07 AUG 2020

 

National News

1. PM Modi addresses on New Education Policy 2020

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has addressed the nation on 7th August to deliver his speech on the New Education Policy 2020.
• PM’s speech began with address at the conclave on ‘Transformational Reforms in Higher Education under National Education Policy’ is being organised by the University Grants Commission and Ministry of Education.

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2. India's first 'Kisan Rail' begin services from today

• The Indian railways begin its "Kisan Rail" services to transport perishable goods from today.
• India's first 'Kisan Rail' will run between Devlali in Maharashtra's Nashik and will reach Danapur in Bihar.
• The train will cover the journey of 1,519 kilometres in over 31 hours.
• The train will be flagged off via video conferencing by Union Minister of Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.

3. Indian Railways launches "OHE Inspection app" for real-time monitoring

• Indian Railways has launched an Overhead Equipment (OHE) Inspection app which will help in minimizing the train delays and long waits due to technical snags.
• The app has been rolled out on an all over India basis.On 1 July 2020 for the first time in the history of Indian Railways, 100% punctuality of trains was achieved as 201 trains arrived at their destination at the right time. The previous best was 99.54% on 23rd May 2020.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Union Minister for Railways: Piyush Goyal.
• Railway Board Chairman: V K Yadav.

International News

4. US Senate approves TikTok ban on government devices

The United States Senate has unanimously passed a bill banning the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok on government devices. The bill will now go to President Donald Trump to be signed into a law, which will prohibit federal employees from downloading or using TikTok.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Tiktok is developed by ByteDance Company.
• Tiktok founded: 2012.
• Tiktok founder: Zhang Yiming.

Appointments

5. Pradeep Kumar Joshi becomes new chairman of UPSC

• Educationist Professor, Pradeep Kumar Joshi has appointed as the chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
• He will succeed Arvind Saxena who completes his term as UPSC chairman.
• Joshi, who was the chairman of both Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commissions, joined the UPSC as member in May 2015.
• His tenure as the chairman of the UPSC will be till May 12, 2021.

6. G.C. Murmu becomes new Comptroller and Auditor General of India

• Former Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor, Girish Chandra Murmu has been appointed as the new Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. He is the 14th CAG of India.
• He will assume office on 8 August 2020. He will replace Rajiv Mehrishi, a 1978 batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, as the CAG.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• CAG Headquarters: New Delhi.
• CAG Founded: 1858.

Agreements

7. Airtel Payments Bank, Bharti AXA partner to offer 'shop insurance' for retailers

• Airtel Payments Bank has partnered with Bharti AXA General Insurance to offer “Smart Plan Shop Package Policy” for the financial protection of the bank’s retailers and merchants.
• The policy will provide financial protection in case of damage to assets inside the shop due to fire and allied perils and burglary, among others, as covered in the product.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Airtel Payments Bank MD and CEO: Anubrata Biswas.
• Airtel Payments Bank Headquarter: New Delhi, Delhi.
• Bharti AXA General Insurance MD and CEO: Sanjeev Srinivasan.
• Bharti AXA General Insurance Headquarter: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Important Days

8. National Handloom Day celebrated on 7th August

• Nation observes "National Handloom Day" on 7th August every year. This day is celebrated to honour the handloom weavers in the country and also highlight the handloom industry.
• The Day highlights the contribution of handloom to the socio-economic development of the country and increases the income of the weavers.

Obituaries News

9. Pulitzer Prize-Winning Novelist Shirley Ann Grau passes away

• The famous fiction writer and Pulitzer Prize-winner, Shirley Ann Grau passed away.
• She was born on July 8, 1929, in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.
• he wrote six novels and four short stories which are all set in the Deep South, from New Orleans to north Louisiana and Alabama.
• Her first book, The Black Prince was published in 1954. Shirley won the Pulitzer Prize for her fourth book, “The Keepers of the House” in 1965.

10. Renowned TV actor Sameer Sharma passes away

• Renowned TV actor, Sameer Sharma passed away. The 44-year-old actor committed suicide on 5 August 2020, by hanging.
• He has been part of some renowned TV serials like ‘Geet – Hui Sabse Parayi’, ‘Left Right Left’, ‘Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii’, ‘Four’ and ‘Ssshhhh….Koi Hai’.
• He was also seen in Sidharth Malhotra’s movies ‘Hasee Toh Phasee’ and ‘Ittefaq’.

Miscellaneous News

11. WTF Sports appoints Suresh Raina, Harmanpreet Kaur as brand ambassadors

• A sports gaming platform, WTF Sports has appointed cricketers Harmanpreet Kaur and Suresh Raina as its global brand ambassadors. Raina is also joining the brand as a Strategic Partner. The announcement was made through a web conference.
• The platform currently hosts three major sports, multiple playing modes, and exciting contests, ensuring that sports fans can get more skilful by letting them strategize and use their sports knowledge into rewarding behaviour.