Current Affairs 08th September 2020| Current Affairs News

 CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

International Literacy Day

• 8 September was declared international literacy day by UNESCO. It was celebrated for the first time in 1967.
• Its aim is to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies. Celebrations take place in several countries.
• Thetheme of International Literacy Day 2020, is “Literacy teaching and learning in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.” 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL

Germany launches Indo-Pacific strategy with ‘key role’ for India

• Germany, current EU president and Europe’s biggest economy, has launched its Indo-Pacific strategy with India that is expected to play a key role in Berlin’s outreach in the region where China’s aggressive foreign policy has rattled countries.
• The strategy released by German Foreign Ministry has several indirect references to Chinese behaviour that challenged rules-based world order. Berlin’s strategy also suggested opening dialogue with institutions where India plays a key role — Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation and Indian Ocean Rim Association — in the areas of business and maritime safety, as well as disaster risk management.
• The German government also announced that it will work to maintain rules-based order together with partners in the Indo-Pacific region. To this end, it will cooperate with India and Japan for UN Security reforms.

About Germany

• Capital: Berlin
• Currency: Euro
• Chancellor: Angela Merkel

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE

NABARD organizes awareness cum sensitization programme for newly proposed FPO in J&K

• In Jammu and Kashmir, an awareness cum sensitization programme for newly proposed Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO) was organized by NABARD in coordination with District Administration in Anantnag.
• The programme was organised to promote sustainable and equitable agriculture and rural prosperity through effective credit support related services, institutional development and other initiatives.
• The District Development Manager (DDM) NABARD informed the farmers that central government has recently launched the scheme for providing financial assistance and training to the farming community for establishment of FPO’s.
• A large number of farmers engaged in different agri activities and self help groups of NRLM participated in the programme.

About NABARD:

• Founded: 12 July 1982
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Agency executive: Harsh Kumar Bhanwala (Chairperson)

ESAF Bank announces fintech conclave

• ESAF Small Finance Bank has announced its first fintech conclave providing fintech firms a platform to showcase their new digital banking solutions that facilitate last-mile financial inclusion.
• The conclave endorses entrepreneurship in the banking sector and is open for start-ups, established and growth-phase technology firms, social innovators and entrepreneurs having innovative solutions that align with ESAF’s core mission of providing responsive banking services to underserved and unserved populations.
• The competent finalist can eventually become a long-term strategic partner of the bank as the co-creator of new financial digital products that will be the latest enhancement in the banking sector, stated.
• Fintech Conclave 2020 invites entrepreneurs who offer digital solutions to multi-partite banking. As the banking sector explores new digital avenues with customer satisfaction in the spotlight, the doors are open for entrepreneurs to devise digital products that meet the need.

About ESAF Small Finance Bank:

• Headquarters: Thrissur
• Chairman: Mrs.Mereena Paul

Ind-Ra, Fitch slash India GDP forecast further

• While Ind-Ra expects contraction of 11.8%, Fitch projects 10.5%
• India Ratings & Research (Ind-Ra) and its global parent company Fitch have further slashed GDP forecast for India. GDP is the sum of value of goods and services produced in a country during a particular time period.
• Ind-Ra revised its FY-21 GDP growth forecast downward to -11.8 per cent, from earlier –5.3 per cent. Its global parent Fitch slashed GDP forecast for the current fiscal to -10.5 per cent, from earlier projection of -5 per cent. Both agencies changed their forecast after the numbers for April-June quarter was made public by the Government on August 31.

Ind-Ra

• According to the agency, the -23.9 per cent growth in April-June quarter (Q1 of FY21) is the first contraction in quarterly GDP data series which has been made available in the public domain since April-June quarter of 1997-98. The economic loss in FY21 is estimated to be Rs.18.44 lakh crore . However, GDP is expected to rebound and grow at 9.9 per cent in FY22 mainly due to the weak base of FY21.

Fitch

• The global agency has forecast India’s sharpest GDP contractions in the April-June quarter. Nearly 24 per cent contraction is almost double of the agency’s expectation embedded in the June Global Economic Outlook amid the imposition of one of the most stringent global nationwide lockdowns. All demand components, except government consumption, fell massively in the quarter. Private consumption lost more than 27 per cent (on quarterly basis), investment slumped 43 per cent

About Fitch:

• Headquarters: New York, United States
• CEO: Paul Taylor

Bank of India launches ‘Signature Visa Debit Card’ for HNIs

• Bank of India (BoI) launched “Signature Visa Debit Card” for the affluent/high net worth individuals maintaining an average quarterly balance of 10 lakhs and above.
• The public sector bank, in a statement, stated this international contactless debit card will be available in metal and plastic variants.
• This card will have a spending limit of up to 5 lakhs on POS & e-commerce and Rs.1 lakh on ATM.
• Other features include complimentary lounge access (2 per quarter) and offers on travel, retail, dining, lifestyle, entertainment, luxury hotels, reward points for online usage etc. It will also provide Insurance against fraudulent transactions, the statement stated.

