CURRENT AND CORPORATE AFFAIRS : 08 AUGUST 2020
COVID-19 NEWS
(1.) Serum Institute enters into partnership to accelerate manufacture, delivery of Covid19 vaccines for India :- Pune based Serum Institute of India has entered into a new landmark partnership with Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to accelerate the manufacturing and delivery of up to 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for India and low- and middle-income countries. This was stated in a press release issued by Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute. The press release says that the collaboration will provide upfront capital to SII to help them increase manufacturing capacity now so that, once a vaccine gains regulatory approval and WHO pre-qualification, doses can be produced at scale for distribution to India and low- and middle-income countries as part of the Gavi COVAX AMC mechanism as early as the first half of 2021.
(2.) Covid-19 recovery rate improves to 67.98 percent; Govt proposes to launch National Clinical Registry for data collection :- The total number of people who have recovered from COVID-19 in the country surpassed the 13.5 lakh mark today. A total of 13 lakh 78 thousand 105 people have recovered so far. In the past 24 hour, 49 thousand 769 recoveries have been reported across the country. With this, the recovery rate has improved to 67.98 per cent. The Government is set to launch a National Clinical Registry for COVID-19. The main objective of this registry is to collect real time clinical data which will help in evidence based clinical practice, research, formulation of guidelines and policy making. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and All
India Institute of Medical Sciences have proposed to establish a COVID-19 clinical registry for data collection from 100 hospitals across the country. The duration of the study will be one year and any COVID-19 lab confirmed and hospitalized patient will be enrolled.
NATIONAL NEWS
(1.) Air India Express flight skids off runway while landing at Kozhikode :- Air India Express flight No 1344 carrying 191 passengers including crew members on board from Dubai skidded off the runway while landing at Karipur Airport, Kozhikode in kerala late evening today. The plane after skidding from runway crash landed and spilt into two pieces. Three death have been officially confirmed including a Pilot. Many passengers and crew members are seriously injured. Passengers seated in the front side is reported have more serious injuries than in the rear. Rescue operations are on full swing. Heavy rain is continuing in the region. Passengers are being shifted to nearby hospitals.
(2.) Country’s first Kisan Special Parcel Train flagged off from Devlali Railway Station of Maharashtra :- Fulfilling its budget announcement, the railways today began the Kisan Rail service to transport perishables at affordable cost. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar flagged off the First Kisan Rail train from Maharashtra’s Devlali station to Danapur in Bihar. As per this initiative, the Kisan Rail will run through public-private-partnership mode to provide a seamless supply chain of perishable goods. The train will cover a distance of 1,519 kilometers in almost 32 hours on a single trip and will halt at 14 stations, including Nashik Road, Manmad, Itarsi, Satna, Prayagraj and Buxar.
(3.) PM to inaugurate submarine Optical Fibre Cable connecting Chennai and Port Blair on Monday :- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and dedicate the submarine Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) connecting Chennai and Port Blair to the nation on Monday through video conferencing. The submarine cable will also connect Port Blair to Swaraj
Dweep, Little Andaman, Car Nicobar, Kamorta, Great Nicobar, Long Island and Rangat. This connectivity will enable delivery of faster and more reliable mobile and landline telecom services to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, at par with other parts of India. At present Andaman and Nicobar Islands have very weak telecom systems, that hamper communications with mainland and within the islands.
(4.) ‘Eat Right India’ movement is about creating a culture of safe, healthy & sustainable food: Dr. Harsh Vardhan :- Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that the vision of health for all can be achieved through physical exercise and choosing nutritious food in our daily lives. He said, the ‘Eat Right India’ movement is about creating a culture of safe, healthy and sustainable food. Dr. Harsh Vardhan today presided over signing of MoU between CSIR and FSSAI for collaborative research and information dissemination regarding food and nutrition. Speaking on this
event, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said, the MoU will create a brighter future in the area of nutritious food and consumer safety solutions in India.
STATE NEWS
(1.) Deputy Commissioner of Rajouri launches ‘Awaz-e-Rajouri’ mobile app :- In order to improve public Grievances redressal mechanism, Deputy Commissioner of Rajouri, Nazir Sheikh, has launched a mobile app “Awaz-e-Rajouri”. The free of cost app would help the citizens register their grievances online and also track the status of their complaints. DC Rajouri assured that the resolution of the complaint would be time bound. The app has been developed by a team of NIC, Rajouri.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
(1.) OCI card holders from USA, UK, Germany, France can visit India: Home Ministry :- Union Home Ministry has permitted Overseas Citizen of India, OCI cardholders to enter India who belong to countries with which air bubble arrangements have been finalised by the Civil Aviation Ministry. Home Ministry spokesperson in a tweet said that other foreigners from these countries have also been allowed to avail Indian visa facility for business, medical and employment purposes.
(2.) Bangladesh to construct memorial for Indian soldiers martyred in 1971 liberation war :- Bangladesh will construct a memorial for the Indian soldiers martyred during the country’s liberation war in 1971. The memorial will be constructed coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Bangladesh, said the Minister of Liberation War Affairs of Bangladesh AKM Muzammel Haq. According to a press release issued by the govt of Bangladesh on Friday, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Muzammel Haq recalled the support of the government and people of India during the Bangladesh liberation war against Pakistan in 1971.High Commissioner of India in Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das had called on the Minister for Liberation War Affairs and discussed issues of mutual interest and the upcoming 50 year anniversary of Liberation War on Thursday.
(3.) Sri Lanka: Ruling party led by PM Mahinda Rajapaksa registers landslide victory in Parliamentary elections :- In Sri Lanka, the party led by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and its allies have secured two-thirds seats at the general elections held on Wednesday. Sri Lanka People’s party (SLPP) has won 145 seats in the 225-member parliament, while the allies have managed to clinch more than five seats. Mr. Rajapaksa is likely to be sworn in as Prime Minister at the weekend after results are notified. He had taken over reins of caretaker government after his younger brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa had emerged victorious at last November Presidential elections. He received a record number of over five lakh preferential votes in his electoral district breaking the earlier record of former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremsinghe who has lost the elections this time.
NATIONAL/ INTERNATIONAL APPOINTMENT
(1.) Manoj Sinha administered oath of office and secrecy as Lt Guv of J&K :- In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha was administered the oath of office and secrecy as Lieutenant Governor by Justice Gita Mittal, Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court in the Raj Bhawan lawns in Srinagar today.
(2.) Former J&K Lt Guv Girish Chandra Murmu to be new CAG of India :- Former Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Girish Chandra Murmu will be the new Comptroller and Auditor General of the country. Mr Murmu will succeed Rajiv Mehrishi. An IAS officer of Gujarat cadre, Mr Murmu resigned as Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.
IMPORTANT DAY
(1.) Textiles Minister Smriti Irani inaugurates Celebration of 6th National Handloom Day 2020 :- Textiles Minister Smriti Irani today inaugurated the Celebration of 6th National Handloom Day 2020. She also launched Mobile app and a portal to propagate the handloom industry. Speaking on the occasion, Mrs Irani said, government is aiming to connect weavers and other stakeholders digitally. She said, through this Handloom portal people can get information regarding programmes launched by the textile Ministry.
Thanks for Reading Current and Corporate Affairs : 08 August 2020
Compiled By : CS Surbhi Saxena
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