Current Affairs (August – 2020)

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This post contains important current affairs of 22 August 2020. It includes all Major National, International, Business and Sports related current affairs of 22 August 2020. We have collected the latest current affairs and compiled them date wise. These current affairs are important for all competitive exams like bank, ssc, ibps, sbi exams. The GK current affairs will help you score more in these competitive exams. A brief explanation of every current affair is provided to further enhance your general knowledge. Once you have gone through these current affairs we would recommend to you to try 22 August 2020 Current affairs test.

Madhya Pradesh becomes first state to provide govt jobs on basis of NRA marks
Madhya Pradesh has become the first state to provide government jobs on the basis of marks obtained in exams conducted by the newly-formed National Recruitment Agency (NRA). Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the state government has decided to provide jobs only on the basis of marks obtained in the examinations conducted by the NRA.

Gujarat govt sets time limit for delivery of services related to ration cards
Gujarat Government has fixed the time limits for delivery of services related to ration cards under the public distribution system. The applications under form number-2 for new ration cards will need to be cleared in 15 days. Applications related to addition of new name, cancellation of existing name and changes in existing name or address in ration card will need to be cleared on the same day of filing of form. Applications related to division in family and separate ration cards will need to be cleared in a seven-day period.

Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurates 10-bedded make-shift Hospital at NDRF base in Ghaziabad
Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan today inaugurated a 10-bedded make-shift Hospital at NDRF base in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. The hospital has been set up by NDRF in collaboration with CSIR constituent laboratory CSIR-CBRI, Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee.

Power Ministry advises all power companies to charge LPS at maximum 12 per cent per annum
The Power Ministry has advised all power generating and transmission companies to charge Late Payment Surcharge (LPS) at a rate not exceeding 12 per cent per annum for all payments made under liquidity infusion scheme. The financial burden on Discoms will ease out with this measure.

Election Commission issues guidelines to conduct elections amid COVID-19 pandemic
Election Commission has issued detailed guidelines related to key activities for conducting upcoming General Elections and bye-elections in various States and Union Territories during the period of COVID-19 Pandemic. The guidelines laid down strict compliance norms to be followed by Candidates and officials conducting the Elections. Those found violating the instructions on COVID-19 measures even during the campaign process will be liable to be proceeded against, as per the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005. During the campaign process, not more than 5 people have been allowed for door to door campaigning. During the road shows, the convoy should have a gap after every set of five vehicles and Public gatherings and rallies can be conducted with strict adherence to the COVID-19 guidelines.

Consumer Affairs Minister says hallmarking of precious metals will be mandatory from June 1 next year
Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan has said that hallmarking of precious metals will be mandatory from 1st June next year. Mr Paswan said this while launching the online system of Registration and Renewal of Jewellers in New Delhi yesterday. He said that the best thing about the online system is that there will be no human interface in processing the applications. Now, Jewellers can apply online and submit required necessary documents and fees for obtaining a licence through this portal. Mr Paswan said that the moment a jeweller submits the application with the requisite fees, he will be granted registration.

MEA in partnership with Foreign Ministry of Thailand organize 6th Round Table of AINTT
The Ministry of External Affairs in partnership with the Foreign Ministry of Thailand has organized the 6th Round Table of ASEAN-India Network of Think Tanks (AINTT) which culminated. The theme of the two day Round Table which was conducted through video conferencing was ‘ASEAN-India: Strengthening Partnership in the Post COVID Era’. It was jointly inaugurated by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Thailand Mr. Don Pramudwinai. ASEAN Secretary General Mr. Lim Jock Hoi also addressed the inaugural session.

Senator Kamala Harris becomes first Indian American to accept Democratic Party nomination for Vice President post in US
US Senator Kamala Harris has accepted her nomination for the US Vice Presidential candidate for Democratic Party. In her acceptance speech she said that she was honoured to accept the nomination for Vice President of the United States. Beginning her speech she spoke about her own story of how growing up shaped her.

