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Contents NATIONAL news ...... 11 1.1 Union Home Minister inaugurated international webinar on 'Lokmanya Tilak - Swaraj to Self-Reliant ' 11 1.2 Book titled as ‘Swachh Bharat Kranti’ launched ...... 11 1.3 Madhya Pradesh to begin ‘Ek Mask-Anek Zindagi’ public awareness campaign ...... 11 1.4 NSE Academy partners with TCS iON to launch IHC ...... 11 1.5 Union Minister of State for HRD inaugurates BHARAT AIRFIBER ...... 11 1.6 Union Minister of State for Personnel inaugurates International Workshop on COVID-19- Good Governance Practices in a Pandemic ...... 12 1.7 Reliance Industries now the second biggest brand globally after Apple ...... 12 1.8 India's first batch of IVF buffalo calves born amidst Covid-19 lockdown ...... 12 1.9 E-Gyan Mitra mobile app for online education ...... 12 1.10 Express overshot the tabletop runway in Kozhikode ...... 12 1.11 Minister of Railways and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs dedicate Railway Museum ...... 12 1.12 Chairman of railway board releases e-pass module under HRMS project ...... 13 1.13 IIT Madras launches webinar “SIDDHI” ...... 13 1.14 Govt appoints 3 new members of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs ...... 13 1.15 Deko Apna Desh webinar series concludes with a webinar dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel - Architect of United India ...... 13 1.16 Mumbai Division introduces Drone based surveillance system for Railway Security ...... 13 1.17 Vconsol becomes the Winner of Grand Challenge for Developing Video Conference Solution ...... 14 1.18 Union Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar releases e-book ‘Connecting, Communicating, Changing’ ...... 14 1.19 TiE Hyderabad to host Global Summit 2020 ...... 14 1.20 Manduadih Railway Station to be renamed as Banaras ...... 14 1.21 Awards announced for Indo-U.S. Virtual Networks for COVID-19 ...... 14 1.22 'Atal Tunnel' to be inaugurated in Rohtang ...... 15 1.23 Digha-Gopalpur coastal highway to act as economic corridor between two major ports ...... 15 1.24 Indian Railways constructing world’s tallest pier bridge across river Ijai in Manipur ...... 15 1.25 Puducherry celebrates its ‘De-Jure’ day ...... 15 1.26 Centre asks UP govt to expedite land acquisition for Defence Corridor ...... 16 1.27 25 feet tall statue of Bharat Mata installed in Madhya Pradesh ...... 16 1.28 PM inaugurates India’s first ever submarine optical fibre cable ...... 16 1.29 Union Minister of State for Tourism virtually inaugurates world class “Thenzawl Golf Resort” project under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme ...... 16 1.30 Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs launches CREDAI Awaas App and NAREDCP’s Housingforall.com...... 17 1.31 "Back to Village" initiative ...... 18

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1.32 Four more States/UTs linked with One Nation One Ration Card scheme ...... 18 1.33 Production of Rs. 11.50 lakh crore and Exports of Rs. 7 lakh crore expected over next 5 years under PLI Scheme ...... 19 1.34 Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas simplifies the guidelines for grant of authorization for bulk and retail marketing of petrol and diesel ...... 19 1.35 Ministry of Defense formulates draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020 ...... 20 1.36 Uttar Pradesh government partnered with IIM Lucknow for bolstering self-employment opportunities for the educated youth in the state ...... 21 1.37 India-UN Development Partnership Fund supports projects to tackle Covid-19 ...... 21 1.38 MSME Minister Approves a New Scheme “Khadi Agarbatti Aatmanirbhar Mission” ...... 21 1.39 Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN) ensures essential immunization services ...... 22 1.40 SIDBI with TransUnion CIBIL launch financial knowledge platform for MSMEs ...... 22 1.41 Women entrepreneurs awarded by Women Entrepreneurship and Empowerment cohort ...... 23 1.42 Department of Food and Public Distribution organized a Workshop on the recent amendments in Essential Commodities Act, 1955 ...... 23 1.43 MoD signs tripartite MoU with IIT Kanpur and Deptt of ARPG to conduct predictive analysis of public grievances ...... 24 1.44 India@75 Summit: Mission 2022 ...... 25 1.45 Atal Innovation Mission unveils National Winners of the ATL Tinkering Marathon 2019 ...... 25 1.46 Embargo on the import of 101 defence items ...... 25 1.47 Government releases second installment of COVID-19 Financial Package ...... 25 1.48 India Water Resources Information System – new version launched ...... 25 1.49 Maharashtra partners with Google for Digital Education ...... 26 1.50 PM inaugurates Rashtriya Swachhata Kendra ...... 26 1.51 Goa joins MyGov Citizen Engagement Platform...... 26 1.52 Nation’s first ICMR approved mobile RTPCR COVID lab has developed now ...... 27 1.53 Drinking tap water now reaches 25 % households under Jal Jeevan Mission ...... 27 1.54 Northern Railway runs first-ever Vyapar Mala Express train ...... 27 1.55 Telecom industry completes 25 years of mobile telephony in country ...... 28 1.56 Dr.Harsh Vardhan launches 'Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan 2020-21’ ...... 28 1.57 Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) moves towards 2nd phase ...... 28 1.58 Latest Report of Parliamentary Committee on Labour ...... 28 1.59 The collaborative study on ‘How is the hinterland unlocking’ ...... 29 1.60 Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar distributed National Panchayati Awards 2020 ...... 29 1.61 Indian Railways flagged off first 'Kisan Rail from Maharashtra's Deolali ...... 30 1.62 TRIFED unveils Virtual Office Network to Spearhead Tribal Socio-Economic Development ...... 30 1.63 CSIR signed MoU with FSSAI for Collaborative Research and Information Dissemination ...... 30 1.64 EPFO ensures hassle service delivery through UMANG during COVID-19 pandemic ...... 30 1.65 Finance Minister launches an Online Dashboard for the National Infrastructure Pipeline ...... 31

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1.66 More than 5 crore Sanitary Napkins distributed from Jan Aushadhi Kendras ...... 32 1.67 Fit India Youth Clubs to promote fitness among every citizen ...... 32 1.68 National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 deliberates on strategy ...... 32 1.69 IMPACT training programme commences in Srinagar under Samagra Shiksha ...... 33 1.70 Zomato introduces 10 days of 'period leave' for employees per year ...... 33 1.71 WHO launches Covid-19 Law Labs...... 33 1.72 India contributes over $15 mn to India-U.N. Development Partnership Fund ...... 34 1.73 Ministry of Tribal Affairs setting up Tribal Freedom Fighters’ Museums ...... 34 1.74 Haryana Government to link welfare schemes through ‘Parivar Pehchan Patra’ ...... 34 1.75 24 million may drop out of school due to COVID-19 impact: U.N...... 35 1.76 Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju chairs 1st General Council meeting of Khelo India Scheme ...... 35 1.77 The Environment Impact Assessment Notification 2020 ...... 35 1.78 Ministry of Agriculture funding start-ups under the innovation and agripreneurship component of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana in 2020-21 ...... 36 1.79 The Grand Finale of the fourth edition (Software) of Smart India Hackathon - 2020 concludes...... 36 1.80 Government sanctions permanent commission to women officers in the Indian Army ...... 37 1.81 ISB launches one-stop portal for indicators of economic recovery ...... 37 1.82 TRAFFIC releases the paper ‘‘SPOTTED’ in Illegal Wildlife Trade: A Peek into Ongoing Poaching and Illegal Trade of Leopards in India’ ...... 37 1.83 Student Entrepreneurship Programme 2.0 get launched ...... 38 1.84 Union Minister for Jal Shakti launches Swachh Bharat Mission Academy ...... 38 1.85 Government launches “Minimum Standards of Architectural Education Regulations, 2020” ...... 38 1.86 Forest Ministry releases guide to managing human-elephant conflict ...... 39 1.87 Ministry of Corporate Affairs releases the Report of the Committee on Business Responsibility Reporting 39 1.88 India-Canada IC-IMPACTS Annual Research Conference ...... 39 1.89 AYUSH launched a three-month campaign on “Ayush for Immunity” ...... 40 1.90 Defense Minister launches Indigenisation portal SRIJAN ...... 40 1.91 Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog in collaboration with NASSCOM launches the ‘ATL AI Step Up Module’ ...... 40 1.93 Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment formulates ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat Campaign’ ...... 41 1.94 Major Improvements in National Overseas Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Castes students ...... 41 1.95 National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 ...... 42 1.96 Centre to assist J&K to establish Grievances Portal in each district ...... 42 1.97 UNESCO recognizes two coastal villages of Odisha as “Tsunami Ready” ...... 43 1.98 Shri Santosh Gangwar launches Logo of Labour Bureau ...... 43 1.99 Government launches New Cyber Security Law and other digital Initiatives ...... 43 1.100 India, Israel sign cultural agreement to further strengthen people-to-people ties ...... 43 1.101 India is second-least prepared country for driverless vehicles: KPMG Report ...... 44

1.102 Government reconsiders minimum marriage age for women ...... 44 Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 4

1.103 Union Health Minister presides over inaugural session of CII Public Health Conference ...... 45 1.104 ISA shared details of First World Solar Technology Summit ...... 45 1.105 Itanagar selected for Urban forest scheme ...... 46 1.106 Vice President of India announces ARIIA-2020 ...... 46 1.107 Union Minister of Electronics & Information Technology launches “Swadeshi Microprocessor Challenge”...... 48 1.108 ‘Dhanwantari Rath’ to bring Ayurveda at doorsteps of Delhi Police families ...... 48 1.109 Health Ministry’s ‘eSanjeevani’ telemedicine service records 2 lakh tele-consultations ...... 49 1.110 Cabinet approves setting up of National Recruitment Agency ...... 49 1.111 Cabinet approves proposal for leasing out three airports - Jaipur, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram 50 1.112 Mobile App Launched to Provide User Friendly Digital Interface to Source Loan Applications of Street Vendors 50 1.113 Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution shares information on The National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) ...... 50 1.114 Union Health Minister digitally addresses FSSAI’s Eat Right Challenge Orientation Workshop ...... 51 1.115 Loans worth more than Rs 1 Lakh crore disbursed under ECLGS ...... 51 1.116 SC holds Prashant Bhushan guilty of contempt ...... 52 1.117 HEAT MAP based on state-wise Covid-19 data developed by Department of Economic Affairs ...... 52 1.118 Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launches an interactive game and IEC content to promote COVID Appropriate Behaviors ...... 52 1.119 Swachh Survekshan 2020 Survey Result ...... 53 1.120 Implementation of PMEGP Projects Records 44% Jump in 2020 ...... 54 1.121 Atal Innovation Mission partners with India-Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre to expand Start-up ecosystem ...... 55 1.122 Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha forms committee for economic revival of J&K ...... 55 1.123 Millennium Alliance Round 6 & COVID19 Innovation Challenge-Awards ...... 55 1.124 ESIC Relaxes eligibility criteria and enhancement in the payment of unemployment benefit under Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan yojana ...... 56 1.125 Aarogya Setu introduces ‘Open API Service’ ...... 56 1.126 Ministry of Tourism organizes a special Webinar titled “Atmanirbhar Bharat- Issues confronting Tourism & Travel” on MSME sector ...... 57 1.127 Ministry of Tourism signs an MoU with Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) & FICCI Ladies Organisation(FLO) ...... 57 1.128 NHAI launches ‘Harit Path’ a mobile app ...... 58 1.129 MoCA launches online system of Registration and Renewal for Jewellers and online system of recognition and renewal of Assaying and Hallmarking (A&H) Centers ...... 58 1.130 Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship signs MOU with Ministry of Shipping ...... 59 1.131 India ranks among lowest in terms of Internet quality ...... 59 1.132 Cabinet relaxes working capital norm for discoms under UDAY scheme ...... 60

1.133 Union Education Minister virtually releases Students’ Learning Enhancement Guidelines ...... 60

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1.134 PM launches National Digital Health Mission...... 61 1.135 Google partners Central Water Commission for flood forecasting initiative ...... 63 1.136 IndiaFilings launches 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' mission ...... 63 1.137 Rajasthan CM launches 'Indira Rasoi Yojana' ...... 63 1.138 UK launches £3 mn innovation challenge in India to tackle Covid-19 pandemic ...... 63 1.139 NITI Aayog Launches Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)...... 64 1.140 DEA holds Sustainable Finance Collaborative consultation with UNDP ...... 64 1.141 6th Foundation Day of AREAS...... 64 1.142 NeGD and CSC E-Governance Services India Limited signs MOU ...... 64 1.143 Just 24% of Indian households have internet facility to access e-education: UNICEF ...... 65 1.144 Department of Food &Public Distribution issues directions to States/UTs to include all eligible disabled persons under the National Food Security Act 2013 ...... 65 1.145 Government of India and AIIB sign agreement for $500 million for Mumbai Urban Transport Project-III 66 1.146 Central Government constitutes National Council for Transgender Persons ...... 66 1.147 Tripura-Bangladesh water route trial run in September 2020 ...... 67 1.148 Union Health minister addressed 35th National Eye Donation fortnight celebrations ...... 67 1.149 Department of Revenue notified the ‘Customs (Administration of Rules of Origin under Trade Agreements) Rules, 2020 ...... 67 1.150 ‘AyushBindu’ helps find blood donors in Andhra Pradesh ...... 68 1.151 NABARD introduces Structured Finance and Partial Guarantee Programme to NBFC-MFIs’ ...... 68 1.152 Prime Ministers Awards for Excellence in Public Administration 2020 ...... 68 1.153 IBM launches digital learning portal for India's youth ...... 69 1.154 Social Justice Ministry to launch mental health rehabilitation helpline ...... 69 1.155 Draft health data management policy released for public feedback ...... 70 1.156 DGCA draft rules for WiFi access on flights ...... 70 1.157 Carbon emissions for 2020 to come down by 8% due to lockdown: Environment Ministry ...... 70 1.158 Sudha Painuli of ERMS Kalsi selected for National Award to Teachers 2020 ...... 71 1.159 Sudhanshu Pandey chairs meeting of Empowered Committee on schemes for PDS Reforms ...... 71 1.160 India, Nepal discussion on extending network of petroleum pipeline ...... 72 1.161 India, Uzbekistan hold first meeting of the National Coordination Committee ...... 72 1.162 MCA amends CSR norms to boost funding for developing new vaccine ...... 72 1.163 NIFT and IIP to help UP artisan’s design and package the products ...... 72 1.164 Centre launches National GIS-enabled land bank system for 6 states to boost investments ...... 73 1.165 India 72nd on global list with average monthly wage of Rs 32,800: Report ...... 74 1.166 Prison Statistics India Report 2019-2020 ...... 75 1.167 Uttar Pradesh launches NRI unified portal ...... 75

1.168 Average income of MGNREGA workers doubled during Corona virus lockdown in April-July period, CRISIL report says ...... 75

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1.169 Madhya Pradesh: Women entrepreneurs make 10 lakh masks under Jeevan Shakti Yojana ...... 76 1.170 J&K launches ‘Iraada’ campaign to cover left-out beneficiaries under social welfare schemes ...... 76 1.171 India co-sponsors UN security council resolution on women peacekeepers ...... 76 1.172 Tripura University scientist designs WARBOT to protect doctors ...... 76 1.173 Government launches “Chunauti”- Next Generation Start-up Challenge Contest ...... 76 1.174 Government launches Online Dashboard of PM SVANidhi ...... 77 1.175 Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) completes six years of successful implementation ...... 77 1.176 Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2020 ...... 78 1.177 Government announces 7 new circles of Archaeological Survey of India...... 80 1.178 Government Approves 78 New Routes under UDAN 4.0 ...... 80 1.179 National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language organizes World Urdu Conference ...... 82 1.180 The ASEAN-India Business Council virtual meet 2020 ...... 82 1.181 Government also launches the ‘Chhavni COVID: Yodha Sanrakshan Yojana’ ...... 82 1.182 Ministry of Textiles organizes Textile Grand Challenge 2019 ...... 82 1.183 CSIR-CMERI develops World’s Largest Solar Tree ...... 83 1.184 ’s commits Rs.3,500 crore (approx.) as Official Development Assistance for health sector to fight the COVID-19 crisis in India ...... 83 1.185 RBI permits banks to invest in debt instruments through mutual funds ...... 83 1.186 RBI bars banks from opening current accounts for customers having availed cash credit or overdraft facilities 84 1.187 IBBI amends the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Liquidation Process) Regulations, 2016 84 1.188 RBI sets up panel for stressed loans resolution norms under K.V.Kamath ...... 85 1.189 SEBI to set up virtual museum of securities market ...... 85 1.190 RBI to set up innovation hub for financial inclusion, efficient banking ...... 85 1.191 Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches platform for “Transparent Taxation - Honouring the Honest” 86 1.192 Rules amended for faster resolution of MNCs' tax disputes under MAP ...... 86 1.193 RBI announces special liquidity facility of Rs 10,000 cr for NABARD, NHB ...... 87 1.194 RBI announces 'positive pay' feature to help avert cheque frauds ...... 87 INTERNATIONAL News ...... 87 1.195 UAE becomes first country in Arab World to produce nuclear energy ...... 87 1.196 Hurricane Isaias hits USA ...... 88 1.197 New Tick-borne virus in ...... 88 1.198 Japan marks 75th anniversary of Hiroshima atomic bombing ...... 88 1.199 Canada’s Milne Ice Shelf collapses ...... 88 1.200 The European Union imposes its first-ever sanctions over cyberattacks ...... 88 1.201 UAE becomes the first Gulf Arab country to reach a deal on normalising relations with Israel ...... 88

1.202 EU to give 1.65 million euro to flood hit people in South Asia ...... 89 1.203 World's 'first' COVID-19 vaccine “Sputnik V” out in Russia ...... 89 1.204 Pentagon to set up UFO task force ...... 89 Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 7

1.205 Hottest air temperature recorded in 's Death Valley ...... 89 1.206 Ex-journalist Chrystia Freeland becomes Canada’s 1st Female Finance Minister ...... 89 1.207 Bangladesh observes 'National Mourning Day' ...... 89 1.208 Typhoon Bavi reaches North ...... 90 1.209 Chief of Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate ‘Pratheeksha’ ...... 90 1.210 HDFC Bank launches Shaurya KGC Card for armed forces ...... 90 1.211 China to unveil the bronze statue of Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis ...... 90 1.212 Africa declared free of wild polio after decades ...... 90 APPOINTMENTS ...... 91 1.213 Prof (Dr.) Pradeep Joshi appoints as new UPSC chairman ...... 91 1.214 Manoj Sinha appointed as new Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir ...... 91 1.215 Former J&K Lt Guv Girish Chandra Murmu to be new CAG of India ...... 91 1.216 Gen. Charles Q. Brown sworn in as first Black Air Force chief...... 91 1.217 Great Eastern Shipping appoints Urjit Patel as additional director ...... 91 1.218 Mahinda Rajapaksa takes oath as Sri Lankan Prime Minister ...... 91 1.219 Satheesh Reddy gets two-year extension as DRDO Chief ...... 91 1.220 UK appoints Dan O'Mahoney as threat commander' ...... 91 1.221 Rakesh Asthana appointed DG of Border Security Force ...... 92 1.222 Satya Pal Malik becomes Meghalaya Governor ...... 92 1.223 Rajiv Kumar becomes Election Commissioner ...... 92 1.224 Ajay Tyagi gets 18 months’ extension as SEBI chairman ...... 92 Persons in news ...... 92 1.225 Theatre legend Ebrahim Alkazi passed away ...... 92 1.226 Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh passes away ...... 92 1.227 Former Maharashtra CM Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar passes away ...... 92 1.228 P.V.Venkitakrishnan promoted as Distinguished Scientist of ISRO ...... 92 1.229 Nobel Laureate John Hume ...... 93 1.230 Revolutionary writer Vangapandu Prasada Rao passes away ...... 93 1.231 Iker Casillas officially announces retirement ...... 93 1.232 Writer and activist Sadia Dehlvi passes away ...... 93 1.233 Manitombi Singh passes away ...... 93 1.234 Renowned academician Agha Ashraf Ali passes away ...... 93 1.235 Isher Judge Ahluwalia resigns as ICRIER chairperson ...... 93 1.236 Pandit Jasraj passes away ...... 93 1.237 Filmmaker-actor Nishikant Kamat passes away ...... 94

1.238 Photographer Punalur Rajan passes away ...... 94 1.239 Chetan Chauhan passes away ...... 94 1.240 Mercedes Barcha paases away ...... 94 1.241 Curator Kasturirangan passes away ...... 94 Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 8

1.242 Renowned Carnatic musician & Veena artist Dr B Siva Kumar passes away ...... 94 1.243 Former President Pranab Mukherjee passes away ...... 95 1.244 Noted Indo-English poet passes away ...... 95 1.245 'Black Panther' star Chadwick Boseman passes away ...... 95 1.246 Computer pioneer Arnold Spielberg passes away ...... 95 Science and Technology ...... 95 1.247 Webinar series on Hydro-Meteorological Hazards Risk Reduction ...... 95 1.248 Age of Ultron wins first prize in Smart India Hackathon-2020 ...... 95 1.249 NHAI Signs MoU with IIT Delhi ...... 96 1.250 ‘s Project Kuiper gets USFCC approval ...... 96 1.251 IIT Madras ties up with Helyxon to develop remote patient monitoring solutions ...... 96 1.252 IIT Ropar develops UVGI based room disinfection device ...... 96 1.253 ‘Baby’ Milky Way discovered 12 billion light years away ...... 97 1.254 Astronomers find Milky Way look-alike galaxy 12 billion light-years away ...... 97 1.255 ISRO releases ‘Sarabhai’ crater images to mark the birth centenary of father of Indian space programme ...... 97 1.256 NASA invites engineering students to help harvest water on Mars and Moon ...... 97 1.257 The SpaceX Dragon Capsule returned from space station ...... 97 1.258 Flipkart partners with IIT-Patna for joint research in artificial intelligence...... 98 1.259 SCTIMST & IIT Madras start-up set up portable hospital infrastructure for COVID -19 ...... 98 1.260 Chandrayaan-2 completes one year around Moon ...... 98 1.261 ISRO and IISc scientists make ‘space bricks’ from urea for buildings on Lunar surface ...... 98 1.262 Center for Biopharma Analysis to support National Biopharma Mission ...... 98 1.263 Japan’s SkyDrive ‘Flying Car’ Successfully Carries out Test Flight ...... 98 1.264 ASTROSAT detects an extreme ultraviolet (UV) light ...... 99 1.265 New Infosys AI-powered solution to automate helpdesk operations ...... 99 1.266 NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Maps Giant Halo Surrounding Andromeda Galaxy ...... 99 1.267 IIT-B, Shiv Nadar University develop environment friendly lithium batteries ...... 99 1.268 Union Health Minister announces the successful completion of first Pan India 1000 Genome sequencing of SARS- CoV-2 ...... 99 DAYS in news ...... 100 1.269 World Sanskrit Day ...... 100 1.270 6th National Handloom Day of India ...... 100 1.271 World Tribal Day ...... 100 1.272 Webinar on the occasion of the World Biofuel day organized ...... 100

1.273 International Youth Day ...... 100 DEFENCE in news ...... 100 1.274 India to participate in Kavkaz 2020 exercise in Russia ...... 100 1.275 India to boost Rafale capabilities with HAMMER missiles ...... 101

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1.276 Defense Minister launches new Infrastructure creation by Defence PSUs and OFB ...... 101 1.277 Indian Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessel ‘Sarthak’ launched ...... 101 1.278 Defence Minister Launches Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) ...... 101 1.279 Defense Minister lays the foundation for missile-seeker facility ...... 101 1.280 Defense Acquisition Council approves procurement proposals worth Rs 8,722.38 crore ...... 102 1.281 Bangladesh navy ship ‘Sangram’ visits Goa ...... 102 1.282 Raksha Mantri approves a proposal of the National Cadet Corps for a major expansion scheme ...... 102 1.283 Naval Commanders’ Conference 2020 ...... 102 1.284 MoD signs contracts worth Rs.2580 Crores with Indian Companies for supply of Pinaka Regiments to Indian Army ...... 103 1.285 Air Force Sports Control Board Conferred with ‘Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2020’ ...... 103 1.286 'Valour wall' of gallantry-winning CRPF officers inaugurated ...... 103 1.287 India decides to pull out of Kavkaz 2020 military exercise on Russia ...... 103 SPORTS ...... 103 1.288 India withdraws from women's world team Squash championship in Kuala Lumpur ...... 103 1.289 SAI launches Khelo India Mobile App online training program for principals, PE Teachers ...... 104 1.290 South Asian Games 2019: Surendhar and Jabir upgraded to get gold ...... 104 1.291 India in Group C of Thomas Cups ...... 104 1.292 India to host ICC Men’s T-20 World Cup ...... 104 1.293 MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina announce retirement from international ...... 104 1.294 becomes first Indian cricketer to play in ...... 105 1.295 England's James Anderson becomes 1st fast bowler to take 600 Test wickets ...... 105 1.296 Latest ICC rankings ...... 105 AWARDS ...... 105 1.297 Winners of the Prem Bhatia award for journalism announced ...... 105 1.298 Punjab Singh honored with centenarian freedom fighter award ...... 106 1.299 MS Swaminathan award for environment protection announced ...... 106 1.300 Union Home Minister’s medal for Excellence in Investigation ...... 106 1.301 National Sports Awards 2020 ...... 106 1.302 ITC’s Sivakumar Surampudi recieves Gramodaya award ...... 107 1.303 Ganesh Vilas Lengare awarded Star 2020 Certificate by World Book of Records, London ...... 107 1.304 Naandi Foundation's Arakunomics wins the Food Vision 2050 prize ...... 107

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NATIONAL NEWS

1.1 Union Home Minister inaugurated international webinar on 'Lokmanya Tilak - Swaraj to Self- Reliant India' • Recently, Union Home Minister has inaugurated an international webinar on the theme of 'Lokmanya Tilak - Swaraj to Self-reliant India.' • Organized by - Indian Council for Cultural Relations. • Occasion - 100th death anniversary of the great freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak. About Bal Gangadhar Tilak • He has given the slogan of 'Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it.' • Important Book – Geeta Rahasya

1.2 Book titled as ‘Swachh Bharat Kranti’ launched • Recently, Union Minister of Jal Shakti and Union Minister of Textiles and Women & Child Development have launched a book titled as “Swachh Bharat Kranti.” • It is a Hindi translation of “The Swachh Bharat Revolution”, edited by Shri Parameswaran Iyer. • It captures the journey of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) through 35 essays by a diverse range of stakeholders and contributors to the SBM.

