Current Affairs
Important News – State
1. Which became the first state in India to collaborate with Google India for state-wide distribution of G suite for Education and Google Classroom ________Maharshtra.
Note
➢ Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray announced the partnership with Google which will blend google’s learning programmes that integrate the classroom approach with online learning, over a virtual launch event.
➢ The aim of the partnership is to progress Maharashtra in education with effective use of online resources, platforms and technology and to bridge the gap in education amid COVID-19 pandemic.
2. India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace, Flipkart has signed an MoU with One District, One Product (ODOP) scheme of which state government ________ Uttar Pradesh.
Note:
➢ The MoU will bring the artisans, weavers and craftsmen under the ODOP scheme into the scope of the “Flipkart Samarth” initiative.
➢ This will provide artisans, weavers and craftsmen under the ODOP scheme a momentum to expand their business online as they face social and economic challenges.
3. The Ministry of Railways has inaugurated a dedicated museum for railways in which state _________ Hubballi, Karnataka.
Note:
➢ This is the first of its kind museum in Northern Karnataka and second in South Western Railways after the historic railway museum at Mysore, Karnataka.
➢ The main objective of the museum is to preserve and portray the glorious heritage of various branches of Railways and displays the gradual evolution of advanced systems in all spheres of Railway.
4. US Based IT Firm “Boston Group” has signed an MoU with which state government to set up an IT company ________ Andhra Pradesh.
Note:
➢ The new IT company stated to be installed in the state according to the MoU is expected to create 250+ jobs in the IT sector.
➢ The employees of this centre would be deployed in the R&D on Learning platforms and leverage advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Cyber Security and Human Resources.
5. Which state government has launched Mukhya Mantri Kisan Sahay Yojana ________Gujarat.
Note:
➢ The yojana has been announced for the current Kharif season and all farmers of the state will be covered under this scheme.
➢ Farmers would not have to pay any premium or registration process for the scheme.
6. Which state government has signed an MoU with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) for setting up a WorldClass Skill Development Institute to provide Advanced Skills Training under “Skill India Mission _______ Goa.
Note:
➢ The institute is proposed to be set up at the heritage building of Old Asilo Hospital, Mapusa, North Goa.
➢ The institute will provide Advanced Skills training in highly specialized areas across sectors like healthcare, tourism and hospitality and other emerging business domains to meet industry demands.
7. Which state government has started “Orunodoi Scheme” for women’s empowerment _________ Assam.
Note:
➢ Under the “Orunodoi” scheme, Rs 830 per month aid would mean an additional annual income of Rs 10,000 to the poor households to meet their medical, nutritional, and academic needs besides to meet the additional spending during various festivals,”.
Important News – World
1. Which becomes the first country to officially register a coronavirus vaccine and declare it ready for use ________ Russia.
Note:
➢ The Russian vaccine will be called "Sputnik V" in homage to the world's first satellite launched by the Soviet Union.
➢ The vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow uses a different virus -- adenovirus -- that's been modified to carry genes for the "spike" protein that coats the coronavirus, as a way to prime the body to recognise when a real COVID-19 infection comes along.
2. Name the Indian origin senator who named as US Vice Presidential candidate for Democratic party ________ Kamala Harris.
Note:
➢ In the United States, Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden has named Indian-origin senator Kamala Harris as his Vice-Presidential running mate. Joe Biden made history by selecting the first black woman to compete on a major party's presidential ticket.
➢ Kamala Harris is currently the US Senator from California. Former US President Barack Obama has often described her as a trailblazer.
3. Which organization has launched the “W-GDP Women Connect Challenge” across India in association with US Agency for International Development (USAID) _________ Reliance Foundation.
Note:
➢ The “W-GDP Women Connect Challenge” has been launched to bridge the gender divide as well as the digital divide in India.
➢ The Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) challenge supports private sector-led approaches that close the gender digital divide, expand business opportunities and empower women.
4. India announced a $500 million package to fund a project in which of the following neighbouring countries ________ Maldives.
Note:
➢ An air connectivity “bubble” for travel, a direct ferry service, a submarine cable for telecom connectivity; and assistance for the Greater Male Connectivity project (GMCP) to connect Male to three neighbouring islands.
➢ India has sought to regain diplomatic influence in the islands after a new administration led by President Ibrahim Solih took power following the defeat of the pro-China strongman Abdulla Yameen in elections in 2018.
5. The Dragon Endeavour is the spacecraft of which space company ________ SpaceX.
Note:
➢ NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley are aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft as it is lifted onto the SpaceX GO Navigator recovery ship shortly after landing in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020.
