Current Affairs 12th August 2020| Current Affairs News

 CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

World Lion Day

• World Lion Day is observed across the world on August 10 every year.
• The main purpose of the day is to raise awareness about lions and educate people about issues concerning their protection and conservation.
• The day aims at supporting and promoting charities and foundations that instill awareness of the need for conservation efforts and sustainable solutions for addressing the dwindling lion population.

National Sons and Daughters Day

• National Son’s and Daughter’s Day is celebrated on 11 August every year.
• The history of National Son’s and Daughter’s Day was celebrated for the first time in 1988.
• The day is celebrated to honor the sons & daughters and appreciate all that they do for the family.

International Youth Day

• International Youth Day was designated by the United Nations (UN) in the year 1999, in an attempt to raise awareness regarding the cultural and legal issue concerning youth.
• The first IYD was observed on 12 August 2000 and has been observed annually ever since.
• The theme of International Youth Day 2020, “Youth Engagement for Global Action”

World Elephant Day

• World Elephant Day is an international annual event on August 12, dedicated to the preservation and protection of the world’s elephants.
• On August 12, 2012, the inaugural World Elephant Day was launched to bring attention to the urgent plight of Asian and African elephants.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

Narendra Singh Tomar launches ICAR’s data recovery centre ‘Krishi Megh’

• Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has launched ICAR’s data recovery centre – Krishi Megh. The move is aimed at protecting  the precious data of the government’s premier research body Indian Council of Agricultural Research. It has been set up at National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM) in Hyderabad.
• Currently, the main data centre of the ICAR is at the Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute (IASRI) in the national capital. Krishi Megh has been set up under the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP), funded by both the government and World Bank.
• Mr Tomar stated NAARM, Hyderabad has been chosen as it lies in a different seismic zone with regard to the Data Centre at ICAR-IASRI in New Delhi. He stated Hyderabad is also suitable as skilled IT manpower is available along with other suitable climatic conditions such as low humidity level which is controllable in the data center environment.
• Mr Tomar stated, the data recovery centre at NAARM is synchronised with the data centre at IASRI. He stated it has been built to mitigate the risk, enhance the quality, availability and accessibility of e-governance, research, extension and education in the field of agriculture in India. Mr Tomar emphasised the need to save and preserve the important research-based data in a prompt digitised form to enable its access anywhere in any corner of the country and the world.

About MoRD:

• Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Minister of Rural Development: Narendra Singh Tomar
• Constituency: Morena, MP

Education Minister launches Minimum Standards of Architectural Education Regulations, 2020

• Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank virtually launched the Minimum Standards of Architectural Education Regulations, 2020 in New Delhi.
• Mr Pokhriyal highlighted about unique architectural beauty of India, its monuments and temples.
• He stated that Council of Architecture should draw inspiration from the present and past treasures of Architecture and bring a paradigm shift in the field of Architecture to make India a world leader again.
• The Minister stated, the architecture of India is rooted in its history, culture and religion.

About Ministry of Education:              

• Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Cabinet Minister
• Constituency: Haridwar
• Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre, Minister of State

Tribal Affairs Ministry develops nine ‘Tribal Freedom Fighters’ Museums

• Tribal Affairs Ministry is developing “Tribal Freedom Fighters’ Museums dedicated to the contributions of the tribal people in India to the freedom struggle.
• Out of nine sanctioned museums, two museums are near completion and remaining seven are at different stages of progress. The Ministry stated that by the end of 2022 all the museums will come into existence.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced setting up of these tribal freedom fighters’ museums during his Independence Day Speech on 15th August 2016.
• All the museums will have strong usage of technologies like Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and 3D/7D holographic projections.
• These museums will demonstrate the way tribals struggle to protect their custodial concerns for the biological and cultural diversity of the country.

