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INDEX

1. INTERNATIONAL NEWS

2. NATIONAL NEWS

3. ECONOMY NEWS

4. DEFENCE

5. RANKS AND REPORTS

6. BOOKS AND AUTHORS

7. AWARDS AND HONOURS

8. SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

9. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

10. APPOINTMENTS

11. SPORTS

12. IMPORTANT DAYS

13. OBITUARIES

14. ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

15. ART AND CULTURE

16. STATE NEWS

17. BANKING NEWS

18. ARTICLE ON NEW EDUCATION

POLICY ( NEP )




INTERNATIONAL NEWS 1. China launches 5th Gaofen-9 series Earth observation satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

2. World Health Organization certifies Africa free from wild Polio

The Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC), an independent body set up by the World Health Organization (WHO), has certified the African continent free from wild Polio virus.

3. NASA (Aeronautics and Space Administration) & ULA (United Launch Alliance ) launched Mars 2020

Perseverance Rover Mission

It was launched from Space Launch Complex 41, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

It aims to search for signs of ancient life and collect samples to send back to Earth. 4. UAE becomes 1st Arab Nation to open a Nuclear Power Plant

The Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Plant in Abu Dhabi, got operational on 31 July 2020. 5. US Senate approves TikTok ban on government devices

6. Mauritius declares a “state of environmental emergency”

A japanese bulk-carrier ship MV Wakashio which was carrying fuel oil has split into two parts near Blue Bay

Marine Park in south-east Mauritius. The ship was already leaking and has caused an oil spill of over 1000

tonnes in the Indian Ocean.

The oil spill threatens the ecology of the coastline of Mauritius and the marine life in the Indian Ocean. It

endangers the already endangered coral reefs, seagrasses in the shallow waters, mangroves, the fishes and

other aquatic fauna.

7. Russian Covid Vaccine: Sputnik V

Russia becomes 1st country to register COVID-19 Vaccine

It is developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute.

Russia is the first country to register a coronavirus vaccine.

The vaccine has been called Sputnik V, named after the first artificial Earth satellite, Sputnik-I launched by

the Soviet Union.

The Russian vaccine has outrun other Covid-19 vaccines like Oxford-AstraZeneca (Covishield), Moderna and

Pfizer which are still in trials.

Note : India’s Covaxin has been approved for human clinical trials.

8. The Prime Minister of Lebanon, Hassan Diab and his entire government resigns over deadly Beirut port

blast 9. Historic peace agreement between UAE & Israel

President of USA, Donald J. Trump, Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Nahyan have agreed to the full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

10. Israel successfully tested “Arrow-2” Ballistic Missile Interceptor

The Missile test was conducted in the test site in Central Israel over the Mediterranean Sea.

It is a multi-layered system designed and manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries and Boeing, US-based industry.

11. The President of the USA has signed an executive order barring federal agencies from hiring H-1B visa holders

and other foreign workers in place of USA citizens or green card holders.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows USA companies to employ foreign workers in speciality

occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. €




The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries

like India and China to keep costs in check.

12. The USA has urged the United Nations (UN) members not to support Cuba’s bid to join the United Nations

Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

13. China convened a quadrilateral dialogue with the Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan, Nepal and Pakistan.

China proposed a four-point plan to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, boost economic recovery and

resumption of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) infrastructure projects.

14. Pakistan has released a new political map

It includes all of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), Ladakh, Sir Creek and Junagadh.

Note : is a 96 km long strip of water disputed between India and Pakistan in the Rann of Kutch marshlands.

15. Operation Breathing Space: India-Israel

An Israeli team arrived in India with a multipronged mission, codenamed Operation Breathing Space to work

with Indian authorities on the Covid-19 response.

India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel’s defence ministry research and

development team are working together to develop four different kinds of rapid testing kit for Covid-19

which can give the result within 30 seconds.

Types of Tests: € The tests include an audio test, a breath test, thermal testing, and a polyamino test

16. Beirut Explosion

A massive explosion took place in Beirut, capital of Lebanon, which left more than hundred people dead

thousands of people injured.

The blasts were likely triggered by over 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been confiscated and

stored by authorities near the port for over six years.

17. Loya Jirga: Grand Assembly of Afghanistan

A three-day Loya Jirga-grand assembly has been called in Afghanistan to decide on freeing about 400 Taliban

fighters convicted for serious crimes including murder and abductions.

Loya Jirga is a mass national gathering that brings together representatives from the various ethnic,

religious, and tribal communities in Afghanistan. It is a highly respected centuries-old consultative body that

has been convened at times of national crisis or to settle national issues.

18. 75th Anniversary of Hiroshima Bombing

Japan marked the 75 years of the atomic bombing on Hiroshima on 6th August 2020.

On 6th August 1945, a USA bomber dropped the uranium fission bomb, codenamed Little Boy, on

Hiroshima, a city in Japan. €

Three days later (on 9th

Aug 1945), USA dropped another bomb codenamed Fat Man, on Nagasaki.

Survivors, relatives and foreign dignitaries attend the anniversary of Hiroshima every year to honour victims

of the bombings and call for world peace.

19. Turkey-Greece Stand-off

Recently, France has deployed its military in the eastern Mediterranean Sea amid tensions between Greece

and Turkey over recently-discovered gas reserves.

Reason: The European Union (EU) and its allies in West Asia and North Africa made plans to build a gas

pipeline from the Mediterranean to Europe’s mainland to transport the gas. However, they have kept Turkey

out of it, which has infuriated Turkey.

The gas transport would help reduce the EU’s dependency on Russia.

20. Chora Museum and New Gas Field: Turkey




Recently, the Turkish President reconverted the Chora museum into a mosque. This is the second museum

after Hagia Sophia to be converted into a mosque. Turkey has also found a new gas field in Black Sea.

21. Amnesty International

Amnesty International (AI) India has demanded an independent investigation into all allegations of human

rights violations by the police during the north-east Delhi riots.

Amnesty International (AI) is an international NonGovernmental Organisation (NGO) founded in London (UK)

in 1961. It seeks to publicise violations by governments and other entities of rights recognized in the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), especially freedom of speech and of conscience and the right

against torture.

In 1977, it was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace

NATIONAL NEWS

1. The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has launched one-stop knowledge portal named as

“MSMESaksham” in association with TransUnion CIBIL.

The platform has been launched for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

MSMESaksham is a comprehensive financial education and knowledge platform for MSMEs and will support them in managing their credit obligations.

2. RPower & JERA inks loan agreement for Bangladesh’s power plant

Reliance Power and Japanese energy major JERA have signed an agreement with a group of banks for their new gas-fired thermal power generation project in Bangladesh.

The signed agreement will provide full finance of about $642 million (approx Rs 4,798 crore) for a new 745 MW natural gas combined-cycle power project in Meghnaghat in Bangladesh. This is one of the largest funding tie-ups for a project in Bangladesh’s power sector.

3. National Programme ‘Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan 2020-21’ launched BY Union Minister for Health and

Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan

It is a national programme to popularize science among school students of Class 6th to 11th.

Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan (VVM) is an initiative of Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA) and Vigyan Prasar.

5. Nitin Gadkari (Union Minister for MSME ) approves “Khadi Agarbatti Aatmanirbhar Mission”

The programme has been proposed by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) to make India Aatmanirbhar in Agarbatti production.

KVIC will offer 25% subsidy on the cost of the machines and will recover the remaining 75% of the cost from the artisans in the form of easy monthly installments.

6. International webinar on ‘Lokmanya Tilak-Swaraj to Self Reliant India’ The webinar was organized on the occasion of 100th death anniversary of great freedom fighter Lokmanya

Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

The webinar was organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations in New Delhi. 7. Education Minister laid the foundation stone of IIM-Dhaula Kuan (Sirmour,HP)

In Himachal Pradesh, Union Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has laid the foundation stone of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at Dhaula Kuan in Sirmour district.