1.3 Madhya Pradesh to begin ‘Ek Mask-Anek Zindagi’ public awareness campaign • Recently, Madhya Pradesh has launched a public awareness campaign called ‘Ek Mask-Anek Zindagi’ meaning “one mask-many lives”. • Under the campaign, The Mask Bank has been established to collect masks from donors and distribute free of cost to the poor people.

1.4 NSE Academy partners with TCS iON to launch IHC • Recently, NSE Academy has partnered with TCS iON to launch Industry Honor Certification (IHC) courses for B.Com students. • Aim - To boost the employability of commerce students and enhance their skills in banking, financial services, and insurance industry. • The students will also have access to NSE SMART, which is a trading simulator, for hands-on market training.

1.5 Union Minister of State for HRD inaugurates BHARAT AIRFIBER • Recently, Union Minister of State for HRD, Electronics, Communication, and IT has inaugurated “Bharat Air Fibre Services” at Akola in Maharashtra. • introduced by BSNL as part of digital India initiative. • aim – to provide Wireless Connectivity in the range of 20 KMs from the BSNL Locations and thus customers at remote places also will be benefitted as BSNL comes with cheapest services with support of Telecom Infrastructure Partners (TIPs).

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1.6 Union Minister of State for Personnel inaugurates International Workshop on COVID-19- Good Governance Practices in a Pandemic • Recently, Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions has inaugurated an international workshop on “COVID-19- Good Governance Practices in a Pandemic”. • Theme – “Mutual international cooperation”. • Jointly organized by - Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC), Ministry of External Affairs and National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances.

1.7 Reliance Industries now the second biggest brand globally after Apple • According to FutureBrand Index 2020, Reliance Industries has been ranked the second biggest brand globally after Apple. • Top 5 Brands – Apple, Reliance, Samsung, Nvidia, Moutai. • Reliance Industries has been ranked as Reliance ranks 91st on PWC 2020 list.

1.8 India's first batch of IVF buffalo calves born amidst Covid-19 lockdown • Recently, J K Trust has announced the birth of India's first batch of IVF buffalo calves, at a farm near Pune. • The calves belong to the Murrah breed.

1.9 E-Gyan Mitra mobile app for online education • Recently, Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu bordering Gujarat has launched E-Gyan Mitra mobile app. • Aim – This app has been launched to provide online education to students.

1.10 Air India Express overshot the tabletop runway in Kozhikode • Recently, Boeing 737 of Air India Express on a special ‘Vande Bharat’ repatriation flight from Dubai to Kozhikode overshot the tabletop runway in Kerala. About Tabletop runway • It is a runway located and built on top of a or hilly surface, with one or both ends of the runway overlooking a drop. Important Airports having Tabletop runways in India • Lengpui () • Shimla and Kullu () • Pakyong () • Mangaluru () • Kozhikode and Kannur (both Kerala)

1.11 Minister of Railways and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs dedicate Railway Museum • Recently, Minister of Railways and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs has dedicated Railway Museum. • Set up at - Hubballi in Karnataka. Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 12

• Aim - To preserve and portray the glorious heritage of various branches of Railways and displays the gradual evolution of advanced systems in all spheres of Railway working.

1.12 Chairman of railway board releases e-pass module under HRMS project • Recently, Chairman of Railway Board has released E-pass module under its Human Resource Management System (HRMS) project. • It has been developed for online pass generation and ticket booking by railway employees. • Developed by - Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS). About Human Resource Management System • It is a comprehensive plan for digitization of complete Human Resource process of Indian Railway.

1.13 IIT Madras launches webinar “SIDDHI” • Recently, The Indian Institute of Technology Madras has launched a webinar series “SIDDHI” to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. About SIDDHI • SIDDHI stands for 'Self-reliant India: Discussions and Dialogues for Human Innovations.' • Focused on themes - Socially relevant technologies, Technology for self-reliance and technology and Rural Development.

1.14 Govt appoints 3 new members of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs • Recently, Union Government has appointed Ajay Jain, Vivek Johri and Sungita Sharma as members of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).

1.15 Deko Apna Desh webinar series concludes with a webinar dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel -Architect of United India • Recently, the Deko Apna Desh webinar series has concluded in a grand manner with a webinar dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel -Architect of United India on 15th August 2020. • The webinar has showcased the Statue of Unity – the tallest statue on earth is developed in the memory of Sardar Patel. About Dekho Apna Desh Webinar Series • Launched by Ministry of Tourism in India to offer tourism virtually. • It is presented in technical partnership with National e Governance Department, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

1.16 Mumbai Division introduces Drone based surveillance system for Railway Security • Mumbai Division of Central Railways has recently procured two Ninja Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) that will be used for better security and surveillance in Railway areas like station premises, Railway track sections, yards, workshops, etc. • Railway Protection Force (RPF) has planned extensive use of drones for the purpose of Railway security.

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1.17 Vconsol becomes the Winner of Grand Challenge for Developing Video Conference Solution • Recently the results of Grand Challenge for Developing Video Conference Solution have been announced by Union Minister for Electronics & IT, Communications and Law & Justice Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad. • Vconsol, a product of Alappuzha (Kerala) based Techgentsia Software Technologies Private Limited as the winner. • It will be provided a financial support of Rs. 1 Crore with additional Rs.10 Lakhs next three years and will be adopted for use by Government through a contract.

1.18 Union Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar releases e-book ‘Connecting, Communicating, Changing’ • Recently, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Shri Prakash Javadekar has released the e-version of the book “‘Connecting, Communicating, Changing’ the Vice President of India’s three years in office”. • This book is all about the presidency of the Vice President SHRI. M. VENKAIAH NAIDU including his travels in India and abroad.

1.19 TiE Hyderabad to host Global Summit 2020 • TiE Global Summit 2020 is going to be hosted by TiE Hyderabad in December 2020. • It will be the first virtual global meet of The Indus Entrepreneurs. • Theme - ‘Entrepreneurship 360’. • Aim - To focus on issues faced by entrepreneurs and provide a platform for funding and insights into strategies to grow and scale business. About TiE Hyderabad- • The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), was founded in 1992 in Silicon Valley by a group of successful entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and senior professionals with roots in the Indus region.

1.20 Manduadih Railway Station to be renamed as Banaras • Recently, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved the change in the name of Manduadih Railway Station to “Banaras”. • The request was forwarded to MHA by the Government of Uttar Pradesh.

1.21 Awards announced for Indo-U.S. Virtual Networks for COVID-19 • Recently, the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) has announced the awards to eight binational teams. • These teams consists of leading researchers from India and U.S for COVID-19 Indo-U.S. • The areas of research they will pursue include antiviral coatings, immune modulation, tracking SARS CoV-2 in wastewater, disease detection mechanisms, reverse genetics strategies, and drug repurposing. About the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) –

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• The IUSSTF is an autonomous bilateral organization jointly funded by the Governments of India and the US that promotes Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation through substantive interaction among government, academia and industry.

1.22 'Atal Tunnel' to be inaugurated in Rohtang • Atal Tunnel' would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the end of September this year. • It has been constructed in Rohtang, Manali (Himachal Pradesh) and is considered to the highest tunnel in the World. • This Atal Tunnel is the 8.8-km-long tunnel.

1.23 Digha-Gopalpur coastal highway to act as economic corridor between two major ports ● According to Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, 451-km-long Digha-Gopalpur coastal highway would be a game-changer in transforming the fortunes of coastal Odisha. Relevance of Coastal Highway- ● The coastal highway would also act as an economic corridor for the transport of agricultural and pisciculture produce to Paradip and Dhamra ports.

1.24 Indian Railways constructing world’s tallest pier bridge across river Ijai in Manipur ● World's tallest pier bridge in Manipur, across river Ijai is being constructed by Indian Railways. ● This new bridge is a part of 111 km long Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal line project. ● It will have a height of 141 metres surpassing the existing record of 139 metres of the Mala- Rijeka Viaduct in Europe.

1.25 Puducherry celebrates its ‘De-Jure’ day ● The Union Territory of Puducherry has celebrated its 59th anniversary of the “De-Jure” day on 16th August. ● On this day, the “De-Jure” (The Legal Merger of the UT with the Indian Union) was effected. History ● Puducherry became independent by virtue of a referendum on October 18, 1954. ● But the treaty of cession signed between the French and Indian governments was ratified by the French Parliament only on August 16, 1962.

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1.26 Centre asks UP govt to expedite land acquisition for Defence Corridor • Recently, Centre Government has asked the Uttar Pradesh government to expedite land acquisition for the mega UP Defence Corridor. • The mega UP Defence Corridor is expected to span nearly 5,000 hectares across six nodes namely: 1) Aligarh 2) Agra 3) Jhansi 4) Chitrakoot 5) Kanpur 6) Lucknow

1.27 25 feet tall statue of Bharat Mata installed in Madhya Pradesh ● Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan on 15th August has unveiled a 25 feet tall statue of Bharat Mata in the Shaurya Memorial in Bhopal. About the Statue - ● The size of the bronze statue of Bharat Mata standing on the lotus together with the pedestal is about 37 feet.

1.28 PM inaugurates India’s first ever submarine optical fibre cable • Recently, Prime Minister of India has inaugurated the India’s first ever submarine optical fibre internet connectivity project. • The submarine optical fibre cable link will deliver bandwidth of 2 x 200 Gigabits per second (Gbps) between Chennai and Port Blair, and 2 x 100 Gbps between Port Blair and the other islands. • Set up between – Chennai and Port Blair • The submarine cable will also connect Port Blair to Swaraj Dweep (Havelock Island), Little Andaman, Car Nicobar, Kamorta, Great Nicobar, Long Island and Rangat. • Distance - 2,313-km. • Funded by - Government of India through the Universal Service Obligation Fund under Ministry of Communications. • Executed by - Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Technical Consultant - Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL).

1.29 Union Minister of State for Tourism virtually inaugurates world class “Thenzawl Golf Resort” project under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme • Recently, Union Minister of State for Culture & Tourism has virtually inaugurated the “Thenzawl Golf Resort” Project implemented under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme in Mizoram (North East Circuit) • It has been designed by Graham Cooke and Associates. About Swadesh Darshan Scheme • It has been launched for integrated development of theme based tourist circuits in India.

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• Objective o To position tourism as a major engine of economic growth and job creation; o Develop circuits having tourist potential in a planned and prioritized manner; o Promote cultural and heritage value of India to generate livelihoods in the identified regions; o Enhancing the tourist attractiveness in a sustainable manner by developing world class infrastructure in the circuit /destinations. • Implemented by – Ministry of Tourism.

1.30 Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs launches CREDAI Awaas App and NAREDCP’s Housingforall.com • Recently, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs has launched ‘Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI) Awaas App’ and National Real Estate Development Council’s (NAREDCO) online portal ‘HousingforAll.com.’ • It has been launched to market residential properties. • He has also released the knowledge pack of the government’s ‘Affordable Rental Housing Complexes’ (ARHCs) programme. About 'CREDAI Awaas App' • CREDAI Awaas App is a residential project discovery online platform. • Aim - To facilitate transparent home buying in India of RERA approved projects by CREDAI developers. • The app will help buyers to virtually explore and experience the projects from 220 cities across India. About NAREDCO's online portal 'HousingforAll.com' • It is India’s online home-buying portal for ready-to-move-in homes. About Affordable Rental Housing Complex • It is a sub-scheme under Pradhan Mantri AWAS Yojana- Urban (PMAY-U). • Aim - To creating vibrant, sustainable and inclusive affordable rental housing avenues for urban migrants/ poor by ‘aggregation of their demand at a given site’. • The scheme will be implemented through two models: o Utilizing existing Government funded vacant houses to convert into ARHCs through Public Private Partnership or by Public Agencies o Construction, Operation and Maintenance of ARHCs by Public/ Private Entities on their own vacant land. • The housing complexes will be exclusively used for rental housing for a minimum period of 25 years. • An expenditure of Rs 600 Crore has been estimated in the form of Technology Innovation Grant which will be released for projects using identified innovative technologies for construction. • Additional Benefits under the Scheme o It provides 50% additional Floor area ratio (FAR)/ Floor Space Index (FSI)

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o Concessional loan at priority sector lending rate o Tax reliefs at par with affordable housing etc. • Beneficiaries – Urban migrants/ poor from EWS/ LIG categories. • Implemented by - Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs

1.31 "Back to Village" initiative • Recently, Rural secretary of Jammu and Kashmir has informed that “Back to Village” initiative in Jammu and Kashmir has given an opportunity to the officers to connect with the Panchayats and know about their needs. About Back to Village initiative • It has been an ambitious and extensive programme of reaching out to the people at the grassroots level to create in the rural masses an earnest desire for decent standard of living. • Objective - To ensure that developmental initiatives are built on the feedback and cooperation of the people which are more result oriented with greater probability of success than those which are top down. • Aim – o To involve the people of Jammu and Kashmir and government officials in a joint effort to deliver the mission of equitable development. o To energize Panchayats and direct development efforts in rural areas through community participation. • Launched in – June 2019

1.32 Four more States/UTs linked with One Nation One Ration Card scheme • Recently, Four more States/UT of have been linked with One Nation One Ration Card Scheme. • It includes States/UTs of Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland and Uttarakhand • As on August 2020, 24 States/UTs are connected under One Nation One Ration Card scheme. About One Nation One Ration Card Scheme • Under the 'One Nation, One Ration Card' initiative, eligible beneficiaries would be able to avail their entitled food grains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) from any fair-price shop in India. • For national portability, the state governments have been asked to issue the ration card in bi-lingual format by using the local language and the other language could be Hindi or English. • The states have also been told to have a 10-digit standard ration card number, wherein first two digits will be state code and the next two digits will be running ration card numbers. • A set of another two digits would be appended with ration card number to create unique member IDs for each member of the household in a ration card. • Announced in – June 2019. • Implemented by – Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution

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1.33 Production of Rs. 11.50 lakh crore and Exports of Rs. 7 lakh crore expected over next 5 years under PLI Scheme • Recently, Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology has marked the conclusion of application window under the Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI). Key Information on Production • The minister has informed that the Scheme has been expected to lead to total production of about INR 11,50,000 crore (INR 11.5 lakh crore) in next five years. o Mobile Phone (Invoice Value INR 15,000 and above) segment – INR 9,00,000 crore o Mobile Phone (Domestic Companies) – INR 2,00,000 crore o Specified Electronic Components segment – INR 45,000 crore. • Out of the total production, more than 60% will be contributed by exports of the order of INR 7,00,000 crore. • It will bring additional investment in electronics manufacturing to the tune of INR 11,000 crore. Relevance • The National Policy on Electronics 2019 has envisioned positioning India as a global hub for Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) by creating an enabling environment for the industry to compete globally. • It has focused on o size and scale, o promoting exports o Enhancing domestic value addition About Product Linked Incentive Scheme • IT has been launched to boost domestic manufacturing and attract large investments in mobile phone manufacturing and specified electronic components including Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging (ATMP) units. • The Scheme would extend an incentive of 4% to 6% on incremental sales (over base year) of goods under target segments that are manufactured in India to eligible companies. • It would be extended for a period of five years subsequent to the base year (FY2019-20). • It has been notified on 1st April, 2020 and was open for filing applications till 31st July 2020. • Incentives under the scheme are made applicable from 1st August 2020. • Implemented by - Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

1.34 Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas simplifies the guidelines for grant of authorization for bulk and retail marketing of petrol and diesel • The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in November 2019 has simplified the guidelines for grant of authorization for bulk and retail marketing of Motor Spirit (Petrol) and High Speed Diesel (Diesel). • Aim – To increase private sector participation in the marketing of Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel. Key Features of the New Guidelines

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• An entity desirous of seeking authorization for either retail or bulk must have a minimum net worth of Rs.250 crore at the time of making application. • An entity should have a worth of Rs.500crore in case of authorization for both retail and bulk application. • For retail authorization, the entity is required to set up at least 100 retail outlets.

1.35 Ministry of Defense formulates draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020 • Recently, Ministry of Defence (MoD) has formulated a draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020 (DPEPP 2020). • The DPEPP 2020 has envisaged as overarching guiding document of MoD to provide a focused, structured and significant thrust to defence production capabilities of India for self-reliance and exports. • Objectives of the Policy: o To achieve a turnover of Rs 1,75,000 Crores (US$ 25Bn) including export of Rs 35,000 Crore (US$ 5 Billion) in Aerospace and Defence goods and services by 2025. o To develop a dynamic, robust and competitive Defence industry, including Aerospace and Naval Shipbuilding industry to cater to the needs of Armed forces with quality products. o To reduce dependence on imports and take forward "Make in India" initiatives through domestic design and development. o To promote export of defence products and become part of the global defence value chains. o To create an environment that encourages Research & Development, rewards innovation, creates Indian IP ownership and promotes a robust and self-reliant defence industry. • Focus areas of the policy: o Procurement Reforms o Indigenization & Support to MSMEs/Startups o Optimize Resource Allocation o Investment Promotion, FDI & Ease of Doing Business o Innovation and &D o DPSUs and OFB o Quality Assurance & Testing Infrastructure o Export Promotion About Make in India Initiative • It has been designed to facilitate investment, foster innovation, enhance skill development, protect intellectual property and build best in class manufacturing infrastructure in India. • Objective – To attract investments from across the globe and strengthen India’s manufacturing sector. • Implemented by – Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) • Launched in - September 2014

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1.36 Uttar Pradesh government partnered with IIM Lucknow for bolstering self-employment opportunities for the educated youth in the state • Recently, Uttar Pradesh (UP) government has decided to partner with Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Lucknow for bolstering self-employment opportunities for the educated youth in the state. • Aim – To create and support self-employment opportunities for the educated youth in the state. • Under the partnership, IIM would be acting as a ‘knowledge partner’ of the state government for conducting analytical studies. • It would also be offering knowledge-based inputs on bankable projects, feasibility studies and creating prototype models of self-employment projects. • These job-oriented studies and projects would be undertaken under the government’s flagship Chief Minister Yuva Entrepreneurship Development Programme (CM Yuva). Relevance • Uttar Pradesh government in February 2020 has launched Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (CMAPS) and the Yuva Udyamita Vikas Abhiyan (YUVA) iniatiative. • It has been launched to make the youth of the state self-dependent. • The state government has also launched Mukhyamantri Yuva Swarozgar Yojana Programme for providing financial assistance to the youth.

1.37 India-UN Development Partnership Fund supports projects to tackle Covid-19 • According to South-South Galaxy, India-UN Development Partnership Fund has supported various projects in developing countries to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Various Projects Undertaken by the Fund in various countries • Palau – Strengthen national health capacities to address COVID-19 crisis. • Grenada – Purchasing and installing of new incinerator for proper management of biomedical waste. • Guyana – Strengthening clinical management of COVID-19 patients • Nauru – Procuring medical equipment and Personal Protection Equipment About India-UN Development Partnership Fund • It is a dedicated facility within the United Nations Fund for South-South Cooperation. • The Fund project portfolio aims to contribute to the efforts of developing countries towards the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. • Supported and led by - Government of India • Managed by – United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation • Implemented in collaboration with the United Nations system. • Established in 2017.

1.38 MSME Minister Approves a New Scheme “Khadi Agarbatti Aatmanirbhar Mission” • Recently, Union Minister for MSME has approved a unique employment generation program “Khadi Agarbatti Aatmanirbhar Mission”.

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• The program has been proposed by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) to make India Aatmanirbhar in Agarbatti production. • The scheme has been designed in wake of the two major decisions – o Import restriction on Raw Agarbatti. o Increase in import duty on Bamboo sticks. About Khadi Agarbatti Aatmanirbhar Mission – • Aim – To create employment for unemployed and migrant workers in different parts of the country while increasing domestic Agarbatti production substantially. Key Highlights of the scheme • It has been designed on Public Private Partnership model. • KVIC will provide Automatic Agarbatti making machines and powder mixing machines to the artisans through the successful private Agarbatti manufacturers who will sign the agreement as business partners. • KVIC will provide 25% subsidy on the cost of the machines and will recover the remaining 75% of the cost from the artisans in easy installments every month. • The wages to the artisans will be provided by the business partners on weekly basis directly in their accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer only.

1.39 Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN) ensures essential immunization services • Recently, Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN) has ensured essential immunization services during the COVID pandemic. • It has helped in creating a big data architecture that generates actionable analytics encouraging data-driven decision-making and consumption based planning that helps in maintaining stocks of vaccines leading to cost savings. • Since April 2020, eight States (Tripura, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Maharashtra) have been using the eVIN application with 100% adherence rate. About eVIN • The Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN) is an innovative technological solution. • Aim – To provide real-time information on vaccine stocks and flows, and storage temperatures across all cold chain points in India. • It has been implemented under National Health Mission (NHM) by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

1.40 SIDBI with TransUnion CIBIL launch financial knowledge platform for MSMEs • Recently, The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) in association with TransUnion CIBIL has launched a comprehensive financial education and knowledge platform for micro, small and medium enterprises. • It has launched the one-stop knowledge portal- MSMESaksham for this purpose. About MSMESaksham – • Aim –

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o To guide MSMEs across their credit lifecycle, from availing credit to start and grow their businesses. o To Guide on how to manage credit lines to sustain and build structural strength of the business as well as ensuring timely closures and renewals of credit facilities o The Portal will guide MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) seeking seamless and quick access to finance.

