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AUGUST 2020

The CP Monthly

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CURRENT AFFAIRS MAGAZINE

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For CLAT/AILET/SNAP/MHCET & other 5-year
Law Entrance Exams in India
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Key features:
A comprehensive coverage of all stories in the news.
Crafted to make you ace the CLAT GK Section.
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Appropriate context to understand the current affairs.


Moulded as per the demands of the new CLAT pattern.
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11
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Preface
Dear CLAT Aspirants,

Experience is what sets one apart: the most valuable ammunition needed for

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the triumphant stroke as a contender, or as a coach. And, we firmly believe that
innovation feeds on experience!

Reflecting on the past invaluable experience we gained and the successes we


had, this year we have again pushed the limits of all sorts, and have tried to

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take our exercise a few notches above. To simplify your engagement with
Current Affairs and certainly make it a real smooth task, we are releasing our
brand new publication – The CP Monthly. We have comfortably dealt with ever–
changing, organic nature of General Knowledge to come out with a reliable
and one-stop solution.
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To do full justice to factual linkages (both forward & backward) of the
information, you shall find further requisite additional information appended
therein. This should help you process the events and understand their
relevance.
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We recommend that you go through this magazine as many times as possible


so that you ease your tensed mind from accumulation in one go. It is also
recommended to discuss the facts and their background with your friends and
family for making your learning far effective and a great fun!
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This is a small help from our side to ensure your prep reaches a lively level in
your run up to the D-Day!

Happy Reading!

Dr. Surabhi Modi Sahai


(MD, CLAT Possible)
Content

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PASSAGE BASED QUESTIONS …………….…………………………………………………………… 1
ANSWER KEY …………….…………………………………..…………….…………………………….…. 10
IN DEPTH :-

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1. RULES OF ADMINISTRATION FOR JAMMU AND KASHMIR …………………….. 11
2. ASSAM GOVERNMENT EXTENDS APPLICATION OF AFSPA FOR
6 MONTHS IN ASSAM ……………………………………………………………………………..….. 30
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3. INDIA DECLARES 1ST AUGUST AS MUSLIM WOMEN RIGHTS …………………….. 52
NATIONAL NEWS …………………………………….…………………………………………….….….. 16
INTERNATIONAL NEWS …………………………………….……………………………………….... 21
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY …………………………………….………………………………………. 27
11

DEFENCE …………………………………….……………………………………….………………………. 29
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES & INITIATIVES …………………………………….………………. 34
AWARDS …………………………………….……………………………………….……………….……….. 40
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IMPORTANT DAYS …………………………………….……………………………………….…………. 41


SPORTS …………………………………….……………………………………….………………….………. 42
APPOINTMENTS …………………………………….……………………………………….…….……… 42
OBITUARIES …………………………………….……………………………………….………………….. 43
LEGAL UPDATES …………………………………….……………………………………….…………… 44
Current Affairs Magazine August 2020

PASSAGE BASED
QUESTIONS

48
Passage 1
„X‟-owned Flipkart on Friday said it supports over six lakh artisans, weavers and

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craftsmen across the country through its „Y‟ programme and is working on onboarding
more such sellers to the platform.
The Y programme was launched in „Z‟, wherein the e-commerce major had partnered with
five non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to help artisans use the online marketplace
to sell their products.
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Y supports the livelihood of over six lakh artisans, weavers and craftsmen through
partnerships with NGOs and government entities, and provides the artisans an access to a
pan-India customer base of more than 200 million, Flipkart said in a statement.
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[SOURCE: https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/flipkart-supports-6-lakh-
artisans-in-india-through-samarth-programme-11596212876732.html]
1. Which company owns Flipkart, „X‟?
a) Amazon b) Alibaba
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c) Reliance Industries d) Walmart


2. Which Flipkart programme, „Y‟ is being talked about in the above passage?
a) Protsahan b) Samarth c) Madad d) Hunar
3. In which year („Z‟) was this programme „Y‟ launched?
a) 2017 b) 2018 c) 2019 d) 2020
4. When was Flipkart established?
a) 2007 b) 2008 c) 2009 d) 2010
5. Who is the current CEO of Flipkart?
a) Sachin Bansal b) Binny Bansal
c) Bhavish Aggarwal d) Kalyan Krishnamurhty

Clat Possible: All rights reserved. Unauthorized copying, sale, distribution or circulation of any of
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August 2020 Magazine Current Affairs
Passage 2
Apple is now the world‟s most valuable publicly traded company, passing „X‟. As of close
of business Friday, Apple has a market valuation of $1.84 trillion, while X‟s is $1.76
trillion, according to CNBC. Apple‟s stock, which has been on a largely-steady climb since
the end of March, closed up more than 10 percent on Friday following the company‟s
record-breaking third-quarter earnings on Thursday, ending the day at $425.04.
[SOURCE: https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/31/21350154/apple-worlds-most-
valuable-company-saudi-aramco]

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6. Which company („X‟) did Apple replace to become the world‟s most valuable
publicly traded company?
a) Walmart b) Facebook c) Aramco d) Google

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7. When was Apple established?
a) 1976 b) 1977 c) 1975 d) 1974
8. Who among the following was not a founder of Apple?
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a) Steve Jobs b) Steve Wozniak c) Gordon Moore d) Ronald Wayne
9. Which of the following is a product from Apple?
a) watchOS b) tvOS c) GarageBand d) All of the above
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10. Which of the following is a „music recognition software‟ from Apple?


a) SoundHound b) MusixMatch c) Shazam d) TrackID
Passage 3
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After more than two months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA
astronauts „A‟ and „B‟ returned to Earth today, parachuting through the planet‟s skies in a
„C‟ capsule. The pair splashed down at 2:48 p.m. ET in the „D‟.
The pair‟s journey home concludes a history-making test flight called Demo-2, which
returned crewed spaceflight capabilities to the United States after a nearly 10-year hiatus.
The mission lifted off on May 30, marking the first time NASA astronauts piloted a
spacecraft that‟s owned and operated by a commercial company, rather than the space
agency itself.
Now, with a successful round trip on the books, C will launch at least six more NASA
flights to the ISS. The first of these, called Crew-1, is scheduled for late September at the
earliest.
[SOURCE: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/08/astronauts-return-
earth-spacex-dragon-nasa-hurley-behnken/]

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Current Affairs Magazine August 2020
11. Who are the two astronauts („A‟ and „B‟) mentioned in the above passage?
a) K. Megan McArthur and Michael Hopkins
b) Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley
c) Christopher Cassidy and Karen Nyberg
d) Victor J. Glover and Garrett Reisman
12. Which private company („C‟) is responsible for this mission?
a) Boeing b) Virgin Atlantic c) Airbus d) SpaceX

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13. At which place did („D‟) did the splashdown take place?
a) Caribbean Sea b) Gulf of Mexico c) Indian Ocean d) Bismarck Sea
14. What is the name of the spacecraft which took these astronauts to ISS?

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a) Atlantis b) Columbia c) Crew Dragon d) Hawkeye
15. What was the name of the rocket which was used in this mission?
a) Falcon 9 b) Ariane c) Thor-Delta d) Juno I
Passage 4
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Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor „A‟ has resigned from his post, according to sources.
According to sources, J&K L-G A sent his resignation letter to the Centre on Wednesday
evening and will vacate his post immediately.
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A officially took charge as the first L-G of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir on
October 31, 2019, under the „B‟ Act, 2019.
A is a 1985 batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the „C‟ cadre. Before his stint as
the first L-G of the UT, he served as the expenditure secretary in the Ministry of Finance.
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[SOURCE: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/jammu-and-kashmir-lieutenant-
governor-gc-murmu-resigns-rajesh-mohar-article-370-abrogation-anniversary-1708179-
2020-08-05]
16. Who is this person „A‟ the first Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir who
resigned from the post in August, 2020?
a) Satya Pal Malik b) Puneet Mehra c) G C Murmu d) R K Mathur
17. Under which Act („B‟) was „A‟ appointed the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and
Kashmir?
a) Jammu and Kashmir Bifurcation Act, 2019
b) Jammu and Kashmir Special Areas Act, 2019
c) Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019
d) Jammu and Kashmir Division Act, 2019

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August 2020 Magazine Current Affairs
18. To which cadre of the Indian Administrative Services does „A‟ belong?
a) Madhya Pradesh b) Gujarat c) Tamil Nadu d) Kerala
19. Who has been appointed as the new Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir?
a) Rajiv Mehrishi b) R.B. Sreekumar c) Manoj Sinha d) P.K. Mishra
20. As per the Act „B‟ the state of Jammu and Kashmir was divided into the Union
Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. When did this division take effect
or when did this Act come into effect?

