Current Affairs - August 4, 2020 Current Affairs

Taiwan has provisionally approved the use of dexamethasone to treat COVID-19 infection. The approval comes as the nation faces a shortfall of the antiviral drug remdesivir after the United States bought nearly all global supplies. Dexamethasone is a cheap and widely-used steroid.

Ashwini Kumar Tewari has assumed as its new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SBI Cards & Payment Services (SBI Card) with effect from 1 August 2020. Tewari has replaced Hardayal Prasad who retired on July 31, 2020. His appointment will further strengthen the SBI Card's market share and propel the business to new milestones.

A Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between IIT Kanpur, Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Department of Administrative Reforms & Public grievances (DAR & PG) to develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) Techniques to conduct exploratory and predictive analysis of Public Grievances received on the web based Centralized Public Grievances Redress & Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) pertaining to the MoD. The project will help the Ministry of Defence to take corrective measures in time, before a problem becomes large.The analysis will help the MoD to determine if more complaints are coming from any specific areas/regions/cities.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved Phase II+III clinical trials of Oxford University-Astra Zeneca COVID-19 vaccine, COVISHIELD, in India by the Serum Institute of India, Pune. The move is to hasten the development of the COVID-19 vaccine

The Mumbai Division of Central Railway (CR), designed a health assistant robot "Rakshak" that communicates between doctor and patient remotely. The Robot was developed in-house at EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) car shed by Sunil Bairwa, Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer and his team in Kurla, Mumbai section of the Central Railway. The main objective of building the robot is to avoid spreading of the COVID-19 virus among people.

Ebrahim Alkazi, the first Director of the National School of Drama (NSD), passed away on 4th August 2020. Alkazi was considered as the Father of modern Indian theatre. He was 94 years old. He was also an art connoisseur, collector, and gallery owner. Alkazi founded the Art Heritage Gallery in New Delhi. Ebrahim Alkazi assumed charge of the National School of Drama in the year 1962. He was the longest-serving director of the school.

As part of a social commitment to compensate the unprecedented expenses of ordinary people, Canara bank has partnered with 3 insurers namely, New India Assurance Company Ltd, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co Ltd and HDFC ERGO Health Insurance to offer individual short-term Corona Kavach policy to cover their COVID-19 related health expenses.

Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre(HTIC) of Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) in partnership with Helyxon Healthcare Solutions Private Limited, a healthcare startup in IIT Madras jointly developed a first of its kind remote patient monitoring device for COVID-19. The device was engineered based on the clinical input to provide a low cost, simple and easy to use device to monitor the patients from anywhere at the hospital or home.

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 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).

The state government of Andhra Pradesh(AP) signs a memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with three International FMCG (Fast-moving consumer goods) companies- Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), ITC ltd., and Procter and Gamble (P&G) to provide marketing and technological support for the economic empowerment of the women and to make them self-reliant. AP is set to launch two schemes YSR Cheyutha and YSR Asara to support the empowerment of women.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become the first gulf nation to produce nuclear energy. Unit 1 of the Abu Dhabi-based Barakah nuclear power plant has become operational.

The United States President Donald Trump on August 3, 2020 signed an executive order to restrict H1B Visa use. The order will restrict the federal agencies from contracting or subcontracting the foreign workers, affecting Indian IT professionals who have been working in the US on H1B Visa.