About Ministry Of Tribal Affairs:      

• Arjun Munda, Cabinet Minister
• Constituency: Khunti
• Renuka Singh Saruta, Minister of State

Jal Shakti Minister launches Swachh Bharat Mission Academy as part of campaign Gandagi Mukt Bharat

• Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched Swachh Bharat Mission, SBM Academy in New Delhi, as part of the ongoing week-long behaviour change campaign Gandagi Mukt Bharat.
• He launched SBM Academy by dialling the designated IVR toll-free number. Mr Shekhawat stated, the IVR based free mobile online learning course on ODF Plus will be crucial in achieving goals underlined in Phase – 2 of Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin).
• He stated, the mission has transformed rural India by manifesting into a Jan Andolan for sanitation. This led to the historic achievement of Open Defecation Free declaration by all villages, districts and states on 2nd October, last year.
• The Minister added that Swachh Bharat Mission Academy, with its mobile based technology will significantly boost the capacity building efforts in training of Swachhagrahis as well as community-based organizations, NGOs and others associated with phase 2 of the mission. The Ministers also interacted online with few swachhagrahis, field level functionaries and state officials.

About Ministry of Jal Shakti:

• Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Cabinet Minister
• Constituency: Jodhpur
• Rattan Lal Kataria, Minister of State

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL

EU to give 1.65 million euro to flood hit people in South Asia

• The European Union stated it is providing 1.65 million euro in humanitarian aid in response to severe flooding that has affected South Asia-most notably Bangladesh, India and Nepal.
• The funding comes on top of the 1.8 million euro announced earlier this year to support families affected by a series of disasters, including Cyclone Amphan that ravaged India and Bangladesh in May.
• In a statement, EU’s  European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) stated, this brings the total EU support to victims of disasters in the region to 3.45 million euro.
• A further 5 lakh euro will be used in India to provide food and livelihood assistance, emergency relief supplies, and water and sanitation services

About European union:

• Capital: Brussels
• President of the Commission: Ursula von der Leyen

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE

Mahindra Manulife Mutual Fund launches Arbitrage Yojana

• Mahindra Manulife Mutual Fund has launched –Mahindra Manulife Arbitrage Yojana, an open ended scheme for investment in arbitrage opportunities available in equity, derivatives and debt markets.
• The scheme is suitable for investors who are looking for short term investment options with relatively low risk, tax efficient returns, and looking to park money in a scheme relatively less impacted by market volatility.
• Mahindra Manulife Arbitrage Yojana would invest minimum 65-100% in equity and equity related instruments including equity derivatives, upto 35% in debt and money market securities including tri-party repo, reverse repo upto 35 – 100% in debt and money market securities including tri-party repo, reverse repo, and upto 10% in units issued by REITs & InvITs.

Razorpay launches payment gateway ‘Button’ to digitise freelancers, NGOs

• Payment gateway startup Razorpay has introduced a feature that allows micro-entrepreneurs and freelancers to instantaneously accept digital payments online, a move attempted to corner the market of the rapidly digitising small businesses amid the ongoing pandemic.
• The feature called the ‘Payment Button’ will enable businesses and freelancers to add a single line of code on a website or blog and go live with a payment gateway within a few minutes.
• The new product will need no technical integrations or back-end support and can be almost instantaneously set up for collecting digital payments through cards, wallets and UPI.

About Razorpay

• CEO: Harshil Mathur
• Headquarters location: Bengaluru

RBI announces ‘positive pay’ feature to enhance safety of cheque payments 

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to introduce a mechanism of ‘Positive Pay’ for all cheques of value Rs 50,000 and above.
• Under the ‘positive pay’ 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.
• The limit of Rs 50,000 will cover approximately 20 per cent of transactions by volume and 80 per cent by value.
• Positive pay is a fraud-prevention system offered by most commercial banks to companies to protect them against forged, altered and counterfeit checks.
• When the beneficiary submits the cheque for encashment, the cheque details are compared with the details provided to the Bank through Positive Pay. If the details match, the cheque is honoured. In case of mismatch in cheque details, the cheque is referred to you.