1.41 Women entrepreneurs awarded by Women Entrepreneurship and Empowerment cohort • Recently, the Women Entrepreneurship and Empowerment (WEE) cohort has taken place. • The cash awards have been presented in the form of a grant totaling Rs 25 lakh to 11 Women entrepreneurs. Important Awardees • Kalpana Arora has been awarded for her products like sanitizers from wastewater. About WEE • It is India’s first of its kind initiative to strengthen women's ecosystem at IIT Delhi • It helps women ranging from college going students to middle-aged housewives to take up entrepreneurship as a viable, fulfilling career option • It has been supported and sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology.

1.42 Department of Food and Public Distribution organized a Workshop on the recent amendments in Essential Commodities Act, 1955 • Recently, Department of Food and Public Distribution has organized a Workshop on the recent amendments in Essential Commodities Act, 1955, enactment of The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020 and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Ordinance, 2020. • Aim – To elicit ideas for building strategies for achieving the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat in the long run, within the changed context of liberalisation of regulatory environment for farmers, lifting of restrictions on inter and intra state trade in agriculture produce and empowering of farmers to engage directly with processors, aggregators, wholesalers, retailers, exporters. About Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance 2020 • It has been promulgated in June 2020. • Key Features of the ordinance o It seeks to provide for barrier-free trade of farmers’ produce outside the markets notified under the various state agricultural produce market laws (state APMC Acts). o Farmers’ produce means food items including cereals such as wheat and rice, oilseeds, oils, vegetables, fruits, spice, and sugarcane. o It also includes: (i) products of poultry, piggery, goatery, fishery, dairy, (ii) raw cotton and jute, and (iii) cattle fodder. o A person transacting with a farmer will be required to make payments to the farmer on the same day, or within three working days in certain conditions, for any transaction of scheduled farmers’ produce. Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 23

o It prohibits state governments from levying any market fee, cess or levy on farmers, traders, and electronic trading platforms for any trade under the Ordinance. About Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Ordinance, 2020. • The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 has been promulgated in June 2020. • It has provided a framework for the protection and empowerment of farmers with reference to the sale and purchase of farm products. • Key Features of the ordinance o It provides for a farming agreement prior to the production or rearing of any farm produce, aimed at facilitating farmers in selling farm produces to sponsors. o The minimum period of an agreement will be one crop season, or one production cycle of livestock. o The maximum period will be five years. o For production cycle beyond five years, the maximum period for the agreement will be mutually decided by the farmer and the sponsor. o Farming produce under a farming agreement will be exempted from all state Acts aimed at regulating sale and purchase of farming produce. o The provisions of the Ordinance will override all state APMC laws. About amendments in Essential Commodities Act, 1955 • The ordinance has empowered the central government to control the production, supply, distribution, trade, and commerce in certain commodities. • Aim - To liberalise the regulatory system while protecting the interests of consumers.

1.43 MoD signs tripartite MoU with IIT Kanpur and Deptt of ARPG to conduct predictive analysis of public grievances • Recently, A Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Department of Defence (DoD) Ministry of Defence (MoD), Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) and Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK). • It has envisaged IIT Kanpur to develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) Techniques to conduct exploratory and predictive analysis of Public Grievances received on the web based Centralized Public Grievances Redress & Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) pertaining to the Ministry of Defence.

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1.44 India@75 Summit: Mission 2022 • Recently, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari has addressed India@75 Summit : Mission 2022 . • Organized by - Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).

1.45 Atal Innovation Mission unveils National Winners of the ATL Tinkering Marathon 2019 • Recently, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog has declared the results of ATL Tinkering Marathon 2019. • Theme - “Research, Ideate, Innovate, Implement – Mindful Innovation for the greater good”. • This Marathon is the flagship national annual innovation challenge by NITI Aayog. • This year, the challenge has been executed by AIM in partnership with MyGOV on MyGov’s Innovate Platform.

1.46 Embargo on the import of 101 defence items • Department of Military Affairs (DMA), Ministry of Defence (MoD) has prepared a list of 101 items for which there would be an embargo on the import beyond the timeline indicated against them. • These items will include weapons and military platforms like transport aircraft, light combat helicopters, conventional submarines, cruise missiles and sonar systems. • The embargo on imports is planned to be progressively implemented between 2020 to 2024. Aim • The aim behind promulgation of the list is to apprise the Indian defence industry about the anticipated requirements of the Armed Forces so that they are better prepared to realise the goal of indigenization.

1.47 Government releases second installment of COVID-19 Financial Package • Recently, the Government of India has released Rs.890.32 crore as the second installment of the COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package to 22 States/UTs. • The first installment of Rs.3000 crore was released in April 2020 to all States/UTs. • The second Installment of COVID-19 Financial Package will be used for – o strengthening of public health facilities infrastructure for testing o strengthening of public health facilities infrastructure for treatment and development of ICU beds o installation of oxygen generators, cryogenic oxygen tanks and medical gas pipelines in public health facilities and procurement of bed side oxygen concentrators etc. o engagement, training and capacity building of necessary Human Resources and incentives to healthcare workforce and volunteers, including ASHAs, on COVID duties.

1.48 India Water Resources Information System – new version launched • Recently, The Ministry of Jal Shakti has launched a new version of the India Water Resources Information System (India-WRIS) with new functionalities and features. • For this Ministry has developed an online web portal www.indiawris.gov.in . Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 25

About the web portal - • This portal contains information related to Water Resources through dashboards for rainfall, water levels & discharge of rivers, water bodies, ground water levels, reservoir storages, evapotranspiration and soil moisture. • It also contains modules on water resources projects, water bodies, hydro-met data availability and tools for GIS layer editing. • Through this portal, any stakeholder can visualize the information in a user friendly manner, as well download the information in the form of excel reports and graphs. • The key features of the system are Water information easily made available to users and general public, for decision makers, water managers, farmers & experts.

About India Water Resources Information System (India-WRIS) - • The Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS), under the National Hydrology Project, launched the first version of India Water Resources Information System (India-WRIS) in July, 2019. • At present, it receives data from many central and state agencies like CWC, CGWB, IMD, NRSC, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat etc. on regular basis. • The basis for all hydro-met observation data is the Water Information Management System (WIMS).

1.49 Maharashtra partners with Google for Digital Education • Recently, Maharashtra government has announced a partnership with Google for introducing digital education tools in schools across the state. • After this decision Maharashtra become the first state in the country to launch G Suite for Education and Google Classroom. • This will enable 2.3 crore students and teachers to access Google’s blended learning programmes that combine classroom approach with online learning.

1.50 PM inaugurates Rashtriya Swachhata Kendra • Recently, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Rashtriya Swachhata Kendra, which is an interactive experience centre on the Swachh Bharat Mission. • PM has also launched ‘Gandagi Mukt Bharat’ - a special week long campaign for Swachhata in the run up to Independence Day. About Rashtriya Swachhata Kendra – • It has been launched as a permanent tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. • It was first announced by the Prime Minister in 2017, on the occasion of the centenary celebrations of Gandhiji's Champaran Satyagraha. About ‘Gandagi Mukt Bharat’ campaign – • Under it, each day till 15th August 2020 Government has done special swachhata initiatives in urban and rural India to re-enforce the jan andolan for swachhata.

1.51 Goa joins MyGov Citizen Engagement Platform • Recently, Chief Minister of Goa has launched the MyGov Goa portal. Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 26

• This has made Goa to join the MyGov Citizen Engagement Platform for enabling participative governance. • Aim - To promote active citizen participation in governance and policymaking. About MyGov Citizen Engagement Platform – • MyGov platform is a unique path breaking initiative which was launched on July, 2014. • It is a unique first of its kind participatory governance initiative involving the common citizen at large. • The ultimate goal of this platform is to contribute to the social and economic transformation of India. • In order to engage with citizens at the State level, MyGov has enabled state instances to crowdsource ideas and creative content for state specific initiatives in a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) mode.

1.52 Nation’s first ICMR approved mobile RTPCR COVID lab has developed now • Nation’s first ICMR has approved mobile RTPCR COVID lab developed by Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru. • It has been inaugurated by Karnataka Medical Education Minister Dr.K Sudhakar. • This unique lab is capable of producing accurate results within four hours.

1.53 Drinking tap water now reaches 25 % households under Jal Jeevan Mission • The Centre has initiated the Jal Jeevan Mission to provide safe and adequate drinking water to every rural household of the country by 2024 with the motto Har Ghar Jal. • Aim - To provide potable water in adequate quantities of prescribed quality through tap connections to every rural household in the country. Jal Jeevan Mission • The Ministry of Jal Shakti has been implementing the mission in partnership with States. • There are about 19 crore households in India and only 24 percent have Freshwater Household Tap Connections. • Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, the focus is on 256 water stressed districts and 1,592 water stressed blocks. • Earlier, only 16 percent of the households had access to drinking water through tap connection that has now reached to 25 percent of households in the country.

1.54 Northern Railway runs first-ever Vyapar Mala Express train • Recently, Northern Railway has ran first-ever Vyapar Mala Express train. • The train has been departed from Kishanganj (Delhi) for Jirania (Tripura) and it will cover a distance of two thousand 673 Kilometres from Punjab to Tripura. • It will help small traders in moving their cargo through Railways, in a short time, cost effective, convenient and environment-friendly mode of transportation.

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1.55 Telecom industry completes 25 years of mobile telephony in country • Recently, the telecom industry of the country has completed 25 years of mobile telephony in the country. • To celebrate this achievement the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) organised a special online event "Desh Ki Digital Udaan".

1.56 Dr.Harsh Vardhan launches 'Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan 2020-21’ • Recently, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan today launched 'Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan, 2020-21. • Aim- This initiative is a national programme for popularizing science among school students of Class 6th to 11th. • It has been designed to identify the bright minds with a scientific aptitude among the student community. More about Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan • Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan (VVM) is an initiative of Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA), in collaboration with Vigyan Prasar which is an autonomous organization under the Department of Science and Technology and National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).

1.57 Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) moves towards 2nd phase • Recently, the Swachh Bharat mission has started its second phase, also known as Open Defecation Free ODF- Plus. • This phase will continue till 2024-25. • Under this second phase the Swachh Bharat mission has focused on rural and urban areas separately and played a crucial role in ensuring sanitation in the country. • This phase will reinforce ODF behaviours and focus on providing interventions for the safe management of solid and liquid waste in villages. Background • Prime Minister of India had launched the Swachh Bharat Mission on 2nd October 2014 to accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage and to put the focus on sanitation, the • Under the mission, all villages, Gram Panchayats, Districts, States and Union Territories in India declared themselves "open-defecation free" (ODF) by 2 October 2019, by constructing over 100 million toilets in rural India.

1.58 Latest Report of Parliamentary Committee on Labour • Recently, Parliamentary Committee on Labour released its the latest report and submitted the report to Speaker Om Birla. • The committee has been headed by Biju Janta Dal MP Bharatruhari Mahtab. Recommendations of the Committee - • The eligibility period for gratuity payable to an employee on termination of his employment should be reduced to one year from the present provision of five years –

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o This facility should be extended to all kinds of employees, including contract labourers, seasonal workers, piece rate workers and fixed term employees and daily/monthly wage workers. • The Committee made this recommendation in its report on Social Security Code, which has been evolved subsuming nine Central Labour laws - o The panel has recommended that the social security code should empower the Central government to reduce the employee’s contribution to EPF in exceptional circumstances like disasters in terms of the Disaster Management Act, including pandemics. o According to the Committee the threshold limit of 20 or more employees for EPFO registration can be used by the employers to exclude themselves from EPFO coverage. o The recommended social security would enable the Government to provide relief to the affected persons in COVID-19 like pandemics. • The committee has stressed that there should be a robust redressal mechanism in case an employer does not pay up the dues.

1.59 The collaborative study on ‘How is the hinterland unlocking’ • Recently, the collaborative study on ‘How is the hinterland unlocking’ has been carried out. • This study has been carried out by the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India), Action for Social Advancement, Grameen Sahara, i-Saksham, PRADAN, SAATHI-UP, SeSTA, Seva Mandir and Transform Rural India Foundation. • The study is based on a rapid assessment survey of 4,835 households across 11 States in 48 districts carried out in the period of June 24 to July 8. Findings of the study – • 29% of migrants, who had left for villages, are now back in cities, while 45% want to return to cities. • The migrants who returned are engaged mainly in labour work in villages - more than 80 per cent of them that reflects absence of skilled employment in villages. • One in 4 households is thinking of taking their child out of school (24%).

1.60 Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar distributed National Panchayati Awards 2020 ● Union Minister of Panchayati Raj, Rural Development and Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar distributed National Panchayat Awards on the occasion of Awards distribution function held virtually from New Delhi. ● The winners of 3 categories of National Panchayat Awards which were also announced the same day are- (i) Nanaji Deshmukh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Purasakar (ii) Child Friendly Gram Panchayat Award (iii) Gram Panchayat Development Plan Award

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1.61 Indian Railways flagged off first 'Kisan Rail from Maharashtra's Deolali ● The Union Minister of Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal have introduced the first “Kisan Rail” from Devlali (Maharashtra) to Danapur (Bihar). About Kisan Rails- ● Kisan Rail is the 1st ever multi commodity train. ● These trains are equipped with refrigerated coaches that will help in bringing perishable agricultural products like vegetables, fruits to the market in a short period of time. ● These will allow agro products to reach from one corner to another corner of the country.

1.62 TRIFED unveils Virtual Office Network to Spearhead Tribal Socio-Economic Development ● TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India), has launched Virtual Office Network on the occasion of 33rd Foundation Day of TRIFED. ● It has been launched to spearhead Tribal Socio-Economic Development ● TRIFED's virtual office network will have 81 online workstations and 100 additional converging state and agency workstations. ● To boost the level of employee engagement, TRIFED has also launched ‘An Employee Engagement and Work Distribution Matrix with Dashboard Links’.

1.63 CSIR signed MoU with FSSAI for Collaborative Research and Information Dissemination ● Recently, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has signed an agreement with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for collaborative research and information dissemination in the area of food and nutrition ● This collaboration will help in fulfilling the vision of New Food System 2050 and strengthen the quality assurance of laboratory networks across the country. About New Food System 2050 ● New Food System 2050 will have an enhanced focus on climate-friendly food production systems, reduction in food loss and food wastage across the value chain, conservation of land and water resources, use of environment-friendly packaging alternatives, and repurposing of waste, increase in small scale production units for self-sustaining local economies, etc.

1.64 EPFO ensures hassle free service delivery through UMANG during COVID-19 pandemic • Recently, Ministry of Labor and Employment has informed that Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has ensured hassle free service delivery through Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG)UMANG app during covid-19 pandemic. About UMNAG App • It provides a single platform for all Indian Citizens to access pan India e-Gov services ranging from Central to Local Government bodies and other citizen centric services. • Developed by - Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and National e- Governance Division (NeGD)

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1.65 Finance Minister launches an Online Dashboard for the National Infrastructure Pipeline • Recently, Union Finance Minister has inaugurated the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) Online Dashboard. • The dashboard has envisaged as a one stop solution for all stakeholders looking for information on infrastructure projects. • Hosted on - India Investment Grid (IIG). About India Investment Grid • It is an interactive and dynamic online platform to showcase the best of investment opportunities in India to the global investor community. • Developed and managed by – Invest India • It serves as the gateway to investments in India • The Digital platform will provide greater visibility to projects and also achieve the mandate of the NIP to market the projects in an efficient manner. • It allows investors to: o Search a pan-India database for investment opportunities across sectors o Track the progress of preferred projects and indicate interest o Directly communicate with project promoters About National Infrastructure Pipeline • It was announced by Finance Minister in Budget 2020. • It is a first-of-its-kind initiative to provide world-class infrastructure across India and improve the quality of life for all citizens. • Aim - To improve project preparation, attract investments (both domestic and foreign) into infrastructure, and will be crucial for a target of becoming a $5 trillion economy by FY 2025. • It will improve project preparation, attract investments (both domestic & foreign) into infrastructure. • It covers both economic and social infrastructure projects- based on the updated Harmonized Master List of Infrastructure. • An investment of Rs 111 lakh crore has been estimated in the project.

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• Sectors such as energy (24%), roads (18%), urban (17%) and railways (12%) amount to around 71% of the projected investments.

1.66 More than 5 crore Sanitary Napkins distributed from Jan Aushadhi Kendras • Recently, Prime Minister has informed that more than 5 crore Sanitary Napkins have been distributed to underprivileged women from Jan Aushdhi Kendras at the minimum price of Rs.1 each. • It has been provided as a step to ensure ‘Swachhta, Swasthya and Suvidha’ for the underprivileged Women of India. About Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadi Paryojana • Objective - Making quality medicines available at affordable prices for all, particularly the poor and disadvantaged, through exclusive outlets of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras" to reduce out of pocket expenses in healthcare. • Implemented by - Bureau of Pharma Public Sector Undertakings of India (BPPI) About Rashtriya Kushore Swasthya Karyakram • The key principles of the programme is adolescent participation and leadership, Equity and inclusion, Gender Equity and strategic partnerships with other sectors and stakeholders. • Objective o Improve Nutrition o Improve Sexual and Reproductive Health o Enhance Mental Health o Prevent Injuries and violence o Prevent substance misuse • Launched on - 7th January, 2014 • Implemented by - Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

1.67 Fit India Youth Clubs to promote fitness among every citizen • Recently, Union Minister of Youth and Sports has launched nation-wide initiative, the Fit India Youth Club which is a part of the Fit India Movement. • The Clubs has brought together fitness and voluntarism in a unique way in which 75 lakh volunteers of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan and National Service Scheme • It would be popularizing the Fit India Freedom Run which begins from August 15 to October 2. • Freedom Run is a unique initiative taken by Indian Railways for sports promotion and as a part of Fit India initiative.

1.68 National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 deliberates on strategy • Recently, National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 has deliberated on strategy to ensure COVID 19 vaccines's availability and its delivery mechanism. About National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 – • Chaired by – Dr. V K Paul, Member Niti Aayog

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• Co – Chaired By - Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as co- Chair.

1.69 IMPACT training programme commences in Srinagar under Samagra Shiksha • A massive online Integrated Multidisciplinary Professional Advancement Course for Teachers (IMPACT) training programme has been launched in Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir) • This IMPACT training programme has been launched under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan. • The course module has been developed by faculty members of NCERT, New Delhi and 16 experts from the Union Territory of J&K. About Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan – • Launched year – 2018 • Ministry - Ministry of Education • Samagra Shiksha is an overarching programme for the school education sector extending from pre-school to class 12 . • Aim – To improve school effectiveness measured in terms of equal opportunities for schooling and equitable learning outcomes. • It subsumes the three erstwhile Schemes – o Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) o Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) o Teacher Education (TE).

1.70 Zomato introduces 10 days of 'period leave' for employees per year • Recently, Zomato has introduced up to ten days of 'period leaves' for all women employees (including transgender people). • Aim - To build a more inclusive work culture for women in the organization. • This “period leaves” is launched by Zomato for two reasons- o There shouldn't be any shame or stigma attached to applying for a menstrual period leave for any woman. o Women should feel free to tell people on internal groups, or emails that she is on her period leave for the day.

1.71 WHO launches Covid-19 Law Labs • Recently, World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched its Covid-19 Law Lab. • Aim - To gather and share pandemic-related legal documents from over 190 countries across the world. • It is a joint project of – o The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (comma not required) o WHO o The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) o The O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University. • Target - To ensure that laws protect the health and well-being of individuals and communities and that they adhere to international human rights standards. Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 33

• The initiative has launched to help countries “establish and implement strong legal frameworks to manage the pandemic”.

1.72 India contributes over $15 mn to India-U.N. Development Partnership Fund • Recently, India has contributed $15.46 million to the India-U.N. Development Partnership Fund. • It has been done under India’s commitment to supporting developing nations in their developmental priorities across all the Sustainable Development Goals. • The tranche of $15.46 million includes – o $6 million to the overall fund, in which all the developing countries are eligible for partnership. o $9.46 million dedicated to the Commonwealth countries. About India – UN Partnership Fund - • The India-UN Development Partnership Fund is a dedicated facility within the United Nations Fund for South-South Cooperation established in 2017. • It is supported and led by the Government of the Republic of India, managed by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, and implemented in collaboration with the United Nations system. • It has an ambitious agenda of promoting multilateralism and shared prosperity. • The Fund project portfolio aims to contribute to the efforts of developing countries towards the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

1.73 Ministry of Tribal Affairs setting up Tribal Freedom Fighters’ Museums • Recently, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has decided to develop “Tribal Freedom Fighters’ Museums”. • These museums will be dedicated to the contributions of the Tribal people in India to the freedom struggle. Reasons to Develop Tribal Museums – • The Government wants to make permanent museums in the States where Tribals lived, struggled against the British and refused to be bowed down. • The Government will work to make such museums in different States so that the coming generations may know how our tribals were far ahead in making sacrifices.

1.74 Haryana Government to link welfare schemes through ‘Parivar Pehchan Patra’ • Recently, Haryana Chief Minister has distributed ‘Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP)’ to those families that are eligible for welfare Schemes. • This has been launched to provide a distinct identity to each family in the State. • Haryana Government has also declared that welfare schemes of all departments would be linked with the PPP within the next three months. • The State government has decided to celebrate the year 2020 as ‘Susashan Sanakap Varsh’ and the integration of schemes of all departments with PPP. About ‘Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP)’ – Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 34

• Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) is an e-governance initiative. • Aim – To enable the citizens to get the benefit of various Centre and State government schemes at their door-step in a fairly and transparently. Other Initiatives – • To provide good governance in the State Haryana Government has taken several e-governance initiatives including ‘Meri Fasal Mera Byora Yojana’, digitalization of revenue records and Haryana Udhyam Memorandum (HUM).

1.75 24 million may drop out of school due to COVID-19 impact: U.N. • Recently, the United Nation’s policy brief – “EDUCATION DURING COVID-19 AND BEYOND” on the pandemic’s impact on education has been released. Findings- o Almost 24 million children are at risk of not returning to school next year due to the economic fallout of COVID-19. o The educational financing gap is likely to increase by one third. o The number of children not returning to their education after school closures are likely to be even greater. o Without remediation, a loss of learning by one-third [equivalent to a three-month school closure] during Grade 3 might result in 72% of students falling so far behind that by Grade 10 they will have dropped out or will not be able to learn anything in school. • The economic loss might reach $16,000 of lost earnings over a student’s , translating over time into $10 trillion of lost earnings globally.

1.76 Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju chairs 1st General Council meeting of Khelo India Scheme • Recently, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has chaired the 1st General Council meeting of the Khelo India Scheme. About Khelo India Scheme – • Ministry - Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports • Launch Year – 2018. • Aim – To identify and promote 20 Universities in the country as centres of sporting distinction that will in turn enable the sportsman to pursue both studies and sports.

1.77 The Environment Impact Assessment Notification 2020 • Recently, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has published the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification 2020. • It places the existing EIA Notification, 2006 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. What is an EIA? • Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) makes a scientific estimate of the likely impacts of a project, such as a mine, irrigation dam, industrial unit or waste treatment plant. • There is also a provision for public consultation in the rules, including a public hearing at which the local community and interested persons can give opinions and raise objections, based on the draft EIA report prepared by experts for the project.

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1.78 Ministry of Agriculture funding start-ups under the innovation and agripreneurship component of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana in 2020-21 • Recently, the Union Government has launched component, Innovation and Agri- entrepreneurship Development programme under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. • Aim - To promote innovation and agripreneurship by providing financial support and nurturing the incubation ecosystem. • These start-ups are in various categories such as agro-processing, artificial intelligence, digital agriculture, farm mechanization, waste to wealth, dairy, fisheries etc. • Components of this scheme: o Agripreneurship Orientation - 2 months duration with a monthly stipend of Rs. 10,000/- per month. Mentorship is provided on financial, technical, IP issues etc. o Seed Stage Funding of R-ABI Incubatees – Funding upto Rs. 25 lakhs (85% grant & 15% contribution from the incubatee). o Idea/Pre-Seed Stage Funding of Agripreneurs – Funding up to Rs. 5 lakhs (90% grant and 10% contribution from the incubate).

