National Affairs
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar launches Surakhsya portal on World Elephant Day
The Minister for Environment and Forest Prakash Javadekar released a document on Best Practices and launched a portal on Human-Elephant Conflict on the eve of World Elephant Day, 2020. The Government has launched National Portal called “Surakhsya”.
- World Elephant Day is observed every year on 12th August to spread awareness
- Indian Elephant has also been listed in Appendix I of the Convention of the Migratory species in the recently concluded 13th Conference of Parties on Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) at Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat in February this year.
About Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change:
Headquarters: New Delhi
Founded: 1985
Delhi airport develops online portal “AIR SUVIDHA” for international passengers
The Delhi international airport has developed an online portal named ‘AIR SUVIDHA’ that will allow international arriving passengers to fill a mandatory self-declaration form and eligible passengers to apply for exemption from compulsory institutional quarantine for coronavirus.
- The online forms have been developed in collaboration with various state governments, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
- Passengers can assess AIR SUVIDHA at the website of Delhi Airport ‘www.newdelhiairport.in’
FM Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurates NIP Online Dashboard
Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the National Infrastructure Pipeline, NIP, Online Dashboard in New Delhi through video conferencing.
- The online dashboard is envisaged as a one-stop solution for all stakeholders looking for information on infrastructure projects in New India.
- The dashboard is being hosted on the India Investment Grid, IIG www.indiainvestmentgrid.gov.in. IIG is an interactive and dynamic online platform that showcases d and real-time investment opportunities in the country.
GoI bans import of 101 Defence items to boost Atma Nirbhar Bharat
The Ministry of Defence has announced a list of over 100 items that would be banned for import beyond the time indicated against them. The government has prepared a list 101 items on which there would be an embargo on import to give a push to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan” (Self Reliant India Movement).
- It is estimated that contracts worth almost Rs 4 Lakh crore will be placed upon the domestic industry within the next six to seven years.
About Ministry of Defence:
Minister of Defence: Raj Nath Singh.
Headquarters: New Delhi
Founded: 15 August 1947
Union Minister inaugurated Railway Museum In Hubballi
Minister of Railways and Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi on Sunday dedicated Railway Museum at Hubballi through video conferencing.
- This Rail Museum is first of its kind in North Karnataka and second in South Western Railway after the historic Mysuru Rail Museum at Mysuru.
- This Museum will enthrall visitors narrating the story of Railways in India in the past 167 years. The Museum is spread over an area of 4,150 sqm.
About Ministry of Railways:
Union Minister– Piyush Vedprakash Goyal
Minister of State– Suresh Angadi Channabasappa
State Affairs
Andhra Pradesh launches state Industrial Development Policy 2020-23
The Andhra Pradesh government launched state Industrial Development Policy 2020-23 on August 10, 2020. The State Industries Minister Gautam Reddy unveiled the much-awaited policy.
- The AP Industrial Development Policy will pave way for the development of plug and play infrastructure facilities targeting MSMEs at affordable rates.
- It will also enable the development of clusters and mega industrial parks along with the three major corridors.
About Andhra Pradesh:
Chief minister: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy
Capitals: Amaravati, Hyderabad
International Affairs
Mahinda Rajapaksa takes oath as Sri Lankan PM for the fourth time
Mahinda Rajapaksa was on Sunday sworn in as the prime minister of Sri Lanka for the fourth time, three days after his party declared a victory in the country’s 2020 General Elections.
- Mahinda Rajapaksa served as Sri Lanka’s president from 2005 to 2015. He was appointed the prime minister in 2004 and briefly in 2018 and 2019.
- He took the oath before Sri Lankan President and his younger brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Kelaniya Raja Maha Buddhist temple outside Colombo.
About Sri Lanka:
resident: Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.
Currency: Sri Lankan rupee.
Walter Roger Martos Ruiz Becomes New Prime Minister of Peru; Succeeds Pedro Cateriano
President of Peru(Republic of Peru) Martin Vizcarra appointed Walter Roger Martos Ruiz, the former defense minister, and retired army general, as the country’s new Prime Minister. He succeeds Pedro Álvaro Cateriano Bellido.