About RBI

• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Governor: Shaktikanta Das

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

IFC to invest $10 mn in Endiya Partners Fund II for product start-ups

• Endiya Partners Fund II, a city-based venture capital fund has received a commitment of Rs 75 crore ($10M approx.) from the International Financial Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, the company stated.
• IFC has also committed an additional $10 million for direct co-investments alongside Endiya Fund II, it stated in a press release. Endiya Partners is a seed and early-stageventure capital firm investing in IP-led Indian product start-ups that are globally relevant.
• Endiya Fund II has a corpus target of Rs 500 crore ($65 million) and has already completed its first close at Rs 280 crore ($40 million) in May 2019.
• Endiya Fund II will seek to invest in 16 – 20 start-ups, with an initial cheque size of $ 500,000 to $ one million in Seed/Pre-series A rounds and a planned investment of up to $5 million per company.

About International Financial Corporation (IFC),

• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
• Executive Vice President & CEO: Philippe Le Houérou

Paytm launches first pocket Android POS device for contactless payments in India

• Paytm has launched the first pocket Android POS device for contactless ordering and payments in India, a move that will make this technology more affordable for SMEs. The company has introduced ‘Paytm All-in-One Portable Android Smart POS’ at an introductory price of Rs 499 per month rental.
• Styled like a mobile phone for accepting orders and payments on the go, this is the first such Android-based device to be introduced in India and is much more powerful than the portable Linux based POS devices presently available in the country.
• It also comes bundled with Paytm’s ‘Scan to Order’ service that is being adopted by thousands of restaurants and takeaway joints in the country. The company claims to offer the device effectively at the lowest price in the market, in an effort to empower a large number of SMEs to kickstart their businesses with contactless ordering and payment solutions. This device enables delivery personnel logistic players, Kirana stores, and small shopkeepers to accept digital payments on the go.

About Paytm:

• CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma
• Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

Mumbai’s Dadar becomes the first city to have female icons on traffic signals

• Mumbai has become the first city in India to have women symbols on traffic signals and signage.
• Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has installed traffic signals that display female icons sporting triangular frock, a shift from the default representation of men.

About Maharshtra

• Capital: Mumbai
• Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
• CM: Uddhav Thackeray‎

Gujarat Launches New Scheme To Compensate Farmers For Crop Loss

• The Gujarat government launched a new scheme under which farmers facing crop losses due to drought, excess rain or unseasonal rain will get compensation without collection of any premium from them.
• The new scheme – Mukhya Mantri Kisan Sahay Yojana – will replace the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) for this year only.
• For crop loss between 33 and 66 per cent, a farmer will get a compensation of Rs 20,000 per hectare for maximum four hectares. For crop loss above 60 per cent, a farmer will get Rs 25,000 per hectare for maximum four hectares.
• This new scheme will benefit all the 56 lakh farmers of the state. It is also simpler than PMFBY.
• A dedicated portal will be launched so that farmers can apply online. Tribal farmers registered under the Forest Rights Act are also eligible for this scheme.

About Gujarat

• Capital: Gandhinagar
• Chief minister: Vijay Rupani
• Governor: Acharya Devvrat

‘Mukti Caravan’, an anti-child trafficking drive launched in Bihar by Kailash Satyarthi’s Foundation

• Kailash Satyarthi Foundation launched a campaign against child trafficking in Bihar over a webinar hosted by Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation (KSCF).
• The KSCF, founded by Nobel Peace Laureate, Kailash Satyarthi has been working towards ensuring a child-friendly world has been running a campaign called ‘Mukti Caravan’ in various parts of the country for many years.
• It was launched digitally in Bihar, a state which the foundation claims to be among the worst affected by child trafficking. The campaign intends to create awareness among people regarding COVID-19 safety, child trafficking, and child labor in Bihar.
• The campaign is expected to be another milestone in the direction of eradication of child labor by creating an efficient system in place. The foundation has been working at the forefront of movements too end child slavery, trafficking, forced labor, violence and other heinous crimes against children.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU

