Current Affairs 18 August 2020

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Current Affairs 18 August 2020

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1. Hockey India To Provide Financial Assistance To 61 Unemployed Athletes
  • The Hockey India executive board has announced immediate support to 61 athletes across the junior and senior men and women core probable who are not employed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The purpose behind providing financial assistance is to help them in resuming their sports activities. Athletes who are not holding any form of employment may face constraints that can impact their ability to be able to return to sports activities.
  • Mr. Gyanendro Ningombam, Hockey India Officiating President informed that sixty-one athletes will be receiving financial assistance from the Hockey India, which will include 26 Junior men, 30 Junior women, 1 senior men, and 1 senior women core probable.
Foot Notes:
About Hockey India:
President: Mr. Gyanendro Ningombam
Founded: 20 May 2009
Headquarters: New Delhi
Secretary-General: Mr. Rajinder Singh

2. PM Narendra Modi to inaugurate 'Atal Tunnel' in Rohtang next month
  • Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said the 'Atal Tunnel' in Rohtang would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the end of September this year. The tunnel will be the world's longest above an altitude of 3,000 metres and will reduce the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 km.
  • The tunnel is being built under Rohtang Pass in the Pir Panjal range on the Leh-Manali highway. The length of the tunnel is 8.8 kilometers.
  • Once thrown open, the tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity to remote border areas of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh which otherwise remain cut-off from the rest of the country for about six months during winters.
Foot Notes:
Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya
Capitals: Shimla(Summer) Dharamshala(Winter)
Chief Minister: Jai Ram Thakur
 
3. Actor Sharon Stone’s Memoir “The Beauty of Living Twice” to Release in March 2021
  • Hollywood Actor Sharon Stone announced the release of her Memoir “The Beauty of Living Twice” in March 2021. She unveiled the cover of the book on Twitter.
  • The Book will reflect on her journey from painful childhood in Pennsylvania to her experience in acting in films like Martin Scorsese’s mobster epic ‘Casino’ which earned her an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe award.
  • Additionally she will be writing about her two marriages, her near-fatal stroke and humanitarian work on behalf of AIDS research and other causes.
  • The book is set to be published by Alfred A Knopf, and is set to release both in hardcover and ebook.
Foot notes:
About Alfred A Knopf Publishing:
Founder: Alfred A. Knopf Sr.
Founded: 1915
Headquarters location: New York, United States
Acquisition date: 1960

4. Indian Railways begins construction of world’s tallest pier bridge across river Ijai in Manipur
  • As a part of 111 kilometre-long Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal line project, Indian Railways’ North East Frontier Railway zone is constructing the world’s tallest pier bridge, having height of 141 metres, across river Ijai in Manipur with an outlay of Rs 280 crore. After completion, it will surpass the existing height record of 139 meters of the Mala – Rijeka Viaduct, Montenegro in Europe.
  • The 703 meters long bridge is located at the hilly terrain of Marangching village in Noney district, about 65 km west of Imphal, Manipur. The project will be completed in March 2022.
Foot Notes:
About Manipur:
Governor: Najma Heptulla
Capital: Imphal
Chief Minister: N. Biren Singh
 
5. Rakesh Asthana appointed DG of Border Security Force
  • The Centre appointed Gujarat cadre IPS officer – Rakesh Asthana as the new director general of the Border Security Force (BSF).The 1984 batch IPS officer, currently heading the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) with additional charge of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), will assume full time charge of the border guarding force deployed at the approximately 2,280 km long border with Pakistan.
  • Currently, DG Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) Chief S S Deswal, a batchmate of Asthana, was holding the additional charge of BSF since March this year. Asthana, known for his acumen in investigations and strong leadership skills, will hold the post of DG BSF till July 31, 2021, time of his retirement.
Foot Notes:
About BSF:
Motto: जीवन पर्यन्त कर्तव्य (Duty Unto Death)
Headquarters: New Delhi
Founder: Khusro Faramurz Rustamji
Founded: 1 December 1965
Director-General: Rakesh Asthana
 
 
6. Nagaland Government Rolls-Out Centralized e-commerce platform “Yellow Chain”
  • On the occasion of Independence Day, the Chief Minister of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio launched “Yellow Chain”. Yellow Chain is a centralized e-commerce platform, to promote local business and entrepreneurship in the State.
  • Yellow Chain will act as an integrated platform for the people of the state, where any Seller/Service Provider/Individual/Group can register themselves and upload their products, trades, skills, services etc to enable the citizens/buyers to have access to their Service or Product.
  • It may include Home service(Barber, Electrician, Plumber, Painter, Carpenter, Water Service etc.), Delivery service, IT Products & Services, Cab & Taxi Service, Health Care & Education, Fast food & Catering, Bakeries & Confectioneries, Grocery Stores, Local Product/Produces, Trainings, Pre-owned Products, Real Estate, Rentals etc.
Foot Notes:
About Nagaland:
Capital: Kohima
Chief Minister: Neiphiu Rio
Governor: R.N.Ravi
 
7. Ashok Lavasa resigns as Election Commissioner; set to join ADB as vice president
  • Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa resigned to take up the position of vice-president at Asian Development Bank next month.
  • Lavasa, who would have retired as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) in October 2022, would be the second election commissioner to step down from the poll panel before the completion of his term.
  • Sushil Chandra, presently posted as Election Commissioner will be in the line of succession after Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora which otherwise would have been donned by Lavasa had he not resigned.
Foot Notes:
About ADB:
Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Philippines
President: Masatsugu Asakawa
Founded: 19 December 1966
 
8. National Sports Awards Committee recommended Rohit Sharma, Vinesh Phogat, Manika Batra, Mariappan Thangavelu for Khel Ratna
  • The National Sports Awards Committee has recommended the names of cricketer Rohit Sharma, Table tennis champion Manika Batra, Paralympian Mariappan Thangavelu and wrestler Vinesh Phogat for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.
  • Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award is India's highest and most prestigious sporting honour. In 2016, India's star shuttler PV Sindhu, wrestler Sakshi Malik, shooter JituRai and gymnast DipaKarmakar had been collectively awarded the top honour.
  • Rohit Sharma will join the elite list of cricketers to ever receive the top sporting honour after Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. 
Foot Notes:
About Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna:
The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, officially known as Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in Sports and Games, is the highest sporting honour of the Republic of India. The award is named after Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India who served the office from 1984 to 1989
Awarded for: Highest sports honour in India
Most recent winner: Deepa Malik; Bajrang Punia
First winner: Viswanathan Anand

9. PM Modi to inaugurate First World Solar Technology Summit to be held on Sept 8
  • The First World Solar Technology Summit will be organized by International Solar Alliance, ISA on a virtual platform on 8th of September. The summit aims to bring the world scientists and engineers together to address the challenges to make energy affordable.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver the inaugural address of the First World Solar Technology Summit and it will be graced by Ministers from member countries from across all ISA regions.
  • ISA would also be launching the ISA Journal on Solar Energy that would help authors from across the globe to publish their articles on solar energy, during the event.
Foot Notes:
About ISA:
Founded at: Paris, France
Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana, India
 
10. Music legend Pandit Jasraj passes away in US at the age of 90
  • Music legend Pandit Jasraj passed away at the age of 90.Pandit Jasraj was an Indian classical vocalist, belonging to the Mewati gharana.
  • He was a recipient of the Padma Shri (1975), Padma Bhushan (1990) and Padma Vibhushan (2000).
  • Back in 2019, a minor planet, between Mars and Jupiter, was named after the famed musician.
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