NATIONAL NEWS
1. PM Modi performs Bhoomi Pujan and lays foundation stone of Ram Temple in Ayodhya on 5 August
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed Bhoomi Pujan at 'Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir' at Ayodhya and this marked the formal launch of the temple’s construction.
• PM Modi used silver bricks during the rituals.
• But for the foundation stone, bricks donated by devouts from across the world in 1989 would be used. There are 275,000 such bricks out of which 100 bricks with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ engraving have been taken.
• Dressed in the traditional kurta and dhoti, PM Modi offered prayers at the Hanuman Garhi temple soon after landing in the riverside town of Ayodhya from Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow.
• PM Modi is the first prime minister to visit the Ram Janambhoomi and offer prayers at the sanctum sanctorum where the deity has been worshipped since 1949, escalating the row over the small plot of land on which a mosque had been built in the 16th century.
• The temple construction has been made possible because of a Supreme Court verdict nine months ago that ended a legal battle lasting decades and awarded the site to Hindus. The Muslim community has been given a 5-acre plot at another location to build a new mosque to make up for the 500-year-old Babri Masjid demolished by a mob in 1992.
2. Continue with Food Security Allowance in lieu of Mid-Day meal: Govt
• Government has asked the concerned authorities to continue with the Food Security Allowance comprising food grains, pulses, oil and others to ensure nutrition and health among school-going children even when schools are closed.
• The allowance will be equivalent to the cooking cost.
• Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said it will be given to all eligible children in lieu of hot cooked meals under Mid Day Meal Scheme. He said the regular Mid Day Meal will resume when the schools reopen.
3. One Nation One Ration card scheme extended to 4 more states including J&K
• Ambitious One Nation One Ration card scheme has been extended to four more states. They are Manipur, Nagaland, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand.
• With this, now 24 states have the facility of ration card portability covering more than 65 crore beneficiaries of National Food Security Act.
• Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said these beneficiaries can now lift their entitlement of ration from any Fair Price Shop across these states.
• By 31st March next year, all the states will be covered under One Nation One Ration card so that all 81 crore beneficiaries can avail benefit under this scheme.
4. Second Serological Survey for Coronavirus to start in Delhi from 1 August 2020
• The sero-prevalence study began on 1 August 2020 in Delhi.
• This second round survey is being conducted in the different areas of the city in the next five days.
• The first phase of the study was conducted from 27th of June to 10th of July in all the 11 districts of Delhi.
• During the survey, a total of 21 thousand 387 blood samples were collected from selected individuals and were tested for IgG antibodies using the ELISA testing kits.
• The study showed that only 22.86 per cent of the people are affected due to Coronavirus and 77 percent population is still vulnerable. The study also indicated that a large number of infected persons remain asymptomatic.
• The tests have been done to identify the presence of antibodies in the general population. It provided information about past COVID-19 infection in individuals who tested positive.
• Antibody testing like Sero study provides important evidence for assessing the spread of the pandemic.
• Depending upon the level of sero-prevalence of infection, appropriate public health interventions can be planned and implemented for prevention and control of the disease. As per the Indian Council of Medical Research, periodic sero-surveys are useful to guide the policy makers to conduct surveys in high risk areas or vulnerable populations who have been infected in the past and have now recovered.
5. PM Modi pays tribute to freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak on his 100th death anniversary
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembered Lokmanya Tilak on his 100th Punya Tithi on 1 August 2020.
• Bal Gangadhar Tilak is one of the most respected figures of India's freedom struggle.
• Tilak's most powerful slogan was 'Swaraj is my birth right and I shall have it' which caught the imagination of the entire country and inspired them in the fight against colonial rule.
• A part of the Lal-Bal-Pal (Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal), Tilak was called 'father of the Indian unrest" by British colonial rulers.
• He was also conferred with the title of "Lokmanya", which means "accepted by the people (as their leader)" while Mahatma Gandhi called him "The Maker of Modern India”
• Bal Gangadhar Tilak was a scholar, a writer, mathematician and a philosopher, he received his education at the Deccan College in Pune and earned his Bachelor's degree in mathematics and Sanskrit in the year 1876.
6. ISA amends framework agreement to enable UN member states to join grouping
• In a major development and push to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of achieving universalization of membership of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), the requisite number of member countries have given the go-ahead.
• After ratification to the amendment of the ISA framework, all the Member States of the United Nations will now be able to join the International Solar Alliance, including those countries which are beyond the Tropics.
• The International Solar Alliance was launched jointly by Prime Minister Modi and the President of France during COP21 in Paris.
• The alliance aims to contribute to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement through rapid and massive deployment of solar energy. It also brings together countries to provide a collective response to the main common obstacles to the massive deployment of solar energy in terms of technology, finance and capacity.
7. Serum Institute gets DCGI nod for trials of Oxford vaccine
• The Drug Controller General of India’s (DCGI’s) office has approved the Serum Institute of India’s application for phase II and III clinical trials of the University of Oxford’s covid-19 vaccine candidate Covishield.
• Pune-based Serum Institute is the third firm to get approval for conducting human trials in India after Bharat Biotech (for Covaxin) and Zydus Cadila (for ZyCoV-D), which got the approval for phase I and phase II trials last month.
• The approval from DCGI comes after an expert committee recommended that the company be allowed to conduct clinical trials after studying the revised proposal of the firm for a 1,600-patient human trial.
