Answer – 3) Reliance Power
Explanation:
Reliance Power and Japanese energy major JERA have inked a pact with a group of banks for full financing, totalling $642 million (approx Rs 4,798 crore), for their new gas-fired thermal power generation project in Bangladesh. Both partners will develop a new 745 MW natural gas combined-cycle power project in Meghnaghat in Bangladesh.

Answer – 2) Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)
Explanation:
The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) in association with TransUnion CIBIL Limited (formerly Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited) has launched a comprehensive financial education and one-stop knowledge platform for micro, small and medium enterprises “MSMESaksham”, which will guide MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) seeking quick access to finance and will also support them in managing their credit obligations. The portal is focused on two key pillars of financial knowledge and access to credit.

Answer – 4) Urjit Patel
Explanation:
Great Eastern Shipping Company Ltd announced that its board has appointed former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel as an additional and independent director for a term of 5 years, effective from August 01, 2020.

Answer – 1) Folk Musician
Explanation:
Folk Musician, composer, Lyricist and Padmashree awardee Sonam Tshering Lepcha passed away at the age 92, at Kalimpong, West Bengal due to old age ailments. He was born on 3rd January, 1928 at Bong Busty, Kalimpong, West Bengal. He played a major role in reviving and promoting the Lepcha Culture which is one of the indegenious culture of Sikkim.

Answer – 4) Ganga
Explanation:
As a part of the renovation of the Mahatma Gandhi Bridge/Setu over river Ganga in Bihar, Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and MSMEs (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) Nitin Jairam Gadkari virtually inaugurated its upstream carriageway. This means the two lanes are completed of the 4-lane bridge which is being renovated at a cost of Rs 1,742 crore. The online ceremony was presided over by Chief Minister (CM) of Bihar Nitish Kumar. This is the first ever bridge in India using modern technology for improving the existing structure. The designing of the bridge has been done by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee in discussion with international consultants.

Answer – 3) Taiwan
Explanation:
The former Taiwanese President, Mr. Lee Teng-hui died at the age of 97 at Beitou District, Taipei City, Taiwan due to infection, and heart ailments. He was born on 15th January 1923, Sanzhi, Taiwan. He was popularly known as “Mr. Democracy” for eradicating the dictatorial rule in favour of unbiased pluralism in Taiwan.

Answer – 1) Himachal Pradesh
Explanation:
Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State-MoS (Independent Charge), Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space laid foundation stones virtually and e-inaugurated various construction works undertaken under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)-II in Jammu and Kashmir(J&K). Jitendra Singh informed that J&K has ranked 2nd in terms of performance under PMGSY II after Himachal Pradesh.

Answer – 3) Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Explanation:
The Maharashtra government approved the Maharashtra Agribusiness Network (MagNet) project worth about Rs 1,000 crore (USD 142.9 million). The project aims to help farmers across all districts in the state for the next 6 years. This will boost the fruit and vegetable production and will improve processing and minimise the losses in the sector of perishables. 70% of the project cost will be funded by Asian Development Bank(ADB) while the rest of 30% by the state government.

Answer – 5) West Bengal
Explanation:
The eSamadhan -Chief minister’s office(CMO) public grievance system of the Government of West Bengal received the SKOCH Platinum award – top award from the SKOCH foundation for the performance of grievance redressal cell of the Chief minister’s office(CMO).

Answer – 2) Writer
Explanation:
The famous writer and documentary Filmmaker Sa. Kandasamy passed away at the age 81, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu due to heart ailments. He was born in 1940, Mayiladuthurai district, Tamil Nadu. He won the Sahitya Akademi award for his Novel ‘Visaranai Commission.’

Answer – 4) IIT Kanpur
Explanation:
In order to improve green cover in the inaccessible Aravalli area of Haryana’s Faridabad district, the Haryana forest department has used drone technology to shower 50,000 seeds pallets covered with a mixture of clay and compost. This ‘seeding drone’ is designed by an Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT)-Kanpur backed startup. Species whose seeds were disseminated included Peepal, Pilkhan, Amaltash, Bael Patra, Pahari Papri, Ronjh and Khairi.

Answer – 1) “Support Breast feeding for a healthier planet”
Explanation:
World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated annually in the first week of August (from 1st of August to 7th of August) around 120 countries in the World. The day is celebrated to encourage breastfeeding and improve the babies’ health around the world. The theme for the year 2020 is, “Support Breast feeding for a healthier planet”.

Answer – 3) Andhra Pradesh
Explanation:
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy launched a one-month long virtual cybercrime awareness programme ‘E-Raksha Bandhan’ in Amaravati. The Aim of the Programme is to create awareness among women, youth and children on Cyber Crimes across the state. It is organized by the Andhra Pradesh Police, CID, FM Radio, Cyber Crime Prevention Against Women and Children (CCPWC), Cyber Peace Foundation (CPF) and other organisations.

Answer – 1) Pradip Shah
Explanation:
The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) announced the establishment of an expert committee headed by Pradip Shah, Chairman of Indasia Fund Advisors Pvt Ltd. to suggest ways to develop the international retail businesses in International Financial Services Centres (IFSC).

