* International Literacy Day is observed globally on 8th September every year.

* The day spread awareness about the importance of literacy for individuals, communities, and societies and the need for intensified efforts towards more literate societies.

* International Literacy Day 2020 focuses on “Literacy teaching and learning in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond,” especially on the role of educators and changing pedagogies.

* The theme highlights literacy learning in a lifelong learning perspective, and therefore, mainly focuses on youth and adults.

* Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry have launched a toll-free mental health rehabilitation helpline “KIRAN”.

* The helpline was launched in view of the growing incidence of Mental Illness, particularly in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

* The helpline – 1800-500-0019 will provide relief and support to persons with mental illness.

* The helpline will resolve mental health issues that are related to the following namely, anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), depression, Panic Attack(s) Adjustment Disorders, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, Post Traumatic Stress Disorders and the psychological issues & mental health emergencies induced by the pandemic.

* It will offer mental health rehabilitation services. It functions as a lifeline to provide 1st stage advice, counselling. It is available 24*7 with the Technical Coordination of BSNL.

* The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) has announced the appointment of Vinkesh Gulati as its 35th President for the year 2020-22. He succeeds Ashish Harsharaj Kale as the new FADA President.

* Gulati is the Director of United Automobiles, based out of Allahabad and Faridabad.

* United Automobiles is involved in the Auto Dealership business since the year 1985 and are dealers for brands like Mahindra & Mahindra and Bajaj Auto.

* United Automobiles is part of the United Group that started as Transport Business in 1951.

* Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully flight-tested a Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV), which is an unmanned scramjet vehicle with the ability to travel at six times the speed of sound.

* The test was conducted from Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Launch Complex at Wheeler Island, off the coast of Odisha.

* Now, India has joined the elite club of the United States, Russia and China to develop and successfully test Hypersonic Technology.

* The HSTDV tests the indigenously developed hypersonic air-breathing scramjet technology. The scramjets are a variant of air-breathing jet engines and have the ability to handle airflows of speeds much higher than the speed of sound.

* The hypersonic cruise vehicle was launched using a proven solid rocket motor, which took it to an altitude of 30 kilometres, where the aerodynamic heat shields were separated. The cruise vehicle separated from the launch vehicle and the air intake opened as planned.

* Anil Jain, Member of Parliament of Rajya Sabha, has been elected as All India Tennis Association's (AITA) new President at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).

* He was elected unanimously to lead the administration of AITA after Praveen Mahajan's tenure as AITA President came to an end this year.

* Anil Dhupar was elected as the Secretary-General and Rohit Rajpal will serve as the Treasurer of AITA.

* Union minister Jitendra Singh announced that first-ever Cannabis Medicine Project will soon be set up in Jammu.

* Cannabis Medicine Project will be set up in collaboration with Canada and Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) in Jammu.

* It is the first major foreign investment in Jammu and Kashmir after it became a Union Territory (UT).

* The Tamil Nadu government has constituted a seven-member high-level committee to study the National Education Policy of the Centre and to make recommendations.

* Vice-Chancellors of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University K. Pitchumani; Alagappa University N. Rajendran; Madurai Kamaraj University M. Krishnan; and Thiruvalluvar University S. Thamarai Selvi are amomg the members in the panel.

* Former Vice-Chancellors of the University of Madras S.P. Thyagarajan, who has served in national academic panels, and P. Duraisamy, are the other members.

* The state government on Friday signed MoUs with eight companies including the Netherlands government in the food processing sector.

* Representatives of seven companies from across the country and the Netherlands government signed the MoU in the presence of chief minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy.

* These companies would help farmers through the state government in the food processing sector, including harvesting, processing and packaging of fruits, vegetables, fish and aqua products.

* The Netherlands government would help the state government and the farmers in food processing, technology, packaging, containers and other areas.

* Bengaluru tops the list of destinations for a career in AI, followed by Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai.

* Job searches in the field have risen 106 per cent in the past year (June 2019 to June 2020), and this has increased further by 20 per cent from March to July 2020, in line with the onset of the pandemic.

* AI-related job postings have also seen a steady rise in the last two years, with a 51 per cent jump between June 2019 and June 2020.

* World Bank and the government of Himachal Pradesh signed $82 million loan for the implementation of Himachal Pradesh State Roads Transformation Project.

* The project will strengthen the transport and road safety institutions of Himachal Pradesh.

* It aims at improving the condition, safety, resilience, and engineering standards of state road network.