• The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) for Covid-19 Related Therapies had on 28 July recommended various amendments to Serum Institute’s earlier protocol to conduct the trials here. Among the eight protocol changes, the panel had asked the company to hold a pan-India trial and also specify the role of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in the trial. Mint could not ascertain a link between ICMR and Serum Institute’s trial for the Oxford vaccine candidate.
• The company, which is the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by number of doses produced and sold globally, had signed an agreement with British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, the co-developer of the vaccine, in June to supply an additional 1 billion doses, principally for low- and middle-income countries.
8. PM Modi holds telephonic conversation with President of Afghanistan Dr Ashraf Ghani
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated India's commitment to the people of Afghanistan in their quest for a peaceful, prosperous and inclusive Afghanistan.
• Mr Modi had a telephonic conversation with President of Afghanistan Dr Ashraf Ghani. Both leaders exchanged greetings on the joyous festival of Eid- ul -Adha.
• Mr Ghani thanked Mr Modi for timely supply of food and medical assistance to meet Afghan requirements.
• The two leaders also exchanged views on the evolving security situation in the region and other areas of mutual bilateral interest.
9. Union Education Minister releases Alternative Academic Calendar for upper primary stage students
• Union HRD Minister or Education Minister Ramesh Nishank Pokhriyal has launched a new alternative academic calendar for classes 6 to 8 which is a continuation of the previous 4-week calendar.
• On July 2, the HRD minister had released the academic calendar for the primary classes of 1 to 5.
• The academic calendar consists of subject-wise directives for eight weeks and detailed guidelines on using social media tools and technology for education is a reference for teachers to continue teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• The academic calendar for the upper-primary classes was developed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
• This Calendar contains detailed guidelines for teachers on the use of technology & social media tools to impart education while the students are at home.
• The Calendar further aims to empower our students, teachers, school principals & parents with positive ways to deal with #Covid19 via online teaching-learning resources and achieve the best possible learning outcomes.
10. Pious Soil, water from all major religious sites to be used in construction of grand temple at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi
• Pious Soil and water from all the major religious sites, places of national importance and sacred rivers of the nation will be used in the construction of the grand temple at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi.
• The sacred soil from more than two thousand pilgrimage sites and water from more than 100 pious rivers have been brought to Ayodhya which will be used in construction of Ram temple.
• Shankaracharya and Saints from all across the world have sent many auspicious materials for Bhoomi Poojan which will also be used in the construction.
• Soil from Shri Badrinath Dham, Haldi Ghati, forts of Rani Lakshmi Bai, Shivaji, Shri Ranganathswami Mandir, Shri Mahakaleshwar Mandir and birthplaces of Chandrashekar Azad and Shri Birsa Munda have already reached Ayodhya.
• Water from Mansarovar, Ganga Sagar and other oceans have also reached Ayodhya which will be used in construction of Ram Temple. The proposed Ram temple in Ayodhya will have five mandaps and one octagon shaped shikhar.
• The Grand Temple will be a 161 feet tall and three story structure which will have Ramlala at ground floor while Ram Darbar will be on the first floor. Second floor will be reserved for Shri Ram Janm Bhoomi Teerth Shetra Trust.
11. J&K Lt Guv approves creation of Block Development Fund on pattern of Constituency Development Fund
• Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu has approved the creation of Block Development Fund on the pattern of Constituency Development Fund.
• 25 lakh rupees each will be placed at the disposal of Block Development Council (BDC) Chairpersons to be used for local block developmental works.
• The works in this regard, could be identified by the BDC Chairpersons as per the local priorities.
12. 10 acre food park to be set up at Vedasanthoor in Dindigul district
• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Shri Edapadi K Palanisamy has announced that a food park will soon be set up in ten acre premises at Vedansathoor in Dindigul district Tamil Nadu.
• The Chief Minister also declared open a vegetable market, set up at a cost of Rs 10 crores near Dindigul.
• He further observed that the incidence of Covid 19 was gradually coming down in Dindigul district. He appreciated the sterling work being undertaken in the district under the able guidance of WHO, Union and State Health ministries etc.
• Besides declaring open developments works of around 8 crore rupees Shri Edappadi Palanisamy also laid the foundation stone for various development and welfare schemes in the district.
13. Union Agriculture Minister launches Sahakar Cooptube NCDC Channel
• Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched the Sahakar Cooptube NCDC Channel, a new initiative by National Cooperative Development Corporation.
• During the launch event, the minister also rolled out guidance videos made by NCDC on ‘Formation and Registration of A Cooperative’ for 18-different states in Hindi and regional languages. These videos have been released to strengthen and deepen the major measures taken by Government of India to promote and form 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).
14. PM Modi inaugurates Rashtriya Swachhta Kendra in New Delhi
• On August 8 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the ‘Rashtriya Swachhata Kendra’, an interactive experience centre on the Swachh Bharat Mission.
• A tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, the Rashtriya Swachhata Kendra (RSK) was first announced by the prime minister on April 10, 2017 on the occasion of the centenary celebrations of Gandhiji’s Champaran ‘satyagraha’.
15. Govt proposes to launch National Clinical Registry for data collection
• The Government is set to launch a National Clinical Registry for COVID-19. The main objective of this registry is to collect real time clinical data which will help in evidence based clinical practice, research, formulation of guidelines and policy making.
• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and All India Institute of Medical Sciences have proposed to establish a COVID-19 clinical registry for data collection from 100 hospitals across the country. The duration of the study will be one year and any COVID-19 lab confirmed and hospitalized patient will be enrolled.
• ICMR invited a letter of intent from institutions, hospitals identified as dedicated COVID Hospitals and COVID Health Centres to establish this registry.
• This study is aimed at collecting data regarding clinical and laboratory features, treatments and outcomes of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in India.
16. Serum Institute to produce up to 100 million Covid-19 vaccine doses priced at Rs 225
• Serum Institute of India (SII) on Friday said it has entered into a new partnership with international vaccine alliance Gavi and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to accelerate manufacturing and delivery of up to 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines for India as well as other low and middle-income countries (LMICs).
• The collaboration will provide upfront capital to SII to help them increase manufacturing capacity now so that, once a vaccine, or vaccines, gains regulatory approval and WHO prequalification, doses can be produced at scale for distribution to India and LMICs as part of the Gavi COVAX AMC mechanism as early as the first half of 2021.
• The company has set an affordable ceiling price of $3 (around Rs 225) per dose.
• The funding will support at-risk manufacturing by SII for candidate vaccines from AstraZeneca and Novavax, which will be available for procurement if they are successful in attaining full licensure and WHO prequalification.
• The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, via its Strategic Investment Fund, will provide at-risk funding of $150 million to Gavi, which will be used to support the SII to manufacture the potential vaccine candidates and for future procurement of vaccines for low- and middle-income countries via Gavi’s COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC).
• Vaccines will be priced at maximum $3 per dose and made available to the 92 countries included in Gavi’s COVAX AMC.
ECONOMY, BUSINESS, BANKING AND DEFENCE NEWS
1. Housing Minister releases Affordable Rental Housing Complexes Knowledge Pack
• Union Housing Minister Hardeep Singh Puri released the Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC) Knowledge Pack.
• This includes MoUs to be signed with States and Union Territories to provide ease of living to urban migrants in the country.
• Union Cabinet had approved ARHC as a sub scheme under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) earlier this month to provide housing facility to migrant workers and urban poor. The Affordable Housing Complex scheme will be implemented through two models in the country.
• Under the first model existing Government funded vacant houses will be converted into ARHCs through Public Private Partnership or by public agencies for a period of 25 years.
• Under the second model ARHCs will be constructed, operated and maintained by Public or Private Entities on their own available vacant land for a period of 25 years.
• Government has said that continued cooperation towards successful implementation of ARHC Scheme will not only benefit urban migrants and poor but will also accelerate entrepreneurship and investment in rental housing market giving boost to the economy.
2. Khadi and Village Industries Commission signs MoU to supply mustard oil to ITBP
• The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to supply mustard oil to ITBP.
• This development is seen as another major step towards making India Atmanirbhar. KVIC said the development comes in wake of the instructions of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the paramilitary forces to encourage local products in a bid to support the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
• Mr. Shah had also made it mandatory to sell only Swadeshi products through the CAPF canteens across India.
• The ITBP is the nodal agency appointed by MHA for the procurement of provisions on behalf of all paramilitary forces.
• The ITBP will soon be placing an order for supply of 1200 quintals of high quality kacchi ghani mustard oil which will be supplied by KVIC through its Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme units in a month's time.
• KVIC recently supplied products like honey, pickles, edible oils, agarbatti, papad, amla candy and cotton towels among other products to CAPF canteens on a trial basis. A list of 63 new products is being prepared for adding to the supply basket.
3. Western Railway loads onions in goods trains for its transportation to Bangladesh
• In Gujarat, the Bhavnagar division of Western Railway successfully loaded onions in a goods train for its transportation to Bangladesh.
• This is the first time that agriculture goods have been sent to neighbouring countries through the train route.
• The first rake of such goods train has been loaded with onions at Dhoraji Railway Station of Bhavnagar division in Gujarat.
• The first such goods train loaded with onions was sent to Darshna Railway Station in Bangladesh from Dhoraji Railway station of Saurashtra.
4. Indian Army begins process to grant Permanent Commission to eligible women officers
• The Indian Army has kickstarted the process to grant Permanent Commission to eligible women officers, nearly two weeks after the defence ministry approved the proposal.
• The Army headquarters has invited applications by August 31 for grant of Permanent Commission (PC) to women officers recruited under Women Special Entry Scheme (WSES) and Short Service Commission (SSC).
• Women officers who have joined the Army through the WSES and SSC are being considered for grant of the PC.
• Last month, the Ministry of Defence issued an order for grant of PC to women officers in the Army.
• In a landmark judgement, the apex court in February directed that all serving women officers recruited under the short service schemes will have to be considered for PC.
• Officials said 10 streams where PC of women officers are being made available include army air defence, signals, engineers, army aviation, electronics and mechanical engineers, army service corps and intelligence corps.
• At present, the Army offers permanent commission to women officers in two branches -- judge advocate general (JAG) and education.
• Under SSC, women officers are initially taken for a period of five years, which is expandable up to 14 years. Permanent commissioning will allow them to serve till the age of retirement.
• The Army recruits women officers under SSC for streams like air defence, engineering, signals and services and they can serve up to a maximum of 14 years.
• The three services have allowed permanent recruitment of women in select streams including medical, education, legal, signals, logistics and engineering.
• The women officers recruited through the SSC in the IAF have the option of seeking a permanent commission in all streams except the flying branch.