1.79 The Grand Finale of the fourth edition (Software) of Smart India Hackathon - 2020 concludes • Recently, the Grand Finale of the fourth edition (Software) of Smart India Hackathon - 2020 has concluded on August 4, 2020. • Union Minister for Education Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has inaugurated The Grand Finale of Smart India Hackathon (SIH) -2020 (Software Edition). More about the Grand Finale of Smart India Hackathon - 2020 • Considering the COVID-19 pandemic, the Grand Finale was organized virtually for the first time in the history of SIH. • The 36-hour hackathon has prize money for each problem statement worth Rs. 1,00,000/-. • Out of these 220 winning teams, 12 teams developed projects associated with “Student Innovation”. • The “Student Innovation” has included themes such as Sustainable Environment, Sports and Fitness, Smart Vehicles, Smart Textiles, Travel and Tourism, Agriculture and Rural Development, Smart Communication, Smart Cities, Finance, Energy / Renewable Energy, Smart Education, Security & Surveillance, Healthcare & Biomedical Devices and Miscellaneous.

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1.80 Government sanctions permanent commission to women officers in the Indian Army • Recently, the Ministry of Defence has issued the formal government sanction letter for grant of Permanent Commission (PC) to Women Officers in the Indian Army. • The order specifies a grant of permanent commission to Short Service Commissioned (SSC) Women Officers in all ten streams of the Indian Army.

1.81 ISB launches one-stop portal for indicators of economic recovery • Recently, the Indian School of Business has launched a ‘one-stop’ portal for indicators of India’s economic recovery. • Objective – To address the ‘vital’ need for data driven economic indicators. More about the Portal – • The portal brings together several high-frequency indicators (HFIs) of India’s economic recovery to a common platform to enable real-time analysis of patterns of economic recovery. • It will provide journalists, citizens, and policymakers direct visual insights into important indicators at daily or monthly frequency in near-real-time and at district or State-level. High Frequency Indicators - • Economists analyze the state of any economy by putting it through sixteen High-Frequency Indicators of Economic Activity (IEA), and comparing the statistics accordingly. • High frequency Indicators refers to time-series data collected at an extremely fine scale in economics.

1.82 TRAFFIC releases the paper ‘‘SPOTTED’ in Illegal Wildlife Trade: A Peek into Ongoing Poaching and Illegal Trade of Leopards in India’ • Recently, TRAFFIC India has released the paper ‘‘SPOTTED’ in Illegal Wildlife Trade: A Peek into Ongoing Poaching and Illegal Trade of Leopards in India’. • TRAFFIC has done a study on the seizure and mortality of ‘common leopards’ (Panthera pardus fusca) in this paper. Findings of the report – • Indian leopards suffered 75% to 90% population decline. • The total of 747 leopard deaths between 2015-2019 in India, 596 were linked to illegal wildlife trade and activities related to poaching. • The highest numbers of poaching incidents were reported from the States of Uttarakhand and Maharashtra. • The conservation status of common leopards was elevated from ‘Near Threatened’ in 2008 to ‘Vulnerable’ in 2015 by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN). About TRAFFIC – • TRAFFIC is a leading wildlife trade monitoring network across the world. About the paper titled ‘‘SPOTTED’ in Illegal Wildlife Trade: • This paper has been authored by Saket Badola, head of the TRAFFIC India office, and Astha Gautam under the TRAFFIC.

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1.83 Student Entrepreneurship Programme 2.0 get launched • Recently, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, in collaboration with Dell Technologies has launched Student Entrepreneurship Programme 2.0 (SEP 2.0) for young innovators of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs). About Student Entrepreneurship Programme 2.0 (SEP 2.0) – • SEP 2.0 will allow student innovators to work closely with Dell volunteers. • Students innovators will receive mentor support, prototyping and testing support, end-user feedback, intellectual property registration and patenting of ideas, processes, and product manufacturing support. • Student Innovators will also get the launch support of the product in the market. About Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) – • The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is a flagship initiative set up by the NITI Aayog to promote innovation and entrepreneurship across the length and breadth of the country, based on a detailed study and deliberations on innovation and entrepreneurial needs of India in the years ahead. • Aim - To create over a million neoteric innovators and potential job creators of the country. About Student Entrepreneurship Programme 1.0 (SEP 1.0) • It began in January 2019. • Through a 10-month-long rigorous programme, the top 6 teams of ATL Marathon—a nationwide contest where students identify community challenges and create grassroots innovations and solutions within their ATLs. • Students got a chance to transform their innovative prototypes into fully functioning products, which are now available in the market.

1.84 Union Minister for Jal Shakti launches Swachh Bharat Mission Academy • Recently, Union Minister for Jal Shakti Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has launched the Swachh Bharat Mission Academy. • This Mission has been launched as part of the ongoing week-long behaviour change campaign ‘GandagiMukt Bharat’. • Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has launched SBM Academy by dialling the designated IVR toll-free number and listening to the welcome message of the SBM academy. About Swachh Bharat Mission Academy – • It is a phone based academy. • It offers 60 minutes module that is based on Interactive Voice Response (IVR). • This IVR based free mobile online learning course on ODF Plus will play a crucial role in achieving goals underlined in Phase 2 of Swachcha Bharat Mission (Grameen).

1.85 Government launches “Minimum Standards of Architectural Education Regulations, 2020” • Recently, the Ministry of Education, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, has launched the "Minimum Standards of Architectural Education Regulations, 2020". About the regulations:

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o As per the new regulations, the Architecture course shall be of minimum duration of 5 academic years or 10 semesters of 15 to 18 working weeks (90 work days) each. o A candidate to the course should pass an examination at the end of the 10+2 scheme of examination with at least 50% marks in 10+2 level examination or passed 10+3 Diploma Examination with Mathematics as compulsory subject with at least 50% marks in aggregate. o The candidate also needs to qualify an Aptitude test in Architecture conducted by the Council. • These Regulations shall come into force from the 1st day of November, 2020 and would supersede 1983 Regulations. • The following Regulations have been notified by the council of architecture (COA), a body constituted by the Government of India under the provisions of the Architects Act 1972.

1.86 Forest Ministry releases guide to managing human-elephant conflict • Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has compiled the book “The best practices of human-elephant conflict management in India”. • This book has been launched to mark World Elephant Day (August 12). • Beta version of National Portal on human elephant conflict called “Surakhsya” also been launched on this day. About the portal “Surakhsya” – • It is a National Portal on human elephant conflict. • It is used for the collection of real time information and managing the conflicts on a real time basis.

1.87 Ministry of Corporate Affairs releases the Report of the Committee on Business Responsibility Reporting • Recently, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) released the ‘Report of the Committee on Business Responsibility Reporting (BRR)’. • The MCA will work closely with capital markets regulator SEBI for the implementation of the report. • The MCA Committee recommendations based on ‘Report of the Committee on Business Responsibility Reporting (BRR)’ – o A new reporting framework called as the ‘Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR)’ to reflect better the intent and scope of reporting on non-financial parameters. o The two formats for disclosures: one ‘comprehensive format’ and the second a ‘Lite version’. o The implementation of the reporting requirements should be done in a gradual and phased manner. o The BRSR be integrated with the MCA21 portal.

1.88 India-Canada IC-IMPACTS Annual Research Conference • Recently, India-Canada IC-IMPACTS Annual Research Conference has been held between the countries.

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• The Conference has been organized virtually by the India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnership to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability (IC-IMPACTS). • Aim- To take the cooperation between the countries to the next level by strengthening existing international connections, sharing best practices in multiple areas, and initiating new collaborations in government and institutions.

1.89 AYUSH launched a three-month campaign on “Ayush for Immunity” • Recently, the Ministry of AYUSH launched a three-month campaign on “Ayush for Immunity” through a webinar. • The Webinar has been staged on the “Ayush Virtual Convention Centre (AVCC)”, the new digital communication platform of the Ministry. • Objective - To acquaint the people with valuable information about the strengths of various Ayush-based solutions for enhancing immunity and preventing diseases, the event concluded with a final immunity message for the citizens from each expert. • Theme – “Accessible and affordable health for all, through Ayush solutions”

1.90 Defense Minister launches Indigenisation portal SRIJAN • Recently, on the final day of Atmanirbhar Week celebration of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) Defense Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has launched Department of Defence Production, MoD’s portal “SRIJAN”. About SRIJAN Portal – • It is a one stop shop online portal that provides access to the vendors to take up items that can be taken up for indigenization. • Made By - Department of Defence Production (DDP) • Portal - srijandefence.gov.in • The portal displays information in a structured way, which includes the item name, image and specification, values of imports, NATO Classification (indicative), etc. • On this portal, DPSUs/OFB/SHQs can display their items that they have been importing or are going to import which the Indian Industry can design, develop and manufacture as per their capability or through a joint venture with OEMs. • There are over 3000 unique items with a value of over Rs.10,000 Crore that are available through the portal.

1.91 Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog in collaboration with NASSCOM launches the ‘ATL AI Step Up Module’ • Recently, Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog in collaboration with NASSCOM has launched the ‘ATL AI Step Up Module’. • Aim - To drive AI education and innovation to the next level in schools across the country. More about ‘ATL AI Step Up Module’ • Objective- To challenge students and create opportunities in the coming years making students the Change makers and torch bearers of innovation. Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 40

• The AI Step-up Module provides a comprehensive set of learn it yourself Advanced modules to those who wish to expand their knowledge base after becoming familiar with the basics of the AI discipline through the AI base module. • The module is designed in an attractive graphical manner that is comprehensible for all students belonging to rural and urban areas.

1.92 Ministry of Tribal Affairs develops Online Performance Dashboard “Empowering Tribals, Transforming India” • Recently, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has developed Online Performance Dashboard “Empowering Tribals, Transforming India”. About Online Performance Dashboard “Empowering Tribals, Transforming India” • It is part of the Digital India Initiative to work towards empowering Scheduled Tribes and will bring efficiency and transparency in the system. • Developed By - Centre of Excellence of Data Analytics (CEDA), an organization under the National Informatics Centre (NIC). • Performance Dashboard is an interactive and dynamic online platform that showcases updated & real-time details of 11 schemes / initiatives of the Ministry for achieving SDGs. • It captures the performance of 5 Scholarship Schemes of Ministry. • It displays the details of functional schools under the Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) scheme, schools under construction and district wise details of students in various EMRS schools • It maps district wise NGO details, funds given to NGO and beneficiaries’ details.

1.93 Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment formulates ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat Campaign’ • Recently, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has formulated the ‘NashaMukt Bharat Campaign’. • This campaign will run from August 2020 till 31st March 2021. • This campaign will be implemented in 272 districts which are identified as most affected in terms of usage of substances. Its implementation • These 272 districts have been identified based on the inputs received from the Narcotics Control Bureau and the findings on the comprehensive National survey done by the Ministry. • To implement this campaign effectively government has formed District and State level NashaMukt Bharat Committees. • District and State level NashaMukt Bharat Committees will devise a strategy and Action plan for the campaign. • NashaMukt Bharat Committees will ensure that campaign activities are effectively implemented, and the objectives of the campaign are met.

1.94 Major Improvements in National Overseas Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Castes students

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• Recently, Government has announced some major improvements in the National Overseas Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Castes students w.e.f. (with effect from) the selection Year 2020-21. Improvements – • The Annual Family Income limit for National Overseas Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Castes students w.e.f. the selection year 2020-21 has been increased from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh per annum. • Students securing admission in higher ranking institutions internationally will be given preference. • The minimum qualifying marks have been increased from 55% to 60%. • Maintenance Allowance has been linked with the progress of the awardee. • Police verification has been done away and self-declaration has been introduced.

1.95 National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 • Recently, the Government has set up the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19. • Chaired By – Dr.V K Paul, Member Niti Aayog along with Secretary (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare) as co-Chair. • Aim - To keep India in the forefront of any ongoing effort worldwide to innovate, prepare, produce and launch candidate vaccines to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, for India and for the world.

1.96 Centre to assist J&K to establish Grievances Portal in each district • Recently, Government has announced that Centre will assist the Union Territory Government of Jammu & Kashmir to establish Grievance Portal in each of the 20 districts of the UT. • To implement this initiative, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India will further enhance the ongoing collaboration with the Jammu & Kashmir Government. • A focused team of officials from DARPG would be constituted to work with Jammu & Kashmir Government in the coming days. • For this initiative Government will revamp the "Awaaz e-Awam" Portal for – o The mapping of last mile grievance officers for improved quality of grievance redressal. o To reduce the timelines in effective disposal of cases. Note - These two Conferences are the first important events by the Government of India in the newly created Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh and laid down a roadmap for good governance in the Union Territories.

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1.97 UNESCO recognizes two coastal villages of Odisha as “Tsunami Ready” • Recently, two coastal villages of Odisha have been recognized as being "Tsunami Ready" by UNESCO for their overall preparedness to face the calamity. • The two coastal villages are Venkatraipur (Boxipalli) village of Rangeilunda block in Ganjam district and Noliasahi village of Ersama block in Jagatsinghpur district. • Odisha has become the first state in the country to have such villages and India has become the first country in the Indian Ocean region to achieve the honour from the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO.

1.98 Shri Santosh Gangwar launches Logo of Labour Bureau • Recently, the official logo of Labour Bureau, an attached office of Ministry of Labour and Employment, has launched by Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of State (I/C) for Labour and Employment. • Aim - To visually communicate the vision and objectives of the Bureau.

1.99 Government launches New Cyber Security Law and other digital Initiatives • Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched New Cyber Security Law. • This new cybersecurity policy in 2020 would replace the current one – the country’s first, released in 2013. • These frameworks will have a bearing on incidents similar to the hacking WhatsApp of 121 Indians by Israeli cyber firm NSO Group .

1.100 India, Israel sign cultural agreement to further strengthen people-to-people ties • Recently, India and Israel have signed a cultural agreement. • The agreement has outlined a three-year programme of cooperation to further strengthen their strategic bilateral relations by promoting greater people-to-people exchanges. • Major areas include o Exchange of culture and art experts, o Encouraging cooperation in the protection of cultural heritage and archaeology with the help of Israel Antiquities Authority (IIA) and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). o Organizing literary fests and book fairs while promoting the translation of famous works in each other’s languages.

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1.101 India is second-least prepared country for driverless vehicles: KPMG Report • Recently, KPMG has launched the Report ‘2020 Autonomous Vehicles Readiness Index (AVRI)’ • Aim - To assessed and rank 30 countries based on 4 parameters – policy and regulations, technology and innovation, infrastructure and consumer acceptance. Findings of the Report – • Top 5 countries – 1. Singapore 2. 3. Norway 4. 5. Finland • Last 5 countries 26. Russia 27. Chile 28. Mexico 29. India 30. Brazil. Findings regarding India - • India has been positioned at second last due to its to poor infrastructure, technology and regulations. • India is ranked last in consumer acceptance, and stood just above Brazil in availability of infrastructure required to popularise driverless vehicles. • The country secured the lowest score in formulation of AV centric regulations. • India has stood among the bottom ten countries along with Mexico for road quality and last five for innovation capability. • The implementation and usage of driverless cars has been deferred in India on account of potential job loss of 2.2 million commercial drivers across the country.

1.102 Government reconsiders minimum marriage age for women • Recently, Prime Minister has informed that the union government will be reconsidering the minimum age of marriage for women. Relevance • Union Ministry for Women and Child Development has set up a committee to examine matters pertaining to age of motherhood, imperatives of lowering Maternal Mortality Ratio and the improvement of nutritional levels among women in June 2020. • Headed by - Jaya Jaitely Terms of Reference for the Committee • To examine the correlation of age of marriage and motherhood with o Health, medical well-being and nutritional status of mother and neonate/infant/child, during pregnancy, birth and thereafter, (b)

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o Key parameters like – Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), Total Fertility Rate (TFR), Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB), Child Sex Ratio (CSR) etc. and o Any other relevant points pertaining to health and nutrition in this context. • To suggest measures for promoting higher education among women. • To suggest suitable legislative instruments and/or amendments in existing laws to support the recommendations of the Task Force. • To work out a detailed roll-out plan with timelines to implement the recommendations of the Task Force. Background • In 1929, the Child Marriage Restraint Act (known as the Sarda Act) had set 16 and 18 years as the minimum age of marriage for girls and boys. • The act was amended in 1978 to prescribe 18 and 21 years as the age of marriage for a woman and a man.

1.103 Union Health Minister presides over inaugural session of CII Public Health Conference • Recently, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare has presided over the inaugural session of the (Confederation of Indian Industry) CII Public Health Conference. • Important Releases during the Conference o “CII TB Free Workplaces Campaign” o “CII Public Health Report”. Information shared about Tuberculosis • India has nearly 26.4 lakh Tuberculosis cases and has the largest share of the global TB burden. • India has set a target for Tuberculosis free India by 2025.

1.104 ISA shared details of First World Solar Technology Summit • Recently, International Solar Alliance (ISA) Assembly and Union Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy (IC) and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship has shared details of the First World Solar Technology Summit. • It will take place on 8th September 2020. • Objective – To bring the spotlight on state-of-the-art technologies as well as next-generation technologies which will provide impetus to the efforts towards harnessing the solar energy more efficiently. About International Solar Alliance (ISA) • The ISA, is an Indian initiative that was launched by the Prime Minister of India and the President of France on 30th November 2015 in Paris, France. • It has been launched on the sidelines of Paris Declaration as an alliance dedicated to the promotion of solar energy among its member countries. • ISA Framework Agreement entered into force on 6th December, 2017. • Mission - Every home no matter how far away, will have a light at home. • Headquarter - Gurugram • It comprises of 121 solar resource rich countries lying fully or partially between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn as prospective members. Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 45

1.105 Itanagar selected for Urban forest scheme • Recently, The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (EFCC) has selected Itanagar for implementation of the ‘Nagar Van’ or Urban Forest scheme. • The Ministry would be offering an initial grant of ₹2 crore for fencing, maintenance and administrative costs of the earmarked land to be developed. Relevance • Arunachal Pradesh government has informed that 100 schools across the state have been identified for the scheme ‘School Nursery’. About School Nursery Scheme • Under the Scheme, the students would grow their own trees in a chosen place within the school premises and care for it and at the end of the year, they would take the sapling and plant it on their own premises. • Salient Features o It will involve students of Class 6-9. o The schools should have open space of around 100 sq. meter for creation of nursery to raise 1,000 saplings in its School Nursery every year. • The MoEFCC has planned to cover 1000 schools in 2020 with a target of covering 5,000 schools by the year 2024 -25. • Launched on – 10th August 2015. • Implemented by – Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) About Nagar Van Scheme • Aim – To develop 200 Urban Forests across the country in the next five years. • Warje Urban Forest in Pune (Maharashtra) will be considered as a role model for the Scheme. • The Scheme enforces people’s participation and collaboration between the Forest Department, Municipal bodies, NGOs, Corporates and local citizens. • The urban forests will primarily be on the existing forest land in the City or any other vacant land offered by local urban local bodies. • The finances for the scheme will be paid for by the CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act, 2016) funds.

1.106 Vice President of India announces ARIIA-2020 • Recently, Vice-President of India has announced Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) 2020. About Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) • Initiated by - Ministry of Education • Aim - To set direction for institutions for future development for making them globally competitive and in forefront of innovation. • Parameters o Programs and Activities on IPR, Innovation, Start-up and Entrepreneurship o Pre-Incubation & Incubation Infrastructure & Facilities to Support I&E o Annual Budget Spent on Promoting and Supporting I&E Activities

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o Courses on Innovation, IPR and Entrepreneurship Development o Intellectual Property (IP), Technology Transfer and Commercialization o Successful Innovation and Start-ups & Funding Innovation & start-ups • It has ranked the institution in two broad categories o Publicly Funded o Private or Self Finance

• A new sub- category for higher educational institutions for women has been introduced in 2020 to encourage women and bring gender parity in the areas of innovation and entrepreneurship. Parameters Winner

Public Institutions

Institute of National Importance, Central 1. IIT Madras Universities and CFTI 2. IIT Bombay 3. IIT Delhi. Government and Government Aided Institute 1. Institute of Chemical Technology, Maharashtra 2. Punjab University Chandigarh 3. Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University. Govt. and Govt. Aided College/Institutes 1. College of Engineering Pune 2. PES College of Engineering, Karnataka 3. Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Tamil Nadu Private Institutions

Private or Self-Financed Universities 1. Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology Khordha, Odisha 2. S.R.M. Institute of Science and Technology, Tamil Nadu 3. Vellore Institute of Technology, Tamil Nadu. Private or Self-Financed College/Institutes 1. S R Engineering College, Telangana

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2. G. H. Raisoni College of Engineering, Nagpur, Maharashtra 3. Sri Krishna College of Engineering and Technology, Tamil Nadu. Higher Educational Institutions Exclusively for Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science And Women (Only from Govt. and Govt. Aided Higher Education For Women, Tamil Nadu and Category) Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University For Women, Delhi.

1.107 Union Minister of Electronics & Information Technology launches “Swadeshi Microprocessor Challenge” • Recently, Union Minister of Electronics & Information Technology has launched “Swadeshi Microprocessor Challenge- Innovate Solutions for #Aatmanirbhar Bharat.” • It has been launched to provide further impetus to the strong ecosystem of Start-up, innovation and research India. About the Challenge • It is part of the series of proactive, preemptive and graded measures taken by Ministry of Electronics and IT to spur the technology led innovation ecosystem in India and staying at the forefront of digital adoption. • The challenge has been made available by IIT Madras and Center for Development of Advance Computing (CDAC). • The institutes have developed two microprocessors named SHAKTI (32 bit) and VEGA (64 bit).

1.108 ‘Dhanwantari Rath’ to bring Ayurveda at doorsteps of Delhi Police families • Recently, an MoU has been signed between All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) and Delhi Police for extending the Ayurveda Preventive and Promotive health services in the residential colonies of Delhi Police. • Under the agreement, Ayurveda Preventive and Promotive health care have been planned to be extended to the families of Delhi Police personnel. • The services would be provided by AIIA through a mobile unit named ‘Dhanwantari Rath’ and Police Wellness Centers. • Dhanwantari Rath and Police wellness centers would be outreach OPD services of AIIA and aimed to benefit the Families of Delhi Police through Ayurveda Preventive health care services. Important Health Services About AYURAKSHA • It is a joint venture of AIIA and Delhi Police. • Aim – To maintain the health of frontline COVID warriors like Delhi police personal through Ayurveda immunity boosting measures.

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1.109 Health Ministry’s ‘eSanjeevani’ telemedicine service records 2 lakh tele-consultations • Recently, The ‘eSanjeevani’ digital platform of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has completed 2 lakh tele-consultations. About eSanjeevani • It is a tele - medicine service platforms of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. • It has enabled two types of telemedicine services viz. Doctor-to-Doctor (eSanjeevani) and Patient-to-Doctor (eSanjeevani OPD) Tele-consultations. • Both the platforms have been developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) Mohali.

1.110 Cabinet approves setting up of National Recruitment Agency • Recently, Union Cabinet has given its approval for creation of National Recruitment Agency (NRA). • It has paved the way for a transformational reform in the recruitment process for central government jobs. About National Recruitment Agency • It is a multi-agency body that will conduct a Common Eligibility Test (CET) to screen/shortlist candidates for the Group B and C (non-technical) posts in Central government. • It will have representatives of Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Finance/Department of Financial Services, the SSC, RRB & IBPS. • It would be bringing the state-of-the-art technology and best practices to the field of Central Government recruitment. • Funding - The government has sanctioned a sum of Rs 1,517.57 crore for setting up the National Recruitment Agency (NRA). • Headquarter – Will be established in Delhi. • Conducting of Test • NRA would be conducting a CET at preliminary Tier I at three levels for o Graduate o Higher secondary (12th pass) o Matriculate (10th pass) • The CET would be conducted for the non-technical posts to which recruitment is presently carried out by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), the Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) and by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS). • Final selection for recruitment shall be made through separate specialised Tiers (II, III etc) of examination which shall be conducted by the respective recruitment agencies.

