Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2020

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:
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:
Indian Navy has signed a deal with Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) for setting up a “Centre of excellence”. The Centre of excellence is to come up in the Defence corridor of Uttar Pradesh.
The centre of excellence would provide solutions to the problems and challenges of the Indian Navy. The centre is proposed to be established with the help of IIT, BHU and other prominent institutions of the country.

Notes:
The Governor of Goa, Satya Pal Malik has been transferred as the Governor of Meghalaya, as per a recent communication from the Rashtrapathi Bhavan.
He is to replace the incumbent Governor of the North Est state, Tathagata Roy who completed his five-year tenure. The Governor of Maharashtra, Bhagat Singh Koshyari, will discharge the additional functions of the Goa Governor.

Notes:
The International Solar Alliance, ISA is set to organise its first World Solar Technology Summit virtually on September 8, 2020. ISA is an alliance of 121 countries, initiated by India headquartered at Gurugram.
The inaugural address of the summit will be delivered by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ISA President and Minister of New and Renewable Energy R. K. Singh. The event will focus on using technology to effectively utilise the solar energy.

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.

Notes:
A 180-feet Bailey bridge in Jauljibi sector of Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand has been constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), amidst frequent landslides and heavy rains.
The 50-metre span concrete bridge was damaged in the month of July as the area was hit by a cloud burst. The bridge construction by BRO will help around 15,000 people in 20 villages of the district.

Notes:
Ashok Lavasa has recently steeped down from his Election Commissioner position as he is to join the Asian Development Bank.
ADB has appointed Ashok Lavasa as Vice-President for Private Sector Operations and Public-Private Partnerships. His resignation has been accepted by the Indian President Ram Nath Kovind. He was next in the row to become the Chief Election Commissioner.

Notes:
Chandrayaan-2 is India’s first mission to make a soft-landing of a rover on the South pole of the moon.
It is also India’s second lunar mission, which has recently completed one full year around the moon. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that all of its instruments are performing well and there is adequate fuel to keep it functional for about seven more years.

Notes:
A first-of-its-kind interactive game on COVID-19 named the “Corona Fighters” has been launched by the Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan.
The game has been designed creatively to teach people about the right tools and behaviours to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to the game, the Minister also launched two new videos to inculcate appropriate behaviours, to be followed during the pandemic.