• The Navy has allowed the permanent commission of women in a host of departments such as logistics, naval designing, air traffic control, engineering and legal.
5. Security of KBR Airport in Leh handed over to CISF
• As part of increasing the security at hyper sensitive KBR Airport in Leh, the responsibility was handed over to Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
• In a symbolic ceremony, Ladakh police Inspector General SD Khandare handed over the security key of Leh Airport to CISF in the presence of Advisor to Ladakh LG, Mr Umang Narula and DG CISF Mr Rajesh Ranjan.
• Leh airport is 64th in the row to get CISF cover for security out of 140 operational airports in the country.
• Airports Authority of India Executive Director Security Capt Raj K Mallick said, as far as security of airports is concerned, the authority is going by the (Bureau of Civil Aviation Security) BCAS guidelines.
• CISF Special DG airports MA Ganapathy, ITBP northwest Frontier IG Deepam Seth and Leh Airport director Sonam Nurbu were also present on the occasion.
6. India extends Line of Credit worth 18 million dollars to Maldives
• India has extended Line of Credit worth 18 million US dollars to the Government of Maldives for the expansion of fishing facilities at Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO).
• The project envisages investment in fish collection and storage facilities and the setting up of a tuna cooked plant and fishmeal plant.
• It is part of the 800 million US dollars line of credit offered by India with repayment tenor of 20 years and a 5-year moratorium. Indian High Commission in Male said fishing is deeply connected to the Maldivian way of life and is a key driver of the economy through exports.
7. 17 crore man days employment provided under Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan so far
• The Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan is taking action to provide employment to migrant workers who have returned to their native villages of six states. These states are Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
• By the sixth week itself, a total of about 17 crore man days employment has been provided and 13,240 crore rupees has been spent so far. A large number of structures have been created under the Abhiyan.
• These include 62,532 water conservation structures, 1.74 lakh rural houses, 14,872 cattle sheds, 8,963 farm ponds, and 2,222 Community Sanitary Complexes. A total of 564 Gram Panchayats have been provided internet connectivity, and 16,124 candidates have been provided skill training through Krishi Vigyan Kendras.
• The Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan was launched to boost employment and livelihood opportunities for migrant workers returning to villages and similarly affected citizens in rural areas, in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak.
8. PM to inaugurate submarine Optical Fibre Cable connecting Chennai and Port Blair
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and dedicate the submarine Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) connecting Chennai and Port Blair to the nation. The submarine cable will also connect Port Blair to Swaraj Dweep, Little Andaman, Car Nicobar, Kamorta, Great Nicobar, Long Island and Rangat.
• This connectivity will enable delivery of faster and more reliable mobile and landline telecom services to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, at par with other parts of India. At present Andaman and Nicobar Islands have very weak telecom systems that hamper communications with mainland and within the islands.
• Foundation stone for this project was laid by the Prime Minister on 30th December 2018 at Port Blair. Provision of reliable, robust, and high-speed telecom and Broadband facilities in these Islands will be a landmark achievement from the viewpoint of islanders as well as for strategic and governance reasons.
• The enhanced telecom and Broadband connectivity will boost tourism and employment generation in the Islands.
• Better connectivity will also facilitate delivery of e-Governance services such as telemedicine and tele-education. Small enterprises will benefit from opportunities in e-commerce, while educational institutions will utilize the enhanced availability of bandwidth for e-learning and knowledge sharing.
• Due to satellite linkage there is only a fixed bandwidth of 3.2 GBPS available in the islands which will be hiked by more than 100 times. A 400 GBPS bandwidth would now be available initially with the commencement of the project.
9. FDI in commercial coal mining should comply with amendments made in applicable laws: Govt
• Government has clarified that any FDI in commercial coal mining should also comply with the recent amendments made in the applicable laws.
• Recently, the government modified its FDI policy according to which any entity of a country, which shares land border with India or where the beneficial owner of an investment into India is situated in or is a citizen of any such country, could invest only under the Government route.
• The new policy further states that a citizen of Pakistan or an entity incorporated in Pakistan can invest, only under the Government route, in sectors and activities other than defence, space and atomic energy.
• Even for the sectors which are prohibited for foreign investment, Government route has been made mandatory for all such entities.
• Government had earlier permitted 100 per cent FDI under automatic route in coal mining activities, including associated processing infrastructure for sale of coal.
10. RBI bars banks from opening current accounts for customers having availed cash credit
• The Reserve Bank of India has barred banks from opening current accounts for customers who have availed cash credit or overdraft facilities, with a view to improve credit discipline.
• In a notification, the Central Bank said, rather than opening a new current account, all transactions should be routed through a Cash Credit or OverDraft account.
• The RBI stated that there is a need for discipline by the banks in opening current accounts.
• RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said it is necessary to take appropriate measures for strengthening credit discipline. He said there are 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.
11. RBI permits banks to invest in debt instruments through mutual funds
• RBI has permitted banks to invest in debt instruments through mutual funds or exchange traded funds without allocating additional charges.
• As per RBI's extant 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.
• While unveiling the bi-monthly monetary policy review yesterday, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said it has been decided to harmonise the differential treatment existing currently.
• He said this will result in substantial capital savings for banks and is expected to give a boost to the corporate bond market.
• The RBI Governor said the general market risk charge of 9 per cent will apply on both direct holdings, as well as through mutual funds or ETFs.