Singapore govt invests ₹450 crore in Phoenix Mills share sale
The government of Singapore has invested ₹450 crore in the recent qualified institutional placement (QIP) offering of mall developer Phoenix Mills Ltd, the company said in a filing to the stock exchanges. The company intends to use the QIP proceeds to fund growth opportunities including investing in existing and proposed business ventures, proposed acquisitions, debt obligations, capital expenditure and working capital requirements.

UTI Mutual Fund launches paperless eKYC services for first time investors
UTI Mutual Fund has launched completely paperless eKYC service on its website for the first time investors. If you are a first-time investor, it is mandatory to be KYC-compliant to start your mutual fund transactions. Through the eKYC services, UTI Mutual Fund allows investors to be KYC compliant within minutes and without stepping out of their homes.

ICICI Lombard, Bharti AXA to merge general insurance businesses
ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co. Ltd. and Bharti AXA General Insurance Co. Ltd., announced that they will combine their insurance businesses through a share swap deal, which once consummated will create the country’s third largest general insurance entity.

Anand Mahindra, Shantanu Narayen to receive 2020 Leadership Awards from USISPF
A top US-based India-centric business advocacy group will honour Mahindra group Chairman Anand Mahindra and Adobe Chairman and CEO Shantanu Narayen with its 2020 Leadership Awards in recognition of their exemplary vision towards promoting US-India bilateral ties.

Rajiv Kumar appointed as new Election Commissioner
Former finance secretary Rajiv Kumar has been appointed new election commissioner. He will replace Ashok Lavasa, who resigned earlier this week. Mr Kumar will take charge the day Mr Lavasa leaves his office on August 31. Mr Kumar’s appointment comes at a time when the election commission is preparing to hold Bihar assembly polls amid the coronavirus pandemic. Rajiv Kumar, a 1984-batch IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre, Rajiv Kumar has over three decades of experience in public policy and administration across various sectors. The award, would be presented during the third Annual Leadership Summit. USISPF had announced that the speakers at the summit would include Vice President Mike Pence.

NHAI develops mobile App ‘Harit Path’ to facilitate creation of Green Highways across country
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), a PSU under the Ministry of Road and Transport, has developed a mobile App, ‘Harit Path’ to facilitate creation of Green Highways across the country. The App will also be used to monitor location, growth, species details, maintenance activities, targets and achievements of each of the PSU’s field units for every plant under the Highway plantation projects. Harit Path was inaugurated by the Union Minister for Road and Transport, Nitin Gadkari.

IIT Madras-incubated start-up develops portable hospital unit for COVID-19 patients
IIT Madras-incubated Start-up, Modulus Housing has developed a portable hospital unit that can be installed anywhere within two hours by four people. ‘MediCAB’ is a decentralized approach to detect, screen, identify, isolate and treat COVID-19 patients in their local communities through these portable microstructures. ‘MediCAB’ was launched recently in Wayanad District of Kerala where the units are being deployed to treat COVID-19 Patients. The startup is developing micro hospitals that can be deployed rapidly across the nation. The hospital unit is foldable and is composed of four zones – a doctor’s room, an isolation room, a medical room/ward and a twin-bed ICU, maintained at negative pressure.

National Fertilizers Limited to set up an Organic Waste Converter Plant
National Fertilizers Limited, NFL, a PSU under the Department of Fertilizers in Vijaipur, Madhya Pradesh is going to set up an Organic Waste Converter, OWC Plant. The biodegradable waste collected in the unit will be transported to OWC where it will be segregated from non-degradable parts. It will take around 10 days to convert it into ready to use compost. Ministry of Chemical and Fertilizers said, an initiative towards Swachh Bharat, the project aims to recycle around 2000 Kg per day of the biodegradable waste generated in township including the horticulture waste and convert it into ready to use compost.

Govt panel allows Bharat Biotech to test administration of Covaxin through skin
A subject-expert committee at the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation has given an approval to Bharat Biotech International Ltd to conduct a separate trial for administrating ‘Covaxin’, its covid-19 vaccine candidate, through intradermal route, that is just under the skin, as against the intramuscular route in the current trial.