Current Affairs 9 July 2020

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Top 20 Current Affairs of 9 July 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Prakash Javadekar Participated in 4th edition of the Ministerial on Climate Action; held virtually 

i.The 4th edition of international meeting named “Ministerial on Climate Action (MoCA)” was held on July 7, 2020, which was co-chaired by European Union (EU), China and Canada. From India, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar participated in the meet. 
ii.This meet was held virtually for the first time in view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. MoCA is held annually since 2017.
iii.Developed nations’ Target of USD 1 tn funding by 2020 for developing nations is not achieved yet
About United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC):
Secretariat (UN Climate Change)- Bonn, Germany
Executive Secretary (Secretariat Head)–  Patricia Espinosa
Parties– 197 (as on 2015)
<< Read Full News >>

USAID’s SAGE Partnered with MNRE’s National Technical Institutions for Clean Energy Development

US Agency for International Development (USAID)- supported South Asia Group for Energy (SAGE) has collaborated with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)’s National Technical Institutions to increase US-India collaboration for clean energy development.
i.MNRE Secretary, Indu Shekhar Chaturvedi and USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia, Javier Piedra, launched the partnership during US-India Strategic Energy Partnership (SEP) meetings.
ii.SAGE will act as a powerhouse of science, engineering and technology for India and the entire South Asia region.
About USAID:
Headquarters: Washington D.C, United States
Acting Administrator: John Barsa
About Ministry of New and Renewable Energy:
Headquarters: New Delhi
Minister of State: Raj Kumar Singh
<< Read Full News >>

Maharashtra CM, Uddhav Thackeray E-Inaugurates NM1, Yotta Data Centre Near Mumbai – World’s 2nd Largest & Asia’s Largest Data Centre

On 7th July 2020, Uddhav Thackeray, Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Communications, Electronics and informational technology (Meity) inaugurated the World’s 2nd Largest & Asia’s Largest Data Center, ‘Yotta NM1 Data Center’ of Yotta Infrastructure of Hiranandani Group at Panvel data centre park, Mumbai over a virtual platform.
About Yotta:
Co-Founder & MD– Niranjan Hiranandani, Surendra Hiranandani
CEO & Managing Partner (Yotta)– Sunil Gupta
Head Office– Mumbai, Maharashtra
About Ministry of Communications and Electronics & Information Technology:
Minister– Ravi Shankar Prasad
Minister of State– Sanjay Dhotre
<< Read Full News >>

Harsh Vardhan & Narendra Singh Tomar released ‘Guidelines for Evaluation of Nano-based Agri-input and food products in India’

i.On July 7, 2020, ‘Guidelines for Evaluation of Nano-based Agri-input and food products in India’ has been released by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister for Science & Technology, Health & Family Welfare and Earth Sciences and Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development & Panchayati Raj released through a video-link, from New Delhi.
ii.These have been jointly prepared by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (M/o A&FW) and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare through concerted Inter-Ministerial efforts coordinated by DBT. 
iii.Guidelines will pave the way for significant benefits for our mission on ‘Doubling Farmers Income by 2022’ and ‘National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture’.
About Department of Biotechnology (DBT):
Secretary– Dr. Renu Swarup
Headquarter– New Delhi
About Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI):
Chairperson– Rita Teaotia
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Arun Singhal
Headquarter– New Delhi
<< Read Full News >>

Bharat Dynamics Limited signs LAToT of Akash Missile Weapon System with DRDO

i.On 6th June 2020, Bharat Dynamics Limited(BDL) signed Licence Agreement and Transfer of Technology (LAToT) for Akash Missile Weapon System of Indian Army Variant with Defence Research and Development Organisation – Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDO – DRDL).
ii.The agreement was signed by Dr. Dasharath Ram, Director of DRDL and P Radha Krishna, Production Director of BDL.
About Bharat Dynamics Limited(BDL):
BDL is the Lead Integrator for the Akash Weapon System of Indian army.
Chairman and Managing Director– Siddharth Mishra
Head Office– Hyderabad, Telangana
<< Read Full News >>

