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Current Affairs 20 July 2020
Daily Current Affairs 20 July 2020: We have collected the latest current affairs for 20 July 2020 that are important for all competitive exams like Bank, SSC, IBPS, SBI exams. The GK current affairs will help you score more in these competitive exams. Improve your general knowledge with our daily online current affairs. You can also read the daily current affairs on our mobile app.
National News
International Centre of Automotive Technology (ICAT) develops Automotive technology e-portal ‘ASPIRE’
- The International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) is developing technology platform for the Indian Automotive Industry, to build a strong and self-reliant automotive industry in line with the vision of Make in India and Atma-Nirbhar vision of Government of India.
- The e-portal named ASPIRE (Automotive Solutions Portal for Industry, Research and Education) will act as a one stop solution, for the various stakeholders from the Indian auto industry like automotive OEMs, Tier 1 Tier 2 & Tier 3 companies, R&D institutions and academia (colleges & universities), to come other on a common platform and share ideas on matters involving innovation and adoption of global technological advancements, for ushering the industry into future with combined efforts.
- The portal can be accessed through https://aspire.icat.in.
- It will be launched in Phases.
- The Phase I of the portal has been launched on 15 July 2020, and include connecting the users and experts on the portal for functionality assessment.
- Phase II of the portal which is expected by August 15, 2020 will include the posting of domain specific challenges, team formation and finalizing the milestones for the execution of projects for the said challenges and industry problems.
- The final phase of the portal is expected by 15 September, 2020, with hosting of the Grand challenges and providing an elaborate resource database and project monitoring and execution.
- The International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) headquarter: Manesar, Gurugram, Haryana.
Andhra Pradesh Renewable Energy Export Policy, 2020
- The Andhra Pradesh government has announced Andhra Pradesh Renewable Energy Export Policy, 2020, for export of energy to other states..
- Under this policy, the state government shall set up Renewable Energy Power Projects of 120 gigawatts (GWs) in the state. The power generated from these projects shall be exported outside the state.
- The Policy will be applicable to solar, wind as well as wind-solar hybrid projects.
- The Government will be leasing 5 lakh acres of potential land in Andhra Pradesh to renewable energy export project developers for this purpose.
- The new policy will help to attract private investments to the State and improve local economy, by generating additional revenue to the State Government.
- The New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of A.P. Ltd (NREDCAP) shall act as a Nodal Agency under this new policy.
- The policy shall come into operation with effect from date of issuance and shall remain in force for five years.
Award
Marianna Vardinoyannis of Greece & Guinean Morissana Kouyate wins prestigious 2020 Nelson Mandela Prize
- Marianna Vardinoyannis of Greece, and Doctor Morissana Kouyaté of Guinea has been recognised by the United Nations for the 2020 Nelson Mandela Prize.
- The winners were announced by the President of the UN General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, on 17 July 2020. The laureates will be honored during a virtual ceremony on 20 July, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Vardinoyannis is a Greek philanthropist known for fighting childhood cancer and for a world without borders in health for about 30 years.
- Kouyate is another Human rights activist known for his contribution towards violence against women and girls in Africa.
- The Nelson Mandela Prize is awarded every five years and recognizes those who dedicate their lives to the service of humanity.
Sports
Lewis Hamilton wins 2020 Hungarian Grand Prix
- Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes’ – Great Britain) won the 2020 Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix held on 19 July 2020.
- This is his straight second win of the season.
- Hungarian Grand Prix 2020 was the third race of the 2020 Formula One World Championship.
- Max Verstappen (Dutch-Red Bull) was second, followed by Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes- Finland) at third spot.
Obituary
Bollywood Filmmaker Rajat Mukherjee passes away
- Bollywood filmmaker Rajat Mukherjee, who was known for directing films like Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya and Road, has passed away due to long time illness and other health complications.
- He was in his late 50s.
Important Days
International Chess Day: 20 July
- The International Chess Day is celebrated annually on July 20, since 1966, to celebrate one of the most ancient and most popular games in history that promotes fairness, equality, mutual respect and understanding among nations.
- It was on this day that the International Chess Federation (FIDE) was founded, in 1924.
- The idea to celebrate the day as the international chess day was proposed by UNESCO.
- FIDE’s motto for 2020 celebrations is, “Teach someone how to play chess.”
- The International Chess Federation and the United Nations will be organizing online event this year called ‘Chess for Recovering Better’ due to the pandemic. The online event will be participated by, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Vladimir Kramnik, GM Levon Aronian, and GM Hou Yifan.
Miscellaneous
World Bank Retains India’s Classification as Lower-Middle Income Group Economy for 2020-21
- India has retained its position as lower-middle income group economy in the new World Bank Country Classifications by Income Level 2020-2021.
- India became a lower-middle-income nation from low-income in the fiscal year 2009.
World Bank Country Classifications by Income Level
- Every year, the World Bank classifies the world’s economies in four income groups, which includes low, lower-middle, upper-middle, and high-income countries.
- These classifications are updated annually on July 1 based on the country’s GNI per capita in current USD (using the Atlas method exchange rates) of the previous year.
- A country’s GNI per capita, changes with economic growth, inflation, exchange rates, and population, revisions to national accounts methods and data.
Classification for 2020-21
- For the fiscal year 2020-21, a total of 218 countries have been listed, which includes all World Bank member countries (189), and other economies with populations of more than 30,000.
- Out of these total 218 economies, 83 are in the high-income group, 56 in the upper-middle group, 50 in the lower-middle income group and 29 in the low-income group.
- For FY21, GNI per capita data for 2019 has been used.
What is GNI per capita
- The GNI (Gross National Income) per capita is the dollar value of a country’s total income in a year, divided by its population. GNI includes the amount of money earned by the citizens of the country and businesses, nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the income it receives from the overseas sources.
Classification Criteria in the Four Groups based on GNI per capita
- The GNI per capita range to classify countries in the four different groups are given below:
- Low income – GNI per capita < $1,036 (means GNI per capita, of this group is $1,035 or less in 2019)
- Lower-middle income – GNI per capita between $1,036 – $4,045
- Upper-middle income – GNI per capita between $4,046 – $12,535
- High income – GNI per capita > $12,535