Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2020

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.

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:
The High Court of Madras has rejected reopening of “Sterlite Copper” smelting plant in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu. Sterlite Copper, a unit of Vedanta Ltd had been catering to nearly 40 % of India’s copper demand from its smelting plant at Tuticorin.
The High Court’s order dismissed all 10 petitions filed by Vedanta to reopen the plant. The Court upheld the orders issued to close the plant by the Tamil Nadu Government and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.

Notes:
India’s top order batsman Rohit Sharma has been recommended for this year’s Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest sporting honour. If awarded, Rohit Sharma will be the 4th cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli to be conferred with the award.
Vinesh Phogat (wrestling), Manika Batra (Table Tennis), Rani Rampal (Hockey) and M Thangavelu (Paralympics) have also been recommended for the award.

Notes:
The Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot has launched a subsidised meal scheme named ‘Indira Rasoi Yojana’.
It aims to provide subsidised meals to the poor and needy in the state at Rs 8 per plate with dignity. Earlier, the state was implementing a similar scheme named Annapurna Rasoi Yojana from 2016. The scheme was launched on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the ‘Sadbhavana Diwas’.

Notes:
With more than 15 crore users and more than 6.6 million Bluetooth traced contacts, the official contact tracing application of India, Aarogya Setu is the most downloaded contact tracing app in the world, as on date.
The application team has recently introduced ‘Open API Service’, which is used to obtain answers for real-time queries about the health status of their employees or any other Aarogya Setu User who has consented to share their health status.

Notes:
The administration of New Delhi has launched a new campaign named ‘Nirmaan Mazdoor Registration campaign’ from August 24 to September 11.
Through the campaign, the Government fast-tracks the process of analysing the applications received under the initiative for online registration of construction workers. Delhi has received over 70,000 applications for the registration.

Notes:
Renowned scientist and the present head of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Dr.G.Satheesh Reddy has been given a 2 year extension as the Secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development and Chairman DRDO.
This extension in his service was approved by the Appointments committee of the Union Cabinet. Earlier, he was appointed for the post in August 2018.

Notes:
The Manila headquartered Asian Development Bank (ADB) has issued USD denominated, 5-year Global Benchmark Bonds amounting USD 3 Billion.
The bonds bear a coupon rate of 0.375% per annum payable half yearly. These bonds would mature by September 2025. These ADB bonds have recorded 41 % placement in Asia, 34 % in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and 25 % in America.

Notes:
Leading Automobile company, Volkswagen Motorsport India has launched the Volkswagen Virtual Racing Championship (VW-VRC), a virtual Polo Cup Championship.
It is open for all Indian participants and as many as 26 drivers will be chosen to race in the 2020 VW-VRC season. The winners can drive an actual Polo race car in the 2021 Volkswagen Polo Championship.