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a) 9th August, 2019 b) 1st October, 2019
c) 31st August, 2019 d) 31st October, 2019
Passage 5
Bells have tolled in Hiroshima, Japan, to mark the 75th anniversary of the dropping of the

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world's first atomic bomb.
But memorial events were scaled back this year because of the pandemic.
On „X‟ August 1945, a US bomber dropped the uranium bomb above the city, killing
around 140,000 people.
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Three days later a second nuclear weapon was dropped on Nagasaki. Two weeks later
Japan surrendered, ending World War Two.
Early on Thursday, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the mayor of Hiroshima
joined bomb survivors and descendants in the city's Peace Park.
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The park is usually packed with thousands of people for the anniversary, but attendance
was significantly reduced this year, with chairs spaced apart and most attendees wearing
masks.
A moment's silence was held at 08:15, the exact time the bomb was dropped on the city.
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[SOURCE: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-53660059]
21. On which date was the nuclear bomb dropped on the city of Hiroshima?
a) 6th August b) 7th August c) 8th August d) 9th August
22. What was the name given to the nuclear bomb which was dropped on Hiroshima?
a) Fat Man b) Little Boy c) Little Man d) Fat Boy
23. What was the name of the B-29 bomber which dropped the nuclear bomb on the city
of Hiroshima?
a) Straight Flush b) FiFi c) Enola Gay d) Joltin' Josie
24. What was the name given to the project that led to the development of first nuclear
bombs?
a) Project Washington b) Project Seattle
c) Project New York d) Project Manhattan

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Current Affairs Magazine August 2020
25. Who was the US President which ordered the dropping of nuclear bombs on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
a) Theodore Roosevelt b) Franklin D. Roosevelt
c) Harry S. Truman d) Dwight D. Eisenhower
Passage 6
Former Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor „A‟ took oath as the Comptroller and
Auditor General (CAG) on Saturday. The oath was administered by President Ram Nath
Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi

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and others.
“By virtue of the power vested in him by clause 1 of article „B‟ of the Constitution of India,
the President has been pleased to appoint „A‟ to be the Comptroller and Auditor General
of India with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office,” the finance ministry

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notification signed by joint secretary Rajiv Kumar Mishra read.
As the CAG, „A‟ will be responsible for auditing all expenditures of the state and central
governments and will hold the post for six years or till he turns 65 whichever comes first.
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[SOURCE: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/former-j-k-lieutenant-
governor-gc-murmu-takes-oath-as-comptroller-and-auditor-general/story-
bVlcpLFdgTbXF2aiyygYSP.html]
26. Who is this person „A‟ who has been appointed as the CAG of India?
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a) C.G. Somiah b) G C Murmu


c) Shashi Kant Sharma d) V.N. Kaul
27. Which Article of the Constitution („B‟) talks about the post of Comptroller and
Auditor General?
20

a) 133 b) 142 c) 352 d) 148


28. Whom has this person „A‟ succeeded as the CAG of India?
a) T.N. Chaturvedi b) P.C. Mishra c) Rajiv Mehrishi d) Vinod Rai
29. What is special about the appointment of „A‟ as the CAG of India?
a) He is the oldest to be appointed as the CAG
b) He is the first IAS officer to be appointed as the CAG
c) He is the first tribal to be appointed as the CAG
d) None of the above
30. Who was the first CAG of India?
a) A.K. Chandra b) V. Narahari Rao
c) A.K. Roy d) S. Ranganathan

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August 2020 Magazine Current Affairs
Passage 7
During its two-year-long primary mission, NASA's planet hunter „X‟ has found 66 new
exoplanets, or worlds beyond our solar system, as well as nearly 2,100 candidates
astronomers are working to confirm, the US space agency has said.
„X‟ scanned about 75 per cent of the starry sky during its primary mission that ended on
July 4, NASA said on Tuesday.
"„X‟ is producing a torrent of high-quality observations providing valuable data across a
wide range of science topics," said Patricia Boyd, the project scientist for „X‟ at NASA's

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Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
„X‟ monitors 24-by-96-degree strips of the sky called sectors for about a month using its
four cameras.

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The mission spent its first year observing 13 sectors comprising the southern sky and then
spent another year imaging the northern sky.
Now in its extended mission, „X‟ has turned around to resume surveying the south, NASA
said. The extended mission for „X‟ will be completed in September 2022.
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[SOURCE: http://ddnews.gov.in/sci-tech/nasa-satellite-finds-66-new-exoplanets-2100-
more-candidates]
31. What is the name of NASA‟s planet hunter mission („X‟) mentioned in this passage?
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a) TESS b) FINDER
c) EXPLORER d) PATHFINDER
32. This project „X‟ was launched by NASA in 2018. Which rocket was used for the
launch?
20

a) Ariane 5 b) Proton
c) Falcon 9 d) Atlas 5
33. Where are the headquarters of NASA located?
a) Washington D.C. b) San Francisco
c) New York d) Houston
34. Who is the current Administrator of NASA?
a) Kathy Lueders b) James Frederick Bridenstine
c) Douglas Loverro d) Gwynne Shotwell
35. India has its own exoplanet mission and India uses an „echelle spectrograph‟ called
„PARAS‟ for the same. At which place is this spectrograph installed?
a) Nasik b) Shimla c) Darjeeling d) Mt. Abu

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Current Affairs Magazine August 2020
Passage 8
India‟s second lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 has completed a year around the moon in
the lunar orbit. The orbiter has completed 4,400 orbits around the moon and all its
instruments are currently performing well, a statement by Indian Space Research
Organisation said.
“The spacecraft is healthy and performance of subsystems are normal…there is adequate
onboard fuel to remain operational for about seven years,” it said.
During the past year, Chandrayaan-2 acquired images during 220 orbits consisting of

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nearly 4 million sq. km area of moon surface. It also has images of Balmer-Kapteyn (B-K)
basin region which is located on the east limb of the moon. This area is of scientific
importance as it contains a type of light plains deposit that appears to lie on the top of an
ancient basaltic surface.

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Solar X-ray Monitor (XSM) has been operational in-orbit from September 2019 and has
observed several flares, including many low-intensity events. “Modelling these spectra
with theoretical models help us in understanding the evolution of physical properties of
the Corona during solar flares,” the statement said.
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[SOURCE: https://www.hindustantimes.com/science/chandrayan-2-completes-a-year-
around-the-moon-good-to-go-for-seven-years/story-4nYzNwNiJsOag7UNputDVJ.htm]
36. What was the name of lunar lander which was sent along with Chandrayaan-2?
a) Abhijeet b) Saransh
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c) Vikram d) Kanishka
37. Chandrayaan-2 also consisted of a lunar rover. What was the name of that lunar
rover?
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a) Ashoka b) Pragyan
c) Varahamihira d) Bhaskara
38. Had India been successful India would have become the fourth country to execute a
„soft landing‟ on the lunar surface. Which of the following countries has not been
successful in executing a „soft landing‟ on the moon?
a) Russia b) United Kingdom
c) United States of America d) China
39. What is the name of the launch vehicle used in the Chadrayaan-2 mission?
a) ASLV b) PSLC-XL
c) GSLV d) GSLV Mk III
40. Which was the first satellite of ISRO launched using an indigenous launch vehicle?
a) Aryabhata b) Bhaskara c) Rohini RS-1 d) APPLE

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August 2020 Magazine Current Affairs
Passage 9

INS Viraat, the aircraft carrier that served the Indian Navy for 30 years before being
decommissioned, is likely to be towed from „A‟ to Alang in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district
next month to be dismantled and sold as scrap, an official said.

The longest serving warship, inducted into the Indian Navy in „B‟, was bought by Shree
Ram Group for Rs. 38.54 crore at an auction conducted by the Metal Scrap Trade
Corporation Limited last month.

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It will likely be towed from „A‟ to ship breaking yard at Alang next month, the company's
chairman Mukesh Patel said.

It will be scrapped at the country's first certified eco-friendly ship recycling yard in nine to
12 months, he said.