Answer – 5) Girish Chandra Murmu
Explanation:
Ram Nath Kovind, President of India as per the powers conferred on him by Section 1 of Article 148 of the Constitution of India has appointed Girish Chandra (GC) Murmu as 14th Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office. He succeeds Rajiv Mehrishi who completes his term on August 8,2020 as he attains the age of 65. GC Murmu will take oath on August 8, 2020 at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. He is the first tribal person to become CAG of India. He will have a tenure up to November 20, 2024.

Answer – 2) Guyana
Explanation:
Former Guyanese housing minister Mohamed Irfaan Ali (40 years old) became the President of the country after he was declared as the winner of the disputed March 2, 2020 general election following a recount. He is a member of the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP). He succeeds David Arthur (A.) Granger.

Answer – 5) Hyderabad
Explanation:
Hyderabad’s (Telangana) Rajiv Gandhi International Airport has received a mass fever screening system to enhance the screening process of passengers. There are two more scanners in the Airport. The thermal scanner has been provided by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in coordination with Asian Development Bank funded by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Answer – 3) Politician
Explanation:
Former Samajwadi party leader and Rajya Sabha MP (Member of Parliament) Amar Singh, had passed away at the age 64, in Singapore due to Kidney ailments.  He was born on January 27, 1956 at Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh. He had gone through kidney transplant in the year 2011. From 5th July 2016 to 1st August 2020, he was re-elected as the member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha. (Constituency: Uttar Pradesh) (preceded by Ambeth Rajan)

Answer – 1) United Arab Emirates
Explanation:
The Central Government has given the go ahead for Indian Premier League to be rescheduled in the United Arab Emirates from September 19 to November 10, 2020 (13^th edition of IPL). The Board of Control for Cricket in India has got “verbal clearance” from the Government and will receive the official letter in a day or two.

Answer – 2) Rs 1,75,000 crore
Explanation:
Ministry of Defence (MoD) publicized a draft ‘Defence Production & Export Promotion Policy (DPEPP) 2020 for public feedback by August 17, 2020 after which the policy would be promulgated by the MoD. The policy aims to achieve a manufacturing turnover of $25 bn or Rs 1,75,000 crore, including exports of $5 bn or Rs 35,000 Crore in aerospace and defence goods and services by 2025. The Department of Defence Production (DDP) will be the nodal department for coordination on various components of the DPEPP 2020 and to achieve the objectives set in this Policy.

Answer – 2) Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited
Explanation:
In a boost to the railways’ efforts to use technology to ease infrastructure work, for the first time in India, Railway is using New Track Construction (NTC) machine for the entire track laying of the Dedicated Freight Corridors. The projects will be implemented by Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL). Currently, there are seven NTC machines that have been deployed along the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) alignment. Four NTC machines are deployed in the Eastern DFC viz. Allahabad – New Bhaupur, Allahabad – Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya junction, Bhaupur – Bhadan, Khurja Dadri sections and in Western DFC, three NTC machines are deployed at Palanpur-Makarpura, Gothangam-Baroda and Anchali-Sachin sections respectively. Notably, The Khurja-Dadri section is the connecting link between the Eastern and Western DFCs on which freight trains run at a speed of 100 kmph ensuring fast logistics movement. The project is expected to be completed by 2022.

Answer – 5) Sashidhar Jagdishan
Explanation:
The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has approved Sashidhar Jagdishan as the next Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of HDFC Bank for a period of 3 years, effective from the date of taking charge i.e., October 27, 2020 under Section 35B of the Banking Regulation Act 1949. He will succeed Aditya Puri, the bank’s longest serving CEO (26 years- since September 1994). Aditya Puri will retire on October 26, 2020, on attaining the age of 70.

Answer – 3) Peace
Explanation:
The Nobel Peace Prize winner (1998) and prominent Northern Ireland politician John Hume passed away at 83 in a Londonderry nursing home due to a long period of illness. He was born on January 8, 1937 in Derry(Londonderry), Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom- UK). He is the only person to receive the three major peace awards (Gandhi Peace Prize, Nobel Peace Prize & Martin Luther King Award).

Answer – 3) KV Kamath 
Explanation:
RBI has decided to set up a new mechanism for stressed assets that need rescuing. In this regard, RBI will set up a committee under Kundapur Vaman Kamath, the former chairman of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Bank and ICICI (Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India) Bank to set the parameters and benchmarks for this programme aimed at the resolution of stressed loans. This committee will also evaluate resolution plans where debt is more than Rs 1,500 crore.

Answer – 3) Uttarakhand
Explanation:
India’s 1st snow leopard conservation centre is to be set up in Lanka, near Bhaironghati bridge in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand.Chief minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat chaired a meeting along with State forest minister Harak Singh Rawat and other officials to look into the setting up of the conservation centre. It will be built by the Uttarakhand forest department along the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as part of its six-year long project Securing livelihoods, conservation, sustainable use and restoration of high range Himalayan ecosystems (SECURE) Himalayas.

