Top Best Current Affairs 18 August 2020 (2)

Barclays has predicted India's GDP to contract by 6% in 2020-21 (FY21). Earlier it had estimated a contraction of 3.2%.The reason for this downward revision of GDP is India's rising coronavirus infection curve. For FY22, Barclays has predicted India's GDP at 7% as compared to 7.4% earlier.

European Union has launched project 'Nirmanshree' for enhancing the women skill towards housing construction sector. This is the first-of-its-kind sustainable housing on a large scale in India with 1-million-euro.The project will be implemented in Beed and Osmanabad districts of Maharashtra and the Dhenkanal and Jajpur districts of Odisha.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced that Chandrayaan-2 has captured images of the Moon by Terrain Mapping Camera - 2 (TMC-2) and named one of the craters as 'Sarabhai Crater' after Indian astrophysicist Dr. Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai who is regarded as the Father of Indian Space program, to celebrate his birth centena.

The Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has informed that Odisha will become the epicenter of India's overall steel industry, to accelerate the development of the domestic steel sector of the country.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the proposal for a major expansion of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) to cover 173 border and coastal districts, to meet the aspirations of youth in all the border and coastal districts. With the expansion of NCC in the border and coastal districts, these areas will get trained manpower for disaster management, and the youth will also get skill training for making their career in the armed forces.

A book titled "A Bend in Time : Writings by Children on the COVID 19 Pandemic" was released in July 2020, the introduction of which is written by award-winning children's author Bijal Vachharajani. The book is published by Talking Cub (children's imprint of Speaking Tiger).

4th session of BRICS anti-drug working group held under the chairmanship of Russia; India represented by NCB (Narcotics Control Bureau) Director General Rakesh Asthana.

This year, there were three Shaurya Chakra Awardees from the Indian Army for their counter-terrorism operations. The Wing Commander Vishak Naik has been awarded the Shaurya Chakra. Other recipients from the Indian Army are Lt. Col. Krishan Singh Rawat, Major Anil Urs and Havildar Alok Kumar Dubey. This is the third-highest peacetime gallantry award in the country for contribution to gallantry otherwise in the face of the enemy.