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[SOURCE: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/aircraft-carrier-ins-viraat-indias-longest-
serving-warship-to-be-dismantled-in-gujarat-2287121]

41. Where is the INS Viraat currently docked („A‟)?


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a) Vishakhapatman b) Chennai
c) Goa d) Mumbai

42. When was INS Viraat commissioned into the Indian Navy („B‟)?
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a) 1986 b) 1987
c) 1988 d) 1989

43. INS Viraat was originally commissioned in the British Navy. What was the name of
INS Viraat then?
20

a) HMS Unicorn b) HMS Illustrious


c) HMS Hermes d) HMS Eagle

44. What was the motto of INS Viraat?

a) Shaṁ No Varunaḥ
b) Jalameva Yasya, Balameva Tasya
c) Jayema Sam Yudhi Sprdhah
d) Strike Far, Strike Sure

45. Which was the first aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy?

a) INS Vikramaditya b) INS Chakra


c) INS Vikrant d) INS Khanderi

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Current Affairs Magazine August 2020
Passage 10
Pranab Mukherjee – or Pranab-da, as many of us fondly called him -- was a man who
made the long journey as a small boy from Mirati, a village in West Bengal‟s Birbhum
district, to Rashtrapati Bhavan, without ever losing his sense of equanimity and humility.
His contributions to the nation were immense. He had the vision to understand that India
needed to shed its non-aligned policy after the Cold War. As defence minister, he realised
that Russia alone could not meet India's defence needs and clinched the India-US defence
partnership. As external affairs minister, Mukherjee took India‟s relations with the US to

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a different level, successfully getting Washington to de-hyphenate its policies towards
India and Pakistan. He was at the forefront of the signing of the India-US nuclear deal.
Earlier as finance minister, he had taken steps to pave the way for liberalisation as far
back as in the 1980s. He launched „Operation Forward‟ under Indira Gandhi‟s prime

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ministership and introduced tax reforms. Later, he laid the foundation for India's
signature economic reform proposals, the goods and services tax (GST), and the Direct
Taxes Code (DTC).
[SOURCE: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/president-
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pranab-mukherjee-the-peoples-rashtrapati/articleshow/77938313.cms]
46. Who among the following was not awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2019?
a) Pranab Mukherjee b) Bhupen Hazarika
c) Nanaji Deshmukh d) Madan Mohan Malviya
11

47. Who among the following Indian Presidents has not been awarded the Bharat
Ratna?
a) S. Radhakrishnan b) Rajendra Prasad
c) Shankar Dayal Sharma d) A P J Abdul Kalam
20

48. At the time of his elevation as the President of India in 2012, which constituency
was Pranab Mukherjee representing in the Lok Sabha?
a) Burdwan b) Jangipur c) Asansol d) Dum Dum
49. Which Article of the Indian Constitution talks about the office of the President of
India?
a) 52 b) 53 c) 54 d) 55
50. Which Article of the Indian Constitution talks about the clemency powers of the
President of India?
a) 70 b) 71 c) 72 d) 73

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August 2020 Magazine Current Affairs

Answer Key

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1. D 11. B 21. A 31. A 41. D

2. B 12. D 22. B 32. C 42. B

3. C 13. B 23. C 33. A 43. C

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4. A 14. C 24. D 34. B 44. B

5. D 15. A 25. C 35. D 45. C

6. C 16. C 26. B 36. C 46. D


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7. A 17. C 27. D 37. B 47. C

8. C 18. B 28. C 38. B 48. B


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9. D 19. C 29. C 39. D 49. A

10. C 20. D 30. B 40. C 50. C


20

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August 2020 Magazine Current Affairs

NATIONAL NEWS
 A two–day international webinar on the theme of 'Lokmanya Tilak – Swaraj to

48
Self–reliant India' was organized by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations on
the 100th death anniversary of the great freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar
Tilak in New Delhi1. The webinar was inaugurated by Home Minister, Mr. Amit
Shah.

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 A book named “Swachh Bharat Kranti” was launched by Union Ministers Mr.
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Ms. Smriti Irani. The book is the Hindi
version of the book “The Swachh Bharat Revolution” which is a compilation of
35 essays written by eminent people like Arun Jaitley, Amitabh Kant, Ratan Tata,
Bill Gates amongst others. The book has been edited by Mr. Parameswaran Iyer,
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Secretary of Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation. The book has been
divided into four sections: Political Leadership, Public Financing, Partnerships and
People‟s Participation.
 Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to set up an Innovation Hub to promote
11

and facilitate an environment that can accelerate innovation across the financial
sector.2 The Innovation Hub will be used to build financial products which would be
used to accomplish financial inclusion, efficient baking services and strengthening
consumer protection. RBI has also decided to enhance the scope of “Priority Sector
Lending” to include startups.
20

 Under the „Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy‟ the state of Delhi has decided to waive
registration fee and road tax for electric vehicles which will be bought in the state.
The government also proposes to provide incentive up to Rs. 1.5 lakh for people
buying personal electric cars. The government would also provide low–interest
loans for the purchase of commercial electric vehicles. The policy also talks about
increasing tax on vehicles which run on fuel.
 Reserve Bank of India has formed a five member committee to recommend
parameters for restructuring of loans which have been affected by Covid–19
pandemic. The panel will be headed by K V Kamath (former CEO of ICICI Bank).
Other members of the panel are Diwakar Gupta, T N Manoharan, Ashvin Parekh
and Sunil Mehta.

1 http://ddnews.gov.in/national/hm-amit-shah-inaugurates-2-day-international-webinar-lokmanya-
tilak-swaraj-self-reliant
2 https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1643736

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Current Affairs Magazine August 2020
 Accident occurred at the Kozhikode airport after an Air India Boeing 737 aeroplane
numbered IX–1344 fell off the runway and broke into two pieces. The accident
resulted in the death of 18 people and injuring more than 150 people.
 In order to ensure healthy food for school students, the Food Safety and
Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has decided to ban the sale and
advertisement of junk food in school canteens and within 50 metres of school
premises. The announcement was made by FSSAI CEO, Arun Singhal.
 The central government has decided to scrap the All India Powerloom Board.

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This decision comes on the heels of the centre‟s decision to scrap the All India
Handloom Board and the All India Handicrafts Board. The All India Powerloom
Board was set up in 1981. The centre has taken this decision with a view to
achieve “minimum government and maximum governance”.

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 Lok Sabha has started a beginner–level course in French language for the
officials and staff of the Lok Sabha Secretariat. It has also been reported that
courses in German, Spanish and Russian would also be started in the future.
 NITI Ayog has decided to rope in Oracle to assit it in modernizing IT
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infrastructure under NITI Ayog‟s „Aspirational Districts Programme‟. Oracle
would provide cloud computing services in the districts where this programme
being implemented. This programme was launched by NITI Ayog in 2018. This
programme aims to expeditiously improve the socio–economic status of 117 districts
from across 28 states. The three core principles of the programme are –
11

Convergence (of Central & State Schemes), Collaboration (among citizens and
functionaries of Central & State Governments including district teams), and
Competition among districts.3 The Programme focusses on 5 main themes –
Health & Nutrition, Education, Agriculture & Water Resources, Financial Inclusion
20

& Skill Development, and Basic Infrastructure.4


 Odisha has stood first in the rankings for the implementation of the Atal Mission
for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme. Further,
Chandigarh and Telangana have obtained the second and third positions.
AMRUT scheme was launched in 2015 by the central government with the aim of
providing basic civic amenities like water supply, sewerage, urban transport, parks
as to improve the quality of life for all especially the poor and the disadvantaged.5
One of the main purpose of this scheme is to provide every household with a water
tap with assured water supply and a sewerage connection.

3 https://niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2018-12/FirstDeltaRanking-May2018-AspirationalRanking.pdf
4 https://niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2018-12/FirstDeltaRanking-May2018-AspirationalRanking.pdf
5 http://mohua.gov.in/cms/amrut.php

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August 2020 Magazine Current Affairs
 The state of Arunachal Pradesh has formed a nine member committee to look
into the matter of revival of two “autonomous councils” in the state. The two
autonomous councils in question are „Mon Autonomous Region‟ and „Patkai
Autonomous Council‟. The committee will be headed by deputy Chief Minister of
the state, Mr. Chowna Mein. Autonomous Councils are governed under the Sixth
Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
 National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has developed an infrastructure
at Rihand project in Uttar Pradesh to transport fly ash in bulk to cement plants,
located at distance, at a cheaper cost.6 NTPC has committed to utilize 100 percent of

48
the fly ash which is generated at the power plant.
 Indian Railways has constructed world‟s tallest pier bridge in Manipur. The bridge
has been constructed over river Ijai river in Noney district of Manipur. The bridge
is part of Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal line. This area falls under the North East

00
Frontier Railway Zone. The tallest pier of the bridge is of 141 metre height. The
previous record was held by 139 m tall pier bridge of Mala-Rijeka viaduct in
Montenegro. The total length of bridge is 703 metre.
[Image Source:
60
https://newsroompost.c
om/india/indian-
railways-constructing-
worlds-tallest-pier-
11

bridge-in-manipur-
pics/539119.html]
 To further the
development of
commerce and industry
20

in the state, Karnataka


has decided to construct an industrial corridor between Mysuru and Bidar. This
corridor will be on the lines of Bengaluru-Chennai and Bengaluru-Mumbai
corridors.
 Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) has opened a
quality control laboratory in Porbandar. The laboratory will test for heavy-metals
like cadmium, lead, mercury, arsenic etc. in fishes.
 All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) and Delhi Police have signed an
agreement where AIIA will provide health services to the residential colonies of
Delhi Police. This service will be offered through a mobile unit called,
„Dhanwantari Rath‟.

