Current Affairs Daily Digest – August 26 2020
1. MUDRA loan: Tamil Nadu Women top the list
According to the data provided by Ministry of Finance to Rajya Sabha, Tamil Nadu has topped the list of Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) in availing loans to women. It was followed by West Bengal and Karnataka.
According to the data produced by the Ministry of Finance, around 15 crore loans amounting to Rs 4.78 lakh crores were disbursed to women borrowers since the inception of Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana.
As of March 31, 2020. Tamil Nadu had availed Rs 58,227 crores. The loans provided by other states are as follows West Bengal: Rs 55,232 crores, Karnataka: Rs 47,714 crore, Bihar: Rs 44,879, Maharashtra: Rs 42,000 crores.
2. Indian Table Tennis star Poulomi Ghatak announced retirement
Indian Table Tennis star, Poulomi Ghatak has announced retirement. She had represented India at the Commonwealth Games in 2006 and Commonwealth championships between 2000 and 2008. She entered the Olympics in Sydney for the first time when she was 16.
3. World Health Organization certifies Africa free from wild Polio
The Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC), an independent body set up by the World Health Organization (WHO), has certified the African continent free from wild Polio virus.
The landmark feat related to public health has been achieved by the continent after decades of work along with international health bodies, national and local governments, community volunteers and survivors. According to the previous records, about 75,000 children in Africa were paralysed by polio in year 1996.
4. Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash bags Gold Medal in MCWC
Hyderabad’s, Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash Jonnalagadda has bagged the first-ever Gold Medal for India in Mental Calculations World Cup (MCWC) by Mind Sports Olympiad (MSO). He has created a new All-Time Record and has beaten the records of Math Maestros like Shakuntala Devi and Scott Flansburg.
5. Former Congo President Pascal Lissouba passes away
Former President of the Republic of Congo, Pascal Lissouba passed away. He became the minister of agriculture in 1960 after Congo became an independent country. He served as the president from 1992 to 1997. He served as the Prime minister under the Presidency of Alphonse Massamba Debat.
6. Kerala’s 1st-ever Dragonfly Festival
WWF-India Kerala State Office is joining hands with the Society for Odonate Studies (SOS) and Thumbipuranam for the first-ever state “Dragonfly Festival” in Kerala, christened ‘Thumbimahotsavam 2020’.
This is part of the National Dragonfly Festival organised by WWF India, Bombay Natural History Society and Indian Dragonfly Society in association with National Biodiversity Board, UN Environmental Programme, UN Development Programme and IUCN-CEC.
7. SBI General Insurance launches “Shagun – Gift an insurance” policy
SBI General Insurance has launched a first-of-its-kind insurance product called ‘Shagun – Gift an Insurance”, which is a unique gift of Personal Accident policy. The unique feature of this policy is that it can be gifted to anyone, which means it is not necessary for the policy buyer to be related to the insured.
8. England’s James Anderson becomes first-ever fast bowler to take 600 Test wickets
England’s James Anderson has created history by becoming the first-ever fast bowler to take 600 wickets in Test cricket. The 38-year-old achieved the feat during England’s third test against Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl cricket ground in Southampton on August 25, 2020.
9. RBI announces special OMO worth of Rs 20,000 crore in 2 tranches
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on August 25, 2020 announced special open market operations (OMO) for an amount worth Rs 20,000 crore in two equal tranches. The apex bank stated that it will conduct a simultaneous purchase and sale of government securities under open market operations.