8. India-UN Development Partnership Fund: India contributes USD 15.46 mn

India gives USD 15.5 million to the India-UN Development Partnership Fund, under its commitment to supporting developing nations in their developmental priorities across all the Sustainable Development Goals.

9. Mahatma Ayyankali

Why in News : The Prime Minister of India paid tribute to social reformer Mahatma Ayyankali on his 157th

birth anniversary.

Imp facts about him :




Ayyankali (1863-1914), born in Kerala, was a leader of the lower castes and Dalits. With his efforts, Dalits

got the freedom to walk on public roads, and Dalit children were allowed to join schools.

He formed Sadhu Jana Paripalana Sangham (SJPS) to work for low castes.

10. India’s first ‘Kisan Rail’ begun services from 7

th Augut 2020

It aims to transport perishable goods from today.

It runs between Devlali in Maharashtra’s Nashik and will reach Danapur in Bihar. 11. Indian Railways launches “OHE Inspection app” for real-time monitoring

It will help in minimizing the train delays and long waits due to technical snags.

12. Submarine Cable connectivity to Andaman & Nicobar Islands launched

The 2300 Km long submarine cable aims to provide better internet & mobile connectivity 13. Bangladesh to construct War Memorial for Indian soldiers who died in 1971 during the Bangladesh’s

struggle for independence from Pakistan.

Selected site for museum : Ashuganj, Brahmanbaria district, bordering Tripura. 14. GoI extends Line of Credit worth 18 Million dollars to Maldives with the primary objective of expanding the fishing facilities at Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO).

15. GoI launched National Portal “SURAKHSYA” on Human Elephant conflict

16. National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) Online Dashboard launched

The newly launched platform “NIP” will act as one stop solution for all stakeholders seeking for information

on infrastructure projects in New India.

The platform is being considered a step towards the vision of an Aatma Nirbhar Bharat. It will attract investors for PPP projects and also ensure easy accessibility to updated project information.

17. PM to launch platform for “Transparent Taxation-Honoring the Honest”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will roll out the platform for “Transparent Taxation – Honoring the Honest”.

The new platform will carry forward the journey of direct tax reforms and will also reward the honest taxpayers.

Several major tax reforms in direct taxes have been carried out by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). These reforms includes reduction in the Corporate Tax rates from 30% to 22%, abolition of Dividend distribution Tax as well as reduction in the rates for new manufacturing units to 15%.

The reforms also includes Direct Tax “Vivad se Vishwas Act, 2020″ under which declarations for settling disputes are being filed currently, and introducing more transparency in official communications via the newly launched Document Identification Number (DIN).

(Chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes: Pramod Chandra Mody). 18. “Krishi Megh”

Krishi Megh (National Agricultural Research & Education System -Cloud Infrastructure and Services) has been launched virtually by the Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar. Krishi Megh will help in meeting the services and infrastructure requirements of Digital Agriculture of National Agricultural Research and Education System (NARES).

19. Indian Railways observes Cleanliness Week from 10th August to mark Independence Day 20. Price Monitoring and Resource Unit set up in Karnataka

Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Shri DV Sadananda Gowda has announced the establishment of a Price Monitoring and Resource Unit (PMRU) in Karnataka.

The PMRU has been established by National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India, in association with Karnataka State Drug Control Department.




PMRU will assist NPPA in monitoring the prices of drugs, ensuring availability of drugs as well as raising consumer awareness.

21. India celebrates its 74th Independence Day on 15th

Aug 2020.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unfurled the national flag and delivered his seventh consecutive Independence Day speech from the iconic Red Fort.

In the 1 hour 26-minute speech, he focused on the themes of “Aatma Nirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India)”, “Vocal for local” and “Make in India to Make for World”.

In his address to the nation on the occasion of India’s 74th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi applauded frontline workers fighting against novel coronavirus.

22. PM Modi announces “One Sun, One World, One Grid” (OSOWOG) initiative

Under this, there will be a trans-national electricity grid, for supplying solar power across the globe.

As per the draft plan prepared by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), the OSOWOG will connect 140 countries through a common grid that will be used to transfer solar power.

“The vision behind the OSOWOG mantra is “the Sun never sets” and is a constant at some geographical location, globally, at any given point of time.

23. Puducherry celebrates its 59th ‘De-Jure’ day on 16th August.

On that day, the “De-Jure” (The Legal Merger of the UT with the Indian Union) was effected.

24. Ministry of Tribal Affairs has launched the Tribal Health and Nutrition Portal “Swasthya” and e-

newsletter on health and nutrition “ALEKH”.

25. UK launches £3 Million Innovation Challenge Fund in India

The fund will help scientists in academia and industry to address the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.

26. Cabinet approves setting up of National Recruitment Agency

The National Recruitment Agency (NRA) will result in transformational reform in the recruitment process for central government jobs.

NRA will comprise of representatives of Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Finance/Department of Financial Services, the SSC, RRB as well as IBPS.

27. Uttar Pradesh government has signed a ‘plan of cooperation’ with Israel government to resolve water crisis

in drought hit regions Bundelkhand region.

It will support regional farmers with latest farming technologies such as drip irrigation, meant for water deficient regions like Bundelkhand.

28.Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda e-inaugurates “Tribes India Showroom” in Mumbai 29. India’s longest river ropeway inaugurated in Assam

The ropeway is 1.8 Km long and connects Guwahati and North Guwahati over Brahmaputra river.

The ropeway will be operated from Kachari Ghat in Guwahati to Dol Govinda temple in North Guwahati. 30. Nitin Gadkari launches “Harit Path” app to monitor plantation along national highways.

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has developed a mobile App, ‘Harit Path’ to facilitate creation of

Green Highways across the country.

The App will help to monitor location, growth, species details, maintenance activities, targets and

achievements for each and every plant.

31. Multi-State Phishing Scam

Recently, Haryana Police has identified a phishing racket which accessed over 300 nationalized and private

bank accounts across many states.

Frauds were done with Phishing and use of e-SIMs as the main conduit. €




Phishing: It is a cybercrime in which a target or targets are contacted by email, telephone, or text message.

This is done by someone posing as a legitimate institution to lure individuals into providing sensitive data

such as personally identifiable information, banking and credit card details, and passwords

32. Piyush Goyal e-launches “National GIS-enabled Land Bank system”

National GIS-enabled Land Bank system has been developed by integration of Industrial Information System (IIS) with State GIS Systems. Initially, the system has been launched in the six states.

The system will be improved further to make it an effective, transparent mechanism of land identification as well as procurement.

33. DNHDD (Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu ) launches

‘E-Gyan Mitra’ mobile app to provide online education. 34. WTF Sports appoints Suresh Raina, Harmanpreet Kaur as brand ambassadors 35. Mumbai’s Dadar becomes 1st city in India to have female icons (women symbols) on traffic signals

36. Goa’s traditional festive sweet dish ‘Khaje’, spicy Harmal Chilli and Myndoli Banana (Moira Banana) has

obtained Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the Geographical Indications Registry. 37. On the occasion of 74th Independence Day , India Post issued stamps on UNESCO World Heritage Sites in

India The stamps depict following five cultural sites of India:

The Historic City of Ahmedabad,

Churches and Convents of Goa,

Group of Monuments at Pattadakal,

Khajuraho Group of Monuments,

Qutub Minar. 38. Minister of State Santosh Gangwar launches official Logo of “Labour Bureau”

It displays the three goals that Labour Bureau aspires to achieve in producing quality data i.e. Accuracy, Validity and Reliability.

The logo of Labour Bureau also comprises of “Blue wheel”, a cog wheel that represents work. The blue colour indicates that the Labour Bureau deals with the blue collarworkers.

It also includes a “tricolored graph” that matches the colors of the National flag. It also has “wheat ears” which indicates the fruit of rural agricultural labour.

39. Google launches ‘Kormo’ app in India to help people find jobs 40. 51

st International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will be held in Goa, from November 20th to 28th.