About Bank of India (BoI):

• Headquarters: Mumbai, India
• Non-Exe Chairman: G. Padmanabhan
• MD & CEO: Atanu Kumar Das

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

Tamil Nadu govt releases policy for electronics & hardware manufacturing

• Tamil Nadu government announced a new electronics & hardware manufacturing policy to increase the State’s electronics industry output to $100 billion by 2025.
• The state hopes to contribute 25 per cent of India’s total electronic exports to the world by 2025.
• The policy also undertakes skill training for more than 1,00,000 people (semi-skilled and skilled) by 2024 to meet the incremental human resource requirement projected by NSDC for Tamil Nadu in Electronics and Hardware Manufacturing sector.
• It also targets to increase the level of value addition that is done in Tamil Nadu, especially across focus sectors such as mobile handsets, LED products, chip designs, PCBs, solar photovoltaic cells, medical electronics, and automotive electronics.
• For core investments the policy has identified districts in three categories. For investments worth Rs 200-500 crore capital subsidy in category A district would be 15 per cent, in category B district 20 per cent and in C category district 25 per cent. For investments over Rs 500 crore capital subsidy in A district would be 18 per cent, B district 24 per cent and in C district 30 per cent.
• The state is also planning to set up a Mega Electropreneur Centre (MEC) in the form of a Centre of Excellence for Hardware, Products & Ventures to facilitate easy access and to make it practical to build a robust ecosystem for start-ups and entrepreneurs.

About TN

• Capital: Chennai
• Chief minister: Edappadi K. Palaniswami
• Governor: Banwarilal Purohit

Assam promotes nutritious food through Kitchen Garden as part of Poshan Maah

• As a part of the Poshan Maah, the Social Welfare Department in Assam has taken steps to promote nutritious food through Kitchen Garden.Kitchen Garden or nutri garden will be set up at Anganwadi Centres and Government Primary Schools across the state.
• The idea of the Kitchen Garden is to plant locally available nutritional food and vegetables. The Health and Nutrition consultant of Poshan Abhiyan in Assam, Dr. Gitali Borah stated that coverage with MGNREGA and the Agriculture Department is also being emphasized to implement the Kitchen garden initiative.

About Assam:

• Capital: Dispur
• Governor: Jagdish Mukhi
• Chief Minister: Sarbananda Sonowal

Gujarat forms Task Force to study & implement NEP-2020 for school education

• In Gujarat, the State Government has formed the Task Force to study and implement the National Education Policy-2020 for school education.
• According to the State Education Department, the State-level Task Force comprises 15 members from politicians, administrative officials and academicians. This Task Force is expected to study NEP-2020, make changes suggested in the school education format and come up with the best implementation measures.
• The Higher Education Department is expected to declare its Task Force in a few days.

About Gujarat:

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

Fruits & vegetables in J&K covered under ‘Operation Green’s TOP to TOTAL’ scheme

• Almost all fruits and vegetables in J&K are covered under the ‘Operation Green’s TOP to TOTAL’ scheme.
• The announcement of new initiative is aimed at to support farmers of Fruits and Vegetables under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan in order to prevent distress sales, Price stabilization interventions under Central Sector Scheme- “Operation Greens” which has been extended from Tomato, Onion and Potato (TOP) to all notified fruits and vegetables (TOTAL) for a period of six months on pilot basis.
• The fruits and vegetables notified in J&K are Apple, Almond, Pear, Capsicum, Carrot, Cucumber, Okra, Orange, Kinnow and Lemon.
• Under the scheme Union Food Processing Industries Ministry will provide subsidy of 50% of the cost of transportation of notified crops from production clusters to consumption centres and/or the cost of hiring of appropriate storage facilities for a period of upto 3 months for notified crops, if the price of the crop falls below the average price of last three years or 15% below the last year’s price.

