Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2020

Notes:
Soumya Swaminathan, the Chief Scientist of World Health Organisation, was conferred with the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s special award, for her advisory role in fighting the COVID-19 in the state.
The Chief Minister’s Best Practices award was given to the Department of treasuries. Greater Chennai Corporation and Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation were also awarded for their significant roles in the fight against the pandemic.

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:
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:
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has recently released ‘National Cancer Registry Programme Report 2020’.
As per the report, the number of people affected by cancer could increase by 12% in the next five years. By 2025, around 1.5 million people are estimated to suffer from the disease, increased from 1.39 million in 2020. Tobacco-related cancers find the major portion in the list.

Notes:
The Mysuru Zoo in Karnataka is the second Indian zoo to have African hunting cheetahs after the Hyderabad zoo.
Under the Animal Exchange Programme, the zoo has acquired one male and two female African hunting Cheetah from Ann Van Dyke Cheetah Centre at Johannesburg, South Africa. One female Cheetah of age 15 months and two male Cheetahs of age 14 and 16 months are brought by air.

Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently released a National strategy for Financial Education’, which is to be implemented in the next five years.
The strategy aims to inculcate financial literacy among all the people of our country. It will also encourage the common people to participate in the financial markets for achieving their financial goals. It will encourage people to use formal banking and safe digital financial services.

Notes:
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved a one-time relaxation to Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) for extending loans to state-owned electricity distribution companies (Discoms).
This measure has been made by the Government to inject liquidity into Discoms, as a part of the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Scheme. As per the existing guidelines, Discoms can avail working capital loans equal to 25% of last year’s revenues, under UDAY scheme from PFC and REC.

Notes:
Leading multi-national company IBM India, has collaborated with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to offer a free digital education platform.
The training focuses on recent technologies like cybersecurity, blockchain, artificial intelligence and machine learning and professional development skills. The online courses developed by IBM will be offered through NSDC’s eSkill India portal to the learners between 18 to 22 years.

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.