41. 24 States under One Nation-One Ration Card

Recently, Manipur, Nagaland and Uttarakhand, along with the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir

have been integrated with the One Nation-One Ration Card (ONORC) Scheme.

Now a total of 24 States/UTs are connected under the ONORC scheme.

The remaining states/UTs are targeted to be integrated into the scheme by March 2021.

ONORC Scheme: € It was started as an inter-State portability of ration cards in 2019. € It allows the

migratory National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 beneficiaries to lift their entitled quota of food grains

from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) of their choice anywhere in the country. z This can be done by using their

existing ration card with Aadhaar based authentication.

42. Thenzawl Golf Resort Project in Mizoram has been virtually inaugurated.

The project was implemented under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of the Ministry of Tourism.

(Swadesh Darshan Scheme was launched in 2014-15 for integrated development of theme-based tourist

circuits in the country).




43. India and China have held talks at the Major General-level to discuss issues concerning the strategic Depsang

Plains

The talks were held at Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO).

Note : The Depsang Plains along with Pangong Tso are the two major areas of concern in the ongoing

standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

44. SC Verdict on Hindu Women’s Inheritance Rights

Recently, the Supreme Court (SC) has expanded the Hindu women’s right to be the coparcener (joint legal

heir) and inherit ancestral property on terms equal to male heirs.

The judgment pertains to the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005.

Current Ruling: € It ruled that a Hindu woman’s right to be a joint heir to the ancestral property is by birth

and does not depend on whether her father is alive or not.

Coparcenary (joint-heirship) is by birth, so the father doesn’t need to be living as on 9th

September 2005,

when the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act was enacted.

The SC expanded and promoted the amendments done in 2005 which removed the discrimination as

contained in Section 6 of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 by giving equal rights to daughters. It also

directed High Courts to dispose of cases involving this issue within six months since they would have been

pending for years.

Hindu Succession Act, 1956

The Mitakshara school of Hindu law codified as the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 governed succession and

inheritance of property but only recognised males as legal heirs. It applied to everyone who is not a

Muslim, Christian, Parsi or Jew by religion. Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains and followers of Arya Samaj, Brahmo

Samaj, are also considered Hindus for this law.

The 1956 Act was amended in September 2005 and women were recognised as coparceners for property

partitions arising from 2005.

45. No Audit of PM-CARES Funds by CAG: SC

Supreme Court (SC) has held that being a public charitable trust, “there is no occasion for an audit of Prime

Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) Fund by the Comptroller and

Auditor General (CAG) of India”.

It also refused to order the transfer of funds from the PM-CARES Fund to the National Disaster Response

Fund (NDRF).

46. National Digital Health Mission

The Prime Minister of India announced the launch of National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) on 74th

Independence Day. .

The NDHM is a complete digital health ecosystem. The digital platform will be launched with four key

features — health ID, personal health records, Digi Doctor and health facility registry.

The NDHM is implemented by the National Health Authority (NHA) under the Ministry of Health and Family

Welfare. €

The National Health Authority (NHA), is also the implementing agency for Ayushman Bharat.

The platform will be available in the form of an app and website.

The Digi Doctor option will allow doctors from across the country to enrol and their details, including their

contact numbers if they want to provide them, will be available. €

These doctors will also be assigned digital signatures for free which can be used for writing prescriptions. €

It will be voluntary for the hospitals and doctors to provide details for the app.

47. National Council for Transgender Persons




The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has constituted the National Council for Transgender

Persons, under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019.

Aim : To mainstream the transgender community’s concerns, focusing on livelihood issues as well as to raise

awareness about the trans community, so that transpersons are accepted within families and in the larger

society.

48. Namath Basai: Kerala

The Kerala State government is carrying out a unique programme called “Namath Basai” of teaching tribal

children in their mother tongue.

The programme is being implemented by the Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK).

49. Organic Farming in India

India ranks 1st in number of organic farmers and 9th in terms of area under organic farming.

Note : € Sikkim became the first State in the world to become fully organic in 2016.

ECONOMY

1. MCX (Multi Commodity Exchange of India ) to launch India’s first bullion index named “Bulldex” on

August 24, 2020. 2. Paytm launched India’s 1st pocket android POS (Point of Sale) device named ‘Paytm All-in-One Portable

Android Smart POS’ for contactless ordering and payments in India.

(Paytm founder: Vijay Shekhar Sharma, 2010. 3. KV Kamath committee to help with Covid-19 related stressed assets

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set up an expert committee under veteran banker KV Kamath to suggest financial parameters for resolution of Covid-19 related stressed assets.

4. ADB approved USD 1 billion loan for rapid transit system in India

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 1 billion (Rs 7,485 crore) loan to construct the modern, high-speed 82-kilometre (Delhi – Meerut) Uttar Pradesh Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) in India.

5. The output of eight core industries contracted for the fourth consecutive month - shrinking by 15% in June

2020.

The eight core sector industries are coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement

and electricity.

These eight industries account for 40.27% in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

The eight core industries in decreasing order of their weightage:

Refinery Products > Electricity > Steel > Coal > Crude Oil > Natural Gas > Cement > Fertilizers.

Base Year for IIP calculation is 2011-2012

DEFENCE NEWS

1. India India Pulls Out of Kavkaz 2020 to be held in Astrakhan in southern Russia

India has withdrawn its participation from Kavkaz 2020, a multinational tri-services exercise in Russia, citing

Covid-19 as the official reason.

2. GoI bans import of 101 Defence items to boost Atma Nirbhar Bharat

3. ICG’s (Indian Coast Guard ) fourth Offshore Patrol Vessel ‘Sarthak’ launched

‘Sarthak’ has been built indigenously and is designed in such a way that it carries a twin-engine helicopter, four high speed boats along with one inflatable boat for swift boarding and Search & Rescue operations.




4. Defense minister launches Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO)

The NIIO, a three-tiered organisation, will enable its end users to interact with academia as well as industry for the promotion of innovation and indigenisation for self-reliance in defence, with the help of its dedicated structures.

( Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh.) 5. Indian Coast Guard (ICG) launches Interceptor Boat ‘ICGS C-454’ in Surat, Gujarat.

It has been built by Larsen and Toubro and it has a maximum speed of 45 nautical miles or 83 kilometers per hour.

5. Defense minister Rajnath Singh launches “DGNCC Training” mobile App

Directorate General National Cadet Corps (DGNCC) Mobile Training App will support in conducting countrywide online training of NCC cadets as it has been affected adversely due to the restrictions imposed by COVID-19.

6. China Launches Warship for Pakistan

China has launched the first of the four advanced naval warships it is building for Pakistan.

This is the first ship of Type-054 class frigate.

The Type-054A is roughly the same size as the Indian Navy’s existing Talwar class of frigates, purchased from

Russia.

7. INS Viraat

Why in News : Indian Naval Ship (INS) Viraat will be scrapped at a ship breaking yard at Alang in Gujarat

soon. The decision to scrap INS Viraat was taken in 2019.

INS Viraat holds the Guinness World Record for being the longest serving warship of the world. ¾ Viraat, a

Centaur class aircraft carrier weighing 27,800 tonnes, served in the British Navy as HMS Hermes for 25 years

from November 1959 to April 1984. It was commissioned into the Indian Navy in May 1987 after

refurbishment.

Viraat played a major role in Operation Jupiter in 1989 during the Sri Lankan Peacekeeping operation. It also

saw action during Op Parakram in 2001-2002, post the terrorist attack on Parliament.

Reason for scrapping : It was decommissioned in March 2017, and the Navy had been incurring expenditure

since then on its upkeep, such as the provision of electricity and water, and repairs. It was also taking up

space in the crowded Naval dockyard.

Note : In 2014, INS Vikrant (India’s first carrie) , which played a role in the 1971 war with Pakistan was

broken down in Mumbai.

Currently, India has only one functional aircraft carrier i,e. 44,500-tonne INS Vikramaditya, the refurbished

Admiral Gorshkov inducted from Russia in November 2013.

The trials of the first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC-I, to be named as INS Vikrant) being built at the Cochin

Shipyard have been derailed by the pandemic.

