and national general secretary over a virtual event in the presence of BJP leader, Kapil Mishra.
Note:
Bloomsbury India dropped the launch of this book on 22nd August 2020.
About the book:
i.The 190-page book presents the story of the three-day violence that affected North East Delhi in February 2020.
ii.The book blames the Muslim mobs and frames the urban naxals and jihadists in association with Islamic states for violence in the key areas.
iii.The book resembles a “fact finding report” on the violence published by the women groups of intellectuals and academicians.
About Garuda Prakashan:
Founder & CEO–  Sankrant Sanu
Head office– Gurugram, Haryana

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition 2020: August 23

i.United Nations(UN)’s International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition is observed annually on 23rd August to spread the informations about the historic events associated with slave trade and its consequences and to promote the tolerance and human rights.
ii.The first International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition was celebrated in various countries including Haiti and Goree on 23rd August 1998 and 23rd August 1999.
About UNESCO:
Director General– Audrey Azoulay
Headquarters– Paris, France
<<Read Full News>>

STATE NEWS

Odisha Govt launched a new scheme ‘Promotion of Intensive Aquaculture through Introduction of Bio-flocTechnology during the year 2020-21’

i.The Fisheries and Animal Resources Department of the Odisha Government has launched a new scheme ‘Promotion of Intensive Aquaculture through Introduction of Bio-flocTechnology during the year 2020-21’. 
ii.The state with this scheme aims to increase the fish productivity and make the state self-sufficient in fish production. 
iii.The scheme will provide income and livelihood support to entrepreneurs, unemployed youth and interested progressive fish farmers.
About Odisha:
National Park– Bhitarkanika National Park, Simlipal National Park
Zoological Park– Nandankanan Zoological Park
<<Read Full News>>

Delhi Government Launched Niraman Mazdoor Registration Abhiyan for Construction Workers

On 23rd August 2020, The Delhi Government launched Niraman Mazdoor Registration Abhiyan for construction workers to register and utilise around 18 assistance schemesunder which a mega registration campaign for construction workers will be conducted from 24th August 2020 to 11th September 2020.
Niraman Mazdoor Registration Abhiyan:
i.Special registration camps will be set up at around 70 schools, one in each assembly constituency of Delhi.
ii.This special camp will provide tech support to the construction workers.
iii.The workers can submit the application through online on https://edistrict.delhigovt.nic.in/.
iv.The physical verification will be done at the special camps.
Objective:
To support the maximum number of workers in Delhi.
Eligibility:
Workers aged between 18 and 60 years are eligible to register.
Documents required for registration are: certification of work, photo, local ID proof, bank account number, Aadhaar card.
Key Points:
i.During the 15-day campaign, from 24th August 2020 to 28th August 2020(Monday to Friday), the registration process will take place.
ii.So far, around 70,000 workers have registered under the scheme and the government is working on their verification procedures.
iii.These data will be analyzed and used to decide future action plans.
iv.Carpenters, worker grinders, construction site guards, concrete mixers, crane operators, electricians, Mason, coolies, and others can also apply for their respective jobs through this registration drive.
About Delhi:
UNESCO Heritage Sites– Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Humayun’s Tomb, Red Fort Complex
Airports– Indira Gandhi International Airport, Safdarjung Airport, Hindon Airport

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