12. RBI announces loan restructuring window for corporates
• The Reserve Bank of India gave the green signal to a loan restructuring scheme for stressed borrowers.
• A special window providing one-time loan restructuring to companies and individuals, it will provide relief specifically to those impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Only those companies and individuals whose loans accounts are in default for not more than 30 days as on March 1, 2020, are eligible for one-time restructuring. For corporate borrowers, banks can invoke a resolution plan till December 31, 2020 and implement it till June 30, 2021. Such loan accounts should continue to be standard till the date of invocation. The one-time restructuring window is available across sectors.
• It is expected to provide relief to companies that were servicing loan obligations on time but could have found it difficult after March, as the pandemic affected their revenues. Companies that were already in default for more than 30 days as on March 1, however, cannot avail this facility. Industry sources said this could affect revival plans of companies that were about to regain profitability but got hit when the lockdown was imposed.
• The RBI has set up a five-member expert committee headed by K V Kamath, former Chairman of ICICI Bank, which will make recommendations on the financial parameters required.
• While the RBI has given the broad contours, the panel will recommend the sector-specific benchmark ranges for such parameters to be factored into each resolution plan for borrowers with an aggregate exposure of Rs 1,500 crore or above at the time of invocation.
13. IBBI amends Insolvency & Bankruptcy Board of India, Liquidation Process, Third Amendment, Regulations, 2020
• The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India notified the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India, Liquidation Process, Third Amendment, Regulations, 2020.
• The Regulations require the committee of creditors to fix the fee payable to the liquidator.
• Where the fee has not been fixed by the committee of creditors, the Regulations provide for a fee as a percentage of the amount realised and of the amount distributed by the liquidator.
• There have been instances where a liquidator realises the amount while another liquidator distributes the same to stakeholders.
• The amendment made to the Regulations today clarifies that where a liquidator realises any amount, but does not distribute the same, he shall be entitled to a fee corresponding to the amount realised by him.
14. CBIC directs Customs to check within 48 hours safety of explosives in warehouses, ports
• The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs directed field offices to verify within 48 hours that all explosive materials lying in Customs warehouses and ports meet safety and fire standards and pose no danger to people's lives.
• This precautionary step has been taken in view of the recent incident of an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon.
15. Country's first Kisan Special Parcel Train flagged off from Devlali Railway Station of Maharashtra
• Fulfilling its budget announcement, the railways began the Kisan Rail service to transport perishables at affordable cost.
• Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar flagged off the First Kisan Rail train from Maharashtra's Devlali station to Danapur in Bihar.
• As per this initiative, the Kisan Rail will run through public-private-partnership mode to provide a seamless supply chain of perishable goods. The train will cover a distance of 1,519 kilometers in almost 32 hours on a single trip and will halt at 14 stations, including Nashik Road, Manmad, Itarsi, Satna, Prayagraj and Buxar.
• Kisan Rail will serve as a milestone in doubling farmers' income as it will help them get the right price for their crops. Apart from carrying fruits and vegetables like capsicum, onion, chillies, banana and grapes; the Indian Railways' first ever multi commodity trains will have frozen containers to ensure a cold supply chain even for fish, meat and milk.
• It is noteworthy that the inaugural Kisan Rail train carried 22 tonnes of perishables from Nashik and 26.5 tonnes of food items from Manmad. Meanwhile, the railways, along with local farmers, businessmen and the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees are making more and more efforts to publicise this initiative so that a large number of farmers can reap in the benefits.
16. Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan: Govt promoting beekeeping as part of its aim to double farmers' income
• Government is promoting beekeeping as part of its aim to double farmers' income and it has allocated 500 crore rupees towards beekeeping under the Atma Nirbhar Abhiyan.
• Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has said India is among the world's top five honey producers and compared to 2005-06, honey production in the country has risen by 242 percent and exports shot up by 265 percent.
• As evident by the rising honey exports, beekeeping will be an important factor in achieving the goal of doubling farmers' income by 2024.
• The National Bee Board has created four modules to impart training as part of the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission and 30 lakh farmers have been trained in beekeeping.
17. OCI card holders from USA, UK, Germany, France can visit India: Home Ministry
• Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders from the US, UK, German and France, with whom India has signed ‘air bubble’ arrangements, will be allowed to visit the country, the Home Ministry announced.
• Other foreigners from these countries have also been allowed to avail Indian visa facility for business, medical and employment purposes.
• Indian citizens have also been allowed to travel to these countries on any type of visa.
• India so far has bilateral air travel arrangements or ‘air bubbles’ with the US, UK, Germany and France during the coronavirus pandemic-related international travel restrictions.
• Other countries may be included under this scheme in future.
18. PM Modi to launch financing facility of Rs 1 lakh cr under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched one lakh crore rupees agriculture infrastructure fund to give a leg up to post-harvest management and marketing of agricultural produce.
• The scheme will provide better warehousing and cold storage facilities for farmers.
• New jobs will be created as food processing and post-harvest facilities are set up in rural areas.
• The scheme will enable startups to scale up their operations and India to build a global presence in organic and fortified food.
• The fund was launched with 1,128 crore rupees of new loans disbursed to more than 2,200 cooperative societies. During the event, the Prime Minister also transferred 17,100 crore rupees to more than 8.5 crore farmers under the PM-Kisan direct income assistance scheme.