6 https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1646264

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Current Affairs Magazine August 2020
 The Union Cabinet has given its approval for setting up of the National
Recruitment Agency (NRA) and it will be registered under the Societies
Registration Act. NRA will conduct a Common Eligibility Test (CETs) twice a
year. Further, the CETs will be conducted at graduate level, 12 th pass level and 10th
pass level and CETs will be conducted in 12 major Indian languages. The score
obtained in the CET will be valid for a period of three years. In the beginning,
NRA will conduct exams of Staff Selection Commission, Railway
Recruitment Board and the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection and
it will be expanded later. CETs are proposed to take place in around 1,000

48
centres/districts. This would help students save examination fee as they would not
have to sit for multiple entrance examinations. Madhya Pradesh has become the
first state to offer government jobs based on the CET scores.
 The Union Cabinet has approved the decision to hand over the airports at Jaipur,

00
Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram to Adani Enterprises Ltd.. Adani
Enterprises had successfully bid for these airports along with the airports of
Lucknow, Ahemdabad and Mangaluru in February, 2019.
 The Central Government has constituted the National Council for Transgender
60
Persons (NCTP). NCTP has been formed under Section 16 of the Transgender
Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019. Union Minister of Social Justice &
Empowerment will be the ex-officio Chairperson and Union Minister of State
for Social Justice & Empowerment will be the ex-officio Vice-Chairperson of
NCTP. NCTP will also have five members from the transgender community. These
11

five members will be nominated by the Central Government from North, East, West,
South and North-East regions on a rotation basis. Representatives of States, UTs,
National Human Rights Commission, National Commission for Women and people
representing NGOs will also be part of the Council. All members except for the ex-
20

officio members will have tenure of three years.


 Bombay Natural
History Society and
World Wide Fund for
Nature India (WWF
India) organized the third
edition of the Dragonfly
Festival. This festival was
first celebrated in 2018.
The festival aims to create
awareness about the
dragonflies.
[Image Source: https://orissadiary.com/wwf-india-bnhs-and-the-indian-dragonfly-
society-come-together-to-host-the-dragonfly-festival-2020/]

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August 2020 Magazine Current Affairs
 India‟s longest ropeway has been
inaugurated in Guwahati. The ropeway is
around 2 km long and will connect North
Guwahati with the Guwahati city across the
Brahmaputra river. Doul Govinda in North
Guwahati and Kachari Ghat in Guwahati will
be the places from where the ropeway will be
run. The ropeway has 2 cabins with each
having capacity of 30 passengers.

48
[Image Source: https://www.sentinelassam.com/topheadlines/indias-longest-river-
ropeway-launched-in-guwahati-city-497186]
 The festival of Nuakhai Juhar was celebrated in the states of Chhattisgarh and
Odisha. The festival is celebrated to mark the arrival of new crops. It is also known

00
by the names of Nuakhai Parab and Nuakahi Bhetghat.
 The Central Government has decided to extend the application of Armed Forces
(Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) for another six months in the state of
Assam. The decision will be effective from August 28. The decision has been
60
taken considering the increasing incidences of insurgency in the state. AFSPA was
first imposed in the state in 1990.
 NITI Ayog and Institute of Competitiveness have released the Export
Preparedness Index (EPI) 2020. EPI is prepared on four points: Policy;
11

Business Ecosystem; Export Ecosystem; Export Performance. The top


three performing states were: Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu (having a
coastline helped these states). Delhi topped among the Union Territories.
Uttarakhand was the best among the Himalayan states while Rajasthan
performed best among the landlocked states.
20

 Kerala government has inaugurated the first


marine ambulance of the country by the
name, Pratheeksha. The ambulance has
been designed by Central Institute of
Fisheries Technology and has been
constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited. Pratheeksha
[Image Source:
https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/2020/aug/28/firs
t-marine-ambulance-in-kerala-to-be-launched-on-friday-2188789.html]
 Kerala has decided to build India‟s first international women‟s trade centre.
The trade centre would come up in Kozhikode. The trade centre is being built on
the lines of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

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Current Affairs Magazine August 2020

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
 The first nuclear power plant of United Arab Emirates, “Barakah” at Abu Dhabi,

48
started its operation. In fact, this is the first nuclear power station in the whole of
Arabian Peninsula.

00
60
11
20

Location of Barakah Nuclear Power Plant


[Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barakah_nuclear_power_plant]
 US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order which will prohibit
federal agencies from contracting overseas workers. This order would especially be
detrimental for Indians working in the US on the H–1B visa. This decision is in
tune with President Trump‟s “Hire American” policy.
 The United Kingdom has decided to issue a coin in the honour of Mahatma
Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi would thus become the first non–white person to have a
coin issued in his name in the United Kingdom.

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August 2020 Magazine Current Affairs
 Pakistan has released a new political map of the country wherein it has shown the
whole of Jammu and Kashmir till Ladakh as part of the country. The map also
shows Junagadh and Manavadar in Gujarat as part of Pakistan. The map also
shows as Sir Creek as part of Pakistan.

48
00
60
New Political Map of Pakistan
[Image Source: https://www.indiandefencetimes.com/india–dismisses–pakistans–
new–map–claiming–all–of–jk–junagadh/]
11

 Huge explosion took place in the


capital of Lebanon, Beirut resulting
in around 190 deaths and rending
hundreds of people homeless. The
20

incident was a result of explosion of


around 3,000 tons of ammonium
nitrate which was stored at the port of
Beirut. The whole cabinet of Lebanon
resigned as a result.
[Image Source:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world–
middle–east–53668493] Map detailing the blast

 Japanese ship MV Wakashio has caused oil spill off the coast of Mauritius.
Mauritius has declared this as a national emergency. The ship is owned by
Nagashiki Shipping and is operated by Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd. The ship was
carrying around 4,000 tons of fuel oil. The oil spill has affected corals and has
resulted in coral bleaching. The oil spill has also affected the nearby Bay Marine
Park Reserve.

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48
00
Satellite image of the oil spill
[Image Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world–africa–53754751]
 Mahinda Rajapaksa has been elected as the Prime Minister of Sri
60
Lanka for the fourth time. He belongs to the Sri Lanka Podujana
Peramuna Political Party. His party won 145 seats and allies
won further 5 seats totaling to 150 out of 225 seats in Parliament.
He was also the President of Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2015.
Mahinda
11

[Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahinda_Rajapaksa] Rajapaksa


 Bangladesh has decided to build a monument for Indian soldiers who were killed
in the 1971 India–Pakistan war. The construction will overlap with the 50 years of
the India–Pakistan war which had led to the creation Bangladesh as an independent
country. This act is being seen as part of Bangladesh‟s effort to further the relations
20

between the countries of Bangladesh and India. The announcement was made by
Liberation War Affairs Minister of Bangladesh, Mr. Mozammel Haque.
 A volcano in Indonesia by the name of
Mount Sinabung erupted and threw
ash and smoke up to heights of 16,
400 feet. As per reports, nearby
villlages went dark for 20 minutes.
The volcano is located on Sumatra
island of Indonesia.
[Image Source:
https://phys.org/news/2020–08–
indonesia–mt–sinabung–blasts– Location of Sinabung volcano
tower.html]

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August 2020 Magazine Current Affairs
 Joe Biden who is Democratic Party‟s
presidential nominee has chosen
Kamala Harris for the post of Vice–
President. With this Kamala has
become the first black woman and
person of Indian descent to be
nominated for a prominet position by a
national party. Kamla was born in
California to a Jamaican father and

48
Indian mother. Previously, she has also
Kamala Harris
been the Attorney General for the state
of California and District Attorney for San Francisco.
[Image Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/world/us–presidential–

00
candidate–joe–biden–picks–kamala–harris–as–his–running–mate–6550906/]
 The countries of United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel have signed a peace
deal. This deal is being called the Abraham Accord. With this UAE has become
only the third Arab country after Egypt and Jordan to sign a peace treaty with
60
Israel who signed peace treaties with Israel in 1979 and 1994 respectively. This also
makes UAE the first among the Persian Gulf countries to start diplomatic
relations with Israel. Persian Gulf countries comprise Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman,
Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE. However, the Palestinians have termed this peace
deal as “stab in the back” and “treason”.
11

 The government of United Kingdom has decided to launch a £3 million


innovation challenge fund in India for scientists in academic and industry to tackle
the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change. Tech innovators with connections to
AI-Data cluster in Karnataka and the Future Mobility cluster in
20

Maharashtra can take part in this challenge. This is part of UK-India Tech
Partnership which was set up by UK and India in 2018. At least 12 grants up to
£250,000 are proposed to be given. The British High Commission will select the
winners.
 India, Japan and Australia have decided to launch a Supply Chain Resilience
Initiative. This initiative was first proposed by Japan and has been launched to
reduce their dependency on China. This initiative would help better the supply chain
across the Indo-Pacific region.
 Turkey has claimed that it has found 320 bcm of natural gas in the Black Sea. The
discovery has been made by Turkish state oil company, Türkiye Petrolleri
Anonim Ortaklığı (TPAO) or the Turkish Petroleum Corporation. The name of
the well in which the gas has been found is Tuna-1 well and the drill ship which
has been used is Fatih-1.