Andhra Pradesh to float India’ largest solar tender for 10 GW capacity

• In a surprise move, the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy-led Andhra Pradesh government is expediting efforts to float India’s largest solar tender for setting up 10 gigawatt (GW) capacity, stated three people aware of the development.
• Interestingly, the mega tender accounting for 14% of India’s green energy capacity to supply electricity to the farmers is in the works, even as 2 GW of solar and wind energy projects are hanging fire, due to the state government’s decision to reopen renewable energy contracts inked under the previous N Chandrababu Naidu government.
• State energy secretary N. Srikanth confirmed the mega solar tender development and stated that Andhra Pradesh Green Energy Corporation Ltd (APGECL) is the nodal agency for the same.
• Under flak from the Union government and global investors such as Goldman Sachs, Brookfield, SoftBank, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, JERA Co. Inc., GIC Holdings Pte Ltd, Global Infrastructure Partners, CDC Group Plc, EverSource Capital and World Bank’s International Finance Corp., the government has mandated state-owned APGECL to call for this mega solar bid that will entail a 35,000 crore investment.
• Andhra Pradesh has around 7 GW of solar and wind projects and is home to India’s second-largest installed capacity of clean energy, accounting for around 10% of the country’s green energy capacity, with investments of Rs.60,000 crore. The state has 4,092 MW of installed wind power projects awarded through feed-in tariffs. Also, the resource-rich state has 3,230 MW of solar power projects awarded through competitive bidding.

About Andhra Pradesh:

• Capitals : Visakhapatnam (executive),Amaravati (legislative),Kurnool (judicial)
• Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan
• Chief minister: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPS AND PORTALS

Mahindra Finance’s subsidiary set to enter online insurance, will launch portal called PayBima 

• Mahindra Finance is set to enter the business of online insurance broking giving digital services to the customers of its insurance brokerage subsidiary, Mahindra Insurance Brokers, through a soon-to-be launched portal called
• The new portal would play a role in the transformation of Mahindra’s insurance broking services to a “phygital” model, which would leverage its feet-on-the-street agents at more than 400 locations in the country, with the digital aggregation and settlement services.
• The move comes at a time when the demand for insurance products pertaining especially to health and life is at a high due to increased urgency among individuals and businesses to get themselves covered against medical and business risks, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

About  Mahindra Finance

• Headquarters: Mumbai

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

Shri R. Masakui has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Jamaica

• Shri R. Masakui has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Jamaica.
• Presently, he is the Ambassador of India to the Republic of

About Jamaica

• Capital: Kingston
• Currency: Jamaican dollar

ASCI appoints Manisha Kapoor as its new secretary-general

• The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has named Manisha Kapoor as its new secretary-general. Kapoor will take over ASCI’s secretariat responsibilities, including the consumer complaints redressal process as well as the marketing, public relations and social media initiatives from September 1. She will take over from Shweta Purandare who served her position as secretary-general for six years.
• Kapoor has been part of ASCI’s Consumer Complaints Council for the past five years and is, therefore, closely associated with the advertising industry’s self-regulatory body. She has more than 25 years of experience in building brands and businesses.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONORS

British Broadcaster David Attenborough Awarded Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 

• Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh conferred the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize on British broadcaster David Attenborough at a virtual event.
• The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development was instituted in the memory of the former prime minister by a trust in her name in 1986. It consists of a monetary award of₹ 25 lakh along with a citation.
• The award is given to individuals or organisations who work towards ensuring international peace and development, ensuring that scientific discoveries are used to further the scope of freedom and better humanity, and creating new international economic order.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS AND CONFERENCE

First ever Virtual Buyer Seller Meet organised by GJEPC

• The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council of India (GJEPC), the apex body for promotion of Gems and Jewellery Exports, inaugurated its first Virtual Buyer and Seller Meet for loose diamonds.
• The two-day meet will give an opportunity for buyers and exhibitors to connect and talk business over the virtual platform.
• The inauguration ceremony was attended by Shri Suresh Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt of India, Shri Senthil Nathan, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt of India and the participants from The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council of India (GJEPC) were Mr Colin Shah, Chairman, Mr Dilip Shah, Convener, International Exhibition, GJEPC and Mr Sabyasachi Ray, Executive Director

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

IIT Kharagpur Researchers Develop Painless Drug Delivery and Vaccination Device

• Researchers at the Institute’s Dept. of Electronics & Electrical Communication Engineering of IIT Kharagpur have developed a micropump and microneedle which are integral parts of transdermal drug delivery systems capable of administering large and viscous drug molecules in a painless way.  The innovation will further enable transdermal application of COVID-19 vaccine.
• The hollow microneedles operate by means of a pressurized and controlled micropump delivering the drug through the skin.
• The micropump pushes out the drug in the reservoir through the microneedle array. The microneedles are painless as they are too small to touch the nerves in the skin and induce pain reactions.
• The innovation by IIT Kharagpur has not only reduced the diameter size of the micro needles but has also increased the strength so that they do not break while penetrating the skin.