Rajasthan government, SIDBI to ink MoU for cluster-based development of MSMEs

• The Rajasthan government and the Small Industrial Development Bank of India (SIDBI) will soon ink an agreement to create newer avenues and growth opportunities for MSME units in the State.
• For upcoming and existing MSME units in the State, SIDBI will identify clusters and create a plan to reach out to small entrepreneurs and provide consultation, business solutions and guidance for availing benefits under current schemes.
• A project management unit (PMU) will be set up by SIDBI in Rajasthan to provide assistance to certain sectors which are cluster-based such as textiles in Bhilwara and handicrafts in Jodhpur. The initiative is aimed at creating a bridge between MSMEs and the Central/State government for understanding ground-level challenges that MSMEs are facing and creating an ideal ecosystem for ease of doing business.

About Rajasthan:

• Capital: Jaipur
• Governor: Kalraj Mishra
• Chief minister: Ashok Gehlot

About SIDBI:

• Headquarters location: Lucknow
• Founded: 2 April 1990
• Chairman and Managing Director: Mohammad Mustafa,

PFC signs MoA for construction of Modular Operation Theatres in Siddharthnagar

• Government-owned Power Finance Corporation Ltd (PFC), India’s leading NBFC, signed an MoA with District Administration of Siddharthnagar in Uttar Pradesh for construction of two Modular Operation Theatre Rooms in the District Hospital, Siddharthnagar. Under the MoA, PFC will provide financial assistance of close to Rupees Ninety Four Lakhs for the execution of the Project to the District Administration, Siddharthnagar under its CSR initiative.
• The pact is intended to provide the necessary support to the Siddharthnagar District Administration to develop the necessary infrastructure in order to reduce Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in the catchment area. The infrastructural development would also help in reducing the Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) in the adjoining areas of the district.

About PFC:

• HQ– New Delhi, India
• Chairman & Managing Director– Shri Ravinder Singh Dhillon

BSE signs MoU with Akola-based bullion associations

• The Bombay Stock Exchange has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Akola, Maharashtra-based bullion trade and industry associations, Akola Sarafa Association and Akola Sarafa Va Suvarnakar Yuva Sangh.
• The associations represent members engaged in the retail sale and trade of bullion. The MoU aims to facilitate cooperation between the BSE and physical markets represented by the two trade bodies in areas such as knowledge sharing, education and training, events and explore areas of mutual interests.
• The BSE aims to organise seminars and awareness programmes on price-risk management for bullion traders and jewellers, and help them move to more organised forms of trading. Awareness about effective hedging tools such as derivatives contracts, especially ‘options in goods’ to enable jewellers to face a volatile market, would also be provided.
• The ‘options in goods’ contract offered by the BSE is beneficial for jewellers and bullion dealers, who can now not only hedge their price risk but also avail the delivery of gold on expiry of the contract.

About BSE:

• Location: Mumbai, India
• Chairman: Vikramajit Sen
• MD & CEO: Ashishkumar Chauhan

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

PESB Selects Soma Mondal As Next Chairman Of SAIL

• Soma Mondal has been selected by the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) as the next chairman of Steel Authority of India Limited.
• She will be taking charge when the present Chairman Anil Chaudhary
• Mondal had taken over as Director (Commercial) of SAIL in September 2018. Prior to this, she was Director (Commercial), NALCO, Bhubaneswar which was history in making as was NALCO’s first-ever female director.

About SAIL

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• CEO: Anil Kumar Chaudhary

eBikeGO ropes in cricketer Harbhajan Singh as its brand ambassador

• AI and IoT powered electric mobility start-up eBikeGO has roped in Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh as its brand ambassador.
• With this association and the recently announced government’s new EV policy, the company is aiming to build mass appeal, positive voice and widespread adoption for electric mobility thereby looking to capture 10% of electric two wheeler market share by 2022.

