Current Affairs 12 August 2020

Help us understand what's happening

What's wrong with the post
Submit
author
Nancy
MME Expert
Banking and Insurance, SSC and Railways, Teaching Exams..., MBA Exams, Other Exams, UP State Exams, Haryana State Exams, Punjab State Exams

Current Affairs 12 August 2020

photo

1. Saudi Arabia cuts off loan, oil supply to Pakistan; end of decade-long ties
  • With Saudi Arabia ending loan and oil supply to Pakistan, the decade-long friendship between the two countries has finally ended.
  • Pakistan was also made to pay back USD 1 billion to Saudi Arabia, which was part of a $6.2 billion package announced by Saudi Arabia in November 2018, which included a total of $3 billion in loans and an oil credit facility amounting to $3.2 billion.
  • The deals were then signed when Crown Prince Muhammed Bin Salman made a visit to Pakistan in February last year.
Foot Notes:
About Saudi Arabia:
Capital: Riyadh
Currency: Saudi riyal
King: Salman of Saudi Arabia
President: Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud
 
About Pakistan:
Currency: Pakistani rupee 
Capital: Islamabad
Prime Minister: Imran Khan
 
2. International Youth Day is observed on 12 August
  • International Youth Day is observed every year on 12 August.Theday gives an opportunity to celebrate and mainstream young peoples’ voices, actions and initiatives, as well as their meaningful, universal and equitable engagement.
  • In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth that 12rh August be declared International Youth Day.
  • The theme of this year is ‘Youth Engagement for Global Action’.
Foot Notes:
AboutUnited Nations General Assembly:
President: Tijjani Muhammad-Bande
Headquarters: New York, United States
Founder: United Nations
Founded: 1945

3. Indian-origin senator "Kamala Harris" named US Vice Presidential candidate for Democratic party
  • In the United States, Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden has named Indian-origin senator Kamala Harris as his Vice-Presidential running mate.
  • Joe Biden made history by selecting the first black woman to compete on a major party's presidential ticket. Kamala Harris is currently the US Senator from California.
  • If elected, Kamala Harris would be the first ever woman to be the Vice President of the United States and the first ever Indian-American and African Vice President of the country.
Foot Notes:
About United States:
President: Donald Trump 
Capital: Washington, D.C.
Currency: US dollar
 
4. Lok Sabha starts beginner-level course in French
  • LokSabha has started a beginner-level course in French for the officials and staff of the LokSabha Secretariat at the Parliament House.As many as 57 officials registered for the course.
  • LokSabha Speaker Om Birla inaugurated the course. Birla appreciated the initiative undertaken by the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE).
  • In the near future, courses in German, Spanish, Russian and other important world languages would also be organised.
Foot Notes:
About LokSabha:
Founded: 17 April 1952
Last election: Indian general election, 2019
Voting system: First-past-the-post voting
Seats: 543
Next election: May 2024

5. Govt abolishes Cotton Advisory Board; notifies change in status of textiles research associations
  • On the lines of Government of India vision of “Minimum Government and Maximum Governance”, the Ministry of textiles has abolished it’s another advisory body, Cotton Advisory Board (CAB), and notified that all eight Textiles Research Associations (TRAs) have ceased to be ”affiliated bodies” of the ministry.
  • Hereafter, TRAs will be approved bodies for conducting testing, research and developmental activities related to the textiles sector.
  • Any disposal/sale/transfer of assets created out of the central government grant shall require prior specific approval of the ministry.
Foot Notes:
About Ministry of Textiles:
Union Minister: Smriti Zubin Irani
Secretary: Ravi Capoor
 

 
6. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launches ICAR's data recovery centre 'Krishi Megh'
  • Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has launched ICAR's data recovery centre - KrishiMegh.The move is aimed at protecting the precious data of the government's premier research body Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
  • It has been set up at National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM) in Hyderabad.The main data centre of the ICAR is at the Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute (IASRI) in the national capital.
  • Krishi Megh has been set up under the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP), funded by both the government and World Bank.
Foot Notes:
About World Bank:
President: David Malpass
MD and CFO: Anshula Kant
Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
Founders: John Maynard Keynes

About ICAR:
Headquarters location: New Delhi
Founded: 16 July 1929
Director General: Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra

7. Paytm launches first pocket Android POS device for contactless payments in India
  • Paytm has launched its first pocket Android PoS device for contactless ordering and making payments, for SMEs.
  • This comes at an introductory price of ₹499 per month on a rental basis and is designed like a phone. The firm says its PoS machine comes bundled with Paytm's' Scan to Order' service, which is slowly said to be gaining traction in places like restaurants and takeaway joints.
  • This product is also expected to make payments easier for logistic players, Kirana stores, and small shopkeepers.
Foot Notes:
About Paytm:
Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh
President: Amit Nayyar

8. Renowned lyricist & poet RahatIndori passes away
  • In Madhya Pradesh, noted Urdu poet and lyricist RahatIndori died of cardiac arrest in Indore. He was also tested positive for COVID-19.With a 50-year career in poetry, Indori was known for the lyrics of hit films like Munnabhai MBBS, Kareeb, Ghatak and Ishq.
  • Indori did his schooling from Nutan School in Indore and his graduation from IslamiaKarimia College, Indore. 
  • Rahat Sahab had faced poverty in his childhood, so in his words people could see the truth of life.
Foot Notes:
About Madhya Pradesh:
Governor: Anandiben Patel
Capital: Bhopal
Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
 
9. Tribal Affairs Ministry develops nine ‘Tribal Freedom Fighters’ Museums
  • The Tribal Affairs Ministry is developing “Tribal Freedom Fighters’ Museums dedicated to the contributions of the tribal people in India to the freedom struggle.
  • Out of nine sanctioned museums, two museums are near completion and the remaining seven are at different stages of progress.
  • By the end of 2022 all the museums will come into existence.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced setting up of these tribal freedom fighters’ museums during his Independence Day Speech on 15th August 2016.
  • All the museums will have strong usage of technologies like Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and 3D/7D holographic projections. These museums will demonstrate the way tribals struggle to protect their custodial concerns for the biological and cultural diversity of the country.
Foot Notes:
About Ministry of Tribal Affairs:
Officeholder: Jasvantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor (Minister of State), Arjun Munda(Cabinet Minister)
Founded: 1999
Headquarters: Shastri Bhawan, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Road

10. Israel shares AI-based technology, high-end equipment with AIIMS to help combat COVID-19
  • Israel has given state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence-based technologies and high-end equipment to AIIMS, Delhi as part of Israel-India cooperation to fight the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Israeli Ambassador to India Dr Ron Malka formally handed over the high-end equipment and technology solutions to Director of AIIMS, Dr RandeepGuleria.
  • It also includes a 12-hour disinfection product called CPD that stays active to protect the surface against new attacks of contamination.
  • Earlier, India helped Israel with medicines and safety gear.
  • Now Israel has sent equipment including robotic teleconsultation and telemonitoring equipment.
Foot Notes:
About Israel:
Capital: Jerusalem
Prime Minister: Benjamin Netanyahu
Currency: Israeli Shekel
 
9 likes | 0 comment
Like Comment Share
IBT's Classroom Study Materials

Buy Now
arrow