6. Which country has successfully tested its advanced missile defence system, “Arrow-2” ballistic missile interceptor _______Israel.
Note:
➢ The Missile test was conducted in the test site in Central Israel over the Mediterranean Sea. The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) of the United States of America along with Israeli Air Force and Israel Aerospace Industries conducted the testing.
Honor & Awards
1. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) recognized Venkatraipur and Noliasahi, villages of which state as ‘Tsunami Ready’ for their overall preparedness to face the tsunami _______ Odisha.
Note:
➢ With this recognition, Odisha became the first state in the India and India became the 1st Country in the Indian Ocean region to achieve the honour from the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO.
2. The researchers from which institutions has won the Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) Awards 2020 for developing a mechanism for generating electricity from wet clothes left under sunlight to dry _______ IIT Kharagpur.
Note:
➢ The work has been published in Nano Letters, a high-impact journal in the field, and the innovation has been patented by them.
➢ The same award was presented separately to another team of the IIT Kharagpur for addressing the problem of energy conservation and thermal management in wearable and flexible electronic devices.
3. Who has won the Asian College of Journalism’s award 2019 for investigative journalism _______ Nitin Sethi.
Note:
➢ The awards ceremony was conducted online due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
➢ Sethi won in the investigative journalism category for his six-part series titled "Paisa Politics" published by The Huffington Post India.
4. Who has won the Asian College of Journalism’s award 2019 the K P Narayana Kumar Memorial Award for social impact journalism _______ Shiv Sahay Singh.
Note:
➢ He won the inaugural social impact journalism award for his story titled "Death by digital exclusion: On faculty public distribution system in Jharkhand" published in The Hindu.
5. Who is the only Indian actor to be listed among the top 10 world’s highest-paid actors of 2020 ________ Akshay Kumar.
Note:
➢ Akshay is placed at sixth place in the list. Most of his income came from product endorsements.
➢ The list takes into account the earnings between June 1, 2019, and June 1, 2020.
➢ The list has been topped by Wrestler-turned-movie star Dwayne Johnson, for a second straight year, with the total earning of $87.5 million. Johnson is also known by his ring name The Rock.
Sports News
1. Name the Indian umpire who has been included in ICC’s international panel of umpires __________ KN Ananthapadmanabhan.
Note:
➢ Ananthapadmanabhan played 105 First-Class and 54 List A games for Kerala, taking 344 and 87 wickets respectively.
➢ Ananthapadmanabhan has officiated in all major domestic events including the IPL.
2. Which of the following company will be the official sponsor Indian team for the rescheduled Tokyo Olympic _______ INOX.
Note:
➢ The Tokyo Olympics was rescheduled to next year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be held from July 23 to August 8 in 2021.
➢ As part of the partnership the Group will also support team's promotions through its entertainment company -- INOX Leisure Limited, which owns a chain of multiplexes in the country.
3. “Fit India Freedom Run” would be organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports from ________ 15th August to 02nd October 2020.
Note:
➢ The ministry is organising “Fit India Freedom Run” to mark the 74th Independence Day of India on August 15 to 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2.
➢ This would be the largest country-wide run, targeted to encourage fitness among the masses while following the COVID-19 protocols.
4. Who has won the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix ________ Max Verstappen.
Note:
➢ His victory ended Mercedes dominant Formula 1 season
➢ 70th Anniversary Grand Prix 2020 was the 5th race of 2020 Formula 1 season and was held at Silverstone, United Kingdom
5. Which country will host the ICC Men’s T20 World cup 2021 _______ India.
Note:
➢ While the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 that was postponed due to Covid-19 will be held in Australia in 2022.
➢ Cricket’s governing body 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.
Books and Authors
1. The book titled ‘Connecting, Communicating, Changing’ has been released by Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar that chronicles years of office of who among the following _________ M Venkaiah Naidu.
Note:
➢ This book is regarding the years spent by the Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu in office. The first copy of the book has been provided to the Vice President only.
➢ The e-version of the book has been launched by the Union Minister Prakash Javadekar.
2. Who has authored the book titled "Our Only Home: A Climate Appeal to the World" ________ Dalai Lama.
Note:
➢ 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.
Science and Defence
1. India will take part in the multilateral military “Kavkaz 2020” hosted by which country ______Russia.
Note:
➢ The Indian contingent includes 150 Army personnel and a smaller number of personnel from the Navy and Air Force.