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1.111 Cabinet approves proposal for leasing out three airports - Jaipur, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram • Recently, Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for leasing out three airports namely Jaipur, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram airports of Airports Authority of India (AAI). • The airports have been leased for Operation, Management and Development to M/s Adani Enterprises Ltd. • Tenure of Lease – 50 years. Background • Government had leased out the Airports Authority of India's airports at Delhi and Mumbai on Public Private Partnership for Operation, Management and Development about a decade ago.

1.112 Mobile App Launched to Provide User Friendly Digital Interface to Source Loan Applications of Street Vendors • Recently, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs has launched Mobile App to Provide User Friendly Digital Interface to Source Loan Applications of Street Vendors. • Aim – To provide user friendly digital interface for the functionaries of ULBs to source loan applications of street vendors. Relevance • Madhya Pradesh has emerged as a leading state in implementation of Pradhan Mantri Street Vendors Atma-Nirbhar Scheme.

1.113 Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution shares information on The National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) • Recently, Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution has shared some information on The National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA). • During the COVID-19 period, since March 2020, a total of about nearly 60.70 Lakh new beneficiaries have been added under the NFSA by States like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, etc. • During the period 2013-2018, States/UT had weeded out about 3 Crore such ration cards against which new and genuine beneficiaries have been added by them.

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• According to an Independent survey conducted by Dalberg, MicroSave Consulting, etc. in various parts of India, A very high level of satisfaction of nearly 94% among the beneficiaries with regards to distribution of foodgrains under NFSA and PM-GKAY have been seen. About National Food Security Act (NFSA) • It was enacted on 5th July 2013. • It has marked a paradigm shift in the approach to food security from welfare to rights-based approach. • About two thirds of the population is covered under the Act to receive highly subsidized food grains. • Coverage - NFSA covers up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and priority households. • Eligibility - The work of identification of eligible households is to be done by States/UTs.

1.114 Union Health Minister digitally addresses FSSAI’s Eat Right Challenge Orientation Workshop • Recently, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare has presided over an online orientation workshop as part of its Eat Right Challenge. • Organized by – Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). • During the event, he has launched FSSAI’s ‘Eat Right India’ Handbook and the website eatrightindia.gov.in. About Eat Right India Challenge • Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has initiated the Eat Right India movement. • The movement is based on three key themes – o ‘if it’s not safe, it’s not food’ (safe food), o ‘food should not only serve the palate but is also meant for body and mind’ (healthy diets) o ‘food has to be good both for people and the planet’ (sustainable diets).

1.115 Loans worth more than Rs 1 Lakh crore disbursed under ECLGS • Recently, Ministry of Finance has informed that Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) have sanctioned loans worth over Rs. 1.5 lakh crore as of 18th August, 2020. • Out of the sanctioned loans more than Rs 1 lakh crore has already been disbursed. About Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme • Aim – To mitigating the economic distress being faced by MSMEs by providing them additional funding of up to Rs. 3 lakh crores in the form of a fully Guaranteed Emergency Credit Line (GECL). • Objective - To provide an incentive to Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) like Banks, Financial Institutions (FIs) and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) to increase access to and enable availability of additional funding facility to MSME borrowers. • It has provided MSMEs with 100 per cent guarantee for any losses suffered by them due to non-repayment of the GECL funding by borrowers.

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1.116 SC holds Prashant Bhushan guilty of contempt • Recently, Supreme Court has held Prashant Bhushan as guilty of contempt of Court. • The Supreme Court has earlier held that the suo motu contempt powers of the top court has been drawn from Article 129 of the Constitution. About Article 129 of the Constitution • It gives Supreme Court the power to be a court of record. • It says – “The Supreme Court shall be a court of record and shall have all the powers of such a court including the power to punish for contempt of itself.”

1.117 HEAT MAP based on state-wise Covid-19 data developed by Department of Economic Affairs • Recently, A HEAT MAP based on state-wise Covid-19 data has revealed that economic indicators including electricity consumption, e-way bill generation and MNREGA work creation have been looking better in states with higher control over cases and recoveries. • Developed by – Department of Economic Affairs in the Union Finance Ministry. • Key Features of the Heat Map o The Finance Ministry has used a sequential comparison for Covid case count and other pandemic-related parameters. o The economic data sets have been compared on a year-on-year basis. o Two other economic indicators used in developing the heat map — GST collections and vehicle registrations were more of outliers, showing no direct correlation with states’ performance on Covid-19 case recoveries. Key Highlights of the Heat Map • Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have been the two biggest growth drivers and make up 40 per cent of confirmed cases. • Electricity consumption for the India has recovered to 106 billion units in June 2020. • Strongest recoveries in electricity consumption – Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Chhattisgarh. • The rate of year-on-year growth in e-way bill has been weaker in states such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Haryana. • Work created under MGNREGA has almost doubled due to reverse migration from urban to rural areas on a year-on-year basis in June 2020 to reach 6,403 lakh person days. • Top five migrants receiving states - Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, West Bengal and Gujarat.

1.118 Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launches an interactive game and IEC content to promote COVID Appropriate Behaviors • Recently, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare has launched an interactive game on COVID-19, The Corona Fighters. • The game has been designed to “influence the players’ actions in the real world, reminding them to take the right precautions and escape infection.” • It has also launched two new videos urging adherence to key COVID Appropriate Behaviors.

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1.119 Swachh Survekshan 2020 Survey Result • Recently, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister has released the Swachh Survekshan 2020 survey results. • Key Highlights of the Survey Category Winners

City (1-10 Lakh) Population 1. Ambikapur 2. Mysore 3. New Delhi City (More than 10 Lakh Population) 1. Indore 2. Surat 3. Navi Mumbai Cantonment Board 1. Jallandhar 2. Delhi 3. Merut States with less than 100 Urban Local 1. Jharkhand Bodies 2. Haryana 3. Uttarakhand States with more than 100 Urban Local 1. Chattisgarh Bodies 2. Maharashtra 3. Madhya Pradesh Ganga Towns (more than one Lakh 1. Varanasi population) 2. Kanpur 3. Munger Other Important Winners • It has surveyed a total of 4242 cities, 62 Cantonment Boards and 97 Ganga Towns and saw an unprecedented participation of 1.87 crore citizens. • Maharashtra’s Karad, Saswad and Lonavala bagged the first three positions for cities having a population less than one lakh. • Chhattisgarh is the first and only state where every city achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF)++ status. • A book titled ‘Report on Assessment of 97 Ganga Towns’ was released during the event. Relevance • According to Star Rating Protocol for Garbage Free Cities, a total of 6 cities (Indore, Ambikapur, Navi Mumbai, Surat, Rajkot and Mysuru) have been rated as 5-star cities, 86 cities as 3-Star and 64 cities as 1-Star About Swachh Survekshan Ranking • It is the world’s largest urban sanitation and cleanliness survey. • It takes place every year.

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• The primary goal is to encourage large scale citizen participation and create awareness amongst all sections of society about the importance of working together towards making towns and cities better places to reside in India. • Conducted under the ambit of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban). • Conducted by – Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs since 2016. • Methodology of Survey • The surveys are carried out by the Quality Council of India. • The criteria and weightage for different components of sanitation-related aspects used for the survey were: o Municipal documentation (45%) (solid waste management including door-to-door collection, processing, and disposal, and open defecation free status. o Citizen feedback (30 %) o Independent observation (25%) Note – Ministry has launched Swachh Survekshan League in 2019 for quarterly cleanliness assessment of cities and towns done in three quarters with 25% weightage integrated into the final Swachh Survekshan results for 2020.

1.120 Implementation of PMEGP Projects Records 44% Jump in 2020 • Recently, Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprise has informed that Implementation of PMEGP Projects has recorded a 44% Jump in 2020 as compared to 2019. Relevance • Government in May 2020 has amended the guidelines of PMEGP. • According to the amendment, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) will directly clear the proposals/applications of the prospective entrepreneurs. • It will forward the proposal to the Banks for taking credit decisions. Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 54

About Prime Minister Employment Generation Project (PMEGP) • It is the flagship employment generation scheme of the Government of India. • Under the PMEGP scheme, loans up to Rs 25 lakhs are given for manufacturing and service industries, in which 15 to 35% subsidy is provided by the KVIC depending upon the area. • Rate of (Margin Money) Subsidy of project cost o General category – 15% (Urban), 25% (Rural). o Special Categories – 25% (Urban), 35% (Rural). • An entrepreneur cannot submit more than one project.

1.121 Atal Innovation Mission partners with India-Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre to expand Start-up ecosystem • Recently, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog and Business Sweden on behalf of India Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre have collaborated to promote the disruptive potential of Indian entrepreneurs and boost the vibrant start-up ecosystem across India. About India-Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre • It is a collaboration between AIIMS Delhi, AIIMS Jodhpur and Business Sweden. • Aim – To create an ecosystem of open innovation • It has been built under strategic guidance from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Government of Sweden’s Ministry of Health and Social Affairs and Embassy of Sweden in India.

1.122 Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha forms committee for economic revival of J&K • Recently, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir has announced a committee to work out modalities for the economic revival of the union territory and extending support to its business community. • The committee has been headed by Kewal Kumar Sharma.

1.123 Millennium Alliance Round 6 & COVID19 Innovation Challenge-Awards • Recently, The Millennium Alliance Round 6 & COVID19 Innovation Challenge-Award has taken place. • The Millenium Alliance Round 6 has awarded a total of 49 innovative solutions with a sum totaling Rs 26 crores for their innovations in 5 focus sectors in India. • Five Focus Sectors o Education o Health o Clean Energy o Water & Sanitation o Agriculture and sectors • 16 innovators have been awarded in the COVID 19 Innovation Challenge. About Millennium Alliance • It is an innovation-driven and impact-focused initiative leveraging collaborative resources to identify test and scale Indian innovations that address global development solutions.

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• It is a consortium of partners (Public-Private Partnership) including the o Department of Science and Technology o United States Agency for International Development (USAID) o Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) o UK Government’s Department for International Development (DFID) o Facebook and Marico Innovation Foundation.

1.124 ESIC Relaxes eligibility criteria and enhancement in the payment of unemployment benefit under Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan yojana • Recently, ESIC Relaxes eligibility criteria and enhancement in the payment of unemployment benefit under Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan yojana. Key Decisions • Unemployment benefit under Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan yojana o The ESI Corporation has decided to extend the scheme up to 30th June 2021. o It has been decided to relax the existing conditions and the amount of relief for workers who have lost employment during the Covid-19 pandemic period. o The enhanced relief under the relaxed conditions woould be payable during the period of 24th March 2020 to 31st December 2020. o The scheme will be available with original eligibility condition during the period 1st January 2021 to 30th June 2021. Eligibility criteria for availing the relief has also been relaxed: • The payment of relief has been enhanced to 50% of average of wages from earlier 25% of average wages payable up to maximum 90 days of unemployment. • Instead of the relief becoming payable 90 days after unemployment, it shall become due for payment after 30 days. • The Insured Person can submit the claim directly to ESIC Branch Office instead of the claim being forwarded by the last employer and the payment shall be made directly in the bank account of Insured Person. • The Insured Person should have insurable employment for a minimum period of 2 years before his/her unemployment. • IP should have contributed for not less than 78 days in the contribution period immediately preceding to unemployment and minimum 78 days in one of the remaining 3 contribution periods in 02 years prior to unemployment.

1.125 Aarogya Setu introduces ‘Open API Service’ • Recently, Aarogya Setu team has introduced a new innovative feature which is called ‘Open API Service.’ • It has enabled organizations to check the status of Aarogya Setu and integrate it into its various Work from Home features. • About Aarogya Setu App • Aarogya Setu is a digital service, primarily a mobile application, developed by the Government of India. Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 56

• Aim - To protect the citizens during COVID-19. • Color Indication in App o Green – Low risk of Infection o Yellow – Moderate risk of Infection o Orange – High risk of Infection o Red – The Person has been tested positive for Covid-19.

1.126 Ministry of Tourism organizes a special Webinar titled “Atmanirbhar Bharat- Issues confronting Tourism & Travel” on MSME sector • Recently, Ministry of Tourism has organized a special webinar titled “Atmanirbhar Bharat – Issues confronting Tourism & Travel.” • It has been organized under Dekho Apna Desh Webinar Series. • It has been organized with the vision to provide information and guidance to the stakeholders on benefits from the various elements and schemes of MSME. Key initiatives highlighted in the Webinar • Change in Definition of MSME sector • Udyam Portal • Global tenders up to Rs.200 Crores has been disallowed. • Credit Guarantee Scheme About Global Tenders upto Rs 200 crores • Government in May 2020 has notified amendments to General Financial Rules (GFR) to ensure that goods and services valued less than 200 crore rupees are being procured from domestic firms. About Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) • Objective –The lender should give importance to project viability and secure the credit facility purely on the primary security of the assets financed. • The Credit Guarantee scheme (CGS) seeks to reassure the lender that, in the event of a MSE unit that availed collateral free credit facilities but fails to discharge its liabilities, the Guarantee Trust would make good the loss incurred by the lender up to 50/75/80/85 per cent of the credit facility. • Maximum credit cap – _Rs 200 lakh. • Set up by - Government of India and SIDBI. • Headquarter –Mumbai.

1.127 Ministry of Tourism signs an MoU with Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) & FICCI Ladies Organisation(FLO) • Recently, Ministry of Tourism has virtually signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) and FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO). • The agreement has been signed to promote tourism as sustainable livelihood model for women's economic empowerment.

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1.128 NHAI launches ‘Harit Path’ a mobile app • Recently, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has developed a mobile App called ‘Harit Path.' • It has been developed to monitor location, growth, species details, maintenance activities, targets and achievements of each of its field units for each and every plant under all plantation projects. Relevance • NHAI has planted over 25 lakh plants along the stretches of the National Highways under the “Harit Bharat Sankalp” initiative. • The plantation drive has taken place between 21st July to 15th August 2020. • Maximum Trees have been planted in Uttar Pradesh followed by Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

1.129 MoCA launches online system of Registration and Renewal for Jewellers and online system of recognition and renewal of Assaying and Hallmarking (A&H) Centers • Recently, Minister for Consumer Affairs has launched the online system of Registration and Renewal of Jewelers and online system of recognition and renewal of the Assaying and Hallmarking Centers. • The online systems could be accessed through Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) web portal www.manakonline.in. • The online systems have been launched to provide ease of doing business for both the jewelers and the entrepreneurs who have established Assaying and Hallmarking Centers or plan to set them up in the future. Key Features of the online Systems • It will ensure applications to start a new center or renew the existing license by submitting it online. • The entire process of recognition has been automated under the system. • The process involves o Audit of the Centers o Submission of audit report o Grant of recognition or renewal. Key information shared • Hallmarking of precious metals will be mandatory from 1st June 2021. • BIS Hallmark will be issued with A&H center’s identification mark/number and jewelers identification mark/number for three categories only o 14 carat (14K585) o 18(18K750) carat o 22 (22K916) carat. • BIS officials along with custom officials would be examining the quality and standard of imported products cargos on 7 Indian ports from September 2020. • BIS has also been working on quality checks for various products available in the market.

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1.130 Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship signs MOU with Ministry of Shipping • Recently, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ministry of Shipping. • The agreement has been signed for skill development in Port and Maritime sector. • It Aims at skilling, re-skilling and up-skilling manpower for the growing maritime industry and development of coastal community in India. Key Highlights of the agreement • The MoU would reinforce the commitment of Coastal Community Development under SagarMala programme of Ministry of Shipping • The support in funding the implementation of various skilling initiatives wherever applicable and feasible under the Sagarmala Mission would be extended by the Ministry of Shipping (MoS). About Sagarmala Project • The concept of Sagarmala was approved by the Union Cabinet on 25th March 2015. • As part of the programme, a National Perspective Plan (NPP) for the comprehensive development of India’s 7,500 km coastline, 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways and maritime sector has been prepared in 2016.

1.131 India ranks among lowest in terms of Internet quality • Recently, SurfShark has released the “Digital Quality of Life Index 2020” report. • The countries have been ranked on five parameters o Internet Affordability o Internet Quality o E-Infrastrucure o E-Security o E-Governanve Global Findings • Top 5 Countries – Denmark, Sweden, Canada, France and Norway. • 7 out of 10 countries with the highest DQL are in Europe. India Specific Finding • India has been ranked at the 57th place in the Index. • Ranking of India in various Parameters o Internet Quality – 78th o Internet affordability – 9th o E-Infrastructure – 79th o E-Security – 57th o E-government – 15th

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1.132 Cabinet relaxes working capital norm for discoms under UDAY scheme • Recently, The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to relax working capital limit norm for discoms under the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY). • The relaxation has been provided to DISCOMS (Distribution Companies of India) to get loans as part of ₹90,000 crore liquidity infusion scheme announced in May 2020. Present Provision • Under the UDAY, the banks and financial institutions are restricted to lend working capital up to 25% of a discom’s revenue in the previous year. • The DISCOMS that have not met working capital limit norms under the UDAY scheme are not eligible to avail the benefit. Relevance • In May 2020, Finance Minister had announced ₹90,000 crore liquidity infusion into cash- strapped discoms. About UDAY scheme • UDAY stands for Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY). • Objective o Financial Turnaround o Operational improvement o Reduction of cost of generation of power o Development of Renewable Energy o Energy efficiency & conservation • Jharkhand and J&K given special dispensation for takeover of outstanding CPSU dues. • Launched on - 5th November, 2015. • Implemented by - Ministry of Power

1.133 Union Education Minister virtually releases Students’ Learning Enhancement Guidelines • Recently, Union Education Minister has released Students’ Learning Enhancement Guidelines.

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• The guidelines have been prepared by NCERT. • The guidelines have been prepared for students o Who do not have any digital resources. o Who have limited digital resources available. o Who have digital resources available for online education. Key Highlights of the guidelines • It suggests use and implantation of Alternative Academic Calendar in all the three situations. • It has emphasized upon the community working closely with the school to get learning materials such as workbooks, worksheets, etc. delivered at the doorsteps of children by teachers and volunteers. • It has suggested to teach local students by volunteers or teachers setting up television at the community centre and maintaining social distance norms. • It has set up a helpline at the community center with the help of members of the community and Panchayati Raj. • It has recommended orientation of parents to support and participate in the learning of their children.

1.134 PM launches National Digital Health Mission • Recently, Prime Minister has launched the National Digital Health Mission. About National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) • It would be a voluntary healthcare programme that would reduce the gap among stakeholders such as doctors, hospitals etc. • Aim and Objective: To ‘liberate’ citizens from the challenges of finding the right doctors, seeking appointment with them, payment of consultation fee, making several rounds of hospitals for prescription sheets. Components of the Mission • Comprises six key building blocks or digital systems: o HealthID o DigiDoctor o Health Facility Registry o Personal Health Records o e-Pharmacy o Telemedicine.

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• All of these digital products except e-Pharmacy and Telemedicine have been deployed and are up and running. • Private stakeholders will have an equal opportunity to integrate with these building blocks and create their own products for the market. • The core building blocks of NDHM such as - Health ID, Digi-Doctor and Health Facility Registry shall be owned, operated and maintained by the Government of India. • The core activities and verifications like generation of Health ID or approval of a doctor/facility will remain with the government. • Additional components, like Personal Health Record (PHR) and Electronic Medical Record (EMR) solutions can be developed by private players as well, in line with the guidelines that will be issued. • Technology Initiative o The key feature of the mission is the technology part which will leverage open digital systems to provide high-quality healthcare for all. o It will integrate various digital health services to create an ecosystem which can assimilate existing health information systems. o The government has assured that it will ensure security and privacy of personal information. • Digital Health ID o Every person in India will get a digital health ID which is basically a digital format of all his/her health records. o These records will be linked to the registry of doctors and health facilities across India. Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 62

o The platform has been planned to improve efficiency, effectiveness and transparency of health service delivery. o The health ID will be in the form of a mobile application of website.

1.135 Google partners Central Water Commission for flood forecasting initiative • Recently, Google has partnered with the Central Water Commission (CWC) for flood forecasting initiative. • The alerts provided under the initiative could provide timely, updated, and critical information that can help users make informed decisions on their safety and that of their families and friends. • Notifications have been provided in English, Hindi, and Bengali, depending on the device language and location of users.

1.136 IndiaFilings launches 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' mission • Recently, IndiaFilings.com has launched a campaign named as the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' mission. • It has been launched to help over 10,000 startups register their business under mission. • Under the campaign, it would be offering all the legal and regulatory help to the young ensuring their business dreams remain compliant and continually growing.

1.137 Rajasthan CM launches 'Indira Rasoi Yojana' • Recently, Rajasthan Chief Minister has launched the 'Indira Rasoi Yojana.' • It has been launched to provide quality nutritious food to the poor at just Rs 8. • Under the scheme, State government will give grant of Rs 12 per plate. • Funding - Rs 100 crore annually has been proposed in the budget for the scheme.

1.138 UK launches £3 mn innovation challenge in India to tackle Covid-19 pandemic • Recently, The UK government has launched a £3 million innovation challenge fund in India. • It has been launched to support scientists in academia and industry to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change. • It has been launched under the UK-India Tech Partnership. • The fund has invited tech innovators with connections to the AI-Data cluster in Karnataka and the future mobility cluster in Maharashtra to submit research and development proposals for tackling Covid-19 or which promote a greener planet.

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1.139 NITI Aayog Launches Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) • Recently, NITI Aayog has launched Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)–Transport Initiative for Asia (TIA). • It is a joint program of World Resources Institute (WRI) and eight other organizations that looks to enhance low carbon transport ambition and decarbonization targets in Asia. More about NDC-TIA • Aim – To develop a holistic approach to decarbonize the transport sector in China, India, Vietnam, and additional countries in the region. • Funded By - The International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). • Implemented By - A consortium of seven organizations, namely: o International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) o World Resources Institute (WRI) o International Transport Forum (ITF) o etc • Time Duration - 4 years.

1.140 DEA holds Sustainable Finance Collaborative consultation with UNDP • Recently, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance has launched the Sustainable Finance Collaborative. • It has been launched in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme India. • Theme - Sustainable Finance architecture in India

1.141 6th Foundation Day of AREAS • Recently, the government has launched AREAS website “www.areas.org.in” and also Telephone Directory of AREAS. • It has been launched on the 6th Foundation Day of Association of Renewable Energy Agencies of States (AREAS). About the Association of Renewable Energy Agencies of States (AREAS) – • Nodal Agency - Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) • Year of Establishment – 2014 • Aim - To interact and learn from each other’s experiences and also share their best practices and knowledge regarding technologies and schemes/programmes.

1.142 NeGD and CSC E-Governance Services India Limited signs MOU • Recently, the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) has signed an MOU with CSC (Common Service Center) e Governance Services India Limited. • Aim - To facilitate delivery of UMANG services at CSCs, in an assisted mode, thereby making services on UMANG app available to citizens through the network of3.75 lakh CSCs. • The CSC operators Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) will enable citizens to avail e-Governance services of 140 Departments through the UMANG App.