DRDO successfully tests Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle

• The hypersonic air-breathing scramjet technology was successfully demonstrated by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) with a flight test of the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV), which will lead to the development of hypersonic cruise missiles and vehicles in future.
• The hypersonic cruise vehicle was launched using a proven solid rocket motor, which took it to an altitude of 30 km, where the aerodynamic heat shields were separated at hypersonic speed.
• The DRDO, with this mission, has demonstrated capabilities for highly complex technology that will serve as the building block for next generation hypersonic vehicles in partnership with the industry.
• A ship was also deployed in the Bay of Bengal to monitor the performance during the cruise phase of the hypersonic vehicle.

About DRDO:

• Headquarters: DRDO Bhavan, New Delhi
• Founded: 1958
• Chairman: G Satheesh Reddy

Reliance-backed Fynd launches mobile game to encourage social distancing

• Reliance-backed eCommerce platform Fynd has launched a new hyper-casual game titled ‘Social Doori’ to encourage social distancing amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
• The hypercasual game is based on an Avatar selected by the user. Being positioned in a public place, the Avatar would engage the player by guiding on various safety measures, including maintaining safe social distance, among others.
• The company in April had launched cross-platform game ‘Corona Striker,’ built on the theme of the global coronavirus pandemic as part of this initiative.
• Social Doori will be available on the MyJio App.

Chandrayaan-3 launch likely to take place in early 2021: Jitendra Singh

• Minister of State for the Department of Space Jitendra Singh stated that Chandrayaan-3, India’s mission to Moon, would be launched in early 2021. Singh added that Chandrayaan-3 will be different from Chandrayaan-2 as the former will not have an orbiter, but will include a lander and a rover.
• It may be recalled that Chandrayaan-2 was launched in September 2019 and India’s premier space agency ISRO had planned to launch Chandrayaan-3 in 2020 but the plan failed to materialise due to coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown imposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to curb the spread of the deadly virus.
• Chandrayaan-2 was launched on July 22, 2019 and it was planned to land on the South Pole of the Moon but its lander named Vikram hard-landed, crashing India’s dream of becoming the first country in the world to land on the surface of the moon in its maiden attempt.
• Meanwhile, Chandrayaan-1, ISRO’s maiden mission to the Moon launched in 2008, has sent images which show that moon may be rusting along the poles. The sign of this finding is that even though the surface of the Moon is known to have iron-rich rocks, it is not known for the presence of water and oxygen, which are the two elements needed to interact with iron to create rust, he stated.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU

Atal Innovation Mission Partners with Freshworks to empower AIM Startup Innovators

• To provide robust support to innovators and entrepreneurs in India, Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, has partnered with Freshworks Inc.,
• The collaboration aims to increase the efficacy of the institutions and startups in the AIM portfolio and foster innovation and entrepreneurship among startup innovators.
• Freshworks will provide credits for its suite of products to AIM and its beneficiaries, which will empower startups to function efficiently while keeping a tab on costs in related activities.
• Resources and mentorship to startups in Freshworks’ area of expertise will also be made available, including access to virtual or physical office hours to interface with functional leaders from Freshworks and an extended mentor network.

Recent News

• Atal Innovation Mission and ScooNews Partner to Share Inspiring Stories of Grassroots Innovations

Dell Technologies and NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission Launches SheCodes Innovation Challenge, Aimed at Championing Girl-Led Innovation

• Dell Technologies in association with NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) launches ‘SheCodes Innovation Challenge’, aimed to encourage girls to create, tinker, sustain and innovate.
• This collaboration has proved to be useful for students and educators alike, for that has enabled them to work with state-of-the-art technologies, systems and software.
• ‘SheCodes Innovation Challenge’ is a countrywide challenge, inviting girl innovators cutting across all lingual, geographical and cultural divide, thereby championing the thought of girl-led innovation.
• The challenge is focused on innovations amongst eight categories, including Water Conservation and Management (National Water Mission), Waste Management (Swacch Bharat), Clean Energy (Power for All), Smart Mobility, Health (Swasth Bharat), Agri-Tech, Architecture and Design, UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Assam State Rural Livelihoods Mission, NESFB sign MoU  