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48
00
Location of the discovery
[Image Source: https://www.trtworld.com/turkey/turkey-finds-natural-gas-
reserve-of-320-billion-cubic-metres-off-black-sea-39078]
60
 China has sold a Type 054A, a guided missile frigate to Pakistan. Type 054A
is one of the primer ships of the Chinese navy. As per reports this is the largest ship
sold by the Chinese navy to a foreign power. Three more such ships are expected to
reach Pakistan by 2021.
11
20

[Image Source: https://www.indiandefencetimes.com/china-sells-most-advanced-


warship-to-pakistan-3-more-to-sail-by-2021/]
 The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Africa “free of polio”.
WHO has made this declaration after no new case of wild poliovirus was reported
for four years in Nigeria. Africa now only has cases of vaccine-derived
poliovirus. The only two countries which now have cases of wild poliovirus (and
vaccine-derived poliovirus) are Afghanistan and Pakistan.

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48
00
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[Image Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53887947]


 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has resigned from the post because of health
20

related reasons. He was the Prime Minister of Japan from 2006-2007 and from
2012 till his resignation. He holds the record for the longest serving Japanese Prime
Minister. The previous record was held by Katsura Taro.

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Current Affairs Magazine August 2020

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY


 IIT Madras‟s „Healthcare Technology
Innovation Centre‟ and „Helyxon‟ have

48
developed a portable monitoring device called „OXY
2‟ to measure body temperature, oxygen saturation,
respiratory rate and heart rate. Helyxon is a OXY 2
healthcare startup at IIT Madras Research Park.

00
[Image Source– https://www.expresscomputer.in/news/helyxons–a–health–tech–
startup–can–help–in–effective–monitoring–of–covid–19–patients–better–
manage–the–pandemic/55102/]
 State of Karnataka has launched India‟s first mobile
60
RT–PCR testing laboratory. The lab has been built by
Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. The lab is
capable of conducting 9,000 tests per month. The lab has
been named Mobile Infection Testing and Reporting
(MITR) Lab. The lab can also be used for testing of H1N1,
11

MITR Lab
HCV, TB, HPV and HIV. The lab can be deployed in remote
areas and will be highly effective in battling the Covid–19 pandemic.
[Image Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/iisc–mobile–
labs–will–be–handed–over–to–karnataka–govt–shortly/article32198385.ece]
20

 The first ever optical fibre cable project for


the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been
inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra
Modi. The cable runs from Chennai to Port Blair
for around 2,313 km. The cable runs through the
following islands– Swaraj Dweep, Long Island,
Rangat, Little Andman, Kamorta, Car Nicobar
and Greater Nicobar. As a result, Airtel has become the first telecom company to
provide 4G services in the islands. BSNL had roped in Japanese company NEC
Corporation to design and install the cable system.
[Image Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil–nadu/work–on–
undersea–cable–to–connect–andamans–to–begin–in–
december/article29386971.ece]

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 A study has led to the discovery of 77 new species of butterflies in the ecologically
rich forst of Matheran hill station. This study was conducted by Bombay
Natural History Society over a period of eight years from 2011 to 2019.
Matheran is located around 80 km from the city of
Mumbai. The study was published in Biodiversity
Data Journal with the title "Finding the forgotten
gems: Revisiting the butterflies of Matheran after 125
years, with the introduction to the novel colour
barcode for depicting seasons and activity of the

48
Indian butterflies".
[Image Source: https://www.ndtv.com/mumbai–news/77–new–butterfly–species–
found–in–matheran–hill–station–near–mumbai–bombay–natural–history–
society–2276956]

00
 A startup by the name of Skyroot Aerospace has
become the first private company in India to test
an upper stage rocket engine. The name of this
rocket is „Raman‟ and this can be used to put multiple
60
satellites in the orbit. The compnay is also in the
process of testing a launch vehicle by the name of
„Vikram–I‟ and the test of the launch vehicle is scheduled for December, 2021.
[Image Source:
11

https://www.deccanchronicle.com/science/science/130820/hyderabad–based–
skyroot–aerospace–successfully–tested–upper–stage–rock.html]
 Sea water has been discovered beneath the surface
of Ceres, a dwarf planet, which was thought to
be barren previously. Ceres is the largest object in
20

the asteroid belt found between Mars and


Jupiter. Ceres was discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi
in 1801. It is the only dwarf planet found within
the inner solar system. Location of Ceres

[Image Source: https://www.universetoday.com/34577/inner-and-outer-planets/]


 Indian satellite, AstroSat, has been able to detect an extreme ultraviolet light from
a galaxy 9.3 billion light years away. The name of the galaxy is AUDFs01. AstroSat
is India‟s first multi-wavelength satellite. The discovery was made by a team
from Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune.
Scientists from France, USA, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Japan were also
part of the team.

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Current Affairs Magazine August 2020

DEFENCE
 A decision has been taken by the
Indian Armed Forces to revive the

48
“Project Cheetah”. Under this
project 90 Heron Drones of the
armed forces would be upgraded and
laser guided bombs and anti–tank

00
guided missiles would be fitted on
the drones. The decision has been
taken keeping in mind the escalating
border tension with China. The cost
of project would be around Rs. 3,500
60
crore. Heron Drones were first
Heron UAV
built by Israel.
[Image Source: https://www.defenceaviationpost.com/2020/08/indian–armed–
forces–to–revive–project–cheetah–heres–all–you–need–to–know/]
11

 The Department of Defence Production under the Ministry of Defence has launched
an online portal by the name of „SRIJAN‟. This portal will be a „one stop shop
online portal that provides access tothe vendors to take up items that can be taken
up for indigenization‟. Indian Defence PSUs can put up items which they import
20

from abroad on this portal and then Indian defence manufacturers can design and
develop in India. The portal is available at <srijandefence.gov.in>.

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20

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00
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48
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August 2020 Magazine Current Affairs

GOVERNMENT SCHEMES &


INITIATIVES

48
 A nationwide programme to popularize science among students of class 6 th to 11th,
„Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan‟ has been launched by the central government. The
launch was done by Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Harsh Vardhan.
 State of Rajasthan has launched „Indira Rasoi Yojana‟ to provide nutritious food

00
to the poor. Under this scheme the poor will be able to avail healthy food at price of
Rs.8/–. The menu includes 100 gm pulses, 100 gm vegetables, 250 gm chapati and
pickles. An amount of Rs. 100 crore will be spent every year on this scheme.
 The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has launched the
60
„Khadi Agarbatti Aatmanirbhar Mission‟ (KAAM). This scheme would be run
on public private partnership. Under this scheme, KVIC would provide agarbatti
making machines and powder mixing machines to the people engaged in agarbatti
making. The scheme would be run under the aegis of Ministry of Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises. The Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises is Mr.
11

Nitin Gadkari.
 An awareness programme called „E–Rakshabandhan‟ has been launched by the
state of Andhra Pradesh on the theme „women and children safety in cyberspace‟.
Training would be provided to students in schools and colleges and to working
women by cyber security experts.
20

 Thenzawl Golf Resort Project has been inaugurated by the Indian government
in the state of Mizoram. A Canada based firm, Graham Cooke and Associates,
has designed the golf course. This project has been completed under the Indian
government‟s Swadesh Darshan Scheme‟s „Integrated Development of New
Eco–Tourism‟. This project is in line with Tourism Ministry‟s vision of expanding
golf tourism in the country. The current Tourism Minister is Mr. Prahlad Patel.
 The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has launched
its Youtube channel by the name of „Sahakar Cooptube NCDC India‟. This
channel aims to educate people about the benefits of cooperatives. The launch was
done by Union Agricultural Minister, Mr. Narendra Singh Tomar.
 The state of Andhra Pradesh has launched the YSR Cheyutha (handholding)
Scheme for women belonging to SC, ST and minority communities. Women aged
between 45 to 60 years of age will be eligible for Rs. 18,750/– per year to start small
business. Around 23 lakh women will be eligible for this scheme.

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Current Affairs Magazine August 2020
 In order to promote the conservation of snow leopards, the state of Uttarakhand
has decided to establish India‟s first Snow Leopard Conservation Centre in the
Uttarkashi division of the state. This centre would be developed under the
Secure Himalaya project. This project was launched in 2017 by the Indian
government and the United Nations Development Programme.
 In order to give filip to khadi the Khadi and Village Industries Commission
has decided to open the first silk training and production centre of Arunanchal
Pradesh in the village of Chullyu. This centre would help in the production of Eri
Silk (indigenous to North Eastern states) and provide employment to local weavers.