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1.143 Just 24% of Indian households have internet facility to access e-education: UNICEF • Recently, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has released a report titled “The Remote Learning Reachability report”. • Aim – To outlines the limitations of remote learning and exposes deep inequalities in access. • The report uses a globally representative analysis on the availability of home-based technology and tools needed for remote learning among pre-primary, primary, lower- secondary and upper-secondary schoolchildren, with data from 100 countries. • The data include access to television, radio and internet, and the availability of curriculum delivered across these platforms during school closures. Highlights of the “Remote Learning Reachability report” • At least a third of the world's schoolchildren – 46.3 crore children globally are unable to access remote learning when COVID-19 shuttered their schools. About India - • In India, over 1.5 million (15 lakh) schools have been closed due to the pandemic affecting 286 million (28.6 crore) children from pre-primary to secondary levels, (of which 49% girls). • The above adds to the 6 million (60 lakh) girls and boys who are already out of school prior to the COVID-19. • Just 24% of Indian households have internet connections to access e-education. • The learning gap is likely to widen across high, middle and low-income families, as children from economically disadvantaged families cannot access remote learning. • Students, especially girls, from most marginalised communities do not have easy access to smartphones, and even if they do, internet connectivity is poor, and quality education content is often not available in vernacular languages. About United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) – • Year of Establishment - 1946 • Headquarters – New York City, US

1.144 Department of Food &Public Distribution issues directions to States/UTs to include all eligible disabled persons under the National Food Security Act 2013 • Recently, Department of Food and Public Distribution has sent letters to States Governments/UTs to include all eligible disabled persons under the National Food Security Act 2013. • It has been stated that those not already covered should be covered with fresh ration cards to be issued as per the eligibility criteria. • The Section 10 of the National Food Security Act, 2013 has provided for coverage of persons under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana in accordance with the guidelines applicable to the scheme About Antyodya Anna Yojana (AAY) • It is a part of NFSA (National Food Security Act). • Aim – To reduced hunger among the poorest segments of the BPL population. • Key Features of the Scheme

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• It covers the poorest of the poor families from amongst the BPL families covered under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) within the States and provides them food grains at a highly subsidized rate of Rs.1/ per kg coarse grains, Rs.2/ per kg. for wheat and Rs. 3/ per kg for rice. • The households under AAY are entitled to 35 Kg of food grains per household per month. • Targeted Group - 2.5 crore households covering 38% of BPL

1.145 Government of India and AIIB sign agreement for $500 million for Mumbai Urban Transport Project-III • Recently, Government of India, the Government of Maharashtra, Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) have signed a loan agreement for a $500 million. • The agreement has been signed for Mumbai Urban Transport Project-III. • It has been estimated that among primary beneficiaries of the project, 22 per cent would be female passengers who will benefit from improved safety and quality of service. Relevance • Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) has been the most populous metropolitan region in India and is expected to reach 29.3 million by 2031 and 32.1 million by 2041. Note - The total estimated cost of the project is USD 997 million, of which USD 500 million will be financed by the AIIB, $310 million by the Government of Maharashtra and $187 million by Ministry of Railways.

1.146 Central Government constitutes National Council for Transgender Persons • Recently, Central government has constituted a National Council for Transgender Persons. About National Council for Transgender Persons • Key Members of the Council o The council will have representatives from community members, five states and 10 central departments. o Chairman - Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment o Vice Chairman - Union Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment o The representatives of the state governments and union territories by rotation, one each from the north, south, east, west and northeast regions. o Five representatives of the transgender community, one each from the north, south, east, west and northeast regions. o A Member of National Council, other than ex officio member, shall hold office for a term of three years from the date of his nomination. • Key Functions of the Council o To advise the Central Government on the formulation of policies, programmes, legislation and projects with respect to transgender persons o To monitor and evaluate the impact of policies and programmes designed for achieving equality and full participation of transgender persons

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o To review and coordinate the activities of all the departments of Government and other Governmental and non-Governmental Organizations which are dealing with matters relating to transgender persons o To redress the grievances of transgender persons o To perform such other functions as may be prescribed by the Central Government

1.147 Tripura-Bangladesh water route trial run in September 2020 • Recently, Tripura opens its first-ever inland waterway with Bangladesh. • The route has connected Sonamura about 60 km from Agartala in the Indian side, and Daudkandi of Chittagong in Bangladesh. • The route was included in the list of Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) routes under Inland Water Transit and Trade Agreement.

1.148 Union Health minister addressed 35th National Eye Donation fortnight celebrations • Recently, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare has digitally addressed the 35th National Eye Donation fortnight celebrations. • During the celebration, an interactive webinar has been organized by AIIMS, New Delhi and the National Eye bank. • In India, approximately 68 lakh people suffer from corneal blindness in at least one eye; of these, 10 lakh people are blind in both their eyes.” Relevance • National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey 2019 was jointly conducted by AIIMS (Delhi) and the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. • Key Findings of the Survey o Corneal blindness was the leading cause of blindness among patients aged less than 50 years in India. o It has accounted for 37.5% of the cases and was the second leading cause of blindness among patients above the age of 50 years.

1.149 Department of Revenue notified the ‘Customs (Administration of Rules of Origin under Trade Agreements) Rules, 2020 • Recently, The Department of Revenue has notified the ‘Customs (Administration of Rules of Origin under Trade Agreements) Rules, 2020. • It has notified the rules for the enforcement of ‘rules of origin’ provisions for allowing preferential rate of customs duties on products imported under free trade agreements (FTAs). • The new norms have been framed with a view to checking inbound shipments of low-quality products and dumping of goods by a third country routed through an FTA partner country. Key Highlights • It shall apply to import of goods into India where the importer makes a claim of preferential rate of duty in terms of a trade agreement. • The “rules of origin” helps in containing dumping of goods.

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• The provision has prescribed for the minimal processing that should happen in the FTA country so that the final manufactured product may be called originating goods in that country. • Under this provision, a country that has inked an FTA with India cannot dump goods from some third country in the Indian market by just putting a label on it. • It has to undertake a prescribed value addition in that product to export to India.

1.150 ‘AyushBindu’ helps find blood donors in Andhra Pradesh • Recently, a group of youth in Andhra Pradesh have developed a smartphone application, ‘AyushBindu’ app. • The idea for the app has been conceived by Ilapakurthy Sri Krishna Vamsi and Tanuj Palepu. • It has been developed for the people in need of blood and plasma amid the coronavirus pandemic by bringing the donors and the patients on a common platform.

1.151 NABARD introduces Structured Finance and Partial Guarantee Programme to NBFC-MFIs’ • Recently, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has introduced ‘Structured Finance and Partial Guarantee Programme to NBFC-MFIs’. • It has signed agreements with Vivriti Capital and Ujjivan Small Finance Bank to roll out the initiative. • It has been a dedicated debt and credit guarantee product to ensure unhindered of credit to the last mile in COVID-19-affected rural areas. Key Highlights of the Program • NABARD will provide partial guarantee on pooled loans extended to small and mid-sized MFIs. • It will help facilitate ₹2,500 crore funding in the initial phase and is expected to be scaled up going forward.

1.152 Prime Ministers Awards for Excellence in Public Administration 2020 • Recently, 702 Districts have registered and participated in the Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence in Public Administration for 2020. • The government had launched PM's Awards portal in July 2020 to register and participate for the Award. • The Award will be conferred by the Prime Minister on Rashtriya Ekta Diwas on 31st October 2020 at the Statue of Unity, Gujarat. About Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration • Government of India has instituted the awards in 2006. • The award has been instituted to acknowledge, recognize and reward the extraordinary and innovative work done by Districts/ Organizations of the Central and State Governments. • The Scheme was restructured in 2014 for recognizing the performance of District Collectors in Priority Programs, Innovations and Aspirational Districts. • The Scheme has again been restructured in 2020, to recognize the performance of District Collectors towards economic development of the District. o Inclusive Development through Credit Flow to the Priority Sector Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 68

o Promoting people’s movements (“Jan Bhagidari”) through Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban and Gramin) in the District o Improving Service Delivery and Redressal of Public Grievances

1.153 IBM launches digital learning portal for India's youth • Recently, IBM has launched an education portal in collaboration with National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC). • It has been named as ‘Open P-TECH.’ • It has been launched to offer online courses on emerging technology and professional development. Key Highlights of the online course • The courses include cybersecurity, blockchain, artificial intelligence and machine learning. • The training will span over 60 hours of learning, and is targeted at youth aged between 18 and 22. • As part of the partnership, IBM will curate over 30 courses on its Open P-TECH platform and offer them to users via NSDC’s “e-skill India” portal. • The content is currently available in English, but will soon be available in regional languages including Kannada, Urdu, Tamil and Punjabi. About e-Skill India • eSkill India is a digital skilling initiative from National Skill Development Corporation that aggregates digital learning resources through various Indian and global knowledge partnerships, to enable access to best-in-class learning resources for the India youth. About ‘Open P-TECH.’ • It is a free digital education platform of IBM. • It focuses on emerging technologies and professional development skills. • It was launched in India in March 2020. • The platform has been equipped learners and educators with foundational technology competencies, along with workplace learning skills.

1.154 Social Justice Ministry to launch mental health rehabilitation helpline • Recently, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched a toll-free helpline number “Kiran”. • It has been launched to enable access to mental health resources. • It will provide callers “support for early screening, first-aid, psychological support, distress management, mental well-being, preventing deviant behaviors, psychological crisis management etc. • It has a three-level mechanism of support o Connected to the location-based helpline center o As per need referred to rehabilitation/clinical psychologists/psychiatrists. o Follow-up and support

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1.155 Draft health data management policy released for public feedback • Recently, The National Health Authority (NHA) has released the Draft Health Data Management Policy of the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) in the public domain. • The draft has been the maiden step in realizing the NDHM’s guiding principle of ‘Security and Privacy by Design’ for the protection of individuals’ data privacy. • It has encompassed various aspects pertaining to health data such as data privacy, consent management, data sharing and protection etc.” • Objective – To provide adequate guidance and to set out a framework for the secure processing of personal and sensitive personal data of individuals who are a part of the national digital health ecosystem.

1.156 DGCA draft rules for WiFi access on flights • Recently, The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has released draft rules for the use of Wi-Fi on portable electronic devices (PEDs) during flights. Key Highlights of the Draft • It has empowered the pilot in command (PIC) of a flight to deactivate the use of PEDs during any phase of flight. • It has asked cabin crew, to keep a watch on the passengers to ensure they comply with the prohibitory requirements. • The internet services through Wi-Fi on flights will be available from 10,000 ft (3000 m) above sea level after departure or before arrival. • It has specified that the services would be offered only on the device’s flight mode. • The aircraft operator has to ensure that the In-Flight and Maritime Connectivity (IFMC) services being provided in route are approved by the department of telecommunication and the aircraft has approval from the DGCA. Relevance • The central government has permitted internet access to passengers through onboard Wi-Fi in March 2020.

1.157 Carbon emissions for 2020 to come down by 8% due to lockdown: Environment Ministry • Recently, a virtual session on ‘Paradigm Shift in Business Sustainability — Strategies to Meet the Challenges in the Post COVID-19 scenario’ has taken place. • Organized by - PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry. • It has informed that Due to the COVID-19 lockdown across India, carbon emissions have been predicted to fall by around 8% in 2020. Relevance • Union environment minister in July 2020 had informed that India has achieved reduction of 21% in emission intensity of its GDP between 2005 and 2014, thereby achieving its pre-2020 voluntary target. Background • India had pledged to reduce the emissions intensity of GDP by 30-35% by 2030 Under the Paris Agreement. Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 70

• It has also pledged to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5-3 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent through additional forest cover by 2030.

1.158 Sudha Painuli of ERMS Kalsi selected for National Award to Teachers 2020 • Recently, Ms. Sudha Painuli of Uttarakhand has made it to the 47 selected teachers of the National Award to Teachers 2020. • She has become the first NAT Awardee from the Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS). • She has been selected for her innovative experiments namely Eklavya Birthday Garden, Theatre in Education, Eklavya Tribal Museum, Skill Development Workshops etc. • She is the Vice Principal, Eklavya Model Residential School, Kalsi in Dehradun. About Eklavya Model Residential School (ERMS) • EMRS started in the year 1997-98 to impart quality education to ST children in remote areas in order to enable them to avail of opportunities in high and professional educational courses and get employment in various sectors. • The schools focus not only on academic education but on the all-round development of the students. • Each school has a capacity of 480 students, catering to students from Class VI to XII. • According to the Union Budget of 2018-19, it has been decided that o by the year 2022, every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons, will have an EMRS. o The schools are set up by grants provided under Article 275(1) of the Constitution. o There will be an autonomous society under the ministry of tribal affairs similar to Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti to run the EMRS’ About National Awards to Teachers • The purpose of awars is to celebrate the unique contribution of some of the finest teachers in India and to honor those teachers who through their commitment and industry have not only improved the quality of school education but also enriched the lives of their students. • Given by – Ministry of Human Resource and Development

1.159 Sudhanshu Pandey chairs meeting of Empowered Committee on schemes for PDS Reforms • Recently, Sudhanshu Pandey has chaired the meeting of Empowered Committee on Public Distribution System (PDS) Reforms. • The committee has been set up to review and approve extension of Integrated Management of Public Distribution Scheme (IM-PDS) under which the ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ (ONORC) plan has been implemented all over India. • It has also considered extending the implementation of ration card portability under the ‘One Nation-One Ration Card’ initiative beyond March 2021. About Integrated Management of Public Distribution Scheme (IM-PDS) • It is a portal that provides the technological platform for the inter-state portability of ration cards.

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1.160 India, Nepal discussion on extending network of petroleum pipeline • Recently, The discussion on extending the network of petroleum pipeline and setting up new pipelines has taken place between India and Nepal. Relevance • The Motihari-Amlekhgunj pipeline was inaugurated in September 2019. • The pipeline has been constructed from Motihari in India and ends at Amlekhgunj in Nepal • Constructed by – Indian Oil Corporation. • It has been the first of its kind initiative in south Asia.

1.161 India, Uzbekistan hold first meeting of the National Coordination Committee • Recently, India and Uzbekistan held their first meeting of the National Coordination Committee. • The Committee has been constituted under the directions of Prime Minister of India and President of Uzbekistan. • It was held under the co-chairmanship of Minister of State for External Affairs of India and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan. • It has been set up for monitoring implementation of mutually agreed projects between India and Uzbekistan.

1.162 MCA amends CSR norms to boost funding for developing new vaccine • Recently, Ministry of Corporate Affairs has amended the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) rules under the Companies Act 2013. • It has amended the rules to help boost funding for developing new vaccines, drugs and medical devices related to the coronavirus pandemic. • The decision has been taken in lines with the Prime Minister’s directive to encourage new drug discoveries for Covid-19. Key Highlights of the Amendment • It has amended the Schedule VII to include R&D for development of drugs to cure Covid-19 as one of the approved CSR activities • Contributions to public funded universities, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), national laboratories and autonomous bodies established under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Department of Pharmaceuticals would come under the CSR ambit • The relaxation would be applicable for national laboratories and autonomous bodies under the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. • It would be applicable for three financial years of 2020-21 to 2022-23.

1.163 NIFT and IIP to help UP artisan’s design and package the products • Recently, MSME minister of Uttar Pradesh has informed that the government has planned to sign an MOU with SIDBI, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) to improve the packaging and design of the ODOP products. Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 72

About One District One Product Scheme • One District One Product (ODOP) was launched by the Government of Uttar Pradesh to encourage and revive aboriginals’ arts and craft products. • The scheme would help Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) to produce and promote products that are unique in Uttar Pradesh. • Aim – To encourage more visibility and sale of indigenous and specialized products/crafts of Uttar Pradesh, generating employment at the district level

1.164 Centre launches National GIS-enabled land bank system for 6 states to boost investments • Recently, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry has e-launched the prototype of National GIS-enabled Land Bank system (https://iis.ncog.gov.in/parks). • It has been launched for 6 states. • Developed by - Integration of the Industrial Information System (IIS) with state GIS systems. • Supported by - National e-Governance Division (NeGD), National Centre of Geo-Informatics (NCoG), Invest India, Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-Informatics (BISAG), and Ministry of Electronics and Informational Technology. Key Features • More than 3,300 industrial parks across 31 states/UTs covering about 4,75,000 hectares of land have been mapped out on the system. • The information available on the system will include drainage, forest; raw material heat maps (horticulture, agricultural, mineral layers); multilayer of connectivity. • IIS has adopted a committed approach towards industrial upgrading, resource optimization, and sustainability. About Industrial Information System • It is a GIS-enabled database of industrial areas/clusters across the country to adopt a committed approach towards resource optimization, industrial upgradation and sustainability. • Aim to provide o Information on available land for prospective investors looking at setting up units in the Country o GIS Mapping of Industrial Clusters o The system also holds the information about the existing External and Internal Infrastructure such as rail, road, air and port connectivity and other common facilities in and around the manufacturing clusters o Links to State GIS Portals and State Land Banks • Developed by - Department for promotion of Industry & Internal Trade

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1.165 India 72nd on global list with average monthly wage of Rs 32,800: Report • Recently, Picodi.com has released a global ranking of average wages. • It has ranked 106 countries in terms of the average wage per month. Global Findings • Top 5 – Switzerland, Luxembourg, USA, Denmark and Singapore • Bottom 5 – Cuba, Uganda, Nigeria, Nepal and Pakistan India Specific Ranking • India has been ranked at 72nd place. • India has an average monthly wage of Rs 32,800 or USD 437.

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1.166 Prison Statistics India Report 2019-2020 • Recently, Prison Statistics India Report 2019-2020 has been released by the National Crime Record Bureau. Key Findings of the Data • The total number of prisons at national level has increased from 1,339 in 2018 to 1,350 in 2019, having increased by 0.82% • Number of prisoners lodged in various jails has increased from 4,66,084 in 2018 to 4,78,600 in 2019, having increased by 2.69%. • Uttar Pradesh has reported the highest capacity in the jails followed by Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. • Out of the 4,78,600 prisoners, 4,58,687 were male prisoners and 19,913 were female prisoners. • The occupancy rate has increased from 117.6% in 2018 to 118.5% in 2019 • Uttar Pradesh has reported the highest number of prisoners in its jails followed by Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Punjab.

1.167 Uttar Pradesh launches NRI unified portal • Recently, Uttar Pradesh government has launched an ambitious NRI unified portal. • It has been launched to prepare a database of the migrant workers of the state working in different countries of the world. • It will provide a platform to NRIs to help their families resolve the problems related to their house and issues with local administration.

1.168 Average income of MGNREGA workers doubled during Corona virus lockdown in April-July period, CRISIL report says • According to CRISIL, Average income of MGNREGA workers has doubled during coronavirus lockdown. Key Highlights of the Report between January-April 2020 • The average income per month for unskilled workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has nearly doubled to around 1,000 rupees per month. • The period has witnessed 46 per cent growth in work execution in terms of person-days under the scheme. • The average per day wage has increased by 12 per cent. • Work allocation has increased by more than 50 per cent in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha and Gujarat. Relevance • The Union government has allocated 61,500 crore rupees for MGNREGA under Union Budget 2020-21. • The government has later increased the allocation by 40,000 crore rupees amid the pandemic to support the rural economy.

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1.169 Madhya Pradesh: Women entrepreneurs make 10 lakh masks under Jeevan Shakti Yojana • Recently, 10 lakh masks have been made so far by the women entrepreneurs of the Madhya Pradesh under the Jeevan Shakti Yojana. About Jeevan Shakti Yojana • The Jeevan Shakti Yojana has facilitated women of urban and rural areas to become self-reliant in the corona crisis. • Aim – To provide low cost masks to the citizens and employment to women entrepreneurs. • Launched by – Madhya Pradesh

1.170 J&K launches ‘Iraada’ campaign to cover left-out beneficiaries under social welfare schemes • Recently, Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda District has launched ‘Iraada’ campaign. • It has been launched to cover the eligible left-out beneficiaries under various social welfare schemes. • Under the campaign, special appeal has been made to the Panchayati Raj Institutes and Civil Society members to facilitate Administration in the identification of eligible left-out beneficiaries who have not been enrolled to get the financial assistance benefits under various schemes, which includes old age pension, widow and handicap scheme.

1.171 India co-sponsors UN security council resolution on women peacekeepers • Recently, India has co-sponsored a security council resolution that calls for full, effective and meaningful participation of women personnel in peacekeeping operations. • The resolution was put forth by Indonesia. India’s participation in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations • India had made history in 2007 when it deployed the first all-women Police Unit in the UN Mission in Liberia. • India is the fifth largest contributor of uniformed personnel to the UN Peacekeeping Forces. Relevance • In June 2020, India has been elected non-permanent member of the Security Council for a two- year term beginning January 1, 2021.

1.172 Tripura University scientist designs WARBOT to protect doctors • Recently, a scientist at Tripura University has designed a robot named as “Covid-19 WARBOT.” • It has been designed to prevent the doctors, nurses and health staff from getting infected while they come in contact with patients infected with the virus.

1.173 Government launches “Chunauti”- Next Generation Start-up Challenge Contest • Recently, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad has launched “Chunauti”- Next Generation Startup Challenge Contest. • Aim - To boost startups and software products with special focus on Tier-II towns of India. • The government has earmarked a budget of Rs. 95.03 Crore over a period of three years for this programme.

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About “Chunauti” • Under this challenge the government will identify around 300 startups working in identified areas and provide them seed fund of upto Rs. 25 Lakh and other facilities. • Under this challenge the Ministry of Electronics and IT will invite startups in the following areas of work: o Edu-Tech, Agri-Tech & Fin-Tech Solutions for masses o Supply Chain, Logistics & Transportation Management o Infrastructure & Remote monitoring o Medical Healthcare, Diagnostic, Preventive & Psychological Care o Jobs & Skilling, Linguistic tools & technologies

1.174 Government launches Online Dashboard of PM SVANidhi • Government has launched the PM Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) online dashboard through video conferencing. About Online Dashboard – • Aim- To provide a one stop solution to all stakeholders looking for information and tracking monitoring of progress of PM SVANidhi up to city level. • The online dashboard is dynamic and interactive. About PM Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme • Ministry – Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) • Launch Year – June 2020 • Aim - To provide affordable working capital loans to street vendors to resume their livelihoods that have been affected due to the coronavirus lockdown. • SIDBI has implemented the PM SVANidhi Scheme under the guidance of MoHUA. Features of the Scheme - • This scheme targets to benefit over 50 lakh Street Vendors. • Under the Scheme, the vendors can avail a working capital loan of up to Rs. 10,000, which is repayable in monthly instalments in the tenure of one year. • On timely/ early repayment of the loan, an interest subsidy @ 7% per annum will be credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer on quarterly basis. • There will be no penalty on early repayment of loan. • The scheme promotes digital transactions through cash back incentives up to an amount of Rs.100 per month. • The vendors can achieve their ambition of going up on the economic ladder by availing the facility of escalation of the credit limit on timely/ early repayment of loan.

1.175 Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) completes six years of successful implementation • Recently, Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) - National Mission for Financial Inclusion has completed six years of successful implementation. Achievements under PMJDY (Till August 2020) • PMJDY Accounts

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o Number of Total PMJDY Accounts: 40.35 Crore; Rural PMJDY accounts: 63.6%, Women PMJDY accounts: 55.2% Background of Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) • Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is National Mission for Financial Inclusion. • Aim - To ensure access to financial services, namely, Banking/ Savings & Deposit Accounts, Remittance, Credit, Insurance, Pension in an affordable manner. • Ministry – Ministry of Finance • Launch Year - 2014

1.176 Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2020 • Recently, the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2020 has been released. • Released by - NITI Aayog in partnership with the Institute of Competitiveness. • Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2020 is the first report to examine export preparedness and performance of Indian states. About Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2020 - • Aims- o To identify challenges and opportunities o To enhance the effectiveness of government policies o To encourage a facilitative regulatory framework • The structure of the EPI includes 4 pillars and 11 sub-pillars - 4 Pillars – • Policy: A comprehensive trade policy provides a strategic direction for exports and imports. • Business Ecosystem: An efficient business ecosystem can help states attract investments and create an enabling infrastructure for individuals to initiate start-ups. • Export Ecosystem: This pillar aims to assess the business environment, which is specific to exports. • Export Performance: This is the only output-based pillar and examines the reach of export footprints of States and Union Territories.

11 Sub-Pillars – • Export Promotion Policy • Institutional Framework • Business Environment; Infrastructure • Transport Connectivity • Access to Finance • Export Infrastructure • Trade Support • R&D Infrastructure • Export Diversification • Growth Orientation.

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Overall Ranking- Rank States Export Preparedness State Category 1 Gujarat 75.19 Coastal 2 Maharashtra 75.14 Coastal 3 Tamil Nadu 64.93 Coastal 4 Rajasthan 62.59 Landlocked 5 Odisha 58.23 Coastal 35 Lakshadweep 12.4 UT/City States 36 Jammu and Kashmir 12.27 Landlocked

Coastal States – Rank State 1 Gujarat 2 Maharashtra 3 Tamil Nadu 4 Odisha 5 Karnataka 6 Kerala 7 Andhra Pradesh 8 West Bengal

Himalayan States –

Rank State 1 Uttarakhand 2 Tripura Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 79

3 Himachal Pradesh 4 Meghalaya 5 Mizoram 6 Nagaland 7 Arunachal Pradesh 8 Sikkim 9 Manipur

1.177 Government announces 7 new circles of Archaeological Survey of India • Recently, The Ministry of Culture has announced 7 new circles of Archaeological Survey of India. • Aim - To facilitate and strengthen the process of preservation and registration of archaeological monuments along with registration of artefacts with self declaration. New circles of Archeological Survey of India - • The new circles have been created in Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal and Gujarat.