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

US formally notified UN of its Decision to Withdraw from WHO; Serves Notice Period till July 6, 2021

i.On July 6, 2020, the United States of America (USA), as a depositary of the 1946 Constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO),  has formally notified the United Nations (UN) of its decision of withdrawal from the global health body, WHO . 
ii.The US, which has been a party to the WHO Constitution since June 21, 1948 is the largest funder to the WHO, contributing more than USD 450 million per annum.
iii.Notably, the US has to serve a 12-month notice period i.e. till July 6, 2021 and also needs to clear the current and past dues which currently owe the WHO around $200 million.
About World Health Organization (WHO):
Headquarter– Geneva, Switzerland
Director-General– Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
About United States (US):
Capital– Washington, D.C.
Currency– United States Dollar (USD)
About United Nations (UN):
Secretary General– Antonio Manuel de Oliveira Guterres 
Headquarters– New York, US
<< Read Full News >>

Maldives & Sri Lanka are the 1st two countries in South-East Asia to eliminate Rubella and measles ahead of 2023 target: WHO

On July 08, 2020, According to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) South East Asian Region (SEAR) office, Maldives and Sri Lanka were verified to eliminate  both measles and rubella, making them the first two countries in the WHO South-East Asia region to achieve beyond their 2023 target.
It is to be noted that, a country is considered to have eliminated measles and rubella when there is no evidence of endemic transmission of the viruses for more than three years and there is a better surveillance system.
About World Health Organisation’s (WHO):
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
Director-General- Tedros Adhanom 
<< Read Full News >>

Germany to Become First Major Economy to Phase out of Coal, Nuclear Power

German became the first industrialized country to phase out of both coal and nuclear energy, On 3rd July 2020, both the houses of the German parliament approved the bill for shutting down the coal fired power plant by 2038 and to provide around 45 billion USD (40 billion Euro) for the affected regions.
Key Points:
i.This phase out is a part of Germany’s “energy transition” to reduce the use of fossil fuels and to support the use of renewable resources.
ii.German closed its last black coal mine in 2018 and committed to close its nuclear power plants by 2022.
iii.GreenPeace and other environmental groups protest against this plan  advocating that this won’t speed up the process to achieve the targets of the Paris climate accord by reducing the greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
iv.Germany utilises a great amount of coal which could affect the upcoming generation with 18years worth of carbon dioxide.
About Germany:
President– Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Minister of Environment– Svenja Schulze
Capital– Berlin
Currency– Euro

BANKING & FINANCE

AIIB Releases USD 50 mn as 1st Tranche to L&T Infrastructure Finance for Renewable Energy

i.Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank(AIIB) has released USD 50 million in the first tranche of assistance to L&T Infrastructure Finance Ltd(LTIF), to fund renewable Energy Projects in the country. 
ii.The released amount is part of a sanctioned USD 100 million External Commercial Borrowing(ECB)  loan. 
iii.This is the 1st loan of AIIB to a non-banking financial company (NBFC) in India.
Objective of the project– To enhance the supply of renewable energy in India by mobilizing private capital. 
About L&T Finance Holdings Ltd:
LTIF is a wholly owned subsidiary of L&T Finance Holdings Ltd, a part of Larsen & Toubro Limited
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
MD & CEO and Director on the Board of LTIF–  Dinanath Dubhashi
About AIIB:
Headquarters– Beijing, China
President and Chairman of Board of Directors– Jin Liqun
<< Read Full News >>

Karur Vysya Bank Enters into Bancassurance Corporate Agency Partnership with Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance

On July 8, 2020, Karur Vysya Bank (KVB), a Scheduled Commercial Bank in India has joined hands with Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance for bancassurance, under which KVB will market all retail and group products of Bajaj Allianz including savings, retirement, investment, protection and critical illness life insurance products through its 780 branches.
About Karur Vysya Bank:
Headquarters– Karur, Tamil Nadu.
President & Chief Operating Officer(COO)- Natarajan Jagannathan
Tagline– Smart Way to Bank
About Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance:
Headquarters– Pune, Maharashtra
MD & CEO- Tarun Chugh
<< Read Full News >>

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

NSDC Collaborates with Microsoft India to Provide Digital Skills to Indian Youth

On July 08, 2020, The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) has joined hands with tech giant company Microsoft India Private Limited to enhance the digital skills of the country’s youth.
i.As part of the tie-up, Microsoft’s learning resource center, Microsoft Learn, will be integrated with NSDC’s eSkill India portal to provide access to personalised learning paths and critical technology so that the youth can be exposed to the nuances of today’s digital economy.
About Microsoft India Private Limited:
Headquarters Hyderabad, Telangana
President– Anant Maheshwari
About National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC):
Headquarters– New Delhi
CEO and MD- Dr.Manish Kumar
<< Read Full News >>

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS 

Luxury Ride Signs Singer Sukhbir Singh as its Brand Ambassador

Luxury Ride has signed singer Sukhbir Singh as its brand ambassador. He will soon be seen in a full-fledged marketing campaign besides being leveraged across its upcoming brand and product communication initiatives.
About Sukhbir Singh:
i.Sukhbir Singh was born on November 9, 1969  in Jalandhar, Punjab. He is nicknamed as Prince of Bhangra.
ii.His 1st album is New Stylee, which won the 1996 Channel V Awards in three categories namely, Best Debut Album, Best Male Vocalist and Best Music Video (for “Punjabi Munde”)
iii.Other albums include, Gal Ban Gayi and Hai Energy among others. He has sung the song ‘Dil laga’ from Dhoom 2 and with Canadian band Josh.
iv.He made a guest appearance in Pata Nahi Rabb Kehdeyan Rangan Ch Raazi(2012), Punjabi Film as himself
About Luxury Rides:
Luxury Rides is a chain of pre-owned, multi-brand luxury car showrooms. Its pre-owned luxury car portfolio includes Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mini Cooper, and others.
Headquarters– New Delhi, India
Co-founder and MD–  Sumit Garg

        SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Mylab Discovery Solutions Launches ‘Compact XL’ India’s First Machine to Automate Manual Processes of Molecular Diagnostic Tests

Mylab Discovery Solutions, Pune based molecular diagnostics company has launched ‘Compact XL’- India’s first machine to automate the manual processes of molecular diagnostic tests like RT-PCR test for COVID-19 on 7th July 2020.
i.The machine was unveiled by Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India (SII).
ii.It is a cartridge-based machine and can test about 32 samples per hour.
iii. Each component of Compact XL is designed and developed in India.
iv.The machine reduces manual error and human efforts.
About Mylab Discovery Solutions:
Executive Director: Mr. Shailendra Kawade
Managing Director: Mr. Hasmukh Rawal
<< Read Full News >>

ENVIRONMENT

“Golden Birdwing” from Uttarakhand surpassed “Southern Birdwing” to become India’s largest butterfly after 88 years

i.The Himalayan butterfly named “Golden Birdwing (Troides aeacus)” has surpassed the “Southern Birdwing (Troides minos)” after 88 years to become the largest butterfly in India. 
ii.The female species of the Golden Birdwing had a wingspan of 194 mm that is 4 mm larger than that of the Southern Birdwing with 190 mm wingspan while the largest wingspan in the male species of the Golden Birdwing was recorded during the study was of 106 mm. 
iii.The female Golden Birdwing was recorded from Didihat in Uttarakhand, the largest male was from the Wankhar Butterfly Museum in Meghalaya capital Shillong.
About Uttarakhand:
Chief Minister– Trivendra Singh Rawat
Governor– Baby Rani Maurya 
Capital– Dehradun, Gairsain (summer capital)
<< Read Full News >>