RANKS & REPORTS 1. IIT Madras Tops Atal Rankings (ARIIA) 2020

2. Swachh Survekshan Awards 2020 Announced

Indore became India’s cleanest city for the fourth year in a row.

(While Mysuru won the award for the cleanest city of India in 2016, Indore retained the top spot for three consecutive years in 2017, 2018 and 2019. )

3. Tamil Nadu women top the list of MUDRA loan scheme

According to the data provided by Ministry of Finance to Rajya Sabha, Tamil Nadu has topped the list of Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) in availing loans to women.

It was followed by West Bengal and Karnataka.




4. NITI Aayog releases report on Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2020

Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu occupied the top three ranks in the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2020.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS

BOOK AUTHOR

“Gastric Cancer” Jitendra Singh (Union Minister)

‘One Arranged Murder’ Chetan Bhagat

“Full Spectrum: India’s Wars, 1972-2020″ Arjun Subramaniam (Retired Air Vice Marshal)

“Our Only Home: A Climate Appeal to the World” Dalai Lama

‘Amazing Ayodhya’ Neena Rai

RAW: A History of India’s Covert Operations’ Yatish Yadav

“Who painted my lust red ?”

Sree Iyer

“Siyasat Mein Sadasyata” Vijay Kumar Choudhary (Bihar Assembly Speaker)

“Vishesh: Code To Win”

The book narrates the inspirational story on the life of Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, India’s youngest basketball team captain.

(Bhriguvanshi hails from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh’s and has been playing for India since 2007).

Nirupama Yadav

Connecting, Communicating, Changing’ The book comprising a collection of speeches by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu.

‘Cricket Drona’ (this book is written on renowned coach Vasoo Paranjape

The book talks about the impact of Vasoo Paranjpe on shaping the careers of India’s greatest cricketers like Gavaskar, Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma.

Jatin Paranjpe & Anand Vasu

AWARDS & HONOURS 1. Ministry of Tribal Affairs ((MoTA) ) receives SKOCH Gold Award

The award is given to MoTA for its “Empowerment of Tribals through IT enabled Scholarship Schemes” project.

(Union Minister for Tribal Affairs : Arjun Munda.) 2. ACJ Journalism Awards 2019 announced

Nitin Sethi : winner of the Asian College of Journalism’s (ACJ) Award 2019 for Investigative Journalism. He is a journalist in the Huffington Post

Shiv Sahay Singh : winner of K. P. Narayana Kumar Memorial Award for Social Impact Journalism. He is a journalist in The Hindu.

3. Forbes magazine released “The Highest-Paid Actors Of 2020” list

Bollywood actor, Akshay Kumar is the only Indian star to be listed among the top 10 world’s highest-paid actors of 2020. With total earnings of $48.5 million. Akshay is placed at sixth place in the list. Most of his income came from product endorsements.

The list takes into account the earnings between June 1, 2019, and June 1, 2020.




The list has been topped by Wrestler-turned-movie star Dwayne Johnson (The Rock), for a second straight year, with the total earning of $87.5 million.

4. National Sports Awards 2020 announced

The Government of India has announced the list of winners of the National Sports Awards 2020, as per the recommendation of the Selection Committee headed by Justice (Retd.) Mukundakam Sharma (former Judge of Supreme Court of India) and other members comprising of eminent sportspersons, persons having experience in sports journalism and sports administration, etc.

Honourable President of India will confer the awards to the awardees at a specially organized function through virtual mode from Rashtrapati Bhawan on 29th August, 2020.

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award 2020

For the first time, five sports persons will be receiving the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna on the occasion of the National Sports Day on 29th August.

S.No. Name of the Sportsperson Discipline

1 Shri Rohit Sharma Cricket

2 Shri Mariyappan Thangavelu Para Athletics ( Gold medal winner- high jump- Rio

Olympics 2026)

3 Ms. Manika Batra Table Tennis

4 Ms. Vinesh Phogat Wrestling

5 Ms. Rani Rampal Hockey (women’s Hockey captain)

.

Rohit Sharma will be the fourth cricketer after legendary Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli to be conferred the award.

Ms Rani will become only the third Indian hockey player after Dhanraj Pillay and Sardar Singh to receive the Khel Ratna.

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award is the highest sporting award given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and

Sports for the spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a

period of four years. €The award so far comprises a medallion, a certificate, and a cash prize of Rs. 7.5 lakh.

ARJUNA AWARD: This award is being conferred for consistent outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of four years.


1 Shri Atanu Das Archery

2 Ms. Dutee Chand Athletics

3 Shri Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy Badminton

4 Shri Chirag Chandrasekhar Shetty Badminton

5 Shri Vishesh Bhriguvanshi Basketball

6 Subedar Manish Kaushik Boxing

7 Ms. Lovlina Borgohain Boxing

8 Shri Ishant Sharma Cricket

9 Ms. Deepti Sharma Cricket

10 Shri Sawant Ajay Anant Equestrian

11 Shri Sandesh Jhingan Football

12 Ms. Aditi Ashok Golf

13 Shri Akashdeep Singh Hockey

14 Ms. Deepika Hockey





15 Shri Deepak Kabaddi

16 Shri Kale Sarika Sudhakar Kho Kho

17 Shri Dattu Baban Bhokanal Rowing

18 Ms. Manu Bhaker Shooting

19 Shri Saurabh Chaudhary Shooting

20 Ms. Madhurika Suhas Patkar Table Tennis

21 Shri Divij Sharan Tennis

22 Shri Shiva Keshavan Winter Sports

23 Ms. Divya Kakran Wrestling

24 Shri Rahul Aware Wrestling

25 Shri Suyash Narayan Jadhav Para Swimming

26 Shri Sandeep Para Athletics

27 Shri Manish Narwal Para Shooting

DRONACHARYA AWARD: This award is being conferred to coaches for producing medal winners at prestigious international sports events. It has two parts i,e. lifetime category and regular award category :

Life- Time Category

S.No. Name of the Coach Discipline

1 Shri Dharmendra Tiwary Archery

2 Shri Purushotham Rai Athletics

3 Shri Shiv Singh Boxing

4 Shri Romesh Pathania Hockey

5 Shri Krishan Kumar Hooda Kabaddi

6 Shri Vijay Bhalchandra Munishwar Para Powerlifting

7 Shri Naresh Kumar Tennis

8 Shri Om Parkash Dahiya Wrestling

Regular Category

S.No. Name of the Coach Discipline

1 Shri Jude Felix Sebastian Hockey

2 Shri Yogesh Malviya Mallakhamb

3 Shri Jaspal Rana Shooting

4 Shri Kuldeep Kumar Handoo Wushu

5 Shri Gaurav Khanna Para Badminton

DHYAN CHAND AWARD: This award is being conferred for the life time contribution towards the development of sports.


1 Shri Kuldip Singh Bhullar Athletics

2 Ms. Jincy Philips Athletics

3 Shri Pradeep Shrikrishna Gandhe Badminton

4 Ms. Trupti Murgunde Badminton

5 Ms. N. Usha Boxing

6 Shri Lakha Singh Boxing

7 Shri Sukhvinder Singh Sandhu Football





8 Shri Ajit Singh Hockey

9 Shri Manpreet Singh Kabaddi

10 Shri J. Ranjith Kumar Para Athletics

11 Shri Satyaprakash Tiwari Para Badminton

12 Shri Manjeet Singh Rowing

13 Late Shri Sachin Nag Swimming

14 Shri Nandan P Bal Tennis

15 Shri Netarpal Hooda Wrestling

RASHTRIYA KHEL PROTSAHAN PURUSKAR: This award is being conferred to the corporate entities (both in private and public sector) as well as individuals who have played a visible role in the area of sports promotion and its development.

S.No. Category Entity recommended for Rashtriya Khel

Protsahan Puruskar, 2020

1 Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young Talent

1. Lakshya Institute 2. Army Sports Institute

2 Encouragement to sports through Corporate Social Responsibility

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Ltd.

