Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2020

Notes:
The United States’ NASA launched Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has completed its primary mission.
During its 2-year long primary mission, the survey satellite has found 66 new exoplanets outside our solar system. TESS also found over 2000 objects which would be confirmed by astronomers soon. The extended mission of TESS is to be completed in 2022.

Notes:
A new PMRU (Price Monitoring and Resource Unit) has been set up in the state of Karnataka under NPPA (National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority), Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.
The main function of the PMRU is to assist NPPA to monitor the price of drugs in the market and also to ensure their availability. NPPA has established PMRUs in 12 States/ UTs under its Central Sector Scheme called Consumer Awareness, Publicity and Price Monitoring (CAPPM).

Notes:
The Government of Goa has signed a tri-partite agreement with Siemens and GIZ, a German based agency, for vocational education and training at ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes) of the state.
The Indo-German agreement would facilitate in-plant trainings to students, so that they would be exposed to hands-on experience in their respect domain, thereby improving the employability of the students.

Notes:
The “Konkurs Missile Test Equipment” and “Konkurs Launcher Test Equipment” indigenously developed by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) has been launched by the Defence Minister.
Launched as a part of the “Atma Nirbhar Bharat Week” celebrations, the two equipment have been designed by BDL to check the serviceability of Konkurs-M anti-tank guided missiles and Konkurs-M missile launchers. These products were earlier imported from Russia.

Notes:
The Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu has announced the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) 2020. It is an initiative of Education Ministry.
The Indian Institute of Technology Madras bagged the first place under the ‘Best centrally funded institution’ category, while IIT Mumbai and IIT Delhi bagged the second and third place respectively. The ranking assesses the colleges on various criteria including support for entrepreneurship, innovative learning intellectual property generation and technology transfer etc.

Notes:
The President of Mali, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has recently stepped down from his role, after the prevalent military rebellion in the country.
The soldiers had detained the President and the country’s Prime Minister Boubou Cisse. The country was seeing a large number of protests against alleged corruption and worsening security. People were demanding the resignation of the President for some time.

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:
Joe Biden has accepted the nomination of the Democratic Party for Presidential Candidature. Joe Biden is the former Vice President of USA and is 77 years old.
Joe Biden served as the 47th Vice president of the United States from 2009 to 2017 and as the United States Senator from Delaware from 1973 to 2009. The Presidential elections in the USA are scheduled to be held on November 3, 2020.

Notes:
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 August as the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism.
The day is observed to honour and support the victims and survivors of terrorism. It also strives to promote and protect their human and fundamental rights. This year, the UN held a virtual commemoration of the 3rd International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism.

Notes:
India’s leading private non-life insurer, ICICI Lombard General Insurance is set to acquire Bharti AXA General Insurance.
The merger of Bharti AXA with ICICI Lombard is to be made by means of a share swap deal. Once completed, the combined entity would become the third largest general insurance entity of the country, as of today.