Current Affairs August 2020 - Miscellaneous

The 6^th BRICS Environment Ministers’ Meeting was held under the presidency of Russia. India will host the next meeting in 2021.
MobiKwik launches personal UPI payment link mpay.me. UPI link service allows users to send and receive money from any UPI payment app.
Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) has developed ‘Aashray’, a medical bed isolation system to combat COVID-19 by preventing or minimising the spread of the virus.
Madhya Pradesh government launched “Ek Mask-Anek Zindagi” campaign to spread awareness, about wearing masks as prevention from Covid-19 infection.
India has withdrawn from the women's world team Squash championship scheduled in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 15^th to 20^th December, citing lack of preparation, time and match-readiness of its players.
William English, co-creator of computer mouse, passed away at the age of 91 years.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched the Sahakar Cooptube NCDC Channel, a new initiative by National Co-operative Development Corporation.
The Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli (DNH) and Daman and Diu (DD) has launched a mobile app named E-Gyan Mitra for online education.
Former Maharashtra CM Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar passed away at the age of 89 years.
Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi dedicated a Railway Museum at Hubballi in Karnataka through video conferencing. This Rail Museum is first of its kind in North Karnataka and second in South Western Railway after the historic Rail Museum at Mysuru.
Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) will open the Silk Training cum Production Center in the tribal village of Chullyu in Arunachal Pradesh. This would be the first Silk Training cum Production Center in the state.
Odisha cadre IPS officer, P S Ranipse has been appointed as Inspector General (IG), in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, a massive online Integrated Multidisciplinary Professional Advancement Course for Teachers (IMPACT) training programme commenced in Srinagar under Samagra Shiksha.
Former Congress leader and eight-time parliamentarian from Telangana, Nandi Yellaiah passed away.
Railways observed cleanliness week from 10^th August to mark the Independence Day.
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has announced a special scheme to revive lapsed policies named ‘Special Revival Campaign’.
Veteran sports journalist GK Menon passed away at the age of 93 years. He worked with the Indian Express and The Times of India.
As on 14.08.2020, the total kharif crops have been sown on 1015.58 lakh ha area against 935.70 lakh ha area during the corresponding period of last year, thus increase in area coverage by 8.54% compared to last year in the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the First World Solar Technology Summit to be organised by International Solar Alliance, ISA on a virtual platform on 8^th of September.
The Union Territory of Puducherry has celebrated its 59^th anniversary of the “De-Jure” day on 16^th August.
Punjab National Bank has launched a campaign named ‘DIGITAL APNAYEN’ to encourage customers to use digital banking channels.
The 13^th Session of the India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting on Trade, Economic and Technical Co-operation was held to review the continuing growth of broad based cooperation between the two countries.
On the 2^nd death anniversary of the former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced that the Gwalior-Chambal Expressway will be named Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Chambal Progressway.
Madhya Pradesh has become the first state to provide government jobs on the basis of marks obtained in exams conducted by the newly-formed National Recruitment Agency (NRA).
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched a Mobile App to provide user friendly digital interface for the functionaries of ULBs to source loan applications of street vendors under Prime Minister Street Vendors Atma Nirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme.
Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) has launched LVB DigiGo, a digital initiative to enable the opening of savings account instantly.
India Post released five commemorative postage stamps: The Historic City of Ahmedabad, Churches and Convents of Goa, Group of Monuments at Pattadakal, Khajuraho Group of Monuments and Qutub Minar, on the occasion of 74^th Independence Day.
Keith Rowley has been sworn in as Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for a 2^nd consecutive 5-year term.
Dakar Francisco Asue was reappointed as Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea.
Former Cricketer, Administrator and Pitch Curator, Gopalaswamy Iyenger Kasturirangan passed away.
Google has launched a separate app for job seekers in India called the Kormo Jobs app. It will help people find entry-level jobs.
The name of Religare Health Insurance Company Ltd. has been changed to Care Health Insurance Ltd.
Maharashtra has announced that all serving and retired soldiers of the state will be exempted from the Gram Panchayat property tax.
The Union Home Ministry has approved the renaming of Manduadih railway station in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi district as 'Banaras'.
According to a joint report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), at least 41 lakh youth in India lost jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A pair of gold-plated spectacles believed to have been worn by Mahatma Gandhi and presented as a gift in the 1900s have broken all records for a United Kingdom auction house by selling for Rs. 2.55 crore or 2,60,000 pounds.
In Madhya Pradesh, a unique campaign 'Ek Sankalp - Bujurgo ke naam’ i.e. 'a commitment for elders' is being run by the Chhatarpur Police in the midst of corona infection in the state.
US Republican Party re-nominates Donald Trump and Mike Pence as Presidential, Vice Presidential candidates. The Republican National Convention (RNC) has formally re-nominated President Donald Trump as the party’s Presidential candidate for the November 3 election.
World-record sprinter and eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt has tested positive for the coronavirus and is self-isolating at his home in Jamaica.
The India Pavilion at the Army-2020 International Military and Technical Forum was inaugurated by Secretary (Defence Production) Raj Kumar and Indian Ambassador DB Venkatesh Verma outside Moscow, the Indian Embassy in Russia.
Tata Group is launching a new app named “Super App” purported to bring together the country’s disparate sales sector to offer a range of consumer goods.
SBI General Insurance has launched a first-of-its-kind insurance product called ‘Shagun – Gift an Insurance”, which is a unique gift of Personal Accident policy.The unique feature of this policy is that it can be gifted to anyone, which means it is not necessary for the policy buyer to be related to the insured.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the Directorate General National Cadet Corps (DGNCC) Mobile Training App to assist in conducting countrywide online training of NCC cadets.
Axis Bank launched a new savings account called the Axis Liberty Savings Account to cater the youth up to 35 years of age.
India and Singapore signed Implementing Arrangement on Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief.
Delhi Government launched the Fitness Campaign “Healthy Body, Healthy Mind” fitness campaign, for the students who are confined in their homes because of the lockdown imposed on Schools and colleges due to COVID-19 pandemic.
India is planning to host BRICS Games 2021, which will be aligned with the Khelo India Games scheduled for 2021.
The government plans to develop three Bamboo Clusters in Jammu, Katra and Samba areas for making of Bamboo basketry, Agarbatti and Bamboo Charcol.
The government launched the PM Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi, PM SVANidhi online dashboard through video conferencing.
India has co-sponsored a Security Council resolution that calls for full, effective and meaningful participation of women personnel in peacekeeping operations.
The 51^st International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will be held in Goa, from November 20^th to 28^th.