3 Employment of sportspersons and sports welfare measures

Air Force Sports Control Board

4 Sports for Development International Institute of Sports Management (IISM)

MAULANA ABUL KALAM AZAD (MAKA) TROPHY: This award is being conferred to the overall top performing university in inter-university tournaments.

Panjab University, Chandigarh.

TENZING NORGAY NATIONAL ADVENTURE AWARDS 2019: It is being awarded to recognize the spirit of adventure among the people of the country.

S.No. Name of the Sportsperson Category

1 Ms. Anita Devi Land Adventure

2 Col. Sarfraz Singh Land Adventure

3 Shri Taka Tamut Land Adventure

4 Shri Narender Singh Land Adventure

5 Shri Keval Hiren Kakka Land Adventure

6 Shri Satendra Singh Water Adventure

7 Shri Gajanand Yadava Air Adventure

8 Late Shri Magan Bissa Life Time Achievement

6. NLCIL bags “Swachhta Hi Seva award” for transforming Neyveli Township

The Government of India Navratna, NLC India Limited (NLCIL) has bagged the award for making an extremely valuable contribution in the implementation of the “Swachhta Hi Seva Programme”.

7. Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash bags Gold Medal in MCWC

Hyderabad’s, Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash Jonnalagadda has bagged the first-ever Gold Medal for India in Mental Calculations World Cup (MCWC) by Mind Sports Olympiad (MSO).

He has created a new All-Time Record and has beaten the records of Math Maestros like Shakuntala Devi and Scott Flansburg.

8. Dutch author Marieke Lucas Rijneveld wins International Booker Prize 2020 for her debut novel ‘The

Discomfort of Evening’.




Rijneveld became the youngest author to win the prize at the age of 29.

The book was first published in Dutch in 2018 and eventually translated into English by Michele Hutchison.

The £50,000 prize ($66,000) will be split equally between the author and translator to give equal recognition to both.

9. Ms. Sudha Painuli selected for National Award to Teachers 2020

SUMMITS & CONFERENCES 1. Russia chaired 6th BRICS Environment Ministers’ Meeting

The 6th BRICS Environment Ministers’ Meeting was held under the presidency of Russia.

The Environment Ministers of the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Russian Federation, the Republic of India, the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa participated in the meeting held via the video conference.

India will host the next meeting in 2021.

Union Environment Minister, Shri Prakash Javadekar represented India in the BRICS Environment Ministers’ Meet.

During the meet, the minister highlighted the efforts made by India in controlling Air pollution such as the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) which was launched in 2019.

2. CII (Confederation of Indian Industries ) organised “India@75 Summit – Mission 2022” via video-conferencing. 3. 5th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament held virtually (online)

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Geneva, and the Parliament of Austria jointly organized the two day Conference with the support of the United Nations (UN).

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla participated in the inaugural ceremony of the conference.

Science and Technology 4. National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL) has organised the “World Urdu Conference” in

New Delhi.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 1. “Pavitrapati” & “Aushada tara” launched to fight against COVID-19

Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, DIAT (DU) has launched two products namely “Pavitrapati” & “Aushada tara” to fight against COVID-19.

“Pavitrapati” is an Ayurvedic based Biodegradable Face Mask which will act as a virus neutralizer in order to provide resistance against the bacteria / virus. These masks will be made available on online platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart etc.

“Aushada tara” is an anti-microbial body suit which comprises of superhydrophobic, breathing, anti-microbial, comfort feeling properties. The has passed the splash resistant tests and has got good repellent property of any fluids.

2. Skyroot Aerospace tests upper stage rocket engine “Raman”

With this, Skyroot Aerospace has become the first Indian private firm to exhibit the potential to build a homegrown rocket engine.

“Raman” is a 3-D printed rocket engine which has been named after Nobel laureate CV Raman.

3. Indian Institute of Technology’s (IIT) Alumni Council has signed an agreement with Russia’s Lomonosov

Moscow State University (MSU) and Russoft to build the world’s largest and fastest hybrid quantum computer

in India.

4. Bharat Air Fibre: Wireless Internet

Bharat Air Fibre Services have been inaugurated at Akola in Maharashtra providing the residents wireless

internet connections on demand.




The Bharat Air Fibre services are being introduced by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) as a part of the

Digital India initiative by the Government of India. It is being scaled pan-India.

Aim: To provide BSNL fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) wireless connectivity up to a range of 20 km from the BSNL

points of presence.

5. According to a recent study, published in Nature Geoscience, Venus is still geologically active.

The study identified 37 active volcanoes, in the form of ring-like structures known as coronae, on the surface

of Venus

6. According to a recent study published in Nature Microbiology, the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has been

circulating unnoticed in bats for decades

Bats have been the ‘primary reservoirs’ for SARSCoV-2, which is likely to have diverged from closely related

bat viruses called the RaTG13 sarbecovirus, 40-70 years ago

7. SFTS Infection in China

Recently, deaths and infections have been reported due to the Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia

Syndrome (SFTS) in East China’s Jiangsu and Anhui provinces.

8. Controlling Dengue Using Bacteria

Researchers from the World Mosquito Program have used mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria to

successfully control dengue in Yogyakarta city of Indonesia.

9. Black Box on Aircraft

Why in News : The black boxes of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft which recently crashed in Kozhikode (Kerala)

have been found. These boxes will help investigators gather information about the crucial events that led to

the crash.

A black box, technically known as an Electronic Flight Data Recorder, is an orange-coloured heavily

protected recording device placed in a flight. It is used to investigate the details of the events immediately

preceding an accident.

10. Bioethanol Blending of Petrol

Why in News : The government has set targets of 10% bioethanol blending of petrol by 2022 and to raise it

to 20% by 2030 under the Ethanol Blended Programme (EBP).

The EBP was launched in line with the National Biofuels Policy, 2018.

Many countries, including India, have adopted ethanol blending in petrol in order to reduce vehicle exhaust

emissions and also to reduce the import burden on account of crude petroleum. €

Note : Currently, the bioethanol blending in petrol stands at 5%.

National Cancer Registry Programme Report 2020

According to this report, cancer cases in India are likely to increase to 15.6 lakhs by 2025 (from the current

13.9 lakhs in 2020), a 12% increase from the current estimated cases.

The report has been released by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Centre for

Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR), Bengaluru.

APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

1. Sashidhar Jagdishan to be the new CEO of HDFC Bank

Jagdishan will replace Aditya Puri and take charge in October when Puri retires.

Aditya Puri was the CEO of HDFC Bank since September 1994. Puri is the longest-serving head of any private bank in India.

2. Ajay Tyagi gets 18 Months extension (up to February 28, 2022) as SEBI Chairman 3. Manoj Sinha : LG of Jammu and Kashmir




He will replace Girish Chandra Murmu who resigned. 4. G.C. Murmu becomes new Comptroller and Auditor General of India

Former Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor, Girish Chandra Murmu has been appointed as the new Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. He is the 14th CAG of India.

He will assume office on 8 August 2020. He will replace Rajiv Mehrishi. 5. Pradeep Kumar Joshi : new chairman of UPSC

He will succeed Arvind Saxena who completes his term as UPSC chairman. 6. P S Ranipse : new IG of CRPF

7. Harsh Kumar Bhanwala : new executive chairman of Capital India Finance 8. Pramod Bhasin: Chairman of ICRIER (Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations) 9. Soma Mondal : selected by the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) as the next chairman of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). 10. Rakesh Asthana : new DG of BSF 11. GP Garg : SEBI’s new executive director 12. Satya Pal Malik : Governor of Meghalaya 13. Ashok Lavasa steps down as Election Commissioner of India

.He has submitted his resignation to President of India, Ram Nath Kovind.

Lavasa is set to join the Philippines-based Asian Development Bank as the vice-president from September 2020.