Answer – 2) United States
Explanation:
United States (US) Air Force conducted a scheduled test launch of an LGM-30G Minuteman III, an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) carrying a load of three unarmed reentry vehicles, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, US to a target in the Pacific Ocean. Missile’s three reentry vehicles traveled 4,200 miles (6,759 kilometers) to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands as part of a developmental test.

Answer – 2) Maharashtra
Explanation:
Senior Congressman and former Maharashtra Chief Minister(CM) Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar passed away at the age of 88 in Pune, Maharashtra. He Was born on 1 September 1931 in Nilanga, Hyderabad state (British India).

Answer – 5) 2100
Explanation:
The new study of University of Toronto Scarborough published in the journal of Nature Climate Change titled “Fasting season length sets temporal limits for global polar bear persistence” on 20th July 2020, states that climate change is starving the polar bears into extinction and concluded that the Polar bears in the Arctic will become extinct by 2100. The study is the first of its kind to offer a timeline on the loss of arctic sea ice that will affect the reproduction and survival ability of the polar bears.

Answer – 3) Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru
Explanation:
Karnataka’s Medical Education Minister Dr. K Sudhakar inaugurated India’s first Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT- PCR) COVID-19 mobile Lab approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The mobile lab is called the Mobile Infection Testing and Reporting lab (MITR) which was developed by the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) in Bengaluru and handed over to Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) in Bengaluru. The lab is capable of producing 100% results within 4 hours and it can conduct 9000 RT-PCR tests per month.

Answer – 2) 23.8 million
Explanation:
António Guterres Secretary-General of United Nations(UN) launched the report titled “Policy Brief: Education during COVID-19 and beyond” states that around 23.8 million additional children and youths may drop out or not have access to school in 2021 due to the economic impacts of COVID-19. The Policy brief was built on United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation(UNESCO)’s data and features recommendations on ways to avoid the emerging disaster.

Answer – 3) Apple
Explanation:
FutureBrand Index 2020 was released, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Oil and Gas Company ranked as the Second Biggest Brand for its recognition associated with its growth, innovative products and customer service after Apple which topped the index. RIL ranked 91st in the PricewaterhouseCoopers(PwC) Global Top 100 companies 2020.

Answer – 4) Manoj Sinha
Explanation:
President of India, Ram Nath Kovind appointed Manoj Sinha (61), former union minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Uttar Pradesh(UP) as Lieutenant(Lt) Governor of Jammu and Kashmir(J&K), effective from the date he assumes charge. He succeeds Girish Chandra Murmu, the 1st Lt governor of the Union Territory(UT) of J&K who resigned on August 5, 20020.

Answer – 4) Bihar
Explanation:
Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Railways and Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare flagged off the India’s 1st Kisan Rail, a Special Parcel Train from Maharashtra’s Devlali to Bihar’s Danapur Railway station through video link. This is the 1st ever multi commodity train of Indian Railways(IR) that carries fruits like Pomegranate, Banana, Grapes etc and vegetables like Capsicum, Cauliflower etc. The train will run on a weekly basis.

Answer – 4) Both 1) and 2)
Explanation:
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) recognises Venkatraipur and Noliasahi, villages of Odisha as ‘Tsunami Ready’ for their overall preparedness to face the tsunami. With this recognition, Odisha became the first state in the India and India became the 1st Country in the Indian Ocean region to achieve the honour from the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. Note – Venkatraipur (Boxipalli) village is in Rangeilunda block in Ganjam district & Noliasahi village of Ersama block in Jagatsinghpur district.

Answer – 3) 29th September
Explanation:
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) unveiled a new Platform, to support the global reduction of food loss and waste. The official launch of the platform will be on the first International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (IDAFLW) which will be observed on 29th September 2020.

Answer – 4) Urjit Patel
Explanation:
Former RBI governor Urjit Patel has authored a book titled ‘Overdraft: Saving the Indian Saver’. The book will be published by HarperCollins India.

Answer – 5) China
Explanation:
China on July 31, 2020 formally launched full global services of its BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System (BDS) to rival the widely-used American GPS and provide independent navigation structure for its increasingly modernising military. Chinese President Xi Jinping attended a ceremony to mark the launch of full global services of the BeiDou-3.

Answer – 1) Karnataka
Explanation:
A 12-year-old elephant, Roopa, at Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP), Karnataka gave birth to a male calf on August 1, 2020.

Answer – 4) UAE
Explanation:
The United Arab Emirates has launched operations at the Arab world’s first nuclear power plant (Barakah nuclear power plant), on the Gulf coast just east of Qatar. Nuclear fission has begun in one of four reactors at the Barakah plant, which uses South Korean technology.

Answer – 2) IN-SPACe
Explanation:
The decisions of the newly set-up Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), the single-window nodal agency, on the launch dates of satellites and rockets and use of facilities of the Department of Space’s assets also by private players will be binding on all stakeholders including the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro). The Department of Space published the roles and responsibilities of IN-SPACe, formed after the department decided to open up the assets for all with an aim to boost the private sector’s participation in the space activities in the country, on the Isro’s website. According to it, IN-SPACe will have a chairman, technical, strategic and legal experts in space activities, safety and from other departments, academia and industries, and members of the PMO and Ministry of External Affairs.