Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2020

Notes:
Federal Bank, a Kerala-based private bank has partnered with Fiserv – a global payments and financial services technology solutions provider.
The partnership aims to digitise the card issuance and processing cycle completely. The bank will utilise the card management solution called “First Vision” of Fiserv. Fiserv would also support the Federal Bank for launch of its credit card.

Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved an annual dividend pay-out of more than Rs 57,000 crore to the Indian Government.
In this year’s budget, the Government had estimated a dividend of Rs 60,000 crore from the central bank and other government owned financial institutions. The Government’s fiscal deficit stood at a record high Rs 6.62 lakh crore in the April-June period.

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 President Ram Nath Kovind has approved 84 gallantry awards for Defence personnel. Abdul Rashid Kalas, Head Constable of Jammu and Kashmir Police has been posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra.
The third highest gallantry award in peacetime, Shaurya Chakra has been awarded to nine Army personnel including Lt.Col. Krishan Singh Rawat, Major Anil Urs and Havildar Alok Kumar Dubey and IAF Wing Commander Vishak Nair. The President approved Sena Medal to 60 Army personnel, four Nao Sena Medal and five Vayu Sena Medal.

Notes:
Research team from Indian Institute of Science, IISc and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have developed a process for making “Brick like structure” on lunar surface.
The researchers suggest that these bricks could be used for assembling structures in lunar surface. The raw material used is urea and lunar soil. It is developed by using bacteria and guar beans to consolidate the land into load bearing brick like structures.

Notes:
The Platform for Investor Education (PIE) has been launched by the IIM Bangalore and National Stock Exchange (NSE) – Investor Protection Fund Trust.
The platform would help in investor education through simple and easy-to-understand audio-visual format. It will reflect the current developments in financial markets through the research initiative by the faculty of IIM Bangalore.

Notes:
Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda has recently launched a new e-portal named ‘Swasthya’ and a e-newsletter named ALEKH.
The portal aims to consolidate all health and nutrition related information of the tribal population of India. It also provides best practices collected from different parts of India and enables an effective decision making related to the nutrition of tribal population.

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 Death Valley is a desert valley which is located in Eastern California, USA. Recently, the temperature at the Death Valley’s Furnace Creek is recorded at 54.4°C. This would be hottest temperature officially verified since 1913, as per World Meteorological Organization.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, Death Valley’s all-time record high is 56.7°C that was recorded in the year 1913. It still stands as the hottest ever temperature recorded on the surface of the earth.