Lebanon PM and entire government resigns after Beirut explosion

• Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hassan Diab and the country’s entire government have resigned after the deadly Beirut blast that killed at least 160 people.
• Mr Diab’s cabinet now assumes a caretaker role until a new government is formed.
• It is believed the explosion was caused by 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate – used as a fertiliser and in explosives – which was left in a warehouse for six years.

About Lebanon

• President: Michel Aoun
• Capital: Beirut
• Currency: Lebanese pound

Belarusan President Lukashenko wins sixth term

• Belarusan President Alexander Lukashenko has won his sixth consecutive term.
• He had won the election with 80 percent of the vote.
• Lukashenko’s primary opposition challenger, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, received only 9.9 percent of the vote.

About Belarus

• President: Alexander Lukashenko
• Capital: Minsk
• Currency: Belarusian Rouble

Senior IRS Officer Patanjali Jha assumes charge as Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Mumbai

• Senior Indian Revenue Service Officer Patanjali Jha has assumed charge as the Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Mumbai. He has worked in Mumbai in an earlier stint from May 1997 to April 2007.
• Mr Jha has wide experience of different verticals in the Income Tax Department like Administration, Investigation, Assessment and TDS. He possesses a Masters Degree in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics.

Indian umpire KN Ananthapadmanabhan included in ICC’s panel

• India’s KN Ananthapadmanabhan has been included in ICC’s international panel of umpires following compatriot Nitin Menon’s promotion to the elite panel.
• The former Kerala spinner joins fellow Indians C Shamshuddin, Anil Chaudhary and Virender Sharma in the international panel and is now eligible to officiate in the ODI and T20 internationals apart from umpiring in the junior World Cup.
• Ananthapadmanabhan,50, has officiated in all major domestic events including the IPL. He also was the official in the Ranji Trophy final between Bengal and Saurashtra last year and even stood at both ends for a while after Shamshuddin got injured.

About ICC:

• CEO: Manu Sawhney
• Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Chairman: Imran Khwaja (interim)

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONORS

Indian Achievers Award 2020 for Healthcare Excellence – Akshat Malik

• ClickOnCare Founder & CEO, Akshat Malik bags another colossal achievement by winning the Indian Achievers Award 2020 for Healthcare Excellence in recognition of outstanding and professional achievements and inspiring social contributions in the society.
• The award was recognized digitally due to the ongoing COVID pandemic situation by Indian Achievers Forum which is known for promoting achievements, inspiring business, and communities.
• Indian Achievers Award is an initiative that emphasizes beneficiary participation while creating awareness in all sectors and move towards developing stronger and more collaborative partnerships.
• This award represents the dedicated efforts ClickOnCare has shown in the COVID times from, adapting themselves into an essential front for delivering ‘Care for All’ – they have justified this moto by reaching more than 40 Lakh Views during Lockdown userbase with their efforts.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHORS

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

• The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, will release a new book on climate change with German environmental journalist Franz Alt in
• The book has been titled “Our Only Home: A Climate Appeal to the World”.
• The Dalai Lama in the book calls on political decision makers to fight against deadlock and ignorance on the issue of climate change and to stand up for a different, more climate-friendly world and for the younger generation to assert their right to regain its future.
• It follows his 2019 publication dedicated to children, “The Seed of Compassion: Lessons from the Life and Teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama“, his autobiography and a book on philosophy.
• In 2018, “Ecology, Ethics, and Interdependence: The Dalai Lama in Conversation with Leading Thinkers on Climate Change” was published.