48
Institutes like NIFT Shillong and NID Jorhat would be roped in to create new
designs.
 To give thrust to domestic manufacture and production of defence equipments, the
Defence Ministry observed the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Saptah. This comes after

00
central government‟s decision of banning import of 101 defence items. Light Combat
Helicopters, radar systems, sonar systems are some of the items whose import has
been banned by the government to increase their domestic production.
 On the occasion of World Elephant Day which is celebrated every year on
60
August 12 the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched a
„National Portal on human elephant conflict‟ named Surakhsya. The portal
will be used for collection of real time information & also for managing the conflicts
on a real time basis that will help to set the data collection protocols, data
11

transmission pipelines and data visualization tools to enable policy–makers for


policy formulation and for preparation of Action Plans for mitigation of conflicts. 7
The current Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is Mr. Prakash
Javadekar.
 The state of Chattisgarh has decided to launch the Indira Van Mitan Yojana
20

with the objective making forest dwellers self–reliant. „Youth Groups‟ will be formed
in 10,000 villages of scheduled areas of the state and economic activities would be
carried out in the villages through these groups. The launch was done on the
occasion of World Tribal Day which is celebrated every year on August 9.
 The state of Gujarat has launched the Mukhyamantri Kisan Sahay Yojana.
This scheme would be applicable to farmers whose crops get damaged due to
irregular rainfalls. The scheme would be applicable under three conditions of
drought, heavy rainfall and seasonal rainfall. Farmers who suffer damage between
33% to 60% would be provided Rs. 20,000 per hectare while farmers who suffer
more than 60% damage would be provided Rs. 60,000 per hectare. The aid would
be provided up to four hecatres per famrer.

7 https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1644770

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August 2020 Magazine Current Affairs
 The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has decided to set up 9 “Tribal Freedom Fighters‟
Museum” which would showcase the contributions of the tribal community in the
freedom movement. These museums will trace the history along the trails, along
which the tribal people in hills and forests fought for their right to live and will,
therefore, combine ex situ display with in situ conservation, regeneration
initiatives.8 The museums would make use of modern technologies such as Virtual
Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), 3D/7D holographic projections etc. The
museums are expected to be constructed by 2022. Mr. Arjun Munda is the current
Minister of Tribal Affairs.

48
The museums would be constructed at following places 9:

State Location Tribal Fighters

00
Garudeshwar, Prominent freedom fighters from
Gujarat
Rajpipla across the country

Chhattisgarh Raipur Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh

Jharkhand Ranchi Birsa Munda


60
Lammasingi,
Andhra Pradesh Shri Alluri Seetha Ram Raju
Visakhapatnam

Tantya Bheel, Bheema Nayal,


11

Madhya Pradesh Chhindwara


Khajaya Nayak etc.

Kerala Kozhikode Thalakkal Chandu

Makhal Village,
Manipur Rani Gaidinliu
20

Senapati

Telangana Hyderabad Ramji Gond

Mizoram Mualngo, Kelsih Ropuiliani

 The Assam government has decided to launch „Orunodoi‟ scheme for families
belonging to financially backward families. Rs. 830/– would be given to each family,
preferably to a female member of the family, to make purchase for essential items.
The amount would be directly transferred to the bank account of the concerned
female member. Around 17 lakh families will be benefited under this scheme. The
government has decided to start this scheme from October 2.

8https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1645023
9https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1645023,
https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1576031

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 The Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, has announced the launch of National
Digital Health Mission. National Digital Health Mission is holistic, voluntary
healthcare programme
which will integrate
doctors, hospitals,
pharmacies, insurance
companies and make a
digital health
infrastructure. A health
10

48
ID card for every citizen
with details like Aadhar
and mobile number and
unique ID for each
individual will be

00
generated. The card would
have details of every test,
disease, medicines one
takes.
60
 The Central Water Commission has tied up with Google for flood forecasting.
Under this plan, Google would send alerts to people who may be in a region which
may be affected by flood. Any person who is in a flood affected area and having an
Android smartphone with his location feature on will be able to receive these alerts.
11

 People can also search for the current situation of flood in a particular area and it
would also provide details of level of water on the next day. As of now the alerts are
available in English, Hindi and Bengali based on the user‟s choice and location of
the affected person.
20

 In order to conserve the species of Asiatic Lions and the Dolphins (both river
and sea dolphins) and their habitat, the Government of India has decided to launch
Project Lion and Project Dolphin based on Project Tiger which has been able
to substantially increase the number of tigers in the country.
 In order to increase learning of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Innovation,
NITI Ayog in association with NASSCOM has launched the „ATL AI Step Up
Module‟ for school students. This module is the next to „AI Base Module‟ which
was launched in February this year. The AI Step-up Module provides a
comprehensive set of learn it yourself Advanced modules to those who wish to
expand their knowledge base after becoming familiar with the basics of the AI
discipline through the AI base module.11

10 https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1646461
11 https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1645920

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 The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has launched a portal by the name of „Swasthya‟. The
portal is first of its kind comprehensive platform for health and nutrition related
information of the tribal population of India and the portal has a dashboard,
knowledge repository, partner segment, Sickle Cell Diseases (SCD) support corner. 12
The portal will be run by the Ministry in association with PiramalSwasthya.
 Government of India through the Ministry of Communications and
Electronics & Information Technology, has the launched the “Swadeshi
Microprocessor Challenge- Innovate Solutions for #Aatmanirbhar
Bharat”. IIT Madras and Center for Development of Advance Computing

48
(CDAC) have developed two microprocessors named SHAKTI (32 bit) and VEGA
(64 bit) and the challenge seeks to invite innovators, startups and students to use
these microprocessors to develop various technology products.13 100 semi-finalists
will be awarded prize money worth Rs. 1 crore, 25 finalists worth Rs. 1 crore and top
10 entering the finale will get a seed fund worth Rs. 2.30 crore and 12 months of

00
incubation support.
 National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has developed a mobile App
called „Harit Path' to monitor location, growth, species details, maintenance
activities, targets and achievements of each of its field units for each and every plant
60
under all plantation projects.14 NHAI had also undertaken an initiative by the name
of „Harit Bharat Sankalp‟ to celebrate the 25 years of NHAI‟s establishment
where NHAI planted 25 lakh plants in 25 days all over India between July and August.
 The Indian Air Force (IAF) has launched a mobile app by the name of „MY IAF‟.
11

The app has been developed by the IAF and the Centre for Development of
Advanced Computing. The app will be beneficial to those who wish to join the IAF
and the app will have information about how to join the IAF, selection procedure,
training curriculum, pay and perks etc.
 National e-Governance Division (NeGD) of the Ministry of Electronics & IT has
20

signed an MOU with Common Service Centres (CSCs) for facilitating the
delivery of UMANG app at the CSCs. UMANG stands for Unified Mobile
Application for New-Age Governance and is a common unified platform for
delivery of services of various government departments. The app was launched in
2017 and has been developed by NeGD.
 The Union Government has launched the National GIS-enabled Land
Bank System. This is a country wide database of industrial clusters. As of now
more than 3,300 industrial parks across 31 States/UTs covering about 475,000
hectare land have been mapped on the system.15 The database is available at <
https://iis.ncog.gov.in/parks>.

12 https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1645834
13 https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1646676
14 https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1647625
15 https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1648929

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 Government of Assam has decided to set up a Skill University at Mangaldoi.
The university would be set up at a cost of Rs. 900 crore. Asian Development
Bank will assist the Assam Government in this project.
 In a bid to give boost to startups and software products, the Central Government
has launched the “Chunauti”- Next Generation Startup Challenge Contest.
The challenge will identify around 300 startups and they will be provided fund of
Rs. 25 lakh. The challenge will especially focus on startups from Tier-II towns. The
launch was done by Union Minister for Electronics and IT, Mr. Ravi Shankar
Prasad. Startups working in the following areas will be eligible for the contest:

48
 Edu-Tech, Agri-Tech & Fin-Tech Solutions for masses
 Supply Chain, Logistics & Transportation Management
 Infrastructure & Remote monitoring

00
 Medical Healthcare, Diagnostic, Preventive & Psychological Care
 Jobs & Skilling, Linguistic tools & technologies
 The Union Government has decided to create a smart rural water supply eco-
60
system to measure and monitor the service delivery of the water supply in rural
areas under its flagship Jal Jeevan Mission.16 Jal Jeevan Mission has been
launched by the Union Government with the aim of ensuring regular tap water
supply to every household by 2024. Jal Jeevan Mission was launched in 2019.
11
20

16 https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1649760

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AWARDS
 Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu released the Atal Rankings of Institutions on

48
Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) 2020. Winners in various categories are as
follows:
 Institutes of National Importance, Central Universities, and
Centrally Funded Technical Institutes: IIT Madras

00
 Government and government-aided Universities: Institutes of Chemical
Technology, Mumbai
 Government and government-aided Colleges: College of Engineering,
Pune
 Private or Self-Financed Universities: Kalinga Institute of Industrial
60
Technology, Bhubaneswar
 Private or Self-Financed Colleges: S R Engineering College, Warangal
 Special category for higher educational institutions for women:
Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women
11

ARIIA is an initiative of the Ministry of Human Resources and was started in 2018.
 The results of the Swachh Survekshan, 2020 are as follows:
 Cities with population greater than 10 lakh: Indore (fourth time in a row)
20

 Cities with population between 1-10 lakh: Ambikapur


 Ganga Town with population less than 50,000: Chunar
 Ganga Town with population between 50,000-1 lakh: Kannuj
 Ganga Town with population more than 1 lakh: Varanasi
 States with less than 100 Urban Local Bodies: Jharkhand
 States with more than 100 Urban Local Bodies: Chhattisgarh
 The International Booker Prize for 2020 has been awarded to Marieke Lucas
Rijneveld from The Netherlands for her debut novel The Discomfort of
Evening. The book has been translated by Michele Hutchison. With this she has
become the youngest recipient of the award.

