Top GKToday’s News Headlines-10 August 2020

August 10, 2020

India

Railway Museum at Hubballi, Karnataka dedicated to the nation

Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal & Mines, Pralhad Joshi on August 9, 2020 dedicate Railway Museum at Hubballi, Karnataka to the Nation.

Mumbai becomes the first city to have female icons on traffic signals

Mumbai has become the first city in India to have women symbols on traffic signals and signage. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has installed traffic signals that display female icons sporting triangular frock, a shift from the default representation of men.

Nitin Sethi wins Asian College of Journalism’s Award for Investigative Journalism

Nitin Sethi of The Huffington Post India on August 8, 2020 bagged the Asian College of Journalism’s Award for Investigative Journalism. Sethi won the Rs. 2-lakh award for his six-part series titled ‘Paisa Politics’ on electoral bonds.

Shiv Sahay Singh wins K. P. Narayana Kumar Memorial Award in journalism

Shiv Sahay Singh of The Hindu on August 8, 2020 bagged the Asian College of Journalism’s K. P. Narayana Kumar Memorial Award for Social Impact Journalism. Singh won the Rs. 1-lakh award for his story titled ‘Death by digital exclusion: On faculty, public distribution system in Jharkhand’.

Hyderabad-based NGO Naandi Foundation wins Food Vision 2050 Prize

The Rockefeller Foundation has selected Hyderabad-based non-profit, Naandi Foundation, as one of the ‘Top 10 Visionaries’ in the world for the Food Vision 2050 Prize, announced in New York on August 6, 2020. Naandi’s vision titled “Arakunomics” was based on work with tribal coffee farmers in Araku for nearly 20 years.

FSSAI’s ‘Eat Right India’ movement wins Food System Vision Prize

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on August 9, 2020 said it has been awarded the ‘Food System Vision Prize’ by the Rockefeller Foundation of US for its ‘Eat Right India’ movement’s vision, along with nine other finalists. Eat Right India’s vision for 2050 aims to create a culture of safe, healthy and sustainable food.

Economy

Defence Ministry announces a phased, year-wise embargo on import of 101 items

Invoking the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) initiative, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on August 9, 2020 a phased, year-wise embargo on the import of 101 items of defence equipment. As an equipment type comes under the import embargo, the military will be required to buy it from Indian defence manufacturers.

PM launches new financing scheme under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 9, 2020 launched a new financing scheme under the ₹1 lakh crore Agriculture Infrastructure Fund meant for setting up storage and processing facilities. The scheme will support farmers, PACS (primary agricultural credit societies), FPOs (farmer producer organisations), agri-entrepreneurs, etc. in building community farming assets and post-harvest agriculture infrastructure.

PM releases sixth instalment of funds under PM-KISAN scheme

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 9, 2020 released the sixth instalment of funds under the PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) scheme, which amounted to ₹17,000 crore to about 8.5 crore farmers. The Centre provides Rs 6,000 per year in 3 equal instalments under the scheme that was launched in Dec 2018.

National Public Procurement Conclave organized by GeM in association with CII

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal called upon more and more buyers and sellers to join the Government e Marketplace (GeM). He was speaking at the inauguration of the Fourth edition of the National Public Procurement Conclave, organized by GeM in association with CII.

World

Sri Lanka: Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa sworn in new PM

Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in on August 9, 2020 as the country’s new Prime Minister in Colombo, days after his party won a landslide victory in the General Election. The 74-year-old Sri Lanka People’s Party (SLPP) leader was administered the oath of office by his younger brother and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

US Health Secretary Alex Azar begins visit to Taiwan

Health Secretary Alex Azar, a senior member of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, landed in Taiwan on August 9, 2020 for Washington’s highest-level visit since switching diplomatic recognition to China in 1979. During the three-day visit Azar will meet President Tsai Ing-wen, who advocates Taiwan being recognised as a sovereign nation and is loathed by China’s leaders.

Afghanistan: Loya Jirga (Parliament) approves release of 400 Taliban prisoners

Afghanistan’s parliament Loya Jirga on August 9, 2020 approved the release of 400 Taliban prisoners paving the way for the beginning of peace talks to end more than 19 year-long war. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had convened the assembly in the capital Kabul, where some 3,200 Afghan community leaders and politicians gathered to advise the government on whether the prisoners should be freed.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei launches his twitter handle in Hindi

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in a significant move on August 9, 2020 launched his twitter handle in Hindi. Currently the Supreme Leader tweets in Farsi, Arabic, Urdu, French, Spanish, Russian and English.

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples observed on August 9

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (World Tribal Day) was observed on August 9, 2020. This year’s theme is ‘COVID-19 and indigenous peoples’ resilience’. The date recognizes the first meeting of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations in Geneva in 1982.

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