‘Connecting, Communicating, Changing,’ book chronicling 3 years of VP in office released

• Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh released the book titled ‘Connecting, Communicating, Changing’ chronicling his three years in office as the Vice President of India.
• The Vice President, M. Venkaiah Naidu was also present at the release function of the book.
• Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar released the e-version of the book.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

IIT Kanpur develops indigenous seed balls BEEG for farmers

• In Uttar Pradesh, IIT Kanpur has developed indigenous seed balls named BEEG (Bio -compost Enriched Eco-friendly Globule) which will help people and farmers in plantation with safety in Corona times and will also  provide employment to people. The BEEG is developed  in collaboration with Agnys Waste Management Private Limited (start-up at IIT Kanpur).
• The Seed Balls  are comprised of indigenous variety of seeds, compost, and clay.  There is no need for digging pits for planting  saplings . These seed walls are to be thrown at aimed places and they will germinate  when come into contact with water.
• IIT Prof J . Rajkumar stated  BEEG is enriched with the right ingredients and seeds to germinate early, and are the best way to utilise  Monsoon and plant as many trees as possible without risking lives by social gathering during Covid 19.

77 New Butterfly Species Found In Matheran Hill Station Near Mumbai

• As many as 77 new species of butterflies have been found in the ecologically sensitive forest of Matheran hill station near Mumbai during a study conducted there over the last eight years, according to the Bombay Natural History Society.
• With this, the total number of butterfly species in the Matheran forest has now gone up to 140, city-based Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) scientist Mandar Sawant stated.
• Matheran is spread over an area of 214.73 sq km and is located about 80 km from the Maharashtra capital.
• Scientists from BNHS and Somaiya Vidyavihar University here have published a research paper, titled “Finding the forgotten gems: Revisiting the butterflies of Matheran after 125 years, with the introduction to the novel colour barcode for depicting seasons and activity of the Indian butterflies”, in the community peer-reviewed Biodiversity Data Journal.
• A strong seasonal variation in butterfly diversity was observed. The maximum diversity of butterflies was recorded during winter, and the least during monsoon, BNHS stated in its statement.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING

Karnataka tops list of states seeking skilled workforce to resume industrial activities

• Karnataka has topped the list of states seeking skilled workforce to resume industrial activities followed by Maharashtra, Delhi, Telangana and Haryana as India unlocks in varying degrees since June 1 with nearly 65,000 workers being offered jobs via the skills ministry’s recently launched Assem portal.
• Data from the AtmaNirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping (Aseem) portal of the skills ministry shows 64,689 candidates have been offered jobs in less than a month with highest demand for workers in logistics (44.3% of the posted vacancies), tourism and hospitality (18.1%), telecom (11.9%), construction (6.4%) and IT-ITes (4.6%), suggesting quick revival in these sectors post the lockdown.
• Majority of candidates registered on the portal are from Uttar Pradesh (13.7%), Haryana (7.1%), Tamil Nadu (6.6%), Maharashtra (6.2%) and West Bengal (4.7%).
• Maximum number of candidates registered under the programme are from Bihar (81.3%), Jharkhand (12.1%), Odisha (4.9%) and Madhya Pradesh (1.6%). Of the 97.8% candidates seeking jobs under the scheme are male while a miniscule 2.2% are female candidates.
• Under the scheme which largely caters to unskilled migrant workers, maximum demand is of construction work (16.5%), mason’s helper (7.7%), mason (4.3%), labour (3.9%) and tailor (3.2%).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY

Famous Urdu poet Rahat Indori passes away

• Noted Urdu poet and lyricist Rahat Indori, who tested positive for COVID-19, has passed away.
• Indori had composed lyrics for some popular Bollywood songs like “M Bole toh” from Munnabhai MBBS (2003), Chori Chori Jab Nazrein Mili from Kareeb (1998), Koi jaye to le aye from Ghatak (1996), and “Neend Churai Meri” from Ishq (1997). His lyrics were used in 11 Bollywood films.
• Earlier this year, his poem “bulati hai magar jane ka nahi” had gone viral on social media.

Tamil Producer V Swaminathan Passes Away Due to COVID-19

• Tamil producer V Swaminathan passed away due to COVID-19.
• V Swaminathan was one of the owners of the production house, Lakshmi Movie Makers, along with K Muralidharan and G Venugopal. He has been in the industry for more than two decades and has backed many film stars such as Karthik, Ajith, Vijay, Kamal Haasan and Suriya.

