Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2020

Notes:
National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched a new loyalty platform named ‘nth Rewards’.
It is an analytics-enabled multi-branded loyalty platform that allows users to earn points through various bank transactions. The points can be redeemed on various products like e-vouchers, hotel and flight bookings. Using the platform, banks and merchants can identify consumer behaviour.

Notes:
IC-IMPACTS is an Annual Research Conference between India and Canada. ‘IMPACTS’ stands for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnership to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability.
The conference for the current year was held on 6th August, in a virtual mode. The conference discussed ways of boosting the cooperation between the two countries higher levels by strengthening existing international links, sharing best practices of two countries, and initiating new collaborations.

Notes:
Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation and a private engineering firm Afcons jointly completed India’s deepest underground ventilation shaft.
The ventilation shaft is 43.5m deep and is part of the East West Metro Line of Kolkata. These special purpose shafts are used for ventilation of the tunnels and for evacuation during critical times or emergencies.

Notes:
World Animal Protection, an international animal welfare organisation has released a new report titled “Elephants. Not commodities”.
The third edition of the report reveals that India has the second-highest number of elephants used in tourism in Asia. It also reveals that as many as 225 of the elephants, which is more than 45%, were kept in severely inadequate conditions.

Notes:
With an aim to improve the efficiency and transparency in asset classification process, the Reserve Bank of India issued a direction to implement “system-based asset classification” in Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs).
Those UCBs having total assets of Rs.2000 crore or above as on 31st March 2020, should implement system-based asset classification from 30th June 2021. Those UCBs having total assets equal to or more than Rs.1000 crore but less than Rs.2000 crore shall implement it from 30th September 2021.

Notes:
A five-month time extension has been given by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) from 25th March 2020 to 24th August 2020 to all the Renewable Energy Projects under implementation.
The implementing agencies have been directed to treat COVID 19 as a “Force Majeure”. This move is followed by the representation from various implementing agencies demanding extension of time due to COVID 19-imposed national lockdown.

Notes:
National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has built an infrastructure at Rihand project in Uttar Pradesh.
The project has been designed to transport fly ash in bulk at affordable rates to cement plants. NTPC has committed to utilise the fly ash completely from power plants. The power plants will upgrade their infrastructure for utilising the fly ash using the loading facilities of the Indian Railways.

Notes:
The Government of Jharkhand has unveiled a new logo for the state. It was unveiled at Ranchi by the Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
It is a circular logo with the National Emblem of India placed at its center, between concentric circles. These concentric circles depict the state’s abundant natural resources and its rich culture. The logo contains “Palash flower” which is the state’s flower and “Elephant” which is the state animal.

Notes:
The 4th Session of the BRICS Anti-Drug Working Group was conducted recently through video conferencing.
Representatives from all 5 member countries: Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa and India participated in the session, which was chaired by Russia. Indian delegation was led by Shri Rakesh Asthana, DG of Narcotics Control Bureau. Misuse of Darknet and advanced technologies for drug trafficking was the theme of the session.

Notes:
The Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu has announced the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) 2020. It is an initiative of Education Ministry.
The Indian Institute of Technology Madras bagged the first place under the ‘Best centrally funded institution’ category, while IIT Mumbai and IIT Delhi bagged the second and third place respectively. The ranking assesses the colleges on various criteria including support for entrepreneurship, innovative learning intellectual property generation and technology transfer etc.