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IMPORTANT DAYS
 1st of August was celebrated as “Muslim Women Right‟s Day”. It was celebrated
to mark the first anniversary of the approval given to the Triple Talaq Bill by the

48
President. The name of this legislation is “The Muslim Women (Protection of
Rights on Marriage) Act”.
 National Handloom Day is celebrated every year on August 7 to honour the
handloom weavers of the country and promote the handloom industry. This date

00
was chosen to be celebrated as the National Handloom Day in 2015. This date was
chosen to commemorate the Swadeshi Movement which started in 1905 in the
Calcutta Town Hall to protest the partition of Bengal.
 The 78th anniversary of Quit India Movement was celebrated on the 8th of
August. The Quit India Movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi on August 8,
60
1942, at the Bombay session of All India Congress Committee. In his speech he
famously gave the call of „Do or Die‟ which was delivered at the Gowalia Tank
Maidan. The movement was launched as a result of the failure of the Cripps
Mission.
11

 The International Youth Day is observed every year on August 12. The theme
for this year was “Youth Engagement for Global Action”. The theme seeks to
highlight the ways in which the engagement of young people at the local, national
and global levels is enriching national and multilateral institutions and processes, as
well as draw lessons on how their representation and engagement in formal
20

institutional politics can be significantly enhanced.17 The United Nations General


Assembly in 1999 had approved a proposal of World Conference of Ministers
Responsible for Youth which was held in Lisbon in August, 1998 to observe
August 12 as the International Youth Day.

[Image Source: https://www.un.org/en/observances/youth–day]

17 https://www.un.org/en/observances/youth-day

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SPORTS
 National Sports Awards 2020 are as follows -

48
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award for 2020:
 Rohit Sharma (Cricket)
 Mariyappan Thangavelu (Para Athletics)
 Manika Batra (Table Tennis)

00
 Vinesh Phogat (Wrestling)
 Rani Rampal (Hockey)
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy: Panjab University, Chandigarh
60
Arjuna Award: Several sportspersons were awarded with the Arjuna Award. Some
of the notable names are Ishant Sharma (Cricket), Deepti Sharma (Cricket), Dutee
Chand (Atheletics), Divij Sharan (Tennis), Manu Bhaker (Shooting) among others.
 August 29 is celebrated as National Sports Day. The day marks the birth
11

anniversary of hockey legend, Major Dhyan Chand. Dhyan Chand was born in
1905 in Allahabad. He won the gold at the 1928, 1932 and 1936 Olympics.
20

APPOINTMENTS
 Sashidhar Jagdishan has been appointed as the new Managing Director and
Chief Executive Officer of the HDFC Bank. He will succeed the current MD and
CEO, Mr. Aditya Puri from 27th October.
 Mr. Satya Pal Malik has been appointed as the new Governor of Meghalaya and
he will be replacing Mr. Tathagata Roy. Previously, he has been the Governor of
Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, and Goa.
 1984 batch IAS officer, Mr. Rajiv Kumar has been appointed as an Election
Commissioner. He will be replacing Mr. Ashok Lavasa who has will be joining
Asian Development Bank as a Vice-President. Rajiv Kumar was Finance
Secretary till March this year.

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OBITUARIES
 Mr. Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, died

48
in Pune after prolonged illness. He was 89 years old. He was the Chief Minister of
Maharashtra from June 1985 to March 1986.

00
60
11
20

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LEGAL UPDATES

48
Daughters to have coparcenary rights even if the father
was not alive at the passing of the 2005 Amendment Act to
the Hindu Succession Act, 1956
 Recently, the Supreme Court of India in the case of Vineeta Sharma v. Rakesh

00
Sharma, has declared that a daughter would have a share in the coparcenary
property of her father even if he was not alive during the passing of the 2005
Amendment Act to the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 (“HSA”).
What are Coparcenary rights?
60
 A Hindu Joint Family (“HJF”) derives its existence from a common male ancestor.
Generally, it consists of a head male member, who is referred to as the „Karta‟, his
male descendants with their wives, and unmarried daughters. Coparcenary is a unit
within the HJF which owns the property. It extends to 3 generations from the Karta
11

or the head coparcenary. Thus, if A is the Karta, the coparcenary would only extend
to A (himself), B (A‟s Son), C (A‟s grandson) and D (A‟s great-grandson). However,
would not include E (D‟s son). On the other hand, the Hindu Joint Family would
include all members of the male lineage, their wives and all unmarried daughters.
20

 It is interesting to note that property is not a precondition for the existence of a HJF
but it is for the coparcenary. Thus, HJF can exist without coparcenary system, but
coparcenary system cannot exist without HJF.
 Important Fact: ‘Hindu Undivided Family’ and ‘Hindu Joint Family’ are distinct
concepts. The former is an entity created under the Income Tax Act for tax reliefs,
while the latter is a more social concept and is important for succession rights.
What is Hindu Succession Act, 1956?
 Hindu Succession Act of 1956 was enacted by the Parliament of India to amend and
codify the laws related to intestate18 and HJF succession among the Hindus,
Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains (collectively “legal Hindus”). The law codified and
granted legal recognition to the traditional practices of inheritance and succession
among legal Hindus.

18 Someone who dies without a will.

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What was the 2005 Amendment to the Hindu Succession Act, 1956?

 In the 1956 Act, only the males were allowed to be coparceners to a HJF
property. However, it was realized that this law was inherently discriminatory.
Therefore, in 2005, the Parliament, through an amendment granted daugh ters
of the deceased equal rights with sons, and subjecting them to the same
disabilities.

States allowed to make sub categories in reserved categories

48
 Recently, a Constitution bench of the Supreme Court of India in the case of
State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh, held that the states are allowed to sub-
classify the list of Scheduled Caste, Socially and Educationally Backward Classes
and Scheduled Tribes. This was done to provide preferential treatment to the

00
particularly more deprived among them “to achieve the real purpose of
reservation”. In doing so, the bench disagreed with a 2004 verdict of the Apex
Court in E V Chinnaiah v. State of Andhra Pradesh, where the court had ruled
the opposite.

What was E. V. Chinnaiah Case?


60
 Under Article 341 of the Constitution of India, a list of scheduled castes for
each state is notified by the President of India. This list is subsequently only
amendable by the Indian Parliament. In the Chinnaiah Case, the question was
11

regarding the validity of Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of


Reservations) Act, 2000. Under the said Act, Andhra Pradesh had divided this
list in four different sub-categories and provided differential reservation to
each such subcategory. Therein, the Supreme Court laid down that there is
20

only one notified list and the state cannot alter it at its discretion. Hence, the
Chinnaiah Case essentially treated each list as a homogenous category and
assumed that all falling within it are at the similar level of backwardness.

The change in perspective: Davinder Singh Case

 In this case, the Supreme Court was assessing Punjab Scheduled Castes and
Backward Classes (Reservation in Services) Act, 2006. Under this Act, 50%
reservation within the SC quota was further reserved for only the Balmikis and
Mazhabi Sikhs. Herein, the court held that the governments should be allowed to
use rational criteria and sub-classify Socially and Economically Backwards,
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Since both Chennaiah and Davinder Singh
are 5 Judge Bench decisions, the Court in the latter has referred the former case to a
larger bench for reconsideration.