14. Rajiv Kumar : new Election Commissioner

He will succeed Ashok Lavasa who has submitted his resignation to the Indian President. 15. Ashwani Bhatia : new Managing Director of SBI 16. DRDO chief G Satheesh Reddy gets two-year extension

(DRDO Headquarters: New Delhi, DRDO Established: 1958.) 17. Kevin Mayer resigns as CEO of TikTok

TikTok CEO, Kevin Mayer has stepped down from the post, amid US pressure for its Chinese owner to sell the popular video app.

His resignation follows President Donald Trump’s order to ban TikTok unless its parent company, ByteDance, sells its US operations to an American company within 90 days.

Tiktok founded: 2012 by Zhang Yiming.

18. Japan’s longest-serving PM Shinzo Abe resigns

19. Hamed Bakayoko : Prime Minister of Ivory Coast 20. Mohamed Irfaan Ali : President of Guyana 21. Mark Phillips : Prime Minister of Guyana 22. Walter Roger Martos Ruiz : new PM of Peru 23. Mohamed Ould Bilal : new Prime Minister of Mauritania 24. Alexander Lukashenko : President of Belarus (won for sixth term) 25. Mahinda Rajapaksa : Sri Lankan PM (for 4th time)

26. Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita resigns after military coup / mutiny 27. Luis Abinader : new President of Dominican Republic 28. Keith Rowley : become PM of Trinidad and Tobago for 2nd consecutive term




29. Francisco Asue : reappointed as PM of Guinea

SPORTS ( Important ones are mentioned in bold)

1. Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton wins British Grand Prix 2020 2. World Cup winner German footballer Benedikt Howedes announced retirement. 3. Govt of India granted permission for the 13th edition of IPL (2020) in UAE 4. BCCI has also decided to host a Women’s T20 Challenge to be held from November 1 to 10 in UAE. 5. Former Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas retires from football 6. Max Verstappen (The Red Bull racer ) wins 70th Anniversary Grand Prix 7. Indian Umpire KN Ananthapadmanabhan promoted to ICC’s panel of umpires 8. World Cup Winning Indian Captain MS Dhoni retires from International Cricket

Former Indian Captain and the World Cup winner, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has announced his retirement from the International Cricket.

He was the only captain to win all three major International Cricket Council (ICC) trophies i.e. the World Cup, the World Twenty20 and the Champions Trophy.

9. Suresh Raina announces retirement from International Cricket

10. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes driver) wins F1 Spanish Grand Prix 2020

11. AIFF partners SAI to launch “E-Pathshala”

All India Football Federation (AIFF) has launched the web platform “E-Pathshala” in partnership with the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

The platform is an Athlete Coaching Program in football. 12. Dream 11 wins title sponsorship rights of IPL 2020

Founders of Dream 11: Harsh Jain and Bhavit Sheth.

(Interim) Chief Executive Officer of Board of Control for Cricket in India: Hemang Amin.

President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India: Sourav Ganguly.

13. England World Cup winner all-rounder (woman cricketer) Laura Marsh retires 14. INOX Group becomes sponsor of Indian team for Tokyo Olympics

The governing body for the Olympic Movement in India, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and INOX Group has signed a sponsorship agreement to support Team India for Tokyo Olympics, which was rescheduled to be held from July 23 to August 8, 2021.

15. Ronnie O’Sullivan wins World Snooker Championship 2020 16. Jacques Kallis, Zaheer Abbas & Lisa Sthalekar inducted into ICC Hall of Fame

Legendary South African all-rounder Jaques Kallis, Pakistan batting great Zaheer Abbas and Pune-born former Australian captain Lisa Sthalekar were inducted into the International Cricket Council’s Hall of Fame in a virtual ceremony.

17. Cameron White : Australia all-rounder cricketer announces retirement




18. German professional sports club, Bayern Munich won the UEFA Champions League 2019-20 title by defeating Paris Saint-Germain 1-0. 19. German Golfer Sophia Popov wins Women’s British Open 2020 20. Indian Table Tennis star Poulomi Ghatak announced retirement 21. James Anderson of England becomes 1st fast bowler to take 600 Test wickets 22. India plans to host BRICS Games in 2021

BRICS Games 2021 will be aligned with the Khelo India Games scheduled for next year. 23. The most successful men’s doubles pair in tennis history, Mike Bryan and Bob Bryan have announced their

retirement from the sport. 24. West Indies All-Rounder, Dwayne Bravo becomes 1st bowler to scalp 500 wickets in T20 cricket

25. Sri Lankan cricketer Tharanga Paranavitana retires 26. GoI enhances prize money in National Sports Awards

The prize money for the Sports Awards was last reviewed in 2008.

The prize money for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award has been increased to 25 lakh rupees from the previous amount of 7.5 lakh rupees.

Arjuna Award has been enhanced to 15 lakh rupees from 5 lakh.

The Dhronacharya (Lifetime) awardees, who were earlier given 5 lakh rupees will now be given 15 lakh

rupees as cash prize, while Dhronacharya (Regular) will be given 10 lakh instead of 5 lakh rupees per awardee.

Dhyanchand Awardees will be given 10 lakh rupees instead of 5 lakh rupees.

IMPORTANT DAYS Muslim Women Rights Day

1st August has been recorded as “Muslim Women Rights Day” in the country’s history to mark first

anniversary of the passage of Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019.

The law made triple talaq a criminal offence.

1. World Sanskrit Day 2020: 03 August 2. World Breastfeeding Week 2020

The World Breastfeeding Week is marked every year in the first week of August, between 1 to 7 August to raise awareness on the importance of breastfeeding for mothers and infants.

The theme of World Breastfeeding Week 2020 is “Support breastfeeding for a healthier planet”.

3. Hiroshima Day: 6th August

On August 6, 1945, United States dropped an atomic bomb named “Little Boy”, on the town of Hiroshima in Japan.

4. National Handloom Day : 7th August 5. Nation observes 78th anniversary of August Kranti din or Quit India movement on 8 August 2020.

On 8 Aug 1942, Mahatma Gandhi gave a clarion call to end the British rule and launched the Quit India Movement at the session of the All-India Congress Committee in Mumbai.

6. World Tribal Day/ International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples: 9 August

7. World Biofuel Day : 10th August




Theme for 2020: “Biofuels towards Atmanirbhar Bharat” 8. International Youth Day: 12th August

Theme : “Youth Engagement for Global Action”.

9. World Organ Donation Day: 13 August 10. World Humanitarian Day: 19 August 11. Sadbhavana Diwas: 20th August

Every year on 20th August, the birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi is celebrated as Sadbhavana Diwas or Harmony Day.

12. Indian Akshay Urja Day ( Renewable Energy Day) : 20th August every year. 9. International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism : 21st August 10. World Senior Citizen Day: 21 August 11. International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition : 23 August 12. World Water Week 2020: 24-28 August

Theme : ‘Water and Climate change: Accelerating Action’. 13. Women’s Equality Day 2020 : August 26

The 100th anniversary of the Women’s Equality Day is being observed in the United States on August 26, to commemorate American women getting the constitutional right to vote.

Women’s Equality Day is now often observed across the world to encourage and spread awareness about women’s empowerment.

14. National Sports Day: 29th August (birth anniversary of great hockey player Major Dhyan Chand) 15. International Day against Nuclear Tests: 29 August

7. International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances: 30 August

Poshan Maah

Under Poshan Abhiyaan, the month of September is observed as Poshan Maah i.e. Nutrition month

every year, since 2018. ‘Agricultural Fund of India’ is being created to have complete information

about the crops that are grown in each district and their related nutritional value.

It includes a month-long activities focussed on antenatal care, optimal breastfeeding, anaemia,

growth monitoring, girls education, diet, right age of marriage, hygiene and sanitation and eating

healthy (food fortification).