• Assam State Rural Livelihoods Mission (ASRLM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with North East Small Finance Bank (NESFB) to work in cohesion in support of Bank Linkage of the Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Producer Groups/ Enterprises under ASRLM.
• ASRLM is the first amongst all the State Livelihood Missions to initiate the signing of MoU with the new generation small finance banks.
• Both ASRLM and NESFB share the common goal of empowering women at grassroots by focusing on linking them with the banks for loans so that they can develop themselves into entrepreneurs with various livelihood generation activities. This collaboration of ASRLM and NESFB will cater to the financial needs of many SHG members, other higher level federation like VOs, CLFs, Producer Groups, Producer Collectives etc. to kick-start their dream projects of livelihood enhancement.
• NESFB will support the SHG members in opening Individual and group accounts with minimum required documentation and within a shorter time span. NESFB will also be providing loans to the SHGs amounting within a range of Rs.1 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh depending on the proposals. The MoU also focuses on the disbursement of loans within shorter span of time and accelerate repeat linkage.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING

Kerala Most Literate State in Country With 96.2% Literacy, Andhra Worst Performer at 66.4%

• A recent report based on National Statistical Office (NSO) survey stated that Kerala has once again emerged as the most literate state in the country with 96.2 per cent literacy. On the other hand, Andhra Pradesh is at the bottom with a rate of 66.4 per cent.
• The report on Household Social Consumption: Education in India as part of 75th round of National Sample Survey – from July 2017 to June 2018’ provides for state-wise detail of literacy rate among the persons aged seven years and above.
• After Kerala, Delhi has the best literacy rate at 88.7 per cent, followed by Uttarakhand’s 87.6 per cent, Himachal Pradesh’s 86.6 per cent and Assam’s at 85.9 per cent.
• The study has pegged the overall literacy rate in the country at about 77.7 per cent. In rural areas, the literacy rate is 73.5 per cent compared to 87.7 per cent in urban areas of the country.
• At all-India level, the male literacy rate is higher at 84.7 per cent compared to 70.3 per cent among women.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS

Parachutist Raphael Domjan makes world’s first jump from solar-powered plane

• A parachutist Raphael Domjan has completed the world’s first jump from a solar-powered aircraft.
• Raphael Domjan reached a speed of 93mph (150kph) before releasing his parachute and landing safely in Payerne, western Switzerland.
• The team’s next milestone is to make the first solar-powered flight to the stratosphere, which it plans to complete in
• Four years ago, Switzerland’s Solar Impulse mission completed the first circumnavigation of the globe with a solar-powered plane.

Novak Djokovic out of US Open 2020 after hitting line judge with ball

• Novak Djokovic was kicked out of the US Open for accidentally hitting a line judge in the throat with a tennis ball after dropping a game in his fourth-round match, a stunning end to his 29-match winning streak and bid for an 18th Grand Slam title.
• During a discussion of about 10 minutes near the net involving tournament referee Soeren Friemel, Grand Slam supervisor Andreas Egli and chair umpire Aurelie Tourte, Djokovic pleaded his case.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY

Kesavananda Bharati, petitioner in landmark SC judgement, passes away

• Kesavananda Bharati, on whose petition the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgement that the basic structure of the Constitution cannot be altered, has passed away.
• The case in which Keshavananda Bharati challenged the Kerala land reform laws nearly four decades ago set the principle that the Supreme Court is the guardian of the basic structure of the Constitution and the verdict involved 13 judges.
• The hearing in the case commenced on October 31, 1972, and concluded on March 23, 1973 and it’s the most referred to case name in Indian Constitutional law.

Oscar-Winning Czech Film Director Jiří Menzel passes away

• Jiri Menzel, who made films from the 1960s through to the 2010s, has passed away at the age of 82.
• His first feature, 1966’s Closely Watched Trains, became one of the most beloved mid-century “foreign films” to the art house set.
• The anti-war comedy-drama won the Oscar for best foreign language film at the 1968 ceremony

Father of India’s Radio Astronomy Govind Swarup passes away

• Father of India’s Radio Astronomy, Govind Swarup passed away at Pune. He was 91.Dr. Swarup is known not only for his many important research contributions in several areas of astronomy and astrophysics, but also for his outstanding achievements in building ingenious, innovative and powerful observational facilities for front-line research in radio astronomy.
• The Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) was established at Narayangaon near Pune was established under Dr. Swarup’s able guidance. He was awarded Padmashree, Dr. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award, H. K. Firodia award and many international awards.