➢ The invitation for participation to Kavkaz 2020, also referred to as Caucasus-2020, has been extended to at least 18 countries including China, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey apart from other Central Asian Republics part of the SCO.
2. Which Indian Institute of Technology has developed nanoparticles ‘meta-grid’ of metamaterial grid’ in association with Imperial College London, United Kingdom ________ IIT Guwahati.
Note:
➢ It was jointly developed by Dr. Debabrata Sikdar, assistant professor at IIT Guwahati along with Prof. Sir John B. Pendry and Prof. Alexei A. Kornyshev from Imperial College London.
➢ Meta-grid is a specifically patterned array of nanoparticles acting as metamaterials and it is capable of exhibiting extraordinary optical properties.
3. Serum Institute of India (SII) Private Limited has entered into a partnership with International Vaccine Alliance, Gavi and which foundation to Accelerate the manufacture and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines for India _______ Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Note:
➢ This is as a part of the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC), a mechanism within the COVAX Facility.
➢ The vaccines will be made available to the 92 countries included in Gavi’s COVAX AMC. SII has set a ceiling price of USD 3 per dose.
➢ The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, through its strategic investment fund, will provide at-risk funding of USD 150 million to GAVI.
4. The Ministry of Defence has announced to ban import of how many weapon systems and platforms from abroad to boost “Atmanirbhar Bharat _________101.
Note:
➢ The government has prepared a list 101 items on which there would be an embargo on import to give a push to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan” (Self Reliant India Movement).
➢ It is estimated that contracts worth almost Rs 4 Lakh crore will be placed upon the domestic industry within the next six to seven years.
5. Which IIT has developed indigenous seed balls named ‘BEEG’ in collaboration with Agnys Waste Management Private Limited that will help to safeguard people and farmers in plantations during the COVID-19 times ______ IIT Kanpur.
Note:
➢ This will help to safeguard people and farmers in plantations during the COVID-19 times. The initiative is guided by Prof. J. Ramkumar.
➢ The initiative provides employment opportunities to unemployed workers and gardeners(due to the COVID-19 lockdown).
6. Which of the following Aerospace company has successfully test fired an upper stage rocket engine “Raman” _______ Skyroot Aerospace.
Note:
➢ With this, Skyroot Aerospace has become the first Indian private firm to exhibit the potential to build a homegrown rocket engine.
➢ “Raman” is a 3-D printed rocket engine which has been named after Nobel laureate CV Raman.
7. Which Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) has developed a room disinfection device in collaboration with Momentum India Private Limited _________ IIT Ropar.
Note:
➢ The indigenous device harnesses the germicidal effects of ultraviolet (UV-C) radiations to inactivate viruses and bacteria.
➢ The device ensures 360-degree disinfection through its prismatic body and foldable wings.
8. To boost self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched which of the following organizations ________ Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO).
Note:
➢ The twin aspects of innovation and indigenisation would be brought together by the Naval Technology Acceleration Council (N-TAC), which will also offer apex level directives.
➢ It also includes a working group under the N-TAC, which will be responsible for the implementation of the projects.
9. Which Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) for the Indian Coast Guard has been launched recently _________ Sarthak.
Note:
➢ Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) has designed and developed the Offshore Patrol Vessel ‘Sarthak’ which is the 4th in the series of five OPVs.
➢ ‘Sarthak’ has been built indigenously and is designed in such a way that it carries a twin-engine helicopter, four high speed boats along with one inflatable boat for swift boarding and Search & Rescue operations.
10. With the support of Department of Science and Technology’s Clean Air Research Initiative who has developed as indigenous Air Unique-quality Monitoring (AUM) Photonic System _________ Prof. Rao Tatavarti.
Note:
➢ The system has been developed by Prof. Rao Tatavarti, Director of Gayatri Vidya Parishad-Scientific and Industrial Research Centre & GVP College of Engineering, Visakhapatnam along with the support of Department of Science and Technology’s Clean Air Research Initiative.
11. Which company plans to set up robotics lab at Indian Institute of Science for 5G research _______ Nokia.
Note:
➢ The centre will promote engagement and cooperation between academia, start-ups and industry ecosystem partners in research and development of use cases.
➢ The centre supports and aligns with the government's initiatives of Start-up India.
12. In which state/UT the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited deployed two Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) for operations ______ Ladakh.
Note:
➢ The LCH successfully demonstrated its quick deployment prowess to forward locations in extreme temperatures.
➢ The other features of LCH include its ability to operate in the complete Area of Responsibility (AOR) and altitudes.