Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2020

Notes:
Dwayne Johnson, also known as the Rock, has topped the Forbes List of Top 10 highly paid male actors of the world.
The recently released annual list stated that the actor was paid an estimate of USD 87.5 million in the year 2020. Indian Actor Akshay Kumar was positioned 6th in the list with earnings of USD 48.5 million.

Notes:
“Fit India Freedom Run” has been launched by the Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Kiren Rijiju, through an online programme.
A large number of Government organizations and Private organizations will participate in the event. In view of the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic, the participants can run at their own place and at their own pace between 15th August and 2nd October.

Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved an annual dividend pay-out of more than Rs 57,000 crore to the Indian Government.
In this year’s budget, the Government had estimated a dividend of Rs 60,000 crore from the central bank and other government owned financial institutions. The Government’s fiscal deficit stood at a record high Rs 6.62 lakh crore in the April-June period.

Notes:
Soumya Swaminathan, the Chief Scientist of World Health Organisation, was conferred with the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s special award, for her advisory role in fighting the COVID-19 in the state.
The Chief Minister’s Best Practices award was given to the Department of treasuries. Greater Chennai Corporation and Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation were also awarded for their significant roles in the fight against the pandemic.

Notes:
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has stated that the Terrain Mapping Camera-2 (TMC-2) on board the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter has recently captured the images of the “Sarabhai Crater” on the lunar surface.
The crater is located at north eastern quadrant of Moon on the “Mare Serenitatis”, which is a vast flat region due to larva deposition. The crater has an average depth of 1.7 km and its walls seem to have an average slope between 25 to 30 degrees.

Notes:
The Platform for Investor Education (PIE) has been launched by the IIM Bangalore and National Stock Exchange (NSE) – Investor Protection Fund Trust.
The platform would help in investor education through simple and easy-to-understand audio-visual format. It will reflect the current developments in financial markets through the research initiative by the faculty of IIM Bangalore.

Notes:
The famous computer scientist Russel Kirsch who is celebrated for invention of Pixel died at the age of 91.
Russel Kirsch created a small 2 by 2 inch black and white image of his son in digital form in 1957. This was also the world’s first photograph that was scanned into a computer using a device created by his research team. That was the basis for satellite imaging, medical scans, virtual reality and other imaging technology being used recently.

Notes:
The strategic tunnel under the Rohtang Pass was named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in December last year.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has recently announced that the ‘Atal Tunnel’ in Rohtang would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi by September 2020. The 8.8-km long tunnel will be the longest tunnel among those in the world above an altitude of 3000 metres.

Notes:
Considered as extinct over seventy years back, the Woolly flying squirrel was spotted at Gangotri National Park in Uttarakhand.
As per the Forest Research Institute, the flying squirrel was added in the IUCN Red List. It was spotted during the survey conducted in the national park. The animal uses its wool-like furry claws like a parachute and fly.

Notes:
The Government of United Kingdom (UK) has launched a £3 million Innovation challenge fund in India. The fund is aimed at supporting scientists in industry and academia to cope with acute global challenges like COVID-19 and other environment threats.
The fund aims to bring together best minds under “UK India Tech Partnership”. The fund has specifically invited innovators associated with “AI-Data cluster” in Karnataka and “Future Mobility cluster” in Maharashtra to submit research proposals.