Current Affairs in Short: 19 August 2020

India deploys fighter LCA Tejas on western front amid border tensions with China

• The Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed home-grown Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas on the western front along India’s border with Pakistan in the view of the escalation of tensions with China on the Ladakh front.
• The first LCA Tejas squadron based out of Sulur under the Southern Air Command has been deployed in an operational role at the front. 
• The indigenous Tejas aircraft was praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day speech, in which he had stated that the deal to buy the LCA Mark1A version was expected to be completed soon.
• The Indian Air Force and the Defence Ministry are expected to finalise the deal for the 83 Mark1A aircraft by the end of 2020. The IAF has begun deploying its assets along the borders with both China and Pakistan in the wake of the Chinese aggression on the borders.

India to build new road to Ladakh

• India is planning to build a new road from Manali to Leh to facilitate troop movement to Ladakh without observation from enemy. The new road will provide the third link between the high altitude mountainous Union Territory (UT) and the rest of the country.
• The road will be used to rush troops and tanks to the Pakistan and China front in Ladakh without being observed by the enemy. It will help save 3-4 hours of journey time while traveling from Manali to Leh.
• India is also working to provide alternative connectivity to the strategically important Sub-Sector North including the Daulat Beg Oldi. Besides this, work has already begun for the construction of the world's highest motorable road Khardung La pass.

CAIT opposes Dream11 as IPL title sponsor

• The Confederation of All India Traders ( CAIT) on August 19, 2020 wrote to the Board of Control for Cricket in India ( BCCI) raising objections over the Indian Premier League's title sponsor reportedly having stakeholders from China.
• The trader’s body wrote to BCCI President Saurav Ganguly saying, "We are deeply pained to note that Dream 11 has been chosen as a sponsor of IPL 2020 that has Chinese company Tencent Global as one of the major stakeholders".
• The body noted that awarding sponsorship to Dream 11 is nothing but a bye-pass route to neglect the sentiments and feelings prevailing among the people of India against China for its regular attempts to invade the interests of India. CAIT is spearheading the campaign to boycott Chinese goods.
• Fantasy sports platform Dream11 had on August 18, 2020 won the Indian Premier League ( IPL) title sponsorship rights with a bid of Rs 222 crore, replacing Chinese smartphone manufacturer Vivo. 

Bhagat Singh Koshyari takes oath as new Goa Governor

• Bhagat Singh Koshyari took oath as the new Governor of Goa on August 19, 2020. Koshyari has been given additional responsibility, as he is also the Maharashtra Governor.
• The move follows the transfer and appointment of former Goa Governor Satya Pal Malik as the new Governor of Meghalaya.

Bangladesh to get priority in India’s COVID 19 vaccine

• India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said during the concluding day of the two-day visit to Bangladesh that the country will get priority in the COVID-19 vaccine produced by India. 
• He stated that India is in an advanced stage of COVID-19 trial and it is going to produce vaccines at a massive level.
• Foreign Secretary Shringla said that he had come to Bangladesh as Prime Minister Narendra Modi felt that the strong bilateral relationship between the two countries must move forward. He had called upon Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 18, 2020.