DAILY CA 11th AUG

• Union Minister Prakash Javadekar launches portal on Human Elephant Conflict on World Elephant Day
• FM Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurates NIP Online Dashboard
• Govt aims to develop 10 Craft and Handloom Villages in India: Smriti Irani
• India, Maldives ink contract for development of five eco-tourism zones in Addu atoll of island nation
• Russian President Vladimir Putin announces world’s first COVID-19 vaccine
• Assam council of ministers approves “Assam Non-Government Education Institutions (Regulation of Fees) Rules 2020”
• Khadi’s first silk training-cum-production centre to come up in Arunachal
• Chhattisgarh CM Launches Indira Van Mitan Yojana
• Chhattisgarh’s Jagdalpur Becomes Country’s First Municipal Corporation To Provide Forestland Right Certificates To People Of Urban Area
• Khattar launches anti-bullying campaign of Faridabad police
• Andhra Govt Signs MoU With US Based IT Firm To Setup Centre At Visakhapatnam
• Bihar Pollution Control Board signs MoA with IIT, Delhi for air quality management
• Walter Martos sworn in as new Prime Minister of Peru
• MS Swaminathan award for environment protection conferred upon RS Paroda
• Max Verstappen wins 70th Anniversary Grand Prix
• Mizoram governor wrote 13 books during lockdown
• Indian Armed Forces contingent heads to Russia for war games next month
• WWE legend Kamala passes away at 70

DAILY CA 12th AUG

• World Lion Day- 10th aug
• National Sons and Daughters Day- 11th aug
• International Youth Day- 12th aug
• World Elephant Day- 12th aug
• Narendra Singh Tomar launches ICAR’s data recovery centre ‘Krishi Megh’
• Education Minister launches Minimum Standards of Architectural Education Regulations, 2020
• Tribal Affairs Ministry develops nine ‘Tribal Freedom Fighters’ Museums
• Jal Shakti Minister launches Swachh Bharat Mission Academy as part of campaign Gandagi Mukt Bharat
• EU to give 1.65 million euro to flood hit people in South Asia
• Mahindra Manulife Mutual Fund launches Arbitrage Yojana
• Razorpay launches payment gateway ‘Button’ to digitise freelancers, NGOs
• RBI announces ‘positive pay’ feature to enhance safety of cheque payments
• IFC to invest $10 mn in Endiya Partners Fund II for product start-ups
• Paytm launches first pocket Android POS device for contactless payments in India
• Mumbai’s Dadar becomes the first city to have female icons on traffic signals
• Gujarat Launches New Scheme To Compensate Farmers For Crop Loss
• Mukti Caravan’, an anti-child trafficking drive launched in Bihar by Kailash Satyarthi’s Foundation
• Rajasthan government, SIDBI to ink MoU for cluster-based development of MSMEs
• PFC signs MoA for construction of Modular Operation Theatres in Siddharthnagar
• BSE signs MoU with Akola-based bullion associations
• PESB Selects Soma Mondal As Next Chairman Of SAIL
• eBikeGO ropes in cricketer Harbhajan Singh as its brand ambassador
• Lebanon PM and entire government resigns after Beirut explosion
• Belarusan President Lukashenko wins sixth term
• Senior IRS Officer Patanjali Jha assumes charge as Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Mumbai
• Indian umpire KN Ananthapadmanabhan included in ICC’s panel
• Indian Achievers Award 2020 for Healthcare Excellence – Akshat Malik
• “Our Only Home: A Climate Appeal to the World” by Dalai Lama
• ‘Connecting, Communicating, Changing,’ book chronicling 3 years of VP in office released
• IIT Kanpur develops indigenous seed balls BEEG for farmers
• 77 New Butterfly Species Found In Matheran Hill Station Near Mumbai
• Karnataka tops list of states seeking skilled workforce to resume industrial activities
• Famous Urdu poet Rahat Indori passes away
• Tamil Producer V Swaminathan Passes Away Due to COVID-19