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:
The state of Assam has proposed to launch a Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme named “Arunodoi”.
This scheme will be launched in lines with the flagship DBT scheme Jan Dhan Yojana. This is claimed as the largest DBT scheme of Assam till date. The scheme also called as Orunodoi, seeks to transfer Rs 830 per month to around 19.7 lakh families. The main beneficiaries of the scheme will be women.

Notes:
E-commerce major Amazon announced that it will launch its online pharmacy in India. The first online platform will be set up in Bengaluru.
The new service named ‘Amazon Pharmacy’ will offer both prescription-based drugs and over-the-counter medicines. It will also sell health devices and traditional Indian medicines. Amazon is witnessing severe competition with Flipkart and JioMart.

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:
An assistance of USD 1 million has been extended by India to the Caribbean country Antigua & Barbuda for combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ventilators, full cover goggles, disposable gowns, face shields, examination gloves and disposable masks and hydroxychloroquine tablets were supplied as a part of the assistance. This assistance is for improving health infrastructure facilities in Antigua and Barbuda.

Notes:
The cabinet of Odisha has approved the tender amounting Rs.1138 crore for implementation of its ambitious irrigation project named “Gangadhar Meher Lift Canal System”.
The irrigation project would irrigate 25,600 hectares of agricultural land in drought hit regions of Barghar and Sonepur districts of Odisha. The project was first announced in the year 2017. The implementing agency will be announced soon.

Notes:
National Geographic has announced to premiere a Documentary Film named “The Next Frontier: India’s Smart Cities”. It is a 44-minute documentary on four cities of India namely Surat, Visakhapatnam, Pune and Varanasi.
The film reveals how the smart cities Mission is forming a strong ground for next cities of tomorrow. It would showcase the journey of 4 lighthouse smart cities along with the national initiatives that has transformed the lives of people residing in these cities.

Notes:
Maldives is the first neighbouring country with which India is operating transport services under the air bubble agreement.
Recently, the Director-General of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced that Indians holding any kind of valid visa can travel through air to US, UK, Canada under air bubble agreement.

Notes:
Indian cricket icon and former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has announced retirement from international cricket.
The 39-year-old star is the only captain in the world who led his team to win all three ICC trophies so far. Under his captaincy, India won the ICC World Twenty20 in 2007, Asia Cups in 2010 and 2016, the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011 and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013. Another Cricketer Suresh Raina also announced his retirement.

Notes:
Union Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar has directed that 80 per cent of the CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority) funds have to mandatorily be used for plantation drives and afforestation.
The rest of the funds are to be used capacity building, as per the separate budget of the state. The recent Finance Commission has increased the devolution to 10% for the forest cover.