Name of the State New Circles Madhya Pradesh Jabalpur Tamil Nadu Trichy Uttar Pradesh Jhansi , Meerut Karnataka Hampi city West Bengal Raiganj Gujarat Rajkot

1.178 Government Approves 78 New Routes under UDAN 4.0 • Recently, 78 new routes under the 4th round of Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)- UdeDesh Ka AamNagrik (UDAN) have been by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. • It has been approved after approved the three successful rounds of bidding. Benefits of these New Routes– • This will further enhance the connectivity to remote and regional areas of the country. • The North Eastern Region, Hilly States and Islands have been given priority in the approval process for the new routes. About UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) Scheme • Ministry – Ministry of Civil Aviation

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• Launch Year – 2017 • Funded By – Central And State Government jointly. • Duration - 10 Years • Aim - To enhance regional connectivity through fiscal support and infrastructure development.

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1.179 National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language organizes World Urdu Conference • Recently, Union Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' virtually has addressed the inaugural session of World Urdu Conference. • Organized by - National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language ( NCPUL ) • Venue - New Delhi. About National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL) - • NVPUL has become the biggest Urdu networking hub in the world.

1.180 The ASEAN-India Business Council virtual meet 2020 • Recently, Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal has addressed the ASEAN-India Business Council virtual meet 2020. • Shri Goyal has extended a hand of friendship to the ASEAN region, which he described as deep and valuable partners, and partners in the progress. Highlights of the virtual meet 2020 • The 3Cs- Cooperation, Collaboration and Commitment, will guide the strategic partnership between India and ASEAN countries. • India and ASEAN have not been able to harness the full trade potential, for various reasons, but now is the time to open matrix to expand trade, address concerns of all nations and businesses, and resolve the differences. • India’s friendship and partnership to ASEAN through businesses, so that together both the partners are able to succeed, secure future, work together, attain prosperity, and achieve a target of $300 billion trade.

1.181 Government also launches the ‘Chhavni COVID: Yodha Sanrakshan Yojana’ • Recently, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has aunched the ‘Chhavni COVID: Yodha Sanrakshan Yojana’. About ‘Chhavni COVID: Yodha Sanrakshan Yojana’ • It is a group life insurance scheme through Life Insurance Corporation (LIC). • Aim – To cover more than 10,000 employees in all 62 Cantonment Boards in event of any unfortunate fatal calamity with an insurance cover of Rs.5 lakhs each. • The Scheme will benefit permanent and contractual employees including doctors, paramedics and sanitation staff.

1.182 Ministry of Textiles organizes Textile Grand Challenge 2019 • Recently, Union Minister of Textiles and Women & Child Development Smt Smriti Zubin Irani has opened the award giving ceremony for winners of the Textile Grand Challenge 2019. All about Textile Grand Challenge 2019 • Organized by - The Ministry of Textiles with the active support of National Jute Board and the Start up India Team of the Department for Promotion of Industry & Industrial Trade (DPIIT).

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• Aim - To bring forward innovative ideas by start-ups and entrepreneurs for development of cost effective and low-weight carry bags using Jute Bio-mass, Jute Plant based bio-polymer and cotton fibre waste tophase out plastic bags.

1.183 CSIR-CMERI develops World’s Largest Solar Tree • Recently, The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CMERI) has developed the World’s Largest Solar Tree. • This tree is installed at CSIR-CMERI Residential Colony, Durgapur. About the World’s Largest Solar Tree – • The installed capacity of the Solar Tree is above 11.5 kWp. • It has the annual capacity to generate 12,000-14,000 units of Clean and Green Power. • These Solar Trees can be aligned with Agriculture for substituting price-volatile fossil fuels. About CSIR-CMERI – • The Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) is the apex R&D institute for mechanical engineering under the aegis of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

1.184 Japan’s commits Rs.3,500 crore (approx.) as Official Development Assistance for health sector to fight the COVID-19 crisis in India • Recently, the Govt. of Japan has committed Official Development Assistance loan of an amount of JPY50 billion (approx. Rs.3,500 crore) for the COVID-19 Crisis Emergency Response Support. • Aim - To support India’s efforts in fighting COVID-19 and to prepare the health system to manage future epidemics and also to improve the resilience of India’s health systems against infectious diseases. More about it • This Grant-in-aid from Government of Japan is for providing medical equipment to strengthen the public health and medical system in India. • This will strengthen the health care facilities for managing critical and serious patients suffering from COVID-19 infection.

1.185 RBI permits banks to invest in debt instruments through mutual funds • Recently, Reserve Bank of India has issued a statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies. • It has reduced the risk capital that banks need to set aside against investment in debt mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). • According to Basel III guidelines, if a bank holds a debt instrument directly, it would have to allocate lower capital as compared to holding the same debt instrument through a mutual fund- or exchange traded fund. • The general market risk charge of 9 per cent will apply on both direct holdings, as well as through mutual funds or ETFs. Present Situation

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• Banks have to set aside more capital when they invest in debt mutual funds compared to when they buy debt instruments directly.

1.186 RBI bars banks from opening current accounts for customers having availed cash credit or overdraft facilities • Recently, The Reserve Bank of India has barred banks from opening current accounts for customers who have availed cash credit or overdraft facilities. • The decision has been taken to improve credit discipline. Key Highlights of the decision • RBI has informed that rather than opening a new current account, all transactions should be routed through a Cash Credit or OverDraft account. • No bank shall open current accounts for customers who have availed credit facilities in the form of Cash Credit (CC)/ OverDraft (OD) from the banking system and all transactions shall be routed through the CC/ OD account. Relevance • There has been concerns emanating from the use of multiple accounts by borrowers which calls for the need to safeguard for opening of such accounts by borrowers, availing credit facilities from multiple banks.

1.187 IBBI amends the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Liquidation Process) Regulations, 2016 • Recently, The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has notified the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Liquidation Process) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2020. • Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Liquidation Process) has been amended to fix the fee payable to the liquidator. Key Highlights of the Amendment • The amendment has clarified that where a liquidator realizes any amount, but does not distribute the same, he shall be entitled to a fee corresponding to the amount realized by him. • Where a liquidator distributes any amount, which is not realized by him, he shall be entitled to a fee corresponding to the amount distributed by him. About Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India • The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India was established on 1st October, 2016 under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (Code). • It is a key pillar for implementation of the Code. o It consolidates and amends the laws relating to reorganization and insolvency resolution of corporate persons, partnership firms and individuals in a time bound manner. o It provides for maximization of the value of assets of such persons, to promote entrepreneurship, availability of credit and balance the interests of all the stakeholders. • It has 10 members from Ministry of Finance, Law, and RBI.

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1.188 RBI sets up panel for stressed loans resolution norms under K.V.Kamath • Recently, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted the expert committee under the chairmanship of K.V. Kamath. • It has been constituted to make recommendations on norms for the resolution of COVID-19 related stressed loans. • The other members of the committee include o Diwakar Gupta o T.N. Manoharan o Ashvin Parekh o Sunil Mehta • The Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) would be functioning as the secretariat to the committee and the committee will be fully empowered to consult or invite any person it deems fit. Relevance • RBI has announced a 'Resolution Framework for COVID-19-related Stress', as a special window under the Prudential Framework on Resolution of Stressed Assets issued on June 7, 2019. • The resolution framework has envisaged constitution of an expert committee by the RBI to make recommendations on the required financial parameters to be factored in into the resolution plans, with sector-specific benchmark ranges for such parameters.

1.189 SEBI to set up virtual museum of securities market • Recently, SEBI has been planning to set up a virtual museum of securities market to highlight achievements and milestones in the Indian capital market. • It has intended to be a visual online organised collection of history of evolution, achievements and milestones in the Indian securities market over the decades in terms of market infrastructure, regulation and enforcement. • It will engage the audience with creative content through various means like video, audio, chat bot, voice assistants, virtual reality, analytics, interactive and animated elements. • The content would be delivered in English, Hindi and other Indian languages.

1.190 RBI to set up innovation hub for financial inclusion, efficient banking • Recently, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that it would be setting up an innovation hub to encourage start-ups and companies address the challenges of financial inclusion and efficient banking transactions. • Aim – To bring solutions to the financial sector by tapping into areas such as cybersecurity, data analytics, delivery platforms, and payment services. • Key Features of the Hub • It will act as a center for ideation and incubation of new capabilities that can be leveraged to create innovative and viable financial products or services. • It will help achieve the wider objectives of o Deepening financial inclusion, o Efficient banking services, o Ensuring business continuity in times of emergency Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 85

o Strengthening consumer protection Relevance • The RBI in 2019 had announced a regulatory sandbox programme for new experiments in the field of financial technology under its supervision. About Sandbox Framework • RBI in 2019 had set up a regulatory sandbox framework where solutions related to digital payments was the first cohort. • The purpose of a regulatory sandbox stemmed from the RBI executive director Sudarshan Sen’s committee in 2017. • It has referred to live testing of new products or services in a controlled environment for which regulators may permit certain regulatory relaxations for the limited purpose of testing. • Six proposals have been received under the sandbox.

1.191 Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches platform for “Transparent Taxation - Honouring the Honest” • Recently, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched a platform for “Transparent Taxation - Honouring the Honest”. • It has been launched to meet the requirements of the 21st century taxation system. • This platform is a part of the Government’s resolve to provide maximum governance with minimum government. • This platform would help in the making of a Self - Reliant India, AtmaNirbharBharat. About a platform for “Transparent Taxation - Honouring the Honest” • Aim – To make the tax system Seamless, Painless, Faceless which means - o Seamless - The Seamless system works to resolve the problems of a taxpayer instead of entangling him further. o Painless – The Painless system means, everything from technology to rules should be simple. o Faceless – The Faceless system means, there is no need for direct contact between the Taxpayer and the Income Tax Officer in all matters of scrutiny, notice, survey or assessment.

1.192 Rules amended for faster resolution of MNCs' tax disputes under MAP • Recently, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has amended income tax rules to resolve Mutual Agreement Procedure (MAP) disputes within a timeframe of 24 months. Key Features of the amendment • If a resolution has arrived it should be communicated to the assessee, who will communicate his acceptance or non-acceptance within 30 days. • Upon acceptance of the resolution, the assessee will withdraw any appeal filed in the resolution and pay the tax determined by the assessing officer. • It has amended the following Income Tax Rules o Rule 44G – Dealing with application and procedure for giving effect to MAP o Form 34F – Deals with filing an application with the competent authority for invoking MAP. Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 86

About Mutual Agreement Procedure • MAP is an alternative dispute resolution process under the tax treaties. • Under it, competent authorities of two countries enter into discussions to resolve tax-related disputes. • As many as 600 tax disputes were resolved under MAP between April 2014 and December 31, 2018. offices - Eastern (Kolkata), Northern (Delhi), Southern (Chennai) and Western (Ahmedabad).

1.193 RBI announces special liquidity facility of Rs 10,000 cr for NABARD, NHB • Recently, Reserve Bank of India has announced an Additional Special Liquidity Facility (ASLF) of Rs 10,000 crore to help small financiers and home loan companies amid COVID-19 difficulties. • It would be equally split between National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development NABARD and the National Hosing Bank. • ASLF for NHB would be used to shield the housing sector from liquidity disruptions and augment the flow of finance to the sector through housing finance companies (HFCs). • ASLF for Nabard would be used to ameliorate the stress being faced by smaller non-bank finance companies (NBFCs) and micro-finance institutions in obtaining access to liquidity. • The liquidity facility would be offered at the policy repo rate.

1.194 RBI announces 'positive pay' feature to help avert cheque frauds • Recently, Reserve Bank of India has announced “positive pay” feature to help avert cheque frauds. About Positive Pay • It is a fraud-prevention system offered by most commercial banks to companies to protect them against forged, altered and counterfeit checks. • The system has been introduced for all cheques of value Rs 50,000 and above. • It would be covering approximately 20 percent and 80 percent of total cheques by volume and value. • Under the system, a customer who issues the cheque clicks a picture of the cheque before handing it over to the beneficiary and uploads the same on the bank's mobile application.

INTERNATIONAL News

1.195 UAE becomes first country in Arab World to produce nuclear energy • Recently, United Arab Emirates became the first country in the Arab World to produce nuclear energy. • It has achieved the landmark as its Barakah Nuclear Plant's 1st Unit has got operational. About United Arab Emirates • Capital – Abu Dhabi • Currency – United Arab Emirates dirham

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1.196 Hurricane Isaias hits USA • Recently, Hurricane Isaias has hit the coast of Bahamas in the United States of America. About United States of America • Capital – Washington D.C • Currency – US Dollar

1.197 New Tick-borne virus in China • Recently, A new infectious disease caused by a tick-borne virus has killed several people in China. About China • Capital – Beijing • Currency –

1.198 Japan marks 75th anniversary of Hiroshima atomic bombing • Recently, Japan has marked 75 years of atomic bombing in Hiroshima on 6th August. Background • USA has attacked Japan with Nuclear bombs during the second world War in 1945. About Japan • Capital – Tokyo • Currency – Japanese Yen

1.199 Canada’s Milne Ice Shelf collapses • Recently, The Milne Ice Shelf of Canada has collapsed. • It has been the last fully intact ice shelf in the Canadian Arctic. About Canada • Capital – Ottawa • Currency – Canadian Dollar

1.200 The European Union imposes its first-ever sanctions over cyberattacks • Recently, The European Union has imposed its first-ever sanctions over cyberattacks. • It has hit over Russian military agents, Chinese cyber spies and organizations including a North Korean firm. • The sanctions have included a travel ban, an asset freeze and a prohibition against making funds available to the sanctioned EU individuals and entities. About European Union • Headquarter - Brussels, Belgium

1.201 UAE becomes the first Gulf Arab country to reach a deal on normalising relations with Israel • Recently, The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become the first Gulf Arab country to reach a deal on normalising relations with Israel. • The agreement has been named as "Abraham Agreement." • It has secured an Israeli commitment to halt further annexation of Palestinian lands in the occupied West Bank. Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 88

• It has become only the third Arab nation after Jordan and Egypt to have active diplomatic ties to Israel.

1.202 EU to give 1.65 million euro to flood hit people in South Asia • Recently, European Union (EU) has informed that it has provided 1.65 million euro in humanitarian aid in response to severe flooding that has affected South Asia-most notably Bangladesh, India and Nepal. Relevance • In May 2020, EU has announced 1.8 million euro to support families affected by a series of disasters, including Cyclone Amphan that ravaged India and Bangladesh.

1.203 World's 'first' COVID-19 vaccine “Sputnik V” out in Russia • Russia has become the first country in the world to register a COVID-19 vaccine after less than two months of human testing. • Developed by - Gamaleya Research Institute and the Russian defense ministry. • This vaccine has got regulatory approvals within two months of clinical trials on humans • Russian President’s daughter is reported to have been given the vaccine.

1.204 Pentagon to set up UFO task force • Recently, the Pentagon has declared to set up a new task force under the U.S. Navy to investigate UFO sightings. • Aim – To create the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF). • Through this task force the Defense Department will improve its understanding of, and gain insight into, the nature and origins of UAPs. About The Pentagon – • The Pentagon is the headquarter building of the United States Department of Defense. • As a symbol of the U.S. military, “The Pentagon” is often used as a synonym for the Department of Defense and its leadership.

1.205 Hottest air temperature recorded in California's Death Valley • Recently, one of the hottest air temperatures has been recorded in Death Valley, in Mojave Desert (USA) • Temperature has soared to 54.4 degrees Celsius. • It is the hottest air temp. recorded on the planet in at least a century.

1.206 Ex-journalist Chrystia Freeland becomes Canada’s 1st Female Finance Minister • Recently, Former journalist Chrystia Freeland has become Canada’s first female finance minister • Freeland will also keep her job as deputy Prime Minister.

1.207 Bangladesh observes 'National Mourning Day' • Bangladesh has observed the National Mourning Day on 15th August.

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• This day marks the 45th anniversary of the brutal assassination of its founder President Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 15th August 1975.

1.208 Typhoon Bavi reaches • Recently, a Typhoon named “Bavi” has made landfall in North Korea. About Typhoon Bavi - • Typhoon Bavi is the eighth tropical storm of the 2020 Pacific typhoon season.

1.209 Chief of Kerala Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate ‘Pratheeksha’ • Recently, Chief of Kerala Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has announced that he will inaugurate ‘Pratheeksha’ via videoconference. About ‘Pratheeksha’ Marine Ambulance - • It is the first fully equipped marine ambulance of the Fisheries Department. • It is made for rescue operations at sea to provide medical care to 10 persons at a time. • Built by - Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL).

1.210 HDFC Bank launches Shaurya KGC Card for armed forces • Recently, HDFC Bank has launched a ‘Shaurya KGC Card’ for the armed forces. • Objective - The Shaurya KGC Card will provide armed forces personnel with finance for agricultural requirements like production of crop, post-harvest maintenance and consumption needs. • Through the card, agriculture loans will be given to the personnel based on their land holdings and requirements. • The Shaurya KGC Card offers a life cover of ₹10 lakh as against ₹2 lakh for an average car

1.211 China to unveil the bronze statue of Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis • Recently, China has unveiled the bronze statue of Indian doctor Dwarkanath Kotnis. • This statue of Kotnis, known in China as Ke Dihua, would be formally unveiled at the medical school at Shijiazhuang in September 2020. About Dr Dwarkanath Kotnis • Kotni hailed from Sholapur in Maharashtra. • He went to China in 1938 as part of a five-member team of doctors sent by the Indian National Congress to help the Chinese during World War II.

1.212 Africa declared free of wild polio after decades • Recently, Africa Regional Certification Commission has declared Africa free of the wild polio virus. • It has informed that no new cases have been reported in the last four years. Note: Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained the countries to still have the wild poliovirus.

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APPOINTMENTS

1.213 Prof (Dr.) Pradeep Joshi appoints as new UPSC chairman • Recently, Prof (Dr.) Pradeep Kumar Joshi has been appointed as the new chairman of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). • He has replaced Arvind Saxena.

1.214 Manoj Sinha appointed as new Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir • Recently, Manoj Sinha has been appointed as the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. • He has been appointed after the former Lieutenant governor Girish Chandra Murmu has resigned.

1.215 Former J&K Lt Guv Girish Chandra Murmu to be new CAG of India • Recently, Former Lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir Girish Chandra Murmu has been appointed as new Comptroller and Auditor General of India. • He has replaced Rajiv Mehrishi.

1.216 Gen. Charles Q. Brown sworn in as first Black Air Force chief • Recently, General Charles Q. Brown has been sworn in as the first Black chief of United States Air Force.

1.217 Great Eastern Shipping appoints Urjit Patel as additional director • Recently, Great Eastern Shipping Company Ltd has appointed former RBI Governor Urjit Patel as an additional Director for five years. • He has also been elected as independent director for a term of five years by the company. Note - The Great Eastern Shipping Company Limited is India's largest private sector shipping company which mainly transports liquid, gas and solid bulk products.

1.218 Mahinda Rajapaksa takes oath as Sri Lankan Prime Minister • Recently, Mahinda Rajapaksa has taken oath as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. • He has earlier served as the President of Sri Lanka.

1.219 Satheesh Reddy gets two-year extension as DRDO Chief • Recently, Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy, Head of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has been given a two-year extension. • He has been given extension as the Secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development and Chairman DRDO beyond his tenure of August 2020. • This extension is approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

1.220 UK appoints Dan O'Mahoney as threat commander' • Recently, United kingdom (UK) has appointed Dan O'Mahoney as English Channel threat commander. • He has been appointed to curb the number of migrants crossing the English Channel. Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 91

1.221 Rakesh Asthana appointed DG of Border Security Force • Recently, Gujarat cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana has been elected as the Director General (DG) of the Border Security Force (BSF). • He will also continue to hold the additional charge of the post of DG, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

1.222 Satya Pal Malik becomes Meghalaya Governor • Recently, Goa Governor Satya Pal Malik has been appointed as the new Governor of Meghalaya. • Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has been given the additional charge of Goa.

1.223 Rajiv Kumar becomes Election Commissioner • Former Finance Secretary Rajiv Kumar has been appointed as the Election Commissioner of India • He has replaced Ashok Lavasa. • He will work in coordination with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora and Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra.

1.224 Ajay Tyagi gets 18 months’ extension as SEBI chairman • Recently, Ajay Tyagi has been given an 18 month extension as the chairman of markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). • His term will continue till February 2022.

Persons in news

1.225 Theatre legend Ebrahim Alkazi passed away • Recently, Theater legend Ebrahim Alkazi has passed away. • He has been credited for revolutionizing theatre in India. • He was the longest serving director of National School of Drama (NSD).

1.226 Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh passes away • Recently, Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh has passed away. • He was a renowned Politician.

1.227 Former Maharashtra CM Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar passes away • Recently, Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar has passed away. • He was a leader of Indian National Congress. • He was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra from June 1985 to March 1986.

1.228 P.V.Venkitakrishnan promoted as Distinguished Scientist of ISRO • Recently, Dr. P.V.Venkitakrishnan has been promoted as Distinguished Scientist of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

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• It is the highest grade in ISRO and is equivalent to the Cabinet Secretary grade of the government. • He was earlier serving as Director, Capacity Building Programme Office. About Indian Space Research Organization • Headquarter – Bengaluru

1.229 Nobel Laureate John Hume • Recently, renowned Catholic leader of Ireland John Hume has passed away. • He was a co-recipient of the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize with David Trimble (both were from Ireland).

1.230 Revolutionary writer Vangapandu Prasada Rao passes away • Recently, Revolutionary writer and eminent singer Vangapandu Prasada Rao has passed away. • He has won 'Kala-Ratna' award from Andhra Pradesh government in the year 2017.

1.231 Iker Casillas officially announces retirement • Recently, renowned football goalkeeper Iker Casillas has announced retirement. • He has played for Spain and clubs like Real Madrid and Porto.

1.232 Writer and activist Sadia Dehlvi passes away • Recently, Writer and Activist Sadia Dehlvi has passed away. • She has edited Bano, an Urdu women’s journal. • She hailed from the royal ‘Shama’ family.

1.233 Manitombi Singh passes away • Recently, Former Indian football player Manitombi Singh has passed away. • He belongs to the state of Manipur.

1.234 Renowned academician Agha Ashraf Ali passes away • Recently, Renowned academician Agha Ashraf Ali has passed away.

1.235 Isher Judge Ahluwalia resigns as ICRIER chairperson • Recently, Isher Judge Ahluwalia has stepped down as chairperson of think tank Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). • She has been replaced by Pramod Bhasin. About Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) • It is an autonomous, policy-oriented, not-for-profit, economic policy think tank. • Headquarter – New Delhi

1.236 Pandit Jasraj passes away • Hindustani classical music legend Pandit Jasraj has passed away. • He was a Padma Vibhushan awardee.

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1.237 Filmmaker-actor Nishikant Kamat passes away • Recently, Filmmaker-actor Nishikant Kamat has passed away in Hyderabad. • His film “Dombivali Fast” has received a national award.

1.238 Photographer Punalur Rajan passes away • Recently, ace photographer Punalur Rajan has passed away. • He was an exceptionally talented photographer who specialized in taking black-and-white pictures of cultural icons. • He belonged to the state of Kerala.

1.239 Chetan Chauhan passes away • Former Indian cricketer Chetan Chauhan has passed away. • He was Cabinet Minister in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

1.240 Mercedes Barcha paases away • Recently, Mercedes Barcha has passed away. • She was the wife of novelist Gabriel García Márquez and belonged to Mexico. About Mexico Country • Capital - Mexico City • Currency - Mexican peso

1.241 Curator Kasturirangan passes away • Recently, G. Kasturirangan has passed away. • He was a Former Mysore State cricketer and reputed pitch curator.