New species of a Fan-Throated Lizard, ‘Sitana Dharwarensis’ Discovered from Northern Karnataka

i.A 3 member team has discovered a new species of a fan-throated lizard, Sitana dharwarensis, from the barren lands of northern Karnataka’s Bagalkot district. 
ii.The study on the discovery was published in Bonn zoological Bulletin.
iii.The species belongs to the genus Sitana and derives its name from the Dharwar craton,  a piece of the Earth’s crust formed 3.6-2.5 billion years ago.
iv.The team includes Mumbai residents Mayuresh Ambekar and Zeeshan Mirza from  Bengaluru’s National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) and Mangalore resident,  Arya, a Class 12 student at Inventure Academy, Bangalore.
About Karnataka:
Capital– Bengaluru
Governor– Vajubhai Vala
<< Read Full News >>

SPORTS

Mercedes Valtteri Bottas Won the Formula One Season-Opening Austrian Grand Prix

On 5th July 2020, 20 year old Finland driver Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes won the Formula One (F1) season-opening Austrian Grand Prix (GP) , surpassing his Mercedes team mate and defending Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton.
Key Points:
i.Charles Leclerc took second place for Ferrari and Lando Norris third for McLaren.
ii.The race was interrupted 3 times and 9 of the 20 drivers including  Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon abandoned the race.
iii.Hamilton the only black driver in F1,  due to the 5 second penalty for causing a collision he was dropped from second to fourth position.
iv.The podium position winners held up a black t-shirt with “End Racism” captioned on it.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

A Book Titled ‘Mahaveer:The Soldier Who Never Died’ Authored by A.K. Srikumar & Rupa Srikumar Released

The book, titled ‘Mahaveer: The Soldier who never died’ is authored by award winning author A.K. Srikumar and his wife, Rupa Srikumar. The book is a patriotic story about the 
courage and selfless love of Jaswant Singh Rawat who is one of the legendary Garhwali soldiers fought  in Indo-Chinese battle of Nuranang in 1962 . The book is published by Rupa Publications and represented by The Book Bakers.  
Essence of the book
i.The book also portrays a love story about two Monpa  girls(Sela and Noora), and their devotion to the Indian soldier, whose devotion in turn is for the motherland. 
ii.It is a jam packed story of love, action, adventure, motivation, emotion and suspense.
iii.It educates people about the soldier who was with a lion’s heart and chose to make sacrifices for the sake of the nation. 
Key Info about the book
The book was launched before the COVID-19 pandemic. During the lockdown period, e-book sales have been growing extensively.
About the authors:
A.K. Srikumar’s most of his nine children’s books won prizes in the Children’s Book Trust’s annual competition, includes ‘Operation Polo’ (1997) 
Rupa Srikumar has translated Yasmin Khalid Rafi’s Mohammed Rafi: My Abba – A Memoir from Hindi to English. ’Mahaveer: The Soldier who never died’ is Rupa’s first novel. 

STATE NEWS

Andhra Pradesh celebrates Rythu Dinotsavam (Farmer’s Day) on Birth Anniversary of YS Rajasekhara Reddy – July 8

i.On 8th July 2020, Andhra Pradesh celebrated Rythu Dinotsavam (Farmer’s Day) to mark the 71st birth anniversary of YS Rajasekhara Reddy, 14th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. 
ii.The first Rythu Dinotsavam(Farmer’s Day) was celebrated on 8th July 2019. 
iii.Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy, passed the GO to designate July 8th as Farmers Day in 2019.
About Andhra Pradesh:
Chief Minister– YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
Governor– Biswa Bhusan Harichandan
Capital–  Amaravati
<< Read Full News >>

AC GAZE

NASA Astronaut observed comet “Neowise” from ISS

The images of the comet Neowise(C/2020 F3), were captured by NASA astronaut Bob Behnken from International Space Station (ISS) camera, which was discovered  by the Neowise space telescope, short for the Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer(on March 27, 2020).

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