• Under the infrastructure scheme banks and financial institutions will provide one lakh crore in loans to cooperative societies, farmer producer companies, self-help groups, entrepreneurs, startups and infrastructure providers.
• The objective is to provide medium to long-term debt financing for setting up post-harvest infrastructure and community assets for marketing of farm produce.
19. Air Asia flight grounded at Birsa Munda Ranchi airport averting another major airplane accident
• An AirAsia flight was grounded at the Ranchi airport after a bird hit the aircraft during takeoff and a major accident was averted. The flight will again take off after completing procedures.
• This incident occurred a day after an Air India Express flight from Dubai with 190 people onboard overshot the runway at Kozhikode airport in rainy conditions and went down 35 feet into a slope before breaking up into two pieces, killing at least 18 people.
20. Shipping Minister virtually launches online exit exam for seafarers
• Union Minister of State for Shipping (I/C) Shri Mansukh Mandaviya launched Online Exit Examination for the seafarers via virtual ceremony.
• Seafarers, who are getting training in different Maritime Training Institutes under Directorate General of Shipping, can now appear in the exam from the comfort of their homes in this unprecedented time of COVID-19 pandemic.
• The three tier training system for modular courses comprising of e-learning platforms, virtual classroom by the approved training institutes, and end of the course virtual online exit examination is a solution which ensures not only quality & standards of training, but also tests the knowledge attained by the seafarers and ensures that the requirement of administration and supervision by the maritime administration is complied with, even if the online training is being provided to the seafarers from the comforts of their homes.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. US imposes sanctions on Chinese company over human rights abuse in Xinjiang
• US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo has said that sanctions have been imposed on Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps of China and two of its officials for their connection to serious human rights abuse on the Uyghur community in Xinjiang. After the sanctions imposed by the US Department of Treasury, Mr Pompeo urged countries worldwide to condemn the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for their continuous human rights abuse against its own citizens.
• The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned one Chinese government entity and two current or former government officials in connection with serious rights abuses against ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
• The entity and officials are being designated for their connection to serious human rights abuse against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.
• These include mass arbitrary detention and severe physical abuse, among other serious abuses targeting Uyghurs, a Turkic Muslim population indigenous to Xinjiang, and other ethnic minorities in the region.
2. EU calls for united efforts from its member countries against China
• European Union has called for a more united approach from its 27 member countries against an authoritarian China.
• EU's High Representative for foreign and security policy, Josep Borrell said, China has become more aggressive in its neighbourhood, especially in the South China Sea or on the border with India.
• He said, Chinese leaders did not hesitate to leave aside international commitments with the imposition of the Hong Kong National Security Law.
• Borrell also called for a more coordinated approach among the EU, US and other democratic powers like India.
• He said, EU and US should be at the heart of this effort, but we should also be working closely with Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and others.
• Pondering steps to deal with China, Borell said, we can consider measures such as extending visas for Hong Kong citizens, restricting student exchanges with China, banning exports of tear gas.
3. UAE becomes first country in Arab World to produce nuclear energy
• As the Barakah Nuclear Plant's 1st Unit got operational ,UAE became the first country in the Arab World to produce nuclear energy.
• The new plant is part of the UAE's graph to become less reliant on oil and gas, the current source of the vast majority of its energy.
• UAE is among the world's biggest fossil fuels producers.
• Barakah plant situated in the Al Dhafrah region of Abu Dhabi started producing heat. The plant, powered by South Korean technology , hopes to produce 5.6 gigawatts of electricity and supply up to 25% of the UAE's electricity needs.
• President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan said this milestone, which comes a few days after the launch of the Hope Probe, confirms that UAE guided by Emirati cadres - is steadily progressing ahead with well-weighed plans towards building a robust knowledge base in all fields.
4. US Prez Trump bars federal govt agencies from outsourcing to foreign workers
• United States President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that bars federal government agencies from displacing American nationals and citizens with foreign workers.
• It also calls for prohibiting American employers from using H-1B workers to displace Americans in outsourcing contracts. Indians have been the largest beneficiaries of the H-1B visa programme.
• The order will create a policy where Federal agencies will focus on United States labour in lucrative Federal contracts as it will be unfair for federal government agencies to replace perfectly qualified Americans with workers from other countries.
• The executive order also enjoins upon the Department of Labour, which is responsible for ensuring the fairness of the process of hiring foreign workers, to finalize guidance to prevent H-1B employers from moving H-1B workers to other employers' job sites to displace Americans workers, in what is called third-party locations, essentially the practice of outsourcing using foreign workers on H-1B.
5. Beirut explosion-Explained
• A massive explosion rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut, leaving at least 135 dead and thousands injured.
• The blast has been linked to a large supply of confiscated and potentially unsecured explosive material, Ammonium Nitrate, stored in a warehouse at the city's port, close to populated areas.
• Ammonium nitrate (AN), a compound of ammonia and nitrogen, is a highly volatile material used in agricultural fertilizers and bombs.
• Disasters involving AN are rare, considering the US uses millions of tons of it every year in fertilizers, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. "Pure" solid AN is quite stable, but if the compound is mixed with any contaminants, even in small traces, the mixture becomes much more prone to detonation -- which is why there are normally stringent government guidelines for how to treat and store it properly.
• Nearby landmarks include the historic Martyrs' Square; the Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael neighborhoods, fixtures of the Beirut bar scene; the landmark Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque; Grand Serail, the government palace; and Baabda Palace, the official residence of the Lebanese President.