DAILY CA 6TH  & 7th  SEP  

• Thaawarchand Gehlot to launch 24×7 Toll-Free Mental Health Rehabilitation Helpline ‘KIRAN’
• 3rd Rashtriya Poshan Maah being celebrated this month to address malnutrition among young children and women
• Prakash Javadekar to chair a webinar on first ever International Day of Clean Air For Blue Skies
• Srei Equipment Finance bags €10-m loan from KfW IPEX-Bank
• WE HUB, NutriHub partner to aid women entrepreneurs in agri business
• First-ever cannabis medicine project coming up in Jammu
• Tamil Nadu Govt constitutes 7- member panel to look into NEP-2020
• Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu selected as fully Digital Economy district
• UP govt to allocate outlets under Public Distribution System to women SHGs
• Andhra Pradesh government signs MoUs with Netherlands, 7 firms on food processing, marketing
• Karnataka clears Rs 600 crore watershed project
• LG launches SPARROW portal for JKAS officers
• Rajiv Lall Resigns As Non-Executive Chairman Of IDFC First Bank
• FADA appoints Vinkesh Gulati as its new President for 2020-22
• National Teachers’ Awards 2020: President Kovind confers awards to 47 teachers across India
• Prahlad Singh Patel virtually attends 5th BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting
• 35th FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC)
• 3rd Annual Leadership Summit of US-India Strategic Partnership Forum
• CMERI Durgapur develops solar-powered sprayers for small, marginal farmers
• IIT Guwahati Researchers Design Engineered Surfaces To Detect, Prevent COVID-19
• IIT Bombay’s robotic submarine Matsya 6 finishes third in RoboSub competition
• SpaceX launches 60 Starlink satellites, inches closer to faster internet
• China just launched a ‘reusable experimental spacecraft’ into orbit
• WhatsApp partners Cyber Peace Foundation to drive cyber safety awareness
• IIT Roorkee signs MoU with NIUA for building accessible, safe Indian cities
• LEAF, AP Govt ink agreement with focus on food processing
• Andhra Pradesh tops ease of doing business rankings, Telangana on 3rd spot
• Hyderabad among top cities for career in AI
• Former England batsman Ian Bell announces retirement from cricket
• Pierre Gasly wins thrilling Italian Grand Prix
• Veteran filmmaker Johnny Bakshipasses away
• Former BSF DIG Dr Mahesh Kumar Dwivedy passes away

DAILY CA  8th  SEP  

• International Literacy Day- 8th September
• Germany launches Indo-Pacific strategy with ‘key role’ for India
• NABARD organizes awareness cum sensitization programme for newly proposed FPO in J&K
• ESAF Bank announces fintech conclave
• Ind-Ra, Fitch slash India GDP forecast further
• Bank of India launches ‘Signature Visa Debit Card’ for HNIs
• Tamil Nadu govt releases policy for electronics & hardware manufacturing
• Assam promotes nutritious food through Kitchen Garden as part of Poshan Maah
• Gujarat forms Task Force to study & implement NEP-2020 for school education
• Fruits & vegetables in J&K covered under ‘Operation Green’s TOP to TOTAL’ scheme
• Andhra Pradesh to float India’ largest solar tender for 10 GW capacity
• Mahindra Finance’s subsidiary set to enter online insurance, will launch portal called PayBima
• Shri R. Masakui has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Jamaica
• ASCI appoints Manisha Kapoor as its new secretary-general
• British Broadcaster David Attenborough Awarded Indira Gandhi Peace Prize
• First ever Virtual Buyer Seller Meet organised by GJEPC
• IIT Kharagpur Researchers Develop Painless Drug Delivery and Vaccination Device
• DRDO successfully tests Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle
• Reliance-backed Fynd launches mobile game to encourage social distancing
• Chandrayaan-3 launch likely to take place in early 2021: Jitendra Singh
• Atal Innovation Mission Partners with Freshworks to empower AIM Startup Innovators
• Dell Technologies and NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission Launches SheCodes Innovation Challenge, Aimed at Championing Girl-Led Innovation
• Assam State Rural Livelihoods Mission, NESFB sign MoU
• Kerala Most Literate State in Country With 96.2% Literacy, Andhra Worst Performer at 66.4%
• Parachutist Raphael Domjan makes world’s first jump from solar-powered plane
• Novak Djokovic out of US Open 2020 after hitting line judge with ball
• Kesavananda Bharati, petitioner in landmark SC judgement, passes away
• Oscar-Winning Czech Film Director Jiří Menzelpasses away
• Father of India’s Radio Astronomy Govind Swarup passes away