Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2020

Notes:
Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi announced that its arm MI India will distribute over 2,500 smartphones worth Rs 2 crore to Indian children, to support online education.
MI India will partner with Indian non-profit organisation ‘Teach for India’, to carry out the distribution process. The hand sets would be used in shifts to utilise the service effectively, to enable children access quality education.

Notes:
Gujarat-based Zydus Cadila launches the country’s cheapest version of Remdesivir, under the brand name Remdac.
The generic version of the medicine will be used for treating patients suffering from severe symptoms of Covid-19. A 100-mg vial has been priced at Rs 2800 and this the most economical medicine so far. It will be available across the country.

Notes:
ICGS SARTHAK – the new Offshore Patrol Vessel of Indian Coast Guard has been launched. The vessel is indigenously designed and built by Goa Shipyard Limited. It is the fourth vessel among the five series Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV).
The new vessel is set to be deployed for Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surveillance, Coastal Security and other duties related to search and rescue operations.

Notes:
The Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) was launched by the Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, through an online webinar.
The NIIO has a 3-tier structure and it enables the users to interact with academia and industry, to achieve innovation and indigenisation in Defence. As per the Draft Defence Acquisition Policy 2020, Defence Service headquarters should establish an Innovation & Indigenisation Organisation within existing resources.

Notes:
As per the findings published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology, a new low-cost nasal swab test named ‘N1-STOP-LAMP’ has been developed.
As per the researchers, the test can accurately diagnose the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19, in just 20 minutes. It is also 100 per cent accurate in diagnosing the samples at high loads. It uses a single tube and involves only one step and so it is very efficient and affordable.

Notes:
At the 74th Independence Day celebration on 15th August 2020, the Films Division would screen two documentary films – ‘India wins Freedom’ and ‘India Independent’.
Apart from the above 2 films, 14 selected films on Independence movement were showcased in the “Online Patriotic Film Festival” being organised by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting from 7th Aug 2020 to 21st Aug 2020 in www.cinemasofindia.com.

Notes:
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved a proposal of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) to expand to cover border and coastal districts.
The proposal regarding the scheme was announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address. As many as one lakh cadets from 173 border and coastal districts will be inducted to the NCC with one-third Cadets being girls. Over 80 NCC units will also be upgraded as a part of this expansion.

Notes:
The “Konkurs Missile Test Equipment” and “Konkurs Launcher Test Equipment” indigenously developed by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) has been launched by the Defence Minister.
Launched as a part of the “Atma Nirbhar Bharat Week” celebrations, the two equipment have been designed by BDL to check the serviceability of Konkurs-M anti-tank guided missiles and Konkurs-M missile launchers. These products were earlier imported from Russia.

Notes:
IPS officer Rakesh Asthana has been appointed as the Director General of Border Security Force (BSF). The incumbent head RK Shukla is set to retire in February 2020.
Prior to this appointment, he was the head of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security since January 2019. SS Deswal is set to replace him in the said post. Asthana was a 1984-batch IPS Officer and a former official of the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Notes:
All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Delhi Police for providing door step Ayurvedic preventive health services to Delhi Police.
The service which is supported by AYUSH Ministry, would be provided by a mobile unit of AIIA named ‘Dhanwantari Rath’. It would also be available in the Police Wellness Centers. This is a part of “AYURAKSHA”, a joint venture of AIIA & Delhi Police for maintaining the health of Delhi police personnel during the COVID 19 pandemic.