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August 2020 Magazine Current Affairs

State of Arunachal Pradesh has passed a resolution to


bring it under Schedule VI of the Constitution of India
 The legislative assembly of Arunachal Pradesh has
passed a resolution for the entire state to be
included in the sixth schedule. According to the
Chief Minister Mr. Pema Khandu, without the
protection of the sixth schedule the people of
Arunachal Pradesh “face the danger of being

48
alienated from their culture and land”.
[Image Source:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/poli
tics-and-nation/arunachal-assembly-passes-

00
Chief Minister of Arunachal
resolution-for-inclusion-of-state-in-sixth-
Pradesh, Mr. Pema Khandu
schedule/articleshow/77789660.cms]
What is the Sixth Schedule?
 The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India allows the creation of autonomous
60
administrative regions within some states. It essentially makes separate
arrangement for tribal areas in states like Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura.
Thereby, certain „autonomous district councils‟ can be created to protect the rights
of the tribals.
11

 Moreover, Article 244A was added to the Constitution of India by the 22nd
Constitutional Amendment in 1969. It empowered the Indian legislature to
establish an „autonomous State‟ consisting of tribal areas of the state of Assam and
create a local legislature for the autonomous State.
20

 Important Fact: Each district council has 30 members, of which 26 are elected
and 4 are nominated by the Governor.
About the Bordoloi Committee
 Schedule VI to the Constitution was added
pursuant to the report of the Bordoloi
Committee to the Constituent Assembly. It called
for an autonomous system which could allow for
the development of tribal areas. The idea was to
protect the culture and traditions of the tribals Mr. Gopinath Bordoloi,
from the people living in the non-tribal areas and Chairman of the Bordoloi
therefore, autonomy was necessary. Committee
[Image Source: https://www.livehistoryindia.com/history-
daily/2020/02/23/gopinath-bordoloi-saving-assam-a-fight-to-the-finish]

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Governor‟s power to decide autonomous districts
 The Governors‟ of the states have been vested with the power to create and re-
organize autonomous districts. He can add, subtract, delimit and change the names
of such areas.
Benefits of the status
 The status prevents people from other parts of India to settle there in the
autonomous districts. Thus, it protects the native people‟s privilege over the land.

48
 Moreover, it grants considerable autonomy to tribal communities by providing them
power to make their own laws. They are even allowed to sanction funds from the
Consolidated Fund of India to realize their demands.

Supreme Court decided against transferring funds from

00
the PM Cares Fund to the National Disaster Response Fund
 The Supreme Court of India has recently decided in a case that the Union
government is under no obligation to transfer the funds collected under the PM
Cares Fund to the National Disaster Response Fund (“NDRF”).
60
 The Court stated that the PM Cares Fund was created as a charitable trust and
therefore, it cannot make a direction to transfer all the funds to the NDRF.
Moreover, people are free to make voluntary contributions to even the NDRF Fund.
What is PM Cares Fund?
11

 The Prime Minister‟s Citizen


Assistance and Relief in Emergency
Situations Fund (“PM CARES
Fund”) was created as a public
20

charitable trust by the government of


India, on 28 March 2020, to deal with
the crises created by COVID 19. The
fund is chaired by the Prime Minister Logo of the PM Cares Fund
of India and its trustees include the
Defence Minister, the Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Finance.
[Image Source: PM Cares at https://www.pmcares.gov.in/en]
Understanding the controversy
 The Public Interest Litigation was filed stating that the establishment of the PM
Cares violates the Disaster Management Act. The argument was that the individual
contribution must mandatorily be made to the NDRF. Moreover, the Government of
India had included the COVID-19 pandemic under National Disaster Management
Act, 2005 (“DMA”). Thereby, it declared COVID-19 as a “Notified Disaster”.

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August 2020 Magazine Current Affairs
 The idea was to assist the State Governments to manage their funds for taking
better decisions to tackle COVID-19. This allowed the Union to provide assistance
under the State Disaster Relief Fund under DMA. Actually, the state fund becomes
eligible to get 75% funding from the Centre once any disaster is declared as a
„notified disaster‟.
Is PM Cares a public authority under the Right to Information Act, 2005?
 Recently, the Appellate Authority of the Prime Minister‟s Office stated that the PM
Cares Fund is not a public authority under the RTI Act, 2005. A social activist Mr.

48
Saket Gokhle had filed an RTI seeking information regarding the trust deed, the
trustees, and the exemption certificates granted in accordance with Section 12A and
80G of the Income Tax Act. However, as per the PMO, there is no requirement to
divulge any information by them.

00
Supreme Court imposes a penalty of Rs. 1 on Prashant
Bhushan in contempt case
 The Supreme Court of
India, in a recent
60
verdict, imposed a
penalty of Rs. 1 in a
criminal contempt
case against Mr.
11

Prashant Bhushan.
The bench found Mr.
Bhushan guilty after
he refused to
apologize for his
20

doings and stated that


in case Mr. Bhushan
failed to pay the fine,
he would be jailed for
three months and
would be barred from
practicing law for the
subsequent three
years.
[Image Source: Tweets which led to conviction of Mr. Prashant
https://www.scconlin Bhushan
e.com/blog/post/202
0/08/14/prashant-bhushan-contempt-sc-finds-advocate-guilty-of-contempt-for-
his-tweets-to-hear-him-on-sentence/]

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Constitutional backing of the Contempt Law
 There are three Articles which allow the courts to punish in cases of contempt are:
a. Article 129 grants the power to the Supreme Court of India to punish in contempt
cases
b. Article 215 grants the above power to the High Courts
c. Article 142(2) is an enabling provision19 which enables the court to investigate in
cases of contempt
What is Contempt of Courts Act, 1971?

48
 The Contempt of Courts Act of 1971 provides for the procedure related to the
contempt investigation and punishment. In simple terms, contempt refers to an
offence of showing disrespect to the authority or dignity of a court. The Act further
divides contempt in two categories, i.e. civil contempt and criminal contempt. While

00
civil contempt takes place when an order, direction, decree, etc. of the court is
disobeyed, criminal contempt takes place when a publication satisfies either of the
three conditions:
a. It scandalizes the Court by lowering its dignity or authority.
b. It interferes with the due course of judicial proceedings.
60
c. It leads to obstruction of the administration of justice.
 The Act was subsequently amended in the year 2006 to include truth as the defense
under Section 13 of the Act.
Why is contempt law needed?
11

 The law of contempt allows the judges to fulfill their duties and pass verdict without
the fear or other non-case related considerations.
The controversy surrounding the contempt law
20

 Many experts state that the contempt law obstructs the freedom of speech and
expression granted to the citizens under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India
as the law is very subjective and can lead to arbitrary decisions by the courts. It is
said to curb the constructive scrutiny and criticism of the court.

Draft Environment Impact Assessment notification, 2020


 Recently, the Delhi high court, in the case of Vikrant Tongad v. Union of
India, decided to extend the period of public consultation on the draft of the
Environment Impact Assessment Notification 2020, until August 11.20
Earlier, June 30 was decided as the deadline by the Ministry of Environment and
Forest and Climate Change for consideration of objections.

19 The Article/section of the Constitution or a statute that provides the relevant authority with the power
to put the Constitution or the statute into force and effect.
20 Vikrant Tongad v. Union of India, W.P.(C) 3747/2020.

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What is Environment Impact Assessment?
 Environment Impact Assessment (“EIA”) is “the process of identifying, predicting,
evaluating and mitigating the biophysical, social, and other relevant effects of
development proposals prior to major decisions being taken and commitments
made.”21

48
00
60
11

A coal mine in Jharsuguda, Odisha


[Image Source: The Wire at https://thewire.in/environment/draft-environment-
impact-assessment-notification-international-law]
20

EIA in India
 The oldest instance of EIA could be found in 1976-77 when the Planning
Commission of India had directed the Department of Science and Technology to
assess the environmental impact of river-valley projects. EIA received its statutory
backing in the Environmental Protection Act, 1986.22 The EIA policy finally
came into effect 1994, which was subsequently modified in 2006. Prior to 1994, all
the mega projects had to obtain environmental clearance from the Union
government. This policy was further redrafted in the year 2020 with an intention to
make the process more transparent and quicker.

21 International Association for Impact Assessment, 1999 at:


https://web.archive.org/web/20120507084339/http://www.iaia.org/publicdocuments/special-
publications/Principles%20of%20IA_web.pdf
22 The Environment Protection Act, 1986 is considered as an aftermath of the deadly Bhopal Gas Leak

Tragedy of 1984.

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Current Affairs Magazine August 2020
Division of projects
1. Category A: Projects under this category require mandatory environmental
clearance and thus they do not undergo the screening process.23
2. Category B projects are classified into two types:
2.1: Category „B1‟ projects: Mandatorily requires EIA.
2.2: Category „B2‟ projects: Do not require EIA
Criticism of the new policy

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 Post Facto Clearance: The 2020 draft allows for post-facto approval for projects.
This essentially means that some projects/construction could start without
environmental clearances. The problem is that the only remedy available is to
impose a fine or punishment on the polluter. Thus, the policy does not prevent

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pollution but only penalizes when it happens.
 Public Consultation: All B2 projects, including irrigation, chemical fertilizers,
acids manufacturing, building construction and area development, highways or
expressways, etc. are exempted even from public consultation. This means that a
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large number of activities will be carried out without any checks, not having public
consultation for these activities is likely to affect the environment. Moreover, where
public consultation is allowed, the draft also provides that the time period for taking
public consultation should be slashed from 30 days to 20 days for any application
seeking environmental clearance.
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 Further, information about 40 industries will not be made available in public


domain. These industries have been categorized as „strategic‟ by the Government,
like road projects in border areas.
20

23The project plan is screened for scale of investment, location and type of development and if the
project needs statutory clearance.

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