Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2020

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:
A 10-member Technical Response Team and 30 tons of Technical Equipment are sent by India to assist Mauritius in its effort to contain oil spill. This has been done in response to the request by the Government of Mauritius.
A Japanese ship named MV Wakashio, ran aground at Pointe d’Esny of Mauritius last month and oil began leaking from it. It is estimated that more than 1000 tons of oil leaked from the ship. Government of Mauritius has announced this as a National Emergency.

Notes:
The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan has recently announced that all of the state government jobs will be reserved to the people belonging to its state.
This is the first country in the state to reserve all its jobs to the people of the state. The state government is set to form legal provisions in this regard. During his Independence Day address, the Chief Minister announced that the state will give preference to their youths in government jobs.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet has recently approved to set up a new entity named ‘National Recruitment Agency (NRA)’ to carry out a national Common Entrance Test (CET).
This exam would be a common screening test for non-gazetted vacancies in both departments of Central government and public sector organisations. It is to conduct first level tests currently conducted by agencies like SSC, RRB and IBPS among others.

Notes:
“Swadeshi Microprocessor Challenge” has been launched by the Government of India to promote indigenous microprocessor manufacturing and designing.
100 shortlisted companies will be given grant to build their prototype. 25 finalists will win Rs.1 crore each. The top ten teams will get a fund of total Rs.2.30 crore with 12-month incubation support, from the Ministry of Information Technology.

Notes:
The National Commission on Population under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has recently released a report titled ‘Population projections for India and States 2011 – 2036’.
As per the report, the sex ratio of the country is estimated to increase from 943 in 2011 to 957 during 2036. The Infant Mortality rate (IMR) is to go down to 30 by the end of 2031-35. The total population of India is estimated to increase from 121.1 crores to 151.8 crores.

Notes:
India is set to launch a new direct cargo ferry service to the Maldives, in the third week of September, as per the Indian high commission in the Maldives.
The service will link Kochi and Tuticorin with Male and will boost bilateral trade relations. A vessel operated by the Shipping Corporation of India, will be used for the ferry service. The vessel is to carry electrical machinery, medicines, construction material as well as perishable goods.

Notes:
The name of the “Religare Health Insurance Company Ltd” which is a subsidiary of Religare Enterprises has been changed to “Care Health Insurance Ltd”.
The change of name is effective from 19th August 2020. Religare Health Insurance was establishedby Religare enterprise limited, Union Bank of India and Corporation Bank in the year 2012. The company is headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana.

Notes:
Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Ministry of Rural Development has recently signed a Joint Communication to promote sustainable livelihood opportunities Among Tribal Women SHGs in rural areas.
Rural Development Ministry will identify and map tribal women SHG members while Ministry of Tribal Affairs will promote livelihood opportunities among women identified by State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM) through several arenas.

Notes:
The Myanmar government has signed an agreement for implementing “National Ceasefire Agreement” (NCA) with 10 armed ethnic groups. The peace accord is called Union Peace Accord III contains 15 provisions to implement the NCA.
The agreement was entered into by the parties at Nay Pyi Taw during the 4th session of the Union Peace Conference named – 21st Century Panglong.