- The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Government Palace in Lima.
About Peru:
Currency- Peruvian Sol(PEN)
Capital – Lima
India, Maldives ink contract for development of five eco-tourism zones in Addu atoll of the island nation
India and Maldives signed a contract for the development of five eco-tourism zones in Addu atoll of the island nation.
- Maldives foreign secretary Abdul Ghafoor, MPs representing Addu city and Indian high commissioner Sunjay Sudhir participated in the ceremony.
- These eco-tourism zones are part of grant projects being implemented under the High-Impact Community Development project (HICDP) scheme which involves total grant assistance of 5.5 million US dollars to the Maldives.
About the Maldives:
Capital: Malé
Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa
Appointments
Capital India Finance appoints ex-NABARD chief Harsh Bhanwala as executive chairman
Financial services platform Capital India Finance Ltd on Wednesday announced the appointment of the former head of NABARD, Harsh Kumar Bhanwala, as Executive Chairman.
- Prior to joining Capital India, Bhanwala was chairman of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for over six years and demitted the office on May 26, 2020.
- He has served as Executive Director of India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd. (IIFCL) and also as their Chairman & Managing Director from 2012-2013.
About Capital India Finance Limited:
Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer – Vineet Saxena.
Managing Director – Keshav Porwal
Head Office – Mumbai, Maharashtra
India’s KN Ananthapadmanabhan promoted to ICC’s international panel of umpires
Former Kerala legspinner KN Ananthapadmanabhan has been promoted to the ICC’s international panel of umpires. Ananthapadmanabhan will be the fourth Indian umpire on the international panel and fills the vacancy created by Nitin Menon’s move to the ICC Elite Panel.
- The other three Indians on the international panel are C Shamshuddin, Anil Chaudhary, and Virender Sharma.
- Ananthapadmanabhan has officiated in nearly every domestic tournament in India, including the IPL, an England Lions match, and Women’s List A and T20 games.
About ICC:
CEO: Manu Sawhney.
Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Chairman: Imran Khwaja (Interim).
Defence News
India to participate in Kavkaz 2020 exercise in Russia
India will take part in the multilateral military “Russian Kavkaz 2020” strategic command-post exercise to be held in Astrakhan, Russia. The Indian contingent includes 150 Army personnel and a smaller number of personnel from the Navy and Air Force.
- The invitation for participation to Kavkaz 2020, also referred to as Caucasus-2020, has been extended to at least 18 countries including China, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey apart from other Central Asian Republics part of the SCO.
Sport Affairs
Max Verstappen Wins F1 70th Anniversary Grand Prix 2020
Red Bull’s 22 years old driver Max Emilian Verstappen from Netherland had won F1 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, United Kingdom, and became the first non-Mercedes driver to win a race in 2020.
- This race was officially called as Emirates Formula 1 70th Anniversary Grand Prix 2020. The race was the fifth round of the rescheduled 2020 Formula One World Championship.
- He is also the First Dutch Driver to win a Formula One Grand Prix.
Obituaries
Former Indian footballer Manitombi Singh passes away
Former India defender and Mohun Bagan captain Manitombi Singh passed away. He played for Mohun Bagan and was part of the Hindustan FC team that won the Delhi Soccer Association league title in 2010.
- Manitoba played for India in the 2002 LG Cup in Vietnam. It was Stephen Constantine’s first tournament as head coach and ended the senior national team’s 31-year wait for a title.
- He was also part of the India squad in the 2002 Busan Asian Games.
Important Days
World Biofuel Day observed on 10th August
International Biofuel Day (World Biofuel Day) is observed every year on August 10 to raise awareness about the importance of non-fossil fuels as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels and highlight the various efforts made by Government in the biofuel sector.
- The theme for 2020 World Biofuel Day in India is ‘Biofuels Towards Atmanirbhar Bharat’