OBITUARIES

1 Ebrahim Alkazi He was the longest serving director of the National School of Drama

2 William English American computer engineer and Co-inventor of the computer mouse with Douglas Engelbart in 1968

3 Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar

Former Maharashtra CM

4 Nandi Yellaiah Former eight time MP from Telangana

5 Rahat Indori Noted Urdu Poet

6 Manitombi Singh Former Indian footballer

7 Pandit Jasraj famous classical vocalist associated with Mewati Gharana




8 Gopalaswamy Kasturirangan

Former Indian cricketer

9 Angela Buxton British Tennis legend

10 Chetan Chauhan Former Indian cricketer

11 Shirley Ann Grau Pulitzer Prize-Winning Novelist

12 John Hume former Nobel Peace Prize winner from Ireland

13 Ram Pradhan Former Arunachal Pradesh Governor

14 Arnold Meyer Spielberg a pioneered computer designer & an innovative engineer ( passed away at the age of 103.)

15 Lee Teng-hui former Taiwanese President

16 Purushotham Rai Veteran Athletic coach

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Agatti Island of Lakshadweep

The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has granted an interim stay on felling of coconut trees on

Agatti Island in Lakshadweep.

2. Dhole Conservation

Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh rank high in the conservation of the endangered Dhole in

India.

Dhole (Cuon alpinus) is a wild carnivorous animal belonging to the canine family, found in Central, South,

East Asia, and Southeast Asia. €

They are also known as Asian wild dogs.

Conservation Status: It is under the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s ‘endangered’ category. € The species is protected under Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and under

Appendix 2 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

3. Indonesia’s Mt. Sinabung Erupted

Mt. Sinabung, an active volcano on Indonesia’s Sumatra island has erupted. ¾ Mount Sinabung is located in

Karo regency, North Sumatra.

4. Wildfires in California

California (USA) faced sprawling wildfires destroying more than 4,00,000 acres of forests in Northern and Central

California.

5. Kerala’s 1st-ever Dragonfly Festival

It is named as ‘Thumbimahotsavam 2020’. Organized jointly by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)- India State unit and the Society for Odonate

Studies (SOS).

It aims to build awareness about the importance of dragonflies and damselflies and the need to conserve

them.

The official mascot of the festival is “Pantalu” which is the genus of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae commonly known as rain pool gliders.

6. Indian Bison (Gaur)

Why in News : Recently, a case of poaching of Indian Bison was discovered using a sniffer dog in West

Bengal.

Key points about Indian Bison for exams :

Indian Bison or Gaur (Bos gaurus) is native to South and Southeast Asia. In India, they are found in

Nagarhole, Bandipur, Masinagudi National Parks and BR Hills. €

Conservation Status: Vulnerable in IUCN Red List.

Included in the Schedule I of the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972.




7. Hurricane Laura

Hurricane Laura has made landfall in southwestern Louisiana (South Central United States) with wind speeds

reaching up to 250 km an hour.

Hurricane Laura is a Category 4 storm. A Category 4 storm has wind speeds between 130-156 mph and can

uproot trees and bring down power lines.

Note : Hurricanes are categorized on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which rates them on a scale

of 1 to 5 based on wind speed. € Hurricanes that reach category three or higher are classified as major

hurricanes. It is because of their potential to cause devastating damage to property and life.

Worldwide Terminology of Tropical Cyclones

Depending on where they occur, hurricanes may be called typhoons or cyclones. They are given many

names in different regions of the world: €

Typhoons: In the China Sea and Pacific Ocean. €

Hurricanes: In the West Indian islands in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. €

Tornados: In the Guinea lands of West Africa and southern USA. €

Willy-willies: In north-western Australia and € Tropical Cyclones: In the Indian Ocean Region.

8. Due to heavy rains, Shetrunji and Bhadar dams, the two largest reservoirs in the Saurashtra region (Gujarat),

have overflowed simultaneously

Shetrunji on Shetrunji River is located in Bhavnagar district.

Bhadar on Bhdar river is located in Rajkot district.

ART AND CULTURE 1. Parkash Purab

The Prime Minister of India greeted the people on the occasion of the Parkash Purab Utsav of the holy book

Guru Granth Sahib which was celebrated on 19th Aug 2020.

The first Prakash Purab Utsav marked the installation of Guru Granth Sahib in Harmandir Sahib, also known

as the Golden temple, in 1604.

Guru Granth Sahib is the sacred scripture of Sikhism (religion). It is a collection of nearly 6,000 hymns of the

Sikh Gurus (religious leaders) and various early and medieval saints of different religions and castes.

2. Nuakhai Juhar

The Prime Minister of India greeted the farmers on the occasion of Nuakhai Juhar (23rd August, 2020).

Nuakhai Juhar is an agricultural festival, also called Nuakhai Parab or Nuakahi Bhetghat. €

It is celebrated to welcome the new crop of the season. €

Nuakhai is a combination of two words that signifies eating of new rice as ‘nua’ means new and ‘khai’ means

eat.

This is the festival of Western Odisha, southern Chhattisgarh and adjoining areas of Simdega (Jharkhand). €

Its coastal counterpart is Nabanna, observed in Coastal Odisha.

3. Navroz: Parsi New Year

Navroj was celebrated in India on 16th August 2020.

Globally Navroz is celebrated on 21st March, however, in India it is celebrated on 16th August because of the

Shahenshahi calendar that is followed by Parsis in India. €

The Shahenshahi calendar doesn’t account for leap years.

Navroz ( Parsi New Year) is celebrated to mark the beginning of the Iranian (Persian) calendar. The tradition

is observed by Iranians and the Parsi community around the world.

In India Navroz is also known as Jamshed-i-Navroz, after the Persian King, Jamshed. The king Jamshed is

credited with having created the Shahenshahi calendar.

Navroj is inscribed in the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of India.




4. Pulikkali Folk Art of Kerala

Why in News : Pulikkali will be held online in Kerala this year due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Imp Points : Pulikkali (Puli means Leopard/Tiger and Kali means Play in Malayalam) is a recreational street

folk art performed on the fourth day of Onam celebrations.

Note : Onam ((August–September) is a Hindu rice harvest festival of Kerala celebrated to commemorate King

Mahabali.

The main theme of Pulikkali folk art is tiger hunting with participants playing the role of tiger and hunter.

Performers paint their bodies like tigers and hunters and dance on streets to the beats of traditional

percussion instruments such as thakil, udukku and chenda.

5. Odisha’s Bonda Tribe

Why in News : Recently, four people from the Bonda tribal community have tested positive for the Covid-19.

PVTGs: Bondas are one of the 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)found in Odisha. €

Note : There are a total of 75 PVTGs in India.

6. Minister of Culture Shri Prahlad Singh Patel announces 7 new circles of ASI (Archaeological Survey of

India)

Trichy in Tamil Nadu

Raiganj in West Bengal

Rajkot in Gujarat

Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh

Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh

Meerut in Uttar Pradesh

Hampi in Karnataka 7. Pandit Jasraj passed away

He was one of the world's most prominent Indian classical vocalists associated with Mewati gharana of music.

He created a unique form of jugalbandi called Jasrangi, in which a male and a female singer sing different ragas in their respective scales to merge their individual displays into one unified performance.

He is the recipient of numerous awards, honours, and titles, including the prestigious Padma Vibhushan and

the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

Recently, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) named an asteroid after him, formally known as

2006 VP32, as Panditjasraj. He was the first Indian musician to receive this honour.

STATES ( not that important, just have a look)

1. MP launched “Ek Mask-Anek Zindagi” public awareness campaign

Under this campaign, the Mask Banks was established, where people can donate masks which in turn will be distributed free to poor people.

2. Andhra Pradesh government launches ‘E-Raksha Bandhan’

The programme aims to create awareness among the public on Cyber crimes across the State. 3. Gujarat to commence Seaplane service from 31 October 2020 The seaplane service will offer seamless and affordable air connectivity from Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad to Statue of Unity in Kevadia in Gujarat. 4. C”garh govt launches social security scheme for tendu leaf collectors

Name of the scheme is “Shaheed Mahendra Karma Tendupatta Sangrahak Samajik Suraksha Yojana”.