• Beirut's governor Marwan Abboud said that the explosion had resulted in an estimated three to five billion US dollars' worth of damage.
• NNA, Lebanon's state-run media, reported that 90% of hotels in the Lebanese capital had been damaged.
• The blast was even felt in Cyprus, around 240 kilometers (150 miles) away, and registered as a 3.3 magnitude earthquake.
• A crater created by the explosion appeared to be roughly 124 meters (405 feet) in diameter, or well over a football field in length
6. Bangladesh to construct monument for martyred Indian soldiers in 1971 war
• The government of Bangladesh has decided to construct a standalone war memorial for the Indian soldiers who were killed by Pakistan during the country’s struggle for Independence in 1971.
• Mozammel Haque, Bangladesh War Liberation Minister made the announcement on August 7, 2020, and mentioned that the construction of the monument will coincide with the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh’s Independence.
• Bangladesh has a National Memorial on the outskirts of Dhaka for all the martyrs of 1971 but the proposed one is meant for the Indian soldiers only, as the spirit of 1971 and camaraderie between freedom fighters and the Indian Army has always been cherished.
• The Hasina government in Bangladesh has selected 3.5 acres in Ashuganj of Brahmanbaria district, bordering Tripura, because of its significance in the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971. The construction of the monument is expected to start this year and will be completed in the next two years.
7. US Prez Donald Trump bans Chinese Apps; terms it a threat to national security
• US President Donald Trump has signed executive orders banning popular Chinese apps like TikTok and WeChat, terming them a threat to national security and to the country's economy.
• The ban comes into effect in 45 days.
• India was the first country to ban TikTok and WeChat, citing national security concerns. India has banned as many as 106 Chinese apps.
• In a communique to the Congress, the US President said the spread in the United States of mobile applications developed and owned by the companies in China continues to threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the country.
• He said, TikTok, a video-sharing mobile application owned by the Chinese company ByteDance Ltd, automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users.
• To deal with this threat, President Trump delegated power to the Commerce Secretary to take such actions, including adopting appropriate rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by International Emergency Economic Powers Act as may be necessary to implement the order.
• The order also directs all departments and agencies to take all appropriate measures within their authority to implement the order.
• In separate executive order, Trump said WeChat, a messaging, social media, and electronic payment application owned by the Chinese company Tencent Holdings Ltd.
8. Mahinda Rajapaksa takes oath as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka for fourth time
• In Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa took oath as the Prime Minister for the fourth time. He was administered the oath by his younger brother and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at a ceremony held at Kelaniya Mahaviharaya near Colombo.
• Mahinda Rajapaksa has served as country's President from 2006 to 2015 and his party has got landslide victory at general elections held on Wednesday.
• Mr. Rajapaksa is credited with ending the decades long LTTE war in 2009 during his Presidency. He had lost the 2015 Presidential elections and has made a strong political comeback.
• Mr. Rajapaksa was appointed Prime Minister after Gotabaya's victory at last November Presidential elections though his side did not enjoy a majority in Parliament. He contested the election from Kurunegala and topped the preferential votes from the district by clinching a record 527,364 votes.
SPORTS NEWS
1. IPL Cricket - 2020 to begin from Sept 19 in UAE
• Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 will be held from September 19 to November 10 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), subject to clearances from the Indian government, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said.
• The announcement comes after the IPL Governing Council meeting was held via teleconference earlier in the day.
• The 53-day tournament will see player replacements allowed for the first time in its history.
• Franchises will depart to the UAE after August 26 and chartered planes to fly both domestic and overseas players. No crowds will be allowed at the venues in the UAE in the initial phase of the tournament but a limited number of fans may be allowed during the latter stages, subject to UAE government approval.
• Franchises will be allowed a 24-player squad and the IPL Governing Council has given the green light for Covid-19 replacements -- franchises will be allowed to replace a player if he gets unwell during the course of the tournament.
• The IPL Governing Council has also got the approval for hosting the Women's IPL -- Women's T20 Challenge in the UAE along with the final stages of the IPL.
2. BCCI suspends title sponsorship deal with Vivo for upcoming IPL
• The BCCI suspended the IPL title sponsorship deal with Chinese mobile phone company Vivo for the event's upcoming edition amid soaring Sino-India diplomatic tensions.
• Vivo won the IPL title sponsorship rights for five years from 2018 to 2022 for a reported sum of Rs 2,190 crore, approximately Rs 440 crore per annum.
3. India to host ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2021
• The International Cricket Council confirmed that the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 that was postponed due to Covid-19 will be held in Australia in 2022.
• India will host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 as planned.
• ICCI has also decided to postpone the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2021 in New Zealand till February – March 2022 because of the impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on cricket globally.
• The decisions were taken by the IBC (the commercial subsidiary of the ICC) following an extensive contingency planning exercise which has taken into account the health, cricket and commercial impact of COVID-19 around the world.
PEOPLE IN NEWS & OBITUARIES
1. Nobel Laureate John Hume died following long period of illness
• Nobel Laureate John Hume, a prominent Northern Ireland politician has died at the age of 83 following a long period of illness.
• Hume was one of the highest-profile politicians in Northern Ireland for more than 30 years. He was a founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) in 1970 and led the party from 1979 until 2001.
• Mr Hume took considerable risks for peace by holding talks with the then leader of Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams, as the IRA was still heavily involved in violence. The Hume-Adams talks helped lay the foundation for the 1994 IRA ceasefire and later negotiations which resulted in the Good Friday Agreement.
