Announcements on Independence Day :
- On the occasion of 74th Independance Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the task to connect India’s over six lakh villages with optical fibre network will be completed in the next 1,000 days. Besides, a high speed internet connectivity via submarine optical fibre cable will be extended to Lakshadweep in this period.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi launch of the National Digital Health Mission on the occasion of 74th Independence Day. Under which every Indian will get a health ID. This health ID will work as each Indian’s health account. Every test, disease and diagnosis, and medical reports along with medicines will be stored in every citizen’s health ID. These health issues will be resolved through this National Digital Health Mission.
- Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, on the occasion of Independence Day speech, has said that government will start operating from three Capitals in the State soon. Mr. Reddy clarified that foundation stones for Executive Capital at Visakhapatnam and Judiciary Capital at Kurnool will be laid shortly.
Launch:
- On the occasion of the 74th Independence Day, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju launched the Fit India Youth Club, an initiative to promote fitness across the country. The Fit India Youth Club is a part of the Fit India Movement envisioned by Prime Minister Narndra Modi.
- Government of Jharkhand launches new Jharkhand Logo on the occasion of Independence Day. Logo includes some important symbols, National Emblem -Ashoka Stoopa in the centre, enclosed by the circle of state flower-Palash, after that again enclosed by the circle of the image of the State animal-Elephant.
Award and Festival:
- Neev Literature Festival for children will conduct its fourth edition online. Theme of this year’s event is “Imaginary Lines“, and will primarily focus on the subject of Partition. NLF 2020 will comprise two sessions on August 15. The first will deal with “Partition: Memory and Memorialisation” with authors Kamla Bhasin and Mallika Ahluwalia and film-maker Santosh Sivan as panellists. The second session, “Peripheries: Boundaries on the Edge, Boundaries Within,” will have children’s author and social activist Rinchin, film-maker and author Kenny Basumatary, and storyteller and film-maker Aijaz Khan as the panellists.
- Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma has been awarded a gallantry medal on the occasion of Independence Day posthumously for the seventh time, who was killed during the 2008 Batla House encounter.
Retirement:
- Eminent former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni retired from international cricket on 15 August 2020.
- Renowned Indian cricketer Suresh Raina announced his retirement from international cricket on 15 August 2020.
Death:
- Photographer Punalur Rajan died in Kozhikode on 15 August 2020. He was 81. He was an exceptionally talented photographer who specialised in taking black-and-white pictures of cultural icons.
Other:
- The Department of Science and Technology, Govt of India, has sanctioned Rs 170 crores to IIT Delhi under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) to set up a Technology Innovation Hub on Cobotics. In IIT Delhi, the Technology Innovation Hub on Cobotics is known as “I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics (IHFC)“.
- The National Institute of Technology, Tiruchi (NIT-T), will be part of two major national technology missions launched by Union government. First one “National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems (NM-ICPS)” and second one “National Supercomputing Mission”.
- Major Shweta Pandey (woman Army officer), assisted Prime Minister Narendra Modi in unfurling the national flag atop the ramparts of the Red Fort during the 74th Independence Day celebrations.