Tendu leaves, used for making bidis (leaf-wrapped cigarettes), are collected by forest dwellers and from them, it is purchased by the state government.

5. Chhattisgarh Govt rolls out “Indira Van Mitan” Yojana


https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper1/hindustani-music-1

https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sangeet-natak-akademi-awards-2018

https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/asteroid-named-after-pandit-jasraj



It aims to make the forest dwellers of the state self reliant. 6. Gujarat government announces Mukhya Mantri Kisan Sahay Yojana The scheme has been announced for the current Kharif season and all farmers of the state will be covered under this scheme. 7. Assam Govt to starts “Orunodoi Scheme” for women’s empowerment The Assam government would provide Rs 830 per month each to 17 lakh poor families under the ambitious “Orunodoi” scheme, to financially empower women. 8. Chhattisgarh government to launch “Padhai Tuhar Para” scheme The scheme will enable the school students to study with the help of community in their localities and villages, in view of the suspension of classes due to coronavirus outbreak. 9. Kerala Govt commissioned 1st Marine Ambulance ‘PRATHEEKSHA’

The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan commissioned the first-ever marine ambulance named ‘PRATHEEKSHA’ at Vizhinjam village of Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala.

10. Kerala will establish the first international women’s trade centre (IWTC) of India at Angamaly. 11. UP Government launches “Major Dhyan Chand Vijaypath Yojana”

Under this scheme, 19 international players from the state of Uttar Pradesh will get road connectivity to their houses.

BANKING

( only for Banking Exams)

1. Kotak Mahindra Bank starts ‘Kona Kona Umeed’ Campaign

It provides huge offers and discounts in various banking services. 2. Axis Bank launches Automated Voice Assistant ‘AXAA’

The Automated Voice Assistant will function like a humanoid and has the ability to change the paradigm of customer experience from conventional Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system.

‘AXAA’, an artificial intelligence-powered conversational voice BOT can converse in English, Hindi and Hinglish.

AXAA has the capacity to address one lakh customer queries and requests per day. 3. HDFC Bank launches “Shaurya KGC Card” to members of armed forces

HDFC Bank has launched “Shaurya KGC Card” for Indian armed forces personnel.

The card will offer agriculture loans for military and paramilitary professionals. 4. PNB launches ‘DIGITAL APNAYEN’ campaign to promote digital banking

5. ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company and Bharti AXA General Insurance Company have

announced the merger of their businesses.

SOME IMPORTANT TARGETS ( imp for exams)

India’s commitment to attain the target of 175 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2022 including

100 GW of solar installed capacity.

Indian Government has set a target of 30% (Electric Vehicles ) of new sales of cars and two-wheelers by

2030.

Narendra Modi government has envisaged to double farmers’ incomes by 2022.




NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY, 2020 NEP- 2020, for which draft was prepared by a panel of experts led by former Indian Space Research

Organisation (ISRO) chief K Kasturirangan.

The Union Cabinet has approved the new National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 with an aim to introduce several changes in the Indian education system - from the school to college level.

The NEP 2020 aims at making “India a global knowledge superpower”.

The Cabinet has also approved the renaming of the Ministry of Human Resource Development to the Ministry of Education.

The NEP cleared by the Cabinet is only the third major revamp of the framework of education in India since independence.

The two earlier education policies were brought in 1968 and 1986.

Key Points

School Education:

Universalization of education from preschool to secondary level with 100% Gross Enrolment Ratio

(GER) in school education by 2030.

To bring 2 crore out of school children back into the mainstream through an open schooling system.

The current 10+2 system to be replaced by a new 5+3+3+4 curricular structure corresponding to ages 3-8, 8-

11, 11-14, and 14-18 years respectively.

It will bring the uncovered age group of 3-6 years under school curriculum, which has been recognized globally as the crucial stage for development of mental faculties of a child.

It will also have 12 years of schooling with three years of Anganwadi/ pre schooling.

Class 10 and 12 board examinations to be made easier, to test core competencies rather than memorised facts, with all students allowed to take the exam twice.

School governance is set to change, with a new accreditation framework and an independent authority to regulate both public and private schools.

Emphasis on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, no rigid separation between academic streams, extracurricular, vocational streams in schools.

Vocational Education to start from Class 6 with Internships.

Teaching up to at least Grade 5 to be in mother tongue/regional language. No language will be imposed on any student.

Assessment reforms with 360 degree Holistic Progress Card, tracking Student Progress for achieving Learning Outcomes

A new and comprehensive National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education (NCFTE) 2021, will be formulated by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) in consultation with National

Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).

By 2030, the minimum degree qualification for teaching will be a 4-year integrated B.Ed. degree.

Higher Education :

Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education to be raised to 50% by 2035. Also, 3.5 crore seats to be added in higher education.

The current Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education is 26.3%.

Holistic Undergraduate education with a flexible curriculum can be of 3 or 4 years with multiple exit

options and appropriate certification within this period.

M.Phil courses will be discontinued and all the courses at undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD level will now be interdisciplinary.

Academic Bank of Credits to be established to facilitate Transfer of Credits.

Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERUs), at par with IITs, IIMs, to be set up as models of best multidisciplinary education of global standards in the country.

The National Research Foundation will be created as an apex body for fostering a strong research culture and building research capacity across higher education.


https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pragyata-guidelines-on-digital-education

https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pragyata-guidelines-on-digital-education



Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) will be set up as a single umbrella body for the entire higher education, excluding medical and legal education. Public and private higher education institutions will be governed by the same set of norms for regulation, accreditation and academic standards. Also, HECI will be having four independent verticals namely:

o National Higher Education Regulatory Council (NHERC) for regulation, o General Education Council (GEC) for standard setting, o Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC) for funding, o National Accreditation Council (NAC) for accreditation.

Affiliation of colleges is to be phased out in 15 years and a stage-wise mechanism to be established for granting graded autonomy to colleges.

Over a period of time, every college is expected to develop into either an autonomous degree-granting College, or a constituent college of a university. Other Changes:

An autonomous body, the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), will be created to provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas on the use of technology to enhance learning, assessment, planning, administration.

National Assessment Centre- 'PARAKH' has been created to assess the students.

It also paves the way for foreign universities to set up campuses in India.

It emphasizes setting up of Gender Inclusion Fund, Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups.

National Institute for Pali, Persian and Prakrit, Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation to be set up.

It also aims to increase the public investment in the Education sector to reach 6% of GDP at the earliest.

Currently, India spends around 4.6 % of its total GDP on education.

Education In India : Constitutional Provisions:

Part IV of Indian Constitution, Article 45 and Article 39 (f) of Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP), has a provision for state-funded as well as equitable and accessible education.

The 42nd

Amendment to the Constitution in 1976 moved education from the State to the Concurrent List.

The education policies by the Central government provides a broad direction and state governments are expected to follow it. But it is not mandatory, for instance Tamil Nadu does not follow the three-language formula prescribed by the first education policy in 1968.

The 86th

Amendment in 2002 made education an enforceable right under Article 21-A.

Related Laws:

Right To Education (RTE) Act, 2009 aims to provide primary education to all children aged 6 to 14

years and enforces education as a Fundamental Right.

It also mandates 25% reservation for disadvantaged sections of the society where disadvantaged groups. Government Initiatives:

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Mid Day Meal Scheme, Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVS schools), Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV schools) and use of IT in education are a result of the NEP of 1986.

Way Forward

A New Education Policy aims to facilitate an inclusive, participatory and holistic approach, which takes into consideration field experiences, empirical research, stakeholder feedback, as well as lessons learned from best practices.

It is a progressive shift towards a more scientific approach to education. The prescribed structure will help to cater the ability of the child – stages of cognitive development as well as social and physical awareness. If implemented in its true vision, the new structure can bring India at par with the leading countries of the world.


https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/Implementation-of-Section-12-1c-of-the-RTE-Act-A-Progress-Report

https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/samagra-shiksha

https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mid-day-meal

COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250 ... · x Note : is a 96 km long strip of water...

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