1) World Organ Donation Day: 13 August
•The World Organ Donation Day is observed globally on 13th August every year. This day is celebrated to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation and motivate people to donate organs after death. The day provides an opportunity to all to come ahead and pledge to donate their precious organs because one organ donor can save up to eight lives.
2) Education Minister notified Council of Architecture Regulations, 2020
•Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has virtually rolled out Council of Architecture (Minimum Standards of Architectural Education) Regulations, 2020 in New Delhi. The regulation will replace Architecture Regulations, 1983. Minimum Standards of Architectural Education Regulations, 2020 will come into force from 1st November 2020. It has been prepared by the experts of Council of Architecture (CoA).
3) Assam Govt to starts “Orunodoi Scheme” for women’s empowerment
•The Assam government would provide Rs 830 per month each to 17 lakh poor families under the ambitious “Orunodoi” scheme, to financially empower women. The scheme would be the biggest scheme in Assam. A sum of Rs 280 crore has been earmarked for the new scheme.
4) Price Monitoring and Resource Unit set up in Karnataka
•Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Shri DV Sadananda Gowda has announced the establishment of a Price Monitoring and Resource Unit (PMRU) in Karnataka. The PMRU has been established by National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India, in association with Karnataka State Drug Control Department. PMRU will assist NPPA in monitoring the prices of drugs, ensuring availability of drugs as well as raising consumer awareness.
•The PMRU will act as collaborating partner of NPPA with information collecting mechanism at the grass-root level. The State Drug Controller will directly supervise the Price Monitoring and Resource Unit (PMRU) in order to increase the outreach of NPPA. The recurring and non-recurring expenses of PMRUs are borne by NPPA under the Central Sector Scheme named Consumer Awareness, Publicity and Price Monitoring (CAPPM).
5) Goa’s Harmal Chillies, Moira bananas, Khaje gets GI tag
•Goa’s traditional festive sweet dish ‘Khaje’, spicy Harmal Chilli and Myndoli Banana (Moira Banana) has obtained Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the Geographical Indications Registry. Khaje got a GI tag under foodstuffs falling in Class-30 and Moira Banana under Class-31.
•The Bicholim based All-Goa Khaje Producers Association (AGKPA) applied for the GI tag of Khaje through the department of science and technology in 2019. Myndoli Banana Growers Association, Ibrampur, Pernem applied for the GI tag of Moira bananas. The Harmal-Pernem Chilli Growers Association had made the application for the GI tag of Harmal Chillies.
6) Historic peace agreement between UAE & Israel
•President of USA, Donald J. Trump, Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Nahyan have agreed to the full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
7) Israel successfully tested “Arrow-2” Ballistic Missile Interceptor
•Israel has successfully tested its advanced missile defence system, “Arrow-2” ballistic missile interceptor. The Missile test was conducted in the test site in Central Israel over the Mediterranean Sea. The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) of the United States of America along with Israeli Air Force and Israel Aerospace Industries conducted the testing.
8) SS Mundra becomes new non-executive Chairman of IBH
•Former RBI deputy governor, Subhash Sheoratan Mundra has been appointed as non-executive chairman of Indiabulls Housing Finance (IBH) with immediate effect. He had joined the board of IBH in 2018 as an independent director.
•Sameer Gehlaut, the co-founder and Chairman of Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd ( IBHFL) has stepped down as the Executive Chairman of the company, and taken up the role of Non-Executive, Non-Independent Director of IBHFL. He has stepped down to take charge as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Indiabulls Ventures Ltd, a subsidiary company of IBHFL.
9) Indigenous AUM Photonic System developed to monitor Air Quality
•Air Unique-quality Monitoring (AUM) Photonic System has been indigenously developed with the prime objective of real-time remote monitoring of air quality. The system has been developed by Prof. Rao Tatavarti, Director of Gayatri Vidya Parishad-Scientific and Industrial Research Centre & GVP College of Engineering, Visakhapatnam along with the support of Department of Science and Technology’s Clean Air Research Initiative. The system is portable, compact, low powered and economical. It works on plug and play system and do not require any setting uptime.
•The Air Unique-quality Monitoring has the capability to identify, classify, and quantify various pollutants simultaneously (of orders of less than one part per billion) including meteorological parameters, with very high precision, sensitivity as well as accuracy. All of this will be achieved with the help of inculcated principles of laser backscattering, statistical mechanics, optoelectronics, artificial intelligence, machine/deep learning, as well as Internet of Things.
10) Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi assumes charge as DGNO
•Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, AVSM, NM has become the Director General Naval Operations (DGNO). He is a specialist in Communication and Electronic Warfare and was commissioned in the Indian Navy on 01st July 1985. The alumnus of National Defence Academy Khadakwasla, has served on frontline warships of the Navy as Signal Communication Officer and Electronic Warfare Officer.
•Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi has commanded INS Vinash, INS Kirch and INS Trishul. He has also served as the Executive Officer and Principal Warfare Officer of Guided Missile Destroyer INS Mumbai.
11) Sudha Murthy, ITC’s Sivakumar bags Gramodaya awards
•Chairperson of Infosys Foundation, Sudha Murty and Group Head of Agri and IT Businesses of ITC Ltd, Sivakumar Surampudi are among the winners of the Gramodaya Bandhu Mitra Puraskaras.
•The other winners include Padma Bhushan Vijay Bhatkar, Padmasri SP Verma, Vilas Shinde (Director, Sahyadri Farms), Koosam Rajamouli, Former Sarpanch of Gangadevipalli in Telangana, Brig Pogula Ganesham, Founder of Palle Srujana, and Govinda Rajulu Chintala, Chairman of the Nabard.
12) Sports Ministry to organise “Fit India Freedom Run”
•“Fit India Freedom Run” would be organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports from 15th August to 02nd October 2020. The ministry is organising “Fit India Freedom Run” to mark the 74th Independence Day of India on August 15 to 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2. This would be the largest country-wide run, targeted to encourage fitness among the masses while following the COVID-19 protocols.
•Government of India has decided to encourage participants of the event to run at their own pace – anywhere and at any time of their convenience in order to keep up with the current pandemic situation and social distancing norms. The participants can track the total distance covered by using a Global Positioning System (GPS) watch or manually.