• Following the 1998 peace deal, Mr Hume was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, along with the then leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, David Trimble. He was widely admired for his steadfast commitment to peaceful, democratic politics during three decades of violence in Northern Ireland.
2. Two NASA astronauts return to earth successfully ending two-month mission
• Two NASA astronauts have returned to Earth, successfully ending their historic two-month mission to stay on the space station.
• Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken have returned in a dramatic, retro-style splashdown, their capsule parachuting into the Gulf of Mexico to close out an unprecedented test flight by Elon Musk's SpaceX company.
• It was the first splashdown by US astronauts in 45 years, with the first commercially built and operated spacecraft to carry people to and from orbit. The return clears the way for another SpaceX crew launch as early as next month and possible tourist flights next year.
• Shortly before the astronauts' return, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said, this is the next era in human spaceflight where NASA gets to be the customer.
• SpaceX needs six weeks to inspect the capsule before launching the next crew around the end of September. This next mission of four astronauts will spend a full six months aboard the space station.
3. Former Maharashtra CM Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar passes away in Pune
• Former Maharashtra chief minister Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar (89) died at a private hospital in Pune after a prolonged illness, family members and doctors, treating him for old-age-related ailments.
• Nilangekar, a Congress leader, who belonged to Latur in the Marathwada region, was Maharashtra CM between June 1985 and March 1986.
• He was compelled to resign from the CM’s post after the Bombay high court (HC) passed strictures against him following the detection of alleged fraud in the state medical college examinations in 1985.
• The fraud was allegedly perpetrated at his behest to help his daughter Chandrakala and her friend to get through the medical entrance examinations conducted by the Mumbai University.
• Nilangekar was succeeded by another Congress stalwart Shankarrao Chavan as Maharashtra CM.
4. Ajay Tyagi gets 18 months’ extension as SEBI chairman
• Ajay Tyagi was given an 18-month extension, till February 2022, as the chairman of markets regulator SEBI.
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved extension of Tyagi's term for 18 months, with effect from September 1 2020 up to February 28, 2022.
• Tyagi, a 1984 batch IAS (retired) officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre, was appointed as the Sebi chairman in March 2017 for three years.
• He was in March this year given a six-month extension till August.
5. Manoj Sinha appointed as new lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir
• President Ram Nath Kovind appointed former Union minister Manoj Sinha as the next Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. He will replace Girish Chandra Murmu who resigned.
• The move to appoint Sinha as the next Lieutenant Governor is aimed at reaching out to the people of the union territory with a soft political touch, something that Murmu, a former bureaucrat, could not achieve during his nine-month tenure.
6. Former J&K Lt Guv Girish Chandra Murmu to be new CAG of India
• Former Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Girish Chandra Murmu will be the new Comptroller and Auditor General of the country.
• Mr Murmu will succeed Rajiv Mehrishi.
7. Dr. Pradeep Kumar Joshi takes oath as Chairman of UPSC
• Dr. Pradeep Kumar Joshi took oath as Chairman of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Prof. Joshi joined the Commission as a member in the year 2015.
• He served as Director of the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration.
• During his career, Dr. Joshi taught more than 28 years at postgraduate level and held many important positions in various policy making, academic and administrative bodies.
AWARDS
1. DIAT bags 1st prize in Smart India Hackathon 2020
• Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, DIAT, has bagged 1st prize in Smart India Hackathon, SIH, 2020, held from 1st to 3rd of this month at Noida Institute of Engineering and Technology, Uttar Pradesh.
• This 36- hour non-stop digital product building competition was a national level competition for software edition, which was organized jointly by the Ministry of Human Resource Development and All India Council for Technical Education.
• During the competition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with the participants in a live event.
• Six- member team of the institute received one lakh rupees as prize money for solving a technical problem using artificial intelligence.
• Defence Research and Development Organization Chairman Dr G. Satheesh Reddy has congratulated the team on winning the award for a consecutive second time.
DAYS AND EVENTS
1. National Handloom Day-7 August
• National Handloom Day is being observed on 7 August to encourage people to use hand-made loom in the country. The main event will be held in Guwahati to celebrate the third National Handloom Day.
• The Central Government has declared August 7 as National Handloom Day, to be celebrated every year due to its significance in India's history, as the 'Swadeshi Movement' was launched in 1905 on this day.
• The movement involved revival of domestic products and production processes.
• This event will give a boost to weavers of Assam, who are known for producing Pat and Muga silk. The Assam government has already announced an ambitious Muga Mission to increase production with a cost of 100 crore rupees.
• Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the first National Handloom Day on August 7 in 2015, at a national level function in Chennai.
2. International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples-9 August
• On 23 December 1994, the United Nations General Assembly decided that the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples shall be observed on 9 August every year.
• The date marks the day of the first meeting, in 1982, of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.
• The UN General Assembly proclaimed 1993 the International Year of the World's Indigenous Peoples.
• The General Assembly established two International Decades of the World's Indigenous Peoples: the first 1995 - 2004, and the second 2005 - 2014.
• 2019 was the International Year of Languages.
• The Decade of Indigenous Languages will be from 2022 – 2032.
• Theme 2020- Indigenous peoples’ resilience, which will focus on the preservation and promotion of indigenous peoples’ traditional knowledge and practices.