1.242 Renowned Carnatic musician & Veena artist Dr B Siva Kumar passes away ● Noted Carnatic musician Dr B Siva Kumar has passed way at the age of 53 years. ● He was senior veena artist of AIR Tiruchirapalli , Tamil Nadu

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1.243 Former President Pranab Mukherjee passes away • Recently, former President Pranab Mukherjee has passed away. • As a mark of respect to the departed dignitary, Government has announced seven days State Mourning throughout India. • Mr. Mukherjee held many ministerial positions in the government of India, including Defence, Finance, and External Affairs before he was elected President of India in 2012.

1.244 Noted Indo-English poet passes away • Recently, T.Vasudeva Reddy has passed away. • He was a Noted Indo-English poet, novelist and critic known for social criticism, satire and irony.

1.245 'Black Panther' star Chadwick Boseman passes away • Recently, Actor Chadwick Boseman has passed away because of colon cancer. • He was famous for his role as the regal Black Panther in the Marvel cinematic universe.

1.246 Computer pioneer Arnold Spielberg passes away • Recently, Arnold Spielberg, father of filmmaker Steven Spielberg has passed away. • Spielberg and Charles Propster had designed the GE-225 mainframe computer (personal computer) in the late 1950s while working for General Electric. • He belonged to California, United States.

Science and Technology

1.247 Webinar series on Hydro-Meteorological Hazards Risk Reduction • Recently a webinar series on Hydro-Meteorological Hazards Risk Reduction has taken place. • It has focused for reducing the risk and enhancing the resilience of affected communities and surroundings. • Organized by – National Institute of Disaster Management in collaboration with India Meteorological Department. About National Institute of Disaster Management • It is an institution under Ministry of Home Affairs. • Headquarter – New Delhi

1.248 Age of Ultron wins first prize in Smart India Hackathon-2020 • Recently, Student team “Age of Ultron” of Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) has won first prize in Smart India Hackathon (SIH)-2020. • The team has provided the solution titled “DRISHTI” for the face, expression and gesture recognition using Artificial Intelligence. • SIH was organized jointly by – Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). • Place – Noida Institute of Engineering & Technology (NIET), Uttar Pradesh.

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1.249 NHAI Signs MoU with IIT Delhi • Recently, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. • It has been signed to set up a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Use of Artificial Intelligence in Data Driven decision making and Advance Data Management System for Highways. Key features of the agreement • IIT Delhi will provide space and infrastructural facility support to house the CoE along with providing scientific and technical expertise to extend research facilities at par with academic activities of the Institute. • NHAI would be providing the critical data support and necessary access to its information resources including the data software, ‘Data Lake’.

1.250 Amazon‘s Project Kuiper gets USFCC approval • Recently, Amazon's 'Project Kuiper' has won approval from the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deploy and operate its constellation of 3,236 satellites to beam affordable Internet services. • Amazon would be opening a research facility for designing and testing the satellites in Washington. Relevance • Amazon in 2019 has announced Project Kuiper to build a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation capable of providing reliable, affordable broadband service to unserved and underserved communities around the world.

1.251 IIT Madras ties up with Helyxon to develop remote patient monitoring solutions • Recently, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras' Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre and Helyxon have successfully deployed the jointly-developed remote patient monitoring solutions for Covid-19. • It performs clinically accurate, continuous monitoring of four critical parameters – o Temperature o Oxygen saturation, o Respiratory rate and o Heart rate

1.252 IIT Ropar develops UVGI based room disinfection device • Recently, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Ropar has developed a first-of-its-kind Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) based room disinfection device. • It has been developed in collaboration with Momentum India Pvt. Ltd. • It will harness the germicidal effects of UV-C radiations to inactivate viruses and bacteria including corona viruses. • The wing of the device is designed to provide focused exposure to the most frequently touched surfaces such as door knobs, table tops, cupboards, room fixtures, wall corners, work tops, artifacts, etc.

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• Conceptualized and designed by - Khushboo Rakha and Naresh Rakha

1.253 ‘Baby’ Milky Way discovered 12 billion light years away • Recently, a galaxy “SPT0418-47” has been discovered up by Alma radio telescope in Chile. • It has been discovered 12 billion light years away from earth. • It has features similar to Milky Way.

1.254 Astronomers find Milky Way look-alike galaxy 12 billion light-years away • Recently, astronomers at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics have found a look-alike of the Milky Way called SPT0418-47 12 billion light-years away with the help of the Atacama Large Millimetre/sub-millimetre Array (ALMA). • The galaxy, called SPT0418-47, does not appear to have spiral arms lie our Milky Way but has at least two features that are similar to our galaxy: a rotating disc and a bulge. • This is the first time a bulge has been seen this early in the history of the Universe, making SPT0418-47 the most distant Milky Way look-alike.

1.255 ISRO releases ‘Sarabhai’ crater images to mark the birth centenary of father of Indian space programme • The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Chandrayaan 2 orbiter has captured a photograph of the Sarabhai Crater on the Moon. About the Image - • The image has been captured using the orbiter's Terrain Mapping Camera–2 (TMC-2) instrument. • The photograph of the Sarabhai crater, named after the ISRO's founder Dr Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai, was released on 12 July 2020 in honour of his 101st birth anniversary. Note - Dr. Sarabhai is considered the founding the father of ISRO, and popularly remembered as 'the father of India’s space program.'

1.256 NASA invites engineering students to help harvest water on Mars and Moon • Recently, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) inviting applications from eligible undergraduate and graduate student teams to help harvest water on the Moon and Mars. • The space agency has announced the commencement of the 2021 Moon to Mars Ice and Prospecting Challenge. • NASA will shortlist 10 teams for building their systems which will be awarded USD 10,000 as a stipend.

1.257 The SpaceX Dragon Capsule returned from space station • Recently, The SpaceX Dragon Capsule carrying Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken has returned from Space station. • It has marked the first crewed US water landing since the final outing of an Apollo command module 45 years ago. • Relevance Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 97

• In May 2020, SpaceX Dragon has become the First Private Spacecraft to Reach the Space Station.

1.258 Flipkart partners with IIT-Patna for joint research in artificial intelligence • Recently, Flipkart has partnered with IIT-Patna to help create industry-focused applied research in the areas of artificial intelligence (AI), natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML). • Aim - To create industry-focused applied research that could help reach e-commerce more consumers and sellers.

1.259 SCTIMST & IIT Madras start-up set up portable hospital infrastructure for COVID -19 • Recently, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) has collaborated with ‘Modulus Housing’ a start-up that has incubated by IIT Madras. • Aim – To solve the problem of unavailability of portable hospitals for detecting, screening, identifying, isolating, and treating COVID-19 patients in local communities. • Both have come up with a solution using decentralised approach to detect, manage and treat COVID-19 patients in local communities through portable microstructures.

1.260 Chandrayaan-2 completes one year around Moon • Recently, India's Chandrayaan-2 has completed a year around the Moon. • The orbiter of Chandrayaan-2 has completed more than 4400 orbits around the Moon and all the instruments are currently performing well.

1.261 ISRO and IISc scientists make ‘space bricks’ from urea for buildings on Lunar surface ● Indian scientists from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have developed a sustainable process for making brick-like structures on the moon. ● The newly developed brick-like structures exploit lunar soil and uses bacteria and guar beans to consolidate the soil into possible load-bearing structures. ● These space bricks could eventually be used to assemble structures for habitation on the moon’s surface, the researchers suggest.

1.262 Center for Biopharma Analysis to support National Biopharma Mission ● The Center for Biopharma Analysis (CBA) has been inaugurated at Pune-based technology business incubator, Venture Center. ● It is supported by the National Biopharma Mission (NBM) of Department of Biotechnology (DBT)- Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) ● CBA will provide high-quality analytical services for biopharmaceutical developers and manufacturers. o National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) o Ministry of Home Affairs

1.263 Japan’s SkyDrive ‘Flying Car’ Successfully Carries out Test Flight • Recently, Japan’s SkyDrive Inc., has carried out a successful test flight of “flying car” project. Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 98

• It has been tested with one person aboard.

1.264 ASTROSAT detects an extreme ultraviolet (UV) light • Recently, India’s ASTROSAT has made a rare discovery. • The discovery has been made by an international team of astronomers led by Dr. Kanak Saha. About ASTROSAT • It is India’s first multi- wavelength satellite observatory, has detected an extreme ultraviolet (UV) light from a galaxy which is 9.3 billion light-years away from Earth.

1.265 New Infosys AI-powered solution to automate helpdesk operations • Recently, Infosys has launched an AI-driven 'Cognitive Email Workbench' solution. • Infosys has partnered with Blue Prism to build this solution. • Aim - This will automate helpdesk operations, allow customers to eliminate manual resolution and build near-touchless contact centers in the Covid-19 times.

1.266 NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Maps Giant Halo Surrounding Andromeda Galaxy • Recently, scientists using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have mapped the immense envelope of gas, called a halo, surrounding the Andromeda galaxy. • This galaxy is the nearest large galactic neighbor of Earth.

1.267 IIT-B, Shiv Nadar University develop environment friendly lithium batteries • Recently, Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay and Shiv Nadar University have developed a technology for the production of environment friendly Lithium-Sulfur (Li-S) batteries. • These batteries will be three times more energy efficient and cost effective than Lithium-ion batteries commonly used at present.

1.268 Union Health Minister announces the successful completion of first Pan India 1000 Genome sequencing of SARS- CoV-2 • Recently, Union Health Minister has announced the successful completion of PAN-India 1000 Genome sequencing of SARS- CoV-2. • He has also launched and dedicated to the nation the largest network of five dedicated COVID-19 Biorepositories established by Department of Biotechnology. o Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) Faridabad o Institute of Life Science (ILS) Bhubaneshwar o Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) New Delhi o National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS) Pune o Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (InStem) Bangalore. • The data would soon be released in Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) for use by researchers across the Globe. Relevance The Department of Biotechnology had launched a Pan India 1000 SARS--CoV-2 RNA Genome Sequencing programme in May 2020 Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 99

DAYS in news

1.269 World Sanskrit Day • Recently, World Sanskrit Day has been celebrated on 3rd August 2020. • On the day, special program in Sanskrit titled "Bahujan Bhasha - Sanskrit Bhasha" has been launched.

1.270 6th National Handloom Day of India ● Sixth National Handloom Day has been observed on 7th August 2020. ● The day also focuses on the contribution of handloom to the socio-economic development of the country and increase the income of the weavers.

1.271 World Tribal Day • Recently, International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples or World Tribal Day has been observed on 9th August 2020. • Theme – “COVID-19 and indigenous peoples.” • Aim - To promote and protecting the rights of the world’s indigenous population. • The day has been celebrated since 1994 in accordance with the declaration by the United Nations.

1.272 Webinar on the occasion of the World Biofuel day organized • Recently, A webinar on the occasion of the World Biofuel day has been organized by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. • Theme of the Webinar - Biofuels towards Atmanirbhar Bharat”. • The day has been observed on 10th August. • It has been observed to create awareness about the importance of non-fossil fuels as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels and to highlight the various efforts made by the Government in the Biofuel sector.

1.273 International Youth Day • Recently, International Youth Day has been observed on 12th August 2020. • Theme – “Youth Engagement for Global Action”

DEFENCE in news

1.274 India to participate in Kavkaz 2020 exercise in Russia • Recently, India has accepted the invitation to take part in Kavkaz 2020 strategic command- post exercise. • It would be taking place in Astrakhan in Russia in September 2020. • The invitations have also been sent to China and Pakistan apart from the SCO member.

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1.275 India to boost Rafale capabilities with HAMMER missiles • Recently, Indian Air Force has planned to further boost the capabilities of the RAFAEL by equipping it with the HAMMER missiles from France. About HAMMER • HAMMER stands for Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range. • It is a medium-range air-to-ground weapon. • Manufactured by - Safran Electronics & Defense

1.276 Defense Minister launches new Infrastructure creation by Defence PSUs and OFB • Recently, Defence minister has new infrastructure creation by Defence Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). Important initiatives that has been launched Name of the Initiative Designed and Developed by Prototype of Nag Missile Carrier (NAMICA) Ordnance Factory Medak in association with Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad ‘GAUR’ - A multi-level Medium Bullet Proof Vehicle Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML). Konkurs Launchers Test Equipment and Konkurs Bharat Dynamics Limited Missile Test Equipment Indigenised Maareech Integration facility for Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) manufacturing, integration and testing of Anti Torpedo Defence System.

1.277 Indian Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessel ‘Sarthak’ launched • Recently, An Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) for the Indian Coast Guard has been launched and re-christened as Indian Coast Guard Ship ‘Sarthak’. • Key Features of OPV Sarthak • It is the fourth in the series of five OPVs. • It is propelled by two 9100 KW diesel engines designed to attain a maximum speed of 26 knots, with an endurance of 6000 Nautical Miles. • Designed & built by – Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) Note – Indian Coast Guard has a motto “Vayam Rakshamah” meaning “We Protect.”

1.278 Defence Minister Launches Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) • Recently, Defence minister has launched the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO). • A compendium of Indian Navy’s Indigenisation perspective plans titled ‘SWAVLAMBAN’ has also been released during the event.

1.279 Defense Minister lays the foundation for missile-seeker facility • Recently, the defense Minister Rajnath Singh has laid the foundation for a missile-seeker facility and a warhead production unit at Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) at Hyderabad.

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• Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) is establishing a Seeker Facility Centre (SFC) for manufacturing and testing of indigenously developed Seekers for missiles. • This initiative has been celebrated as part of the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ week by the BDL.

1.280 Defense Acquisition Council approves procurement proposals worth Rs 8,722.38 crore • Recently, the Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) has accorded approval for capital acquisitions of various platforms and equipment required by the Indian Armed Forces. • For this Proposals for an approximate cost of Rs.8,722.38 crore have been approved. • This capital approval decision has been taken by the government as a part of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.

1.281 Bangladesh navy ship ‘Sangram’ visits Goa ● Bangladesh Navy Ship (BNS) Sangram has made a port call at Mormugao Port, Goa. ● This ship is a guided missile stealth corvette. ● BNS Sangram is en route to participate as a member of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. About Stealth Corvette- ● The guided missile stealth corvette has been built by China and was commissioned in June this year. ● The vessel has a crew of 15 officers and 95 sailors and is led by Faisal Mohammad Arifur Rahman Bhuiyan.

1.282 Raksha Mantri approves a proposal of the National Cadet Corps for a major expansion scheme • Recently, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has approved a proposal of the National Cadet Corps for a major expansion scheme. • Aim - To meet the aspirations of youth in all the border and coastal districts. • A total of one lakh cadets from 173 border and coastal districts will be inducted in the NCC. • The NCC expansion plan will be implemented in partnership with the States.

1.283 Naval Commanders’ Conference 2020 • “Naval Commanders’ Conference of 2020” has recently taken place in New Delhi in the month of August 2020. • The Conference is the apex level event for interaction between the Naval Commanders. • The Chief of the Naval Staff, with the Commanders-in-Chief, will review major operational, materiel, logistics, HR, training and administrative activities undertaken during the year and deliberate upon the course to be steered in the future.

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1.284 MoD signs contracts worth Rs.2580 Crores with Indian Companies for supply of Pinaka Regiments to Indian Army • Recently, Ministry of Defense has signed contracts with Indian companies for supply of Six Pinaka Regiments to the Regiment of Artillery of the Indian Army at an approximate cost of Rs. 2580 Crores. • These Indian companies are - M/s. Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. (BEML), M/s. Tata Power Company Ltd. (TPCL) and M/s. Larsen & Toubro (L&T). • Aim – To boost the ‘Make in India’ initiative. About Pinaka • The Pinaka Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) has been indigenously designed and developed by DRDO.

1.285 Air Force Sports Control Board Conferred with ‘Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2020’ • Recently, Air Force Sports Control Board (AFSCB) has been conferred with ‘Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2020’. • Air Marshal MSG Menon has received award for this. • This Award is given for the outstanding contribution in helping sportsperson to excel in their respective disciplines and implement robust sports welfare measures. About ‘Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2020’ • The award is for sustained efforts towards encouragement and promotion of sports in the country and IAF in particular. About Air Force Sports Control Board (AFSCB) • Air Force Sports Control Board (AFSCB) is the apex body for planning and conduct of sports activities within the IAF and at Inter-Services level.

1.286 'Valour wall' of gallantry-winning CRPF officers inaugurated • Recently, a "valour wall" depicting the names of gallantry award-winning CRPF officers has been inaugurated in Gurgaon, Haryana. • CRPF training academy is located there. • The bravery wall includes the names of 138 officers.

1.287 India decides to pull out of Kavkaz 2020 military exercise on Russia • Recently, India has withdrawn its participation in Kavkaz 2020 multinational exercise. • This exercise is to take place in Russia in September 2020. • India has cited logistics difficulties due to COVID-19 pandemic but participation of Chinese troops could be the major reason.

SPORTS

1.288 India withdraws from women's world team Squash championship in Kuala Lumpur • Recently, India has withdrawn from the women's world team Squash championship. • It was scheduled to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 103

1.289 SAI launches Khelo India Mobile App online training program for principals, PE Teachers • Recently, The Sports Authority of India has hosted an online program for training of Physical Education (PE) Teachers from CISCE Schools on “Khelo India Fitness Assessment of School Going Children”. • It has been titled as “Whole School Approach to Fitness”. • It was otganized in association with Education Boards Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)

1.290 South Asian Games 2019: Surendhar and Jabir upgraded to get gold • Recently, J. Surendhar and M.P. Jabir have been upgraded to gold medals in the 13th South Asian Games held in Kathmandu (Nepal) in December 2019. • J. Surendhar has won the medal in 110m Hurdles and M.P. Jabir in 400m Hurdles. • They have been upgraded because Mohammed Naeem and Mehboob Ali of Pakistan were tested positive for a banned substance and have decided not to appeal their dope results. • Santosh Kumar who had won bronze in men’s 400m Hurdles has been upgraded to Silver and Maymon Poulose will get bronze in 110m Hurdels.

1.291 India in Group C of Thomas Cups • Recently, India has been placed in Group C of Thomas Cup. • It has been placed along Denmark, Germany and Algeria. • Indian women have been placed in Group D of Uber Cup. • They have been placed along China, France and Germany. • Both Thomas and Uber Cup will be taking place in October 2020 in Aarhus, Denmark. About Thomas Cup and Uber Cup • Thomas Cup is the Badminton tournament for men and is also known as World Men’s Championship. • Uber Cup is the Badminton tournament for women and is also known as World Women’s Championship.

1.292 India to host ICC Men’s T-20 World Cup • Recently, International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that the India would be hosting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 as planned. • ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 that has been postponed due to Covid-19 will be held in Australia in 2022. • It has also informed that ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup has been postponed till March 2022. • It was scheduled to be held in 2021 in .

1.293 MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina announce retirement from international cricket • Recently, former India cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is retired from international cricket.

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• As well as, Suresh Raina player of Indian Cricket Team has also announced his retirement from international cricket on the same day.

1.294 Pravin Tambe becomes first Indian cricketer to play in Caribbean Premier League • Recently, Pravin Tambe has become the first Indian cricketer to play in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). • He has turned out for Trinbago Knight Riders’ against . • He is a Leg-spinner.

1.295 England's James Anderson becomes 1st fast bowler to take 600 Test wickets • Recently, England's Jimmy Anderson has entered the exclusive 600 Club. • He has become only the fourth bowler and the first seamer to take 600 wickets in test cricket.

1.296 Latest ICC rankings Batsmen Category - • Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have occupied the first and second spots respectively • Pakistan’s Babar Azam is at third spot. Bowler Category - • New Zealand pacer Trent Boult is at the top position • Jaspreet Bumrah is at second spot • Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman at third spot All-rounders Category • Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi is at the top spot, followed by England all-rounder Ben Stokes. • Ravindra Jadeja is at the eight spot (he is the only Indian to feature in the top 10) Test Match Category • Australian player Steve Smith is at top spot. • He is followed by Virat Kohli and Marnus Labuschagne (Australia)

AWARDS

1.297 Winners of the Prem Bhatia award for journalism announced • Recently, Winners of the Prem Bhatia award for journalism has been announced. • The two awards have been given one for reporting on political issues and the other for reporting on environmental and development issues. • Political Issue – Dipankar Ghose has won the award for his coverage of the migrant labour crisis and other COVID-19-related issues. • Environment and Development Issues – People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI) has been awarded for its extensive field reporting, including its reporting on the effects of climate change and the impact of the pandemic on rural India. About Prem Bharti Awards • The awards were instituted in 1995 by the Prem Bhatia Memorial Trust, in memory of eminent journalist Prem Bhatia (1911 – 1995). Visit: www.civilstaphimachal.com For Any Query Mail us: [email protected] or call us at - (+91)-7814622609 105

1.298 Punjab Singh honored with centenarian freedom fighter award • Recently, Punjab Singh has been honored with the centenarian freedom fighter award. • He hails from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

1.299 MS Swaminathan award for environment protection announced • Recently, The Rotary Club of Madras East has announced the MS Swaminathan Award for Environment Protection 2019. • The award has been conferred upon RS Parod , for his enormous contributions in the field of plant breeding and genetic resource management. Note - Parod was a former Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)

1.300 Union Home Minister’s medal for Excellence in Investigation • Recently, Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation 2020 has been announced for 121 policemen from India. Important Awardees • Piyush Pirojiya, Abhijeetsinh Parmar, Rajabhai Karamata, Balvantsinh Baria and Pinalbhai Chaudhary from Gujrat.

1.301 National Sports Awards 2020 • Recently, National Sports Awards 2020 has announced. • The categories and winners are as follows – RAJIV GANDHI KHEL RATNA AWARD • It is given for the spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of four years.

Winner Discipline Shri Rohit Sharma Cricket Shri Mariyappan T. Para Athletics Ms. Manika Batra Table Tennis Ms. Vinesh Wrestling Ms. Rani Hockey

DRONACHARYA AWARD • This Award is given to the coaches for producing medal winners at prestigious international sports events.

It has two categories – A. Life- Time Category

Winner Discipline Shri Dharmendra Tiwary Archery Shri Purushotham Rai Athletics Shri Shiv Singh Boxing

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Shri Romesh Pathania Hockey Shri Krishan Kumar Hooda Kabaddi Shri Vijay Balacharan Minishwar Para Powerlifting Shri Naresh Kumar Tennis Shri Om Parkash Dahiya Wrestling

B. Regular Category Winner Discipline Shri Jude Felix Sebastian Hockey Shri Yogesh Malviya Mallakhamb Shri Jaspal Rana Shooting Shri Kuldeep Kumar Handoo Wushu Shri Gaurav Khanna Para Badminton

1.302 ITC’s Sivakumar Surampudi recieves Gramodaya award • Recently, Sivakumar Surampudi, Group Head of Agri and IT Businesses of ITC Ltd has received the Gramodaya Bandhu Mitra Puraskaras. About Gramodaya Bandhu Mitra Puraskaras - • This awards recognises “Yeoman service rendered by individuals and institutions to provide succour and uplift the vast majority of our population dependent on agriculture and allied activities for livelihood”. • These awards are Instituted by Gramodaya Chamber of Commerce and Technology (GCOT) to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

1.303 Ganesh Vilas Lengare awarded Star 2020 Certificate by World Book of Records, London ● Solapur based social activist Ganesh Vilas Lengare has been awarded the Star 2020 Certificate by the World Book of Records, London. ● This has been done to recognizing his efforts to help the needy during the coronavirus induced lockdown.

1.304 Naandi Foundation's Arakunomics wins the Food Vision 2050 prize • Recently, Rockefeller Foundation has selected Naandi Foundation, as one of the ‘Top 10 Visionaries’ in the world for the Food Vision 2050 Prize, announced in New York. • The Naandi Foundation is a Hyderabad-based non-profit organization. • The recognition fetches Naandi prize money of $200,000. • The award has recognized the application of the Arakunomics model in regions of Araku, Wardha and New Delhi, leading to the Food Vision 2050.

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